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Trinidad EM, Vidal E, Coronado E, Esteve-Codina A, Castel V, Cañete A, Gut M, Heath S, Font de Mora J. Liquidhope: methylome and genomic profiling from very limited quantities of plasma-derived DNA. Brief Bioinform 2023; 24:6972296. [PMID: 36611239 PMCID: PMC9851319 DOI: 10.1093/bib/bbac575] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 08/03/2022] [Revised: 11/04/2022] [Accepted: 11/25/2022] [Indexed: 01/09/2023] Open
Abstract
Analysis of the methylome of tumor cell-free deoxyribonucleic acid (DNA; cfDNA) has emerged as a powerful non-invasive technique for cancer subtyping and prognosis. However, its application is frequently hampered by the quality and total cfDNA yield. Here, we demonstrate the feasibility of very low-input cfDNA for whole-methylome and copy-number profiling studies using enzymatic conversion of unmethylated cysteines [enzymatic methyl-seq (EM-seq)] to better preserve DNA integrity. We created a model for predicting genomic subtyping and prognosis with high accuracy. We validated our tool by comparing whole-genome CpG sequencing with in situ cohorts generated with bisulfite conversion and array hybridization, demonstrating that, despite the different techniques and sample origins, information on cfDNA methylation is comparable with in situ cohorts. Our findings support use of liquid biopsy followed by EM-seq to assess methylome of cancer patients, enabling validation in external cohorts. This advance is particularly relevant for rare cancers like neuroblastomas where liquid-biopsy volume is restricted by ethical regulations in pediatric patients.
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Affiliation(s)
- Eva María Trinidad
- Corresponding author: Eva M. Trinidad, Laboratory of Cellular and Molecular Biology and Clinical and Translational Research in Cancer, Health Research Institute Hospital La Fe, Avenida Fernando Abril Martorell, 106; Torre A, 5-0746026 Valencia, Spain. Tel.: +34-961246646; ; Fax: +34-963496620; E-mail:
| | - Enrique Vidal
- Laboratory of Cellular and Molecular Biology, Health Research Institute Hospital La Fe, Valencia, Spain,Clinical and Translational Research in Cancer, Health Research Institute Hospital La Fe, Valencia, Spain
| | - Esther Coronado
- Laboratory of Cellular and Molecular Biology, Health Research Institute Hospital La Fe, Valencia, Spain,Clinical and Translational Research in Cancer, Health Research Institute Hospital La Fe, Valencia, Spain
| | - Anna Esteve-Codina
- CNAG-CRG, Centre for Genomic Regulation (CRG), Barcelona Institute of Science and Technology (BIST), , Barcelona , Spain
| | - Victoria Castel
- Clinical and Translational Research in Cancer, Health Research Institute Hospital La Fe, Valencia, Spain,Universitat Pompeu Fabra (UPF), Barcelona 08002, Spain
| | - Adela Cañete
- Clinical and Translational Research in Cancer, Health Research Institute Hospital La Fe, Valencia, Spain,Universitat Pompeu Fabra (UPF), Barcelona 08002, Spain,Pediatric Oncology Unit, La Fe University Hospital, Valencia, Spain
| | - Marta Gut
- CNAG-CRG, Centre for Genomic Regulation (CRG), Barcelona Institute of Science and Technology (BIST), , Barcelona , Spain
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Alsanie WF, Abdelrahman S, Alhomrani M, Gaber A, Alosimi EA, Habeeballah H, Alkhatabi HA, Felimban RI, Hauser CAE, Tayeb HH, Alamri AS, Alamri A, Raafat BM, Alswat KA, Althobaiti YS, Asiri YA. The Influence of Prenatal Exposure to Quetiapine Fumarate on the Development of Dopaminergic Neurons in the Ventral Midbrain of Mouse Embryos. Int J Mol Sci 2022; 23:ijms232012352. [PMID: 36293205 PMCID: PMC9603924 DOI: 10.3390/ijms232012352] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 08/16/2022] [Revised: 10/07/2022] [Accepted: 10/12/2022] [Indexed: 11/06/2022] Open
Abstract
The effects of second-generation antipsychotics on prenatal neurodevelopment, apoptotic neurodegeneration, and postnatal developmental delays have been poorly investigated. Even at standard doses, the use of quetiapine fumarate (QEPF) in pregnant women might be detrimental to fetal development. We used primary mouse embryonic neurons to evaluate the disruption of morphogenesis and differentiation of ventral midbrain (VM) neurons after exposure to QEPF. The dopaminergic VM neurons were deliberately targeted due to their roles in cognition, motor activity, and behavior. The results revealed that exposure to QEPF during early brain development decreased the effects of the dopaminergic lineage-related genes Tyrosine hydroxylase(Th), Dopamine receptor D1 (Drd1), Dopamine transporter (Dat), LIM homeobox transcription factor 1 alfa (Lmx1a), and Cell adhesion molecule L1 (Chl1), and the senescent dopaminergic gene Pituitary homeobox 3 (Pitx3). In contrast, Brain derived neurotrophic factor (Bdnf) and Nuclear receptor-related 1 (Nurr1) expressions were significantly upregulated. Interestingly, QEPF had variable effects on the development of non-dopaminergic neurons in VM. An optimal dose of QEPF (10 µM) was found to insignificantly affect the viability of neurons isolated from the VM. It also instigated a non-significant reduction in adenosine triphosphate formation in these neuronal populations. Exposure to QEPF during the early stages of brain development could also hinder the formation of VM and their structural phenotypes. These findings could aid therapeutic decision-making when prescribing 2nd generation antipsychotics in pregnant populations.
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Affiliation(s)
- Walaa F. Alsanie
- Department of Clinical Laboratories Sciences, The Faculty of Applied Medical Sciences, Taif University, P.O. Box 11099, Taif 21944, Saudi Arabia
- Centre of Biomedical Sciences Research (CBSR), Deanship of Scientific Research, Taif University, P.O. Box 11099, Taif 21944, Saudi Arabia
- Correspondence:
| | - Sherin Abdelrahman
- Laboratory for Nanomedicine, Division of Biological and Environmental Science and Engineering (BESE), King Abdullah University of Science and Technology (KAUST), Thuwal, Jeddah 23955, Saudi Arabia
| | - Majid Alhomrani
- Department of Clinical Laboratories Sciences, The Faculty of Applied Medical Sciences, Taif University, P.O. Box 11099, Taif 21944, Saudi Arabia
- Centre of Biomedical Sciences Research (CBSR), Deanship of Scientific Research, Taif University, P.O. Box 11099, Taif 21944, Saudi Arabia
| | - Ahmed Gaber
- Centre of Biomedical Sciences Research (CBSR), Deanship of Scientific Research, Taif University, P.O. Box 11099, Taif 21944, Saudi Arabia
- Department of Biology, College of Science, Taif University, P.O. Box 11099, Taif 21944, Saudi Arabia
| | - Ebtisam Abdulah Alosimi
- Centre of Biomedical Sciences Research (CBSR), Deanship of Scientific Research, Taif University, P.O. Box 11099, Taif 21944, Saudi Arabia
| | - Hamza Habeeballah
- Department of Medical Laboratory Technology, Faculty of Applied Medical Sciences in Rabigh, King Abdulaziz University, Jeddah 21589, Saudi Arabia
| | - Heba A. Alkhatabi
- Department of Medical Laboratory Sciences, Faculty of Applied Medical Sciences, King Abdulaziz University, Jeddah 21589, Saudi Arabia
- Center of Excellence in Genomic Medicine Research (CEGMR), King Abdulaziz University, Jeddah 21589, Saudi Arabia
- King Fahd Medical Research Centre, Hematology Research Unit, King Abdulaziz University, Jeddah 21589, Saudi Arabia
| | - Raed I. Felimban
- Department of Medical Laboratory Sciences, Faculty of Applied Medical Sciences, King Abdulaziz University, Jeddah 21589, Saudi Arabia
- Center of Innovation in Personalized Medicine (CIPM), 3D Bioprinting Unit, King Abdulaziz University, Jeddah 21589, Saudi Arabia
| | - Charlotte A. E. Hauser
- Laboratory for Nanomedicine, Division of Biological and Environmental Science and Engineering (BESE), King Abdullah University of Science and Technology (KAUST), Thuwal, Jeddah 23955, Saudi Arabia
- Computational Bioscience Research Center (CBRC), King Abdullah University of Science and Technology (KAUST), Thuwal, Jeddah 23955, Saudi Arabia
| | - Hossam H. Tayeb
- Department of Medical Laboratory Sciences, Faculty of Applied Medical Sciences, King Abdulaziz University, Jeddah 21589, Saudi Arabia
- Nanomedicine Unit, Center of Innovation in Personalized Medicine (CIPM), King Abdulaziz University, Jeddah 21589, Saudi Arabia
| | - Abdulhakeem S. Alamri
- Department of Clinical Laboratories Sciences, The Faculty of Applied Medical Sciences, Taif University, P.O. Box 11099, Taif 21944, Saudi Arabia
- Centre of Biomedical Sciences Research (CBSR), Deanship of Scientific Research, Taif University, P.O. Box 11099, Taif 21944, Saudi Arabia
| | - Abdulwahab Alamri
- Department of Pharmacology and Toxicology, College of Pharmacy, University of Hail, Hail 55211, Saudi Arabia
| | - Bassem M. Raafat
- Department of Radiological Sciences, College of Applied Medical Sciences, Taif University, P.O. Box 11099, Taif 21944, Saudi Arabia
| | - Khaled A. Alswat
- Department of Internal Medicine, School of Medicine, Taif University, P.O. Box 11099, Taif 21944, Saudi Arabia
| | - Yusuf S. Althobaiti
- Department of Pharmacology and Toxicology, College of Pharmacy, Taif University, P.O. Box 11099, Taif 21944, Saudi Arabia
- Addiction and Neuroscience Research Unit, Taif University, P.O. Box 11099, Taif 21944, Saudi Arabia
| | - Yousif A. Asiri
- Department of Clinical Pharmacy, College of Pharmacy, Taif University, P.O. Box 11099, Taif 21944, Saudi Arabia
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Lmx1a-Dependent Activation of miR-204/211 Controls the Timing of Nurr1-Mediated Dopaminergic Differentiation. Int J Mol Sci 2022; 23:ijms23136961. [PMID: 35805964 PMCID: PMC9266978 DOI: 10.3390/ijms23136961] [Citation(s) in RCA: 3] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 05/21/2022] [Revised: 06/15/2022] [Accepted: 06/21/2022] [Indexed: 02/01/2023] Open
Abstract
The development of midbrain dopaminergic (DA) neurons requires a fine temporal and spatial regulation of a very specific gene expression program. Here, we report that during mouse brain development, the microRNA (miR-) 204/211 is present at a high level in a subset of DA precursors expressing the transcription factor Lmx1a, an early determinant for DA-commitment, but not in more mature neurons expressing Th or Pitx3. By combining different in vitro model systems of DA differentiation, we show that the levels of Lmx1a influence the expression of miR-204/211. Using published transcriptomic data, we found a significant enrichment of miR-204/211 target genes in midbrain dopaminergic neurons where Lmx1a was selectively deleted at embryonic stages. We further demonstrated that miR-204/211 controls the timing of the DA differentiation by directly downregulating the expression of Nurr1, a late DA differentiation master gene. Thus, our data indicate the Lmx1a-miR-204/211-Nurr1 axis as a key component in the cascade of events that ultimately lead to mature midbrain dopaminergic neurons differentiation and point to miR-204/211 as the molecular switch regulating the timing of Nurr1 expression.
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Li X, Hu X, Jiang Y, Wang D, Wang T, Li B. Autonomic behavioral impairment induced by simazine exposure during early life of male mouse is mediated by Lmx1a/Wnt1 pathway. ENVIRONMENTAL TOXICOLOGY 2022; 37:776-788. [PMID: 34936186 DOI: 10.1002/tox.23442] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 08/05/2021] [Revised: 12/06/2021] [Accepted: 12/11/2021] [Indexed: 06/14/2023]
Abstract
Simazine is a widely used herbicide and known as an environmental estrogen. Multiple studies have proved simazine can induced the degeneration of dopaminergic neuron resulting in a degenerative disease-like syndrome. Herein, we explored the neurotoxicity of simazine on the dopaminergic nervous system of embryos and weaned offspring during the maternal gestation period or the maternal gestation and lactation periods. We found that simazine disturbed the crucial components expression involved in Lmx1a/Wnt1 pathway of dopaminergic neuron in embryonic and weaned offspring. Furthermore, morphological and behavioral tests performed on weaned male offspring treated by simazine suggested that the grip strength, autonomic exploring, and the space sense ability were weakened, as well as the pathological damage of dopaminergic neuron was clearly observed. But, the same neurotoxicity of simazine is less significantly observed in female offspring. Our findings will provide reliable reference for the determination of environmental limits and new insight into the pathogenesis of nonfamilial neurodegenerative diseases related to environmental risk factors.
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Affiliation(s)
- Xueting Li
- Department of Hygienic Toxicology, College of Public Health, Harbin Medical University, Harbin, China
- Department of Epidemiology, College of Public Health, Harbin Medical University, Harbin, China
| | - Xiaomeng Hu
- Department of Hygienic Toxicology, College of Public Health, Harbin Medical University, Harbin, China
| | - Yujia Jiang
- Department of Hygienic Toxicology, College of Public Health, Harbin Medical University, Harbin, China
| | - Dandan Wang
- Center for Endemic Disease Control, Chinese Center for Disease Control and Prevention, Harbin Medical University, Harbin, China
| | - Ting Wang
- Department of Hygienic Toxicology, College of Public Health, Harbin Medical University, Harbin, China
| | - Baixiang Li
- Department of Hygienic Toxicology, College of Public Health, Harbin Medical University, Harbin, China
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Ng YH, Chanda S, Janas JA, Yang N, Kokubu Y, Südhof TC, Wernig M. Efficient generation of dopaminergic induced neuronal cells with midbrain characteristics. Stem Cell Reports 2021; 16:1763-1776. [PMID: 34171286 PMCID: PMC8282497 DOI: 10.1016/j.stemcr.2021.05.017] [Citation(s) in RCA: 21] [Impact Index Per Article: 7.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 05/01/2015] [Revised: 05/22/2021] [Accepted: 05/23/2021] [Indexed: 12/12/2022] Open
Abstract
The differentiation of pluripotent stem cells can be accomplished by sequential activation of signaling pathways or through transcription factor programming. Multistep differentiation imitates embryonic development to obtain authentic cell types, but it suffers from asynchronous differentiation with variable efficiency. Transcription factor programming induces synchronous and efficient differentiation with higher reproducibility but may not always yield authentic cell types. We systematically explored the generation of dopaminergic induced neuronal cells from mouse and human pluripotent stem cells. We found that the proneural factor Ascl1 in combination with mesencephalic factors Lmx1a and Nurr1 induce peripheral dopaminergic neurons. Co-delivery of additional midbrain transcription factors En1, FoxA2, and Pitx3 resulted in facile and robust generation of functional dopaminergic neurons of midbrain character. Our results suggest that more complex combinations of transcription factors may be needed for proper regional specification of induced neuronal cells generated by direct lineage induction. Ascl1 alone can induce tyrosine hydroxylase (TH)-positive ES-iN cells Ascl1 alone, or with Nurr1 and Lmx1a, induce peripheral TH-positive cells WNT1 and neurotrophic factors increase TH-positive iN cells in culture A 6-factor combination induces TH-positive dopamine iN cells of central identity
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Affiliation(s)
- Yi Han Ng
- Institute for Stem Cell Biology and Regenerative Medicine and Department of Pathology, Stanford University School of Medicine, Stanford, CA 94305, USA; Department of Microbiology and Immunology, Stanford University School of Medicine, Stanford, CA 94305, USA; Department of Molecular and Cellular Physiology and Howard Hughes Medical Institute, Stanford, CA 94305, USA
| | - Soham Chanda
- Institute for Stem Cell Biology and Regenerative Medicine and Department of Pathology, Stanford University School of Medicine, Stanford, CA 94305, USA; Department of Molecular and Cellular Physiology and Howard Hughes Medical Institute, Stanford, CA 94305, USA
| | - Justyna A Janas
- Institute for Stem Cell Biology and Regenerative Medicine and Department of Pathology, Stanford University School of Medicine, Stanford, CA 94305, USA
| | - Nan Yang
- Institute for Stem Cell Biology and Regenerative Medicine and Department of Pathology, Stanford University School of Medicine, Stanford, CA 94305, USA
| | - Yuko Kokubu
- Institute for Stem Cell Biology and Regenerative Medicine and Department of Pathology, Stanford University School of Medicine, Stanford, CA 94305, USA
| | - Thomas C Südhof
- Department of Molecular and Cellular Physiology and Howard Hughes Medical Institute, Stanford, CA 94305, USA
| | - Marius Wernig
- Institute for Stem Cell Biology and Regenerative Medicine and Department of Pathology, Stanford University School of Medicine, Stanford, CA 94305, USA.
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6
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Li X, Li J, Li P, Jiang Y, Wu Y, Li B. Injury to dopaminergic neurons development via the Lmx1a/Wnt1 autoregulatory loop induced by simazine. Toxicol Lett 2020; 333:279-289. [PMID: 32822773 DOI: 10.1016/j.toxlet.2020.07.026] [Citation(s) in RCA: 2] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 05/01/2020] [Revised: 07/17/2020] [Accepted: 07/26/2020] [Indexed: 10/23/2022]
Abstract
Simazine is a kind of persistent organic pollutant that is detected in both ground and water and has several routes of exposure. Here, we explored the mechanisms underlying simazine-related effects on dopaminergic neurons via development-related factors using mouse embryos and embryonic mesencephalic hybrid cell line (MN9D cells). We treated pregnant mice with 50 μg/kg bw, 200 μg/kg bw simazine from the 0.5 day to the 10.5 day of embryonic phase and MN9D cells with 600 μM simazine for 24 h to research the mechanism of dopaminergic neurons acute respond to simazine through preliminary experiments. Protein expressions of LIM homeobox transcription factor 1-alpha (Lmx1a) and LIM homeobox transcription factor 1-beta (Lmx1b) displayed a dose- and time-dependent increase after the exposure to simazine. In the 200 μg/kg bw of embryos and the 24h-600 μM of MN9D cells, protein levels of dopaminergic developmental factors were significantly upregulated, and dopaminergic function was significantly damaged for the abnormal expression of Dyt5b. We demonstrated simazine induced the injury to dopaminergic neurons via the Lmx1a/wingless-related integration site 1 (Wnt1) and Lmx1b pathways. In the transfection experiments, we knocked down Lmx1a and Lmx1b of cells to verify the potential target of simazine-induced injury to dopaminergic neurons, respectively. We detected the protein and mRNA levels of development-related genes of dopaminergic neurons and intracellular dopamine levels in different treatment groups. Based on our experiments' results, we demonstrated an acute response to 24 h-600 μM simazine treatment, the simazine-induced injury to dopaminergic neuronal which leads to abnormal dopamine levels and dopaminergic impairment is via the activation of the Lmx1a/Wnt1 autoregulatory loop. Lmx1a is a promising target in the search for the mechanisms underlying simazine-induced dopaminergic injury.
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Affiliation(s)
- Xueting Li
- Department of Toxicology, College of Public Health, Harbin Medical University, 157 Baojian Street, Harbin, Heilongjiang Province, 150081, PR China
| | - Jianan Li
- Department of Toxicology, College of Public Health, Harbin Medical University, 157 Baojian Street, Harbin, Heilongjiang Province, 150081, PR China
| | - Peng Li
- Department of Toxicology, College of Public Health, Harbin Medical University, 157 Baojian Street, Harbin, Heilongjiang Province, 150081, PR China
| | - Yujia Jiang
- Department of Toxicology, College of Public Health, Harbin Medical University, 157 Baojian Street, Harbin, Heilongjiang Province, 150081, PR China
| | - Yanping Wu
- Department of Toxicology, College of Public Health, Harbin Medical University, 157 Baojian Street, Harbin, Heilongjiang Province, 150081, PR China
| | - Baixiang Li
- Department of Toxicology, College of Public Health, Harbin Medical University, 157 Baojian Street, Harbin, Heilongjiang Province, 150081, PR China.
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Efficient Differentiation of Human Embryonic Stem Cells Toward Dopaminergic Neurons Using Recombinant LMX1A Factor. Mol Biotechnol 2014; 57:184-94. [DOI: 10.1007/s12033-014-9814-5] [Citation(s) in RCA: 18] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.8] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 01/14/2023]
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8
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Mergy MA, Gowrishankar R, Davis GL, Jessen TN, Wright J, Stanwood GD, Hahn MK, Blakely RD. Genetic targeting of the amphetamine and methylphenidate-sensitive dopamine transporter: on the path to an animal model of attention-deficit hyperactivity disorder. Neurochem Int 2014; 73:56-70. [PMID: 24332984 PMCID: PMC4177817 DOI: 10.1016/j.neuint.2013.11.009] [Citation(s) in RCA: 22] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.2] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 11/03/2013] [Revised: 11/20/2013] [Accepted: 11/23/2013] [Indexed: 12/20/2022]
Abstract
Alterations in dopamine (DA) signaling underlie the most widely held theories of molecular and circuit level perturbations that lead to risk for attention-deficit hyperactivity disorder (ADHD). The DA transporter (DAT), a presynaptic reuptake protein whose activity provides critical support for DA signaling by limiting DA action at pre- and postsynaptic receptors, has been consistently associated with ADHD through pharmacological, behavioral, brain imaging and genetic studies. Currently, the animal models of ADHD exhibit significant limitations, stemming in large part from their lack of construct validity. To remedy this situation, we have pursued the creation of a mouse model derived from a functional nonsynonymous variant in the DAT gene (SLC6A3) of ADHD probands. We trace our path from the identification of these variants to in vitro biochemical and physiological studies to the production of the DAT Val559 mouse model. We discuss our initial findings with these animals and their promise in the context of existing rodent models of ADHD.
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Affiliation(s)
- Marc A Mergy
- Departments of Pharmacology, Vanderbilt University School of Medicine, Nashville, TN, USA
| | - Raajaram Gowrishankar
- Departments of Pharmacology, Vanderbilt University School of Medicine, Nashville, TN, USA
| | - Gwynne L Davis
- Departments of Pharmacology, Vanderbilt University School of Medicine, Nashville, TN, USA
| | - Tammy N Jessen
- Departments of Pharmacology, Vanderbilt University School of Medicine, Nashville, TN, USA
| | - Jane Wright
- Departments of Pharmacology, Vanderbilt University School of Medicine, Nashville, TN, USA
| | - Gregg D Stanwood
- Departments of Pharmacology, Vanderbilt University School of Medicine, Nashville, TN, USA
| | - Maureen K Hahn
- Department of Medicine, Vanderbilt University School of Medicine, Nashville, TN, USA
| | - Randy D Blakely
- Departments of Pharmacology, Vanderbilt University School of Medicine, Nashville, TN, USA; Department of Psychiatry, Vanderbilt University School of Medicine, Nashville, TN, USA.
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Hong S, Chung S, Leung K, Hwang I, Moon J, Kim KS. Functional roles of Nurr1, Pitx3, and Lmx1a in neurogenesis and phenotype specification of dopamine neurons during in vitro differentiation of embryonic stem cells. Stem Cells Dev 2013; 23:477-87. [PMID: 24172139 DOI: 10.1089/scd.2013.0406] [Citation(s) in RCA: 31] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.8] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 12/23/2022] Open
Abstract
To elucidate detailed functional mechanisms of key fate-determining transcription factors (eg, Nurr1, Pitx3, and Lmx1a) and their functional interplay for midbrain dopamine (mDA) neurons, we developed highly efficient gain-of-function system by transducing the neural progenitors (NPs) derived from embryonic stem cells (ESCs) with retroviral vectors, allowing the analysis of downstream molecular and cellular effects. Overexpression of each factors, Nurr1, Pitx3, and Lmx1a robustly promoted the dopaminergic differentiation of ESC-NP cells exposed to sonic hedgehog (SHH) and fibroblast growth factor 8 (FGF8). In addition, each of these factors directly interacts with potential binding sites within the tyrosine hydroxylase (TH) gene and activated its promoter activity. Interestingly, however, overexpression of Nurr1, but not of Pitx3 or Lmx1a, generated a significant number of nonneuronal TH-positive cells. In line with this, Pitx3 and Lmx1a, but not Nurr1, induced expression of the Ngn2 gene, which is critical for neurogenesis. We also observed that Pitx3 directly bound to its potential binding sites within the Ngn2 gene and the pan-neuronal marker β-tubulin III gene, suggesting that Pitx3 contributes to mDA neurogenesis by directly regulating these genes. Taken together, our data demonstrate that key mDA regulators (Nurr1, Pitx3, and Lmx1a) play overlapping as well as distinct roles during neurogenesis and neurotransmitter phenotype determination of mDA neurons.
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Affiliation(s)
- Sunghoi Hong
- 1 Molecular Neurobiology Laboratory, Department of Psychiatry and Program in Neuroscience, McLean Hospital/Harvard Medical School , Belmont, Massachusetts
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