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Heald JS, López AM, Pato ML, Ruiz-Xivillé N, Cabezón M, Zamora L, Vives S, Coll R, Maluquer C, Granada I, Solé F, Esteller M, Berdasco M. Identification of novel NUP98 fusion partners and comutations in acute myeloid leukemia: an adult cohort study. Blood Adv 2024; 8:2691-2694. [PMID: 38536941 PMCID: PMC11170135 DOI: 10.1182/bloodadvances.2023012479] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 12/21/2023] [Accepted: 03/01/2024] [Indexed: 05/31/2024] Open
Affiliation(s)
- James S. Heald
- Epigenetic Therapies Group, Experimental and Clinical Hematology Program, Josep Carreras Leukaemia Research Institute, Barcelona, Spain
| | - Aleix Méndez López
- Hematology Department, Hospital Germans Trias i Pujol, Institut Català d’Oncologia, Josep Carreras Leukaemia Research Institute, Barcelona, Spain
| | - Miguel L. Pato
- Epigenetic Therapies Group, Experimental and Clinical Hematology Program, Josep Carreras Leukaemia Research Institute, Barcelona, Spain
| | - Neus Ruiz-Xivillé
- Hematology Department, Hospital Germans Trias i Pujol, Institut Català d’Oncologia, Josep Carreras Leukaemia Research Institute, Barcelona, Spain
| | - Marta Cabezón
- Hematology Department, Hospital Germans Trias i Pujol, Institut Català d’Oncologia, Josep Carreras Leukaemia Research Institute, Barcelona, Spain
| | - Lurdes Zamora
- Hematology Department, Hospital Germans Trias i Pujol, Institut Català d’Oncologia, Josep Carreras Leukaemia Research Institute, Barcelona, Spain
| | - Susana Vives
- Hematology Department, Hospital Germans Trias i Pujol, Institut Català d’Oncologia, Josep Carreras Leukaemia Research Institute, Barcelona, Spain
| | - Rosa Coll
- Hematology Department, Catalan Institute of Oncology-Hospital Universitari Dr. Josep Trueta, Girona, Spain
| | - Clara Maluquer
- Haematology Department, ICO Hospitalet, Hospitalet de Llobregat, Bellvitge Institute for Biomedical Research, Universitat de Barcelona, Barcelona, Spain
| | - Isabel Granada
- Hematology Department, Hospital Germans Trias i Pujol, Institut Català d’Oncologia, Josep Carreras Leukaemia Research Institute, Barcelona, Spain
| | - Francesc Solé
- Myelodysplastic Syndromes Group, Institut de Recerca Contra la Leucèmia Josep Carreras, Barcelona, Spain
| | - Manel Esteller
- Cancer Epigenetics Group, Cancer and Leukemia Epigenetics and Biology Program, Josep Carreras Leukaemia Research Institute, Barcelona, Spain
- Physiological Sciences Department, School of Medicine and Health Sciences, University of Barcelona, Barcelona, Spain
- Institució Catalana de Recerca i Estudis Avançats, Barcelona, Catalonia, Spain
- Centro de Investigacion Biomedica en Red Cancer, Madrid, Spain
| | - María Berdasco
- Epigenetic Therapies Group, Experimental and Clinical Hematology Program, Josep Carreras Leukaemia Research Institute, Barcelona, Spain
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2
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Lupiáñez DG. Marsupial genomes reveal how a skin membrane for gliding evolved. Nature 2024; 629:43-44. [PMID: 38658712 DOI: 10.1038/d41586-024-01021-8] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 04/26/2024]
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3
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Alamin M, Humaira Sultana M, Babarinde IA, Azad AKM, Moni MA, Xu H. Single-cell RNA-seq data analysis reveals functionally relevant biomarkers of early brain development and their regulatory footprints in human embryonic stem cells (hESCs). Brief Bioinform 2024; 25:bbae230. [PMID: 38739758 PMCID: PMC11089419 DOI: 10.1093/bib/bbae230] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 12/22/2023] [Revised: 04/07/2024] [Accepted: 04/27/2024] [Indexed: 05/16/2024] Open
Abstract
The complicated process of neuronal development is initiated early in life, with the genetic mechanisms governing this process yet to be fully elucidated. Single-cell RNA sequencing (scRNA-seq) is a potent instrument for pinpointing biomarkers that exhibit differential expression across various cell types and developmental stages. By employing scRNA-seq on human embryonic stem cells, we aim to identify differentially expressed genes (DEGs) crucial for early-stage neuronal development. Our focus extends beyond simply identifying DEGs. We strive to investigate the functional roles of these genes through enrichment analysis and construct gene regulatory networks to understand their interactions. Ultimately, this comprehensive approach aspires to illuminate the molecular mechanisms and transcriptional dynamics governing early human brain development. By uncovering potential links between these DEGs and intelligence, mental disorders, and neurodevelopmental disorders, we hope to shed light on human neurological health and disease. In this study, we have used scRNA-seq to identify DEGs involved in early-stage neuronal development in hESCs. The scRNA-seq data, collected on days 26 (D26) and 54 (D54), of the in vitro differentiation of hESCs to neurons were analyzed. Our analysis identified 539 DEGs between D26 and D54. Functional enrichment of those DEG biomarkers indicated that the up-regulated DEGs participated in neurogenesis, while the down-regulated DEGs were linked to synapse regulation. The Reactome pathway analysis revealed that down-regulated DEGs were involved in the interactions between proteins located in synapse pathways. We also discovered interactions between DEGs and miRNA, transcriptional factors (TFs) and DEGs, and between TF and miRNA. Our study identified 20 significant transcription factors, shedding light on early brain development genetics. The identified DEGs and gene regulatory networks are valuable resources for future research into human brain development and neurodevelopmental disorders.
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Affiliation(s)
- Md Alamin
- Shenzhen Key Laboratory of Gene Regulation and Systems Biology, Department of Biology, School of Life Sciences, Southern University of Science and Technology, Shenzhen 518055, Guangdong, China
| | | | - Isaac Adeyemi Babarinde
- Shenzhen Key Laboratory of Gene Regulation and Systems Biology, Department of Biology, School of Life Sciences, Southern University of Science and Technology, Shenzhen 518055, Guangdong, China
| | - A K M Azad
- Department of Mathematics and Statistics, College of Science, Imam Muhammad Ibn Saud Islamic University, Riyadh 11432, Saudi Arabia
| | - Mohammad Ali Moni
- Artificial Intelligence and Cyber Futures Institute, Charles Sturt University, Bathurst, NSW 2795, Australia
| | - Haiming Xu
- Institute of Bioinformatics, Zhejiang University, Hangzhou 310058, China
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4
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Zhang J, Zhao R, Lin S, Yang D, Lu S, Liu Z, Gao Y, Zhang Y, Hou B, Xi C, Liu J, Bing J, Pang E, Lin K, Zeng S. Comparison of genes involved in brain development: insights into the organization and evolution of the telencephalic pallium. Sci Rep 2024; 14:6102. [PMID: 38480729 PMCID: PMC10937912 DOI: 10.1038/s41598-024-51964-1] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 03/14/2023] [Accepted: 01/11/2024] [Indexed: 03/17/2024] Open
Abstract
The mechanisms underlying the organization and evolution of the telencephalic pallium are not yet clear.. To address this issue, we first performed comparative analysis of genes critical for the development of the pallium (Emx1/2 and Pax6) and subpallium (Dlx2 and Nkx1/2) among 500 vertebrate species. We found that these genes have no obvious variations in chromosomal duplication/loss, gene locus synteny or Darwinian selection. However, there is an additional fragment of approximately 20 amino acids in mammalian Emx1 and a poly-(Ala)6-7 in Emx2. Lentiviruses expressing mouse or chick Emx2 (m-Emx2 or c-Emx2 Lv) were injected into the ventricle of the chick telencephalon at embryonic Day 3 (E3), and the embryos were allowed to develop to E12-14 or to posthatchling. After transfection with m-Emx2 Lv, the cells expressing Reelin, Vimentin or GABA increased, and neurogenesis of calbindin cells changed towards the mammalian inside-out pattern in the dorsal pallium and mesopallium. In addition, a behavior test for posthatched chicks indicated that the passive avoidance ratio increased significantly. The study suggests that the acquisition of an additional fragment in mammalian Emx2 is associated with the organization and evolution of the mammalian pallium.
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Affiliation(s)
- Jiangyan Zhang
- Beijing Key Laboratory of Gene Resource and Molecular Development, Beijing Normal University, Beijing, China
| | - Rui Zhao
- Beijing Key Laboratory of Gene Resource and Molecular Development, Beijing Normal University, Beijing, China
| | - Shiying Lin
- Beijing Key Laboratory of Gene Resource and Molecular Development, Beijing Normal University, Beijing, China
| | - Dong Yang
- Beijing Key Laboratory of Genetic Engineering Drugs and Biological Technology, Beijing Normal University, Beijing, China
| | - Shan Lu
- Beijing Key Laboratory of Gene Resource and Molecular Development, Beijing Normal University, Beijing, China
| | - Zenan Liu
- Beijing Key Laboratory of Gene Resource and Molecular Development, Beijing Normal University, Beijing, China
| | - Yuanyuan Gao
- Beijing Key Laboratory of Gene Resource and Molecular Development, Beijing Normal University, Beijing, China
| | - Yiyun Zhang
- Beijing Key Laboratory of Gene Resource and Molecular Development, Beijing Normal University, Beijing, China
| | - Bing Hou
- Beijing Key Laboratory of Gene Resource and Molecular Development, Beijing Normal University, Beijing, China
| | - Chao Xi
- Beijing Key Laboratory of Gene Resource and Molecular Development, Beijing Normal University, Beijing, China
| | - Jin Liu
- Beijing Key Laboratory of Gene Resource and Molecular Development, Beijing Normal University, Beijing, China
| | - Jie Bing
- Beijing Key Laboratory of Gene Resource and Molecular Development, Beijing Normal University, Beijing, China
| | - Erli Pang
- MOE Key Laboratory for Biodiversity Science and Ecological Engineering, College of Life Sciences, Beijing Normal University, Beijing, China
| | - Kui Lin
- MOE Key Laboratory for Biodiversity Science and Ecological Engineering, College of Life Sciences, Beijing Normal University, Beijing, China.
| | - Shaoju Zeng
- Beijing Key Laboratory of Gene Resource and Molecular Development, Beijing Normal University, Beijing, China.
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5
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Ang CE, Olmos VH, Vodehnal K, Zhou B, Lee QY, Sinha R, Narayanaswamy A, Mall M, Chesnov K, Dominicus CS, Südhof T, Wernig M. Generation of human excitatory forebrain neurons by cooperative binding of proneural NGN2 and homeobox factor EMX1. Proc Natl Acad Sci U S A 2024; 121:e2308401121. [PMID: 38446849 PMCID: PMC10945857 DOI: 10.1073/pnas.2308401121] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 05/24/2023] [Accepted: 01/24/2024] [Indexed: 03/08/2024] Open
Abstract
Generation of defined neuronal subtypes from human pluripotent stem cells remains a challenge. The proneural factor NGN2 has been shown to overcome experimental variability observed by morphogen-guided differentiation and directly converts pluripotent stem cells into neurons, but their cellular heterogeneity has not been investigated yet. Here, we found that NGN2 reproducibly produces three different kinds of excitatory neurons characterized by partial coactivation of other neurotransmitter programs. We explored two principle approaches to achieve more precise specification: prepatterning the chromatin landscape that NGN2 is exposed to and combining NGN2 with region-specific transcription factors. Unexpectedly, the chromatin context of regionalized neural progenitors only mildly altered genomic NGN2 binding and its transcriptional response and did not affect neurotransmitter specification. In contrast, coexpression of region-specific homeobox factors such as EMX1 resulted in drastic redistribution of NGN2 including recruitment to homeobox targets and resulted in glutamatergic neurons with silenced nonglutamatergic programs. These results provide the molecular basis for a blueprint for improved strategies for generating a plethora of defined neuronal subpopulations from pluripotent stem cells for therapeutic or disease-modeling purposes.
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Affiliation(s)
- Cheen Euong Ang
- Department of Bioengineering, Stanford University, Stanford, CA94305
- Department of Pathology, Stanford University, Stanford, CA94305
- Institute of Stem Cell and Regenerative Medicine, Stanford University, Stanford, CA94305
| | - Victor Hipolito Olmos
- Department of Pathology, Stanford University, Stanford, CA94305
- Institute of Stem Cell and Regenerative Medicine, Stanford University, Stanford, CA94305
| | - Kayla Vodehnal
- Department of Pathology, Stanford University, Stanford, CA94305
- Institute of Stem Cell and Regenerative Medicine, Stanford University, Stanford, CA94305
| | - Bo Zhou
- Department of Pathology, Stanford University, Stanford, CA94305
- Institute of Stem Cell and Regenerative Medicine, Stanford University, Stanford, CA94305
- HHMI, Stanford University, Stanford, CA94305
- Department of Molecular and Cellular Physiology, Stanford University, Stanford, CA94305
| | - Qian Yi Lee
- Department of Bioengineering, Stanford University, Stanford, CA94305
- Department of Pathology, Stanford University, Stanford, CA94305
- Institute of Stem Cell and Regenerative Medicine, Stanford University, Stanford, CA94305
| | - Rahul Sinha
- Institute of Stem Cell and Regenerative Medicine, Stanford University, Stanford, CA94305
| | - Aadit Narayanaswamy
- Department of Pathology, Stanford University, Stanford, CA94305
- Institute of Stem Cell and Regenerative Medicine, Stanford University, Stanford, CA94305
| | - Moritz Mall
- Department of Pathology, Stanford University, Stanford, CA94305
- Institute of Stem Cell and Regenerative Medicine, Stanford University, Stanford, CA94305
| | - Kirill Chesnov
- Department of Pathology, Stanford University, Stanford, CA94305
- Institute of Stem Cell and Regenerative Medicine, Stanford University, Stanford, CA94305
| | - Caia S. Dominicus
- Wellcome Sanger Institute, Hinxton, CambridgeshireCB10 1SA, United Kingdom
- OpenTargets, Hinxton, CambridgeshireCB10 1SA, United Kingdom
| | - Thomas Südhof
- HHMI, Stanford University, Stanford, CA94305
- Department of Molecular and Cellular Physiology, Stanford University, Stanford, CA94305
| | - Marius Wernig
- Department of Pathology, Stanford University, Stanford, CA94305
- Institute of Stem Cell and Regenerative Medicine, Stanford University, Stanford, CA94305
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6
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Yang X, Wan R, Liu Z, Feng S, Yang J, Jing N, Tang K. The differentiation and integration of the hippocampal dorsoventral axis are controlled by two nuclear receptor genes. eLife 2023; 12:RP86940. [PMID: 37751231 PMCID: PMC10522401 DOI: 10.7554/elife.86940] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 09/27/2023] Open
Abstract
The hippocampus executes crucial functions from declarative memory to adaptive behaviors associated with cognition and emotion. However, the mechanisms of how morphogenesis and functions along the hippocampal dorsoventral axis are differentiated and integrated are still largely unclear. Here, we show that Nr2f1 and Nr2f2 genes are distinctively expressed in the dorsal and ventral hippocampus, respectively. The loss of Nr2f2 results in ectopic CA1/CA3 domains in the ventral hippocampus. The deficiency of Nr2f1 leads to the failed specification of dorsal CA1, among which there are place cells. The deletion of both Nr2f genes causes almost agenesis of the hippocampus with abnormalities of trisynaptic circuit and adult neurogenesis. Moreover, Nr2f1/2 may cooperate to guarantee appropriate morphogenesis and function of the hippocampus by regulating the Lhx5-Lhx2 axis. Our findings revealed a novel mechanism that Nr2f1 and Nr2f2 converge to govern the differentiation and integration of distinct characteristics of the hippocampus in mice.
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Affiliation(s)
- Xiong Yang
- Precise Genome Engineering Center, School of Life Sciences, Guangzhou UniversityGuangzhouChina
| | - Rong Wan
- Precise Genome Engineering Center, School of Life Sciences, Guangzhou UniversityGuangzhouChina
| | - Zhiwen Liu
- Guangzhou Laboratory/Bioland LaboratoryGuangzhouChina
- CAS Key Laboratory of Regenerative Biology, Guangdong Provincial Key Laboratory of Stem Cell and Regenerative Medicine, Guangdong Institutes of Biomedicine and Health, Chinese Academy of SciencesGuangzhouChina
| | - Su Feng
- Guangzhou Laboratory/Bioland LaboratoryGuangzhouChina
- CAS Key Laboratory of Regenerative Biology, Guangdong Provincial Key Laboratory of Stem Cell and Regenerative Medicine, Guangdong Institutes of Biomedicine and Health, Chinese Academy of SciencesGuangzhouChina
| | - Jiaxin Yang
- Precise Genome Engineering Center, School of Life Sciences, Guangzhou UniversityGuangzhouChina
| | - Naihe Jing
- Guangzhou Laboratory/Bioland LaboratoryGuangzhouChina
- CAS Key Laboratory of Regenerative Biology, Guangdong Provincial Key Laboratory of Stem Cell and Regenerative Medicine, Guangdong Institutes of Biomedicine and Health, Chinese Academy of SciencesGuangzhouChina
| | - Ke Tang
- Precise Genome Engineering Center, School of Life Sciences, Guangzhou UniversityGuangzhouChina
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7
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Trejo-Reveles V, Owen N, Ching Chan BH, Toms M, Schoenebeck JJ, Moosajee M, Rainger J. Identification of Novel Coloboma Candidate Genes through Conserved Gene Expression Analyses across Four Vertebrate Species. Biomolecules 2023; 13:293. [PMID: 36830662 PMCID: PMC9953556 DOI: 10.3390/biom13020293] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 12/22/2022] [Revised: 01/23/2023] [Accepted: 01/28/2023] [Indexed: 02/08/2023] Open
Abstract
Ocular coloboma (OC) is a failure of complete optic fissure closure during embryonic development and presents as a tissue defect along the proximal-distal axis of the ventral eye. It is classed as part of the clinical spectrum of structural eye malformations with microphthalmia and anophthalmia, collectively abbreviated to MAC. Despite deliberate attempts to identify causative variants in MAC, many patients remain without a genetic diagnosis. To reveal potential candidate genes, we utilised transcriptomes experimentally generated from embryonic eye tissues derived from humans, mice, zebrafish, and chicken at stages coincident with optic fissure closure. Our in-silico analyses found 10 genes with optic fissure-specific enriched expression: ALDH1A3, BMPR1B, EMX2, EPHB3, NID1, NTN1, PAX2, SMOC1, TENM3, and VAX1. In situ hybridization revealed that all 10 genes were broadly expressed ventrally in the developing eye but that only PAX2 and NTN1 were expressed in cells at the edges of the optic fissure margin. Of these conserved optic fissure genes, EMX2, NID1, and EPHB3 have not previously been associated with human MAC cases. Targeted genetic manipulation in zebrafish embryos using CRISPR/Cas9 caused the developmental MAC phenotype for emx2 and ephb3. We analysed available whole genome sequencing datasets from MAC patients and identified a range of variants with plausible causality. In combination, our data suggest that expression of genes involved in ventral eye development is conserved across a range of vertebrate species and that EMX2, NID1, and EPHB3 are candidate loci that warrant further functional analysis in the context of MAC and should be considered for sequencing in cohorts of patients with structural eye malformations.
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Affiliation(s)
- Violeta Trejo-Reveles
- Roslin Institute, R(D)SVS, Easter Bush Campus, University of Edinburgh, Edinburgh EH25 9RG, UK
| | - Nicholas Owen
- Development, Ageing and Disease, UCL Institute of Ophthalmology, London EC1V 9EL, UK
- Ocular Genomics and Therapeutics, The Francis Crick Institute, London NW1 1A, UK
| | - Brian Ho Ching Chan
- Roslin Institute, R(D)SVS, Easter Bush Campus, University of Edinburgh, Edinburgh EH25 9RG, UK
| | - Maria Toms
- Development, Ageing and Disease, UCL Institute of Ophthalmology, London EC1V 9EL, UK
- Ocular Genomics and Therapeutics, The Francis Crick Institute, London NW1 1A, UK
| | - Jeffrey J. Schoenebeck
- Roslin Institute, R(D)SVS, Easter Bush Campus, University of Edinburgh, Edinburgh EH25 9RG, UK
| | - Mariya Moosajee
- Development, Ageing and Disease, UCL Institute of Ophthalmology, London EC1V 9EL, UK
- Ocular Genomics and Therapeutics, The Francis Crick Institute, London NW1 1A, UK
- Department of Genetics, Moorfields Eye Hospital NHS Foundation Trust, London EC1V 2PD, UK
| | - Joe Rainger
- Roslin Institute, R(D)SVS, Easter Bush Campus, University of Edinburgh, Edinburgh EH25 9RG, UK
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8
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Regionalization of the Early Nervous System. Neurogenetics 2023. [DOI: 10.1007/978-3-031-07793-7_3] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 12/13/2022]
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9
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Uzquiano A, Kedaigle AJ, Pigoni M, Paulsen B, Adiconis X, Kim K, Faits T, Nagaraja S, Antón-Bolaños N, Gerhardinger C, Tucewicz A, Murray E, Jin X, Buenrostro J, Chen F, Velasco S, Regev A, Levin JZ, Arlotta P. Proper acquisition of cell class identity in organoids allows definition of fate specification programs of the human cerebral cortex. Cell 2022; 185:3770-3788.e27. [PMID: 36179669 PMCID: PMC9990683 DOI: 10.1016/j.cell.2022.09.010] [Citation(s) in RCA: 60] [Impact Index Per Article: 30.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 03/20/2021] [Revised: 03/25/2022] [Accepted: 09/01/2022] [Indexed: 01/26/2023]
Abstract
Realizing the full utility of brain organoids to study human development requires understanding whether organoids precisely replicate endogenous cellular and molecular events, particularly since acquisition of cell identity in organoids can be impaired by abnormal metabolic states. We present a comprehensive single-cell transcriptomic, epigenetic, and spatial atlas of human cortical organoid development, comprising over 610,000 cells, from generation of neural progenitors through production of differentiated neuronal and glial subtypes. We show that processes of cellular diversification correlate closely to endogenous ones, irrespective of metabolic state, empowering the use of this atlas to study human fate specification. We define longitudinal molecular trajectories of cortical cell types during organoid development, identify genes with predicted human-specific roles in lineage establishment, and uncover early transcriptional diversity of human callosal neurons. The findings validate this comprehensive atlas of human corticogenesis in vitro as a resource to prime investigation into the mechanisms of human cortical development.
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Affiliation(s)
- Ana Uzquiano
- Department of Stem Cell & Regenerative Biology, Harvard University, Cambridge, MA 02138, USA; Stanley Center for Psychiatric Research, Broad Institute of MIT and Harvard, Cambridge, MA 02142, USA
| | - Amanda J Kedaigle
- Department of Stem Cell & Regenerative Biology, Harvard University, Cambridge, MA 02138, USA; Stanley Center for Psychiatric Research, Broad Institute of MIT and Harvard, Cambridge, MA 02142, USA; Klarman Cell Observatory, Broad Institute of MIT and Harvard, Cambridge, MA 02142, USA
| | - Martina Pigoni
- Department of Stem Cell & Regenerative Biology, Harvard University, Cambridge, MA 02138, USA; Stanley Center for Psychiatric Research, Broad Institute of MIT and Harvard, Cambridge, MA 02142, USA
| | - Bruna Paulsen
- Department of Stem Cell & Regenerative Biology, Harvard University, Cambridge, MA 02138, USA; Stanley Center for Psychiatric Research, Broad Institute of MIT and Harvard, Cambridge, MA 02142, USA
| | - Xian Adiconis
- Stanley Center for Psychiatric Research, Broad Institute of MIT and Harvard, Cambridge, MA 02142, USA; Klarman Cell Observatory, Broad Institute of MIT and Harvard, Cambridge, MA 02142, USA
| | - Kwanho Kim
- Department of Stem Cell & Regenerative Biology, Harvard University, Cambridge, MA 02138, USA; Stanley Center for Psychiatric Research, Broad Institute of MIT and Harvard, Cambridge, MA 02142, USA; Klarman Cell Observatory, Broad Institute of MIT and Harvard, Cambridge, MA 02142, USA
| | - Tyler Faits
- Department of Stem Cell & Regenerative Biology, Harvard University, Cambridge, MA 02138, USA; Stanley Center for Psychiatric Research, Broad Institute of MIT and Harvard, Cambridge, MA 02142, USA; Klarman Cell Observatory, Broad Institute of MIT and Harvard, Cambridge, MA 02142, USA
| | - Surya Nagaraja
- Department of Stem Cell & Regenerative Biology, Harvard University, Cambridge, MA 02138, USA; Gene Regulation Observatory, Broad Institute of MIT and Harvard, Cambridge, MA 02142, USA; Department of Pathology, Massachusetts General Hospital, Boston, MA 02114, USA
| | - Noelia Antón-Bolaños
- Department of Stem Cell & Regenerative Biology, Harvard University, Cambridge, MA 02138, USA; Stanley Center for Psychiatric Research, Broad Institute of MIT and Harvard, Cambridge, MA 02142, USA
| | - Chiara Gerhardinger
- Department of Stem Cell & Regenerative Biology, Harvard University, Cambridge, MA 02138, USA; Stanley Center for Psychiatric Research, Broad Institute of MIT and Harvard, Cambridge, MA 02142, USA
| | - Ashley Tucewicz
- Department of Stem Cell & Regenerative Biology, Harvard University, Cambridge, MA 02138, USA; Stanley Center for Psychiatric Research, Broad Institute of MIT and Harvard, Cambridge, MA 02142, USA
| | - Evan Murray
- Broad Institute of MIT and Harvard, Cambridge, MA 02142, USA
| | - Xin Jin
- Department of Stem Cell & Regenerative Biology, Harvard University, Cambridge, MA 02138, USA; Broad Institute of MIT and Harvard, Cambridge, MA 02142, USA; Society of Fellows, Harvard University, Cambridge, MA 02138, USA
| | - Jason Buenrostro
- Department of Stem Cell & Regenerative Biology, Harvard University, Cambridge, MA 02138, USA; Department of Pathology, Massachusetts General Hospital, Boston, MA 02114, USA
| | - Fei Chen
- Department of Stem Cell & Regenerative Biology, Harvard University, Cambridge, MA 02138, USA; Broad Institute of MIT and Harvard, Cambridge, MA 02142, USA
| | - Silvia Velasco
- Department of Stem Cell & Regenerative Biology, Harvard University, Cambridge, MA 02138, USA; Stanley Center for Psychiatric Research, Broad Institute of MIT and Harvard, Cambridge, MA 02142, USA
| | - Aviv Regev
- Klarman Cell Observatory, Broad Institute of MIT and Harvard, Cambridge, MA 02142, USA; Department of Biology, Massachusetts Institute of Technology, Cambridge, MA 02142, USA
| | - Joshua Z Levin
- Stanley Center for Psychiatric Research, Broad Institute of MIT and Harvard, Cambridge, MA 02142, USA; Klarman Cell Observatory, Broad Institute of MIT and Harvard, Cambridge, MA 02142, USA
| | - Paola Arlotta
- Department of Stem Cell & Regenerative Biology, Harvard University, Cambridge, MA 02138, USA; Stanley Center for Psychiatric Research, Broad Institute of MIT and Harvard, Cambridge, MA 02142, USA.
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10
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Keer S, Cousin H, Jourdeuil K, Neilson KM, Tavares ALP, Alfandari D, Moody SA. Mcrs1 is required for branchial arch and cranial cartilage development. Dev Biol 2022; 489:62-75. [PMID: 35697116 PMCID: PMC10426812 DOI: 10.1016/j.ydbio.2022.06.002] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 02/04/2022] [Revised: 06/06/2022] [Accepted: 06/08/2022] [Indexed: 11/22/2022]
Abstract
Mcrs1 is a multifunctional protein that is critical for many cellular processes in a wide range of cell types. Previously, we showed that Mcrs1 binds to the Six1 transcription factor and reduces the ability of the Six1-Eya1 complex to upregulate transcription, and that Mcrs1 loss-of-function leads to the expansion of several neural plate genes, reduction of neural border and pre-placodal ectoderm (PPR) genes, and pleiotropic effects on various neural crest (NC) genes. Because the affected embryonic structures give rise to several of the cranial tissues affected in Branchio-otic/Branchio-oto-renal (BOR) syndrome, herein we tested whether these gene expression changes subsequently alter the development of the proximate precursors of BOR affected structures - the otic vesicles (OV) and branchial arches (BA). We found that Mcrs1 is required for the expression of several OV genes involved in inner ear formation, patterning and otic capsule cartilage formation. Mcrs1 knockdown also reduced the expression domains of many genes expressed in the larval BA, derived from either NC or PPR, except for emx2, which was expanded. Reduced Mcrs1 also diminished the length of the expression domain of tbx1 in BA1 and BA2 and interfered with cranial NC migration from the dorsal neural tube; this subsequently resulted in defects in the morphology of lower jaw cartilages derived from BA1 and BA2, including the infrarostral, Meckel's, and ceratohyal as well as the otic capsule. These results demonstrate that Mcrs1 plays an important role in processes that lead to the formation of craniofacial cartilages and its loss results in phenotypes consistent with reduced Six1 activity associated with BOR.
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Affiliation(s)
- Stephanie Keer
- Department of Anatomy and Cell Biology, The George Washington University School of Medicine and Health Sciences, 2300 I (eye) Street, NW, Washington, DC, 20037, USA
| | - Helene Cousin
- Department of Animal Science, University of Massachusetts Amherst, Integrated Science Building, 661 N. Pleasant Street, Amherst, MA, 01003, USA
| | - Karyn Jourdeuil
- Department of Anatomy and Cell Biology, The George Washington University School of Medicine and Health Sciences, 2300 I (eye) Street, NW, Washington, DC, 20037, USA
| | - Karen M Neilson
- Department of Anatomy and Cell Biology, The George Washington University School of Medicine and Health Sciences, 2300 I (eye) Street, NW, Washington, DC, 20037, USA
| | - Andre L P Tavares
- Department of Anatomy and Cell Biology, The George Washington University School of Medicine and Health Sciences, 2300 I (eye) Street, NW, Washington, DC, 20037, USA
| | - Dominique Alfandari
- Department of Animal Science, University of Massachusetts Amherst, Integrated Science Building, 661 N. Pleasant Street, Amherst, MA, 01003, USA
| | - Sally A Moody
- Department of Anatomy and Cell Biology, The George Washington University School of Medicine and Health Sciences, 2300 I (eye) Street, NW, Washington, DC, 20037, USA.
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11
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The Intricate Epigenetic and Transcriptional Alterations in Pediatric High-Grade Gliomas: Targeting the Crosstalk as the Oncogenic Achilles’ Heel. Biomedicines 2022; 10:biomedicines10061311. [PMID: 35740334 PMCID: PMC9219798 DOI: 10.3390/biomedicines10061311] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 05/11/2022] [Revised: 05/27/2022] [Accepted: 05/28/2022] [Indexed: 02/01/2023] Open
Abstract
Pediatric high-grade gliomas (pHGGs) are a deadly and heterogenous subgroup of gliomas for which the development of innovative treatments is urgent. Advances in high-throughput molecular techniques have shed light on key epigenetic components of these diseases, such as K27M and G34R/V mutations on histone 3. However, modification of DNA compaction is not sufficient by itself to drive those tumors. Here, we review molecular specificities of pHGGs subcategories in the context of epigenomic rewiring caused by H3 mutations and the subsequent oncogenic interplay with transcriptional signaling pathways co-opted from developmental programs that ultimately leads to gliomagenesis. Understanding how transcriptional and epigenetic alterations synergize in each cellular context in these tumors could allow the identification of new Achilles’ heels, thereby highlighting new levers to improve their therapeutic management.
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12
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Kompaníková P, Bryja V. Regulation of choroid plexus development and its functions. Cell Mol Life Sci 2022; 79:304. [PMID: 35589983 PMCID: PMC9119385 DOI: 10.1007/s00018-022-04314-1] [Citation(s) in RCA: 12] [Impact Index Per Article: 6.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 01/07/2022] [Revised: 03/28/2022] [Accepted: 04/17/2022] [Indexed: 11/03/2022]
Abstract
The choroid plexus (ChP) is an extensively vascularized tissue that protrudes into the brain ventricular system of all vertebrates. This highly specialized structure, consisting of the polarized epithelial sheet and underlying stroma, serves a spectrum of functions within the central nervous system (CNS), most notably the production of cerebrospinal fluid (CSF). The epithelial cells of the ChP have the competence to tightly modulate the biomolecule composition of CSF, which acts as a milieu functionally connecting ChP with other brain structures. This review aims to eloquently summarize the current knowledge about the development of ChP. We describe the mechanisms that control its early specification from roof plate followed by the formation of proliferative regions-cortical hem and rhombic lips-feeding later development of ChP. Next, we summarized the current knowledge on the maturation of ChP and mechanisms that control its morphological and cellular diversity. Furthermore, we attempted to review the currently available battery of molecular markers and mouse strains available for the research of ChP, and identified some technological shortcomings that must be overcome to accelerate the ChP research field. Overall, the central principle of this review is to highlight ChP as an intriguing and surprisingly poorly known structure that is vital for the development and function of the whole CNS. We believe that our summary will increase the interest in further studies of ChP that aim to describe the molecular and cellular principles guiding the development and function of this tissue.
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Affiliation(s)
- Petra Kompaníková
- Department of Experimental Biology, Faculty of Science, Masaryk University, 62500, Brno, Czech Republic
| | - Vítězslav Bryja
- Department of Experimental Biology, Faculty of Science, Masaryk University, 62500, Brno, Czech Republic.
- Department of Cytokinetics, Institute of Biophysics, Academy of Sciences of the Czech Republic, 61265, Brno, Czech Republic.
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13
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Leung RF, George AM, Roussel EM, Faux MC, Wigle JT, Eisenstat DD. Genetic Regulation of Vertebrate Forebrain Development by Homeobox Genes. Front Neurosci 2022; 16:843794. [PMID: 35546872 PMCID: PMC9081933 DOI: 10.3389/fnins.2022.843794] [Citation(s) in RCA: 12] [Impact Index Per Article: 6.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 12/30/2021] [Accepted: 03/14/2022] [Indexed: 01/19/2023] Open
Abstract
Forebrain development in vertebrates is regulated by transcription factors encoded by homeobox, bHLH and forkhead gene families throughout the progressive and overlapping stages of neural induction and patterning, regional specification and generation of neurons and glia from central nervous system (CNS) progenitor cells. Moreover, cell fate decisions, differentiation and migration of these committed CNS progenitors are controlled by the gene regulatory networks that are regulated by various homeodomain-containing transcription factors, including but not limited to those of the Pax (paired), Nkx, Otx (orthodenticle), Gsx/Gsh (genetic screened), and Dlx (distal-less) homeobox gene families. This comprehensive review outlines the integral role of key homeobox transcription factors and their target genes on forebrain development, focused primarily on the telencephalon. Furthermore, links of these transcription factors to human diseases, such as neurodevelopmental disorders and brain tumors are provided.
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Affiliation(s)
- Ryan F. Leung
- Murdoch Children’s Research Institute, The Royal Children’s Hospital Melbourne, Parkville, VIC, Australia
- Department of Paediatrics, University of Melbourne, Parkville, VIC, Australia
| | - Ankita M. George
- Murdoch Children’s Research Institute, The Royal Children’s Hospital Melbourne, Parkville, VIC, Australia
| | - Enola M. Roussel
- Murdoch Children’s Research Institute, The Royal Children’s Hospital Melbourne, Parkville, VIC, Australia
| | - Maree C. Faux
- Murdoch Children’s Research Institute, The Royal Children’s Hospital Melbourne, Parkville, VIC, Australia
- Department of Paediatrics, University of Melbourne, Parkville, VIC, Australia
- Department of Surgery, Royal Melbourne Hospital, The University of Melbourne, Parkville, VIC, Australia
| | - Jeffrey T. Wigle
- Department of Biochemistry and Medical Genetics, Max Rady College of Medicine, Rady Faculty of Health Sciences, University of Manitoba, Winnipeg, MB, Canada
- Institute of Cardiovascular Sciences, St. Boniface Hospital Albrechtsen Research Centre, Winnipeg, MB, Canada
| | - David D. Eisenstat
- Murdoch Children’s Research Institute, The Royal Children’s Hospital Melbourne, Parkville, VIC, Australia
- Department of Paediatrics, University of Melbourne, Parkville, VIC, Australia
- Department of Medical Genetics, University of Alberta, Edmonton, AB, Canada
- Department of Pediatrics, University of Alberta, Edmonton, AB, Canada
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14
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Jiang Y, Chen S. Functional New Transcription Factors (TFs) Associated with Cervical Cancer. JOURNAL OF HEALTHCARE ENGINEERING 2022; 2022:8381559. [PMID: 35126951 PMCID: PMC8808228 DOI: 10.1155/2022/8381559] [Citation(s) in RCA: 2] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 11/21/2021] [Revised: 12/10/2021] [Accepted: 12/20/2021] [Indexed: 11/17/2022]
Abstract
The goal of this research was to find noval transcription factors (TFs) that are involved in cervical carcinogenesis. The Gene Expression Omnibus (GEO) database was utilized to analyze ten cervical cancer datasets using the Robust Rank Aggregation (RRA) technique. Survival and differential expression were validated using GEPIA (Gene Expression Profiling Interactive Analysis). The transcriptional regulatory network and putative targets were built using Cytoscape. A real-time PCR (quantitative real-time polymerase chain reaction) experiment was used to confirm the mRNA expression. Using public cervical cancer single-cell RNA-sequencing (scRNA-seq), bulk TCGA-CESC RNA-seq, and microarray datasets, coexpression correlations between putative targets and TFs were confirmed. After combining the results of 10 datasets, 8 TFs, including EMX2 (Empty Spiracles Homeobox 2), were chosen among 385 robust DEGs. In the normal female reproductive tract, EMX2 is extensively expressed, but it is reduced in cervical cancer. Overexpression EMX2 suppresses the proliferation of HeLa cells. 12 potential targets of EMX2 were selected. Our research has revealed evidence that EMX2 acted as a tumor suppressor in cervical cancer and PDZRN3 might be possible target of EMX2 in cervical cancer. It might be a therapeutic target in the future.
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Affiliation(s)
- Yicheng Jiang
- Department of Oncology, People's Hospital of Chongqing Hechuan, Chongqing, China
| | - Shi Chen
- Department of Oncology, Chengdu Jinniu District People's Hospital, Chengdu, Sichuan, China
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15
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Kikkawa T, Osumi N. Multiple Functions of the Dmrt Genes in the Development of the Central Nervous System. Front Neurosci 2021; 15:789583. [PMID: 34955736 PMCID: PMC8695973 DOI: 10.3389/fnins.2021.789583] [Citation(s) in RCA: 8] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.7] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 10/05/2021] [Accepted: 11/22/2021] [Indexed: 12/26/2022] Open
Abstract
The Dmrt genes encode the transcription factor containing the DM (doublesex and mab-3) domain, an intertwined zinc finger-like DNA binding module. While Dmrt genes are mainly involved in the sexual development of various species, recent studies have revealed that Dmrt genes, which belong to the DmrtA subfamily, are differentially expressed in the embryonic brain and spinal cord and are essential for the development of the central nervous system. Herein, we summarize recent studies that reveal the multiple functions of the Dmrt genes in various aspects of vertebrate neural development, including brain patterning, neurogenesis, and the specification of neurons.
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Affiliation(s)
- Takako Kikkawa
- Department of Developmental Neuroscience, United Centers for Advanced Research and Translational Medicine (ART), Tohoku University Graduate School of Medicine, Sendai, Japan
| | - Noriko Osumi
- Department of Developmental Neuroscience, United Centers for Advanced Research and Translational Medicine (ART), Tohoku University Graduate School of Medicine, Sendai, Japan
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16
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Aerts T, Seuntjens E. Novel Perspectives on the Development of the Amygdala in Rodents. Front Neuroanat 2021; 15:786679. [PMID: 34955766 PMCID: PMC8696165 DOI: 10.3389/fnana.2021.786679] [Citation(s) in RCA: 9] [Impact Index Per Article: 3.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 09/30/2021] [Accepted: 11/10/2021] [Indexed: 12/14/2022] Open
Abstract
The amygdala is a hyperspecialized brain region composed of strongly inter- and intraconnected nuclei involved in emotional learning and behavior. The cellular heterogeneity of the amygdalar nuclei has complicated straightforward conclusions on their developmental origin, and even resulted in contradictory data. Recently, the concentric ring theory of the pallium and the radial histogenetic model of the pallial amygdala have cleared up several uncertainties that plagued previous models of amygdalar development. Here, we provide an extensive overview on the developmental origin of the nuclei of the amygdaloid complex. Starting from older gene expression data, transplantation and lineage tracing studies, we systematically summarize and reinterpret previous findings in light of the novel perspectives on amygdalar development. In addition, migratory routes that these cells take on their way to the amygdala are explored, and known transcription factors and guidance cues that seemingly drive these cells toward the amygdala are emphasized. We propose some future directions for research on amygdalar development and highlight that a better understanding of its development could prove critical for the treatment of several neurodevelopmental and neuropsychiatric disorders.
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Affiliation(s)
- Tania Aerts
- Laboratory of Developmental Neurobiology, Department of Biology, KU Leuven, Leuven, Belgium
| | - Eve Seuntjens
- Laboratory of Developmental Neurobiology, Department of Biology, KU Leuven, Leuven, Belgium
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17
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Wahlin KJ, Cheng J, Jurlina SL, Jones MK, Dash NR, Ogata A, Kibria N, Ray S, Eldred KC, Kim C, Heng JS, Phillips J, Johnston RJ, Gamm DM, Berlinicke C, Zack DJ. CRISPR Generated SIX6 and POU4F2 Reporters Allow Identification of Brain and Optic Transcriptional Differences in Human PSC-Derived Organoids. Front Cell Dev Biol 2021; 9:764725. [PMID: 34869356 PMCID: PMC8635054 DOI: 10.3389/fcell.2021.764725] [Citation(s) in RCA: 7] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 08/25/2021] [Accepted: 10/11/2021] [Indexed: 01/29/2023] Open
Abstract
Human pluripotent stem cells (PSCs) represent a powerful tool to investigate human eye development and disease. When grown in 3D, they can self-assemble into laminar organized retinas; however, variation in the size, shape and composition of individual organoids exists. Neither the microenvironment nor the timing of critical growth factors driving retinogenesis are fully understood. To explore early retinal development, we developed a SIX6-GFP reporter that enabled the systematic optimization of conditions that promote optic vesicle formation. We demonstrated that early hypoxic growth conditions enhanced SIX6 expression and promoted eye formation. SIX6 expression was further enhanced by sequential inhibition of Wnt and activation of sonic hedgehog signaling. SIX6 + optic vesicles showed RNA expression profiles that were consistent with a retinal identity; however, ventral diencephalic markers were also present. To demonstrate that optic vesicles lead to bona fide "retina-like" structures we generated a SIX6-GFP/POU4F2-tdTomato dual reporter line that labeled the entire developing retina and retinal ganglion cells, respectively. Additional brain regions, including the hypothalamus and midbrain-hindbrain (MBHB) territories were identified by harvesting SIX6 + /POU4F2- and SIX6- organoids, respectively. Using RNAseq to study transcriptional profiles we demonstrated that SIX6-GFP and POU4F2-tdTomato reporters provided a reliable readout for developing human retina, hypothalamus, and midbrain/hindbrain organoids.
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Affiliation(s)
- Karl J. Wahlin
- Shiley Eye Institute, University of California, San Diego, San Diego, CA, United States,*Correspondence: Karl J. Wahlin,
| | - Jie Cheng
- Wilmer Eye Institute, Johns Hopkins University School of Medicine, Baltimore, MD, United States
| | - Shawna L. Jurlina
- Shiley Eye Institute, University of California, San Diego, San Diego, CA, United States
| | - Melissa K. Jones
- Shiley Eye Institute, University of California, San Diego, San Diego, CA, United States
| | - Nicholas R. Dash
- Shiley Eye Institute, University of California, San Diego, San Diego, CA, United States
| | - Anna Ogata
- Shiley Eye Institute, University of California, San Diego, San Diego, CA, United States
| | - Nawal Kibria
- Shiley Eye Institute, University of California, San Diego, San Diego, CA, United States
| | - Sunayan Ray
- Shiley Eye Institute, University of California, San Diego, San Diego, CA, United States
| | - Kiara C. Eldred
- Department of Cell Biology, Johns Hopkins University School of Medicine, Baltimore, MD, United States
| | - Catherine Kim
- Wilmer Eye Institute, Johns Hopkins University School of Medicine, Baltimore, MD, United States
| | - Jacob S. Heng
- Department of Neuroscience, Johns Hopkins University School of Medicine, Baltimore, MD, United States,Department of Molecular Biology and Genetics, Johns Hopkins University School of Medicine, Baltimore, MD, United States,Department of Ophthalmology and Visual Science, Yale School of Medicine, New Haven, CT, United States
| | - Jenny Phillips
- Waisman Center, University of Wisconsin-Madison, Madison, WI, United States
| | - Robert J. Johnston
- Department of Cell Biology, Johns Hopkins University School of Medicine, Baltimore, MD, United States
| | - David M. Gamm
- Waisman Center, University of Wisconsin-Madison, Madison, WI, United States,Department of Ophthalmology and Visual Sciences, University of Wisconsin School of Medicine and Public Health, Madison, WI, United States,McPherson Eye Research Institute, University of Wisconsin-Madison, Madison, WI, United States
| | - Cynthia Berlinicke
- Wilmer Eye Institute, Johns Hopkins University School of Medicine, Baltimore, MD, United States
| | - Donald J. Zack
- Wilmer Eye Institute, Johns Hopkins University School of Medicine, Baltimore, MD, United States,Department of Neuroscience, Johns Hopkins University School of Medicine, Baltimore, MD, United States,Department of Molecular Biology and Genetics, Johns Hopkins University School of Medicine, Baltimore, MD, United States,Department of Genetic Medicine, Johns Hopkins University School of Medicine, Baltimore, MD, United States
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18
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Zheng C, Ballard EB, Wu J. The road to generating transplantable organs: from blastocyst complementation to interspecies chimeras. Development 2021; 148:dev195792. [PMID: 34132325 PMCID: PMC10656466 DOI: 10.1242/dev.195792] [Citation(s) in RCA: 23] [Impact Index Per Article: 7.7] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 12/15/2022]
Abstract
Growing human organs in animals sounds like something from the realm of science fiction, but it may one day become a reality through a technique known as interspecies blastocyst complementation. This technique, which was originally developed to study gene function in development, involves injecting donor pluripotent stem cells into an organogenesis-disabled host embryo, allowing the donor cells to compensate for missing organs or tissues. Although interspecies blastocyst complementation has been achieved between closely related species, such as mice and rats, the situation becomes much more difficult for species that are far apart on the evolutionary tree. This is presumably because of layers of xenogeneic barriers that are a result of divergent evolution. In this Review, we discuss the current status of blastocyst complementation approaches and, in light of recent progress, elaborate on the keys to success for interspecies blastocyst complementation and organ generation.
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Affiliation(s)
- Canbin Zheng
- Department of Molecular Biology, University of Texas Southwestern Medical Center, Dallas, TX 75390, USA
- Department of Microsurgery, Orthopaedic Trauma and Hand Surgery, The First Affiliated Hospital, Sun Yat-sen University, Guangzhou, 510080, China
| | - Emily B. Ballard
- Department of Molecular Biology, University of Texas Southwestern Medical Center, Dallas, TX 75390, USA
| | - Jun Wu
- Department of Molecular Biology, University of Texas Southwestern Medical Center, Dallas, TX 75390, USA
- Hamon Center for Regenerative Science and Medicine, University of Texas Southwestern Medical Center, Dallas, TX 75390, USA
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19
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Bressan RB, Southgate B, Ferguson KM, Blin C, Grant V, Alfazema N, Wills JC, Marques-Torrejon MA, Morrison GM, Ashmore J, Robertson F, Williams CAC, Bradley L, von Kriegsheim A, Anderson RA, Tomlinson SR, Pollard SM. Regional identity of human neural stem cells determines oncogenic responses to histone H3.3 mutants. Cell Stem Cell 2021; 28:877-893.e9. [PMID: 33631116 PMCID: PMC8110245 DOI: 10.1016/j.stem.2021.01.016] [Citation(s) in RCA: 33] [Impact Index Per Article: 11.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 06/22/2020] [Revised: 10/22/2020] [Accepted: 01/20/2021] [Indexed: 01/06/2023]
Abstract
Point mutations within the histone H3.3 are frequent in aggressive childhood brain tumors known as pediatric high-grade gliomas (pHGGs). Intriguingly, distinct mutations arise in discrete anatomical regions: H3.3-G34R within the forebrain and H3.3-K27M preferentially within the hindbrain. The reasons for this contrasting etiology are unknown. By engineering human fetal neural stem cell cultures from distinct brain regions, we demonstrate here that cell-intrinsic regional identity provides differential responsiveness to each mutant that mirrors the origins of pHGGs. Focusing on H3.3-G34R, we find that the oncohistone supports proliferation of forebrain cells while inducing a cytostatic response in the hindbrain. Mechanistically, H3.3-G34R does not impose widespread transcriptional or epigenetic changes but instead impairs recruitment of ZMYND11, a transcriptional repressor of highly expressed genes. We therefore propose that H3.3-G34R promotes tumorigenesis by focally stabilizing the expression of key progenitor genes, thereby locking initiating forebrain cells into their pre-existing immature state.
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Affiliation(s)
- Raul Bardini Bressan
- Centre for Regenerative Medicine and Institute for Regeneration and Repair, University of Edinburgh, Edinburgh EH16 4UU, UK; Biotech Research and Innovation Centre, University of Copenhagen, Copenhagen 2200, Denmark
| | - Benjamin Southgate
- Centre for Regenerative Medicine and Institute for Regeneration and Repair, University of Edinburgh, Edinburgh EH16 4UU, UK; Cancer Research UK Edinburgh Centre, University of Edinburgh, Edinburgh EH4 2XR, UK
| | - Kirsty M Ferguson
- Centre for Regenerative Medicine and Institute for Regeneration and Repair, University of Edinburgh, Edinburgh EH16 4UU, UK; Cancer Research UK Edinburgh Centre, University of Edinburgh, Edinburgh EH4 2XR, UK
| | - Carla Blin
- Centre for Regenerative Medicine and Institute for Regeneration and Repair, University of Edinburgh, Edinburgh EH16 4UU, UK
| | - Vivien Grant
- Centre for Regenerative Medicine and Institute for Regeneration and Repair, University of Edinburgh, Edinburgh EH16 4UU, UK
| | - Neza Alfazema
- Centre for Regenerative Medicine and Institute for Regeneration and Repair, University of Edinburgh, Edinburgh EH16 4UU, UK; Cancer Research UK Edinburgh Centre, University of Edinburgh, Edinburgh EH4 2XR, UK
| | - Jimi C Wills
- Cancer Research UK Edinburgh Centre, University of Edinburgh, Edinburgh EH4 2XR, UK
| | - Maria Angeles Marques-Torrejon
- Centre for Regenerative Medicine and Institute for Regeneration and Repair, University of Edinburgh, Edinburgh EH16 4UU, UK
| | - Gillian M Morrison
- Centre for Regenerative Medicine and Institute for Regeneration and Repair, University of Edinburgh, Edinburgh EH16 4UU, UK; Cancer Research UK Edinburgh Centre, University of Edinburgh, Edinburgh EH4 2XR, UK
| | - James Ashmore
- Centre for Regenerative Medicine and Institute for Regeneration and Repair, University of Edinburgh, Edinburgh EH16 4UU, UK
| | - Faye Robertson
- Centre for Regenerative Medicine and Institute for Regeneration and Repair, University of Edinburgh, Edinburgh EH16 4UU, UK; Cancer Research UK Edinburgh Centre, University of Edinburgh, Edinburgh EH4 2XR, UK
| | - Charles A C Williams
- Centre for Regenerative Medicine and Institute for Regeneration and Repair, University of Edinburgh, Edinburgh EH16 4UU, UK; Cancer Research UK Edinburgh Centre, University of Edinburgh, Edinburgh EH4 2XR, UK
| | - Leanne Bradley
- Centre for Regenerative Medicine and Institute for Regeneration and Repair, University of Edinburgh, Edinburgh EH16 4UU, UK; Cancer Research UK Edinburgh Centre, University of Edinburgh, Edinburgh EH4 2XR, UK
| | - Alex von Kriegsheim
- Cancer Research UK Edinburgh Centre, University of Edinburgh, Edinburgh EH4 2XR, UK
| | - Richard A Anderson
- MRC Centre for Reproductive Health, Queens Medical Research Institute, University of Edinburgh, Edinburgh EH16 4TJ, UK
| | - Simon R Tomlinson
- Centre for Regenerative Medicine and Institute for Regeneration and Repair, University of Edinburgh, Edinburgh EH16 4UU, UK; Institute for Stem Cell Research, University of Edinburgh, Edinburgh EH16 4UU, UK
| | - Steven M Pollard
- Centre for Regenerative Medicine and Institute for Regeneration and Repair, University of Edinburgh, Edinburgh EH16 4UU, UK; Cancer Research UK Edinburgh Centre, University of Edinburgh, Edinburgh EH4 2XR, UK.
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20
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Ybx1 fine-tunes PRC2 activities to control embryonic brain development. Nat Commun 2020; 11:4060. [PMID: 32792512 PMCID: PMC7426271 DOI: 10.1038/s41467-020-17878-y] [Citation(s) in RCA: 19] [Impact Index Per Article: 4.8] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 09/03/2019] [Accepted: 07/22/2020] [Indexed: 01/28/2023] Open
Abstract
Chromatin modifiers affect spatiotemporal gene expression programs that underlie organismal development. The Polycomb repressive complex 2 (PRC2) is a crucial chromatin modifier in executing neurodevelopmental programs. Here, we find that PRC2 interacts with the nucleic acid-binding protein Ybx1. In the mouse embryo in vivo, Ybx1 is required for forebrain specification and restricting mid-hindbrain growth. In neural progenitor cells (NPCs), Ybx1 controls self-renewal and neuronal differentiation. Mechanistically, Ybx1 highly overlaps PRC2 binding genome-wide, controls PRC2 distribution, and inhibits H3K27me3 levels. These functions are consistent with Ybx1-mediated promotion of genes involved in forebrain specification, cell proliferation, or neuronal differentiation. In Ybx1-knockout NPCs, H3K27me3 reduction by PRC2 enzymatic inhibitor or genetic depletion partially rescues gene expression and NPC functions. Our findings suggest that Ybx1 fine-tunes PRC2 activities to regulate spatiotemporal gene expression in embryonic neural development and uncover a crucial epigenetic mechanism balancing forebrain-hindbrain lineages and self-renewal-differentiation choices in NPCs.
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21
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Hossain MM, Tsuzuki T, Sakakibara K, Imaizumi F, Ikegaya A, Inagaki M, Takahashi I, Ito T, Takamatsu H, Kumanogoh A, Negishi T, Yukawa K. PlexinA1 is crucial for the midline crossing of callosal axons during corpus callosum development in BALB/cAJ mice. PLoS One 2019; 14:e0221440. [PMID: 31430342 PMCID: PMC6701775 DOI: 10.1371/journal.pone.0221440] [Citation(s) in RCA: 9] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.8] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 04/30/2019] [Accepted: 08/06/2019] [Indexed: 12/04/2022] Open
Abstract
The corpus callosum (CC) is the biggest commissure that links cerebral hemispheres. Guidepost structures develop in the cortical midline during CC development and express axon guidance molecules that instruct neurons regarding the proper direction of axonal elongation toward and across the cortical midline. Neuropilin-1 (Npn1), a high affinity receptor for class 3 semaphorins (Sema3s) localized on cingulate pioneering axons, plays a crucial role in axon guidance to the midline through interactions with Sema3s. However, it remains unclear which type of Plexin is a component of Sema3 holoreceptors with Npn1 during the guidance of cingulate pioneering axons. To address the role of PlexinA1 in CC development, we examined with immunohistochemistry the localization of PlexinA1, Npn1, and Sema3s using embryonic brains from wild-type (WT) and PlexinA1-deficient (PlexinA1 knock-out (KO)) mice with a BALB/cAJ background. The immunohistochemistry confirmed the expression of PlexinA1 in callosal axons derived from the cingulate and neocortex of the WT mice on embryonic day 17.5 (E17.5) but not in the PlexinA1 KO mice. To examine the role of PlexinA1 in the navigation of callosal axons, the extension of callosal axons toward and across the midline was traced in brains of WT and PlexinA1 KO mice at E17.5. As a result, callosal axons in the PlexinA1 KO brains had a significantly lower incidence of midline crossing at E17.5 compared with the WT brains. To further examine the role of PlexinA1 in CC development, the CC phenotype was examined in PlexinA1 KO mice at postnatal day 0.5 (P0.5). Most of the PlexinA1 KO mice at P0.5 showed agenesis of the CC. These results indicate the crucial involvement of PlexinA1 in the midline crossing of callosal axons during CC development in BALB/cAJ mice.
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Affiliation(s)
| | - Takamasa Tsuzuki
- Department of Physiology, Faculty of Pharmacy, Meijo University, Nagoya, Japan
| | - Kazuki Sakakibara
- Department of Physiology, Faculty of Pharmacy, Meijo University, Nagoya, Japan
| | - Fumitaka Imaizumi
- Department of Physiology, Faculty of Pharmacy, Meijo University, Nagoya, Japan
| | - Akihiro Ikegaya
- Department of Physiology, Faculty of Pharmacy, Meijo University, Nagoya, Japan
| | - Mami Inagaki
- Department of Physiology, Faculty of Pharmacy, Meijo University, Nagoya, Japan
| | - Ikuko Takahashi
- Radioisotope Center, Faculty of Pharmacy, Meijo University, Nagoya, Japan
| | - Takuji Ito
- Department of Physiology, Faculty of Pharmacy, Meijo University, Nagoya, Japan
| | - Hyota Takamatsu
- Department of Immunopathology, Immunology Frontier Research Center, Osaka University, Suita, Japan
| | - Atsushi Kumanogoh
- Department of Immunopathology, Immunology Frontier Research Center, Osaka University, Suita, Japan
| | - Takayuki Negishi
- Department of Physiology, Faculty of Pharmacy, Meijo University, Nagoya, Japan
| | - Kazunori Yukawa
- Department of Physiology, Faculty of Pharmacy, Meijo University, Nagoya, Japan
- * E-mail:
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22
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De Clercq S, Keruzore M, Desmaris E, Pollart C, Assimacopoulos S, Preillon J, Ascenzo S, Matson CK, Lee M, Nan X, Li M, Nakagawa Y, Hochepied T, Zarkower D, Grove EA, Bellefroid EJ. DMRT5 Together with DMRT3 Directly Controls Hippocampus Development and Neocortical Area Map Formation. Cereb Cortex 2019; 28:493-509. [PMID: 28031177 DOI: 10.1093/cercor/bhw384] [Citation(s) in RCA: 18] [Impact Index Per Article: 3.6] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 05/25/2016] [Accepted: 11/16/2016] [Indexed: 11/14/2022] Open
Abstract
Mice that are constitutively null for the zinc finger doublesex and mab-3 related (Dmrt) gene, Dmrt5/Dmrta2, show a variety of patterning abnormalities in the cerebral cortex, including the loss of the cortical hem, a powerful cortical signaling center. In conditional Dmrt5 gain of function and loss of function mouse models, we generated bidirectional changes in the neocortical area map without affecting the hem. Analysis indicated that DMRT5, independent of the hem, directs the rostral-to-caudal pattern of the neocortical area map. Thus, DMRT5 joins a small number of transcription factors shown to control directly area size and position in the neocortex. Dmrt5 deletion after hem formation also reduced hippocampal size and shifted the position of the neocortical/paleocortical boundary. Dmrt3, like Dmrt5, is expressed in a gradient across the cortical primordium. Mice lacking Dmrt3 show cortical patterning defects akin to but milder than those in Dmrt5 mutants, perhaps in part because Dmrt5 expression increases in the absence of Dmrt3. DMRT5 upregulates Dmrt3 expression and negatively regulates its own expression, which may stabilize the level of DMRT5. Together, our findings indicate that finely tuned levels of DMRT5, together with DMRT3, regulate patterning of the cerebral cortex.
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Affiliation(s)
- Sarah De Clercq
- ULB Institute of Neuroscience (UNI), Université Libre de Bruxelles (ULB), B-6041 Gosselies, Belgium
| | - Marc Keruzore
- ULB Institute of Neuroscience (UNI), Université Libre de Bruxelles (ULB), B-6041 Gosselies, Belgium
| | - Elodie Desmaris
- ULB Institute of Neuroscience (UNI), Université Libre de Bruxelles (ULB), B-6041 Gosselies, Belgium
| | - Charlotte Pollart
- ULB Institute of Neuroscience (UNI), Université Libre de Bruxelles (ULB), B-6041 Gosselies, Belgium
| | | | - Julie Preillon
- ULB Institute of Neuroscience (UNI), Université Libre de Bruxelles (ULB), B-6041 Gosselies, Belgium
| | - Sabrina Ascenzo
- ULB Institute of Neuroscience (UNI), Université Libre de Bruxelles (ULB), B-6041 Gosselies, Belgium
| | - Clinton K Matson
- Department of Genetics, Cell Biology and Development , Minneapolis, MN 55455, USA
| | - Melody Lee
- Department of Neuroscience, University of Minnesota, Minneapolis, MN 55455, USA
| | - Xinsheng Nan
- School of Medicine and School of Bioscience , Neuroscience and Mental Health Research Institute, Cardiff University, Cardiff, CF10 3XQ, UK
| | - Meng Li
- School of Medicine and School of Bioscience , Neuroscience and Mental Health Research Institute, Cardiff University, Cardiff, CF10 3XQ, UK
| | - Yasushi Nakagawa
- Department of Neuroscience, University of Minnesota, Minneapolis, MN 55455, USA
| | - Tino Hochepied
- Department of Biomedical Molecular Biology, Ghent University, B-9052 Ghent, Belgium.,Inflammation Research Center, VIB, B-9052 Ghent, Belgium
| | - David Zarkower
- Department of Genetics, Cell Biology and Development , Minneapolis, MN 55455, USA
| | - Elizabeth A Grove
- Department of Neurobiology, University of Chicago, Chicago, IL 60637, USA
| | - Eric J Bellefroid
- ULB Institute of Neuroscience (UNI), Université Libre de Bruxelles (ULB), B-6041 Gosselies, Belgium
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23
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Drosophila Homeodomain-Interacting Protein Kinase (Hipk) Phosphorylates the Homeodomain Proteins Homeobrain, Empty Spiracles, and Muscle Segment Homeobox. Int J Mol Sci 2019; 20:ijms20081931. [PMID: 31010135 PMCID: PMC6515119 DOI: 10.3390/ijms20081931] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 04/01/2019] [Revised: 04/16/2019] [Accepted: 04/17/2019] [Indexed: 11/30/2022] Open
Abstract
The Drosophila homeodomain-interacting protein kinase (Hipk) is the fly representative of the well-conserved group of HIPKs in vertebrates. It was initially found through its characteristic interactions with homeodomain proteins. Hipk is involved in a variety of important developmental processes, such as the development of the eye or the nervous system. In the present study, we set Hipk and the Drosophila homeodomain proteins Homeobrain (Hbn), Empty spiracles (Ems), and Muscle segment homeobox (Msh) in an enzyme-substrate relationship. These homeoproteins are transcription factors that function during Drosophila neurogenesis and are, at least in part, conserved in vertebrates. We reveal a physical interaction between Hipk and the three homeodomain proteins in vivo using bimolecular fluorescence complementation (BiFC). In the course of in vitro phosphorylation analysis and subsequent mutational analysis we mapped several Hipk phosphorylation sites of Hbn, Ems, and Msh. The phosphorylation of Hbn, Ems, and Msh may provide further insight into the function of Hipk during development of the Drosophila nervous system.
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24
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Fregoso SP, Dwyer BE, Franco SJ. Lmx1a drives Cux2 expression in the cortical hem through activation of a conserved intronic enhancer. Development 2019; 146:dev.170068. [PMID: 30770393 DOI: 10.1242/dev.170068] [Citation(s) in RCA: 6] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.2] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 07/15/2018] [Accepted: 02/11/2019] [Indexed: 01/06/2023]
Abstract
During neocortical development, neurons are produced by a diverse pool of neural progenitors. A subset of progenitors express the Cux2 gene and are fate restricted to produce certain neuronal subtypes; however, the upstream pathways that specify these progenitor fates remain unknown. To uncover the transcriptional networks that regulate Cux2 expression in the forebrain, we characterized a conserved Cux2 enhancer that recapitulates Cux2 expression specifically in the cortical hem. Using a bioinformatic approach, we identified putative transcription factor (TF)-binding sites for cortical hem-patterning TFs. We found that the homeobox TF Lmx1a can activate the Cux2 enhancer in vitro Furthermore, we showed that Lmx1a-binding sites were required for enhancer activity in the cortical hem in vivo Mis-expression of Lmx1a in hippocampal progenitors caused an increase in Cux2 enhancer activity outside the cortical hem. Finally, we compared several human enhancers with cortical hem-restricted activity and found that recurrent Lmx1a-binding sites are a top shared feature. Uncovering the network of TFs involved in regulating Cux2 expression will increase our understanding of the mechanisms pivotal in establishing Cux2 lineage fates in the developing forebrain.
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Affiliation(s)
- Santiago P Fregoso
- Graduate Program in Cell Biology, Stem Cells and Development, University of Colorado Graduate School - Anschutz Medical Campus, Aurora, CO 80045, USA.,Department of Pediatrics, Section of Developmental Biology, University of Colorado School of Medicine - Anschutz Medical Campus, Aurora, CO 80045, USA
| | - Brett E Dwyer
- Department of Pediatrics, Section of Developmental Biology, University of Colorado School of Medicine - Anschutz Medical Campus, Aurora, CO 80045, USA
| | - Santos J Franco
- Graduate Program in Cell Biology, Stem Cells and Development, University of Colorado Graduate School - Anschutz Medical Campus, Aurora, CO 80045, USA .,Department of Pediatrics, Section of Developmental Biology, University of Colorado School of Medicine - Anschutz Medical Campus, Aurora, CO 80045, USA
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25
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Groves JA, Gillman C, DeLay CN, Kroll TT. Identification of Novel Binding Partners for Transcription Factor Emx2. Protein J 2019; 38:2-11. [PMID: 30628007 DOI: 10.1007/s10930-019-09810-1] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/26/2022]
Abstract
The mammalian homolog of Drosophila empty spiracles 2 (Emx2) is a homeobox transcription factor that plays central roles in early development of the inner ear, pelvic and shoulder girdles, cerebral cortex, and urogenital organs. The role for Emx2 is best understood within the context of the development of the neocortical region of the cortex, where Emx2 is expressed in a high posterior-medial to low anterior-lateral gradient that regulates the partitioning of the neocortex into different functional fields that perform discrete computational tasks. Despite several lines of evidence demonstrating an Emx2 concentration-dependent mechanism for establishing functional areas within the developing neocortex, little is known about how Emx2 physically carries out this role. Although several binding partners for Emx2 have been identified (including Sp8, eIF4E, and Pbx1), no screens have been used to identify potential protein binding partners for this protein. We utilized a yeast two-hybrid screen using a library constructed from embryonic mouse cDNA in an attempt to identify novel binding partners for Emx2. This initial screen isolated two potential Emx2-binding partner proteins, Cnot6l and QkI-7. These novel Emx2-binding proteins are involved in multiple levels of mRNA metabolism that including splicing, mRNA export, translation, and destruction, thus making them interesting targets for further study.
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Affiliation(s)
- Jennifer A Groves
- Department of Chemistry, Central Washington University, 400 E. University Way, Ellensburg, WA, 98929-7539, USA
| | - Cody Gillman
- Division of Chemistry and Chemical Engineering, California Institute of Technology, 157 Broad Center, M/C, Pasadena, USA
| | - Cierra N DeLay
- Department of Chemistry, Central Washington University, 400 E. University Way, Ellensburg, WA, 98929-7539, USA
| | - Todd T Kroll
- Department of Chemistry, Central Washington University, 400 E. University Way, Ellensburg, WA, 98929-7539, USA.
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26
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Morales EE, Handa N, Drummond BE, Chambers JM, Marra AN, Addiego A, Wingert RA. Homeogene emx1 is required for nephron distal segment development in zebrafish. Sci Rep 2018; 8:18038. [PMID: 30575756 PMCID: PMC6303317 DOI: 10.1038/s41598-018-36061-4] [Citation(s) in RCA: 21] [Impact Index Per Article: 3.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 08/05/2018] [Accepted: 10/19/2018] [Indexed: 02/08/2023] Open
Abstract
Vertebrate kidneys contain nephron functional units where specialized epithelial cell types are organized into segments with discrete physiological roles. Many gaps remain in our understanding of how segment regions develop. Here, we report that the transcription factor empty spiracles homeobox gene 1 (emx1) is a novel nephron segment regulator during embryonic kidney development in zebrafish. emx1 loss of function altered the domains of distal segments without changes in cell turnover or traits like size and morphology, indicating that emx1 directs distal segment fates during nephrogenesis. In exploring how emx1 influences nephron patterning, we found that retinoic acid (RA), a morphogen that induces proximal and represses distal segments, negatively regulates emx1 expression. Next, through a series of genetic studies, we found that emx1 acts downstream of a cascade involving mecom and tbx2b, which encode essential distal segment transcription factors. Finally, we determined that emx1 regulates the expression domains of irx3b and irx1a to control distal segmentation, and sim1a to control corpuscle of Stannius formation. Taken together, our work reveals for the first time that emx1 is a key component of the pronephros segmentation network, which has implications for understanding the genetic regulatory cascades that orchestrate vertebrate nephron patterning.
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Affiliation(s)
- Elvin E Morales
- Department of Biological Sciences, Center for Stem Cells and Regenerative Medicine, Center for Zebrafish Research, University of Notre Dame, Notre Dame, IN, 46556, USA
| | - Nicole Handa
- Department of Biological Sciences, Center for Stem Cells and Regenerative Medicine, Center for Zebrafish Research, University of Notre Dame, Notre Dame, IN, 46556, USA
| | - Bridgette E Drummond
- Department of Biological Sciences, Center for Stem Cells and Regenerative Medicine, Center for Zebrafish Research, University of Notre Dame, Notre Dame, IN, 46556, USA
| | - Joseph M Chambers
- Department of Biological Sciences, Center for Stem Cells and Regenerative Medicine, Center for Zebrafish Research, University of Notre Dame, Notre Dame, IN, 46556, USA
| | - Amanda N Marra
- Department of Biological Sciences, Center for Stem Cells and Regenerative Medicine, Center for Zebrafish Research, University of Notre Dame, Notre Dame, IN, 46556, USA
| | - Amanda Addiego
- Department of Biological Sciences, Center for Stem Cells and Regenerative Medicine, Center for Zebrafish Research, University of Notre Dame, Notre Dame, IN, 46556, USA
| | - Rebecca A Wingert
- Department of Biological Sciences, Center for Stem Cells and Regenerative Medicine, Center for Zebrafish Research, University of Notre Dame, Notre Dame, IN, 46556, USA.
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27
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Sibbritt T, Ip CK, Khoo P, Wilkie E, Jones V, Sun JQJ, Shen JX, Peng G, Han JJ, Jing N, Osteil P, Ramialison M, Tam PPL, Fossat N. A gene regulatory network anchored by LIM homeobox 1 for embryonic head development. Genesis 2018; 56:e23246. [DOI: 10.1002/dvg.23246] [Citation(s) in RCA: 4] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.7] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 05/31/2018] [Revised: 08/09/2018] [Accepted: 08/09/2018] [Indexed: 02/02/2023]
Affiliation(s)
- Tennille Sibbritt
- Embryology Unit, Children's Medical Research Institute The University of Sydney Sydney New South Wales Australia
- School of Medical Sciences, Faculty of Medicine and Health The University of Sydney Sydney New South Wales Australia
| | - Chi K. Ip
- Embryology Unit, Children's Medical Research Institute The University of Sydney Sydney New South Wales Australia
| | - Poh‐Lynn Khoo
- Embryology Unit, Children's Medical Research Institute The University of Sydney Sydney New South Wales Australia
| | - Emilie Wilkie
- Embryology Unit, Children's Medical Research Institute The University of Sydney Sydney New South Wales Australia
- Bioinformatics Unit, Children's Medical Research Institute The University of Sydney Sydney New South Wales Australia
| | - Vanessa Jones
- Embryology Unit, Children's Medical Research Institute The University of Sydney Sydney New South Wales Australia
| | - Jane Q. J. Sun
- Embryology Unit, Children's Medical Research Institute The University of Sydney Sydney New South Wales Australia
| | - Joanne X. Shen
- Embryology Unit, Children's Medical Research Institute The University of Sydney Sydney New South Wales Australia
| | - Guangdun Peng
- State Key Laboratory of Cell Biology Institute of Biochemistry and Cell Biology, Shanghai Institutes for Biological Sciences, Chinese Academy of Sciences Shanghai China
| | - Jing‐Dong J. Han
- Key Laboratory of Computational Biology, CAS Center for Excellence in Molecular Cell Science, Collaborative Innovation Center for Genetics and Developmental Biology, Chinese Academy of Sciences‐Max Planck Partner Institute for Computational Biology, Shanghai Institutes for Biological Sciences Chinese Academy of Sciences Shanghai China
| | - Naihe Jing
- State Key Laboratory of Cell Biology Institute of Biochemistry and Cell Biology, Shanghai Institutes for Biological Sciences, Chinese Academy of Sciences Shanghai China
- School of Life Science and Technology ShanghaiTech University Shanghai China
| | - Pierre Osteil
- Embryology Unit, Children's Medical Research Institute The University of Sydney Sydney New South Wales Australia
- School of Medical Sciences, Faculty of Medicine and Health The University of Sydney Sydney New South Wales Australia
| | - Mirana Ramialison
- Australian Regenerative Medicine Institute Monash University Melbourne Victoria Australia
| | - Patrick P. L. Tam
- Embryology Unit, Children's Medical Research Institute The University of Sydney Sydney New South Wales Australia
- School of Medical Sciences, Faculty of Medicine and Health The University of Sydney Sydney New South Wales Australia
| | - Nicolas Fossat
- Embryology Unit, Children's Medical Research Institute The University of Sydney Sydney New South Wales Australia
- School of Medical Sciences, Faculty of Medicine and Health The University of Sydney Sydney New South Wales Australia
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28
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Yang Y, Workman S, Wilson M. The molecular pathways underlying early gonadal development. J Mol Endocrinol 2018; 62:JME-17-0314. [PMID: 30042122 DOI: 10.1530/jme-17-0314] [Citation(s) in RCA: 15] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Submit a Manuscript] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 12/19/2017] [Revised: 07/18/2018] [Accepted: 07/24/2018] [Indexed: 12/30/2022]
Abstract
The body of knowledge surrounding reproductive development spans the fields of genetics, anatomy, physiology and biomedicine, to build a comprehensive understanding of the later stages of reproductive development in humans and animal models. Despite this, there remains much to learn about the bi-potential progenitor structure that the ovary and testis arise from, known as the genital ridge (GR). This tissue forms relatively late in embryonic development and has the potential to form either the ovary or testis, which in turn produce hormones required for development of the rest of the reproductive tract. It is imperative that we understand the genetic networks underpinning GR development if we are to begin to understand abnormalities in the adult. This is particularly relevant in the contexts of disorders of sex development (DSDs) and infertility, two conditions that many individuals struggle with worldwide, with often no answers as to their aetiology. Here, we review what is known about the genetics of GR development. Investigating the genetic networks required for GR formation will not only contribute to our understanding of the genetic regulation of reproductive development, it may in turn open new avenues of investigation into reproductive abnormalities and later fertility issues in the adult.
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Affiliation(s)
- Yisheng Yang
- Y Yang, Anatomy, University of Otago, Dunedin, New Zealand
| | | | - Megan Wilson
- M Wilson , Anatomy, University of Otago, Dunedin, New Zealand
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29
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Lal P, Tanabe H, Suster ML, Ailani D, Kotani Y, Muto A, Itoh M, Iwasaki M, Wada H, Yaksi E, Kawakami K. Identification of a neuronal population in the telencephalon essential for fear conditioning in zebrafish. BMC Biol 2018; 16:45. [PMID: 29690872 PMCID: PMC5978991 DOI: 10.1186/s12915-018-0502-y] [Citation(s) in RCA: 76] [Impact Index Per Article: 12.7] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 08/11/2017] [Accepted: 03/07/2018] [Indexed: 11/10/2022] Open
Abstract
BACKGROUND Fear conditioning is a form of learning essential for animal survival and used as a behavioral paradigm to study the mechanisms of learning and memory. In mammals, the amygdala plays a crucial role in fear conditioning. In teleost, the medial zone of the dorsal telencephalon (Dm) has been postulated to be a homolog of the mammalian amygdala by anatomical and ablation studies, showing a role in conditioned avoidance response. However, the neuronal populations required for a conditioned avoidance response via the Dm have not been functionally or genetically defined. RESULTS We aimed to identify the neuronal population essential for fear conditioning through a genetic approach in zebrafish. First, we performed large-scale gene trap and enhancer trap screens, and created transgenic fish lines that expressed Gal4FF, an engineered version of the Gal4 transcription activator, in specific regions in the brain. We then crossed these Gal4FF-expressing fish with the effector line carrying the botulinum neurotoxin gene downstream of the Gal4 binding sequence UAS, and analyzed the double transgenic fish for active avoidance fear conditioning. We identified 16 transgenic lines with Gal4FF expression in various brain areas showing reduced performance in avoidance responses. Two of them had Gal4 expression in populations of neurons located in subregions of the Dm, which we named 120A-Dm neurons. Inhibition of the 120A-Dm neurons also caused reduced performance in Pavlovian fear conditioning. The 120A-Dm neurons were mostly glutamatergic and had projections to other brain regions, including the hypothalamus and ventral telencephalon. CONCLUSIONS Herein, we identified a subpopulation of neurons in the zebrafish Dm essential for fear conditioning. We propose that these are functional equivalents of neurons in the mammalian pallial amygdala, mediating the conditioned stimulus-unconditioned stimulus association. Thus, the study establishes a basis for understanding the evolutionary conservation and diversification of functional neural circuits mediating fear conditioning in vertebrates.
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Affiliation(s)
- Pradeep Lal
- Division of Molecular and Developmental Biology, National Institute of Genetics, Mishima, Shizuoka, 411-8540, Japan.,Department of Genetics, SOKENDAI (The Graduate University for Advanced Studies), Mishima, Shizuoka, 411-8540, Japan.,Kavli Institute for Systems Neuroscience and Centre for the Biology of Memory, Norwegian Brain Centre, Norwegian University of Science and Technology (NTNU), Trondheim, Norway
| | - Hideyuki Tanabe
- Division of Molecular and Developmental Biology, National Institute of Genetics, Mishima, Shizuoka, 411-8540, Japan
| | - Maximiliano L Suster
- Division of Molecular and Developmental Biology, National Institute of Genetics, Mishima, Shizuoka, 411-8540, Japan.,Present address: Visual Interaction GmbH, Warthestrasse 21, 14513, Teltow, Germany
| | - Deepak Ailani
- Division of Molecular and Developmental Biology, National Institute of Genetics, Mishima, Shizuoka, 411-8540, Japan
| | - Yuri Kotani
- Division of Molecular and Developmental Biology, National Institute of Genetics, Mishima, Shizuoka, 411-8540, Japan
| | - Akira Muto
- Division of Molecular and Developmental Biology, National Institute of Genetics, Mishima, Shizuoka, 411-8540, Japan
| | - Mari Itoh
- Division of Molecular and Developmental Biology, National Institute of Genetics, Mishima, Shizuoka, 411-8540, Japan
| | - Miki Iwasaki
- Division of Molecular and Developmental Biology, National Institute of Genetics, Mishima, Shizuoka, 411-8540, Japan.,Present address: College of Liberal Arts and Sciences, Kitasato University, Sagamihara, Kanagawa, 252-0373, Japan
| | - Hironori Wada
- Division of Molecular and Developmental Biology, National Institute of Genetics, Mishima, Shizuoka, 411-8540, Japan.,Present address: College of Liberal Arts and Sciences, Kitasato University, Sagamihara, Kanagawa, 252-0373, Japan
| | - Emre Yaksi
- Kavli Institute for Systems Neuroscience and Centre for the Biology of Memory, Norwegian Brain Centre, Norwegian University of Science and Technology (NTNU), Trondheim, Norway
| | - Koichi Kawakami
- Division of Molecular and Developmental Biology, National Institute of Genetics, Mishima, Shizuoka, 411-8540, Japan. .,Department of Genetics, SOKENDAI (The Graduate University for Advanced Studies), Mishima, Shizuoka, 411-8540, Japan.
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30
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Terrigno M, Busti I, Alia C, Pietrasanta M, Arisi I, D'Onofrio M, Caleo M, Cremisi F. Neurons Generated by Mouse ESCs with Hippocampal or Cortical Identity Display Distinct Projection Patterns When Co-transplanted in the Adult Brain. Stem Cell Reports 2018; 10:1016-1029. [PMID: 29456186 PMCID: PMC5918192 DOI: 10.1016/j.stemcr.2018.01.010] [Citation(s) in RCA: 16] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.7] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 07/26/2017] [Revised: 01/14/2018] [Accepted: 01/15/2018] [Indexed: 12/14/2022] Open
Abstract
The capability of generating neural precursor cells with distinct types of regional identity in vitro has recently opened new opportunities for cell replacement in animal models of neurodegenerative diseases. By manipulating Wnt and BMP signaling, we steered the differentiation of mouse embryonic stem cells (ESCs) toward isocortical or hippocampal molecular identity. These two types of cells showed different degrees of axonal outgrowth and targeted different regions when co-transplanted in healthy or lesioned isocortex or in hippocampus. In hippocampus, only precursor cells with hippocampal molecular identity were able to extend projections, contacting CA3. Conversely, isocortical-like cells were capable of extending long-range axonal projections only when transplanted in motor cortex, sending fibers toward both intra- and extra-cortical targets. Ischemic damage induced by photothrombosis greatly enhanced the capability of isocortical-like cells to extend far-reaching projections. Our results indicate that neural precursors generated by ESCs carry intrinsic signals specifying axonal extension in different environments. Wnt signaling induces hippocampal fate in neuralized mouse ESCs Transplanted cortical and hippocampal neurons target distinct regions in adult brain Photothrombotic lesion favors neurite elongation of cortical transplanted cells Cortical cell transplantation improves the motor performance after ischemic damage
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Affiliation(s)
| | - Irene Busti
- Neurofarba, University of Florence, Florence 50134, Italy; Istituto di Neuroscienze, CNR, Pisa 56124, Italy
| | - Claudia Alia
- Istituto di Neuroscienze, CNR, Pisa 56124, Italy
| | | | - Ivan Arisi
- European Brain Research Institute (EBRI) "Rita Levi-Montalcini", Roma 00161, Italy
| | - Mara D'Onofrio
- European Brain Research Institute (EBRI) "Rita Levi-Montalcini", Roma 00161, Italy
| | - Matteo Caleo
- Istituto di Neuroscienze, CNR, Pisa 56124, Italy
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31
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Allende ML, Cook EK, Larman BC, Nugent A, Brady JM, Golebiowski D, Sena-Esteves M, Tifft CJ, Proia RL. Cerebral organoids derived from Sandhoff disease-induced pluripotent stem cells exhibit impaired neurodifferentiation. J Lipid Res 2018; 59:550-563. [PMID: 29358305 PMCID: PMC5832932 DOI: 10.1194/jlr.m081323] [Citation(s) in RCA: 74] [Impact Index Per Article: 12.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 10/31/2017] [Revised: 12/29/2017] [Indexed: 12/21/2022] Open
Abstract
Sandhoff disease, one of the GM2 gangliosidoses, is a lysosomal storage disorder characterized by the absence of β-hexosaminidase A and B activity and the concomitant lysosomal accumulation of its substrate, GM2 ganglioside. It features catastrophic neurodegeneration and death in early childhood. How the lysosomal accumulation of ganglioside might affect the early development of the nervous system is not understood. Recently, cerebral organoids derived from induced pluripotent stem (iPS) cells have illuminated early developmental events altered by disease processes. To develop an early neurodevelopmental model of Sandhoff disease, we first generated iPS cells from the fibroblasts of an infantile Sandhoff disease patient, then corrected one of the mutant HEXB alleles in those iPS cells using CRISPR/Cas9 genome-editing technology, thereby creating isogenic controls. Next, we used the parental Sandhoff disease iPS cells and isogenic HEXB-corrected iPS cell clones to generate cerebral organoids that modeled the first trimester of neurodevelopment. The Sandhoff disease organoids, but not the HEXB-corrected organoids, accumulated GM2 ganglioside and exhibited increased size and cellular proliferation compared with the HEXB-corrected organoids. Whole-transcriptome analysis demonstrated that development was impaired in the Sandhoff disease organoids, suggesting that alterations in neuronal differentiation may occur during early development in the GM2 gangliosidoses.
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Affiliation(s)
- Maria L Allende
- Genetics of Development and Disease Branch, National Institute of Diabetes and Digestive and Kidney Diseases, National Institutes of Health, Bethesda, MD 20892
| | - Emily K Cook
- Genetics of Development and Disease Branch, National Institute of Diabetes and Digestive and Kidney Diseases, National Institutes of Health, Bethesda, MD 20892
| | - Bridget C Larman
- Genetics of Development and Disease Branch, National Institute of Diabetes and Digestive and Kidney Diseases, National Institutes of Health, Bethesda, MD 20892
| | - Adrienne Nugent
- Genetics of Development and Disease Branch, National Institute of Diabetes and Digestive and Kidney Diseases, National Institutes of Health, Bethesda, MD 20892
| | - Jacqueline M Brady
- National Institutes of Health Undiagnosed Diseases Program, National Institutes of Health Office of Rare Diseases Research and National Human Genome Research Institute, National Institutes of Health, Bethesda, MD 20892
| | - Diane Golebiowski
- Department of Neurology and Horae Gene Therapy Center, University of Massachusetts Medical School, Worcester, MA 01605
| | - Miguel Sena-Esteves
- Department of Neurology and Horae Gene Therapy Center, University of Massachusetts Medical School, Worcester, MA 01605
| | - Cynthia J Tifft
- National Institutes of Health Undiagnosed Diseases Program, National Institutes of Health Office of Rare Diseases Research and National Human Genome Research Institute, National Institutes of Health, Bethesda, MD 20892
| | - Richard L Proia
- Genetics of Development and Disease Branch, National Institute of Diabetes and Digestive and Kidney Diseases, National Institutes of Health, Bethesda, MD 20892
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32
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Dragatsis I, Dietrich P, Ren H, Deng YP, Del Mar N, Wang HB, Johnson IM, Jones KR, Reiner A. Effect of early embryonic deletion of huntingtin from pyramidal neurons on the development and long-term survival of neurons in cerebral cortex and striatum. Neurobiol Dis 2017; 111:102-117. [PMID: 29274742 PMCID: PMC5821111 DOI: 10.1016/j.nbd.2017.12.015] [Citation(s) in RCA: 16] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 03/28/2017] [Revised: 11/07/2017] [Accepted: 12/19/2017] [Indexed: 12/12/2022] Open
Abstract
We evaluated the impact of early embryonic deletion of huntingtin (htt) from pyramidal neurons on cortical development, cortical neuron survival and motor behavior, using a cre-loxP strategy to inactivate the mouse htt gene (Hdh) in emx1-expressing cell lineages. Western blot confirmed substantial htt reduction in cerebral cortex of these Emx-httKO mice, with residual cortical htt in all likelihood restricted to cortical interneurons of the subpallial lineage and/or vascular endothelial cells. Despite the loss of htt early in development, cortical lamination was normal, as revealed by layer-specific markers. Cortical volume and neuron abundance were, however, significantly less than normal, and cortical neurons showed reduced brain-derived neurotrophic factor (BDNF) expression and reduced activation of BDNF signaling pathways. Nonetheless, cortical volume and neuron abundance did not show progressive age-related decline in Emx-httKO mice out to 24 months. Although striatal neurochemistry was normal, reductions in striatal volume and neuron abundance were seen in Emx-httKO mice, which were again not progressive. Weight maintenance was normal in Emx-httKO mice, but a slight rotarod deficit and persistent hyperactivity were observed throughout the lifespan. Our results show that embryonic deletion of htt from developing pallium does not substantially alter migration of cortical neurons to their correct laminar destinations, but does yield reduced cortical and striatal size and neuron numbers. The Emx-httKO mice were persistently hyperactive, possibly due to defects in corticostriatal development. Importantly, deletion of htt from cortical pyramidal neurons did not yield age-related progressive cortical or striatal pathology.
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Affiliation(s)
- I Dragatsis
- Department of Physiology, The University of Tennessee Health Science Center, Memphis, TN 38163, United States
| | - P Dietrich
- Department of Physiology, The University of Tennessee Health Science Center, Memphis, TN 38163, United States
| | - H Ren
- Department of Anatomy & Neurobiology, The University of Tennessee Health Science Center, Memphis, TN 38163, United States
| | - Y P Deng
- Department of Anatomy & Neurobiology, The University of Tennessee Health Science Center, Memphis, TN 38163, United States
| | - N Del Mar
- Department of Anatomy & Neurobiology, The University of Tennessee Health Science Center, Memphis, TN 38163, United States
| | - H B Wang
- Department of Anatomy & Neurobiology, The University of Tennessee Health Science Center, Memphis, TN 38163, United States
| | - I M Johnson
- Department of Physiology, The University of Tennessee Health Science Center, Memphis, TN 38163, United States
| | - K R Jones
- Department of Molecular, Cellular, & Developmental Biology, 347 UCB, University of Colorado, Boulder, CO 80309, United States
| | - A Reiner
- Department of Anatomy & Neurobiology, The University of Tennessee Health Science Center, Memphis, TN 38163, United States; Department of Ophthalmology, The University of Tennessee Health Science Center, Memphis, TN 38163, United States.
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Artegiani B, Lyubimova A, Muraro M, van Es JH, van Oudenaarden A, Clevers H. A Single-Cell RNA Sequencing Study Reveals Cellular and Molecular Dynamics of the Hippocampal Neurogenic Niche. Cell Rep 2017; 21:3271-3284. [DOI: 10.1016/j.celrep.2017.11.050] [Citation(s) in RCA: 106] [Impact Index Per Article: 15.1] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 06/10/2017] [Revised: 10/09/2017] [Accepted: 11/14/2017] [Indexed: 12/12/2022] Open
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Taroc EZM, Prasad A, Lin JM, Forni PE. The terminal nerve plays a prominent role in GnRH-1 neuronal migration independent from proper olfactory and vomeronasal connections to the olfactory bulbs. Biol Open 2017; 6:1552-1568. [PMID: 28970231 PMCID: PMC5665474 DOI: 10.1242/bio.029074] [Citation(s) in RCA: 32] [Impact Index Per Article: 4.6] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 12/19/2022] Open
Abstract
Gonadotropin-releasing hormone-1 (GnRH-1) neurons (GnRH-1 ns) migrate from the developing olfactory pit into the hypothalamus during embryonic development. Migration of the GnRH-1 neurons is required for mammalian reproduction as these cells control release of gonadotropins from the anterior pituitary gland. Disturbances in GnRH-1 ns migration, GnRH-1 synthesis, secretion or signaling lead to varying degrees of hypogonadotropic hypogonadism (HH), which impairs pubertal onset and fertility. HH associated with congenital olfactory defects is clinically defined as Kallmann Syndrome (KS). The association of olfactory defects with HH in KS suggested a potential direct relationship between defective olfactory axonal routing, lack of olfactory bulbs (OBs) and aberrant GnRH-1 ns migration. However, it has never been experimentally proven that the formation of axonal connections of the olfactory/vomeronasal neurons to their functional targets are necessary for the migration of GnRH-1 ns to the hypothalamus. Loss-of-function of the Arx-1 homeobox gene leads to the lack of proper formation of the OBs with abnormal axonal termination of olfactory sensory neurons (
Yoshihara et al., 2005). Our data prove that correct development of the OBs and axonal connection of the olfactory/vomeronasal sensory neurons to the forebrain are not required for GnRH-1 ns migration, and suggest that the terminal nerve, which forms the GnRH-1 migratory scaffold, follows different guidance cues and differs in gene expression from olfactory/vomeronasal sensory neurons. Summary: Our work reveals that correct olfactory bulb development is not required for GnRH-1 neuronal migration. This study challenges the idea that GnRH-1 neuronal migration to the hypothalamus relies on correct routing of the olfactory and vomeronasal neurons and supports the existence of the TN in mammals.
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Affiliation(s)
- Ed Zandro M Taroc
- Department of Biological Sciences, University at Albany, Albany, NY 12222, USA
| | - Aparna Prasad
- Department of Biological Sciences, University at Albany, Albany, NY 12222, USA
| | - Jennifer M Lin
- Department of Biological Sciences, University at Albany, Albany, NY 12222, USA
| | - Paolo E Forni
- Department of Biological Sciences, University at Albany, Albany, NY 12222, USA
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Ravi N, Sanchez-Guardado L, Lois C, Kelsch W. Determination of the connectivity of newborn neurons in mammalian olfactory circuits. Cell Mol Life Sci 2017; 74:849-867. [PMID: 27695873 PMCID: PMC11107630 DOI: 10.1007/s00018-016-2367-y] [Citation(s) in RCA: 12] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.7] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 05/22/2016] [Revised: 08/24/2016] [Accepted: 09/13/2016] [Indexed: 12/24/2022]
Abstract
The mammalian olfactory bulb is a forebrain structure just one synapse downstream from the olfactory sensory neurons and performs the complex computations of sensory inputs. The formation of this sensory circuit is shaped through activity-dependent and cell-intrinsic mechanisms. Recent studies have revealed that cell-type specific connectivity and the organization of synapses in dendritic compartments are determined through cell-intrinsic programs already preset in progenitor cells. These progenitor programs give rise to subpopulations within a neuron type that have distinct synaptic organizations. The intrinsically determined formation of distinct synaptic organizations requires factors from contacting cells that match the cell-intrinsic programs. While certain genes control wiring within the newly generated neurons, other regulatory genes provide intercellular signals and are only expressed in neurons that will form contacts with the newly generated cells. Here, the olfactory system has provided a useful model circuit to reveal the factors regulating assembly of the highly structured connectivity in mammals.
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Affiliation(s)
- Namasivayam Ravi
- Central Institute of Mental Health, Medical Faculty Mannheim, Heidelberg University, 68159, Mannheim, Germany
| | - Luis Sanchez-Guardado
- Division of Biology and Biological Engineering, California Institute of Technology, 1200 East California Boulevard, Pasadena, CA, 91125, USA
| | - Carlos Lois
- Division of Biology and Biological Engineering, California Institute of Technology, 1200 East California Boulevard, Pasadena, CA, 91125, USA.
| | - Wolfgang Kelsch
- Central Institute of Mental Health, Medical Faculty Mannheim, Heidelberg University, 68159, Mannheim, Germany.
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Abstract
The process of sexual differentiation is central for reproduction of almost all metazoan and therefore for maintenance of practically all multicellular organisms. In sex development we can distinguish two different processes: First, sex determination is the developmental decision that directs the undifferentiated embryo into a sexually dimorphic individual. In mammals, sex determination equals gonadal development. The second process known as sex differentiation takes place once the sex determination decision has been made through factors produced by the gonads that determine the development of the phenotypic sex. Most of the knowledge on the factors involved in sexual development came from animal models and from studies of cases in whom the genetic or the gonadal sex does not match the phenotypical sex, i.e., patients affected by disorders of sex development (DSD). Generally speaking, factors influencing sex determination are transcriptional regulators, whereas factors important for sex differentiation are secreted hormones and their receptors. This review focuses on the factors involved in gonadal determination, and whenever possible, references on the "prismatic" clinical cases are given.
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Affiliation(s)
- Anna Biason-Lauber
- Department of Medicine, University of Fribourg, Chemin du Musée 5, 1700, Fribourg, Switzerland.
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Chen M, Zhang L, Cui X, Lin X, Li Y, Wang Y, Wang Y, Qin Y, Chen D, Han C, Zhou B, Huff V, Gao F. Wt1 directs the lineage specification of sertoli and granulosa cells by repressing Sf1 expression. Development 2016; 144:44-53. [PMID: 27888191 DOI: 10.1242/dev.144105] [Citation(s) in RCA: 39] [Impact Index Per Article: 4.9] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 09/04/2016] [Accepted: 11/10/2016] [Indexed: 11/20/2022]
Abstract
Supporting cells (Sertoli and granulosa) and steroidogenic cells (Leydig and theca-interstitium) are two major somatic cell types in mammalian gonads, but the mechanisms that control their differentiation during gonad development remain elusive. In this study, we found that deletion of Wt1 in the ovary after sex determination caused ectopic development of steroidogenic cells at the embryonic stage. Furthermore, differentiation of both Sertoli and granulosa cells was blocked when Wt1 was deleted before sex determination and most genital ridge somatic cells differentiated into steroidogenic cells in both male and female gonads. Further studies revealed that WT1 repressed Sf1 expression by directly binding to the Sf1 promoter region, and the repressive function was completely abolished when WT1 binding sites were mutated. This study demonstrates that Wt1 is required for the lineage specification of both Sertoli and granulosa cells by repressing Sf1 expression. Without Wt1, the expression of Sf1 was upregulated and the somatic cells differentiated into steroidogenic cells instead of supporting cells. Our study uncovers a novel mechanism of somatic cell differentiation during gonad development.
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Affiliation(s)
- Min Chen
- State Key Laboratory of Stem Cell and Reproductive Biology, Institute of Zoology, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Beijing, China
| | - Lianjun Zhang
- State Key Laboratory of Stem Cell and Reproductive Biology, Institute of Zoology, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Beijing, China.,University of Chinese Academy of Sciences, Beijing, China
| | - Xiuhong Cui
- State Key Laboratory of Stem Cell and Reproductive Biology, Institute of Zoology, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Beijing, China
| | - Xiwen Lin
- State Key Laboratory of Stem Cell and Reproductive Biology, Institute of Zoology, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Beijing, China
| | - Yaqiong Li
- State Key Laboratory of Stem Cell and Reproductive Biology, Institute of Zoology, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Beijing, China.,University of Chinese Academy of Sciences, Beijing, China
| | - Yaqing Wang
- State Key Laboratory of Molecular and Developmental Biology, Institute of Genetics and Developmental Biology, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Beijing, China
| | - Yanbo Wang
- State Key Laboratory of Stem Cell and Reproductive Biology, Institute of Zoology, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Beijing, China.,University of Chinese Academy of Sciences, Beijing, China
| | - Yan Qin
- State Key Laboratory of Stem Cell and Reproductive Biology, Institute of Zoology, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Beijing, China.,University of Chinese Academy of Sciences, Beijing, China
| | - Dahua Chen
- State Key Laboratory of Stem Cell and Reproductive Biology, Institute of Zoology, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Beijing, China
| | - Chunsheng Han
- State Key Laboratory of Stem Cell and Reproductive Biology, Institute of Zoology, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Beijing, China
| | - Bin Zhou
- The State Key Laboratory of Cell Biology, Institute of Biochemistry and Cell Biology, Shanghai Institutes for Biological Sciences, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Shanghai, China
| | - Vicki Huff
- Department of Genetics, The University of Texas M. D. Anderson Cancer Center; Graduate Programs in Human Molecular Genetics and Genes and Development, University of Texas, Houston, TX, USA
| | - Fei Gao
- State Key Laboratory of Stem Cell and Reproductive Biology, Institute of Zoology, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Beijing, China
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38
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Götz M. Glial Cells Generate Neurons—Master Control within CNS Regions: Developmental Perspectives on Neural Stem Cells. Neuroscientist 2016; 9:379-97. [PMID: 14580122 DOI: 10.1177/1073858403257138] [Citation(s) in RCA: 51] [Impact Index Per Article: 6.4] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 01/18/2023]
Abstract
A common problem in neural stem cell research is the poor generation of neuronal or oligodendroglial descendants. The author takes a developmental perspective to propose solutions to this problem. After a general overview of the recent progress in developmental neurobiology, she highlights the necessity of the sequential and hierarchical specification of CNS precursors toward the generation of specific cell types, for example, neurons. In the developing as well as the adult CNS, multipotent stem cells do not directly generate neurons but give rise to precursors that are specified and restricted toward the generation of neurons. Some molecular determinants of this fate restriction have been identified during recent years and reveal that progression via this fate-restricted state is a necessary step of neurogenesis. These discoveries also demonstrate that neuronal fate specification is inseparably linked at the molecular level to regionalization of the developing CNS. These fate determinants and their specific action in distinct region-specific con-texts are essential to direct the progeny of stem cells more efficiently toward the generation of the desired cell types. Recent data are discussed that demonstrate the common identity of precursors and stem cells in the developing and adult nervous system as radial glia, astroglia, or non-myelinating glia. A novel line-age model is proposed that incorporates these new views and explains why the default pathway of stem cells is astroglia. These new insights into the cellular and molecular mechanisms of neurogenesis help to design novel approaches for reconstitutive therapy of neurodegenerative diseases.
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Affiliation(s)
- Magdalena Götz
- Max-Planck Institute of Neurobiology, Planegg-Martinsried/Munich, Germany.
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39
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Lim JWC, Donahoo ALS, Bunt J, Edwards TJ, Fenlon LR, Liu Y, Zhou J, Moldrich RX, Piper M, Gobius I, Bailey TL, Wray NR, Kessaris N, Poo MM, Rubenstein JLR, Richards LJ. EMX1 regulates NRP1-mediated wiring of the mouse anterior cingulate cortex. Development 2016; 142:3746-57. [PMID: 26534986 DOI: 10.1242/dev.119909] [Citation(s) in RCA: 17] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.1] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 01/25/2023]
Abstract
Transcription factors act during cortical development as master regulatory genes that specify cortical arealization and cellular identities. Although numerous transcription factors have been identified as being crucial for cortical development, little is known about their downstream targets and how they mediate the emergence of specific neuronal connections via selective axon guidance. The EMX transcription factors are essential for early patterning of the cerebral cortex, but whether EMX1 mediates interhemispheric connectivity by controlling corpus callosum formation remains unclear. Here, we demonstrate that in mice on the C57Bl/6 background EMX1 plays an essential role in the midline crossing of an axonal subpopulation of the corpus callosum derived from the anterior cingulate cortex. In the absence of EMX1, cingulate axons display reduced expression of the axon guidance receptor NRP1 and form aberrant axonal bundles within the rostral corpus callosum. EMX1 also functions as a transcriptional activator of Nrp1 expression in vitro, and overexpression of this protein in Emx1 knockout mice rescues the midline-crossing phenotype. These findings reveal a novel role for the EMX1 transcription factor in establishing cortical connectivity by regulating the interhemispheric wiring of a subpopulation of neurons within the mouse anterior cingulate cortex.
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Affiliation(s)
- Jonathan W C Lim
- The University of Queensland, Queensland Brain Institute, Brisbane 4072, Australia
| | - Amber-Lee S Donahoo
- The University of Queensland, Queensland Brain Institute, Brisbane 4072, Australia
| | - Jens Bunt
- The University of Queensland, Queensland Brain Institute, Brisbane 4072, Australia
| | - Timothy J Edwards
- The University of Queensland, Queensland Brain Institute, Brisbane 4072, Australia
| | - Laura R Fenlon
- The University of Queensland, Queensland Brain Institute, Brisbane 4072, Australia
| | - Ying Liu
- The University of Queensland, Queensland Brain Institute, Brisbane 4072, Australia
| | - Jing Zhou
- Institute of Neuroscience, State Key Laboratory of Neuroscience, Shanghai Institutes for Biological Sciences, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Shanghai 200031, China
| | - Randal X Moldrich
- The University of Queensland, Queensland Brain Institute, Brisbane 4072, Australia
| | - Michael Piper
- The University of Queensland, Queensland Brain Institute, Brisbane 4072, Australia The University of Queensland, The School of Biomedical Sciences, Brisbane 4072, Australia
| | - Ilan Gobius
- The University of Queensland, Queensland Brain Institute, Brisbane 4072, Australia
| | - Timothy L Bailey
- The University of Queensland, Institute for Molecular Bioscience, Brisbane 4072, Australia
| | - Naomi R Wray
- The University of Queensland, Queensland Brain Institute, Brisbane 4072, Australia
| | - Nicoletta Kessaris
- Wolfson Institute for Biomedical Research and Department of Cell and Developmental Biology, University College London, London WC1E 6BT, UK
| | - Mu-Ming Poo
- Institute of Neuroscience, State Key Laboratory of Neuroscience, Shanghai Institutes for Biological Sciences, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Shanghai 200031, China
| | - John L R Rubenstein
- Nina Ireland Laboratory of Developmental Neurobiology, University of California, San Francisco, San Francisco, CA 94143, USA Department of Psychiatry, University of California, San Francisco, San Francisco, CA 94143, USA
| | - Linda J Richards
- The University of Queensland, Queensland Brain Institute, Brisbane 4072, Australia The University of Queensland, The School of Biomedical Sciences, Brisbane 4072, Australia
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40
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Stocker AM, O’Leary DDM. Emx1 Is Required for Neocortical Area Patterning. PLoS One 2016; 11:e0149900. [PMID: 26901526 PMCID: PMC4762677 DOI: 10.1371/journal.pone.0149900] [Citation(s) in RCA: 10] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 07/13/2015] [Accepted: 02/05/2016] [Indexed: 11/19/2022] Open
Abstract
Establishing appropriate area patterning in the neocortex is a critical developmental event, and transcription factors whose expression is graded across the developing neural axes have been implicated in this process. While previous reports suggested that the transcription factor Emx1 does not contribute to neocortical area patterning, those studies were performed at perinatal ages prior to the emergence of primary areas. We therefore examined two different Emx1 deletion mouse lines once primary areas possess mature features. Following the deletion of Emx1, the frontal and motor areas were expanded while the primary visual area was reduced, and overall the areas shifted posterio-medially. This patterning phenotype was consistent between the two Emx1 deletion strategies. The present study demonstrates that Emx1 is an area patterning transcription factor and is required for the specification of the primary visual area.
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Affiliation(s)
- Adam M. Stocker
- Molecular Neurobiology Laboratory, The Salk Institute, 10010 North Torrey Pines Road, La Jolla, California, 92037, United States of America
- * E-mail:
| | - Dennis D. M. O’Leary
- Molecular Neurobiology Laboratory, The Salk Institute, 10010 North Torrey Pines Road, La Jolla, California, 92037, United States of America
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41
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Tam PPL, Fossat N, Wilkie E, Loebel DAF, Ip CK, Ramialison M. Formation of the Embryonic Head in the Mouse: Attributes of a Gene Regulatory Network. Curr Top Dev Biol 2016; 117:497-521. [PMID: 26969997 DOI: 10.1016/bs.ctdb.2015.11.019] [Citation(s) in RCA: 5] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.6] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 12/22/2022]
Abstract
The embryonic head is the first major body part to be constructed during embryogenesis. The allocation and the assembly of the progenitor tissues, which start at gastrulation, are accompanied by the spatiotemporal activity of transcription factors and signaling pathways that drives lineage specification, germ layer formation, and cell/tissue movement. The morphogenesis, regionalization, and patterning of the brain and craniofacial structures rely on the function of LIM-domain, homeodomain, and basic helix-loop-helix transcription factors. These factors constitute the central nodes of a gene regulatory network (GRN) which encompasses and intersects with signaling pathways involved with head formation. It is predicted that the functional output of this "head GRN" impacts on cellular function and cell-cell interactions that are essential for lineage differentiation and tissue modeling, which are key processes underpinning the formation of the head.
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Affiliation(s)
- Patrick P L Tam
- Embryology Unit, Children's Medical Research Institute, Westmead, New South Wales, Australia; Discipline of Medicine, Sydney Medical School, University of Sydney, Sydney, New South Wales, Australia.
| | - Nicolas Fossat
- Embryology Unit, Children's Medical Research Institute, Westmead, New South Wales, Australia; Discipline of Medicine, Sydney Medical School, University of Sydney, Sydney, New South Wales, Australia
| | - Emilie Wilkie
- Embryology Unit, Children's Medical Research Institute, Westmead, New South Wales, Australia; Bioinformatics Unit, Children's Medical Research Institute, Westmead, New South Wales, Australia
| | - David A F Loebel
- Embryology Unit, Children's Medical Research Institute, Westmead, New South Wales, Australia; Discipline of Medicine, Sydney Medical School, University of Sydney, Sydney, New South Wales, Australia
| | - Chi Kin Ip
- Embryology Unit, Children's Medical Research Institute, Westmead, New South Wales, Australia; Discipline of Medicine, Sydney Medical School, University of Sydney, Sydney, New South Wales, Australia
| | - Mirana Ramialison
- Australian Regenerative Medicine Institute, Monash University, Clayton, Victoria, Australia; Systems Biology Institute Australia, Monash University, Clayton, Victoria, Australia
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42
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Nimmagadda S, Buchtová M, Fu K, Geetha-Loganathan P, Hosseini-Farahabadi S, Trachtenberg AJ, Kuo WP, Vesela I, Richman JM. Identification and functional analysis of novel facial patterning genes in the duplicated beak chicken embryo. Dev Biol 2015; 407:275-88. [DOI: 10.1016/j.ydbio.2015.09.007] [Citation(s) in RCA: 13] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.4] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 04/20/2015] [Revised: 09/12/2015] [Accepted: 09/14/2015] [Indexed: 01/18/2023]
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43
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Yin C, Zhang J, Shi Z, Sun W, Zhang H, Fu Y. Identification and expression of the target gene emx2 of miR-26a and miR-26b in Paralichthys olivaceus. Gene 2015; 570:205-12. [PMID: 26079439 DOI: 10.1016/j.gene.2015.06.030] [Citation(s) in RCA: 11] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.2] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 03/15/2015] [Revised: 06/05/2015] [Accepted: 06/06/2015] [Indexed: 11/26/2022]
Abstract
MicroRNAs (miRNAs) can regulate specific gene expression by binding to target mRNA further involution to diverse biological processes. Our previous miRNA sequencing showed that pol-miR-26a and pol-miR-26b have a sex-biased expression in ovary and testis of Paralichthys olivaceus (P. olivaceus). And the gene empty spiracles homeobox 2 (emx2) was proposed to be a candidate target by bioinformatics prediction. In this study, we cloned the P. olivaceus emx2 cDNA, including a coding region of 741 bp and a 3'-untranslated region (UTR) of 912 bp and the 5'-UTR of 12 bp. The Emx2 protein is highly conserved and especially its homeodomain region is 100% identical from teleosts to mammals. Real-time PCR results showed that the emx2 is not only highly expressed in embryonic neurula stage and adult brain but also has abundant expression in adult gonad, moreover, it exhibits higher expression in ovary than testis. To determine the relationship between emx2 and miRNAs, a luciferase reporter assay was performed and verified that the emx2 is a common target gene of pol-miR-26a and pol-miR-26b. These data thus helps further clarify that miR-26a and miR-26b are involved in regulating gonad development partially through its target on emx2 expression in P. olivaceus.
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Affiliation(s)
- Cui Yin
- Key laboratory of Freshwater Aquatic Genetic Resources, Shanghai Ocean University, Ministry of Agriculture, Shanghai 201306, China
| | - Junling Zhang
- Key laboratory of Freshwater Aquatic Genetic Resources, Shanghai Ocean University, Ministry of Agriculture, Shanghai 201306, China
| | - Zhiyi Shi
- Key laboratory of Freshwater Aquatic Genetic Resources, Shanghai Ocean University, Ministry of Agriculture, Shanghai 201306, China.
| | - Wenhui Sun
- Key laboratory of Freshwater Aquatic Genetic Resources, Shanghai Ocean University, Ministry of Agriculture, Shanghai 201306, China
| | - Hongmei Zhang
- Key laboratory of Freshwater Aquatic Genetic Resources, Shanghai Ocean University, Ministry of Agriculture, Shanghai 201306, China
| | - Yuanshuai Fu
- Key laboratory of Freshwater Aquatic Genetic Resources, Shanghai Ocean University, Ministry of Agriculture, Shanghai 201306, China
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44
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Meganathan K, Jagtap S, Srinivasan SP, Wagh V, Hescheler J, Hengstler J, Leist M, Sachinidis A. Neuronal developmental gene and miRNA signatures induced by histone deacetylase inhibitors in human embryonic stem cells. Cell Death Dis 2015; 6:e1756. [PMID: 25950486 PMCID: PMC4669700 DOI: 10.1038/cddis.2015.121] [Citation(s) in RCA: 32] [Impact Index Per Article: 3.6] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 12/01/2014] [Revised: 03/26/2015] [Accepted: 03/30/2015] [Indexed: 12/19/2022]
Abstract
Human embryonic stem cells (hESCs) may be applied to develop human-relevant sensitive in vitro test systems for monitoring developmental toxicants. The aim of this study was to identify potential developmental toxicity mechanisms of the histone deacetylase inhibitors (HDAC) valproic acid (VPA), suberoylanilide hydroxamic acid (SAHA) and trichostatin A (TSA) relevant to the in vivo condition using a hESC model in combination with specific differentiation protocols and genome-wide gene expression and microRNA profiling. Analysis of the gene expression data showed that VPA repressed neural tube and dorsal forebrain (OTX2, ISL1, EMX2 and SOX10)-related transcripts. In addition, VPA upregulates axonogenesis and ventral forebrain-associated genes, such as SLIT1, SEMA3A, DLX2/4 and GAD2. HDACi-induced expression of miR-378 and knockdown of miR-378 increases the expression of OTX2 and EMX2, which supports our hypothesis that HDACi targets forebrain markers through miR-378. In conclusion, multilineage differentiation in vitro test system is very sensitive for monitoring molecular activities relevant to in vivo neuronal developmental toxicity. Moreover, miR-378 seems to repress the expression of the OTX2 and EMX2 and therefore could be a regulator of the development of neural tube and dorsal forebrain neurons.
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Affiliation(s)
- K Meganathan
- Center of Physiology and Pathophysiology, Institute of Neurophysiology and Center for Molecular Medicine Cologne (CMMC), Robert-Koch-Str. 39, Cologne, Germany
| | - S Jagtap
- Center of Physiology and Pathophysiology, Institute of Neurophysiology and Center for Molecular Medicine Cologne (CMMC), Robert-Koch-Str. 39, Cologne, Germany
| | - S P Srinivasan
- Center of Physiology and Pathophysiology, Institute of Neurophysiology and Center for Molecular Medicine Cologne (CMMC), Robert-Koch-Str. 39, Cologne, Germany
| | - V Wagh
- Center of Physiology and Pathophysiology, Institute of Neurophysiology and Center for Molecular Medicine Cologne (CMMC), Robert-Koch-Str. 39, Cologne, Germany
| | - J Hescheler
- Center of Physiology and Pathophysiology, Institute of Neurophysiology and Center for Molecular Medicine Cologne (CMMC), Robert-Koch-Str. 39, Cologne, Germany
| | - J Hengstler
- Leibniz Research Centre for Working Environment and Human Factors, Technical University of Dortmund (IfADo), Dortmund, Germany
| | - M Leist
- Doerenkamp-Zbinden Chair for In Vitro Toxicology and Biomedicine, University of Konstanz, Konstanz, Germany
| | - A Sachinidis
- Center of Physiology and Pathophysiology, Institute of Neurophysiology and Center for Molecular Medicine Cologne (CMMC), Robert-Koch-Str. 39, Cologne, Germany
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Noro M, Sugahara F, Kuraku S. Reevaluating Emx gene phylogeny: homopolymeric amino acid tracts as a potential factor obscuring orthology signals in cyclostome genes. BMC Evol Biol 2015; 15:78. [PMID: 25935411 PMCID: PMC4464114 DOI: 10.1186/s12862-015-0351-z] [Citation(s) in RCA: 9] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 11/03/2014] [Accepted: 04/15/2015] [Indexed: 12/21/2022] Open
Abstract
BACKGROUND Vertebrate Emx genes, retained as multiple copies, are expressed in a nested pattern in the early embryonic forebrain and required for its regionalization. This pattern seems to have originated in a vertebrate common ancestor; however, a previous analysis, reporting two lamprey Emx genes, claimed independent Emx gene duplications in both cyclostome (extant jawless fish) and gnathostome (jawed vertebrate) lineages after their divergence. This scenario is neither parsimonious nor consistent with the hypothesis that genome expansion occurred before the cyclostome-gnathostome split, which is supported by recent genome-wide analyses. RESULTS We isolated and sequenced cDNA of two hagfish Emx genes and performed intensive molecular phylogenetic analyses, including the hagfish and/or lamprey Emx genes. The lamprey genes tended to attract each other in inferred phylogenetic trees, an effect that tended to be relaxed on inclusion of the hagfish genes. The results of these analyses suggest that cyclostome EmxB is orthologous to gnathostome Emx2, which was also supported by conserved synteny. Homopolymeric amino acid (HPAA) tracts represent a remarkable feature of the lamprey Emx sequences, and a comparative genome-wide scan revealed that lamprey proteins exhibit a unique pattern of HPAA tract accumulation. CONCLUSIONS Our analysis, including hagfish Emx genes, suggests that gene duplications gave rise to Emx1, -2 and -3 before the cyclostome-gnathostome split. We propose that independent HPAA tract accumulations in multiple ancient duplicates, as identified in lamprey Emx gene products, may have led to erroneous identification of gene duplication in the lamprey lineage. Overall, our reanalysis favors the scenario that the nested Emx expression pattern in mouse and lamprey shares a common origin.
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Affiliation(s)
- Miyuki Noro
- Genome Resource and Analysis Unit, RIKEN Center for Developmental Biology, 2-2-3 Minatojima-minami, Kobe, 650-0047, Japan.
| | - Fumiaki Sugahara
- Division of Biology, Hyogo College of Medicine, 1-1 Mukogawa-cho, Nishinomiya, 663-8501, Japan. .,Evolutionary Morphology Laboratory, RIKEN, 2-2-3 Minatojima-minami, Kobe, 650-0047, Japan.
| | - Shigehiro Kuraku
- Phyloinformatics Unit, RIKEN Center for Life Science Technologies, 2-2-3 Minatojima-minami, Kobe, 650-0047, Japan.
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Garaffo G, Conte D, Provero P, Tomaiuolo D, Luo Z, Pinciroli P, Peano C, D'Atri I, Gitton Y, Etzion T, Gothilf Y, Gays D, Santoro MM, Merlo GR. The Dlx5 and Foxg1 transcription factors, linked via miRNA-9 and -200, are required for the development of the olfactory and GnRH system. Mol Cell Neurosci 2015; 68:103-19. [PMID: 25937343 PMCID: PMC4604252 DOI: 10.1016/j.mcn.2015.04.007] [Citation(s) in RCA: 36] [Impact Index Per Article: 4.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 08/14/2014] [Revised: 04/20/2015] [Accepted: 04/29/2015] [Indexed: 01/26/2023] Open
Abstract
During neuronal development and maturation, microRNAs (miRs) play diverse functions ranging from early patterning, proliferation and commitment to differentiation, survival, homeostasis, activity and plasticity of more mature and adult neurons. The role of miRs in the differentiation of olfactory receptor neurons (ORNs) is emerging from the conditional inactivation of Dicer in immature ORN, and the depletion of all mature miRs in this system. Here, we identify specific miRs involved in olfactory development, by focusing on mice null for Dlx5, a homeogene essential for both ORN differentiation and axon guidance and connectivity. Analysis of miR expression in Dlx5−/− olfactory epithelium pointed to reduced levels of miR-9, miR-376a and four miRs of the -200 class in the absence of Dlx5. To functionally examine the role of these miRs, we depleted miR-9 and miR-200 class in reporter zebrafish embryos and observed delayed ORN differentiation, altered axonal trajectory/targeting, and altered genesis and position of olfactory-associated GnRH neurons, i.e. a phenotype known as Kallmann syndrome in humans. miR-9 and miR-200-class negatively control Foxg1 mRNA, a fork-head transcription factor essential for development of the olfactory epithelium and of the forebrain, known to maintain progenitors in a stem state. Increased levels of z-foxg1 mRNA resulted in delayed ORN differentiation and altered axon trajectory, in zebrafish embryos. This work describes for the first time the role of specific miR (-9 and -200) in olfactory/GnRH development, and uncovers a Dlx5–Foxg1 regulation whose alteration affects receptor neuron differentiation, axonal targeting, GnRH neuron development, the hallmarks of the Kallmann syndrome. Dlx5 controls the expressions of miR9 and miR-200, which target the Foxg1 mRNA miR-9 and -200 are needed for olfactory neurons differentiation and axon extension miR-9 and -200 are required for the genesis and position of GnRH neurons. Altered expression of miR-9 and -200 might contribute to the Kallmann disease.
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Affiliation(s)
- Giulia Garaffo
- Dept. Molecular Biotechnology and Health Sciences, University of Torino, Italy
| | - Daniele Conte
- Dept. Molecular Biotechnology and Health Sciences, University of Torino, Italy
| | - Paolo Provero
- Dept. Molecular Biotechnology and Health Sciences, University of Torino, Italy
| | - Daniela Tomaiuolo
- Dept. Molecular Biotechnology and Health Sciences, University of Torino, Italy
| | - Zheng Luo
- Dept. Molecular Biotechnology and Health Sciences, University of Torino, Italy
| | - Patrizia Pinciroli
- Doctorate School in Molecular Medicine, Dept. Medical Biotechnology Translational Medicine (BIOMETRA), University of Milano, Italy
| | - Clelia Peano
- Inst. of Biomedical Technology, National Research Council, ITB-CNR Segrate (MI) Italy
| | - Ilaria D'Atri
- Dept. Molecular Biotechnology and Health Sciences, University of Torino, Italy
| | - Yorick Gitton
- UMR7221 CNRS/MNHN - Evolution des régulations endocriniennes - Paris, France
| | - Talya Etzion
- Dept. Neurobiology, George S. Wise Faculty of Life Sciences, Tel-Aviv University, Tel-Aviv 69978, Israel; VIB, Vesalius Research Center, KU Leuven, Belgium
| | - Yoav Gothilf
- Dept. Neurobiology, George S. Wise Faculty of Life Sciences, Tel-Aviv University, Tel-Aviv 69978, Israel; VIB, Vesalius Research Center, KU Leuven, Belgium
| | - Dafne Gays
- Dept. Molecular Biotechnology and Health Sciences, University of Torino, Italy
| | - Massimo M Santoro
- Dept. Molecular Biotechnology and Health Sciences, University of Torino, Italy; Dept. Neurobiology, George S. Wise Faculty of Life Sciences, Tel-Aviv University, Tel-Aviv 69978, Israel; VIB, Vesalius Research Center, KU Leuven, Belgium
| | - Giorgio R Merlo
- Dept. Molecular Biotechnology and Health Sciences, University of Torino, Italy.
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Allan DW, Thor S. Transcriptional selectors, masters, and combinatorial codes: regulatory principles of neural subtype specification. WILEY INTERDISCIPLINARY REVIEWS-DEVELOPMENTAL BIOLOGY 2015; 4:505-28. [PMID: 25855098 PMCID: PMC4672696 DOI: 10.1002/wdev.191] [Citation(s) in RCA: 85] [Impact Index Per Article: 9.4] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 10/06/2014] [Revised: 03/04/2015] [Accepted: 03/04/2015] [Indexed: 01/08/2023]
Abstract
The broad range of tissue and cellular diversity of animals is generated to a large extent by the hierarchical deployment of sequence-specific transcription factors and co-factors (collectively referred to as TF's herein) during development. Our understanding of these developmental processes has been facilitated by the recognition that the activities of many TF's can be meaningfully described by a few functional categories that usefully convey a sense for how the TF's function, and also provides a sense for the regulatory organization of the developmental processes in which they participate. Here, we draw on examples from studies in Caenorhabditis elegans, Drosophila melanogaster, and vertebrates to discuss how the terms spatial selector, temporal selector, tissue/cell type selector, terminal selector and combinatorial code may be usefully applied to categorize the activities of TF's at critical steps of nervous system construction. While we believe that these functional categories are useful for understanding the organizational principles by which TF's direct nervous system construction, we however caution against the assumption that a TF's function can be solely or fully defined by any single functional category. Indeed, most TF's play diverse roles within different functional categories, and their roles can blur the lines we draw between these categories. Regardless, it is our belief that the concepts discussed here are helpful in clarifying the regulatory complexities of nervous system development, and hope they prove useful when interpreting mutant phenotypes, designing future experiments, and programming specific neuronal cell types for use in therapies. WIREs Dev Biol 2015, 4:505–528. doi: 10.1002/wdev.191 For further resources related to this article, please visit the WIREs website.
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Affiliation(s)
- Douglas W Allan
- Department of Cellular and Physiological Sciences, Life Sciences Institute, University of British Columbia, Vancouver, Canada
| | - Stefan Thor
- Department of Clinical and Experimental Medicine, Linkoping University, Linkoping, Sweden
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Shibata M, Gulden FO, Sestan N. From trans to cis: transcriptional regulatory networks in neocortical development. Trends Genet 2015; 31:77-87. [PMID: 25624274 DOI: 10.1016/j.tig.2014.12.004] [Citation(s) in RCA: 45] [Impact Index Per Article: 5.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 10/29/2014] [Revised: 12/19/2014] [Accepted: 12/19/2014] [Indexed: 01/25/2023]
Abstract
Transcriptional mechanisms mediated by the binding of transcription factors (TFs) to cis-acting regulatory elements (CREs) in DNA play crucial roles in directing gene expression. While TFs have been extensively studied, less effort has gone towards the identification and functional characterization of CREs and associated epigenetic modulation. However, owing to methodological and analytical advances, more comprehensive studies of regulatory elements and mechanisms are now possible. We summarize recent progress in integrative analyses of these regulatory components in the development of the cerebral neocortex, the part of the brain involved in cognition and complex behavior. These studies are uncovering not only the underlying transcriptional regulatory networks, but also how these networks are altered across species and in neurological and psychiatric disorders.
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Affiliation(s)
- Mikihito Shibata
- Department of Neurobiology and Kavli Institute for Neuroscience, Yale School of Medicine, New Haven, CT 06510, USA
| | - Forrest O Gulden
- Department of Neurobiology and Kavli Institute for Neuroscience, Yale School of Medicine, New Haven, CT 06510, USA
| | - Nenad Sestan
- Department of Neurobiology and Kavli Institute for Neuroscience, Yale School of Medicine, New Haven, CT 06510, USA; Department of Psychiatry and Program in Cellular Neuroscience, Neurodegeneration and Repair, Yale School of Medicine, New Haven, CT 06510, USA.
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Wise A, Bar-Joseph Z. SMARTS: reconstructing disease response networks from multiple individuals using time series gene expression data. ACTA ACUST UNITED AC 2014; 31:1250-7. [PMID: 25480376 DOI: 10.1093/bioinformatics/btu800] [Citation(s) in RCA: 18] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.8] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 09/06/2014] [Accepted: 11/26/2014] [Indexed: 02/02/2023]
Abstract
MOTIVATION Current methods for reconstructing dynamic regulatory networks are focused on modeling a single response network using model organisms or cell lines. Unlike these models or cell lines, humans differ in their background expression profiles due to age, genetics and life factors. In addition, there are often differences in start and end times for time series human data and in the rate of progress based on the specific individual. Thus, new methods are required to integrate time series data from multiple individuals when modeling and constructing disease response networks. RESULTS We developed Scalable Models for the Analysis of Regulation from Time Series (SMARTS), a method integrating static and time series data from multiple individuals to reconstruct condition-specific response networks in an unsupervised way. Using probabilistic graphical models, SMARTS iterates between reconstructing different regulatory networks and assigning individuals to these networks, taking into account varying individual start times and response rates. These models can be used to group different sets of patients and to identify transcription factors that differentiate the observed responses between these groups. We applied SMARTS to analyze human response to influenza and mouse brain development. In both cases, it was able to greatly improve baseline groupings while identifying key relevant TFs that differ between the groups. Several of these groupings and TFs are known to regulate the relevant processes while others represent novel hypotheses regarding immune response and development. AVAILABILITY AND IMPLEMENTATION Software and Supplementary information are available at http://sb.cs.cmu.edu/smarts/. CONTACT zivbj@cs.cmu.edu SUPPLEMENTARY INFORMATION Supplementary data are available at Bioinformatics online.
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Affiliation(s)
- Aaron Wise
- Lane Center for Computational Biology and Machine Learning Department, Carnegie Mellon University, Pittsburgh, PA, USA
| | - Ziv Bar-Joseph
- Lane Center for Computational Biology and Machine Learning Department, Carnegie Mellon University, Pittsburgh, PA, USA Lane Center for Computational Biology and Machine Learning Department, Carnegie Mellon University, Pittsburgh, PA, USA
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Mutations in FEZF1 cause Kallmann syndrome. Am J Hum Genet 2014; 95:326-31. [PMID: 25192046 DOI: 10.1016/j.ajhg.2014.08.006] [Citation(s) in RCA: 61] [Impact Index Per Article: 6.1] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 07/16/2014] [Accepted: 08/14/2014] [Indexed: 11/20/2022] Open
Abstract
Gonadotropin-releasing hormone (GnRH) neurons originate outside the CNS in the olfactory placode and migrate into the CNS, where they become integral components of the hypothalamic-pituitary-gonadal (HPG) axis. Disruption of this migration results in Kallmann syndrome (KS), which is characterized by anosmia and pubertal failure due to hypogonadotropic hypogonadism. Using candidate-gene screening, autozygosity mapping, and whole-exome sequencing in a cohort of 30 individuals with KS, we searched for genes newly associated with KS. We identified homozygous loss-of-function mutations in FEZF1 in two independent consanguineous families each with two affected siblings. The FEZF1 product is known to enable axons of olfactory receptor neurons (ORNs) to penetrate the CNS basal lamina in mice. Because a subset of axons in these tracks is the migratory pathway for GnRH neurons, in FEZF1 deficiency, GnRH neurons also fail to enter the brain. These results indicate that FEZF1 is required for establishment of the central component of the HPG axis in humans.
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