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Renaux E, Baudouin C, Marchese D, Clovis Y, Lee SK, Gofflot F, Rezsohazy R, Clotman F. Lhx4 surpasses its paralog Lhx3 in promoting the differentiation of spinal V2a interneurons. Cell Mol Life Sci 2024; 81:286. [PMID: 38970652 DOI: 10.1007/s00018-024-05316-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: 04/03/2024] [Revised: 06/11/2024] [Accepted: 06/12/2024] [Indexed: 07/08/2024]
Abstract
Paralog factors are considered to ensure the robustness of biological processes by providing redundant activity in cells where they are co-expressed. However, the specific contribution of each factor is frequently underestimated. In the developing spinal cord, multiple families of transcription factors successively contribute to differentiate an initially homogenous population of neural progenitors into a myriad of neuronal subsets with distinct molecular, morphological, and functional characteristics. The LIM-homeodomain transcription factors Lhx3, Lhx4, Isl1 and Isl2 promote the segregation and differentiation of spinal motor neurons and V2 interneurons. Based on their high sequence identity and their similar distribution, the Lhx3 and Lhx4 paralogs are considered to contribute similarly to these processes. However, the specific contribution of Lhx4 has never been studied. Here, we provide evidence that Lhx3 and Lhx4 are present in the same cell populations during spinal cord development. Similarly to Lhx3, Lhx4 can form multiproteic complexes with Isl1 or Isl2 and the nuclear LIM interactor NLI. Lhx4 can stimulate a V2-specific enhancer more efficiently than Lhx3 and surpasses Lhx3 in promoting the differentiation of V2a interneurons in chicken embryo electroporation experiments. Finally, Lhx4 inactivation in mice results in alterations of differentiation of the V2a subpopulation, but not of motor neuron production, suggesting that Lhx4 plays unique roles in V2a differentiation that are not compensated by the presence of Lhx3. Thus, Lhx4 could be the major LIM-HD factor involved in V2a interneuron differentiation during spinal cord development and should be considered for in vitro differentiation of spinal neuronal populations.
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Affiliation(s)
- Estelle Renaux
- Université catholique de Louvain, Louvain Institute of Biomolecular Science and Technology, Animal Molecular and Cellular Biology, Louvain-la-Neuve, 1348, Belgium
- Université catholique de Louvain, Institute of Neuroscience, Laboratory of Neural Differentiation, Brussels, 1200, Belgium
| | - Charlotte Baudouin
- Université catholique de Louvain, Institute of Neuroscience, Laboratory of Neural Differentiation, Brussels, 1200, Belgium
| | - Damien Marchese
- Université catholique de Louvain, Louvain Institute of Biomolecular Science and Technology, Animal Molecular and Cellular Biology, Louvain-la-Neuve, 1348, Belgium
| | - Yoanne Clovis
- Pediatric Neuroscience Research Program, Papé Family Pediatric Research Institute, Department of Pediatrics, Oregon Health and Science University, Portland, OR, 97239, USA
| | - Soo-Kyung Lee
- Pediatric Neuroscience Research Program, Papé Family Pediatric Research Institute, Department of Pediatrics, Oregon Health and Science University, Portland, OR, 97239, USA
- Department of Biological Sciences, University at Buffalo, Buffalo, NY, 14260, USA
| | - Françoise Gofflot
- Université catholique de Louvain, Louvain Institute of Biomolecular Science and Technology, Animal Molecular and Cellular Biology, Louvain-la-Neuve, 1348, Belgium
| | - René Rezsohazy
- Université catholique de Louvain, Louvain Institute of Biomolecular Science and Technology, Animal Molecular and Cellular Biology, Louvain-la-Neuve, 1348, Belgium
| | - Frédéric Clotman
- Université catholique de Louvain, Louvain Institute of Biomolecular Science and Technology, Animal Molecular and Cellular Biology, Louvain-la-Neuve, 1348, Belgium.
- Université catholique de Louvain, Institute of Neuroscience, Laboratory of Neural Differentiation, Brussels, 1200, Belgium.
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2
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England SJ, Campbell PC, Banerjee S, Bates RL, Grieb G, Fancher WF, Lewis KE. Transcriptional regulators with broad expression in the zebrafish spinal cord. Dev Dyn 2024. [PMID: 38850245 DOI: 10.1002/dvdy.717] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 01/23/2024] [Revised: 04/12/2024] [Accepted: 05/15/2024] [Indexed: 06/10/2024] Open
Abstract
BACKGROUND The spinal cord is a crucial part of the vertebrate CNS, controlling movements and receiving and processing sensory information from the trunk and limbs. However, there is much we do not know about how this essential organ develops. Here, we describe expression of 21 transcription factors and one transcriptional regulator in zebrafish spinal cord. RESULTS We analyzed the expression of aurkb, foxb1a, foxb1b, her8a, homeza, ivns1abpb, mybl2b, myt1a, nr2f1b, onecut1, sall1a, sall3a, sall3b, sall4, sox2, sox19b, sp8b, tsc22d1, wdhd1, zfhx3b, znf804a, and znf1032 in wild-type and MIB E3 ubiquitin protein ligase 1 zebrafish embryos. While all of these genes are broadly expressed in spinal cord, they have distinct expression patterns from one another. Some are predominantly expressed in progenitor domains, and others in subsets of post-mitotic cells. Given the conservation of spinal cord development, and the transcription factors and transcriptional regulators that orchestrate it, we expect that these genes will have similar spinal cord expression patterns in other vertebrates, including mammals and humans. CONCLUSIONS Our data identify 22 different transcriptional regulators that are strong candidates for playing different roles in spinal cord development. For several of these genes, this is the first published description of their spinal cord expression.
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Affiliation(s)
| | - Paul C Campbell
- Department of Biology, Syracuse University, Syracuse, New York, USA
| | - Santanu Banerjee
- Biological Sciences Department, SUNY-Cortland, Cortland, New York, USA
| | - Richard L Bates
- Department of Biology, Syracuse University, Syracuse, New York, USA
| | - Ginny Grieb
- Department of Biology, Syracuse University, Syracuse, New York, USA
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England SJ, Campbell PC, Banerjee S, Bates RL, Grieb G, Fancher WF, Lewis KE. Transcriptional Regulators with Broad Expression in the Zebrafish Spinal Cord. BIORXIV : THE PREPRINT SERVER FOR BIOLOGY 2024:2024.02.14.580357. [PMID: 38405913 PMCID: PMC10888778 DOI: 10.1101/2024.02.14.580357] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 02/27/2024]
Abstract
Background The spinal cord is a crucial part of the vertebrate CNS, controlling movements and receiving and processing sensory information from the trunk and limbs. However, there is much we do not know about how this essential organ develops. Here, we describe expression of 21 transcription factors and one transcriptional regulator in zebrafish spinal cord. Results We analyzed the expression of aurkb, foxb1a, foxb1b, her8a, homeza, ivns1abpb, mybl2b, myt1a, nr2f1b, onecut1, sall1a, sall3a, sall3b, sall4, sox2, sox19b, sp8b, tsc22d1, wdhd1, zfhx3b, znf804a, and znf1032 in wild-type and MIB E3 ubiquitin protein ligase 1 zebrafish embryos. While all of these genes are broadly expressed in spinal cord, they have distinct expression patterns from one another. Some are predominantly expressed in progenitor domains, and others in subsets of post-mitotic cells. Given the conservation of spinal cord development, and the transcription factors and transcriptional regulators that orchestrate it, we expect that these genes will have similar spinal cord expression patterns in other vertebrates, including mammals and humans. Conclusions Our data identify 22 different transcriptional regulators that are strong candidates for playing different roles in spinal cord development. For several of these genes, this is the first published description of their spinal cord expression.
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Affiliation(s)
- Samantha J. England
- Department of Biology, Syracuse University, 107 College Place, Syracuse, NY 13244, USA
| | - Paul C. Campbell
- Department of Biology, Syracuse University, 107 College Place, Syracuse, NY 13244, USA
| | - Santanu Banerjee
- Biological Sciences Department, SUNY-Cortland, Cortland, NY 13045, USA
| | - Richard L. Bates
- Department of Biology, Syracuse University, 107 College Place, Syracuse, NY 13244, USA
| | - Ginny Grieb
- Department of Biology, Syracuse University, 107 College Place, Syracuse, NY 13244, USA
| | - William F. Fancher
- Department of Biology, Syracuse University, 107 College Place, Syracuse, NY 13244, USA
| | - Katharine E. Lewis
- Department of Biology, Syracuse University, 107 College Place, Syracuse, NY 13244, USA
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4
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Frith TJR, Briscoe J, Boezio GLM. From signalling to form: the coordination of neural tube patterning. Curr Top Dev Biol 2023; 159:168-231. [PMID: 38729676 DOI: 10.1016/bs.ctdb.2023.11.004] [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] [Indexed: 05/12/2024]
Abstract
The development of the vertebrate spinal cord involves the formation of the neural tube and the generation of multiple distinct cell types. The process starts during gastrulation, combining axial elongation with specification of neural cells and the formation of the neuroepithelium. Tissue movements produce the neural tube which is then exposed to signals that provide patterning information to neural progenitors. The intracellular response to these signals, via a gene regulatory network, governs the spatial and temporal differentiation of progenitors into specific cell types, facilitating the assembly of functional neuronal circuits. The interplay between the gene regulatory network, cell movement, and tissue mechanics generates the conserved neural tube pattern observed across species. In this review we offer an overview of the molecular and cellular processes governing the formation and patterning of the neural tube, highlighting how the remarkable complexity and precision of vertebrate nervous system arises. We argue that a multidisciplinary and multiscale understanding of the neural tube development, paired with the study of species-specific strategies, will be crucial to tackle the open questions.
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Affiliation(s)
| | - James Briscoe
- The Francis Crick Institute, London, United Kingdom.
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5
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Leyva-Díaz E. CUT homeobox genes: transcriptional regulation of neuronal specification and beyond. Front Cell Neurosci 2023; 17:1233830. [PMID: 37744879 PMCID: PMC10515288 DOI: 10.3389/fncel.2023.1233830] [Citation(s) in RCA: 1] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 06/02/2023] [Accepted: 08/23/2023] [Indexed: 09/26/2023] Open
Abstract
CUT homeobox genes represent a captivating gene class fulfilling critical functions in the development and maintenance of multiple cell types across a wide range of organisms. They belong to the larger group of homeobox genes, which encode transcription factors responsible for regulating gene expression patterns during development. CUT homeobox genes exhibit two distinct and conserved DNA binding domains, a homeodomain accompanied by one or more CUT domains. Numerous studies have shown the involvement of CUT homeobox genes in diverse developmental processes such as body axis formation, organogenesis, tissue patterning and neuronal specification. They govern these processes by exerting control over gene expression through their transcriptional regulatory activities, which they accomplish by a combination of classic and unconventional interactions with the DNA. Intriguingly, apart from their roles as transcriptional regulators, they also serve as accessory factors in DNA repair pathways through protein-protein interactions. They are highly conserved across species, highlighting their fundamental importance in developmental biology. Remarkably, evolutionary analysis has revealed that CUT homeobox genes have experienced an extraordinary degree of rearrangements and diversification compared to other classes of homeobox genes, including the emergence of a novel gene family in vertebrates. Investigating the functions and regulatory networks of CUT homeobox genes provides significant understanding into the molecular mechanisms underlying embryonic development and tissue homeostasis. Furthermore, aberrant expression or mutations in CUT homeobox genes have been associated with various human diseases, highlighting their relevance beyond developmental processes. This review will overview the well known roles of CUT homeobox genes in nervous system development, as well as their functions in other tissues across phylogeny.
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6
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Chatterjee A, Gallent B, Katiki M, Qian C, Harter MR, Freeman MR, Murali R. The homeodomain drives favorable DNA binding energetics of prostate cancer target ONECUT2. BIORXIV : THE PREPRINT SERVER FOR BIOLOGY 2023:2023.06.13.544830. [PMID: 37398277 PMCID: PMC10312739 DOI: 10.1101/2023.06.13.544830] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 07/04/2023]
Abstract
The ONECUT transcription factors feature a CUT and a homeodomain, evolutionarily conserved elements that bind DNA cooperatively, but the process remains mechanistically enigmatic. Using an integrative DNA binding analysis of ONECUT2, a driver of aggressive prostate cancer, we show that the homeodomain energetically stabilizes the ONECUT2-DNA complex through allosteric modulation of CUT. Further, evolutionarily conserved base-interactions in both the CUT and homeodomain are necessary for the favorable thermodynamics. We have identified a novel arginine pair unique to the ONECUT family homeodomain that can adapt to DNA sequence variations. Base interactions in general, including by this arginine pair, are critical for optimal DNA binding and transcription in a prostate cancer model. These findings provide fundamental insights into DNA binding by CUT-homeodomain proteins with potential therapeutic implications. One-Sentence Summary Base-specific interactions regulate homeodomain-mediated stabilization of DNA binding by the ONECUT2 transcription factor.
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7
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Morello G, La Cognata V, Guarnaccia M, D'Agata V, Cavallaro S. Cracking the Code of Neuronal Cell Fate. Cells 2023; 12:cells12071057. [PMID: 37048129 PMCID: PMC10093029 DOI: 10.3390/cells12071057] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 02/15/2023] [Revised: 03/27/2023] [Accepted: 03/29/2023] [Indexed: 04/03/2023] Open
Abstract
Transcriptional regulation is fundamental to most biological processes and reverse-engineering programs can be used to decipher the underlying programs. In this review, we describe how genomics is offering a systems biology-based perspective of the intricate and temporally coordinated transcriptional programs that control neuronal apoptosis and survival. In addition to providing a new standpoint in human pathology focused on the regulatory program, cracking the code of neuronal cell fate may offer innovative therapeutic approaches focused on downstream targets and regulatory networks. Similar to computers, where faults often arise from a software bug, neuronal fate may critically depend on its transcription program. Thus, cracking the code of neuronal life or death may help finding a patch for neurodegeneration and cancer.
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Affiliation(s)
- Giovanna Morello
- Institute for Biomedical Research and Innovation, National Research Council (CNR-IRIB), 95126 Catania, Italy
| | - Valentina La Cognata
- Institute for Biomedical Research and Innovation, National Research Council (CNR-IRIB), 95126 Catania, Italy
| | - Maria Guarnaccia
- Institute for Biomedical Research and Innovation, National Research Council (CNR-IRIB), 95126 Catania, Italy
| | - Velia D'Agata
- Section of Human Anatomy and Histology, Department of Biomedical and Biotechnological Sciences, University of Catania, 95124 Catania, Italy
| | - Sebastiano Cavallaro
- Institute for Biomedical Research and Innovation, National Research Council (CNR-IRIB), 95126 Catania, Italy
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8
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Patel T, Hammelman J, Aziz S, Jang S, Closser M, Michaels TL, Blum JA, Gifford DK, Wichterle H. Transcriptional dynamics of murine motor neuron maturation in vivo and in vitro. Nat Commun 2022; 13:5427. [PMID: 36109497 PMCID: PMC9477853 DOI: 10.1038/s41467-022-33022-4] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 03/28/2022] [Accepted: 08/25/2022] [Indexed: 12/03/2022] Open
Abstract
Neurons born in the embryo can undergo a protracted period of maturation lasting well into postnatal life. How gene expression changes are regulated during maturation and whether they can be recapitulated in cultured neurons remains poorly understood. Here, we show that mouse motor neurons exhibit pervasive changes in gene expression and accessibility of associated regulatory regions from embryonic till juvenile age. While motifs of selector transcription factors, ISL1 and LHX3, are enriched in nascent regulatory regions, motifs of NFI factors, activity-dependent factors, and hormone receptors become more prominent in maturation-dependent enhancers. Notably, stem cell-derived motor neurons recapitulate ~40% of the maturation expression program in vitro, with neural activity playing only a modest role as a late-stage modulator. Thus, the genetic maturation program consists of a core hardwired subprogram that is correctly executed in vitro and an extrinsically-controlled subprogram that is dependent on the in vivo context of the maturing organism.
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Affiliation(s)
- Tulsi Patel
- Departments of Pathology & Cell Biology, Neuroscience, and Neurology, Columbia University Irving Medical Center, New York, NY, 10032, USA.
| | - Jennifer Hammelman
- Computer Science and Artificial Intelligence Laboratory, MIT, Cambridge, MA, 02139, USA
| | - Siaresh Aziz
- Departments of Pathology & Cell Biology, Neuroscience, and Neurology, Columbia University Irving Medical Center, New York, NY, 10032, USA
| | - Sumin Jang
- Departments of Pathology & Cell Biology, Neuroscience, and Neurology, Columbia University Irving Medical Center, New York, NY, 10032, USA
| | - Michael Closser
- Departments of Pathology & Cell Biology, Neuroscience, and Neurology, Columbia University Irving Medical Center, New York, NY, 10032, USA
| | - Theodore L Michaels
- Departments of Pathology & Cell Biology, Neuroscience, and Neurology, Columbia University Irving Medical Center, New York, NY, 10032, USA
| | - Jacob A Blum
- Department of Genetics, Stanford University School of Medicine, Stanford, CA, USA
| | - David K Gifford
- Computer Science and Artificial Intelligence Laboratory, MIT, Cambridge, MA, 02139, USA
| | - Hynek Wichterle
- Departments of Pathology & Cell Biology, Neuroscience, and Neurology, Columbia University Irving Medical Center, New York, NY, 10032, USA.
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Extended intergenic DNA contributes to neuron-specific expression of neighboring genes in the mammalian nervous system. Nat Commun 2022; 13:2733. [PMID: 35585070 PMCID: PMC9117226 DOI: 10.1038/s41467-022-30192-z] [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: 08/14/2020] [Accepted: 04/20/2022] [Indexed: 11/08/2022] Open
Abstract
Mammalian genomes comprise largely intergenic noncoding DNA with numerous cis-regulatory elements. Whether and how the size of intergenic DNA affects gene expression in a tissue-specific manner remain unknown. Here we show that genes with extended intergenic regions are preferentially expressed in neural tissues but repressed in other tissues in mice and humans. Extended intergenic regions contain twice as many active enhancers in neural tissues compared to other tissues. Neural genes with extended intergenic regions are globally co-expressed with neighboring neural genes controlled by distinct enhancers in the shared intergenic regions. Moreover, generic neural genes expressed in multiple tissues have significantly longer intergenic regions than neural genes expressed in fewer tissues. The intergenic regions of the generic neural genes have many tissue-specific active enhancers containing distinct transcription factor binding sites specific to each neural tissue. We also show that genes with extended intergenic regions are enriched for neural genes only in vertebrates. The expansion of intergenic regions may reflect the regulatory complexity of tissue-type-specific gene expression in the nervous system.
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10
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Huang B, Jiao Y, Zhu Y, Ning Z, Ye Z, Li QX, Hu C, Wang C. Putative MicroRNA-mRNA Networks Upon Mdfi Overexpression in C2C12 Cell Differentiation and Muscle Fiber Type Transformation. Front Mol Biosci 2021; 8:675993. [PMID: 34738011 PMCID: PMC8560695 DOI: 10.3389/fmolb.2021.675993] [Citation(s) in RCA: 3] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 03/04/2021] [Accepted: 10/04/2021] [Indexed: 11/24/2022] Open
Abstract
Mdfi, an inhibitor of myogenic regulatory factors, is involved in myoblast myogenic development and muscle fiber type transformation. However, the regulatory network of Mdfi regulating myoblasts has not been revealed. In this study, we performed microRNAs (miRNAs)-seq on Mdfi overexpression (Mdfi-OE) and wild-type (WT) C2C12 cells to establish the regulatory networks. Comparative analyses of Mdfi-OE vs. WT identified 66 differentially expressed miRNAs (DEMs). Enrichment analysis of the target genes suggested that DEMs may be involved in myoblast differentiation and muscle fiber type transformation through MAPK, Wnt, PI3K-Akt, mTOR, and calcium signaling pathways. miRNA-mRNA interaction networks were suggested along with ten hub miRNAs and five hub genes. We also identified eight hub miRNAs and eleven hub genes in the networks of muscle fiber type transformation. Hub miRNAs mainly play key regulatory roles in muscle fiber type transformation through the PI3K-Akt, MAPK, cAMP, and calcium signaling pathways. Particularly, the three hub miRNAs (miR-335-3p, miR-494-3p, and miR-709) may be involved in both myogenic differentiation and muscle fiber type transformation. These hub miRNAs and genes might serve as candidate biomarkers for the treatment of muscle- and metabolic-related diseases.
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Affiliation(s)
- Bo Huang
- National Engineering Research Center for Breeding Swine Industry, Guangdong Provincial Key Lab of Agro-Animal Genomics and Molecular Breeding, Guangdong Laboratory for Lingnan Modern Agriculture, College of Animal Science, South China Agricultural University, Guangzhou, China
| | - Yiren Jiao
- National Engineering Research Center for Breeding Swine Industry, Guangdong Provincial Key Lab of Agro-Animal Genomics and Molecular Breeding, Guangdong Laboratory for Lingnan Modern Agriculture, College of Animal Science, South China Agricultural University, Guangzhou, China
| | - Yifan Zhu
- National Engineering Research Center for Breeding Swine Industry, Guangdong Provincial Key Lab of Agro-Animal Genomics and Molecular Breeding, Guangdong Laboratory for Lingnan Modern Agriculture, College of Animal Science, South China Agricultural University, Guangzhou, China
| | - Zuocheng Ning
- National Engineering Research Center for Breeding Swine Industry, Guangdong Provincial Key Lab of Agro-Animal Genomics and Molecular Breeding, Guangdong Laboratory for Lingnan Modern Agriculture, College of Animal Science, South China Agricultural University, Guangzhou, China
| | - Zijian Ye
- National Engineering Research Center for Breeding Swine Industry, Guangdong Provincial Key Lab of Agro-Animal Genomics and Molecular Breeding, Guangdong Laboratory for Lingnan Modern Agriculture, College of Animal Science, South China Agricultural University, Guangzhou, China
| | - Qing X Li
- Department of Molecular Biosciences and Bioengineering, University of Hawaii at Manoa, Honolulu, HI, United States
| | - Chingyuan Hu
- Department of Human Nutrition, Food and Animal Sciences, University of Hawaii at Manoa, Honolulu, HI, United States
| | - Chong Wang
- National Engineering Research Center for Breeding Swine Industry, Guangdong Provincial Key Lab of Agro-Animal Genomics and Molecular Breeding, Guangdong Laboratory for Lingnan Modern Agriculture, College of Animal Science, South China Agricultural University, Guangzhou, China
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11
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Kaarijärvi R, Kaljunen H, Ketola K. Molecular and Functional Links between Neurodevelopmental Processes and Treatment-Induced Neuroendocrine Plasticity in Prostate Cancer Progression. Cancers (Basel) 2021; 13:cancers13040692. [PMID: 33572108 PMCID: PMC7915380 DOI: 10.3390/cancers13040692] [Citation(s) in RCA: 18] [Impact Index Per Article: 6.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 12/19/2020] [Revised: 02/04/2021] [Accepted: 02/05/2021] [Indexed: 12/13/2022] Open
Abstract
Simple Summary Treatment-induced neuroendocrine prostate cancer (t-NEPC) is a subtype of castration-resistant prostate cancer (CRPC) which develops under prolonged androgen deprivation therapy. The mechanisms and pathways underlying the t-NEPC are still poorly understood and there are no effective treatments available. Here, we summarize the literature on the molecules and pathways contributing to neuroendocrine phenotype in prostate cancer in the context of their known cellular neurodevelopmental processes. We also discuss the role of tumor microenvironment in neuroendocrine plasticity, future directions, and therapeutic options under clinical investigation for neuroendocrine prostate cancer. Abstract Neuroendocrine plasticity and treatment-induced neuroendocrine phenotypes have recently been proposed as important resistance mechanisms underlying prostate cancer progression. Treatment-induced neuroendocrine prostate cancer (t-NEPC) is highly aggressive subtype of castration-resistant prostate cancer which develops for one fifth of patients under prolonged androgen deprivation. In recent years, understanding of molecular features and phenotypic changes in neuroendocrine plasticity has been grown. However, there are still fundamental questions to be answered in this emerging research field, for example, why and how do the prostate cancer treatment-resistant cells acquire neuron-like phenotype. The advantages of the phenotypic change and the role of tumor microenvironment in controlling cellular plasticity and in the emergence of treatment-resistant aggressive forms of prostate cancer is mostly unknown. Here, we discuss the molecular and functional links between neurodevelopmental processes and treatment-induced neuroendocrine plasticity in prostate cancer progression and treatment resistance. We provide an overview of the emergence of neurite-like cells in neuroendocrine prostate cancer cells and whether the reported t-NEPC pathways and proteins relate to neurodevelopmental processes like neurogenesis and axonogenesis during the development of treatment resistance. We also discuss emerging novel therapeutic targets modulating neuroendocrine plasticity.
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12
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Dose-dependent regulation of horizontal cell fate by Onecut family of transcription factors. PLoS One 2020; 15:e0237403. [PMID: 32790713 PMCID: PMC7425962 DOI: 10.1371/journal.pone.0237403] [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: 04/09/2020] [Accepted: 07/24/2020] [Indexed: 11/19/2022] Open
Abstract
Genome duplication leads to an emergence of gene paralogs that are essentially free to undergo the process of neofunctionalization, subfunctionalization or degeneration (gene loss). Onecut1 (Oc1) and Onecut2 (Oc2) transcription factors, encoded by paralogous genes in mammals, are expressed in precursors of horizontal cells (HCs), retinal ganglion cells and cone photoreceptors. Previous studies have shown that ablation of either Oc1 or Oc2 gene in the mouse retina results in a decreased number of HCs, while simultaneous deletion of Oc1 and Oc2 leads to a complete loss of HCs. Here we study the genetic redundancy between Oc1 and Oc2 paralogs and focus on how the dose of Onecut transcription factors influences abundance of individual retinal cell types and overall retina physiology. Our data show that reducing the number of functional Oc alleles in the developing retina leads to a gradual decrease in the number of HCs, progressive thinning of the outer plexiform layer and diminished electrophysiology responses. Taken together, these observations indicate that in the context of HC population, the alleles of Oc1/Oc2 paralogous genes are mutually interchangeable, function additively to support proper retinal function and their molecular evolution does not follow one of the typical routes after gene duplication.
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13
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Toch M, Harris A, Schakman O, Kondratskaya E, Boulland JL, Dauguet N, Debrulle S, Baudouin C, Hidalgo-Figueroa M, Mu X, Gow A, Glover JC, Tissir F, Clotman F. Onecut-dependent Nkx6.2 transcription factor expression is required for proper formation and activity of spinal locomotor circuits. Sci Rep 2020; 10:996. [PMID: 31969659 PMCID: PMC6976625 DOI: 10.1038/s41598-020-57945-4] [Citation(s) in RCA: 2] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 09/06/2019] [Accepted: 01/09/2020] [Indexed: 11/26/2022] Open
Abstract
In the developing spinal cord, Onecut transcription factors control the diversification of motor neurons into distinct neuronal subsets by ensuring the maintenance of Isl1 expression during differentiation. However, other genes downstream of the Onecut proteins and involved in motor neuron diversification have remained unidentified. In the present study, we generated conditional mutant embryos carrying specific inactivation of Onecut genes in the developing motor neurons, performed RNA-sequencing to identify factors downstream of Onecut proteins in this neuron population, and employed additional transgenic mouse models to assess the role of one specific Onecut-downstream target, the transcription factor Nkx6.2. Nkx6.2 expression was up-regulated in Onecut-deficient motor neurons, but strongly downregulated in Onecut-deficient V2a interneurons, indicating an opposite regulation of Nkx6.2 by Onecut factors in distinct spinal neuron populations. Nkx6.2-null embryos, neonates and adult mice exhibited alterations of locomotor pattern and spinal locomotor network activity, likely resulting from defective survival of a subset of limb-innervating motor neurons and abnormal migration of V2a interneurons. Taken together, our results indicate that Nkx6.2 regulates the development of spinal neuronal populations and the formation of the spinal locomotor circuits downstream of the Onecut transcription factors.
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Affiliation(s)
- Mathilde Toch
- Université catholique de Louvain, Institute of Neuroscience, Laboratory of Neural Differentiation, Brussels, Belgium
| | - Audrey Harris
- Université catholique de Louvain, Institute of Neuroscience, Laboratory of Neural Differentiation, Brussels, Belgium
| | - Olivier Schakman
- Université catholique de Louvain, Institute of Neuroscience, Laboratory of Cell Physiology, Brussels, Belgium
| | - Elena Kondratskaya
- Laboratory for Neural Development and Optical Recording (NDEVOR), Section for Physiology, Department of Molecular Medicine, Institute of Basic Medical Sciences, University of Oslo, Oslo, Norway
| | - Jean-Luc Boulland
- Norwegian Center for Stem Cell Research, Department of Immunology and Transfusion Medicine, Oslo University Hospital, Oslo, Norway
| | - Nicolas Dauguet
- Université catholique de Louvain, de Duve Institute, Flow cytometry and cell sorting facility (CYTF), Brussels, Belgium
| | - Stéphanie Debrulle
- Université catholique de Louvain, Institute of Neuroscience, Laboratory of Neural Differentiation, Brussels, Belgium
| | - Charlotte Baudouin
- Université catholique de Louvain, Institute of Neuroscience, Laboratory of Neural Differentiation, Brussels, Belgium
| | - Maria Hidalgo-Figueroa
- Université catholique de Louvain, Institute of Neuroscience, Laboratory of Neural Differentiation, Brussels, Belgium.,CIBER de Salud Mental (CIBERSAM), Madrid, Spain.,University of Cadiz, Cadiz, Spain
| | - Xiuqian Mu
- Department of Ophthalmology/Ross Eye Institute, New York State Center of Excellence in Bioinformatics and Life Sciences, University at Buffalo, Buffalo, NY, 14203, USA
| | - Alexander Gow
- Wayne state University, Center for Molecular Medicine and Genetics, Carman and Ann Adams Department of Pediatrics, Department of Neurology, Detroit, Michigan, USA
| | - Joel C Glover
- Laboratory for Neural Development and Optical Recording (NDEVOR), Section for Physiology, Department of Molecular Medicine, Institute of Basic Medical Sciences, University of Oslo, Oslo, Norway.,Norwegian Center for Stem Cell Research, Department of Immunology and Transfusion Medicine, Oslo University Hospital, Oslo, Norway
| | - Fadel Tissir
- Université catholique de Louvain, Institute of Neuroscience, Laboratory of Developmental Neurobiology, Brussels, Belgium
| | - Frédéric Clotman
- Université catholique de Louvain, Institute of Neuroscience, Laboratory of Neural Differentiation, Brussels, Belgium.
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14
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ONECUT2 overexpression promotes RAS-driven lung adenocarcinoma progression. Sci Rep 2019; 9:20021. [PMID: 31882655 PMCID: PMC6934839 DOI: 10.1038/s41598-019-56277-2] [Citation(s) in RCA: 16] [Impact Index Per Article: 3.2] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 09/30/2019] [Accepted: 12/04/2019] [Indexed: 12/15/2022] Open
Abstract
Aberrant differentiation, driven by activation of normally silent tissue-specific genes, results in a switch of cell identity and often leads to cancer progression. The underlying genetic and epigenetic events are largely unexplored. Here, we report ectopic activation of the hepatobiliary-, intestinal- and neural-specific gene one cut homeobox 2 (ONECUT2) in various subtypes of lung cancer. ONECUT2 expression was associated with poor prognosis of RAS-driven lung adenocarcinoma. ONECUT2 overexpression promoted the malignant growth and invasion of A549 lung cancer cells in vitro, as well as xenograft tumorigenesis and bone metastases of these cells in vivo. Integrative transcriptomics and epigenomics analyses suggested that ONECUT2 promoted the trans-differentiation of lung cancer cells by preferentially targeting and regulating the activity of bivalent chromatin domains through modulating Polycomb Repressive Complex 2 (PRC2) occupancy. Our findings demonstrate that ONECUT2 is a lineage-specific and context-dependent oncogene in lung adenocarcinoma and suggest that ONECUT2 is a potential therapeutic target for these tumors.
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15
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Masgutova G, Harris A, Jacob B, Corcoran LM, Clotman F. Pou2f2 Regulates the Distribution of Dorsal Interneurons in the Mouse Developing Spinal Cord. Front Mol Neurosci 2019; 12:263. [PMID: 31787878 PMCID: PMC6853997 DOI: 10.3389/fnmol.2019.00263] [Citation(s) in RCA: 4] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.8] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 06/06/2019] [Accepted: 10/16/2019] [Indexed: 12/20/2022] Open
Abstract
Spinal dorsal interneurons, which are generated during embryonic development, relay and process sensory inputs from the periphery to the central nervous system. Proper integration of these cells into neuronal circuitry depends on their correct positioning within the spinal parenchyma. Molecular cues that control neuronal migration have been extensively characterized but the genetic programs that regulate their production remain poorly investigated. Onecut (OC) transcription factors have been shown to control the migration of the dorsal interneurons (dINs) during spinal cord development. Here, we report that the OC factors moderate the expression of Pou2f2, a transcription factor essential for B-cell differentiation, in spinal dINs. Overexpression or inactivation of Pou2f2 leads to alterations in the differentiation of dI2, dI3 and Phox2a-positive dI5 populations and to defects in the distribution of dI2-dI6 interneurons. Thus, an OC-Pou2f2 genetic cascade regulates adequate diversification and distribution of dINs during embryonic development.
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Affiliation(s)
- Gauhar Masgutova
- Université catholique de Louvain, Institute of Neuroscience, Laboratory of Neural Differentiation, Brussels, Belgium
| | - Audrey Harris
- Université catholique de Louvain, Institute of Neuroscience, Laboratory of Neural Differentiation, Brussels, Belgium
| | - Benvenuto Jacob
- Université catholique de Louvain, Institute of Neuroscience, System and Cognition Division, Brussels, Belgium
| | - Lynn M Corcoran
- Molecular Immunology Division and Immunology Division, The Walter and Eliza Hall Institute, Parkville, VIC, Australia
| | - Frédéric Clotman
- Université catholique de Louvain, Institute of Neuroscience, Laboratory of Neural Differentiation, Brussels, Belgium
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16
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CBP and p300 coactivators contribute to the maintenance of Isl1 expression by the Onecut transcription factors in embryonic spinal motor neurons. Mol Cell Neurosci 2019; 101:103411. [PMID: 31648029 DOI: 10.1016/j.mcn.2019.103411] [Citation(s) in RCA: 3] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.6] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 02/11/2019] [Revised: 08/14/2019] [Accepted: 09/11/2019] [Indexed: 11/24/2022] Open
Abstract
Onecut transcription factors are required to maintain Islet1 (Isl1) expression in developing spinal motor neurons (MNs), and this process is critical for proper MN differentiation. However, the mechanisms whereby OC stimulate Isl1 expression remain unknown. CREB-binding protein (CBP) and p300 paralogs are transcriptional coactivators that interact with OC proteins in hepatic cells. In the embryonic spinal cord, CBP and p300 play key roles in neurogenesis and MN differentiation. Here, using chromatin immunoprecipitation and in ovo electroporation in chicken spinal cord, we provide evidence that CBP and p300 contribute to the regulation of Isl1 expression by the OC factors in embryonic spinal MNs. CBP and p300 are detected on the CREST2 enhancer of Isl1 where OC factors are also bound. Inhibition of CBP and p300 activity inhibits activation of the CREST2 enhancer and prevents the stimulation of Isl1 expression by the OC factors. These observations suggest that CBP and p300 coactivators cooperate with OC factors to maintain Isl1 expression in postmitotic MNs.
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17
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Abstract
Cellular reprogramming experiments from somatic cell types have demonstrated the plasticity of terminally differentiated cell states. Recent efforts in understanding the mechanisms of cellular reprogramming have begun to elucidate the differentiation trajectories along the reprogramming processes. In this review, we focus mainly on direct reprogramming strategies by transcription factors and highlight the variables that contribute to cell fate conversion outcomes. We review key studies that shed light on the cellular and molecular mechanisms by investigating differentiation trajectories and alternative cell states as well as transcription factor regulatory activities during cell fate reprogramming. Finally, we highlight a few concepts that we believe require attention, particularly when measuring the success of cell reprogramming experiments.
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Affiliation(s)
- Begüm Aydin
- Department of Biology, New York University, New York, NY 10003, USA; .,Neuroscience Institute, Department of Neuroscience and Physiology, NYU School of Medicine, New York, NY 10016, USA
| | - Esteban O Mazzoni
- Department of Biology, New York University, New York, NY 10003, USA; .,Neuroscience Institute, Department of Neuroscience and Physiology, NYU School of Medicine, New York, NY 10016, USA
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18
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Harris A, Masgutova G, Collin A, Toch M, Hidalgo-Figueroa M, Jacob B, Corcoran LM, Francius C, Clotman F. Onecut Factors and Pou2f2 Regulate the Distribution of V2 Interneurons in the Mouse Developing Spinal Cord. Front Cell Neurosci 2019; 13:184. [PMID: 31231191 PMCID: PMC6561314 DOI: 10.3389/fncel.2019.00184] [Citation(s) in RCA: 15] [Impact Index Per Article: 3.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 01/14/2019] [Accepted: 04/12/2019] [Indexed: 11/21/2022] Open
Abstract
Acquisition of proper neuronal identity and position is critical for the formation of neural circuits. In the embryonic spinal cord, cardinal populations of interneurons diversify into specialized subsets and migrate to defined locations within the spinal parenchyma. However, the factors that control interneuron diversification and migration remain poorly characterized. Here, we show that the Onecut transcription factors are necessary for proper diversification and distribution of the V2 interneurons in the developing spinal cord. Furthermore, we uncover that these proteins restrict and moderate the expression of spinal isoforms of Pou2f2, a transcription factor known to regulate B-cell differentiation. By gain- or loss-of-function experiments, we show that Pou2f2 contribute to regulate the position of V2 populations in the developing spinal cord. Thus, we uncovered a genetic pathway that regulates the diversification and the distribution of V2 interneurons during embryonic development.
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Affiliation(s)
- Audrey Harris
- Laboratory of Neural Differentiation, Institute of Neuroscience, Université catholique de Louvain, Brussels, Belgium
| | - Gauhar Masgutova
- Laboratory of Neural Differentiation, Institute of Neuroscience, Université catholique de Louvain, Brussels, Belgium
| | - Amandine Collin
- Laboratory of Neural Differentiation, Institute of Neuroscience, Université catholique de Louvain, Brussels, Belgium
| | - Mathilde Toch
- Laboratory of Neural Differentiation, Institute of Neuroscience, Université catholique de Louvain, Brussels, Belgium
| | - Maria Hidalgo-Figueroa
- Laboratory of Neural Differentiation, Institute of Neuroscience, Université catholique de Louvain, Brussels, Belgium
| | - Benvenuto Jacob
- Institute of Neuroscience, System and Cognition Division, Université catholique de Louvain, Brussels, Belgium
| | - Lynn M. Corcoran
- Molecular Immunology Division and Immunology Division, The Walter and Eliza Hall Institute of Medical Research, Parkville, VIC, Australia
| | - Cédric Francius
- Laboratory of Neural Differentiation, Institute of Neuroscience, Université catholique de Louvain, Brussels, Belgium
| | - Frédéric Clotman
- Laboratory of Neural Differentiation, Institute of Neuroscience, Université catholique de Louvain, Brussels, Belgium
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19
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Kabayiza KU, Masgutova G, Harris A, Rucchin V, Jacob B, Clotman F. The Onecut Transcription Factors Regulate Differentiation and Distribution of Dorsal Interneurons during Spinal Cord Development. Front Mol Neurosci 2017; 10:157. [PMID: 28603487 PMCID: PMC5445119 DOI: 10.3389/fnmol.2017.00157] [Citation(s) in RCA: 14] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 01/05/2017] [Accepted: 05/08/2017] [Indexed: 01/09/2023] Open
Abstract
During embryonic development, the dorsal spinal cord generates numerous interneuron populations eventually involved in motor circuits or in sensory networks that integrate and transmit sensory inputs from the periphery. The molecular mechanisms that regulate the specification of these multiple dorsal neuronal populations have been extensively characterized. In contrast, the factors that contribute to their diversification into smaller specialized subsets and those that control the specific distribution of each population in the developing spinal cord remain unknown. Here, we demonstrate that the Onecut transcription factors, namely Hepatocyte Nuclear Factor-6 (HNF-6) (or OC-1), OC-2 and OC-3, regulate the diversification and the distribution of spinal dorsal interneuron (dINs). Onecut proteins are dynamically and differentially distributed in spinal dINs during differentiation and migration. Analyzes of mutant embryos devoid of Onecut factors in the developing spinal cord evidenced a requirement in Onecut proteins for proper production of a specific subset of dI5 interneurons. In addition, the distribution of dI3, dI5 and dI6 interneuron populations was altered. Hence, Onecut transcription factors control genetic programs that contribute to the regulation of spinal dIN diversification and distribution during embryonic development.
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Affiliation(s)
- Karolina U Kabayiza
- Université catholique de Louvain, Institute of Neuroscience, Laboratory of Neural DifferentiationBrussels, Belgium.,Biology Department, School of Science, College of Science and Technology, University of RwandaButare, Rwanda
| | - Gauhar Masgutova
- Université catholique de Louvain, Institute of Neuroscience, Laboratory of Neural DifferentiationBrussels, Belgium
| | - Audrey Harris
- Université catholique de Louvain, Institute of Neuroscience, Laboratory of Neural DifferentiationBrussels, Belgium
| | - Vincent Rucchin
- Université catholique de Louvain, Institute of Neuroscience, Laboratory of Neural DifferentiationBrussels, Belgium
| | - Benvenuto Jacob
- Université catholique de Louvain, Institute of Neuroscience, System and Cognition DivisionBrussels, Belgium
| | - Frédéric Clotman
- Université catholique de Louvain, Institute of Neuroscience, Laboratory of Neural DifferentiationBrussels, Belgium
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20
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Schaller S, Buttigieg D, Alory A, Jacquier A, Barad M, Merchant M, Gentien D, de la Grange P, Haase G. Novel combinatorial screening identifies neurotrophic factors for selective classes of motor neurons. Proc Natl Acad Sci U S A 2017; 114:E2486-E2493. [PMID: 28270618 PMCID: PMC5373341 DOI: 10.1073/pnas.1615372114] [Citation(s) in RCA: 20] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.9] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 12/11/2022] Open
Abstract
Numerous neurotrophic factors promote the survival of developing motor neurons but their combinatorial actions remain poorly understood; to address this, we here screened 66 combinations of 12 neurotrophic factors on pure, highly viable, and standardized embryonic mouse motor neurons isolated by a unique FACS technique. We demonstrate potent, strictly additive, survival effects of hepatocyte growth factor (HGF), ciliary neurotrophic factor (CNTF), and Artemin through specific activation of their receptor complexes in distinct subsets of lumbar motor neurons: HGF supports hindlimb motor neurons through c-Met; CNTF supports subsets of axial motor neurons through CNTFRα; and Artemin acts as the first survival factor for parasympathetic preganglionic motor neurons through GFRα3/Syndecan-3 activation. These data show that neurotrophic factors can selectively promote the survival of distinct classes of embryonic motor neurons. Similar studies on postnatal motor neurons may provide a conceptual framework for the combined therapeutic use of neurotrophic factors in degenerative motor neuron diseases such as amyotrophic lateral sclerosis, spinal muscular atrophy, and spinobulbar muscular atrophy.
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Affiliation(s)
- Sébastien Schaller
- Institut de Neurosciences de la Timone, UMR 7289 CNRS, Aix-Marseille University, 13005 Marseille, France
| | - Dorothée Buttigieg
- Institut de Neurosciences de la Timone, UMR 7289 CNRS, Aix-Marseille University, 13005 Marseille, France
| | - Alysson Alory
- Institut de Neurosciences de la Timone, UMR 7289 CNRS, Aix-Marseille University, 13005 Marseille, France
| | - Arnaud Jacquier
- Institut de Neurosciences de la Timone, UMR 7289 CNRS, Aix-Marseille University, 13005 Marseille, France
| | - Marc Barad
- Centre d'Immunologie de Marseille-Luminy (CIML), CNRS, INSERM, Aix-Marseille University, 13288 Marseille, France
| | | | - David Gentien
- Institut Curie, Translational Research Department, Genomic Platform, PSL Research University, 75248 Paris, France
| | - Pierre de la Grange
- GenoSplice Technology, Institut du Cerveau et de la Moëlle (ICM), Hôpital Pitié Salpêtrière, 75013 Paris, France
| | - Georg Haase
- Institut de Neurosciences de la Timone, UMR 7289 CNRS, Aix-Marseille University, 13005 Marseille, France;
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21
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Francius C, Hidalgo-Figueroa M, Debrulle S, Pelosi B, Rucchin V, Ronellenfitch K, Panayiotou E, Makrides N, Misra K, Harris A, Hassani H, Schakman O, Parras C, Xiang M, Malas S, Chow RL, Clotman F. Vsx1 Transiently Defines an Early Intermediate V2 Interneuron Precursor Compartment in the Mouse Developing Spinal Cord. Front Mol Neurosci 2016; 9:145. [PMID: 28082864 PMCID: PMC5183629 DOI: 10.3389/fnmol.2016.00145] [Citation(s) in RCA: 11] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.4] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 07/30/2016] [Accepted: 11/30/2016] [Indexed: 12/30/2022] Open
Abstract
Spinal ventral interneurons regulate the activity of motor neurons, thereby controlling motor activities. Interneurons arise during embryonic development from distinct progenitor domains distributed orderly along the dorso-ventral axis of the neural tube. A single ventral progenitor population named p2 generates at least five V2 interneuron subsets. Whether the diversification of V2 precursors into multiple subsets occurs within the p2 progenitor domain or involves a later compartment of early-born V2 interneurons remains unsolved. Here, we provide evidence that the p2 domain produces an intermediate V2 precursor compartment characterized by the transient expression of the transcriptional repressor Vsx1. These cells display an original repertoire of cellular markers distinct from that of any V2 interneuron population. They have exited the cell cycle but have not initiated neuronal differentiation. They coexpress Vsx1 and Foxn4, suggesting that they can generate the known V2 interneuron populations as well as possible additional V2 subsets. Unlike V2 interneurons, the generation of Vsx1-positive precursors does not depend on the Notch signaling pathway but expression of Vsx1 in these cells requires Pax6. Hence, the p2 progenitor domain generates an intermediate V2 precursor compartment, characterized by the presence of the transcriptional repressor Vsx1, that contributes to V2 interneuron development.
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Affiliation(s)
- Cédric Francius
- Laboratory of Neural Differentiation, Institute of Neuroscience, Université catholique de LouvainBrussels, Belgium
| | - María Hidalgo-Figueroa
- Laboratory of Neural Differentiation, Institute of Neuroscience, Université catholique de LouvainBrussels, Belgium
| | - Stéphanie Debrulle
- Laboratory of Neural Differentiation, Institute of Neuroscience, Université catholique de LouvainBrussels, Belgium
| | - Barbara Pelosi
- Laboratory of Neural Differentiation, Institute of Neuroscience, Université catholique de LouvainBrussels, Belgium
| | - Vincent Rucchin
- Laboratory of Neural Differentiation, Institute of Neuroscience, Université catholique de LouvainBrussels, Belgium
| | | | | | | | - Kamana Misra
- Center for Advanced Biotechnology and Medicine and Department of Pediatrics, Rutgers University - Robert Wood Johnson Medical SchoolPiscataway, NJ, USA
| | - Audrey Harris
- Laboratory of Neural Differentiation, Institute of Neuroscience, Université catholique de LouvainBrussels, Belgium
| | - Hessameh Hassani
- Inserm U 1127, CNRS UMR 7225, Sorbonne Universités, UPMC University Paris 06 UMR S 1127, Institut du Cerveau et de la Moelle épinière (ICM)Paris, France
| | - Olivier Schakman
- Laboratory of Cell Physiology, Institute of Neuroscience, Université catholique de LouvainBrussels, Belgium
| | - Carlos Parras
- Inserm U 1127, CNRS UMR 7225, Sorbonne Universités, UPMC University Paris 06 UMR S 1127, Institut du Cerveau et de la Moelle épinière (ICM)Paris, France
| | - Mengqing Xiang
- Center for Advanced Biotechnology and Medicine and Department of Pediatrics, Rutgers University - Robert Wood Johnson Medical SchoolPiscataway, NJ, USA
- State Key Laboratory of Ophthalmology, Zhongshan Ophthalmic Center, Sun Yat-sen UniversityGuangzhou, China
| | - Stavros Malas
- The Cyprus Institute of Neurology and GeneticsNicosia, Cyprus
| | - Robert L. Chow
- Department of Biology, University of VictoriaVictoria, BC, Canada
| | - Frédéric Clotman
- Laboratory of Neural Differentiation, Institute of Neuroscience, Université catholique de LouvainBrussels, Belgium
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22
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Rhee HS, Closser M, Guo Y, Bashkirova EV, Tan GC, Gifford DK, Wichterle H. Expression of Terminal Effector Genes in Mammalian Neurons Is Maintained by a Dynamic Relay of Transient Enhancers. Neuron 2016; 92:1252-1265. [PMID: 27939581 PMCID: PMC5193225 DOI: 10.1016/j.neuron.2016.11.037] [Citation(s) in RCA: 57] [Impact Index Per Article: 7.1] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 03/22/2016] [Revised: 10/31/2016] [Accepted: 11/17/2016] [Indexed: 11/22/2022]
Abstract
Generic spinal motor neuron identity is established by cooperative binding of programming transcription factors (TFs), Isl1 and Lhx3, to motor-neuron-specific enhancers. How expression of effector genes is maintained following downregulation of programming TFs in maturing neurons remains unknown. High-resolution exonuclease (ChIP-exo) mapping revealed that the majority of enhancers established by programming TFs are rapidly deactivated following Lhx3 downregulation in stem-cell-derived hypaxial motor neurons. Isl1 is released from nascent motor neuron enhancers and recruited to new enhancers bound by clusters of Onecut1 in maturing neurons. Synthetic enhancer reporter assays revealed that Isl1 operates as an integrator factor, translating the density of Lhx3 or Onecut1 binding sites into transient enhancer activity. Importantly, independent Isl1/Lhx3- and Isl1/Onecut1-bound enhancers contribute to sustained expression of motor neuron effector genes, demonstrating that outwardly stable expression of terminal effector genes in postmitotic neurons is controlled by a dynamic relay of stage-specific enhancers.
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Affiliation(s)
- Ho Sung Rhee
- Departments of Pathology and Cell Biology, Neuroscience, and Neurology, Center for Motor Neuron Biology and Disease, Columbia Stem Cell Initiative, Columbia University Medical Center, New York, NY 10032, USA
| | - Michael Closser
- Departments of Pathology and Cell Biology, Neuroscience, and Neurology, Center for Motor Neuron Biology and Disease, Columbia Stem Cell Initiative, Columbia University Medical Center, New York, NY 10032, USA
| | - Yuchun Guo
- Computer Science and Artificial Intelligence Laboratory, Massachusetts Institute of Technology, Cambridge, MA 02139, USA
| | - Elizaveta V Bashkirova
- Departments of Pathology and Cell Biology, Neuroscience, and Neurology, Center for Motor Neuron Biology and Disease, Columbia Stem Cell Initiative, Columbia University Medical Center, New York, NY 10032, USA
| | - G Christopher Tan
- Departments of Pathology and Cell Biology, Neuroscience, and Neurology, Center for Motor Neuron Biology and Disease, Columbia Stem Cell Initiative, Columbia University Medical Center, New York, NY 10032, USA
| | - David K Gifford
- Computer Science and Artificial Intelligence Laboratory, Massachusetts Institute of Technology, Cambridge, MA 02139, USA
| | - Hynek Wichterle
- Departments of Pathology and Cell Biology, Neuroscience, and Neurology, Center for Motor Neuron Biology and Disease, Columbia Stem Cell Initiative, Columbia University Medical Center, New York, NY 10032, USA.
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23
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Velasco S, Ibrahim MM, Kakumanu A, Garipler G, Aydin B, Al-Sayegh MA, Hirsekorn A, Abdul-Rahman F, Satija R, Ohler U, Mahony S, Mazzoni EO. A Multi-step Transcriptional and Chromatin State Cascade Underlies Motor Neuron Programming from Embryonic Stem Cells. Cell Stem Cell 2016; 20:205-217.e8. [PMID: 27939218 DOI: 10.1016/j.stem.2016.11.006] [Citation(s) in RCA: 69] [Impact Index Per Article: 8.6] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 05/03/2016] [Revised: 09/04/2016] [Accepted: 11/04/2016] [Indexed: 11/28/2022]
Abstract
Direct cell programming via overexpression of transcription factors (TFs) aims to control cell fate with the degree of precision needed for clinical applications. However, the regulatory steps involved in successful terminal cell fate programming remain obscure. We have investigated the underlying mechanisms by looking at gene expression, chromatin states, and TF binding during the uniquely efficient Ngn2, Isl1, and Lhx3 motor neuron programming pathway. Our analysis reveals a highly dynamic process in which Ngn2 and the Isl1/Lhx3 pair initially engage distinct regulatory regions. Subsequently, Isl1/Lhx3 binding shifts from one set of targets to another, controlling regulatory region activity and gene expression as cell differentiation progresses. Binding of Isl1/Lhx3 to later motor neuron enhancers depends on the Ebf and Onecut TFs, which are induced by Ngn2 during the programming process. Thus, motor neuron programming is the product of two initially independent transcriptional modules that converge with a feedforward transcriptional logic.
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Affiliation(s)
- Silvia Velasco
- Department of Biology, New York University, 100 Washington Square East, New York, NY 10003, USA
| | - Mahmoud M Ibrahim
- Department of Biology, Humboldt Universität zu Berlin, Unter den Linden 6, Berlin 10117, Germany.,Berlin Institute for Medical Systems Biology, Max-Delbrück-Center for Molecular Medicine, Robert-Rössle-Str. 10, Berlin 13125, Germany
| | - Akshay Kakumanu
- Center for Eukaryotic Gene Regulation, Department of Biochemistry & Molecular Biology, Penn State University, Pennsylvania, USA
| | - Görkem Garipler
- Department of Biology, New York University, 100 Washington Square East, New York, NY 10003, USA
| | - Begüm Aydin
- Department of Biology, New York University, 100 Washington Square East, New York, NY 10003, USA
| | - Mohamed Ahmed Al-Sayegh
- Department of Biology, New York University, 100 Washington Square East, New York, NY 10003, USA.,Division of Science and Math, New York University, Abu-Dhabi, UAE
| | - Antje Hirsekorn
- Berlin Institute for Medical Systems Biology, Max-Delbrück-Center for Molecular Medicine, Robert-Rössle-Str. 10, Berlin 13125, Germany
| | - Farah Abdul-Rahman
- Department of Biology, New York University, 100 Washington Square East, New York, NY 10003, USA
| | - Rahul Satija
- New York Genome Center, New York University, New York, USA
| | - Uwe Ohler
- Department of Biology, Humboldt Universität zu Berlin, Unter den Linden 6, Berlin 10117, Germany.,Berlin Institute for Medical Systems Biology, Max-Delbrück-Center for Molecular Medicine, Robert-Rössle-Str. 10, Berlin 13125, Germany
| | - Shaun Mahony
- Center for Eukaryotic Gene Regulation, Department of Biochemistry & Molecular Biology, Penn State University, Pennsylvania, USA
| | - Esteban O Mazzoni
- Department of Biology, New York University, 100 Washington Square East, New York, NY 10003, USA
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24
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Villaescusa JC, Li B, Toledo EM, Rivetti di Val Cervo P, Yang S, Stott SR, Kaiser K, Islam S, Gyllborg D, Laguna-Goya R, Landreh M, Lönnerberg P, Falk A, Bergman T, Barker RA, Linnarsson S, Selleri L, Arenas E. A PBX1 transcriptional network controls dopaminergic neuron development and is impaired in Parkinson's disease. EMBO J 2016; 35:1963-78. [PMID: 27354364 PMCID: PMC5282836 DOI: 10.15252/embj.201593725] [Citation(s) in RCA: 70] [Impact Index Per Article: 8.8] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 12/16/2015] [Revised: 06/01/2016] [Accepted: 06/03/2016] [Indexed: 11/09/2022] Open
Abstract
Pre-B-cell leukemia homeobox (PBX) transcription factors are known to regulate organogenesis, but their molecular targets and function in midbrain dopaminergic neurons (mDAn) as well as their role in neurodegenerative diseases are unknown. Here, we show that PBX1 controls a novel transcriptional network required for mDAn specification and survival, which is sufficient to generate mDAn from human stem cells. Mechanistically, PBX1 plays a dual role in transcription by directly repressing or activating genes, such as Onecut2 to inhibit lateral fates during embryogenesis, Pitx3 to promote mDAn development, and Nfe2l1 to protect from oxidative stress. Notably, PBX1 and NFE2L1 levels are severely reduced in dopaminergic neurons of the substantia nigra of Parkinson's disease (PD) patients and decreased NFE2L1 levels increases damage by oxidative stress in human midbrain cells. Thus, our results reveal novel roles for PBX1 and its transcriptional network in mDAn development and PD, opening the door for new therapeutic interventions.
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Affiliation(s)
- J Carlos Villaescusa
- Laboratory of Molecular Neurobiology, DBRM, Department of Medical Biochemistry and Biophysics, Karolinska Institutet, Stockholm, Sweden Institute of Experimental Biology, Faculty of Science, Masaryk University, Brno, Czech Republic Psychiatric Stem Cell Group, Neurogenetics Unit, Center for Molecular Medicine, Karolinska University Hospital, Stockholm, Sweden
| | - Bingsi Li
- Department of Cell and Developmental Biology, Weill Medical College of Cornell University, New York, NY, USA
| | - Enrique M Toledo
- Laboratory of Molecular Neurobiology, DBRM, Department of Medical Biochemistry and Biophysics, Karolinska Institutet, Stockholm, Sweden
| | - Pia Rivetti di Val Cervo
- Laboratory of Molecular Neurobiology, DBRM, Department of Medical Biochemistry and Biophysics, Karolinska Institutet, Stockholm, Sweden
| | - Shanzheng Yang
- Laboratory of Molecular Neurobiology, DBRM, Department of Medical Biochemistry and Biophysics, Karolinska Institutet, Stockholm, Sweden
| | - Simon Rw Stott
- John van Geest Centre for Brain Repair, University of Cambridge, Cambridge, UK
| | - Karol Kaiser
- Laboratory of Molecular Neurobiology, DBRM, Department of Medical Biochemistry and Biophysics, Karolinska Institutet, Stockholm, Sweden Institute of Experimental Biology, Faculty of Science, Masaryk University, Brno, Czech Republic
| | - Saiful Islam
- Laboratory of Molecular Neurobiology, DBRM, Department of Medical Biochemistry and Biophysics, Karolinska Institutet, Stockholm, Sweden
| | - Daniel Gyllborg
- Laboratory of Molecular Neurobiology, DBRM, Department of Medical Biochemistry and Biophysics, Karolinska Institutet, Stockholm, Sweden
| | - Rocio Laguna-Goya
- John van Geest Centre for Brain Repair, University of Cambridge, Cambridge, UK
| | - Michael Landreh
- Division of Physiological Chemistry I, Department of Medical Biochemistry and Biophysics Karolinska Institutet, Stockholm, Sweden
| | - Peter Lönnerberg
- Laboratory of Molecular Neurobiology, DBRM, Department of Medical Biochemistry and Biophysics, Karolinska Institutet, Stockholm, Sweden
| | - Anna Falk
- Department of Neuroscience, Karolinska Institutet, Stockholm, Sweden
| | - Tomas Bergman
- Division of Physiological Chemistry I, Department of Medical Biochemistry and Biophysics Karolinska Institutet, Stockholm, Sweden
| | - Roger A Barker
- John van Geest Centre for Brain Repair, University of Cambridge, Cambridge, UK
| | - Sten Linnarsson
- Laboratory of Molecular Neurobiology, DBRM, Department of Medical Biochemistry and Biophysics, Karolinska Institutet, Stockholm, Sweden
| | - Licia Selleri
- Department of Cell and Developmental Biology, Weill Medical College of Cornell University, New York, NY, USA
| | - Ernest Arenas
- Laboratory of Molecular Neurobiology, DBRM, Department of Medical Biochemistry and Biophysics, Karolinska Institutet, Stockholm, Sweden
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Kim N, Park C, Jeong Y, Song MR. Functional Diversification of Motor Neuron-specific Isl1 Enhancers during Evolution. PLoS Genet 2015; 11:e1005560. [PMID: 26447474 PMCID: PMC4598079 DOI: 10.1371/journal.pgen.1005560] [Citation(s) in RCA: 15] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.7] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 02/06/2015] [Accepted: 09/09/2015] [Indexed: 11/19/2022] Open
Abstract
Functional diversification of motor neurons has occurred in order to selectively control the movements of different body parts including head, trunk and limbs. Here we report that transcription of Isl1, a major gene necessary for motor neuron identity, is controlled by two enhancers, CREST1 (E1) and CREST2 (E2) that allow selective gene expression of Isl1 in motor neurons. Introduction of GFP reporters into the chick neural tube revealed that E1 is active in hindbrain motor neurons and spinal cord motor neurons, whereas E2 is active in the lateral motor column (LMC) of the spinal cord, which controls the limb muscles. Genome-wide ChIP-Seq analysis combined with reporter assays showed that Phox2 and the Isl1-Lhx3 complex bind to E1 and drive hindbrain and spinal cord-specific expression of Isl1, respectively. Interestingly, Lhx3 alone was sufficient to activate E1, and this may contribute to the initiation of Isl1 expression when progenitors have just developed into motor neurons. E2 was induced by onecut 1 (OC-1) factor that permits Isl1 expression in LMCm neurons. Interestingly, the core region of E1 has been conserved in evolution, even in the lamprey, a jawless vertebrate with primitive motor neurons. All E1 sequences from lamprey to mouse responded equally well to Phox2a and the Isl1-Lhx3 complex. Conversely, E2, the enhancer for limb-innervating motor neurons, was only found in tetrapod animals. This suggests that evolutionarily-conserved enhancers permit the diversification of motor neurons. During evolution, motor neurons became specialized to control movements of different body parts including head, trunk and limbs. Here we report that two enhancers of Isl1, E1 and E2, are active together with transcription factors in motor neurons. Surprisingly, E1 and its response to transcription factors has been conserved in evolution from the lamprey to man, whereas E2 is only found in animals with limbs. Our study provides an evolutionary example of how functional diversification of motor neurons is achieved by a dynamic interplay between enhancers and transcription factors.
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Affiliation(s)
- Namhee Kim
- School of Life Sciences, Cell Dynamics Research Center, Gwangju Institute of Science and Technology, Oryong-dong, Buk-gu, Gwangju, Republic of Korea
| | - Chungoo Park
- School of Biological Sciences and Technology, Chonnam National University, Yongbong-ro, Buk-gu, Gwangju, Republic of Korea
| | - Yongsu Jeong
- Department of Genetic Engineering, College of Life Sciences and Graduate School of Biotechnology, Kyung Hee University, Yongin-si, Republic of Korea
| | - Mi-Ryoung Song
- School of Life Sciences, Cell Dynamics Research Center, Gwangju Institute of Science and Technology, Oryong-dong, Buk-gu, Gwangju, Republic of Korea
- * E-mail:
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Abstract
While microRNAs have emerged as an important component of gene regulatory networks, it remains unclear how microRNAs collaborate with transcription factors in the gene networks that determines neuronal cell fate. Here, we show that in the developing spinal cord, the expression of miR-218 is directly upregulated by the Isl1-Lhx3 complex, which drives motor neuron fate. Inhibition of miR-218 suppresses the generation of motor neurons in both chick neural tube and mouse embryonic stem cells, suggesting that miR-218 plays a crucial role in motor neuron differentiation. Results from unbiased RISC-trap screens, in vivo reporter assays, and overexpression studies indicated that miR-218 directly represses transcripts that promote developmental programs for interneurons. Additionally, we found that miR-218 activity is required for Isl1-Lhx3 to effectively induce motor neurons and suppress interneuron fates. Together, our results reveal an essential role of miR-218 as a downstream effector of the Isl1-Lhx3 complex in establishing motor neuron identity.
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Lu DC, Niu T, Alaynick WA. Molecular and cellular development of spinal cord locomotor circuitry. Front Mol Neurosci 2015; 8:25. [PMID: 26136656 PMCID: PMC4468382 DOI: 10.3389/fnmol.2015.00025] [Citation(s) in RCA: 131] [Impact Index Per Article: 14.6] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 04/02/2015] [Accepted: 05/30/2015] [Indexed: 01/20/2023] Open
Abstract
The spinal cord of vertebrate animals is comprised of intrinsic circuits that are capable of sensing the environment and generating complex motor behaviors. There are two major perspectives for understanding the biology of this complicated structure. The first approaches the spinal cord from the point of view of function and is based on classic and ongoing research in electrophysiology, adult behavior, and spinal cord injury. The second view considers the spinal cord from a developmental perspective and is founded mostly on gene expression and gain-of-function and loss-of-function genetic experiments. Together these studies have uncovered functional classes of neurons and their lineage relationships. In this review, we summarize our knowledge of developmental classes, with an eye toward understanding the functional roles of each group.
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Affiliation(s)
- Daniel C Lu
- Department of Neurosurgery, David Geffen School of Medicine, University of California, Los Angeles, Los Angeles, CA USA
| | - Tianyi Niu
- Department of Neurosurgery, David Geffen School of Medicine, University of California, Los Angeles, Los Angeles, CA USA
| | - William A Alaynick
- Department of Neurosurgery, David Geffen School of Medicine, University of California, Los Angeles, Los Angeles, CA USA
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Interaction between Oc-1 and Lmx1a promotes ventral midbrain dopamine neural stem cells differentiation into dopamine neurons. Brain Res 2015; 1608:40-50. [PMID: 25747864 DOI: 10.1016/j.brainres.2015.02.046] [Citation(s) in RCA: 8] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.9] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 10/19/2014] [Revised: 02/23/2015] [Accepted: 02/24/2015] [Indexed: 12/20/2022]
Abstract
Recent studies have shown that Onecut (Oc) transcription factors may be involved in the early development of midbrain dopaminergic neurons (mdDA). The expression profile of Oc factors matches that of Lmx1a, an important intrinsic transcription factor in the development of mDA neuron. Moreover, the Wnt1-Lmx1a pathway controls the mdDA differentiation. However, their expression dynamics and molecular mechanisms remain to be determined. To address these issues, we hypothesize that cross-talk between Oc-1 and Lmx1a regulates the mdDA specification and differentiation through the canonical Wnt-β-catenin pathway. We found that Oc-1 and Lmx1a displayed a very similar expression profile from embryonic to adult ventral midbrain (VM) tissues. Oc-1 regulated the proliferation and differentiation of ventral midbrain neural stem cells (vmNSCs). Downregulation of Oc-1 decreased both transcript and protein level of Lmx1a. Oc-1 interacted with lmx1a in vmNSCs in vitro and in VM tissues in vivo. Knockdown of Lmx1a reduced the expression of Oc-1 and Wnt1 in vmNSCs. Inhibiting Wnt1 signaling in vmNSCs provoked similar responses. Our data suggested that Oc-1 interacts with Lmx1a to promote vmNSCs differentiation into dopamine neuron through Wnt1-Lmx1a pathway.
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Huang Y, Yu X, Sun N, Qiao N, Cao Y, Boyd-Kirkup JD, Shen Q, Han JDJ. Single-cell-level spatial gene expression in the embryonic neural differentiation niche. Genome Res 2015; 25:570-81. [PMID: 25575549 PMCID: PMC4381528 DOI: 10.1101/gr.181966.114] [Citation(s) in RCA: 6] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.7] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 09/29/2014] [Accepted: 01/08/2015] [Indexed: 11/29/2022]
Abstract
With the rapidly increasing availability of high-throughput in situ hybridization images, how to effectively analyze these images at high resolution for global patterns and testable hypotheses has become an urgent challenge. Here we developed a semi-automated image analysis pipeline to analyze in situ hybridization images of E14.5 mouse embryos at single-cell resolution for more than 1600 telencephalon-expressed genes from the Eurexpress database. Using this pipeline, we derived the spatial gene expression profiles at single-cell resolution across the cortical layers to gain insight into the key processes occurring during cerebral cortex development. These profiles displayed high spatial modularity in gene expression, precisely recapitulated known differentiation zones, and uncovered additional unknown transition zones or cellular states. In particular, they revealed a distinctive spatial transition phase dedicated to chromatin remodeling events during neural differentiation, which can be validated by genomic clustering patterns, epigenetic modifications switches, and network modules. Our analysis further revealed a role of mitotic checkpoints during spatial gene expression state transition. As a novel approach to analyzing at the single-cell level the spatial modularity, dynamic trajectory, and transient states of gene expression during embryonic neural differentiation and to inferring regulatory events, our approach will be useful and applicable in many different systems for understanding the dynamic differentiation processes in vivo and at high resolution.
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Affiliation(s)
- Yi Huang
- Chinese Academy of Sciences Key Laboratory of Computational Biology, Chinese Academy of Sciences-Max Planck Partner Institute for Computational Biology, Shanghai Institutes for Biological Sciences, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Shanghai 200031, China; University of Chinese Academy of Sciences, Beijing 100049, China
| | - Xiaoming Yu
- Chinese Academy of Sciences Key Laboratory of Computational Biology, Chinese Academy of Sciences-Max Planck Partner Institute for Computational Biology, Shanghai Institutes for Biological Sciences, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Shanghai 200031, China; Center for Molecular Systems Biology, Institute of Genetics and Developmental Biology, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Beijing 100101, China
| | - Na Sun
- Chinese Academy of Sciences Key Laboratory of Computational Biology, Chinese Academy of Sciences-Max Planck Partner Institute for Computational Biology, Shanghai Institutes for Biological Sciences, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Shanghai 200031, China
| | - Nan Qiao
- Chinese Academy of Sciences Key Laboratory of Computational Biology, Chinese Academy of Sciences-Max Planck Partner Institute for Computational Biology, Shanghai Institutes for Biological Sciences, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Shanghai 200031, China
| | - Yaqiang Cao
- Chinese Academy of Sciences Key Laboratory of Computational Biology, Chinese Academy of Sciences-Max Planck Partner Institute for Computational Biology, Shanghai Institutes for Biological Sciences, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Shanghai 200031, China; University of Chinese Academy of Sciences, Beijing 100049, China
| | - Jerome D Boyd-Kirkup
- Chinese Academy of Sciences Key Laboratory of Computational Biology, Chinese Academy of Sciences-Max Planck Partner Institute for Computational Biology, Shanghai Institutes for Biological Sciences, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Shanghai 200031, China
| | - Qin Shen
- Tsinghua-Peking Center for Life Sciences, Tsinghua University, Beijing 100084, China; Center for Stem Cell Biology and Regenerative Medicine, School of Medicine, Tsinghua University, Beijing 100084, China
| | - Jing-Dong J Han
- Chinese Academy of Sciences Key Laboratory of Computational Biology, Chinese Academy of Sciences-Max Planck Partner Institute for Computational Biology, Shanghai Institutes for Biological Sciences, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Shanghai 200031, China; Collaborative Innovation Center for Genetics and Developmental Biology
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Wakabayashi K, Mori F, Kakita A, Takahashi H, Utsumi J, Sasaki H. Analysis of microRNA from archived formalin-fixed paraffin-embedded specimens of amyotrophic lateral sclerosis. Acta Neuropathol Commun 2014; 2:173. [PMID: 25497327 PMCID: PMC4279903 DOI: 10.1186/s40478-014-0173-z] [Citation(s) in RCA: 27] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.7] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 10/30/2014] [Accepted: 12/01/2014] [Indexed: 12/13/2022] Open
Abstract
Background MicroRNAs (miRNAs) are noncoding small RNAs that regulate gene expression. This study investigated whether formalin-fixed paraffin-embedded (FFPE) specimens from postmortem cases of neurodegenerative disorders would be suitable for miRNA profiling. Results Ten FFPE samples from 6 cases of amyotrophic lateral sclerosis (ALS) and 4 neurologically normal controls were selected for miRNA analysis on the basis of the following criteria for RNA quality: (i) a postmortem interval of less than 6 hours, (ii) a formalin fixation time of less than 4 weeks, (iii) an RNA yield per sample of more than 500 ng, and (iv) sufficient quality of the RNA agarose gel image. An overall RNA extraction success rate was 46.2%. For ALS, a total of 364 miRNAs were identified in the motor cortex, 91 being up-regulated and 233 down-regulated. Target genes were predicted using miRNA bioinformatics software, and the data applied to ontology analysis. This indicated that one of the miRNAs up-regulated in ALS (miR-338-3p) had already been identified in leukocytes, serum, cerebrospinal fluid and frozen spinal cord from ALS patients. Conclusion Although analysis was possible for just under half of the specimens examined, we were able to show that informative miRNA data can be derived from archived FFPE samples from postmortem cases of neurodegenerative disorders. Electronic supplementary material The online version of this article (doi:10.1186/s40478-014-0173-z) contains supplementary material, which is available to authorized users.
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Francius C, Ravassard P, Hidalgo-Figueroa M, Mallet J, Clotman F, Nardelli J. Genetic dissection of Gata2 selective functions during specification of V2 interneurons in the developing spinal cord. Dev Neurobiol 2014; 75:721-37. [PMID: 25369423 DOI: 10.1002/dneu.22244] [Citation(s) in RCA: 7] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.7] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 02/04/2014] [Revised: 10/23/2014] [Accepted: 10/29/2014] [Indexed: 11/09/2022]
Abstract
Motor activities are controlled by neural networks in the ventral spinal cord and consist in motor neurons and a set of distinct cardinal classes of spinal interneurons. These interneurons arise from distinct progenitor domains (p0-p3) delineated according to a transcriptional code. Neural progenitors of each domain express a unique combination of transcription factors (TFs) that largely contribute to determine the fate of four classes of interneurons (V0-V3) and motor neurons. In p2 domain, at least four subtypes of interneurons namely V2a, V2b, V2c, and Pax6(+) V2 are generated. Although genetic and molecular mechanisms that specify V2a and V2b are dependent on complex interplay between several TFs including Nkx6.1, Irx3, Gata2, Foxn4, and Ascl1, and signaling pathways such as Notch and TGF-β, the sequence order of the activation of these regulators and their respective contribution are not completely elucidated yet. Here, we provide evidence by loss- or gain-of-function experiments that Gata2 is necessary for the normal development of both V2a and V2b neurons. We demonstrate that Nkx6.1 and Dll4 positively regulate the activation of Gata2 and Foxn4 in p2 progenitors. Gata2 also participates in the maintenance of p2 domain by repressing motor neuron differentiation and exerting a feedback control on patterning genes. Finally, Gata2 promotes the selective activation of V2b program at the expense of V2a fate. Thus our results provide new insights on the hierarchy and complex interactions between regulators of V2 genetic program.
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Affiliation(s)
- Cédric Francius
- CRICM, UPMC/Inserm UMR_S 975; CNRS UMR 7225, Laboratoire de Biotechnologie et Biotherapie, Hôpital Pitié-Salpêtrière, CERVI, 83 bd de l'Hôpital, F-75013, Paris, France.,Laboratory of Neural Differentiation (NEDI), Université Catholique de Louvain (UCL), Institute of Neuroscience (IoNS), box UCL-5511, 55 Avenue Hippocrate, B-1200 Brussels, Belgium
| | - Philippe Ravassard
- CRICM, UPMC/Inserm UMR_S 975; CNRS UMR 7225, Laboratoire de Biotechnologie et Biotherapie, Hôpital Pitié-Salpêtrière, CERVI, 83 bd de l'Hôpital, F-75013, Paris, France
| | - María Hidalgo-Figueroa
- Laboratory of Neural Differentiation (NEDI), Université Catholique de Louvain (UCL), Institute of Neuroscience (IoNS), box UCL-5511, 55 Avenue Hippocrate, B-1200 Brussels, Belgium
| | - Jacques Mallet
- CRICM, UPMC/Inserm UMR_S 975; CNRS UMR 7225, Laboratoire de Biotechnologie et Biotherapie, Hôpital Pitié-Salpêtrière, CERVI, 83 bd de l'Hôpital, F-75013, Paris, France
| | - Frédéric Clotman
- Laboratory of Neural Differentiation (NEDI), Université Catholique de Louvain (UCL), Institute of Neuroscience (IoNS), box UCL-5511, 55 Avenue Hippocrate, B-1200 Brussels, Belgium
| | - Jeannette Nardelli
- CRICM, UPMC/Inserm UMR_S 975; CNRS UMR 7225, Laboratoire de Biotechnologie et Biotherapie, Hôpital Pitié-Salpêtrière, CERVI, 83 bd de l'Hôpital, F-75013, Paris, France.,Inserm U676, Hôpital Robert Debré, 48 bd Serurier, F-75019, Paris, France
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Stifani N. Motor neurons and the generation of spinal motor neuron diversity. Front Cell Neurosci 2014; 8:293. [PMID: 25346659 PMCID: PMC4191298 DOI: 10.3389/fncel.2014.00293] [Citation(s) in RCA: 178] [Impact Index Per Article: 17.8] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 08/31/2013] [Accepted: 09/02/2014] [Indexed: 11/13/2022] Open
Abstract
Motor neurons (MNs) are neuronal cells located in the central nervous system (CNS) controlling a variety of downstream targets. This function infers the existence of MN subtypes matching the identity of the targets they innervate. To illustrate the mechanism involved in the generation of cellular diversity and the acquisition of specific identity, this review will focus on spinal MNs (SpMNs) that have been the core of significant work and discoveries during the last decades. SpMNs are responsible for the contraction of effector muscles in the periphery. Humans possess more than 500 different skeletal muscles capable to work in a precise time and space coordination to generate complex movements such as walking or grasping. To ensure such refined coordination, SpMNs must retain the identity of the muscle they innervate. Within the last two decades, scientists around the world have produced considerable efforts to elucidate several critical steps of SpMNs differentiation. During development, SpMNs emerge from dividing progenitor cells located in the medial portion of the ventral neural tube. MN identities are established by patterning cues working in cooperation with intrinsic sets of transcription factors. As the embryo develop, MNs further differentiate in a stepwise manner to form compact anatomical groups termed pools connecting to a unique muscle target. MN pools are not homogeneous and comprise subtypes according to the muscle fibers they innervate. This article aims to provide a global view of MN classification as well as an up-to-date review of the molecular mechanisms involved in the generation of SpMN diversity. Remaining conundrums will be discussed since a complete understanding of those mechanisms constitutes the foundation required for the elaboration of prospective MN regeneration therapies.
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Affiliation(s)
- Nicolas Stifani
- Medical Neuroscience, Dalhousie University Halifax, NS, Canada
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Cornaz-Buros S, Riggi N, DeVito C, Sarre A, Letovanec I, Provero P, Stamenkovic I. Targeting cancer stem-like cells as an approach to defeating cellular heterogeneity in Ewing sarcoma. Cancer Res 2014; 74:6610-22. [PMID: 25261238 DOI: 10.1158/0008-5472.can-14-1106] [Citation(s) in RCA: 21] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.1] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/16/2022]
Abstract
Plasticity in cancer stem-like cells (CSC) may provide a key basis for cancer heterogeneity and therapeutic response. In this study, we assessed the effect of combining a drug that abrogates CSC properties with standard-of-care therapy in a Ewing sarcoma family tumor (ESFT). Emergence of CSC in this setting has been shown to arise from a defect in TARBP2-dependent microRNA maturation, which can be corrected by exposure to the fluoroquinolone enoxacin. In the present work, primary ESFT from four patients containing CD133(+) CSC subpopulations ranging from 3% to 17% of total tumor cells were subjected to treatment with enoxacin, doxorubicin, or both drugs. Primary ESFT CSC and bulk tumor cells displayed divergent responses to standard-of-care chemotherapy and enoxacin. Doxorubicin, which targets the tumor bulk, displayed toxicity toward primary adherent ESFT cells in culture but not to CSC-enriched ESFT spheres. Conversely, enoxacin, which enhances miRNA maturation by stimulating TARBP2 function, induced apoptosis but only in ESFT spheres. In combination, the two drugs markedly depleted CSCs and strongly reduced primary ESFTs in xenograft assays. Our results identify a potentially attractive therapeutic strategy for ESFT that combines mechanism-based targeting of CSC using a low-toxicity antibiotic with a standard-of-care cytotoxic drug, offering immediate applications for clinical evaluation.
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Affiliation(s)
- Sandrine Cornaz-Buros
- Experimental Pathology Service, CHUV and University of Lausanne, Lausanne, Switzerland
| | - Nicolo Riggi
- Department of Pathology, Massachusetts General Hospital, Harvard Medical School, Boston, Massachusetts
| | - Claudio DeVito
- Department of Pathology, HUG and University of Geneva, Geneva, Switzerland
| | - Alexandre Sarre
- Mouse Cardiovascular Assessment Facility, University of Lausanne, Lausanne, Switzerland
| | - Igor Letovanec
- Clinical Pathology Service, CHUV and University of Lausanne, Lausanne, Switzerland
| | - Paolo Provero
- Center for Translational Genomics and Bioinformatics, San Raffaele Scientific Institute, Milan, Italy
| | - Ivan Stamenkovic
- Experimental Pathology Service, CHUV and University of Lausanne, Lausanne, Switzerland.
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Huang HS, Redmond TM, Kubish GM, Gupta S, Thompson RC, Turner DL, Uhler MD. Transcriptional regulatory events initiated by Ascl1 and Neurog2 during neuronal differentiation of P19 embryonic carcinoma cells. J Mol Neurosci 2014; 55:684-705. [PMID: 25189318 DOI: 10.1007/s12031-014-0408-2] [Citation(s) in RCA: 11] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.1] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 05/15/2014] [Accepted: 08/20/2014] [Indexed: 11/25/2022]
Abstract
As members of the proneural basic-helix-loop-helix (bHLH) family of transcription factors, Ascl1 and Neurog2 direct the differentiation of specific populations of neurons at various times and locations within the developing nervous system. In order to characterize the mechanisms employed by these two bHLH factors, we generated stable, doxycycline-inducible lines of P19 embryonic carcinoma cells that express comparable levels of Ascl1 and Neurog2. Upon induction, both Ascl1 and Neurog2 directed morphological and immunocytochemical changes consistent with initiation of neuronal differentiation. Comparison of Ascl1- and Neurog2-regulated genes by microarray analyses showed both shared and distinct transcriptional changes for each bHLH protein. In both Ascl1- and Neurog2-differentiating cells, repression of Oct4 mRNA levels was accompanied by increased Oct4 promoter methylation. However, DNA demethylation was not detected for genes induced by either bHLH protein. Neurog2-induced genes included glutamatergic marker genes while Ascl1-induced genes included GABAergic marker genes. The Neurog2-specific induction of a gene encoding a protein phosphatase inhibitor, Ppp1r14a, was dependent on distinct, canonical E-box sequences within the Ppp1r14a promoter and the nucleotide sequences within these E-boxes were partially responsible for Neurog2-specific regulation. Our results illustrate multiple novel mechanisms by which Ascl1 and Neurog2 regulate gene repression during neuronal differentiation in P19 cells.
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Affiliation(s)
- Holly S Huang
- Molecular and Behavioral Neuroscience Institute, University of Michigan, 109 Zina Pitcher Pl, Ann Arbor, MI, 48109-2200, USA
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SPOCK3, a risk gene for adult ADHD and personality disorders. Eur Arch Psychiatry Clin Neurosci 2014; 264:409-21. [PMID: 24292267 DOI: 10.1007/s00406-013-0476-2] [Citation(s) in RCA: 19] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.9] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Submit a Manuscript] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 06/13/2013] [Accepted: 11/17/2013] [Indexed: 12/11/2022]
Abstract
Attention-deficit/hyperactivity disorder (ADHD) is the most frequent psychiatric disorder in children, where it displays a global prevalence of 5 %. In up to 50 % of the cases, ADHD may persist into adulthood (aADHD), where it is often comorbid with personality disorders. Due to a potentially heritable nature of this comorbidity, we hypothesized that their genetic framework may contain common risk-modifying genes. SPOCK3, a poorly characterized, putatively Ca(2+)-binding extracellular heparan/chondroitin sulfate proteoglycan gene encoded by the human chromosomal region 4q32.3, was found to be associated with polymorphisms among the top ranks in a genome-wide association study (GWAS) on ADHD and a pooled GWAS on personality disorder (PD). We therefore genotyped 48 single nucleotide polymorphisms (SNPs) representative of the SPOCK3 gene region in 1,790 individuals (n aADHD = 624, n PD = 630, n controls = 536). In this analysis, we found two SNPs to be nominally associated with aADHD (rs7689440, rs897511) and four PD-associated SNPs (rs7689440, rs897511, rs17052671 and rs1485318); the latter even reached marginal significance after rigorous Bonferroni correction. Bioinformatics tools predicted a possible influence of rs1485318 on transcription factor binding, whereas the other candidate SNPs may have effects on alternative splicing. Our results suggest that SPOCK3 may modify the genetic risk for ADHD and PD; further studies are, however, needed to identify the underlying mechanisms.
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36
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Francius C, Clotman F. Generating spinal motor neuron diversity: a long quest for neuronal identity. Cell Mol Life Sci 2014; 71:813-29. [PMID: 23765105 PMCID: PMC11113339 DOI: 10.1007/s00018-013-1398-x] [Citation(s) in RCA: 21] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.1] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 03/06/2013] [Revised: 05/30/2013] [Accepted: 05/31/2013] [Indexed: 03/26/2023]
Abstract
Understanding how thousands of different neuronal types are generated in the CNS constitutes a major challenge for developmental neurobiologists and is a prerequisite before considering cell or gene therapies of nervous lesions or pathologies. During embryonic development, spinal motor neurons (MNs) segregate into distinct subpopulations that display specific characteristics and properties including molecular identity, migration pattern, allocation to specific motor columns, and innervation of defined target. Because of the facility to correlate these different characteristics, the diversification of spinal MNs has become the model of choice for studying the molecular and cellular mechanisms underlying the generation of multiple neuronal populations in the developing CNS. Therefore, how spinal motor neuron subpopulations are produced during development has been extensively studied during the last two decades. In this review article, we will provide a comprehensive overview of the genetic and molecular mechanisms that contribute to the diversification of spinal MNs.
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Affiliation(s)
- Cédric Francius
- Université catholique de Louvain, Institute of Neuroscience, Laboratory of Neural Differentiation, 55 Avenue Hippocrate, Box (B1.55.11), 1200 Brussels, Belgium
| | - Frédéric Clotman
- Université catholique de Louvain, Institute of Neuroscience, Laboratory of Neural Differentiation, 55 Avenue Hippocrate, Box (B1.55.11), 1200 Brussels, Belgium
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Hanotel J, Bessodes N, Thélie A, Hedderich M, Parain K, Van Driessche B, Brandão KDO, Kricha S, Jorgensen MC, Grapin-Botton A, Serup P, Van Lint C, Perron M, Pieler T, Henningfeld KA, Bellefroid EJ. The Prdm13 histone methyltransferase encoding gene is a Ptf1a-Rbpj downstream target that suppresses glutamatergic and promotes GABAergic neuronal fate in the dorsal neural tube. Dev Biol 2013; 386:340-57. [PMID: 24370451 DOI: 10.1016/j.ydbio.2013.12.024] [Citation(s) in RCA: 36] [Impact Index Per Article: 3.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 04/15/2013] [Revised: 11/19/2013] [Accepted: 12/17/2013] [Indexed: 12/01/2022]
Abstract
The basic helix-loop-helix (bHLH) transcriptional activator Ptf1a determines inhibitory GABAergic over excitatory glutamatergic neuronal cell fate in progenitors of the vertebrate dorsal spinal cord, cerebellum and retina. In an in situ hybridization expression survey of PR domain containing genes encoding putative chromatin-remodeling zinc finger transcription factors in Xenopus embryos, we identified Prdm13 as a histone methyltransferase belonging to the Ptf1a synexpression group. Gain and loss of Ptf1a function analyses in both frog and mice indicates that Prdm13 is positively regulated by Ptf1a and likely constitutes a direct transcriptional target. We also showed that this regulation requires the formation of the Ptf1a-Rbp-j complex. Prdm13 knockdown in Xenopus embryos and in Ptf1a overexpressing ectodermal explants lead to an upregulation of Tlx3/Hox11L2, which specifies a glutamatergic lineage and a reduction of the GABAergic neuronal marker Pax2. It also leads to an upregulation of Prdm13 transcription, suggesting an autonegative regulation. Conversely, in animal caps, Prdm13 blocks the ability of the bHLH factor Neurog2 to activate Tlx3. Additional gain of function experiments in the chick neural tube confirm that Prdm13 suppresses Tlx3(+)/glutamatergic and induces Pax2(+)/GABAergic neuronal fate. Thus, Prdm13 is a novel crucial component of the Ptf1a regulatory pathway that, by modulating the transcriptional activity of bHLH factors such as Neurog2, controls the balance between GABAergic and glutamatergic neuronal fate in the dorsal and caudal part of the vertebrate neural tube.
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Affiliation(s)
- Julie Hanotel
- Laboratory of Developmental Genetics, Université Libre de Bruxelles (ULB), Institute of Molecular Biology and Medicine, and ULB Neuroscience Institute, B-6041 Gosselies, Belgium
| | - Nathalie Bessodes
- Laboratory of Developmental Genetics, Université Libre de Bruxelles (ULB), Institute of Molecular Biology and Medicine, and ULB Neuroscience Institute, B-6041 Gosselies, Belgium
| | - Aurore Thélie
- Laboratory of Developmental Genetics, Université Libre de Bruxelles (ULB), Institute of Molecular Biology and Medicine, and ULB Neuroscience Institute, B-6041 Gosselies, Belgium
| | - Marie Hedderich
- Department of Developmental Biochemistry, Center for Nanoscale Microscopy and Molecular Physiology of the Brain (CNMPB), University of Goettingen, 37077 Goettingen, Germany
| | - Karine Parain
- UPR CNRS 3294 Neurobiology and Development, Université Paris Sud, 91405 Orsay Cedex, France
| | - Benoit Van Driessche
- Laboratory of Molecular Virology, Université Libre de Bruxelles (ULB), Institute of Molecular Biology and Medicine, B-6041 Gosselies, Belgium
| | - Karina De Oliveira Brandão
- Laboratory of Developmental Genetics, Université Libre de Bruxelles (ULB), Institute of Molecular Biology and Medicine, and ULB Neuroscience Institute, B-6041 Gosselies, Belgium
| | - Sadia Kricha
- Laboratory of Developmental Genetics, Université Libre de Bruxelles (ULB), Institute of Molecular Biology and Medicine, and ULB Neuroscience Institute, B-6041 Gosselies, Belgium
| | - Mette C Jorgensen
- DanStem, University of Copenhagen, 3B Blegdamsvej, DK-2200 Copenhagen N, Denmark
| | - Anne Grapin-Botton
- DanStem, University of Copenhagen, 3B Blegdamsvej, DK-2200 Copenhagen N, Denmark
| | - Palle Serup
- DanStem, University of Copenhagen, 3B Blegdamsvej, DK-2200 Copenhagen N, Denmark
| | - Carine Van Lint
- Laboratory of Molecular Virology, Université Libre de Bruxelles (ULB), Institute of Molecular Biology and Medicine, B-6041 Gosselies, Belgium
| | - Muriel Perron
- UPR CNRS 3294 Neurobiology and Development, Université Paris Sud, 91405 Orsay Cedex, France
| | - Tomas Pieler
- Department of Developmental Biochemistry, Center for Nanoscale Microscopy and Molecular Physiology of the Brain (CNMPB), University of Goettingen, 37077 Goettingen, Germany
| | - Kristine A Henningfeld
- Department of Developmental Biochemistry, Center for Nanoscale Microscopy and Molecular Physiology of the Brain (CNMPB), University of Goettingen, 37077 Goettingen, Germany
| | - Eric J Bellefroid
- Laboratory of Developmental Genetics, Université Libre de Bruxelles (ULB), Institute of Molecular Biology and Medicine, and ULB Neuroscience Institute, B-6041 Gosselies, Belgium.
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MicroRNA-9 promotes the switch from early-born to late-born motor neuron populations by regulating Onecut transcription factor expression. Dev Biol 2013; 386:358-70. [PMID: 24374159 DOI: 10.1016/j.ydbio.2013.12.023] [Citation(s) in RCA: 29] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.6] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 09/02/2013] [Revised: 12/11/2013] [Accepted: 12/13/2013] [Indexed: 11/23/2022]
Abstract
Motor neurons in the vertebrate spinal cord are stereotypically organized along the rostro-caudal axis in discrete columns that specifically innervate peripheral muscle domains. Originating from the same progenitor domain, the generation of spinal motor neurons is orchestrated by a spatially and temporally tightly regulated set of secreted molecules and transcription factors such as retinoic acid and the Lim homeodomain transcription factors Isl1 and Lhx1. However, the molecular interactions between these factors remained unclear. In this study we examined the role of the microRNA 9 (miR-9) in the specification of spinal motor neurons and identified Onecut1 (OC1) as one of its targets. miR-9 and OC1 are expressed in mutually exclusive patterns in the developing chick spinal cord, with high OC1 levels in early-born motor neurons and high miR-9 levels in late-born motor neurons. miR-9 efficiently represses OC1 expression in vitro and in vivo. Overexpression of miR-9 leads to an increase in late-born neurons, while miR-9 loss-of-function induces additional OC1(+) motor neurons that display a transcriptional profile typical of early-born neurons. These results demonstrate that regulation of OC1 by miR-9 is a crucial step in the specification of spinal motor neurons and support a model in which miR-9 expression in late-born LMCl neurons downregulates Isl1 expression through inhibition of OC1. In conclusion, our study contributes essential factors to the molecular network specifying spinal motor neurons and emphasizes the importance of microRNAs as key players in the generation of neuronal diversity.
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Emerson MM, Surzenko N, Goetz JJ, Trimarchi J, Cepko CL. Otx2 and Onecut1 promote the fates of cone photoreceptors and horizontal cells and repress rod photoreceptors. Dev Cell 2013; 26:59-72. [PMID: 23867227 DOI: 10.1016/j.devcel.2013.06.005] [Citation(s) in RCA: 91] [Impact Index Per Article: 8.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 10/27/2012] [Revised: 04/22/2013] [Accepted: 06/06/2013] [Indexed: 10/26/2022]
Abstract
Cone photoreceptors carry out phototransduction in daylight conditions and provide the critical first step in color vision. Despite their importance, little is known about the developmental mechanisms involved in their generation, particularly how they are determined relative to rod photoreceptors, the cells that initiate vision in dim light. Here, we report the identification of a cis-regulatory module (CRM) for the thyroid hormone receptor beta (Thrb) gene, an early cone marker. We found that ThrbCRM1 is active in progenitor cells biased to the production of cones and an interneuronal cell type, the horizontal cell (HC). Molecular analysis of ThrbCRM1 revealed that it is combinatorially regulated by the Otx2 and Onecut1 transcription factors. Onecut1 is sufficient to induce cells with the earliest markers of cones and HCs. Conversely, interference with Onecut1 transcriptional activity leads to precocious rod development, suggesting that Onecut1 is critically important in defining cone versus rod fates.
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Affiliation(s)
- Mark M Emerson
- Departments of Genetics and Ophthalmology, Howard Hughes Medical Institute, Harvard Medical School, Boston, MA 02115, USA
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40
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Francius C, Harris A, Rucchin V, Hendricks TJ, Stam FJ, Barber M, Kurek D, Grosveld FG, Pierani A, Goulding M, Clotman F. Identification of multiple subsets of ventral interneurons and differential distribution along the rostrocaudal axis of the developing spinal cord. PLoS One 2013; 8:e70325. [PMID: 23967072 PMCID: PMC3744532 DOI: 10.1371/journal.pone.0070325] [Citation(s) in RCA: 57] [Impact Index Per Article: 5.2] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 02/20/2013] [Accepted: 06/17/2013] [Indexed: 01/06/2023] Open
Abstract
The spinal cord contains neuronal circuits termed Central Pattern Generators (CPGs) that coordinate rhythmic motor activities. CPG circuits consist of motor neurons and multiple interneuron cell types, many of which are derived from four distinct cardinal classes of ventral interneurons, called V0, V1, V2 and V3. While significant progress has been made on elucidating the molecular and genetic mechanisms that control ventral interneuron differentiation, little is known about their distribution along the antero-posterior axis of the spinal cord and their diversification. Here, we report that V0, V1 and V2 interneurons exhibit distinct organizational patterns at brachial, thoracic and lumbar levels of the developing spinal cord. In addition, we demonstrate that each cardinal class of ventral interneurons can be subdivided into several subsets according to the combinatorial expression of different sets of transcription factors, and that these subsets are differentially distributed along the rostrocaudal axis of the spinal cord. This comprehensive molecular profiling of ventral interneurons provides an important resource for investigating neuronal diversification in the developing spinal cord and for understanding the contribution of specific interneuron subsets on CPG circuits and motor control.
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Affiliation(s)
- Cédric Francius
- Université catholique de Louvain, Institute of Neuroscience, Laboratory of Neural Differentiation, Brussels, Belgium
| | - Audrey Harris
- Université catholique de Louvain, Institute of Neuroscience, Laboratory of Neural Differentiation, Brussels, Belgium
| | - Vincent Rucchin
- Université catholique de Louvain, Institute of Neuroscience, Laboratory of Neural Differentiation, Brussels, Belgium
| | - Timothy J. Hendricks
- Molecular Neurobiology Laboratory, The Salk Institute for Biological Studies, La Jolla, California, United States of America
| | - Floor J. Stam
- Molecular Neurobiology Laboratory, The Salk Institute for Biological Studies, La Jolla, California, United States of America
| | - Melissa Barber
- CNRS UMR 7592, Institut Jacques Monod, Université Paris Diderot, Sorbonne Paris Cité, Paris, France
| | - Dorota Kurek
- Erasmus MC Stem Cell Institute, Department of Cell Biology, Erasmus Medical Center, Rotterdam, The Netherlands
| | - Frank G. Grosveld
- Erasmus MC Stem Cell Institute, Department of Cell Biology, Erasmus Medical Center, Rotterdam, The Netherlands
| | - Alessandra Pierani
- CNRS UMR 7592, Institut Jacques Monod, Université Paris Diderot, Sorbonne Paris Cité, Paris, France
| | - Martyn Goulding
- Molecular Neurobiology Laboratory, The Salk Institute for Biological Studies, La Jolla, California, United States of America
| | - Frédéric Clotman
- Université catholique de Louvain, Institute of Neuroscience, Laboratory of Neural Differentiation, Brussels, Belgium
- * E-mail:
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41
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Wu F, Li R, Umino Y, Kaczynski TJ, Sapkota D, Li S, Xiang M, Fliesler SJ, Sherry DM, Gannon M, Solessio E, Mu X. Onecut1 is essential for horizontal cell genesis and retinal integrity. J Neurosci 2013; 33:13053-65, 13065a. [PMID: 23926259 PMCID: PMC3735885 DOI: 10.1523/jneurosci.0116-13.2013] [Citation(s) in RCA: 52] [Impact Index Per Article: 4.7] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 01/09/2013] [Revised: 06/24/2013] [Accepted: 07/01/2013] [Indexed: 01/03/2023] Open
Abstract
Horizontal cells are interneurons that synapse with photoreceptors in the outer retina. Their genesis during development is subject to regulation by transcription factors in a hierarchical manner. Previously, we showed that Onecut 1 (Oc1), an atypical homeodomain transcription factor, is expressed in developing horizontal cells (HCs) and retinal ganglion cells (RGCs) in the mouse retina. Herein, by knocking out Oc1 specifically in the developing retina, we show that the majority (∼80%) of HCs fail to form during early retinal development, implying that Oc1 is essential for HC genesis. However, no other retinal cell types, including RGCs, were affected in the Oc1 knock-out. Analysis of the genetic relationship between Oc1 and other transcription factor genes required for HC development revealed that Oc1 functions downstream of FoxN4, in parallel with Ptf1a, but upstream of Lim1 and Prox1. By in utero electroporation, we found that Oc1 and Ptf1a together are not only essential, but also sufficient for determination of HC fate. In addition, the synaptic connections in the outer plexiform layer are defective in Oc1-null mice, and photoreceptors undergo age-dependent degeneration, indicating that HCs are not only an integral part of the retinal circuitry, but also are essential for the survival of photoreceptors. In sum, these results demonstrate that Oc1 is a critical determinant of HC fate, and reveal that HCs are essential for photoreceptor viability, retinal integrity, and normal visual function.
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Affiliation(s)
- Fuguo Wu
- Department of Ophthalmology/Ross Eye Institute and
- Developmental Genomics Group, New York State Center of Excellence in Bioinformatics and Life Sciences, University at Buffalo, Buffalo, New York 14203
- SUNY Eye Institute, Buffalo, New York 14203
| | - Renzhong Li
- Department of Ophthalmology/Ross Eye Institute and
- Developmental Genomics Group, New York State Center of Excellence in Bioinformatics and Life Sciences, University at Buffalo, Buffalo, New York 14203
- SUNY Eye Institute, Buffalo, New York 14203
| | - Yumiko Umino
- SUNY Eye Institute, Buffalo, New York 14203
- Department of Ophthalmology, Upstate Medical University, Syracuse, New York 13210
| | - Tadeusz J. Kaczynski
- Department of Ophthalmology/Ross Eye Institute and
- Developmental Genomics Group, New York State Center of Excellence in Bioinformatics and Life Sciences, University at Buffalo, Buffalo, New York 14203
- SUNY Eye Institute, Buffalo, New York 14203
| | - Darshan Sapkota
- Department of Ophthalmology/Ross Eye Institute and
- Developmental Genomics Group, New York State Center of Excellence in Bioinformatics and Life Sciences, University at Buffalo, Buffalo, New York 14203
- SUNY Eye Institute, Buffalo, New York 14203
| | - Shengguo Li
- Center for Advanced Biotechnology and Medicine, University of Medicine and Dentistry of New Jersey–Robert Wood Johnson Medical School, Piscataway, New Jersey 08854
| | - Mengqing Xiang
- Center for Advanced Biotechnology and Medicine, University of Medicine and Dentistry of New Jersey–Robert Wood Johnson Medical School, Piscataway, New Jersey 08854
| | - Steven J. Fliesler
- Department of Ophthalmology/Ross Eye Institute and
- SUNY Eye Institute, Buffalo, New York 14203
- Research Service, Veterans Administration Western New York Healthcare System, Buffalo, New York 14215
| | - David M. Sherry
- Department of Cell Biology, Oklahoma Center for Neurosciences and Department of Pharmaceutical Sciences, University of Oklahoma Health Sciences Center, Oklahoma City, Oklahoma 73126, and
| | - Maureen Gannon
- Department of Medicine, Vanderbilt University Medical Center, Nashville, Tennessee 37232
| | - Eduardo Solessio
- SUNY Eye Institute, Buffalo, New York 14203
- Department of Ophthalmology, Upstate Medical University, Syracuse, New York 13210
| | - Xiuqian Mu
- Department of Ophthalmology/Ross Eye Institute and
- Developmental Genomics Group, New York State Center of Excellence in Bioinformatics and Life Sciences, University at Buffalo, Buffalo, New York 14203
- SUNY Eye Institute, Buffalo, New York 14203
- CCSG Genetics Program, Roswell Park Cancer Institute, Buffalo, New York 14263
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42
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Audouard E, Schakman O, Ginion A, Bertrand L, Gailly P, Clotman F. The Onecut transcription factor HNF-6 contributes to proper reorganization of Purkinje cells during postnatal cerebellum development. Mol Cell Neurosci 2013; 56:159-68. [PMID: 23669529 DOI: 10.1016/j.mcn.2013.05.001] [Citation(s) in RCA: 14] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 01/31/2013] [Revised: 04/18/2013] [Accepted: 05/02/2013] [Indexed: 01/05/2023] Open
Abstract
The Onecut (OC) family of transcription factors comprises three members in mammals, namely HNF-6 (or OC-1), OC-2 and OC-3. During embryonic development, these transcriptional activators control cell differentiation in pancreas, in liver and in the nervous system. Adult Hnf6 mutant mice exhibit locomotion defects characterized by hindlimb muscle weakness, abnormal gait and defective balance and coordination. Indeed, HNF-6 is required in spinal motor neurons for proper formation of the hindlimb neuromuscular junctions, which likely explain muscle weakness observed in corresponding mutant animals. The goal of the present study was to determine the cause of the balance and coordination defects in Hnf6 mutant mice. Coordination and balance deficits were quantified by rotarod and runway tests. Hnf6 mutant animals showed an increase in the fall frequency from the beam and were unable to stay on the rotarod even at low speed, indicating a severe balance and coordination deficit. To identify the origin of this abnormality, we assessed whether the development of the main CNS structure involved in the control of balance and coordination, namely the cerebellum, was affected by the absence of HNF-6. Firstly, we observed that Hnf6 was expressed transiently during the first week after birth in the Purkinje cells of wild type newborn mice. Secondly, we showed that, in Hnf6-/- mice, the organization of Purkinje cells became abnormal during a second phase of their development. Indeed, Purkinje cells were produced normally but part of them failed to reorganize as a regular continuous monolayer at the interface between the molecular and the granular layer of the cerebellum. Thus, the Onecut factor HNF-6 contributes to the reorganization of Purkinje cells during a late phase of cerebellar development.
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Affiliation(s)
- Emilie Audouard
- Université catholique de Louvain, Institute of Neuroscience, Laboratory of Neural Differentiation, Brussels, Belgium
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43
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The Onecut transcription factor HNF-6 regulates in motor neurons the formation of the neuromuscular junctions. PLoS One 2012; 7:e50509. [PMID: 23227180 PMCID: PMC3515622 DOI: 10.1371/journal.pone.0050509] [Citation(s) in RCA: 23] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.9] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 07/05/2012] [Accepted: 10/22/2012] [Indexed: 02/06/2023] Open
Abstract
The neuromuscular junctions are the specialized synapses whereby spinal motor neurons control the contraction of skeletal muscles. The formation of the neuromuscular junctions is controlled by a complex interplay of multiple mechanisms coordinately activated in motor nerve terminals and in their target myotubes. However, the transcriptional regulators that control in motor neurons the genetic programs involved in neuromuscular junction development remain unknown. Here, we provide evidence that the Onecut transcription factor HNF-6 regulates in motor neurons the formation of the neuromuscular junctions. Indeed, adult Hnf6 mutant mice exhibit hindlimb muscle weakness and abnormal locomotion. This results from defects of hindlimb neuromuscular junctions characterized by an abnormal morphology and defective localization of the synaptic vesicle protein synaptophysin at the motor nerve terminals. These defects are consequences of altered and delayed formation of the neuromuscular junctions in newborn mutant animals. Furthermore, we show that the expression level of numerous regulators of neuromuscular junction formation, namely agrin, neuregulin-2 and TGF-ß receptor II, is downregulated in the spinal motor neurons of Hnf6 mutant newborn animals. Finally, altered formation of neuromuscular junction-like structures in a co-culture model of wildtype myotubes with mutant embryonic spinal cord slices is rescued by recombinant agrin and neuregulin, indicating that depletion in these factors contributes to defective neuromuscular junction development in the absence of HNF-6. Thus, HNF-6 controls in spinal motor neurons a genetic program that coordinates the formation of hindlimb neuromuscular junctions.
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44
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Palumbo O, Palumbo P, Palladino T, Stallone R, Miroballo M, Piemontese MR, Zelante L, Carella M. An emerging phenotype of interstitial 15q25.2 microdeletions: Clinical report and review. Am J Med Genet A 2012; 158A:3182-9. [DOI: 10.1002/ajmg.a.35631] [Citation(s) in RCA: 12] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 04/10/2012] [Accepted: 07/26/2012] [Indexed: 11/09/2022]
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Espana A, Clotman F. Onecut transcription factors are required for the second phase of development of the A13 dopaminergic nucleus in the mouse. J Comp Neurol 2012; 520:1424-41. [PMID: 22102297 DOI: 10.1002/cne.22803] [Citation(s) in RCA: 23] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.9] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 01/10/2023]
Abstract
The A13 dopaminergic nucleus belongs to the incerto-hypothalamic area. It is thought to exert autonomous roles by integrating sensory input to autonomic, neuroendocrine, and motor output. Although its early development has been well characterized, the factors that contribute to later steps of its formation remain unknown. Transcription factors of the Onecut family have been detected in the A13 nucleus, raising the question of possible roles of these factors during A13 development. Using a combination of immunofluorescence analyses on sections and after whole-mount labeling followed by 3D reconstructions, we further characterized the second phase of development of the A13 nucleus in the mouse, described the distribution of the Onecut proteins throughout A13 development, and analyzed the phenotype of this nucleus in single or compound mutant embryos for the Onecut factors. Here we show that A13 development can be divided into two successive phases. First, during radial migration toward the pial surface the A13 cells differentiate into dopaminergic neurons. Second, these cells gather in the vicinity of the third ventricle. Onecut factors are dynamically and differentially expressed in the A13 nucleus during these two phases of development. In Onecut mutant embryos, the A13 neurons differentiate normally but scatter in the diencephalon and fail to properly gather close to the third ventricle. Hence, Onecut factors are markers of the A13 nucleus throughout embryonic development. They are dispensable for the first phase of A13 development but are required for the second phase of development and for maintenance of this nucleus.
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Affiliation(s)
- Agnès Espana
- Université catholique de Louvain, Institute of Neuroscience, Laboratory of Neural Differentiation, Brussels, B-1200, Belgium
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46
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Roy A, Francius C, Rousso DL, Seuntjens E, Debruyn J, Luxenhofer G, Huber AB, Huylebroeck D, Novitch BG, Clotman F. Onecut transcription factors act upstream of Isl1 to regulate spinal motoneuron diversification. Development 2012; 139:3109-19. [PMID: 22833130 DOI: 10.1242/dev.078501] [Citation(s) in RCA: 52] [Impact Index Per Article: 4.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 12/29/2022]
Abstract
During development, spinal motoneurons (MNs) diversify into a variety of subtypes that are specifically dedicated to the motor control of particular sets of skeletal muscles or visceral organs. MN diversification depends on the coordinated action of several transcriptional regulators including the LIM-HD factor Isl1, which is crucial for MN survival and fate determination. However, how these regulators cooperate to establish each MN subtype remains poorly understood. Here, using phenotypic analyses of single or compound mutant mouse embryos combined with gain-of-function experiments in chick embryonic spinal cord, we demonstrate that the transcriptional activators of the Onecut family critically regulate MN subtype diversification during spinal cord development. We provide evidence that Onecut factors directly stimulate Isl1 expression in specific MN subtypes and are therefore required to maintain Isl1 production at the time of MN diversification. In the absence of Onecut factors, we observed major alterations in MN fate decision characterized by the conversion of somatic to visceral MNs at the thoracic levels of the spinal cord and of medial to lateral MNs in the motor columns that innervate the limbs. Furthermore, we identify Sip1 (Zeb2) as a novel developmental regulator of visceral MN differentiation. Taken together, these data elucidate a comprehensive model wherein Onecut factors control multiple aspects of MN subtype diversification. They also shed light on the late roles of Isl1 in MN fate decision.
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Affiliation(s)
- Agnès Roy
- Université catholique de Louvain, Institute of Neuroscience, Laboratory of Neural Differentiation, 1200 Brussels, Belgium
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47
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Espana A, Clotman F. Onecut factors control development of the Locus Coeruleus and of the mesencephalic trigeminal nucleus. Mol Cell Neurosci 2012; 50:93-102. [PMID: 22534286 DOI: 10.1016/j.mcn.2012.04.002] [Citation(s) in RCA: 26] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.2] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 10/20/2011] [Revised: 03/22/2012] [Accepted: 04/02/2012] [Indexed: 10/28/2022] Open
Abstract
The Locus Coeruleus (LC), the main noradrenergic nucleus in the vertebrate CNS, contributes to the regulation of several processes including arousal, sleep, adaptative behaviors and stress. Regulators controlling the formation of the LC have been identified but factors involved in its maintenance remain unknown. Here, we show that members of the Onecut (OC) family of transcription factors, namely HNF-6, OC-2 and OC-3, are required for maintenance of the LC phenotype. Indeed, in embryos lacking any OC proteins, LC neurons properly differentiate but abnormally migrate and eventually lose their noradrenergic characteristics. Surprisingly, the expression of Oc genes in these neurons is restricted to the earliest differentiation stages, suggesting that OC factors may regulate maintenance of the LC in a non cell-autonomous manner. Accordingly, the OC factors are present throughout development in a population directly adjacent to the LC, the rhombencephalic portion of the mesencephalic trigeminal nucleus (MTN). In the absence of OC factors, rhombencephalic MTN neurons fail to be generated, suggesting that OC proteins cell-autonomously control their production. Hence, we propose that OC factors are required at early developmental stages for differentiation of the MTN neurons that are in turn necessary for maintenance of the LC.
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Affiliation(s)
- A Espana
- Université catholique de Louvain, Institute of Neuroscience, Laboratory of Neural Differentiation, avenue Hippocrate 55 box B1.55.11, Brussels B-1200, Belgium.
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48
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Wu F, Sapkota D, Li R, Mu X. Onecut 1 and Onecut 2 are potential regulators of mouse retinal development. J Comp Neurol 2012; 520:952-69. [PMID: 21830221 PMCID: PMC3898336 DOI: 10.1002/cne.22741] [Citation(s) in RCA: 54] [Impact Index Per Article: 4.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 12/30/2022]
Abstract
Our current study focuses on the expression of two members of the onecut transcription factor family, Onecut1 (Oc1) and Onecut2 (Oc2), in the developing mouse retina. By immunofluorescence staining, we found that Oc1 and Oc2 had very similar expression patterns throughout retinal development. Both factors started to be expressed in the retina at around embryonic day (E) 11.5. At early stages (E11.5 and E12.5), they were expressed in both the neuroblast layer (NBL) and ganglion cell layer (GCL). As development progressed (from E14.5 to postnatal day [P] 0), expression diminished in the retinal progenitor cells and became more restricted to the GCL. By P5, Oc1 and Oc2 were expressed at very low levels in the GCL. By co-labeling with transcription factors known to be involved in retinal ganglion cell (RGC) development, we found that Oc1 and Oc2 had extensive overlap with Math5 in the NBL, and that they completely overlapped with Pou4f2 and Isl1 in the GCL, but only partially in the NBL. Co-labeling of Oc1 with cell cycle markers confirmed that Oc1 was expressed in both proliferating retinal progenitors and postmitotic retinal cells. In addition, we demonstrated that expression of Oc1 and Oc2 did not require Math5, Isl1, or Pou4f2. Thus, Oc1 and Oc2 may regulate the formation of RGCs in a pathway independent of Math5, Pou4f2, and Isl1. Furthermore, we showed that Oc1 and Oc2 were expressed in both developing and mature horizontal cells (HCs). Therefore the two factors may also function in the genesis and maintenance of HCs.
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Affiliation(s)
- Fuguo Wu
- Department of Ophthalmology/Ross Eye Institute, Developmental Genomics Group, University at Buffalo, Buffalo, New York 14203
| | - Darshan Sapkota
- Department of Ophthalmology/Ross Eye Institute, Developmental Genomics Group, University at Buffalo, Buffalo, New York 14203
- Department of Biochemistry, Center of Excellence in Bioinformatics and Life Sciences, University at Buffalo, Buffalo, New York 14203
| | - Renzhong Li
- Department of Ophthalmology/Ross Eye Institute, Developmental Genomics Group, University at Buffalo, Buffalo, New York 14203
| | - Xiuqian Mu
- Department of Ophthalmology/Ross Eye Institute, Developmental Genomics Group, University at Buffalo, Buffalo, New York 14203
- Department of Biochemistry, Center of Excellence in Bioinformatics and Life Sciences, University at Buffalo, Buffalo, New York 14203
- State University of New York (SUNY) Eye Institute, University at Buffalo, Buffalo, New York 14203
- Cancer Center Support Grant (CCSG) Molecular Epidemiology and Functional Genomics (MEFG) Program, Roswell Park Cancer Institute, Buffalo, New York 14263
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Stam FJ, Hendricks TJ, Zhang J, Geiman EJ, Francius C, Labosky PA, Clotman F, Goulding M. Renshaw cell interneuron specialization is controlled by a temporally restricted transcription factor program. Development 2011; 139:179-90. [PMID: 22115757 DOI: 10.1242/dev.071134] [Citation(s) in RCA: 74] [Impact Index Per Article: 5.7] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 12/13/2022]
Abstract
The spinal cord contains a diverse array of physiologically distinct interneuron cell types that subserve specialized roles in somatosensory perception and motor control. The mechanisms that generate these specialized interneuronal cell types from multipotential spinal progenitors are not known. In this study, we describe a temporally regulated transcriptional program that controls the differentiation of Renshaw cells (RCs), an anatomically and functionally discrete spinal interneuron subtype. We show that the selective activation of the Onecut transcription factors Oc1 and Oc2 during the first wave of V1 interneuron neurogenesis is a key step in the RC differentiation program. The development of RCs is additionally dependent on the forkhead transcription factor Foxd3, which is more broadly expressed in postmitotic V1 interneurons. Our demonstration that RCs are born, and activate Oc1 and Oc2 expression, in a narrow temporal window leads us to posit that neuronal diversity in the developing spinal cord is established by the composite actions of early spatial and temporal determinants.
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Affiliation(s)
- Floor J Stam
- Molecular Neurobiology Laboratory, The Salk Institute for Biological Studies, 10010 North Torrey Pines Rd, La Jolla, CA 92037, USA
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Wang K, Holterman AX. Pathophysiologic role of hepatocyte nuclear factor 6. Cell Signal 2011; 24:9-16. [PMID: 21893194 DOI: 10.1016/j.cellsig.2011.08.009] [Citation(s) in RCA: 24] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.8] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 07/23/2011] [Accepted: 08/20/2011] [Indexed: 01/03/2023]
Abstract
Hepatocyte nuclear factor 6 (HNF6) is one of liver-enriched transcription factors. HNF6 utilizes the bipartite onecut-homeodomain sequence to localize the HNF6 protein to the nuclear compartment and binds to specific DNA sequences of numerous target gene promoters. HNF6 regulates an intricate network and mediates complex biological processes that are best known in the liver and pancreas. The function of HNF6 is correlated to cell proliferation, cell cycle regulation, cell differentiation and organogenesis, cell migration and cell-matrix adhesion, glucose metabolism, bile homeostasis, inflammation and so on. HNF6 controls the transcription of its target genes in different ways. The details of the regulatory pathways and their mechanisms are still under investigation. Future study will explore HNF6 novel functions associated with apoptosis, oncogenesis, and modulation of the inflammatory response. This review highlights recent progression pertaining to the pathophysiologic role of HNF6 and summarizes the potential mechanisms in preclinical animal models. HNF6-mediated pathways represent attractive therapeutic targets for the treatment of the relative diseases such as cholestasis.
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Affiliation(s)
- Kewei Wang
- Department of Pediatrics and Surgery/Section of Pediatric Surgery, Rush University Medical Center, Chicago, IL 60612, United States.
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