Leading-process actomyosin coordinates organelle positioning and adhesion receptor dynamics in radially migrating cerebellar granule neurons

ARHGEF5 binds Drebrin and affects α-tubulin acetylation to direct neuronal morphogenesis and migration during mouse brain development

Rho guanine nucleotide exchange factors (Rho GEFs) activate Rho GTPases, which act as molecular switches regulating various essential cellular functions. This study investigated the role of ARHGEF5, a Rho GEF known for its involvement in cell migration and invasion processes, in the context of brain development. We found that ARHGEF5 is essential for dendrite development during the early stages of neuronal growth. We also discovered that ARHGEF5 binds to Drebrin E, which is vital for coordinating actin and microtubule dynamics, and facilitates the interaction between Drebrin E and Cyclin-dependent kinase 5, which phosphorylates Drebrin E. Notably, ARHGEF5 deficiency resulted in a decrease in acetylated α-tubulin levels, and the expression of an α-tubulin acetylation mimetic mutant (K40Q) rescued the defects in dendrite development and neuronal migration, suggesting ARHGEF5's role in modulating microtubule stability. Additionally, ARHGEF5 was shown to influence Golgi positioning in the leading processes of migrating cortical neurons during brain development. Our study suggests that ARHGEF5 plays a crucial role in integrating cytoskeletal dynamics with neuronal morphogenesis and migration processes during brain development.

Cilia and Extracellular Vesicles in Brain Development and Disease

Primary and motile cilia are thin, hair-like cellular projections from the cell surface involved in movement, sensing, and communication between cells. Extracellular vesicles (EVs) are small membrane-bound vesicles secreted by cells and contain various proteins, lipids, and nucleic acids that are delivered to and influence the behavior of other cells. Both cilia and EVs are essential for the normal functioning of brain cells, and their malfunction can lead to several neurological diseases. Cilia and EVs can interact with each other in several ways, and this interplay plays a crucial role in facilitating various biological processes, including cell-to-cell communication, tissue homeostasis, and pathogen defense. Cilia and EV crosstalk in the brain is an emerging area of research. Herein, we summarize the detailed molecular mechanisms of cilia and EV interplay and address the ciliary molecules that are involved in signaling and cellular dysfunction in brain development and diseases. Finally, we discuss the potential clinical use of cilia and EVs in brain diseases.

Junctional Adhesion Molecule (JAM)-C recruitment of Pard3 and drebrin to cell contacts initiates neuron-glia recognition and layer-specific cell sorting in developing cerebella

Sorting maturing neurons into distinct layers is critical for brain development, with disruptions leading to neurological disorders and pediatric cancers. Lamination coordinates where, when, and how cells interact, facilitating events that direct migrating neurons to their destined positions within emerging neural networks and control the wiring of connections in functional circuits. While the role of adhesion molecule expression and presentation in driving adhesive recognition during neuronal migration along glial fibers is recognized, the mechanisms by which the spatial arrangement of these molecules on the cell surface dictates adhesive specificity and translates contact-based external cues into intracellular responses like polarization and cytoskeletal organization remain largely unexplored. We used the cerebellar granule neuron (CGN) system to demonstrate that JAM-C receptor cis-binding on the same cell and trans-binding to neighboring cells controls the recruitment of the Pard3 polarity protein and drebrin microtubule-actin crosslinker at CGN to glial adhesion sites, complementing previous studies that showed Pard3 controls JAM-C exocytic surface presentation. Leveraging advanced imaging techniques, specific probes for cell recognition, and analytical methods to dissect adhesion dynamics, our findings reveal: 1) JAM-C cis or trans mutants result in reduced adhesion formation between CGNs and cerebellar glia, 2) these mutants exhibit delayed recruitment of Pard3 at the adhesion sites, and 3) CGNs with JAM-C mutations experience postponed sorting and entry into the cerebellar molecular layer (ML). By developing a conditional system to image adhesion components from two different cells simultaneously, we made it possible to investigate the dynamics of cell recognition on both sides of neuron-glial contacts and the subsequent recruitment of proteins required for CGN migration. This system and an approach that calculates local correlation based on convolution kernels at the cell adhesions site revealed that CGN to CGN JAM recognition preferentially recruits higher levels of Pard3 and drebrin than CGN to glia JAM recognition. The long latency time of CGNs in the inner external germinal layer (EGL) can be attributed to the combined strength of CGN-CGN contacts and the less efficient Pard3 recruitment by CGN-BG contacts, acting as gatekeepers to ML entry. As CGNs eventually transition to glia binding for radial migration, our research demonstrates that establishing permissive JAM-recognition sites on glia via cis and trans interactions of CGN JAM-C serves as a critical temporal checkpoint for sorting at the EGL to ML boundary. This mechanism integrates intrinsic and extrinsic cellular signals, facilitating heterotypic cell sorting into the ML and dictating the precise spatial organization within the cerebellar architecture.

Rac1 and Rac3 GTPases and TPC2 are required for axonal outgrowth and migration of cortical interneurons

Rho GTPases, among them Rac1 and Rac3, are major transducers of extracellular signals and are involved in multiple cellular processes. In cortical interneurons, the neurons that control the balance between excitation and inhibition of cortical circuits, Rac1 and Rac3 are essential for their development. Ablation of both leads to a severe reduction in the numbers of mature interneurons found in the murine cortex, which is partially due to abnormal cell cycle progression of interneuron precursors and defective formation of growth cones in young neurons. Here, we present new evidence that upon Rac1 and Rac3 ablation, centrosome, Golgi complex and lysosome positioning is significantly perturbed, thus affecting both interneuron migration and axon growth. Moreover, for the first time, we provide evidence of altered expression and localization of the two-pore channel 2 (TPC2) voltage-gated ion channel that mediates Ca2+ release. Pharmacological inhibition of TPC2 negatively affected axonal growth and migration of interneurons. Our data, taken together, suggest that TPC2 contributes to the severe phenotype in axon growth initiation, extension and interneuron migration in the absence of Rac1 and Rac3.

The Primary Cilium and Neuronal Migration

The primary cilium (PC) is a microtubule-based tiny sensory organelle emanating from the centrosome and protruding from the surface of most eukaryotic cells, including neurons. The extremely severe phenotypes of ciliopathies have suggested their paramount importance for multiple developmental events, including brain formation. Neuronal migration is an essential step of neural development, with all neurons traveling from their site of birth to their site of integration. Neurons perform a unique type of cellular migration called cyclic saltatory migration, where their soma periodically jumps along with the stereotyped movement of their centrosome. We will review here how the role of the PC on cell motility was first described in non-neuronal cells as a guide pointing to the direction of migration. We will see then how these findings are extended to neuronal migration. In neurons, the PC appears to regulate the rhythm of cyclic saltatory neuronal migration in multiple systems. Finally, we will review recent findings starting to elucidate how extracellular cues sensed by the PC could be intracellularly transduced to regulate the machinery of neuronal migration. The PC of migrating neurons was unexpectedly discovered to display a rhythmic extracellular emergence during each cycle of migration, with this transient exposure to the external environment associated with periodic transduction of cyclic adenosine monophosphate (cAMP) signaling at the centrosome. The PC in migrating neurons thus uniquely appears as a beat maker, regulating the tempo of cyclic saltatory migration.

Oscillation of Cdc20-APC/C-mediated CAMDI stability is critical for cortical neuron migration

Radial migration during cortical development is required for formation of the six-layered structure of the mammalian cortex. Defective migration of neurons is linked to several developmental disorders such as autism and schizophrenia. A unique swollen structure called the dilation is formed in migrating neurons and is required for movement of the centrosome and nucleus. However, the detailed molecular mechanism by which this dilation forms is unclear. We report that CAMDI, a gene whose deletion is associated with psychiatric behavior, is degraded by cell division cycle protein 20 (Cdc20)–anaphase-promoting complex/cyclosome (APC/C) cell-cycle machinery after centrosome migration into the dilation in mouse brain development. We also show that CAMDI is restabilized in the dilation until the centrosome enters the dilation, at which point it is once again immediately destabilized. CAMDI degradation is carried out by binding to Cdc20–APC/C via the destruction box degron of CAMDI. CAMDI destruction box mutant overexpression inhibits dilation formation and neuronal cell migration via maintaining the stabilized state of CAMDI. These results indicate that CAMDI is a substrate of the Cdc20–APC/C system and that the oscillatory regulation of CAMDI protein correlates with dilation formation for proper cortical migration.

In vitro Time-lapse Imaging of Primary Cilium in Migrating Neuroblasts

Neuronal migration is a critical step for the development of neuronal circuits in the brain. Immature new neurons (neuroblasts) generated in the postnatal ventricular-subventricular zone (V-SVZ) show a remarkable potential to migrate for a long distance at a high speed in the postnatal mammalian brain, and are thus a powerful model to analyze the molecular and cellular mechanisms of neuronal migration. Here we describe a methodology for in vitro time-lapse imaging of the primary cilium and its related structures in migrating V-SVZ-derived neuroblasts using confocal or superresolution laser-scanning microscopy. The V-SVZ tissues are dissected from postnatal day 0-1 (P0-1) mouse brains and dissociated into single cells by trypsinization and gentle pipetting. These cells are then transduced with a plasmid(s) encoding a gene(s) of interest, aggregated by centrifugation, and cultured for 2 days in Matrigel. Time-lapse images of migratory behaviors of cultured neuroblasts and their ciliary structures, including the ciliary membrane and basal body, are acquired by confocal or superresolution laser-scanning microscopy. This method provides information about the spatiotemporal dynamics of neuroblasts' morphology and ciliary structures, and is widely applicable to various types of migrating neuronal and nonneuronal cells in various species.

Active random forces can drive differential cellular positioning and enhance motor-driven transport

Cells are remarkable machines capable of performing an exquisite range of functions, many of which depend crucially on the activity of molecular motors that generate forces. Recent experiments have shown that intracellular random movements are not solely thermal in nature but also arise from stochasticity in the forces from these molecular motors. Here we consider the effects of these nonthermal random forces. We show that stochastic motor force not only enhances diffusion but also leads to size-dependent transport of objects that depends on the local density of the cytoskeletal filaments on which motors operate. As a consequence, we find that objects that are larger than the mesh size of the cytoskeleton should be attracted to regions of high cytoskeletal density, while objects that are smaller than the mesh size will preferentially avoid these regions. These results suggest a mechanism for size-based organelle positioning and also suggest that motor-driven random forces can additionally enhance motor-driven transport.

Primary cilium-dependent cAMP/PKA signaling at the centrosome regulates neuronal migration

The primary cilium (PC) is a small centrosome-assembled organelle, protruding from the surface of most eukaryotic cells. It plays a key role in cell migration, but the underlying mechanisms are unknown. Here, we show that the PC regulates neuronal migration via cyclic adenosine 3'-5' monosphosphate (cAMP) production activating centrosomal protein kinase A (PKA). Biosensor live imaging revealed a periodic cAMP hotspot at the centrosome of embryonic, postnatal, and adult migrating neurons. Genetic ablation of the PC, or knockdown of ciliary adenylate cyclase 3, caused hotspot disappearance and migratory defects, with defective centrosome dynamics and altered nucleokinesis. Delocalization of PKA from the centrosome phenocopied the migratory defects. Our results show that the PC and centrosome form a single cAMP signaling unit dynamically regulating migration, further highlighting the centrosome as a signaling hub.

Dynamic Changes in Ultrastructure of the Primary Cilium in Migrating Neuroblasts in the Postnatal Brain

New neurons, referred to as neuroblasts, are continuously generated in the ventricular-subventricular zone of the brain throughout an animal's life. These neuroblasts are characterized by their unique potential for proliferation, formation of chain-like cell aggregates, and long-distance and high-speed migration through the rostral migratory stream (RMS) toward the olfactory bulb (OB), where they decelerate and differentiate into mature interneurons. The dynamic changes of ultrastructural features in postnatal-born neuroblasts during migration are not yet fully understood. Here we report the presence of a primary cilium, and its ultrastructural morphology and spatiotemporal dynamics, in migrating neuroblasts in the postnatal RMS and OB. The primary cilium was observed in migrating neuroblasts in the postnatal RMS and OB in male and female mice and zebrafish, and a male rhesus monkey. Inhibition of intraflagellar transport molecules in migrating neuroblasts impaired their ciliogenesis and rostral migration toward the OB. Serial section transmission electron microscopy revealed that each migrating neuroblast possesses either a pair of centrioles or a basal body with an immature or mature primary cilium. Using immunohistochemistry, live imaging, and serial block-face scanning electron microscopy, we demonstrate that the localization and orientation of the primary cilium are altered depending on the mitotic state, saltatory migration, and deceleration of neuroblasts. Together, our results highlight a close mutual relationship between spatiotemporal regulation of the primary cilium and efficient chain migration of neuroblasts in the postnatal brain.SIGNIFICANCE STATEMENT Immature neurons (neuroblasts) generated in the postnatal brain have a mitotic potential and migrate in chain-like cell aggregates toward the olfactory bulb. Here we report that migrating neuroblasts possess a tiny cellular protrusion called a primary cilium. Immunohistochemical studies with zebrafish, mouse, and monkey brains suggest that the presence of the primary cilium in migrating neuroblasts is evolutionarily conserved. Ciliogenesis in migrating neuroblasts in the rostral migratory stream is suppressed during mitosis and promoted after cell cycle exit. Moreover, live imaging and 3D electron microscopy revealed that ciliary localization and orientation change during saltatory movement of neuroblasts. Our results reveal highly organized dynamics in maturation and positioning of the primary cilium during neuroblast migration that underlie saltatory movement of postnatal-born neuroblasts.

The 5-HT6 receptor interactome: New insight in receptor signaling and its impact on brain physiology and pathologies

The serotonin (5-HT)₆ receptor is a Gs-coupled receptor exclusively expressed in the central nervous system. Highest receptor densities are found in brain regions implicated in mnemonic functions where the receptor is primarily but not exclusively located in the primary cilium of neurons. The 5-HT₆ receptor continues to raise particular interest for neuropharmacologists, given the pro-cognitive effects of antagonists in a wide range of cognitive impairment paradigms in rodents and human. The 5-HT₆ receptor also finely controls key neuro-developmental processes including neuron migration and differentiation. However, its influence upon neurodevelopment and cognition is not solely mediated by its coupling to the Gs-adenylyl cyclase pathway, suggesting alternative signal transduction mechanisms. This prompted studies aimed at characterizing the receptor interactome that identified 125 candidate receptor partners, making the 5-HT₆ receptor one of the G protein-coupled receptors with the most extensively characterized interactome. These studies showed that the receptor localization at the plasma membrane and, consequently, its signal transduction, are finely modulated by several receptor partners. They demonstrated that prefrontal 5-HT₆ receptors engage the mTOR pathway to compromise cognition in neurodevelopmental models of schizophrenia, and a role of the 5-HT₆-mTOR pathway in temporal epilepsy. Finally, they revealed that the receptor activates Cdk5 signaling in an agonist-independent manner through a mechanism involving receptor phosphorylation by the associated Cdk5 and highlighted its key role in the migration of neurons and neurite growth. These new receptor-operated signaling mechanisms should be considered in the future development of drugs acting on 5-HT₆ receptors. This article is part of the special issue entitled 'Serotonin Research: Crossing Scales and Boundaries'.

Yap/Taz are required for establishing the cerebellar radial glia scaffold and proper foliation

Yap/Taz are well-established downstream effectors of the Hippo pathway, known to regulate organ size by directing proliferation and apoptosis. Although the functions of Yap/Taz have been extensively studied, little is known about their role in brain development. Here, through genetic ablation, we show that Yap/Taz are required for cerebellar morphogenesis. Yap/Taz deletion in neural progenitors causes defects in secondary fissure formation, leading to abnormal folia development. Although they seemed very likely to serve an important function in the development of cerebellar granule cell precursors, Yap/Taz are dispensable for their proliferation. Furthermore, Yap/Taz loss does not rescue the medulloblastoma phenotype caused by constitutively active Smoothened. Importantly, Yap/Taz are highly expressed in radial glia and play a crucial role in establishing the radial scaffold and cellular polarity of neural progenitors during embryogenesis. We found that Yap/Taz are necessary to establish and maintain junctional integrity of cerebellar neuroepithelium as prominent junction proteins are not maintained at the apical junction in the absence of Yap/Taz. Our study identifies a novel function of Yap/Taz in cerebellar foliation and finds that they are required to establish the radial glia scaffold and junctional stability.

Neural stem cells deriving from chick embryonic hindbrain recapitulate hindbrain development in culture

Neural stem cells (NSCs) are self-renewing multipotent cells that line the neural-tube and generate all the nervous system. Understanding NSC biology is fundamental for neurodevelopmental research and therapy. Many studies emphasized the need to culture NSCs, which are typically purified from mammalian embryonic/adult brains. These sources are somewhat limited in terms of quantity, availability and animal ethical guidelines. Therefore, new sources are needed. The chick is a powerful system for experimental embryology which contributed enormously to neurodevelopmental concepts. Its accessibility, genetic/molecular manipulations, and homology to other vertebrates, makes it valuable for developmental biology research. Recently, we identified a population of NSCs in the chick hindbrain. It resides in rhombomere-boundaries, expresses Sox2 and generates progenitors and neurons. Here, we investigated whether these cells can recapitulate hindbrain development in culture. By developing approaches to propagate and image cells, manipulate their growth-conditions and separate them into subpopulations, we demonstrate the ordered formation of multipotent and self-renewing neurospheres that maintain regional identity and display differential stem/differentiation/proliferation properties. Live imaging revealed new cellular dynamics in the culture. Collectively, these NSC cultures reproduce major aspects of hindbrain development in-vitro, proposing the chick as a model for culturing hindbrain-NSCs that can be directly applied to other neural-tube domains and species.

Seven in Absentia E3 Ubiquitin Ligases: Central Regulators of Neural Cell Fate and Neuronal Polarity

During neural development, neural precursors transition from a proliferative state within their germinal niches to a migratory state as they relocate to their final laminar positions. Transitions across these states are coupled with dynamic alterations in cellular polarity. This key feature can be seen throughout the developing vertebrate brain, in which neural stem cells give rise to multipolar or unpolarized transit-amplifying progenitors. These transit-amplifying progenitors then expand to give rise to mature neuronal lineages that become polarized as they initiate radial migration to their final laminar positions. The conventional understanding of the cellular polarity regulatory program has revolved around signaling cascades and transcriptional networks. In this review, we discuss recent discoveries concerning the role of the Siah2 ubiquitin ligase in initiating neuronal polarity during cerebellar development. Given the unique features of Siah ubiquitin ligases, we highlight some of the key substrates that play important roles in cellular polarity and propose a function for the Siah ubiquitin proteasome pathway in mediating a post-translational regulatory network to control the onset of polarization.

Genetic and Molecular Approaches to Study Neuronal Migration in the Developing Cerebral Cortex

The migration of neuronal cells in the developing cerebral cortex is essential for proper development of the brain and brain networks. Disturbances in this process, due to genetic abnormalities or exogenous factors, leads to aberrant brain formation, brain network formation, and brain function. In the last decade, there has been extensive research in the field of neuronal migration. In this review, we describe different methods and approaches to assess and study neuronal migration in the developing cerebral cortex. First, we discuss several genetic methods, techniques and genetic models that have been used to study neuronal migration in the developing cortex. Second, we describe several molecular approaches to study aberrant neuronal migration in the cortex which can be used to elucidate the underlying mechanisms of neuronal migration. Finally, we describe model systems to investigate and assess the potential toxicity effect of prenatal exposure to environmental chemicals on proper brain formation and neuronal migration.

Drebrin-mediated microtubule-actomyosin coupling steers cerebellar granule neuron nucleokinesis and migration pathway selection

Neuronal migration from a germinal zone to a final laminar position is essential for the morphogenesis of neuronal circuits. While it is hypothesized that microtubule–actomyosin crosstalk is required for a neuron's ‘two-stroke' nucleokinesis cycle, the molecular mechanisms controlling such crosstalk are not defined. By using the drebrin microtubule–actin crosslinking protein as an entry point into the cerebellar granule neuron system in combination with super-resolution microscopy, we investigate how these cytoskeletal systems interface during migration. Lattice light-sheet and structured illumination microscopy reveal a proximal leading process nanoscale architecture wherein f-actin and drebrin intervene between microtubules and the plasma membrane. Functional perturbations of drebrin demonstrate that proximal leading process microtubule–actomyosin coupling steers the direction of centrosome and somal migration, as well as the switch from tangential to radial migration. Finally, the Siah2 E3 ubiquitin ligase antagonizes drebrin function, suggesting a model for control of the microtubule–actomyosin interfaces during neuronal differentiation.

Neuronal migration is vital for neuronal circuit morphogenesis and is thought to rely on microtubule-actomyosin crosstalk. Here, the authors use super-resolution imaging and the drebrin microtubule-actin crosslinking protein to show that microtubule-actomyosin coupling controls the direction of centrosome and somal motility.

Neuron's little helper: The role of primary cilia in neurogenesis

The generation of new neurons involves a great variety of cell-extrinsic and cell-intrinsic signals. The primary cilium, long regarded as an "evolutionary vestige," has emerged as an essential signaling hub in many cells, including neural progenitors and differentiating neurons. Most progenitors harbor an apically-localized primary cilium, which is assembled and disassembled following the cell cycle, while the presence, position and length of this organelle appears to be even more variable in differentiating neurons. One of the main extracellular cues acting through the cilium is Sonic Hedgehog, which modulates spatial patterning, the progression of the cell cycle and the timing of neurogenesis. Other extracellular signals appear to bind to cilia-localized receptors and affect processes such as dendritogenesis. All the observed dynamics, as well as the many signaling pathways depending on cilia, indicate this organelle as an important structure involved in neurogenesis.