1
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Youlten SE, Miao L, Hoppe C, Boswell CW, Musaev D, Abdelmessih M, Krishnaswamy S, Tornini VA, Giraldez AJ. Novel cell states arise in embryonic cells devoid of key reprogramming factors. BIORXIV : THE PREPRINT SERVER FOR BIOLOGY 2024:2024.05.13.593729. [PMID: 38798464 PMCID: PMC11118305 DOI: 10.1101/2024.05.13.593729] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 05/29/2024]
Abstract
The capacity for embryonic cells to differentiate relies on a large-scale reprogramming of the oocyte and sperm nucleus into a transient totipotent state. In zebrafish, this reprogramming step is achieved by the pioneer factors Nanog, Pou5f3, and Sox19b (NPS). Yet, it remains unclear whether cells lacking this reprogramming step are directed towards wild type states or towards novel developmental canals in the Waddington landscape of embryonic development. Here we investigate the developmental fate of embryonic cells mutant for NPS by analyzing their single-cell gene expression profiles. We find that cells lacking the first developmental reprogramming steps can acquire distinct cell states. These states are manifested by gene expression modules that result from a failure of nuclear reprogramming, the persistence of the maternal program, and the activation of somatic compensatory programs. As a result, most mutant cells follow new developmental canals and acquire new mixed cell states in development. In contrast, a group of mutant cells acquire primordial germ cell-like states, suggesting that NPS-dependent reprogramming is dispensable for these cell states. Together, these results demonstrate that developmental reprogramming after fertilization is required to differentiate most canonical developmental programs, and loss of the transient totipotent state canalizes embryonic cells into new developmental states in vivo.
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Affiliation(s)
- Scott E. Youlten
- Department of Genetics, Yale University School of Medicine, New Haven, CT 06510, USA
| | - Liyun Miao
- Department of Genetics, Yale University School of Medicine, New Haven, CT 06510, USA
| | - Caroline Hoppe
- Department of Genetics, Yale University School of Medicine, New Haven, CT 06510, USA
| | - Curtis W. Boswell
- Department of Genetics, Yale University School of Medicine, New Haven, CT 06510, USA
| | - Damir Musaev
- Department of Genetics, Yale University School of Medicine, New Haven, CT 06510, USA
| | - Mario Abdelmessih
- Department of Genetics, Yale University School of Medicine, New Haven, CT 06510, USA
- Current Address: AstraZeneca, Waltham, MA 02451, USA
| | - Smita Krishnaswamy
- Department of Genetics, Yale University School of Medicine, New Haven, CT 06510, USA
- Department of Computer Science, Yale University, New Haven, CT 06510, USA
| | - Valerie A. Tornini
- Department of Genetics, Yale University School of Medicine, New Haven, CT 06510, USA
| | - Antonio J. Giraldez
- Department of Genetics, Yale University School of Medicine, New Haven, CT 06510, USA
- Yale Stem Cell Center, Yale University School of Medicine, New Haven, CT 06510, USA
- Yale Cancer Center, Yale University School of Medicine, New Haven, CT 06510, USA
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2
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Michaelsen GL, da Silva LDRE, de Lima DS, Jaeger MDC, Brunetto AT, Dalmolin RJS, Sinigaglia M. A Prognostic Methylation-Driven Two-Gene Signature in Medulloblastoma. J Mol Neurosci 2024; 74:47. [PMID: 38662144 DOI: 10.1007/s12031-024-02203-9] [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: 09/29/2023] [Accepted: 02/21/2024] [Indexed: 04/26/2024]
Abstract
Medulloblastoma (MB) is one of the most common pediatric brain tumors and it is estimated that one-third of patients will not achieve long-term survival. Conventional prognostic parameters have limited and unreliable correlations with MB outcome, presenting a major challenge for patients' clinical improvement. Acknowledging this issue, our aim was to build a gene signature and evaluate its potential as a new prognostic model for patients with the disease. In this study, we used six datasets totaling 1679 samples including RNA gene expression and DNA methylation data from primary MB as well as control samples from healthy cerebellum. We identified methylation-driven genes (MDGs) in MB, genes whose expression is correlated with their methylation. We employed LASSO regression, incorporating the MDGs as a parameter to develop the prognostic model. Through this approach, we derived a two-gene signature (GS-2) of candidate prognostic biomarkers for MB (CEMIP and NCBP3). Using a risk score model, we confirmed the GS-2 impact on overall survival (OS) with Kaplan-Meier analysis. We evaluated its robustness and accuracy with receiver operating characteristic curves predicting OS at 1, 3, and 5 years in multiple independent datasets. The GS-2 showed highly significant results as an independent prognostic biomarker compared to traditional MB markers. The methylation-regulated GS-2 risk score model can effectively classify patients with MB into high and low-risk, reinforcing the importance of this epigenetic modification in the disease. Such genes stand out as promising prognostic biomarkers with potential application for MB treatment.
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Affiliation(s)
- Gustavo Lovatto Michaelsen
- Children's Cancer Institute, Porto Alegre, 90620-110, RS, Brazil
- Bioinformatics Multidisciplinary Environment-BioME, Digital Metropole Institute, Federal University of Rio Grande do Norte, Natal, 59076-550, RN, Brazil
- National Science and Technology Institute for Children's Cancer Biology and Pediatric Oncology - INCT BioOncoPed, Porto Alegre, 90035-003, RS, Brazil
| | - Lívia Dos Reis Edinger da Silva
- Children's Cancer Institute, Porto Alegre, 90620-110, RS, Brazil
- Federal University of Health Sciences of Porto Alegre, Porto Alegre, 90050-170, RS, Brazil
| | - Douglas Silva de Lima
- Children's Cancer Institute, Porto Alegre, 90620-110, RS, Brazil
- Institute of Basic Health Sciences, Federal University of Rio Grande do Sul, Porto Alegre, 90035-003, RS, Brazil
| | - Mariane da Cunha Jaeger
- Children's Cancer Institute, Porto Alegre, 90620-110, RS, Brazil
- National Science and Technology Institute for Children's Cancer Biology and Pediatric Oncology - INCT BioOncoPed, Porto Alegre, 90035-003, RS, Brazil
| | - André Tesainer Brunetto
- Children's Cancer Institute, Porto Alegre, 90620-110, RS, Brazil
- National Science and Technology Institute for Children's Cancer Biology and Pediatric Oncology - INCT BioOncoPed, Porto Alegre, 90035-003, RS, Brazil
| | - Rodrigo Juliani Siqueira Dalmolin
- Bioinformatics Multidisciplinary Environment-BioME, Digital Metropole Institute, Federal University of Rio Grande do Norte, Natal, 59076-550, RN, Brazil
- Department of Biochemistry, Federal University of Rio Grande do Norte, Natal, 59064-741, RN, Brazil
| | - Marialva Sinigaglia
- Children's Cancer Institute, Porto Alegre, 90620-110, RS, Brazil.
- Bioinformatics Multidisciplinary Environment-BioME, Digital Metropole Institute, Federal University of Rio Grande do Norte, Natal, 59076-550, RN, Brazil.
- National Science and Technology Institute for Children's Cancer Biology and Pediatric Oncology - INCT BioOncoPed, Porto Alegre, 90035-003, RS, Brazil.
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3
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Zhao Q, Lai K. Role of immune inflammation regulated by macrophage in the pathogenesis of age-related macular degeneration. Exp Eye Res 2024; 239:109770. [PMID: 38145794 DOI: 10.1016/j.exer.2023.109770] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 09/14/2023] [Revised: 12/05/2023] [Accepted: 12/20/2023] [Indexed: 12/27/2023]
Abstract
Age-related macular degeneration (AMD) can lead to irreversible impairment of visual function, and the number of patients with AMD has been increasing globally. The immunoinflammatory theory is an important pathogenic mechanism of AMD, with macrophages serving as the primary inflammatory infiltrating cells in AMD lesions. Its powerful immunoinflammatory regulatory function has attracted considerable attention. Herein, we provide an overview of the involvement of macrophage-regulated immunoinflammation in different stages of AMD. Additionally, we summarize novel therapeutic approaches for AMD, focusing on targeting macrophages, such as macrophage/microglia modulators, reduction of macrophage aggregation in the subretinal space, modulation of macrophage effector function, macrophage phenotypic alterations, and novel biomimetic nanocomposites development based on macrophage-associated functional properties. We aimed to provide a basis and reference for the further exploration of AMD pathogenesis, developmental influences, and new therapeutic approaches.
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Affiliation(s)
- Qin Zhao
- State Key Laboratory of Ophthalmology, Zhongshan Ophthalmic Center, Sun Yat-sen University, Guangdong Provincial Key Laboratory of Ophthalmology and Visual Science, Guangdong Provincial Clinical Research Center for Ocular Diseases, No.7 Jinsui Road, Guangzhou, 510060, China
| | - Kunbei Lai
- State Key Laboratory of Ophthalmology, Zhongshan Ophthalmic Center, Sun Yat-sen University, Guangdong Provincial Key Laboratory of Ophthalmology and Visual Science, Guangdong Provincial Clinical Research Center for Ocular Diseases, No.7 Jinsui Road, Guangzhou, 510060, China.
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4
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Selvarajah K, Tan JJ, Shaharuddin B. Corneal Epithelial Development and the Role of Induced Pluripotent Stem Cells for Regeneration. Curr Stem Cell Res Ther 2024; 19:292-306. [PMID: 36915985 DOI: 10.2174/1574888x18666230313094121] [Citation(s) in RCA: 1] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 07/15/2022] [Revised: 12/02/2022] [Accepted: 01/02/2023] [Indexed: 03/16/2023]
Abstract
Severe corneal disorders due to infective aetiologies, trauma, chemical injuries, and chronic cicatricial inflammations, are among vision-threatening pathologies leading to permanent corneal scarring. The whole cornea or lamellar corneal transplantation is often used as a last resort to restore vision. However, limited autologous tissue sources and potential adverse post-allotransplantation sequalae urge the need for more robust and strategic alternatives. Contemporary management using cultivated corneal epithelial transplantation has paved the way for utilizing stem cells as a regenerative potential. Humaninduced pluripotent stem cells (hiPSCs) can generate ectodermal progenitors and potentially be used for ocular surface regeneration. This review summarizes the process of corneal morphogenesis and the signaling pathways underlying the development of corneal epithelium, which is key to translating the maturation and differentiation process of hiPSCs in vitro. The current state of knowledge and methodology for driving efficient corneal epithelial cell differentiation from pluripotent stem cells are highlighted.
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Affiliation(s)
- Komathi Selvarajah
- Advanced Medical and Dental Institute, Universiti Sains Malaysia, Bertam, 13200, Kepala Batas, Penang, Malaysia
- Department of Microbiology, Faculty of Medicine, Asian Institute of Medical Sciences and Technology (AIMST) University, Kedah, Malaysia
| | - Jun Jie Tan
- Department of Microbiology, Faculty of Medicine, Asian Institute of Medical Sciences and Technology (AIMST) University, Kedah, Malaysia
| | - Bakiah Shaharuddin
- Department of Microbiology, Faculty of Medicine, Asian Institute of Medical Sciences and Technology (AIMST) University, Kedah, Malaysia
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5
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Terrinoni A, Micheloni G, Moretti V, Caporali S, Bernardini S, Minieri M, Pieri M, Giaroni C, Acquati F, Costantino L, Ferrara F, Valli R, Porta G. OTX Genes in Adult Tissues. Int J Mol Sci 2023; 24:16962. [PMID: 38069286 PMCID: PMC10707059 DOI: 10.3390/ijms242316962] [Citation(s) in RCA: 1] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 10/12/2023] [Revised: 11/22/2023] [Accepted: 11/25/2023] [Indexed: 12/18/2023] Open
Abstract
OTX homeobox genes have been extensively studied for their role in development, especially in neuroectoderm formation. Recently, their expression has also been reported in adult physiological and pathological tissues, including retina, mammary and pituitary glands, sinonasal mucosa, in several types of cancer, and in response to inflammatory, ischemic, and hypoxic stimuli. Reactivation of OTX genes in adult tissues supports the notion of the evolutionary amplification of functions of genes by varying their temporal expression, with the selection of homeobox genes from the "toolbox" to drive or contribute to different processes at different stages of life. OTX involvement in pathologies points toward these genes as potential diagnostic and/or prognostic markers as well as possible therapeutic targets.
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Affiliation(s)
- Alessandro Terrinoni
- Department of Experimental Medicine, University of Rome Tor Vergata, Via Montpellier 1, 00133 Rome, Italy
| | - Giovanni Micheloni
- Genomic Medicine Research Center, Department of Medicine and Surgery, University of Insubria, Via JH Dunant 5, 21100 Varese, Italy
| | - Vittoria Moretti
- Genomic Medicine Research Center, Department of Medicine and Surgery, University of Insubria, Via JH Dunant 5, 21100 Varese, Italy
| | - Sabrina Caporali
- Department of Industrial Engineering, University of Rome Tor Vergata, Via del Politecnico 1, 00133 Rome, Italy
| | - Sergio Bernardini
- Department of Experimental Medicine, University of Rome Tor Vergata, Via Montpellier 1, 00133 Rome, Italy
| | - Marilena Minieri
- Department of Experimental Medicine, University of Rome Tor Vergata, Via Montpellier 1, 00133 Rome, Italy
| | - Massimo Pieri
- Department of Experimental Medicine, University of Rome Tor Vergata, Via Montpellier 1, 00133 Rome, Italy
| | - Cristina Giaroni
- Department of Medicina e Innovazione Tecnologica, University of Insubria, Via JH Dunant 5, 21100 Varese, Italy
| | - Francesco Acquati
- Genomic Medicine Research Center, Department of Medicine and Surgery, University of Insubria, Via JH Dunant 5, 21100 Varese, Italy
- Department of Biotechnology and Life Science, University of Insubria, Via JH Dunant 3, 21100 Varese, Italy
| | - Lucy Costantino
- Department of Molecular Genetics, Centro Diagnostico Italiano, Via Saint Bon 20, 20147 Milano, Italy
| | - Fulvio Ferrara
- Department of Molecular Genetics, Centro Diagnostico Italiano, Via Saint Bon 20, 20147 Milano, Italy
| | - Roberto Valli
- Genomic Medicine Research Center, Department of Medicine and Surgery, University of Insubria, Via JH Dunant 5, 21100 Varese, Italy
| | - Giovanni Porta
- Genomic Medicine Research Center, Department of Medicine and Surgery, University of Insubria, Via JH Dunant 5, 21100 Varese, Italy
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6
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Pulcrano S, De Gregorio R, De Sanctis C, Volpicelli F, Piscitelli RM, Speranza L, Perrone-Capano C, di Porzio U, Caiazzo M, Martini A, Giacomet C, Medina D, Awatramani R, Viggiano D, Federici M, Mercuri NB, Guatteo E, Bellenchi GC. miR-218 Promotes Dopaminergic Differentiation and Controls Neuron Excitability and Neurotransmitter Release through the Regulation of a Synaptic-Related Genes Network. J Neurosci 2023; 43:8104-8125. [PMID: 37816598 PMCID: PMC10697421 DOI: 10.1523/jneurosci.0431-23.2023] [Citation(s) in RCA: 1] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 03/08/2023] [Revised: 07/25/2023] [Accepted: 08/10/2023] [Indexed: 10/12/2023] Open
Abstract
In the brain, microRNAs (miRNAs) are believed to play a role in orchestrating synaptic plasticity at a higher level by acting as an additional mechanism of translational regulation, alongside the mRNA/polysome system. Despite extensive research, our understanding of the specific contribution of individual miRNA to the function of dopaminergic neurons (DAn) remains limited. By performing a dopaminergic-specific miRNA screening, we have identified miR-218 as a critical regulator of DAn activity in male and female mice. We have found that miR-218 is specifically expressed in mesencephalic DAn and is able to promote dopaminergic differentiation of embryonic stem cells and functional maturation of transdifferentiated induced DA neurons. Midbrain-specific deletion of both genes encoding for miR-218 (referred to as miR-218-1 and mir218-2) affects the expression of a cluster of synaptic-related mRNAs and alters the intrinsic excitability of DAn, as it increases instantaneous frequencies of evoked action potentials, reduces rheobase current, affects the ionic current underlying the action potential after hyperpolarization phase, and reduces dopamine efflux in response to a single electrical stimulus. Our findings provide a comprehensive understanding of the involvement of miR-218 in the dopaminergic system and highlight its role as a modulator of dopaminergic transmission.SIGNIFICANCE STATEMENT In the past decade, several miRNAs have emerged as potential regulators of synapse activity through the modulation of specific gene expression. Among these, we have identified a dopaminergic-specific miRNA, miR-218, which is able to promote dopaminergic differentiation and regulates the translation of an entire cluster of synapse related mRNAs. Deletion of miR-218 has notable effects on dopamine release and alters the intrinsic excitability of dopaminergic neurons, indicating a direct control of dopaminergic activity by miR-218.
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Affiliation(s)
- Salvatore Pulcrano
- Institute of Genetics and Biophysics, Consiglio Nazionale delle Ricerche, Naples, 80131, Italy
| | - Roberto De Gregorio
- Institute of Genetics and Biophysics, Consiglio Nazionale delle Ricerche, Naples, 80131, Italy
- Caryl and Israel Englander Institute for Precision Medicine, Weill Cornell Medicine and New York Presbyterian, New York, New York 10021
| | - Claudia De Sanctis
- Institute of Genetics and Biophysics, Consiglio Nazionale delle Ricerche, Naples, 80131, Italy
- Neuropathology Brain Bank at Mount Sinai, New York, New York 10029
| | - Floriana Volpicelli
- Institute of Genetics and Biophysics, Consiglio Nazionale delle Ricerche, Naples, 80131, Italy
- Department of Pharmacy, School of Medicine and Surgery, University of Naples Federico II, Naples, 80131, Italy
| | - Rosa Maria Piscitelli
- Fondazione Santa Lucia Istituto Di Ricovero e Cura a Carattere Scientifico, Rome, 00143, Italy
| | - Luisa Speranza
- Dominick P. Purpura Department of Neuroscience, Albert Einstein College of Medicine, New York, New York 10461
| | - Carla Perrone-Capano
- Institute of Genetics and Biophysics, Consiglio Nazionale delle Ricerche, Naples, 80131, Italy
- Department of Pharmacy, School of Medicine and Surgery, University of Naples Federico II, Naples, 80131, Italy
| | - Umberto di Porzio
- Institute of Genetics and Biophysics, Consiglio Nazionale delle Ricerche, Naples, 80131, Italy
| | - Massimiliano Caiazzo
- Department of Molecular Medicine and Medical Biotechnology, University of Naples Federico II, Naples, 80131, Italy
- Department of Pharmaceutics, Utrecht Institute for Pharmaceutical Sciences, Utrecht University, Utrecht, 3584 CG, The Netherlands
| | - Alessandro Martini
- Fondazione Santa Lucia Istituto Di Ricovero e Cura a Carattere Scientifico, Rome, 00143, Italy
| | - Cecilia Giacomet
- Fondazione Santa Lucia Istituto Di Ricovero e Cura a Carattere Scientifico, Rome, 00143, Italy
| | - Diego Medina
- Telethon Institute of Genetics and Medicine, Pozzuoli, 80078, Italy
- Department of Medical and Translational Science, Federico II University, Naples, 80131, Italy
| | | | - Davide Viggiano
- Department of Translational Medical Sciences, University of Campania "L. Vanvitelli," Naples, 80131, Italy
| | - Mauro Federici
- Fondazione Santa Lucia Istituto Di Ricovero e Cura a Carattere Scientifico, Rome, 00143, Italy
| | - Nicola B Mercuri
- Fondazione Santa Lucia Istituto Di Ricovero e Cura a Carattere Scientifico, Rome, 00143, Italy
- University of Tor Vergata, Department of Systems Medicine, Rome, 00133, Italy
| | - Ezia Guatteo
- Fondazione Santa Lucia Istituto Di Ricovero e Cura a Carattere Scientifico, Rome, 00143, Italy
- Department of Motor Science and Wellness, Parthenope University, Naples, 80133, Italy
| | - Gian Carlo Bellenchi
- Institute of Genetics and Biophysics, Consiglio Nazionale delle Ricerche, Naples, 80131, Italy
- Fondazione Santa Lucia Istituto Di Ricovero e Cura a Carattere Scientifico, Rome, 00143, Italy
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7
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Vanova T, Sedmik J, Raska J, Amruz Cerna K, Taus P, Pospisilova V, Nezvedova M, Fedorova V, Kadakova S, Klimova H, Capandova M, Orviska P, Fojtik P, Bartova S, Plevova K, Spacil Z, Hribkova H, Bohaciakova D. Cerebral organoids derived from patients with Alzheimer's disease with PSEN1/2 mutations have defective tissue patterning and altered development. Cell Rep 2023; 42:113310. [PMID: 37864790 DOI: 10.1016/j.celrep.2023.113310] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 03/28/2022] [Revised: 08/09/2023] [Accepted: 10/04/2023] [Indexed: 10/23/2023] Open
Abstract
During the past two decades, induced pluripotent stem cells (iPSCs) have been widely used to study human neural development and disease. Especially in the field of Alzheimer's disease (AD), remarkable effort has been put into investigating molecular mechanisms behind this disease. Then, with the advent of 3D neuronal cultures and cerebral organoids (COs), several studies have demonstrated that this model can adequately mimic familial and sporadic AD. Therefore, we created an AD-CO model using iPSCs derived from patients with familial AD forms and explored early events and the progression of AD pathogenesis. Our study demonstrated that COs derived from three AD-iPSC lines with PSEN1(A246E) or PSEN2(N141I) mutations developed the AD-specific markers in vitro, yet they also uncover tissue patterning defects and altered development. These findings are complemented by single-cell sequencing data confirming this observation and uncovering that neurons in AD-COs likely differentiate prematurely.
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Affiliation(s)
- Tereza Vanova
- Department of Histology and Embryology, Faculty of Medicine, Masaryk University, 62500 Brno, Czech Republic; International Clinical Research Center (ICRC), St. Anne's University Hospital, 60200 Brno, Czech Republic
| | - Jiri Sedmik
- Department of Histology and Embryology, Faculty of Medicine, Masaryk University, 62500 Brno, Czech Republic
| | - Jan Raska
- Department of Histology and Embryology, Faculty of Medicine, Masaryk University, 62500 Brno, Czech Republic; International Clinical Research Center (ICRC), St. Anne's University Hospital, 60200 Brno, Czech Republic
| | - Katerina Amruz Cerna
- Department of Histology and Embryology, Faculty of Medicine, Masaryk University, 62500 Brno, Czech Republic
| | - Petr Taus
- Central European Institute of Technology, Masaryk University, 62500 Brno, Czech Republic
| | - Veronika Pospisilova
- Department of Histology and Embryology, Faculty of Medicine, Masaryk University, 62500 Brno, Czech Republic
| | - Marketa Nezvedova
- RECETOX, Faculty of Science, Masaryk University, 62500 Brno, Czech Republic
| | - Veronika Fedorova
- Department of Histology and Embryology, Faculty of Medicine, Masaryk University, 62500 Brno, Czech Republic
| | - Sona Kadakova
- Department of Histology and Embryology, Faculty of Medicine, Masaryk University, 62500 Brno, Czech Republic
| | - Hana Klimova
- Department of Histology and Embryology, Faculty of Medicine, Masaryk University, 62500 Brno, Czech Republic
| | - Michaela Capandova
- Department of Histology and Embryology, Faculty of Medicine, Masaryk University, 62500 Brno, Czech Republic
| | - Petra Orviska
- Department of Histology and Embryology, Faculty of Medicine, Masaryk University, 62500 Brno, Czech Republic
| | - Petr Fojtik
- Department of Histology and Embryology, Faculty of Medicine, Masaryk University, 62500 Brno, Czech Republic; International Clinical Research Center (ICRC), St. Anne's University Hospital, 60200 Brno, Czech Republic
| | - Simona Bartova
- Department of Histology and Embryology, Faculty of Medicine, Masaryk University, 62500 Brno, Czech Republic
| | - Karla Plevova
- Central European Institute of Technology, Masaryk University, 62500 Brno, Czech Republic; Institute of Medical Genetics and Genomics, University Hospital Brno and Faculty of Medicine, Masaryk University, 61300 Brno, Czech Republic
| | - Zdenek Spacil
- RECETOX, Faculty of Science, Masaryk University, 62500 Brno, Czech Republic
| | - Hana Hribkova
- Department of Histology and Embryology, Faculty of Medicine, Masaryk University, 62500 Brno, Czech Republic
| | - Dasa Bohaciakova
- Department of Histology and Embryology, Faculty of Medicine, Masaryk University, 62500 Brno, Czech Republic; International Clinical Research Center (ICRC), St. Anne's University Hospital, 60200 Brno, Czech Republic.
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8
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Smits JGA, Cunha DL, Amini M, Bertolin M, Laberthonnière C, Qu J, Owen N, Latta L, Seitz B, Roux LN, Stachon T, Ferrari S, Moosajee M, Aberdam D, Szentmary N, van Heeringen SJ, Zhou H. Identification of the regulatory circuit governing corneal epithelial fate determination and disease. PLoS Biol 2023; 21:e3002336. [PMID: 37856539 PMCID: PMC10586658 DOI: 10.1371/journal.pbio.3002336] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 03/08/2023] [Accepted: 09/14/2023] [Indexed: 10/21/2023] Open
Abstract
The transparent corneal epithelium in the eye is maintained through the homeostasis regulated by limbal stem cells (LSCs), while the nontransparent epidermis relies on epidermal keratinocytes for renewal. Despite their cellular similarities, the precise cell fates of these two types of epithelial stem cells, which give rise to functionally distinct epithelia, remain unknown. We performed a multi-omics analysis of human LSCs from the cornea and keratinocytes from the epidermis and characterized their molecular signatures, highlighting their similarities and differences. Through gene regulatory network analyses, we identified shared and cell type-specific transcription factors (TFs) that define specific cell fates and established their regulatory hierarchy. Single-cell RNA-seq (scRNA-seq) analyses of the cornea and the epidermis confirmed these shared and cell type-specific TFs. Notably, the shared and LSC-specific TFs can cooperatively target genes associated with corneal opacity. Importantly, we discovered that FOSL2, a direct PAX6 target gene, is a novel candidate associated with corneal opacity, and it regulates genes implicated in corneal diseases. By characterizing molecular signatures, our study unveils the regulatory circuitry governing the LSC fate and its association with corneal opacity.
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Affiliation(s)
- Jos G. A. Smits
- Faculty of Science, Department of Molecular Developmental Biology, Radboud Institute for Molecular Life Sciences, Radboud University, Nijmegen, the Netherlands
| | - Dulce Lima Cunha
- Faculty of Science, Department of Molecular Developmental Biology, Radboud Institute for Molecular Life Sciences, Radboud University, Nijmegen, the Netherlands
| | - Maryam Amini
- Dr. Rolf M. Schwiete Center for Limbal Stem Cell and Aniridia Research, Saarland University, Homburg/Saar, Germany
| | | | - Camille Laberthonnière
- Faculty of Science, Department of Molecular Developmental Biology, Radboud Institute for Molecular Life Sciences, Radboud University, Nijmegen, the Netherlands
| | - Jieqiong Qu
- Faculty of Science, Department of Molecular Developmental Biology, Radboud Institute for Molecular Life Sciences, Radboud University, Nijmegen, the Netherlands
- Department of Medical Microbiology, Radboud University Medical Center, Radboud Institute for Molecular Life Sciences, Nijmegen, the Netherlands
| | - Nicholas Owen
- Development, Ageing and Disease, UCL Institute of Ophthalmology, London, United Kingdom
| | - Lorenz Latta
- Dr. Rolf M. Schwiete Center for Limbal Stem Cell and Aniridia Research, Saarland University, Homburg/Saar, Germany
- Department of Ophthalmology, Saarland University Medical Center, UKS, Homburg, Germany
| | - Berthold Seitz
- Department of Ophthalmology, Saarland University Medical Center, UKS, Homburg, Germany
| | | | - Tanja Stachon
- Dr. Rolf M. Schwiete Center for Limbal Stem Cell and Aniridia Research, Saarland University, Homburg/Saar, Germany
| | | | - Mariya Moosajee
- Development, Ageing and Disease, UCL Institute of Ophthalmology, London, United Kingdom
- Department of Genetics, Moorfields Eye Hospital NHS Foundation Trust, London, United Kingdom
| | - Daniel Aberdam
- INSERM U976, Paris, France
- Université de Paris, INSERM U1138, Centre des Cordeliers, Paris, France
| | - Nora Szentmary
- Dr. Rolf M. Schwiete Center for Limbal Stem Cell and Aniridia Research, Saarland University, Homburg/Saar, Germany
| | - Simon J. van Heeringen
- Faculty of Science, Department of Molecular Developmental Biology, Radboud Institute for Molecular Life Sciences, Radboud University, Nijmegen, the Netherlands
| | - Huiqing Zhou
- Faculty of Science, Department of Molecular Developmental Biology, Radboud Institute for Molecular Life Sciences, Radboud University, Nijmegen, the Netherlands
- Department of Human Genetics, Radboud University Medical Center, Nijmegen, the Netherlands
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9
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Liu W, Shrestha R, Lowe A, Zhang X, Spaeth L. Self-formation of concentric zones of telencephalic and ocular tissues and directional retinal ganglion cell axons. eLife 2023; 12:RP87306. [PMID: 37665325 PMCID: PMC10476969 DOI: 10.7554/elife.87306] [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: 09/05/2023] Open
Abstract
The telencephalon and eye in mammals are originated from adjacent fields at the anterior neural plate. Morphogenesis of these fields generates telencephalon, optic-stalk, optic-disc, and neuroretina along a spatial axis. How these telencephalic and ocular tissues are specified coordinately to ensure directional retinal ganglion cell (RGC) axon growth is unclear. Here, we report self-formation of human telencephalon-eye organoids comprising concentric zones of telencephalic, optic-stalk, optic-disc, and neuroretinal tissues along the center-periphery axis. Initially-differentiated RGCs grew axons towards and then along a path defined by adjacent PAX2+ VSX2+ optic-disc cells. Single-cell RNA sequencing of these organoids not only confirmed telencephalic and ocular identities but also identified expression signatures of early optic-disc, optic-stalk, and RGCs. These signatures were similar to those in human fetal retinas. Optic-disc cells in these organoids differentially expressed FGF8 and FGF9; FGFR inhibitions drastically decreased early RGC differentiation and directional axon growth. Through the RGC-specific cell-surface marker CNTN2 identified here, electrophysiologically excitable RGCs were isolated under a native condition. Our findings provide insight into the coordinated specification of early telencephalic and ocular tissues in humans and establish resources for studying RGC-related diseases such as glaucoma.
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Affiliation(s)
- Wei Liu
- Department of Ophthalmology and Visual Sciences, Albert Einstein College of MedicineBronxUnited States
- Department of Genetics, Albert Einstein College of MedicineBronxUnited States
- The Ruth L. and David S. Gottesman Institute for Stem Cell Biology and Regenerative Medicine, Albert Einstein College of MedicineBronxUnited States
| | - Rupendra Shrestha
- Department of Ophthalmology and Visual Sciences, Albert Einstein College of MedicineBronxUnited States
- Department of Genetics, Albert Einstein College of MedicineBronxUnited States
- The Ruth L. and David S. Gottesman Institute for Stem Cell Biology and Regenerative Medicine, Albert Einstein College of MedicineBronxUnited States
| | - Albert Lowe
- Department of Ophthalmology and Visual Sciences, Albert Einstein College of MedicineBronxUnited States
- Department of Genetics, Albert Einstein College of MedicineBronxUnited States
| | - Xusheng Zhang
- Department of Genetics, Albert Einstein College of MedicineBronxUnited States
| | - Ludovic Spaeth
- Dominick P Purpura Department of Neuroscience, Albert Einstein College of MedicineBronxUnited States
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10
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Iwagawa T, Saita K, Sagara H, Watanabe S. Downregulation of VEGF in the retinal pigment epithelium followed by choriocapillaris atrophy after NaIO3 treatment in mice. Exp Eye Res 2023; 234:109598. [PMID: 37479076 DOI: 10.1016/j.exer.2023.109598] [Citation(s) in RCA: 2] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 01/17/2023] [Revised: 07/09/2023] [Accepted: 07/18/2023] [Indexed: 07/23/2023]
Abstract
Sodium iodate (NaIO3) induces retinal pigment epithelium (RPE) dysfunction, which leads to photoreceptor degeneration. Previously, we used electron microscopy to show that the administration of NaIO3 resulted in the accumulation of cell debris in the subretinal space, which was thought to be caused by failed phagocytosis in the outer segment of the photoreceptor due to RPE dysfunction. We further analyzed the pathological changes in the retina and choroid of NaIO3-injected mice, and found that the expression of OTX2, an RPE marker, disappeared from central part of the RPE 1 day after NaIO3 administration. Furthermore, fenestrated capillaries (choriocapillaris, CC) adjacent to the RPE could not be identified only 2 days after NaIO3 administration. An examination of the expression of the CC-specific protein plasmalemma vesicle-associated protein (PLVAP), in sections and flat-mount retina/choroid specimens showed destruction of the CC, and complete disappearance of the PLVAP signal 7 days after NaIO3 administration. In contrast, CD31 flat-mount immunohistochemistry of the retina indicated no difference in retinal vessels between NaIO3-treated mice and controls. Electron microscopy showed that the fenestrated capillaries in the kidney and duodenum were morphologically indistinguishable between control and NaIO3-treated mice. We examined cytokine production in the retina and RPE, and found that the Vegfa transcript level in the RPE decreased starting 1 day after NaIO3 administration. Taken together, these observations show that NaIO3 reduces the CC in the early stages of the pathology, which is accompanied by a rapid decrease in Vegfa expression in the RPE.
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Affiliation(s)
- Toshiro Iwagawa
- Department of Retinal Biology and Pathology, Graduate School of Medicine, The University of Tokyo, Japan
| | - Kosuke Saita
- Department of Retinal Biology and Pathology, Graduate School of Medicine, The University of Tokyo, Japan; Department of Anesthesiology, Graduate School of Medicine, The University of Tokyo, Japan
| | - Hiroshi Sagara
- Medical Proteomics Laboratory, Institute of Medical Science, The University of Tokyo, Japan
| | - Sumiko Watanabe
- Department of Retinal Biology and Pathology, Graduate School of Medicine, The University of Tokyo, Japan.
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11
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Ovadia S, Cui G, Elkon R, Cohen-Gulkar M, Zuk-Bar N, Tuoc T, Jing N, Ashery-Padan R. SWI/SNF complexes are required for retinal pigmented epithelium differentiation and for the inhibition of cell proliferation and neural differentiation programs. Development 2023; 150:dev201488. [PMID: 37522516 PMCID: PMC10482007 DOI: 10.1242/dev.201488] [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: 11/27/2022] [Accepted: 07/14/2023] [Indexed: 08/01/2023]
Abstract
During embryonic development, tissue-specific transcription factors and chromatin remodelers function together to ensure gradual, coordinated differentiation of multiple lineages. Here, we define this regulatory interplay in the developing retinal pigmented epithelium (RPE), a neuroectodermal lineage essential for the development, function and maintenance of the adjacent retina. We present a high-resolution spatial transcriptomic atlas of the developing mouse RPE and the adjacent ocular mesenchyme obtained by geographical position sequencing (Geo-seq) of a single developmental stage of the eye that encompasses young and more mature ocular progenitors. These transcriptomic data, available online, reveal the key transcription factors and their gene regulatory networks during RPE and ocular mesenchyme differentiation. Moreover, conditional inactivation followed by Geo-seq revealed that this differentiation program is dependent on the activity of SWI/SNF complexes, shown here to control the expression and activity of RPE transcription factors and, at the same time, inhibit neural progenitor and cell proliferation genes. The findings reveal the roles of the SWI/SNF complexes in controlling the intersection between RPE and neural cell fates and the coupling of cell-cycle exit and differentiation.
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Affiliation(s)
- Shai Ovadia
- Department of Human Molecular Genetics and Biochemistry, Faculty of Medicine and Sagol School of Neuroscience, Tel Aviv University, Tel Aviv 69978, Israel
| | - Guizhong Cui
- Guangzhou National Laboratory, Department of Basic Research, Guangzhou 510005, China
| | - Ran Elkon
- Department of Human Molecular Genetics and Biochemistry, Faculty of Medicine and Sagol School of Neuroscience, Tel Aviv University, Tel Aviv 69978, Israel
| | - Mazal Cohen-Gulkar
- Department of Human Molecular Genetics and Biochemistry, Faculty of Medicine and Sagol School of Neuroscience, Tel Aviv University, Tel Aviv 69978, Israel
| | - Nitay Zuk-Bar
- Department of Human Molecular Genetics and Biochemistry, Faculty of Medicine and Sagol School of Neuroscience, Tel Aviv University, Tel Aviv 69978, Israel
| | - Tran Tuoc
- Department of Human Genetics, Ruhr University of Bochum, 44791 Bochum, Germany
| | - Naihe Jing
- Guangzhou National Laboratory, Department of Basic Research, Guangzhou 510005, China
| | - Ruth Ashery-Padan
- Department of Human Molecular Genetics and Biochemistry, Faculty of Medicine and Sagol School of Neuroscience, Tel Aviv University, Tel Aviv 69978, Israel
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12
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Liu W, Shrestha R, Lowe A, Zhang X, Spaeth L. Self-formation of concentric zones of telencephalic and ocular tissues and directional retinal ganglion cell axons. BIORXIV : THE PREPRINT SERVER FOR BIOLOGY 2023:2023.03.22.533827. [PMID: 36993285 PMCID: PMC10055356 DOI: 10.1101/2023.03.22.533827] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Figures] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 06/19/2023]
Abstract
The telencephalon and eye in mammals are originated from adjacent fields at the anterior neural plate. Morphogenesis of these fields generates telencephalon, optic-stalk, optic-disc, and neuroretina along a spatial axis. How these telencephalic and ocular tissues are specified coordinately to ensure directional retinal ganglion cell (RGC) axon growth is unclear. Here, we report the self-formation of human telencephalon-eye organoids comprising concentric zones of telencephalic, optic-stalk, optic-disc, and neuroretinal tissues along the center-periphery axis. Initially-differentiated RGCs grew axons towards and then along a path defined by adjacent PAX2+ optic-disc cells. Single-cell RNA sequencing of CONCEPT organoids not only confirmed telencephalic and ocular identities but also identified expression signatures of early optic-disc, optic-stalk, and RGCs. These signatures were similar to those in human fetal retinas. Optic-disc cells in CONCEPT organoids differentially expressed FGF8 and FGF9 ; FGFR inhibitions drastically decreased RGC differentiation and directional axon growth. Through the identified RGC-specific cell-surface marker CNTN2, electrophysiologically-excitable RGCs were isolated under a native condition. Our findings provide insight into the coordinated specification of early telencephalic and ocular tissues in humans and establish resources for studying RGC-related diseases such as glaucoma. Impact statement A human telencephalon-eye organoid model that exhibited axon growth and pathfinding from retinal ganglion cell (RGC) axons is reported; via cell surface marker CNTN2 identified using scRNA-seq, early RGCs were isolated under a native condition.
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Affiliation(s)
- Wei Liu
- Department of Ophthalmology and Visual Sciences
- Department of Genetics
- The Ruth L. and David S. Gottesman Institute for Stem Cell Biology and Regenerative Medicine
| | - Rupendra Shrestha
- Department of Ophthalmology and Visual Sciences
- Department of Genetics
- The Ruth L. and David S. Gottesman Institute for Stem Cell Biology and Regenerative Medicine
| | - Albert Lowe
- Department of Ophthalmology and Visual Sciences
- Department of Genetics
| | | | - Ludovic Spaeth
- Dominick P. Purpura Department of Neuroscience Albert Einstein College of Medicine, Bronx, NY 10461
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13
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Paşcalău R, Badea TC. Signaling - transcription interactions in mouse retinal ganglion cells early axon pathfinding -a literature review. FRONTIERS IN OPHTHALMOLOGY 2023; 3:1180142. [PMID: 38983012 PMCID: PMC11182120 DOI: 10.3389/fopht.2023.1180142] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Figures] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 03/05/2023] [Accepted: 04/21/2023] [Indexed: 07/11/2024]
Abstract
Sending an axon out of the eye and into the target brain nuclei is the defining feature of retinal ganglion cells (RGCs). The literature on RGC axon pathfinding is vast, but it focuses mostly on decision making events such as midline crossing at the optic chiasm or retinotopic mapping at the target nuclei. In comparison, the exit of RGC axons out of the eye is much less explored. The first checkpoint on the RGC axons' path is the optic cup - optic stalk junction (OC-OS). OC-OS development and the exit of the RGC pioneer axons out of the eye are coordinated spatially and temporally. By the time the optic nerve head domain is specified, the optic fissure margins are in contact and the fusion process is ongoing, the first RGCs are born in its proximity and send pioneer axons in the optic stalk. RGC differentiation continues in centrifugal waves. Later born RGC axons fasciculate with the more mature axons. Growth cones at the end of the axons respond to guidance cues to adopt a centripetal direction, maintain nerve fiber layer restriction and to leave the optic cup. Although there is extensive information on OC-OS development, we still have important unanswered questions regarding its contribution to the exit of the RGC axons out of the eye. We are still to distinguish the morphogens of the OC-OS from the axon guidance molecules which are expressed in the same place at the same time. The early RGC transcription programs responsible for axon emergence and pathfinding are also unknown. This review summarizes the molecular mechanisms for early RGC axon guidance by contextualizing mouse knock-out studies on OC-OS development with the recent transcriptomic studies on developing RGCs in an attempt to contribute to the understanding of human optic nerve developmental anomalies. The published data summarized here suggests that the developing optic nerve head provides a physical channel (the closing optic fissure) as well as molecular guidance cues for the pioneer RGC axons to exit the eye.
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Affiliation(s)
- Raluca Paşcalău
- Research and Development Institute, Transilvania University of Braşov, Braşov, Romania
- Ophthalmology Clinic, Cluj County Emergency Hospital, Cluj-Napoca, Romania
| | - Tudor Constantin Badea
- Research and Development Institute, Transilvania University of Braşov, Braşov, Romania
- National Center for Brain Research, Institutul de Cercetări pentru Inteligență Artificială, Romanian Academy, Bucharest, Romania
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14
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Sokolova N, Zilova L, Wittbrodt J. Unravelling the link between embryogenesis and adult stem cell potential in the ciliary marginal zone: A comparative study between mammals and teleost fish. Cells Dev 2023; 174:203848. [PMID: 37172718 DOI: 10.1016/j.cdev.2023.203848] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 02/28/2023] [Revised: 05/03/2023] [Accepted: 05/05/2023] [Indexed: 05/15/2023]
Abstract
The discovery and study of adult stem cells have revolutionized regenerative medicine by offering new opportunities for treating various medical conditions. Anamniote stem cells, which retain their full proliferative capacity and full differentiation range throughout their lifetime, harbour a greater potential compared to mammalian adult stem cells, which only exhibit limited stem cell potential. Therefore, understanding the mechanisms underlying these differences is of significant interest. In this review, we examine the similarities and differences of adult retinal stem cells in anamniotes and mammals, from their embryonic stages in the optic vesicle to their residence in the postembryonic retinal stem cell niche, the ciliary marginal zone located in the retinal periphery. In anamniotes, developing precursors of retinal stem cells are exposed to various environmental cues during their migration in the complex morphogenetic remodelling of the optic vesicle to the optic cup. In contrast, their mammalian counterparts in the retinal periphery are primarily instructed by neighbouring tissues once they are in place. We explore the distinct modes of optic cup morphogenesis in mammals and teleost fish and highlight molecular mechanisms governing morphogenesis and stem cells instruction. The review concludes with the molecular mechanisms of ciliary marginal zone formation and offers a perspective on the impact of comparative single cell transcriptomic studies to reveal the evolutionary similarities and differences.
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Affiliation(s)
- Natalia Sokolova
- Centre for Organismal Studies Heidelberg, Germany; Heidelberg Biosciences International Graduate School, Germany
| | - Lucie Zilova
- Centre for Organismal Studies Heidelberg, Germany.
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15
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Cohen-Gulkar M, David A, Messika-Gold N, Eshel M, Ovadia S, Zuk-Bar N, Idelson M, Cohen-Tayar Y, Reubinoff B, Ziv T, Shamay M, Elkon R, Ashery-Padan R. The LHX2-OTX2 transcriptional regulatory module controls retinal pigmented epithelium differentiation and underlies genetic risk for age-related macular degeneration. PLoS Biol 2023; 21:e3001924. [PMID: 36649236 PMCID: PMC9844853 DOI: 10.1371/journal.pbio.3001924] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 04/15/2022] [Accepted: 11/16/2022] [Indexed: 01/18/2023] Open
Abstract
Tissue-specific transcription factors (TFs) control the transcriptome through an association with noncoding regulatory regions (cistromes). Identifying the combination of TFs that dictate specific cell fate, their specific cistromes and examining their involvement in complex human traits remain a major challenge. Here, we focus on the retinal pigmented epithelium (RPE), an essential lineage for retinal development and function and the primary tissue affected in age-related macular degeneration (AMD), a leading cause of blindness. By combining mechanistic findings in stem-cell-derived human RPE, in vivo functional studies in mice and global transcriptomic and proteomic analyses, we revealed that the key developmental TFs LHX2 and OTX2 function together in transcriptional module containing LDB1 and SWI/SNF (BAF) to regulate the RPE transcriptome. Importantly, the intersection between the identified LHX2-OTX2 cistrome with published expression quantitative trait loci, ATAC-seq data from human RPE, and AMD genome-wide association study (GWAS) data, followed by functional validation using a reporter assay, revealed a causal genetic variant that affects AMD risk by altering TRPM1 expression in the RPE through modulation of LHX2 transcriptional activity on its promoter. Taken together, the reported cistrome of LHX2 and OTX2, the identified downstream genes and interacting co-factors reveal the RPE transcription module and uncover a causal regulatory risk single-nucleotide polymorphism (SNP) in the multifactorial common blinding disease AMD.
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Affiliation(s)
- Mazal Cohen-Gulkar
- Department of Human Molecular Genetics and Biochemistry, Sackler Faculty of Medicine and Sagol School of Neurosciences, Tel Aviv University, Tel Aviv, Israel
| | - Ahuvit David
- Department of Human Molecular Genetics and Biochemistry, Sackler Faculty of Medicine and Sagol School of Neurosciences, Tel Aviv University, Tel Aviv, Israel
| | - Naama Messika-Gold
- Department of Human Molecular Genetics and Biochemistry, Sackler Faculty of Medicine and Sagol School of Neurosciences, Tel Aviv University, Tel Aviv, Israel
| | - Mai Eshel
- Department of Human Molecular Genetics and Biochemistry, Sackler Faculty of Medicine and Sagol School of Neurosciences, Tel Aviv University, Tel Aviv, Israel
| | - Shai Ovadia
- Department of Human Molecular Genetics and Biochemistry, Sackler Faculty of Medicine and Sagol School of Neurosciences, Tel Aviv University, Tel Aviv, Israel
| | - Nitay Zuk-Bar
- Department of Human Molecular Genetics and Biochemistry, Sackler Faculty of Medicine and Sagol School of Neurosciences, Tel Aviv University, Tel Aviv, Israel
| | - Maria Idelson
- The Hadassah Human Embryonic Stem Cell Research Center, The Goldyne Savad Institute of Gene Therapy and Department of Gynecology, Jerusalem, Israel
| | - Yamit Cohen-Tayar
- Department of Human Molecular Genetics and Biochemistry, Sackler Faculty of Medicine and Sagol School of Neurosciences, Tel Aviv University, Tel Aviv, Israel
| | - Benjamin Reubinoff
- The Hadassah Human Embryonic Stem Cell Research Center, The Goldyne Savad Institute of Gene Therapy and Department of Gynecology, Jerusalem, Israel
| | - Tamar Ziv
- Smoler Proteomics Center, Lorry I. Lokey Interdisciplinary Center for Life Sciences and Engineering, Faculty of Biology, Technion-Israel Institute of Technology, Haifa, Israel
| | - Meir Shamay
- Daniella Lee Casper Laboratory in Viral Oncology, Azrieli Faculty of Medicine, Bar-Ilan University, Safed, Israel
| | - Ran Elkon
- Department of Human Molecular Genetics and Biochemistry, Sackler Faculty of Medicine and Sagol School of Neurosciences, Tel Aviv University, Tel Aviv, Israel
- * E-mail: (RE); (RAP)
| | - Ruth Ashery-Padan
- Department of Human Molecular Genetics and Biochemistry, Sackler Faculty of Medicine and Sagol School of Neurosciences, Tel Aviv University, Tel Aviv, Israel
- * E-mail: (RE); (RAP)
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16
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Cardozo MJ, Sánchez-Bustamante E, Bovolenta P. Optic cup morphogenesis across species and related inborn human eye defects. Development 2023; 150:286775. [PMID: 36714981 PMCID: PMC10110496 DOI: 10.1242/dev.200399] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 01/31/2023]
Abstract
The vertebrate eye is shaped as a cup, a conformation that optimizes vision and is acquired early in development through a process known as optic cup morphogenesis. Imaging living, transparent teleost embryos and mammalian stem cell-derived organoids has provided insights into the rearrangements that eye progenitors undergo to adopt such a shape. Molecular and pharmacological interference with these rearrangements has further identified the underlying molecular machineries and the physical forces involved in this morphogenetic process. In this Review, we summarize the resulting scenarios and proposed models that include common and species-specific events. We further discuss how these studies and those in environmentally adapted blind species may shed light on human inborn eye malformations that result from failures in optic cup morphogenesis, including microphthalmia, anophthalmia and coloboma.
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Affiliation(s)
- Marcos J Cardozo
- Centro de Biología Molecular Severo Ochoa, Consejo Superior de Investigaciones Científicas-Universidad Autónoma de Madrid, c/ Nicolás Cabrera 1, Cantoblanco, Madrid 28049, Spain
- Centro de Investigación Biomédica en Red de Enfermedades Raras (CIBERER), c/ Nicolás Cabrera 1, Cantoblanco, Madrid 28049, Spain
| | - Elena Sánchez-Bustamante
- Centro de Biología Molecular Severo Ochoa, Consejo Superior de Investigaciones Científicas-Universidad Autónoma de Madrid, c/ Nicolás Cabrera 1, Cantoblanco, Madrid 28049, Spain
- Centro de Investigación Biomédica en Red de Enfermedades Raras (CIBERER), c/ Nicolás Cabrera 1, Cantoblanco, Madrid 28049, Spain
| | - Paola Bovolenta
- Centro de Biología Molecular Severo Ochoa, Consejo Superior de Investigaciones Científicas-Universidad Autónoma de Madrid, c/ Nicolás Cabrera 1, Cantoblanco, Madrid 28049, Spain
- Centro de Investigación Biomédica en Red de Enfermedades Raras (CIBERER), c/ Nicolás Cabrera 1, Cantoblanco, Madrid 28049, Spain
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17
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Sun C, Chen S. Disease-causing mutations in genes encoding transcription factors critical for photoreceptor development. Front Mol Neurosci 2023; 16:1134839. [PMID: 37181651 PMCID: PMC10172487 DOI: 10.3389/fnmol.2023.1134839] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 12/30/2022] [Accepted: 04/04/2023] [Indexed: 05/16/2023] Open
Abstract
Photoreceptor development of the vertebrate visual system is controlled by a complex transcription regulatory network. OTX2 is expressed in the mitotic retinal progenitor cells (RPCs) and controls photoreceptor genesis. CRX that is activated by OTX2 is expressed in photoreceptor precursors after cell cycle exit. NEUROD1 is also present in photoreceptor precursors that are ready to specify into rod and cone photoreceptor subtypes. NRL is required for the rod fate and regulates downstream rod-specific genes including the orphan nuclear receptor NR2E3 which further activates rod-specific genes and simultaneously represses cone-specific genes. Cone subtype specification is also regulated by the interplay of several transcription factors such as THRB and RXRG. Mutations in these key transcription factors are responsible for ocular defects at birth such as microphthalmia and inherited photoreceptor diseases such as Leber congenital amaurosis (LCA), retinitis pigmentosa (RP) and allied dystrophies. In particular, many mutations are inherited in an autosomal dominant fashion, including the majority of missense mutations in CRX and NRL. In this review, we describe the spectrum of photoreceptor defects that are associated with mutations in the above-mentioned transcription factors, and summarize the current knowledge of molecular mechanisms underlying the pathogenic mutations. At last, we deliberate the outstanding gaps in our understanding of the genotype-phenotype correlations and outline avenues for future research of the treatment strategies.
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Affiliation(s)
- Chi Sun
- Department of Ophthalmology and Visual Sciences, Washington University in St. Louis, St. Louis, MO, United States
- *Correspondence: Chi Sun,
| | - Shiming Chen
- Department of Ophthalmology and Visual Sciences, Washington University in St. Louis, St. Louis, MO, United States
- Department of Developmental Biology, Washington University in St. Louis, St. Louis, MO, United States
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18
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Grigoryan EN. Cell Sources for Retinal Regeneration: Implication for Data Translation in Biomedicine of the Eye. Cells 2022; 11:cells11233755. [PMID: 36497013 PMCID: PMC9738527 DOI: 10.3390/cells11233755] [Citation(s) in RCA: 2] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 10/08/2022] [Revised: 11/16/2022] [Accepted: 11/22/2022] [Indexed: 11/25/2022] Open
Abstract
The main degenerative diseases of the retina include macular degeneration, proliferative vitreoretinopathy, retinitis pigmentosa, and glaucoma. Novel approaches for treating retinal diseases are based on cell replacement therapy using a variety of exogenous stem cells. An alternative and complementary approach is the potential use of retinal regeneration cell sources (RRCSs) containing retinal pigment epithelium, ciliary body, Müller glia, and retinal ciliary region. RRCSs in lower vertebrates in vivo and in mammals mostly in vitro are able to proliferate and exhibit gene expression and epigenetic characteristics typical for neural/retinal cell progenitors. Here, we review research on the factors controlling the RRCSs' properties, such as the cell microenvironment, growth factors, cytokines, hormones, etc., that determine the regenerative responses and alterations underlying the RRCS-associated pathologies. We also discuss how the current data on molecular features and regulatory mechanisms of RRCSs could be translated in retinal biomedicine with a special focus on (1) attempts to obtain retinal neurons de novo both in vivo and in vitro to replace damaged retinal cells; and (2) investigations of the key molecular networks stimulating regenerative responses and preventing RRCS-related pathologies.
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Affiliation(s)
- Eleonora N Grigoryan
- Koltzov Institute of Developmental Biology, Russian Academy of Sciences, 119334 Moscow, Russia
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19
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Diacou R, Nandigrami P, Fiser A, Liu W, Ashery-Padan R, Cvekl A. Cell fate decisions, transcription factors and signaling during early retinal development. Prog Retin Eye Res 2022; 91:101093. [PMID: 35817658 PMCID: PMC9669153 DOI: 10.1016/j.preteyeres.2022.101093] [Citation(s) in RCA: 28] [Impact Index Per Article: 14.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 01/05/2022] [Revised: 06/02/2022] [Accepted: 06/03/2022] [Indexed: 12/30/2022]
Abstract
The development of the vertebrate eyes is a complex process starting from anterior-posterior and dorso-ventral patterning of the anterior neural tube, resulting in the formation of the eye field. Symmetrical separation of the eye field at the anterior neural plate is followed by two symmetrical evaginations to generate a pair of optic vesicles. Next, reciprocal invagination of the optic vesicles with surface ectoderm-derived lens placodes generates double-layered optic cups. The inner and outer layers of the optic cups develop into the neural retina and retinal pigment epithelium (RPE), respectively. In vitro produced retinal tissues, called retinal organoids, are formed from human pluripotent stem cells, mimicking major steps of retinal differentiation in vivo. This review article summarizes recent progress in our understanding of early eye development, focusing on the formation the eye field, optic vesicles, and early optic cups. Recent single-cell transcriptomic studies are integrated with classical in vivo genetic and functional studies to uncover a range of cellular mechanisms underlying early eye development. The functions of signal transduction pathways and lineage-specific DNA-binding transcription factors are dissected to explain cell-specific regulatory mechanisms underlying cell fate determination during early eye development. The functions of homeodomain (HD) transcription factors Otx2, Pax6, Lhx2, Six3 and Six6, which are required for early eye development, are discussed in detail. Comprehensive understanding of the mechanisms of early eye development provides insight into the molecular and cellular basis of developmental ocular anomalies, such as optic cup coloboma. Lastly, modeling human development and inherited retinal diseases using stem cell-derived retinal organoids generates opportunities to discover novel therapies for retinal diseases.
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Affiliation(s)
- Raven Diacou
- Department of Genetics, Albert Einstein College of Medicine, Bronx, NY, 10461, USA; Department of Ophthalmology and Visual Sciences, Albert Einstein College of Medicine, Bronx, NY, 10461, USA
| | - Prithviraj Nandigrami
- Department of Systems and Computational Biology, Albert Einstein College of Medicine, Bronx, NY, 10461, USA; Department of Biochemistry, Albert Einstein College of Medicine, Bronx, NY, 10461, USA
| | - Andras Fiser
- Department of Systems and Computational Biology, Albert Einstein College of Medicine, Bronx, NY, 10461, USA; Department of Biochemistry, Albert Einstein College of Medicine, Bronx, NY, 10461, USA
| | - Wei Liu
- Department of Genetics, Albert Einstein College of Medicine, Bronx, NY, 10461, USA; Department of Ophthalmology and Visual Sciences, Albert Einstein College of Medicine, Bronx, NY, 10461, USA
| | - Ruth Ashery-Padan
- Sackler School of Medicine, Tel Aviv University, Tel Aviv, 69978, Israel
| | - Ales Cvekl
- Department of Genetics, Albert Einstein College of Medicine, Bronx, NY, 10461, USA; Department of Ophthalmology and Visual Sciences, Albert Einstein College of Medicine, Bronx, NY, 10461, USA.
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20
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Fuhrmann S, Ramirez S, Mina Abouda M, Campbell CD. Porcn is essential for growth and invagination of the mammalian optic cup. Front Cell Dev Biol 2022; 10:1016182. [PMID: 36393832 PMCID: PMC9661423 DOI: 10.3389/fcell.2022.1016182] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 08/11/2022] [Accepted: 10/04/2022] [Indexed: 11/13/2022] Open
Abstract
Microphthalmia, anophthalmia, and coloboma (MAC) are congenital ocular malformations causing 25% of childhood blindness. The X-linked disorder Focal Dermal Hypoplasia (FDH) is frequently associated with MAC and results from mutations in Porcn, a membrane bound O-acyl transferase required for palmitoylation of Wnts to activate multiple Wnt-dependent pathways. Wnt/β-catenin signaling is suppressed in the anterior neural plate for initiation of eye formation and is subsequently required during differentiation of the retinal pigment epithelium (RPE). Non-canonical Wnts are critical for early eye formation in frog and zebrafish. However, it is unclear whether this also applies to mammals. We performed ubiquitous conditional inactivation of Porcn in mouse around the eye field stage. In Porcn CKO , optic vesicles (OV) arrest in growth and fail to form an optic cup. Ventral proliferation is significantly decreased in the mutant OV, with a concomitant increase in apoptotic cell death. While pan-ocular transcription factors such as PAX6, SIX3, LHX2, and PAX2 are present, indicative of maintenance of OV identity, regional expression of VSX2, MITF, OTX2, and NR2F2 is downregulated. Failure of RPE differentiation in Porcn CKO is consistent with downregulation of the Wnt/β-catenin effector LEF1, starting around 2.5 days after inactivation. This suggests that Porcn inactivation affects signaling later than a potential requirement for Wnts to promote eye field formation. Altogether, our data shows a novel requirement for Porcn in regulating growth and morphogenesis of the OV, likely by controlling proliferation and survival. In FDH patients with ocular manifestations, growth deficiency during early ocular morphogenesis may be the underlying cause for microphthalmia.
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Affiliation(s)
- Sabine Fuhrmann
- Department of Ophthalmology and Visual Sciences, Vanderbilt Eye Institute, Vanderbilt University Medical Center, Nashville, TN, United States
- Department of Cell and Developmental Biology, Vanderbilt University Medical School, Nashville, TN, United States
| | - Sara Ramirez
- Department of Ophthalmology and Visual Sciences, Vanderbilt Eye Institute, Vanderbilt University Medical Center, Nashville, TN, United States
- Department of Cell and Developmental Biology, Vanderbilt University Medical School, Nashville, TN, United States
| | - Mirna Mina Abouda
- Department of Ophthalmology and Visual Sciences, Vanderbilt Eye Institute, Vanderbilt University Medical Center, Nashville, TN, United States
| | - Clorissa D. Campbell
- Department of Ophthalmology and Visual Sciences, Vanderbilt Eye Institute, Vanderbilt University Medical Center, Nashville, TN, United States
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21
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A New Model Organism to Investigate Extraocular Photoreception: Opsin and Retinal Gene Expression in the Sea Urchin Paracentrotus lividus. Cells 2022; 11:cells11172636. [PMID: 36078045 PMCID: PMC9454927 DOI: 10.3390/cells11172636] [Citation(s) in RCA: 4] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 08/01/2022] [Revised: 08/17/2022] [Accepted: 08/18/2022] [Indexed: 11/16/2022] Open
Abstract
Molecular research on the evolution of extraocular photoreception has drawn attention to photosensitive animals lacking proper eye organs. Outside of vertebrates, little is known about this type of sensory system in any other deuterostome. In this study, we investigate such an extraocular photoreceptor cell (PRC) system in developmental stages of the sea urchin Paracentrotus lividus. We provide a general overview of the cell type families present at the mature rudiment stage using single-cell transcriptomics, while emphasizing the PRCs complexity. We show that three neuronal and one muscle-like PRC type families express retinal genes prior to metamorphosis. Two of the three neuronal PRC type families express a rhabdomeric opsin as well as an echinoderm-specific opsin (echinopsin), and their genetic wiring includes sea urchin orthologs of key retinal genes such as hlf, pp2ab56e, barh, otx, ac/sc, brn3, six1/2, pax6, six3, neuroD, irxA, isl and ato. Using qPCR, in situ hybridization, and immunohistochemical analysis, we found that the expressed retinal gene composition becomes more complex from mature rudiment to juvenile stage. The majority of retinal genes are expressed dominantly in the animals’ podia, and in addition to the genes already expressed in the mature rudiment, the juvenile podia express a ciliary opsin, another echinopsin, and two Go-opsins. The expression of a core of vertebrate retinal gene orthologs indicates that sea urchins have an evolutionarily conserved gene regulatory toolkit that controls photoreceptor specification and function, and that their podia are photosensory organs.
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22
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Mitra A, Ghosh S, Porey S, Mal C. GBP5 and ACSS3: two potential biomarkers of high-grade ovarian cancer identified through downstream analysis of microarray data. J Biomol Struct Dyn 2022:1-13. [PMID: 35502666 DOI: 10.1080/07391102.2022.2069866] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 10/18/2022]
Abstract
Among all malignancies of the reproductive organs, ovarian cancer is the sixth leading cause of death for women. Several factors contribute to the uncontrolled expression of certain genes in cancer thus making them act as oncogenes or tumour suppressors. In this study, we have examined four microarray datasets of high-grade ovarian cancer cells to identify differentially expressed genes (DEGs). 362 and 94 common DEGs were identified as up-regulated and down-regulated, respectively from 119 disease and 31 control samples. The DEGs were further analysed for their gene ontologies (GO), pathway, protein-protein interactions and co-expression. Most of the biological processes were associated with cellular processes, biological regulation, metabolic processes, and developmental processes. Further, regulatory networks were constructed by the DEGs which are also co-expressed and the hub genes were identified. The hub genes targeted by a large number of microRNAs (miRNAs) were further analyzed to reveal their role in the overall survival of cancer patients. Finally, GBP5 and ACSS3 were highlighted as potential biomarkers for ovarian cancer research.Communicated by Ramaswamy H. Sarma.
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Affiliation(s)
- Ayooshi Mitra
- Amity Institute of Biotechnology, Amity University Kolkata, Kolkata, India
| | - Shrayana Ghosh
- Amity Institute of Biotechnology, Amity University Kolkata, Kolkata, India
| | - Sayam Porey
- Amity Institute of Biotechnology, Amity University Kolkata, Kolkata, India
| | - Chittabrata Mal
- Maulana Abul Kalam Azad University of Technology, West Bengal (Formerly known as West Bengal University of Technology), Nadia, India
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23
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Tangeman JA, Pérez-Estrada JR, Van Zeeland E, Liu L, Danciutiu A, Grajales-Esquivel E, Smucker B, Liang C, Del Rio-Tsonis K. A Stage-Specific OTX2 Regulatory Network and Maturation-Associated Gene Programs Are Inherent Barriers to RPE Neural Competency. Front Cell Dev Biol 2022; 10:875155. [PMID: 35517508 PMCID: PMC9062105 DOI: 10.3389/fcell.2022.875155] [Citation(s) in RCA: 5] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 02/13/2022] [Accepted: 03/28/2022] [Indexed: 12/30/2022] Open
Abstract
The retinal pigment epithelium (RPE) exhibits a diverse range of plasticity across vertebrates and is a potential source of cells for the regeneration of retinal neurons. Embryonic amniotes possess a transitory ability to regenerate neural retina through the reprogramming of RPE cells in an FGF-dependent manner. Chicken RPE can regenerate neural retina at embryonic day 4 (E4), but RPE neural competence is lost by embryonic day 5 (E5). To identify mechanisms that underlie loss of regenerative competence, we performed RNA and ATAC sequencing using E4 and E5 chicken RPE, as well as at both stages following retinectomy and FGF2 treatment. We find that genes associated with neural retina fate remain FGF2-inducible in the non-regenerative E5 RPE. Coinciding with fate restriction, RPE cells stably exit the cell cycle and dampen the expression of cell cycle progression genes normally expressed during regeneration, including E2F1. E5 RPE exhibits progressive activation of gene pathways associated with mature function independently of retinectomy or FGF2 treatment, including retinal metabolism, pigmentation synthesis, and ion transport. Moreover, the E5 RPE fails to efficiently repress OTX2 expression in response to FGF2. Predicted OTX2 binding motifs undergo robust accessibility increases in E5 RPE, many of which coincide with putative regulatory elements for genes known to facilitate RPE differentiation and maturation. Together, these results uncover widespread alterations in gene regulation that culminate in the loss of RPE neural competence and implicate OTX2 as a key determinant in solidifying the RPE fate. These results yield valuable insight to the basis of RPE lineage restriction during early development and will be of importance in understanding the varying capacities for RPE-derived retinal regeneration observed among vertebrates.
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Affiliation(s)
- Jared A. Tangeman
- Department of Biology and Center for Visual Sciences, Miami University, Oxford, OH, United States
| | - J. Raúl Pérez-Estrada
- Department of Biology and Center for Visual Sciences, Miami University, Oxford, OH, United States
| | - Emily Van Zeeland
- Department of Biology and Center for Visual Sciences, Miami University, Oxford, OH, United States
| | - Lin Liu
- Department of Biology and Center for Visual Sciences, Miami University, Oxford, OH, United States
| | - Alexandra Danciutiu
- Department of Biology and Center for Visual Sciences, Miami University, Oxford, OH, United States
| | - Erika Grajales-Esquivel
- Department of Biology and Center for Visual Sciences, Miami University, Oxford, OH, United States
| | - Byran Smucker
- Department of Statistics, Miami University, Oxford, OH, United States
| | - Chun Liang
- Department of Biology and Center for Visual Sciences, Miami University, Oxford, OH, United States
- Department of Computer Science and Software Engineering, Miami University, Oxford, OH, United States
| | - Katia Del Rio-Tsonis
- Department of Biology and Center for Visual Sciences, Miami University, Oxford, OH, United States
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24
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Li KV, Flores-Bellver M, Aparicio-Domingo S, Petrash C, Cobb H, Chen C, Canto-Soler MV, Mathias MT. A Surgical Kit for Stem Cell-Derived Retinal Pigment Epithelium Transplants: Collection, Transportation, and Subretinal Delivery. Front Cell Dev Biol 2022; 10:813538. [PMID: 35252183 PMCID: PMC8895272 DOI: 10.3389/fcell.2022.813538] [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: 11/11/2021] [Accepted: 01/20/2022] [Indexed: 12/04/2022] Open
Abstract
Transplantation of stem cell-derived retinal pigment epithelium (RPE) cells is a promising potential therapy for currently incurable retinal degenerative diseases like advanced dry age-related macular degeneration. In this study, we designed a set of clinically applicable devices for subretinal implantation of RPE grafts, towards the overarching goal of establishing enabling technologies for cell-based therapeutic approaches to regenerate RPE cells. This RPE transplant kit includes a custom-designed trephine for the production of RPE transplants, a carrier for storage and transportation, and a surgical device for subretinal delivery of RPE transplants. Cell viability assay confirmed biocompatibility of the transplant carrier and high preservation of RPE transplants upon storage and transportation. The transplant surgical device combines foldable technology that minimizes incision size, controlled delivery speed, no fluid reflux, curved translucent tip, usability of loading and in vivo reloading, and ergonomic handle. Furthermore, the complementary design of the transplant carrier and the delivery device resulted in proper grasping, loading, and orientation of the RPE transplants into the delivery device. Proof-of-concept transplantation studies in a porcine model demonstrated no damage or structural change in RPE transplants during surgical manipulation and subretinal deployment. Post-operative assessment confirmed that RPE transplants were delivered precisely, with no damage to the host retina or choroid, and no significant structural change to the RPE transplants. Our novel surgical kit provides a comprehensive set of tools encompassing RPE graft manufacturing to surgical implantation rendering key enabling technologies for pre-clinical and clinical phases of stem cell-derived RPE regenerative therapies.
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Affiliation(s)
- Kang V. Li
- CellSight Ocular Stem Cell and Regeneration Research Program, Department of Ophthalmology, Sue Anschutz-Rodgers Eye Center, University of Colorado School of Medicine, Aurora, CO, United States
- *Correspondence: Marc T. Mathias, ; M. Valeria Canto-Soler, ; Kang V. Li,
| | - Miguel Flores-Bellver
- CellSight Ocular Stem Cell and Regeneration Research Program, Department of Ophthalmology, Sue Anschutz-Rodgers Eye Center, University of Colorado School of Medicine, Aurora, CO, United States
| | - Silvia Aparicio-Domingo
- CellSight Ocular Stem Cell and Regeneration Research Program, Department of Ophthalmology, Sue Anschutz-Rodgers Eye Center, University of Colorado School of Medicine, Aurora, CO, United States
| | - Carson Petrash
- CellSight Ocular Stem Cell and Regeneration Research Program, Department of Ophthalmology, Sue Anschutz-Rodgers Eye Center, University of Colorado School of Medicine, Aurora, CO, United States
- Department of Ophthalmology, Sue Anschutz-Rodgers Eye Center, University of Colorado School of Medicine, Aurora, CO, United States
| | - Hannah Cobb
- CellSight Ocular Stem Cell and Regeneration Research Program, Department of Ophthalmology, Sue Anschutz-Rodgers Eye Center, University of Colorado School of Medicine, Aurora, CO, United States
| | - Conan Chen
- CellSight Ocular Stem Cell and Regeneration Research Program, Department of Ophthalmology, Sue Anschutz-Rodgers Eye Center, University of Colorado School of Medicine, Aurora, CO, United States
| | - M. Valeria Canto-Soler
- CellSight Ocular Stem Cell and Regeneration Research Program, Department of Ophthalmology, Sue Anschutz-Rodgers Eye Center, University of Colorado School of Medicine, Aurora, CO, United States
- Charles C. Gates Center for Regenerative Medicine, University of Colorado School of Medicine, Aurora, CO, United States
- *Correspondence: Marc T. Mathias, ; M. Valeria Canto-Soler, ; Kang V. Li,
| | - Marc T. Mathias
- CellSight Ocular Stem Cell and Regeneration Research Program, Department of Ophthalmology, Sue Anschutz-Rodgers Eye Center, University of Colorado School of Medicine, Aurora, CO, United States
- Department of Ophthalmology, Sue Anschutz-Rodgers Eye Center, University of Colorado School of Medicine, Aurora, CO, United States
- *Correspondence: Marc T. Mathias, ; M. Valeria Canto-Soler, ; Kang V. Li,
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25
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Bradshaw SN, Allison WT. Hagfish to Illuminate the Developmental and Evolutionary Origins of the Vertebrate Retina. Front Cell Dev Biol 2022; 10:822358. [PMID: 35155434 PMCID: PMC8826474 DOI: 10.3389/fcell.2022.822358] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 11/25/2021] [Accepted: 01/07/2022] [Indexed: 11/13/2022] Open
Abstract
The vertebrate eye is a vital sensory organ that has long fascinated scientists, but the details of how this organ evolved are still unclear. The vertebrate eye is distinct from the simple photoreceptive organs of other non-vertebrate chordates and there are no clear transitional forms of the eye in the fossil record. To investigate the evolution of the eye we can examine the eyes of the most ancient extant vertebrates, the hagfish and lamprey. These jawless vertebrates are in an ideal phylogenetic position to study the origin of the vertebrate eye but data on eye/retina development in these organisms is limited. New genomic and gene expression data from hagfish and lamprey suggest they have many of the same genes for eye development and retinal neurogenesis as jawed vertebrates, but functional work to determine if these genes operate in retinogenesis similarly to other vertebrates is missing. In addition, hagfish express a marker of proliferative retinal cells (Pax6) near the margin of the retina, and adult retinal growth is apparent in some species. This finding of eye growth late into hagfish ontogeny is unexpected given the degenerate eye phenotype. Further studies dissecting retinal neurogenesis in jawless vertebrates would allow for comparison of the mechanisms of retinal development between cyclostome and gnathostome eyes and provide insight into the evolutionary origins of the vertebrate eye.
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26
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Expression of Otx Genes in Müller Cells Using an In Vitro Experimental Model of Retinal Hypoxia. J Ophthalmol 2022; 2021:6265553. [PMID: 35003791 PMCID: PMC8741358 DOI: 10.1155/2021/6265553] [Citation(s) in RCA: 1] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 08/03/2021] [Accepted: 12/03/2021] [Indexed: 11/29/2022] Open
Abstract
Introduction Müller glial cells typically activate to react to hypoxic tissue damage in several retinal diseases. We evaluated the in vitro response to a hypoxia-mimicking stimulus on the expression of a set of genes, known to contribute to eye morphogenesis and cell differentiation. Materials and Methods A MIO-M1 Müller cell line was cultured in a hypoxia-mimicking environment by the addition of cobalt chloride to the culture medium, followed by a recovery time in which we mimic restoration from the hypoxic insult. The HIF-1α protein and VEGF-A gene expression were quantified to verify the induction of a hypoxia-like state. Results Among the genes under study, we did not observe any difference in the expression levels of Otx1 and Otx2 during treatment; conversely, Otx1 was overexpressed during recovery steps. The VEGF-A gene was strongly upregulated at both the CoCl2 and recovery time points. The transactivated isoform (TA) of the TP73 gene showed an overexpression in long-term exposure to the hypoxic stimulus with a further increase after recovery. Discussion. Our molecular analysis is able to describe the activation of a set of genes, never before described, that can drive the response to a hypoxia-like status. The improved comprehension of these cellular events will be useful for designing new therapeutical approaches for retinal pathologies.
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27
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Ibad RT, Quenech'du N, Prochiantz A, Moya KL. OTX2 stimulates adult retinal ganglion cell regeneration. Neural Regen Res 2022; 17:690-696. [PMID: 34380911 PMCID: PMC8504389 DOI: 10.4103/1673-5374.320989] [Citation(s) in RCA: 1] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 12/04/2022] Open
Abstract
Retinal ganglion cell (RGC) axons provide the only link between the light sensitive and photon transducing neural retina and visual centers of the brain. RGC axon degeneration occurs in a number of blinding diseases and the ability to stimulate axon regeneration from surviving ganglion cells could provide the anatomic substrate for restoration of vision. OTX2 is a homeoprotein transcription factor expressed in the retina and previous studies showed that, in response to stress, exogenous OTX2 increases the in vitro and in vivo survival of RGCs. Here we examined and quantified the effects of OTX2 on adult RGC axon regeneration in vitro and in vivo. The results show that exogenous OTX2 stimulates the regrowth of axons from RGCs in cultures of dissociated adult retinal cells and from explants of adult retinal tissue and that RGCs respond directly to OTX2 as regrowth is observed in cultures of purified adult rat RGCs. Importantly, after nerve crush in vivo, we observed a positive effect of OTX2 on the number of regenerating axons up to the optic chiasm within 14 days post crush and a very modest level of acuity absent in control mice. The effect of OTX2 on RGC survival and regeneration is of potential interest for degenerative diseases affecting this cell type. All animal procedures were approved by the local “Comié d’éιthique en expérimentation animale n°59” and authorization n° 00702.01 delivered March 28, 2014 by the French “Ministére de l’enseignement supérieur et de la recherche”.
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Affiliation(s)
- Raoul Torero Ibad
- Univ. Lille, CNRS, UMR 8523 - PhLAM - Physique des Lasers Atomes et Molécules, F-59000 Lille, France
| | - Nicole Quenech'du
- Centre for Interdisciplinary Research in Biology (CIRB), Collége de France, CNRS UMR 7241, INSERM U1050, Labex MemoLife, Paris Sciences et Lettres Research University, Paris, France
| | - Alain Prochiantz
- BrainEver, 74 rue du Faubourg Saint Antoine, 75012 Paris and Institute of Neurosciences, 320 Yeu Yang Rd, Shanghai 200031, China
| | - Kenneth L Moya
- Centre for Interdisciplinary Research in Biology (CIRB), Collége de France, CNRS UMR 7241, INSERM U1050, Labex MemoLife, Paris Sciences et Lettres Research University, Paris, France
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28
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Guy B, Zhang JS, Duncan LH, Johnston RJ. Human neural organoids: Models for developmental neurobiology and disease. Dev Biol 2021; 478:102-121. [PMID: 34181916 PMCID: PMC8364509 DOI: 10.1016/j.ydbio.2021.06.012] [Citation(s) in RCA: 14] [Impact Index Per Article: 4.7] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 04/02/2021] [Revised: 06/08/2021] [Accepted: 06/24/2021] [Indexed: 12/25/2022]
Abstract
Human organoids stand at the forefront of basic and translational research, providing experimentally tractable systems to study human development and disease. These stem cell-derived, in vitro cultures can generate a multitude of tissue and organ types, including distinct brain regions and sensory systems. Neural organoid systems have provided fundamental insights into molecular mechanisms governing cell fate specification and neural circuit assembly and serve as promising tools for drug discovery and understanding disease pathogenesis. In this review, we discuss several human neural organoid systems, how they are generated, advances in 3D imaging and bioengineering, and the impact of organoid studies on our understanding of the human nervous system.
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Affiliation(s)
- Brian Guy
- Department of Biology, Johns Hopkins University, 3400 N. Charles Street, Baltimore, MD, 21218, USA
| | - Jingliang Simon Zhang
- Department of Biology, Johns Hopkins University, 3400 N. Charles Street, Baltimore, MD, 21218, USA
| | - Leighton H Duncan
- Solomon H. Snyder Department of Neuroscience, Johns Hopkins University School of Medicine, Baltimore, MD, 21205, USA
| | - Robert J Johnston
- Department of Biology, Johns Hopkins University, 3400 N. Charles Street, Baltimore, MD, 21218, USA.
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29
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Moreno-Mármol T, Ledesma-Terrón M, Tabanera N, Martin-Bermejo MJ, Cardozo MJ, Cavodeassi F, Bovolenta P. Stretching of the retinal pigment epithelium contributes to zebrafish optic cup morphogenesis. eLife 2021; 10:63396. [PMID: 34545806 PMCID: PMC8530511 DOI: 10.7554/elife.63396] [Citation(s) in RCA: 3] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 09/23/2020] [Accepted: 09/20/2021] [Indexed: 12/15/2022] Open
Abstract
The vertebrate eye primordium consists of a pseudostratified neuroepithelium, the optic vesicle (OV), in which cells acquire neural retina or retinal pigment epithelium (RPE) fates. As these fates arise, the OV assumes a cup shape, influenced by mechanical forces generated within the neural retina. Whether the RPE passively adapts to retinal changes or actively contributes to OV morphogenesis remains unexplored. We generated a zebrafish Tg(E1-bhlhe40:GFP) line to track RPE morphogenesis and interrogate its participation in OV folding. We show that, in virtual absence of proliferation, RPE cells stretch and flatten, thereby matching the retinal curvature and promoting OV folding. Localized interference with the RPE cytoskeleton disrupts tissue stretching and OV folding. Thus, extreme RPE flattening and accelerated differentiation are efficient solutions adopted by fast-developing species to enable timely optic cup formation. This mechanism differs in amniotes, in which proliferation drives RPE expansion with a much-reduced need of cell flattening. Rounded eyeballs help to optimize vision – but how do they acquire their distinctive shape? In animals with backbones, including humans, the eye begins to form early in development. A single layer of embryonic tissue called the optic vesicle reorganizes itself into a two-layered structure: a thin outer layer of cells, known as the retinal pigmented epithelium (RPE for short), and a thicker inner layer called the neural retina. If this process fails, the animal may be born blind or visually impaired. How this flat two-layered structure becomes round is still being investigated. In fish, studies have shown that the inner cell layer – the neural retina – generates mechanical forces that cause the developing tissue to curve inwards to form a cup-like shape. But it was unclear whether the outer layer of cells (the RPE) also contributed to this process. Moreno-Marmol et al. were able to investigate this question by genetically modifying zebrafish to make all new RPE cells fluoresce. Following the early development of the zebrafish eye under a microscope revealed that RPE cells flattened themselves into long thin structures that stretched to cover the entire neural retina. This change was made possible by the cell’s internal skeleton reorganizing. In fact, preventing this reorganization stopped the RPE cells from flattening, and precluded the optic cup from acquiring its curved shape. The results thus confirmed a direct role for the RPE in generating curvature. The entire process did not require the RPE to produce new cells, allowing the curved shape to emerge in just a few hours. This is a major advantage for fast-developing species such as zebrafish. In species whose embryos develop more slowly, such as mice and humans, the RPE instead grows by producing additional cells – a process that takes many days. The development of the eye thus shows how various species use different evolutionary approaches to achieve a common goal.
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Affiliation(s)
- Tania Moreno-Mármol
- Centro de Biología Molecular Severo Ochoa, CSIC-UAM, c/ Nicolás Cabrera, 1, Campus de la Universidad Autónoma de Madrid, Madrid, Spain.,CIBER de Enfermedades Raras (CIBERER), Madrid, Spain
| | - Mario Ledesma-Terrón
- Centro de Biología Molecular Severo Ochoa, CSIC-UAM, c/ Nicolás Cabrera, 1, Campus de la Universidad Autónoma de Madrid, Madrid, Spain
| | - Noemi Tabanera
- Centro de Biología Molecular Severo Ochoa, CSIC-UAM, c/ Nicolás Cabrera, 1, Campus de la Universidad Autónoma de Madrid, Madrid, Spain.,CIBER de Enfermedades Raras (CIBERER), Madrid, Spain
| | - Maria Jesús Martin-Bermejo
- Centro de Biología Molecular Severo Ochoa, CSIC-UAM, c/ Nicolás Cabrera, 1, Campus de la Universidad Autónoma de Madrid, Madrid, Spain.,CIBER de Enfermedades Raras (CIBERER), Madrid, Spain
| | - Marcos J Cardozo
- Centro de Biología Molecular Severo Ochoa, CSIC-UAM, c/ Nicolás Cabrera, 1, Campus de la Universidad Autónoma de Madrid, Madrid, Spain.,CIBER de Enfermedades Raras (CIBERER), Madrid, Spain
| | - Florencia Cavodeassi
- Centro de Biología Molecular Severo Ochoa, CSIC-UAM, c/ Nicolás Cabrera, 1, Campus de la Universidad Autónoma de Madrid, Madrid, Spain.,CIBER de Enfermedades Raras (CIBERER), Madrid, Spain
| | - Paola Bovolenta
- Centro de Biología Molecular Severo Ochoa, CSIC-UAM, c/ Nicolás Cabrera, 1, Campus de la Universidad Autónoma de Madrid, Madrid, Spain.,CIBER de Enfermedades Raras (CIBERER), Madrid, Spain
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30
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Buono L, Corbacho J, Naranjo S, Almuedo-Castillo M, Moreno-Marmol T, de la Cerda B, Sanabria-Reinoso E, Polvillo R, Díaz-Corrales FJ, Bogdanovic O, Bovolenta P, Martínez-Morales JR. Analysis of gene network bifurcation during optic cup morphogenesis in zebrafish. Nat Commun 2021; 12:3866. [PMID: 34162866 PMCID: PMC8222258 DOI: 10.1038/s41467-021-24169-7] [Citation(s) in RCA: 3] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 07/06/2020] [Accepted: 06/03/2021] [Indexed: 01/04/2023] Open
Abstract
Sight depends on the tight cooperation between photoreceptors and pigmented cells, which derive from common progenitors through the bifurcation of a single gene regulatory network into the neural retina (NR) and retinal-pigmented epithelium (RPE) programs. Although genetic studies have identified upstream nodes controlling these networks, their regulatory logic remains poorly investigated. Here, we characterize transcriptome dynamics and chromatin accessibility in segregating NR/RPE populations in zebrafish. We analyze cis-regulatory modules and enriched transcription factor motives to show extensive network redundancy and context-dependent activity. We identify downstream targets, highlighting an early recruitment of desmosomal genes in the flattening RPE and revealing Tead factors as upstream regulators. We investigate the RPE specification network dynamics to uncover an unexpected sequence of transcription factors recruitment, which is conserved in humans. This systematic interrogation of the NR/RPE bifurcation should improve both genetic counseling for eye disorders and hiPSCs-to-RPE differentiation protocols for cell-replacement therapies in degenerative diseases.
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Affiliation(s)
- Lorena Buono
- Centro Andaluz de Biología del Desarrollo-CABD (CSIC/UPO/JA), Seville, Spain
- Centro de Biología Molecular Severo Ochoa (CSIC/UAM), Seville, Spain
| | - Jorge Corbacho
- Centro Andaluz de Biología del Desarrollo-CABD (CSIC/UPO/JA), Seville, Spain
| | - Silvia Naranjo
- Centro Andaluz de Biología del Desarrollo-CABD (CSIC/UPO/JA), Seville, Spain
| | | | | | - Berta de la Cerda
- Centro Andaluz de Biología Molecular y Medicina Regenerativa-CABIMER (CSIC/US/UPO/JA), Seville, Spain
| | | | - Rocío Polvillo
- Centro Andaluz de Biología del Desarrollo-CABD (CSIC/UPO/JA), Seville, Spain
| | | | - Ozren Bogdanovic
- Genomics and Epigenetics Division, Garvan Institute of Medical Research, Sydney, NSW, Australia
- School of Biotechnology and Biomolecular Sciences, University of New South Wales, Sydney, NSW, Australia
| | - Paola Bovolenta
- Centro de Biología Molecular Severo Ochoa (CSIC/UAM), Seville, Spain.
- CIBERER, ISCIII, Madrid, Spain.
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31
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Gregory LC, Gergics P, Nakaguma M, Bando H, Patti G, McCabe MJ, Fang Q, Ma Q, Ozel AB, Li JZ, Poina MM, Jorge AAL, Benedetti AFF, Lerario AM, Arnhold IJP, Mendonca BB, Maghnie M, Camper SA, Carvalho LRS, Dattani MT. The phenotypic spectrum associated with OTX2 mutations in humans. Eur J Endocrinol 2021; 185:121-135. [PMID: 33950863 PMCID: PMC8437083 DOI: 10.1530/eje-20-1453] [Citation(s) in RCA: 15] [Impact Index Per Article: 5.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Submit a Manuscript] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 12/19/2020] [Accepted: 05/05/2021] [Indexed: 11/25/2022]
Abstract
Objective The transcription factor OTX2 is implicated in ocular, craniofacial, and pituitary development. Design We aimed to establish the contribution of OTX2 mutations in congenital hypopituitarism patients with/without eye abnormalities, study functional consequences, and establish OTX2 expression in the human brain, with a view to investigate the mechanism of action. Methods We screened patients from the UK (n = 103), international centres (n = 24), and Brazil (n = 282); 145 were within the septo-optic dysplasia spectrum, and 264 had no eye phenotype. Transactivation ability of OTX2 variants was analysed in murine hypothalamic GT1-7 neurons. In situ hybridization was performed on human embryonic brain sections. Genetically engineered mice were generated with a series of C-terminal OTX2 variants. Results Two chromosomal deletions and six haploinsufficient mutations were identified in individuals with eye abnormalities; an affected relative of one patient harboured the same mutation without an ocular phenotype. OTX2 truncations led to significant transactivation reduction. A missense variant was identified in another patient without eye abnormalities; however, studies revealed it was most likely not causative. In the mouse, truncations proximal to aa219 caused anophthalmia, while distal truncations and the missense variant were tolerated. During human embryogenesis, OTX2 was expressed in the posterior pituitary, retina, ear, thalamus, choroid plexus, and partially in the hypothalamus, but not in the anterior pituitary. Conclusions OTX2 mutations are rarely associated with hypopituitarism in isolation without eye abnormalities, and may be variably penetrant, even within the same pedigree. Our data suggest that the endocrine phenotypes in patients with OTX2 mutations are of hypothalamic origin.
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Affiliation(s)
- Louise C Gregory
- Section of Molecular Basis of Rare Disease, Genetics and Genomic Medicine Research & Teaching Department, UCL Great Ormond Street Institute of Child Health, London, UK
| | - Peter Gergics
- Department of Human Genetics, University of Michigan, Ann Arbor, Michigan, USA
| | - Marilena Nakaguma
- Developmental Endocrinology Unit, Hospital das Clinicas da Faculdade de Medicina da Universidade de São Paulo, São Paulo, Brazil
| | - Hironori Bando
- Department of Human Genetics, University of Michigan, Ann Arbor, Michigan, USA
| | - Giuseppa Patti
- Section of Molecular Basis of Rare Disease, Genetics and Genomic Medicine Research & Teaching Department, UCL Great Ormond Street Institute of Child Health, London, UK
- Department of Pediatrics, IRCCS Istituto Giannina Gaslini
- Department of Neuroscience, Rehabilitation, Ophthalmology, Genetics, Maternal and Child Health, University of Genova, Genova, Italy
| | - Mark J McCabe
- Section of Molecular Basis of Rare Disease, Genetics and Genomic Medicine Research & Teaching Department, UCL Great Ormond Street Institute of Child Health, London, UK
| | - Qing Fang
- Department of Human Genetics, University of Michigan, Ann Arbor, Michigan, USA
| | - Qianyi Ma
- Department of Human Genetics, University of Michigan, Ann Arbor, Michigan, USA
| | - Ayse Bilge Ozel
- Department of Human Genetics, University of Michigan, Ann Arbor, Michigan, USA
| | - Jun Z Li
- Department of Human Genetics, University of Michigan, Ann Arbor, Michigan, USA
| | - Michele Moreira Poina
- Developmental Endocrinology Unit, Hospital das Clinicas da Faculdade de Medicina da Universidade de São Paulo, São Paulo, Brazil
| | - Alexander A L Jorge
- Developmental Endocrinology Unit, Hospital das Clinicas da Faculdade de Medicina da Universidade de São Paulo, São Paulo, Brazil
| | - Anna F Figueredo Benedetti
- Developmental Endocrinology Unit, Hospital das Clinicas da Faculdade de Medicina da Universidade de São Paulo, São Paulo, Brazil
| | - Antonio M Lerario
- Developmental Endocrinology Unit, Hospital das Clinicas da Faculdade de Medicina da Universidade de São Paulo, São Paulo, Brazil
| | - Ivo J P Arnhold
- Developmental Endocrinology Unit, Hospital das Clinicas da Faculdade de Medicina da Universidade de São Paulo, São Paulo, Brazil
| | - Berenice B Mendonca
- Developmental Endocrinology Unit, Hospital das Clinicas da Faculdade de Medicina da Universidade de São Paulo, São Paulo, Brazil
| | - Mohamad Maghnie
- Department of Pediatrics, IRCCS Istituto Giannina Gaslini
- Department of Neuroscience, Rehabilitation, Ophthalmology, Genetics, Maternal and Child Health, University of Genova, Genova, Italy
| | - Sally A Camper
- Department of Human Genetics, University of Michigan, Ann Arbor, Michigan, USA
| | - Luciani R S Carvalho
- Developmental Endocrinology Unit, Hospital das Clinicas da Faculdade de Medicina da Universidade de São Paulo, São Paulo, Brazil
| | - Mehul T Dattani
- Section of Molecular Basis of Rare Disease, Genetics and Genomic Medicine Research & Teaching Department, UCL Great Ormond Street Institute of Child Health, London, UK
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A defined subset of clonal retinal stem cell spheres is biased to RPE differentiation. iScience 2021; 24:102574. [PMID: 34151227 PMCID: PMC8188557 DOI: 10.1016/j.isci.2021.102574] [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: 12/07/2020] [Revised: 03/24/2021] [Accepted: 05/18/2021] [Indexed: 11/19/2022] Open
Abstract
Retinal stem cells (RSCs) are rare pigmented cells found in the pigmented ciliary layer of the mammalian retina. Studies show that RSCs can replicate to maintain the stem cell pool and produce retinal progenitors that differentiate into all retinal cell types. We classified RSCs based on their level and distribution of pigment into heavily pigmented (HP), lightly pigmented (LP), and centrally pigmented (CP) spheres. We report that CP spheres are capable of generating large cobblestone lawns of retinal pigment epithelial (RPE) cells. The other clonal sphere types (HP and LP) primarily produce cells with neural morphology and fewer RPE cells. The RSCs are homogeneous, but their downstream progenitors are different. We found that CP spheres contain highly proliferative populations of early RPE progenitors that respond to proliferative signals from the surrounding non-pigmented cells. HP and LP spheres contain late RPE progenitors which are not affected by proliferative signals. Three types of clonal retinal stem cell spheres form from the same single stem cell Centrally pigmented spheres contain populations of early RPE progenitors Heavily and lightly pigmented spheres contain populations of late RPE progenitors Downstream RPE progenitors are different due to extrinsic and intrinsic factors
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33
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George SM, Lu F, Rao M, Leach LL, Gross JM. The retinal pigment epithelium: Development, injury responses, and regenerative potential in mammalian and non-mammalian systems. Prog Retin Eye Res 2021; 85:100969. [PMID: 33901682 DOI: 10.1016/j.preteyeres.2021.100969] [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] [Received: 11/15/2020] [Revised: 03/23/2021] [Accepted: 04/07/2021] [Indexed: 12/13/2022]
Abstract
Diseases that result in retinal pigment epithelium (RPE) degeneration, such as age-related macular degeneration (AMD), are among the leading causes of blindness worldwide. Atrophic (dry) AMD is the most prevalent form of AMD and there are currently no effective therapies to prevent RPE cell death or restore RPE cells lost from AMD. An intriguing approach to treat AMD and other RPE degenerative diseases is to develop therapies focused on stimulating endogenous RPE regeneration. For this to become feasible, a deeper understanding of the mechanisms underlying RPE development, injury responses and regenerative potential is needed. In mammals, RPE regeneration is extremely limited; small lesions can be repaired by the expansion of adjacent RPE cells, but large lesions cannot be repaired as remaining RPE cells are unable to functionally replace lost RPE tissue. In some injury paradigms, RPE cells proliferate but do not regenerate a morphologically normal monolayer, while in others, proliferation is pathogenic and results in further disruption to the retina. This is in contrast to non-mammalian vertebrates, which possess tremendous RPE regenerative potential. Here, we discuss what is known about RPE formation during development in mammalian and non-mammalian vertebrates, we detail the processes by which RPE cells respond to injury, and we describe examples of RPE-to-retina and RPE-to-RPE regeneration in non-mammalian vertebrates. Finally, we outline barriers to RPE-dependent regeneration in mammals that could potentially be overcome to stimulate a regenerative response from the RPE.
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Affiliation(s)
- Stephanie M George
- Department of Ophthalmology, Louis J. Fox Center for Vision Restoration, University of Pittsburgh School of Medicine, Pittsburgh, PA, 15213, USA
| | - Fangfang Lu
- Department of Ophthalmology, Louis J. Fox Center for Vision Restoration, University of Pittsburgh School of Medicine, Pittsburgh, PA, 15213, USA; Department of Ophthalmology, The Second Xiangya Hospital, Central South University, Changsha, Hunan, 410011, China
| | - Mishal Rao
- Department of Ophthalmology, Louis J. Fox Center for Vision Restoration, University of Pittsburgh School of Medicine, Pittsburgh, PA, 15213, USA
| | - Lyndsay L Leach
- Department of Ophthalmology, Louis J. Fox Center for Vision Restoration, University of Pittsburgh School of Medicine, Pittsburgh, PA, 15213, USA
| | - Jeffrey M Gross
- Department of Ophthalmology, Louis J. Fox Center for Vision Restoration, University of Pittsburgh School of Medicine, Pittsburgh, PA, 15213, USA; Department of Developmental Biology, University of Pittsburgh School of Medicine, Pittsburgh, PA, 15213, USA.
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34
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Yu P, Wang Y, Yang WT, Li Z, Zhang XJ, Zhou L, Gui JF. Upregulation of the PPAR signaling pathway and accumulation of lipids are related to the morphological and structural transformation of the dragon-eye goldfish eye. SCIENCE CHINA-LIFE SCIENCES 2021; 64:1031-1049. [PMID: 33428077 DOI: 10.1007/s11427-020-1814-1] [Citation(s) in RCA: 21] [Impact Index Per Article: 7.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 07/24/2020] [Accepted: 08/19/2020] [Indexed: 02/07/2023]
Abstract
Goldfish comprise around 300 different strains with drastically altered and aesthetical morphologies making them suitable models for evolutionary developmental biology. The dragon-eye strain is characterized by protruding eyes (analogous to those of Chinese dragons). Although the strain has been selected for about 400 years, the mechanism of its eye development remains unclear. In this study, a stable dragon-eye goldfish strain with a clear genetic background was rapidly established and studied. We found that upregulation of the PPAR signaling pathway accompanied by an increase in lipid accumulation might trigger the morphological and structural transformation of the eye in dragon-eye goldfish. At the developmental stage of proptosis (eye protrusion), downregulation of the phototransduction pathway was consistent with the structural defects and myopia of the dragon-eye strain. With the impairment of retinal development, cytokine-induced inflammation was activated, especially after proptosis, similar to the pathologic symptoms of many human ocular diseases. In addition, differentially expressed transcription factors were significantly enriched in the PAX and homeobox families, two well-known transcription factor families involved in eye development. Therefore, our findings reveal the dynamic changes in key pathways during eye development in dragon-eye goldfish, and provide insights into the molecular mechanisms underlying drastically altered eyes in goldfish and human ocular disease.
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Affiliation(s)
- Peng Yu
- State Key Laboratory of Freshwater Ecology and Biotechnology, Institute of Hydrobiology, the Innovative Academy of Seed Design, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Wuhan, 430072, China
- University of Chinese Academy of Sciences, Beijing, 100049, China
| | - Yang Wang
- State Key Laboratory of Freshwater Ecology and Biotechnology, Institute of Hydrobiology, the Innovative Academy of Seed Design, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Wuhan, 430072, China
- University of Chinese Academy of Sciences, Beijing, 100049, China
| | - Wen-Tao Yang
- State Key Laboratory of Freshwater Ecology and Biotechnology, Institute of Hydrobiology, the Innovative Academy of Seed Design, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Wuhan, 430072, China
| | - Zhi Li
- State Key Laboratory of Freshwater Ecology and Biotechnology, Institute of Hydrobiology, the Innovative Academy of Seed Design, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Wuhan, 430072, China
| | - Xiao-Juan Zhang
- State Key Laboratory of Freshwater Ecology and Biotechnology, Institute of Hydrobiology, the Innovative Academy of Seed Design, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Wuhan, 430072, China
| | - Li Zhou
- State Key Laboratory of Freshwater Ecology and Biotechnology, Institute of Hydrobiology, the Innovative Academy of Seed Design, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Wuhan, 430072, China.
- University of Chinese Academy of Sciences, Beijing, 100049, China.
| | - Jian-Fang Gui
- State Key Laboratory of Freshwater Ecology and Biotechnology, Institute of Hydrobiology, the Innovative Academy of Seed Design, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Wuhan, 430072, China.
- University of Chinese Academy of Sciences, Beijing, 100049, China.
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35
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Medina-Martinez O, Haller M, Rosenfeld JA, O'Neill MA, Lamb DJ, Jamrich M. The transcription factor Maz is essential for normal eye development. Dis Model Mech 2020; 13:dmm044412. [PMID: 32571845 PMCID: PMC7449797 DOI: 10.1242/dmm.044412] [Citation(s) in RCA: 9] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 02/14/2020] [Accepted: 06/10/2020] [Indexed: 12/19/2022] Open
Abstract
Wnt/β-catenin signaling has an essential role in eye development. Faulty regulation of this pathway results in ocular malformations, owing to defects in cell-fate determination and differentiation. Herein, we show that disruption of Maz, the gene encoding Myc-associated zinc-finger transcription factor, produces developmental eye defects in mice and humans. Expression of key genes involved in the Wnt cascade, Sfrp2, Wnt2b and Fzd4, was significantly increased in mice with targeted inactivation of Maz, resulting in abnormal peripheral eye formation with reduced proliferation of the progenitor cells in the region. Paradoxically, the Wnt reporter TCF-Lef1 displayed a significant downregulation in Maz-deficient eyes. Molecular analysis indicates that Maz is necessary for the activation of the Wnt/β-catenin pathway and participates in the network controlling ciliary margin patterning. Copy-number variations and single-nucleotide variants of MAZ were identified in humans that result in abnormal ocular development. The data support MAZ as a key contributor to the eye comorbidities associated with chromosome 16p11.2 copy-number variants and as a transcriptional regulator of ocular development.
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Affiliation(s)
- Olga Medina-Martinez
- Department of Molecular and Cellular Biology, Baylor College of Medicine, Houston, TX 77030, USA
| | - Meade Haller
- Department of Molecular and Cellular Biology, Baylor College of Medicine, Houston, TX 77030, USA
- Center for Reproductive Medicine, Baylor College of Medicine, Houston, TX 77030, USA
| | - Jill A Rosenfeld
- Molecular and Human Genetics, Baylor College of Medicine, Houston, TX 77030, USA
- Baylor Genetics Laboratories, Houston, TX 77021, USA
| | - Marisol A O'Neill
- Department of Molecular and Cellular Biology, Baylor College of Medicine, Houston, TX 77030, USA
- Center for Reproductive Medicine, Baylor College of Medicine, Houston, TX 77030, USA
| | - Dolores J Lamb
- Department of Molecular and Cellular Biology, Baylor College of Medicine, Houston, TX 77030, USA
- Center for Reproductive Medicine, Baylor College of Medicine, Houston, TX 77030, USA
- James Buchanan Brady Foundation Department of Urology, Weill Cornell Medical College, New York City, NY 10065, USA
- Englander Institute for Precision Medicine, Weill Cornell Medical College, New York City, NY 10065, USA
- Center for Reproductive Genomics, Weill Cornell Medical College, New York City, NY 10065, USA
| | - Milan Jamrich
- Department of Molecular and Cellular Biology, Baylor College of Medicine, Houston, TX 77030, USA
- Molecular and Human Genetics, Baylor College of Medicine, Houston, TX 77030, USA
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36
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Chan CSY, Lonfat N, Zhao R, Davis AE, Li L, Wu MR, Lin CH, Ji Z, Cepko CL, Wang S. Cell type- and stage-specific expression of Otx2 is regulated by multiple transcription factors and cis-regulatory modules in the retina. Development 2020; 147:dev.187922. [PMID: 32631829 DOI: 10.1242/dev.187922] [Citation(s) in RCA: 17] [Impact Index Per Article: 4.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 01/06/2020] [Accepted: 06/22/2020] [Indexed: 12/22/2022]
Abstract
Transcription factors (TFs) are often used repeatedly during development and homeostasis to control distinct processes in the same and/or different cellular contexts. Considering the limited number of TFs in the genome and the tremendous number of events that need to be regulated, re-use of TFs is necessary. We analyzed how the expression of the homeobox TF, orthodenticle homeobox 2 (Otx2), is regulated in a cell type- and stage-specific manner during development in the mouse retina. We identified seven Otx2 cis-regulatory modules (CRMs), among which the O5, O7 and O9 CRMs mark three distinct cellular contexts of Otx2 expression. We discovered that Otx2, Crx and Sox2, which are well-known TFs regulating retinal development, bind to and activate the O5, O7 or O9 CRMs, respectively. The chromatin status of these three CRMs was found to be distinct in vivo in different retinal cell types and at different stages. We conclude that retinal cells use a cohort of TFs with different expression patterns and multiple CRMs with different chromatin configurations to regulate the expression of Otx2 precisely.
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Affiliation(s)
- Candace S Y Chan
- Department of Ophthalmology, Mary M. and Sash A. Spencer Center for Vision Research, Byers Eye Institute, Stanford University, Stanford, CA 94304, USA
| | - Nicolas Lonfat
- Departments of Genetics and Ophthalmology, Blavatnik Institute, Howard Hughes Medical Institute, Harvard Medical School, Boston, MA 02115, USA
| | - Rong Zhao
- Departments of Genetics and Ophthalmology, Blavatnik Institute, Howard Hughes Medical Institute, Harvard Medical School, Boston, MA 02115, USA
| | - Alexander E Davis
- Department of Ophthalmology, Mary M. and Sash A. Spencer Center for Vision Research, Byers Eye Institute, Stanford University, Stanford, CA 94304, USA
| | - Liang Li
- Department of Ophthalmology, Mary M. and Sash A. Spencer Center for Vision Research, Byers Eye Institute, Stanford University, Stanford, CA 94304, USA.,Department of Ophthalmology, The Second Xiangya Hospital, Central South University, Changsha, 410011, China
| | - Man-Ru Wu
- Department of Ophthalmology, Mary M. and Sash A. Spencer Center for Vision Research, Byers Eye Institute, Stanford University, Stanford, CA 94304, USA
| | - Cheng-Hui Lin
- Department of Ophthalmology, Mary M. and Sash A. Spencer Center for Vision Research, Byers Eye Institute, Stanford University, Stanford, CA 94304, USA
| | - Zhe Ji
- Department of Bioengineering, Northwestern University, Evanston, IL 60208, USA
| | - Constance L Cepko
- Departments of Genetics and Ophthalmology, Blavatnik Institute, Howard Hughes Medical Institute, Harvard Medical School, Boston, MA 02115, USA
| | - Sui Wang
- Department of Ophthalmology, Mary M. and Sash A. Spencer Center for Vision Research, Byers Eye Institute, Stanford University, Stanford, CA 94304, USA
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Harding P, Moosajee M. The Molecular Basis of Human Anophthalmia and Microphthalmia. J Dev Biol 2019; 7:jdb7030016. [PMID: 31416264 PMCID: PMC6787759 DOI: 10.3390/jdb7030016] [Citation(s) in RCA: 31] [Impact Index Per Article: 6.2] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 06/19/2019] [Revised: 08/08/2019] [Accepted: 08/08/2019] [Indexed: 12/16/2022] Open
Abstract
Human eye development is coordinated through an extensive network of genetic signalling pathways. Disruption of key regulatory genes in the early stages of eye development can result in aborted eye formation, resulting in an absent eye (anophthalmia) or a small underdeveloped eye (microphthalmia) phenotype. Anophthalmia and microphthalmia (AM) are part of the same clinical spectrum and have high genetic heterogeneity, with >90 identified associated genes. By understanding the roles of these genes in development, including their temporal expression, the phenotypic variation associated with AM can be better understood, improving diagnosis and management. This review describes the genetic and structural basis of eye development, focusing on the function of key genes known to be associated with AM. In addition, we highlight some promising avenues of research involving multiomic approaches and disease modelling with induced pluripotent stem cell (iPSC) technology, which will aid in developing novel therapies.
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Affiliation(s)
| | - Mariya Moosajee
- UCL Institute of Ophthalmology, London EC1V 9EL, UK.
- Moorfields Eye Hospital NHS Foundation Trust, London EC1V 2PD, UK.
- Great Ormond Street Hospital for Children NHS Foundation Trust, London WC1N 3JH, UK.
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38
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Shin JY, Son J, Kim WS, Gwak J, Ju BG. Jmjd6a regulates GSK3β RNA splicing in Xenopus laevis eye development. PLoS One 2019; 14:e0219800. [PMID: 31361752 PMCID: PMC6667200 DOI: 10.1371/journal.pone.0219800] [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: 03/20/2019] [Accepted: 07/01/2019] [Indexed: 12/02/2022] Open
Abstract
It has been suggested that Jmjd6 plays an important role in gene regulation through its demethylation or hydroxylation activity on histone and transcription factors. In addition, Jmjd6 has been shown to regulate RNA splicing by interaction with splicing factors. In this study, we demonstrated that Jmjd6a is expressed in developing Xenopus laevis eye during optic vesicle formation and retinal layer differentiation stages. Knockdown of Jmjd6a by an antisense morpholino resulted in eye malformation including a deformed retinal layer and no lens formation. We further found down-regulation of gene expression related to eye development such as Rx1, Otx2, and Pax6 in Jmjd6a morpholino injected embryos. Jmjd6 interacts with splicing factor U2AF25 and GSK3β RNA in the anterior region of Xenopus embryos. Knockdown of Jmjd6a led to deletion of GSK3β RNA exon 1 and 2, which resulted in generation of N’-terminal truncated GSK3β protein. This event further caused decreased phosphorylation of β-catenin and subsequently increased β-catenin stability. Therefore, our result may suggest that Jmjd6a plays an important role in Xenopus eye development through regulation of GSK3β RNA splicing and canonical Wnt/β-catenin signaling.
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Affiliation(s)
- Jee Yoon Shin
- Department of Life Science, Sogang University, Seoul, Korea
| | - Jeongin Son
- Department of Life Science, Sogang University, Seoul, Korea
| | - Won Sun Kim
- Department of Life Science, Sogang University, Seoul, Korea
| | - Jungsug Gwak
- Department of Life Science, Sogang University, Seoul, Korea
| | - Bong-Gun Ju
- Department of Life Science, Sogang University, Seoul, Korea
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39
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Ohuchi H, Sato K, Habuta M, Fujita H, Bando T. Congenital eye anomalies: More mosaic than thought? Congenit Anom (Kyoto) 2019; 59:56-73. [PMID: 30039880 DOI: 10.1111/cga.12304] [Citation(s) in RCA: 10] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Submit a Manuscript] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 02/21/2018] [Revised: 07/16/2018] [Accepted: 07/17/2018] [Indexed: 12/13/2022]
Abstract
The eye is a sensory organ that primarily captures light and provides the sense of sight, as well as delivering non-visual light information involving biological rhythms and neurophysiological activities to the brain. Since the early 1990s, rapid advances in molecular biology have enabled the identification of developmental genes, genes responsible for human congenital diseases, and relevant genes of mutant animals with various anomalies. In this review, we first look at the development of the eye, and we highlight seminal reports regarding archetypal gene defects underlying three developmental ocular disorders in humans: (1) holoprosencephaly (HPE), with cyclopia being exhibited in the most severe cases; (2) microphthalmia, anophthalmia, and coloboma (MAC) phenotypes; and (3) anterior segment dysgenesis (ASDG), known as Peters anomaly and its related disorders. The recently developed methods, such as next-generation sequencing and genome editing techniques, have aided the discovery of gene mutations in congenital eye diseases and gene functions in normal eye development. Finally, we discuss Pax6-genome edited mosaic eyes and propose that somatic mosaicism in developmental gene mutations should be considered a causal factor for variable phenotypes, sporadic cases, and de novo mutations in human developmental disorders.
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Affiliation(s)
- Hideyo Ohuchi
- Department of Cytology and Histology, Okayama University Graduate School of Medicine, Dentistry and Pharmaceutical Sciences, Okayama, Japan
| | - Keita Sato
- Department of Cytology and Histology, Okayama University Graduate School of Medicine, Dentistry and Pharmaceutical Sciences, Okayama, Japan
| | - Munenori Habuta
- Department of Cytology and Histology, Okayama University Graduate School of Medicine, Dentistry and Pharmaceutical Sciences, Okayama, Japan
| | - Hirofumi Fujita
- Department of Cytology and Histology, Okayama University Graduate School of Medicine, Dentistry and Pharmaceutical Sciences, Okayama, Japan
| | - Tetsuya Bando
- Department of Cytology and Histology, Okayama University Graduate School of Medicine, Dentistry and Pharmaceutical Sciences, Okayama, Japan
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40
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Shirahama M, Steinfeld I, Karaiwa A, Taketani S, Vogel-Höpker A, Layer PG, Araki M. Change in the developmental fate of the chick optic vesicle from the neural retina to the telencephalon. Dev Growth Differ 2019; 61:252-262. [PMID: 30843193 DOI: 10.1111/dgd.12599] [Citation(s) in RCA: 1] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.2] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 12/03/2018] [Revised: 01/22/2019] [Accepted: 01/23/2019] [Indexed: 11/27/2022]
Abstract
The forebrain develops into the telencephalon, diencephalon, and optic vesicle (OV). The OV further develops into the optic cup, the inner and outer layers of which develop into the neural retina and retinal pigmented epithelium (RPE), respectively. We studied the change in fate of the OV by using embryonic transplantation and explant culture methods. OVs excised from 10-somite stage chick embryos were freed from surrounding tissues (the surface ectoderm and mesenchyme) and were transplanted back to their original position in host embryos. Expression of neural retina-specific genes, such as Rax and Vsx2 (Chx10), was downregulated in the transplants. Instead, expression of the telencephalon-specific gene Emx1 emerged in the proximal region of the transplants, and in the distal part of the transplants close to the epidermis, expression of an RPE-specific gene Mitf was observed. Explant culture studies showed that when OVs were cultured alone, Rax was continuously expressed regardless of surrounding tissues (mesenchyme and epidermis). When OVs without surrounding tissues were cultured in close contact with the anterior forebrain, Rax expression became downregulated in the explants, and Emx1 expression became upregulated. These findings indicate that chick OVs at stage 10 are bi-potential with respect to their developmental fates, either for the neural retina or for the telencephalon, and that the surrounding tissues have a pivotal role in their actual fates. An in vitro tissue culture model suggests that under the influence of the anterior forebrain and/or its surrounding tissues, the OV changes its fate from the retina to the telencephalon.
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Affiliation(s)
- Misaki Shirahama
- Developmental Neurobiology Laboratory, Nara Women's University, Nara, Japan
| | - Ichie Steinfeld
- Developmental Neurobiology Laboratory, Nara Women's University, Nara, Japan.,Entwicklungsbiologie & Neurogenetik, Technische Universität Darmstadt, Darmstadt, Germany
| | - Akari Karaiwa
- Developmental Neurobiology Laboratory, Nara Women's University, Nara, Japan
| | - Shigeru Taketani
- Department of Biotechnology, Kyoto Institute of Technology, Kyoto, Japan
| | - Astrid Vogel-Höpker
- Entwicklungsbiologie & Neurogenetik, Technische Universität Darmstadt, Darmstadt, Germany
| | - Paul G Layer
- Entwicklungsbiologie & Neurogenetik, Technische Universität Darmstadt, Darmstadt, Germany
| | - Masasuke Araki
- Developmental Neurobiology Laboratory, Nara Women's University, Nara, Japan.,Unit of Neural Development and Regeneration, Nara Medical University, Kashihara, Japan
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Abstract
This chapter provides an overview of the early developmental origins of six ocular tissues: the cornea, lens, ciliary body, iris, neural retina, and retina pigment epithelium. Many of these tissue types are concurrently specified and undergo a complex set of morphogenetic movements that facilitate their structural interconnection. Within the context of vertebrate eye organogenesis, we also discuss the genetic hierarchies of transcription factors and signaling pathways that regulate growth, patterning, cell type specification and differentiation.
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Affiliation(s)
- Joel B Miesfeld
- Department of Cell Biology & Human Anatomy, University of California Davis School of Medicine, Davis, CA, United States
| | - Nadean L Brown
- Department of Cell Biology & Human Anatomy, University of California Davis School of Medicine, Davis, CA, United States.
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Di Nardo AA, Fuchs J, Joshi RL, Moya KL, Prochiantz A. The Physiology of Homeoprotein Transduction. Physiol Rev 2019; 98:1943-1982. [PMID: 30067157 DOI: 10.1152/physrev.00018.2017] [Citation(s) in RCA: 30] [Impact Index Per Article: 6.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 12/18/2022] Open
Abstract
The homeoprotein family comprises ~300 transcription factors and was long seen as primarily involved in developmental programs through cell autonomous regulation. However, recent evidence reveals that many of these factors are also expressed in the adult where they exert physiological functions not yet fully deciphered. Furthermore, the DNA-binding domain of most homeoproteins contains two signal sequences allowing their secretion and internalization, thus intercellular transfer. This review focuses on this new-found signaling in cell migration, axon guidance, and cerebral cortex physiological homeostasis and speculates on how it may play important roles in early arealization of the neuroepithelium. It also describes the use of homeoproteins as therapeutic proteins in mouse models of diseases affecting the central nervous system, in particular Parkinson disease and glaucoma.
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Affiliation(s)
- Ariel A Di Nardo
- Centre for Interdisciplinary Research in Biology (CIRB), Collège de France, CNRS UMR 7241, INSERM U1050, Labex MemoLife, PSL Research University , Paris , France
| | - Julia Fuchs
- Centre for Interdisciplinary Research in Biology (CIRB), Collège de France, CNRS UMR 7241, INSERM U1050, Labex MemoLife, PSL Research University , Paris , France
| | - Rajiv L Joshi
- Centre for Interdisciplinary Research in Biology (CIRB), Collège de France, CNRS UMR 7241, INSERM U1050, Labex MemoLife, PSL Research University , Paris , France
| | - Kenneth L Moya
- Centre for Interdisciplinary Research in Biology (CIRB), Collège de France, CNRS UMR 7241, INSERM U1050, Labex MemoLife, PSL Research University , Paris , France
| | - Alain Prochiantz
- Centre for Interdisciplinary Research in Biology (CIRB), Collège de France, CNRS UMR 7241, INSERM U1050, Labex MemoLife, PSL Research University , Paris , France
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43
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Diacou R, Zhao Y, Zheng D, Cvekl A, Liu W. Six3 and Six6 Are Jointly Required for the Maintenance of Multipotent Retinal Progenitors through Both Positive and Negative Regulation. Cell Rep 2018; 25:2510-2523.e4. [PMID: 30485816 PMCID: PMC6317371 DOI: 10.1016/j.celrep.2018.10.106] [Citation(s) in RCA: 30] [Impact Index Per Article: 5.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 12/18/2017] [Revised: 09/19/2018] [Accepted: 10/29/2018] [Indexed: 11/16/2022] Open
Abstract
Gene regulation of multipotent neuroretinal progenitors is partially understood. Through characterizing Six3 and Six6 double knockout retinas (DKOs), we demonstrate Six3 and Six6 are jointly required for the maintenance of multipotent neuroretinal progenitors. Phenotypes in DKOs were not found in either Six3 nulls or Six6 nulls. At the far periphery, ciliary margin (CM) markers Otx1 and Cdon together with Wnt3a and Fzd1 were ectopically upregulated, whereas neuroretinal progenitor markers Sox2, Notch1, and Otx2 were absent or reduced. At the mid periphery, multi-lineage differentiation was defective. The gene set jointly regulated by Six3 and Six6 significantly overlapped with the gene networks regulated by WNT3A, CTNNB1, POU4F2, or SOX2. Stimulation of Wnt/β-catenin signaling by either Wnt-3a or a GS3Kβ inhibitor promoted CM progenitors at the cost of neuroretinal identity at the periphery of eyecups. Therefore, Six3 and Six6 together directly or indirectly suppress Wnt/β-catenin signaling but promote retinogenic factors for the maintenance of multipotent neuroretinal progenitors.
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Affiliation(s)
- Raven Diacou
- Departments of Ophthalmology and Visual Sciences and Genetics, Albert Einstein College of Medicine, New York, NY 10461, USA
| | - Yilin Zhao
- Departments of Ophthalmology and Visual Sciences and Genetics, Albert Einstein College of Medicine, New York, NY 10461, USA
| | - Deyou Zheng
- Departments of Ophthalmology and Visual Sciences and Genetics, Albert Einstein College of Medicine, New York, NY 10461, USA
| | - Ales Cvekl
- Departments of Ophthalmology and Visual Sciences and Genetics, Albert Einstein College of Medicine, New York, NY 10461, USA
| | - Wei Liu
- Departments of Ophthalmology and Visual Sciences and Genetics, Albert Einstein College of Medicine, New York, NY 10461, USA.
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44
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Iwai-Takekoshi L, Balasubramanian R, Sitko A, Khan R, Weinreb S, Robinson K, Mason C. Activation of Wnt signaling reduces ipsilaterally projecting retinal ganglion cells in pigmented retina. Development 2018; 145:dev.163212. [PMID: 30254141 DOI: 10.1242/dev.163212] [Citation(s) in RCA: 16] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.7] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 02/05/2018] [Accepted: 09/15/2018] [Indexed: 11/20/2022]
Abstract
In mammalian albinism, disrupted melanogenesis in the retinal pigment epithelium (RPE) is associated with fewer retinal ganglion cells (RGCs) projecting ipsilaterally to the brain, resulting in numerous abnormalities in the retina and visual pathway, especially binocular vision. To further understand the molecular link between disrupted RPE and a reduced ipsilateral RGC projection in albinism, we compared gene expression in the embryonic albino and pigmented mouse RPE. We found that the Wnt pathway, which directs peripheral retinal differentiation and, generally, cell proliferation, is dysregulated in the albino RPE. Wnt2b expression is expanded in the albino RPE compared with the pigmented RPE, and the expanded region adjoins the site of ipsilateral RGC neurogenesis and settling. Pharmacological activation of Wnt signaling in pigmented mice by lithium (Li+) treatment in vivo reduces the number of Zic2-positive RGCs, which are normally fated to project ipsilaterally, to numbers observed in the albino retina. These results implicate Wnt signaling from the RPE to neural retina as a potential factor in the regulation of ipsilateral RGC production, and thus the albino phenotype.
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Affiliation(s)
- Lena Iwai-Takekoshi
- Department of Pathology and Cell Biology, Columbia University, College of Physicians and Surgeons, New York, NY 10027, USA
| | - Revathi Balasubramanian
- Department of Ophthalmology, Columbia University, College of Physicians and Surgeons, New York, NY 10027, USA
| | - Austen Sitko
- Department of Neuroscience, Columbia University, New York, NY 10027, USA
| | - Rehnuma Khan
- Department of Pathology and Cell Biology, Columbia University, College of Physicians and Surgeons, New York, NY 10027, USA
| | - Samuel Weinreb
- Department of Pathology and Cell Biology, Columbia University, College of Physicians and Surgeons, New York, NY 10027, USA
| | - Kiera Robinson
- Department of Pathology and Cell Biology, Columbia University, College of Physicians and Surgeons, New York, NY 10027, USA
| | - Carol Mason
- Department of Pathology and Cell Biology, Columbia University, College of Physicians and Surgeons, New York, NY 10027, USA .,Department of Ophthalmology, Columbia University, College of Physicians and Surgeons, New York, NY 10027, USA.,Department of Neuroscience, Columbia University, New York, NY 10027, USA.,Mortimer B. Zuckerman Mind Brain Behavior Institute, Columbia University, New York, NY 10027, USA
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45
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Moreno-Marmol T, Cavodeassi F, Bovolenta P. Setting Eyes on the Retinal Pigment Epithelium. Front Cell Dev Biol 2018; 6:145. [PMID: 30406103 PMCID: PMC6207792 DOI: 10.3389/fcell.2018.00145] [Citation(s) in RCA: 19] [Impact Index Per Article: 3.2] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 08/10/2018] [Accepted: 10/08/2018] [Indexed: 01/08/2023] Open
Abstract
The neural component of the zebrafish eye derives from a small group of cells known as the eye/retinal field. These cells, positioned in the anterior neural plate, rearrange extensively and generate the optic vesicles (OVs). Each vesicle subsequently folds over itself to form the double-layered optic cup, from which the mature eye derives. During this transition, cells of the OV are progressively specified toward three different fates: the retinal pigment epithelium (RPE), the neural retina, and the optic stalk. Recent studies have shown that folding of the zebrafish OV into a cup is in part driven by basal constriction of the cells of the future neural retina. During folding, however, RPE cells undergo an even more dramatic shape conversion that seems to entail the acquisition of unique properties. How these changes occur and whether they contribute to optic cup formation is still poorly understood. Here we will review present knowledge on RPE morphogenesis and discuss potential mechanisms that may explain such transformation using examples taken from embryonic Drosophila tissues that undergo similar shape changes. We will also put forward a hypothesis for optic cup folding that considers an active contribution from the RPE.
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Affiliation(s)
- Tania Moreno-Marmol
- Centro de Biología Molecular "Severo Ochoa", Consejo Superior de Investigaciones Científicas, Universidad Autónoma de Madrid, Madrid, Spain.,Centro de Investigación Biomédica en Red de Enfermedades Raras, Instituto de Salud Carlos III, Madrid, Spain
| | - Florencia Cavodeassi
- Institute of Medical and Biomedical Education, University of London, London, United Kingdom
| | - Paola Bovolenta
- Centro de Biología Molecular "Severo Ochoa", Consejo Superior de Investigaciones Científicas, Universidad Autónoma de Madrid, Madrid, Spain.,Centro de Investigación Biomédica en Red de Enfermedades Raras, Instituto de Salud Carlos III, Madrid, Spain
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46
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Smith JN, Walker HM, Thompson H, Collinson JM, Vargesson N, Erskine L. Lens-regulated retinoic acid signalling controls expansion of the developing eye. Development 2018; 145:145/19/dev167171. [PMID: 30305274 DOI: 10.1242/dev.167171] [Citation(s) in RCA: 12] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 04/28/2018] [Accepted: 09/14/2018] [Indexed: 12/21/2022]
Abstract
Absence of the developing lens results in severe eye defects, including substantial reductions in eye size. How the lens controls eye expansion and the underlying signalling pathways are very poorly defined. We identified RDH10, a gene crucial for retinoic acid synthesis during embryogenesis, as a key factor downregulated in the peripheral retina (presumptive ciliary body region) of lens-removed embryonic chicken eyes prior to overt reductions in eye size. This is associated with a significant decrease in retinoic acid synthesis by lens-removed eyes. Restoring retinoic acid signalling in lens-removed eyes by implanting beads soaked in retinoic acid or retinal, but not vitamin A, rescued eye size. Conversely, blocking retinoic acid synthesis decreased eye size in lens-containing eyes. Production of collagen II and collagen IX, which are major vitreal proteins, is also regulated by the lens and retinoic acid signalling. These data mechanistically link the known roles of both the lens and retinoic acid in normal eye development, and support a model whereby retinoic acid production by the peripheral retina acts downstream of the lens to support vitreous production and eye expansion.
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Affiliation(s)
- Jonathan N Smith
- School of Medicine, Medical Sciences and Nutrition, Institute of Medical Sciences, University of Aberdeen, Aberdeen AB25 2ZD, UK
| | - Heather M Walker
- School of Medicine, Medical Sciences and Nutrition, Institute of Medical Sciences, University of Aberdeen, Aberdeen AB25 2ZD, UK
| | - Hannah Thompson
- Department of Craniofacial Development and Stem Cell Biology, Kings College, London WC2R 2LS, UK
| | - J Martin Collinson
- School of Medicine, Medical Sciences and Nutrition, Institute of Medical Sciences, University of Aberdeen, Aberdeen AB25 2ZD, UK
| | - Neil Vargesson
- School of Medicine, Medical Sciences and Nutrition, Institute of Medical Sciences, University of Aberdeen, Aberdeen AB25 2ZD, UK
| | - Lynda Erskine
- School of Medicine, Medical Sciences and Nutrition, Institute of Medical Sciences, University of Aberdeen, Aberdeen AB25 2ZD, UK
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47
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The peripheral eye: A neurogenic area with potential to treat retinal pathologies? Prog Retin Eye Res 2018; 68:110-123. [PMID: 30201383 DOI: 10.1016/j.preteyeres.2018.09.001] [Citation(s) in RCA: 16] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.7] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 02/28/2018] [Revised: 08/31/2018] [Accepted: 09/03/2018] [Indexed: 12/14/2022]
Abstract
Numerous degenerative diseases affecting visual function, including glaucoma and retinitis pigmentosa, are produced by the loss of different types of retinal cells. Cell replacement therapy has emerged as a promising strategy for treating these and other retinal diseases. The retinal margin or ciliary body (CB) of mammals has been proposed as a potential source of cells to be used in degenerative conditions affecting the retina because it has been reported it might hold neurogenic potential beyond embryonic development. However, many aspects of the origin and biology of the CB are unknown and more recent experiments have challenged the capacity of CB cells to generate different types of retinal neurons. Here we review the most recent findings about the development of the marginal zone of the retina in different vertebrates and some of the mechanisms underlying the proliferative and neurogenic capacity of this fascinating region of the vertebrates eye. In addition, we performed experiments to isolate CB cells from the mouse retina, generated neurospheres and observed that they can be expanded with a proliferative ratio similar to neural stem cells. When induced to differentiate, cells derived from the CB neurospheres start to express early neural markers but, unlike embryonic stem cells, they are not able to fully differentiate in vitro or generate retinal organoids. Together with previous reports on the neurogenic capacity of CB cells, also reviewed here, our results contribute to the current knowledge about the potentiality of this peripheral region of the eye as a therapeutic source of functional retinal neurons in degenerative diseases.
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48
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Bovolenta P, Martinez-Morales JR. Genetics of congenital eye malformations: insights from chick experimental embryology. Hum Genet 2018; 138:1001-1006. [PMID: 29980841 DOI: 10.1007/s00439-018-1900-5] [Citation(s) in RCA: 4] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.7] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 02/10/2018] [Accepted: 06/26/2018] [Indexed: 12/27/2022]
Abstract
Embryological manipulations in chick embryos have been pivotal in our understanding of many aspects of vertebrate eye formation. This research was particularly important in uncovering the role of tissue interactions as drivers of eye morphogenesis and to dissect the function of critical genes. Here, we have highlighted a few of these past experiments to endorse their value in searching for hitherto unknown causes of rare congenital eye anomalies, such as microphthalmia, anophthalmia and coloboma. We have also highlighted a number of similarities between the chicken and human eye, which might be exploited to address other eye pathologies, including degenerative ocular diseases.
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Affiliation(s)
- Paola Bovolenta
- Centro de Biología Molecular "Severo Ochoa," (CSIC/UAM), 28049, Madrid, Spain.
- CIBERER, ISCIII, 28049, Madrid, Spain.
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49
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Satou Y, Minami K, Hosono E, Okada H, Yasuoka Y, Shibano T, Tanaka T, Taira M. Phosphorylation states change Otx2 activity for cell proliferation and patterning in the Xenopus embryo. Development 2018; 145:dev.159640. [PMID: 29440302 DOI: 10.1242/dev.159640] [Citation(s) in RCA: 6] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 09/28/2017] [Accepted: 02/01/2018] [Indexed: 12/19/2022]
Abstract
The homeodomain transcription factor Otx2 has essential roles in head and eye formation via the negative and positive regulation of its target genes, but it remains elusive how this dual activity of Otx2 affects cellular functions. In the current study, we first demonstrated that both exogenous and endogenous Otx2 are phosphorylated at multiple sites. Using Xenopus embryos, we identified three possible cyclin-dependent kinase (Cdk) sites and one Akt site, and analyzed the biological activities of phosphomimetic (4E) and nonphosphorylatable (4A) mutants for those sites. In the neuroectoderm, the 4E but not the 4A mutant downregulated the Cdk inhibitor gene p27xic1 (cdknx) and posterior genes, and promoted cell proliferation, possibly forming a positive-feedback loop consisting of Cdk, Otx2 and p27xic1 for cell proliferation, together with anteriorization. Conversely, the 4A mutant functioned as an activator on its own and upregulated the expression of eye marker genes, resulting in enlarged eyes. Consistent with these results, the interaction of Otx2 with the corepressor Tle1 is suggested to be phosphorylation dependent. These data suggest that Otx2 orchestrates cell proliferation, anteroposterior patterning and eye formation via its phosphorylation state.
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Affiliation(s)
- Yumeko Satou
- Department of Biological Sciences, Graduate School of Science, University of Tokyo, Hongo 7-3-1, Bunkyo-ku, Tokyo 113-0033, Japan
| | - Kohei Minami
- Department of Biological Sciences, Graduate School of Science, University of Tokyo, Hongo 7-3-1, Bunkyo-ku, Tokyo 113-0033, Japan
| | - Erina Hosono
- Department of Biological Sciences, Graduate School of Science, University of Tokyo, Hongo 7-3-1, Bunkyo-ku, Tokyo 113-0033, Japan
| | - Hajime Okada
- Department of Biological Sciences, Graduate School of Science, University of Tokyo, Hongo 7-3-1, Bunkyo-ku, Tokyo 113-0033, Japan
| | - Yuuri Yasuoka
- Department of Biological Sciences, Graduate School of Science, University of Tokyo, Hongo 7-3-1, Bunkyo-ku, Tokyo 113-0033, Japan.,Marine Genomics Unit, Okinawa Institute of Science and Technology Graduate University, 1919-1 Tancha, Onna-son, Okinawa 904-0495, Japan
| | - Takashi Shibano
- Department of Biological Sciences, Graduate School of Science, University of Tokyo, Hongo 7-3-1, Bunkyo-ku, Tokyo 113-0033, Japan
| | - Toshiaki Tanaka
- Department of Life Science and Technology, Tokyo Institute of Technology, 4259 Nagatsuta, Midori-ku, Yokohama 226-8501, Japan
| | - Masanori Taira
- Department of Biological Sciences, Graduate School of Science, University of Tokyo, Hongo 7-3-1, Bunkyo-ku, Tokyo 113-0033, Japan
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50
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Martinez-Morales JR, Cavodeassi F, Bovolenta P. Coordinated Morphogenetic Mechanisms Shape the Vertebrate Eye. Front Neurosci 2017; 11:721. [PMID: 29326547 PMCID: PMC5742352 DOI: 10.3389/fnins.2017.00721] [Citation(s) in RCA: 26] [Impact Index Per Article: 3.7] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 11/01/2017] [Accepted: 12/11/2017] [Indexed: 11/22/2022] Open
Abstract
The molecular bases of vertebrate eye formation have been extensively investigated during the past 20 years. This has resulted in the definition of the backbone of the gene regulatory networks controlling the different steps of eye development and has further highlighted a substantial conservation of these networks among vertebrates. Yet, the precise morphogenetic events allowing the formation of the optic cup from a small group of cells within the anterior neural plate are still poorly understood. It is also unclear if the morphogenetic events leading to eyes of very similar shape are indeed comparable among all vertebrates or if there are any species-specific peculiarities. Improved imaging techniques have enabled to follow how the eye forms in living embryos of a few vertebrate models, whereas the development of organoid cultures has provided fascinating tools to recapitulate tissue morphogenesis of other less accessible species. Here, we will discuss what these advances have taught us about eye morphogenesis, underscoring possible similarities and differences among vertebrates. We will also discuss the contribution of cell shape changes to this process and how morphogenetic and patterning mechanisms integrate to assemble the final architecture of the eye.
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Affiliation(s)
| | - Florencia Cavodeassi
- Centro de Biología Molecular Severo Ochoa, (CSIC/UAM), Madrid, Spain.,CIBERER, ISCIII, Madrid, Spain
| | - Paola Bovolenta
- Centro de Biología Molecular Severo Ochoa, (CSIC/UAM), Madrid, Spain.,CIBERER, ISCIII, Madrid, Spain
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