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Shah J, Tan B, Wong D, Abdul Gani NFB, Hu Q, Liu X, Chua J. Evaluation of thickness of individual macular retinal layers in diabetic eyes from optical coherence tomography. Sci Rep 2024; 14:17909. [PMID: 39095380 PMCID: PMC11297304 DOI: 10.1038/s41598-024-68552-y] [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: 12/08/2023] [Accepted: 07/24/2024] [Indexed: 08/04/2024] Open
Abstract
The effect of diabetes mellitus (DM) on individual retinal layers remains incompletely understood. We evaluated the intra-retinal layer thickness alterations in 71 DM eyes with no diabetic retinopathy (DR), 90 with mild DR, and 63 with moderate DR without macular edema, using spectral-domain optical coherence tomography (SD-OCT) and the Iowa Reference Algorithm for automated retinal layer segmentation. The average thickness of 10 intra-retinal layers was then corrected for ocular magnification using axial length measurements, and pairwise comparisons were made using multivariable linear regression models adjusted for gender and race. In DM no DR eyes, significant thinning was evident in the ganglion cell layer (GCL; p < 0.001), inner nuclear layer (INL; p = 0.001), and retinal pigment epithelium (RPE; p = 0.014) compared to normal eyes. Additionally, mild DR eyes exhibited a thinner inner plexiform layer (IPL; p = 0.008) than DM no DR eyes. Conversely, moderate DR eyes displayed thickening in the INL, outer nuclear layer, IPL, and retinal nerve fiber layer (all p ≤ 0.002), with notably worse vision. These findings highlight distinctive patterns: early diabetic eyes experience thinning in specific retinal layers, while moderate DR eyes exhibit thickening of certain layers and slightly compromised visual acuity, despite the absence of macular edema. Understanding these structural changes is crucial for comprehending diabetic eye complications.
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Affiliation(s)
- Janika Shah
- Singapore Eye Research Institute, Singapore National Eye Centre, 20 College Road, The Academia, Level 6, Discovery Tower, Singapore, 169856, Singapore
| | - Bingyao Tan
- Singapore Eye Research Institute, Singapore National Eye Centre, 20 College Road, The Academia, Level 6, Discovery Tower, Singapore, 169856, Singapore
- SERI-NTU Advanced Ocular Engineering (STANCE), Singapore, Singapore
- School of Chemistry, Chemical Engineering and Biotechnology, Nanyang Technological University, Singapore, Singapore
| | - Damon Wong
- Singapore Eye Research Institute, Singapore National Eye Centre, 20 College Road, The Academia, Level 6, Discovery Tower, Singapore, 169856, Singapore
- SERI-NTU Advanced Ocular Engineering (STANCE), Singapore, Singapore
- Ophthalmology and Visual Sciences Academic Clinical Program, Duke-NUS Medical School, National University of Singapore, Singapore, Singapore
| | - Nur Fidyana Binte Abdul Gani
- Singapore Eye Research Institute, Singapore National Eye Centre, 20 College Road, The Academia, Level 6, Discovery Tower, Singapore, 169856, Singapore
| | - Qinglan Hu
- Singapore Eye Research Institute, Singapore National Eye Centre, 20 College Road, The Academia, Level 6, Discovery Tower, Singapore, 169856, Singapore
| | - Xinyu Liu
- Singapore Eye Research Institute, Singapore National Eye Centre, 20 College Road, The Academia, Level 6, Discovery Tower, Singapore, 169856, Singapore
- SERI-NTU Advanced Ocular Engineering (STANCE), Singapore, Singapore
- School of Chemistry, Chemical Engineering and Biotechnology, Nanyang Technological University, Singapore, Singapore
| | - Jacqueline Chua
- Singapore Eye Research Institute, Singapore National Eye Centre, 20 College Road, The Academia, Level 6, Discovery Tower, Singapore, 169856, Singapore.
- Ophthalmology and Visual Sciences Academic Clinical Program, Duke-NUS Medical School, National University of Singapore, Singapore, Singapore.
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Sripinun P, Lu W, Nikonov S, Patel S, Hennessy S, Bell BA, Mitchell CH. Fluorescent identification of axons, dendrites and soma of neuronal retinal ganglion cells with a genetic marker as a tool for facilitating the study of neurodegeneration. BIORXIV : THE PREPRINT SERVER FOR BIOLOGY 2024:2024.06.20.599589. [PMID: 38979248 PMCID: PMC11230212 DOI: 10.1101/2024.06.20.599589] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 07/10/2024]
Abstract
This study characterizes a fluorescent Slc17a6 -tdTomato neuronal reporter mouse line offering strong labeling in axons throughout the optic nerve, dendrites and soma in 99% of retinal ganglion cells (RGCs). The model facilitates neuronal assessment ex vivo with wholemounts quantified to show neurodegeneration following optic nerve crush or elevated IOP as related to glaucoma, in vitro with robust Ca 2+ responses to P2X7 receptor stimulation in neuronal cultures, and in vivo using a confocal scanning laser ophthalmoscope (cSLO). While the tdTomato signal showed strong overlap with RGC markers, BRN3A and RBPMS, there was no cross-labeling of displaced amacrine cells in the ganglion cell layer. Controls indicated no impact of Slc17a6 -tdTomato expression on light-dependent neuronal function, as determined with a microelectrode array (MEA), or on structure, as measured with optical coherence tomography (OCT). In summary, this novel neuronal reporter mouse model offers an effective means to increase the efficiency for real-time, specific visualization of retinal ganglion cells. It holds substantial promise for enhancing our understanding of RGC pathology in glaucoma and other diseases of the optic nerve, and could facilitate the screening of targeted therapeutic interventions for neurodegeneration. Abstract Figure
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Zhang B, Zhang R, Zhao J, Yang J, Xu S. The mechanism of human color vision and potential implanted devices for artificial color vision. Front Neurosci 2024; 18:1408087. [PMID: 38962178 PMCID: PMC11221215 DOI: 10.3389/fnins.2024.1408087] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 03/27/2024] [Accepted: 05/31/2024] [Indexed: 07/05/2024] Open
Abstract
Vision plays a major role in perceiving external stimuli and information in our daily lives. The neural mechanism of color vision is complicated, involving the co-ordinated functions of a variety of cells, such as retinal cells and lateral geniculate nucleus cells, as well as multiple levels of the visual cortex. In this work, we reviewed the history of experimental and theoretical studies on this issue, from the fundamental functions of the individual cells of the visual system to the coding in the transmission of neural signals and sophisticated brain processes at different levels. We discuss various hypotheses, models, and theories related to the color vision mechanism and present some suggestions for developing novel implanted devices that may help restore color vision in visually impaired people or introduce artificial color vision to those who need it.
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Affiliation(s)
- Bingao Zhang
- Key Laboratory for the Physics and Chemistry of Nanodevices, Institute of Physical Electronics, Department of Electronics, Peking University, Beijing, China
| | - Rong Zhang
- Key Laboratory for the Physics and Chemistry of Nanodevices, Institute of Physical Electronics, Department of Electronics, Peking University, Beijing, China
| | - Jingjin Zhao
- Key Laboratory for the Physics and Chemistry of Nanodevices, Institute of Physical Electronics, Department of Electronics, Peking University, Beijing, China
| | - Jiarui Yang
- Beijing Key Laboratory of Restoration of Damaged Ocular Nerve, Department of Ophthalmology, Peking University Third Hospital, Beijing, China
| | - Shengyong Xu
- Key Laboratory for the Physics and Chemistry of Nanodevices, Institute of Physical Electronics, Department of Electronics, Peking University, Beijing, China
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Lee JI, Werginz P, Kameneva T, Im M, Fried SI. Membrane depolarization mediates both the inhibition of neural activity and cell-type-differences in response to high-frequency stimulation. Commun Biol 2024; 7:734. [PMID: 38890481 PMCID: PMC11189419 DOI: 10.1038/s42003-024-06359-3] [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: 03/16/2023] [Accepted: 05/20/2024] [Indexed: 06/20/2024] Open
Abstract
Neuromodulation using high frequency (>1 kHz) electric stimulation (HFS) enables preferential activation or inhibition of individual neural types, offering the possibility of more effective treatments across a broad spectrum of neurological diseases. To improve effectiveness, it is important to better understand the mechanisms governing activation and inhibition with HFS so that selectivity can be optimized. In this study, we measure the membrane potential (Vm) and spiking responses of ON and OFF α-sustained retinal ganglion cells (RGCs) to a wide range of stimulus frequencies (100-2500 Hz) and amplitudes (10-100 µA). Our findings indicate that HFS induces shifts in Vm, with both the strength and polarity of the shifts dependent on the stimulus conditions. Spiking responses in each cell directly correlate with the shifts in Vm, where strong depolarization leads to spiking suppression. Comparisons between the two cell types reveal that ON cells are more depolarized by a given amplitude of HFS than OFF cells-this sensitivity difference enables the selective targeting. Computational modeling indicates that ion-channel dynamics largely account for the shifts in Vm, suggesting that a better understanding of the differences in ion-channel properties across cell types may improve the selectivity and ultimately, enhance HFS-based neurostimulation strategies.
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Affiliation(s)
- Jae-Ik Lee
- Department of Neurosurgery, Massachusetts General Hospital, Harvard Medical School, Boston, MA, USA.
| | - Paul Werginz
- Department of Neurosurgery, Massachusetts General Hospital, Harvard Medical School, Boston, MA, USA
- Institute of Biomedical Electronics, TU Wien, Vienna, Austria
| | - Tatiana Kameneva
- School of Science, Computing, and Engineering Technologies, Swinburne University of Technology, Hawthorn, VIC, Australia
- Department of Biomedical Engineering, University of Melbourne, Parkville, VIC, Australia
| | - Maesoon Im
- Brain Science Institute, Korea Institute of Science and Technology (KIST), Seoul, South Korea
- Division of Bio-Medical Science & Technology, KIST School, University of Science and Technology (UST), Seoul, South Korea
- KHU-KIST Department of Converging Science and Technology, Kyung Hee University, Seoul, Republic of Korea
| | - Shelley I Fried
- Department of Neurosurgery, Massachusetts General Hospital, Harvard Medical School, Boston, MA, USA
- Boston VA Healthcare System, Rehabilitation, Research and Development, Boston, MA, USA
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Qiao M. Deciphering the genetic code of neuronal type connectivity through bilinear modeling. eLife 2024; 12:RP91532. [PMID: 38857169 PMCID: PMC11164534 DOI: 10.7554/elife.91532] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 06/12/2024] Open
Abstract
Understanding how different neuronal types connect and communicate is critical to interpreting brain function and behavior. However, it has remained a formidable challenge to decipher the genetic underpinnings that dictate the specific connections formed between neuronal types. To address this, we propose a novel bilinear modeling approach that leverages the architecture similar to that of recommendation systems. Our model transforms the gene expressions of presynaptic and postsynaptic neuronal types, obtained from single-cell transcriptomics, into a covariance matrix. The objective is to construct this covariance matrix that closely mirrors a connectivity matrix, derived from connectomic data, reflecting the known anatomical connections between these neuronal types. When tested on a dataset of Caenorhabditis elegans, our model achieved a performance comparable to, if slightly better than, the previously proposed spatial connectome model (SCM) in reconstructing electrical synaptic connectivity based on gene expressions. Through a comparative analysis, our model not only captured all genetic interactions identified by the SCM but also inferred additional ones. Applied to a mouse retinal neuronal dataset, the bilinear model successfully recapitulated recognized connectivity motifs between bipolar cells and retinal ganglion cells, and provided interpretable insights into genetic interactions shaping the connectivity. Specifically, it identified unique genetic signatures associated with different connectivity motifs, including genes important to cell-cell adhesion and synapse formation, highlighting their role in orchestrating specific synaptic connections between these neurons. Our work establishes an innovative computational strategy for decoding the genetic programming of neuronal type connectivity. It not only sets a new benchmark for single-cell transcriptomic analysis of synaptic connections but also paves the way for mechanistic studies of neural circuit assembly and genetic manipulation of circuit wiring.
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Affiliation(s)
- Mu Qiao
- LinkedInMountain ViewUnited States
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Ong J, Zarnegar A, Selvam A, Driban M, Chhablani J. The Complement System as a Therapeutic Target in Retinal Disease. MEDICINA (KAUNAS, LITHUANIA) 2024; 60:945. [PMID: 38929562 PMCID: PMC11205777 DOI: 10.3390/medicina60060945] [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: 04/21/2024] [Revised: 05/16/2024] [Accepted: 05/23/2024] [Indexed: 06/28/2024]
Abstract
The complement cascade is a vital system in the human body's defense against pathogens. During the natural aging process, it has been observed that this system is imperative for ensuring the integrity and homeostasis of the retina. While this system is critical for proper host defense and retinal integrity, it has also been found that dysregulation of this system may lead to certain retinal pathologies, including geographic atrophy and diabetic retinopathy. Targeting components of the complement system for retinal diseases has been an area of interest, and in vivo, ex vivo, and clinical trials have been conducted in this area. Following clinical trials, medications targeting the complement system for retinal disease have also become available. In this manuscript, we discuss the pathophysiology of complement dysfunction in the retina and specific pathologies. We then describe the results of cellular, animal, and clinical studies targeting the complement system for retinal diseases. We then provide an overview of complement inhibitors that have been approved by the Food and Drug Administration (FDA) for geographic atrophy. The complement system in retinal diseases continues to serve as an emerging therapeutic target, and further research in this field will provide additional insights into the mechanisms and considerations for treatment of retinal pathologies.
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Affiliation(s)
- Joshua Ong
- Department of Ophthalmology and Visual Sciences, University of Michigan Kellogg Eye Center, Ann Arbor, MI 48105, USA
| | - Arman Zarnegar
- Department of Ophthalmology, University of Pittsburgh School of Medicine, Pittsburgh, PA 15213, USA
| | - Amrish Selvam
- Department of Ophthalmology, University of Pittsburgh School of Medicine, Pittsburgh, PA 15213, USA
| | - Matthew Driban
- Department of Ophthalmology, University of Pittsburgh School of Medicine, Pittsburgh, PA 15213, USA
| | - Jay Chhablani
- Department of Ophthalmology, University of Pittsburgh School of Medicine, Pittsburgh, PA 15213, USA
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Xu Y, Tummala SR, Chen X, Vardi N. VDAC in Retinal Health and Disease. Biomolecules 2024; 14:654. [PMID: 38927058 PMCID: PMC11201675 DOI: 10.3390/biom14060654] [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: 04/18/2024] [Revised: 05/22/2024] [Accepted: 05/31/2024] [Indexed: 06/28/2024] Open
Abstract
The retina, a tissue of the central nervous system, is vital for vision as its photoreceptors capture light and transform it into electrical signals, which are further processed before they are sent to the brain to be interpreted as images. The retina is unique in that it is continuously exposed to light and has the highest metabolic rate and demand for energy amongst all the tissues in the body. Consequently, the retina is very susceptible to oxidative stress. VDAC, a pore in the outer membrane of mitochondria, shuttles metabolites between mitochondria and the cytosol and normally protects cells from oxidative damage, but when a cell's integrity is greatly compromised it initiates cell death. There are three isoforms of VDAC, and existing evidence indicates that all three are expressed in the retina. However, their precise localization and function in each cell type is unknown. It appears that most retinal cells express substantial amounts of VDAC2 and VDAC3, presumably to protect them from oxidative stress. Photoreceptors express VDAC2, HK2, and PKM2-key proteins in the Warburg pathway that also protect these cells. Consistent with its role in initiating cell death, VDAC is overexpressed in the retinal degenerative diseases retinitis pigmentosa, age related macular degeneration (AMD), and glaucoma. Treatment with antioxidants or inhibiting VDAC oligomerization reduced its expression and improved cell survival. Thus, VDAC may be a promising therapeutic candidate for the treatment of these diseases.
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Affiliation(s)
- Ying Xu
- Guangdong Key Laboratory of Non-Human Primate Research, Key Laboratory of CNS Regeneration (Ministry of Education), Guangdong-Hongkong-Macau Institute of CNS Regeneration, Jinan University, Guangzhou 510632, China; (Y.X.); (X.C.)
| | - Shanti R. Tummala
- Department of Pharmacology, University of Pennsylvania, Philadelphia, PA 19104, USA;
| | - Xiongmin Chen
- Guangdong Key Laboratory of Non-Human Primate Research, Key Laboratory of CNS Regeneration (Ministry of Education), Guangdong-Hongkong-Macau Institute of CNS Regeneration, Jinan University, Guangzhou 510632, China; (Y.X.); (X.C.)
| | - Noga Vardi
- Department of Neuroscience, University of Pennsylvania, Philadelphia, PA 19104, USA
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Kartsaki E, Hilgen G, Sernagor E, Cessac B. How Does the Inner Retinal Network Shape the Ganglion Cells Receptive Field? A Computational Study. Neural Comput 2024; 36:1041-1083. [PMID: 38669693 DOI: 10.1162/neco_a_01663] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 07/07/2023] [Accepted: 01/02/2024] [Indexed: 04/28/2024]
Abstract
We consider a model of basic inner retinal connectivity where bipolar and amacrine cells interconnect and both cell types project onto ganglion cells, modulating their response output to the brain visual areas. We derive an analytical formula for the spatiotemporal response of retinal ganglion cells to stimuli, taking into account the effects of amacrine cells inhibition. This analysis reveals two important functional parameters of the network: (1) the intensity of the interactions between bipolar and amacrine cells and (2) the characteristic timescale of these responses. Both parameters have a profound combined impact on the spatiotemporal features of retinal ganglion cells' responses to light. The validity of the model is confirmed by faithfully reproducing pharmacogenetic experimental results obtained by stimulating excitatory DREADDs (Designer Receptors Exclusively Activated by Designer Drugs) expressed on ganglion cells and amacrine cells' subclasses, thereby modifying the inner retinal network activity to visual stimuli in a complex, entangled manner. Our mathematical model allows us to explore and decipher these complex effects in a manner that would not be feasible experimentally and provides novel insights in retinal dynamics.
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Affiliation(s)
- Evgenia Kartsaki
- Université Côte d'Azur, Inria, Biovision Team and Neuromod Institute, Sophia Antipolis, France
- Biosciences Institute, Newcastle University, Newcastle upon Tyne NE2 4HH, U.K.
| | - Gerrit Hilgen
- Biosciences Institute, Newcastle University, Newcastle upon Tyne NE2 4HH, U.K
- Health and Life Sciences, Applied Sciences, Northumbria University, Newcastle upon Tyne NE1 8ST, U.K.
| | - Evelyne Sernagor
- Biosciences Institute, Newcastle University, Newcastle upon Tyne NE2 4HH, U.K.
| | - Bruno Cessac
- Université Côte d'Azur, Inria, Biovision Team and Neuromod Institute, Sophia Antipolis, France
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Lin F, Li Y, Wang J, Jardines S, King R, Chrenek MA, Wiggs JL, Boatright JH, Geisert EE. POU6F2, a risk factor for glaucoma, myopia and dyslexia, labels specific populations of retinal ganglion cells. Sci Rep 2024; 14:10096. [PMID: 38698014 PMCID: PMC11066091 DOI: 10.1038/s41598-024-60444-5] [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: 03/05/2024] [Accepted: 04/23/2024] [Indexed: 05/05/2024] Open
Abstract
Pou6f2 is a genetic connection between central corneal thickness (CCT) in the mouse and a risk factor for developing primary open-angle glaucoma. POU6F2 is also a risk factor for several conditions in humans, including glaucoma, myopia, and dyslexia. Recent findings demonstrate that POU6F2-positive retinal ganglion cells (RGCs) comprise a number of RGC subtypes in the mouse, some of which also co-stain for Cdh6 and Hoxd10. These POU6F2-positive RGCs appear to be novel of ON-OFF directionally selective ganglion cells (ooDSGCs) that do not co-stain with CART or SATB2 (typical ooDSGCs markers). These POU6F2-positive cells are sensitive to damage caused by elevated intraocular pressure. In the DBA/2J mouse glaucoma model, heavily-labeled POU6F2 RGCs decrease by 73% at 8 months of age compared to only 22% loss of total RGCs (labeled with RBPMS). Additionally, Pou6f2-/- mice suffer a significant loss of acuity and spatial contrast sensitivity along with an 11.4% loss of total RGCs. In the rhesus macaque retina, POU6F2 labels the large parasol ganglion cells that form the magnocellular (M) pathway. The association of POU6F2 with the M-pathway may reveal in part its role in human glaucoma, myopia, and dyslexia.
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Affiliation(s)
- Fangyu Lin
- Department of Ophthalmology, Emory University, 1365B Clifton Road NE, Atlanta, GA, 30322, USA
| | - Ying Li
- Department of Ophthalmology, Emory University, 1365B Clifton Road NE, Atlanta, GA, 30322, USA
| | - Jiaxing Wang
- Department of Ophthalmology, Emory University, 1365B Clifton Road NE, Atlanta, GA, 30322, USA
| | - Sandra Jardines
- Department of Ophthalmology, Emory University, 1365B Clifton Road NE, Atlanta, GA, 30322, USA
- Icahn School of Medicine at Mount Sinai, 1 Gustave L. Levy Pl, New York, NY, 10029, USA
| | - Rebecca King
- Department of Ophthalmology, Emory University, 1365B Clifton Road NE, Atlanta, GA, 30322, USA
| | - Micah A Chrenek
- Department of Ophthalmology, Emory University, 1365B Clifton Road NE, Atlanta, GA, 30322, USA
| | - Janey L Wiggs
- Massachusetts Eye and Ear, Harvard Medical School Boston, Boston, MA, USA
| | - Jeffrey H Boatright
- Department of Ophthalmology, Emory University, 1365B Clifton Road NE, Atlanta, GA, 30322, USA
- Atlanta Veterans Administration Center for Visual and Neurocognitive Rehabilitation, Decatur, GA, USA
| | - Eldon E Geisert
- Department of Ophthalmology, Emory University, 1365B Clifton Road NE, Atlanta, GA, 30322, USA.
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Grannonico M, Miller DA, Liu M, Krause MA, Savier E, Erisir A, Netland PA, Cang J, Zhang HF, Liu X. Comparative In Vivo Imaging of Retinal Structures in Tree Shrews, Humans, and Mice. eNeuro 2024; 11:ENEURO.0373-23.2024. [PMID: 38538082 PMCID: PMC10972737 DOI: 10.1523/eneuro.0373-23.2024] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 09/17/2023] [Revised: 02/29/2024] [Accepted: 03/07/2024] [Indexed: 04/01/2024] Open
Abstract
Rodent models, such as mice and rats, are commonly used to examine retinal ganglion cell damage in eye diseases. However, as nocturnal animals, rodent retinal structures differ from primates, imposing significant limitations in studying retinal pathology. Tree shrews (Tupaia belangeri) are small, diurnal paraprimates that exhibit superior visual acuity and color vision compared with mice. Like humans, tree shrews have a dense retinal nerve fiber layer (RNFL) and a thick ganglion cell layer (GCL), making them a valuable model for investigating optic neuropathies. In this study, we applied high-resolution visible-light optical coherence tomography to characterize the tree shrew retinal structure in vivo and compare it with that of humans and mice. We quantitatively characterize the tree shrew's retinal layer structure in vivo, specifically examining the sublayer structures within the inner plexiform layer (IPL) for the first time. Next, we conducted a comparative analysis of retinal layer structures among tree shrews, mice, and humans. We then validated our in vivo findings in the tree shrew inner retina using ex vivo confocal microscopy. The in vivo and ex vivo analyses of the shrew retina build the foundation for future work to accurately track and quantify the retinal structural changes in the IPL, GCL, and RNFL during the development and progression of human optic diseases.
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Affiliation(s)
- Marta Grannonico
- Department of Biology, University of Virginia, Charlottesville, Virginia 22904
| | - David A Miller
- Department of Biomedical Engineering, Northwestern University, Evanston, Illinois 60208
| | - Mingna Liu
- Department of Biology, University of Virginia, Charlottesville, Virginia 22904
| | - Michael A Krause
- Departments of Ophthalmology, University of Virginia, Charlottesville, Virginia 22904
| | - Elise Savier
- Department of Biology, University of Virginia, Charlottesville, Virginia 22904
| | - Alev Erisir
- Psychology, University of Virginia, Charlottesville, Virginia 22904
- Program in Fundamental Neuroscience, University of Virginia, Charlottesville, Virginia 22904
| | - Peter A Netland
- Departments of Ophthalmology, University of Virginia, Charlottesville, Virginia 22904
| | - Jianhua Cang
- Department of Biology, University of Virginia, Charlottesville, Virginia 22904
- Psychology, University of Virginia, Charlottesville, Virginia 22904
- Program in Fundamental Neuroscience, University of Virginia, Charlottesville, Virginia 22904
| | - Hao F Zhang
- Department of Biomedical Engineering, Northwestern University, Evanston, Illinois 60208
| | - Xiaorong Liu
- Department of Biology, University of Virginia, Charlottesville, Virginia 22904
- Psychology, University of Virginia, Charlottesville, Virginia 22904
- Program in Fundamental Neuroscience, University of Virginia, Charlottesville, Virginia 22904
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Di Pierdomenico J, Gallego-Ortega A, Norte-Muñoz M, Vidal-Villegas B, Bravo I, Boluda-Ruiz M, Bernal-Garro JM, Fernandez-Bueno I, Pastor-Jimeno JC, Villegas-Pérez MP, Avilés-Trigueros M, de Los Ríos C, Vidal-Sanz M. Evaluation of the neuroprotective efficacy of the gramine derivative ITH12657 against NMDA-induced excitotoxicity in the rat retina. Front Neuroanat 2024; 18:1335176. [PMID: 38415017 PMCID: PMC10898249 DOI: 10.3389/fnana.2024.1335176] [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: 11/08/2023] [Accepted: 01/16/2024] [Indexed: 02/29/2024] Open
Abstract
Purpose The aim of this study was to investigate, the neuroprotective effects of a new Gramine derivative named: ITH12657, in a model of retinal excitotoxicity induced by intravitreal injection of NMDA. Methods Adult Sprague Dawley rats received an intravitreal injection of 100 mM NMDA in their left eye and were treated daily with subcutaneous injections of ITH12657 or vehicle. The best dose-response, therapeutic window study, and optimal treatment duration of ITH12657 were studied. Based on the best survival of Brn3a + RGCs obtained from the above-mentioned studies, the protective effects of ITH12657 were studied in vivo (retinal thickness and full-field Electroretinography), and ex vivo by quantifying the surviving population of Brn3a + RGCs, αRGCs and their subtypes α-ONsRGCs, α-ONtRGCs, and α-OFFRGCs. Results Administration of 10 mg/kg ITH12657, starting 12 h before NMDA injection and dispensed for 3 days, resulted in the best significant protection of Brn3a + RGCs against NMDA-induced excitotoxicity. In vivo, ITH12657-treated rats showed significant preservation of retinal thickness and functional protection against NMDA-induced retinal excitotoxicity. Ex vivo results showed that ITH12657 afforded a significant protection against NMDA-induced excitotoxicity for the populations of Brn3a + RGC, αRGC, and αONs-RGC, but not for the population of αOFF-RGC, while the population of α-ONtRGC was fully resistant to NMDA-induced excitotoxicity. Conclusion Subcutaneous administration of ITH12657 at 10 mg/kg, initiated 12 h before NMDA-induced retinal injury and continued for 3 days, resulted in the best protection of Brn3a + RGCs, αRGC, and αONs-RGC against excitotoxicity-induced RGC death. The population of αOFF-RGCs was extremely sensitive while α-ONtRGCs were fully resistant to NMDA-induced excitotoxicity.
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Affiliation(s)
| | | | - María Norte-Muñoz
- Departamento de Oftalmología, Universidad de Murcia e IMIB-Arrixaca, Murcia, Spain
| | | | - Isaac Bravo
- Instituto de Investigación Sanitaria, Hospital Universitario de la Princesa, Madrid, Spain
- Departamento de Ciencias Básicas de la Salud, Universidad Rey Juan Carlos, Alcorcón, Spain
| | - María Boluda-Ruiz
- Departamento de Oftalmología, Universidad de Murcia e IMIB-Arrixaca, Murcia, Spain
| | | | - Iván Fernandez-Bueno
- Instituto Universitario de Oftalmobiología Aplicada (IOBA), Retina Group, Universidad de Valladolid, Valladolid, Spain
| | - Jose Carlos Pastor-Jimeno
- Instituto Universitario de Oftalmobiología Aplicada (IOBA), Retina Group, Universidad de Valladolid, Valladolid, Spain
| | | | | | - Cristobal de Los Ríos
- Instituto de Investigación Sanitaria, Hospital Universitario de la Princesa, Madrid, Spain
- Departamento de Ciencias Básicas de la Salud, Universidad Rey Juan Carlos, Alcorcón, Spain
| | - Manuel Vidal-Sanz
- Departamento de Oftalmología, Universidad de Murcia e IMIB-Arrixaca, Murcia, Spain
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12
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Boff JM, Shrestha AP, Madireddy S, Viswaprakash N, Della Santina L, Vaithianathan T. The Interplay between Neurotransmitters and Calcium Dynamics in Retinal Synapses during Development, Health, and Disease. Int J Mol Sci 2024; 25:2226. [PMID: 38396913 PMCID: PMC10889697 DOI: 10.3390/ijms25042226] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 01/11/2024] [Revised: 02/05/2024] [Accepted: 02/06/2024] [Indexed: 02/25/2024] Open
Abstract
The intricate functionality of the vertebrate retina relies on the interplay between neurotransmitter activity and calcium (Ca2+) dynamics, offering important insights into developmental processes, physiological functioning, and disease progression. Neurotransmitters orchestrate cellular processes to shape the behavior of the retina under diverse circumstances. Despite research to elucidate the roles of individual neurotransmitters in the visual system, there remains a gap in our understanding of the holistic integration of their interplay with Ca2+ dynamics in the broader context of neuronal development, health, and disease. To address this gap, the present review explores the mechanisms used by the neurotransmitters glutamate, gamma-aminobutyric acid (GABA), glycine, dopamine, and acetylcholine (ACh) and their interplay with Ca2+ dynamics. This conceptual outline is intended to inform and guide future research, underpinning novel therapeutic avenues for retinal-associated disorders.
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Affiliation(s)
- Johane M Boff
- Department of Pharmacology, Addiction Science, and Toxicology, College of Medicine, University of Tennessee Health Science Center, Memphis, TN 38163, USA
| | - Abhishek P Shrestha
- Department of Pharmacology, Addiction Science, and Toxicology, College of Medicine, University of Tennessee Health Science Center, Memphis, TN 38163, USA
| | - Saivikram Madireddy
- College of Medicine, The University of Tennessee Health Science Center, Memphis, TN 38163, USA
| | - Nilmini Viswaprakash
- Department of Medical Education, College of Medicine, University of Tennessee Health Science Center, Memphis, TN 38163, USA
| | | | - Thirumalini Vaithianathan
- Department of Pharmacology, Addiction Science, and Toxicology, College of Medicine, University of Tennessee Health Science Center, Memphis, TN 38163, USA
- Department of Ophthalmology, Hamilton Eye Institute, University of Tennessee Health Science Center, Memphis, TN 38163, USA
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13
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Muralidharan M, Guo T, Tsai D, Lee JI, Fried S, Dokos S, Morley JW, Lovell NH, Shivdasani MN. Neural activity of retinal ganglion cells under continuous, dynamically-modulated high frequency electrical stimulation. J Neural Eng 2024; 21:015001. [PMID: 38290151 DOI: 10.1088/1741-2552/ad2404] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 01/19/2023] [Accepted: 01/30/2024] [Indexed: 02/01/2024]
Abstract
Objective.Current retinal prosthetics are limited in their ability to precisely control firing patterns of functionally distinct retinal ganglion cell (RGC) types. The aim of this study was to characterise RGC responses to continuous, kilohertz-frequency-varying stimulation to assess its utility in controlling RGC activity.Approach.We usedin vitropatch-clamp experiments to assess electrically-evoked ON and OFF RGC responses to frequency-varying pulse train sequences. In each sequence, the stimulation amplitude was kept constant while the stimulation frequency (0.5-10 kHz) was changed every 40 ms, in either a linearly increasing, linearly decreasing or randomised manner. The stimulation amplitude across sequences was increased from 10 to 300µA.Main results.We found that continuous stimulation without rest periods caused complex and irreproducible stimulus-response relationships, primarily due to strong stimulus-induced response adaptation and influence of the preceding stimulus frequency on the response to a subsequent stimulus. In addition, ON and OFF populations showed different sensitivities to continuous, frequency-varying pulse trains, with OFF cells generally exhibiting more dependency on frequency changes within a sequence. Finally, the ability to maintain spiking behaviour to continuous stimulation in RGCs significantly reduced over longer stimulation durations irrespective of the frequency order.Significance.This study represents an important step in advancing and understanding the utility of continuous frequency modulation in controlling functionally distinct RGCs. Our results indicate that continuous, kHz-frequency-varying stimulation sequences provide very limited control of RGC firing patterns due to inter-dependency between adjacent frequencies and generally, different RGC types do not display different frequency preferences under such stimulation conditions. For future stimulation strategies using kHz frequencies, careful consideration must be given to design appropriate pauses in stimulation, stimulation frequency order and the length of continuous stimulation duration.
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Affiliation(s)
| | - Tianruo Guo
- Graduate School of Biomedical Engineering, UNSW, Sydney, NSW 2052, Australia
| | - David Tsai
- Graduate School of Biomedical Engineering, UNSW, Sydney, NSW 2052, Australia
- School of Electrical Engineering & Telecommunications, UNSW, Sydney, NSW 2052, Australia
| | - Jae-Ik Lee
- Department of Neurosurgery, Massachusetts General Hospital and Harvard Medical School, Boston, MA, United States of America
| | - Shelley Fried
- Department of Neurosurgery, Massachusetts General Hospital and Harvard Medical School, Boston, MA, United States of America
| | - Socrates Dokos
- Graduate School of Biomedical Engineering, UNSW, Sydney, NSW 2052, Australia
| | - John W Morley
- Graduate School of Biomedical Engineering, UNSW, Sydney, NSW 2052, Australia
- School of Medicine, Western Sydney University, Penrith, NSW 2751, Australia
| | - Nigel H Lovell
- Graduate School of Biomedical Engineering, UNSW, Sydney, NSW 2052, Australia
- Tyree Institute of Health Engineering (iHealthE), UNSW, Sydney, NSW 2052, Australia
| | - Mohit N Shivdasani
- Graduate School of Biomedical Engineering, UNSW, Sydney, NSW 2052, Australia
- Tyree Institute of Health Engineering (iHealthE), UNSW, Sydney, NSW 2052, Australia
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14
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Araujo VG, Dias MS, Hauswirth WW, Linden R, Petrs-Silva H. rAAV-compatible human mini promoters enhance transgene expression in rat retinal ganglion cells. Exp Eye Res 2024; 239:109758. [PMID: 38123011 DOI: 10.1016/j.exer.2023.109758] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 08/02/2023] [Revised: 11/14/2023] [Accepted: 12/15/2023] [Indexed: 12/23/2023]
Abstract
Recombinant adeno-associated viral vectors (rAAV) are the safest and most effective gene delivery platform to drive the treatment of many inherited eye disorders in well-characterized animal models. The use in rAAV of ubiquitous promoters derived from viral sequences such as CMV/CBA (chicken β-actin promoter with cytomegalovirus enhancer) can lead to unwanted side effects such as pro-inflammatory immune responses and retinal cytotoxicity, thus reducing therapy efficacy. Thus, an advance in gene therapy is the availability of small promoters, that potentiate and direct gene expression to the cell type of interest, with higher safety and efficacy. In this study, we used six human mini-promoters packaged in rAAV2 quadruple mutant (Y-F) to test for transduction of the rat retina after intravitreal injection. After four weeks, immunohistochemical analysis detected GFP-labeled cells in the ganglion cell layer (GCL) for all constructs tested. Among them, Ple25sh1, Ple25sh2 and Ple53 promoted a widespread reporter-transgene expression in the GCL, with an increased number of GFP-expressing retinal ganglion cells when compared with the CMV/CBA vector. Moreover, Ple53 provided the strongest levels of GFP fluorescence in both cell soma and axons of retinal ganglion cells (RGCs) without any detectable adverse effects in retina function. Remarkably, a nearly 50-fold reduction in the number of intravitreally injected vector particles containing Ple53 promoter, still attained levels of transgene expression similar to CMV/CBA. Thus, the tested MiniPs show great potential for protocols of retinal gene therapy in therapeutic applications for retinal degenerations, especially those involving RGC-related disorders such as glaucoma.
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Affiliation(s)
- Victor G Araujo
- Laboratory of Gene Therapy and Viral Vector, Carlos Chagas Filho Institute of Biophysics, Universidade Federal do Rio de Janeiro, Rio de Janeiro, Brazil
| | - Mariana S Dias
- Laboratory of Gene Therapy and Viral Vector, Carlos Chagas Filho Institute of Biophysics, Universidade Federal do Rio de Janeiro, Rio de Janeiro, Brazil
| | - William W Hauswirth
- Retinal Gene Therapy Group, Department of Ophthalmology, University of Florida, Gainesville, FL, USA
| | - Rafael Linden
- Laboratory of Neurogenesis, Carlos Chagas Filho Institute of Biophysics, Universidade Federal do Rio de Janeiro, Rio de Janeiro, Brazil
| | - Hilda Petrs-Silva
- Laboratory of Gene Therapy and Viral Vector, Carlos Chagas Filho Institute of Biophysics, Universidade Federal do Rio de Janeiro, Rio de Janeiro, Brazil.
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15
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Matcham AC, Toma K, Tsai NY, Sze CJ, Lin PY, Stewart IF, Duan X. Cadherin-13 Maintains Retinotectal Synapses via Transneuronal Interactions. J Neurosci 2024; 44:e1310232023. [PMID: 38123991 PMCID: PMC10860569 DOI: 10.1523/jneurosci.1310-23.2023] [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: 07/08/2023] [Revised: 12/03/2023] [Accepted: 12/05/2023] [Indexed: 12/23/2023] Open
Abstract
Maintaining precise synaptic contacts between neuronal partners is critical to ensure the proper functioning of the mammalian central nervous system (CNS). Diverse cell recognition molecules, such as classic cadherins (Cdhs), are part of the molecular machinery mediating synaptic choices during development and synaptic maintenance. Yet, the principles governing neuron-neuron wiring across diverse CNS neuron types remain largely unknown. The retinotectal synapses, connections from the retinal ganglion cells (RGCs) to the superior collicular (SC) neurons, offer an ideal experimental system to reveal molecular logic underlying synaptic choices and formation. This is due to the retina's unidirectional and laminar-restricted projections to the SC and the large databases of presynaptic RGC subtypes and postsynaptic SC neuronal types. Here, we focused on determining the role of Type II Cdhs in wiring the retinotectal synapses. We surveyed Cdhs expression patterns at neuronal resolution and revealed that Cdh13 is enriched in the wide-field neurons in the superficial SC (sSC). In either the Cdh13 null mutant or selective adult deletion within the wide-field neurons, there is a significant reduction of spine densities in the distal dendrites of these neurons in both sexes. Additionally, Cdh13 removal from presynaptic RGCs reduced dendritic spines in the postsynaptic wide-field neurons. Cdh13-expressing RGCs use differential mechanisms than αRGCs and On-Off Direction-Selective Ganglion Cells (ooDSGCs) to form specific retinotectal synapses. The results revealed a selective transneuronal interaction mediated by Cdh13 to maintain proper retinotectal synapses in vivo.
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Affiliation(s)
- Angela C Matcham
- Neuroscience Graduate Program, Department of Ophthalmology, Kavli Institute for Fundamental Neuroscience, University of California SanFrancisco, San Francisco 94143-2811, California
| | - Kenichi Toma
- Neuroscience Graduate Program, Department of Ophthalmology, Kavli Institute for Fundamental Neuroscience, University of California SanFrancisco, San Francisco 94143-2811, California
| | - Nicole Y Tsai
- Neuroscience Graduate Program, Department of Ophthalmology, Kavli Institute for Fundamental Neuroscience, University of California SanFrancisco, San Francisco 94143-2811, California
| | - Christina J Sze
- Neuroscience Graduate Program, Department of Ophthalmology, Kavli Institute for Fundamental Neuroscience, University of California SanFrancisco, San Francisco 94143-2811, California
| | - Pin-Yeh Lin
- Neuroscience Graduate Program, Department of Ophthalmology, Kavli Institute for Fundamental Neuroscience, University of California SanFrancisco, San Francisco 94143-2811, California
| | - Ilaria F Stewart
- Neuroscience Graduate Program, Department of Ophthalmology, Kavli Institute for Fundamental Neuroscience, University of California SanFrancisco, San Francisco 94143-2811, California
| | - Xin Duan
- Neuroscience Graduate Program, Department of Ophthalmology, Kavli Institute for Fundamental Neuroscience, University of California SanFrancisco, San Francisco 94143-2811, California
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16
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Swygart D, Yu WQ, Takeuchi S, Wong ROL, Schwartz GW. A presynaptic source drives differing levels of surround suppression in two mouse retinal ganglion cell types. Nat Commun 2024; 15:599. [PMID: 38238324 PMCID: PMC10796971 DOI: 10.1038/s41467-024-44851-w] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 11/12/2022] [Accepted: 01/05/2024] [Indexed: 01/22/2024] Open
Abstract
In early sensory systems, cell-type diversity generally increases from the periphery into the brain, resulting in a greater heterogeneity of responses to the same stimuli. Surround suppression is a canonical visual computation that begins within the retina and is found at varying levels across retinal ganglion cell types. Our results show that heterogeneity in the level of surround suppression occurs subcellularly at bipolar cell synapses. Using single-cell electrophysiology and serial block-face scanning electron microscopy, we show that two retinal ganglion cell types exhibit very different levels of surround suppression even though they receive input from the same bipolar cell types. This divergence of the bipolar cell signal occurs through synapse-specific regulation by amacrine cells at the scale of tens of microns. These findings indicate that each synapse of a single bipolar cell can carry a unique visual signal, expanding the number of possible functional channels at the earliest stages of visual processing.
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Affiliation(s)
- David Swygart
- Northwestern University Interdepartmental Neuroscience Program, Chicago, IL, USA
| | - Wan-Qing Yu
- Department of Biological Structure, University of Washington, Seattle, WA, USA
| | - Shunsuke Takeuchi
- Department of Biological Sciences, Graduate School of Science, The University of Tokyo, Tokyo, Japan
| | - Rachel O L Wong
- Department of Biological Structure, University of Washington, Seattle, WA, USA
| | - Gregory W Schwartz
- Northwestern University Interdepartmental Neuroscience Program, Chicago, IL, USA.
- Departments of Ophthalmology and Neuroscience, Feinberg School of Medicine, Northwestern University, Chicago, IL, USA.
- Department of Neurobiology, Weinberg College of Arts and Sciences, Northwestern University, Chicago, IL, USA.
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17
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Qiao M. Factorized discriminant analysis for genetic signatures of neuronal phenotypes. Front Neuroinform 2023; 17:1265079. [PMID: 38156117 PMCID: PMC10752939 DOI: 10.3389/fninf.2023.1265079] [Citation(s) in RCA: 1] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 07/21/2023] [Accepted: 11/06/2023] [Indexed: 12/30/2023] Open
Abstract
Navigating the complex landscape of single-cell transcriptomic data presents significant challenges. Central to this challenge is the identification of a meaningful representation of high-dimensional gene expression patterns that sheds light on the structural and functional properties of cell types. Pursuing model interpretability and computational simplicity, we often look for a linear transformation of the original data that aligns with key phenotypic features of cells. In response to this need, we introduce factorized linear discriminant analysis (FLDA), a novel method for linear dimensionality reduction. The crux of FLDA lies in identifying a linear function of gene expression levels that is highly correlated with one phenotypic feature while minimizing the influence of others. To augment this method, we integrate it with a sparsity-based regularization algorithm. This integration is crucial as it selects a subset of genes pivotal to a specific phenotypic feature or a combination thereof. To illustrate the effectiveness of FLDA, we apply it to transcriptomic datasets from neurons in the Drosophila optic lobe. We demonstrate that FLDA not only captures the inherent structural patterns aligned with phenotypic features but also uncovers key genes associated with each phenotype.
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18
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Khabou H, Orendorff E, Trapani F, Rucli M, Desrosiers M, Yger P, Dalkara D, Marre O. Optogenetic targeting of AII amacrine cells restores retinal computations performed by the inner retina. Mol Ther Methods Clin Dev 2023; 31:101107. [PMID: 37868206 PMCID: PMC10589896 DOI: 10.1016/j.omtm.2023.09.003] [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: 07/28/2023] [Accepted: 09/08/2023] [Indexed: 10/24/2023]
Abstract
Most inherited retinal dystrophies display progressive photoreceptor cell degeneration leading to severe visual impairment. Optogenetic reactivation of inner retinal neurons is a promising avenue to restore vision in retinas having lost their photoreceptors. Expression of optogenetic proteins in surviving ganglion cells, the retinal output, allows them to take on the lost photoreceptive function. Nonetheless, this creates an exclusively ON retina by expression of depolarizing optogenetic proteins in all classes of ganglion cells, whereas a normal retina extracts several features from the visual scene, with different ganglion cells detecting light increase (ON) and light decrease (OFF). Refinement of this therapeutic strategy should thus aim at restoring these computations. Here we used a vector that targets gene expression to a specific interneuron of the retina called the AII amacrine cell. AII amacrine cells simultaneously activate the ON pathway and inhibit the OFF pathway. We show that the optogenetic stimulation of AII amacrine cells allows restoration of both ON and OFF responses in the retina, but also mediates other types of retinal processing such as sustained and transient responses. Targeting amacrine cells with optogenetics is thus a promising avenue to restore better retinal function and visual perception in patients suffering from retinal degeneration.
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Affiliation(s)
- Hanen Khabou
- Sorbonne Université, INSERM, CNRS, Institut de la Vision, 17 rue Moreau, 75012 Paris, France
| | - Elaine Orendorff
- Sorbonne Université, INSERM, CNRS, Institut de la Vision, 17 rue Moreau, 75012 Paris, France
| | - Francesco Trapani
- Sorbonne Université, INSERM, CNRS, Institut de la Vision, 17 rue Moreau, 75012 Paris, France
| | - Marco Rucli
- Sorbonne Université, INSERM, CNRS, Institut de la Vision, 17 rue Moreau, 75012 Paris, France
| | - Melissa Desrosiers
- Sorbonne Université, INSERM, CNRS, Institut de la Vision, 17 rue Moreau, 75012 Paris, France
| | - Pierre Yger
- Sorbonne Université, INSERM, CNRS, Institut de la Vision, 17 rue Moreau, 75012 Paris, France
| | - Deniz Dalkara
- Sorbonne Université, INSERM, CNRS, Institut de la Vision, 17 rue Moreau, 75012 Paris, France
| | - Olivier Marre
- Sorbonne Université, INSERM, CNRS, Institut de la Vision, 17 rue Moreau, 75012 Paris, France
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19
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Feng KM, Tsung TH, Chen YH, Lu DW. The Role of Retinal Ganglion Cell Structure and Function in Glaucoma. Cells 2023; 12:2797. [PMID: 38132117 PMCID: PMC10741833 DOI: 10.3390/cells12242797] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 10/30/2023] [Revised: 11/29/2023] [Accepted: 11/29/2023] [Indexed: 12/23/2023] Open
Abstract
Glaucoma, a leading cause of irreversible blindness globally, primarily affects retinal ganglion cells (RGCs). This review dives into the anatomy of RGC subtypes, covering the different underlying theoretical mechanisms that lead to RGC susceptibility in glaucoma, including mechanical, vascular, excitotoxicity, and neurotrophic factor deficiency, as well as oxidative stress and inflammation. Furthermore, we examined numerous imaging methods and functional assessments to gain insight into RGC health. Finally, we investigated the current possible neuroprotective targets for RGCs that could help with future glaucoma research and management.
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Affiliation(s)
| | | | | | - Da-Wen Lu
- Department of Ophthalmology, Tri-Service General Hospital, National Defense Medical Center, Taipei 11490, Taiwan; (K.M.F.); (T.-H.T.); (Y.-H.C.)
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20
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Ouyang L, He T, Xing Y. Park7 protects retinal ganglion cells and promotes functional preservation after optic nerve crush via regulation of the Nrf2 signaling pathway. Graefes Arch Clin Exp Ophthalmol 2023; 261:3489-3502. [PMID: 37199801 DOI: 10.1007/s00417-023-06099-w] [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: 02/09/2023] [Revised: 04/19/2023] [Accepted: 05/02/2023] [Indexed: 05/19/2023] Open
Abstract
PURPOSE We aim to investigate the effect of Park7 on mice RGC survival and function following optic nerve crush (ONC), and to explore its potential mechanism. METHODS Wild-type male C57BL/6J mice were subjected to optic nerve crush. Six weeks before ONC, mice received rAAV-shRNA (Park7)-EGFP or rAAV-EGFP intravitreally. Western blotting was used to detect Park7 levels. RGC survival was measured using immunofluorescence. Retinal cell apoptosis was detected using terminal deoxynucleotidyl transferase nick-end-labelling. An electroretinogram (ERG) and the optomotor response (OMR) were used to assess RGC function. Kelch-like ECH-associated protein 1 (Keap1), nuclear factor erythroid 2-related factor (Nrf2), and heme oxygenase 1 (HO-1) levels were assessed using western blotting. RESULTS ONC injury increased the relative expression of Park7 significantly and decreased RGC survival, the amplitude of the photopic negative response (PhNR), and OMR. Intravitreal injection of rAAV-shRNA(Park7)-EGFP downregulated Park7 expression and was clearly demonstrated by the green fluorescence protein in many retinal layers. Moreover, Park7 downregulation aggravated the decrease in RGC survival and amplitude of PhNR as well as the visual acuity after ONC. However, inhibition of Park7 significantly increased Keap1 levels, decreased the total and nuclear Nrf2 levels, and reduced HO-1 levels. CONCLUSIONS Park7 downregulation enhanced RGC injury and decreased retinal electrophysiological response and OMR after ONC in mice via the Keap1-Nrf2-HO-1 signaling pathway. Park7 may have neuroprotective effects and could represent a novel way to treat optic neuropathy.
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Affiliation(s)
- Lingyi Ouyang
- Department of Ophthalmology, Renmin Hospital of Wuhan University, 238 Jiefang Road, Wuhan, 430060, Hubei, China
| | - Tao He
- Department of Ophthalmology, Renmin Hospital of Wuhan University, 238 Jiefang Road, Wuhan, 430060, Hubei, China
| | - Yiqiao Xing
- Department of Ophthalmology, Renmin Hospital of Wuhan University, 238 Jiefang Road, Wuhan, 430060, Hubei, China.
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21
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Boccaccini A, Cavaterra D, Carnevale C, Tanga L, Marini S, Bocedi A, Lacal PM, Manni G, Graziani G, Sbardella D, Tundo GR. Novel frontiers in neuroprotective therapies in glaucoma: Molecular and clinical aspects. Mol Aspects Med 2023; 94:101225. [PMID: 38000334 DOI: 10.1016/j.mam.2023.101225] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 07/28/2023] [Revised: 10/24/2023] [Accepted: 10/27/2023] [Indexed: 11/26/2023]
Abstract
In the last years, neuroprotective therapies have attracted the researcher interests as modern and challenging approach for the treatment of neurodegenerative diseases, aimed at protecting the nervous system from injuries. Glaucoma is a neurodegenerative disease characterized by progressive excavation of the optic nerve head, retinal axonal injury and corresponding vision loss that affects millions of people on a global scale. The molecular basis of the pathology is largely uncharacterized yet, and the therapeutic approaches available do not change the natural course of the disease. Therefore, in accordance with the therapeutic regimens proposed for other neurodegenerative diseases, a modern strategy to treat glaucoma includes prescription of drugs with neuroprotective activities. With respect to this, several preclinical and clinical investigations on a plethora of different drugs are currently ongoing. In this review, first, the conceptualization of the rationale for the adoption of neuroprotective strategies for retina is summarized. Second, the molecular aspects highlighting glaucoma as a neurodegenerative disease are reported. In conclusion, the molecular and pharmacological properties of most promising direct neuroprotective drugs used to delay glaucoma progression are examined, including: neurotrophic factors, NMDA receptor antagonists, the α2-adrenergic agonist, brimonidine, calcium channel blockers, antioxidant agents, nicotinamide and statins.
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Affiliation(s)
| | - Dario Cavaterra
- Dipartimento di Scienze e Tecnologie Chimiche, Università di Tor Vergata, Via Della Ricerca Scientifica 1, 00133, Rome, Italy
| | | | | | - Stefano Marini
- Dipartimento di Scienze Cliniche e Medicina Traslazionale, Università di Roma Tor Vergata, Via Montpellier n. 1, 00133, Roma, Italy
| | - Alessio Bocedi
- Dipartimento di Scienze e Tecnologie Chimiche, Università di Tor Vergata, Via Della Ricerca Scientifica 1, 00133, Rome, Italy
| | - Pedro M Lacal
- Laboratory of Molecular Oncology, IDI-IRCCS, Via Monti di Creta 104, 00167, Rome, Italy
| | - Gianluca Manni
- IRCCS - Fondazione Bietti, Rome, Italy; Dipartimento di Scienze Cliniche e Medicina Traslazionale, Università di Roma Tor Vergata, Via Montpellier n. 1, 00133, Roma, Italy
| | - Grazia Graziani
- Department of Systems Medicine, University of Rome Tor Vergata, Via Montpellier, 1, 00133, Rome, Italy
| | | | - Grazia Raffaella Tundo
- Dipartimento di Scienze Cliniche e Medicina Traslazionale, Università di Roma Tor Vergata, Via Montpellier n. 1, 00133, Roma, Italy.
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22
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Hahn J, Monavarfeshani A, Qiao M, Kao AH, Kölsch Y, Kumar A, Kunze VP, Rasys AM, Richardson R, Wekselblatt JB, Baier H, Lucas RJ, Li W, Meister M, Trachtenberg JT, Yan W, Peng YR, Sanes JR, Shekhar K. Evolution of neuronal cell classes and types in the vertebrate retina. Nature 2023; 624:415-424. [PMID: 38092908 PMCID: PMC10719112 DOI: 10.1038/s41586-023-06638-9] [Citation(s) in RCA: 4] [Impact Index Per Article: 4.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 03/30/2023] [Accepted: 09/13/2023] [Indexed: 12/17/2023]
Abstract
The basic plan of the retina is conserved across vertebrates, yet species differ profoundly in their visual needs1. Retinal cell types may have evolved to accommodate these varied needs, but this has not been systematically studied. Here we generated and integrated single-cell transcriptomic atlases of the retina from 17 species: humans, two non-human primates, four rodents, three ungulates, opossum, ferret, tree shrew, a bird, a reptile, a teleost fish and a lamprey. We found high molecular conservation of the six retinal cell classes (photoreceptors, horizontal cells, bipolar cells, amacrine cells, retinal ganglion cells (RGCs) and Müller glia), with transcriptomic variation across species related to evolutionary distance. Major subclasses were also conserved, whereas variation among cell types within classes or subclasses was more pronounced. However, an integrative analysis revealed that numerous cell types are shared across species, based on conserved gene expression programmes that are likely to trace back to an early ancestral vertebrate. The degree of variation among cell types increased from the outer retina (photoreceptors) to the inner retina (RGCs), suggesting that evolution acts preferentially to shape the retinal output. Finally, we identified rodent orthologues of midget RGCs, which comprise more than 80% of RGCs in the human retina, subserve high-acuity vision, and were previously believed to be restricted to primates2. By contrast, the mouse orthologues have large receptive fields and comprise around 2% of mouse RGCs. Projections of both primate and mouse orthologous types are overrepresented in the thalamus, which supplies the primary visual cortex. We suggest that midget RGCs are not primate innovations, but are descendants of evolutionarily ancient types that decreased in size and increased in number as primates evolved, thereby facilitating high visual acuity and increased cortical processing of visual information.
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Affiliation(s)
- Joshua Hahn
- Department of Chemical and Biomolecular Engineering, University of California, Berkeley, Berkeley, CA, USA
| | - Aboozar Monavarfeshani
- Department of Cellular and Molecular Biology, Center for Brain Science, Harvard University, Cambridge, MA, USA
| | - Mu Qiao
- Division of Biology and Biological Engineering, California Institute of Technology, Pasadena, CA, USA
- LinkedIn, Mountain View, CA, USA
| | - Allison H Kao
- Department of Cellular and Molecular Biology, Center for Brain Science, Harvard University, Cambridge, MA, USA
| | - Yvonne Kölsch
- Max Planck Institute for Biological Intelligence, Martinsried, Germany
| | - Ayush Kumar
- Department of Chemical and Biomolecular Engineering, University of California, Berkeley, Berkeley, CA, USA
| | - Vincent P Kunze
- Retinal Neurophysiology Section, National Eye Institute, National Institutes of Health, Bethesda, MD, USA
| | - Ashley M Rasys
- Department of Cellular Biology, University of Georgia, Athens, GA, USA
| | - Rose Richardson
- Division of Neuroscience and Centre for Biological Timing, Faculty of Biology Medicine and Health, University of Manchester, Manchester, UK
| | - Joseph B Wekselblatt
- Division of Chemistry and Chemical Engineering, California Institute of Technology, Pasadena, CA, USA
| | - Herwig Baier
- Max Planck Institute for Biological Intelligence, Martinsried, Germany
| | - Robert J Lucas
- Division of Neuroscience and Centre for Biological Timing, Faculty of Biology Medicine and Health, University of Manchester, Manchester, UK
| | - Wei Li
- Retinal Neurophysiology Section, National Eye Institute, National Institutes of Health, Bethesda, MD, USA
| | - Markus Meister
- Division of Biology and Biological Engineering, California Institute of Technology, Pasadena, CA, USA
| | - Joshua T Trachtenberg
- Department of Neurobiology, David Geffen School of Medicine at UCLA, Los Angeles, CA, USA
| | - Wenjun Yan
- Department of Cellular and Molecular Biology, Center for Brain Science, Harvard University, Cambridge, MA, USA
| | - Yi-Rong Peng
- Department of Ophthalmology, Stein Eye Institute, UCLA David Geffen School of Medicine, Los Angeles, CA, USA
| | - Joshua R Sanes
- Department of Cellular and Molecular Biology, Center for Brain Science, Harvard University, Cambridge, MA, USA.
| | - Karthik Shekhar
- Department of Chemical and Biomolecular Engineering, University of California, Berkeley, Berkeley, CA, USA.
- Helen Wills Neuroscience Institute,Vision Science Graduate Group, University of California, Berkeley, Berkeley, CA, USA.
- Biological Systems and Engineering Division, Lawrence Berkeley National Laboratory, Berkeley, CA, USA.
- Center for Computational Biology, Biophysics Graduate Group, University of California, Berkeley, Berkeley, CA, USA.
- California Institute of Quantitative Biosciences (QB3), University of California, Berkeley, Berkeley, CA, USA.
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23
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Zhao R, He T, Xing Y, Luo J. COG1410 regulates microglial states and protects retinal ganglion cells in retinal ischemia-reperfusion injury. Exp Eye Res 2023; 237:109678. [PMID: 37839665 DOI: 10.1016/j.exer.2023.109678] [Citation(s) in RCA: 2] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 06/07/2023] [Revised: 09/26/2023] [Accepted: 10/12/2023] [Indexed: 10/17/2023]
Abstract
Progressive loss of retinal ganglion cells (RGCs) caused by retinal ischemia-reperfusion (IR) injury can lead to irreversible vision impairment, with neuroinflammatory responses playing an important role in this process. COG1410, a mimetic peptide of apolipoprotein E, has demonstrated protective potential in the central nervous system, but its effects on retinal IR injury remain unexplored. In this study, we established a mouse model of retinal IR injury to investigate the effects of COG1410 on retinal microglia and RGCs. We observed CD16/32-marked and CD206-marked microglia and RGCs using immunofluorescence staining, detected the expression of inflammatory factors by PCR, and evaluated retinal apoptosis with TUNEL staining. We further investigated the potential mechanism by detecting the expression of key proteins via Western blot. The results reveal that COG1410 decreased the number of CD16/32-marked microglia and increased the number of CD206-marked microglia, alleviated the expression of IL-1β and TNF-α, and reduced the loss of RGCs by inhibiting the mitochondrial-related apoptotic pathway. COG1410 was found to increase the expression of ERK1/2 and Nr4a1 but decrease the expression of NF-κB. The expression of TREM2 showed an increasing trend after COG1410 administration, but it was not statistically significant. In conclusion, COG1410 regulates microglial states and protects RGCs in retinal IR injury, showing promising potential for the treatment of eye diseases.
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Affiliation(s)
- Ru Zhao
- Department of Ophthalmology, Renmin Hospital of Wuhan University, Wuhan, 430060, China
| | - Tao He
- Department of Ophthalmology, Renmin Hospital of Wuhan University, Wuhan, 430060, China
| | - Yiqiao Xing
- Department of Ophthalmology, Renmin Hospital of Wuhan University, Wuhan, 430060, China
| | - Jinyuan Luo
- Department of Ophthalmology, Renmin Hospital of Wuhan University, Wuhan, 430060, China.
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24
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Jo A, Deniz S, Cherian S, Xu J, Futagi D, DeVries SH, Zhu Y. Modular interneuron circuits control motion sensitivity in the mouse retina. Nat Commun 2023; 14:7746. [PMID: 38008788 PMCID: PMC10679153 DOI: 10.1038/s41467-023-43382-0] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 05/03/2023] [Accepted: 11/08/2023] [Indexed: 11/28/2023] Open
Abstract
Neural computations arise from highly precise connections between specific types of neurons. Retinal ganglion cells (RGCs) with similar stratification patterns are positioned to receive similar inputs but often display different response properties. In this study, we used intersectional mouse genetics to achieve single-cell type labeling and identified an object motion sensitive (OMS) AC type, COMS-AC(counter-OMS AC). Optogenetic stimulation revealed that COMS-AC makes glycinergic synapses with the OMS-insensitive HD2p-RGC, while chemogenetic inactivation showed that COMS-AC provides inhibitory control to HD2p-RGC during local motion. This local inhibition, combined with the inhibitory drive from TH2-AC during global motion, explains the OMS-insensitive feature of HD2p-RGC. In contrast, COMS-AC fails to make synapses with W3(UHD)-RGC, allowing it to exhibit OMS under the control of VGlut3-AC and TH2-AC. These findings reveal modular interneuron circuits that endow structurally similar RGC types with different responses and present a mechanism for redundancy-reduction in the retina to expand coding capacity.
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Affiliation(s)
- Andrew Jo
- Departments of Ophthalmology and Neuroscience, Feinberg School of Medicine, Northwestern University, Chicago, IL, 60611, USA
| | - Sercan Deniz
- Departments of Ophthalmology and Neuroscience, Feinberg School of Medicine, Northwestern University, Chicago, IL, 60611, USA
| | - Suraj Cherian
- Departments of Ophthalmology and Neuroscience, Feinberg School of Medicine, Northwestern University, Chicago, IL, 60611, USA
| | - Jian Xu
- Departments of Ophthalmology and Neuroscience, Feinberg School of Medicine, Northwestern University, Chicago, IL, 60611, USA
| | - Daiki Futagi
- Departments of Ophthalmology and Neuroscience, Feinberg School of Medicine, Northwestern University, Chicago, IL, 60611, USA
| | - Steven H DeVries
- Departments of Ophthalmology and Neuroscience, Feinberg School of Medicine, Northwestern University, Chicago, IL, 60611, USA
| | - Yongling Zhu
- Departments of Ophthalmology and Neuroscience, Feinberg School of Medicine, Northwestern University, Chicago, IL, 60611, USA.
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25
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De Boeck MWE, Cozzi B, Graïc JM. Interspecies Retinal Diversity and Optic Nerve Anatomy in Odontocetes. Animals (Basel) 2023; 13:3430. [PMID: 37958185 PMCID: PMC10649408 DOI: 10.3390/ani13213430] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 10/03/2023] [Revised: 10/30/2023] [Accepted: 11/03/2023] [Indexed: 11/15/2023] Open
Abstract
Throughout evolution, odontocete vision has had to readapt to the aquatic environment, which has had far-reaching effects on ocular anatomy and neurology. The most prominent features include the iris with an operculum, a well-developed choroid, the presence of giant ganglion cells in the retina, and the hemispherical shape of the thick eyecup. In the present study, the optic nerve and the retina were comparatively studied in Odontoceti (Cuvier's beaked whale, common bottlenose dolphin, false killer whale, long-finned pilot whale, Risso's dolphin, striped dolphin), the semi-aquatic common hippopotamus, and the fully terrestrial bovine. Cross-sections of the tissue were treated with histological and immunohistochemical techniques. Substantial differences were seen between the odontocetes and the reference species as well as within the cetaceans. The morphological structure of the optic nerve mainly appeared species specific, while the density of retinal ganglion cells was significantly higher in the terrestrial bovine than in the cetaceans. However, some typical characteristics of the cetacean retina were absent: the giant ganglion cells and the high retinal thickness. Immunohistochemical research showed varying degrees of neurofilament 200 expression in the retinal ganglion cells, while calretinin was only expressed in those of the common bottlenose dolphin and bovine.
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Affiliation(s)
| | - Bruno Cozzi
- Department of Comparative Biomedicine and Food Science (BCA), University of Padova, 35020 Legnaro, Italy; (B.C.); (J.-M.G.)
| | - Jean-Marie Graïc
- Department of Comparative Biomedicine and Food Science (BCA), University of Padova, 35020 Legnaro, Italy; (B.C.); (J.-M.G.)
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26
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Abbasi M, Gupta V, Chitranshi N, Moustardas P, Ranjbaran R, Graham SL. Molecular Mechanisms of Glaucoma Pathogenesis with Implications to Caveolin Adaptor Protein and Caveolin-Shp2 Axis. Aging Dis 2023:AD.2023.1012. [PMID: 37962455 DOI: 10.14336/ad.2023.1012] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 09/01/2023] [Accepted: 10/12/2023] [Indexed: 11/15/2023] Open
Abstract
Glaucoma is a common retinal disorder characterized by progressive optic nerve damage, resulting in visual impairment and potential blindness. Elevated intraocular pressure (IOP) is a major risk factor, but some patients still experience disease progression despite IOP-lowering treatments. Genome-wide association studies have linked variations in the Caveolin1/2 (CAV-1/2) gene loci to glaucoma risk. Cav-1, a key protein in caveolae membrane invaginations, is involved in signaling pathways and its absence impairs retinal function. Recent research suggests that Cav-1 is implicated in modulating the BDNF/TrkB signaling pathway in retinal ganglion cells, which plays a critical role in retinal ganglion cell (RGC) health and protection against apoptosis. Understanding the interplay between these proteins could shed light on glaucoma pathogenesis and provide potential therapeutic targets.
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Affiliation(s)
- Mojdeh Abbasi
- Macquarie Medical School, Faculty of Medicine, Health and Human Sciences, Macquarie University, North Ryde, Sydney, NSW 2109, Australia
- Division of Ophthalmology, Department of Biomedical and Clinical Sciences, Linköping University, Linköping Sweden
| | - Vivek Gupta
- Macquarie Medical School, Faculty of Medicine, Health and Human Sciences, Macquarie University, North Ryde, Sydney, NSW 2109, Australia
| | - Nitin Chitranshi
- Macquarie Medical School, Faculty of Medicine, Health and Human Sciences, Macquarie University, North Ryde, Sydney, NSW 2109, Australia
| | - Petros Moustardas
- Division of Ophthalmology, Department of Biomedical and Clinical Sciences, Linköping University, Linköping Sweden
| | - Reza Ranjbaran
- Diagnostic Laboratory Sciences and Technology Research Center, School of Paramedical Sciences, Shiraz University of Medical Sciences, Shiraz, Iran
| | - Stuart L Graham
- Macquarie Medical School, Faculty of Medicine, Health and Human Sciences, Macquarie University, North Ryde, Sydney, NSW 2109, Australia
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27
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Boissonnet T, Tripodi M, Asari H. Awake responses suggest inefficient dense coding in the mouse retina. eLife 2023; 12:e78005. [PMID: 37922200 PMCID: PMC10624425 DOI: 10.7554/elife.78005] [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: 02/18/2022] [Accepted: 09/28/2023] [Indexed: 11/05/2023] Open
Abstract
The structure and function of the vertebrate retina have been extensively studied across species with an isolated, ex vivo preparation. Retinal function in vivo, however, remains elusive, especially in awake animals. Here, we performed single-unit extracellular recordings in the optic tract of head-fixed mice to compare the output of awake, anesthetized, and ex vivo retinas. While the visual response properties were overall similar across conditions, we found that awake retinal output had in general (1) faster kinetics with less variability in the response latencies; (2) a larger dynamic range; and (3) higher firing activity, by ~20 Hz on average, for both baseline and visually evoked responses. Our modeling analyses further showed that such awake response patterns convey comparable total information but less efficiently, and allow for a linear population decoder to perform significantly better than the anesthetized or ex vivo responses. These results highlight distinct retinal behavior in awake states, in particular suggesting that the retina employs dense coding in vivo, rather than sparse efficient coding as has been often assumed from ex vivo studies.
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Affiliation(s)
- Tom Boissonnet
- Epigenetics and Neurobiology Unit, EMBL Rome, European Molecular Biology LaboratoryMonterotondoItaly
- Collaboration for joint PhD degree between EMBL and Université Grenoble Alpes, Grenoble Institut des NeurosciencesLa TroncheFrance
| | - Matteo Tripodi
- Epigenetics and Neurobiology Unit, EMBL Rome, European Molecular Biology LaboratoryMonterotondoItaly
| | - Hiroki Asari
- Epigenetics and Neurobiology Unit, EMBL Rome, European Molecular Biology LaboratoryMonterotondoItaly
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28
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Jiang J, Zhang L, Zou J, Liu J, Yang J, Jiang Q, Duan P, Jiang B. Phosphorylated S6K1 and 4E-BP1 play different roles in constitutively active Rheb-mediated retinal ganglion cell survival and axon regeneration after optic nerve injury. Neural Regen Res 2023; 18:2526-2534. [PMID: 37282486 PMCID: PMC10360084 DOI: 10.4103/1673-5374.371372] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 06/08/2023] Open
Abstract
Ras homolog enriched in brain (Rheb) is a small GTPase that activates mammalian target of rapamycin complex 1 (mTORC1). Previous studies have shown that constitutively active Rheb can enhance the regeneration of sensory axons after spinal cord injury by activating downstream effectors of mTOR. S6K1 and 4E-BP1 are important downstream effectors of mTORC1. In this study, we investigated the role of Rheb/mTOR and its downstream effectors S6K1 and 4E-BP1 in the protection of retinal ganglion cells. We transfected an optic nerve crush mouse model with adeno-associated viral 2-mediated constitutively active Rheb and observed the effects on retinal ganglion cell survival and axon regeneration. We found that overexpression of constitutively active Rheb promoted survival of retinal ganglion cells in the acute (14 days) and chronic (21 and 42 days) stages of injury. We also found that either co-expression of the dominant-negative S6K1 mutant or the constitutively active 4E-BP1 mutant together with constitutively active Rheb markedly inhibited axon regeneration of retinal ganglion cells. This suggests that mTORC1-mediated S6K1 activation and 4E-BP1 inhibition were necessary components for constitutively active Rheb-induced axon regeneration. However, only S6K1 activation, but not 4E-BP1 knockdown, induced axon regeneration when applied alone. Furthermore, S6K1 activation promoted the survival of retinal ganglion cells at 14 days post-injury, whereas 4E-BP1 knockdown unexpectedly slightly decreased the survival of retinal ganglion cells at 14 days post-injury. Overexpression of constitutively active 4E-BP1 increased the survival of retinal ganglion cells at 14 days post-injury. Likewise, co-expressing constitutively active Rheb and constitutively active 4E-BP1 markedly increased the survival of retinal ganglion cells compared with overexpression of constitutively active Rheb alone at 14 days post-injury. These findings indicate that functional 4E-BP1 and S6K1 are neuroprotective and that 4E-BP1 may exert protective effects through a pathway at least partially independent of Rheb/mTOR. Together, our results show that constitutively active Rheb promotes the survival of retinal ganglion cells and axon regeneration through modulating S6K1 and 4E-BP1 activity. Phosphorylated S6K1 and 4E-BP1 promote axon regeneration but play an antagonistic role in the survival of retinal ganglion cells.
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Affiliation(s)
- Jikuan Jiang
- Department of Ophthalmology, Second Xiangya Hospital, Central South University; Hunan Clinical Research Center of Ophthalmic Disease, Changsha, Hunan Province, China
| | - Lusi Zhang
- Department of Ophthalmology, Second Xiangya Hospital, Central South University; Hunan Clinical Research Center of Ophthalmic Disease, Changsha, Hunan Province, China
| | - Jingling Zou
- Department of Ophthalmology, Second Xiangya Hospital, Central South University; Hunan Clinical Research Center of Ophthalmic Disease, Changsha, Hunan Province, China
| | - Jingyuan Liu
- Department of Ophthalmology, Second Xiangya Hospital, Central South University; Hunan Clinical Research Center of Ophthalmic Disease, Changsha, Hunan Province, China
| | - Jia Yang
- Department of Ophthalmology, Second Xiangya Hospital, Central South University; Hunan Clinical Research Center of Ophthalmic Disease, Changsha, Hunan Province, China
| | - Qian Jiang
- Department of Ophthalmology, Second Xiangya Hospital, Central South University; Hunan Clinical Research Center of Ophthalmic Disease, Changsha, Hunan Province, China
| | - Peiyun Duan
- Department of Ophthalmology, Second Xiangya Hospital, Central South University; Hunan Clinical Research Center of Ophthalmic Disease, Changsha, Hunan Province, China
| | - Bing Jiang
- Department of Ophthalmology, Second Xiangya Hospital, Central South University; Hunan Clinical Research Center of Ophthalmic Disease, Changsha, Hunan Province, China
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29
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McCracken S, Fitzpatrick MJ, Hall AL, Wang Z, Kerschensteiner D, Morgan JL, Williams PR. Diversity in homeostatic calcium set points predicts retinal ganglion cell survival following optic nerve injury in vivo. Cell Rep 2023; 42:113165. [PMID: 37751356 PMCID: PMC10947246 DOI: 10.1016/j.celrep.2023.113165] [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: 10/17/2022] [Revised: 06/29/2023] [Accepted: 09/07/2023] [Indexed: 09/28/2023] Open
Abstract
Retinal ganglion cell (RGC) degeneration drives vision loss in blinding conditions. RGC death is often triggered by axon degeneration in the optic nerve. Here, we study the contributions of dynamic and homeostatic Ca2+ levels to RGC death from axon injury. We find that axonal Ca2+ elevations from optic nerve injury do not propagate over distance or reach RGC somas, and acute and chronic Ca2+ dynamics do not affect RGC survival. Instead, we discover that baseline Ca2+ levels vary widely between RGCs and predict their survival after axon injury, and that lowering these levels reduces RGC survival. Further, we find that well-surviving RGC types have higher baseline Ca2+ levels than poorly surviving types. Finally, we observe considerable variation in the baseline Ca2+ levels of different RGCs of the same type, which are predictive of within-type differences in survival.
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Affiliation(s)
- Sean McCracken
- John F. Hardesty, MD Department of Ophthalmology and Visual Sciences, Washington University School of Medicine, St. Louis, MO 63110, USA; Graduate Program in Neuroscience, Washington University School of Medicine, St. Louis, MO 63110, USA
| | - Michael J Fitzpatrick
- John F. Hardesty, MD Department of Ophthalmology and Visual Sciences, Washington University School of Medicine, St. Louis, MO 63110, USA; Graduate Program in Neuroscience, Washington University School of Medicine, St. Louis, MO 63110, USA; Medical Scientist Training Program, Washington University School of Medicine, St. Louis, MO 63110, USA
| | - Allison L Hall
- John F. Hardesty, MD Department of Ophthalmology and Visual Sciences, Washington University School of Medicine, St. Louis, MO 63110, USA; Postbaccalaureate Program in Developmental Biology & Regenerative Medicine, Washington University School of Medicine, St. Louis, MO 63110, USA
| | - Zelun Wang
- John F. Hardesty, MD Department of Ophthalmology and Visual Sciences, Washington University School of Medicine, St. Louis, MO 63110, USA; Graduate Program in Neuroscience, Washington University School of Medicine, St. Louis, MO 63110, USA; Medical Scientist Training Program, Washington University School of Medicine, St. Louis, MO 63110, USA
| | - Daniel Kerschensteiner
- John F. Hardesty, MD Department of Ophthalmology and Visual Sciences, Washington University School of Medicine, St. Louis, MO 63110, USA; Department of Neuroscience, Washington University School of Medicine, St. Louis, MO 63110, USA; Hope Center for Neurological Disorders, Washington University School of Medicine, St. Louis, MO 63110, USA; Department of Biomedical Engineering, Washington University School of Medicine, St. Louis, MO 63110, USA
| | - Josh L Morgan
- John F. Hardesty, MD Department of Ophthalmology and Visual Sciences, Washington University School of Medicine, St. Louis, MO 63110, USA; Department of Neuroscience, Washington University School of Medicine, St. Louis, MO 63110, USA
| | - Philip R Williams
- John F. Hardesty, MD Department of Ophthalmology and Visual Sciences, Washington University School of Medicine, St. Louis, MO 63110, USA; Department of Neuroscience, Washington University School of Medicine, St. Louis, MO 63110, USA; Hope Center for Neurological Disorders, Washington University School of Medicine, St. Louis, MO 63110, USA.
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30
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Lee YW, Lim MN, Lee JY, Yoo YJ. Central retina thickness measured with spectral-domain optical coherence tomography in Parkinson disease: A meta-analysis. Medicine (Baltimore) 2023; 102:e35354. [PMID: 37800768 PMCID: PMC10553016 DOI: 10.1097/md.0000000000035354] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Submit a Manuscript] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 07/21/2022] [Accepted: 09/01/2023] [Indexed: 10/07/2023] Open
Abstract
BACKGROUND Optical coherence tomography (OCT) can detect visual alterations associated with Parkinson disease, such as damage to the retinal nerve fiber layer or changes in retinal vasculature. Macula thinning in association with Parkinson disease (PD) remains controversial. Therefore, we conducted a meta-analysis to investigate the central retina thickness in PD measured using spectral-domain OCT (SD-OCT). METHODS We searched PubMed and the Excerpta Medica database to identify studies that compared macular thickness between patients with PD and healthy controls published before July 31, 2021. A random-effects model was used to examine PD-associated changes in macular thickness. Meta-regression analysis was performed by assessing heterogeneity, publication bias, and study quality. RESULTS Thirty-two studies with a cross-sectional design were selected, including 2118 patients with PD and 2338 controls. We identified significant differences in the thickness of the ganglion cell-inner plexiform layer (standardized mean difference [SMD], -0.41; 95% confidence interval [CI], -0.66 to -0.16; I2 = 80%), ganglion cell complex (SMD, -0.33; 95% CI, -0.50 to -0.17; I2 = 0%), and of all inner and outer sectors of the macula (SMD range, -0.21 to -0.56; all P < .05) between patients with PD and controls. DISCUSSION These results corroborate the increased prevalence of changes in OCT measures in individuals with PD, highlighting the efficacy of SD-OCT-determined macular thickness as a biomarker for PD. Our findings may provide helpful guidelines for clinicians in rapidly evolving areas of PD diagnosis.
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Affiliation(s)
- Yong Woo Lee
- Department of Ophthalmology, Kangwon National University School of Medicine, Chuncheon, Korea
- Department of Ophthalmology, Kangwon National University Hospital, Chuncheon, Korea
| | - Myung-Nam Lim
- Biomedical Research Institute, Kangwon National University School of Medicine, Chuncheon, Korea
| | - Jae Yeon Lee
- Department of Ophthalmology, Kangwon National University School of Medicine, Chuncheon, Korea
| | - Yung-Ju Yoo
- Department of Ophthalmology, Kangwon National University School of Medicine, Chuncheon, Korea
- Department of Ophthalmology, Kangwon National University Hospital, Chuncheon, Korea
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31
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Agarwal D, Dash N, Mazo KW, Chopra M, Avila MP, Patel A, Wong RM, Jia C, Do H, Cheng J, Chiang C, Jurlina SL, Roshan M, Perry MW, Rho JM, Broyer R, Lee CD, Weinreb RN, Gavrilovici C, Oesch NW, Welsbie DS, Wahlin KJ. Human retinal ganglion cell neurons generated by synchronous BMP inhibition and transcription factor mediated reprogramming. NPJ Regen Med 2023; 8:55. [PMID: 37773257 PMCID: PMC10541876 DOI: 10.1038/s41536-023-00327-x] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 12/22/2022] [Accepted: 08/31/2023] [Indexed: 10/01/2023] Open
Abstract
In optic neuropathies, including glaucoma, retinal ganglion cells (RGCs) die. Cell transplantation and endogenous regeneration offer strategies for retinal repair, however, developmental programs required for this to succeed are incompletely understood. To address this, we explored cellular reprogramming with transcription factor (TF) regulators of RGC development which were integrated into human pluripotent stem cells (PSCs) as inducible gene cassettes. When the pioneer factor NEUROG2 was combined with RGC-expressed TFs (ATOH7, ISL1, and POU4F2) some conversion was observed and when pre-patterned by BMP inhibition, RGC-like induced neurons (RGC-iNs) were generated with high efficiency in just under a week. These exhibited transcriptional profiles that were reminiscent of RGCs and exhibited electrophysiological properties, including AMPA-mediated synaptic transmission. Additionally, we demonstrated that small molecule inhibitors of DLK/LZK and GCK-IV can block neuronal death in two pharmacological axon injury models. Combining developmental patterning with RGC-specific TFs thus provided valuable insight into strategies for cell replacement and neuroprotection.
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Affiliation(s)
- Devansh Agarwal
- Shu Chien-Gene Lay Department of Bioengineering, UC San Diego, La Jolla, CA, USA
- Viterbi Family Department of Ophthalmology & the Shiley Eye Institute, UC San Diego, La Jolla, CA, USA
| | - Nicholas Dash
- Viterbi Family Department of Ophthalmology & the Shiley Eye Institute, UC San Diego, La Jolla, CA, USA
| | - Kevin W Mazo
- Viterbi Family Department of Ophthalmology & the Shiley Eye Institute, UC San Diego, La Jolla, CA, USA
| | - Manan Chopra
- Viterbi Family Department of Ophthalmology & the Shiley Eye Institute, UC San Diego, La Jolla, CA, USA
| | - Maria P Avila
- Viterbi Family Department of Ophthalmology & the Shiley Eye Institute, UC San Diego, La Jolla, CA, USA
| | - Amit Patel
- Viterbi Family Department of Ophthalmology & the Shiley Eye Institute, UC San Diego, La Jolla, CA, USA
| | - Ryan M Wong
- Viterbi Family Department of Ophthalmology & the Shiley Eye Institute, UC San Diego, La Jolla, CA, USA
| | - Cairang Jia
- Viterbi Family Department of Ophthalmology & the Shiley Eye Institute, UC San Diego, La Jolla, CA, USA
| | - Hope Do
- Viterbi Family Department of Ophthalmology & the Shiley Eye Institute, UC San Diego, La Jolla, CA, USA
| | - Jie Cheng
- Department of Ophthalmology, Johns Hopkins School of Medicine, Baltimore, MD, USA
| | - Colette Chiang
- Viterbi Family Department of Ophthalmology & the Shiley Eye Institute, UC San Diego, La Jolla, CA, USA
| | - Shawna L Jurlina
- Viterbi Family Department of Ophthalmology & the Shiley Eye Institute, UC San Diego, La Jolla, CA, USA
| | - Mona Roshan
- Viterbi Family Department of Ophthalmology & the Shiley Eye Institute, UC San Diego, La Jolla, CA, USA
| | - Michael W Perry
- Department of Biological Sciences, UC San Diego, La Jolla, CA, USA
| | - Jong M Rho
- Department of Neurosciences, UC San Diego, La Jolla, CA, USA
| | - Risa Broyer
- Viterbi Family Department of Ophthalmology & the Shiley Eye Institute, UC San Diego, La Jolla, CA, USA
| | - Cassidy D Lee
- Viterbi Family Department of Ophthalmology & the Shiley Eye Institute, UC San Diego, La Jolla, CA, USA
| | - Robert N Weinreb
- Viterbi Family Department of Ophthalmology & the Shiley Eye Institute, UC San Diego, La Jolla, CA, USA
| | | | - Nicholas W Oesch
- Viterbi Family Department of Ophthalmology & the Shiley Eye Institute, UC San Diego, La Jolla, CA, USA
- Department of Psychology, UC San Diego, La Jolla, CA, USA
| | - Derek S Welsbie
- Viterbi Family Department of Ophthalmology & the Shiley Eye Institute, UC San Diego, La Jolla, CA, USA
| | - Karl J Wahlin
- Viterbi Family Department of Ophthalmology & the Shiley Eye Institute, UC San Diego, La Jolla, CA, USA.
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32
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Sherman S, Arnold-Ammer I, Schneider MW, Kawakami K, Baier H. Retina-derived signals control pace of neurogenesis in visual brain areas but not circuit assembly. Nat Commun 2023; 14:6020. [PMID: 37758715 PMCID: PMC10533834 DOI: 10.1038/s41467-023-40749-1] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 02/22/2023] [Accepted: 08/09/2023] [Indexed: 09/29/2023] Open
Abstract
Brain development is orchestrated by both innate and experience-dependent mechanisms, but their relative contributions are difficult to disentangle. Here we asked if and how central visual areas are altered in a vertebrate brain depleted of any and all signals from retinal ganglion cells throughout development. We transcriptionally profiled neurons in pretectum, thalamus and other retinorecipient areas of larval zebrafish and searched for changes in lakritz mutants that lack all retinal connections. Although individual genes are dysregulated, the complete set of 77 neuronal types develops in apparently normal proportions, at normal locations, and along normal differentiation trajectories. Strikingly, the cell-cycle exits of proliferating progenitors in these areas are delayed, and a greater fraction of early postmitotic precursors remain uncommitted or are diverted to a pre-glial fate. Optogenetic stimulation targeting groups of neurons normally involved in processing visual information evokes behaviors indistinguishable from wildtype. In conclusion, we show that signals emitted by retinal axons influence the pace of neurogenesis in visual brain areas, but do not detectably affect the specification or wiring of downstream neurons.
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Affiliation(s)
- Shachar Sherman
- Max Planck Institute for Biological Intelligence, Department Genes - Circuits - Behavior, Am Klopferspitz 18, 82152, Martinsried, Germany
| | - Irene Arnold-Ammer
- Max Planck Institute for Biological Intelligence, Department Genes - Circuits - Behavior, Am Klopferspitz 18, 82152, Martinsried, Germany
| | - Martin W Schneider
- Max Planck Institute for Biological Intelligence, Department Genes - Circuits - Behavior, Am Klopferspitz 18, 82152, Martinsried, Germany
| | - Koichi Kawakami
- Laboratory of Molecular and Developmental Biology, National Institute of Genetics, and Department of Genetics, SOKENDAI (The Graduate University for Advanced Studies), Mishima, Shizuoka, 411-8540, Japan
| | - Herwig Baier
- Max Planck Institute for Biological Intelligence, Department Genes - Circuits - Behavior, Am Klopferspitz 18, 82152, Martinsried, Germany.
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Soucy JR, Aguzzi EA, Cho J, Gilhooley MJ, Keuthan C, Luo Z, Monavarfeshani A, Saleem MA, Wang XW, Wohlschlegel J, Baranov P, Di Polo A, Fortune B, Gokoffski KK, Goldberg JL, Guido W, Kolodkin AL, Mason CA, Ou Y, Reh TA, Ross AG, Samuels BC, Welsbie D, Zack DJ, Johnson TV. Retinal ganglion cell repopulation for vision restoration in optic neuropathy: a roadmap from the RReSTORe Consortium. Mol Neurodegener 2023; 18:64. [PMID: 37735444 PMCID: PMC10514988 DOI: 10.1186/s13024-023-00655-y] [Citation(s) in RCA: 7] [Impact Index Per Article: 7.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 07/18/2023] [Accepted: 09/07/2023] [Indexed: 09/23/2023] Open
Abstract
Retinal ganglion cell (RGC) death in glaucoma and other optic neuropathies results in irreversible vision loss due to the mammalian central nervous system's limited regenerative capacity. RGC repopulation is a promising therapeutic approach to reverse vision loss from optic neuropathies if the newly introduced neurons can reestablish functional retinal and thalamic circuits. In theory, RGCs might be repopulated through the transplantation of stem cell-derived neurons or via the induction of endogenous transdifferentiation. The RGC Repopulation, Stem Cell Transplantation, and Optic Nerve Regeneration (RReSTORe) Consortium was established to address the challenges associated with the therapeutic repair of the visual pathway in optic neuropathy. In 2022, the RReSTORe Consortium initiated ongoing international collaborative discussions to advance the RGC repopulation field and has identified five critical areas of focus: (1) RGC development and differentiation, (2) Transplantation methods and models, (3) RGC survival, maturation, and host interactions, (4) Inner retinal wiring, and (5) Eye-to-brain connectivity. Here, we discuss the most pertinent questions and challenges that exist on the path to clinical translation and suggest experimental directions to propel this work going forward. Using these five subtopic discussion groups (SDGs) as a framework, we suggest multidisciplinary approaches to restore the diseased visual pathway by leveraging groundbreaking insights from developmental neuroscience, stem cell biology, molecular biology, optical imaging, animal models of optic neuropathy, immunology & immunotolerance, neuropathology & neuroprotection, materials science & biomedical engineering, and regenerative neuroscience. While significant hurdles remain, the RReSTORe Consortium's efforts provide a comprehensive roadmap for advancing the RGC repopulation field and hold potential for transformative progress in restoring vision in patients suffering from optic neuropathies.
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Affiliation(s)
- Jonathan R Soucy
- Department of Ophthalmology, Schepens Eye Research Institute of Mass. Eye and Ear, Harvard Medical School, Boston, MA, USA
| | - Erika A Aguzzi
- The Institute of Ophthalmology, University College London, London, England, UK
| | - Julie Cho
- Spencer Center for Vision Research, Byers Eye Institute, Stanford University School of Medicine, Palo Alto, CA, USA
| | - Michael James Gilhooley
- The Institute of Ophthalmology, University College London, London, England, UK
- Moorfields Eye Hospital, London, England, UK
| | - Casey Keuthan
- Department of Ophthalmology, Wilmer Eye Institute, Johns Hopkins University School of Medicine, Baltimore, MD, USA
| | - Ziming Luo
- Spencer Center for Vision Research, Byers Eye Institute, Stanford University School of Medicine, Palo Alto, CA, USA
| | - Aboozar Monavarfeshani
- Center for Brain Science and Department of Molecular and Cellular Biology, Harvard University, Cambridge, MA, USA
- Kirby Neurobiology Center, Boston Children's Hospital, Boston, MA, USA
| | - Meher A Saleem
- Bascom Palmer Eye Institute, University of Miami Health System, Miami, FL, USA
| | - Xue-Wei Wang
- Department of Orthopaedic Surgery, The Johns Hopkins University School of Medicine, Baltimore, MD, USA
| | | | - Petr Baranov
- Department of Ophthalmology, Schepens Eye Research Institute of Mass. Eye and Ear, Harvard Medical School, Boston, MA, USA
| | - Adriana Di Polo
- Department of Neuroscience, University of Montreal, Montreal, QC, Canada
- University of Montreal Hospital Research Centre, Montreal, QC, Canada
| | - Brad Fortune
- Discoveries in Sight Research Laboratories, Devers Eye Institute and Legacy Research Institute, Legacy Health, Portland, OR, USA
| | - Kimberly K Gokoffski
- Department of Ophthalmology, Roski Eye Institute, University of Southern California, Los Angeles, CA, USA
| | - Jeffrey L Goldberg
- Spencer Center for Vision Research, Byers Eye Institute, Stanford University School of Medicine, Palo Alto, CA, USA
| | - William Guido
- Department of Anatomical Sciences and Neurobiology, School of Medicine, University of Louisville, Louisville, KY, USA
| | - Alex L Kolodkin
- The Solomon H Snyder, Department of Neuroscience, Johns Hopkins University School of Medicine, Baltimore, MD, USA
| | - Carol A Mason
- Departments of Pathology and Cell Biology, Neuroscience, and Ophthalmology, College of Physicians and Surgeons, Zuckerman Mind Brain Behavior Institute, Columbia University, New York, NY, USA
| | - Yvonne Ou
- Department of Ophthalmology, University of California, San Francisco, CA, USA
| | - Thomas A Reh
- Department of Biological Structure, University of Washington, Seattle, WA, USA
| | - Ahmara G Ross
- Departments of Ophthalmology and Neurology, University of Pennsylvania, Philadelphia, PA, USA
| | - Brian C Samuels
- Department of Ophthalmology and Visual Sciences, Callahan Eye Hospital, University of Alabama at Birmingham, Birmingham, AL, USA
| | - Derek Welsbie
- Shiley Eye Institute and Viterbi Family Department of Ophthalmology, University of California, San Diego, CA, USA
| | - Donald J Zack
- Glaucoma Center of Excellence, Wilmer Eye Institute, Johns Hopkins University School of Medicine, Baltimore, 21287 MD, USA
- Departments of Neuroscience, Molecular Biology & Genetics, and Genetic Medicine, Johns Hopkins University School of Medicine, Baltimore, MD, USA
| | - Thomas V Johnson
- Departments of Neuroscience, Molecular Biology & Genetics, and Genetic Medicine, Johns Hopkins University School of Medicine, Baltimore, MD, USA.
- Cellular & Molecular Medicine Program, Johns Hopkins University School of Medicine, Baltimore, 21287 MD, USA.
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Gehr C, Sibille J, Kremkow J. Retinal input integration in excitatory and inhibitory neurons in the mouse superior colliculus in vivo. eLife 2023; 12:RP88289. [PMID: 37682267 PMCID: PMC10491433 DOI: 10.7554/elife.88289] [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] [Indexed: 09/09/2023] Open
Abstract
The superior colliculus (SC) is a midbrain structure that receives inputs from retinal ganglion cells (RGCs). The SC contains one of the highest densities of inhibitory neurons in the brain but whether excitatory and inhibitory SC neurons differentially integrate retinal activity in vivo is still largely unknown. We recently established a recording approach to measure the activity of RGCs simultaneously with their postsynaptic SC targets in vivo, to study how SC neurons integrate RGC activity. Here, we employ this method to investigate the functional properties that govern retinocollicular signaling in a cell type-specific manner by identifying GABAergic SC neurons using optotagging in VGAT-ChR2 mice. Our results demonstrate that both excitatory and inhibitory SC neurons receive comparably strong RGC inputs and similar wiring rules apply for RGCs innervation of both SC cell types, unlike the cell type-specific connectivity in the thalamocortical system. Moreover, retinal activity contributed more to the spiking activity of postsynaptic excitatory compared to inhibitory SC neurons. This study deepens our understanding of cell type-specific retinocollicular functional connectivity and emphasizes that the two major brain areas for visual processing, the visual cortex and the SC, differently integrate sensory afferent inputs.
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Affiliation(s)
- Carolin Gehr
- Neuroscience Research Center, Charité-Universitätsmedizin BerlinBerlinGermany
- Bernstein Center for Computational Neuroscience BerlinBerlinGermany
- Institute for Theoretical Biology, Humboldt-Universität zu BerlinBerlinGermany
- Einstein Center for Neurosciences BerlinBerlinGermany
| | - Jeremie Sibille
- Neuroscience Research Center, Charité-Universitätsmedizin BerlinBerlinGermany
- Bernstein Center for Computational Neuroscience BerlinBerlinGermany
- Institute for Theoretical Biology, Humboldt-Universität zu BerlinBerlinGermany
- Einstein Center for Neurosciences BerlinBerlinGermany
| | - Jens Kremkow
- Neuroscience Research Center, Charité-Universitätsmedizin BerlinBerlinGermany
- Bernstein Center for Computational Neuroscience BerlinBerlinGermany
- Institute for Theoretical Biology, Humboldt-Universität zu BerlinBerlinGermany
- Einstein Center for Neurosciences BerlinBerlinGermany
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35
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Levin LA, Chiang MF, Dyer MA, Greenwell TN, Svendsen CN, Tumminia SJ, Van Gelder RN, Wong RO. Translational roadmap for regenerative therapies of eye disease. MED 2023; 4:583-590. [PMID: 37689055 PMCID: PMC10793077 DOI: 10.1016/j.medj.2023.06.005] [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: 06/07/2023] [Revised: 06/07/2023] [Accepted: 06/12/2023] [Indexed: 09/11/2023]
Abstract
The translation of regenerative therapies to neuronal eye diseases requires a roadmap specific to the nature of the target diseases, patient population, methodologies for assessing outcome, and other factors. This commentary focuses on critical issues for translating regenerative eye therapies relevant to retinal neurons to human clinical trials.
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Affiliation(s)
- Leonard A Levin
- Department of Ophthalmology and Visual Sciences, McGill University, Montreal, QC H3A2B4, Canada; Department of Neurology & Neurosurgery, McGill University, Montreal, QC H3A2B4, Canada.
| | - Michael F Chiang
- National Eye Institute, National Institutes of Health, Bethesda, MD 20892, USA; National Library of Medicine, National Institutes of Health, Bethesda, MD 20894, USA
| | - Michael A Dyer
- Department of Developmental Neurobiology, St. Jude's Research Hospital, Memphis, TN 38105, USA
| | - Thomas N Greenwell
- National Eye Institute, National Institutes of Health, Bethesda, MD 20892, USA
| | - Clive N Svendsen
- Board of Governors Regenerative Medicine Institute, Cedars Sinai Medical Center, Los Angeles, CA 90048, USA; Department of Biomedical Sciences, Cedars Sinai Medical Center, Los Angeles, CA 90048, USA
| | - Santa J Tumminia
- National Eye Institute, National Institutes of Health, Bethesda, MD 20892, USA
| | - Russell N Van Gelder
- Department of Ophthalmology, University of Washington School of Medicine, Seattle, WA 98195, USA; Department of Biological Structure, University of Washington School of Medicine, Seattle, WA 98195, USA; Department of Pathology and Laboratory Medicine, University of Washington School of Medicine, Seattle, WA 98195, USA; Roger and Angie Karalis Johnson Retina Center, University of Washington School of Medicine, Seattle, WA 98195, USA
| | - Rachel O Wong
- Department of Ophthalmology, University of Washington School of Medicine, Seattle, WA 98195, USA; Department of Biological Structure, University of Washington School of Medicine, Seattle, WA 98195, USA
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36
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Trapani F, Spampinato GLB, Yger P, Marre O. Differences in nonlinearities determine retinal cell types. J Neurophysiol 2023; 130:706-718. [PMID: 37584082 DOI: 10.1152/jn.00243.2022] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 06/15/2022] [Revised: 07/30/2023] [Accepted: 07/31/2023] [Indexed: 08/17/2023] Open
Abstract
Classifying neurons in different types is still an open challenge. In the retina, recent works have taken advantage of the ability to record from a large number of cells to classify ganglion cells into different types based on functional information. Although the first attempts in this direction used the receptive field properties of each cell to classify them, more recent approaches have proposed to cluster ganglion cells directly based on their response to stimuli. These two approaches have not been compared directly. Here, we recorded the responses of a large number of ganglion cells and compared two methods for classifying them into functional groups, one based on the receptive field properties, and the other one using directly their responses to stimuli with various temporal frequencies. We show that the response-based approach allows separation of more types than the receptive field-based method, leading to a better classification. This better granularity is due to the fact that the response-based method takes into account not only the linear part of ganglion cell function but also some of the nonlinearities. A careful characterization of nonlinear processing is thus key to allowing functional classification of sensory neurons.NEW & NOTEWORTHY In the retina, ganglion cells can be classified based on their response to visual stimuli. Although some methods are based on the modeling of receptive fields, others rely on responses to characteristic stimuli. We compared these two classes of methods and show that the latter provides a higher discrimination performance. We also show that this gain arises from the ability to account for the nonlinear behavior of neurons.
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Affiliation(s)
- Francesco Trapani
- Institut de la Vision, Sorbonne Université, INSERM, CNRS, Paris, France
| | | | - Pierre Yger
- Institut de la Vision, Sorbonne Université, INSERM, CNRS, Paris, France
| | - Olivier Marre
- Institut de la Vision, Sorbonne Université, INSERM, CNRS, Paris, France
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37
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Zaidi M, Aggarwal G, Shah NP, Karniol-Tambour O, Goetz G, Madugula SS, Gogliettino AR, Wu EG, Kling A, Brackbill N, Sher A, Litke AM, Chichilnisky EJ. Inferring light responses of primate retinal ganglion cells using intrinsic electrical signatures. J Neural Eng 2023; 20:10.1088/1741-2552/ace657. [PMID: 37433293 PMCID: PMC11067857 DOI: 10.1088/1741-2552/ace657] [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: 07/15/2022] [Accepted: 07/11/2023] [Indexed: 07/13/2023]
Abstract
Objective. Retinal implants are designed to stimulate retinal ganglion cells (RGCs) in a way that restores sight to individuals blinded by photoreceptor degeneration. Reproducing high-acuity vision with these devices will likely require inferring the natural light responses of diverse RGC types in the implanted retina, without being able to measure them directly. Here we demonstrate an inference approach that exploits intrinsic electrophysiological features of primate RGCs.Approach.First, ON-parasol and OFF-parasol RGC types were identified using their intrinsic electrical features in large-scale multi-electrode recordings from macaque retina. Then, the electrically inferred somatic location, inferred cell type, and average linear-nonlinear-Poisson model parameters of each cell type were used to infer a light response model for each cell. The accuracy of the cell type classification and of reproducing measured light responses with the model were evaluated.Main results.A cell-type classifier trained on 246 large-scale multi-electrode recordings from 148 retinas achieved 95% mean accuracy on 29 test retinas. In five retinas tested, the inferred models achieved an average correlation with measured firing rates of 0.49 for white noise visual stimuli and 0.50 for natural scenes stimuli, compared to 0.65 and 0.58 respectively for models fitted to recorded light responses (an upper bound). Linear decoding of natural images from predicted RGC activity in one retina showed a mean correlation of 0.55 between decoded and true images, compared to an upper bound of 0.81 using models fitted to light response data.Significance.These results suggest that inference of RGC light response properties from intrinsic features of their electrical activity may be a useful approach for high-fidelity sight restoration. The overall strategy of first inferring cell type from electrical features and then exploiting cell type to help infer natural cell function may also prove broadly useful to neural interfaces.
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Affiliation(s)
- Moosa Zaidi
- Stanford University School of Medicine, Stanford University, Stanford, CA, United States of America
- Neurosurgery, Stanford University, Stanford, CA, United States of America
| | - Gorish Aggarwal
- Neurosurgery, Stanford University, Stanford, CA, United States of America
- Electrical Engineering, Stanford University, Stanford, CA, United States of America
| | - Nishal P Shah
- Neurosurgery, Stanford University, Stanford, CA, United States of America
| | - Orren Karniol-Tambour
- Princeton Neuroscience Institute, Princeton University, Princeton, NJ, United States of America
| | - Georges Goetz
- Neurosurgery, Stanford University, Stanford, CA, United States of America
| | - Sasidhar S Madugula
- Stanford University School of Medicine, Stanford University, Stanford, CA, United States of America
- Neurosciences, Stanford University, Stanford, CA, United States of America
| | - Alex R Gogliettino
- Neurosciences, Stanford University, Stanford, CA, United States of America
| | - Eric G Wu
- Electrical Engineering, Stanford University, Stanford, CA, United States of America
| | - Alexandra Kling
- Neurosurgery, Stanford University, Stanford, CA, United States of America
| | - Nora Brackbill
- Physics, Stanford University, Stanford, CA, United States of America
| | - Alexander Sher
- Santa Cruz Institute for Particle Physics, University of California Santa Cruz, Santa Cruz, CA, United States of America
| | - Alan M Litke
- Santa Cruz Institute for Particle Physics, University of California Santa Cruz, Santa Cruz, CA, United States of America
| | - E J Chichilnisky
- Neurosurgery, Stanford University, Stanford, CA, United States of America
- Ophthalmology, Stanford University, Stanford, CA, United States of America
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38
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Mani A, Yang X, Zhao TA, Leyrer ML, Schreck D, Berson DM. A circuit suppressing retinal drive to the optokinetic system during fast image motion. Nat Commun 2023; 14:5142. [PMID: 37612305 PMCID: PMC10447436 DOI: 10.1038/s41467-023-40527-z] [Citation(s) in RCA: 3] [Impact Index Per Article: 3.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 04/14/2022] [Accepted: 07/26/2023] [Indexed: 08/25/2023] Open
Abstract
Optokinetic nystagmus (OKN) assists stabilization of the retinal image during head rotation. OKN is driven by ON direction selective retinal ganglion cells (ON DSGCs), which encode both the direction and speed of global retinal slip. The synaptic circuits responsible for the direction selectivity of ON DSGCs are well understood, but those sculpting their slow-speed preference remain enigmatic. Here, we probe this mechanism in mouse retina through patch clamp recordings, functional imaging, genetic manipulation, and electron microscopic reconstructions. We confirm earlier evidence that feedforward glycinergic inhibition is the main suppressor of ON DSGC responses to fast motion, and reveal the source for this inhibition-the VGluT3 amacrine cell, a dual neurotransmitter, excitatory/inhibitory interneuron. Together, our results identify a role for VGluT3 cells in limiting the speed range of OKN. More broadly, they suggest VGluT3 cells shape the response of many retinal cell types to fast motion, suppressing it in some while enhancing it in others.
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Affiliation(s)
- Adam Mani
- Department of Neuroscience, Brown University, Providence, RI, USA
| | - Xinzhu Yang
- Department of Neuroscience, Brown University, Providence, RI, USA
| | - Tiffany A Zhao
- Department of Neuroscience, Brown University, Providence, RI, USA
| | - Megan L Leyrer
- Department of Neuroscience, Brown University, Providence, RI, USA
| | - Daniel Schreck
- Department of Neuroscience, Brown University, Providence, RI, USA
| | - David M Berson
- Department of Neuroscience, Brown University, Providence, RI, USA.
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39
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Siebald C, Vincent PFY, Bottom RT, Sun S, Reijntjes DOJ, Manca M, Glowatzki E, Müller U. Molecular signatures define subtypes of auditory afferents with distinct peripheral projection patterns and physiological properties. Proc Natl Acad Sci U S A 2023; 120:e2217033120. [PMID: 37487063 PMCID: PMC10400978 DOI: 10.1073/pnas.2217033120] [Citation(s) in RCA: 5] [Impact Index Per Article: 5.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 10/05/2022] [Accepted: 06/06/2023] [Indexed: 07/26/2023] Open
Abstract
Type I spiral ganglion neurons (SGNs) are the auditory afferents that transmit sound information from cochlear inner hair cells (IHCs) to the brainstem. These afferents consist of physiological subtypes that differ in their spontaneous firing rate (SR), activation threshold, and dynamic range and have been described as low, medium, and high SR fibers. Lately, single-cell RNA sequencing experiments have revealed three molecularly defined type I SGN subtypes. The extent to which physiological type I SGN subtypes correspond to molecularly defined subtypes is unclear. To address this question, we have generated mouse lines expressing CreERT2 in SGN subtypes that allow for a physiological assessment of molecular subtypes. We show that Lypd1-CreERT2 expressing SGNs represent a well-defined group of neurons that preferentially innervate the IHC modiolar side and exhibit a narrow range of low SRs. In contrast, Calb2-CreERT2 expressing SGNs preferentially innervate the IHC pillar side and exhibit a wider range of SRs, thus suggesting that a strict stratification of all SGNs into three molecular subclasses is not obvious, at least not with the CreERT2 tools used here. Genetically marked neuronal subtypes refine their innervation specificity onto IHCs postnatally during the time when activity is required to refine their molecular phenotype. Type I SGNs thus consist of genetically defined subtypes with distinct physiological properties and innervation patterns. The molecular subtype-specific lines characterized here will provide important tools for investigating the role of the physiologically distinct type I SGNs in encoding sound signals.
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Affiliation(s)
- Caroline Siebald
- The Solomon H. Snyder Department of Neuroscience, Johns Hopkins University School of Medicine, Baltimore, MD21205
| | - Philippe F. Y. Vincent
- Department of Otolaryngology-Head and Neck Surgery, Johns Hopkins University School of Medicine, Baltimore, MD21205
| | - Riley T. Bottom
- The Solomon H. Snyder Department of Neuroscience, Johns Hopkins University School of Medicine, Baltimore, MD21205
| | - Shuohao Sun
- National Institute of Biological Science, Beijing102206, China
- Tsinghua Institute of Multidisciplinary Biomedical Research, Tsinghua University, Beijing100084, China
| | - Daniel O. J. Reijntjes
- Department of Otolaryngology-Head and Neck Surgery, Johns Hopkins University School of Medicine, Baltimore, MD21205
| | - Marco Manca
- Department of Otolaryngology-Head and Neck Surgery, Johns Hopkins University School of Medicine, Baltimore, MD21205
| | - Elisabeth Glowatzki
- The Solomon H. Snyder Department of Neuroscience, Johns Hopkins University School of Medicine, Baltimore, MD21205
- Department of Otolaryngology-Head and Neck Surgery, Johns Hopkins University School of Medicine, Baltimore, MD21205
| | - Ulrich Müller
- The Solomon H. Snyder Department of Neuroscience, Johns Hopkins University School of Medicine, Baltimore, MD21205
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40
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Peng YR. Cell-type specification in the retina: Recent discoveries from transcriptomic approaches. Curr Opin Neurobiol 2023; 81:102752. [PMID: 37499619 DOI: 10.1016/j.conb.2023.102752] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 05/16/2023] [Revised: 06/26/2023] [Accepted: 06/29/2023] [Indexed: 07/29/2023]
Abstract
Understanding the formation of the complex nervous system hinges on decoding the mechanism that specifies a vast array of neuronal types, each endowed with a unique morphology, physiology, and connectivity. As a pivotal step towards addressing this problem, seminal work has been devoted to characterizing distinct neuronal types. In recent years, high-throughput, single-cell transcriptomic methods have enabled a rapid inventory of cell types in various regions of the nervous system, with the retina exhibiting complete molecular characterization across many vertebrate species. This invaluable resource has furnished a fresh perspective for investigating the molecular principles of cell-type specification, thereby advancing our understanding of retinal development. Accordingly, this review focuses on the most recent transcriptomic characterizations of retinal cells, with a particular focus on amacrine cells and retinal ganglion cells. These investigations have unearthed new insights into their cell-type specification.
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Affiliation(s)
- Yi-Rong Peng
- Department of Ophthalmology and Stein Eye Institute, UCLA David Geffen School of Medicine, Los Angeles, CA 90095, USA.
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41
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Li S, Jakobs TC. Vitamin C protects retinal ganglion cells via SPP1 in glaucoma and after optic nerve damage. Life Sci Alliance 2023; 6:e202301976. [PMID: 37160307 PMCID: PMC10172762 DOI: 10.26508/lsa.202301976] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 02/07/2023] [Revised: 04/29/2023] [Accepted: 05/01/2023] [Indexed: 05/11/2023] Open
Abstract
Glaucoma is a common neurodegenerative disorder characterized by retinal ganglion cell death, astrocyte reactivity in the optic nerve, and vision loss. Currently, lowering the intraocular pressure (IOP) is the first-line treatment, but adjuvant neuroprotective approaches would be welcome. Vitamin C possesses neuroprotective activities that are thought to be related to its properties as a co-factor of enzymes and its antioxidant effects. Here, we show that vitamin C promotes a neuroprotective phenotype and increases gene expression related to neurotropic factors, phagocytosis, and mitochondrial ATP production. This effect is dependent on the up-regulation of secreted phosphoprotein 1 (SPP1) in reactive astrocytes via the transcription factor E2F1. SPP1+ astrocytes in turn promote retinal ganglion cell survival in a mouse model of glaucoma. In addition, oral administration of vitamin C lowers the IOP in mice. This study identifies an additional neuroprotective pathway for vitamin C and suggests a potential therapeutic role of vitamin C in neurodegenerative diseases such as glaucoma.
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Affiliation(s)
- Song Li
- Department of Ophthalmology, Harvard Medical School, Boston, MA, USA
- Schepens Eye Research Institute, Massachusetts Eye and Ear, Boston, MA, USA
| | - Tatjana C Jakobs
- Department of Ophthalmology, Harvard Medical School, Boston, MA, USA
- Schepens Eye Research Institute, Massachusetts Eye and Ear, Boston, MA, USA
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42
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Guo L, Xie X, Wang J, Xiao H, Li S, Xu M, Quainoo E, Koppaka R, Zhuo J, Smith SB, Gan L. Inducible Rbpms-CreER T2 Mouse Line for Studying Gene Function in Retinal Ganglion Cell Physiology and Disease. Cells 2023; 12:1951. [PMID: 37566030 PMCID: PMC10416940 DOI: 10.3390/cells12151951] [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: 06/20/2023] [Revised: 07/14/2023] [Accepted: 07/25/2023] [Indexed: 08/12/2023] Open
Abstract
Retinal ganglion cells (RGCs) are the sole output neurons conveying visual stimuli from the retina to the brain, and dysfunction or loss of RGCs is the primary determinant of visual loss in traumatic and degenerative ocular conditions. Currently, there is a lack of RGC-specific Cre mouse lines that serve as invaluable tools for manipulating genes in RGCs and studying the genetic basis of RGC diseases. The RNA-binding protein with multiple splicing (RBPMS) is identified as the specific marker of all RGCs. Here, we report the generation and characterization of a knock-in mouse line in which a P2A-CreERT2 coding sequence is fused in-frame to the C-terminus of endogenous RBPMS, allowing for the co-expression of RBPMS and CreERT2. The inducible Rbpms-CreERT2 mice exhibited a high recombination efficiency in activating the expression of the tdTomato reporter gene in nearly all adult RGCs as well as in differentiated RGCs starting at E13.5. Additionally, both heterozygous and homozygous Rbpms-CreERT2 knock-in mice showed no detectable defect in the retinal structure, visual function, and transcriptome. Together, these results demonstrated that the Rbpms-CreERT2 knock-in mouse can serve as a powerful and highly desired genetic tool for lineage tracing, genetic manipulation, retinal physiology study, and ocular disease modeling in RGCs.
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Affiliation(s)
- Luming Guo
- College of Life Sciences, Zhejiang University, Hangzhou 310058, China
- Department of Neuroscience and Regenerative Medicine, Medical College of Georgia, Augusta University, Augusta, GA 30912, USA
| | - Xiaoling Xie
- Department of Neuroscience and Regenerative Medicine, Medical College of Georgia, Augusta University, Augusta, GA 30912, USA
| | - Jing Wang
- Department of Cellular Biology and Anatomy, Medical College of Georgia, Augusta University, Augusta, GA 30912, USA
- James and Jean Culver Vision Discovery Institute, Medical College of Georgia, Augusta University, Augusta, GA 30912, USA
| | - Haiyan Xiao
- Department of Cellular Biology and Anatomy, Medical College of Georgia, Augusta University, Augusta, GA 30912, USA
- James and Jean Culver Vision Discovery Institute, Medical College of Georgia, Augusta University, Augusta, GA 30912, USA
| | - Shuchun Li
- Department of Neuroscience and Regenerative Medicine, Medical College of Georgia, Augusta University, Augusta, GA 30912, USA
| | - Mei Xu
- College of Life Sciences, Zhejiang University, Hangzhou 310058, China
- Department of Neuroscience and Regenerative Medicine, Medical College of Georgia, Augusta University, Augusta, GA 30912, USA
| | - Ebenezer Quainoo
- Department of Neuroscience and Regenerative Medicine, Medical College of Georgia, Augusta University, Augusta, GA 30912, USA
- James and Jean Culver Vision Discovery Institute, Medical College of Georgia, Augusta University, Augusta, GA 30912, USA
| | - Rithwik Koppaka
- Department of Neuroscience and Regenerative Medicine, Medical College of Georgia, Augusta University, Augusta, GA 30912, USA
| | - Jiaping Zhuo
- Department of Neuroscience and Regenerative Medicine, Medical College of Georgia, Augusta University, Augusta, GA 30912, USA
| | - Sylvia B. Smith
- Department of Cellular Biology and Anatomy, Medical College of Georgia, Augusta University, Augusta, GA 30912, USA
- James and Jean Culver Vision Discovery Institute, Medical College of Georgia, Augusta University, Augusta, GA 30912, USA
| | - Lin Gan
- Department of Neuroscience and Regenerative Medicine, Medical College of Georgia, Augusta University, Augusta, GA 30912, USA
- James and Jean Culver Vision Discovery Institute, Medical College of Georgia, Augusta University, Augusta, GA 30912, USA
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43
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Schlegel P, Yin Y, Bates AS, Dorkenwald S, Eichler K, Brooks P, Han DS, Gkantia M, Dos Santos M, Munnelly EJ, Badalamente G, Capdevila LS, Sane VA, Pleijzier MW, Tamimi IFM, Dunne CR, Salgarella I, Javier A, Fang S, Perlman E, Kazimiers T, Jagannathan SR, Matsliah A, Sterling AR, Yu SC, McKellar CE, Costa M, Seung HS, Murthy M, Hartenstein V, Bock DD, Jefferis GSXE. Whole-brain annotation and multi-connectome cell typing quantifies circuit stereotypy in Drosophila. BIORXIV : THE PREPRINT SERVER FOR BIOLOGY 2023:2023.06.27.546055. [PMID: 37425808 PMCID: PMC10327018 DOI: 10.1101/2023.06.27.546055] [Citation(s) in RCA: 20] [Impact Index Per Article: 20.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 07/11/2023]
Abstract
The fruit fly Drosophila melanogaster combines surprisingly sophisticated behaviour with a highly tractable nervous system. A large part of the fly's success as a model organism in modern neuroscience stems from the concentration of collaboratively generated molecular genetic and digital resources. As presented in our FlyWire companion paper 1 , this now includes the first full brain connectome of an adult animal. Here we report the systematic and hierarchical annotation of this ~130,000-neuron connectome including neuronal classes, cell types and developmental units (hemilineages). This enables any researcher to navigate this huge dataset and find systems and neurons of interest, linked to the literature through the Virtual Fly Brain database 2 . Crucially, this resource includes 4,552 cell types. 3,094 are rigorous consensus validations of cell types previously proposed in the hemibrain connectome 3 . In addition, we propose 1,458 new cell types, arising mostly from the fact that the FlyWire connectome spans the whole brain, whereas the hemibrain derives from a subvolume. Comparison of FlyWire and the hemibrain showed that cell type counts and strong connections were largely stable, but connection weights were surprisingly variable within and across animals. Further analysis defined simple heuristics for connectome interpretation: connections stronger than 10 unitary synapses or providing >1% of the input to a target cell are highly conserved. Some cell types showed increased variability across connectomes: the most common cell type in the mushroom body, required for learning and memory, is almost twice as numerous in FlyWire as the hemibrain. We find evidence for functional homeostasis through adjustments of the absolute amount of excitatory input while maintaining the excitation-inhibition ratio. Finally, and surprisingly, about one third of the cell types proposed in the hemibrain connectome could not yet be reliably identified in the FlyWire connectome. We therefore suggest that cell types should be defined to be robust to inter-individual variation, namely as groups of cells that are quantitatively more similar to cells in a different brain than to any other cell in the same brain. Joint analysis of the FlyWire and hemibrain connectomes demonstrates the viability and utility of this new definition. Our work defines a consensus cell type atlas for the fly brain and provides both an intellectual framework and open source toolchain for brain-scale comparative connectomics.
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44
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Dyballa L, Rudzite AM, Hoseini MS, Thapa M, Stryker MP, Field GD, Zucker SW. Population encoding of stimulus features along the visual hierarchy. BIORXIV : THE PREPRINT SERVER FOR BIOLOGY 2023:2023.06.27.545450. [PMID: 37425920 PMCID: PMC10327159 DOI: 10.1101/2023.06.27.545450] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 07/11/2023]
Abstract
The retina and primary visual cortex (V1) both exhibit diverse neural populations sensitive to diverse visual features. Yet it remains unclear how neural populations in each area partition stimulus space to span these features. One possibility is that neural populations are organized into discrete groups of neurons, with each group signaling a particular constellation of features. Alternatively, neurons could be continuously distributed across feature-encoding space. To distinguish these possibilities, we presented a battery of visual stimuli to mouse retina and V1 while measuring neural responses with multi-electrode arrays. Using machine learning approaches, we developed a manifold embedding technique that captures how neural populations partition feature space and how visual responses correlate with physiological and anatomical properties of individual neurons. We show that retinal populations discretely encode features, while V1 populations provide a more continuous representation. Applying the same analysis approach to convolutional neural networks that model visual processing, we demonstrate that they partition features much more similarly to the retina, indicating they are more like big retinas than little brains.
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Affiliation(s)
| | | | | | - Mishek Thapa
- Department of Neurobiology, Duke University
- Stein Eye Institute, Department of Ophthalmology, David Geffen School of Medicine, University of California, Los Angeles
| | - Michael P. Stryker
- Department of Physiology, University of California, San Francisco
- Kavli Institute for Fundamental Neuroscience, University of California, San Francisco
| | - Greg D. Field
- Department of Neurobiology, Duke University
- Stein Eye Institute, Department of Ophthalmology, David Geffen School of Medicine, University of California, Los Angeles
| | - Steven W. Zucker
- Department of Computer Science, Yale University
- Department of Biomedical Engineering, Yale University
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45
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Balraj A, Clarkson-Paredes C, Miller RH. Loss of optic nerve oligodendrocytes during maturation alters retinal organization. Exp Eye Res 2023:109540. [PMID: 37364629 DOI: 10.1016/j.exer.2023.109540] [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: 02/28/2023] [Revised: 06/01/2023] [Accepted: 06/12/2023] [Indexed: 06/28/2023]
Abstract
The myelin sheath facilitates signal conduction along axons in white matter tracts, and when disrupted, can result in significant functional deficits. Demyelination, observed in diseases like multiple sclerosis and optic neuritis, are associated with neural degeneration, however the extent of this damage on upstream circuitry is not well understood. Here we use the MBP-iCP9 mouse model to induce selective oligodendrocyte ablation in the optic nerve at P14 via a chemical inducer of dimerization (CID), resulting in partial demyelination of retinal ganglion cell (RGC) axons with minimal inflammation after two weeks. Oligodendrocyte loss reduced axon diameter and altered compound action potential waveforms, blocking conduction in the slowest-conducting axon populations. Demyelination resulted in disruptions to the normal composition of the retina, including reduced density of RBPMS+, Brn3a+, and OFF-transient RGCs, thinning of the IPL, and reduced density of displaced amacrine cells. The INL and ONL were unaffected by oligodendrocyte loss, suggesting that demyelination-induced deficits in this model are specific to the IPL and GCL. These results show that a partial demyelination of a subpopulation of RGC axons disrupts optic nerve function and affects the organization of the retinal network. This study highlights the significance of myelination in maintaining upstream neural connectivity and provides support for targeting neuronal degeneration in treatments of demyelinating diseases.
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Affiliation(s)
- Annika Balraj
- Department of Anatomy and Cell Biology, The George Washington University, School of Medicine and Health Sciences, Washington, D.C., USA
| | - Cheryl Clarkson-Paredes
- Department of Anatomy and Cell Biology, The George Washington University, School of Medicine and Health Sciences, Washington, D.C., USA
| | - Robert H Miller
- Department of Anatomy and Cell Biology, The George Washington University, School of Medicine and Health Sciences, Washington, D.C., USA.
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46
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Bastola T, Perkins GA, Kim KY, Choi S, Kwon JW, Shen Z, Strack S, Ju WK. Role of A-Kinase Anchoring Protein 1 in Retinal Ganglion Cells: Neurodegeneration and Neuroprotection. Cells 2023; 12:1539. [PMID: 37296658 PMCID: PMC10252895 DOI: 10.3390/cells12111539] [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: 03/25/2023] [Revised: 05/21/2023] [Accepted: 06/01/2023] [Indexed: 06/12/2023] Open
Abstract
A-Kinase anchoring protein 1 (AKAP1) is a multifunctional mitochondrial scaffold protein that regulates mitochondrial dynamics, bioenergetics, and calcium homeostasis by anchoring several proteins, including protein kinase A, to the outer mitochondrial membrane. Glaucoma is a complex, multifactorial disease characterized by a slow and progressive degeneration of the optic nerve and retinal ganglion cells (RGCs), ultimately resulting in vision loss. Impairment of the mitochondrial network and function is linked to glaucomatous neurodegeneration. Loss of AKAP1 induces dynamin-related protein 1 dephosphorylation-mediated mitochondrial fragmentation and loss of RGCs. Elevated intraocular pressure triggers a significant reduction in AKAP1 protein expression in the glaucomatous retina. Amplification of AKAP1 expression protects RGCs from oxidative stress. Hence, modulation of AKAP1 could be considered a potential therapeutic target for neuroprotective intervention in glaucoma and other mitochondria-associated optic neuropathies. This review covers the current research on the role of AKAP1 in the maintenance of mitochondrial dynamics, bioenergetics, and mitophagy in RGCs and provides a scientific basis to identify and develop new therapeutic strategies that could protect RGCs and their axons in glaucoma.
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Affiliation(s)
- Tonking Bastola
- Hamilton Glaucoma Center and Shiley Eye Institute, The Viterbi Family Department of Ophthalmology, University of California San Diego, La Jolla, CA 92093, USA; (T.B.); (S.C.); (J.-W.K.); (Z.S.)
| | - Guy A. Perkins
- National Center for Microscopy and Imaging Research, Department of Neurosciences, University of California San Diego, La Jolla, CA 92093, USA; (G.A.P.); (K.-Y.K.)
| | - Keun-Young Kim
- National Center for Microscopy and Imaging Research, Department of Neurosciences, University of California San Diego, La Jolla, CA 92093, USA; (G.A.P.); (K.-Y.K.)
| | - Seunghwan Choi
- Hamilton Glaucoma Center and Shiley Eye Institute, The Viterbi Family Department of Ophthalmology, University of California San Diego, La Jolla, CA 92093, USA; (T.B.); (S.C.); (J.-W.K.); (Z.S.)
| | - Jin-Woo Kwon
- Hamilton Glaucoma Center and Shiley Eye Institute, The Viterbi Family Department of Ophthalmology, University of California San Diego, La Jolla, CA 92093, USA; (T.B.); (S.C.); (J.-W.K.); (Z.S.)
- Department of Ophthalmology and Visual Science, College of Medicine, The Catholic University of Korea, Seoul 06591, Republic of Korea
- Department of Ophthalmology and Visual Science, St. Vincent’s Hospital, Jungbu-daero 93, Paldal-gu, Suwon 16247, Republic of Korea
| | - Ziyao Shen
- Hamilton Glaucoma Center and Shiley Eye Institute, The Viterbi Family Department of Ophthalmology, University of California San Diego, La Jolla, CA 92093, USA; (T.B.); (S.C.); (J.-W.K.); (Z.S.)
| | - Stefan Strack
- Department of Pharmacology, Iowa Neuroscience Institute, University of Iowa, Iowa City, IA 52242, USA;
| | - Won-Kyu Ju
- Hamilton Glaucoma Center and Shiley Eye Institute, The Viterbi Family Department of Ophthalmology, University of California San Diego, La Jolla, CA 92093, USA; (T.B.); (S.C.); (J.-W.K.); (Z.S.)
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47
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El-Danaf RN, Rajesh R, Desplan C. Temporal regulation of neural diversity in Drosophila and vertebrates. Semin Cell Dev Biol 2023; 142:13-22. [PMID: 35623984 DOI: 10.1016/j.semcdb.2022.05.011] [Citation(s) in RCA: 9] [Impact Index Per Article: 9.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 02/19/2022] [Revised: 05/11/2022] [Accepted: 05/16/2022] [Indexed: 10/18/2022]
Abstract
The generation of neuronal diversity involves temporal patterning mechanisms by which a given progenitor sequentially produces multiple cell types. Several parallels are evident between the brain development programs of Drosophila and vertebrates, such as the successive emergence of specific cell types and the use of combinations of transcription factors to specify cell fates. Furthermore, cell-extrinsic cues such as hormones and signaling pathways have also been shown to be regulatory modules of temporal patterning. Recently, transcriptomic and epigenomic studies using large single-cell sequencing datasets have provided insights into the transcriptional dynamics of neurogenesis in the Drosophila and mammalian central nervous systems. We review these commonalities in the specification of neuronal identity and highlight the conserved or convergent strategies of brain development by discussing temporal patterning mechanisms found in flies and vertebrates.
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Affiliation(s)
- Rana N El-Danaf
- Center for Genomics and Systems Biology (CGSB), New York University Abu Dhabi, Abu Dhabi, United Arab Emirates.
| | - Raghuvanshi Rajesh
- Center for Genomics and Systems Biology (CGSB), New York University Abu Dhabi, Abu Dhabi, United Arab Emirates
| | - Claude Desplan
- Center for Genomics and Systems Biology (CGSB), New York University Abu Dhabi, Abu Dhabi, United Arab Emirates; Department of Biology, New York University, New York, NY 10003, USA.
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48
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Sharif NA. Recently Approved Drugs for Lowering and Controlling Intraocular Pressure to Reduce Vision Loss in Ocular Hypertensive and Glaucoma Patients. Pharmaceuticals (Basel) 2023; 16:791. [PMID: 37375739 DOI: 10.3390/ph16060791] [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: 04/22/2023] [Revised: 05/17/2023] [Accepted: 05/19/2023] [Indexed: 06/29/2023] Open
Abstract
Serious vision loss occurs in patients affected by chronically raised intraocular pressure (IOP), a characteristic of many forms of glaucoma where damage to the optic nerve components causes progressive degeneration of retinal and brain neurons involved in visual perception. While many risk factors abound and have been validated for this glaucomatous optic neuropathy (GON), the major one is ocular hypertension (OHT), which results from the accumulation of excess aqueous humor (AQH) fluid in the anterior chamber of the eye. Millions around the world suffer from this asymptomatic and progressive degenerative eye disease. Since clinical evidence has revealed a strong correlation between the reduction in elevated IOP/OHT and GON progression, many drugs, devices, and surgical techniques have been developed to lower and control IOP. The constant quest for new pharmaceuticals and other modalities with superior therapeutic indices has recently yielded health authority-approved novel drugs with unique pharmacological signatures and mechanism(s) of action and AQH drainage microdevices for effectively and durably treating OHT. A unique nitric oxide-donating conjugate of latanoprost, an FP-receptor prostaglandin (PG; latanoprostene bunod), new rho kinase inhibitors (ripasudil; netarsudil), a novel non-PG EP2-receptor-selective agonist (omidenepag isopropyl), and a form of FP-receptor PG in a slow-release intracameral implant (Durysta) represent the additions to the pharmaceutical toolchest to mitigate the ravages of OHT. Despite these advances, early diagnosis of OHT and glaucoma still lags behind and would benefit from further concerted effort and attention.
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Affiliation(s)
- Najam A Sharif
- Eye-APC Duke-NUS Medical School, Singapore 169856, Singapore
- Singapore Eye Research Institute, Singapore 169856, Singapore
- Department of Pharmacology and Neuroscience, University of North Texas Health Sciences Center, Fort Worth, TX 76107, USA
- Department of Pharmacy Sciences, Creighton University, Omaha, NE 68178, USA
- Department of Pharmaceutical Sciences, College of Pharmacy and Health Sciences, Texas Southern University, Houston, TX 77004, USA
- Imperial College of Science and Technology, St. Mary's Campus, London SW7 2BX, UK
- Institute of Ophthalmology, University College London, London WC1E 6BT, UK
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49
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Hahn J, Monavarfeshani A, Qiao M, Kao A, Kölsch Y, Kumar A, Kunze VP, Rasys AM, Richardson R, Baier H, Lucas RJ, Li W, Meister M, Trachtenberg JT, Yan W, Peng YR, Sanes JR, Shekhar K. Evolution of neuronal cell classes and types in the vertebrate retina. BIORXIV : THE PREPRINT SERVER FOR BIOLOGY 2023:2023.04.07.536039. [PMID: 37066415 PMCID: PMC10104162 DOI: 10.1101/2023.04.07.536039] [Citation(s) in RCA: 8] [Impact Index Per Article: 8.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 04/18/2023]
Abstract
The basic plan of the retina is conserved across vertebrates, yet species differ profoundly in their visual needs (Baden et al., 2020). One might expect that retinal cell types evolved to accommodate these varied needs, but this has not been systematically studied. Here, we generated and integrated single-cell transcriptomic atlases of the retina from 17 species: humans, two non-human primates, four rodents, three ungulates, opossum, ferret, tree shrew, a teleost fish, a bird, a reptile and a lamprey. Molecular conservation of the six retinal cell classes (photoreceptors, horizontal cells, bipolar cells, amacrine cells, retinal ganglion cells [RGCs] and Muller glia) is striking, with transcriptomic differences across species correlated with evolutionary distance. Major subclasses are also conserved, whereas variation among types within classes or subclasses is more pronounced. However, an integrative analysis revealed that numerous types are shared across species based on conserved gene expression programs that likely trace back to the common ancestor of jawed vertebrates. The degree of variation among types increases from the outer retina (photoreceptors) to the inner retina (RGCs), suggesting that evolution acts preferentially to shape the retinal output. Finally, we identified mammalian orthologs of midget RGCs, which comprise >80% of RGCs in the human retina, subserve high-acuity vision, and were believed to be primate-specific (Berson, 2008); in contrast, the mouse orthologs comprise <2% of mouse RGCs. Projections both primate and mouse orthologous types are overrepresented in the thalamus, which supplies the primary visual cortex. We suggest that midget RGCs are not primate innovations, but descendants of evolutionarily ancient types that decreased in size and increased in number as primates evolved, thereby facilitating high visual acuity and increased cortical processing of visual information.
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Affiliation(s)
- Joshua Hahn
- Department of Chemical and Biomolecular Engineering, University of California, Berkeley, Berkeley, CA 94720, USA
| | - Aboozar Monavarfeshani
- Department of Cellular and Molecular Biology, Center for Brain Science, Harvard University, MA 02138, USA
| | - Mu Qiao
- Division of Biology and Biological Engineering, California Institute of Technology, Pasadena, CA 91125, USA
| | - Allison Kao
- Department of Cellular and Molecular Biology, Center for Brain Science, Harvard University, MA 02138, USA
| | - Yvonne Kölsch
- Max Planck Institute for Biological Intelligence, Am Klopferspitz 18, 82152 Martinsried, Germany
| | - Ayush Kumar
- Department of Chemical and Biomolecular Engineering, University of California, Berkeley, Berkeley, CA 94720, USA
| | - Vincent P Kunze
- Retinal Neurophysiology Section, National Eye Institute, National Institutes of Health, Bethesda, MD 20892, USA
| | - Ashley M. Rasys
- Department of Cellular Biology, University of Georgia, Athens, GA 30602
| | - Rose Richardson
- Division of Neuroscience and Centre for Biological Timing, Faculty of Biology Medicine & Health, University of Manchester, Upper Brook Street, Manchester M13 9PT, UK
| | - Herwig Baier
- Max Planck Institute for Biological Intelligence, Am Klopferspitz 18, 82152 Martinsried, Germany
| | - Robert J. Lucas
- Division of Neuroscience and Centre for Biological Timing, Faculty of Biology Medicine & Health, University of Manchester, Upper Brook Street, Manchester M13 9PT, UK
| | - Wei Li
- Retinal Neurophysiology Section, National Eye Institute, National Institutes of Health, Bethesda, MD 20892, USA
| | - Markus Meister
- Division of Biology and Biological Engineering, California Institute of Technology, Pasadena, CA 91125, USA
| | - Joshua T. Trachtenberg
- Department of Neurobiology, David Geffen School of Medicine at UCLA, Los Angeles, CA 90095, USA
| | - Wenjun Yan
- Department of Cellular and Molecular Biology, Center for Brain Science, Harvard University, MA 02138, USA
| | - Yi-Rong Peng
- Department of Ophthalmology, Stein Eye Institute, UCLA David Geffen School of Medicine, Los Angeles, CA 90095 United States
| | - Joshua R. Sanes
- Department of Cellular and Molecular Biology, Center for Brain Science, Harvard University, MA 02138, USA
| | - Karthik Shekhar
- Department of Chemical and Biomolecular Engineering, University of California, Berkeley, Berkeley, CA 94720, USA
- Helen Wills Neuroscience Institute, Vision Science Graduate Group, Center for Computational Biology, Biophysics Graduate Group, California Institute of Quantitative Biosciences (QB3), University of California, Berkeley, Berkeley CA 94720, USA
- Faculty Scientist, Biological Systems and Engineering Division, Lawrence Berkeley National Laboratory, Berkeley, CA 94720, USA
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50
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Shin D, Peelman K, Lien AD, Del Rosario J, Haider B. Narrowband gamma oscillations propagate and synchronize throughout the mouse thalamocortical visual system. Neuron 2023; 111:1076-1085.e8. [PMID: 37023711 PMCID: PMC10112544 DOI: 10.1016/j.neuron.2023.03.006] [Citation(s) in RCA: 8] [Impact Index Per Article: 8.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 05/02/2022] [Revised: 12/16/2022] [Accepted: 03/06/2023] [Indexed: 04/08/2023]
Abstract
Oscillations of neural activity permeate sensory systems. In the visual system, broadband gamma oscillations (30-80 Hz) are thought to act as a communication mechanism underlying perception. However, these oscillations show widely varying frequency and phase, providing constraints for coordinating spike timing across areas. Here, we examined Allen Brain Observatory data and performed causal experiments to show that narrowband gamma (NBG) oscillations (50-70 Hz) propagate and synchronize throughout the awake mouse visual system. Lateral geniculate nucleus (LGN) neurons fired precisely relative to NBG phase in primary visual cortex (V1) and multiple higher visual areas (HVAs). NBG neurons across areas showed a higher likelihood of functional connectivity and stronger visual responses; remarkably, NBG neurons in LGN, preferring bright (ON) versus dark (OFF), fired at distinct NBG phases aligned across the cortical hierarchy. NBG oscillations may thus serve to coordinate spike timing across brain areas and facilitate communication of distinct visual features during perception.
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Affiliation(s)
- Donghoon Shin
- Biomedical Engineering, Georgia Institute of Technology & Emory University, Atlanta, GA, USA; Electrical and Computer Engineering, Georgia Institute of Technology & Emory University, Atlanta, GA, USA; Bioengineering, UCSF - UC Berkeley Joint PhD Program, San Francisco, CA, USA
| | - Kayla Peelman
- Biomedical Engineering, Georgia Institute of Technology & Emory University, Atlanta, GA, USA
| | - Anthony D Lien
- Biomedical Engineering, Georgia Institute of Technology & Emory University, Atlanta, GA, USA
| | - Joseph Del Rosario
- Biomedical Engineering, Georgia Institute of Technology & Emory University, Atlanta, GA, USA
| | - Bilal Haider
- Biomedical Engineering, Georgia Institute of Technology & Emory University, Atlanta, GA, USA.
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