1
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Bury LAD, Fu S, Wynshaw-Boris A. Neuronal lineage tracing from progenitors in human cortical organoids reveals mechanisms of neuronal production, diversity, and disease. Cell Rep 2024; 43:114862. [PMID: 39395167 DOI: 10.1016/j.celrep.2024.114862] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 08/20/2023] [Revised: 08/14/2024] [Accepted: 09/25/2024] [Indexed: 10/14/2024] Open
Abstract
The contribution of progenitor subtypes to generating the billions of neurons produced during human cortical neurogenesis is not well understood. We developed the cortical organoid lineage-tracing (COR-LT) system for human cortical organoids. Differential fluorescent reporter activation in distinct progenitor cells leads to permanent reporter expression, enabling the progenitor cell lineage of neurons to be determined. Surprisingly, nearly all excitatory neurons produced in cortical organoids were generated indirectly from intermediate progenitor cells. Additionally, neurons of different progenitor lineages were transcriptionally distinct. Isogenic lines made from an autistic individual with and without a likely pathogenic CTNNB1 variant demonstrated that the variant substantially altered the proportion of neurons derived from specific progenitor cell lineages, as well as the lineage-specific transcriptional profiles of these neurons, suggesting a pathogenic mechanism for this mutation. These results suggest individual progenitor subtypes play roles in generating the diverse neurons of the human cerebral cortex.
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Affiliation(s)
- Luke A D Bury
- Department of Genetics and Genome Sciences, Case Western Reserve University School of Medicine, Cleveland, OH 44106, USA.
| | - Shuai Fu
- Department of Genetics and Genome Sciences, Case Western Reserve University School of Medicine, Cleveland, OH 44106, USA; Department of Molecular Medicine, Cleveland Clinic Lerner College of Medicine, Cleveland, OH 44195, USA
| | - Anthony Wynshaw-Boris
- Department of Genetics and Genome Sciences, Case Western Reserve University School of Medicine, Cleveland, OH 44106, USA.
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2
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Xing L, Huttner WB, Namba T. Role of cell metabolism in the pathophysiology of brain size-associated neurodevelopmental disorders. Neurobiol Dis 2024; 199:106607. [PMID: 39029564 DOI: 10.1016/j.nbd.2024.106607] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 06/16/2024] [Revised: 07/13/2024] [Accepted: 07/15/2024] [Indexed: 07/21/2024] Open
Abstract
Cell metabolism is a key regulator of human neocortex development and evolution. Several lines of evidence indicate that alterations in neural stem/progenitor cell (NPC) metabolism lead to abnormal brain development, particularly brain size-associated neurodevelopmental disorders, such as microcephaly. Abnormal NPC metabolism causes impaired cell proliferation and thus insufficient expansion of NPCs for neurogenesis. Therefore, the production of neurons, which is a major determinant of brain size, is decreased and the size of the brain, especially the size of the neocortex, is significantly reduced. This review discusses recent progress understanding NPC metabolism, focusing in particular on glucose metabolism, fatty acid metabolism and amino acid metabolism (e.g., glutaminolysis and serine metabolism). We provide an overview of the contributions of these metabolic pathways to brain development and evolution, as well as to the etiology of neurodevelopmental disorders. Furthermore, we discuss the advantages and disadvantages of various experimental models to study cell metabolism in the developing brain.
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Affiliation(s)
- Lei Xing
- Department of Biological Sciences, University of Manitoba, Winnipeg, MB, Canada.
| | - Wieland B Huttner
- Max Planck Institute of Molecular Cell Biology and Genetics, Dresden, Germany.
| | - Takashi Namba
- Neuroscience Center, HiLIFE - Helsinki Institute of Life Science, University of Helsinki, Helsinki, Finland; Department of Developmental Biology, Fujita Health University School of Medicine, Toyoake, Japan; International Center for Brain Science (ICBS), Fujita Health University, Toyoake, Japan.
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3
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Ji L, Wang A, Sonthalia S, Naiman DQ, Younes L, Colantuoni C, Geman D. CellCover Captures Neural Stem Cell Progression in Mammalian Neocortical Development. BIORXIV : THE PREPRINT SERVER FOR BIOLOGY 2024:2023.04.06.535943. [PMID: 37383947 PMCID: PMC10299349 DOI: 10.1101/2023.04.06.535943] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 06/30/2023]
Abstract
Definition of cell classes across the tissues of living organisms is central in the analysis of growing atlases of single-cell RNA sequencing (scRNA-seq) data across biomedicine. Marker genes for cell classes are most often defined by differential expression (DE) methods that serially assess individual genes across landscapes of diverse cells. This serial approach has been extremely useful, but is limited because it ignores possible redundancy or complementarity across genes that can only be captured by analyzing multiple genes simultaneously. We aim to identify discriminating panels of genes. To efficiently explore the vast space of possible marker panels, leverage the large number of cells often sequenced, and overcome zero-inflation in scRNA-seq data, we propose viewing gene panel selection as a variation of the "minimal set-covering problem" in combinatorial optimization. We show that this new method, CellCover, captures cell-class-specific signals in the developing mouse neocortex that are distinct from those defined by DE methods. Transfer learning experiments across mouse, primate, and human data demonstrate that CellCover identifies markers of conserved cell classes in neurogenesis, as well as temporal progression in both progenitors and neurons. Exploring markers of human outer radial glia (oRG, or basal RG) across mammals, we show that transcriptomic elements of this key cell type in the expansion of the human cortex appeared in gliogenic precursors of the rodent before the full program emerged in the primate lineage. We have assembled the public datasets we use in this report at NeMO analytics where the expression of individual genes {NeMO Individual Genes} and marker gene panels can be freely explored {NeMO: Telley 3 Sets Covering Panels}, {NeMO: Telley 12 Sets Covering Panels}, and {NeMO: Sorted Brain Cell Covering Panels}. CellCover is available in {CellCover R} and {CellCover Python}.
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4
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Thor S. Indirect neurogenesis in space and time. Nat Rev Neurosci 2024; 25:519-534. [PMID: 38951687 DOI: 10.1038/s41583-024-00833-x] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Accepted: 05/29/2024] [Indexed: 07/03/2024]
Abstract
During central nervous system (CNS) development, neural progenitor cells (NPCs) generate neurons and glia in two different ways. In direct neurogenesis, daughter cells differentiate directly into neurons or glia, whereas in indirect neurogenesis, neurons or glia are generated after one or more daughter cell divisions. Intriguingly, indirect neurogenesis is not stochastically deployed and plays instructive roles during CNS development: increased generation of cells from specific lineages; increased generation of early or late-born cell types within a lineage; and increased cell diversification. Increased indirect neurogenesis might contribute to the anterior CNS expansion evident throughout the Bilateria and help to modify brain-region size without requiring increased NPC numbers or extended neurogenesis. Increased indirect neurogenesis could be an evolutionary driver of the gyrencephalic (that is, folded) cortex that emerged during mammalian evolution and might even have increased during hominid evolution. Thus, selection of indirect versus direct neurogenesis provides a powerful developmental and evolutionary instrument that drives not only the evolution of CNS complexity but also brain expansion and modulation of brain-region size, and thereby the evolution of increasingly advanced cognitive abilities. This Review describes indirect neurogenesis in several model species and humans, and highlights some of the molecular genetic mechanisms that control this important process.
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Affiliation(s)
- Stefan Thor
- School of Biomedical Sciences, The University of Queensland, St Lucia, Queensland, Australia.
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5
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Ning C, Wu X, Zhao X, Lu Z, Yao X, Zhou T, Yi L, Sun Y, Wu S, Liu Z, Huang X, Gao L, Liu J. Epigenomic landscapes during prefrontal cortex development and aging in rhesus. Natl Sci Rev 2024; 11:nwae213. [PMID: 39183748 PMCID: PMC11342245 DOI: 10.1093/nsr/nwae213] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 09/08/2023] [Revised: 06/07/2024] [Accepted: 06/09/2024] [Indexed: 08/27/2024] Open
Abstract
The prefrontal cortex (PFC) is essential for higher-level cognitive functions. How epigenetic dynamics participates in PFC development and aging is largely unknown. Here, we profiled epigenomic landscapes of rhesus monkey PFCs from prenatal to aging stages. The dynamics of chromatin states, including higher-order chromatin structure, chromatin interaction and histone modifications are coordinated to regulate stage-specific gene transcription, participating in distinct processes of neurodevelopment. Dramatic changes of epigenetic signals occur around the birth stage. Notably, genes involved in neuronal cell differentiation and layer specification are pre-configured by bivalent promoters. We identified a cis-regulatory module and the transcription factors (TFs) associated with basal radial glia development, which was associated with large brain size in primates. These TFs include GLI3, CREB5 and SOX9. Interestingly, the genes associated with the basal radial glia (bRG)-associated cis-element module, such as SRY and SOX9, are enriched in sex differentiation. Schizophrenia-associated single nucleotide polymorphisms are more enriched in super enhancers (SEs) than typical enhancers, suggesting that SEs play an important role in neural network wiring. A cis-regulatory element of DBN1 is identified, which is critical for neuronal cell proliferation and synaptic neuron differentiation. Notably, the loss of distal chromatin interaction and H3K27me3 signal are hallmarks of PFC aging, which are associated with abnormal expression of aging-related genes and transposon activation, respectively. Collectively, our findings shed light on epigenetic mechanisms underlying primate brain development and aging.
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Affiliation(s)
- Chao Ning
- National Laboratory of Biomacromolecules, CAS Center for Excellence in Biomacromolecules, Institute of Biophysics, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Beijing 100101, China
- College of Life Sciences, University of Chinese Academy of Sciences, Beijing 100049, China
| | - Xi Wu
- National Laboratory of Biomacromolecules, CAS Center for Excellence in Biomacromolecules, Institute of Biophysics, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Beijing 100101, China
- College of Life Sciences, University of Chinese Academy of Sciences, Beijing 100049, China
- Division of HIV/AIDS and Sex-Transmitted Virus Vaccines, Institute for Biological Product Control, National Institutes for Food and Drug Control (NIFDC), State Key Laboratory of Drug Regulatory Science, Beijing 102629, China
| | - Xudong Zhao
- Key Laboratory of Animal Models and Human Disease Mechanisms of Chinese Academy of Sciences, Kunming Institute of Zoology, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Kunming 650223, China
| | - Zongyang Lu
- School of Life Science and Technology, Shanghai Tech University, Shanghai 201210, China
| | - Xuelong Yao
- College of Life Sciences, University of Chinese Academy of Sciences, Beijing 100049, China
- GuangzhouNvwa Life Technology Co., Ltd, Guangzhou 510535, China
| | - Tao Zhou
- Shenzhen Neher Neural Plasticity Laboratory, CAS Key Laboratory of Brain Connectome and Manipulation, The Brain Cognition and Brain Disease Institute, Shenzhen Institute of Advanced Technology, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Shenzhen 518055, China
| | - Lizhi Yi
- College of Life Sciences, University of Chinese Academy of Sciences, Beijing 100049, China
| | - Yaoyu Sun
- College of Life Sciences, University of Chinese Academy of Sciences, Beijing 100049, China
| | - Shuaishuai Wu
- National Laboratory of Biomacromolecules, CAS Center for Excellence in Biomacromolecules, Institute of Biophysics, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Beijing 100101, China
- College of Life Sciences, University of Chinese Academy of Sciences, Beijing 100049, China
- Key Laboratory of Epigenetic Regulation and Intervention, Institute of Biophysics, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Beijing 100101, China
| | - Zhenbo Liu
- National Laboratory of Biomacromolecules, CAS Center for Excellence in Biomacromolecules, Institute of Biophysics, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Beijing 100101, China
- Key Laboratory of Epigenetic Regulation and Intervention, Institute of Biophysics, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Beijing 100101, China
| | - Xingxu Huang
- School of Life Science and Technology, Shanghai Tech University, Shanghai 201210, China
- Zhejiang Provincial Key Laboratory of Pancreatic Disease, The First Affiliated Hospital, and Institute of Translational Medicine, Zhejiang University School of Medicine, Hangzhou 310058, China
| | - Lei Gao
- National Laboratory of Biomacromolecules, CAS Center for Excellence in Biomacromolecules, Institute of Biophysics, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Beijing 100101, China
- Key Laboratory of Epigenetic Regulation and Intervention, Institute of Biophysics, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Beijing 100101, China
| | - Jiang Liu
- National Laboratory of Biomacromolecules, CAS Center for Excellence in Biomacromolecules, Institute of Biophysics, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Beijing 100101, China
- College of Life Sciences, University of Chinese Academy of Sciences, Beijing 100049, China
- Key Laboratory of Epigenetic Regulation and Intervention, Institute of Biophysics, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Beijing 100101, China
- Center for Excellence in Animal Evolution and Genetics, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Kunming 650223, China
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6
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Yang Z. The Principle of Cortical Development and Evolution. Neurosci Bull 2024:10.1007/s12264-024-01259-2. [PMID: 39023844 DOI: 10.1007/s12264-024-01259-2] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 05/29/2024] [Accepted: 06/21/2024] [Indexed: 07/20/2024] Open
Abstract
Human's robust cognitive abilities, including creativity and language, are made possible, at least in large part, by evolutionary changes made to the cerebral cortex. This paper reviews the biology and evolution of mammalian cortical radial glial cells (primary neural stem cells) and introduces the concept that a genetically step wise process, based on a core molecular pathway already in use, is the evolutionary process that has molded cortical neurogenesis. The core mechanism, which has been identified in our recent studies, is the extracellular signal-regulated kinase (ERK)-bone morphogenic protein 7 (BMP7)-GLI3 repressor form (GLI3R)-sonic hedgehog (SHH) positive feedback loop. Additionally, I propose that the molecular basis for cortical evolutionary dwarfism, exemplified by the lissencephalic mouse which originated from a larger gyrencephalic ancestor, is an increase in SHH signaling in radial glia, that antagonizes ERK-BMP7 signaling. Finally, I propose that: (1) SHH signaling is not a key regulator of primate cortical expansion and folding; (2) human cortical radial glial cells do not generate neocortical interneurons; (3) human-specific genes may not be essential for most cortical expansion. I hope this review assists colleagues in the field, guiding research to address gaps in our understanding of cortical development and evolution.
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Affiliation(s)
- Zhengang Yang
- State Key Laboratory of Medical Neurobiology and MOE Frontiers Center for Brain Science, Department of Neurology, Institutes of Brain Science, Zhongshan Hospital, Fudan University, Shanghai, 200032, China.
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7
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Gkini V, Gómez-Lozano I, Heikinheimo O, Namba T. Dynamic changes in mitochondrial localization in human neocortical basal radial glial cells during cell cycle. J Comp Neurol 2024; 532:e25630. [PMID: 38852043 DOI: 10.1002/cne.25630] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 12/29/2023] [Revised: 03/25/2024] [Accepted: 05/09/2024] [Indexed: 06/10/2024]
Abstract
Mitochondria play critical roles in neural stem/progenitor cell proliferation and fate decisions. The subcellular localization of mitochondria in neural stem/progenitor cells during mitosis potentially influences the distribution of mitochondria to the daughter cells and thus their fates. Therefore, understanding the spatial dynamics of mitochondria provides important knowledge about brain development. In this study, we analyzed the subcellular localization of mitochondria in the fetal human neocortex with a particular focus on the basal radial glial cells (bRGCs), a neural stem/progenitor cell subtype attributed to the evolutionary expansion of the human neocortex. During interphase, bRGCs exhibit a polarized localization of mitochondria that is localized at the base of the process or the proximal part of the process. Thereafter, mitochondria in bRGCs at metaphase show unpolarized distribution in which the mitochondria are randomly localized in the cytoplasm. During anaphase and telophase, mitochondria are still localized evenly, but mainly in the periphery of the cytoplasm. Mitochondria start to accumulate at the cleavage furrow during cytokinesis. These results suggest that the mitochondrial localization in bRGCs is tightly regulated during the cell cycle, which may ensure the proper distribution of mitochondria to the daughter cells and, thus in turn, influence their fates.
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Affiliation(s)
- Vasiliki Gkini
- Neuroscience Center, HiLIFE - Helsinki Institute of Life Science, University of Helsinki, Helsinki, Finland
| | - Inés Gómez-Lozano
- Neuroscience Center, HiLIFE - Helsinki Institute of Life Science, University of Helsinki, Helsinki, Finland
| | - Oskari Heikinheimo
- Department of Obstetrics and Gynecology, University of Helsinki and Helsinki University Hospital, Helsinki, Finland
| | - Takashi Namba
- Neuroscience Center, HiLIFE - Helsinki Institute of Life Science, University of Helsinki, Helsinki, Finland
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8
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Deng H, Tong S, Shen D, Zhang S, Fu Y. The characteristics of excitatory lineage differentiation and the developmental conservation in Reeler neocortex. Cell Prolif 2024; 57:e13587. [PMID: 38084819 PMCID: PMC11056708 DOI: 10.1111/cpr.13587] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 09/18/2023] [Revised: 11/21/2023] [Accepted: 11/29/2023] [Indexed: 04/30/2024] Open
Abstract
The majority of neocortical projection neurons are generated indirectly from radial glial cells (RGCs) mediated by intermediate progenitor cells (IPCs) in mice. IPCs are thought to be a great breakthrough in the evolutionary expansion of the mammalian neocortex. However, the precise ratio of neuron production from IPCs and characteristics of RGC differentiation process are still unclear. Our study revealed that direct neurogenesis was seldom observed and increased slightly at late embryonic stage. Besides, we conducted retrovirus sparse labelling combined carboxyfluorescein diacetate succinimide ester (CFSE) and Tbr2-CreER strain to reconstruct individual lineage tree in situ. The lineage trees simulated the output of RGCs at per round of division in sequence with high temporal, spatial and cellular resolution at P7. We then demonstrated that only 1.90% of neurons emanated from RGCs directly in mouse cerebral neocortex and 79.33% of RGCs contributed to the whole clones through IPCs. The contribution of indirect neurogenesis was underestimated previously because approximately a quarter of IPC-derived neurons underwent apoptosis. Here, we also showed that abundant IPCs from first-generation underwent self-renewing division and generated four neurons ultimately. We confirmed that the intermediate proliferative progenitors expressed higher Cux2 characteristically at early embryonic stage. Finally, we validated that the characteristics of neurogenetic process in lineages and developmental fate of neurons were conserved in Reeler mice. This study contributes to further understanding of neurogenesis in neocortical development.
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Affiliation(s)
- Huan‐Huan Deng
- Jing'an District Central Hospital of Shanghai, State Key Laboratory of Medical Neurobiology, MOE Frontiers Center for Brain Science, Institutes of Brain ScienceFudan UniversityShanghaiChina
| | - Shi‐Yuan Tong
- Jing'an District Central Hospital of Shanghai, State Key Laboratory of Medical Neurobiology, MOE Frontiers Center for Brain Science, Institutes of Brain ScienceFudan UniversityShanghaiChina
| | - Dan Shen
- Jing'an District Central Hospital of Shanghai, State Key Laboratory of Medical Neurobiology, MOE Frontiers Center for Brain Science, Institutes of Brain ScienceFudan UniversityShanghaiChina
| | - Shu‐Qing Zhang
- Jing'an District Central Hospital of Shanghai, State Key Laboratory of Medical Neurobiology, MOE Frontiers Center for Brain Science, Institutes of Brain ScienceFudan UniversityShanghaiChina
| | - Yinghui Fu
- Jing'an District Central Hospital of Shanghai, State Key Laboratory of Medical Neurobiology, MOE Frontiers Center for Brain Science, Institutes of Brain ScienceFudan UniversityShanghaiChina
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9
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Coquand L, Brunet Avalos C, Macé AS, Farcy S, Di Cicco A, Lampic M, Wimmer R, Bessières B, Attie-Bitach T, Fraisier V, Sens P, Guimiot F, Brault JB, Baffet AD. A cell fate decision map reveals abundant direct neurogenesis bypassing intermediate progenitors in the human developing neocortex. Nat Cell Biol 2024; 26:698-709. [PMID: 38548890 PMCID: PMC11098750 DOI: 10.1038/s41556-024-01393-z] [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: 09/25/2022] [Accepted: 02/29/2024] [Indexed: 05/03/2024]
Abstract
The human neocortex has undergone strong evolutionary expansion, largely due to an increased progenitor population, the basal radial glial cells. These cells are responsible for the production of a diversity of cell types, but the successive cell fate decisions taken by individual progenitors remain unknown. Here we developed a semi-automated live/fixed correlative imaging method to map basal radial glial cell division modes in early fetal tissue and cerebral organoids. Through the live analysis of hundreds of dividing progenitors, we show that basal radial glial cells undergo abundant symmetric amplifying divisions, and frequent self-consuming direct neurogenic divisions, bypassing intermediate progenitors. These direct neurogenic divisions are more abundant in the upper part of the subventricular zone. We furthermore demonstrate asymmetric Notch activation in the self-renewing daughter cells, independently of basal fibre inheritance. Our results reveal a remarkable conservation of fate decisions in cerebral organoids, supporting their value as models of early human neurogenesis.
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Affiliation(s)
- Laure Coquand
- Institut Curie, PSL Research University, CNRS UMR144, Paris, France
- Sorbonne Université, Ecole Doctorale complexité du vivant, Paris, France
| | | | - Anne-Sophie Macé
- UMR 144-Cell and Tissue Imaging Facility (PICT-IBiSA), CNRS-Institut Curie, Paris, France
| | - Sarah Farcy
- Institut Curie, PSL Research University, CNRS UMR144, Paris, France
| | | | - Marusa Lampic
- Institut Curie, PSL Research University, CNRS UMR144, Paris, France
| | - Ryszard Wimmer
- Institut Curie, PSL Research University, CNRS UMR144, Paris, France
- Sorbonne Université, Ecole Doctorale complexité du vivant, Paris, France
| | - Betina Bessières
- UF Embryofœtopathologie, Hopital Necker-enfants malades, Paris, France
| | | | - Vincent Fraisier
- UMR 144-Cell and Tissue Imaging Facility (PICT-IBiSA), CNRS-Institut Curie, Paris, France
| | - Pierre Sens
- Institut Curie, PSL Research University, CNRS UMR168, Paris, France
| | - Fabien Guimiot
- UF de Fœtopathologie - Université de Paris et Inserm UMR1141, Hôpital Robert Debré, Paris, France
| | | | - Alexandre D Baffet
- Institut Curie, PSL Research University, CNRS UMR144, Paris, France.
- Institut national de la santé et de la recherche médicale, Paris, France.
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10
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Krontira AC, Cruceanu C, Dony L, Kyrousi C, Link MH, Rek N, Pöhlchen D, Raimundo C, Penner-Goeke S, Schowe A, Czamara D, Lahti-Pulkkinen M, Sammallahti S, Wolford E, Heinonen K, Roeh S, Sportelli V, Wölfel B, Ködel M, Sauer S, Rex-Haffner M, Räikkönen K, Labeur M, Cappello S, Binder EB. Human cortical neurogenesis is altered via glucocorticoid-mediated regulation of ZBTB16 expression. Neuron 2024; 112:1426-1443.e11. [PMID: 38442714 DOI: 10.1016/j.neuron.2024.02.005] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 01/17/2023] [Revised: 08/15/2023] [Accepted: 02/06/2024] [Indexed: 03/07/2024]
Abstract
Glucocorticoids are important for proper organ maturation, and their levels are tightly regulated during development. Here, we use human cerebral organoids and mice to study the cell-type-specific effects of glucocorticoids on neurogenesis. We show that glucocorticoids increase a specific type of basal progenitors (co-expressing PAX6 and EOMES) that has been shown to contribute to cortical expansion in gyrified species. This effect is mediated via the transcription factor ZBTB16 and leads to increased production of neurons. A phenome-wide Mendelian randomization analysis of an enhancer variant that moderates glucocorticoid-induced ZBTB16 levels reveals causal relationships with higher educational attainment and altered brain structure. The relationship with postnatal cognition is also supported by data from a prospective pregnancy cohort study. This work provides a cellular and molecular pathway for the effects of glucocorticoids on human neurogenesis that relates to lasting postnatal phenotypes.
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Affiliation(s)
- Anthi C Krontira
- Department Genes and Environment, Max Planck Institute of Psychiatry, Munich 80804, Germany; International Max Planck Research School for Translational Psychiatry, Munich 80804, Germany.
| | - Cristiana Cruceanu
- Department Genes and Environment, Max Planck Institute of Psychiatry, Munich 80804, Germany; Department of Physiology and Pharmacology, Karolinska Institutet, Stockholm 17177, Sweden
| | - Leander Dony
- Department Genes and Environment, Max Planck Institute of Psychiatry, Munich 80804, Germany; International Max Planck Research School for Translational Psychiatry, Munich 80804, Germany; Department for Computational Health, Helmholtz Munich, Neuherberg 85764, Germany; TUM School of Life Sciences Weihenstephan, Technical University of Munich, Freising 85354, Germany
| | - Christina Kyrousi
- Developmental Neurobiology, Max Planck Institute of Psychiatry, Munich 80804, Germany; First Department of Psychiatry, Medical School, National and Kapodistrian University of Athens, Eginition Hospital, Athens 15784, Greece; University Mental Health, Neurosciences and Precision Medicine Research Institute "Costas Stefanis", Athens 15601, Greece
| | - Marie-Helen Link
- Department Genes and Environment, Max Planck Institute of Psychiatry, Munich 80804, Germany
| | - Nils Rek
- Department Genes and Environment, Max Planck Institute of Psychiatry, Munich 80804, Germany; International Max Planck Research School for Translational Psychiatry, Munich 80804, Germany
| | - Dorothee Pöhlchen
- Department Genes and Environment, Max Planck Institute of Psychiatry, Munich 80804, Germany; International Max Planck Research School for Translational Psychiatry, Munich 80804, Germany
| | - Catarina Raimundo
- Department Genes and Environment, Max Planck Institute of Psychiatry, Munich 80804, Germany
| | - Signe Penner-Goeke
- Department Genes and Environment, Max Planck Institute of Psychiatry, Munich 80804, Germany
| | - Alicia Schowe
- Department Genes and Environment, Max Planck Institute of Psychiatry, Munich 80804, Germany; Graduate School of Systemic Neurosciences, Ludwig-Maximilians-University, Munich 82152, Germany
| | - Darina Czamara
- Department Genes and Environment, Max Planck Institute of Psychiatry, Munich 80804, Germany
| | - Marius Lahti-Pulkkinen
- Department of Psychology and Logopedics, Faculty of Medicine, University of Helsinki, Helsinki 00014, Finland; Finnish Institute for Health and Welfare, Helsinki 00271, Finland; Centre for Cardiovascular Science, Queen's Medical Research Institute, University of Edinburgh, Edinburgh EH16 4TJ, UK
| | - Sara Sammallahti
- Department of Obstetrics and Gynecology, Helsinki University Hospital and University of Helsinki, Helsinki 00014, Finland
| | - Elina Wolford
- Department of Psychology and Logopedics, Faculty of Medicine, University of Helsinki, Helsinki 00014, Finland
| | - Kati Heinonen
- Department of Psychology and Logopedics, Faculty of Medicine, University of Helsinki, Helsinki 00014, Finland; Psychology/Welfare, Faculty of Social Sciences, University of Tampere, Tampere 33014, Finland; Lawrence S. Bloomberg Faculty of Nursing, University of Toronto, Toronto, ON M5T 1P8, Canada
| | - Simone Roeh
- Department Genes and Environment, Max Planck Institute of Psychiatry, Munich 80804, Germany
| | - Vincenza Sportelli
- Department Genes and Environment, Max Planck Institute of Psychiatry, Munich 80804, Germany
| | - Barbara Wölfel
- Department Genes and Environment, Max Planck Institute of Psychiatry, Munich 80804, Germany
| | - Maik Ködel
- Department Genes and Environment, Max Planck Institute of Psychiatry, Munich 80804, Germany
| | - Susann Sauer
- Department Genes and Environment, Max Planck Institute of Psychiatry, Munich 80804, Germany
| | - Monika Rex-Haffner
- Department Genes and Environment, Max Planck Institute of Psychiatry, Munich 80804, Germany
| | - Katri Räikkönen
- Department of Psychology and Logopedics, Faculty of Medicine, University of Helsinki, Helsinki 00014, Finland
| | - Marta Labeur
- Department Genes and Environment, Max Planck Institute of Psychiatry, Munich 80804, Germany
| | - Silvia Cappello
- Developmental Neurobiology, Max Planck Institute of Psychiatry, Munich 80804, Germany; Physiological Genomics, Biomedical Center (BMC), Faculty of Medicine, Ludwig-Maximilians-University (LMU), Munich 82152, Germany
| | - Elisabeth B Binder
- Department Genes and Environment, Max Planck Institute of Psychiatry, Munich 80804, Germany.
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11
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Liu J, Mosti F, Zhao HT, Sotelo-Fonseca JE, Escobar-Tomlienovich CF, Lollis D, Musso CM, Mao Y, Massri AJ, Doll HM, Sousa AM, Wray GA, Schmidt E, Silver DL. A human-specific enhancer fine-tunes radial glia potency and corticogenesis. BIORXIV : THE PREPRINT SERVER FOR BIOLOGY 2024:2024.04.10.588953. [PMID: 38645099 PMCID: PMC11030412 DOI: 10.1101/2024.04.10.588953] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 04/23/2024]
Abstract
Humans evolved an extraordinarily expanded and complex cerebral cortex, associated with developmental and gene regulatory modifications 1-3 . Human accelerated regions (HARs) are highly conserved genomic sequences with human-specific nucleotide substitutions. Although there are thousands of annotated HARs, their functional contribution to human-specific cortical development is largely unknown 4,5 . HARE5 is a HAR transcriptional enhancer of the WNT signaling receptor Frizzled8 (FZD8) active during brain development 6 . Here, using genome-edited mouse and primate models, we demonstrate that human (Hs) HARE5 fine-tunes cortical development and connectivity by controlling the proliferative and neurogenic capacity of neural progenitor cells (NPCs). Hs-HARE5 knock-in mice have significantly enlarged neocortices containing more neurons. By measuring neural dynamics in vivo we show these anatomical features correlate with increased functional independence between cortical regions. To understand the underlying developmental mechanisms, we assess progenitor fate using live imaging, lineage analysis, and single-cell RNA sequencing. This reveals Hs-HARE5 modifies radial glial progenitor behavior, with increased self-renewal at early developmental stages followed by expanded neurogenic potential. We use genome-edited human and chimpanzee (Pt) NPCs and cortical organoids to assess the relative enhancer activity and function of Hs-HARE5 and Pt-HARE5. Using these orthogonal strategies we show four human-specific variants in HARE5 drive increased enhancer activity which promotes progenitor proliferation. These findings illustrate how small changes in regulatory DNA can directly impact critical signaling pathways and brain development. Our study uncovers new functions for HARs as key regulatory elements crucial for the expansion and complexity of the human cerebral cortex.
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12
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Stepien BK, Wielockx B. From Vessels to Neurons-The Role of Hypoxia Pathway Proteins in Embryonic Neurogenesis. Cells 2024; 13:621. [PMID: 38607059 PMCID: PMC11012138 DOI: 10.3390/cells13070621] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 02/28/2024] [Revised: 03/20/2024] [Accepted: 03/26/2024] [Indexed: 04/13/2024] Open
Abstract
Embryonic neurogenesis can be defined as a period of prenatal development during which divisions of neural stem and progenitor cells give rise to neurons. In the central nervous system of most mammals, including humans, the majority of neocortical neurogenesis occurs before birth. It is a highly spatiotemporally organized process whose perturbations lead to cortical malformations and dysfunctions underlying neurological and psychiatric pathologies, and in which oxygen availability plays a critical role. In case of deprived oxygen conditions, known as hypoxia, the hypoxia-inducible factor (HIF) signaling pathway is activated, resulting in the selective expression of a group of genes that regulate homeostatic adaptations, including cell differentiation and survival, metabolism and angiogenesis. While a physiological degree of hypoxia is essential for proper brain development, imbalanced oxygen levels can adversely affect this process, as observed in common obstetrical pathologies such as prematurity. This review comprehensively explores and discusses the current body of knowledge regarding the role of hypoxia and the HIF pathway in embryonic neurogenesis of the mammalian cortex. Additionally, it highlights existing gaps in our understanding, presents unanswered questions, and provides avenues for future research.
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Affiliation(s)
- Barbara K. Stepien
- Institute of Clinical Chemistry and Laboratory Medicine, Technische Universität Dresden, 01307 Dresden, Germany
| | - Ben Wielockx
- Institute of Clinical Chemistry and Laboratory Medicine, Technische Universität Dresden, 01307 Dresden, Germany
- Experimental Centre, Faculty of Medicine, Technische Universität Dresden, 01307 Dresden, Germany
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13
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Cubillos P, Ditzer N, Kolodziejczyk A, Schwenk G, Hoffmann J, Schütze TM, Derihaci RP, Birdir C, Köllner JE, Petzold A, Sarov M, Martin U, Long KR, Wimberger P, Albert M. The growth factor EPIREGULIN promotes basal progenitor cell proliferation in the developing neocortex. EMBO J 2024; 43:1388-1419. [PMID: 38514807 PMCID: PMC11021537 DOI: 10.1038/s44318-024-00068-7] [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: 09/13/2023] [Revised: 02/20/2024] [Accepted: 02/21/2024] [Indexed: 03/23/2024] Open
Abstract
Neocortex expansion during evolution is linked to higher numbers of neurons, which are thought to result from increased proliferative capacity and neurogenic potential of basal progenitor cells during development. Here, we show that EREG, encoding the growth factor EPIREGULIN, is expressed in the human developing neocortex and in gorilla cerebral organoids, but not in the mouse neocortex. Addition of EPIREGULIN to the mouse neocortex increases proliferation of basal progenitor cells, whereas EREG ablation in human cortical organoids reduces proliferation in the subventricular zone. Treatment of cortical organoids with EPIREGULIN promotes a further increase in proliferation of gorilla but not of human basal progenitor cells. EPIREGULIN competes with the epidermal growth factor (EGF) to promote proliferation, and inhibition of the EGF receptor abrogates the EPIREGULIN-mediated increase in basal progenitor cells. Finally, we identify putative cis-regulatory elements that may contribute to the observed inter-species differences in EREG expression. Our findings suggest that species-specific regulation of EPIREGULIN expression may contribute to the increased neocortex size of primates by providing a tunable pro-proliferative signal to basal progenitor cells in the subventricular zone.
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Affiliation(s)
- Paula Cubillos
- Center for Regenerative Therapies TU Dresden, TUD Dresden University of Technology, 01307, Dresden, Germany
| | - Nora Ditzer
- Center for Regenerative Therapies TU Dresden, TUD Dresden University of Technology, 01307, Dresden, Germany
| | - Annika Kolodziejczyk
- Center for Regenerative Therapies TU Dresden, TUD Dresden University of Technology, 01307, Dresden, Germany
| | - Gustav Schwenk
- Center for Regenerative Therapies TU Dresden, TUD Dresden University of Technology, 01307, Dresden, Germany
| | - Janine Hoffmann
- Center for Regenerative Therapies TU Dresden, TUD Dresden University of Technology, 01307, Dresden, Germany
| | - Theresa M Schütze
- Center for Regenerative Therapies TU Dresden, TUD Dresden University of Technology, 01307, Dresden, Germany
| | - Razvan P Derihaci
- Department of Gynecology and Obstetrics, TU Dresden, 01307, Dresden, Germany
- National Center for Tumor Diseases, 01307, Dresden, Germany
| | - Cahit Birdir
- Department of Gynecology and Obstetrics, TU Dresden, 01307, Dresden, Germany
- Center for feto/neonatal Health, TU Dresden, 01307, Dresden, Germany
| | - Johannes Em Köllner
- Max Planck Institute of Molecular Cell Biology and Genetics, 01307, Dresden, Germany
| | - Andreas Petzold
- DRESDEN-concept Genome Center, Center for Molecular and Cellular Bioengineering, TUD Dresden University of Technology, 01307, Dresden, Germany
| | - Mihail Sarov
- Max Planck Institute of Molecular Cell Biology and Genetics, 01307, Dresden, Germany
| | - Ulrich Martin
- Leibniz Research Laboratories for Biotechnology and Artificial Organs, Department of Cardiothoracic, Transplantation and Vascular Surgery, Hannover Medical School, 30625, Hannover, Germany
- REBIRTH-Cluster of Excellence, Hannover, Germany
| | - Katherine R Long
- Centre for Developmental Neurobiology, Institute of Psychiatry, Psychology and Neuroscience, King's College London, London, SE1 1UL, United Kingdom
- MRC Centre for Neurodevelopmental Disorders, King's College London, London, SE1 1UL, United Kingdom
| | - Pauline Wimberger
- Department of Gynecology and Obstetrics, TU Dresden, 01307, Dresden, Germany
- National Center for Tumor Diseases, 01307, Dresden, Germany
| | - Mareike Albert
- Center for Regenerative Therapies TU Dresden, TUD Dresden University of Technology, 01307, Dresden, Germany.
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14
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Kawasaki H. Investigation of the mechanisms underlying the development and evolution of folds of the cerebrum using gyrencephalic ferrets. J Comp Neurol 2024; 532:e25615. [PMID: 38587214 DOI: 10.1002/cne.25615] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 12/24/2023] [Revised: 02/22/2024] [Accepted: 03/24/2024] [Indexed: 04/09/2024]
Abstract
The mammalian cerebrum has changed substantially during evolution, characterized by increases in neurons and glial cells and by the expansion and folding of the cerebrum. While these evolutionary alterations are thought to be crucial for acquiring higher cognitive functions, the molecular mechanisms underlying the development and evolution of the mammalian cerebrum remain only partially understood. This is, in part, because of the difficulty in analyzing these mechanisms using mice only. To overcome this limitation, genetic manipulation techniques for the cerebrum of gyrencephalic carnivore ferrets have been developed. Furthermore, successful gene knockout in the ferret cerebrum has been accomplished through the application of the CRISPR/Cas9 system. This review mainly highlights recent research conducted using gyrencephalic carnivore ferrets to investigate the mechanisms underlying the development and evolution of cortical folds.
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Affiliation(s)
- Hiroshi Kawasaki
- Department of Medical Neuroscience, Graduate School of Medical Sciences, Kanazawa University, Kanazawa, Japan
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15
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Xu L, Yuan Z, Zhou J, Zhao Y, Liu W, Lu S, He Z, Qiang B, Shu P, Chen Y, Peng X. Temporal transcriptomic dynamics in developing macaque neocortex. eLife 2024; 12:RP90325. [PMID: 38415809 PMCID: PMC10911584 DOI: 10.7554/elife.90325] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 02/29/2024] Open
Abstract
Despite intense research on mice, the transcriptional regulation of neocortical neurogenesis remains limited in humans and non-human primates. Cortical development in rhesus macaque is known to recapitulate multiple facets of cortical development in humans, including the complex composition of neural stem cells and the thicker supragranular layer. To characterize temporal shifts in transcriptomic programming responsible for differentiation from stem cells to neurons, we sampled parietal lobes of rhesus macaque at E40, E50, E70, E80, and E90, spanning the full period of prenatal neurogenesis. Single-cell RNA sequencing produced a transcriptomic atlas of developing parietal lobe in rhesus macaque neocortex. Identification of distinct cell types and neural stem cells emerging in different developmental stages revealed a terminally bifurcating trajectory from stem cells to neurons. Notably, deep-layer neurons appear in the early stages of neurogenesis, while upper-layer neurons appear later. While these different lineages show overlap in their differentiation program, cell fates are determined post-mitotically. Trajectories analysis from ventricular radial glia (vRGs) to outer radial glia (oRGs) revealed dynamic gene expression profiles and identified differential activation of BMP, FGF, and WNT signaling pathways between vRGs and oRGs. These results provide a comprehensive overview of the temporal patterns of gene expression leading to different fates of radial glial progenitors during neocortex layer formation.
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Affiliation(s)
- Longjiang Xu
- Institute of Medical Biology Chinese Academy of Medical Sciences, Chinese Academy of Medical Science and Peking Union Medical CollegeKunmingChina
| | - Zan Yuan
- Department of Molecular Biology and Biochemistry, Institute of Basic Medical Sciences, Medical Primate Research Center, Neuroscience Center, Chinese Academy of Medical Sciences, School of Basic Medicine Peking Union Medical CollegeBeijingChina
- Agricultural Bioinformatics Key Laboratory of Hubei Province, Hubei Engineering Technology Research Center of Agricultural Big Data, College of Informatics, Huazhong Agricultural UniversityWuhanChina
| | - Jiafeng Zhou
- Department of Molecular Biology and Biochemistry, Institute of Basic Medical Sciences, Medical Primate Research Center, Neuroscience Center, Chinese Academy of Medical Sciences, School of Basic Medicine Peking Union Medical CollegeBeijingChina
- State Key Laboratory of Common Mechanism Research for Major Diseases, Chinese Academy of Medical Sciences, Peking Union Medical CollegeBeijingChina
| | - Yuan Zhao
- Institute of Medical Biology Chinese Academy of Medical Sciences, Chinese Academy of Medical Science and Peking Union Medical CollegeKunmingChina
| | - Wei Liu
- Department of Molecular Biology and Biochemistry, Institute of Basic Medical Sciences, Medical Primate Research Center, Neuroscience Center, Chinese Academy of Medical Sciences, School of Basic Medicine Peking Union Medical CollegeBeijingChina
- State Key Laboratory of Common Mechanism Research for Major Diseases, Chinese Academy of Medical Sciences, Peking Union Medical CollegeBeijingChina
| | - Shuaiyao Lu
- Institute of Medical Biology Chinese Academy of Medical Sciences, Chinese Academy of Medical Science and Peking Union Medical CollegeKunmingChina
| | - Zhanlong He
- Institute of Medical Biology Chinese Academy of Medical Sciences, Chinese Academy of Medical Science and Peking Union Medical CollegeKunmingChina
| | - Boqin Qiang
- Department of Molecular Biology and Biochemistry, Institute of Basic Medical Sciences, Medical Primate Research Center, Neuroscience Center, Chinese Academy of Medical Sciences, School of Basic Medicine Peking Union Medical CollegeBeijingChina
- State Key Laboratory of Common Mechanism Research for Major Diseases, Chinese Academy of Medical Sciences, Peking Union Medical CollegeBeijingChina
| | - Pengcheng Shu
- Department of Molecular Biology and Biochemistry, Institute of Basic Medical Sciences, Medical Primate Research Center, Neuroscience Center, Chinese Academy of Medical Sciences, School of Basic Medicine Peking Union Medical CollegeBeijingChina
- State Key Laboratory of Common Mechanism Research for Major Diseases, Chinese Academy of Medical Sciences, Peking Union Medical CollegeBeijingChina
- Chinese Institute for Brain ResearchBeijingChina
| | - Yang Chen
- Department of Molecular Biology and Biochemistry, Institute of Basic Medical Sciences, Medical Primate Research Center, Neuroscience Center, Chinese Academy of Medical Sciences, School of Basic Medicine Peking Union Medical CollegeBeijingChina
- State Key Laboratory of Common Mechanism Research for Major Diseases, Chinese Academy of Medical Sciences, Peking Union Medical CollegeBeijingChina
| | - Xiaozhong Peng
- Institute of Medical Biology Chinese Academy of Medical Sciences, Chinese Academy of Medical Science and Peking Union Medical CollegeKunmingChina
- Department of Molecular Biology and Biochemistry, Institute of Basic Medical Sciences, Medical Primate Research Center, Neuroscience Center, Chinese Academy of Medical Sciences, School of Basic Medicine Peking Union Medical CollegeBeijingChina
- State Key Laboratory of Respiratory Health and Multimorbidity, Chinese Academy of Medical Sciences, Peking Union Medical CollegeBeijingChina
- Institute of Laboratory Animal Science, Chinese Academy of Medical Sciences & Peking Union Medical CollegeBeijingChina
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16
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Dehay C, Huttner WB. Development and evolution of the primate neocortex from a progenitor cell perspective. Development 2024; 151:dev199797. [PMID: 38369736 DOI: 10.1242/dev.199797] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 02/20/2024]
Abstract
The generation of neurons in the developing neocortex is a major determinant of neocortex size. Crucially, the increase in cortical neuron numbers in the primate lineage, notably in the upper-layer neurons, contributes to increased cognitive abilities. Here, we review major evolutionary changes affecting the apical progenitors in the ventricular zone and focus on the key germinal zone constituting the foundation of neocortical neurogenesis in primates, the outer subventricular zone (OSVZ). We summarize characteristic features of the OSVZ and its key stem cell type, the basal (or outer) radial glia. Next, we concentrate on primate-specific and human-specific genes, expressed in OSVZ-progenitors, the ability of which to amplify these progenitors by targeting the regulation of the cell cycle ultimately underlies the evolutionary increase in upper-layer neurons. Finally, we address likely differences in neocortical development between present-day humans and Neanderthals that are based on human-specific amino acid substitutions in proteins operating in cortical progenitors.
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Affiliation(s)
- Colette Dehay
- Université Claude Bernard Lyon 1, Inserm, Stem Cell and Brain Research Institute U1208, F-69500 Bron, France
| | - Wieland B Huttner
- Max Planck Institute of Molecular Cell Biology and Genetics, Pfotenhauerstrasse 108, 01307 Dresden, Germany
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17
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Huttner WB, Heide M, Mora-Bermúdez F, Namba T. Neocortical neurogenesis in development and evolution-Human-specific features. J Comp Neurol 2024; 532:e25576. [PMID: 38189676 DOI: 10.1002/cne.25576] [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: 09/06/2023] [Revised: 12/11/2023] [Accepted: 12/17/2023] [Indexed: 01/09/2024]
Abstract
In this review, we focus on human-specific features of neocortical neurogenesis in development and evolution. Two distinct topics will be addressed. In the first section, we discuss the expansion of the neocortex during human evolution and concentrate on the human-specific gene ARHGAP11B. We review the ability of ARHGAP11B to amplify basal progenitors and to expand a primate neocortex. We discuss the contribution of ARHGAP11B to neocortex expansion during human evolution and its potential implications for neurodevelopmental disorders and brain tumors. We then review the action of ARHGAP11B in mitochondria as a regulator of basal progenitor metabolism, and how it promotes glutaminolysis and basal progenitor proliferation. Finally, we discuss the increase in cognitive performance due to the ARHGAP11B-induced neocortical expansion. In the second section, we focus on neocortical development in modern humans versus Neanderthals. Specifically, we discuss two recent findings pointing to differences in neocortical neurogenesis between these two hominins that are due to a small number of amino acid substitutions in certain key proteins. One set of such proteins are the kinetochore-associated proteins KIF18a and KNL1, where three modern human-specific amino acid substitutions underlie the prolongation of metaphase during apical progenitor mitosis. This prolongation in turn is associated with an increased fidelity of chromosome segregation to the apical progenitor progeny during modern human neocortical development, with implications for the proper formation of radial units. Another such key protein is transketolase-like 1 (TKTL1), where a single modern human-specific amino acid substitution endows TKTL1 with the ability to amplify basal radial glia, resulting in an increase in upper-layer neuron generation. TKTL1's ability is based on its action in the pentose phosphate pathway, resulting in increased fatty acid synthesis. The data imply greater neurogenesis during neocortical development in modern humans than Neanderthals due to TKTL1, in particular in the developing frontal lobe.
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Affiliation(s)
- Wieland B Huttner
- Max Planck Institute of Molecular Cell Biology and Genetics, Dresden, Germany
| | - Michael Heide
- German Primate Center, Leibniz Institute for Primate Research, Göttingen, Germany
| | | | - Takashi Namba
- Neuroscience Center, HiLIFE - Helsinki Institute of Life Science, University of Helsinki, Helsinki, Finland
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18
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Barresi M, Hickmott RA, Bosakhar A, Quezada S, Quigley A, Kawasaki H, Walker D, Tolcos M. Toward a better understanding of how a gyrified brain develops. Cereb Cortex 2024; 34:bhae055. [PMID: 38425213 DOI: 10.1093/cercor/bhae055] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 04/24/2023] [Revised: 01/26/2024] [Accepted: 01/28/2024] [Indexed: 03/02/2024] Open
Abstract
The size and shape of the cerebral cortex have changed dramatically across evolution. For some species, the cortex remains smooth (lissencephalic) throughout their lifetime, while for other species, including humans and other primates, the cortex increases substantially in size and becomes folded (gyrencephalic). A folded cortex boasts substantially increased surface area, cortical thickness, and neuronal density, and it is therefore associated with higher-order cognitive abilities. The mechanisms that drive gyrification in some species, while others remain lissencephalic despite many shared neurodevelopmental features, have been a topic of investigation for many decades, giving rise to multiple perspectives of how the gyrified cerebral cortex acquires its unique shape. Recently, a structurally unique germinal layer, known as the outer subventricular zone, and the specialized cell type that populates it, called basal radial glial cells, were identified, and these have been shown to be indispensable for cortical expansion and folding. Transcriptional analyses and gene manipulation models have provided an invaluable insight into many of the key cellular and genetic drivers of gyrification. However, the degree to which certain biomechanical, genetic, and cellular processes drive gyrification remains under investigation. This review considers the key aspects of cerebral expansion and folding that have been identified to date and how theories of gyrification have evolved to incorporate this new knowledge.
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Affiliation(s)
- Mikaela Barresi
- School of Health and Biomedical Sciences, RMIT University, Plenty Road, Bundoora, VIC 3083, Australia
- ACMD, St Vincent's Hospital Melbourne, Regent Street, Fitzroy, VIC 3065, Australia
| | - Ryan Alexander Hickmott
- School of Health and Biomedical Sciences, RMIT University, Plenty Road, Bundoora, VIC 3083, Australia
- ACMD, St Vincent's Hospital Melbourne, Regent Street, Fitzroy, VIC 3065, Australia
| | - Abdulhameed Bosakhar
- School of Health and Biomedical Sciences, RMIT University, Plenty Road, Bundoora, VIC 3083, Australia
| | - Sebastian Quezada
- School of Health and Biomedical Sciences, RMIT University, Plenty Road, Bundoora, VIC 3083, Australia
| | - Anita Quigley
- School of Health and Biomedical Sciences, RMIT University, Plenty Road, Bundoora, VIC 3083, Australia
- ACMD, St Vincent's Hospital Melbourne, Regent Street, Fitzroy, VIC 3065, Australia
- School of Engineering, RMIT University, La Trobe Street, Melbourne, VIC 3000, Australia
- Department of Medicine, University of Melbourne, St Vincent's Hospital, Regent Street, Fitzroy, VIC 3065, Australia
| | - Hiroshi Kawasaki
- Department of Medical Neuroscience, Graduate School of Medical Sciences, Kanazawa University, Takara-machi 13-1, Kanazawa, Ishikawa 920-8640, Japan
| | - David Walker
- School of Health and Biomedical Sciences, RMIT University, Plenty Road, Bundoora, VIC 3083, Australia
| | - Mary Tolcos
- School of Health and Biomedical Sciences, RMIT University, Plenty Road, Bundoora, VIC 3083, Australia
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19
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Sokpor G, Kerimoglu C, Ulmke PA, Pham L, Nguyen HD, Brand-Saberi B, Staiger JF, Fischer A, Nguyen HP, Tuoc T. H3 Acetylation-Induced Basal Progenitor Generation and Neocortex Expansion Depends on the Transcription Factor Pax6. BIOLOGY 2024; 13:68. [PMID: 38392287 PMCID: PMC10886678 DOI: 10.3390/biology13020068] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 11/04/2023] [Revised: 01/11/2024] [Accepted: 01/12/2024] [Indexed: 02/24/2024]
Abstract
Enrichment of basal progenitors (BPs) in the developing neocortex is a central driver of cortical enlargement. The transcription factor Pax6 is known as an essential regulator in generation of BPs. H3 lysine 9 acetylation (H3K9ac) has emerged as a crucial epigenetic mechanism that activates the gene expression program required for BP pool amplification. In this current work, we applied immunohistochemistry, RNA sequencing, chromatin immunoprecipitation and sequencing, and the yeast two-hybrid assay to reveal that the BP-genic effect of H3 acetylation is dependent on Pax6 functionality in the developing mouse cortex. In the presence of Pax6, increased H3 acetylation caused BP pool expansion, leading to enhanced neurogenesis, which evoked expansion and quasi-convolution of the mouse neocortex. Interestingly, H3 acetylation activation exacerbates the BP depletion and corticogenesis reduction effect of Pax6 ablation in cortex-specific Pax6 mutants. Furthermore, we found that H3K9 acetyltransferase KAT2A/GCN5 interacts with Pax6 and potentiates Pax6-dependent transcriptional activity. This explains a genome-wide lack of H3K9ac, especially in the promoter regions of BP-genic genes, in the Pax6 mutant cortex. Together, these findings reveal a mechanistic coupling of H3 acetylation and Pax6 in orchestrating BP production and cortical expansion through the promotion of a BP gene expression program during cortical development.
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Affiliation(s)
- Godwin Sokpor
- Department of Human Genetics, Ruhr University of Bochum, 44791 Bochum, Germany
- Lincoln Medical School, University of Lincoln, Lincoln LN6 7TS, UK
| | - Cemil Kerimoglu
- German Center for Neurodegenerative Diseases, 37077 Goettingen, Germany
| | | | - Linh Pham
- Department of Human Genetics, Ruhr University of Bochum, 44791 Bochum, Germany
| | - Hoang Duy Nguyen
- Department of Human Genetics, Ruhr University of Bochum, 44791 Bochum, Germany
| | - Beate Brand-Saberi
- Department of Anatomy and Molecular Embryology, Institute of Anatomy, Medical Faculty, Ruhr University Bochum, 44801 Bochum, Germany
| | - Jochen F Staiger
- Institute for Neuroanatomy, University Medical Center, Georg-August-University Goettingen, 37075 Goettingen, Germany
| | - Andre Fischer
- German Center for Neurodegenerative Diseases, 37077 Goettingen, Germany
| | - Huu Phuc Nguyen
- Department of Human Genetics, Ruhr University of Bochum, 44791 Bochum, Germany
| | - Tran Tuoc
- Department of Human Genetics, Ruhr University of Bochum, 44791 Bochum, Germany
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20
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Eşiyok N, Heide M. The SVZ stem cell niche-components, functions, and in vitro modelling. Front Cell Dev Biol 2023; 11:1332901. [PMID: 38188021 PMCID: PMC10766702 DOI: 10.3389/fcell.2023.1332901] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 11/03/2023] [Accepted: 12/14/2023] [Indexed: 01/09/2024] Open
Abstract
Neocortical development depends on the intrinsic ability of neural stem and progenitor cells to proliferate and differentiate to generate the different kinds of neurons in the adult brain. These progenitor cells can be distinguished into apical progenitors, which occupy a stem cell niche in the ventricular zone and basal progenitors, which occupy a stem cell niche in the subventricular zone (SVZ). During development, the stem cell niche provided in the subventricular zone enables the increased proliferation and self-renewal of basal progenitors, which likely underlie the expansion of the human neocortex. However, the components forming the SVZ stem cell niche in the developing neocortex have not yet been fully understood. In this review, we will discuss potential components of the SVZ stem cell niche, i.e., extracellular matrix composition and brain vasculature, and their possible key role in establishing and maintaining this niche during fetal neocortical development. We will also emphasize the potential role of basal progenitor morphology in maintaining their proliferative capacity within the stem cell niche of the SVZ. Finally, we will focus on the use of brain organoids to i) understand the unique features of basal progenitors, notably basal radial glia; ii) study components of the SVZ stem cell niche; and iii) provide future directions on how to improve brain organoids, notably the organoid SVZ, and make them more reliable models of human neocortical development and evolution studies.
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Affiliation(s)
| | - Michael Heide
- Research Group Brain Development and Evolution, German Primate Center, Leibniz Institute for Primate Research, Göttingen, Germany
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21
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Akula SK, Exposito-Alonso D, Walsh CA. Shaping the brain: The emergence of cortical structure and folding. Dev Cell 2023; 58:2836-2849. [PMID: 38113850 PMCID: PMC10793202 DOI: 10.1016/j.devcel.2023.11.004] [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: 09/13/2022] [Revised: 04/08/2023] [Accepted: 11/10/2023] [Indexed: 12/21/2023]
Abstract
The cerebral cortex-the brain's covering and largest region-has increased in size and complexity in humans and supports higher cognitive functions such as language and abstract thinking. There is a growing understanding of the human cerebral cortex, including the diversity and number of cell types that it contains, as well as of the developmental mechanisms that shape cortical structure and organization. In this review, we discuss recent progress in our understanding of molecular and cellular processes, as well as mechanical forces, that regulate the folding of the cerebral cortex. Advances in human genetics, coupled with experimental modeling in gyrencephalic species, have provided insights into the central role of cortical progenitors in the gyrification and evolutionary expansion of the cerebral cortex. These studies are essential for understanding the emergence of structural and functional organization during cortical development and the pathogenesis of neurodevelopmental disorders associated with cortical malformations.
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Affiliation(s)
- Shyam K Akula
- Division of Genetics and Genomics, Boston Children's Hospital, Boston, MA, USA; Departments of Pediatrics and Neurology, Harvard Medical School, Boston, MA, USA; Allen Discovery Center for Human Brain Evolution, Boston Children's Hospital and Harvard Medical School, Boston, MA, USA; Howard Hughes Medical Institute, Chevy Chase, Maryland, USA
| | - David Exposito-Alonso
- Division of Genetics and Genomics, Boston Children's Hospital, Boston, MA, USA; Departments of Pediatrics and Neurology, Harvard Medical School, Boston, MA, USA; Allen Discovery Center for Human Brain Evolution, Boston Children's Hospital and Harvard Medical School, Boston, MA, USA; Howard Hughes Medical Institute, Chevy Chase, Maryland, USA
| | - Christopher A Walsh
- Division of Genetics and Genomics, Boston Children's Hospital, Boston, MA, USA; Departments of Pediatrics and Neurology, Harvard Medical School, Boston, MA, USA; Allen Discovery Center for Human Brain Evolution, Boston Children's Hospital and Harvard Medical School, Boston, MA, USA; Howard Hughes Medical Institute, Chevy Chase, Maryland, USA.
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22
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Grochow T, Beck B, Rentería-Solís Z, Schares G, Maksimov P, Strube C, Raqué L, Kacza J, Daugschies A, Fietz SA. Reduced neural progenitor cell count and cortical neurogenesis in guinea pigs congenitally infected with Toxoplasma gondii. Commun Biol 2023; 6:1209. [PMID: 38012384 PMCID: PMC10682419 DOI: 10.1038/s42003-023-05576-6] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 04/17/2023] [Accepted: 11/13/2023] [Indexed: 11/29/2023] Open
Abstract
Toxoplasma (T.) gondii is an obligate intracellular parasite with a worldwide distribution. Congenital infection can lead to severe pathological alterations in the brain. To examine the effects of toxoplasmosis in the fetal brain, pregnant guinea pigs are infected with T. gondii oocysts on gestation day 23 and dissected 10, 17 and 25 days afterwards. We show the neocortex to represent a target region of T. gondii and the parasite to infect neural progenitor cells (NPCs), neurons and astrocytes in the fetal brain. Importantly, we observe a significant reduction in neuron number at end-neurogenesis and find a marked reduction in NPC count, indicating that impaired neurogenesis underlies the neuronal decrease in infected fetuses. Moreover, we observe focal microglioses to be associated with T. gondii in the fetal brain. Our findings expand the understanding of the pathophysiology of congenital toxoplasmosis, especially contributing to the development of cortical malformations.
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Affiliation(s)
- Thomas Grochow
- Institute of Veterinary Anatomy, Histology and Embryology, Faculty of Veterinary Medicine, Leipzig University, Leipzig, Germany
- Institute of Parasitology, Faculty of Veterinary Medicine, Leipzig University, Leipzig, Germany
| | - Britta Beck
- Institute of Veterinary Anatomy, Histology and Embryology, Faculty of Veterinary Medicine, Leipzig University, Leipzig, Germany
- Institute of Parasitology, Faculty of Veterinary Medicine, Leipzig University, Leipzig, Germany
| | - Zaida Rentería-Solís
- Institute of Parasitology, Faculty of Veterinary Medicine, Leipzig University, Leipzig, Germany
| | - Gereon Schares
- National Reference Laboratory for Toxoplasmosis, Institute of Epidemiology, Friedrich-Loeffler-Institut, Federal Research Institute for Animal Health, Greifswald-Insel Riems, Germany
| | - Pavlo Maksimov
- National Reference Laboratory for Toxoplasmosis, Institute of Epidemiology, Friedrich-Loeffler-Institut, Federal Research Institute for Animal Health, Greifswald-Insel Riems, Germany
| | - Christina Strube
- Institute for Parasitology, Centre for Infection Medicine, University of Veterinary Medicine Hannover, Hannover, Germany
| | - Lisa Raqué
- Veterinary practice Raqué, Leipzig, Germany
| | - Johannes Kacza
- BioImaging Core Facility, Faculty of Veterinary Medicine, Leipzig University, Leipzig, Germany
| | - Arwid Daugschies
- Institute of Parasitology, Faculty of Veterinary Medicine, Leipzig University, Leipzig, Germany
| | - Simone A Fietz
- Institute of Veterinary Anatomy, Histology and Embryology, Faculty of Veterinary Medicine, Leipzig University, Leipzig, Germany.
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23
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Zhang R, Quan H, Wang Y, Luo F. Neurogenesis in primates versus rodents and the value of non-human primate models. Natl Sci Rev 2023; 10:nwad248. [PMID: 38025664 PMCID: PMC10659238 DOI: 10.1093/nsr/nwad248] [Citation(s) in RCA: 1] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 05/30/2023] [Revised: 08/21/2023] [Accepted: 09/10/2023] [Indexed: 12/01/2023] Open
Abstract
Neurogenesis, the process of generating neurons from neural stem cells, occurs during both embryonic and adult stages, with each stage possessing distinct characteristics. Dysfunction in either stage can disrupt normal neural development, impair cognitive functions, and lead to various neurological disorders. Recent technological advancements in single-cell multiomics and gene-editing have facilitated investigations into primate neurogenesis. Here, we provide a comprehensive overview of neurogenesis across rodents, non-human primates, and humans, covering embryonic development to adulthood and focusing on the conservation and diversity among species. While non-human primates, especially monkeys, serve as valuable models with closer neural resemblance to humans, we highlight the potential impacts and limitations of non-human primate models on both physiological and pathological neurogenesis research.
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Affiliation(s)
- Runrui Zhang
- State Key Laboratory of Primate Biomedical Research; Institute of Primate Translational Medicine, Kunming University of Science and Technology, Kunming 650500, China
- Yunnan Key Laboratory of Primate Biomedical Research, Kunming 650500, China
| | - Hongxin Quan
- State Key Laboratory of Primate Biomedical Research; Institute of Primate Translational Medicine, Kunming University of Science and Technology, Kunming 650500, China
- Yunnan Key Laboratory of Primate Biomedical Research, Kunming 650500, China
| | - Yinfeng Wang
- State Key Laboratory of Primate Biomedical Research; Institute of Primate Translational Medicine, Kunming University of Science and Technology, Kunming 650500, China
- Yunnan Key Laboratory of Primate Biomedical Research, Kunming 650500, China
| | - Fucheng Luo
- State Key Laboratory of Primate Biomedical Research; Institute of Primate Translational Medicine, Kunming University of Science and Technology, Kunming 650500, China
- Yunnan Key Laboratory of Primate Biomedical Research, Kunming 650500, China
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24
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An B, Ando A, Akuta H, Morishita F, Imamura T. Human-biased TMEM25 expression promotes expansion of neural progenitor cells to alter cortical structure in the developing brain. FEBS Lett 2023; 597:2611-2625. [PMID: 37846797 DOI: 10.1002/1873-3468.14756] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 05/09/2023] [Revised: 09/21/2023] [Accepted: 09/26/2023] [Indexed: 10/18/2023]
Abstract
Cortical expansion has occurred during human brain evolution. By comparing human and mouse RNA-seq datasets, we found that transmembrane protein 25 (TMEM25) was much more highly expressed in human neural progenitors (NPCs). Overexpression of either human TMEM25 or mouse Tmem25 similarly promoted mouse NPC proliferation in vitro. Mimicking human-type expression of TMEM25 in mouse ventricular cortical progenitors accelerated proliferation of basal radial glia (bRG) and increased the number of upper-layer neurons in vivo. By contrast, RNA-seq analysis, and pharmacological assays showed that knockdown of TMEM25 in cultured human NPCs compromised the effects of extracellular signals, leading to cell cycle inhibition via Akt repression. Thus, TMEM25 can receive extracellular signals to expand bRG in human cortical development.
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Affiliation(s)
- Boyang An
- Laboratory of Molecular and Cellular Physiology, Graduate School of Integrated Sciences for Life, Hiroshima University, Japan
| | - Akari Ando
- Laboratory of Molecular and Cellular Physiology, Graduate School of Integrated Sciences for Life, Hiroshima University, Japan
| | - Hiroto Akuta
- Laboratory of Molecular and Cellular Physiology, Graduate School of Integrated Sciences for Life, Hiroshima University, Japan
| | - Fumihiro Morishita
- Laboratory of Molecular and Cellular Physiology, Graduate School of Integrated Sciences for Life, Hiroshima University, Japan
| | - Takuya Imamura
- Laboratory of Molecular and Cellular Physiology, Graduate School of Integrated Sciences for Life, Hiroshima University, Japan
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25
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Mustapha O, Grochow T, Olopade J, Fietz SA. Neocortex neurogenesis and maturation in the African greater cane rat. Neural Dev 2023; 18:7. [PMID: 37833718 PMCID: PMC10571270 DOI: 10.1186/s13064-023-00175-x] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 05/10/2023] [Accepted: 09/20/2023] [Indexed: 10/15/2023] Open
Abstract
BACKGROUND Neocortex development has been extensively studied in altricial rodents such as mouse and rat. Identification of alternative animal models along the "altricial-precocial" spectrum in order to better model and understand neocortex development is warranted. The Greater cane rat (GCR, Thyronomys swinderianus) is an indigenous precocial African rodent. Although basic aspects of brain development in the GCR have been documented, detailed information on neocortex development including the occurrence and abundance of the distinct types of neural progenitor cells (NPCs) in the GCR are lacking. METHODS GCR embryos and fetuses were obtained from timed pregnant dams between gestation days 50-140 and their neocortex was analyzed by immunofluorescence staining using characteristic marker proteins for NPCs, neurons and glia cells. Data were compared with existing data on closely related precocial and altricial species, i.e. guinea pig and dwarf rabbit. RESULTS The primary sequence of neuro- and gliogenesis, and neuronal maturation is preserved in the prenatal GCR neocortex. We show that the GCR exhibits a relatively long period of cortical neurogenesis of 70 days. The subventricular zone becomes the major NPC pool during mid-end stages of neurogenesis with Pax6 + NPCs constituting the major basal progenitor subtype in the GCR neocortex. Whereas dendrite formation in the GCR cortical plate appears to initiate immediately after the onset of neurogenesis, major aspects of axon formation and maturation, and astrogenesis do not begin until mid-neurogenesis. Similar to the guinea pig, the GCR neocortex exhibits a high maturation status, containing neurons with well-developed dendrites and myelinated axons and astrocytes at birth, thus providing further evidence for the notion that a great proportion of neocortex growth and maturation in precocial mammals occurs before birth. CONCLUSIONS Together, this work has deepened our understanding of neocortex development of the GCR, of the timing and the cellular differences that regulate brain growth and development within the altricial-precocial spectrum and its suitability as a research model for neurodevelopmental studies. The timelines of brain development provided by this study may serve as empirical reference data and foundation in future studies in order to model and better understand neurodevelopment and associated alterations.
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Affiliation(s)
- Oluwaseun Mustapha
- Neuroscience Unit, Department of Veterinary Anatomy, College of Veterinary Medicine, Federal University of Agriculture Abeokuta, Abeokuta, Ogun State, Nigeria
- Institute of Veterinary Anatomy, Histology and Embryology, Faculty of Veterinary Medicine, University of Leipzig, Leipzig, Germany
| | - Thomas Grochow
- Institute of Veterinary Anatomy, Histology and Embryology, Faculty of Veterinary Medicine, University of Leipzig, Leipzig, Germany
| | - James Olopade
- Neuroscience Unit, Department of Veterinary Anatomy, Faculty of Veterinary Medicine, University of Ibadan, Ibadan, Oyo State, Nigeria
| | - Simone A Fietz
- Institute of Veterinary Anatomy, Histology and Embryology, Faculty of Veterinary Medicine, University of Leipzig, Leipzig, Germany.
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26
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Moffat A, Schuurmans C. The Control of Cortical Folding: Multiple Mechanisms, Multiple Models. Neuroscientist 2023:10738584231190839. [PMID: 37621149 DOI: 10.1177/10738584231190839] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 08/26/2023]
Abstract
The cerebral cortex develops through a carefully conscripted series of cellular and molecular events that culminate in the production of highly specialized neuronal and glial cells. During development, cortical neurons and glia acquire a precise cellular arrangement and architecture to support higher-order cognitive functioning. Decades of study using rodent models, naturally gyrencephalic animal models, human pathology specimens, and, recently, human cerebral organoids, reveal that rodents recapitulate some but not all the cellular and molecular features of human cortices. Whereas rodent cortices are smooth-surfaced or lissencephalic, larger mammals, including humans and nonhuman primates, have highly folded/gyrencephalic cortices that accommodate an expansion in neuronal mass and increase in surface area. Several genes have evolved to drive cortical gyrification, arising from gene duplications or de novo origins, or by alterations to the structure/function of ancestral genes or their gene regulatory regions. Primary cortical folds arise in stereotypical locations, prefigured by a molecular "blueprint" that is set up by several signaling pathways (e.g., Notch, Fgf, Wnt, PI3K, Shh) and influenced by the extracellular matrix. Mutations that affect neural progenitor cell proliferation and/or neurogenesis, predominantly of upper-layer neurons, perturb cortical gyrification. Below we review the molecular drivers of cortical folding and their roles in disease.
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Affiliation(s)
- Alexandra Moffat
- Sunnybrook Research Institute, Biological Sciences Platform, Toronto, ON, Canada
- Department of Laboratory Medicine and Pathobiology, University of Toronto, Toronto, ON, Canada
| | - Carol Schuurmans
- Sunnybrook Research Institute, Biological Sciences Platform, Toronto, ON, Canada
- Department of Laboratory Medicine and Pathobiology, University of Toronto, Toronto, ON, Canada
- Department of Biochemistry, University of Toronto, Toronto, ON, Canada
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27
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Park SHE, Kulkarni A, Konopka G. FOXP1 orchestrates neurogenesis in human cortical basal radial glial cells. PLoS Biol 2023; 21:e3001852. [PMID: 37540706 PMCID: PMC10431666 DOI: 10.1371/journal.pbio.3001852] [Citation(s) in RCA: 1] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 09/19/2022] [Revised: 08/16/2023] [Accepted: 06/21/2023] [Indexed: 08/06/2023] Open
Abstract
During cortical development, human basal radial glial cells (bRGCs) are highly capable of sustained self-renewal and neurogenesis. Selective pressures on this cell type may have contributed to the evolution of the human neocortex, leading to an increase in cortical size. bRGCs have enriched expression for Forkhead Box P1 (FOXP1), a transcription factor implicated in neurodevelopmental disorders (NDDs) such as autism spectrum disorder. However, the cell type-specific roles of FOXP1 in bRGCs during cortical development remain unexplored. Here, we examine the requirement for FOXP1 gene expression regulation underlying the production of bRGCs using human brain organoids. We examine a developmental time point when FOXP1 expression is highest in the cortical progenitors, and the bRGCs, in particular, begin to actively produce neurons. With the loss of FOXP1, we show a reduction in the number of bRGCs, as well as reduced proliferation and differentiation of the remaining bRGCs, all of which lead to reduced numbers of excitatory cortical neurons over time. Using single-nuclei RNA sequencing and cell trajectory analysis, we uncover a role for FOXP1 in directing cortical progenitor proliferation and differentiation by regulating key signaling pathways related to neurogenesis and NDDs. Together, these results demonstrate that FOXP1 regulates human-specific features in early cortical development.
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Affiliation(s)
- Seon Hye E. Park
- Department of Neuroscience, UT Southwestern Medical Center, Dallas, Texas, United States of America
- Peter O’Donnell Jr. Brain Institute, UT Southwestern Medical Center, Dallas, Texas, United States of America
| | - Ashwinikumar Kulkarni
- Department of Neuroscience, UT Southwestern Medical Center, Dallas, Texas, United States of America
- Peter O’Donnell Jr. Brain Institute, UT Southwestern Medical Center, Dallas, Texas, United States of America
| | - Genevieve Konopka
- Department of Neuroscience, UT Southwestern Medical Center, Dallas, Texas, United States of America
- Peter O’Donnell Jr. Brain Institute, UT Southwestern Medical Center, Dallas, Texas, United States of America
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28
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Mallela AN, Deng H, Gholipour A, Warfield SK, Goldschmidt E. Heterogeneous growth of the insula shapes the human brain. Proc Natl Acad Sci U S A 2023; 120:e2220200120. [PMID: 37279278 PMCID: PMC10268209 DOI: 10.1073/pnas.2220200120] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 11/27/2022] [Accepted: 04/13/2023] [Indexed: 06/08/2023] Open
Abstract
The human cerebrum consists of a precise and stereotyped arrangement of lobes, primary gyri, and connectivity that underlies human cognition [P. Rakic, Nat. Rev. Neurosci. 10, 724-735 (2009)]. The development of this arrangement is less clear. Current models explain individual primary gyrification but largely do not account for the global configuration of the cerebral lobes [T. Tallinen, J. Y. Chung, J. S. Biggins, L. Mahadevan, Proc. Natl. Acad. Sci. U.S.A. 111, 12667-12672 (2014) and D. C. Van Essen, Nature 385, 313-318 (1997)]. The insula, buried in the depths of the Sylvian fissure, is unique in terms of gyral anatomy and size. Here, we quantitatively show that the insula has unique morphology and location in the cerebrum and that these key differences emerge during fetal development. Finally, we identify quantitative differences in developmental migration patterns to the insula that may underlie these differences. We calculated morphologic data in the insula and other lobes in adults (N = 107) and in an in utero fetal brain atlas (N = 81 healthy fetuses). In utero, the insula grows an order of magnitude slower than the other lobes and demonstrates shallower sulci, less curvature, and less surface complexity both in adults and progressively throughout fetal development. Spherical projection analysis demonstrates that the lenticular nuclei obstruct 60 to 70% of radial pathways from the ventricular zone (VZ) to the insula, forcing a curved migration to the insula in contrast to a direct radial pathway. Using fetal diffusion tractography, we identify radial glial fascicles that originate from the VZ and curve around the lenticular nuclei to form the insula. These results confirm existing models of radial migration to the cortex and illustrate findings that suggest differential insular and cerebral development, laying the groundwork to understand cerebral malformations and insular function and pathologies.
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Affiliation(s)
- Arka N. Mallela
- Department of Neurological Surgery, University of Pittsburgh Medical Center, Pittsburgh, PA15213
| | - Hansen Deng
- Department of Neurological Surgery, University of Pittsburgh Medical Center, Pittsburgh, PA15213
| | - Ali Gholipour
- Department of Radiology, Harvard Medical School, Boston, MA02115
- Department of Radiology, Boston Children’s Hospital, Boston, MA02115
| | - Simon K. Warfield
- Department of Radiology, Harvard Medical School, Boston, MA02115
- Department of Radiology, Boston Children’s Hospital, Boston, MA02115
| | - Ezequiel Goldschmidt
- Department of Radiology, Harvard Medical School, Boston, MA02115
- Department of Neurological Surgery, University of California San Francisco, San Francisco, CA94143
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29
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Fernández V, Borrell V. Developmental mechanisms of gyrification. Curr Opin Neurobiol 2023; 80:102711. [DOI: 10.1016/j.conb.2023.102711] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 11/11/2022] [Revised: 02/09/2023] [Accepted: 02/23/2023] [Indexed: 03/31/2023]
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30
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Zarzor MS, Blumcke I, Budday S. Exploring the role of the outer subventricular zone during cortical folding through a physics-based model. eLife 2023; 12:82925. [PMID: 37043266 PMCID: PMC10097417 DOI: 10.7554/elife.82925] [Citation(s) in RCA: 5] [Impact Index Per Article: 5.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 08/23/2022] [Accepted: 03/09/2023] [Indexed: 04/08/2023] Open
Abstract
The human brain has a highly complex structure both on the microscopic and on the macroscopic scales. Increasing evidence has suggested the role of mechanical forces for cortical folding – a classical hallmark of the human brain. However, the link between cellular processes at the microscale and mechanical forces at the macroscale remains insufficiently understood. Recent findings suggest that an additional proliferating zone, the outer subventricular zone (OSVZ), is decisive for the particular size and complexity of the human cortex. To better understand how the OSVZ affects cortical folding, we establish a multifield computational model that couples cell proliferation in different zones and migration at the cell scale with growth and cortical folding at the organ scale by combining an advection-diffusion model with the theory of finite growth. We validate our model based on data from histologically stained sections of the human fetal brain and predict 3D pattern formation. Finally, we address open questions regarding the role of the OSVZ for the formation of cortical folds. The presented framework not only improves our understanding of human brain development, but could eventually help diagnose and treat neuronal disorders arising from disruptions in cellular development and associated malformations of cortical development.
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Affiliation(s)
| | - Ingmar Blumcke
- University Hospitals Erlangen, Institute of Neuropathology
| | - Silvia Budday
- Friedrich-Alexander-Universität Erlangen-Nürnberg, Institute of Applied Mechanics
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31
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Pilaz LJ, Liu J, Joshi K, Tsunekawa Y, Musso CM, D'Arcy BR, Suzuki IK, Alsina FC, Kc P, Sethi S, Vanderhaeghen P, Polleux F, Silver DL. Subcellular mRNA localization and local translation of Arhgap11a in radial glial progenitors regulates cortical development. Neuron 2023; 111:839-856.e5. [PMID: 36924763 PMCID: PMC10132781 DOI: 10.1016/j.neuron.2023.02.023] [Citation(s) in RCA: 3] [Impact Index Per Article: 3.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 09/08/2020] [Revised: 11/26/2022] [Accepted: 02/10/2023] [Indexed: 03/17/2023]
Abstract
mRNA localization and local translation enable exquisite spatial and temporal control of gene expression, particularly in polarized, elongated cells. These features are especially prominent in radial glial cells (RGCs), which are neural and glial precursors of the developing cerebral cortex and scaffolds for migrating neurons. Yet the mechanisms by which subcellular RGC compartments accomplish their diverse functions are poorly understood. Here, we demonstrate that mRNA localization and local translation of the RhoGAP ARHGAP11A in the basal endfeet of RGCs control their morphology and mediate neuronal positioning. Arhgap11a transcript and protein exhibit conserved localization to RGC basal structures in mice and humans, conferred by the 5' UTR. Proper RGC morphology relies upon active Arhgap11a mRNA transport and localization to the basal endfeet, where ARHGAP11A is locally synthesized. This translation is essential for positioning interneurons at the basement membrane. Thus, local translation spatially and acutely activates Rho signaling in RGCs to compartmentalize neural progenitor functions.
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Affiliation(s)
- Louis-Jan Pilaz
- Department of Molecular Genetics and Microbiology, Duke University School of Medicine, Durham, NC 27710, USA; Pediatrics and Rare Diseases Group, Sanford Research, Sioux Falls, SD 57104, USA; Department of Pediatrics, Sanford School of Medicine, University of South Dakota, Sioux Falls, SD 57105, USA
| | - Jing Liu
- Department of Molecular Genetics and Microbiology, Duke University School of Medicine, Durham, NC 27710, USA
| | - Kaumudi Joshi
- Department of Neuroscience, Columbia University Medical Center, New York, NY 10032, USA
| | - Yuji Tsunekawa
- Laboratory for Cell Asymmetry, RIKEN Center for Biosystems Dynamics Research, Kobe, Japan
| | - Camila M Musso
- Department of Molecular Genetics and Microbiology, Duke University School of Medicine, Durham, NC 27710, USA
| | - Brooke R D'Arcy
- Department of Molecular Genetics and Microbiology, Duke University School of Medicine, Durham, NC 27710, USA
| | - Ikuo K Suzuki
- Department of Biological Sciences, Graduate School of Science, The University of Tokyo, Tokyo, Japan
| | - Fernando C Alsina
- Department of Molecular Genetics and Microbiology, Duke University School of Medicine, Durham, NC 27710, USA
| | - Pratiksha Kc
- Pediatrics and Rare Diseases Group, Sanford Research, Sioux Falls, SD 57104, USA; Department of Pediatrics, Sanford School of Medicine, University of South Dakota, Sioux Falls, SD 57105, USA
| | - Sahil Sethi
- Department of Molecular Genetics and Microbiology, Duke University School of Medicine, Durham, NC 27710, USA
| | - Pierre Vanderhaeghen
- VIB-KU Leuven Center for Brain & Disease Research, 3000 Leuven, Belgium; KU Leuven, Department of Neurosciences & Leuven Brain Institute, 3000 Leuven, Belgium; Université Libre de Bruxelles (U.L.B.), Institut de Recherches en Biologie Humaine et Moléculaire (IRIBHM), and ULB Neuroscience Institute (UNI), 1070 Brussels, Belgium
| | - Franck Polleux
- Department of Neuroscience, Columbia University Medical Center, New York, NY 10032, USA; Mortimer B. Zuckerman Mind Brain Behavior Institute, New York, NY 10027, USA; Kavli Institute for Brain Sciences, Columbia University Medical Center, New York, NY 10027, USA
| | - Debra L Silver
- Department of Molecular Genetics and Microbiology, Duke University School of Medicine, Durham, NC 27710, USA; Departments of Cell Biology and Neurobiology, Duke University School of Medicine, Durham, NC 27710, USA; Duke Institute for Brain Sciences and Duke Regeneration Center, Duke University School of Medicine, Durham, NC 27710, USA.
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32
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Andrews MG, Subramanian L, Salma J, Kriegstein AR. How mechanisms of stem cell polarity shape the human cerebral cortex. Nat Rev Neurosci 2022; 23:711-724. [PMID: 36180551 PMCID: PMC10571506 DOI: 10.1038/s41583-022-00631-3] [Citation(s) in RCA: 16] [Impact Index Per Article: 8.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Accepted: 08/23/2022] [Indexed: 11/09/2022]
Abstract
Apical-basal progenitor cell polarity establishes key features of the radial and laminar architecture of the developing human cortex. The unique diversity of cortical stem cell populations and an expansion of progenitor population size in the human cortex have been mirrored by an increase in the complexity of cellular processes that regulate stem cell morphology and behaviour, including their polarity. The study of human cells in primary tissue samples and human stem cell-derived model systems (such as cortical organoids) has provided insight into these processes, revealing that protein complexes regulate progenitor polarity by controlling cell membrane adherence within appropriate cortical niches and are themselves regulated by cytoskeletal proteins, signalling molecules and receptors, and cellular organelles. Studies exploring how cortical stem cell polarity is established and maintained are key for understanding the features of human brain development and have implications for neurological dysfunction.
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Affiliation(s)
- Madeline G Andrews
- Department of Neurology, University of California, San Francisco, San Francisco, CA, USA
- The Eli and Edythe Broad Center of Regeneration Medicine and Stem Cell Research, University of California, San Francisco, San Francisco, CA, USA
- School of Biological and Health Systems Engineering, Arizona State University, Tempe, AZ, USA
| | - Lakshmi Subramanian
- Department of Neurology, University of California, San Francisco, San Francisco, CA, USA
- The Eli and Edythe Broad Center of Regeneration Medicine and Stem Cell Research, University of California, San Francisco, San Francisco, CA, USA
- Department of Pharmacology, Ideaya Biosciences, South San Francisco, CA, USA
| | - Jahan Salma
- Centre for Regenerative Medicine and Stem Cell Research, The Aga Khan University, Karachi, Pakistan
| | - Arnold R Kriegstein
- Department of Neurology, University of California, San Francisco, San Francisco, CA, USA.
- The Eli and Edythe Broad Center of Regeneration Medicine and Stem Cell Research, University of California, San Francisco, San Francisco, CA, USA.
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33
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Fischer J, Fernández Ortuño E, Marsoner F, Artioli A, Peters J, Namba T, Eugster Oegema C, Huttner WB, Ladewig J, Heide M. Human-specific ARHGAP11B ensures human-like basal progenitor levels in hominid cerebral organoids. EMBO Rep 2022; 23:e54728. [PMID: 36098218 PMCID: PMC9646322 DOI: 10.15252/embr.202254728] [Citation(s) in RCA: 14] [Impact Index Per Article: 7.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 01/25/2022] [Revised: 08/18/2022] [Accepted: 08/23/2022] [Indexed: 02/06/2023] Open
Abstract
The human-specific gene ARHGAP11B has been implicated in human neocortex expansion. However, the extent of ARHGAP11B's contribution to this expansion during hominid evolution is unknown. Here we address this issue by genetic manipulation of ARHGAP11B levels and function in chimpanzee and human cerebral organoids. ARHGAP11B expression in chimpanzee cerebral organoids doubles basal progenitor levels, the class of cortical progenitors with a key role in neocortex expansion. Conversely, interference with ARHGAP11B's function in human cerebral organoids decreases basal progenitors down to the chimpanzee level. Moreover, ARHGAP11A or ARHGAP11B rescue experiments in ARHGAP11A plus ARHGAP11B double-knockout human forebrain organoids indicate that lack of ARHGAP11B, but not of ARHGAP11A, decreases the abundance of basal radial glia-the basal progenitor type thought to be of particular relevance for neocortex expansion. Taken together, our findings demonstrate that ARHGAP11B is necessary and sufficient to ensure the elevated basal progenitor levels that characterize the fetal human neocortex, suggesting that this human-specific gene was a major contributor to neocortex expansion during human evolution.
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Affiliation(s)
- Jan Fischer
- Max Planck Institute of Molecular Cell Biology and GeneticsPfotenhauerstrasse 108DresdenGermany
- Present address:
Institute for Clinical GeneticsUniversity Hospital Carl Gustav CarusDresdenGermany
| | | | - Fabio Marsoner
- Central Institute of Mental HealthUniversity of Heidelberg/Medical Faculty MannheimMannheimGermany
- Hector Institute for Translational Brain Research (HITBR gGmbH)MannheimGermany
- German Cancer Research Center (DKFZ)HeidelbergGermany
| | - Annasara Artioli
- Central Institute of Mental HealthUniversity of Heidelberg/Medical Faculty MannheimMannheimGermany
- Hector Institute for Translational Brain Research (HITBR gGmbH)MannheimGermany
- German Cancer Research Center (DKFZ)HeidelbergGermany
| | - Jula Peters
- Max Planck Institute of Molecular Cell Biology and GeneticsPfotenhauerstrasse 108DresdenGermany
| | - Takashi Namba
- Max Planck Institute of Molecular Cell Biology and GeneticsPfotenhauerstrasse 108DresdenGermany
- Present address:
Neuroscience Center, HiLIFE ‐ Helsinki Institute of Life ScienceUniversity of HelsinkiHelsinkiFinland
| | | | - Wieland B. Huttner
- Max Planck Institute of Molecular Cell Biology and GeneticsPfotenhauerstrasse 108DresdenGermany
| | - Julia Ladewig
- Central Institute of Mental HealthUniversity of Heidelberg/Medical Faculty MannheimMannheimGermany
- Hector Institute for Translational Brain Research (HITBR gGmbH)MannheimGermany
- German Cancer Research Center (DKFZ)HeidelbergGermany
| | - Michael Heide
- Max Planck Institute of Molecular Cell Biology and GeneticsPfotenhauerstrasse 108DresdenGermany
- German Primate CenterLeibniz Institute for Primate ResearchGöttingenGermany
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Eichmüller OL, Knoblich JA. Human cerebral organoids - a new tool for clinical neurology research. Nat Rev Neurol 2022; 18:661-680. [PMID: 36253568 PMCID: PMC9576133 DOI: 10.1038/s41582-022-00723-9] [Citation(s) in RCA: 53] [Impact Index Per Article: 26.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Accepted: 09/07/2022] [Indexed: 11/21/2022]
Abstract
The current understanding of neurological diseases is derived mostly from direct analysis of patients and from animal models of disease. However, most patient studies do not capture the earliest stages of disease development and offer limited opportunities for experimental intervention, so rarely yield complete mechanistic insights. The use of animal models relies on evolutionary conservation of pathways involved in disease and is limited by an inability to recreate human-specific processes. In vitro models that are derived from human pluripotent stem cells cultured in 3D have emerged as a new model system that could bridge the gap between patient studies and animal models. In this Review, we summarize how such organoid models can complement classical approaches to accelerate neurological research. We describe our current understanding of neurodevelopment and how this process differs between humans and other animals, making human-derived models of disease essential. We discuss different methodologies for producing organoids and how organoids can be and have been used to model neurological disorders, including microcephaly, Zika virus infection, Alzheimer disease and other neurodegenerative disorders, and neurodevelopmental diseases, such as Timothy syndrome, Angelman syndrome and tuberous sclerosis. We also discuss the current limitations of organoid models and outline how organoids can be used to revolutionize research into the human brain and neurological diseases.
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Affiliation(s)
- Oliver L Eichmüller
- IMBA-Institute of Molecular Biotechnology of the Austrian Academy of Sciences, Vienna Biocenter (VBC), Vienna, Austria
- University of Heidelberg, Heidelberg, Germany
| | - Juergen A Knoblich
- IMBA-Institute of Molecular Biotechnology of the Austrian Academy of Sciences, Vienna Biocenter (VBC), Vienna, Austria.
- Medical University of Vienna, Department of Neurology, Vienna, Austria.
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Damianidou E, Mouratidou L, Kyrousi C. Research models of neurodevelopmental disorders: The right model in the right place. Front Neurosci 2022; 16:1031075. [PMID: 36340790 PMCID: PMC9630472 DOI: 10.3389/fnins.2022.1031075] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 08/29/2022] [Accepted: 10/07/2022] [Indexed: 11/25/2022] Open
Abstract
Neurodevelopmental disorders (NDDs) are a heterogeneous group of impairments that affect the development of the central nervous system leading to abnormal brain function. NDDs affect a great percentage of the population worldwide, imposing a high societal and economic burden and thus, interest in this field has widely grown in recent years. Nevertheless, the complexity of human brain development and function as well as the limitations regarding human tissue usage make their modeling challenging. Animal models play a central role in the investigation of the implicated molecular and cellular mechanisms, however many of them display key differences regarding human phenotype and in many cases, they partially or completely fail to recapitulate them. Although in vitro two-dimensional (2D) human-specific models have been highly used to address some of these limitations, they lack crucial features such as complexity and heterogeneity. In this review, we will discuss the advantages, limitations and future applications of in vivo and in vitro models that are used today to model NDDs. Additionally, we will describe the recent development of 3-dimensional brain (3D) organoids which offer a promising approach as human-specific in vitro models to decipher these complex disorders.
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Affiliation(s)
- Eleni Damianidou
- University Mental Health, Neurosciences and Precision Medicine Research Institute “Costas Stefanis”, Athens, Greece
| | - Lidia Mouratidou
- University Mental Health, Neurosciences and Precision Medicine Research Institute “Costas Stefanis”, Athens, Greece
- First Department of Psychiatry, Medical School, Eginition Hospital, National and Kapodistrian University of Athens, Athens, Greece
| | - Christina Kyrousi
- University Mental Health, Neurosciences and Precision Medicine Research Institute “Costas Stefanis”, Athens, Greece
- First Department of Psychiatry, Medical School, Eginition Hospital, National and Kapodistrian University of Athens, Athens, Greece
- *Correspondence: Christina Kyrousi,
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36
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Zhang S, Chavoshnejad P, Li X, Guo L, Jiang X, Han J, Wang L, Li G, Wang X, Liu T, Razavi MJ, Zhang S, Zhang T. Gyral peaks: Novel gyral landmarks in developing macaque brains. Hum Brain Mapp 2022; 43:4540-4555. [PMID: 35713202 PMCID: PMC9491295 DOI: 10.1002/hbm.25971] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 08/24/2021] [Revised: 04/22/2022] [Accepted: 05/23/2022] [Indexed: 11/09/2022] Open
Abstract
Cerebral cortex development undergoes a variety of processes, which provide valuable information for the study of the developmental mechanism of cortical folding as well as its relationship to brain structural architectures and brain functions. Despite the variability in the anatomy-function relationship on the higher-order cortex, recent studies have succeeded in identifying typical cortical landmarks, such as sulcal pits, that bestow specific functional and cognitive patterns and remain invariant across subjects and ages with their invariance being related to a gene-mediated proto-map. Inspired by the success of these studies, we aim in this study at defining and identifying novel cortical landmarks, termed gyral peaks, which are the local highest foci on gyri. By analyzing data from 156 MRI scans of 32 macaque monkeys with the age spanned from 0 to 36 months, we identified 39 and 37 gyral peaks on the left and right hemispheres, respectively. Our investigation suggests that these gyral peaks are spatially consistent across individuals and relatively stable within the age range of this dataset. Moreover, compared with other gyri, gyral peaks have a thicker cortex, higher mean curvature, more pronounced hub-like features in structural connective networks, and are closer to the borders of structural connectivity-based cortical parcellations. The spatial distribution of gyral peaks was shown to correlate with that of other cortical landmarks, including sulcal pits. These results provide insights into the spatial arrangement and temporal development of gyral peaks as well as their relation to brain structure and function.
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Affiliation(s)
- Songyao Zhang
- School of AutomationNorthwestern Polytechnical UniversityXi'anChina
| | - Poorya Chavoshnejad
- Department of Mechanical EngineeringState University of New York at BinghamtonNew YorkUSA
| | - Xiao Li
- School of Information TechnologyNorthwest UniversityXi'anChina
| | - Lei Guo
- School of AutomationNorthwestern Polytechnical UniversityXi'anChina
| | - Xi Jiang
- School of Life Science and TechnologyUniversity of Electronic Science and Technology of ChinaChengduChina
| | - Junwei Han
- School of AutomationNorthwestern Polytechnical UniversityXi'anChina
| | - Li Wang
- Department of Radiology and BRICUniversity of North Carolina at Chapel HillChapel HillNorth CarolinaUSA
| | - Gang Li
- Department of Radiology and BRICUniversity of North Carolina at Chapel HillChapel HillNorth CarolinaUSA
| | - Xianqiao Wang
- College of EngineeringThe University of GeorgiaAthensGeorgiaUSA
| | - Tianming Liu
- Cortical Architecture Imaging and Discovery Lab, Department of Computer Science and Bioimaging Research CenterThe University of GeorgiaAthensGeorgiaUSA
| | - Mir Jalil Razavi
- Department of Mechanical EngineeringState University of New York at BinghamtonNew YorkUSA
| | - Shu Zhang
- Center for Brain and Brain‐Inspired Computing Research, Department of Computer ScienceNorthwestern Polytechnical UniversityXi'anChina
| | - Tuo Zhang
- School of AutomationNorthwestern Polytechnical UniversityXi'anChina
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37
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Massimo M, Long KR. Orchestrating human neocortex development across the scales; from micro to macro. Semin Cell Dev Biol 2022; 130:24-36. [PMID: 34583893 DOI: 10.1016/j.semcdb.2021.09.007] [Citation(s) in RCA: 3] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 05/15/2021] [Revised: 08/27/2021] [Accepted: 09/10/2021] [Indexed: 10/20/2022]
Abstract
How our brains have developed to perform the many complex functions that make us human has long remained a question of great interest. Over the last few decades, many scientists from a wide range of fields have tried to answer this question by aiming to uncover the mechanisms that regulate the development of the human neocortex. They have approached this on different scales, focusing microscopically on individual cells all the way up to macroscopically imaging entire brains within living patients. In this review we will summarise these key findings and how they fit together.
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Affiliation(s)
- Marco Massimo
- Centre for Developmental Neurobiology, Institute of Psychiatry, Psychology and Neuroscience, King's College London, London SE1 1UL, United Kingdom; MRC Centre for Neurodevelopmental Disorders, King's College London, London SE1 1UL, United Kingdom
| | - Katherine R Long
- Centre for Developmental Neurobiology, Institute of Psychiatry, Psychology and Neuroscience, King's College London, London SE1 1UL, United Kingdom; MRC Centre for Neurodevelopmental Disorders, King's College London, London SE1 1UL, United Kingdom.
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38
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Uzquiano A, Kedaigle AJ, Pigoni M, Paulsen B, Adiconis X, Kim K, Faits T, Nagaraja S, Antón-Bolaños N, Gerhardinger C, Tucewicz A, Murray E, Jin X, Buenrostro J, Chen F, Velasco S, Regev A, Levin JZ, Arlotta P. Proper acquisition of cell class identity in organoids allows definition of fate specification programs of the human cerebral cortex. Cell 2022; 185:3770-3788.e27. [PMID: 36179669 PMCID: PMC9990683 DOI: 10.1016/j.cell.2022.09.010] [Citation(s) in RCA: 60] [Impact Index Per Article: 30.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 03/20/2021] [Revised: 03/25/2022] [Accepted: 09/01/2022] [Indexed: 01/26/2023]
Abstract
Realizing the full utility of brain organoids to study human development requires understanding whether organoids precisely replicate endogenous cellular and molecular events, particularly since acquisition of cell identity in organoids can be impaired by abnormal metabolic states. We present a comprehensive single-cell transcriptomic, epigenetic, and spatial atlas of human cortical organoid development, comprising over 610,000 cells, from generation of neural progenitors through production of differentiated neuronal and glial subtypes. We show that processes of cellular diversification correlate closely to endogenous ones, irrespective of metabolic state, empowering the use of this atlas to study human fate specification. We define longitudinal molecular trajectories of cortical cell types during organoid development, identify genes with predicted human-specific roles in lineage establishment, and uncover early transcriptional diversity of human callosal neurons. The findings validate this comprehensive atlas of human corticogenesis in vitro as a resource to prime investigation into the mechanisms of human cortical development.
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Affiliation(s)
- Ana Uzquiano
- Department of Stem Cell & Regenerative Biology, Harvard University, Cambridge, MA 02138, USA; Stanley Center for Psychiatric Research, Broad Institute of MIT and Harvard, Cambridge, MA 02142, USA
| | - Amanda J Kedaigle
- Department of Stem Cell & Regenerative Biology, Harvard University, Cambridge, MA 02138, USA; Stanley Center for Psychiatric Research, Broad Institute of MIT and Harvard, Cambridge, MA 02142, USA; Klarman Cell Observatory, Broad Institute of MIT and Harvard, Cambridge, MA 02142, USA
| | - Martina Pigoni
- Department of Stem Cell & Regenerative Biology, Harvard University, Cambridge, MA 02138, USA; Stanley Center for Psychiatric Research, Broad Institute of MIT and Harvard, Cambridge, MA 02142, USA
| | - Bruna Paulsen
- Department of Stem Cell & Regenerative Biology, Harvard University, Cambridge, MA 02138, USA; Stanley Center for Psychiatric Research, Broad Institute of MIT and Harvard, Cambridge, MA 02142, USA
| | - Xian Adiconis
- Stanley Center for Psychiatric Research, Broad Institute of MIT and Harvard, Cambridge, MA 02142, USA; Klarman Cell Observatory, Broad Institute of MIT and Harvard, Cambridge, MA 02142, USA
| | - Kwanho Kim
- Department of Stem Cell & Regenerative Biology, Harvard University, Cambridge, MA 02138, USA; Stanley Center for Psychiatric Research, Broad Institute of MIT and Harvard, Cambridge, MA 02142, USA; Klarman Cell Observatory, Broad Institute of MIT and Harvard, Cambridge, MA 02142, USA
| | - Tyler Faits
- Department of Stem Cell & Regenerative Biology, Harvard University, Cambridge, MA 02138, USA; Stanley Center for Psychiatric Research, Broad Institute of MIT and Harvard, Cambridge, MA 02142, USA; Klarman Cell Observatory, Broad Institute of MIT and Harvard, Cambridge, MA 02142, USA
| | - Surya Nagaraja
- Department of Stem Cell & Regenerative Biology, Harvard University, Cambridge, MA 02138, USA; Gene Regulation Observatory, Broad Institute of MIT and Harvard, Cambridge, MA 02142, USA; Department of Pathology, Massachusetts General Hospital, Boston, MA 02114, USA
| | - Noelia Antón-Bolaños
- Department of Stem Cell & Regenerative Biology, Harvard University, Cambridge, MA 02138, USA; Stanley Center for Psychiatric Research, Broad Institute of MIT and Harvard, Cambridge, MA 02142, USA
| | - Chiara Gerhardinger
- Department of Stem Cell & Regenerative Biology, Harvard University, Cambridge, MA 02138, USA; Stanley Center for Psychiatric Research, Broad Institute of MIT and Harvard, Cambridge, MA 02142, USA
| | - Ashley Tucewicz
- Department of Stem Cell & Regenerative Biology, Harvard University, Cambridge, MA 02138, USA; Stanley Center for Psychiatric Research, Broad Institute of MIT and Harvard, Cambridge, MA 02142, USA
| | - Evan Murray
- Broad Institute of MIT and Harvard, Cambridge, MA 02142, USA
| | - Xin Jin
- Department of Stem Cell & Regenerative Biology, Harvard University, Cambridge, MA 02138, USA; Broad Institute of MIT and Harvard, Cambridge, MA 02142, USA; Society of Fellows, Harvard University, Cambridge, MA 02138, USA
| | - Jason Buenrostro
- Department of Stem Cell & Regenerative Biology, Harvard University, Cambridge, MA 02138, USA; Department of Pathology, Massachusetts General Hospital, Boston, MA 02114, USA
| | - Fei Chen
- Department of Stem Cell & Regenerative Biology, Harvard University, Cambridge, MA 02138, USA; Broad Institute of MIT and Harvard, Cambridge, MA 02142, USA
| | - Silvia Velasco
- Department of Stem Cell & Regenerative Biology, Harvard University, Cambridge, MA 02138, USA; Stanley Center for Psychiatric Research, Broad Institute of MIT and Harvard, Cambridge, MA 02142, USA
| | - Aviv Regev
- Klarman Cell Observatory, Broad Institute of MIT and Harvard, Cambridge, MA 02142, USA; Department of Biology, Massachusetts Institute of Technology, Cambridge, MA 02142, USA
| | - Joshua Z Levin
- Stanley Center for Psychiatric Research, Broad Institute of MIT and Harvard, Cambridge, MA 02142, USA; Klarman Cell Observatory, Broad Institute of MIT and Harvard, Cambridge, MA 02142, USA
| | - Paola Arlotta
- Department of Stem Cell & Regenerative Biology, Harvard University, Cambridge, MA 02138, USA; Stanley Center for Psychiatric Research, Broad Institute of MIT and Harvard, Cambridge, MA 02142, USA.
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A kinase-independent function of cyclin-dependent kinase 6 promotes outer radial glia expansion and neocortical folding. Proc Natl Acad Sci U S A 2022; 119:e2206147119. [PMID: 36095192 PMCID: PMC9499540 DOI: 10.1073/pnas.2206147119] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/18/2022] Open
Abstract
The neocortex, the center for higher brain function, first emerged in mammals and has become massively expanded and folded in humans, constituting almost half the volume of the human brain. Primary microcephaly, a developmental disorder in which the brain is smaller than normal at birth, results mainly from there being fewer neurons in the neocortex because of defects in neural progenitor cells (NPCs). Outer radial glia (oRGs), NPCs that are abundant in gyrencephalic species but rare in lissencephalic species, are thought to play key roles in the expansion and folding of the neocortex. However, how oRGs expand, whether they are necessary for neocortical folding, and whether defects in oRGs cause microcephaly remain important questions in the study of brain development, evolution, and disease. Here, we show that oRG expansion in mice, ferrets, and human cerebral organoids requires cyclin-dependent kinase 6 (CDK6), the mutation of which causes primary microcephaly via an unknown mechanism. In a mouse model in which increased Hedgehog signaling expands oRGs and intermediate progenitor cells and induces neocortical folding, CDK6 loss selectively decreased oRGs and abolished neocortical folding. Remarkably, this function of CDK6 in oRG expansion did not require its kinase activity, was not shared by the highly similar CDK4 and CDK2, and was disrupted by the mutation causing microcephaly. Therefore, our results indicate that CDK6 is conserved to promote oRG expansion, that oRGs are necessary for neocortical folding, and that defects in oRG expansion may cause primary microcephaly.
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40
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Pinson A, Xing L, Namba T, Kalebic N, Peters J, Oegema CE, Traikov S, Reppe K, Riesenberg S, Maricic T, Derihaci R, Wimberger P, Pääbo S, Huttner WB. Human TKTL1 implies greater neurogenesis in frontal neocortex of modern humans than Neanderthals. Science 2022; 377:eabl6422. [PMID: 36074851 DOI: 10.1126/science.abl6422] [Citation(s) in RCA: 48] [Impact Index Per Article: 24.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 12/20/2022]
Abstract
Neanderthal brains were similar in size to those of modern humans. We sought to investigate potential differences in neurogenesis during neocortex development. Modern human transketolase-like 1 (TKTL1) differs from Neanderthal TKTL1 by a lysine-to-arginine amino acid substitution. Using overexpression in developing mouse and ferret neocortex, knockout in fetal human neocortical tissue, and genome-edited cerebral organoids, we found that the modern human variant, hTKTL1, but not the Neanderthal variant, increases the abundance of basal radial glia (bRG) but not that of intermediate progenitors (bIPs). bRG generate more neocortical neurons than bIPs. The hTKTL1 effect requires the pentose phosphate pathway and fatty acid synthesis. Inhibition of these metabolic pathways reduces bRG abundance in fetal human neocortical tissue. Our data suggest that neocortical neurogenesis in modern humans differs from that in Neanderthals.
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Affiliation(s)
- Anneline Pinson
- Max Planck Institute of Molecular Cell Biology and Genetics, 01307 Dresden, Germany
| | - Lei Xing
- Max Planck Institute of Molecular Cell Biology and Genetics, 01307 Dresden, Germany
| | - Takashi Namba
- Max Planck Institute of Molecular Cell Biology and Genetics, 01307 Dresden, Germany
| | - Nereo Kalebic
- Max Planck Institute of Molecular Cell Biology and Genetics, 01307 Dresden, Germany
| | - Jula Peters
- Max Planck Institute of Molecular Cell Biology and Genetics, 01307 Dresden, Germany
| | | | - Sofia Traikov
- Max Planck Institute of Molecular Cell Biology and Genetics, 01307 Dresden, Germany
| | - Katrin Reppe
- Max Planck Institute of Molecular Cell Biology and Genetics, 01307 Dresden, Germany
| | - Stephan Riesenberg
- Max Planck Institute for Evolutionary Anthropology, 04103 Leipzig, Germany
| | - Tomislav Maricic
- Max Planck Institute for Evolutionary Anthropology, 04103 Leipzig, Germany
| | - Razvan Derihaci
- Technische Universität Dresden, Universitätsklinikum Carl Gustav Carus, Klinik und Poliklinik für Frauenheilkunde und Geburtshilfe, 01307 Dresden, Germany
| | - Pauline Wimberger
- Technische Universität Dresden, Universitätsklinikum Carl Gustav Carus, Klinik und Poliklinik für Frauenheilkunde und Geburtshilfe, 01307 Dresden, Germany
| | - Svante Pääbo
- Max Planck Institute for Evolutionary Anthropology, 04103 Leipzig, Germany
| | - Wieland B Huttner
- Max Planck Institute of Molecular Cell Biology and Genetics, 01307 Dresden, Germany
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41
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Nowakowski TJ, Salama SR. Cerebral Organoids as an Experimental Platform for Human Neurogenomics. Cells 2022; 11:2803. [PMID: 36139380 PMCID: PMC9496777 DOI: 10.3390/cells11182803] [Citation(s) in RCA: 10] [Impact Index Per Article: 5.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 08/17/2022] [Revised: 09/06/2022] [Accepted: 09/07/2022] [Indexed: 01/25/2023] Open
Abstract
The cerebral cortex forms early in development according to a series of heritable neurodevelopmental instructions. Despite deep evolutionary conservation of the cerebral cortex and its foundational six-layered architecture, significant variations in cortical size and folding can be found across mammals, including a disproportionate expansion of the prefrontal cortex in humans. Yet our mechanistic understanding of neurodevelopmental processes is derived overwhelmingly from rodent models, which fail to capture many human-enriched features of cortical development. With the advent of pluripotent stem cells and technologies for differentiating three-dimensional cultures of neural tissue in vitro, cerebral organoids have emerged as an experimental platform that recapitulates several hallmarks of human brain development. In this review, we discuss the merits and limitations of cerebral organoids as experimental models of the developing human brain. We highlight innovations in technology development that seek to increase its fidelity to brain development in vivo and discuss recent efforts to use cerebral organoids to study regeneration and brain evolution as well as to develop neurological and neuropsychiatric disease models.
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Affiliation(s)
- Tomasz J. Nowakowski
- Department of Neurological Surgery, University of California San Francisco, San Francisco, CA 94158, USA
- Department of Anatomy, University of California San Francisco, San Francisco, CA 94158, USA
- Department of Psychiatry and Behavioral Sciences, University of California San Francisco, San Francisco, CA 94158, USA
- Weill Institute for Neurosciences, University of California San Francisco, San Francisco, CA 94158, USA
- Eli and Edythe Broad Center for Regeneration Medicine and Stem Cell Research, University of California San Francisco, San Francisco, CA 94158, USA
| | - Sofie R. Salama
- Department of Molecular, Cellular and Developmental Biology, University of California Santa Cruz, Santa Cruz, CA 95060, USA
- UC Santa Cruz Genomics Institute, University of California Santa Cruz, Santa Cruz, CA 95060, USA
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42
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Park SHE, Ortiz AK, Konopka G. Corticogenesis across species at single-cell resolution. Dev Neurobiol 2022; 82:517-532. [PMID: 35932776 PMCID: PMC9481703 DOI: 10.1002/dneu.22896] [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: 01/22/2022] [Revised: 07/11/2022] [Accepted: 07/22/2022] [Indexed: 11/07/2022]
Abstract
The neocortex (or pallium) consists of diverse cell types that are organized in a highly species-specific manner under strict spatiotemporal control during development. Many of the cell types are present transiently throughout development but contribute to permanent species-specific cortical features that are acquired through evolution. Therefore, capturing cell type-specific biological information has always been an important quest in the field of neurodevelopment. The progress in achieving fine cellular resolution has been slow due to technical challenges. However, with recent advancements in single-cell and multi-omics technologies, many laboratories have begun to successfully interrogate cellular and molecular mechanisms driving corticogenesis at single-cell resolution. In this review, we provide summarized results from many primary publications and several in-depth review articles that utilize or address single-cell genomics techniques to understand important topics, such as cellular and molecular mechanisms governing cortical progenitor proliferation, cell lineage progression, neuronal specification, and arealization, across multiple gyrencephalic (i.e., human and non-human primates) and lissencephalic species (i.e., mouse, reptiles, and songbirds). We also examine findings from recent studies involving epigenomic and posttranscriptional regulation of corticogenesis. In the discussion section, we provide our insights on the challenges the field currently faces as well as promising future applications of single cell technologies.
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Affiliation(s)
- Seon Hye E Park
- Department of Neuroscience, UT Southwestern Medical Center, Dallas, Texas, USA
| | - Ana K Ortiz
- Department of Neuroscience, UT Southwestern Medical Center, Dallas, Texas, USA
| | - Genevieve Konopka
- Department of Neuroscience, UT Southwestern Medical Center, Dallas, Texas, USA
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43
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Fasano G, Compagnucci C, Dallapiccola B, Tartaglia M, Lauri A. Teleost Fish and Organoids: Alternative Windows Into the Development of Healthy and Diseased Brains. Front Mol Neurosci 2022; 15:855786. [PMID: 36034498 PMCID: PMC9403253 DOI: 10.3389/fnmol.2022.855786] [Citation(s) in RCA: 1] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 01/19/2022] [Accepted: 05/16/2022] [Indexed: 11/13/2022] Open
Abstract
The variety in the display of animals’ cognition, emotions, and behaviors, typical of humans, has its roots within the anterior-most part of the brain: the forebrain, giving rise to the neocortex in mammals. Our understanding of cellular and molecular events instructing the development of this domain and its multiple adaptations within the vertebrate lineage has progressed in the last decade. Expanding and detailing the available knowledge on regionalization, progenitors’ behavior and functional sophistication of the forebrain derivatives is also key to generating informative models to improve our characterization of heterogeneous and mechanistically unexplored cortical malformations. Classical and emerging mammalian models are irreplaceable to accurately elucidate mechanisms of stem cells expansion and impairments of cortex development. Nevertheless, alternative systems, allowing a considerable reduction of the burden associated with animal experimentation, are gaining popularity to dissect basic strategies of neural stem cells biology and morphogenesis in health and disease and to speed up preclinical drug testing. Teleost vertebrates such as zebrafish, showing conserved core programs of forebrain development, together with patients-derived in vitro 2D and 3D models, recapitulating more accurately human neurogenesis, are now accepted within translational workflows spanning from genetic analysis to functional investigation. Here, we review the current knowledge of common and divergent mechanisms shaping the forebrain in vertebrates, and causing cortical malformations in humans. We next address the utility, benefits and limitations of whole-brain/organism-based fish models or neuronal ensembles in vitro for translational research to unravel key genes and pathological mechanisms involved in neurodevelopmental diseases.
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44
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Hamed AA, Kunz DJ, El-Hamamy I, Trinh QM, Subedar OD, Richards LM, Foltz W, Bullivant G, Ware M, Vladoiu MC, Zhang J, Raj AM, Pugh TJ, Taylor MD, Teichmann SA, Stein LD, Simons BD, Dirks PB. A brain precursor atlas reveals the acquisition of developmental-like states in adult cerebral tumours. Nat Commun 2022; 13:4178. [PMID: 35853870 PMCID: PMC9296666 DOI: 10.1038/s41467-022-31408-y] [Citation(s) in RCA: 8] [Impact Index Per Article: 4.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 10/26/2021] [Accepted: 06/16/2022] [Indexed: 01/01/2023] Open
Abstract
Human cerebral cancers are known to contain cell types resembling the varying stages of neural development. However, the basis of this association remains unclear. Here, we map the development of mouse cerebrum across the developmental time-course, from embryonic day 12.5 to postnatal day 365, performing single-cell transcriptomics on >100,000 cells. By comparing this reference atlas to single-cell data from >100 glial tumours of the adult and paediatric human cerebrum, we find that tumour cells have an expression signature that overlaps with temporally restricted, embryonic radial glial precursors (RGPs) and their immediate sublineages. Further, we demonstrate that prenatal transformation of RGPs in a genetic mouse model gives rise to adult cerebral tumours that show an embryonic/juvenile RGP identity. Together, these findings implicate the acquisition of embryonic-like states in the genesis of adult glioma, providing insight into the origins of human glioma, and identifying specific developmental cell types for therapeutic targeting.
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Affiliation(s)
- Akram A Hamed
- Department of Molecular Genetics, University of Toronto, Toronto, ON, Canada
- Developmental and Stem Cell Biology Program, The Hospital for Sick Children, Toronto, ON, Canada
- Arthur and Sonia Labatt Brain Tumour Research Centre, The Hospital for Sick Children, Toronto, ON, Canada
| | - Daniel J Kunz
- The Wellcome Trust/Cancer Research UK Gurdon Institute, University of Cambridge, Tennis Court Road, Cambridge, UK
- Cavendish Laboratory, Department of Physics, JJ Thomson Avenue, Cambridge, UK
- Wellcome Sanger Institute, Wellcome Genome Campus, Hinxton, UK
| | - Ibrahim El-Hamamy
- Department of Molecular Genetics, University of Toronto, Toronto, ON, Canada
- Ontario Institute for Cancer Research, Toronto, ON, Canada
| | - Quang M Trinh
- Ontario Institute for Cancer Research, Toronto, ON, Canada
| | - Omar D Subedar
- Developmental and Stem Cell Biology Program, The Hospital for Sick Children, Toronto, ON, Canada
| | - Laura M Richards
- Department of Medical Biophysics, University of Toronto, Toronto, ON, Canada
- Princess Margaret Cancer Centre, University Health Network, Toronto, ON, Canada
| | - Warren Foltz
- STTARR Innovation Centre, Department of Radiation Oncology, University Health Network, Toronto, ON, Canada
| | - Garrett Bullivant
- Department of Molecular Genetics, University of Toronto, Toronto, ON, Canada
- Developmental and Stem Cell Biology Program, The Hospital for Sick Children, Toronto, ON, Canada
- Arthur and Sonia Labatt Brain Tumour Research Centre, The Hospital for Sick Children, Toronto, ON, Canada
| | - Matthaeus Ware
- Department of Molecular Genetics, University of Toronto, Toronto, ON, Canada
- Developmental and Stem Cell Biology Program, The Hospital for Sick Children, Toronto, ON, Canada
- Arthur and Sonia Labatt Brain Tumour Research Centre, The Hospital for Sick Children, Toronto, ON, Canada
| | - Maria C Vladoiu
- Developmental and Stem Cell Biology Program, The Hospital for Sick Children, Toronto, ON, Canada
- Arthur and Sonia Labatt Brain Tumour Research Centre, The Hospital for Sick Children, Toronto, ON, Canada
- Department of Laboratory Medicine and Pathobiology, University of Toronto, Toronto, ON, Canada
| | - Jiao Zhang
- Developmental and Stem Cell Biology Program, The Hospital for Sick Children, Toronto, ON, Canada
- Arthur and Sonia Labatt Brain Tumour Research Centre, The Hospital for Sick Children, Toronto, ON, Canada
| | - Antony M Raj
- Developmental and Stem Cell Biology Program, The Hospital for Sick Children, Toronto, ON, Canada
- Arthur and Sonia Labatt Brain Tumour Research Centre, The Hospital for Sick Children, Toronto, ON, Canada
| | - Trevor J Pugh
- Ontario Institute for Cancer Research, Toronto, ON, Canada
- Department of Medical Biophysics, University of Toronto, Toronto, ON, Canada
- Princess Margaret Cancer Centre, University Health Network, Toronto, ON, Canada
| | - Michael D Taylor
- Developmental and Stem Cell Biology Program, The Hospital for Sick Children, Toronto, ON, Canada
- Arthur and Sonia Labatt Brain Tumour Research Centre, The Hospital for Sick Children, Toronto, ON, Canada
- Department of Laboratory Medicine and Pathobiology, University of Toronto, Toronto, ON, Canada
- Division of Neurosurgery, University of Toronto, Toronto, ON, Canada
- Department of Surgery and Department of Medical Biophysics, University of Toronto, Toronto, ON, Canada
| | - Sarah A Teichmann
- Cavendish Laboratory, Department of Physics, JJ Thomson Avenue, Cambridge, UK
- Wellcome Sanger Institute, Wellcome Genome Campus, Hinxton, UK
| | - Lincoln D Stein
- Department of Molecular Genetics, University of Toronto, Toronto, ON, Canada.
- Ontario Institute for Cancer Research, Toronto, ON, Canada.
| | - Benjamin D Simons
- Cavendish Laboratory, Department of Physics, JJ Thomson Avenue, Cambridge, UK.
- Department of Applied Mathematics and Theoretical Physics, Centre for Mathematical Sciences, Wilberforce Road, Cambridge, UK.
- Wellcome Trust-Medical Research Council Stem Cell Institute, University of Cambridge, Cambridge, UK.
| | - Peter B Dirks
- Department of Molecular Genetics, University of Toronto, Toronto, ON, Canada.
- Developmental and Stem Cell Biology Program, The Hospital for Sick Children, Toronto, ON, Canada.
- Arthur and Sonia Labatt Brain Tumour Research Centre, The Hospital for Sick Children, Toronto, ON, Canada.
- Division of Neurosurgery, University of Toronto, Toronto, ON, Canada.
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45
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Neuroglobin Is Involved in the Hypoxic Stress Response in the Brain. BIOMED RESEARCH INTERNATIONAL 2022; 2022:8263373. [PMID: 35898686 PMCID: PMC9313969 DOI: 10.1155/2022/8263373] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 02/25/2022] [Revised: 04/19/2022] [Accepted: 06/02/2022] [Indexed: 11/28/2022]
Abstract
Neuroglobin is an oxygen-binding heme protein expressed predominantly in the brain. Despite many years of research, the exact distribution and expression of neuroglobin in the neocortical development and under mild hypoxia stress still remain unclear. Therefore, we aim to explore the expression of neuroglobin during neocortex expansion and under mild hypoxia stress in vivo. We used Kunming mice to examine the expression of Ngb protein during neocortex expansion. In addition, we analyzed the density of Ngb-positive neural stem cells using the Image-Pro PLUS (v.6) computer software program (Media Cybernetics, Inc.). Our data indicated that the density of the neuroglobin-positive neurons in mice cerebral cortex displayed a downward trend after birth compared with high expression of neuroglobin in a prenatal period. Similarly, we identified that neurons were capable of ascending neuroglobin levels in response to mild hypoxic stress compared with the no intervention group. These findings suggest that neuroglobin behaves as a compensatory protein regulating oxygen provision in the process of neocortical development or under physiological hypoxia, further contributing to the discovery of novel therapeutic methods for neurological disorders, which is clinically important.
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46
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Nano PR, Bhaduri A. Evaluation of advances in cortical development using model systems. Dev Neurobiol 2022; 82:408-427. [PMID: 35644985 PMCID: PMC10924780 DOI: 10.1002/dneu.22879] [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: 01/05/2022] [Revised: 04/26/2022] [Accepted: 04/30/2022] [Indexed: 11/11/2022]
Abstract
Compared with that of even the closest primates, the human cortex displays a high degree of specialization and expansion that largely emerges developmentally. Although decades of research in the mouse and other model systems has revealed core tenets of cortical development that are well preserved across mammalian species, small deviations in transcription factor expression, novel cell types in primates and/or humans, and unique cortical architecture distinguish the human cortex. Importantly, many of the genes and signaling pathways thought to drive human-specific cortical expansion also leave the brain vulnerable to disease, as the misregulation of these factors is highly correlated with neurodevelopmental and neuropsychiatric disorders. However, creating a comprehensive understanding of human-specific cognition and disease remains challenging. Here, we review key stages of cortical development and highlight known or possible differences between model systems and the developing human brain. By identifying the developmental trajectories that may facilitate uniquely human traits, we highlight open questions in need of approaches to examine these processes in a human context and reveal translatable insights into human developmental disorders.
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Affiliation(s)
- Patricia R Nano
- Department of Biological Chemistry, David Geffen School of Medicine, University of California Los Angeles, Los Angeles, California, USA
| | - Aparna Bhaduri
- Department of Biological Chemistry, David Geffen School of Medicine, University of California Los Angeles, Los Angeles, California, USA
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47
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Suzuki IK. Evolutionary innovations of human cerebral cortex viewed through the lens of high-throughput sequencing. Dev Neurobiol 2022; 82:476-494. [PMID: 35765158 DOI: 10.1002/dneu.22893] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 03/17/2022] [Revised: 04/26/2022] [Accepted: 05/24/2022] [Indexed: 11/10/2022]
Abstract
Humans had acquired a tremendously enlarged cerebral cortex containing a huge quantity and variety of cells during evolution. Such evolutionary uniqueness offers a neural basis of our cognitive innovation and human-specific features of neurodevelopmental and psychiatric disorders. Since human brain is hardly examined in vivo with experimental approaches commonly applied on animal models, the recent advancement of sequencing technologies offers an indispensable viewpoint of human brain anatomy and development. This review introduces the recent findings on the unique features in the adult and the characteristic developmental processes of the human cerebral cortex, based on high throughput DNA sequencing technologies. This article is protected by copyright. All rights reserved.
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Affiliation(s)
- Ikuo K Suzuki
- Department of Biological Sciences, Graduate School of Science, The University of Tokyo, 7-3-1 Hongo, Bunkyo-ku, Tokyo, 113-0033, Japan
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48
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Allen DE, Donohue KC, Cadwell CR, Shin D, Keefe MG, Sohal VS, Nowakowski TJ. Fate mapping of neural stem cell niches reveals distinct origins of human cortical astrocytes. Science 2022; 376:1441-1446. [PMID: 35587512 PMCID: PMC9233096 DOI: 10.1126/science.abm5224] [Citation(s) in RCA: 18] [Impact Index Per Article: 9.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 01/19/2023]
Abstract
Progenitors of the developing human neocortex reside in the ventricular and outer subventricular zones (VZ and OSVZ, respectively). However, whether cells derived from these niches have similar developmental fates is unknown. By performing fate mapping in primary human tissue, we demonstrate that astrocytes derived from these niches populate anatomically distinct layers. Cortical plate astrocytes emerge from VZ progenitors and proliferate locally, while putative white matter astrocytes are morphologically heterogeneous and emerge from both VZ and OSVZ progenitors. Furthermore, via single-cell sequencing of morphologically defined astrocyte subtypes using Patch-seq, we identify molecular distinctions between VZ-derived cortical plate astrocytes and OSVZ-derived white matter astrocytes that persist into adulthood. Together, our study highlights a complex role for cell lineage in the diversification of human neocortical astrocytes.
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Affiliation(s)
- Denise E Allen
- Department of Anatomy, The University of California San Francisco, San Francisco, USA,Department of Psychiatry and Behavioral Sciences, The University of California San Francisco, San Francisco, USA,Department of Neurological Surgery, The University of California San Francisco, San Francisco, USA,Eli and Edythe Broad Center for Regeneration Medicine and Stem Cell Research, The University of California San Francisco, San Francisco, USA
| | - Kevin C Donohue
- Department of Psychiatry and Behavioral Sciences, The University of California San Francisco, San Francisco, USA,School of Medicine, The University of California San Francisco, San Francisco, USA,Center for Integrative Neuroscience, The University of California San Francisco; San Francisco, USA,Weill Institute for Neurosciences, The University of California San Francisco; San Francisco, USA,Kavli Institute for Fundamental Neuroscience, The University of California San Francisco, San Francisco, USA
| | - Cathryn R Cadwell
- Department of Pathology, The University of California San Francisco, San Francisco, USA
| | - David Shin
- Department of Anatomy, The University of California San Francisco, San Francisco, USA,Department of Psychiatry and Behavioral Sciences, The University of California San Francisco, San Francisco, USA,Department of Neurological Surgery, The University of California San Francisco, San Francisco, USA,Eli and Edythe Broad Center for Regeneration Medicine and Stem Cell Research, The University of California San Francisco, San Francisco, USA
| | - Matthew G Keefe
- Department of Anatomy, The University of California San Francisco, San Francisco, USA,Department of Psychiatry and Behavioral Sciences, The University of California San Francisco, San Francisco, USA,Department of Neurological Surgery, The University of California San Francisco, San Francisco, USA,Eli and Edythe Broad Center for Regeneration Medicine and Stem Cell Research, The University of California San Francisco, San Francisco, USA
| | - Vikaas S Sohal
- Department of Psychiatry and Behavioral Sciences, The University of California San Francisco, San Francisco, USA,Weill Institute for Neurosciences, The University of California San Francisco; San Francisco, USA,Kavli Institute for Fundamental Neuroscience, The University of California San Francisco, San Francisco, USA
| | - Tomasz J Nowakowski
- Department of Anatomy, The University of California San Francisco, San Francisco, USA,Department of Psychiatry and Behavioral Sciences, The University of California San Francisco, San Francisco, USA,Department of Neurological Surgery, The University of California San Francisco, San Francisco, USA,Eli and Edythe Broad Center for Regeneration Medicine and Stem Cell Research, The University of California San Francisco, San Francisco, USA,Weill Institute for Neurosciences, The University of California San Francisco; San Francisco, USA,Corresponding author.
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49
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Kaluthantrige Don F, Kalebic N. Forebrain Organoids to Model the Cell Biology of Basal Radial Glia in Neurodevelopmental Disorders and Brain Evolution. Front Cell Dev Biol 2022; 10:917166. [PMID: 35774229 PMCID: PMC9237216 DOI: 10.3389/fcell.2022.917166] [Citation(s) in RCA: 3] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 04/10/2022] [Accepted: 05/23/2022] [Indexed: 12/13/2022] Open
Abstract
The acquisition of higher intellectual abilities that distinguish humans from their closest relatives correlates greatly with the expansion of the cerebral cortex. This expansion is a consequence of an increase in neuronal cell production driven by the higher proliferative capacity of neural progenitor cells, in particular basal radial glia (bRG). Furthermore, when the proliferation of neural progenitor cells is impaired and the final neuronal output is altered, severe neurodevelopmental disorders can arise. To effectively study the cell biology of human bRG, genetically accessible human experimental models are needed. With the pioneering success to isolate and culture pluripotent stem cells in vitro, we can now routinely investigate the developing human cerebral cortex in a dish using three-dimensional multicellular structures called organoids. Here, we will review the molecular and cell biological features of bRG that have recently been elucidated using brain organoids. We will further focus on the application of this simple model system to study in a mechanistically actionable way the molecular and cellular events in bRG that can lead to the onset of various neurodevelopmental diseases.
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50
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Espinós A, Fernández‐Ortuño E, Negri E, Borrell V. Evolution of genetic mechanisms regulating cortical neurogenesis. Dev Neurobiol 2022; 82:428-453. [PMID: 35670518 PMCID: PMC9543202 DOI: 10.1002/dneu.22891] [Citation(s) in RCA: 20] [Impact Index Per Article: 10.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 03/17/2022] [Revised: 04/26/2022] [Accepted: 05/24/2022] [Indexed: 11/20/2022]
Abstract
The size of the cerebral cortex increases dramatically across amniotes, from reptiles to great apes. This is primarily due to different numbers of neurons and glial cells produced during embryonic development. The evolutionary expansion of cortical neurogenesis was linked to changes in neural stem and progenitor cells, which acquired increased capacity of self‐amplification and neuron production. Evolution works via changes in the genome, and recent studies have identified a small number of new genes that emerged in the recent human and primate lineages, promoting cortical progenitor proliferation and increased neurogenesis. However, most of the mammalian genome corresponds to noncoding DNA that contains gene‐regulatory elements, and recent evidence precisely points at changes in expression levels of conserved genes as key in the evolution of cortical neurogenesis. Here, we provide an overview of basic cellular mechanisms involved in cortical neurogenesis across amniotes, and discuss recent progress on genetic mechanisms that may have changed during evolution, including gene expression regulation, leading to the expansion of the cerebral cortex.
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Affiliation(s)
- Alexandre Espinós
- Instituto de Neurociencias CSIC ‐ UMH, 03550 Sant Joan d'Alacant Spain
| | | | - Enrico Negri
- Instituto de Neurociencias CSIC ‐ UMH, 03550 Sant Joan d'Alacant Spain
| | - Víctor Borrell
- Instituto de Neurociencias CSIC ‐ UMH, 03550 Sant Joan d'Alacant Spain
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