1
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Jacobs-Li J, Tang W, Li C, Bronner ME. Single-cell profiling coupled with lineage analysis reveals vagal and sacral neural crest contributions to the developing enteric nervous system. eLife 2023; 12:e79156. [PMID: 37877560 PMCID: PMC10627514 DOI: 10.7554/elife.79156] [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: 04/01/2022] [Accepted: 10/23/2023] [Indexed: 10/26/2023] Open
Abstract
During development, much of the enteric nervous system (ENS) arises from the vagal neural crest that emerges from the caudal hindbrain and colonizes the entire gastrointestinal tract. However, a second ENS contribution comes from the sacral neural crest that arises in the caudal neural tube and populates the post-umbilical gut. By coupling single-cell transcriptomics with axial-level-specific lineage tracing in avian embryos, we compared the contributions of embryonic vagal and sacral neural crest cells to the chick ENS and the associated peripheral ganglia (Nerve of Remak and pelvic plexuses). At embryonic day (E) 10, the two neural crest populations form overlapping subsets of neuronal and glia cell types. Surprisingly, the post-umbilical vagal neural crest much more closely resembles the sacral neural crest than the pre-umbilical vagal neural crest. However, some differences in cluster types were noted between vagal and sacral derived cells. Notably, RNA trajectory analysis suggests that the vagal neural crest maintains a neuronal/glial progenitor pool, whereas this cluster is depleted in the E10 sacral neural crest which instead has numerous enteric glia. The present findings reveal sacral neural crest contributions to the hindgut and associated peripheral ganglia and highlight the potential influence of the local environment and/or developmental timing in differentiation of neural crest-derived cells in the developing ENS.
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Affiliation(s)
- Jessica Jacobs-Li
- Division of Biology and Biological Engineering, California Institute of TechnologyPasadenaUnited States
| | - Weiyi Tang
- Division of Biology and Biological Engineering, California Institute of TechnologyPasadenaUnited States
| | - Can Li
- Division of Biology and Biological Engineering, California Institute of TechnologyPasadenaUnited States
| | - Marianne E Bronner
- Division of Biology and Biological Engineering, California Institute of TechnologyPasadenaUnited States
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2
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Munday RM, Haque R, Wojcik GL, Korpe P, Nayak U, Kirkpatrick BD, Petri WA, Duggal P. Genome-Wide Association Studies of Diarrhea Frequency and Duration in the First Year of Life in Bangladeshi Infants. J Infect Dis 2023; 228:979-989. [PMID: 36967705 PMCID: PMC11007397 DOI: 10.1093/infdis/jiad068] [Citation(s) in RCA: 1] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 11/01/2022] [Revised: 03/10/2023] [Accepted: 03/23/2023] [Indexed: 08/18/2023] Open
Abstract
BACKGROUND Diarrhea is the second leading cause of death in children under 5 years old worldwide. Known diarrhea risk factors include sanitation, water sources, and pathogens but do not fully explain the heterogeneity in frequency and duration of diarrhea in young children. We evaluated the role of host genetics in diarrhea. METHODS Using 3 well-characterized birth cohorts from an impoverished area of Dhaka, Bangladesh, we compared infants with no diarrhea in the first year of life to those with an abundance, measured by either frequency or duration. We performed a genome-wide association analysis for each cohort under an additive model and then meta-analyzed across the studies. RESULTS For diarrhea frequency, we identified 2 genome-wide significant loci associated with not having any diarrhea, on chromosome 21 within the noncoding RNA AP000959 (C allele odds ratio [OR] = 0.31, P = 4.01 × 10-8), and on chromosome 8 within SAMD12 (T allele OR = 0.35, P = 4.74 × 10-7). For duration of diarrhea, we identified 2 loci associated with no diarrhea, including the same locus on chromosome 21 (C allele OR = 0.31, P = 1.59 × 10-8) and another locus on chromosome 17 near WSCD1 (C allele OR = 0.35, P = 1.09 × 10-7). CONCLUSIONS These loci are in or near genes involved in enteric nervous system development and intestinal inflammation and may be potential targets for diarrhea therapeutics.
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Affiliation(s)
- Rebecca M Munday
- Department of Genetic Medicine, Johns Hopkins School of Medicine, Baltimore, Maryland, USA
| | - Rashidul Haque
- International Centre for Diarrhoeal Disease Research, Bangladesh, Dhaka, Bangladesh
| | - Genevieve L Wojcik
- Department of Epidemiology, Johns Hopkins Bloomberg School of Public Health, Baltimore, Maryland, USA
| | - Poonum Korpe
- Department of Epidemiology, Johns Hopkins Bloomberg School of Public Health, Baltimore, Maryland, USA
| | - Uma Nayak
- Center for Public Health Genomics, University of Virginia School of Medicine, Charlottesville, Virginia, USA
- Department of Public Health Sciences, University of Virginia School of Medicine, Charlottesville, Virginia, USA
| | - Beth D Kirkpatrick
- Vaccine Testing Center, Larner College of Medicine, University of Vermont, Burlington, Vermont, USA
| | - William A Petri
- Department of Medicine, Infectious Diseases, and International Health, University of Virginia School of Medicine, Charlottesville, Virginia, USA
| | - Priya Duggal
- Department of Epidemiology, Johns Hopkins Bloomberg School of Public Health, Baltimore, Maryland, USA
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3
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Putra BP, Ito K, Cirillo C, Sunardi M, Koseki H, Uesaka T, Enomoto H. Pcgf1 gene disruption reveals primary involvement of epigenetic mechanism in neuronal subtype specification in the enteric nervous system. Dev Growth Differ 2023; 65:461-469. [PMID: 37452641 DOI: 10.1111/dgd.12880] [Citation(s) in RCA: 2] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 06/15/2023] [Revised: 07/05/2023] [Accepted: 07/11/2023] [Indexed: 07/18/2023]
Abstract
The enteric nervous system (ENS) regulates gut functions independently from the central nervous system (CNS) by its highly autonomic neural circuit that integrates diverse neuronal subtypes. Although several transcription factors are shown to be necessary for the generation of some enteric neuron subtypes, the mechanisms underlying neuronal subtype specification in the ENS remain elusive. In this study, we examined the biological function of Polycomb group RING finger protein 1 (PCGF1), one of the epigenetic modifiers, in the development and differentiation of the ENS by disrupting the Pcgf1 gene selectively in the autonomic-lineage cells. Although ENS precursor migration and enteric neurogenesis were largely unaffected, neuronal differentiation was impaired in the Pcgf1-deficient mice, with the numbers of neurons expressing somatostatin (Sst+ ) decreased in multiple gut regions. Notably, the decrease in Sst+ neurons was associated with the corresponding increase in calbindin+ neurons in the proximal colon. These findings suggest that neuronal subtype conversion may occur in the absence of PCGF1, and that epigenetic mechanism is primarily involved in specification of some enteric neuron subtypes.
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Affiliation(s)
- Bayu Pratama Putra
- Division of Neural Differentiation and Regeneration, Department of Physiology and Cell Biology, Kobe University Graduate School of Medicine, Kobe, Japan
| | - Keisuke Ito
- Division of Neural Differentiation and Regeneration, Department of Physiology and Cell Biology, Kobe University Graduate School of Medicine, Kobe, Japan
| | - Carla Cirillo
- Division of Neural Differentiation and Regeneration, Department of Physiology and Cell Biology, Kobe University Graduate School of Medicine, Kobe, Japan
- Toulouse NeuroImaging Center (ToNIC), Inserm, University of Toulouse-Paul Sabatier, Toulouse, France
| | - Mukhamad Sunardi
- Division of Neural Differentiation and Regeneration, Department of Physiology and Cell Biology, Kobe University Graduate School of Medicine, Kobe, Japan
| | - Haruhiko Koseki
- Laboratory for Developmental Genetics, RIKEN Center for Integrative Medical Sciences, Yokohama, Japan
| | - Toshihiro Uesaka
- Division of Neural Differentiation and Regeneration, Department of Physiology and Cell Biology, Kobe University Graduate School of Medicine, Kobe, Japan
| | - Hideki Enomoto
- Division of Neural Differentiation and Regeneration, Department of Physiology and Cell Biology, Kobe University Graduate School of Medicine, Kobe, Japan
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4
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Enteric Neuromics: How High-Throughput "Omics" Deepens Our Understanding of Enteric Nervous System Genetic Architecture. Cell Mol Gastroenterol Hepatol 2022; 15:487-504. [PMID: 36368612 PMCID: PMC9792566 DOI: 10.1016/j.jcmgh.2022.10.019] [Citation(s) in RCA: 7] [Impact Index Per Article: 3.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Submit a Manuscript] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 07/21/2021] [Revised: 10/28/2022] [Accepted: 10/28/2022] [Indexed: 11/09/2022]
Abstract
Recent accessibility to specialized high-throughput "omics" technologies including single cell RNA sequencing allows researchers to capture cell type- and subtype-specific expression signatures. These omics methods are used in the enteric nervous system (ENS) to identify potential subtypes of enteric neurons and glia. ENS omics data support the known gene and/or protein expression of functional neuronal and glial cell subtypes and suggest expression patterns of novel subtypes. Gene and protein expression patterns can be further used to infer cellular function and implications in human disease. In this review we discuss how high-throughput "omics" data add additional depth to the understanding of established functional subtypes of ENS cells and raise new questions by suggesting novel ENS cell subtypes with unique gene and protein expression patterns. Then we investigate the changes in these expression patterns during pathology observed by omics research. Although current ENS omics studies provide a plethora of novel data and therefore answers, they equally create new questions and routes for future study.
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5
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Xiao Y, Theile JW, Zybura A, Pan Y, Lin Z, Cummins TR. A-type FHFs mediate resurgent currents through TTX-resistant voltage-gated sodium channels. eLife 2022; 11:77558. [PMID: 35441593 PMCID: PMC9071269 DOI: 10.7554/elife.77558] [Citation(s) in RCA: 4] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 02/03/2022] [Accepted: 04/19/2022] [Indexed: 11/13/2022] Open
Abstract
Resurgent currents (INaR) produced by voltage-gated sodium channels are required for many neurons to maintain high-frequency firing, and contribute to neuronal hyperexcitability and disease pathophysiology. Here we show, for the first time, that INaR can be reconstituted in a heterologous system by co-expression of sodium channel α-subunits and A-type fibroblast growth factor homologous factors (FHFs). Specifically, A-type FHFs induces INaR from Nav1.8, Nav1.9 tetrodotoxin-resistant neuronal channels and, to a lesser extent, neuronal Nav1.7 and cardiac Nav1.5 channels. Moreover, we identified the N-terminus of FHF as the critical molecule responsible for A-type FHFs-mediated INaR. Among the FHFs, FHF4A is the most important isoform for mediating Nav1.8 and Nav1.9 INaR. In nociceptive sensory neurons, FHF4A knockdown significantly reduces INaR amplitude and the percentage of neurons that generate INaR, substantially suppressing excitability. Thus, our work reveals a novel molecular mechanism underlying TTX-resistant INaR generation and provides important potential targets for pain treatment.
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Affiliation(s)
- Yucheng Xiao
- Biology Department, Indiana University - Purdue University Indianapolis, Indianapolis, United States
| | | | - Agnes Zybura
- Paul and Carole Stark Neurosciences Research Institute, Indiana University, Indianapolis, United States
| | - Yanling Pan
- Biology Department, Indiana University - Purdue University Indianapolis, Indianapolis, United States
| | | | - Theodore R Cummins
- Biology Department, Indiana University - Purdue University Indianapolis, Indianapolis, United States
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6
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Li N, Koester ST, Lachance DM, Dutta M, Cui JY, Dey N. Microbiome-encoded bile acid metabolism modulates colonic transit times. iScience 2021; 24:102508. [PMID: 34142026 PMCID: PMC8188381 DOI: 10.1016/j.isci.2021.102508] [Citation(s) in RCA: 6] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 01/27/2021] [Revised: 04/08/2021] [Accepted: 04/18/2021] [Indexed: 12/17/2022] Open
Abstract
Gut motility is regulated by the microbiome via mechanisms that include bile acid metabolism. To localize the effects of microbiome-generated bile acids, we colonized gnotobiotic mice with different synthetic gut bacterial communities that were metabolically phenotyped using a functional in vitro screen. Using two different marker-based assays of gut transit, we inferred that bile acids exert effects on colonic transit. We validated this using an intra-colonic bile acid infusion assay and determined that these effects were dependent upon signaling via the bile acid receptor, TGR5. The intra-colonic bile acid infusion experiments further revealed sex-biased bile acid-specific effects on colonic transit, with lithocholic acid having the largest pro-motility effect. Transcriptional responses of the enteric nervous system (ENS) were stereotypic, regional, and observed in response to different microbiota, their associated bile acid profiles, and even to a single diet ingredient, evidencing exquisite sensitivity of the ENS to environmental perturbations.
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Affiliation(s)
- Naisi Li
- Clinical Research Division, Fred Hutchinson Cancer Research Center, Seattle, WA, USA
| | - Sean T. Koester
- Clinical Research Division, Fred Hutchinson Cancer Research Center, Seattle, WA, USA
| | - Daniel M. Lachance
- Clinical Research Division, Fred Hutchinson Cancer Research Center, Seattle, WA, USA
- Molecular Engineering & Sciences Institute, University of Washington, Seattle, WA, USA
| | - Moumita Dutta
- Department of Environmental and Occupational Health Services, University of Washington, Seattle, WA, USA
| | - Julia Yue Cui
- Department of Environmental and Occupational Health Services, University of Washington, Seattle, WA, USA
| | - Neelendu Dey
- Clinical Research Division, Fred Hutchinson Cancer Research Center, Seattle, WA, USA
- Microbiome Research Initiative, Fred Hutchinson Cancer Research Center, Seattle, WA, USA
- Department of Medicine, Division of Gastroenterology, University of Washington, Seattle, WA, USA
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7
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Ritter KE, Buehler DP, Asher SB, Deal KK, Zhao S, Guo Y, Southard-Smith EM. 5-HT3 Signaling Alters Development of Sacral Neural Crest Derivatives That Innervate the Lower Urinary Tract. Int J Mol Sci 2021; 22:ijms22136838. [PMID: 34202161 PMCID: PMC8269166 DOI: 10.3390/ijms22136838] [Citation(s) in RCA: 3] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 06/01/2021] [Revised: 06/19/2021] [Accepted: 06/22/2021] [Indexed: 12/25/2022] Open
Abstract
The autonomic nervous system derives from the neural crest (NC) and supplies motor innervation to the smooth muscle of visceral organs, including the lower urinary tract (LUT). During fetal development, sacral NC cells colonize the urogenital sinus to form pelvic ganglia (PG) flanking the bladder neck. The coordinated activity of PG neurons is required for normal urination; however, little is known about the development of PG neuronal diversity. To discover candidate genes involved in PG neurogenesis, the transcriptome profiling of sacral NC and developing PG was performed, and we identified the enrichment of the type 3 serotonin receptor (5-HT3, encoded by Htr3a and Htr3b). We determined that Htr3a is one of the first serotonin receptor genes that is up-regulated in sacral NC progenitors and is maintained in differentiating PG neurons. In vitro cultures showed that the disruption of 5-HT3 signaling alters the differentiation outcomes of sacral NC cells, while the stimulation of 5-HT3 in explanted fetal pelvic ganglia severely diminished neurite arbor outgrowth. Overall, this study provides a valuable resource for the analysis of signaling pathways in PG development, identifies 5-HT3 as a novel regulator of NC lineage diversification and neuronal maturation in the peripheral nervous system, and indicates that the perturbation of 5-HT3 signaling in gestation has the potential to alter bladder function later in life.
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Affiliation(s)
- K. Elaine Ritter
- Division of Genetic Medicine, Department of Medicine, Vanderbilt University Medical Center, Nashville, TN 37232, USA; (K.E.R.); (D.P.B.); (S.B.A.); (K.K.D.)
| | - Dennis P. Buehler
- Division of Genetic Medicine, Department of Medicine, Vanderbilt University Medical Center, Nashville, TN 37232, USA; (K.E.R.); (D.P.B.); (S.B.A.); (K.K.D.)
| | - Stephanie B. Asher
- Division of Genetic Medicine, Department of Medicine, Vanderbilt University Medical Center, Nashville, TN 37232, USA; (K.E.R.); (D.P.B.); (S.B.A.); (K.K.D.)
| | - Karen K. Deal
- Division of Genetic Medicine, Department of Medicine, Vanderbilt University Medical Center, Nashville, TN 37232, USA; (K.E.R.); (D.P.B.); (S.B.A.); (K.K.D.)
| | - Shilin Zhao
- Department of Biostatistics, Vanderbilt University Medical Center, Nashville, TN 37232, USA; (S.Z.); (Y.G.)
| | - Yan Guo
- Department of Biostatistics, Vanderbilt University Medical Center, Nashville, TN 37232, USA; (S.Z.); (Y.G.)
| | - E Michelle Southard-Smith
- Division of Genetic Medicine, Department of Medicine, Vanderbilt University Medical Center, Nashville, TN 37232, USA; (K.E.R.); (D.P.B.); (S.B.A.); (K.K.D.)
- Correspondence:
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8
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Ohgami N, Iizuka A, Hirai H, Yajima I, Iida M, Shimada A, Tsuzuki T, Jijiwa M, Asai N, Takahashi M, Kato M. Loss-of-function mutation of c-Ret causes cerebellar hypoplasia in mice with Hirschsprung disease and Down's syndrome. J Biol Chem 2021; 296:100389. [PMID: 33561442 PMCID: PMC7950328 DOI: 10.1016/j.jbc.2021.100389] [Citation(s) in RCA: 2] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.7] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 09/20/2020] [Revised: 01/27/2021] [Accepted: 02/04/2021] [Indexed: 12/11/2022] Open
Abstract
The c-RET proto-oncogene encodes a receptor-tyrosine kinase. Loss-of-function mutations of RET have been shown to be associated with Hirschsprung disease and Down's syndrome (HSCR-DS) in humans. DS is known to involve cerebellar hypoplasia, which is characterized by reduced cerebellar size. Despite the fact that c-Ret has been shown to be associated with HSCR-DS in humans and to be expressed in Purkinje cells (PCs) in experimental animals, there is limited information about the role of activity of c-Ret/c-RET kinase in cerebellar hypoplasia. We found that a loss-of-function mutation of c-Ret Y1062 in PCs causes cerebellar hypoplasia in c-Ret mutant mice. Wild-type mice had increased phosphorylation of c-Ret in PCs during postnatal development, while c-Ret mutant mice had postnatal hypoplasia of the cerebellum with immature neurite outgrowth in PCs and granule cells (GCs). c-Ret mutant mice also showed decreased numbers of glial fibers and mitogenic sonic hedgehog (Shh)-positive vesicles in the external germinal layer of PCs. c-Ret-mediated cerebellar hypoplasia was rescued by subcutaneous injection of a smoothened agonist (SAG) as well as by reduced expression of Patched1, a negative regulator for Shh. Our results suggest that the loss-of-function mutation of c-Ret Y1062 results in the development of cerebellar hypoplasia via impairment of the Shh-mediated development of GCs and glial fibers in mice with HSCR-DS.
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Affiliation(s)
- Nobutaka Ohgami
- Department of Occupational and Environmental Health, Nagoya University Graduate School of Medicine, Nagoya, Aichi, Japan; Unit of Environmental Health Sciences, Department of Biomedical Sciences, College of Life and Health Sciences, Chubu University, Kasugai, Aichi, Japan
| | - Akira Iizuka
- Department of Neurophysiology and Neural Repair, Gunma University Graduate School of Medicine, Maebashi, Gunma, Japan
| | - Hirokazu Hirai
- Department of Neurophysiology and Neural Repair, Gunma University Graduate School of Medicine, Maebashi, Gunma, Japan
| | - Ichiro Yajima
- Department of Occupational and Environmental Health, Nagoya University Graduate School of Medicine, Nagoya, Aichi, Japan
| | - Machiko Iida
- Department of Occupational and Environmental Health, Nagoya University Graduate School of Medicine, Nagoya, Aichi, Japan
| | - Atsuyoshi Shimada
- Pathology Research Team, Faculty of Health Sciences, Kyorin University, Mitaka, Tokyo, Japan
| | - Toyonori Tsuzuki
- Department of Surgical Pathology, Aichi Medical University Hospital, Nagakute, Aichi, Japan
| | - Mayumi Jijiwa
- Department of Pathology, Nagoya University Graduate School of Medicine, Nagoya, Aichi, Japan
| | - Naoya Asai
- Department of Pathology, Fujita Health University, Toyoake, Aichi, Japan
| | - Masahide Takahashi
- Department of Pathology, Nagoya University Graduate School of Medicine, Nagoya, Aichi, Japan; International Center for Cell and Gene Therapy, Fujita Health University, Toyoake, Aichi, Japan
| | - Masashi Kato
- Department of Occupational and Environmental Health, Nagoya University Graduate School of Medicine, Nagoya, Aichi, Japan; Unit of Environmental Health Sciences, Department of Biomedical Sciences, College of Life and Health Sciences, Chubu University, Kasugai, Aichi, Japan.
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9
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Wright CM, Garifallou JP, Schneider S, Mentch HL, Kothakapa DR, Maguire BA, Heuckeroth RO. Dlx1/2 mice have abnormal enteric nervous system function. JCI Insight 2020; 5:131494. [PMID: 32017713 DOI: 10.1172/jci.insight.131494] [Citation(s) in RCA: 6] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 07/08/2019] [Accepted: 01/22/2020] [Indexed: 12/31/2022] Open
Abstract
Decades ago, investigators reported that mice lacking DLX1 and DLX2, transcription factors expressed in the enteric nervous system (ENS), die with possible bowel motility problems. These problems were never fully elucidated. We found that mice lacking DLX1 and DLX2 (Dlx1/2-/- mice) had slower small bowel transit and reduced or absent neurally mediated contraction complexes. In contrast, small bowel motility seemed normal in adult mice lacking DLX1 (Dlx1-/-). Even with detailed anatomic studies, we found no defects in ENS precursor migration, or neuronal and glial density in Dlx1/2-/- or Dlx1-/- mice. However, RNA sequencing of Dlx1/2-/- ENS revealed dysregulation of many genes, including vasoactive intestinal peptide (Vip). Using immunohistochemistry and reporter mice, we then found that Dlx1/2-/- mice have reduced VIP expression and fewer VIP-lineage neurons in their ENS. Our study reveals what we believe is a novel connection between Dlx genes and Vip and highlights the observation that dangerous bowel motility problems can occur in the absence of easily identifiable ENS structural defects. These findings may be relevant for disorders like chronic intestinal pseudo-obstruction (CIPO) syndrome.
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Affiliation(s)
- Christina M Wright
- Department of Pediatrics.,Leonard and Madlyn Abramson Pediatric Research Center, Children's Hospital of Philadelphia Research Institute and the Perelman School of Medicine at the University of Pennsylvania, Philadelphia, Pennsylvania, USA
| | - James P Garifallou
- Center for Applied Genomics, and.,Leonard and Madlyn Abramson Pediatric Research Center, Children's Hospital of Philadelphia Research Institute and the Perelman School of Medicine at the University of Pennsylvania, Philadelphia, Pennsylvania, USA
| | - Sabine Schneider
- Department of Pediatrics.,Leonard and Madlyn Abramson Pediatric Research Center, Children's Hospital of Philadelphia Research Institute and the Perelman School of Medicine at the University of Pennsylvania, Philadelphia, Pennsylvania, USA
| | - Heather L Mentch
- Department of Pediatrics.,Leonard and Madlyn Abramson Pediatric Research Center, Children's Hospital of Philadelphia Research Institute and the Perelman School of Medicine at the University of Pennsylvania, Philadelphia, Pennsylvania, USA
| | - Deepika R Kothakapa
- Department of Pediatrics.,Leonard and Madlyn Abramson Pediatric Research Center, Children's Hospital of Philadelphia Research Institute and the Perelman School of Medicine at the University of Pennsylvania, Philadelphia, Pennsylvania, USA
| | - Beth A Maguire
- Department of Pediatrics.,Leonard and Madlyn Abramson Pediatric Research Center, Children's Hospital of Philadelphia Research Institute and the Perelman School of Medicine at the University of Pennsylvania, Philadelphia, Pennsylvania, USA
| | - Robert O Heuckeroth
- Department of Pediatrics.,Leonard and Madlyn Abramson Pediatric Research Center, Children's Hospital of Philadelphia Research Institute and the Perelman School of Medicine at the University of Pennsylvania, Philadelphia, Pennsylvania, USA
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10
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Early chromatin shaping predetermines multipotent vagal neural crest into neural, neuronal and mesenchymal lineages. Nat Cell Biol 2019; 21:1504-1517. [PMID: 31792380 PMCID: PMC7188519 DOI: 10.1038/s41556-019-0428-9] [Citation(s) in RCA: 33] [Impact Index Per Article: 6.6] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 01/30/2019] [Accepted: 10/28/2019] [Indexed: 01/28/2023]
Abstract
The enteric nervous system (ENS) predominantly originates from vagal neural crest cells (VNC) that emerge from the caudal hindbrain, invade the foregut and populate the gastrointestinal tract. However, the gene regulatory network (GRN) orchestrating the early specification of VNC remains unknown. Using an EdnrB enhancer, we generated a comprehensive temporal map of the chromatin and transcriptional landscape of VNC in the avian model, revealing three VNC cell clusters (neural, neurogenic and mesenchymal), each predetermined epigenetically prior to neural tube delamination. We identify and functionally validate regulatory cores (Sox10/Tfap2B/SoxB/Hbox) mediating each programme and elucidate their combinatorial activities with other spatiotemporally-specific transcription factors (bHLH/NR). Our global deconstruction of the VNC-GRN in vivo sheds light on critical early regulatory mechanisms that may influence the divergent neural phenotypes in enteric neuropathies.
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11
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Guo C, Kong W, Kamimoto K, Rivera-Gonzalez GC, Yang X, Kirita Y, Morris SA. CellTag Indexing: genetic barcode-based sample multiplexing for single-cell genomics. Genome Biol 2019. [PMID: 31072405 DOI: 10.1101/335547] [Citation(s) in RCA: 3] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.6] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 05/08/2023] Open
Abstract
High-throughput single-cell assays increasingly require special consideration in experimental design, sample multiplexing, batch effect removal, and data interpretation. Here, we describe a lentiviral barcode-based multiplexing approach, CellTag Indexing, which uses predefined genetic barcodes that are heritable, enabling cell populations to be tagged, pooled, and tracked over time in the same experimental replicate. We demonstrate the utility of CellTag Indexing by sequencing transcriptomes using a variety of cell types, including long-term tracking of cell engraftment and differentiation in vivo. Together, this presents CellTag Indexing as a broadly applicable genetic multiplexing tool that is complementary with existing single-cell technologies.
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Affiliation(s)
- Chuner Guo
- Department of Developmental Biology, Washington University School of Medicine in St Louis, 660 S. Euclid Avenue, Campus Box 8103, St. Louis, MO, 63110, USA
- Department of Genetics, Washington University School of Medicine in St. Louis, 660 S. Euclid Avenue, Campus Box 8103, St. Louis, MO, 63110, USA
- Center of Regenerative Medicine, Washington University School of Medicine in St. Louis, 660 S. Euclid Avenue, Campus Box 8103, St. Louis, MO, 63110, USA
| | - Wenjun Kong
- Department of Developmental Biology, Washington University School of Medicine in St Louis, 660 S. Euclid Avenue, Campus Box 8103, St. Louis, MO, 63110, USA
- Department of Genetics, Washington University School of Medicine in St. Louis, 660 S. Euclid Avenue, Campus Box 8103, St. Louis, MO, 63110, USA
- Center of Regenerative Medicine, Washington University School of Medicine in St. Louis, 660 S. Euclid Avenue, Campus Box 8103, St. Louis, MO, 63110, USA
| | - Kenji Kamimoto
- Department of Developmental Biology, Washington University School of Medicine in St Louis, 660 S. Euclid Avenue, Campus Box 8103, St. Louis, MO, 63110, USA
- Department of Genetics, Washington University School of Medicine in St. Louis, 660 S. Euclid Avenue, Campus Box 8103, St. Louis, MO, 63110, USA
- Center of Regenerative Medicine, Washington University School of Medicine in St. Louis, 660 S. Euclid Avenue, Campus Box 8103, St. Louis, MO, 63110, USA
| | - Guillermo C Rivera-Gonzalez
- Department of Developmental Biology, Washington University School of Medicine in St Louis, 660 S. Euclid Avenue, Campus Box 8103, St. Louis, MO, 63110, USA
- Department of Genetics, Washington University School of Medicine in St. Louis, 660 S. Euclid Avenue, Campus Box 8103, St. Louis, MO, 63110, USA
- Center of Regenerative Medicine, Washington University School of Medicine in St. Louis, 660 S. Euclid Avenue, Campus Box 8103, St. Louis, MO, 63110, USA
| | - Xue Yang
- Department of Developmental Biology, Washington University School of Medicine in St Louis, 660 S. Euclid Avenue, Campus Box 8103, St. Louis, MO, 63110, USA
- Department of Genetics, Washington University School of Medicine in St. Louis, 660 S. Euclid Avenue, Campus Box 8103, St. Louis, MO, 63110, USA
- Center of Regenerative Medicine, Washington University School of Medicine in St. Louis, 660 S. Euclid Avenue, Campus Box 8103, St. Louis, MO, 63110, USA
| | - Yuhei Kirita
- Department of Genetics, Washington University School of Medicine in St. Louis, 660 S. Euclid Avenue, Campus Box 8103, St. Louis, MO, 63110, USA
- Division of Nephrology, Department of Medicine, Washington University School of Medicine in St. Louis, 660 S. Euclid Avenue, Campus Box 8103, St. Louis, MO, 63110, USA
| | - Samantha A Morris
- Department of Developmental Biology, Washington University School of Medicine in St Louis, 660 S. Euclid Avenue, Campus Box 8103, St. Louis, MO, 63110, USA.
- Department of Genetics, Washington University School of Medicine in St. Louis, 660 S. Euclid Avenue, Campus Box 8103, St. Louis, MO, 63110, USA.
- Center of Regenerative Medicine, Washington University School of Medicine in St. Louis, 660 S. Euclid Avenue, Campus Box 8103, St. Louis, MO, 63110, USA.
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12
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Guo C, Kong W, Kamimoto K, Rivera-Gonzalez GC, Yang X, Kirita Y, Morris SA. CellTag Indexing: genetic barcode-based sample multiplexing for single-cell genomics. Genome Biol 2019; 20:90. [PMID: 31072405 PMCID: PMC6509836 DOI: 10.1186/s13059-019-1699-y] [Citation(s) in RCA: 46] [Impact Index Per Article: 9.2] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 06/07/2018] [Accepted: 04/23/2019] [Indexed: 12/15/2022] Open
Abstract
High-throughput single-cell assays increasingly require special consideration in experimental design, sample multiplexing, batch effect removal, and data interpretation. Here, we describe a lentiviral barcode-based multiplexing approach, CellTag Indexing, which uses predefined genetic barcodes that are heritable, enabling cell populations to be tagged, pooled, and tracked over time in the same experimental replicate. We demonstrate the utility of CellTag Indexing by sequencing transcriptomes using a variety of cell types, including long-term tracking of cell engraftment and differentiation in vivo. Together, this presents CellTag Indexing as a broadly applicable genetic multiplexing tool that is complementary with existing single-cell technologies.
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Affiliation(s)
- Chuner Guo
- Department of Developmental Biology, Washington University School of Medicine in St Louis, 660 S. Euclid Avenue, Campus Box 8103, St. Louis, MO, 63110, USA
- Department of Genetics, Washington University School of Medicine in St. Louis, 660 S. Euclid Avenue, Campus Box 8103, St. Louis, MO, 63110, USA
- Center of Regenerative Medicine, Washington University School of Medicine in St. Louis, 660 S. Euclid Avenue, Campus Box 8103, St. Louis, MO, 63110, USA
| | - Wenjun Kong
- Department of Developmental Biology, Washington University School of Medicine in St Louis, 660 S. Euclid Avenue, Campus Box 8103, St. Louis, MO, 63110, USA
- Department of Genetics, Washington University School of Medicine in St. Louis, 660 S. Euclid Avenue, Campus Box 8103, St. Louis, MO, 63110, USA
- Center of Regenerative Medicine, Washington University School of Medicine in St. Louis, 660 S. Euclid Avenue, Campus Box 8103, St. Louis, MO, 63110, USA
| | - Kenji Kamimoto
- Department of Developmental Biology, Washington University School of Medicine in St Louis, 660 S. Euclid Avenue, Campus Box 8103, St. Louis, MO, 63110, USA
- Department of Genetics, Washington University School of Medicine in St. Louis, 660 S. Euclid Avenue, Campus Box 8103, St. Louis, MO, 63110, USA
- Center of Regenerative Medicine, Washington University School of Medicine in St. Louis, 660 S. Euclid Avenue, Campus Box 8103, St. Louis, MO, 63110, USA
| | - Guillermo C Rivera-Gonzalez
- Department of Developmental Biology, Washington University School of Medicine in St Louis, 660 S. Euclid Avenue, Campus Box 8103, St. Louis, MO, 63110, USA
- Department of Genetics, Washington University School of Medicine in St. Louis, 660 S. Euclid Avenue, Campus Box 8103, St. Louis, MO, 63110, USA
- Center of Regenerative Medicine, Washington University School of Medicine in St. Louis, 660 S. Euclid Avenue, Campus Box 8103, St. Louis, MO, 63110, USA
| | - Xue Yang
- Department of Developmental Biology, Washington University School of Medicine in St Louis, 660 S. Euclid Avenue, Campus Box 8103, St. Louis, MO, 63110, USA
- Department of Genetics, Washington University School of Medicine in St. Louis, 660 S. Euclid Avenue, Campus Box 8103, St. Louis, MO, 63110, USA
- Center of Regenerative Medicine, Washington University School of Medicine in St. Louis, 660 S. Euclid Avenue, Campus Box 8103, St. Louis, MO, 63110, USA
| | - Yuhei Kirita
- Department of Genetics, Washington University School of Medicine in St. Louis, 660 S. Euclid Avenue, Campus Box 8103, St. Louis, MO, 63110, USA
- Division of Nephrology, Department of Medicine, Washington University School of Medicine in St. Louis, 660 S. Euclid Avenue, Campus Box 8103, St. Louis, MO, 63110, USA
| | - Samantha A Morris
- Department of Developmental Biology, Washington University School of Medicine in St Louis, 660 S. Euclid Avenue, Campus Box 8103, St. Louis, MO, 63110, USA.
- Department of Genetics, Washington University School of Medicine in St. Louis, 660 S. Euclid Avenue, Campus Box 8103, St. Louis, MO, 63110, USA.
- Center of Regenerative Medicine, Washington University School of Medicine in St. Louis, 660 S. Euclid Avenue, Campus Box 8103, St. Louis, MO, 63110, USA.
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13
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López SH, Avetisyan M, Wright CM, Mesbah K, Kelly RG, Moon AM, Heuckeroth RO. Loss of Tbx3 in murine neural crest reduces enteric glia and causes cleft palate, but does not influence heart development or bowel transit. Dev Biol 2018; 444 Suppl 1:S337-S351. [PMID: 30292786 DOI: 10.1016/j.ydbio.2018.09.017] [Citation(s) in RCA: 7] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.2] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 04/04/2018] [Revised: 09/23/2018] [Accepted: 09/23/2018] [Indexed: 01/12/2023]
Abstract
Transcription factors that coordinate migration, differentiation or proliferation of enteric nervous system (ENS) precursors are not well defined. To identify novel transcriptional regulators of ENS development, we performed microarray analysis at embryonic day (E) 17.5 and identified many genes that were enriched in the ENS compared to other bowel cells. We decided to investigate the T-box transcription factor Tbx3, which is prominently expressed in developing and mature ENS. Haploinsufficiency for TBX3 causes ulnar-mammary syndrome (UMS) in humans, a multi-organ system disorder. TBX3 also regulates several genes known to be important for ENS development. To test the hypothesis that Tbx3 is important for ENS development or function, we inactivated Tbx3 in all neural crest derivatives, including ENS progenitors using Wnt1-Cre and a floxed Tbx3 allele. Tbx3 fl/fl; Wnt1-Cre conditional mutant mice die shortly after birth with cleft palate and difficulty feeding. The ENS of mutants was well-organized with a normal density of enteric neurons and nerve fiber bundles, but small bowel glial cell density was reduced. Despite this, bowel motility appeared normal. Furthermore, although Tbx3 is expressed in cardiac neural crest, Tbx3 fl/fl; Wnt1-Cre mice had structurally normal hearts. Thus, loss of Tbx3 within neural crest has selective effects on Tbx3-expressing neural crest derivatives.
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Affiliation(s)
- Silvia Huerta López
- The Children's Hospital of Philadelphia Research Institute, 3615 Civic Center Blvd, Abramson Research Center - Suite # 1116I, Philadelphia, PA 19104-4318, United States
| | - Marina Avetisyan
- The Children's Hospital of Philadelphia Research Institute, 3615 Civic Center Blvd, Abramson Research Center - Suite # 1116I, Philadelphia, PA 19104-4318, United States; Department of Pediatrics, Washington University School of Medicine in St. Louis, 660 South Euclid Avenue, St. Louis, MO 63110, United States
| | - Christina M Wright
- The Children's Hospital of Philadelphia Research Institute, 3615 Civic Center Blvd, Abramson Research Center - Suite # 1116I, Philadelphia, PA 19104-4318, United States; Department of Pediatrics, Perelman School of Medicine at the University of Pennsylvania, Philadelphia, PA 19104-4318, United States
| | - Karim Mesbah
- Aix-Marseille Univ, CNRS, IBDM, Marseille, France
| | | | - Anne M Moon
- Weis Center for Research, Geisinger Clinic, Danville, PA, United States; Departments of Pediatrics and Human Genetics, University of Utah, Salt Lake City, United States
| | - Robert O Heuckeroth
- The Children's Hospital of Philadelphia Research Institute, 3615 Civic Center Blvd, Abramson Research Center - Suite # 1116I, Philadelphia, PA 19104-4318, United States; Department of Pediatrics, Perelman School of Medicine at the University of Pennsylvania, Philadelphia, PA 19104-4318, United States.
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14
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Xiao SJ, Zhu XC, Deng H, Zhou WP, Yang WY, Yuan LK, Zhang JY, Tian S, Xu L, Zhang L, Xia HM. Gene expression profiling coupled with Connectivity Map database mining reveals potential therapeutic drugs for Hirschsprung disease. J Pediatr Surg 2018; 53:1716-1721. [PMID: 29605259 DOI: 10.1016/j.jpedsurg.2018.02.060] [Citation(s) in RCA: 8] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Submit a Manuscript] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 07/25/2017] [Revised: 02/12/2018] [Accepted: 02/27/2018] [Indexed: 11/18/2022]
Abstract
BACKGROUND Hirschsprung disease (HD) is a congenital intestinal anomaly resulting from a failure to form enteric ganglia in the lower bowel. Surgery is the main therapeutic strategy, although neural stem cell transplantation has recently shown promise. However, HD remains a challenging disorder to treat. Our aim was to identify drugs that could counteract the dysregulated pathways in HD and could thus be potential novel therapies. METHODS We used microarray analysis to identify genes differentially expressed in ganglionic and aganglionic bowel samples from eight children with HD. The signature of differentially expressed genes was then used as a search query to explore the Connectivity Map (cMAP), a transcriptional expression database that catalogs gene signatures elicited by chemical perturbagens. RESULTS We uncovered several dysregulated signaling pathways, and in particular regulation of neuron development, in HD. The cMAP search identified some compounds with the potential to counteract the effects of the dysregulated molecular signature in this disease. One of these, pepstatin A, was recently shown to rescue the migration defects observed in a mouse model of HD, providing strong support for our findings. CONCLUSIONS This study advances our understanding of the molecular changes in HD and identifies several potential pharmacological interventions. Further testing of the identified compounds is warranted.
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Affiliation(s)
- Shang-Jie Xiao
- Department of Neonatal Surgery, Guangdong Women and Children Hospital, Guangzhou, China
| | - Xiao-Chun Zhu
- Department of Neonatal Surgery, Guangdong Women and Children Hospital, Guangzhou, China
| | - Hua Deng
- Translational Medicine Center, Guangdong Women and Children Hospital, Guangzhou, China
| | - Wei-Ping Zhou
- Translational Medicine Center, Guangdong Women and Children Hospital, Guangzhou, China
| | - Wen-Yi Yang
- Department of Neonatology, Guangdong Women and Children Hospital, Guangzhou, China
| | - Li-Ke Yuan
- Department of Neonatal Surgery, Guangdong Women and Children Hospital, Guangzhou, China
| | - Jiang-Yu Zhang
- Department of Pathology, Guangdong Women and Children Hospital, Guangzhou, China
| | - Song Tian
- Department of Neonatal Surgery, Guangdong Women and Children Hospital, Guangzhou, China
| | - Lu Xu
- Department of Neonatal Surgery, Guangdong Women and Children Hospital, Guangzhou, China
| | - Liang Zhang
- Translational Medicine Center, Guangdong Women and Children Hospital, Guangzhou, China.
| | - Hui-Min Xia
- Department of Pediatric Surgery, Guangzhou Women and Children's Medical Center, Guangzhou Medical University, Guangzhou, China.
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15
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Vaes N, Lentjes MHFM, Gijbels MJ, Rademakers G, Daenen KL, Boesmans W, Wouters KAD, Geuzens A, Qu X, Steinbusch HPJ, Rutten BPF, Baldwin SH, Sharkey KA, Hofstra RMW, van Engeland M, Vanden Berghe P, Melotte V. NDRG4, an early detection marker for colorectal cancer, is specifically expressed in enteric neurons. Neurogastroenterol Motil 2017; 29. [PMID: 28524415 DOI: 10.1111/nmo.13095] [Citation(s) in RCA: 10] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.4] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Submit a Manuscript] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 11/15/2016] [Accepted: 03/30/2017] [Indexed: 02/08/2023]
Abstract
BACKGROUND Promoter methylation of N-myc Downstream-Regulated Gene 4 (NDRG4) in fecal DNA is an established early detection marker for colorectal cancer (CRC). Despite its connection to CRC, NDRG4 is predominantly studied in brain and heart, with little to no knowledge about its expression or role in other organs. In this study, we aimed to determine the whole-body expression of NDRG4, with a focus on the intestinal tract. METHODS We investigated NDRG4 expression throughout the body by immunohistochemistry, Western Blotting and in situ mRNA hybridization using tissues from NDRG4 wild-type, heterozygous and knockout mice and humans. In addition, we explored cell-specific expression of NDRG4 in murine whole-mount gut preparations using immunofluorescence and confocal microscopy. KEY RESULTS NDRG4 is specifically expressed within nervous system structures throughout the body. In the intestinal tract of both mouse and man, NDRG4 immunoreactivity was restricted to the enteric nervous system (ENS), where it labeled cell bodies of the myenteric and submucosal plexuses and interconnecting nerve fibers. More precisely, NDRG4 expression was limited to neurons, as NDRG4 always co-localized with HuC/D (pan-neuronal marker) but never with GFAP (an enteric glial cell marker). Furthermore, NDRG4 was expressed in various neuropeptide Y positive neurons, but was only found in a minority (~10%) of neurons expressing neuronal nitric oxide synthase. CONCLUSIONS AND INFERENCES NDRG4 is exclusively expressed by central, peripheral and enteric neurons/nerves, suggesting a neuronal-specific role of this protein. Our findings raise the question whether NDRG4, via the ENS, an understudied component of the tumor microenvironment, supports CRC development and/or progression.
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Affiliation(s)
- N Vaes
- Department of Pathology, GROW-School for Oncology and Developmental Biology, Maastricht University Medical Center, Maastricht, The Netherlands
| | - M H F M Lentjes
- Department of Pathology, GROW-School for Oncology and Developmental Biology, Maastricht University Medical Center, Maastricht, The Netherlands
| | - M J Gijbels
- Departments of Pathology and Molecular Genetics, Cardiovascular Research Institute Maastricht (CARIM), Maastricht University, Department of Medical Biochemistry, Academic Medical Center, Amsterdam, The Netherlands
| | - G Rademakers
- Department of Pathology, GROW-School for Oncology and Developmental Biology, Maastricht University Medical Center, Maastricht, The Netherlands
| | - K L Daenen
- Department of Pathology, GROW-School for Oncology and Developmental Biology, Maastricht University Medical Center, Maastricht, The Netherlands
| | - W Boesmans
- Department of Pathology, GROW-School for Oncology and Developmental Biology, Maastricht University Medical Center, Maastricht, The Netherlands.,Laboratory for Enteric Neuroscience (LENS); Translational Research Center for Gastrointestinal Disorders (TARGID), Department of Clinical and Experimental Medicine, University of Leuven, Leuven, Belgium
| | - K A D Wouters
- Department of Pathology, GROW-School for Oncology and Developmental Biology, Maastricht University Medical Center, Maastricht, The Netherlands
| | - A Geuzens
- Laboratory for Enteric Neuroscience (LENS); Translational Research Center for Gastrointestinal Disorders (TARGID), Department of Clinical and Experimental Medicine, University of Leuven, Leuven, Belgium
| | - X Qu
- Department of Pediatric Cardiology, Vanderbilt University Medical Center, Nashville, TN, USA
| | - H P J Steinbusch
- Department of Psychiatry and Neuropsychology, School for Mental Health and Neuroscience (MHeNS), Maastricht University Medical Centre, Maastricht, The Netherlands
| | - B P F Rutten
- Department of Psychiatry and Neuropsychology, School for Mental Health and Neuroscience (MHeNS), Maastricht University Medical Centre, Maastricht, The Netherlands
| | - S H Baldwin
- Department of Pediatric Cardiology, Vanderbilt University Medical Center, Nashville, TN, USA
| | - K A Sharkey
- Hotchkiss Brain Institute and Snyder Institute for Chronic Diseases, Department of Physiology and Pharmacology, Cumming School of Medicine, University of Calgary, Calgary, Alberta, Canada
| | - R M W Hofstra
- Department of Clinical Genetics, University of Rotterdam, EMC, Rotterdam, The Netherlands
| | - M van Engeland
- Department of Pathology, GROW-School for Oncology and Developmental Biology, Maastricht University Medical Center, Maastricht, The Netherlands
| | - P Vanden Berghe
- Laboratory for Enteric Neuroscience (LENS); Translational Research Center for Gastrointestinal Disorders (TARGID), Department of Clinical and Experimental Medicine, University of Leuven, Leuven, Belgium
| | - V Melotte
- Department of Pathology, GROW-School for Oncology and Developmental Biology, Maastricht University Medical Center, Maastricht, The Netherlands.,Department of Clinical Genetics, University of Rotterdam, EMC, Rotterdam, The Netherlands
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16
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Belkind-Gerson J, Graham HK, Reynolds J, Hotta R, Nagy N, Cheng L, Kamionek M, Shi HN, Aherne CM, Goldstein AM. Colitis promotes neuronal differentiation of Sox2+ and PLP1+ enteric cells. Sci Rep 2017; 7:2525. [PMID: 28566702 PMCID: PMC5451421 DOI: 10.1038/s41598-017-02890-y] [Citation(s) in RCA: 61] [Impact Index Per Article: 8.7] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 02/03/2017] [Accepted: 04/19/2017] [Indexed: 12/31/2022] Open
Abstract
Mechanisms mediating adult enteric neurogenesis are largely unknown. Using inflammation-associated neurogenesis models and a transgenic approach, we aimed to understand the cell-source for new neurons in infectious and inflammatory colitis. Dextran sodium sulfate (DSS) and Citrobacter rodentium colitis (CC) was induced in adult mice and colonic neurons were quantified. Sox2GFP and PLP1GFP mice confirmed the cell-type specificity of these markers. Sox2CreER:YFP and PLP1creER:tdT mice were used to determine the fate of these cells after colitis. Sox2 expression was investigated in colonic neurons of human patients with Clostridium difficile or ulcerative colitis. Both DSS and CC led to increased colonic neurons. Following colitis in adult Sox2CreER:YFP mice, YFP initially expressed predominantly by glia becomes expressed by neurons following colitis, without observable DNA replication. Similarly in PLP1CreER:tdT mice, PLP1 cells that co-express S100b but not RET also give rise to neurons following colitis. In human colitis, Sox2-expressing neurons increase from 1–2% to an average 14% in colitis. The new neurons predominantly express calretinin, thus appear to be excitatory. These results suggest that colitis promotes rapid enteric neurogenesis in adult mice and humans through differentiation of Sox2- and PLP1-expressing cells, which represent enteric glia and/or neural progenitors. Further defining neurogenesis will improve understanding and treatment of injury-associated intestinal motility/sensory disorders.
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Affiliation(s)
- Jaime Belkind-Gerson
- Neurogastroenterology Program, Digestive Health Institute, Children's Hospital Colorado University of Colorado, Aurora, USA.
| | - Hannah K Graham
- Pediatric Surgery, Massachusetts General Hospital, Harvard Medical School, Boston, MA, USA
| | - Justin Reynolds
- Pediatric Surgery, Massachusetts General Hospital, Harvard Medical School, Boston, MA, USA
| | - Ryo Hotta
- Pediatric Surgery, Massachusetts General Hospital, Harvard Medical School, Boston, MA, USA
| | - Nandor Nagy
- Pediatric Surgery, Massachusetts General Hospital, Harvard Medical School, Boston, MA, USA
| | - Lily Cheng
- Pediatric Surgery, Massachusetts General Hospital, Harvard Medical School, Boston, MA, USA
| | - Michal Kamionek
- Pathology department, Carolinas Healthcare System, Charlotte, NC, USA
| | - Hai Ning Shi
- Neurogastroenterology Program, Digestive Health Institute, Children's Hospital Colorado University of Colorado, Aurora, USA
| | - Carol M Aherne
- Department of Anesthesiology, Mucosal Inflammation Program, University of Colorado School of Medicine, Aurora, USA
| | - Allan M Goldstein
- Pediatric Surgery, Massachusetts General Hospital, Harvard Medical School, Boston, MA, USA.,Center for Neurointestinal Health, Massachusetts General Hospital, Harvard Medical School, Boston, MA, USA
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17
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Roy-Carson S, Natukunda K, Chou HC, Pal N, Farris C, Schneider SQ, Kuhlman JA. Defining the transcriptomic landscape of the developing enteric nervous system and its cellular environment. BMC Genomics 2017; 18:290. [PMID: 28403821 PMCID: PMC5389105 DOI: 10.1186/s12864-017-3653-2] [Citation(s) in RCA: 26] [Impact Index Per Article: 3.7] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 09/30/2016] [Accepted: 03/22/2017] [Indexed: 11/10/2022] Open
Abstract
BACKGROUND Motility and the coordination of moving food through the gastrointestinal tract rely on a complex network of neurons known as the enteric nervous system (ENS). Despite its critical function, many of the molecular mechanisms that direct the development of the ENS and the elaboration of neural network connections remain unknown. The goal of this study was to transcriptionally identify molecular pathways and candidate genes that drive specification, differentiation and the neural circuitry of specific neural progenitors, the phox2b expressing ENS cell lineage, during normal enteric nervous system development. Because ENS development is tightly linked to its environment, the transcriptional landscape of the cellular environment of the intestine was also analyzed. RESULTS Thousands of zebrafish intestines were manually dissected from a transgenic line expressing green fluorescent protein under the phox2b regulatory elements [Tg(phox2b:EGFP) w37 ]. Fluorescence-activated cell sorting was used to separate GFP-positive phox2b expressing ENS progenitor and derivatives from GFP-negative intestinal cells. RNA-seq was performed to obtain accurate, reproducible transcriptional profiles and the unbiased detection of low level transcripts. Analysis revealed genes and pathways that may function in ENS cell determination, genes that may be identifiers of different ENS subtypes, and genes that define the non-neural cellular microenvironment of the ENS. Differential expression analysis between the two cell populations revealed the expected neuronal nature of the phox2b expressing lineage including the enrichment for genes required for neurogenesis and synaptogenesis, and identified many novel genes not previously associated with ENS development. Pathway analysis pointed to a high level of G-protein coupled pathway activation, and identified novel roles for candidate pathways such as the Nogo/Reticulon axon guidance pathway in ENS development. CONCLUSION We report the comprehensive gene expression profiles of a lineage-specific population of enteric progenitors, their derivatives, and their microenvironment during normal enteric nervous system development. Our results confirm previously implicated genes and pathways required for ENS development, and also identify scores of novel candidate genes and pathways. Thus, our dataset suggests various potential mechanisms that drive ENS development facilitating characterization and discovery of novel therapeutic strategies to improve gastrointestinal disorders.
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Affiliation(s)
- Sweta Roy-Carson
- Department of Genetics, Development and Cell Biology, Iowa State University, Ames, IA, 50011, USA
| | - Kevin Natukunda
- Department of Genetics, Development and Cell Biology, Iowa State University, Ames, IA, 50011, USA
| | - Hsien-Chao Chou
- Department of Genetics, Development and Cell Biology, Iowa State University, Ames, IA, 50011, USA.,Present Address: National Cancer Institute, US National Institutes of Health, Bethesda, Maryland, USA
| | - Narinder Pal
- Department of Genetics, Development and Cell Biology, Iowa State University, Ames, IA, 50011, USA.,Present address: North Central Regional Plant Introduction Station, 1305 State Ave, Ames, IA, 50014, USA
| | - Caitlin Farris
- Department of Genetics, Development and Cell Biology, Iowa State University, Ames, IA, 50011, USA.,Present address: Pioneer Hi-Bred International, Johnson, IA, 50131, USA
| | - Stephan Q Schneider
- Department of Genetics, Development and Cell Biology, Iowa State University, Ames, IA, 50011, USA
| | - Julie A Kuhlman
- Department of Genetics, Development and Cell Biology, Iowa State University, Ames, IA, 50011, USA. .,642 Science II, Iowa State University, Ames, IA, 50011, USA.
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18
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Grubišić V, Parpura V. Two modes of enteric gliotransmission differentially affect gut physiology. Glia 2017; 65:699-711. [PMID: 28168732 DOI: 10.1002/glia.23121] [Citation(s) in RCA: 14] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 11/20/2016] [Revised: 01/07/2017] [Accepted: 01/10/2017] [Indexed: 11/08/2022]
Abstract
Enteric glia (EG) in the enteric nervous system can modulate neuronally regulated gut functions. Using molecular genetics, we assessed the effects that molecular entities expressed in EG and otherwise mediating two distinct mechanisms of gliotransmitter release, connexin 43 (Cx43) hemichannel vs. Ca2+ -dependent exocytosis, have on gut function. The expression of mutated Cx43G138R (which favors hemichannel, as opposed to gap-junctional activity) in EG increased gut motility in vivo, while a knock-down of Cx43 in EG resulted in the reduction of gut motility. However, inhibition of Ca2+ -dependent exocytosis in EG did not affect gut motility in vivo; rather, it increased the fecal pellet fluid content. Hampering either Cx43 expression or Ca2+ -dependent exocytosis in EG had an effect on colonic migrating motor complexes, mainly decreasing frequency and velocity of contractions ex vivo. Thus, EG can differentially modulate gut reflexes using the above two distinct mechanisms of gliotransmission.
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Affiliation(s)
- Vladimir Grubišić
- Department of Neurobiology, University of Alabama at Birmingham, Birmingham, Alabama.,Department of Physiology, Neuroscience Program, Michigan State University, East Lansing, Michigan
| | - Vladimir Parpura
- Department of Neurobiology, University of Alabama at Birmingham, Birmingham, Alabama
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19
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Nagy N, Goldstein AM. Enteric nervous system development: A crest cell's journey from neural tube to colon. Semin Cell Dev Biol 2017; 66:94-106. [PMID: 28087321 DOI: 10.1016/j.semcdb.2017.01.006] [Citation(s) in RCA: 120] [Impact Index Per Article: 17.1] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 10/17/2016] [Revised: 01/03/2017] [Accepted: 01/09/2017] [Indexed: 12/31/2022]
Abstract
The enteric nervous system (ENS) is comprised of a network of neurons and glial cells that are responsible for coordinating many aspects of gastrointestinal (GI) function. These cells arise from the neural crest, migrate to the gut, and then continue their journey to colonize the entire length of the GI tract. Our understanding of the molecular and cellular events that regulate these processes has advanced significantly over the past several decades, in large part facilitated by the use of rodents, avians, and zebrafish as model systems to dissect the signals and pathways involved. These studies have highlighted the highly dynamic nature of ENS development and the importance of carefully balancing migration, proliferation, and differentiation of enteric neural crest-derived cells (ENCCs). Proliferation, in particular, is critically important as it drives cell density and speed of migration, both of which are important for ensuring complete colonization of the gut. However, proliferation must be tempered by differentiation among cells that have reached their final destination and are ready to send axonal extensions, connect to effector cells, and begin to produce neurotransmitters or other signals. Abnormalities in the normal processes guiding ENCC development can lead to failure of ENS formation, as occurs in Hirschsprung disease, in which the distal intestine remains aganglionic. This review summarizes our current understanding of the factors involved in early development of the ENS and discusses areas in need of further investigation.
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Affiliation(s)
- Nandor Nagy
- Department of Pediatric Surgery, Massachusetts General Hospital, Harvard Medical School, Boston, MA, United States; Center for Neurointestinal Health, Massachusetts General Hospital, Boston, MA, United States; Department of Anatomy, Histology and Embryology, Faculty of Medicine, Semmelweis University, Budapest, Hungary
| | - Allan M Goldstein
- Department of Pediatric Surgery, Massachusetts General Hospital, Harvard Medical School, Boston, MA, United States; Center for Neurointestinal Health, Massachusetts General Hospital, Boston, MA, United States.
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20
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Heuckeroth RO, Schäfer KH. Gene-environment interactions and the enteric nervous system: Neural plasticity and Hirschsprung disease prevention. Dev Biol 2016; 417:188-97. [PMID: 26997034 PMCID: PMC5026873 DOI: 10.1016/j.ydbio.2016.03.017] [Citation(s) in RCA: 32] [Impact Index Per Article: 4.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 01/04/2016] [Revised: 03/04/2016] [Accepted: 03/14/2016] [Indexed: 12/12/2022]
Abstract
Intestinal function is primarily controlled by an intrinsic nervous system of the bowel called the enteric nervous system (ENS). The cells of the ENS are neural crest derivatives that migrate into and through the bowel during early stages of organogenesis before differentiating into a wide variety of neurons and glia. Although genetic factors critically underlie ENS development, it is now clear that many non-genetic factors may influence the number of enteric neurons, types of enteric neurons, and ratio of neurons to glia. These non-genetic influences include dietary nutrients and medicines that may impact ENS structure and function before or after birth. This review summarizes current data about gene-environment interactions that affect ENS development and suggests that these factors may contribute to human intestinal motility disorders like Hirschsprung disease or irritable bowel syndrome.
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Affiliation(s)
- Robert O Heuckeroth
- Department of Pediatrics, The Children's Hospital of Philadelphia Research Institute, USA; The Perelman School of Medicine at the University of Pennsylvania, Abramson Research Center, 3615 Civic Center Boulevard, Philadelphia, PA 19104, USA.
| | - Karl-Herbert Schäfer
- ENS Group, University of Applied Sciences Kaiserslautern/Zweibrücken, Germany; University of Heidelberg, Paediatric Surgery Mannheim, Germany
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Regulators of gene expression in Enteric Neural Crest Cells are putative Hirschsprung disease genes. Dev Biol 2016; 416:255-265. [DOI: 10.1016/j.ydbio.2016.06.004] [Citation(s) in RCA: 25] [Impact Index Per Article: 3.1] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 09/30/2015] [Revised: 05/17/2016] [Accepted: 06/02/2016] [Indexed: 11/21/2022]
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22
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Enteric nervous system assembly: Functional integration within the developing gut. Dev Biol 2016; 417:168-81. [PMID: 27235816 DOI: 10.1016/j.ydbio.2016.05.030] [Citation(s) in RCA: 53] [Impact Index Per Article: 6.6] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 02/26/2016] [Revised: 04/26/2016] [Accepted: 05/24/2016] [Indexed: 02/08/2023]
Abstract
Co-ordinated gastrointestinal function is the result of integrated communication between the enteric nervous system (ENS) and "effector" cells in the gastrointestinal tract. Unlike smooth muscle cells, interstitial cells, and the vast majority of cell types residing in the mucosa, enteric neurons and glia are not generated within the gut. Instead, they arise from neural crest cells that migrate into and colonise the developing gastrointestinal tract. Although they are "later" arrivals into the developing gut, enteric neural crest-derived cells (ENCCs) respond to many of the same secreted signalling molecules as the "resident" epithelial and mesenchymal cells, and several factors that control the development of smooth muscle cells, interstitial cells and epithelial cells also regulate ENCCs. Much progress has been made towards understanding the migration of ENCCs along the gastrointestinal tract and their differentiation into neurons and glia. However, our understanding of how enteric neurons begin to communicate with each other and extend their neurites out of the developing plexus layers to innervate the various cell types lining the concentric layers of the gastrointestinal tract is only beginning. It is critical for postpartum survival that the gastrointestinal tract and its enteric circuitry are sufficiently mature to cope with the influx of nutrients and their absorption that occurs shortly after birth. Subsequently, colonisation of the gut by immune cells and microbiota during postnatal development has an important impact that determines the ultimate outline of the intrinsic neural networks of the gut. In this review, we describe the integrated development of the ENS and its target cells.
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Comparative Microarray Analysis of Proliferating and Differentiating Murine ENS Progenitor Cells. Stem Cells Int 2015; 2016:9695827. [PMID: 26697082 PMCID: PMC4677255 DOI: 10.1155/2016/9695827] [Citation(s) in RCA: 10] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.1] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 05/15/2015] [Accepted: 07/12/2015] [Indexed: 11/17/2022] Open
Abstract
Postnatal neural progenitor cells of the enteric nervous system are a potential source for future cell replacement therapies of developmental dysplasia like Hirschsprung's disease. However, little is known about the molecular mechanisms driving the homeostasis and differentiation of this cell pool. In this work, we conducted Affymetrix GeneChip experiments to identify differences in gene regulation between proliferation and early differentiation of enteric neural progenitors from neonatal mice. We detected a total of 1333 regulated genes that were linked to different groups of cellular mechanisms involved in cell cycle, apoptosis, neural proliferation, and differentiation. As expected, we found an augmented inhibition in the gene expression of cell cycle progression as well as an enhanced mRNA expression of neuronal and glial differentiation markers. We further found a marked inactivation of the canonical Wnt pathway after the induction of cellular differentiation. Taken together, these data demonstrate the various molecular mechanisms taking place during the proliferation and early differentiation of enteric neural progenitor cells.
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Hepatocyte Growth Factor and MET Support Mouse Enteric Nervous System Development, the Peristaltic Response, and Intestinal Epithelial Proliferation in Response to Injury. J Neurosci 2015; 35:11543-58. [PMID: 26290232 DOI: 10.1523/jneurosci.5267-14.2015] [Citation(s) in RCA: 27] [Impact Index Per Article: 3.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 12/26/2022] Open
Abstract
UNLABELLED Factors providing trophic support to diverse enteric neuron subtypes remain poorly understood. We tested the hypothesis that hepatocyte growth factor (HGF) and the HGF receptor MET might support some types of enteric neurons. HGF and MET are expressed in fetal and adult enteric nervous system. In vitro, HGF increased enteric neuron differentiation and neurite length, but only if vanishingly small amounts (1 pg/ml) of glial cell line-derived neurotrophic factor were included in culture media. HGF effects were blocked by phosphatidylinositol-3 kinase inhibitor and by MET-blocking antibody. Both of these inhibitors and MEK inhibition reduced neurite length. In adult mice, MET was restricted to a subset of calcitonin gene-related peptide-immunoreactive (IR) myenteric plexus neurons thought to be intrinsic primary afferent neurons (IPANs). Conditional MET kinase domain inactivation (Met(fl/fl); Wnt1Cre+) caused a dramatic loss of myenteric plexus MET-IR neurites and 1-1'-dioctodecyl-3,3,3',3'-tetramethylindocarbocyamine perchlorate (DiI) labeling suggested reduced MET-IR neurite length. In vitro, Met(fl/fl); Wnt1Cre+ mouse bowel had markedly reduced peristalsis in response to mucosal deformation, but normal response to radial muscle stretch. However, whole-bowel transit, small-bowel transit, and colonic-bead expulsion were normal in Met(fl/fl); Wnt1Cre+ mice. Finally, Met(fl/fl); Wnt1Cre+ mice had more bowel injury and reduced epithelial cell proliferation compared with WT animals after dextran sodium sulfate treatment. These results suggest that HGF/MET signaling is important for development and function of a subset IPANs and that these cells regulate intestinal motility and epithelial cell proliferation in response to bowel injury. SIGNIFICANCE STATEMENT The enteric nervous system has many neuronal subtypes that coordinate and control intestinal activity. Trophic factors that support these neuron types and enhance neurite growth after fetal development are not well understood. We show that a subset of adult calcitonin gene-related peptide (CGRP)-expressing myenteric neurons produce MET, the receptor for hepatocyte growth factor, and that loss of MET activity affects peristalsis in response to mucosal stroking, reduces MET-immunoreactive neurites, and increases susceptibility to dextran sodium sulfate-induced bowel injury. These observations may be relevant for understanding and treating intestinal motility disorders and also suggest that enhancing the activity of MET-expressing CGRP neurons might be a useful strategy to reduce bowel inflammation.
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Böttner M, Fricke T, Müller M, Barrenschee M, Deuschl G, Schneider SA, Egberts JH, Becker T, Fritscher-Ravens A, Ellrichmann M, Schulz-Schaeffer WJ, Wedel T. Alpha-synuclein is associated with the synaptic vesicle apparatus in the human and rat enteric nervous system. Brain Res 2015; 1614:51-9. [DOI: 10.1016/j.brainres.2015.04.015] [Citation(s) in RCA: 15] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.7] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 10/10/2014] [Revised: 04/07/2015] [Accepted: 04/09/2015] [Indexed: 12/31/2022]
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Hirst CS, Foong JPP, Stamp LA, Fegan E, Dent S, Cooper EC, Lomax AE, Anderson CR, Bornstein JC, Young HM, McKeown SJ. Ion channel expression in the developing enteric nervous system. PLoS One 2015; 10:e0123436. [PMID: 25798587 PMCID: PMC4370736 DOI: 10.1371/journal.pone.0123436] [Citation(s) in RCA: 11] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.2] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 01/20/2015] [Accepted: 03/03/2015] [Indexed: 12/21/2022] Open
Abstract
The enteric nervous system arises from neural crest-derived cells (ENCCs) that migrate caudally along the embryonic gut. The expression of ion channels by ENCCs in embryonic mice was investigated using a PCR-based array, RT-PCR and immunohistochemistry. Many ion channels, including chloride, calcium, potassium and sodium channels were already expressed by ENCCs at E11.5. There was an increase in the expression of numerous ion channel genes between E11.5 and E14.5, which coincides with ENCC migration and the first extension of neurites by enteric neurons. Previous studies have shown that a variety of ion channels regulates neurite extension and migration of many cell types. Pharmacological inhibition of a range of chloride or calcium channels had no effect on ENCC migration in cultured explants or neuritogenesis in vitro. The non-selective potassium channel inhibitors, TEA and 4-AP, retarded ENCC migration and neuritogenesis, but only at concentrations that also resulted in cell death. In summary, a large range of ion channels is expressed while ENCCs are colonizing the gut, but we found no evidence that ENCC migration or neuritogenesis requires chloride, calcium or potassium channel activity. Many of the ion channels are likely to be involved in the development of electrical excitability of enteric neurons.
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Affiliation(s)
- Caroline S. Hirst
- Department of Anatomy & Neuroscience, University of Melbourne, Parkville, Victoria, Australia
| | - Jaime P. P. Foong
- Department of Anatomy & Neuroscience, University of Melbourne, Parkville, Victoria, Australia
- Department of Physiology, University of Melbourne, Parkville, Victoria, Australia
| | - Lincon A. Stamp
- Department of Anatomy & Neuroscience, University of Melbourne, Parkville, Victoria, Australia
| | - Emily Fegan
- Department of Anatomy & Neuroscience, University of Melbourne, Parkville, Victoria, Australia
| | - Stephan Dent
- Department of Anatomy & Neuroscience, University of Melbourne, Parkville, Victoria, Australia
| | - Edward C. Cooper
- Department of Molecular & Human Genetics, Baylor College of Medicine, Houston, Texas, United States of America
| | - Alan E. Lomax
- Department of Biomedical and Molecular Sciences, Queen's University, Kingston, Ontario, Canada
- Department of Medicine, Queen's University, Kingston, Ontario, Canada
| | - Colin R. Anderson
- Department of Anatomy & Neuroscience, University of Melbourne, Parkville, Victoria, Australia
| | - Joel C. Bornstein
- Department of Physiology, University of Melbourne, Parkville, Victoria, Australia
| | - Heather M. Young
- Department of Anatomy & Neuroscience, University of Melbourne, Parkville, Victoria, Australia
- * E-mail:
| | - Sonja J. McKeown
- Department of Anatomy & Neuroscience, University of Melbourne, Parkville, Victoria, Australia
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Bergeron KF, Cardinal T, Touré AM, Béland M, Raiwet DL, Silversides DW, Pilon N. Male-biased aganglionic megacolon in the TashT mouse line due to perturbation of silencer elements in a large gene desert of chromosome 10. PLoS Genet 2015; 11:e1005093. [PMID: 25786024 PMCID: PMC4364714 DOI: 10.1371/journal.pgen.1005093] [Citation(s) in RCA: 30] [Impact Index Per Article: 3.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 10/09/2014] [Accepted: 02/23/2015] [Indexed: 01/13/2023] Open
Abstract
Neural crest cells (NCC) are a transient migratory cell population that generates diverse cell types such as neurons and glia of the enteric nervous system (ENS). Via an insertional mutation screen for loci affecting NCC development in mice, we identified one line—named TashT—that displays a partially penetrant aganglionic megacolon phenotype in a strong male-biased manner. Interestingly, this phenotype is highly reminiscent of human Hirschsprung’s disease, a neurocristopathy with a still unexplained male sex bias. In contrast to the megacolon phenotype, colonic aganglionosis is almost fully penetrant in homozygous TashT animals. The sex bias in megacolon expressivity can be explained by the fact that the male ENS ends, on average, around a “tipping point” of minimal colonic ganglionosis while the female ENS ends, on average, just beyond it. Detailed analysis of embryonic intestines revealed that aganglionosis in homozygous TashT animals is due to slower migration of enteric NCC. The TashT insertional mutation is localized in a gene desert containing multiple highly conserved elements that exhibit repressive activity in reporter assays. RNAseq analyses and 3C assays revealed that the TashT insertion results, at least in part, in NCC-specific relief of repression of the uncharacterized gene Fam162b; an outcome independently confirmed via transient transgenesis. The transcriptional signature of enteric NCC from homozygous TashT embryos is also characterized by the deregulation of genes encoding members of the most important signaling pathways for ENS formation—Gdnf/Ret and Edn3/Ednrb—and, intriguingly, the downregulation of specific subsets of X-linked genes. In conclusion, this study not only allowed the identification of Fam162b coding and regulatory sequences as novel candidate loci for Hirschsprung’s disease but also provides important new insights into its male sex bias. Hirschsprung’s disease (also known as aganglionic megacolon) is a severe congenital defect of the enteric nervous system (ENS) resulting in complete failure to pass stools. It is characterized by the absence of neural ganglia (aganglionosis) in the distal gut due to incomplete colonization of the embryonic intestines by neural crest cells (NCC), the ENS precursors. Hirschsprung’s disease has an incidence of 1 in 5000 newborns and a 4:1 male sex bias. Although many genes have been associated with this complex genetic disease, most of its heritability as well as its male sex bias remain unexplained. Here, we describe an insertional mutant mouse line (“TashT”) in which virtually all homozygotes display colonic aganglionosis due to defective migration of enteric NCC, but in which only a subset of homozygotes develops megacolon. Surprisingly, this group is almost exclusively male. The TashT ENS defect stems, at least in part, from the disruption of long-range interactions between evolutionarily conserved elements with silencer activity and Fam162b, resulting in NCC-specific upregulation of this uncharacterized protein coding gene. Global analysis of gene expression further revealed that several hundreds of genes are significantly deregulated in TashT enteric NCC. Interestingly, this dataset includes multiple X-linked candidate genes potentially underlying the male sex bias. Taken together, our data pave the way for a clearer understanding of the intriguing male sex bias of Hirschsprung’s disease.
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Affiliation(s)
- Karl-F. Bergeron
- Molecular Genetics of Development Laboratory, Department of Biological Sciences and BioMed Research Center, University of Quebec at Montreal (UQAM), Quebec, Canada
| | - Tatiana Cardinal
- Molecular Genetics of Development Laboratory, Department of Biological Sciences and BioMed Research Center, University of Quebec at Montreal (UQAM), Quebec, Canada
| | - Aboubacrine M. Touré
- Molecular Genetics of Development Laboratory, Department of Biological Sciences and BioMed Research Center, University of Quebec at Montreal (UQAM), Quebec, Canada
| | - Mélanie Béland
- Molecular Genetics of Development Laboratory, Department of Biological Sciences and BioMed Research Center, University of Quebec at Montreal (UQAM), Quebec, Canada
| | - Diana L. Raiwet
- Veterinary Genetics Laboratory, Faculty of Veterinary Medicine, University of Montreal, Quebec, Canada
| | - David W. Silversides
- Veterinary Genetics Laboratory, Faculty of Veterinary Medicine, University of Montreal, Quebec, Canada
| | - Nicolas Pilon
- Molecular Genetics of Development Laboratory, Department of Biological Sciences and BioMed Research Center, University of Quebec at Montreal (UQAM), Quebec, Canada
- * E-mail:
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Yamaji M, Mahmoud M, Evans IM, Zachary IC. Neuropilin 1 is essential for gastrointestinal smooth muscle contractility and motility in aged mice. PLoS One 2015; 10:e0115563. [PMID: 25659123 PMCID: PMC4319892 DOI: 10.1371/journal.pone.0115563] [Citation(s) in RCA: 22] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.4] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 08/19/2014] [Accepted: 11/25/2014] [Indexed: 12/13/2022] Open
Abstract
Background and Aims Neuropilin 1 (NRP1) is a non-tyrosine kinase receptor for vascular endothelial growth factor (VEGF) and class 3 semaphorins, playing a role in angiogenesis and neuronal axon guidance, respectively. NRP1 is expressed in smooth muscle cells (SMC) but the functional role of NRP1 in SMC has not been elucidated. We therefore investigated the biological relevance of NRP1 in SMC in vivo by generating mice with SMC-specific Nrp1 deficiency. Methods Conditional gene targeting generated SMC-specific Nrp1 knockout mice (Nrp1SMKO) in which Cre recombinase is driven by the smooth muscle-specific myosin heavy chain (smMHC) promoter. Results SMC-specific Nrp1 deficiency resulted in a significant reduction in intestinal length by 6 months, and, by 18 months, in severe constipation, and enlargement of the intestine consistent with chronic intestinal pseudo-obstruction. These effects were associated with significant thinning of the intestinal smooth muscle, and decreased intestinal contractility. Expression of contractile proteins was reduced in Nrp1SMKO mice, including the smMHC isoform, SMB, whereas we observed a significant increase in the expression of the small-conductance calcium-activated potassium channel 3 (SK3/KCa2.3), implicated in negative regulation of smooth muscle contraction. Conclusions Nrp1 deficiency in visceral SMC results in adult-onset defects in gastrointestinal contractility and motility and causes a shift to a less contractile SMC phenotype. These findings indicate a new role for Nrp1 in the maintenance of the visceral SMC contractile phenotype required for normal GI motility in aged mice.
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Affiliation(s)
- Maiko Yamaji
- Centre for Cardiovascular Biology and Medicine, Division of Medicine, the Rayne Building, University College London, London, WC1E 6JJ, United Kingdom
| | - Marwa Mahmoud
- Centre for Cardiovascular Biology and Medicine, Division of Medicine, the Rayne Building, University College London, London, WC1E 6JJ, United Kingdom
| | - Ian M. Evans
- Centre for Cardiovascular Biology and Medicine, Division of Medicine, the Rayne Building, University College London, London, WC1E 6JJ, United Kingdom
| | - Ian C. Zachary
- Centre for Cardiovascular Biology and Medicine, Division of Medicine, the Rayne Building, University College London, London, WC1E 6JJ, United Kingdom
- * E-mail:
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29
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Torroglosa A, Enguix-Riego MV, Fernández RM, Román-Rodriguez FJ, Moya-Jiménez MJ, de Agustín JC, Antiñolo G, Borrego S. Involvement of DNMT3B in the pathogenesis of Hirschsprung disease and its possible role as a regulator of neurogenesis in the human enteric nervous system. Genet Med 2014; 16:703-10. [PMID: 24577265 DOI: 10.1038/gim.2014.17] [Citation(s) in RCA: 25] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 11/08/2013] [Accepted: 01/28/2014] [Indexed: 11/09/2022] Open
Abstract
PURPOSE Hirschsprung disease (OMIM 142623) is a neurocristopathy attributed to a failure of cell proliferation or migration and/or failure of the enteric precursors along the gut to differentiate during embryonic development. Although some genes involved in this pathology are well characterized, many aspects remain poorly understood. In this study, we aimed to identify novel genes implicated in the pathogenesis of Hirschsprung disease. METHODS We compared the expression patterns of genes involved in human stem cell pluripotency between enteric precursors from controls and Hirschsprung disease patients. We further evaluated the role of DNMT3B in the context of Hirschsprung disease by inmunocytochemistry, global DNA methylation assays, and mutational screening. RESULTS Seven differentially expressed genes were identified. We focused on DNMT3B, which encodes a DNA methyltransferase that performs de novo DNA methylation during embryonic development. DNMT3B mutational analysis in our Hirschsprung disease series revealed the presence of potentially pathogenic mutations (p.Gly25Arg, p.Arg190Cys, and p.Gly198Trp). CONCLUSION DNMT3B may be regulating enteric nervous system development through DNA methylation in the neural crest cells, suggesting that aberrant methylation patterns could have a relevant role in Hirschsprung disease. Moreover, the synergistic effect of mutations in both DNMT3B and other Hirschsprung disease-related genes may be contributing to a more severe phenotype in our Hirschsprung disease patients.
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Affiliation(s)
- Ana Torroglosa
- 1] Department of Genetics, Reproduction, and Fetal Medicine, Institute of Biomedicine of Seville, University Hospital Virgen del Rocío/CSIC/University of Seville, Seville, Spain [2] Centre for Biomedical Network Research on Rare Diseases, Seville, Spain
| | - María Valle Enguix-Riego
- 1] Department of Genetics, Reproduction, and Fetal Medicine, Institute of Biomedicine of Seville, University Hospital Virgen del Rocío/CSIC/University of Seville, Seville, Spain [2] Centre for Biomedical Network Research on Rare Diseases, Seville, Spain
| | - Raquel María Fernández
- 1] Department of Genetics, Reproduction, and Fetal Medicine, Institute of Biomedicine of Seville, University Hospital Virgen del Rocío/CSIC/University of Seville, Seville, Spain [2] Centre for Biomedical Network Research on Rare Diseases, Seville, Spain
| | - Francisco José Román-Rodriguez
- 1] Department of Genetics, Reproduction, and Fetal Medicine, Institute of Biomedicine of Seville, University Hospital Virgen del Rocío/CSIC/University of Seville, Seville, Spain [2] Centre for Biomedical Network Research on Rare Diseases, Seville, Spain
| | | | | | - Guillermo Antiñolo
- 1] Department of Genetics, Reproduction, and Fetal Medicine, Institute of Biomedicine of Seville, University Hospital Virgen del Rocío/CSIC/University of Seville, Seville, Spain [2] Centre for Biomedical Network Research on Rare Diseases, Seville, Spain
| | - Salud Borrego
- 1] Department of Genetics, Reproduction, and Fetal Medicine, Institute of Biomedicine of Seville, University Hospital Virgen del Rocío/CSIC/University of Seville, Seville, Spain [2] Centre for Biomedical Network Research on Rare Diseases, Seville, Spain
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30
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Zhang SC, Chen F, Jiang KL, Yuan ZW, Wang WL. Comparative proteomic profiles of the normal and aganglionic hindgut in human Hirschsprung disease. Pediatr Res 2014; 75:754-61. [PMID: 24608570 DOI: 10.1038/pr.2014.33] [Citation(s) in RCA: 4] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.4] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Submit a Manuscript] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 08/14/2013] [Accepted: 12/04/2013] [Indexed: 01/14/2023]
Abstract
BACKGROUND Hirschsprung disease (HSCR) is the third most common congenital disorder of the gastrointestinal tract. This study aims to elucidate changes in protein expression between the normal and aganglionic hindgut in human HSCR. METHODS The biopsies were obtained from the normal and aganglionic hindgut in human HSCR, and the comparative proteomics were analyzed by mass spectrometry (MS)-based two-dimensional gel electrophoresis (2DE). RESULTS A total of 932-986 protein spots were identified in each of the gut segments, among which 30 spots had at least an eightfold difference in volume (%). Of the 30 differentially expressed spots, 15 proteins were identified via sequence analysis. Among these 15 proteins, eight were upregulated and seven were downregulated in the aganglionic group. The well-represented classes included biomarkers of enteric ganglions, extracellular matrix proteins, LIM domain proteins, serum proteins, and other pleiotropic proteins. Five proteins were selected and verified by western blotting and real-time PCR, and the results were consistent with the results of 2DE. CONCLUSION MS-based 2DE can help to identify pathological relevant proteins in HSCR; it defines an extensive protein catalog of the normal and aganglionic hindgut and may constitute the basis to understand pathophysiological mechanisms related to the HSCR.
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Affiliation(s)
- Shu-Cheng Zhang
- Department of Pediatric Surgery, Major Laboratory of Chinese Health Ministry for Congenital Malformations, Shengjing Hospital of China Medical University, Shenyang, China
| | - Fang Chen
- Department of Hematology, Shengjing Hospital of China Medical University, Shenyang, China
| | - Kai-Lei Jiang
- Department of Pediatric Surgery, Major Laboratory of Chinese Health Ministry for Congenital Malformations, Shengjing Hospital of China Medical University, Shenyang, China
| | - Zheng-Wei Yuan
- Department of Pediatric Surgery, Major Laboratory of Chinese Health Ministry for Congenital Malformations, Shengjing Hospital of China Medical University, Shenyang, China
| | - Wei-Lin Wang
- Department of Pediatric Surgery, Major Laboratory of Chinese Health Ministry for Congenital Malformations, Shengjing Hospital of China Medical University, Shenyang, China
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Lake JI, Heuckeroth RO. Enteric nervous system development: migration, differentiation, and disease. Am J Physiol Gastrointest Liver Physiol 2013; 305:G1-24. [PMID: 23639815 PMCID: PMC3725693 DOI: 10.1152/ajpgi.00452.2012] [Citation(s) in RCA: 229] [Impact Index Per Article: 20.8] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Submit a Manuscript] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 01/31/2023]
Abstract
The enteric nervous system (ENS) provides the intrinsic innervation of the bowel and is the most neurochemically diverse branch of the peripheral nervous system, consisting of two layers of ganglia and fibers encircling the gastrointestinal tract. The ENS is vital for life and is capable of autonomous regulation of motility and secretion. Developmental studies in model organisms and genetic studies of the most common congenital disease of the ENS, Hirschsprung disease, have provided a detailed understanding of ENS development. The ENS originates in the neural crest, mostly from the vagal levels of the neuraxis, which invades, proliferates, and migrates within the intestinal wall until the entire bowel is colonized with enteric neural crest-derived cells (ENCDCs). After initial migration, the ENS develops further by responding to guidance factors and morphogens that pattern the bowel concentrically, differentiating into glia and neuronal subtypes and wiring together to form a functional nervous system. Molecules controlling this process, including glial cell line-derived neurotrophic factor and its receptor RET, endothelin (ET)-3 and its receptor endothelin receptor type B, and transcription factors such as SOX10 and PHOX2B, are required for ENS development in humans. Important areas of active investigation include mechanisms that guide ENCDC migration, the role and signals downstream of endothelin receptor type B, and control of differentiation, neurochemical coding, and axonal targeting. Recent work also focuses on disease treatment by exploring the natural role of ENS stem cells and investigating potential therapeutic uses. Disease prevention may also be possible by modifying the fetal microenvironment to reduce the penetrance of Hirschsprung disease-causing mutations.
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Affiliation(s)
- Jonathan I. Lake
- 1Department of Pediatrics, Washington University School of Medicine, St. Louis, Missouri; and
| | - Robert O. Heuckeroth
- 1Department of Pediatrics, Washington University School of Medicine, St. Louis, Missouri; and ,2Department of Developmental, Regenerative, and Stem Cell Biology, Washington University School of Medicine, St. Louis, Missouri
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32
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Alves MM, Sribudiani Y, Brouwer RWW, Amiel J, Antiñolo G, Borrego S, Ceccherini I, Chakravarti A, Fernández RM, Garcia-Barcelo MM, Griseri P, Lyonnet S, Tam PK, van Ijcken WFJ, Eggen BJL, te Meerman GJ, Hofstra RMW. Contribution of rare and common variants determine complex diseases-Hirschsprung disease as a model. Dev Biol 2013; 382:320-9. [PMID: 23707863 DOI: 10.1016/j.ydbio.2013.05.019] [Citation(s) in RCA: 91] [Impact Index Per Article: 8.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 11/16/2012] [Revised: 05/13/2013] [Accepted: 05/15/2013] [Indexed: 12/22/2022]
Abstract
Finding genes for complex diseases has been the goal of many genetic studies. Most of these studies have been successful by searching for genes and mutations in rare familial cases, by screening candidate genes and by performing genome wide association studies. However, only a small fraction of the total genetic risk for these complex genetic diseases can be explained by the identified mutations and associated genetic loci. In this review we focus on Hirschsprung disease (HSCR) as an example of a complex genetic disorder. We describe the genes identified in this congenital malformation and postulate that both common 'low penetrant' variants in combination with rare or private 'high penetrant' variants determine the risk on HSCR, and likely, on other complex diseases. We also discuss how new technological advances can be used to gain further insights in the genetic background of complex diseases. Finally, we outline a few steps to develop functional assays in order to determine the involvement of these variants in disease development.
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Affiliation(s)
- Maria M Alves
- Department of Clinical Genetics, Dr. Molewaterplein, 50, Rotterdam, The Netherlands.
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Abstract
Gastrointestinal (GI) motility function and its regulation is a complex process involving collaboration and communication of multiple cell types such as enteric neurons, interstitial cells of Cajal (ICC), and smooth muscle cells. Recent advances in GI research made a better understanding of ICC function and their role in the GI tract, and studies based on different types of techniques have shown that ICC, as an integral part of the GI neuromuscular apparatus, transduce inputs from enteric motor neurons, generate intrinsic electrical rhythmicity in phasic smooth muscles, and have a mechanical sensation ability. Absence or improper function of these cells has been linked to some GI tract disorders. This paper provides a general overview of ICC; their discovery, subtypes, function, locations in the GI tract, and some disorders associated with their loss or disease, and highlights some controversial issues with regard to the importance of ICC in the GI tract.
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Affiliation(s)
- Othman A. Al-Shboul
- Department of Physiology, Jordan University of Science and Technology, Irbid, Jordan,Address for correspondence: Dr. Othman Abdullah Al-Shboul, Department of Physiology, Jordan University of Science and Technology, P.O. Box 3030, Irbid - 22110, Jordan. E-mail:
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34
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Hao MM, Bornstein JC, Vanden Berghe P, Lomax AE, Young HM, Foong JPP. The emergence of neural activity and its role in the development of the enteric nervous system. Dev Biol 2012; 382:365-74. [PMID: 23261929 DOI: 10.1016/j.ydbio.2012.12.006] [Citation(s) in RCA: 31] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.6] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 09/26/2012] [Revised: 12/03/2012] [Accepted: 12/10/2012] [Indexed: 12/31/2022]
Abstract
The enteric nervous system (ENS) is a vital part of the autonomic nervous system that regulates many gastrointestinal functions, including motility and secretion. All neurons and glia of the ENS arise from neural crest-derived cells that migrate into the gastrointestinal tract during embryonic development. It has been known for many years that a subpopulation of the enteric neural crest-derived cells expresses pan-neuronal markers at early stages of ENS development. Recent studies have demonstrated that some enteric neurons exhibit electrical activity from as early as E11.5 in the mouse, with further maturation of activity during embryonic and postnatal development. This article discusses the maturation of electrophysiological and morphological properties of enteric neurons, the formation of synapses and synaptic activity, and the influence of neural activity on ENS development.
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Affiliation(s)
- Marlene M Hao
- Department of Anatomy and Neuroscience, the University of Melbourne, Victoria 3010, Australia
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McKeown SJ, Wallace AS, Anderson RB. Expression and function of cell adhesion molecules during neural crest migration. Dev Biol 2012; 373:244-57. [PMID: 23123967 DOI: 10.1016/j.ydbio.2012.10.028] [Citation(s) in RCA: 45] [Impact Index Per Article: 3.8] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 08/08/2012] [Revised: 10/18/2012] [Accepted: 10/25/2012] [Indexed: 01/13/2023]
Abstract
Neural crest cells are highly migratory cells that give rise to many derivatives including peripheral ganglia, craniofacial structures and melanocytes. Neural crest cells migrate along defined pathways to their target sites, interacting with each other and their environment as they migrate. Cell adhesion molecules are critical during this process. In this review we discuss the expression and function of cell adhesion molecules during the process of neural crest migration, in particular cadherins, integrins, members of the immunoglobulin superfamily of cell adhesion molecules, and the proteolytic enzymes that cleave these cell adhesion molecules. The expression and function of these cell adhesion molecules and proteases are compared across neural crest emigrating from different axial levels, and across different species of vertebrates.
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Affiliation(s)
- Sonja J McKeown
- Department of Anatomy and Neuroscience, University of Melbourne, 3010 VIC, Australia.
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Abstract
Neural activity is integral to the development of the enteric nervous system (ENS). A subpopulation of neural crest-derived cells expresses pan-neuronal markers at early stages of ENS development (at E10.5 in the mouse). However, the electrical activity of these cells has not been previously characterized, and it is not known whether all cells expressing neuronal markers are capable of firing action potentials (APs). In this study, we examined the activity of "neuron"-like cells (expressing pan-neuronal markers or with neuronal morphology) in the gut of E11.5 and E12.5 mice using whole-cell patch-clamp electrophysiology and compared them to the activity of neonatal and adult enteric neurons. Around 30-40% of neuron-like cells at E11.5 and E12.5 fired APs, some of which were very similar to those of adult enteric neurons. All APs were sensitive to tetrodotoxin (TTX), indicating that they were driven by voltage-gated Na+ currents. Expression of mRNA encoding several voltage-gated Na+ channels by the E11.5 gut was detected using RT-PCR. The density of voltage-gated Na+ currents increased from E11.5 to neonates. Immature active responses, mediated in part by TTX- and lidocaine-insensitive channels, were observed in most cells at E11.5 and E12.5, but not in P0/P1 or adult neurons. However, some cells expressing neuronal markers at E11.5 or E12.5 did not exhibit an active response to depolarization. Spontaneous depolarizations resembling excitatory postsynaptic potentials were observed at E12.5. The ENS is one of the earliest parts of the developing nervous system to exhibit mature forms of electrical activity.
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Kiba T. Relationships between ventromedial hypothalamic lesions and the expressions of neuron-related genes in visceral organs. Neurosci Res 2012; 74:1-6. [DOI: 10.1016/j.neures.2012.07.001] [Citation(s) in RCA: 2] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.2] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 01/30/2012] [Revised: 07/02/2012] [Accepted: 07/04/2012] [Indexed: 10/28/2022]
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Hitch MC, Leinicke JA, Wakeman D, Guo J, Erwin CR, Rowland KJ, Merrick EC, Heuckeroth RO, Warner BW. Ret heterozygous mice have enhanced intestinal adaptation after massive small bowel resection. Am J Physiol Gastrointest Liver Physiol 2012; 302:G1143-50. [PMID: 22421622 PMCID: PMC3362098 DOI: 10.1152/ajpgi.00296.2011] [Citation(s) in RCA: 13] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.1] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Submit a Manuscript] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 01/31/2023]
Abstract
Intestinal adaptation is an important compensatory response to massive small bowel resection (SBR) and occurs because of a proliferative stimulus to crypt enterocytes by poorly understood mechanisms. Recent studies suggest the enteric nervous system (ENS) influences enterocyte proliferation. We, therefore, sought to determine whether ENS dysfunction alters resection-induced adaptation responses. Ret+/- mice with abnormal ENS function and wild-type (WT) littermates underwent sham surgery or 50% SBR. After 7 days, ileal morphology, enterocyte proliferation, apoptosis, and selected signaling proteins were characterized. Crypt depth and villus height were equivalent at baseline in WT and Ret+/- mice. In contrast after SBR, Ret+/- mice had longer villi (Ret+/- 426.7 ± 46.0 μm vs. WT 306.5 ± 7.7 μm, P < 0.001) and deeper crypts (Ret+/- 119 ± 3.4 μm vs. WT 82.4 ± 3.1 μm, P < 0.001) than WT. Crypt enterocyte proliferation was higher in Ret+/- (48.8 ± 1.3%) than WT (39.9 ± 2.1%; P < 0.001) after resection, but apoptosis rates were similar. Remnant bowel of Ret+/- mice also had higher levels of glucagon-like peptide 2 (6.2-fold, P = 0.005) and amphiregulin (4.6-fold, P < 0.001) mRNA after SBR, but serum glucagon-like peptide 2 protein levels were equal in WT and Ret+/- mice, and there was no evidence of increased c-Fos nuclear localization in submucosal neurons. Western blot confirmed higher crypt epidermal growth factor receptor (EGFR) protein levels (1.44-fold; P < 0.001) and more phosphorylated EGFR (2-fold; P = 0.003) in Ret+/- than WT mice after SBR. These data suggest that Ret heterozygosity enhances intestinal adaptation after massive SBR, likely via enhanced EGFR signaling. Reducing Ret activity or altering ENS function may provide a novel strategy to enhance adaptation attenuating morbidity in patients with short bowel syndrome.
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Affiliation(s)
- Meredith C. Hitch
- 1Department of Pediatrics, Division of Pediatric Gastroenterology, Hepatology, and Nutrition, and
| | - Jennifer A. Leinicke
- 2Department of Surgery, Division of Pediatric Surgery, Washington University School of Medicine, St. Louis Children's Hospital, and
| | - Derek Wakeman
- 2Department of Surgery, Division of Pediatric Surgery, Washington University School of Medicine, St. Louis Children's Hospital, and
| | - Jun Guo
- 2Department of Surgery, Division of Pediatric Surgery, Washington University School of Medicine, St. Louis Children's Hospital, and
| | - Chris R. Erwin
- 2Department of Surgery, Division of Pediatric Surgery, Washington University School of Medicine, St. Louis Children's Hospital, and
| | - Kathryn J. Rowland
- 2Department of Surgery, Division of Pediatric Surgery, Washington University School of Medicine, St. Louis Children's Hospital, and
| | - Ellen C. Merrick
- 1Department of Pediatrics, Division of Pediatric Gastroenterology, Hepatology, and Nutrition, and
| | - Robert O. Heuckeroth
- 1Department of Pediatrics, Division of Pediatric Gastroenterology, Hepatology, and Nutrition, and ,3Department of Developmental, Regenerative and Stem Cell Biology, Washington University School of Medicine, St. Louis, Missouri
| | - Brad W. Warner
- 2Department of Surgery, Division of Pediatric Surgery, Washington University School of Medicine, St. Louis Children's Hospital, and
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Saeed A, Barreto L, Neogii SG, Loos A, McFarlane I, Aslam A. Identification of novel genes in Hirschsprung disease pathway using whole genome expression study. J Pediatr Surg 2012; 47:303-7. [PMID: 22325380 DOI: 10.1016/j.jpedsurg.2011.11.017] [Citation(s) in RCA: 15] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Submit a Manuscript] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 11/04/2011] [Accepted: 11/10/2011] [Indexed: 12/11/2022]
Abstract
AIM This study aims to identify new genes not described previously that may be relevant in the etiology or pathophysiology of patients with Hirschsprung disease (HD). This was done by identifying differences in gene expression between normal and abnormal segments of bowel in HD patients compared with controls. METHODS Full-thickness colonic tissue samples were taken from HD patients, both from the diseased (Ds) and normal segment of the colon (Nr), and from controls (Ct). Samples were further dissected into mucosa (MUC) and muscle (MUS). RNA was extracted and analyzed on Affymetrix Gene Chip Human Gene 1.0 ST arrays. Statistical analyses using ANOVA with a fold change cut off of 2 was applied to detect a number of differentially expressed genes. Selected genes were revalidated by quantitative real-time reverse transcriptase polymerase chain reaction. RESULTS Thirty-four samples (18 MUS and 16 MUC) were analyzed. MUC (1.64 ± 0.46 μg/mg) and MUS (0.83 ± 0.48 μg/mg) showed good RNA extraction yield and quality. Of the 24,987 filtered on expression genes, MUS showed 220 genes with expression difference of 2-fold, out of which 120 genes were significant with P ≤ .05. Similarly, MUC demonstrated 206 genes with 2-fold changes and 9 had P ≤ .05. Some genes showing differential expression between groups and therefore subject to further analysis were RELN, GAL, GAP43, NRSN1, and GABRG2. CONCLUSION Analyzed data showed significant differences in expression of above sets of genes with up- and down-regulation, which has not been described before in HD and could have a role in pathogenesis of this condition.
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Affiliation(s)
- Atif Saeed
- Department of Paediatric Surgery, Box 267, Addenbrookes Hospital, Cambridge University Hospitals NHS Foundation Trust, Hills Road, Cambridge CB2 0QQ, UK.
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Abstract
Neurons of the enteric nervous system (ENS) arise from neural crest cells that migrate into and along the developing gastrointestinal tract. A subpopulation of these neural-crest derived cells express pan-neuronal markers early in development, shortly after they first enter the gut. However, it is unknown whether these early enteric "neurons" are electrically active. In this study we used live Ca(2+) imaging to examine the activity of enteric neurons from mice at embryonic day 11.5 (E11.5), E12.5, E15.5, and E18.5 that were dissociated and cultured overnight. PGP9.5-immunoreactive neurons from E11.5 gut cultures responded to electrical field stimulation with fast [Ca(2+)](i) transients that were sensitive to TTX and ω-conotoxin GVIA, suggesting roles for voltage-gated Na(+) channels and N-type voltage-gated Ca(2+) channels. E11.5 neurons were also responsive to the nicotinic cholinergic agonist, dimethylphenylpiperazinium, and to ATP. In addition, spontaneous [Ca(2+)](i) transients were present. Similar responses were observed in neurons from older embryonic gut. Whole-cell patch-clamp recordings performed on E12.5 enteric neurons after 2-10 h in culture revealed that these neurons fired both spontaneous and evoked action potentials. Together, our results show that enteric neurons exhibit mature forms of activity at early stages of ENS development. This is the first investigation to directly examine the presence of neural activity during enteric neuron development. Along with the spinal cord and hindbrain, the ENS appears to be one of the earliest parts of the nervous system to exhibit electrical activity.
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Abstract
BACKGROUND The vagus nerve is the major neural connection between the gastrointestinal tract and the central nervous system. During fetal development, axons from the cell bodies of the nodose ganglia and the dorsal motor nucleus grow into the gut to find their enteric targets, providing the vagal sensory and motor innervations respectively. Vagal sensory and motor axons innervate selective targets, suggesting a role for guidance cues in the establishment of the normal pattern of enteric vagal innervation. PURPOSE This review explores known molecular mechanisms that guide vagal innervation in the gastrointestinal tract. Guidance and growth factors, such as netrin-1 and its receptor, deleted in colorectal cancer, extracellular matrix molecules, such as laminin-111, and members of the neurotrophin family of molecules, such as brain-derived neurotrophic factor have been identified as mediating the guidance of vagal axons to the fetal mouse gut. In addition to increasing our understanding of the development of enteric innervation, studies of vagal development may also reveal clinically relevant insights into the underlying mechanisms of vago-vagal communication with the gastrointestinal tract.
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Affiliation(s)
- E M Ratcliffe
- Division of Gastroenterology and Nutrition, Department of Pediatrics, McMaster University, 1280 Main Street West, Hamilton, Ontario, Canada.
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Hao MM, Moore RE, Roberts RR, Nguyen T, Furness JB, Anderson RB, Young HM. The role of neural activity in the migration and differentiation of enteric neuron precursors. Neurogastroenterol Motil 2010; 22:e127-37. [PMID: 20082666 DOI: 10.1111/j.1365-2982.2009.01462.x] [Citation(s) in RCA: 24] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.7] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Submit a Manuscript] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 12/12/2022]
Abstract
BACKGROUND As they migrate through the developing gut, a sub-population of enteric neural crest-derived cells (ENCCs) begins to differentiate into neurons. The early appearance of neurons raises the possibility that electrical activity and neurotransmitter release could influence the migration or differentiation of ENNCs. METHODS The appearance of neuronal sub-types in the gut of embryonic mice was examined using immunohistochemistry. The effects of blocking various forms of neural activity on ENCC migration and neuronal differentiation were examined using explants of cultured embryonic gut. KEY RESULTS Nerve fibers were present in close apposition to many ENCCs. Commencing at E11.5, neuronal nitric oxide synthase (nNOS), calbindin and IK(Ca) channel immunoreactivities were shown by sub-populations of enteric neurons. In cultured explants of embryonic gut, tetrodotoxin (TTX, an inhibitor of action potential generation), nitro-L-arginine (NOLA, an inhibitor of nitric oxide synthesis) and clotrimazole (an IK(Ca) channel blocker) did not affect the rate of ENCC migration, but tetanus toxin (an inhibitor of SNARE-mediated vesicle fusion) significantly impaired ENCC migration as previously reported. In explants of E11.5 and E12.5 hindgut grown in the presence of TTX or tetanus toxin there was a decrease in the number nNOS+ neurons close to the migratory wavefront, but no significant difference in the proportion of all ENCC that expressed the pan-neuronal marker, Hu. CONCLUSIONS & INFERENCES (i) Some enteric neuron sub-types are present very early during the development of the enteric nervous system. (ii) The rate of differentiation of some sub-types of enteric neurons appears to be influenced by TTX- and tetanus toxin-sensitive mechanisms.
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Affiliation(s)
- M M Hao
- Department of Anatomy & Cell Biology, University of Melbourne, Vic., Australia
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Hotta R, Anderson RB, Kobayashi K, Newgreen DF, Young HM. Effects of tissue age, presence of neurones and endothelin-3 on the ability of enteric neurone precursors to colonize recipient gut: implications for cell-based therapies. Neurogastroenterol Motil 2010; 22:331-e86. [PMID: 19775251 DOI: 10.1111/j.1365-2982.2009.01411.x] [Citation(s) in RCA: 44] [Impact Index Per Article: 3.1] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Submit a Manuscript] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 12/24/2022]
Abstract
BACKGROUND Most enteric neurones arise from neural crest cells that originate in the post-otic hindbrain, and migrate into and along the developing gastrointestinal tract. There is currently great interest in the possibility of cell therapy to replace diseased or absent enteric neurones in patients with enteric neuropathies, such as Hirschsprung's disease. However, it is unclear whether neural crest stem/progenitor cells will be able to colonize colon (i) in which the mesenchyme has differentiated into distinct layers, (ii) that already contains enteric neurones or (iii) that lacks a gene expressed by the gut mesenchyme, such as endothelin-3 (Et-3). METHODS Co-cultures were used to examine the ability of enteric neural crest-derived cells (ENCCs) from E11.5 mouse gut to colonize a variety of recipient hindguts. KEY RESULTS Enteric neural crest-derived cells migrated and gave rise to neurones in E14.5 and E16.5 aneural colon in which the external muscle layers had differentiated, but they did not migrate as far as in younger colon. There was no evidence of altered ENCC proliferation, cell death or neuronal differentiation in older recipient explants. Enteric neural crest-derived cells failed to enter most recipient E14.5 and E16.5 colon explants already containing enteric neurones, and the few that did showed very limited migration. Finally, ENCCs migrated a shorter distance and a higher proportion expressed the pan-neuronal marker, Hu, in recipient E11.5 Et-3(-/-) colon compared to wild-type recipient colon. CONCLUSIONS & INFERENCES Age and an absence of Et-3 from the recipient gut both significantly reduced but did not prevent ENCC migration, but the presence of neurones almost totally prevented ENCC migration.
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Affiliation(s)
- R Hotta
- Department of Anatomy & Cell Biology, University of Melbourne, Victoria, Australia
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Abstract
The mature enteric nervous system (ENS) is composed of many different neuron subtypes and enteric glia, which all arise from the neural crest. How this diversity is generated from neural crest-derived cells is a central question in neurogastroenterology, as defects in these processes are likely to underlie some paediatric motility disorders. Here we review the developmental appearance (the earliest age at which expression of specific markers can be localized) and birthdates (the age at which precursors exit the cell cycle) of different enteric neuron subtypes, and their projections to some targets. We then focus on what is known about the mechanisms underlying the generation of enteric neuron diversity and axon pathfinding. Finally, we review the development of the ENS in humans and the etiologies of a number of paediatric motility disorders.
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Affiliation(s)
- Marlene M Hao
- Department of Anatomy & Cell Biology, University of MelbourneParkville, Victoria, Australia
| | - Heather M Young
- Department of Anatomy & Cell Biology, University of MelbourneParkville, Victoria, Australia
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Burzynski G, Shepherd IT, Enomoto H. Genetic model system studies of the development of the enteric nervous system, gut motility and Hirschsprung's disease. Neurogastroenterol Motil 2009; 21:113-27. [PMID: 19215589 PMCID: PMC4041618 DOI: 10.1111/j.1365-2982.2008.01256.x] [Citation(s) in RCA: 73] [Impact Index Per Article: 4.9] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Submit a Manuscript] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 12/13/2022]
Abstract
The enteric nervous system (ENS) is the largest and most complicated subdivision of the peripheral nervous system. Its action is necessary to regulate many of the functions of the gastrointestinal tract including its motility. Whilst the ENS has been studied extensively by developmental biologists, neuroscientists and physiologists for several decades it has only been since the early 1990s that the molecular and genetic basis of ENS development has begun to emerge. Central to this understanding has been the use of genetic model organisms. In this article, we will discuss recent advances that have been achieved using both mouse and zebrafish model genetic systems that have led to new insights into ENS development and the genetic basis of Hirschsprung's disease.
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Affiliation(s)
- G Burzynski
- Department of Biology, Emory University, Atlanta, GA 30322, USA
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Bogni S, Trainor P, Natarajan D, Krumlauf R, Pachnis V. Non-cell-autonomous effects of Ret deletion in early enteric neurogenesis. Development 2008; 135:3007-11. [PMID: 18684739 DOI: 10.1242/dev.025163] [Citation(s) in RCA: 14] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.9] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 12/30/2022]
Abstract
Neural crest cells (NCCs) form at the dorsal margin of the neural tube and migrate along distinct pathways throughout the vertebrate embryo to generate multiple cell types. A subpopulation of vagal NCCs invades the foregut and colonises the entire gastrointestinal tract to form the enteric nervous system (ENS). The colonisation of embryonic gut by NCCs has been studied extensively in chick embryos, and genetic studies in mice have identified genes crucial for ENS development, including Ret. Here, we have combined mouse embryo and organotypic gut culture to monitor and experimentally manipulate the progenitors of the ENS. Using this system, we demonstrate that lineally marked intestinal ENS progenitors from E11.5 mouse embryos grafted into the early vagal NCC pathway of E8.5 embryos colonise the entire length of the gastrointestinal tract. By contrast, similar progenitors transplanted into Ret-deficient host embryos are restricted to the proximal foregut. Our findings establish an experimental system that can be used to explore the interactions of NCCs with their cellular environment and reveal a previously unrecognised non-cell-autonomous effect of Ret deletion on ENS development.
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Affiliation(s)
- Silvia Bogni
- Division of Molecular Neurobiology, National Institute for Medical Research, The Ridgeway, Mill Hill, London NW7 1AA, UK
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Sato Y, Heuckeroth RO. Retinoic acid regulates murine enteric nervous system precursor proliferation, enhances neuronal precursor differentiation, and reduces neurite growth in vitro. Dev Biol 2008; 320:185-98. [PMID: 18561907 PMCID: PMC2586054 DOI: 10.1016/j.ydbio.2008.05.524] [Citation(s) in RCA: 46] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.9] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 01/14/2008] [Revised: 05/01/2008] [Accepted: 05/02/2008] [Indexed: 02/01/2023]
Abstract
Enteric nervous system (ENS) precursors undergo a complex process of cell migration, proliferation, and differentiation to form an integrated network of neurons and glia within the bowel wall. Although retinoids regulate ENS development, molecular and cellular mechanisms of retinoid effects on the ENS are not well understood. We hypothesized that retinoids might directly affect ENS precursor differentiation and proliferation, and tested that hypothesis using immunoselected fetal ENS precursors in primary culture. We now demonstrate that all retinoid receptors and many retinoid biosynthetic enzymes are present in the fetal bowel at about the time that migrating ENS precursors reach the distal bowel. We further demonstrate that retinoic acid (RA) enhances proliferation of subsets of ENS precursors in a time-dependent fashion and increases neuronal differentiation. Surprisingly, however, enteric neurons that develop in retinoid deficient media have dramatically longer neurites than those exposed to RA. This difference in neurite growth correlates with increased RhoA protein at the neurite tip, decreased Smurf1 (a protein that targets RhoA for degradation), and dramatically decreased Smurf1 mRNA in response to RA. Collectively these data demonstrate diverse effects of RA on ENS precursor development and suggest that altered fetal retinoid availability or metabolism could contribute to intestinal motility disorders.
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Affiliation(s)
- Yoshiharu Sato
- Department of Pediatrics, Department of Developmental Biology, Washington University School of Medicine, 660 South Euclid Avenue, Box 8208, St. Louis MO 63110
| | - Robert O. Heuckeroth
- Department of Pediatrics, Department of Developmental Biology, Washington University School of Medicine, 660 South Euclid Avenue, Box 8208, St. Louis MO 63110
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Abstract
The enteric nervous system (ENS) consists of many different types of enteric neurones forming complex reflex circuits that underlie or regulate many gut functions. Studies of humans with Hirschsprung's disease (distal aganglionosis), and of animal models of Hirschsprung's disease, have led to the identification of many of the genetic, molecular and cellular mechanisms responsible for the colonization of the gut by enteric neurone precursors. However, later events in the ENS development are still poorly understood, including the development of functioning ENS circuits. This article is a personal view of the current state of play in our understanding of the ENS development and of the future of the field.
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Affiliation(s)
- H M Young
- Department of Anatomy and Cell Biology, University of Melbourne, Melbourne, Victoria, Australia.
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Teng L, Mundell NA, Frist AY, Wang Q, Labosky PA. Requirement for Foxd3 in the maintenance of neural crest progenitors. Development 2008; 135:1615-24. [PMID: 18367558 DOI: 10.1242/dev.012179] [Citation(s) in RCA: 142] [Impact Index Per Article: 8.9] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 12/12/2022]
Abstract
Understanding the molecular mechanisms of stem cell maintenance is crucial for the ultimate goal of manipulating stem cells for the treatment of disease. Foxd3 is required early in mouse embryogenesis; Foxd3(-/-) embryos fail around the time of implantation, cells of the inner cell mass cannot be maintained in vitro, and blastocyst-derived stem cell lines cannot be established. Here, we report that Foxd3 is required for maintenance of the multipotent mammalian neural crest. Using tissue-specific deletion of Foxd3 in the neural crest, we show that Foxd3(flox/-); Wnt1-Cre mice die perinatally with a catastrophic loss of neural crest-derived structures. Cranial neural crest tissues are either missing or severely reduced in size, the peripheral nervous system consists of reduced dorsal root ganglia and cranial nerves, and the entire gastrointestinal tract is devoid of neural crest derivatives. These results demonstrate a global role for this transcriptional repressor in all aspects of neural crest maintenance along the anterior-posterior axis, and establish an unprecedented molecular link between multiple divergent progenitor lineages of the mammalian embryo.
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Affiliation(s)
- Lu Teng
- Department of Cell and Developmental Biology, University of Pennsylvania School of Medicine, Philadelphia, PA 19104-6058, USA
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Villanacci V, Bassotti G, Ortensi B, Fisogni S, Cathomas G, Maurer CA, Galletti A, Salerni B, Pelicci G. Expression of the Rai (Shc C) adaptor protein in the human enteric nervous system. Neurogastroenterol Motil 2008; 20:206-12. [PMID: 17919311 DOI: 10.1111/j.1365-2982.2007.01017.x] [Citation(s) in RCA: 11] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.7] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Submit a Manuscript] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 02/08/2023]
Abstract
The adaptor protein Rai (ShcC/N-Shc) is almost exclusively present in the nervous system, although little is documented about its expression in the gut and the enteric nervous system (ENS). As Rai is a physiological substrate of Ret, an important factor for the development of ENS, we have evaluated the expression of Rai in the ENS in various segments of the human gastrointestinal tract. The expression of Rai was assessed by immunohistochemistry in disease-free human gut samples (oesophagus, stomach, small bowel and colon) obtained from subjects undergoing surgical procedures. Rai was not expressed in the epithelia or lymphoid tissue, whereas a moderate level of expression was observed in the endothelial cells of blood vessels and on the outer membrane of smooth muscle cells in both the muscularis mucosae and the muscularis propria. In the ENS, strong positivity was observed only in enteric glial cells, overlapping with GFAP and S100. In conclusion, Rai is expressed in the human gut, especially in the enteric glial cells. We conclude that Rai may provide an additional marker for this cell type.
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Affiliation(s)
- V Villanacci
- II Department of Pathology, Spedali Civili and University of Brescia, Brescia, Italy
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