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Wulff-Fuentes E, Boakye J, Kroenke K, Berendt RR, Martinez-Morant C, Pereckas M, Hanover JA, Olivier-Van Stichelen S. O-GlcNAcylation regulates OTX2's proteostasis. iScience 2023; 26:108184. [PMID: 38026167 PMCID: PMC10661118 DOI: 10.1016/j.isci.2023.108184] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 05/24/2023] [Revised: 08/28/2023] [Accepted: 10/09/2023] [Indexed: 12/01/2023] Open
Abstract
O-GlcNAcylation is a key post-translational modification, playing a vital role in cell signaling during development, especially in the brain. In this study, we investigated the role of O-GlcNAcylation in regulating the homeobox protein OTX2, which contributes to various brain disorders, such as combined pituitary hormone deficiency, retinopathy, and medulloblastoma. Our research demonstrated that, under normal physiological conditions, the proteasome plays a pivotal role in breaking down endogenous OTX2. However, when the levels of OTX2 rise, it forms oligomers and/or aggregates that require macroautophagy for clearance. Intriguingly, we demonstrated that O-GlcNAcylation enhances the solubility of OTX2, thereby limiting the formation of these aggregates. Additionally, we unveiled an interaction between OTX2 and the chaperone protein CCT5 at the O-GlcNAc sites, suggesting a potential collaborative role in preventing OTX2 aggregation. Finally, our study demonstrated that while OTX2 physiologically promotes cell proliferation, an O-GlcNAc-depleted OTX2 is detrimental to cancer cells.
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Affiliation(s)
| | - Jeffrey Boakye
- Laboratory of Cell and Molecular Biology, National Institute of Diabetes and Digestive and Kidney Diseases, National Institutes of Health, Bethesda, MD 20892-0851, USA
| | - Kaeley Kroenke
- Department of Biochemistry, Medical College of Wisconsin, Milwaukee, WI 53226, USA
| | - Rex R. Berendt
- Department of Biochemistry, Medical College of Wisconsin, Milwaukee, WI 53226, USA
| | | | - Michaela Pereckas
- Department of Biochemistry, Medical College of Wisconsin, Milwaukee, WI 53226, USA
| | - John A. Hanover
- Laboratory of Cell and Molecular Biology, National Institute of Diabetes and Digestive and Kidney Diseases, National Institutes of Health, Bethesda, MD 20892-0851, USA
| | - Stephanie Olivier-Van Stichelen
- Department of Biochemistry, Medical College of Wisconsin, Milwaukee, WI 53226, USA
- Department of Obstetrics and Gynecology, Medical College of Wisconsin, Milwaukee, WI 53226, USA
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2
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Owen LJ, Rainger J, Bengani H, Kilanowski F, FitzPatrick DR, Papanastasiou AS. Characterization of an eye field-like state during optic vesicle organoid development. Development 2023; 150:dev201432. [PMID: 37306293 PMCID: PMC10445745 DOI: 10.1242/dev.201432] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 11/07/2022] [Accepted: 06/02/2023] [Indexed: 06/13/2023]
Abstract
Specification of the eye field (EF) within the neural plate marks the earliest detectable stage of eye development. Experimental evidence, primarily from non-mammalian model systems, indicates that the stable formation of this group of cells requires the activation of a set of key transcription factors. This crucial event is challenging to probe in mammals and, quantitatively, little is known regarding the regulation of the transition of cells to this ocular fate. Using optic vesicle organoids to model the onset of the EF, we generate time-course transcriptomic data allowing us to identify dynamic gene expression programmes that characterize this cellular-state transition. Integrating this with chromatin accessibility data suggests a direct role of canonical EF transcription factors in regulating these gene expression changes, and highlights candidate cis-regulatory elements through which these transcription factors act. Finally, we begin to test a subset of these candidate enhancer elements, within the organoid system, by perturbing the underlying DNA sequence and measuring transcriptomic changes during EF activation.
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Affiliation(s)
- Liusaidh J. Owen
- MRC Human Genetics Unit, Institute of Genetics and Cancer, University of Edinburgh, Edinburgh EH4 2XU, UK
| | - Jacqueline Rainger
- MRC Human Genetics Unit, Institute of Genetics and Cancer, University of Edinburgh, Edinburgh EH4 2XU, UK
| | - Hemant Bengani
- MRC Human Genetics Unit, Institute of Genetics and Cancer, University of Edinburgh, Edinburgh EH4 2XU, UK
| | - Fiona Kilanowski
- MRC Human Genetics Unit, Institute of Genetics and Cancer, University of Edinburgh, Edinburgh EH4 2XU, UK
| | - David R. FitzPatrick
- MRC Human Genetics Unit, Institute of Genetics and Cancer, University of Edinburgh, Edinburgh EH4 2XU, UK
| | - Andrew S. Papanastasiou
- MRC Human Genetics Unit, Institute of Genetics and Cancer, University of Edinburgh, Edinburgh EH4 2XU, UK
- School of Informatics, University of Edinburgh, Edinburgh EH8 9AB, UK
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Cardozo MJ, Sánchez-Bustamante E, Bovolenta P. Optic cup morphogenesis across species and related inborn human eye defects. Development 2023; 150:286775. [PMID: 36714981 PMCID: PMC10110496 DOI: 10.1242/dev.200399] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 01/31/2023]
Abstract
The vertebrate eye is shaped as a cup, a conformation that optimizes vision and is acquired early in development through a process known as optic cup morphogenesis. Imaging living, transparent teleost embryos and mammalian stem cell-derived organoids has provided insights into the rearrangements that eye progenitors undergo to adopt such a shape. Molecular and pharmacological interference with these rearrangements has further identified the underlying molecular machineries and the physical forces involved in this morphogenetic process. In this Review, we summarize the resulting scenarios and proposed models that include common and species-specific events. We further discuss how these studies and those in environmentally adapted blind species may shed light on human inborn eye malformations that result from failures in optic cup morphogenesis, including microphthalmia, anophthalmia and coloboma.
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Affiliation(s)
- Marcos J Cardozo
- Centro de Biología Molecular Severo Ochoa, Consejo Superior de Investigaciones Científicas-Universidad Autónoma de Madrid, c/ Nicolás Cabrera 1, Cantoblanco, Madrid 28049, Spain
- Centro de Investigación Biomédica en Red de Enfermedades Raras (CIBERER), c/ Nicolás Cabrera 1, Cantoblanco, Madrid 28049, Spain
| | - Elena Sánchez-Bustamante
- Centro de Biología Molecular Severo Ochoa, Consejo Superior de Investigaciones Científicas-Universidad Autónoma de Madrid, c/ Nicolás Cabrera 1, Cantoblanco, Madrid 28049, Spain
- Centro de Investigación Biomédica en Red de Enfermedades Raras (CIBERER), c/ Nicolás Cabrera 1, Cantoblanco, Madrid 28049, Spain
| | - Paola Bovolenta
- Centro de Biología Molecular Severo Ochoa, Consejo Superior de Investigaciones Científicas-Universidad Autónoma de Madrid, c/ Nicolás Cabrera 1, Cantoblanco, Madrid 28049, Spain
- Centro de Investigación Biomédica en Red de Enfermedades Raras (CIBERER), c/ Nicolás Cabrera 1, Cantoblanco, Madrid 28049, Spain
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Sun C, Chen S. Disease-causing mutations in genes encoding transcription factors critical for photoreceptor development. Front Mol Neurosci 2023; 16:1134839. [PMID: 37181651 PMCID: PMC10172487 DOI: 10.3389/fnmol.2023.1134839] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 12/30/2022] [Accepted: 04/04/2023] [Indexed: 05/16/2023] Open
Abstract
Photoreceptor development of the vertebrate visual system is controlled by a complex transcription regulatory network. OTX2 is expressed in the mitotic retinal progenitor cells (RPCs) and controls photoreceptor genesis. CRX that is activated by OTX2 is expressed in photoreceptor precursors after cell cycle exit. NEUROD1 is also present in photoreceptor precursors that are ready to specify into rod and cone photoreceptor subtypes. NRL is required for the rod fate and regulates downstream rod-specific genes including the orphan nuclear receptor NR2E3 which further activates rod-specific genes and simultaneously represses cone-specific genes. Cone subtype specification is also regulated by the interplay of several transcription factors such as THRB and RXRG. Mutations in these key transcription factors are responsible for ocular defects at birth such as microphthalmia and inherited photoreceptor diseases such as Leber congenital amaurosis (LCA), retinitis pigmentosa (RP) and allied dystrophies. In particular, many mutations are inherited in an autosomal dominant fashion, including the majority of missense mutations in CRX and NRL. In this review, we describe the spectrum of photoreceptor defects that are associated with mutations in the above-mentioned transcription factors, and summarize the current knowledge of molecular mechanisms underlying the pathogenic mutations. At last, we deliberate the outstanding gaps in our understanding of the genotype-phenotype correlations and outline avenues for future research of the treatment strategies.
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Affiliation(s)
- Chi Sun
- Department of Ophthalmology and Visual Sciences, Washington University in St. Louis, St. Louis, MO, United States
- *Correspondence: Chi Sun,
| | - Shiming Chen
- Department of Ophthalmology and Visual Sciences, Washington University in St. Louis, St. Louis, MO, United States
- Department of Developmental Biology, Washington University in St. Louis, St. Louis, MO, United States
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Bhat L, De Salvo G, Akyol E, Self JE, Meduri A. An OTX2 Gene Mutation Causing a More Severe Retinal Phenotype in a Female RPGR Mutation Carrier. Ophthalmic Surg Lasers Imaging Retina 2022; 53:216-220. [PMID: 35417297 DOI: 10.3928/23258160-20220311-01] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/20/2022]
Abstract
This study describes the clinical features of a pedigree with a novel retinitis pigmentosa GTPase regulator gene mutation in whom one hemizygous man has a typical manifesting phenotype and three heterozygous women demonstrate a typical carrier phenotype. A fourth heterozygous woman is described with a strikingly severe retinal phenotype and also harbors an independent disease-causing mutation in the OTX2 gene and an associated systemic phenotype. This study hypothesizes that the OTX2 mutation in combination with the familial retinitis pigmentosa GTPase regulator gene variant results in a more severe ocular phenotype than is seen in the other heterozygous women in this pedigree due to a loss of OTX2-mediated photoreceptor protection. [Ophthalmic Surg Lasers Imaging Retina. 2022;53(4):216-220.].
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Ibad RT, Quenech'du N, Prochiantz A, Moya KL. OTX2 stimulates adult retinal ganglion cell regeneration. Neural Regen Res 2022; 17:690-696. [PMID: 34380911 PMCID: PMC8504389 DOI: 10.4103/1673-5374.320989] [Citation(s) in RCA: 1] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 12/04/2022] Open
Abstract
Retinal ganglion cell (RGC) axons provide the only link between the light sensitive and photon transducing neural retina and visual centers of the brain. RGC axon degeneration occurs in a number of blinding diseases and the ability to stimulate axon regeneration from surviving ganglion cells could provide the anatomic substrate for restoration of vision. OTX2 is a homeoprotein transcription factor expressed in the retina and previous studies showed that, in response to stress, exogenous OTX2 increases the in vitro and in vivo survival of RGCs. Here we examined and quantified the effects of OTX2 on adult RGC axon regeneration in vitro and in vivo. The results show that exogenous OTX2 stimulates the regrowth of axons from RGCs in cultures of dissociated adult retinal cells and from explants of adult retinal tissue and that RGCs respond directly to OTX2 as regrowth is observed in cultures of purified adult rat RGCs. Importantly, after nerve crush in vivo, we observed a positive effect of OTX2 on the number of regenerating axons up to the optic chiasm within 14 days post crush and a very modest level of acuity absent in control mice. The effect of OTX2 on RGC survival and regeneration is of potential interest for degenerative diseases affecting this cell type. All animal procedures were approved by the local “Comié d’éιthique en expérimentation animale n°59” and authorization n° 00702.01 delivered March 28, 2014 by the French “Ministére de l’enseignement supérieur et de la recherche”.
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Affiliation(s)
- Raoul Torero Ibad
- Univ. Lille, CNRS, UMR 8523 - PhLAM - Physique des Lasers Atomes et Molécules, F-59000 Lille, France
| | - Nicole Quenech'du
- Centre for Interdisciplinary Research in Biology (CIRB), Collége de France, CNRS UMR 7241, INSERM U1050, Labex MemoLife, Paris Sciences et Lettres Research University, Paris, France
| | - Alain Prochiantz
- BrainEver, 74 rue du Faubourg Saint Antoine, 75012 Paris and Institute of Neurosciences, 320 Yeu Yang Rd, Shanghai 200031, China
| | - Kenneth L Moya
- Centre for Interdisciplinary Research in Biology (CIRB), Collége de France, CNRS UMR 7241, INSERM U1050, Labex MemoLife, Paris Sciences et Lettres Research University, Paris, France
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Moya KL, Ibad RT. OTX2 signaling in retinal dysfunction, degeneration and regeneration. Neural Regen Res 2021; 16:2002-2003. [PMID: 33642378 PMCID: PMC8343299 DOI: 10.4103/1673-5374.308094] [Citation(s) in RCA: 1] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 10/10/2020] [Revised: 11/21/2020] [Accepted: 12/18/2020] [Indexed: 11/04/2022] Open
Affiliation(s)
- Kenneth. L. Moya
- Centre for Interdisciplinary Research in Biology (CIRB), Collège de France, CNRS UMR 7241, INSERM U1050, Labex MemoLife, PSL Research University, Paris, France
- Univ. Lille, CNRS, UMR 8523 -PhLAM -Physique des Lasers Atomes et Molécules, F-59000 Lille, France
| | - Raoul Torero Ibad
- Univ. Lille, CNRS, UMR 8523 -PhLAM -Physique des Lasers Atomes et Molécules, F-59000 Lille, France
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Planques A, Oliveira Moreira V, Benacom D, Bernard C, Jourdren L, Blugeon C, Dingli F, Masson V, Loew D, Prochiantz A, Di Nardo AA. OTX2 Homeoprotein Functions in Adult Choroid Plexus. Int J Mol Sci 2021; 22:8951. [PMID: 34445655 PMCID: PMC8396604 DOI: 10.3390/ijms22168951] [Citation(s) in RCA: 5] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.7] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 07/19/2021] [Revised: 08/12/2021] [Accepted: 08/17/2021] [Indexed: 01/18/2023] Open
Abstract
The choroid plexus is an important blood barrier that secretes cerebrospinal fluid, which essential for embryonic brain development and adult brain homeostasis. The OTX2 homeoprotein is a transcription factor that is critical for choroid plexus development and remains highly expressed in adult choroid plexus. Through RNA sequencing analyses of constitutive and conditional knockdown adult mouse models, we reveal putative functional roles for OTX2 in adult choroid plexus function, including cell signaling and adhesion, and show that OTX2 regulates the expression of factors that are secreted into the cerebrospinal fluid, notably transthyretin. We also show that Otx2 expression impacts choroid plexus immune and stress responses, and affects splicing, leading to changes in the mRNA isoforms of proteins that are implicated in the oxidative stress response and DNA repair. Through mass spectrometry analysis of OTX2 protein partners in the choroid plexus, and in known non-cell-autonomous target regions, such as the visual cortex and subventricular zone, we identify putative targets that are involved in cell adhesion, chromatin structure, and RNA processing. Thus, OTX2 retains important roles for regulating choroid plexus function and brain homeostasis throughout life.
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Affiliation(s)
- Anabelle Planques
- Centre for Interdisciplinary Research in Biology (CIRB), Collège de France, CNRS UMR7241, INSERM U1050, Labex MemoLife, PSL University, 75005 Paris, France; (A.P.); (V.O.M.); (D.B.); (C.B.); (A.P.)
| | - Vanessa Oliveira Moreira
- Centre for Interdisciplinary Research in Biology (CIRB), Collège de France, CNRS UMR7241, INSERM U1050, Labex MemoLife, PSL University, 75005 Paris, France; (A.P.); (V.O.M.); (D.B.); (C.B.); (A.P.)
| | - David Benacom
- Centre for Interdisciplinary Research in Biology (CIRB), Collège de France, CNRS UMR7241, INSERM U1050, Labex MemoLife, PSL University, 75005 Paris, France; (A.P.); (V.O.M.); (D.B.); (C.B.); (A.P.)
| | - Clémence Bernard
- Centre for Interdisciplinary Research in Biology (CIRB), Collège de France, CNRS UMR7241, INSERM U1050, Labex MemoLife, PSL University, 75005 Paris, France; (A.P.); (V.O.M.); (D.B.); (C.B.); (A.P.)
| | - Laurent Jourdren
- Genomics Core Facility, Institut de Biologie de l’ENS (IBENS), Département de Biologie, École Normale Supérieure, CNRS, INSERM, PSL University, 75005 Paris, France; (L.J.); (C.B.)
| | - Corinne Blugeon
- Genomics Core Facility, Institut de Biologie de l’ENS (IBENS), Département de Biologie, École Normale Supérieure, CNRS, INSERM, PSL University, 75005 Paris, France; (L.J.); (C.B.)
| | - Florent Dingli
- Laboratoire de Spectrométrie de Masse Protéomique, Centre de Recherche, Institut Curie, CEDEX 05, 75248 Paris, France; (F.D.); (V.M.); (D.L.)
| | - Vanessa Masson
- Laboratoire de Spectrométrie de Masse Protéomique, Centre de Recherche, Institut Curie, CEDEX 05, 75248 Paris, France; (F.D.); (V.M.); (D.L.)
| | - Damarys Loew
- Laboratoire de Spectrométrie de Masse Protéomique, Centre de Recherche, Institut Curie, CEDEX 05, 75248 Paris, France; (F.D.); (V.M.); (D.L.)
| | - Alain Prochiantz
- Centre for Interdisciplinary Research in Biology (CIRB), Collège de France, CNRS UMR7241, INSERM U1050, Labex MemoLife, PSL University, 75005 Paris, France; (A.P.); (V.O.M.); (D.B.); (C.B.); (A.P.)
- Institute of Neurosciences, Chinese Academy of Sciences, 320 Yue Yang Road, Shanghai 200031, China
| | - Ariel A. Di Nardo
- Centre for Interdisciplinary Research in Biology (CIRB), Collège de France, CNRS UMR7241, INSERM U1050, Labex MemoLife, PSL University, 75005 Paris, France; (A.P.); (V.O.M.); (D.B.); (C.B.); (A.P.)
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Features of Retinal Neurogenesis as a Key Factor of Age-Related Neurodegeneration: Myth or Reality? Int J Mol Sci 2021; 22:ijms22147373. [PMID: 34298993 PMCID: PMC8303671 DOI: 10.3390/ijms22147373] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 05/17/2021] [Revised: 07/05/2021] [Accepted: 07/05/2021] [Indexed: 11/16/2022] Open
Abstract
Age-related macular degeneration (AMD) is a complex multifactorial neurodegenerative disease that constitutes the most common cause of irreversible blindness in the elderly in the developed countries. Incomplete knowledge about its pathogenesis prevents the search for effective methods of prevention and treatment of AMD, primarily of its "dry" type which is by far the most common (90% of all AMD cases). In the recent years, AMD has become "younger": late stages of the disease are now detected in relatively young people. It is known that AMD pathogenesis-according to the age-related structural and functional changes in the retina-is linked with inflammation, hypoxia, oxidative stress, mitochondrial dysfunction, and an impairment of neurotrophic support, but the mechanisms that trigger the conversion of normal age-related changes to the pathological process as well as the reason for early AMD development remain unclear. In the adult mammalian retina, de novo neurogenesis is very limited. Therefore, the structural and functional features that arise during its maturation and formation can exert long-term effects on further ontogenesis of this tissue. The aim of this review was to discuss possible contributions of the changes/disturbances in retinal neurogenesis to the early development of AMD.
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Lonfat N, Wang S, Lee C, Garcia M, Choi J, Park PJ, Cepko C. Cis-regulatory dissection of cone development reveals a broad role for Otx2 and Oc transcription factors. Development 2021; 148:261747. [PMID: 33929509 DOI: 10.1242/dev.198549] [Citation(s) in RCA: 7] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 11/13/2020] [Accepted: 03/31/2021] [Indexed: 11/20/2022]
Abstract
The vertebrate retina is generated by retinal progenitor cells (RPCs), which produce >100 cell types. Although some RPCs produce many cell types, other RPCs produce restricted types of daughter cells, such as a cone photoreceptor and a horizontal cell (HC). We used genome-wide assays of chromatin structure to compare the profiles of a restricted cone/HC RPC and those of other RPCs in chicks. These data nominated regions of regulatory activity, which were tested in tissue, leading to the identification of many cis-regulatory modules (CRMs) active in cone/HC RPCs and developing cones. Two transcription factors, Otx2 and Oc1, were found to bind to many of these CRMs, including those near genes important for cone development and function, and their binding sites were required for activity. We also found that Otx2 has a predicted autoregulatory CRM. These results suggest that Otx2, Oc1 and possibly other Onecut proteins have a broad role in coordinating cone development and function. The many newly discovered CRMs for cones are potentially useful reagents for gene therapy of cone diseases.
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Affiliation(s)
- Nicolas Lonfat
- Department of Genetics, Blavatnik Institute; Harvard Medical School, Boston, MA 02115, USA.,Department of Ophthalmology, Blavatnik Institute; Harvard Medical School, Boston, MA 02115, USA
| | - Su Wang
- Department of Biomedical Informatics, Blavatnik Institute; Harvard Medical School, Boston, MA 02115, USA
| | - ChangHee Lee
- Department of Genetics, Blavatnik Institute; Harvard Medical School, Boston, MA 02115, USA
| | - Mauricio Garcia
- Department of Genetics, Blavatnik Institute; Harvard Medical School, Boston, MA 02115, USA.,Department of Ophthalmology, Blavatnik Institute; Harvard Medical School, Boston, MA 02115, USA
| | - Jiho Choi
- Department of Genetics, Blavatnik Institute; Harvard Medical School, Boston, MA 02115, USA.,Department of Ophthalmology, Blavatnik Institute; Harvard Medical School, Boston, MA 02115, USA
| | - Peter J Park
- Department of Biomedical Informatics, Blavatnik Institute; Harvard Medical School, Boston, MA 02115, USA
| | - Connie Cepko
- Department of Genetics, Blavatnik Institute; Harvard Medical School, Boston, MA 02115, USA.,Department of Ophthalmology, Blavatnik Institute; Harvard Medical School, Boston, MA 02115, USA.,Howard Hughes Medical Institute, Harvard Medical School, Boston, MA 02115, USA
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Non-cell-autonomous OTX2 transcription factor regulates anxiety-related behavior in the mouse. Mol Psychiatry 2021; 26:6469-6480. [PMID: 33963285 PMCID: PMC8760049 DOI: 10.1038/s41380-021-01132-y] [Citation(s) in RCA: 10] [Impact Index Per Article: 3.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Submit a Manuscript] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 01/14/2021] [Revised: 04/06/2021] [Accepted: 04/14/2021] [Indexed: 02/03/2023]
Abstract
The OTX2 homeoprotein transcription factor is expressed in the dopaminergic neurons of the ventral tegmental area, which projects to limbic structures controlling complex behaviors. OTX2 is also produced in choroid plexus epithelium, from which it is secreted into cerebrospinal fluid and transferred to limbic structure parvalbumin interneurons. Previously, adult male mice subjected to early-life stress were found susceptible to anxiety-like behaviors, with accompanying OTX2 expression changes in ventral tegmental area or choroid plexus. Here, we investigated the consequences of reduced OTX2 levels in Otx2 heterozygote mice, as well as in Otx2+/AA and scFvOtx2tg/0 mouse models for decreasing OTX2 transfer from choroid plexus to parvalbumin interneurons. Both male and female adult mice show anxiolysis-like phenotypes in all three models. In Otx2 heterozygote mice, we observed no changes in dopaminergic neuron numbers and morphology in ventral tegmental area, nor in their metabolic output and projections to target structures. However, we found reduced expression of parvalbumin in medial prefrontal cortex, which could be rescued in part by adult overexpression of Otx2 specifically in choroid plexus, resulting in increased anxiety-like behavior. Taken together, OTX2 synthesis by the choroid plexus followed by its secretion into the cerebrospinal fluid is an important regulator of anxiety-related phenotypes in the mouse.
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Harding P, Cunha DL, Moosajee M. Animal and cellular models of microphthalmia. THERAPEUTIC ADVANCES IN RARE DISEASE 2021; 2:2633004021997447. [PMID: 37181112 PMCID: PMC10032472 DOI: 10.1177/2633004021997447] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Figures] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 01/04/2021] [Accepted: 02/02/2021] [Indexed: 05/16/2023]
Abstract
Microphthalmia is a rare developmental eye disorder affecting 1 in 7000 births. It is defined as a small (axial length ⩾2 standard deviations below the age-adjusted mean) underdeveloped eye, caused by disruption of ocular development through genetic or environmental factors in the first trimester of pregnancy. Clinical phenotypic heterogeneity exists amongst patients with varying levels of severity, and associated ocular and systemic features. Up to 11% of blind children are reported to have microphthalmia, yet currently no treatments are available. By identifying the aetiology of microphthalmia and understanding how the mechanisms of eye development are disrupted, we can gain a better understanding of the pathogenesis. Animal models, mainly mouse, zebrafish and Xenopus, have provided extensive information on the genetic regulation of oculogenesis, and how perturbation of these pathways leads to microphthalmia. However, differences exist between species, hence cellular models, such as patient-derived induced pluripotent stem cell (iPSC) optic vesicles, are now being used to provide greater insights into the human disease process. Progress in 3D cellular modelling techniques has enhanced the ability of researchers to study interactions of different cell types during eye development. Through improved molecular knowledge of microphthalmia, preventative or postnatal therapies may be developed, together with establishing genotype-phenotype correlations in order to provide patients with the appropriate prognosis, multidisciplinary care and informed genetic counselling. This review summarises some key discoveries from animal and cellular models of microphthalmia and discusses how innovative new models can be used to further our understanding in the future. Plain language summary Animal and Cellular Models of the Eye Disorder, Microphthalmia (Small Eye) Microphthalmia, meaning a small, underdeveloped eye, is a rare disorder that children are born with. Genetic changes or variations in the environment during the first 3 months of pregnancy can disrupt early development of the eye, resulting in microphthalmia. Up to 11% of blind children have microphthalmia, yet currently no treatments are available. By understanding the genes necessary for eye development, we can determine how disruption by genetic changes or environmental factors can cause this condition. This helps us understand why microphthalmia occurs, and ensure patients are provided with the appropriate clinical care and genetic counselling advice. Additionally, by understanding the causes of microphthalmia, researchers can develop treatments to prevent or reduce the severity of this condition. Animal models, particularly mice, zebrafish and frogs, which can also develop small eyes due to the same genetic/environmental changes, have helped us understand the genes which are important for eye development and can cause birth eye defects when disrupted. Studying a patient's own cells grown in the laboratory can further help researchers understand how changes in genes affect their function. Both animal and cellular models can be used to develop and test new drugs, which could provide treatment options for patients living with microphthalmia. This review summarises the key discoveries from animal and cellular models of microphthalmia and discusses how innovative new models can be used to further our understanding in the future.
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Affiliation(s)
| | | | - Mariya Moosajee
- UCL Institute of Ophthalmology, 11-43 Bath
Street, London, EC1V 9EL, UK
- Moorfields Eye Hospital NHS Foundation Trust,
London, UK
- Great Ormond Street Hospital for Children NHS
Foundation Trust, London, UK
- The Francis Crick Institute, London, UK
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OTX2 Non-Cell Autonomous Activity Regulates Inner Retinal Function. eNeuro 2020; 7:ENEURO.0012-19.2020. [PMID: 32737182 PMCID: PMC7477954 DOI: 10.1523/eneuro.0012-19.2020] [Citation(s) in RCA: 5] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 01/09/2019] [Revised: 04/19/2020] [Accepted: 05/05/2020] [Indexed: 12/11/2022] Open
Abstract
OTX2 is a homeoprotein transcription factor expressed in photoreceptors and bipolar cells in the retina. OTX2, like many other homeoproteins, transfers between cells and exerts non-cell autonomous effects such as promoting the survival of retinal ganglion cells that do not express the protein. Here we used a genetic approach to target extracellular OTX2 in the retina by conditional expression of a secreted single-chain anti-OTX2 antibody. Compared with control mice, the expression of this antibody by parvalbumin-expressing neurons in the retina is followed by a reduction in visual acuity in 1-month-old mice with no alteration of the retinal structure or cell type number or aspect. The a-waves and b-waves measured by electroretinogram were also indistinguishable from those of control mice, suggesting no functional deficit of photoreceptors and bipolar cells. Mice expressing the OTX2-neutralizing antibody did show a significant doubling in the flicker amplitude and a reduction in oscillatory potential, consistent with a change in inner retinal function. Our results show that interfering in vivo with OTX2 non-cell autonomous activity in the postnatal retina leads to an alteration in inner retinal cell functions and causes a deficit in visual acuity.
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14
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Chan CSY, Lonfat N, Zhao R, Davis AE, Li L, Wu MR, Lin CH, Ji Z, Cepko CL, Wang S. Cell type- and stage-specific expression of Otx2 is regulated by multiple transcription factors and cis-regulatory modules in the retina. Development 2020; 147:dev187922. [PMID: 32631829 PMCID: PMC7406324 DOI: 10.1242/dev.187922] [Citation(s) in RCA: 17] [Impact Index Per Article: 4.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 01/06/2020] [Accepted: 06/22/2020] [Indexed: 12/22/2022]
Abstract
Transcription factors (TFs) are often used repeatedly during development and homeostasis to control distinct processes in the same and/or different cellular contexts. Considering the limited number of TFs in the genome and the tremendous number of events that need to be regulated, re-use of TFs is necessary. We analyzed how the expression of the homeobox TF, orthodenticle homeobox 2 (Otx2), is regulated in a cell type- and stage-specific manner during development in the mouse retina. We identified seven Otx2 cis-regulatory modules (CRMs), among which the O5, O7 and O9 CRMs mark three distinct cellular contexts of Otx2 expression. We discovered that Otx2, Crx and Sox2, which are well-known TFs regulating retinal development, bind to and activate the O5, O7 or O9 CRMs, respectively. The chromatin status of these three CRMs was found to be distinct in vivo in different retinal cell types and at different stages. We conclude that retinal cells use a cohort of TFs with different expression patterns and multiple CRMs with different chromatin configurations to regulate the expression of Otx2 precisely.
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Affiliation(s)
- Candace S Y Chan
- Department of Ophthalmology, Mary M. and Sash A. Spencer Center for Vision Research, Byers Eye Institute, Stanford University, Stanford, CA 94304, USA
| | - Nicolas Lonfat
- Departments of Genetics and Ophthalmology, Blavatnik Institute, Howard Hughes Medical Institute, Harvard Medical School, Boston, MA 02115, USA
| | - Rong Zhao
- Departments of Genetics and Ophthalmology, Blavatnik Institute, Howard Hughes Medical Institute, Harvard Medical School, Boston, MA 02115, USA
| | - Alexander E Davis
- Department of Ophthalmology, Mary M. and Sash A. Spencer Center for Vision Research, Byers Eye Institute, Stanford University, Stanford, CA 94304, USA
| | - Liang Li
- Department of Ophthalmology, Mary M. and Sash A. Spencer Center for Vision Research, Byers Eye Institute, Stanford University, Stanford, CA 94304, USA
- Department of Ophthalmology, The Second Xiangya Hospital, Central South University, Changsha, 410011, China
| | - Man-Ru Wu
- Department of Ophthalmology, Mary M. and Sash A. Spencer Center for Vision Research, Byers Eye Institute, Stanford University, Stanford, CA 94304, USA
| | - Cheng-Hui Lin
- Department of Ophthalmology, Mary M. and Sash A. Spencer Center for Vision Research, Byers Eye Institute, Stanford University, Stanford, CA 94304, USA
| | - Zhe Ji
- Department of Bioengineering, Northwestern University, Evanston, IL 60208, USA
| | - Constance L Cepko
- Departments of Genetics and Ophthalmology, Blavatnik Institute, Howard Hughes Medical Institute, Harvard Medical School, Boston, MA 02115, USA
| | - Sui Wang
- Department of Ophthalmology, Mary M. and Sash A. Spencer Center for Vision Research, Byers Eye Institute, Stanford University, Stanford, CA 94304, USA
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15
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Elimination of the four extracellular matrix molecules tenascin-C, tenascin-R, brevican and neurocan alters the ratio of excitatory and inhibitory synapses. Sci Rep 2019; 9:13939. [PMID: 31558805 PMCID: PMC6763627 DOI: 10.1038/s41598-019-50404-9] [Citation(s) in RCA: 64] [Impact Index Per Article: 12.8] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 06/10/2019] [Accepted: 09/11/2019] [Indexed: 01/12/2023] Open
Abstract
The synaptic transmission in the mammalian brain is not limited to the interplay between the pre- and the postsynapse of neurons, but involves also astrocytes as well as extracellular matrix (ECM) molecules. Glycoproteins, proteoglycans and hyaluronic acid of the ECM pervade the pericellular environment and condense to special superstructures termed perineuronal nets (PNN) that surround a subpopulation of CNS neurons. The present study focuses on the analysis of PNNs in a quadruple knockout mouse deficient for the ECM molecules tenascin-C (TnC), tenascin-R (TnR), neurocan and brevican. Here, we analysed the proportion of excitatory and inhibitory synapses and performed electrophysiological recordings of the spontaneous neuronal network activity of hippocampal neurons in vitro. While we found an increase in the number of excitatory synaptic molecules in the quadruple knockout cultures, the number of inhibitory synaptic molecules was significantly reduced. This observation was complemented with an enhancement of the neuronal network activity level. The in vivo analysis of PNNs in the hippocampus of the quadruple knockout mouse revealed a reduction of PNN size and complexity in the CA2 region. In addition, a microarray analysis of the postnatal day (P) 21 hippocampus was performed unravelling an altered gene expression in the quadruple knockout hippocampus.
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16
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Di Nardo AA, Fuchs J, Joshi RL, Moya KL, Prochiantz A. The Physiology of Homeoprotein Transduction. Physiol Rev 2019; 98:1943-1982. [PMID: 30067157 DOI: 10.1152/physrev.00018.2017] [Citation(s) in RCA: 31] [Impact Index Per Article: 6.2] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 12/18/2022] Open
Abstract
The homeoprotein family comprises ~300 transcription factors and was long seen as primarily involved in developmental programs through cell autonomous regulation. However, recent evidence reveals that many of these factors are also expressed in the adult where they exert physiological functions not yet fully deciphered. Furthermore, the DNA-binding domain of most homeoproteins contains two signal sequences allowing their secretion and internalization, thus intercellular transfer. This review focuses on this new-found signaling in cell migration, axon guidance, and cerebral cortex physiological homeostasis and speculates on how it may play important roles in early arealization of the neuroepithelium. It also describes the use of homeoproteins as therapeutic proteins in mouse models of diseases affecting the central nervous system, in particular Parkinson disease and glaucoma.
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Affiliation(s)
- Ariel A Di Nardo
- Centre for Interdisciplinary Research in Biology (CIRB), Collège de France, CNRS UMR 7241, INSERM U1050, Labex MemoLife, PSL Research University , Paris , France
| | - Julia Fuchs
- Centre for Interdisciplinary Research in Biology (CIRB), Collège de France, CNRS UMR 7241, INSERM U1050, Labex MemoLife, PSL Research University , Paris , France
| | - Rajiv L Joshi
- Centre for Interdisciplinary Research in Biology (CIRB), Collège de France, CNRS UMR 7241, INSERM U1050, Labex MemoLife, PSL Research University , Paris , France
| | - Kenneth L Moya
- Centre for Interdisciplinary Research in Biology (CIRB), Collège de France, CNRS UMR 7241, INSERM U1050, Labex MemoLife, PSL Research University , Paris , France
| | - Alain Prochiantz
- Centre for Interdisciplinary Research in Biology (CIRB), Collège de France, CNRS UMR 7241, INSERM U1050, Labex MemoLife, PSL Research University , Paris , France
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17
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Blaudin de Thé FX, Rekaik H, Peze-Heidsieck E, Massiani-Beaudoin O, Joshi RL, Fuchs J, Prochiantz A. Engrailed homeoprotein blocks degeneration in adult dopaminergic neurons through LINE-1 repression. EMBO J 2018; 37:embj.201797374. [PMID: 29941661 DOI: 10.15252/embj.201797374] [Citation(s) in RCA: 44] [Impact Index Per Article: 7.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 05/17/2017] [Revised: 05/07/2018] [Accepted: 05/28/2018] [Indexed: 12/21/2022] Open
Abstract
LINE-1 mobile genetic elements have shaped the mammalian genome during evolution. A minority of them have escaped fossilization which, when activated, can threaten genome integrity. We report that LINE-1 are expressed in substantia nigra ventral midbrain dopaminergic neurons, a class of neurons that degenerate in Parkinson's disease. In Engrailed-1 heterozygotes, these neurons show a progressive degeneration that starts at 6 weeks of age, coinciding with an increase in LINE-1 expression. Similarly, DNA damage and cell death, induced by an acute oxidative stress applied to embryonic midbrain neurons in culture or to adult midbrain dopaminergic neurons in vivo, are accompanied by enhanced LINE-1 expression. Reduction of LINE-1 activity through (i) direct transcriptional repression by Engrailed, (ii) a siRNA directed against LINE-1, (iii) the nucleoside analogue reverse transcriptase inhibitor stavudine, and (iv) viral Piwil1 expression, protects against oxidative stress in vitro and in vivo We thus propose that LINE-1 overexpression triggers oxidative stress-induced DNA strand breaks and that an Engrailed adult function is to protect mesencephalic dopaminergic neurons through the repression of LINE-1 expression.
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Affiliation(s)
- François-Xavier Blaudin de Thé
- Centre for Interdisciplinary Research in Biology (CIRB), Collège de France, CNRS UMR 7241/INSERM U1050, PSL Research University, Paris Cedex 05, France
| | - Hocine Rekaik
- Centre for Interdisciplinary Research in Biology (CIRB), Collège de France, CNRS UMR 7241/INSERM U1050, PSL Research University, Paris Cedex 05, France
| | - Eugenie Peze-Heidsieck
- Centre for Interdisciplinary Research in Biology (CIRB), Collège de France, CNRS UMR 7241/INSERM U1050, PSL Research University, Paris Cedex 05, France
| | - Olivia Massiani-Beaudoin
- Centre for Interdisciplinary Research in Biology (CIRB), Collège de France, CNRS UMR 7241/INSERM U1050, PSL Research University, Paris Cedex 05, France
| | - Rajiv L Joshi
- Centre for Interdisciplinary Research in Biology (CIRB), Collège de France, CNRS UMR 7241/INSERM U1050, PSL Research University, Paris Cedex 05, France
| | - Julia Fuchs
- Centre for Interdisciplinary Research in Biology (CIRB), Collège de France, CNRS UMR 7241/INSERM U1050, PSL Research University, Paris Cedex 05, France
| | - Alain Prochiantz
- Centre for Interdisciplinary Research in Biology (CIRB), Collège de France, CNRS UMR 7241/INSERM U1050, PSL Research University, Paris Cedex 05, France
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18
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Synaptic and circuit development of the primary sensory cortex. Exp Mol Med 2018; 50:1-9. [PMID: 29628505 PMCID: PMC5938038 DOI: 10.1038/s12276-018-0029-x] [Citation(s) in RCA: 10] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.7] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 11/21/2017] [Accepted: 12/06/2017] [Indexed: 01/06/2023] Open
Abstract
Animals, including humans, optimize their primary sensory cortex through the use of input signals, which allow them to adapt to the external environment and survive. The time window at the beginning of life in which external input signals are connected sensitively and strongly to neural circuit optimization is called the critical period. The critical period has attracted the attention of many neuroscientists due to the rapid activity-/experience-dependent circuit development that occurs, which is clearly differentiated from other developmental time periods and brain areas. This process involves various types of GABAergic inhibitory neurons, the extracellular matrix, neuromodulators, transcription factors, and neurodevelopmental factors. In this review, I discuss recent progress regarding the biological nature of the critical period that contribute to a better understanding of brain development.
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19
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Abstract
Photoreceptors are highly specialized primary sensory neurons that sense light and initiate vision. This critical role is well demonstrated by the fact that visual impairment accompanies photoreceptor loss or dysfunction in many human diseases. With the remarkable advances in stem cell research, one therapeutic approach is to use stem cells to generate photoreceptors and then engraft them into diseased eyes. Knowledge of the molecular mechanisms that control photoreceptor genesis during normal development can greatly aid in the production of photoreceptor cells for this approach. This article will discuss advances in our understanding of the molecular mechanisms that regulate photoreceptor fate determination during development. Recent lineage studies have shown that there are distinct retinal progenitor cells (RPCs) that produce specific combinations of daughter cell types, including photoreceptors and other types of retinal cells. Gene regulatory networks, in which transcription factors interact via cis-regulatory DNA elements, have been discovered that operate within distinct RPCs, and/or newly postmitotic cells, to direct the choice of photoreceptor fate.
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Affiliation(s)
- Sui Wang
- Department of Genetics and Department of Ophthalmology, Harvard Medical School, Boston, Massachusetts, United States 2Howard Hughes Medical Institute, Boston, Massachusetts, United States
| | - Constance L Cepko
- Department of Genetics and Department of Ophthalmology, Harvard Medical School, Boston, Massachusetts, United States 2Howard Hughes Medical Institute, Boston, Massachusetts, United States
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20
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Genetic Otx2 mis-localization delays critical period plasticity across brain regions. Mol Psychiatry 2017; 22:680-688. [PMID: 28194008 PMCID: PMC5400722 DOI: 10.1038/mp.2017.1] [Citation(s) in RCA: 46] [Impact Index Per Article: 6.6] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Submit a Manuscript] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 04/27/2016] [Revised: 11/21/2016] [Accepted: 12/21/2016] [Indexed: 12/15/2022]
Abstract
Accumulation of non-cell autonomous Otx2 homeoprotein in postnatal mouse visual cortex (V1) has been implicated in both the onset and closure of critical period (CP) plasticity. Here, we show that a genetic point mutation in the glycosaminoglycan recognition motif of Otx2 broadly delays the maturation of pivotal parvalbumin-positive (PV+) interneurons not only in V1 but also in the primary auditory (A1) and medial prefrontal cortex (mPFC). Consequently, not only visual, but also auditory plasticity is delayed, including the experience-dependent expansion of tonotopic maps in A1 and the acquisition of acoustic preferences in mPFC, which mitigates anxious behavior. In addition, Otx2 mis-localization leads to dynamic turnover of selected perineuronal net (PNN) components well beyond the normal CP in V1 and mPFC. These findings reveal widespread actions of Otx2 signaling in the postnatal cortex controlling the maturational trajectory across modalities. Disrupted PV+ network function and deficits in PNN integrity are implicated in a variety of psychiatric illnesses, suggesting a potential global role for Otx2 function in establishing mental health.
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21
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Bernard C, Vincent C, Testa D, Bertini E, Ribot J, Di Nardo AA, Volovitch M, Prochiantz A. A Mouse Model for Conditional Secretion of Specific Single-Chain Antibodies Provides Genetic Evidence for Regulation of Cortical Plasticity by a Non-cell Autonomous Homeoprotein Transcription Factor. PLoS Genet 2016; 12:e1006035. [PMID: 27171438 PMCID: PMC4865174 DOI: 10.1371/journal.pgen.1006035] [Citation(s) in RCA: 25] [Impact Index Per Article: 3.1] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 10/09/2015] [Accepted: 04/18/2016] [Indexed: 11/19/2022] Open
Abstract
During postnatal life the cerebral cortex passes through critical periods of plasticity allowing its physiological adaptation to the environment. In the visual cortex, critical period onset and closure are influenced by the non-cell autonomous activity of the Otx2 homeoprotein transcription factor, which regulates the maturation of parvalbumin-expressing inhibitory interneurons (PV cells). In adult mice, the maintenance of a non-plastic adult state requires continuous Otx2 import by PV cells. An important source of extra-cortical Otx2 is the choroid plexus, which secretes Otx2 into the cerebrospinal fluid. Otx2 secretion and internalization requires two small peptidic domains that are part of the DNA-binding domain. Thus, mutating these “transfer” sequences also modifies cell autonomous transcription, precluding this approach to obtain a cell autonomous-only mouse. Here, we develop a mouse model with inducible secretion of an anti-Otx2 single-chain antibody to trap Otx2 in the extracellular milieu. Postnatal secretion of this single-chain antibody by PV cells delays PV maturation and reduces plasticity gene expression. Induced adult expression of this single-chain antibody in cerebrospinal fluid decreases Otx2 internalization by PV cells, strongly induces plasticity gene expression and reopens physiological plasticity. We provide the first mammalian genetic evidence for a signaling mechanism involving intercellular transfer of a homeoprotein transcription factor. Our single-chain antibody mouse model is a valid strategy for extracellular neutralization that could be applied to other homeoproteins and signaling molecules within and beyond the nervous system. Classically, cell signaling is based on the secretion of molecules that bind cell surface receptors. Lipophilic agents can do without cell-surface receptors due to their ability to diffuse through the plasma membrane, but this is normally not the case for proteins, which cannot pass the membrane barrier. However, homeoprotein transcription factors represent an exception as they are secreted and internalized by live cells owing to two peptidic domains. An important illustration of this novel signaling mechanism is provided by Otx2, a homeoprotein that travels from the choroid plexus to specific inhibitory neurons in the cerebral cortex, where it regulates physiological plasticity throughout life. Because the two transfer peptides are in the DNA-binding domain of Otx2, it is impossible to mutate them without altering both cell signaling and cell-autonomous functions. We have therefore developed a mouse in which a secreted anti-Otx2 single-chain antibody can be induced to trap extracellular Otx2 while leaving its cell autonomous function untouched. We show that neutralizing extracellular Otx2 modifies the expression of plasticity genes in the visual cortex, thus providing the first genetic demonstration for homeoprotein signaling in a mammal.
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Affiliation(s)
- Clémence Bernard
- Centre for Interdisciplinary Research in Biology (CIRB), Collège de France, CNRS UMR 7241/INSERM U1050, PSL Research University, Paris, France
| | - Clémentine Vincent
- Centre for Interdisciplinary Research in Biology (CIRB), Collège de France, CNRS UMR 7241/INSERM U1050, PSL Research University, Paris, France
| | - Damien Testa
- Centre for Interdisciplinary Research in Biology (CIRB), Collège de France, CNRS UMR 7241/INSERM U1050, PSL Research University, Paris, France
| | - Eva Bertini
- Centre for Interdisciplinary Research in Biology (CIRB), Collège de France, CNRS UMR 7241/INSERM U1050, PSL Research University, Paris, France
| | - Jérôme Ribot
- Centre for Interdisciplinary Research in Biology (CIRB), Collège de France, CNRS UMR 7241/INSERM U1050, PSL Research University, Paris, France
| | - Ariel A. Di Nardo
- Centre for Interdisciplinary Research in Biology (CIRB), Collège de France, CNRS UMR 7241/INSERM U1050, PSL Research University, Paris, France
| | - Michel Volovitch
- Centre for Interdisciplinary Research in Biology (CIRB), Collège de France, CNRS UMR 7241/INSERM U1050, PSL Research University, Paris, France
| | - Alain Prochiantz
- Centre for Interdisciplinary Research in Biology (CIRB), Collège de France, CNRS UMR 7241/INSERM U1050, PSL Research University, Paris, France
- * E-mail:
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22
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Neuron-Glia Interactions in Neural Plasticity: Contributions of Neural Extracellular Matrix and Perineuronal Nets. Neural Plast 2016; 2016:5214961. [PMID: 26881114 PMCID: PMC4736403 DOI: 10.1155/2016/5214961] [Citation(s) in RCA: 92] [Impact Index Per Article: 11.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 06/11/2015] [Accepted: 08/10/2015] [Indexed: 11/17/2022] Open
Abstract
Synapses are specialized structures that mediate rapid and efficient signal transmission between neurons and are surrounded by glial cells. Astrocytes develop an intimate association with synapses in the central nervous system (CNS) and contribute to the regulation of ion and neurotransmitter concentrations. Together with neurons, they shape intercellular space to provide a stable milieu for neuronal activity. Extracellular matrix (ECM) components are synthesized by both neurons and astrocytes and play an important role in the formation, maintenance, and function of synapses in the CNS. The components of the ECM have been detected near glial processes, which abut onto the CNS synaptic unit, where they are part of the specialized macromolecular assemblies, termed perineuronal nets (PNNs). PNNs have originally been discovered by Golgi and represent a molecular scaffold deposited in the interface between the astrocyte and subsets of neurons in the vicinity of the synapse. Recent reports strongly suggest that PNNs are tightly involved in the regulation of synaptic plasticity. Moreover, several studies have implicated PNNs and the neural ECM in neuropsychiatric diseases. Here, we highlight current concepts relating to neural ECM and PNNs and describe an in vitro approach that allows for the investigation of ECM functions for synaptogenesis.
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23
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Abstract
Photoreceptors have been the most intensively studied retinal cell type. Early lineage studies showed that photoreceptors are produced by retinal progenitor cells (RPCs) that produce only photoreceptor cells and by RPCs that produce both photoreceptor cells and other retinal cell types. More recent lineage studies have shown that there are intrinsic, molecular differences among these RPCs and that these molecular differences operate in gene regulatory networks (GRNs) that lead to the choice of the rod versus the cone fate. In addition, there are GRNs that lead to the choice of a photoreceptor fate and that of another retinal cell type. An example of such a GRN is one that drives the binary fate choice between a rod photoreceptor and bipolar cell. This GRN has many elements, including both feedforward and feedback regulatory loops, highlighting the complexity of such networks. This and other examples of retinal cell fate determination are reviewed here, focusing on the events that direct the choice of rod and cone photoreceptor fate.
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Affiliation(s)
- Constance L Cepko
- Departments of Genetics and Ophthalmology, Howard Hughes Medical Institute, Harvard Medical School, Boston, Massachusetts 02115;
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24
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Kim HT, Kim SJ, Sohn YI, Paik SS, Caplette R, Simonutti M, Moon KH, Lee EJ, Min KW, Kim MJ, Lee DG, Simeone A, Lamonerie T, Furukawa T, Choi JS, Kweon HS, Picaud S, Kim IB, Shong M, Kim JW. Mitochondrial Protection by Exogenous Otx2 in Mouse Retinal Neurons. Cell Rep 2015; 13:990-1002. [PMID: 26565912 DOI: 10.1016/j.celrep.2015.09.075] [Citation(s) in RCA: 16] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.8] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 09/01/2015] [Revised: 09/15/2015] [Accepted: 09/25/2015] [Indexed: 10/22/2022] Open
Abstract
OTX2 (orthodenticle homeobox 2) haplodeficiency causes diverse defects in mammalian visual systems ranging from retinal dysfunction to anophthalmia. We find that the retinal dystrophy of Otx2(+/GFP) heterozygous knockin mice is mainly due to the loss of bipolar cells and consequent deficits in retinal activity. Among bipolar cell types, OFF-cone bipolar subsets, which lack autonomous Otx2 gene expression but receive Otx2 proteins from photoreceptors, degenerate most rapidly in Otx2(+/GFP) mouse retinas, suggesting a neuroprotective effect of the imported Otx2 protein. In support of this hypothesis, retinal dystrophy in Otx2(+/GFP) mice is prevented by intraocular injection of Otx2 protein, which localizes to the mitochondria of bipolar cells and facilitates ATP synthesis as a part of mitochondrial ATP synthase complex. Taken together, our findings demonstrate a mitochondrial function for Otx2 and suggest a potential therapeutic application of OTX2 protein delivery in human retinal dystrophy.
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Affiliation(s)
- Hyoung-Tai Kim
- Department of Biological Sciences, Korea Advanced Institute of Science and Technology (KAIST), Daejeon 305-701, South Korea
| | - Soung Jung Kim
- Research Center for Endocrine and Metabolic Diseases, Chungnam National University School of Medicine, Daejeon 301-721, South Korea
| | - Young-In Sohn
- Department of Biological Sciences, Korea Advanced Institute of Science and Technology (KAIST), Daejeon 305-701, South Korea
| | - Sun-Sook Paik
- Department of Anatomy, College of Medicine, The Catholic University of Korea, Seoul 137-701, South Korea
| | - Romain Caplette
- INSERM, U968, Paris 75012, France; Sorbonne Universités, UPMC Univ Paris 06, UMR_S 968, Institut de la Vision, Paris 75012, France; CNRS, UMR_7210, Paris 75012, France
| | - Manuel Simonutti
- INSERM, U968, Paris 75012, France; Sorbonne Universités, UPMC Univ Paris 06, UMR_S 968, Institut de la Vision, Paris 75012, France; CNRS, UMR_7210, Paris 75012, France
| | - Kyeong Hwan Moon
- Department of Biological Sciences, Korea Advanced Institute of Science and Technology (KAIST), Daejeon 305-701, South Korea
| | - Eun Jung Lee
- Department of Biological Sciences, Korea Advanced Institute of Science and Technology (KAIST), Daejeon 305-701, South Korea
| | - Kwang Wook Min
- Department of Biological Sciences, Korea Advanced Institute of Science and Technology (KAIST), Daejeon 305-701, South Korea
| | - Mi Jeong Kim
- Nano-Bio Electron Microscopy Research Group, Korea Basic Science Institute (KBSI), Daejeon 305-806, South Korea
| | - Dong-Gi Lee
- Biological Disaster Analysis Group, Korea Basic Science Institute (KBSI), Daejeon 305-806, Korea
| | - Antonio Simeone
- Institute of Genetics and Biophysics, Adriano Buzzati-Traverso, Via Pietro Castellino 111, 80131 Napoli, Italy; IRCCS Neuromed, Pozzilli, IS 86077, Italy
| | - Thomas Lamonerie
- Institut de Biologie Valrose, University of Nice Sophia Antipolis, UMR UNS/CNRS 7277/INSERM 1091, Nice 06108, France
| | - Takahisa Furukawa
- Laboratory for Molecular and Developmental Biology, Institute for Protein Research, Osaka University, 3-2 Yamadaoka, Suita, Osaka 565-0871, Japan; AMED-CREST, Japan Agency for Medical Research and Development, Tokyo 100-0004, Japan
| | - Jong-Soon Choi
- Biological Disaster Analysis Group, Korea Basic Science Institute (KBSI), Daejeon 305-806, Korea
| | - Hee-Seok Kweon
- Nano-Bio Electron Microscopy Research Group, Korea Basic Science Institute (KBSI), Daejeon 305-806, South Korea
| | - Serge Picaud
- INSERM, U968, Paris 75012, France; Sorbonne Universités, UPMC Univ Paris 06, UMR_S 968, Institut de la Vision, Paris 75012, France; CNRS, UMR_7210, Paris 75012, France
| | - In-Beom Kim
- Department of Anatomy, College of Medicine, The Catholic University of Korea, Seoul 137-701, South Korea
| | - Minho Shong
- Research Center for Endocrine and Metabolic Diseases, Chungnam National University School of Medicine, Daejeon 301-721, South Korea
| | - Jin Woo Kim
- Department of Biological Sciences, Korea Advanced Institute of Science and Technology (KAIST), Daejeon 305-701, South Korea.
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25
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Rekaik H, Blaudin de Thé FX, Fuchs J, Massiani-Beaudoin O, Prochiantz A, Joshi RL. Engrailed Homeoprotein Protects Mesencephalic Dopaminergic Neurons from Oxidative Stress. Cell Rep 2015; 13:242-50. [PMID: 26411690 PMCID: PMC5066840 DOI: 10.1016/j.celrep.2015.08.076] [Citation(s) in RCA: 37] [Impact Index Per Article: 4.1] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 09/29/2014] [Revised: 06/30/2015] [Accepted: 08/26/2015] [Indexed: 12/03/2022] Open
Abstract
Engrailed homeoproteins are expressed in adult dopaminergic neurons of the substantia nigra. In Engrailed1 heterozygous mice, these neurons start dying at 6 weeks, are more sensitive to oxidative stress, and progressively develop traits similar to those observed following an acute and strong oxidative stress inflected to wild-type neurons. These changes include DNA strand breaks and the modification (intensity and distribution) of several nuclear and nucleolar heterochromatin marks. Engrailed1 and Engrailed2 are biochemically equivalent transducing proteins previously used to antagonize dopaminergic neuron death in Engrailed1 heterozygous mice and in mouse models of Parkinson disease. Accordingly, we show that, following an acute oxidative stress, a single Engrailed2 injection restores all nuclear and nucleolar heterochromatin marks, decreases the number of DNA strand breaks, and protects dopaminergic neurons against apoptosis.
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Affiliation(s)
- Hocine Rekaik
- Centre for Interdisciplinary Research in Biology (CIRB), Labex Memolife, CNRS UMR 7241/INSERM U1050, Collège de France, 11 place Marcelin Berthelot, 75231 Paris Cedex 05, France
| | - François-Xavier Blaudin de Thé
- Centre for Interdisciplinary Research in Biology (CIRB), Labex Memolife, CNRS UMR 7241/INSERM U1050, Collège de France, 11 place Marcelin Berthelot, 75231 Paris Cedex 05, France
| | - Julia Fuchs
- Centre for Interdisciplinary Research in Biology (CIRB), Labex Memolife, CNRS UMR 7241/INSERM U1050, Collège de France, 11 place Marcelin Berthelot, 75231 Paris Cedex 05, France
| | - Olivia Massiani-Beaudoin
- Centre for Interdisciplinary Research in Biology (CIRB), Labex Memolife, CNRS UMR 7241/INSERM U1050, Collège de France, 11 place Marcelin Berthelot, 75231 Paris Cedex 05, France
| | - Alain Prochiantz
- Centre for Interdisciplinary Research in Biology (CIRB), Labex Memolife, CNRS UMR 7241/INSERM U1050, Collège de France, 11 place Marcelin Berthelot, 75231 Paris Cedex 05, France.
| | - Rajiv L Joshi
- Centre for Interdisciplinary Research in Biology (CIRB), Labex Memolife, CNRS UMR 7241/INSERM U1050, Collège de France, 11 place Marcelin Berthelot, 75231 Paris Cedex 05, France
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CRISPR/Cas9-based generation of knockdown mice by intronic insertion of artificial microRNA using longer single-stranded DNA. Sci Rep 2015; 5:12799. [PMID: 26242611 PMCID: PMC4525291 DOI: 10.1038/srep12799] [Citation(s) in RCA: 107] [Impact Index Per Article: 11.9] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 03/03/2015] [Accepted: 07/10/2015] [Indexed: 11/08/2022] Open
Abstract
Knockdown mouse models, where gene dosages can be modulated, provide valuable insights into gene function. Typically, such models are generated by embryonic stem (ES) cell-based targeted insertion, or pronuclear injection, of the knockdown expression cassette. However, these methods are associated with laborious and time-consuming steps, such as the generation of large constructs with elements needed for expression of a functional RNAi-cassette, ES-cell handling, or screening for mice with the desired knockdown effect. Here, we demonstrate that reliable knockdown models can be generated by targeted insertion of artificial microRNA (amiRNA) sequences into a specific locus in the genome [such as intronic regions of endogenous eukaryotic translation elongation factor 2 (eEF-2) gene] using the Clustered Regularly Interspaced Short Palindromic Repeats/Crispr associated 9 (CRISPR/Cas9) system. We used in vitro synthesized single-stranded DNAs (about 0.5-kb long) that code for amiRNA sequences as repair templates in CRISPR/Cas9 mutagenesis. Using this approach we demonstrate that amiRNA cassettes against exogenous (eGFP) or endogenous [orthodenticle homeobox 2 (Otx2)] genes can be efficiently targeted to a predetermined locus in the genome and result in knockdown of gene expression. We also provide a strategy to establish conditional knockdown models with this method.
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Stenkamp DL. Development of the Vertebrate Eye and Retina. PROGRESS IN MOLECULAR BIOLOGY AND TRANSLATIONAL SCIENCE 2015; 134:397-414. [PMID: 26310167 DOI: 10.1016/bs.pmbts.2015.06.006] [Citation(s) in RCA: 64] [Impact Index Per Article: 7.1] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 12/02/2022]
Abstract
The mature, functional, and healthy eye is generated by the coordinated regulatory interaction of numerous and diverse developing tissues. The neural retina of the eye must undergo the neurogenesis of multiple retinal cell types in the correct ratios and spatial patterns. This chapter provides an overview of retinal development, and includes a summary of the process of eye organogenesis, a discussion of major principles of retinal neurogenesis, and describes some of the key molecular factors critical for retinal development. Defects in many of these factors underlie diseases of the eye, and an understanding of the process of retinal development will be critical for successful future applications of regenerative therapies for eye disease.
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Affiliation(s)
- Deborah L Stenkamp
- Department of Biological Sciences, University of Idaho, Moscow, Idaho, USA.
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28
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Prochiantz A, Fuchs J, Di Nardo AA. Postnatal signalling with homeoprotein transcription factors. Philos Trans R Soc Lond B Biol Sci 2015; 369:rstb.2013.0518. [PMID: 25135979 DOI: 10.1098/rstb.2013.0518] [Citation(s) in RCA: 9] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/12/2022] Open
Abstract
Homeoprotein (HP) transcription factors were originally identified for their embryonic cell-autonomous developmental functions. In this review, we discuss their postnatal and adult physiological functions based on the study of Otx2, Engrailed-1 and Engrailed-2 (collectively Engrailed). For Engrailed, we discuss its function in the cell-autonomous regulation of ventral midbrain dopaminergic neuron survival and physiology and in the non-cell-autonomous maintenance of axons. For Otx2, we describe how the protein is expressed in the choroid plexus and transported into cortical parvalbumin cells where it regulates plasticity in the visual cortex. These two examples illustrate how the understanding of HP postnatal and adult functions, including signalling functions, may lead to the identification of disease-associated genetic pathways and to the development of original therapeutic strategies.
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Affiliation(s)
- Alain Prochiantz
- CIRB, CNRS UMR 7241/INSERM U1050, College de France, 11 place Marcelin Berthelot, Paris Cedex 05 75231, France
| | - Julia Fuchs
- CIRB, CNRS UMR 7241/INSERM U1050, College de France, 11 place Marcelin Berthelot, Paris Cedex 05 75231, France
| | - Ariel A Di Nardo
- CIRB, CNRS UMR 7241/INSERM U1050, College de France, 11 place Marcelin Berthelot, Paris Cedex 05 75231, France
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29
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Engrailed homeoproteins in visual system development. Cell Mol Life Sci 2014; 72:1433-45. [PMID: 25432704 PMCID: PMC4366559 DOI: 10.1007/s00018-014-1776-z] [Citation(s) in RCA: 2] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.2] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 07/28/2014] [Revised: 10/31/2014] [Accepted: 11/06/2014] [Indexed: 12/28/2022]
Abstract
Engrailed is a homeoprotein transcription factor. This family of transcription factors is characterized by their DNA-binding homeodomain and some members, including Engrailed, can transfer between cells and regulate protein translation in addition to gene transcription. Engrailed is intimately involved in the development of the vertebrate visual system. Early expression of Engrailed in dorsal mesencephalon contributes to the development and organization of a visual structure, the optic tectum/superior colliculus. This structure is an important target for retinal ganglion cell axons that carry visual information from the retina. Engrailed regulates the expression of Ephrin axon guidance cues in the tectum/superior colliculus. More recently it has been reported that Engrailed itself acts as an axon guidance cue in synergy with the Ephrin system and is proposed to enhance retinal topographic precision.
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30
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Vincent A, Forster N, Maynes JT, Paton TA, Billingsley G, Roslin NM, Ali A, Sutherland J, Wright T, Westall CA, Paterson AD, Marshall CR, Héon E. OTX2 mutations cause autosomal dominant pattern dystrophy of the retinal pigment epithelium. J Med Genet 2014; 51:797-805. [PMID: 25293953 DOI: 10.1136/jmedgenet-2014-102620] [Citation(s) in RCA: 27] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.7] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 12/30/2022]
Abstract
PURPOSE To identify the genetic cause of autosomal-dominant pattern dystrophy (PD) of the retinal pigment epithelium (RPE) in two families. METHODS AND RESULTS Two families with autosomal-dominant PD were identified. Eight members of family 1 (five affected) were subjected to whole-genome SNP genotyping; multipoint genome-wide linkage analysis identified 7 regions of potential linkage, and genotyping four additional individuals from family 1 resulted in a maximum logarithm of odds score of 2.09 observed across four chromosomal regions. Exome sequencing of two affected family 1 members identified 15 shared non-synonymous rare coding sequence variants within the linked regions; candidate genes were prioritised and further analysed. Sanger sequencing confirmed a novel heterozygous missense variant (E79K) in orthodenticle homeobox 2 (OTX2) that segregated with the disease phenotype. Family 2 with PD (two affected) harboured the same missense variant in OTX2. A shared haplotype of 19.68 cM encompassing OTX2 was identified between affected individuals in the two families. Within the two families, all except one affected demonstrated distinct 'patterns' at the macula. In vivo structural retinal imaging showed discrete areas of RPE-photoreceptor separation at the macula in all cases. Electroretinogram testing showed generalised photoreceptor degeneration in three cases. Mild developmental anomalies were observed, including optic nerve head dysplasia (four cases), microcornea (one case) and Rathke's cleft cyst (one case); pituitary hormone levels were normal. CONCLUSIONS This is the first report implicating OTX2 to underlie PD. The retinal disease resembles conditional mice models that show slow photoreceptor degeneration secondary to loss of Otx2 function in the adult RPE.
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Affiliation(s)
- Ajoy Vincent
- Department of Ophthalmology, The Hospital for Sick Children, Toronto, Ontario, Canada Program in Genetics and Genome Biology, The Hospital for Sick Children, Toronto, Ontario, Canada University of Toronto, Toronto, Ontario, Canada
| | - Nicole Forster
- Program in Genetics and Genome Biology, The Hospital for Sick Children, Toronto, Ontario, Canada
| | - Jason T Maynes
- Department of Anesthesia and Pain Medicine, The Hospital for Sick Children, Toronto, Ontario, Canada Program in Molecular Structure and Function, The Hospital for Sick Children, Toronto, Ontario, Canada
| | - Tara A Paton
- Program in Genetics and Genome Biology, The Hospital for Sick Children, Toronto, Ontario, Canada The Centre for Applied Genomics, The Hospital for Sick Children, Toronto, Ontario, Canada
| | - Gail Billingsley
- Program in Genetics and Genome Biology, The Hospital for Sick Children, Toronto, Ontario, Canada
| | - Nicole M Roslin
- Program in Genetics and Genome Biology, The Hospital for Sick Children, Toronto, Ontario, Canada The Centre for Applied Genomics, The Hospital for Sick Children, Toronto, Ontario, Canada
| | - Arfan Ali
- Program in Genetics and Genome Biology, The Hospital for Sick Children, Toronto, Ontario, Canada
| | - Joanne Sutherland
- Department of Ophthalmology, The Hospital for Sick Children, Toronto, Ontario, Canada
| | - Tom Wright
- Department of Ophthalmology, The Hospital for Sick Children, Toronto, Ontario, Canada
| | - Carol A Westall
- Department of Ophthalmology, The Hospital for Sick Children, Toronto, Ontario, Canada University of Toronto, Toronto, Ontario, Canada
| | - Andrew D Paterson
- Program in Genetics and Genome Biology, The Hospital for Sick Children, Toronto, Ontario, Canada University of Toronto, Toronto, Ontario, Canada The Centre for Applied Genomics, The Hospital for Sick Children, Toronto, Ontario, Canada
| | - Christian R Marshall
- Program in Genetics and Genome Biology, The Hospital for Sick Children, Toronto, Ontario, Canada The Centre for Applied Genomics, The Hospital for Sick Children, Toronto, Ontario, Canada
| | | | - Elise Héon
- Department of Ophthalmology, The Hospital for Sick Children, Toronto, Ontario, Canada Program in Genetics and Genome Biology, The Hospital for Sick Children, Toronto, Ontario, Canada University of Toronto, Toronto, Ontario, Canada
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