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Thomas SJ, Ghosh B, Wang Z, Yang M, Nong J, Severa J, Wright MC, Zhong Y, Lepore AC. Hepatocyte Growth Factor Delivery to Injured Cervical Spinal Cord Using an Engineered Biomaterial Protects Respiratory Neural Circuitry and Preserves Functional Diaphragm Innervation. J Neurotrauma 2024. [PMID: 39078323 DOI: 10.1089/neu.2024.0084] [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: 07/31/2024] Open
Abstract
A major portion of spinal cord injury (SCI) cases occur in the cervical region, where essential components of the respiratory neural circuitry are located. Phrenic motor neurons (PhMNs) housed at cervical spinal cord level C3-C5 directly innervate the diaphragm, and SCI-induced damage to these cells severely impairs respiratory function. In this study, we tested a biomaterial-based approach aimed at preserving this critical phrenic motor circuitry after cervical SCI by locally delivering hepatocyte growth factor (HGF). HGF is a potent mitogen that promotes survival, proliferation, migration, repair, and regeneration of a number of different cell and tissue types in response to injury. We developed a hydrogel-based HGF delivery system that can be injected into the intrathecal space for local delivery of high levels of HGF without damaging the spinal cord. Implantation of HGF hydrogel after unilateral C5 contusion-type SCI in rats preserved diaphragm function, as assessed by in vivo recordings of both compound muscle action potentials and inspiratory electromyography amplitudes. HGF hydrogel also preserved PhMN innervation of the diaphragm, as assessed by both retrograde PhMN tracing and detailed neuromuscular junction morphological analysis. Furthermore, HGF hydrogel significantly decreased lesion size and degeneration of cervical motor neuron cell bodies, as well as reduced levels surrounding the injury site of scar-associated chondroitin sulfate proteoglycan molecules that limit axon growth capacity. Our findings demonstrate that local biomaterial-based delivery of HGF hydrogel to injured cervical spinal cord is an effective strategy for preserving respiratory circuitry and diaphragm function.
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Affiliation(s)
- Samantha J Thomas
- Department of Neuroscience, Vickie and Jack Farber Institute for Neuroscience, Sidney Kimmel Medical College at Thomas Jefferson University, Philadelphia, Pennsylvania, USA
| | - Biswarup Ghosh
- Department of Neuroscience, Vickie and Jack Farber Institute for Neuroscience, Sidney Kimmel Medical College at Thomas Jefferson University, Philadelphia, Pennsylvania, USA
| | - Zhicheng Wang
- School of Biomedical Engineering, Science and Health Systems, Drexel University, Philadelphia, Pennsylvania, USA
| | - Mengxi Yang
- School of Biomedical Engineering, Science and Health Systems, Drexel University, Philadelphia, Pennsylvania, USA
| | - Jia Nong
- School of Biomedical Engineering, Science and Health Systems, Drexel University, Philadelphia, Pennsylvania, USA
| | - Jenna Severa
- Department of Neuroscience, Vickie and Jack Farber Institute for Neuroscience, Sidney Kimmel Medical College at Thomas Jefferson University, Philadelphia, Pennsylvania, USA
| | - Megan C Wright
- Department of Biology, Arcadia University, Glenside, Pennsylvania, USA
| | - Yinghui Zhong
- School of Biomedical Engineering, Science and Health Systems, Drexel University, Philadelphia, Pennsylvania, USA
| | - Angelo C Lepore
- Department of Neuroscience, Vickie and Jack Farber Institute for Neuroscience, Sidney Kimmel Medical College at Thomas Jefferson University, Philadelphia, Pennsylvania, USA
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Chung DEC, Deng X, Yalamanchili HK, Revelli JP, Han AL, Tadros B, Richman R, Dias M, Naini FA, Boeynaems S, Hyman BT, Zoghbi HY. The big tau splice isoform resists Alzheimer's-related pathological changes. BIORXIV : THE PREPRINT SERVER FOR BIOLOGY 2024:2024.07.30.605685. [PMID: 39211086 PMCID: PMC11360890 DOI: 10.1101/2024.07.30.605685] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 09/04/2024]
Abstract
In Alzheimer's disease (AD), the microtubule-binding protein tau becomes abnormally hyperphosphorylated and aggregated in selective brain regions such as the cortex and hippocampus 1-3 . However, other brain regions like the cerebellum and brain stem remain largely intact despite the universal expression of tau throughout the brain. Here, we found that an understudied splice isoform of tau termed "big tau" is significantly more abundant in the brain regions less vulnerable to tau pathology compared to tau pathology-vulnerable regions. We used various cellular and animal models to demonstrate that big tau possesses multiple properties that can resist AD-related pathological changes. Importantly, human AD patients show a higher expression level of pathology-resisting big tau in the cerebellum, the brain region spared from tau pathology. Our study examines the unique properties of big tau, expanding our current understanding of tau pathophysiology. Altogether, our data suggest that alternative splicing to favor big tau is a viable strategy to modulate tau pathology.
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Acri DJ, You Y, Tate MD, Karahan H, Martinez P, McCord B, Sharify AD, John S, Kim B, Dabin LC, Philtjens S, Wijeratne HS, McCray TJ, Smith DC, Bissel SJ, Lamb BT, Lasagna-Reeves CA, Kim J. Network analysis identifies strain-dependent response to tau and tau seeding-associated genes. J Exp Med 2023; 220:e20230180. [PMID: 37606887 PMCID: PMC10443211 DOI: 10.1084/jem.20230180] [Citation(s) in RCA: 1] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 01/29/2023] [Revised: 06/05/2023] [Accepted: 07/27/2023] [Indexed: 08/23/2023] Open
Abstract
Previous research demonstrated that genetic heterogeneity is a critical factor in modeling amyloid accumulation and other Alzheimer's disease phenotypes. However, it is unknown what mechanisms underlie these effects of genetic background on modeling tau aggregate-driven pathogenicity. In this study, we induced tau aggregation in wild-derived mice by expressing MAPT. To investigate the effect of genetic background on the action of tau aggregates, we performed RNA sequencing with brains of C57BL/6J, CAST/EiJ, PWK/PhJ, and WSB/EiJ mice (n = 64) and determined core transcriptional signature conserved in all genetic backgrounds and signature unique to wild-derived backgrounds. By measuring tau seeding activity using the cortex, we identified 19 key genes associated with tau seeding and amyloid response. Interestingly, microglial pathways were strongly associated with tau seeding activity in CAST/EiJ and PWK/PhJ backgrounds. Collectively, our study demonstrates that mouse genetic context affects tau-mediated alteration of transcriptome and tau seeding. The gene modules associated with tau seeding provide an important resource to better model tauopathy.
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Affiliation(s)
- Dominic J. Acri
- Stark Neurosciences Research Institute, Indiana UniversitySchool of Medicine, Indianapolis, IN, USA
- Medical Neuroscience Graduate Program, Indiana UniversitySchool of Medicine, Indianapolis, IN, USA
| | - Yanwen You
- Stark Neurosciences Research Institute, Indiana UniversitySchool of Medicine, Indianapolis, IN, USA
- Department of Anatomy, Cell Biology and Physiology, Indiana UniversitySchool of Medicine, Indianapolis, IN, USA
| | - Mason D. Tate
- Stark Neurosciences Research Institute, Indiana UniversitySchool of Medicine, Indianapolis, IN, USA
- Medical Neuroscience Graduate Program, Indiana UniversitySchool of Medicine, Indianapolis, IN, USA
| | - Hande Karahan
- Stark Neurosciences Research Institute, Indiana UniversitySchool of Medicine, Indianapolis, IN, USA
- Department of Medical and Molecular Genetics, Indiana UniversitySchool of Medicine, Indianapolis, IN, USA
| | - Pablo Martinez
- Department of Anatomy, Cell Biology and Physiology, Indiana UniversitySchool of Medicine, Indianapolis, IN, USA
| | - Brianne McCord
- Stark Neurosciences Research Institute, Indiana UniversitySchool of Medicine, Indianapolis, IN, USA
- Department of Medical and Molecular Genetics, Indiana UniversitySchool of Medicine, Indianapolis, IN, USA
| | - A. Daniel Sharify
- Stark Neurosciences Research Institute, Indiana UniversitySchool of Medicine, Indianapolis, IN, USA
- Department of Medical and Molecular Genetics, Indiana UniversitySchool of Medicine, Indianapolis, IN, USA
| | - Sutha John
- Stark Neurosciences Research Institute, Indiana UniversitySchool of Medicine, Indianapolis, IN, USA
- Department of Medical and Molecular Genetics, Indiana UniversitySchool of Medicine, Indianapolis, IN, USA
| | - Byungwook Kim
- Stark Neurosciences Research Institute, Indiana UniversitySchool of Medicine, Indianapolis, IN, USA
- Department of Medical and Molecular Genetics, Indiana UniversitySchool of Medicine, Indianapolis, IN, USA
| | - Luke C. Dabin
- Stark Neurosciences Research Institute, Indiana UniversitySchool of Medicine, Indianapolis, IN, USA
- Department of Medical and Molecular Genetics, Indiana UniversitySchool of Medicine, Indianapolis, IN, USA
| | - Stéphanie Philtjens
- Stark Neurosciences Research Institute, Indiana UniversitySchool of Medicine, Indianapolis, IN, USA
- Department of Medical and Molecular Genetics, Indiana UniversitySchool of Medicine, Indianapolis, IN, USA
| | - H.R. Sagara Wijeratne
- Stark Neurosciences Research Institute, Indiana UniversitySchool of Medicine, Indianapolis, IN, USA
- Department of Biochemistry and Molecular Biology, Indiana UniversitySchool of Medicine, Indianapolis, IN, USA
| | - Tyler J. McCray
- Stark Neurosciences Research Institute, Indiana UniversitySchool of Medicine, Indianapolis, IN, USA
- Medical Neuroscience Graduate Program, Indiana UniversitySchool of Medicine, Indianapolis, IN, USA
| | - Daniel C. Smith
- Stark Neurosciences Research Institute, Indiana UniversitySchool of Medicine, Indianapolis, IN, USA
- Medical Neuroscience Graduate Program, Indiana UniversitySchool of Medicine, Indianapolis, IN, USA
| | - Stephanie J. Bissel
- Stark Neurosciences Research Institute, Indiana UniversitySchool of Medicine, Indianapolis, IN, USA
- Department of Medical and Molecular Genetics, Indiana UniversitySchool of Medicine, Indianapolis, IN, USA
| | - Bruce T. Lamb
- Stark Neurosciences Research Institute, Indiana UniversitySchool of Medicine, Indianapolis, IN, USA
- Department of Medical and Molecular Genetics, Indiana UniversitySchool of Medicine, Indianapolis, IN, USA
| | - Cristian A. Lasagna-Reeves
- Stark Neurosciences Research Institute, Indiana UniversitySchool of Medicine, Indianapolis, IN, USA
- Department of Anatomy, Cell Biology and Physiology, Indiana UniversitySchool of Medicine, Indianapolis, IN, USA
- Center for Computational Biology and Bioinformatics, Indiana UniversitySchool of Medicine, Indianapolis, IN, USA
| | - Jungsu Kim
- Stark Neurosciences Research Institute, Indiana UniversitySchool of Medicine, Indianapolis, IN, USA
- Department of Medical and Molecular Genetics, Indiana UniversitySchool of Medicine, Indianapolis, IN, USA
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Acri DJ, You Y, Tate MD, McCord B, Sharify AD, John S, Karahan H, Kim B, Dabin LC, Philtjens S, Wijeratne HS, McCray TJ, Smith DC, Bissel SJ, Lamb BT, Lasagna-Reeves CA, Kim J. Network analysis reveals strain-dependent response to misfolded tau aggregates. BIORXIV : THE PREPRINT SERVER FOR BIOLOGY 2023:2023.01.28.526029. [PMID: 36778440 PMCID: PMC9915505 DOI: 10.1101/2023.01.28.526029] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 02/01/2023]
Abstract
Mouse genetic backgrounds have been shown to modulate amyloid accumulation and propagation of tau aggregates. Previous research into these effects has highlighted the importance of studying the impact of genetic heterogeneity on modeling Alzheimer's disease. However, it is unknown what mechanisms underly these effects of genetic background on modeling Alzheimer's disease, specifically tau aggregate-driven pathogenicity. In this study, we induced tau aggregation in wild-derived mice by expressing MAPT (P301L). To investigate the effect of genetic background on the action of tau aggregates, we performed RNA sequencing with brains of 6-month-old C57BL/6J, CAST/EiJ, PWK/PhJ, and WSB/EiJ mice (n=64). We also measured tau seeding activity in the cortex of these mice. We identified three gene signatures: core transcriptional signature, unique signature for each wild-derived genetic background, and tau seeding-associated signature. Our data suggest that microglial response to tau seeds is elevated in CAST/EiJ and PWK/PhJ mice. Together, our study provides the first evidence that mouse genetic context influences the seeding of tau. SUMMARY Seeding of tau predates the phosphorylation and spreading of tau aggregates. Acri and colleagues report transcriptomic responses to tau and elevated tau seeds in wild-derived mice. This paper creates a rich resource by combining genetics, tau biosensor assays, and transcriptomics.
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High-content image-based analysis and proteomic profiling identifies Tau phosphorylation inhibitors in a human iPSC-derived glutamatergic neuronal model of tauopathy. Sci Rep 2021; 11:17029. [PMID: 34426604 PMCID: PMC8382845 DOI: 10.1038/s41598-021-96227-5] [Citation(s) in RCA: 5] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.7] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 05/06/2021] [Accepted: 08/05/2021] [Indexed: 12/19/2022] Open
Abstract
Mutations in MAPT (microtubule-associated protein tau) cause frontotemporal dementia (FTD). MAPT mutations are associated with abnormal tau phosphorylation levels and accumulation of misfolded tau protein that can propagate between neurons ultimately leading to cell death (tauopathy). Recently, a p.A152T tau variant was identified as a risk factor for FTD, Alzheimer's disease, and synucleinopathies. Here we used induced pluripotent stem cells (iPSC) from a patient carrying this p.A152T variant to create a robust, functional cellular assay system for probing pathophysiological tau accumulation and phosphorylation. Using stably transduced iPSC-derived neural progenitor cells engineered to enable inducible expression of the pro-neural transcription factor Neurogenin 2 (Ngn2), we generated disease-relevant, cortical-like glutamatergic neurons in a scalable, high-throughput screening compatible format. Utilizing automated confocal microscopy, and an advanced image-processing pipeline optimized for analysis of morphologically complex human neuronal cultures, we report quantitative, subcellular localization-specific effects of multiple kinase inhibitors on tau, including ones under clinical investigation not previously reported to affect tau phosphorylation. These results demonstrate the potential for using patient iPSC-derived ex vivo models of tauopathy as genetically accurate, disease-relevant systems to probe tau biochemistry and support the discovery of novel therapeutics for tauopathies.
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