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Noble PA, Pozhitkov A, Singh K, Woods E, Liu C, Levin M, Javan G, Wan J, Abouhashem AS, Mathew-Steiner SS, Sen CK. Unraveling the Enigma of Organismal Death: Insights, Implications, and Unexplored Frontiers. Physiology (Bethesda) 2024; 39:0. [PMID: 38624244 DOI: 10.1152/physiol.00004.2024] [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: 01/12/2024] [Revised: 03/21/2024] [Accepted: 04/11/2024] [Indexed: 04/17/2024] Open
Abstract
Significant knowledge gaps exist regarding the responses of cells, tissues, and organs to organismal death. Examining the survival mechanisms influenced by metabolism and environment, this research has the potential to transform regenerative medicine, redefine legal death, and provide insights into life's physiological limits, paralleling inquiries in embryogenesis.
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Affiliation(s)
- Peter A Noble
- Department of Microbiology, University of Alabama Birmingham, Birmingham, Alabama, United States
| | - Alexander Pozhitkov
- Division of Research Informatics, Beckman Research Institute, City of Hope, Duarte, California, United States
| | - Kanhaiya Singh
- Department of Surgery, McGowan Institute for Regenerative Medicine, University of Pittsburgh, Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania, United States
| | - Erik Woods
- Ossium Health, Indianapolis, Indiana, United States
| | - Chunyu Liu
- Institute for Human Performance, Upstate Medical University, Syracuse, New York, United States
| | - Michael Levin
- Department of Biology, Tufts University, Medford, Massachusetts, United States
| | - Gulnaz Javan
- Department of Physical and Forensic Sciences, Alabama State University, Montgomery, Alabama, United States
| | - Jun Wan
- Department of Surgery, McGowan Institute for Regenerative Medicine, University of Pittsburgh, Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania, United States
| | - Ahmed Safwat Abouhashem
- Department of Medical and Molecular Genetics, Indiana University School of Medicine, Indianapolis, Indiana, United States
| | - Shomita S Mathew-Steiner
- Department of Surgery, McGowan Institute for Regenerative Medicine, University of Pittsburgh, Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania, United States
| | - Chandan K Sen
- Department of Surgery, McGowan Institute for Regenerative Medicine, University of Pittsburgh, Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania, United States
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2
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Seiffer S, Brendler J, Schulz A, Ricken A. Reliable detection of RNA in hippocampus sections of mice by FISH up to a post-mortem delay of 24 h. Histochem Cell Biol 2024; 161:539-547. [PMID: 38582805 PMCID: PMC11162364 DOI: 10.1007/s00418-024-02277-x] [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] [Accepted: 03/18/2024] [Indexed: 04/08/2024]
Abstract
Proteins can be successfully localized in post-mortem (PM) brain tissue sections if the time until PM tissue sampling is not too long. In this study, we show that this also applies to the localization of RNA and in particular to the RNA of microglia-specific receptor proteins using the probes and the RNAscope™ Multiplex Fluorescent Detection Kit v2 from Advanced Cell Diagnostics. Brains were removed from killed mice after different PM delays and processed into paraffin sections. In sections of brains from animals whose cadavers had been kept at room temperature (21 °C) before tissue removal, ubiquitously expressed RNAs of genes with low to high expression levels (Polr2a, PPIB, and UBC) were reliably detected in the brain sections even if tissue removal was delayed by up to 48 h. In addition, microglia-specific G protein-coupled receptor RNA (Gpr34, P2ry12) could be reliably assigned to microglia by simultaneous labeling of the microglia with microglia-specific antibodies (Iba1 or P2ry12). Only after a delay of 48 h until tissue removal were the receptor RNA signals significantly lower. The reduction in receptor RNA signals could be delayed if the animal cadavers were stored at 4 °C until the brains were removed. Tissue sections of PM brain samples allow the spatial and cellular localization of specific RNA, at least if the sampling takes place within the first 24 h of PM.
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Affiliation(s)
- Sophie Seiffer
- Institute of Anatomy, Medical Faculty, Leipzig University, Leipzig, Germany
| | - Jana Brendler
- Institute of Anatomy, Medical Faculty, Leipzig University, Leipzig, Germany
| | - Angela Schulz
- Medical Faculty, Rudolf Schönheimer Institute of Biochemistry, Leipzig University, Leipzig, Germany
| | - Albert Ricken
- Institute of Anatomy, Medical Faculty, Leipzig University, Leipzig, Germany.
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3
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Gerra MC, Dallabona C, Cecchi R. Epigenetic analyses in forensic medicine: future and challenges. Int J Legal Med 2024; 138:701-719. [PMID: 38242965 PMCID: PMC11003920 DOI: 10.1007/s00414-024-03165-8] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 04/20/2023] [Accepted: 01/09/2024] [Indexed: 01/21/2024]
Abstract
The possibility of using epigenetics in forensic investigation has gradually risen over the last few years. Epigenetic changes with their dynamic nature can either be inherited or accumulated throughout a lifetime and be reversible, prompting investigation of their use across various fields. In forensic sciences, multiple applications have been proposed, such as the discrimination of monozygotic twins, identifying the source of a biological trace left at a crime scene, age prediction, determination of body fluids and tissues, human behavior association, wound healing progression, and determination of the post-mortem interval (PMI). Despite all these applications, not all the studies considered the impact of PMI and post-sampling effects on the epigenetic modifications and the tissue-specificity of the epigenetic marks.This review aims to highlight the substantial forensic significance that epigenetics could support in various forensic investigations. First, basic concepts in epigenetics, describing the main epigenetic modifications and their functions, in particular, DNA methylation, histone modifications, and non-coding RNA, with a particular focus on forensic applications, were covered. For each epigenetic marker, post-mortem stability and tissue-specificity, factors that should be carefully considered in the study of epigenetic biomarkers in the forensic context, have been discussed. The advantages and limitations of using post-mortem tissues have been also addressed, proposing directions for these innovative strategies to analyze forensic specimens.
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Affiliation(s)
- Maria Carla Gerra
- Department of Chemistry, Life Sciences, and Environmental Sustainability, University of Parma, Parco Area Delle Scienze 11a, Viale Delle Scienze 11a, 43124, Parma, PR, Italy
| | - Cristina Dallabona
- Department of Chemistry, Life Sciences, and Environmental Sustainability, University of Parma, Parco Area Delle Scienze 11a, Viale Delle Scienze 11a, 43124, Parma, PR, Italy.
| | - Rossana Cecchi
- Department of Medicine and Surgery, University of Parma, Via Antonio Gramsci 14, 43126, Parma, PR, Italy
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4
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Hade AC, Philips MA, Promet L, Jagomäe T, Hanumantharaju A, Salumäe L, Reimann E, Plaas M, Vasar E, Väli M. A cost-effective and efficient ex vivo, ex situ human whole brain perfusion protocol for immunohistochemistry. J Neurosci Methods 2024; 404:110059. [PMID: 38218387 DOI: 10.1016/j.jneumeth.2024.110059] [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: 10/19/2023] [Revised: 12/18/2023] [Accepted: 01/07/2024] [Indexed: 01/15/2024]
Abstract
BACKGROUND Chemical fixation of the brain can be executed through either the immersion method or the perfusion method. Perfusion fixation allows for better preservation of the brain tissue's ultrastructure, as it provides rapid and uniform delivery of the fixative to the tissue. Still, not all facilities have the expertise to perform perfusion fixation, with initial high cost and complexity of perfusion systems as the main factors limiting its widespread usage. NEW METHOD Here we present our low-cost approach of whole brain ex situ perfusion fixation to overcome the aforementioned limitations. Our self-made perfusion system, constructed utilising commercially accessible and affordable medical resources alongside laboratory and everyday items, demonstrates the capability to generate superior histological stainings of brain tissue. The perfused tissue can be stored prior to proceeding with IHC for at least one year. RESULTS Our method yielded high-quality results in histological stainings using both free-floating cryosections and paraffin-embedded tissue sections. The system is fully reusable and complies with the principles of sustainable management. COMPARISON WITH EXISTING METHODS Our whole brain perfusion system has been assembled from simple components and is able to achieve a linear flow with a pressure of 70 mmHg corresponding to the perfusion pressure of the brain. CONCLUSIONS Our ex situ method can be especially useful in research settings where expensive perfusion systems are not affordable or in any field with high time pressure, making it suitable for the field of forensic medicine or pathology in general.
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Affiliation(s)
- Andreas-Christian Hade
- Department of Pathological Anatomy and Forensic Medicine, University of Tartu, 19 Ravila Street, 50411 Tartu, Estonia; Estonian Forensic Science Institute, Tervise 20, Tallinn, Estonia
| | - Mari-Anne Philips
- Department of Physiology, Institute of Biomedicine and Translational Medicine, University of Tartu, Tartu, Estonia; Centre of Excellence in Genomics and Translational Medicine, University of Tartu, Tartu, Estonia.
| | - Liisi Promet
- International Max Planck Research School for Neurosciences, University of Göttingen, Göttingen, Germany
| | - Toomas Jagomäe
- Department of Physiology, Institute of Biomedicine and Translational Medicine, University of Tartu, Tartu, Estonia; Centre of Excellence in Genomics and Translational Medicine, University of Tartu, Tartu, Estonia
| | - Arpana Hanumantharaju
- Department of Physiology, Institute of Biomedicine and Translational Medicine, University of Tartu, Tartu, Estonia; Centre of Excellence in Genomics and Translational Medicine, University of Tartu, Tartu, Estonia
| | - Liis Salumäe
- Pathology Service, Tartu University Hospital; Tartu, Estonia
| | - Ene Reimann
- Estonian Genome Centre, Institute of Genomics, University of Tartu, Tartu, Estonia
| | - Mario Plaas
- Department of Physiology, Institute of Biomedicine and Translational Medicine, University of Tartu, Tartu, Estonia; Centre of Excellence in Genomics and Translational Medicine, University of Tartu, Tartu, Estonia
| | - Eero Vasar
- Department of Physiology, Institute of Biomedicine and Translational Medicine, University of Tartu, Tartu, Estonia; Centre of Excellence in Genomics and Translational Medicine, University of Tartu, Tartu, Estonia
| | - Marika Väli
- Department of Pathological Anatomy and Forensic Medicine, University of Tartu, 19 Ravila Street, 50411 Tartu, Estonia; Estonian Forensic Science Institute, Tervise 20, Tallinn, Estonia
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Creekmore BC, Kixmoeller K, Black BE, Lee EB, Chang YW. Ultrastructure of human brain tissue vitrified from autopsy revealed by cryo-ET with cryo-plasma FIB milling. Nat Commun 2024; 15:2660. [PMID: 38531877 PMCID: PMC10965902 DOI: 10.1038/s41467-024-47066-1] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 09/27/2023] [Accepted: 03/19/2024] [Indexed: 03/28/2024] Open
Abstract
Ultrastructure of human brain tissue has traditionally been examined using electron microscopy (EM) following fixation, staining, and sectioning, which limit resolution and introduce artifacts. Alternatively, cryo-electron tomography (cryo-ET) allows higher resolution imaging of unfixed cellular samples while preserving architecture, but it requires samples to be vitreous and thin enough for transmission EM. Due to these requirements, cryo-ET has yet to be employed to investigate unfixed, never previously frozen human brain tissue. Here we present a method for generating lamellae in human brain tissue obtained at time of autopsy that can be imaged via cryo-ET. We vitrify the tissue via plunge-freezing and use xenon plasma focused ion beam (FIB) milling to generate lamellae directly on-grid at variable depth inside the tissue. Lamellae generated in Alzheimer's disease brain tissue reveal intact subcellular structures including components of autophagy and potential pathologic tau fibrils. Furthermore, we reveal intact compact myelin and functional cytoplasmic expansions. These images indicate that plasma FIB milling with cryo-ET may be used to elucidate nanoscale structures within the human brain.
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Affiliation(s)
- Benjamin C Creekmore
- Translational Neuropathology Research Laboratory, Department of Pathology and Laboratory Medicine, Perelman School of Medicine, University of Pennsylvania, Philadelphia, PA, USA
- Department of Biochemistry and Biophysics, Perelman School of Medicine, University of Pennsylvania, Philadelphia, PA, USA
- Biochemistry and Molecular Biophysics Graduate Group, Perelman School of Medicine, University of Pennsylvania, Philadelphia, PA, USA
| | - Kathryn Kixmoeller
- Department of Biochemistry and Biophysics, Perelman School of Medicine, University of Pennsylvania, Philadelphia, PA, USA
- Biochemistry and Molecular Biophysics Graduate Group, Perelman School of Medicine, University of Pennsylvania, Philadelphia, PA, USA
| | - Ben E Black
- Department of Biochemistry and Biophysics, Perelman School of Medicine, University of Pennsylvania, Philadelphia, PA, USA
- Institute of Structural Biology, Perelman School of Medicine, University of Pennsylvania, Philadelphia, PA, USA
| | - Edward B Lee
- Translational Neuropathology Research Laboratory, Department of Pathology and Laboratory Medicine, Perelman School of Medicine, University of Pennsylvania, Philadelphia, PA, USA.
| | - Yi-Wei Chang
- Department of Biochemistry and Biophysics, Perelman School of Medicine, University of Pennsylvania, Philadelphia, PA, USA.
- Institute of Structural Biology, Perelman School of Medicine, University of Pennsylvania, Philadelphia, PA, USA.
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Clijsters M, Khan M, Backaert W, Jorissen M, Speleman K, Van Bulck P, Van Den Bogaert W, Vandenbriele C, Mombaerts P, Van Gerven L. Protocol for postmortem bedside endoscopic procedure to sample human respiratory and olfactory cleft mucosa, olfactory bulbs, and frontal lobe. STAR Protoc 2024; 5:102831. [PMID: 38277268 PMCID: PMC10837096 DOI: 10.1016/j.xpro.2023.102831] [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: 10/05/2023] [Revised: 11/03/2023] [Accepted: 12/22/2023] [Indexed: 01/28/2024] Open
Abstract
We present a protocol for the rapid postmortem bedside procurement of selected tissue samples using an endoscopic endonasal surgical technique that we adapted from skull base surgery. We describe steps for the postmortem collection of blood, cerebrospinal fluid, a nasopharyngeal swab, and tissue samples; the clean-up procedure; and the initial processing and storage of the samples. This protocol was validated with tissue samples procured postmortem from COVID-19 patients and can be applied in another emerging infectious disease. For complete details on the use and execution of this protocol, please refer to Khan et al. (2021)1 and Khan et al. (2022).2.
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Affiliation(s)
- Marnick Clijsters
- Department of Neurosciences, Experimental Otorhinolaryngology, Rhinology Research, KU Leuven, 3000 Leuven, Belgium
| | - Mona Khan
- Max Planck Research Unit for Neurogenetics, 60438 Frankfurt, Germany
| | - Wout Backaert
- Department of Otorhinolaryngology, Head and Neck Surgery, University Hospitals Leuven, 3000 Leuven, Belgium
| | - Mark Jorissen
- Department of Neurosciences, Experimental Otorhinolaryngology, Rhinology Research, KU Leuven, 3000 Leuven, Belgium; Department of Otorhinolaryngology, Head and Neck Surgery, University Hospitals Leuven, 3000 Leuven, Belgium
| | - Kato Speleman
- Department of Otorhinolaryngology, Head and Neck Surgery, AZ Sint-Jan Brugge-Oostende AV, 8000 Bruges, Belgium
| | - Pauline Van Bulck
- Department of Otorhinolaryngology, Head and Neck Surgery, University Hospitals Leuven, 3000 Leuven, Belgium
| | - Wouter Van Den Bogaert
- Department of Imaging & Pathology, Forensic Biomedical Sciences, KU Leuven, 3000 Leuven, Belgium; Department of Forensic Medicine, University Hospitals Leuven, 3000 Leuven, Belgium
| | - Christophe Vandenbriele
- Department of Cardiovascular Sciences, KU Leuven, 3000 Leuven, Belgium; Department of Cardiovascular Diseases, University Hospitals Leuven, 3000 Leuven, Belgium
| | - Peter Mombaerts
- Max Planck Research Unit for Neurogenetics, 60438 Frankfurt, Germany
| | - Laura Van Gerven
- Department of Neurosciences, Experimental Otorhinolaryngology, Rhinology Research, KU Leuven, 3000 Leuven, Belgium; Department of Otorhinolaryngology, Head and Neck Surgery, University Hospitals Leuven, 3000 Leuven, Belgium; Department of Microbiology, Immunology and Transplantation, Allergy and Clinical Immunology Research Unit, KU Leuven, 3000 Leuven, Belgium.
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7
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Khodosevich K, Dragicevic K, Howes O. Drug targeting in psychiatric disorders - how to overcome the loss in translation? Nat Rev Drug Discov 2024; 23:218-231. [PMID: 38114612 DOI: 10.1038/s41573-023-00847-7] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Accepted: 11/03/2023] [Indexed: 12/21/2023]
Abstract
In spite of major efforts and investment in development of psychiatric drugs, many clinical trials have failed in recent decades, and clinicians still prescribe drugs that were discovered many years ago. Although multiple reasons have been discussed for the drug development deadlock, we focus here on one of the major possible biological reasons: differences between the characteristics of drug targets in preclinical models and the corresponding targets in patients. Importantly, based on technological advances in single-cell analysis, we propose here a framework for the use of available and newly emerging knowledge from single-cell and spatial omics studies to evaluate and potentially improve the translational predictivity of preclinical models before commencing preclinical and, in particular, clinical studies. We believe that these recommendations will improve preclinical models and the ability to assess drugs in clinical trials, reducing failure rates in expensive late-stage trials and ultimately benefitting psychiatric drug discovery and development.
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Affiliation(s)
- Konstantin Khodosevich
- Biotech Research and Innovation Centre, Faculty of Health, University of Copenhagen, Copenhagen, Denmark.
| | - Katarina Dragicevic
- Biotech Research and Innovation Centre, Faculty of Health, University of Copenhagen, Copenhagen, Denmark
| | - Oliver Howes
- Institute of Psychiatry, Psychology and Neuroscience, King's College London, London, UK.
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8
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He Z, Chen Q, Wang K, Lin J, Peng Y, Zhang J, Yan X, Jie Y. Single-cell transcriptomics analysis of cellular heterogeneity and immune mechanisms in neurodegenerative diseases. Eur J Neurosci 2024; 59:333-357. [PMID: 38221677 DOI: 10.1111/ejn.16242] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 05/17/2023] [Revised: 12/04/2023] [Accepted: 12/12/2023] [Indexed: 01/16/2024]
Abstract
Single-cell transcriptomics analysis is an advanced technology that can describe the intracellular transcriptome in complex tissues. It profiles and analyses datasets by single-cell RNA sequencing. Neurodegenerative diseases are identified by the abnormal apoptosis of neurons in the brain with few or no effective therapy strategies at present, which has been a growing healthcare concern and brought a great burden to society. The transcriptome of individual cells provides deep insights into previously unforeseen cellular heterogeneity and gene expression differences in neurodegenerative disorders. It detects multiple cell subsets and functional changes during pathological progression, which deepens the understanding of the molecular underpinnings and cellular basis of neurodegenerative diseases. Furthermore, the transcriptome analysis of immune cells shows the regulation of immune response. Different subtypes of immune cells and their interaction are found to contribute to disease progression. This finding enables the discovery of novel targets and biomarkers for early diagnosis. In this review, we emphasize the principles of the technology, and its recent progress in the study of cellular heterogeneity and immune mechanisms in neurodegenerative diseases. The application of single-cell transcriptomics analysis in neurodegenerative disorders would help explore the pathogenesis of these diseases and develop novel therapeutic methods.
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Affiliation(s)
- Ziping He
- Department of Forensic Science, School of Basic Medical Science, Central South University, Changsha, China
- Clinical Medicine Eight-Year Program, Xiangya School of Medicine, Central South University, Changsha, China
| | - Qianqian Chen
- Department of Forensic Science, School of Basic Medical Science, Central South University, Changsha, China
| | - Kaiyue Wang
- Department of Forensic Science, School of Basic Medical Science, Central South University, Changsha, China
- Clinical Medicine Eight-Year Program, Xiangya School of Medicine, Central South University, Changsha, China
| | - Jiang Lin
- Department of Forensic Science, School of Basic Medical Science, Central South University, Changsha, China
| | - Yilin Peng
- Department of Forensic Science, School of Basic Medical Science, Central South University, Changsha, China
| | - Jinlong Zhang
- Department of Forensic Science, School of Basic Medical Science, Central South University, Changsha, China
- Department of Forensic Science, School of Basic Medical Science, Xinjiang Medical University, Urumqi, China
| | - Xisheng Yan
- Department of Cardiovascular Medicine, Wuhan Third Hospital & Tongren Hospital of Wuhan University, Wuhan, China
| | - Yan Jie
- Department of Forensic Science, School of Basic Medical Science, Central South University, Changsha, China
- Department of Forensic Science, School of Basic Medical Science, Xinjiang Medical University, Urumqi, China
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9
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Javan GT, Singh K, Finley SJ, Green RL, Sen CK. Complexity of human death: its physiological, transcriptomic, and microbiological implications. Front Microbiol 2024; 14:1345633. [PMID: 38282739 PMCID: PMC10822681 DOI: 10.3389/fmicb.2023.1345633] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 11/28/2023] [Accepted: 12/28/2023] [Indexed: 01/30/2024] Open
Abstract
Human death is a complex, time-governed phenomenon that leads to the irreversible cessation of all bodily functions. Recent molecular and genetic studies have revealed remarkable experimental evidence of genetically programmed cellular death characterized by several physiological processes; however, the basic physiological function that occurs during the immediate postmortem period remains inadequately described. There is a paucity of knowledge connecting necrotic pathologies occurring in human organ tissues to complete functional loss of the human organism. Cells, tissues, organs, and organ systems show a range of differential resilience and endurance responses that occur during organismal death. Intriguingly, a persistent ambiguity in the study of postmortem physiological systems is the determination of the trajectory of a complex multicellular human body, far from life-sustaining homeostasis, following the gradual or sudden expiry of its regulatory systems. Recent groundbreaking investigations have resulted in a paradigm shift in understanding the cell biology and physiology of death. Two significant findings are that (i) most cells in the human body are microbial, and (ii) microbial cell abundance significantly increases after death. By addressing the physiological as well as the microbiological aspects of death, future investigations are poised to reveal innovative insights into the enigmatic biological activities associated with death and human decomposition. Understanding the elaborate crosstalk of abiotic and biotic factors in the context of death has implications for scientific discoveries important to informing translational knowledge regarding the transition from living to the non-living. There are important and practical needs for a transformative reestablishment of accepted models of biological death (i.e., artificial intelligence, AI) for more precise determinations of when the regulatory mechanisms for homeostasis of a living individual have ceased. In this review, we summarize mechanisms of physiological, genetic, and microbiological processes that define the biological changes and pathways associated with human organismal death and decomposition.
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Affiliation(s)
- Gulnaz T. Javan
- Department of Physical and Forensic Sciences, Alabama State University, Montgomery, AL, United States
| | - Kanhaiya Singh
- Department of Surgery, School of Medicine, McGowan Institute for Regenerative Medicine, University of Pittsburgh, Pittsburgh, PA, United States
| | - Sheree J. Finley
- Department of Physical and Forensic Sciences, Alabama State University, Montgomery, AL, United States
| | - Robert L. Green
- Department of Physical and Forensic Sciences, Alabama State University, Montgomery, AL, United States
| | - Chandan K. Sen
- Department of Surgery, School of Medicine, McGowan Institute for Regenerative Medicine, University of Pittsburgh, Pittsburgh, PA, United States
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10
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Klontzas ME, Leventis D, Spanakis K, Karantanas AH, Kranioti EF. Post-mortem CT radiomics for the prediction of time since death. Eur Radiol 2023; 33:8387-8395. [PMID: 37329460 DOI: 10.1007/s00330-023-09746-2] [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: 02/15/2023] [Revised: 03/27/2023] [Accepted: 04/22/2023] [Indexed: 06/19/2023]
Abstract
OBJECTIVES Post-mortem interval (PMI) estimation has long been relying on sequential post-mortem changes on the body as a function of extrinsic, intrinsic, and environmental factors. Such factors are difficult to account for in complicated death scenes; thus, PMI estimation can be compromised. Herein, we aimed to evaluate the use of post-mortem CT (PMCT) radiomics for the differentiation between early and late PMI. METHODS Consecutive whole-body PMCT examinations performed between 2016 and 2021 were retrospectively included (n = 120), excluding corpses without an accurately reported PMI (n = 23). Radiomics data were extracted from liver and pancreas tissue and randomly split into training and validation sets (70:30%). Following data preprocessing, significant features were selected (Boruta selection) and three XGBoost classifiers were built (liver, pancreas, combined) to differentiate between early (< 12 h) and late (> 12 h) PMI. Classifier performance was assessed with receiver operating characteristics (ROC) curves and areas under the curves (AUC), which were compared by bootstrapping. RESULTS A total of 97 PMCTs were included, representing individuals (23 females and 74 males) with a mean age of 47.1 ± 23.38 years. The combined model achieved the highest AUC reaching 75% (95%CI 58.4-91.6%) (p = 0.03 compared to liver and p = 0.18 compared to pancreas). The liver-based and pancreas-based XGBoost models achieved AUCs of 53.6% (95%CI 34.8-72.3%) and 64.3% (95%CI 46.7-81.9%) respectively (p > 0.05 for the comparison between liver- and pancreas-based models). CONCLUSION The use of radiomics analysis on PMCT examinations differentiated early from late PMI, unveiling a novel image-based method with important repercussions in forensic casework. CLINICAL RELEVANCE STATEMENT This paper introduces the employment of radiomics in forensic diagnosis by presenting an effective automated alternative method of estimating post-mortem interval from targeted tissues, thus paving the way for improvement in speed and quality of forensic investigations. KEY POINTS • A combined liver-pancreas radiomics model differentiated early from late post-mortem intervals (using a 12-h threshold) with an area under the curve of 75% (95%CI 58.4-91.6%). • XGBoost models based on liver-only or pancreas-only radiomics demonstrated inferior performance to the combined model in predicting the post-mortem interval.
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Affiliation(s)
- Michail E Klontzas
- Department of Medical Imaging, University Hospital of Heraklion, Voutes, Heraklion, 71110, Crete, Greece
- Department of Radiology, Medical School, University of Crete, Voutes, Heraklion, 71110, Crete, Greece
- Advanced Hybrid Imaging Systems, Institute of Computer Science - FORTH, Voutes, Heraklion, 71110, Crete, Greece
| | - Dimitrios Leventis
- Department of Medical Imaging, University Hospital of Heraklion, Voutes, Heraklion, 71110, Crete, Greece
| | - Konstantinos Spanakis
- Department of Medical Imaging, University Hospital of Heraklion, Voutes, Heraklion, 71110, Crete, Greece
| | - Apostolos H Karantanas
- Department of Medical Imaging, University Hospital of Heraklion, Voutes, Heraklion, 71110, Crete, Greece.
- Department of Radiology, Medical School, University of Crete, Voutes, Heraklion, 71110, Crete, Greece.
- Advanced Hybrid Imaging Systems, Institute of Computer Science - FORTH, Voutes, Heraklion, 71110, Crete, Greece.
| | - Elena F Kranioti
- Forensic Medicine Unit, Department of Forensic Sciences, Faculty of Medicine, University of Crete, Voutes, Heraklion, 71110, Greece.
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11
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Xiong G, Metheny H, Hood K, Jean I, Farrugia AM, Johnson BN, Tummala SR, Cohen NA, Cohen AS. Detection and verification of neurodegeneration after traumatic brain injury in the mouse: Immunohistochemical staining for amyloid precursor protein. Brain Pathol 2023; 33:e13163. [PMID: 37156643 PMCID: PMC10580020 DOI: 10.1111/bpa.13163] [Citation(s) in RCA: 2] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 01/13/2023] [Accepted: 04/18/2023] [Indexed: 05/10/2023] Open
Abstract
Previous studies of human traumatic brain injury (TBI) have shown diffuse axonal injury as varicosities or spheroids in white matter (WM) bundles when using immunoperoxidase-ABC staining with 22C11, a mouse monoclonal antibody against amyloid precursor protein (APP). These findings have been interpreted as TBI-induced axonal pathology. In a mouse model of TBI however, when we used immunofluorescent staining with 22C11, as opposed to immunoperoxidase staining, we did not observe varicosities or spheroids. To explore this discrepancy, we performed immunofluorescent staining with Y188, an APP knockout-validated rabbit monoclonal that shows baseline immunoreactivity in neurons and oligodendrocytes of non-injured mice, with some arranged-like varicosities. In gray matter after injury, Y188 intensely stained axonal blebs. In WM, we encountered large patches of heavily stained puncta, heterogeneous in size. Scattered axonal blebs were also identified among these Y188-stained puncta. To assess the neuronal origin of Y188 staining after TBI we made use of transgenic mice with fluorescently labeled neurons and axons. A close correlation was observed between Y188-stained axonal blebs and fluorescently labeled neuronal cell bodies/axons. By contrast, no correlation was observed between Y188-stained puncta and fluorescent axons in WM, suggesting that these puncta in WM did not originate from axons, and casting further doubt on the nature of previous reports with 22C11. As such, we strongly recommend Y188 as a biomarker for detecting damaged neurons and axons after TBI. With Y188, stained axonal blebs likely represent acute axonal truncations that may lead to death of the parent neurons. Y188-stained puncta in WM may indicate damaged oligodendrocytes, whose death and clearance can result in secondary demyelination and Wallerian degeneration of axons. We also provide evidence suggesting that 22C11-stained varicosities or spheroids previously reported in TBI patients might be showing damaged oligodendrocytes, due to a cross-reaction between the ABC kit and upregulated endogenous biotin.
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Affiliation(s)
- Guoxiang Xiong
- Department of Anesthesiology and Critical Care MedicineThe Children's Hospital of PhiladelphiaPhiladelphiaPennsylvaniaUSA
| | - Hannah Metheny
- Department of Anesthesiology and Critical Care MedicineThe Children's Hospital of PhiladelphiaPhiladelphiaPennsylvaniaUSA
| | - Kaitlin Hood
- Department of Anesthesiology and Critical Care MedicineThe Children's Hospital of PhiladelphiaPhiladelphiaPennsylvaniaUSA
- Neuroscience Graduate GroupUniversity of PennsylvaniaPhiladelphiaPennsylvaniaUSA
| | - Ian Jean
- Department of Anesthesiology and Critical Care MedicineThe Children's Hospital of PhiladelphiaPhiladelphiaPennsylvaniaUSA
| | - Anthony M. Farrugia
- Department of Anesthesiology and Critical Care MedicineThe Children's Hospital of PhiladelphiaPhiladelphiaPennsylvaniaUSA
| | - Brian N. Johnson
- Department of Anesthesiology and Critical Care MedicineThe Children's Hospital of PhiladelphiaPhiladelphiaPennsylvaniaUSA
| | - Shanti R. Tummala
- Department of Bioengineering, School of Engineering and Applied SciencesUniversity of PennsylvaniaPhiladelphiaPennsylvaniaUSA
| | - Noam A. Cohen
- Philadelphia Veterans Affairs Medical CenterPhiladelphiaPennsylvaniaUSA
- Department of Otorhinolaryngology–Head and Neck SurgeryPerelman School of Medicine, University of PhiladelphiaPhiladelphiaPennsylvaniaUSA
| | - Akiva S. Cohen
- Department of Anesthesiology and Critical Care MedicineThe Children's Hospital of PhiladelphiaPhiladelphiaPennsylvaniaUSA
- Department of Anesthesiology and Critical Care Medicine, Perelman School of MedicineUniversity of PennsylvaniaPhiladelphiaPennsylvaniaUSA
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12
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Gazestani V, Kamath T, Nadaf NM, Dougalis A, Burris SJ, Rooney B, Junkkari A, Vanderburg C, Pelkonen A, Gomez-Budia M, Välimäki NN, Rauramaa T, Therrien M, Koivisto AM, Tegtmeyer M, Herukka SK, Abdulraouf A, Marsh SE, Hiltunen M, Nehme R, Malm T, Stevens B, Leinonen V, Macosko EZ. Early Alzheimer's disease pathology in human cortex involves transient cell states. Cell 2023; 186:4438-4453.e23. [PMID: 37774681 PMCID: PMC11107481 DOI: 10.1016/j.cell.2023.08.005] [Citation(s) in RCA: 25] [Impact Index Per Article: 25.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 01/11/2023] [Revised: 05/31/2023] [Accepted: 08/03/2023] [Indexed: 10/01/2023]
Abstract
Cellular perturbations underlying Alzheimer's disease (AD) are primarily studied in human postmortem samples and model organisms. Here, we generated a single-nucleus atlas from a rare cohort of cortical biopsies from living individuals with varying degrees of AD pathology. We next performed a systematic cross-disease and cross-species integrative analysis to identify a set of cell states that are specific to early AD pathology. These changes-which we refer to as the early cortical amyloid response-were prominent in neurons, wherein we identified a transitional hyperactive state preceding the loss of excitatory neurons, which we confirmed by acute slice physiology on independent biopsy specimens. Microglia overexpressing neuroinflammatory-related processes also expanded as AD pathology increased. Finally, both oligodendrocytes and pyramidal neurons upregulated genes associated with β-amyloid production and processing during this early hyperactive phase. Our integrative analysis provides an organizing framework for targeting circuit dysfunction, neuroinflammation, and amyloid production early in AD pathogenesis.
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Affiliation(s)
- Vahid Gazestani
- Broad Institute of MIT and Harvard, Cambridge, MA 02142, USA
| | - Tushar Kamath
- Broad Institute of MIT and Harvard, Cambridge, MA 02142, USA; Harvard Graduate Program in Biophysics and Harvard/MIT MD-PhD Program, Harvard University, Cambridge, MA 02139, USA
| | - Naeem M Nadaf
- Broad Institute of MIT and Harvard, Cambridge, MA 02142, USA
| | - Antonios Dougalis
- A.I. Virtanen Institute for Molecular Sciences, University of Eastern Finland, Kuopio, Finland
| | - S J Burris
- Broad Institute of MIT and Harvard, Cambridge, MA 02142, USA
| | - Brendan Rooney
- Program in Neuroscience, Harvard Medical School, Boston, MA 02115, USA
| | - Antti Junkkari
- Institute of Clinical Medicine, University of Eastern Finland, Kuopio, Finland; Department of Neurosurgery, Kuopio University Hospital, Kuopio, Finland
| | | | - Anssi Pelkonen
- A.I. Virtanen Institute for Molecular Sciences, University of Eastern Finland, Kuopio, Finland
| | - Mireia Gomez-Budia
- A.I. Virtanen Institute for Molecular Sciences, University of Eastern Finland, Kuopio, Finland
| | - Nelli-Noora Välimäki
- A.I. Virtanen Institute for Molecular Sciences, University of Eastern Finland, Kuopio, Finland
| | - Tuomas Rauramaa
- Institute of Clinical Medicine, University of Eastern Finland, Kuopio, Finland; Department of Pathology, Kuopio University Hospital, Kuopio, Finland
| | | | - Anne M Koivisto
- Program in Neuroscience, Harvard Medical School, Boston, MA 02115, USA; Institute of Clinical Medicine, University of Eastern Finland, Kuopio, Finland; Department of Neurology, Kuopio University Hospital, Kuopio, Finland; Department of Neurosciences, University of Helsinki, Helsinki, Finland; Department of Geriatrics, Helsinki University Hospital, Helsinki, Finland
| | | | - Sanna-Kaisa Herukka
- Institute of Clinical Medicine, University of Eastern Finland, Kuopio, Finland; Department of Neurology, Kuopio University Hospital, Kuopio, Finland
| | | | - Samuel E Marsh
- F.M. Kirby Neurobiology Center, Boston Children's Hospital, Boston, MA 02115, USA
| | - Mikko Hiltunen
- Institute of Biomedicine, University of Eastern Finland, Kuopio, Finland
| | - Ralda Nehme
- Broad Institute of MIT and Harvard, Cambridge, MA 02142, USA
| | - Tarja Malm
- A.I. Virtanen Institute for Molecular Sciences, University of Eastern Finland, Kuopio, Finland
| | - Beth Stevens
- Broad Institute of MIT and Harvard, Cambridge, MA 02142, USA; F.M. Kirby Neurobiology Center, Boston Children's Hospital, Boston, MA 02115, USA; Howard Hughes Medical Institute (HHMI), Boston, MA 02115, USA
| | - Ville Leinonen
- Institute of Clinical Medicine, University of Eastern Finland, Kuopio, Finland; Department of Neurosurgery, Kuopio University Hospital, Kuopio, Finland
| | - Evan Z Macosko
- Broad Institute of MIT and Harvard, Cambridge, MA 02142, USA; Massachusetts General Hospital, Department of Psychiatry, Boston, MA 02114, USA.
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13
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Liu B, Shah S, Küreli G, Devor A, Boas DA, Cheng X. Measurements of slow tissue dynamics with short-separation speckle contrast optical spectroscopy. BIOMEDICAL OPTICS EXPRESS 2023; 14:4790-4799. [PMID: 37791271 PMCID: PMC10545176 DOI: 10.1364/boe.497604] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 06/08/2023] [Revised: 08/09/2023] [Accepted: 08/10/2023] [Indexed: 10/05/2023]
Abstract
Laser speckle contrast imaging (LSCI) measures 2D maps of cerebral blood flow (CBF) in small animal brains such as mice. The contrast measured in LSCI also includes the static and slow-varying components that contain information about brain tissue dynamics. But these components are less studied as compared to the fast dynamics of CBF. In traditional wide-field LSCI, the contrast measured in the tissue is largely contaminated by neighboring blood vessels, which reduces the sensitivity to these static and slow components. Our goal is to enhance the sensitivity of the contrast to static and slow tissue dynamics and test models to quantify the characteristics of these components. To achieve this, we have developed a short-separation speckle contrast optical spectroscopy (ss-SCOS) system by implementing point illumination and point detection using multi-mode fiber arrays to enhance the static and slow components in speckle contrast measurements as compared to traditional wide-field LSCI (WF-LSCI). We observed larger fractions of the static and slow components when measured in the tissue using ss-SCOS than in traditional LSCI for the same animal and region of interest. We have also established models to obtain the fractions of the static and slow components and quantify the decorrelation time constants of the intensity auto-correlation function for both fast blood flow and slower tissue dynamics. Using ss-SCOS, we demonstrate the variations of fast and slow brain dynamics in animals before and post-stroke, as well as within an hour post-euthanasia. This technique establishes the foundation to measure brain tissue dynamics other than CBF, such as intracellular motility.
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Affiliation(s)
- Bingxue Liu
- Neurophotonics Center, Boston University, Boston, Massachusetts 02215, USA
- Department of Electrical and Computer Engineering, Boston University, Boston, Massachusetts 02215, USA
| | - Shashwat Shah
- Neurophotonics Center, Boston University, Boston, Massachusetts 02215, USA
- Department of Biomedical Engineering, Boston University, Boston, Massachusetts 02215, USA
| | - Gülce Küreli
- Neurophotonics Center, Boston University, Boston, Massachusetts 02215, USA
| | - Anna Devor
- Neurophotonics Center, Boston University, Boston, Massachusetts 02215, USA
- Department of Biomedical Engineering, Boston University, Boston, Massachusetts 02215, USA
| | - David A. Boas
- Neurophotonics Center, Boston University, Boston, Massachusetts 02215, USA
- Department of Biomedical Engineering, Boston University, Boston, Massachusetts 02215, USA
| | - Xiaojun Cheng
- Neurophotonics Center, Boston University, Boston, Massachusetts 02215, USA
- Department of Biomedical Engineering, Boston University, Boston, Massachusetts 02215, USA
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14
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Wang H, Zhang Z, Sittirattanayeunyong S, Hongpaisan J. Association of Apolipoprotein E4-related Microvascular Disease in the Alzheimer's Disease Hippocampal CA1 Stratum Radiatum. Neuroscience 2023; 526:204-222. [PMID: 37385335 PMCID: PMC10528415 DOI: 10.1016/j.neuroscience.2023.06.019] [Citation(s) in RCA: 1] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 12/14/2022] [Revised: 06/15/2023] [Accepted: 06/22/2023] [Indexed: 07/01/2023]
Abstract
Current data suggest a hypothesis of vascular pathogenesis for the development and progression of Alzheimer's disease (AD). To investigate this, we studied the association of apolipoprotein E4 (APOE4) gene on microvessels in human autopsy-confirmed AD with and without APOE4, compared with age/sex-matched control (AC) hippocampal CA1 stratum radiatum. AD arterioles (without APOE4 gene) had mild oxidative stress and loss of vascular endothelial growth factor (VEGF) and endothelial cell density, reflecting aging progression. In AD + APOE4, an increase in strong oxidative DNA damage marker 8-hydroxy-2'-deoxyguanosine (8-OHdG), VEGF, and endothelial cell density were associated with increased diameter of arterioles and perivascular space dilation. In cultured human brain microvascular cells (HBMECs), treatment of ApoE4 protein plus amyloid-β (Aβ) oligomers increased superoxide production and the apoptotic marker cleaved caspase 3, sustained hypoxia inducible factor-1α (HIF-1α) stability that was associated with an increase in MnSOD, VEGF, and cell density. This cell over-proliferation was inhibited with the antioxidants N-acetyl cysteine and MnTMPyP, the HIF-1α inhibitor echinomycin, the VEGFR-2 receptor blocker SU1498, the protein kinase C (PKC) ε knock-down (KD) and the extracellular signal-regulated kinase 1/2 (ERK) inhibitor FR180204. The PKCε KD and echinomycin decreased VEGF and/or ERK. In conclusion, AD capillaries and arterioles in hippocampal CA1 stratum radiatum of non-APOE4 carriers are related with aging, while those in APOE4 carriers with AD are related with pathogenesis of cerebrovascular disease.
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Affiliation(s)
- Huaixing Wang
- Department of Medicine, Center for Translational Medicine, Sidney Kimmel Medical College, Thomas Jefferson University, Philadelphia, PA 19107, USA
| | - Zongxiu Zhang
- Department of Medicine, Center for Translational Medicine, Sidney Kimmel Medical College, Thomas Jefferson University, Philadelphia, PA 19107, USA
| | - Sorawit Sittirattanayeunyong
- Department of Medicine, Center for Translational Medicine, Sidney Kimmel Medical College, Thomas Jefferson University, Philadelphia, PA 19107, USA
| | - Jarin Hongpaisan
- Department of Medicine, Center for Translational Medicine, Sidney Kimmel Medical College, Thomas Jefferson University, Philadelphia, PA 19107, USA.
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15
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Liharska LE, Park YJ, Ziafat K, Wilkins L, Silk H, Linares LM, Vornholt E, Sullivan B, Cohen V, Kota P, Feng C, Cheng E, Moya E, Thompson RC, Johnson JS, Rieder MK, Huang J, Scarpa J, Hashemi A, Polanco J, Levin MA, Nadkarni GN, Sebra R, Crary J, Schadt EE, Beckmann ND, Kopell BH, Charney AW. A study of gene expression in the living human brain. MEDRXIV : THE PREPRINT SERVER FOR HEALTH SCIENCES 2023:2023.04.21.23288916. [PMID: 37163086 PMCID: PMC10168405 DOI: 10.1101/2023.04.21.23288916] [Citation(s) in RCA: 13] [Impact Index Per Article: 13.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 05/11/2023]
Abstract
A goal of medical research is to determine the molecular basis of human brain health and illness. One way to achieve this goal is through observational studies of gene expression in human brain tissue. Due to the unavailability of brain tissue from living people, most such studies are performed using tissue from postmortem brain donors. An assumption underlying this practice is that gene expression in the postmortem human brain is an accurate representation of gene expression in the living human brain. Here, this assumption - which, until now, had not been adequately tested - is tested by comparing human prefrontal cortex gene expression between 275 living samples and 243 postmortem samples. Expression levels differed significantly for nearly 80% of genes, and a systematic examination of alternative explanations for this observation determined that these differences are not a consequence of cell type composition, RNA quality, postmortem interval, age, medication, morbidity, symptom severity, tissue pathology, sample handling, batch effects, or computational methods utilized. Analyses integrating the data generated for this study with data from earlier landmark studies that used tissue from postmortem brain donors showed that postmortem brain gene expression signatures of neurological and mental illnesses, as well as of normal traits such as aging, may not be accurate representations of these gene expression signatures in the living brain. By using tissue from large cohorts living people, future observational studies of human brain biology have the potential to (1) determine the medical research questions that can be addressed using postmortem tissue as a proxy for living tissue and (2) expand the scope of medical research to include questions about the molecular basis of human brain health and illness that can only be addressed in living people (e.g., "What happens at the molecular level in the brain as a person experiences an emotion?").
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16
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Nitu NS, Sultana SZ, Haq A, Sumi SA, Bose SK, Sinha S, Kumar S, Haque M. Histological Study on the Thickness of Gray Matter at the Summit and Bottom of Folium in Different Age Groups of Bangladeshi People. Cureus 2023; 15:e42103. [PMID: 37476298 PMCID: PMC10354462 DOI: 10.7759/cureus.42103] [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] [Accepted: 07/18/2023] [Indexed: 07/22/2023] Open
Abstract
Context The cerebellum is a part of the hindbrain and consists of cortical gray matter (GM) at the surface and a medullary core of white matter (WM). The GM contains a cell body of neurons that helps process and transmit any command type through nerve fibers found in the WM. The main functions of GM in the central nervous system empower persons to control motor activity, recollection, and passion. So, this research aims to assess the thickness of GM at the summit and bottom of folia by histologically studying the cerebellum cortex. Methods The collection of data was a descriptive type of cross-sectional study. The method was the purposive type. This study was conducted from August 2016 to March 2017, and the research was carried out at Mymensingh Medical College's Department of Anatomy, Bangladesh. Specimens containing cerebellum were preserved from Bangladeshi cadavers according to sexes and ages ranging in years. We chose fresh specimens from people who died within the last 12 hours and preserved them in 10% formol saline. The size of the tissue that was collected for the histological study was not more than 2 cm2 and not more than 4-5 mm thick. Then the tissue was placed in 10% formol saline. This fluid was used for quick fixation and partial dehydration of the tissue. After dehydration, each tissue segment is processed for infiltration and embedding separately. Every section was stained with hematoxylin and eosin stain (H&E) before being coated with dibutyl phthalate polystyrene xylene (DPX) coverslips on slides. Result The mean (±SD) thickness of GM at the summit of folium was 886.2±29.7µm in Group A, 925.2±25.9µm in Group B, 912.7±22.3µm in Group C, and 839.9±40.7µm in Group D. Mean (±SD) GM thickness at the bottom of the fissure was 395.6±12.2 µm, 403.9±26.0µm, 380.4±23.4 µm, and 375.8±28.8 µm in Groups A, B, C, and D respectively. Conclusion The thickness of the cortex is an essential factor in the normal development process, and it was similar in the current study. Normal aging, Alzheimer's disease, and other dementias cause reduced GM which makes the cortical sheet thin. Huntington's disease, corticobasal degeneration, amyotrophic lateral sclerosis, and schizophrenia are all examples of neurological disorders. Cortical thinning is typically locally localized, and the progression of atrophy can thus disclose much about a disease's history and causal variables. The present study correspondingly found that GM was reduced after the age of 50 years onward. Furthermore, longitudinal investigations of cortical atrophy have the potential to be extremely useful in measuring the efficacy of a wide range of treatments.
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Affiliation(s)
| | | | - Ahsanul Haq
- Statistics, Gonoshasthaya-RNA Molecular Diagnostic and Research Center, Dhanmondi, BGD
| | - Sharmin A Sumi
- Anatomy, Bangabandhu Sheikh Mujib Medical University (BSMMU), Dhaka, BGD
| | | | - Susmita Sinha
- Physiology, Khulna City Medical College and Hospital, Khulna, BGD
| | - Santosh Kumar
- Periodontology and Implantology, Karnavati School of Dentistry, Karnavati University, Gandhinagar, IND
| | - Mainul Haque
- Karnavati Scientific Research Center (KSRC), School of Dentistry, Karnavati University, Gandhinagar, IND
- Pharmacology and Therapeutics, National Defence University of Malaysia, Kuala Lumpur, MYS
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17
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Tosoni G, Ayyildiz D, Bryois J, Macnair W, Fitzsimons CP, Lucassen PJ, Salta E. Mapping human adult hippocampal neurogenesis with single-cell transcriptomics: Reconciling controversy or fueling the debate? Neuron 2023; 111:1714-1731.e3. [PMID: 37015226 DOI: 10.1016/j.neuron.2023.03.010] [Citation(s) in RCA: 11] [Impact Index Per Article: 11.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 10/11/2022] [Revised: 02/06/2023] [Accepted: 03/08/2023] [Indexed: 04/05/2023]
Abstract
The notion of exploiting the regenerative potential of the human brain in physiological aging or neurological diseases represents a particularly attractive alternative to conventional strategies for enhancing or restoring brain function. However, a major first question to address is whether the human brain does possess the ability to regenerate. The existence of human adult hippocampal neurogenesis (AHN) has been at the center of a fierce scientific debate for many years. The advent of single-cell transcriptomic technologies was initially viewed as a panacea to resolving this controversy. However, recent single-cell RNA sequencing studies in the human hippocampus yielded conflicting results. Here, we critically discuss and re-analyze previously published AHN-related single-cell transcriptomic datasets. We argue that, although promising, the single-cell transcriptomic profiling of AHN in the human brain can be confounded by methodological, conceptual, and biological factors that need to be consistently addressed across studies and openly discussed within the scientific community.
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Affiliation(s)
- Giorgia Tosoni
- Laboratory of Neurogenesis and Neurodegeneration, Netherlands Institute for Neuroscience, 1105 BA, Amsterdam, the Netherlands
| | - Dilara Ayyildiz
- Laboratory of Neurogenesis and Neurodegeneration, Netherlands Institute for Neuroscience, 1105 BA, Amsterdam, the Netherlands
| | - Julien Bryois
- Roche Pharma Research and Early Development, Neuroscience and Rare Diseases, Roche Innovation Center, CH-4070, Basel, Switzerland
| | - Will Macnair
- Roche Pharma Research and Early Development, Neuroscience and Rare Diseases, Roche Innovation Center, CH-4070, Basel, Switzerland
| | - Carlos P Fitzsimons
- Brain Plasticity group, Swammerdam Institute for Life Sciences, Faculty of Science, University of Amsterdam, 1098 XH, Amsterdam, the Netherlands
| | - Paul J Lucassen
- Brain Plasticity group, Swammerdam Institute for Life Sciences, Faculty of Science, University of Amsterdam, 1098 XH, Amsterdam, the Netherlands; Center for Urban Mental Health, University of Amsterdam, 1098 SM, Amsterdam, the Netherlands
| | - Evgenia Salta
- Laboratory of Neurogenesis and Neurodegeneration, Netherlands Institute for Neuroscience, 1105 BA, Amsterdam, the Netherlands.
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18
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Guardado-Estrada M, Cárdenas-Monroy CA, Martínez-Rivera V, Cortez F, Pedraza-Lara C, Millan-Catalan O, Pérez-Plasencia C. A miRNome analysis at the early postmortem interval. PeerJ 2023; 11:e15409. [PMID: 37304870 PMCID: PMC10257396 DOI: 10.7717/peerj.15409] [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: 01/24/2023] [Accepted: 04/23/2023] [Indexed: 06/13/2023] Open
Abstract
The postmortem interval (PMI) is the time elapsing since the death of an individual until the body is examined. Different molecules have been analyzed to better estimate the PMI with variable results. The miRNAs draw attention in the forensic field to estimate the PMI as they can better support degradation. In the present work, we analyzed the miRNome at early PMI in rats' skeletal muscle using the Affymetrix GeneChip™ miRNA 4.0 microarrays. We found 156 dysregulated miRNAs in rats' skeletal muscle at 24 h of PMI, out of which 84 were downregulated, and 72 upregulated. The miRNA most significantly downregulated was miR-139-5p (FC = -160, p = 9.97 × 10-11), while the most upregulated was rno-miR-92b-5p (FC = 241.18, p = 2.39 × 10-6). Regarding the targets of these dysregulated miRNAs, the rno-miR-125b-5p and rno-miR-138-5p were the miRNAs with more mRNA targets. The mRNA targets that we found in the present study participate in several biological processes such as interleukin secretion regulation, translation regulation, cell growth, or low oxygen response. In addition, we found a downregulation of SIRT1 mRNA and an upregulation of TGFBR2 mRNA at 24 h of PMI. These results suggest there is an active participation of miRNAs at early PMI which could be further explored to identify potential biomarkers for PMI estimation.
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Affiliation(s)
- Mariano Guardado-Estrada
- Laboratorio de Genética, Ciencia Forense, Facultad de Medicina, Universidad Nacional Autónoma de México, Mexico City, Mexico
| | - Christian A. Cárdenas-Monroy
- Laboratorio de Genética, Ciencia Forense, Facultad de Medicina, Universidad Nacional Autónoma de México, Mexico City, Mexico
| | - Vanessa Martínez-Rivera
- Laboratorio de Genética, Ciencia Forense, Facultad de Medicina, Universidad Nacional Autónoma de México, Mexico City, Mexico
| | - Fernanda Cortez
- Computational Genomics Division, Instituto Nacional de Medicina Genómica (INMEGEN), Mexico City, Mexico
| | - Carlos Pedraza-Lara
- Laboratorio de Entomología, Ciencia Forense, Facultad de Medicina, Universidad Nacional Autónoma de México, Mexico City, Mexico
| | - Oliver Millan-Catalan
- Unidad de Investigación Biomédica en Cáncer, Laboratorio de Genómica, Instituto Nacional de Cancerología, Mexico City, Mexico
| | - Carlos Pérez-Plasencia
- Unidad de Investigación Biomédica en Cáncer, Laboratorio de Genómica, Instituto Nacional de Cancerología, Mexico City, Mexico
- Unidad de Investigación Biomédica en Cáncer, Laboratorio de Genómica, Facultad de Estudios Superiores Iztacala, Universidad Nacional Autónoma de México, Mexico City, Mexico
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19
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Gazestani V, Kamath T, Nadaf NM, Burris SJ, Rooney B, Junkkari A, Vanderburg C, Rauramaa T, Therrien M, Tegtmeyer M, Herukka SK, Abdulraouf A, Marsh S, Malm T, Hiltunen M, Nehme R, Stevens B, Leinonen V, Macosko EZ. Early Alzheimer's disease pathology in human cortex is associated with a transient phase of distinct cell states. BIORXIV : THE PREPRINT SERVER FOR BIOLOGY 2023:2023.06.03.543569. [PMID: 37333365 PMCID: PMC10274680 DOI: 10.1101/2023.06.03.543569] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 06/20/2023]
Abstract
Cellular perturbations underlying Alzheimer's disease are primarily studied in human postmortem samples and model organisms. Here we generated a single-nucleus atlas from a rare cohort of cortical biopsies from living individuals with varying degrees of Alzheimer's disease pathology. We next performed a systematic cross-disease and cross-species integrative analysis to identify a set of cell states that are specific to early AD pathology. These changes-which we refer to as the Early Cortical Amyloid Response-were prominent in neurons, wherein we identified a transient state of hyperactivity preceding loss of excitatory neurons, which correlated with the selective loss of layer 1 inhibitory neurons. Microglia overexpressing neuroinflammatory-related processes also expanded as AD pathological burden increased. Lastly, both oligodendrocytes and pyramidal neurons upregulated genes associated with amyloid beta production and processing during this early hyperactive phase. Our integrative analysis provides an organizing framework for targeting circuit dysfunction, neuroinflammation, and amyloid production early in AD pathogenesis.
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Affiliation(s)
| | - Tushar Kamath
- Broad Institute of MIT and Harvard, Cambridge, MA 02142 USA
- Harvard Graduate Program in Biophysics and Harvard/MIT MD-PhD Program, Harvard University, Cambridge, MA 02139 USA
| | - Naeem M. Nadaf
- Broad Institute of MIT and Harvard, Cambridge, MA 02142 USA
| | - SJ Burris
- Broad Institute of MIT and Harvard, Cambridge, MA 02142 USA
| | - Brendan Rooney
- Program in Neuroscience, Harvard Medical School, Boston, MA 02115 USA
| | - Antti Junkkari
- Institute of Clinical Medicine, Unit of Pathology, Faculty of Health Sciences, University of Eastern Finland, Kuopio, Finland
- Department of Neurosurgery, Kuopio University Hospital, Kuopio, Finland
| | | | - Tuomas Rauramaa
- Institute of Clinical Medicine, Unit of Pathology, Faculty of Health Sciences, University of Eastern Finland, Kuopio, Finland
- Department of Pathology, Kuopio University Hospital, Kuopio, Finland
| | | | | | - Sanna-Kaisa Herukka
- Institute of Clinical Medicine, Unit of Pathology, Faculty of Health Sciences, University of Eastern Finland, Kuopio, Finland
- Department of Neurology, Kuopio University Hospital, Kuopio, Finland
| | | | - Samuel Marsh
- F.M. Kirby Neurobiology Center, Boston Children’s Hospital, Boston, MA 02115 USA
| | - Tarja Malm
- A.I. Virtanen Institute for Molecular Sciences, Faculty of Health Sciences, University of Eastern Finland, Kuopio, Finland
| | - Mikko Hiltunen
- Institute of Biomedicine, Faculty of Health Sciences, University of Eastern Finland, Kuopio, Finland
| | - Ralda Nehme
- Broad Institute of MIT and Harvard, Cambridge, MA 02142 USA
| | - Beth Stevens
- Broad Institute of MIT and Harvard, Cambridge, MA 02142 USA
- F.M. Kirby Neurobiology Center, Boston Children’s Hospital, Boston, MA 02115 USA
- Howard Hughes Medical Institute (HHMI), Boston, MA 02115 USA
| | - Ville Leinonen
- Institute of Clinical Medicine, Unit of Pathology, Faculty of Health Sciences, University of Eastern Finland, Kuopio, Finland
- Department of Neurosurgery, Kuopio University Hospital, Kuopio, Finland
| | - Evan Z. Macosko
- Broad Institute of MIT and Harvard, Cambridge, MA 02142 USA
- Massachusetts General Hospital, Department of Psychiatry, Boston, MA 02114 USA
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20
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Coliță CI, Olaru DG, Coliță D, Hermann DM, Coliță E, Glavan D, Popa-Wagner A. Induced Coma, Death, and Organ Transplantation: A Physiologic, Genetic, and Theological Perspective. Int J Mol Sci 2023; 24:ijms24065744. [PMID: 36982814 PMCID: PMC10059721 DOI: 10.3390/ijms24065744] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 01/08/2023] [Revised: 03/13/2023] [Accepted: 03/15/2023] [Indexed: 03/19/2023] Open
Abstract
In the clinic, the death certificate is issued if brain electrical activity is no longer detectable. However, recent research has shown that in model organisms and humans, gene activity continues for at least 96 h postmortem. The discovery that many genes are still working up to 48 h after death questions our definition of death and has implications for organ transplants and forensics. If genes can be active up to 48 h after death, is the person technically still alive at that point? We discovered a very interesting parallel between genes that were upregulated in the brain after death and genes upregulated in the brains that were subjected to medically-induced coma, including transcripts involved in neurotransmission, proteasomal degradation, apoptosis, inflammation, and most interestingly, cancer. Since these genes are involved in cellular proliferation, their activation after death could represent the cellular reaction to escape mortality and raises the question of organ viability and genetics used for transplantation after death. One factor limiting the organ availability for transplantation is religious belief. However, more recently, organ donation for the benefit of humans in need has been seen as “posthumous giving of organs and tissues can be a manifestation of love spreading also to the other side of death”.
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Affiliation(s)
- Cezar-Ivan Coliță
- Doctoral School, University of Medicine and Pharmacy Carol Davila, 020276 Bucharest, Romania; (C.-I.C.)
| | - Denissa-Greta Olaru
- Department of Psychiatry, University for Medicine and Pharmacy Craiova, 200349 Craiova, Romania;
| | - Daniela Coliță
- Doctoral School, University of Medicine and Pharmacy Carol Davila, 020276 Bucharest, Romania; (C.-I.C.)
| | - Dirk M. Hermann
- Chair of Vascular Neurology, Dementia and Ageing, Department of Neurology, University Hospital Essen, 45147 Essen, Germany
| | - Eugen Coliță
- Doctoral School, University of Medicine and Pharmacy Carol Davila, 020276 Bucharest, Romania; (C.-I.C.)
| | - Daniela Glavan
- Department of Psychiatry, University for Medicine and Pharmacy Craiova, 200349 Craiova, Romania;
- Correspondence: (D.G.); (A.P.-W.)
| | - Aurel Popa-Wagner
- Department of Psychiatry, University for Medicine and Pharmacy Craiova, 200349 Craiova, Romania;
- Chair of Vascular Neurology, Dementia and Ageing, Department of Neurology, University Hospital Essen, 45147 Essen, Germany
- Correspondence: (D.G.); (A.P.-W.)
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21
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Beccari S, Sierra-Torre V, Valero J, Pereira-Iglesias M, García-Zaballa M, Soria FN, De Las Heras-Garcia L, Carretero-Guillen A, Capetillo-Zarate E, Domercq M, Huguet PR, Ramonet D, Osman A, Han W, Dominguez C, Faust TE, Touzani O, Pampliega O, Boya P, Schafer D, Mariño G, Canet-Soulas E, Blomgren K, Plaza-Zabala A, Sierra A. Microglial phagocytosis dysfunction in stroke is driven by energy depletion and induction of autophagy. Autophagy 2023:1-30. [PMID: 36622892 DOI: 10.1080/15548627.2023.2165313] [Citation(s) in RCA: 17] [Impact Index Per Article: 17.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 01/11/2023] Open
Abstract
Microglial phagocytosis of apoptotic debris prevents buildup damage of neighbor neurons and inflammatory responses. Whereas microglia are very competent phagocytes under physiological conditions, we report their dysfunction in mouse and preclinical monkey models of stroke (macaques and marmosets) by transient occlusion of the medial cerebral artery (tMCAo). By analyzing recently published bulk and single cell RNA sequencing databases, we show that the phagocytosis dysfunction was not explained by transcriptional changes. In contrast, we demonstrate that the impairment of both engulfment and degradation was related to energy depletion triggered by oxygen and nutrient deprivation (OND), which led to reduced process motility, lysosomal exhaustion, and the induction of a protective macroautophagy/autophagy response in microglia. Basal autophagy, in charge of removing and recycling intracellular elements, was critical to maintain microglial physiology, including survival and phagocytosis, as we determined both in vivo and in vitro using pharmacological and transgenic approaches. Notably, the autophagy inducer rapamycin partially prevented the phagocytosis impairment induced by tMCAo in vivo but not by OND in vitro, where it even had a detrimental effect on microglia, suggesting that modulating microglial autophagy to optimal levels may be a hard to achieve goal. Nonetheless, our results show that pharmacological interventions, acting directly on microglia or indirectly on the brain environment, have the potential to recover phagocytosis efficiency in the diseased brain. We propose that phagocytosis is a therapeutic target yet to be explored in stroke and other brain disorders and provide evidence that it can be modulated in vivo using rapamycin.Abbreviations: AIF1/IBA1: allograft inflammatory factor 1; AMBRA1: autophagy/beclin 1 regulator 1; ATG4B: autophagy related 4B, cysteine peptidase; ATP: adenosine triphosphate; BECN1: beclin 1, autophagy related; CASP3: caspase 3; CBF: cerebral blood flow; CCA: common carotid artery; CCR2: chemokine (C-C motif) receptor 2; CIR: cranial irradiation; Csf1r/v-fms: colony stimulating factor 1 receptor; CX3CR1: chemokine (C-X3-C motif) receptor 1; DAPI: 4',6-diamidino-2-phenylindole; DG: dentate gyrus; GO: Gene Ontology; HBSS: Hanks' balanced salt solution; HI: hypoxia-ischemia; LAMP1: lysosomal-associated membrane protein 1; MAP1LC3/LC3: microtubule-associated protein 1 light chain 3; MCA: medial cerebral artery; MTOR: mechanistic target of rapamycin kinase; OND: oxygen and nutrient deprivation; Ph/A coupling: phagocytosis-apoptosis coupling; Ph capacity: phagocytic capacity; Ph index: phagocytic index; SQSTM1: sequestosome 1; RNA-Seq: RNA sequencing; TEM: transmission electron microscopy; tMCAo: transient medial cerebral artery occlusion; ULK1: unc-51 like kinase 1.
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Affiliation(s)
- Sol Beccari
- Glial Cell Biology Labb, Department of Biochemistry and Molecular Biology, Achucarro Basque Center for Neuroscience, 48940, Leioa, Bizkaia, Spain.,Department of Neuroscience, University of the Basque Country UPV/EHU, 48940, Leioa, Bizkaia, Spain
| | - Virginia Sierra-Torre
- Glial Cell Biology Labb, Department of Biochemistry and Molecular Biology, Achucarro Basque Center for Neuroscience, 48940, Leioa, Bizkaia, Spain.,Department of Neuroscience, University of the Basque Country UPV/EHU, 48940, Leioa, Bizkaia, Spain
| | - Jorge Valero
- Glial Cell Biology Labb, Department of Biochemistry and Molecular Biology, Achucarro Basque Center for Neuroscience, 48940, Leioa, Bizkaia, Spain.,Department of Neuroscience, University of the Basque Country UPV/EHU, 48940, Leioa, Bizkaia, Spain.,Neural Plasticity and Neurorepair Group, Laboratory of Neuronal Plasticity and Neurorepair, Institute for Neuroscience of Castilla y León (INCyL), and Institute for Biomedical Research of Salamanca, University of Salamanca, 37007, Salamanca, Spain
| | - Marta Pereira-Iglesias
- Glial Cell Biology Labb, Department of Biochemistry and Molecular Biology, Achucarro Basque Center for Neuroscience, 48940, Leioa, Bizkaia, Spain.,Department of Neuroscience, University of the Basque Country UPV/EHU, 48940, Leioa, Bizkaia, Spain
| | - Mikel García-Zaballa
- Glial Cell Biology Labb, Department of Biochemistry and Molecular Biology, Achucarro Basque Center for Neuroscience, 48940, Leioa, Bizkaia, Spain.,Department of Neuroscience, University of the Basque Country UPV/EHU, 48940, Leioa, Bizkaia, Spain
| | - Federico N Soria
- Glial Cell Biology Labb, Department of Biochemistry and Molecular Biology, Achucarro Basque Center for Neuroscience, 48940, Leioa, Bizkaia, Spain.,Department of Neuroscience, University of the Basque Country UPV/EHU, 48940, Leioa, Bizkaia, Spain.,Ikerbasque Foundation, 48009, Bilbao, Bizkaia, Spain
| | - Laura De Las Heras-Garcia
- Glial Cell Biology Labb, Department of Biochemistry and Molecular Biology, Achucarro Basque Center for Neuroscience, 48940, Leioa, Bizkaia, Spain.,Department of Neuroscience, University of the Basque Country UPV/EHU, 48940, Leioa, Bizkaia, Spain
| | - Alejandro Carretero-Guillen
- Glial Cell Biology Labb, Department of Biochemistry and Molecular Biology, Achucarro Basque Center for Neuroscience, 48940, Leioa, Bizkaia, Spain
| | - Estibaliz Capetillo-Zarate
- Glial Cell Biology Labb, Department of Biochemistry and Molecular Biology, Achucarro Basque Center for Neuroscience, 48940, Leioa, Bizkaia, Spain.,Department of Neuroscience, University of the Basque Country UPV/EHU, 48940, Leioa, Bizkaia, Spain.,Ikerbasque Foundation, 48009, Bilbao, Bizkaia, Spain.,Centro de Investigación en Red de Enfermedades Neurodegenerativas (CIBERNED), Spain
| | - Maria Domercq
- Glial Cell Biology Labb, Department of Biochemistry and Molecular Biology, Achucarro Basque Center for Neuroscience, 48940, Leioa, Bizkaia, Spain.,Department of Neuroscience, University of the Basque Country UPV/EHU, 48940, Leioa, Bizkaia, Spain
| | - Paloma R Huguet
- Glial Cell Biology Labb, Department of Biochemistry and Molecular Biology, Achucarro Basque Center for Neuroscience, 48940, Leioa, Bizkaia, Spain.,Department of Neuroscience, University of the Basque Country UPV/EHU, 48940, Leioa, Bizkaia, Spain
| | - David Ramonet
- INSERM U1060 CarMeN, Université Claude Bernard Lyon 1 - IRIS team, CarMeN, bat. B13, gpt hosp. Est, 59 bld Pinel, 69500, Bron, Auvergne-Rhône-Alpes, France
| | - Ahmed Osman
- Department of Women and Children´s Health, Karolisnka Institute, 17164, Stockholm, Södermanland and Uppland, Sweden
| | - Wei Han
- Department of Women and Children´s Health, Karolisnka Institute, 17164, Stockholm, Södermanland and Uppland, Sweden
| | - Cecilia Dominguez
- Department of Women and Children´s Health, Karolisnka Institute, 17164, Stockholm, Södermanland and Uppland, Sweden
| | - Travis E Faust
- Department of Neurobiology, University of Massachusetts Medical School, 01605, Worcester, MA, USA
| | - Omar Touzani
- Normandie-Univ, UNICAEN, CEA, CNRS, ISTCT/CERVOxy Group, 14000, Caen, Normandie, France
| | - Olatz Pampliega
- Glial Cell Biology Labb, Department of Biochemistry and Molecular Biology, Achucarro Basque Center for Neuroscience, 48940, Leioa, Bizkaia, Spain.,Department of Neuroscience, University of the Basque Country UPV/EHU, 48940, Leioa, Bizkaia, Spain
| | - Patricia Boya
- Laboratory of Autophagy, Centro de Investigaciones Biológicas Margarita Salas, Madrid 28040, Spain.,Department of Medicine, University of Fribourg, 1700, Freiburg, Switzerland
| | - Dorothy Schafer
- Department of Neurobiology, University of Massachusetts Medical School, 01605, Worcester, MA, USA
| | - Guillermo Mariño
- Department of Medicine, University of Fribourg, 1700, Freiburg, Switzerland.,Department of Functional Biology, University of Oviedo, 33003, Oviedo, Asturias, Spain
| | - Emmanuelle Canet-Soulas
- INSERM U1060 CarMeN, Université Claude Bernard Lyon 1 - IRIS team, CarMeN, bat. B13, gpt hosp. Est, 59 bld Pinel, 69500, Bron, Auvergne-Rhône-Alpes, France
| | - Klas Blomgren
- Department of Women and Children´s Health, Karolisnka Institute, 17164, Stockholm, Södermanland and Uppland, Sweden.,Department of Pediatric Oncology, Karolinska University Hospital, 171 64, Stockholm, Södermanland and Uppland, Sweden
| | - Ainhoa Plaza-Zabala
- Glial Cell Biology Labb, Department of Biochemistry and Molecular Biology, Achucarro Basque Center for Neuroscience, 48940, Leioa, Bizkaia, Spain.,Department of Pharmacology, University of the Basque Country UPV/EHU, 48940, Leioa, Bizkaia, Spain
| | - Amanda Sierra
- Glial Cell Biology Labb, Department of Biochemistry and Molecular Biology, Achucarro Basque Center for Neuroscience, 48940, Leioa, Bizkaia, Spain.,Department of Neuroscience, University of the Basque Country UPV/EHU, 48940, Leioa, Bizkaia, Spain.,Ikerbasque Foundation, 48009, Bilbao, Bizkaia, Spain
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22
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Activity-Dependent Non-Coding RNA MAPK Interactome of the Human Epileptic Brain. Noncoding RNA 2023; 9:ncrna9010003. [PMID: 36649033 PMCID: PMC9844323 DOI: 10.3390/ncrna9010003] [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: 10/01/2022] [Revised: 12/07/2022] [Accepted: 12/16/2022] [Indexed: 01/06/2023] Open
Abstract
The human brain has evolved to have extraordinary capabilities, enabling complex behaviors. The uniqueness of the human brain is increasingly posited to be due in part to the functions of primate-specific, including human-specific, long non-coding RNA (lncRNA) genes, systemically less conserved than protein-coding genes in evolution. Patients who have surgery for drug-resistant epilepsy are subjected to extensive electrical recordings of the brain tissue that is subsequently removed in order to treat their epilepsy. Precise localization of brain tissues with distinct electrical properties offers a rare opportunity to explore the effects of brain activity on gene expression. Here, we identified 231 co-regulated, activity-dependent lncRNAs within the human MAPK signaling cascade. Six lncRNAs, four of which were antisense to known protein-coding genes, were further examined because of their high expression and potential impact on the disease phenotype. Using a model of repeated depolarizations in human neuronal-like cells (Sh-SY5Y), we show that five out of six lncRNAs were electrical activity-dependent, with three of four antisense lncRNAs having reciprocal expression patterns relative to their protein-coding gene partners. Some were directly regulated by MAPK signaling, while others effectively downregulated the expression of the protein-coding genes encoded on the opposite strands of their genomic loci. These lncRNAs, therefore, likely contribute to highly evolved and primate-specific human brain regulatory functions that could be therapeutically modulated to treat epilepsy.
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23
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Krassner MM, Kauffman J, Sowa A, Cialowicz K, Walsh S, Farrell K, Crary JF, McKenzie AT. Postmortem changes in brain cell structure: a review. FREE NEUROPATHOLOGY 2023; 4:4-10. [PMID: 37384330 PMCID: PMC10294569 DOI: 10.17879/freeneuropathology-2023-4790] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Grants] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 04/14/2023] [Accepted: 05/15/2023] [Indexed: 06/30/2023]
Abstract
Brain cell structure is a key determinant of neural function that is frequently altered in neurobiological disorders. Following the global loss of blood flow to the brain that initiates the postmortem interval (PMI), cells rapidly become depleted of energy and begin to decompose. To ensure that our methods for studying the brain using autopsy tissue are robust and reproducible, there is a critical need to delineate the expected changes in brain cell morphometry during the PMI. We searched multiple databases to identify studies measuring the effects of PMI on the morphometry (i.e. external dimensions) of brain cells. We screened 2119 abstracts, 361 full texts, and included 172 studies. Mechanistically, fluid shifts causing cell volume alterations and vacuolization are an early event in the PMI, while the loss of the ability to visualize cell membranes altogether is a later event. Decomposition rates are highly heterogenous and depend on the methods for visualization, the structural feature of interest, and modifying variables such as the storage temperature or the species. Geometrically, deformations of cell membranes are common early events that initiate within minutes. On the other hand, topological relationships between cellular features appear to remain intact for more extended periods. Taken together, there is an uncertain period of time, usually ranging from several hours to several days, over which cell membrane structure is progressively lost. This review may be helpful for investigators studying human postmortem brain tissue, wherein the PMI is an unavoidable aspect of the research.
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Affiliation(s)
- Margaret M. Krassner
- Department of Neuroscience, Icahn School of Medicine at Mount Sinai, New York, New York, USA
- Friedman Brain Institute, Departments of Pathology, Neuroscience and Artificial Intelligence & Human Health, Icahn School of Medicine at Mount Sinai, New York, New York, USA
- Neuropathology Brain Bank & Research Core and Ronald M. Loeb Center for Alzheimer's Disease, Icahn School of Medicine at Mount Sinai, New York, New York, USA
| | - Justin Kauffman
- Department of Neuroscience, Icahn School of Medicine at Mount Sinai, New York, New York, USA
- Friedman Brain Institute, Departments of Pathology, Neuroscience and Artificial Intelligence & Human Health, Icahn School of Medicine at Mount Sinai, New York, New York, USA
- Neuropathology Brain Bank & Research Core and Ronald M. Loeb Center for Alzheimer's Disease, Icahn School of Medicine at Mount Sinai, New York, New York, USA
| | - Allison Sowa
- Microscopy and Advanced Bioimaging Core, Icahn School of Medicine at Mount Sinai, New York, New York, USA
| | - Katarzyna Cialowicz
- Microscopy and Advanced Bioimaging Core, Icahn School of Medicine at Mount Sinai, New York, New York, USA
| | - Samantha Walsh
- Hunter College Libraries, CUNY Hunter College, New York, NY
| | - Kurt Farrell
- Department of Neuroscience, Icahn School of Medicine at Mount Sinai, New York, New York, USA
- Friedman Brain Institute, Departments of Pathology, Neuroscience and Artificial Intelligence & Human Health, Icahn School of Medicine at Mount Sinai, New York, New York, USA
- Neuropathology Brain Bank & Research Core and Ronald M. Loeb Center for Alzheimer's Disease, Icahn School of Medicine at Mount Sinai, New York, New York, USA
| | - John F. Crary
- Department of Neuroscience, Icahn School of Medicine at Mount Sinai, New York, New York, USA
- Friedman Brain Institute, Departments of Pathology, Neuroscience and Artificial Intelligence & Human Health, Icahn School of Medicine at Mount Sinai, New York, New York, USA
- Neuropathology Brain Bank & Research Core and Ronald M. Loeb Center for Alzheimer's Disease, Icahn School of Medicine at Mount Sinai, New York, New York, USA
| | - Andrew T. McKenzie
- Department of Neuroscience, Icahn School of Medicine at Mount Sinai, New York, New York, USA
- Friedman Brain Institute, Departments of Pathology, Neuroscience and Artificial Intelligence & Human Health, Icahn School of Medicine at Mount Sinai, New York, New York, USA
- Neuropathology Brain Bank & Research Core and Ronald M. Loeb Center for Alzheimer's Disease, Icahn School of Medicine at Mount Sinai, New York, New York, USA
- Department of Psychiatry, Icahn School of Medicine at Mount Sinai, New York, New York, USA
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24
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Washer SJ, Perez-Alcantara M, Chen Y, Steer J, James WS, Trynka G, Bassett AR, Cowley SA. Single-cell transcriptomics defines an improved, validated monoculture protocol for differentiation of human iPSC to microglia. Sci Rep 2022; 12:19454. [PMID: 36376339 PMCID: PMC9663826 DOI: 10.1038/s41598-022-23477-2] [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: 08/01/2022] [Accepted: 11/01/2022] [Indexed: 11/15/2022] Open
Abstract
There is increasing genetic evidence for the role of microglia in neurodegenerative diseases, including Alzheimer's, Parkinson's, and motor neuron disease. Therefore, there is a need to generate authentic in vitro models to study human microglial physiology. Various methods have been developed using human induced Pluripotent Stem Cells (iPSC) to generate microglia, however, systematic approaches to identify which media components are actually essential for functional microglia are mostly lacking. Here, we systematically assess medium components, coatings, and growth factors required for iPSC differentiation to microglia. Using single-cell RNA sequencing, qPCR, and functional assays, with validation across two labs, we have identified several medium components from previous protocols that are redundant and do not contribute to microglial identity. We provide an optimised, defined medium which produces both transcriptionally and functionally relevant microglia for modelling microglial physiology in neuroinflammation and for drug discovery.
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Affiliation(s)
- Sam J Washer
- James and Lillian Martin Centre for Stem Cell Research, Sir William Dunn School of Pathology, University of Oxford, South Parks Road, Oxford, OX1 3RE, UK. .,Wellcome Sanger Institute, Wellcome Genome Campus, Hinxton, CB10 1SA, UK. .,Open Targets, Wellcome Genome Campus, Hinxton, CB10 1SA, UK.
| | - Marta Perez-Alcantara
- Wellcome Sanger Institute, Wellcome Genome Campus, Hinxton, CB10 1SA, UK.,Open Targets, Wellcome Genome Campus, Hinxton, CB10 1SA, UK
| | - Yixi Chen
- Wellcome Sanger Institute, Wellcome Genome Campus, Hinxton, CB10 1SA, UK.,Open Targets, Wellcome Genome Campus, Hinxton, CB10 1SA, UK
| | - Juliette Steer
- Wellcome Sanger Institute, Wellcome Genome Campus, Hinxton, CB10 1SA, UK.,Open Targets, Wellcome Genome Campus, Hinxton, CB10 1SA, UK
| | - William S James
- James and Lillian Martin Centre for Stem Cell Research, Sir William Dunn School of Pathology, University of Oxford, South Parks Road, Oxford, OX1 3RE, UK
| | - Gosia Trynka
- Wellcome Sanger Institute, Wellcome Genome Campus, Hinxton, CB10 1SA, UK.,Open Targets, Wellcome Genome Campus, Hinxton, CB10 1SA, UK
| | - Andrew R Bassett
- Wellcome Sanger Institute, Wellcome Genome Campus, Hinxton, CB10 1SA, UK.,Open Targets, Wellcome Genome Campus, Hinxton, CB10 1SA, UK
| | - Sally A Cowley
- James and Lillian Martin Centre for Stem Cell Research, Sir William Dunn School of Pathology, University of Oxford, South Parks Road, Oxford, OX1 3RE, UK.
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25
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Selvaraj S, Shivakumar V, Kavya PV, Mullapudi T, Bhalerao G, Sreeraj VS, Suhas S, Dinakaran D, Parlikar R, Chhabra H, Narayanaswamy JC, Debnath M, Rao NP, Muralidharan K, Venkatasubramanian G. Neurohemodynamic correlates of BDNF gene expression in schizophrenia patients with working memory deficits: A functional MRI study. Asian J Psychiatr 2022; 77:103261. [PMID: 36181754 DOI: 10.1016/j.ajp.2022.103261] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Submit a Manuscript] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 05/13/2022] [Revised: 08/18/2022] [Accepted: 09/14/2022] [Indexed: 11/02/2022]
Abstract
INTRODUCTION Brain-derived neurotrophic factor (BDNF) is involved in neuroplasticity underlying cognitive deficits, including working memory deficits (WMD), in schizophrenia. Methodological challenges and inconsistencies are reported with peripheral BDNF levels. Left dorsolateral prefrontal cortex (DLPFC) is proposed to underlie WMD, though inconsistently. We aimed to explore the correlations between brain activation during working memory task-based functional Magnetic Resonance Imaging (fMRI) and BDNF gene expression in schizophrenia patients with WMD. METHODS 26 patients with schizophrenia with established WMD were recruited for the study. Blood samples were collected to study lymphocyte BDNF gene expression. Patients underwent task-based fMRI to examine the working memory performance and related brain activation. Whole-brain analysis was performed with 2-back > 0-back and 2-back > rest contrast. The peak intensity values of the activation were used for correlation analysis. RESULTS Whole brain analysis with 2-back > rest contrast revealed maximum activation in left DLPFC, Brodmann area 9 (t = 10.54, FWE corrected p < 0.05). The baseline BDNF gene expression correlated positively with the peak intensity of brain activation in left DLPFC (r = 0.365, p = 0.033). Negative symptom score negatively correlated with BDNF gene expression (r = -0.499, p = 0.005) and left DLPFC fMRI activation (r = -0.393, p = 0.023) respectively. CONCLUSION We found a significant positive association between BDNF gene expression and the activation of the DLPFC during the working memory task. This novel observation needs further systematic evaluation to establish the potential role of peripheral BDNF expression in WMD in schizophrenia.
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Affiliation(s)
- Sowmya Selvaraj
- Department of Psychiatry, National Institute of Mental Health And Neurosciences, Bangalore, India.
| | - Venkataram Shivakumar
- Department of Integrative Medicine, National Institute of Mental Health And Neurosciences, Bangalore, India
| | - Paranthaman V Kavya
- Department of Human Genetics, National Institute of Mental Health And Neurosciences, Bangalore, India
| | - Thrinath Mullapudi
- Department of Human Genetics, National Institute of Mental Health And Neurosciences, Bangalore, India
| | - Gaurav Bhalerao
- Department of Psychiatry, National Institute of Mental Health And Neurosciences, Bangalore, India
| | - Vanteemar S Sreeraj
- Department of Psychiatry, National Institute of Mental Health And Neurosciences, Bangalore, India
| | - Satish Suhas
- Department of Psychiatry, National Institute of Mental Health And Neurosciences, Bangalore, India
| | - Damodharan Dinakaran
- Department of Psychiatry, National Institute of Mental Health And Neurosciences, Bangalore, India
| | - Rujuta Parlikar
- Department of Psychiatry, National Institute of Mental Health And Neurosciences, Bangalore, India
| | - Harleen Chhabra
- Department of Psychiatry, National Institute of Mental Health And Neurosciences, Bangalore, India
| | | | - Monojit Debnath
- Department of Human Genetics, National Institute of Mental Health And Neurosciences, Bangalore, India
| | - Naren P Rao
- Department of Psychiatry, National Institute of Mental Health And Neurosciences, Bangalore, India
| | - Kesavan Muralidharan
- Department of Psychiatry, National Institute of Mental Health And Neurosciences, Bangalore, India
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26
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Changes in Elements and Relationships among Elements in Intervertebral Disc Degeneration. INTERNATIONAL JOURNAL OF ENVIRONMENTAL RESEARCH AND PUBLIC HEALTH 2022; 19:ijerph19159042. [PMID: 35897416 PMCID: PMC9332279 DOI: 10.3390/ijerph19159042] [Citation(s) in RCA: 8] [Impact Index Per Article: 4.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 04/13/2022] [Revised: 07/20/2022] [Accepted: 07/23/2022] [Indexed: 11/17/2022]
Abstract
Intervertebral disc degeneration (IVDD) is a complex and progressive process of disc aging. One of the most important causes of changes in the internal environment, leading to IVDD, can be changes in the concentration of individual metal elements. This study aimed to analyze the concentrations of copper, iron, manganese, lead, zinc, sodium, potassium, phosphorus, and calcium in the degenerated intervertebral discs of the lumbosacral spine, compared to healthy intervertebral discs. The study group (S) consisted of 113 Caucasian patients, qualified by a specialist surgeon for IVDD of the lumbosacral spine. The control group (C) consisted of 81 individuals. The biological material was obtained from Caucasian human cadavers during post-mortem examination. The concentrations of individual elements were assessed using inductively coupled plasma−optical emission spectroscopy (ICP-OES). Statistically significant differences in the concentrations of microelements, depending on the degree of pain intensity, were noted for only potassium (p < 0.05). Statistically significant differences in the concentrations of the assessed microelements, depending on the degree of radiological advancement of the lesions, were noted for copper and iron (p < 0.05). In the degenerated intervertebral discs, the strongest relationships were noted between the concentrations of zinc and lead (r = 0.67; p < 0.05), zinc and phosphorus (r = 0.74; p < 0.05), and zinc and calcium (r = 0.77; p < 0.05). It has been indicated that, above all, the concentrations of copper and iron depend on the advancement of radiological changes, according to the Pfirrmann scale; however, no influence on the pain intensity, depending on the concentration of the assessed elements, was found.
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27
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Lu W, Zhou Q, Chen Y. Impact of RNA degradation on next-generation sequencing transcriptome data. Genomics 2022; 114:110429. [PMID: 35810931 DOI: 10.1016/j.ygeno.2022.110429] [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: 04/11/2022] [Revised: 06/16/2022] [Accepted: 07/06/2022] [Indexed: 11/04/2022]
Abstract
RNA sequencing is an innovative technology to study transcriptomes in both biological and clinical research. However, clinical specimens from patients undergoing surgical operations have a major challenge due to sample degradation. This study replicated the process of RNA degradation by maintaining cells at room temperature to achieve none, slight, middle, and high levels of RNA degradation with decreasing RNA integrity numbers (RIN) of approximately 9.8, 6.7, 4.4, and 2.5, respectively. Next, the differential expression of mRNA and long non-coding RNA (lncRNA) was analyzed in the four degradation groups along with pathway enrichment analysis. The results showed that the similarity of lncRNAs exhibited significant differences even for a slight level of RNA degradation compared with the non-degraded RNA sample. Also, the RNA degradation process was found to be universal, global, and random; the differentially expressed genes increased with an increase in degradation but the pathway enrichment phenomenon was not significantly observed.
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Affiliation(s)
- Wenxiang Lu
- State Key Lab of Bioelectronics, School of Biological Science and Medical Engineering, Southeast University, Nanjing, Jiangsu 210096, China
| | - Qin Zhou
- Department of Obstetrics and Gynecology, Kunshan Hospital of Traditional Chinese Medicine, Kunshan 215300, China
| | - Yi Chen
- Department of Obstetrics and Gynecology, Kunshan Hospital of Traditional Chinese Medicine, Kunshan 215300, China.
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Rauch J, Steffen JF, Muntau B, Gisbrecht J, Pörtner K, Herden C, Niller HH, Bauswein M, Rubbenstroth D, Mehlhoop U, Allartz P, Tappe D. Human Borna disease virus 1 encephalitis shows marked pro-inflammatory biomarker and tissue immunoactivation during the course of disease. Emerg Microbes Infect 2022; 11:1843-1856. [PMID: 35788177 PMCID: PMC9336484 DOI: 10.1080/22221751.2022.2098831] [Citation(s) in RCA: 10] [Impact Index Per Article: 5.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 12/29/2022]
Abstract
Human Borna disease virus 1 (BoDV-1) encephalitis is a severe emerging disease with a very high case-fatality rate. While the clinical disease, case definitions, diagnostic algorithms and neuropathology have been described, very little is known about the immunological processes of human BoDV-1 encephalitis. Here, we analyzed serum and cerebrospinal fluid (CSF) samples from 10 patients with fatal BoDV-1 encephalitis for changes of different cytokines, chemokines, growth factors and other biomarkers over time. From one of these individuals, also autoptic formalin-fixed brain tissue was analyzed for the expression of inflammatory biomarkers by mRNA levels and immunostaining; in a further patient, only formalin-fixed brain tissue was available and examined in addition. A marked and increasing immune activation from the initial phase to the last phase of acute BoDV-1 encephalitis is shown in serum and CSF, characterized by cytokine concentration changes (IFNγ, IL-5, IL-6, IL-9, IL-10, IL-12p40, IL-13, IL-18, TGF-β1) with a predominantly pro-inflammatory pattern over time. IFNγ production was demonstrated in endothelial cells, astrocytes and microglia, IL-6 in activated microglia, and TGF-β1 in endothelial cells, activated astrocytes and microglia. This was paralleled by an increase of chemokines (CCL-2, CCL-5, CXCL-10, IL-8) to attract immune cells to the site of infection, contributing to inflammation and tissue damage. Pathologically low growth factor levels (BDNF, β-NGF, PDGF) were seen. Changed levels of arginase and sTREM further fostered the pro-inflammatory state. This dysbalanced, pro-inflammatory state likely contributes importantly to the fatal outcome of human BoDV-1 encephalitis, and might be a key target for possible treatment attempts.
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Affiliation(s)
- Jessica Rauch
- Bernhard Nocht Institute for Tropical Medicine, Hamburg, Germany
| | | | - Birgit Muntau
- Bernhard Nocht Institute for Tropical Medicine, Hamburg, Germany
| | - Jana Gisbrecht
- Bernhard Nocht Institute for Tropical Medicine, Hamburg, Germany
| | - Kirsten Pörtner
- Robert Koch Institute, Department of Infectious Disease Epidemiology, Berlin, Germany
| | - Christiane Herden
- Institute for Veterinary Pathology, Justus-Liebig-University Gießen, Gießen, Germany
| | - Hans Helmut Niller
- Institute of Clinical Microbiology and Hygiene, Regensburg University Hospital, Regensburg, Germany
| | - Markus Bauswein
- Institute of Clinical Microbiology and Hygiene, Regensburg University Hospital, Regensburg, Germany
| | - Dennis Rubbenstroth
- Friedrich-Loeffler-Institut, Federal Research Institute for Animal Health, Greifswald-Insel Riems, Germany
| | - Ute Mehlhoop
- Bernhard Nocht Institute for Tropical Medicine, Hamburg, Germany
| | - Petra Allartz
- Bernhard Nocht Institute for Tropical Medicine, Hamburg, Germany
| | - Dennis Tappe
- Bernhard Nocht Institute for Tropical Medicine, Hamburg, Germany
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Analysis of human brain tissue derived from DBS surgery. Transl Neurodegener 2022; 11:22. [PMID: 35418104 PMCID: PMC9006459 DOI: 10.1186/s40035-022-00297-y] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 11/29/2021] [Accepted: 03/24/2022] [Indexed: 11/10/2022] Open
Abstract
Background Transcriptomic and proteomic profiling of human brain tissue is hindered by the availability of fresh samples from living patients. Postmortem samples usually represent the advanced disease stage of the patient. Furthermore, the postmortem interval can affect the transcriptomic and proteomic profiles. Therefore, fresh brain tissue samples from living patients represent a valuable resource of metabolically intact tissue. Implantation of deep brain stimulation (DBS) electrodes into the human brain is a neurosurgical treatment for, e.g., movement disorders. Here, we describe an improved approach to collecting brain tissues from surgical instruments used in implantation of DBS device for transcriptomics and proteomics analyses. Methods Samples were extracted from guide tubes and recording electrodes used in routine DBS implantation procedure to treat patients with Parkinson’s disease, genetic dystonia and tremor. RNA sequencing was performed in tissues extracted from the recording microelectrodes and liquid chromatography-mass spectrometry (LC-MS) performed in tissues from guide tubes. To assess the performance of the current approach, the obtained datasets were compared with previously published datasets representing brain tissues. Results Altogether, 32,034 RNA transcripts representing the unique Ensembl gene identifiers were detected from eight samples representing both hemispheres of four patients. By using LC-MS, we identified 734 unique proteins from 31 samples collected from 14 patients. The datasets are available in the BioStudies database (accession number S-BSST667). Our results indicate that surgical instruments used in DBS installation retain brain material sufficient for protein and gene expression studies. Comparison with previously published datasets obtained with similar approach proved the robustness and reproducibility of the protocol. Conclusions The instruments used during routine DBS surgery are a useful source for obtaining fresh brain tissues from living patients. This approach overcomes the issues that arise from using postmortem tissues, such as the effect of postmortem interval on transcriptomic and proteomic landscape of the brain, and can be used for studying molecular aspects of DBS-treatable diseases. Supplementary Information The online version contains supplementary material available at 10.1186/s40035-022-00297-y.
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Wang M, Song WM, Ming C, Wang Q, Zhou X, Xu P, Krek A, Yoon Y, Ho L, Orr ME, Yuan GC, Zhang B. Guidelines for bioinformatics of single-cell sequencing data analysis in Alzheimer's disease: review, recommendation, implementation and application. Mol Neurodegener 2022; 17:17. [PMID: 35236372 PMCID: PMC8889402 DOI: 10.1186/s13024-022-00517-z] [Citation(s) in RCA: 36] [Impact Index Per Article: 18.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 07/04/2021] [Accepted: 01/18/2022] [Indexed: 12/13/2022] Open
Abstract
Alzheimer's disease (AD) is the most common form of dementia, characterized by progressive cognitive impairment and neurodegeneration. Extensive clinical and genomic studies have revealed biomarkers, risk factors, pathways, and targets of AD in the past decade. However, the exact molecular basis of AD development and progression remains elusive. The emerging single-cell sequencing technology can potentially provide cell-level insights into the disease. Here we systematically review the state-of-the-art bioinformatics approaches to analyze single-cell sequencing data and their applications to AD in 14 major directions, including 1) quality control and normalization, 2) dimension reduction and feature extraction, 3) cell clustering analysis, 4) cell type inference and annotation, 5) differential expression, 6) trajectory inference, 7) copy number variation analysis, 8) integration of single-cell multi-omics, 9) epigenomic analysis, 10) gene network inference, 11) prioritization of cell subpopulations, 12) integrative analysis of human and mouse sc-RNA-seq data, 13) spatial transcriptomics, and 14) comparison of single cell AD mouse model studies and single cell human AD studies. We also address challenges in using human postmortem and mouse tissues and outline future developments in single cell sequencing data analysis. Importantly, we have implemented our recommended workflow for each major analytic direction and applied them to a large single nucleus RNA-sequencing (snRNA-seq) dataset in AD. Key analytic results are reported while the scripts and the data are shared with the research community through GitHub. In summary, this comprehensive review provides insights into various approaches to analyze single cell sequencing data and offers specific guidelines for study design and a variety of analytic directions. The review and the accompanied software tools will serve as a valuable resource for studying cellular and molecular mechanisms of AD, other diseases, or biological systems at the single cell level.
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Affiliation(s)
- Minghui Wang
- Department of Genetics and Genomic Sciences, Icahn School of Medicine at Mount Sinai, 1470 Madison Avenue, Room S8-111, New York, NY 10029 USA
- Mount Sinai Center for Transformative Disease Modeling, Icahn School of Medicine at Mount Sinai, 1470 Madison Avenue, Room S8-111, New York, NY 10029 USA
| | - Won-min Song
- Department of Genetics and Genomic Sciences, Icahn School of Medicine at Mount Sinai, 1470 Madison Avenue, Room S8-111, New York, NY 10029 USA
- Mount Sinai Center for Transformative Disease Modeling, Icahn School of Medicine at Mount Sinai, 1470 Madison Avenue, Room S8-111, New York, NY 10029 USA
| | - Chen Ming
- Department of Genetics and Genomic Sciences, Icahn School of Medicine at Mount Sinai, 1470 Madison Avenue, Room S8-111, New York, NY 10029 USA
- Mount Sinai Center for Transformative Disease Modeling, Icahn School of Medicine at Mount Sinai, 1470 Madison Avenue, Room S8-111, New York, NY 10029 USA
| | - Qian Wang
- Department of Genetics and Genomic Sciences, Icahn School of Medicine at Mount Sinai, 1470 Madison Avenue, Room S8-111, New York, NY 10029 USA
- Mount Sinai Center for Transformative Disease Modeling, Icahn School of Medicine at Mount Sinai, 1470 Madison Avenue, Room S8-111, New York, NY 10029 USA
| | - Xianxiao Zhou
- Department of Genetics and Genomic Sciences, Icahn School of Medicine at Mount Sinai, 1470 Madison Avenue, Room S8-111, New York, NY 10029 USA
- Mount Sinai Center for Transformative Disease Modeling, Icahn School of Medicine at Mount Sinai, 1470 Madison Avenue, Room S8-111, New York, NY 10029 USA
| | - Peng Xu
- Department of Genetics and Genomic Sciences, Icahn School of Medicine at Mount Sinai, 1470 Madison Avenue, Room S8-111, New York, NY 10029 USA
- Mount Sinai Center for Transformative Disease Modeling, Icahn School of Medicine at Mount Sinai, 1470 Madison Avenue, Room S8-111, New York, NY 10029 USA
| | - Azra Krek
- Department of Genetics and Genomic Sciences, Icahn School of Medicine at Mount Sinai, 1470 Madison Avenue, Room S8-111, New York, NY 10029 USA
- Institute for Personalized Medicine, Icahn School of Medicine at Mount Sinai, One Gustave L. Levy Place, New York, NY 10029 USA
| | - Yonejung Yoon
- Department of Genetics and Genomic Sciences, Icahn School of Medicine at Mount Sinai, 1470 Madison Avenue, Room S8-111, New York, NY 10029 USA
- Mount Sinai Center for Transformative Disease Modeling, Icahn School of Medicine at Mount Sinai, 1470 Madison Avenue, Room S8-111, New York, NY 10029 USA
| | - Lap Ho
- Department of Genetics and Genomic Sciences, Icahn School of Medicine at Mount Sinai, 1470 Madison Avenue, Room S8-111, New York, NY 10029 USA
- Mount Sinai Center for Transformative Disease Modeling, Icahn School of Medicine at Mount Sinai, 1470 Madison Avenue, Room S8-111, New York, NY 10029 USA
| | - Miranda E. Orr
- Department of Internal Medicine, Section of Gerontology and Geriatric Medicine, Wake Forest School of Medicine, Winston-Salem, North Carolina USA
- Sticht Center for Healthy Aging and Alzheimer’s Prevention, Wake Forest School of Medicine, Winston-Salem, North Carolina USA
| | - Guo-Cheng Yuan
- Department of Genetics and Genomic Sciences, Icahn School of Medicine at Mount Sinai, 1470 Madison Avenue, Room S8-111, New York, NY 10029 USA
- Institute for Personalized Medicine, Icahn School of Medicine at Mount Sinai, One Gustave L. Levy Place, New York, NY 10029 USA
| | - Bin Zhang
- Department of Genetics and Genomic Sciences, Icahn School of Medicine at Mount Sinai, 1470 Madison Avenue, Room S8-111, New York, NY 10029 USA
- Mount Sinai Center for Transformative Disease Modeling, Icahn School of Medicine at Mount Sinai, 1470 Madison Avenue, Room S8-111, New York, NY 10029 USA
- Icahn Institute of Genomics and Multiscale Biology, Icahn School of Medicine at Mount Sinai, 1470 Madison Avenue, Room S8-111, New York, NY 10029 USA
- Department of Pharmacological Sciences, Icahn School of Medicine at Mount Sinai, 1470 Madison Avenue, Room S8-111, New York, NY 10029 USA
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Saliutina M. Opportunities of multi-omics approach for the search for new diagnostic and therapeutic targets in multiple sclerosis. Zh Nevrol Psikhiatr Im S S Korsakova 2022; 122:57-62. [DOI: 10.17116/jnevro202212205157] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 12/04/2022]
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Newly-identified blood biomarkers of neurological damage are correlated with infarct volume in patients with acute ischemic stroke. J Clin Neurosci 2021; 94:107-113. [PMID: 34863423 DOI: 10.1016/j.jocn.2021.10.015] [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: 05/16/2021] [Revised: 08/26/2021] [Accepted: 10/11/2021] [Indexed: 11/22/2022]
Abstract
Our group recently performed a genome-wide informatic analysis that highlighted eight brain-enriched proteins with strong potential to serve as blood biomarkers of neurological injury (GFAP, MBP, β-synuclein, OPALIN, MT-3, SNAP-25, KIF5A, MOBP), including six that have yet to be widely investigated. In this study, our aim was to determine whether the circulating levels of these proteins could be used to approximate the extent of neural tissue damage in ischemic stroke. To address this aim, blood was collected from 43 ischemic stroke patients immediately upon hospital admission. The serum levels of the eight candidate proteins were measured via ELISA, infarct volume was assessed via manual tracing of neuroradiological images, and correlational analysis was performed to examine potential associative relationships. The serum levels of all eight proteins exhibited positive correlations with infarct volume, however the strongest associations were observed in a subset of four proteins known to originate from neurons specifically (MT-3, SNAP-25, KIF5A, β-synuclein). Combining the serum levels of these neuron-originating proteins using principal components analysis produced a single composite value that was more strongly correlated with infarct volume than the levels of any single protein considered in isolation (r = 0.48, p < 0.001). Measures of these proteins could potentially be used to provide a minimally invasive approximation of lesion size when advanced imaging techniques are not available, or when imaging results are inconclusive.
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33
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Variation on a theme: mapping microglial heterogeneity. Trends Genet 2021; 37:1050-1052. [PMID: 34563398 DOI: 10.1016/j.tig.2021.09.004] [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: 09/02/2021] [Accepted: 09/03/2021] [Indexed: 11/21/2022]
Abstract
Young et al. examine the complexity of primary human microglia, and identify previously unknown cell states. Using expression quantitative trait locus (eQTL) mapping techniques, they identify 129 genes whose expression in microglia is linked to disease, and show that induced pluripotent stem cell (iPSC) models can be used for functional validation of common genetic mutations in microglia-associated diseases.
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34
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Chen Y, Colonna M. Microglia in Alzheimer's disease at single-cell level. Are there common patterns in humans and mice? J Exp Med 2021; 218:212499. [PMID: 34292312 PMCID: PMC8302448 DOI: 10.1084/jem.20202717] [Citation(s) in RCA: 146] [Impact Index Per Article: 48.7] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 04/18/2021] [Revised: 06/02/2021] [Accepted: 06/09/2021] [Indexed: 01/22/2023] Open
Abstract
Alzheimer’s disease (AD) is characterized by extracellular aggregates of amyloid β peptides, intraneuronal tau aggregates, and neuronal death. This pathology triggers activation of microglia. Because variants of genes expressed in microglia correlate with AD risk, microglial response to pathology plausibly impacts disease course. In mouse AD models, single-cell RNA sequencing (scRNA-seq) analyses delineated this response as progressive conversion of homeostatic microglia into disease-associated microglia (DAM); additional reactive microglial populations have been reported in other models of neurodegeneration and neuroinflammation. We review all of these microglial signatures, highlighting four fundamental patterns: DAM, IFN–microglia, MHC-II microglia, and proliferating microglia. We propose that all reported microglia populations are either just one or a combination, depending on the clustering strategy applied and the disease model. We further review single-nucleus RNA sequencing (snRNA-seq) data from human AD specimens and discuss reasons for parallels and discrepancies between human and mouse transcriptional profiles. Finally, we outline future directions for delineating the microglial impact in AD pathogenesis.
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Affiliation(s)
- Yun Chen
- Department of Pathology and Immunology, Washington University School of Medicine, St Louis, MO.,Department of Neurology, Washington University School of Medicine, St Louis, MO
| | - Marco Colonna
- Department of Pathology and Immunology, Washington University School of Medicine, St Louis, MO
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McCann H, Durand B, Shepherd CE. Aging-Related Tau Astrogliopathy in Aging and Neurodegeneration. Brain Sci 2021; 11:brainsci11070927. [PMID: 34356161 PMCID: PMC8306417 DOI: 10.3390/brainsci11070927] [Citation(s) in RCA: 2] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.7] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 06/10/2021] [Revised: 07/06/2021] [Accepted: 07/07/2021] [Indexed: 12/12/2022] Open
Abstract
Astrocytes are of vital importance to neuronal function and the health of the central nervous system (CNS), and astrocytic dysfunction as a primary or secondary event may predispose to neurodegeneration. Until recently, the main astrocytic tauopathies were the frontotemporal lobar degeneration with tau (FTLD-tau) group of disorders; however, aging-related tau astrogliopathy (ARTAG) has now been defined. This condition is a self-describing neuropathology mainly found in individuals over 60 years of age. Astrocytic tau accumulates with a thorny or granular/fuzzy morphology and is commonly found in normal aging as well as coexisting with diverse neurodegenerative disorders. However, there are still many unknown factors associated with ARTAG, including the cause/s, the progression, and the nature of any clinical associations. In addition to FTLD-tau, ARTAG has recently been associated with chronic traumatic encephalopathy (CTE), where it has been proposed as a potential precursor to these conditions, with the different ARTAG morphological subtypes perhaps having separate etiologies. This is an emerging area of exciting research that encompasses complex neurobiological and clinicopathological investigation.
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Affiliation(s)
- Heather McCann
- Neuroscience Research Australia, Barker Street, Sydney, NSW 2031, Australia; (H.M.); (B.D.)
| | - Briony Durand
- Neuroscience Research Australia, Barker Street, Sydney, NSW 2031, Australia; (H.M.); (B.D.)
| | - Claire E. Shepherd
- Neuroscience Research Australia, Barker Street, Sydney, NSW 2031, Australia; (H.M.); (B.D.)
- Department of Pathology, The University of New South Wales, Kensington, Sydney, NSW 2031, Australia
- Correspondence:
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36
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Yang AC, Kern F, Losada PM, Agam MR, Maat CA, Schmartz GP, Fehlmann T, Stein JA, Schaum N, Lee DP, Calcuttawala K, Vest RT, Berdnik D, Lu N, Hahn O, Gate D, McNerney MW, Channappa D, Cobos I, Ludwig N, Schulz-Schaeffer WJ, Keller A, Wyss-Coray T. Dysregulation of brain and choroid plexus cell types in severe COVID-19. Nature 2021; 595:565-571. [PMID: 34153974 PMCID: PMC8400927 DOI: 10.1038/s41586-021-03710-0] [Citation(s) in RCA: 371] [Impact Index Per Article: 123.7] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 10/20/2020] [Accepted: 06/07/2021] [Indexed: 01/08/2023]
Abstract
Although SARS-CoV-2 primarily targets the respiratory system, patients with and survivors of COVID-19 can suffer neurological symptoms1-3. However, an unbiased understanding of the cellular and molecular processes that are affected in the brains of patients with COVID-19 is missing. Here we profile 65,309 single-nucleus transcriptomes from 30 frontal cortex and choroid plexus samples across 14 control individuals (including 1 patient with terminal influenza) and 8 patients with COVID-19. Although our systematic analysis yields no molecular traces of SARS-CoV-2 in the brain, we observe broad cellular perturbations indicating that barrier cells of the choroid plexus sense and relay peripheral inflammation into the brain and show that peripheral T cells infiltrate the parenchyma. We discover microglia and astrocyte subpopulations associated with COVID-19 that share features with pathological cell states that have previously been reported in human neurodegenerative disease4-6. Synaptic signalling of upper-layer excitatory neurons-which are evolutionarily expanded in humans7 and linked to cognitive function8-is preferentially affected in COVID-19. Across cell types, perturbations associated with COVID-19 overlap with those found in chronic brain disorders and reside in genetic variants associated with cognition, schizophrenia and depression. Our findings and public dataset provide a molecular framework to understand current observations of COVID-19-related neurological disease, and any such disease that may emerge at a later date.
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Affiliation(s)
- Andrew C Yang
- Department of Bioengineering, Stanford University School of Medicine, Stanford, CA, USA
- ChEM-H, Stanford University, Stanford, CA, USA
- Department of Neurology and Neurological Sciences, Stanford University School of Medicine, Stanford, CA, USA
| | - Fabian Kern
- Chair for Clinical Bioinformatics, Saarland University, Saarbrücken, Germany
| | - Patricia M Losada
- Department of Neurology and Neurological Sciences, Stanford University School of Medicine, Stanford, CA, USA
| | - Maayan R Agam
- Department of Neurology and Neurological Sciences, Stanford University School of Medicine, Stanford, CA, USA
| | - Christina A Maat
- Department of Neurology and Neurological Sciences, Stanford University School of Medicine, Stanford, CA, USA
| | - Georges P Schmartz
- Chair for Clinical Bioinformatics, Saarland University, Saarbrücken, Germany
| | - Tobias Fehlmann
- Chair for Clinical Bioinformatics, Saarland University, Saarbrücken, Germany
| | - Julian A Stein
- Institute for Neuropathology, Saarland University Hospital and Medical Faculty of Saarland University, Homburg, Germany
| | - Nicholas Schaum
- Department of Neurology and Neurological Sciences, Stanford University School of Medicine, Stanford, CA, USA
| | - Davis P Lee
- Department of Neurology and Neurological Sciences, Stanford University School of Medicine, Stanford, CA, USA
| | - Kruti Calcuttawala
- Department of Neurology and Neurological Sciences, Stanford University School of Medicine, Stanford, CA, USA
| | - Ryan T Vest
- Department of Neurology and Neurological Sciences, Stanford University School of Medicine, Stanford, CA, USA
| | - Daniela Berdnik
- Department of Neurology and Neurological Sciences, Stanford University School of Medicine, Stanford, CA, USA
| | - Nannan Lu
- Department of Neurology and Neurological Sciences, Stanford University School of Medicine, Stanford, CA, USA
| | - Oliver Hahn
- Department of Neurology and Neurological Sciences, Stanford University School of Medicine, Stanford, CA, USA
| | - David Gate
- Department of Neurology and Neurological Sciences, Stanford University School of Medicine, Stanford, CA, USA
| | - M Windy McNerney
- Department of Psychiatry, Stanford University School of Medicine, Stanford, CA, USA
| | - Divya Channappa
- Department of Neurology and Neurological Sciences, Stanford University School of Medicine, Stanford, CA, USA
| | - Inma Cobos
- Department of Neurology and Neurological Sciences, Stanford University School of Medicine, Stanford, CA, USA
- Department of Pathology, Stanford University School of Medicine, Stanford, CA, USA
| | - Nicole Ludwig
- Department of Human Genetics, Saarland University, Homburg, Germany
| | - Walter J Schulz-Schaeffer
- Institute for Neuropathology, Saarland University Hospital and Medical Faculty of Saarland University, Homburg, Germany
| | - Andreas Keller
- Department of Neurology and Neurological Sciences, Stanford University School of Medicine, Stanford, CA, USA.
- Chair for Clinical Bioinformatics, Saarland University, Saarbrücken, Germany.
| | - Tony Wyss-Coray
- ChEM-H, Stanford University, Stanford, CA, USA.
- Department of Neurology and Neurological Sciences, Stanford University School of Medicine, Stanford, CA, USA.
- Wu Tsai Neurosciences Institute, Stanford University, Stanford, CA, USA.
- Paul F. Glenn Center for the Biology of Aging, Stanford University School of Medicine, Stanford, CA, USA.
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Aza P, Molpeceres G, Ruiz-Dueñas FJ, Camarero S. Heterologous Expression, Engineering and Characterization of a Novel Laccase of Agrocybe pediades with Promising Properties as Biocatalyst. J Fungi (Basel) 2021; 7:359. [PMID: 34064437 PMCID: PMC8147764 DOI: 10.3390/jof7050359] [Citation(s) in RCA: 1] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 03/29/2021] [Revised: 04/23/2021] [Accepted: 04/29/2021] [Indexed: 11/16/2022] Open
Abstract
Agaricomycetes fungi responsible for decay of wood and other lignocellulosic substrates constitute a valuable source of lignin-degrading enzymes. Among these enzymes, laccases (multi-copper oxidases) present remarkable biotechnological potential as environmentally friendly biocatalysts able to oxidize a wide range of aromatic compounds using oxygen as the only requirement. Laccases from saprotrophic Agaricales species have been much less studied than laccases from Polyporales, despite the fact that the former fungi are excellent sources of laccases. Here, the gene of a novel laccase of Agrocybe pediades, that is secreted by the fungus during lignocellulose degradation, was synthesised de novo and expressed in Saccharomyces cerevisiae using an improved signal peptide previously obtained and enzyme directed evolution. The characterization of the new laccase variants provided new insights on the contribution of different amino acid residues to modulate laccase production, catalytic activity or optimal pH. The selected double-mutated variant also showed interesting properties as a biocatalyst, such as the ability to oxidise a wide range of substrates, including high-redox potential mediators and recalcitrant organic dyes, improved activity at neutral pH and high tolerance to inhibitors. Finally, we demonstrate the existence of three N-glycosylation sites in the laccase and their distinct effect on the secretion or catalytic activity of the enzyme.
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Affiliation(s)
| | | | | | - Susana Camarero
- Centro de Investigaciones Biológicas Margarita Salas, CSIC. Ramiro de Maeztu 9, 28040 Madrid, Spain; (P.A.); (G.M.); (F.J.R.-D.)
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