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Leal H, Carvalhas-Almeida C, Álvaro AR, Cavadas C. Modeling hypothalamic pathophysiology in vitro for metabolic, circadian, and sleep disorders. Trends Endocrinol Metab 2024; 35:505-517. [PMID: 38307813 DOI: 10.1016/j.tem.2024.01.001] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Submit a Manuscript] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 10/18/2023] [Revised: 01/09/2024] [Accepted: 01/10/2024] [Indexed: 02/04/2024]
Abstract
The hypothalamus, a small and intricate brain structure, orchestrates numerous neuroendocrine functions through specialized neurons and nuclei. Disruption of this complex circuitry can result in various diseases, including metabolic, circadian, and sleep disorders. Advances in in vitro models and their integration with new technologies have significantly benefited research on hypothalamic function and pathophysiology. We explore existing in vitro hypothalamic models and address their challenges and limitations as well as translational findings. We also highlight how collaborative efforts among multidisciplinary teams are essential to develop relevant and translational experimental models capable of replicating intricate neural circuits and neuroendocrine pathways, thereby advancing our understanding of therapeutic targets and drug discovery in hypothalamus-related disorders.
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Affiliation(s)
- Helena Leal
- Center for Neuroscience and Cell Biology (CNC), University of Coimbra, Coimbra, Portugal; Center for Innovation in Biomedicine and Biotechnology (CIBB), University of Coimbra, Coimbra, Portugal; Faculty of Pharmacy, University of Coimbra, Coimbra, Portugal
| | - Catarina Carvalhas-Almeida
- Center for Neuroscience and Cell Biology (CNC), University of Coimbra, Coimbra, Portugal; Center for Innovation in Biomedicine and Biotechnology (CIBB), University of Coimbra, Coimbra, Portugal; Faculty of Pharmacy, University of Coimbra, Coimbra, Portugal
| | - Ana Rita Álvaro
- Center for Neuroscience and Cell Biology (CNC), University of Coimbra, Coimbra, Portugal; Center for Innovation in Biomedicine and Biotechnology (CIBB), University of Coimbra, Coimbra, Portugal
| | - Cláudia Cavadas
- Center for Neuroscience and Cell Biology (CNC), University of Coimbra, Coimbra, Portugal; Center for Innovation in Biomedicine and Biotechnology (CIBB), University of Coimbra, Coimbra, Portugal; Faculty of Pharmacy, University of Coimbra, Coimbra, Portugal.
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2
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Herb BR, Glover HJ, Bhaduri A, Colantuoni C, Bale TL, Siletti K, Hodge R, Lein E, Kriegstein AR, Doege CA, Ament SA. Single-cell genomics reveals region-specific developmental trajectories underlying neuronal diversity in the human hypothalamus. SCIENCE ADVANCES 2023; 9:eadf6251. [PMID: 37939194 PMCID: PMC10631741 DOI: 10.1126/sciadv.adf6251] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 11/02/2022] [Accepted: 10/24/2023] [Indexed: 11/10/2023]
Abstract
The development and diversity of neuronal subtypes in the human hypothalamus has been insufficiently characterized. To address this, we integrated transcriptomic data from 241,096 cells (126,840 newly generated) in the prenatal and adult human hypothalamus to reveal a temporal trajectory from proliferative stem cell populations to mature hypothalamic cell types. Iterative clustering of the adult neurons identified 108 robust transcriptionally distinct neuronal subtypes representing 10 hypothalamic nuclei. Pseudotime trajectories provided insights into the genes driving formation of these nuclei. Comparisons to single-cell transcriptomic data from the mouse hypothalamus suggested extensive conservation of neuronal subtypes despite certain differences in species-enriched gene expression. The uniqueness of hypothalamic neuronal lineages was examined developmentally by comparing excitatory lineages present in cortex and inhibitory lineages in ganglionic eminence, revealing both distinct and shared drivers of neuronal maturation across the human forebrain. These results provide a comprehensive transcriptomic view of human hypothalamus development through gestation and adulthood at cellular resolution.
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Affiliation(s)
- Brian R. Herb
- Institute for Genome Sciences, University of Maryland School of Medicine, Baltimore, MD, USA
- Department of Pharmacology, University of Maryland School of Medicine, Baltimore, MD, USA
- UM-MIND, University of Maryland School of Medicine, Baltimore, MD, USA
- Kahlert Institute for Addiction Medicine, University of Maryland School of Medicine, Baltimore, MD, USA
| | - Hannah J. Glover
- Naomi Berrie Diabetes Center, Columbia Stem Cell Initiative, Department of Pediatrics, Columbia University Irving Medical Center, New York, NY, USA
| | - Aparna Bhaduri
- Department of Biological Chemistry, University of California, Los Angeles, Los Angeles, CA, USA
| | - Carlo Colantuoni
- Institute for Genome Sciences, University of Maryland School of Medicine, Baltimore, MD, USA
- Department of Neurology, Johns Hopkins University School of Medicine, Baltimore, MD, USA
| | - Tracy L. Bale
- Department of Psychiatry, University of Colorado School of Medicine, Aurora, CO, USA
| | - Kimberly Siletti
- Department of Medical Biochemistry and Biophysics, Karolinska Institutet, Stockholm, Sweden
| | - Rebecca Hodge
- Allen Institute for Brain Science, Seattle, WA 98109
| | - Ed Lein
- Allen Institute for Brain Science, Seattle, WA 98109
| | - Arnold R. Kriegstein
- Department of Neurology, University of California, San Francisco, San Francisco, CA, USA
- The Eli and Edythe Broad Center of Regeneration Medicine and Stem Cell Research, University of California, San Francisco, CA, USA
| | - Claudia A. Doege
- Naomi Berrie Diabetes Center, Columbia Stem Cell Initiative, Department of Pathology and Cell Biology, Columbia University Irving Medical Center, New York, NY, USA
| | - Seth A. Ament
- Institute for Genome Sciences, University of Maryland School of Medicine, Baltimore, MD, USA
- UM-MIND, University of Maryland School of Medicine, Baltimore, MD, USA
- Kahlert Institute for Addiction Medicine, University of Maryland School of Medicine, Baltimore, MD, USA
- Maryland Psychiatric Research Center, Department of Psychiatry, University of Maryland School of Medicine, Baltimore, MD, USA
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3
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Chinnaiya K, Burbridge S, Jones A, Kim DW, Place E, Manning E, Groves I, Sun C, Towers M, Blackshaw S, Placzek M. A neuroepithelial wave of BMP signalling drives anteroposterior specification of the tuberal hypothalamus. eLife 2023; 12:e83133. [PMID: 36718990 PMCID: PMC9917434 DOI: 10.7554/elife.83133] [Citation(s) in RCA: 5] [Impact Index Per Article: 5.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 08/31/2022] [Accepted: 01/29/2023] [Indexed: 02/01/2023] Open
Abstract
The tuberal hypothalamus controls life-supporting homeostatic processes, but despite its fundamental role, the cells and signalling pathways that specify this unique region of the central nervous system in embryogenesis are poorly characterised. Here, we combine experimental and bioinformatic approaches in the embryonic chick to show that the tuberal hypothalamus is progressively generated from hypothalamic floor plate-like cells. Fate-mapping studies show that a stream of tuberal progenitors develops in the anterior-ventral neural tube as a wave of neuroepithelial-derived BMP signalling sweeps from anterior to posterior through the hypothalamic floor plate. As later-specified posterior tuberal progenitors are generated, early specified anterior tuberal progenitors become progressively more distant from these BMP signals and differentiate into tuberal neurogenic cells. Gain- and loss-of-function experiments in vivo and ex vivo show that BMP signalling initiates tuberal progenitor specification, but must be eliminated for these to progress to anterior neurogenic progenitors. scRNA-Seq profiling shows that tuberal progenitors that are specified after the major period of anterior tuberal specification begin to upregulate genes that characterise radial glial cells. This study provides an integrated account of the development of the tuberal hypothalamus.
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Affiliation(s)
- Kavitha Chinnaiya
- School of BiosciencesUniversity of Sheffield, SheffieldUnited Kingdom
| | - Sarah Burbridge
- School of BiosciencesUniversity of Sheffield, SheffieldUnited Kingdom
| | - Aragorn Jones
- School of BiosciencesUniversity of Sheffield, SheffieldUnited Kingdom
| | - Dong Won Kim
- Solomon H. Snyder Department of Neuroscience, Johns Hopkins University School of MedicineBaltimoreUnited States
| | - Elsie Place
- School of BiosciencesUniversity of Sheffield, SheffieldUnited Kingdom
| | - Elizabeth Manning
- School of BiosciencesUniversity of Sheffield, SheffieldUnited Kingdom
| | - Ian Groves
- School of BiosciencesUniversity of Sheffield, SheffieldUnited Kingdom
| | - Changyu Sun
- Solomon H. Snyder Department of Neuroscience, Johns Hopkins University School of MedicineBaltimoreUnited States
| | - Matthew Towers
- School of BiosciencesUniversity of Sheffield, SheffieldUnited Kingdom
| | - Seth Blackshaw
- Solomon H. Snyder Department of Neuroscience, Johns Hopkins University School of MedicineBaltimoreUnited States
- Department of Psychiatry and Behavioral Science, Johns Hopkins University School of MedicineBaltimoreUnited States
- Department of Ophthalmology, Johns Hopkins University School of MedicineBaltimoreUnited States
- Department of Neurology, Johns Hopkins University School of MedicineBaltimoreUnited States
- Institute for Cell Engineering, Johns Hopkins University School of MedicineBaltimoreUnited States
- Kavli Neuroscience Discovery Institute, Johns Hopkins University School of MedicineBaltimoreUnited States
| | - Marysia Placzek
- School of BiosciencesUniversity of Sheffield, SheffieldUnited Kingdom
- Bateson Centre, University of SheffieldSheffieldUnited Kingdom
- Neuroscience Institute, University of SheffieldSheffieldUnited Kingdom
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4
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Huerga-Gómez I, Martini FJ, López-Bendito G. Building thalamic neuronal networks during mouse development. Front Neural Circuits 2023; 17:1098913. [PMID: 36817644 PMCID: PMC9936079 DOI: 10.3389/fncir.2023.1098913] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 11/15/2022] [Accepted: 01/18/2023] [Indexed: 02/05/2023] Open
Abstract
The thalamic nuclear complex contains excitatory projection neurons and inhibitory local neurons, the two cell types driving the main circuits in sensory nuclei. While excitatory neurons are born from progenitors that reside in the proliferative zone of the developing thalamus, inhibitory local neurons are born outside the thalamus and they migrate there during development. In addition to these cell types, which occupy most of the thalamus, there are two small thalamic regions where inhibitory neurons target extra-thalamic regions rather than neighboring neurons, the intergeniculate leaflet and the parahabenular nucleus. Like excitatory thalamic neurons, these inhibitory neurons are derived from progenitors residing in the developing thalamus. The assembly of these circuits follows fine-tuned genetic programs and it is coordinated by extrinsic factors that help the cells find their location, associate with thalamic partners, and establish connections with their corresponding extra-thalamic inputs and outputs. In this review, we bring together what is currently known about the development of the excitatory and inhibitory components of the thalamocortical sensory system, in particular focusing on the visual pathway and thalamic interneurons in mice.
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Affiliation(s)
- Irene Huerga-Gómez
- Instituto de Neurociencias de Alicante, Universidad Miguel Hernández-Consejo Superior de Investigaciones Científicas (UMH-CSIC), Sant Joan d’Alacant, Spain
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Tang PC, Chen L, Singh S, Groves AK, Koehler KR, Liu XZ, Nelson RF. Early Wnt Signaling Activation Promotes Inner Ear Differentiation via Cell Caudalization in Mouse Stem Cell-Derived Organoids. Stem Cells 2023; 41:26-38. [PMID: 36153788 PMCID: PMC9887082 DOI: 10.1093/stmcls/sxac071] [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: 03/22/2022] [Accepted: 09/14/2022] [Indexed: 02/02/2023]
Abstract
The inner ear is derived from the otic placode, one of the numerous cranial sensory placodes that emerges from the pre-placodal ectoderm (PPE) along its anterior-posterior axis. However, the molecular dynamics underlying how the PPE is regionalized are poorly resolved. We used stem cell-derived organoids to investigate the effects of Wnt signaling on early PPE differentiation and found that modulating Wnt signaling significantly increased inner ear organoid induction efficiency and reproducibility. Alongside single-cell RNA sequencing, our data reveal that the canonical Wnt signaling pathway leads to PPE regionalization and, more specifically, medium Wnt levels during the early stage induce (1) expansion of the caudal neural plate border (NPB), which serves as a precursor for the posterior PPE, and (2) a caudal microenvironment that is required for otic specification. Our data further demonstrate Wnt-mediated induction of rostral and caudal cells in organoids and more broadly suggest that Wnt signaling is critical for anterior-posterior patterning in the PPE.
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Affiliation(s)
- Pei-Ciao Tang
- Department of Otolaryngology—Head and Neck Surgery, Indiana University School of Medicine, Indianapolis, IN, USA
- Department of Otolaryngology—Head and Neck Surgery, University of Miami Miller School of Medicine, Miami, FL, USA
| | - Li Chen
- Department of Biostatistics, University of Florida, Gainesville, FL, USA
| | - Sunita Singh
- Department of Neuroscience, Baylor College of Medicine, Houston, TX, USA
| | - Andrew K Groves
- Department of Neuroscience, Baylor College of Medicine, Houston, TX, USA
- Department of Molecular and Human Genetics, Baylor College of Medicine, Houston, TX, USA
| | - Karl R Koehler
- Department of Otolaryngology, Boston Children’s Hospital, Boston, MA, USA
- Department of Otolaryngology– Head and Neck Surgery, Harvard Medical School, Boston, MA, USA
| | - Xue Zhong Liu
- Department of Otolaryngology—Head and Neck Surgery, University of Miami Miller School of Medicine, Miami, FL, USA
| | - Rick F Nelson
- Department of Otolaryngology—Head and Neck Surgery, Indiana University School of Medicine, Indianapolis, IN, USA
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Transcriptional Profile of the Developing Subthalamic Nucleus. eNeuro 2022; 9:9/5/ENEURO.0193-22.2022. [PMID: 36257692 PMCID: PMC9581575 DOI: 10.1523/eneuro.0193-22.2022] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 05/12/2022] [Revised: 09/09/2022] [Accepted: 09/14/2022] [Indexed: 12/15/2022] Open
Abstract
The subthalamic nucleus (STN) is a small, excitatory nucleus that regulates the output of basal ganglia motor circuits. The functions of the STN and its role in the pathophysiology of Parkinson's disease are now well established. However, some basic characteristics like the developmental origin and molecular phenotype of neuronal subpopulations are still being debated. The classical model of forebrain development attributed the origin of STN within the diencephalon. Recent studies of gene expression patterns exposed shortcomings of the classical model. To accommodate these findings, the prosomeric model was developed. In this concept, STN develops within the hypothalamic primordium, which is no longer a part of the diencephalic primordium. This concept is further supported by the expression patterns of many transcription factors. It is interesting to note that many transcription factors involved in the development of the STN are also involved in the pathogenesis of neurodevelopmental disorders. Thus, the study of neurodevelopmental disorders could provide us with valuable information on the roles of these transcription factors in the development and maintenance of STN phenotype. In this review, we summarize historical theories about the developmental origin of the STN and interpret the gene expression data within the prosomeric conceptual framework. Finally, we discuss the importance of neurodevelopmental disorders for the development of the STN and its potential role in the pathophysiology of neurodevelopmental disorders.
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Place E, Manning E, Kim DW, Kinjo A, Nakamura G, Ohyama K. SHH and Notch regulate SOX9+ progenitors to govern arcuate POMC neurogenesis. Front Neurosci 2022; 16:855288. [PMID: 36033614 PMCID: PMC9404380 DOI: 10.3389/fnins.2022.855288] [Citation(s) in RCA: 1] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 01/15/2022] [Accepted: 07/20/2022] [Indexed: 12/05/2022] Open
Abstract
Pro-opiomelanocortin (POMC)-expressing neurons in the hypothalamic arcuate nucleus (ARC) play key roles in feeding and energy homoeostasis, hence their development is of great research interest. As the process of neurogenesis is accompanied by changes in adhesion, polarity, and migration that resemble aspects of epithelial-to-mesenchymal transitions (EMTs), we have characterised the expression and regulation within the prospective ARC of transcription factors with context-dependent abilities to regulate aspects of EMT. Informed by pseudotime meta-analysis of recent scRNA-seq data, we use immunohistochemistry and multiplex in situ hybridisation to show that SOX2, SRY-Box transcription factor 9 (SOX9), PROX1, Islet1 (ISL1), and SOX11 are sequentially expressed over the course of POMC neurogenesis in the embryonic chick. Through pharmacological studies ex vivo, we demonstrate that while inhibiting either sonic hedgehog (SHH) or Notch signalling reduces the number of SOX9+ neural progenitor cells, these treatments lead, respectively, to lesser and greater numbers of differentiating ISL1+/POMC+ neurons. These results are consistent with a model in which SHH promotes the formation of SOX9+ progenitors, and Notch acts to limit their differentiation. Both pathways are also required to maintain normal levels of proliferation and to suppress apoptosis. Together our findings demonstrate that hypothalamic neurogenesis is accompanied by dynamic expression of transcription factors (TFs) that mediate EMTs, and that SHH and Notch signalling converge to regulate hypothalamic cellular homoeostasis.
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Affiliation(s)
- Elsie Place
- School of Biosciences, The University of Sheffield, Sheffield, United Kingdom
| | - Elizabeth Manning
- School of Biosciences, The University of Sheffield, Sheffield, United Kingdom
| | - Dong Won Kim
- Solomon H. Snyder Department of Neuroscience, Johns Hopkins University School of Medicine, Baltimore, MD, United States
| | - Arisa Kinjo
- Department of Histology and Neuroanatomy, Tokyo Medical University, Tokyo, Japan
| | - Go Nakamura
- Department of Histology and Neuroanatomy, Tokyo Medical University, Tokyo, Japan
| | - Kyoji Ohyama
- Department of Histology and Neuroanatomy, Tokyo Medical University, Tokyo, Japan
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8
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Westphal M, Panza P, Kastenhuber E, Wehrle J, Driever W. Wnt/β-catenin signaling promotes neurogenesis in the diencephalospinal dopaminergic system of embryonic zebrafish. Sci Rep 2022; 12:1030. [PMID: 35046434 PMCID: PMC8770493 DOI: 10.1038/s41598-022-04833-8] [Citation(s) in RCA: 2] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 09/22/2021] [Accepted: 12/28/2021] [Indexed: 12/21/2022] Open
Abstract
Wnt/β-catenin signaling contributes to patterning, proliferation, and differentiation throughout vertebrate neural development. Wnt/β-catenin signaling is important for mammalian midbrain dopaminergic neurogenesis, while little is known about its role in ventral forebrain dopaminergic development. Here, we focus on the A11-like, Otp-dependent diencephalospinal dopaminergic system in zebrafish. We show that Wnt ligands, receptors and extracellular antagonist genes are expressed in the vicinity of developing Otp-dependent dopaminergic neurons. Using transgenic Wnt/β-catenin-reporters, we found that Wnt/β-catenin signaling activity is absent from these dopaminergic neurons, but detected Wnt/β-catenin activity in cells adjacent to the caudal DC5/6 clusters of Otp-dependent dopaminergic neurons. Pharmacological manipulations of Wnt/β-catenin signaling activity, as well as heat-shock driven overexpression of Wnt agonists and antagonists, interfere with the development of DC5/6 dopaminergic neurons, such that Wnt/β-catenin activity positively correlates with their number. Wnt/β-catenin activity promoted dopaminergic development specifically at stages when DC5/6 dopaminergic progenitors are in a proliferative state. Our data suggest that Wnt/β-catenin signaling acts in a spatially and temporally restricted manner on proliferative dopaminergic progenitors in the hypothalamus to positively regulate the size of the dopaminergic neuron groups DC5 and DC6.
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Affiliation(s)
- Markus Westphal
- Developmental Biology, Faculty of Biology, Institute Biology 1, Albert Ludwigs University Freiburg, Hauptstrasse 1, 79104, Freiburg, Germany.,CIBSS and BIOSS-Centres for Biological Signalling Studies, University of Freiburg, Schänzlestrasse 18, 79104, Freiburg, Germany
| | - Paolo Panza
- Developmental Biology, Faculty of Biology, Institute Biology 1, Albert Ludwigs University Freiburg, Hauptstrasse 1, 79104, Freiburg, Germany.,Department of Developmental Genetics, Max-Planck-Institute for Heart and Lung Research, Ludwigstraße 43, 61231, Bad Nauheim, Germany
| | - Edda Kastenhuber
- Developmental Biology, Faculty of Biology, Institute Biology 1, Albert Ludwigs University Freiburg, Hauptstrasse 1, 79104, Freiburg, Germany.,Institute of Anatomy, University of Zurich, Winterthurerstrasse 190, 8057, Zurich, Switzerland
| | - Johanna Wehrle
- Developmental Biology, Faculty of Biology, Institute Biology 1, Albert Ludwigs University Freiburg, Hauptstrasse 1, 79104, Freiburg, Germany.,CIBSS and BIOSS-Centres for Biological Signalling Studies, University of Freiburg, Schänzlestrasse 18, 79104, Freiburg, Germany
| | - Wolfgang Driever
- Developmental Biology, Faculty of Biology, Institute Biology 1, Albert Ludwigs University Freiburg, Hauptstrasse 1, 79104, Freiburg, Germany. .,CIBSS and BIOSS-Centres for Biological Signalling Studies, University of Freiburg, Schänzlestrasse 18, 79104, Freiburg, Germany.
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9
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Kim DW, Place E, Chinnaiya K, Manning E, Sun C, Dai W, Groves I, Ohyama K, Burbridge S, Placzek M, Blackshaw S. Single-cell analysis of early chick hypothalamic development reveals that hypothalamic cells are induced from prethalamic-like progenitors. Cell Rep 2022; 38:110251. [PMID: 35045288 PMCID: PMC8918062 DOI: 10.1016/j.celrep.2021.110251] [Citation(s) in RCA: 15] [Impact Index Per Article: 7.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 04/23/2021] [Revised: 09/13/2021] [Accepted: 12/20/2021] [Indexed: 01/05/2023] Open
Affiliation(s)
- Dong Won Kim
- Solomon H. Snyder Department of Neuroscience, Johns Hopkins University School of Medicine, Baltimore, MD, USA
| | - Elsie Place
- School of Biosciences, University of Sheffield, Sheffield, UK; Bateson Centre, University of Sheffield, Sheffield, UK; Neuroscience Institute, University of Sheffield, Sheffield, UK
| | - Kavitha Chinnaiya
- School of Biosciences, University of Sheffield, Sheffield, UK; Bateson Centre, University of Sheffield, Sheffield, UK; Neuroscience Institute, University of Sheffield, Sheffield, UK
| | - Elizabeth Manning
- School of Biosciences, University of Sheffield, Sheffield, UK; Bateson Centre, University of Sheffield, Sheffield, UK; Neuroscience Institute, University of Sheffield, Sheffield, UK
| | - Changyu Sun
- Solomon H. Snyder Department of Neuroscience, Johns Hopkins University School of Medicine, Baltimore, MD, USA
| | - Weina Dai
- Solomon H. Snyder Department of Neuroscience, Johns Hopkins University School of Medicine, Baltimore, MD, USA
| | - Ian Groves
- School of Mathematics and Statistics, University of Sheffield, Sheffield, UK
| | - Kyoji Ohyama
- School of Biosciences, University of Sheffield, Sheffield, UK; Department of Histology and Neuroanatomy, Tokyo Medical University, Tokyo, Japan
| | - Sarah Burbridge
- School of Biosciences, University of Sheffield, Sheffield, UK; Bateson Centre, University of Sheffield, Sheffield, UK; Neuroscience Institute, University of Sheffield, Sheffield, UK
| | - Marysia Placzek
- School of Biosciences, University of Sheffield, Sheffield, UK; Bateson Centre, University of Sheffield, Sheffield, UK; Neuroscience Institute, University of Sheffield, Sheffield, UK.
| | - Seth Blackshaw
- Solomon H. Snyder Department of Neuroscience, Johns Hopkins University School of Medicine, Baltimore, MD, USA; Department of Psychiatry and Behavioral Science, Johns Hopkins University School of Medicine, Baltimore, MD, USA; Department of Ophthalmology, Johns Hopkins University School of Medicine, Baltimore, MD, USA; Department of Neurology, Johns Hopkins University School of Medicine, Baltimore, MD, USA; Institute for Cell Engineering, Johns Hopkins University School of Medicine, Baltimore, MD, USA; Kavli Neuroscience Discovery Institute, Johns Hopkins University School of Medicine, Baltimore, MD, USA.
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10
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Guy B, Zhang JS, Duncan LH, Johnston RJ. Human neural organoids: Models for developmental neurobiology and disease. Dev Biol 2021; 478:102-121. [PMID: 34181916 PMCID: PMC8364509 DOI: 10.1016/j.ydbio.2021.06.012] [Citation(s) in RCA: 14] [Impact Index Per Article: 4.7] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 04/02/2021] [Revised: 06/08/2021] [Accepted: 06/24/2021] [Indexed: 12/25/2022]
Abstract
Human organoids stand at the forefront of basic and translational research, providing experimentally tractable systems to study human development and disease. These stem cell-derived, in vitro cultures can generate a multitude of tissue and organ types, including distinct brain regions and sensory systems. Neural organoid systems have provided fundamental insights into molecular mechanisms governing cell fate specification and neural circuit assembly and serve as promising tools for drug discovery and understanding disease pathogenesis. In this review, we discuss several human neural organoid systems, how they are generated, advances in 3D imaging and bioengineering, and the impact of organoid studies on our understanding of the human nervous system.
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Affiliation(s)
- Brian Guy
- Department of Biology, Johns Hopkins University, 3400 N. Charles Street, Baltimore, MD, 21218, USA
| | - Jingliang Simon Zhang
- Department of Biology, Johns Hopkins University, 3400 N. Charles Street, Baltimore, MD, 21218, USA
| | - Leighton H Duncan
- Solomon H. Snyder Department of Neuroscience, Johns Hopkins University School of Medicine, Baltimore, MD, 21205, USA
| | - Robert J Johnston
- Department of Biology, Johns Hopkins University, 3400 N. Charles Street, Baltimore, MD, 21218, USA.
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11
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Yoo S, Kim J, Lyu P, Hoang TV, Ma A, Trinh V, Dai W, Jiang L, Leavey P, Duncan L, Won JK, Park SH, Qian J, Brown SP, Blackshaw S. Control of neurogenic competence in mammalian hypothalamic tanycytes. SCIENCE ADVANCES 2021; 7:eabg3777. [PMID: 34049878 PMCID: PMC8163082 DOI: 10.1126/sciadv.abg3777] [Citation(s) in RCA: 29] [Impact Index Per Article: 9.7] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 12/31/2020] [Accepted: 04/09/2021] [Indexed: 05/07/2023]
Abstract
Hypothalamic tanycytes, radial glial cells that share many features with neuronal progenitors, can generate small numbers of neurons in the postnatal hypothalamus, but the identity of these neurons and the molecular mechanisms that control tanycyte-derived neurogenesis are unknown. In this study, we show that tanycyte-specific disruption of the NFI family of transcription factors (Nfia/b/x) robustly stimulates tanycyte proliferation and tanycyte-derived neurogenesis. Single-cell RNA sequencing (scRNA-seq) and single-cell assay for transposase-accessible chromatin sequencing (scATAC-seq) analysis reveals that NFI (nuclear factor I) factors repress Sonic hedgehog (Shh) and Wnt signaling in tanycytes and modulation of these pathways blocks proliferation and tanycyte-derived neurogenesis in Nfia/b/x-deficient mice. Nfia/b/x-deficient tanycytes give rise to multiple mediobasal hypothalamic neuronal subtypes that can mature, fire action potentials, receive synaptic inputs, and selectively respond to changes in internal states. These findings identify molecular mechanisms that control tanycyte-derived neurogenesis, which can potentially be targeted to selectively remodel the hypothalamic neural circuitry that controls homeostatic physiological processes.
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Affiliation(s)
- Sooyeon Yoo
- Solomon H. Snyder Department of Neuroscience, Johns Hopkins University, Baltimore, MD 21205, USA
- Department of Pathology, Seoul National University Hospital, 71 Daehak-ro, Jongno-gu 03082, Republic of Korea
| | - Juhyun Kim
- Department of Psychiatry and Behavioral Science, Johns Hopkins University, Baltimore, MD 21205, USA
| | - Pin Lyu
- Department of Ophthalmology, Johns Hopkins University, Baltimore, MD 21205, USA
| | - Thanh V Hoang
- Solomon H. Snyder Department of Neuroscience, Johns Hopkins University, Baltimore, MD 21205, USA
| | - Alex Ma
- Solomon H. Snyder Department of Neuroscience, Johns Hopkins University, Baltimore, MD 21205, USA
| | - Vickie Trinh
- Solomon H. Snyder Department of Neuroscience, Johns Hopkins University, Baltimore, MD 21205, USA
| | - Weina Dai
- Solomon H. Snyder Department of Neuroscience, Johns Hopkins University, Baltimore, MD 21205, USA
| | - Lizhi Jiang
- Solomon H. Snyder Department of Neuroscience, Johns Hopkins University, Baltimore, MD 21205, USA
| | - Patrick Leavey
- Solomon H. Snyder Department of Neuroscience, Johns Hopkins University, Baltimore, MD 21205, USA
| | - Leighton Duncan
- Solomon H. Snyder Department of Neuroscience, Johns Hopkins University, Baltimore, MD 21205, USA
| | - Jae-Kyung Won
- Department of Pathology, Seoul National University Hospital, 71 Daehak-ro, Jongno-gu 03082, Republic of Korea
| | - Sung-Hye Park
- Department of Pathology, Seoul National University Hospital, 71 Daehak-ro, Jongno-gu 03082, Republic of Korea
| | - Jiang Qian
- Department of Ophthalmology, Johns Hopkins University, Baltimore, MD 21205, USA
| | - Solange P Brown
- Solomon H. Snyder Department of Neuroscience, Johns Hopkins University, Baltimore, MD 21205, USA
- Kavli Neuroscience Discovery Institute, Johns Hopkins University School of Medicine, Baltimore, MD 21205, USA
| | - Seth Blackshaw
- Solomon H. Snyder Department of Neuroscience, Johns Hopkins University, Baltimore, MD 21205, USA.
- Department of Ophthalmology, Johns Hopkins University, Baltimore, MD 21205, USA
- Kavli Neuroscience Discovery Institute, Johns Hopkins University School of Medicine, Baltimore, MD 21205, USA
- Department of Neurology, Johns Hopkins University, Baltimore, MD 21205, USA
- Institute for Cell Engineering, Johns Hopkins University, Baltimore, MD 21205, USA
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Cheng AH, Cheng HYM. Genesis of the Master Circadian Pacemaker in Mice. Front Neurosci 2021; 15:659974. [PMID: 33833665 PMCID: PMC8021851 DOI: 10.3389/fnins.2021.659974] [Citation(s) in RCA: 7] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 01/28/2021] [Accepted: 03/04/2021] [Indexed: 12/13/2022] Open
Abstract
The suprachiasmatic nucleus (SCN) of the hypothalamus is the central circadian clock of mammals. It is responsible for communicating temporal information to peripheral oscillators via humoral and endocrine signaling, ultimately controlling overt rhythms such as sleep-wake cycles, body temperature, and locomotor activity. Given the heterogeneity and complexity of the SCN, its genesis is tightly regulated by countless intrinsic and extrinsic factors. Here, we provide a brief overview of the development of the SCN, with special emphasis on the murine system.
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Affiliation(s)
- Arthur H. Cheng
- Department of Biology, University of Toronto Mississauga, Mississauga, ON, Canada
- Department of Cell and Systems Biology, University of Toronto, Toronto, ON, Canada
| | - Hai-Ying Mary Cheng
- Department of Biology, University of Toronto Mississauga, Mississauga, ON, Canada
- Department of Cell and Systems Biology, University of Toronto, Toronto, ON, Canada
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13
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Kim DW, Liu K, Wang ZQ, Zhang YS, Bathini A, Brown MP, Lin SH, Washington PW, Sun C, Lindtner S, Lee B, Wang H, Shimogori T, Rubenstein JLR, Blackshaw S. Gene regulatory networks controlling differentiation, survival, and diversification of hypothalamic Lhx6-expressing GABAergic neurons. Commun Biol 2021; 4:95. [PMID: 33479483 PMCID: PMC7820013 DOI: 10.1038/s42003-020-01616-7] [Citation(s) in RCA: 16] [Impact Index Per Article: 5.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 08/13/2020] [Accepted: 12/17/2020] [Indexed: 01/29/2023] Open
Abstract
GABAergic neurons of the hypothalamus regulate many innate behaviors, but little is known about the mechanisms that control their development. We previously identified hypothalamic neurons that express the LIM homeodomain transcription factor Lhx6, a master regulator of cortical interneuron development, as sleep-promoting. In contrast to telencephalic interneurons, hypothalamic Lhx6 neurons do not undergo long-distance tangential migration and do not express cortical interneuronal markers such as Pvalb. Here, we show that Lhx6 is necessary for the survival of hypothalamic neurons. Dlx1/2, Nkx2-2, and Nkx2-1 are each required for specification of spatially distinct subsets of hypothalamic Lhx6 neurons, and that Nkx2-2+/Lhx6+ neurons of the zona incerta are responsive to sleep pressure. We further identify multiple neuropeptides that are enriched in spatially segregated subsets of hypothalamic Lhx6 neurons, and that are distinct from those seen in cortical neurons. These findings identify common and divergent molecular mechanisms by which Lhx6 controls the development of GABAergic neurons in the hypothalamus.
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Affiliation(s)
- Dong Won Kim
- Solomon H. Snyder Department of Neuroscience, Johns Hopkins University School of Medicine, Baltimore, MD, 21205, USA
| | - Kai Liu
- Solomon H. Snyder Department of Neuroscience, Johns Hopkins University School of Medicine, Baltimore, MD, 21205, USA
- Genentech, South San Francisco, CA, 94080, USA
| | - Zoe Qianyi Wang
- Solomon H. Snyder Department of Neuroscience, Johns Hopkins University School of Medicine, Baltimore, MD, 21205, USA
| | - Yi Stephanie Zhang
- Solomon H. Snyder Department of Neuroscience, Johns Hopkins University School of Medicine, Baltimore, MD, 21205, USA
| | - Abhijith Bathini
- Solomon H. Snyder Department of Neuroscience, Johns Hopkins University School of Medicine, Baltimore, MD, 21205, USA
| | - Matthew P Brown
- Solomon H. Snyder Department of Neuroscience, Johns Hopkins University School of Medicine, Baltimore, MD, 21205, USA
| | - Sonia Hao Lin
- Solomon H. Snyder Department of Neuroscience, Johns Hopkins University School of Medicine, Baltimore, MD, 21205, USA
| | - Parris Whitney Washington
- Solomon H. Snyder Department of Neuroscience, Johns Hopkins University School of Medicine, Baltimore, MD, 21205, USA
| | - Changyu Sun
- Solomon H. Snyder Department of Neuroscience, Johns Hopkins University School of Medicine, Baltimore, MD, 21205, USA
| | - Susan Lindtner
- Nina Ireland Laboratory of Developmental Neurobiology, Department of Psychiatry, UCSF Weill Institute for Neurosciences, University of California, San Francisco, CA, 94158, USA
| | - Bora Lee
- Center for Neuroscience, Korea Institute of Science and Technology (KIST), Seoul, 02792, Korea
| | - Hong Wang
- Solomon H. Snyder Department of Neuroscience, Johns Hopkins University School of Medicine, Baltimore, MD, 21205, USA
| | - Tomomi Shimogori
- RIKEN Center for Brain Science, Laboratory for Molecular Mechanisms of Brain Development, 2-1 Hirosawa, Wako, Saitama, 351-0198, Japan
| | - John L R Rubenstein
- Nina Ireland Laboratory of Developmental Neurobiology, Department of Psychiatry, UCSF Weill Institute for Neurosciences, University of California, San Francisco, CA, 94158, USA
| | - Seth Blackshaw
- Solomon H. Snyder Department of Neuroscience, Johns Hopkins University School of Medicine, Baltimore, MD, 21205, USA.
- Department of Ophthalmology, Johns Hopkins University School of Medicine, Baltimore, MD, 21205, USA.
- Department of Neurology, Johns Hopkins University School of Medicine, Baltimore, MD, 21205, USA.
- Center for Human Systems Biology, Johns Hopkins University School of Medicine, Baltimore, MD, 21205, USA.
- Institute for Cell Engineering, Johns Hopkins University School of Medicine, Baltimore, MD, 21205, USA.
- Kavli Neuroscience Discovery Institute, Johns Hopkins University School of Medicine, Baltimore, MD, 21205, USA.
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14
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Trivellin G, Tirosh A, Hernández-Ramírez LC, Gupta T, Tsai-Morris CH, Faucz FR, Burgess HA, Feldman B, Stratakis CA. The X-linked acrogigantism-associated gene gpr101 is a regulator of early embryonic development and growth in zebrafish. Mol Cell Endocrinol 2021; 520:111091. [PMID: 33248229 PMCID: PMC8771005 DOI: 10.1016/j.mce.2020.111091] [Citation(s) in RCA: 2] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.7] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Submit a Manuscript] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 10/22/2020] [Revised: 11/16/2020] [Accepted: 11/18/2020] [Indexed: 12/28/2022]
Abstract
We recently described X-linked acrogigantism (X-LAG), a condition of early childhood-onset pituitary gigantism associated with microduplications of the GPR101 receptor. The expression of GPR101 in hyperplastic pituitary regions and tumors in X-LAG patients, and GPR101's normally transient pituitary expression during fetal development, suggest a role in the regulation of growth. Nevertheless, little is still known about GPR101's physiological functions, especially during development. By using zebrafish models, we investigated the role of gpr101 during embryonic development and somatic growth. Transient ectopic gpr101 expression perturbed the embryonic body plan but did not affect growth. Loss of gpr101 led to a significant reduction in body size that was even more pronounced in the absence of maternal transcripts, as well as subfertility. These changes were accompanied by gastrulation and hypothalamic defects. In conclusion, both gpr101 loss- and gain-of-function affect, in different ways, fertility, embryonic patterning, growth and brain development.
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Affiliation(s)
- Giampaolo Trivellin
- Section on Endocrinology and Genetics, Eunice Kennedy Shriver National Institute of Child Health and Human Development (NICHD), National Institutes of Health (NIH), Bethesda, MD, USA; Laboratory of Cellular and Molecular Endocrinology and Laboratory of Pharmacology and Brain Pathology, Humanitas Clinical and Research Center - IRCCS, Rozzano, Mi, Italy.
| | - Amit Tirosh
- NET Service and Endocrine Oncology Bioinformatics Lab, Sheba Medical Center and Sackler Faculty of Medicine, Tel Aviv University, Ramat Gan, Israel
| | - Laura C Hernández-Ramírez
- Section on Endocrinology and Genetics, Eunice Kennedy Shriver National Institute of Child Health and Human Development (NICHD), National Institutes of Health (NIH), Bethesda, MD, USA
| | - Tripti Gupta
- Division of Developmental Biology, NICHD, NIH, Bethesda, MD, USA
| | | | - Fabio R Faucz
- Section on Endocrinology and Genetics, Eunice Kennedy Shriver National Institute of Child Health and Human Development (NICHD), National Institutes of Health (NIH), Bethesda, MD, USA
| | - Harold A Burgess
- Division of Developmental Biology, NICHD, NIH, Bethesda, MD, USA
| | - Benjamin Feldman
- Division of Developmental Biology, NICHD, NIH, Bethesda, MD, USA
| | - Constantine A Stratakis
- Section on Endocrinology and Genetics, Eunice Kennedy Shriver National Institute of Child Health and Human Development (NICHD), National Institutes of Health (NIH), Bethesda, MD, USA
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15
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Rivera DS, Lindsay CB, Oliva CA, Codocedo JF, Bozinovic F, Inestrosa NC. Effects of long-lasting social isolation and re-socialization on cognitive performance and brain activity: a longitudinal study in Octodon degus. Sci Rep 2020; 10:18315. [PMID: 33110163 PMCID: PMC7591540 DOI: 10.1038/s41598-020-75026-4] [Citation(s) in RCA: 18] [Impact Index Per Article: 4.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 05/05/2020] [Accepted: 07/27/2020] [Indexed: 12/18/2022] Open
Abstract
Social isolation is considered a stressful situation that results in increased physiological reactivity to novel stimuli, altered behaviour, and impaired brain function. Here, we investigated the effects of long-term social isolation on working memory, spatial learning/memory, hippocampal synaptic transmission, and synaptic proteins in the brain of adult female and male Octodon degus. The strong similarity between degus and humans in social, metabolic, biochemical, and cognitive aspects, makes it a unique animal model that can be highly applicable for further social, emotional, cognitive, and aging studies. These animals were socially isolated from post-natal and post-weaning until adulthood. We also evaluated if re-socialization would be able to compensate for reactive stress responses in chronically stressed animals. We showed that long-term social isolation impaired the HPA axis negative feedback loop, which can be related to cognitive deficits observed in chronically stressed animals. Notably, re-socialization restored it. In addition, we measured physiological aspects of synaptic transmission, where chronically stressed males showed more efficient transmission but deficient plasticity, as the reverse was true on females. Finally, we analysed synaptic and canonical Wnt signalling proteins in the hypothalamus, hippocampus, and prefrontal cortex, finding both sex- and brain structure-dependent modulation, including transient and permanent changes dependent on stress treatment.
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Affiliation(s)
- Daniela S Rivera
- GEMA Center for Genomics, Ecology and Environment, Facultad de Estudios Interdisciplinarios, Universidad Mayor, Santiago, Chile.
| | - Carolina B Lindsay
- Center of Aging and Regeneration UC (CARE-UC), Departamento de Biología Celular y Molecular, Facultad de Ciencias Biológicas, Pontificia Universidad Católica de Chile, Santiago, Chile
| | - Carolina A Oliva
- Center of Aging and Regeneration UC (CARE-UC), Departamento de Biología Celular y Molecular, Facultad de Ciencias Biológicas, Pontificia Universidad Católica de Chile, Santiago, Chile
| | - Juan Francisco Codocedo
- Center of Aging and Regeneration UC (CARE-UC), Departamento de Biología Celular y Molecular, Facultad de Ciencias Biológicas, Pontificia Universidad Católica de Chile, Santiago, Chile
| | - Francisco Bozinovic
- Center for Applied Ecology and Sustainability (CAPES), Departamento de Ecología, Facultad de Ciencias Biológicas, Pontificia Universidad Católica de Chile, Santiago, Chile
| | - Nibaldo C Inestrosa
- Center of Aging and Regeneration UC (CARE-UC), Departamento de Biología Celular y Molecular, Facultad de Ciencias Biológicas, Pontificia Universidad Católica de Chile, Santiago, Chile. .,Centro de Excelencia en Biomedicina de Magallanes (CEBIMA), Universidad de Magallanes, Punta Arenas, Chile.
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16
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Kim DW, Washington PW, Wang ZQ, Lin SH, Sun C, Ismail BT, Wang H, Jiang L, Blackshaw S. The cellular and molecular landscape of hypothalamic patterning and differentiation from embryonic to late postnatal development. Nat Commun 2020; 11:4360. [PMID: 32868762 PMCID: PMC7459115 DOI: 10.1038/s41467-020-18231-z] [Citation(s) in RCA: 63] [Impact Index Per Article: 15.8] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 04/27/2020] [Accepted: 08/12/2020] [Indexed: 12/22/2022] Open
Abstract
The hypothalamus is a central regulator of many innate behaviors essential for survival, but the molecular mechanisms controlling hypothalamic patterning and cell fate specification are poorly understood. To identify genes that control hypothalamic development, we have used single-cell RNA sequencing (scRNA-Seq) to profile mouse hypothalamic gene expression across 12 developmental time points between embryonic day 10 and postnatal day 45. This identified genes that delineated clear developmental trajectories for all major hypothalamic cell types, and readily distinguished major regional subdivisions of the developing hypothalamus. By using our developmental dataset, we were able to rapidly annotate previously unidentified clusters from existing scRNA-Seq datasets collected during development and to identify the developmental origins of major neuronal populations of the ventromedial hypothalamus. We further show that our approach can rapidly and comprehensively characterize mutants that have altered hypothalamic patterning, identifying Nkx2.1 as a negative regulator of prethalamic identity. These data serve as a resource for further studies of hypothalamic development, physiology, and dysfunction.
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Affiliation(s)
- Dong Won Kim
- Solomon H. Snyder Department of Neuroscience, Johns Hopkins University School of Medicine, Baltimore, MD, 21205, USA
| | - Parris Whitney Washington
- Solomon H. Snyder Department of Neuroscience, Johns Hopkins University School of Medicine, Baltimore, MD, 21205, USA
| | - Zoe Qianyi Wang
- Solomon H. Snyder Department of Neuroscience, Johns Hopkins University School of Medicine, Baltimore, MD, 21205, USA
| | - Sonia Hao Lin
- Solomon H. Snyder Department of Neuroscience, Johns Hopkins University School of Medicine, Baltimore, MD, 21205, USA
| | - Changyu Sun
- Solomon H. Snyder Department of Neuroscience, Johns Hopkins University School of Medicine, Baltimore, MD, 21205, USA
| | - Basma Taleb Ismail
- Solomon H. Snyder Department of Neuroscience, Johns Hopkins University School of Medicine, Baltimore, MD, 21205, USA
| | - Hong Wang
- Solomon H. Snyder Department of Neuroscience, Johns Hopkins University School of Medicine, Baltimore, MD, 21205, USA
| | - Lizhi Jiang
- Solomon H. Snyder Department of Neuroscience, Johns Hopkins University School of Medicine, Baltimore, MD, 21205, USA
| | - Seth Blackshaw
- Solomon H. Snyder Department of Neuroscience, Johns Hopkins University School of Medicine, Baltimore, MD, 21205, USA.
- Department of Ophthalmology, Johns Hopkins University School of Medicine, Baltimore, MD, 21205, USA.
- Department of Neurology, Johns Hopkins University School of Medicine, Baltimore, MD, 21205, USA.
- Center for Human Systems Biology, Johns Hopkins University School of Medicine, Baltimore, MD, 21205, USA.
- Institute for Cell Engineering, Johns Hopkins University School of Medicine, Baltimore, MD, 21205, USA.
- Kavli Neuroscience Discovery Institute, Johns Hopkins University School of Medicine, Baltimore, MD, 21205, USA.
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17
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Neurog2 Acts as a Classical Proneural Gene in the Ventromedial Hypothalamus and Is Required for the Early Phase of Neurogenesis. J Neurosci 2020; 40:3549-3563. [PMID: 32273485 DOI: 10.1523/jneurosci.2610-19.2020] [Citation(s) in RCA: 9] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 11/02/2019] [Revised: 03/21/2020] [Accepted: 03/24/2020] [Indexed: 12/28/2022] Open
Abstract
The tuberal hypothalamus is comprised of the dorsomedial, ventromedial, and arcuate nuclei, as well as parts of the lateral hypothalamic area, and it governs a wide range of physiologies. During neurogenesis, tuberal hypothalamic neurons are thought to be born in a dorsal-to-ventral and outside-in pattern, although the accuracy of this description has been questioned over the years. Moreover, the intrinsic factors that control the timing of neurogenesis in this region are poorly characterized. Proneural genes, including Achate-scute-like 1 (Ascl1) and Neurogenin 3 (Neurog3) are widely expressed in hypothalamic progenitors and contribute to lineage commitment and subtype-specific neuronal identifies, but the potential role of Neurogenin 2 (Neurog2) remains unexplored. Birthdating in male and female mice showed that tuberal hypothalamic neurogenesis begins as early as E9.5 in the lateral hypothalamic and arcuate and rapidly expands to dorsomedial and ventromedial neurons by E10.5, peaking throughout the region by E11.5. We confirmed an outside-in trend, except for neurons born at E9.5, and uncovered a rostrocaudal progression but did not confirm a dorsal-ventral patterning to tuberal hypothalamic neuronal birth. In the absence of Neurog2, neurogenesis stalls, with a significant reduction in early-born BrdU+ cells but no change at later time points. Further, the loss of Ascl1 yielded a similar delay in neuronal birth, suggesting that Ascl1 cannot rescue the loss of Neurog2 and that these proneural genes act independently in the tuberal hypothalamus. Together, our findings show that Neurog2 functions as a classical proneural gene to regulate the temporal progression of tuberal hypothalamic neurogenesis.SIGNIFICANCE STATEMENT Here, we investigated the general timing and pattern of neurogenesis within the tuberal hypothalamus. Our results confirmed an outside-in trend of neurogenesis and uncovered a rostrocaudal progression. We also showed that Neurog2 acts as a classical proneural gene and is responsible for regulating the birth of early-born neurons within the ventromedial hypothalamus, acting independently of Ascl1 In addition, we revealed a role for Neurog2 in cell fate specification and differentiation of ventromedial -specific neurons. Last, Neurog2 does not have cross-inhibitory effects on Neurog1, Neurog3, and Ascl1 These findings are the first to reveal a role for Neurog2 in hypothalamic development.
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Fu T, Pearson C, Towers M, Placzek M. Development of the basal hypothalamus through anisotropic growth. J Neuroendocrinol 2019; 31:e12727. [PMID: 31050853 PMCID: PMC6563594 DOI: 10.1111/jne.12727] [Citation(s) in RCA: 10] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Submit a Manuscript] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 02/01/2019] [Revised: 04/26/2019] [Accepted: 04/28/2019] [Indexed: 02/06/2023]
Abstract
The adult hypothalamus is subdivided into distinct domains: pre-optic, anterior, tuberal and mammillary. Each domain harbours an array of neurones that act together to regulate homeostasis. The embryonic origins and the development of hypothalamic neurones, however, remain enigmatic. Here, we summarise recent studies in model organisms that challenge current views of hypothalamic development, which traditionally have attempted to map adult domains to correspondingly located embryonic domains. Instead, new studies indicate that hypothalamic neurones arise from progenitor cells that undergo anisotropic growth, expanding to a greater extent than other progenitors, and grow in different dimensions. We describe in particular how a multipotent Shh/ Fgf10-expressing progenitor population gives rise to progenitors throughout the basal hypothalamus that grow anisotropically and sequentially: first, a subset displaced rostrally give rise to anterior-ventral/tuberal neuronal progenitors; then a subset displaced caudally give rise to mammillary neuronal progenitors; and, finally, a subset(s) displaced ventrally give rise to tuberal infundibular glial progenitors. As this occurs, stable populations of Shh+ive and Fgf10+ive progenitors form. We describe current understanding of the mechanisms that induce Shh+ive /Fgf10+ive progenitors and begin to direct their differentiation to anterior-ventral/tuberal neuronal progenitors, mammillary neuronal progenitors and tuberal infundibular progenitors. Taken together, these studies suggest a new model for hypothalamic development that we term the "anisotropic growth model". We discuss the implications of the model for understanding the origins of adult hypothalamic neurones.
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Affiliation(s)
- Travis Fu
- Department of Biomedical ScienceBateson CentreUniversity of SheffieldSheffieldUK
| | - Caroline Pearson
- Department of Biomedical ScienceBateson CentreUniversity of SheffieldSheffieldUK
| | - Matthew Towers
- Department of Biomedical ScienceBateson CentreUniversity of SheffieldSheffieldUK
| | - Marysia Placzek
- Department of Biomedical ScienceBateson CentreUniversity of SheffieldSheffieldUK
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