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Wang L, Yang Z, Satoshi F, Prasanna X, Yan Z, Vihinen H, Chen Y, Zhao Y, He X, Bu Q, Li H, Zhao Y, Jiang L, Qin F, Dai Y, Zhang N, Qin M, Kuang W, Zhao Y, Jokitalo E, Vattulainen I, Kajander T, Zhao H, Cen X. Membrane remodeling by FAM92A1 during brain development regulates neuronal morphology, synaptic function, and cognition. Nat Commun 2024; 15:6209. [PMID: 39043703 PMCID: PMC11266426 DOI: 10.1038/s41467-024-50565-w] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 09/18/2023] [Accepted: 07/12/2024] [Indexed: 07/25/2024] Open
Abstract
The Bin/Amphiphysin/Rvs (BAR) domain protein FAM92A1 is a multifunctional protein engaged in regulating mitochondrial ultrastructure and ciliogenesis, but its physiological role in the brain remains unclear. Here, we show that FAM92A1 is expressed in neurons starting from embryonic development. FAM92A1 knockout in mice results in altered brain morphology and age-associated cognitive deficits, potentially due to neuronal degeneration and disrupted synaptic plasticity. Specifically, FAM92A1 deficiency impairs diverse neuronal membrane morphology, including the mitochondrial inner membrane, myelin sheath, and synapses, indicating its roles in membrane remodeling and maintenance. By determining the crystal structure of the FAM92A1 BAR domain, combined with atomistic molecular dynamics simulations, we uncover that FAM92A1 interacts with phosphoinositide- and cardiolipin-containing membranes to induce lipid-clustering and membrane curvature. Altogether, these findings reveal the physiological role of FAM92A1 in the brain, highlighting its impact on synaptic plasticity and neural function through the regulation of membrane remodeling and endocytic processes.
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Affiliation(s)
- Liang Wang
- Mental Health Center and National Chengdu Center for Safety Evaluation of Drugs, State Key Laboratory of Biotherapy, West China Hospital of Sichuan University, Chengdu, 610041, China
- Faculty of Biological and Environmental Sciences, University of Helsinki, 00014, Helsinki, Finland
| | - Ziyun Yang
- Mental Health Center and National Chengdu Center for Safety Evaluation of Drugs, State Key Laboratory of Biotherapy, West China Hospital of Sichuan University, Chengdu, 610041, China
| | - Fudo Satoshi
- Helsinki Institute of Life Science - Institute of Biotechnology, University of Helsinki, Helsinki, Finland
| | - Xavier Prasanna
- Department of Physics, University of Helsinki, Helsinki, Finland
| | - Ziyi Yan
- Faculty of Biological and Environmental Sciences, University of Helsinki, 00014, Helsinki, Finland
| | - Helena Vihinen
- Helsinki Institute of Life Science (HiLIFE) - Institute of Biotechnology, University of Helsinki, Helsinki, Finland
| | - Yaxing Chen
- Mental Health Center and National Chengdu Center for Safety Evaluation of Drugs, State Key Laboratory of Biotherapy, West China Hospital of Sichuan University, Chengdu, 610041, China
| | - Yue Zhao
- Mental Health Center and National Chengdu Center for Safety Evaluation of Drugs, State Key Laboratory of Biotherapy, West China Hospital of Sichuan University, Chengdu, 610041, China
| | - Xiumei He
- Mental Health Center and National Chengdu Center for Safety Evaluation of Drugs, State Key Laboratory of Biotherapy, West China Hospital of Sichuan University, Chengdu, 610041, China
- School of Life Sciences, Guangxi Normal University, Guilin, China
- Guangxi Universities Key Laboratory of Stem Cell and Biopharmaceutical Technology, Guangxi Normal University, Guilin, 541004, China
| | - Qian Bu
- Mental Health Center and National Chengdu Center for Safety Evaluation of Drugs, State Key Laboratory of Biotherapy, West China Hospital of Sichuan University, Chengdu, 610041, China
| | - Hongchun Li
- Mental Health Center and National Chengdu Center for Safety Evaluation of Drugs, State Key Laboratory of Biotherapy, West China Hospital of Sichuan University, Chengdu, 610041, China
| | - Ying Zhao
- Mental Health Center and National Chengdu Center for Safety Evaluation of Drugs, State Key Laboratory of Biotherapy, West China Hospital of Sichuan University, Chengdu, 610041, China
| | - Linhong Jiang
- Mental Health Center and National Chengdu Center for Safety Evaluation of Drugs, State Key Laboratory of Biotherapy, West China Hospital of Sichuan University, Chengdu, 610041, China
| | - Feng Qin
- Mental Health Center and National Chengdu Center for Safety Evaluation of Drugs, State Key Laboratory of Biotherapy, West China Hospital of Sichuan University, Chengdu, 610041, China
| | - Yanping Dai
- Mental Health Center and National Chengdu Center for Safety Evaluation of Drugs, State Key Laboratory of Biotherapy, West China Hospital of Sichuan University, Chengdu, 610041, China
| | - Ni Zhang
- Mental Health Center, West China Hospital, Sichuan University, Chengdu, Sichuan, 610041, China
| | - Meng Qin
- Mental Health Center and National Chengdu Center for Safety Evaluation of Drugs, State Key Laboratory of Biotherapy, West China Hospital of Sichuan University, Chengdu, 610041, China
| | - Weihong Kuang
- Mental Health Center, West China Hospital, Sichuan University, Chengdu, Sichuan, 610041, China
| | - Yinglan Zhao
- Mental Health Center and National Chengdu Center for Safety Evaluation of Drugs, State Key Laboratory of Biotherapy, West China Hospital of Sichuan University, Chengdu, 610041, China
| | - Eija Jokitalo
- Helsinki Institute of Life Science (HiLIFE) - Institute of Biotechnology, University of Helsinki, Helsinki, Finland
| | - Ilpo Vattulainen
- Department of Physics, University of Helsinki, Helsinki, Finland
| | - Tommi Kajander
- Helsinki Institute of Life Science - Institute of Biotechnology, University of Helsinki, Helsinki, Finland
| | - Hongxia Zhao
- Faculty of Biological and Environmental Sciences, University of Helsinki, 00014, Helsinki, Finland.
- School of Life Sciences, Guangxi Normal University, Guilin, China.
- Guangxi Universities Key Laboratory of Stem Cell and Biopharmaceutical Technology, Guangxi Normal University, Guilin, 541004, China.
| | - Xiaobo Cen
- Mental Health Center and National Chengdu Center for Safety Evaluation of Drugs, State Key Laboratory of Biotherapy, West China Hospital of Sichuan University, Chengdu, 610041, China.
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2
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Herrera ML, Paraíso-Luna J, Bustos-Martínez I, Barco Á. Targeting epigenetic dysregulation in autism spectrum disorders. Trends Mol Med 2024:S1471-4914(24)00162-X. [PMID: 38971705 DOI: 10.1016/j.molmed.2024.06.004] [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: 03/10/2024] [Revised: 06/08/2024] [Accepted: 06/10/2024] [Indexed: 07/08/2024]
Abstract
Autism spectrum disorders (ASD) comprise a range of neurodevelopmental pathologies characterized by deficits in social interaction and repetitive behaviors, collectively affecting almost 1% of the worldwide population. Deciphering the etiology of ASD has proven challenging due to the intricate interplay of genetic and environmental factors and the variety of molecular pathways affected. Epigenomic alterations have emerged as key players in ASD etiology. Their research has led to the identification of biomarkers for diagnosis and pinpointed specific gene targets for therapeutic interventions. This review examines the role of epigenetic alterations, resulting from both genetic and environmental influences, as a central causative factor in ASD, delving into its contribution to pathogenesis and treatment strategies.
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Affiliation(s)
- Macarena L Herrera
- Instituto de Neurociencias (Universidad Miguel Hernández - Consejo Superior de Investigaciones Científicas), Av. Santiago Ramón y Cajal s/n, Sant Joan d'Alacant, 03550 Alicante, Spain
| | - Juan Paraíso-Luna
- Instituto de Neurociencias (Universidad Miguel Hernández - Consejo Superior de Investigaciones Científicas), Av. Santiago Ramón y Cajal s/n, Sant Joan d'Alacant, 03550 Alicante, Spain
| | - Isabel Bustos-Martínez
- Instituto de Neurociencias (Universidad Miguel Hernández - Consejo Superior de Investigaciones Científicas), Av. Santiago Ramón y Cajal s/n, Sant Joan d'Alacant, 03550 Alicante, Spain
| | - Ángel Barco
- Instituto de Neurociencias (Universidad Miguel Hernández - Consejo Superior de Investigaciones Científicas), Av. Santiago Ramón y Cajal s/n, Sant Joan d'Alacant, 03550 Alicante, Spain.
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3
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Räsänen N, Tiihonen J, Koskuvi M, Lehtonen Š, Jalkanen N, Karmila N, Weert I, Vaurio O, Ojansuu I, Lähteenvuo M, Pietiläinen O, Koistinaho J. Astrocytes Regulate Neuronal Network Burst Frequency Through NMDA Receptors in a Species- and Donor-Specific Manner. BIOLOGICAL PSYCHIATRY GLOBAL OPEN SCIENCE 2024; 4:100313. [PMID: 38706704 PMCID: PMC11067005 DOI: 10.1016/j.bpsgos.2024.100313] [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: 02/15/2024] [Revised: 03/03/2024] [Accepted: 03/25/2024] [Indexed: 05/07/2024] Open
Abstract
Background Development of synaptic activity is a key neuronal characteristic that relies largely on interactions between neurons and astrocytes. Although astrocytes have known roles in regulating synaptic function and malfunction, the use of human- or donor-specific astrocytes in disease models is still rare. Rodent astrocytes are routinely used to enhance neuronal activity in cell cultures, but less is known about how human astrocytes influence neuronal activity. Methods We established human induced pluripotent stem cell-derived neuron-astrocyte cocultures and studied their functional development on microelectrode array. We used cell lines from 5 neurotypical control individuals and 3 pairs of monozygotic twins discordant for schizophrenia. A method combining NGN2 overexpression and dual SMAD inhibition was used for neuronal differentiation. The neurons were cocultured with human induced pluripotent stem cell-derived astrocytes differentiated from 6-month-old astrospheres or rat astrocytes. Results We found that the human induced pluripotent stem cell-derived cocultures developed complex network bursting activity similar to neuronal cocultures with rat astrocytes. However, the effect of NMDA receptors on neuronal network burst frequency (NBF) differed between cocultures containing human or rat astrocytes. By using cocultures derived from patients with schizophrenia and unaffected individuals, we found lowered NBF in the affected cells. We continued by demonstrating how astrocytes from an unaffected individual rescued the lowered NBF in the affected neurons by increasing NMDA receptor activity. Conclusions Our results indicate that astrocytes participate in the regulation of neuronal NBF through a mechanism that involves NMDA receptors. These findings shed light on the importance of using human and donor-specific astrocytes in disease modeling.
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Affiliation(s)
- Noora Räsänen
- Neuroscience Center, University of Helsinki, Helsinki, Finland
| | - Jari Tiihonen
- Neuroscience Center, University of Helsinki, Helsinki, Finland
- Department of Clinical Neuroscience, Karolinska Institutet, and Center for Psychiatric Research, Stockholm City Council, Stockholm, Sweden
- AI Virtanen Institute for Molecular Sciences, University of Eastern Finland, Kuopio, Finland
- Department of Forensic Psychiatry, University of Eastern Finland, Niuvanniemi Hospital, Kuopio, Finland
| | - Marja Koskuvi
- Neuroscience Center, University of Helsinki, Helsinki, Finland
- Department of Clinical Neuroscience, Karolinska Institutet, and Center for Psychiatric Research, Stockholm City Council, Stockholm, Sweden
- AI Virtanen Institute for Molecular Sciences, University of Eastern Finland, Kuopio, Finland
| | - Šárka Lehtonen
- Neuroscience Center, University of Helsinki, Helsinki, Finland
- AI Virtanen Institute for Molecular Sciences, University of Eastern Finland, Kuopio, Finland
| | - Nelli Jalkanen
- Neuroscience Center, University of Helsinki, Helsinki, Finland
| | - Nelli Karmila
- Neuroscience Center, University of Helsinki, Helsinki, Finland
| | - Isabelle Weert
- Neuroscience Center, University of Helsinki, Helsinki, Finland
| | - Olli Vaurio
- Department of Forensic Psychiatry, University of Eastern Finland, Niuvanniemi Hospital, Kuopio, Finland
| | - Ilkka Ojansuu
- Department of Forensic Psychiatry, University of Eastern Finland, Niuvanniemi Hospital, Kuopio, Finland
| | - Markku Lähteenvuo
- Department of Forensic Psychiatry, University of Eastern Finland, Niuvanniemi Hospital, Kuopio, Finland
| | | | - Jari Koistinaho
- Helsinki Institute of Life Science, University of Helsinki, Helsinki, Finland
- Drug Research Program, Division of Pharmacology and Pharmacotherapy, University of Helsinki, FI, Helsinki, Finland
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Morison LD, Kennis MGP, Rots D, Bouman A, Kummeling J, Palmer E, Vogel AP, Liegeois F, Brignell A, Srivastava S, Frazier Z, Milnes D, Goel H, Amor DJ, Scheffer IE, Kleefstra T, Morgan AT. Expanding the phenotype of Kleefstra syndrome: speech, language and cognition in 103 individuals. J Med Genet 2024; 61:578-585. [PMID: 38290825 PMCID: PMC11148766 DOI: 10.1136/jmg-2023-109702] [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: 10/19/2023] [Accepted: 01/18/2024] [Indexed: 02/01/2024]
Abstract
OBJECTIVES Speech and language impairments are core features of the neurodevelopmental genetic condition Kleefstra syndrome. Communication has not been systematically examined to guide intervention recommendations. We define the speech, language and cognitive phenotypic spectrum in a large cohort of individuals with Kleefstra syndrome. METHOD 103 individuals with Kleefstra syndrome (40 males, median age 9.5 years, range 1-43 years) with pathogenic variants (52 9q34.3 deletions, 50 intragenic variants, 1 balanced translocation) were included. Speech, language and non-verbal communication were assessed. Cognitive, health and neurodevelopmental data were obtained. RESULTS The cognitive spectrum ranged from average intelligence (12/79, 15%) to severe intellectual disability (12/79, 15%). Language ability also ranged from average intelligence (10/90, 11%) to severe intellectual disability (53/90, 59%). Speech disorders occurred in 48/49 (98%) verbal individuals and even occurred alongside average language and cognition. Developmental regression occurred in 11/80 (14%) individuals across motor, language and psychosocial domains. Communication aids, such as sign and speech-generating devices, were crucial for 61/103 (59%) individuals including those who were minimally verbal, had a speech disorder or following regression. CONCLUSIONS The speech, language and cognitive profile of Kleefstra syndrome is broad, ranging from severe impairment to average ability. Genotype and age do not explain the phenotypic variability. Early access to communication aids may improve communication and quality of life.
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Affiliation(s)
- Lottie D Morison
- Speech and Language, Murdoch Children's Research Institute, Parkville, Victoria, Australia
- Department of Audiology and Speech Pathology, The University of Melbourne, Melbourne, Victoria, Australia
| | - Milou G P Kennis
- Department of Clinical Genetics, Radboudumc, Nijmegen, Netherlands
| | - Dmitrijs Rots
- Department of Clinical Genetics, Erasmus MC, Rotterdam, Netherlands
| | - Arianne Bouman
- Department of Clinical Genetics, Radboudumc, Nijmegen, Netherlands
| | - Joost Kummeling
- Department of Clinical Genetics, Radboudumc, Nijmegen, Netherlands
| | - Elizabeth Palmer
- Sydney Children's Hospital Network, Randwick, New South Wales, Australia
- Discipline of Paediatrics and Child Health, Faculty of Medicine and Health, University of New South Wales, Sydney, New South Wales, Australia
| | - Adam P Vogel
- Department of Audiology and Speech Pathology, The University of Melbourne, Melbourne, Victoria, Australia
- Redenlab, Melbourne, Victoria, Australia
| | - Frederique Liegeois
- Great Ormond Street Institute of Child Health, University College London, London, UK
| | - Amanda Brignell
- Department of Paediatrics, Monash University, Clayton, Victoria, Australia
- Department of Developmental Paediatrics, Monash Children's Hospital, Clayton, Victoria, Australia
| | | | - Zoe Frazier
- Department of Neurology, Boston Children's Hospital, Boston, Massachusetts, USA
| | - Di Milnes
- Genetic Health Queensland, Herston, Queensland, Australia
| | - Himanshu Goel
- Hunter Genetics, Waratah, New South Wales, Australia
| | - David J Amor
- Speech and Language, Murdoch Children's Research Institute, Parkville, Victoria, Australia
- Department of Paediatrics, Royal Children's Hospital, Parkville, Victoria, Australia
| | - Ingrid E Scheffer
- Melbourne Brain Centre, Austin Health, Heidelberg, Victoria, Australia
- The Florey Institute of Neuroscience and Mental Health, Parkville, Victoria, Australia
| | - Tjitske Kleefstra
- Department of Clinical Genetics, Radboudumc, Nijmegen, Netherlands
- Department of Clinical Genetics, Erasmus MC, Rotterdam, Netherlands
| | - Angela T Morgan
- Speech and Language, Murdoch Children's Research Institute, Parkville, Victoria, Australia
- Department of Audiology and Speech Pathology, The University of Melbourne, Melbourne, Victoria, Australia
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5
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Cerina M, Levers M, Keller JM, Frega M. Neuroprotective role of lactate in a human in vitro model of the ischemic penumbra. Sci Rep 2024; 14:7973. [PMID: 38575687 PMCID: PMC10994928 DOI: 10.1038/s41598-024-58669-5] [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: 11/21/2023] [Accepted: 04/02/2024] [Indexed: 04/06/2024] Open
Abstract
In patients suffering from cerebral ischemic stroke, there is an urgent need for treatments to protect stressed yet viable brain cells. Recently, treatment strategies that induce neuronal activity have been shown to be neuroprotective. Here, we hypothesized that neuronal activation might maintain or trigger the astrocyte-to-neuron lactate shuttle (ANLS), whereby lactate is released from astrocytes to support the energy requirements of ATP-starved hypoxic neurons, and this leads to the observed neuroprotection. We tested this by using a human cell based in vitro model of the ischemic penumbra and investigating whether lactate might be neuroprotective in this setting. We found that lactate transporters are involved in the neuroprotective effect mediated by neuronal activation. Furthermore, we showed that lactate exogenously administered before hypoxia correlated with neuroprotection in our cellular model. In addition, stimulation of astrocyte with consequent endogenous production of lactate resulted in neuroprotection. To conclude, here we presented evidence that lactate transport into neurons contributes to neuroprotection during hypoxia providing a potential basis for therapeutic approaches in ischemic stroke.
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Affiliation(s)
- Marta Cerina
- Department of Clinical Neurophysiology, University of Twente, 7522 NB, Enschede, The Netherlands
- Department of Biotechnology and Biosciences, University of Milano-Bicocca, piazza della Scienza 2, 20126, Milan, Italy
| | - Marloes Levers
- Department of Clinical Neurophysiology, University of Twente, 7522 NB, Enschede, The Netherlands
| | - Jason M Keller
- Department of Human Genetics, Radboudumc, Donders Institute for Brain, Cognition, and Behaviour, 6500 HB, Nijmegen, The Netherlands
| | - Monica Frega
- Department of Clinical Neurophysiology, University of Twente, 7522 NB, Enschede, The Netherlands.
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6
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Parodi G, Zanini G, Chiappalone M, Martinoia S. Electrical and chemical modulation of homogeneous and heterogeneous human-iPSCs-derived neuronal networks on high density arrays. Front Mol Neurosci 2024; 17:1304507. [PMID: 38380114 PMCID: PMC10877635 DOI: 10.3389/fnmol.2024.1304507] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 09/29/2023] [Accepted: 01/15/2024] [Indexed: 02/22/2024] Open
Abstract
The delicate "Excitatory/Inhibitory balance" between neurons holds significance in neurodegenerative and neurodevelopmental diseases. With the ultimate goal of creating a faithful in vitro model of the human brain, in this study, we investigated the critical factor of heterogeneity, focusing on the interplay between excitatory glutamatergic (E) and inhibitory GABAergic (I) neurons in neural networks. We used high-density Micro-Electrode Arrays (MEA) with 2304 recording electrodes to investigate two neuronal culture configurations: 100% glutamatergic (100E) and 75% glutamatergic / 25% GABAergic (75E25I) neurons. This allowed us to comprehensively characterize the spontaneous electrophysiological activity exhibited by mature cultures at 56 Days in vitro, a time point in which the GABA shift has already occurred. We explored the impact of heterogeneity also through electrical stimulation, revealing that the 100E configuration responded reliably, while the 75E25I required more parameter tuning for improved responses. Chemical stimulation with BIC showed an increase in terms of firing and bursting activity only in the 75E25I condition, while APV and CNQX induced significant alterations on both dynamics and functional connectivity. Our findings advance understanding of diverse neuron interactions and their role in network activity, offering insights for potential therapeutic interventions in neurological conditions. Overall, this work contributes to the development of a valuable human-based in vitro system for studying physiological and pathological conditions, emphasizing the pivotal role of neuron diversity in neural network dynamics.
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Affiliation(s)
| | | | | | - Sergio Martinoia
- Department of Informatics, Bioengineering, Robotics, and Systems Engineering (DIBRIS), University of Genova, Genoa, Italy
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7
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Voogd EJHF, Doorn N, Levers MR, Hofmeijer J, Frega M. Degree of differentiation impacts neurobiological signature and resistance to hypoxia of SH-SY5Y cells. J Neural Eng 2024; 20:066038. [PMID: 38128130 DOI: 10.1088/1741-2552/ad17f3] [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: 06/01/2023] [Accepted: 12/21/2023] [Indexed: 12/23/2023]
Abstract
Objective.SH-SY5Y cells are valuable neuronalin vitromodels for studying patho-mechanisms and treatment targets in brain disorders due to their easy maintenance, rapid expansion, and low costs. However, the use of various degrees of differentiation hampers appreciation of results and may limit the translation of findings to neurons or the brain. Here, we studied the neurobiological signatures of SH-SY5Y cells in terms of morphology, expression of neuronal markers, and functionality at various degrees of differentiation, as well as their resistance to hypoxia. We compared these to neurons derived from human induced pluripotent stem cells (hiPSCs), a well-characterized neuronalin vitromodel.Approach.We cultured SH-SY5Y cells and neurons derived from hiPSCs on glass coverslips or micro-electrode arrays. We studied expression of mature neuronal markers, electrophysiological activity, and sensitivity to hypoxia at various degrees of differentiation (one day up to three weeks) in SH-SY5Y cells. We used hiPSC derived neurons as a reference.Main results.Undifferentiated and shortly differentiated SH-SY5Y cells lacked neuronal characteristics. Expression of neuronal markers and formation of synaptic puncta increased during differentiation. Longer differentiation was associated with lower resistance to hypoxia. At three weeks of differentiation, MAP2 expression and vulnerability to hypoxia were similar to hiPSC-derived neurons, while the number of synaptic puncta and detected events were significantly lower. Our results show that at least three weeks of differentiation are necessary to obtain neurobiological signatures that are comparable to those of hiPSC-derived neurons, as well as similar sensitivities to metabolic stress. Significance.This indicates that extended differentiation protocols should be used to study neuronal characteristics and to model brain disorders with SH-SY5Y cells. We provided insights that may offer the basis for the utilization of SH-SY5Y cells as a more relevant neuronal model in the study of brain disorders.
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Affiliation(s)
- E J H F Voogd
- Department of Clinical Neurophysiology, University of Twente, 7522 NB Enschede, The Netherlands
| | - N Doorn
- Department of Clinical Neurophysiology, University of Twente, 7522 NB Enschede, The Netherlands
| | - M R Levers
- Department of Clinical Neurophysiology, University of Twente, 7522 NB Enschede, The Netherlands
| | - J Hofmeijer
- Department of Clinical Neurophysiology, University of Twente, 7522 NB Enschede, The Netherlands
- Department of Neurology, Rijnstate Hospital, Arnhem, The Netherlands
| | - M Frega
- Department of Clinical Neurophysiology, University of Twente, 7522 NB Enschede, The Netherlands
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8
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van Berkel AA, Lammertse HCA, Öttl M, Koopmans F, Misra-Isrie M, Meijer M, Dilena R, van Hasselt PM, Engelen M, van Haelst M, Smit AB, van der Sluis S, Toonen RF, Verhage M. Reduced MUNC18-1 Levels, Synaptic Proteome Changes, and Altered Network Activity in STXBP1-Related Disorder Patient Neurons. BIOLOGICAL PSYCHIATRY GLOBAL OPEN SCIENCE 2024; 4:284-298. [PMID: 38298782 PMCID: PMC10829628 DOI: 10.1016/j.bpsgos.2023.05.004] [Citation(s) in RCA: 1] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 08/04/2022] [Revised: 05/06/2023] [Accepted: 05/14/2023] [Indexed: 02/02/2024] Open
Abstract
Background STXBP1-related disorder (STXBP1-RD) is a neurodevelopmental disorder caused by pathogenic variants in the STXBP1 gene. Its gene product MUNC18-1 organizes synaptic vesicle exocytosis and is essential for synaptic transmission. Patients present with developmental delay, intellectual disability, and/or epileptic seizures, with high clinical heterogeneity. To date, the cellular deficits of neurons of patients with STXBP1-RD are unknown. Methods We combined live-cell imaging, electrophysiology, confocal microscopy, and mass spectrometry proteomics to characterize cellular phenotypes of induced pluripotent stem cell-derived neurons from 6 patients with STXBP1-RD, capturing shared features as well as phenotypic diversity among patients. Results Neurons from all patients showed normal in vitro development, morphology, and synapse formation, but reduced MUNC18-1 RNA and protein levels. In addition, a proteome-wide screen identified dysregulation of proteins related to synapse function and RNA processes. Neuronal networks showed shared as well as patient-specific phenotypes in activity frequency, network irregularity, and synchronicity, especially when networks were challenged by increasing excitability. No shared effects were observed in synapse physiology of single neurons except for a few patient-specific phenotypes. Similarities between functional and proteome phenotypes suggested 2 patient clusters, not explained by gene variant type. Conclusions Together, these data show that decreased MUNC18-1 levels, dysregulation of synaptic proteins, and altered network activity are shared cellular phenotypes of STXBP1-RD. The 2 patient clusters suggest distinctive pathobiology among subgroups of patients, providing a plausible explanation for the clinical heterogeneity. This phenotypic spectrum provides a framework for future validation studies and therapy design for STXBP1-RD.
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Affiliation(s)
- Annemiek Arienne van Berkel
- Department of Functional Genomics, Center for Neurogenomics and Cognitive Research, Vrije Universiteit Amsterdam, Amsterdam, the Netherlands
- Functional Genomics, Department of Human Genetics, Center for Neurogenomics and Cognitive Research, Amsterdam Universitair Medische Centra, Amsterdam, the Netherlands
| | - Hanna Charlotte Andrea Lammertse
- Department of Functional Genomics, Center for Neurogenomics and Cognitive Research, Vrije Universiteit Amsterdam, Amsterdam, the Netherlands
- Functional Genomics, Department of Human Genetics, Center for Neurogenomics and Cognitive Research, Amsterdam Universitair Medische Centra, Amsterdam, the Netherlands
| | - Miriam Öttl
- Department of Functional Genomics, Center for Neurogenomics and Cognitive Research, Vrije Universiteit Amsterdam, Amsterdam, the Netherlands
| | - Frank Koopmans
- Department of Functional Genomics, Center for Neurogenomics and Cognitive Research, Vrije Universiteit Amsterdam, Amsterdam, the Netherlands
- Department of Molecular and Cellular Neurobiology, Center for Neurogenomics and Cognitive Research, Vrije Universiteit Amsterdam, Amsterdam, the Netherlands
| | - Mala Misra-Isrie
- Functional Genomics, Department of Human Genetics, Center for Neurogenomics and Cognitive Research, Amsterdam Universitair Medische Centra, Amsterdam, the Netherlands
- Department of Human Genetics, Clinical Genetics Section, Amsterdam University Medical Center, Amsterdam, the Netherlands
| | - Marieke Meijer
- Functional Genomics, Department of Human Genetics, Center for Neurogenomics and Cognitive Research, Amsterdam Universitair Medische Centra, Amsterdam, the Netherlands
| | - Robertino Dilena
- Clinical Neurophysiology Unit, Fondazione Istituto di Ricovero e Cura a Carattere Scientifico (IRCCS) Ca’ Granda Ospedale Maggiore Policlinico, Milan, Italy
| | - Peter Marin van Hasselt
- Department of Metabolic Diseases, Division of Pediatrics, Wilhelmina Children’s Hospital, University Medical Center Utrecht, Utrecht, the Netherlands
| | - Marc Engelen
- Department of (Pediatric) Neurology, Amsterdam Universitair Medische Centra, Amsterdam, the Netherlands
| | - Mieke van Haelst
- Department of Human Genetics, Clinical Genetics Section, Amsterdam University Medical Center, Amsterdam, the Netherlands
| | - August Benjamin Smit
- Department of Molecular and Cellular Neurobiology, Center for Neurogenomics and Cognitive Research, Vrije Universiteit Amsterdam, Amsterdam, the Netherlands
| | - Sophie van der Sluis
- Department of Complex Trait Genetics, Center for Neurogenomics and Cognitive Research, Vrije Universiteit Amsterdam, Amsterdam, the Netherlands
- Department of Child and Adolescence Psychiatry, Section of Complex Trait Genetics, Amsterdam Universitair Medische Centra, Amsterdam, the Netherlands
| | - Ruud Franciscus Toonen
- Department of Functional Genomics, Center for Neurogenomics and Cognitive Research, Vrije Universiteit Amsterdam, Amsterdam, the Netherlands
| | - Matthijs Verhage
- Department of Functional Genomics, Center for Neurogenomics and Cognitive Research, Vrije Universiteit Amsterdam, Amsterdam, the Netherlands
- Functional Genomics, Department of Human Genetics, Center for Neurogenomics and Cognitive Research, Amsterdam Universitair Medische Centra, Amsterdam, the Netherlands
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Lomeli C. S, Kristin B. A. Epigenetic regulation of craniofacial development and disease. Birth Defects Res 2024; 116:e2271. [PMID: 37964651 PMCID: PMC10872612 DOI: 10.1002/bdr2.2271] [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: 06/29/2023] [Revised: 10/13/2023] [Accepted: 10/24/2023] [Indexed: 11/16/2023]
Abstract
BACKGROUND The formation of the craniofacial complex relies on proper neural crest development. The gene regulatory networks (GRNs) and signaling pathways orchestrating this process have been extensively studied. These GRNs and signaling cascades are tightly regulated as alterations to any stage of neural crest development can lead to common congenital birth defects, including multiple syndromes affecting facial morphology as well as nonsyndromic facial defects, such as cleft lip with or without cleft palate. Epigenetic factors add a hierarchy to the regulation of transcriptional networks and influence the spatiotemporal activation or repression of specific gene regulatory cascades; however less is known about their exact mechanisms in controlling precise gene regulation. AIMS In this review, we discuss the role of epigenetic factors during neural crest development, specifically during craniofacial development and how compromised activities of these regulators contribute to congenital defects that affect the craniofacial complex.
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Affiliation(s)
- Shull Lomeli C.
- Department of Craniofacial Biology, University of Colorado Anschutz Medical Campus, Aurora, CO, USA
| | - Artinger Kristin B.
- Department of Diagnostic and Biological Sciences, University of Minnesota School of Dentistry, Minneapolis, MN, USA
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10
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Lewerissa EI, Nadif Kasri N, Linda K. Epigenetic regulation of autophagy-related genes: Implications for neurodevelopmental disorders. Autophagy 2024; 20:15-28. [PMID: 37674294 PMCID: PMC10761153 DOI: 10.1080/15548627.2023.2250217] [Citation(s) in RCA: 5] [Impact Index Per Article: 5.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 04/17/2023] [Accepted: 08/11/2023] [Indexed: 09/08/2023] Open
Abstract
Macroautophagy/autophagy is an evolutionarily highly conserved catabolic process that is important for the clearance of cytosolic contents to maintain cellular homeostasis and survival. Recent findings point toward a critical role for autophagy in brain function, not only by preserving neuronal health, but especially by controlling different aspects of neuronal development and functioning. In line with this, mutations in autophagy-related genes are linked to various key characteristics and symptoms of neurodevelopmental disorders (NDDs), including autism, micro-/macrocephaly, and epilepsy. However, the group of NDDs caused by mutations in autophagy-related genes is relatively small. A significant proportion of NDDs are associated with mutations in genes encoding epigenetic regulatory proteins that modulate gene expression, so-called chromatinopathies. Intriguingly, several of the NDD-linked chromatinopathy genes have been shown to regulate autophagy-related genes, albeit in non-neuronal contexts. From these studies it becomes evident that tight transcriptional regulation of autophagy-related genes is crucial to control autophagic activity. This opens the exciting possibility that aberrant autophagic regulation might underly nervous system impairments in NDDs with disturbed epigenetic regulation. We here summarize NDD-related chromatinopathy genes that are known to regulate transcriptional regulation of autophagy-related genes. Thereby, we want to highlight autophagy as a candidate key hub mechanism in NDD-related chromatinopathies.Abbreviations: ADNP: activity dependent neuroprotector homeobox; ASD: autism spectrum disorder; ATG: AutTophaGy related; CpG: cytosine-guanine dinucleotide; DNMT: DNA methyltransferase; EHMT: euchromatic histone lysine methyltransferase; EP300: E1A binding protein p300; EZH2: enhancer of zeste 2 polycomb repressive complex 2 subunit; H3K4me3: histone 3 lysine 4 trimethylation; H3K9me1/2/3: histone 3 lysine 9 mono-, di-, or trimethylation; H3K27me2/3: histone 3 lysine 27 di-, or trimethylation; hiPSCs: human induced pluripotent stem cells; HSP: hereditary spastic paraplegia; ID: intellectual disability; KANSL1: KAT8 regulatory NSL complex subunit 1; KAT8: lysine acetyltransferase 8; KDM1A/LSD1: lysine demethylase 1A; MAP1LC3B: microtubule associated protein 1 light chain 3 beta; MTOR: mechanistic target of rapamycin kinase; MTORC1: mechanistic target of rapamycin complex 1; NDD: neurodevelopmental disorder; PHF8: PHD finger protein 8; PHF8-XLID: PHF8-X linked intellectual disability syndrome; PTM: post-translational modification; SESN2: sestrin 2; YY1: YY1 transcription factor; YY1AP1: YY1 associated protein 1.
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Affiliation(s)
- Elly I. Lewerissa
- Department of Human Genetics, Radboudumc, Donders Institute for Brain, Cognition, and Behavior, Nijmegen, Gelderland, The Netherlands
| | - Nael Nadif Kasri
- Department of Human Genetics, Radboudumc, Donders Institute for Brain, Cognition, and Behavior, Nijmegen, Gelderland, The Netherlands
- Department of Cognitive Neuroscience, Radboudumc, Donders Institute for Brain, Cognition and Behavior, Nijmegen, Gelderland, The Netherlands
| | - Katrin Linda
- Department of Human Genetics, Radboudumc, Donders Institute for Brain, Cognition, and Behavior, Nijmegen, Gelderland, The Netherlands
- VIB-KU Leuven Center for Brain & Disease Research, Leuven, Flemish Brabant, Belgium
- Department of Neurosciences, KU Leuven, Leuven Brain Institute, Leuven, Flemish Brabant, Belgium
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11
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Doorn N. Unraveling Dravet Syndrome: Exploring the complex effects of sodium channel mutations on neuronal networks. Sci Prog 2024; 107:368504231225076. [PMID: 38373395 PMCID: PMC10878221 DOI: 10.1177/00368504231225076] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 02/21/2024]
Abstract
Dravet Syndrome (DS) is a severe developmental epileptic encephalopathy with frequent intractable seizures accompanied by cognitive impairment, often caused by pathogenic variants in SCN1A encoding sodium channel NaV1.1. Recent research utilizing in vitro patient-derived neuronal networks and accompanying in silico models uncovered that not just sodium-but also potassium-and synaptic currents were impaired in DS networks. Here, we explore the implications of these findings for three questions that remain elusive in DS: How do sodium channel impairments result in epilepsy? How can identical variants lead to varying phenotypes? What mechanisms underlie the developmental delay in DS patients? We speculate that impaired potassium currents might be a secondary effect to NaV1.1 mutations and could result in hyperexcitable neurons and epileptic networks. Moreover, we reason that homeostatic plasticity is actively engaged in DS networks, possibly affecting the phenotype and impairing learning and development when driven to extremes.
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Affiliation(s)
- Nina Doorn
- Department of Clinical Neurophysiology, University of Twente, Enschede, The Netherlands
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12
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van Hugte EJH, Lewerissa EI, Wu KM, Scheefhals N, Parodi G, van Voorst TW, Puvogel S, Kogo N, Keller JM, Frega M, Schubert D, Schelhaas HJ, Verhoeven J, Majoie M, van Bokhoven H, Nadif Kasri N. SCN1A-deficient excitatory neuronal networks display mutation-specific phenotypes. Brain 2023; 146:5153-5167. [PMID: 37467479 PMCID: PMC10689919 DOI: 10.1093/brain/awad245] [Citation(s) in RCA: 6] [Impact Index Per Article: 6.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 01/18/2023] [Revised: 06/21/2023] [Accepted: 07/03/2023] [Indexed: 07/21/2023] Open
Abstract
Dravet syndrome is a severe epileptic encephalopathy, characterized by (febrile) seizures, behavioural problems and developmental delay. Eighty per cent of patients with Dravet syndrome have a mutation in SCN1A, encoding Nav1.1. Milder clinical phenotypes, such as GEFS+ (generalized epilepsy with febrile seizures plus), can also arise from SCN1A mutations. Predicting the clinical phenotypic outcome based on the type of mutation remains challenging, even when the same mutation is inherited within one family. This clinical and genetic heterogeneity adds to the difficulties of predicting disease progression and tailoring the prescription of anti-seizure medication. Understanding the neuropathology of different SCN1A mutations may help to predict the expected clinical phenotypes and inform the selection of best-fit treatments. Initially, the loss of Na+-current in inhibitory neurons was recognized specifically to result in disinhibition and consequently seizure generation. However, the extent to which excitatory neurons contribute to the pathophysiology is currently debated and might depend on the patient clinical phenotype or the specific SCN1A mutation. To examine the genotype-phenotype correlations of SCN1A mutations in relation to excitatory neurons, we investigated a panel of patient-derived excitatory neuronal networks differentiated on multi-electrode arrays. We included patients with different clinical phenotypes, harbouring various SCN1A mutations, along with a family in which the same mutation led to febrile seizures, GEFS+ or Dravet syndrome. We hitherto describe a previously unidentified functional excitatory neuronal network phenotype in the context of epilepsy, which corresponds to seizurogenic network prediction patterns elicited by proconvulsive compounds. We found that excitatory neuronal networks were affected differently, depending on the type of SCN1A mutation, but did not segregate according to clinical severity. Specifically, loss-of-function mutations could be distinguished from missense mutations, and mutations in the pore domain could be distinguished from mutations in the voltage sensing domain. Furthermore, all patients showed aggravated neuronal network responses at febrile temperatures compared with controls. Finally, retrospective drug screening revealed that anti-seizure medication affected GEFS+ patient- but not Dravet patient-derived neuronal networks in a patient-specific and clinically relevant manner. In conclusion, our results indicate a mutation-specific excitatory neuronal network phenotype, which recapitulates the foremost clinically relevant features, providing future opportunities for precision therapies.
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Affiliation(s)
- Eline J H van Hugte
- Department of Human Genetics, Radboudumc, 6500 HB Nijmegen, The Netherlands
- Department of Cognitive Neuroscience, Donders Institute for Brain, Cognition, and Behaviour, 6500 HB Nijmegen, The Netherlands
- Department of Epileptology, ACE Kempenhaeghe, 5591 VE Heeze, The Netherlands
| | - Elly I Lewerissa
- Department of Human Genetics, Radboudumc, 6500 HB Nijmegen, The Netherlands
- Department of Cognitive Neuroscience, Donders Institute for Brain, Cognition, and Behaviour, 6500 HB Nijmegen, The Netherlands
| | - Ka Man Wu
- Department of Human Genetics, Radboudumc, 6500 HB Nijmegen, The Netherlands
| | - Nicky Scheefhals
- Department of Human Genetics, Radboudumc, 6500 HB Nijmegen, The Netherlands
| | - Giulia Parodi
- Department of Informatics, Bioengineering, Robotics, and Systems Engineering (DIBRIS), University of Genova, 16145 GE Genova, Italy
| | - Torben W van Voorst
- Department of Human Genetics, Radboudumc, 6500 HB Nijmegen, The Netherlands
- Department of Cognitive Neuroscience, Donders Institute for Brain, Cognition, and Behaviour, 6500 HB Nijmegen, The Netherlands
| | - Sofia Puvogel
- Department of Human Genetics, Radboudumc, 6500 HB Nijmegen, The Netherlands
| | - Naoki Kogo
- Department of Human Genetics, Radboudumc, 6500 HB Nijmegen, The Netherlands
- Department of Cognitive Neuroscience, Donders Institute for Brain, Cognition, and Behaviour, 6500 HB Nijmegen, The Netherlands
| | - Jason M Keller
- Department of Human Genetics, Radboudumc, 6500 HB Nijmegen, The Netherlands
- Department of Cognitive Neuroscience, Donders Institute for Brain, Cognition, and Behaviour, 6500 HB Nijmegen, The Netherlands
| | - Monica Frega
- Department of Human Genetics, Radboudumc, 6500 HB Nijmegen, The Netherlands
- Department of Clinical Neurophysiology, University of Twente, 7522 NB Enschede, The Netherlands
| | - Dirk Schubert
- Department of Cognitive Neuroscience, Donders Institute for Brain, Cognition, and Behaviour, 6500 HB Nijmegen, The Netherlands
| | - Helenius J Schelhaas
- Department of Neurology, Stichting Epilepsie Instellingen Nederland (SEIN), 2103 SW Heemstede, The Netherlands
| | - Judith Verhoeven
- Department of Epileptology, ACE Kempenhaeghe, 5591 VE Heeze, The Netherlands
| | - Marian Majoie
- Department of Epileptology, ACE Kempenhaeghe, 5591 VE Heeze, The Netherlands
| | - Hans van Bokhoven
- Department of Human Genetics, Radboudumc, 6500 HB Nijmegen, The Netherlands
- Department of Cognitive Neuroscience, Donders Institute for Brain, Cognition, and Behaviour, 6500 HB Nijmegen, The Netherlands
| | - Nael Nadif Kasri
- Department of Human Genetics, Radboudumc, 6500 HB Nijmegen, The Netherlands
- Department of Cognitive Neuroscience, Donders Institute for Brain, Cognition, and Behaviour, 6500 HB Nijmegen, The Netherlands
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13
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Giacomini T, Cordani R, Bagnasco I, Vercellino F, Giordano L, Milito G, Ferrero GB, Mandrile G, Scala M, Meli M, Falsaperla R, Luria G, De Grandis E, Canale E, Amadori E, Striano P, Nobili L, Siri L. Electroclinical Features of Epilepsy in Kleefstra Syndrome. Neuropediatrics 2023; 54:433-438. [PMID: 37802085 DOI: 10.1055/s-0043-1775977] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Submit a Manuscript] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 10/08/2023]
Abstract
BACKGROUND Kleefstra syndrome (KS) or 9q34.3 microdeletion syndrome (OMIM #610253) is a rare genetic condition featuring intellectual disability, hypotonia, and dysmorphic facial features. Autism spectrum disorder, severe language impairment, and sleep disorders have also been described. The syndrome can be either caused by a microdeletion in 9q34.3 or by pathogenic variants in the euchromatin histone methyltransferase 1 gene (EHMT1, *607001). Although epilepsy has been reported in 20 to 30% of subjects, a detailed description of epileptic features and underlying etiology is still lacking. The purpose of this study is to investigate epilepsy features in a cohort of epileptic patients with KS. METHODS This multicenter study investigated eight patients with KS and epilepsy. Our findings were compared with literature data. RESULTS We included five patients with 9q or 9q34.33 deletions, a subject with a complex translocation involving EHMT1, and two with pathogenic EHMT1 variants. All patients presented with moderate to severe developmental delay, language impairment, microcephaly, and infantile hypotonia. Although the epileptic manifestations were heterogeneous, most patients experienced focal seizures. The seizure frequency differs according to the age of epilepsy onset, with patients with early-onset epilepsy (before 36 months of age) presenting more frequent seizures. An overtime reduction in seizure frequency, as well as in antiseizure drug number, was observed in all patients. Developmental delay degree did not correlate with seizure onset and frequency or drug resistance. CONCLUSION Epilepsy is a frequent finding in KS, but the underlying pathogenetic mechanism and specific features remain elusive.
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Affiliation(s)
- Thea Giacomini
- Department of Neurosciences, Rehabilitation, Ophthalmology, Genetics and Maternal and Child Health (DINOGMI), University of Genova, Genova, Italy
- Neuroradiology Unit, IRCCS Istituto Giannina Gaslini, Genova, Italy
| | - Ramona Cordani
- Department of Neurosciences, Rehabilitation, Ophthalmology, Genetics and Maternal and Child Health (DINOGMI), University of Genova, Genova, Italy
- Unit of Child Neuropsychiatry, IRCCS Istituto Giannina Gaslini, Genova, Italy
| | - Irene Bagnasco
- Division of Child Neuropsychiatry, Martini Hospital, Torino, Italy
| | - Fabiana Vercellino
- Child Neuropsychiatry Unit, SS Antonio e Biagio e Cesare Arrigo Hospital, Alessandria, Italy
| | - Lucio Giordano
- Child Neuropsychiatric Unit, Civilian Hospital, Brescia, Italy
| | - Giuseppe Milito
- Child Neuropsychiatric Unit, Civilian Hospital, Brescia, Italy
| | - Giovanni Battista Ferrero
- Department of Clinical and Biological Sciences, School of Medicine, University of Turin, Turin, Italy
| | - Giorgia Mandrile
- Department of Clinical and Biological Sciences, School of Medicine, University of Turin, Turin, Italy
| | - Marcello Scala
- Department of Neurosciences, Rehabilitation, Ophthalmology, Genetics and Maternal and Child Health (DINOGMI), University of Genova, Genova, Italy
- Pediatric Neurology and Muscular Diseases Unit, IRCCS Istituto Giannina Gaslini, Genova, Italy
| | - Mariaclaudia Meli
- Division of Paediatric Neurology, Department of Paediatrics, University of Catania, Catania, Italy
| | - Raffaele Falsaperla
- Neonatal Intensive Care Unit, San Marco Hospital, University Hospital Policlinico "G. Rodolico-San Marco," Catania, Italy
- Unit of Pediatrics and Pediatric Emergency, University Hospital Policlinico "G. Rodolico-San Marco," Catania, Italy
| | | | - Elisa De Grandis
- Department of Neurosciences, Rehabilitation, Ophthalmology, Genetics and Maternal and Child Health (DINOGMI), University of Genova, Genova, Italy
- Unit of Child Neuropsychiatry, IRCCS Istituto Giannina Gaslini, Genova, Italy
| | - Edoardo Canale
- Unit of Child Neuropsychiatry, IRCCS Istituto Giannina Gaslini, Genova, Italy
| | - Elisabetta Amadori
- Department of Neurosciences, Rehabilitation, Ophthalmology, Genetics and Maternal and Child Health (DINOGMI), University of Genova, Genova, Italy
- Pediatric Neurology and Muscular Diseases Unit, IRCCS Istituto Giannina Gaslini, Genova, Italy
| | - Pasquale Striano
- Department of Neurosciences, Rehabilitation, Ophthalmology, Genetics and Maternal and Child Health (DINOGMI), University of Genova, Genova, Italy
- Pediatric Neurology and Muscular Diseases Unit, IRCCS Istituto Giannina Gaslini, Genova, Italy
| | - Lino Nobili
- Department of Neurosciences, Rehabilitation, Ophthalmology, Genetics and Maternal and Child Health (DINOGMI), University of Genova, Genova, Italy
- Unit of Child Neuropsychiatry, IRCCS Istituto Giannina Gaslini, Genova, Italy
| | - Laura Siri
- Unit of Child Neuropsychiatry, IRCCS Istituto Giannina Gaslini, Genova, Italy
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14
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Yuan X, Puvogel S, van Rhijn JR, Ciptasari U, Esteve-Codina A, Meijer M, Rouschop S, van Hugte EJH, Oudakker A, Schoenmaker C, Frega M, Schubert D, Franke B, Nadif Kasri N. A human in vitro neuronal model for studying homeostatic plasticity at the network level. Stem Cell Reports 2023; 18:2222-2239. [PMID: 37863044 PMCID: PMC10679660 DOI: 10.1016/j.stemcr.2023.09.011] [Citation(s) in RCA: 2] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 04/19/2023] [Revised: 09/18/2023] [Accepted: 09/19/2023] [Indexed: 10/22/2023] Open
Abstract
Mechanisms that underlie homeostatic plasticity have been extensively investigated at single-cell levels in animal models, but are less well understood at the network level. Here, we used microelectrode arrays to characterize neuronal networks following induction of homeostatic plasticity in human induced pluripotent stem cell (hiPSC)-derived glutamatergic neurons co-cultured with rat astrocytes. Chronic suppression of neuronal activity through tetrodotoxin (TTX) elicited a time-dependent network re-arrangement. Increased expression of AMPA receptors and the elongation of axon initial segments were associated with increased network excitability following TTX treatment. Transcriptomic profiling of TTX-treated neurons revealed up-regulated genes related to extracellular matrix organization, while down-regulated genes related to cell communication; also astrocytic gene expression was found altered. Overall, our study shows that hiPSC-derived neuronal networks provide a reliable in vitro platform to measure and characterize homeostatic plasticity at network and single-cell levels; this platform can be extended to investigate altered homeostatic plasticity in brain disorders.
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Affiliation(s)
- Xiuming Yuan
- Department of Human Genetics, Radboud University Medical Center, Donders Institute for Brain, Cognition and Behaviour, 6500 HB Nijmegen, the Netherlands
| | - Sofía Puvogel
- Department of Human Genetics, Radboud University Medical Center, Donders Institute for Brain, Cognition and Behaviour, 6500 HB Nijmegen, the Netherlands
| | - Jon-Ruben van Rhijn
- Department of Cognitive Neuroscience, Radboud University Medical Center, Donders Institute for Brain, Cognition and Behaviour, 6500 HB Nijmegen, the Netherlands
| | - Ummi Ciptasari
- Department of Human Genetics, Radboud University Medical Center, Donders Institute for Brain, Cognition and Behaviour, 6500 HB Nijmegen, the Netherlands
| | - Anna Esteve-Codina
- CNAG-CRG, Centre for Genomic Regulation, Barcelona Institute of Science and Technology, 08028 Barcelona, Spain; Universitat Pompeu Fabra (UPF), 08002 Barcelona, Spain
| | - Mandy Meijer
- Department of Human Genetics, Radboud University Medical Center, Donders Institute for Brain, Cognition and Behaviour, 6500 HB Nijmegen, the Netherlands
| | - Simon Rouschop
- Department of Human Genetics, Radboud University Medical Center, Donders Institute for Brain, Cognition and Behaviour, 6500 HB Nijmegen, the Netherlands
| | - Eline J H van Hugte
- Department of Human Genetics, Radboud University Medical Center, Donders Institute for Brain, Cognition and Behaviour, 6500 HB Nijmegen, the Netherlands
| | - Astrid Oudakker
- Department of Human Genetics, Radboud University Medical Center, Donders Institute for Brain, Cognition and Behaviour, 6500 HB Nijmegen, the Netherlands
| | - Chantal Schoenmaker
- Department of Human Genetics, Radboud University Medical Center, Donders Institute for Brain, Cognition and Behaviour, 6500 HB Nijmegen, the Netherlands
| | - Monica Frega
- Department of Clinical Neurophysiology, University of Twente, 7522 NB Enschede, the Netherlands
| | - Dirk Schubert
- Department of Cognitive Neuroscience, Radboud University Medical Center, Donders Institute for Brain, Cognition and Behaviour, 6500 HB Nijmegen, the Netherlands
| | - Barbara Franke
- Department of Human Genetics, Radboud University Medical Center, Donders Institute for Brain, Cognition and Behaviour, 6500 HB Nijmegen, the Netherlands; Department of Cognitive Neuroscience, Radboud University Medical Center, Donders Institute for Brain, Cognition and Behaviour, 6500 HB Nijmegen, the Netherlands
| | - Nael Nadif Kasri
- Department of Human Genetics, Radboud University Medical Center, Donders Institute for Brain, Cognition and Behaviour, 6500 HB Nijmegen, the Netherlands; Department of Cognitive Neuroscience, Radboud University Medical Center, Donders Institute for Brain, Cognition and Behaviour, 6500 HB Nijmegen, the Netherlands.
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15
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Mijdam R, Bijnagte-Schoenmaker C, Dyke E, Moons SJ, Boltje TJ, Nadif Kasri N, Lefeber DJ. Sialic acid biosynthesis pathway blockade disturbs neuronal network formation in human iPSC-derived excitatory neurons. J Neurochem 2023; 167:76-89. [PMID: 37650222 DOI: 10.1111/jnc.15934] [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: 12/14/2022] [Revised: 07/26/2023] [Accepted: 07/31/2023] [Indexed: 09/01/2023]
Abstract
N-acetylneuraminic acid (sialic acid) is present in large quantities in the brain and plays a crucial role in brain development, learning, and memory formation. How sialic acid contributes to brain development is not fully understood. The purpose of this study was to determine the effects of reduced sialylation on network formation in human iPSC-derived neurons (iNeurons). Using targeted mass spectrometry and antibody binding, we observed an increase in free sialic acid and polysialic acid during neuronal development, which was disrupted by treatment of iNeurons with a synthetic inhibitor of sialic acid biosynthesis. Sialic acid inhibition disturbed synapse formation and network formation on microelectrode array (MEA), showing short but frequent (network) bursts and an overall lower firing rate, and higher percentage of random spikes. This study shows that sialic acid is necessary for neuronal network formation during human neuronal development and provides a physiologically relevant model to study the role of sialic acid in patient-derived iNeurons.
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Affiliation(s)
- Rachel Mijdam
- Department of Neurology, Donders Institute for Brain, Cognition and Behavior, Radboudumc, Nijmegen, the Netherlands
| | - Chantal Bijnagte-Schoenmaker
- Department of Human Genetics, Donders Institute for Brain, Cognition and Behavior, Radboudumc, Nijmegen, the Netherlands
| | - Emma Dyke
- Department of Human Genetics, Donders Institute for Brain, Cognition and Behavior, Radboudumc, Nijmegen, the Netherlands
| | - Sam J Moons
- Synvenio B.V. Mercator 2, Nijmegen, the Netherlands
| | - Thomas J Boltje
- Synthetic Organic Chemistry, Institute for Molecules and Materials, Radboud University, Nijmegen, the Netherlands
| | - Nael Nadif Kasri
- Department of Human Genetics, Donders Institute for Brain, Cognition and Behavior, Radboudumc, Nijmegen, the Netherlands
- Department of Cognitive Neuroscience, Donders Institute for Brain, Cognition and Behavior, Radboudumc, Nijmegen, the Netherlands
| | - Dirk J Lefeber
- Department of Neurology, Donders Institute for Brain, Cognition and Behavior, Radboudumc, Nijmegen, the Netherlands
- Department of Human Genetics, Donders Institute for Brain, Cognition and Behavior, Radboudumc, Nijmegen, the Netherlands
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16
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Doorn N, van Hugte EJH, Ciptasari U, Mordelt A, Meijer HGE, Schubert D, Frega M, Nadif Kasri N, van Putten MJAM. An in silico and in vitro human neuronal network model reveals cellular mechanisms beyond Na V1.1 underlying Dravet syndrome. Stem Cell Reports 2023; 18:1686-1700. [PMID: 37419110 PMCID: PMC10444571 DOI: 10.1016/j.stemcr.2023.06.003] [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: 01/10/2023] [Revised: 06/07/2023] [Accepted: 06/07/2023] [Indexed: 07/09/2023] Open
Abstract
Human induced pluripotent stem cell (hiPSC)-derived neuronal networks on multi-electrode arrays (MEAs) provide a unique phenotyping tool to study neurological disorders. However, it is difficult to infer cellular mechanisms underlying these phenotypes. Computational modeling can utilize the rich dataset generated by MEAs, and advance understanding of disease mechanisms. However, existing models lack biophysical detail, or validation and calibration to relevant experimental data. We developed a biophysical in silico model that accurately simulates healthy neuronal networks on MEAs. To demonstrate the potential of our model, we studied neuronal networks derived from a Dravet syndrome (DS) patient with a missense mutation in SCN1A, encoding sodium channel NaV1.1. Our in silico model revealed that sodium channel dysfunctions were insufficient to replicate the in vitro DS phenotype, and predicted decreased slow afterhyperpolarization and synaptic strengths. We verified these changes in DS patient-derived neurons, demonstrating the utility of our in silico model to predict disease mechanisms.
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Affiliation(s)
- Nina Doorn
- Department of Clinical Neurophysiology, University of Twente, 7522 NB Enschede, the Netherlands.
| | - Eline J H van Hugte
- Department of Neurology, Academic Center for Epileptology Kempenhaeghe, 5591 VE Heeze, the Netherlands; Department of Human Genetics, Radboudumc, 6500 HB Nijmegen, the Netherlands; Department of Cognitive Neurosciences, Radboudumc, Donders Institute for Brain Cognition and Behaviour, 6525 HR Nijmegen, the Netherlands
| | - Ummi Ciptasari
- Department of Human Genetics, Radboudumc, 6500 HB Nijmegen, the Netherlands; Department of Cognitive Neurosciences, Radboudumc, Donders Institute for Brain Cognition and Behaviour, 6525 HR Nijmegen, the Netherlands
| | - Annika Mordelt
- Department of Human Genetics, Radboudumc, 6500 HB Nijmegen, the Netherlands; Department of Cognitive Neurosciences, Radboudumc, Donders Institute for Brain Cognition and Behaviour, 6525 HR Nijmegen, the Netherlands
| | - Hil G E Meijer
- Department of Applied Mathematics, University of Twente, 7522 NB Enschede, the Netherlands
| | - Dirk Schubert
- Department of Human Genetics, Radboudumc, 6500 HB Nijmegen, the Netherlands; Department of Cognitive Neurosciences, Radboudumc, Donders Institute for Brain Cognition and Behaviour, 6525 HR Nijmegen, the Netherlands
| | - Monica Frega
- Department of Clinical Neurophysiology, University of Twente, 7522 NB Enschede, the Netherlands
| | - Nael Nadif Kasri
- Department of Human Genetics, Radboudumc, 6500 HB Nijmegen, the Netherlands; Department of Cognitive Neurosciences, Radboudumc, Donders Institute for Brain Cognition and Behaviour, 6525 HR Nijmegen, the Netherlands
| | - Michel J A M van Putten
- Department of Clinical Neurophysiology, University of Twente, 7522 NB Enschede, the Netherlands; Department of Neurology and Clinical Neurophysiology, Medisch Spectrum Twente, 7512 KZ Enschede, the Netherlands
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17
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Safizadeh Shabestari SA, Nassir N, Sopariwala S, Karimov I, Tambi R, Zehra B, Kosaji N, Akter H, Berdiev BK, Uddin M. Overlapping pathogenic de novo CNVs in neurodevelopmental disorders and congenital anomalies impacting constraint genes regulating early development. Hum Genet 2023; 142:1201-1213. [PMID: 36383254 PMCID: PMC10449996 DOI: 10.1007/s00439-022-02482-5] [Citation(s) in RCA: 5] [Impact Index Per Article: 5.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 06/21/2022] [Accepted: 08/21/2022] [Indexed: 11/17/2022]
Abstract
Neurodevelopmental disorders (NDDs) and congenital anomalies (CAs) are rare disorders with complex etiology. In this study, we investigated the less understood genomic overlap of copy number variants (CNVs) in two large cohorts of NDD and CA patients to identify de novo CNVs and candidate genes associated with both phenotypes. We analyzed clinical microarray CNV data from 10,620 NDD and 3176 CA cases annotated using Horizon platform of GenomeArc Analytics and applied rigorous downstream analysis to evaluate overlapping genes from NDD and CA CNVs. Out of 13,796 patients, only 195 cases contained 218 validated de novo CNVs. Eighteen percent (31/170) de novo CNVs in NDD cases and 40% (19/48) de novo CNVs in CA cases contained genomic overlaps impacting developmentally constraint genes. Seventy-nine constraint genes (10.1% non-OMIM entries) were found to have significantly enriched genomic overlap within rare de novo pathogenic deletions (P value = 0.01, OR = 1.58) and 45 constraint genes (13.3% non-OMIM entries) within rare de novo pathogenic duplications (P value = 0.01, OR = 1.97). Analysis of spatiotemporal transcriptome demonstrated both pathogenic deletion and duplication genes to be highly expressed during the prenatal stage in human developmental brain (P value = 4.95 X 10-6). From the list of overlapping genes, EHMT1, an interesting known NDD gene encompassed pathogenic deletion CNVs from both NDD and CA patients, whereas FAM189A1, and FSTL5 are new candidate genes from non-OMIM entries. In summary, we have identified constraint overlapping genes from CNVs (including de novo) in NDD and CA patients that have the potential to play a vital role in common disease etiology.
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Affiliation(s)
| | - Nasna Nassir
- Mohammed Bin Rashid University of Medicine and Health Sciences, Dubai, UAE
| | | | | | - Richa Tambi
- Mohammed Bin Rashid University of Medicine and Health Sciences, Dubai, UAE
| | - Binte Zehra
- Mohammed Bin Rashid University of Medicine and Health Sciences, Dubai, UAE
| | - Noor Kosaji
- Mohammed Bin Rashid University of Medicine and Health Sciences, Dubai, UAE
| | - Hosneara Akter
- Genetics and Genomic Medicine Centre, NeuroGen Healthcare, Dhaka, Bangladesh
| | - Bakhrom K Berdiev
- Mohammed Bin Rashid University of Medicine and Health Sciences, Dubai, UAE
| | - Mohammed Uddin
- Mohammed Bin Rashid University of Medicine and Health Sciences, Dubai, UAE.
- GenomeArc Inc, Toronto, ON, Canada.
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18
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Buijsen RAM, Hu M, Sáez-González M, Notopoulou S, Mina E, Koning W, Gardiner SL, van der Graaf LM, Daoutsali E, Pepers BA, Mei H, van Dis V, Frimat JP, van den Maagdenberg AMJM, Petrakis S, van Roon-Mom WMC. Spinocerebellar Ataxia Type 1 Characteristics in Patient-Derived Fibroblast and iPSC-Derived Neuronal Cultures. Mov Disord 2023; 38:1428-1442. [PMID: 37278528 DOI: 10.1002/mds.29446] [Citation(s) in RCA: 3] [Impact Index Per Article: 3.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 01/12/2023] [Revised: 03/23/2023] [Accepted: 04/20/2023] [Indexed: 06/07/2023] Open
Abstract
BACKGROUND Spinocerebellar ataxia type 1 (SCA1) is a neurodegenerative disease caused by a polyglutamine expansion in the ataxin-1 protein resulting in neuropathology including mutant ataxin-1 protein aggregation, aberrant neurodevelopment, and mitochondrial dysfunction. OBJECTIVES Identify SCA1-relevant phenotypes in patient-specific fibroblasts and SCA1 induced pluripotent stem cells (iPSCs) neuronal cultures. METHODS SCA1 iPSCs were generated and differentiated into neuronal cultures. Protein aggregation and neuronal morphology were evaluated using fluorescent microscopy. Mitochondrial respiration was measured using the Seahorse Analyzer. The multi-electrode array (MEA) was used to identify network activity. Finally, gene expression changes were studied using RNA-seq to identify disease-specific mechanisms. RESULTS Bioenergetics deficits in patient-derived fibroblasts and SCA1 neuronal cultures showed altered oxygen consumption rate, suggesting involvement of mitochondrial dysfunction in SCA1. In SCA1 hiPSC-derived neuronal cells, nuclear and cytoplasmic aggregates were identified similar in localization as aggregates in SCA1 postmortem brain tissue. SCA1 hiPSC-derived neuronal cells showed reduced dendrite length and number of branching points while MEA recordings identified delayed development in network activity in SCA1 hiPSC-derived neuronal cells. Transcriptome analysis identified 1050 differentially expressed genes in SCA1 hiPSC-derived neuronal cells associated with synapse organization and neuron projection guidance, where a subgroup of 151 genes was highly associated with SCA1 phenotypes and linked to SCA1 relevant signaling pathways. CONCLUSIONS Patient-derived cells recapitulate key pathological features of SCA1 pathogenesis providing a valuable tool for the identification of novel disease-specific processes. This model can be used for high throughput screenings to identify compounds, which may prevent or rescue neurodegeneration in this devastating disease. © 2023 The Authors. Movement Disorders published by Wiley Periodicals LLC on behalf of International Parkinson and Movement Disorder Society.
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Affiliation(s)
- Ronald A M Buijsen
- Department of Human Genetics, Leiden University Medical Center, Leiden, Zuid-Holland, The Netherlands
| | - Michel Hu
- Department of Human Genetics, Leiden University Medical Center, Leiden, Zuid-Holland, The Netherlands
- Department of Neurology, Leiden University Medical Center, Leiden, Zuid-Holland, The Netherlands
| | - Maria Sáez-González
- Department of Human Genetics, Leiden University Medical Center, Leiden, Zuid-Holland, The Netherlands
| | - Sofia Notopoulou
- Institute of Applied Biosciences, Centre for Research and Technology Hellas, Thessaloniki, Greece
| | - Eleni Mina
- Department of Human Genetics, Leiden University Medical Center, Leiden, Zuid-Holland, The Netherlands
| | - Winette Koning
- Department of Human Genetics, Leiden University Medical Center, Leiden, Zuid-Holland, The Netherlands
| | - Sarah L Gardiner
- Department of Human Genetics, Leiden University Medical Center, Leiden, Zuid-Holland, The Netherlands
- Department of Neurology, Leiden University Medical Center, Leiden, Zuid-Holland, The Netherlands
| | - Linda M van der Graaf
- Department of Human Genetics, Leiden University Medical Center, Leiden, Zuid-Holland, The Netherlands
| | - Elena Daoutsali
- Department of Human Genetics, Leiden University Medical Center, Leiden, Zuid-Holland, The Netherlands
| | - Barry A Pepers
- Department of Human Genetics, Leiden University Medical Center, Leiden, Zuid-Holland, The Netherlands
| | - Hailiang Mei
- Department of Biomedical Data Sciences, Leiden University Medical Center, Leiden, Zuid-Holland, The Netherlands
| | - Vera van Dis
- Department of Pathology, Leiden University Medical Center, Leiden, Zuid-Holland, The Netherlands
- Department of Pathology, Erasmus Medical Center, Rotterdam, Zuid-Holland, The Netherlands
| | - Jean-Philippe Frimat
- Department of Human Genetics, Leiden University Medical Center, Leiden, Zuid-Holland, The Netherlands
- Department of Neurology, Leiden University Medical Center, Leiden, Zuid-Holland, The Netherlands
| | - Arn M J M van den Maagdenberg
- Department of Human Genetics, Leiden University Medical Center, Leiden, Zuid-Holland, The Netherlands
- Department of Neurology, Leiden University Medical Center, Leiden, Zuid-Holland, The Netherlands
| | - Spyros Petrakis
- Institute of Applied Biosciences, Centre for Research and Technology Hellas, Thessaloniki, Greece
| | - Willeke M C van Roon-Mom
- Department of Human Genetics, Leiden University Medical Center, Leiden, Zuid-Holland, The Netherlands
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19
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Alonso A, Samanta A, van der Meij J, van den Brand L, Negwer M, Navarro Lobato I, Genzel L. Defensive and offensive behaviours in a Kleefstra syndrome mouse model. Anim Cogn 2023; 26:1131-1140. [PMID: 36877418 PMCID: PMC10345049 DOI: 10.1007/s10071-023-01757-2] [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: 08/16/2022] [Revised: 01/16/2023] [Accepted: 02/07/2023] [Indexed: 03/07/2023]
Abstract
Kleefstra syndrome in humans is characterized by a general delay in development, intellectual disability and autistic features. The mouse model of this disease (Ehmt1±) expresses anxiety, autistic-like traits, and aberrant social interactions with non-cagemates. To investigate how Ehmt1± mice behave with unfamiliar conspecifics, we allowed adult, male animals to freely interact for 10 min in a neutral, novel environment within a host-visitor setting. In trials where the Ehmt1± mice were hosts, there were defensive and offensive behaviors. Our key finding was that Ehmt1± mice displayed defensive postures, attacking and biting; in contrast, wild-type (WT) interacting with other WT did not enact such behaviors. Further, if there was a fight between an Ehmt1± and a WT mouse, the Ehmt1± animal was the most aggressive and always initiated these behaviors.
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Affiliation(s)
- Alejandra Alonso
- Department of Neuroinformatics, Faculty of Science, Donders Institute for Brain, Cognition and Behaviour, Radboud University, P.O. Box 9010, 6500 GL, Nijmegen, The Netherlands.
| | - Anumita Samanta
- Department of Neuroinformatics, Faculty of Science, Donders Institute for Brain, Cognition and Behaviour, Radboud University, P.O. Box 9010, 6500 GL, Nijmegen, The Netherlands
| | - Jacqueline van der Meij
- Department of Neuroinformatics, Faculty of Science, Donders Institute for Brain, Cognition and Behaviour, Radboud University, P.O. Box 9010, 6500 GL, Nijmegen, The Netherlands
| | - Liz van den Brand
- Department of Neuroinformatics, Faculty of Science, Donders Institute for Brain, Cognition and Behaviour, Radboud University, P.O. Box 9010, 6500 GL, Nijmegen, The Netherlands
| | - Moritz Negwer
- Donders Institute for Brain, Cognition and Behaviour, RadboudUMC, Nijmegen, The Netherlands
| | - Irene Navarro Lobato
- Department of Neuroinformatics, Faculty of Science, Donders Institute for Brain, Cognition and Behaviour, Radboud University, P.O. Box 9010, 6500 GL, Nijmegen, The Netherlands
| | - Lisa Genzel
- Department of Neuroinformatics, Faculty of Science, Donders Institute for Brain, Cognition and Behaviour, Radboud University, P.O. Box 9010, 6500 GL, Nijmegen, The Netherlands.
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20
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Iglesias-Ortega L, Megías-Fernández C, Domínguez-Giménez P, Jimeno-González S, Rivero S. Cell consequences of loss of function of the epigenetic factor EHMT1. Cell Signal 2023:110734. [PMID: 37257768 DOI: 10.1016/j.cellsig.2023.110734] [Citation(s) in RCA: 1] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 09/16/2022] [Revised: 05/20/2023] [Accepted: 05/23/2023] [Indexed: 06/02/2023]
Abstract
EHMT1 is an epigenetic factor with histone methyltransferase activity that appears mutated in Kleefstra syndrome, a neurodevelopmental genetic disorder characterized by developmental delay, intellectual disability, and autistic-like features. Despite recent progress in the study of the function of this gene and the molecular etiology of the disease, our knowledge of how EHMT1 haploinsufficiency causes Kleefstra syndrome is still very limited. Here, we show that EHMT1 depletion in RPE1 cells leads to alterations in the morphology and distribution of different subcellular structures, such as the Golgi apparatus, the lysosomes and different cell adhesion components. EHMT1 downregulation also increases centriolar satellites detection, which may indicate a role for EHMT1 in centrosome functioning. Furthermore, the migration process is also altered in EHMT1 depleted cells, which show reduced migration capacity. We consider that the described phenotypes could open new possibilities for understanding the functional impact of EHMT1 haploinsufficiency in Kleefstra syndrome, helping to elucidate the link between epigenetic regulation and the underlying cellular mechanisms that result in this neurodevelopmental disorder. This knowledge could be relevant not only for the treatment of this syndrome, but also for other neurodevelopmental conditions that could share similar deregulated cellular pathways.
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Affiliation(s)
- Lucía Iglesias-Ortega
- Departamento de Citología e Histología Normal y Patológica, Facultad de Medicina, Universidad de Sevilla, Sevilla, Spain
| | - Clara Megías-Fernández
- Departamento de Genética, Facultad de Biología, Universidad de Sevilla, Sevilla, Spain; Centro Andaluz de Biología Molecular y Medicina Regenerativa-CABIMER, Universidad de Sevilla-CSIC-Universidad Pablo de Olavide, Sevilla, Spain
| | - Paloma Domínguez-Giménez
- Centro Andaluz de Biología Molecular y Medicina Regenerativa-CABIMER, Universidad de Sevilla-CSIC-Universidad Pablo de Olavide, Sevilla, Spain
| | - Silvia Jimeno-González
- Departamento de Genética, Facultad de Biología, Universidad de Sevilla, Sevilla, Spain; Centro Andaluz de Biología Molecular y Medicina Regenerativa-CABIMER, Universidad de Sevilla-CSIC-Universidad Pablo de Olavide, Sevilla, Spain
| | - Sabrina Rivero
- Departamento de Citología e Histología Normal y Patológica, Facultad de Medicina, Universidad de Sevilla, Sevilla, Spain; Centro Andaluz de Biología Molecular y Medicina Regenerativa-CABIMER, Universidad de Sevilla-CSIC-Universidad Pablo de Olavide, Sevilla, Spain.
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21
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Sandhu A, Kumar A, Rawat K, Gautam V, Sharma A, Saha L. Modernising autism spectrum disorder model engineering and treatment via CRISPR-Cas9: A gene reprogramming approach. World J Clin Cases 2023; 11:3114-3127. [PMID: 37274051 PMCID: PMC10237133 DOI: 10.12998/wjcc.v11.i14.3114] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Journal Information] [Submit a Manuscript] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 12/28/2022] [Revised: 02/13/2023] [Accepted: 04/06/2023] [Indexed: 05/16/2023] Open
Abstract
A neurological abnormality called autism spectrum disorder (ASD) affects how a person perceives and interacts with others, leading to social interaction and communication issues. Limited and recurring behavioural patterns are another feature of the illness. Multiple mutations throughout development are the source of the neurodevelopmental disorder autism. However, a well-established model and perfect treatment for this spectrum disease has not been discovered. The rising era of the clustered regularly interspaced palindromic repeats (CRISPR)-associated protein 9 (Cas9) system can streamline the complexity underlying the pathogenesis of ASD. The CRISPR-Cas9 system is a powerful genetic engineering tool used to edit the genome at the targeted site in a precise manner. The major hurdle in studying ASD is the lack of appropriate animal models presenting the complex symptoms of ASD. Therefore, CRISPR-Cas9 is being used worldwide to mimic the ASD-like pathology in various systems like in vitro cell lines, in vitro 3D organoid models and in vivo animal models. Apart from being used in establishing ASD models, CRISPR-Cas9 can also be used to treat the complexities of ASD. The aim of this review was to summarize and critically analyse the CRISPR-Cas9-mediated discoveries in the field of ASD.
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Affiliation(s)
- Arushi Sandhu
- Department of Pharmacology, Post Graduate Institute of Medical Education and Research (PGIMER), Chandigarh 0172, Chandigarh, India
| | - Anil Kumar
- Department of Pharmacology, Post Graduate Institute of Medical Education and Research (PGIMER), Chandigarh 0172, Chandigarh, India
| | - Kajal Rawat
- Department of Pharmacology, Post Graduate Institute of Medical Education and Research (PGIMER), Chandigarh 0172, Chandigarh, India
| | - Vipasha Gautam
- Department of Pharmacology, Post Graduate Institute of Medical Education and Research (PGIMER), Chandigarh 0172, Chandigarh, India
| | - Antika Sharma
- Department of Pharmacology, Post Graduate Institute of Medical Education and Research (PGIMER), Chandigarh 0172, Chandigarh, India
| | - Lekha Saha
- Department of Pharmacology, Post Graduate Institute of Medical Education and Research (PGIMER), Chandigarh 0172, Chandigarh, India
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22
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Suzuki I, Matsuda N, Han X, Noji S, Shibata M, Nagafuku N, Ishibashi Y. Large-Area Field Potential Imaging Having Single Neuron Resolution Using 236 880 Electrodes CMOS-MEA Technology. ADVANCED SCIENCE (WEINHEIM, BADEN-WURTTEMBERG, GERMANY) 2023:e2207732. [PMID: 37088859 PMCID: PMC10369302 DOI: 10.1002/advs.202207732] [Citation(s) in RCA: 4] [Impact Index Per Article: 4.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 12/29/2022] [Revised: 03/21/2023] [Indexed: 05/03/2023]
Abstract
The electrophysiological technology having a high spatiotemporal resolution at the single-cell level and noninvasive measurements of large areas provide insights on underlying neuronal function. Here, a complementary metal-oxide semiconductor (CMOS)-microelectrode array (MEA) is used that uses 236 880 electrodes each with an electrode size of 11.22 × 11.22 µm and 236 880 covering a wide area of 5.5 × 5.9 mm in presenting a detailed and single-cell-level neural activity analysis platform for brain slices, human iPS cell-derived cortical networks, peripheral neurons, and human brain organoids. Propagation pattern characteristics between brain regions changes the synaptic propagation into compounds based on single-cell time-series patterns, classification based on single DRG neuron firing patterns and compound responses, axonal conduction characteristics and changes to anticancer drugs, and network activities and transition to compounds in brain organoids are extracted. This detailed analysis of neural activity at the single-cell level using the CMOS-MEA provides a new understanding of the basic mechanisms of brain circuits in vitro and ex vivo, on human neurological diseases for drug discovery, and compound toxicity assessment.
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Affiliation(s)
- Ikuro Suzuki
- Department of Electronics, Graduate School of Engineering, Tohoku Institute of Technology, 35-1 Yagiyama Kasumicho, Taihaku-ku, Sendai, Miyagi, 982-8577, Japan
| | - Naoki Matsuda
- Department of Electronics, Graduate School of Engineering, Tohoku Institute of Technology, 35-1 Yagiyama Kasumicho, Taihaku-ku, Sendai, Miyagi, 982-8577, Japan
| | - Xiaobo Han
- Department of Electronics, Graduate School of Engineering, Tohoku Institute of Technology, 35-1 Yagiyama Kasumicho, Taihaku-ku, Sendai, Miyagi, 982-8577, Japan
| | - Shuhei Noji
- Department of Electronics, Graduate School of Engineering, Tohoku Institute of Technology, 35-1 Yagiyama Kasumicho, Taihaku-ku, Sendai, Miyagi, 982-8577, Japan
| | - Mikako Shibata
- Department of Electronics, Graduate School of Engineering, Tohoku Institute of Technology, 35-1 Yagiyama Kasumicho, Taihaku-ku, Sendai, Miyagi, 982-8577, Japan
| | - Nami Nagafuku
- Department of Electronics, Graduate School of Engineering, Tohoku Institute of Technology, 35-1 Yagiyama Kasumicho, Taihaku-ku, Sendai, Miyagi, 982-8577, Japan
| | - Yuto Ishibashi
- Department of Electronics, Graduate School of Engineering, Tohoku Institute of Technology, 35-1 Yagiyama Kasumicho, Taihaku-ku, Sendai, Miyagi, 982-8577, Japan
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23
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Muzzi L, Di Lisa D, Falappa M, Pepe S, Maccione A, Pastorino L, Martinoia S, Frega M. Human-Derived Cortical Neurospheroids Coupled to Passive, High-Density and 3D MEAs: A Valid Platform for Functional Tests. Bioengineering (Basel) 2023; 10:bioengineering10040449. [PMID: 37106636 PMCID: PMC10136157 DOI: 10.3390/bioengineering10040449] [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: 03/03/2023] [Accepted: 03/31/2023] [Indexed: 04/29/2023] Open
Abstract
With the advent of human-induced pluripotent stem cells (hiPSCs) and differentiation protocols, methods to create in-vitro human-derived neuronal networks have been proposed. Although monolayer cultures represent a valid model, adding three-dimensionality (3D) would make them more representative of an in-vivo environment. Thus, human-derived 3D structures are becoming increasingly used for in-vitro disease modeling. Achieving control over the final cell composition and investigating the exhibited electrophysiological activity is still a challenge. Thence, methodologies to create 3D structures with controlled cellular density and composition and platforms capable of measuring and characterizing the functional aspects of these samples are needed. Here, we propose a method to rapidly generate neurospheroids of human origin with control over cell composition that can be used for functional investigations. We show a characterization of the electrophysiological activity exhibited by the neurospheroids by using micro-electrode arrays (MEAs) with different types (i.e., passive, C-MOS, and 3D) and number of electrodes. Neurospheroids grown in free culture and transferred on MEAs exhibited functional activity that can be chemically and electrically modulated. Our results indicate that this model holds great potential for an in-depth study of signal transmission to drug screening and disease modeling and offers a platform for in-vitro functional testing.
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Affiliation(s)
- Lorenzo Muzzi
- Department of Informatics, Bioengineering, Robotics, and Systems Engineering (DIBRIS), University of Genoa, 16145 Genoa, Italy
| | - Donatella Di Lisa
- Department of Informatics, Bioengineering, Robotics, and Systems Engineering (DIBRIS), University of Genoa, 16145 Genoa, Italy
| | - Matteo Falappa
- 3Brain AG, 8808 Pfäffikon, Switzerland
- Corticale Srl., 16145 Genoa, Italy
| | - Sara Pepe
- Department of Experimental Medicine (DIMES), University of Genoa, 16132 Genoa, Italy
| | | | - Laura Pastorino
- Department of Informatics, Bioengineering, Robotics, and Systems Engineering (DIBRIS), University of Genoa, 16145 Genoa, Italy
| | - Sergio Martinoia
- Department of Informatics, Bioengineering, Robotics, and Systems Engineering (DIBRIS), University of Genoa, 16145 Genoa, Italy
| | - Monica Frega
- Department of Clinical Neurophysiology, University of Twente, 7522 NB Enschede, The Netherlands
- Department of Human Genetics, Radboudumc, Donders Institute for Brain, Cognition, and Behaviour, 6500 HB Nijmegen, The Netherlands
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24
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Antony I, Narasimhan M, Shen R, Prakasam R, Kaushik K, Chapman G, Kroll KL. Duplication Versus Deletion Through the Lens of 15q13.3: Clinical and Research Implications of Studying Copy Number Variants Associated with Neuropsychiatric Disorders in Induced Pluripotent Stem Cell-Derived Neurons. Stem Cell Rev Rep 2023; 19:639-650. [PMID: 36370261 PMCID: PMC10115185 DOI: 10.1007/s12015-022-10475-0] [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] [Accepted: 10/25/2022] [Indexed: 11/15/2022]
Abstract
Copy number variants (CNVs), involving duplication or deletion of susceptible intervals of the human genome, underlie a range of neurodevelopmental and neuropsychiatric disorders. As accessible in vivo animal models of these disorders often cannot be generated, induced pluripotent stem cell (iPSC) models derived from patients carrying these CNVs can reveal alterations of brain development and neuronal function that contribute to these disorders. CNVs involving deletion versus duplication of a particular genomic interval often result both in distinct clinical phenotypes and in differential phenotypic penetrance. This review initially focuses on CNVs at 15q13.3, which contribute to autism spectrum disorder, attention deficit/hyperactivity disorder, and schizophrenia. Like most CNVs, deletions at 15q13.3 usually cause severe clinical phenotypes, while duplications instead result in highly variable penetrance, with some carriers exhibiting no clinical phenotype. Here, we describe cellular and molecular phenotypes seen in iPSC-derived neuronal models of 15q13.3 duplication and deletion, which may contribute both to the differential clinical consequences and phenotypic penetrance. We then relate this work to many other CNVs involving both duplication and deletion, summarizing findings from iPSC studies and their relationship to clinical phenotype. Together, this work highlights how CNVs involving duplication versus deletion can differentially alter neural development and function to contribute to neuropsychiatric disorders. iPSC-derived neuronal models of these disorders can be used both to understand the underlying neurodevelopmental alterations and to develop pharmacological or molecular approaches for phenotypic rescue that may suggest leads for patient intervention. Top: Deletion versus duplication of the same genomic interval results in different clinical phenotypes and degrees of phenotypic penetrance. Example findings schematized. Bottom: iPSC-derived neurons from individuals with these CNVs involving deletion versus duplication likewise often differential phenotypes (increases or decreases) in the categories shown. Figure created with BioRender.com.
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Affiliation(s)
- Irene Antony
- Department of Developmental Biology, Washington University School of Medicine, Saint Louis, MO, 63110, USA
| | - Mishka Narasimhan
- Department of Developmental Biology, Washington University School of Medicine, Saint Louis, MO, 63110, USA
| | - Renata Shen
- Department of Developmental Biology, Washington University School of Medicine, Saint Louis, MO, 63110, USA
| | - Ramachandran Prakasam
- Department of Developmental Biology, Washington University School of Medicine, Saint Louis, MO, 63110, USA
| | - Komal Kaushik
- Department of Developmental Biology, Washington University School of Medicine, Saint Louis, MO, 63110, USA
| | - Gareth Chapman
- Department of Developmental Biology, Washington University School of Medicine, Saint Louis, MO, 63110, USA
| | - Kristen L Kroll
- Department of Developmental Biology, Washington University School of Medicine, Saint Louis, MO, 63110, USA.
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25
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Mok RSF, Zhang W, Sheikh TI, Pradeepan K, Fernandes IR, DeJong LC, Benigno G, Hildebrandt MR, Mufteev M, Rodrigues DC, Wei W, Piekna A, Liu J, Muotri AR, Vincent JB, Muller L, Martinez-Trujillo J, Salter MW, Ellis J. Wide spectrum of neuronal and network phenotypes in human stem cell-derived excitatory neurons with Rett syndrome-associated MECP2 mutations. Transl Psychiatry 2022; 12:450. [PMID: 36253345 PMCID: PMC9576700 DOI: 10.1038/s41398-022-02216-1] [Citation(s) in RCA: 6] [Impact Index Per Article: 3.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Submit a Manuscript] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 08/16/2022] [Revised: 10/01/2022] [Accepted: 10/03/2022] [Indexed: 11/19/2022] Open
Abstract
Rett syndrome (RTT) is a severe neurodevelopmental disorder primarily caused by heterozygous loss-of-function mutations in the X-linked gene MECP2 that is a global transcriptional regulator. Mutations in the methyl-CpG binding domain (MBD) of MECP2 disrupt its interaction with methylated DNA. Here, we investigate the effect of a novel MECP2 L124W missense mutation in the MBD of an atypical RTT patient with preserved speech in comparison to severe MECP2 null mutations. L124W protein had a limited ability to disrupt heterochromatic chromocenters due to decreased binding dynamics. We isolated two pairs of isogenic WT and L124W induced pluripotent stem cells. L124W induced excitatory neurons expressed stable protein, exhibited increased input resistance and decreased voltage-gated Na+ and K+ currents, and their neuronal dysmorphology was limited to decreased dendritic complexity. Three isogenic pairs of MECP2 null neurons had the expected more extreme morphological and electrophysiological phenotypes. We examined development and maturation of L124W and MECP2 null excitatory neural network activity using micro-electrode arrays. Relative to isogenic controls, L124W neurons had an increase in synchronous network burst frequency, in contrast to MECP2 null neurons that suffered a significant decrease in synchronous network burst frequency and a transient extension of network burst duration. A biologically motivated computational neural network model shows the observed changes in network dynamics are explained by changes in intrinsic Na+ and K+ currents in individual neurons. Our multilevel results demonstrate that RTT excitatory neurons show a wide spectrum of morphological, electrophysiological and circuitry phenotypes that are dependent on the severity of the MECP2 mutation.
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Grants
- R01 MH108528 NIMH NIH HHS
- MOP-133423 CIHR
- R01 MH109885 NIMH NIH HHS
- FDN-154336 CIHR
- R01 MH100175 NIMH NIH HHS
- Col Harland Sanders Rett Syndrome Research Fund at the University of Toronto (to J.E.), SFARI (Research grant #514918 to J.E. and J.M-T), CIHR (MOP-133423 to J.E. and M.W.S.; ERARE Team Grant ERT161303 to J.E.), CIHR foundation grant (FDN-154336 to M.W.S), Ontario Brain Institute (POND Network to J.E.), McLaughlin Centre Accelerator grant (to J.E.), John Evans Leadership Fund & Ontario Research Fund (to J.E), Canada Research Chair in Stem Cell Models of Childhood Disease (to J.E.), Beta Sigma Phi International Endowment Fund (to J.E.).
- BrainsCAN at Western University through the Canada First Research Excellence Fund (CFREF) (to GB, KP, LM, JMT). NSERC Postgraduate Scholarship–Doctoral (PGS-D) Scholarship to KP.
- Trainee support was provided by Restracomp (to LCD).
- National Institutes of Health (NIH) grants # R01MH108528, R01MH109885, and R01MH1000175 to ARM.
- Ontario Rett Syndrome Association to JBV.
- SFARI (Research grant #514918 to J.E. and J.M-T), BrainsCAN at Western University through the Canada First Research Excellence Fund (CFREF) (to GB, KP, LM, JMT)
- CIHR (MOP-133423 to J.E. and M.W.S.; CIHR foundation grant (FDN-154336 to M.W.S),
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Affiliation(s)
- Rebecca S F Mok
- Department of Molecular Genetics, University of Toronto, Toronto, ON, M5S 1A8, Canada
- Developmental & Stem Cell Biology Program, The Hospital for Sick Children, Toronto, ON, M5G 0A4, Canada
| | - Wenbo Zhang
- Neurosciences & Mental Health Program, The Hospital for Sick Children, Toronto, M5G 0A4, ON, Canada
| | - Taimoor I Sheikh
- Molecular Neuropsychiatry & Development (MiND) Lab, Campbell Family Mental Health Research Institute, Centre for Addiction and Mental Health, Toronto, ON, M5T 1R8, Canada
| | - Kartik Pradeepan
- Department of Physiology and Pharmacology, Department of Psychiatry, Neuroscience Graduate Program, Robarts Research and Brain and Mind Institutes, Schulich School of Medicine and Dentistry, Western University, London, ON, N6A 5B7, Canada
| | - Isabella R Fernandes
- University of California San Diego, School of Medicine, Department of Pediatrics/Rady Children's Hospital San Diego, Department of Cellular & Molecular Medicine, Stem Cell Program, La Jolla, CA, 92037-0695, USA
| | - Leah C DeJong
- Department of Molecular Genetics, University of Toronto, Toronto, ON, M5S 1A8, Canada
- Developmental & Stem Cell Biology Program, The Hospital for Sick Children, Toronto, ON, M5G 0A4, Canada
| | - Gabriel Benigno
- Department of Applied Mathematics, Robarts Research Institute, Brain and Mind Institute, Western University, London, ON, N6A 5B7, Canada
| | - Matthew R Hildebrandt
- Developmental & Stem Cell Biology Program, The Hospital for Sick Children, Toronto, ON, M5G 0A4, Canada
| | - Marat Mufteev
- Department of Molecular Genetics, University of Toronto, Toronto, ON, M5S 1A8, Canada
- Developmental & Stem Cell Biology Program, The Hospital for Sick Children, Toronto, ON, M5G 0A4, Canada
| | - Deivid C Rodrigues
- Developmental & Stem Cell Biology Program, The Hospital for Sick Children, Toronto, ON, M5G 0A4, Canada
| | - Wei Wei
- Developmental & Stem Cell Biology Program, The Hospital for Sick Children, Toronto, ON, M5G 0A4, Canada
| | - Alina Piekna
- Developmental & Stem Cell Biology Program, The Hospital for Sick Children, Toronto, ON, M5G 0A4, Canada
| | - Jiajie Liu
- Developmental & Stem Cell Biology Program, The Hospital for Sick Children, Toronto, ON, M5G 0A4, Canada
| | - Alysson R Muotri
- University of California San Diego, School of Medicine, Department of Pediatrics/Rady Children's Hospital San Diego, Department of Cellular & Molecular Medicine, Stem Cell Program, La Jolla, CA, 92037-0695, USA
- Department of Pediatrics/Rady Children's Hospital, Department of Cellular & Molecular Medicine, Center for Academic Research and Training in Anthropogeny, Archealization Center, Kavli Institute, University of California San Diego, La Jolla, CA, 92037, USA
| | - John B Vincent
- Molecular Neuropsychiatry & Development (MiND) Lab, Campbell Family Mental Health Research Institute, Centre for Addiction and Mental Health, Toronto, ON, M5T 1R8, Canada
| | - Lyle Muller
- Department of Applied Mathematics, Robarts Research Institute, Brain and Mind Institute, Western University, London, ON, N6A 5B7, Canada
| | - Julio Martinez-Trujillo
- Department of Physiology and Pharmacology, Department of Psychiatry, Neuroscience Graduate Program, Robarts Research and Brain and Mind Institutes, Schulich School of Medicine and Dentistry, Western University, London, ON, N6A 5B7, Canada
| | - Michael W Salter
- Neurosciences & Mental Health Program, The Hospital for Sick Children, Toronto, M5G 0A4, ON, Canada
- Department of Physiology, University of Toronto, Toronto, ON, M5S 1A8, Canada
| | - James Ellis
- Department of Molecular Genetics, University of Toronto, Toronto, ON, M5S 1A8, Canada.
- Developmental & Stem Cell Biology Program, The Hospital for Sick Children, Toronto, ON, M5G 0A4, Canada.
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26
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Alsaqati M, Davis BA, Wood J, Jones MM, Jones L, Westwood A, Petter O, Isles AR, Linden D, Van den Bree M, Owen M, Hall J, Harwood AJ. NRSF/REST lies at the intersection between epigenetic regulation, miRNA-mediated gene control and neurodevelopmental pathways associated with Intellectual disability (ID) and Schizophrenia. Transl Psychiatry 2022; 12:438. [PMID: 36216811 PMCID: PMC9551101 DOI: 10.1038/s41398-022-02199-z] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Submit a Manuscript] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 09/01/2022] [Revised: 09/15/2022] [Accepted: 09/21/2022] [Indexed: 11/16/2022] Open
Abstract
Genetic evidence indicates disrupted epigenetic regulation as a major risk factor for psychiatric disorders, but the molecular mechanisms that drive this association remain to be determined. EHMT1 is an epigenetic repressor that is causal for Kleefstra Syndrome (KS), a genetic disorder linked with neurodevelopmental disorders and associated with schizophrenia. Here, we show that reduced EHMT1 activity decreases NRSF/REST protein leading to abnormal neuronal gene expression and progression of neurodevelopment in human iPSC. We further show that EHMT1 regulates NRSF/REST indirectly via repression of miRNA and leads to aberrant neuronal gene regulation and neurodevelopment timing. Expression of a NRSF/REST mRNA that lacks the miRNA-binding sites restores neuronal gene regulation to EHMT1 deficient cells. Significantly, the EHMT1-regulated miRNA gene set not only controls NRSF/REST but is enriched for association for Intellectual Disability (ID) and schizophrenia. This reveals a broad molecular interaction between H3K9 demethylation, NSRF/REST regulation and risk for ID and Schizophrenia.
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Affiliation(s)
- Mouhamed Alsaqati
- Neuroscience and Mental Health Research Institute, Hadyn Ellis Building, Cathays, Cardiff, CF24 4HQ, UK.,MRC Centre for Neuropsychiatric Genetics and Genomics, Division of Psychological Medicine and Clinical Neurosciences (DPMCN), School of Medicine, Cardiff University, Cardiff, UK.,School of Pharmacy, KGVI Building, Newcastle University, Newcastle Upon Tyne, NE1 4LF, UK
| | - Brittany A Davis
- Neuroscience and Mental Health Research Institute, Hadyn Ellis Building, Cathays, Cardiff, CF24 4HQ, UK.,Lieber Institute for Brain Development, Johns Hopkins Medical Campus & Department of Psychiatry and Behavioral Sciences, Johns Hopkins University School of Medicine, Baltimore, MD, USA
| | - Jamie Wood
- Neuroscience and Mental Health Research Institute, Hadyn Ellis Building, Cathays, Cardiff, CF24 4HQ, UK.,School of Bioscience, The Sir Martin Evans Building, Museum Ave, Cardiff, CF10 3AX, UK
| | - Megan M Jones
- School of Bioscience, The Sir Martin Evans Building, Museum Ave, Cardiff, CF10 3AX, UK
| | - Lora Jones
- School of Bioscience, The Sir Martin Evans Building, Museum Ave, Cardiff, CF10 3AX, UK
| | - Aishah Westwood
- School of Bioscience, The Sir Martin Evans Building, Museum Ave, Cardiff, CF10 3AX, UK
| | - Olena Petter
- Neuroscience and Mental Health Research Institute, Hadyn Ellis Building, Cathays, Cardiff, CF24 4HQ, UK
| | - Anthony R Isles
- Neuroscience and Mental Health Research Institute, Hadyn Ellis Building, Cathays, Cardiff, CF24 4HQ, UK.,MRC Centre for Neuropsychiatric Genetics and Genomics, Division of Psychological Medicine and Clinical Neurosciences (DPMCN), School of Medicine, Cardiff University, Cardiff, UK
| | - David Linden
- School of Mental Health and Neuroscience, Faculty of Health, Medicine and Life Sciences, Maastricht University, Maastricht, Netherlands
| | - Marianne Van den Bree
- Neuroscience and Mental Health Research Institute, Hadyn Ellis Building, Cathays, Cardiff, CF24 4HQ, UK.,MRC Centre for Neuropsychiatric Genetics and Genomics, Division of Psychological Medicine and Clinical Neurosciences (DPMCN), School of Medicine, Cardiff University, Cardiff, UK
| | - Michael Owen
- Neuroscience and Mental Health Research Institute, Hadyn Ellis Building, Cathays, Cardiff, CF24 4HQ, UK.,MRC Centre for Neuropsychiatric Genetics and Genomics, Division of Psychological Medicine and Clinical Neurosciences (DPMCN), School of Medicine, Cardiff University, Cardiff, UK
| | - Jeremy Hall
- Neuroscience and Mental Health Research Institute, Hadyn Ellis Building, Cathays, Cardiff, CF24 4HQ, UK.,MRC Centre for Neuropsychiatric Genetics and Genomics, Division of Psychological Medicine and Clinical Neurosciences (DPMCN), School of Medicine, Cardiff University, Cardiff, UK
| | - Adrian J Harwood
- Neuroscience and Mental Health Research Institute, Hadyn Ellis Building, Cathays, Cardiff, CF24 4HQ, UK. .,School of Bioscience, The Sir Martin Evans Building, Museum Ave, Cardiff, CF10 3AX, UK.
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27
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Kainer D, Templeton AR, Prates ET, Jacboson D, Allan ER, Climer S, Garvin MR. Structural variants identified using non-Mendelian inheritance patterns advance the mechanistic understanding of autism spectrum disorder. HGG ADVANCES 2022; 4:100150. [PMCID: PMC9634371 DOI: 10.1016/j.xhgg.2022.100150] [Citation(s) in RCA: 3] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 05/09/2022] [Accepted: 10/03/2022] [Indexed: 11/06/2022] Open
Abstract
The heritability of autism spectrum disorder (ASD), based on 680,000 families and five countries, is estimated to be nearly 80%, yet heritability reported from SNP-based studies are consistently lower, and few significant loci have been identified with genome-wide association studies. This gap in genomic information may reside in rare variants, interaction among variants (epistasis), or cryptic structural variation (SV) and may provide mechanisms that underlie ASD. Here we use a method to identify potential SVs based on non-Mendelian inheritance patterns in pedigrees using parent-child genotypes from ASD families and demonstrate that they are enriched in ASD-risk genes. Most are in non-coding genic space and are over-represented in expression quantitative trait loci, suggesting that they affect gene regulation, which we confirm with their overlap of differentially expressed genes in postmortem brain tissue of ASD individuals. We then identify an SV in the GRIK2 gene that alters RNA splicing and a regulatory region of the ACMSD gene in the kynurenine pathway as significantly associated with a non-verbal ASD phenotype, supporting our hypothesis that these currently excluded loci can provide a clearer mechanistic understanding of ASD. Finally, we use an explainable artificial intelligence approach to define subgroups demonstrating their use in the context of precision medicine.
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Affiliation(s)
- David Kainer
- Computational Systems Biology, Oak Ridge National Laboratory, Oak Ridge, TN, USA
| | - Alan R. Templeton
- Department of Biology, Washington University – St Louis, St. Louis, MO, USA
| | - Erica T. Prates
- Computational Systems Biology, Oak Ridge National Laboratory, Oak Ridge, TN, USA
| | - Daniel Jacboson
- Computational Systems Biology, Oak Ridge National Laboratory, Oak Ridge, TN, USA
| | | | - Sharlee Climer
- Department of Computer Science, University of Missouri, St. Louis, MO, USA
| | - Michael R. Garvin
- Computational Systems Biology, Oak Ridge National Laboratory, Oak Ridge, TN, USA,Williwaw Biosciences, LLC, Clarkston, MI, USA,Corresponding author
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28
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Di Lisa D, Muzzi L, Pepe S, Dellacasa E, Frega M, Fassio A, Martinoia S, Pastorino L. On the way back from 3D to 2D: Chitosan promotes adhesion and development of neuronal networks onto culture supports. Carbohydr Polym 2022; 297:120049. [DOI: 10.1016/j.carbpol.2022.120049] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 04/27/2022] [Revised: 08/25/2022] [Accepted: 08/25/2022] [Indexed: 11/25/2022]
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29
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Epigenetic genes and epilepsy - emerging mechanisms and clinical applications. Nat Rev Neurol 2022; 18:530-543. [PMID: 35859062 DOI: 10.1038/s41582-022-00693-y] [Citation(s) in RCA: 12] [Impact Index Per Article: 6.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Accepted: 06/16/2022] [Indexed: 12/21/2022]
Abstract
An increasing number of epilepsies are being attributed to variants in genes with epigenetic functions. The products of these genes include factors that regulate the structure and function of chromatin and the placing, reading and removal of epigenetic marks, as well as other epigenetic processes. In this Review, we provide an overview of the various epigenetic processes, structuring our discussion around five function-based categories: DNA methylation, histone modifications, histone-DNA crosstalk, non-coding RNAs and chromatin remodelling. We provide background information on each category, describing the general mechanism by which each process leads to altered gene expression. We also highlight key clinical and mechanistic aspects, providing examples of genes that strongly associate with epilepsy within each class. We consider the practical applications of these findings, including tissue-based and biofluid-based diagnostics and precision medicine-based treatments. We conclude that variants in epigenetic genes are increasingly found to be causally involved in the epilepsies, with implications for disease mechanisms, treatments and diagnostics.
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30
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Zhang W, Ross PJ, Ellis J, Salter MW. Targeting NMDA receptors in neuropsychiatric disorders by drug screening on human neurons derived from pluripotent stem cells. Transl Psychiatry 2022; 12:243. [PMID: 35680847 PMCID: PMC9184461 DOI: 10.1038/s41398-022-02010-z] [Citation(s) in RCA: 13] [Impact Index Per Article: 6.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Submit a Manuscript] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 02/03/2022] [Revised: 05/25/2022] [Accepted: 05/27/2022] [Indexed: 01/04/2023] Open
Abstract
NMDA receptors (NMDARs), a prominent subtype of glutamatergic receptors, are implicated in the pathogenesis and development of neuropsychiatric disorders such as epilepsy, intellectual disability, autism spectrum disorder, and schizophrenia, and are therefore a potential therapeutic target in treating these disorders. Neurons derived from induced pluripotent stem cells (iPSCs) have provided the opportunity to investigate human NMDARs in their native environment. In this review, we describe the expression, function, and regulation of NMDARs in human iPSC-derived neurons and discuss approaches for utilizing human neurons for identifying potential drugs that target NMDARs in the treatment of neuropsychiatric disorders. A challenge in studying NMDARs in human iPSC-derived neurons is a predominance of those receptors containing the GluN2B subunit and low synaptic expression, suggesting a relatively immature phenotype of these neurons and delayed development of functional NMDARs. We outline potential approaches for improving neuronal maturation of human iPSC-derived neurons and accelerating the functional expression of NMDARs. Acceleration of functional expression of NMDARs in human iPSC-derived neurons will improve the modeling of neuropsychiatric disorders and facilitate the discovery and development of novel therapeutics targeting NMDARs for the treatment of these disorders.
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Affiliation(s)
- Wenbo Zhang
- Program in Neurosciences & Mental Health, The Hospital for Sick Children, Toronto, ON, M5G 1X8, Canada
- Department of Physiology, University of Toronto, Toronto, ON, M5S 1A8, Canada
| | - P Joel Ross
- Biology Department, University of Prince Edward Island, Charlottetown, PE, C1A 4P3, Canada
| | - James Ellis
- Program in Developmental & Stem Cell Biology, The Hospital for Sick Children, Toronto, ON, M5G 1X8, Canada
- Department of Molecular Genetics, University of Toronto, Toronto, M5S 1A8, Canada
| | - Michael W Salter
- Program in Neurosciences & Mental Health, The Hospital for Sick Children, Toronto, ON, M5G 1X8, Canada.
- Department of Physiology, University of Toronto, Toronto, ON, M5S 1A8, Canada.
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31
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Wang S, Rhijn JRV, Akkouh I, Kogo N, Maas N, Bleeck A, Ortiz IS, Lewerissa E, Wu KM, Schoenmaker C, Djurovic S, van Bokhoven H, Kleefstra T, Nadif Kasri N, Schubert D. Loss-of-function variants in the schizophrenia risk gene SETD1A alter neuronal network activity in human neurons through the cAMP/PKA pathway. Cell Rep 2022; 39:110790. [PMID: 35508131 PMCID: PMC7615788 DOI: 10.1016/j.celrep.2022.110790] [Citation(s) in RCA: 18] [Impact Index Per Article: 9.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 09/27/2021] [Revised: 02/20/2022] [Accepted: 04/15/2022] [Indexed: 12/11/2022] Open
Abstract
Heterozygous loss-of-function (LoF) mutations in SETD1A, which encodes a subunit of histone H3 lysine 4 methyltransferase, cause a neurodevelopmental syndrome and increase the risk for schizophrenia. Using CRISPR-Cas9, we generate excitatory/inhibitory neuronal networks from human induced pluripotent stem cells with a SETD1A heterozygous LoF mutation (SETD1A+/-). Our data show that SETD1A haploinsufficiency results in morphologically increased dendritic complexity and functionally increased bursting activity. This network phenotype is primarily driven by SETD1A haploinsufficiency in glutamatergic neurons. In accordance with the functional changes, transcriptomic profiling reveals perturbations in gene sets associated with glutamatergic synaptic function. At the molecular level, we identify specific changes in the cyclic AMP (cAMP)/Protein Kinase A pathway pointing toward a hyperactive cAMP pathway in SETD1A+/- neurons. Finally, by pharmacologically targeting the cAMP pathway, we are able to rescue the network deficits in SETD1A+/- cultures. Our results demonstrate a link between SETD1A and the cAMP-dependent pathway in human neurons.
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Affiliation(s)
- Shan Wang
- Department of Cognitive Neurosciences, Radboudumc, Donders Institute for Brain Cognition and Behaviour, 6525 HR Nijmegen, the Netherlands
| | - Jon-Ruben van Rhijn
- Department of Cognitive Neurosciences, Radboudumc, Donders Institute for Brain Cognition and Behaviour, 6525 HR Nijmegen, the Netherlands
| | - Ibrahim Akkouh
- Department of Medical Genetics, Oslo University Hospital, 0424 Oslo, Norway; NORMENT, Institute of Clinical Medicine, University of Oslo, 0372 Oslo, Norway
| | - Naoki Kogo
- Department of Human Genetics, Radboudumc, Donders Institute for Brain Cognition and Behaviour, 6500 HB Nijmegen, the Netherlands; Department of Biophysics, Donders Institute for Brain Cognition and Behaviour, 6525 AJ Nijmegen, the Netherlands
| | - Nadine Maas
- Department of Cognitive Neurosciences, Radboudumc, Donders Institute for Brain Cognition and Behaviour, 6525 HR Nijmegen, the Netherlands
| | - Anna Bleeck
- Department of Cognitive Neurosciences, Radboudumc, Donders Institute for Brain Cognition and Behaviour, 6525 HR Nijmegen, the Netherlands
| | - Irene Santisteban Ortiz
- Department of Cognitive Neurosciences, Radboudumc, Donders Institute for Brain Cognition and Behaviour, 6525 HR Nijmegen, the Netherlands
| | - Elly Lewerissa
- Department of Human Genetics, Radboudumc, Donders Institute for Brain Cognition and Behaviour, 6500 HB Nijmegen, the Netherlands
| | - Ka Man Wu
- Department of Human Genetics, Radboudumc, Donders Institute for Brain Cognition and Behaviour, 6500 HB Nijmegen, the Netherlands
| | - Chantal Schoenmaker
- Department of Human Genetics, Radboudumc, Donders Institute for Brain Cognition and Behaviour, 6500 HB Nijmegen, the Netherlands
| | - Srdjan Djurovic
- Department of Medical Genetics, Oslo University Hospital, 0424 Oslo, Norway; NORMENT, Department of Clinical Science, University of Bergen, 5021 Bergen, Norway
| | - Hans van Bokhoven
- Department of Cognitive Neurosciences, Radboudumc, Donders Institute for Brain Cognition and Behaviour, 6525 HR Nijmegen, the Netherlands; Department of Human Genetics, Radboudumc, Donders Institute for Brain Cognition and Behaviour, 6500 HB Nijmegen, the Netherlands
| | - Tjitske Kleefstra
- Department of Human Genetics, Radboudumc, Donders Institute for Brain Cognition and Behaviour, 6500 HB Nijmegen, the Netherlands
| | - Nael Nadif Kasri
- Department of Cognitive Neurosciences, Radboudumc, Donders Institute for Brain Cognition and Behaviour, 6525 HR Nijmegen, the Netherlands; Department of Human Genetics, Radboudumc, Donders Institute for Brain Cognition and Behaviour, 6500 HB Nijmegen, the Netherlands
| | - Dirk Schubert
- Department of Cognitive Neurosciences, Radboudumc, Donders Institute for Brain Cognition and Behaviour, 6525 HR Nijmegen, the Netherlands.
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32
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Schmidt S, Frank R, Krinke D, Jahnke HG, Robitzki AA. Novel PMMA based 96-well microelectrode arrays for bioelectronic high throughput monitoring of cells in a live mode. Biosens Bioelectron 2022; 202:114012. [DOI: 10.1016/j.bios.2022.114012] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 10/25/2021] [Revised: 12/23/2021] [Accepted: 01/14/2022] [Indexed: 11/02/2022]
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33
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Girardin S, Clément B, Ihle SJ, Weaver S, Petr JB, Mateus JC, Duru J, Krubner M, Forró C, Ruff T, Fruh I, Müller M, Vörös J. Topologically controlled circuits of human iPSC-derived neurons for electrophysiology recordings. LAB ON A CHIP 2022; 22:1386-1403. [PMID: 35253810 PMCID: PMC8963377 DOI: 10.1039/d1lc01110c] [Citation(s) in RCA: 1] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 12/09/2021] [Accepted: 02/18/2022] [Indexed: 06/01/2023]
Abstract
Bottom-up neuroscience, which consists of building and studying controlled networks of neurons in vitro, is a promising method to investigate information processing at the neuronal level. However, in vitro studies tend to use cells of animal origin rather than human neurons, leading to conclusions that might not be generalizable to humans and limiting the possibilities for relevant studies on neurological disorders. Here we present a method to build arrays of topologically controlled circuits of human induced pluripotent stem cell (iPSC)-derived neurons. The circuits consist of 4 to 50 neurons with well-defined connections, confined by microfabricated polydimethylsiloxane (PDMS) membranes. Such circuits were characterized using optical imaging and microelectrode arrays (MEAs), suggesting the formation of functional connections between the neurons of a circuit. Electrophysiology recordings were performed on circuits of human iPSC-derived neurons for at least 4.5 months. We believe that the capacity to build small and controlled circuits of human iPSC-derived neurons holds great promise to better understand the fundamental principles of information processing and storing in the brain.
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Affiliation(s)
- Sophie Girardin
- Laboratory of Biosensors and Bioelectronics, Institute for Biomedical Engineering, ETH Zurich, Gloriastrasse 35, 8092 Zurich, Switzerland.
| | - Blandine Clément
- Laboratory of Biosensors and Bioelectronics, Institute for Biomedical Engineering, ETH Zurich, Gloriastrasse 35, 8092 Zurich, Switzerland.
| | - Stephan J Ihle
- Laboratory of Biosensors and Bioelectronics, Institute for Biomedical Engineering, ETH Zurich, Gloriastrasse 35, 8092 Zurich, Switzerland.
| | - Sean Weaver
- Laboratory of Biosensors and Bioelectronics, Institute for Biomedical Engineering, ETH Zurich, Gloriastrasse 35, 8092 Zurich, Switzerland.
| | - Jana B Petr
- Laboratory of Biosensors and Bioelectronics, Institute for Biomedical Engineering, ETH Zurich, Gloriastrasse 35, 8092 Zurich, Switzerland.
| | - José C Mateus
- Instituto de Investigação e Inovação em Saúde, Universidade do Porto, Rua Alfredo Allen 208, Porto, Portugal
| | - Jens Duru
- Laboratory of Biosensors and Bioelectronics, Institute for Biomedical Engineering, ETH Zurich, Gloriastrasse 35, 8092 Zurich, Switzerland.
| | - Magdalena Krubner
- Laboratory of Biosensors and Bioelectronics, Institute for Biomedical Engineering, ETH Zurich, Gloriastrasse 35, 8092 Zurich, Switzerland.
| | - Csaba Forró
- Cui Laboratory, S285 290 Jane Stanford Way Stanford, Stanford, CA 94305, USA
| | - Tobias Ruff
- Laboratory of Biosensors and Bioelectronics, Institute for Biomedical Engineering, ETH Zurich, Gloriastrasse 35, 8092 Zurich, Switzerland.
| | - Isabelle Fruh
- Chemical Biology & Therapeutics, Novartis Institutes for BioMedical Research, 4002 Basel, Switzerland
| | - Matthias Müller
- Chemical Biology & Therapeutics, Novartis Institutes for BioMedical Research, 4002 Basel, Switzerland
| | - János Vörös
- Laboratory of Biosensors and Bioelectronics, Institute for Biomedical Engineering, ETH Zurich, Gloriastrasse 35, 8092 Zurich, Switzerland.
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34
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Following Excitation/Inhibition Ratio Homeostasis from Synapse to EEG in Monogenetic Neurodevelopmental Disorders. Genes (Basel) 2022; 13:genes13020390. [PMID: 35205434 PMCID: PMC8872324 DOI: 10.3390/genes13020390] [Citation(s) in RCA: 2] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 12/28/2021] [Revised: 02/11/2022] [Accepted: 02/16/2022] [Indexed: 12/26/2022] Open
Abstract
Pharmacological options for neurodevelopmental disorders are limited to symptom suppressing agents that do not target underlying pathophysiological mechanisms. Studies on specific genetic disorders causing neurodevelopmental disorders have elucidated pathophysiological mechanisms to develop more rational treatments. Here, we present our concerted multi-level strategy ‘BRAINMODEL’, focusing on excitation/inhibition ratio homeostasis across different levels of neuroscientific interrogation. The aim is to develop personalized treatment strategies by linking iPSC-based models and novel EEG measurements to patient report outcome measures in individual patients. We focus our strategy on chromatin- and SNAREopathies as examples of severe genetic neurodevelopmental disorders with an unmet need for rational interventions.
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35
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McCready FP, Gordillo-Sampedro S, Pradeepan K, Martinez-Trujillo J, Ellis J. Multielectrode Arrays for Functional Phenotyping of Neurons from Induced Pluripotent Stem Cell Models of Neurodevelopmental Disorders. BIOLOGY 2022; 11:316. [PMID: 35205182 PMCID: PMC8868577 DOI: 10.3390/biology11020316] [Citation(s) in RCA: 13] [Impact Index Per Article: 6.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 01/11/2022] [Revised: 02/11/2022] [Accepted: 02/14/2022] [Indexed: 12/11/2022]
Abstract
In vitro multielectrode array (MEA) systems are increasingly used as higher-throughput platforms for functional phenotyping studies of neurons in induced pluripotent stem cell (iPSC) disease models. While MEA systems generate large amounts of spatiotemporal activity data from networks of iPSC-derived neurons, the downstream analysis and interpretation of such high-dimensional data often pose a significant challenge to researchers. In this review, we examine how MEA technology is currently deployed in iPSC modeling studies of neurodevelopmental disorders. We first highlight the strengths of in vitro MEA technology by reviewing the history of its development and the original scientific questions MEAs were intended to answer. Methods of generating patient iPSC-derived neurons and astrocytes for MEA co-cultures are summarized. We then discuss challenges associated with MEA data analysis in a disease modeling context, and present novel computational methods used to better interpret network phenotyping data. We end by suggesting best practices for presenting MEA data in research publications, and propose that the creation of a public MEA data repository to enable collaborative data sharing would be of great benefit to the iPSC disease modeling community.
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Affiliation(s)
- Fraser P. McCready
- Department of Molecular Genetics, University of Toronto, Toronto, ON M5S 1A8, Canada; (F.P.M.); (S.G.-S.)
- Developmental & Stem Cell Biology Program, The Hospital for Sick Children, Toronto, ON M5G 0A4, Canada
| | - Sara Gordillo-Sampedro
- Department of Molecular Genetics, University of Toronto, Toronto, ON M5S 1A8, Canada; (F.P.M.); (S.G.-S.)
- Developmental & Stem Cell Biology Program, The Hospital for Sick Children, Toronto, ON M5G 0A4, Canada
| | - Kartik Pradeepan
- Department of Physiology and Pharmacology, Department of Psychiatry, Robarts Research and Brain and Mind Institutes, Schulich School of Medicine and Dentistry, Western University, London, ON N6A 5B7, Canada; (K.P.); (J.M.-T.)
| | - Julio Martinez-Trujillo
- Department of Physiology and Pharmacology, Department of Psychiatry, Robarts Research and Brain and Mind Institutes, Schulich School of Medicine and Dentistry, Western University, London, ON N6A 5B7, Canada; (K.P.); (J.M.-T.)
| | - James Ellis
- Department of Molecular Genetics, University of Toronto, Toronto, ON M5S 1A8, Canada; (F.P.M.); (S.G.-S.)
- Developmental & Stem Cell Biology Program, The Hospital for Sick Children, Toronto, ON M5G 0A4, Canada
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Fear VS, Forbes CA, Anderson D, Rauschert S, Syn G, Shaw N, Jamieson S, Ward M, Baynam G, Lassmann T. CRISPR single base editing, neuronal disease modelling and functional genomics for genetic variant analysis: pipeline validation using Kleefstra syndrome EHMT1 haploinsufficiency. Stem Cell Res Ther 2022; 13:69. [PMID: 35139903 PMCID: PMC8827184 DOI: 10.1186/s13287-022-02740-3] [Citation(s) in RCA: 6] [Impact Index Per Article: 3.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 08/06/2021] [Accepted: 10/28/2021] [Indexed: 11/22/2022] Open
Abstract
Background Over 400 million people worldwide are living with a rare disease. Next Generation Sequencing (NGS) identifies potential disease causative genetic variants. However, many are identified as variants of uncertain significance (VUS) and require functional laboratory validation to determine pathogenicity, and this creates major diagnostic delays. Methods In this study we test a rapid genetic variant assessment pipeline using CRISPR homology directed repair to introduce single nucleotide variants into inducible pluripotent stem cells (iPSCs), followed by neuronal disease modelling, and functional genomics on amplicon and RNA sequencing, to determine cellular changes to support patient diagnosis and identify disease mechanism. Results As proof-of-principle, we investigated an EHMT1 (Euchromatin histone methyltransferase 1; EHMT1 c.3430C > T; p.Gln1144*) genetic variant pathogenic for Kleefstra syndrome and determined changes in gene expression during neuronal progenitor cell differentiation. This pipeline rapidly identified Kleefstra syndrome in genetic variant cells compared to healthy cells, and revealed novel findings potentially implicating the key transcription factors REST and SP1 in disease pathogenesis. Conclusion The study pipeline is a rapid, robust method for genetic variant assessment that will support rare diseases patient diagnosis. The results also provide valuable information on genome wide perturbations key to disease mechanism that can be targeted for drug treatments. Supplementary Information The online version contains supplementary material available at 10.1186/s13287-022-02740-3.
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Affiliation(s)
- Vanessa S Fear
- Translational Genetics, Precision Health, Telethon Kids Institute, Northern Entrance, Perth Children's Hospital, 15 Hospital Avenue, Nedlands, WA, 6009, Australia.
| | - Catherine A Forbes
- Translational Genetics, Precision Health, Telethon Kids Institute, Northern Entrance, Perth Children's Hospital, 15 Hospital Avenue, Nedlands, WA, 6009, Australia
| | - Denise Anderson
- Computational Biology, Precision Health, Telethon Kids Institute, Perth Children's Hospital, Nedlands, WA, 6009, Australia
| | - Sebastian Rauschert
- Computational Biology, Precision Health, Telethon Kids Institute, Perth Children's Hospital, Nedlands, WA, 6009, Australia
| | - Genevieve Syn
- Computational Biology, Precision Health, Telethon Kids Institute, Perth Children's Hospital, Nedlands, WA, 6009, Australia
| | - Nicole Shaw
- Translational Genetics, Precision Health, Telethon Kids Institute, Northern Entrance, Perth Children's Hospital, 15 Hospital Avenue, Nedlands, WA, 6009, Australia
| | - Sarra Jamieson
- Computational Biology, Precision Health, Telethon Kids Institute, Perth Children's Hospital, Nedlands, WA, 6009, Australia
| | - Michelle Ward
- Undiagnosed Diseases Program, Genetic Services of WA, Subiaco, Australia
| | - Gareth Baynam
- Western Australian Register of Developmental Anomalies, King Edward Memorial Hospital, Subiaco, WA, 6008, Australia.,Undiagnosed Diseases Program, Genetic Services of WA, Subiaco, Australia
| | - Timo Lassmann
- Translational Genetics, Precision Health, Telethon Kids Institute, Northern Entrance, Perth Children's Hospital, 15 Hospital Avenue, Nedlands, WA, 6009, Australia.,Computational Biology, Precision Health, Telethon Kids Institute, Perth Children's Hospital, Nedlands, WA, 6009, Australia
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37
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Wilson KD, Porter EG, Garcia BA. Reprogramming of the epigenome in neurodevelopmental disorders. Crit Rev Biochem Mol Biol 2022; 57:73-112. [PMID: 34601997 PMCID: PMC9462920 DOI: 10.1080/10409238.2021.1979457] [Citation(s) in RCA: 10] [Impact Index Per Article: 5.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 02/03/2023]
Abstract
The etiology of neurodevelopmental disorders (NDDs) remains a challenge for researchers. Human brain development is tightly regulated and sensitive to cellular alterations caused by endogenous or exogenous factors. Intriguingly, the surge of clinical sequencing studies has revealed that many of these disorders are monogenic and monoallelic. Notably, chromatin regulation has emerged as highly dysregulated in NDDs, with many syndromes demonstrating phenotypic overlap, such as intellectual disabilities, with one another. Here we discuss epigenetic writers, erasers, readers, remodelers, and even histones mutated in NDD patients, predicted to affect gene regulation. Moreover, this review focuses on disorders associated with mutations in enzymes involved in histone acetylation and methylation, and it highlights syndromes involving chromatin remodeling complexes. Finally, we explore recently discovered histone germline mutations and their pathogenic outcome on neurological function. Epigenetic regulators are mutated at every level of chromatin organization. Throughout this review, we discuss mechanistic investigations, as well as various animal and iPSC models of these disorders and their usefulness in determining pathomechanism and potential therapeutics. Understanding the mechanism of these mutations will illuminate common pathways between disorders. Ultimately, classifying these disorders based on their effects on the epigenome will not only aid in prognosis in patients but will aid in understanding the role of epigenetic machinery throughout neurodevelopment.
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Affiliation(s)
- Khadija D. Wilson
- Department of Biochemistry and Biophysics, Perelman School of Medicine, University of Pennsylvania, Philadelphia, PA
| | - Elizabeth G. Porter
- Department of Biochemistry and Biophysics, Perelman School of Medicine, University of Pennsylvania, Philadelphia, PA
| | - Benjamin A. Garcia
- Department of Biochemistry and Biophysics, Perelman School of Medicine, University of Pennsylvania, Philadelphia, PA
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38
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Abstract
During evolution, the cerebral cortex advances by increasing in surface and the introduction of new cytoarchitectonic areas among which the prefrontal cortex (PFC) is considered to be the substrate of highest cognitive functions. Although neurons of the PFC are generated before birth, the differentiation of its neurons and development of synaptic connections in humans extend to the 3rd decade of life. During this period, synapses as well as neurotransmitter systems including their receptors and transporters, are initially overproduced followed by selective elimination. Advanced methods applied to human and animal models, enable investigation of the cellular mechanisms and role of specific genes, non-coding regulatory elements and signaling molecules in control of prefrontal neuronal production and phenotypic fate, as well as neuronal migration to establish layering of the PFC. Likewise, various genetic approaches in combination with functional assays and immunohistochemical and imaging methods reveal roles of neurotransmitter systems during maturation of the PFC. Disruption, or even a slight slowing of the rate of neuronal production, migration and synaptogenesis by genetic or environmental factors, can induce gross as well as subtle changes that eventually can lead to cognitive impairment. An understanding of the development and evolution of the PFC provide insight into the pathogenesis and treatment of congenital neuropsychiatric diseases as well as idiopathic developmental disorders that cause intellectual disabilities.
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Affiliation(s)
- Sharon M Kolk
- Department of Molecular Neurobiology, Donders Institute for Brain, Cognition and Behaviour and Faculty of Science, Radboud University, Nijmegen, The Netherlands.
| | - Pasko Rakic
- Department of Neuroscience and Kavli Institute for Neuroscience, Yale University, New Haven, Connecticut, USA.
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Hu M, Frega M, Tolner EA, van den Maagdenberg AMJM, Frimat JP, le Feber J. MEA-ToolBox: an Open Source Toolbox for Standardized Analysis of Multi-Electrode Array Data. Neuroinformatics 2022; 20:1077-1092. [PMID: 35680724 PMCID: PMC9588481 DOI: 10.1007/s12021-022-09591-6] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Accepted: 05/23/2022] [Indexed: 12/31/2022]
Abstract
Functional assessment of in vitro neuronal networks-of relevance for disease modelling and drug testing-can be performed using multi-electrode array (MEA) technology. However, the handling and processing of the large amount of data typically generated in MEA experiments remains a huge hurdle for researchers. Various software packages have been developed to tackle this issue, but to date, most are either not accessible through the links provided by the authors or only tackle parts of the analysis. Here, we present ''MEA-ToolBox'', a free open-source general MEA analytical toolbox that uses a variety of literature-based algorithms to process the data, detect spikes from raw recordings, and extract information at both the single-channel and array-wide network level. MEA-ToolBox extracts information about spike trains, burst-related analysis and connectivity metrics without the need of manual intervention. MEA-ToolBox is tailored for comparing different sets of measurements and will analyze data from multiple recorded files placed in the same folder sequentially, thus considerably streamlining the analysis pipeline. MEA-ToolBox is available with a graphic user interface (GUI) thus eliminating the need for any coding expertise while offering functionality to inspect, explore and post-process the data. As proof-of-concept, MEA-ToolBox was tested on earlier-published MEA recordings from neuronal networks derived from human induced pluripotent stem cells (hiPSCs) obtained from healthy subjects and patients with neurodevelopmental disorders. Neuronal networks derived from patient's hiPSCs showed a clear phenotype compared to those from healthy subjects, demonstrating that the toolbox could extract useful parameters and assess differences between normal and diseased profiles.
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Affiliation(s)
- Michel Hu
- Department of Human Genetics, Leiden University Medical Centre, Leiden, the Netherlands ,Department of Neurology, Leiden University Medical Centre, Leiden, the Netherlands
| | - Monica Frega
- Department of Clinical Neurophysiology, University of Twente, Enschede, the Netherlands
| | - Else A. Tolner
- Department of Human Genetics, Leiden University Medical Centre, Leiden, the Netherlands ,Department of Neurology, Leiden University Medical Centre, Leiden, the Netherlands
| | - A. M. J. M. van den Maagdenberg
- Department of Human Genetics, Leiden University Medical Centre, Leiden, the Netherlands ,Department of Neurology, Leiden University Medical Centre, Leiden, the Netherlands
| | - J. P. Frimat
- Department of Human Genetics, Leiden University Medical Centre, Leiden, the Netherlands ,Department of Neurology, Leiden University Medical Centre, Leiden, the Netherlands
| | - Joost le Feber
- Department of Clinical Neurophysiology, University of Twente, Enschede, the Netherlands
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Cadherin-13 is a critical regulator of GABAergic modulation in human stem-cell-derived neuronal networks. Mol Psychiatry 2022; 27:1-18. [PMID: 33972691 PMCID: PMC8960401 DOI: 10.1038/s41380-021-01117-x] [Citation(s) in RCA: 55] [Impact Index Per Article: 27.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Submit a Manuscript] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 05/07/2020] [Revised: 03/30/2021] [Accepted: 04/13/2021] [Indexed: 02/07/2023]
Abstract
Activity in the healthy brain relies on a concerted interplay of excitation (E) and inhibition (I) via balanced synaptic communication between glutamatergic and GABAergic neurons. A growing number of studies imply that disruption of this E/I balance is a commonality in many brain disorders; however, obtaining mechanistic insight into these disruptions, with translational value for the patient, has typically been hampered by methodological limitations. Cadherin-13 (CDH13) has been associated with autism and attention-deficit/hyperactivity disorder. CDH13 localizes at inhibitory presynapses, specifically of parvalbumin (PV) and somatostatin (SST) expressing GABAergic neurons. However, the mechanism by which CDH13 regulates the function of inhibitory synapses in human neurons remains unknown. Starting from human-induced pluripotent stem cells, we established a robust method to generate a homogenous population of SST and MEF2C (PV-precursor marker protein) expressing GABAergic neurons (iGABA) in vitro, and co-cultured these with glutamatergic neurons at defined E/I ratios on micro-electrode arrays. We identified functional network parameters that are most reliably affected by GABAergic modulation as such, and through alterations of E/I balance by reduced expression of CDH13 in iGABAs. We found that CDH13 deficiency in iGABAs decreased E/I balance by means of increased inhibition. Moreover, CDH13 interacts with Integrin-β1 and Integrin-β3, which play opposite roles in the regulation of inhibitory synaptic strength via this interaction. Taken together, this model allows for standardized investigation of the E/I balance in a human neuronal background and can be deployed to dissect the cell-type-specific contribution of disease genes to the E/I balance.
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Functional Characterization of Human Pluripotent Stem Cell-Derived Models of the Brain with Microelectrode Arrays. Cells 2021; 11:cells11010106. [PMID: 35011667 PMCID: PMC8750870 DOI: 10.3390/cells11010106] [Citation(s) in RCA: 13] [Impact Index Per Article: 4.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 11/23/2021] [Revised: 12/22/2021] [Accepted: 12/24/2021] [Indexed: 12/26/2022] Open
Abstract
Human pluripotent stem cell (hPSC)-derived neuron cultures have emerged as models of electrical activity in the human brain. Microelectrode arrays (MEAs) measure changes in the extracellular electric potential of cell cultures or tissues and enable the recording of neuronal network activity. MEAs have been applied to both human subjects and hPSC-derived brain models. Here, we review the literature on the functional characterization of hPSC-derived two- and three-dimensional brain models with MEAs and examine their network function in physiological and pathological contexts. We also summarize MEA results from the human brain and compare them to the literature on MEA recordings of hPSC-derived brain models. MEA recordings have shown network activity in two-dimensional hPSC-derived brain models that is comparable to the human brain and revealed pathology-associated changes in disease models. Three-dimensional hPSC-derived models such as brain organoids possess a more relevant microenvironment, tissue architecture and potential for modeling the network activity with more complexity than two-dimensional models. hPSC-derived brain models recapitulate many aspects of network function in the human brain and provide valid disease models, but certain advancements in differentiation methods, bioengineering and available MEA technology are needed for these approaches to reach their full potential.
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42
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van Rhijn JR, Shi Y, Bormann M, Mossink B, Frega M, Recaioglu H, Hakobjan M, Klein Gunnewiek T, Schoenmaker C, Palmer E, Faivre L, Kittel-Schneider S, Schubert D, Brunner H, Franke B, Nadif Kasri N. Brunner syndrome associated MAOA mutations result in NMDAR hyperfunction and increased network activity in human dopaminergic neurons. Neurobiol Dis 2021; 163:105587. [PMID: 34923109 DOI: 10.1016/j.nbd.2021.105587] [Citation(s) in RCA: 1] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 07/13/2021] [Revised: 12/01/2021] [Accepted: 12/15/2021] [Indexed: 01/15/2023] Open
Abstract
Monoamine neurotransmitter abundance affects motor control, emotion, and cognitive function and is regulated by monoamine oxidases. Among these, Monoamine oxidase A (MAOA) catalyzes the degradation of dopamine, norepinephrine, and serotonin into their inactive metabolites. Loss-of-function mutations in the X-linked MAOA gene have been associated with Brunner syndrome, which is characterized by various forms of impulsivity, maladaptive externalizing behavior, and mild intellectual disability. Impaired MAOA activity in individuals with Brunner syndrome results in bioamine aberration, but it is currently unknown how this affects neuronal function, specifically in dopaminergic (DA) neurons. Here we generated human induced pluripotent stem cell (hiPSC)-derived DA neurons from three individuals with Brunner syndrome carrying different mutations and characterized neuronal properties at the single cell and neuronal network level in vitro. DA neurons of Brunner syndrome patients showed reduced synaptic density but exhibited hyperactive network activity. Intrinsic functional properties and α-amino-3-hydroxy-5-methyl-4-isoxazolepropionic acid receptor (AMPAR)-mediated synaptic transmission were not affected in DA neurons of individuals with Brunner syndrome. Instead, we show that the neuronal network hyperactivity is mediated by upregulation of the GRIN2A and GRIN2B subunits of the N-methyl-d-aspartate receptor (NMDAR), resulting in increased NMDAR-mediated currents. By correcting a MAOA missense mutation with CRISPR/Cas9 genome editing we normalized GRIN2A and GRIN2B expression, NMDAR function and neuronal population activity to control levels. Our data suggest that MAOA mutations in Brunner syndrome increase the activity of dopaminergic neurons through upregulation of NMDAR function, which may contribute to the etiology of Brunner syndrome associated phenotypes.
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Affiliation(s)
- Jon-Ruben van Rhijn
- Department of Cognitive Neuroscience, Donders Institute for Brain, Cognition and Behavior, Radboud University Medical Center, Nijmegen, the Netherlands
| | - Yan Shi
- Department of Human Genetics, Donders Institute for Brain, Cognition and Behavior, Radboud University Medical Center, Nijmegen, the Netherlands
| | - Maren Bormann
- Department of Cognitive Neuroscience, Donders Institute for Brain, Cognition and Behavior, Radboud University Medical Center, Nijmegen, the Netherlands
| | - Britt Mossink
- Department of Cognitive Neuroscience, Donders Institute for Brain, Cognition and Behavior, Radboud University Medical Center, Nijmegen, the Netherlands; Department of Human Genetics, Donders Institute for Brain, Cognition and Behavior, Radboud University Medical Center, Nijmegen, the Netherlands
| | - Monica Frega
- Department of Human Genetics, Donders Institute for Brain, Cognition and Behavior, Radboud University Medical Center, Nijmegen, the Netherlands; Department of Clinical neurophysiology, University of Twente, 7522 NB Enschede, Netherlands
| | - Hatice Recaioglu
- Department of Cognitive Neuroscience, Donders Institute for Brain, Cognition and Behavior, Radboud University Medical Center, Nijmegen, the Netherlands
| | - Marina Hakobjan
- Department of Human Genetics, Donders Institute for Brain, Cognition and Behavior, Radboud University Medical Center, Nijmegen, the Netherlands
| | - Teun Klein Gunnewiek
- Department of Human Genetics, Donders Institute for Brain, Cognition and Behavior, Radboud University Medical Center, Nijmegen, the Netherlands; Department of Anatomy, Donders Institute for Brain, Cognition and Behavior, Radboud University Medical Center, Nijmegen, the Netherlands
| | - Chantal Schoenmaker
- Department of Human Genetics, Donders Institute for Brain, Cognition and Behavior, Radboud University Medical Center, Nijmegen, the Netherlands
| | - Elizabeth Palmer
- Genetics of Learning Disability Service, Hunter Genetics, Waratah, NSW, Australia; School of Women's and Children's Health, University of New South Wales, Randwick, NSW, Australia
| | - Laurence Faivre
- Centre de Référence Anomalies du développement et Syndromes malformatifs and FHU TRANSLAD, Hôpital d'Enfants, Dijon, France; INSERM UMR1231 GAD, Faculté de Médecine, Université de Bourgogne, Dijon, France
| | - Sarah Kittel-Schneider
- Department of Psychiatry, Psychosomatic Medicine and Psychotherapy, University Hospital, Goethe-University, Frankfurt, Germany; Department of Psychiatry, Psychosomatic Medicine and Psychotherapy, University Hospital Würzburg, Würzburg, Germany
| | - Dirk Schubert
- Department of Cognitive Neuroscience, Donders Institute for Brain, Cognition and Behavior, Radboud University Medical Center, Nijmegen, the Netherlands
| | - Han Brunner
- Department of Human Genetics, Donders Institute for Brain, Cognition and Behavior, Radboud University Medical Center, Nijmegen, the Netherlands; Department of Clinical Genetics, MUMC+, GROW School of Oncology and Developmental Biology, and MHeNS School of Neuroscience and Maastricht University, Maastricht, the Netherlands
| | - Barbara Franke
- Department of Human Genetics, Donders Institute for Brain, Cognition and Behavior, Radboud University Medical Center, Nijmegen, the Netherlands; Department of Psychiatry, Donders Institute for Brain, Cognition and Behavior, Radboud University Medical Center, Nijmegen, the Netherlands
| | - Nael Nadif Kasri
- Department of Cognitive Neuroscience, Donders Institute for Brain, Cognition and Behavior, Radboud University Medical Center, Nijmegen, the Netherlands; Department of Human Genetics, Donders Institute for Brain, Cognition and Behavior, Radboud University Medical Center, Nijmegen, the Netherlands.
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43
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Muzzi L, Di Lisa D, Arnaldi P, Aprile D, Pastorino L, Martinoia S, Frega M. Rapid generation of functional engineered 3D human neuronal assemblies: network dynamics evaluated by micro-electrodes arrays. J Neural Eng 2021; 18. [PMID: 34844234 DOI: 10.1088/1741-2552/ac3e02] [Citation(s) in RCA: 1] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 03/08/2021] [Accepted: 11/29/2021] [Indexed: 12/31/2022]
Abstract
Objective.In this work we adapted a protocol for the fast generation of human neurons to build 3D neuronal networks with controlled structure and cell composition suitable for systematic electrophysiological investigations.Approach.We used biocompatible chitosan microbeads as scaffold to build 3D networks and to ensure nutrients-medium exchange from the core of the structure to the external environment. We used excitatory neurons derived from human-induced pluripotent stem cells (hiPSCs) co-cultured with astrocytes. By adapting the well-established NgN2 differentiation protocol, we obtained 3D engineered networks with good control over cell density, volume and cell composition. We coupled the 3D neuronal networks to 60-channel micro electrode arrays (MEAs) to monitor and characterize their electrophysiological development. In parallel, we generated two-dimensional neuronal networks cultured on chitosan to compare the results of the two models.Main results.We sustained samples until 60 din vitro(DIV) and 3D cultures were healthy and functional. From the structural point of view, the hiPSC derived neurons were able to adhere to chitosan microbeads and to form a stable 3D assembly thanks to the connections among cells. From a functional point of view, neuronal networks showed spontaneous activity after a couple of weeks.Significance.We presented a particular method to generate 3D engineered cultures for the first time with human-derived neurons coupled to MEAs, overcoming some of the limitations related to 2D and 3D neuronal networks and thus increasing the therapeutic target potential of these models for biomedical applications.
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Affiliation(s)
- L Muzzi
- Department of Informatics, Bioengineering, Robotics, and Systems Engineering (DIBRIS), University of Genova, Genova, Italy
| | - D Di Lisa
- Department of Informatics, Bioengineering, Robotics, and Systems Engineering (DIBRIS), University of Genova, Genova, Italy
| | - P Arnaldi
- Department of Informatics, Bioengineering, Robotics, and Systems Engineering (DIBRIS), University of Genova, Genova, Italy
| | - D Aprile
- Department of Experimental Medicine, University of Genoa, Genoa, Italy
| | - L Pastorino
- Department of Informatics, Bioengineering, Robotics, and Systems Engineering (DIBRIS), University of Genova, Genova, Italy
| | - S Martinoia
- Department of Informatics, Bioengineering, Robotics, and Systems Engineering (DIBRIS), University of Genova, Genova, Italy
| | - M Frega
- Department of Clinical Neurophysiology, University of Twente, 7522 NB Enschede, The Netherlands.,Department of Human Genetics, Radboudumc, Donders Institute for Brain, Cognition, and Behaviour, 6500 HB Nijmegen, The Netherlands
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44
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Reichard J, Zimmer-Bensch G. The Epigenome in Neurodevelopmental Disorders. Front Neurosci 2021; 15:776809. [PMID: 34803599 PMCID: PMC8595945 DOI: 10.3389/fnins.2021.776809] [Citation(s) in RCA: 35] [Impact Index Per Article: 11.7] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 09/14/2021] [Accepted: 10/04/2021] [Indexed: 12/26/2022] Open
Abstract
Neurodevelopmental diseases (NDDs), such as autism spectrum disorders, epilepsy, and schizophrenia, are characterized by diverse facets of neurological and psychiatric symptoms, differing in etiology, onset and severity. Such symptoms include mental delay, cognitive and language impairments, or restrictions to adaptive and social behavior. Nevertheless, all have in common that critical milestones of brain development are disrupted, leading to functional deficits of the central nervous system and clinical manifestation in child- or adulthood. To approach how the different development-associated neuropathologies can occur and which risk factors or critical processes are involved in provoking higher susceptibility for such diseases, a detailed understanding of the mechanisms underlying proper brain formation is required. NDDs rely on deficits in neuronal identity, proportion or function, whereby a defective development of the cerebral cortex, the seat of higher cognitive functions, is implicated in numerous disorders. Such deficits can be provoked by genetic and environmental factors during corticogenesis. Thereby, epigenetic mechanisms can act as an interface between external stimuli and the genome, since they are known to be responsive to external stimuli also in cortical neurons. In line with that, DNA methylation, histone modifications/variants, ATP-dependent chromatin remodeling, as well as regulatory non-coding RNAs regulate diverse aspects of neuronal development, and alterations in epigenomic marks have been associated with NDDs of varying phenotypes. Here, we provide an overview of essential steps of mammalian corticogenesis, and discuss the role of epigenetic mechanisms assumed to contribute to pathophysiological aspects of NDDs, when being disrupted.
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Affiliation(s)
- Julia Reichard
- Functional Epigenetics in the Animal Model, Institute for Biology II, RWTH Aachen University, Aachen, Germany
- Research Training Group 2416 MultiSenses-MultiScales, Institute for Biology II, RWTH Aachen University, Aachen, Germany
| | - Geraldine Zimmer-Bensch
- Functional Epigenetics in the Animal Model, Institute for Biology II, RWTH Aachen University, Aachen, Germany
- Research Training Group 2416 MultiSenses-MultiScales, Institute for Biology II, RWTH Aachen University, Aachen, Germany
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45
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Chang CW, Evans MD, Yu X, Yu GQ, Mucke L. Tau reduction affects excitatory and inhibitory neurons differently, reduces excitation/inhibition ratios, and counteracts network hypersynchrony. Cell Rep 2021; 37:109855. [PMID: 34686344 PMCID: PMC8648275 DOI: 10.1016/j.celrep.2021.109855] [Citation(s) in RCA: 37] [Impact Index Per Article: 12.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 04/01/2021] [Revised: 08/04/2021] [Accepted: 09/27/2021] [Indexed: 11/27/2022] Open
Abstract
The protein tau has been implicated in many brain disorders. In animal models, tau reduction suppresses epileptogenesis of diverse causes and ameliorates synaptic and behavioral abnormalities in various conditions associated with excessive excitation-inhibition (E/I) ratios. However, the underlying mechanisms are unknown. Global genetic ablation of tau in mice reduces the action potential (AP) firing and E/I ratio of pyramidal cells in acute cortical slices without affecting the excitability of these cells. Tau ablation reduces the excitatory inputs to inhibitory neurons, increases the excitability of these cells, and structurally alters their axon initial segments (AISs). In primary neuronal cultures subjected to prolonged overstimulation, tau ablation diminishes the homeostatic response of AISs in inhibitory neurons, promotes inhibition, and suppresses hypersynchrony. Together, these differential alterations in excitatory and inhibitory neurons help explain how tau reduction prevents network hypersynchrony and counteracts brain disorders causing abnormally increased E/I ratios.
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Affiliation(s)
- Che-Wei Chang
- Gladstone Institute of Neurological Disease, Gladstone Institutes, San Francisco, CA 94158, USA
| | - Mark D Evans
- Gladstone Institute of Neurological Disease, Gladstone Institutes, San Francisco, CA 94158, USA
| | - Xinxing Yu
- Gladstone Institute of Neurological Disease, Gladstone Institutes, San Francisco, CA 94158, USA
| | - Gui-Qiu Yu
- Gladstone Institute of Neurological Disease, Gladstone Institutes, San Francisco, CA 94158, USA
| | - Lennart Mucke
- Gladstone Institute of Neurological Disease, Gladstone Institutes, San Francisco, CA 94158, USA; Department of Neurology and Weill Institute for Neurosciences, University of California, San Francisco, CA 94158, USA.
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46
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Ciptasari U, van Bokhoven H. The phenomenal epigenome in neurodevelopmental disorders. Hum Mol Genet 2021; 29:R42-R50. [PMID: 32766754 PMCID: PMC7530535 DOI: 10.1093/hmg/ddaa175] [Citation(s) in RCA: 31] [Impact Index Per Article: 10.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 07/08/2020] [Revised: 07/16/2020] [Accepted: 07/30/2020] [Indexed: 12/12/2022] Open
Abstract
Disruption of chromatin structure due to epimutations is a leading genetic etiology of neurodevelopmental disorders, collectively known as chromatinopathies. We show that there is an increasing level of convergence from the high diversity of genes that are affected by mutations to the molecular networks and pathways involving the respective proteins, the disrupted cellular and subcellular processes, and their consequence for higher order cellular network function. This convergence is ultimately reflected by specific phenotypic features shared across the various chromatinopathies. Based on these observations, we propose that the commonly disrupted molecular and cellular anomalies might provide a rational target for the development of symptomatic interventions for defined groups of genetically distinct neurodevelopmental disorders.
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Affiliation(s)
- Ummi Ciptasari
- Department of Human Genetics, Donders Institute for Brain, Cognition and Behavior, Radboud university medical center, 6500 HB Nijmegen, The Netherlands
| | - Hans van Bokhoven
- Department of Human Genetics, Donders Institute for Brain, Cognition and Behavior, Radboud university medical center, 6500 HB Nijmegen, The Netherlands.,Department of Cognitive Neuroscience, Donders Institute for Brain, Cognition and Behavior, Radboud university medical center, 6500 HB Nijmegen, The Netherlands
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47
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Linda K, Lewerissa EI, Verboven AHA, Gabriele M, Frega M, Klein Gunnewiek TM, Devilee L, Ulferts E, Hommersom M, Oudakker A, Schoenmaker C, van Bokhoven H, Schubert D, Testa G, Koolen DA, de Vries BBA, Nadif Kasri N. Imbalanced autophagy causes synaptic deficits in a human model for neurodevelopmental disorders. Autophagy 2021; 18:423-442. [PMID: 34286667 PMCID: PMC8942553 DOI: 10.1080/15548627.2021.1936777] [Citation(s) in RCA: 36] [Impact Index Per Article: 12.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 12/14/2022] Open
Abstract
Macroautophagy (hereafter referred to as autophagy) is a finely tuned process of programmed degradation and recycling of proteins and cellular components, which is crucial in neuronal function and synaptic integrity. Mounting evidence implicates chromatin remodeling in fine-tuning autophagy pathways. However, this epigenetic regulation is poorly understood in neurons. Here, we investigate the role in autophagy of KANSL1, a member of the nonspecific lethal complex, which acetylates histone H4 on lysine 16 (H4K16ac) to facilitate transcriptional activation. Loss-of-function of KANSL1 is strongly associated with the neurodevelopmental disorder Koolen-de Vries Syndrome (KdVS). Starting from KANSL1-deficient human induced-pluripotent stem cells, both from KdVS patients and genome-edited lines, we identified SOD1 (superoxide dismutase 1), an antioxidant enzyme, to be significantly decreased, leading to a subsequent increase in oxidative stress and autophagosome accumulation. In KANSL1-deficient neurons, autophagosome accumulation at excitatory synapses resulted in reduced synaptic density, reduced GRIA/AMPA receptor-mediated transmission and impaired neuronal network activity. Furthermore, we found that increased oxidative stress-mediated autophagosome accumulation leads to increased MTOR activation and decreased lysosome function, further preventing the clearing of autophagosomes. Finally, by pharmacologically reducing oxidative stress, we could rescue the aberrant autophagosome formation as well as synaptic and neuronal network activity in KANSL1-deficient neurons. Our findings thus point toward an important relation between oxidative stress-induced autophagy and synapse function, and demonstrate the importance of H4K16ac-mediated changes in chromatin structure to balance reactive oxygen species- and MTOR-dependent autophagy. Abbreviations: APO: apocynin; ATG: autophagy related; BAF: bafilomycin A1; BSO: buthionine sulfoximine; CV: coefficient of variation; DIV: days in vitro; H4K16ac: histone 4 lysine 16 acetylation; iPSC: induced-pluripotent stem cell; KANSL1: KAT8 regulatory NSL complex subunit 1; KdVS: Koolen-de Vries Syndrome; LAMP1: lysosomal associated membrane protein 1; MAP1LC3/LC3: microtubule associated protein 1 light chain 3; MEA: micro-electrode array; MTOR: mechanistic target of rapamycin kinase; NSL complex: nonspecific lethal complex; 8-oxo-dG: 8-hydroxydesoxyguanosine; RAP: rapamycin; ROS: reactive oxygen species; sEPSCs: spontaneous excitatory postsynaptic currents; SOD1: superoxide dismutase 1; SQSTM1/p62: sequestosome 1; SYN: synapsin; WRT: wortmannin.
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Affiliation(s)
- Katrin Linda
- Department of Human Genetics, Radboudumc, Donders Institute for Brain, Cognition, and Behavior, Nijmegen, The Netherlands
| | - Elly I Lewerissa
- Department of Human Genetics, Radboudumc, Donders Institute for Brain, Cognition, and Behavior, Nijmegen, The Netherlands
| | - Anouk H A Verboven
- Department of Human Genetics, Radboudumc, Donders Institute for Brain, Cognition, and Behavior, Nijmegen, The Netherlands
| | - Michele Gabriele
- Department of Oncology and Haemato-Oncology, University of Milan, Milan, Italy.,Department of Experimental Oncology, IEO, European Institute of Oncology IRCCS, Milan, Italy.,Department of Biological Engineering, Massachusetts Institute of Technology, Cambridge, MA, USA
| | - Monica Frega
- Department of Human Genetics, Radboudumc, Donders Institute for Brain, Cognition, and Behavior, Nijmegen, The Netherlands.,Department of Clinical Neurophysiology, University of Twente, Enschede, The Netherlands
| | - Teun M Klein Gunnewiek
- Department of Human Genetics, Radboudumc, Donders Institute for Brain, Cognition, and Behavior, Nijmegen, The Netherlands.,Department of Anatomy, Radboudumc, Donders Institute for Brain, Cognition, and Behaviour, Nijmegen, The Netherlands
| | - Lynn Devilee
- Department of Human Genetics, Radboudumc, Donders Institute for Brain, Cognition, and Behavior, Nijmegen, The Netherlands
| | - Edda Ulferts
- Department of Human Genetics, Radboudumc, Donders Institute for Brain, Cognition, and Behavior, Nijmegen, The Netherlands
| | - Marina Hommersom
- Department of Human Genetics, Radboudumc, Donders Institute for Brain, Cognition, and Behavior, Nijmegen, The Netherlands
| | - Astrid Oudakker
- Department of Human Genetics, Radboudumc, Donders Institute for Brain, Cognition, and Behavior, Nijmegen, The Netherlands
| | - Chantal Schoenmaker
- Department of Human Genetics, Radboudumc, Donders Institute for Brain, Cognition, and Behavior, Nijmegen, The Netherlands
| | - Hans van Bokhoven
- Department of Human Genetics, Radboudumc, Donders Institute for Brain, Cognition, and Behavior, Nijmegen, The Netherlands.,Department of Cognitive Neuroscience, Radboudumc, Donders Institute for Brain, Cognition and Behavior, Nijmegen, The Netherlands
| | - Dirk Schubert
- Department of Cognitive Neuroscience, Radboudumc, Donders Institute for Brain, Cognition and Behavior, Nijmegen, The Netherlands
| | - Giuseppe Testa
- Department of Oncology and Haemato-Oncology, University of Milan, Milan, Italy.,Department of Experimental Oncology, IEO, European Institute of Oncology IRCCS, Milan, Italy
| | - David A Koolen
- Department of Human Genetics, Radboudumc, Donders Institute for Brain, Cognition, and Behavior, Nijmegen, The Netherlands
| | - Bert B A de Vries
- Department of Human Genetics, Radboudumc, Donders Institute for Brain, Cognition, and Behavior, Nijmegen, The Netherlands
| | - Nael Nadif Kasri
- Department of Human Genetics, Radboudumc, Donders Institute for Brain, Cognition, and Behavior, Nijmegen, The Netherlands.,Department of Cognitive Neuroscience, Radboudumc, Donders Institute for Brain, Cognition and Behavior, Nijmegen, The Netherlands
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48
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Mossink B, Verboven AHA, van Hugte EJH, Klein Gunnewiek TM, Parodi G, Linda K, Schoenmaker C, Kleefstra T, Kozicz T, van Bokhoven H, Schubert D, Nadif Kasri N, Frega M. Human neuronal networks on micro-electrode arrays are a highly robust tool to study disease-specific genotype-phenotype correlations in vitro. Stem Cell Reports 2021; 16:2182-2196. [PMID: 34329594 PMCID: PMC8452490 DOI: 10.1016/j.stemcr.2021.07.001] [Citation(s) in RCA: 46] [Impact Index Per Article: 15.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 01/12/2021] [Revised: 06/30/2021] [Accepted: 07/01/2021] [Indexed: 01/16/2023] Open
Abstract
Micro-electrode arrays (MEAs) are increasingly used to characterize neuronal network activity of human induced pluripotent stem cell (hiPSC)-derived neurons. Despite their gain in popularity, MEA recordings from hiPSC-derived neuronal networks are not always used to their full potential in respect to experimental design, execution, and data analysis. Therefore, we benchmarked the robustness of MEA-derived neuronal activity patterns from ten healthy individual control lines, and uncover comparable network phenotypes. To achieve standardization, we provide recommendations on experimental design and analysis. With such standardization, MEAs can be used as a reliable platform to distinguish (disease-specific) network phenotypes. In conclusion, we show that MEAs are a powerful and robust tool to uncover functional neuronal network phenotypes from hiPSC-derived neuronal networks, and provide an important resource to advance the hiPSC field toward the use of MEAs for disease phenotyping and drug discovery. MEAs are a robust tool to model neuronal network functioning Neuronal networks from different healthy donors show comparable network activity MEAs are able to distinguish disease-specific neuronal network phenotypes We provide recommendations to standardize neuronal network recordings on MEA
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Affiliation(s)
- Britt Mossink
- Department of Human Genetics, Radboudumc, Donders Institute for Brain, Cognition, and Behavior, 6500 HB Nijmegen, the Netherlands; Department of Clinical Neurophysiology, University of Twente, 7522 NB Enschede, the Netherlands
| | - Anouk H A Verboven
- Department of Human Genetics, Radboudumc, Donders Institute for Brain, Cognition, and Behavior, 6500 HB Nijmegen, the Netherlands; Centre for Molecular and Biomolecular Informatics, Radboudumc, Radboud Institute for Molecular Life Sciences, 6500 HB Nijmegen, the Netherlands
| | - Eline J H van Hugte
- Department of Human Genetics, Radboudumc, Donders Institute for Brain, Cognition, and Behavior, 6500 HB Nijmegen, the Netherlands; ACE Kempenhaeghe, Department of Epileptology, 5591 VE Heeze, the Netherlands
| | - Teun M Klein Gunnewiek
- Department of Human Genetics, Radboudumc, Donders Institute for Brain, Cognition, and Behavior, 6500 HB Nijmegen, the Netherlands; Department of Medical Imaging, Radboud University Medical Center, 6525 GA Nijmegen, the Netherlands
| | - Giulia Parodi
- Department of Human Genetics, Radboudumc, Donders Institute for Brain, Cognition, and Behavior, 6500 HB Nijmegen, the Netherlands
| | - Katrin Linda
- Department of Human Genetics, Radboudumc, Donders Institute for Brain, Cognition, and Behavior, 6500 HB Nijmegen, the Netherlands
| | - Chantal Schoenmaker
- Department of Human Genetics, Radboudumc, Donders Institute for Brain, Cognition, and Behavior, 6500 HB Nijmegen, the Netherlands
| | - Tjitske Kleefstra
- Department of Human Genetics, Radboudumc, Donders Institute for Brain, Cognition, and Behavior, 6500 HB Nijmegen, the Netherlands
| | - Tamas Kozicz
- Department of Medical Imaging, Radboud University Medical Center, 6525 GA Nijmegen, the Netherlands; Department of Laboratory Medicine and Pathology, Mayo Clinic, Rochester, MN 55905, USA; Department of Clinical Genomics, Mayo Clinic, Rochester, MN 55905, USA
| | - Hans van Bokhoven
- Department of Human Genetics, Radboudumc, Donders Institute for Brain, Cognition, and Behavior, 6500 HB Nijmegen, the Netherlands; Department of Cognitive Neuroscience, Radboudumc, Donders Institute for Brain, Cognition and Behavior, 6500 HB Nijmegen, the Netherlands
| | - Dirk Schubert
- Department of Human Genetics, Radboudumc, Donders Institute for Brain, Cognition, and Behavior, 6500 HB Nijmegen, the Netherlands; Department of Cognitive Neuroscience, Radboudumc, Donders Institute for Brain, Cognition and Behavior, 6500 HB Nijmegen, the Netherlands
| | - Nael Nadif Kasri
- Department of Human Genetics, Radboudumc, Donders Institute for Brain, Cognition, and Behavior, 6500 HB Nijmegen, the Netherlands; Department of Cognitive Neuroscience, Radboudumc, Donders Institute for Brain, Cognition and Behavior, 6500 HB Nijmegen, the Netherlands
| | - Monica Frega
- Department of Human Genetics, Radboudumc, Donders Institute for Brain, Cognition, and Behavior, 6500 HB Nijmegen, the Netherlands; Department of Clinical Genomics, Mayo Clinic, Rochester, MN 55905, USA.
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49
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Arnaldi P, Di Lisa D, Maddalena L, Carosio F, Fina A, Pastorino L, Monticelli O. A facile approach for the development of high mechanical strength 3D neuronal network scaffold based on chitosan and graphite nanoplatelets. Carbohydr Polym 2021; 271:118420. [PMID: 34364561 DOI: 10.1016/j.carbpol.2021.118420] [Citation(s) in RCA: 8] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.7] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 04/16/2021] [Revised: 06/16/2021] [Accepted: 07/06/2021] [Indexed: 12/31/2022]
Abstract
In this work, novel composite microparticles based on chitosan (CHI) and graphite nanoplatelets (GNP) were developed as 3D scaffolds for neuronal cells. The aim is to improve the scaffold strength while maintaining its ability to sustain cell adhesion and differentiation. An air-assisted jetting technique followed by physical crosslinking is employed to obtain CHI/GNP microparticles. Optical and Field Emission Scanning Electron Microscopy micrographs showed a uniform distribution of GNP within the CHI porous matrix. The presence of GNP turned out to improve the strength of the microparticles while conferring good electrical conductivity and ameliorating their stability in aqueous environment. The morphological and immunocytochemical characterization, combined with a preliminary electrophysiological analysis, evidenced the effectiveness of the developed composite microparticles as a scaffold for neuron growth. These scaffolds could be employed for the development of advanced 3D neuronal in vitro models for networks dynamics analysis and drug screening.
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Affiliation(s)
- Pietro Arnaldi
- Dipartimento di Informatica, Bioingegneria, Robotica e Ingegneria dei Sistemi, Università degli studi di Genova, Via All'Opera Pia 13, 16145 Genoa, Italy.
| | - Donatella Di Lisa
- Dipartimento di Informatica, Bioingegneria, Robotica e Ingegneria dei Sistemi, Università degli studi di Genova, Via All'Opera Pia 13, 16145 Genoa, Italy.
| | - Lorenza Maddalena
- Dipartimento di Scienza Applicata e Tecnologia, Politecnico di Torino-sede di Alessandria, viale Teresa Michel, 5, 15121 Alessandria, Italy.
| | - Federico Carosio
- Dipartimento di Scienza Applicata e Tecnologia, Politecnico di Torino-sede di Alessandria, viale Teresa Michel, 5, 15121 Alessandria, Italy.
| | - Alberto Fina
- Dipartimento di Scienza Applicata e Tecnologia, Politecnico di Torino-sede di Alessandria, viale Teresa Michel, 5, 15121 Alessandria, Italy.
| | - Laura Pastorino
- Dipartimento di Informatica, Bioingegneria, Robotica e Ingegneria dei Sistemi, Università degli studi di Genova, Via All'Opera Pia 13, 16145 Genoa, Italy.
| | - Orietta Monticelli
- Dipartimento di Chimica e Chimica Industriale, Università degli studi di Genova, Via Dodecaneso 31, 16146 Genoa, Italy.
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50
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Wegscheid ML, Anastasaki C, Hartigan KA, Cobb OM, Papke JB, Traber JN, Morris SM, Gutmann DH. Patient-derived iPSC-cerebral organoid modeling of the 17q11.2 microdeletion syndrome establishes CRLF3 as a critical regulator of neurogenesis. Cell Rep 2021; 36:109315. [PMID: 34233200 PMCID: PMC8278229 DOI: 10.1016/j.celrep.2021.109315] [Citation(s) in RCA: 21] [Impact Index Per Article: 7.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 05/20/2020] [Revised: 04/21/2021] [Accepted: 06/04/2021] [Indexed: 12/22/2022] Open
Abstract
Neurodevelopmental disorders are often caused by chromosomal microdeletions comprising numerous contiguous genes. A subset of neurofibromatosis type 1 (NF1) patients with severe developmental delays and intellectual disability harbors such a microdeletion event on chromosome 17q11.2, involving the NF1 gene and flanking regions (NF1 total gene deletion [NF1-TGD]). Using patient-derived human induced pluripotent stem cell (hiPSC)-forebrain cerebral organoids (hCOs), we identify both neural stem cell (NSC) proliferation and neuronal maturation abnormalities in NF1-TGD hCOs. While increased NSC proliferation results from decreased NF1/RAS regulation, the neuronal differentiation, survival, and maturation defects are caused by reduced cytokine receptor-like factor 3 (CRLF3) expression and impaired RhoA signaling. Furthermore, we demonstrate a higher autistic trait burden in NF1 patients harboring a deleterious germline mutation in the CRLF3 gene (c.1166T>C, p.Leu389Pro). Collectively, these findings identify a causative gene within the NF1-TGD locus responsible for hCO neuronal abnormalities and autism in children with NF1.
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Affiliation(s)
- Michelle L Wegscheid
- Department of Neurology, Washington University School of Medicine, St. Louis, MO 63110, USA
| | - Corina Anastasaki
- Department of Neurology, Washington University School of Medicine, St. Louis, MO 63110, USA
| | - Kelly A Hartigan
- Department of Neurology, Washington University School of Medicine, St. Louis, MO 63110, USA
| | - Olivia M Cobb
- Department of Neurology, Washington University School of Medicine, St. Louis, MO 63110, USA
| | - Jason B Papke
- Department of Neurology, Washington University School of Medicine, St. Louis, MO 63110, USA
| | - Jennifer N Traber
- Department of Neurology, Washington University School of Medicine, St. Louis, MO 63110, USA
| | - Stephanie M Morris
- Department of Neurology, Washington University School of Medicine, St. Louis, MO 63110, USA
| | - David H Gutmann
- Department of Neurology, Washington University School of Medicine, St. Louis, MO 63110, USA.
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