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Intisar A, Woo H, Kang HG, Kim WH, Shin HY, Kim MY, Kim YS, Mo YJ, Lee YI, Kim MS. Electroceutical approach ameliorates intracellular PMP22 aggregation and promotes pro-myelinating pathways in a CMT1A in vitro model. Biosens Bioelectron 2023; 224:115055. [PMID: 36630746 DOI: 10.1016/j.bios.2022.115055] [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: 10/07/2022] [Revised: 12/20/2022] [Accepted: 12/28/2022] [Indexed: 01/01/2023]
Abstract
Charcot-Marie-Tooth disease subtype 1A (CMT1A) is one of the most prevalent demyelinating peripheral neuropathies worldwide, caused by duplication of the peripheral myelin protein 22 (PMP22) gene, which is expressed primarily in Schwann cells (SCs). PMP22 overexpression in SCs leads to intracellular aggregation of the protein, which eventually results in demyelination. Unfortunately, previous biochemical approaches have not resulted in an approved treatment for CMT1A disease, compelling the pursuit for a biophysical approach such as electrical stimulation (ES). However, the effects of ES on CMT1A SCs have remained unexplored. In this study, we established PMP22-overexpressed Schwannoma cells as a CMT1A in vitro model, and investigated the biomolecular changes upon applying ES via a custom-made high-throughput ES platform, screening for the condition that delivers optimal therapeutic effects. While PMP22-overexpressed Schwannoma exhibited intracellular PMP22 aggregation, ES at 20 Hz for 1 h improved this phenomenon, bringing PMP22 distribution closer to healthy condition. ES at this condition also enhanced the expression of the genes encoding myelin basic protein (MBP) and myelin-associated glycoprotein (MAG), which are essential for assembling myelin sheath. Furthermore, ES altered the gene expression for myelination-regulating transcription factors Krox-20, Oct-6, c-Jun and Sox10, inducing pro-myelinating effects in PMP22-overexpressed Schwannoma. While electroceuticals has previously been applied in the peripheral nervous system towards acquired peripheral neuropathies such as pain and nerve injury, this study demonstrates its effectiveness towards ameliorating biomolecular abnormalities in an in vitro model of CMT1A, an inherited peripheral neuropathy. These findings will facilitate the clinical translation of an electroceutical treatment for CMT1A.
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Affiliation(s)
- Aseer Intisar
- Department of New Biology, DGIST, Daegu, 42988, Republic of Korea
| | - Hanwoong Woo
- Department of New Biology, DGIST, Daegu, 42988, Republic of Korea
| | - Hyun Gyu Kang
- Department of New Biology, DGIST, Daegu, 42988, Republic of Korea
| | - Woon-Hae Kim
- Department of New Biology, DGIST, Daegu, 42988, Republic of Korea; CTCELLS Corp., Daegu, 42988, Republic of Korea
| | - Hyun Young Shin
- Department of New Biology, DGIST, Daegu, 42988, Republic of Korea; CTCELLS Corp., Daegu, 42988, Republic of Korea; SBCure Corp., Daegu, 43017, Republic of Korea
| | - Min Young Kim
- Department of New Biology, DGIST, Daegu, 42988, Republic of Korea
| | - Yu Seon Kim
- Well Aging Research Center, DGIST, Daegu, 42988, Republic of Korea
| | - Yun Jeoung Mo
- Well Aging Research Center, DGIST, Daegu, 42988, Republic of Korea
| | - Yun-Il Lee
- Well Aging Research Center, DGIST, Daegu, 42988, Republic of Korea
| | - Minseok S Kim
- Department of New Biology, DGIST, Daegu, 42988, Republic of Korea; CTCELLS Corp., Daegu, 42988, Republic of Korea; Translational Responsive Medicine Center (TRMC), DGIST, Daegu, 42988, Republic of Korea; New Biology Research Center (NBRC), DGIST, Daegu, 42988, Republic of Korea.
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2
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Dhoundiyal A, Goeschl V, Boehm S, Kubista H, Hotka M. Glycerol-3-Phosphate Shuttle Is a Backup System Securing Metabolic Flexibility in Neurons. J Neurosci 2022; 42:7339-7354. [PMID: 35999055 PMCID: PMC9525167 DOI: 10.1523/jneurosci.0193-22.2022] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 01/17/2022] [Revised: 08/05/2022] [Accepted: 08/11/2022] [Indexed: 11/21/2022] Open
Abstract
Electrical activity in neurons is highly energy demanding and accompanied by rises in cytosolic Ca2+ Cytosolic Ca2+, in turn, secures energy supply by pushing mitochondrial metabolism either through augmented NADH (nicotinamide adenine dinucleotide) transfer into mitochondria via the malate-aspartate shuttle (MAS) or via direct activation of dehydrogenases of the TCA cycle after passing into the matrix through the mitochondrial Ca2+ uniporter (MCU). Another Ca2+-sensitive booster of mitochondrial ATP synthesis is the glycerol-3-phosphate shuttle (G3PS), whose role in neuronal energy supply has remained elusive. Essential components of G3PS are expressed in hippocampal neurons. Single neuron metabolic measurements in primary hippocampal cultures derived from rat pups of either sex reveal only moderate, if any, constitutive activity of G3PS. However, during electrical activity neurons fully rely on G3PS when MAS and MCU are unavailable. Under these conditions, G3PS is required for appropriate action potential firing. Accordingly, G3PS safeguards metabolic flexibility of neurons to cope with energy demands of electrical signaling.SIGNIFICANCE STATEMENT Ca2+ ions are known to provide a link between the energy-demanding electrical activity and an adequate ATP supply in neurons. To do so, Ca2+ acts both from outside and inside of the mitochondrial inner membrane. Neuronal function critically depends on this regulation, and its defects are often found in various neurologic disorders. Although interest in neuronal metabolism has increased, many aspects thereof have remained unresolved. In particular, a Ca2+-sensitive NADH (nicotinamide adenine dinucleotide) shuttling system, the glycerol-3-phosphate shuttle, has been largely ignored with respect to its function in neurons. Our results demonstrate that this shuttle is functional in hippocampal neurons and safeguards ATP supply and appropriate action potential firing when malate aspartate shuttle and mitochondrial Ca2+ uniporter are unavailable, thereby ensuring neuronal metabolic flexibility.
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Affiliation(s)
- Ankit Dhoundiyal
- Center of Physiology and Pharmacology, Department of Neurophysiology and Neuropharmacology, Medical University of Vienna, 1090 Vienna, Austria
| | - Vanessa Goeschl
- Center of Physiology and Pharmacology, Department of Neurophysiology and Neuropharmacology, Medical University of Vienna, 1090 Vienna, Austria
| | - Stefan Boehm
- Center of Physiology and Pharmacology, Department of Neurophysiology and Neuropharmacology, Medical University of Vienna, 1090 Vienna, Austria
| | - Helmut Kubista
- Center of Physiology and Pharmacology, Department of Neurophysiology and Neuropharmacology, Medical University of Vienna, 1090 Vienna, Austria
| | - Matej Hotka
- Center of Physiology and Pharmacology, Department of Neurophysiology and Neuropharmacology, Medical University of Vienna, 1090 Vienna, Austria
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Van Dyck M, Mishra RK, Pestana F, Verstraelen P, Lavreysen H, Pita-Almenar JD, Kashikar ND, De Vos WH. High-throughput Analysis of Synaptic Activity in Electrically Stimulated Neuronal Cultures. Neuroinformatics 2021; 19:737-750. [PMID: 34374965 DOI: 10.1007/s12021-021-09536-5] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Accepted: 07/10/2021] [Indexed: 10/20/2022]
Abstract
Synaptic dysfunction is a hallmark of various neurodegenerative and neurodevelopmental disorders. To interrogate synapse function in a systematic manner, we have established an automated high-throughput imaging pipeline based on fluorescence microscopy acquisition and image analysis of electrically stimulated synaptic transmission in neuronal cultures. Identification and measurement of synaptic signal fluctuations is achieved by means of an image analysis algorithm based on singular value decomposition. By exploiting the synchronicity of the evoked responses, the algorithm allows disentangling distinct temporally correlated patterns of firing synapse populations or cell types that are present in the same recording. We demonstrate the performance of the analysis with a pilot compound screen and show that the multiparametric readout allows classifying treatments by their spatiotemporal fingerprint. The image analysis and visualization software has been made publicly available on Github ( https://www.github.com/S3Toolbox ). The streamlined automation of multi-well image acquisition, electrical stimulation, analysis, and meta-data warehousing facilitates large-scale synapse-oriented screens and, in doing so, it will accelerate the drug discovery process.
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Affiliation(s)
- Michiel Van Dyck
- Laboratory of Cell Biology and Histology, University of Antwerp, CDE, Antwerp, Belgium.,Janssen Research and Development, Neuroscience Therapeutic Area, Beerse, Belgium
| | - Rajiv K Mishra
- iOligos Technologies Private Limited, 1703, CB2, Supertech Capetown, Sector-74, 201301, Noida, India
| | - Francisco Pestana
- Janssen Research and Development, Neuroscience Therapeutic Area, Beerse, Belgium
| | - Peter Verstraelen
- Laboratory of Cell Biology and Histology, University of Antwerp, CDE, Antwerp, Belgium
| | - Hilde Lavreysen
- Janssen Research and Development, Neuroscience Therapeutic Area, Beerse, Belgium
| | - Juan D Pita-Almenar
- Janssen Research and Development, Neuroscience Therapeutic Area, Beerse, Belgium
| | - Nachiket D Kashikar
- Resolve BioSciences GmbH, Creative Campus Monheim Gebäude A03, Alfred-Nobel-Strasse 10, 40789, Monheim am Rhein, Germany.
| | - Winnok H De Vos
- Laboratory of Cell Biology and Histology, University of Antwerp, CDE, Antwerp, Belgium.
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Kim JH, Chung KH, Hwang YR, Park HR, Kim HJ, Kim HG, Kim HR. Exposure to RF-EMF Alters Postsynaptic Structure and Hinders Neurite Outgrowth in Developing Hippocampal Neurons of Early Postnatal Mice. Int J Mol Sci 2021; 22:ijms22105340. [PMID: 34069478 PMCID: PMC8159076 DOI: 10.3390/ijms22105340] [Citation(s) in RCA: 9] [Impact Index Per Article: 3.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 03/02/2021] [Revised: 05/13/2021] [Accepted: 05/13/2021] [Indexed: 12/23/2022] Open
Abstract
Exposure to radiofrequency electromagnetic fields (RF-EMFs) has increased rapidly in children, but information on the effects of RF-EMF exposure to the central nervous system in children is limited. In this study, pups and dams were exposed to whole-body RF-EMF at 4.0 W/kg specific absorption rate (SAR) for 5 h per day for 4 weeks (from postnatal day (P) 1 to P28). The effects of RF-EMF exposure on neurons were evaluated by using both pups' hippocampus and primary cultured hippocampal neurons. The total number of dendritic spines showed statistically significant decreases in the dentate gyrus (DG) but was not altered in the cornu ammonis (CA1) in hippocampal neurons. In particular, the number of mushroom-type dendritic spines showed statistically significant decreases in the CA1 and DG. The expression of glutamate receptors was decreased in mushroom-type dendritic spines in the CA1 and DG of hippocampal neurons following RF-EMF exposure. The expression of brain-derived neurotrophic factor (BDNF) in the CA1 and DG was significantly lower statistically in RF-EMF-exposed mice. The number of post-synaptic density protein 95 (PSD95) puncta gradually increased over time but was significantly decreased statistically at days in vitro (DIV) 5, 7, and 9 following RF-EMF exposure. Decreased BDNF expression was restricted to the soma and was not observed in neurites of hippocampal neurons following RF-EMF exposure. The length of neurite outgrowth and number of branches showed statistically significant decreases, but no changes in the soma size of hippocampal neurons were observed. Further, the memory index showed statistically significant decreases in RF-EMF-exposed mice, suggesting that decreased synaptic density following RF-EMF exposure at early developmental stages may affect memory function. Collectively, these data suggest that hindered neuronal outgrowth following RF-EMF exposure may decrease overall synaptic density during early neurite development of hippocampal neurons.
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Affiliation(s)
- Ju Hwan Kim
- Department of Pharmacology, College of Medicine, Dankook University, Cheonan 31116, Korea; (J.H.K.); (H.R.P.); (H.-G.K.)
| | - Kyung Hwun Chung
- Hyangseol Medical Research Center, Soonchunhyang University Bucheon Hospital, Bucheon 14584, Korea;
| | - Yeong Ran Hwang
- Department of Physiology, College of Medicine, Dankook University, Cheonan 31116, Korea; (Y.R.H.); (H.J.K.)
| | - Hye Ran Park
- Department of Pharmacology, College of Medicine, Dankook University, Cheonan 31116, Korea; (J.H.K.); (H.R.P.); (H.-G.K.)
| | - Hee Jung Kim
- Department of Physiology, College of Medicine, Dankook University, Cheonan 31116, Korea; (Y.R.H.); (H.J.K.)
| | - Hyung-Gun Kim
- Department of Pharmacology, College of Medicine, Dankook University, Cheonan 31116, Korea; (J.H.K.); (H.R.P.); (H.-G.K.)
| | - Hak Rim Kim
- Department of Pharmacology, College of Medicine, Dankook University, Cheonan 31116, Korea; (J.H.K.); (H.R.P.); (H.-G.K.)
- Correspondence: ; Tel.: +82-41-550-3935
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5
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Development of P301S tau seeded organotypic hippocampal slice cultures to study potential therapeutics. Sci Rep 2021; 11:10309. [PMID: 33986302 PMCID: PMC8119691 DOI: 10.1038/s41598-021-89230-3] [Citation(s) in RCA: 1] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 11/08/2020] [Accepted: 04/21/2021] [Indexed: 01/26/2023] Open
Abstract
Intracellular tau inclusions are a pathological hallmark of Alzheimer's disease, progressive supranuclear palsy, corticobasal degeneration and other sporadic neurodegenerative tauopathies. Recent in vitro and in vivo studies have shown that tau aggregates may spread to neighbouring cells and functionally connected brain regions, where they can seed further tau aggregation. This process is referred to as tau propagation. Here we describe an ex vivo system using organotypic hippocampal slice cultures (OHCs) which recapitulates aspects of this phenomenon. OHCs are explants of hippocampal tissue which may be maintained in culture for months. They maintain their synaptic connections and multicellular 3D architecture whilst also permitting direct control of the environment and direct access for various analysis types. We inoculated OHCs prepared from P301S mouse pups with brain homogenate from terminally ill P301S mice and then examined the slices for viability and the production and localization of insoluble phosphorylated tau. We show that following seeding, phosphorylated insoluble tau accumulate in a time and concentration dependent manner within OHCs. Furthermore, we show the ability of the conformation dependent anti-tau antibody, MC1, to compromise tau accrual in OHCs, thus showcasing the potential of this therapeutic approach and the utility of OHCs as an ex vivo model system for assessing such therapeutics.
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6
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Automated Functional Screening for Modulators of Optogenetically Activated Neural Responses in Living Organisms. Methods Mol Biol 2021. [PMID: 32865748 DOI: 10.1007/978-1-0716-0830-2_14] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register]
Abstract
All-optical methods of probing in vivo brain function are advantageous for their compatibility with automated microscopy and fast spatial targeting of neural circuit excitation and response. Recent advances in optogenetic technologies allow simultaneous light activation of specific neurons and optical readout of neural activity via fluorescent calcium reporters, providing an attractive opportunity for high-throughput screening assays that directly assess dynamic neural function in vivo. Here we describe a method to automatically record optogenetically activated neural responses in living, hydrogel-embedded organisms over many hours in a multiwell plate format. This method is suitable for screening the neural effects of hundreds of chemical compounds and assessing the time course of bioactivity over 12 h or more. As examples, we show the suppression of neural responses over time with various concentrations of two voltage-gated calcium channel blockers and a full-plate screen of 320 chemicals with positive and negative controls in a single experiment.
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7
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Sun Z, Südhof TC. A simple Ca 2+-imaging approach to neural network analyses in cultured neurons. J Neurosci Methods 2020; 349:109041. [PMID: 33340555 DOI: 10.1016/j.jneumeth.2020.109041] [Citation(s) in RCA: 16] [Impact Index Per Article: 4.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 08/08/2020] [Revised: 12/08/2020] [Accepted: 12/11/2020] [Indexed: 12/20/2022]
Abstract
BACKGROUND Ca2+-imaging is a powerful tool to measure neuronal dynamics and network activity. To monitor network-level changes in cultured neurons, neuronal activity is often evoked by electrical or optogenetic stimulation and assessed using multi-electrode arrays or sophisticated imaging. Although such approaches allow detailed network analyses, multi-electrode arrays lack single-cell precision, whereas optical physiology generally requires advanced instrumentation that may not be universally available. NEW METHOD Here we developed a simple, stimulation-free protocol with associated Matlab algorithms that enables scalable analyses of spontaneous network activity in cultured human and mouse neurons. The approach allows analysis of the overall network activity and of single-neuron dynamics, and is amenable to screening purposes. RESULTS We validated the new protocol by assessing human neurons with a heterozygous conditional deletion of Munc18-1, and mouse neurons with a homozygous conditional deletion of neurexins. The approach described enabled identification of differential changes in these mutant neurons, allowing quantifications of the synchronous firing rate at the network level and of the amplitude and frequency of Ca2+-spikes at the single-neuron level. These results demonstrate the utility of the approach. COMPARISION WITH EXISTING METHODS Compared with current imaging platforms, our method is simple, scalable, accessible, and easy to implement. It enables quantification of more detailed parameters than multi-electrode arrays, but does not have the resolution and depth of more sophisticated yet labour-intensive methods, such as patch-clamp electrophysiology. CONCLUSION The method reported here is scalable for a rapid direct assessment of neuronal function in culture, and can be applied to both human and mouse neurons. Thus, the method can serve as a basis for phenotypical analysis of mutations and for drug discovery efforts.
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Affiliation(s)
- Zijun Sun
- Department of Molecular and Cellular Physiology, Stanford University School of Medicine, Stanford, CA 94305, USA; Howard Hughes Medical Institute, Stanford University School of Medicine, Stanford, CA 94305, USA.
| | - Thomas C Südhof
- Department of Molecular and Cellular Physiology, Stanford University School of Medicine, Stanford, CA 94305, USA; Howard Hughes Medical Institute, Stanford University School of Medicine, Stanford, CA 94305, USA
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8
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Woodruff G, Phillips N, Carromeu C, Guicherit O, White A, Johnson M, Zanella F, Anson B, Lovenberg T, Bonaventure P, Harrington AW. Screening for modulators of neural network activity in 3D human iPSC-derived cortical spheroids. PLoS One 2020; 15:e0240991. [PMID: 33091047 PMCID: PMC7581002 DOI: 10.1371/journal.pone.0240991] [Citation(s) in RCA: 10] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 03/23/2020] [Accepted: 10/06/2020] [Indexed: 11/30/2022] Open
Abstract
Human induced Pluripotent Stem Cells (iPSCs) are a powerful tool to dissect the biology of complex human cell types such as those of the central nervous system (CNS). However, robust, high-throughput platforms for reliably measuring activity in human iPSC-derived neuronal cultures are lacking. Here, we assessed 3D cultures of cortical neurons and astrocytes displaying spontaneous, rhythmic, and highly synchronized neural activity that can be visualized as calcium oscillations on standard high-throughput fluorescent readers as a platform for CNS-based discovery efforts. Spontaneous activity and spheroid structure were highly consistent from well-to-well, reference compounds such as TTX, 4-AP, AP5, and NBQX, had expected effects on neural spontaneous activity, demonstrating the presence of functionally integrated neuronal circuitry. Neurospheroid biology was challenged by screening the LOPAC®1280 library, a collection of 1280 pharmacologically active small molecules. The primary screen identified 111 compounds (8.7%) that modulated neural network activity across a wide range of neural and cellular processes and 16 of 17 compounds chosen for follow-up confirmed the primary screen results. Together, these data demonstrate the suitability and utility of human iPSC-derived neurospheroids as a screening platform for CNS-based drug discovery.
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Affiliation(s)
- Grace Woodruff
- Neuroscience Discovery, Janssen Research and Development, LLC., San Diego, California, United States of America
| | - Naomi Phillips
- Neuroscience Discovery, Janssen Research and Development, LLC., San Diego, California, United States of America
| | | | - Oivin Guicherit
- StemoniX, Inc, Maple Grove, Minnesota, United States of America
| | - Alistair White
- StemoniX, Inc, Maple Grove, Minnesota, United States of America
| | - McCay Johnson
- StemoniX, Inc, Maple Grove, Minnesota, United States of America
| | - Fabian Zanella
- StemoniX, Inc, Maple Grove, Minnesota, United States of America
| | - Blake Anson
- StemoniX, Inc, Maple Grove, Minnesota, United States of America
| | - Timothy Lovenberg
- Neuroscience Discovery, Janssen Research and Development, LLC., San Diego, California, United States of America
| | - Pascal Bonaventure
- Neuroscience Discovery, Janssen Research and Development, LLC., San Diego, California, United States of America
| | - Anthony W. Harrington
- Neuroscience Discovery, Janssen Research and Development, LLC., San Diego, California, United States of America
- * E-mail:
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9
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Jensen BK, Schuldi MH, McAvoy K, Russell KA, Boehringer A, Curran BM, Krishnamurthy K, Wen X, Westergard T, Ma L, Haeusler AR, Edbauer D, Pasinelli P, Trotti D. Synaptic dysfunction induced by glycine-alanine dipeptides in C9orf72-ALS/FTD is rescued by SV2 replenishment. EMBO Mol Med 2020; 12:e10722. [PMID: 32347002 PMCID: PMC7207170 DOI: 10.15252/emmm.201910722] [Citation(s) in RCA: 32] [Impact Index Per Article: 8.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 04/04/2019] [Revised: 03/23/2020] [Accepted: 03/26/2020] [Indexed: 12/16/2022] Open
Abstract
The most common cause of amyotrophic lateral sclerosis (ALS) and frontotemporal dementia (FTD) is an intronic hexanucleotide repeat expansion in the C9orf72 gene. In disease, RNA transcripts containing this expanded region undergo repeat-associated non-AUG translation to produce dipeptide repeat proteins (DPRs), which are detected in brain and spinal cord of patients and are neurotoxic both in vitro and in vivo paradigms. We reveal here a novel pathogenic mechanism for the most abundantly detected DPR in ALS/FTD autopsy tissues, poly-glycine-alanine (GA). Previously, we showed motor dysfunction in a GA mouse model without loss of motor neurons. Here, we demonstrate that mobile GA aggregates are present within neurites, evoke a reduction in synaptic vesicle-associated protein 2 (SV2), and alter Ca2+ influx and synaptic vesicle release. These phenotypes could be corrected by restoring SV2 levels. In GA mice, loss of SV2 was observed without reduction of motor neuron number. Notably, reduction in SV2 was seen in cortical and motor neurons derived from patient induced pluripotent stem cell lines, suggesting synaptic alterations also occur in patients.
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Affiliation(s)
- Brigid K Jensen
- Jefferson Weinberg ALS CenterDepartment of NeuroscienceVickie and Jack Farber Institute for NeuroscienceThomas Jefferson UniversityPhiladelphiaPAUSA
| | - Martin H Schuldi
- German Center for Neurodegenerative Diseases (DZNE)MunichGermany
| | - Kevin McAvoy
- Jefferson Weinberg ALS CenterDepartment of NeuroscienceVickie and Jack Farber Institute for NeuroscienceThomas Jefferson UniversityPhiladelphiaPAUSA
| | - Katelyn A Russell
- Jefferson Weinberg ALS CenterDepartment of NeuroscienceVickie and Jack Farber Institute for NeuroscienceThomas Jefferson UniversityPhiladelphiaPAUSA
| | - Ashley Boehringer
- Jefferson Weinberg ALS CenterDepartment of NeuroscienceVickie and Jack Farber Institute for NeuroscienceThomas Jefferson UniversityPhiladelphiaPAUSA
| | - Bridget M Curran
- Department of NeuroscienceVickie and Jack Farber Institute for NeuroscienceThomas Jefferson UniversityPhiladelphiaPAUSA
| | - Karthik Krishnamurthy
- Jefferson Weinberg ALS CenterDepartment of NeuroscienceVickie and Jack Farber Institute for NeuroscienceThomas Jefferson UniversityPhiladelphiaPAUSA
| | - Xinmei Wen
- Jefferson Weinberg ALS CenterDepartment of NeuroscienceVickie and Jack Farber Institute for NeuroscienceThomas Jefferson UniversityPhiladelphiaPAUSA
| | - Thomas Westergard
- Jefferson Weinberg ALS CenterDepartment of NeuroscienceVickie and Jack Farber Institute for NeuroscienceThomas Jefferson UniversityPhiladelphiaPAUSA
| | - Le Ma
- Department of NeuroscienceVickie and Jack Farber Institute for NeuroscienceThomas Jefferson UniversityPhiladelphiaPAUSA
| | - Aaron R Haeusler
- Jefferson Weinberg ALS CenterDepartment of NeuroscienceVickie and Jack Farber Institute for NeuroscienceThomas Jefferson UniversityPhiladelphiaPAUSA
| | - Dieter Edbauer
- German Center for Neurodegenerative Diseases (DZNE)MunichGermany
| | - Piera Pasinelli
- Jefferson Weinberg ALS CenterDepartment of NeuroscienceVickie and Jack Farber Institute for NeuroscienceThomas Jefferson UniversityPhiladelphiaPAUSA
| | - Davide Trotti
- Jefferson Weinberg ALS CenterDepartment of NeuroscienceVickie and Jack Farber Institute for NeuroscienceThomas Jefferson UniversityPhiladelphiaPAUSA
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10
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Jiang H, Esparza TJ, Kummer TT, Zhong H, Rettig J, Brody DL. Live Neuron High-Content Screening Reveals Synaptotoxic Activity in Alzheimer Mouse Model Homogenates. Sci Rep 2020; 10:3412. [PMID: 32098978 PMCID: PMC7042280 DOI: 10.1038/s41598-020-60118-y] [Citation(s) in RCA: 6] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 11/27/2019] [Accepted: 02/05/2020] [Indexed: 12/28/2022] Open
Abstract
Accurate quantification of synaptic changes is essential for understanding the molecular mechanisms of synaptogenesis, synaptic plasticity, and synaptic toxicity. Here we demonstrate a robust high-content imaging method for the assessment of synaptic changes and apply the method to brain homogenates from an Alzheimer's disease mouse model. Our method uses serial imaging of endogenous fluorescent labeled presynaptic VAMP2 and postsynaptic PSD95 in long-term cultured live primary neurons in 96 well microplates, and uses automatic image analysis to quantify the number of colocalized mature synaptic puncta for the assessment of synaptic changes in live neurons. As a control, we demonstrated that our synaptic puncta assay is at least 10-fold more sensitive to the toxic effects of glutamate than the MTT assay. Using our assay, we have compared synaptotoxic activities in size-exclusion chromatography fractioned protein samples from 3xTg-AD mouse model brain homogenates. Multiple synaptotoxic activities were found in high and low molecular weight fractions. Amyloid-beta immunodepletion alleviated some but not all of the synaptotoxic activities. Although the biochemical entities responsible for the synaptotoxic activities have yet to be determined, these proof-of-concept results demonstrate that this novel assay may have many potential mechanistic and therapeutic applications.
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Affiliation(s)
- Hao Jiang
- Department of Neurology, Washington University School of Medicine, 660 South Euclid Avenue, Box 8111, St Louis, Missouri, 63110, USA
| | - Thomas J Esparza
- Department of Neurology, Washington University School of Medicine, 660 South Euclid Avenue, Box 8111, St Louis, Missouri, 63110, USA
- Henry M Jackson Foundation for the Advancement of Military Medicine, Bethesda, Maryland, 20817, USA
- National Institute of Neurological Disorders and Stroke, 10 Center Drive, Bethesda, Maryland, 20892, USA
| | - Terrance T Kummer
- Department of Neurology, Washington University School of Medicine, 660 South Euclid Avenue, Box 8111, St Louis, Missouri, 63110, USA
| | - Haining Zhong
- Vollum Institute, Oregon Health and Science University, 3181 SW Sam Jackson Park Rd, Portland, Oregon, 97239, USA
| | - Jens Rettig
- Department of Physiology, Saarland University, Center for Integrative Physiology and Molecular Medicine (CIPMM), Building 48, Homburg, 66421, Germany
| | - David L Brody
- Department of Neurology, Washington University School of Medicine, 660 South Euclid Avenue, Box 8111, St Louis, Missouri, 63110, USA.
- National Institute of Neurological Disorders and Stroke, 10 Center Drive, Bethesda, Maryland, 20892, USA.
- Department of Neurology, Uniformed Services University of the Health Sciences, Bethesda, Maryland, 20814, USA.
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11
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Linsley JW, Reisine T, Finkbeiner S. Cell death assays for neurodegenerative disease drug discovery. Expert Opin Drug Discov 2019; 14:901-913. [PMID: 31179783 DOI: 10.1080/17460441.2019.1623784] [Citation(s) in RCA: 15] [Impact Index Per Article: 3.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 12/20/2022]
Abstract
Introduction: Neurodegenerative diseases affect millions of people worldwide. Neurodegeneration is gradual over time, characterized by neuronal death that causes deterioration of cognitive or motor functions, ultimately leading to the patient's death. Currently, there are no treatments that effectively slow the progression of any neurodegenerative disease, but improved microscopy assays and models for neurodegeneration could lead the way to the discovery of disease-modifying therapeutics. Areas covered: Herein, the authors describe cell-based assays used to discover drugs with the potential to slow neurodegeneration, and their associated disease models. They focus on microscopy technologies that can be adapted to a high-throughput screening format that both detect cell death and monitor early signs of neurodegeneration and functional changes to identify drugs that the block early stages of neurodegeneration. Expert opinion: Many different phenotypes have been used in screens for the development of therapeutics towards neurodegenerative disease. The context of each phenotype in relation to neurodegeneration must be established to identify therapeutics likely to successfully target and treat disease. The use of improved models of neurodegeneration, statistical analyses, computational models, and improved markers of neuronal death will help in this pursuit and lead to better screening methods to identify therapeutic compounds against neurodegenerative disease.
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Affiliation(s)
- Jeremy W Linsley
- a Gladstone Center for Systems and Therapeutics , San Francisco , CA , USA
| | - Terry Reisine
- b Independent scientific consultant , Santa Cruz , CA , USA
| | - Steven Finkbeiner
- a Gladstone Center for Systems and Therapeutics , San Francisco , CA , USA.,c Neuroscience Graduate Program, University of California , San Francisco , CA , USA.,d Biomedical Sciences and Neuroscience Graduate Program, University of California , San Francisco , CA , USA.,e Taube/Koret Center for Neurodegenerative Disease, Gladstone Institutes , San Francisco , CA , USA.,f Department of Neurology, University of California , San Francisco , CA , USA.,g Department of Physiology, University of California , San Francisco , CA , USA
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Verschuuren M, Verstraelen P, García-Díaz Barriga G, Cilissen I, Coninx E, Verslegers M, Larsen PH, Nuydens R, De Vos WH. High-throughput microscopy exposes a pharmacological window in which dual leucine zipper kinase inhibition preserves neuronal network connectivity. Acta Neuropathol Commun 2019; 7:93. [PMID: 31164177 PMCID: PMC6549294 DOI: 10.1186/s40478-019-0741-3] [Citation(s) in RCA: 13] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.6] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 03/25/2019] [Accepted: 05/16/2019] [Indexed: 12/13/2022] Open
Abstract
Therapeutic developments for neurodegenerative disorders are redirecting their focus to the mechanisms that contribute to neuronal connectivity and the loss thereof. Using a high-throughput microscopy pipeline that integrates morphological and functional measurements, we found that inhibition of dual leucine zipper kinase (DLK) increased neuronal connectivity in primary cortical cultures. This neuroprotective effect was not only observed in basal conditions but also in cultures depleted from antioxidants and in cultures in which microtubule stability was genetically perturbed. Based on the morphofunctional connectivity signature, we further showed that the effects were limited to a specific dose and time range. Thus, our results illustrate that profiling microscopy images with deep coverage enables sensitive interrogation of neuronal connectivity and allows exposing a pharmacological window for targeted treatments. In doing so, we revealed a broad-spectrum neuroprotective effect of DLK inhibition, which may have relevance to pathological conditions that ar.e associated with compromised neuronal connectivity.
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Verstraelen P, Van Dyck M, Verschuuren M, Kashikar ND, Nuydens R, Timmermans JP, De Vos WH. Image-Based Profiling of Synaptic Connectivity in Primary Neuronal Cell Culture. Front Neurosci 2018; 12:389. [PMID: 29997468 PMCID: PMC6028601 DOI: 10.3389/fnins.2018.00389] [Citation(s) in RCA: 20] [Impact Index Per Article: 3.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 12/08/2017] [Accepted: 05/22/2018] [Indexed: 12/04/2022] Open
Abstract
Neurological disorders display a broad spectrum of clinical manifestations. Yet, at the cellular level, virtually all these diseases converge into a common phenotype of dysregulated synaptic connectivity. In dementia, synapse dysfunction precedes neurodegeneration and cognitive impairment by several years, making the synapse a crucial entry point for the development of diagnostic and therapeutic strategies. Whereas high-resolution imaging and biochemical fractionations yield detailed insight into the molecular composition of the synapse, standardized assays are required to quickly gauge synaptic connectivity across large populations of cells under a variety of experimental conditions. Such screening capabilities have now become widely accessible with the advent of high-throughput, high-content microscopy. In this review, we discuss how microscopy-based approaches can be used to extract quantitative information about synaptic connectivity in primary neurons with deep coverage. We elaborate on microscopic readouts that may serve as a proxy for morphofunctional connectivity and we critically analyze their merits and limitations. Finally, we allude to the potential of alternative culture paradigms and integrative approaches to enable comprehensive profiling of synaptic connectivity.
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Affiliation(s)
- Peter Verstraelen
- Laboratory of Cell Biology and Histology, Department of Veterinary Sciences, University of Antwerp, Antwerp, Belgium
| | - Michiel Van Dyck
- Laboratory of Cell Biology and Histology, Department of Veterinary Sciences, University of Antwerp, Antwerp, Belgium
| | - Marlies Verschuuren
- Laboratory of Cell Biology and Histology, Department of Veterinary Sciences, University of Antwerp, Antwerp, Belgium
| | | | - Rony Nuydens
- Janssen Research and Development, Janssen Pharmaceutica N.V., Beerse, Belgium
| | - Jean-Pierre Timmermans
- Laboratory of Cell Biology and Histology, Department of Veterinary Sciences, University of Antwerp, Antwerp, Belgium
| | - Winnok H. De Vos
- Laboratory of Cell Biology and Histology, Department of Veterinary Sciences, University of Antwerp, Antwerp, Belgium
- Cell Systems and Imaging, Department of Molecular Biotechnology, Ghent University, Ghent, Belgium
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