1
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Rath MF. Homeobox gene-encoded transcription factors in development and mature circadian function of the rodent pineal gland. J Pineal Res 2024; 76:e12950. [PMID: 38558122 DOI: 10.1111/jpi.12950] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Submit a Manuscript] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 10/03/2023] [Revised: 02/15/2024] [Accepted: 03/11/2024] [Indexed: 04/04/2024]
Abstract
Homeobox genes encode transcription factors that are widely known to control developmental processes. This is also the case in the pineal gland, a neuroendocrine brain structure devoted to nighttime synthesis of the hormone melatonin. Thus, in accordance with high prenatal gene expression, knockout studies have identified a specific set of homeobox genes that are essential for development of the pineal gland. However, as a special feature of the pineal gland, homeobox gene expression persists into adulthood, and gene product abundance exhibits 24 h circadian rhythms. Recent lines of evidence show that some homeobox genes even control expression of enzymes catalyzing melatonin synthesis. We here review current knowledge of homeobox genes in the rodent pineal gland and suggest a model for dual functions of homeobox gene-encoded transcription factors in developmental and circadian mature neuroendocrine function.
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Affiliation(s)
- Martin F Rath
- Department of Neuroscience, Faculty of Health and Medical Sciences, University of Copenhagen, Copenhagen, Denmark
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2
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Zheng J, Song W, Zhou Y, Li X, Wang M, Zhang C. Cross-species single-cell landscape of vertebrate pineal gland. J Pineal Res 2024; 76:e12927. [PMID: 38018267 DOI: 10.1111/jpi.12927] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Submit a Manuscript] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 05/16/2023] [Revised: 11/04/2023] [Accepted: 11/15/2023] [Indexed: 11/30/2023]
Abstract
The pineal gland has evolved from a photoreceptive organ in fish to a neuroendocrine organ in mammals. This study integrated multiple daytime single-cell RNA-seq datasets from the pineal glands of zebrafish, rats, and monkeys, providing a detailed examination of the evolutionary transition at single-cell resolution. We identified key factors responsible for the anatomical and functional transformation of the pineal gland. We retrieved and integrated daytime single-cell transcriptomic datasets from the pineal glands of zebrafish, rats, and monkeys, resulting in a total of 22 431 cells after rigorous quality filtering. Comparative analysis was then conducted to elucidate the evolution of pineal cells, their photosensitivity, their role in melatonin production, and the signaling processes within the glands of these species. Our analysis identified distinct cellular compositions of the pineal gland in zebrafish, rats, and monkeys. Zebrafish photoreceptors exhibited comprehensive phototransduction gene expression, while specific genes, including transducin (Gngt1, Gnb3, and Gngt2) and phosducin (Pdc), were consistently present in mammalian pinealocytes. We found transcriptional similarities between the pineal gland and retina, underscoring shared evolutionary and functional pathways. Zebrafish displayed unique light-responsive circadian gene activity compared to rats and monkeys. Key ligand-receptor interactions were identified, especially involving MDK and PTN, influencing melatonin synthesis across species. Furthermore, we observed species-specific GPCR (G protein-coupled receptors) expressions related to melatonin synthesis and their alignment with retinal expressions. Our findings also highlighted specific transcription factors (TFs) and regulatory networks associated with pineal gland evolution and function. Our study provides a detailed analysis of the pineal gland's evolution from fish to mammals. We identified key transcriptional changes and controls that highlight the gland's functional diversity. Notably, we found significant ligand-receptor interactions influencing melatonin synthesis and demonstrated parallels between pineal and retinal expressions. These insights enhance our understanding of the pineal gland's role in phototransduction, melatonin production, and circadian rhythms in vertebrates.
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Affiliation(s)
- Jihong Zheng
- Fundamental Research Center, Shanghai Yangzhi Rehabilitation Hospital (Shanghai Sunshine Rehabilitation Center), School of Life Sciences and Technology, Tongji University, Shanghai, China
| | - Wenqi Song
- Fundamental Research Center, Shanghai Yangzhi Rehabilitation Hospital (Shanghai Sunshine Rehabilitation Center), School of Life Sciences and Technology, Tongji University, Shanghai, China
| | - Yihang Zhou
- Fundamental Research Center, Shanghai Yangzhi Rehabilitation Hospital (Shanghai Sunshine Rehabilitation Center), School of Life Sciences and Technology, Tongji University, Shanghai, China
| | - Xuan Li
- Fundamental Research Center, Shanghai Yangzhi Rehabilitation Hospital (Shanghai Sunshine Rehabilitation Center), School of Life Sciences and Technology, Tongji University, Shanghai, China
| | - Meng Wang
- Songjiang Research Institute, Songjiang District Central Hospital, Shanghai Jiao Tong University School of Medicine, Shanghai, China
| | - Chao Zhang
- Fundamental Research Center, Shanghai Yangzhi Rehabilitation Hospital (Shanghai Sunshine Rehabilitation Center), School of Life Sciences and Technology, Tongji University, Shanghai, China
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3
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Kiral FR, Choe M, Park IH. Diencephalic organoids - A key to unraveling development, connectivity, and pathology of the human diencephalon. Front Cell Neurosci 2023; 17:1308479. [PMID: 38130869 PMCID: PMC10733522 DOI: 10.3389/fncel.2023.1308479] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 10/06/2023] [Accepted: 11/20/2023] [Indexed: 12/23/2023] Open
Abstract
The diencephalon, an integral component of the forebrain, governs a spectrum of crucial functions, ranging from sensory processing to emotional regulation. Yet, unraveling its unique development, intricate connectivity, and its role in neurodevelopmental disorders has long been hampered by the scarcity of human brain tissue and ethical constraints. Recent advancements in stem cell technology, particularly the emergence of brain organoids, have heralded a new era in neuroscience research. Although most brain organoid methodologies have hitherto concentrated on directing stem cells toward telencephalic fates, novel techniques now permit the generation of region-specific brain organoids that faithfully replicate precise diencephalic identities. These models mirror the complexity of the human diencephalon, providing unprecedented opportunities for investigating diencephalic development, functionality, connectivity, and pathophysiology in vitro. This review summarizes the development, function, and connectivity of diencephalic structures and touches upon developmental brain disorders linked to diencephalic abnormalities. Furthermore, it presents current diencephalic organoid models and their applications in unraveling the intricacies of diencephalic development, function, and pathology in humans. Lastly, it highlights thalamocortical assembloid models, adept at capturing human-specific aspects of thalamocortical connections, along with their relevance in neurodevelopmental disorders.
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Affiliation(s)
| | | | - In-Hyun Park
- Interdepartmental Neuroscience Program, Department of Genetics, Yale Stem Cell Center, Yale Child Study Center, Wu Tsai Institute, Yale School of Medicine, New Haven, CT, United States
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Pluta R, Furmaga-Jabłońska W, Januszewski S, Tarkowska A. Melatonin: A Potential Candidate for the Treatment of Experimental and Clinical Perinatal Asphyxia. Molecules 2023; 28:molecules28031105. [PMID: 36770769 PMCID: PMC9919754 DOI: 10.3390/molecules28031105] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 12/17/2022] [Revised: 01/11/2023] [Accepted: 01/18/2023] [Indexed: 01/24/2023] Open
Abstract
Perinatal asphyxia is considered to be one of the major causes of brain neurodegeneration in full-term newborns. The worst consequence of perinatal asphyxia is neurodegenerative brain damage, also known as hypoxic-ischemic encephalopathy. Hypoxic-ischemic encephalopathy is the leading cause of mortality in term newborns. To date, due to the complex mechanisms of brain damage, no effective or causal treatment has been developed that would ensure complete neuroprotection. Although hypothermia is the standard of care for hypoxic-ischemic encephalopathy, it does not affect all changes associated with encephalopathy. Therefore, there is a need to develop effective treatment strategies, namely research into new agents and therapies. In recent years, it has been pointed out that natural compounds with neuroprotective properties, such as melatonin, can be used in the treatment of hypoxic-ischemic encephalopathy. This natural substance with anti-inflammatory, antioxidant, anti-apoptotic and neurofunctional properties has been shown to have pleiotropic prophylactic or therapeutic effects, mainly against experimental brain neurodegeneration in hypoxic-ischemic neonates. Melatonin is a natural neuroprotective hormone, which makes it promising for the treatment of neurodegeneration after asphyxia. It is supposed that melatonin alone or in combination with hypothermia may improve neurological outcomes in infants with hypoxic-ischemic encephalopathy. Melatonin has been shown to be effective in the last 20 years of research, mainly in animals with perinatal asphyxia but, so far, no clinical trials have been performed on a sufficient number of newborns. In this review, we summarize the advantages and limitations of melatonin research in the treatment of experimental and clinical perinatal asphyxia.
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Affiliation(s)
- Ryszard Pluta
- Ecotech-Complex Analytical and Programme Centre for Advanced Environmentally-Friendly Technologies, Marie Curie-Skłodowska University in Lublin, 20-612 Lublin, Poland
- Correspondence: or
| | - Wanda Furmaga-Jabłońska
- Department of Neonate and Infant Pathology, Medical University of Lublin, 20-093 Lublin, Poland
| | - Sławomir Januszewski
- Laboratory of Ischemic and Neurodegenerative Brain Research, Mossakowski Medical Research Institute, Polish Academy of Sciences, 02-106 Warsaw, Poland
| | - Agata Tarkowska
- Department of Neonate and Infant Pathology, Medical University of Lublin, 20-093 Lublin, Poland
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Dekens MPS, Fontinha BM, Gallach M, Pflügler S, Tessmar‐Raible K. Melanopsin elevates locomotor activity during the wake state of the diurnal zebrafish. EMBO Rep 2022; 23:e51528. [PMID: 35233929 PMCID: PMC9066073 DOI: 10.15252/embr.202051528] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 08/16/2020] [Revised: 01/24/2022] [Accepted: 02/04/2022] [Indexed: 11/28/2022] Open
Abstract
Mammalian and fish pineals play a key role in adapting behaviour to the ambient light conditions through the release of melatonin. In mice, light inhibits nocturnal locomotor activity via the non‐visual photoreceptor Melanopsin. In contrast to the extensively studied function of Melanopsin in the indirect regulation of the rodent pineal, its role in the intrinsically photosensitive zebrafish pineal has not been elucidated. Therefore, it is not evident if the light signalling mechanism is conserved between distant vertebrates, and how Melanopsin could affect diurnal behaviour. A double knockout of melanopsins (opn4.1‐opn4xb) was generated in the diurnal zebrafish, which manifests attenuated locomotor activity during the wake state. Transcriptome sequencing gave insight into pathways downstream of Melanopsin, implying that sustained repression of the melatonin pathway is required to elevate locomotor activity during the diurnal wake state. Moreover, we show that light induces locomotor activity during the diurnal wake state in an intensity‐dependent manner. These observations suggest a common Melanopsin‐driven mechanism between zebrafish and mammals, while the diurnal and nocturnal chronotypes are inversely regulated downstream of melatonin.
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Affiliation(s)
- Marcus P S Dekens
- Max Perutz Laboratory Centre for Molecular Biology University of Vienna and Medical University of Vienna Vienna Austria
| | - Bruno M Fontinha
- Max Perutz Laboratory Centre for Molecular Biology University of Vienna and Medical University of Vienna Vienna Austria
| | - Miguel Gallach
- Max Perutz Laboratory Centre for Molecular Biology University of Vienna and Medical University of Vienna Vienna Austria
- Max Perutz Laboratory Centre for Integrative Bioinformatics University of Vienna and Medical University of Vienna Vienna Austria
| | - Sandra Pflügler
- Max Perutz Laboratory Centre for Molecular Biology University of Vienna and Medical University of Vienna Vienna Austria
| | - Kristin Tessmar‐Raible
- Max Perutz Laboratory Centre for Molecular Biology University of Vienna and Medical University of Vienna Vienna Austria
- Research Platform “Marine Rhythms of Life” University of Vienna Vienna Austria
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Zheng Y, Wang HQ, Guo HX, Xie HL, Zhang WD, Han DX, Jiang H, Yuan B, Zhang JB. CircRNA-WNK2 Acts as a ceRNA for miR-328a-3p to Promote AANAT Expression in the Male Rat Pineal Gland. Endocrinology 2022; 163:6464229. [PMID: 34918065 DOI: 10.1210/endocr/bqab255] [Citation(s) in RCA: 4] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Submit a Manuscript] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 06/21/2021] [Indexed: 11/19/2022]
Abstract
Noncoding RNAs (ncRNAs), including microRNAs (miRNAs) and circular RNAs (circRNAs), which are expressed with a daily rhythm in the rat pineal gland, are associated with the regulation of melatonin secretion and other biological functions. However, the mechanisms of these molecules in the rat pineal gland are not yet fully understood. In this study, we found that circR-WNK2 was highly expressed at night, which may be involved in the regulation of melatonin secretion through the competitive endogenous RNA (ceRNA) mechanism. By dual luciferase reporter, RNA pull-down, and fluorescence in situ hybridization (FISH) assays, we found that miR-328a-3p can target circR-WNK2 and the Aa-nat mRNA 3'UTR. Transfection experiments indicated that circR-WNK2 could competitively bind to miR-328a-3p, reduce miR-328a-3p expression, and promote Aa-nat gene expression and melatonin secretion. And by constructing a superior cervical ganglionectomy (SCGx) rat model, we found that ncRNAs expression in the pineal gland was regulated by signals from the suprachiasmatic nucleus. This finding supports the hypothesis that these noncoding RNAs may interact to shape the circadian rhythm through transcriptional processing in melatonin synthesis.
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Affiliation(s)
- Yi Zheng
- Department of Laboratory Animals, Jilin Provincial Key Laboratory of Animal Model, Jilin University, Changchun 130062, Jilin, P.R. China
| | - Hao-Qi Wang
- Department of Laboratory Animals, Jilin Provincial Key Laboratory of Animal Model, Jilin University, Changchun 130062, Jilin, P.R. China
| | - Hai-Xiang Guo
- Department of Laboratory Animals, Jilin Provincial Key Laboratory of Animal Model, Jilin University, Changchun 130062, Jilin, P.R. China
| | - Heng-Li Xie
- Department of Laboratory Animals, Jilin Provincial Key Laboratory of Animal Model, Jilin University, Changchun 130062, Jilin, P.R. China
| | - Wei-Di Zhang
- Department of Laboratory Animals, Jilin Provincial Key Laboratory of Animal Model, Jilin University, Changchun 130062, Jilin, P.R. China
| | - Dong-Xu Han
- Department of Laboratory Animals, Jilin Provincial Key Laboratory of Animal Model, Jilin University, Changchun 130062, Jilin, P.R. China
| | - Hao Jiang
- Department of Laboratory Animals, Jilin Provincial Key Laboratory of Animal Model, Jilin University, Changchun 130062, Jilin, P.R. China
| | - Bao Yuan
- Department of Laboratory Animals, Jilin Provincial Key Laboratory of Animal Model, Jilin University, Changchun 130062, Jilin, P.R. China
| | - Jia-Bao Zhang
- Department of Laboratory Animals, Jilin Provincial Key Laboratory of Animal Model, Jilin University, Changchun 130062, Jilin, P.R. China
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Hertz H, Blancas-Velazquez AS, Rath MF. The role of homeobox gene-encoded transcription factors in regulation of phototransduction: Implementing the primary pinealocyte culture as a photoreceptor model. J Pineal Res 2021; 71:e12753. [PMID: 34129741 DOI: 10.1111/jpi.12753] [Citation(s) in RCA: 4] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Submit a Manuscript] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 03/04/2021] [Revised: 06/14/2021] [Accepted: 06/14/2021] [Indexed: 10/21/2022]
Abstract
Homeobox genes encode transcription factors controlling development; however, a number of homeobox genes are expressed postnatally specifically in melatonin-producing pinealocytes of the pineal gland and photoreceptors of the retina along with transcripts devoted to melatonin synthesis and phototransduction. Homeobox genes regulate melatonin synthesis in pinealocytes, but some homeobox genes also seem to be involved in regulation of retinal phototransduction. Due to the lack of photoreceptor models, we here introduce the rat pinealocyte culture as an in vitro model for studying retinal phototransduction. Systematic qPCR analyses were performed on the rat retina and pineal gland in 24 hour in vivo series and on primary cultures of rat pinealocytes: All homeobox genes and melatonin synthesis components, as well as nine out of ten phototransduction genes, were readily detectable in all three experimental settings, confirming molecular similarity between cultured pinealocytes and in vivo retinal tissue. 24 hours circadian expression was mostly confined to transcripts in the pineal gland, including a novel rhythm in arrestin (Sag). Individual knockdown of the homeobox genes orthodenticle homeobox 2 (Otx2), cone-rod homeobox (Crx) and LIM homeobox 4 (Lhx4) in pinealocyte culture using siRNA resulted in specific downregulation of transcripts representing all levels of phototransduction; thus, all phototransduction genes studied in culture were affected by one or several siRNA treatments. Histological colocalization of homeobox and phototransduction transcripts in the rat retinal photoreceptor was confirmed by RNAscope in situ hybridization, thus suggesting that homeobox gene-encoded transcription factors control postnatal expression of phototransduction genes in the retinal photoreceptor.
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Affiliation(s)
- Henrik Hertz
- Department of Neuroscience, Faculty of Health and Medical Sciences, University of Copenhagen, Copenhagen, Denmark
| | | | - Martin Fredensborg Rath
- Department of Neuroscience, Faculty of Health and Medical Sciences, University of Copenhagen, Copenhagen, Denmark
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8
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Munmun F, Witt-Enderby PA. Melatonin effects on bone: Implications for use as a therapy for managing bone loss. J Pineal Res 2021; 71:e12749. [PMID: 34085304 DOI: 10.1111/jpi.12749] [Citation(s) in RCA: 32] [Impact Index Per Article: 10.7] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Submit a Manuscript] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 03/21/2021] [Revised: 05/22/2021] [Accepted: 05/31/2021] [Indexed: 02/06/2023]
Abstract
Melatonin is the primary circadian output signal from the brain and is mainly synthesized in pinealocytes. The rhythm and secretion of melatonin are under the control of an endogenous oscillator located in the SCN or the master biological clock. Disruptions in circadian rhythms by shift work, aging, or light at night are associated with bone loss and increased fracture risk. Restoration of nocturnal melatonin peaks to normal levels or therapeutic levels through timed melatonin supplementation has been demonstrated to provide bone-protective actions in various models. Melatonin is a unique molecule with diverse molecular actions targeting melatonin receptors located on the plasma membrane or mitochondria or acting independently of receptors through its actions as an antioxidant or free radical scavenger to stimulate osteoblastogenesis, inhibit osteoclastogenesis, and improve bone density. Its additional actions on entraining circadian rhythms and improving quality of life in an aging population coupled with its safety profile make it an ideal therapeutic candidate for protecting against bone loss in susceptible populations. The intent of this review is to provide a focused discussion on bone loss and disorders of the bone as it relates to melatonin and conditions that modify melatonin levels with the hope that future therapies include those that include melatonin and correct those factors that modify melatonin levels like circadian disruption.
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Affiliation(s)
- Fahima Munmun
- Division of Pharmaceutical Sciences, Duquesne University School of Pharmacy, Pittsburgh, PA, USA
| | - Paula A Witt-Enderby
- Division of Pharmaceutical Sciences, Duquesne University School of Pharmacy, Pittsburgh, PA, USA
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Moskaleva PV, Shnayder NA, Nasyrova RF. [Association of polymorphic variants of DDC (AADC), AANAT and ASMT genes encoding enzymes for melatonin synthesis with the higher risk of neuropsychiatric disorders]. Zh Nevrol Psikhiatr Im S S Korsakova 2021; 121:151-157. [PMID: 34184492 DOI: 10.17116/jnevro2021121041151] [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: 11/18/2022]
Abstract
Melatonin is the most well-known regulator of the circadian rhythms of all living organisms and the main substrate synthesized at night. There are 4 stages in the synthesis of melatonin. This review focuses on the 2nd, 3rd, and 4th stages. The review is aimed at analyzing publications on molecular genetic association studies on the role of single nucleotide polymorphisms (SNPs) of the DDC (AADC), AANAT and ASMT genes encoding melatonin synthesis enzymes in the pathogenesis of socially significant neuropsychiatric disorders in humans. The authors analyzed the available full-text articles from several databases, as well as materials from electronic resources. Search depth was 15 years. The analysis of these studies over the past decade show the association of some SNPs of the studied genes with the risk of neuropsychiatric disorders such as delayed sleep phase disorder, attention deficit hyperactivity disorder, autism spectrum disorder, migraine, Parkinson's disease, depression, anxiety, bipolar-affective disorder, schizophrenia.
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Affiliation(s)
- P V Moskaleva
- Bekhterev National Medical Research Center for Psychiatry and Neurology, St. Petersburg, Russia
| | - N A Shnayder
- Bekhterev National Medical Research Center for Psychiatry and Neurology, St. Petersburg, Russia
| | - R F Nasyrova
- Bekhterev National Medical Research Center for Psychiatry and Neurology, St. Petersburg, Russia
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10
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Chang E, Fu C, Coon SL, Alon S, Bozinoski M, Breymaier M, Bustos DM, Clokie SJ, Gothilf Y, Esnault C, Michael Iuvone P, Mason CE, Ochocinska MJ, Tovin A, Wang C, Xu P, Zhu J, Dale R, Klein DC. Resource: A multi-species multi-timepoint transcriptome database and webpage for the pineal gland and retina. J Pineal Res 2020; 69:e12673. [PMID: 32533862 PMCID: PMC7513311 DOI: 10.1111/jpi.12673] [Citation(s) in RCA: 6] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Submit a Manuscript] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 04/09/2020] [Revised: 06/04/2020] [Accepted: 06/05/2020] [Indexed: 01/12/2023]
Abstract
The website and database https://snengs.nichd.nih.gov provides RNA sequencing data from multi-species analysis of the pineal glands from zebrafish (Danio rerio), chicken (White Leghorn), rat (Rattus novegicus), mouse (Mus musculus), rhesus macaque (Macaca mulatta), and human (Homo sapiens); in most cases, retinal data are also included along with results of the analysis of a mixture of RNA from tissues. Studies cover day and night conditions; in addition, a time series over multiple hours, a developmental time series and pharmacological experiments on rats are included. The data have been uniformly re-processed using the latest methods and assemblies to allow for comparisons between experiments and to reduce processing differences. The website presents search functionality, graphical representations, Excel tables, and track hubs of all data for detailed visualization in the UCSC Genome Browser. As more data are collected from investigators and improved genomes become available in the future, the website will be updated. This database is in the public domain and elements can be reproduced by citing the URL and this report. This effort makes the results of 21st century transcriptome profiling widely available in a user-friendly format that is expected to broadly influence pineal research.
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Affiliation(s)
- Eric Chang
- Bioinformatics and Scientific Programming CoreEunice Kennedy Shriver National Institute of Child Health and Human DevelopmentNational Institutes of HealthBethesdaMDUSA
| | - Cong Fu
- Section on NeuroendocrinologyProgram in Developmental Endocrinology and GeneticsEunice Shriver Kennedy National Institute of Child Health and Human DevelopmentNational Institutes of HealthBethesdaMDUSA
- Key Laboratory of Organ Regeneration & Transplantation of the Ministry of EducationThe First Hospital of Jilin UniversityChangchunChina
- Laboratory of Theoretical and Computational ChemistryInstitute of Theoretical ChemistryJilin UniversityChangchunChina
- National‐Local Joint Engineering Laboratory of Animal Models for Human DiseasesChangchunChina
| | - Steven L. Coon
- Section on NeuroendocrinologyProgram in Developmental Endocrinology and GeneticsEunice Shriver Kennedy National Institute of Child Health and Human DevelopmentNational Institutes of HealthBethesdaMDUSA
- Molecular Genomics CoreOffice of the Scientific DirectorEunice Kennedy Shriver National Institute of Child Health and Human DevelopmentNational Institutes of HealthBethesdaMDUSA
| | - Shahar Alon
- Department of NeurobiologyThe George S. Wise Faculty of Life Sciences, and Sagol School of NeuroscienceTel‐Aviv UniversityTel AvivIsrael
- Present address:
The Alexander Kofkin Faculty of EngineeringBar‐Ilan UniversityRamat‐GanIsrael
| | - Marjan Bozinoski
- Department of Physiology and Biophysics and the Institute for Computational BiomedicineWeill Cornell Medical CollegeNew YorkNYUSA
| | - Matthew Breymaier
- Computer Support Services CoreEunice Shriver Kennedy National Institute of Child Health and Human DevelopmentNational Institutes of HealthBethesdaMDUSA
| | - Diego M. Bustos
- Section on NeuroendocrinologyProgram in Developmental Endocrinology and GeneticsEunice Shriver Kennedy National Institute of Child Health and Human DevelopmentNational Institutes of HealthBethesdaMDUSA
- Present address:
Instituto de Histología y Embriología de MendozaConsejo Nacional de Investigaciones Científicas y TécnicasMendozaArgentina
| | - Samuel J. Clokie
- Section on NeuroendocrinologyProgram in Developmental Endocrinology and GeneticsEunice Shriver Kennedy National Institute of Child Health and Human DevelopmentNational Institutes of HealthBethesdaMDUSA
- Present address:
West Midlands Regional Genetics LaboratoriesBirmingham, Women’s and Children’s NHS Foundation TrustBirminghamUK
| | - Yoav Gothilf
- Department of NeurobiologyThe George S. Wise Faculty of Life Sciences, and Sagol School of NeuroscienceTel‐Aviv UniversityTel AvivIsrael
| | - Caroline Esnault
- Bioinformatics and Scientific Programming CoreEunice Kennedy Shriver National Institute of Child Health and Human DevelopmentNational Institutes of HealthBethesdaMDUSA
| | - P. Michael Iuvone
- Departments of Ophthalmology and Pharmacology & Chemical BiologyEmory University School of MedicineAtlantaGAUSA
| | - Christopher E. Mason
- Department of Physiology and Biophysics and the Institute for Computational BiomedicineWeill Cornell Medical CollegeNew YorkNYUSA
| | - Margaret J. Ochocinska
- Section on NeuroendocrinologyProgram in Developmental Endocrinology and GeneticsEunice Shriver Kennedy National Institute of Child Health and Human DevelopmentNational Institutes of HealthBethesdaMDUSA
- Present address:
National Heart, Lung and Blood InstituteNational Institutes of HealthBethesdaMDUSA
| | - Adi Tovin
- Department of NeurobiologyThe George S. Wise Faculty of Life Sciences, and Sagol School of NeuroscienceTel‐Aviv UniversityTel AvivIsrael
- Present address:
The Faculty of Life SciencesBar‐Ilan UniversityRamat‐GanIsrael
| | - Charles Wang
- Center for GenomicsSchool of MedicineLoma Linda UniversityLoma LindaCAUSA
| | - Pinxian Xu
- Department of Genetics and Genomic SciencesMount Sinai School of Medicine Icahn Medical InstituteNew YorkNYUSA
| | - Jinhang Zhu
- United States Food and Drug Administration’s National Center for Toxicological Research, Food and Drug AdministrationJeffersonARUSA
- Department of PhysiologySchool of Basic Medical SciencesAnhui Medical UniversityHefeiChina
| | - Ryan Dale
- Bioinformatics and Scientific Programming CoreEunice Kennedy Shriver National Institute of Child Health and Human DevelopmentNational Institutes of HealthBethesdaMDUSA
| | - David C. Klein
- Section on NeuroendocrinologyProgram in Developmental Endocrinology and GeneticsEunice Shriver Kennedy National Institute of Child Health and Human DevelopmentNational Institutes of HealthBethesdaMDUSA
- Office of the Scientific DirectorEunice Kennedy Shriver National Institute of Child Health and Human DevelopmentNational Institutes of HealthBethesdaMDUSA
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11
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Deletion in the Bardet-Biedl Syndrome Gene TTC8 Results in a Syndromic Retinal Degeneration in Dogs. Genes (Basel) 2020; 11:genes11091090. [PMID: 32962042 PMCID: PMC7565673 DOI: 10.3390/genes11091090] [Citation(s) in RCA: 3] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.8] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 08/25/2020] [Revised: 09/12/2020] [Accepted: 09/15/2020] [Indexed: 02/06/2023] Open
Abstract
In golden retriever dogs, a 1 bp deletion in the canine TTC8 gene has been shown to cause progressive retinal atrophy (PRA), the canine equivalent of retinitis pigmentosa. In humans, TTC8 is also implicated in Bardet–Biedl syndrome (BBS). To investigate if the affected dogs only exhibit a non-syndromic PRA or develop a syndromic ciliopathy similar to human BBS, we recruited 10 affected dogs to the study. The progression of PRA for two of the dogs was followed for 2 years, and a rigorous clinical characterization allowed a careful comparison with primary and secondary characteristics of human BBS. In addition to PRA, the dogs showed a spectrum of clinical and morphological signs similar to primary and secondary characteristics of human BBS patients, such as obesity, renal anomalies, sperm defects, and anosmia. We used Oxford Nanopore long-read cDNA sequencing to characterize retinal full-length TTC8 transcripts in affected and non-affected dogs, the results of which suggest that three isoforms are transcribed in the retina, and the 1 bp deletion is a loss-of-function mutation, resulting in a canine form of Bardet–Biedl syndrome with heterogeneous clinical signs.
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12
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Carstensen MB, Hertz H, Bering T, Møller M, Rohde K, Klein DC, Coon SL, Rath MF. Circadian regulation and molecular role of the Bsx homeobox gene in the adult pineal gland. J Pineal Res 2020; 68:e12629. [PMID: 31808568 PMCID: PMC7122731 DOI: 10.1111/jpi.12629] [Citation(s) in RCA: 5] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Submit a Manuscript] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 10/31/2019] [Revised: 11/29/2019] [Accepted: 11/30/2019] [Indexed: 11/28/2022]
Abstract
The pineal gland is a neuroendocrine organ responsible for production of the nocturnal hormone melatonin. A specific set of homeobox gene-encoded transcription factors govern pineal development, and some are expressed in adulthood. The brain-specific homeobox gene (Bsx) falls into both categories. We here examined regulation and function of Bsx in the mature pineal gland of the rat. We report that Bsx is expressed from prenatal stages into adulthood, where Bsx transcripts are localized in the melatonin-synthesizing pinealocytes, as revealed by RNAscope in situ hybridization. Bsx transcripts were also detected in the adult human pineal gland. In the rat pineal gland, Bsx was found to exhibit a 10-fold circadian rhythm with a peak at night. By combining in vivo adrenergic stimulation and surgical denervation of the gland in the rat with in vitro stimulation and transcriptional inhibition in cultured pinealocytes, we show that rhythmic expression of Bsx is controlled at the transcriptional level by the sympathetic neural input to the gland acting via adrenergic stimulation with cyclic AMP as a second messenger. siRNA-mediated knockdown (>80% reduction) in pinealocyte cultures revealed Bsx to be a negative regulator of other pineal homeobox genes, including paired box 4 (Pax4), but no effect on genes encoding melatonin-synthesizing enzymes was detected. RNA sequencing analysis performed on siRNA-treated pinealocytes further revealed that downstream target genes of Bsx are mainly involved in developmental processes. Thus, rhythmic Bsx expression seems to govern other developmental regulators in the mature pineal gland.
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Affiliation(s)
- Mikkel B Carstensen
- Department of Neuroscience, Faculty of Health and Medical Sciences, University of Copenhagen, Copenhagen, Denmark
| | - Henrik Hertz
- Department of Neuroscience, Faculty of Health and Medical Sciences, University of Copenhagen, Copenhagen, Denmark
| | - Tenna Bering
- Department of Neuroscience, Faculty of Health and Medical Sciences, University of Copenhagen, Copenhagen, Denmark
| | - Morten Møller
- Department of Neuroscience, Faculty of Health and Medical Sciences, University of Copenhagen, Copenhagen, Denmark
| | - Kristian Rohde
- Department of Neuroscience, Faculty of Health and Medical Sciences, University of Copenhagen, Copenhagen, Denmark
| | - David C Klein
- Eunice Kennedy Shriver National Institute of Child Health and Human Development, National Institutes of Health, Bethesda, MD, USA
| | - Steven L Coon
- Eunice Kennedy Shriver National Institute of Child Health and Human Development, National Institutes of Health, Bethesda, MD, USA
| | - Martin F Rath
- Department of Neuroscience, Faculty of Health and Medical Sciences, University of Copenhagen, Copenhagen, Denmark
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Ciani E, Haug TM, Maugars G, Weltzien FA, Falcón J, Fontaine R. Effects of Melatonin on Anterior Pituitary Plasticity: A Comparison Between Mammals and Teleosts. Front Endocrinol (Lausanne) 2020; 11:605111. [PMID: 33505357 PMCID: PMC7831660 DOI: 10.3389/fendo.2020.605111] [Citation(s) in RCA: 7] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.8] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Submit a Manuscript] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 09/11/2020] [Accepted: 11/12/2020] [Indexed: 01/01/2023] Open
Abstract
Melatonin is a key hormone involved in the photoperiodic signaling pathway. In both teleosts and mammals, melatonin produced in the pineal gland at night is released into the blood and cerebrospinal fluid, providing rhythmic information to the whole organism. Melatonin acts via specific receptors, allowing the synchronization of daily and annual physiological rhythms to environmental conditions. The pituitary gland, which produces several hormones involved in a variety of physiological processes such as growth, metabolism, stress and reproduction, is an important target of melatonin. Melatonin modulates pituitary cellular activities, adjusting the synthesis and release of the different pituitary hormones to the functional demands, which changes during the day, seasons and life stages. It is, however, not always clear whether melatonin acts directly or indirectly on the pituitary. Indeed, melatonin also acts both upstream, on brain centers that control the pituitary hormone production and release, as well as downstream, on the tissues targeted by the pituitary hormones, which provide positive and negative feedback to the pituitary gland. In this review, we describe the known pathways through which melatonin modulates anterior pituitary hormonal production, distinguishing indirect effects mediated by brain centers from direct effects on the anterior pituitary. We also highlight similarities and differences between teleosts and mammals, drawing attention to knowledge gaps, and suggesting aims for future research.
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Affiliation(s)
- Elia Ciani
- Department of Pharmacy, Faculty of Mathematics and Natural Sciences, University of Oslo, Oslo, Norway
| | - Trude M. Haug
- Department of Oral Biology, Faculty of Dentistry, University of Oslo, Oslo, Norway
| | - Gersende Maugars
- Physiology Unit, Faculty of Veterinary Medicine, Norwegian University of Life Sciences, Oslo, Norway
| | - Finn-Arne Weltzien
- Physiology Unit, Faculty of Veterinary Medicine, Norwegian University of Life Sciences, Oslo, Norway
| | - Jack Falcón
- Laboratoire Biologie des Organismes et Ecosystèmes Aquatiques (BOREA), MNHN, CNRS FRE 2030, SU, IRD 207, UCN, UA, Paris, France
| | - Romain Fontaine
- Physiology Unit, Faculty of Veterinary Medicine, Norwegian University of Life Sciences, Oslo, Norway
- *Correspondence: Romain Fontaine,
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14
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Hertz H, Carstensen MB, Bering T, Rohde K, Møller M, Granau AM, Coon SL, Klein DC, Rath MF. The Lhx4 homeobox transcript in the rat pineal gland: Adrenergic regulation and impact on transcripts encoding melatonin-synthesizing enzymes. J Pineal Res 2020; 68:e12616. [PMID: 31609018 PMCID: PMC8408918 DOI: 10.1111/jpi.12616] [Citation(s) in RCA: 9] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Submit a Manuscript] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 07/17/2019] [Revised: 10/07/2019] [Accepted: 10/08/2019] [Indexed: 12/23/2022]
Abstract
Homeobox genes generally encode transcription factors involved in regulating developmental processes. In the pineal gland, a brain structure devoted to nocturnal melatonin synthesis, a number of homeobox genes are also expressed postnatally; among these is the LIM homeobox 4 gene (Lhx4). We here report that Lhx4 is specifically expressed in the postnatal pineal gland of rats and humans. Circadian analyses revealed a fourfold rhythm in Lhx4 expression in the rat pineal gland, with rhythmic expression detectable from postnatal day 10. Pineal Lhx4 expression was confirmed to be positively driven by adrenergic signaling, as evidenced by in vivo modulation of Lhx4 expression by pharmacological (isoprenaline injection) and surgical (superior cervical ganglionectomy) interventions. In cultured pinealocytes, Lhx4 expression was upregulated by cyclic AMP, a second messenger of norepinephrine. By use of RNAscope technology, Lhx4 transcripts were found to be exclusively localized in melatonin-synthesizing pinealocytes. This prompted us to investigate the possible role of Lhx4 in regulation of melatonin-producing enzymes. By use of siRNA technology, we knocked down Lhx4 by 95% in cultured pinealocytes; this caused a reduction in transcripts encoding the melatonin-producing enzyme arylalkylamine N-acetyl transferase (Aanat). Screening the transcriptome of siRNA-treated pinealocytes by RNAseq revealed a significant impact of Lhx4 on the phototransduction pathway and on transcripts involved in development of the nervous system and photoreceptors. These data suggest that rhythmic expression of Lhx4 in the pineal gland is controlled via an adrenergic-cyclic AMP mechanism and that Lhx4 acts to promote nocturnal melatonin synthesis.
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Affiliation(s)
- Henrik Hertz
- Department of Neuroscience, Faculty of Health and Medical Sciences, University of Copenhagen, Copenhagen, Denmark
| | - Mikkel B Carstensen
- Department of Neuroscience, Faculty of Health and Medical Sciences, University of Copenhagen, Copenhagen, Denmark
| | - Tenna Bering
- Department of Neuroscience, Faculty of Health and Medical Sciences, University of Copenhagen, Copenhagen, Denmark
| | - Kristian Rohde
- Department of Neuroscience, Faculty of Health and Medical Sciences, University of Copenhagen, Copenhagen, Denmark
| | - Morten Møller
- Department of Neuroscience, Faculty of Health and Medical Sciences, University of Copenhagen, Copenhagen, Denmark
| | - Agnete M Granau
- Department of Neuroscience, Faculty of Health and Medical Sciences, University of Copenhagen, Copenhagen, Denmark
| | - Steven L Coon
- Eunice Kennedy Shriver National Institute of Child Health and Human Development, National Institutes of Health, Bethesda, MD, USA
| | - David C Klein
- Eunice Kennedy Shriver National Institute of Child Health and Human Development, National Institutes of Health, Bethesda, MD, USA
| | - Martin F Rath
- Department of Neuroscience, Faculty of Health and Medical Sciences, University of Copenhagen, Copenhagen, Denmark
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15
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Staudt N, Giger FA, Fielding T, Hutt JA, Foucher I, Snowden V, Hellich A, Kiecker C, Houart C. Pineal progenitors originate from a non-neural territory limited by FGF signalling. Development 2019; 146:dev.171405. [PMID: 31754007 PMCID: PMC7375831 DOI: 10.1242/dev.171405] [Citation(s) in RCA: 3] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.6] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 08/28/2018] [Accepted: 10/30/2019] [Indexed: 01/10/2023]
Abstract
The embryonic development of the pineal organ, a neuroendocrine gland on top of the diencephalon, remains enigmatic. Classic fate-mapping studies suggested that pineal progenitors originate from the lateral border of the anterior neural plate. We show here, using gene expression and fate mapping/lineage tracing in zebrafish, that pineal progenitors originate, at least in part, from the non-neural ectoderm. Gene expression in chick indicates that this non-neural origin of pineal progenitors is conserved in amniotes. Genetic repression of placodal, but not neural crest, cell fate results in pineal hypoplasia in zebrafish, while mis-expression of transcription factors known to specify placodal identity during gastrulation promotes the formation of ectopic pineal progenitors. We also demonstrate that fibroblast growth factors (FGFs) position the pineal progenitor domain within the non-neural border by repressing pineal fate and that the Otx transcription factors promote pinealogenesis by inhibiting this FGF activity. The non-neural origin of the pineal organ reveals an underlying similarity in the formation of the pineal and pituitary glands, and suggests that all CNS neuroendocrine organs may require a non-neural contribution to form neurosecretory cells. Highlighted Article: Gene expression and fate mapping/lineage tracing in zebrafish reveals that the pineal organ develops from the non-neural pre-placodal ectoderm under the control of FGF signalling.
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Affiliation(s)
- Nicole Staudt
- Department for Developmental Neurobiology, Guy's Hospital Campus, King's College London, London SE1 1UL, UK
| | - Florence A Giger
- Department for Developmental Neurobiology, Guy's Hospital Campus, King's College London, London SE1 1UL, UK
| | - Triona Fielding
- Department for Developmental Neurobiology, Guy's Hospital Campus, King's College London, London SE1 1UL, UK
| | - James A Hutt
- Department for Developmental Neurobiology, Guy's Hospital Campus, King's College London, London SE1 1UL, UK
| | - Isabelle Foucher
- Department for Developmental Neurobiology, Guy's Hospital Campus, King's College London, London SE1 1UL, UK
| | - Vicky Snowden
- Department for Developmental Neurobiology, Guy's Hospital Campus, King's College London, London SE1 1UL, UK
| | - Agathe Hellich
- Department for Developmental Neurobiology, Guy's Hospital Campus, King's College London, London SE1 1UL, UK
| | - Clemens Kiecker
- Department for Developmental Neurobiology, Guy's Hospital Campus, King's College London, London SE1 1UL, UK
| | - Corinne Houart
- Department for Developmental Neurobiology, Guy's Hospital Campus, King's College London, London SE1 1UL, UK
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16
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Mano H, Asaoka Y, Kojima D, Fukada Y. Brain-specific homeobox Bsx specifies identity of pineal gland between serially homologous photoreceptive organs in zebrafish. Commun Biol 2019; 2:364. [PMID: 31602413 PMCID: PMC6779754 DOI: 10.1038/s42003-019-0613-1] [Citation(s) in RCA: 7] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.4] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 03/04/2019] [Accepted: 09/16/2019] [Indexed: 01/11/2023] Open
Abstract
The pineal gland functioning as a photoreceptive organ in non-mammalian species is a serial homolog of the retina. Here we found that Brain-specific homeobox (Bsx) is a key regulator conferring individuality on the pineal gland between the two serially homologous photoreceptive organs in zebrafish. Bsx knock-down impaired the pineal development with reduced expression of exorh, the pineal-specific gene responsible for the photoreception, whereas it induced ectopic expression of rho, a retina-specific gene, in the pineal gland. Bsx remarkably transactivated the exorh promoter in combination with Otx5, but not with Crx, through its binding to distinct subtypes of PIRE, a DNA cis-element driving Crx/Otx-dependent pineal-specific gene expression. These results demonstrate that the identity of pineal photoreceptive neurons is determined by the combinatorial code of Bsx and Otx5, the former confers the pineal specificity at the tissue level and the latter determines the photoreceptor specificity at the cellular level.
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Affiliation(s)
- Hiroaki Mano
- Department of Biological Sciences, School of Science, The University of Tokyo, 7-3-1 Hongo, Bunkyo-ku, Tokyo 113-0033 Japan
| | - Yoichi Asaoka
- Department of Biological Sciences, School of Science, The University of Tokyo, 7-3-1 Hongo, Bunkyo-ku, Tokyo 113-0033 Japan
| | - Daisuke Kojima
- Department of Biological Sciences, School of Science, The University of Tokyo, 7-3-1 Hongo, Bunkyo-ku, Tokyo 113-0033 Japan
| | - Yoshitaka Fukada
- Department of Biological Sciences, School of Science, The University of Tokyo, 7-3-1 Hongo, Bunkyo-ku, Tokyo 113-0033 Japan
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17
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Saha S, Singh KM, Gupta BBP. Melatonin synthesis and clock gene regulation in the pineal organ of teleost fish compared to mammals: Similarities and differences. Gen Comp Endocrinol 2019; 279:27-34. [PMID: 30026020 DOI: 10.1016/j.ygcen.2018.07.010] [Citation(s) in RCA: 26] [Impact Index Per Article: 5.2] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Submit a Manuscript] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 03/31/2018] [Revised: 07/12/2018] [Accepted: 07/15/2018] [Indexed: 02/07/2023]
Abstract
The pineal organ of all vertebrates synthesizes and secretes melatonin in a rhythmic manner due to the circadian rhythm in the activity of arylalkylamine N-acetyltransferase (AANAT) - the rate-limiting enzyme in melatonin synthesis pathway. Nighttime increase in AANAT activity and melatonin synthesis depends on increased expression of aanat gene (a clock-controlled gene) and/or post-translation modification of AANAT protein. In mammalian and avian species, only one aanat gene is expressed. However, three aanat genes (aanat1a, aanat1b, and aanat2) are reported in fish species. While aanat1a and aanat1b genes are expressed in the fish retina, the nervous system and other peripheral tissues, aanat2 gene is expressed exclusively in the fish pineal organ. Clock genes form molecular components of the clockwork, which regulates clock-controlled genes like aanat gene. All core clock genes (i.e., clock, bmal1, per1, per2, per3, cry1 and cry2) and aanat2 gene (a clock-controlled gene) are expressed in the pineal organ of several fish species. There is a large body of information on regulation of clock genes, aanat gene and melatonin synthesis in the mammalian pineal gland. However, the information available on clock genes, aanat genes and melatonin synthesis in photoreceptive pineal organ of teleosts is fragmentary and not well documented. Therefore, we have reviewed published information on rhythmic expression of clock genes, aanat genes as well as synthesis of melatonin, and their regulation by photoperiod and temperature in teleostean pineal organ as compared to mammalian pineal gland. A critical analysis of the literature suggests that in contrast to the mammalian pineal gland, the pineal organ of teleosts (except salmonids) possesses a well developed indigenous clock composed of clock genes for regulation of rhythmic expression of aanat2 gene and melatonin synthesis. Further, the fish pineal organ also possesses essential molecular components for responding to light and temperature directly. The fish pineal organ seems to act as a potential master biological clock in most of the teleosts.
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Affiliation(s)
- Saurav Saha
- Environmental Endocrinology Laboratory, Department of Zoology, North-Eastern Hill University, Shillong 793022, India
| | - Kshetrimayum Manisana Singh
- Environmental Endocrinology Laboratory, Department of Zoology, North-Eastern Hill University, Shillong 793022, India
| | - Braj Bansh Prasad Gupta
- Environmental Endocrinology Laboratory, Department of Zoology, North-Eastern Hill University, Shillong 793022, India.
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18
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On the traces of tcf12: Investigation of the gene expression pattern during development and cranial suture patterning in zebrafish (Danio rerio). PLoS One 2019; 14:e0218286. [PMID: 31188878 PMCID: PMC6561585 DOI: 10.1371/journal.pone.0218286] [Citation(s) in RCA: 6] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.2] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 03/22/2019] [Accepted: 05/29/2019] [Indexed: 12/11/2022] Open
Abstract
The transcription factor 12 (tcf12) is a basic Helix-Loop-Helix protein (bHLH) of the E-protein family, proven to play an important role in developmental processes like neurogenesis, mesoderm formation, and cranial vault development. In humans, mutations in TCF12 lead to craniosynostosis, a congenital birth disorder characterized by the premature fusion of one or several of the cranial sutures. Current research has been primarily focused on functional studies of TCF12, hence the cellular expression profile of this gene during embryonic development and early stages of ossification remains poorly understood. Here we present the establishment and detailed analysis of two transgenic tcf12:EGFP fluorescent zebrafish (Danio rerio) reporter lines. Using these transgenic lines, we analyzed the general spatiotemporal expression pattern of tcf12 during different developmental stages and put emphasis on skeletal development and cranial suture patterning. We identified robust tcf12 promoter-driven EGFP expression in the central nervous system (CNS), the heart, the pronephros, and the somites of zebrafish embryos. Additionally, expression was observed inside the muscles and bones of the viscerocranium in juvenile and adult fish. During cranial vault development, the transgenic fish show a high amount of tcf12 expressing cells at the growth fronts of the ossifying frontal and parietal bones and inside the emerging cranial sutures. Subsequently, we tested the transcriptional activity of three evolutionary conserved non-coding elements (CNEs) located in the tcf12 locus by transient transgenic assays and compared their in vivo activity to the expression pattern determined in the transgenic tcf12:EGFP lines. We could validate two of them as tcf12 enhancer elements driving specific gene expression in the CNS during embryogenesis. Our newly established transgenic lines enhance the understanding of tcf12 gene regulation and open up the possibilities for further functional investigation of these novel tcf12 enhancer elements in zebrafish.
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19
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Rohde K, Hertz H, Rath MF. Homeobox genes in melatonin-producing pinealocytes: Otx2 and Crx act to promote hormone synthesis in the mature rat pineal gland. J Pineal Res 2019; 66:e12567. [PMID: 30803008 DOI: 10.1111/jpi.12567] [Citation(s) in RCA: 15] [Impact Index Per Article: 3.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Submit a Manuscript] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 02/01/2019] [Revised: 02/15/2019] [Accepted: 02/20/2019] [Indexed: 02/03/2023]
Abstract
Homeobox genes encode transcription factors that regulate developmental processes; however, in the pineal gland, a neuroendocrine organ responsible for nocturnal melatonin synthesis, expression of the homeobox genes Otx2 (orthodenticle homeobox 2) and Crx (cone-rod homeobox) persists postnatally. We here show that OTX2 and CRX are exclusively present in melatonin-producing pinealocytes of the rat pineal gland. To understand the roles of Otx2 and Crx in the mature pineal gland, we used siRNA technology in cultured rat pinealocytes with the nocturnal situation mimicked by adding norepinephrine to the culture media. siRNA-induced knockdown of Otx2 was found to reduce expression levels of the enzymes involved in melatonin synthesis at both transcript and protein levels. Similar results were obtained when knocking down Crx. Knocking down Otx2 and Crx simultaneously produced an even larger reduction in both transcript and protein levels of the melatonin-producing enzymes and also reduced the levels of melatonin released to the culture media. These results suggest that Otx2 and Crx, both alone and in combination, act to control pineal melatonin synthesis.
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Affiliation(s)
- Kristian Rohde
- Department of Neuroscience, Faculty of Health and Medical Sciences, University of Copenhagen, Copenhagen, Denmark
| | - Henrik Hertz
- Department of Neuroscience, Faculty of Health and Medical Sciences, University of Copenhagen, Copenhagen, Denmark
| | - Martin F Rath
- Department of Neuroscience, Faculty of Health and Medical Sciences, University of Copenhagen, Copenhagen, Denmark
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20
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Mays JC, Kelly MC, Coon SL, Holtzclaw L, Rath MF, Kelley MW, Klein DC. Single-cell RNA sequencing of the mammalian pineal gland identifies two pinealocyte subtypes and cell type-specific daily patterns of gene expression. PLoS One 2018; 13:e0205883. [PMID: 30347410 PMCID: PMC6197868 DOI: 10.1371/journal.pone.0205883] [Citation(s) in RCA: 25] [Impact Index Per Article: 4.2] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 08/26/2018] [Accepted: 10/03/2018] [Indexed: 12/31/2022] Open
Abstract
The vertebrate pineal gland is dedicated to the production of the hormone melatonin, which increases at night to influence circadian and seasonal rhythms. This increase is associated with dramatic changes in the pineal transcriptome. Here, single-cell analysis of the rat pineal transcriptome was approached by sequencing mRNA from ~17,000 individual pineal cells, with the goals of profiling the cells that comprise the pineal gland and examining the proposal that there are two distinct populations of pinealocytes differentiated by the expression of Asmt, which encodes the enzyme that converts N-acetylserotonin to melatonin. In addition, this analysis provides evidence of cell-specific time-of-day dependent changes in gene expression. Nine transcriptomically distinct cell types were identified: ~90% were classified as melatonin-producing α- and β-pinealocytes (1:19 ratio). Non-pinealocytes included three astrocyte subtypes, two microglia subtypes, vascular and leptomeningeal cells, and endothelial cells. α-Pinealocytes were distinguished from β-pinealocytes by ~3-fold higher levels of Asmt transcripts. In addition, α-pinealocytes have transcriptomic differences that likely enhance melatonin formation by increasing the availability of the Asmt cofactor S-adenosylmethionine, resulting from increased production of a precursor of S-adenosylmethionine, ATP. These transcriptomic differences include ~2-fold higher levels of the ATP-generating oxidative phosphorylation transcriptome and ~8-fold lower levels of the ribosome transcriptome, which is expected to reduce the consumption of ATP by protein synthesis. These findings suggest that α-pinealocytes have a specialized role in the pineal gland: efficiently O-methylating the N-acetylserotonin produced and released by β-pinealocytes, thereby improving the overall efficiency of melatonin synthesis. We have also identified transcriptomic changes that occur between night and day in seven cell types, the majority of which occur in β-pinealocytes and to a lesser degree in α-pinealocytes; many of these changes were mimicked by adrenergic stimulation with isoproterenol. The cellular heterogeneity of the pineal gland as revealed by this study provides a new framework for understanding pineal cell biology at single-cell resolution.
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Affiliation(s)
- Joseph C. Mays
- Section on Developmental Neuroscience, Laboratory of Cochlear Development, Division of Intramural Research, National Institute on Deafness and Other Communication Disorders, National Institutes of Health, Bethesda, Maryland, United States of America
| | - Michael C. Kelly
- Section on Developmental Neuroscience, Laboratory of Cochlear Development, Division of Intramural Research, National Institute on Deafness and Other Communication Disorders, National Institutes of Health, Bethesda, Maryland, United States of America
| | - Steven L. Coon
- Molecular Genomics Core Facility, Office of the Scientific Director, Intramural Research Program, Eunice Kennedy Shriver National Institute of Child Health and Human Development, National Institutes of Health, Bethesda, Maryland, United States of America
| | - Lynne Holtzclaw
- Microscopy and Imaging Core, Office of the Scientific Director, Intramural Research Program, Eunice Kennedy Shriver National Institute of Child Health and Human Development, National Institutes of Health, Bethesda, Maryland, United States of America
| | - Martin F. Rath
- Department of Neuroscience, Panum Institute, University of Copenhagen, Copenhagen, Denmark
| | - Matthew W. Kelley
- Section on Developmental Neuroscience, Laboratory of Cochlear Development, Division of Intramural Research, National Institute on Deafness and Other Communication Disorders, National Institutes of Health, Bethesda, Maryland, United States of America
| | - David C. Klein
- Office of the Scientific Director, Intramural Research Program, Eunice Kennedy Shriver National Institute of Child Health and Human Development, National Institutes of Health, Bethesda, Maryland, United States of America
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21
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Sato K, Yamashita T, Kojima K, Sakai K, Matsutani Y, Yanagawa M, Yamano Y, Wada A, Iwabe N, Ohuchi H, Shichida Y. Pinopsin evolved as the ancestral dim-light visual opsin in vertebrates. Commun Biol 2018; 1:156. [PMID: 30302400 PMCID: PMC6167363 DOI: 10.1038/s42003-018-0164-x] [Citation(s) in RCA: 16] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.7] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 05/18/2018] [Accepted: 09/06/2018] [Indexed: 11/13/2022] Open
Abstract
Pinopsin is the opsin most closely related to vertebrate visual pigments on the phylogenetic tree. This opsin has been discovered among many vertebrates, except mammals and teleosts, and was thought to exclusively function in their brain for extraocular photoreception. Here, we show the possibility that pinopsin also contributes to scotopic vision in some vertebrate species. Pinopsin is distributed in the retina of non-teleost fishes and frogs, especially in their rod photoreceptor cells, in addition to their brain. Moreover, the retinal chromophore of pinopsin exhibits a thermal isomerization rate considerably lower than those of cone visual pigments, but comparable to that of rhodopsin. Therefore, pinopsin can function as a rhodopsin-like visual pigment in the retinas of these lower vertebrates. Since pinopsin diversified before the branching of rhodopsin on the phylogenetic tree, two-step adaptation to scotopic vision would have occurred through the independent acquisition of pinopsin and rhodopsin by the vertebrate lineage.
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Affiliation(s)
- Keita Sato
- Department of Cytology and Histology, Graduate School of Medicine, Dentistry and Pharmaceutical Sciences, Okayama University, Okayama, 700-8558, Japan
| | - Takahiro Yamashita
- Department of Biophysics, Graduate School of Science, Kyoto University, Kyoto, 606-8502, Japan.
| | - Keiichi Kojima
- Department of Biophysics, Graduate School of Science, Kyoto University, Kyoto, 606-8502, Japan
| | - Kazumi Sakai
- Department of Biophysics, Graduate School of Science, Kyoto University, Kyoto, 606-8502, Japan
| | - Yuki Matsutani
- Department of Biophysics, Graduate School of Science, Kyoto University, Kyoto, 606-8502, Japan
| | | | - Yumiko Yamano
- Department of Organic Chemistry for Life Science, Kobe Pharmaceutical University, Kobe, 658-8558, Japan
| | - Akimori Wada
- Department of Organic Chemistry for Life Science, Kobe Pharmaceutical University, Kobe, 658-8558, Japan
| | - Naoyuki Iwabe
- Department of Biophysics, Graduate School of Science, Kyoto University, Kyoto, 606-8502, Japan
| | - Hideyo Ohuchi
- Department of Cytology and Histology, Graduate School of Medicine, Dentistry and Pharmaceutical Sciences, Okayama University, Okayama, 700-8558, Japan
| | - Yoshinori Shichida
- Department of Biophysics, Graduate School of Science, Kyoto University, Kyoto, 606-8502, Japan.
- Research Organization for Science and Technology, Ritsumeikan University, Kusatsu, Shiga, 525-8577, Japan.
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22
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Isolation of activating factors of serotonin N -acetyltransferase from rice peptides. J Funct Foods 2018. [DOI: 10.1016/j.jff.2017.12.051] [Citation(s) in RCA: 3] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/23/2022] Open
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23
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Rohde K, Bering T, Furukawa T, Rath MF. A modulatory role of the Rax
homeobox gene in mature pineal gland function: Investigating the photoneuroendocrine circadian system of a Rax
conditional knockout mouse. J Neurochem 2017; 143:100-111. [DOI: 10.1111/jnc.14120] [Citation(s) in RCA: 7] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 02/23/2017] [Revised: 06/09/2017] [Accepted: 06/25/2017] [Indexed: 01/19/2023]
Affiliation(s)
- Kristian Rohde
- Department of Neuroscience; Faculty of Health and Medical Sciences; University of Copenhagen; Copenhagen Denmark
| | - Tenna Bering
- Department of Neuroscience; Faculty of Health and Medical Sciences; University of Copenhagen; Copenhagen Denmark
- Laboratory of Neuropsychiatry; Psychiatric Center Copenhagen; Mental Health Services of the Capital Region of Denmark; Copenhagen Denmark
| | - Takahisa Furukawa
- Laboratory for Molecular and Developmental Biology; Institute for Protein Research; Osaka University; Suita Osaka Japan
| | - Martin Fredensborg Rath
- Department of Neuroscience; Faculty of Health and Medical Sciences; University of Copenhagen; Copenhagen Denmark
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Backlund PS, Urbanski HF, Doll MA, Hein DW, Bozinoski M, Mason CE, Coon SL, Klein DC. Daily Rhythm in Plasma N-acetyltryptamine. J Biol Rhythms 2017; 32:195-211. [PMID: 28466676 PMCID: PMC5571864 DOI: 10.1177/0748730417700458] [Citation(s) in RCA: 14] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 01/24/2023]
Abstract
Normal physiology undergoes 24-h changes in function that include daily rhythms in circulating hormones, most notably melatonin and cortical steroids. This study focused on N-acetyltryptamine, a little-studied melatonin receptor mixed agonist-antagonist and the likely evolutionary precursor of melatonin. The central issue addressed was whether N-acetyltryptamine is physiologically present in the circulation. N-acetyltryptamine was detected by LC-MS/MS in daytime plasma of 3 different mammals in subnanomolar levels (mean ± SEM: rat, 0.29 ± 0.05 nM, n = 5; rhesus macaque, 0.54 ± 0.24 nM, n = 4; human, 0.03 ± 0.01 nM, n = 32). Analysis of 24-h blood collections from rhesus macaques revealed a nocturnal increase in plasma N-acetyltryptamine (p < 0.001), which varied from 2- to 15-fold over daytime levels among the 4 animals studied. Related RNA sequencing studies indicated that the transcript encoding the tryptamine acetylating enzyme arylalkylamine N-acetyltransferase (AANAT) is expressed at similar levels in the rhesus pineal gland and retina, thereby indicating that either tissue could contribute to circulating N-acetyltryptamine. The evidence that N-acetyltryptamine is a physiological component of mammalian blood and exhibits a daily rhythm, together with known effects as a melatonin receptor mixed agonist-antagonist, shifts the status of N-acetyltryptamine from pharmacological tool to candidate for a physiological role. This provides a new opportunity to extend our understanding of 24-h biology.
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Affiliation(s)
- Peter S. Backlund
- Biomedical Mass Spectrometry Facility, Intramural Research Program,
Eunice Kennedy Shriver National Institute of Child Health and
Human Development, National Institutes of Health, Bethesda, MD 20892-1580
| | - Henryk F. Urbanski
- Division of Neuroscience, Oregon National Primate Research Center,
Beaverton, OR 97006
- Division of Reproductive and Developmental Sciences, Oregon National
Primate Research Center, Beaverton, OR 97006
- Department of Behavioral Neuroscience, Oregon Health and Science
University, Portland, OR 97006
- Department of Physiology and Pharmacology, Oregon Health and Science
University, Portland, OR 97239
| | - Mark A. Doll
- Department of Pharmacology and Toxicology, and James Graham Brown
Cancer Center, University of Louisville, Louisville, KY 40202
| | - David W. Hein
- Department of Pharmacology and Toxicology, and James Graham Brown
Cancer Center, University of Louisville, Louisville, KY 40202
| | - Marjan Bozinoski
- Department of Physiology and Biophysics, Weill Cornell Medical
College, Cornell University, New York, NY 10065
| | - Christopher E. Mason
- Department of Physiology and Biophysics, Weill Cornell Medical
College, Cornell University, New York, NY 10065
- The HRH Prince Alwaleed Bin Talal Bin Abdulaziz Alsaud Institute for
Computational Biomedicine, Weill Cornell Medicine, New York, NY, USA
- The Feil Family Brain and Mind Research Institute, Weill Cornell
Medicine, New York, NY, USA
| | - Steven L. Coon
- Section on Neuroendocrinology, Program in Developmental
Endocrinology and Genetics, Eunice Kennedy Shriver National
Institute of Child Health and Human Development, National Institutes of Health,
Bethesda, MD 20892-1830
- Molecular Genomics Core Facility, Office of the Scientific
Director, Eunice Kennedy Shriver National Institute of Child Health
and Human Development, National Institutes of Health, Bethesda, MD 20892-1830
| | - David C. Klein
- Section on Neuroendocrinology, Program in Developmental
Endocrinology and Genetics, Eunice Kennedy Shriver National
Institute of Child Health and Human Development, National Institutes of Health,
Bethesda, MD 20892-1830
- Office of the Scientific Director, Intramural Research Program,
Eunice Kennedy Shriver National Institute of Child Health and
Human Development, National Institutes of Health, Bethesda, MD 20892-1830
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Hartley SW, Mullikin JC, Klein DC, Park M, Coon SL. Alternative Isoform Analysis of Ttc8 Expression in the Rat Pineal Gland Using a Multi-Platform Sequencing Approach Reveals Neural Regulation. PLoS One 2016; 11:e0163590. [PMID: 27684375 PMCID: PMC5042479 DOI: 10.1371/journal.pone.0163590] [Citation(s) in RCA: 7] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.9] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 05/16/2016] [Accepted: 09/12/2016] [Indexed: 01/23/2023] Open
Abstract
Alternative isoform regulation (AIR) vastly increases transcriptome diversity and plays an important role in numerous biological processes and pathologies. However, the detection and analysis of isoform-level differential regulation is difficult, particularly in the face of complex and incompletely-annotated transcriptomes. Here we have used Illumina short-read/high-throughput RNA-Seq to identify 55 genes that exhibit neurally-regulated AIR in the pineal gland, and then used two other complementary experimental platforms to further study and characterize the Ttc8 gene, which is involved in Bardet-Biedl syndrome and non-syndromic retinitis pigmentosa. Use of the JunctionSeq analysis tool led to the detection of several novel exons and splice junctions in this gene, including two novel alternative transcription start sites which were found to display disproportionately strong neurally-regulated differential expression in several independent experiments. These high-throughput sequencing results were validated and augmented via targeted qPCR and long-read Pacific Biosciences SMRT sequencing. We confirmed the existence of numerous novel splice junctions and the selective upregulation of the two novel start sites. In addition, we identified more than 20 novel isoforms of the Ttc8 gene that are co-expressed in this tissue. By using information from multiple independent platforms we not only greatly reduce the risk of errors, biases, and artifacts influencing our results, we also are able to characterize the regulation and splicing of the Ttc8 gene more deeply and more precisely than would be possible via any single platform. The hybrid method outlined here represents a powerful strategy in the study of the transcriptome.
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Affiliation(s)
- Stephen W. Hartley
- Comparative Genomics Analysis Unit, Cancer Genetics and Comparative Genomics Branch, National Human Genome Research Institute, National Institutes of Health, Bethesda, Maryland, 20892, United States of America
- * E-mail:
| | - James C. Mullikin
- Comparative Genomics Analysis Unit, Cancer Genetics and Comparative Genomics Branch, National Human Genome Research Institute, National Institutes of Health, Bethesda, Maryland, 20892, United States of America
| | - David C. Klein
- Section on Neuroendocrinology, Program in Developmental Endocrinology and Genetics, Eunice Kennedy Shriver National Institute of Child Health and Human Development, National Institutes of Health, Bethesda, Maryland, 20892, United States of America
| | - Morgan Park
- National Institutes of Health Intramural Sequencing Center, National Human Genome Research Institute, National Institutes of Health, Rockville, Maryland, 20852, United States of America
| | - NISC Comparative Sequencing Program
- National Institutes of Health Intramural Sequencing Center, National Human Genome Research Institute, National Institutes of Health, Rockville, Maryland, 20852, United States of America
| | - Steven L. Coon
- Section on Neuroendocrinology, Program in Developmental Endocrinology and Genetics, Eunice Kennedy Shriver National Institute of Child Health and Human Development, National Institutes of Health, Bethesda, Maryland, 20892, United States of America
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Yu H, Benitez SG, Jung SR, Farias Altamirano LE, Kruse M, Seo JB, Koh DS, Muñoz EM, Hille B. GABAergic signaling in the rat pineal gland. J Pineal Res 2016; 61:69-81. [PMID: 27019076 PMCID: PMC5489258 DOI: 10.1111/jpi.12328] [Citation(s) in RCA: 11] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.4] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Submit a Manuscript] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 02/08/2016] [Accepted: 03/25/2016] [Indexed: 11/29/2022]
Abstract
Pinealocytes secrete melatonin at night in response to norepinephrine released from sympathetic nerve terminals in the pineal gland. The gland also contains many other neurotransmitters whose cellular disposition, activity, and relevance to pineal function are not understood. Here, we clarify sources and demonstrate cellular actions of the neurotransmitter γ-aminobutyric acid (GABA) using Western blotting and immunohistochemistry of the gland and electrical recording from pinealocytes. GABAergic cells and nerve fibers, defined as containing GABA and the synthetic GAD67, were identified. The cells represent a subset of interstitial cells while the nerve fibers were distinct from the sympathetic innervation. The GABAA receptor subunit α1 was visualized in close proximity of both GABAergic and sympathetic nerve fibers as well as fine extensions among pinealocytes and blood vessels. The GABAB 1 receptor subunit was localized in the interstitial compartment but not in pinealocytes. Electrophysiology of isolated pinealocytes revealed that GABA and muscimol elicit strong inward chloride currents sensitive to bicuculline and picrotoxin, clear evidence for functional GABAA receptors on the surface membrane. Applications of elevated potassium solution or the neurotransmitter acetylcholine depolarized the pinealocyte membrane potential enough to open voltage-gated Ca(2+) channels leading to intracellular calcium elevations. GABA repolarized the membrane and shut off such calcium rises. In 48-72-h cultured intact glands, GABA application neither triggered melatonin secretion by itself nor affected norepinephrine-induced secretion. Thus, strong elements of GABA signaling are present in pineal glands that make large electrical responses in pinealocytes, but physiological roles need to be found.
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Affiliation(s)
- Haijie Yu
- Department of Physiology and Biophysics, University of Washington School of Medicine, Seattle, WA, USA
| | - Sergio G. Benitez
- Laboratory of Neurobiology: Chronobiology Section, Institute of Histology and Embryology of Mendoza (IHEM-CONICET), School of Medicine, National University of Cuyo, Mendoza, Argentina
| | - Seung-Ryoung Jung
- Department of Physiology and Biophysics, University of Washington School of Medicine, Seattle, WA, USA
| | - Luz E. Farias Altamirano
- Laboratory of Neurobiology: Chronobiology Section, Institute of Histology and Embryology of Mendoza (IHEM-CONICET), School of Medicine, National University of Cuyo, Mendoza, Argentina
| | - Martin Kruse
- Department of Physiology and Biophysics, University of Washington School of Medicine, Seattle, WA, USA
| | - Jong-Bae Seo
- Department of Physiology and Biophysics, University of Washington School of Medicine, Seattle, WA, USA
| | - Duk-Su Koh
- Department of Physiology and Biophysics, University of Washington School of Medicine, Seattle, WA, USA
| | - Estela M. Muñoz
- Laboratory of Neurobiology: Chronobiology Section, Institute of Histology and Embryology of Mendoza (IHEM-CONICET), School of Medicine, National University of Cuyo, Mendoza, Argentina
| | - Bertil Hille
- Department of Physiology and Biophysics, University of Washington School of Medicine, Seattle, WA, USA
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Castro AE, Benitez SG, Farias Altamirano LE, Savastano LE, Patterson SI, Muñoz EM. Expression and cellular localization of the transcription factor NeuroD1 in the developing and adult rat pineal gland. J Pineal Res 2015; 58:439-51. [PMID: 25752781 DOI: 10.1111/jpi.12228] [Citation(s) in RCA: 12] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Submit a Manuscript] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 02/18/2015] [Accepted: 03/04/2015] [Indexed: 12/13/2022]
Abstract
Circadian rhythms govern many aspects of mammalian physiology. The daily pattern of melatonin synthesis and secretion is one of the classic examples of circadian oscillations. It is mediated by a class of neuroendocrine cells known as pinealocytes which are not yet fully defined. An established method to evaluate functional and cytological characters is through the expression of lineage-specific transcriptional regulators. NeuroD1 is a basic helix-loop-helix transcription factor involved in the specification and maintenance of both endocrine and neuronal phenotypes. We have previously described developmental and adult regulation of NeuroD1 mRNA in the rodent pineal gland. However, the transcript levels were not influenced by the elimination of sympathetic input, suggesting that any rhythmicity of NeuroD1 might be found downstream of transcription. Here, we describe NeuroD1 protein expression and cellular localization in the rat pineal gland during development and the daily cycle. In embryonic and perinatal stages, protein expression follows the mRNA pattern and is predominantly nuclear. Thereafter, NeuroD1 is mostly found in pinealocyte nuclei in the early part of the night and in cytoplasm during the day, a rhythm maintained into adulthood. Additionally, nocturnal nuclear NeuroD1 levels are reduced after sympathetic disruption, an effect mimicked by the in vivo administration of α- and β-adrenoceptor blockers. NeuroD1 phosphorylation at two sites, Ser(274) and Ser(336) , associates with nuclear localization in pinealocytes. These data suggest that NeuroD1 influences pineal phenotype both during development and adulthood, in an autonomic and phosphorylation-dependent manner.
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Affiliation(s)
- Analía E Castro
- Laboratory of Neurobiology: Chronobiology Section, Institute of Histology and Embryology of Mendoza (IHEM-CONICET), School of Medicine, National University of Cuyo, Mendoza, Argentina
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Homeobox genes and melatonin synthesis: regulatory roles of the cone-rod homeobox transcription factor in the rodent pineal gland. BIOMED RESEARCH INTERNATIONAL 2014; 2014:946075. [PMID: 24877149 PMCID: PMC4022116 DOI: 10.1155/2014/946075] [Citation(s) in RCA: 12] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.2] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 01/26/2014] [Accepted: 04/07/2014] [Indexed: 01/20/2023]
Abstract
Nocturnal synthesis of melatonin in the pineal gland is controlled by a circadian rhythm in arylalkylamine N-acetyltransferase (AANAT) enzyme activity. In the rodent, Aanat gene expression displays a marked circadian rhythm; release of norepinephrine in the gland at night causes a cAMP-based induction of Aanat transcription. However, additional transcriptional control mechanisms exist. Homeobox genes, which are generally known to encode transcription factors controlling developmental processes, are also expressed in the mature rodent pineal gland. Among these, the cone-rod homeobox (CRX) transcription factor is believed to control pineal-specific Aanat expression. Based on recent advances in our understanding of Crx in the rodent pineal gland, we here suggest that homeobox genes play a role in adult pineal physiology both by ensuring pineal-specific Aanat expression and by facilitating cAMP response element-based circadian melatonin production.
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The Lhx9 homeobox gene controls pineal gland development and prevents postnatal hydrocephalus. Brain Struct Funct 2014; 220:1497-509. [PMID: 24647753 DOI: 10.1007/s00429-014-0740-x] [Citation(s) in RCA: 23] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 12/21/2013] [Accepted: 02/19/2014] [Indexed: 12/16/2022]
Abstract
Lhx9 is a member of the LIM homeobox gene family. It is expressed during mammalian embryogenesis in the brain including the pineal gland. Deletion of Lhx9 results in sterility due to failure of gonadal development. The current study was initiated to investigate Lhx9 biology in the pineal gland. Lhx9 is highly expressed in the developing pineal gland of the rat with transcript abundance peaking early in development; transcript levels decrease postnatally to nearly undetectable levels in the adult, a temporal pattern that is generally similar to that reported for Lhx9 expression in other brain regions. Studies with C57BL/6J Lhx9(-/-) mutant mice revealed marked alterations in brain and pineal development. Specifically, the superficial pineal gland is hypoplastic, being reduced to a small cluster of pinealocytes surrounded by meningeal and vascular tissue. The deep pineal gland and the pineal stalk are also reduced in size. Although the brains of neonatal Lhx9(-/-) mutant mice appear normal, severe hydrocephalus develops in about 70% of the Lhx9(-/-) mice at 5-8 weeks of age; these observations are the first to document that deletion of Lhx9 results in hydrocephalus and as such indicate that Lhx9 contributes to the maintenance of normal brain structure. Whereas hydrocephalus is absent in neonatal Lhx9(-/-)mutant mice, the neonatal pineal gland in these animals is hypoplastic. Accordingly, it appears that Lhx9 is essential for early development of the mammalian pineal gland and that this effect is not secondary to hydrocephalus.
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Drastic neofunctionalization associated with evolution of the timezyme AANAT 500 Mya. Proc Natl Acad Sci U S A 2013; 111:314-9. [PMID: 24351931 DOI: 10.1073/pnas.1312634110] [Citation(s) in RCA: 45] [Impact Index Per Article: 4.1] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/18/2022] Open
Abstract
Melatonin (N-acetyl-5-methoxytrypamine) is the vertebrate hormone of the night: circulating levels at night are markedly higher than day levels. This increase is driven by precisely regulated increases in acetylation of serotonin in the pineal gland by arylalkylamine N-acetyltransferase (AANAT), the penultimate enzyme in the synthesis of melatonin. This unique essential role of AANAT in vertebrate timekeeping is recognized by the moniker the timezyme. AANAT is also found in the retina, where melatonin is thought to play a paracrine role. Here, we focused on the evolution of AANAT in early vertebrates. AANATs from Agnathans (lamprey) and Chondrichthyes (catshark and elephant shark) were cloned, and it was found that pineal glands and retinas from these groups express a form of AANAT that is compositionally, biochemically, and kinetically similar to AANATs found in bony vertebrates (VT-AANAT). Examination of the available genomes indicates that VT-AANAT is absent from other forms of life, including the Cephalochordate amphioxus. Phylogenetic analysis and evolutionary rate estimation indicate that VT-AANAT evolved from the nonvertebrate form of AANAT after the Cephalochordate-Vertebrate split over one-half billion years ago. The emergence of VT-AANAT apparently involved a dramatic acceleration of evolution that accompanied neofunctionalization after a duplication of the nonvertebrate AANAT gene. This scenario is consistent with the hypotheses that the advent of VT-AANAT contributed to the evolution of the pineal gland and lateral eyes from a common ancestral photodetector and that it was not a posthoc recruitment.
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Sahai A, Sahai RK. Pineal gland: A structural and functional enigma. J ANAT SOC INDIA 2013. [DOI: 10.1016/j.jasi.2014.01.001] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 10/25/2022]
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Rath MF, Rohde K, Klein DC, Møller M. Homeobox genes in the rodent pineal gland: roles in development and phenotype maintenance. Neurochem Res 2013; 38:1100-12. [PMID: 23076630 PMCID: PMC3570627 DOI: 10.1007/s11064-012-0906-y] [Citation(s) in RCA: 29] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.6] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 08/31/2012] [Revised: 09/19/2012] [Accepted: 10/04/2012] [Indexed: 12/12/2022]
Abstract
The pineal gland is a neuroendocrine gland responsible for nocturnal synthesis of melatonin. During early development of the rodent pineal gland from the roof of the diencephalon, homeobox genes of the orthodenticle homeobox (Otx)- and paired box (Pax)-families are expressed and are essential for normal pineal development consistent with the well-established role that homeobox genes play in developmental processes. However, the pineal gland appears to be unusual because strong homeobox gene expression persists in the pineal gland of the adult brain. Accordingly, in addition to developmental functions, homeobox genes appear to be key regulators in postnatal phenotype maintenance in this tissue. In this paper, we review ontogenetic and phylogenetic aspects of pineal development and recent progress in understanding the involvement of homebox genes in rodent pineal development and adult function. A working model is proposed for understanding the sequential action of homeobox genes in controlling development and mature circadian function of the mammalian pinealocyte based on knowledge from detailed developmental and daily gene expression analyses in rats, the pineal phenotypes of homebox gene-deficient mice and studies on development of the retinal photoreceptor; the pinealocyte and retinal photoreceptor share features not seen in other tissues and are likely to have evolved from the same ancestral photodetector cell.
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Affiliation(s)
- Martin F Rath
- Department of Neuroscience and Pharmacology, Panum Institute 24.2, Faculty of Health and Medical Sciences, University of Copenhagen, Blegdamsvej 3, Copenhagen 2200, Denmark.
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Schang AL, Bleux C, Chenut MC, Ngô-Muller V, Quérat B, Jeanny JC, Counis R, Cohen-Tannoudji J, Laverrière JN. Identification and analysis of two novel sites of rat GnRH receptor gene promoter activity: the pineal gland and retina. Neuroendocrinology 2013; 97:115-31. [PMID: 22414758 DOI: 10.1159/000337661] [Citation(s) in RCA: 9] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.8] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Submit a Manuscript] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 08/01/2011] [Accepted: 02/28/2012] [Indexed: 11/19/2022]
Abstract
BACKGROUND AND AIMS In mammals, activation of pituitary GnRH receptor (GnRHR) by hypothalamic GnRH increases the synthesis and secretion of LH and FSH, which, in turn, regulate gonadal functions. However, GnRHR gene (Gnrhr) expression is not restricted to the pituitary. METHODS To gain insight into the extrapituitary expression of Gnrhr, a transgenic mouse model that expresses the human placental alkaline phosphatase reporter gene driven by the rat Gnrhr promoter was created. RESULTS This study shows that the rat Gnrhr promoter is operative in two functionally related organs, the pineal gland, as early as embryonic day (E) 13.5, and the retina where activity was only detected at E17.5. Accordingly, Gnrhr mRNA were present in both tissues. Transcription factors known to regulate Gnrhr promoter activity such as the LIM homeodomain factors LHX3 and ISL1 were also detected in the retina. Furthermore, transient transfection studies in CHO and gonadotrope cells revealed that OTX2, a major transcription factor in both pineal and retina cell differentiation, is able to activate the Gnrhr promoter together with either CREB or PROP1, depending on the cell context. CONCLUSION Rather than using alternate promoters, Gnrhr expression is directed to diverse cell lineages through specific associations of transcription factors acting on distinct response elements along the same promoter. These data open new avenues regarding GnRH-mediated control of seasonal and circadian rhythms in reproductive physiology.
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Affiliation(s)
- Anne-Laure Schang
- Université Paris Diderot Paris 7, Sorbonne Paris Cité, Biologie Fonctionnelle et Adaptative, EAC CNRS 4413, Physiologie de l'Axe Gonadotrope, Paris, France
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Muranishi Y, Terada K, Furukawa T. An essential role for Rax in retina and neuroendocrine system development. Dev Growth Differ 2012; 54:341-8. [PMID: 22524605 DOI: 10.1111/j.1440-169x.2012.01337.x] [Citation(s) in RCA: 51] [Impact Index Per Article: 4.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 12/24/2022]
Abstract
In vertebrates, the central nervous system (CNS) develops as a highly hierarchical, patterned organ with a vast diversity of neuronal and glial cell types. The vertebrate retina is developmentally a part of the CNS. Establishment of the vertebrate retina requires a series of developmental steps including specification of the anterior neural plate, evagination of the optic vesicles from the ventral forebrain, and differentiation of cells. The transcription factor RAX is a paired-type homeoprotein that plays a critical role in the eye and forebrain development of vertebrate species. Rax is initially expressed in the anterior neural region of developing mouse embryos, and later in the retina, pituitary gland, hypothalamus, and pineal gland. The targeted deletion of Rax in the mouse results in no eye formation and abnormal forebrain formation. In humans, mutations in the RAX gene lead to anophthalmia and microphthalmia. These observations indicate that RAX plays a pivotal role in the establishment of the retina. In addition, recent studies have reported that retina and pituitary gland tissues can be induced in a culture system from embryonic stem cells, using RAX expression as an indicator of neuronal progenitor cells in the induced tissue, and suggesting that the Rax gene is a key factor in neuronal regeneration. This review highlights the biological functions and molecular mechanisms of RAX in retina, pituitary, hypothalamus, and pineal gland development.
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Affiliation(s)
- Yuki Muranishi
- Department of Developmental Biology, Osaka Bioscience Institute, 6-2-4 Furuedai, Suita, Osaka, 565-0874, Japan
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Tosini G, Baba K, Hwang CK, Iuvone PM. Melatonin: an underappreciated player in retinal physiology and pathophysiology. Exp Eye Res 2012; 103:82-9. [PMID: 22960156 DOI: 10.1016/j.exer.2012.08.009] [Citation(s) in RCA: 103] [Impact Index Per Article: 8.6] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 07/09/2012] [Revised: 08/21/2012] [Accepted: 08/23/2012] [Indexed: 12/14/2022]
Abstract
In the vertebrate retina, melatonin is synthesized by the photoreceptors with high levels of melatonin at night and lower levels during the day. Melatonin exerts its influence by interacting with a family of G-protein-coupled receptors that are negatively coupled with adenylyl cyclase. Melatonin receptors belonging to the subtypes MT(1) and MT(2) have been identified in the mammalian retina. MT(1) and MT(2) receptors are found in all layers of the neural retina and in the retinal pigmented epithelium. Melatonin in the eye is believed to be involved in the modulation of many important retinal functions; it can modulate the electroretinogram (ERG), and administration of exogenous melatonin increases light-induced photoreceptor degeneration. Melatonin may also have protective effects on retinal pigment epithelial cells, photoreceptors and ganglion cells. A series of studies have implicated melatonin in the pathogenesis of age-related macular degeneration, and melatonin administration may represent a useful approach to prevent and treat glaucoma. Melatonin is used by millions of people around the world to retard aging, improve sleep performance, mitigate jet lag symptoms, and treat depression. Administration of exogenous melatonin at night may also be beneficial for ocular health, but additional investigation is needed to establish its potential.
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Affiliation(s)
- Gianluca Tosini
- Circadian Rhythms and Sleep Disorders Program, Neuroscience Institute, Morehouse School of Medicine, Atlanta, GA 30310, USA.
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Clokie SJH, Lau P, Kim HH, Coon SL, Klein DC. MicroRNAs in the pineal gland: miR-483 regulates melatonin synthesis by targeting arylalkylamine N-acetyltransferase. J Biol Chem 2012; 287:25312-24. [PMID: 22908386 PMCID: PMC3408182 DOI: 10.1074/jbc.m112.356733] [Citation(s) in RCA: 57] [Impact Index Per Article: 4.8] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 02/27/2012] [Revised: 05/14/2012] [Indexed: 11/06/2022] Open
Abstract
MicroRNAs (miRNAs) play a broad range of roles in biological regulation. In this study, rat pineal miRNAs were profiled for the first time, and their importance was evaluated by focusing on the main function of the pineal gland, melatonin synthesis. Massively parallel sequencing and related methods revealed the miRNA population is dominated by a small group of miRNAs as follows: ~75% is accounted for by 15 miRNAs; miR-182 represents 28%. In addition to miR-182, miR-183 and miR-96 are also highly enriched in the pineal gland, a distinctive pattern also found in the retina. This effort also identified previously unrecognized miRNAs and other small noncoding RNAs. Pineal miRNAs do not exhibit a marked night/day difference in abundance with few exceptions (e.g. 2-fold night/day differences in the abundance of miR-96 and miR-182); this contrasts sharply with the dynamic 24-h pattern that characterizes the pineal transcriptome. During development, the abundance of most pineal gland-enriched miRNAs increases; however, there is a marked decrease in at least one, miR-483. miR-483 is a likely regulator of melatonin synthesis, based on the following. It inhibits melatonin synthesis by pinealocytes in culture; it acts via predicted binding sites in the 3"-UTR of arylalkylamine N-acetyltransferase (Aanat) mRNA, the penultimate enzyme in melatonin synthesis, and it exhibits a developmental profile opposite to that of Aanat transcripts. Additionally, a miR-483 targeted antagonist increased melatonin synthesis in neonatal pinealocytes. These observations support the hypothesis that miR-483 suppresses Aanat mRNA levels during development and that the developmental decrease in miR-483 abundance promotes melatonin synthesis.
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Affiliation(s)
- Samuel J. H. Clokie
- From the Section on Neuroendocrinology, Program in Developmental Endocrinology and Genetics, Eunice Kennedy Shriver NICHD, National Institutes of Health, Bethesda, Maryland 20892 and
| | - Pierre Lau
- the Center for Human Genetics and Leuven Institute for Neurodegenerative Disorders (LIND), University of Leuven, 3000 Leuven, Belgium
| | - Hyun Hee Kim
- From the Section on Neuroendocrinology, Program in Developmental Endocrinology and Genetics, Eunice Kennedy Shriver NICHD, National Institutes of Health, Bethesda, Maryland 20892 and
| | - Steven L. Coon
- From the Section on Neuroendocrinology, Program in Developmental Endocrinology and Genetics, Eunice Kennedy Shriver NICHD, National Institutes of Health, Bethesda, Maryland 20892 and
| | - David C. Klein
- From the Section on Neuroendocrinology, Program in Developmental Endocrinology and Genetics, Eunice Kennedy Shriver NICHD, National Institutes of Health, Bethesda, Maryland 20892 and
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Rovsing L, Clokie S, Bustos DM, Rohde K, Coon SL, Litman T, Rath MF, Møller M, Klein DC. Crx broadly modulates the pineal transcriptome. J Neurochem 2011; 119:262-74. [PMID: 21797868 DOI: 10.1111/j.1471-4159.2011.07405.x] [Citation(s) in RCA: 23] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.8] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 01/24/2023]
Abstract
Cone-rod homeobox (Crx) encodes Crx, a transcription factor expressed selectively in retinal photoreceptors and pinealocytes, the major cell type of the pineal gland. In this study, the influence of Crx on the mammalian pineal gland was studied by light and electron microscopy and by use of microarray and qRTPCR technology, thereby extending previous studies on selected genes (Furukawa et al. 1999). Deletion of Crx was not found to alter pineal morphology, but was found to broadly modulate the mouse pineal transcriptome, characterized by a>2-fold down-regulation of 543 genes and a>2-fold up-regulation of 745 genes (p<0.05). Of these, one of the most highly up-regulated (18-fold) was Hoxc4, a member of the Hox gene family, members of which are known to control gene expression cascades. During a 24-h period, a set of 51 genes exhibited differential day/night expression in pineal glands of wild-type animals; only eight of these were also day/night expressed in the Crx⁻/⁻ pineal gland. However, in the Crx⁻/⁻ pineal gland 41 genes exhibited differential night/day expression that was not seen in wild-type animals. These findings indicate that Crx broadly modulates the pineal transcriptome and also influences differential night/day gene expression in this tissue. Some effects of Crx deletion on the pineal transcriptome might be mediated by Hoxc4 up-regulation.
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Affiliation(s)
- Louise Rovsing
- Department of Neuroscience and Pharmacology, Panum Institute, University of Copenhagen, Copenhagen, Denmark
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Rohde K, Klein DC, Møller M, Rath MF. Rax : developmental and daily expression patterns in the rat pineal gland and retina. J Neurochem 2011; 118:999-1007. [PMID: 21749377 DOI: 10.1111/j.1471-4159.2011.07385.x] [Citation(s) in RCA: 23] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.8] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/28/2022]
Abstract
Retina and anterior neural fold homeobox (Rax) gene encodes a transcription factor essential for vertebrate eye development. Recent microarray studies indicate that Rax is expressed in the adult rat pineal gland and retina. The present study reveals that Rax expression levels in the rat change significantly during retinal development with a peak occurring at embryonic day 18, whereas Rax expression in the pineal is relatively delayed and not detectable until embryonic day 20. In both tissues, Rax is expressed throughout postnatal development into adulthood. In the mature rat pineal gland, the abundance of Rax transcripts increases 2-fold during the light period with a peak occurring at dusk. These findings are consistent with the evidence that Rax is of functional importance in eye development and suggest a role of Rax in the developing pineal gland. In addition, it would appear possible that Rax contributes to phenotype maintenance in the mature retina and pineal gland and may facilitate 24-h changes in the pineal transcriptome.
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Affiliation(s)
- Kristian Rohde
- Department of Neuroscience and Pharmacology, Panum Institute, University of Copenhagen, Copenhagen, Denmark
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Hardeland R. Melatonin metabolism in the central nervous system. Curr Neuropharmacol 2011; 8:168-81. [PMID: 21358968 PMCID: PMC3001211 DOI: 10.2174/157015910792246244] [Citation(s) in RCA: 31] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.4] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 01/30/2010] [Revised: 02/10/2010] [Accepted: 02/18/2010] [Indexed: 01/05/2023] Open
Abstract
The metabolism of melatonin in the central nervous system is of interest for several reasons. Melatonin enters the brain either via the pineal recess or by uptake from the blood. It has been assumed to be also formed in some brain areas. Neuroprotection by melatonin has been demonstrated in numerous model systems, and various attempts have been undertaken to counteract neurodegeneration by melatonin treatment. Several concurrent pathways lead to different products. Cytochrome P450 subforms have been demonstrated in the brain. They either demethylate melatonin to N-acetylserotonin, or produce 6-hydroxymelatonin, which is mostly sulfated already in the CNS. Melatonin is deacetylated, at least in pineal gland and retina, to 5-methoxytryptamine. N1-acetyl-N2-formyl-5-methoxykynuramine is formed by pyrrole-ring cleavage, by myeloperoxidase, indoleamine 2,3-dioxygenase and various non-enzymatic oxidants. Its product, N1-acetyl-5-methoxykynuramine, is of interest as a scavenger of reactive oxygen and nitrogen species, mitochondrial modulator, downregulator of cyclooxygenase-2, inhibitor of cyclooxygenase, neuronal and inducible NO synthases. Contrary to other nitrosated aromates, the nitrosated kynuramine metabolite, 3-acetamidomethyl-6-methoxycinnolinone, does not re-donate NO. Various other products are formed from melatonin and its metabolites by interaction with reactive oxygen and nitrogen species. The relative contribution of the various pathways to melatonin catabolism seems to be influenced by microglia activation, oxidative stress and brain levels of melatonin, which may be strongly changed in experiments on neuroprotection. Many of the melatonin metabolites, which may appear in elevated concentrations after melatonin administration, possess biological or pharmacological properties, including N-acetylserotonin, 5-methoxytryptamine and some of its derivatives, and especially the 5-methoxylated kynuramines.
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Affiliation(s)
- Rüdiger Hardeland
- Johann Friedrich Blumenbach Institute of Zoology and Anthropology, University of Goettingen, Goettingen, Germany
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Zilberman-Peled B, Bransburg-Zabary S, Klein DC, Gothilf Y. Molecular evolution of multiple arylalkylamine N-acetyltransferase (AANAT) in fish. Mar Drugs 2011; 9:906-921. [PMID: 21673898 PMCID: PMC3111191 DOI: 10.3390/md9050906] [Citation(s) in RCA: 22] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.7] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 02/17/2011] [Revised: 05/16/2011] [Accepted: 05/17/2011] [Indexed: 11/26/2022] Open
Abstract
Arylalkylamine N-acetyltransferase (AANAT) catalyzes the transfer of an acetyl group from acetyl coenzyme A (AcCoA) to arylalkylamines, including indolethylamines and phenylethylamines. Multiple aanats are present in teleost fish as a result of whole genome and gene duplications. Fish aanat1a and aanat2 paralogs display different patterns of tissue expression and encode proteins with different substrate preference: AANAT1a is expressed in the retina, and acetylates both indolethylamines and phenylethylamines; while AANAT2 is expressed in the pineal gland, and preferentially acetylates indolethylamines. The two enzymes are therefore thought to serve different roles. Here, the molecular changes that led to their specialization were studied by investigating the structure-function relationships of AANATs in the gilthead seabream (sb, Sperus aurata). Acetylation activity of reciprocal mutated enzymes pointed to specific residues that contribute to substrate specificity of the enzymes. Inhibition tests followed by complementary analyses of the predicted three-dimensional models of the enzymes, suggested that both phenylethylamines and indolethylamines bind to the catalytic pocket of both enzymes. These results suggest that substrate selectivity of AANAT1a and AANAT2 is determined by the positioning of the substrate within the catalytic pocket, and its accessibility to catalysis. This illustrates the evolutionary process by which enzymes encoded by duplicated genes acquire different activities and play different biological roles.
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Affiliation(s)
- Bina Zilberman-Peled
- Department of Neurobiology, George S. Wise Faculty of Life Sciences, Tel Aviv University, Tel Aviv, 69978, Israel; E-Mail:
- Author to whom correspondence should be addressed; E-Mail: ; Tel.: +972-3-6409041; Fax: +972-3-6406329
| | - Sharron Bransburg-Zabary
- Bioinformatics Unit, George S. Wise Faculty of Life Sciences, Tel Aviv University, Tel Aviv, 69978, Israel; E-Mail:
| | - David C. Klein
- Section on Neuroendocrinology, Office of the Scientific Directory, National Institute of Child Health and Human Development, National Institutes of Health, Bethesda, MD 20892, USA; E-Mail:
| | - Yoav Gothilf
- Department of Neurobiology, George S. Wise Faculty of Life Sciences, Tel Aviv University, Tel Aviv, 69978, Israel; E-Mail:
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Bustos DM, Bailey MJ, Sugden D, Carter DA, Rath MF, Møller M, Coon SL, Weller JL, Klein DC. Global daily dynamics of the pineal transcriptome. Cell Tissue Res 2011; 344:1-11. [PMID: 21302120 DOI: 10.1007/s00441-010-1094-1] [Citation(s) in RCA: 13] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 09/20/2010] [Accepted: 11/16/2010] [Indexed: 10/18/2022]
Abstract
Transcriptome profiling of the pineal gland has revealed night/day differences in the expression of a major fraction of the genes active in this tissue, with two-thirds of these being nocturnal increases. A set of over 600 transcripts exhibit two-fold to >100-fold daily differences in abundance. These changes appear to be primarily attributable to adrenergic-cyclic-AMP-dependent mechanisms, which are controlled via a neural pathway that includes the suprachiasmatic nucleus, the master circadian oscillator. In addition to melatonin synthesis, night/day differences in gene expression impact genes associated with several specialized functions, including the immune/inflammation response, photo-transduction, and thyroid hormone/retinoic acid biology. The following nonspecialized cellular features are also affected: adhesion, cell cycle/cell death, cytoskeleton, DNA modification, endothelium, growth, RNA modification, small molecule biology, transcription factors, vesicle biology, signaling involving Ca(2+), cyclic nucleotides, phospholipids, mitogen-activated protein kinases, the Wnt signaling pathway, and protein phosphorylation.
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Affiliation(s)
- Diego M Bustos
- Instituto Tecnológico de Chascomús (Instituto de Investigaciones Biotecnológicas-Instituto Tecnológico de Chascomús), Camino Circunvalación Laguna km 6 cc164, B7130IWA, Chascomús, Argentina
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Molina-Martínez FJ, Jiménez-Martínez MC, Vives-Pastor B. Some questions provoked by a chronic headache (with mixed migraine and cluster headache features) in a woman with a pineal cyst. Answers from a literature review. Cephalalgia 2010; 30:1031-40. [DOI: 10.1177/0333102409359467] [Citation(s) in RCA: 4] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 01/14/2023]
Abstract
The main known function of the pineal gland in humans is the production of melatonin. Benign cysts of the gland have been related to headache, although the mechanism of production of this assumed clinical manifestation has not been clearly determined, due to the lack of large prospective studies. The question is complicated by the fact that pineal cysts are frequently found on brain magnetic resonance imaging. Much has been published about the possible role of benign pineal cysts in the pathophisiology of headaches and the potential of melatonin in headache therapy, as well as in other disorders. The aim of this article is to review the current state of the suject. We have tried to place accurately the relation between headache and pineal cysts based on the available evidence, as well as the actual role of melatonin in physiology and pharmacology, more specifically in headache therapy. We include a clinical case to illustrate the subject.
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Klein DC, Bailey MJ, Carter DA, Kim JS, Shi Q, Ho AK, Chik CL, Gaildrat P, Morin F, Ganguly S, Rath MF, Møller M, Sugden D, Rangel ZG, Munson PJ, Weller JL, Coon SL. Pineal function: impact of microarray analysis. Mol Cell Endocrinol 2010; 314:170-83. [PMID: 19622385 PMCID: PMC3138125 DOI: 10.1016/j.mce.2009.07.010] [Citation(s) in RCA: 36] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.6] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Submit a Manuscript] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 07/08/2009] [Accepted: 07/14/2009] [Indexed: 02/06/2023]
Abstract
Microarray analysis has provided a new understanding of pineal function by identifying genes that are highly expressed in this tissue relative to other tissues and also by identifying over 600 genes that are expressed on a 24-h schedule. This effort has highlighted surprising similarity to the retina and has provided reason to explore new avenues of study including intracellular signaling, signal transduction, transcriptional cascades, thyroid/retinoic acid hormone signaling, metal biology, RNA splicing, and the role the pineal gland plays in the immune/inflammation response. The new foundation that microarray analysis has provided will broadly support future research on pineal function.
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Affiliation(s)
- David C Klein
- Section on Neuroendocrinology, Program on Developmental Endocrinology and Genetics, NICHD, National Institutes of Health, Bethesda, MD 20892, USA.
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Kim JS, Bailey MJ, Weller JL, Sugden D, Rath MF, Møller M, Klein DC. Thyroid hormone and adrenergic signaling interact to control pineal expression of the dopamine receptor D4 gene (Drd4). Mol Cell Endocrinol 2010; 314:128-35. [PMID: 19482058 PMCID: PMC2783391 DOI: 10.1016/j.mce.2009.05.013] [Citation(s) in RCA: 31] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.2] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Submit a Manuscript] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 04/30/2009] [Revised: 05/18/2009] [Accepted: 05/21/2009] [Indexed: 11/28/2022]
Abstract
Dopamine plays diverse and important roles in vertebrate biology, impacting behavior and physiology through actions mediated by specific G-protein-coupled receptors, one of which is the dopamine receptor D4 (Drd4). Here we present studies on the >100-fold daily rhythm in rat pineal Drd4 expression. Our studies indicate that Drd4 is the dominant dopamine receptor gene expressed in the pineal gland. The gene is expressed in pinealocytes at levels which are approximately 100-fold greater than in other tissues, except the retina, in which transcript levels are similar. Pineal Drd4 expression is circadian in nature and under photoneural control. Whereas most rhythmically expressed genes in the pineal are controlled by adrenergic/cAMP signaling, Drd4 expression also requires thyroid hormone. This advance raises the questions of whether Drd4 expression is regulated by this mechanism in other systems and whether thyroid hormone controls expression of other genes in the pineal gland.
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Affiliation(s)
- Jong-So Kim
- Section on Neuroendocrinology, Program on Developmental Endocrinology and Genetics, National Institutes of Health, Bethesda, MD 20892, USA
- Department of Life Science, POSTECH, Pohang 790-784, Korea
| | - Michael J. Bailey
- Section on Neuroendocrinology, Program on Developmental Endocrinology and Genetics, National Institutes of Health, Bethesda, MD 20892, USA
- Department of Poultry Science, Texas A&M University, College Station, TX 77843
| | - Joan L. Weller
- Section on Neuroendocrinology, Program on Developmental Endocrinology and Genetics, National Institutes of Health, Bethesda, MD 20892, USA
| | - David Sugden
- Division of Reproduction and Endocrinology, School of Biomedical & Health Sciences, King's College London, London SE1 1UL, United Kingdom
| | - Martin F. Rath
- Department of Neuroscience and Pharmacology, University of Copenhagen, Panum Institute 24.3, Blegdamsvej 3, DK-2200 Copenhagen, Denmark
| | - Morten Møller
- Department of Neuroscience and Pharmacology, University of Copenhagen, Panum Institute 24.3, Blegdamsvej 3, DK-2200 Copenhagen, Denmark
| | - David C. Klein
- Section on Neuroendocrinology, Program on Developmental Endocrinology and Genetics, National Institutes of Health, Bethesda, MD 20892, USA
- To whom correspondence should be addressed at, Building 49, Room 6A82, National Institutes of Health, Bethesda, MD 20892, USA, Tel.: 301-496-6915; Fax: 301-480-3526;
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Migaud H, Davie A, Taylor JF. Current knowledge on the photoneuroendocrine regulation of reproduction in temperate fish species. JOURNAL OF FISH BIOLOGY 2010; 76:27-68. [PMID: 20738699 DOI: 10.1111/j.1095-8649.2009.02500.x] [Citation(s) in RCA: 131] [Impact Index Per Article: 9.4] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 05/29/2023]
Abstract
Seasonality is an important adaptive trait in temperate fish species as it entrains or regulates most physiological events such as reproductive cycle, growth profile, locomotor activity and key life-stage transitions. Photoperiod is undoubtedly one of the most predictable environmental signals that can be used by most living organisms including fishes in temperate areas. This said, however, understanding of how such a simple signal can dictate the time of gonadal recruitment and spawning, for example, is a complex task. Over the past few decades, many scientists attempted to unravel the roots of photoperiodic signalling in teleosts by investigating the role of melatonin in reproduction, but without great success. In fact, the hormone melatonin is recognized as the biological time-keeping hormone in fishes mainly due to the fact that it reflects the seasonal variation in daylength across the whole animal kingdom rather than the existence of direct evidences of its role in the entrainment of reproduction in fishes. Recently, however, some new studies clearly suggested that melatonin interacts with the reproductive cascade at a number of key steps such as through the dopaminergic system in the brain or the synchronization of the final oocyte maturation in the gonad. Interestingly, in the past few years, additional pathways have become apparent in the search for a fish photoneuroendocrine system including the clock-gene network and kisspeptin signalling and although research on these topics are still in their infancy, it is moving at great pace. This review thus aims to bring together the current knowledge on the photic control of reproduction mainly focusing on seasonal temperate fish species and shape the current working hypotheses supported by recent findings obtained in teleosts or based on knowledge gathered in mammalian and avian species. Four of the main potential regulatory systems (light perception, melatonin, clock genes and kisspeptin) in fish reproduction are reviewed.
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Affiliation(s)
- H Migaud
- Reproduction and Genetics Group, Institute of Aquaculture, University of Stirling, Stirling, FK9 4LA, UK.
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Tan DX, Hardeland R, Manchester LC, Paredes SD, Korkmaz A, Sainz RM, Mayo JC, Fuentes-Broto L, Reiter RJ. The changing biological roles of melatonin during evolution: from an antioxidant to signals of darkness, sexual selection and fitness. Biol Rev Camb Philos Soc 2009; 85:607-23. [PMID: 20039865 DOI: 10.1111/j.1469-185x.2009.00118.x] [Citation(s) in RCA: 92] [Impact Index Per Article: 6.1] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 01/08/2023]
Abstract
Melatonin is a molecule present in a multitude of taxa and may be ubiquitous in organisms. It has been found in bacteria, unicellular eukaryotes, macroalgae, fungi, plants and animals. A primary biological function of melatonin in primitive unicellular organisms is in antioxidant defence to protect against toxic free radical damage. During evolution, melatonin has been adopted by multicellular organisms to perform many other biological functions. These functions likely include the chemical expression of darkness in vertebrates, environmental tolerance in fungi and plants, sexual signaling in birds and fish, seasonal reproductive regulation in photoperiodic mammals, and immunomodulation and anti-inflammatory activity in all vertebrates tested. Moreover, its waning production during aging may indicate senescence in terms of a bio-clock in many organisms. Conversely, high melatonin levels can serve as a signal of vitality and health. The multiple biological functions of melatonin can partially be attributed to its unconventional metabolism which is comprised of multi-enzymatic, pseudo-enzymatic and non-enzymatic pathways. As a result, several bioactive metabolites of melatonin are formed during its metabolism and some of the presumed biological functions of melatonin reported to date may, in fact, be mediated by these metabolites. The changing biological roles of melatonin seem to have evolved from its primary function as an antioxidant.
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Affiliation(s)
- Dun-Xian Tan
- Department of Cellular and Structural Biology, The University of Texas Health Science Center at San Antonio, San Antonio, TX, USA
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Abstract
Seeing begins in the photoreceptors, where light is absorbed and signaled to the nervous system. Throughout the animal kingdom, photoreceptors are diverse in design and purpose. Nonetheless, phototransduction-the mechanism by which absorbed photons are converted into an electrical response-is highly conserved and based almost exclusively on a single class of photoproteins, the opsins. In this Review, we survey the G protein-coupled signaling cascades downstream from opsins in photoreceptors across vertebrate and invertebrate species, noting their similarities as well as differences.
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Affiliation(s)
- King-Wai Yau
- Solomon H. Snyder Department of Neuroscience and Center for Sensory Biology, Johns Hopkins University School of Medicine, Baltimore, MD 21205, USA.
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Toyama R, Chen X, Jhawar N, Aamar E, Epstein J, Reany N, Alon S, Gothilf Y, Klein DC, Dawid IB. Transcriptome analysis of the zebrafish pineal gland. Dev Dyn 2009; 238:1813-26. [PMID: 19504458 DOI: 10.1002/dvdy.21988] [Citation(s) in RCA: 27] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.8] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 01/31/2023] Open
Abstract
The zebrafish pineal gland (epiphysis) is a site of melatonin production, contains photoreceptor cells, and functions as a circadian clock pace maker. Here, we have used microarray technology to study the zebrafish pineal transcriptome. Analysis of gene expression at three larval and two adult stages revealed a highly dynamic transcriptional profile, revealing many genes that are highly expressed in the zebrafish pineal gland. Statistical analysis of the data based on Gene Ontology annotation indicates that many transcription factors are highly expressed during larval stages, whereas genes dedicated to phototransduction are preferentially expressed in the adult. Furthermore, several genes were identified that exhibit day/night differences in expression. Among the multiple candidate genes suggested by these data, we note the identification of a tissue-specific form of the unc119 gene with a possible role in pineal development.
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Affiliation(s)
- Reiko Toyama
- Laboratory of Molecular Genetics, Eunice Kennedy Shriver National Institute of Child Health and Human Development, NIH, Bethesda, Maryland, USA.
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Abstract
The defining feature of the pineal gland is the capacity to function as a melatonin factory that operates on a approximately 24 h schedule, reflecting the unique synthetic capacities of the pinealocyte. Melatonin synthesis is typically elevated at night and serves to provide the organism with a signal of nighttime. Melatonin levels can be viewed as hands of the clock. Issues relating to the evolutionary events leading up to the immergence of this system have not received significant attention. When did melatonin synthesis appear in the evolutionary line leading to vertebrates? When did a distinct pineal gland first appear? What were the forces driving this evolutionary trend? As more knowledge has grown about the pinealocyte and the relationship it has to retinal photoreceptors, it has become possible to generate a plausible hypothesis to explain how the pineal gland and the melatonin rhythm evolved. At the heart of the hypothesis is the melatonin rhythm enzyme arylalkylamine N-acetyltransferase (AANAT). The advances supporting the hypothesis will be reviewed here and expanded beyond the original foundation; the hypothesis and its implications will be addressed.
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Affiliation(s)
- David C Klein
- Department of Health and Human Services, Section on Neuroendocrinology, Office of the Scientific Director, National Institute of Child Health and Human Development, National Institutes of Health, Bethesda, Maryland 20893, USA.
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50
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Abstract
The pineal gland plays a key role in the control of the daily and seasonal rhythms in most vertebrate species. In mammals, rhythmic melatonin (MT) release from the pineal gland is controlled by the suprachiasmatic nucleus via the sympathetic nervous system. In most non-mammalian species, including birds, the pineal gland contains a self-sustained circadian oscillator and several input channels to synchronize the clock, including direct light sensitivity. Avian pineal glands maintain rhythmic activity for days under in vitro conditions. Several physical (light, temperature, and magnetic field) and biochemical (Vasoactive intestinal polypeptide (VIP), norepinephrine, PACAP, etc.) input channels, influencing release of melatonin are also functional in vitro, rendering the explanted avian pineal an excellent model to study the circadian biological clock. Using a perifusion system, we here report that the phase of the circadian melatonin rhythm of the explanted chicken pineal gland can be entrained easily to photoperiods whose length approximates 24 h, even if the light period is extremely short, i.e., 3L:21D. When the length of the photoperiod significantly differs from 24 h, the endogenous MT rhythm becomes distorted and does not follow the light-dark cycle. When explanted chicken pineal fragments were exposed to various drugs targeting specific components of intracellular signal transduction cascades, only those affecting the cAMP-protein kinase-A system modified the MT release temporarily without phase-shifting the rhythm in MT release. The potential role of cGMP remains to be investigated.
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Affiliation(s)
- Valér J Csernus
- Department of Anatomy, University of Pécs, Medical School and Neurohumoral Regulations Research Group of the Hungarian Academy of Sciences, Pécs, Hungary.
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