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Louçã M, El Akrouti D, Lemesle A, Louessard M, Dufour N, Baroin C, de la Fouchardière A, Cotter L, Jean-Jacques H, Redeker V, Perrier AL. Huntingtin lowering impairs the maturation and synchronized synaptic activity of human cortical neuronal networks derived from induced pluripotent stem cells. Neurobiol Dis 2024; 200:106630. [PMID: 39106928 DOI: 10.1016/j.nbd.2024.106630] [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: 06/11/2024] [Revised: 08/01/2024] [Accepted: 08/02/2024] [Indexed: 08/09/2024] Open
Abstract
Despite growing descriptions of wild-type Huntingtin (wt-HTT) roles in both adult brain function and, more recently, development, several clinical trials are exploring HTT-lowering approaches that target both wt-HTT and the mutant isoform (mut-HTT) responsible for Huntington's disease (HD). This non-selective targeting is based on the autosomal dominant inheritance of HD, supporting the idea that mut-HTT exerts its harmful effects through a toxic gain-of-function or a dominant-negative mechanism. However, the precise amount of wt-HTT needed for healthy neurons in adults and during development remains unclear. In this study, we address this question by examining how wt-HTT loss affects human neuronal network formation, synaptic maturation, and homeostasis in vitro. Our findings establish a role of wt-HTT in the maturation of dendritic arborization and the acquisition of network-wide synchronized activity by human cortical neuronal networks modeled in vitro. Interestingly, the network synchronization defects only became apparent when more than two-thirds of the wt-HTT protein was depleted. Our study underscores the critical need to precisely understand wt-HTT role in neuronal health. It also emphasizes the potential risks of excessive wt-HTT loss associated with non-selective therapeutic approaches targeting both wt- and mut-HTT isoforms in HD patients.
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Affiliation(s)
- Mathilde Louçã
- Université Paris-Saclay, CEA, CNRS, Laboratoire des Maladies Neurodégénératives : Mécanismes, Thérapies, Imagerie, 92265 Fontenay-aux-Roses, France; Université Paris-Saclay, CEA, Molecular Imaging Research Center, 92265 Fontenay-aux-Roses, France
| | - Donya El Akrouti
- Université Paris-Saclay, CEA, CNRS, Laboratoire des Maladies Neurodégénératives : Mécanismes, Thérapies, Imagerie, 92265 Fontenay-aux-Roses, France; Université Paris-Saclay, CEA, Molecular Imaging Research Center, 92265 Fontenay-aux-Roses, France
| | - Aude Lemesle
- Université Paris-Saclay, CEA, CNRS, Laboratoire des Maladies Neurodégénératives : Mécanismes, Thérapies, Imagerie, 92265 Fontenay-aux-Roses, France; Université Paris-Saclay, CEA, Molecular Imaging Research Center, 92265 Fontenay-aux-Roses, France
| | - Morgane Louessard
- Université Paris-Saclay, CEA, CNRS, Laboratoire des Maladies Neurodégénératives : Mécanismes, Thérapies, Imagerie, 92265 Fontenay-aux-Roses, France; Université Paris-Saclay, CEA, Molecular Imaging Research Center, 92265 Fontenay-aux-Roses, France
| | - Noëlle Dufour
- Université Paris-Saclay, CEA, CNRS, Laboratoire des Maladies Neurodégénératives : Mécanismes, Thérapies, Imagerie, 92265 Fontenay-aux-Roses, France; Université Paris-Saclay, CEA, Molecular Imaging Research Center, 92265 Fontenay-aux-Roses, France
| | - Chloé Baroin
- Université Paris-Saclay, CEA, CNRS, Laboratoire des Maladies Neurodégénératives : Mécanismes, Thérapies, Imagerie, 92265 Fontenay-aux-Roses, France; Université Paris-Saclay, CEA, Molecular Imaging Research Center, 92265 Fontenay-aux-Roses, France
| | - Aurore de la Fouchardière
- Université Paris-Saclay, CEA, CNRS, Laboratoire des Maladies Neurodégénératives : Mécanismes, Thérapies, Imagerie, 92265 Fontenay-aux-Roses, France; Université Paris-Saclay, CEA, Molecular Imaging Research Center, 92265 Fontenay-aux-Roses, France
| | - Laurent Cotter
- Université Paris-Saclay, CEA, CNRS, Laboratoire des Maladies Neurodégénératives : Mécanismes, Thérapies, Imagerie, 92265 Fontenay-aux-Roses, France; Université Paris-Saclay, CEA, Molecular Imaging Research Center, 92265 Fontenay-aux-Roses, France
| | - Hélène Jean-Jacques
- Université Paris-Saclay, CNRS, CEA, Institute for Integrative Biology of the Cell, 91198 Gif-sur-Yvette, France
| | - Virginie Redeker
- Université Paris-Saclay, CEA, CNRS, Laboratoire des Maladies Neurodégénératives : Mécanismes, Thérapies, Imagerie, 92265 Fontenay-aux-Roses, France; Université Paris-Saclay, CEA, Molecular Imaging Research Center, 92265 Fontenay-aux-Roses, France; Université Paris-Saclay, CNRS, CEA, Institute for Integrative Biology of the Cell, 91198 Gif-sur-Yvette, France
| | - Anselme L Perrier
- Université Paris-Saclay, CEA, CNRS, Laboratoire des Maladies Neurodégénératives : Mécanismes, Thérapies, Imagerie, 92265 Fontenay-aux-Roses, France; Université Paris-Saclay, CEA, Molecular Imaging Research Center, 92265 Fontenay-aux-Roses, France.
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2
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Galimberti M, Nucera MR, Bocchi VD, Conforti P, Vezzoli E, Cereda M, Maffezzini C, Iennaco R, Scolz A, Falqui A, Cordiglieri C, Cremona M, Espuny-Camacho I, Faedo A, Felsenfeld DP, Vogt TF, Ranzani V, Zuccato C, Besusso D, Cattaneo E. Huntington's disease cellular phenotypes are rescued non-cell autonomously by healthy cells in mosaic telencephalic organoids. Nat Commun 2024; 15:6534. [PMID: 39095390 PMCID: PMC11297310 DOI: 10.1038/s41467-024-50877-x] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 05/10/2024] [Accepted: 07/23/2024] [Indexed: 08/04/2024] Open
Abstract
Huntington's disease (HD) causes selective degeneration of striatal and cortical neurons, resulting in cell mosaicism of coexisting still functional and dysfunctional cells. The impact of non-cell autonomous mechanisms between these cellular states is poorly understood. Here we generated telencephalic organoids with healthy or HD cells, grown separately or as mosaics of the two genotypes. Single-cell RNA sequencing revealed neurodevelopmental abnormalities in the ventral fate acquisition of HD organoids, confirmed by cytoarchitectural and transcriptional defects leading to fewer GABAergic neurons, while dorsal populations showed milder phenotypes mainly in maturation trajectory. Healthy cells in mosaic organoids restored HD cell identity, trajectories, synaptic density, and communication pathways upon cell-cell contact, while showing no significant alterations when grown with HD cells. These findings highlight cell-type-specific alterations in HD and beneficial non-cell autonomous effects of healthy cells, emphasizing the therapeutic potential of modulating cell-cell communication in disease progression and treatment.
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Affiliation(s)
- Maura Galimberti
- Laboratory of Stem Cell Biology and Pharmacology of Neurodegenerative Diseases, Department of Biosciences, University of Milan, 20122, Milan, Italy
- INGM, Istituto Nazionale Genetica Molecolare "Romeo ed Enrica Invernizzi", Milan, Italy
| | - Maria R Nucera
- Laboratory of Stem Cell Biology and Pharmacology of Neurodegenerative Diseases, Department of Biosciences, University of Milan, 20122, Milan, Italy
- INGM, Istituto Nazionale Genetica Molecolare "Romeo ed Enrica Invernizzi", Milan, Italy
- Stem Cell Biology Department; Murdoch Children's Research Institute, Parkville, VIC, 3052, Australia
| | - Vittoria D Bocchi
- Laboratory of Stem Cell Biology and Pharmacology of Neurodegenerative Diseases, Department of Biosciences, University of Milan, 20122, Milan, Italy
- INGM, Istituto Nazionale Genetica Molecolare "Romeo ed Enrica Invernizzi", Milan, Italy
- Center for Stem Cell Biology and Developmental Biology Program, Memorial Sloan Kettering Cancer Center, New York, NY, 10065, USA
| | - Paola Conforti
- Laboratory of Stem Cell Biology and Pharmacology of Neurodegenerative Diseases, Department of Biosciences, University of Milan, 20122, Milan, Italy
- INGM, Istituto Nazionale Genetica Molecolare "Romeo ed Enrica Invernizzi", Milan, Italy
| | - Elena Vezzoli
- Laboratory of Stem Cell Biology and Pharmacology of Neurodegenerative Diseases, Department of Biosciences, University of Milan, 20122, Milan, Italy
- INGM, Istituto Nazionale Genetica Molecolare "Romeo ed Enrica Invernizzi", Milan, Italy
- ALEMBIC Advanced Light and Electron Microscopy BioImaging Center, San Raffaele Scientific Institute, DIBIT 1, Via Olgettina 58, 20132, Milan, Italy
| | - Matteo Cereda
- Laboratory of Stem Cell Biology and Pharmacology of Neurodegenerative Diseases, Department of Biosciences, University of Milan, 20122, Milan, Italy
- INGM, Istituto Nazionale Genetica Molecolare "Romeo ed Enrica Invernizzi", Milan, Italy
| | - Camilla Maffezzini
- Laboratory of Stem Cell Biology and Pharmacology of Neurodegenerative Diseases, Department of Biosciences, University of Milan, 20122, Milan, Italy
- INGM, Istituto Nazionale Genetica Molecolare "Romeo ed Enrica Invernizzi", Milan, Italy
| | - Raffaele Iennaco
- Laboratory of Stem Cell Biology and Pharmacology of Neurodegenerative Diseases, Department of Biosciences, University of Milan, 20122, Milan, Italy
- INGM, Istituto Nazionale Genetica Molecolare "Romeo ed Enrica Invernizzi", Milan, Italy
| | - Andrea Scolz
- Laboratory of Stem Cell Biology and Pharmacology of Neurodegenerative Diseases, Department of Biosciences, University of Milan, 20122, Milan, Italy
- INGM, Istituto Nazionale Genetica Molecolare "Romeo ed Enrica Invernizzi", Milan, Italy
| | - Andrea Falqui
- Department of Physics "Aldo Pontremoli", University of Milan, Via Celoria 16, 20133, Milan, Italy
| | - Chiara Cordiglieri
- INGM, Istituto Nazionale Genetica Molecolare "Romeo ed Enrica Invernizzi", Milan, Italy
| | - Martina Cremona
- Laboratory of Stem Cell Biology and Pharmacology of Neurodegenerative Diseases, Department of Biosciences, University of Milan, 20122, Milan, Italy
- INGM, Istituto Nazionale Genetica Molecolare "Romeo ed Enrica Invernizzi", Milan, Italy
- Swiss Stem Cell Foundation, Via Petrini 2, 6900, Lugano, Switzerland
| | - Ira Espuny-Camacho
- Laboratory of Stem Cell Biology and Pharmacology of Neurodegenerative Diseases, Department of Biosciences, University of Milan, 20122, Milan, Italy
- INGM, Istituto Nazionale Genetica Molecolare "Romeo ed Enrica Invernizzi", Milan, Italy
- GIGA-Neuroscience, Interdisciplinary Cluster for Applied Genoproteomics (GIGA-R), University of Liège, C.H.U. Sart Tilman, 4000, Liège, Belgium
| | - Andrea Faedo
- Laboratory of Stem Cell Biology and Pharmacology of Neurodegenerative Diseases, Department of Biosciences, University of Milan, 20122, Milan, Italy
- INGM, Istituto Nazionale Genetica Molecolare "Romeo ed Enrica Invernizzi", Milan, Italy
- Axxam, OpenZone, Via Meucci 3, 20091, Bresso, Milan, Italy
| | | | | | - Valeria Ranzani
- INGM, Istituto Nazionale Genetica Molecolare "Romeo ed Enrica Invernizzi", Milan, Italy
| | - Chiara Zuccato
- Laboratory of Stem Cell Biology and Pharmacology of Neurodegenerative Diseases, Department of Biosciences, University of Milan, 20122, Milan, Italy
- INGM, Istituto Nazionale Genetica Molecolare "Romeo ed Enrica Invernizzi", Milan, Italy
| | - Dario Besusso
- Laboratory of Stem Cell Biology and Pharmacology of Neurodegenerative Diseases, Department of Biosciences, University of Milan, 20122, Milan, Italy
- INGM, Istituto Nazionale Genetica Molecolare "Romeo ed Enrica Invernizzi", Milan, Italy
| | - Elena Cattaneo
- Laboratory of Stem Cell Biology and Pharmacology of Neurodegenerative Diseases, Department of Biosciences, University of Milan, 20122, Milan, Italy.
- INGM, Istituto Nazionale Genetica Molecolare "Romeo ed Enrica Invernizzi", Milan, Italy.
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3
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Catlin JP, Schaner Tooley CE. Exploring potential developmental origins of common neurodegenerative disorders. Biochem Soc Trans 2024; 52:1035-1044. [PMID: 38661189 DOI: 10.1042/bst20230422] [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: 09/11/2023] [Revised: 03/12/2024] [Accepted: 04/11/2024] [Indexed: 04/26/2024]
Abstract
In the United States, it is now estimated that 6.7 million people over the age of 65 are afflicted by Alzheimer's disease (AD), over 1 million people are living with Parkinson's disease (PD), and over 200 000 have or are at risk for developing Huntington's disease (HD). All three of these neurodegenerative diseases result in the ultimate death of distinct neuronal subtypes, and it is widely thought that age-related damage is the single biggest contributing factor to this neuronal death. However, recent studies are now suggesting that developmental defects during early neurogenesis could also play a role in the pathology of neurodegenerative diseases. Loss or overexpression of proteins associated with HD, PD, and AD also result in embryonic phenotypes but whether these developmental defects slowly unmask over time and contribute to age-related neurodegeneration remains highly debated. Here, we discuss known links between embryonic neurogenesis and neurodegenerative disorders (including common signaling pathways), potential compensatory mechanisms that could delay presentation of neurodegenerative disorders, and the types of model systems that could be used to study these links in vivo.
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Affiliation(s)
- James P Catlin
- Department of Biochemistry, Jacobs School of Medicine and Biomedical Sciences, State University of New York at Buffalo, Buffalo, NY 14203, U.S.A
| | - Christine E Schaner Tooley
- Department of Biochemistry, Jacobs School of Medicine and Biomedical Sciences, State University of New York at Buffalo, Buffalo, NY 14203, U.S.A
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4
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Su C, Chandradoss KR, Malachowski T, Boya R, Ryu HS, Brennand KJ, Phillips-Cremins JE. MASTR-seq: Multiplexed Analysis of Short Tandem Repeats with sequencing. BIORXIV : THE PREPRINT SERVER FOR BIOLOGY 2024:2024.04.29.591790. [PMID: 38746155 PMCID: PMC11092654 DOI: 10.1101/2024.04.29.591790] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 05/16/2024]
Abstract
More than 60 human disorders have been linked to unstable expansion of short tandem repeat (STR) tracts. STR length and the extent of DNA methylation is linked to disease pathology and can be mosaic in a cell type-specific manner in several repeat expansion disorders. Mosaic phenomenon have been difficult to study to date due to technical bias intrinsic to repeat sequences and the need for multi-modal measurements at single-allele resolution. Nanopore long-read sequencing accurately measures STR length and DNA methylation in the same single molecule but is cost prohibitive for studies assessing a target locus across multiple experimental conditions or patient samples. Here, we describe MASTR-seq, M ultiplexed A nalysis of S hort T andem R epeats, for cost-effective, high-throughput, accurate, multi-modal measurements of DNA methylation and STR genotype at single-allele resolution. MASTR-seq couples long-read sequencing, Cas9-mediated target enrichment, and PCR-free multiplexed barcoding to achieve a >ten-fold increase in on-target read mapping for 8-12 pooled samples in a single MinION flow cell. We provide a detailed experimental protocol and computational tools and present evidence that MASTR-seq quantifies tract length and DNA methylation status for CGG and CAG STR loci in normal-length and mutation-length human cell lines. The MASTR-seq protocol takes approximately eight days for experiments and one additional day for data processing and analyses. Key points We provide a protocol for MASTR-seq: M ultiplexed A nalysis of S hort T andem R epeats using Cas9-mediated target enrichment and PCR-free, multiplexed nanopore sequencing. MASTR-seq achieves a >10-fold increase in on-target read proportion for highly repetitive, technically inaccessible regions of the genome relevant for human health and disease.MASTR-seq allows for high-throughput, efficient, accurate, and cost-effective measurement of STR length and DNA methylation in the same single allele for up to 8-12 samples in parallel in one Nanopore MinION flow cell.
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5
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Louessard M, Cailleret M, Jarrige M, Bigarreau J, Lenoir S, Dufour N, Rey M, Saudou F, Deglon N, Perrier AL. Mono- and Biallelic Inactivation of Huntingtin Gene in Patient-Specific Induced Pluripotent Stem Cells Reveal HTT Roles in Striatal Development and Neuronal Functions. J Huntingtons Dis 2024; 13:41-53. [PMID: 38427495 DOI: 10.3233/jhd-231509] [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: 03/03/2024]
Abstract
Background Mutations in the Huntingtin (HTT) gene cause Huntington's disease (HD), a neurodegenerative disorder. As a scaffold protein, HTT is involved in numerous cellular functions, but its normal and pathogenic functions during human forebrain development are poorly understood. Objective To investigate the developmental component of HD, with a specific emphasis on understanding the functions of wild-type and mutant HTT alleles during forebrain neuron development in individuals carrying HD mutations. Methods We used CRISPR/Cas9 gene-editing technology to disrupt the ATG region of the HTT gene via non-homologous end joining to produce mono- or biallelic HTT knock-out human induced pluripotent stem cell (iPSC) clones. Results We showed that the loss of wild-type, mutant, or both HTT isoforms does not affect the pluripotency of iPSCs or their transition into neural cells. However, we observed that HTT loss causes division impairments in forebrain neuro-epithelial cells and alters maturation of striatal projection neurons (SPNs) particularly in the acquisition of DARPP32 expression, a key functional marker of SPNs. Finally, young post-mitotic neurons derived from HTT-/- human iPSCs display cellular dysfunctions observed in adult HD neurons. Conclusions We described a novel collection of isogenic clones with mono- and biallelic HTT inactivation that complement existing HD-hiPSC isogenic series to explore HTT functions and test therapeutic strategies in particular HTT-lowering drugs. Characterizing neural and neuronal derivatives from human iPSCs of this collection, we show evidence that HTT loss or mutation has impacts on neuro-epithelial and striatal neurons maturation, and on basal DNA damage and BDNF axonal transport in post-mitotic neurons.
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Affiliation(s)
- Morgane Louessard
- Université Paris-Saclay, CEA, Molecular Imaging Research Center, Fontenay-aux-Roses, France
- Université Paris-Saclay, CEA, CNRS, Laboratoire des Maladies Neurodégénératives: Mécanismes, Thérapies, Imagerie, Fontenay-aux-Roses, France
- Université Paris-Saclay, Inserm, Univ Evry, Institut des Cellules Souches pour le Traitement et l'étude des Maladies Monogéniques, Corbeil-Essonne, France
| | - Michel Cailleret
- Université Paris-Saclay, Inserm, Univ Evry, Institut des Cellules Souches pour le Traitement et l'étude des Maladies Monogéniques, Corbeil-Essonne, France
| | - Margot Jarrige
- CECS/AFM, Institut des Cellules Souches pour le Traitement et l'étude des Maladies Monogéniques, Corbeil-Essonne, France
| | - Julie Bigarreau
- Université Paris-Saclay, Inserm, Univ Evry, Institut des Cellules Souches pour le Traitement et l'étude des Maladies Monogéniques, Corbeil-Essonne, France
| | - Sophie Lenoir
- Univ. Grenoble Alpes, Inserm, U1216, CHU Grenoble Alpes, Grenoble Institut Neuroscience, GIN, Grenoble, France
| | - Noëlle Dufour
- Université Paris-Saclay, CEA, Molecular Imaging Research Center, Fontenay-aux-Roses, France
- Université Paris-Saclay, CEA, CNRS, Laboratoire des Maladies Neurodégénératives: Mécanismes, Thérapies, Imagerie, Fontenay-aux-Roses, France
| | - Maria Rey
- Lausanne University Hospital (CHUV) and University of Lausanne (UNIL), Department of Clinical Neurosciences (DNC), and Neuroscience Research Center (CRN), Laboratory of Cellular and Molecular Neurotherapies, Lausanne, Switzerland
| | - Frédéric Saudou
- Univ. Grenoble Alpes, Inserm, U1216, CHU Grenoble Alpes, Grenoble Institut Neuroscience, GIN, Grenoble, France
| | - Nicole Deglon
- Lausanne University Hospital (CHUV) and University of Lausanne (UNIL), Department of Clinical Neurosciences (DNC), and Neuroscience Research Center (CRN), Laboratory of Cellular and Molecular Neurotherapies, Lausanne, Switzerland
| | - Anselme L Perrier
- Université Paris-Saclay, CEA, Molecular Imaging Research Center, Fontenay-aux-Roses, France
- Université Paris-Saclay, CEA, CNRS, Laboratoire des Maladies Neurodégénératives: Mécanismes, Thérapies, Imagerie, Fontenay-aux-Roses, France
- Université Paris-Saclay, Inserm, Univ Evry, Institut des Cellules Souches pour le Traitement et l'étude des Maladies Monogéniques, Corbeil-Essonne, France
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Stöberl N, Donaldson J, Binda CS, McAllister B, Hall-Roberts H, Jones L, Massey TH, Allen ND. Mutant huntingtin confers cell-autonomous phenotypes on Huntington's disease iPSC-derived microglia. Sci Rep 2023; 13:20477. [PMID: 37993517 PMCID: PMC10665390 DOI: 10.1038/s41598-023-46852-z] [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: 08/28/2023] [Accepted: 11/06/2023] [Indexed: 11/24/2023] Open
Abstract
Huntington's disease (HD) is a neurodegenerative disorder caused by a dominantly inherited CAG repeat expansion in the huntingtin gene (HTT). Neuroinflammation and microglia have been implicated in HD pathology, however it has been unclear if mutant HTT (mHTT) expression has an adverse cell-autonomous effect on microglial function, or if they are only activated in response to the neurodegenerative brain environment in HD. To establish a human cell model of HD microglia function, we generated isogenic controls for HD patient-derived induced pluripotent stem cells (iPSC) with 109 CAG repeats (Q109). Q109 and isogenic Q22 iPSC, as well as non-isogenic Q60 and Q33 iPSC lines, were differentiated to iPSC-microglia. Our study supports a model of basal microglia dysfunction in HD leading to elevated pro-inflammatory cytokine production together with impaired phagocytosis and endocytosis capacity, in the absence of immune stimulation. These findings are consistent with early microglia activation observed in pre-manifest patients and indicate that mHTT gene expression affects microglia function in a cell-autonomous way.
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Affiliation(s)
- Nina Stöberl
- School of Biosciences, Cardiff University, Cardiff, UK.
| | - Jasmine Donaldson
- Centre for Neuropsychiatric Genetics and Genomics, Division of Psychological Medicine and Clinical Neurosciences, Cardiff University, Cardiff, UK
| | - Caroline S Binda
- Centre for Neuropsychiatric Genetics and Genomics, Division of Psychological Medicine and Clinical Neurosciences, Cardiff University, Cardiff, UK
| | - Branduff McAllister
- Centre for Neuropsychiatric Genetics and Genomics, Division of Psychological Medicine and Clinical Neurosciences, Cardiff University, Cardiff, UK
| | - Hazel Hall-Roberts
- UK Dementia Research Institute at Cardiff, Cardiff University, Cardiff, UK
| | - Lesley Jones
- Centre for Neuropsychiatric Genetics and Genomics, Division of Psychological Medicine and Clinical Neurosciences, Cardiff University, Cardiff, UK
| | - Thomas H Massey
- Centre for Neuropsychiatric Genetics and Genomics, Division of Psychological Medicine and Clinical Neurosciences, Cardiff University, Cardiff, UK
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Ferrari Bardile C, Radulescu CI, Pouladi MA. Oligodendrocyte pathology in Huntington's disease: from mechanisms to therapeutics. Trends Mol Med 2023; 29:802-816. [PMID: 37591764 DOI: 10.1016/j.molmed.2023.07.010] [Citation(s) in RCA: 4] [Impact Index Per Article: 4.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 06/13/2023] [Revised: 07/18/2023] [Accepted: 07/20/2023] [Indexed: 08/19/2023]
Abstract
Oligodendrocytes (OLGs), highly specialized glial cells that wrap axons with myelin sheaths, are critical for brain development and function. There is new recognition of the role of OLGs in the pathogenesis of neurodegenerative diseases (NDDs), including Huntington's disease (HD), a prototypic NDD caused by a polyglutamine tract expansion in huntingtin (HTT), which results in gain- and loss-of-function effects. Clinically, HD is characterized by a constellation of motor, cognitive, and psychiatric disturbances. White matter (WM) structures, representing myelin-rich regions of the brain, are profoundly affected in HD, and recent findings reveal oligodendroglia dysfunction as an early pathological event. Here, we focus on mechanisms that underlie oligodendroglial deficits and dysmyelination in the progression of the disease, highlighting the pathogenic contributions of mutant HTT (mHTT). We also discuss potential therapeutic implications involving these molecular pathways.
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Affiliation(s)
- Costanza Ferrari Bardile
- Department of Medical Genetics, Centre for Molecular Medicine and Therapeutics, Djavad Mowafaghian Centre for Brain Health, British Columbia Children's Hospital Research Institute, University of British Columbia, Vancouver, BC V5Z 4H4, Canada
| | - Carola I Radulescu
- UK Dementia Research Institute, Imperial College London, London, W12 0NN, UK
| | - Mahmoud A Pouladi
- Department of Medical Genetics, Centre for Molecular Medicine and Therapeutics, Djavad Mowafaghian Centre for Brain Health, British Columbia Children's Hospital Research Institute, University of British Columbia, Vancouver, BC V5Z 4H4, Canada.
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8
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Laundos TL, Li S, Cheang E, De Santis R, Piccolo FM, Brivanlou AH. Huntingtin CAG-expansion mutation results in a dominant negative effect. Front Cell Dev Biol 2023; 11:1252521. [PMID: 37727506 PMCID: PMC10505792 DOI: 10.3389/fcell.2023.1252521] [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: 07/03/2023] [Accepted: 08/14/2023] [Indexed: 09/21/2023] Open
Abstract
Introduction: Huntington's disease (HD) remains an incurable and fatal neurodegenerative disease long after CAG-expansion mutation in the huntingtin gene (HTT) was identified as the cause. The underlying pathological mechanism, whether HTT loss of function or gain of toxicity results from mutation, remains a matter of debate. Methods: In this study, we genetically modulated wild-type or mutant HTT expression levels in isogenic human embryonic stem cells to systematically investigate their contribution to HD-specific phenotypes. Results: Using highly reproducible and quantifiable in vitro micropattern-based assays, we observed comparable phenotypes with HD mutation and HTT depletion. However, halving endogenous wild-type HTT levels did not strongly recapitulate the HD phenotypes, arguing against a classical loss of function mechanism. Remarkably, expression of CAG-expanded HTT in non-HD cells induced HD like phenotypes akin to HTT depletion. Discussion: By corollary, these results indicate a dominant negative effect of mutated HTT on its wild-type counterpart. Complementation with additional copies of wild-type HTT ameliorated the HD-associated phenotypes, strongly supporting a classical dominant negative mechanism. Understanding the molecular basis of this dominant negative effect will guide the development of efficient clinical strategies to counteract the deleterious impact of mutant HTT on the wild-type HTT function.
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Affiliation(s)
- Tiago L. Laundos
- Laboratory of Synthetic Embryology, The Rockefeller University, New York City, NY, United States
- ICBAS—Instituto de Ciências Biomédicas Abel Salazar, Universidade do Porto, Porto, Portugal
- i3S—Instituto de Investigação e Inovação em Saúde, Universidade do Porto, Porto, Portugal
- INEB—Instituto de Engenharia Biomédica, Universidade do Porto, Porto, Portugal
| | - Shu Li
- Laboratory of Synthetic Embryology, The Rockefeller University, New York City, NY, United States
| | - Eric Cheang
- Laboratory of Synthetic Embryology, The Rockefeller University, New York City, NY, United States
| | - Riccardo De Santis
- Laboratory of Synthetic Embryology, The Rockefeller University, New York City, NY, United States
| | - Francesco M. Piccolo
- Laboratory of Synthetic Embryology, The Rockefeller University, New York City, NY, United States
| | - Ali H. Brivanlou
- Laboratory of Synthetic Embryology, The Rockefeller University, New York City, NY, United States
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9
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Lin G, Tepe B, McGrane G, Tipon RC, Croft G, Panwala L, Hope A, Liang AJH, Zuo Z, Byeon SK, Wang L, Pandey A, Bellen HJ. Exploring therapeutic strategies for infantile neuronal axonal dystrophy (INAD/PARK14). eLife 2023; 12:82555. [PMID: 36645408 PMCID: PMC9889087 DOI: 10.7554/elife.82555] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 08/09/2022] [Accepted: 01/15/2023] [Indexed: 01/17/2023] Open
Abstract
Infantile neuroaxonal dystrophy (INAD) is caused by recessive variants in PLA2G6 and is a lethal pediatric neurodegenerative disorder. Loss of the Drosophila homolog of PLA2G6, leads to ceramide accumulation, lysosome expansion, and mitochondrial defects. Here, we report that retromer function, ceramide metabolism, the endolysosomal pathway, and mitochondrial morphology are affected in INAD patient-derived neurons. We show that in INAD mouse models, the same features are affected in Purkinje cells, arguing that the neuropathological mechanisms are evolutionary conserved and that these features can be used as biomarkers. We tested 20 drugs that target these pathways and found that Ambroxol, Desipramine, Azoramide, and Genistein alleviate neurodegenerative phenotypes in INAD flies and INAD patient-derived neural progenitor cells. We also develop an AAV-based gene therapy approach that delays neurodegeneration and prolongs lifespan in an INAD mouse model.
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Affiliation(s)
- Guang Lin
- Department of Molecular and Human Genetics, Baylor College of MedicineHoustonUnited States
- Jan and Dan Duncan Neurological Research Institute, Texas Children’s HospitalHoustonUnited States
| | - Burak Tepe
- Department of Molecular and Human Genetics, Baylor College of MedicineHoustonUnited States
- Jan and Dan Duncan Neurological Research Institute, Texas Children’s HospitalHoustonUnited States
| | - Geoff McGrane
- New York Stem Cell Foundation Research InstituteNew YorkUnited States
| | - Regine C Tipon
- New York Stem Cell Foundation Research InstituteNew YorkUnited States
| | - Gist Croft
- New York Stem Cell Foundation Research InstituteNew YorkUnited States
| | | | | | - Agnes JH Liang
- Department of Molecular and Human Genetics, Baylor College of MedicineHoustonUnited States
- Jan and Dan Duncan Neurological Research Institute, Texas Children’s HospitalHoustonUnited States
| | - Zhongyuan Zuo
- Department of Molecular and Human Genetics, Baylor College of MedicineHoustonUnited States
- Jan and Dan Duncan Neurological Research Institute, Texas Children’s HospitalHoustonUnited States
| | - Seul Kee Byeon
- Department of Laboratory Medicine and Pathology, Mayo ClinicRochesterUnited States
| | - Lily Wang
- Department of Molecular and Human Genetics, Baylor College of MedicineHoustonUnited States
- Jan and Dan Duncan Neurological Research Institute, Texas Children’s HospitalHoustonUnited States
| | - Akhilesh Pandey
- Department of Laboratory Medicine and Pathology, Mayo ClinicRochesterUnited States
- Manipal Academy of Higher Education, ManipalKarnatakaIndia
| | - Hugo J Bellen
- Department of Molecular and Human Genetics, Baylor College of MedicineHoustonUnited States
- Jan and Dan Duncan Neurological Research Institute, Texas Children’s HospitalHoustonUnited States
- Department of Neuroscience, Baylor College of MedicineHoustonUnited States
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10
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Conforti P, Bocchi VD, Campus I, Scaramuzza L, Galimberti M, Lischetti T, Talpo F, Pedrazzoli M, Murgia A, Ferrari I, Cordiglieri C, Fasciani A, Arenas E, Felsenfeld D, Biella G, Besusso D, Cattaneo E. In vitro-derived medium spiny neurons recapitulate human striatal development and complexity at single-cell resolution. CELL REPORTS METHODS 2022; 2:100367. [PMID: 36590694 PMCID: PMC9795363 DOI: 10.1016/j.crmeth.2022.100367] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 08/23/2022] [Revised: 10/06/2022] [Accepted: 11/16/2022] [Indexed: 12/23/2022]
Abstract
Stem cell engineering of striatal medium spiny neurons (MSNs) is a promising strategy to understand diseases affecting the striatum and for cell-replacement therapies in different neurological diseases. Protocols to generate cells from human pluripotent stem cells (PSCs) are scarce and how well they recapitulate the endogenous fetal cells remains poorly understood. We have developed a protocol that modulates cell seeding density and exposure to specific morphogens that generates authentic and functional D1- and D2-MSNs with a high degree of reproducibility in 25 days of differentiation. Single-cell RNA sequencing (scRNA-seq) shows that our cells can mimic the cell-fate acquisition steps observed in vivo in terms of cell type composition, gene expression, and signaling pathways. Finally, by modulating the midkine pathway we show that we can increase the yield of MSNs. We expect that this protocol will help decode pathogenesis factors in striatal diseases and eventually facilitate cell-replacement therapies for Huntington's disease (HD).
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Affiliation(s)
- Paola Conforti
- Laboratory of Stem Cell Biology and Pharmacology of Neurodegenerative Diseases, Department of Biosciences, University of Milan, 20122 Milan, Italy
- Istituto Nazionale Genetica Molecolare, Romeo ed Enrica Invernizzi, 20122 Milan, Italy
| | - Vittoria Dickinson Bocchi
- Laboratory of Stem Cell Biology and Pharmacology of Neurodegenerative Diseases, Department of Biosciences, University of Milan, 20122 Milan, Italy
- Istituto Nazionale Genetica Molecolare, Romeo ed Enrica Invernizzi, 20122 Milan, Italy
| | - Ilaria Campus
- Laboratory of Stem Cell Biology and Pharmacology of Neurodegenerative Diseases, Department of Biosciences, University of Milan, 20122 Milan, Italy
- Istituto Nazionale Genetica Molecolare, Romeo ed Enrica Invernizzi, 20122 Milan, Italy
| | - Linda Scaramuzza
- Laboratory of Stem Cell Biology and Pharmacology of Neurodegenerative Diseases, Department of Biosciences, University of Milan, 20122 Milan, Italy
- Istituto Nazionale Genetica Molecolare, Romeo ed Enrica Invernizzi, 20122 Milan, Italy
| | - Maura Galimberti
- Laboratory of Stem Cell Biology and Pharmacology of Neurodegenerative Diseases, Department of Biosciences, University of Milan, 20122 Milan, Italy
- Istituto Nazionale Genetica Molecolare, Romeo ed Enrica Invernizzi, 20122 Milan, Italy
| | - Tiziana Lischetti
- Laboratory of Stem Cell Biology and Pharmacology of Neurodegenerative Diseases, Department of Biosciences, University of Milan, 20122 Milan, Italy
- Istituto Nazionale Genetica Molecolare, Romeo ed Enrica Invernizzi, 20122 Milan, Italy
| | - Francesca Talpo
- Department of Biology and Biotechnologies, University of Pavia, Via Adolfo Ferrata, 9, 27100 Pavia, Italy
| | - Matteo Pedrazzoli
- Department of Biology and Biotechnologies, University of Pavia, Via Adolfo Ferrata, 9, 27100 Pavia, Italy
| | - Alessio Murgia
- Laboratory of Stem Cell Biology and Pharmacology of Neurodegenerative Diseases, Department of Biosciences, University of Milan, 20122 Milan, Italy
- Istituto Nazionale Genetica Molecolare, Romeo ed Enrica Invernizzi, 20122 Milan, Italy
| | - Ivan Ferrari
- Istituto Nazionale Genetica Molecolare, Romeo ed Enrica Invernizzi, 20122 Milan, Italy
| | - Chiara Cordiglieri
- Istituto Nazionale Genetica Molecolare, Romeo ed Enrica Invernizzi, 20122 Milan, Italy
| | - Alessandra Fasciani
- Istituto Nazionale Genetica Molecolare, Romeo ed Enrica Invernizzi, 20122 Milan, Italy
| | - Ernest Arenas
- Laboratory for Molecular Neurobiology, Department of Medical Biochemistry and Biophysics, Karolinska Institutet, Biomedicum, Solnavägen 9, 17177 Stockholm, Sweden
| | | | - Gerardo Biella
- Department of Biology and Biotechnologies, University of Pavia, Via Adolfo Ferrata, 9, 27100 Pavia, Italy
| | - Dario Besusso
- Laboratory of Stem Cell Biology and Pharmacology of Neurodegenerative Diseases, Department of Biosciences, University of Milan, 20122 Milan, Italy
- Istituto Nazionale Genetica Molecolare, Romeo ed Enrica Invernizzi, 20122 Milan, Italy
| | - Elena Cattaneo
- Laboratory of Stem Cell Biology and Pharmacology of Neurodegenerative Diseases, Department of Biosciences, University of Milan, 20122 Milan, Italy
- Istituto Nazionale Genetica Molecolare, Romeo ed Enrica Invernizzi, 20122 Milan, Italy
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11
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Metzger JJ, Pereda C, Adhikari A, Haremaki T, Galgoczi S, Siggia ED, Brivanlou AH, Etoc F. Deep-learning analysis of micropattern-based organoids enables high-throughput drug screening of Huntington's disease models. CELL REPORTS METHODS 2022; 2:100297. [PMID: 36160045 PMCID: PMC9500000 DOI: 10.1016/j.crmeth.2022.100297] [Citation(s) in RCA: 3] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 07/29/2021] [Revised: 02/06/2022] [Accepted: 08/19/2022] [Indexed: 11/19/2022]
Abstract
Organoids are carrying the promise of modeling complex disease phenotypes and serving as a powerful basis for unbiased drug screens, potentially offering a more efficient drug-discovery route. However, unsolved technical bottlenecks of reproducibility and scalability have prevented the use of current organoids for high-throughput screening. Here, we present a method that overcomes these limitations by using deep-learning-driven analysis for phenotypic drug screens based on highly standardized micropattern-based neural organoids. This allows us to distinguish between disease and wild-type phenotypes in complex tissues with extremely high accuracy as well as quantify two predictors of drug success: efficacy and adverse effects. We applied our approach to Huntington's disease (HD) and discovered that bromodomain inhibitors revert complex phenotypes induced by the HD mutation. This work demonstrates the power of combining machine learning with phenotypic drug screening and its successful application to reveal a potentially new druggable target for HD.
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Affiliation(s)
- Jakob J. Metzger
- Laboratory of Stem Cell Biology and Molecular Embryology, The Rockefeller University, New York, NY 10065, USA
- Center for Studies in Physics and Biology, The Rockefeller University, New York, NY 10065, USA
| | - Carlota Pereda
- RUMI Scientific, Alexandria LaunchLabs, New York, NY 10016, USA
| | - Arjun Adhikari
- RUMI Scientific, Alexandria LaunchLabs, New York, NY 10016, USA
| | - Tomomi Haremaki
- Laboratory of Stem Cell Biology and Molecular Embryology, The Rockefeller University, New York, NY 10065, USA
- RUMI Scientific, Alexandria LaunchLabs, New York, NY 10016, USA
| | - Szilvia Galgoczi
- Laboratory of Stem Cell Biology and Molecular Embryology, The Rockefeller University, New York, NY 10065, USA
| | - Eric D. Siggia
- Center for Studies in Physics and Biology, The Rockefeller University, New York, NY 10065, USA
| | - Ali H. Brivanlou
- Laboratory of Stem Cell Biology and Molecular Embryology, The Rockefeller University, New York, NY 10065, USA
| | - Fred Etoc
- Laboratory of Stem Cell Biology and Molecular Embryology, The Rockefeller University, New York, NY 10065, USA
- RUMI Scientific, Alexandria LaunchLabs, New York, NY 10016, USA
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12
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The Role of Transposable Elements of the Human Genome in Neuronal Function and Pathology. Int J Mol Sci 2022; 23:ijms23105847. [PMID: 35628657 PMCID: PMC9148063 DOI: 10.3390/ijms23105847] [Citation(s) in RCA: 10] [Impact Index Per Article: 5.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 04/29/2022] [Revised: 05/17/2022] [Accepted: 05/19/2022] [Indexed: 12/13/2022] Open
Abstract
Transposable elements (TEs) have been extensively studied for decades. In recent years, the introduction of whole-genome and whole-transcriptome approaches, as well as single-cell resolution techniques, provided a breakthrough that uncovered TE involvement in host gene expression regulation underlying multiple normal and pathological processes. Of particular interest is increased TE activity in neuronal tissue, and specifically in the hippocampus, that was repeatedly demonstrated in multiple experiments. On the other hand, numerous neuropathologies are associated with TE dysregulation. Here, we provide a comprehensive review of literature about the role of TEs in neurons published over the last three decades. The first chapter of the present review describes known mechanisms of TE interaction with host genomes in general, with the focus on mammalian and human TEs; the second chapter provides examples of TE exaptation in normal neuronal tissue, including TE involvement in neuronal differentiation and plasticity; and the last chapter lists TE-related neuropathologies. We sought to provide specific molecular mechanisms of TE involvement in neuron-specific processes whenever possible; however, in many cases, only phenomenological reports were available. This underscores the importance of further studies in this area.
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13
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Piccolo FM, Kastan NR, Haremaki T, Tian Q, Laundos TL, De Santis R, Beaudoin AJ, Carroll TS, Luo JD, Gnedeva K, Etoc F, Hudspeth AJ, Brivanlou AH. Role of YAP in early ectodermal specification and a Huntington's Disease model of human neurulation. eLife 2022; 11:e73075. [PMID: 35451959 PMCID: PMC9033270 DOI: 10.7554/elife.73075] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 08/15/2021] [Accepted: 03/22/2022] [Indexed: 11/13/2022] Open
Abstract
The Hippo pathway, a highly conserved signaling cascade that functions as an integrator of molecular signals and biophysical states, ultimately impinges upon the transcription coactivator Yes-associated protein 1 (YAP). Hippo-YAP signaling has been shown to play key roles both at the early embryonic stages of implantation and gastrulation, and later during neurogenesis. To explore YAP's potential role in neurulation, we used self-organizing neuruloids grown from human embryonic stem cells on micropatterned substrates. We identified YAP activation as a key lineage determinant, first between neuronal ectoderm and nonneuronal ectoderm, and later between epidermis and neural crest, indicating that YAP activity can enhance the effect of BMP4 stimulation and therefore affect ectodermal specification at this developmental stage. Because aberrant Hippo-YAP signaling has been implicated in the pathology of Huntington's Disease (HD), we used isogenic mutant neuruloids to explore the relationship between signaling and the disease. We found that HD neuruloids demonstrate ectopic activation of gene targets of YAP and that pharmacological reduction of YAP's transcriptional activity can partially rescue the HD phenotype.
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Affiliation(s)
- Francesco M Piccolo
- Laboratory of of Stem Cell Biology and Molecular Embryology, The Rockefeller UniversityNew YorkUnited States
| | - Nathaniel R Kastan
- Howard Hughes Medical Institute, The Rockefeller UniversityNew YorkUnited States
- Laboratory of Sensory Neuroscience, The Rockefeller UniversityNew YorkUnited States
| | - Tomomi Haremaki
- Laboratory of of Stem Cell Biology and Molecular Embryology, The Rockefeller UniversityNew YorkUnited States
| | - Qingyun Tian
- Laboratory of of Stem Cell Biology and Molecular Embryology, The Rockefeller UniversityNew YorkUnited States
| | - Tiago L Laundos
- Laboratory of of Stem Cell Biology and Molecular Embryology, The Rockefeller UniversityNew YorkUnited States
- ICBAS - Instituto de Ciências Biomédicas Abel Salazar, Universidade do PortoPortoPortugal
- i3S - Instituto de Investigação e Inovação em Saúde, Universidade do PortoPortoPortugal
- INEB - Instituto de Engenharia Biomédica, Universidade do PortoPortoPortugal
| | - Riccardo De Santis
- Laboratory of of Stem Cell Biology and Molecular Embryology, The Rockefeller UniversityNew YorkUnited States
| | - Andrew J Beaudoin
- Laboratory of of Stem Cell Biology and Molecular Embryology, The Rockefeller UniversityNew YorkUnited States
| | - Thomas S Carroll
- Bioinformatics Resource Center, The Rockefeller UniversityNew YorkUnited States
| | - Ji-Dung Luo
- Bioinformatics Resource Center, The Rockefeller UniversityNew YorkUnited States
| | - Ksenia Gnedeva
- Howard Hughes Medical Institute, The Rockefeller UniversityNew YorkUnited States
- Laboratory of Sensory Neuroscience, The Rockefeller UniversityNew YorkUnited States
| | - Fred Etoc
- Laboratory of of Stem Cell Biology and Molecular Embryology, The Rockefeller UniversityNew YorkUnited States
| | - AJ Hudspeth
- Howard Hughes Medical Institute, The Rockefeller UniversityNew YorkUnited States
- Laboratory of Sensory Neuroscience, The Rockefeller UniversityNew YorkUnited States
| | - Ali H Brivanlou
- Laboratory of of Stem Cell Biology and Molecular Embryology, The Rockefeller UniversityNew YorkUnited States
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14
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Rosser AE, Jones L. Huntington's Disease Gene Hunters: An Expanding Tale. Mov Disord Clin Pract 2022; 9:330-333. [PMID: 35392298 PMCID: PMC8974877 DOI: 10.1002/mdc3.13375] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 09/02/2021] [Revised: 10/25/2021] [Accepted: 11/09/2021] [Indexed: 11/08/2022] Open
Affiliation(s)
- Anne E. Rosser
- MRC Centre for Neuropsychiatric Genetics and Genomics, Division of Psychological Medicine and Clinical Neurosciences Cardiff University School of Medicine Cardiff United Kingdom
- Cardiff Brain Repair Group Cardiff University School Biosciences Cardiff United Kingdom
- Wales Brain Research And Intracranial Neurotherapeutics (BRAIN) Unit Cardiff United Kingdom
| | - Lesley Jones
- MRC Centre for Neuropsychiatric Genetics and Genomics, Division of Psychological Medicine and Clinical Neurosciences Cardiff University School of Medicine Cardiff United Kingdom
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15
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Karwacka M, Olejniczak M. Advances in Modeling Polyglutamine Diseases Using Genome Editing Tools. Cells 2022; 11:cells11030517. [PMID: 35159326 PMCID: PMC8834129 DOI: 10.3390/cells11030517] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 01/04/2022] [Revised: 01/29/2022] [Accepted: 02/01/2022] [Indexed: 11/18/2022] Open
Abstract
Polyglutamine (polyQ) diseases, including Huntington’s disease, are a group of late-onset progressive neurological disorders caused by CAG repeat expansions. Although recently, many studies have investigated the pathological features and development of polyQ diseases, many questions remain unanswered. The advancement of new gene-editing technologies, especially the CRISPR-Cas9 technique, has undeniable value for the generation of relevant polyQ models, which substantially support the research process. Here, we review how these tools have been used to correct disease-causing mutations or create isogenic cell lines with different numbers of CAG repeats. We characterize various cellular models such as HEK 293 cells, patient-derived fibroblasts, human embryonic stem cells (hESCs), induced pluripotent stem cells (iPSCs) and animal models generated with the use of genome-editing technology.
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16
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Casale AM, Liguori F, Ansaloni F, Cappucci U, Finaurini S, Spirito G, Persichetti F, Sanges R, Gustincich S, Piacentini L. Transposable element activation promotes neurodegeneration in a Drosophila model of Huntington's disease. iScience 2022; 25:103702. [PMID: 35036881 PMCID: PMC8752904 DOI: 10.1016/j.isci.2021.103702] [Citation(s) in RCA: 5] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 05/10/2021] [Revised: 10/22/2021] [Accepted: 12/23/2021] [Indexed: 12/17/2022] Open
Abstract
Huntington's disease (HD) is an autosomal dominant disorder with progressive motor dysfunction and cognitive decline. The disease is caused by a CAG repeat expansion in the IT15 gene, which elongates a polyglutamine stretch of the HD protein, Huntingtin. No therapeutic treatments are available, and new pharmacological targets are needed. Retrotransposons are transposable elements (TEs) that represent 40% and 30% of the human and Drosophila genomes and replicate through an RNA intermediate. Mounting evidence suggests that mammalian TEs are active during neurogenesis and may be involved in diseases of the nervous system. Here we show that TE expression and mobilization are increased in a Drosophila melanogaster HD model. By inhibiting TE mobilization with Reverse Transcriptase inhibitors, polyQ-dependent eye neurodegeneration and genome instability in larval brains are rescued and fly lifespan is increased. These results suggest that TE activation may be involved in polyQ-induced neurotoxicity and a potential pharmacological target.
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Affiliation(s)
- Assunta Maria Casale
- Department of Biology and Biotechnology “C. Darwin”, Sapienza University of Rome, Rome, Italy
| | - Francesco Liguori
- Department of Biology and Biotechnology “C. Darwin”, Sapienza University of Rome, Rome, Italy
| | - Federico Ansaloni
- Area of Neuroscience, International School for Advanced Studies (SISSA), Trieste, Italy
| | - Ugo Cappucci
- Department of Biology and Biotechnology “C. Darwin”, Sapienza University of Rome, Rome, Italy
| | - Sara Finaurini
- Department of Health Sciences, Università del Piemonte Orientale, Novara, Italy
| | - Giovanni Spirito
- Area of Neuroscience, International School for Advanced Studies (SISSA), Trieste, Italy
| | | | - Remo Sanges
- Area of Neuroscience, International School for Advanced Studies (SISSA), Trieste, Italy
- Central RNA Laboratory, Istituto Italiano di Tecnologia, Genova, Italy
| | | | - Lucia Piacentini
- Department of Biology and Biotechnology “C. Darwin”, Sapienza University of Rome, Rome, Italy
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17
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Kisby GE, Spencer PS. Genotoxic Damage During Brain Development Presages Prototypical Neurodegenerative Disease. Front Neurosci 2021; 15:752153. [PMID: 34924930 PMCID: PMC8675606 DOI: 10.3389/fnins.2021.752153] [Citation(s) in RCA: 8] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.7] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 08/02/2021] [Accepted: 10/20/2021] [Indexed: 01/15/2023] Open
Abstract
Western Pacific Amyotrophic Lateral Sclerosis and Parkinsonism-Dementia Complex (ALS/PDC) is a disappearing prototypical neurodegenerative disorder (tau-dominated polyproteinopathy) linked with prior exposure to phytogenotoxins in cycad seed used for medicine and/or food. The principal cycad genotoxin, methylazoxymethanol (MAM), forms reactive carbon-centered ions that alkylate nucleic acids in fetal rodent brain and, depending on the timing of systemic administration, induces persistent developmental abnormalities of the cortex, hippocampus, cerebellum, and retina. Whereas administration of MAM prenatally or postnatally can produce animal models of epilepsy, schizophrenia or ataxia, administration to adult animals produces little effect on brain structure or function. The neurotoxic effects of MAM administered to rats during cortical brain development (specifically, gestation day 17) are used to model the histological, neurophysiological and behavioral deficits of human schizophrenia, a condition that may precede or follow clinical onset of motor neuron disease in subjects with sporadic ALS and ALS/PDC. While studies of migrants to and from communities impacted by ALS/PDC indicate the degenerative brain disorder may be acquired in juvenile and adult life, a proportion of indigenous cases shows neurodevelopmental aberrations in the cerebellum and retina consistent with MAM exposure in utero. MAM induces specific patterns of DNA damage and repair that associate with increased tau expression in primary rat neuronal cultures and with brain transcriptional changes that parallel those associated with human ALS and Alzheimer's disease. We examine MAM in relation to neurodevelopment, epigenetic modification, DNA damage/replicative stress, genomic instability, somatic mutation, cell-cycle reentry and cellular senescence. Since the majority of neurodegenerative disease lacks a solely inherited genetic basis, research is needed to explore the hypothesis that early-life exposure to genotoxic agents may trigger or promote molecular events that culminate in neurodegeneration.
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Affiliation(s)
- Glen E. Kisby
- College of Osteopathic Medicine of the Pacific, Western University of Health Sciences, Lebanon, OR, United States
| | - Peter S. Spencer
- School of Medicine (Neurology), Oregon Institute of Occupational Health Sciences, Oregon Health & Science University, Portland, OR, United States
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18
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Akimov SS, Jiang M, Kedaigle AJ, Arbez N, Marque LO, Eddings CR, Ranum PT, Whelan E, Tang A, Wang R, DeVine LR, Talbot CC, Cole RN, Ratovitski T, Davidson BL, Fraenkel E, Ross CA. Immortalized striatal precursor neurons from Huntington's disease patient-derived iPS cells as a platform for target identification and screening for experimental therapeutics. Hum Mol Genet 2021; 30:2469-2487. [PMID: 34296279 PMCID: PMC8643509 DOI: 10.1093/hmg/ddab200] [Citation(s) in RCA: 5] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.7] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 05/04/2021] [Revised: 07/08/2021] [Accepted: 07/09/2021] [Indexed: 11/12/2022] Open
Abstract
We have previously established induced pluripotent stem cell (iPSC) models of Huntington's disease (HD), demonstrating CAG-repeat-expansion-dependent cell biological changes and toxicity. However, the current differentiation protocols are cumbersome and time consuming, making preparation of large quantities of cells for biochemical or screening assays difficult. Here, we report the generation of immortalized striatal precursor neurons (ISPNs) with normal (33) and expanded (180) CAG repeats from HD iPSCs, differentiated to a phenotype resembling medium spiny neurons (MSN), as a proof of principle for a more tractable patient-derived cell model. For immortalization, we used co-expression of the enzymatic component of telomerase hTERT and conditional expression of c-Myc. ISPNs can be propagated as stable adherent cell lines, and rapidly differentiated into highly homogeneous MSN-like cultures within 2 weeks, as demonstrated by immunocytochemical criteria. Differentiated ISPNs recapitulate major HD-related phenotypes of the parental iPSC model, including brain-derived neurotrophic factor (BDNF)-withdrawal-induced cell death that can be rescued by small molecules previously validated in the parental iPSC model. Proteome and RNA-seq analyses demonstrate separation of HD versus control samples by principal component analysis. We identified several networks, pathways, and upstream regulators, also found altered in HD iPSCs, other HD models, and HD patient samples. HD ISPN lines may be useful for studying HD-related cellular pathogenesis, and for use as a platform for HD target identification and screening experimental therapeutics. The described approach for generation of ISPNs from differentiated patient-derived iPSCs could be applied to a larger allelic series of HD cell lines, and to comparable modeling of other genetic disorders.
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Affiliation(s)
- Sergey S Akimov
- Division of Neurobiology, Department of Psychiatry, Johns Hopkins University School of Medicine, Baltimore, MD 21287, USA
| | - Mali Jiang
- Division of Neurobiology, Department of Psychiatry, Johns Hopkins University School of Medicine, Baltimore, MD 21287, USA
| | - Amanda J Kedaigle
- Department of Biological Engineering, Computational and Systems Biology Graduate Program, Massachusetts Institute of Technology, Cambridge, MA 02142, USA
| | - Nicolas Arbez
- Division of Neurobiology, Department of Psychiatry, Johns Hopkins University School of Medicine, Baltimore, MD 21287, USA
| | - Leonard O Marque
- Division of Neurobiology, Department of Psychiatry, Johns Hopkins University School of Medicine, Baltimore, MD 21287, USA
| | - Chelsy R Eddings
- Division of Neurobiology, Department of Psychiatry, Johns Hopkins University School of Medicine, Baltimore, MD 21287, USA
| | - Paul T Ranum
- The Department of Pathology and Laboratory Medicine, The University of Pennsylvania, The Raymond G Perelman Center for Cellular and Molecular Therapeutics, The Children’s Hospital of Philadelphia, Philadelphia, PA 19104, USA
| | - Emma Whelan
- Division of Neurobiology, Department of Psychiatry, Johns Hopkins University School of Medicine, Baltimore, MD 21287, USA
| | - Anthony Tang
- Division of Neurobiology, Department of Psychiatry, Johns Hopkins University School of Medicine, Baltimore, MD 21287, USA
| | - Ronald Wang
- Division of Neurobiology, Department of Psychiatry, Johns Hopkins University School of Medicine, Baltimore, MD 21287, USA
| | - Lauren R DeVine
- Mass Spectrometry and Proteomics Facility, Department of Biological Chemistry, Johns Hopkins University School of Medicine, Baltimore, MD 21205, USA
| | - Conover C Talbot
- The Johns Hopkins School of Medicine, Institute for Basic Biomedical Sciences, Baltimore, MD 21205, USA
| | - Robert N Cole
- Mass Spectrometry and Proteomics Facility, Department of Biological Chemistry, Johns Hopkins University School of Medicine, Baltimore, MD 21205, USA
| | - Tamara Ratovitski
- Division of Neurobiology, Department of Psychiatry, Johns Hopkins University School of Medicine, Baltimore, MD 21287, USA
| | - Beverly L Davidson
- The Department of Pathology and Laboratory Medicine, The University of Pennsylvania, The Raymond G Perelman Center for Cellular and Molecular Therapeutics, The Children’s Hospital of Philadelphia, Philadelphia, PA 19104, USA
- The Department of Pathology and Laboratory Medicine, The University of Pennsylvania, Philadelphia, PA 19104, USA
| | - Ernest Fraenkel
- Department of Biological Engineering, Computational and Systems Biology Graduate Program, Massachusetts Institute of Technology, Cambridge, MA 02142, USA
| | - Christopher A Ross
- Division of Neurobiology, Department of Psychiatry, Johns Hopkins University School of Medicine, Baltimore, MD 21287, USA
- Department of Neurology, Neuroscience and Pharmacology, The Johns Hopkins University School of Medicine, Baltimore, MD 21287, USA
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19
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Bakels HS, Roos RAC, van Roon-Mom WMC, de Bot ST. Juvenile-Onset Huntington Disease Pathophysiology and Neurodevelopment: A Review. Mov Disord 2021; 37:16-24. [PMID: 34636452 PMCID: PMC9291924 DOI: 10.1002/mds.28823] [Citation(s) in RCA: 18] [Impact Index Per Article: 6.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 03/29/2021] [Revised: 09/02/2021] [Accepted: 09/03/2021] [Indexed: 12/17/2022] Open
Abstract
Huntington disease is an autosomal dominant inherited brain disorder that typically becomes manifest in adulthood. Juvenile-onset Huntington disease refers to approximately 5% of patients with symptom onset before the age of 21 years. The causal factor is a pathologically expanded CAG repeat in the Huntingtin gene. Age at onset is inversely correlated with CAG repeat length. Juvenile-onset patients have distinct symptoms and signs with more severe pathology of involved brain structures in comparison with disease onset in adulthood. The aim of this review is to compare clinical and pathological features in juvenile- and adult-onset Huntington disease and to explore which processes potentially contribute to the observed differences. A specific focus is placed on molecular mechanisms of mutant huntingtin in early neurodevelopment and the interaction of a neurodegenerative disease and postnatal brain maturation. The importance of a better understanding of pathophysiological differences between juvenile- and adult-onset Huntington disease lies in development and implementation of new therapeutic strategies. © 2021 The Authors. Movement Disorders published by Wiley Periodicals LLC on behalf of International Parkinson and Movement Disorder Society.
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Affiliation(s)
- Hannah S Bakels
- Department of Neurology, Leiden University Medical Center, Leiden, The Netherlands
| | - Raymund A C Roos
- Department of Neurology, Leiden University Medical Center, Leiden, The Netherlands
| | | | - Susanne T de Bot
- Department of Neurology, Leiden University Medical Center, Leiden, The Netherlands
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20
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Galgoczi S, Ruzo A, Markopoulos C, Yoney A, Phan-Everson T, Li S, Haremaki T, Metzger JJ, Etoc F, Brivanlou AH. Huntingtin CAG expansion impairs germ layer patterning in synthetic human 2D gastruloids through polarity defects. Development 2021; 148:272380. [PMID: 34608934 PMCID: PMC8513611 DOI: 10.1242/dev.199513] [Citation(s) in RCA: 7] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 02/05/2021] [Accepted: 08/20/2021] [Indexed: 11/20/2022]
Abstract
Huntington's disease (HD) is a fatal neurodegenerative disorder caused by an expansion of the CAG repeats in the huntingtin gene (HTT). Although HD has been shown to have a developmental component, how early during human embryogenesis the HTT-CAG expansion can cause embryonic defects remains unknown. Here, we demonstrate a specific and highly reproducible CAG length-dependent phenotypic signature in a synthetic model for human gastrulation derived from human embryonic stem cells (hESCs). Specifically, we observed a reduction in the extension of the ectodermal compartment that is associated with enhanced activin signaling. Surprisingly, rather than a cell-autonomous effect, tracking the dynamics of TGFβ signaling demonstrated that HTT-CAG expansion perturbs the spatial restriction of activin response. This is due to defects in the apicobasal polarization in the context of the polarized epithelium of the 2D gastruloid, leading to ectopic subcellular localization of TGFβ receptors. This work refines the earliest developmental window for the prodromal phase of HD to the first 2 weeks of human development, as modeled by our 2D gastruloids. Summary: 2D gastruloids of isogenic human embryonic stem cells modeling Huntington's Disease reveal that huntingtin CAG expansion perturbs the spatial restriction of the activin response in the context of the polarized epithelium.
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Affiliation(s)
- Szilvia Galgoczi
- Laboratory of Stem Cell Biology and Molecular Embryology, The Rockefeller University, New York, NY 10065, USA
| | - Albert Ruzo
- Laboratory of Stem Cell Biology and Molecular Embryology, The Rockefeller University, New York, NY 10065, USA
| | - Christian Markopoulos
- Laboratory of Stem Cell Biology and Molecular Embryology, The Rockefeller University, New York, NY 10065, USA
| | - Anna Yoney
- Laboratory of Stem Cell Biology and Molecular Embryology, The Rockefeller University, New York, NY 10065, USA.,Laboratory of condensed matter physics, The Rockefeller University, New York, NY 10065, USA
| | - Tien Phan-Everson
- Laboratory of Stem Cell Biology and Molecular Embryology, The Rockefeller University, New York, NY 10065, USA.,Laboratory of condensed matter physics, The Rockefeller University, New York, NY 10065, USA
| | - Shu Li
- Laboratory of Stem Cell Biology and Molecular Embryology, The Rockefeller University, New York, NY 10065, USA
| | - Tomomi Haremaki
- Laboratory of Stem Cell Biology and Molecular Embryology, The Rockefeller University, New York, NY 10065, USA
| | - Jakob J Metzger
- Laboratory of Stem Cell Biology and Molecular Embryology, The Rockefeller University, New York, NY 10065, USA.,Laboratory of condensed matter physics, The Rockefeller University, New York, NY 10065, USA
| | - Fred Etoc
- Laboratory of Stem Cell Biology and Molecular Embryology, The Rockefeller University, New York, NY 10065, USA.,Laboratory of condensed matter physics, The Rockefeller University, New York, NY 10065, USA
| | - Ali H Brivanlou
- Laboratory of Stem Cell Biology and Molecular Embryology, The Rockefeller University, New York, NY 10065, USA
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21
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Monk R, Connor B. Cell Reprogramming to Model Huntington's Disease: A Comprehensive Review. Cells 2021; 10:cells10071565. [PMID: 34206228 PMCID: PMC8306243 DOI: 10.3390/cells10071565] [Citation(s) in RCA: 1] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 05/30/2021] [Revised: 06/20/2021] [Accepted: 06/21/2021] [Indexed: 12/16/2022] Open
Abstract
Huntington’s disease (HD) is a neurodegenerative disorder characterized by the progressive decline of motor, cognitive, and psychiatric functions. HD results from an autosomal dominant mutation that causes a trinucleotide CAG repeat expansion and the production of mutant Huntingtin protein (mHTT). This results in the initial selective and progressive loss of medium spiny neurons (MSNs) in the striatum before progressing to involve the whole brain. There are currently no effective treatments to prevent or delay the progression of HD as knowledge into the mechanisms driving the selective degeneration of MSNs has been hindered by a lack of access to live neurons from individuals with HD. The invention of cell reprogramming provides a revolutionary technique for the study, and potential treatment, of neurological conditions. Cell reprogramming technologies allow for the generation of live disease-affected neurons from patients with neurological conditions, becoming a primary technique for modelling these conditions in vitro. The ability to generate HD-affected neurons has widespread applications for investigating the pathogenesis of HD, the identification of new therapeutic targets, and for high-throughput drug screening. Cell reprogramming also offers a potential autologous source of cells for HD cell replacement therapy. This review provides a comprehensive analysis of the use of cell reprogramming to model HD and a discussion on recent advancements in cell reprogramming technologies that will benefit the HD field.
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22
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Monk R, Lee K, Jones KS, Connor B. Directly reprogrammed Huntington's disease neural precursor cells generate striatal neurons exhibiting aggregates and impaired neuronal maturation. STEM CELLS (DAYTON, OHIO) 2021; 39:1410-1422. [PMID: 34028139 DOI: 10.1002/stem.3420] [Citation(s) in RCA: 6] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 03/08/2021] [Accepted: 05/08/2021] [Indexed: 11/07/2022]
Abstract
Huntington's disease (HD) is an autosomal dominant neurodegenerative disorder characterized by the progressive loss of striatal medium spiny neurons. Using a highly efficient protocol for direct reprogramming of adult human fibroblasts with chemically modified mRNA, we report the first generation of HD induced neural precursor cells (iNPs) expressing striatal lineage markers that differentiated into DARPP32+ neurons from individuals with adult-onset HD (41-57 CAG). While no transcriptional differences between normal and HD reprogrammed neurons were detected by NanoString nCounter analysis, a subpopulation of HD reprogrammed neurons contained ubiquitinated polyglutamine aggregates. Importantly, reprogrammed HD neurons exhibited impaired neuronal maturation, displaying altered neurite morphology and more depolarized resting membrane potentials. Reduced BDNF protein expression in reprogrammed HD neurons correlated with increased CAG repeat lengths and earlier symptom onset. This model represents a platform for investigating impaired neuronal maturation and screening for neuronal maturation modifiers to treat HD.
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Affiliation(s)
- Ruth Monk
- Department of Pharmacology and Clinical Pharmacology, Centre for Brain Research, School of Medical Science, Faculty of Medical and Health Sciences, University of Auckland, Auckland, New Zealand
| | - Kevin Lee
- Department of Physiology, Centre for Brain Research, School of Medical Science, Faculty of Medical and Health Sciences, University of Auckland, Auckland, New Zealand
| | - Kathryn S Jones
- School of Biological Sciences, Faculty of Science, University of Auckland, Auckland, New Zealand
| | - Bronwen Connor
- Department of Pharmacology and Clinical Pharmacology, Centre for Brain Research, School of Medical Science, Faculty of Medical and Health Sciences, University of Auckland, Auckland, New Zealand
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23
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O'Regan GC, Farag SH, Casey CS, Wood-Kaczmar A, Pocock JM, Tabrizi SJ, Andre R. Human Huntington's disease pluripotent stem cell-derived microglia develop normally but are abnormally hyper-reactive and release elevated levels of reactive oxygen species. J Neuroinflammation 2021; 18:94. [PMID: 33874957 PMCID: PMC8054367 DOI: 10.1186/s12974-021-02147-6] [Citation(s) in RCA: 23] [Impact Index Per Article: 7.7] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 12/07/2020] [Accepted: 04/01/2021] [Indexed: 01/13/2023] Open
Abstract
Background Neuroinflammation may contribute to the pathogenesis of Huntington’s disease, given evidence of activated microglia and elevated levels of inflammatory molecules in disease gene carriers, even those many years from symptom onset. We have shown previously that monocytes from Huntington’s disease patients are hyper-reactive to stimulation in a manner dependent on their autonomous expression of the disease-causing mutant HTT protein. To date, however, whether human microglia are similarly hyper-responsive in a cell-autonomous manner has not been determined. Methods Microglial-like cells were derived from human pluripotent stem cells (PSCs) expressing mutant HTT containing varying polyglutamine lengths. These included lines that are otherwise isogenic, such that any observed differences can be attributed with certainty to the disease mutation itself. Analyses by quantitative PCR and immunofluorescence microscopy respectively of key genes and protein markers were undertaken to determine whether Huntington’s disease PSCs differentiated normally to a microglial fate. The resultant cultures and their supernatants were then assessed by various biochemical assays and multiplex ELISAs for viability and responses to stimulation, including the release of pro-inflammatory cytokines and reactive oxygen species. Conditioned media were applied to PSC-derived striatal neurons, and vice versa, to determine the effects that the secretomes of each cell type might have on the other. Results Human PSCs generated microglia successfully irrespective of the expression of mutant HTT. These cells, however, were hyper-reactive to stimulation in the production of pro-inflammatory cytokines such as IL-6 and TNFα. They also released elevated levels of reactive oxygen species that have neurotoxic potential. Accompanying such phenotypes, human Huntington’s disease PSC-derived microglia showed increased levels of apoptosis and were more susceptible to exogenous stress. Such stress appeared to be induced by supernatants from human PSC-derived striatal neurons expressing mutant HTT with a long polyglutamine tract. Conclusions These studies show, for the first time, that human Huntington’s disease PSC-derived microglia are hyper-reactive due to their autonomous expression of mutant HTT. This provides a cellular basis for the contribution that neuroinflammation might make to Huntington’s disease pathogenesis. Supplementary Information The online version contains supplementary material available at 10.1186/s12974-021-02147-6.
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Affiliation(s)
- Grace C O'Regan
- Huntington's Disease Centre, Department of Neurodegenerative Disease, UCL Queen Square Institute of Neurology, University College London, WC1N 3BG, London, UK
| | - Sahar H Farag
- Huntington's Disease Centre, Department of Neurodegenerative Disease, UCL Queen Square Institute of Neurology, University College London, WC1N 3BG, London, UK
| | - Caroline S Casey
- Huntington's Disease Centre, Department of Neurodegenerative Disease, UCL Queen Square Institute of Neurology, University College London, WC1N 3BG, London, UK
| | - Alison Wood-Kaczmar
- Huntington's Disease Centre, Department of Neurodegenerative Disease, UCL Queen Square Institute of Neurology, University College London, WC1N 3BG, London, UK
| | - Jennifer M Pocock
- Department of Neuroinflammation, UCL Queen Square Institute of Neurology, University College London, WC1N 1PJ, London, UK
| | - Sarah J Tabrizi
- Huntington's Disease Centre, Department of Neurodegenerative Disease, UCL Queen Square Institute of Neurology, University College London, WC1N 3BG, London, UK.
| | - Ralph Andre
- Huntington's Disease Centre, Department of Neurodegenerative Disease, UCL Queen Square Institute of Neurology, University College London, WC1N 3BG, London, UK.
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24
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McDonald WS, Miyamoto K, Rivera R, Kennedy G, Almeida BSV, Kingsbury MA, Chun J. Altered cleavage plane orientation with increased genomic aneuploidy produced by receptor-mediated lysophosphatidic acid (LPA) signaling in mouse cerebral cortical neural progenitor cells. Mol Brain 2020; 13:169. [PMID: 33317583 PMCID: PMC7734743 DOI: 10.1186/s13041-020-00709-y] [Citation(s) in RCA: 3] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.8] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 10/08/2020] [Accepted: 12/02/2020] [Indexed: 01/03/2023] Open
Abstract
The brain is composed of cells having distinct genomic DNA sequences that arise post-zygotically, known as somatic genomic mosaicism (SGM). One form of SGM is aneuploidy-the gain and/or loss of chromosomes-which is associated with mitotic spindle defects. The mitotic spindle orientation determines cleavage plane positioning and, therefore, neural progenitor cell (NPC) fate during cerebral cortical development. Here we report receptor-mediated signaling by lysophosphatidic acid (LPA) as a novel extracellular signal that influences cleavage plane orientation and produces alterations in SGM by inducing aneuploidy during murine cortical neurogenesis. LPA is a bioactive lipid whose actions are mediated by six G protein-coupled receptors, LPA1-LPA6. RNAscope and qPCR assessment of all six LPA receptor genes, and exogenous LPA exposure in LPA receptor (Lpar)-null mice, revealed involvement of Lpar1 and Lpar2 in the orientation of the mitotic spindle. Lpar1 signaling increased non-vertical cleavage in vivo by disrupting cell-cell adhesion, leading to breakdown of the ependymal cell layer. In addition, genomic alterations were significantly increased after LPA exposure, through production of chromosomal aneuploidy in NPCs. These results identify LPA as a receptor-mediated signal that alters both NPC fate and genomes during cortical neurogenesis, thus representing an extracellular signaling mechanism that can produce stable genomic changes in NPCs and their progeny. Normal LPA signaling in early life could therefore influence both the developing and adult brain, whereas its pathological disruption could contribute to a range of neurological and psychiatric diseases, via long-lasting somatic genomic alterations.
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Affiliation(s)
- Whitney S McDonald
- Sanford Burnham Prebys Medical Discovery Institute, 10901 N Torrey Pines Rd, La Jolla, CA, 92037, USA.,The Scripps Research Institute, La Jolla, CA, 92037, USA
| | - Kyoko Miyamoto
- The Scripps Research Institute, La Jolla, CA, 92037, USA
| | - Richard Rivera
- Sanford Burnham Prebys Medical Discovery Institute, 10901 N Torrey Pines Rd, La Jolla, CA, 92037, USA.,The Scripps Research Institute, La Jolla, CA, 92037, USA
| | - Grace Kennedy
- Sanford Burnham Prebys Medical Discovery Institute, 10901 N Torrey Pines Rd, La Jolla, CA, 92037, USA.,The Scripps Research Institute, La Jolla, CA, 92037, USA
| | | | | | - Jerold Chun
- Sanford Burnham Prebys Medical Discovery Institute, 10901 N Torrey Pines Rd, La Jolla, CA, 92037, USA. .,The Scripps Research Institute, La Jolla, CA, 92037, USA.
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25
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Alcalà-Vida R, Awada A, Boutillier AL, Merienne K. Epigenetic mechanisms underlying enhancer modulation of neuronal identity, neuronal activity and neurodegeneration. Neurobiol Dis 2020; 147:105155. [PMID: 33127472 DOI: 10.1016/j.nbd.2020.105155] [Citation(s) in RCA: 12] [Impact Index Per Article: 3.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 04/01/2020] [Revised: 10/23/2020] [Accepted: 10/26/2020] [Indexed: 02/08/2023] Open
Abstract
Neurodegenerative diseases, including Huntington's disease (HD) and Alzheimer's disease (AD), are progressive conditions characterized by selective, disease-dependent loss of neuronal regions and/or subpopulations. Neuronal loss is preceded by a long period of neuronal dysfunction, during which glial cells also undergo major changes, including neuroinflammatory response. Those dramatic changes affecting both neuronal and glial cells associate with epigenetic and transcriptional dysregulations, characterized by defined cell-type-specific signatures. Notably, increasing studies support the view that altered regulation of transcriptional enhancers, which are distal regulatory regions of the genome capable of modulating the activity of promoters through chromatin looping, play a critical role in transcriptional dysregulation in HD and AD. We review current knowledge on enhancers in HD and AD, and highlight challenging issues to better decipher the epigenetic code of neurodegenerative diseases.
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Affiliation(s)
- Rafael Alcalà-Vida
- LNCA, University of Strasbourg, France; CNRS UMR 7364, Strasbourg, France
| | - Ali Awada
- LNCA, University of Strasbourg, France; CNRS UMR 7364, Strasbourg, France
| | | | - Karine Merienne
- LNCA, University of Strasbourg, France; CNRS UMR 7364, Strasbourg, France.
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26
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Conforti P, Besusso D, Brocchetti S, Campus I, Cappadona C, Galimberti M, Laporta A, Iennaco R, Rossi RL, Dickinson VB, Cattaneo E. RUES2 hESCs exhibit MGE-biased neuronal differentiation and muHTT-dependent defective specification hinting at SP1. Neurobiol Dis 2020; 146:105140. [PMID: 33065279 DOI: 10.1016/j.nbd.2020.105140] [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: 08/18/2020] [Revised: 10/09/2020] [Accepted: 10/11/2020] [Indexed: 10/23/2022] Open
Abstract
RUES2 cell lines represent the first collection of isogenic human embryonic stem cells (hESCs) carrying different pathological CAG lengths in the HTT gene. However, their neuronal differentiation potential has yet to be thoroughly evaluated. Here, we report that RUES2 during ventral telencephalic differentiation is biased towards medial ganglionic eminence (MGE). We also show that HD-RUES2 cells exhibit an altered MGE transcriptional signature in addition to recapitulating known HD phenotypes, with reduced expression of the neurodevelopmental regulators NEUROD1 and BDNF and increased cleavage of synaptically enriched N-cadherin. Finally, we identified the transcription factor SP1 as a common potential detrimental co-partner of muHTT by de novo motif discovery analysis on the LGE, MGE, and cortical genes differentially expressed in HD human pluripotent stem cells in our and additional datasets. Taken together, these observations suggest a broad deleterious effect of muHTT in the early phases of neuronal development that may unfold through its altered interaction with SP1.
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Affiliation(s)
- Paola Conforti
- Laboratory of Stem Cell Biology and Pharmacology of Neurodegenerative Diseases, Department of Biosciences, University of Milan, 20122 Milan, Italy; Istituto Nazionale Genetica Molecolare, Romeo ed Enrica Invernizzi, Milan 20122, Italy
| | - Dario Besusso
- Laboratory of Stem Cell Biology and Pharmacology of Neurodegenerative Diseases, Department of Biosciences, University of Milan, 20122 Milan, Italy; Istituto Nazionale Genetica Molecolare, Romeo ed Enrica Invernizzi, Milan 20122, Italy
| | - Silvia Brocchetti
- Laboratory of Stem Cell Biology and Pharmacology of Neurodegenerative Diseases, Department of Biosciences, University of Milan, 20122 Milan, Italy; Istituto Nazionale Genetica Molecolare, Romeo ed Enrica Invernizzi, Milan 20122, Italy
| | - Ilaria Campus
- Laboratory of Stem Cell Biology and Pharmacology of Neurodegenerative Diseases, Department of Biosciences, University of Milan, 20122 Milan, Italy; Istituto Nazionale Genetica Molecolare, Romeo ed Enrica Invernizzi, Milan 20122, Italy
| | - Claudio Cappadona
- Laboratory of Stem Cell Biology and Pharmacology of Neurodegenerative Diseases, Department of Biosciences, University of Milan, 20122 Milan, Italy; Istituto Nazionale Genetica Molecolare, Romeo ed Enrica Invernizzi, Milan 20122, Italy
| | - Maura Galimberti
- Laboratory of Stem Cell Biology and Pharmacology of Neurodegenerative Diseases, Department of Biosciences, University of Milan, 20122 Milan, Italy; Istituto Nazionale Genetica Molecolare, Romeo ed Enrica Invernizzi, Milan 20122, Italy
| | - Angela Laporta
- Laboratory of Stem Cell Biology and Pharmacology of Neurodegenerative Diseases, Department of Biosciences, University of Milan, 20122 Milan, Italy
| | - Raffaele Iennaco
- Laboratory of Stem Cell Biology and Pharmacology of Neurodegenerative Diseases, Department of Biosciences, University of Milan, 20122 Milan, Italy; Istituto Nazionale Genetica Molecolare, Romeo ed Enrica Invernizzi, Milan 20122, Italy
| | - Riccardo L Rossi
- Istituto Nazionale Genetica Molecolare, Romeo ed Enrica Invernizzi, Milan 20122, Italy
| | - Vittoria Bocchi Dickinson
- Laboratory of Stem Cell Biology and Pharmacology of Neurodegenerative Diseases, Department of Biosciences, University of Milan, 20122 Milan, Italy; Istituto Nazionale Genetica Molecolare, Romeo ed Enrica Invernizzi, Milan 20122, Italy
| | - Elena Cattaneo
- Laboratory of Stem Cell Biology and Pharmacology of Neurodegenerative Diseases, Department of Biosciences, University of Milan, 20122 Milan, Italy; Istituto Nazionale Genetica Molecolare, Romeo ed Enrica Invernizzi, Milan 20122, Italy.
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27
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Manickam N, Radhakrishnan RK, Vergil Andrews JF, Selvaraj DB, Kandasamy M. Cell cycle re-entry of neurons and reactive neuroblastosis in Huntington's disease: Possibilities for neural-glial transition in the brain. Life Sci 2020; 263:118569. [PMID: 33049278 DOI: 10.1016/j.lfs.2020.118569] [Citation(s) in RCA: 5] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 05/16/2020] [Revised: 09/29/2020] [Accepted: 10/02/2020] [Indexed: 02/07/2023]
Abstract
Huntington's disease (HD) is an autosomal dominant pathogenic condition that causes progressive degeneration of GABAergic neurons in the brain. The abnormal expansion of the CAG repeats in the exon 1 of the Huntingtin gene (HTT gene) has been associated with the onset and progression of movement disorders, psychiatric disturbance and cognitive decline in HD. Microglial activation and reactive astrogliosis have been recognized as the key pathogenic cellular events in the brains of HD subjects. Besides, HD has been characterized by induced quiescence of neural stem cells (NSCs), reactive neuroblastosis and reduced survival of newborn neurons in the brain. Strikingly, the expression of the mutant HTT gene has been reported to induce the cell cycle re-entry of neurons in HD brains. However, the underlying basis for the induction of cell cycle in neurons and the fate of dedifferentiating neurons in the pathological brain remain largely unknown. Thus, this review article revisits the reports on the regulation of key signaling pathways responsible for altered cell cycle events in diseased brains, with special reference to HD and postulates the occurrence of reactive neuroblastosis as a consequential cellular event of dedifferentiation of neurons. Meanwhile, a substantial number of studies indicate that many neuropathogenic events are associated with the expression of potential glial cell markers by neuroblasts. Taken together, this article represents a hypothesis that transdifferentiation of neurons into glial cells might be highly possible through the transient generation of reactive neuroblasts in the brain upon certain pathological conditions.
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Affiliation(s)
- Nivethitha Manickam
- Laboratory of Stem Cells and Neuroregeneration, Department of Animal Science, School of Life Sciences, Bharathidasan University, Tiruchirappalli 620024, Tamil Nadu, India
| | - Risna Kanjirassery Radhakrishnan
- Laboratory of Stem Cells and Neuroregeneration, Department of Animal Science, School of Life Sciences, Bharathidasan University, Tiruchirappalli 620024, Tamil Nadu, India
| | - Jemi Feiona Vergil Andrews
- Laboratory of Stem Cells and Neuroregeneration, Department of Animal Science, School of Life Sciences, Bharathidasan University, Tiruchirappalli 620024, Tamil Nadu, India
| | - Divya Bharathi Selvaraj
- Laboratory of Stem Cells and Neuroregeneration, Department of Animal Science, School of Life Sciences, Bharathidasan University, Tiruchirappalli 620024, Tamil Nadu, India
| | - Mahesh Kandasamy
- Laboratory of Stem Cells and Neuroregeneration, Department of Animal Science, School of Life Sciences, Bharathidasan University, Tiruchirappalli 620024, Tamil Nadu, India; Faculty Recharge Programme, University Grants Commission (UGC-FRP), New Delhi 110002, India.
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28
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Lebouc M, Richard Q, Garret M, Baufreton J. Striatal circuit development and its alterations in Huntington's disease. Neurobiol Dis 2020; 145:105076. [PMID: 32898646 DOI: 10.1016/j.nbd.2020.105076] [Citation(s) in RCA: 13] [Impact Index Per Article: 3.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 06/11/2020] [Revised: 08/26/2020] [Accepted: 09/02/2020] [Indexed: 12/23/2022] Open
Abstract
Huntington's disease (HD) is an inherited neurodegenerative disorder that usually starts during midlife with progressive alterations of motor and cognitive functions. The disease is caused by a CAG repeat expansion within the huntingtin gene leading to severe striatal neurodegeneration. Recent studies conducted on pre-HD children highlight early striatal developmental alterations starting as soon as 6 years old, the earliest age assessed. These findings, in line with data from mouse models of HD, raise the questions of when during development do the first disease-related striatal alterations emerge and whether they contribute to the later appearance of the neurodegenerative features of the disease. In this review we will describe the different stages of striatal network development and then discuss recent evidence for its alterations in rodent models of the disease. We argue that a better understanding of the striatum's development should help in assessing aberrant neurodevelopmental processes linked to the HD mutation.
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Affiliation(s)
- Margaux Lebouc
- Université de Bordeaux, Institut des Maladies Neurodégénératives, UMR 5293, F-33000 Bordeaux, France; CNRS, Institut des Maladies Neurodégénératives, UMR 5293, F-33000 Bordeaux, France
| | - Quentin Richard
- Université de Bordeaux, Institut des Maladies Neurodégénératives, UMR 5293, F-33000 Bordeaux, France; CNRS, Institut des Maladies Neurodégénératives, UMR 5293, F-33000 Bordeaux, France
| | - Maurice Garret
- Université de Bordeaux, Institut des Neurosciences Cognitives et Intégratives d'Aquitaine, UMR 5287, F-33000 Bordeaux, France; CNRS, Institut des Neurosciences Cognitives et Intégratives d'Aquitaine, UMR 5287, F-33000 Bordeaux, France.
| | - Jérôme Baufreton
- Université de Bordeaux, Institut des Maladies Neurodégénératives, UMR 5293, F-33000 Bordeaux, France; CNRS, Institut des Maladies Neurodégénératives, UMR 5293, F-33000 Bordeaux, France.
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29
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Wilton DK, Stevens B. The contribution of glial cells to Huntington's disease pathogenesis. Neurobiol Dis 2020; 143:104963. [PMID: 32593752 DOI: 10.1016/j.nbd.2020.104963] [Citation(s) in RCA: 49] [Impact Index Per Article: 12.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 01/24/2020] [Revised: 05/07/2020] [Accepted: 06/10/2020] [Indexed: 12/20/2022] Open
Abstract
Glial cells play critical roles in the normal development and function of neural circuits, but in many neurodegenerative diseases, they become dysregulated and may contribute to the development of brain pathology. In Huntington's disease (HD), glial cells both lose normal functions and gain neuropathic phenotypes. In addition, cell-autonomous dysfunction elicited by mutant huntingtin (mHTT) expression in specific glial cell types is sufficient to induce both pathology and Huntington's disease-related impairments in motor and cognitive performance, suggesting that these cells may drive the development of certain aspects of Huntington's disease pathogenesis. In support of this imaging studies in pre-symptomatic HD patients and work on mouse models have suggested that glial cell dysfunction occurs at a very early stage of the disease, prior to the onset of motor and cognitive deficits. Furthermore, selectively ablating mHTT from specific glial cells or correcting for HD-induced changes in their transcriptional profile rescues some HD-related phenotypes, demonstrating the potential of targeting these cells for therapeutic intervention. Here we review emerging research focused on understanding the involvement of different glial cell types in specific aspects of HD pathogenesis. This work is providing new insight into how HD impacts biological functions of glial cells in the healthy brain as well as how HD induced dysfunction in these cells might change the way they integrate into biological circuits.
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Affiliation(s)
- Daniel K Wilton
- Department of Neurology, F.M. Kirby Neurobiology Center, Boston Children's Hospital, Harvard Medical School, Boston, MA 02115, USA
| | - Beth Stevens
- Department of Neurology, F.M. Kirby Neurobiology Center, Boston Children's Hospital, Harvard Medical School, Boston, MA 02115, USA; Stanley Center, Broad Institute, Cambridge, MA 02142, USA; Howard Hughes Medical Institute, Boston Children's Hospital, Harvard Medical School, Boston, MA 02115, USA.
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30
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Smith-Geater C, Hernandez SJ, Lim RG, Adam M, Wu J, Stocksdale JT, Wassie BT, Gold MP, Wang KQ, Miramontes R, Kopan L, Orellana I, Joy S, Kemp PJ, Allen ND, Fraenkel E, Thompson LM. Aberrant Development Corrected in Adult-Onset Huntington's Disease iPSC-Derived Neuronal Cultures via WNT Signaling Modulation. Stem Cell Reports 2020; 14:406-419. [PMID: 32109367 PMCID: PMC7066322 DOI: 10.1016/j.stemcr.2020.01.015] [Citation(s) in RCA: 33] [Impact Index Per Article: 8.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 08/19/2019] [Revised: 01/30/2020] [Accepted: 01/31/2020] [Indexed: 01/08/2023] Open
Abstract
Aberrant neuronal development and the persistence of mitotic cellular populations have been implicated in a multitude of neurological disorders, including Huntington's disease (HD). However, the mechanism underlying this potential pathology remains unclear. We used a modified protocol to differentiate induced pluripotent stem cells (iPSCs) from HD patients and unaffected controls into neuronal cultures enriched for medium spiny neurons, the cell type most affected in HD. We performed single-cell and bulk transcriptomic and epigenomic analyses and demonstrated that a persistent cyclin D1+ neural stem cell (NSC) population is observed selectively in adult-onset HD iPSCs during differentiation. Treatment with a WNT inhibitor abrogates this NSC population while preserving neurons. Taken together, our findings identify a mechanism that may promote aberrant neurodevelopment and adult neurogenesis in adult-onset HD striatal neurons with the potential for therapeutic compensation.
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Affiliation(s)
- Charlene Smith-Geater
- Department of Psychiatry and Human Behavior, University of California Irvine, Irvine, CA 92697, USA
| | - Sarah J Hernandez
- Department of Neurobiology and Behavior, University of California Irvine, Irvine, CA 96267, USA
| | - Ryan G Lim
- Department of Memory Impairment and Neurological Disorders, University of California Irvine, Irvine, CA 92697, USA
| | - Miriam Adam
- Department of Biological Engineering, Massachusetts Institute of Technology, Cambridge, MA 02142, USA
| | - Jie Wu
- Department of Biological Chemistry, University of California Irvine, Irvine, CA 92617, USA
| | - Jennifer T Stocksdale
- Department of Neurobiology and Behavior, University of California Irvine, Irvine, CA 96267, USA
| | | | - Maxwell Philip Gold
- Department of Biological Engineering, Massachusetts Institute of Technology, Cambridge, MA 02142, USA
| | - Keona Q Wang
- Department of Neurobiology and Behavior, University of California Irvine, Irvine, CA 96267, USA
| | - Ricardo Miramontes
- Department of Memory Impairment and Neurological Disorders, University of California Irvine, Irvine, CA 92697, USA
| | - Lexi Kopan
- Department of Neurobiology and Behavior, University of California Irvine, Irvine, CA 96267, USA
| | - Iliana Orellana
- Department of Memory Impairment and Neurological Disorders, University of California Irvine, Irvine, CA 92697, USA
| | - Shona Joy
- Neural Stem Cell Institute, Rensselaer, NY 12144, USA
| | - Paul J Kemp
- School of Biosciences, Cardiff University, Cardiff CF10 3AX, UK
| | | | - Ernest Fraenkel
- Department of Biological Engineering, Massachusetts Institute of Technology, Cambridge, MA 02142, USA
| | - Leslie M Thompson
- Department of Psychiatry and Human Behavior, University of California Irvine, Irvine, CA 92697, USA; Department of Neurobiology and Behavior, University of California Irvine, Irvine, CA 96267, USA; Department of Memory Impairment and Neurological Disorders, University of California Irvine, Irvine, CA 92697, USA; Department of Biological Engineering, Massachusetts Institute of Technology, Cambridge, MA 02142, USA; Department of Biological Chemistry, University of California Irvine, Irvine, CA 92617, USA.
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31
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Goodnight AV, Kremsky I, Khampang S, Jung YH, Billingsley JM, Bosinger SE, Corces VG, Chan AWS. Chromatin accessibility and transcription dynamics during in vitro astrocyte differentiation of Huntington's Disease Monkey pluripotent stem cells. Epigenetics Chromatin 2019; 12:67. [PMID: 31722751 PMCID: PMC6852955 DOI: 10.1186/s13072-019-0313-6] [Citation(s) in RCA: 6] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.2] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 06/25/2019] [Accepted: 10/25/2019] [Indexed: 12/13/2022] Open
Abstract
BACKGROUND Huntington's Disease (HD) is a fatal neurodegenerative disorder caused by a CAG repeat expansion, resulting in a mutant huntingtin protein. While it is now clear that astrocytes are affected by HD and significantly contribute to neuronal dysfunction and pathogenesis, the alterations in the transcriptional and epigenetic profiles in HD astrocytes have yet to be characterized. Here, we examine global transcription and chromatin accessibility dynamics during in vitro astrocyte differentiation in a transgenic non-human primate model of HD. RESULTS We found global changes in accessibility and transcription across different stages of HD pluripotent stem cell differentiation, with distinct trends first observed in neural progenitor cells (NPCs), once cells have committed to a neural lineage. Transcription of p53 signaling and cell cycle pathway genes was highly impacted during differentiation, with depletion in HD NPCs and upregulation in HD astrocytes. E2F target genes also displayed this inverse expression pattern, and strong associations between E2F target gene expression and accessibility at nearby putative enhancers were observed. CONCLUSIONS The results suggest that chromatin accessibility and transcription are altered throughout in vitro HD astrocyte differentiation and provide evidence that E2F dysregulation contributes to aberrant cell-cycle re-entry and apoptosis throughout the progression from NPCs to astrocytes.
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Affiliation(s)
- Alexandra V Goodnight
- Division of Neuropharmacology and Neurologic Diseases, Yerkes National Primate Research Center, Atlanta, GA, 30322, USA
- Department of Human Genetics, Emory University, Atlanta, GA, 30322, USA
- Genetics and Molecular Biology Program, Graduate Division of Biological and Biomedical Sciences, 1462 Clifton Rd, Atlanta, GA, 30322, USA
| | - Isaac Kremsky
- Department of Human Genetics, Emory University, Atlanta, GA, 30322, USA
| | - Sujittra Khampang
- Division of Neuropharmacology and Neurologic Diseases, Yerkes National Primate Research Center, Atlanta, GA, 30322, USA
- Department of Human Genetics, Emory University, Atlanta, GA, 30322, USA
- Embryonic Stem Cell Research Center, School of Biotechnology, Suranaree University of Technology, Nakhon Ratchasima, Thailand
| | - Yoon Hee Jung
- Department of Human Genetics, Emory University, Atlanta, GA, 30322, USA
| | - James M Billingsley
- Division of Microbiology and Immunology, Yerkes National Primate Research Center, Emory University, Atlanta, GA, USA
| | - Steven E Bosinger
- Division of Microbiology and Immunology, Yerkes National Primate Research Center, Emory University, Atlanta, GA, USA
- Department of Pathology and Laboratory Medicine, Emory University, Atlanta, GA, USA
| | - Victor G Corces
- Department of Human Genetics, Emory University, Atlanta, GA, 30322, USA.
- Genetics and Molecular Biology Program, Graduate Division of Biological and Biomedical Sciences, 1462 Clifton Rd, Atlanta, GA, 30322, USA.
| | - Anthony W S Chan
- Division of Neuropharmacology and Neurologic Diseases, Yerkes National Primate Research Center, Atlanta, GA, 30322, USA.
- Department of Human Genetics, Emory University, Atlanta, GA, 30322, USA.
- Genetics and Molecular Biology Program, Graduate Division of Biological and Biomedical Sciences, 1462 Clifton Rd, Atlanta, GA, 30322, USA.
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32
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Franich NR, Basso M, André EA, Ochaba J, Kumar A, Thein S, Fote G, Kachemov M, Lau AL, Yeung SY, Osmand A, Zeitlin SO, Ratan RR, Thompson LM, Steffan JS. Striatal Mutant Huntingtin Protein Levels Decline with Age in Homozygous Huntington's Disease Knock-In Mouse Models. J Huntingtons Dis 2019; 7:137-150. [PMID: 29843246 PMCID: PMC6002862 DOI: 10.3233/jhd-170274] [Citation(s) in RCA: 14] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.8] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 01/02/2023]
Abstract
Background: Huntington’s disease (HD) is a progressive neurodegenerative disorder associated with aging, caused by an expanded polyglutamine (polyQ) repeat within the Huntingtin (HTT) protein. In HD, degeneration of the striatum and atrophy of the cortex are observed while cerebellum is less affected. Objective: To test the hypothesis that HTT protein levels decline with age, which together with HTT mutation could influence disease progression. Methods: Using whole brain cell lysates, a unique method of SDS-PAGE and western analysis was used to quantitate HTT protein, which resolves as a monomer and as a high molecular weight species that is modulated by the presence of transglutaminase 2. HTT levels were measured in striatum, cortex and cerebellum in congenic homozygous Q140 and HdhQ150 knock-in mice and WT littermate controls. Results: Mutant HTT in both homozygous knock-in HD mouse models and WT HTT in control striatal and cortical tissues significantly declined in a progressive manner over time. Levels of mutant HTT in HD cerebellum remained high during aging. Conclusions: A general decline in mutant HTT levels in striatum and cortex is observed that may contribute to disease progression in homozygous knock-in HD mouse models through reduction of HTT function. In cerebellum, sustained levels of mutant HTT with aging may be protective to this tissue which is less overtly affected in HD.
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Affiliation(s)
- Nicholas R Franich
- Department of Neurology, David Geffen School of Medicine, University of California Los Angeles, Los Angeles, CA, USA
| | - Manuela Basso
- Centre for Integrative Biology, University of Trento, Trento, Italy
| | - Emily A André
- Department of Neuroscience, University of Virginia School of Medicine, Charlottesville, VA, USA
| | - Joseph Ochaba
- Department of Neurobiology and Behavior, University of California, Irvine, Irvine, CA, USA
| | - Amit Kumar
- Burke Medical Research Institute, White Plains, NY, USA.,Brain and Mind Research Institute, Weill Medical College of Cornell University, New York, NY, USA.,Department of Neurology, Weill Medical College of Cornell University, New York, NY, USA
| | - Soe Thein
- Department of Psychiatry and Human Behavior, University of California, Irvine, Irvine, CA, USA
| | - Gianna Fote
- Department of Psychiatry and Human Behavior, University of California, Irvine, Irvine, CA, USA
| | - Marketta Kachemov
- Department of Neurobiology and Behavior, University of California, Irvine, Irvine, CA, USA
| | - Alice L Lau
- Department of Psychiatry and Human Behavior, University of California, Irvine, Irvine, CA, USA
| | - Sylvia Y Yeung
- Department of Psychiatry and Human Behavior, University of California, Irvine, Irvine, CA, USA
| | - Alexander Osmand
- Department of Biochemistry and Cellular and Molecular Biology, University of Tennessee, Knoxville, TN, USA
| | - Scott O Zeitlin
- Department of Neuroscience, University of Virginia School of Medicine, Charlottesville, VA, USA
| | - Rajiv R Ratan
- Burke Medical Research Institute, White Plains, NY, USA.,Brain and Mind Research Institute, Weill Medical College of Cornell University, New York, NY, USA.,Department of Neurology, Weill Medical College of Cornell University, New York, NY, USA
| | - Leslie M Thompson
- Department of Neurobiology and Behavior, University of California, Irvine, Irvine, CA, USA.,Department of Psychiatry and Human Behavior, University of California, Irvine, Irvine, CA, USA.,Institute of Memory Impairments and Neurological Disorders, University of California, Irvine, Irvine, CA, USA
| | - Joan S Steffan
- Department of Psychiatry and Human Behavior, University of California, Irvine, Irvine, CA, USA.,Institute of Memory Impairments and Neurological Disorders, University of California, Irvine, Irvine, CA, USA
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33
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Self-organizing neuruloids model developmental aspects of Huntington's disease in the ectodermal compartment. Nat Biotechnol 2019; 37:1198-1208. [PMID: 31501559 DOI: 10.1038/s41587-019-0237-5] [Citation(s) in RCA: 95] [Impact Index Per Article: 19.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 08/27/2018] [Accepted: 07/23/2019] [Indexed: 12/14/2022]
Abstract
Harnessing the potential of human embryonic stem cells to mimic normal and aberrant development with standardized models is a pressing challenge. Here we use micropattern technology to recapitulate early human neurulation in large numbers of nearly identical structures called neuruloids. Dual-SMAD inhibition followed by bone morphogenic protein 4 stimulation induced self-organization of neuruloids harboring neural progenitors, neural crest, sensory placode and epidermis. Single-cell transcriptomics unveiled the precise identities and timing of fate specification. Investigation of the molecular mechanism of neuruloid self-organization revealed a pulse of pSMAD1 at the edge that induced epidermis, whose juxtaposition to central neural fates specifies neural crest and placodes, modulated by fibroblast growth factor and Wnt. Neuruloids provide a unique opportunity to study the developmental aspects of human diseases. Using isogenic Huntington's disease human embryonic stem cells and deep neural network analysis, we show how specific phenotypic signatures arise in our model of early human development as a consequence of mutant huntingtin protein, outlining an approach for phenotypic drug screening.
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34
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Abstract
Huntington's disease (HD) is an autosomal dominant neurodegenerative disorder caused by expanded polyglutamine (polyQ)-encoding repeats in the Huntingtin (HTT) gene. Traditionally, HD cellular models consisted of either patient cells not affected by disease or rodent neurons expressing expanded polyQ repeats in HTT. As these models can be limited in their disease manifestation or proper genetic context, respectively, human HD pluripotent stem cells (PSCs) are currently under investigation as a way to model disease in patient-derived neurons and other neural cell types. This chapter reviews embryonic stem cell (ESC) and induced pluripotent stem cell (iPSC) models of disease, including published differentiation paradigms for neurons and their associated phenotypes, as well as current challenges to the field such as validation of the PSCs and PSC-derived cells. Highlighted are potential future technical advances to HD PSC modeling, including transdifferentiation, complex in vitro multiorgan/system reconstruction, and personalized medicine. Using a human HD patient model of the central nervous system, hopefully one day researchers can tease out the consequences of mutant HTT (mHTT) expression on specific cell types within the brain in order to identify and test novel therapies for disease.
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35
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Sassone J, Papadimitriou E, Thomaidou D. Regenerative Approaches in Huntington's Disease: From Mechanistic Insights to Therapeutic Protocols. Front Neurosci 2018; 12:800. [PMID: 30450032 PMCID: PMC6224350 DOI: 10.3389/fnins.2018.00800] [Citation(s) in RCA: 6] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 06/29/2018] [Accepted: 10/15/2018] [Indexed: 01/10/2023] Open
Abstract
Huntington’s Disease (HD) is a neurodegenerative disorder caused by a CAG expansion in the exon-1 of the IT15 gene encoding the protein Huntingtin. Expression of mutated Huntingtin in humans leads to dysfunction and ultimately degeneration of selected neuronal populations of the striatum and cerebral cortex. Current available HD therapy relies on drugs to treat chorea and control psychiatric symptoms, however, no therapy has been proven to slow down disease progression or prevent disease onset. Thus, although 24 years have passed since HD gene identification, HD remains a relentless progressive disease characterized by cognitive dysfunction and motor disability that leads to death of the majority of patients, on average 10–20 years after its onset. Up to now several molecular pathways have been implicated in the process of neurodegeneration involved in HD and have provided potential therapeutic targets. Based on these data, approaches currently under investigation for HD therapy aim on the one hand at getting insight into the mechanisms of disease progression in a human-based context and on the other hand at silencing mHTT expression by using antisense oligonucleotides. An innovative and still poorly investigated approach is to identify new factors that increase neurogenesis and/or induce reprogramming of endogenous neuroblasts and parenchymal astrocytes to generate new healthy neurons to replace lost ones and/or enforce neuroprotection of pre-existent striatal and cortical neurons. Here, we review studies that use human disease-in-a-dish models to recapitulate HD pathogenesis or are focused on promoting in vivo neurogenesis of endogenous striatal neuroblasts and direct neuronal reprogramming of parenchymal astrocytes, which combined with neuroprotective protocols bear the potential to re-establish brain homeostasis lost in HD.
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Affiliation(s)
- Jenny Sassone
- Vita-Salute University and San Raffaele Scientific Institute, Milan, Italy
| | | | - Dimitra Thomaidou
- Department of Neurobiology, Hellenic Pasteur Institute, Athens, Greece
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