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Eachus H, Choi MK, Tochwin A, Kaspareit J, Ho M, Ryu S. Elevated glucocorticoid alters the developmental dynamics of hypothalamic neurogenesis in zebrafish. Commun Biol 2024; 7:416. [PMID: 38580727 PMCID: PMC10997759 DOI: 10.1038/s42003-024-06060-5] [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: 07/10/2023] [Accepted: 03/16/2024] [Indexed: 04/07/2024] Open
Abstract
Exposure to excess glucocorticoid (GC) during early development is implicated in adult dysfunctions. Reduced adult hippocampal neurogenesis is a well-known consequence of exposure to early life stress or elevated GC, however the effects on neurogenesis during development and effects on other brain regions are not well understood. Using an optogenetic zebrafish model, here we analyse the effects of GC exposure on neurogenesis during development in the whole brain. We identify that the hypothalamus is a highly GC-sensitive region where elevated GC causes precocious development. This is followed by failed maturation and early decline accompanied by impaired feeding, growth, and survival. In GC-exposed animals, the developmental trajectory of hypothalamic progenitor cells is strikingly altered, potentially mediated by direct regulation of transcription factors such as rx3 by GC. Our data provide cellular and molecular level insight into GC-induced alteration of the hypothalamic developmental trajectory, a process crucial for health across the life-course.
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Affiliation(s)
- Helen Eachus
- Living Systems Institute & Department of Clinical and Biomedical Sciences, University of Exeter, Stocker Road, Exeter, EX4 4QD, UK
- Institute of Health and Neurodevelopment & Aston Pharmacy School, Aston University, Birmingham, B4 7ET, UK
| | - Min-Kyeung Choi
- Living Systems Institute & Department of Clinical and Biomedical Sciences, University of Exeter, Stocker Road, Exeter, EX4 4QD, UK
| | - Anna Tochwin
- Living Systems Institute & Department of Clinical and Biomedical Sciences, University of Exeter, Stocker Road, Exeter, EX4 4QD, UK
| | - Johanna Kaspareit
- Institute of Human Genetics, University Medical Center, Johannes Gutenberg University Mainz, Langenbeckstraße 1, 55131, Mainz, Germany
| | - May Ho
- Nanyang Technological University, 50 Nanyang Avenue, Singapore, 639798, Singapore
| | - Soojin Ryu
- Living Systems Institute & Department of Clinical and Biomedical Sciences, University of Exeter, Stocker Road, Exeter, EX4 4QD, UK.
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2
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Pérez Millán MI, Cheung LYM, Mercogliano F, Camilletti MA, Chirino Felker GT, Moro LN, Miriuka S, Brinkmeier ML, Camper SA. Pituitary stem cells: past, present and future perspectives. Nat Rev Endocrinol 2024; 20:77-92. [PMID: 38102391 PMCID: PMC10964491 DOI: 10.1038/s41574-023-00922-4] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Submit a Manuscript] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Accepted: 10/31/2023] [Indexed: 12/17/2023]
Abstract
Pituitary cells that express the transcription factor SOX2 are stem cells because they can self-renew and differentiate into multiple pituitary hormone-producing cell types as organoids. Wounding and physiological challenges can activate pituitary stem cells, but cell numbers are not fully restored, and the ability to mobilize stem cells decreases with increasing age. The basis of these limitations is still unknown. The regulation of stem cell quiescence and activation involves many different signalling pathways, including those mediated by WNT, Hippo and several cytokines; more research is needed to understand the interactions between these pathways. Pituitary organoids can be formed from human or mouse embryonic stem cells, or from human induced pluripotent stem cells. Human pituitary organoid transplantation is sufficient to induce corticosterone release in hypophysectomized mice, raising the possibility of therapeutic applications. Today, pituitary organoids have the potential to assess the role of individual genes and genetic variants on hormone production ex vivo, providing an important tool for the advancement of exciting frontiers in pituitary stem cell biology and pituitary organogenesis. In this article, we provide an overview of notable discoveries in pituitary stem cell function and highlight important areas for future research.
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Affiliation(s)
- María Inés Pérez Millán
- Institute of Bioscience, Biotechnology and Translational Biology (IB3-UBA), University of Buenos Aires, Buenos Aires, Argentina
| | - Leonard Y M Cheung
- Department of Human Genetics, University of Michigan Medical School, Ann Arbor, MI, USA
- Department of Physiology and Biophysics, State University of New York at Stony Brook, Stony Brook, NY, USA
| | - Florencia Mercogliano
- Institute of Bioscience, Biotechnology and Translational Biology (IB3-UBA), University of Buenos Aires, Buenos Aires, Argentina
| | - Maria Andrea Camilletti
- Institute of Bioscience, Biotechnology and Translational Biology (IB3-UBA), University of Buenos Aires, Buenos Aires, Argentina
| | - Gonzalo T Chirino Felker
- Laboratory of Applied Research of Neurosciences (LIAN-CONICET), FLENI Sede Escobar, Buenos Aires, Argentina
| | - Lucia N Moro
- Laboratory of Applied Research of Neurosciences (LIAN-CONICET), FLENI Sede Escobar, Buenos Aires, Argentina
| | - Santiago Miriuka
- Laboratory of Applied Research of Neurosciences (LIAN-CONICET), FLENI Sede Escobar, Buenos Aires, Argentina
| | - Michelle L Brinkmeier
- Department of Human Genetics, University of Michigan Medical School, Ann Arbor, MI, USA
| | - Sally A Camper
- Department of Human Genetics, University of Michigan Medical School, Ann Arbor, MI, USA.
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3
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Herget U, Ryu S, De Marco RJ. Altered glucocorticoid reactivity and behavioral phenotype in rx3-/- larval zebrafish. Front Endocrinol (Lausanne) 2023; 14:1187327. [PMID: 37484970 PMCID: PMC10358986 DOI: 10.3389/fendo.2023.1187327] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Submit a Manuscript] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 03/15/2023] [Accepted: 06/21/2023] [Indexed: 07/25/2023] Open
Abstract
Introduction The transcription factor rx3 is important for the formation of the pituitary and parts of the hypothalamus. Mutant animals lacking rx3 function have been well characterized in developmental studies, but relatively little is known about their behavioral phenotypes. Methods We used cell type staining to reveal differences in stress axis architecture, and performed cortisol measurements and behavior analysis to study both hormonal and behavioral stress responses in rx3 mutants. Results and Discussion Consistent with the role of rx3 in hypothalamus and pituitary development, we show a distinct loss of corticotrope cells involved in stress regulation, severe reduction of pituitary innervation by hypothalamic cells, and lack of stress-induced cortisol release in rx3 mutants. Interestingly, despite these deficits, we report that rx3-/- larval zebrafish can still display nominal behavioral responses to both stressful and non-stressful stimuli. However, unlike wildtypes, mutants lacking proper pituitary-interrenal function do not show enhanced behavioral performance under moderate stress level, supporting the view that corticotroph cells are not required for behavioral responses to some types of stressful stimuli but modulate subtle behavioral adjustments under moderate stress.
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Affiliation(s)
- Ulrich Herget
- Research Group Developmental Genetics of the Nervous System, Max Planck Institute for Medical Research, Heidelberg, Germany
- Division of Biology and Biological Engineering, California Institute of Technology, Pasadena, CA, United States
| | - Soojin Ryu
- Research Group Developmental Genetics of the Nervous System, Max Planck Institute for Medical Research, Heidelberg, Germany
- Living Systems Institute, College of Medicine and Health, University of Exeter, Exeter, United Kingdom
| | - Rodrigo J. De Marco
- Research Group Developmental Genetics of the Nervous System, Max Planck Institute for Medical Research, Heidelberg, Germany
- School of Biological and Environmental Sciences, Faculty of Science, Liverpool John Moores University, Liverpool, United Kingdom
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4
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Chinnaiya K, Burbridge S, Jones A, Kim DW, Place E, Manning E, Groves I, Sun C, Towers M, Blackshaw S, Placzek M. A neuroepithelial wave of BMP signalling drives anteroposterior specification of the tuberal hypothalamus. eLife 2023; 12:e83133. [PMID: 36718990 PMCID: PMC9917434 DOI: 10.7554/elife.83133] [Citation(s) in RCA: 5] [Impact Index Per Article: 5.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 08/31/2022] [Accepted: 01/29/2023] [Indexed: 02/01/2023] Open
Abstract
The tuberal hypothalamus controls life-supporting homeostatic processes, but despite its fundamental role, the cells and signalling pathways that specify this unique region of the central nervous system in embryogenesis are poorly characterised. Here, we combine experimental and bioinformatic approaches in the embryonic chick to show that the tuberal hypothalamus is progressively generated from hypothalamic floor plate-like cells. Fate-mapping studies show that a stream of tuberal progenitors develops in the anterior-ventral neural tube as a wave of neuroepithelial-derived BMP signalling sweeps from anterior to posterior through the hypothalamic floor plate. As later-specified posterior tuberal progenitors are generated, early specified anterior tuberal progenitors become progressively more distant from these BMP signals and differentiate into tuberal neurogenic cells. Gain- and loss-of-function experiments in vivo and ex vivo show that BMP signalling initiates tuberal progenitor specification, but must be eliminated for these to progress to anterior neurogenic progenitors. scRNA-Seq profiling shows that tuberal progenitors that are specified after the major period of anterior tuberal specification begin to upregulate genes that characterise radial glial cells. This study provides an integrated account of the development of the tuberal hypothalamus.
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Affiliation(s)
- Kavitha Chinnaiya
- School of BiosciencesUniversity of Sheffield, SheffieldUnited Kingdom
| | - Sarah Burbridge
- School of BiosciencesUniversity of Sheffield, SheffieldUnited Kingdom
| | - Aragorn Jones
- School of BiosciencesUniversity of Sheffield, SheffieldUnited Kingdom
| | - Dong Won Kim
- Solomon H. Snyder Department of Neuroscience, Johns Hopkins University School of MedicineBaltimoreUnited States
| | - Elsie Place
- School of BiosciencesUniversity of Sheffield, SheffieldUnited Kingdom
| | - Elizabeth Manning
- School of BiosciencesUniversity of Sheffield, SheffieldUnited Kingdom
| | - Ian Groves
- School of BiosciencesUniversity of Sheffield, SheffieldUnited Kingdom
| | - Changyu Sun
- Solomon H. Snyder Department of Neuroscience, Johns Hopkins University School of MedicineBaltimoreUnited States
| | - Matthew Towers
- School of BiosciencesUniversity of Sheffield, SheffieldUnited Kingdom
| | - Seth Blackshaw
- Solomon H. Snyder Department of Neuroscience, Johns Hopkins University School of MedicineBaltimoreUnited States
- Department of Psychiatry and Behavioral Science, Johns Hopkins University School of MedicineBaltimoreUnited States
- Department of Ophthalmology, Johns Hopkins University School of MedicineBaltimoreUnited States
- Department of Neurology, Johns Hopkins University School of MedicineBaltimoreUnited States
- Institute for Cell Engineering, Johns Hopkins University School of MedicineBaltimoreUnited States
- Kavli Neuroscience Discovery Institute, Johns Hopkins University School of MedicineBaltimoreUnited States
| | - Marysia Placzek
- School of BiosciencesUniversity of Sheffield, SheffieldUnited Kingdom
- Bateson Centre, University of SheffieldSheffieldUnited Kingdom
- Neuroscience Institute, University of SheffieldSheffieldUnited Kingdom
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5
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Eachus H, Ryu S, Placzek M, Wood J. Zebrafish as a model to investigate the CRH axis and interactions with DISC1. CURRENT OPINION IN ENDOCRINE AND METABOLIC RESEARCH 2022; 26:100383. [PMID: 36632608 PMCID: PMC9823094 DOI: 10.1016/j.coemr.2022.100383] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Figures] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 06/17/2023]
Abstract
Release of corticotropin-releasing hormone (CRH) from CRH neurons activates the hypothalamo-pituitary-adrenal (HPA) axis, one of the main physiological stress response systems. Complex feedback loops operate in the HPA axis and understanding the neurobiological mechanisms regulating CRH neurons is of great importance in the context of stress disorders. In this article, we review how in vivo studies in zebrafish have advanced knowledge of the neurobiology of CRH neurons. Disrupted-in-schizophrenia 1 (DISC1) mutant zebrafish have blunted stress responses and can be used to model human stress disorders. We propose that DISC1 influences the development and functioning of CRH neurons as a mechanism linking DISC1 to psychiatric disorders.
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Affiliation(s)
- Helen Eachus
- Living Systems Institute and College of Medicine and Health, University of Exeter, Exeter, United Kingdom
| | - Soojin Ryu
- Living Systems Institute and College of Medicine and Health, University of Exeter, Exeter, United Kingdom
- Institute of Human Genetics, University Medical Center, Johannes Gutenberg University Mainz, Mainz, Germany
| | - Marysia Placzek
- School of Biosciences and Bateson Centre, University of Sheffield, Sheffield, United Kingdom
| | - Jonathan Wood
- Sheffield Institute for Translational Neuroscience and Department of Neuroscience, University of Sheffield, Sheffield, United Kingdom
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6
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Yi W, Mueller T, Rücklin M, Richardson MK. Developmental neuroanatomy of the rosy bitterling Rhodeus ocellatus (Teleostei: Cypriniformes)-A microCT study. J Comp Neurol 2022; 530:2132-2153. [PMID: 35470436 PMCID: PMC9245027 DOI: 10.1002/cne.25324] [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: 03/08/2021] [Revised: 02/09/2022] [Accepted: 03/17/2022] [Indexed: 11/11/2022]
Abstract
Bitterlings are carp-like teleost fish (Cypriniformes: Acheilanathidae) known for their specialized brood parasitic lifestyle. Bitterling embryos, in fact, develop inside the gill chamber of their freshwater mussel hosts. However, little is known about how their parasitic lifestyle affects brain development in comparison to nonparasitic species. Here, we document the development of the brain of the rosy bitterling, Rhodeus ocellatus, at four embryonic stages of 165, 185, 210, 235 hours postfertilization (hpf) using micro-computed tomography (microCT). Focusing on developmental regionalization and brain ventricular organization, we relate the development of the brain divisions to those described for zebrafish using the prosomeric model as a reference paradigm. Segmentation and three-dimensional visualization of the ventricular system allowed us to identify changes in the longitudinal brain axis as a result of cephalic flexure during development. The results show that during early embryonic and larval development, histological differentiation, tissue boundaries, periventricular proliferation zones, and ventricular spaces are all detectable by microCT. The results of this study visualized with differential CT profiles are broadly consistent with comparable histological studies, and with the genoarchitecture of teleosts like the zebrafish. Compared to the zebrafish, our study identifies distinct developmental heterochronies in the rosy bitterling, such as a precocious development of the inferior lobe.
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Affiliation(s)
- Wenjing Yi
- Institute of Biology, University of Leiden, Sylvius Laboratory, Leiden, the Netherlands.,Vertebrate Evolution, Development and Ecology, Naturalis Biodiversity Center, Leiden, the Netherlands
| | - Thomas Mueller
- Vertebrate Evolution, Development and Ecology, Naturalis Biodiversity Center, Leiden, the Netherlands.,Division of Biology, Kansas State University, Manhattan, Kansas, USA
| | - Martin Rücklin
- Institute of Biology, University of Leiden, Sylvius Laboratory, Leiden, the Netherlands.,Vertebrate Evolution, Development and Ecology, Naturalis Biodiversity Center, Leiden, the Netherlands
| | - Michael K Richardson
- Institute of Biology, University of Leiden, Sylvius Laboratory, Leiden, the Netherlands.,Vertebrate Evolution, Development and Ecology, Naturalis Biodiversity Center, Leiden, the Netherlands
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7
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Agnès F, Torres-Paz J, Michel P, Rétaux S. A 3D molecular map of the cavefish neural plate illuminates eye-field organization and its borders in vertebrates. Development 2022; 149:274971. [DOI: 10.1242/dev.199966] [Citation(s) in RCA: 2] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 07/07/2021] [Accepted: 03/18/2022] [Indexed: 01/21/2023]
Abstract
ABSTRACT
The vertebrate retinas originate from a specific anlage in the anterior neural plate called the eye field. Its identity is conferred by a set of ‘eye transcription factors’, whose combinatorial expression has been overlooked. Here, we use the dimorphic teleost Astyanax mexicanus, which develops proper eyes in the wild type and smaller colobomatous eyes in the blind cavefish embryos, to unravel the molecular anatomy of the eye field and its variations within a species. Using a series of markers (rx3, pax6a, cxcr4b, zic1, lhx2, emx3 and nkx2.1a), we draw a comparative 3D expression map at the end of gastrulation/onset of neurulation, which highlights hyper-regionalization of the eye field into sub-territories of distinct sizes, shapes, cell identities and combinatorial gene expression levels along the three body axes. All these features show significant variations in the cavefish natural mutant. We also discover sub-domains within the prospective telencephalon and characterize cell identities at the frontiers of the eye field. We propose putative fates for some of the characterized eye-field subdivisions, and suggest the existence of a trade-off between some subdivisions in the two Astyanax morphs on a micro-evolutionary scale.
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Affiliation(s)
- François Agnès
- Institut des Neurosciences Paris-Saclay, Université Paris-Saclay, CNRS UMR9197, 91190 Gif-sur-Yvette, France
| | - Jorge Torres-Paz
- Institut des Neurosciences Paris-Saclay, Université Paris-Saclay, CNRS UMR9197, 91190 Gif-sur-Yvette, France
| | - Pauline Michel
- Institut des Neurosciences Paris-Saclay, Université Paris-Saclay, CNRS UMR9197, 91190 Gif-sur-Yvette, France
| | - Sylvie Rétaux
- Institut des Neurosciences Paris-Saclay, Université Paris-Saclay, CNRS UMR9197, 91190 Gif-sur-Yvette, France
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8
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Petersen RA, Morris AC. Visualizing Ocular Morphogenesis by Lightsheet Microscopy using rx3:GFP Transgenic Zebrafish. J Vis Exp 2021. [PMID: 33871454 DOI: 10.3791/62296] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 10/31/2022] Open
Abstract
Vertebrate eye development is a complex process that begins near the end of embryo gastrulation and requires the precise coordination of cell migration, proliferation, and differentiation. Time-lapse imagining offers unique insight to the behavior of cells during eye development because it allows us to visualize oculogenesis in vivo. Zebrafish are an excellent model to visualize this process due to their highly conserved vertebrate eye and their ability to develop rapidly and externally while remaining optically transparent. Time-lapse imaging studies of zebrafish eye development are greatly facilitated by use of the transgenic zebrafish line Tg(rx3:GFP). In the developing forebrain, rx3:GFP expression marks the cells of the single eye field, and GFP continues to be expressed as the eye field evaginates to form an optic vesicle, which then invaginates to form an optic cup. High resolution time lapse imaging of rx3:GFP expression, therefore, allows us to track the eye primordium through time as it develops into the retina. Lightsheet microscopy is an ideal method to image ocular morphogenesis over time due to its ability to penetrate thicker samples for fluorescent imaging, minimize photobleaching and phototoxicity, and image at a high speed. Here, a protocol is provided for time-lapse imaging of ocular morphogenesis using a commercially available lightsheet microscope and an image processing workstation to analyze the resulting data. This protocol details the procedures for embryo anesthesia, embedding in low melting temperature agarose, suspension in the imaging chamber, setting up the imaging parameters, and finally analyzing the imaging data using image analysis software. The resulting dataset can provide valuable insights into the process of ocular morphogenesis, as well as perturbations to this process as a result of genetic mutation, exposure to pharmacological agents, or other experimental manipulations.
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9
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Brown SJ, Boussaad I, Jarazo J, Fitzgerald JC, Antony P, Keatinge M, Blechman J, Schwamborn JC, Krüger R, Placzek M, Bandmann O. PINK1 deficiency impairs adult neurogenesis of dopaminergic neurons. Sci Rep 2021; 11:6617. [PMID: 33758225 PMCID: PMC7988014 DOI: 10.1038/s41598-021-84278-7] [Citation(s) in RCA: 18] [Impact Index Per Article: 6.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 10/06/2020] [Accepted: 02/09/2021] [Indexed: 12/14/2022] Open
Abstract
Recent evidence suggests neurogenesis is on-going throughout life but the relevance of these findings for neurodegenerative disorders such as Parkinson's disease (PD) is poorly understood. Biallelic PINK1 mutations cause early onset, Mendelian inherited PD. We studied the effect of PINK1 deficiency on adult neurogenesis of dopaminergic (DA) neurons in two complementary model systems. Zebrafish are a widely-used model to study neurogenesis in development and through adulthood. Using EdU analyses and lineage-tracing studies, we first demonstrate that a subset of ascending DA neurons and adjacent local-projecting DA neurons are each generated into adulthood in wild type zebrafish at a rate that decreases with age. Pink1-deficiency impedes DA neurogenesis in these populations, most significantly in early adult life. Pink1 already exerts an early effect on Th1+ progenitor cells rather than on differentiated DA neurons only. In addition, we investigate the effect of PINK1 deficiency in a human isogenic organoid model. Global neuronal differentiation in PINK1-deficient organoids and isogenic controls is similar, but PINK1-deficient organoids display impeded DA neurogenesis. The observation of impaired adult dopaminergic neurogenesis in Pink1 deficiency in two complementing model systems may have significant consequences for future therapeutic approaches in human PD patients with biallelic PINK1 mutations.
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Affiliation(s)
- Sarah J Brown
- Bateson Centre, University of Sheffield, Sheffield, UK
- Department of Biomedical Science, University of Sheffield, Sheffield, UK
- Department of Neuroscience, Sheffield Institute for Translational Neuroscience (SITraN), The University of Sheffield, 385a Glossop Road, Sheffield, S10 2HQ, UK
| | - Ibrahim Boussaad
- Translational Neuroscience, Luxembourg Centre for Systems Biomedicine, University of Luxembourg, Luxembourg, Luxembourg
- Disease Modelling and Screening Platform (DMSP), Luxembourg Centre of Systems Biomedicine, University of Luxembourg & Luxembourg Institute of Health, Luxembourg, Luxembourg
| | - Javier Jarazo
- Developmental Biology, Luxembourg Centre for Systems Biomedicine, University of Luxembourg, Luxembourg, Luxembourg
- OrganoTherapeutics SARL, Luxembourg, Luxembourg
| | - Julia C Fitzgerald
- Hertie-Institute for Clinical Brain Research, University of Tübingen, Tübingen, Germany
| | - Paul Antony
- Translational Neuroscience, Luxembourg Centre for Systems Biomedicine, University of Luxembourg, Luxembourg, Luxembourg
| | - Marcus Keatinge
- Bateson Centre, University of Sheffield, Sheffield, UK
- Department of Neuroscience, Sheffield Institute for Translational Neuroscience (SITraN), The University of Sheffield, 385a Glossop Road, Sheffield, S10 2HQ, UK
- Centre for Discovery Brain Science, University of Edinburgh, Edinburgh, Scotland
| | | | - Jens C Schwamborn
- Developmental Biology, Luxembourg Centre for Systems Biomedicine, University of Luxembourg, Luxembourg, Luxembourg
- OrganoTherapeutics SARL, Luxembourg, Luxembourg
| | - Rejko Krüger
- Translational Neuroscience, Luxembourg Centre for Systems Biomedicine, University of Luxembourg, Luxembourg, Luxembourg
- Parkinson Research Clinic, Centre Hospitalier de Luxembourg (CHL), Luxembourg, Luxembourg
- Transversal Translational Medicine, Luxembourg Institute of Health (LIH), Luxembourg, Luxembourg
| | - Marysia Placzek
- Bateson Centre, University of Sheffield, Sheffield, UK
- Department of Biomedical Science, University of Sheffield, Sheffield, UK
| | - Oliver Bandmann
- Bateson Centre, University of Sheffield, Sheffield, UK.
- Department of Neuroscience, Sheffield Institute for Translational Neuroscience (SITraN), The University of Sheffield, 385a Glossop Road, Sheffield, S10 2HQ, UK.
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10
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Yan YL, Titus T, Desvignes T, BreMiller R, Batzel P, Sydes J, Farnsworth D, Dillon D, Wegner J, Phillips JB, Peirce J, Dowd J, Buck CL, Miller A, Westerfield M, Postlethwait JH. A fish with no sex: gonadal and adrenal functions partition between zebrafish NR5A1 co-orthologs. Genetics 2021; 217:iyaa030. [PMID: 33724412 PMCID: PMC8045690 DOI: 10.1093/genetics/iyaa030] [Citation(s) in RCA: 7] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 09/08/2020] [Accepted: 11/16/2020] [Indexed: 02/06/2023] Open
Abstract
People with NR5A1 mutations experience testicular dysgenesis, ovotestes, or adrenal insufficiency, but we do not completely understand the origin of this phenotypic diversity. NR5A1 is expressed in gonadal soma precursor cells before expression of the sex-determining gene SRY. Many fish have two co-orthologs of NR5A1 that likely partitioned ancestral gene subfunctions between them. To explore ancestral roles of NR5A1, we knocked out nr5a1a and nr5a1b in zebrafish. Single-cell RNA-seq identified nr5a1a-expressing cells that co-expressed genes for steroid biosynthesis and the chemokine receptor Cxcl12a in 1-day postfertilization (dpf) embryos, as does the mammalian adrenal-gonadal (interrenal-gonadal) primordium. In 2dpf embryos, nr5a1a was expressed stronger in the interrenal-gonadal primordium than in the early hypothalamus but nr5a1b showed the reverse. Adult Leydig cells expressed both ohnologs and granulosa cells expressed nr5a1a stronger than nr5a1b. Mutants for nr5a1a lacked the interrenal, formed incompletely differentiated testes, had no Leydig cells, and grew far larger than normal fish. Mutants for nr5a1b formed a disorganized interrenal and their gonads completely disappeared. All homozygous mutant genotypes lacked secondary sex characteristics, including male breeding tubercles and female sex papillae, and had exceedingly low levels of estradiol, 11-ketotestosterone, and cortisol. RNA-seq showed that at 21dpf, some animals were developing as females and others were not, independent of nr5a1 genotype. By 35dpf, all mutant genotypes greatly under-expressed ovary-biased genes. Because adult nr5a1a mutants form gonads but lack an interrenal and conversely, adult nr5a1b mutants lack a gonad but have an interrenal, the adrenal, and gonadal functions of the ancestral nr5a1 gene partitioned between ohnologs after the teleost genome duplication, likely owing to reciprocal loss of ancestral tissue-specific regulatory elements. Identifying such elements could provide hints to otherwise unexplained cases of Differences in Sex Development.
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Affiliation(s)
- Yi-Lin Yan
- Institute of Neuroscience, University of Oregon, Eugene, OR 97403, USA
| | - Tom Titus
- Institute of Neuroscience, University of Oregon, Eugene, OR 97403, USA
| | - Thomas Desvignes
- Institute of Neuroscience, University of Oregon, Eugene, OR 97403, USA
| | - Ruth BreMiller
- Institute of Neuroscience, University of Oregon, Eugene, OR 97403, USA
| | - Peter Batzel
- Institute of Neuroscience, University of Oregon, Eugene, OR 97403, USA
| | - Jason Sydes
- Institute of Neuroscience, University of Oregon, Eugene, OR 97403, USA
| | - Dylan Farnsworth
- Institute of Neuroscience, University of Oregon, Eugene, OR 97403, USA
| | - Danielle Dillon
- Department of Biological Sciences, Northern Arizona University, Flagstaff, AZ 86011, USA
| | - Jeremy Wegner
- Institute of Neuroscience, University of Oregon, Eugene, OR 97403, USA
| | | | - Judy Peirce
- Institute of Neuroscience, University of Oregon, Eugene, OR 97403, USA
| | - John Dowd
- Institute of Neuroscience, University of Oregon, Eugene, OR 97403, USA
| | | | - Charles Loren Buck
- Department of Biological Sciences, Northern Arizona University, Flagstaff, AZ 86011, USA
| | - Adam Miller
- Institute of Neuroscience, University of Oregon, Eugene, OR 97403, USA
| | - Monte Westerfield
- Institute of Neuroscience, University of Oregon, Eugene, OR 97403, USA
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11
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Hedgehog Signaling Regulates Neurogenesis in the Larval and Adult Zebrafish Hypothalamus. eNeuro 2020; 7:ENEURO.0226-20.2020. [PMID: 33106384 PMCID: PMC7769882 DOI: 10.1523/eneuro.0226-20.2020] [Citation(s) in RCA: 4] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 05/19/2020] [Revised: 09/21/2020] [Accepted: 09/28/2020] [Indexed: 12/15/2022] Open
Abstract
Neurogenesis is now known to play a role in adult hypothalamic function, yet the cell-cell mechanisms regulating this neurogenesis remain poorly understood. Here, we show that Hedgehog (Hh)/Gli signaling positively regulates hypothalamic neurogenesis in both larval and adult zebrafish and is necessary and sufficient for normal hypothalamic proliferation rates. Hh-responsive radial glia represent a relatively highly proliferative precursor population that gives rise to dopaminergic, serotonergic, and GABAergic neurons. In situ and transgenic reporter analyses revealed substantial heterogeneity in cell-cell signaling within the hypothalamic niche, with slow cycling Nestin-expressing cells residing among distinct and overlapping populations of Sonic Hh (Shh)-expressing, Hh-responsive, Notch-responsive, and Wnt-responsive radial glia. This work shows for the first time that Hh/Gli signaling is a key component of the complex cell-cell signaling environment that regulates hypothalamic neurogenesis throughout life.
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12
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Marchi D, Santhakumar K, Markham E, Li N, Storbeck KH, Krone N, Cunliffe VT, van Eeden FJM. Bidirectional crosstalk between Hypoxia-Inducible Factor and glucocorticoid signalling in zebrafish larvae. PLoS Genet 2020; 16:e1008757. [PMID: 32379754 PMCID: PMC7237044 DOI: 10.1371/journal.pgen.1008757] [Citation(s) in RCA: 21] [Impact Index Per Article: 5.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 10/18/2019] [Revised: 05/19/2020] [Accepted: 04/03/2020] [Indexed: 12/20/2022] Open
Abstract
In the last decades in vitro studies highlighted the potential for crosstalk between Hypoxia-Inducible Factor-(HIF) and glucocorticoid-(GC) signalling pathways. However, how this interplay precisely occurs in vivo is still debated. Here, we use zebrafish larvae (Danio rerio) to elucidate how and to what degree hypoxic signalling affects the endogenous glucocorticoid pathway and vice versa, in vivo. Firstly, our results demonstrate that in the presence of upregulated HIF signalling, both glucocorticoid receptor (Gr) responsiveness and endogenous cortisol levels are repressed in 5 days post fertilisation larvae. In addition, despite HIF activity being low at normoxia, our data show that it already impedes both glucocorticoid activity and levels. Secondly, we further analysed the in vivo contribution of glucocorticoids to HIF activity. Interestingly, our results show that both glucocorticoid receptor (GR) and mineralocorticoid receptor (MR) play a key role in enhancing it. Finally, we found indications that glucocorticoids promote HIF signalling via multiple routes. Cumulatively, our findings allowed us to suggest a model for how this crosstalk occurs in vivo.
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Affiliation(s)
- Davide Marchi
- The Bateson Centre & Department of Biomedical Science, Firth Court, University of Sheffield, Western Bank, Sheffield, United Kingdom
- * E-mail: (DM); (FJMv)
| | - Kirankumar Santhakumar
- Department of Genetic Engineering, SRM Institute of Science and Technology Kattankulathur, India
| | - Eleanor Markham
- The Bateson Centre & Department of Biomedical Science, Firth Court, University of Sheffield, Western Bank, Sheffield, United Kingdom
| | - Nan Li
- The Bateson Centre & Department of Oncology and Metabolism, School of Medicine, University of Sheffield, Sheffield, United Kingdom
| | - Karl-Heinz Storbeck
- Department of Biochemistry, Stellenbosch University, Stellenbosch, Matieland, South Africa
| | - Nils Krone
- The Bateson Centre & Department of Oncology and Metabolism, School of Medicine, University of Sheffield, Sheffield, United Kingdom
- Department of Medicine III, University Hospital Carl Gustav Carus, Technische Universität Dresden, Dresden, Germany
| | - Vincent T. Cunliffe
- The Bateson Centre & Department of Biomedical Science, Firth Court, University of Sheffield, Western Bank, Sheffield, United Kingdom
| | - Fredericus J. M. van Eeden
- The Bateson Centre & Department of Biomedical Science, Firth Court, University of Sheffield, Western Bank, Sheffield, United Kingdom
- * E-mail: (DM); (FJMv)
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13
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Schredelseker T, Driever W. Conserved Genoarchitecture of the Basal Hypothalamus in Zebrafish Embryos. Front Neuroanat 2020; 14:3. [PMID: 32116574 PMCID: PMC7016197 DOI: 10.3389/fnana.2020.00003] [Citation(s) in RCA: 17] [Impact Index Per Article: 4.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 10/05/2019] [Accepted: 01/20/2020] [Indexed: 12/15/2022] Open
Abstract
Analyses of genoarchitecture recently stimulated substantial revisions of anatomical models for the developing hypothalamus in mammalian and other vertebrate systems. The prosomeric model proposes the hypothalamus to be derived from the secondary prosencephalon, and to consist of alar and basal regions. The basal hypothalamus can further be subdivided into tuberal and mamillary regions, each with distinct subregions. Albeit being a widely used model system for neurodevelopmental studies, no detailed genoarchitectural maps exist for the zebrafish (Danio rerio) hypothalamus. Here, we compare expression domains of zebrafish genes, including arxa, shha, otpa, isl1, lhx5, nkx2.1, nkx2.2a, pax6, and dlx5a, the orthologs of which delimit specific subregions within the murine basal hypothalamus. We develop the highly conserved brain-specific homeobox (bsx) gene as a novel marker for genoarchitectural analysis of hypothalamic regions. Our comparison of gene expression patterns reveals that the genoarchitecture of the basal hypothalamus in zebrafish embryos 48 hours post fertilization is highly similar to mouse embryos at E13.5. We found the tuberal hypothalamus in zebrafish embryos to be relatively large and to comprise previously ill-defined regions around the posterior hypothalamic recess. The mamillary hypothalamus is smaller and concentrates to rather medial areas in proximity to the anterior end of the neural tube floor plate. Within the basal hypothalamus we identified longitudinal and transverse tuberal and mamillary subregions topologically equivalent to those previously described in other vertebrates. However, the hypothalamic diencephalic boundary region and the posterior tuberculum still provide a challenge. We applied the updated prosomeric model to the developing zebrafish hypothalamus to facilitate cross-species comparisons. Accordingly, we applied the mammalian nomenclature of hypothalamic organization to zebrafish and propose it to replace some controversial previous nomenclature.
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Affiliation(s)
- Theresa Schredelseker
- Developmental Biology, Institute Biology I, Faculty of Biology, University of Freiburg, Freiburg, Germany.,CIBSS and BIOSS - Centres for Biological Signalling Studies, University of Freiburg, Freiburg, Germany
| | - Wolfgang Driever
- Developmental Biology, Institute Biology I, Faculty of Biology, University of Freiburg, Freiburg, Germany.,CIBSS and BIOSS - Centres for Biological Signalling Studies, University of Freiburg, Freiburg, Germany
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14
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Reuter I, Jäckels J, Kneitz S, Kuper J, Lesch KP, Lillesaar C. Fgf3 is crucial for the generation of monoaminergic cerebrospinal fluid contacting cells in zebrafish. Biol Open 2019; 8:bio.040683. [PMID: 31036752 PMCID: PMC6602327 DOI: 10.1242/bio.040683] [Citation(s) in RCA: 3] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.6] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 12/11/2022] Open
Abstract
In most vertebrates, including zebrafish, the hypothalamic serotonergic cerebrospinal fluid-contacting (CSF-c) cells constitute a prominent population. In contrast to the hindbrain serotonergic neurons, little is known about the development and function of these cells. Here, we identify fibroblast growth factor (Fgf)3 as the main Fgf ligand controlling the ontogeny of serotonergic CSF-c cells. We show that fgf3 positively regulates the number of serotonergic CSF-c cells, as well as a subset of dopaminergic and neuroendocrine cells in the posterior hypothalamus via control of proliferation and cell survival. Further, expression of the ETS-domain transcription factor etv5b is downregulated after fgf3 impairment. Previous findings identified etv5b as critical for the proliferation of serotonergic progenitors in the hypothalamus, and therefore we now suggest that Fgf3 acts via etv5b during early development to ultimately control the number of mature serotonergic CSF-c cells. Moreover, our analysis of the developing hypothalamic transcriptome shows that the expression of fgf3 is upregulated upon fgf3 loss-of-function, suggesting activation of a self-compensatory mechanism. Together, these results highlight Fgf3 in a novel context as part of a signalling pathway of critical importance for hypothalamic development. Summary: This study highlights Fgf3 in a novel context where it is part of a signalling pathway of critical importance for development of hypothalamic monoaminergic cells in zebrafish.
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Affiliation(s)
- Isabel Reuter
- Division of Molecular Psychiatry, Center of Mental Health, University of Würzburg, Germany.,Department of Physiological Chemistry, Biocenter, Am Hubland, University of Würzburg, Germany
| | - Jana Jäckels
- Department of Physiological Chemistry, Biocenter, Am Hubland, University of Würzburg, Germany
| | - Susanne Kneitz
- Department of Physiological Chemistry, Biocenter, Am Hubland, University of Würzburg, Germany
| | - Jochen Kuper
- Structural Biology, Rudolf Virchow Center for Biomedical Research, University of Würzburg, Germany
| | - Klaus-Peter Lesch
- Division of Molecular Psychiatry, Center of Mental Health, University of Würzburg, Germany.,Laboratory of Psychiatric Neurobiology, Institute of Molecular Medicine, I.M. Sechenov First Moscow State Medical University, Moscow, Russia; Department of Neuroscience, School for Mental Health and Neuroscience (MHeNS), Maastricht University, Maastricht, The Netherlands
| | - Christina Lillesaar
- Department of Physiological Chemistry, Biocenter, Am Hubland, University of Würzburg, Germany .,Department of Child and Adolescent Psychiatry, Psychosomatics and Psychotherapy, Center of Mental Health, University Hospital of Würzburg, Germany
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15
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Fu T, Pearson C, Towers M, Placzek M. Development of the basal hypothalamus through anisotropic growth. J Neuroendocrinol 2019; 31:e12727. [PMID: 31050853 PMCID: PMC6563594 DOI: 10.1111/jne.12727] [Citation(s) in RCA: 10] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Submit a Manuscript] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 02/01/2019] [Revised: 04/26/2019] [Accepted: 04/28/2019] [Indexed: 02/06/2023]
Abstract
The adult hypothalamus is subdivided into distinct domains: pre-optic, anterior, tuberal and mammillary. Each domain harbours an array of neurones that act together to regulate homeostasis. The embryonic origins and the development of hypothalamic neurones, however, remain enigmatic. Here, we summarise recent studies in model organisms that challenge current views of hypothalamic development, which traditionally have attempted to map adult domains to correspondingly located embryonic domains. Instead, new studies indicate that hypothalamic neurones arise from progenitor cells that undergo anisotropic growth, expanding to a greater extent than other progenitors, and grow in different dimensions. We describe in particular how a multipotent Shh/ Fgf10-expressing progenitor population gives rise to progenitors throughout the basal hypothalamus that grow anisotropically and sequentially: first, a subset displaced rostrally give rise to anterior-ventral/tuberal neuronal progenitors; then a subset displaced caudally give rise to mammillary neuronal progenitors; and, finally, a subset(s) displaced ventrally give rise to tuberal infundibular glial progenitors. As this occurs, stable populations of Shh+ive and Fgf10+ive progenitors form. We describe current understanding of the mechanisms that induce Shh+ive /Fgf10+ive progenitors and begin to direct their differentiation to anterior-ventral/tuberal neuronal progenitors, mammillary neuronal progenitors and tuberal infundibular progenitors. Taken together, these studies suggest a new model for hypothalamic development that we term the "anisotropic growth model". We discuss the implications of the model for understanding the origins of adult hypothalamic neurones.
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Affiliation(s)
- Travis Fu
- Department of Biomedical ScienceBateson CentreUniversity of SheffieldSheffieldUK
| | - Caroline Pearson
- Department of Biomedical ScienceBateson CentreUniversity of SheffieldSheffieldUK
| | - Matthew Towers
- Department of Biomedical ScienceBateson CentreUniversity of SheffieldSheffieldUK
| | - Marysia Placzek
- Department of Biomedical ScienceBateson CentreUniversity of SheffieldSheffieldUK
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16
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Alié A, Devos L, Torres-Paz J, Prunier L, Boulet F, Blin M, Elipot Y, Retaux S. Developmental evolution of the forebrain in cavefish, from natural variations in neuropeptides to behavior. eLife 2018; 7:32808. [PMID: 29405116 PMCID: PMC5800845 DOI: 10.7554/elife.32808] [Citation(s) in RCA: 35] [Impact Index Per Article: 5.8] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 10/13/2017] [Accepted: 01/12/2018] [Indexed: 01/11/2023] Open
Abstract
The fish Astyanax mexicanus comes in two forms: the normal surface-dwelling and the blind depigmented cave-adapted morphs. Comparing the development of their basal forebrain, we found quantitative differences in numbers of cells in specific clusters for six out of nine studied neuropeptidergic cell types. Investigating the origins of these differences, we showed that early Shh and Fgf signaling impact on the development of NPY and Hypocretin clusters, via effect on Lhx7 and Lhx9 transcription factors, respectively. Finally, we demonstrated that such neurodevelopmental evolution underlies behavioral evolution, linking a higher number of Hypocretin cells with hyperactivity in cavefish. Early embryonic modifications in signaling/patterning at neural plate stage therefore impact neuronal development and later larval behavior, bridging developmental evolution of a neuronal system and the adaptive behavior it governs. This work uncovers novel variations underlying the evolution and adaptation of cavefish to their extreme environment.
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Affiliation(s)
- Alexandre Alié
- Paris-Saclay Institute of Neuroscience, Université Paris Sud, CNRS UMR9197, Université Paris-Saclay, Avenue de la terrasse, Gif-sur-Yvette, France
| | - Lucie Devos
- Paris-Saclay Institute of Neuroscience, Université Paris Sud, CNRS UMR9197, Université Paris-Saclay, Avenue de la terrasse, Gif-sur-Yvette, France
| | - Jorge Torres-Paz
- Paris-Saclay Institute of Neuroscience, Université Paris Sud, CNRS UMR9197, Université Paris-Saclay, Avenue de la terrasse, Gif-sur-Yvette, France
| | - Lise Prunier
- Paris-Saclay Institute of Neuroscience, Université Paris Sud, CNRS UMR9197, Université Paris-Saclay, Avenue de la terrasse, Gif-sur-Yvette, France
| | - Fanny Boulet
- Paris-Saclay Institute of Neuroscience, Université Paris Sud, CNRS UMR9197, Université Paris-Saclay, Avenue de la terrasse, Gif-sur-Yvette, France
| | - Maryline Blin
- Paris-Saclay Institute of Neuroscience, Université Paris Sud, CNRS UMR9197, Université Paris-Saclay, Avenue de la terrasse, Gif-sur-Yvette, France
| | - Yannick Elipot
- Paris-Saclay Institute of Neuroscience, Université Paris Sud, CNRS UMR9197, Université Paris-Saclay, Avenue de la terrasse, Gif-sur-Yvette, France
| | - Sylvie Retaux
- Paris-Saclay Institute of Neuroscience, Université Paris Sud, CNRS UMR9197, Université Paris-Saclay, Avenue de la terrasse, Gif-sur-Yvette, France
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17
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Ji H, Xu L, Wang Z, Fan X, Wu L. Differential microRNA expression in the prefrontal cortex of mouse offspring induced by glyphosate exposure during pregnancy and lactation. Exp Ther Med 2017; 15:2457-2467. [PMID: 29467848 PMCID: PMC5792815 DOI: 10.3892/etm.2017.5669] [Citation(s) in RCA: 18] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.6] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 07/20/2017] [Accepted: 10/26/2017] [Indexed: 02/07/2023] Open
Abstract
Glyphosate is the active ingredient in numerous herbicide formulations. The role of glyphosate in neurotoxicity has been reported in human and animal models. However, the detailed mechanism of the role of glyphosate in neuronal development remains unknown. Recently, several studies have reported evidence linking neurodevelopmental disorders (NDDs) with gestational glyphosate exposure. The current group previously identified microRNAs (miRNAs) that are associated with the etiology of NDDs, but their expression levels in the developing brain following glyphosate exposure have not been characterized. In the present study, miRNA expression patterns were evaluated in the prefrontal cortex (PFC) of 28 postnatal day mouse offspring following glyphosate exposure during pregnancy and lactation. An miRNA microarray detected 55 upregulated and 19 downregulated miRNAs in the PFC of mouse offspring, and 20 selected deregulated miRNAs were further evaluated by quantitative polymerase chain reaction (PCR). A total of 11 targets of these selected deregulated miRNAs were analyzed using bioinformatics. Gene Ontology (GO) terms associated with the relevant miRNAs included neurogenesis (GO:0050769), neuron differentiation (GO:0030182) and brain development (GO:0007420). The genes Cdkn1a, Numbl, Notch1, Fosl1 and Lef1 are involved in the Wnt and Notch signaling pathways, which are closely associated with neural development. PCR arrays for the mouse Wnt and Notch signaling pathways were used to validate the effects of glyphosate on the expression pattern of genes involved in the Wnt and Notch pathways. Nr4a2 and Wnt7b were downregulated, while Dkk1, Dixdc1, Runx1, Shh, Lef-1 and Axin2 were upregulated in the PFC of mice offspring following glyphosate exposure during pregnancy and lactation. These results indicated abnormalities of the Wnt/β-catenin and Notch pathways. These findings may be of particular interest for understanding the mechanism of glyphosate-induced neurotoxicity, as well as helping to clarify the association between glyphosate and NDDs.
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Affiliation(s)
- Hua Ji
- Department of Basic Medicine, Hangzhou Medical College, Hangzhou, Zhejiang 310053, P.R. China
| | - Linhao Xu
- Department of Basic Medicine, Hangzhou Medical College, Hangzhou, Zhejiang 310053, P.R. China
| | - Zheng Wang
- Department of Basic Medicine, Hangzhou Medical College, Hangzhou, Zhejiang 310053, P.R. China
| | - Xinli Fan
- Department of Basic Medicine, Hangzhou Medical College, Hangzhou, Zhejiang 310053, P.R. China
| | - Lihui Wu
- Department of Clinical Medicine, Hangzhou Medical College, Hangzhou, Zhejiang 310053, P.R. China
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18
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Eachus H, Zaucker A, Oakes JA, Griffin A, Weger M, Güran T, Taylor A, Harris A, Greenfield A, Quanson JL, Storbeck KH, Cunliffe VT, Müller F, Krone N. Genetic Disruption of 21-Hydroxylase in Zebrafish Causes Interrenal Hyperplasia. Endocrinology 2017; 158:4165-4173. [PMID: 28938470 PMCID: PMC5711382 DOI: 10.1210/en.2017-00549] [Citation(s) in RCA: 16] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Submit a Manuscript] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 06/13/2017] [Accepted: 09/07/2017] [Indexed: 11/23/2022]
Abstract
Congenital adrenal hyperplasia is a group of common inherited disorders leading to glucocorticoid deficiency. Most cases are caused by 21-hydroxylase deficiency (21OHD). The systemic consequences of imbalanced steroid hormone biosynthesis due to severe 21OHD remains poorly understood. Therefore, we developed a zebrafish model for 21OHD, which focuses on the impairment of glucocorticoid biosynthesis. A single 21-hydroxylase gene (cyp21a2) is annotated in the zebrafish genome based on sequence homology. Our in silico analysis of the 21-hydroxylase (Cyp21a2) protein sequence suggests a sufficient degree of similarity for the usage of zebrafish cyp21a2 to model aspects of human 21OHD in vivo. We determined the spatiotemporal expression patterns of cyp21a2 by whole-mount in situ hybridization and reverse transcription polymerase chain reaction throughout early development. Early cyp21a2 expression is restricted to the interrenal gland (zebrafish adrenal counterpart) and the brain. To further explore the in vivo consequences of 21OHD we created several cyp21a2 null-allele zebrafish lines by using a transcription activator-like effector nuclease genomic engineering strategy. Homozygous mutant zebrafish larvae showed an upregulation of the hypothalamic-pituitary-interrenal (HPI) axis and interrenal hyperplasia. Furthermore, Cyp21a2-deficient larvae had a typical steroid profile, with reduced concentrations of cortisol and increased concentrations of 17-hydroxyprogesterone and 21-deoxycortisol. Affected larvae showed an upregulation of the HPI axis and interrenal hyperplasia. Downregulation of the glucocorticoid-responsive genes pck1 and fkbp5 indicated systemic glucocorticoid deficiency. Our work demonstrates the crucial role of Cyp21a2 in glucocorticoid biosynthesis in zebrafish larvae and establishes an in vivo model allowing studies of systemic consequences of altered steroid hormone synthesis.
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Affiliation(s)
- Helen Eachus
- Department of Biomedical Science, The Bateson Centre, Sheffield S10 2TN, United Kingdom
| | - Andreas Zaucker
- Centre for Endocrinology, Diabetes, and Metabolism, College of Medical and Dental Sciences, University of Birmingham, Birmingham B15 2TT, United Kingdom
| | - James A. Oakes
- Department of Biomedical Science, The Bateson Centre, Sheffield S10 2TN, United Kingdom
- Academic Unit of Child Health, Department of Oncology and Metabolism, University of Sheffield, Sheffield S10 2TG, United Kingdom
| | - Aliesha Griffin
- Centre for Endocrinology, Diabetes, and Metabolism, College of Medical and Dental Sciences, University of Birmingham, Birmingham B15 2TT, United Kingdom
| | - Meltem Weger
- Centre for Endocrinology, Diabetes, and Metabolism, College of Medical and Dental Sciences, University of Birmingham, Birmingham B15 2TT, United Kingdom
| | - Tülay Güran
- Centre for Endocrinology, Diabetes, and Metabolism, College of Medical and Dental Sciences, University of Birmingham, Birmingham B15 2TT, United Kingdom
| | - Angela Taylor
- Centre for Endocrinology, Diabetes, and Metabolism, College of Medical and Dental Sciences, University of Birmingham, Birmingham B15 2TT, United Kingdom
| | - Abigail Harris
- Mammalian Genetics Unit, Medical Research Council, Harwell Institute, Oxfordshire OX11 0RD, United Kingdom
| | - Andy Greenfield
- Mammalian Genetics Unit, Medical Research Council, Harwell Institute, Oxfordshire OX11 0RD, United Kingdom
| | - Jonathan L. Quanson
- Department of Biochemistry, Stellenbosch University, Stellenbosch, Matieland 7602, South Africa
| | - Karl-Heinz Storbeck
- Department of Biochemistry, Stellenbosch University, Stellenbosch, Matieland 7602, South Africa
| | - Vincent T. Cunliffe
- Department of Biomedical Science, The Bateson Centre, Sheffield S10 2TN, United Kingdom
| | - Ferenc Müller
- Institute of Cancer and Genomic Sciences, University of Birmingham, College of Medical and Dental Sciences, Birmingham B15 2TT, United Kingdom
| | - Nils Krone
- Department of Biomedical Science, The Bateson Centre, Sheffield S10 2TN, United Kingdom
- Academic Unit of Child Health, Department of Oncology and Metabolism, University of Sheffield, Sheffield S10 2TG, United Kingdom
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19
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Eachus H, Bright C, Cunliffe VT, Placzek M, Wood JD, Watt PJ. Disrupted-in-Schizophrenia-1 is essential for normal hypothalamic-pituitary-interrenal (HPI) axis function. Hum Mol Genet 2017; 26:1992-2005. [PMID: 28334933 PMCID: PMC5437527 DOI: 10.1093/hmg/ddx076] [Citation(s) in RCA: 23] [Impact Index Per Article: 3.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 01/03/2017] [Accepted: 02/23/2017] [Indexed: 02/01/2023] Open
Abstract
Psychiatric disorders arise due to an interplay of genetic and environmental factors, including stress. Studies in rodents have shown that mutants for Disrupted-In-Schizophrenia-1 (DISC1), a well-accepted genetic risk factor for mental illness, display abnormal behaviours in response to stress, but the mechanisms through which DISC1 affects stress responses remain poorly understood. Using two lines of zebrafish homozygous mutant for disc1, we investigated behaviour and functioning of the hypothalamic-pituitary-interrenal (HPI) axis, the fish equivalent of the hypothalamic-pituitary-adrenal (HPA) axis. Here, we show that the role of DISC1 in stress responses is evolutionarily conserved and that DISC1 is essential for normal functioning of the HPI axis. Adult zebrafish homozygous mutant for disc1 show aberrant behavioural responses to stress. Our studies reveal that in the embryo, disc1 is expressed in neural progenitor cells of the hypothalamus, a conserved region of the vertebrate brain that centrally controls responses to environmental stressors. In disc1 mutant embryos, proliferating rx3+ hypothalamic progenitors are not maintained normally and neuronal differentiation is compromised: rx3-derived ff1b+ neurons, implicated in anxiety-related behaviours, and corticotrophin releasing hormone (crh) neurons, key regulators of the stress axis, develop abnormally, and rx3-derived pomc+ neurons are disorganised. Abnormal hypothalamic development is associated with dysfunctional behavioural and neuroendocrine stress responses. In contrast to wild type siblings, disc1 mutant larvae show altered crh levels, fail to upregulate cortisol levels when under stress and do not modulate shoal cohesion, indicative of abnormal social behaviour. These data indicate that disc1 is essential for normal development of the hypothalamus and for the correct functioning of the HPA/HPI axis.
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Affiliation(s)
- Helen Eachus
- Department of Animal and Plant Sciences, University of Sheffield, Western Bank, Sheffield S10 2TN, UK.,The Bateson Centre, Department of Biomedical Science, Firth Court, Western Bank, Sheffield S10 2TN, UK
| | - Charlotte Bright
- Department of Animal and Plant Sciences, University of Sheffield, Western Bank, Sheffield S10 2TN, UK
| | - Vincent T Cunliffe
- The Bateson Centre, Department of Biomedical Science, Firth Court, Western Bank, Sheffield S10 2TN, UK
| | - Marysia Placzek
- The Bateson Centre, Department of Biomedical Science, Firth Court, Western Bank, Sheffield S10 2TN, UK
| | - Jonathan D Wood
- The Bateson Centre, Department of Biomedical Science, Firth Court, Western Bank, Sheffield S10 2TN, UK.,Sheffield Institute for Translational Neuroscience, Department of Neuroscience, University of Sheffield, Sheffield S10 2HQ, UK
| | - Penelope J Watt
- Department of Animal and Plant Sciences, University of Sheffield, Western Bank, Sheffield S10 2TN, UK
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20
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Fu T, Towers M, Placzek MA. Fgf10+ progenitors give rise to the chick hypothalamus by rostral and caudal growth and differentiation. Development 2017; 144:3278-3288. [PMID: 28807896 PMCID: PMC5612254 DOI: 10.1242/dev.153379] [Citation(s) in RCA: 19] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.7] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 04/13/2017] [Accepted: 08/01/2017] [Indexed: 12/14/2022]
Abstract
Classical descriptions of the hypothalamus divide it into three rostro-caudal domains but little is known about their embryonic origins. To investigate this, we performed targeted fate-mapping, molecular characterisation and cell cycle analyses in the embryonic chick. Presumptive hypothalamic cells derive from the rostral diencephalic ventral midline, lie above the prechordal mesendoderm and express Fgf10Fgf10+ progenitors undergo anisotropic growth: those displaced rostrally differentiate into anterior cells, then those displaced caudally differentiate into mammillary cells. A stable population of Fgf10+ progenitors is retained within the tuberal domain; a subset of these gives rise to the tuberal infundibulum - the precursor of the posterior pituitary. Pharmacological approaches reveal that Shh signalling promotes the growth and differentiation of anterior progenitors, and also orchestrates the development of the infundibulum and Rathke's pouch - the precursor of the anterior pituitary. Together, our studies identify a hypothalamic progenitor population defined by Fgf10 and highlight a role for Shh signalling in the integrated development of the hypothalamus and pituitary.
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Affiliation(s)
| | - Matthew Towers
- The Bateson Centre and Department of Biomedical Science, University of Sheffield, Sheffield S10 2TN, UK
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21
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Xie Y, Dorsky RI. Development of the hypothalamus: conservation, modification and innovation. Development 2017; 144:1588-1599. [PMID: 28465334 DOI: 10.1242/dev.139055] [Citation(s) in RCA: 94] [Impact Index Per Article: 13.4] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 12/13/2022]
Abstract
The hypothalamus, which regulates fundamental aspects of physiological homeostasis and behavior, is a brain region that exhibits highly conserved anatomy across vertebrate species. Its development involves conserved basic mechanisms of induction and patterning, combined with a more plastic process of neuronal fate specification, to produce brain circuits that mediate physiology and behavior according to the needs of each species. Here, we review the factors involved in the induction, patterning and neuronal differentiation of the hypothalamus, highlighting recent evidence that illustrates how changes in Wnt/β-catenin signaling during development may lead to species-specific form and function of this important brain structure.
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Affiliation(s)
- Yuanyuan Xie
- Department of Neurobiology and Anatomy, University of Utah, Salt Lake City, UT 84112, USA
| | - Richard I Dorsky
- Department of Neurobiology and Anatomy, University of Utah, Salt Lake City, UT 84112, USA
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22
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Orquera DP, de Souza FSJ. Evolution of the Rax family of developmental transcription factors in vertebrates. Mech Dev 2016; 144:163-170. [PMID: 27838261 DOI: 10.1016/j.mod.2016.11.002] [Citation(s) in RCA: 7] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.9] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 02/27/2016] [Revised: 11/01/2016] [Accepted: 11/07/2016] [Indexed: 02/09/2023]
Abstract
Rax proteins comprise a small family of paired-type, homeodomain-containing transcription factors with essential functions in eye and forebrain development. While invertebrates possess only one Rax gene, vertebrates can have several Rax paralogue genes, but the evolutionary history of the members of the family has not been studied in detail. Here, we present a thorough analysis of the evolutionary relationships between vertebrate Rax genes and proteins available in diverse genomic databases. Phylogenetic and synteny analyses indicate that Rax genes went through a duplication in an ancestor of all jawed vertebrates (Gnathostomata), giving rise to the ancestral vertebrate Rax1 and Rax2 genes. This duplication event is likely related to the proposed polyploidisations that occurred during early vertebrate evolution. Subsequent genome-wide duplications in the lineage of ray-finned fish (Actinopterygii) originated new Rax2 paralogues in the genomes of teleosts. In the lobe-finned fish lineage (Sarcopterygii), the N-terminal octapeptide domain of Rax2 was lost in a common ancestor of tetrapods, giving rise to a shorter version of Rax2 in this lineage. Within placental mammals, the Rax2 gene was lost altogether in an ancestor of rodents and lagomorphs (Glires). Finally, we discuss the scientific literature in the light of Rax gene evolution and propose new avenues of research on the function of this important family of transcriptional regulators.
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Affiliation(s)
- Daniela P Orquera
- Instituto de Investigaciones en Ingeniería Genética y Biología Molecular, Consejo Nacional de Investigaciones Científicas y Técnicas, 1428 Buenos Aires, Argentina
| | - Flávio S J de Souza
- Instituto de Investigaciones en Ingeniería Genética y Biología Molecular, Consejo Nacional de Investigaciones Científicas y Técnicas, 1428 Buenos Aires, Argentina; Departamento de Fisiología, Biología Molecular y Celular, Facultad de Ciencias Exactas y Naturales, Universidad de Buenos Aires, 1428 Buenos Aires, Argentina.
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