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Canova PN, Charron AJ, Leib DA. Models of Herpes Simplex Virus Latency. Viruses 2024; 16:747. [PMID: 38793628 PMCID: PMC11125678 DOI: 10.3390/v16050747] [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: 04/05/2024] [Revised: 04/29/2024] [Accepted: 05/03/2024] [Indexed: 05/26/2024] Open
Abstract
Our current understanding of HSV latency is based on a variety of clinical observations, and in vivo, ex vivo, and in vitro model systems, each with unique advantages and drawbacks. The criteria for authentically modeling HSV latency include the ability to easily manipulate host genetics and biological pathways, as well as mimicking the immune response and viral pathogenesis in human infections. Although realistically modeling HSV latency is necessary when choosing a model, the cost, time requirement, ethical constraints, and reagent availability are also equally important. Presently, there remains a pressing need for in vivo models that more closely recapitulate human HSV infection. While the current in vivo, ex vivo, and in vitro models used to study HSV latency have limitations, they provide further insights that add to our understanding of latency. In vivo models have shed light on natural infection routes and the interplay between the host immune response and the virus during latency, while in vitro models have been invaluable in elucidating molecular pathways involved in latency. Below, we review the relative advantages and disadvantages of current HSV models and highlight insights gained through each.
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Affiliation(s)
- Paige N. Canova
- Department of Microbiology and Immunology, Geisel School of Medicine at Dartmouth, Lebanon, NH 03756, USA;
- Guarini School of Graduate and Advanced Studies at Dartmouth, Hanover, NH 03755, USA;
| | - Audra J. Charron
- Guarini School of Graduate and Advanced Studies at Dartmouth, Hanover, NH 03755, USA;
| | - David A. Leib
- Guarini School of Graduate and Advanced Studies at Dartmouth, Hanover, NH 03755, USA;
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Pandit M, Akhtar MN, Sundaram S, Sahoo S, Manjunath LE, Eswarappa SM. Termination codon readthrough of NNAT mRNA regulates calcium-mediated neuronal differentiation. J Biol Chem 2023; 299:105184. [PMID: 37611826 PMCID: PMC10506107 DOI: 10.1016/j.jbc.2023.105184] [Citation(s) in RCA: 1] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 03/12/2023] [Revised: 08/15/2023] [Accepted: 08/16/2023] [Indexed: 08/25/2023] Open
Abstract
Termination codon readthrough (TCR) is a process in which ribosomes continue to translate an mRNA beyond a stop codon generating a C-terminally extended protein isoform. Here, we demonstrate TCR in mammalian NNAT mRNA, which encodes NNAT, a proteolipid important for neuronal differentiation. This is a programmed event driven by cis-acting RNA sequences present immediately upstream and downstream of the canonical stop codon and is negatively regulated by NONO, an RNA-binding protein known to promote neuronal differentiation. Unlike the canonical isoform NNAT, we determined that the TCR product (NNATx) does not show detectable interaction with the sarco/endoplasmic reticulum Ca2+-ATPase isoform 2 Ca2+ pump, cannot increase cytoplasmic Ca2+ levels, and therefore does not enhance neuronal differentiation in Neuro-2a cells. Additionally, an antisense oligonucleotide that targets a region downstream of the canonical stop codon reduced TCR of NNAT and enhanced the differentiation of Neuro-2a cells to cholinergic neurons. Furthermore, NNATx-deficient Neuro-2a cells, generated using CRISPR-Cas9, showed increased cytoplasmic Ca2+ levels and enhanced neuronal differentiation. Overall, these results demonstrate regulation of neuronal differentiation by TCR of NNAT. Importantly, this process can be modulated using a synthetic antisense oligonucleotide.
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Affiliation(s)
- Madhuparna Pandit
- Department of Biochemistry, Indian Institute of Science, Bengaluru, Karnataka, India
| | - Md Noor Akhtar
- Department of Biochemistry, Indian Institute of Science, Bengaluru, Karnataka, India
| | - Susinder Sundaram
- Department of Biochemistry, Indian Institute of Science, Bengaluru, Karnataka, India
| | - Sarthak Sahoo
- Undergraduate Program, Indian Institute of Science, Bengaluru, India
| | - Lekha E Manjunath
- Department of Biochemistry, Indian Institute of Science, Bengaluru, Karnataka, India
| | - Sandeep M Eswarappa
- Department of Biochemistry, Indian Institute of Science, Bengaluru, Karnataka, India.
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Gao M, Wang K, Zhao H. GABAergic neurons maturation is regulated by a delicate network. Int J Dev Neurosci 2023; 83:3-15. [PMID: 36401305 DOI: 10.1002/jdn.10242] [Citation(s) in RCA: 2] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 06/04/2022] [Revised: 10/25/2022] [Accepted: 11/13/2022] [Indexed: 11/21/2022] Open
Abstract
Gamma-aminobutyric acid-expressing (GABAergic) neurons are implicated in a variety of neuropsychiatric disorders, such as epilepsy, anxiety, autism, and other pathological processes, including cerebral ischemia injury and drug addiction. Therefore, GABAergic neuronal processes warrant further research. The development of GABAergic neurons is a tightly controlled process involving the activity of multiple transcription and growth factors. Here, we focus on the gene expression pathways and the molecular modulatory networks that are engaged during the development of GABAergic neurons with the goal of exploring regulatory mechanisms that influence GABAergic neuron fate (i.e., maturation). Overall, we hope to provide a basis for clarifying the pathogenesis of neurodegenerative disorders.
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Affiliation(s)
- Mingxing Gao
- Department of Histology and Embryology, School of Basic Medical Science, Jilin University, Changchun, Jilin, China
| | - Kaizhong Wang
- Department of Thoracic Surgery, The First Hospital of Jilin University, Changchun, Jilin, China
| | - Hui Zhao
- Department of Histology and Embryology, School of Basic Medical Science, Jilin University, Changchun, Jilin, China
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Shimizu M, Shibuya H. WNK1/HSN2 mediates neurite outgrowth and differentiation via a OSR1/GSK3β-LHX8 pathway. Sci Rep 2022; 12:15858. [PMID: 36151370 PMCID: PMC9508073 DOI: 10.1038/s41598-022-20271-y] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 02/22/2022] [Accepted: 09/12/2022] [Indexed: 11/24/2022] Open
Abstract
With no lysine kinase 1 (WNK1) phosphorylates and activates STE20/SPS1-related proline-alanine-rich protein kinase (SPAK) and oxidative stress responsive kinase 1 (OSR1) to regulate ion homeostasis in the kidney. Mutations in WNK1 result in dysregulation of the WNK1-SPAK/OSR1 pathway and cause pseudohypoaldosteronism type II (PHAII), a form of hypertension. WNK1 is also involved in the autosomal recessive neuropathy, hereditary sensory and autonomic neuropathy type II (HSANII). Mutations in a neural-specific splice variant of WNK1 (HSN2) cause HSANII. However, the mechanisms underlying HSN2 regulation in neurons and effects of HSN2 mutants remain unclear. Here, we found that HSN2 regulated neurite outgrowth through OSR1 activation and glycogen synthase kinase 3β (GSK3β). Moreover, HSN2-OSR1 and HSN2-GSK3β signalling induced expression of LIM homeobox 8 (Lhx8), which is a key regulator of cholinergic neural function. The HSN2-OSR1/GSK3β-LHX8 pathway is therefore important for neurite outgrowth. Consistently, HSN2 mutants reported in HSANII patients suppressed SPAK and OSR1 activation and LHX8 induction. Interestingly, HSN2 mutants also suppressed neurite outgrowth by preventing interaction of between wild-type HSN2 and GSK3β. These results indicate that HSN2 mutants cause dysregulation of neurite outgrowth via GSK3β in the HSN2 and/or WNK1 pathways.
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Affiliation(s)
- Masahiro Shimizu
- Department of Molecular Cell Biology, Medical Research Institute, Tokyo Medical and Dental University (TMDU), Bunkyo-ku, Tokyo, 113-8510, Japan
| | - Hiroshi Shibuya
- Department of Molecular Cell Biology, Medical Research Institute, Tokyo Medical and Dental University (TMDU), Bunkyo-ku, Tokyo, 113-8510, Japan.
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Leung RF, George AM, Roussel EM, Faux MC, Wigle JT, Eisenstat DD. Genetic Regulation of Vertebrate Forebrain Development by Homeobox Genes. Front Neurosci 2022; 16:843794. [PMID: 35546872 PMCID: PMC9081933 DOI: 10.3389/fnins.2022.843794] [Citation(s) in RCA: 12] [Impact Index Per Article: 6.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 12/30/2021] [Accepted: 03/14/2022] [Indexed: 01/19/2023] Open
Abstract
Forebrain development in vertebrates is regulated by transcription factors encoded by homeobox, bHLH and forkhead gene families throughout the progressive and overlapping stages of neural induction and patterning, regional specification and generation of neurons and glia from central nervous system (CNS) progenitor cells. Moreover, cell fate decisions, differentiation and migration of these committed CNS progenitors are controlled by the gene regulatory networks that are regulated by various homeodomain-containing transcription factors, including but not limited to those of the Pax (paired), Nkx, Otx (orthodenticle), Gsx/Gsh (genetic screened), and Dlx (distal-less) homeobox gene families. This comprehensive review outlines the integral role of key homeobox transcription factors and their target genes on forebrain development, focused primarily on the telencephalon. Furthermore, links of these transcription factors to human diseases, such as neurodevelopmental disorders and brain tumors are provided.
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Affiliation(s)
- Ryan F. Leung
- Murdoch Children’s Research Institute, The Royal Children’s Hospital Melbourne, Parkville, VIC, Australia
- Department of Paediatrics, University of Melbourne, Parkville, VIC, Australia
| | - Ankita M. George
- Murdoch Children’s Research Institute, The Royal Children’s Hospital Melbourne, Parkville, VIC, Australia
| | - Enola M. Roussel
- Murdoch Children’s Research Institute, The Royal Children’s Hospital Melbourne, Parkville, VIC, Australia
| | - Maree C. Faux
- Murdoch Children’s Research Institute, The Royal Children’s Hospital Melbourne, Parkville, VIC, Australia
- Department of Paediatrics, University of Melbourne, Parkville, VIC, Australia
- Department of Surgery, Royal Melbourne Hospital, The University of Melbourne, Parkville, VIC, Australia
| | - Jeffrey T. Wigle
- Department of Biochemistry and Medical Genetics, Max Rady College of Medicine, Rady Faculty of Health Sciences, University of Manitoba, Winnipeg, MB, Canada
- Institute of Cardiovascular Sciences, St. Boniface Hospital Albrechtsen Research Centre, Winnipeg, MB, Canada
| | - David D. Eisenstat
- Murdoch Children’s Research Institute, The Royal Children’s Hospital Melbourne, Parkville, VIC, Australia
- Department of Paediatrics, University of Melbourne, Parkville, VIC, Australia
- Department of Medical Genetics, University of Alberta, Edmonton, AB, Canada
- Department of Pediatrics, University of Alberta, Edmonton, AB, Canada
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Qu J, Li R, Yang F, Liu Y, Li H, Li W, Zhang Q. Functional differentiation of two lhx8 paralogs and possible regulatory role of lhx8a in Japanese flounder (Paralichthys olivaceus). Gene X 2022; 817:146201. [PMID: 35063574 DOI: 10.1016/j.gene.2022.146201] [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: 04/20/2021] [Revised: 11/23/2021] [Accepted: 01/13/2022] [Indexed: 11/16/2022] Open
Abstract
Lhx8, belonging to the LIM-Homebox family, is involved in the tooth, nervous system, and primordial follicles development in mammals. However, little is known about the regulatory roles of lhx8 in teleosts. In this study, two lhx8 duplicates were identified in Paralichthys olivaceus, termed Polhx8a and Polhx8b, respectively. Bioinformatic analysis showed that Polhx8a was more likely to be a teleost-specific paralog. According to expression analysis, Polhx8a transcripts were almost exclusively concentrated in the oocytes, while Polhx8b was weakly expressed in the spleen, gill, and some facial organs, indicating sub-functionalization of this gene pair during evolution. Furthermore, Polhx8a mRNA level elevated from perinucleolar oocyte (PNO) stage to vitellogenic oocyte (VO) stage transition and changed after exogenous hormone stimulation, proving that Polhx8a was involved in the oocyte development and could be regulated by sex hormones. Yeast two-hybrid, bimolecular fluorescence complementation (BiFC) and co-immunoprecipitation (co-IP) experiments captured the positive protein interactions between PoLhx8a and the other two oocyte-specific transcription factors: PoFigla and PoNobox. After knocking down lhx8a in embryos or adult ovaries in vivo, the expression of oocyte-associated genes was significantly down-regulated (P < 0.05). Our findings suggest the evolution and functional differentiation of lhx8 genes, and shed light on the potential role of lhx8a in protein interactions and gene regulation in teleosts.
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Affiliation(s)
- Jiangbo Qu
- Key Laboratory of Marine Genetics and Breeding, Ministry of Education, Ocean University of China, 266003 Qingdao, Shandong, China
| | - Rui Li
- Key Laboratory of Marine Genetics and Breeding, Ministry of Education, Ocean University of China, 266003 Qingdao, Shandong, China
| | - Fan Yang
- Key Laboratory of Marine Genetics and Breeding, Ministry of Education, Ocean University of China, 266003 Qingdao, Shandong, China
| | - Yuxiang Liu
- Key Laboratory of Marine Genetics and Breeding, Ministry of Education, Ocean University of China, 266003 Qingdao, Shandong, China
| | - Hengshun Li
- Key Laboratory of Marine Genetics and Breeding, Ministry of Education, Ocean University of China, 266003 Qingdao, Shandong, China
| | - Wenlong Li
- Marine Flatfish Genetic Breeding Center, Yellow Sea Fisheries Research Institute, Chinese Academy of Fishery Sciences, 266071 Qingdao, Shandong, China
| | - Quanqi Zhang
- Key Laboratory of Marine Genetics and Breeding, Ministry of Education, Ocean University of China, 266003 Qingdao, Shandong, China; Laboratory for Marine Fisheries Science and Food Production Process, Qingdao National Laboratory for Marine Science and Technology, 266237 Qingdao, Shandong, China; Laboratary of Tropical Marine Germplasm Resoures and Breeding Engineering, Sanya Oceanographic Institution, Ocean University of China, 572000 Sanya, Hainan, China.
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Shams H, Matsunaga A, Ma Q, Mofrad MR, Didonna A. Methylation at a conserved lysine residue modulates tau assembly and cellular functions. Mol Cell Neurosci 2022; 120:103707. [DOI: 10.1016/j.mcn.2022.103707] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 10/14/2021] [Revised: 02/14/2022] [Accepted: 02/22/2022] [Indexed: 11/30/2022] Open
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Wang D, Zhang H, Zeng M, Tang X, Zhu X, Guo Y, Qi L, Xie Y, Zhang M, Chen D. Maternal high sugar and fat diet benefits offspring brain function via targeting on the gut-brain axis. Aging (Albany NY) 2021; 13:10240-10274. [PMID: 33819195 PMCID: PMC8064210 DOI: 10.18632/aging.202787] [Citation(s) in RCA: 4] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 05/06/2020] [Accepted: 10/31/2020] [Indexed: 01/03/2023]
Abstract
A recent study showed that a gestational high fat diet protects 3xTg-AD offspring from memory impairments, synaptic dysfunction, and brain pathology. However, it is unknown whether this diet exerts the same effects on normal mice or on other functions, and if so, how. In the present study, mother mice were pre-fed a high sugar and high fat (HSHF) diet for 1 month and then fertilized; the HSHF diet was continued until birth and then mother mice were returned to a standard diet. The gut microbiota, and intestinal and brain functions of the offspring were dynamically monitored at 7, 14, 28, and 56 days old until 16 months of age. Results showed that the HSHF diet significantly affected the gut microbiota structure of the offspring, especially during the early life stage. In addition, in the HSHF diet offspring, there were influenced on various types of neurons, including cholinergic and GABAergic neurons, on autophagy levels in the brain, and on inflammation levels in the intestinal tract. When the offspring grew older (16 months), we found that some genes of benefit against nervous system disease were activated, such as Lhx8, GPR88, RGS9, CD4, DRD2, RXRG, and Syt6, and the expression of cholinergic and GABAergic neurons biomarker protein increased. Although the inflammation levels in the nervous and peripheral systems showed no obvious differences, the AFP level of individuals on the HSHF diet was much higher than those on the standard diet, suggesting that more accurate and/or personalized nutrition is needed. Taken together, the results show that a maternal HSHF diet benefits the offspring by reducing the risk of nervous diseases, which might depend on LHX8 activation to modulate cholinergic and GABAergic neurons via the gut–brain axis, but still need much more deep studies.
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Affiliation(s)
- Dongdong Wang
- State Key Laboratory of Applied Microbiology Southern China, Guangdong Provincial Key Laboratory of Microbial Safety and Health, Guangdong Institute of Microbiology, Guangdong Academy of Sciences, Guangzhou 510070, Guangdong, China
| | - Haiting Zhang
- Guangdong Second Provincial General Hospital, Guangzhou 510000, Guangdong, China
| | - Miao Zeng
- State Key Laboratory of Applied Microbiology Southern China, Guangdong Provincial Key Laboratory of Microbial Safety and Health, Guangdong Institute of Microbiology, Guangdong Academy of Sciences, Guangzhou 510070, Guangdong, China.,Chengdu University of Traditional Chinese Medicine, Chengdu 610075, Sichun, China
| | - Xiaocui Tang
- State Key Laboratory of Applied Microbiology Southern China, Guangdong Provincial Key Laboratory of Microbial Safety and Health, Guangdong Institute of Microbiology, Guangdong Academy of Sciences, Guangzhou 510070, Guangdong, China
| | - Xiangxiang Zhu
- State Key Laboratory of Applied Microbiology Southern China, Guangdong Provincial Key Laboratory of Microbial Safety and Health, Guangdong Institute of Microbiology, Guangdong Academy of Sciences, Guangzhou 510070, Guangdong, China.,Academy of Life Sciences, Jinan University, Guangzhou 510000, Guangdong, China
| | - Yinrui Guo
- State Key Laboratory of Applied Microbiology Southern China, Guangdong Provincial Key Laboratory of Microbial Safety and Health, Guangdong Institute of Microbiology, Guangdong Academy of Sciences, Guangzhou 510070, Guangdong, China
| | - Longkai Qi
- State Key Laboratory of Applied Microbiology Southern China, Guangdong Provincial Key Laboratory of Microbial Safety and Health, Guangdong Institute of Microbiology, Guangdong Academy of Sciences, Guangzhou 510070, Guangdong, China
| | - Yizhen Xie
- State Key Laboratory of Applied Microbiology Southern China, Guangdong Provincial Key Laboratory of Microbial Safety and Health, Guangdong Institute of Microbiology, Guangdong Academy of Sciences, Guangzhou 510070, Guangdong, China
| | - Mei Zhang
- Chengdu University of Traditional Chinese Medicine, Chengdu 610075, Sichun, China
| | - Diling Chen
- State Key Laboratory of Applied Microbiology Southern China, Guangdong Provincial Key Laboratory of Microbial Safety and Health, Guangdong Institute of Microbiology, Guangdong Academy of Sciences, Guangzhou 510070, Guangdong, China
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Zhao H, Jin T, Cheng X, Qin J, Zhang L, He H, Xue J, Jin G. GAS5 which is regulated by Lhx8 promotes the recovery of learning and memory in rats with cholinergic nerve injury. Life Sci 2020; 260:118388. [PMID: 32890602 DOI: 10.1016/j.lfs.2020.118388] [Citation(s) in RCA: 7] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.8] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 11/27/2019] [Revised: 08/03/2020] [Accepted: 08/30/2020] [Indexed: 01/24/2023]
Abstract
Damage to the cholinergic system in central nervous system injuries such as traumatic brain injury (TBI) and neurodegenerative diseases leads to impaired learning and cognition. Neural stem cells (NSCs) have self-renewal capacity and multi-directional differentiation potential and considered the best source of cells for cell replacement therapy. However, how to promote the differentiation of NSCs into neurons is a major challenge in current research. Lhx8 has a specific effect on the development of the cholinergic nervous system, but its exact function is unclear. In this study, we found that Lhx8 could regulate the expression of Growth arrest-specific (GAS)5 which has been implicated in cancer but was less studied in the nervous system. Additionally, results from PCR, fluorescence in situ hybridization, and immunocytochemical analyses showed that GAS5 is mainly expressed in the cytoplasm of hippocampal neural stems cells and promotes their differentiation into neurons; the Morris water maze test demonstrated that GAS5 overexpression restored learning and memory in rats with cholinergic injury. These findings indicate that GAS5, which is regulated by Lhx8, improve brain function following cholinergic nerve injury.
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Affiliation(s)
- Heyan Zhao
- Department of Human Anatomy, The Jiangsu Key Laboratory of Neuroregeneration, Medical School, Nantong University, Nantong, Jiangsu Province, China
| | - Tianren Jin
- Department of Human Anatomy, The Jiangsu Key Laboratory of Neuroregeneration, Medical School, Nantong University, Nantong, Jiangsu Province, China
| | - Xiang Cheng
- Department of Human Anatomy, The Jiangsu Key Laboratory of Neuroregeneration, Medical School, Nantong University, Nantong, Jiangsu Province, China
| | - Jianbing Qin
- Department of Human Anatomy, The Jiangsu Key Laboratory of Neuroregeneration, Medical School, Nantong University, Nantong, Jiangsu Province, China
| | - Lei Zhang
- Department of Human Anatomy, The Jiangsu Key Laboratory of Neuroregeneration, Medical School, Nantong University, Nantong, Jiangsu Province, China
| | - Hui He
- Department of Human Anatomy, The Jiangsu Key Laboratory of Neuroregeneration, Medical School, Nantong University, Nantong, Jiangsu Province, China
| | - Jianhua Xue
- Departments of Emergency Surgery, Affiliated Hospital of Nantong University, Nantong, Nantong, China
| | - Guohua Jin
- Department of Human Anatomy, The Jiangsu Key Laboratory of Neuroregeneration, Medical School, Nantong University, Nantong, Jiangsu Province, China.
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Silva MC, Haggarty SJ. Human pluripotent stem cell-derived models and drug screening in CNS precision medicine. Ann N Y Acad Sci 2020; 1471:18-56. [PMID: 30875083 PMCID: PMC8193821 DOI: 10.1111/nyas.14012] [Citation(s) in RCA: 39] [Impact Index Per Article: 9.8] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 08/27/2018] [Revised: 01/02/2019] [Accepted: 01/07/2019] [Indexed: 12/12/2022]
Abstract
Development of effective therapeutics for neurological disorders has historically been challenging partly because of lack of accurate model systems in which to investigate disease etiology and test new therapeutics at the preclinical stage. Human stem cells, particularly patient-derived induced pluripotent stem cells (iPSCs) upon differentiation, have the ability to recapitulate aspects of disease pathophysiology and are increasingly recognized as robust scalable systems for drug discovery. We review advances in deriving cellular models of human central nervous system (CNS) disorders using iPSCs along with strategies for investigating disease-relevant phenotypes, translatable biomarkers, and therapeutic targets. Given their potential to identify novel therapeutic targets and leads, we focus on phenotype-based, small-molecule screens employing human stem cell-derived models. Integrated efforts to assemble patient iPSC-derived cell models with deeply annotated clinicopathological data, along with molecular and drug-response signatures, may aid in the stratification of patients, diagnostics, and clinical trial success, shifting translational science and precision medicine approaches. A number of remaining challenges, including the optimization of cost-effective, large-scale culture of iPSC-derived cell types, incorporation of aging into neuronal models, as well as robustness and automation of phenotypic assays to support quantitative drug efficacy, toxicity, and metabolism testing workflows, are covered. Continued advancement of the field is expected to help fully humanize the process of CNS drug discovery.
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Affiliation(s)
- M. Catarina Silva
- Chemical Neurobiology Laboratory, Departments of Neurology and Psychiatry, Massachusetts General Hospital, Center for Genomic Medicine, Harvard Medical School, Boston MA, USA
| | - Stephen J. Haggarty
- Chemical Neurobiology Laboratory, Departments of Neurology and Psychiatry, Massachusetts General Hospital, Center for Genomic Medicine, Harvard Medical School, Boston MA, USA
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Chen SD, Li HQ, Cui M, Dong Q, Yu JT. Pluripotent stem cells for neurodegenerative disease modeling: an expert view on their value to drug discovery. Expert Opin Drug Discov 2020; 15:1081-1094. [PMID: 32425128 DOI: 10.1080/17460441.2020.1767579] [Citation(s) in RCA: 7] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.8] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 12/12/2022]
Abstract
INTRODUCTION Neurodegenerative diseases have become a major global health concern, posing a huge disease burden on patients and their families. Although there has been rapid progress in the development of therapies, a lack of accurate disease models and efficient drug screening platforms have made achieving a breakthrough difficult. The technology of human-induced pluripotent stem cells (iPSCs) shows better recapitulation of disease pathophysiology and provides a more accessible supply of patient-specific samples compared to other modeling methods. It has been a powerful tool for mechanism exploration and drug development. AREAS COVERED This review describes the recent use of human iPSC-derived cells for modeling neurodegenerative disorders and discovering potential drugs. EXPERT OPINION Model systems based on iPSC-derived cells have created a paradigm shift in drug discovery. Accuracy, consistency, translatability, and cost-effectiveness are the four major focuses of academic and industrial communities to fulfill the potential of iPSC technology for their purposes. It is the art of balance between these four factors to generate efficacious outputs with maximum efficiency. Future studies should persist in refining this technology and promote its application in this field to benefit all the disease-affected population eventually.
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Affiliation(s)
- Shi-Dong Chen
- Department of Neurology and Institute of Neurology, Huashan Hospital, Shanghai Medical College, Fudan University , Shanghai, China
| | - Hong-Qi Li
- Department of Neurology and Institute of Neurology, Huashan Hospital, Shanghai Medical College, Fudan University , Shanghai, China
| | - Mei Cui
- Department of Neurology and Institute of Neurology, Huashan Hospital, Shanghai Medical College, Fudan University , Shanghai, China
| | - Qiang Dong
- Department of Neurology and Institute of Neurology, Huashan Hospital, Shanghai Medical College, Fudan University , Shanghai, China
| | - Jin-Tai Yu
- Department of Neurology and Institute of Neurology, Huashan Hospital, Shanghai Medical College, Fudan University , Shanghai, China
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Chang CC, Kuo HY, Chen SY, Lin WT, Lu KM, Saito T, Liu FC. Developmental characterization of Zswim5 expression in the progenitor domains and tangential migration pathways of cortical interneurons in the mouse forebrain. J Comp Neurol 2020; 528:2404-2419. [PMID: 32144752 DOI: 10.1002/cne.24900] [Citation(s) in RCA: 3] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.8] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 07/29/2019] [Revised: 03/04/2020] [Accepted: 03/04/2020] [Indexed: 12/18/2022]
Abstract
GABAergic interneurons play an essential role in modulating cortical networks. The progenitor domains of cortical interneurons are localized in developing ventral forebrain, including the medial ganglionic eminence (MGE), caudal ganglionic eminence (CGE), preoptic area (POA), and preoptic hypothalamic border domain (POH). Here, we characterized the expression pattern of Zswim5, an MGE-enriched gene in the mouse forebrain. At E11.5-E13.5, prominent Zswim5 expression was detected in the subventricular zone (SVZ) of MGE, POA, and POH, but not CGE of ventral telencephalon where progenitors of cortical interneurons resided. At E15.5 and E17.5, Zswim5 expression remained in the MGE/pallidum primordium and ventral germinal zone. Zswim5 mRNA was markedly decreased after birth and was absent in the adult forebrain. Interestingly, the Zswim5 expression pattern resembled the tangential migration pathways of cortical interneurons. Zswim5-positive cells in the MGE appeared to migrate from the MGE through the SVZ of LGE to overlying neocortex. Indeed, Zswim5 was co-localized with Nkx2.1 and Lhx6, markers of progenitors and migratory cortical interneurons. Double labeling showed that Ascl1/Mash1-positive cells co-expressed Zswim5. Zswim5 expressing cells contained none or at most low levels of Ki67 but co-expressed Tuj1 in the SVZ of MGE. These results suggest that Zswim5 is immediately upregulated as progenitors exiting cell cycle become postmitotic. Given that recent studies have elucidated that the cell fate of cortical interneurons is determined shortly after becoming postmitotic, the timing of Zswim5 expression in early postmitotic interneurons suggests a potential role of Zswim5 in regulation of neurogenesis and tangential migration of cortical interneurons.
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Affiliation(s)
- Chuan-Chie Chang
- Institute of Neuroscience, National Yang-Ming University, Taipei, Taiwan
| | - Hsiao-Ying Kuo
- Institute of Neuroscience, National Yang-Ming University, Taipei, Taiwan
| | - Shih-Yun Chen
- Institute of Neuroscience, National Yang-Ming University, Taipei, Taiwan
| | - Wan-Ting Lin
- Institute of Neuroscience, National Yang-Ming University, Taipei, Taiwan
| | - Kuan-Ming Lu
- Institute of Neuroscience, National Yang-Ming University, Taipei, Taiwan
| | - Tetsuichiro Saito
- Department of Developmental Biology, Graduate School of Medicine, Chiba University, Chiba, Japan
| | - Fu-Chin Liu
- Institute of Neuroscience, National Yang-Ming University, Taipei, Taiwan
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13
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Neural In Vitro Models for Studying Substances Acting on the Central Nervous System. Handb Exp Pharmacol 2020; 265:111-141. [PMID: 32594299 DOI: 10.1007/164_2020_367] [Citation(s) in RCA: 8] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 12/13/2022]
Abstract
Animal models have been greatly contributing to our understanding of physiology, mechanisms of diseases, and toxicity. Yet, their limitations due to, e.g., interspecies variation are reflected in the high number of drug attrition rates, especially in central nervous system (CNS) diseases. Therefore, human-based neural in vitro models for studying safety and efficacy of substances acting on the CNS are needed. Human iPSC-derived cells offer such a platform with the unique advantage of reproducing the "human context" in vitro by preserving the genetic and molecular phenotype of their donors. Guiding the differentiation of hiPSC into cells of the nervous system and combining them in a 2D or 3D format allows to obtain complex models suitable for investigating neurotoxicity or brain-related diseases with patient-derived cells. This chapter will give an overview over stem cell-based human 2D neuronal and mixed neuronal/astrocyte models, in vitro cultures of microglia, as well as CNS disease models and considers new developments in the field, more specifically the use of brain organoids and 3D bioprinted in vitro models for safety and efficacy evaluation.
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14
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Wullimann MF, Umeasalugo KE. Sonic hedgehog expression in zebrafish forebrain identifies the teleostean pallidal signaling center and shows preglomerular complex and posterior tubercular dopamine cells to arise from shh cells. J Comp Neurol 2019; 528:1321-1348. [PMID: 31760659 DOI: 10.1002/cne.24825] [Citation(s) in RCA: 16] [Impact Index Per Article: 3.2] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 09/03/2019] [Revised: 11/15/2019] [Accepted: 11/16/2019] [Indexed: 12/16/2022]
Abstract
Ventralization, a major patterning process in the developing vertebrate neural tube (central nervous system, CNS), depends on Sonic hedgehog (SHH) as a main signaling morphogen. We studied the CNS of late larval and young adult zebrafish in a transgenic shh-GFP line revealing increased neuroanatomical detail due to the progressed differentiation state compared to earlier stages. Some major findings emerge from the present study. (a) shh -GFP is still expressed along the adult zebrafish CNS neuraxis in most locations seen in larvae. (b) We newly identify a ventroposterior shh pallidal domain representing the basal telencephalic signaling center important for basal ganglia development known in other vertebrates (i.e., the anterior entopeduncular area-basal medial ganglionic eminence of mammals). (c) We further show late-emerging shh-GFP positive radial glia cells in the medial zone of the dorsal telencephalon (i.e., the teleostan pallial amygdala). (d) Immunostains for tyrosine hydroxylase demonstrate that there is selective colocalization in adult dopamine cells with shh-GFP in the posterior tuberculum, including in projection cells to striatum, which represents a striking parallel to amniote mesodiencephalic dopamine cell origin from shh expressing floor plate cells. (e) There is no colocalization of shh and islet1 as shown by respective shh-GFP and islet1-GFP lines. (f) The only radially far migrated shh-GFP cells are located in the preglomerular area. (g) There are no adult cerebellar and tectal shh-GFP cells confirming their exclusive role during early development as previously reported by our laboratory.
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Affiliation(s)
- Mario F Wullimann
- Department Biology II, Division of Neurobiology, Ludwig-Maximilians-Universität München (LMU Munich), Munich, Germany
| | - Kosisochukwu E Umeasalugo
- Department Biology II, Division of Neurobiology, Ludwig-Maximilians-Universität München (LMU Munich), Munich, Germany
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15
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Zhao HY, Zhang ST, Cheng X, Li HM, Zhang L, He H, Qin JB, Zhang WY, Sun Y, Jin GH. Long non-coding RNA GAS5 promotes PC12 cells differentiation into Tuj1-positive neuron-like cells and induces cell cycle arrest. Neural Regen Res 2019; 14:2118-2125. [PMID: 31397350 PMCID: PMC6788226 DOI: 10.4103/1673-5374.262592] [Citation(s) in RCA: 11] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.2] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 01/25/2023] Open
Abstract
Growth arrest-specific 5 (GAS5) is an anti-oncogene that has been extensively studied in tumors. However, research on GAS5 in the context of nervous system disease is rare at present. This study aimed to investigate the role of the long non-coding RNA GAS5 in rat pheochromocytoma cells (PC12 cells). GAS5-overexpressing lentivirus was transfected into PC12 cells, and expression levels of GAS5 and C-myc were detected by real-time PCR. Ratios of cells in S phase were detected by 5-ethynyl-2′-deoxyuridine. Immunohistochemical staining was used to detect the immunoreactivity of neuron microtubule markers Tuj1, doublecortin, and microtubule-associated protein 2. Apoptosis was detected by flow cytometry, while expression of acetylcholine in cells was detected by western blot assay. We found that GAS5 can promote PC12 cells to differentiate into Tuj1-positive neuron-like cells with longer processes. In addition, cell proliferation and cell cycle were significantly suppressed by GAS5, whereas it had no effect on apoptosis of PC12 cells. Our results indicate that GAS5 could increase the expression of choline acetyltransferase and acetylcholine release. Thus, we speculate that GAS5 is beneficial to the recovery of neurons and the cholinergic nervous system.
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Affiliation(s)
- He-Yan Zhao
- Department of Human Anatomy, the Jiangsu Key Laboratory of Neuroregeneration, Medical School, Nantong University, Nantong, Jiangsu Province, China
| | - Sheng-Tong Zhang
- Department of Human Anatomy, the Jiangsu Key Laboratory of Neuroregeneration, Medical School, Nantong University, Nantong, Jiangsu Province, China
| | - Xiang Cheng
- Department of Human Anatomy, the Jiangsu Key Laboratory of Neuroregeneration, Medical School, Nantong University, Nantong, Jiangsu Province, China
| | - Hao-Ming Li
- Department of Human Anatomy, the Jiangsu Key Laboratory of Neuroregeneration, Medical School, Nantong University, Nantong, Jiangsu Province, China
| | - Lei Zhang
- Department of Human Anatomy, the Jiangsu Key Laboratory of Neuroregeneration, Medical School, Nantong University, Nantong, Jiangsu Province, China
| | - Hui He
- Department of Human Anatomy, the Jiangsu Key Laboratory of Neuroregeneration, Medical School, Nantong University, Nantong, Jiangsu Province, China
| | - Jian-Bing Qin
- Department of Human Anatomy, the Jiangsu Key Laboratory of Neuroregeneration, Medical School, Nantong University, Nantong, Jiangsu Province, China
| | - Wei-Ye Zhang
- Department of Human Anatomy, the Jiangsu Key Laboratory of Neuroregeneration, Medical School, Nantong University, Nantong, Jiangsu Province, China
| | - Yan Sun
- Department of Human Anatomy, the Jiangsu Key Laboratory of Neuroregeneration, Medical School, Nantong University, Nantong, Jiangsu Province, China
| | - Guo-Hua Jin
- Department of Human Anatomy, the Jiangsu Key Laboratory of Neuroregeneration, Medical School, Nantong University, Nantong, Jiangsu Province, China
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16
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Ma K, Deng X, Xia X, Fan Z, Qi X, Wang Y, Li Y, Ma Y, Chen Q, Peng H, Ding J, Li C, Huang Y, Tian C, Zheng JC. Direct conversion of mouse astrocytes into neural progenitor cells and specific lineages of neurons. Transl Neurodegener 2018; 7:29. [PMID: 30410751 PMCID: PMC6217767 DOI: 10.1186/s40035-018-0132-x] [Citation(s) in RCA: 24] [Impact Index Per Article: 4.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 07/25/2018] [Accepted: 10/11/2018] [Indexed: 12/26/2022] Open
Abstract
Background Cell replacement therapy has been envisioned as a promising treatment for neurodegenerative diseases. Due to the ethical concerns of ESCs-derived neural progenitor cells (NPCs) and tumorigenic potential of iPSCs, reprogramming of somatic cells directly into multipotent NPCs has emerged as a preferred approach for cell transplantation. Methods Mouse astrocytes were reprogrammed into NPCs by the overexpression of transcription factors (TFs) Foxg1, Sox2, and Brn2. The generation of subtypes of neurons was directed by the force expression of cell-type specific TFs Lhx8 or Foxa2/Lmx1a. Results Astrocyte-derived induced NPCs (AiNPCs) share high similarities, including the expression of NPC-specific genes, DNA methylation patterns, the ability to proliferate and differentiate, with the wild type NPCs. The AiNPCs are committed to the forebrain identity and predominantly differentiated into glutamatergic and GABAergic neuronal subtypes. Interestingly, additional overexpression of TFs Lhx8 and Foxa2/Lmx1a in AiNPCs promoted cholinergic and dopaminergic neuronal differentiation, respectively. Conclusions Our studies suggest that astrocytes can be converted into AiNPCs and lineage-committed AiNPCs can acquire differentiation potential of other lineages through forced expression of specific TFs. Understanding the impact of the TF sets on the reprogramming and differentiation into specific lineages of neurons will provide valuable strategies for astrocyte-based cell therapy in neurodegenerative diseases.
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Affiliation(s)
- Kangmu Ma
- 1Center for Translational Neurodegeneration and Regenerative Therapy, Shanghai Tenth People's Hospital affiliated to Tongji University School of Medicine, Shanghai, 200072 China.,3Departments of Pharmacology and Experimental Neuroscience, University of Nebraska Medical Center, Omaha, NE 68198-5930 USA
| | - Xiaobei Deng
- 1Center for Translational Neurodegeneration and Regenerative Therapy, Shanghai Tenth People's Hospital affiliated to Tongji University School of Medicine, Shanghai, 200072 China
| | - Xiaohuan Xia
- 1Center for Translational Neurodegeneration and Regenerative Therapy, Shanghai Tenth People's Hospital affiliated to Tongji University School of Medicine, Shanghai, 200072 China
| | - Zhaohuan Fan
- 1Center for Translational Neurodegeneration and Regenerative Therapy, Shanghai Tenth People's Hospital affiliated to Tongji University School of Medicine, Shanghai, 200072 China
| | - Xinrui Qi
- 1Center for Translational Neurodegeneration and Regenerative Therapy, Shanghai Tenth People's Hospital affiliated to Tongji University School of Medicine, Shanghai, 200072 China
| | - Yongxiang Wang
- 1Center for Translational Neurodegeneration and Regenerative Therapy, Shanghai Tenth People's Hospital affiliated to Tongji University School of Medicine, Shanghai, 200072 China.,3Departments of Pharmacology and Experimental Neuroscience, University of Nebraska Medical Center, Omaha, NE 68198-5930 USA
| | - Yuju Li
- 1Center for Translational Neurodegeneration and Regenerative Therapy, Shanghai Tenth People's Hospital affiliated to Tongji University School of Medicine, Shanghai, 200072 China.,3Departments of Pharmacology and Experimental Neuroscience, University of Nebraska Medical Center, Omaha, NE 68198-5930 USA
| | - Yizhao Ma
- 1Center for Translational Neurodegeneration and Regenerative Therapy, Shanghai Tenth People's Hospital affiliated to Tongji University School of Medicine, Shanghai, 200072 China
| | - Qiang Chen
- 1Center for Translational Neurodegeneration and Regenerative Therapy, Shanghai Tenth People's Hospital affiliated to Tongji University School of Medicine, Shanghai, 200072 China.,3Departments of Pharmacology and Experimental Neuroscience, University of Nebraska Medical Center, Omaha, NE 68198-5930 USA
| | - Hui Peng
- 3Departments of Pharmacology and Experimental Neuroscience, University of Nebraska Medical Center, Omaha, NE 68198-5930 USA
| | - Jianqing Ding
- 4Department of Neurology & Institute of Neurology, Ruijin Hospital affiliated to Shanghai Jiao Tong University School of Medicine, Shanghai, 200025 China
| | - Chunhong Li
- 1Center for Translational Neurodegeneration and Regenerative Therapy, Shanghai Tenth People's Hospital affiliated to Tongji University School of Medicine, Shanghai, 200072 China
| | - Yunlong Huang
- 1Center for Translational Neurodegeneration and Regenerative Therapy, Shanghai Tenth People's Hospital affiliated to Tongji University School of Medicine, Shanghai, 200072 China.,3Departments of Pharmacology and Experimental Neuroscience, University of Nebraska Medical Center, Omaha, NE 68198-5930 USA
| | - Changhai Tian
- 1Center for Translational Neurodegeneration and Regenerative Therapy, Shanghai Tenth People's Hospital affiliated to Tongji University School of Medicine, Shanghai, 200072 China.,3Departments of Pharmacology and Experimental Neuroscience, University of Nebraska Medical Center, Omaha, NE 68198-5930 USA
| | - Jialin C Zheng
- 1Center for Translational Neurodegeneration and Regenerative Therapy, Shanghai Tenth People's Hospital affiliated to Tongji University School of Medicine, Shanghai, 200072 China.,2Collaborative Innovation Center for Brain Science, Tongji University, Shanghai, 200092 China.,3Departments of Pharmacology and Experimental Neuroscience, University of Nebraska Medical Center, Omaha, NE 68198-5930 USA.,5Department of Pathology and Microbiology, University of Nebraska Medical Center, Omaha, NE 68198-5930 USA
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17
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FABP3 in the Anterior Cingulate Cortex Modulates the Methylation Status of the Glutamic Acid Decarboxylase 67 Promoter Region. J Neurosci 2018; 38:10411-10423. [PMID: 30341178 DOI: 10.1523/jneurosci.1285-18.2018] [Citation(s) in RCA: 21] [Impact Index Per Article: 3.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 05/21/2018] [Revised: 09/17/2018] [Accepted: 10/09/2018] [Indexed: 11/21/2022] Open
Abstract
Polyunsaturated fatty acids (PUFAs) are essential for brain development and function. Increasing evidence has shown that an imbalance of PUFAs is associated with various human psychiatric disorders, including autism and schizophrenia. Fatty acid-binding proteins (FABPs), cellular chaperones of PUFAs, are involved in PUFA intracellular trafficking, signal transduction, and gene transcription. In this study, we show that FABP3 is strongly expressed in the GABAergic inhibitory interneurons of the male mouse anterior cingulate cortex (ACC), which is a component of the limbic cortex and is important for the coordination of cognitive and emotional behaviors. Interestingly, Fabp3 KO male mice show an increase in the expression of the gene encoding the GABA-synthesizing enzyme glutamic acid decarboxylase 67 (Gad67) in the ACC. In the ACC of Fabp3 KO mice, Gad67 promoter methylation and the binding of methyl-CpG binding protein 2 (MeCP2) and histone deacetylase 1 (HDAC1) to the Gad67 promoter are significantly decreased compared with those in WT mice. The abnormal cognitive and emotional behaviors of Fabp3 KO mice are restored by methionine administration. Notably, methionine administration normalizes Gad67 promoter methylation and its mRNA expression in the ACC of Fabp3 KO mice. These findings demonstrate that FABP3 is involved in the control of DNA methylation of the Gad67 promoter and activation of GABAergic neurons in the ACC, thus suggesting the importance of PUFA homeostasis in the ACC for cognitive and emotional behaviors.SIGNIFICANCE STATEMENT The ACC is important for emotional and cognitive processing. However, the mechanisms underlying its involvement in the control of behavioral responses are largely unknown. We show the following new observations: (1) FABP3, a PUFA cellular chaperone, is exclusively expressed in GABAergic interneurons in the ACC; (2) an increase in Gad67 expression is detected in the ACC of Fabp3 KO mice; (3) the Gad67 promoter is hypomethylated and the binding of transcriptional repressor complexes is decreased in the ACC of Fabp3 KO mice; and (4) elevated Gad67 expression and abnormal behaviors seen in Fabp3 KO mice are mostly recovered by methionine treatment. These suggest that FABP3 regulates GABA synthesis through transcriptional regulation of Gad67 in the ACC.
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18
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Hessel EVS, Staal YCM, Piersma AH. Design and validation of an ontology-driven animal-free testing strategy for developmental neurotoxicity testing. Toxicol Appl Pharmacol 2018; 354:136-152. [PMID: 29544899 DOI: 10.1016/j.taap.2018.03.013] [Citation(s) in RCA: 21] [Impact Index Per Article: 3.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 12/08/2017] [Revised: 02/26/2018] [Accepted: 03/11/2018] [Indexed: 12/26/2022]
Abstract
Developmental neurotoxicity entails one of the most complex areas in toxicology. Animal studies provide only limited information as to human relevance. A multitude of alternative models have been developed over the years, providing insights into mechanisms of action. We give an overview of fundamental processes in neural tube formation, brain development and neural specification, aiming at illustrating complexity rather than comprehensiveness. We also give a flavor of the wealth of alternative methods in this area. Given the impressive progress in mechanistic knowledge of human biology and toxicology, the time is right for a conceptual approach for designing testing strategies that cover the integral mechanistic landscape of developmental neurotoxicity. The ontology approach provides a framework for defining this landscape, upon which an integral in silico model for predicting toxicity can be built. It subsequently directs the selection of in vitro assays for rate-limiting events in the biological network, to feed parameter tuning in the model, leading to prediction of the toxicological outcome. Validation of such models requires primary attention to coverage of the biological domain, rather than classical predictive value of individual tests. Proofs of concept for such an approach are already available. The challenge is in mining modern biology, toxicology and chemical information to feed intelligent designs, which will define testing strategies for neurodevelopmental toxicity testing.
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Affiliation(s)
- Ellen V S Hessel
- Center for Health Protection, National Institute for Public Health and The Environment (RIVM), P.O. Box 1, 3720BA Bilthoven, The Netherlands.
| | - Yvonne C M Staal
- Center for Health Protection, National Institute for Public Health and The Environment (RIVM), P.O. Box 1, 3720BA Bilthoven, The Netherlands
| | - Aldert H Piersma
- Center for Health Protection, National Institute for Public Health and The Environment (RIVM), P.O. Box 1, 3720BA Bilthoven, The Netherlands; Institute for Risk Assessment Sciences (IRAS), Utrecht University, Utrecht, The Netherlands
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19
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Chi L, Fan B, Feng D, Chen Z, Liu Z, Hui Y, Xu X, Ma L, Fang Y, Zhang Q, Jin G, Liu L, Guan F, Zhang X. The Dorsoventral Patterning of Human Forebrain Follows an Activation/Transformation Model. Cereb Cortex 2018; 27:2941-2954. [PMID: 27226442 DOI: 10.1093/cercor/bhw152] [Citation(s) in RCA: 17] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.8] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 12/19/2022] Open
Abstract
The anteroposterior patterning of the central nervous system follows an activation/transformation model, which proposes that a prospective telencephalic fate will be activated by default during the neural induction stage, while this anterior fate could be transformed posteriorly according to caudalization morphogens. Although both extrinsic signals and intrinsic transcription factors have been implicated in dorsoventral (DV) specification of vertebrate telencephalon, the DV patterning model remains elusive. This is especially true in human considering its evolutionary trait and uniqueness of gene regulatory networks during neural induction. Here, we point to a model that human forebrain DV patterning also follows an activation/transformation paradigm. Human neuroectoderm (NE) will activate a forebrain dorsal fate automatically and this default anterior dorsal fate does not depend on Wnts activation or Pax6 expression. Forced expression of Pax6 in human NE hinders its ventralization even under sonic hedgehog (Shh) treatment, suggesting that the ventral fate is repressed by dorsal genes. Genetic manipulation of Nkx2.1, a key gene for forebrain ventral progenitors, shows that Nkx2.1 is neither necessary nor sufficient for Shh-driven ventralization. We thus propose that Shh represses dorsal genes of human NE and subsequently transforms the primitively activated dorsal fate ventrally in a repression release manner.
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Affiliation(s)
- Liankai Chi
- Department of Physiology and Pathophysiology, School of Basic Medical Sciences and.,School of Life Sciences, Zhengzhou University, Zhengzhou, Henan Province 450001, China.,Shanghai Tenth People's Hospital, and Neuroregeneration Key Laboratory of Shanghai Universities, Tongji University School of Medicine, Shanghai 200092, China
| | - Beibei Fan
- Shanghai Tenth People's Hospital, and Neuroregeneration Key Laboratory of Shanghai Universities, Tongji University School of Medicine, Shanghai 200092, China
| | - Dandan Feng
- Shanghai Tenth People's Hospital, and Neuroregeneration Key Laboratory of Shanghai Universities, Tongji University School of Medicine, Shanghai 200092, China
| | - Zhenyu Chen
- Shanghai Tenth People's Hospital, and Neuroregeneration Key Laboratory of Shanghai Universities, Tongji University School of Medicine, Shanghai 200092, China
| | - Zhongliang Liu
- Shanghai Tenth People's Hospital, and Neuroregeneration Key Laboratory of Shanghai Universities, Tongji University School of Medicine, Shanghai 200092, China
| | - Yi Hui
- Department of Anatomy and Neurobiology, The Jiangsu Key Laboratory of Neuroregeneration, Nantong University, Jiangsu 226001, China
| | - Xiangjie Xu
- Shanghai Tenth People's Hospital, and Neuroregeneration Key Laboratory of Shanghai Universities, Tongji University School of Medicine, Shanghai 200092, China
| | - Lin Ma
- Shanghai Tenth People's Hospital, and Neuroregeneration Key Laboratory of Shanghai Universities, Tongji University School of Medicine, Shanghai 200092, China
| | - Yujiang Fang
- Shanghai Tenth People's Hospital, and Neuroregeneration Key Laboratory of Shanghai Universities, Tongji University School of Medicine, Shanghai 200092, China
| | - Quanbin Zhang
- Shanghai Tenth People's Hospital, and Neuroregeneration Key Laboratory of Shanghai Universities, Tongji University School of Medicine, Shanghai 200092, China
| | - Guohua Jin
- Department of Anatomy and Neurobiology, The Jiangsu Key Laboratory of Neuroregeneration, Nantong University, Jiangsu 226001, China
| | - Ling Liu
- Shanghai Tenth People's Hospital, and Neuroregeneration Key Laboratory of Shanghai Universities, Tongji University School of Medicine, Shanghai 200092, China.,Advanced Institute of Translational Medicine
| | - Fangxia Guan
- School of Life Sciences, Zhengzhou University, Zhengzhou, Henan Province 450001, China
| | - Xiaoqing Zhang
- Shanghai Tenth People's Hospital, and Neuroregeneration Key Laboratory of Shanghai Universities, Tongji University School of Medicine, Shanghai 200092, China.,Advanced Institute of Translational Medicine.,The Collaborative Innovation Center for Brain Science, Tongji University, Shanghai 200092, China
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20
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Liu YN, Lu SY, Yao J. Application of induced pluripotent stem cells to understand neurobiological basis of bipolar disorder and schizophrenia. Psychiatry Clin Neurosci 2017; 71:579-599. [PMID: 28393474 DOI: 10.1111/pcn.12528] [Citation(s) in RCA: 14] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Submit a Manuscript] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Accepted: 04/04/2017] [Indexed: 12/12/2022]
Abstract
The etiology of neuropsychiatric disorders, such as schizophrenia and bipolar disorder, usually involves complex combinations of genetic defects/variations and environmental impacts, which hindered, for a long time, research efforts based on animal models and patients' non-neuronal cells or post-mortem tissues. However, the development of human induced pluripotent stem cell (iPSC) technology by the Yamanaka group was immediately applied to establish cell research models for neuronal disorders. Since then, techniques to achieve highly efficient differentiation of different types of neural cells following iPSC modeling have made much progress. The fast-growing iPSC and neural differentiation techniques have brought valuable insights into the pathology and neurobiology of neuropsychiatric disorders. In this article, we first review the application of iPSC technology in modeling neuronal disorders and discuss the progress in the accompanying neural differentiation. Then, we summarize the progress in iPSC-based research that has been accomplished so far regarding schizophrenia and bipolar disorder.
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Affiliation(s)
- Yao-Nan Liu
- State Key Laboratory of Membrane Biology, Tsinghua-Peking Center for Life Sciences, School of Life Sciences, IDG/McGovern Institute for Brain Research, Tsinghua University, Beijing, China
| | - Si-Yao Lu
- State Key Laboratory of Membrane Biology, Tsinghua-Peking Center for Life Sciences, School of Life Sciences, IDG/McGovern Institute for Brain Research, Tsinghua University, Beijing, China
| | - Jun Yao
- State Key Laboratory of Membrane Biology, Tsinghua-Peking Center for Life Sciences, School of Life Sciences, IDG/McGovern Institute for Brain Research, Tsinghua University, Beijing, China
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21
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Regulation and/or Repression of Cholinergic Differentiation of Murine Embryonic Stem Cells Using RNAi Directed Against Transcription Factor L3/Lhx8. Methods Mol Biol 2017. [PMID: 28674804 DOI: 10.1007/978-1-4939-7108-4_8] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register]
Abstract
Techniques for controlling the expression of a specific gene in embryonic stem cells are effective and important for clarifying the functions of the gene. Regarding differentiation of cells into nervous system components, these techniques would play key roles in elucidating, not only the differentiation mechanisms of neuronal and glial cells but also how neuronal phenotypes are determined. In this chapter, we describe a RNA interference method for suppressing cholinergic differentiation in murine embryonic stem cells by knockdown of expression of the transcription factor L3/Lhx8, a Lim homeobox gene family protein. This method will greatly facilitate functional analyses of the factors involved in neuronal differentiation and regeneration and will contribute to cell transplantation studies.
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22
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Errichelli L, Dini Modigliani S, Laneve P, Colantoni A, Legnini I, Capauto D, Rosa A, De Santis R, Scarfò R, Peruzzi G, Lu L, Caffarelli E, Shneider NA, Morlando M, Bozzoni I. FUS affects circular RNA expression in murine embryonic stem cell-derived motor neurons. Nat Commun 2017; 8:14741. [PMID: 28358055 PMCID: PMC5379105 DOI: 10.1038/ncomms14741] [Citation(s) in RCA: 362] [Impact Index Per Article: 51.7] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 06/24/2016] [Accepted: 01/26/2017] [Indexed: 12/13/2022] Open
Abstract
The RNA-binding protein FUS participates in several RNA biosynthetic processes and has been linked to the pathogenesis of amyotrophic lateral sclerosis (ALS) and frontotemporal dementia. Here we report that FUS controls back-splicing reactions leading to circular RNA (circRNA) production. We identified circRNAs expressed in in vitro-derived mouse motor neurons (MNs) and determined that the production of a considerable number of these circRNAs is regulated by FUS. Using RNAi and overexpression of wild-type and ALS-associated FUS mutants, we directly correlate the modulation of circRNA biogenesis with alteration of FUS nuclear levels and with putative toxic gain of function activities. We also demonstrate that FUS regulates circRNA biogenesis by binding the introns flanking the back-splicing junctions and that this control can be reproduced with artificial constructs. Most circRNAs are conserved in humans and specific ones are deregulated in human-induced pluripotent stem cell-derived MNs carrying the FUSP525L mutation associated with ALS. The RNA binding protein FUS functions in several RNA biosynthetic processes and has been linked to the pathogenesis of amyotrophic lateral sclerosis (ALS). Here the authors show that FUS controls back-splicing reactions leading to circular RNA (circRNA) production in stem cell-derived motor neurons and that ALS-associated FUS mutations affect the biogenesis of circRNAs.
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Affiliation(s)
- Lorenzo Errichelli
- Center for Life Nano Science@Sapienza, Istituto Italiano di Tecnologia, Viale Regina Elena 291, Rome 00161, Italy.,Deparment of Biology and Biotechnology 'Charles Darwin', Sapienza University of Rome, P.le A. Moro 5, Rome 00185, Italy
| | - Stefano Dini Modigliani
- Center for Life Nano Science@Sapienza, Istituto Italiano di Tecnologia, Viale Regina Elena 291, Rome 00161, Italy
| | - Pietro Laneve
- Center for Life Nano Science@Sapienza, Istituto Italiano di Tecnologia, Viale Regina Elena 291, Rome 00161, Italy
| | - Alessio Colantoni
- Deparment of Biology and Biotechnology 'Charles Darwin', Sapienza University of Rome, P.le A. Moro 5, Rome 00185, Italy
| | - Ivano Legnini
- Deparment of Biology and Biotechnology 'Charles Darwin', Sapienza University of Rome, P.le A. Moro 5, Rome 00185, Italy
| | - Davide Capauto
- Center for Life Nano Science@Sapienza, Istituto Italiano di Tecnologia, Viale Regina Elena 291, Rome 00161, Italy.,Deparment of Biology and Biotechnology 'Charles Darwin', Sapienza University of Rome, P.le A. Moro 5, Rome 00185, Italy
| | - Alessandro Rosa
- Center for Life Nano Science@Sapienza, Istituto Italiano di Tecnologia, Viale Regina Elena 291, Rome 00161, Italy.,Deparment of Biology and Biotechnology 'Charles Darwin', Sapienza University of Rome, P.le A. Moro 5, Rome 00185, Italy
| | - Riccardo De Santis
- Center for Life Nano Science@Sapienza, Istituto Italiano di Tecnologia, Viale Regina Elena 291, Rome 00161, Italy.,Deparment of Biology and Biotechnology 'Charles Darwin', Sapienza University of Rome, P.le A. Moro 5, Rome 00185, Italy
| | - Rebecca Scarfò
- Deparment of Biology and Biotechnology 'Charles Darwin', Sapienza University of Rome, P.le A. Moro 5, Rome 00185, Italy
| | - Giovanna Peruzzi
- Center for Life Nano Science@Sapienza, Istituto Italiano di Tecnologia, Viale Regina Elena 291, Rome 00161, Italy
| | - Lei Lu
- Department of Neurology, Center for Motor Neuron Biology and Disease, Columbia University, 630 W 168th Street, New York, New York 10032, USA
| | - Elisa Caffarelli
- Center for Life Nano Science@Sapienza, Istituto Italiano di Tecnologia, Viale Regina Elena 291, Rome 00161, Italy.,Institute of Molecular Biology and Pathology, CNR, Sapienza University of Rome, P.le A. Moro 5, Rome 00185, Italy
| | - Neil A Shneider
- Department of Neurology, Center for Motor Neuron Biology and Disease, Columbia University, 630 W 168th Street, New York, New York 10032, USA
| | - Mariangela Morlando
- Deparment of Biology and Biotechnology 'Charles Darwin', Sapienza University of Rome, P.le A. Moro 5, Rome 00185, Italy
| | - Irene Bozzoni
- Center for Life Nano Science@Sapienza, Istituto Italiano di Tecnologia, Viale Regina Elena 291, Rome 00161, Italy.,Deparment of Biology and Biotechnology 'Charles Darwin', Sapienza University of Rome, P.le A. Moro 5, Rome 00185, Italy.,Institute of Molecular Biology and Pathology, CNR, Sapienza University of Rome, P.le A. Moro 5, Rome 00185, Italy.,Institute Pasteur Fondazione Cenci-Bolognetti, Sapienza University of Rome, P.le A. Moro 5, Rome 00185, Italy
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Genome-wide DNA Methylation Changes in a Mouse Model of Infection-Mediated Neurodevelopmental Disorders. Biol Psychiatry 2017; 81:265-276. [PMID: 27769567 DOI: 10.1016/j.biopsych.2016.08.010] [Citation(s) in RCA: 105] [Impact Index Per Article: 15.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Submit a Manuscript] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 02/08/2016] [Revised: 07/12/2016] [Accepted: 08/01/2016] [Indexed: 02/06/2023]
Abstract
BACKGROUND Prenatal exposure to infectious or inflammatory insults increases the risk of neurodevelopmental disorders. Using a well-established mouse model of prenatal viral-like immune activation, we examined whether this pathological association involves genome-wide DNA methylation differences at single nucleotide resolution. METHODS Prenatal immune activation was induced by maternal treatment with the viral mimetic polyriboinosinic-polyribocytidylic acid in middle or late gestation. Following behavioral and cognitive characterization of the adult offspring (n = 12 per group), unbiased capture array bisulfite sequencing was combined with subsequent matrix-assisted laser desorption/ionization time-of-flight mass spectrometry and quantitative real-time polymerase chain reaction analyses to quantify DNA methylation changes and transcriptional abnormalities in the medial prefrontal cortex of immune-challenged and control offspring. Gene ontology term enrichment analysis was used to explore shared functional pathways of genes with differential DNA methylation. RESULTS Adult offspring of immune-challenged mothers displayed hyper- and hypomethylated CpGs at numerous loci and at distinct genomic regions, including genes relevant for gamma-aminobutyric acidergic differentiation and signaling (e.g., Dlx1, Lhx5, Lhx8), Wnt signaling (Wnt3, Wnt8a, Wnt7b), and neural development (e.g., Efnb3, Mid1, Nlgn1, Nrxn2). Altered DNA methylation was associated with transcriptional changes of the corresponding genes. The epigenetic and transcriptional effects were dependent on the offspring's age and were markedly influenced by the precise timing of prenatal immune activation. CONCLUSIONS Prenatal viral-like immune activation is capable of inducing stable DNA methylation changes in the medial prefrontal cortex. These long-term epigenetic modifications are a plausible mechanism underlying the disruption of prefrontal gene transcription and behavioral functions in subjects with prenatal infectious histories.
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Algarni AS, Hargreaves AJ, Dickenson JM. Role of transglutaminase 2 in PAC 1 receptor mediated protection against hypoxia-induced cell death and neurite outgrowth in differentiating N2a neuroblastoma cells. Biochem Pharmacol 2017; 128:55-73. [PMID: 28065858 DOI: 10.1016/j.bcp.2017.01.001] [Citation(s) in RCA: 6] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.9] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 09/30/2016] [Accepted: 01/03/2017] [Indexed: 01/09/2023]
Abstract
The PAC1 receptor and tissue transglutaminase (TG2) play important roles in neurite outgrowth and modulation of neuronal cell survival. In this study, we investigated the regulation of TG2 activity by the PAC1 receptor in retinoic acid-induced differentiating N2a neuroblastoma cells. TG2 transamidase activity was determined using an amine incorporation and a peptide cross linking assay. In situ TG2 activity was assessed by visualising the incorporation of biotin-X-cadaverine using confocal microscopy. TG2 phosphorylation was monitored via immunoprecipitation and Western blotting. The role of TG2 in PAC1 receptor-induced cytoprotection and neurite outgrowth was investigated by monitoring hypoxia-induced cell death and appearance of axonal-like processes, respectively. The amine incorporation and protein crosslinking activity of TG2 increased in a time and concentration-dependent manner following stimulation with pituitary adenylate cyclase-activating polypeptide-27 (PACAP-27). PACAP-27 mediated increases in TG2 activity were abolished by the TG2 inhibitors Z-DON and R283 and by pharmacological inhibition of protein kinase A (KT 5720 and Rp-cAMPs), protein kinase C (Ro 31-8220), MEK1/2 (PD 98059), and removal of extracellular Ca2+. Fluorescence microscopy demonstrated PACAP-27 induced in situ TG2 activity. TG2 inhibition blocked PACAP-27 induced attenuation of hypoxia-induced cell death and outgrowth of axon-like processes. TG2 activation and cytoprotection were also observed in human SH-SY5Y cells. Together, these results demonstrate that TG2 activity was stimulated downstream of the PAC1 receptor via a multi protein kinase dependent pathway. Furthermore, PAC1 receptor-induced cytoprotection and neurite outgrowth are dependent upon TG2. These results highlight the importance of TG2 in the cellular functions of the PAC1 receptor.
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Affiliation(s)
- Alanood S Algarni
- School of Science and Technology, Nottingham Trent University, Clifton Lane, Nottingham NG11 8NS, United Kingdom
| | - Alan J Hargreaves
- School of Science and Technology, Nottingham Trent University, Clifton Lane, Nottingham NG11 8NS, United Kingdom
| | - John M Dickenson
- School of Science and Technology, Nottingham Trent University, Clifton Lane, Nottingham NG11 8NS, United Kingdom.
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Chi L, Fan B, Zhang K, Du Y, Liu Z, Fang Y, Chen Z, Ren X, Xu X, Jiang C, Li S, Ma L, Gao L, Liu L, Zhang X. Targeted Differentiation of Regional Ventral Neuroprogenitors and Related Neuronal Subtypes from Human Pluripotent Stem Cells. Stem Cell Reports 2016; 7:941-954. [PMID: 27720902 PMCID: PMC5106484 DOI: 10.1016/j.stemcr.2016.09.003] [Citation(s) in RCA: 14] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.8] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 02/19/2016] [Revised: 09/06/2016] [Accepted: 09/06/2016] [Indexed: 01/10/2023] Open
Abstract
Embryoid body (EB) formation and adherent culture (AD) paradigms are equivalently thought to be applicable for neural specification of human pluripotent stem cells. Here, we report that sonic hedgehog-induced ventral neuroprogenitors under EB conditions are fated to medial ganglionic eminence (MGE), while the AD cells mostly adopt a floor-plate (FP) fate. The EB-MGE later on differentiates into GABA and cholinergic neurons, while the AD-FP favors dopaminergic neuron specification. Distinct developmental, metabolic, and adhesion traits in AD and EB cells may potentially account for their differential patterning potency. Gene targeting combined with small-molecule screening experiments identified that concomitant inhibition of Wnts, STAT3, and p38 pathways (3i) could largely convert FP to MGE under AD conditions. Thus, differentiation paradigms and signaling regulators can be integrated together to specify distinct neuronal subtypes for studying and treating related neurological diseases, such as epilepsy, Alzheimer's disease, and Parkinson's disease. EB and AD paradigms yield different ventral neuroprogenitors upon SHH patterning DA neurons of FP origin are generated in AD conditions upon SHH patterning Wnts/STAT3/p38 inhibition benefits MGE specification under AD conditions GABA and CHAT neurons of MGE origin are generated in EB or AD/3i conditions
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Affiliation(s)
- Liankai Chi
- Department of Neurosurgery, Shanghai Tenth People's Hospital, Neuroregeneration Key Laboratory of Shanghai Universities, Tongji University School of Medicine, 1239 Siping Road, Shanghai 200092, China
| | - Beibei Fan
- Department of Neurosurgery, Shanghai Tenth People's Hospital, Neuroregeneration Key Laboratory of Shanghai Universities, Tongji University School of Medicine, 1239 Siping Road, Shanghai 200092, China
| | - Kunshan Zhang
- Department of Regenerative Medicine, Tongji University School of Medicine, Shanghai 200092, China
| | - Yanhua Du
- The School of Life Sciences and Technology, Tongji University, Shanghai 200092, China
| | - Zhongliang Liu
- Department of Neurosurgery, Shanghai Tenth People's Hospital, Neuroregeneration Key Laboratory of Shanghai Universities, Tongji University School of Medicine, 1239 Siping Road, Shanghai 200092, China
| | - Yujiang Fang
- Department of Neurosurgery, Shanghai Tenth People's Hospital, Neuroregeneration Key Laboratory of Shanghai Universities, Tongji University School of Medicine, 1239 Siping Road, Shanghai 200092, China
| | - Zhenyu Chen
- Department of Neurosurgery, Shanghai Tenth People's Hospital, Neuroregeneration Key Laboratory of Shanghai Universities, Tongji University School of Medicine, 1239 Siping Road, Shanghai 200092, China
| | - Xudong Ren
- Department of Neurosurgery, Shanghai Tenth People's Hospital, Neuroregeneration Key Laboratory of Shanghai Universities, Tongji University School of Medicine, 1239 Siping Road, Shanghai 200092, China
| | - Xiangjie Xu
- Department of Neurosurgery, Shanghai Tenth People's Hospital, Neuroregeneration Key Laboratory of Shanghai Universities, Tongji University School of Medicine, 1239 Siping Road, Shanghai 200092, China
| | - Cizhong Jiang
- The School of Life Sciences and Technology, Tongji University, Shanghai 200092, China
| | - Siguang Li
- Department of Regenerative Medicine, Tongji University School of Medicine, Shanghai 200092, China
| | - Lin Ma
- Department of Neurosurgery, Shanghai Tenth People's Hospital, Neuroregeneration Key Laboratory of Shanghai Universities, Tongji University School of Medicine, 1239 Siping Road, Shanghai 200092, China; Tongji University Advanced Institute of Translational Medicine, 1239 Siping Road, Shanghai 200092, China
| | - Liang Gao
- Department of Neurosurgery, Shanghai Tenth People's Hospital, Neuroregeneration Key Laboratory of Shanghai Universities, Tongji University School of Medicine, 1239 Siping Road, Shanghai 200092, China.
| | - Ling Liu
- Department of Neurosurgery, Shanghai Tenth People's Hospital, Neuroregeneration Key Laboratory of Shanghai Universities, Tongji University School of Medicine, 1239 Siping Road, Shanghai 200092, China; Tongji University Advanced Institute of Translational Medicine, 1239 Siping Road, Shanghai 200092, China.
| | - Xiaoqing Zhang
- Department of Neurosurgery, Shanghai Tenth People's Hospital, Neuroregeneration Key Laboratory of Shanghai Universities, Tongji University School of Medicine, 1239 Siping Road, Shanghai 200092, China; Department of Regenerative Medicine, Tongji University School of Medicine, Shanghai 200092, China; Tongji University Advanced Institute of Translational Medicine, 1239 Siping Road, Shanghai 200092, China; The Collaborative Innovation Center for Brain Science, Tongji University, Shanghai 200092, China.
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Borodinsky LN, Belgacem YH. Crosstalk among electrical activity, trophic factors and morphogenetic proteins in the regulation of neurotransmitter phenotype specification. J Chem Neuroanat 2015; 73:3-8. [PMID: 26686293 DOI: 10.1016/j.jchemneu.2015.12.001] [Citation(s) in RCA: 19] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.1] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 08/16/2015] [Revised: 11/29/2015] [Accepted: 12/02/2015] [Indexed: 01/11/2023]
Abstract
Morphogenetic proteins are responsible for patterning the embryonic nervous system by enabling cell proliferation that will populate all the neural structures and by specifying neural progenitors that imprint different identities in differentiating neurons. The adoption of specific neurotransmitter phenotypes is crucial for the progression of neuronal differentiation, enabling neurons to connect with each other and with target tissues. Preliminary neurotransmitter specification originates from morphogen-driven neural progenitor specification through the combinatorial expression of transcription factors according to morphogen concentration gradients, which progressively restrict the identity that born neurons adopt. However, neurotransmitter phenotype is not immutable, instead trophic factors released from target tissues and environmental stimuli change expression of neurotransmitter-synthesizing enzymes and specific vesicular transporters modifying neuronal neurotransmitter identity. Here we review studies identifying the mechanisms of catecholaminergic, GABAergic, glutamatergic, cholinergic and serotonergic early specification and of the plasticity of these neurotransmitter phenotypes during development and in the adult nervous system. The emergence of spontaneous electrical activity in developing neurons recruits morphogenetic proteins in the process of neurotransmitter phenotype plasticity, which ultimately equips the nervous system and the whole organism with adaptability for optimal performance in a changing environment.
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Affiliation(s)
- Laura N Borodinsky
- Department of Physiology & Membrane Biology and Institute for Pediatric Regenerative Medicine, Shriners Hospital for Children, University of California Davis School of Medicine, 2425 Stockton Blvd, Sacramento, CA 95817, United States.
| | - Yesser H Belgacem
- Department of Physiology & Membrane Biology and Institute for Pediatric Regenerative Medicine, Shriners Hospital for Children, University of California Davis School of Medicine, 2425 Stockton Blvd, Sacramento, CA 95817, United States
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Zhou C, Yang G, Chen M, He L, Xiang L, Ricupero C, Mao JJ, Ling J. Lhx6 and Lhx8: cell fate regulators and beyond. FASEB J 2015; 29:4083-91. [PMID: 26148970 PMCID: PMC4566936 DOI: 10.1096/fj.14-267500] [Citation(s) in RCA: 32] [Impact Index Per Article: 3.6] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 02/01/2015] [Accepted: 06/22/2015] [Indexed: 12/11/2022]
Abstract
As transcription factors of the lines (LIN)-11/Islet (Isl)-1/mitosis entry checkpoint (MEC)-3 (LIM)-homeobox subfamily, LIM homeobox (Lhx)6 and -8 are remarkably conserved and involved in the morphogenesis of multiple organ systems. Lhx6 and -8 play overlapping and distinctive roles, but in general act as cell fate mediators and in turn are regulated by several transcriptional factors, such as sonic hedgehog, fibroblast growth factors, and wingless-int (Wnt)/β-catenin. In this review, we first summarize Lhx6 and -8 distributions in development and then explore how Lhx6 and -8 act as transcription factors and coregulators of cell lineage specification. Known Lhx6 and -8 functions and targets are outlined in neurogenesis, craniofacial development, and germ cell differentiation. The underlying mechanisms of Lhx6 and -8 in regulating cell fate remain elusive. Whether Lhx6 and -8 affect functions in tissues and organs other than neural, craniofacial, oocytes, and germ cells is largely unexplored. Taken together, Lhx6 and -8 are important regulators of cell lineage specification and may act as one of the pivotal mediators of stem cell fate. Undoubtedly, future investigations of Lhx6 and -8 biology will continue to yield fascinating insights into tissue development and homeostasis, in addition to their putative roles in tissue regeneration and ageing.
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Affiliation(s)
- Chen Zhou
- *Center for Craniofacial Regeneration, Columbia University Medical Center, New York, New York, USA; Guanghua School of Stomatology, Hospital of Stomatology, and Guangdong Provincial Key Laboratory of Stomatology, Sun Yat-sen University, Guangzhou, China
| | - Guodong Yang
- *Center for Craniofacial Regeneration, Columbia University Medical Center, New York, New York, USA; Guanghua School of Stomatology, Hospital of Stomatology, and Guangdong Provincial Key Laboratory of Stomatology, Sun Yat-sen University, Guangzhou, China
| | - Mo Chen
- *Center for Craniofacial Regeneration, Columbia University Medical Center, New York, New York, USA; Guanghua School of Stomatology, Hospital of Stomatology, and Guangdong Provincial Key Laboratory of Stomatology, Sun Yat-sen University, Guangzhou, China
| | - Ling He
- *Center for Craniofacial Regeneration, Columbia University Medical Center, New York, New York, USA; Guanghua School of Stomatology, Hospital of Stomatology, and Guangdong Provincial Key Laboratory of Stomatology, Sun Yat-sen University, Guangzhou, China
| | - Lusai Xiang
- *Center for Craniofacial Regeneration, Columbia University Medical Center, New York, New York, USA; Guanghua School of Stomatology, Hospital of Stomatology, and Guangdong Provincial Key Laboratory of Stomatology, Sun Yat-sen University, Guangzhou, China
| | - Christopher Ricupero
- *Center for Craniofacial Regeneration, Columbia University Medical Center, New York, New York, USA; Guanghua School of Stomatology, Hospital of Stomatology, and Guangdong Provincial Key Laboratory of Stomatology, Sun Yat-sen University, Guangzhou, China
| | - Jeremy J Mao
- *Center for Craniofacial Regeneration, Columbia University Medical Center, New York, New York, USA; Guanghua School of Stomatology, Hospital of Stomatology, and Guangdong Provincial Key Laboratory of Stomatology, Sun Yat-sen University, Guangzhou, China
| | - Junqi Ling
- *Center for Craniofacial Regeneration, Columbia University Medical Center, New York, New York, USA; Guanghua School of Stomatology, Hospital of Stomatology, and Guangdong Provincial Key Laboratory of Stomatology, Sun Yat-sen University, Guangzhou, China
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Zhou C, Yang G, Chen M, Wang C, He L, Xiang L, Chen D, Ling J, Mao JJ. Lhx8 mediated Wnt and TGFβ pathways in tooth development and regeneration. Biomaterials 2015; 63:35-46. [PMID: 26081866 DOI: 10.1016/j.biomaterials.2015.06.004] [Citation(s) in RCA: 41] [Impact Index Per Article: 4.6] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 02/23/2015] [Revised: 05/31/2015] [Accepted: 06/01/2015] [Indexed: 12/11/2022]
Abstract
LIM homeobox 8 (Lhx8) is a highly conserved transcriptional factor with recently illustrated roles in cholinergic and GABAergic differentiation, and is expressed in neural crest derived craniofacial tissues during development. However, Lhx8 functions and signaling pathways are largely elusive. Here we showed that Lhx8 regulates dental mesenchyme differentiation and function via Wnt and TGFβ pathways. Lhx8 expression was restricted to dental mesenchyme from E11.5 to a peak at E14.5, and absent in dental epithelium. By reconstituting dental epithelium and mesenchyme in an E16.5 tooth organ, Lhx8 knockdown accelerated dental mesenchyme differentiation; conversely, Lhx8 overexpression attenuated dentin formation. Lhx8 overexpressed adult human dental pulp stem/progenitor cells in β-tricalcium phosphate cubes attenuated mineralized matrix production in vivo. Gene profiling revealed that postnatal dental pulp stem/progenitor cells upon Lhx8 overexpression modified matrix related gene expression including Dspp, Cola1 and osteocalcin. Lhx8 transcriptionally activated Wnt and TGFβ pathways, and its attenuation upregulated multiple dentinogenesis genes. Together, Lhx8 regulates dentin development and regeneration by fine-turning Wnt and TGFβ signaling.
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Affiliation(s)
- Chen Zhou
- Guanghua School of Stomatology, Hospital of Stomatology, Guangdong Provincial Key Laboratory of Stomatology, Sun Yat-sen University, 56 Lingyuanxi Road, Guangzhou 510055, China; Center for Craniofacial Regeneration, Columbia University Medical Center, 630 W. 168 St. - PH7E - CDM, New York, NY 10032, USA
| | - Guodong Yang
- Guanghua School of Stomatology, Hospital of Stomatology, Guangdong Provincial Key Laboratory of Stomatology, Sun Yat-sen University, 56 Lingyuanxi Road, Guangzhou 510055, China
| | - Mo Chen
- Guanghua School of Stomatology, Hospital of Stomatology, Guangdong Provincial Key Laboratory of Stomatology, Sun Yat-sen University, 56 Lingyuanxi Road, Guangzhou 510055, China
| | - Chenglin Wang
- Guanghua School of Stomatology, Hospital of Stomatology, Guangdong Provincial Key Laboratory of Stomatology, Sun Yat-sen University, 56 Lingyuanxi Road, Guangzhou 510055, China
| | - Ling He
- Guanghua School of Stomatology, Hospital of Stomatology, Guangdong Provincial Key Laboratory of Stomatology, Sun Yat-sen University, 56 Lingyuanxi Road, Guangzhou 510055, China; Center for Craniofacial Regeneration, Columbia University Medical Center, 630 W. 168 St. - PH7E - CDM, New York, NY 10032, USA
| | - Lusai Xiang
- Guanghua School of Stomatology, Hospital of Stomatology, Guangdong Provincial Key Laboratory of Stomatology, Sun Yat-sen University, 56 Lingyuanxi Road, Guangzhou 510055, China; Center for Craniofacial Regeneration, Columbia University Medical Center, 630 W. 168 St. - PH7E - CDM, New York, NY 10032, USA
| | - Danying Chen
- Guanghua School of Stomatology, Hospital of Stomatology, Guangdong Provincial Key Laboratory of Stomatology, Sun Yat-sen University, 56 Lingyuanxi Road, Guangzhou 510055, China
| | - Junqi Ling
- Center for Craniofacial Regeneration, Columbia University Medical Center, 630 W. 168 St. - PH7E - CDM, New York, NY 10032, USA.
| | - Jeremy J Mao
- Guanghua School of Stomatology, Hospital of Stomatology, Guangdong Provincial Key Laboratory of Stomatology, Sun Yat-sen University, 56 Lingyuanxi Road, Guangzhou 510055, China.
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29
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Overexpression of Lhx8 inhibits cell proliferation and induces cell cycle arrest in PC12 cell line. In Vitro Cell Dev Biol Anim 2014; 51:329-35. [PMID: 25475040 DOI: 10.1007/s11626-014-9838-y] [Citation(s) in RCA: 7] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.7] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 07/15/2014] [Accepted: 10/20/2014] [Indexed: 12/16/2022]
Abstract
LIM-homeobox genes play a pivotal function in tissue patterning and differentiation, Lhx8 is a member of LIM-homeobox gene family, and it is selectively expressed in embryonic basal forebrain and is a key factor for the determination of cholinergic cells fate. However, besides cholinergic differentiation, little is known about the potential role of Lhx8 in cell biology. In this study, we transfected Lhx8 complementary DNA (cDNA) into PC12 cell line using lentiviral vectors to acquire the cells which stably expressed high level of Lhx8, and we provide the experimental evidence that overexpression of Lhx8 inhibits cell proliferation and induces cell cycle arrest but not apoptosis in vitro. In conclusion, besides cholinergic differentiation, our results suggest that Lhx8 also plays as a suppressor gene of proliferation in cell biology.
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30
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Directed differentiation of forebrain GABA interneurons from human pluripotent stem cells. Nat Protoc 2013; 8:1670-9. [PMID: 23928500 DOI: 10.1038/nprot.2013.106] [Citation(s) in RCA: 205] [Impact Index Per Article: 18.6] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 02/06/2023]
Abstract
Forebrain γ-aminobutyric acid (GABA) interneurons have crucial roles in high-order brain function via modulating network activities and plasticity, and they are implicated in many psychiatric disorders. Availability of enriched functional human forebrain GABA interneurons, especially those from people affected by GABA interneuron deficit disease, will be instrumental to the investigation of disease pathogenesis and development of therapeutics. We describe a protocol for directed differentiation of forebrain GABA interneurons from human embryonic stem cells (ESCs) and induced pluripotent stem cells (iPSCs) in a chemically defined system. In this protocol, human PSCs are first induced to primitive neuroepithelial cells over 10 d, and then patterned to NKX2.1-expressing medial ganglionic eminence progenitors by simple treatment with sonic hedgehog or its agonist purmorphamine over the next 2 weeks. These progenitors generate a nearly pure population of forebrain GABA interneurons by the sixth week. This simple and efficient protocol does not require transgenic modification or cell sorting, and it has been replicated with multiple human ESC and iPSC lines.
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31
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Liu Y, Weick JP, Liu H, Krencik R, Zhang X, Ma L, Zhou GM, Ayala M, Zhang SC. Medial ganglionic eminence-like cells derived from human embryonic stem cells correct learning and memory deficits. Nat Biotechnol 2013; 31:440-7. [PMID: 23604284 DOI: 10.1038/nbt.2565] [Citation(s) in RCA: 190] [Impact Index Per Article: 17.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 07/25/2012] [Accepted: 03/27/2013] [Indexed: 02/07/2023]
Abstract
Dysfunction of basal forebrain cholinergic neurons (BFCNs) and γ-aminobutyric acid (GABA) interneurons, derived from medial ganglionic eminence (MGE), is implicated in disorders of learning and memory. Here we present a method for differentiating human embryonic stem cells (hESCs) to a nearly uniform population of NKX2.1(+) MGE-like progenitor cells. After transplantation into the hippocampus of mice in which BFCNs and some GABA neurons in the medial septum had been destroyed by mu P75-saporin, human MGE-like progenitors, but not ventral spinal progenitors, produced BFCNs that synaptically connected with endogenous neurons, whereas both progenitors generated similar populations of GABA neurons. Mice transplanted with MGE-like but not spinal progenitors showed improvements in learning and memory deficits. These results suggest that progeny of the MGE-like progenitors, particularly BFCNs, contributed to learning and memory. Our findings support the prospect of using human stem cell-derived MGE-like progenitors in developing therapies for neurological disorders of learning and memory.
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Affiliation(s)
- Yan Liu
- Waisman Center, School of Medicine and Public Health, University of Wisconsin, Madison, Wisconsin, USA
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32
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Zhu P, Li H, Jin G, Tian M, Tan X, Shi J, Zou L, Qin J. LIM-homeobox gene Lhx8 promote the differentiation of hippocampal newborn neurons into cholinergic neurons in vitro. In Vitro Cell Dev Biol Anim 2013; 49:103-7. [PMID: 23385486 DOI: 10.1007/s11626-013-9582-8] [Citation(s) in RCA: 7] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.6] [Reference Citation Analysis] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 11/27/2012] [Accepted: 01/17/2013] [Indexed: 11/25/2022]
Affiliation(s)
- Peipei Zhu
- Department of Human Anatomy, Medical School of Nantong University, Nantong, China
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Sato A, Shibuya H. WNK signaling is involved in neural development via Lhx8/Awh expression. PLoS One 2013; 8:e55301. [PMID: 23383144 PMCID: PMC3559379 DOI: 10.1371/journal.pone.0055301] [Citation(s) in RCA: 18] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.6] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 10/06/2012] [Accepted: 12/20/2012] [Indexed: 02/07/2023] Open
Abstract
WNK kinase family is conserved among many species and regulates SPAK/OSR1 and ion co-transporters. Some mutations in human WNK1 or WNK4 are associated with Pseudohypoaldosteronism type II, a form of hypertension. WNK is also involved in developmental and cellular processes, but the molecular mechanisms underlying its regulation in these processes remain unknown. Here, we identify a new target gene in WNK signaling, Arrowhead and Lhx8, which is a mammalian homologue of Drosophila Arrowhead. In Drosophila, WNK was shown to genetically interact with Arrowhead. In Wnk1 knockout mice, levels of Lhx8 expression were reduced. Ectopic expression of WNK1, WNK4 or Osr1 in mammalian cells induced the expression of the Lhx8. Moreover, neural specification was inhibited by the knockdown of both Wnk1 and Wnk4 or Lhx8. Drosophila WNK mutant caused defects in axon guidance during embryogenesis. These results suggest that WNK signaling is involved in the morphological and neural development via Lhx8/Arrowhead.
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Affiliation(s)
- Atsushi Sato
- Department of Molecular Cell Biology, Medical Research Institute, Tokyo Medical and Dental University, Bunkyo-ku, Tokyo, Japan
| | - Hiroshi Shibuya
- Department of Molecular Cell Biology, Medical Research Institute, Tokyo Medical and Dental University, Bunkyo-ku, Tokyo, Japan
- * E-mail:
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Lhx8 promote differentiation of hippocampal neural stem/progenitor cells into cholinergic neurons in vitro. In Vitro Cell Dev Biol Anim 2012; 48:603-9. [PMID: 23150137 DOI: 10.1007/s11626-012-9562-4] [Citation(s) in RCA: 8] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.7] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 06/02/2012] [Accepted: 10/08/2012] [Indexed: 01/01/2023]
Abstract
Lhx8, also named L3, is a recently identified member of the LIM homeobox gene family. Previously, we found acetylcholinesterase (AChE)-positive cells in fimbria-fornix (FF) transected rat hippocampal subgranular zone (SGZ). In the present study, we detected choline acetyltransferase (ChAT)-positive cholinergic cells in hippocampal SGZ after FF transaction, and these ChAT-positive cells were double labeled by Lhx8. Then we overexpressed Lhx8 during neural differentiation of hippocampal neural stem/progenitor cells on adherent conditions using lentivirus Lenti6.3-Lhx8. The result indicated that overexpression of Lhx8 did not affect the proportion of MAP2-positive neurons, but increased the proportion of ChAT-positive cells in vitro. These results suggested that FF-transected hippocampal niche promoted the ChAT/Lhx8-positive cholinergic neurons generation in rodent hippocampus, and Lhx8 was not associated with the MAP2-positive neurons differentiation on adherent conditions, but played a role in the specification of cholinergic neurons derived from hippocampal neural stem/progenitor cells in vitro.
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35
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Regulation of cell cycle and DNA repair in post-mitotic GABA neurons in psychotic disorders. Neuropharmacology 2010; 60:1232-42. [PMID: 21184762 DOI: 10.1016/j.neuropharm.2010.12.011] [Citation(s) in RCA: 27] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.9] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 10/22/2010] [Revised: 11/24/2010] [Accepted: 12/15/2010] [Indexed: 11/24/2022]
Abstract
Disturbances of cell cycle regulation and DNA repair in post-mitotic neurons have been implicated in degenerative and malignant diseases of the human brain. Recent work is now suggesting that abnormal regulation of these functions in GABA cells of the adult hippocampus may also play a role in two neuropsychiatric disorders. In schizophrenia and bipolar disorder, a network of genes involved in the regulation of GAD₆₇, a marker for the functional differentiation of GABA cells, show pronounced changes in expression and include kainate receptor subunits, TGFβ and Wnt signaling pathways, epigenetic factors and transcription factors. One of these genes, cyclin D2, is involved in the regulation of cell cycle and DNA repair and appears to be a pivotal element in linking GAD₆₇ expression with these functional clusters of genes. Dysfunction of post-mitotic GABAergic neurons in the adult hippocampus of patients with psychotic disorders is associated with changes in the expression of genes that are involved in the maintenance of functional and genomic integrity of GABA cells. The nature of these changes is quite different in schizophrenia and bipolar disorder, suggesting that a common cell phenotype (in this case, decreased GAD₆₇ expression) may involve two fundamentally different molecular endophenotypes and reflect unique susceptibility genes involved in the respective disorders. This article is part of a Special Issue entitled 'Trends in neuropharmacology: in memory of Erminio Costa'.
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Regulation and/or repression of cholinergic differentiation of murine embryonic stem cells using RNAi directed against transcription factor L3/Lhx8. Methods Mol Biol 2010. [PMID: 20686946 DOI: 10.1007/978-1-60761-769-3_8] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register]
Abstract
Techniques for controlling the expression of a specific gene in embryonic stem cells are effective and important for clarifying the functions of the gene. Regarding differentiation of cells into nervous system components, these techniques would play key roles in elucidating, not only the differentiation mechanisms of neuronal and glial cells, but also how neuronal phenotypes are determined. In this chapter, we describe an RNA interference method for suppressing cholinergic differentiation in murine embryonic stem cells by knockdown of expression of the transcription factor L3/Lhx8, a Lim homeobox gene family protein. This method will greatly facilitate functional analyses of the factors involved in neuronal differentiation and regeneration and contribute to cell transplantation studies.
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37
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The expression of HMGA1a is increased in lymphoblastoid cell lines from schizophrenia patients. Neurochem Int 2010; 56:736-9. [DOI: 10.1016/j.neuint.2010.03.011] [Citation(s) in RCA: 10] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.7] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 03/19/2010] [Accepted: 03/19/2010] [Indexed: 11/19/2022]
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Srivastava M, Larroux C, Lu DR, Mohanty K, Chapman J, Degnan BM, Rokhsar DS. Early evolution of the LIM homeobox gene family. BMC Biol 2010; 8:4. [PMID: 20082688 PMCID: PMC2828406 DOI: 10.1186/1741-7007-8-4] [Citation(s) in RCA: 57] [Impact Index Per Article: 4.1] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 07/08/2009] [Accepted: 01/18/2010] [Indexed: 11/12/2022] Open
Abstract
Background LIM homeobox (Lhx) transcription factors are unique to the animal lineage and have patterning roles during embryonic development in flies, nematodes and vertebrates, with a conserved role in specifying neuronal identity. Though genes of this family have been reported in a sponge and a cnidarian, the expression patterns and functions of the Lhx family during development in non-bilaterian phyla are not known. Results We identified Lhx genes in two cnidarians and a placozoan and report the expression of Lhx genes during embryonic development in Nematostella and the demosponge Amphimedon. Members of the six major LIM homeobox subfamilies are represented in the genomes of the starlet sea anemone, Nematostella vectensis, and the placozoan Trichoplax adhaerens. The hydrozoan cnidarian, Hydra magnipapillata, has retained four of the six Lhx subfamilies, but apparently lost two others. Only three subfamilies are represented in the haplosclerid demosponge Amphimedon queenslandica. A tandem cluster of three Lhx genes of different subfamilies and a gene containing two LIM domains in the genome of T. adhaerens (an animal without any neurons) indicates that Lhx subfamilies were generated by tandem duplication. This tandem cluster in Trichoplax is likely a remnant of the original chromosomal context in which Lhx subfamilies first appeared. Three of the six Trichoplax Lhx genes are expressed in animals in laboratory culture, as are all Lhx genes in Hydra. Expression patterns of Nematostella Lhx genes correlate with neural territories in larval and juvenile polyp stages. In the aneural demosponge, A. queenslandica, the three Lhx genes are expressed widely during development, including in cells that are associated with the larval photosensory ring. Conclusions The Lhx family expanded and diversified early in animal evolution, with all six subfamilies already diverged prior to the cnidarian-placozoan-bilaterian last common ancestor. In Nematostella, Lhx gene expression is correlated with neural territories in larval and juvenile polyp stages. This pattern is consistent with a possible role in patterning the Nematostella nervous system. We propose a scenario in which Lhx genes play a homologous role in neural patterning across eumetazoans.
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Affiliation(s)
- Mansi Srivastava
- Center for Integrative Genomics and Department of Molecular and Cell Biology, University of California, Berkeley, CA, USA.
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Abreu-Villaça Y, Filgueiras CC, Manhães AC. Developmental aspects of the cholinergic system. Behav Brain Res 2010; 221:367-78. [PMID: 20060019 DOI: 10.1016/j.bbr.2009.12.049] [Citation(s) in RCA: 111] [Impact Index Per Article: 7.9] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 12/22/2009] [Accepted: 12/26/2009] [Indexed: 01/19/2023]
Abstract
Beyond its importance in sustaining or modulating different aspects of the activity of the central nervous system (CNS), the cholinergic system plays important roles during development. In the current review, we focus on the developmental aspects associated with major components of the cholinergic system: Acetylcholine, choline acetyltransferase, vesicular acetylcholine transporter, high-affinity choline transporter, acetylcholinesterase, nicotinic and muscarinic receptors. We describe when and where each one of these components is first identified in the CNS and the changes in their levels that occur during the course of prenatal and postnatal development. We also describe how these components are relevant to many events that occur during the development of the CNS, including progenitor cells proliferation and differentiation, neurogenesis, gliogenesis, neuronal maturation and plasticity, axonal pathfinding, regulation of gene expression and cell survival. It will be noticed that evidence regarding the developmental aspects of the cholinergic system comes mostly from studies that used agonists, such as nicotine, and antagonists, such as hemicholinium-3. Studies using immunohistochemistry and genetically altered mice also provided valuable information.
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Affiliation(s)
- Yael Abreu-Villaça
- Laboratório de Neurofisiologia, Departamento de Ciências Fisiológicas, Instituto de Biologia Roberto Alcantara Gomes, Centro Biomédico, Universidade do Estado do Rio de Janeiro, Av. Prof. Manoel de Abreu 444, 5 andar, Vila Isabel, Rio de Janeiro, RJ 20550-170, Brazil.
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Tremblay RG, Sikorska M, Sandhu JK, Lanthier P, Ribecco-Lutkiewicz M, Bani-Yaghoub M. Differentiation of mouse Neuro 2A cells into dopamine neurons. J Neurosci Methods 2009; 186:60-7. [PMID: 19903493 DOI: 10.1016/j.jneumeth.2009.11.004] [Citation(s) in RCA: 191] [Impact Index Per Article: 12.7] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 02/06/2009] [Revised: 10/06/2009] [Accepted: 11/04/2009] [Indexed: 01/19/2023]
Abstract
Neuro 2A (N2a) is a mouse neural crest-derived cell line that has been extensively used to study neuronal differentiation, axonal growth and signaling pathways. A convenient characteristic of these cells is their ability to differentiate into neurons within a few days. However, most differentiation methods reported for N2a cells do not provide information about the neuronal types obtained after each treatment. In this study, we evaluated the generation of N2a dopamine neurons following treatment with a number of factors known to induce neuronal differentiation. Our results showed that N2a cells express Nurr-related factor 1 (Nurr1) and produce low levels of tyrosine hydroxylase (TH) and dopamine. Both TH and dopamine levels were significantly enhanced in the presence of dibutyryl cyclic adenosine monophosphate (dbcAMP), as evidenced by Western blot, immunocytochemistry and high performance liquid chromatography (HPLC). In contrast to dbcAMP, other factors such as transforming growth factor beta1 (TGF beta 1), bone morphogenetic protein 4 (BMP4), glial cell-derived neurotrophic factor (GDNF) and retinoic acid (RA) did not increase TH expression. Further investigation confirmed that the effect of dbcAMP on production of TH-positive neurons was mediated through cyclic AMP (cAMP) responsive element binding protein (CREB) and it was antagonized by RA. Thus, although various treatments can be used to generate N2a neurons, only dbcAMP significantly enhanced the formation of dopamine neurons. Taken together, this study provided a simple and reliable method to generate dopamine neurons for rapid and efficient physiological and pharmacological assays.
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Affiliation(s)
- Roger G Tremblay
- Neurogenesis and Brain Repair Group, Neurobiology Program, Institute for Biological Sciences, National Research Council Canada, Ottawa, ON, K1A 0R6, Canada
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Nilbratt M, Porras O, Marutle A, Hovatta O, Nordberg A. Neurotrophic factors promote cholinergic differentiation in human embryonic stem cell-derived neurons. J Cell Mol Med 2009; 14:1476-84. [PMID: 19799651 PMCID: PMC3829014 DOI: 10.1111/j.1582-4934.2009.00916.x] [Citation(s) in RCA: 41] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.7] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/29/2022] Open
Abstract
Cholinergic neurotransmission is essential for many important functions in the brain, including cognitive mechanisms. Here we demonstrate that human embryonic stem (hES) cells differentiate into a population of neuronal cells that express the cholinergic enzyme choline acetyltransferase and homeobox proteins specifying neuronal progenitors of ventral telencephalic lineage. These differentiated cells express transcripts for cholinergic α3, α4 and α7 nicotinic acetylcholine (ACh) receptor subunits and for M1, M2 and M3 muscarinic acetylcholine receptor (mAChR) subtypes. Stimulation with brain-derived neurotrophic factor, neurotrophin-3, ciliary neurotrophic factor and nerve growth factor increases the proportion of cholinergic neurons. These cholinergic receptors also mediate ACh-evoked increase in cytosolic calcium levels, and this response was unaffected by extracellular calcium removal and was abolished by the mAChR antagonist scopolamine. Our findings demonstrate expression of functional cholinergic receptors on hES cell-derived neurons, which may provide a source of expandable cells to facilitate screening of novel cholinergic drugs and useful for evaluating cell transplantation in animal models of cholinergic dysfunction.
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Affiliation(s)
- Mats Nilbratt
- Karolinska Institutet, Karolinska University Hospital Huddinge, Department of Neurobiology, Care Sciences and Society, Stockholm, Sweden
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42
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Maisano X, Carpentino J, Becker S, Lanza R, Aaron G, Grabel L, Naegele JR. Embryonic stem cell-derived neural precursor grafts for treatment of temporal lobe epilepsy. Neurotherapeutics 2009; 6:263-77. [PMID: 19332319 PMCID: PMC2830617 DOI: 10.1016/j.nurt.2009.01.011] [Citation(s) in RCA: 27] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.8] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 11/24/2008] [Revised: 01/15/2009] [Accepted: 01/17/2009] [Indexed: 01/08/2023] Open
Abstract
Complex partial seizures arising from mesial temporal lobe structures are a defining feature of mesial temporal lobe epilepsy (TLE). For many TLE patients, there is an initial traumatic head injury that is the precipitating cause of epilepsy. Severe TLE can be associated with neuropathological changes, including hippocampal sclerosis, neurodegeneration in the dentate gyrus, and extensive reorganization of hippocampal circuits. Learning disabilities and psychiatric conditions may also occur in patients with severe TLE for whom conventional anti-epileptic drugs are ineffective. Novel treatments are needed to limit or repair neuronal damage, particularly to hippocampus and related limbic regions in severe TLE and to suppress temporal lobe seizures. A promising therapeutic strategy may be to restore inhibition of dentate gyrus granule neurons by means of cell grafts of embryonic stem cell-derived GABAergic neuron precursors. "Proof-of-concept" studies show that human and mouse embryonic stem cell-derived neural precursors can survive, migrate, and integrate into the brains of rodents in different experimental models of TLE. In addition, studies have shown that hippocampal grafts of cell lines engineered to release GABA or other anticonvulsant molecules can suppress seizures. Furthermore, transplants of fetal GABAergic progenitors from the mouse or human brain have also been shown to suppress the development of seizures. Here, we review these relevant studies and highlight areas of future research directed toward producing embryonic stem cell-derived GABAergic interneurons for cell-based therapies for treating TLE.
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Affiliation(s)
- Xu Maisano
- grid.268117.b0000000122937601Program in Neuroscience and Behavior, Department of Biology, Wesleyan University, 06459 Middletown, Connecticut
| | - Joseph Carpentino
- grid.15276.370000000419368091Program in Stem Cell Biology and Regenerative Medicine, McKnight Brain Institute, University of Florida, 32610 Gainesville, Florida
| | - Sandy Becker
- grid.421980.6Advanced Cell Technology, Inc., 01605 Worcester, Massachusetts
| | - Robert Lanza
- grid.421980.6Advanced Cell Technology, Inc., 01605 Worcester, Massachusetts
| | - Gloster Aaron
- grid.268117.b0000000122937601Program in Neuroscience and Behavior, Department of Biology, Wesleyan University, 06459 Middletown, Connecticut
| | - Laura Grabel
- grid.268117.b0000000122937601Program in Neuroscience and Behavior, Department of Biology, Wesleyan University, 06459 Middletown, Connecticut
| | - Janice R. Naegele
- grid.268117.b0000000122937601Program in Neuroscience and Behavior, Department of Biology, Wesleyan University, 06459 Middletown, Connecticut
- grid.268117.b0000000122937601Department of Biology, Hall-Atwater Laboratory, Wesleyan University, 52 Lawn Avenue, 06459-0170 Middletown, CT
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Moreno N, González A, Rétaux S. Evidences for tangential migrations in Xenopus telencephalon: developmental patterns and cell tracking experiments. Dev Neurobiol 2008; 68:504-20. [PMID: 18214835 DOI: 10.1002/dneu.20603] [Citation(s) in RCA: 60] [Impact Index Per Article: 3.8] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/09/2022]
Abstract
Extensive tangential cell migrations have been described in the developing mammalian, avian, and reptilian forebrain, and they are viewed as a powerful developmental mechanism to increase neuronal complexity in a given brain structure. Here, we report for the first time anatomical and cell tracking evidence for the presence of important migratory processes in the developing forebrain of the anamniote Xenopus laevis. Combining developmental gene expression patterns (Pax6, Nkx2.1, Isl1, Lhx5, Lhx9, and Dll3), neurotransmitter identity (GABA, NOS, ChAT), and connectivity information, several types of putative migratory cell populations and migration routes originating in the ventral pallium and the subpallium are proposed. By means of in vivo cell tracking experiments, pallio-subpallial and subpallio-pallial migrating neurons are visualized. Among them, populations of Nkx2.1(+) striatal interneurons and pallial GABAergic interneurons, which also express the migratory marker doublecortin, are identified. Finally, we find that these tangentially migrating pallial interneurons travel through an "isl1-free channel" that may guide their course through the subpallium. Our findings strongly suggest that the developing Xenopus telencephalon shares many similarities with amniotes in terms of neuronal specification and migrations. However, some differences are discussed, particularly with regard to the evolution of the pallium.
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Affiliation(s)
- Nerea Moreno
- Department of Cell Biology, Faculty of Biology, University Complutense of Madrid, Spain.
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44
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Bruno JG, Carrillo MP, Phillips T, King B. Development of DNA aptamers for cytochemical detection of acetylcholine. In Vitro Cell Dev Biol Anim 2008; 44:63-72. [PMID: 18311508 DOI: 10.1007/s11626-008-9086-0] [Citation(s) in RCA: 25] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.6] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 11/09/2007] [Accepted: 01/29/2008] [Indexed: 11/27/2022]
Abstract
This report describes a novel approach to the detection of acetylcholine using DNA aptamers. Aptamers were developed by eight rounds of acetylcholine affinity column chromatography and polymerase chain reaction (PCR) amplification. Sequences from rounds 5 and 8 were screened by colorimetric enzyme-based microtiter plate assays and found to bind acetylcholine and related compounds, but not unrelated compounds. One of the highest affinity aptamers, designated ACh 6R, was further tested in aptamer-peroxidase and aptamer-fluorescence staining protocols. Using Neuro-2a murine neuroblastoma cells induced to differentiate in the presence of 1 muM all-trans-retinoic acid for 5-7 d, ACh 6R detected cholinergic cells by both the peroxidase and fluorescence methods. Unrelated DNA aptamers did not stain the cells using either method. Fixation with cold 2% paraformaldehyde was compared to cold alkaline allyl alcohol plus glutaraldehyde for immobilization of acetylcholine in situ and appeared to enable detection of greater numbers of cholinergic cells, although differences in levels of differentiation may have been a factor as well. Acetylcholine generally appeared to be distributed throughout the differentiated Neuro-2a cell bodies. However, in some cells, punctate staining along neurite outgrowths and near the termini of cellular processes suggested detection of acetylcholine in discrete vesicles.
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Affiliation(s)
- John G Bruno
- Operational Technologies Corporation, 4100 NW Loop 410, Suite 230, San Antonio, TX 78229, USA.
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45
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Manabe T, Tatsumi K, Inoue M, Matsuyoshi H, Makinodan M, Yamauchi T, Makinodan E, Yokoyama S, Sakumura R, Okuda H, Wanaka A. Knockdown of the L3/Lhx8 gene suppresses cholinergic differentiation of murine embryonic stem cell-derived spheres. Int J Dev Neurosci 2007; 26:249-52. [PMID: 18248940 DOI: 10.1016/j.ijdevneu.2007.11.004] [Citation(s) in RCA: 8] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 10/23/2007] [Revised: 11/17/2007] [Accepted: 11/29/2007] [Indexed: 10/22/2022] Open
Abstract
L3/Lhx8, a member of the Lim-homeobox gene family, is selectively and specifically expressed in the murine embryonic medial ganglionic eminence (MGE). Our previous study demonstrated that L3/Lhx8-deficient mice specifically lack cholinergic neurons in the basal forebrain. In this manuscript, we report the in vitro effects of reduced L3/Lhx8 gene expression on cholinergic differentiation in murine embryonic stem (ES) cell-derived spheres without dissociation. The knockdown of L3/Lhx8 gene expression dramatically decreased the cholinergic phenotype of spheres without altering other known phenotypes (TuJ1, GABA and GFAP). These results strongly suggest that L3/Lhx8 is a key factor for cholinergic differentiation of murine ES cell-derived spheres and is involved in basal forebrain development.
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Affiliation(s)
- Takayuki Manabe
- Department of 2nd Anatomy, Faculty of Medicine, Nara Medical University, 840 Shijyo-cho, Kasihara City, Nara 634-8521, Japan.
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46
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Lin PY, Hinterneder JM, Rollor SR, Birren SJ. Non-cell-autonomous regulation of GABAergic neuron development by neurotrophins and the p75 receptor. J Neurosci 2007; 27:12787-96. [PMID: 18032650 PMCID: PMC6673298 DOI: 10.1523/jneurosci.3302-07.2007] [Citation(s) in RCA: 19] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.1] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 07/20/2007] [Revised: 09/26/2007] [Accepted: 10/17/2007] [Indexed: 01/12/2023] Open
Abstract
Basal forebrain GABAergic and cholinergic circuits regulate the activity of cholinergic projections to the cortex and hippocampus. Because these projections influence cortical development and function, the development of basal forebrain excitatory and inhibitory neurons is critical for overall brain development. We show that the neurotransmitter phenotype of these neurons is developmentally regulated by neurotrophins and the p75 receptor. Neurotrophins (nerve growth factor and brain-derived neurotrophic factor) increased the number of both cholinergic and GABAergic neurons in neonatal basal forebrain neuron cultures from the region of the medial septum. However, the p75 receptor is required only for neurotrophin-dependent expansion of the GABAergic, not the cholinergic, population. Neurotrophin-induced GABAergic development can be rescued in p75-/- cultures by expression of a p75 rescue construct in neighboring cells or by treatment with medium collected from neurotrophin-treated wild-type cultures. Because p75 is not expressed in basal forebrain GABAergic neurons, this defines a new, non-cell-autonomous mechanism of p75 action in which ligand binding results in release of a soluble factor that modifies neurotrophin responses of nearby neurons. p75 is also required for the maintenance of basal forebrain GABAergic neurons in vivo, demonstrating that p75-mediated interactions between cholinergic and GABAergic neurons regulate the balance of excitatory and inhibitory components of basal forebrain circuits.
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Affiliation(s)
- Pao-Yen Lin
- Department of Biology, Volen Center for Complex Systems, Brandeis University, Waltham, Massachusetts 02454, and
- Department of Psychiatry, Chang Gung Memorial Hospital–Kaohsiung Medical Center, Chang Gung University College of Medicine, Kaohsiung, County 831, Taiwan
| | - Jeanine M. Hinterneder
- Department of Biology, Volen Center for Complex Systems, Brandeis University, Waltham, Massachusetts 02454, and
| | - Sarah R. Rollor
- Department of Biology, Volen Center for Complex Systems, Brandeis University, Waltham, Massachusetts 02454, and
| | - Susan J. Birren
- Department of Biology, Volen Center for Complex Systems, Brandeis University, Waltham, Massachusetts 02454, and
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47
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Benes FM, Lim B, Matzilevich D, Walsh JP, Subburaju S, Minns M. Regulation of the GABA cell phenotype in hippocampus of schizophrenics and bipolars. Proc Natl Acad Sci U S A 2007; 104:10164-9. [PMID: 17553960 PMCID: PMC1888575 DOI: 10.1073/pnas.0703806104] [Citation(s) in RCA: 360] [Impact Index Per Article: 21.2] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 03/19/2007] [Indexed: 12/14/2022] Open
Abstract
GABAergic dysfunction is present in the hippocampus in schizophrenia (SZ) and bipolar disorder (BD). The trisynaptic pathway was "deconstructed" into various layers of sectors CA3/2 and CA1 and gene expression profiling performed. Network association analysis was used to uncover genes that may be related to regulation of glutamate decarboxylase 67 (GAD(67)), a marker for this system that has been found by many studies to show decreased expression in SZs and BDs. The most striking change was a down-regulation of GAD(67) in the stratum oriens (SO) of CA2/3 in both groups; CA1 only showed changes in the SO of schizophrenics. The network generated for GAD(67) contained 25 genes involved in the regulation of kainate receptors, TGF-beta and Wnt signaling, as well as transcription factors involved in cell growth and differentiation. In SZs, IL-1beta, (GRIK2/3), TGF-beta2, TGF-betaR1, histone deacetylase 1 (HDAC1), death associated protein (DAXX), and cyclin D2 (CCND2) were all significantly up-regulated, whereas in BDs, PAX5, Runx2, LEF1, TLE1, and CCND2 were significantly down-regulated. In the SO of CA1 of BDs, where GAD67 showed no expression change, TGF-beta and Wnt signaling genes were all up-regulated, but other transcription factors showed no change in expression. In other layers/sectors, BDs showed no expression changes in these GAD(67) network genes. Overall, these results are consistent with the hypothesis that decreased expression of GAD(67) may be associated with an epigenetic mechanism in SZ. In BD, however, a suppression of transcription factors involved in cell differentiation may contribute to GABA dysfunction.
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Affiliation(s)
- Francine M Benes
- Program in Structural and Molecular Neuroscience, McLean Hospital, Belmont, MA 02178, USA.
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48
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Makinodan E, Manabe T, Makinodan M, Yamauchi T, Matsuyoshi H, Sakumura R, Tatsumi K, Wanaka A. A novel role for Fyn: Change in sphere formation ability in murine embryonic stem cells. Neuroscience 2007; 147:1-4. [PMID: 17521824 DOI: 10.1016/j.neuroscience.2007.04.033] [Citation(s) in RCA: 1] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.1] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 03/05/2007] [Revised: 04/13/2007] [Accepted: 04/13/2007] [Indexed: 01/06/2023]
Abstract
Fyn, a member of the Src-family protein tyrosine kinase (PTK), is an essential factor in myelination in the CNS and is involved in murine embryonic stem (ES) cell growth and differentiation. Although dysfunctions of Fyn have been comparatively studied, the gain of function by ectopic expression, especially using ES cells, has seldom been investigated. In this article, we give the first report of the involvement of Fyn alteration in the sphere formation ability of murine ES cells. First, transient transfection of Fyn hardly affected multiplication and specialization. Then, we investigated Fyn overexpression using ES cells, which stably express Fyn. As a result, altered sphere formation capability was observed in all clones stably expressing Fyn. These results may provide important information for reproduction medical treatment using ES cells.
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Affiliation(s)
- E Makinodan
- Department of 2nd Anatomy, Faculty of Medicine, Nara Medical University, 840 Shijyo-cho, Kasihara City, Nara 634-8521, Japan
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Colombo E, Collombat P, Colasante G, Bianchi M, Long J, Mansouri A, Rubenstein JLR, Broccoli V. Inactivation of Arx, the murine ortholog of the X-linked lissencephaly with ambiguous genitalia gene, leads to severe disorganization of the ventral telencephalon with impaired neuronal migration and differentiation. J Neurosci 2007; 27:4786-98. [PMID: 17460091 PMCID: PMC4916654 DOI: 10.1523/jneurosci.0417-07.2007] [Citation(s) in RCA: 107] [Impact Index Per Article: 6.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 05/12/2006] [Revised: 03/05/2007] [Accepted: 03/06/2007] [Indexed: 11/21/2022] Open
Abstract
ARX loss-of-function mutations cause X-linked lissencephaly with ambiguous genitalia (XLAG), a severe neurological condition that results in profound brain malformations, including microcephaly, absence of corpus callosum, and impairment of the basal ganglia. Despite such dramatic defects, their nature and origin remain largely unknown. Here, we used Arx mutant mice as a model to characterize the cellular and molecular mechanisms underlying the basal ganglia alterations. In these animals, the early differentiation of this tissue appeared normal, whereas subsequent differentiation was impaired, leading to the periventricular accumulation of immature neurons in both the lateral ganglionic eminence and medial ganglionic eminence (MGE). Both tangential migration toward the cortex and striatum and radial migration to the globus pallidus and striatum were greatly reduced in the mutants, causing a periventricular accumulation of NPY+ or calretinin+ neurons in the MGE. Arx mutant neurons retained their differentiation potential in vitro but exhibited deficits in morphology and migration ability. These findings imply that cell-autonomous defects in migration underlie the neuronal localization defects. Furthermore, Arx mutants lacked a large fraction of cholinergic neurons and displayed a strong impairment of thalamocortical projections, in which major axon fiber tracts failed to traverse the basal ganglia. Altogether, these results highlight the critical functions of Arx in promoting neural migration and regulating basal ganglia differentiation in mice, consistent with the phenotype of XLAG patients.
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Affiliation(s)
- Elena Colombo
- Stem Cell Research Department, San Raffaele Scientific Institute, 20132 Milan, Italy
| | - Patrick Collombat
- Department of Molecular Cell Biology, Max-Planck Institute for Biophysical Chemistry, 37077 Goettingen, Germany, and
| | - Gaia Colasante
- Stem Cell Research Department, San Raffaele Scientific Institute, 20132 Milan, Italy
| | - Marta Bianchi
- Stem Cell Research Department, San Raffaele Scientific Institute, 20132 Milan, Italy
| | - Jason Long
- Nina Ireland Laboratory of Developmental Neurobiology, Department of Psychiatry, University of California, San Francisco, San Francisco, California 94158
| | - Ahmed Mansouri
- Department of Molecular Cell Biology, Max-Planck Institute for Biophysical Chemistry, 37077 Goettingen, Germany, and
| | - John L. R. Rubenstein
- Nina Ireland Laboratory of Developmental Neurobiology, Department of Psychiatry, University of California, San Francisco, San Francisco, California 94158
| | - Vania Broccoli
- Stem Cell Research Department, San Raffaele Scientific Institute, 20132 Milan, Italy
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50
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Manabe T, Tatsumi K, Inoue M, Makinodan M, Yamauchi T, Makinodan E, Yokoyama S, Sakumura R, Wanaka A. L3/Lhx8 is a pivotal factor for cholinergic differentiation of murine embryonic stem cells. Cell Death Differ 2007; 14:1080-5. [PMID: 17318222 DOI: 10.1038/sj.cdd.4402106] [Citation(s) in RCA: 32] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.9] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/09/2022] Open
Abstract
L3/Lhx8 is a member of the LIM-homeobox gene family. Previously, we demonstrated that L3/Lhx8-null mice specifically lacked cholinergic neurons in the basal forebrain. In the present study, we conditionally suppressed L3/Lhx8 function during retinoic acid-induced neural differentiation of a murine embryonic stem (ES) cell line using an L3/Lhx8-targeted small interfering RNA (siRNA) produced by an H1.2 promoter-driven vector. Our culture conditions induced efficient differentiation of the ES cells into neurons and astrocytes, but far less efficient differentiation into oligodendrocytes. Suppression of L3/Lhx8 expression by siRNA led to a dramatic decrease in the number of cells positive for the cholinergic marker ChAT, and overexpression of L3/Lhx8 recovered this effect. However, no significant changes were observed in the number of Tuj1+ neurons and GABA+ cells. These results strongly suggest that L3/Lhx8 is a key factor in the cholinergic differentiation of murine ES cells and is involved in basal forebrain development.
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Affiliation(s)
- T Manabe
- Department of 2nd Anatomy, Faculty of Medicine, Nara Medical University, 840 Shijyo-cho, Kasihara City, Nara 634-8521, Japan.
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