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Li M, Yuan Y, Hou Z, Hao S, Jin L, Wang B. Human brain organoid: trends, evolution, and remaining challenges. Neural Regen Res 2024; 19:2387-2399. [PMID: 38526275 PMCID: PMC11090441 DOI: 10.4103/1673-5374.390972] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 06/19/2023] [Revised: 09/26/2023] [Accepted: 10/28/2023] [Indexed: 03/26/2024] Open
Abstract
Advanced brain organoids provide promising platforms for deciphering the cellular and molecular processes of human neural development and diseases. Although various studies and reviews have described developments and advancements in brain organoids, few studies have comprehensively summarized and analyzed the global trends in this area of neuroscience. To identify and further facilitate the development of cerebral organoids, we utilized bibliometrics and visualization methods to analyze the global trends and evolution of brain organoids in the last 10 years. First, annual publications, countries/regions, organizations, journals, authors, co-citations, and keywords relating to brain organoids were identified. The hotspots in this field were also systematically identified. Subsequently, current applications for brain organoids in neuroscience, including human neural development, neural disorders, infectious diseases, regenerative medicine, drug discovery, and toxicity assessment studies, are comprehensively discussed. Towards that end, several considerations regarding the current challenges in brain organoid research and future strategies to advance neuroscience will be presented to further promote their application in neurological research.
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Affiliation(s)
- Minghui Li
- Key Laboratory of Biorheological Science and Technology, Ministry of Education, College of Bioengineering, Chongqing University, Chongqing, China
- Southwest Hospital/Southwest Eye Hospital, Third Military Medical University (Army Medical University), Chongqing, China
| | - Yuhan Yuan
- Key Laboratory of Biorheological Science and Technology, Ministry of Education, College of Bioengineering, Chongqing University, Chongqing, China
| | - Zongkun Hou
- School of Biology and Engineering/School of Basic Medical Sciences, Guizhou Medical University, Guiyang, Guizhou Province, China
| | - Shilei Hao
- Key Laboratory of Biorheological Science and Technology, Ministry of Education, College of Bioengineering, Chongqing University, Chongqing, China
| | - Liang Jin
- Key Laboratory of Biorheological Science and Technology, Ministry of Education, College of Bioengineering, Chongqing University, Chongqing, China
| | - Bochu Wang
- Key Laboratory of Biorheological Science and Technology, Ministry of Education, College of Bioengineering, Chongqing University, Chongqing, China
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2
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Ouellette J, Lacoste B. Rock2 heterozygosity improves recognition memory and endothelial function in a mouse model of 16p11.2 deletion autism syndrome. Neurosci Lett 2024; 837:137904. [PMID: 39029613 DOI: 10.1016/j.neulet.2024.137904] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 07/06/2024] [Revised: 07/15/2024] [Accepted: 07/16/2024] [Indexed: 07/21/2024]
Abstract
Rho-associated protein kinase-2 (ROCK2) is a critical player in many cellular processes and was incriminated in cardiovascular and neurological disorders. Recent evidence has shown that non-selective pharmacological blockage of ROCKs ameliorates behavioral alterations in a mouse model of 16p11.2 haploinsufficiency. We had revealed that 16p11.2-deficient mice also display cerebrovascular abnormalities, including endothelial dysfunction. To investigate whether genetic blockage of ROCK2 also exerts beneficial effects on cognition and angiogenesis, we generated mice with both 16p11.2 and Rock2 haploinsufficiency (16p11.2df/+;Rock2+/-). We find that Rock2 heterozygosity on a 16p11.2df/+ background significantly improved recognition memory. Furthermore, brain endothelial cells from 16p11.2df/+;Rock2+/- mice display improved angiogenic capacity compared to cells from 16p11.2df/+ littermates. Overall, this study implicates Rock2 gene as a modulator of 16p11.2-associated alterations, highlighting its potential as a target for treatment of autism spectrum disorders.
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Affiliation(s)
- Julie Ouellette
- Neuroscience Program, The Ottawa Hospital Research Institute, Ottawa, ON, Canada; Cellular & Molecular Medicine, University of Ottawa, Ottawa, ON, Canada
| | - Baptiste Lacoste
- Neuroscience Program, The Ottawa Hospital Research Institute, Ottawa, ON, Canada; Cellular & Molecular Medicine, University of Ottawa, Ottawa, ON, Canada; University of Ottawa Brain and Mind Research Institute, Ottawa, ON, Canada.
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3
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Bock M, Hong SJ, Zhang S, Yu Y, Lee S, Shin H, Choi BH, Han I. Morphogenetic Designs, and Disease Models in Central Nervous System Organoids. Int J Mol Sci 2024; 25:7750. [PMID: 39062993 PMCID: PMC11276855 DOI: 10.3390/ijms25147750] [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: 06/24/2024] [Revised: 07/11/2024] [Accepted: 07/12/2024] [Indexed: 07/28/2024] Open
Abstract
Since the emergence of the first cerebral organoid (CO) in 2013, advancements have transformed central nervous system (CNS) research. Initial efforts focused on studying the morphogenesis of COs and creating reproducible models. Numerous methodologies have been proposed, enabling the design of the brain organoid to represent specific regions and spinal cord structures. CNS organoids now facilitate the study of a wide range of CNS diseases, from infections to tumors, which were previously difficult to investigate. We summarize the major advancements in CNS organoids, concerning morphogenetic designs and disease models. We examine the development of fabrication procedures and how these advancements have enabled the generation of region-specific brain organoids and spinal cord models. We highlight the application of these organoids in studying various CNS diseases, demonstrating the versatility and potential of organoid models in advancing our understanding of complex conditions. We discuss the current challenges in the field, including issues related to reproducibility, scalability, and the accurate recapitulation of the in vivo environment. We provide an outlook on prospective studies and future directions. This review aims to provide a comprehensive overview of the state-of-the-art CNS organoid research, highlighting key developments, current challenges, and prospects in the field.
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Affiliation(s)
- Minsung Bock
- Department of Neurosurgery, CHA Bundang Medical Center, CHA University, Seongnam-si 13496, Republic of Korea; (M.B.); (S.Z.); (Y.Y.); (S.L.); (H.S.)
| | - Sung Jun Hong
- Research Competency Milestones Program, School of Medicine, CHA University, Seongnam-si 13488, Republic of Korea;
- Department of Medicine, School of Medicine, CHA University, Seongnam-si 13496, Republic of Korea
| | - Songzi Zhang
- Department of Neurosurgery, CHA Bundang Medical Center, CHA University, Seongnam-si 13496, Republic of Korea; (M.B.); (S.Z.); (Y.Y.); (S.L.); (H.S.)
| | - Yerin Yu
- Department of Neurosurgery, CHA Bundang Medical Center, CHA University, Seongnam-si 13496, Republic of Korea; (M.B.); (S.Z.); (Y.Y.); (S.L.); (H.S.)
| | - Somin Lee
- Department of Neurosurgery, CHA Bundang Medical Center, CHA University, Seongnam-si 13496, Republic of Korea; (M.B.); (S.Z.); (Y.Y.); (S.L.); (H.S.)
| | - Haeeun Shin
- Department of Neurosurgery, CHA Bundang Medical Center, CHA University, Seongnam-si 13496, Republic of Korea; (M.B.); (S.Z.); (Y.Y.); (S.L.); (H.S.)
| | - Byung Hyune Choi
- Department of Biomedical Science, Inha University College of Medicine, Incheon 22212, Republic of Korea;
| | - Inbo Han
- Department of Neurosurgery, CHA Bundang Medical Center, CHA University, Seongnam-si 13496, Republic of Korea; (M.B.); (S.Z.); (Y.Y.); (S.L.); (H.S.)
- Advanced Regenerative Medicine Research Center, CHA Future Medicine Research Institute, Seongnam-si 13488, Republic of Korea
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Coronel R, García-Moreno E, Siendones E, Barrero MJ, Martínez-Delgado B, Santos-Ocaña C, Liste I, Cascajo-Almenara MV. Brain organoid as a model to study the role of mitochondria in neurodevelopmental disorders: achievements and weaknesses. Front Cell Neurosci 2024; 18:1403734. [PMID: 38978706 PMCID: PMC11228165 DOI: 10.3389/fncel.2024.1403734] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 03/19/2024] [Accepted: 05/13/2024] [Indexed: 07/10/2024] Open
Abstract
Mitochondrial diseases are a group of severe pathologies that cause complex neurodegenerative disorders for which, in most cases, no therapy or treatment is available. These organelles are critical regulators of both neurogenesis and homeostasis of the neurological system. Consequently, mitochondrial damage or dysfunction can occur as a cause or consequence of neurodevelopmental or neurodegenerative diseases. As genetic knowledge of neurodevelopmental disorders advances, associations have been identified between genes that encode mitochondrial proteins and neurological symptoms, such as neuropathy, encephalomyopathy, ataxia, seizures, and developmental delays, among others. Understanding how mitochondrial dysfunction can alter these processes is essential in researching rare diseases. Three-dimensional (3D) cell cultures, which self-assemble to form specialized structures composed of different cell types, represent an accessible manner to model organogenesis and neurodevelopmental disorders. In particular, brain organoids are revolutionizing the study of mitochondrial-based neurological diseases since they are organ-specific and model-generated from a patient's cell, thereby overcoming some of the limitations of traditional animal and cell models. In this review, we have collected which neurological structures and functions recapitulate in the different types of reported brain organoids, focusing on those generated as models of mitochondrial diseases. In addition to advancements in the generation of brain organoids, techniques, and approaches for studying neuronal structures and physiology, drug screening and drug repositioning studies performed in brain organoids with mitochondrial damage and neurodevelopmental disorders have also been reviewed. This scope review will summarize the evidence on limitations in studying the function and dynamics of mitochondria in brain organoids.
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Affiliation(s)
- Raquel Coronel
- Neural Regeneration Unit, Functional Unit for Research on Chronic Diseases (UFIEC), National Institute of Health Carlos III (ISCIII), Madrid, Spain
- Department of Systems Biology, Faculty of Medicine and Health Sciences, University of Alcalá (UAH), Alcalá de Henares, Spain
| | - Enrique García-Moreno
- Andalusian Centre for Developmental Biology, CIBERER, National Institute of Health Carlos III (ISCIII), Pablo de Olavide University-CSIC-JA, Seville, Spain
| | - Emilio Siendones
- Andalusian Centre for Developmental Biology, CIBERER, National Institute of Health Carlos III (ISCIII), Pablo de Olavide University-CSIC-JA, Seville, Spain
| | - Maria J. Barrero
- Models and Mechanisms Unit, Institute of Rare Diseases Research (IIER), Spanish National Institute of Health Carlos III (ISCIII), Madrid, Spain
| | - Beatriz Martínez-Delgado
- Molecular Genetics Unit, Institute of Rare Diseases Research (IIER), CIBER of Rare Diseases (CIBERER), Institute of Health Carlos III (ISCIII), Madrid, Spain
| | - Carlos Santos-Ocaña
- Andalusian Centre for Developmental Biology, CIBERER, National Institute of Health Carlos III (ISCIII), Pablo de Olavide University-CSIC-JA, Seville, Spain
| | - Isabel Liste
- Neural Regeneration Unit, Functional Unit for Research on Chronic Diseases (UFIEC), National Institute of Health Carlos III (ISCIII), Madrid, Spain
| | - M. V. Cascajo-Almenara
- Andalusian Centre for Developmental Biology, CIBERER, National Institute of Health Carlos III (ISCIII), Pablo de Olavide University-CSIC-JA, Seville, Spain
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Leone R, Zuglian C, Brambilla R, Morella I. Understanding copy number variations through their genes: a molecular view on 16p11.2 deletion and duplication syndromes. Front Pharmacol 2024; 15:1407865. [PMID: 38948459 PMCID: PMC11211608 DOI: 10.3389/fphar.2024.1407865] [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: 03/27/2024] [Accepted: 05/16/2024] [Indexed: 07/02/2024] Open
Abstract
Neurodevelopmental disorders (NDDs) include a broad spectrum of pathological conditions that affect >4% of children worldwide, share common features and present a variegated genetic origin. They include clinically defined diseases, such as autism spectrum disorders (ASD), attention-deficit/hyperactivity disorder (ADHD), motor disorders such as Tics and Tourette's syndromes, but also much more heterogeneous conditions like intellectual disability (ID) and epilepsy. Schizophrenia (SCZ) has also recently been proposed to belong to NDDs. Relatively common causes of NDDs are copy number variations (CNVs), characterised by the gain or the loss of a portion of a chromosome. In this review, we focus on deletions and duplications at the 16p11.2 chromosomal region, associated with NDDs, ID, ASD but also epilepsy and SCZ. Some of the core phenotypes presented by human carriers could be recapitulated in animal and cellular models, which also highlighted prominent neurophysiological and signalling alterations underpinning 16p11.2 CNVs-associated phenotypes. In this review, we also provide an overview of the genes within the 16p11.2 locus, including those with partially known or unknown function as well as non-coding RNAs. A particularly interesting interplay was observed between MVP and MAPK3 in modulating some of the pathological phenotypes associated with the 16p11.2 deletion. Elucidating their role in intracellular signalling and their functional links will be a key step to devise novel therapeutic strategies for 16p11.2 CNVs-related syndromes.
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Affiliation(s)
- Roberta Leone
- Università di Pavia, Dipartimento di Biologia e Biotecnologie “Lazzaro Spallanzani”, Pavia, Italy
| | - Cecilia Zuglian
- Università di Pavia, Dipartimento di Biologia e Biotecnologie “Lazzaro Spallanzani”, Pavia, Italy
| | - Riccardo Brambilla
- Università di Pavia, Dipartimento di Biologia e Biotecnologie “Lazzaro Spallanzani”, Pavia, Italy
- Cardiff University, School of Biosciences, Neuroscience and Mental Health Innovation Institute, Cardiff, United Kingdom
| | - Ilaria Morella
- Cardiff University, School of Biosciences, Neuroscience and Mental Health Innovation Institute, Cardiff, United Kingdom
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Sawada T, Barbosa AR, Araujo B, McCord AE, D’Ignazio L, Benjamin KJM, Sheehan B, Zabolocki M, Feltrin A, Arora R, Brandtjen AC, Kleinman JE, Hyde TM, Bardy C, Weinberger DR, Paquola ACM, Erwin JA. Recapitulation of Perturbed Striatal Gene Expression Dynamics of Donors' Brains With Ventral Forebrain Organoids Derived From the Same Individuals With Schizophrenia. Am J Psychiatry 2024; 181:493-511. [PMID: 37915216 PMCID: PMC11209846 DOI: 10.1176/appi.ajp.20220723] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Submit a Manuscript] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/03/2023]
Abstract
OBJECTIVE Schizophrenia is a brain disorder that originates during neurodevelopment and has complex genetic and environmental etiologies. Despite decades of clinical evidence of altered striatal function in affected patients, studies examining its cellular and molecular mechanisms in humans are limited. To explore neurodevelopmental alterations in the striatum associated with schizophrenia, the authors established a method for the differentiation of induced pluripotent stem cells (iPSCs) into ventral forebrain organoids (VFOs). METHODS VFOs were generated from postmortem dural fibroblast-derived iPSCs of four individuals with schizophrenia and four neurotypical control individuals for whom postmortem caudate genotypes and transcriptomic data were profiled in the BrainSeq neurogenomics consortium. Individuals were selected such that the two groups had nonoverlapping schizophrenia polygenic risk scores (PRSs). RESULTS Single-cell RNA sequencing analyses of VFOs revealed differences in developmental trajectory between schizophrenia and control individuals in which inhibitory neuronal cells from the patients exhibited accelerated maturation. Furthermore, upregulated genes in inhibitory neurons in schizophrenia VFOs showed a significant overlap with upregulated genes in postmortem caudate tissue of individuals with schizophrenia compared with control individuals, including the donors of the iPSC cohort. CONCLUSIONS The findings suggest that striatal neurons derived from high-PRS individuals with schizophrenia carry abnormalities that originated during early brain development and that the VFO model can recapitulate disease-relevant cell type-specific neurodevelopmental phenotypes in a dish.
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Affiliation(s)
- Tomoyo Sawada
- Lieber Institute for Brain Development, Baltimore, MD, USA
| | | | - Bruno Araujo
- Lieber Institute for Brain Development, Baltimore, MD, USA
| | | | - Laura D’Ignazio
- Lieber Institute for Brain Development, Baltimore, MD, USA
- Department of Neurology, Johns Hopkins School of Medicine, Baltimore, MD, USA
| | - Kynon J. M. Benjamin
- Lieber Institute for Brain Development, Baltimore, MD, USA
- Department of Neurology, Johns Hopkins School of Medicine, Baltimore, MD, USA
- Department of Psychiatry & Behavioral Sciences, Johns Hopkins School of Medicine, Baltimore, MD, USA
| | - Bonna Sheehan
- Lieber Institute for Brain Development, Baltimore, MD, USA
| | - Michael Zabolocki
- South Australian Health and Medical Research Institute (SAHMRI), Laboratory for Human Neurophysiology and Genetics, Adelaide, SA, Australia
- Flinders University, Flinders Health and Medical Research Institute (FHMRI), College of Medicine and Public Health, Adelaide, SA, Australia
| | - Arthur Feltrin
- Lieber Institute for Brain Development, Baltimore, MD, USA
| | - Ria Arora
- Lieber Institute for Brain Development, Baltimore, MD, USA
| | | | - Joel E. Kleinman
- Lieber Institute for Brain Development, Baltimore, MD, USA
- Department of Psychiatry & Behavioral Sciences, Johns Hopkins School of Medicine, Baltimore, MD, USA
| | - Thomas M. Hyde
- Lieber Institute for Brain Development, Baltimore, MD, USA
- Department of Neurology, Johns Hopkins School of Medicine, Baltimore, MD, USA
- Department of Psychiatry & Behavioral Sciences, Johns Hopkins School of Medicine, Baltimore, MD, USA
| | - Cedric Bardy
- South Australian Health and Medical Research Institute (SAHMRI), Laboratory for Human Neurophysiology and Genetics, Adelaide, SA, Australia
- Flinders University, Flinders Health and Medical Research Institute (FHMRI), College of Medicine and Public Health, Adelaide, SA, Australia
| | - Daniel R. Weinberger
- Lieber Institute for Brain Development, Baltimore, MD, USA
- Department of Neurology, Johns Hopkins School of Medicine, Baltimore, MD, USA
- Department of Psychiatry & Behavioral Sciences, Johns Hopkins School of Medicine, Baltimore, MD, USA
- Department of Neuroscience, Johns Hopkins School of Medicine, Baltimore, MD, USA
| | - Apuā C. M. Paquola
- Lieber Institute for Brain Development, Baltimore, MD, USA
- Department of Neurology, Johns Hopkins School of Medicine, Baltimore, MD, USA
| | - Jennifer A. Erwin
- Lieber Institute for Brain Development, Baltimore, MD, USA
- Department of Neurology, Johns Hopkins School of Medicine, Baltimore, MD, USA
- Department of Psychiatry & Behavioral Sciences, Johns Hopkins School of Medicine, Baltimore, MD, USA
- Department of Neuroscience, Johns Hopkins School of Medicine, Baltimore, MD, USA
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Liang KX. The application of brain organoid for drug discovery in mitochondrial diseases. Int J Biochem Cell Biol 2024; 170:106556. [PMID: 38423381 DOI: 10.1016/j.biocel.2024.106556] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 08/11/2023] [Revised: 02/26/2024] [Accepted: 02/26/2024] [Indexed: 03/02/2024]
Abstract
Mitochondrial diseases are difficult to treat due to the complexity and multifaceted nature of mitochondrial dysfunction. Brain organoids are three-dimensional (3D) structures derived from human pluripotent stem cells designed to mimic brain-like development and function. Brain organoids have received a lot of attention in recent years as powerful tools for modeling human diseases, brain development, and drug screening. Screening compounds for mitochondrial diseases using brain organoids could provide a more physiologically relevant platform for drug discovery. Brain organoids offer the possibility of personalized medicine because they can be derived from patient-specific cells, allowing testing of drugs tailored to specific genetic mutations. In this article, we highlight how brain organoids offer a promising avenue for screening compounds for mitochondrial diseases and address the challenges and limitations associated with their use. We hope this review will provide new insights into the further progress of brain organoids for mitochondrial screening studies.
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Adams JW, Vinokur A, de Souza JS, Austria C, Guerra BS, Herai RH, Wahlin KJ, Muotri AR. Loss of GTF2I promotes neuronal apoptosis and synaptic reduction in human cellular models of neurodevelopment. Cell Rep 2024; 43:113867. [PMID: 38416640 PMCID: PMC11002531 DOI: 10.1016/j.celrep.2024.113867] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 09/05/2023] [Revised: 01/04/2024] [Accepted: 02/09/2024] [Indexed: 03/01/2024] Open
Abstract
Individuals with Williams syndrome (WS), a neurodevelopmental disorder caused by hemizygous loss of 26-28 genes at 7q11.23, characteristically portray a hypersocial phenotype. Copy-number variations and mutations in one of these genes, GTF2I, are associated with altered sociality and are proposed to underlie hypersociality in WS. However, the contribution of GTF2I to human neurodevelopment remains poorly understood. Here, human cellular models of neurodevelopment, including neural progenitors, neurons, and three-dimensional cortical organoids, are differentiated from CRISPR-Cas9-edited GTF2I-knockout (GTF2I-KO) pluripotent stem cells to investigate the role of GTF2I in human neurodevelopment. GTF2I-KO progenitors exhibit increased proliferation and cell-cycle alterations. Cortical organoids and neurons demonstrate increased cell death and synaptic dysregulation, including synaptic structural dysfunction and decreased electrophysiological activity on a multielectrode array. Our findings suggest that changes in synaptic circuit integrity may be a prominent mediator of the link between alterations in GTF2I and variation in the phenotypic expression of human sociality.
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Affiliation(s)
- Jason W Adams
- Department of Pediatrics/Rady Children's Hospital, Department of Cellular & Molecular Medicine, University of California, San Diego School of Medicine, La Jolla, CA 92037, USA; Department of Neurosciences, University of California, San Diego School of Medicine, La Jolla, CA 92093, USA; Center for Academic Research and Training in Anthropogeny, University of California, San Diego, La Jolla, CA 92093, USA
| | - Annabelle Vinokur
- Department of Pediatrics/Rady Children's Hospital, Department of Cellular & Molecular Medicine, University of California, San Diego School of Medicine, La Jolla, CA 92037, USA
| | - Janaína S de Souza
- Department of Pediatrics/Rady Children's Hospital, Department of Cellular & Molecular Medicine, University of California, San Diego School of Medicine, La Jolla, CA 92037, USA
| | - Charles Austria
- Department of Pediatrics/Rady Children's Hospital, Department of Cellular & Molecular Medicine, University of California, San Diego School of Medicine, La Jolla, CA 92037, USA
| | - Bruno S Guerra
- Department of Pediatrics/Rady Children's Hospital, Department of Cellular & Molecular Medicine, University of California, San Diego School of Medicine, La Jolla, CA 92037, USA; Experimental Multiuser Laboratory, Pontifícia Universidade Católica do Paraná, Curitiba, PR 80215-901, Brazil
| | - Roberto H Herai
- Department of Pediatrics/Rady Children's Hospital, Department of Cellular & Molecular Medicine, University of California, San Diego School of Medicine, La Jolla, CA 92037, USA; Experimental Multiuser Laboratory, Pontifícia Universidade Católica do Paraná, Curitiba, PR 80215-901, Brazil
| | - Karl J Wahlin
- Shiley Eye Institute, University of California, San Diego, La Jolla, CA 92093, USA
| | - Alysson R Muotri
- Department of Pediatrics/Rady Children's Hospital, Department of Cellular & Molecular Medicine, University of California, San Diego School of Medicine, La Jolla, CA 92037, USA; Center for Academic Research and Training in Anthropogeny, University of California, San Diego, La Jolla, CA 92093, USA.
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Niu W, Siciliano B, Wen Z. Modeling tuberous sclerosis complex with human induced pluripotent stem cells. World J Pediatr 2024; 20:208-218. [PMID: 35759110 DOI: 10.1007/s12519-022-00576-8] [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] [Submit a Manuscript] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 12/22/2021] [Accepted: 05/23/2022] [Indexed: 12/20/2022]
Abstract
BACKGROUND Tuberous sclerosis complex (TSC) is an autosomal dominant genetic disorder with a birth incidence of 1:6000 in the United States that is characterized by the growth of non-cancerous tumors in multiple organ systems including the brain, kidneys, lungs, and skin. Importantly, TSC is also associated with significant neurological manifestations including epilepsy, TSC-associated neuropsychiatric disorders, intellectual disabilities, and autism spectrum disorder. Mutations in the TSC1 or TSC2 genes are well-established causes of TSC, which lead to TSC1/TSC2 deficiency in organs and hyper-activation of the mammalian target of rapamycin signaling pathway. Animal models have been widely used to study the effect of TSC1/2 genes on the development and function of the brain. Despite considerable progress in understanding the molecular mechanisms underlying TSC in animal models, a human-specific model is urgently needed to investigate the effects of TSC1/2 mutations that are unique to human neurodevelopment. DATA SOURCES Literature reviews and research articles were published in PubMed-indexed journals. RESULTS Human-induced pluripotent stem cells (iPSCs), which capture risk alleles that are identical to their donors and have the capacity to differentiate into virtually any cell type in the human body, pave the way for the empirical study of previously inaccessible biological systems such as the developing human brain. CONCLUSIONS In this review, we present an overview of the recent progress in modeling TSC with human iPSC models, the existing limitations, and potential directions for future research.
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Affiliation(s)
- Weibo Niu
- Department of Psychiatry and Behavioral Sciences, Emory University School of Medicine, Whitehead Research Building 447, 615 Michael Street, Atlanta, GA, 30322, USA
| | - Benjamin Siciliano
- The Graduate Program in Molecular and Systems Pharmacology, Laney Graduate School, Emory University, Atlanta, GA, 30322, USA
| | - Zhexing Wen
- Department of Psychiatry and Behavioral Sciences, Emory University School of Medicine, Whitehead Research Building 447, 615 Michael Street, Atlanta, GA, 30322, USA.
- Department of Cell Biology, Emory University School of Medicine, Whitehead Research Building 447, 615 Michael Street, Atlanta, GA, 30322, USA.
- Department of Neurology, Emory University School of Medicine, Whitehead Research Building 447, 615 Michael Street, Atlanta, GA, 30322, USA.
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Acharya P, Choi NY, Shrestha S, Jeong S, Lee MY. Brain organoids: A revolutionary tool for modeling neurological disorders and development of therapeutics. Biotechnol Bioeng 2024; 121:489-506. [PMID: 38013504 PMCID: PMC10842775 DOI: 10.1002/bit.28606] [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: 05/01/2023] [Revised: 10/03/2023] [Accepted: 11/06/2023] [Indexed: 11/29/2023]
Abstract
Brain organoids are self-organized, three-dimensional (3D) aggregates derived from pluripotent stem cells that have cell types and cellular architectures resembling those of the developing human brain. The current understanding of human brain developmental processes and neurological disorders has advanced significantly with the introduction of this in vitro model. Brain organoids serve as a translational link between two-dimensional (2D) cultures and in vivo models which imitate the neural tube formation at the early and late stages and the differentiation of neuroepithelium with whole-brain regionalization. In addition, the generation of region-specific brain organoids made it possible to investigate the pathogenic and etiological aspects of acquired and inherited brain disease along with drug discovery and drug toxicity testing. In this review article, we first summarize an overview of the existing methods and platforms used for generating brain organoids and their limitations and then discuss the recent advancement in brain organoid technology. In addition, we discuss how brain organoids have been used to model aspects of neurodevelopmental and neurodegenerative diseases, including autism spectrum disorder (ASD), Rett syndrome, Zika virus-related microcephaly, Alzheimer's disease (AD), Parkinson's disease (PD), and Huntington's disease (HD).
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Affiliation(s)
- Prabha Acharya
- Department of Biomedical Engineering, University of North Texas, Denton, Texas, USA
| | - Na Young Choi
- Department of Biomedical Engineering, University of North Texas, Denton, Texas, USA
- Department of Healthcare Information Technology, Inje University, Gimhae, Republic of Korea
| | - Sunil Shrestha
- Department of Biomedical Engineering, University of North Texas, Denton, Texas, USA
| | - Sehoon Jeong
- Department of Healthcare Information Technology, Inje University, Gimhae, Republic of Korea
| | - Moo-Yeal Lee
- Department of Biomedical Engineering, University of North Texas, Denton, Texas, USA
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11
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Sun J, Noss S, Banerjee D, Das M, Girirajan S. Strategies for dissecting the complexity of neurodevelopmental disorders. Trends Genet 2024; 40:187-202. [PMID: 37949722 PMCID: PMC10872993 DOI: 10.1016/j.tig.2023.10.009] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 05/27/2023] [Revised: 09/20/2023] [Accepted: 10/16/2023] [Indexed: 11/12/2023]
Abstract
Neurodevelopmental disorders (NDDs) are associated with a wide range of clinical features, affecting multiple pathways involved in brain development and function. Recent advances in high-throughput sequencing have unveiled numerous genetic variants associated with NDDs, which further contribute to disease complexity and make it challenging to infer disease causation and underlying mechanisms. Herein, we review current strategies for dissecting the complexity of NDDs using model organisms, induced pluripotent stem cells, single-cell sequencing technologies, and massively parallel reporter assays. We further highlight single-cell CRISPR-based screening techniques that allow genomic investigation of cellular transcriptomes with high efficiency, accuracy, and throughput. Overall, we provide an integrated review of experimental approaches that can be applicable for investigating a broad range of complex disorders.
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Affiliation(s)
- Jiawan Sun
- Molecular, Cellular, and Integrative Biosciences Graduate Program, The Huck Institutes of Life Sciences, University Park, PA 16802, USA
| | - Serena Noss
- Molecular, Cellular, and Integrative Biosciences Graduate Program, The Huck Institutes of Life Sciences, University Park, PA 16802, USA
| | - Deepro Banerjee
- Bioinformatics and Genomics Graduate Program, The Huck Institutes of Life Sciences, University Park, PA 16802, USA
| | - Maitreya Das
- Molecular, Cellular, and Integrative Biosciences Graduate Program, The Huck Institutes of Life Sciences, University Park, PA 16802, USA
| | - Santhosh Girirajan
- Molecular, Cellular, and Integrative Biosciences Graduate Program, The Huck Institutes of Life Sciences, University Park, PA 16802, USA; Bioinformatics and Genomics Graduate Program, The Huck Institutes of Life Sciences, University Park, PA 16802, USA; Department of Biochemistry and Molecular Biology, Pennsylvania State University, University Park, PA 16802, USA; Department of Anthropology, Pennsylvania State University, University Park, PA 16802, USA.
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Boen R, Kaufmann T, van der Meer D, Frei O, Agartz I, Ames D, Andersson M, Armstrong NJ, Artiges E, Atkins JR, Bauer J, Benedetti F, Boomsma DI, Brodaty H, Brosch K, Buckner RL, Cairns MJ, Calhoun V, Caspers S, Cichon S, Corvin AP, Crespo-Facorro B, Dannlowski U, David FS, de Geus EJC, de Zubicaray GI, Desrivières S, Doherty JL, Donohoe G, Ehrlich S, Eising E, Espeseth T, Fisher SE, Forstner AJ, Fortaner-Uyà L, Frouin V, Fukunaga M, Ge T, Glahn DC, Goltermann J, Grabe HJ, Green MJ, Groenewold NA, Grotegerd D, Grøntvedt GR, Hahn T, Hashimoto R, Hehir-Kwa JY, Henskens FA, Holmes AJ, Håberg AK, Haavik J, Jacquemont S, Jansen A, Jockwitz C, Jönsson EG, Kikuchi M, Kircher T, Kumar K, Le Hellard S, Leu C, Linden DE, Liu J, Loughnan R, Mather KA, McMahon KL, McRae AF, Medland SE, Meinert S, Moreau CA, Morris DW, Mowry BJ, Mühleisen TW, Nenadić I, Nöthen MM, Nyberg L, Ophoff RA, Owen MJ, Pantelis C, Paolini M, Paus T, Pausova Z, Persson K, Quidé Y, Marques TR, Sachdev PS, Sando SB, Schall U, Scott RJ, Selbæk G, Shumskaya E, Silva AI, Sisodiya SM, Stein F, Stein DJ, Straube B, Streit F, Strike LT, Teumer A, Teutenberg L, Thalamuthu A, Tooney PA, Tordesillas-Gutierrez D, Trollor JN, van 't Ent D, van den Bree MBM, van Haren NEM, Vázquez-Bourgon J, Völzke H, Wen W, Wittfeld K, Ching CRK, Westlye LT, Thompson PM, Bearden CE, Selmer KK, Alnæs D, Andreassen OA, Sønderby IE. Beyond the Global Brain Differences: Intraindividual Variability Differences in 1q21.1 Distal and 15q11.2 BP1-BP2 Deletion Carriers. Biol Psychiatry 2024; 95:147-160. [PMID: 37661008 PMCID: PMC7615370 DOI: 10.1016/j.biopsych.2023.08.018] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Submit a Manuscript] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 04/11/2023] [Revised: 07/25/2023] [Accepted: 08/21/2023] [Indexed: 09/05/2023]
Abstract
BACKGROUND Carriers of the 1q21.1 distal and 15q11.2 BP1-BP2 copy number variants exhibit regional and global brain differences compared with noncarriers. However, interpreting regional differences is challenging if a global difference drives the regional brain differences. Intraindividual variability measures can be used to test for regional differences beyond global differences in brain structure. METHODS Magnetic resonance imaging data were used to obtain regional brain values for 1q21.1 distal deletion (n = 30) and duplication (n = 27) and 15q11.2 BP1-BP2 deletion (n = 170) and duplication (n = 243) carriers and matched noncarriers (n = 2350). Regional intra-deviation scores, i.e., the standardized difference between an individual's regional difference and global difference, were used to test for regional differences that diverge from the global difference. RESULTS For the 1q21.1 distal deletion carriers, cortical surface area for regions in the medial visual cortex, posterior cingulate, and temporal pole differed less and regions in the prefrontal and superior temporal cortex differed more than the global difference in cortical surface area. For the 15q11.2 BP1-BP2 deletion carriers, cortical thickness in regions in the medial visual cortex, auditory cortex, and temporal pole differed less and the prefrontal and somatosensory cortex differed more than the global difference in cortical thickness. CONCLUSIONS We find evidence for regional effects beyond differences in global brain measures in 1q21.1 distal and 15q11.2 BP1-BP2 copy number variants. The results provide new insight into brain profiling of the 1q21.1 distal and 15q11.2 BP1-BP2 copy number variants, with the potential to increase understanding of the mechanisms involved in altered neurodevelopment.
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Affiliation(s)
- Rune Boen
- Department of Medical Genetics, Oslo University Hospital, Oslo, Norway; Norwegian Centre for Mental Disorders Research (NORMENT), Division of Mental Health and Addiction, Oslo University Hospital and Institute of Clinical Medicine, University of Oslo, Oslo, Norway.
| | - Tobias Kaufmann
- Norwegian Centre for Mental Disorders Research (NORMENT), Division of Mental Health and Addiction, Oslo University Hospital and Institute of Clinical Medicine, University of Oslo, Oslo, Norway; Department of Psychiatry and Psychotherapy, Tübingen Center for Mental Health, University of Tübingen, Germany; German Center for Mental Health (DZPG), partner site Tübingen, Tübingen, Germany
| | - Dennis van der Meer
- Norwegian Centre for Mental Disorders Research (NORMENT), Division of Mental Health and Addiction, Oslo University Hospital and Institute of Clinical Medicine, University of Oslo, Oslo, Norway; School of Mental Health and Neuroscience, Faculty of Health, Medicine and Life Sciences, Maastricht University, Maastricht, Netherlands
| | - Oleksandr Frei
- Norwegian Centre for Mental Disorders Research (NORMENT), Division of Mental Health and Addiction, Oslo University Hospital and Institute of Clinical Medicine, University of Oslo, Oslo, Norway; Centre for Bioinformatics, Department of Informatics, University of Oslo, Oslo, Norway
| | - Ingrid Agartz
- Norwegian Centre for Mental Disorders Research, Institute of Clinical Medicine, University of Oslo, Oslo, Norway; Department of Clinical Research, Diakonhjemmet Hospital, Oslo, Norway; Centre for Psychiatry Research, Department of Clinical Neuroscience, Karolinska Institutet and Stockholm Health Care Services, Stockholm, Sweden
| | - David Ames
- University of Melbourne Academic Unit for Psychiatry of Old Age, St George's Hospital, Kew, Victoria, Australia; National Ageing Research Institute, Parkville, Victoria, Australia
| | - Micael Andersson
- Department of Integrative Medical Biology and Umeå Center for Functional Brain Imaging, Umeå University, Umeå, Sweden
| | - Nicola J Armstrong
- Department of Mathematics and Statistics, Curtin University, Perth, Western Australia, Australia
| | - Eric Artiges
- Institut National de la Santé et de la Recherche Médicale U1299, École Normale Supérieure Paris-Saclay, Université Paris Saclay, Gif-sur-Yvette, France; Établissement public de santé (EPS) Barthélemy Durand, Etampes, France
| | - Joshua R Atkins
- School of Biomedical Sciences and Pharmacy, College of Medicine, Health and Wellbeing, University of Newcastle, Callaghan, New South Wales, Australia; Precision Medicine Research Program, Hunter Medical Research Institute, Newcastle, New South Wales, Australia; Cancer Epidemiology Unit, Nuffield Department of Population Health, University of Oxford, Oxford, UK
| | - Jochen Bauer
- University Clinic for Radiology, University of Münster, Münster, Germany
| | - Francesco Benedetti
- Psychiatry and Clinical Psychobiology Unit, Division of Neuroscience, Istituto di Ricovero e Cura a Carattere Scientifico (IRCCS) San Raffaele Scientific Institute, Milan, Italy; Division of Neuroscience, Psychiatry and Clinical Psychobiology Unit, Istituto di Ricovero e Cura a Carattere Scientifico San Raffaele Scientific Institute, Milan, Italy
| | - Dorret I Boomsma
- Department of Biological Psychology, Vrije Universiteit Amsterdam, Amsterdam, the Netherlands
| | - Henry Brodaty
- Centre for Healthy Brain Ageing, School of Clinical Medicine, University of New South Wales, Sydney, New South Wales, Australia
| | - Katharina Brosch
- Department of Psychiatry and Psychotherapy, Philipps-University Marburg, Marburg, Germany
| | - Randy L Buckner
- Department of Psychology and Center for Brain Science, Harvard University, Cambridge, Massachusetts; Department of Psychiatry, Massachusetts General Hospital, Boston, Massachusetts
| | - Murray J Cairns
- School of Biomedical Sciences and Pharmacy, College of Medicine, Health and Wellbeing, University of Newcastle, Callaghan, New South Wales, Australia; Precision Medicine Research Program, Hunter Medical Research Institute, Newcastle, New South Wales, Australia
| | - Vince Calhoun
- Tri-institutional Center for Translational Research in Neuroimaging and Data Science, Georgia State University/Georgia Institute of Technology/Emory University, Atlanta, Georgia
| | - Svenja Caspers
- Institute of Neuroscience and Medicine (INM-1), Research Centre Jülich, Jülich, Germany; Institute for Anatomy I, Medical Faculty & University Hospital Düsseldorf, Heinrich Heine University Düsseldorf, Düsseldorf, Germany
| | - Sven Cichon
- Institute of Neuroscience and Medicine (INM-1), Research Centre Jülich, Jülich, Germany; Department of Biomedicine, University of Basel, Basel, Switzerland; University Hospital Basel, Institute of Medical Genetics and Pathology, Basel, Switzerland
| | - Aiden P Corvin
- Department of Psychiatry, Trinity College Dublin, Dublin, Ireland
| | - Benedicto Crespo-Facorro
- Instituto de Biomedicina de Sevilla, Hospital Universitario Virgen del Rocío/Centro superior de investigaciones científicas (CSIC), Sevilla, Spain; Centro de Investigación Biomédica en Red Salud Mental, Sevilla, Spain; Department of Psychiatry, University of Sevilla, Sevilla, Spain
| | - Udo Dannlowski
- Institute for Translational Psychiatry, University of Münster, Münster, Germany
| | - Friederike S David
- Institute of Human Genetics, University of Bonn, School of Medicine and University Hospital Bonn, Bonn, Germany
| | - Eco J C de Geus
- Department of Biological Psychology, Vrije Universiteit Amsterdam, Amsterdam, the Netherlands
| | - Greig I de Zubicaray
- School of Psychology and Counselling, Queensland University of Technology, Brisbane, Queensland, Australia
| | - Sylvane Desrivières
- Social Genetic and Developmental Psychiatry Centre, Institute of Psychiatry, Psychology and Neuroscience, King's College London, London, United Kingdom
| | - Joanne L Doherty
- Centre for Neuropsychiatric Genetics and Genomics, Cardiff University, Cardiff, United Kingdom; Cardiff University Brain Research Imaging Centre, School of Psychology, Cardiff University, Cardiff, United Kingdom
| | - Gary Donohoe
- School of Psychology and Center for Neuroimaging, Cognition and Genomics, University of Galway, Galway, Ireland
| | - Stefan Ehrlich
- Translational Developmental Neuroscience Section, Division of Psychological and Social Medicine and Developmental Neurosciences, Faculty of Medicine, Technische Universität Dresden, Dresden, Germany
| | - Else Eising
- Language and Genetics Department, Max Planck Institute for Psycholinguistics, Nijmegen, the Netherlands
| | - Thomas Espeseth
- Department of Psychology, University of Oslo, Oslo, Norway; Department of Psychology, Oslo New University College, Oslo, Norway
| | - Simon E Fisher
- Language and Genetics Department, Max Planck Institute for Psycholinguistics, Nijmegen, the Netherlands; Donders Institute for Brain, Cognition and Behaviour, Radboud University, Nijmegen, the Netherlands
| | - Andreas J Forstner
- Institute of Neuroscience and Medicine (INM-1), Research Centre Jülich, Jülich, Germany; Institute of Human Genetics, University of Bonn, School of Medicine and University Hospital Bonn, Bonn, Germany
| | - Lidia Fortaner-Uyà
- Psychiatry and Clinical Psychobiology Unit, Division of Neuroscience, Istituto di Ricovero e Cura a Carattere Scientifico (IRCCS) San Raffaele Scientific Institute, Milan, Italy; Division of Neuroscience, Psychiatry and Clinical Psychobiology Unit, Istituto di Ricovero e Cura a Carattere Scientifico San Raffaele Scientific Institute, Milan, Italy
| | - Vincent Frouin
- Neurospin, Commissariat a l'Energie Atomique (CEA), Université Paris-Saclay, Gif-sur-Yvette, France
| | - Masaki Fukunaga
- Section of Brain Function Information, National Institute for Physiological Sciences, Okazaki, Japan
| | - Tian Ge
- Psychiatric and Neurodevelopmental Genetics Unit, Center for Genomic Medicine, Massachusetts General Hospital, Boston, Massachusetts; Department of Psychiatry, Massachusetts General Hospital, Harvard Medical School, Boston, Massachusetts
| | - David C Glahn
- Department of Psychiatry and Behavioral Sciences, Boston Children's Hospital, Boston, Massachusetts; Department of Psychiatry, Harvard Medical School, Boston, Massachusetts
| | - Janik Goltermann
- Institute for Translational Psychiatry, University of Münster, Münster, Germany
| | - Hans J Grabe
- Department of Psychiatry and Psychotherapy, University Medicine Greifswald, Greifswald, Germany
| | - Melissa J Green
- Discipline of Psychiatry and Mental Health, School of Clinical Medicine, University of New South Wales, Sydney, New South Wales, Australia; Neuroscience Research Australia, Sydney, New South Wales, Australia
| | - Nynke A Groenewold
- Department of Psychiatry and Mental Health, Neuroscience Institute, University of Cape Town, Cape Town, South Africa
| | - Dominik Grotegerd
- Institute for Translational Psychiatry, University of Münster, Münster, Germany
| | - Gøril Rolfseng Grøntvedt
- Department of Neuromedicine and Movement Science, Faculty of Medicine and Health Sciences, Norwegian University of Science and Technology, Trondheim, Norway; Department of Neurology and Clinical Neurophysiology, University Hospital of Trondheim, Trondheim, Norway
| | - Tim Hahn
- Institute for Translational Psychiatry, University of Münster, Münster, Germany
| | - Ryota Hashimoto
- Department of Pathology of Mental Diseases, National Institute of Mental Health, National Center of Neurology and Psychiatry, Kodaira, Tokyo, Japan
| | - Jayne Y Hehir-Kwa
- Princess Máxima Center for Pediatric Oncology, Utrecht, the Netherlands
| | - Frans A Henskens
- School of Medicine and Public Health, University of Newcastle, Newcastle, New South Wales, Australia; Priority Research Centre for Health Behaviour, University of Newcastle, Newcastle, New South Wales, Australia
| | - Avram J Holmes
- Department of Psychiatry, Rutgers University, New Brunswick, New Jersey; Brain Health Institute, Rutgers University, Piscataway, New Jersey
| | - Asta K Håberg
- Department of Neuromedicine and Movement Science, Faculty of Medicine and Health Sciences, Norwegian University of Science and Technology, Trondheim, Norway; Department of Radiology and Nuclear Medicine, St. Olav's Hospital, Trondheim, Norway
| | - Jan Haavik
- Department of Biomedicine, University of Bergen, Bergen, Norway; Division of Psychiatry, Haukeland University Hospital, Bergen, Norway
| | - Sebastien Jacquemont
- Sainte Justine Hospital Research Center, Montreal, Quebec, Canada; Department of Pediatrics, University of Montreal, Montreal, Quebec, Canada
| | - Andreas Jansen
- Department of Psychiatry and Psychotherapy, Philipps-University Marburg, Marburg, Germany; Core-Facility Brainimaging and Department of Psychiatry, Faculty of Medicine, Philipps-University Marburg, Marburg, Germany
| | - Christiane Jockwitz
- Institute of Neuroscience and Medicine (INM-1), Research Centre Jülich, Jülich, Germany; Institute for Anatomy I, Medical Faculty & University Hospital Düsseldorf, Heinrich Heine University Düsseldorf, Düsseldorf, Germany
| | - Erik G Jönsson
- Norwegian Centre for Mental Disorders Research, Institute of Clinical Medicine, University of Oslo, Oslo, Norway; Centre for Psychiatry Research, Department of Clinical Neuroscience, Karolinska Institutet and Stockholm Health Care Services, Stockholm Region, Stockholm, Sweden
| | - Masataka Kikuchi
- Department of Genome Informatics, Graduate School of Medicine, Osaka University, Osaka, Japan; Department of Computational Biology and Medical Sciences, Graduate School of Frontier Science, The University of Tokyo, Chiba, Japan
| | - Tilo Kircher
- Department of Psychiatry and Psychotherapy, Philipps-University Marburg, Marburg, Germany
| | - Kuldeep Kumar
- Sainte Justine Hospital Research Center, Montreal, Quebec, Canada
| | - Stephanie Le Hellard
- Norwegian Centre for Mental Disorders Research, Department of Clinical Science, University of Bergen, Bergen, Norway; Dr. Einar Martens Research Group for Biological Psychiatry, Center for Medical Genetics and Molecular Medicine, Haukeland University Hospital, Bergen, Norway
| | - Costin Leu
- Department of Clinical and Experimental Epilepsy, UCL Queen Square Institute of Neurology, University College London, London, United Kingdom; Department of Neurology, McGovern Medical School, UTHealth Houston, Houston, Texas
| | - David E Linden
- Neuroscience and Mental Health Innovation Institute, Cardiff University, Cardiff, United Kingdom; School for Mental Health and Neuroscience, Department of Psychiatry and Neuropsychology, Faculty of Health, Medicine and Life Sciences, Maastricht University, Maastricht, the Netherlands
| | - Jingyu Liu
- Department of Computer Science and Center for Translational Research in Neuroimaging and Data Science, Georgia State University, Atlanta, Georgia
| | - Robert Loughnan
- Department of Cognitive Science and Population Neuroscience and Genetics Lab, University of California San Diego, La Jolla, California
| | - Karen A Mather
- Centre for Healthy Brain Ageing, School of Clinical Medicine, University of New South Wales, Sydney, New South Wales, Australia
| | - Katie L McMahon
- School of Clinical Sciences, Queensland University of Technology, Brisbane, Queensland, Australia
| | - Allan F McRae
- Institute for Molecular Bioscience, The University of Queensland, Brisbane, Queensland, Australia
| | - Sarah E Medland
- Psychiatric Genetics, Queensland Institute of Medical Research (QIMR) Berghofer Medical Research Institute, Brisbane, Queensland, Australia; University of Queensland, Brisbane, Queensland, Australia; Queensland University of Technology, Brisbane, Queensland, Australia
| | - Susanne Meinert
- Institute for Translational Psychiatry, University of Münster, Münster, Germany; Institute for Translational Neuroscience, University of Münster, Münster, Germany
| | - Clara A Moreau
- Imaging Genetics Center, Mark and Mary Stevens Institute for Neuroimaging and Informatics, Keck School of Medicine, University of Southern California, Marina del Rey, California
| | - Derek W Morris
- Centre for Neuroimaging, Cognition and Genomics, School of Biological and Chemical Sciences, University of Galway, Galway, Ireland
| | - Bryan J Mowry
- Queensland Brain Institute and Queensland Centre for Mental Health Research, University of Queensland, Brisbane, Queensland, Australia
| | - Thomas W Mühleisen
- Institute of Neuroscience and Medicine (INM-1), Research Centre Jülich, Jülich, Germany; Institute for Anatomy I, Medical Faculty & University Hospital Düsseldorf, Heinrich Heine University Düsseldorf, Düsseldorf, Germany; Department of Biomedicine, University of Basel, Basel, Switzerland
| | - Igor Nenadić
- Department of Psychiatry and Psychotherapy, Philipps-University Marburg, Marburg, Germany
| | - Markus M Nöthen
- Institute of Human Genetics, University of Bonn, School of Medicine and University Hospital Bonn, Bonn, Germany
| | - Lars Nyberg
- Departments of Radiation Sciences, Integrative Medical Biology and Umeå Center for Functional Brain Imaging, Umeå University, Umeå, Sweden
| | - Roel A Ophoff
- Department of Psychiatry, Erasmus University Medical Center, Rotterdam, the Netherlands; Semel Institute for Neuroscience and Human Behavior, Departments of Psychiatry and Biobehavioral Sciences and Psychology, University of California Los Angeles, Los Angeles, California
| | - Michael J Owen
- Centre for Neuropsychiatric Genetics and Genomics, Cardiff University, Cardiff, United Kingdom; Division of Psychological Medicine and Clinical Neurosciences, Cardiff University, Cardiff, United Kingdom
| | - Christos Pantelis
- Melbourne Neuropsychiatry Centre, Department of Psychiatry, University of Melbourne, Carlton South, Victoria, Australia; Western Centre for Health Research and Education, Sunshine Hospital, St Albans, Victoria, Australia
| | - Marco Paolini
- Psychiatry and Clinical Psychobiology Unit, Division of Neuroscience, Istituto di Ricovero e Cura a Carattere Scientifico (IRCCS) San Raffaele Scientific Institute, Milan, Italy; Division of Neuroscience, Psychiatry and Clinical Psychobiology Unit, Istituto di Ricovero e Cura a Carattere Scientifico San Raffaele Scientific Institute, Milan, Italy
| | - Tomas Paus
- Departments of Psychiatry and Neuroscience, Faculty of Medicine and Sainte Justine Hospital Research Center, University of Montreal, Montreal, Quebec, Canada; Departments of Psychiatry and Psychology, University of Toronto, Toronto, Ontario, Canada
| | - Zdenka Pausova
- The Hospital for Sick Children, Toronto, Ontario, Canada; Department of Physiology, University of Toronto, Toronto, Ontario, Canada
| | - Karin Persson
- Department of Geriatric Medicine, Oslo University Hospital, Oslo, Norway; Norwegian National Centre for Ageing and Health, Vestfold Hospital Trust, Tønsberg, Norway
| | - Yann Quidé
- Neuroscience Research Australia, Sydney, New South Wales, Australia; School of Psychology, University of New South Wales, Sydney, New South Wales, Australia
| | - Tiago Reis Marques
- Psychosis Studies, Institute of Psychiatry, Psychology and Neuroscience, King's College London, London, United Kingdom
| | - Perminder S Sachdev
- Centre for Healthy Brain Ageing, School of Clinical Medicine, University of New South Wales, Sydney, New South Wales, Australia; Neuropsychiatric Institute, Prince of Wales Hospital, Sydney, New South Wales, Australia
| | - Sigrid B Sando
- Department of Neuromedicine and Movement Science, Faculty of Medicine and Health Sciences, Norwegian University of Science and Technology, Trondheim, Norway; Department of Neurology and Clinical Neurophysiology, University Hospital of Trondheim, Trondheim, Norway
| | - Ulrich Schall
- Hunter Medical Research Institute, Newcastle, New South Wales, Australia
| | - Rodney J Scott
- School of Biomedical Sciences and Pharmacy, College of Medicine, Health and Wellbeing, University of Newcastle, Callaghan, New South Wales, Australia; Hunter Medical Research Institute, Newcastle, New South Wales, Australia; Division of Molecular Medicine, New South Wales Health Pathology, Newcastle, New South Wales, Australia
| | - Geir Selbæk
- Department of Geriatric Medicine, Oslo University Hospital, Oslo, Norway; Norwegian National Centre for Ageing and Health, Vestfold Hospital Trust, Tønsberg, Norway; Faculty of Medicine, University of Oslo, Oslo, Norway
| | - Elena Shumskaya
- Donders Institute for Brain, Cognition and Behaviour, Radboud University, Nijmegen, the Netherlands; Department of Human Genetics, Radboud University Medical Center, Nijmegen, the Netherlands
| | - Ana I Silva
- Neuroscience and Mental Health Innovation Institute, Cardiff University, Cardiff, United Kingdom
| | - Sanjay M Sisodiya
- Department of Clinical and Experimental Epilepsy, UCL Queen Square Institute of Neurology, University College London, London, United Kingdom; Chalfont Centre for Epilepsy, Chalfont St Peter, United Kingdom
| | - Frederike Stein
- Department of Psychiatry and Psychotherapy, Philipps-University Marburg, Marburg, Germany
| | - Dan J Stein
- SA MRC Unit on Risk and Resilience in Mental Disorders, Department of Psychiatry and Neuroscience Institute, University of Cape Town, Cape Town, South Africa
| | - Benjamin Straube
- Department of Psychiatry and Psychotherapy, Philipps-University Marburg, Marburg, Germany
| | - Fabian Streit
- Department of Genetic Epidemiology in Psychiatry, Central Institute of Mental Health, Medical Faculty Mannheim, University of Heidelberg, Mannheim, Germany
| | - Lachlan T Strike
- Psychiatric Genetics, Queensland Institute of Medical Research (QIMR) Berghofer Medical Research Institute, Brisbane, Queensland, Australia; School of Psychology and Counselling, Faculty of Health, Queensland University of Technology, Brisbane, Australia
| | - Alexander Teumer
- Department of Psychiatry and Psychotherapy, University Medicine Greifswald, Greifswald, Germany; Institute for Community Medicine, University Medicine Greifswald, Greifswald, Germany; German Centre for Cardiovascular Research, Greifswald, Germany
| | - Lea Teutenberg
- Department of Psychiatry and Psychotherapy, Philipps-University Marburg, Marburg, Germany
| | - Anbupalam Thalamuthu
- Centre for Healthy Brain Ageing, School of Clinical Medicine, University of New South Wales, Sydney, New South Wales, Australia
| | - Paul A Tooney
- School of Biomedical Sciences and Pharmacy, College of Medicine, Health and Wellbeing, University of Newcastle, Callaghan, New South Wales, Australia; Hunter Medical Research Institute, Newcastle, New South Wales, Australia
| | - Diana Tordesillas-Gutierrez
- Instituto de Física de Cantabria UC-CSIC, Santander, Spain; Department of Radiology, Marqués de Valdecilla University Hospital, Valdecilla Biomedical Research Institute, Instituto de Investigación Sanitaria Valdecilla, Santander, Spain
| | - Julian N Trollor
- Department of Developmental Disability Neuropsychiatry and Centre for Healthy Brain Ageing, School of Clinical Medicine, University of New South Wales, Sydney, New South Wales, Australia
| | - Dennis van 't Ent
- Department of Biological Psychology, Vrije Universiteit Amsterdam, Amsterdam, the Netherlands
| | - Marianne B M van den Bree
- Institute of Psychological Medicine and Clinical Neurosciences and Centre for Neuropsychiatric Genetics and Genomics, Cardiff University, Cardiff, United Kingdom; Institute for Translational Neuroscience, University of Münster, Münster, Germany
| | - Neeltje E M van Haren
- Department of Child and Adolescent Psychiatry/Psychology, Erasmus University Medical Centre, Rotterdam, the Netherlands; Department of Psychiatry, University Medical Centre Utrecht, Utrecht, the Netherlands
| | - Javier Vázquez-Bourgon
- Centro de Investigación Biomédica en Red Salud Mental, Sevilla, Spain; Department of Psychiatry, University Hospital Maqués de Valdecilla, Instituto de Investigación Sanitaria Valdecilla, Santander, Spain; Departamento de Medicina y Psiquiatría, Universidad de Cantabria, Santander, Spain
| | - Henry Völzke
- German Centre for Cardiovascular Research, Greifswald, Germany; Greifswald University Hospital, Greifswald, Germany
| | - Wei Wen
- Centre for Healthy Brain Ageing, School of Clinical Medicine, University of New South Wales, Sydney, New South Wales, Australia
| | - Katharina Wittfeld
- Department of Psychiatry and Psychotherapy, University Medicine Greifswald, Greifswald, Germany
| | - Christopher R K Ching
- Imaging Genetics Center, Mark and Mary Stevens Institute for Neuroimaging and Informatics, Keck School of Medicine, University of Southern California, Marina del Rey, California
| | - Lars T Westlye
- Norwegian Centre for Mental Disorders Research (NORMENT), Division of Mental Health and Addiction, Oslo University Hospital and Institute of Clinical Medicine, University of Oslo, Oslo, Norway; Department of Psychology, University of Oslo, Oslo, Norway; KG Jebsen Centre for Neurodevelopmental Disorders, University of Oslo, Oslo, Norway
| | - Paul M Thompson
- Imaging Genetics Center, Mark and Mary Stevens Institute for Neuroimaging and Informatics, Keck School of Medicine, University of Southern California, Marina del Rey, California
| | - Carrie E Bearden
- Semel Institute for Neuroscience and Human Behavior, Departments of Psychiatry and Biobehavioral Sciences and Psychology, University of California Los Angeles, Los Angeles, California
| | - Kaja K Selmer
- Department of Research and Innovation, Division of Clinical Neuroscience, Oslo University Hospital and the University of Oslo, Oslo, Norway
| | - Dag Alnæs
- Norwegian Centre for Mental Disorders Research (NORMENT), Division of Mental Health and Addiction, Oslo University Hospital and Institute of Clinical Medicine, University of Oslo, Oslo, Norway; Kristiania University College, Oslo, Norway
| | - Ole A Andreassen
- Norwegian Centre for Mental Disorders Research (NORMENT), Division of Mental Health and Addiction, Oslo University Hospital and Institute of Clinical Medicine, University of Oslo, Oslo, Norway; Norwegian Centre for Mental Disorders Research, Institute of Clinical Medicine, University of Oslo, Oslo, Norway; KG Jebsen Centre for Neurodevelopmental Disorders, University of Oslo, Oslo, Norway
| | - Ida E Sønderby
- Department of Medical Genetics, Oslo University Hospital, Oslo, Norway; Norwegian Centre for Mental Disorders Research (NORMENT), Division of Mental Health and Addiction, Oslo University Hospital and Institute of Clinical Medicine, University of Oslo, Oslo, Norway; KG Jebsen Centre for Neurodevelopmental Disorders, University of Oslo, Oslo, Norway
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Birtele M, Del Dosso A, Xu T, Nguyen T, Wilkinson B, Hosseini N, Nguyen S, Urenda JP, Knight G, Rojas C, Flores I, Atamian A, Moore R, Sharma R, Pirrotte P, Ashton RS, Huang EJ, Rumbaugh G, Coba MP, Quadrato G. Non-synaptic function of the autism spectrum disorder-associated gene SYNGAP1 in cortical neurogenesis. Nat Neurosci 2023; 26:2090-2103. [PMID: 37946050 DOI: 10.1038/s41593-023-01477-3] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 05/18/2022] [Accepted: 09/29/2023] [Indexed: 11/12/2023]
Abstract
Genes involved in synaptic function are enriched among those with autism spectrum disorder (ASD)-associated rare genetic variants. Dysregulated cortical neurogenesis has been implicated as a convergent mechanism in ASD pathophysiology, yet it remains unknown how 'synaptic' ASD risk genes contribute to these phenotypes, which arise before synaptogenesis. Here, we show that the synaptic Ras GTPase-activating (RASGAP) protein 1 (SYNGAP1, a top ASD risk gene) is expressed within the apical domain of human radial glia cells (hRGCs). In a human cortical organoid model of SYNGAP1 haploinsufficiency, we find dysregulated cytoskeletal dynamics that impair the scaffolding and division plane of hRGCs, resulting in disrupted lamination and accelerated maturation of cortical projection neurons. Additionally, we confirmed an imbalance in the ratio of progenitors to neurons in a mouse model of Syngap1 haploinsufficiency. Thus, SYNGAP1-related brain disorders may arise through non-synaptic mechanisms, highlighting the need to study genes associated with neurodevelopmental disorders (NDDs) in diverse human cell types and developmental stages.
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Affiliation(s)
- Marcella Birtele
- Department of Stem Cell Biology and Regenerative Medicine, Keck School of Medicine, University of Southern California, Los Angeles, CA, USA
- Eli and Edythe Broad CIRM Center for Regenerative Medicine and Stem Cell Research at USC, Keck School of Medicine, University of Southern California, Los Angeles, CA, USA
| | - Ashley Del Dosso
- Department of Stem Cell Biology and Regenerative Medicine, Keck School of Medicine, University of Southern California, Los Angeles, CA, USA
- Eli and Edythe Broad CIRM Center for Regenerative Medicine and Stem Cell Research at USC, Keck School of Medicine, University of Southern California, Los Angeles, CA, USA
| | - Tiantian Xu
- Department of Stem Cell Biology and Regenerative Medicine, Keck School of Medicine, University of Southern California, Los Angeles, CA, USA
- Eli and Edythe Broad CIRM Center for Regenerative Medicine and Stem Cell Research at USC, Keck School of Medicine, University of Southern California, Los Angeles, CA, USA
- Xiangya Hospital, Central South University, Changsha, China
| | - Tuan Nguyen
- Department of Stem Cell Biology and Regenerative Medicine, Keck School of Medicine, University of Southern California, Los Angeles, CA, USA
- Eli and Edythe Broad CIRM Center for Regenerative Medicine and Stem Cell Research at USC, Keck School of Medicine, University of Southern California, Los Angeles, CA, USA
| | - Brent Wilkinson
- Department of Psychiatry and Behavioral Sciences, Keck School of Medicine, University of Southern California, Los Angeles, CA, USA
- Zilkha Neurogenetic Institute, Keck School of Medicine, University of Southern California, Los Angeles, CA, USA
| | - Negar Hosseini
- Department of Stem Cell Biology and Regenerative Medicine, Keck School of Medicine, University of Southern California, Los Angeles, CA, USA
- Eli and Edythe Broad CIRM Center for Regenerative Medicine and Stem Cell Research at USC, Keck School of Medicine, University of Southern California, Los Angeles, CA, USA
| | - Sarah Nguyen
- Department of Stem Cell Biology and Regenerative Medicine, Keck School of Medicine, University of Southern California, Los Angeles, CA, USA
- Eli and Edythe Broad CIRM Center for Regenerative Medicine and Stem Cell Research at USC, Keck School of Medicine, University of Southern California, Los Angeles, CA, USA
| | - Jean-Paul Urenda
- Department of Stem Cell Biology and Regenerative Medicine, Keck School of Medicine, University of Southern California, Los Angeles, CA, USA
- Eli and Edythe Broad CIRM Center for Regenerative Medicine and Stem Cell Research at USC, Keck School of Medicine, University of Southern California, Los Angeles, CA, USA
| | - Gavin Knight
- Department of Biomedical Engineering, University of Wisconsin-Madison, Madison, WI, USA
- Wisconsin Institute for Discovery, University of Wisconsin-Madison, Madison, WI, USA
| | - Camilo Rojas
- Departments of Neuroscience and Molecular Medicine, University of Florida Scripps Biomedical Research Institute, Jupiter, FL, USA
- Skaggs Graduate School of Chemical and Biological Sciences, Scripps Research, Jupiter, FL, USA
| | - Ilse Flores
- Department of Psychiatry and Behavioral Sciences, Keck School of Medicine, University of Southern California, Los Angeles, CA, USA
- Zilkha Neurogenetic Institute, Keck School of Medicine, University of Southern California, Los Angeles, CA, USA
| | - Alexander Atamian
- Department of Stem Cell Biology and Regenerative Medicine, Keck School of Medicine, University of Southern California, Los Angeles, CA, USA
- Eli and Edythe Broad CIRM Center for Regenerative Medicine and Stem Cell Research at USC, Keck School of Medicine, University of Southern California, Los Angeles, CA, USA
| | - Roger Moore
- Integrated Mass Spectrometry Shared Resource, City of Hope Comprehensive Cancer Center, Duarte, CA, USA
| | - Ritin Sharma
- Integrated Mass Spectrometry Shared Resource, City of Hope Comprehensive Cancer Center, Duarte, CA, USA
- Cancer and Cell Biology Division, Translational Genomics Research Institute, Phoenix, AZ, USA
| | - Patrick Pirrotte
- Integrated Mass Spectrometry Shared Resource, City of Hope Comprehensive Cancer Center, Duarte, CA, USA
- Cancer and Cell Biology Division, Translational Genomics Research Institute, Phoenix, AZ, USA
| | - Randolph S Ashton
- Department of Biomedical Engineering, University of Wisconsin-Madison, Madison, WI, USA
- Wisconsin Institute for Discovery, University of Wisconsin-Madison, Madison, WI, USA
| | - Eric J Huang
- Department of Pathology, University of California, San Francisco, CA, USA
- Eli and Edythe Broad Institute for Stem Cell Research and Regeneration Medicine, University of California, San Francisco, CA, USA
| | - Gavin Rumbaugh
- Departments of Neuroscience and Molecular Medicine, University of Florida Scripps Biomedical Research Institute, Jupiter, FL, USA
- Skaggs Graduate School of Chemical and Biological Sciences, Scripps Research, Jupiter, FL, USA
| | - Marcelo P Coba
- Department of Psychiatry and Behavioral Sciences, Keck School of Medicine, University of Southern California, Los Angeles, CA, USA
- Zilkha Neurogenetic Institute, Keck School of Medicine, University of Southern California, Los Angeles, CA, USA
- Department of Physiology and Neuroscience, Keck School of Medicine, University of Southern California, Los Angeles, CA, USA
| | - Giorgia Quadrato
- Department of Stem Cell Biology and Regenerative Medicine, Keck School of Medicine, University of Southern California, Los Angeles, CA, USA.
- Eli and Edythe Broad CIRM Center for Regenerative Medicine and Stem Cell Research at USC, Keck School of Medicine, University of Southern California, Los Angeles, CA, USA.
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14
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Seidlitz J, Mallard TT, Vogel JW, Lee YH, Warrier V, Ball G, Hansson O, Hernandez LM, Mandal AS, Wagstyl K, Lombardo MV, Courchesne E, Glessner JT, Satterthwaite TD, Bethlehem RAI, Bernstock JD, Tasaki S, Ng B, Gaiteri C, Smoller JW, Ge T, Gur RE, Gandal MJ, Alexander-Bloch AF. The molecular genetic landscape of human brain size variation. Cell Rep 2023; 42:113439. [PMID: 37963017 DOI: 10.1016/j.celrep.2023.113439] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 11/09/2022] [Revised: 06/13/2023] [Accepted: 10/27/2023] [Indexed: 11/16/2023] Open
Abstract
Human brain size changes dynamically through early development, peaks in adolescence, and varies up to 2-fold among adults. However, the molecular genetic underpinnings of interindividual variation in brain size remain unknown. Here, we leveraged postmortem brain RNA sequencing and measurements of brain weight (BW) in 2,531 individuals across three independent datasets to identify 928 genome-wide significant associations with BW. Genes associated with higher or lower BW showed distinct neurodevelopmental trajectories and spatial patterns that mapped onto functional and cellular axes of brain organization. Expression of BW genes was predictive of interspecies differences in brain size, and bioinformatic annotation revealed enrichment for neurogenesis and cell-cell communication. Genome-wide, transcriptome-wide, and phenome-wide association analyses linked BW gene sets to neuroimaging measurements of brain size and brain-related clinical traits. Cumulatively, these results represent a major step toward delineating the molecular pathways underlying human brain size variation in health and disease.
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Affiliation(s)
- Jakob Seidlitz
- Lifespan Brain Institute, The Children's Hospital of Philadelphia and Penn Medicine, Philadelphia, PA 19104, USA; Department of Child and Adolescent Psychiatry and Behavioral Science, The Children's Hospital of Philadelphia, Philadelphia, PA 19104, USA; Department of Psychiatry, University of Pennsylvania, Philadelphia, PA 19104, USA.
| | - Travis T Mallard
- Psychiatric and Neurodevelopmental Genetics Unit, Center for Genomic Medicine, Massachusetts General Hospital, Boston, MA 02114, USA; Stanley Center for Psychiatric Research, Broad Institute of MIT and Harvard, Boston, MA 02142, USA; Department of Psychiatry, Harvard Medical School, Boston, MA 02142, USA
| | - Jacob W Vogel
- Department of Psychiatry, University of Pennsylvania, Philadelphia, PA 19104, USA; Lifespan Informatics and Neuroimaging Center, University of Pennsylvania School of Medicine, Philadelphia, PA 19104, USA
| | - Younga H Lee
- Psychiatric and Neurodevelopmental Genetics Unit, Center for Genomic Medicine, Massachusetts General Hospital, Boston, MA 02114, USA; Stanley Center for Psychiatric Research, Broad Institute of MIT and Harvard, Boston, MA 02142, USA; Department of Psychiatry, Harvard Medical School, Boston, MA 02142, USA
| | - Varun Warrier
- Department of Psychiatry, University of Cambridge, Cambridge CB2 1TN, UK; Department of Psychology, University of Cambridge, Cambridge CB2 1TN, UK
| | - Gareth Ball
- Developmental Imaging, Murdoch Children's Research Institute, Melbourne, VIC 3052, Australia; Department of Paediatrics, University of Melbourne, Melbourne, Melbourne, VIC 3052, Australia
| | - Oskar Hansson
- Clinical Memory Research Unit, Department of Clinical Sciences Malmö, Lund University, Malmö P663+Q9, Sweden; Memory Clinic, Skåne University Hospital, Malmö P663+Q9, Sweden
| | - Leanna M Hernandez
- Semel Institute for Neuroscience and Human Behavior, University of California Los Angeles, Los Angeles, CA 90024, USA
| | - Ayan S Mandal
- Lifespan Brain Institute, The Children's Hospital of Philadelphia and Penn Medicine, Philadelphia, PA 19104, USA; Department of Child and Adolescent Psychiatry and Behavioral Science, The Children's Hospital of Philadelphia, Philadelphia, PA 19104, USA; Department of Psychiatry, University of Pennsylvania, Philadelphia, PA 19104, USA
| | - Konrad Wagstyl
- Wellcome Centre for Human Neuroimaging, University College London, London WC1N 3AR, UK
| | - Michael V Lombardo
- Laboratory for Autism and Neurodevelopmental Disorders, Center for Neuroscience and Cognitive Systems @UniTn, Istituto Italiano di Tecnologia, 38068 Rovereto, Italy
| | - Eric Courchesne
- Department of Neuroscience, University of California, San Diego, San Diego, CA 92093, USA; Autism Center of Excellence, University of California, San Diego, San Diego, CA 92093, USA
| | - Joseph T Glessner
- The Center for Applied Genomics, The Children's Hospital of Philadelphia, Philadelphia, PA 19104, USA; Department of Pediatrics, University of Pennsylvania Perelman School of Medicine, Philadelphia, PA 19104, USA
| | - Theodore D Satterthwaite
- Lifespan Brain Institute, The Children's Hospital of Philadelphia and Penn Medicine, Philadelphia, PA 19104, USA; Department of Psychiatry, University of Pennsylvania, Philadelphia, PA 19104, USA; Lifespan Informatics and Neuroimaging Center, University of Pennsylvania School of Medicine, Philadelphia, PA 19104, USA
| | | | - Joshua D Bernstock
- Department of Neurosurgery, Brigham and Women's Hospital, Harvard University, Boston, MA 02115, USA; Department of Neurosurgery, Boston Children's Hospital, Harvard University, Boston, MA 02115, USA; David H. Koch Institute for Integrative Cancer Research, Massachusetts Institute of Technology, Cambridge, MA 02139, USA
| | - Shinya Tasaki
- Rush Alzheimer's Disease Center, Rush University Medical Center, Chicago, IL 60612, USA
| | - Bernard Ng
- Rush Alzheimer's Disease Center, Rush University Medical Center, Chicago, IL 60612, USA
| | - Chris Gaiteri
- Rush Alzheimer's Disease Center, Rush University Medical Center, Chicago, IL 60612, USA
| | - Jordan W Smoller
- Psychiatric and Neurodevelopmental Genetics Unit, Center for Genomic Medicine, Massachusetts General Hospital, Boston, MA 02114, USA; Stanley Center for Psychiatric Research, Broad Institute of MIT and Harvard, Boston, MA 02142, USA; Department of Psychiatry, Harvard Medical School, Boston, MA 02142, USA; Center for Precision Psychiatry, Massachusetts General Hospital, Boston, MA 02114, USA
| | - Tian Ge
- Psychiatric and Neurodevelopmental Genetics Unit, Center for Genomic Medicine, Massachusetts General Hospital, Boston, MA 02114, USA; Stanley Center for Psychiatric Research, Broad Institute of MIT and Harvard, Boston, MA 02142, USA; Department of Psychiatry, Harvard Medical School, Boston, MA 02142, USA; Center for Precision Psychiatry, Massachusetts General Hospital, Boston, MA 02114, USA
| | - Raquel E Gur
- Lifespan Brain Institute, The Children's Hospital of Philadelphia and Penn Medicine, Philadelphia, PA 19104, USA; Department of Child and Adolescent Psychiatry and Behavioral Science, The Children's Hospital of Philadelphia, Philadelphia, PA 19104, USA; Department of Psychiatry, University of Pennsylvania, Philadelphia, PA 19104, USA
| | - Michael J Gandal
- Lifespan Brain Institute, The Children's Hospital of Philadelphia and Penn Medicine, Philadelphia, PA 19104, USA; Department of Psychiatry, University of Pennsylvania, Philadelphia, PA 19104, USA; Department of Genetics, University of Pennsylvania, Philadelphia, PA 19104, USA
| | - Aaron F Alexander-Bloch
- Lifespan Brain Institute, The Children's Hospital of Philadelphia and Penn Medicine, Philadelphia, PA 19104, USA; Department of Child and Adolescent Psychiatry and Behavioral Science, The Children's Hospital of Philadelphia, Philadelphia, PA 19104, USA; Department of Psychiatry, University of Pennsylvania, Philadelphia, PA 19104, USA
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15
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Kostic M, Raymond JJ, Freyre CAC, Henry B, Tumkaya T, Khlghatyan J, Dvornik J, Li J, Hsiao JS, Cheon SH, Chung J, Sun Y, Dolmetsch RE, Worringer KA, Ihry RJ. Patient Brain Organoids Identify a Link between the 16p11.2 Copy Number Variant and the RBFOX1 Gene. ACS Chem Neurosci 2023; 14:3993-4012. [PMID: 37903506 PMCID: PMC10655044 DOI: 10.1021/acschemneuro.3c00442] [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: 06/27/2023] [Accepted: 09/14/2023] [Indexed: 11/01/2023] Open
Abstract
Copy number variants (CNVs) that delete or duplicate 30 genes within the 16p11.2 genomic region give rise to a range of neurodevelopmental phenotypes with high penetrance in humans. Despite the identification of this small region, the mechanisms by which 16p11.2 CNVs lead to disease are unclear. Relevant models, such as human cortical organoids (hCOs), are needed to understand the human-specific mechanisms of neurodevelopmental disease. We generated hCOs from 17 patients and controls, profiling 167,958 cells with single-cell RNA-sequencing analysis, which revealed neuronal-specific differential expression of genes outside the 16p11.2 region that are related to cell-cell adhesion, neuronal projection growth, and neurodevelopmental disorders. Furthermore, 16p11.2 deletion syndrome organoids exhibited reduced mRNA and protein levels of RBFOX1, a gene that can also harbor CNVs linked to neurodevelopmental phenotypes. We found that the genes previously shown to be regulated by RBFOX1 are also perturbed in organoids from patients with the 16p11.2 deletion syndrome and thus identified a novel link between independent CNVs associated with neuronal development and autism. Overall, this work suggests convergent signaling, which indicates the possibility of a common therapeutic mechanism across multiple rare neuronal diseases.
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Affiliation(s)
- Milos Kostic
- Neuroscience, Novartis Institutes for BioMedical Research, Cambridge 02139, Massachusetts, United
States
| | - Joseph J. Raymond
- Neuroscience, Novartis Institutes for BioMedical Research, Cambridge 02139, Massachusetts, United
States
| | - Christophe A. C. Freyre
- Neuroscience, Novartis Institutes for BioMedical Research, Cambridge 02139, Massachusetts, United
States
| | - Beata Henry
- Neuroscience, Novartis Institutes for BioMedical Research, Cambridge 02139, Massachusetts, United
States
| | - Tayfun Tumkaya
- Neuroscience, Novartis Institutes for BioMedical Research, Cambridge 02139, Massachusetts, United
States
- Chemical
Biology and Therapeutics, Novartis Institutes
for BioMedical Research, Cambridge 02139, Massachusetts, United States
| | - Jivan Khlghatyan
- Neuroscience, Novartis Institutes for BioMedical Research, Cambridge 02139, Massachusetts, United
States
| | - Jill Dvornik
- Neuroscience, Novartis Institutes for BioMedical Research, Cambridge 02139, Massachusetts, United
States
| | - Jingyao Li
- Neuroscience, Novartis Institutes for BioMedical Research, Cambridge 02139, Massachusetts, United
States
| | - Jack S. Hsiao
- Neuroscience, Novartis Institutes for BioMedical Research, Cambridge 02139, Massachusetts, United
States
| | - Seon Hye Cheon
- Neuroscience, Novartis Institutes for BioMedical Research, Cambridge 02139, Massachusetts, United
States
| | - Jonathan Chung
- Chemical
Biology and Therapeutics, Novartis Institutes
for BioMedical Research, Cambridge 02139, Massachusetts, United States
| | - Yishan Sun
- Neuroscience, Novartis Institutes for BioMedical Research, Cambridge 02139, Massachusetts, United
States
| | - Ricardo E. Dolmetsch
- Neuroscience, Novartis Institutes for BioMedical Research, Cambridge 02139, Massachusetts, United
States
| | - Kathleen A. Worringer
- Neuroscience, Novartis Institutes for BioMedical Research, Cambridge 02139, Massachusetts, United
States
| | - Robert J. Ihry
- Neuroscience, Novartis Institutes for BioMedical Research, Cambridge 02139, Massachusetts, United
States
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16
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Tanaka R, Yamada K. Genomic and Reverse Translational Analysis Discloses a Role for Small GTPase RhoA Signaling in the Pathogenesis of Schizophrenia: Rho-Kinase as a Novel Drug Target. Int J Mol Sci 2023; 24:15623. [PMID: 37958606 PMCID: PMC10648424 DOI: 10.3390/ijms242115623] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 09/30/2023] [Revised: 10/18/2023] [Accepted: 10/24/2023] [Indexed: 11/15/2023] Open
Abstract
Schizophrenia is one of the most serious psychiatric disorders and is characterized by reductions in both brain volume and spine density in the frontal cortex. RhoA belongs to the RAS homolog (Rho) family and plays critical roles in neuronal development and structural plasticity via Rho-kinase. RhoA activity is regulated by GTPase-activating proteins (GAPs) and guanine nucleotide exchange factors (GEFs). Several variants in GAPs and GEFs associated with RhoA have been reported to be significantly associated with schizophrenia. Moreover, several mouse models carrying schizophrenia-associated gene variants involved in RhoA/Rho-kinase signaling have been developed. In this review, we summarize clinical evidence showing that variants in genes regulating RhoA activity are associated with schizophrenia. In the last half of the review, we discuss preclinical evidence indicating that RhoA/Rho-kinase is a potential therapeutic target of schizophrenia. In particular, Rho-kinase inhibitors exhibit anti-psychotic-like effects not only in Arhgap10 S490P/NHEJ mice, but also in pharmacologic models of schizophrenia (methamphetamine- and MK-801-treated mice). Accordingly, we propose that Rho-kinase inhibitors may have antipsychotic effects and reduce cognitive deficits in schizophrenia despite the presence or absence of genetic variants in small GTPase signaling pathways.
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Affiliation(s)
- Rinako Tanaka
- Department of Neuropsychopharmacology and Hospital Pharmacy, Graduate School of Medicine, Nagoya University, Nagoya 466-8560, Japan;
| | - Kiyofumi Yamada
- Department of Neuropsychopharmacology and Hospital Pharmacy, Graduate School of Medicine, Nagoya University, Nagoya 466-8560, Japan;
- International Center for Brain Science (ICBS), Fujita Health University, Toyoake 470-1192, Japan
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17
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Forrest MP, Penzes P. Mechanisms of copy number variants in neuropsychiatric disorders: From genes to therapeutics. Curr Opin Neurobiol 2023; 82:102750. [PMID: 37515924 PMCID: PMC10529795 DOI: 10.1016/j.conb.2023.102750] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 03/12/2023] [Revised: 06/01/2023] [Accepted: 06/27/2023] [Indexed: 07/31/2023]
Abstract
Copy number variants (CNVs) are genomic imbalances strongly linked to the aetiology of neuropsychiatric disorders such as schizophrenia and autism. By virtue of their large size, CNVs often contain many genes, providing a multi-genic view of disease processes that can be dissected in model systems. Thus, CNV research provides an important stepping stone towards understanding polygenic disease mechanisms, positioned between monogenic and polygenic risk models. In this review, we will outline hypothetical models for gene interactions occurring within CNVs and discuss different approaches used to study rodent and stem cell disease models. We highlight recent work showing that genetic and pharmacological strategies can be used to rescue important aspects of CNV-mediated pathophysiology, which often converges onto synaptic pathways. We propose that using a rescue approach in complete CNV models provides a new path forward for precise mechanistic understanding of complex disorders and a tangible route towards therapeutic development.
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Affiliation(s)
- Marc P Forrest
- Department of Neuroscience, Northwestern University Feinberg School of Medicine, Chicago, IL 60611, USA; Center for Autism and Neurodevelopment, Northwestern University Feinberg School of Medicine, Chicago, IL 60611, USA.
| | - Peter Penzes
- Department of Neuroscience, Northwestern University Feinberg School of Medicine, Chicago, IL 60611, USA; Center for Autism and Neurodevelopment, Northwestern University Feinberg School of Medicine, Chicago, IL 60611, USA.
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18
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Li Y, Zhu M, Chen WX, Luo J, Li X, Cao Y, Zheng M, Ma S, Xiao Z, Zhang Y, Jiang L, Wang X, Tan T, Li X, Gong Q, Xiong X, Wang J, Tang M, Li M, Tang YP. A novel mutation in intron 1 of Wnt1 causes developmental loss of dopaminergic neurons in midbrain and ASD-like behaviors in rats. Mol Psychiatry 2023; 28:3795-3805. [PMID: 37658228 PMCID: PMC10730402 DOI: 10.1038/s41380-023-02223-8] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Submit a Manuscript] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 02/01/2023] [Revised: 08/02/2023] [Accepted: 08/07/2023] [Indexed: 09/03/2023]
Abstract
Autism spectrum disorder (ASD) is a group of neurodevelopmental disorders with a strong genetic liability. Despite extensive studies, however, the underlying pathogenic mechanism still remains elusive. In the present study, we identified a homozygous mutation in the intron 1 of Wnt1 via large-scale screening of ASD risk/causative genes and verified that this mutation created a new splicing donor site in the intron 1, and consequently, a decrease of WNT1 expression. Interestingly, humanized rat models harboring this mutation exhibited robust ASD-like behaviors including impaired ultrasonic vocalization (USV), decreased social interactions, and restricted and repetitive behaviors. Moreover, in the substantia nigra compacta (SNpc) and the ventral tegmental area (VTA) of mutant rats, dopaminergic (DAergic) neurons were dramatically lost, together with a comparable decrease in striatal DAergic fibers. Furthermore, using single-cell RNA sequencing, we demonstrated that the decreased DAergic neurons in these midbrain areas might attribute to a shift of the boundary of the local pool of progenitor cells from the hypothalamic floor plate to the midbrain floor plate during the early embryonic stage. Moreover, treatments of mutant rats with levodopa could attenuate the impaired USV and social interactions almost completely, but not the restricted and repetitive behaviors. Our results for the first time documented that the developmental loss of DAergic neurons in the midbrain underlies the pathogenesis of ASD, and that the abnormal progenitor cell patterning is a cellular underpinning for this developmental DAergic neuronal loss. Importantly, the effective dopamine therapy suggests a translational significance in the treatment of ASD.
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Affiliation(s)
- Yongyi Li
- Guangdong Provincial Key Laboratory of Brain Function and Disease, Zhongshan School of Medicine, Sun Yat-sen University, Guangzhou, 510080, China
- Department of Pharmacology, Zhongshan School of Medicine, Sun Yat-sen University, Guangzhou, 510080, China
- Guangzhou Institute of Pediatrics, Guangzhou Women and Children's Medical Center, Guangzhou Medical University, Guangzhou, 510623, China
| | - Mingwei Zhu
- Guangzhou Institute of Pediatrics, Guangzhou Women and Children's Medical Center, Guangzhou Medical University, Guangzhou, 510623, China
| | - Wen-Xiong Chen
- Department of Neurology, Guangzhou Women and Children's Medical Center, Guangzhou Medical University, Guangzhou, 510623, China
| | - Jing Luo
- School of Basic Medicine, Southwest Medical University, Luzhou, Sichuan, 646000, China
| | - Xin Li
- Guangzhou Institute of Pediatrics, Guangzhou Women and Children's Medical Center, Guangzhou Medical University, Guangzhou, 510623, China
- School of Basic Medicine, Southwest Medical University, Luzhou, Sichuan, 646000, China
- Department of Pathology, Affiliated Hospital of Southwest Medical University, Luzhou, Sichuan, 646000, China
| | - Yangyang Cao
- Department of Child Health, Third Affiliated Hospital of Zhengzhou University, Zhengzhou, Henan, 450052, China
| | - Meng Zheng
- Guangzhou Institute of Pediatrics, Guangzhou Women and Children's Medical Center, Guangzhou Medical University, Guangzhou, 510623, China
| | - Shanshan Ma
- Guangdong Provincial Key Laboratory of Brain Function and Disease, Zhongshan School of Medicine, Sun Yat-sen University, Guangzhou, 510080, China
- Department of Pharmacology, Zhongshan School of Medicine, Sun Yat-sen University, Guangzhou, 510080, China
| | - Zhilan Xiao
- Guangzhou Institute of Pediatrics, Guangzhou Women and Children's Medical Center, Guangzhou Medical University, Guangzhou, 510623, China
| | - Yani Zhang
- Department of Neurology, Guangzhou Women and Children's Medical Center, Guangzhou Medical University, Guangzhou, 510623, China
| | - Linyan Jiang
- Guangzhou Institute of Pediatrics, Guangzhou Women and Children's Medical Center, Guangzhou Medical University, Guangzhou, 510623, China
| | - Xiumin Wang
- Guangzhou Institute of Pediatrics, Guangzhou Women and Children's Medical Center, Guangzhou Medical University, Guangzhou, 510623, China
| | - Ting Tan
- Guangzhou Institute of Pediatrics, Guangzhou Women and Children's Medical Center, Guangzhou Medical University, Guangzhou, 510623, China
| | - Xia Li
- Guangzhou Institute of Pediatrics, Guangzhou Women and Children's Medical Center, Guangzhou Medical University, Guangzhou, 510623, China
| | - Qian Gong
- Guangzhou Institute of Pediatrics, Guangzhou Women and Children's Medical Center, Guangzhou Medical University, Guangzhou, 510623, China
| | - Xiaoli Xiong
- Guangzhou Institute of Pediatrics, Guangzhou Women and Children's Medical Center, Guangzhou Medical University, Guangzhou, 510623, China
| | - Jun Wang
- Department of Child Health, Third Affiliated Hospital of Zhengzhou University, Zhengzhou, Henan, 450052, China
| | - Mingxi Tang
- Department of Pathology, Affiliated Hospital of Southwest Medical University, Luzhou, Sichuan, 646000, China.
| | - Mingtao Li
- Guangdong Provincial Key Laboratory of Brain Function and Disease, Zhongshan School of Medicine, Sun Yat-sen University, Guangzhou, 510080, China.
- Department of Pharmacology, Zhongshan School of Medicine, Sun Yat-sen University, Guangzhou, 510080, China.
| | - Ya-Ping Tang
- Guangdong Provincial Key Laboratory of Brain Function and Disease, Zhongshan School of Medicine, Sun Yat-sen University, Guangzhou, 510080, China.
- Guangzhou Institute of Pediatrics, Guangzhou Women and Children's Medical Center, Guangzhou Medical University, Guangzhou, 510623, China.
- Department of Child Health, Third Affiliated Hospital of Zhengzhou University, Zhengzhou, Henan, 450052, China.
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19
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Dawes P, Murray LF, Olson MN, Barton NJ, Smullen M, Suresh M, Yan G, Zhang Y, Fernandez-Fontaine A, English J, Uddin M, Pak C, Church GM, Chan Y, Lim ET. oFlowSeq: a quantitative approach to identify protein coding mutations affecting cell type enrichment using mosaic CRISPR-Cas9 edited cerebral organoids. Hum Genet 2023; 142:1281-1291. [PMID: 36877372 PMCID: PMC10807401 DOI: 10.1007/s00439-023-02534-4] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 07/04/2022] [Accepted: 02/19/2023] [Indexed: 03/07/2023]
Abstract
Cerebral organoids are comprised of diverse cell types found in the developing human brain, and can be leveraged in the identification of critical cell types perturbed by genetic risk variants in common, neuropsychiatric disorders. There is great interest in developing high-throughput technologies to associate genetic variants with cell types. Here, we describe a high-throughput, quantitative approach (oFlowSeq) by utilizing CRISPR-Cas9, FACS sorting, and next-generation sequencing. Using oFlowSeq, we found that deleterious mutations in autism-associated gene KCTD13 resulted in increased proportions of Nestin+ cells and decreased proportions of TRA-1-60+ cells within mosaic cerebral organoids. We further identified that a locus-wide CRISPR-Cas9 survey of another 18 genes in the 16p11.2 locus resulted in most genes with > 2% maximum editing efficiencies for short and long indels, suggesting a high feasibility for an unbiased, locus-wide experiment using oFlowSeq. Our approach presents a novel method to identify genotype-to-cell type imbalances in an unbiased, high-throughput, quantitative manner.
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Affiliation(s)
- Pepper Dawes
- Program in Bioinformatics and Integrative Biology, University of Massachusetts Chan Medical School, Worcester, MA, 01605, USA
- Department of Neurology, University of Massachusetts Chan Medical School, Worcester, MA, 01605, USA
- NeuroNexus Institute, University of Massachusetts Chan Medical School, Worcester, MA, 01605, USA
- Department of Molecular, Cell and Cancer Biology, University of Massachusetts Chan Medical School, Worcester, MA, 01605, USA
| | - Liam F Murray
- Program in Bioinformatics and Integrative Biology, University of Massachusetts Chan Medical School, Worcester, MA, 01605, USA
- Department of Neurology, University of Massachusetts Chan Medical School, Worcester, MA, 01605, USA
- NeuroNexus Institute, University of Massachusetts Chan Medical School, Worcester, MA, 01605, USA
- Department of Molecular, Cell and Cancer Biology, University of Massachusetts Chan Medical School, Worcester, MA, 01605, USA
| | - Meagan N Olson
- Program in Bioinformatics and Integrative Biology, University of Massachusetts Chan Medical School, Worcester, MA, 01605, USA
- Department of Neurology, University of Massachusetts Chan Medical School, Worcester, MA, 01605, USA
- NeuroNexus Institute, University of Massachusetts Chan Medical School, Worcester, MA, 01605, USA
- Department of Molecular, Cell and Cancer Biology, University of Massachusetts Chan Medical School, Worcester, MA, 01605, USA
| | - Nathaniel J Barton
- Program in Bioinformatics and Integrative Biology, University of Massachusetts Chan Medical School, Worcester, MA, 01605, USA
- Department of Neurology, University of Massachusetts Chan Medical School, Worcester, MA, 01605, USA
- NeuroNexus Institute, University of Massachusetts Chan Medical School, Worcester, MA, 01605, USA
- Department of Molecular, Cell and Cancer Biology, University of Massachusetts Chan Medical School, Worcester, MA, 01605, USA
| | - Molly Smullen
- Program in Bioinformatics and Integrative Biology, University of Massachusetts Chan Medical School, Worcester, MA, 01605, USA
- Department of Neurology, University of Massachusetts Chan Medical School, Worcester, MA, 01605, USA
- NeuroNexus Institute, University of Massachusetts Chan Medical School, Worcester, MA, 01605, USA
- Department of Molecular, Cell and Cancer Biology, University of Massachusetts Chan Medical School, Worcester, MA, 01605, USA
| | - Madhusoodhanan Suresh
- Program in Bioinformatics and Integrative Biology, University of Massachusetts Chan Medical School, Worcester, MA, 01605, USA
- Department of Neurology, University of Massachusetts Chan Medical School, Worcester, MA, 01605, USA
- NeuroNexus Institute, University of Massachusetts Chan Medical School, Worcester, MA, 01605, USA
- Department of Molecular, Cell and Cancer Biology, University of Massachusetts Chan Medical School, Worcester, MA, 01605, USA
| | - Guang Yan
- Program in Bioinformatics and Integrative Biology, University of Massachusetts Chan Medical School, Worcester, MA, 01605, USA
- Department of Neurology, University of Massachusetts Chan Medical School, Worcester, MA, 01605, USA
- NeuroNexus Institute, University of Massachusetts Chan Medical School, Worcester, MA, 01605, USA
- Department of Molecular, Cell and Cancer Biology, University of Massachusetts Chan Medical School, Worcester, MA, 01605, USA
| | - Yucheng Zhang
- Program in Bioinformatics and Integrative Biology, University of Massachusetts Chan Medical School, Worcester, MA, 01605, USA
- Department of Neurology, University of Massachusetts Chan Medical School, Worcester, MA, 01605, USA
- NeuroNexus Institute, University of Massachusetts Chan Medical School, Worcester, MA, 01605, USA
- Department of Molecular, Cell and Cancer Biology, University of Massachusetts Chan Medical School, Worcester, MA, 01605, USA
| | - Aria Fernandez-Fontaine
- Program in Bioinformatics and Integrative Biology, University of Massachusetts Chan Medical School, Worcester, MA, 01605, USA
- Department of Neurology, University of Massachusetts Chan Medical School, Worcester, MA, 01605, USA
- NeuroNexus Institute, University of Massachusetts Chan Medical School, Worcester, MA, 01605, USA
- Department of Molecular, Cell and Cancer Biology, University of Massachusetts Chan Medical School, Worcester, MA, 01605, USA
| | - Jay English
- Department of Biochemistry and Molecular Biology, University of Massachusetts Amherst, Amherst, MA, 01003, USA
| | - Mohammed Uddin
- College of Medicine, Mohammed Bin Rashid University of Medicine and Health Sciences, Dubai, UAE
- Cellular Intelligence (Ci) Lab, GenomeArc Inc., Toronto, ON, Canada
| | - ChangHui Pak
- Department of Biochemistry and Molecular Biology, University of Massachusetts Amherst, Amherst, MA, 01003, USA
| | - George M Church
- Department of Genetics, Harvard Medical School, Boston, MA, 02115, USA
- Wyss Institute for Biologically Inspired Engineering, Harvard University, Boston, MA, 02115, USA
| | - Yingleong Chan
- Program in Bioinformatics and Integrative Biology, University of Massachusetts Chan Medical School, Worcester, MA, 01605, USA
- Department of Neurology, University of Massachusetts Chan Medical School, Worcester, MA, 01605, USA
- NeuroNexus Institute, University of Massachusetts Chan Medical School, Worcester, MA, 01605, USA
| | - Elaine T Lim
- Program in Bioinformatics and Integrative Biology, University of Massachusetts Chan Medical School, Worcester, MA, 01605, USA.
- Department of Neurology, University of Massachusetts Chan Medical School, Worcester, MA, 01605, USA.
- NeuroNexus Institute, University of Massachusetts Chan Medical School, Worcester, MA, 01605, USA.
- Department of Molecular, Cell and Cancer Biology, University of Massachusetts Chan Medical School, Worcester, MA, 01605, USA.
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20
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Yasvoina MV, Srivastava DP. Seeing the Forest for the Trees: Dissecting Causal Mechanisms for Specific Conditions Associated With Shared Genetic Risk. Biol Psychiatry 2023; 94:103-105. [PMID: 37380253 DOI: 10.1016/j.biopsych.2023.05.007] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Submit a Manuscript] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 05/10/2023] [Accepted: 05/10/2023] [Indexed: 06/30/2023]
Affiliation(s)
- Marina V Yasvoina
- Department of Neuroimaging, Institute of Psychiatry, Psychology & Neuroscience, King's College London, London, United Kingdom
| | - Deepak P Srivastava
- Department of Basic and Clinical Neuroscience, Institute of Psychiatry, Psychology & Neuroscience, King's College London, London, United Kingdom; MRC Centre for Neurodevelopmental Disorders, King's College London, London, United Kingdom.
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21
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Adlakha YK. Human 3D brain organoids: steering the demolecularization of brain and neurological diseases. Cell Death Discov 2023; 9:221. [PMID: 37400464 DOI: 10.1038/s41420-023-01523-w] [Citation(s) in RCA: 3] [Impact Index Per Article: 3.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 01/05/2023] [Revised: 06/19/2023] [Accepted: 06/22/2023] [Indexed: 07/05/2023] Open
Abstract
Understanding of human brain development, dysfunction and neurological diseases has remained limited and challenging due to inability to recapitulate human brain-specific features in animal models. Though the anatomy and physiology of the human brain has been understood in a remarkable way using post-mortem, pathological samples of human and animal models, however, modeling of human brain development and neurological diseases remains a challenge owing to distinct complexity of human brain. In this perspective, three-dimensional (3D) brain organoids have shown a beam of light. Tremendous growth in stem cell technologies has permitted the differentiation of pluripotent stem cells under 3D culture conditions into brain organoids, which recapitulate the unique features of human brain in many ways and also offer the detailed investigation of brain development, dysfunction and neurological diseases. Their translational value has also emerged and will benefit the society once the protocols for the upscaling of brain organoids are in place. Here, we summarize new advancements in methods for generation of more complex brain organoids including vascularized and mixed lineage tissue from PSCs. How synthetic biomaterials and microfluidic technology is boosting brain organoid development, has also been highlighted. We discuss the applications of brain organoids in studying preterm birth associated brain dysfunction; viral infections mediated neuroinflammation, neurodevelopmental and neurodegenerative diseases. We also highlight the translational value of brain organoids and current challenges that the field is experiencing.
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Affiliation(s)
- Yogita K Adlakha
- Amity Institute of Molecular Medicine and Stem Cell Research, Amity University, Noida, Uttar Pradesh, India.
- Maternal and Child Health Domain, Translational Health Science and Technology Institute (THSTI), Faridabad, Haryana, India.
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22
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Kilpatrick S, Irwin C, Singh KK. Human pluripotent stem cell (hPSC) and organoid models of autism: opportunities and limitations. Transl Psychiatry 2023; 13:217. [PMID: 37344450 DOI: 10.1038/s41398-023-02510-6] [Citation(s) in RCA: 2] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Submit a Manuscript] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 10/31/2022] [Revised: 05/09/2023] [Accepted: 06/05/2023] [Indexed: 06/23/2023] Open
Abstract
Autism spectrum disorder (ASD) is a complex neurodevelopmental disorder caused by genetic or environmental perturbations during early development. Diagnoses are dependent on the identification of behavioral abnormalities that likely emerge well after the disorder is established, leaving critical developmental windows uncharacterized. This is further complicated by the incredible clinical and genetic heterogeneity of the disorder that is not captured in most mammalian models. In recent years, advancements in stem cell technology have created the opportunity to model ASD in a human context through the use of pluripotent stem cells (hPSCs), which can be used to generate 2D cellular models as well as 3D unguided- and region-specific neural organoids. These models produce profoundly intricate systems, capable of modeling the developing brain spatiotemporally to reproduce key developmental milestones throughout early development. When complemented with multi-omics, genome editing, and electrophysiology analysis, they can be used as a powerful tool to profile the neurobiological mechanisms underlying this complex disorder. In this review, we will explore the recent advancements in hPSC-based modeling, discuss present and future applications of the model to ASD research, and finally consider the limitations and future directions within the field to make this system more robust and broadly applicable.
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Affiliation(s)
- Savannah Kilpatrick
- Donald K. Johnson Eye Institute, Krembil Research Institute, University Health Network, Toronto, ON, Canada
- Department of Biochemistry and Biomedical Science, McMaster University, Hamilton, ON, Canada
| | - Courtney Irwin
- Donald K. Johnson Eye Institute, Krembil Research Institute, University Health Network, Toronto, ON, Canada
- Department of Laboratory Medicine and Pathobiology, Faculty of Medicine, University of Toronto, Toronto, ON, Canada
| | - Karun K Singh
- Donald K. Johnson Eye Institute, Krembil Research Institute, University Health Network, Toronto, ON, Canada.
- Department of Laboratory Medicine and Pathobiology, Faculty of Medicine, University of Toronto, Toronto, ON, Canada.
- Department of Ophthalmology and Vision Sciences, University of Toronto, Toronto, ON, Canada.
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23
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Nakamura T, Takata A. The molecular pathology of schizophrenia: an overview of existing knowledge and new directions for future research. Mol Psychiatry 2023; 28:1868-1889. [PMID: 36878965 PMCID: PMC10575785 DOI: 10.1038/s41380-023-02005-2] [Citation(s) in RCA: 10] [Impact Index Per Article: 10.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Submit a Manuscript] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 08/01/2022] [Revised: 02/15/2023] [Accepted: 02/15/2023] [Indexed: 03/08/2023]
Abstract
Despite enormous efforts employing various approaches, the molecular pathology in the schizophrenia brain remains elusive. On the other hand, the knowledge of the association between the disease risk and changes in the DNA sequences, in other words, our understanding of the genetic pathology of schizophrenia, has dramatically improved over the past two decades. As the consequence, now we can explain more than 20% of the liability to schizophrenia by considering all analyzable common genetic variants including those with weak or no statistically significant association. Also, a large-scale exome sequencing study identified single genes whose rare mutations substantially increase the risk for schizophrenia, of which six genes (SETD1A, CUL1, XPO7, GRIA3, GRIN2A, and RB1CC1) showed odds ratios larger than ten. Based on these findings together with the preceding discovery of copy number variants (CNVs) with similarly large effect sizes, multiple disease models with high etiological validity have been generated and analyzed. Studies of the brains of these models, as well as transcriptomic and epigenomic analyses of patient postmortem tissues, have provided new insights into the molecular pathology of schizophrenia. In this review, we overview the current knowledge acquired from these studies, their limitations, and directions for future research that may redefine schizophrenia based on biological alterations in the responsible organ rather than operationalized criteria.
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Affiliation(s)
- Takumi Nakamura
- Laboratory for Molecular Pathology of Psychiatric Disorders, RIKEN Center for Brain Science, 2-1 Hirosawa, Wako, Saitama, 351-0198, Japan
| | - Atsushi Takata
- Laboratory for Molecular Pathology of Psychiatric Disorders, RIKEN Center for Brain Science, 2-1 Hirosawa, Wako, Saitama, 351-0198, Japan.
- Research Institute for Diseases of Old Age, Juntendo University Graduate School of Medicine, 2-1-1 Hongo, Bunkyo-Ku, Tokyo, 113-8421, Japan.
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24
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Hong Y, Yang Q, Song H, Ming GL. Opportunities and limitations for studying neuropsychiatric disorders using patient-derived induced pluripotent stem cells. Mol Psychiatry 2023; 28:1430-1439. [PMID: 36782062 PMCID: PMC10213114 DOI: 10.1038/s41380-023-01990-8] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Submit a Manuscript] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 09/21/2022] [Revised: 01/27/2023] [Accepted: 01/31/2023] [Indexed: 02/15/2023]
Abstract
Neuropsychiatric disorders affect a large proportion of the global population and there is an urgent need to understand the pathogenesis and to develop novel and improved treatments of these devastating disorders. However, the diverse symptomatology combined with complex polygenic etiology, and the limited access to disorder-relevant cell types in human brains represent a major obstacle for mechanistic disease research. Conventional animal models, such as rodents, are limited by inherent species differences in brain development, architecture, and function. Advances in human induced pluripotent stem cells (hiPSCs) technologies have provided platforms for new discoveries in neuropsychiatric disorders. First, hiPSC-based disease models enable unprecedented investigation of psychiatric disorders at the molecular, cellular, and structural levels. Second, hiPSCs derived from patients with known genetics, symptoms, and drug response profiles offer an opportunity to recapitulate pathogenesis in relevant cell types and provide novel approaches for understanding disease mechanisms and for developing effective treatments. Third, genome-editing technologies have extended the potential of hiPSCs for generating models to elucidate the genetic basis of rare monogenetic and complex polygenic psychiatric disorders and to establish the causality between genotype and phenotype. Here we review opportunities and limitations for studying psychiatric disorders using various hiPSC-derived model systems.
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Affiliation(s)
- Yan Hong
- Department of Neuroscience and Mahoney Institute for Neurosciences, Perelman School of Medicine, University of Pennsylvania, Philadelphia, PA, USA
| | - Qian Yang
- Department of Neuroscience and Mahoney Institute for Neurosciences, Perelman School of Medicine, University of Pennsylvania, Philadelphia, PA, USA
| | - Hongjun Song
- Department of Neuroscience and Mahoney Institute for Neurosciences, Perelman School of Medicine, University of Pennsylvania, Philadelphia, PA, USA
- Department of Cell and Developmental Biology, Perelman School of Medicine, University of Pennsylvania, Philadelphia, PA, USA
- Institute for Regenerative Medicine, University of Pennsylvania, Philadelphia, PA, USA
- The Epigenetics Institute, Perelman School of Medicine, University of Pennsylvania, Philadelphia, PA, USA
| | - Guo-Li Ming
- Department of Neuroscience and Mahoney Institute for Neurosciences, Perelman School of Medicine, University of Pennsylvania, Philadelphia, PA, USA.
- Department of Cell and Developmental Biology, Perelman School of Medicine, University of Pennsylvania, Philadelphia, PA, USA.
- Institute for Regenerative Medicine, University of Pennsylvania, Philadelphia, PA, USA.
- Department of Psychiatry, Perelman School of Medicine, University of Pennsylvania, Philadelphia, PA, USA.
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25
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Wang L, Owusu-Hammond C, Sievert D, Gleeson JG. Stem Cell-Based Organoid Models of Neurodevelopmental Disorders. Biol Psychiatry 2023; 93:622-631. [PMID: 36759260 PMCID: PMC10022535 DOI: 10.1016/j.biopsych.2023.01.012] [Citation(s) in RCA: 6] [Impact Index Per Article: 6.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Submit a Manuscript] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 08/23/2022] [Revised: 01/12/2023] [Accepted: 01/19/2023] [Indexed: 01/26/2023]
Abstract
The past decade has seen an explosion in the identification of genetic causes of neurodevelopmental disorders, including Mendelian, de novo, and somatic factors. These discoveries provide opportunities to understand cellular and molecular mechanisms as well as potential gene-gene and gene-environment interactions to support novel therapies. Stem cell-based models, particularly human brain organoids, can capture disease-associated alleles in the context of the human genome, engineered to mirror disease-relevant aspects of cellular complexity and developmental timing. These models have brought key insights into neurodevelopmental disorders as diverse as microcephaly, autism, and focal epilepsy. However, intrinsic organoid-to-organoid variability, low levels of certain brain-resident cell types, and long culture times required to reach maturity can impede progress. Several recent advances incorporate specific morphogen gradients, mixtures of diverse brain cell types, and organoid engraftment into animal models. Together with nonhuman primate organoid comparisons, mechanisms of human neurodevelopmental disorders are emerging.
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Affiliation(s)
- Lu Wang
- From the Department of Neuroscience, Rady Children's Institute for Genomic Medicine, University of California, San Diego, San Diego, California
| | - Charlotte Owusu-Hammond
- From the Department of Neuroscience, Rady Children's Institute for Genomic Medicine, University of California, San Diego, San Diego, California
| | - David Sievert
- From the Department of Neuroscience, Rady Children's Institute for Genomic Medicine, University of California, San Diego, San Diego, California
| | - Joseph G Gleeson
- From the Department of Neuroscience, Rady Children's Institute for Genomic Medicine, University of California, San Diego, San Diego, California.
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26
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Nussinov R, Yavuz BR, Arici MK, Demirel HC, Zhang M, Liu Y, Tsai CJ, Jang H, Tuncbag N. Neurodevelopmental disorders, like cancer, are connected to impaired chromatin remodelers, PI3K/mTOR, and PAK1-regulated MAPK. Biophys Rev 2023; 15:163-181. [PMID: 37124926 PMCID: PMC10133437 DOI: 10.1007/s12551-023-01054-9] [Citation(s) in RCA: 13] [Impact Index Per Article: 13.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 03/08/2023] [Accepted: 03/21/2023] [Indexed: 04/05/2023] Open
Abstract
AbstractNeurodevelopmental disorders (NDDs) and cancer share proteins, pathways, and mutations. Their clinical symptoms are different. However, individuals with NDDs have higher probabilities of eventually developing cancer. Here, we review the literature and ask how the shared features can lead to different medical conditions and why having an NDD first can increase the chances of malignancy. To explore these vital questions, we focus on dysregulated PI3K/mTOR, a major brain cell growth pathway in differentiation, and MAPK, a critical pathway in proliferation, a hallmark of cancer. Differentiation is governed by chromatin organization, making aberrant chromatin remodelers highly likely agents in NDDs. Dysregulated chromatin organization and accessibility influence the lineage of specific cell brain types at specific embryonic development stages. PAK1, with pivotal roles in brain development and in cancer, also regulates MAPK. We review, clarify, and connect dysregulated pathways with dysregulated proliferation and differentiation in cancer and NDDs and highlight PAK1 role in brain development and MAPK regulation. Exactly how PAK1 activation controls brain development, and why specific chromatin remodeler components, e.g., BAF170 encoded by SMARCC2 in autism, await clarification.
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27
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Urenda JP, Del Dosso A, Birtele M, Quadrato G. Present and Future Modeling of Human Psychiatric Connectopathies With Brain Organoids. Biol Psychiatry 2023; 93:606-615. [PMID: 36759258 PMCID: PMC11229385 DOI: 10.1016/j.biopsych.2022.12.017] [Citation(s) in RCA: 4] [Impact Index Per Article: 4.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Submit a Manuscript] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 06/18/2022] [Revised: 11/21/2022] [Accepted: 12/12/2022] [Indexed: 12/25/2022]
Abstract
Brain organoids derived from human pluripotent stem cells are emerging as a powerful tool to model cellular aspects of neuropsychiatric disorders, including alterations in cell proliferation, differentiation, migration, and lineage trajectory. To date, most contributions in the field have focused on modeling cellular impairment of the cerebral cortex, with few studies probing dysfunction in local network connectivity. However, it is increasingly more apparent that these psychiatric disorders are connectopathies involving multiple brain structures and the connections between them. Therefore, the lack of reproducible anatomical features in these 3-dimensional cultures represents a major bottleneck for effectively modeling brain connectivity at the micro(cellular) level and at the macroscale level between brain regions. In this perspective, we review the use of current organoid protocols to model neuropsychiatric disorders with a specific emphasis on the potential and limitations of the current strategies to model impairments in functional connectivity. Finally, we discuss the importance of adopting interdisciplinary strategies to establish next-generation, multiregional organoids that can model, with higher fidelity, the dysfunction in the development and functionality of long-range connections within the brain of patients affected by psychiatric disorders.
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Affiliation(s)
- Jean-Paul Urenda
- Department of Stem Cell Biology and Regenerative Medicine, Keck School of Medicine, University of Southern California, Los Angeles, California
| | - Ashley Del Dosso
- Department of Stem Cell Biology and Regenerative Medicine, Keck School of Medicine, University of Southern California, Los Angeles, California
| | - Marcella Birtele
- Department of Stem Cell Biology and Regenerative Medicine, Keck School of Medicine, University of Southern California, Los Angeles, California
| | - Giorgia Quadrato
- Department of Stem Cell Biology and Regenerative Medicine, Keck School of Medicine, University of Southern California, Los Angeles, California.
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28
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Therapeutic strategies for autism: targeting three levels of the central dogma of molecular biology. Transl Psychiatry 2023; 13:58. [PMID: 36792602 PMCID: PMC9931756 DOI: 10.1038/s41398-023-02356-y] [Citation(s) in RCA: 7] [Impact Index Per Article: 7.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Submit a Manuscript] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 09/27/2022] [Revised: 02/01/2023] [Accepted: 02/03/2023] [Indexed: 02/17/2023] Open
Abstract
The past decade has yielded much success in the identification of risk genes for Autism Spectrum Disorder (ASD), with many studies implicating loss-of-function (LoF) mutations within these genes. Despite this, no significant clinical advances have been made so far in the development of therapeutics for ASD. Given the role of LoF mutations in ASD etiology, many of the therapeutics in development are designed to rescue the haploinsufficient effect of genes at the transcriptional, translational, and protein levels. This review will discuss the various therapeutic techniques being developed from each level of the central dogma with examples including: CRISPR activation (CRISPRa) and gene replacement at the DNA level, antisense oligonucleotides (ASOs) at the mRNA level, and small-molecule drugs at the protein level, followed by a review of current delivery methods for these therapeutics. Since central nervous system (CNS) penetrance is of utmost importance for ASD therapeutics, it is especially necessary to evaluate delivery methods that have higher efficiency in crossing the blood-brain barrier (BBB).
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29
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Ji XS, Ji XL, Xiong M, Zhou WH. Modeling congenital brain malformations with brain organoids: a narrative review. Transl Pediatr 2023; 12:68-78. [PMID: 36798935 PMCID: PMC9926131 DOI: 10.21037/tp-22-239] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Submit a Manuscript] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 05/31/2022] [Accepted: 11/10/2022] [Indexed: 12/13/2022] Open
Abstract
BACKGROUND AND OBJECTIVE During embryonic development, the dysregulation of the proliferation and differentiation of neuronal progenitors triggers congenital brain malformations. These malformations are common causes of morbidity and mortality in patients younger than 2 years old. Animal models have provided considerable insights into the etiology of diseases that cause congenital brain malformations. However, the interspecies differences in brain structure limit the ability to transfer these insights directly to studies of humans. In recent years, brain organoids generated from human embryonic stem cells (hESCs) or human induced pluripotent stem cells (hiPSCs) using a 3-dimensional (3D) culture system have been used to resemble the structure and function of a developing human brain. Therefore, we aimed to summarize the different congenital brain malformations that have been modeled by organoids and discuss the ability of this model to reveal the cellular and molecular mechanisms of congenital brain malformations. METHODS A comprehensive search was performed using PubMed and Web of Science's Core Collection for literature published from July 1, 2000 to July 1, 2022. Keywords included terms related to brain organoids and congenital brain malformations, as well as names of individual malformations. KEY CONTENT AND FINDINGS The self-assembled 3D aggregates have been used to recapitulate structural malformations of human brains, such as microcephaly, macrocephaly, lissencephaly (LIS), and periventricular nodular heterotopia (PH). The use of disease-specific brain organoids has revealed unprecedented details of mechanisms that cause congenital brain malformations. CONCLUSIONS This review summarizes the establishment and development of brain organoid technologies and provides an overview of their applications in modeling congenital brain malformations. Although several hurdles still need to be overcome, using brain organoids has greatly expanded our ability to reveal the pathogenesis of congenital brain malformations. Compared with existing methods, the combination with cutting-edge technologies enables a more accurate diagnosis and development of increasingly personalized targeted therapy for patients with congenital brain diseases.
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Affiliation(s)
- Xiao-Shan Ji
- Department of Neonatology, Children's Hospital of Fudan University, National Children's Medical Center, Shanghai, China.,Key Laboratory of Birth Defects, Children's Hospital of Fudan University, National Children's Medical Center, Shanghai, China
| | - Xiao-Li Ji
- Department of Neonatology, Children's Hospital of Fudan University, National Children's Medical Center, Shanghai, China.,Key Laboratory of Birth Defects, Children's Hospital of Fudan University, National Children's Medical Center, Shanghai, China
| | - Man Xiong
- State Key Laboratory of Medical Neurobiology and MOE Frontiers Center for Brain Science, Fudan University, Shanghai, China
| | - Wen-Hao Zhou
- Department of Neonatology, Children's Hospital of Fudan University, National Children's Medical Center, Shanghai, China.,Key Laboratory of Birth Defects, Children's Hospital of Fudan University, National Children's Medical Center, Shanghai, China
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30
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Modeling Autism Spectrum Disorders with Induced Pluripotent Stem Cell-Derived Brain Organoids. Biomolecules 2023; 13:biom13020260. [PMID: 36830629 PMCID: PMC9953447 DOI: 10.3390/biom13020260] [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: 12/16/2022] [Revised: 01/16/2023] [Accepted: 01/19/2023] [Indexed: 02/03/2023] Open
Abstract
Autism spectrum disorders (ASD) are a group of complex neurodevelopmental disorders that affect communication and social interactions and present with restricted interests and repetitive behavior patterns. The susceptibility to ASD is strongly influenced by genetic/heritable factors; however, there is still a large gap in understanding the cellular and molecular mechanisms underlying the neurobiology of ASD. Significant progress has been made in identifying ASD risk genes and the possible convergent pathways regulated by these gene networks during development. The breakthrough of cellular reprogramming technology has allowed the generation of induced pluripotent stem cells (iPSCs) from individuals with syndromic and idiopathic ASD, providing patient-specific cell models for mechanistic studies. In the past decade, protocols for developing brain organoids from these cells have been established, leading to significant advances in the in vitro reproducibility of the early steps of human brain development. Here, we reviewed the most relevant literature regarding the application of brain organoids to the study of ASD, providing the current state of the art, and discussing the impact of such models on the field, limitations, and opportunities for future development.
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Yang Y, Booker SA, Clegg JM, Quintana-Urzainqui I, Sumera A, Kozic Z, Dando O, Martin Lorenzo S, Herault Y, Kind PC, Price DJ, Pratt T. Identifying foetal forebrain interneurons as a target for monogenic autism risk factors and the polygenic 16p11.2 microdeletion. BMC Neurosci 2023; 24:5. [PMID: 36658491 PMCID: PMC9850541 DOI: 10.1186/s12868-022-00771-3] [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: 09/21/2022] [Accepted: 12/21/2022] [Indexed: 01/20/2023] Open
Abstract
BACKGROUND Autism spectrum condition or 'autism' is associated with numerous genetic risk factors including the polygenic 16p11.2 microdeletion. The balance between excitatory and inhibitory neurons in the cerebral cortex is hypothesised to be critical for the aetiology of autism making improved understanding of how risk factors impact on the development of these cells an important area of research. In the current study we aim to combine bioinformatics analysis of human foetal cerebral cortex gene expression data with anatomical and electrophysiological analysis of a 16p11.2+/- rat model to investigate how genetic risk factors impact on inhibitory neuron development. METHODS We performed bioinformatics analysis of single cell transcriptomes from gestational week (GW) 8-26 human foetal prefrontal cortex and anatomical and electrophysiological analysis of 16p11.2+/- rat cerebral cortex and hippocampus at post-natal day (P) 21. RESULTS We identified a subset of human interneurons (INs) first appearing at GW23 with enriched expression of a large fraction of risk factor transcripts including those expressed from the 16p11.2 locus. This suggests the hypothesis that these foetal INs are vulnerable to mutations causing autism. We investigated this in a rat model of the 16p11.2 microdeletion. We found no change in the numbers or position of either excitatory or inhibitory neurons in the somatosensory cortex or CA1 of 16p11.2+/- rats but found that CA1 Sst INs were hyperexcitable with an enlarged axon initial segment, which was not the case for CA1 pyramidal cells. LIMITATIONS The human foetal gene expression data was acquired from cerebral cortex between gestational week (GW) 8 to 26. We cannot draw inferences about potential vulnerabilities to genetic autism risk factors for cells not present in the developing cerebral cortex at these stages. The analysis 16p11.2+/- rat phenotypes reported in the current study was restricted to 3-week old (P21) animals around the time of weaning and to a single interneuron cell-type while in human 16p11.2 microdeletion carriers symptoms likely involve multiple cell types and manifest in the first few years of life and on into adulthood. CONCLUSIONS We have identified developing interneurons in human foetal cerebral cortex as potentially vulnerable to monogenic autism risk factors and the 16p11.2 microdeletion and report interneuron phenotypes in post-natal 16p11.2+/- rats.
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Affiliation(s)
- Yifei Yang
- Simons Initiative for the Developing Brain, The University of Edinburgh, 15 George Square, Edinburgh, EH8 9XD, United Kingdom.,Centre for Discovery Brain Sciences, The University of Edinburgh, 15 George Square, Edinburgh, EH8 9XD, United Kingdom.,Department of Brain Sciences, Imperial College London, London, W12 0NN, United Kingdom
| | - Sam A Booker
- Simons Initiative for the Developing Brain, The University of Edinburgh, 15 George Square, Edinburgh, EH8 9XD, United Kingdom.,Centre for Discovery Brain Sciences, The University of Edinburgh, 15 George Square, Edinburgh, EH8 9XD, United Kingdom
| | - James M Clegg
- Simons Initiative for the Developing Brain, The University of Edinburgh, 15 George Square, Edinburgh, EH8 9XD, United Kingdom.,Centre for Discovery Brain Sciences, The University of Edinburgh, 15 George Square, Edinburgh, EH8 9XD, United Kingdom
| | - Idoia Quintana-Urzainqui
- Simons Initiative for the Developing Brain, The University of Edinburgh, 15 George Square, Edinburgh, EH8 9XD, United Kingdom.,Centre for Discovery Brain Sciences, The University of Edinburgh, 15 George Square, Edinburgh, EH8 9XD, United Kingdom.,Developmental Biology Unit, European Molecular Biology Laboratory (EMBL), Meyerhofstrasse 1, 69012, Heidelberg, Germany
| | - Anna Sumera
- Simons Initiative for the Developing Brain, The University of Edinburgh, 15 George Square, Edinburgh, EH8 9XD, United Kingdom.,Centre for Discovery Brain Sciences, The University of Edinburgh, 15 George Square, Edinburgh, EH8 9XD, United Kingdom
| | - Zrinko Kozic
- Simons Initiative for the Developing Brain, The University of Edinburgh, 15 George Square, Edinburgh, EH8 9XD, United Kingdom.,Centre for Discovery Brain Sciences, The University of Edinburgh, 15 George Square, Edinburgh, EH8 9XD, United Kingdom
| | - Owen Dando
- Simons Initiative for the Developing Brain, The University of Edinburgh, 15 George Square, Edinburgh, EH8 9XD, United Kingdom.,Centre for Discovery Brain Sciences, The University of Edinburgh, 15 George Square, Edinburgh, EH8 9XD, United Kingdom
| | - Sandra Martin Lorenzo
- CNRS, Université de Strasbourg, INSERM, Institut de Génétique et de Biologie Moléculaire et Cellulaire, IGBMC, 1 rue Laurent Fries, 67404, Illkirch, France
| | - Yann Herault
- CNRS, Université de Strasbourg, INSERM, Institut de Génétique et de Biologie Moléculaire et Cellulaire, IGBMC, 1 rue Laurent Fries, 67404, Illkirch, France
| | - Peter C Kind
- Simons Initiative for the Developing Brain, The University of Edinburgh, 15 George Square, Edinburgh, EH8 9XD, United Kingdom.,Centre for Discovery Brain Sciences, The University of Edinburgh, 15 George Square, Edinburgh, EH8 9XD, United Kingdom
| | - David J Price
- Simons Initiative for the Developing Brain, The University of Edinburgh, 15 George Square, Edinburgh, EH8 9XD, United Kingdom.,Centre for Discovery Brain Sciences, The University of Edinburgh, 15 George Square, Edinburgh, EH8 9XD, United Kingdom
| | - Thomas Pratt
- Simons Initiative for the Developing Brain, The University of Edinburgh, 15 George Square, Edinburgh, EH8 9XD, United Kingdom. .,Centre for Discovery Brain Sciences, The University of Edinburgh, 15 George Square, Edinburgh, EH8 9XD, United Kingdom.
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Lafferty MJ, Aygün N, Patel NK, Krupa O, Liang D, Wolter JM, Geschwind DH, de la Torre-Ubieta L, Stein JL. MicroRNA-eQTLs in the developing human neocortex link miR-4707-3p expression to brain size. eLife 2023; 12:e79488. [PMID: 36629315 PMCID: PMC9859047 DOI: 10.7554/elife.79488] [Citation(s) in RCA: 1] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 04/14/2022] [Accepted: 01/10/2023] [Indexed: 01/12/2023] Open
Abstract
Expression quantitative trait loci (eQTL) data have proven important for linking non-coding loci to protein-coding genes. But eQTL studies rarely measure microRNAs (miRNAs), small non-coding RNAs known to play a role in human brain development and neurogenesis. Here, we performed small-RNA sequencing across 212 mid-gestation human neocortical tissue samples, measured 907 expressed miRNAs, discovering 111 of which were novel, and identified 85 local-miRNA-eQTLs. Colocalization of miRNA-eQTLs with GWAS summary statistics yielded one robust colocalization of miR-4707-3p expression with educational attainment and brain size phenotypes, where the miRNA expression increasing allele was associated with decreased brain size. Exogenous expression of miR-4707-3p in primary human neural progenitor cells decreased expression of predicted targets and increased cell proliferation, indicating miR-4707-3p modulates progenitor gene regulation and cell fate decisions. Integrating miRNA-eQTLs with existing GWAS yielded evidence of a miRNA that may influence human brain size and function via modulation of neocortical brain development.
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Affiliation(s)
- Michael J Lafferty
- Department of Genetics, University of North Carolina at Chapel HillChapel HillUnited States
- UNC Neuroscience Center, University of North Carolina at Chapel HillChapel HillUnited States
| | - Nil Aygün
- Department of Genetics, University of North Carolina at Chapel HillChapel HillUnited States
- UNC Neuroscience Center, University of North Carolina at Chapel HillChapel HillUnited States
| | - Niyanta K Patel
- Department of Genetics, University of North Carolina at Chapel HillChapel HillUnited States
- UNC Neuroscience Center, University of North Carolina at Chapel HillChapel HillUnited States
| | - Oleh Krupa
- Department of Genetics, University of North Carolina at Chapel HillChapel HillUnited States
- UNC Neuroscience Center, University of North Carolina at Chapel HillChapel HillUnited States
| | - Dan Liang
- Department of Genetics, University of North Carolina at Chapel HillChapel HillUnited States
- UNC Neuroscience Center, University of North Carolina at Chapel HillChapel HillUnited States
| | - Justin M Wolter
- Department of Genetics, University of North Carolina at Chapel HillChapel HillUnited States
- UNC Neuroscience Center, University of North Carolina at Chapel HillChapel HillUnited States
- Department of Cell Biology and Physiology, The University of North Carolina at Chapel HillChapel HillUnited States
- Carolina Institute for Developmental Disabilities, The University of North Carolina at Chapel HillChapel HillUnited States
| | - Daniel H Geschwind
- Neurogenetics Program, Department of Neurology, David Geffen School of Medicine, University of California, Los AngelesLos AngelesUnited States
- Center for Autism Research and Treatment, Semel Institute, David Geffen School of Medicine, University of California, Los AngelesLos AngelesUnited States
- Department of Human Genetics, David Geffen School of Medicine, University of California, Los AngelesLos AngelesUnited States
- Department of Psychiatry and Biobehavioral Sciences, Semel Institute, David Geffen School of Medicine, University of California, Los AngelesLos AngelesUnited States
| | - Luis de la Torre-Ubieta
- Department of Psychiatry and Biobehavioral Sciences, Semel Institute, David Geffen School of Medicine, University of California, Los AngelesLos AngelesUnited States
| | - Jason L Stein
- Department of Genetics, University of North Carolina at Chapel HillChapel HillUnited States
- UNC Neuroscience Center, University of North Carolina at Chapel HillChapel HillUnited States
- Carolina Institute for Developmental Disabilities, The University of North Carolina at Chapel HillChapel HillUnited States
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33
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Impaired OTUD7A-dependent Ankyrin regulation mediates neuronal dysfunction in mouse and human models of the 15q13.3 microdeletion syndrome. Mol Psychiatry 2023; 28:1747-1769. [PMID: 36604605 DOI: 10.1038/s41380-022-01937-5] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Submit a Manuscript] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 01/07/2022] [Revised: 12/15/2022] [Accepted: 12/19/2022] [Indexed: 01/07/2023]
Abstract
Copy number variations (CNVs) are associated with psychiatric and neurodevelopmental disorders (NDDs), and most, including the recurrent 15q13.3 microdeletion disorder, have unknown disease mechanisms. We used a heterozygous 15q13.3 microdeletion mouse model and patient iPSC-derived neurons to reveal developmental defects in neuronal maturation and network activity. To identify the underlying molecular dysfunction, we developed a neuron-specific proximity-labeling proteomics (BioID2) pipeline, combined with patient mutations, to target the 15q13.3 CNV genetic driver OTUD7A. OTUD7A is an emerging independent NDD risk gene with no known function in the brain, but has putative deubiquitinase function. The OTUD7A protein-protein interaction network included synaptic, axonal, and cytoskeletal proteins and was enriched for ASD and epilepsy risk genes (Ank3, Ank2, SPTAN1, SPTBN1). The interactions between OTUD7A and Ankyrin-G (Ank3) and Ankyrin-B (Ank2) were disrupted by an epilepsy-associated OTUD7A L233F variant. Further investigation of Ankyrin-G in mouse and human 15q13.3 microdeletion and OTUD7AL233F/L233F models revealed protein instability, increased polyubiquitination, and decreased levels in the axon initial segment, while structured illumination microscopy identified reduced Ankyrin-G nanodomains in dendritic spines. Functional analysis of human 15q13.3 microdeletion and OTUD7AL233F/L233F models revealed shared and distinct impairments to axonal growth and intrinsic excitability. Importantly, restoring OTUD7A or Ankyrin-G expression in 15q13.3 microdeletion neurons led to a reversal of abnormalities. These data reveal a critical OTUD7A-Ankyrin pathway in neuronal development, which is impaired in the 15q13.3 microdeletion syndrome, leading to neuronal dysfunction. Furthermore, our study highlights the utility of targeting CNV genes using cell type-specific proteomics to identify shared and unexplored disease mechanisms across NDDs.
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34
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Parnell E, Culotta L, Forrest MP, Jalloul HA, Eckman BL, Loizzo DD, Horan KKE, Dos Santos M, Piguel NH, Tai DJC, Zhang H, Gertler TS, Simkin D, Sanders AR, Talkowski ME, Gejman PV, Kiskinis E, Duan J, Penzes P. Excitatory Dysfunction Drives Network and Calcium Handling Deficits in 16p11.2 Duplication Schizophrenia Induced Pluripotent Stem Cell-Derived Neurons. Biol Psychiatry 2022:S0006-3223(22)01718-8. [PMID: 36581494 PMCID: PMC10166768 DOI: 10.1016/j.biopsych.2022.11.005] [Citation(s) in RCA: 7] [Impact Index Per Article: 3.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Submit a Manuscript] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 05/31/2022] [Revised: 10/20/2022] [Accepted: 11/03/2022] [Indexed: 11/11/2022]
Abstract
BACKGROUND Schizophrenia (SCZ) is a debilitating psychiatric disorder with a large genetic contribution; however, its neurodevelopmental substrates remain largely unknown. Modeling pathogenic processes in SCZ using human induced pluripotent stem cell-derived neurons (iNs) has emerged as a promising strategy. Copy number variants confer high genetic risk for SCZ, with duplication of the 16p11.2 locus increasing the risk 14.5-fold. METHODS To dissect the contribution of induced excitatory neurons (iENs) versus GABAergic (gamma-aminobutyric acidergic) neurons (iGNs) to SCZ pathophysiology, we induced iNs from CRISPR (clustered regularly interspaced short palindromic repeats)-Cas9 isogenic and SCZ patient-derived induced pluripotent stem cells and analyzed SCZ-related phenotypes in iEN monocultures and iEN/iGN cocultures. RESULTS In iEN/iGN cocultures, neuronal firing and synchrony were reduced at later, but not earlier, stages of in vitro development. These were fully recapitulated in iEN monocultures, indicating a primary role for iENs. Moreover, isogenic iENs showed reduced dendrite length and deficits in calcium handling. iENs from 16p11.2 duplication-carrying patients with SCZ displayed overlapping deficits in network synchrony, dendrite outgrowth, and calcium handling. Transcriptomic analysis of both iEN cohorts revealed molecular markers of disease related to the glutamatergic synapse, neuroarchitecture, and calcium regulation. CONCLUSIONS Our results indicate the presence of 16p11.2 duplication-dependent alterations in SCZ patient-derived iENs. Transcriptomics and cellular phenotyping reveal overlap between isogenic and patient-derived iENs, suggesting a central role of glutamatergic, morphological, and calcium dysregulation in 16p11.2 duplication-mediated pathogenesis. Moreover, excitatory dysfunction during early neurodevelopment is implicated as the basis of SCZ pathogenesis in 16p11.2 duplication carriers. Our results support network synchrony and calcium handling as outcomes directly linked to this genetic risk variant.
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Affiliation(s)
- Euan Parnell
- Department of Neuroscience, Northwestern University Feinberg School of Medicine, Chicago, Illinois; Northwestern University Center for Autism and Neurodevelopment, Chicago, Illinois
| | - Lorenza Culotta
- Department of Neuroscience, Northwestern University Feinberg School of Medicine, Chicago, Illinois; Northwestern University Center for Autism and Neurodevelopment, Chicago, Illinois
| | - Marc P Forrest
- Department of Neuroscience, Northwestern University Feinberg School of Medicine, Chicago, Illinois; Northwestern University Center for Autism and Neurodevelopment, Chicago, Illinois
| | - Hiba A Jalloul
- Department of Neuroscience, Northwestern University Feinberg School of Medicine, Chicago, Illinois; Northwestern University Center for Autism and Neurodevelopment, Chicago, Illinois
| | - Blair L Eckman
- Department of Neuroscience, Northwestern University Feinberg School of Medicine, Chicago, Illinois; Northwestern University Center for Autism and Neurodevelopment, Chicago, Illinois
| | - Daniel D Loizzo
- Department of Neuroscience, Northwestern University Feinberg School of Medicine, Chicago, Illinois; Northwestern University Center for Autism and Neurodevelopment, Chicago, Illinois
| | - Katherine K E Horan
- Department of Neuroscience, Northwestern University Feinberg School of Medicine, Chicago, Illinois; Northwestern University Center for Autism and Neurodevelopment, Chicago, Illinois
| | - Marc Dos Santos
- Department of Neuroscience, Northwestern University Feinberg School of Medicine, Chicago, Illinois; Northwestern University Center for Autism and Neurodevelopment, Chicago, Illinois
| | - Nicolas H Piguel
- Department of Neuroscience, Northwestern University Feinberg School of Medicine, Chicago, Illinois; Northwestern University Center for Autism and Neurodevelopment, Chicago, Illinois
| | - Derek J C Tai
- Center for Genomic Medicine, Massachusetts General Hospital, Boston, Massachusetts; Department of Neurology, Massachusetts General Hospital and Harvard Medical School, Boston, Massachusetts
| | - Hanwen Zhang
- Center for Psychiatric Genetics, NorthShore University HealthSystem, Evanston, Illinois; Department of Psychiatry and Behavioral Neurosciences, The University of Chicago, Chicago, Illinois
| | - Tracy S Gertler
- Division of Neurology, Department of Pediatrics, Ann and Robert H Lurie Childrens Hospital of Chicago, Chicago, Illinois; Department of Pharmacology, Northwestern University Feinberg School of Medicine, Chicago, Illinois
| | - Dina Simkin
- Ken and Ruth Davee Department of Neurology, Northwestern University Feinberg School of Medicine, Chicago, Illinois
| | - Alan R Sanders
- Center for Psychiatric Genetics, NorthShore University HealthSystem, Evanston, Illinois; Department of Psychiatry and Behavioral Neurosciences, The University of Chicago, Chicago, Illinois
| | - Michael E Talkowski
- Program in Medical and Population Genetics, Broad Institute of MIT and Harvard, Cambridge, Massachusetts; Center for Genomic Medicine, Massachusetts General Hospital, Boston, Massachusetts; Stanley Center for Psychiatric Research, Broad Institute of MIT and Harvard, Cambridge, Massachusetts
| | - Pablo V Gejman
- Center for Psychiatric Genetics, NorthShore University HealthSystem, Evanston, Illinois; Department of Psychiatry and Behavioral Neurosciences, The University of Chicago, Chicago, Illinois
| | - Evangelos Kiskinis
- Department of Neuroscience, Northwestern University Feinberg School of Medicine, Chicago, Illinois; Ken and Ruth Davee Department of Neurology, Northwestern University Feinberg School of Medicine, Chicago, Illinois
| | - Jubao Duan
- Center for Psychiatric Genetics, NorthShore University HealthSystem, Evanston, Illinois; Department of Psychiatry and Behavioral Neurosciences, The University of Chicago, Chicago, Illinois
| | - Peter Penzes
- Department of Neuroscience, Northwestern University Feinberg School of Medicine, Chicago, Illinois; Northwestern University Center for Autism and Neurodevelopment, Chicago, Illinois; Department of Psychiatry and Behavioral Sciences, Northwestern University Feinberg School of Medicine, Chicago, Illinois.
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35
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Weiner DJ, Ling E, Erdin S, Tai DJC, Yadav R, Grove J, Fu JM, Nadig A, Carey CE, Baya N, Bybjerg-Grauholm J, Berretta S, Macosko EZ, Sebat J, O'Connor LJ, Hougaard DM, Børglum AD, Talkowski ME, McCarroll SA, Robinson EB. Statistical and functional convergence of common and rare genetic influences on autism at chromosome 16p. Nat Genet 2022; 54:1630-1639. [PMID: 36280734 PMCID: PMC9649437 DOI: 10.1038/s41588-022-01203-y] [Citation(s) in RCA: 13] [Impact Index Per Article: 6.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 03/11/2022] [Accepted: 09/15/2022] [Indexed: 12/14/2022]
Abstract
The canonical paradigm for converting genetic association to mechanism involves iteratively mapping individual associations to the proximal genes through which they act. In contrast, in the present study we demonstrate the feasibility of extracting biological insights from a very large region of the genome and leverage this strategy to study the genetic influences on autism. Using a new statistical approach, we identified the 33-Mb p-arm of chromosome 16 (16p) as harboring the greatest excess of autism's common polygenic influences. The region also includes the mechanistically cryptic and autism-associated 16p11.2 copy number variant. Analysis of RNA-sequencing data revealed that both the common polygenic influences within 16p and the 16p11.2 deletion were associated with decreased average gene expression across 16p. The transcriptional effects of the rare deletion and diffuse common variation were correlated at the level of individual genes and analysis of Hi-C data revealed patterns of chromatin contact that may explain this transcriptional convergence. These results reflect a new approach for extracting biological insight from genetic association data and suggest convergence of common and rare genetic influences on autism at 16p.
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Affiliation(s)
- Daniel J Weiner
- Stanley Center for Psychiatric Research, Broad Institute of MIT and Harvard, Cambridge, MA, USA.
- Department of Biomedical Informatics, Harvard Medical School, Boston, MA, USA.
| | - Emi Ling
- Stanley Center for Psychiatric Research, Broad Institute of MIT and Harvard, Cambridge, MA, USA
- Department of Genetics, Harvard Medical School, Boston, MA, USA
| | - Serkan Erdin
- Program in Medical and Population Genetics, Broad Institute of MIT and Harvard, Cambridge, MA, USA
- Department of Neurology, Massachusetts General Hospital and Harvard Medical School, Boston, MA, USA
- Center for Genomic Medicine, Massachusetts General Hospital, Boston, MA, USA
| | - Derek J C Tai
- Program in Medical and Population Genetics, Broad Institute of MIT and Harvard, Cambridge, MA, USA
- Department of Neurology, Massachusetts General Hospital and Harvard Medical School, Boston, MA, USA
- Center for Genomic Medicine, Massachusetts General Hospital, Boston, MA, USA
| | - Rachita Yadav
- Program in Medical and Population Genetics, Broad Institute of MIT and Harvard, Cambridge, MA, USA
- Department of Neurology, Massachusetts General Hospital and Harvard Medical School, Boston, MA, USA
- Center for Genomic Medicine, Massachusetts General Hospital, Boston, MA, USA
| | - Jakob Grove
- Center for Genomics and Personalized Medicine, Aarhus University, Aarhus, Denmark
- Department of Biomedicine (Human Genetics) and iSEQ Center, Aarhus University, Aarhus, Denmark
- Bioinformatics Research Centre, Aarhus University, Aarhus, Denmark
- The Lundbeck Foundation Initiative for Integrative Psychiatric Research, iPSYCH, Aarhus, Denmark
| | - Jack M Fu
- Stanley Center for Psychiatric Research, Broad Institute of MIT and Harvard, Cambridge, MA, USA
- Program in Medical and Population Genetics, Broad Institute of MIT and Harvard, Cambridge, MA, USA
- Department of Neurology, Massachusetts General Hospital and Harvard Medical School, Boston, MA, USA
- Center for Genomic Medicine, Massachusetts General Hospital, Boston, MA, USA
| | - Ajay Nadig
- Stanley Center for Psychiatric Research, Broad Institute of MIT and Harvard, Cambridge, MA, USA
- Department of Biomedical Informatics, Harvard Medical School, Boston, MA, USA
| | - Caitlin E Carey
- Stanley Center for Psychiatric Research, Broad Institute of MIT and Harvard, Cambridge, MA, USA
- Center for Genomic Medicine, Massachusetts General Hospital, Boston, MA, USA
- Analytic and Translational Genetics Unit, Massachusetts General Hospital, Boston, MA, USA
| | - Nikolas Baya
- Stanley Center for Psychiatric Research, Broad Institute of MIT and Harvard, Cambridge, MA, USA
| | - Jonas Bybjerg-Grauholm
- The Lundbeck Foundation Initiative for Integrative Psychiatric Research, iPSYCH, Aarhus, Denmark
- Center for Neonatal Screening, Department for Congenital Disorders, Statens Serum Institut, Copenhagen, Denmark
| | - Sabina Berretta
- Department of Psychiatry, Harvard Medical School, Boston, MA, USA
- McLean Hospital, Belmont, MA, USA
| | - Evan Z Macosko
- Stanley Center for Psychiatric Research, Broad Institute of MIT and Harvard, Cambridge, MA, USA
- Department of Psychiatry, Massachusetts General Hospital and Harvard Medical School, Boston, MA, USA
| | - Jonathan Sebat
- Department of Psychiatry, University of California San Diego, La Jolla, CA, USA
| | - Luke J O'Connor
- Program in Medical and Population Genetics, Broad Institute of MIT and Harvard, Cambridge, MA, USA
| | - David M Hougaard
- The Lundbeck Foundation Initiative for Integrative Psychiatric Research, iPSYCH, Aarhus, Denmark
- Center for Neonatal Screening, Department for Congenital Disorders, Statens Serum Institut, Copenhagen, Denmark
| | - Anders D Børglum
- Center for Genomics and Personalized Medicine, Aarhus University, Aarhus, Denmark
- Department of Biomedicine (Human Genetics) and iSEQ Center, Aarhus University, Aarhus, Denmark
- The Lundbeck Foundation Initiative for Integrative Psychiatric Research, iPSYCH, Aarhus, Denmark
| | - Michael E Talkowski
- Stanley Center for Psychiatric Research, Broad Institute of MIT and Harvard, Cambridge, MA, USA
- Program in Medical and Population Genetics, Broad Institute of MIT and Harvard, Cambridge, MA, USA
- Department of Neurology, Massachusetts General Hospital and Harvard Medical School, Boston, MA, USA
- Center for Genomic Medicine, Massachusetts General Hospital, Boston, MA, USA
| | - Steven A McCarroll
- Stanley Center for Psychiatric Research, Broad Institute of MIT and Harvard, Cambridge, MA, USA
- Department of Genetics, Harvard Medical School, Boston, MA, USA
| | - Elise B Robinson
- Stanley Center for Psychiatric Research, Broad Institute of MIT and Harvard, Cambridge, MA, USA.
- Center for Genomic Medicine, Massachusetts General Hospital, Boston, MA, USA.
- Department of Psychiatry, Massachusetts General Hospital and Harvard Medical School, Boston, MA, USA.
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36
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Scharrenberg R, Richter M, Johanns O, Meka DP, Rücker T, Murtaza N, Lindenmaier Z, Ellegood J, Naumann A, Zhao B, Schwanke B, Sedlacik J, Fiehler J, Hanganu-Opatz IL, Lerch JP, Singh KK, de Anda FC. TAOK2 rescues autism-linked developmental deficits in a 16p11.2 microdeletion mouse model. Mol Psychiatry 2022; 27:4707-4721. [PMID: 36123424 PMCID: PMC9734055 DOI: 10.1038/s41380-022-01785-3] [Citation(s) in RCA: 9] [Impact Index Per Article: 4.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Submit a Manuscript] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 10/27/2021] [Revised: 09/02/2022] [Accepted: 09/05/2022] [Indexed: 12/14/2022]
Abstract
The precise development of the neocortex is a prerequisite for higher cognitive and associative functions. Despite numerous advances that have been made in understanding neuronal differentiation and cortex development, our knowledge regarding the impact of specific genes associated with neurodevelopmental disorders on these processes is still limited. Here, we show that Taok2, which is encoded in humans within the autism spectrum disorder (ASD) susceptibility locus 16p11.2, is essential for neuronal migration. Overexpression of de novo mutations or rare variants from ASD patients disrupts neuronal migration in an isoform-specific manner. The mutated TAOK2α variants but not the TAOK2β variants impaired neuronal migration. Moreover, the TAOK2α isoform colocalizes with microtubules. Consequently, neurons lacking Taok2 have unstable microtubules with reduced levels of acetylated tubulin and phosphorylated JNK1. Mice lacking Taok2 develop gross cortical and cortex layering abnormalities. Moreover, acute Taok2 downregulation or Taok2 knockout delayed the migration of upper-layer cortical neurons in mice, and the expression of a constitutively active form of JNK1 rescued these neuronal migration defects. Finally, we report that the brains of the Taok2 KO and 16p11.2 del Het mouse models show striking anatomical similarities and that the heterozygous 16p11.2 microdeletion mouse model displayed reduced levels of phosphorylated JNK1 and neuronal migration deficits, which were ameliorated upon the introduction of TAOK2α in cortical neurons and in the developing cortex of those mice. These results delineate the critical role of TAOK2 in cortical development and its contribution to neurodevelopmental disorders, including ASD.
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Affiliation(s)
- Robin Scharrenberg
- Institute of Developmental Neurophysiology, Center for Molecular Neurobiology, University Medical Center Hamburg-Eppendorf, 20251, Hamburg, Germany
| | - Melanie Richter
- Institute of Developmental Neurophysiology, Center for Molecular Neurobiology, University Medical Center Hamburg-Eppendorf, 20251, Hamburg, Germany.
| | - Ole Johanns
- Institute of Developmental Neurophysiology, Center for Molecular Neurobiology, University Medical Center Hamburg-Eppendorf, 20251, Hamburg, Germany
| | - Durga Praveen Meka
- Institute of Developmental Neurophysiology, Center for Molecular Neurobiology, University Medical Center Hamburg-Eppendorf, 20251, Hamburg, Germany
| | - Tabitha Rücker
- Institute of Developmental Neurophysiology, Center for Molecular Neurobiology, University Medical Center Hamburg-Eppendorf, 20251, Hamburg, Germany
| | - Nadeem Murtaza
- Krembil Research Institute, Donald K. Johnson Eye Institute, University Health Network, 60 Leonard Ave, Toronto, ON, M5T 0S8, Canada
- Faculty of Medicine, University of Toronto, Medical Sciences Building, 1 King's College Cir, Toronto, ON, M5S 1A8, Canada
- Department of Biochemistry and Biomedical Sciences, Faculty of Health Sciences, McMaster University, Hamilton, ON, L8S 4A9, Canada
| | - Zsuzsa Lindenmaier
- Mouse Imaging Centre, Hospital for Sick Children, Toronto, ON, M5T 3H7, Canada
- Department of Medical Biophysics, University of Toronto, Toronto, ON, M5S 1A1, Canada
| | - Jacob Ellegood
- Mouse Imaging Centre, Hospital for Sick Children, Toronto, ON, M5T 3H7, Canada
| | - Anne Naumann
- Institute of Developmental Neurophysiology, Center for Molecular Neurobiology, University Medical Center Hamburg-Eppendorf, 20251, Hamburg, Germany
| | - Bing Zhao
- Institute of Developmental Neurophysiology, Center for Molecular Neurobiology, University Medical Center Hamburg-Eppendorf, 20251, Hamburg, Germany
| | - Birgit Schwanke
- Institute of Developmental Neurophysiology, Center for Molecular Neurobiology, University Medical Center Hamburg-Eppendorf, 20251, Hamburg, Germany
| | - Jan Sedlacik
- Department of Neuroradiology, University Medical Center Hamburg-Eppendorf (UKE), Hamburg, Germany
| | - Jens Fiehler
- Department of Neuroradiology, University Medical Center Hamburg-Eppendorf (UKE), Hamburg, Germany
| | - Ileana L Hanganu-Opatz
- Institute of Developmental Neurophysiology, Center for Molecular Neurobiology, University Medical Center Hamburg-Eppendorf, 20251, Hamburg, Germany
| | - Jason P Lerch
- Mouse Imaging Centre, Hospital for Sick Children, Toronto, ON, M5T 3H7, Canada
- Department of Medical Biophysics, University of Toronto, Toronto, ON, M5S 1A1, Canada
- Wellcome Centre for Integrative Neuroimaging, The University of Oxford, Oxford, OX3 9DU, UK
| | - Karun K Singh
- Krembil Research Institute, Donald K. Johnson Eye Institute, University Health Network, 60 Leonard Ave, Toronto, ON, M5T 0S8, Canada
- Faculty of Medicine, University of Toronto, Medical Sciences Building, 1 King's College Cir, Toronto, ON, M5S 1A8, Canada
| | - Froylan Calderon de Anda
- Institute of Developmental Neurophysiology, Center for Molecular Neurobiology, University Medical Center Hamburg-Eppendorf, 20251, Hamburg, Germany.
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37
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Recent Developments in Autism Genetic Research: A Scientometric Review from 2018 to 2022. Genes (Basel) 2022; 13:genes13091646. [PMID: 36140813 PMCID: PMC9498399 DOI: 10.3390/genes13091646] [Citation(s) in RCA: 1] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 08/09/2022] [Revised: 09/12/2022] [Accepted: 09/12/2022] [Indexed: 12/13/2022] Open
Abstract
Genetic research in Autism Spectrum Disorder (ASD) has progressed tremendously in recent decades. Dozens of genetic loci and hundreds of alterations in the genetic sequence, expression, epigenetic transformation, and interactions with other physiological and environmental systems have been found to increase the likelihood of developing ASD. There is therefore a need to represent this wide-ranging yet voluminous body of literature in a systematic manner so that this information can be synthesised and understood at a macro level. Therefore, this study made use of scientometric methods, particularly document co-citation analysis (DCA), to systematically review literature on ASD genetic research from 2018 to 2022. A total of 14,818 articles were extracted from Scopus and analyzed with CiteSpace. An optimized DCA analysis revealed that recent literature on ASD genetic research can be broadly organised into 12 major clusters representing various sub-topics. These clusters are briefly described in the manuscript and potential applications of this study are discussed.
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38
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Nowakowski TJ, Salama SR. Cerebral Organoids as an Experimental Platform for Human Neurogenomics. Cells 2022; 11:2803. [PMID: 36139380 PMCID: PMC9496777 DOI: 10.3390/cells11182803] [Citation(s) in RCA: 10] [Impact Index Per Article: 5.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 08/17/2022] [Revised: 09/06/2022] [Accepted: 09/07/2022] [Indexed: 01/25/2023] Open
Abstract
The cerebral cortex forms early in development according to a series of heritable neurodevelopmental instructions. Despite deep evolutionary conservation of the cerebral cortex and its foundational six-layered architecture, significant variations in cortical size and folding can be found across mammals, including a disproportionate expansion of the prefrontal cortex in humans. Yet our mechanistic understanding of neurodevelopmental processes is derived overwhelmingly from rodent models, which fail to capture many human-enriched features of cortical development. With the advent of pluripotent stem cells and technologies for differentiating three-dimensional cultures of neural tissue in vitro, cerebral organoids have emerged as an experimental platform that recapitulates several hallmarks of human brain development. In this review, we discuss the merits and limitations of cerebral organoids as experimental models of the developing human brain. We highlight innovations in technology development that seek to increase its fidelity to brain development in vivo and discuss recent efforts to use cerebral organoids to study regeneration and brain evolution as well as to develop neurological and neuropsychiatric disease models.
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Affiliation(s)
- Tomasz J. Nowakowski
- Department of Neurological Surgery, University of California San Francisco, San Francisco, CA 94158, USA
- Department of Anatomy, University of California San Francisco, San Francisco, CA 94158, USA
- Department of Psychiatry and Behavioral Sciences, University of California San Francisco, San Francisco, CA 94158, USA
- Weill Institute for Neurosciences, University of California San Francisco, San Francisco, CA 94158, USA
- Eli and Edythe Broad Center for Regeneration Medicine and Stem Cell Research, University of California San Francisco, San Francisco, CA 94158, USA
| | - Sofie R. Salama
- Department of Molecular, Cellular and Developmental Biology, University of California Santa Cruz, Santa Cruz, CA 95060, USA
- UC Santa Cruz Genomics Institute, University of California Santa Cruz, Santa Cruz, CA 95060, USA
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39
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Xiaoshuai L, Qiushi W, Rui W. Advantages of CRISPR-Cas9 combined organoid model in the study of congenital nervous system malformations. Front Bioeng Biotechnol 2022; 10:932936. [PMID: 36118578 PMCID: PMC9478582 DOI: 10.3389/fbioe.2022.932936] [Citation(s) in RCA: 3] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 04/30/2022] [Accepted: 08/08/2022] [Indexed: 11/25/2022] Open
Abstract
In the past 10 years, gene-editing and organoid culture have completely changed the process of biology. Congenital nervous system malformations are difficult to study due to their polygenic pathogenicity, the complexity of cellular and neural regions of the brain, and the dysregulation of specific neurodevelopmental processes in humans. Therefore, the combined application of CRISPR-Cas9 in organoid models may provide a technical platform for studying organ development and congenital diseases. Here, we first summarize the occurrence of congenital neurological malformations and discuss the different modeling methods of congenital nervous system malformations. After that, it focuses on using organoid to model congenital nervous system malformations. Then we summarized the application of CRISPR-Cas9 in the organoid platform to study the pathogenesis and treatment strategies of congenital nervous system malformations and finally looked forward to the future.
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Affiliation(s)
- Li Xiaoshuai
- Department of Blood Transfusion, Shengjing Hospital of China Medical University, Shenyang, China
| | - Wang Qiushi
- Department of Blood Transfusion, Shengjing Hospital of China Medical University, Shenyang, China
| | - Wang Rui
- Department of Stem Cells and Regenerative Medicine, Key Laboratory of Cell Biology, National Health Commission of China and Key Laboratory of Medical Cell Biology, Ministry of Education of China, China Medical University, Shenyang, China
- *Correspondence: Wang Rui,
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40
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Silva AI, Ehrhart F, Ulfarsson MO, Stefansson H, Stefansson K, Wilkinson LS, Hall J, Linden DEJ. Neuroimaging Findings in Neurodevelopmental Copy Number Variants: Identifying Molecular Pathways to Convergent Phenotypes. Biol Psychiatry 2022; 92:341-361. [PMID: 35659384 DOI: 10.1016/j.biopsych.2022.03.018] [Citation(s) in RCA: 5] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Submit a Manuscript] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 09/14/2021] [Revised: 03/22/2022] [Accepted: 03/25/2022] [Indexed: 12/15/2022]
Abstract
Genomic copy number variants (CNVs) are associated with a high risk of neurodevelopmental disorders. A growing body of genetic studies suggests that these high-risk genetic variants converge in common molecular pathways and that common pathways also exist across clinically distinct disorders, such as schizophrenia and autism spectrum disorder. A key question is how common molecular mechanisms converge into similar clinical outcomes. We review emerging evidence for convergent cognitive and brain phenotypes across distinct CNVs. Multiple CNVs were shown to have similar effects on core sensory, cognitive, and motor traits. Emerging data from multisite neuroimaging studies have provided valuable information on how these CNVs affect brain structure and function. However, most of these studies examined one CNV at a time, making it difficult to fully understand the proportion of shared brain effects. Recent studies have started to combine neuroimaging data from multiple CNV carriers and identified similar brain effects across CNVs. Some early findings also support convergence in CNV animal models. Systems biology, through integration of multilevel data, provides new insights into convergent molecular mechanisms across genetic risk variants (e.g., altered synaptic activity). However, the link between such key molecular mechanisms and convergent psychiatric phenotypes is still unknown. To better understand this link, we need new approaches that integrate human molecular data with neuroimaging, cognitive, and animal model data, while taking into account critical developmental time points. Identifying risk mechanisms across genetic loci can elucidate the pathophysiology of neurodevelopmental disorders and identify new therapeutic targets for cross-disorder applications.
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Affiliation(s)
- Ana I Silva
- Department of Psychiatry and Neuropsychology, School for Mental Health and Neuroscience, Faculty of Health, Medicine and Life Sciences, Maastricht University, Maastricht, The Netherlands; Neuroscience and Mental Health Research Institute, MRC Centre for Neuropsychiatric Genetics and Genomics, Cardiff University, Cardiff, United Kingdom.
| | - Friederike Ehrhart
- Department of Bioinformatics, NUTRIM School of Nutrition and Translational Research in Metabolism, Maastricht University, Maastricht, The Netherlands
| | - Magnus O Ulfarsson
- deCODE genetics, Amgen, Reykjavik, Iceland; Faculty of Electrical and Computer Engineering, University of Iceland, Reykjavik, Iceland
| | | | | | - Lawrence S Wilkinson
- Neuroscience and Mental Health Research Institute, MRC Centre for Neuropsychiatric Genetics and Genomics, Cardiff University, Cardiff, United Kingdom; School of Psychology, Cardiff University, Cardiff, United Kingdom
| | - Jeremy Hall
- Neuroscience and Mental Health Research Institute, MRC Centre for Neuropsychiatric Genetics and Genomics, Cardiff University, Cardiff, United Kingdom
| | - David E J Linden
- Department of Psychiatry and Neuropsychology, School for Mental Health and Neuroscience, Faculty of Health, Medicine and Life Sciences, Maastricht University, Maastricht, The Netherlands; Neuroscience and Mental Health Research Institute, MRC Centre for Neuropsychiatric Genetics and Genomics, Cardiff University, Cardiff, United Kingdom.
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41
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Neurodevelopmental copy-number variants: A roadmap to improving outcomes by uniting patient advocates, researchers, and clinicians for collective impact. Am J Hum Genet 2022; 109:1353-1365. [PMID: 35931048 PMCID: PMC9388383 DOI: 10.1016/j.ajhg.2022.07.003] [Citation(s) in RCA: 2] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 02/06/2023] Open
Abstract
Copy-number variants and structural variants (CNVs/SVs) drive many neurodevelopmental-related disorders. While many neurodevelopmental-related CNVs/SVs give rise to complex phenotypes, the overlap in phenotypic presentation between independent CNVs can be extensive and provides a motivation for shared approaches. This confluence at the level of clinical phenotype implies convergence in at least some aspects of the underlying genomic mechanisms. With this perspective, our Commission on Novel Technologies for Neurodevelopmental CNVs asserts that the time has arrived to approach neurodevelopmental-related CNVs/SVs as a class of disorders that can be identified, investigated, and treated on the basis of shared mechanisms and/or pathways (e.g., molecular, neurological, or developmental). To identify common etiologic mechanisms among uncommon neurodevelopmental-related disorders and to potentially identify common therapies, it is paramount for teams of scientists, clinicians, and patients to unite their efforts. We bring forward novel, collaborative, and integrative strategies to translational CNV/SV research that engages diverse stakeholders to help expedite therapeutic outcomes. We articulate a clear vision for piloted roadmap strategies to reduce patient/caregiver burden and redundancies, increase efficiency, avoid siloed data, and accelerate translational discovery across CNV/SV-based syndromes.
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42
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Anijs M, Devanna P, Vernes SC. ARHGEF39, a Gene Implicated in Developmental Language Disorder, Activates RHOA and Is Involved in Cell De-Adhesion and Neural Progenitor Cell Proliferation. Front Mol Neurosci 2022; 15:941494. [PMID: 35959104 PMCID: PMC9359124 DOI: 10.3389/fnmol.2022.941494] [Citation(s) in RCA: 1] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 05/11/2022] [Accepted: 06/21/2022] [Indexed: 11/13/2022] Open
Abstract
ARHGEF39 was previously implicated in developmental language disorder (DLD) via a functional polymorphism that can disrupt post-transcriptional regulation by microRNAs. ARHGEF39 is part of the family of Rho guanine nucleotide exchange factors (RhoGEFs) that activate small Rho GTPases to regulate a wide variety of cellular processes. However, little is known about the function of ARHGEF39, or how its function might contribute to neurodevelopment or related disorders. Here, we explore the molecular function of ARHGEF39 and show that it activates the Rho GTPase RHOA and that high ARHGEF39 expression in cell cultures leads to an increase of detached cells. To explore its role in neurodevelopment, we analyse published single cell RNA-sequencing data and demonstrate that ARHGEF39 is a marker gene for proliferating neural progenitor cells and that it is co-expressed with genes involved in cell division. This suggests a role for ARHGEF39 in neurogenesis in the developing brain. The co-expression of ARHGEF39 with other RHOA-regulating genes supports RHOA as substrate of ARHGEF39 in neural cells, and the involvement of RHOA in neuropsychiatric disorders highlights a potential link between ARHGEF39 and neurodevelopment and disorder. Understanding the GTPase substrate, co-expression network, and processes downstream of ARHGEF39 provide new avenues for exploring the mechanisms by which altered expression levels of ARHGEF39 may contribute to neurodevelopment and associated disorders.
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43
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Wang YW, Hu N, Li XH. Genetic and Epigenetic Regulation of Brain Organoids. Front Cell Dev Biol 2022; 10:948818. [PMID: 35846370 PMCID: PMC9283755 DOI: 10.3389/fcell.2022.948818] [Citation(s) in RCA: 4] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 05/20/2022] [Accepted: 06/09/2022] [Indexed: 12/05/2022] Open
Abstract
Revealing the mechanisms of neural development and the pathogenesis of neural diseases are one of the most challenging missions in life science. Pluripotent stem cells derived brain organoids mimic the development, maturation, signal generation, and function of human brains, providing unique advantage for neurology. Single-cell RNA sequencing (scRNA-Seq) and multielectrode array independently revealed the similarity between brain organoids and immature human brain at early developmental stages, in the context of gene transcription and dynamic network of neuronal signals. Brain organoids provided the unique opportunity to investigate the underlying mechanism of neural differentiation, senescence, and pathogenesis. In this review, we summarized the latest knowledge and technology in the brain organoid field, the current and potential applications in disease models and pre-clinic studies, with emphasizing the importance of transcriptional and epigenetic analysis.
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44
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Muhtaseb AW, Duan J. Modeling common and rare genetic risk factors of neuropsychiatric disorders in human induced pluripotent stem cells. Schizophr Res 2022:S0920-9964(22)00156-6. [PMID: 35459617 PMCID: PMC9735430 DOI: 10.1016/j.schres.2022.04.003] [Citation(s) in RCA: 4] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Submit a Manuscript] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 02/14/2022] [Revised: 04/05/2022] [Accepted: 04/07/2022] [Indexed: 12/13/2022]
Abstract
Recent genome-wide association studies (GWAS) and whole-exome sequencing of neuropsychiatric disorders, especially schizophrenia, have identified a plethora of common and rare disease risk variants/genes. Translating the mounting human genetic discoveries into novel disease biology and more tailored clinical treatments is tied to our ability to causally connect genetic risk variants to molecular and cellular phenotypes. When combined with the Clustered Regularly Interspaced Short Palindromic Repeats (CRISPR)/CRISPR-associated (Cas) nuclease-mediated genome editing system, human induced pluripotent stem cell (hiPSC)-derived neural cultures (both 2D and 3D organoids) provide a promising tractable cellular model for bridging the gap between genetic findings and disease biology. In this review, we first conceptualize the advances in understanding the disease polygenicity and convergence from the past decade of iPSC modeling of different types of genetic risk factors of neuropsychiatric disorders. We then discuss the major cell types and cellular phenotypes that are most relevant to neuropsychiatric disorders in iPSC modeling. Finally, we critically review the limitations of iPSC modeling of neuropsychiatric disorders and outline the need for implementing and developing novel methods to scale up the number of iPSC lines and disease risk variants in a systematic manner. Sufficiently scaled-up iPSC modeling and a better functional interpretation of genetic risk variants, in combination with cutting-edge CRISPR/Cas9 gene editing and single-cell multi-omics methods, will enable the field to identify the specific and convergent molecular and cellular phenotypes in precision for neuropsychiatric disorders.
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Affiliation(s)
- Abdurrahman W Muhtaseb
- Center for Psychiatric Genetics, NorthShore University HealthSystem, Evanston, IL 60201, United States of America; Department of Human Genetics, The University of Chicago, Chicago, IL 60637, United States of America
| | - Jubao Duan
- Center for Psychiatric Genetics, NorthShore University HealthSystem, Evanston, IL 60201, United States of America; Department of Psychiatry and Behavioral Neuroscience, The University of Chicago, Chicago, IL 60637, United States of America.
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45
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Villa CE, Cheroni C, Dotter CP, López-Tóbon A, Oliveira B, Sacco R, Yahya AÇ, Morandell J, Gabriele M, Tavakoli MR, Lyudchik J, Sommer C, Gabitto M, Danzl JG, Testa G, Novarino G. CHD8 haploinsufficiency links autism to transient alterations in excitatory and inhibitory trajectories. Cell Rep 2022; 39:110615. [PMID: 35385734 DOI: 10.1016/j.celrep.2022.110615] [Citation(s) in RCA: 23] [Impact Index Per Article: 11.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 04/01/2021] [Revised: 11/18/2021] [Accepted: 03/13/2022] [Indexed: 12/13/2022] Open
Abstract
Mutations in the chromodomain helicase DNA-binding 8 (CHD8) gene are a frequent cause of autism spectrum disorder (ASD). While its phenotypic spectrum often encompasses macrocephaly, implicating cortical abnormalities, how CHD8 haploinsufficiency affects neurodevelopmental is unclear. Here, employing human cerebral organoids, we find that CHD8 haploinsufficiency disrupted neurodevelopmental trajectories with an accelerated and delayed generation of, respectively, inhibitory and excitatory neurons that yields, at days 60 and 120, symmetrically opposite expansions in their proportions. This imbalance is consistent with an enlargement of cerebral organoids as an in vitro correlate of patients' macrocephaly. Through an isogenic design of patient-specific mutations and mosaic organoids, we define genotype-phenotype relationships and uncover their cell-autonomous nature. Our results define cell-type-specific CHD8-dependent molecular defects related to an abnormal program of proliferation and alternative splicing. By identifying cell-type-specific effects of CHD8 mutations, our study uncovers reproducible developmental alterations that may be employed for neurodevelopmental disease modeling.
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Affiliation(s)
- Carlo Emanuele Villa
- Department of Experimental Oncology, IEO, European Institute of Oncology, IRCCS, 20139 Milan, Italy; Human Technopole, Viale Rita Levi Montalcini 1, 20157 Milan, Italy
| | - Cristina Cheroni
- Department of Experimental Oncology, IEO, European Institute of Oncology, IRCCS, 20139 Milan, Italy; Human Technopole, Viale Rita Levi Montalcini 1, 20157 Milan, Italy; Department of Oncology and Hemato-oncology, University of Milan, 20122 Milan, Italy
| | - Christoph P Dotter
- Institute of Science and Technology (IST) Austria, 3400 Klosterneuburg, Austria
| | - Alejandro López-Tóbon
- Department of Experimental Oncology, IEO, European Institute of Oncology, IRCCS, 20139 Milan, Italy; Human Technopole, Viale Rita Levi Montalcini 1, 20157 Milan, Italy; Department of Oncology and Hemato-oncology, University of Milan, 20122 Milan, Italy
| | - Bárbara Oliveira
- Institute of Science and Technology (IST) Austria, 3400 Klosterneuburg, Austria
| | - Roberto Sacco
- Institute of Science and Technology (IST) Austria, 3400 Klosterneuburg, Austria
| | - Aysan Çerağ Yahya
- Institute of Science and Technology (IST) Austria, 3400 Klosterneuburg, Austria
| | - Jasmin Morandell
- Institute of Science and Technology (IST) Austria, 3400 Klosterneuburg, Austria
| | - Michele Gabriele
- Department of Experimental Oncology, IEO, European Institute of Oncology, IRCCS, 20139 Milan, Italy
| | - Mojtaba R Tavakoli
- Institute of Science and Technology (IST) Austria, 3400 Klosterneuburg, Austria
| | - Julia Lyudchik
- Institute of Science and Technology (IST) Austria, 3400 Klosterneuburg, Austria
| | - Christoph Sommer
- Institute of Science and Technology (IST) Austria, 3400 Klosterneuburg, Austria
| | | | - Johann G Danzl
- Institute of Science and Technology (IST) Austria, 3400 Klosterneuburg, Austria
| | - Giuseppe Testa
- Department of Experimental Oncology, IEO, European Institute of Oncology, IRCCS, 20139 Milan, Italy; Human Technopole, Viale Rita Levi Montalcini 1, 20157 Milan, Italy; Department of Oncology and Hemato-oncology, University of Milan, 20122 Milan, Italy.
| | - Gaia Novarino
- Institute of Science and Technology (IST) Austria, 3400 Klosterneuburg, Austria.
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46
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Ejlersen M, Ilieva M, Michel TM. Superoxide dismutase isozymes in cerebral organoids from autism spectrum disorder patients. J Neural Transm (Vienna) 2022; 129:617-626. [PMID: 35266053 DOI: 10.1007/s00702-022-02472-x] [Citation(s) in RCA: 1] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 12/13/2021] [Accepted: 02/02/2022] [Indexed: 12/13/2022]
Abstract
Autism spectrum disorder is a pervasive neurodevelopmental disorder with a substantial contribution to the global disease burden. Despite intensive research efforts, the aetiopathogenesis remains unclear. The Janus-faced antioxidant enzymes superoxide dismutase 1-3 have been implicated in initiating oxidative stress and as such may constitute a potential therapeutic target. However, no measurement has been taken in human autistic brain samples. The aim of this study is to measure superoxide dismutase 1-3 in autistic cerebral organoids as an in vitro model of human foetal neurodevelopment. Whole brain organoids were created from induced pluripotent stem cells from healthy individuals (n = 5) and individuals suffering from autism (n = 4). Using Pierce bicinchoninic acid and enzyme-linked immunosorbent assays, the protein and superoxide dismutase 1, 2, and 3 concentrations were quantified in the cerebral organoids at days 22, 32, and 42. Measurements were normalized to the protein concentration. Results represented using medians and interquartile ranges. Using Wilcoxon matched-pairs signed-rank test, an abrupt rise in the superoxide dismutase concentration was observed at day 32 and onwards. Using Wilcoxon rank-sum test, no differences were observed between healthy (SOD1: 35.56 ng/mL ± 3.46; SOD2: 2435.80 ng/mL ± 1327.00; SOD3: 1854.88 ng/mL ± 867.94) and autistic (SOD1: 32.85 ng/mL ± 5.26; SOD2: 2717.80 ng/mL ± 1889.10; SOD3: 1690.18 ng/mL ± 615.49) organoids. Cerebral organoids recapitulate many aspects of human neurodevelopment, but the diffusion restriction may render efforts in modelling differences in oxidative stress futile due to the intrinsic hypoxia and central necrosis.
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Affiliation(s)
- Morten Ejlersen
- Faculty of Health Sciences, University of Southern Denmark, J.B. Winsløws Vej 19.3, 5000, Odense, Denmark
| | - Mirolyuba Ilieva
- Research Unit of the Department of Psychiatry, University Hospital of Southern Denmark, J.B. Winsløws Vej 20, 5000, Odense, Denmark
| | - Tanja Maria Michel
- Faculty of Health Sciences, University of Southern Denmark, J.B. Winsløws Vej 19.3, 5000, Odense, Denmark.
- Research Unit of the Department of Psychiatry, University Hospital of Southern Denmark, J.B. Winsløws Vej 20, 5000, Odense, Denmark.
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47
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Ozgun A, Lomboni D, Arnott H, Staines WA, Woulfe J, Variola F. Biomaterial-based strategies for in vitro neural models. Biomater Sci 2022; 10:1134-1165. [PMID: 35023513 DOI: 10.1039/d1bm01361k] [Citation(s) in RCA: 1] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 12/14/2022]
Abstract
In vitro models have been used as a complementary tool to animal studies in understanding the nervous system's physiological mechanisms and pathological disorders, while also serving as platforms to evaluate the safety and efficiency of therapeutic candidates. Following recent advances in materials science, micro- and nanofabrication techniques and cell culture systems, in vitro technologies have been rapidly gaining the potential to bridge the gap between animal and clinical studies by providing more sophisticated models that recapitulate key aspects of the structure, biochemistry, biomechanics, and functions of human tissues. This was made possible, in large part, by the development of biomaterials that provide cells with physicochemical features that closely mimic the cellular microenvironment of native tissues. Due to the well-known material-driven cellular response and the importance of mimicking the environment of the target tissue, the selection of optimal biomaterials represents an important early step in the design of biomimetic systems to investigate brain structures and functions. This review provides a comprehensive compendium of commonly used biomaterials as well as the different fabrication techniques employed for the design of neural tissue models. Furthermore, the authors discuss the main parameters that need to be considered to develop functional platforms not only for the study of brain physiological functions and pathological processes but also for drug discovery/development and the optimization of biomaterials for neural tissue engineering.
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Affiliation(s)
- Alp Ozgun
- Department of Mechanical Engineering, Faculty of Engineering, University of Ottawa, Ottawa, Canada. .,Department of Cellular and Molecular Medicine, Faculty of Medicine, University of Ottawa, Ottawa, Canada
| | - David Lomboni
- Department of Mechanical Engineering, Faculty of Engineering, University of Ottawa, Ottawa, Canada. .,Ottawa-Carleton Institute for Biomedical Engineering (OCIBME), Ottawa, Canada
| | - Hallie Arnott
- Department of Mechanical Engineering, Faculty of Engineering, University of Ottawa, Ottawa, Canada. .,Ottawa-Carleton Institute for Biomedical Engineering (OCIBME), Ottawa, Canada
| | - William A Staines
- Department of Cellular and Molecular Medicine, Faculty of Medicine, University of Ottawa, Ottawa, Canada
| | - John Woulfe
- Department of Cellular and Molecular Medicine, Faculty of Medicine, University of Ottawa, Ottawa, Canada.,The Ottawa Hospital, Ottawa, Canada
| | - Fabio Variola
- Department of Mechanical Engineering, Faculty of Engineering, University of Ottawa, Ottawa, Canada. .,Department of Cellular and Molecular Medicine, Faculty of Medicine, University of Ottawa, Ottawa, Canada.,Ottawa-Carleton Institute for Biomedical Engineering (OCIBME), Ottawa, Canada.,The Ottawa Hospital, Ottawa, Canada.,Children's Hospital of Eastern Ontario (CHEO), Ottawa, Canada
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48
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In Vitro Recapitulation of Neuropsychiatric Disorders with Pluripotent Stem Cells-Derived Brain Organoids. INTERNATIONAL JOURNAL OF ENVIRONMENTAL RESEARCH AND PUBLIC HEALTH 2021; 18:ijerph182312431. [PMID: 34886158 PMCID: PMC8657206 DOI: 10.3390/ijerph182312431] [Citation(s) in RCA: 3] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 10/28/2021] [Revised: 11/19/2021] [Accepted: 11/22/2021] [Indexed: 12/12/2022]
Abstract
Adolescent neuropsychiatric disorders have been recently increasing due to genetic and environmental influences. Abnormal brain development before and after birth contribute to the pathology of neuropsychiatric disorders. However, it is difficult to experimentally investigate because of the complexity of brain and ethical constraints. Recently generated human brain organoids from pluripotent stem cells are considered as a promising in vitro model to recapitulate brain development and diseases. To better understand how brain organoids could be applied to investigate neuropsychiatric disorders, we analyzed the key consideration points, including how to generate brain organoids from pluripotent stem cells, the current application of brain organoids in recapitulating neuropsychiatric disorders and the future perspectives. This review covered what have been achieved on modeling the cellular and neural circuit deficits of neuropsychiatric disorders and those challenges yet to be solved. Together, this review aims to provide a fundamental understanding of how to generate brain organoids to model neuropsychiatric disorders, which will be helpful in improving the mental health of adolescents.
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49
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Schmidt S. Autism in Three Dimensions: Using Brain Organoids to Study Potential Gene-Environment Interactions. ENVIRONMENTAL HEALTH PERSPECTIVES 2021; 129:104003. [PMID: 34665007 PMCID: PMC8525338 DOI: 10.1289/ehp10301] [Citation(s) in RCA: 1] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Figures] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 09/10/2021] [Accepted: 09/22/2021] [Indexed: 06/13/2023]
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50
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Chau KK, Zhang P, Urresti J, Amar M, Pramod AB, Chen J, Thomas A, Corominas R, Lin GN, Iakoucheva LM. Full-length isoform transcriptome of the developing human brain provides further insights into autism. Cell Rep 2021; 36:109631. [PMID: 34469739 PMCID: PMC8437376 DOI: 10.1016/j.celrep.2021.109631] [Citation(s) in RCA: 5] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.7] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 06/01/2020] [Revised: 04/23/2021] [Accepted: 08/09/2021] [Indexed: 12/13/2022] Open
Abstract
Alternative splicing plays an important role in brain development, but its global contribution to human neurodevelopmental diseases (NDDs) requires further investigation. Here we examine the relationships between splicing isoform expression in the brain and de novo loss-of-function mutations from individuals with NDDs. We analyze the full-length isoform transcriptome of the developing human brain and observe differentially expressed isoforms and isoform co-expression modules undetectable by gene-level analyses. These isoforms are enriched in loss-of-function mutations and microexons, are co-expressed with a unique set of partners, and have higher prenatal expression. We experimentally test the effect of splice-site mutations and demonstrate exon skipping in five NDD risk genes, including SCN2A, DYRK1A, and BTRC. Our results suggest that the splice site mutation in BTRC reduces translational efficiency, likely affecting Wnt signaling through impaired degradation of β-catenin. We propose that functional effects of mutations should be investigated at the isoform- rather than gene-level resolution.
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Affiliation(s)
- Kevin K Chau
- Department of Psychiatry, University of California, San Diego, La Jolla, CA, USA; Department of Biology, University of California, San Diego, La Jolla, CA, USA
| | - Pan Zhang
- Department of Psychiatry, University of California, San Diego, La Jolla, CA, USA
| | - Jorge Urresti
- Department of Psychiatry, University of California, San Diego, La Jolla, CA, USA
| | - Megha Amar
- Department of Psychiatry, University of California, San Diego, La Jolla, CA, USA
| | - Akula Bala Pramod
- Department of Psychiatry, University of California, San Diego, La Jolla, CA, USA
| | - Jiaye Chen
- Department of Psychiatry, University of California, San Diego, La Jolla, CA, USA
| | - Amy Thomas
- Department of Psychiatry, University of California, San Diego, La Jolla, CA, USA
| | - Roser Corominas
- Department of Psychiatry, University of California, San Diego, La Jolla, CA, USA
| | - Guan Ning Lin
- Department of Psychiatry, University of California, San Diego, La Jolla, CA, USA
| | - Lilia M Iakoucheva
- Department of Psychiatry, University of California, San Diego, La Jolla, CA, USA.
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