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Zhou Y, Zhou W, Rao Y, He J, Huang Y, Zhao P, Li J. Dysregulated energy and protein homeostasis and the loss of GABAergic amacrine cells in aging retina. Exp Eye Res 2024:109985. [PMID: 38945518 DOI: 10.1016/j.exer.2024.109985] [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: 02/26/2024] [Revised: 05/30/2024] [Accepted: 06/27/2024] [Indexed: 07/02/2024]
Abstract
Aging is a major risk factor for the development or the worsening of retinal degenerative conditions. The intricate network of the neural retina determined that the retinal aging is a complicated process. The aim of this study is to delineate the transcriptomic changes of major retinal neurons during aging in C57BL/6 mice at single-cell level. We analyzed the transcriptional profiles of the photoreceptor, bipolar, amacrine, and Müller glial cells of 1.5-2 and 24-30 months old mice using single-cell RNA sequencing technique. We selectively confirmed the differences in gene expression using immunofluorescence staining and RNA in situ hybridization analysis. We found that each retinal cell type had unique changes upon aging. However, they all showed signs of dysregulated glucose and energy metabolism, and perturbed proteostasis. In particular, old Müller glia exhibited the most profound changes, including the upregulation of cell metabolism, stress-responses, antigen-presentation and immune responses and metal ion homeostasis. The dysregulated gliogenesis and differentiation was confirmed by the presence of Müller glia expressing rod-specific genes in the inner nuclear layer and the outer plexiform layer of the old retina. We further pinpointed the specific loss of GABAergic amacrine cells in old retina. Our study emphasized changes of amacrine and Müller glia during retinal aging, provided resources for further research on the molecular and cellular regulatory mechanisms underlying aging-associated retinal deterioration.
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Affiliation(s)
- Yutong Zhou
- Department of Ophthalmology, Xinhua Hospital Affiliated to Shanghai Jiao Tong University School of Medicine, Shanghai, China 200092
| | - Wenchuan Zhou
- Department of Ophthalmology, Xinhua Hospital Affiliated to Shanghai Jiao Tong University School of Medicine, Shanghai, China 200092
| | - Yuqing Rao
- Department of Ophthalmology, Xinhua Hospital Affiliated to Shanghai Jiao Tong University School of Medicine, Shanghai, China 200092
| | - Jincan He
- Department of Ophthalmology, Xinhua Hospital Affiliated to Shanghai Jiao Tong University School of Medicine, Shanghai, China 200092
| | - Yue Huang
- Department of Ophthalmology, Chongming Hospital Affiliated to Shanghai University of Medicine and Health Sciences, Shanghai, China 202150
| | - Peiquan Zhao
- Department of Ophthalmology, Xinhua Hospital Affiliated to Shanghai Jiao Tong University School of Medicine, Shanghai, China 200092.
| | - Jing Li
- Department of Ophthalmology, Xinhua Hospital Affiliated to Shanghai Jiao Tong University School of Medicine, Shanghai, China 200092.
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2
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Lukomska A, Rheaume BA, Frost MP, Theune WC, Xing J, Damania A, Trakhtenberg EF. Augmenting fibronectin levels in injured adult CNS promotes axon regeneration in vivo. Exp Neurol 2024; 379:114877. [PMID: 38944331 DOI: 10.1016/j.expneurol.2024.114877] [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: 02/23/2024] [Revised: 06/06/2024] [Accepted: 06/25/2024] [Indexed: 07/01/2024]
Abstract
In an attempt to repair injured central nervous system (CNS) nerves/tracts, immune cells are recruited into the injury site, but endogenous response in adult mammals is insufficient for promoting regeneration of severed axons. Here, we found that a portion of retinal ganglion cell (RGC) CNS projection neurons that survive after optic nerve crush (ONC) injury are enriched for and upregulate fibronectin (Fn)-interacting integrins Itga5 and ItgaV, and that Fn promotes long-term survival and long-distance axon regeneration of a portion of axotomized adult RGCs in culture. We then show that, Fn is developmentally downregulated in the axonal tracts of optic nerve and spinal cord, but injury-activated macrophages/microglia upregulate Fn while axon regeneration-promoting zymosan augments their recruitment (and thereby increases Fn levels) in the injured optic nerve. Finally, we found that Fn's RGD motif, established to interact with Itga5 and ItgaV, promotes long-term survival and long-distance axon regeneration of adult RGCs after ONC in vivo, with some axons reaching the optic chiasm when co-treated with Rpl7a gene therapy. Thus, experimentally augmenting Fn levels in the injured CNS is a promising approach for therapeutic neuroprotection and axon regeneration of at least a portion of neurons.
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Affiliation(s)
- Agnieszka Lukomska
- Department of Neuroscience, University of Connecticut School of Medicine, 263 Farmington Ave., Farmington, CT 06030, USA
| | - Bruce A Rheaume
- Department of Neuroscience, University of Connecticut School of Medicine, 263 Farmington Ave., Farmington, CT 06030, USA
| | - Matthew P Frost
- Department of Neuroscience, University of Connecticut School of Medicine, 263 Farmington Ave., Farmington, CT 06030, USA
| | - William C Theune
- Department of Neuroscience, University of Connecticut School of Medicine, 263 Farmington Ave., Farmington, CT 06030, USA
| | - Jian Xing
- Department of Neuroscience, University of Connecticut School of Medicine, 263 Farmington Ave., Farmington, CT 06030, USA
| | - Ashiti Damania
- Department of Neuroscience, University of Connecticut School of Medicine, 263 Farmington Ave., Farmington, CT 06030, USA
| | - Ephraim F Trakhtenberg
- Department of Neuroscience, University of Connecticut School of Medicine, 263 Farmington Ave., Farmington, CT 06030, USA..
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3
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Yang Q, Liu L, He F, Zhao W, Chen Z, Wu X, Rao B, Lin X, Mao F, Qu J, Zhang J. Retinal ganglion cell type-specific expression of synuclein family members revealed by scRNA-sequencing. Int J Med Sci 2024; 21:1472-1490. [PMID: 38903914 PMCID: PMC11186421 DOI: 10.7150/ijms.95598] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Submit a Manuscript] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 02/23/2024] [Accepted: 04/30/2024] [Indexed: 06/22/2024] Open
Abstract
Synuclein family members (Snca, Sncb, and Scng) are expressed in the retina, but their precise locations and roles are poorly understood. We performed an extensive analysis of the single-cell transcriptome in healthy and injured retinas to investigate their expression patterns and roles. We observed the expression of all synuclein family members in retinal ganglion cells (RGCs), which remained consistent across species (human, mouse, and chicken). We unveiled differential expression of Snca across distinct clusters (highly expressed in most), while Sncb and Sncg displayed uniform expression across all clusters. Further, we observed a decreased expression in RGCs following traumatic axonal injury. However, the proportion of α-Syn-positive RGCs in all RGCs and α-Syn-positive intrinsically photosensitive retinal ganglion cells (ipRGCs) in all ipRGCs remained unaltered. Lastly, we identified changes in communication patterns preceding cell death, with particular significance in the pleiotrophin-nucleolin (Ptn-Ncl) and neural cell adhesion molecule signaling pathways, where communication differences were pronounced between cells with varying expression levels of Snca. Our study employs an innovative approach using scRNA-seq to characterize synuclein expression in health retinal cells, specifically focusing on RGC subtypes, advances our knowledge of retinal physiology and pathology.
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Affiliation(s)
- Qingwen Yang
- Laboratory of Retinal Physiology and Disease, School of Ophthalmology and Optometry, Wenzhou Medical University, Wenzhou, 325027, China
| | - Lin Liu
- Laboratory of Retinal Physiology and Disease, School of Ophthalmology and Optometry, Wenzhou Medical University, Wenzhou, 325027, China
| | - Fang He
- Laboratory of Retinal Physiology and Disease, School of Ophthalmology and Optometry, Wenzhou Medical University, Wenzhou, 325027, China
| | - Wenna Zhao
- Laboratory of Retinal Physiology and Disease, School of Ophthalmology and Optometry, Wenzhou Medical University, Wenzhou, 325027, China
| | - Zhongqun Chen
- Laboratory of Retinal Physiology and Disease, School of Ophthalmology and Optometry, Wenzhou Medical University, Wenzhou, 325027, China
| | - Xiaotian Wu
- Laboratory of Retinal Physiology and Disease, School of Ophthalmology and Optometry, Wenzhou Medical University, Wenzhou, 325027, China
| | - Bilin Rao
- State Key Laboratory of Ophthalmology, Optometry and Visual Science, Eye Hospital, Wenzhou Medical University, Wenzhou, 325027, China
- Laboratory of Retinal Physiology and Disease, School of Ophthalmology and Optometry, Wenzhou Medical University, Wenzhou, 325027, China
| | - Xin Lin
- State Key Laboratory of Ophthalmology, Optometry and Visual Science, Eye Hospital, Wenzhou Medical University, Wenzhou, 325027, China
- Laboratory of Retinal Physiology and Disease, School of Ophthalmology and Optometry, Wenzhou Medical University, Wenzhou, 325027, China
| | - Fangyuan Mao
- Alberta Institute, Wenzhou Medical University, Wenzhou, 325027, China
| | - Jia Qu
- State Key Laboratory of Ophthalmology, Optometry and Visual Science, Eye Hospital, Wenzhou Medical University, Wenzhou, 325027, China
| | - Jun Zhang
- State Key Laboratory of Ophthalmology, Optometry and Visual Science, Eye Hospital, Wenzhou Medical University, Wenzhou, 325027, China
- Laboratory of Retinal Physiology and Disease, School of Ophthalmology and Optometry, Wenzhou Medical University, Wenzhou, 325027, China
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Soucy JR, Kriukov E, Oswald J, Phay M, Masland J, Pernstich C, Baranov P. Sustained neurotrophic factor cotreatment enhances donor and host retinal ganglion cell survival in mice. BIORXIV : THE PREPRINT SERVER FOR BIOLOGY 2024:2024.03.07.583961. [PMID: 38558999 PMCID: PMC10979869 DOI: 10.1101/2024.03.07.583961] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 04/04/2024]
Abstract
Retinal ganglion cells (RGCs) lack regenerative capacity in mammals, and their degeneration in glaucoma leads to irreversible blindness. The transplantation of stem cell-derived RGCs lacks clinically relevant effect due to insufficient survival and integration of donor cells. We hypothesize that the retinal microenvironment plays a critical role in this process, and we can engineer a more acceptable setting for transplantation. Since the adult mammalian retina does not have regenerative capacity, we turned to the developing human retina to reconstruct cell-cell interactions at a single-cell level. We established a human fetal retina atlas by integrating currently available single-cell RNA sequencing datasets of human fetal retinas into a unified resource. We align RGC transcriptomes in pseudotime to map RGC developmental fate trajectories against the broader timeline of retinal development. Through this analysis, we identified brain-derived neurotrophic factor (BDNF) and glial-derived neurotrophic factor (GDNF) as key factors in RGC survival, highly expressed during fetal development but significantly reduced in adulthood despite the persistence of their receptors. To demonstrate the practical application of these findings, we show that using a slow-release formulation of BDNF and GDNF enhances RGC differentiation, survival, and function in vitro and improves RGC transplantation outcomes in a mouse model. BNDF/GDNF co-treatment not only increased survival and coverage of donor RGCs within the retina but also showed neuroprotective effects on host RGCs, preserving retinal function in a model of optic neuropathy. Altogether, our findings suggest that manipulating the retinal microenvironment with slow-release neurotrophic factors holds promise in regenerative medicine for treating glaucoma and other optic neuropathies. This approach not only improves donor cell survival and integration but also provides a neuroprotective benefit to host cells, indicating a significant advancement for glaucoma therapies.
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Li CP, Wu S, Sun YQ, Peng XQ, Gong M, Du HZ, Zhang J, Teng ZQ, Wang N, Liu CM. Lhx2 promotes axon regeneration of adult retinal ganglion cells and rescues neurodegeneration in mouse models of glaucoma. Cell Rep Med 2024; 5:101554. [PMID: 38729157 PMCID: PMC11148806 DOI: 10.1016/j.xcrm.2024.101554] [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: 06/21/2023] [Revised: 03/27/2024] [Accepted: 04/12/2024] [Indexed: 05/12/2024]
Abstract
The axons of retinal ganglion cells (RGCs) form the optic nerve, transmitting visual information from the eye to the brain. Damage or loss of RGCs and their axons is the leading cause of visual functional defects in traumatic injury and degenerative diseases such as glaucoma. However, there are no effective clinical treatments for nerve damage in these neurodegenerative diseases. Here, we report that LIM homeodomain transcription factor Lhx2 promotes RGC survival and axon regeneration in multiple animal models mimicking glaucoma disease. Furthermore, following N-methyl-D-aspartate (NMDA)-induced excitotoxicity damage of RGCs, Lhx2 mitigates the loss of visual signal transduction. Mechanistic analysis revealed that overexpression of Lhx2 supports axon regeneration by systematically regulating the transcription of regeneration-related genes and inhibiting transcription of Semaphorin 3C (Sema3C). Collectively, our studies identify a critical role of Lhx2 in promoting RGC survival and axon regeneration, providing a promising neural repair strategy for glaucomatous neurodegeneration.
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Affiliation(s)
- Chang-Ping Li
- Key Laboratory of Organ Regeneration and Reconstruction, Institute of Zoology, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Beijing 100101, China; Savaid Medical School, University of Chinese Academy of Sciences, Beijing 100049, China; Institute for Stem Cell and Regeneration, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Beijing 100101, China; Beijing Institute for Stem Cell and Regenerative Medicine, Beijing 100101, China
| | - Shen Wu
- Beijing Institute of Ophthalmology, Beijing Tongren Eye Center, Beijing Tongren Hospital, Capital Medical University, Beijing Ophthalmology & Visual Sciences Key Laboratory, Beijing 100730, China; Beijing Institute of Brain Disorders, Collaborative Innovation Center for Brain Disorders, Capital Medical University, Beijing 100069, China
| | - Yong-Quan Sun
- Key Laboratory of Organ Regeneration and Reconstruction, Institute of Zoology, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Beijing 100101, China; Savaid Medical School, University of Chinese Academy of Sciences, Beijing 100049, China; Institute for Stem Cell and Regeneration, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Beijing 100101, China; Beijing Institute for Stem Cell and Regenerative Medicine, Beijing 100101, China
| | - Xue-Qi Peng
- Key Laboratory of Organ Regeneration and Reconstruction, Institute of Zoology, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Beijing 100101, China; Savaid Medical School, University of Chinese Academy of Sciences, Beijing 100049, China; Institute for Stem Cell and Regeneration, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Beijing 100101, China; Beijing Institute for Stem Cell and Regenerative Medicine, Beijing 100101, China
| | - Maolei Gong
- Key Laboratory of Organ Regeneration and Reconstruction, Institute of Zoology, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Beijing 100101, China; Institute for Stem Cell and Regeneration, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Beijing 100101, China; Beijing Institute for Stem Cell and Regenerative Medicine, Beijing 100101, China
| | - Hong-Zhen Du
- Key Laboratory of Organ Regeneration and Reconstruction, Institute of Zoology, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Beijing 100101, China; Institute for Stem Cell and Regeneration, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Beijing 100101, China; Beijing Institute for Stem Cell and Regenerative Medicine, Beijing 100101, China
| | - Jingxue Zhang
- Beijing Institute of Ophthalmology, Beijing Tongren Eye Center, Beijing Tongren Hospital, Capital Medical University, Beijing Ophthalmology & Visual Sciences Key Laboratory, Beijing 100730, China; Beijing Institute of Brain Disorders, Collaborative Innovation Center for Brain Disorders, Capital Medical University, Beijing 100069, China
| | - Zhao-Qian Teng
- Key Laboratory of Organ Regeneration and Reconstruction, Institute of Zoology, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Beijing 100101, China; Savaid Medical School, University of Chinese Academy of Sciences, Beijing 100049, China; Institute for Stem Cell and Regeneration, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Beijing 100101, China; Beijing Institute for Stem Cell and Regenerative Medicine, Beijing 100101, China.
| | - Ningli Wang
- Beijing Institute of Ophthalmology, Beijing Tongren Eye Center, Beijing Tongren Hospital, Capital Medical University, Beijing Ophthalmology & Visual Sciences Key Laboratory, Beijing 100730, China; Beijing Institute of Brain Disorders, Collaborative Innovation Center for Brain Disorders, Capital Medical University, Beijing 100069, China; Henan Academy of Innovations in Medical Science, Zhengzhou, Henan 450052, China.
| | - Chang-Mei Liu
- Key Laboratory of Organ Regeneration and Reconstruction, Institute of Zoology, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Beijing 100101, China; Savaid Medical School, University of Chinese Academy of Sciences, Beijing 100049, China; Institute for Stem Cell and Regeneration, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Beijing 100101, China; Beijing Institute for Stem Cell and Regenerative Medicine, Beijing 100101, China.
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6
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Lin F, Li Y, Wang J, Jardines S, King R, Chrenek MA, Wiggs JL, Boatright JH, Geisert EE. POU6F2, a risk factor for glaucoma, myopia and dyslexia, labels specific populations of retinal ganglion cells. Sci Rep 2024; 14:10096. [PMID: 38698014 PMCID: PMC11066091 DOI: 10.1038/s41598-024-60444-5] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 03/05/2024] [Accepted: 04/23/2024] [Indexed: 05/05/2024] Open
Abstract
Pou6f2 is a genetic connection between central corneal thickness (CCT) in the mouse and a risk factor for developing primary open-angle glaucoma. POU6F2 is also a risk factor for several conditions in humans, including glaucoma, myopia, and dyslexia. Recent findings demonstrate that POU6F2-positive retinal ganglion cells (RGCs) comprise a number of RGC subtypes in the mouse, some of which also co-stain for Cdh6 and Hoxd10. These POU6F2-positive RGCs appear to be novel of ON-OFF directionally selective ganglion cells (ooDSGCs) that do not co-stain with CART or SATB2 (typical ooDSGCs markers). These POU6F2-positive cells are sensitive to damage caused by elevated intraocular pressure. In the DBA/2J mouse glaucoma model, heavily-labeled POU6F2 RGCs decrease by 73% at 8 months of age compared to only 22% loss of total RGCs (labeled with RBPMS). Additionally, Pou6f2-/- mice suffer a significant loss of acuity and spatial contrast sensitivity along with an 11.4% loss of total RGCs. In the rhesus macaque retina, POU6F2 labels the large parasol ganglion cells that form the magnocellular (M) pathway. The association of POU6F2 with the M-pathway may reveal in part its role in human glaucoma, myopia, and dyslexia.
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Affiliation(s)
- Fangyu Lin
- Department of Ophthalmology, Emory University, 1365B Clifton Road NE, Atlanta, GA, 30322, USA
| | - Ying Li
- Department of Ophthalmology, Emory University, 1365B Clifton Road NE, Atlanta, GA, 30322, USA
| | - Jiaxing Wang
- Department of Ophthalmology, Emory University, 1365B Clifton Road NE, Atlanta, GA, 30322, USA
| | - Sandra Jardines
- Department of Ophthalmology, Emory University, 1365B Clifton Road NE, Atlanta, GA, 30322, USA
- Icahn School of Medicine at Mount Sinai, 1 Gustave L. Levy Pl, New York, NY, 10029, USA
| | - Rebecca King
- Department of Ophthalmology, Emory University, 1365B Clifton Road NE, Atlanta, GA, 30322, USA
| | - Micah A Chrenek
- Department of Ophthalmology, Emory University, 1365B Clifton Road NE, Atlanta, GA, 30322, USA
| | - Janey L Wiggs
- Massachusetts Eye and Ear, Harvard Medical School Boston, Boston, MA, USA
| | - Jeffrey H Boatright
- Department of Ophthalmology, Emory University, 1365B Clifton Road NE, Atlanta, GA, 30322, USA
- Atlanta Veterans Administration Center for Visual and Neurocognitive Rehabilitation, Decatur, GA, USA
| | - Eldon E Geisert
- Department of Ophthalmology, Emory University, 1365B Clifton Road NE, Atlanta, GA, 30322, USA.
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Lin F, Lin ST, Wang J, Geisert EE. Optimizing retinal ganglion cell nuclear staining for automated cell counting. Exp Eye Res 2024; 242:109881. [PMID: 38554800 PMCID: PMC11055661 DOI: 10.1016/j.exer.2024.109881] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 01/27/2024] [Revised: 03/25/2024] [Accepted: 03/27/2024] [Indexed: 04/02/2024]
Abstract
The retinal ganglion cells (RGCs) serve as the critical pathway for transmitting visual information from the retina to the brain, yet they can be dramatically impacted by diseases such as glaucoma. When investigating disease processes affecting RGCs in mouse models, accurately quantifying affected cells becomes essential. However, the use of pan RGC markers like RBPMS or THY1 presents challenges in accurate total cell counting. While Brn3a serves as a reliable RGC nuclear marker for automated counting, it fails to encompass all RGC subtypes in mice. To address this limitation and enable precise automated counting, our research endeavors to develop a method for labeling nuclei in all RGC subtypes. Investigating RGC subtypes labeled with the nuclear marker POU6F2 revealed that numerous RGCs unlabeled by Brn3a were, in fact, labeled with POU6F2. We hypothesize that using antibodies against both Brn3a and POU6F2 would label virtually all RGC nuclei in the mouse retina. Our experiments confirmed that staining retinas with both markers resulted in the labeling of all RGCs. Additionally, when using the cell body marker RBPMS known to label all mouse RGCs, all RBPMS-labeled cells also exhibited Brn3a or POU6F2 labeling. This combination of Brn3a and POU6F2 antibodies provides a pan-RGC nuclear stain, facilitating accurate automated counting by labeling cell nuclei in the retina.
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Affiliation(s)
- Fangyu Lin
- Department of Ophthalmology, Emory University, 1365B Clifton Road NE, Atlanta, GA, 30322, USA
| | - Su-Ting Lin
- Department of Ophthalmology, Emory University, 1365B Clifton Road NE, Atlanta, GA, 30322, USA
| | - Jiaxing Wang
- Department of Ophthalmology, Emory University, 1365B Clifton Road NE, Atlanta, GA, 30322, USA
| | - Eldon E Geisert
- Department of Ophthalmology, Emory University, 1365B Clifton Road NE, Atlanta, GA, 30322, USA.
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8
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Lukomska A, Frost MP, Theune WC, Xing J, Gupta M, Trakhtenberg EF. Nfe2l3 promotes neuroprotection and long-distance axon regeneration after injury in vivo. Exp Neurol 2024; 375:114741. [PMID: 38395216 PMCID: PMC10981571 DOI: 10.1016/j.expneurol.2024.114741] [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: 11/11/2023] [Revised: 01/22/2024] [Accepted: 02/20/2024] [Indexed: 02/25/2024]
Abstract
Nuclear factor erythroid 2 like (Nfe2l) gene family members 1-3 mediate cellular response to oxidative stress, including in the central nervous system (CNS). However, neuronal functions of Nfe2l3 are unknown. Here, we comparatively evaluated expression of Nfe2l1, Nfe2l2, and Nfe2l3 in singe cell RNA-seq (scRNA-seq)-profiled cortical and retinal ganglion cell (RGC) CNS projection neurons, investigated whether Nfe2l3 regulates neuroprotection and axon regeneration after CNS injury in vivo, and characterized a gene network associated with Nfe2l3 in neurons. We showed that, Nfe2l3 expression transiently peaks in developing immature cortical and RGC projection neurons, but is nearly abolished in adult neurons and is not upregulated after injury. Furthermore, within the retina, Nfe2l3 is enriched in RGCs, primarily neonatally, and not upregulated in injured RGCs, whereas Nfe2l1 and Nfe2l2 are expressed robustly in other retinal cell types as well and are upregulated in injured RGCs. We also found that, expressing Nfe2l3 in injured RGCs through localized intralocular viral vector delivery promotes neuroprotection and long-distance axon regeneration after optic nerve injury in vivo. Moreover, Nfe2l3 provided a similar extent of neuroprotection and axon regeneration as viral vector-targeting of Pten and Klf9, which are prominent regulators of neuroprotection and long-distance axon regeneration. Finally, we bioinformatically characterized a gene network associated with Nfe2l3 in neurons, which predicted the association of Nfe2l3 with established mechanisms of neuroprotection and axon regeneration. Thus, Nfe2l3 is a novel neuroprotection and axon regeneration-promoting factor with a therapeutic potential for treating CNS injury and disease.
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Affiliation(s)
- Agnieszka Lukomska
- Department of Neuroscience, University of Connecticut School of Medicine, 263 Farmington Ave., Farmington, CT 06030, USA
| | - Matthew P Frost
- Department of Neuroscience, University of Connecticut School of Medicine, 263 Farmington Ave., Farmington, CT 06030, USA
| | - William C Theune
- Department of Neuroscience, University of Connecticut School of Medicine, 263 Farmington Ave., Farmington, CT 06030, USA
| | - Jian Xing
- Department of Neuroscience, University of Connecticut School of Medicine, 263 Farmington Ave., Farmington, CT 06030, USA
| | - Mahit Gupta
- Department of Neuroscience, University of Connecticut School of Medicine, 263 Farmington Ave., Farmington, CT 06030, USA
| | - Ephraim F Trakhtenberg
- Department of Neuroscience, University of Connecticut School of Medicine, 263 Farmington Ave., Farmington, CT 06030, USA.
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9
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Ascanelli C, Dahir R, Wilson CH. Manipulating Myc for reparative regeneration. Front Cell Dev Biol 2024; 12:1357589. [PMID: 38577503 PMCID: PMC10991803 DOI: 10.3389/fcell.2024.1357589] [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: 12/18/2023] [Accepted: 02/15/2024] [Indexed: 04/06/2024] Open
Abstract
The Myc family of proto-oncogenes is a key node for the signal transduction of external pro-proliferative signals to the cellular processes required for development, tissue homoeostasis maintenance, and regeneration across evolution. The tight regulation of Myc synthesis and activity is essential for restricting its oncogenic potential. In this review, we highlight the central role that Myc plays in regeneration across the animal kingdom (from Cnidaria to echinoderms to Chordata) and how Myc could be employed to unlock the regenerative potential of non-regenerative tissues in humans for therapeutic purposes. Mastering the fine balance of harnessing the ability of Myc to promote transcription without triggering oncogenesis may open the door to many exciting opportunities for therapeutic development across a wide array of diseases.
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Affiliation(s)
| | | | - Catherine H. Wilson
- Department of Pharmacology, University of Cambridge, Cambridge, United Kingdom
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10
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Brunner M, Lang L, Künkel L, Weber D, Safari MS, Baier-Bitterlich G, Zur Nedden S. Role of PKN1 in Retinal Cell Type Formation. Int J Mol Sci 2024; 25:2848. [PMID: 38474095 DOI: 10.3390/ijms25052848] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 01/24/2024] [Revised: 02/16/2024] [Accepted: 02/21/2024] [Indexed: 03/14/2024] Open
Abstract
We recently identified PKN1 as a developmentally active gatekeeper of the transcription factor neuronal differentiation-2 (NeuroD2) in several brain areas. Since NeuroD2 plays an important role in amacrine cell (AC) and retinal ganglion cell (RGC) type formation, we aimed to study the expression of NeuroD2 in the postnatal retina of WT and Pkn1-/- animals, with a particular focus on these two cell types. We show that PKN1 is broadly expressed in the retina and that the gross retinal structure is not different between both genotypes. Postnatal retinal NeuroD2 levels were elevated upon Pkn1 knockout, with Pkn1-/- retinae showing more NeuroD2+ cells in the lower portion of the inner nuclear layer. Accordingly, immunohistochemical analysis revealed an increased amount of AC in postnatal and adult Pkn1-/- retinae. There were no differences in horizontal cell, bipolar cell, glial cell and RGC numbers, nor defective axon guidance to the optic chiasm or tract upon Pkn1 knockout. Interestingly, we did, however, see a specific reduction in SMI-32+ α-RGC in Pkn1-/- retinae. These results suggest that PKN1 is important for retinal cell type formation and validate PKN1 for future studies focusing on AC and α-RGC specification and development.
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Affiliation(s)
- Magdalena Brunner
- Institute of Neurobiochemistry, CCB-Biocenter, Medical University of Innsbruck, 6020 Innsbruck, Austria
| | - Luisa Lang
- Institute of Neurobiochemistry, CCB-Biocenter, Medical University of Innsbruck, 6020 Innsbruck, Austria
| | - Louisa Künkel
- Institute of Neurobiochemistry, CCB-Biocenter, Medical University of Innsbruck, 6020 Innsbruck, Austria
| | - Dido Weber
- Institute of Neurobiochemistry, CCB-Biocenter, Medical University of Innsbruck, 6020 Innsbruck, Austria
| | - Motahareh Solina Safari
- Institute of Neurobiochemistry, CCB-Biocenter, Medical University of Innsbruck, 6020 Innsbruck, Austria
| | - Gabriele Baier-Bitterlich
- Institute of Neurobiochemistry, CCB-Biocenter, Medical University of Innsbruck, 6020 Innsbruck, Austria
| | - Stephanie Zur Nedden
- Institute of Neurobiochemistry, CCB-Biocenter, Medical University of Innsbruck, 6020 Innsbruck, Austria
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11
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Lukomska A, Theune WC, Frost MP, Xing J, Kearney A, Trakhtenberg EF. Upregulation of developmentally-downregulated miR-1247-5p promotes neuroprotection and axon regeneration in vivo. Neurosci Lett 2024; 823:137662. [PMID: 38286398 PMCID: PMC10923146 DOI: 10.1016/j.neulet.2024.137662] [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: 11/03/2023] [Revised: 01/23/2024] [Accepted: 01/24/2024] [Indexed: 01/31/2024]
Abstract
Numerous micro-RNAs (miRNAs) affect neurodevelopment and neuroprotection, but potential roles of many miRNAs in regulating these processes are still unknown. Here, we used the retinal ganglion cell (RGC) central nervous system (CNS) projection neuron and optic nerve crush (ONC) injury model, to optimize a mature miRNA arm-specific quantification method for characterizing the developmental regulation of miR-1247-5p in RGCs, investigated whether injury affects its expression, and tested whether upregulating miR-1247-5p-mimic in RGCs promotes neuroprotection and axon regeneration. We found that, miR-1247-5p is developmentally-downregulated in RGCs, and is further downregulated after ONC. Importantly, RGC-specific upregulation of miR-1247-5p promoted neuroprotection and axon regeneration after injury in vivo. To gain insight into the underlying mechanisms, we analyzed by bulk-mRNA-seq embryonic and adult RGCs, along with adult RGCs transduced by miR-1247-5p-expressing viral vector, and identified developmentally-regulated cilial and mitochondrial biological processes, which were reinstated to their embryonic levels in adult RGCs by upregulation of miR-1247-5p. Since axon growth is also a developmentally-regulated process, in which mitochondrial dynamics play important roles, it is possible that miR-1247-5p promoted neuroprotection and axon regeneration through regulating mitochondrial functions.
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Affiliation(s)
- Agnieszka Lukomska
- Department of Neuroscience, University of Connecticut School of Medicine, 263 Farmington Ave., Farmington, CT 06030, USA
| | - William C Theune
- Department of Neuroscience, University of Connecticut School of Medicine, 263 Farmington Ave., Farmington, CT 06030, USA
| | - Matthew P Frost
- Department of Neuroscience, University of Connecticut School of Medicine, 263 Farmington Ave., Farmington, CT 06030, USA
| | - Jian Xing
- Department of Neuroscience, University of Connecticut School of Medicine, 263 Farmington Ave., Farmington, CT 06030, USA
| | - Anja Kearney
- Department of Neuroscience, University of Connecticut School of Medicine, 263 Farmington Ave., Farmington, CT 06030, USA
| | - Ephraim F Trakhtenberg
- Department of Neuroscience, University of Connecticut School of Medicine, 263 Farmington Ave., Farmington, CT 06030, USA.
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12
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Di Pierdomenico J, Gallego-Ortega A, Norte-Muñoz M, Vidal-Villegas B, Bravo I, Boluda-Ruiz M, Bernal-Garro JM, Fernandez-Bueno I, Pastor-Jimeno JC, Villegas-Pérez MP, Avilés-Trigueros M, de Los Ríos C, Vidal-Sanz M. Evaluation of the neuroprotective efficacy of the gramine derivative ITH12657 against NMDA-induced excitotoxicity in the rat retina. Front Neuroanat 2024; 18:1335176. [PMID: 38415017 PMCID: PMC10898249 DOI: 10.3389/fnana.2024.1335176] [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: 11/08/2023] [Accepted: 01/16/2024] [Indexed: 02/29/2024] Open
Abstract
Purpose The aim of this study was to investigate, the neuroprotective effects of a new Gramine derivative named: ITH12657, in a model of retinal excitotoxicity induced by intravitreal injection of NMDA. Methods Adult Sprague Dawley rats received an intravitreal injection of 100 mM NMDA in their left eye and were treated daily with subcutaneous injections of ITH12657 or vehicle. The best dose-response, therapeutic window study, and optimal treatment duration of ITH12657 were studied. Based on the best survival of Brn3a + RGCs obtained from the above-mentioned studies, the protective effects of ITH12657 were studied in vivo (retinal thickness and full-field Electroretinography), and ex vivo by quantifying the surviving population of Brn3a + RGCs, αRGCs and their subtypes α-ONsRGCs, α-ONtRGCs, and α-OFFRGCs. Results Administration of 10 mg/kg ITH12657, starting 12 h before NMDA injection and dispensed for 3 days, resulted in the best significant protection of Brn3a + RGCs against NMDA-induced excitotoxicity. In vivo, ITH12657-treated rats showed significant preservation of retinal thickness and functional protection against NMDA-induced retinal excitotoxicity. Ex vivo results showed that ITH12657 afforded a significant protection against NMDA-induced excitotoxicity for the populations of Brn3a + RGC, αRGC, and αONs-RGC, but not for the population of αOFF-RGC, while the population of α-ONtRGC was fully resistant to NMDA-induced excitotoxicity. Conclusion Subcutaneous administration of ITH12657 at 10 mg/kg, initiated 12 h before NMDA-induced retinal injury and continued for 3 days, resulted in the best protection of Brn3a + RGCs, αRGC, and αONs-RGC against excitotoxicity-induced RGC death. The population of αOFF-RGCs was extremely sensitive while α-ONtRGCs were fully resistant to NMDA-induced excitotoxicity.
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Affiliation(s)
| | | | - María Norte-Muñoz
- Departamento de Oftalmología, Universidad de Murcia e IMIB-Arrixaca, Murcia, Spain
| | | | - Isaac Bravo
- Instituto de Investigación Sanitaria, Hospital Universitario de la Princesa, Madrid, Spain
- Departamento de Ciencias Básicas de la Salud, Universidad Rey Juan Carlos, Alcorcón, Spain
| | - María Boluda-Ruiz
- Departamento de Oftalmología, Universidad de Murcia e IMIB-Arrixaca, Murcia, Spain
| | | | - Iván Fernandez-Bueno
- Instituto Universitario de Oftalmobiología Aplicada (IOBA), Retina Group, Universidad de Valladolid, Valladolid, Spain
| | - Jose Carlos Pastor-Jimeno
- Instituto Universitario de Oftalmobiología Aplicada (IOBA), Retina Group, Universidad de Valladolid, Valladolid, Spain
| | | | | | - Cristobal de Los Ríos
- Instituto de Investigación Sanitaria, Hospital Universitario de la Princesa, Madrid, Spain
- Departamento de Ciencias Básicas de la Salud, Universidad Rey Juan Carlos, Alcorcón, Spain
| | - Manuel Vidal-Sanz
- Departamento de Oftalmología, Universidad de Murcia e IMIB-Arrixaca, Murcia, Spain
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13
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Rzhanova LA, Markitantova YV, Aleksandrova MA. Recent Achievements in the Heterogeneity of Mammalian and Human Retinal Pigment Epithelium: In Search of a Stem Cell. Cells 2024; 13:281. [PMID: 38334673 PMCID: PMC10854871 DOI: 10.3390/cells13030281] [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: 11/30/2023] [Revised: 01/23/2024] [Accepted: 02/01/2024] [Indexed: 02/10/2024] Open
Abstract
Retinal pigment epithelium (RPE) cells are important fundamentally for the development and function of the retina. In this regard, the study of the morphological and molecular properties of RPE cells, as well as their regenerative capabilities, is of particular importance for biomedicine. However, these studies are complicated by the fact that, despite the external morphological similarity of RPE cells, the RPE is a population of heterogeneous cells, the molecular genetic properties of which have begun to be revealed by sequencing methods only in recent years. This review carries out an analysis of the data from morphological and molecular genetic studies of the heterogeneity of RPE cells in mammals and humans, which reveals the individual differences in the subpopulations of RPE cells and the possible specificity of their functions. Particular attention is paid to discussing the properties of "stemness," proliferation, and plasticity in the RPE, which may be useful for uncovering the mechanisms of retinal diseases associated with pathologies of the RPE and finding new ways of treating them.
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Affiliation(s)
| | - Yuliya V. Markitantova
- Koltzov Institute of Developmental Biology of the Russian Academy of Sciences, 26 Vavilov Street, 119334 Moscow, Russia; (L.A.R.); (M.A.A.)
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14
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Xu Z, Guo Y, Xiang K, Xiao D, Xiang M. Rapid and efficient generation of a transplantable population of functional retinal ganglion cells from fibroblasts. Cell Prolif 2024; 57:e13550. [PMID: 37740641 PMCID: PMC10849786 DOI: 10.1111/cpr.13550] [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: 06/28/2023] [Revised: 09/04/2023] [Accepted: 09/05/2023] [Indexed: 09/24/2023] Open
Abstract
Glaucoma and other optic neuropathies lead to progressive and irreversible vision loss by damaging retinal ganglion cells (RGCs) and their axons. Cell replacement therapy is a potential promising treatment. However, current methods to obtain RGCs have inherent limitations, including time-consuming procedures, inefficient yields and complex protocols, which hinder their practical application. Here, we have developed a straightforward, rapid and efficient approach for directly inducing RGCs from mouse embryonic fibroblasts (MEFs) using a combination of triple transcription factors (TFs): ASCL1, BRN3B and PAX6 (ABP). We showed that on the 6th day following ABP induction, neurons with molecular characteristics of RGCs were observed, and more than 60% of induced neurons became iRGCs (induced retinal ganglion cells) in the end. Transplanted iRGCs had the ability to survive and appropriately integrate into the RGC layer of mouse retinal explants and N-methyl-D-aspartic acid (NMDA)-damaged retinas. Moreover, they exhibited electrophysiological properties typical of RGCs, and were able to regrow dendrites and axons and form synaptic connections with host retinal cells. Together, we have established a rapid and efficient approach to acquire functional RGCs for potential cell replacement therapy to treat glaucoma and other optic neuropathies.
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Affiliation(s)
- Zihui Xu
- State Key Laboratory of OphthalmologyZhongshan Ophthalmic Center, Sun Yat‐sen University, Guangdong Provincial Key Laboratory of Ophthalmology and Visual ScienceGuangzhouChina
| | - Yanan Guo
- State Key Laboratory of OphthalmologyZhongshan Ophthalmic Center, Sun Yat‐sen University, Guangdong Provincial Key Laboratory of Ophthalmology and Visual ScienceGuangzhouChina
| | - Kangjian Xiang
- State Key Laboratory of OphthalmologyZhongshan Ophthalmic Center, Sun Yat‐sen University, Guangdong Provincial Key Laboratory of Ophthalmology and Visual ScienceGuangzhouChina
| | - Dongchang Xiao
- State Key Laboratory of OphthalmologyZhongshan Ophthalmic Center, Sun Yat‐sen University, Guangdong Provincial Key Laboratory of Ophthalmology and Visual ScienceGuangzhouChina
| | - Mengqing Xiang
- State Key Laboratory of OphthalmologyZhongshan Ophthalmic Center, Sun Yat‐sen University, Guangdong Provincial Key Laboratory of Ophthalmology and Visual ScienceGuangzhouChina
- Guangdong Provincial Key Laboratory of Brain Function and Disease, Zhongshan School of MedicineSun Yat‐sen UniversityGuangzhouChina
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15
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Kerschensteiner D, Feller MB. Mapping the Retina onto the Brain. Cold Spring Harb Perspect Biol 2024; 16:a041512. [PMID: 38052498 PMCID: PMC10835620 DOI: 10.1101/cshperspect.a041512] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 12/07/2023]
Abstract
Vision begins in the retina, which extracts salient features from the environment and encodes them in the spike trains of retinal ganglion cells (RGCs), the output neurons of the eye. RGC axons innervate diverse brain areas (>50 in mice) to support perception, guide behavior, and mediate influences of light on physiology and internal states. In recent years, complete lists of RGC types (∼45 in mice) have been compiled, detailed maps of their dendritic connections drawn, and their light responses surveyed at scale. We know less about the RGCs' axonal projection patterns, which map retinal information onto the brain. However, some organizing principles have emerged. Here, we review the strategies and mechanisms that govern developing RGC axons and organize their innervation of retinorecipient brain areas.
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Affiliation(s)
- Daniel Kerschensteiner
- Department of Ophthalmology and Visual Sciences
- Department of Neuroscience
- Department of Biomedical Engineering, Washington University School of Medicine, St. Louis, Missouri 63110, USA
| | - Marla B Feller
- Department of Molecular and Cell Biology
- Helen Wills Neuroscience Institute, University of California, Berkeley, Berkeley, California 94720, USA
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16
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Camunas-Soler J. Integrating single-cell transcriptomics with cellular phenotypes: cell morphology, Ca 2+ imaging and electrophysiology. Biophys Rev 2024; 16:89-107. [PMID: 38495444 PMCID: PMC10937895 DOI: 10.1007/s12551-023-01174-2] [Citation(s) in RCA: 2] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 05/18/2023] [Accepted: 11/29/2023] [Indexed: 03/19/2024] Open
Abstract
I review recent technological advancements in coupling single-cell transcriptomics with cellular phenotypes including morphology, calcium signaling, and electrophysiology. Single-cell RNA sequencing (scRNAseq) has revolutionized cell type classifications by capturing the transcriptional diversity of cells. A new wave of methods to integrate scRNAseq and biophysical measurements is facilitating the linkage of transcriptomic data to cellular function, which provides physiological insight into cellular states. I briefly discuss critical factors of these phenotypical characterizations such as timescales, information content, and analytical tools. Dedicated sections focus on the integration with cell morphology, calcium imaging, and electrophysiology (patch-seq), emphasizing their complementary roles. I discuss their application in elucidating cellular states, refining cell type classifications, and uncovering functional differences in cell subtypes. To illustrate the practical applications and benefits of these methods, I highlight their use in tissues with excitable cell-types such as the brain, pancreatic islets, and the retina. The potential of combining functional phenotyping with spatial transcriptomics for a detailed mapping of cell phenotypes in situ is explored. Finally, I discuss open questions and future perspectives, emphasizing the need for a shift towards broader accessibility through increased throughput.
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Affiliation(s)
- Joan Camunas-Soler
- Department of Medical Biochemistry and Cell Biology, Institute of Biomedicine, University of Gothenburg, 405 30 Gothenburg, Sweden
- Wallenberg Centre for Molecular and Translational Medicine, Sahlgrenska Academy, University of Gothenburg, 405 30 Gothenburg, Sweden
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17
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Chang L, Ran Y, Yang M, Auferkorte O, Butz E, Hüser L, Haverkamp S, Euler T, Schubert T. Spike desensitisation as a mechanism for high-contrast selectivity in retinal ganglion cells. Front Cell Neurosci 2024; 17:1337768. [PMID: 38269116 PMCID: PMC10806099 DOI: 10.3389/fncel.2023.1337768] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 11/13/2023] [Accepted: 12/19/2023] [Indexed: 01/26/2024] Open
Abstract
In the vertebrate retina, several dozens of parallel channels relay information about the visual world to the brain. These channels are represented by the different types of retinal ganglion cells (RGCs), whose responses are rendered selective for distinct sets of visual features by various mechanisms. These mechanisms can be roughly grouped into synaptic interactions and cell-intrinsic mechanisms, with the latter including dendritic morphology as well as ion channel complement and distribution. Here, we investigate how strongly ion channel complement can shape RGC output by comparing two mouse RGC types, the well-described ON alpha cell and a little-studied ON cell that is EGFP-labelled in the Igfbp5 mouse line and displays an unusual selectivity for stimuli with high contrast. Using patch-clamp recordings and computational modelling, we show that a higher activation threshold and a pronounced slow inactivation of the voltage-gated Na+ channels contribute to the distinct contrast tuning and transient responses in ON Igfbp5 RGCs, respectively. In contrast, such a mechanism could not be observed in ON alpha cells. This study provides an example for the powerful role that the last stage of retinal processing can play in shaping RGC responses.
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Affiliation(s)
- Le Chang
- Institute for Ophthalmic Research, University of Tübingen, Tübingen, Germany
- Werner Reichardt Centre for Integrative Neuroscience (CIN), University of Tübingen, Tübingen, Germany
- Key Laboratory of Primate Neurobiology, Institute of Neuroscience, CAS Center for Excellence in Brain Science and Intelligence Technology, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Shanghai, China
| | - Yanli Ran
- Institute for Ophthalmic Research, University of Tübingen, Tübingen, Germany
- Werner Reichardt Centre for Integrative Neuroscience (CIN), University of Tübingen, Tübingen, Germany
- Key Laboratory of Preclinical Study for New Drugs of Gansu Province, and Institute of Physiology, School of Basic Medical Sciences, Lanzhou University, Lanzhou, China
| | - Mingpo Yang
- Key Laboratory of Primate Neurobiology, Institute of Neuroscience, CAS Center for Excellence in Brain Science and Intelligence Technology, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Shanghai, China
| | | | - Elisabeth Butz
- Max-Planck-Institute for Brain Research, Frankfurt am Main, Germany
| | - Laura Hüser
- Max-Planck-Institute for Brain Research, Frankfurt am Main, Germany
| | - Silke Haverkamp
- Max-Planck-Institute for Brain Research, Frankfurt am Main, Germany
- Department of Computational Neuroethology, Max Planck Institute for Neurobiology of Behavior – Caesar, Bonn, Germany
| | - Thomas Euler
- Institute for Ophthalmic Research, University of Tübingen, Tübingen, Germany
- Werner Reichardt Centre for Integrative Neuroscience (CIN), University of Tübingen, Tübingen, Germany
| | - Timm Schubert
- Institute for Ophthalmic Research, University of Tübingen, Tübingen, Germany
- Werner Reichardt Centre for Integrative Neuroscience (CIN), University of Tübingen, Tübingen, Germany
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18
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Wang Y, Liu Y, Fang J, Xing X, Wang H, Shi X, Liu X, Niu T, Liu K. Small-molecule agonist AdipoRon alleviates diabetic retinopathy through the AdipoR1/AMPK/EGR4 pathway. J Transl Med 2024; 22:2. [PMID: 38166990 PMCID: PMC10759471 DOI: 10.1186/s12967-023-04783-3] [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: 08/19/2023] [Accepted: 12/04/2023] [Indexed: 01/05/2024] Open
Abstract
BACKGROUND Diabetes mellitus (DM) is a progressive disease that involves multiple organs due to increased blood glucose, and diabetic retinopathy (DR) is the main complication of DM in the eyes and causes irreversible vision loss. In the pathogenesis of diabetic vascular disease, oxidative stress caused by hyperglycemia plays an important role in Müller cell impairment. In recent years, AdipoRon, an adiponectin analog that demonstrated important physiological functions in obesity, diabetes, inflammation, and cardiovascular diseases, demonstrated cellular protection from apoptosis and reduced inflammatory damage through a receptor-dependent mechanism. Here, we investigated how AdipoRon reduced oxidative stress and apoptosis in Müller glia in a high glucose environment. RESULTS By binding to adiponectin receptor 1 on Müller glia, AdipoRon activated 5' adenosine monophosphate-activated protein kinase (AMPK)/acetyl-CoA carboxylase phosphorylation downstream, thereby alleviating oxidative stress and eventual apoptosis of cells and tissues. Transcriptome sequencing revealed that AdipoRon promoted the synthesis and expression of early growth response factor 4 (EGR4) and inhibited the cellular protective effects of AdipoRon in a high-glucose environment by reducing the expression of EGR4. This indicated that AdipoRon played a protective role through the EGR4 and classical AMPK pathways. CONCLUSIONS This provides a new target for the early treatment of DR.
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Affiliation(s)
- Yihan Wang
- Department of Ophthalmology, Shanghai General Hospital, Shanghai Jiao Tong University School of Medicine, Shanghai, 200080, China
- National Clinical Research Center for Eye Diseases, Shanghai, 200080, China
- Shanghai Key Laboratory of Ocular Fundus Diseases, Shanghai, 200127, China
- Shanghai Engineering Center for Visual Science and Photomedicine, Shanghai, 200080, China
- Shanghai Engineering Center for Precise Diagnosis and Treatment of Eye Disease, Shanghai, 200080, China
- Department of Ophthalmology, Shanghai Renji Hospital, School of Medicine, Shanghai, 200127, China
| | - Yujuan Liu
- Department of Ophthalmology, Shanghai General Hospital, Shanghai Jiao Tong University School of Medicine, Shanghai, 200080, China
- National Clinical Research Center for Eye Diseases, Shanghai, 200080, China
- Shanghai Key Laboratory of Ocular Fundus Diseases, Shanghai, 200127, China
- Shanghai Engineering Center for Visual Science and Photomedicine, Shanghai, 200080, China
- Shanghai Engineering Center for Precise Diagnosis and Treatment of Eye Disease, Shanghai, 200080, China
| | - Junwei Fang
- Department of Ophthalmology, Shanghai General Hospital, Shanghai Jiao Tong University School of Medicine, Shanghai, 200080, China
- National Clinical Research Center for Eye Diseases, Shanghai, 200080, China
- Shanghai Key Laboratory of Ocular Fundus Diseases, Shanghai, 200127, China
- Shanghai Engineering Center for Visual Science and Photomedicine, Shanghai, 200080, China
- Shanghai Engineering Center for Precise Diagnosis and Treatment of Eye Disease, Shanghai, 200080, China
| | - Xindan Xing
- Department of Ophthalmology, Shanghai General Hospital, Shanghai Jiao Tong University School of Medicine, Shanghai, 200080, China
- National Clinical Research Center for Eye Diseases, Shanghai, 200080, China
- Shanghai Key Laboratory of Ocular Fundus Diseases, Shanghai, 200127, China
- Shanghai Engineering Center for Visual Science and Photomedicine, Shanghai, 200080, China
- Shanghai Engineering Center for Precise Diagnosis and Treatment of Eye Disease, Shanghai, 200080, China
| | - Hanying Wang
- Department of Ophthalmology, Shanghai General Hospital, Shanghai Jiao Tong University School of Medicine, Shanghai, 200080, China
- National Clinical Research Center for Eye Diseases, Shanghai, 200080, China
- Shanghai Key Laboratory of Ocular Fundus Diseases, Shanghai, 200127, China
- Shanghai Engineering Center for Visual Science and Photomedicine, Shanghai, 200080, China
- Shanghai Engineering Center for Precise Diagnosis and Treatment of Eye Disease, Shanghai, 200080, China
| | - Xin Shi
- Department of Ophthalmology, Shanghai General Hospital, Shanghai Jiao Tong University School of Medicine, Shanghai, 200080, China
- National Clinical Research Center for Eye Diseases, Shanghai, 200080, China
- Shanghai Key Laboratory of Ocular Fundus Diseases, Shanghai, 200127, China
- Shanghai Engineering Center for Visual Science and Photomedicine, Shanghai, 200080, China
- Shanghai Engineering Center for Precise Diagnosis and Treatment of Eye Disease, Shanghai, 200080, China
| | - Xinyi Liu
- Department of Ophthalmology, Shanghai General Hospital, Shanghai Jiao Tong University School of Medicine, Shanghai, 200080, China
- National Clinical Research Center for Eye Diseases, Shanghai, 200080, China
- Shanghai Key Laboratory of Ocular Fundus Diseases, Shanghai, 200127, China
- Shanghai Engineering Center for Visual Science and Photomedicine, Shanghai, 200080, China
- Shanghai Engineering Center for Precise Diagnosis and Treatment of Eye Disease, Shanghai, 200080, China
| | - Tian Niu
- Department of Ophthalmology, Shanghai General Hospital, Shanghai Jiao Tong University School of Medicine, Shanghai, 200080, China.
- National Clinical Research Center for Eye Diseases, Shanghai, 200080, China.
- Shanghai Key Laboratory of Ocular Fundus Diseases, Shanghai, 200127, China.
- Shanghai Engineering Center for Visual Science and Photomedicine, Shanghai, 200080, China.
- Shanghai Engineering Center for Precise Diagnosis and Treatment of Eye Disease, Shanghai, 200080, China.
| | - Kun Liu
- Department of Ophthalmology, Shanghai General Hospital, Shanghai Jiao Tong University School of Medicine, Shanghai, 200080, China.
- National Clinical Research Center for Eye Diseases, Shanghai, 200080, China.
- Shanghai Key Laboratory of Ocular Fundus Diseases, Shanghai, 200127, China.
- Shanghai Engineering Center for Visual Science and Photomedicine, Shanghai, 200080, China.
- Shanghai Engineering Center for Precise Diagnosis and Treatment of Eye Disease, Shanghai, 200080, China.
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19
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Hahn J, Monavarfeshani A, Qiao M, Kao AH, Kölsch Y, Kumar A, Kunze VP, Rasys AM, Richardson R, Wekselblatt JB, Baier H, Lucas RJ, Li W, Meister M, Trachtenberg JT, Yan W, Peng YR, Sanes JR, Shekhar K. Evolution of neuronal cell classes and types in the vertebrate retina. Nature 2023; 624:415-424. [PMID: 38092908 PMCID: PMC10719112 DOI: 10.1038/s41586-023-06638-9] [Citation(s) in RCA: 4] [Impact Index Per Article: 4.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 03/30/2023] [Accepted: 09/13/2023] [Indexed: 12/17/2023]
Abstract
The basic plan of the retina is conserved across vertebrates, yet species differ profoundly in their visual needs1. Retinal cell types may have evolved to accommodate these varied needs, but this has not been systematically studied. Here we generated and integrated single-cell transcriptomic atlases of the retina from 17 species: humans, two non-human primates, four rodents, three ungulates, opossum, ferret, tree shrew, a bird, a reptile, a teleost fish and a lamprey. We found high molecular conservation of the six retinal cell classes (photoreceptors, horizontal cells, bipolar cells, amacrine cells, retinal ganglion cells (RGCs) and Müller glia), with transcriptomic variation across species related to evolutionary distance. Major subclasses were also conserved, whereas variation among cell types within classes or subclasses was more pronounced. However, an integrative analysis revealed that numerous cell types are shared across species, based on conserved gene expression programmes that are likely to trace back to an early ancestral vertebrate. The degree of variation among cell types increased from the outer retina (photoreceptors) to the inner retina (RGCs), suggesting that evolution acts preferentially to shape the retinal output. Finally, we identified rodent orthologues of midget RGCs, which comprise more than 80% of RGCs in the human retina, subserve high-acuity vision, and were previously believed to be restricted to primates2. By contrast, the mouse orthologues have large receptive fields and comprise around 2% of mouse RGCs. Projections of both primate and mouse orthologous types are overrepresented in the thalamus, which supplies the primary visual cortex. We suggest that midget RGCs are not primate innovations, but are descendants of evolutionarily ancient types that decreased in size and increased in number as primates evolved, thereby facilitating high visual acuity and increased cortical processing of visual information.
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Affiliation(s)
- Joshua Hahn
- Department of Chemical and Biomolecular Engineering, University of California, Berkeley, Berkeley, CA, USA
| | - Aboozar Monavarfeshani
- Department of Cellular and Molecular Biology, Center for Brain Science, Harvard University, Cambridge, MA, USA
| | - Mu Qiao
- Division of Biology and Biological Engineering, California Institute of Technology, Pasadena, CA, USA
- LinkedIn, Mountain View, CA, USA
| | - Allison H Kao
- Department of Cellular and Molecular Biology, Center for Brain Science, Harvard University, Cambridge, MA, USA
| | - Yvonne Kölsch
- Max Planck Institute for Biological Intelligence, Martinsried, Germany
| | - Ayush Kumar
- Department of Chemical and Biomolecular Engineering, University of California, Berkeley, Berkeley, CA, USA
| | - Vincent P Kunze
- Retinal Neurophysiology Section, National Eye Institute, National Institutes of Health, Bethesda, MD, USA
| | - Ashley M Rasys
- Department of Cellular Biology, University of Georgia, Athens, GA, USA
| | - Rose Richardson
- Division of Neuroscience and Centre for Biological Timing, Faculty of Biology Medicine and Health, University of Manchester, Manchester, UK
| | - Joseph B Wekselblatt
- Division of Chemistry and Chemical Engineering, California Institute of Technology, Pasadena, CA, USA
| | - Herwig Baier
- Max Planck Institute for Biological Intelligence, Martinsried, Germany
| | - Robert J Lucas
- Division of Neuroscience and Centre for Biological Timing, Faculty of Biology Medicine and Health, University of Manchester, Manchester, UK
| | - Wei Li
- Retinal Neurophysiology Section, National Eye Institute, National Institutes of Health, Bethesda, MD, USA
| | - Markus Meister
- Division of Biology and Biological Engineering, California Institute of Technology, Pasadena, CA, USA
| | - Joshua T Trachtenberg
- Department of Neurobiology, David Geffen School of Medicine at UCLA, Los Angeles, CA, USA
| | - Wenjun Yan
- Department of Cellular and Molecular Biology, Center for Brain Science, Harvard University, Cambridge, MA, USA
| | - Yi-Rong Peng
- Department of Ophthalmology, Stein Eye Institute, UCLA David Geffen School of Medicine, Los Angeles, CA, USA
| | - Joshua R Sanes
- Department of Cellular and Molecular Biology, Center for Brain Science, Harvard University, Cambridge, MA, USA.
| | - Karthik Shekhar
- Department of Chemical and Biomolecular Engineering, University of California, Berkeley, Berkeley, CA, USA.
- Helen Wills Neuroscience Institute,Vision Science Graduate Group, University of California, Berkeley, Berkeley, CA, USA.
- Biological Systems and Engineering Division, Lawrence Berkeley National Laboratory, Berkeley, CA, USA.
- Center for Computational Biology, Biophysics Graduate Group, University of California, Berkeley, Berkeley, CA, USA.
- California Institute of Quantitative Biosciences (QB3), University of California, Berkeley, Berkeley, CA, USA.
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20
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James RE, Hamilton NR, Huffman LN, Pasterkamp J, Goff LA, Kolodkin AL. Semaphorin 6A in Retinal Ganglion Cells Regulates Functional Specialization of the Inner Retina. BIORXIV : THE PREPRINT SERVER FOR BIOLOGY 2023:2023.11.18.567662. [PMID: 38014224 PMCID: PMC10680864 DOI: 10.1101/2023.11.18.567662] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/29/2023]
Abstract
To form functional circuits, neurons must settle in their appropriate cellular locations and then project and elaborate neurites to contact their target synaptic neuropils. Laminar organization within the vertebrate retinal inner plexiform layer (IPL) facilitates pre- and postsynaptic neurite targeting, yet, the precise mechanisms underlying establishment of functional IPL subdomains are not well understood. Here we explore mechanisms defining the compartmentalization of OFF and ON neurites generally, and OFF and ON direction-selective neurites specifically, within the developing IPL. We show that semaphorin 6A (Sema6A), a repulsive axon guidance cue, is required for delineation of OFF versus ON circuits within the IPL: in the Sema6a null IPL, the boundary between OFF and ON domains is blurred. Furthermore, Sema6A expressed by retinal ganglion cells (RGCs) directs laminar segregation of OFF and ON starburst amacrine cell (SAC) dendritic scaffolds, which themselves serve as a substrate upon which other retinal neurites elaborate. These results demonstrate for the first time that RGCs, the first neuron-type born within the retina, play an active role in functional specialization of the IPL. Retinal ganglion cell-dependent regulation of OFF and ON starburst amacrine cell dendritic scaffold segregation prevents blurring of OFF versus ON functional domains in the murine inner plexiform layer.
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21
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Wang AYM, Kulkarni MM, McLaughlin AJ, Gayet J, Smith BE, Hauptschein M, McHugh CF, Yao YY, Puthussery T. An ON-type direction-selective ganglion cell in primate retina. Nature 2023; 623:381-386. [PMID: 37880369 PMCID: PMC10632142 DOI: 10.1038/s41586-023-06659-4] [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: 11/10/2022] [Accepted: 09/20/2023] [Indexed: 10/27/2023]
Abstract
To maintain a stable and clear image of the world, our eyes reflexively follow the direction in which a visual scene is moving. Such gaze-stabilization mechanisms reduce image blur as we move in the environment. In non-primate mammals, this behaviour is initiated by retinal output neurons called ON-type direction-selective ganglion cells (ON-DSGCs), which detect the direction of image motion and transmit signals to brainstem nuclei that drive compensatory eye movements1. However, ON-DSGCs have not yet been identified in the retina of primates, raising the possibility that this reflex is mediated by cortical visual areas. Here we mined single-cell RNA transcriptomic data from primate retina to identify a candidate ON-DSGC. We then combined two-photon calcium imaging, molecular identification and morphological analysis to reveal a population of ON-DSGCs in the macaque retina. The morphology, molecular signature and GABA (γ-aminobutyric acid)-dependent mechanisms that underlie direction selectivity in primate ON-DSGCs are highly conserved with those in other mammals. We further identify a candidate ON-DSGC in human retina. The presence of ON-DSGCs in primates highlights the need to examine the contribution of subcortical retinal mechanisms to normal and aberrant gaze stabilization in the developing and mature visual system.
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Affiliation(s)
- Anna Y M Wang
- Herbert Wertheim School of Optometry and Vision Science, Berkeley, CA, USA
- Helen Wills Neuroscience Institute, Berkeley, CA, USA
| | - Manoj M Kulkarni
- Herbert Wertheim School of Optometry and Vision Science, Berkeley, CA, USA
- Helen Wills Neuroscience Institute, Berkeley, CA, USA
| | - Amanda J McLaughlin
- Herbert Wertheim School of Optometry and Vision Science, Berkeley, CA, USA
- Helen Wills Neuroscience Institute, Berkeley, CA, USA
| | - Jacqueline Gayet
- Herbert Wertheim School of Optometry and Vision Science, Berkeley, CA, USA
- Helen Wills Neuroscience Institute, Berkeley, CA, USA
| | - Benjamin E Smith
- Herbert Wertheim School of Optometry and Vision Science, Berkeley, CA, USA
- Vision Science Graduate Program, University of California, Berkeley, Berkeley, CA, USA
| | - Max Hauptschein
- Herbert Wertheim School of Optometry and Vision Science, Berkeley, CA, USA
| | - Cyrus F McHugh
- Herbert Wertheim School of Optometry and Vision Science, Berkeley, CA, USA
- Vision Science Graduate Program, University of California, Berkeley, Berkeley, CA, USA
| | - Yvette Y Yao
- Herbert Wertheim School of Optometry and Vision Science, Berkeley, CA, USA
| | - Teresa Puthussery
- Herbert Wertheim School of Optometry and Vision Science, Berkeley, CA, USA.
- Helen Wills Neuroscience Institute, Berkeley, CA, USA.
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22
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Tzeng CP, Whitwam T, Boxer LD, Li E, Silberfeld A, Trowbridge S, Mei K, Lin C, Shamah R, Griffith EC, Renthal W, Chen C, Greenberg ME. Activity-induced MeCP2 phosphorylation regulates retinogeniculate synapse refinement. Proc Natl Acad Sci U S A 2023; 120:e2310344120. [PMID: 37871205 PMCID: PMC10623012 DOI: 10.1073/pnas.2310344120] [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: 06/20/2023] [Accepted: 09/25/2023] [Indexed: 10/25/2023] Open
Abstract
Mutations in MECP2 give rise to Rett syndrome (RTT), an X-linked neurodevelopmental disorder that results in broad cognitive impairments in females. While the exact etiology of RTT symptoms remains unknown, one possible explanation for its clinical presentation is that loss of MECP2 causes miswiring of neural circuits due to defects in the brain's capacity to respond to changes in neuronal activity and sensory experience. Here, we show that MeCP2 is phosphorylated at four residues in the mouse brain (S86, S274, T308, and S421) in response to neuronal activity, and we generate a quadruple knock-in (QKI) mouse line in which all four activity-dependent sites are mutated to alanines to prevent phosphorylation. QKI mice do not display overt RTT phenotypes or detectable gene expression changes in two brain regions. However, electrophysiological recordings from the retinogeniculate synapse of QKI mice reveal that while synapse elimination is initially normal at P14, it is significantly compromised at P20. Notably, this phenotype is distinct from the synapse refinement defect previously reported for Mecp2 null mice, where synapses initially refine but then regress after the third postnatal week. We thus propose a model in which activity-induced phosphorylation of MeCP2 is critical for the proper timing of retinogeniculate synapse maturation specifically during the early postnatal period.
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Affiliation(s)
| | - Tess Whitwam
- Department of Neurobiology, Harvard Medical School, Boston, MA02115
- Program in Neuroscience, Harvard Medical School, Boston, MA02115
| | - Lisa D. Boxer
- Department of Neurobiology, Harvard Medical School, Boston, MA02115
| | - Emmy Li
- Department of Neurobiology, Harvard Medical School, Boston, MA02115
| | | | - Sara Trowbridge
- Department of Neurobiology, Harvard Medical School, Boston, MA02115
| | - Kevin Mei
- Department of Neurobiology, Harvard Medical School, Boston, MA02115
| | - Cindy Lin
- Department of Neurobiology, Harvard Medical School, Boston, MA02115
| | - Rebecca Shamah
- Department of Neurobiology, Harvard Medical School, Boston, MA02115
| | - Eric C. Griffith
- Department of Neurobiology, Harvard Medical School, Boston, MA02115
| | - William Renthal
- Department of Neurobiology, Harvard Medical School, Boston, MA02115
| | - Chinfei Chen
- Department of Neurology, F.M. Kirby Neurobiology Center, Children’s Hospital, Boston, MA02115
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23
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McCracken S, Fitzpatrick MJ, Hall AL, Wang Z, Kerschensteiner D, Morgan JL, Williams PR. Diversity in homeostatic calcium set points predicts retinal ganglion cell survival following optic nerve injury in vivo. Cell Rep 2023; 42:113165. [PMID: 37751356 PMCID: PMC10947246 DOI: 10.1016/j.celrep.2023.113165] [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: 10/17/2022] [Revised: 06/29/2023] [Accepted: 09/07/2023] [Indexed: 09/28/2023] Open
Abstract
Retinal ganglion cell (RGC) degeneration drives vision loss in blinding conditions. RGC death is often triggered by axon degeneration in the optic nerve. Here, we study the contributions of dynamic and homeostatic Ca2+ levels to RGC death from axon injury. We find that axonal Ca2+ elevations from optic nerve injury do not propagate over distance or reach RGC somas, and acute and chronic Ca2+ dynamics do not affect RGC survival. Instead, we discover that baseline Ca2+ levels vary widely between RGCs and predict their survival after axon injury, and that lowering these levels reduces RGC survival. Further, we find that well-surviving RGC types have higher baseline Ca2+ levels than poorly surviving types. Finally, we observe considerable variation in the baseline Ca2+ levels of different RGCs of the same type, which are predictive of within-type differences in survival.
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Affiliation(s)
- Sean McCracken
- John F. Hardesty, MD Department of Ophthalmology and Visual Sciences, Washington University School of Medicine, St. Louis, MO 63110, USA; Graduate Program in Neuroscience, Washington University School of Medicine, St. Louis, MO 63110, USA
| | - Michael J Fitzpatrick
- John F. Hardesty, MD Department of Ophthalmology and Visual Sciences, Washington University School of Medicine, St. Louis, MO 63110, USA; Graduate Program in Neuroscience, Washington University School of Medicine, St. Louis, MO 63110, USA; Medical Scientist Training Program, Washington University School of Medicine, St. Louis, MO 63110, USA
| | - Allison L Hall
- John F. Hardesty, MD Department of Ophthalmology and Visual Sciences, Washington University School of Medicine, St. Louis, MO 63110, USA; Postbaccalaureate Program in Developmental Biology & Regenerative Medicine, Washington University School of Medicine, St. Louis, MO 63110, USA
| | - Zelun Wang
- John F. Hardesty, MD Department of Ophthalmology and Visual Sciences, Washington University School of Medicine, St. Louis, MO 63110, USA; Graduate Program in Neuroscience, Washington University School of Medicine, St. Louis, MO 63110, USA; Medical Scientist Training Program, Washington University School of Medicine, St. Louis, MO 63110, USA
| | - Daniel Kerschensteiner
- John F. Hardesty, MD Department of Ophthalmology and Visual Sciences, Washington University School of Medicine, St. Louis, MO 63110, USA; Department of Neuroscience, Washington University School of Medicine, St. Louis, MO 63110, USA; Hope Center for Neurological Disorders, Washington University School of Medicine, St. Louis, MO 63110, USA; Department of Biomedical Engineering, Washington University School of Medicine, St. Louis, MO 63110, USA
| | - Josh L Morgan
- John F. Hardesty, MD Department of Ophthalmology and Visual Sciences, Washington University School of Medicine, St. Louis, MO 63110, USA; Department of Neuroscience, Washington University School of Medicine, St. Louis, MO 63110, USA
| | - Philip R Williams
- John F. Hardesty, MD Department of Ophthalmology and Visual Sciences, Washington University School of Medicine, St. Louis, MO 63110, USA; Department of Neuroscience, Washington University School of Medicine, St. Louis, MO 63110, USA; Hope Center for Neurological Disorders, Washington University School of Medicine, St. Louis, MO 63110, USA.
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24
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Prigge CL, Dembla M, Sharma A, El-Quessny M, Kozlowski C, Paisley CE, Miltner AM, Johnson TM, Della Santina L, Feller MB, Kay JN. Rejection of inappropriate synaptic partners in mouse retina mediated by transcellular FLRT2-UNC5 signaling. Dev Cell 2023; 58:2080-2096.e7. [PMID: 37557174 PMCID: PMC10615732 DOI: 10.1016/j.devcel.2023.07.011] [Citation(s) in RCA: 3] [Impact Index Per Article: 3.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 09/06/2022] [Revised: 05/26/2023] [Accepted: 07/18/2023] [Indexed: 08/11/2023]
Abstract
During nervous system development, neurons choose synaptic partners with remarkable specificity; however, the cell-cell recognition mechanisms governing rejection of inappropriate partners remain enigmatic. Here, we show that mouse retinal neurons avoid inappropriate partners by using the FLRT2-uncoordinated-5 (UNC5) receptor-ligand system. Within the inner plexiform layer (IPL), FLRT2 is expressed by direction-selective (DS) circuit neurons, whereas UNC5C/D are expressed by non-DS neurons projecting to adjacent IPL sublayers. In vivo gain- and loss-of-function experiments demonstrate that FLRT2-UNC5 binding eliminates growing DS dendrites that have strayed from the DS circuit IPL sublayers. Abrogation of FLRT2-UNC5 binding allows mistargeted arbors to persist, elaborate, and acquire synapses from inappropriate partners. Conversely, UNC5C misexpression within DS circuit sublayers inhibits dendrite growth and drives arbors into adjacent sublayers. Mechanistically, UNC5s promote dendrite elimination by interfering with FLRT2-mediated adhesion. Based on their broad expression, FLRT-UNC5 recognition is poised to exert widespread effects upon synaptic partner choices across the nervous system.
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Affiliation(s)
- Cameron L Prigge
- Departments of Neurobiology, Ophthalmology, and Cell Biology, Duke University School of Medicine, Box 3802, Durham, NC 27710, USA
| | - Mayur Dembla
- Departments of Neurobiology, Ophthalmology, and Cell Biology, Duke University School of Medicine, Box 3802, Durham, NC 27710, USA
| | - Arsha Sharma
- Departments of Neurobiology, Ophthalmology, and Cell Biology, Duke University School of Medicine, Box 3802, Durham, NC 27710, USA
| | - Malak El-Quessny
- Helen Wills Neuroscience Institute and Department of Molecular and Cell Biology, University of California, Berkeley, Berkeley, CA 94720, USA
| | - Christopher Kozlowski
- Departments of Neurobiology, Ophthalmology, and Cell Biology, Duke University School of Medicine, Box 3802, Durham, NC 27710, USA
| | - Caitlin E Paisley
- Departments of Neurobiology, Ophthalmology, and Cell Biology, Duke University School of Medicine, Box 3802, Durham, NC 27710, USA
| | - Adam M Miltner
- Departments of Neurobiology, Ophthalmology, and Cell Biology, Duke University School of Medicine, Box 3802, Durham, NC 27710, USA
| | - Tyler M Johnson
- Departments of Neurobiology, Ophthalmology, and Cell Biology, Duke University School of Medicine, Box 3802, Durham, NC 27710, USA
| | - Luca Della Santina
- Department of Vision Sciences, University of Houston College of Optometry, Houston, TX 77204, USA
| | - Marla B Feller
- Helen Wills Neuroscience Institute and Department of Molecular and Cell Biology, University of California, Berkeley, Berkeley, CA 94720, USA
| | - Jeremy N Kay
- Departments of Neurobiology, Ophthalmology, and Cell Biology, Duke University School of Medicine, Box 3802, Durham, NC 27710, USA.
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25
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Benowitz LI, Xie L, Yin Y. Inflammatory Mediators of Axon Regeneration in the Central and Peripheral Nervous Systems. Int J Mol Sci 2023; 24:15359. [PMID: 37895039 PMCID: PMC10607492 DOI: 10.3390/ijms242015359] [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: 08/31/2023] [Revised: 10/13/2023] [Accepted: 10/13/2023] [Indexed: 10/29/2023] Open
Abstract
Although most pathways in the mature central nervous system cannot regenerate when injured, research beginning in the late 20th century has led to discoveries that may help reverse this situation. Here, we highlight research in recent years from our laboratory identifying oncomodulin (Ocm), stromal cell-derived factor (SDF)-1, and chemokine CCL5 as growth factors expressed by cells of the innate immune system that promote axon regeneration in the injured optic nerve and elsewhere in the central and peripheral nervous systems. We also review the role of ArmC10, a newly discovered Ocm receptor, in mediating many of these effects, and the synergy between inflammation-derived growth factors and complementary strategies to promote regeneration, including deleting genes encoding cell-intrinsic suppressors of axon growth, manipulating transcription factors that suppress or promote the expression of growth-related genes, and manipulating cell-extrinsic suppressors of axon growth. In some cases, combinatorial strategies have led to unprecedented levels of nerve regeneration. The identification of some similar mechanisms in human neurons offers hope that key discoveries made in animal models may eventually lead to treatments to improve outcomes after neurological damage in patients.
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Affiliation(s)
- Larry I. Benowitz
- Department of Neurosurgery, Boston Children’s Hospital, Boston, MA 02115, USA; (L.X.); (Y.Y.)
- F.M. Kirby Neurobiology Center, Boston Children’s Hospital, Boston, MA 02115, USA
- Department of Neurosurgery, Harvard Medical School, Boston, MA 02115, USA
- Department of Ophthalmology, Harvard Medical School, Boston, MA 02115, USA
- Department of Ophthalmology, University of Pittsburgh Medical Center, Pittsburgh, PA 15213, USA
| | - Lili Xie
- Department of Neurosurgery, Boston Children’s Hospital, Boston, MA 02115, USA; (L.X.); (Y.Y.)
- Department of Neurosurgery, Harvard Medical School, Boston, MA 02115, USA
- Department of Ophthalmology, Second Xiangya Hospital, Central South University, Changsha 410011, China
| | - Yuqin Yin
- Department of Neurosurgery, Boston Children’s Hospital, Boston, MA 02115, USA; (L.X.); (Y.Y.)
- Department of Neurosurgery, Harvard Medical School, Boston, MA 02115, USA
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26
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Xing J, Theune WC, Lukomska A, Frost MP, Damania A, Trakhtenberg EF. Experimental upregulation of developmentally downregulated ribosomal protein large subunits 7 and 7A promotes axon regeneration after injury in vivo. Exp Neurol 2023; 368:114510. [PMID: 37633482 PMCID: PMC10529763 DOI: 10.1016/j.expneurol.2023.114510] [Citation(s) in RCA: 3] [Impact Index Per Article: 3.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 04/19/2023] [Revised: 08/08/2023] [Accepted: 08/23/2023] [Indexed: 08/28/2023]
Abstract
Ribosomal proteins are involved in neurodevelopment and central nervous system (CNS) disease and injury. However, the roles of specific ribosomal protein subunits in developmental axon growth, and their potential as therapeutic targets for treating CNS injuries, are still poorly understood. Here, we show that ribosomal protein large (Rpl) and small (Rps) subunit genes are substantially (56-fold) enriched amongst the genes, which are downregulated during maturation of retinal ganglion cell (RGC) CNS projection neurons. We also show that Rpl and Rps subunits are highly co-regulated in RGCs, and partially re-upregulated after optic nerve crush (ONC). Because developmental downregulation of ribosomal proteins coincides with developmental decline in neuronal intrinsic axon growth capacity, we hypothesized that Rpl/Rps incomplete re-upregulation after injury may be a part of the cellular response which attempts to reactivate intrinsic axon growth mechanisms. We found that experimentally upregulating Rpl7 and Rpl7A promoted axon regeneration after ONC in vivo. Finally, we characterized gene networks associated with Rpl/Rps, and showed that Rpl7 and Rpl7A belong to the cluster of genes, which are shared between translational and neurodevelopmental biological processes (based on gene-ontology) that are co-downregulated in maturing RGCs during the decline in intrinsic axon growth capacity.
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Affiliation(s)
- Jian Xing
- Department of Neuroscience, University of Connecticut School of Medicine, 263 Farmington Ave, Farmington, CT 06030, USA
| | - William C Theune
- Department of Neuroscience, University of Connecticut School of Medicine, 263 Farmington Ave, Farmington, CT 06030, USA
| | - Agnieszka Lukomska
- Department of Neuroscience, University of Connecticut School of Medicine, 263 Farmington Ave, Farmington, CT 06030, USA
| | - Matthew P Frost
- Department of Neuroscience, University of Connecticut School of Medicine, 263 Farmington Ave, Farmington, CT 06030, USA
| | - Ashiti Damania
- Department of Neuroscience, University of Connecticut School of Medicine, 263 Farmington Ave, Farmington, CT 06030, USA
| | - Ephraim F Trakhtenberg
- Department of Neuroscience, University of Connecticut School of Medicine, 263 Farmington Ave, Farmington, CT 06030, USA.
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27
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Soucy JR, Aguzzi EA, Cho J, Gilhooley MJ, Keuthan C, Luo Z, Monavarfeshani A, Saleem MA, Wang XW, Wohlschlegel J, Baranov P, Di Polo A, Fortune B, Gokoffski KK, Goldberg JL, Guido W, Kolodkin AL, Mason CA, Ou Y, Reh TA, Ross AG, Samuels BC, Welsbie D, Zack DJ, Johnson TV. Retinal ganglion cell repopulation for vision restoration in optic neuropathy: a roadmap from the RReSTORe Consortium. Mol Neurodegener 2023; 18:64. [PMID: 37735444 PMCID: PMC10514988 DOI: 10.1186/s13024-023-00655-y] [Citation(s) in RCA: 7] [Impact Index Per Article: 7.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 07/18/2023] [Accepted: 09/07/2023] [Indexed: 09/23/2023] Open
Abstract
Retinal ganglion cell (RGC) death in glaucoma and other optic neuropathies results in irreversible vision loss due to the mammalian central nervous system's limited regenerative capacity. RGC repopulation is a promising therapeutic approach to reverse vision loss from optic neuropathies if the newly introduced neurons can reestablish functional retinal and thalamic circuits. In theory, RGCs might be repopulated through the transplantation of stem cell-derived neurons or via the induction of endogenous transdifferentiation. The RGC Repopulation, Stem Cell Transplantation, and Optic Nerve Regeneration (RReSTORe) Consortium was established to address the challenges associated with the therapeutic repair of the visual pathway in optic neuropathy. In 2022, the RReSTORe Consortium initiated ongoing international collaborative discussions to advance the RGC repopulation field and has identified five critical areas of focus: (1) RGC development and differentiation, (2) Transplantation methods and models, (3) RGC survival, maturation, and host interactions, (4) Inner retinal wiring, and (5) Eye-to-brain connectivity. Here, we discuss the most pertinent questions and challenges that exist on the path to clinical translation and suggest experimental directions to propel this work going forward. Using these five subtopic discussion groups (SDGs) as a framework, we suggest multidisciplinary approaches to restore the diseased visual pathway by leveraging groundbreaking insights from developmental neuroscience, stem cell biology, molecular biology, optical imaging, animal models of optic neuropathy, immunology & immunotolerance, neuropathology & neuroprotection, materials science & biomedical engineering, and regenerative neuroscience. While significant hurdles remain, the RReSTORe Consortium's efforts provide a comprehensive roadmap for advancing the RGC repopulation field and hold potential for transformative progress in restoring vision in patients suffering from optic neuropathies.
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Affiliation(s)
- Jonathan R Soucy
- Department of Ophthalmology, Schepens Eye Research Institute of Mass. Eye and Ear, Harvard Medical School, Boston, MA, USA
| | - Erika A Aguzzi
- The Institute of Ophthalmology, University College London, London, England, UK
| | - Julie Cho
- Spencer Center for Vision Research, Byers Eye Institute, Stanford University School of Medicine, Palo Alto, CA, USA
| | - Michael James Gilhooley
- The Institute of Ophthalmology, University College London, London, England, UK
- Moorfields Eye Hospital, London, England, UK
| | - Casey Keuthan
- Department of Ophthalmology, Wilmer Eye Institute, Johns Hopkins University School of Medicine, Baltimore, MD, USA
| | - Ziming Luo
- Spencer Center for Vision Research, Byers Eye Institute, Stanford University School of Medicine, Palo Alto, CA, USA
| | - Aboozar Monavarfeshani
- Center for Brain Science and Department of Molecular and Cellular Biology, Harvard University, Cambridge, MA, USA
- Kirby Neurobiology Center, Boston Children's Hospital, Boston, MA, USA
| | - Meher A Saleem
- Bascom Palmer Eye Institute, University of Miami Health System, Miami, FL, USA
| | - Xue-Wei Wang
- Department of Orthopaedic Surgery, The Johns Hopkins University School of Medicine, Baltimore, MD, USA
| | | | - Petr Baranov
- Department of Ophthalmology, Schepens Eye Research Institute of Mass. Eye and Ear, Harvard Medical School, Boston, MA, USA
| | - Adriana Di Polo
- Department of Neuroscience, University of Montreal, Montreal, QC, Canada
- University of Montreal Hospital Research Centre, Montreal, QC, Canada
| | - Brad Fortune
- Discoveries in Sight Research Laboratories, Devers Eye Institute and Legacy Research Institute, Legacy Health, Portland, OR, USA
| | - Kimberly K Gokoffski
- Department of Ophthalmology, Roski Eye Institute, University of Southern California, Los Angeles, CA, USA
| | - Jeffrey L Goldberg
- Spencer Center for Vision Research, Byers Eye Institute, Stanford University School of Medicine, Palo Alto, CA, USA
| | - William Guido
- Department of Anatomical Sciences and Neurobiology, School of Medicine, University of Louisville, Louisville, KY, USA
| | - Alex L Kolodkin
- The Solomon H Snyder, Department of Neuroscience, Johns Hopkins University School of Medicine, Baltimore, MD, USA
| | - Carol A Mason
- Departments of Pathology and Cell Biology, Neuroscience, and Ophthalmology, College of Physicians and Surgeons, Zuckerman Mind Brain Behavior Institute, Columbia University, New York, NY, USA
| | - Yvonne Ou
- Department of Ophthalmology, University of California, San Francisco, CA, USA
| | - Thomas A Reh
- Department of Biological Structure, University of Washington, Seattle, WA, USA
| | - Ahmara G Ross
- Departments of Ophthalmology and Neurology, University of Pennsylvania, Philadelphia, PA, USA
| | - Brian C Samuels
- Department of Ophthalmology and Visual Sciences, Callahan Eye Hospital, University of Alabama at Birmingham, Birmingham, AL, USA
| | - Derek Welsbie
- Shiley Eye Institute and Viterbi Family Department of Ophthalmology, University of California, San Diego, CA, USA
| | - Donald J Zack
- Glaucoma Center of Excellence, Wilmer Eye Institute, Johns Hopkins University School of Medicine, Baltimore, 21287 MD, USA
- Departments of Neuroscience, Molecular Biology & Genetics, and Genetic Medicine, Johns Hopkins University School of Medicine, Baltimore, MD, USA
| | - Thomas V Johnson
- Departments of Neuroscience, Molecular Biology & Genetics, and Genetic Medicine, Johns Hopkins University School of Medicine, Baltimore, MD, USA.
- Cellular & Molecular Medicine Program, Johns Hopkins University School of Medicine, Baltimore, 21287 MD, USA.
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28
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Rozen EJ, Ozeroff CD, Allen MA. RUN(X) out of blood: emerging RUNX1 functions beyond hematopoiesis and links to Down syndrome. Hum Genomics 2023; 17:83. [PMID: 37670378 PMCID: PMC10481493 DOI: 10.1186/s40246-023-00531-2] [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: 07/13/2023] [Accepted: 08/29/2023] [Indexed: 09/07/2023] Open
Abstract
BACKGROUND RUNX1 is a transcription factor and a master regulator for the specification of the hematopoietic lineage during embryogenesis and postnatal megakaryopoiesis. Mutations and rearrangements on RUNX1 are key drivers of hematological malignancies. In humans, this gene is localized to the 'Down syndrome critical region' of chromosome 21, triplication of which is necessary and sufficient for most phenotypes that characterize Trisomy 21. MAIN BODY Individuals with Down syndrome show a higher predisposition to leukemias. Hence, RUNX1 overexpression was initially proposed as a critical player on Down syndrome-associated leukemogenesis. Less is known about the functions of RUNX1 in other tissues and organs, although growing reports show important implications in development or homeostasis of neural tissues, muscle, heart, bone, ovary, or the endothelium, among others. Even less is understood about the consequences on these tissues of RUNX1 gene dosage alterations in the context of Down syndrome. In this review, we summarize the current knowledge on RUNX1 activities outside blood/leukemia, while suggesting for the first time their potential relation to specific Trisomy 21 co-occurring conditions. CONCLUSION Our concise review on the emerging RUNX1 roles in different tissues outside the hematopoietic context provides a number of well-funded hypotheses that will open new research avenues toward a better understanding of RUNX1-mediated transcription in health and disease, contributing to novel potential diagnostic and therapeutic strategies for Down syndrome-associated conditions.
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Affiliation(s)
- Esteban J Rozen
- Crnic Institute Boulder Branch, BioFrontiers Institute, University of Colorado Boulder, 3415 Colorado Ave., Boulder, CO, 80303, USA.
- Linda Crnic Institute for Down Syndrome, University of Colorado Anschutz Medical Campus, 12700 East 19th Avenue, Aurora, CO, 80045, USA.
| | - Christopher D Ozeroff
- Crnic Institute Boulder Branch, BioFrontiers Institute, University of Colorado Boulder, 3415 Colorado Ave., Boulder, CO, 80303, USA
- Linda Crnic Institute for Down Syndrome, University of Colorado Anschutz Medical Campus, 12700 East 19th Avenue, Aurora, CO, 80045, USA
- Department of Molecular, Cellular and Developmental Biology, University of Colorado Boulder, 1945 Colorado Ave., Boulder, CO, 80309, USA
| | - Mary Ann Allen
- Crnic Institute Boulder Branch, BioFrontiers Institute, University of Colorado Boulder, 3415 Colorado Ave., Boulder, CO, 80303, USA.
- Linda Crnic Institute for Down Syndrome, University of Colorado Anschutz Medical Campus, 12700 East 19th Avenue, Aurora, CO, 80045, USA.
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29
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Madadi Y, Monavarfeshani A, Chen H, Stamer WD, Williams RW, Yousefi S. Artificial Intelligence Models for Cell Type and Subtype Identification Based on Single-Cell RNA Sequencing Data in Vision Science. IEEE/ACM TRANSACTIONS ON COMPUTATIONAL BIOLOGY AND BIOINFORMATICS 2023; 20:2837-2852. [PMID: 37294649 PMCID: PMC10631573 DOI: 10.1109/tcbb.2023.3284795] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 06/11/2023]
Abstract
Single-cell RNA sequencing (scRNA-seq) provides a high throughput, quantitative and unbiased framework for scientists in many research fields to identify and characterize cell types within heterogeneous cell populations from various tissues. However, scRNA-seq based identification of discrete cell-types is still labor intensive and depends on prior molecular knowledge. Artificial intelligence has provided faster, more accurate, and user-friendly approaches for cell-type identification. In this review, we discuss recent advances in cell-type identification methods using artificial intelligence techniques based on single-cell and single-nucleus RNA sequencing data in vision science. The main purpose of this review paper is to assist vision scientists not only to select suitable datasets for their problems, but also to be aware of the appropriate computational tools to perform their analysis. Developing novel methods for scRNA-seq data analysis remains to be addressed in future studies.
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30
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Huo Y, Hu X, Lü J, Luo F, Liang J, Lei H, Lv A. Single-cell transcriptome, phagocytic activity and immunohistochemical analysis of crucian carp (Carassius auratus) in response to Rahnella aquatilis infection. FISH & SHELLFISH IMMUNOLOGY 2023; 140:108970. [PMID: 37488042 DOI: 10.1016/j.fsi.2023.108970] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 06/07/2023] [Revised: 07/14/2023] [Accepted: 07/20/2023] [Indexed: 07/26/2023]
Abstract
In teleost fish, kidney is an important immune and hematopoietic organ with multiple physiological functions. However, the immune cells and cellular markers of kidney require further elucidation in crucian carp (C. auratus). Here we report on the single-cell transcriptional landscape in posterior kidney, immunohistochemical and phagocytic features of C. auratus with R. aquatilis infection. The results showed that a total of 18 cell populations were identified for the main immune cells such as monocytes/macrophages (Mo/Mφ), dendritic cells (DCs), B cells, T cells, granulocytes and hematopoietic progenitor cells (HPCs). Pseudo-time trajectory analysis was reconstructed for the immune cells using Monocle2 to obtain additional insights into their developmental lineage relationships. In the detected tissues (liver, spleen, kidney, intestine, skin, and gills) of infected fish exhibited positive immunohistochemical staining with prepared for antibody to R. aquatilis. Apoptotic cells were fluorescently demonstrated by TUNEL assay, and bacterial phagocytic activity were observed for neutrophils and Mo/Mφ cells, respectively. Moreover, a similar up-ward/down-ward expression trend of the selected immune and inflammatory genes was found in the kidney against R. aquatilis infection, which were significantly involved in TLR/NLR, ECM adhesion, phago-lysosome, apoptosis, complement and coagulation pathways. To our knowledge, this is the first report on the detailed characterization of immune cells and host-R. aquatilis interaction, which will contribute to understanding on the biology of renal immune cells and repertoire of potential markers in cyprinid fish species.
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Affiliation(s)
- Yian Huo
- College of Fisheries, Tianjin Agricultural University, Tianjin, 300392, China
| | - Xiucai Hu
- Tianjin Key Lab of Aqua-Ecology and Aquaculture, Tianjin Agricultural University, Tianjin, 300392, China
| | - Jiarui Lü
- School of Foreign Languages, Peking University, Beijing, 100871, China
| | - Fuli Luo
- College of Fisheries, Tianjin Agricultural University, Tianjin, 300392, China
| | - Jing Liang
- College of Fisheries, Tianjin Agricultural University, Tianjin, 300392, China
| | - Haibo Lei
- College of Basic Science, Tianjin Agricultural University, Tianjin, 300392, China
| | - Aijun Lv
- College of Fisheries, Tianjin Agricultural University, Tianjin, 300392, China; Tianjin Key Lab of Aqua-Ecology and Aquaculture, Tianjin Agricultural University, Tianjin, 300392, China.
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31
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Jones MK, Orozco LD, Qin H, Truong T, Caplazi P, Elstrott J, Modrusan Z, Chaney SY, Jeanne M. Integration of human stem cell-derived in vitro systems and mouse preclinical models identifies complex pathophysiologic mechanisms in retinal dystrophy. Front Cell Dev Biol 2023; 11:1252547. [PMID: 37691820 PMCID: PMC10483287 DOI: 10.3389/fcell.2023.1252547] [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: 07/03/2023] [Accepted: 08/14/2023] [Indexed: 09/12/2023] Open
Abstract
Rare DRAM2 coding variants cause retinal dystrophy with early macular involvement via unknown mechanisms. We found that DRAM2 is ubiquitously expressed in the human eye and expression changes were observed in eyes with more common maculopathy such as Age-related Macular Degeneration (AMD). To gain insights into pathogenicity of DRAM2-related retinopathy, we used a combination of in vitro and in vivo models. We found that DRAM2 loss in human pluripotent stem cell (hPSC)-derived retinal organoids caused the presence of additional mesenchymal cells. Interestingly, Dram2 loss in mice also caused increased proliferation of cells from the choroid in vitro and exacerbated choroidal neovascular lesions in vivo. Furthermore, we observed that DRAM2 loss in human retinal pigment epithelial (RPE) cells resulted in increased susceptibility to stress-induced cell death in vitro and that Dram2 loss in mice caused age-related photoreceptor degeneration. This highlights the complexity of DRAM2 function, as its loss in choroidal cells provided a proliferative advantage, whereas its loss in post-mitotic cells, such as photoreceptor and RPE cells, increased degeneration susceptibility. Different models such as human pluripotent stem cell-derived systems and mice can be leveraged to study and model human retinal dystrophies; however, cell type and species-specific expression must be taken into account when selecting relevant systems.
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Affiliation(s)
- Melissa K. Jones
- Department of Neuroscience, Genentech Inc., South San Francisco, CA, United States
- Product Development Clinical Science Ophthalmology, Genentech Inc., South San Francisco, CA, United States
| | - Luz D. Orozco
- Department of Bioinformatics, Genentech Inc., South San Francisco, CA, United States
| | - Han Qin
- Department of Neuroscience, Genentech Inc., South San Francisco, CA, United States
| | - Tom Truong
- Department of Translational Immunology, Genentech Inc., South San Francisco, CA, United States
| | - Patrick Caplazi
- Department of Research Pathology, Genentech Inc., South San Francisco, CA, United States
| | - Justin Elstrott
- Department of Translational Imaging, Genentech Inc., South San Francisco, CA, United States
| | - Zora Modrusan
- Department of Microchemistry, Proteomics, Lipidomics and Next-Generation Sequencing, Genentech Inc., South San Francisco, CA, United States
| | - Shawnta Y. Chaney
- Department of Translational Immunology, Genentech Inc., South San Francisco, CA, United States
| | - Marion Jeanne
- Department of Neuroscience, Genentech Inc., South San Francisco, CA, United States
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32
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Liou RHC, Chen SW, Cheng HC, Wu PC, Chang YF, Wang AG, Fann MJ, Wong YH. The efficient induction of human retinal ganglion-like cells provides a platform for studying optic neuropathies. Cell Mol Life Sci 2023; 80:239. [PMID: 37540379 PMCID: PMC10403410 DOI: 10.1007/s00018-023-04890-w] [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: 03/07/2023] [Revised: 06/29/2023] [Accepted: 07/19/2023] [Indexed: 08/05/2023]
Abstract
Retinal ganglion cells (RGCs) are essential for vision perception. In glaucoma and other optic neuropathies, RGCs and their optic axons undergo degenerative change and cell death; this can result in irreversible vision loss. Here we developed a rapid protocol for directly inducing RGC differentiation from human induced pluripotent stem cells (hiPSCs) by the overexpression of ATOH7, BRN3B, and SOX4. The hiPSC-derived RGC-like cells (iRGCs) show robust expression of various RGC-specific markers by whole transcriptome profiling. A functional assessment was also carried out and this demonstrated that these iRGCs display stimulus-induced neuronal activity, as well as spontaneous neuronal activity. Ethambutol (EMB), an effective first-line anti-tuberculosis agent, is known to cause serious visual impairment and irreversible vision loss due to the RGC degeneration in a significant number of treated patients. Using our iRGCs, EMB was found to induce significant dose-dependent and time-dependent increases in cell death and neurite degeneration. Western blot analysis revealed that the expression levels of p62 and LC3-II were upregulated, and further investigations revealed that EMB caused a blockade of lysosome-autophagosome fusion; this indicates that impairment of autophagic flux is one of the adverse effects of that EMB has on iRGCs. In addition, EMB was found to elevate intracellular reactive oxygen species (ROS) levels increasing apoptotic cell death. This could be partially rescued by the co-treatment with the ROS scavenger NAC. Taken together, our findings suggest that this iRGC model, which achieves both high yield and high purity, is suitable for investigating optic neuropathies, as well as being useful when searching for potential drugs for therapeutic treatment and/or disease prevention.
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Affiliation(s)
- Roxanne Hsiang-Chi Liou
- Department of Life Sciences and Institute of Genome Sciences, College of Life Sciences, National Yang Ming Chiao Tung University, Taipei, 112, Taiwan, ROC
| | - Shih-Wei Chen
- Brain Research Center, National Yang Ming Chiao Tung University, Taipei, 112, Taiwan, ROC
- Department of Life Sciences and Institute of Genome Sciences, College of Life Sciences, National Yang Ming Chiao Tung University, Taipei, 112, Taiwan, ROC
| | - Hui-Chen Cheng
- Brain Research Center, National Yang Ming Chiao Tung University, Taipei, 112, Taiwan, ROC
- Department of Life Sciences and Institute of Genome Sciences, College of Life Sciences, National Yang Ming Chiao Tung University, Taipei, 112, Taiwan, ROC
- Department of Ophthalmology, Taipei Veterans General Hospital, Taipei, 112, Taiwan, ROC
- Department of Ophthalmology, School of Medicine, National Yang Ming Chiao Tung University, Taipei, 112, Taiwan, ROC
- Program in Molecular Medicine, College of Life Sciences, National Yang Ming Chiao Tung University, Taipei, Taiwan, ROC
| | - Pei-Chun Wu
- Brain Research Center, National Yang Ming Chiao Tung University, Taipei, 112, Taiwan, ROC
| | - Yu-Fen Chang
- LumiSTAR Biotechnology, Inc., Taipei, 115, Taiwan, ROC
| | - An-Guor Wang
- Department of Ophthalmology, Taipei Veterans General Hospital, Taipei, 112, Taiwan, ROC
- Department of Ophthalmology, School of Medicine, National Yang Ming Chiao Tung University, Taipei, 112, Taiwan, ROC
| | - Ming-Ji Fann
- Brain Research Center, National Yang Ming Chiao Tung University, Taipei, 112, Taiwan, ROC
- Department of Life Sciences and Institute of Genome Sciences, College of Life Sciences, National Yang Ming Chiao Tung University, Taipei, 112, Taiwan, ROC
| | - Yu-Hui Wong
- Brain Research Center, National Yang Ming Chiao Tung University, Taipei, 112, Taiwan, ROC.
- Department of Life Sciences and Institute of Genome Sciences, College of Life Sciences, National Yang Ming Chiao Tung University, Taipei, 112, Taiwan, ROC.
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Peng YR. Cell-type specification in the retina: Recent discoveries from transcriptomic approaches. Curr Opin Neurobiol 2023; 81:102752. [PMID: 37499619 DOI: 10.1016/j.conb.2023.102752] [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: 05/16/2023] [Revised: 06/26/2023] [Accepted: 06/29/2023] [Indexed: 07/29/2023]
Abstract
Understanding the formation of the complex nervous system hinges on decoding the mechanism that specifies a vast array of neuronal types, each endowed with a unique morphology, physiology, and connectivity. As a pivotal step towards addressing this problem, seminal work has been devoted to characterizing distinct neuronal types. In recent years, high-throughput, single-cell transcriptomic methods have enabled a rapid inventory of cell types in various regions of the nervous system, with the retina exhibiting complete molecular characterization across many vertebrate species. This invaluable resource has furnished a fresh perspective for investigating the molecular principles of cell-type specification, thereby advancing our understanding of retinal development. Accordingly, this review focuses on the most recent transcriptomic characterizations of retinal cells, with a particular focus on amacrine cells and retinal ganglion cells. These investigations have unearthed new insights into their cell-type specification.
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Affiliation(s)
- Yi-Rong Peng
- Department of Ophthalmology and Stein Eye Institute, UCLA David Geffen School of Medicine, Los Angeles, CA 90095, USA.
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34
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Guo L, Xie X, Wang J, Xiao H, Li S, Xu M, Quainoo E, Koppaka R, Zhuo J, Smith SB, Gan L. Inducible Rbpms-CreER T2 Mouse Line for Studying Gene Function in Retinal Ganglion Cell Physiology and Disease. Cells 2023; 12:1951. [PMID: 37566030 PMCID: PMC10416940 DOI: 10.3390/cells12151951] [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: 06/20/2023] [Revised: 07/14/2023] [Accepted: 07/25/2023] [Indexed: 08/12/2023] Open
Abstract
Retinal ganglion cells (RGCs) are the sole output neurons conveying visual stimuli from the retina to the brain, and dysfunction or loss of RGCs is the primary determinant of visual loss in traumatic and degenerative ocular conditions. Currently, there is a lack of RGC-specific Cre mouse lines that serve as invaluable tools for manipulating genes in RGCs and studying the genetic basis of RGC diseases. The RNA-binding protein with multiple splicing (RBPMS) is identified as the specific marker of all RGCs. Here, we report the generation and characterization of a knock-in mouse line in which a P2A-CreERT2 coding sequence is fused in-frame to the C-terminus of endogenous RBPMS, allowing for the co-expression of RBPMS and CreERT2. The inducible Rbpms-CreERT2 mice exhibited a high recombination efficiency in activating the expression of the tdTomato reporter gene in nearly all adult RGCs as well as in differentiated RGCs starting at E13.5. Additionally, both heterozygous and homozygous Rbpms-CreERT2 knock-in mice showed no detectable defect in the retinal structure, visual function, and transcriptome. Together, these results demonstrated that the Rbpms-CreERT2 knock-in mouse can serve as a powerful and highly desired genetic tool for lineage tracing, genetic manipulation, retinal physiology study, and ocular disease modeling in RGCs.
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Affiliation(s)
- Luming Guo
- College of Life Sciences, Zhejiang University, Hangzhou 310058, China
- Department of Neuroscience and Regenerative Medicine, Medical College of Georgia, Augusta University, Augusta, GA 30912, USA
| | - Xiaoling Xie
- Department of Neuroscience and Regenerative Medicine, Medical College of Georgia, Augusta University, Augusta, GA 30912, USA
| | - Jing Wang
- Department of Cellular Biology and Anatomy, Medical College of Georgia, Augusta University, Augusta, GA 30912, USA
- James and Jean Culver Vision Discovery Institute, Medical College of Georgia, Augusta University, Augusta, GA 30912, USA
| | - Haiyan Xiao
- Department of Cellular Biology and Anatomy, Medical College of Georgia, Augusta University, Augusta, GA 30912, USA
- James and Jean Culver Vision Discovery Institute, Medical College of Georgia, Augusta University, Augusta, GA 30912, USA
| | - Shuchun Li
- Department of Neuroscience and Regenerative Medicine, Medical College of Georgia, Augusta University, Augusta, GA 30912, USA
| | - Mei Xu
- College of Life Sciences, Zhejiang University, Hangzhou 310058, China
- Department of Neuroscience and Regenerative Medicine, Medical College of Georgia, Augusta University, Augusta, GA 30912, USA
| | - Ebenezer Quainoo
- Department of Neuroscience and Regenerative Medicine, Medical College of Georgia, Augusta University, Augusta, GA 30912, USA
- James and Jean Culver Vision Discovery Institute, Medical College of Georgia, Augusta University, Augusta, GA 30912, USA
| | - Rithwik Koppaka
- Department of Neuroscience and Regenerative Medicine, Medical College of Georgia, Augusta University, Augusta, GA 30912, USA
| | - Jiaping Zhuo
- Department of Neuroscience and Regenerative Medicine, Medical College of Georgia, Augusta University, Augusta, GA 30912, USA
| | - Sylvia B. Smith
- Department of Cellular Biology and Anatomy, Medical College of Georgia, Augusta University, Augusta, GA 30912, USA
- James and Jean Culver Vision Discovery Institute, Medical College of Georgia, Augusta University, Augusta, GA 30912, USA
| | - Lin Gan
- Department of Neuroscience and Regenerative Medicine, Medical College of Georgia, Augusta University, Augusta, GA 30912, USA
- James and Jean Culver Vision Discovery Institute, Medical College of Georgia, Augusta University, Augusta, GA 30912, USA
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35
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Arts JA, Laberthonnière C, Lima Cunha D, Zhou H. Single-Cell RNA Sequencing: Opportunities and Challenges for Studies on Corneal Biology in Health and Disease. Cells 2023; 12:1808. [PMID: 37443842 PMCID: PMC10340756 DOI: 10.3390/cells12131808] [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: 06/02/2023] [Revised: 06/27/2023] [Accepted: 07/04/2023] [Indexed: 07/15/2023] Open
Abstract
The structure and major cell types of the multi-layer human cornea have been extensively studied. However, various cell states in specific cell types and key genes that define the cell states are not fully understood, hindering our comprehension of corneal homeostasis, related diseases, and therapeutic discovery. Single-cell RNA sequencing is a revolutionary and powerful tool for identifying cell states within tissues such as the cornea. This review provides an overview of current single-cell RNA sequencing studies on the human cornea, highlighting similarities and differences between them, and summarizing the key genes that define corneal cell states reported in these studies. In addition, this review discusses the opportunities and challenges of using single-cell RNA sequencing to study corneal biology in health and disease.
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Affiliation(s)
- Julian A. Arts
- Molecular Developmental Biology, Faculty of Science, Radboud Institute for Molecular Life Sciences, Radboud University, 6525 GA Nijmegen, The Netherlands; (J.A.A.)
| | - Camille Laberthonnière
- Molecular Developmental Biology, Faculty of Science, Radboud Institute for Molecular Life Sciences, Radboud University, 6525 GA Nijmegen, The Netherlands; (J.A.A.)
| | - Dulce Lima Cunha
- Molecular Developmental Biology, Faculty of Science, Radboud Institute for Molecular Life Sciences, Radboud University, 6525 GA Nijmegen, The Netherlands; (J.A.A.)
| | - Huiqing Zhou
- Molecular Developmental Biology, Faculty of Science, Radboud Institute for Molecular Life Sciences, Radboud University, 6525 GA Nijmegen, The Netherlands; (J.A.A.)
- Department of Human Genetics, Radboud University Medical Center, 6500 HB Nijmegen, The Netherlands
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36
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Vöcking O, Famulski JK. Single cell transcriptome analyses of the developing zebrafish eye- perspectives and applications. Front Cell Dev Biol 2023; 11:1213382. [PMID: 37457291 PMCID: PMC10346855 DOI: 10.3389/fcell.2023.1213382] [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: 04/27/2023] [Accepted: 06/20/2023] [Indexed: 07/18/2023] Open
Abstract
Within a relatively short period of time, single cell transcriptome analyses (SCT) have become increasingly ubiquitous with transcriptomic research, uncovering plentiful details that boost our molecular understanding of various biological processes. Stemming from SCT analyses, the ever-growing number of newly assigned genetic markers increases our understanding of general function and development, while providing opportunities for identifying genes associated with disease. SCT analyses have been carried out using tissue from numerous organisms. However, despite the great potential of zebrafish as a model organism, other models are still preferably used. In this mini review, we focus on eye research as an example of the advantages in using zebrafish, particularly its usefulness for single cell transcriptome analyses of developmental processes. As studies have already shown, the unique opportunities offered by zebrafish, including similarities to the human eye, in combination with the possibility to analyze and extract specific cells at distinct developmental time points makes the model a uniquely powerful one. Particularly the practicality of collecting large numbers of embryos and therefore isolation of sufficient numbers of developing cells is a distinct advantage compared to other model organisms. Lastly, the advent of highly efficient genetic knockouts methods offers opportunities to characterize target gene function in a more cost-efficient way. In conclusion, we argue that the use of zebrafish for SCT approaches has great potential to further deepen our molecular understanding of not only eye development, but also many other organ systems.
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Affiliation(s)
| | - Jakub K. Famulski
- Department of Biology, University of Kentucky, Lexington, KY, United States
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37
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Kiyama T, Altay HY, Badea TC, Mao CA. Pou4f1-Tbr1 transcriptional cascade controls the formation of Jam2-expressing retinal ganglion cells. FRONTIERS IN OPHTHALMOLOGY 2023; 3:1175568. [PMID: 38469155 PMCID: PMC10926710 DOI: 10.3389/fopht.2023.1175568] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 03/13/2024]
Abstract
More than 40 retinal ganglion cell (RGC) subtypes have been categorized in mouse based on their morphologies, functions, and molecular features. Among these diverse subtypes, orientation-selective Jam2-expressing RGCs (J-RGCs) has two unique morphologic characteristics: the ventral-facing dendritic arbor and the OFF-sublaminae stratified terminal dendrites in the inner plexiform layer. Previously, we have discovered that T-box transcription factor T-brain 1 (Tbr1) is expressed in J-RGCs. We further found that Tbr1 is essential for the expression of Jam2, and Tbr1 regulates the formation and the dendritic morphogenesis of J-RGCs. However, Tbr1 begins to express in terminally differentiated RGCs around perinatal stage, suggesting that it is unlikely involved in the initial fate determination for J-RGC and other upstream transcription factors must control Tbr1 expression and J-RGC formation. Using the Cleavage Under Targets and Tagmentation technique, we discovered that Pou4f1 binds to Tbr1 on the evolutionary conserved exon 6 and an intergenic region downstream of the 3'UTR, and on a region flanking the promoter and the first exon of Jam2. We showed that Pou4f1 is required for the expression of Tbr1 and Jam2, indicating Pou4f1 as a direct upstream regulator of Tbr1 and Jam2. Most interestingly, the Pou4f1-bound element in exon 6 of Tbr1 possesses high-level enhancer activity, capable of directing reporter gene expression in J-RGCs. Together, these data revealed a Pou4f1-Tbr1-Jam2 genetic hierarchy as a critical pathway in the formation of J-RGC subtype.
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Affiliation(s)
- Takae Kiyama
- Ruiz Department of Ophthalmology and Visual Science, McGovern Medical School at The University of Texas Health Science Center at Houston (UTHealth), Houston, TX 77030, USA
| | - Halit Y. Altay
- Ruiz Department of Ophthalmology and Visual Science, McGovern Medical School at The University of Texas Health Science Center at Houston (UTHealth), Houston, TX 77030, USA
| | - Tudor C. Badea
- Research and Development Institute, Transilvania University of Brasov, School of Medicine, Brasov 500484, Romania
- National Center for Brain Research, Research Institute for Artificial Intelligence, Romanian Academy, Bucharest 050711, Romania
| | - Chai-An Mao
- Ruiz Department of Ophthalmology and Visual Science, McGovern Medical School at The University of Texas Health Science Center at Houston (UTHealth), Houston, TX 77030, USA
- The MD Anderson Cancer Center/UTHealth Graduate School of Biomedical Sciences, Houston, TX 77030, USA
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38
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Temple S. Advancing cell therapy for neurodegenerative diseases. Cell Stem Cell 2023; 30:512-529. [PMID: 37084729 PMCID: PMC10201979 DOI: 10.1016/j.stem.2023.03.017] [Citation(s) in RCA: 22] [Impact Index Per Article: 22.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 02/08/2023] [Revised: 03/20/2023] [Accepted: 03/28/2023] [Indexed: 04/23/2023]
Abstract
Cell-based therapies are being developed for various neurodegenerative diseases that affect the central nervous system (CNS). Concomitantly, the roles of individual cell types in neurodegenerative pathology are being uncovered by genetic and single-cell studies. With a greater understanding of cellular contributions to health and disease and with the arrival of promising approaches to modulate them, effective therapeutic cell products are now emerging. This review examines how the ability to generate diverse CNS cell types from stem cells, along with a deeper understanding of cell-type-specific functions and pathology, is advancing preclinical development of cell products for the treatment of neurodegenerative diseases.
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Affiliation(s)
- Sally Temple
- Neural Stem Cell Institute, Rensselaer, NY 12144, USA.
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39
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Hahn J, Monavarfeshani A, Qiao M, Kao A, Kölsch Y, Kumar A, Kunze VP, Rasys AM, Richardson R, Baier H, Lucas RJ, Li W, Meister M, Trachtenberg JT, Yan W, Peng YR, Sanes JR, Shekhar K. Evolution of neuronal cell classes and types in the vertebrate retina. BIORXIV : THE PREPRINT SERVER FOR BIOLOGY 2023:2023.04.07.536039. [PMID: 37066415 PMCID: PMC10104162 DOI: 10.1101/2023.04.07.536039] [Citation(s) in RCA: 8] [Impact Index Per Article: 8.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 04/18/2023]
Abstract
The basic plan of the retina is conserved across vertebrates, yet species differ profoundly in their visual needs (Baden et al., 2020). One might expect that retinal cell types evolved to accommodate these varied needs, but this has not been systematically studied. Here, we generated and integrated single-cell transcriptomic atlases of the retina from 17 species: humans, two non-human primates, four rodents, three ungulates, opossum, ferret, tree shrew, a teleost fish, a bird, a reptile and a lamprey. Molecular conservation of the six retinal cell classes (photoreceptors, horizontal cells, bipolar cells, amacrine cells, retinal ganglion cells [RGCs] and Muller glia) is striking, with transcriptomic differences across species correlated with evolutionary distance. Major subclasses are also conserved, whereas variation among types within classes or subclasses is more pronounced. However, an integrative analysis revealed that numerous types are shared across species based on conserved gene expression programs that likely trace back to the common ancestor of jawed vertebrates. The degree of variation among types increases from the outer retina (photoreceptors) to the inner retina (RGCs), suggesting that evolution acts preferentially to shape the retinal output. Finally, we identified mammalian orthologs of midget RGCs, which comprise >80% of RGCs in the human retina, subserve high-acuity vision, and were believed to be primate-specific (Berson, 2008); in contrast, the mouse orthologs comprise <2% of mouse RGCs. Projections both primate and mouse orthologous types are overrepresented in the thalamus, which supplies the primary visual cortex. We suggest that midget RGCs are not primate innovations, but descendants of evolutionarily ancient types that decreased in size and increased in number as primates evolved, thereby facilitating high visual acuity and increased cortical processing of visual information.
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Affiliation(s)
- Joshua Hahn
- Department of Chemical and Biomolecular Engineering, University of California, Berkeley, Berkeley, CA 94720, USA
| | - Aboozar Monavarfeshani
- Department of Cellular and Molecular Biology, Center for Brain Science, Harvard University, MA 02138, USA
| | - Mu Qiao
- Division of Biology and Biological Engineering, California Institute of Technology, Pasadena, CA 91125, USA
| | - Allison Kao
- Department of Cellular and Molecular Biology, Center for Brain Science, Harvard University, MA 02138, USA
| | - Yvonne Kölsch
- Max Planck Institute for Biological Intelligence, Am Klopferspitz 18, 82152 Martinsried, Germany
| | - Ayush Kumar
- Department of Chemical and Biomolecular Engineering, University of California, Berkeley, Berkeley, CA 94720, USA
| | - Vincent P Kunze
- Retinal Neurophysiology Section, National Eye Institute, National Institutes of Health, Bethesda, MD 20892, USA
| | - Ashley M. Rasys
- Department of Cellular Biology, University of Georgia, Athens, GA 30602
| | - Rose Richardson
- Division of Neuroscience and Centre for Biological Timing, Faculty of Biology Medicine & Health, University of Manchester, Upper Brook Street, Manchester M13 9PT, UK
| | - Herwig Baier
- Max Planck Institute for Biological Intelligence, Am Klopferspitz 18, 82152 Martinsried, Germany
| | - Robert J. Lucas
- Division of Neuroscience and Centre for Biological Timing, Faculty of Biology Medicine & Health, University of Manchester, Upper Brook Street, Manchester M13 9PT, UK
| | - Wei Li
- Retinal Neurophysiology Section, National Eye Institute, National Institutes of Health, Bethesda, MD 20892, USA
| | - Markus Meister
- Division of Biology and Biological Engineering, California Institute of Technology, Pasadena, CA 91125, USA
| | - Joshua T. Trachtenberg
- Department of Neurobiology, David Geffen School of Medicine at UCLA, Los Angeles, CA 90095, USA
| | - Wenjun Yan
- Department of Cellular and Molecular Biology, Center for Brain Science, Harvard University, MA 02138, USA
| | - Yi-Rong Peng
- Department of Ophthalmology, Stein Eye Institute, UCLA David Geffen School of Medicine, Los Angeles, CA 90095 United States
| | - Joshua R. Sanes
- Department of Cellular and Molecular Biology, Center for Brain Science, Harvard University, MA 02138, USA
| | - Karthik Shekhar
- Department of Chemical and Biomolecular Engineering, University of California, Berkeley, Berkeley, CA 94720, USA
- Helen Wills Neuroscience Institute, Vision Science Graduate Group, Center for Computational Biology, Biophysics Graduate Group, California Institute of Quantitative Biosciences (QB3), University of California, Berkeley, Berkeley CA 94720, USA
- Faculty Scientist, Biological Systems and Engineering Division, Lawrence Berkeley National Laboratory, Berkeley, CA 94720, USA
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40
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Ge Y, Chen X, Nan N, Bard J, Wu F, Yergeau D, Liu T, Wang J, Mu X. Key transcription factors influence the epigenetic landscape to regulate retinal cell differentiation. Nucleic Acids Res 2023; 51:2151-2176. [PMID: 36715342 PMCID: PMC10018358 DOI: 10.1093/nar/gkad026] [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: 04/29/2022] [Revised: 01/05/2023] [Accepted: 01/09/2023] [Indexed: 01/31/2023] Open
Abstract
How the diverse neural cell types emerge from multipotent neural progenitor cells during central nervous system development remains poorly understood. Recent scRNA-seq studies have delineated the developmental trajectories of individual neural cell types in many neural systems including the neural retina. Further understanding of the formation of neural cell diversity requires knowledge about how the epigenetic landscape shifts along individual cell lineages and how key transcription factors regulate these changes. In this study, we dissect the changes in the epigenetic landscape during early retinal cell differentiation by scATAC-seq and identify globally the enhancers, enriched motifs, and potential interacting transcription factors underlying the cell state/type specific gene expression in individual lineages. Using CUT&Tag, we further identify the enhancers bound directly by four key transcription factors, Otx2, Atoh7, Pou4f2 and Isl1, including those dependent on Atoh7, and uncover the sequential and combinatorial interactions of these factors with the epigenetic landscape to control gene expression along individual retinal cell lineages such as retinal ganglion cells (RGCs). Our results reveal a general paradigm in which transcription factors collaborate and compete to regulate the emergence of distinct retinal cell types such as RGCs from multipotent retinal progenitor cells (RPCs).
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Affiliation(s)
- Yichen Ge
- Department of Ophthalmology/Ross Eye Institute, Jacobs School of Medicine and Biomedical Sciences, University at Buffalo, Buffalo, NY, USA
| | - Xushen Chen
- Department of Ophthalmology/Ross Eye Institute, Jacobs School of Medicine and Biomedical Sciences, University at Buffalo, Buffalo, NY, USA
| | - Nan Nan
- Department of Ophthalmology/Ross Eye Institute, Jacobs School of Medicine and Biomedical Sciences, University at Buffalo, Buffalo, NY, USA
- Department of Biostatistics, School of Public Health and Health Professions, University at Buffalo, Buffalo, NY, USA
| | - Jonathan Bard
- New York State Center of Excellence in Bioinformatics and Life Sciences, University at Buffalo, Buffalo, NY, USA
| | - Fuguo Wu
- Department of Ophthalmology/Ross Eye Institute, Jacobs School of Medicine and Biomedical Sciences, University at Buffalo, Buffalo, NY, USA
| | - Donald Yergeau
- New York State Center of Excellence in Bioinformatics and Life Sciences, University at Buffalo, Buffalo, NY, USA
| | - Tao Liu
- Department of Biostatistics & Bioinformatics, Roswell Park Comprehensive Cancer Center, Buffalo, NY, USA
| | - Jie Wang
- Correspondence may also be addressed to Jie Wang.
| | - Xiuqian Mu
- To whom correspondence should be addressed. Tel: +1 716 881 7463; Fax: +1 716 887 2991;
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Theune WC, Trakhtenberg EF. Transcriptomic profiling of retinal cells reveals a subpopulation of microglia/macrophages expressing Rbpms and Spp1 markers of retinal ganglion cells (RGCs) that confound identification of RGCs. BIORXIV : THE PREPRINT SERVER FOR BIOLOGY 2023:2023.01.23.525216. [PMID: 36747805 PMCID: PMC9900785 DOI: 10.1101/2023.01.23.525216] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 01/26/2023]
Abstract
Analysis of retinal ganglion cells (RGCs) by scRNA-seq is emerging as a state-of-the-art method for studying RGC biology and subtypes, as well as for studying the mechanisms of neuroprotection and axon regeneration in the central nervous system (CNS). Rbpms has been established as a pan-RGC marker, and Spp1 has been established as an αRGC type marker. Here, we analyzed by scRNA-seq retinal microglia and macrophages, and found Rbpms+ and Spp1+ subpopulations of retinal microglia/macrophages, which pose a potential pitfall in scRNA-seq studies involving RGCs. We performed comparative analysis of cellular identity of the presumed RGC cells isolated in recent scRNA-seq studies, and found that Rbpms+ and Spp1+ microglia/macrophages confounded identification of RGCs. We also provide solutions for circumventing this potential pitfall in scRNA-seq studies, by including in RGC and αRGC selection criteria other pan-RGC and αRGC markers.
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Affiliation(s)
- William C. Theune
- Department of Neuroscience, University of Connecticut School of Medicine, 263 Farmington Ave., Farmington, CT, 06030, USA
| | - Ephraim F. Trakhtenberg
- Department of Neuroscience, University of Connecticut School of Medicine, 263 Farmington Ave., Farmington, CT, 06030, USA
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Georges A, Lavergne A, Mandai M, Lepiemme F, Karim L, Demeulenaere L, Aguilar D, Schyns M, Nguyen L, Rakic JM, Takahashi M, Georges M, Takeda H. Comparing the transcriptome of developing native and iPSC-derived mouse retinae by single cell RNA sequencing. Sci Rep 2023; 13:1223. [PMID: 36681719 PMCID: PMC9867755 DOI: 10.1038/s41598-023-28429-y] [Citation(s) in RCA: 2] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 07/28/2022] [Accepted: 01/18/2023] [Indexed: 01/22/2023] Open
Abstract
We report the generation and analysis of single-cell RNA-Seq data (> 38,000 cells) from mouse native retinae and induced pluripotent stem cell (iPSC)-derived retinal organoids at four matched stages of development spanning the emergence of the major retinal cell types. We combine information from temporal sampling, visualization of 3D UMAP manifolds, pseudo-time and RNA velocity analyses, to show that iPSC-derived 3D retinal organoids broadly recapitulate the native developmental trajectories. However, we observe relaxation of spatial and temporal transcriptome control, premature emergence and dominance of photoreceptor precursor cells, and susceptibility of dynamically regulated pathways and transcription factors to culture conditions in retinal organoids. We demonstrate that genes causing human retinopathies are enriched in cell-type specifying genes and identify a subset of disease-causing genes with expression profiles that are highly conserved between human retinae and murine retinal organoids. This study provides a resource to the community that will be useful to assess and further improve protocols for ex vivo recapitulation and study of retinal development.
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Affiliation(s)
- Anouk Georges
- GIGA Stem Cells, GIGA Institute, University of Liège, Liège, Belgium
- Department of Ophthalmology, Faculty of Medicine and CHU University Hospital, University of Liège, Liège, Belgium
| | - Arnaud Lavergne
- GIGA Bioinformatics Platform, GIGA Institute, University of Liège, Liège, Belgium
| | - Michiko Mandai
- Laboratory for Retinal Regeneration, Center for Developmental Biology, RIKEN, Kobe, Japan
| | - Fanny Lepiemme
- GIGA Stem Cells, GIGA Institute, University of Liège, Liège, Belgium
| | - Latifa Karim
- GIGA Genomics Platform, GIGA Institute, University of Liège, Liège, Belgium
| | - Loic Demeulenaere
- Unit of Animal Genomics, GIGA Institute, University of Liège, Liège, Belgium
| | - Diego Aguilar
- Unit of Animal Genomics, GIGA Institute, University of Liège, Liège, Belgium
| | - Michael Schyns
- Digital Business, HEC Management School, University of Liège, Liège, Belgium
| | - Laurent Nguyen
- GIGA Stem Cells, GIGA Institute, University of Liège, Liège, Belgium
| | - Jean-Marie Rakic
- Department of Ophthalmology, Faculty of Medicine and CHU University Hospital, University of Liège, Liège, Belgium
| | - Masayo Takahashi
- Laboratory for Retinal Regeneration, Center for Biosystems Dynamics Research, RIKEN, Kobe, Japan
| | - Michel Georges
- Unit of Animal Genomics, GIGA Institute, University of Liège, Liège, Belgium.
| | - Haruko Takeda
- Unit of Animal Genomics, GIGA Institute, University of Liège, Liège, Belgium
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Nadal-Nicolás FM, Galindo-Romero C, Lucas-Ruiz F, Marsh-Amstrong N, Li W, Vidal-Sanz M, Agudo-Barriuso M. Pan-retinal ganglion cell markers in mice, rats, and rhesus macaques. Zool Res 2023; 44:226-248. [PMID: 36594396 PMCID: PMC9841181 DOI: 10.24272/j.issn.2095-8137.2022.308] [Citation(s) in RCA: 7] [Impact Index Per Article: 7.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 09/23/2022] [Accepted: 12/13/2022] [Indexed: 12/23/2022] Open
Abstract
Univocal identification of retinal ganglion cells (RGCs) is an essential prerequisite for studying their degeneration and neuroprotection. Before the advent of phenotypic markers, RGCs were normally identified using retrograde tracing of retinorecipient areas. This is an invasive technique, and its use is precluded in higher mammals such as monkeys. In the past decade, several RGC markers have been described. Here, we reviewed and analyzed the specificity of nine markers used to identify all or most RGCs, i.e., pan-RGC markers, in rats, mice, and macaques. The best markers in the three species in terms of specificity, proportion of RGCs labeled, and indicators of viability were BRN3A, expressed by vision-forming RGCs, and RBPMS, expressed by vision- and non-vision-forming RGCs. NEUN, often used to identify RGCs, was expressed by non-RGCs in the ganglion cell layer, and therefore was not RGC-specific. γ-SYN, TUJ1, and NF-L labeled the RGC axons, which impaired the detection of their somas in the central retina but would be good for studying RGC morphology. In rats, TUJ1 and NF-L were also expressed by non-RGCs. BM88, ERRβ, and PGP9.5 are rarely used as markers, but they identified most RGCs in the rats and macaques and ERRβ in mice. However, PGP9.5 was also expressed by non-RGCs in rats and macaques and BM88 and ERRβ were not suitable markers of viability.
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Affiliation(s)
- Francisco M Nadal-Nicolás
- Grupo de Oftalmología Experimental, Instituto Murciano de Investigación Biosanitaria Pascual Parrilla (IMIB), Murcia 30120, Spain
- Dpto. Oftalmología, Facultad de Medicina, Universidad de Murcia, Murcia 30120, Spain
- Retinal Neurophysiology Section, National Eye Institute, National Institutes of Health, Bethesda, Maryland 20892-2510, USA
| | - Caridad Galindo-Romero
- Grupo de Oftalmología Experimental, Instituto Murciano de Investigación Biosanitaria Pascual Parrilla (IMIB), Murcia 30120, Spain
- Dpto. Oftalmología, Facultad de Medicina, Universidad de Murcia, Murcia 30120, Spain
| | - Fernando Lucas-Ruiz
- Grupo de Oftalmología Experimental, Instituto Murciano de Investigación Biosanitaria Pascual Parrilla (IMIB), Murcia 30120, Spain
- Dpto. Oftalmología, Facultad de Medicina, Universidad de Murcia, Murcia 30120, Spain
| | - Nicholas Marsh-Amstrong
- Department of Ophthalmology and Vision Science, University of California, Davis, CA 95817, USA
| | - Wei Li
- Retinal Neurophysiology Section, National Eye Institute, National Institutes of Health, Bethesda, Maryland 20892-2510, USA
| | - Manuel Vidal-Sanz
- Grupo de Oftalmología Experimental, Instituto Murciano de Investigación Biosanitaria Pascual Parrilla (IMIB), Murcia 30120, Spain
- Dpto. Oftalmología, Facultad de Medicina, Universidad de Murcia, Murcia 30120, Spain. E-mail:
| | - Marta Agudo-Barriuso
- Grupo de Oftalmología Experimental, Instituto Murciano de Investigación Biosanitaria Pascual Parrilla (IMIB), Murcia 30120, Spain
- Dpto. Oftalmología, Facultad de Medicina, Universidad de Murcia, Murcia 30120, Spain. E-mail:
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44
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Wu S, Mo X. Optic Nerve Regeneration in Diabetic Retinopathy: Potentials and Challenges Ahead. Int J Mol Sci 2023; 24:ijms24021447. [PMID: 36674963 PMCID: PMC9865663 DOI: 10.3390/ijms24021447] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 11/13/2022] [Revised: 12/31/2022] [Accepted: 01/09/2023] [Indexed: 01/15/2023] Open
Abstract
Diabetic retinopathy (DR), the most common microvascular compilation of diabetes, is the leading cause of vision loss and blindness worldwide. Recent studies indicate that retinal neuron impairment occurs before any noticeable vascular changes in DR, and retinal ganglion cell (RGC) degeneration is one of the earliest signs. Axons of RGCs have little capacity to regenerate after injury, clinically leading the visual functional defects to become irreversible. In the past two decades, tremendous progress has been achieved to enable RGC axon regeneration in animal models of optic nerve injury, which holds promise for neural repair and visual restoration in DR. This review summarizes these advances and discusses the potential and challenges for developing optic nerve regeneration strategies treating DR.
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Affiliation(s)
| | - Xiaofen Mo
- Correspondence: ; Tel.: +86-021-64377134
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45
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Jacobi A, Tran NM. Defining Selective Neuronal Resilience and Identifying Targets for Neuroprotection and Axon Regeneration Using Single-Cell RNA Sequencing: Experimental Approaches. Methods Mol Biol 2023; 2636:1-18. [PMID: 36881292 DOI: 10.1007/978-1-0716-3012-9_1] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 04/14/2023]
Abstract
A prevalent feature among neurodegenerative conditions, including axonal injury, is that certain neuronal types are disproportionately affected, while others are more resilient. Identifying molecular features that separate resilient from susceptible populations could reveal potential targets for neuroprotection and axon regeneration. A powerful approach to resolve molecular differences across cell types is single-cell RNA-sequencing (scRNA-seq). scRNA-seq is a robustly scalable approach that enables the parallel sampling of gene expression across many individual cells. Here we present a systematic framework to apply scRNA-seq to track neuronal survival and gene expression changes following axonal injury. Our methods utilize the mouse retina because it is an experimentally accessible central nervous system tissue and its cell types have been comprehensively characterized by scRNA-seq. This chapter will focus on preparing retinal ganglion cells (RGCs) for scRNA-seq and pre-processing of sequencing results.
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Affiliation(s)
- Anne Jacobi
- Center for Brain Science and Department of Molecular and Cellular Biology, Harvard University, Cambridge, MA, USA
- F.M. Kirby Neurobiology Center, Department of Neurology, Boston Children's Hospital, Harvard Medical School, Boston, MA, USA
| | - Nicholas M Tran
- Center for Brain Science and Department of Molecular and Cellular Biology, Harvard University, Cambridge, MA, USA.
- Department of Molecular and Human Genetics, Baylor College of Medicine, Houston, TX, USA.
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46
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Whitney IE, Butrus S, Dyer MA, Rieke F, Sanes JR, Shekhar K. Vision-Dependent and -Independent Molecular Maturation of Mouse Retinal Ganglion Cells. Neuroscience 2023; 508:153-173. [PMID: 35870562 PMCID: PMC10809145 DOI: 10.1016/j.neuroscience.2022.07.013] [Citation(s) in RCA: 8] [Impact Index Per Article: 8.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 04/23/2022] [Revised: 06/20/2022] [Accepted: 07/13/2022] [Indexed: 01/17/2023]
Abstract
The development and connectivity of retinal ganglion cells (RGCs), the retina's sole output neurons, are patterned by activity-independent transcriptional programs and activity-dependent remodeling. To inventory the molecular correlates of these influences, we applied high-throughput single-cell RNA sequencing (scRNA-seq) to mouse RGCs at six embryonic and postnatal ages. We identified temporally regulated modules of genes that correlate with, and likely regulate, multiple phases of RGC development, ranging from differentiation and axon guidance to synaptic recognition and refinement. Some of these genes are expressed broadly while others, including key transcription factors and recognition molecules, are selectively expressed by one or a few of the 45 transcriptomically distinct types defined previously in adult mice. Next, we used these results as a foundation to analyze the transcriptomes of RGCs in mice lacking visual experience due to dark rearing from birth or to mutations that ablate either bipolar or photoreceptor cells. 98.5% of visually deprived (VD) RGCs could be unequivocally assigned to a single RGC type based on their transcriptional profiles, demonstrating that visual activity is dispensable for acquisition and maintenance of RGC type identity. However, visual deprivation significantly reduced the transcriptomic distinctions among RGC types, implying that activity is required for complete RGC maturation or maintenance. Consistent with this notion, transcriptomic alternations in VD RGCs significantly overlapped with gene modules found in developing RGCs. Our results provide a resource for mechanistic analyses of RGC differentiation and maturation, and for investigating the role of activity in these processes.
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Affiliation(s)
- Irene E Whitney
- Center for Brain Science and Department of Molecular and Cellular Biology, Harvard University, Cambridge, MA 02138, USA
| | - Salwan Butrus
- Department of Chemical and Biomolecular Engineering, University of California, Berkeley, CA 94720, USA
| | - Michael A Dyer
- Department of Developmental Neurobiology, St. Jude Children's Research Hospital, Memphis, TN 38105, USA
| | - Fred Rieke
- Department of Physiology and Biophysics, University of Washington, Seattle, WA 98195
| | - Joshua R Sanes
- Center for Brain Science and Department of Molecular and Cellular Biology, Harvard University, Cambridge, MA 02138, USA.
| | - Karthik Shekhar
- Center for Brain Science and Department of Molecular and Cellular Biology, Harvard University, Cambridge, MA 02138, USA; Department of Chemical and Biomolecular Engineering, University of California, Berkeley, CA 94720, USA; Broad Institute of Harvard and MIT, Cambridge, MA 02142, USA; Helen Wills Neuroscience Institute, California Institute for Quantitative Biosciences, QB3, Center for Computational Biology, University of California, Berkeley, CA 94720, USA; Biological Systems Division, Lawrence Berkeley National Laboratory, Berkeley, CA 94720, USA.
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47
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Lan YQ, Yu MB, Zhan ZY, Huang YR, Zhao LW, Quan YD, Li ZJ, Sun DF, Wu YL, Wu HY, Liu ZT, Wu KL. Use of a tissue clearing technique combined with retrograde trans-synaptic viral tracing to evaluate changes in mouse retinorecipient brain regions following optic nerve crush. Neural Regen Res 2023; 18:913-921. [DOI: 10.4103/1673-5374.353852] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/04/2022] Open
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48
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Kon T, Fukuta K, Chen Z, Kon-Nanjo K, Suzuki K, Ishikawa M, Tanaka H, Burgess SM, Noguchi H, Toyoda A, Omori Y. Single-cell transcriptomics of the goldfish retina reveals genetic divergence in the asymmetrically evolved subgenomes after allotetraploidization. Commun Biol 2022; 5:1404. [PMID: 36572749 PMCID: PMC9792465 DOI: 10.1038/s42003-022-04351-3] [Citation(s) in RCA: 2] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 04/24/2022] [Accepted: 12/08/2022] [Indexed: 12/28/2022] Open
Abstract
The recent whole-genome duplication (WGD) in goldfish (Carassius auratus) approximately 14 million years ago makes it a valuable model for studying gene evolution during the early stages after WGD. We analyzed the transcriptome of the goldfish retina at the level of single-cell (scRNA-seq) and open chromatin regions (scATAC-seq). We identified a group of genes that have undergone dosage selection, accounting for 5% of the total 11,444 ohnolog pairs. We also identified 306 putative sub/neo-functionalized ohnolog pairs that are likely to be under cell-type-specific genetic variation at single-cell resolution. Diversification in the expression patterns of several ohnolog pairs was observed in the retinal cell subpopulations. The single-cell level transcriptome analysis in this study uncovered the early stages of evolution in retinal cell of goldfish after WGD. Our results provide clues for understanding the relationship between the early stages of gene evolution after WGD and the evolution of diverse vertebrate retinal functions.
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Affiliation(s)
- Tetsuo Kon
- grid.419056.f0000 0004 1793 2541Laboratory of Functional Genomics, Graduate School of Bioscience, Nagahama Institute of Bioscience and Technology, Nagahama, Japan ,grid.10420.370000 0001 2286 1424Present Address: Department of Neurosciences and Developmental Biology, University of Vienna, Vienna, Austria
| | - Kentaro Fukuta
- grid.418987.b0000 0004 1764 2181Center for Genome Informatics, Joint Support-Center for Data Science Research, Research Organization of Information and Systems, Mishima, Japan
| | - Zelin Chen
- grid.280128.10000 0001 2233 9230Translational and Functional Genomics Branch, National Human Genome Research Institute, Bethesda, MD USA ,grid.9227.e0000000119573309Present Address: CAS Key Laboratory of Tropical Marine Bio-Resources and Ecology, South China Sea Institute of Oceanology, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Guangzhou, China
| | - Koto Kon-Nanjo
- grid.10420.370000 0001 2286 1424Department of Neurosciences and Developmental Biology, University of Vienna, Vienna, Austria
| | - Kota Suzuki
- Yatomi Station, Aichi Fisheries Research Institute, Yatomi, Japan
| | | | | | - Shawn M. Burgess
- grid.280128.10000 0001 2233 9230Translational and Functional Genomics Branch, National Human Genome Research Institute, Bethesda, MD USA
| | - Hideki Noguchi
- grid.418987.b0000 0004 1764 2181Center for Genome Informatics, Joint Support-Center for Data Science Research, Research Organization of Information and Systems, Mishima, Japan ,grid.288127.60000 0004 0466 9350Advanced Genomics Center, National Institute of Genetics, Mishima, Japan
| | - Atsushi Toyoda
- grid.288127.60000 0004 0466 9350Advanced Genomics Center, National Institute of Genetics, Mishima, Japan ,grid.288127.60000 0004 0466 9350Comparative Genomics Laboratory, National Institute of Genetics, Mishima, Japan
| | - Yoshihiro Omori
- grid.419056.f0000 0004 1793 2541Laboratory of Functional Genomics, Graduate School of Bioscience, Nagahama Institute of Bioscience and Technology, Nagahama, Japan
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Gallego-Ortega A, Norte-Muñoz M, Di Pierdomenico J, Avilés-Trigueros M, de la Villa P, Valiente-Soriano FJ, Vidal-Sanz M. Alpha retinal ganglion cells in pigmented mice retina: number and distribution. Front Neuroanat 2022; 16:1054849. [PMID: 36530520 PMCID: PMC9751430 DOI: 10.3389/fnana.2022.1054849] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 09/27/2022] [Accepted: 11/07/2022] [Indexed: 12/03/2022] Open
Abstract
Purpose: To identify and characterize numerically and topographically the population of alpha retinal ganglion cells (αRGCs) and their subtypes, the sustained-response ON-center αRGCs (ONs-αRGCs), which correspond to the type 4 intrinsically photosensitive RGCs (M4-ipRGCs), the transient-response ON-center αRGCs (ONt-αRGCs), the sustained-response OFF-center αRGCs (OFFs-αRGCs), and the transient-response OFF-center αRGCs (OFFt-αRGCs) in the adult pigmented mouse retina.Methods: The αRGC population and its subtypes were studied in flat-mounted retinas and radial sections immunodetected against non-phosphorylated high molecular weight neurofilament subunit (SMI-32) or osteopontin (OPN), two αRGCs pan-markers; Calbindin, expressed in ONs-αRGCs, and amacrines; T-box transcription factor T-brain 2 (Tbr2), a key transcriptional regulator for ipRGC development and maintenance, expressed in ipRGCs and GABA-displaced amacrine cells; OPN4, an anti-melanopsin antibody; or Brn3a and Brn3c, markers of RGCs. The total population of RGCs was counted automatically and αRGCs and its subtypes were counted manually, and color-coded neighborhood maps were used for their topographical representation.Results: The total mean number of αRGCs per retina is 2,252 ± 306 SMI32+αRGCs and 2,315 ± 175 OPN+αRGCs (n = 10), representing 5.08% and 5.22% of the total number of RGCs traced from the optic nerve, respectively. αRGCs are distributed throughout the retina, showing a higher density in the temporal hemiretina. ONs-αRGCs represent ≈36% [841 ± 110 cells (n = 10)] of all αRGCs and are located throughout the retina, with the highest density in the temporal region. ONt-αRGCs represent ≈34% [797 ± 146 cells (n = 10)] of all αRGCs and are mainly located in the central retinal region. OFF-αRGCs represent the remaining 32% of total αRGCs and are divided equally between OFFs-αRGCs and OFFt-αRGCs [363 ± 50 cells (n = 10) and 376 ± 36 cells (n = 10), respectively]. OFFs-αRGCs are mainly located in the supero-temporal peripheral region of the retina and OFFt-αRGCs in the mid-peripheral region of the retina, especially in the infero-temporal region.Conclusions: The combination of specific antibodies is a useful tool to identify and study αRGCs and their subtypes. αRGCs are distributed throughout the retina presenting higher density in the temporal area. The sustained ON and OFF response subtypes are mainly located in the periphery while the transient ON and OFF response subtypes are found in the central regions of the retina.
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Affiliation(s)
- Alejandro Gallego-Ortega
- Department of Ophthalmology, Instituto Murciano de Investigación Biosanitaria-Virgen de la Arrixaca (IMIB-Arrixaca), Universidad de Murcia, Murcia, Spain
| | - María Norte-Muñoz
- Department of Ophthalmology, Instituto Murciano de Investigación Biosanitaria-Virgen de la Arrixaca (IMIB-Arrixaca), Universidad de Murcia, Murcia, Spain
| | - Johnny Di Pierdomenico
- Department of Ophthalmology, Instituto Murciano de Investigación Biosanitaria-Virgen de la Arrixaca (IMIB-Arrixaca), Universidad de Murcia, Murcia, Spain
| | - Marcelino Avilés-Trigueros
- Department of Ophthalmology, Instituto Murciano de Investigación Biosanitaria-Virgen de la Arrixaca (IMIB-Arrixaca), Universidad de Murcia, Murcia, Spain
| | - Pedro de la Villa
- Department of Systems Biology, Laboratory of Visual Neurophysiology, School of Medicine and Health Sciences, University of Alcalá, Alcalá de Henares, Spain
- Instituto Ramón y Cajal de Investigación Sanitaria (IRYCIS), Hospital Ramón y Cajal, Madrid, Spain
| | - Francisco Javier Valiente-Soriano
- Department of Ophthalmology, Instituto Murciano de Investigación Biosanitaria-Virgen de la Arrixaca (IMIB-Arrixaca), Universidad de Murcia, Murcia, Spain
- *Correspondence: Manuel Vidal-Sanz Francisco Javier Valiente-Soriano
| | - Manuel Vidal-Sanz
- Department of Ophthalmology, Instituto Murciano de Investigación Biosanitaria-Virgen de la Arrixaca (IMIB-Arrixaca), Universidad de Murcia, Murcia, Spain
- *Correspondence: Manuel Vidal-Sanz Francisco Javier Valiente-Soriano
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50
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Somaiya RD, Stebbins K, Gingrich EC, Xie H, Campbell JN, Garcia ADR, Fox MA. Sonic hedgehog-dependent recruitment of GABAergic interneurons into the developing visual thalamus. eLife 2022; 11:e79833. [PMID: 36342840 PMCID: PMC9640189 DOI: 10.7554/elife.79833] [Citation(s) in RCA: 2] [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: 04/28/2022] [Accepted: 10/10/2022] [Indexed: 11/09/2022] Open
Abstract
Axons of retinal ganglion cells (RGCs) play critical roles in the development of inhibitory circuits in visual thalamus. We previously reported that RGC axons signal astrocytes to induce the expression of fibroblast growth factor 15 (FGF15), a motogen required for GABAergic interneuron migration into visual thalamus. However, how retinal axons induce thalamic astrocytes to generate Fgf15 and influence interneuron migration remains unknown. Here, we demonstrate that impairing RGC activity had little impact on interneuron recruitment into mouse visual thalamus. Instead, our data show that retinal-derived sonic hedgehog (SHH) is essential for interneuron recruitment. Specifically, we show that thalamus-projecting RGCs express SHH and thalamic astrocytes generate downstream components of SHH signaling. Deletion of RGC-derived SHH leads to a significant decrease in Fgf15 expression, as well as in the percentage of interneurons recruited into visual thalamus. Overall, our findings identify a morphogen-dependent neuron-astrocyte signaling mechanism essential for the migration of thalamic interneurons.
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Affiliation(s)
- Rachana Deven Somaiya
- Center for Neurobiology Research, Fralin Biomedical Research Institute at Virginia Tech CarilionRoanokeUnited States
- Graduate Program in Translational Biology, Medicine, and Health, Virginia TechBlacksburgUnited States
| | - Katelyn Stebbins
- Center for Neurobiology Research, Fralin Biomedical Research Institute at Virginia Tech CarilionRoanokeUnited States
- Graduate Program in Translational Biology, Medicine, and Health, Virginia TechBlacksburgUnited States
- Virginia Tech Carilion School of MedicineRoanokeUnited States
| | - Ellen C Gingrich
- Department of Biology, Drexel UniversityPhiladelphiaUnited States
- Department of Neurobiology and Anatomy, Drexel University College of MedicinePhiladelphiaUnited States
| | - Hehuang Xie
- Fralin Life Sciences Institute at Virginia TechBlacksburgUnited States
- School of Neuroscience, College of Science, Virginia TechBlacksburgUnited States
- Genetics, Bioinformatics and Computational Biology Program, Virginia TechBlacksburgUnited States
- Department of Biomedical Sciences and Pathobiology, Virginia–Maryland College of Veterinary MedicineBlacksburgUnited States
| | - John N Campbell
- Department of Biology, University of VirginiaCharlottesvilleUnited States
- Neuroscience Graduate Program, University of VirginiaCharlottesvilleUnited States
| | - A Denise R Garcia
- Department of Biology, Drexel UniversityPhiladelphiaUnited States
- Department of Neurobiology and Anatomy, Drexel University College of MedicinePhiladelphiaUnited States
| | - Michael A Fox
- Center for Neurobiology Research, Fralin Biomedical Research Institute at Virginia Tech CarilionRoanokeUnited States
- School of Neuroscience, College of Science, Virginia TechBlacksburgUnited States
- Department of Biological Sciences, College of Science, Virginia TechBlacksburgUnited States
- Department of Pediatrics, Virginia Tech Carilion School of MedicineRoanokeUnited States
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