Pax6 loss alters the morphological and electrophysiological development of mouse prethalamic neurons

Loss-of-function of kinesin-5 KIF11 causes microcephaly, chorioretinopathy, and developmental disorders through chromosome instability and cell cycle arrest

Kinesin motors play a fundamental role in development by controlling intracellular transport, spindle assembly, and microtubule organization. In humans, patients carrying mutations in KIF11 suffer from an autosomal dominant inheritable disease called microcephaly with or without chorioretinopathy, lymphoedema, or mental retardation (MCLMR). While mitotic functions of KIF11 proteins have been well documented in centrosome separation and spindle assembly, cellular mechanisms underlying KIF11 dysfunction and MCLMR remain unclear. In this study, we generate KIF11-inhibition chick and zebrafish models and find that KIF11 inhibition results in microcephaly, chorioretinopathy, and severe developmental defects in vivo. Notably, loss-of-function of KIF11 causes the formation of monopolar spindle and chromosome misalignment, which finally contribute to cell cycle arrest, chromosome instability, and cell death. Our results demonstrate that KIF11 is crucial for spindle assembly, chromosome alignment, and cell cycle progression of progenitor stem cells, indicating a potential link between polyploidy and MCLMR. Our data have revealed that KIF11 inhibition cause microcephaly, chorioretinopathy, and development disorders through the formation of monopolar spindle, polyploid, and cell cycle arrest.

Contribution of Axon Initial Segment Structure and Channels to Brain Pathology

Brain channelopathies are a group of neurological disorders that result from genetic mutations affecting ion channels in the brain. Ion channels are specialized proteins that play a crucial role in the electrical activity of nerve cells by controlling the flow of ions such as sodium, potassium, and calcium. When these channels are not functioning properly, they can cause a wide range of neurological symptoms such as seizures, movement disorders, and cognitive impairment. In this context, the axon initial segment (AIS) is the site of action potential initiation in most neurons. This region is characterized by a high density of voltage-gated sodium channels (VGSCs), which are responsible for the rapid depolarization that occurs when the neuron is stimulated. The AIS is also enriched in other ion channels, such as potassium channels, that play a role in shaping the action potential waveform and determining the firing frequency of the neuron. In addition to ion channels, the AIS contains a complex cytoskeletal structure that helps to anchor the channels in place and regulate their function. Therefore, alterations in this complex structure of ion channels, scaffold proteins, and specialized cytoskeleton may also cause brain channelopathies not necessarily associated with ion channel mutations. This review will focus on how the AISs structure, plasticity, and composition alterations may generate changes in action potentials and neuronal dysfunction leading to brain diseases. AIS function alterations may be the consequence of voltage-gated ion channel mutations, but also may be due to ligand-activated channels and receptors and AIS structural and membrane proteins that support the function of voltage-gated ion channels.

Identifying foetal forebrain interneurons as a target for monogenic autism risk factors and the polygenic 16p11.2 microdeletion

BACKGROUND

Autism spectrum condition or 'autism' is associated with numerous genetic risk factors including the polygenic 16p11.2 microdeletion. The balance between excitatory and inhibitory neurons in the cerebral cortex is hypothesised to be critical for the aetiology of autism making improved understanding of how risk factors impact on the development of these cells an important area of research. In the current study we aim to combine bioinformatics analysis of human foetal cerebral cortex gene expression data with anatomical and electrophysiological analysis of a 16p11.2^+/- rat model to investigate how genetic risk factors impact on inhibitory neuron development.

METHODS

We performed bioinformatics analysis of single cell transcriptomes from gestational week (GW) 8-26 human foetal prefrontal cortex and anatomical and electrophysiological analysis of 16p11.2^+/- rat cerebral cortex and hippocampus at post-natal day (P) 21.

RESULTS

We identified a subset of human interneurons (INs) first appearing at GW23 with enriched expression of a large fraction of risk factor transcripts including those expressed from the 16p11.2 locus. This suggests the hypothesis that these foetal INs are vulnerable to mutations causing autism. We investigated this in a rat model of the 16p11.2 microdeletion. We found no change in the numbers or position of either excitatory or inhibitory neurons in the somatosensory cortex or CA1 of 16p11.2^+/- rats but found that CA1 Sst INs were hyperexcitable with an enlarged axon initial segment, which was not the case for CA1 pyramidal cells.

LIMITATIONS

The human foetal gene expression data was acquired from cerebral cortex between gestational week (GW) 8 to 26. We cannot draw inferences about potential vulnerabilities to genetic autism risk factors for cells not present in the developing cerebral cortex at these stages. The analysis 16p11.2^+/- rat phenotypes reported in the current study was restricted to 3-week old (P21) animals around the time of weaning and to a single interneuron cell-type while in human 16p11.2 microdeletion carriers symptoms likely involve multiple cell types and manifest in the first few years of life and on into adulthood.

CONCLUSIONS

We have identified developing interneurons in human foetal cerebral cortex as potentially vulnerable to monogenic autism risk factors and the 16p11.2 microdeletion and report interneuron phenotypes in post-natal 16p11.2^+/- rats.