1
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Shi Y, Huang L, Dong H, Yang M, Ding W, Zhou X, Lu T, Liu Z, Zhou X, Wang M, Zeng B, Sun Y, Zhong S, Wang B, Wang W, Yin C, Wang X, Wu Q. Decoding the spatiotemporal regulation of transcription factors during human spinal cord development. Cell Res 2024; 34:193-213. [PMID: 38177242 PMCID: PMC10907391 DOI: 10.1038/s41422-023-00897-x] [Citation(s) in RCA: 1] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 05/26/2023] [Accepted: 11/02/2023] [Indexed: 01/06/2024] Open
Abstract
The spinal cord is a crucial component of the central nervous system that facilitates sensory processing and motor performance. Despite its importance, the spatiotemporal codes underlying human spinal cord development have remained elusive. In this study, we have introduced an image-based single-cell transcription factor (TF) expression decoding spatial transcriptome method (TF-seqFISH) to investigate the spatial expression and regulation of TFs during human spinal cord development. By combining spatial transcriptomic data from TF-seqFISH and single-cell RNA-sequencing data, we uncovered the spatial distribution of neural progenitor cells characterized by combinatorial TFs along the dorsoventral axis, as well as the molecular and spatial features governing neuronal generation, migration, and differentiation along the mediolateral axis. Notably, we observed a sandwich-like organization of excitatory and inhibitory interneurons transiently appearing in the dorsal horns of the developing human spinal cord. In addition, we integrated data from 10× Visium to identify early and late waves of neurogenesis in the dorsal horn, revealing the formation of laminas in the dorsal horns. Our study also illuminated the spatial differences and molecular cues underlying motor neuron (MN) diversification, and the enrichment of Amyotrophic Lateral Sclerosis (ALS) risk genes in MNs and microglia. Interestingly, we detected disease-associated microglia (DAM)-like microglia groups in the developing human spinal cord, which are predicted to be vulnerable to ALS and engaged in the TYROBP causal network and response to unfolded proteins. These findings provide spatiotemporal transcriptomic resources on the developing human spinal cord and potential strategies for spinal cord injury repair and ALS treatment.
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Affiliation(s)
- Yingchao Shi
- Guangdong Institute of Intelligence Science and Technology, Guangdong, China.
| | - Luwei Huang
- State Key Laboratory of Brain and Cognitive Science, Institute of Biophysics, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Beijing, China
- University of Chinese Academy of Sciences, Beijing, China
| | - Hao Dong
- State Key Laboratory of Brain and Cognitive Science, Institute of Biophysics, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Beijing, China
- University of Chinese Academy of Sciences, Beijing, China
| | - Meng Yang
- Changping Laboratory, Beijing, China
| | - Wenyu Ding
- State Key Laboratory of Cognitive Neuroscience and Learning, IDG/McGovern Institute for Brain Research, New Cornerstone Science Laboratory, Beijing Normal University, Beijing, China
| | - Xiang Zhou
- State Key Laboratory of Brain and Cognitive Science, Institute of Biophysics, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Beijing, China
- University of Chinese Academy of Sciences, Beijing, China
| | - Tian Lu
- State Key Laboratory of Brain and Cognitive Science, Institute of Biophysics, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Beijing, China
- University of Chinese Academy of Sciences, Beijing, China
| | | | - Xin Zhou
- Changping Laboratory, Beijing, China
- State Key Laboratory of Cognitive Neuroscience and Learning, IDG/McGovern Institute for Brain Research, New Cornerstone Science Laboratory, Beijing Normal University, Beijing, China
| | - Mengdi Wang
- State Key Laboratory of Brain and Cognitive Science, Institute of Biophysics, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Beijing, China
- University of Chinese Academy of Sciences, Beijing, China
| | - Bo Zeng
- Changping Laboratory, Beijing, China
| | - Yinuo Sun
- Changping Laboratory, Beijing, China
| | - Suijuan Zhong
- Changping Laboratory, Beijing, China
- State Key Laboratory of Cognitive Neuroscience and Learning, IDG/McGovern Institute for Brain Research, New Cornerstone Science Laboratory, Beijing Normal University, Beijing, China
| | - Bosong Wang
- State Key Laboratory of Cognitive Neuroscience and Learning, IDG/McGovern Institute for Brain Research, New Cornerstone Science Laboratory, Beijing Normal University, Beijing, China
| | - Wei Wang
- State Key Laboratory of Brain and Cognitive Science, Institute of Biophysics, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Beijing, China
- University of Chinese Academy of Sciences, Beijing, China
| | | | - Xiaoqun Wang
- State Key Laboratory of Brain and Cognitive Science, Institute of Biophysics, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Beijing, China.
- Changping Laboratory, Beijing, China.
- State Key Laboratory of Cognitive Neuroscience and Learning, IDG/McGovern Institute for Brain Research, New Cornerstone Science Laboratory, Beijing Normal University, Beijing, China.
| | - Qian Wu
- Changping Laboratory, Beijing, China.
- State Key Laboratory of Cognitive Neuroscience and Learning, IDG/McGovern Institute for Brain Research, New Cornerstone Science Laboratory, Beijing Normal University, Beijing, China.
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2
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Schilling K. Revisiting the development of cerebellar inhibitory interneurons in the light of single-cell genetic analyses. Histochem Cell Biol 2024; 161:5-27. [PMID: 37940705 PMCID: PMC10794478 DOI: 10.1007/s00418-023-02251-z] [Citation(s) in RCA: 1] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Accepted: 10/12/2023] [Indexed: 11/10/2023]
Abstract
The present review aims to provide a short update of our understanding of the inhibitory interneurons of the cerebellum. While these cells constitute but a minority of all cerebellar neurons, their functional significance is increasingly being recognized. For one, inhibitory interneurons of the cerebellar cortex are now known to constitute a clearly more diverse group than their traditional grouping as stellate, basket, and Golgi cells suggests, and this diversity is now substantiated by single-cell genetic data. The past decade or so has also provided important information about interneurons in cerebellar nuclei. Significantly, developmental studies have revealed that the specification and formation of cerebellar inhibitory interneurons fundamentally differ from, say, the cortical interneurons, and define a mode of diversification critically dependent on spatiotemporally patterned external signals. Last, but not least, in the past years, dysfunction of cerebellar inhibitory interneurons could also be linked with clinically defined deficits. I hope that this review, however fragmentary, may stimulate interest and help focus research towards understanding the cerebellum.
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Affiliation(s)
- Karl Schilling
- Anatomisches Institut - Anatomie und Zellbiologie, Rheinische Friedrich-Wilhelms-Universität Bonn, Nussallee 10, 53115, Bonn, Germany.
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3
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Ge Y, Chen X, Nan N, Bard J, Wu F, Yergeau D, Liu T, Wang J, Mu X. Key transcription factors influence the epigenetic landscape to regulate retinal cell differentiation. Nucleic Acids Res 2023; 51:2151-2176. [PMID: 36715342 PMCID: PMC10018358 DOI: 10.1093/nar/gkad026] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 04/29/2022] [Revised: 01/05/2023] [Accepted: 01/09/2023] [Indexed: 01/31/2023] Open
Abstract
How the diverse neural cell types emerge from multipotent neural progenitor cells during central nervous system development remains poorly understood. Recent scRNA-seq studies have delineated the developmental trajectories of individual neural cell types in many neural systems including the neural retina. Further understanding of the formation of neural cell diversity requires knowledge about how the epigenetic landscape shifts along individual cell lineages and how key transcription factors regulate these changes. In this study, we dissect the changes in the epigenetic landscape during early retinal cell differentiation by scATAC-seq and identify globally the enhancers, enriched motifs, and potential interacting transcription factors underlying the cell state/type specific gene expression in individual lineages. Using CUT&Tag, we further identify the enhancers bound directly by four key transcription factors, Otx2, Atoh7, Pou4f2 and Isl1, including those dependent on Atoh7, and uncover the sequential and combinatorial interactions of these factors with the epigenetic landscape to control gene expression along individual retinal cell lineages such as retinal ganglion cells (RGCs). Our results reveal a general paradigm in which transcription factors collaborate and compete to regulate the emergence of distinct retinal cell types such as RGCs from multipotent retinal progenitor cells (RPCs).
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Affiliation(s)
- Yichen Ge
- Department of Ophthalmology/Ross Eye Institute, Jacobs School of Medicine and Biomedical Sciences, University at Buffalo, Buffalo, NY, USA
| | - Xushen Chen
- Department of Ophthalmology/Ross Eye Institute, Jacobs School of Medicine and Biomedical Sciences, University at Buffalo, Buffalo, NY, USA
| | - Nan Nan
- Department of Ophthalmology/Ross Eye Institute, Jacobs School of Medicine and Biomedical Sciences, University at Buffalo, Buffalo, NY, USA
- Department of Biostatistics, School of Public Health and Health Professions, University at Buffalo, Buffalo, NY, USA
| | - Jonathan Bard
- New York State Center of Excellence in Bioinformatics and Life Sciences, University at Buffalo, Buffalo, NY, USA
| | - Fuguo Wu
- Department of Ophthalmology/Ross Eye Institute, Jacobs School of Medicine and Biomedical Sciences, University at Buffalo, Buffalo, NY, USA
| | - Donald Yergeau
- New York State Center of Excellence in Bioinformatics and Life Sciences, University at Buffalo, Buffalo, NY, USA
| | - Tao Liu
- Department of Biostatistics & Bioinformatics, Roswell Park Comprehensive Cancer Center, Buffalo, NY, USA
| | - Jie Wang
- Correspondence may also be addressed to Jie Wang.
| | - Xiuqian Mu
- To whom correspondence should be addressed. Tel: +1 716 881 7463; Fax: +1 716 887 2991;
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4
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Kempf J, Knelles K, Hersbach BA, Petrik D, Riedemann T, Bednarova V, Janjic A, Simon-Ebert T, Enard W, Smialowski P, Götz M, Masserdotti G. Heterogeneity of neurons reprogrammed from spinal cord astrocytes by the proneural factors Ascl1 and Neurogenin2. Cell Rep 2021; 36:109409. [PMID: 34289357 PMCID: PMC8316252 DOI: 10.1016/j.celrep.2021.109409] [Citation(s) in RCA: 16] [Impact Index Per Article: 5.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 02/24/2021] [Revised: 04/14/2021] [Accepted: 06/24/2021] [Indexed: 01/21/2023] Open
Abstract
Astrocytes are a viable source for generating new neurons via direct conversion. However, little is known about the neurogenic cascades triggered in astrocytes from different regions of the CNS. Here, we examine the transcriptome induced by the proneural factors Ascl1 and Neurog2 in spinal cord-derived astrocytes in vitro. Each factor initially elicits different neurogenic programs that later converge to a V2 interneuron-like state. Intriguingly, patch sequencing (patch-seq) shows no overall correlation between functional properties and the transcriptome of the heterogenous induced neurons, except for K-channels. For example, some neurons with fully mature electrophysiological properties still express astrocyte genes, thus calling for careful molecular and functional analysis. Comparing the transcriptomes of spinal cord- and cerebral-cortex-derived astrocytes reveals profound differences, including developmental patterning cues maintained in vitro. These relate to the distinct neuronal identity elicited by Ascl1 and Neurog2 reflecting their developmental functions in subtype specification of the respective CNS region.
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Affiliation(s)
- J Kempf
- Biomedical Center Munich, Physiological Genomics, LMU Munich, Planegg-Martinsried 82152, Germany
| | - K Knelles
- Biomedical Center Munich, Physiological Genomics, LMU Munich, Planegg-Martinsried 82152, Germany
| | - B A Hersbach
- Biomedical Center Munich, Physiological Genomics, LMU Munich, Planegg-Martinsried 82152, Germany; Institute for Stem Cell Research, Helmholtz Center Munich, Neuherberg 85764, Germany; Graduate School of Systemic Neurosciences, LMU Munich, Planegg-Martinsried 82152, Germany
| | - D Petrik
- Biomedical Center Munich, Physiological Genomics, LMU Munich, Planegg-Martinsried 82152, Germany; Institute for Stem Cell Research, Helmholtz Center Munich, Neuherberg 85764, Germany; School of Biosciences, The Sir Martin Evans Building, Cardiff University, CF10 3AX Cardiff, UK
| | - T Riedemann
- Biomedical Center Munich, Physiological Genomics, LMU Munich, Planegg-Martinsried 82152, Germany
| | - V Bednarova
- Biomedical Center Munich, Physiological Genomics, LMU Munich, Planegg-Martinsried 82152, Germany
| | - A Janjic
- Anthropology and Human Genomics, Faculty of Biology, LMU Munich, Planegg-Martinsried 82152, Germany
| | - T Simon-Ebert
- Biomedical Center Munich, Physiological Genomics, LMU Munich, Planegg-Martinsried 82152, Germany
| | - W Enard
- Biomedical Center Munich, Bioinformatic Core Facility, LMU Munich, Planegg-Martinsried 82152, Germany
| | - P Smialowski
- Biomedical Center Munich, Physiological Genomics, LMU Munich, Planegg-Martinsried 82152, Germany; Institute for Stem Cell Research, Helmholtz Center Munich, Neuherberg 85764, Germany; School of Biosciences, The Sir Martin Evans Building, Cardiff University, CF10 3AX Cardiff, UK
| | - M Götz
- Biomedical Center Munich, Physiological Genomics, LMU Munich, Planegg-Martinsried 82152, Germany; Institute for Stem Cell Research, Helmholtz Center Munich, Neuherberg 85764, Germany; Excellence Cluster of Systems Neurology (SYNERGY), Munich, Germany.
| | - G Masserdotti
- Biomedical Center Munich, Physiological Genomics, LMU Munich, Planegg-Martinsried 82152, Germany; Institute for Stem Cell Research, Helmholtz Center Munich, Neuherberg 85764, Germany.
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5
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Son AI, Mohammad S, Sasaki T, Ishii S, Yamashita S, Hashimoto-Torii K, Torii M. Dual Role of Rbpj in the Maintenance of Neural Progenitor Cells and Neuronal Migration in Cortical Development. Cereb Cortex 2020; 30:6444-6457. [PMID: 32780108 DOI: 10.1093/cercor/bhaa206] [Citation(s) in RCA: 3] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.8] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 06/22/2016] [Revised: 06/09/2020] [Accepted: 07/06/2020] [Indexed: 12/30/2022] Open
Abstract
The development of the cerebral cortex is directed by a series of methodically precise events, including progenitor cell proliferation, neural differentiation, and cell positioning. Over the past decade, many studies have demonstrated the critical contributions of Notch signaling in neurogenesis, including that in the developing telencephalon. However, in vivo evidence for the role of Notch signaling in cortical development still remains limited partly due to the redundant functions of four mammalian Notch paralogues and embryonic lethality of the knockout mice. Here, we utilized the conditional deletion and in vivo gene manipulation of Rbpj, a transcription factor that mediates signaling by all four Notch receptors, to overcome these challenges and examined the specific roles of Rbpj in cortical development. We report severe structural abnormalities in the embryonic and postnatal cerebral cortex in Rbpj conditional knockout mice, which provide strong in vivo corroboration of previously reported functions of Notch signaling in neural development. Our results also provide evidence for a novel dual role of Rbpj in cell type-specific regulation of two key developmental events in the cerebral cortex: the maintenance of the undifferentiated state of neural progenitor cells, and the radial and tangential allocation of neurons, possibly through stage-dependent differential regulation of Ngn1.
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Affiliation(s)
- Alexander I Son
- Center for Neuroscience Research, Children's Research Institute, Children's National Hospital, Washington, DC 20010, USA
| | - Shahid Mohammad
- Center for Neuroscience Research, Children's Research Institute, Children's National Hospital, Washington, DC 20010, USA
| | - Toru Sasaki
- Center for Neuroscience Research, Children's Research Institute, Children's National Hospital, Washington, DC 20010, USA
| | - Seiji Ishii
- Center for Neuroscience Research, Children's Research Institute, Children's National Hospital, Washington, DC 20010, USA
| | - Satoshi Yamashita
- Center for Neuroscience Research, Children's Research Institute, Children's National Hospital, Washington, DC 20010, USA
| | - Kazue Hashimoto-Torii
- Center for Neuroscience Research, Children's Research Institute, Children's National Hospital, Washington, DC 20010, USA.,Department of Pediatrics, Pharmacology and Physiology, School of Medicine and Health Sciences, The George Washington University, Washington, DC 20052, USA
| | - Masaaki Torii
- Center for Neuroscience Research, Children's Research Institute, Children's National Hospital, Washington, DC 20010, USA.,Department of Pediatrics, Pharmacology and Physiology, School of Medicine and Health Sciences, The George Washington University, Washington, DC 20052, USA
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6
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Rulands S, Iglesias-Gonzalez AB, Boije H. Deterministic fate assignment of Müller glia cells in the zebrafish retina suggests a clonal backbone during development. Eur J Neurosci 2019; 48:3597-3605. [PMID: 30408243 PMCID: PMC6588021 DOI: 10.1111/ejn.14257] [Citation(s) in RCA: 3] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.6] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 06/29/2018] [Accepted: 10/26/2018] [Indexed: 11/28/2022]
Abstract
The optic cup houses multipotent retinal progenitor cells that proliferate and differentiate to form the mature retina, containing five main types of neurons and a single glial cell type, the Müller cell. Progenitors of the zebrafish optic cup generate clones that vary regarding the number and types of neurons, a process we previously showed could be described by stochastic models. Here, we present data indicating that each retinal progenitor cell, in the 24 hrs post‐fertilization optic cup, is predestined to form a single Müller cell. This striking fate assignment of Müller cells reveals a dual nature of retinal lineages where stochastic mechanisms produce variable numbers of neurons while there is a strong deterministic component governing the formation of glia cells. A possible mechanism for this stereotypic fate assignment could be the maintenance of a clonal backbone during retina development, which would be similar to invertebrate and rodent cortical neurogenesis.
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Affiliation(s)
- Steffen Rulands
- Max Planck Institute for the Physics of Complex Systems, Dresden, Germany.,Center for Systems Biology Dresden, Dresden, Germany
| | | | - Henrik Boije
- Department of Neuroscience, Uppsala University, Uppsala, Sweden.,Department of Physiology, Development and Neuroscience, University of Cambridge, Cambridge, UK
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7
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Ivanov D. Notch Signaling-Induced Oscillatory Gene Expression May Drive Neurogenesis in the Developing Retina. Front Mol Neurosci 2019; 12:226. [PMID: 31607861 PMCID: PMC6761228 DOI: 10.3389/fnmol.2019.00226] [Citation(s) in RCA: 9] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.8] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 07/18/2019] [Accepted: 09/04/2019] [Indexed: 12/21/2022] Open
Abstract
After integrating classic and cutting-edge research, we proposed a unified model that attempts to explain the key steps of mammalian retinal neurogenesis. We proposed that the Notch signaling-induced lateral inhibition mechanism promotes oscillatory expression of Hes1. Oscillating Hes1 inhibitory activity as a result leads to oscillatory expression of Notch signaling inhibitors, activators/inhibitors of retinal neuronal phenotypes, and cell cycle-promoting genes all within a retinal progenitor cell (RPC). We provided a mechanism explaining not only how oscillatory expression prevents the progenitor-to-precursor transition, but also how this transition happens. Our proposal of the mechanism posits that the levels of the above factors not only oscillate but also rise (with the exception of Hes1) as the factors accumulate within a progenitor. Depending on which factors accumulate fastest and reach the required supra-threshold levels (cell cycle activators or Notch signaling inhibitors), the progenitor either proliferates or begins to differentiate without any further proliferation when Notch signaling ceases. Thus, oscillatory gene expression may regulate an RPC's decision to proliferate or differentiate. Meanwhile, a post-mitotic precursor's selection of one retinal neuronal phenotype over many others depends on the expression level of key transcription factors (activators) required for each of these retinal neuronal phenotypes. Because the events described above are stochastic due to oscillatory gene expression and gene product inheritance from a mother RPC after its division, an RPC or precursor's decision requires the assignment of probabilities to specific outcomes in the selection process. While low and sustained (non-oscillatory) Notch signaling activity is required to promote the transition of retinal progenitors into various retinal neuronal phenotypes, we propose that the lateral inhibition mechanism, combined with high expression of the BMP signaling-induced Inhibitor of Differentiation (ID) protein family, promotes high and sustained (non-oscillatory) Hes1 and Hes5 expression. These events facilitate the transition of an RPC into the Müller glia (MG) phenotype at the late stage of retinal development.
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Affiliation(s)
- Dmitry Ivanov
- Department of Ophthalmology, Bascom Palmer Eye Institute, University of Miami Miller School of Medicine, Miami, FL, United States.,Department of Microbiology and Immunology, University of Miami Miller School of Medicine, Miami, FL, United States
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8
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Rahimi-Balaei M, Jiao X, Shabanipour S, Dixit R, Schuurmans C, Marzban H. Zebrin II Is Ectopically Expressed in Microglia in the Cerebellum of Neurogenin 2 Null Mice. THE CEREBELLUM 2019; 18:56-66. [PMID: 29909450 DOI: 10.1007/s12311-018-0944-3] [Citation(s) in RCA: 3] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.6] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 12/13/2022]
Abstract
Zebrin II/aldolase C expression in the normal cerebellum is restricted to a Purkinje cell subset and is the canonical marker for stripes and zones. This spatial restriction has been confirmed in over 30 species of mammals, birds, fish, etc. In a transgenic mouse model in which the Neurogenin 2 gene has been disrupted (Neurog2-/-), the cerebellum is smaller than normal and Purkinje cell dendrites are disordered, but the basic zone and stripe architecture is preserved. Here, we show that in the Neurog2-/- mouse, in addition to the normal Purkinje cell expression, zebrin II is also expressed in a population of cells with a morphology characteristic of microglia. This identity was confirmed by double immunohistochemistry for zebrin II and the microglial marker, Iba1. The expression of zebrin II in cerebellar microglia is not restricted by zone or stripe or lamina. A second zone and stripe marker, PLCβ4, does not show the same ectopic expression. When microglia are compared in control vs. Neurog2-/- mice, no difference is seen in apparent number or distribution, suggesting that the ectopic zebrin II immunoreactivity in Neurog2-/- cerebellum reflects an ectopic expression rather than the invasion of a new population of microglia from the periphery. This ectopic expression of zebrin II in microglia is unique as it is not seen in numerous other models of cerebellar disruption, such as in Acp2-/- mice and in human pontocerebellar hypoplasia. The upregulation of zebrin II in microglia is thus specific to the disruption of Neurog2 downstream pathways, rather than a generic response to a cerebellar disruption.
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Affiliation(s)
- Maryam Rahimi-Balaei
- Department of Human Anatomy and Cell Science, The Children's Hospital Research Institute of Manitoba (CHRIM), Max Rady College of Medicine, Rady Faculty of Health Sciences, University of Manitoba, Rm 129 BMSB, 745 Bannatyne Avenue, Winnipeg, MB, R3E 0J9, Canada
| | - Xiaodan Jiao
- Department of Human Anatomy and Cell Science, The Children's Hospital Research Institute of Manitoba (CHRIM), Max Rady College of Medicine, Rady Faculty of Health Sciences, University of Manitoba, Rm 129 BMSB, 745 Bannatyne Avenue, Winnipeg, MB, R3E 0J9, Canada
| | - Shahin Shabanipour
- Department of Human Anatomy and Cell Science, The Children's Hospital Research Institute of Manitoba (CHRIM), Max Rady College of Medicine, Rady Faculty of Health Sciences, University of Manitoba, Rm 129 BMSB, 745 Bannatyne Avenue, Winnipeg, MB, R3E 0J9, Canada
| | - Rajiv Dixit
- Biological Sciences Platform, Sunnybrook Research Institute, University of Toronto, Toronto, ON, Canada
| | - Carol Schuurmans
- Biological Sciences Platform, Sunnybrook Research Institute, University of Toronto, Toronto, ON, Canada
| | - Hassan Marzban
- Department of Human Anatomy and Cell Science, The Children's Hospital Research Institute of Manitoba (CHRIM), Max Rady College of Medicine, Rady Faculty of Health Sciences, University of Manitoba, Rm 129 BMSB, 745 Bannatyne Avenue, Winnipeg, MB, R3E 0J9, Canada.
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9
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Yu Y, Wang Y, Wang Y, Dong J, Min H, Chen J. Maternal marginal iodine deficiency delays cerebellar Bergmann glial cell development in rat offspring: Involvement of Notch signaling pathway. Neurotoxicology 2018; 68:159-166. [PMID: 30121210 DOI: 10.1016/j.neuro.2018.08.004] [Citation(s) in RCA: 2] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 02/14/2018] [Revised: 08/08/2018] [Accepted: 08/13/2018] [Indexed: 12/24/2022]
Abstract
During early pregnancy, iodine deficiency (ID) is linked to adverse effects on child motor and psychomotor function. Maternal marginal ID has become a common public health problem. It is unclear whether marginal ID influences the development of the cerebellum or its underlying mechanisms. Thus, the purpose of this study was to determine the effects of marginal ID on the development of cerebellar Bergmann glial cells (BGs) and investigate the activation of the Notch signaling pathway, which is crucial for the development and morphology of BGs. We treated Wistar rats with an ID diet (iodine content 60 ± 1.5 ng/g) supplemented with deionized water containing different concentrations of potassium iodide (KI) (183, 117, and 0 μg/L for the control, marginal ID, and severe ID groups, respectively) during pregnancy and lactation. We explored the morphology of the BGs by Golgi-Cox staining and immunofluorescence and investigated the Notch signaling pathway using western blot. Our results showed that the marginal ID and severe ID groups had decreased cerebellar BG fiber lengths (P < 0.05 and 0.01, respectively) and numbers (P < 0.01 for both) on postnatal day (PN) 7, PN14, and PN21 compared to the control group. Moreover, the data showed that severe ID significantly reduced Dll1, Notch1, RBP-Jκ, and BLBP protein levels at all three time points. Marginal ID slightly reduced the expression of Notch1 on PN7 (P < 0.05) and PN21 (P < 0.01), RBP-Jκ on PN14 (P < 0.01) and PN21 (P < 0.05), and BLBP on PN7 (P < 0.05). There was no significant difference in Dll1 protein levels between the marginal ID and control groups at any time point. Our study suggests that marginal ID leads to mild damage to BG morphogenesis in the cerebellum. The abnormal regulation of the Notch signaling pathway may be involved in the damage to BGs.
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Affiliation(s)
- Ye Yu
- Department of Occupational and Environmental Health, School of Public Health, China Medical University, Shenyang, PR China
| | - Yuan Wang
- Department of Occupational and Environmental Health, School of Public Health, China Medical University, Shenyang, PR China
| | - Yi Wang
- Department of Occupational and Environmental Health, School of Public Health, China Medical University, Shenyang, PR China
| | - Jing Dong
- Department of Occupational and Environmental Health, School of Public Health, China Medical University, Shenyang, PR China
| | - Hui Min
- Department of Occupational and Environmental Health, School of Public Health, China Medical University, Shenyang, PR China
| | - Jie Chen
- Department of Occupational and Environmental Health, School of Public Health, China Medical University, Shenyang, PR China.
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10
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Ruffalo M, Bar-Joseph Z. Genome wide predictions of miRNA regulation by transcription factors. Bioinformatics 2017; 32:i746-i754. [PMID: 27587697 DOI: 10.1093/bioinformatics/btw452] [Citation(s) in RCA: 8] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.1] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 01/28/2023] Open
Abstract
MOTIVATION Reconstructing regulatory networks from expression and interaction data is a major goal of systems biology. While much work has focused on trying to experimentally and computationally determine the set of transcription-factors (TFs) and microRNAs (miRNAs) that regulate genes in these networks, relatively little work has focused on inferring the regulation of miRNAs by TFs. Such regulation can play an important role in several biological processes including development and disease. The main challenge for predicting such interactions is the very small positive training set currently available. Another challenge is the fact that a large fraction of miRNAs are encoded within genes making it hard to determine the specific way in which they are regulated. RESULTS To enable genome wide predictions of TF-miRNA interactions, we extended semi-supervised machine-learning approaches to integrate a large set of different types of data including sequence, expression, ChIP-seq and epigenetic data. As we show, the methods we develop achieve good performance on both a labeled test set, and when analyzing general co-expression networks. We next analyze mRNA and miRNA cancer expression data, demonstrating the advantage of using the predicted set of interactions for identifying more coherent and relevant modules, genes, and miRNAs. The complete set of predictions is available on the supporting website and can be used by any method that combines miRNAs, genes, and TFs. AVAILABILITY AND IMPLEMENTATION Code and full set of predictions are available from the supporting website: http://cs.cmu.edu/~mruffalo/tf-mirna/ CONTACT zivbj@cs.cmu.edu SUPPLEMENTARY INFORMATION Supplementary data are available at Bioinformatics online.
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Affiliation(s)
- Matthew Ruffalo
- Department of Computational Biology, School of Computer Science, Carnegie Mellon University, Pittsburgh, PA, USA 15213
| | - Ziv Bar-Joseph
- Department of Computational Biology, School of Computer Science, Carnegie Mellon University, Pittsburgh, PA, USA 15213
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11
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Mao L, Wang H, Ma F, Guo Z, He H, Zhou H, Wang N. Exposure to static magnetic fields increases insulin secretion in rat INS-1 cells by activating the transcription of the insulin gene and up-regulating the expression of vesicle-secreted proteins. Int J Radiat Biol 2017; 93:831-840. [PMID: 28593826 DOI: 10.1080/09553002.2017.1332439] [Citation(s) in RCA: 1] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.1] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 12/23/2022]
Abstract
PURPOSE To evaluate the effect of static magnetic fields (SMFs) on insulin secretion and explore the mechanisms underlying exposure to SMF-induced insulin secretion in rat insulinoma INS-1 cells. MATERIALS AND METHODS INS-1 cells were exposed to a 400 mT SMF for 72 h, and the proliferation of INS-1 cells was detected by (3-(4,5-dimethylthiazol-2-yl)-2,5-diphenyltetrazolium bromide (MTT) assay. The secretion of insulin was measured with an enzyme linked immunosorbent assays (ELISA), the expression of genes was detected by real-time PCR, and the expression of proteins was measured by Western blotting. RESULTS Exposure to an SMF increased the expression and secretion of insulin by INS-1 cells but did not affect cell proliferation. Moreover, SMF exposure up-regulated the expression of several pancreas-specific transcriptional factors. Specifically, the activity of the rat insulin promoter was enhanced in INS-1 cells exposed to an SMF, and the expression levels of synaptosomal-associated protein 25 (SNAP-25) and syntaxin-1A were up-regulated after exposure to an SMF. CONCLUSIONS SMF exposure can promote insulin secretion in rat INS-1 cells by activating the transcription of the insulin gene and up-regulating the expression of vesicle-secreted proteins.
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Affiliation(s)
- Libin Mao
- a Key Laboratory of Industrial Fermentation Microbiology, Ministry of Education and Tianjin, College of Biotechnology , Tianjin University of Science and Technology , Tianjin , P.R. China
| | - Huiqin Wang
- a Key Laboratory of Industrial Fermentation Microbiology, Ministry of Education and Tianjin, College of Biotechnology , Tianjin University of Science and Technology , Tianjin , P.R. China
| | - Fenghui Ma
- a Key Laboratory of Industrial Fermentation Microbiology, Ministry of Education and Tianjin, College of Biotechnology , Tianjin University of Science and Technology , Tianjin , P.R. China
| | - Zhixia Guo
- a Key Laboratory of Industrial Fermentation Microbiology, Ministry of Education and Tianjin, College of Biotechnology , Tianjin University of Science and Technology , Tianjin , P.R. China
| | - Hongpeng He
- a Key Laboratory of Industrial Fermentation Microbiology, Ministry of Education and Tianjin, College of Biotechnology , Tianjin University of Science and Technology , Tianjin , P.R. China
| | - Hao Zhou
- a Key Laboratory of Industrial Fermentation Microbiology, Ministry of Education and Tianjin, College of Biotechnology , Tianjin University of Science and Technology , Tianjin , P.R. China
| | - Nan Wang
- a Key Laboratory of Industrial Fermentation Microbiology, Ministry of Education and Tianjin, College of Biotechnology , Tianjin University of Science and Technology , Tianjin , P.R. China
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12
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Kabayiza KU, Masgutova G, Harris A, Rucchin V, Jacob B, Clotman F. The Onecut Transcription Factors Regulate Differentiation and Distribution of Dorsal Interneurons during Spinal Cord Development. Front Mol Neurosci 2017; 10:157. [PMID: 28603487 PMCID: PMC5445119 DOI: 10.3389/fnmol.2017.00157] [Citation(s) in RCA: 14] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 01/05/2017] [Accepted: 05/08/2017] [Indexed: 01/09/2023] Open
Abstract
During embryonic development, the dorsal spinal cord generates numerous interneuron populations eventually involved in motor circuits or in sensory networks that integrate and transmit sensory inputs from the periphery. The molecular mechanisms that regulate the specification of these multiple dorsal neuronal populations have been extensively characterized. In contrast, the factors that contribute to their diversification into smaller specialized subsets and those that control the specific distribution of each population in the developing spinal cord remain unknown. Here, we demonstrate that the Onecut transcription factors, namely Hepatocyte Nuclear Factor-6 (HNF-6) (or OC-1), OC-2 and OC-3, regulate the diversification and the distribution of spinal dorsal interneuron (dINs). Onecut proteins are dynamically and differentially distributed in spinal dINs during differentiation and migration. Analyzes of mutant embryos devoid of Onecut factors in the developing spinal cord evidenced a requirement in Onecut proteins for proper production of a specific subset of dI5 interneurons. In addition, the distribution of dI3, dI5 and dI6 interneuron populations was altered. Hence, Onecut transcription factors control genetic programs that contribute to the regulation of spinal dIN diversification and distribution during embryonic development.
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Affiliation(s)
- Karolina U Kabayiza
- Université catholique de Louvain, Institute of Neuroscience, Laboratory of Neural DifferentiationBrussels, Belgium.,Biology Department, School of Science, College of Science and Technology, University of RwandaButare, Rwanda
| | - Gauhar Masgutova
- Université catholique de Louvain, Institute of Neuroscience, Laboratory of Neural DifferentiationBrussels, Belgium
| | - Audrey Harris
- Université catholique de Louvain, Institute of Neuroscience, Laboratory of Neural DifferentiationBrussels, Belgium
| | - Vincent Rucchin
- Université catholique de Louvain, Institute of Neuroscience, Laboratory of Neural DifferentiationBrussels, Belgium
| | - Benvenuto Jacob
- Université catholique de Louvain, Institute of Neuroscience, System and Cognition DivisionBrussels, Belgium
| | - Frédéric Clotman
- Université catholique de Louvain, Institute of Neuroscience, Laboratory of Neural DifferentiationBrussels, Belgium
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13
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Abstract
Cell types are the basic building blocks of multicellular organisms and are extensively diversified in animals. Despite recent advances in characterizing cell types, classification schemes remain ambiguous. We propose an evolutionary definition of a cell type that allows cell types to be delineated and compared within and between species. Key to cell type identity are evolutionary changes in the 'core regulatory complex' (CoRC) of transcription factors, that make emergent sister cell types distinct, enable their independent evolution and regulate cell type-specific traits termed apomeres. We discuss the distinction between developmental and evolutionary lineages, and present a roadmap for future research.
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14
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Zannino DA, Sagerström CG. An emerging role for prdm family genes in dorsoventral patterning of the vertebrate nervous system. Neural Dev 2015; 10:24. [PMID: 26499851 PMCID: PMC4620005 DOI: 10.1186/s13064-015-0052-8] [Citation(s) in RCA: 10] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.1] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 08/10/2015] [Accepted: 10/13/2015] [Indexed: 12/13/2022] Open
Abstract
The embryonic vertebrate neural tube is divided along its dorsoventral (DV) axis into eleven molecularly discrete progenitor domains. Each of these domains gives rise to distinct neuronal cell types; the ventral-most six domains contribute to motor circuits, while the five dorsal domains contribute to sensory circuits. Following the initial neurogenesis step, these domains also generate glial cell types—either astrocytes or oligodendrocytes. This DV pattern is initiated by two morphogens—Sonic Hedgehog released from notochord and floor plate and Bone Morphogenetic Protein produced in the roof plate—that act in concentration gradients to induce expression of genes along the DV axis. Subsequently, these DV-restricted genes cooperate to define progenitor domains and to control neuronal cell fate specification and differentiation in each domain. Many genes involved in this process have been identified, but significant gaps remain in our understanding of the underlying genetic program. Here we review recent work identifying members of the Prdm gene family as novel regulators of DV patterning in the neural tube. Many Prdm proteins regulate transcription by controlling histone modifications (either via intrinsic histone methyltransferase activity, or by recruiting histone modifying enzymes). Prdm genes are expressed in spatially restricted domains along the DV axis of the neural tube and play important roles in the specification of progenitor domains, as well as in the subsequent differentiation of motor neurons and various types of interneurons. Strikingly, Prdm proteins appear to function by binding to, and modulating the activity of, other transcription factors (particularly bHLH proteins). The identity of key transcription factors in DV patterning of the neural tube has been elucidated previously (e.g. the nkx, bHLH and pax families), but it now appears that an additional family is also required and that it acts in a potentially novel manner.
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Affiliation(s)
- Denise A Zannino
- Department of Biochemistry and Molecular Pharmacology, University of Massachusetts Medical School, 364 Plantation St./LRB815, Worcester, MA, 01605-2324, USA.
| | - Charles G Sagerström
- Department of Biochemistry and Molecular Pharmacology, University of Massachusetts Medical School, 364 Plantation St./LRB815, Worcester, MA, 01605-2324, USA.
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15
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Lu DC, Niu T, Alaynick WA. Molecular and cellular development of spinal cord locomotor circuitry. Front Mol Neurosci 2015; 8:25. [PMID: 26136656 PMCID: PMC4468382 DOI: 10.3389/fnmol.2015.00025] [Citation(s) in RCA: 131] [Impact Index Per Article: 14.6] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 04/02/2015] [Accepted: 05/30/2015] [Indexed: 01/20/2023] Open
Abstract
The spinal cord of vertebrate animals is comprised of intrinsic circuits that are capable of sensing the environment and generating complex motor behaviors. There are two major perspectives for understanding the biology of this complicated structure. The first approaches the spinal cord from the point of view of function and is based on classic and ongoing research in electrophysiology, adult behavior, and spinal cord injury. The second view considers the spinal cord from a developmental perspective and is founded mostly on gene expression and gain-of-function and loss-of-function genetic experiments. Together these studies have uncovered functional classes of neurons and their lineage relationships. In this review, we summarize our knowledge of developmental classes, with an eye toward understanding the functional roles of each group.
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Affiliation(s)
- Daniel C Lu
- Department of Neurosurgery, David Geffen School of Medicine, University of California, Los Angeles, Los Angeles, CA USA
| | - Tianyi Niu
- Department of Neurosurgery, David Geffen School of Medicine, University of California, Los Angeles, Los Angeles, CA USA
| | - William A Alaynick
- Department of Neurosurgery, David Geffen School of Medicine, University of California, Los Angeles, Los Angeles, CA USA
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16
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Jin K, Jiang H, Xiao D, Zou M, Zhu J, Xiang M. Tfap2a and 2b act downstream of Ptf1a to promote amacrine cell differentiation during retinogenesis. Mol Brain 2015; 8:28. [PMID: 25966682 PMCID: PMC4429372 DOI: 10.1186/s13041-015-0118-x] [Citation(s) in RCA: 44] [Impact Index Per Article: 4.9] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 01/25/2015] [Accepted: 04/17/2015] [Indexed: 11/10/2022] Open
Abstract
Retinogenesis is a precisely controlled developmental process during which different types of neurons and glial cells are generated under the influence of intrinsic and extrinsic factors. Three transcription factors, Foxn4, RORβ1 and their downstream effector Ptf1a, have been shown to be indispensable intrinsic regulators for the differentiation of amacrine and horizontal cells. At present, however, it is unclear how Ptf1a specifies these two cell fates from competent retinal precursors. Here, through combined bioinformatic, molecular and genetic approaches in mouse retinas, we identify the Tfap2a and Tfap2b transcription factors as two major downstream effectors of Ptf1a. RNA-seq and immunolabeling analyses show that the expression of Tfap2a and 2b transcripts and proteins is dramatically downregulated in the Ptf1a null mutant retina. Their overexpression is capable of promoting the differentiation of glycinergic and GABAergic amacrine cells at the expense of photoreceptors much as misexpressed Ptf1a is, whereas their simultaneous knockdown has the opposite effect. Given the demonstrated requirement for Tfap2a and 2b in horizontal cell differentiation, our study thus defines a Foxn4/RORβ1-Ptf1a-Tfap2a/2b transcriptional regulatory cascade that underlies the competence, specification and differentiation of amacrine and horizontal cells during retinal development.
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Affiliation(s)
- Kangxin Jin
- State Key Laboratory of Ophthalmology, Zhongshan Ophthalmic Center, Sun Yat-sen University, 54 South Xianlie Road, Guangzhou, 510060, China.
| | - Haisong Jiang
- Center for Advanced Biotechnology and Medicine and Department of Pediatrics, Rutgers University-Robert Wood Johnson Medical School, 679 Hoes Lane West, Piscataway, NJ, 08854, USA. .,Present address: Institute for Cell Engineering, Departments of Neurology and Neuroscience, Johns Hopkins University School of Medicine, 733 North Broadway, Baltimore, MD, 21206, USA.
| | - Dongchang Xiao
- State Key Laboratory of Ophthalmology, Zhongshan Ophthalmic Center, Sun Yat-sen University, 54 South Xianlie Road, Guangzhou, 510060, China.
| | - Min Zou
- Center for Advanced Biotechnology and Medicine and Department of Pediatrics, Rutgers University-Robert Wood Johnson Medical School, 679 Hoes Lane West, Piscataway, NJ, 08854, USA.
| | - Jun Zhu
- Systems Biology Center, National Heart, Lung and Blood Institute, National Institutes of Health, Bethesda, MD, 20892, USA.
| | - Mengqing Xiang
- State Key Laboratory of Ophthalmology, Zhongshan Ophthalmic Center, Sun Yat-sen University, 54 South Xianlie Road, Guangzhou, 510060, China. .,Center for Advanced Biotechnology and Medicine and Department of Pediatrics, Rutgers University-Robert Wood Johnson Medical School, 679 Hoes Lane West, Piscataway, NJ, 08854, USA.
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17
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Martinez E, Tran TS. Vertebrate spinal commissural neurons: a model system for studying axon guidance beyond the midline. WILEY INTERDISCIPLINARY REVIEWS-DEVELOPMENTAL BIOLOGY 2015; 4:283-97. [PMID: 25619385 DOI: 10.1002/wdev.173] [Citation(s) in RCA: 3] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 07/31/2014] [Revised: 11/27/2014] [Accepted: 12/04/2014] [Indexed: 12/21/2022]
Abstract
For bilaterally symmetric organisms, the transfer of information between the left and right side of the nervous system is mediated by commissures formed by neurons that project their axons across the body midline to the contralateral side of the central nervous system (CNS). After crossing the midline, many of these axons must travel long distances to reach their targets, including those that extend from spinal commissural neurons. Owing to the highly stereotyped trajectories of spinal commissural neurons that can be divided into several segments as these axons project to their targets, it is an ideal system for investigators to ask fundamental questions related to mechanisms of short- and long-range axon guidance, fasciculation, and choice point decisions at the midline intermediate target. In addition, studies of patterning genes of the nervous system have revealed complex transcription factor codes that function in a combinatorial fashion to specify individual classes of spinal neurons including commissural neurons. Despite these advances and the functional importance of spinal commissural neurons in mediating the transfer of external sensory information from the peripheral nervous system (PNS) to the CNS, only a handful of studies have begun to elucidate the mechanistic logic underlying their long-range pathfinding and the characterization of their synaptic targets. Using in vitro assays, in vivo labeling methodologies, in combination with both loss- and gain-of-function experiments, several studies have revealed that the molecular mechanisms of long-range spinal commissural axon pathfinding involve an interplay between classical axon guidance cues, morphogens and cell adhesion molecules. For further resources related to this article, please visit the WIREs website.
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Affiliation(s)
- Edward Martinez
- Department of Biological Sciences, Rutgers University, Newark, NJ, USA
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18
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Cai T, Groves AK. The Role of Atonal Factors in Mechanosensory Cell Specification and Function. Mol Neurobiol 2014; 52:1315-1329. [PMID: 25339580 DOI: 10.1007/s12035-014-8925-0] [Citation(s) in RCA: 27] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.7] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 07/07/2014] [Accepted: 10/07/2014] [Indexed: 10/24/2022]
Abstract
Atonal genes are basic helix-loop-helix transcription factors that were first identified as regulating the formation of mechanoreceptors and photoreceptors in Drosophila. Isolation of vertebrate homologs of atonal genes has shown these transcription factors to play diverse roles in the development of neurons and their progenitors, gut epithelial cells, and mechanosensory cells in the inner ear and skin. In this article, we review the molecular function and regulation of atonal genes and their targets, with particular emphasis on the function of Atoh1 in the development, survival, and function of hair cells of the inner ear. We discuss cell-extrinsic signals that induce Atoh1 expression and the transcriptional networks that regulate its expression during development. Finally, we discuss recent work showing how identification of Atoh1 target genes in the cerebellum, spinal cord, and gut can be used to propose candidate Atoh1 targets in tissues such as the inner ear where cell numbers and biochemical material are limiting.
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Affiliation(s)
- Tiantian Cai
- Program in Developmental Biology, Baylor College of Medicine, Houston, USA
| | - Andrew K Groves
- Program in Developmental Biology, Baylor College of Medicine, Houston, USA. .,Department of Neuroscience, Baylor College of Medicine, Houston, USA. .,Department of Molecular and Human Genetics, Baylor College of Medicine, 1 Baylor Plaza, Houston, TX, 77030, USA.
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19
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Vied CM, Freudenberg F, Wang Y, Raposo AASF, Feng D, Nowakowski RS. A multi-resource data integration approach: identification of candidate genes regulating cell proliferation during neocortical development. Front Neurosci 2014; 8:257. [PMID: 25191221 PMCID: PMC4139594 DOI: 10.3389/fnins.2014.00257] [Citation(s) in RCA: 15] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 06/30/2014] [Accepted: 08/01/2014] [Indexed: 11/17/2022] Open
Abstract
Neurons of the mammalian neocortex are produced by proliferating cells located in the ventricular zone (VZ) lining the lateral ventricles. This is a complex and sequential process, requiring precise control of cell cycle progression, fate commitment and differentiation. We have analyzed publicly available databases from mouse and human to identify candidate genes that are potentially involved in regulating early neocortical development and neurogenesis. We used a mouse in situ hybridization dataset (The Allen Institute for Brain Science) to identify 13 genes (Cdon, Celsr1, Dbi, E2f5, Eomes, Hmgn2, Neurog2, Notch1, Pcnt, Sox3, Ssrp1, Tead2, Tgif2) with high correlation of expression in the proliferating cells of the VZ of the neocortex at early stages of development (E15.5). We generated a similar human brain network using microarray and RNA-seq data (BrainSpan Atlas) and identified 407 genes with high expression in the developing human VZ and subventricular zone (SVZ) at 8–9 post-conception weeks. Seven of the human genes were also present in the mouse VZ network. The human and mouse networks were extended using available genetic and proteomic datasets through GeneMANIA. A gene ontology search of the mouse and human networks indicated that many of the genes are involved in the cell cycle, DNA replication, mitosis and transcriptional regulation. The reported involvement of Cdon, Celsr1, Dbi, Eomes, Neurog2, Notch1, Pcnt, Sox3, Tead2, and Tgif2 in neural development or diseases resulting from the disruption of neurogenesis validates these candidate genes. Taken together, our knowledge-based discovery method has validated the involvement of many genes already known to be involved in neocortical development and extended the potential number of genes by 100's, many of which are involved in functions related to cell proliferation but others of which are potential candidates for involvement in the regulation of neocortical development.
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Affiliation(s)
- Cynthia M Vied
- Department of Biomedical Sciences, College of Medicine, Florida State University Tallahassee, FL, USA
| | - Florian Freudenberg
- Department of Psychiatry, Psychosomatics and Psychotherapy, University Hospital of Frankfurt Frankfurt, Germany
| | - Yuting Wang
- NUS Graduate School for Integrative Sciences and Engineering, National University of Singapore Singapore, Singapore
| | | | - David Feng
- Allen Institute for Brain Science Seattle, WA, USA
| | - Richard S Nowakowski
- Department of Biomedical Sciences, College of Medicine, Florida State University Tallahassee, FL, USA
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20
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Achim K, Salminen M, Partanen J. Mechanisms regulating GABAergic neuron development. Cell Mol Life Sci 2014; 71:1395-415. [PMID: 24196748 PMCID: PMC11113277 DOI: 10.1007/s00018-013-1501-3] [Citation(s) in RCA: 35] [Impact Index Per Article: 3.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 08/30/2013] [Revised: 10/10/2013] [Accepted: 10/14/2013] [Indexed: 12/17/2022]
Abstract
Neurons using gamma-aminobutyric acid (GABA) as their neurotransmitter are the main inhibitory neurons in the mature central nervous system (CNS) and show great variation in their form and function. GABAergic neurons are produced in all of the main domains of the CNS, where they develop from discrete regions of the neuroepithelium. Here, we review the gene expression and regulatory mechanisms controlling the main steps of GABAergic neuron development: early patterning of the proliferative neuroepithelium, production of postmitotic neural precursors, establishment of their identity and migration. By comparing the molecular regulation of these events across CNS, we broadly identify three regions utilizing distinct molecular toolkits for GABAergic fate determination: telencephalon-anterior diencephalon (DLX2 type), posterior diencephalon-midbrain (GATA2 type) and hindbrain-spinal cord (PTF1A and TAL1 types). Similarities and differences in the molecular regulatory mechanisms reveal the core determinants of a GABAergic neuron as well as provide insights into generation of the vast diversity of these neurons.
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Affiliation(s)
- Kaia Achim
- EMBL Heidelberg, Meyerhofstr. 1, 69117 Heidelberg, Germany
| | - Marjo Salminen
- Department of Veterinary Biosciences, University of Helsinki, Agnes Sjobergin katu 2, PO Box 66, 00014 Helsinki, Finland
| | - Juha Partanen
- Department of Biosciences, University of Helsinki, Viikinkaari 5, PO Box 56, 00014 Helsinki, Finland
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21
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Ascl1 as a novel player in the Ptf1a transcriptional network for GABAergic cell specification in the retina. PLoS One 2014; 9:e92113. [PMID: 24643195 PMCID: PMC3958475 DOI: 10.1371/journal.pone.0092113] [Citation(s) in RCA: 8] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.8] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 12/12/2013] [Accepted: 02/17/2014] [Indexed: 11/19/2022] Open
Abstract
In contrast with the wealth of data involving bHLH and homeodomain transcription factors in retinal cell type determination, the molecular bases underlying neurotransmitter subtype specification is far less understood. Using both gain and loss of function analyses in Xenopus, we investigated the putative implication of the bHLH factor Ascl1 in this process. We found that in addition to its previously characterized proneural function, Ascl1 also contributes to the specification of the GABAergic phenotype. We showed that it is necessary for retinal GABAergic cell genesis and sufficient in overexpression experiments to bias a subset of retinal precursor cells towards a GABAergic fate. We also analysed the relationships between Ascl1 and a set of other bHLH factors using an in vivo ectopic neurogenic assay. We demonstrated that Ascl1 has unique features as a GABAergic inducer and is epistatic over factors endowed with glutamatergic potentialities such as Neurog2, NeuroD1 or Atoh7. This functional specificity is conferred by the basic DNA binding domain of Ascl1 and involves a specific genetic network, distinct from that underlying its previously demonstrated effects on catecholaminergic differentiation. Our data show that GABAergic inducing activity of Ascl1 requires the direct transcriptional regulation of Ptf1a, providing therefore a new piece of the network governing neurotransmitter subtype specification during retinogenesis.
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22
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Huang GJ, Edwards A, Tsai CY, Lee YS, Peng L, Era T, Hirabayashi Y, Tsai CY, Nishikawa SI, Iwakura Y, Chen SJ, Flint J. Ectopic cerebellar cell migration causes maldevelopment of Purkinje cells and abnormal motor behaviour in Cxcr4 null mice. PLoS One 2014; 9:e86471. [PMID: 24516532 PMCID: PMC3917845 DOI: 10.1371/journal.pone.0086471] [Citation(s) in RCA: 25] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 08/19/2013] [Accepted: 12/10/2013] [Indexed: 11/19/2022] Open
Abstract
SDF-1/CXCR4 signalling plays an important role in neuronal cell migration and brain development. However, the impact of CXCR4 deficiency in the postnatal mouse brain is still poorly understood. Here, we demonstrate the importance of CXCR4 on cerebellar development and motor behaviour by conditional inactivation of Cxcr4 in the central nervous system. We found CXCR4 plays a key role in cerebellar development. Its loss leads to defects in Purkinje cell dentritogenesis and axonal projection in vivo but not in cell culture. Transcriptome analysis revealed the most significantly affected pathways in the Cxcr4 deficient developing cerebellum are involved in extra cellular matrix receptor interactions and focal adhesion. Consistent with functional impairment of the cerebellum, Cxcr4 knockout mice have poor coordination and balance performance in skilled motor tests. Together, these results suggest ectopic the migration of granule cells impairs development of Purkinje cells, causes gross cerebellar anatomical disruption and leads to behavioural motor defects in Cxcr4 null mice.
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Affiliation(s)
- Guo-Jen Huang
- Department and Graduate Institute of Biomedical Sciences, College of Medicine, Chang Gung University, Tao-Yuan, Taiwan
- Healthy Aging Research Center, Chang Gung University, Tao-Yuan, Taiwan
- * E-mail:
| | - Andrew Edwards
- The Wellcome Trust Centre for Human Genetics, University of Oxford, Oxford, United Kingdom
| | - Cheng-Yu Tsai
- Department and Graduate Institute of Biomedical Sciences, College of Medicine, Chang Gung University, Tao-Yuan, Taiwan
| | - Yi-Shin Lee
- Department and Graduate Institute of Biomedical Sciences, College of Medicine, Chang Gung University, Tao-Yuan, Taiwan
| | - Lei Peng
- Department and Graduate Institute of Biomedical Sciences, College of Medicine, Chang Gung University, Tao-Yuan, Taiwan
| | - Takumi Era
- Department of Cell Modulation, Institute of Molecular Embryology and Genetics, Kumamoto University, Kumamoto, Japan
| | - Yoshio Hirabayashi
- Laboratory for Molecular Membrane Neuroscience, Brain Science Institute, RIKEN, Wako, Saitama, Japan
| | - Ching-Yen Tsai
- Institute of Molecular Biology, Academia Sinica, Taipei, Taiwan
| | | | - Yoichiro Iwakura
- Research Institute for Biomedical Sciences, Tokyo University of Science, Noda, Chiba, Japan
| | - Shu-Jen Chen
- Department and Graduate Institute of Biomedical Sciences, College of Medicine, Chang Gung University, Tao-Yuan, Taiwan
| | - Jonathan Flint
- The Wellcome Trust Centre for Human Genetics, University of Oxford, Oxford, United Kingdom
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23
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Hanotel J, Bessodes N, Thélie A, Hedderich M, Parain K, Van Driessche B, Brandão KDO, Kricha S, Jorgensen MC, Grapin-Botton A, Serup P, Van Lint C, Perron M, Pieler T, Henningfeld KA, Bellefroid EJ. The Prdm13 histone methyltransferase encoding gene is a Ptf1a-Rbpj downstream target that suppresses glutamatergic and promotes GABAergic neuronal fate in the dorsal neural tube. Dev Biol 2013; 386:340-57. [PMID: 24370451 DOI: 10.1016/j.ydbio.2013.12.024] [Citation(s) in RCA: 36] [Impact Index Per Article: 3.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 04/15/2013] [Revised: 11/19/2013] [Accepted: 12/17/2013] [Indexed: 12/01/2022]
Abstract
The basic helix-loop-helix (bHLH) transcriptional activator Ptf1a determines inhibitory GABAergic over excitatory glutamatergic neuronal cell fate in progenitors of the vertebrate dorsal spinal cord, cerebellum and retina. In an in situ hybridization expression survey of PR domain containing genes encoding putative chromatin-remodeling zinc finger transcription factors in Xenopus embryos, we identified Prdm13 as a histone methyltransferase belonging to the Ptf1a synexpression group. Gain and loss of Ptf1a function analyses in both frog and mice indicates that Prdm13 is positively regulated by Ptf1a and likely constitutes a direct transcriptional target. We also showed that this regulation requires the formation of the Ptf1a-Rbp-j complex. Prdm13 knockdown in Xenopus embryos and in Ptf1a overexpressing ectodermal explants lead to an upregulation of Tlx3/Hox11L2, which specifies a glutamatergic lineage and a reduction of the GABAergic neuronal marker Pax2. It also leads to an upregulation of Prdm13 transcription, suggesting an autonegative regulation. Conversely, in animal caps, Prdm13 blocks the ability of the bHLH factor Neurog2 to activate Tlx3. Additional gain of function experiments in the chick neural tube confirm that Prdm13 suppresses Tlx3(+)/glutamatergic and induces Pax2(+)/GABAergic neuronal fate. Thus, Prdm13 is a novel crucial component of the Ptf1a regulatory pathway that, by modulating the transcriptional activity of bHLH factors such as Neurog2, controls the balance between GABAergic and glutamatergic neuronal fate in the dorsal and caudal part of the vertebrate neural tube.
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Affiliation(s)
- Julie Hanotel
- Laboratory of Developmental Genetics, Université Libre de Bruxelles (ULB), Institute of Molecular Biology and Medicine, and ULB Neuroscience Institute, B-6041 Gosselies, Belgium
| | - Nathalie Bessodes
- Laboratory of Developmental Genetics, Université Libre de Bruxelles (ULB), Institute of Molecular Biology and Medicine, and ULB Neuroscience Institute, B-6041 Gosselies, Belgium
| | - Aurore Thélie
- Laboratory of Developmental Genetics, Université Libre de Bruxelles (ULB), Institute of Molecular Biology and Medicine, and ULB Neuroscience Institute, B-6041 Gosselies, Belgium
| | - Marie Hedderich
- Department of Developmental Biochemistry, Center for Nanoscale Microscopy and Molecular Physiology of the Brain (CNMPB), University of Goettingen, 37077 Goettingen, Germany
| | - Karine Parain
- UPR CNRS 3294 Neurobiology and Development, Université Paris Sud, 91405 Orsay Cedex, France
| | - Benoit Van Driessche
- Laboratory of Molecular Virology, Université Libre de Bruxelles (ULB), Institute of Molecular Biology and Medicine, B-6041 Gosselies, Belgium
| | - Karina De Oliveira Brandão
- Laboratory of Developmental Genetics, Université Libre de Bruxelles (ULB), Institute of Molecular Biology and Medicine, and ULB Neuroscience Institute, B-6041 Gosselies, Belgium
| | - Sadia Kricha
- Laboratory of Developmental Genetics, Université Libre de Bruxelles (ULB), Institute of Molecular Biology and Medicine, and ULB Neuroscience Institute, B-6041 Gosselies, Belgium
| | - Mette C Jorgensen
- DanStem, University of Copenhagen, 3B Blegdamsvej, DK-2200 Copenhagen N, Denmark
| | - Anne Grapin-Botton
- DanStem, University of Copenhagen, 3B Blegdamsvej, DK-2200 Copenhagen N, Denmark
| | - Palle Serup
- DanStem, University of Copenhagen, 3B Blegdamsvej, DK-2200 Copenhagen N, Denmark
| | - Carine Van Lint
- Laboratory of Molecular Virology, Université Libre de Bruxelles (ULB), Institute of Molecular Biology and Medicine, B-6041 Gosselies, Belgium
| | - Muriel Perron
- UPR CNRS 3294 Neurobiology and Development, Université Paris Sud, 91405 Orsay Cedex, France
| | - Tomas Pieler
- Department of Developmental Biochemistry, Center for Nanoscale Microscopy and Molecular Physiology of the Brain (CNMPB), University of Goettingen, 37077 Goettingen, Germany
| | - Kristine A Henningfeld
- Department of Developmental Biochemistry, Center for Nanoscale Microscopy and Molecular Physiology of the Brain (CNMPB), University of Goettingen, 37077 Goettingen, Germany
| | - Eric J Bellefroid
- Laboratory of Developmental Genetics, Université Libre de Bruxelles (ULB), Institute of Molecular Biology and Medicine, and ULB Neuroscience Institute, B-6041 Gosselies, Belgium.
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Affiliation(s)
| | - Richard Hawkes
- Department of Cell Biology and Anatomy, Genes and Development Research Group and Hotchkiss Brain Institute, Faculty of Medicine, University of Calgary
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25
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Tran TS, Carlin E, Lin R, Martinez E, Johnson JE, Kaprielian Z. Neuropilin2 regulates the guidance of post-crossing spinal commissural axons in a subtype-specific manner. Neural Dev 2013; 8:15. [PMID: 23902858 PMCID: PMC3737016 DOI: 10.1186/1749-8104-8-15] [Citation(s) in RCA: 12] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.1] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 04/19/2013] [Accepted: 07/19/2013] [Indexed: 01/01/2023] Open
Abstract
BACKGROUND Spinal commissural axons represent a model system for deciphering the molecular logic that regulates the guidance of midline-crossing axons in the developing central nervous system (CNS). Whether the same or specific sets of guidance signals control the navigation of molecularly distinct subtypes of these axons remains an open and largely unexplored question. Although it is well established that post-crossing commissural axons alter their responsiveness to midline-associated guidance cues, our understanding of the repulsive mechanisms that drive the post-crossing segments of these axons away from the midline and whether the underlying guidance systems operate in a commissural axon subtype-specific manner, remains fragmentary at best. RESULTS Here, we utilize axonally targeted transgenic reporter mice to visualize genetically distinct dorsal interneuron (dI)1 and dI4 commissural axons and show that the repulsive class 3 semaphorin (Sema3) guidance receptor Neuropilin 2 (Npn2), is selectively expressed on the dI1 population and is required for the guidance of post-crossing dI1, but not dI4, axons. Consistent with these observations, the midline-associated Npn2 ligands, Sema3F and Sema3B, promote the collapse of dI1, but not dI4, axon-associated growth cones in vitro. We also identify, for the first time, a discrete GABAergic population of ventral commissural neurons/axons in the embryonic mouse spinal cord that expresses Npn2, and show that Npn2 is required for the proper guidance of their post-crossing axons. CONCLUSIONS Together, our findings indicate that Npn2 is selectively expressed in distinct populations of commissural neurons in both the dorsal and ventral spinal cord, and suggest that Sema3-Npn2 signaling regulates the guidance of post-crossing commissural axons in a population-specific manner.
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Affiliation(s)
- Tracy S Tran
- Department of Biological Sciences, Rutgers University, Boyden 206, 195 University Ave,, Newark, NJ 07102, USA.
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26
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Chang JC, Meredith DM, Mayer PR, Borromeo MD, Lai HC, Ou YH, Johnson JE. Prdm13 mediates the balance of inhibitory and excitatory neurons in somatosensory circuits. Dev Cell 2013; 25:182-95. [PMID: 23639443 DOI: 10.1016/j.devcel.2013.02.015] [Citation(s) in RCA: 52] [Impact Index Per Article: 4.7] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 04/23/2012] [Revised: 01/05/2013] [Accepted: 02/25/2013] [Indexed: 12/11/2022]
Abstract
Generating a balanced network of inhibitory and excitatory neurons during development requires precise transcriptional control. In the dorsal spinal cord, Ptf1a, a basic helix-loop-helix (bHLH) transcription activator, maintains this delicate balance by inducing homeodomain (HD) transcription factors such as Pax2 to specify the inhibitory lineage while suppressing HD factors such as Tlx1/3 that specify the excitatory lineage. We uncover the mechanism by which Ptf1a represses excitatory cell fate in the inhibitory lineage. We identify Prdm13 as a direct target of Ptf1a and reveal that Prdm13 actively represses excitatory cell fate by binding to regulatory sequences near the Tlx1 and Tlx3 genes to silence their expression. Prdm13 acts through multiple mechanisms, including interactions with the bHLH factor Ascl1, to repress Ascl1 activation of Tlx3. Thus, Prdm13 is a key component of a highly coordinated transcriptional network that determines the balance of inhibitory versus excitatory neurons in the dorsal spinal cord.
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Affiliation(s)
- Joshua C Chang
- Department of Neuroscience, UT Southwestern Medical Center, Dallas, TX 75390, USA
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27
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Program specificity for Ptf1a in pancreas versus neural tube development correlates with distinct collaborating cofactors and chromatin accessibility. Mol Cell Biol 2013; 33:3166-79. [PMID: 23754747 DOI: 10.1128/mcb.00364-13] [Citation(s) in RCA: 25] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 12/21/2022] Open
Abstract
The lineage-specific basic helix-loop-helix transcription factor Ptf1a is a critical driver for development of both the pancreas and nervous system. How one transcription factor controls diverse programs of gene expression is a fundamental question in developmental biology. To uncover molecular strategies for the program-specific functions of Ptf1a, we identified bound genomic regions in vivo during development of both tissues. Most regions bound by Ptf1a are specific to each tissue, lie near genes needed for proper formation of each tissue, and coincide with regions of open chromatin. The specificity of Ptf1a binding is encoded in the DNA surrounding the Ptf1a-bound sites, because these regions are sufficient to direct tissue-restricted reporter expression in transgenic mice. Fox and Sox factors were identified as potential lineage-specific modifiers of Ptf1a binding, since binding motifs for these factors are enriched in Ptf1a-bound regions in pancreas and neural tube, respectively. Of the Fox factors expressed during pancreatic development, Foxa2 plays a major role. Indeed, Ptf1a and Foxa2 colocalize in embryonic pancreatic chromatin and can act synergistically in cell transfection assays. Together, these findings indicate that lineage-specific chromatin landscapes likely constrain the DNA binding of Ptf1a, and they identify Fox and Sox gene families as part of this process.
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28
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A retrotransposon insertion in the 5' regulatory domain of Ptf1a results in ectopic gene expression and multiple congenital defects in Danforth's short tail mouse. PLoS Genet 2013; 9:e1003206. [PMID: 23437001 PMCID: PMC3578747 DOI: 10.1371/journal.pgen.1003206] [Citation(s) in RCA: 19] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.7] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 01/23/2012] [Accepted: 11/14/2012] [Indexed: 11/19/2022] Open
Abstract
Danforth's short tail mutant (Sd) mouse, first described in 1930, is a classic spontaneous mutant exhibiting defects of the axial skeleton, hindgut, and urogenital system. We used meiotic mapping in 1,497 segregants to localize the mutation to a 42.8-kb intergenic segment on chromosome 2. Resequencing of this region identified an 8.5-kb early retrotransposon (ETn) insertion within the highly conserved regulatory sequences upstream of Pancreas Specific Transcription Factor, 1a (Ptf1a). This mutation resulted in up to tenfold increased expression of Ptf1a as compared to wild-type embryos at E9.5 but no detectable changes in the expression levels of other neighboring genes. At E9.5, Sd mutants exhibit ectopic Ptf1a expression in embryonic progenitors of every organ that will manifest a developmental defect: the notochord, the hindgut, and the mesonephric ducts. Moreover, at E 8.5, Sd mutant mice exhibit ectopic Ptf1a expression in the lateral plate mesoderm, tail bud mesenchyme, and in the notochord, preceding the onset of visible defects such as notochord degeneration. The Sd heterozygote phenotype was not ameliorated by Ptf1a haploinsufficiency, further suggesting that the developmental defects result from ectopic expression of Ptf1a. These data identify disruption of the spatio-temporal pattern of Ptf1a expression as the unifying mechanism underlying the multiple congenital defects in Danforth's short tail mouse. This striking example of an enhancer mutation resulting in profound developmental defects suggests that disruption of conserved regulatory elements may also contribute to human malformation syndromes. Birth defects are a major cause of childhood morbidity and mortality. We studied the Danforth's short tail mouse, a classic mouse model of birth defects involving the skeleton, gut, and urinary system. We precisely localized the mutation responsible for these birth defects to a 42.8-kb segment on chromosome 2 and identified the mutation as an 8.5-kb transposon that disrupts highly conserved regulatory sequences upstream of the Pancreas Specific Transcription Factor, 1a (Ptf1a). The insertion disrupts a Ptf1a regulatory domain that is highly conserved across evolution and results in spatiotemporal defects in Ptf1a expression: we detected increased expression, temporally premature expression, and (most important for elucidating the mutant phenotype) the ectopic expression of Ptf1a in the notochord, hindgut, and mesonephros—the three sites that will give rise to organ defects in Danforth's short tail mouse. Our data also provide a striking example of how a noncoding, regulatory mutation can produce transient spatio-temporal dsyregulation of gene expression and result in profound developmental defects, highlighting the critical role of noncoding elements for coordinated gene expression in the vertebrate genome. Finally, these data provide novel insight into the role of Ptf1a in embryogenesis and lay the groundwork for elucidation of novel mechanisms underlying birth defects in humans.
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29
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Li W, Yu M, Luo S, Liu H, Gao Y, Wilson JX, Huang G. DNA methyltransferase mediates dose-dependent stimulation of neural stem cell proliferation by folate. J Nutr Biochem 2013; 24:1295-301. [PMID: 23332600 DOI: 10.1016/j.jnutbio.2012.11.001] [Citation(s) in RCA: 31] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.8] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 08/05/2012] [Revised: 10/31/2012] [Accepted: 11/09/2012] [Indexed: 11/30/2022]
Abstract
The proliferative response of neural stem cells (NSCs) to folate may play a critical role in the development, function and repair of the central nervous system. It is important to determine the dose-dependent effects of folate in NSC cultures that are potential sources of transplantable cells for therapies for neurodegenerative diseases. To determine the optimal concentration and mechanism of action of folate for stimulation of NSC proliferation in vitro, NSCs were exposed to folic acid or 5-methyltetrahydrofolate (5-MTHF) (0-200 μmol/L) for 24, 48 or 72 h. Immunocytochemistry and methyl thiazolyl tetrazolium assay showed that the optimal concentration of folic acid for NSC proliferation was 20-40 μmol/L. Stimulation of NSC proliferation by folic acid was associated with DNA methyltransferase (DNMT) activation and was attenuated by the DNMT inhibitor zebularine, which implies that folate dose-dependently stimulates NSC proliferation through a DNMT-dependent mechanism. Based on these new findings and previously published evidence, we have identified a mechanism by which folate stimulates NSC growth.
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Affiliation(s)
- Wen Li
- Department of Nutrition and Food Hygiene, School of Public Health, Tianjin Medical University, Tianjin 300070, China
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30
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Bhandari RK, Schinke EN, Haque MM, Sadler-Riggleman I, Skinner MK. SRY induced TCF21 genome-wide targets and cascade of bHLH factors during Sertoli cell differentiation and male sex determination in rats. Biol Reprod 2012; 87:131. [PMID: 23034159 DOI: 10.1095/biolreprod.112.099663] [Citation(s) in RCA: 22] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.8] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 01/30/2023] Open
Abstract
Male sex determination is initiated through the testis-determining factor SRY that promotes Sertoli cell differentiation and subsequent gonadal development. The basic helix-loop-helix (bHLH) gene Tcf21 was identified as one of the direct downstream targets of SRY. The current study was designed to identify the downstream targets of TCF21 and the potential cascade of bHLH genes that promote Sertoli cell differentiation. A modified ChIP-Chip comparative hybridization analysis identified 121 direct downstream binding targets for TCF21. The gene networks and cellular pathways potentially regulated by these TCF21 targets were identified. One of the main bHLH targets for TCF21 was the bHLH gene scleraxis (Scx). An embryonic ovarian gonadal cell culture was used to examine the functional role of Sry, Tcf21, and Scx to promote an in vitro sex reversal and induction of Sertoli cell differentiation. SRY and TCF21 were found to induce the initial stages of Sertoli cell differentiation, whereas SCX was found to induce the later stages of Sertoli cell differentiation associated with pubertal development using transferrin gene expression as a marker. Therefore, a cascade of SRY followed by TCF21 followed by SCX appears to promote, in part, Sertoli cell fate determination and subsequent differentiation. The current observations help elucidate the initial molecular events involved in the induction of Sertoli cell differentiation and testis development.
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Affiliation(s)
- Ramji K Bhandari
- Center for Reproductive Biology, School of Biological Sciences, Washington State University, Pullman, Washington, USA
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31
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Neurogenin2 expression together with NeuroM regulates GDNF family neurotrophic factor receptor α1 (GFRα1) expression in the embryonic spinal cord. Dev Biol 2012; 370:250-63. [DOI: 10.1016/j.ydbio.2012.08.002] [Citation(s) in RCA: 4] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 08/26/2011] [Revised: 08/01/2012] [Accepted: 08/02/2012] [Indexed: 10/28/2022]
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32
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Florio M, Leto K, Muzio L, Tinterri A, Badaloni A, Croci L, Zordan P, Barili V, Albieri I, Guillemot F, Rossi F, Consalez GG. Neurogenin 2 regulates progenitor cell-cycle progression and Purkinje cell dendritogenesis in cerebellar development. Development 2012; 139:2308-20. [PMID: 22669821 DOI: 10.1242/dev.075861] [Citation(s) in RCA: 72] [Impact Index Per Article: 6.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 01/10/2023]
Abstract
By serving as the sole output of the cerebellar cortex, integrating a myriad of afferent stimuli, Purkinje cells (PCs) constitute the principal neuron in cerebellar circuits. Several neurodegenerative cerebellar ataxias feature a selective cell-autonomous loss of PCs, warranting the development of regenerative strategies. To date, very little is known as to the regulatory cascades controlling PC development. During central nervous system development, the proneural gene neurogenin 2 (Neurog2) contributes to many distinct neuronal types by specifying their fate and/or dictating development of their morphological features. By analyzing a mouse knock-in line expressing Cre recombinase under the control of Neurog2 cis-acting sequences we show that, in the cerebellar primordium, Neurog2 is expressed by cycling progenitors cell-autonomously fated to become PCs, even when transplanted heterochronically. During cerebellar development, Neurog2 is expressed in G1 phase by progenitors poised to exit the cell cycle. We demonstrate that, in the absence of Neurog2, both cell-cycle progression and neuronal output are significantly affected, leading to an overall reduction of the mature cerebellar volume. Although PC fate identity is correctly specified, the maturation of their dendritic arbor is severely affected in the absence of Neurog2, as null PCs develop stunted and poorly branched dendrites, a defect evident from the early stages of dendritogenesis. Thus, Neurog2 represents a key regulator of PC development and maturation.
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Affiliation(s)
- Marta Florio
- Division of Neuroscience, San Raffaele Scientific Institute, 20132 Milan, Italy
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33
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Roessler E, Hu P, Hong SK, Srivastava K, Carrington B, Sood R, Petrykowska H, Elnitski L, Ribeiro LA, Richieri-Costa A, Feldman B, Odenwald WF, Muenke M. Unique alterations of an ultraconserved non-coding element in the 3'UTR of ZIC2 in holoprosencephaly. PLoS One 2012; 7:e39026. [PMID: 22859937 PMCID: PMC3409191 DOI: 10.1371/journal.pone.0039026] [Citation(s) in RCA: 7] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.6] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 03/16/2012] [Accepted: 05/15/2012] [Indexed: 01/23/2023] Open
Abstract
Coding region alterations of ZIC2 are the second most common type of mutation in holoprosencephaly (HPE). Here we use several complementary bioinformatic approaches to identify ultraconserved cis-regulatory sequences potentially driving the expression of human ZIC2. We demonstrate that an 804 bp element in the 3′ untranslated region (3′UTR) is highly conserved across the evolutionary history of vertebrates from fish to humans. Furthermore, we show that while genetic variation of this element is unexpectedly common among holoprosencephaly subjects (6/528 or >1%), it is not present in control individuals. Two of six proband-unique variants are de novo, supporting their pathogenic involvement in HPE outcomes. These findings support a general recommendation that the identification and analysis of key ultraconserved elements should be incorporated into the genetic risk assessment of holoprosencephaly cases.
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Affiliation(s)
- Erich Roessler
- Medical Genetics Branch, National Human Genome Research Institute (NHGRI), National Institutes of Health, Bethesda, Maryland, United States of America
| | - Ping Hu
- Medical Genetics Branch, National Human Genome Research Institute (NHGRI), National Institutes of Health, Bethesda, Maryland, United States of America
| | - Sung-Kook Hong
- Medical Genetics Branch, National Human Genome Research Institute (NHGRI), National Institutes of Health, Bethesda, Maryland, United States of America
| | - Kshitij Srivastava
- Medical Genetics Branch, National Human Genome Research Institute (NHGRI), National Institutes of Health, Bethesda, Maryland, United States of America
| | - Blake Carrington
- Zebrafish Core Facility, Genetics and Molecular Biology Branch, National Human Genome Research Institute (NHGRI), National Institutes of Health, Bethesda, Maryland, United States of America
| | - Raman Sood
- Zebrafish Core Facility, Genetics and Molecular Biology Branch, National Human Genome Research Institute (NHGRI), National Institutes of Health, Bethesda, Maryland, United States of America
| | - Hanna Petrykowska
- Genome Technology Branch, National Human Genome Research Institute (NHGRI), National Institutes of Health, Bethesda, Maryland, United States of America
| | - Laura Elnitski
- Genome Technology Branch, National Human Genome Research Institute (NHGRI), National Institutes of Health, Bethesda, Maryland, United States of America
| | - Lucilene A. Ribeiro
- Molecular Genetics Laboratory and Clinical Genetics Service, Hospital for Rehabilitation and Craniofacial Anomalies, USP, Bauru, Brazil
| | - Antonio Richieri-Costa
- Molecular Genetics Laboratory and Clinical Genetics Service, Hospital for Rehabilitation and Craniofacial Anomalies, USP, Bauru, Brazil
| | - Benjamin Feldman
- Medical Genetics Branch, National Human Genome Research Institute (NHGRI), National Institutes of Health, Bethesda, Maryland, United States of America
| | - Ward F. Odenwald
- Neural Cell-Fate Determinants Section, National Institute of Neurological Diseases and Stroke, National Institutes of Health, Bethesda, Maryland, United States of America
| | - Maximilian Muenke
- Medical Genetics Branch, National Human Genome Research Institute (NHGRI), National Institutes of Health, Bethesda, Maryland, United States of America
- * E-mail:
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34
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GABAergic neuron specification in the spinal cord, the cerebellum, and the cochlear nucleus. Neural Plast 2012; 2012:921732. [PMID: 22830054 PMCID: PMC3395262 DOI: 10.1155/2012/921732] [Citation(s) in RCA: 19] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.6] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 02/28/2012] [Revised: 05/17/2012] [Accepted: 05/17/2012] [Indexed: 12/01/2022] Open
Abstract
In the nervous system, there are a wide variety of neuronal cell types that have morphologically, physiologically, and histochemically different characteristics. These various types of neurons can be classified into two groups: excitatory and inhibitory neurons. The elaborate balance of the activities of the two types is very important to elicit higher brain function, because its imbalance may cause neurological disorders, such as epilepsy and hyperalgesia. In the central nervous system, inhibitory neurons are mainly represented by GABAergic ones with some exceptions such as glycinergic. Although the machinery to specify GABAergic neurons was first studied in the telencephalon, identification of key molecules, such as pancreatic transcription factor 1a (Ptf1a), as well as recently developed genetic lineage-tracing methods led to the better understanding of GABAergic specification in other brain regions, such as the spinal cord, the cerebellum, and the cochlear nucleus.
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35
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Kang P, Lee HK, Glasgow SM, Finley M, Donti T, Gaber ZB, Graham BH, Foster AE, Novitch BG, Gronostajski RM, Deneen B. Sox9 and NFIA coordinate a transcriptional regulatory cascade during the initiation of gliogenesis. Neuron 2012; 74:79-94. [PMID: 22500632 DOI: 10.1016/j.neuron.2012.01.024] [Citation(s) in RCA: 242] [Impact Index Per Article: 20.2] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Accepted: 01/12/2012] [Indexed: 10/28/2022]
Abstract
Transcriptional cascades that operate over the course of lineage development are fundamental mechanisms that control cellular differentiation. In the developing central nervous system (CNS), these mechanisms are well characterized during neurogenesis, but remain poorly defined during neural stem cell commitment to the glial lineage. NFIA is a transcription factor that plays a crucial role in the onset of gliogenesis; we found that its induction is regulated by the transcription factor Sox9 and that this relationship mediates the initiation of gliogenesis. Subsequently, Sox9 and NFIA form a complex and coregulate a set of genes induced after glial initiation. Functional studies revealed that a subset of these genes, Apcdd1 and Mmd2, perform key migratory and metabolic roles during astro-gliogenesis, respectively. In sum, these studies delineate a transcriptional regulatory cascade that operates during the initiation of gliogenesis and identifies a unique set of genes that regulate key aspects of astro-glial precursor physiology during development.
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Affiliation(s)
- Peng Kang
- Center for Cell and Gene Therapy, Baylor College of Medicine, One Baylor Plaza, Houston, TX 77030, USA
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36
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Dastjerdi FV, Consalez GG, Hawkes R. Pattern formation during development of the embryonic cerebellum. Front Neuroanat 2012; 6:10. [PMID: 22493569 PMCID: PMC3318227 DOI: 10.3389/fnana.2012.00010] [Citation(s) in RCA: 33] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.8] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 12/09/2011] [Accepted: 03/14/2012] [Indexed: 12/04/2022] Open
Abstract
The patterning of the embryonic cerebellum is vital to establish the elaborate zone and stripe architecture of the adult. This review considers early stages in cerebellar Purkinje cell patterning, from the organization of the ventricular zone to the development of Purkinje cell clusters—the precursors of the adult stripes.
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Affiliation(s)
- F V Dastjerdi
- Faculty of Medicine, Department of Cell Biology and Anatomy, Genes and Development Research Group, Hotchkiss Brain Institute, University of Calgary, Calgary AB, Canada
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37
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Leto K, Rolando C, Rossi F. The genesis of cerebellar GABAergic neurons: fate potential and specification mechanisms. Front Neuroanat 2012; 6:6. [PMID: 22363268 PMCID: PMC3282257 DOI: 10.3389/fnana.2012.00006] [Citation(s) in RCA: 35] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.9] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 11/14/2011] [Accepted: 02/03/2012] [Indexed: 11/15/2022] Open
Abstract
All cerebellar neurons derive from progenitors that proliferate in two germinal neuroepithelia: the ventricular zone (VZ) generates GABAergic neurons, whereas the rhombic lip is the origin of glutamatergic types. Among VZ-derivatives, GABAergic projection neurons, and interneurons are generated according to distinct strategies. Projection neurons (Purkinje cells and nucleo-olivary neurons) are produced at the onset of cerebellar neurogenesis by discrete progenitor pools located in distinct VZ microdomains. These cells are specified within the VZ and acquire mature phenotypes according to cell-autonomous developmental programs. On the other hand, the different categories of inhibitory interneurons derive from a single population of Pax-2-positive precursors that delaminate into the prospective white matter (PWM), where they continue to divide up to postnatal development. Heterotopic/heterochronic transplantation experiments indicate that interneuron progenitors maintain full developmental potentialities up to the end of cerebellar development and acquire mature phenotypes under the influence of environmental cues present in the PWM. Furthermore, the final fate choice occurs in postmitotic cells, rather than dividing progenitors. Extracerebellar cells grafted to the prospective cerebellar white matter are not responsive to local neurogenic cues and fail to adopt clear cerebellar identities. Conversely, cerebellar cells grafted to extracerebellar regions retain typical phenotypes of cerebellar GABAergic interneurons, but acquire type-specific traits under the influence of local cues. These findings indicate that interneuron progenitors are multipotent and sensitive to spatio-temporally patterned environmental signals that regulate the genesis of different categories of interneurons, in precise quantities and at defined times and places.
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Affiliation(s)
- Ketty Leto
- Department of Neuroscience, Neuroscience Institute of Turin, University of Turin Turin, Italy
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38
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Cave JW. Selective repression of Notch pathway target gene transcription. Dev Biol 2011; 360:123-31. [PMID: 21963536 DOI: 10.1016/j.ydbio.2011.09.018] [Citation(s) in RCA: 10] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.8] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 03/31/2011] [Revised: 08/28/2011] [Accepted: 09/14/2011] [Indexed: 12/21/2022]
Abstract
The Notch signaling pathway regulates metazoan development, in part, by directly controlling the transcription of target genes. For a given cellular context, however, only subsets of the known target genes are transcribed when the pathway is activated. Thus, there are context-dependent mechanisms that selectively maintain repression of target gene transcription when the Notch pathway is activated. This review focuses on molecular mechanisms that have been recently reported to mediate selective repression of Notch pathway target gene transcription. These mechanisms are essential for generating the complex spatial and temporal expression patterns of Notch target genes during development.
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Affiliation(s)
- John W Cave
- Dept. of. Neurology and Neuroscience, Weill Cornell Medical College, 785 Mamaroneck Ave., White Plains, NY 10605, USA.
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39
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Notch signaling alters sensory or neuronal cell fate specification of inner ear stem cells. J Neurosci 2011; 31:8351-8. [PMID: 21653840 DOI: 10.1523/jneurosci.6366-10.2011] [Citation(s) in RCA: 77] [Impact Index Per Article: 5.9] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 02/07/2023] Open
Abstract
Multipotent progenitor cells in the otic placode give rise to the specialized cell types of the inner ear, including neurons, supporting cells, and hair cells. The mechanisms governing acquisition of specific fates by the cells that form the cochleovestibular organs remain poorly characterized. Here we show that whereas blocking Notch signaling with a γ-secretase inhibitor increased the conversion of inner ear stem cells to hair cells by a mechanism that involved the upregulation of bHLH transcription factor, Math1 (mouse Atoh1), differentiation to a neuronal lineage was increased by expression of the Notch intracellular domain. The shift to a neuronal lineage could be attributed in part to continued cell proliferation in cells that did not undergo sensory cell differentiation due to the high Notch signaling, but also involved upregulation of Ngn1. The Notch intracellular domain influenced Ngn1 indirectly by upregulation of Sox2, a transcription factor expressed in many neural progenitor cells, and directly by an interaction with an RBP-J binding site in the Ngn1 promoter/enhancer. The induction of Ngn1 was blocked partially by mutation of the RBP-J site and nearly completely when the mutation was combined with inhibition of Sox2 expression. Thus, Notch signaling had a significant role in the fate specification of neurons and hair cells from inner ear stem cells, and decisions about cell fate were mediated in part by a differential effect of combinatorial signaling by Notch and Sox2 on the expression of bHLH transcription factors.
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Lelièvre EC, Lek M, Boije H, Houille-Vernes L, Brajeul V, Slembrouck A, Roger JE, Sahel JA, Matter JM, Sennlaub F, Hallböök F, Goureau O, Guillonneau X. Ptf1a/Rbpj complex inhibits ganglion cell fate and drives the specification of all horizontal cell subtypes in the chick retina. Dev Biol 2011; 358:296-308. [PMID: 21839069 DOI: 10.1016/j.ydbio.2011.07.033] [Citation(s) in RCA: 33] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 11/02/2010] [Revised: 07/19/2011] [Accepted: 07/25/2011] [Indexed: 11/18/2022]
Abstract
During development, progenitor cells of the retina give rise to six principal classes of neurons and the Müller glial cells found within the adult retina. The pancreas transcription factor 1 subunit a (Ptf1a) encodes a basic-helix-loop-helix transcription factor necessary for the specification of horizontal cells and the majority of amacrine cell subtypes in the mouse retina. The Ptf1a-regulated genes and the regulation of Ptf1a activity by transcription cofactors during retinogenesis have been poorly investigated. Using a retrovirus-mediated gene transfer approach, we reported that Ptf1a was sufficient to promote the fates of amacrine and horizontal cells from retinal progenitors and inhibit retinal ganglion cell and photoreceptor differentiation in the chick retina. Both GABAergic H1 and non-GABAergic H3 horizontal cells were induced following the forced expression of Ptf1a. We describe Ptf1a as a strong, negative regulator of Atoh7 expression. Furthermore, the Rbpj-interacting domains of Ptf1a protein were required for its effects on cell fate specification. Together, these data provide a novel insight into the molecular basis of Ptf1a activity on early cell specification in the chick retina.
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Affiliation(s)
- E C Lelièvre
- Centre de Recherche des Cordeliers, INSERM UMR S872, 75006 Paris, France
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Lorberbaum DS, Gottlieb D. Regulated expression of transgenes in embryonic stem cell-derived neural cells. Genesis 2011; 49:66-74. [PMID: 21344609 DOI: 10.1002/dvg.20696] [Citation(s) in RCA: 1] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.1] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 08/17/2010] [Revised: 11/11/2010] [Accepted: 11/22/2010] [Indexed: 11/08/2022]
Abstract
Discovery and characterization of gene promoters, enhancers and repressor binding elements is an important research area in neuroscience. Here, the suitability of embryonic stem cells and their neural derivatives as a model system for this research is investigated. Three neural transgenic constructs (from the Mnx1, Fabp7, and tuba1a genes) that have been validated in transgenic mice were inserted into embryonic stem cells as stable transgenes. These transgenic embryonic stem cells were differentiated into neural cultures and the pattern of transgene expression across a series of inducing conditions determined. The pattern of expression matched that predicted from transgenic mouse experiments for each of the three transgenes. The results show that embryonic stem cells and their neural derivatives comprise a promising model for investigating the mechanisms that control cell- and temporal-specific neural gene transcription.
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Affiliation(s)
- David S Lorberbaum
- Department of Anatomy and Neurobiology, Washington University School of Medicine, Missouri, USA
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Abstract
Notch-dependent CSL transcription complexes control essential biological processes such as cell proliferation, differentiation, and cell-fate decisions in diverse developmental systems. The orthologous proteins CBF1/Rbpj (mammalian), Su(H) (Drosophila), and Lag-1 (Caenorhabditis elegans) compose the CSL family of sequence-specific DNA-binding transcription factors. The CSL proteins are best known for their role in canonical Notch signaling. However, CSL factors also form transcription complexes that can function independent of Notch signaling and include repression and activation of target gene transcription. Because the different complexes share CSL as a DNA-binding subunit, they can control overlapping sets of genes; but they can also control distinct sets when partnered with tissue-specific cofactors that restrict DNA-sequence recognition or stability of the DNA-bound complex. The Notch-independent functions of CSL and the processes they regulate will be reviewed here with a particular emphasis on the tissue-specific CSL-activator complex with the bHLH factor Ptf1a.
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Affiliation(s)
- Jane E Johnson
- Department of Neuroscience, UT Southwestern Medical Center, Dallas, Texas, USA
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Masserdotti G, Badaloni A, Green YS, Croci L, Barili V, Bergamini G, Vetter ML, Consalez GG. ZFP423 coordinates Notch and bone morphogenetic protein signaling, selectively up-regulating Hes5 gene expression. J Biol Chem 2010; 285:30814-24. [PMID: 20547764 PMCID: PMC2945575 DOI: 10.1074/jbc.m110.142869] [Citation(s) in RCA: 37] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.6] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 06/14/2010] [Indexed: 02/03/2023] Open
Abstract
Zinc finger protein 423 encodes a 30 Zn-finger transcription factor involved in cerebellar and olfactory development. ZFP423 is a known interactor of SMAD1-SMAD4 and of Collier/Olf-1/EBF proteins, and acts as a modifier of retinoic acid-induced differentiation. In the present article, we show that ZFP423 interacts with the Notch1 intracellular domain in mammalian cell lines and in Xenopus neurula embryos, to activate the expression of the Notch1 target Hes5/ESR1. This effect is antagonized by EBF transcription factors, both in cultured cells and in Xenopus embryos, and amplified in vitro by BMP4, suggesting that ZFP423 acts to integrate BMP and Notch signaling, selectively promoting their convergence onto the Hes5 gene promoter.
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Affiliation(s)
- Giacomo Masserdotti
- From the Division of Neuroscience, San Raffaele Scientific Institute, 20132 Milan, Italy
- the Università Vita-Salute San Raffaele, 20132 Milan, Italy, and
| | - Aurora Badaloni
- From the Division of Neuroscience, San Raffaele Scientific Institute, 20132 Milan, Italy
| | - Yangsook Song Green
- the Department of Neurobiology and Anatomy, University of Utah, Salt Lake City, Utah 84132
| | - Laura Croci
- From the Division of Neuroscience, San Raffaele Scientific Institute, 20132 Milan, Italy
| | - Valeria Barili
- From the Division of Neuroscience, San Raffaele Scientific Institute, 20132 Milan, Italy
- the Università Vita-Salute San Raffaele, 20132 Milan, Italy, and
| | - Giorgio Bergamini
- From the Division of Neuroscience, San Raffaele Scientific Institute, 20132 Milan, Italy
- the Università Vita-Salute San Raffaele, 20132 Milan, Italy, and
| | - Monica L. Vetter
- the Department of Neurobiology and Anatomy, University of Utah, Salt Lake City, Utah 84132
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Lundell TG, Zhou Q, Doughty ML. Neurogenin1 expression in cell lineages of the cerebellar cortex in embryonic and postnatal mice. Dev Dyn 2010; 238:3310-25. [PMID: 19924827 DOI: 10.1002/dvdy.22165] [Citation(s) in RCA: 48] [Impact Index Per Article: 3.4] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 12/23/2022] Open
Abstract
The basic helix-loop-helix (bHLH) transcription factors Ptf1a and Math1 are necessary for the specification of gamma-aminobutyric acid-ergic and glutamatergic cell lineages in the cerebellum, respectively. Recent evidence suggests cascades of bHLH factor activities drive cell type specificity in Ptf1a(+ve) and Math1(+ve) lineages. In this manuscript, we reveal cell lineages in the cerebellar cortex but not deep cerebellar nuclei express the pro-neural bHLH factor Neurogenin1 (Ngn1). Ngn1 is expressed in ventricular zone progenitors and in newly generated neurons in the caudal cerebellar primordium. In later embryonic and postnatal developmental stages, Ngn1 is expressed in progenitors and in migrating interneurons in the prospective white matter. Transgenic fate-mapping reveals Ngn1 reporter-gene expression in Purkinje cells, multiple inhibitory interneuron cell types, and in unipolar brush cells of the cortex. The data suggest Ngn1 is a component of the bHLH factor code regulating cell type specification in the cerebellar cortex.
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Affiliation(s)
- T G Lundell
- Department of Anatomy, Physiology and Genetics, Uniformed Services University of the Health Sciences, Bethesda, Maryland 20814, USA
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Mizuhara E, Minaki Y, Nakatani T, Kumai M, Inoue T, Muguruma K, Sasai Y, Ono Y. Purkinje cells originate from cerebellar ventricular zone progenitors positive for Neph3 and E-cadherin. Dev Biol 2010; 338:202-14. [DOI: 10.1016/j.ydbio.2009.11.032] [Citation(s) in RCA: 77] [Impact Index Per Article: 5.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 07/30/2009] [Revised: 11/12/2009] [Accepted: 11/30/2009] [Indexed: 02/02/2023]
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Abstract
RBP-J/Su(H)/Lag1, the main transcriptional mediator of Notch signaling, binds DNA with the consensus sequence YRTGDGAD. Notch target genes can be controlled by two opposing activities of RBP-J. The interaction of the Notch intracellular domain with RBP-J induces a weak transcriptional activation and requires an additional tissue-specific transcriptional activator such as bHLH proteins or GATA to mediate strong target gene expression. For example, during Drosophila sensory organ precursor (SOP) cell development, proneural bHLH interacts with Da, a Drosophila orthologue of E2A, to form a tissue-specific activator of Su(H), the Drosophila orthologue of RBP-J. This complex and Su(H) act synergistically to promote the epidermal cell fate. In contrast, a complex of Su(H) with Hairless, a Drosophila functional homologue of MINT, has transcriptional repression activity that promotes SOP differentiation to neurons. Recent conditional loss-of-function studies demonstrated that transcriptional networks involving RBP-J, MINT, and E2A are conserved in mammalian cell differentiation, including multiple steps of lymphocyte development, and probably also in neuronal maturation in adult neurogenesis. During neurogenesis, Notch-RBP-J signaling was thought historically to be involved mainly in the maintenance of undifferentiated neural progenitors. However, the identification of a tissue-specific transcriptional activator of RBP-J-Notch has revealed new roles of RBP-J in the promotion of neuronal maturation. Finally, the Notch-independent function of RBP-J was recently discovered and will be reviewed here.
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Nishida K, Hoshino M, Kawaguchi Y, Murakami F. Ptf1a directly controls expression of immunoglobulin superfamily molecules Nephrin and Neph3 in the developing central nervous system. J Biol Chem 2009; 285:373-80. [PMID: 19887377 DOI: 10.1074/jbc.m109.060657] [Citation(s) in RCA: 32] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.1] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/06/2022] Open
Abstract
Ptf1a, a basic helix-loop-helix transcription factor, plays an indispensable role for cell fate specification of subsets of neurons in the developing central nervous system. However, downstream molecules induced by Ptf1a during neural development have not been well characterized. In the present study, we identified immunoglobulin superfamily molecules, Nephrin and Neph3, as direct downstream targets of Ptf1a. First, the expression domains of Nephrin and Neph3 closely resembled those of Ptf1a in the developing retina, hypothalamus, cerebellum, hindbrain, and spinal cord. Second, Ptf1a bound directly to a PTF-binding motif in the 5'-flanking region of Nephrin and Neph3 genes. Third, Ptf1a activated transcription driven by the 5'-flanking region of these genes. Finally, the expression of Nephrin and Neph3 was lost in Ptf1a-null mice, whereas ectopic expression of Nephrin and Neph3 was induced by forced expression of Ptf1a. We provided further evidence that Nephrin and Neph3 could interact homophilically and heterophilically, suggesting that Nephrin and Neph3 might regulate certain developmental aspects of Ptf1a-positive neurons as homo- or heterooligomers.
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Affiliation(s)
- Kazuhiko Nishida
- Graduate School of Frontier Biosciences, Osaka University, Yamadaoka 1-3, Suita, Osaka 565-0871, Japan.
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