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Terrinoni A, Micheloni G, Moretti V, Caporali S, Bernardini S, Minieri M, Pieri M, Giaroni C, Acquati F, Costantino L, Ferrara F, Valli R, Porta G. OTX Genes in Adult Tissues. Int J Mol Sci 2023; 24:16962. [PMID: 38069286 PMCID: PMC10707059 DOI: 10.3390/ijms242316962] [Citation(s) in RCA: 1] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 10/12/2023] [Revised: 11/22/2023] [Accepted: 11/25/2023] [Indexed: 12/18/2023] Open
Abstract
OTX homeobox genes have been extensively studied for their role in development, especially in neuroectoderm formation. Recently, their expression has also been reported in adult physiological and pathological tissues, including retina, mammary and pituitary glands, sinonasal mucosa, in several types of cancer, and in response to inflammatory, ischemic, and hypoxic stimuli. Reactivation of OTX genes in adult tissues supports the notion of the evolutionary amplification of functions of genes by varying their temporal expression, with the selection of homeobox genes from the "toolbox" to drive or contribute to different processes at different stages of life. OTX involvement in pathologies points toward these genes as potential diagnostic and/or prognostic markers as well as possible therapeutic targets.
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Affiliation(s)
- Alessandro Terrinoni
- Department of Experimental Medicine, University of Rome Tor Vergata, Via Montpellier 1, 00133 Rome, Italy
| | - Giovanni Micheloni
- Genomic Medicine Research Center, Department of Medicine and Surgery, University of Insubria, Via JH Dunant 5, 21100 Varese, Italy
| | - Vittoria Moretti
- Genomic Medicine Research Center, Department of Medicine and Surgery, University of Insubria, Via JH Dunant 5, 21100 Varese, Italy
| | - Sabrina Caporali
- Department of Industrial Engineering, University of Rome Tor Vergata, Via del Politecnico 1, 00133 Rome, Italy
| | - Sergio Bernardini
- Department of Experimental Medicine, University of Rome Tor Vergata, Via Montpellier 1, 00133 Rome, Italy
| | - Marilena Minieri
- Department of Experimental Medicine, University of Rome Tor Vergata, Via Montpellier 1, 00133 Rome, Italy
| | - Massimo Pieri
- Department of Experimental Medicine, University of Rome Tor Vergata, Via Montpellier 1, 00133 Rome, Italy
| | - Cristina Giaroni
- Department of Medicina e Innovazione Tecnologica, University of Insubria, Via JH Dunant 5, 21100 Varese, Italy
| | - Francesco Acquati
- Genomic Medicine Research Center, Department of Medicine and Surgery, University of Insubria, Via JH Dunant 5, 21100 Varese, Italy
- Department of Biotechnology and Life Science, University of Insubria, Via JH Dunant 3, 21100 Varese, Italy
| | - Lucy Costantino
- Department of Molecular Genetics, Centro Diagnostico Italiano, Via Saint Bon 20, 20147 Milano, Italy
| | - Fulvio Ferrara
- Department of Molecular Genetics, Centro Diagnostico Italiano, Via Saint Bon 20, 20147 Milano, Italy
| | - Roberto Valli
- Genomic Medicine Research Center, Department of Medicine and Surgery, University of Insubria, Via JH Dunant 5, 21100 Varese, Italy
| | - Giovanni Porta
- Genomic Medicine Research Center, Department of Medicine and Surgery, University of Insubria, Via JH Dunant 5, 21100 Varese, Italy
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2
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Xie L, Liu H, You Z, Wang L, Li Y, Zhang X, Ji X, He H, Yuan T, Zheng W, Wu Z, Xiong M, Wei W, Chen Y. Comprehensive spatiotemporal mapping of single-cell lineages in developing mouse brain by CRISPR-based barcoding. Nat Methods 2023; 20:1244-1255. [PMID: 37460718 DOI: 10.1038/s41592-023-01947-3] [Citation(s) in RCA: 3] [Impact Index Per Article: 3.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 06/27/2022] [Accepted: 06/06/2023] [Indexed: 08/09/2023]
Abstract
A fundamental interest in developmental neuroscience lies in the ability to map the complete single-cell lineages within the brain. To this end, we developed a CRISPR editing-based lineage-specific tracing (CREST) method for clonal tracing in Cre mice. We then used two complementary strategies based on CREST to map single-cell lineages in developing mouse ventral midbrain (vMB). By applying snapshotting CREST (snapCREST), we constructed a spatiotemporal lineage landscape of developing vMB and identified six progenitor archetypes that could represent the principal clonal fates of individual vMB progenitors and three distinct clonal lineages in the floor plate that specified glutamatergic, dopaminergic or both neurons. We further created pandaCREST (progenitor and derivative associating CREST) to associate the transcriptomes of progenitor cells in vivo with their differentiation potentials. We identified multiple origins of dopaminergic neurons and demonstrated that a transcriptome-defined progenitor type comprises heterogeneous progenitors, each with distinct clonal fates and molecular signatures. Therefore, the CREST method and strategies allow comprehensive single-cell lineage analysis that could offer new insights into the molecular programs underlying neural specification.
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Affiliation(s)
- Lianshun Xie
- Institute of Neuroscience, Key Laboratory of Neuroscience, CAS Center for Excellence in Brain Science and Intelligence Technology, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Shanghai, China
- University of Chinese Academy of Sciences, Beijing, China
| | - Hengxin Liu
- University of Chinese Academy of Sciences, Beijing, China
- CAS Key Laboratory of Computational Biology, Shanghai Institute of Nutrition and Health, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Shanghai, China
| | - Zhiwen You
- Institute of Neuroscience, Key Laboratory of Neuroscience, CAS Center for Excellence in Brain Science and Intelligence Technology, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Shanghai, China
- University of Chinese Academy of Sciences, Beijing, China
| | - Luyue Wang
- University of Chinese Academy of Sciences, Beijing, China
- CAS Key Laboratory of Computational Biology, Shanghai Institute of Nutrition and Health, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Shanghai, China
| | - Yiwen Li
- Institute of Neuroscience, Key Laboratory of Neuroscience, CAS Center for Excellence in Brain Science and Intelligence Technology, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Shanghai, China
| | - Xinyue Zhang
- Institute of Neuroscience, Key Laboratory of Neuroscience, CAS Center for Excellence in Brain Science and Intelligence Technology, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Shanghai, China
- University of Chinese Academy of Sciences, Beijing, China
| | - Xiaoshan Ji
- Department of Neonatology, Children's Hospital of Fudan University, National Children's Medical Center, Shanghai, China
| | - Hui He
- Institute of Neuroscience, Key Laboratory of Neuroscience, CAS Center for Excellence in Brain Science and Intelligence Technology, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Shanghai, China
| | - Tingli Yuan
- Institute of Neuroscience, Key Laboratory of Neuroscience, CAS Center for Excellence in Brain Science and Intelligence Technology, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Shanghai, China
| | - Wenping Zheng
- Institute of Neuroscience, Key Laboratory of Neuroscience, CAS Center for Excellence in Brain Science and Intelligence Technology, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Shanghai, China
| | - Ziyan Wu
- UniXell Biotechnology, Shanghai, China
| | - Man Xiong
- State Key Laboratory of Medical Neurobiology-Ministry of Education Frontiers Center for Brain Science, Institutes of Brain Science, Fudan University, Shanghai, China
| | - Wu Wei
- CAS Key Laboratory of Computational Biology, Shanghai Institute of Nutrition and Health, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Shanghai, China.
- Center for Biomedical Informatics, Shanghai Engineering Research Center for Big Data in Pediatric Precision Medicine, Shanghai Children's Hospital, Shanghai Jiao Tong University, Shanghai, China.
- Lingang Laboratory, Shanghai, China.
| | - Yuejun Chen
- Institute of Neuroscience, Key Laboratory of Neuroscience, CAS Center for Excellence in Brain Science and Intelligence Technology, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Shanghai, China.
- Shanghai Center for Brain Science and Brain-Inspired Intelligence Technology, Shanghai, China.
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3
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Becerra-Calixto A, Mukherjee A, Ramirez S, Sepulveda S, Sinha T, Al-Lahham R, De Gregorio N, Gherardelli C, Soto C. Lewy Body-like Pathology and Loss of Dopaminergic Neurons in Midbrain Organoids Derived from Familial Parkinson's Disease Patient. Cells 2023; 12:cells12040625. [PMID: 36831291 PMCID: PMC9954141 DOI: 10.3390/cells12040625] [Citation(s) in RCA: 7] [Impact Index Per Article: 7.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 11/29/2022] [Revised: 02/01/2023] [Accepted: 02/07/2023] [Indexed: 02/17/2023] Open
Abstract
Progressive accumulation of α-Synuclein (αSyn) in Lewy bodies (LBs) and loss of dopaminergic (DA) neurons are the hallmark pathological features of Parkinson's disease (PD). Although currently available in vitro and in vivo models have provided crucial information about PD pathogenesis, the mechanistic link between the progressive accumulation of αSyn into LBs and the loss of DA neurons is still unclear. To address this, it is critical to model LB formation and DA neuron loss, the two key neuropathological aspects of PD, in a relevant in vitro system. In this study, we developed a human midbrain-like organoid (hMBO) model of PD. We demonstrated that hMBOs generated from induced pluripotent stem cells (hiPSCs), derived from a familial PD (fPD) patient carrying αSyn gene (SNCA) triplication accumulate pathological αSyn over time. These cytoplasmic inclusions spatially and morphologically resembled diverse stages of LB formation and were composed of key markers of LBs. Importantly, the progressive accumulation of pathological αSyn was paralleled by the loss of DA neurons and elevated apoptosis. The model developed in this study will complement the existing in vitro models of PD and will provide a unique platform to study the spatiotemporal events governing LB formation and their relation with neurodegeneration. Furthermore, this model will also be beneficial for in vitro screening and the development of therapeutic compounds.
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Embryoid Body Cells from Human Embryonic Stem Cells Overexpressing Dopaminergic Transcription Factors Survive and Initiate Neurogenesis via Neural Rosettes in the Substantia Nigra. Brain Sci 2023; 13:brainsci13020329. [PMID: 36831872 PMCID: PMC9954545 DOI: 10.3390/brainsci13020329] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 12/22/2022] [Revised: 02/06/2023] [Accepted: 02/13/2023] [Indexed: 02/17/2023] Open
Abstract
Transplantation of immature dopaminergic neurons or neural precursors derived from embryonic stem cells (ESCs) into the substantia nigra pars compacta (SNpc) is a potential therapeutic approach for functional restitution of the nigrostriatal pathway in Parkinson's disease (PD). However, further studies are needed to understand the effects of the local microenvironment on the transplanted cells to improve survival and specific differentiation in situ. We have previously reported that the adult SNpc sustains a neurogenic microenvironment. Non-neuralized embryoid body cells (EBCs) from mouse ESCs (mESCs) overexpressing the dopaminergic transcription factor Lmx1a gave rise to many tyrosine hydroxylase (Th+) cells in the intact and damaged adult SNpc, although only for a short-term period. Here, we extended our study by transplanting EBCs from genetically engineered naive human ESC (hESC), overexpressing the dopaminergic transcription factors LMX1A, FOXA2, and OTX2 (hESC-LFO), in the SNpc. Unexpectedly, no graft survival was observed in wild-type hESC EBCs transplants, whereas hESC-LFO EBCs showed viability in the SNpc. Interestingly, neural rosettes, a developmental hallmark of neuroepithelial tissue, emerged at 7- and 15-days post-transplantation (dpt) from the hESC-LFO EBCs. Neural rosettes expressed specification dopaminergic markers (Lmx1a, Otx2), which gave rise to several Th+ cells at 30 dpt. Our results suggest that the SNpc enables the robust initiation of neural differentiation of transplanted human EBCs prompted to differentiate toward the midbrain dopaminergic phenotype.
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Nishimura K, Yang S, Lee KW, Ásgrímsdóttir ES, Nikouei K, Paslawski W, Gnodde S, Lyu G, Hu L, Saltó C, Svenningsson P, Hjerling-Leffler J, Linnarsson S, Arenas E. Single-cell transcriptomics reveals correct developmental dynamics and high-quality midbrain cell types by improved hESC differentiation. Stem Cell Reports 2022; 18:337-353. [PMID: 36400027 PMCID: PMC9860082 DOI: 10.1016/j.stemcr.2022.10.016] [Citation(s) in RCA: 7] [Impact Index Per Article: 3.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 06/30/2022] [Revised: 10/20/2022] [Accepted: 10/20/2022] [Indexed: 11/18/2022] Open
Abstract
Stem cell technologies provide new opportunities for modeling cells in health and disease and for regenerative medicine. In both cases, developmental knowledge and defining the molecular properties and quality of the cell types is essential. In this study, we identify developmental factors important for the differentiation of human embryonic stem cells (hESCs) into functional midbrain dopaminergic (mDA) neurons. We found that laminin-511, and dual canonical and non-canonical WNT activation followed by GSK3β inhibition plus FGF8b, improved midbrain patterning. In addition, neurogenesis and differentiation were enhanced by activation of liver X receptors and inhibition of fibroblast growth factor signaling. Moreover, single-cell RNA-sequencing analysis revealed a developmental dynamics similar to that of the endogenous human ventral midbrain and the emergence of high-quality molecularly defined midbrain cell types, including mDA neurons. Our study identifies novel factors important for human midbrain development and opens the door for a future application of molecularly defined hESC-derived cell types in Parkinson disease.
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Affiliation(s)
- Kaneyasu Nishimura
- Department of Medical Biochemistry and Biophysics, Karolinska Institutet, 171 77 Stockholm, Sweden
| | - Shanzheng Yang
- Department of Medical Biochemistry and Biophysics, Karolinska Institutet, 171 77 Stockholm, Sweden
| | - Ka Wai Lee
- Department of Medical Biochemistry and Biophysics, Karolinska Institutet, 171 77 Stockholm, Sweden
| | - Emilía Sif Ásgrímsdóttir
- Department of Medical Biochemistry and Biophysics, Karolinska Institutet, 171 77 Stockholm, Sweden
| | - Kasra Nikouei
- Department of Medical Biochemistry and Biophysics, Karolinska Institutet, 171 77 Stockholm, Sweden
| | - Wojciech Paslawski
- Department of Clinical Neuroscience, Karolinska University Hospital, 171 77 Stockholm, Sweden
| | - Sabine Gnodde
- Department of Medical Biochemistry and Biophysics, Karolinska Institutet, 171 77 Stockholm, Sweden
| | - Guochang Lyu
- Department of Medical Biochemistry and Biophysics, Karolinska Institutet, 171 77 Stockholm, Sweden
| | - Lijuan Hu
- Department of Medical Biochemistry and Biophysics, Karolinska Institutet, 171 77 Stockholm, Sweden
| | - Carmen Saltó
- Department of Medical Biochemistry and Biophysics, Karolinska Institutet, 171 77 Stockholm, Sweden
| | - Per Svenningsson
- Department of Clinical Neuroscience, Karolinska University Hospital, 171 77 Stockholm, Sweden
| | - Jens Hjerling-Leffler
- Department of Medical Biochemistry and Biophysics, Karolinska Institutet, 171 77 Stockholm, Sweden
| | - Sten Linnarsson
- Department of Medical Biochemistry and Biophysics, Karolinska Institutet, 171 77 Stockholm, Sweden
| | - Ernest Arenas
- Department of Medical Biochemistry and Biophysics, Karolinska Institutet, 171 77 Stockholm, Sweden.
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Diacou R, Nandigrami P, Fiser A, Liu W, Ashery-Padan R, Cvekl A. Cell fate decisions, transcription factors and signaling during early retinal development. Prog Retin Eye Res 2022; 91:101093. [PMID: 35817658 PMCID: PMC9669153 DOI: 10.1016/j.preteyeres.2022.101093] [Citation(s) in RCA: 28] [Impact Index Per Article: 14.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 01/05/2022] [Revised: 06/02/2022] [Accepted: 06/03/2022] [Indexed: 12/30/2022]
Abstract
The development of the vertebrate eyes is a complex process starting from anterior-posterior and dorso-ventral patterning of the anterior neural tube, resulting in the formation of the eye field. Symmetrical separation of the eye field at the anterior neural plate is followed by two symmetrical evaginations to generate a pair of optic vesicles. Next, reciprocal invagination of the optic vesicles with surface ectoderm-derived lens placodes generates double-layered optic cups. The inner and outer layers of the optic cups develop into the neural retina and retinal pigment epithelium (RPE), respectively. In vitro produced retinal tissues, called retinal organoids, are formed from human pluripotent stem cells, mimicking major steps of retinal differentiation in vivo. This review article summarizes recent progress in our understanding of early eye development, focusing on the formation the eye field, optic vesicles, and early optic cups. Recent single-cell transcriptomic studies are integrated with classical in vivo genetic and functional studies to uncover a range of cellular mechanisms underlying early eye development. The functions of signal transduction pathways and lineage-specific DNA-binding transcription factors are dissected to explain cell-specific regulatory mechanisms underlying cell fate determination during early eye development. The functions of homeodomain (HD) transcription factors Otx2, Pax6, Lhx2, Six3 and Six6, which are required for early eye development, are discussed in detail. Comprehensive understanding of the mechanisms of early eye development provides insight into the molecular and cellular basis of developmental ocular anomalies, such as optic cup coloboma. Lastly, modeling human development and inherited retinal diseases using stem cell-derived retinal organoids generates opportunities to discover novel therapies for retinal diseases.
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Affiliation(s)
- Raven Diacou
- Department of Genetics, Albert Einstein College of Medicine, Bronx, NY, 10461, USA; Department of Ophthalmology and Visual Sciences, Albert Einstein College of Medicine, Bronx, NY, 10461, USA
| | - Prithviraj Nandigrami
- Department of Systems and Computational Biology, Albert Einstein College of Medicine, Bronx, NY, 10461, USA; Department of Biochemistry, Albert Einstein College of Medicine, Bronx, NY, 10461, USA
| | - Andras Fiser
- Department of Systems and Computational Biology, Albert Einstein College of Medicine, Bronx, NY, 10461, USA; Department of Biochemistry, Albert Einstein College of Medicine, Bronx, NY, 10461, USA
| | - Wei Liu
- Department of Genetics, Albert Einstein College of Medicine, Bronx, NY, 10461, USA; Department of Ophthalmology and Visual Sciences, Albert Einstein College of Medicine, Bronx, NY, 10461, USA
| | - Ruth Ashery-Padan
- Sackler School of Medicine, Tel Aviv University, Tel Aviv, 69978, Israel
| | - Ales Cvekl
- Department of Genetics, Albert Einstein College of Medicine, Bronx, NY, 10461, USA; Department of Ophthalmology and Visual Sciences, Albert Einstein College of Medicine, Bronx, NY, 10461, USA.
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7
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Bergmann T, Liu Y, Skov J, Mogus L, Lee J, Pfisterer U, Handfield LF, Asenjo-Martinez A, Lisa-Vargas I, Seemann SE, Lee JTH, Patikas N, Kornum BR, Denham M, Hyttel P, Witter MP, Gorodkin J, Pers TH, Hemberg M, Khodosevich K, Hall VJ. Production of human entorhinal stellate cell-like cells by forward programming shows an important role of Foxp1 in reprogramming. Front Cell Dev Biol 2022; 10:976549. [PMID: 36046338 PMCID: PMC9420913 DOI: 10.3389/fcell.2022.976549] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 06/23/2022] [Accepted: 07/11/2022] [Indexed: 11/13/2022] Open
Abstract
Stellate cells are principal neurons in the entorhinal cortex that contribute to spatial processing. They also play a role in the context of Alzheimer's disease as they accumulate Amyloid beta early in the disease. Producing human stellate cells from pluripotent stem cells would allow researchers to study early mechanisms of Alzheimer's disease, however, no protocols currently exist for producing such cells. In order to develop novel stem cell protocols, we characterize at high resolution the development of the porcine medial entorhinal cortex by tracing neuronal and glial subtypes from mid-gestation to the adult brain to identify the transcriptomic profile of progenitor and adult stellate cells. Importantly, we could confirm the robustness of our data by extracting developmental factors from the identified intermediate stellate cell cluster and implemented these factors to generate putative intermediate stellate cells from human induced pluripotent stem cells. Six transcription factors identified from the stellate cell cluster including RUNX1T1, SOX5, FOXP1, MEF2C, TCF4, EYA2 were overexpressed using a forward programming approach to produce neurons expressing a unique combination of RELN, SATB2, LEF1 and BCL11B observed in stellate cells. Further analyses of the individual transcription factors led to the discovery that FOXP1 is critical in the reprogramming process and omission of RUNX1T1 and EYA2 enhances neuron conversion. Our findings contribute not only to the profiling of cell types within the developing and adult brain's medial entorhinal cortex but also provides proof-of-concept for using scRNAseq data to produce entorhinal intermediate stellate cells from human pluripotent stem cells in-vitro.
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Affiliation(s)
- Tobias Bergmann
- Group of Brain Development and Disease, Department of Veterinary and Animal Sciences, Faculty of Health and Medical Sciences, University of Copenhagen, Frederiksberg, Denmark
| | - Yong Liu
- Group of Brain Development and Disease, Department of Veterinary and Animal Sciences, Faculty of Health and Medical Sciences, University of Copenhagen, Frederiksberg, Denmark
| | - Jonathan Skov
- Group of Brain Development and Disease, Department of Veterinary and Animal Sciences, Faculty of Health and Medical Sciences, University of Copenhagen, Frederiksberg, Denmark
| | - Leo Mogus
- Group of Brain Development and Disease, Department of Veterinary and Animal Sciences, Faculty of Health and Medical Sciences, University of Copenhagen, Frederiksberg, Denmark
| | - Julie Lee
- Novo Nordisk Foundation Center for Stem Cell Research, DanStem University of Copenhagen, Copenhagen, Denmark
- Novo Nordisk Foundation Center for Basic Metabolic Research, Faculty of Health and Medical Sciences, University of Copenhagen, Copenhagen, Denmark
| | - Ulrich Pfisterer
- Biotech Research and Innovation Centre (BRIC), Faculty of Health and Medical Sciences, University of Copenhagen, Copenhagen, Denmark
| | | | - Andrea Asenjo-Martinez
- Biotech Research and Innovation Centre (BRIC), Faculty of Health and Medical Sciences, University of Copenhagen, Copenhagen, Denmark
| | - Irene Lisa-Vargas
- Biotech Research and Innovation Centre (BRIC), Faculty of Health and Medical Sciences, University of Copenhagen, Copenhagen, Denmark
| | - Stefan E. Seemann
- Center for non-coding RNA in Technology and Health, Department of Veterinary and Animal Sciences, Faculty of Health and Medical Sciences, University of Copenhagen, Frederiksberg, Denmark
| | - Jimmy Tsz Hang Lee
- Wellcome Sanger Institute, Wellcome Genome Campus, Hinxton, United Kingdom
| | - Nikolaos Patikas
- Wellcome Sanger Institute, Wellcome Genome Campus, Hinxton, United Kingdom
| | - Birgitte Rahbek Kornum
- Department of Neuroscience, Faculty of Health and Medical Sciences, University of Copenhagen, Copenhagen, Denmark
| | - Mark Denham
- Danish Research Institute of Translational Neuroscience (DANDRITE), Nordic EMBL Partnership for Molecular Medicine, Aarhus University, Aarhus, Denmark
| | - Poul Hyttel
- Disease, Stem Cells and Embryology, Department of Veterinary and Animal Sciences, Faculty of Health and Medical Sciences, University of Copenhagen, Frederiksberg, Denmark
| | - Menno P. Witter
- Kavli Institute for Systems Neuroscience, Faculty of Medicine and Health Sciences, Norwegian University of Science and Technology, Trondheim, Norway
| | - Jan Gorodkin
- Center for non-coding RNA in Technology and Health, Department of Veterinary and Animal Sciences, Faculty of Health and Medical Sciences, University of Copenhagen, Frederiksberg, Denmark
| | - Tune H. Pers
- Novo Nordisk Foundation Center for Basic Metabolic Research, Faculty of Health and Medical Sciences, University of Copenhagen, Copenhagen, Denmark
| | - Martin Hemberg
- Wellcome Sanger Institute, Wellcome Genome Campus, Hinxton, United Kingdom
| | - Konstantin Khodosevich
- Biotech Research and Innovation Centre (BRIC), Faculty of Health and Medical Sciences, University of Copenhagen, Copenhagen, Denmark
| | - Vanessa Jane Hall
- Group of Brain Development and Disease, Department of Veterinary and Animal Sciences, Faculty of Health and Medical Sciences, University of Copenhagen, Frederiksberg, Denmark
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Kirjavainen A, Singh P, Lahti L, Seja P, Lelkes Z, Makkonen A, Kilpinen S, Ono Y, Salminen M, Aitta-Aho T, Stenberg T, Molchanova S, Achim K, Partanen J. Gata2, Nkx2-2 and Skor2 form a transcription factor network regulating development of a midbrain GABAergic neuron subtype with characteristics of REM-sleep regulatory neurons. Development 2022; 149:275960. [DOI: 10.1242/dev.200937] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 05/11/2022] [Accepted: 06/15/2022] [Indexed: 11/20/2022]
Abstract
ABSTRACT
The midbrain reticular formation (MRF) is a mosaic of diverse GABAergic and glutamatergic neurons that have been associated with a variety of functions, including sleep regulation. However, the molecular characteristics and development of MRF neurons are poorly understood. As the transcription factor, Gata2 is required for the development of all GABAergic neurons derived from the embryonic mouse midbrain, we hypothesized that the genes expressed downstream of Gata2 could contribute to the diversification of GABAergic neuron subtypes in this brain region. Here, we show that Gata2 is required for the expression of several GABAergic lineage-specific transcription factors, including Nkx2-2 and Skor2, which are co-expressed in a restricted group of post-mitotic GABAergic precursors in the MRF. Both Gata2 and Nkx2-2 function is required for Skor2 expression in GABAergic precursors. In the adult mouse and rat midbrain, Nkx2-2-and Skor2-expressing GABAergic neurons locate at the boundary of the ventrolateral periaqueductal gray and the MRF, an area containing REM-off neurons regulating REM sleep. In addition to the characteristic localization, Skor2+ cells increase their activity upon REM-sleep inhibition, send projections to the dorsolateral pons, a region associated with sleep control, and are responsive to orexins, consistent with the known properties of midbrain REM-off neurons.
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Affiliation(s)
- Anna Kirjavainen
- Molecular and Integrative Biosciences Research Programme 1 , Faculty of Biological and Environmental Sciences, PO Box 56 , , Helsinki , Finland
- FIN00014-University of Helsinki 1 , Faculty of Biological and Environmental Sciences, PO Box 56 , , Helsinki , Finland
| | - Parul Singh
- Molecular and Integrative Biosciences Research Programme 1 , Faculty of Biological and Environmental Sciences, PO Box 56 , , Helsinki , Finland
- FIN00014-University of Helsinki 1 , Faculty of Biological and Environmental Sciences, PO Box 56 , , Helsinki , Finland
| | - Laura Lahti
- Molecular and Integrative Biosciences Research Programme 1 , Faculty of Biological and Environmental Sciences, PO Box 56 , , Helsinki , Finland
- FIN00014-University of Helsinki 1 , Faculty of Biological and Environmental Sciences, PO Box 56 , , Helsinki , Finland
| | - Patricia Seja
- Molecular and Integrative Biosciences Research Programme 1 , Faculty of Biological and Environmental Sciences, PO Box 56 , , Helsinki , Finland
- FIN00014-University of Helsinki 1 , Faculty of Biological and Environmental Sciences, PO Box 56 , , Helsinki , Finland
| | - Zoltan Lelkes
- FIN00014-University of Helsinki 2 Department of Physiology, PO Box 63 , , Helsinki , Finland
- University of Szeged 3 Department of Physiology, Faculty of Medicine , , Szeged , Hungary
| | - Aki Makkonen
- FIN00014-University of Helsinki 4 Department of Pharmacology, PO Box 63 , , Helsinki , Finland
| | - Sami Kilpinen
- Molecular and Integrative Biosciences Research Programme 1 , Faculty of Biological and Environmental Sciences, PO Box 56 , , Helsinki , Finland
- FIN00014-University of Helsinki 1 , Faculty of Biological and Environmental Sciences, PO Box 56 , , Helsinki , Finland
| | - Yuichi Ono
- Department of Developmental Neurobiology, Integrated Cell Biology, KAN Research Institute 5 , 6-8-2 Minatojima-Minamimachi, Chuo-ku, Kobe, Hyogo 650-0047 , Japan
| | - Marjo Salminen
- FIN00014-University of Helsinki 6 Department of Veterinary Biosciences, PO Box 66 , , Helsinki , Finland
| | - Teemu Aitta-Aho
- FIN00014-University of Helsinki 4 Department of Pharmacology, PO Box 63 , , Helsinki , Finland
| | - Tarja Stenberg
- FIN00014-University of Helsinki 2 Department of Physiology, PO Box 63 , , Helsinki , Finland
| | - Svetlana Molchanova
- Molecular and Integrative Biosciences Research Programme 1 , Faculty of Biological and Environmental Sciences, PO Box 56 , , Helsinki , Finland
- FIN00014-University of Helsinki 1 , Faculty of Biological and Environmental Sciences, PO Box 56 , , Helsinki , Finland
| | - Kaia Achim
- Molecular and Integrative Biosciences Research Programme 1 , Faculty of Biological and Environmental Sciences, PO Box 56 , , Helsinki , Finland
- FIN00014-University of Helsinki 1 , Faculty of Biological and Environmental Sciences, PO Box 56 , , Helsinki , Finland
| | - Juha Partanen
- Molecular and Integrative Biosciences Research Programme 1 , Faculty of Biological and Environmental Sciences, PO Box 56 , , Helsinki , Finland
- FIN00014-University of Helsinki 1 , Faculty of Biological and Environmental Sciences, PO Box 56 , , Helsinki , Finland
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9
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HGprt deficiency disrupts dopaminergic circuit development in a genetic mouse model of Lesch–Nyhan disease. Cell Mol Life Sci 2022; 79:341. [PMID: 35660973 PMCID: PMC9167210 DOI: 10.1007/s00018-022-04326-x] [Citation(s) in RCA: 4] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 02/17/2022] [Revised: 04/05/2022] [Accepted: 04/23/2022] [Indexed: 11/20/2022]
Abstract
In Lesch–Nyhan disease (LND), deficiency of the purine salvage enzyme hypoxanthine guanine phosphoribosyl transferase (HGprt) leads to a characteristic neurobehavioral phenotype dominated by dystonia, cognitive deficits and incapacitating self-injurious behavior. It has been known for decades that LND is associated with dysfunction of midbrain dopamine neurons, without overt structural brain abnormalities. Emerging post mortem and in vitro evidence supports the hypothesis that the dopaminergic dysfunction in LND is of developmental origin, but specific pathogenic mechanisms have not been revealed. In the current study, HGprt deficiency causes specific neurodevelopmental abnormalities in mice during embryogenesis, particularly affecting proliferation and migration of developing midbrain dopamine (mDA) neurons. In mutant embryos at E14.5, proliferation was increased, accompanied by a decrease in cell cycle exit and the distribution and orientation of dividing cells suggested a premature deviation from their migratory route. An abnormally structured radial glia-like scaffold supporting this mDA neuronal migration might lie at the basis of these abnormalities. Consequently, these abnormalities were associated with an increase in area occupied by TH+ cells and an abnormal mDA subpopulation organization at E18.5. Finally, dopaminergic innervation was disorganized in prefrontal and decreased in HGprt deficient primary motor and somatosensory cortices. These data provide direct in vivo evidence for a neurodevelopmental nature of the brain disorder in LND. Future studies should not only focus the specific molecular mechanisms underlying the reported neurodevelopmental abnormalities, but also on optimal timing of therapeutic interventions to rescue the DA neuron defects, which may also be relevant for other neurodevelopmental disorders.
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10
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Chalazonitis A, Rao M, Sulzer D. Similarities and differences between nigral and enteric dopaminergic neurons unravel distinctive involvement in Parkinson's disease. NPJ Parkinsons Dis 2022; 8:50. [PMID: 35459867 PMCID: PMC9033791 DOI: 10.1038/s41531-022-00308-9] [Citation(s) in RCA: 9] [Impact Index Per Article: 4.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 04/21/2021] [Accepted: 03/14/2022] [Indexed: 11/09/2022] Open
Abstract
In addition to the well-known degeneration of midbrain dopaminergic neurons, enteric neurons can also be affected in neurodegenerative disorders such as Parkinson's disease (PD). Dopaminergic neurons have recently been identified in the enteric nervous system (ENS). While ENS dopaminergic neurons have been shown to degenerate in genetic mouse models of PD, analyses of their survival in enteric biopsies of PD patients have provided inconsistent results to date. In this context, this review seeks to highlight the distinctive and shared factors and properties that control the evolution of these two sets of dopaminergic neurons from neuronal precursors to aging neurons. Although their cellular sources and developmental times of origin differ, midbrain and ENS dopaminergic neurons express many transcription factors in common and their respective environments express similar neurotrophic molecules. For example, Foxa2 and Sox6 are expressed by both populations to promote the specification, differentiation, and long-term maintenance of the dopaminergic phenotype. Both populations exhibit sustained patterns of excitability that drive intrinsic vulnerability over time. In disorders such as PD, colon biopsies have revealed aggregation of alpha-synuclein in the submucosal plexus where dopaminergic neurons reside and lack blood barrier protection. Thus, these enteric neurons may be more susceptible to neurotoxic insults and aggregation of α-synuclein that spreads from gut to midbrain. Under sustained stress, inefficient autophagy leads to neurodegeneration, GI motility dysfunction, and PD symptoms. Recent findings suggest that novel neurotrophic factors such as CDNF have the potential to be used as neuroprotective agents to prevent and treat ENS symptoms of PD.
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Affiliation(s)
- Alcmène Chalazonitis
- Department of Pathology & Cell Biology, Vagelos College of Physicians & Surgeons, Columbia University, New York, NY, USA.
| | - Meenakshi Rao
- Department of Pediatrics, Boston Children's Hospital and Harvard Medical School, Boston, MA, USA
| | - David Sulzer
- Departments of Psychiatry, Neurology, and Pharmacology, Division of Molecular Therapeutics, New York State Psychiatry Institute, Columbia University, New York, NY, USA
- Aligning Science Across Parkinson's (ASAP) Collaborative Research Network, Chevy Chase, MD, 20815, USA
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11
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Yang C, Shi Y, Li X, Guan L, Li H, Lin J. Cadherins and the pathogenesis of epilepsy. Cell Biochem Funct 2022; 40:336-348. [PMID: 35393670 DOI: 10.1002/cbf.3699] [Citation(s) in RCA: 1] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 10/28/2021] [Revised: 02/22/2022] [Accepted: 03/12/2022] [Indexed: 12/13/2022]
Abstract
Epilepsy is a nervous system disease caused by abnormal discharge of brain neurons, which is characterized by recurrent seizures. The factors that induce epilepsy include genetic and environmental factors. Genetic factors are important pathogenic factors of epilepsy, such as epilepsy caused by protocadherin-19 (PCDH-19) mutation, which is an X-linked genetic disease. It is more common in female heterozygotes, which are caused by mutations in the PCDH-19 gene. Epilepsy caused by environmental factors is mainly caused by brain injury, which is commonly caused by brain tumors, brain surgery, or trauma to the brain. In addition, the pathogenesis of epilepsy is closely related to abnormalities in some signaling pathways. The Wnt/β-catenin signaling pathway is considered a new target for the treatment of epilepsy. This review summarizes these factors inducing epilepsy and the research hypotheses regarding the pathogenesis of epilepsy. The focus of this review centers on cadherins and the pathogenesis of epilepsy. We analyzed the pathogenesis of epilepsy induced by N-cadherin and PCDH-19 in the cadherin family members. Finally, we expect that in the future, new breakthroughs will be made in the study of the pathogenesis and mechanism of epilepsy at the cellular and molecular levels.
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Affiliation(s)
- Ciqing Yang
- Stem Cells & Biotherapy Engineering Research Center of Henan, College of Life Science and Technology, Xinxiang Medical University, Xinxiang, China.,Henan Key Laboratory of Medical Tissue Regeneration, Xinxiang, China
| | - Yaping Shi
- Stem Cells & Biotherapy Engineering Research Center of Henan, College of Life Science and Technology, Xinxiang Medical University, Xinxiang, China
| | - Xiaoying Li
- Stem Cells & Biotherapy Engineering Research Center of Henan, College of Life Science and Technology, Xinxiang Medical University, Xinxiang, China
| | - Lihong Guan
- Stem Cells & Biotherapy Engineering Research Center of Henan, College of Life Science and Technology, Xinxiang Medical University, Xinxiang, China
| | - Han Li
- Stem Cells & Biotherapy Engineering Research Center of Henan, College of Life Science and Technology, Xinxiang Medical University, Xinxiang, China
| | - Juntang Lin
- Stem Cells & Biotherapy Engineering Research Center of Henan, College of Life Science and Technology, Xinxiang Medical University, Xinxiang, China.,Henan Key Laboratory of Medical Tissue Regeneration, Xinxiang, China
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12
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Qiu C, Cao J, Martin BK, Li T, Welsh IC, Srivatsan S, Huang X, Calderon D, Noble WS, Disteche CM, Murray SA, Spielmann M, Moens CB, Trapnell C, Shendure J. Systematic reconstruction of cellular trajectories across mouse embryogenesis. Nat Genet 2022; 54:328-341. [PMID: 35288709 PMCID: PMC8920898 DOI: 10.1038/s41588-022-01018-x] [Citation(s) in RCA: 59] [Impact Index Per Article: 29.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 03/25/2021] [Accepted: 01/21/2022] [Indexed: 12/12/2022]
Abstract
Mammalian embryogenesis is characterized by rapid cellular proliferation and diversification. Within a few weeks, a single-cell zygote gives rise to millions of cells expressing a panoply of molecular programs. Although intensively studied, a comprehensive delineation of the major cellular trajectories that comprise mammalian development in vivo remains elusive. Here, we set out to integrate several single-cell RNA-sequencing (scRNA-seq) datasets that collectively span mouse gastrulation and organogenesis, supplemented with new profiling of ~150,000 nuclei from approximately embryonic day 8.5 (E8.5) embryos staged in one-somite increments. Overall, we define cell states at each of 19 successive stages spanning E3.5 to E13.5 and heuristically connect them to their pseudoancestors and pseudodescendants. Although constructed through automated procedures, the resulting directed acyclic graph (TOME (trajectories of mammalian embryogenesis)) is largely consistent with our contemporary understanding of mammalian development. We leverage TOME to systematically nominate transcription factors (TFs) as candidate regulators of each cell type's specification, as well as 'cell-type homologs' across vertebrate evolution.
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Affiliation(s)
- Chengxiang Qiu
- Department of Genome Sciences, University of Washington, Seattle, WA, USA.
| | - Junyue Cao
- The Rockefeller University, New York, NY, USA
| | - Beth K Martin
- Department of Genome Sciences, University of Washington, Seattle, WA, USA
| | - Tony Li
- Department of Genome Sciences, University of Washington, Seattle, WA, USA
| | | | - Sanjay Srivatsan
- Department of Genome Sciences, University of Washington, Seattle, WA, USA
- Medical Scientist Training Program, University of Washington, Seattle, WA, USA
| | - Xingfan Huang
- Department of Genome Sciences, University of Washington, Seattle, WA, USA
- Paul G. Allen School of Computer Science & Engineering, University of Washington, Seattle, WA, USA
| | - Diego Calderon
- Department of Genome Sciences, University of Washington, Seattle, WA, USA
| | - William Stafford Noble
- Department of Genome Sciences, University of Washington, Seattle, WA, USA
- Paul G. Allen School of Computer Science & Engineering, University of Washington, Seattle, WA, USA
| | - Christine M Disteche
- Department of Pathology, University of Washington, Seattle, WA, USA
- Department of Medicine, University of Washington, Seattle, WA, USA
| | | | - Malte Spielmann
- Human Molecular Genomics Group, Max Planck Institute for Molecular Genetics, Berlin, Germany
- Institute of Human Genetics, University of Lübeck, Lübeck, Germany
| | - Cecilia B Moens
- Division of Basic Sciences, Fred Hutchinson Cancer Research Center, Seattle, WA, USA
| | - Cole Trapnell
- Department of Genome Sciences, University of Washington, Seattle, WA, USA
- Brotman Baty Institute for Precision Medicine, Seattle, WA, USA
- Allen Discovery Center for Cell Lineage Tracing, Seattle, WA, USA
| | - Jay Shendure
- Department of Genome Sciences, University of Washington, Seattle, WA, USA.
- Brotman Baty Institute for Precision Medicine, Seattle, WA, USA.
- Allen Discovery Center for Cell Lineage Tracing, Seattle, WA, USA.
- Howard Hughes Medical Institute, Seattle, WA, USA.
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13
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Roles of Transcription Factors in the Development and Reprogramming of the Dopaminergic Neurons. Int J Mol Sci 2022; 23:ijms23020845. [PMID: 35055043 PMCID: PMC8775916 DOI: 10.3390/ijms23020845] [Citation(s) in RCA: 12] [Impact Index Per Article: 6.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 11/26/2021] [Revised: 12/31/2021] [Accepted: 01/01/2022] [Indexed: 02/04/2023] Open
Abstract
The meso-diencephalic dopaminergic (mdDA) neurons regulate various critical processes in the mammalian nervous system, including voluntary movement and a wide range of behaviors such as mood, reward, addiction, and stress. mdDA neuronal loss is linked with one of the most prominent human movement neurological disorders, Parkinson’s disease (PD). How these cells die and regenerate are two of the most hotly debated PD research topics. As for the latter, it has been long known that a series of transcription factors (TFs) involves the development of mdDA neurons, specifying cell types and controlling developmental patterns. In vitro and in vivo, TFs regulate the expression of tyrosine hydroxylase, a dopamine transporter, vesicular monoamine transporter 2, and L-aromatic amino acid decarboxylase, all of which are critical for dopamine synthesis and transport in dopaminergic neurons (DA neurons). In this review, we encapsulate the molecular mechanism of TFs underlying embryonic growth and maturation of mdDA neurons and update achievements on dopaminergic cell therapy dependent on knowledge of TFs in mdDA neuronal development. We believe that a deeper understanding of the extrinsic and intrinsic factors that influence DA neurons’ fate and development in the midbrain could lead to a better strategy for PD cell therapy.
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14
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Novel Approaches Used to Examine and Control Neurogenesis in Parkinson's Disease. Int J Mol Sci 2021; 22:ijms22179608. [PMID: 34502516 PMCID: PMC8431772 DOI: 10.3390/ijms22179608] [Citation(s) in RCA: 3] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 07/29/2021] [Revised: 08/31/2021] [Accepted: 09/02/2021] [Indexed: 12/16/2022] Open
Abstract
Neurogenesis is a key mechanism of brain development and plasticity, which is impaired in chronic neurodegeneration, including Parkinson’s disease. The accumulation of aberrant α-synuclein is one of the features of PD. Being secreted, this protein produces a prominent neurotoxic effect, alters synaptic plasticity, deregulates intercellular communication, and supports the development of neuroinflammation, thereby providing propagation of pathological events leading to the establishment of a PD-specific phenotype. Multidirectional and ambiguous effects of α-synuclein on adult neurogenesis suggest that impaired neurogenesis should be considered as a target for the prevention of cell loss and restoration of neurological functions. Thus, stimulation of endogenous neurogenesis or cell-replacement therapy with stem cell-derived differentiated neurons raises new hopes for the development of effective and safe technologies for treating PD neurodegeneration. Given the rapid development of optogenetics, it is not surprising that this method has already been repeatedly tested in manipulating neurogenesis in vivo and in vitro via targeting stem or progenitor cells. However, niche astrocytes could also serve as promising candidates for controlling neuronal differentiation and improving the functional integration of newly formed neurons within the brain tissue. In this review, we mainly focus on current approaches to assess neurogenesis and prospects in the application of optogenetic protocols to restore the neurogenesis in Parkinson’s disease.
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15
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Nouri P, Götz S, Rauser B, Irmler M, Peng C, Trümbach D, Kempny C, Lechermeier CG, Bryniok A, Dlugos A, Euchner E, Beckers J, Brodski C, Klümper C, Wurst W, Prakash N. Dose-Dependent and Subset-Specific Regulation of Midbrain Dopaminergic Neuron Differentiation by LEF1-Mediated WNT1/b-Catenin Signaling. Front Cell Dev Biol 2020; 8:587778. [PMID: 33195246 PMCID: PMC7649324 DOI: 10.3389/fcell.2020.587778] [Citation(s) in RCA: 8] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 07/27/2020] [Accepted: 09/01/2020] [Indexed: 01/07/2023] Open
Abstract
The mesodiencephalic dopaminergic (mdDA) neurons, including the nigrostriatal subset that preferentially degenerates in Parkinson’s Disease (PD), strongly depend on an accurately balanced Wingless-type MMTV integration site family member 1 (WNT1)/beta-catenin signaling pathway during their development. Loss of this pathway abolishes the generation of these neurons, whereas excessive WNT1/b-catenin signaling prevents their correct differentiation. The identity of the cells responding to this pathway in the developing mammalian ventral midbrain (VM) as well as the precise progression of WNT/b-catenin action in these cells are still unknown. We show that strong WNT/b-catenin signaling inhibits the differentiation of WNT/b-catenin-responding mdDA progenitors into PITX3+ and TH+ mdDA neurons by repressing the Pitx3 gene in mice. This effect is mediated by RSPO2, a WNT/b-catenin agonist, and lymphoid enhancer binding factor 1 (LEF1), an essential nuclear effector of the WNT/b-catenin pathway, via conserved LEF1/T-cell factor binding sites in the Pitx3 promoter. LEF1 expression is restricted to a caudolateral mdDA progenitor subset that preferentially responds to WNT/b-catenin signaling and gives rise to a fraction of all mdDA neurons. Our data indicate that an attenuation of WNT/b-catenin signaling in mdDA progenitors is essential for their correct differentiation into specific mdDA neuron subsets. This is an important consideration for stem cell-based regenerative therapies and in vitro models of neuropsychiatric diseases.
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Affiliation(s)
- Parivash Nouri
- Laboratory of Applied Genetics and Stem Cell Biology, Department Hamm 2, Hamm-Lippstadt University of Applied Sciences, Hamm, Germany
| | - Sebastian Götz
- Institute of Developmental Genetics, Helmholtz Zentrum München - German Research Center for Environmental Health, Neuherberg, Germany
| | - Benedict Rauser
- Institute of Developmental Genetics, Helmholtz Zentrum München - German Research Center for Environmental Health, Neuherberg, Germany
| | - Martin Irmler
- Institute of Experimental Genetics, Helmholtz Zentrum München - German Research Center for Environmental Health, Neuherberg, Germany
| | - Changgeng Peng
- Institute of Developmental Genetics, Helmholtz Zentrum München - German Research Center for Environmental Health, Neuherberg, Germany.,Advanced Institute of Translational Medicine, The First Rehabilitation Hospital of Shanghai, Tongji University School of Medicine, Tongji University, Shanghai, China
| | - Dietrich Trümbach
- Institute of Developmental Genetics, Helmholtz Zentrum München - German Research Center for Environmental Health, Neuherberg, Germany
| | - Christian Kempny
- Laboratory of Applied Genetics and Stem Cell Biology, Department Hamm 2, Hamm-Lippstadt University of Applied Sciences, Hamm, Germany
| | - Carina G Lechermeier
- Institute of Developmental Genetics, Helmholtz Zentrum München - German Research Center for Environmental Health, Neuherberg, Germany
| | - Agnes Bryniok
- Laboratory of Applied Genetics and Stem Cell Biology, Department Hamm 2, Hamm-Lippstadt University of Applied Sciences, Hamm, Germany
| | - Andrea Dlugos
- Laboratory of Applied Genetics and Stem Cell Biology, Department Hamm 2, Hamm-Lippstadt University of Applied Sciences, Hamm, Germany
| | - Ellen Euchner
- Laboratory of Applied Genetics and Stem Cell Biology, Department Hamm 2, Hamm-Lippstadt University of Applied Sciences, Hamm, Germany
| | - Johannes Beckers
- Institute of Experimental Genetics, Helmholtz Zentrum München - German Research Center for Environmental Health, Neuherberg, Germany.,Chair of Experimental Genetics, Technical University of Munich, Munich, Germany.,German Center for Diabetes Research, Neuherberg, Germany
| | - Claude Brodski
- Department of Physiology and Cell Biology, Zlotowski Center for Neuroscience, Faculty of Health Sciences, Ben-Gurion University of the Negev, Beersheba, Israel
| | - Claudia Klümper
- Laboratory of Applied Genetics and Stem Cell Biology, Department Hamm 2, Hamm-Lippstadt University of Applied Sciences, Hamm, Germany
| | - Wolfgang Wurst
- Institute of Developmental Genetics, Helmholtz Zentrum München - German Research Center for Environmental Health, Neuherberg, Germany.,Chair of Developmental Genetics, Helmholtz Zentrum München, Technical University of Munich/Helmholtz Zentrum München, Neuherberg, Germany.,German Center for Neurodegenerative Diseases, Munich, Germany.,Munich Cluster for Systems Neurology (SyNergy), Munich, Germany
| | - Nilima Prakash
- Laboratory of Applied Genetics and Stem Cell Biology, Department Hamm 2, Hamm-Lippstadt University of Applied Sciences, Hamm, Germany
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16
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Paraiso KD, Blitz IL, Coley M, Cheung J, Sudou N, Taira M, Cho KWY. Endodermal Maternal Transcription Factors Establish Super-Enhancers during Zygotic Genome Activation. Cell Rep 2020; 27:2962-2977.e5. [PMID: 31167141 PMCID: PMC6610736 DOI: 10.1016/j.celrep.2019.05.013] [Citation(s) in RCA: 26] [Impact Index Per Article: 6.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 11/09/2018] [Revised: 03/30/2019] [Accepted: 05/01/2019] [Indexed: 01/06/2023] Open
Abstract
Elucidation of the sequence of events underlying the dynamic interaction
between transcription factors and chromatin states is essential. Maternal
transcription factors function at the top of the regulatory hierarchy to specify
the primary germ layers at the onset of zygotic genome activation (ZGA). We
focus on the formation of endoderm progenitor cells and examine the interactions
between maternal transcription factors and chromatin state changes underlying
the cell specification process. Endoderm-specific factors Otx1 and Vegt together
with Foxh1 orchestrate endoderm formation by coordinated binding to select
regulatory regions. These interactions occur before the deposition of enhancer
histone marks around the regulatory regions, and these TFs recruit RNA
polymerase II, regulate enhancer activity, and establish super-enhancers
associated with important endodermal genes. Therefore, maternal transcription
factors Otx1, Vegt, and Foxh1 combinatorially regulate the activity of
super-enhancers, which in turn activate key lineage-specifying genes during
ZGA. How do maternal transcription factors interact with chromatin regions to
coordinate the endodermal gene regulatory program? Paraiso et al. demonstrate
that combinatorial binding of maternal Otx1, Vegt, and Foxh1 to select enhancers
and super-enhancers in the genome controls endodermal cell fate specification
during zygotic gene activation.
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Affiliation(s)
- Kitt D Paraiso
- Department of Developmental and Cell Biology, University of California, Irvine, CA, USA; Center for Complex Biological Systems, University of California, Irvine, CA, USA
| | - Ira L Blitz
- Department of Developmental and Cell Biology, University of California, Irvine, CA, USA
| | - Masani Coley
- Department of Developmental and Cell Biology, University of California, Irvine, CA, USA
| | - Jessica Cheung
- Department of Developmental and Cell Biology, University of California, Irvine, CA, USA
| | - Norihiro Sudou
- Department of Anatomy, Tokyo Women's Medical University, Tokyo, Japan
| | - Masanori Taira
- Department of Biological Sciences, Chuo University, Tokyo, Japan
| | - Ken W Y Cho
- Department of Developmental and Cell Biology, University of California, Irvine, CA, USA; Center for Complex Biological Systems, University of California, Irvine, CA, USA.
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17
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Mesman S, Smidt MP. Acquisition of the Midbrain Dopaminergic Neuronal Identity. Int J Mol Sci 2020; 21:ijms21134638. [PMID: 32629812 PMCID: PMC7369932 DOI: 10.3390/ijms21134638] [Citation(s) in RCA: 25] [Impact Index Per Article: 6.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 05/25/2020] [Revised: 06/22/2020] [Accepted: 06/26/2020] [Indexed: 02/06/2023] Open
Abstract
The mesodiencephalic dopaminergic (mdDA) group of neurons comprises molecularly distinct subgroups, of which the substantia nigra (SN) and ventral tegmental area (VTA) are the best known, due to the selective degeneration of the SN during Parkinson’s disease. However, although significant research has been conducted on the molecular build-up of these subsets, much is still unknown about how these subsets develop and which factors are involved in this process. In this review, we aim to describe the life of an mdDA neuron, from specification in the floor plate to differentiation into the different subsets. All mdDA neurons are born in the mesodiencephalic floor plate under the influence of both SHH-signaling, important for floor plate patterning, and WNT-signaling, involved in establishing the progenitor pool and the start of the specification of mdDA neurons. Furthermore, transcription factors, like Ngn2, Ascl1, Lmx1a, and En1, and epigenetic factors, like Ezh2, are important in the correct specification of dopamine (DA) progenitors. Later during development, mdDA neurons are further subdivided into different molecular subsets by, amongst others, Otx2, involved in the specification of subsets in the VTA, and En1, Pitx3, Lmx1a, and WNT-signaling, involved in the specification of subsets in the SN. Interestingly, factors involved in early specification in the floor plate can serve a dual function and can also be involved in subset specification. Besides the mdDA group of neurons, other systems in the embryo contain different subsets, like the immune system. Interestingly, many factors involved in the development of mdDA neurons are similarly involved in immune system development and vice versa. This indicates that similar mechanisms are used in the development of these systems, and that knowledge about the development of the immune system may hold clues for the factors involved in the development of mdDA neurons, which may be used in culture protocols for cell replacement therapies.
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18
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Ásgrímsdóttir ES, Arenas E. Midbrain Dopaminergic Neuron Development at the Single Cell Level: In vivo and in Stem Cells. Front Cell Dev Biol 2020; 8:463. [PMID: 32733875 PMCID: PMC7357704 DOI: 10.3389/fcell.2020.00463] [Citation(s) in RCA: 27] [Impact Index Per Article: 6.8] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 03/02/2020] [Accepted: 05/19/2020] [Indexed: 12/13/2022] Open
Abstract
Parkinson's disease (PD) is a progressive neurodegenerative disorder that predominantly affects dopaminergic (DA) neurons of the substantia nigra. Current treatment options for PD are symptomatic and typically involve the replacement of DA neurotransmission by DA drugs, which relieve the patients of some of their motor symptoms. However, by the time of diagnosis, patients have already lost about 70% of their substantia nigra DA neurons and these drugs offer only temporary relief. Therefore, cell replacement therapy has garnered much interest as a potential treatment option for PD. Early studies using human fetal tissue for transplantation in PD patients provided proof of principle for cell replacement therapy, but they also highlighted the ethical and practical difficulties associated with using human fetal tissue as a cell source. In recent years, advancements in stem cell research have made human pluripotent stem cells (hPSCs) an attractive source of material for cell replacement therapy. Studies on how DA neurons are specified and differentiated in the developing mouse midbrain have allowed us to recapitulate many of the positional and temporal cues needed to generate DA neurons in vitro. However, little is known about the developmental programs that govern human DA neuron development. With the advent of single-cell RNA sequencing (scRNA-seq) and bioinformatics, it has become possible to analyze precious human samples with unprecedented detail and extract valuable high-quality information from large data sets. This technology has allowed the systematic classification of cell types present in the human developing midbrain along with their gene expression patterns. By studying human development in such an unbiased manner, we can begin to elucidate human DA neuron development and determine how much it differs from our knowledge of the rodent brain. Importantly, this molecular description of the function of human cells has become and will increasingly be a reference to define, evaluate, and engineer cell types for PD cell replacement therapy and disease modeling.
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Affiliation(s)
| | - Ernest Arenas
- Division of Molecular Neurobiology, Department of Medical Biochemistry and Biophysics, Karolinska Institutet, Stockholm, Sweden
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19
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Development and Differentiation of Midbrain Dopaminergic Neuron: From Bench to Bedside. Cells 2020; 9:cells9061489. [PMID: 32570916 PMCID: PMC7349799 DOI: 10.3390/cells9061489] [Citation(s) in RCA: 23] [Impact Index Per Article: 5.8] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 04/10/2020] [Revised: 05/29/2020] [Accepted: 06/12/2020] [Indexed: 02/06/2023] Open
Abstract
Parkinson’s Disease (PD) is a neurodegenerative disorder affecting the motor system. It is primarily due to substantial loss of midbrain dopamine (mDA) neurons in the substantia nigra pars compacta and to decreased innervation to the striatum. Although existing drug therapy available can relieve the symptoms in early-stage PD patients, it cannot reverse the pathogenic progression of PD. Thus, regenerating functional mDA neurons in PD patients may be a cure to the disease. The proof-of-principle clinical trials showed that human fetal graft-derived mDA neurons could restore the release of dopamine neurotransmitters, could reinnervate the striatum, and could alleviate clinical symptoms in PD patients. The invention of human-induced pluripotent stem cells (hiPSCs), autologous source of neural progenitors with less ethical consideration, and risk of graft rejection can now be generated in vitro. This advancement also prompts extensive research to decipher important developmental signaling in differentiation, which is key to successful in vitro production of functional mDA neurons and the enabler of mass manufacturing of the cells required for clinical applications. In this review, we summarize the biology and signaling involved in the development of mDA neurons and the current progress and methodology in driving efficient mDA neuron differentiation from pluripotent stem cells.
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20
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Molecular Regulation in Dopaminergic Neuron Development. Cues to Unveil Molecular Pathogenesis and Pharmacological Targets of Neurodegeneration. Int J Mol Sci 2020; 21:ijms21113995. [PMID: 32503161 PMCID: PMC7312927 DOI: 10.3390/ijms21113995] [Citation(s) in RCA: 17] [Impact Index Per Article: 4.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 04/28/2020] [Revised: 05/30/2020] [Accepted: 06/01/2020] [Indexed: 12/13/2022] Open
Abstract
The relatively few dopaminergic neurons in the mammalian brain are mostly located in the midbrain and regulate many important neural functions, including motor integration, cognition, emotive behaviors and reward. Therefore, alteration of their function or degeneration leads to severe neurological and neuropsychiatric diseases. Unraveling the mechanisms of midbrain dopaminergic (mDA) phenotype induction and maturation and elucidating the role of the gene network involved in the development and maintenance of these neurons is of pivotal importance to rescue or substitute these cells in order to restore dopaminergic functions. Recently, in addition to morphogens and transcription factors, microRNAs have been identified as critical players to confer mDA identity. The elucidation of the gene network involved in mDA neuron development and function will be crucial to identify early changes of mDA neurons that occur in pre-symptomatic pathological conditions, such as Parkinson’s disease. In addition, it can help to identify targets for new therapies and for cell reprogramming into mDA neurons. In this essay, we review the cascade of transcriptional and posttranscriptional regulation that confers mDA identity and regulates their functions. Additionally, we highlight certain mechanisms that offer important clues to unveil molecular pathogenesis of mDA neuron dysfunction and potential pharmacological targets for the treatment of mDA neuron dysfunction.
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21
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Wullimann MF, Umeasalugo KE. Sonic hedgehog expression in zebrafish forebrain identifies the teleostean pallidal signaling center and shows preglomerular complex and posterior tubercular dopamine cells to arise from shh cells. J Comp Neurol 2019; 528:1321-1348. [PMID: 31760659 DOI: 10.1002/cne.24825] [Citation(s) in RCA: 16] [Impact Index Per Article: 3.2] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 09/03/2019] [Revised: 11/15/2019] [Accepted: 11/16/2019] [Indexed: 12/16/2022]
Abstract
Ventralization, a major patterning process in the developing vertebrate neural tube (central nervous system, CNS), depends on Sonic hedgehog (SHH) as a main signaling morphogen. We studied the CNS of late larval and young adult zebrafish in a transgenic shh-GFP line revealing increased neuroanatomical detail due to the progressed differentiation state compared to earlier stages. Some major findings emerge from the present study. (a) shh -GFP is still expressed along the adult zebrafish CNS neuraxis in most locations seen in larvae. (b) We newly identify a ventroposterior shh pallidal domain representing the basal telencephalic signaling center important for basal ganglia development known in other vertebrates (i.e., the anterior entopeduncular area-basal medial ganglionic eminence of mammals). (c) We further show late-emerging shh-GFP positive radial glia cells in the medial zone of the dorsal telencephalon (i.e., the teleostan pallial amygdala). (d) Immunostains for tyrosine hydroxylase demonstrate that there is selective colocalization in adult dopamine cells with shh-GFP in the posterior tuberculum, including in projection cells to striatum, which represents a striking parallel to amniote mesodiencephalic dopamine cell origin from shh expressing floor plate cells. (e) There is no colocalization of shh and islet1 as shown by respective shh-GFP and islet1-GFP lines. (f) The only radially far migrated shh-GFP cells are located in the preglomerular area. (g) There are no adult cerebellar and tectal shh-GFP cells confirming their exclusive role during early development as previously reported by our laboratory.
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Affiliation(s)
- Mario F Wullimann
- Department Biology II, Division of Neurobiology, Ludwig-Maximilians-Universität München (LMU Munich), Munich, Germany
| | - Kosisochukwu E Umeasalugo
- Department Biology II, Division of Neurobiology, Ludwig-Maximilians-Universität München (LMU Munich), Munich, Germany
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22
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Cheng C, Wang Y, Guo L, Lu X, Zhu W, Muhammad W, Zhang L, Lu L, Gao J, Tang M, Chen F, Gao X, Li H, Chai R. Age-related transcriptome changes in Sox2+ supporting cells in the mouse cochlea. Stem Cell Res Ther 2019; 10:365. [PMID: 31791390 PMCID: PMC6889721 DOI: 10.1186/s13287-019-1437-0] [Citation(s) in RCA: 57] [Impact Index Per Article: 11.4] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 06/04/2019] [Revised: 07/29/2019] [Accepted: 10/01/2019] [Indexed: 12/17/2022] Open
Abstract
Background Inner ear supporting cells (SCs) in the neonatal mouse cochlea are a potential source for hair cell (HC) regeneration, but several studies have shown that the regeneration ability of SCs decreases dramatically as mice age and that lost HCs cannot be regenerated in adult mice. To better understand how SCs might be better used to regenerate HCs, it is important to understand how the gene expression profile changes in SCs at different ages. Methods Here, we used Sox2GFP/+ mice to isolate the Sox2+ SCs at postnatal day (P)3, P7, P14, and P30 via flow cytometry. Next, we used RNA-seq to determine the transcriptome expression profiles of P3, P7, P14, and P30 SCs. To further analyze the relationships between these age-related and differentially expressed genes in Sox2+ SCs, we performed gene ontology (GO) analysis. Results Consistent with previous reports, we also found that the proliferation and HC regeneration ability of isolated Sox2+ SCs significantly decreased as mice aged. We identified numerous genes that are enriched and differentially expressed in Sox2+ SCs at four different postnatal ages, including cell cycle genes, signaling pathway genes, and transcription factors that might be involved in regulating the proliferation and HC differentiation ability of SCs. We thus present a set of genes that might regulate the proliferation and HC regeneration ability of SCs, and these might serve as potential new therapeutic targets for HC regeneration. Conclusions In our research, we found several genes that might play an important role in regulating the proliferation and HC regeneration ability of SCs. These datasets are expected to serve as a resource to provide potential new therapeutic targets for regulating the ability of SCs to regenerate HCs in postnatal mammals.
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Affiliation(s)
- Cheng Cheng
- Jiangsu Provincial Key Medical Discipline (Laboratory), Department of Otolaryngology Head and Neck Surgery, Affiliated Drum Tower Hospital of Nanjing University Medical School, No. 321 Zhongshan Road, Nanjing, 210008, China.,Research Institute of Otolaryngology, No. 321 Zhongshan Road, Nanjing, 210008, China
| | - Yunfeng Wang
- Shanghai Fenyang Vision & Audition Center, Shanghai, China.,ENT Institute and Otorhinolaryngology Department of Affiliated Eye and ENT Hospital, Key Laboratory of Hearing Medicine of NHFPC, Shanghai Engineering Research Centre of Cochlear Implant, State Key Laboratory of Medical Neurobiology, Fudan University, Room 611, Building 9, No. 83, Fenyang Road, Xuhui District, Shanghai, 200031, China
| | - Luo Guo
- ENT Institute and Otorhinolaryngology Department of Affiliated Eye and ENT Hospital, Key Laboratory of Hearing Medicine of NHFPC, Shanghai Engineering Research Centre of Cochlear Implant, State Key Laboratory of Medical Neurobiology, Fudan University, Room 611, Building 9, No. 83, Fenyang Road, Xuhui District, Shanghai, 200031, China
| | - Xiaoling Lu
- ENT Institute and Otorhinolaryngology Department of Affiliated Eye and ENT Hospital, Key Laboratory of Hearing Medicine of NHFPC, Shanghai Engineering Research Centre of Cochlear Implant, State Key Laboratory of Medical Neurobiology, Fudan University, Room 611, Building 9, No. 83, Fenyang Road, Xuhui District, Shanghai, 200031, China
| | - Weijie Zhu
- MOE Key Laboratory for Developmental Genes and Human Disease, State Key Laboratory of Bioelectronics, Co-Innovation Center of Neuroregeneration, Institute of Life Sciences, Jiangsu Province High-Tech Key Laboratory for Bio-Medical Research, Southeast University, Nanjing, 210096, China
| | - Waqas Muhammad
- MOE Key Laboratory for Developmental Genes and Human Disease, State Key Laboratory of Bioelectronics, Co-Innovation Center of Neuroregeneration, Institute of Life Sciences, Jiangsu Province High-Tech Key Laboratory for Bio-Medical Research, Southeast University, Nanjing, 210096, China.,Department of Biotechnology, Federal Urdu University of Arts, Science and Technology, Gulshan-e-Iqbal Campus, Karachi, Pakistan
| | - Liyan Zhang
- MOE Key Laboratory for Developmental Genes and Human Disease, State Key Laboratory of Bioelectronics, Co-Innovation Center of Neuroregeneration, Institute of Life Sciences, Jiangsu Province High-Tech Key Laboratory for Bio-Medical Research, Southeast University, Nanjing, 210096, China
| | - Ling Lu
- Jiangsu Provincial Key Medical Discipline (Laboratory), Department of Otolaryngology Head and Neck Surgery, Affiliated Drum Tower Hospital of Nanjing University Medical School, No. 321 Zhongshan Road, Nanjing, 210008, China
| | - Junyan Gao
- Jiangsu Rehabilitation Research Center for Hearing and Speech Impairment, Nanjing, 210004, Jiangsu, China
| | - Mingliang Tang
- MOE Key Laboratory for Developmental Genes and Human Disease, State Key Laboratory of Bioelectronics, Co-Innovation Center of Neuroregeneration, Institute of Life Sciences, Jiangsu Province High-Tech Key Laboratory for Bio-Medical Research, Southeast University, Nanjing, 210096, China
| | - Fangyi Chen
- Department of Biomedical Engineering, Southern University of Science and Technology, Shenzhen, China
| | - Xia Gao
- Jiangsu Provincial Key Medical Discipline (Laboratory), Department of Otolaryngology Head and Neck Surgery, Affiliated Drum Tower Hospital of Nanjing University Medical School, No. 321 Zhongshan Road, Nanjing, 210008, China.
| | - Huawei Li
- ENT Institute and Otorhinolaryngology Department of Affiliated Eye and ENT Hospital, Key Laboratory of Hearing Medicine of NHFPC, Shanghai Engineering Research Centre of Cochlear Implant, State Key Laboratory of Medical Neurobiology, Fudan University, Room 611, Building 9, No. 83, Fenyang Road, Xuhui District, Shanghai, 200031, China.
| | - Renjie Chai
- ENT Institute and Otorhinolaryngology Department of Affiliated Eye and ENT Hospital, Key Laboratory of Hearing Medicine of NHFPC, Shanghai Engineering Research Centre of Cochlear Implant, State Key Laboratory of Medical Neurobiology, Fudan University, Room 611, Building 9, No. 83, Fenyang Road, Xuhui District, Shanghai, 200031, China. .,MOE Key Laboratory for Developmental Genes and Human Disease, State Key Laboratory of Bioelectronics, Co-Innovation Center of Neuroregeneration, Institute of Life Sciences, Jiangsu Province High-Tech Key Laboratory for Bio-Medical Research, Southeast University, Nanjing, 210096, China. .,Co-Innovation Center of Neuroregeneration, Nantong University, Nantong, 226001, China. .,Institute for Stem Cell and Regeneration, Chinese Academy of Science, Beijing, China. .,Beijing Key Laboratory of Neural Regeneration and Repair, Capital Medical University, Beijing, 100069, China.
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23
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Luo J, Liu K, Yao Y, Sun Q, Zheng X, Zhu B, Zhang Q, Xu L, Shen Y, Ren B. DMBX1 promotes tumor proliferation and regulates cell cycle progression via repressing OTX2-mediated transcription of p21 in lung adenocarcinoma cell. Cancer Lett 2019; 453:45-56. [DOI: 10.1016/j.canlet.2019.03.045] [Citation(s) in RCA: 12] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.4] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 11/24/2018] [Revised: 03/21/2019] [Accepted: 03/22/2019] [Indexed: 12/17/2022]
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24
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Kaufman J, Wymbs NF, Montalvo-Ortiz JL, Orr C, Albaugh MD, Althoff R, O’Loughlin K, Holbrook H, Garavan H, Kearney C, Yang BZ, Zhao H, Peña C, Nestler EJ, Lee RS, Mostofsky S, Gelernter J, Hudziak J. Methylation in OTX2 and related genes, maltreatment, and depression in children. Neuropsychopharmacology 2018; 43:2204-2211. [PMID: 30089883 PMCID: PMC6135753 DOI: 10.1038/s41386-018-0157-y] [Citation(s) in RCA: 35] [Impact Index Per Article: 5.8] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Submit a Manuscript] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 02/27/2018] [Revised: 07/02/2018] [Accepted: 07/06/2018] [Indexed: 12/14/2022]
Abstract
Through unbiased transcriptomics and multiple molecular tools, transient downregulation of the Orthodenticle homeobox 2 (OTX2) gene was recently causatively associated with the development of depressive-like behaviors in a mouse model of early life stress. The analyses presented in this manuscript test the translational applicability of these findings by examining peripheral markers of methylation of OTX2 and OTX2-regulated genes in relation to measures of depression and resting-state functional connectivity data collected as part of a larger study examining risk and resilience in maltreated children. The sample included 157 children between the ages of 8 and 15 years (χ = 11.4, SD = 1.9). DNA specimens were derived from saliva samples and processed using the Illumina 450 K beadchip. A subset of children (N = 47) with DNA specimens also had resting-state functional MRI data. After controlling for demographic factors, cell heterogeneity, and three principal components, maltreatment history and methylation in OTX2 significantly predicted depression in the children. In terms of the imaging data, increased OTX2 methylation was found to be associated with increased functional connectivity between the right vmPFC and bilateral regions of the medial frontal cortex and the cingulate, including the subcallosal gyrus, frontal pole, and paracingulate gyrus-key structures implicated in depression. Mouse models of early stress hold significant promise in helping to unravel the mechanisms by which child adversity confers risk for psychopathology, with data presented in this manuscript supporting a potential role for OTX2 and OTX2-related (e.g., WNT1, PAX6) genes in the pathophysiology of stress-related depressive disorders in children.
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Affiliation(s)
- Joan Kaufman
- Center for Child and Family Traumatic Stress, Kennedy Krieger Institute, Baltimore, MD, USA. .,Department of Psychiatry and Behavioral Sciences, Johns Hopkins School of Medicine, Baltimore, MD, USA. .,Department of Psychiatry, Yale University, New Haven, CT, USA.
| | - Nicholas F. Wymbs
- 0000 0004 0427 667Xgrid.240023.7Center for Neurodevelopmental and Imaging Research, Kennedy Krieger Institute, Baltimore, MD USA
| | | | - Catherine Orr
- 0000 0004 1936 7689grid.59062.38Department of Psychiatry, Vermont Center for Children, Youth, and Families, University of Vermont, Burlington, VT USA
| | - Matthew D. Albaugh
- 0000 0004 1936 7689grid.59062.38Department of Psychiatry, Vermont Center for Children, Youth, and Families, University of Vermont, Burlington, VT USA
| | - Robert Althoff
- 0000 0004 1936 7689grid.59062.38Department of Psychiatry, Vermont Center for Children, Youth, and Families, University of Vermont, Burlington, VT USA
| | - Kerry O’Loughlin
- 0000 0004 1936 7689grid.59062.38Department of Psychiatry, Vermont Center for Children, Youth, and Families, University of Vermont, Burlington, VT USA
| | - Hannah Holbrook
- 0000 0004 1936 7689grid.59062.38Department of Psychiatry, Vermont Center for Children, Youth, and Families, University of Vermont, Burlington, VT USA
| | - Hugh Garavan
- 0000 0004 1936 7689grid.59062.38Department of Psychiatry, Vermont Center for Children, Youth, and Families, University of Vermont, Burlington, VT USA
| | - Catherine Kearney
- 0000 0004 0427 667Xgrid.240023.7Center for Child and Family Traumatic Stress, Kennedy Krieger Institute, Baltimore, MD USA
| | - Bao-Zhu Yang
- 0000000419368710grid.47100.32Department of Psychiatry, Yale University, New Haven, CT USA
| | - Hongyu Zhao
- 0000000419368710grid.47100.32Department of Biostatistics, Yale University, New Haven, CT USA
| | - Catherine Peña
- 0000 0001 0670 2351grid.59734.3cFishberg Department of Neuroscience, Friedman Brain Institute, Icahn School of Medicine at Mount Sinai, New York, NY USA
| | - Eric J. Nestler
- 0000 0001 0670 2351grid.59734.3cFishberg Department of Neuroscience, Friedman Brain Institute, Icahn School of Medicine at Mount Sinai, New York, NY USA
| | - Richard S. Lee
- 0000 0001 2171 9311grid.21107.35Department of Psychiatry and Behavioral Sciences, Johns Hopkins School of Medicine, Baltimore, MD USA
| | - Stewart Mostofsky
- 0000 0004 0427 667Xgrid.240023.7Center for Neurodevelopmental and Imaging Research, Kennedy Krieger Institute, Baltimore, MD USA ,0000 0001 2171 9311grid.21107.35Department of Neurology, Johns Hopkins School of Medicine, Baltimore, MD USA
| | - Joel Gelernter
- 0000000419368710grid.47100.32Department of Psychiatry, Yale University, New Haven, CT USA ,0000000419368710grid.47100.32Department of Biostatistics, Yale University, New Haven, CT USA ,0000 0004 0478 7015grid.418356.dVeterans Administration, West Haven, CT USA
| | - James Hudziak
- 0000 0004 1936 7689grid.59062.38Department of Psychiatry, Vermont Center for Children, Youth, and Families, University of Vermont, Burlington, VT USA
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25
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Hoffmann HM, Pandolfi EC, Larder R, Mellon PL. Haploinsufficiency of Homeodomain Proteins Six3, Vax1, and Otx2 Causes Subfertility in Mice via Distinct Mechanisms. Neuroendocrinology 2018; 109:200-207. [PMID: 30261489 PMCID: PMC6437011 DOI: 10.1159/000494086] [Citation(s) in RCA: 12] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Submit a Manuscript] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 08/15/2018] [Accepted: 09/26/2018] [Indexed: 12/17/2022]
Abstract
Haploinsufficiency occurs when loss of one copy of a diploid gene (hemizygosity) causes a phenotype. It is relatively rare, in that most genes can produce sufficient mRNA and protein from a single copy to prevent any loss of normal activity and function. Reproduction is a complex process relying on migration of GnRH neurons from the olfactory placode to the hypothalamus during development. We have studied 3 different homeodomain genes Otx2, Vax1, and Six3 and found that the deletion of one allele for any of these genes in mice produces subfertility or infertility in one or both sexes, despite the presence of one intact allele. All 3 heterozygous mice have reduced numbers of GnRH neurons, but the mechanisms of subfertility differ significantly. This review compares the subfertility phenotypes and their mechanisms.
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Affiliation(s)
- Hanne M Hoffmann
- Department of Obstetrics, Gynecology, and Reproductive Sciences and the Center for Reproductive Science and Medicine, University of California, San Diego, La Jolla, California, USA
- Department of Animal Science, Michigan State University, East Lansing, Michigan, USA
| | - Erica C Pandolfi
- Department of Obstetrics, Gynecology, and Reproductive Sciences and the Center for Reproductive Science and Medicine, University of California, San Diego, La Jolla, California, USA
| | - Rachel Larder
- Department of Obstetrics, Gynecology, and Reproductive Sciences and the Center for Reproductive Science and Medicine, University of California, San Diego, La Jolla, California, USA
| | - Pamela L Mellon
- Department of Obstetrics, Gynecology, and Reproductive Sciences and the Center for Reproductive Science and Medicine, University of California, San Diego, La Jolla, California, USA,
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26
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Hollingsworth EW, Vaughn JE, Orack JC, Skinner C, Khouri J, Lizarraga SB, Hester ME, Watanabe F, Kosik KS, Imitola J. iPhemap: an atlas of phenotype to genotype relationships of human iPSC models of neurological diseases. EMBO Mol Med 2018; 9:1742-1762. [PMID: 29051230 PMCID: PMC5731211 DOI: 10.15252/emmm.201708191] [Citation(s) in RCA: 21] [Impact Index Per Article: 3.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 01/22/2023] Open
Abstract
Disease modeling with induced pluripotent stem cells (iPSCs) is creating an abundance of phenotypic information that has become difficult to follow and interpret. Here, we report a systematic analysis of research practices and reporting bias in neurological disease models from 93 published articles. We find heterogeneity in current research practices and a reporting bias toward certain diseases. Moreover, we identified 663 CNS cell-derived phenotypes from 243 patients and 214 controls, which varied by mutation type and developmental stage in vitro We clustered these phenotypes into a taxonomy and characterized these phenotype-genotype relationships to generate a phenogenetic map that revealed novel correlations among previously unrelated genes. We also find that alterations in patient-derived molecular profiles associated with cellular phenotypes, and dysregulated genes show predominant expression in brain regions with pathology. Last, we developed the iPS cell phenogenetic map project atlas (iPhemap), an open submission, online database to continually catalog disease phenotypes. Overall, our findings offer new insights into the phenogenetics of iPSC-derived models while our web tool provides a platform for researchers to query and deposit phenotypic information of neurological diseases.
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Affiliation(s)
- Ethan W Hollingsworth
- Laboratory for Neural Stem Cells and Functional Neurogenetics, Division of Neuroimmunology and Multiple Sclerosis, The Ohio State University Wexner Medical Center, Columbus, OH, USA.,Departments of Neurology and Neuroscience, The Ohio State University Wexner Medical Center, Columbus, OH, USA
| | - Jacob E Vaughn
- Laboratory for Neural Stem Cells and Functional Neurogenetics, Division of Neuroimmunology and Multiple Sclerosis, The Ohio State University Wexner Medical Center, Columbus, OH, USA.,Departments of Neurology and Neuroscience, The Ohio State University Wexner Medical Center, Columbus, OH, USA
| | - Josh C Orack
- Laboratory for Neural Stem Cells and Functional Neurogenetics, Division of Neuroimmunology and Multiple Sclerosis, The Ohio State University Wexner Medical Center, Columbus, OH, USA.,Departments of Neurology and Neuroscience, The Ohio State University Wexner Medical Center, Columbus, OH, USA
| | - Chelsea Skinner
- Laboratory for Neural Stem Cells and Functional Neurogenetics, Division of Neuroimmunology and Multiple Sclerosis, The Ohio State University Wexner Medical Center, Columbus, OH, USA.,Departments of Neurology and Neuroscience, The Ohio State University Wexner Medical Center, Columbus, OH, USA
| | - Jamil Khouri
- Laboratory for Neural Stem Cells and Functional Neurogenetics, Division of Neuroimmunology and Multiple Sclerosis, The Ohio State University Wexner Medical Center, Columbus, OH, USA.,Departments of Neurology and Neuroscience, The Ohio State University Wexner Medical Center, Columbus, OH, USA
| | - Sofia B Lizarraga
- Department of Biological Sciences, University of South Carolina, Columbia, SC, USA
| | - Mark E Hester
- Center for Perinatal Research, The Research Institute at Nationwide Children's Hospital, Columbus, OH, USA
| | - Fumihiro Watanabe
- Laboratory for Neural Stem Cells and Functional Neurogenetics, Division of Neuroimmunology and Multiple Sclerosis, The Ohio State University Wexner Medical Center, Columbus, OH, USA
| | - Kenneth S Kosik
- Department of Molecular Cellular and Developmental Biology, Neuroscience Research Institute, Biomolecular Science and Engineering Program, University of California, Santa Barbara, Santa Barbara, CA, USA
| | - Jaime Imitola
- Laboratory for Neural Stem Cells and Functional Neurogenetics, Division of Neuroimmunology and Multiple Sclerosis, The Ohio State University Wexner Medical Center, Columbus, OH, USA .,Departments of Neurology and Neuroscience, The Ohio State University Wexner Medical Center, Columbus, OH, USA.,The James Comprehensive Cancer Hospital, Columbus, OH, USA
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27
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Transcriptional synergy as an emergent property defining cell subpopulation identity enables population shift. Nat Commun 2018; 9:2595. [PMID: 29968757 PMCID: PMC6030214 DOI: 10.1038/s41467-018-05016-8] [Citation(s) in RCA: 9] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 08/07/2017] [Accepted: 06/06/2018] [Indexed: 11/08/2022] Open
Abstract
Single-cell RNA sequencing allows defining molecularly distinct cell subpopulations. However, the identification of specific sets of transcription factors (TFs) that define the identity of these subpopulations remains a challenge. Here we propose that subpopulation identity emerges from the synergistic activity of multiple TFs. Based on this concept, we develop a computational platform (TransSyn) for identifying synergistic transcriptional cores that determine cell subpopulation identities. TransSyn leverages single-cell RNA-seq data, and performs a dynamic search for an optimal synergistic transcriptional core using an information theoretic measure of synergy. A large-scale TransSyn analysis identifies transcriptional cores for 186 subpopulations, and predicts identity conversion TFs between 3786 pairs of cell subpopulations. Finally, TransSyn predictions enable experimental conversion of human hindbrain neuroepithelial cells into medial floor plate midbrain progenitors, capable of rapidly differentiating into dopaminergic neurons. Thus, TransSyn can facilitate designing strategies for conversion of cell subpopulation identities with potential applications in regenerative medicine.
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28
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Peña CJ, Kronman HG, Walker DM, Cates HM, Bagot RC, Purushothaman I, Issler O, Loh YHE, Leong T, Kiraly DD, Goodman E, Neve RL, Shen L, Nestler EJ. Early life stress confers lifelong stress susceptibility in mice via ventral tegmental area OTX2. Science 2018; 356:1185-1188. [PMID: 28619944 DOI: 10.1126/science.aan4491] [Citation(s) in RCA: 242] [Impact Index Per Article: 40.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 04/16/2017] [Accepted: 05/22/2017] [Indexed: 12/23/2022]
Abstract
Early life stress increases risk for depression. Here we establish a "two-hit" stress model in mice wherein stress at a specific postnatal period increases susceptibility to adult social defeat stress and causes long-lasting transcriptional alterations that prime the ventral tegmental area (VTA)-a brain reward region-to be in a depression-like state. We identify a role for the developmental transcription factor orthodenticle homeobox 2 (Otx2) as an upstream mediator of these enduring effects. Transient juvenile-but not adult-knockdown of Otx2 in VTA mimics early life stress by increasing stress susceptibility, whereas its overexpression reverses the effects of early life stress. This work establishes a mechanism by which early life stress encodes lifelong susceptibility to stress via long-lasting transcriptional programming in VTA mediated by Otx2.
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Affiliation(s)
- Catherine J Peña
- Fishberg Department of Neuroscience, Friedman Brain Institute, Icahn School of Medicine at Mount Sinai, New York, NY 10029, USA
| | - Hope G Kronman
- Fishberg Department of Neuroscience, Friedman Brain Institute, Icahn School of Medicine at Mount Sinai, New York, NY 10029, USA
| | - Deena M Walker
- Fishberg Department of Neuroscience, Friedman Brain Institute, Icahn School of Medicine at Mount Sinai, New York, NY 10029, USA
| | - Hannah M Cates
- Fishberg Department of Neuroscience, Friedman Brain Institute, Icahn School of Medicine at Mount Sinai, New York, NY 10029, USA
| | - Rosemary C Bagot
- Fishberg Department of Neuroscience, Friedman Brain Institute, Icahn School of Medicine at Mount Sinai, New York, NY 10029, USA
| | - Immanuel Purushothaman
- Fishberg Department of Neuroscience, Friedman Brain Institute, Icahn School of Medicine at Mount Sinai, New York, NY 10029, USA
| | - Orna Issler
- Fishberg Department of Neuroscience, Friedman Brain Institute, Icahn School of Medicine at Mount Sinai, New York, NY 10029, USA
| | - Yong-Hwee Eddie Loh
- Fishberg Department of Neuroscience, Friedman Brain Institute, Icahn School of Medicine at Mount Sinai, New York, NY 10029, USA
| | - Tin Leong
- Fishberg Department of Neuroscience, Friedman Brain Institute, Icahn School of Medicine at Mount Sinai, New York, NY 10029, USA
| | - Drew D Kiraly
- Fishberg Department of Neuroscience, Friedman Brain Institute, Icahn School of Medicine at Mount Sinai, New York, NY 10029, USA.,Department of Psychiatry, Friedman Brain Institute, Icahn School of Medicine at Mount Sinai, New York, NY 10029, USA
| | - Emma Goodman
- Fishberg Department of Neuroscience, Friedman Brain Institute, Icahn School of Medicine at Mount Sinai, New York, NY 10029, USA
| | - Rachael L Neve
- Department of Brain and Cognitive Sciences, Massachusetts Institute of Technology, Cambridge, MA 02139, USA
| | - Li Shen
- Fishberg Department of Neuroscience, Friedman Brain Institute, Icahn School of Medicine at Mount Sinai, New York, NY 10029, USA
| | - Eric J Nestler
- Fishberg Department of Neuroscience, Friedman Brain Institute, Icahn School of Medicine at Mount Sinai, New York, NY 10029, USA.
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29
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Kouwenhoven WM, von Oerthel L, Smidt MP. Pitx3 and En1 determine the size and molecular programming of the dopaminergic neuronal pool. PLoS One 2017; 12:e0182421. [PMID: 28800615 PMCID: PMC5553812 DOI: 10.1371/journal.pone.0182421] [Citation(s) in RCA: 11] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.6] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 06/02/2017] [Accepted: 07/18/2017] [Indexed: 02/04/2023] Open
Abstract
Mesodiencephalic dopaminergic (mdDA) neurons are located in the ventral midbrain. These neurons form the substantia nigra (SNc) and the ventral tegmental area (VTA). Two transcription factors that play important roles in the process of terminal differentiation and subset-specification of mdDA neurons, are paired-like homeodomain transcription factor 3 (Pitx3), and homeobox transcription factor Engrailed 1 (En1). We previously investigated the single Pitx3KO and En1KO and observed important changes in the survival of mdDA neurons of the SNc and VTA as well as altered expression of pivotal rostral- and caudal-markers, Ahd2 and Cck, respectively. To refine our understanding of the regional-specific relationships between En1 and Pitx3 and their (combined) role in the programming mdDA neurons on the rostral-to-caudal axis, we created double En1tm1Alj/tm1Alj;Pitx3gfp/gfp (En1KO;Pitx3GFP/GFP) animals. Here we report, that in absence of En1 and Pitx3, only a limited number of mdDA neurons are present at E14.5. These mdDA neurons have a rudimentary dopaminergic cell fate, as they express Nurr1, Pbx3 and Otx2 but have lost their rostral or caudal subset identity. Furthermore, we report that the expression of Cck depends on En1 expression, while (in contrast) both Pitx3 and En1 are involved in the initiation of Ahd2 expression. Thus we reveal in this manuscript that regulated levels of Pitx3 and En1 control the size and rostral/caudal-identity of the mdDA neuronal population.
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Affiliation(s)
| | - Lars von Oerthel
- Swammerdam Institute for Life Sciences, University of Amsterdam, Amsterdam, the Netherlands
| | - Marten P. Smidt
- Swammerdam Institute for Life Sciences, University of Amsterdam, Amsterdam, the Netherlands
- * E-mail:
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30
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Guerrero-Flores G, Bastidas-Ponce A, Collazo-Navarrete O, Guerra-Crespo M, Covarrubias L. Functional determination of the differentiation potential of ventral mesencephalic neural precursor cells during dopaminergic neurogenesis. Dev Biol 2017; 429:56-70. [PMID: 28733161 DOI: 10.1016/j.ydbio.2017.07.008] [Citation(s) in RCA: 6] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.9] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 02/11/2017] [Revised: 07/17/2017] [Accepted: 07/17/2017] [Indexed: 11/29/2022]
Abstract
The ventral mesencephalic neural precursor cells (vmNPCs) that give rise to dopaminergic (DA) neurons have been identified by the expression of distinct genes (e.g., Lmx1a, Foxa2, Msx1/2). However, the commitment of these NPCs to the mesencephalic DA neuronal fate has not been functionally determined. Evaluation of the plasticity of vmNPCs suggests that their commitment occurs after E10.5. Here we show that E9.5 vmNPCs implanted in an ectopic area of E10.5 mesencephalic explants, retained their specification marker Lmx1a and efficiently differentiated into neurons but did not express the gene encoding tyrosine hydroxylase (Th), the limiting enzyme for dopamine synthesis. A proportion of E10.5-E11.5 implanted vmNPCs behaved as committed, deriving into Th+ neurons in ectopic sites. Interestingly, implanted cells from E12.5 embryos were unable to give rise to a significant number of Th+ neurons. Concomitantly, differentiation assays in culture and in mesencephalic explants treated with Fgf2+LIF detected vmNPCs with astrogenic potential since E11.5. Despite this, a full suspension of E12.5 vmNPCs give rise to DA neurons in a similar proportion as those of E10.5 when they were transplanted into adult brain, but astrocytes were only detected with the former population. These data suggest that the subventricular postmitotic progenitors present in E12.5 ventral mesencephalon are unable to implant in embryonic explants and are the source of DA neurons in the transplanted adult brain. Based on our findings we propose that during DA differentiation committed vmNPCs emerge at E10.5 and they exhaust their neurogenic capacity with the rise of NPCs with astrogenic potential.
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Affiliation(s)
- Gilda Guerrero-Flores
- Department of Developmental Genetics and Molecular Physiology, Instituto de Biotecnología, Universidad Nacional Autónoma de México, Cuernavaca, Morelos 62210, Mexico
| | - Aimée Bastidas-Ponce
- Department of Developmental Genetics and Molecular Physiology, Instituto de Biotecnología, Universidad Nacional Autónoma de México, Cuernavaca, Morelos 62210, Mexico
| | - Omar Collazo-Navarrete
- Department of Molecular Neuropathology, Instituto de Fisiología Celular, Universidad Nacional Autónoma de México, Coyoacán, Ciudad de México 04510, Mexico
| | - Magdalena Guerra-Crespo
- Department of Molecular Neuropathology, Instituto de Fisiología Celular, Universidad Nacional Autónoma de México, Coyoacán, Ciudad de México 04510, Mexico
| | - Luis Covarrubias
- Department of Developmental Genetics and Molecular Physiology, Instituto de Biotecnología, Universidad Nacional Autónoma de México, Cuernavaca, Morelos 62210, Mexico.
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Oliveira MAP, Balling R, Smidt MP, Fleming RMT. Embryonic development of selectively vulnerable neurons in Parkinson's disease. NPJ Parkinsons Dis 2017; 3:21. [PMID: 28685157 PMCID: PMC5484687 DOI: 10.1038/s41531-017-0022-4] [Citation(s) in RCA: 15] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.1] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 07/06/2016] [Revised: 05/24/2017] [Accepted: 06/01/2017] [Indexed: 02/07/2023] Open
Abstract
A specific set of brainstem nuclei are susceptible to degeneration in Parkinson's disease. We hypothesise that neuronal vulnerability reflects shared phenotypic characteristics that confer selective vulnerability to degeneration. Neuronal phenotypic specification is mainly the cumulative result of a transcriptional regulatory program that is active during the development. By manual curation of the developmental biology literature, we comprehensively reconstructed an anatomically resolved cellular developmental lineage for the adult neurons in five brainstem regions that are selectively vulnerable to degeneration in prodromal or early Parkinson's disease. We synthesised the literature on transcription factors that are required to be active, or required to be inactive, in the development of each of these five brainstem regions, and at least two differentially vulnerable nuclei within each region. Certain transcription factors, e.g., Ascl1 and Lmx1b, seem to be required for specification of many brainstem regions that are susceptible to degeneration in early Parkinson's disease. Some transcription factors can even distinguish between differentially vulnerable nuclei within the same brain region, e.g., Pitx3 is required for specification of the substantia nigra pars compacta, but not the ventral tegmental area. We do not suggest that Parkinson's disease is a developmental disorder. In contrast, we consider identification of shared developmental trajectories as part of a broader effort to identify the molecular mechanisms that underlie the phenotypic features that are shared by selectively vulnerable neurons. Systematic in vivo assessment of fate determining transcription factors should be completed for all neuronal populations vulnerable to degeneration in early Parkinson's disease.
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Affiliation(s)
- Miguel A. P. Oliveira
- Luxembourg Centre for Systems Biomedicine, University of Luxembourg, 6 Avenue du Swing, Belvaux, L-4362 Luxembourg
| | - Rudi Balling
- Luxembourg Centre for Systems Biomedicine, University of Luxembourg, 6 Avenue du Swing, Belvaux, L-4362 Luxembourg
| | - Marten P. Smidt
- Department of Molecular Neuroscience, Center for Neuroscience, Swammerdam Institute for Life Sciences, University of Amsterdam, Sciencepark 904, 1098 XH Amsterdam, The Netherlands
| | - Ronan M. T. Fleming
- Luxembourg Centre for Systems Biomedicine, University of Luxembourg, 6 Avenue du Swing, Belvaux, L-4362 Luxembourg
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Japp AS, Klein-Hitpass L, Denkhaus D, Pietsch T. OTX2 Defines a Subgroup of Atypical Teratoid Rhabdoid Tumors With Close Relationship to Choroid Plexus Tumors. J Neuropathol Exp Neurol 2017; 76:32-38. [PMID: 28025236 DOI: 10.1093/jnen/nlw101] [Citation(s) in RCA: 3] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.4] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 12/23/2022] Open
Abstract
Atypical teratoid rhabdoid tumors (ATRT) are highly malignant brain tumors of early childhood that have been regarded as a homogenous entity characterized by inactivation of the SMARCB1/INI1 or SMARCA4/BRG1 genes as the only characteristic alteration. Recent studies suggest that similar to other embryonal tumors ATRT can also be divided into subgroups based on their mRNA or methylation profiles. Using microarray-based expression analysis of 12 patient ATRT specimens we demonstrated the existence of 2 subgroups of ATRT. One subgroup is characterized by high expression of OTX2, encoding a transcription factor involved in brain development. OTX2 expression was verified by immunohistochemistry and might function as a novel therapeutic target for this fatal tumor. High expression of OTX2 as well as expression of Kir7.1/KCNJ13, TRPM3 and ENPP2, which have all previously been linked to either choroid plexus epithelium or choroid plexus tumors (CPTs), suggests a close histogenetic relation of this subgroup to CPTs.
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Affiliation(s)
- Anna Sophia Japp
- Institute of Neuropathology, University of Bonn Medical Center, Bonn, Germany
| | - Ludger Klein-Hitpass
- Department of Cell Biology (Tumor Research), University of Duisburg-Essen, Essen, Germany
| | - Dorota Denkhaus
- Institute of Neuropathology, University of Bonn Medical Center, Bonn, Germany
| | - Torsten Pietsch
- Institute of Neuropathology, University of Bonn Medical Center, Bonn, Germany
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Sakai A, Nakato R, Ling Y, Hou X, Hara N, Iijima T, Yanagawa Y, Kuwano R, Okuda S, Shirahige K, Sugiyama S. Genome-Wide Target Analyses of Otx2 Homeoprotein in Postnatal Cortex. Front Neurosci 2017; 11:307. [PMID: 28620275 PMCID: PMC5450002 DOI: 10.3389/fnins.2017.00307] [Citation(s) in RCA: 20] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.9] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 01/19/2017] [Accepted: 05/16/2017] [Indexed: 11/13/2022] Open
Abstract
Juvenile brain has a unique time window, or critical period, in which neuronal circuits are remodeled by experience. Mounting evidence indicates the importance of neuronal circuit rewiring in various neurodevelopmental disorders of human cognition. We previously showed that Otx2 homeoprotein, essential for brain formation, is recaptured during postnatal maturation of parvalbumin-positive interneurons (PV cells) to activate the critical period in mouse visual cortex. Cortical Otx2 is the only interneuron-enriched transcription factor known to regulate the critical period, but its downstream targets remain unknown. Here, we used ChIP-seq (chromatin immunoprecipitation sequencing) to identify genome-wide binding sites of Otx2 in juvenile mouse cortex, and interneuron-specific RNA-seq to explore the Otx2-dependent transcriptome. Otx2-bound genes were associated with human diseases such as schizophrenia as well as critical periods. Of these genes, expression of neuronal factors involved in transcription, signal transduction and mitochondrial function was moderately and broadly affected in Otx2-deficient interneurons. In contrast to reported binding sites in the embryo, genes encoding potassium ion transporters such as KV3.1 had juvenile cortex-specific binding sites, suggesting that Otx2 is involved in regulating fast-spiking properties during PV cell maturation. Moreover, transcripts of oxidative resistance-1 (Oxr1), whose promoter has Otx2 binding sites, were markedly downregulated in Otx2-deficient interneurons. Therefore, an important role of Otx2 may be to protect the cells from the increased oxidative stress in fast-spiking PV cells. Our results suggest that coordinated expression of Otx2 targets promotes PV cell maturation and maintains its function in neuronal plasticity and disease.
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Affiliation(s)
- Akiko Sakai
- Laboratory of Neuronal Development, Graduate School of Medical and Dental Sciences, Niigata UniversityNiigata, Japan
| | - Ryuichiro Nakato
- Research Center for Epigenetic Disease, Institute of Molecular and Cellular Biosciences, University of TokyoTokyo, Japan
| | - Yiwei Ling
- Bioinformatics Laboratory, Graduate School of Medical and Dental Sciences, Niigata UniversityNiigata, Japan
| | - Xubin Hou
- Laboratory of Neuronal Development, Graduate School of Medical and Dental Sciences, Niigata UniversityNiigata, Japan
| | - Norikazu Hara
- Department of Molecular Genetics, Center for Bioresources, Brain Research Institute, Niigata UniversityNiigata, Japan
| | - Tomoya Iijima
- Laboratory of Neuronal Development, Graduate School of Medical and Dental Sciences, Niigata UniversityNiigata, Japan
| | - Yuchio Yanagawa
- Department of Genetic and Behavioral Neuroscience, Graduate School of Medicine, Gunma UniversityGunma, Japan
| | - Ryozo Kuwano
- Department of Molecular Genetics, Center for Bioresources, Brain Research Institute, Niigata UniversityNiigata, Japan
| | - Shujiro Okuda
- Bioinformatics Laboratory, Graduate School of Medical and Dental Sciences, Niigata UniversityNiigata, Japan
| | - Katsuhiko Shirahige
- Research Center for Epigenetic Disease, Institute of Molecular and Cellular Biosciences, University of TokyoTokyo, Japan
| | - Sayaka Sugiyama
- Laboratory of Neuronal Development, Graduate School of Medical and Dental Sciences, Niigata UniversityNiigata, Japan
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Nouri N, Awatramani R. A novel floor plate boundary defined by adjacent En1 and Dbx1 microdomains distinguishes midbrain dopamine and hypothalamic neurons. Development 2017; 144:916-927. [PMID: 28174244 DOI: 10.1242/dev.144949] [Citation(s) in RCA: 22] [Impact Index Per Article: 3.1] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 09/22/2016] [Accepted: 01/18/2017] [Indexed: 12/13/2022]
Abstract
The mesodiencephalic floor plate (mdFP) is the source of diverse neuron types. Yet, how this structure is compartmentalized has not been clearly elucidated. Here, we identify a novel boundary subdividing the mdFP into two microdomains, defined by engrailed 1 (En1) and developing brain homeobox 1 (Dbx1). Utilizing simultaneous dual and intersectional fate mapping, we demonstrate that this boundary is precisely formed with minimal overlap between En1 and Dbx1 microdomains, unlike many other boundaries. We show that the En1 microdomain gives rise to dopaminergic (DA) neurons, whereas the Dbx1 microdomain gives rise to subthalamic (STN), premammillary (PM) and posterior hypothalamic (PH) populations. To determine whether En1 is sufficient to induce DA neuron production beyond its normal limit, we generated a mouse strain that expresses En1 in the Dbx1 microdomain. In mutants, we observed ectopic production of DA neurons derived from the Dbx1 microdomain, at the expense of STN and PM populations. Our findings provide new insights into subdivisions in the mdFP, and will impact current strategies for the conversion of stem cells into DA neurons.
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Affiliation(s)
- Navid Nouri
- Department of Neurology, Feinberg School of Medicine, Northwestern University, Chicago, IL 60611, USA
| | - Rajeshwar Awatramani
- Department of Neurology, Feinberg School of Medicine, Northwestern University, Chicago, IL 60611, USA
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Dickkopf 3 Promotes the Differentiation of a Rostrolateral Midbrain Dopaminergic Neuronal Subset In Vivo and from Pluripotent Stem Cells In Vitro in the Mouse. J Neurosci 2015; 35:13385-401. [PMID: 26424886 DOI: 10.1523/jneurosci.1722-15.2015] [Citation(s) in RCA: 24] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.7] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 01/19/2023] Open
Abstract
Wingless-related MMTV integration site 1 (WNT1)/β-catenin signaling plays a crucial role in the generation of mesodiencephalic dopaminergic (mdDA) neurons, including the substantia nigra pars compacta (SNc) subpopulation that preferentially degenerates in Parkinson's disease (PD). However, the precise functions of WNT1/β-catenin signaling in this context remain unknown. Stem cell-based regenerative (transplantation) therapies for PD have not been implemented widely in the clinical context, among other reasons because of the heterogeneity and incomplete differentiation of the transplanted cells. This might result in tumor formation and poor integration of the transplanted cells into the dopaminergic circuitry of the brain. Dickkopf 3 (DKK3) is a secreted glycoprotein implicated in the modulation of WNT/β-catenin signaling. Using mutant mice, primary ventral midbrain cells, and pluripotent stem cells, we show that DKK3 is necessary and sufficient for the correct differentiation of a rostrolateral mdDA neuron subset. Dkk3 transcription in the murine ventral midbrain coincides with the onset of mdDA neurogenesis and is required for the activation and/or maintenance of LMX1A (LIM homeobox transcription factor 1α) and PITX3 (paired-like homeodomain transcription factor 3) expression in the corresponding mdDA precursor subset, without affecting the proliferation or specification of their progenitors. Notably, the treatment of differentiating pluripotent stem cells with recombinant DKK3 and WNT1 proteins also increases the proportion of mdDA neurons with molecular SNc DA cell characteristics in these cultures. The specific effects of DKK3 on the differentiation of rostrolateral mdDA neurons in the murine ventral midbrain, together with its known prosurvival and anti-tumorigenic properties, make it a good candidate for the improvement of regenerative and neuroprotective strategies in the treatment of PD. Significance statement: We show here that Dickkopf 3 (DKK3), a secreted modulator of WNT (Wingless-related MMTV integration site)/β-catenin signaling, is both necessary and sufficient for the proper differentiation and survival of a rostrolateral (parabrachial pigmented nucleus and dorsomedial substantia nigra pars compacta) mesodiencephalic dopaminergic neuron subset, using Dkk3 mutant mice and murine primary ventral midbrain and pluripotent stem cells. The progressive loss of these dopamine-producing mesodiencephalic neurons is a hallmark of human Parkinson's disease, which can up to now not be halted by clinical treatments of this disease. Thus, the soluble DKK3 protein might be a promising new agent for the improvement of current protocols for the directed differentiation of pluripotent and multipotent stem cells into mesodiencephalic dopaminergic neurons and for the promotion of their survival in situ.
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Bissonette GB, Roesch MR. Development and function of the midbrain dopamine system: what we know and what we need to. GENES BRAIN AND BEHAVIOR 2015; 15:62-73. [PMID: 26548362 DOI: 10.1111/gbb.12257] [Citation(s) in RCA: 78] [Impact Index Per Article: 8.7] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 07/23/2015] [Revised: 09/11/2015] [Accepted: 10/01/2015] [Indexed: 01/29/2023]
Abstract
The past two decades have seen an explosion in our understanding of the origin and development of the midbrain dopamine system. Much of this work has been focused on the aspects of dopamine neuron development related to the onset of movement disorders such as Parkinson's disease, with the intent of hopefully delaying, preventing or fixing symptoms. While midbrain dopamine degeneration is a major focus for treatment and research, many other human disorders are impacted by abnormal dopamine, including drug addiction, autism and schizophrenia. Understanding dopamine neuron ontogeny and how dopamine connections and circuitry develops may provide us with key insights into potentially important avenues of research for other dopamine-related disorders. This review will provide a brief overview of the major molecular and genetic players throughout the development of midbrain dopamine neurons and what we know about the behavioral- and disease-related implications associated with perturbations to midbrain dopamine neuron development. We intend to combine the knowledge of two broad fields of neuroscience, both developmental and behavioral, with the intent on fostering greater discussion between branches of neuroscience in the service of addressing complex cognitive questions from a developmental perspective and identifying important gaps in our knowledge for future study.
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Affiliation(s)
- G B Bissonette
- Department of Psychology, University of Maryland, College Park, MD, USA.,Program in Neuroscience and Cognitive Science, University of Maryland, College Park, MD, USA
| | - M R Roesch
- Department of Psychology, University of Maryland, College Park, MD, USA.,Program in Neuroscience and Cognitive Science, University of Maryland, College Park, MD, USA
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Cell fate determination, neuronal maintenance and disease state: The emerging role of transcription factors Lmx1a and Lmx1b. FEBS Lett 2015; 589:3727-38. [PMID: 26526610 DOI: 10.1016/j.febslet.2015.10.020] [Citation(s) in RCA: 44] [Impact Index Per Article: 4.9] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 09/07/2015] [Revised: 10/06/2015] [Accepted: 10/15/2015] [Indexed: 01/28/2023]
Abstract
LIM-homeodomain (LIM-HD) proteins are evolutionary conserved developmental transcription factors. LIM-HD Lmx1a and Lmx1b orchestrate complex temporal and spatial gene expression of the dopaminergic pathway, and evidence shows they are also involved in adult neuronal homeostasis. In this review, the multiple roles played by Lmx1a and Lmx1b will be discussed. Controlled Lmx1a and Lmx1b expression and activities ensure the proper formation of critical signaling centers, including the embryonic ventral mesencephalon floor plate and sharp boundaries between lineage-specific cells. Lmx1a and Lmx1b expression persists in mature dopaminergic neurons of the substantia nigra pars compacta and the ventral tegmental area, and their role in the adult brain is beginning to be revealed. Notably, LMX1B expression was lower in brain tissue affected by Parkinson's disease. Actual and future applications of Lmx1a and Lmx1b transcription factors in stem cell production as well as in direct conversion of fibroblast into dopaminergic neurons are also discussed. A thorough understanding of the role of LMX1A and LMX1B in a number of disease states, including developmental diseases, cancer and neurodegenerative diseases, could lead to significant benefits for human healthcare.
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38
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Sherf O, Nashelsky Zolotov L, Liser K, Tilleman H, Jovanovic VM, Zega K, Jukic MM, Brodski C. Otx2 Requires Lmx1b to Control the Development of Mesodiencephalic Dopaminergic Neurons. PLoS One 2015; 10:e0139697. [PMID: 26444681 PMCID: PMC4596855 DOI: 10.1371/journal.pone.0139697] [Citation(s) in RCA: 18] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 08/03/2015] [Accepted: 09/15/2015] [Indexed: 11/19/2022] Open
Abstract
Studying the development of mesodiencephalic dopaminergic (mdDA) neurons provides an important basis for better understanding dopamine-associated brain functions and disorders and is critical for establishing cell replacement therapy for Parkinson’s disease. The transcription factors Otx2 and Lmx1b play a key role in the development of mdDA neurons. However, little is known about the genes downstream of Otx2 and Lmx1b in the pathways controlling the formation of mdDA neurons in vivo. Here we report on our investigation of Lmx1b as downstream target of Otx2 in the formation of mdDA neurons. Mouse mutants expressing Otx2 under the control of the En1 promoter (En1+/Otx2) showed increased Otx2 expression in the mid-hindbrain region, resulting in upregulation of Lmx1b and expansion of mdDA neurons there. In contrast, Lmx1b-/- mice showed decreased expression of Otx2 and impairments in several aspects of mdDA neuronal formation. To study the functional interaction between Otx2 and Lmx1b, we generated compound mutants in which Otx2 expression was restored in mice lacking Lmx1b (En1+/Otx2;Lmx1b-/-). In these animals Otx2 was not sufficient to rescue any of the aberrations in the formation of mdDA neurons caused by the loss of Lmx1b, but rescued the loss of ocular motor neurons. Gene expression studies in Lmx1b-/- embryos indicated that in these mutants Wnt1, En1 and Fgf8 expression are induced but subsequently lost in the mdDA precursor domain and the mid-hindbrain organizer in a specific, spatio-temporal manner. In summary, we demonstrate that Otx2 critically depends on Lmx1b for the formation of mdDA neurons, but not for the generation of ocular motor neurons. Moreover, our data suggest that Lmx1b precisely maintains the expression pattern of Wnt1, Fgf8 and En1, which are essential for mid-hindbrain organizer function and the formation of mdDA neurons.
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Affiliation(s)
- Orna Sherf
- Department of Physiology and Cell Biology, Zlotowski Center for Neuroscience, Faculty of Health Sciences, Ben-Gurion University of the Negev, Be’erSheva 84105, Israel
| | - Limor Nashelsky Zolotov
- Department of Physiology and Cell Biology, Zlotowski Center for Neuroscience, Faculty of Health Sciences, Ben-Gurion University of the Negev, Be’erSheva 84105, Israel
| | - Keren Liser
- Department of Physiology and Cell Biology, Zlotowski Center for Neuroscience, Faculty of Health Sciences, Ben-Gurion University of the Negev, Be’erSheva 84105, Israel
| | - Hadas Tilleman
- Department of Physiology and Cell Biology, Zlotowski Center for Neuroscience, Faculty of Health Sciences, Ben-Gurion University of the Negev, Be’erSheva 84105, Israel
| | - Vukasin M. Jovanovic
- Department of Physiology and Cell Biology, Zlotowski Center for Neuroscience, Faculty of Health Sciences, Ben-Gurion University of the Negev, Be’erSheva 84105, Israel
| | - Ksenija Zega
- Department of Physiology and Cell Biology, Zlotowski Center for Neuroscience, Faculty of Health Sciences, Ben-Gurion University of the Negev, Be’erSheva 84105, Israel
| | - Marin M. Jukic
- Department of Physiology and Cell Biology, Zlotowski Center for Neuroscience, Faculty of Health Sciences, Ben-Gurion University of the Negev, Be’erSheva 84105, Israel
| | - Claude Brodski
- Department of Physiology and Cell Biology, Zlotowski Center for Neuroscience, Faculty of Health Sciences, Ben-Gurion University of the Negev, Be’erSheva 84105, Israel
- * E-mail:
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Bodea GO, Blaess S. Establishing diversity in the dopaminergic system. FEBS Lett 2015; 589:3773-85. [PMID: 26431946 DOI: 10.1016/j.febslet.2015.09.016] [Citation(s) in RCA: 33] [Impact Index Per Article: 3.7] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 08/15/2015] [Revised: 09/13/2015] [Accepted: 09/16/2015] [Indexed: 11/19/2022]
Abstract
Midbrain dopaminergic neurons (MbDNs) modulate cognitive processes, regulate voluntary movement, and encode reward prediction errors and aversive stimuli. While the degeneration of MbDNs underlies the motor defects in Parkinson's disease, imbalances in dopamine levels are associated with neuropsychiatric disorders such as depression, schizophrenia and substance abuse. In recent years, progress has been made in understanding how MbDNs, which constitute a relatively small neuronal population in the brain, can contribute to such diverse functions and dysfunctions. In particular, important insights have been gained regarding the distinct molecular, neurochemical and network properties of MbDNs. How this diversity of MbDNs is established during brain development is only starting to be unraveled. In this review, we summarize the current knowledge on the diversity in MbDN progenitors and differentiated MbDNs in the developing rodent brain. We discuss the signaling pathways, transcription factors and transmembrane receptors that contribute to setting up these diverse MbDN subpopulations. A better insight into the processes that establish diversity in MbDNs will ultimately improve the understanding of the architecture and function of the dopaminergic system in the adult brain.
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Affiliation(s)
- Gabriela O Bodea
- Mater Research Institute - University of Queensland, Translational Research Institute, Woolloongabba, QLD 4102, Australia; Queensland Brain Institute, University of Queensland, Brisbane, QLD 4072, Australia
| | - Sandra Blaess
- Institute of Reconstructive Neurobiology, Life and Brain Center, University of Bonn, Bonn, Germany.
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Chen C, Ma Q, Chen X, Zhong M, Deng P, Zhu G, Zhang Y, Zhang L, Yang Z, Zhang K, Guo L, Wang L, Yu Z, Zhou Z. Thyroid Hormone-Otx2 Signaling Is Required for Embryonic Ventral Midbrain Neural Stem Cells Differentiated into Dopamine Neurons. Stem Cells Dev 2015; 24:1751-65. [PMID: 25867707 DOI: 10.1089/scd.2014.0489] [Citation(s) in RCA: 23] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.6] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 12/24/2022] Open
Abstract
Midbrain dopamine (DA) neurons are essential for maintaining multiple brain functions. These neurons have also been implicated in relation with diverse neurological disorders. However, how these neurons are developed from neuronal stem cells (NSCs) remains largely unknown. In this study, we provide both in vivo and in vitro evidence that the thyroid hormone, an important physiological factor for brain development, promotes DA neuron differentiation from embryonic ventral midbrain (VM) NSCs. We find that thyroid hormone deficiency during development reduces the midbrain DA neuron number, downregulates the expression of tyrosine hydroxylase (TH) and the dopamine transporter (DAT), and impairs the DA neuron-dependent motor behavior. In addition, thyroid hormone treatment during VM NSC differentiation in vitro increases the production of DA neurons and upregulates the expression of TH and DAT. We also found that the thyroid hormone enhances the expression of Otx2, an important determinant of DA neurogenesis, during DA neuron differentiation. Our in vitro gene silencing experiments indicate that Otx2 is required for thyroid hormone-dependent DA neuron differentiation from embryonic VM NSCs. Finally, we revealed both in vivo and in vitro that the thyroid hormone receptor alpha 1 is expressed in embryonic VM NSCs. Furthermore, it participates in the effects of thyroid hormone-induced Otx2 upregulation and DA neuron differentiation. These data demonstrate the role and molecular mechanisms of how the thyroid hormone regulates DA neuron differentiation from embryonic VM NSCs, particularly providing new mechanisms and a potential strategy for generating dopamine neurons from NSCs.
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Affiliation(s)
- Chunhai Chen
- 1 Department of Occupational Health, Third Military Medical University , Chongqing, China
| | - Qinglong Ma
- 1 Department of Occupational Health, Third Military Medical University , Chongqing, China
| | - Xiaowei Chen
- 2 Brain Research Center, Third Military Medical University , Chongqing, China
| | - Min Zhong
- 1 Department of Occupational Health, Third Military Medical University , Chongqing, China
| | - Ping Deng
- 1 Department of Occupational Health, Third Military Medical University , Chongqing, China
| | - Gang Zhu
- 1 Department of Occupational Health, Third Military Medical University , Chongqing, China
| | - Yanwen Zhang
- 1 Department of Occupational Health, Third Military Medical University , Chongqing, China
| | - Lei Zhang
- 1 Department of Occupational Health, Third Military Medical University , Chongqing, China
| | - Zhiqi Yang
- 2 Brain Research Center, Third Military Medical University , Chongqing, China
| | - Kuan Zhang
- 2 Brain Research Center, Third Military Medical University , Chongqing, China
| | - Lu Guo
- 3 Department of Neurology, Daping Hospital, Third Military Medical University , Chongqing, China
| | - Liting Wang
- 4 Biomedical Analysis Center, Third Military Medical University , Chongqing, China
| | - Zhengping Yu
- 1 Department of Occupational Health, Third Military Medical University , Chongqing, China
| | - Zhou Zhou
- 1 Department of Occupational Health, Third Military Medical University , Chongqing, China
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Abstract
ABSTRACT
Midbrain dopaminergic (mDA) neuron development has been an intense area of research during recent years. This is due in part to a growing interest in regenerative medicine and the hope that treatment for diseases affecting mDA neurons, such as Parkinson's disease (PD), might be facilitated by a better understanding of how these neurons are specified, differentiated and maintained in vivo. This knowledge might help to instruct efforts to generate mDA neurons in vitro, which holds promise not only for cell replacement therapy, but also for disease modeling and drug discovery. In this Primer, we will focus on recent developments in understanding the molecular mechanisms that regulate the development of mDA neurons in vivo, and how they have been used to generate human mDA neurons in vitro from pluripotent stem cells or from somatic cells via direct reprogramming. Current challenges and future avenues in the development of a regenerative medicine for PD will be identified and discussed.
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Affiliation(s)
- Ernest Arenas
- Laboratory of Molecular Neurobiology, Dept. Medical Biochemistry and Biophysics, Center of Developmental Biology for Regenerative Medicine, Karolinska Institutet, Stockholm 171 77, Sweden
| | - Mark Denham
- Laboratory of Molecular Neurobiology, Dept. Medical Biochemistry and Biophysics, Center of Developmental Biology for Regenerative Medicine, Karolinska Institutet, Stockholm 171 77, Sweden
- Danish Research Institute of Translational Neuroscience, Nordic EMBL Partnership for Molecular Medicine, Aarhus University, Aarhus 8000, Denmark
| | - J. Carlos Villaescusa
- Laboratory of Molecular Neurobiology, Dept. Medical Biochemistry and Biophysics, Center of Developmental Biology for Regenerative Medicine, Karolinska Institutet, Stockholm 171 77, Sweden
- Institute of Experimental Biology, Faculty of Science, Masaryk University, Brno 61137, Czech Republic
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Dynamic network-based relevance score reveals essential proteins and functional modules in directed differentiation. Stem Cells Int 2015; 2015:792843. [PMID: 25977693 PMCID: PMC4419265 DOI: 10.1155/2015/792843] [Citation(s) in RCA: 1] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.1] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 10/21/2014] [Revised: 03/19/2015] [Accepted: 03/27/2015] [Indexed: 01/17/2023] Open
Abstract
The induction of stem cells toward a desired differentiation direction is required for the advancement of stem cell-based therapies. Despite successful demonstrations of the control of differentiation direction, the effective use of stem cell-based therapies suffers from a lack of systematic knowledge regarding the mechanisms underlying directed differentiation. Using dynamic modeling and the temporal microarray data of three differentiation stages, three dynamic protein-protein interaction networks were constructed. The interaction difference networks derived from the constructed networks systematically delineated the evolution of interaction variations and the underlying mechanisms. A proposed relevance score identified the essential components in the directed differentiation. Inspection of well-known proteins and functional modules in the directed differentiation showed the plausibility of the proposed relevance score, with the higher scores of several proteins and function modules indicating their essential roles in the directed differentiation. During the differentiation process, the proteins and functional modules with higher relevance scores also became more specific to the neuronal identity. Ultimately, the essential components revealed by the relevance scores may play a role in controlling the direction of differentiation. In addition, these components may serve as a starting point for understanding the systematic mechanisms of directed differentiation and for increasing the efficiency of stem cell-based therapies.
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Quiñinao C, Prochiantz A, Touboul J. Local homeoprotein diffusion can stabilize boundaries generated by graded positional cues. Development 2015; 142:1860-8. [PMID: 25968317 PMCID: PMC5207310 DOI: 10.1242/dev.113688] [Citation(s) in RCA: 19] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.1] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/20/2022]
Abstract
Boundary formation in the developing neuroepithelium decides on the position and size of compartments in the adult nervous system. In this study, we start from the French Flag model proposed by Lewis Wolpert, in which boundaries are formed through the combination of morphogen diffusion and of thresholds in cell responses. In contemporary terms, a response is characterized by the expression of cell-autonomous transcription factors, very often of the homeoprotein family. Theoretical studies suggest that this sole mechanism results in the formation of boundaries of imprecise shapes and positions. Alan Turing, on the other hand, proposed a model whereby two morphogens that exhibit self-activation and reciprocal inhibition, and are uniformly distributed and diffuse at different rates lead to the formation of territories of unpredictable shapes and positions but with sharp boundaries (the 'leopard spots'). Here, we have combined the two models and compared the stability of boundaries when the hypothesis of local homeoprotein intercellular diffusion is, or is not, introduced in the equations. We find that the addition of homeoprotein local diffusion leads to a dramatic stabilization of the positioning of the boundary, even when other parameters are significantly modified. This novel Turing/Wolpert combined model has thus important theoretical consequences for our understanding of the role of the intercellular diffusion of homeoproteins in the developmental robustness of and the changes that take place in the course of evolution.
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Affiliation(s)
- Cristóbal Quiñinao
- Collège de France, Centre for Interdisciplinary Research in Biology, UMR CNRS 7241/INSERM 1050, Labex MemoLife, 11 place Marcelin Berthelot, Paris 75231, France Laboratoire Jacques-Louis Lions, CNRS UMR 7598, Université Pierre et Marie Curie (UPMC) - Paris VI, 4 place Jussieu, Paris 75005, France
| | - Alain Prochiantz
- Collège de France, Centre for Interdisciplinary Research in Biology, UMR CNRS 7241/INSERM 1050, Labex MemoLife, 11 place Marcelin Berthelot, Paris 75231, France
| | - Jonathan Touboul
- Collège de France, Centre for Interdisciplinary Research in Biology, UMR CNRS 7241/INSERM 1050, Labex MemoLife, 11 place Marcelin Berthelot, Paris 75231, France INRIA Paris Rocquencourt, MYCENAE Team, Domaine de Voluceau, Le Chesnay 78153, France
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44
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Tripathi PP, Bozzi Y. The role of dopaminergic and serotonergic systems in neurodevelopmental disorders: a focus on epilepsy and seizure susceptibility. ACTA ACUST UNITED AC 2015; 5:97-102. [PMID: 26191504 PMCID: PMC4492191 DOI: 10.15171/bi.2015.07] [Citation(s) in RCA: 15] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.7] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 10/27/2014] [Revised: 01/22/2015] [Accepted: 02/14/2015] [Indexed: 01/16/2023]
Abstract
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Introduction: The embryonic development of the vertebrate Central Nervous System (CNS) requires the induction of transcription factors regulating the expression of specific subsets of genes in restricted CNS regions. Among these transcription factors, homeobox-containing proteins play a crucial role, and altered expression of these factors can impact the embryonic as well as adult CNS functions. Importantly, the homeobox-containing genes Otx2, Engrailed-1 (En1), and Engrailed-2 (En2) have been described to crucially regulate differentiation of dopaminergic and serotonergic neurons during vertebrate CNS development. Dopaminergic and serotonergic neurons, located in midbrain and hindbrain regions respectively, diffusely innervate several forebrain areas including limbic system, contributing in regulating several physiological functions. Understanding the embryonic development of these neuronal populations is crucial to elucidate their physiological function including brain excitability in the adult brain. New evidence is emerging about the impact of an altered embryonic development of dopamine and serotonin neurons onto seizure susceptibility in the adult life.
Methods: In this mini-review, we summarized our kainic acid (KA) induced seizure susceptibility in adult mutant mouse lines with targeted manipulation of Otx2, En1, and En2 genes.
Results: Our results demonstrated that altered development of dopamine (DA) neurons does not interfere with KA seizure susceptibility, while increased serotonin (5-hydroxytryptamine, 5-HT) hyperinnervation leads to resistance to KA-induced seizure.
Conclusion: We propose that developmental alterations of serotonergic but not dopaminergic circuits play a crucial role in controlling seizure susceptibility in the adult life
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Affiliation(s)
- Prem Prakash Tripathi
- Laboratory of Molecular Neuropathology, Center for Integrative Biology (CIBIO), University of Trento, Trento, Italy
| | - Yuri Bozzi
- Laboratory of Molecular Neuropathology, Center for Integrative Biology (CIBIO), University of Trento, Trento, Italy
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He XB, Kim M, Kim SY, Yi SH, Rhee YH, Kim T, Lee EH, Park CH, Dixit S, Harrison FE, Lee SH. Vitamin C facilitates dopamine neuron differentiation in fetal midbrain through TET1- and JMJD3-dependent epigenetic control manner. Stem Cells 2015; 33:1320-32. [PMID: 25535150 PMCID: PMC4435601 DOI: 10.1002/stem.1932] [Citation(s) in RCA: 81] [Impact Index Per Article: 9.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 09/04/2014] [Revised: 11/06/2014] [Accepted: 12/04/2014] [Indexed: 12/11/2022]
Abstract
Intracellular Vitamin C (VC) is maintained at high levels in the developing brain by the activity of sodium-dependent VC transporter 2 (Svct2), suggesting specific VC functions in brain development. A role of VC as a cofactor for Fe(II)-2-oxoglutarate-dependent dioxygenases has recently been suggested. We show that VC supplementation in neural stem cell cultures derived from embryonic midbrains greatly enhanced differentiation toward midbrain-type dopamine (mDA) neurons, the neuronal subtype associated with Parkinson's disease. VC induced gain of 5-hydroxymethylcytosine (5hmC) and loss of H3K27m3 in DA phenotype gene promoters, which are catalyzed by Tet1 and Jmjd3, respectively. Consequently, VC enhanced DA phenotype gene transcriptions in the progenitors by Nurr1, a transcription factor critical for mDA neuron development, to be more accessible to the gene promoters. Further mechanism studies including Tet1 and Jmjd3 knockdown/inhibition experiments revealed that both the 5hmC and H3K27m3 changes, specifically in the progenitor cells, are indispensible for the VC-mediated mDA neuron differentiation. We finally show that in Svct2 knockout mouse embryos, mDA neuron formation in the developing midbrain decreased along with the 5hmC/H3k27m3 changes. These findings together indicate an epigenetic role of VC in midbrain DA neuron development.
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Affiliation(s)
- Xi-Biao He
- Department of Biochemistry and Molecular Biology, College of Medicine, Hanyang University, Seoul 133-791, Korea
- Hanyang Biomedical Research Institute, Hanyang University, Seoul 133-791, Korea
| | - Mirang Kim
- Biomedical Genomics Research Center, Korea Research Institute of Bioscience and Biotechnology (KRIBB), 125 Gwahak-ro, Yuseong-gu, Daejeon, 305-806, Korea
| | - Seon-Young Kim
- Biomedical Genomics Research Center, Korea Research Institute of Bioscience and Biotechnology (KRIBB), 125 Gwahak-ro, Yuseong-gu, Daejeon, 305-806, Korea
| | - Sang-Hoon Yi
- Department of Biochemistry and Molecular Biology, College of Medicine, Hanyang University, Seoul 133-791, Korea
- Hanyang Biomedical Research Institute, Hanyang University, Seoul 133-791, Korea
| | - Yong-Hee Rhee
- Department of Biochemistry and Molecular Biology, College of Medicine, Hanyang University, Seoul 133-791, Korea
- Hanyang Biomedical Research Institute, Hanyang University, Seoul 133-791, Korea
| | - Taeho Kim
- Department of Biochemistry and Molecular Biology, College of Medicine, Hanyang University, Seoul 133-791, Korea
- Hanyang Biomedical Research Institute, Hanyang University, Seoul 133-791, Korea
| | - Eun-Hye Lee
- Hanyang Biomedical Research Institute, Hanyang University, Seoul 133-791, Korea
- Graduate School of Biomedical Science and Engineering, Hanyang University, Seoul 133-791, Korea
| | - Chang-Hwan Park
- Hanyang Biomedical Research Institute, Hanyang University, Seoul 133-791, Korea
- Graduate School of Biomedical Science and Engineering, Hanyang University, Seoul 133-791, Korea
| | - Shilpy Dixit
- Division of Diabetes, Endocrinology & Metabolism, Vanderbilt University Medical Center, Nashville, Tennessee, U.S.A
| | - Fiona E. Harrison
- Division of Diabetes, Endocrinology & Metabolism, Vanderbilt University Medical Center, Nashville, Tennessee, U.S.A
| | - Sang-Hun Lee
- Department of Biochemistry and Molecular Biology, College of Medicine, Hanyang University, Seoul 133-791, Korea
- Hanyang Biomedical Research Institute, Hanyang University, Seoul 133-791, Korea
- Graduate School of Biomedical Science and Engineering, Hanyang University, Seoul 133-791, Korea
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46
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Blaess S, Ang SL. Genetic control of midbrain dopaminergic neuron development. WILEY INTERDISCIPLINARY REVIEWS-DEVELOPMENTAL BIOLOGY 2015; 4:113-34. [PMID: 25565353 DOI: 10.1002/wdev.169] [Citation(s) in RCA: 54] [Impact Index Per Article: 6.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 05/30/2014] [Revised: 10/31/2014] [Accepted: 11/16/2014] [Indexed: 12/31/2022]
Abstract
UNLABELLED Midbrain dopaminergic neurons are involved in regulating motor control, reward behavior, and cognition. Degeneration or dysfunction of midbrain dopaminergic neurons is implicated in several neuropsychiatric disorders such as Parkinson's disease, substance use disorders, depression, and schizophrenia. Understanding the developmental processes that generate midbrain dopaminergic neurons will facilitate the generation of dopaminergic neurons from stem cells for cell replacement therapies to substitute degenerating cells in Parkinson's disease patients and will forward our understanding on how functional diversity of dopaminergic neurons in the adult brain is established. Midbrain dopaminergic neurons develop in a multistep process. Following the induction of the ventral midbrain, a distinct dopaminergic progenitor domain is specified and dopaminergic progenitors undergo proliferation, neurogenesis, and differentiation. Subsequently, midbrain dopaminergic neurons acquire a mature dopaminergic phenotype, migrate to their final position and establish projections and connections to their forebrain targets. This review will discuss insights gained on the signaling network of secreted molecules, cell surface receptors, and transcription factors that regulate specification and differentiation of midbrain dopaminergic progenitors and neurons, from the induction of the ventral midbrain to the migration of dopaminergic neurons. For further resources related to this article, please visit the WIREs website. CONFLICT OF INTEREST The authors have declared no conflicts of interest for this article.
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Affiliation(s)
- Sandra Blaess
- Institute of Reconstructive Neurobiology, Life and Brain Center, University of Bonn, Bonn, Germany
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47
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Baek S, Choi H, Kim J. Ebf3-miR218 regulation is involved in the development of dopaminergic neurons. Brain Res 2014; 1587:23-32. [DOI: 10.1016/j.brainres.2014.08.059] [Citation(s) in RCA: 13] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 04/21/2014] [Revised: 06/16/2014] [Accepted: 08/19/2014] [Indexed: 10/24/2022]
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Reingruber J, Holcman D. Computational and mathematical methods for morphogenetic gradient analysis, boundary formation and axonal targeting. Semin Cell Dev Biol 2014; 35:189-202. [PMID: 25194659 DOI: 10.1016/j.semcdb.2014.08.015] [Citation(s) in RCA: 8] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.8] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 07/07/2014] [Revised: 08/21/2014] [Accepted: 08/26/2014] [Indexed: 10/24/2022]
Abstract
Morphogenesis and axonal targeting are key processes during development that depend on complex interactions at molecular, cellular and tissue level. Mathematical modeling is essential to bridge this multi-scale gap in order to understand how the emergence of large structures is controlled at molecular level by interactions between various signaling pathways. We summarize mathematical modeling and computational methods for time evolution and precision of morphogenetic gradient formation. We discuss tissue patterning and the formation of borders between regions labeled by different morphogens. Finally, we review models and algorithms that reveal the interplay between morphogenetic gradients and patterned activity for axonal pathfinding and the generation of the retinotopic map in the visual system.
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Affiliation(s)
- Jürgen Reingruber
- Group of Computational Biology and Applied Mathematics, Institute of Biology (IBENS), CNRS INSERM 1024, Ecole Normale Supérieure, 46 rue d'Ulm, 75005 Paris, France.
| | - David Holcman
- Group of Computational Biology and Applied Mathematics, Institute of Biology (IBENS), CNRS INSERM 1024, Ecole Normale Supérieure, 46 rue d'Ulm, 75005 Paris, France.
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49
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Panman L, Papathanou M, Laguna A, Oosterveen T, Volakakis N, Acampora D, Kurtsdotter I, Yoshitake T, Kehr J, Joodmardi E, Muhr J, Simeone A, Ericson J, Perlmann T. Sox6 and Otx2 control the specification of substantia nigra and ventral tegmental area dopamine neurons. Cell Rep 2014; 8:1018-25. [PMID: 25127144 DOI: 10.1016/j.celrep.2014.07.016] [Citation(s) in RCA: 105] [Impact Index Per Article: 10.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 12/27/2013] [Revised: 06/24/2014] [Accepted: 07/14/2014] [Indexed: 10/24/2022] Open
Abstract
Distinct midbrain dopamine (mDA) neuron subtypes are found in the substantia nigra pars compacta (SNc) and the ventral tegmental area (VTA), but it is mainly SNc neurons that degenerate in Parkinson's disease. Interest in how mDA neurons develop has been stimulated by the potential use of stem cells in therapy or disease modeling. However, very little is known about how specific dopaminergic subtypes are generated. Here, we show that the expression profiles of the transcription factors Sox6, Otx2, and Nolz1 define subpopulations of mDA neurons already at the neural progenitor cell stage. After cell-cycle exit, Sox6 selectively localizes to SNc neurons, while Otx2 and Nolz1 are expressed in a subset of VTA neurons. Importantly, Sox6 ablation leads to decreased expression of SNc markers and a corresponding increase in VTA markers, while Otx2 ablation has the opposite effect. Moreover, deletion of Sox6 affects striatal innervation and dopamine levels. We also find reduced Sox6 levels in Parkinson's disease patients. These findings identify Sox6 as a determinant of SNc neuron development and should facilitate the engineering of relevant mDA neurons for cell therapy and disease modeling.
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Affiliation(s)
- Lia Panman
- Ludwig Institute for Cancer Research, 17177 Stockholm, Sweden; MRC Toxicology Unit, Leicester LE1 9HN, UK.
| | | | - Ariadna Laguna
- Ludwig Institute for Cancer Research, 17177 Stockholm, Sweden; Department of Cell and Molecular Biology, Karolinska Institutet, 17177 Stockholm, Sweden
| | | | | | - Dario Acampora
- Institute of Genetics and Biophysics "A. Buzzati-Traverso," CNR, 80131 Naples, Italy; IRCCS Neuromed, Pozzilli IS 86077, Italy
| | - Idha Kurtsdotter
- Ludwig Institute for Cancer Research, 17177 Stockholm, Sweden; Department of Cell and Molecular Biology, Karolinska Institutet, 17177 Stockholm, Sweden
| | - Takashi Yoshitake
- Department of Physiology and Pharmacology, Karolinska Institutet, 17177 Stockholm, Sweden
| | - Jan Kehr
- Department of Physiology and Pharmacology, Karolinska Institutet, 17177 Stockholm, Sweden
| | - Eliza Joodmardi
- Ludwig Institute for Cancer Research, 17177 Stockholm, Sweden
| | - Jonas Muhr
- Ludwig Institute for Cancer Research, 17177 Stockholm, Sweden; Department of Cell and Molecular Biology, Karolinska Institutet, 17177 Stockholm, Sweden
| | - Antonio Simeone
- Institute of Genetics and Biophysics "A. Buzzati-Traverso," CNR, 80131 Naples, Italy; IRCCS Neuromed, Pozzilli IS 86077, Italy
| | - Johan Ericson
- Department of Cell and Molecular Biology, Karolinska Institutet, 17177 Stockholm, Sweden
| | - Thomas Perlmann
- Ludwig Institute for Cancer Research, 17177 Stockholm, Sweden; Department of Cell and Molecular Biology, Karolinska Institutet, 17177 Stockholm, Sweden.
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50
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Occupancy of tissue-specific cis-regulatory modules by Otx2 and TLE/Groucho for embryonic head specification. Nat Commun 2014; 5:4322. [PMID: 25005894 DOI: 10.1038/ncomms5322] [Citation(s) in RCA: 41] [Impact Index Per Article: 4.1] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 08/30/2013] [Accepted: 06/06/2014] [Indexed: 12/11/2022] Open
Abstract
Head specification by the head-selector gene, orthodenticle (otx), is highly conserved among bilaterian lineages. However, the molecular mechanisms by which Otx and other transcription factors (TFs) interact with the genome to direct head formation are largely unknown. Here we employ ChIP-seq and RNA-seq approaches in Xenopus tropicalis gastrulae and find that occupancy of the corepressor, TLE/Groucho, is a better indicator of tissue-specific cis-regulatory modules (CRMs) than the coactivator p300, during early embryonic stages. On the basis of TLE binding and comprehensive CRM profiling, we define two distinct types of Otx2- and TLE-occupied CRMs. Using these devices, Otx2 and other head organizer TFs (for example, Lim1/Lhx1 (activator) or Goosecoid (repressor)) are able to upregulate or downregulate a large battery of target genes in the head organizer. An underlying principle is that Otx marks target genes for head specification to be regulated positively or negatively by partner TFs through specific types of CRMs.
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