1
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Huang LY, Liu YN, Chen J, Zhu HX, Li LL, Liang ZY, Song JX, Li YJ, Hu ZL, Demon D, Wullaert A, Wang W, Qi SH. Caspase-12 is Expressed in Purkinje Neurons and Prevents Psychiatric-Like Behavior in Mice. Mol Neurobiol 2024:10.1007/s12035-024-04356-5. [PMID: 39023795 DOI: 10.1007/s12035-024-04356-5] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 02/18/2024] [Accepted: 07/08/2024] [Indexed: 07/20/2024]
Abstract
Caspase-12 is a caspase family member for which functions in regulating cell death and inflammation have previously been suggested. In this study, we used caspase-12 lacZ reporter mice to elucidate the expression pattern of caspase-12 in order to obtain an idea about its possible in vivo function. Strikingly, these reporter mice showed that caspase-12 is expressed explicitly in Purkinje neurons of the cerebellum. As this observation suggested a function for caspase-12 in Purkinje neurons, we analyzed the brain and behavior of caspase-12 deficient mice in detail. Extensive histological analyses showed that caspase-12 was not crucial for establishing cerebellum structure or for maintaining Purkinje cell numbers. We then performed behavioral tests to investigate whether caspase-12 deficiency affects memory, motor, and psychiatric functions in mice. Interestingly, while the absence of caspase-12 did not affect memory and motor function, caspase-12 deficient mice showed depression and hyperactivity tendencies, together resembling manic behavior. Next, suggesting a possible molecular mechanistic explanation, we showed that caspase-12 deficient cerebella harbored diminished signaling through the brain-derived neurotrophic factor/tyrosine kinase receptor B/cyclic-AMP response binding protein axis, as well as strongly enhanced expression of the neuronal activity marker c-Fos. Thus, our study establishes caspase-12 expression in mouse Purkinje neurons and opens novel avenues of research to investigate the role of caspase-12 in regulating psychiatric behavior.
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Affiliation(s)
- Lin-Yan Huang
- School of Medical Technology, Xuzhou Key Laboratory of Laboratory Diagnostics, Xuzhou Medical University, Xuzhou, 221004, Jiangsu, People's Republic of China
- VIB Center for Inflammation Research, Zwijnaarde, Belgium
- Department of Internal Medicine and Paediatrics, Ghent University, Ghent, Belgium
| | - Yi-Ning Liu
- School of Medical Technology, Xuzhou Key Laboratory of Laboratory Diagnostics, Xuzhou Medical University, Xuzhou, 221004, Jiangsu, People's Republic of China
| | - Jie Chen
- School of Medical Technology, Xuzhou Key Laboratory of Laboratory Diagnostics, Xuzhou Medical University, Xuzhou, 221004, Jiangsu, People's Republic of China
- Department of Laboratory Medicine, The Affiliated Hospital of Xuzhou Medical University, Huaihai West Road 99, Xuzhou, 221002, China
| | - Hai-Xue Zhu
- Department of Ophthalmology, The Affiliated Huai'an Hospital of Xuzhou Medical University, No.62 Huaihai South Road, Huai'an, 223001, Jiangsu, People's Republic of China
| | - Li-Li Li
- School of Medical Technology, Xuzhou Key Laboratory of Laboratory Diagnostics, Xuzhou Medical University, Xuzhou, 221004, Jiangsu, People's Republic of China
| | - Zhi-Yan Liang
- School of Medical Technology, Xuzhou Key Laboratory of Laboratory Diagnostics, Xuzhou Medical University, Xuzhou, 221004, Jiangsu, People's Republic of China
| | - Jin-Xiu Song
- Department of Pharmacology, Xuzhou Medical University, Xuzhou, 221004, Jiangsu, People's Republic of China
| | - Yu-Jie Li
- Department of Clinical Laboratory, Kunshan First People's Hospital, Kunshan, Jiangsu, 215300, People's Republic of China
| | - Zhao-Li Hu
- Research Center for Biochemistry and Molecular Biology and Jiangsu Key Laboratory of Brain Disease Bioinformation, Xuzhou Medical University, Xuzhou, People's Republic of China
| | - Dieter Demon
- VIB Center for Inflammation Research, Zwijnaarde, Belgium
- Department of Internal Medicine and Paediatrics, Ghent University, Ghent, Belgium
| | - Andy Wullaert
- VIB Center for Inflammation Research, Zwijnaarde, Belgium
- Department of Internal Medicine and Paediatrics, Ghent University, Ghent, Belgium
- Cell Death Signaling Lab, Department of Biomedical Sciences, University of Antwerp, Antwerp, Belgium
| | - Wan Wang
- School of Medical Technology, Xuzhou Key Laboratory of Laboratory Diagnostics, Xuzhou Medical University, Xuzhou, 221004, Jiangsu, People's Republic of China
| | - Su-Hua Qi
- School of Medical Technology, Xuzhou Key Laboratory of Laboratory Diagnostics, Xuzhou Medical University, Xuzhou, 221004, Jiangsu, People's Republic of China.
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2
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Krishnamurthy A, Lee AS, Bayin NS, Stephen DN, Nasef O, Lao Z, Joyner AL. Engrailed transcription factors direct excitatory cerebellar neuron diversity and survival. Development 2024; 151:dev202502. [PMID: 38912572 DOI: 10.1242/dev.202502] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 11/30/2023] [Accepted: 06/17/2024] [Indexed: 06/25/2024]
Abstract
The neurons of the three cerebellar nuclei (CN) are the primary output neurons of the cerebellum. The excitatory neurons (e) of the medial (m) CN (eCNm) were recently divided into molecularly defined subdomains in the adult; however, how they are established during development is not known. We define molecular subdomains of the mouse embryonic eCNm using single-cell RNA-sequencing and spatial expression analysis, showing that they evolve during embryogenesis to prefigure the adult. Furthermore, eCNm are transcriptionally divergent from cells in the other nuclei by embryonic day 14.5. We previously showed that loss of the homeobox genes En1 and En2 leads to loss of approximately half of the embryonic eCNm. We demonstrate that mutation of En1/2 in the embryonic eCNm results in death of specific posterior eCNm molecular subdomains and downregulation of TBR2 (EOMES) in an anterior embryonic subdomain, as well as reduced synaptic gene expression. We further reveal a similar function for EN1/2 in mediating TBR2 expression, neuron differentiation and survival in the other excitatory neurons (granule and unipolar brush cells). Thus, our work defines embryonic eCNm molecular diversity and reveals conserved roles for EN1/2 in the cerebellar excitatory neuron lineage.
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Affiliation(s)
- Anjana Krishnamurthy
- Developmental Biology Program, Sloan Kettering Institute, Memorial Sloan Kettering Cancer Center, New York, NY 10021, USA
- Neuroscience Program, Weill Cornell Graduate School of Medical Sciences, New York, NY 10065, USA
| | - Andrew S Lee
- Developmental Biology Program, Sloan Kettering Institute, Memorial Sloan Kettering Cancer Center, New York, NY 10021, USA
- Neuroscience Program, Weill Cornell Graduate School of Medical Sciences, New York, NY 10065, USA
| | - N Sumru Bayin
- Developmental Biology Program, Sloan Kettering Institute, Memorial Sloan Kettering Cancer Center, New York, NY 10021, USA
| | - Daniel N Stephen
- Developmental Biology Program, Sloan Kettering Institute, Memorial Sloan Kettering Cancer Center, New York, NY 10021, USA
| | - Olivia Nasef
- Developmental Biology Program, Sloan Kettering Institute, Memorial Sloan Kettering Cancer Center, New York, NY 10021, USA
| | - Zhimin Lao
- Developmental Biology Program, Sloan Kettering Institute, Memorial Sloan Kettering Cancer Center, New York, NY 10021, USA
| | - Alexandra L Joyner
- Developmental Biology Program, Sloan Kettering Institute, Memorial Sloan Kettering Cancer Center, New York, NY 10021, USA
- Neuroscience Program, Weill Cornell Graduate School of Medical Sciences, New York, NY 10065, USA
- Biochemistry, Cell and Molecular Biology Program, Weill Cornell Graduate School of Medical Sciences, New York, NY 10065, USA
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3
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Lee AS, Arefin TM, Gubanova A, Stephen DN, Liu Y, Lao Z, Krishnamurthy A, De Marco García NV, Heck DH, Zhang J, Rajadhyaksha AM, Joyner AL. Cerebellar output neurons impair non-motor behaviors by altering development of extracerebellar connectivity. BIORXIV : THE PREPRINT SERVER FOR BIOLOGY 2024:2024.07.08.602496. [PMID: 39026865 PMCID: PMC11257463 DOI: 10.1101/2024.07.08.602496] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 07/20/2024]
Abstract
The capacity of the brain to compensate for insults during development depends on the type of cell loss, whereas the consequences of genetic mutations in the same neurons are difficult to predict. We reveal powerful compensation from outside the cerebellum when the excitatory cerebellar output neurons are ablated embryonically and demonstrate that the minimum requirement for these neurons is for motor coordination and not learning and social behaviors. In contrast, loss of the homeobox transcription factors Engrailed1/2 (EN1/2) in the cerebellar excitatory lineage leads to additional deficits in adult learning and spatial working memory, despite half of the excitatory output neurons being intact. Diffusion MRI indicates increased thalamo-cortico-striatal connectivity in En1/2 mutants, showing that the remaining excitatory neurons lacking En1/2 exert adverse effects on extracerebellar circuits regulating motor learning and select non-motor behaviors. Thus, an absence of cerebellar output neurons is less disruptive than having cerebellar genetic mutations.
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Affiliation(s)
- Andrew S. Lee
- Developmental Biology Program, Sloan Kettering Institute, New York 10065, NY, USA
- Neuroscience Program, Weill Cornell Graduate School of Medical Sciences, New York 10021, NY, USA
| | - Tanzil M. Arefin
- Bernard and Irene Schwartz Center for Biomedical Imaging, Department of Radiology, New York University Grossman School of Medicine, New York 10016, NY, USA
- Present Address: Center for Neurotechnology in Mental Health Research, Department of Biomedical Engineering, The Pennsylvania State University, University Park, PA 16801, USA
| | - Alina Gubanova
- Developmental Biology Program, Sloan Kettering Institute, New York 10065, NY, USA
| | - Daniel N. Stephen
- Developmental Biology Program, Sloan Kettering Institute, New York 10065, NY, USA
| | - Yu Liu
- Department of Biomedical Sciences, University of Minnesota Medical School, Duluth, MN 55812, USA
- Center for Cerebellar Network Structure and Function in Health and Disease, University of Minnesota, Duluth, MN 55812, USA
| | - Zhimin Lao
- Developmental Biology Program, Sloan Kettering Institute, New York 10065, NY, USA
| | - Anjana Krishnamurthy
- Developmental Biology Program, Sloan Kettering Institute, New York 10065, NY, USA
- Neuroscience Program, Weill Cornell Graduate School of Medical Sciences, New York 10021, NY, USA
| | - Natalia V. De Marco García
- Neuroscience Program, Weill Cornell Graduate School of Medical Sciences, New York 10021, NY, USA
- Center for Neurogenetics, Brain and Mind Research Institute, Weill Cornell Medicine, New York 10021, NY 10021, USA
| | - Detlef H. Heck
- Department of Biomedical Sciences, University of Minnesota Medical School, Duluth, MN 55812, USA
- Center for Cerebellar Network Structure and Function in Health and Disease, University of Minnesota, Duluth, MN 55812, USA
| | - Jiangyang Zhang
- Bernard and Irene Schwartz Center for Biomedical Imaging, Department of Radiology, New York University Grossman School of Medicine, New York 10016, NY, USA
| | - Anjali M. Rajadhyaksha
- Neuroscience Program, Weill Cornell Graduate School of Medical Sciences, New York 10021, NY, USA
- Pediatric Neurology, Department of Pediatrics, Weill Cornell Medicine, New York 10021, NY, USA
- Weill Cornell Autism Research Program, Weill Cornell Medicine, New York 10021, NY, USA
- Present address: Center for Substance Abuse Research, Lewis Katz School of Medicine, Temple University, Philadelphia, PA 19140, USA and Department of Neural Sciences, Lewis Katz School of Medicine, Temple University, Philadelphia, PA 19140, USA
| | - Alexandra L. Joyner
- Developmental Biology Program, Sloan Kettering Institute, New York 10065, NY, USA
- Neuroscience Program, Weill Cornell Graduate School of Medical Sciences, New York 10021, NY, USA
- Biochemistry, Cell and Molecular Biology Program, Weill Cornell Graduate School of Medical Sciences, New York 10021, NY, USA
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4
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Nguyen MX, Brown AM, Lin T, Sillitoe RV, Gill JS. Targeting DBS to the centrolateral thalamic nucleus improves movement in a lesion-based model of acquired cerebellar dystonia in mice. BIORXIV : THE PREPRINT SERVER FOR BIOLOGY 2024:2024.05.21.595095. [PMID: 38826430 PMCID: PMC11142135 DOI: 10.1101/2024.05.21.595095] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 06/04/2024]
Abstract
Dystonia is the third most common movement disorder and an incapacitating co-morbidity in a variety of neurologic conditions. Dystonia can be caused by genetic, degenerative, idiopathic, and acquired etiologies, which are hypothesized to converge on a "dystonia network" consisting of the basal ganglia, thalamus, cerebellum, and cerebral cortex. In acquired dystonia, focal lesions to subcortical areas in the network - the basal ganglia, thalamus, and cerebellum - lead to a dystonia that can be difficult to manage with canonical treatments, including deep brain stimulation (DBS). While studies in animal models have begun to parse the contribution of individual nodes in the dystonia network, how acquired injury to the cerebellar outflow tracts instigates dystonia; and how network modulation interacts with symptom latency remain as unexplored questions. Here, we present an electrolytic lesioning paradigm that bilaterally targets the cerebellar outflow tracts. We found that lesioning these tracts, at the junction of the superior cerebellar peduncles and the medial and intermediate cerebellar nuclei, resulted in acute, severe dystonia. We observed that dystonia is reduced with one hour of DBS of the centrolateral thalamic nucleus, a first order node in the network downstream of the cerebellar nuclei. In contrast, one hour of stimulation at a second order node in the short latency, disynaptic projection from the cerebellar nuclei, the striatum, did not modulate the dystonia in the short-term. Our study introduces a robust paradigm for inducing acute, severe dystonia, and demonstrates that targeted modulation based on network principles powerfully rescues motor behavior. These data inspire the identification of therapeutic targets for difficult to manage acquired dystonia.
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Affiliation(s)
- Megan X. Nguyen
- Department of Pediatrics, Division of Neurology and Developmental Neuroscience, Baylor College of Medicine, Houston, TX, USA
- Jan and Dan Duncan Neurological Research Institute at Texas Children’s Hospital, Houston, TX, USA
| | - Amanda M. Brown
- Jan and Dan Duncan Neurological Research Institute at Texas Children’s Hospital, Houston, TX, USA
- Department of Pathology & Immunology, Baylor College of Medicine, Houston, TX, USA
| | - Tao Lin
- Jan and Dan Duncan Neurological Research Institute at Texas Children’s Hospital, Houston, TX, USA
- Department of Pathology & Immunology, Baylor College of Medicine, Houston, TX, USA
| | - Roy V. Sillitoe
- Department of Pediatrics, Division of Neurology and Developmental Neuroscience, Baylor College of Medicine, Houston, TX, USA
- Jan and Dan Duncan Neurological Research Institute at Texas Children’s Hospital, Houston, TX, USA
- Department of Pathology & Immunology, Baylor College of Medicine, Houston, TX, USA
- Department of Neuroscience, Baylor College of Medicine, Houston, TX, USA
- Development, Disease Models & Therapeutics Graduate Program, Baylor College of Medicine, Houston, TX, USA
| | - Jason S. Gill
- Department of Pediatrics, Division of Neurology and Developmental Neuroscience, Baylor College of Medicine, Houston, TX, USA
- Jan and Dan Duncan Neurological Research Institute at Texas Children’s Hospital, Houston, TX, USA
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5
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Krishnamurthy A, Lee AS, Bayin NS, Stephen DN, Nasef O, Lao Z, Joyner AL. Engrailed transcription factors direct excitatory cerebellar neuron diversity and survival. BIORXIV : THE PREPRINT SERVER FOR BIOLOGY 2023:2023.11.30.569445. [PMID: 38077070 PMCID: PMC10705369 DOI: 10.1101/2023.11.30.569445] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 07/09/2024]
Abstract
The excitatory neurons of the three cerebellar nuclei (eCN) form the primary output for the cerebellar circuit. The medial eCN (eCNm) were recently divided into molecularly defined subdomains in the adult, however how they are established during development is not known. We define molecular subdomains of the eCNm using scRNA-seq and spatial expression analysis and show they evolve during embryogenesis to resemble the adult. Furthermore, the eCNm is transcriptionally divergent from the rest of the eCN by E14.5. We previously showed that loss of the homeobox genes En1 and En2 leads to death of a subset of embryonic eCNm. We demonstrate that mutation of En1/2 in embryonic eCNm results in cell death of specific posterior eCNm molecular subdomains and loss of TBR2 (EOMES) expression in an anterior subdomain, as well as reduced synaptic gene expression. We further reveal a similar function for EN1/2 in mediating TBR2 expression, neuron differentiation and survival in the two other cerebellar excitatory neuron types. Thus, our work defines embryonic eCNm molecular diversity and reveals conserved roles for EN1/2 in the cerebellar excitatory neuron lineage.
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6
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Apsley EJ, Becker EBE. Purkinje Cell Patterning-Insights from Single-Cell Sequencing. Cells 2022; 11:cells11182918. [PMID: 36139493 PMCID: PMC9497131 DOI: 10.3390/cells11182918] [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: 08/15/2022] [Revised: 09/08/2022] [Accepted: 09/13/2022] [Indexed: 11/21/2022] Open
Abstract
Despite their homogeneous appearance, Purkinje cells are remarkably diverse with respect to their molecular phenotypes, physiological properties, afferent and efferent connectivity, as well as their vulnerability to insults. Heterogeneity in Purkinje cells arises early in development, with molecularly distinct embryonic cell clusters present soon after Purkinje cell specification. Traditional methods have characterized cerebellar development and cell types, including Purkinje cell subtypes, based on knowledge of selected markers. However, recent single-cell RNA sequencing studies provide vastly increased resolution of the whole cerebellar transcriptome. Here we draw together the results of multiple single-cell transcriptomic studies in developing and adult cerebellum in both mouse and human. We describe how this detailed transcriptomic data has increased our understanding of the intricate development and function of Purkinje cells and provides first clues into features specific to human cerebellar development.
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Affiliation(s)
- Elizabeth J. Apsley
- Nuffield Department of Clinical Neurosciences, University of Oxford, Oxford OX3 9DU, UK
- Kavli Institute for Nanoscience Discovery, University of Oxford, Oxford OX1 3QU, UK
| | - Esther B. E. Becker
- Nuffield Department of Clinical Neurosciences, University of Oxford, Oxford OX3 9DU, UK
- Kavli Institute for Nanoscience Discovery, University of Oxford, Oxford OX1 3QU, UK
- Correspondence:
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7
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Taylor AP, Lee AS, Goedecke PJ, Tolley EA, Joyner AL, Heck DH. Conditional loss of Engrailed1/2 in Atoh1-derived excitatory cerebellar nuclear neurons impairs eupneic respiration in mice. GENES, BRAIN, AND BEHAVIOR 2022; 21:e12788. [PMID: 35044072 PMCID: PMC8852233 DOI: 10.1111/gbb.12788] [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] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 08/18/2021] [Revised: 11/24/2021] [Accepted: 11/25/2021] [Indexed: 02/03/2023]
Abstract
Evidence for a cerebellar role during cardiopulmonary challenges has long been established, but studies of cerebellar involvement in eupneic breathing have been inconclusive. Here we investigated temporal aspects of eupneic respiration in the Atoh1-En1/2 mouse model of cerebellar neuropathology. Atoh1-En1/2 conditional knockout mice have conditional loss of the developmental patterning genes Engrailed1 and 2 in excitatory cerebellar nuclear neurons, which leads to loss of a subset of medial and intermediate excitatory cerebellar nuclear neurons. A sample of three Atoh1-derived extracerebellar nuclei showed no cell loss in the conditional knockout compared to control mice. We measured eupneic respiration in mutant animals and control littermates using whole-body unrestrained plethysmography and compared the average respiratory rate, coefficient of variation, and the CV2, a measure of intrinsic rhythmicity. Linear regression analyses revealed that Atoh1-En1/2 conditional knockouts have decreased overall variability (p = 0.021; b = -0.045) and increased intrinsic rhythmicity compared to their control littermates (p < 0.001; b = -0.037), but we found no effect of genotype on average respiratory rate (p = 0.064). Analysis also revealed modestly decreased respiratory rates (p = 0.025; b = -0.82), increased coefficient of variation (p = 0.0036; b = 0.060), and increased CV2 in female animals, independent of genotype (p = 0.024; b = 0.026). These results suggest a cerebellar involvement in eupneic breathing by controlling rhythmicity. We argue that the cerebellar involvement in controlling the CV2 of respiration is indicative of an involvement of coordinating respiration with other orofacial rhythms, such as swallowing.
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Affiliation(s)
- Angela P. Taylor
- Department of Anatomy and Neurobiology, College of MedicineUniversity of Tennessee Health Science CenterMemphisTennesseeUSA
| | - Andrew S. Lee
- Developmental Biology ProgramSloan Kettering InstituteNew YorkNew YorkUSA
- Neuroscience ProgramWeill Cornell Graduate School of Medical SciencesNew YorkNew YorkUSA
| | - Patricia J. Goedecke
- Division of Biostatistics, Department of Preventive Medicine, College of MedicineUniversity of Tennessee Health Science CenterMemphisTennesseeUSA
| | - Elizabeth A. Tolley
- Division of Biostatistics, Department of Preventive Medicine, College of MedicineUniversity of Tennessee Health Science CenterMemphisTennesseeUSA
| | - Alexandra L. Joyner
- Developmental Biology ProgramSloan Kettering InstituteNew YorkNew YorkUSA
- Neuroscience ProgramWeill Cornell Graduate School of Medical SciencesNew YorkNew YorkUSA
- Biochemistry, Cell and Molecular Biology ProgramWeill Cornell Graduate School of Medical SciencesNew YorkNew YorkUSA
| | - Detlef H. Heck
- Department of Anatomy and Neurobiology, College of MedicineUniversity of Tennessee Health Science CenterMemphisTennesseeUSA
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8
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Neuronal ROS-induced glial lipid droplet formation is altered by loss of Alzheimer's disease-associated genes. Proc Natl Acad Sci U S A 2021; 118:2112095118. [PMID: 34949639 PMCID: PMC8719885 DOI: 10.1073/pnas.2112095118] [Citation(s) in RCA: 59] [Impact Index Per Article: 19.7] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Accepted: 11/11/2021] [Indexed: 01/02/2023] Open
Abstract
A growing list of Alzheimer's disease (AD) genetic risk factors is being identified, but the contribution of each variant to disease mechanism remains largely unknown. We have previously shown that elevated levels of reactive oxygen species (ROS) induces lipid synthesis in neurons leading to the sequestration of peroxidated lipids in glial lipid droplets (LD), delaying neurotoxicity. This neuron-to-glia lipid transport is APOD/E-dependent. To identify proteins that modulate these neuroprotective effects, we tested the role of AD risk genes in ROS-induced LD formation and demonstrate that several genes impact neuroprotective LD formation, including homologs of human ABCA1, ABCA7, VLDLR, VPS26, VPS35, AP2A, PICALM, and CD2AP Our data also show that ROS enhances Aβ42 phenotypes in flies and mice. Finally, a peptide agonist of ABCA1 restores glial LD formation in a humanized APOE4 fly model, highlighting a potentially therapeutic avenue to prevent ROS-induced neurotoxicity. This study places many AD genetic risk factors in a ROS-induced neuron-to-glia lipid transfer pathway with a critical role in protecting against neurotoxicity.
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9
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Zhou J, Brown AM, Lackey EP, Arancillo M, Lin T, Sillitoe RV. Purkinje cell neurotransmission patterns cerebellar basket cells into zonal modules defined by distinct pinceau sizes. eLife 2020; 9:55569. [PMID: 32990595 PMCID: PMC7561353 DOI: 10.7554/elife.55569] [Citation(s) in RCA: 10] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 01/29/2020] [Accepted: 09/29/2020] [Indexed: 01/05/2023] Open
Abstract
Ramón y Cajal proclaimed the neuron doctrine based on circuit features he exemplified using cerebellar basket cell projections. Basket cells form dense inhibitory plexuses that wrap Purkinje cell somata and terminate as pinceaux at the initial segment of axons. Here, we demonstrate that HCN1, Kv1.1, PSD95 and GAD67 unexpectedly mark patterns of basket cell pinceaux that map onto Purkinje cell functional zones. Using cell-specific genetic tracing with an Ascl1CreERT2 mouse conditional allele, we reveal that basket cell zones comprise different sizes of pinceaux. We tested whether Purkinje cells instruct the assembly of inhibitory projections into zones, as they do for excitatory afferents. Genetically silencing Purkinje cell neurotransmission blocks the formation of sharp Purkinje cell zones and disrupts excitatory axon patterning. The distribution of pinceaux into size-specific zones is eliminated without Purkinje cell GABAergic output. Our data uncover the cellular and molecular diversity of a foundational synapse that revolutionized neuroscience.
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Affiliation(s)
- Joy Zhou
- Department of Pathology and Immunology, Baylor College of Medicine, Houston, United States.,Department of Neuroscience, Baylor College of Medicine, Houston, United States.,Jan and Dan Duncan Neurological Research Institute of Texas Children's Hospital, Houston, United States
| | - Amanda M Brown
- Department of Pathology and Immunology, Baylor College of Medicine, Houston, United States.,Department of Neuroscience, Baylor College of Medicine, Houston, United States.,Jan and Dan Duncan Neurological Research Institute of Texas Children's Hospital, Houston, United States
| | - Elizabeth P Lackey
- Department of Pathology and Immunology, Baylor College of Medicine, Houston, United States.,Department of Neuroscience, Baylor College of Medicine, Houston, United States.,Jan and Dan Duncan Neurological Research Institute of Texas Children's Hospital, Houston, United States
| | - Marife Arancillo
- Department of Pathology and Immunology, Baylor College of Medicine, Houston, United States.,Jan and Dan Duncan Neurological Research Institute of Texas Children's Hospital, Houston, United States
| | - Tao Lin
- Department of Pathology and Immunology, Baylor College of Medicine, Houston, United States.,Jan and Dan Duncan Neurological Research Institute of Texas Children's Hospital, Houston, United States
| | - Roy V Sillitoe
- Department of Pathology and Immunology, Baylor College of Medicine, Houston, United States.,Department of Neuroscience, Baylor College of Medicine, Houston, United States.,Jan and Dan Duncan Neurological Research Institute of Texas Children's Hospital, Houston, United States.,Program in Developmental Biology, Baylor College of Medicine, Houston, United States
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10
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Brown AM, White JJ, van der Heijden ME, Zhou J, Lin T, Sillitoe RV. Purkinje cell misfiring generates high-amplitude action tremors that are corrected by cerebellar deep brain stimulation. eLife 2020; 9:e51928. [PMID: 32180549 PMCID: PMC7077982 DOI: 10.7554/elife.51928] [Citation(s) in RCA: 44] [Impact Index Per Article: 11.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 09/17/2019] [Accepted: 02/26/2020] [Indexed: 02/06/2023] Open
Abstract
Tremor is currently ranked as the most common movement disorder. The brain regions and neural signals that initiate the debilitating shakiness of different body parts remain unclear. Here, we found that genetically silencing cerebellar Purkinje cell output blocked tremor in mice that were given the tremorgenic drug harmaline. We show in awake behaving mice that the onset of tremor is coincident with rhythmic Purkinje cell firing, which alters the activity of their target cerebellar nuclei cells. We mimic the tremorgenic action of the drug with optogenetics and present evidence that highly patterned Purkinje cell activity drives a powerful tremor in otherwise normal mice. Modulating the altered activity with deep brain stimulation directed to the Purkinje cell output in the cerebellar nuclei reduced tremor in freely moving mice. Together, the data implicate Purkinje cell connectivity as a neural substrate for tremor and a gateway for signals that mediate the disease.
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Affiliation(s)
- Amanda M Brown
- Department of Pathology and Immunology, Baylor College of MedicineHoustonUnited States
- Department of Neuroscience, Baylor College of MedicineHoustonUnited States
- Jan and Dan Duncan Neurological Research Institute of Texas Children's HospitalHoustonUnited States
| | - Joshua J White
- Department of Pathology and Immunology, Baylor College of MedicineHoustonUnited States
- Department of Neuroscience, Baylor College of MedicineHoustonUnited States
- Jan and Dan Duncan Neurological Research Institute of Texas Children's HospitalHoustonUnited States
| | - Meike E van der Heijden
- Department of Pathology and Immunology, Baylor College of MedicineHoustonUnited States
- Jan and Dan Duncan Neurological Research Institute of Texas Children's HospitalHoustonUnited States
| | - Joy Zhou
- Department of Pathology and Immunology, Baylor College of MedicineHoustonUnited States
- Department of Neuroscience, Baylor College of MedicineHoustonUnited States
- Jan and Dan Duncan Neurological Research Institute of Texas Children's HospitalHoustonUnited States
| | - Tao Lin
- Department of Pathology and Immunology, Baylor College of MedicineHoustonUnited States
- Jan and Dan Duncan Neurological Research Institute of Texas Children's HospitalHoustonUnited States
| | - Roy V Sillitoe
- Department of Pathology and Immunology, Baylor College of MedicineHoustonUnited States
- Department of Neuroscience, Baylor College of MedicineHoustonUnited States
- Jan and Dan Duncan Neurological Research Institute of Texas Children's HospitalHoustonUnited States
- Development, Disease Models & Therapeutics Graduate Program, Baylor College of MedicineHoustonUnited States
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11
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Lackey EP, Sillitoe RV. Eph/ephrin Function Contributes to the Patterning of Spinocerebellar Mossy Fibers Into Parasagittal Zones. Front Syst Neurosci 2020; 14:7. [PMID: 32116578 PMCID: PMC7033604 DOI: 10.3389/fnsys.2020.00007] [Citation(s) in RCA: 5] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 09/11/2019] [Accepted: 01/24/2020] [Indexed: 12/14/2022] Open
Abstract
Purkinje cell microcircuits perform diverse functions using widespread inputs from the brain and spinal cord. The formation of these functional circuits depends on developmental programs and molecular pathways that organize mossy fiber afferents from different sources into a complex and precisely patterned map within the granular layer of the cerebellum. During development, Purkinje cell zonal patterns are thought to guide mossy fiber terminals into zones. However, the molecular mechanisms that mediate this process remain unclear. Here, we used knockout mice to test whether Eph/ephrin signaling controls Purkinje cell-mossy fiber interactions during cerebellar circuit formation. Loss of ephrin-A2 and ephrin-A5 disrupted the patterning of spinocerebellar terminals into discrete zones. Zone territories in the granular layer that normally have limited spinocerebellar input contained ectopic terminals in ephrin-A2 -/-;ephrin-A5 -/- double knockout mice. However, the overall morphology of the cerebellum, lobule position, and Purkinje cell zonal patterns developed normally in the ephrin-A2 -/-;ephrin-A5 -/- mutant mice. This work suggests that communication between Purkinje cell zones and mossy fibers during postnatal development allows contact-dependent molecular cues to sharpen the innervation of sensory afferents into functional zones.
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Affiliation(s)
- Elizabeth P Lackey
- Department of Pathology & Immunology, Baylor College of Medicine, Houston, TX, United States.,Department of Neuroscience, Baylor College of Medicine, Houston, TX, United States.,Jan and Dan Duncan Neurological Research Institute at Texas Children's Hospital, Houston, TX, United States
| | - Roy V Sillitoe
- Department of Pathology & Immunology, Baylor College of Medicine, Houston, TX, United States.,Department of Neuroscience, Baylor College of Medicine, Houston, TX, United States.,Jan and Dan Duncan Neurological Research Institute at Texas Children's Hospital, Houston, TX, United States.,Development, Disease Models & Therapeutics Graduate Program, Baylor College of Medicine, Houston, TX, United States.,Developmental Biology Graduate Program, Baylor College of Medicine, Houston, TX, United States
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12
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Stay TL, Miterko LN, Arancillo M, Lin T, Sillitoe RV. In vivo cerebellar circuit function is disrupted in an mdx mouse model of Duchenne muscular dystrophy. Dis Model Mech 2019; 13:dmm040840. [PMID: 31704708 PMCID: PMC6906634 DOI: 10.1242/dmm.040840] [Citation(s) in RCA: 10] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 06/10/2019] [Accepted: 10/30/2019] [Indexed: 12/20/2022] Open
Abstract
Duchenne muscular dystrophy (DMD) is a debilitating and ultimately lethal disease involving progressive muscle degeneration and neurological dysfunction. DMD is caused by mutations in the dystrophin gene, which result in extremely low or total loss of dystrophin protein expression. In the brain, dystrophin is heavily localized to cerebellar Purkinje cells, which control motor and non-motor functions. In vitro experiments in mouse Purkinje cells revealed that loss of dystrophin leads to low firing rates and high spiking variability. However, it is still unclear how the loss of dystrophin affects cerebellar function in the intact brain. Here, we used in vivo electrophysiology to record Purkinje cells and cerebellar nuclear neurons in awake and anesthetized female mdx (also known as Dmd) mice. Purkinje cell simple spike firing rate is significantly lower in mdx mice compared to controls. Although simple spike firing regularity is not affected, complex spike regularity is increased in mdx mutants. Mean firing rate in cerebellar nuclear neurons is not altered in mdx mice, but their local firing pattern is irregular. Based on the relatively well-preserved cytoarchitecture in the mdx cerebellum, our data suggest that faulty signals across the circuit between Purkinje cells and cerebellar nuclei drive the abnormal firing activity. The in vivo requirements of dystrophin during cerebellar circuit communication could help explain the motor and cognitive anomalies seen in individuals with DMD.This article has an associated First Person interview with the first author of the paper.
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Affiliation(s)
- Trace L Stay
- Department of Pathology and Immunology, Baylor College of Medicine, Houston, TX 77030, USA
- Department of Neuroscience, Baylor College of Medicine, Houston, TX 77030, USA
- Jan and Dan Duncan Neurological Research Institute of Texas Children's Hospital, 1250 Moursund Street, Suite 1325, Houston, TX 77030, USA
| | - Lauren N Miterko
- Department of Pathology and Immunology, Baylor College of Medicine, Houston, TX 77030, USA
- Jan and Dan Duncan Neurological Research Institute of Texas Children's Hospital, 1250 Moursund Street, Suite 1325, Houston, TX 77030, USA
- Program in Developmental Biology, Baylor College of Medicine, Houston, TX 77030, USA
| | - Marife Arancillo
- Jan and Dan Duncan Neurological Research Institute of Texas Children's Hospital, 1250 Moursund Street, Suite 1325, Houston, TX 77030, USA
| | - Tao Lin
- Jan and Dan Duncan Neurological Research Institute of Texas Children's Hospital, 1250 Moursund Street, Suite 1325, Houston, TX 77030, USA
| | - Roy V Sillitoe
- Department of Pathology and Immunology, Baylor College of Medicine, Houston, TX 77030, USA
- Department of Neuroscience, Baylor College of Medicine, Houston, TX 77030, USA
- Jan and Dan Duncan Neurological Research Institute of Texas Children's Hospital, 1250 Moursund Street, Suite 1325, Houston, TX 77030, USA
- Program in Developmental Biology, Baylor College of Medicine, Houston, TX 77030, USA
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13
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Alexander CJ, Hammer JA. An Improved Method for Differentiating Mouse Embryonic Stem Cells into Cerebellar Purkinje Neurons. THE CEREBELLUM 2019; 18:406-421. [PMID: 30729383 DOI: 10.1007/s12311-019-1007-0] [Citation(s) in RCA: 2] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.4] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 12/15/2022]
Abstract
While mixed primary cerebellar cultures prepared from embryonic tissue have proven valuable for dissecting structure-function relationships in cerebellar Purkinje neurons (PNs), this technique is technically challenging and often yields few cells. Recently, mouse embryonic stem cells (mESCs) have been successfully differentiated into PNs, although the published methods are very challenging as well. The focus of this study was to simplify the differentiation of mESCs into PNs. Using a recently described neural differentiation media, we generate monolayers of neural progenitor cells from mESCs and differentiate them into PN precursors using specific extrinsic factors. These PN precursors are then differentiated into mature PNs by co-culturing them with granule neuron (GN) precursors also derived from neural progenitors using different extrinsic factors. The morphology of mESC-derived PNs is indistinguishable from PNs grown in primary culture in terms of gross morphology, spine length, and spine density. Furthermore, mESC-derived PNs express Calbindin D28K, IP3R1, IRBIT, PLCβ4, PSD93, and myosin IIB-B2, all of which are either PN-specific or highly expressed in PNs. Moreover, we show that mESC-derived PNs form synapses with GN-like cells as in primary culture, express proteins driven by the PN-specific promoter Pcp2/L7, and exhibit the defect in spine ER inheritance seen in PNs isolated from dilute-lethal (myosin Va-null) mice when expressing a Pcp2/L7-driven miRNA directed against myosin Va. Finally, we define a novel extracellular matrix formulation that reproducibly yields monolayer cultures conducive for high-resolution imaging. Our improved method for differentiating mESCs into PNs should facilitate the dissection of molecular mechanisms and disease phenotypes in PNs.
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Affiliation(s)
- Christopher J Alexander
- Cell and Developmental Biology Center, National Heart, Lung, and Blood Institute, National Institutes of Health, Bethesda, MD, USA
| | - John A Hammer
- Cell and Developmental Biology Center, National Heart, Lung, and Blood Institute, National Institutes of Health, Bethesda, MD, USA.
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14
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Coughlan E, Garside VC, Wong SFL, Liang H, Kraus D, Karmakar K, Maheshwari U, Rijli FM, Bourne J, McGlinn E. A Hox Code Defines Spinocerebellar Neuron Subtype Regionalization. Cell Rep 2019; 29:2408-2421.e4. [DOI: 10.1016/j.celrep.2019.10.048] [Citation(s) in RCA: 7] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.4] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 05/10/2019] [Revised: 08/12/2019] [Accepted: 10/10/2019] [Indexed: 11/25/2022] Open
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15
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Gill JS, Sillitoe RV. Functional Outcomes of Cerebellar Malformations. Front Cell Neurosci 2019; 13:441. [PMID: 31636540 PMCID: PMC6787289 DOI: 10.3389/fncel.2019.00441] [Citation(s) in RCA: 28] [Impact Index Per Article: 5.6] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 07/31/2019] [Accepted: 09/18/2019] [Indexed: 12/20/2022] Open
Abstract
The cerebellum is well-established as a primary center for controlling sensorimotor functions. However, recent experiments have demonstrated additional roles for the cerebellum in higher-order cognitive functions such as language, emotion, reward, social behavior, and working memory. Based on the diversity of behaviors that it can influence, it is therefore not surprising that cerebellar dysfunction is linked to motor diseases such as ataxia, dystonia, tremor, and Parkinson's disease as well to non-motor disorders including autism spectrum disorders (ASD), schizophrenia, depression, and anxiety. Regardless of the condition, there is a growing consensus that developmental disturbances of the cerebellum may be a central culprit in triggering a number of distinct pathophysiological processes. Here, we consider how cerebellar malformations and neuronal circuit wiring impact brain function and behavior during development. We use the cerebellum as a model to discuss the expanding view that local integrated brain circuits function within the context of distributed global networks to communicate the computations that drive complex behavior. We highlight growing concerns that neurological and neuropsychiatric diseases with severe behavioral outcomes originate from developmental insults to the cerebellum.
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Affiliation(s)
- Jason S. Gill
- Section of Pediatric Neurology and Developmental Neuroscience, Baylor College of Medicine, Houston, TX, United States
- Department of Pathology and Immunology, Baylor College of Medicine, Houston, TX, United States
- Jan and Dan Duncan Neurological Research Institute of Texas Children’s Hospital, Houston, TX, United States
| | - Roy V. Sillitoe
- Department of Pathology and Immunology, Baylor College of Medicine, Houston, TX, United States
- Jan and Dan Duncan Neurological Research Institute of Texas Children’s Hospital, Houston, TX, United States
- Department of Neuroscience, Baylor College of Medicine, Houston, TX, United States
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16
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Ning Z, Williams JM, Kumari R, Baranov PV, Moore T. Opposite Expression Patterns of Spry3 and p75NTR in Cerebellar Vermis Suggest a Male-Specific Mechanism of Autism Pathogenesis. Front Psychiatry 2019; 10:416. [PMID: 31275178 PMCID: PMC6591651 DOI: 10.3389/fpsyt.2019.00416] [Citation(s) in RCA: 5] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Submit a Manuscript] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 12/20/2018] [Accepted: 05/24/2019] [Indexed: 12/22/2022] Open
Abstract
Autism is a genetically complex neurobehavioral disorder with a population prevalence of more than 1%. Cerebellar abnormalities, including Purkinje cell deficits in the vermis, are consistently reported, and rodent models of cerebellar dysfunction exhibit features analogous to human autism. We previously analyzed the regulation and expression of the pseudoautosomal region 2 gene SPRY3, which is adjacent to X chromosome-linked TMLHE, a known autism susceptibility gene. SPRY3 is a regulator of branching morphogenesis and is strongly expressed in Purkinje cells. We previously showed that mouse Spry3 is not expressed in cerebellar vermis lobules VI-VII and X, regions which exhibit significant Purkinje cell loss or abnormalities in autism. However, these lobules have relatively high expression of p75NTR, which encodes a neurotrophin receptor implicated in autism. We propose a mechanism whereby inappropriate SPRY3 expression in these lobules could interact with TrkB and p75NTR signaling pathways resulting in Purkinje cell pathology. We report preliminary characterization of X and Y chromosome-linked regulatory sequences upstream of SPRY3, which are polymorphic in the general population. We suggest that an OREG-annotated region on chromosome Yq12 ∼60 kb from SPRY3 acts as a silencer of Y-linked SPRY3 expression. Deletion of a β-satellite repeat, or alterations in chromatin structure in this region due to trans-acting factors, could affect the proposed silencing function, leading to reactivation and inappropriate expression of Y-linked SPRY3. This proposed male-specific mechanism could contribute to the male bias in autism prevalence.
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Affiliation(s)
| | | | | | | | - Tom Moore
- School of Biochemistry and Cell Biology, University College Cork, Cork, Ireland
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17
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Brown AM, Arancillo M, Lin T, Catt DR, Zhou J, Lackey EP, Stay TL, Zuo Z, White JJ, Sillitoe RV. Molecular layer interneurons shape the spike activity of cerebellar Purkinje cells. Sci Rep 2019; 9:1742. [PMID: 30742002 PMCID: PMC6370775 DOI: 10.1038/s41598-018-38264-1] [Citation(s) in RCA: 52] [Impact Index Per Article: 10.4] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 09/03/2018] [Accepted: 12/14/2018] [Indexed: 12/03/2022] Open
Abstract
Purkinje cells receive synaptic input from several classes of interneurons. Here, we address the roles of inhibitory molecular layer interneurons in establishing Purkinje cell function in vivo. Using conditional genetics approaches in mice, we compare how the lack of stellate cell versus basket cell GABAergic neurotransmission sculpts the firing properties of Purkinje cells. We take advantage of an inducible Ascl1CreER allele to spatially and temporally target the deletion of the vesicular GABA transporter, Vgat, in developing neurons. Selective depletion of basket cell GABAergic neurotransmission increases the frequency of Purkinje cell simple spike firing and decreases the frequency of complex spike firing in adult behaving mice. In contrast, lack of stellate cell communication increases the regularity of Purkinje cell simple spike firing while increasing the frequency of complex spike firing. Our data uncover complementary roles for molecular layer interneurons in shaping the rate and pattern of Purkinje cell activity in vivo.
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Affiliation(s)
- Amanda M Brown
- Department of Pathology and Immunology, Baylor College of Medicine, 1 Baylor Plaza, Houston, Texas, 77030, USA
- Department of Neuroscience, Baylor College of Medicine, 1 Baylor Plaza, Houston, Texas, 77030, USA
- Jan and Dan Duncan Neurological Research Institute of Texas Children's Hospital, 1250 Moursund Street, Suite 1325, Houston, Texas, 77030, USA
| | - Marife Arancillo
- Department of Pathology and Immunology, Baylor College of Medicine, 1 Baylor Plaza, Houston, Texas, 77030, USA
- Jan and Dan Duncan Neurological Research Institute of Texas Children's Hospital, 1250 Moursund Street, Suite 1325, Houston, Texas, 77030, USA
| | - Tao Lin
- Department of Pathology and Immunology, Baylor College of Medicine, 1 Baylor Plaza, Houston, Texas, 77030, USA
- Jan and Dan Duncan Neurological Research Institute of Texas Children's Hospital, 1250 Moursund Street, Suite 1325, Houston, Texas, 77030, USA
| | - Daniel R Catt
- Department of Pathology and Immunology, Baylor College of Medicine, 1 Baylor Plaza, Houston, Texas, 77030, USA
- Jan and Dan Duncan Neurological Research Institute of Texas Children's Hospital, 1250 Moursund Street, Suite 1325, Houston, Texas, 77030, USA
| | - Joy Zhou
- Department of Pathology and Immunology, Baylor College of Medicine, 1 Baylor Plaza, Houston, Texas, 77030, USA
- Jan and Dan Duncan Neurological Research Institute of Texas Children's Hospital, 1250 Moursund Street, Suite 1325, Houston, Texas, 77030, USA
| | - Elizabeth P Lackey
- Department of Pathology and Immunology, Baylor College of Medicine, 1 Baylor Plaza, Houston, Texas, 77030, USA
- Department of Neuroscience, Baylor College of Medicine, 1 Baylor Plaza, Houston, Texas, 77030, USA
- Jan and Dan Duncan Neurological Research Institute of Texas Children's Hospital, 1250 Moursund Street, Suite 1325, Houston, Texas, 77030, USA
| | - Trace L Stay
- Department of Pathology and Immunology, Baylor College of Medicine, 1 Baylor Plaza, Houston, Texas, 77030, USA
- Department of Neuroscience, Baylor College of Medicine, 1 Baylor Plaza, Houston, Texas, 77030, USA
- Jan and Dan Duncan Neurological Research Institute of Texas Children's Hospital, 1250 Moursund Street, Suite 1325, Houston, Texas, 77030, USA
| | - Zhongyuan Zuo
- Department of Pathology and Immunology, Baylor College of Medicine, 1 Baylor Plaza, Houston, Texas, 77030, USA
- Jan and Dan Duncan Neurological Research Institute of Texas Children's Hospital, 1250 Moursund Street, Suite 1325, Houston, Texas, 77030, USA
| | - Joshua J White
- Department of Pathology and Immunology, Baylor College of Medicine, 1 Baylor Plaza, Houston, Texas, 77030, USA
- Department of Neuroscience, Baylor College of Medicine, 1 Baylor Plaza, Houston, Texas, 77030, USA
- Jan and Dan Duncan Neurological Research Institute of Texas Children's Hospital, 1250 Moursund Street, Suite 1325, Houston, Texas, 77030, USA
| | - Roy V Sillitoe
- Department of Pathology and Immunology, Baylor College of Medicine, 1 Baylor Plaza, Houston, Texas, 77030, USA.
- Department of Neuroscience, Baylor College of Medicine, 1 Baylor Plaza, Houston, Texas, 77030, USA.
- Program in Developmental Biology, Baylor College of Medicine, 1 Baylor Plaza, Houston, Texas, 77030, USA.
- Jan and Dan Duncan Neurological Research Institute of Texas Children's Hospital, 1250 Moursund Street, Suite 1325, Houston, Texas, 77030, USA.
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18
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Miterko LN, Lackey EP, Heck DH, Sillitoe RV. Shaping Diversity Into the Brain's Form and Function. Front Neural Circuits 2018; 12:83. [PMID: 30364100 PMCID: PMC6191489 DOI: 10.3389/fncir.2018.00083] [Citation(s) in RCA: 10] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.7] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 05/22/2018] [Accepted: 09/18/2018] [Indexed: 11/23/2022] Open
Abstract
The brain contains a large diversity of unique cell types that use specific genetic programs to control development and instruct the intricate wiring of sensory, motor, and cognitive brain regions. In addition to their cellular diversity and specialized connectivity maps, each region's dedicated function is also expressed in their characteristic gross external morphologies. The folds on the surface of the cerebral cortex and cerebellum are classic examples. But, to what extent does structure relate to function and at what spatial scale? We discuss the mechanisms that sculpt functional brain maps and external morphologies. We also contrast the cryptic structural defects in conditions such as autism spectrum disorders to the overt microcephaly after Zika infections, taking into consideration that both diseases disrupt proper cognitive development. The data indicate that dynamic processes shape all brain areas to fit into jigsaw-like patterns. The patterns in each region reflect circuit connectivity, which ultimately supports local signal processing and accomplishes multi-areal integration of information processing to optimize brain functions.
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Affiliation(s)
- Lauren N. Miterko
- Department of Pathology and Immunology, Baylor College of Medicine, Houston, TX, United States
- Program in Developmental Biology, Baylor College of Medicine, Houston, TX, United States
- Jan and Dan Duncan Neurological Research Institute of Texas Children’s Hospital, Houston, TX, United States
| | - Elizabeth P. Lackey
- Department of Pathology and Immunology, Baylor College of Medicine, Houston, TX, United States
- Jan and Dan Duncan Neurological Research Institute of Texas Children’s Hospital, Houston, TX, United States
- Department of Neuroscience, Baylor College of Medicine, Houston, TX, United States
| | - Detlef H. Heck
- Department of Anatomy and Neurobiology, University of Tennessee Health Science Center, Memphis, TN, United States
| | - Roy V. Sillitoe
- Department of Pathology and Immunology, Baylor College of Medicine, Houston, TX, United States
- Program in Developmental Biology, Baylor College of Medicine, Houston, TX, United States
- Jan and Dan Duncan Neurological Research Institute of Texas Children’s Hospital, Houston, TX, United States
- Department of Neuroscience, Baylor College of Medicine, Houston, TX, United States
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19
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McGrath SE, Annels N, Madhuri TK, Tailor A, Butler-Manuel SA, Morgan R, Pandha H, Michael A. Engrailed-2 (EN2) - a novel biomarker in epithelial ovarian cancer. BMC Cancer 2018; 18:943. [PMID: 30285763 PMCID: PMC6171236 DOI: 10.1186/s12885-018-4816-5] [Citation(s) in RCA: 16] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.7] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 05/18/2018] [Accepted: 09/13/2018] [Indexed: 11/11/2022] Open
Abstract
Background Epithelial ovarian cancer is a common malignancy, with no clinically approved diagnostic biomarker. Engrailed-2 (EN2) is a homeodomain-containing transcription factor, essential during embryological neural development, which is dysregulated in several cancer types. We evaluated the expression of EN2 in Epithelial ovarian cancer, and reviewed its role as a biomarker. Methods We evaluated 8 Epithelial ovarian cancer cell lines, along with > 100 surgical specimens from the Royal Surrey County Hospital (2009–2014). In total, 108 tumours and 5 normal tissue specimens were collected. En2 mRNA was evaluated by semi-quantitative RT-PCR. Histological sub-type, and platinum-sensitive/−resistant status were compared. Protein expression was assessed in cell lines (immunofluorescence), and in > 150 tumours (immunohistochemistry). Results En2 mRNA expression was elevated in serous ovarian tumours compared with normal ovary (p < 0.001), particularly in high-grade serous ovarian cancer (p < 0.0001) and in platinum-resistant tumours (p = 0.0232). Median Overall Survival and Progression-free Survival were reduced with high En2 expression (OS = 28 vs 42 months, p = 0.0329; PFS = 8 vs 27 months; p = 0.0004). Positive cytoplasmic EN2 staining was demonstrated in 78% of Epithelial ovarian cancers, with absence in normal ovary. EN2 positive high-grade serous ovarian cancer patients had a shorter PFS (10 vs 17.5 months; p = 0.0103). Conclusion The EN2 transcription factor is a novel ovarian cancer biomarker. It demonstrates prognostic value, correlating with worse Overall Survival and Progression-free Survival. It is hoped that further work will validate its use as a biomarker, and provide insight into the role of EN2 in the development, progression and spread of ovarian cancer.
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Affiliation(s)
- Sophie Elena McGrath
- Oncology, School of Biosciences and Medicine, FHMS, University of Surrey, Leggett Building, Daphne Jackson Road, Guildford, GU2 7WG, UK.,Present Address: The Royal Marsden NHS Foundation Trust, Downs Rd, Sutton, London, SM2 5PT, UK
| | - Nicola Annels
- Oncology, School of Biosciences and Medicine, FHMS, University of Surrey, Leggett Building, Daphne Jackson Road, Guildford, GU2 7WG, UK
| | | | - Anil Tailor
- Royal Surrey County Hospital, Egerton Road, Guildford, GU2 7XX, UK
| | | | - Richard Morgan
- Oncology, School of Biosciences and Medicine, FHMS, University of Surrey, Leggett Building, Daphne Jackson Road, Guildford, GU2 7WG, UK.,Present Address: The Institute of Cancer Therapeutics, University of Bradford, Bradford, West Yorkshire, BD7 1DP, UK
| | - Hardev Pandha
- Oncology, School of Biosciences and Medicine, FHMS, University of Surrey, Leggett Building, Daphne Jackson Road, Guildford, GU2 7WG, UK
| | - Agnieszka Michael
- Oncology, School of Biosciences and Medicine, FHMS, University of Surrey, Leggett Building, Daphne Jackson Road, Guildford, GU2 7WG, UK.
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Völker LA, Maar BA, Pulido Guevara BA, Bilkei-Gorzo A, Zimmer A, Brönneke H, Dafinger C, Bertsch S, Wagener JR, Schweizer H, Schermer B, Benzing T, Hoehne M. Neph2/Kirrel3 regulates sensory input, motor coordination, and home-cage activity in rodents. GENES BRAIN AND BEHAVIOR 2018; 17:e12516. [DOI: 10.1111/gbb.12516] [Citation(s) in RCA: 13] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.2] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 04/07/2018] [Revised: 07/22/2018] [Accepted: 08/17/2018] [Indexed: 11/30/2022]
Affiliation(s)
- Linus A. Völker
- Department II of Internal Medicine and Center for Molecular Medicine Cologne; University of Cologne; Cologne Germany
| | - Barbara A. Maar
- Department II of Internal Medicine and Center for Molecular Medicine Cologne; University of Cologne; Cologne Germany
| | - Barbara A. Pulido Guevara
- Department II of Internal Medicine and Center for Molecular Medicine Cologne; University of Cologne; Cologne Germany
| | - Andras Bilkei-Gorzo
- Institute of Molecular Psychiatry; Medical Faculty of the University of Bonn; Bonn Germany
| | - Andreas Zimmer
- Institute of Molecular Psychiatry; Medical Faculty of the University of Bonn; Bonn Germany
| | - Hella Brönneke
- Mouse Phenotyping Core Facility; Cologne Excellence Cluster on Cellular Stress Responses (CECAD); 50931 Cologne Germany
| | - Claudia Dafinger
- Department II of Internal Medicine and Center for Molecular Medicine Cologne; University of Cologne; Cologne Germany
| | - Sabine Bertsch
- Department II of Internal Medicine and Center for Molecular Medicine Cologne; University of Cologne; Cologne Germany
| | - Jan-Robin Wagener
- Institute for Neuroanatomy, Universitätsmedizin Göttingen; Georg-August-University Göttingen; Göttingen Germany
| | - Heiko Schweizer
- Renal Division; University Hospital Freiburg; Freiburg Germany
| | - Bernhard Schermer
- Department II of Internal Medicine and Center for Molecular Medicine Cologne; University of Cologne; Cologne Germany
- Cologne Excellence Cluster on Cellular Stress Responses in Aging-Associated Diseases (CECAD); University of Cologne; Cologne Germany
- Systems Biology of Ageing Cologne (Sybacol); University of Cologne; Cologne Germany
| | - Thomas Benzing
- Department II of Internal Medicine and Center for Molecular Medicine Cologne; University of Cologne; Cologne Germany
- Cologne Excellence Cluster on Cellular Stress Responses in Aging-Associated Diseases (CECAD); University of Cologne; Cologne Germany
- Systems Biology of Ageing Cologne (Sybacol); University of Cologne; Cologne Germany
| | - Martin Hoehne
- Department II of Internal Medicine and Center for Molecular Medicine Cologne; University of Cologne; Cologne Germany
- Cologne Excellence Cluster on Cellular Stress Responses in Aging-Associated Diseases (CECAD); University of Cologne; Cologne Germany
- Systems Biology of Ageing Cologne (Sybacol); University of Cologne; Cologne Germany
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21
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Reeber SL, Arancillo M, Sillitoe RV. Bergmann Glia are Patterned into Topographic Molecular Zones in the Developing and Adult Mouse Cerebellum. CEREBELLUM (LONDON, ENGLAND) 2018; 17:392-403. [PMID: 24906823 PMCID: PMC4291305 DOI: 10.1007/s12311-014-0571-6] [Citation(s) in RCA: 12] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 10/25/2022]
Abstract
Cerebellar circuits are patterned into an array of topographic parasagittal domains called zones. Zones are best revealed by gene expression, circuit anatomy, and cellular degeneration patterns. Thus far, the study of zones has been focused heavily on how neurons are organized. Because of this, detailed neuronal patterning maps have been established for Purkinje cells, granule cells, Golgi cells, unipolar brush cells, and also for the terminal field organization of climbing fiber and mossy fiber afferents. In comparison, however, it remains poorly understood if glial cells are also organized into zones. We have identified an Npy-Gfp BAC transgenic mouse line (Tau-Sapphire Green fluorescent protein (Gfp) is under the control of the neuropeptide Y (Npy) gene regulatory elements) that can be used to label Bergmann glial cells with Golgi-like resolution. In these adult transgenic mice, we found that Npy-Gfp expression was localized to Bergmann glia mainly in lobules VI/VII and IX/X. Using double immunofluorescence, we show that in these lobules, Npy-Gfp expression in the Bergmann glia overlaps with the pattern of the small heat shock protein HSP25, a Purkinje cell marker for zones located in lobules VI/VII and IX/X. Developmental analysis starting from the day of birth showed that HSP25 and Npy-Gfp expression follow a similar program of spatial and temporal patterning. However, loss of Npy signaling did not alter the patterning of Purkinje cell zones. We conclude that Bergmann glial cells are zonally organized and their patterns are restricted by boundaries that also confine cerebellar neurons into a topographic circuit map.
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Affiliation(s)
- Stacey L Reeber
- Department of Pathology and Immunology, Department of Neuroscience, Baylor College of Medicine, Jan and Dan Duncan Neurological Research Institute of Texas Children's Hospital, 1250 Moursund Street, Suite 1325, Houston, TX, 77030, USA
| | - Marife Arancillo
- Department of Pathology and Immunology, Department of Neuroscience, Baylor College of Medicine, Jan and Dan Duncan Neurological Research Institute of Texas Children's Hospital, 1250 Moursund Street, Suite 1325, Houston, TX, 77030, USA
| | - Roy V Sillitoe
- Department of Pathology and Immunology, Department of Neuroscience, Baylor College of Medicine, Jan and Dan Duncan Neurological Research Institute of Texas Children's Hospital, 1250 Moursund Street, Suite 1325, Houston, TX, 77030, USA.
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22
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Lackey EP, Heck DH, Sillitoe RV. Recent advances in understanding the mechanisms of cerebellar granule cell development and function and their contribution to behavior. F1000Res 2018; 7. [PMID: 30109024 PMCID: PMC6069759 DOI: 10.12688/f1000research.15021.1] [Citation(s) in RCA: 35] [Impact Index Per Article: 5.8] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Submit a Manuscript] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Accepted: 07/20/2018] [Indexed: 12/20/2022] Open
Abstract
The cerebellum is the focus of an emergent series of debates because its circuitry is now thought to encode an unexpected level of functional diversity. The flexibility that is built into the cerebellar circuit allows it to participate not only in motor behaviors involving coordination, learning, and balance but also in non-motor behaviors such as cognition, emotion, and spatial navigation. In accordance with the cerebellum’s diverse functional roles, when these circuits are altered because of disease or injury, the behavioral outcomes range from neurological conditions such as ataxia, dystonia, and tremor to neuropsychiatric conditions, including autism spectrum disorders, schizophrenia, and attention-deficit/hyperactivity disorder. Two major questions arise: what types of cells mediate these normal and abnormal processes, and how might they accomplish these seemingly disparate functions? The tiny but numerous cerebellar granule cells may hold answers to these questions. Here, we discuss recent advances in understanding how the granule cell lineage arises in the embryo and how a stem cell niche that replenishes granule cells influences wiring when the postnatal cerebellum is injured. We discuss how precisely coordinated developmental programs, gene expression patterns, and epigenetic mechanisms determine the formation of synapses that integrate multi-modal inputs onto single granule cells. These data lead us to consider how granule cell synaptic heterogeneity promotes sensorimotor and non-sensorimotor signals in behaving animals. We discuss evidence that granule cells use ultrafast neurotransmission that can operate at kilohertz frequencies. Together, these data inspire an emerging view for how granule cells contribute to the shaping of complex animal behaviors.
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Affiliation(s)
- Elizabeth P Lackey
- Department of Pathology & Immunology, Baylor College of Medicine, Houston, TX, USA.,Department of Neuroscience, Baylor College of Medicine, Houston, TX, USA.,Jan and Dan Duncan Neurological Research Institute at Texas Children's Hospital, 1250 Moursund Street, Suite 1325, Houston, TX, 77030, USA
| | - Detlef H Heck
- Department of Anatomy and Neurobiology, University of Tennessee Health Science Center, 855 Monroe Avenue, Memphis, TN, 38163, USA
| | - Roy V Sillitoe
- Department of Pathology & Immunology, Baylor College of Medicine, Houston, TX, USA.,Department of Neuroscience, Baylor College of Medicine, Houston, TX, USA.,Jan and Dan Duncan Neurological Research Institute at Texas Children's Hospital, 1250 Moursund Street, Suite 1325, Houston, TX, 77030, USA.,Program in Developmental Biology, Baylor College of Medicine, Houston, TX, USA
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23
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Beckinghausen J, Sillitoe RV. Insights into cerebellar development and connectivity. Neurosci Lett 2018; 688:2-13. [PMID: 29746896 DOI: 10.1016/j.neulet.2018.05.013] [Citation(s) in RCA: 59] [Impact Index Per Article: 9.8] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 12/26/2017] [Revised: 05/04/2018] [Accepted: 05/06/2018] [Indexed: 02/06/2023]
Abstract
The cerebellum has a well-established role in controlling motor functions such coordination, balance, posture, and skilled learning. There is mounting evidence that it might also play a critical role in non-motor functions such as cognition and emotion. It is therefore not surprising that cerebellar defects are associated with a wide array of diseases including ataxia, dystonia, tremor, schizophrenia, dyslexia, and autism spectrum disorder. What is intriguing is that a seemingly uniform circuit that is often described as being "simple" should carry out all of these behaviors. Analyses of how cerebellar circuits develop have revealed that such descriptions massively underestimate the complexity of the cerebellum. The cerebellum is in fact highly patterned and organized around a series of parasagittal stripes and transverse zones. This topographic architecture partitions all cerebellar circuits into functional modules that are thought to enhance processing power during cerebellar dependent behaviors. What are arguably the most remarkable features of cerebellar topography are the developmental processes that produce them. This review is concerned with the genetic and cellular mechanisms that orchestrate cerebellar patterning. We place a major focus on how Purkinje cells control multiple aspects of cerebellar circuit assembly. Using this model, we discuss evidence for how "zebra-like" patterns in Purkinje cells sculpt the cerebellum, how specific genetic cues mediate the process, and how activity refines the patterns into an adult map that is capable of executing various functions. We also discuss how defective Purkinje cell patterning might impact the pathogenesis of neurological conditions.
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Affiliation(s)
- Jaclyn Beckinghausen
- Department of Pathology and Immunology, 1250 Moursund Street, Suite 1325, Houston, TX 77030, USA; Department of Neuroscience, 1250 Moursund Street, Suite 1325, Houston, TX 77030, USA; Jan and Dan Duncan Neurological Research Institute of TX Children's Hospital, 1250 Moursund Street, Suite 1325, Houston, TX, 77030, USA
| | - Roy V Sillitoe
- Department of Pathology and Immunology, 1250 Moursund Street, Suite 1325, Houston, TX 77030, USA; Department of Neuroscience, 1250 Moursund Street, Suite 1325, Houston, TX 77030, USA; Program in Developmental Biology, Baylor College of Medicine, 1250 Moursund Street, Suite 1325, Houston, TX, 77030, USA; Jan and Dan Duncan Neurological Research Institute of TX Children's Hospital, 1250 Moursund Street, Suite 1325, Houston, TX, 77030, USA.
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24
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Nedelescu H, Abdelhack M, Pritchard AT. Regional differences in Purkinje cell morphology in the cerebellar vermis of male mice. J Neurosci Res 2018; 96:1476-1489. [PMID: 29319237 DOI: 10.1002/jnr.24206] [Citation(s) in RCA: 16] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.7] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 05/01/2017] [Revised: 11/18/2017] [Accepted: 11/20/2017] [Indexed: 12/19/2022]
Abstract
Regional differences in dendritic architecture can influence connectivity and dendritic signal integration, with possible consequences for neuronal computation. In the cerebellum, analyses of Purkinje cells (PCs), which are functionally critical as they provide the sole output of the cerebellar cortex, have suggested that the cerebellar cortex is not uniform in structure as traditionally assumed. However, the limitations of traditional staining methods and microscopy capabilities have presented difficulties in investigating possible local variations in PC morphology. To address this question, we used male mice expressing green fluorescent protein selectively in PCs. Using Neurolucida 360 with confocal image stacks, we reconstructed dendritic arbors of PCs residing in lobule V (anterior) and lobule IX (posterior) of the vermis. We then analyzed morphologies of individual arbors and the structure of the assembled "jungle," comparing these features across anatomical locations and age groups. Strikingly, we found that in lobule IX, half of the reconstructed PCs had two primary dendrites emanating from their soma, whereas fewer than a quarter showed this characteristic in lobule V. Furthermore, PCs in lobule V showed more efficient spatial occupancy compared to lobule IX, as well as greater packing density and increased arbor overlap in the adult. When analyzing complete ensembles of PC arbors, we also observed "hot spots" of increased dendritic density in lobule V, whereas lobule IX showed a more homogeneous spread of dendrites. These differences suggest that input patterns and/or physiology of PCs could likewise differ along the vermis, with possible implications for cerebellar function.
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Affiliation(s)
- Hermina Nedelescu
- Department of Systems Neurophysiology, Tokyo Medical and Dental University, Tokyo, Japan
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25
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Whittaker DE, Kasah S, Donovan APA, Ellegood J, Riegman KLH, Volk HA, McGonnell I, Lerch JP, Basson MA. Distinct cerebellar foliation anomalies in a CHD7 haploinsufficient mouse model of CHARGE syndrome. AMERICAN JOURNAL OF MEDICAL GENETICS PART C-SEMINARS IN MEDICAL GENETICS 2017; 175. [PMID: 29168327 PMCID: PMC5765394 DOI: 10.1002/ajmg.c.31595] [Citation(s) in RCA: 16] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 06/30/2017] [Revised: 09/22/2017] [Accepted: 09/24/2017] [Indexed: 11/13/2022]
Abstract
Mutations in the gene encoding the ATP dependent chromatin‐remodeling factor, CHD7 are the major cause of CHARGE (Coloboma, Heart defects, Atresia of the choanae, Retarded growth and development, Genital‐urinary anomalies, and Ear defects) syndrome. Neurodevelopmental defects and a range of neurological signs have been identified in individuals with CHARGE syndrome, including developmental delay, lack of coordination, intellectual disability, and autistic traits. We previously identified cerebellar vermis hypoplasia and abnormal cerebellar foliation in individuals with CHARGE syndrome. Here, we report mild cerebellar hypoplasia and distinct cerebellar foliation anomalies in a Chd7 haploinsufficient mouse model. We describe specific alterations in the precise spatio‐temporal sequence of fissure formation during perinatal cerebellar development responsible for these foliation anomalies. The altered cerebellar foliation pattern in Chd7 haploinsufficient mice show some similarities to those reported in mice with altered Engrailed, Fgf8 or Zic1 gene expression and we propose that mutations or polymorphisms in these genes may modify the cerebellar phenotype in CHARGE syndrome. Our findings in a mouse model of CHARGE syndrome indicate that a careful analysis of cerebellar foliation may be warranted in patients with CHARGE syndrome, particularly in patients with cerebellar hypoplasia and developmental delay.
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Affiliation(s)
- Danielle E Whittaker
- Centre for Craniofacial and Regenerative Biology, King's College London, London, United Kingdom.,Department of Clinical Science and Services, Royal Veterinary College, London, United Kingdom
| | - Sahrunizam Kasah
- Centre for Craniofacial and Regenerative Biology, King's College London, London, United Kingdom
| | - Alex P A Donovan
- Centre for Craniofacial and Regenerative Biology, King's College London, London, United Kingdom
| | - Jacob Ellegood
- Mouse Imaging Centre, Hospital for Sick Children, Toronto, Ontario, Canada
| | - Kimberley L H Riegman
- Centre for Craniofacial and Regenerative Biology, King's College London, London, United Kingdom
| | - Holger A Volk
- Department of Clinical Science and Services, Royal Veterinary College, London, United Kingdom
| | - Imelda McGonnell
- Department of Comparative Biomedical Sciences, Royal Veterinary College, London, United Kingdom
| | - Jason P Lerch
- Mouse Imaging Centre, Hospital for Sick Children, Toronto, Ontario, Canada.,Department of Medical Biophysics, University of Toronto, Toronto, Ontario, Canada
| | - M Albert Basson
- Centre for Craniofacial and Regenerative Biology, King's College London, London, United Kingdom.,MRC Centre for Neurodevelopmental Disorders, King's College London, London, United Kingdom
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26
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Verheijen BM, Gentier RJG, Hermes DJHP, van Leeuwen FW, Hopkins DA. Selective Transgenic Expression of Mutant Ubiquitin in Purkinje Cell Stripes in the Cerebellum. CEREBELLUM (LONDON, ENGLAND) 2017; 16:746-750. [PMID: 27966098 PMCID: PMC5427096 DOI: 10.1007/s12311-016-0838-1] [Citation(s) in RCA: 1] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.1] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 12/19/2022]
Abstract
The ubiquitin-proteasome system (UPS) is one of the major mechanisms for protein breakdown in cells, targeting proteins for degradation by enzymatically conjugating them to ubiquitin molecules. Intracellular accumulation of ubiquitin-B+1 (UBB+1), a frameshift mutant of ubiquitin-B, is indicative of a dysfunctional UPS and has been implicated in several disorders, including neurodegenerative disease. UBB+1-expressing transgenic mice display widespread labeling for UBB+1 in brain and exhibit behavioral deficits. Here, we show that UBB+1 is specifically expressed in a subset of parasagittal stripes of Purkinje cells in the cerebellar cortex of a UBB+1-expressing mouse model. This expression pattern is reminiscent of that of the constitutively expressed Purkinje cell antigen HSP25, a small heat shock protein with neuroprotective properties.
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Affiliation(s)
- Bert M Verheijen
- Department of Neuroscience, Faculty of Health, Medicine and Life Sciences, Maastricht University, Maastricht, The Netherlands.
- Lab of Experimental Neurology, Brain Center Rudolf Magnus, University Medical Center Utrecht, Utrecht, The Netherlands.
| | - Romina J G Gentier
- Department of Neuroscience, Faculty of Health, Medicine and Life Sciences, Maastricht University, Maastricht, The Netherlands
| | - Denise J H P Hermes
- Department of Neuroscience, Faculty of Health, Medicine and Life Sciences, Maastricht University, Maastricht, The Netherlands
| | - Fred W van Leeuwen
- Department of Neuroscience, Faculty of Health, Medicine and Life Sciences, Maastricht University, Maastricht, The Netherlands
| | - David A Hopkins
- Department of Neuroscience, Faculty of Health, Medicine and Life Sciences, Maastricht University, Maastricht, The Netherlands
- Department of Medical Neuroscience, Dalhousie University, Halifax, Nova Scotia, Canada
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27
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Wang L, Yang M, Liao S, Liu W, Dai G, Wu G, Chen L. Hsa-miR-27b is up-regulated in cytomegalovirus-infected human glioma cells, targets engrailed-2 and inhibits its expression. Exp Biol Med (Maywood) 2017; 242:1227-1233. [PMID: 28343438 DOI: 10.1177/1535370217699535] [Citation(s) in RCA: 12] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.7] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/17/2022] Open
Abstract
Human cytomegalovirus (HCMV) dormant infection can alter the expression of the hosts' microRNAs (miRNAs) and impact on the regulation of target genes. To investigate the differentially expressed miRNAs induced by HCMV in human glioma U251 cells, a comprehensive miRNA screen was performed. As a result, 19 up-regulated and 14 down-regulated miRNAs were determined. Of these, hsa-miR-27b (miR-27b) attracted our attention. MiR-27b levels in U251 cells increased 7.70-fold, 8.64-fold, and 4.78-fold, respectively, post 24 h, 48 h, and 72 h HCMV infection, compared to those in the mimic-infected cells, and this up-regulation was further confirmed by quantitative RT-PCR. The bioinformatic analyses show that miR-27b targets engrailed-2 (EN2) gene; however, the effect of miR-27b on EN2 is rarely encountered. In this study, we initially conducted dual luciferase assay to validate the target function of miR-27b on EN2. The results manifested that EN2 is a novel target of miR-27b, which could directly target the 3' untranslated region (3'-UTR) of the gene. We further found that the miR-27b transfected glioma U251 cells exhibited longer cell bodies with more synapses and multiple-angle shapes; moreover, Western blot detection revealed that the EN2 protein levels in these cells were significantly low. In conclusion, our study originally reports the up-regulation of miR-27b in HCMV-infected glioma cells. Our study also provides the first experimental evidence that miR-27b could affect glioma cells' growth, target EN2 and inhibit its expression in glioma cells. Our data indicate that miR-27b may be related to the development of neurological disorders with HCMV infection. The newly identified miR-27b/EN2 signal pathway may provide new insights into the glioma pathogenesis and a novel target for glioma therapy. Impact statement Our study is the first to demonstrate that the HCMV infection could alter the expression of cellular microRNAs of the host glioma cells, which may develop an understanding of the pathogenesis of the HCMV infection in the microRNA level. Recently, HCMV infection and engrailed-2 have been reported to be related to the autism spectrum disorder (ASD). In this study, we confirmed that engrailed-2 is the target of hsa-miR-27b. As far as we know, our findings of the hsa-miR-27b up-regulation in the HCMV-infected glioma cells, targeting engrailed-2 and inhibiting its expression have never been reported or documented. Our data indicate that miR-27b may be related to the development of neurological disorders with the HCMV infection. The newly identified miR-27b/EN2 signal pathway may provide new insights into the glioma pathogenesis and a novel target for glioma therapy.
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Affiliation(s)
- Linqian Wang
- 1 Department of Clinical Laboratory, Hunan Cancer Hospital, the Affiliated Cancer Hospital of Xiangya School of Medicine, Central South University, Changsha 410013, China
| | - Ming Yang
- 2 Department of Microbiology, Xiangya School of Medicine, Central South University, Changsha 410078, China
| | - Shijing Liao
- 2 Department of Microbiology, Xiangya School of Medicine, Central South University, Changsha 410078, China
| | - Wei Liu
- 2 Department of Microbiology, Xiangya School of Medicine, Central South University, Changsha 410078, China
| | - Gan Dai
- 2 Department of Microbiology, Xiangya School of Medicine, Central South University, Changsha 410078, China
| | - Guojun Wu
- 2 Department of Microbiology, Xiangya School of Medicine, Central South University, Changsha 410078, China
| | - Liyu Chen
- 2 Department of Microbiology, Xiangya School of Medicine, Central South University, Changsha 410078, China
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28
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Leto K, Arancillo M, Becker EBE, Buffo A, Chiang C, Ding B, Dobyns WB, Dusart I, Haldipur P, Hatten ME, Hoshino M, Joyner AL, Kano M, Kilpatrick DL, Koibuchi N, Marino S, Martinez S, Millen KJ, Millner TO, Miyata T, Parmigiani E, Schilling K, Sekerková G, Sillitoe RV, Sotelo C, Uesaka N, Wefers A, Wingate RJT, Hawkes R. Consensus Paper: Cerebellar Development. CEREBELLUM (LONDON, ENGLAND) 2016; 15:789-828. [PMID: 26439486 PMCID: PMC4846577 DOI: 10.1007/s12311-015-0724-2] [Citation(s) in RCA: 250] [Impact Index Per Article: 31.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 01/16/2023]
Abstract
The development of the mammalian cerebellum is orchestrated by both cell-autonomous programs and inductive environmental influences. Here, we describe the main processes of cerebellar ontogenesis, highlighting the neurogenic strategies used by developing progenitors, the genetic programs involved in cell fate specification, the progressive changes of structural organization, and some of the better-known abnormalities associated with developmental disorders of the cerebellum.
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Affiliation(s)
- Ketty Leto
- Department of Neuroscience Rita Levi Montalcini, University of Turin, via Cherasco 15, 10026, Turin, Italy.
- Neuroscience Institute Cavalieri-Ottolenghi, University of Turin, Regione Gonzole 10, 10043, Orbassano, Torino, Italy.
| | - Marife Arancillo
- Departments of Pathology & Immunology and Neuroscience, Baylor College of Medicine, Jan and Dan Duncan Neurological Research Institute of Texas Children's Hospital, 1250 Moursund Street, Suite 1325, Houston, TX, 77030, USA
| | - Esther B E Becker
- Medical Research Council Functional Genomics Unit, Department of Physiology, Anatomy and Genetics, University of Oxford, Oxford, OX1 3PT, UK
| | - Annalisa Buffo
- Department of Neuroscience Rita Levi Montalcini, University of Turin, via Cherasco 15, 10026, Turin, Italy
- Neuroscience Institute Cavalieri-Ottolenghi, University of Turin, Regione Gonzole 10, 10043, Orbassano, Torino, Italy
| | - Chin Chiang
- Department of Cell and Developmental Biology, Vanderbilt University Medical Center, 4114 MRB III, Nashville, TN, 37232, USA
| | - Baojin Ding
- Department of Microbiology and Physiological Systems and Program in Neuroscience, University of Massachusetts Medical School, 368 Plantation Street, Worcester, MA, 01605-2324, USA
| | - William B Dobyns
- Seattle Children's Research Institute, Center for Integrative Brain Research, Seattle, WA, USA
- Department of Pediatrics, Genetics Division, University of Washington, Seattle, WA, USA
| | - Isabelle Dusart
- Sorbonne Universités, Université Pierre et Marie Curie Univ Paris 06, Institut de Biologie Paris Seine, France, 75005, Paris, France
- Centre National de la Recherche Scientifique, CNRS, UMR8246, INSERM U1130, Neuroscience Paris Seine, France, 75005, Paris, France
| | - Parthiv Haldipur
- Seattle Children's Research Institute, Center for Integrative Brain Research, Seattle, WA, USA
| | - Mary E Hatten
- Laboratory of Developmental Neurobiology, The Rockefeller University, New York, NY, 10065, USA
| | - Mikio Hoshino
- Department of Biochemistry and Cellular Biology, National Institute of Neuroscience, National Center of Neurology and Psychiatry, 4-1-1 Ogawa-Higashi, Kodaira, Tokyo, 187-8502, Japan
| | - Alexandra L Joyner
- Developmental Biology Program, Sloan Kettering Institute, New York, NY, 10065, USA
| | - Masanobu Kano
- Department of Neurophysiology, Graduate School of Medicine, The University of Tokyo, Tokyo, 113-0033, Japan
| | - Daniel L Kilpatrick
- Department of Microbiology and Physiological Systems and Program in Neuroscience, University of Massachusetts Medical School, 368 Plantation Street, Worcester, MA, 01605-2324, USA
| | - Noriyuki Koibuchi
- Department of Integrative Physiology, Gunma University Graduate School of Medicine, 3-39-22 Showa-machi, Maebashi, Gunma, 371-8511, Japan
| | - Silvia Marino
- Blizard Institute, Barts and The London School of Medicine and Dentistry, Queen Mary University of London, 4 Newark Street, London, E1 2AT, UK
| | - Salvador Martinez
- Department Human Anatomy, IMIB-Arrixaca, University of Murcia, Murcia, Spain
| | - Kathleen J Millen
- Seattle Children's Research Institute, Center for Integrative Brain Research, Seattle, WA, USA
| | - Thomas O Millner
- Blizard Institute, Barts and The London School of Medicine and Dentistry, Queen Mary University of London, 4 Newark Street, London, E1 2AT, UK
| | - Takaki Miyata
- Department of Anatomy and Cell Biology, Nagoya University Graduate School of Medicine, Nagoya, Japan
| | - Elena Parmigiani
- Department of Neuroscience Rita Levi Montalcini, University of Turin, via Cherasco 15, 10026, Turin, Italy
- Neuroscience Institute Cavalieri-Ottolenghi, University of Turin, Regione Gonzole 10, 10043, Orbassano, Torino, Italy
| | - Karl Schilling
- Anatomie und Zellbiologie, Anatomisches Institut, Rheinische Friedrich-Wilhelms-Universität, Bonn, Germany
| | - Gabriella Sekerková
- Department of Physiology, Feinberg School of Medicine, Northwestern University, Chicago, IL, 60611, USA
| | - Roy V Sillitoe
- Departments of Pathology & Immunology and Neuroscience, Baylor College of Medicine, Jan and Dan Duncan Neurological Research Institute of Texas Children's Hospital, 1250 Moursund Street, Suite 1325, Houston, TX, 77030, USA
| | - Constantino Sotelo
- Institut de la Vision, UPMC Université de Paris 06, Paris, 75012, France
| | - Naofumi Uesaka
- Department of Neurophysiology, Graduate School of Medicine, The University of Tokyo, Tokyo, 113-0033, Japan
| | - Annika Wefers
- Center for Neuropathology, Ludwig-Maximilians-University, Munich, Germany
| | - Richard J T Wingate
- MRC Centre for Developmental Neurobiology, King's College London, London, UK
| | - Richard Hawkes
- Department of Cell Biology & Anatomy and Hotchkiss Brain Institute, Cumming School of Medicine, University of Calgary, Calgary, T2N 4NI, AB, Canada
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29
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White JJ, Lin T, Brown AM, Arancillo M, Lackey EP, Stay TL, Sillitoe RV. An optimized surgical approach for obtaining stable extracellular single-unit recordings from the cerebellum of head-fixed behaving mice. J Neurosci Methods 2016; 262:21-31. [PMID: 26777474 DOI: 10.1016/j.jneumeth.2016.01.010] [Citation(s) in RCA: 19] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.4] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 10/22/2015] [Revised: 12/16/2015] [Accepted: 01/06/2016] [Indexed: 11/29/2022]
Abstract
BACKGROUND Electrophysiological recording approaches are essential for understanding brain function. Among these approaches are various methods of performing single-unit recordings. However, a major hurdle to overcome when recording single units in vivo is stability. Poor stability results in a low signal-to-noise ratio, which makes it challenging to isolate neuronal signals. Proper isolation is needed for differentiating a signal from neighboring cells or the noise inherent to electrophysiology. Insufficient isolation makes it impossible to analyze full action potential waveforms. A common source of instability is an inadequate surgery. Problems during surgery cause blood loss, tissue damage and poor healing of the surrounding tissue, limited access to the target brain region, and, importantly, unreliable fixation points for holding the mouse's head. NEW METHOD We describe an optimized surgical procedure that ensures limited tissue damage and delineate a method for implanting head plates to hold the animal firmly in place. RESULTS Using the cerebellum as a model, we implement an extracellular recording technique to acquire single units from Purkinje cells and cerebellar nuclear neurons in behaving mice. We validate the stability of our method by holding single units after injecting the powerful tremorgenic drug harmaline. We performed multiple structural analyses after recording. COMPARISON WITH EXISTING METHODS Our approach is ideal for studying neuronal function in active mice and valuable for recording single-neuron activity when considerable motion is unavoidable. CONCLUSIONS The surgical principles we present for accessing the cerebellum can be easily adapted to examine the function of neurons in other brain regions.
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Affiliation(s)
- Joshua J White
- Department of Pathology and Immunology, Department of Neuroscience, Baylor College of Medicine, Jan and Dan Duncan Neurological Research Institute of Texas Children's Hospital, 1250 Moursund Street, Suite 1325, Houston, TX 77030, USA
| | - Tao Lin
- Department of Pathology and Immunology, Department of Neuroscience, Baylor College of Medicine, Jan and Dan Duncan Neurological Research Institute of Texas Children's Hospital, 1250 Moursund Street, Suite 1325, Houston, TX 77030, USA
| | - Amanda M Brown
- Department of Pathology and Immunology, Department of Neuroscience, Baylor College of Medicine, Jan and Dan Duncan Neurological Research Institute of Texas Children's Hospital, 1250 Moursund Street, Suite 1325, Houston, TX 77030, USA
| | - Marife Arancillo
- Department of Pathology and Immunology, Department of Neuroscience, Baylor College of Medicine, Jan and Dan Duncan Neurological Research Institute of Texas Children's Hospital, 1250 Moursund Street, Suite 1325, Houston, TX 77030, USA
| | - Elizabeth P Lackey
- Department of Pathology and Immunology, Department of Neuroscience, Baylor College of Medicine, Jan and Dan Duncan Neurological Research Institute of Texas Children's Hospital, 1250 Moursund Street, Suite 1325, Houston, TX 77030, USA
| | - Trace L Stay
- Department of Pathology and Immunology, Department of Neuroscience, Baylor College of Medicine, Jan and Dan Duncan Neurological Research Institute of Texas Children's Hospital, 1250 Moursund Street, Suite 1325, Houston, TX 77030, USA
| | - Roy V Sillitoe
- Department of Pathology and Immunology, Department of Neuroscience, Baylor College of Medicine, Jan and Dan Duncan Neurological Research Institute of Texas Children's Hospital, 1250 Moursund Street, Suite 1325, Houston, TX 77030, USA.
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30
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Abstract
Despite extensive efforts to identify a clinically useful diagnostic biomarker in prostate cancer, no new test has been approved by regulatory authorities. As a result, this unmet need has shifted to biomarkers that additionally indicate presence or absence of "significant" disease. EN2 is a homeodomain-containing transcription factor secreted by prostate cancer into the urine and can be detected by enzyme-linked immunoassay. EN2 may be an ideal biomarker because normal prostate tissue and benign prostatic hypertrophic cells do not secrete EN2. This review discusses the enormous potential of EN2 to address this unmet need and provide the urologist with a simple, inexpensive, and reliable prostate cancer biomarker.
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Affiliation(s)
- Sophie E McGrath
- Faculty of Health & Medical Sciences, University of Surrey, Guildford, Surrey, United Kingdom
| | - Agnieszka Michael
- Faculty of Health & Medical Sciences, University of Surrey, Guildford, Surrey, United Kingdom
| | - Richard Morgan
- Faculty of Health & Medical Sciences, University of Surrey, Guildford, Surrey, United Kingdom
| | - Hardev Pandha
- Faculty of Health & Medical Sciences, University of Surrey, Guildford, Surrey, United Kingdom.
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31
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Redefining the cerebellar cortex as an assembly of non-uniform Purkinje cell microcircuits. Nat Rev Neurosci 2015; 16:79-93. [PMID: 25601779 DOI: 10.1038/nrn3886] [Citation(s) in RCA: 192] [Impact Index Per Article: 21.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/09/2022]
Abstract
The adult mammalian cerebellar cortex is generally assumed to have a uniform cytoarchitecture. Differences in cerebellar function are thought to arise primarily through distinct patterns of input and output connectivity rather than as a result of variations in cortical microcircuitry. However, evidence from anatomical, physiological and genetic studies is increasingly challenging this orthodoxy, and there are now various lines of evidence indicating that the cerebellar cortex is not uniform. Here, we develop the hypothesis that regional differences in properties of cerebellar cortical microcircuits lead to important differences in information processing.
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32
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Morphogenesis of the cerebellum and cerebellum-related structures in the shark Scyliorhinus canicula: insights on the ground pattern of the cerebellar ontogeny. Brain Struct Funct 2015; 221:1691-717. [DOI: 10.1007/s00429-015-0998-7] [Citation(s) in RCA: 12] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 08/14/2014] [Accepted: 01/28/2015] [Indexed: 10/24/2022]
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33
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Okamura-Oho Y, Shimokawa K, Nishimura M, Takemoto S, Sato A, Furuichi T, Yokota H. Broad integration of expression maps and co-expression networks compassing novel gene functions in the brain. Sci Rep 2014; 4:6969. [PMID: 25382412 PMCID: PMC4225549 DOI: 10.1038/srep06969] [Citation(s) in RCA: 3] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 05/19/2014] [Accepted: 10/07/2014] [Indexed: 12/12/2022] Open
Abstract
Using a recently invented technique for gene expression mapping in the whole-anatomy context, termed transcriptome tomography, we have generated a dataset of 36,000 maps of overall gene expression in the adult-mouse brain. Here, using an informatics approach, we identified a broad co-expression network that follows an inverse power law and is rich in functional interaction and gene-ontology terms. Our framework for the integrated analysis of expression maps and graphs of co-expression networks revealed that groups of combinatorially expressed genes, which regulate cell differentiation during development, were present in the adult brain and each of these groups was associated with a discrete cell types. These groups included non-coding genes of unknown function. We found that these genes specifically linked developmentally conserved groups in the network. A previously unrecognized robust expression pattern covering the whole brain was related to the molecular anatomy of key biological processes occurring in particular areas.
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Affiliation(s)
- Yuko Okamura-Oho
- Brain Research Network (BReNt), 2-2-41 Sakurayama, Zushi-shi, Kanagawa, 249-0005, Japan
- Image Processing Research Team, Extreme Photonics Research Group, RIKEN Center for Advanced Photonics, 2-1 Hirosawa Wako-shi Saitama, 351-0198, Japan
| | - Kazuro Shimokawa
- Department of Health Record Informatics, Tohoku Medical Megabank Organization, Tohoku University, 2-1 Seiryo-chou Aoba-ku Sendai-shi Miyagi, 980-8573, Japan
| | - Masaomi Nishimura
- Image Processing Research Team, Extreme Photonics Research Group, RIKEN Center for Advanced Photonics, 2-1 Hirosawa Wako-shi Saitama, 351-0198, Japan
| | - Satoko Takemoto
- Image Processing Research Team, Extreme Photonics Research Group, RIKEN Center for Advanced Photonics, 2-1 Hirosawa Wako-shi Saitama, 351-0198, Japan
| | - Akira Sato
- Department of Applied Biological Science, Faculty of Science and Technology, Tokyo University of Science, 2641 Yamazaki, Noda-shi, Chiba, 278-8510, Japan
| | - Teiichi Furuichi
- Department of Applied Biological Science, Faculty of Science and Technology, Tokyo University of Science, 2641 Yamazaki, Noda-shi, Chiba, 278-8510, Japan
| | - Hideo Yokota
- Image Processing Research Team, Extreme Photonics Research Group, RIKEN Center for Advanced Photonics, 2-1 Hirosawa Wako-shi Saitama, 351-0198, Japan
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Arancillo M, White JJ, Lin T, Stay TL, Sillitoe RV. In vivo analysis of Purkinje cell firing properties during postnatal mouse development. J Neurophysiol 2014; 113:578-91. [PMID: 25355961 DOI: 10.1152/jn.00586.2014] [Citation(s) in RCA: 59] [Impact Index Per Article: 5.9] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/22/2022] Open
Abstract
Purkinje cell activity is essential for controlling motor behavior. During motor behavior Purkinje cells fire two types of action potentials: simple spikes that are generated intrinsically and complex spikes that are induced by climbing fiber inputs. Although the functions of these spikes are becoming clear, how they are established is still poorly understood. Here, we used in vivo electrophysiology approaches conducted in anesthetized and awake mice to record Purkinje cell activity starting from the second postnatal week of development through to adulthood. We found that the rate of complex spike firing increases sharply at 3 wk of age whereas the rate of simple spike firing gradually increases until 4 wk of age. We also found that compared with adult, the pattern of simple spike firing during development is more irregular as the cells tend to fire in bursts that are interrupted by long pauses. The regularity in simple spike firing only reached maturity at 4 wk of age. In contrast, the adult complex spike pattern was already evident by the second week of life, remaining consistent across all ages. Analyses of Purkinje cells in alert behaving mice suggested that the adult patterns are attained more than a week after the completion of key morphogenetic processes such as migration, lamination, and foliation. Purkinje cell activity is therefore dynamically sculpted throughout postnatal development, traversing several critical events that are required for circuit formation. Overall, we show that simple spike and complex spike firing develop with unique developmental trajectories.
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Affiliation(s)
- Marife Arancillo
- Department of Pathology and Immunology, Department of Neuroscience, Baylor College of Medicine, Jan and Dan Duncan Neurological Research Institute of Texas Children's Hospital, Houston, Texas
| | - Joshua J White
- Department of Pathology and Immunology, Department of Neuroscience, Baylor College of Medicine, Jan and Dan Duncan Neurological Research Institute of Texas Children's Hospital, Houston, Texas
| | - Tao Lin
- Department of Pathology and Immunology, Department of Neuroscience, Baylor College of Medicine, Jan and Dan Duncan Neurological Research Institute of Texas Children's Hospital, Houston, Texas
| | - Trace L Stay
- Department of Pathology and Immunology, Department of Neuroscience, Baylor College of Medicine, Jan and Dan Duncan Neurological Research Institute of Texas Children's Hospital, Houston, Texas
| | - Roy V Sillitoe
- Department of Pathology and Immunology, Department of Neuroscience, Baylor College of Medicine, Jan and Dan Duncan Neurological Research Institute of Texas Children's Hospital, Houston, Texas
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Abstract
Cerebellar circuits are patterned into an array of topographic parasagittal domains called zones. The proper connectivity of zones is critical for motor coordination and motor learning, and in several neurological diseases cerebellar circuits degenerate in zonal patterns. Despite recent advances in understanding zone function, we still have a limited understanding of how zones are formed. Here, we focused our attention on Purkinje cells to gain a better understanding of their specific role in establishing zonal circuits. We used conditional mouse genetics to test the hypothesis that Purkinje cell neurotransmission is essential for refining prefunctional developmental zones into sharp functional zones. Our results show that inhibitory synaptic transmission in Purkinje cells is necessary for the precise patterning of Purkinje cell zones and the topographic targeting of mossy fiber afferents. As expected, blocking Purkinje cell neurotransmission caused ataxia. Using in vivo electrophysiology, we demonstrate that loss of Purkinje cell communication altered the firing rate and pattern of their target cerebellar nuclear neurons. Analysis of Purkinje cell complex spike firing revealed that feedback in the cerebellar nuclei to inferior olive to Purkinje cell loop is obstructed. Loss of Purkinje neurotransmission also caused ectopic zonal expression of tyrosine hydroxylase, which is only expressed in adult Purkinje cells when calcium is dysregulated and if excitability is altered. Our results suggest that Purkinje cell inhibitory neurotransmission establishes the functional circuitry of the cerebellum by patterning the molecular zones, fine-tuning afferent circuitry, and shaping neuronal activity.
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McGrath SE, Michael A, Morgan R, Pandha H. EN2: a novel prostate cancer biomarker. Biomark Med 2014; 7:893-901. [PMID: 24266821 DOI: 10.2217/bmm.13.115] [Citation(s) in RCA: 16] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.6] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 01/08/2023] Open
Abstract
Extensive efforts to identify a clinically useful biomarker for the diagnosis of prostate cancer have resulted in important insights into the biology of the disease, but no new test has been approved by regulatory authorities. The unmet need has also shifted to identifying biomarkers that not only diagnose prostate cancer but also indicate whether the patient has 'significant' disease. EN2 is a homeobox-containing transcription factor secreted specifically by prostate cancers into urine, where it can be detected by a simple ELISA assay. A number of studies have demonstrated the enormous potential of EN2 to address this unmet need and provide the urologist with a simple, cheap and efficient prostate cancer biomarker.
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Affiliation(s)
- Sophie E McGrath
- Faculty of Health & Medical Sciences, University of Surrey, Guildford, GU2 7WG, UK
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Achim K, Salminen M, Partanen J. Mechanisms regulating GABAergic neuron development. Cell Mol Life Sci 2014; 71:1395-415. [PMID: 24196748 PMCID: PMC11113277 DOI: 10.1007/s00018-013-1501-3] [Citation(s) in RCA: 35] [Impact Index Per Article: 3.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 08/30/2013] [Revised: 10/10/2013] [Accepted: 10/14/2013] [Indexed: 12/17/2022]
Abstract
Neurons using gamma-aminobutyric acid (GABA) as their neurotransmitter are the main inhibitory neurons in the mature central nervous system (CNS) and show great variation in their form and function. GABAergic neurons are produced in all of the main domains of the CNS, where they develop from discrete regions of the neuroepithelium. Here, we review the gene expression and regulatory mechanisms controlling the main steps of GABAergic neuron development: early patterning of the proliferative neuroepithelium, production of postmitotic neural precursors, establishment of their identity and migration. By comparing the molecular regulation of these events across CNS, we broadly identify three regions utilizing distinct molecular toolkits for GABAergic fate determination: telencephalon-anterior diencephalon (DLX2 type), posterior diencephalon-midbrain (GATA2 type) and hindbrain-spinal cord (PTF1A and TAL1 types). Similarities and differences in the molecular regulatory mechanisms reveal the core determinants of a GABAergic neuron as well as provide insights into generation of the vast diversity of these neurons.
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Affiliation(s)
- Kaia Achim
- EMBL Heidelberg, Meyerhofstr. 1, 69117 Heidelberg, Germany
| | - Marjo Salminen
- Department of Veterinary Biosciences, University of Helsinki, Agnes Sjobergin katu 2, PO Box 66, 00014 Helsinki, Finland
| | - Juha Partanen
- Department of Biosciences, University of Helsinki, Viikinkaari 5, PO Box 56, 00014 Helsinki, Finland
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Choi J, Ababon MR, Soliman M, Lin Y, Brzustowicz LM, Matteson PG, Millonig JH. Autism associated gene, engrailed2, and flanking gene levels are altered in post-mortem cerebellum. PLoS One 2014; 9:e87208. [PMID: 24520327 PMCID: PMC3919719 DOI: 10.1371/journal.pone.0087208] [Citation(s) in RCA: 28] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.8] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 02/12/2013] [Accepted: 12/24/2013] [Indexed: 11/19/2022] Open
Abstract
Background Previous genetic studies demonstrated association between the transcription factor ENGRAILED2 (EN2) and Autism Spectrum Disorder (ASD). Subsequent molecular analysis determined that the EN2 ASD-associated haplotype (rs1861972-rs1861973 A-C) functions as a transcriptional activator to increase gene expression. EN2 is flanked by 5 genes, SEROTONIN RECEPTOR5A (HTR5A), INSULIN INDUCED GENE1 (INSIG1), CANOPY1 HOMOLOG (CNPY1), RNA BINDING MOTIF PROTEIN33 (RBM33), and SONIC HEDGEHOG (SHH). These flanking genes are co-expressed with EN2 during development and coordinate similar developmental processes. To investigate if mRNA levels for these genes are altered in individuals with autism, post-mortem analysis was performed. Methods qRT-PCR quantified mRNA levels for EN2 and the 5 flanking genes in 78 post-mortem cerebellar samples. mRNA levels were correlated with both affection status and rs1861972-rs1861973 genotype. Molecular analysis investigated whether EN2 regulates flanking gene expression. Results EN2 levels are increased in affected A-C/G-T individuals (p = .0077). Affected individuals also display a significant increase in SHH and a decrease in INSIG1 levels. Rs1861972-rs1861973 genotype is correlated with significant increases for SHH (A-C/G-T) and CNPY1 (G-T/G-T) levels. Human cell line over-expression and knock-down as well as mouse knock-out analysis are consistent with EN2 and SHH being co-regulated, which provides a possible mechanism for increased SHH post-mortem levels. Conclusions EN2 levels are increased in affected individuals with an A-C/G-T genotype, supporting EN2 as an ASD susceptibility gene. SHH, CNPY1, and INSIG1 levels are also significantly altered depending upon affection status or rs1861972-rs1861973 genotype. Increased EN2 levels likely contribute to elevated SHH expression observed in the post-mortem samples
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Affiliation(s)
- Jiyeon Choi
- Center for Advanced Biotechnology and Medicine, Piscataway, New Jersey, United States of America
| | - Myka R. Ababon
- Center for Advanced Biotechnology and Medicine, Piscataway, New Jersey, United States of America
| | - Mai Soliman
- Center for Advanced Biotechnology and Medicine, Piscataway, New Jersey, United States of America
| | - Yong Lin
- Cancer Institute of New Jersey, Piscataway, New Jersey, United States of America
| | - Linda M. Brzustowicz
- Department of Genetics, Rutgers University, Piscataway, New Jersey, United States of America
| | - Paul G. Matteson
- Center for Advanced Biotechnology and Medicine, Piscataway, New Jersey, United States of America
| | - James H. Millonig
- Center for Advanced Biotechnology and Medicine, Piscataway, New Jersey, United States of America
- Department of Neuroscience and Cell Biology, Robert Wood Johnson Medical School, Piscataway, New Jersey, United States of America
- Department of Genetics, Rutgers University, Piscataway, New Jersey, United States of America
- * E-mail:
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Rossman IT, Lin L, Morgan KM, Digiovine M, Van Buskirk EK, Kamdar S, Millonig JH, Dicicco-Bloom E. Engrailed2 modulates cerebellar granule neuron precursor proliferation, differentiation and insulin-like growth factor 1 signaling during postnatal development. Mol Autism 2014; 5:9. [PMID: 24507165 PMCID: PMC3932947 DOI: 10.1186/2040-2392-5-9] [Citation(s) in RCA: 19] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.9] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 04/12/2013] [Accepted: 01/14/2014] [Indexed: 01/16/2023] Open
Abstract
Background The homeobox transcription factor Engrailed2 (En2) has been studied extensively in neurodevelopment, particularly in the midbrain/hindbrain region and cerebellum, where it exhibits dynamic patterns of expression and regulates cell patterning and morphogenesis. Because of its roles in regulating cerebellar development and evidence of cerebellar pathology in autism spectrum disorder (ASD), we previously examined an ENGRAILED2 association and found evidence to support EN2 as a susceptibility gene, a finding replicated by several other investigators. However, its functions at the cell biological level remain undefined. In the mouse, En2 gene is expressed in granule neuron precursors (GNPs) just as they exit the cell cycle and begin to differentiate, raising the possibility that En2 may modulate these developmental processes. Methods To define En2 functions, we examined proliferation, differentiation and signaling pathway activation in En2 knockout (KO) and wild-type (WT) GNPs in response to a variety of extracellular growth factors and following En2 cDNA overexpression in cell culture. In vivo analyses of cerebellar GNP proliferation as well as responses to insulin-like growth factor-1 (IGF1) treatment were also conducted. Results Proliferation markers were increased in KO GNPs in vivo and in 24-h cultures, suggesting En2 normally serves to promote cell cycle exit. Significantly, IGF1 stimulated greater DNA synthesis in KO than WT cells in culture, a finding associated with markedly increased phospho-S6 kinase activation. Similarly, there was three-fold greater DNA synthesis in the KO cerebellum in response to IGF1 in vivo. On the other hand, KO GNPs exhibited reduced neurite outgrowth and differentiation. Conversely, En2 overexpression increased cell cycle exit and promoted neuronal differentiation. Conclusions In aggregate, our observations suggest that the ASD-associated gene En2 promotes GNP cell cycle exit and differentiation, and modulates IGF1 activity during postnatal cerebellar development. Thus, genetic/epigenetic alterations of EN2 expression may impact proliferation, differentiation and IGF1 signaling as possible mechanisms that may contribute to ASD pathogenesis.
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Affiliation(s)
| | | | | | | | | | | | | | - Emanuel Dicicco-Bloom
- Department of Neuroscience & Cell Biology, Robert Wood Johnson Medical School, Rutgers, The State University of New Jersey, 675 Hoes, Lane, Piscataway, NJ 08854, USA.
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Shevelkin AV, Ihenatu C, Pletnikov MV. Pre-clinical models of neurodevelopmental disorders: focus on the cerebellum. Rev Neurosci 2014; 25:177-94. [PMID: 24523305 PMCID: PMC4052755 DOI: 10.1515/revneuro-2013-0049] [Citation(s) in RCA: 25] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 11/05/2013] [Accepted: 12/31/2013] [Indexed: 12/24/2022]
Abstract
Recent studies have advanced our understanding of the role of the cerebellum in non-motor behaviors. Abnormalities in the cerebellar structure have been demonstrated to produce changes in emotional, cognitive, and social behaviors resembling clinical manifestations observed in patients with autism spectrum disorders (ASD) and schizophrenia. Several animal models have been used to evaluate the effects of relevant environmental and genetic risk factors on the cerebellum development and function. However, very few models of ASD and schizophrenia selectively target the cerebellum and/or specific cell types within this structure. In this review, we critically evaluate the strength and weaknesses of these models. We will propose that the future progress in this field will require time- and cell type-specific manipulations of disease-relevant genes, not only selectively in the cerebellum, but also in frontal brain areas connected with the cerebellum. Such information can advance our knowledge of the cerebellar contribution to non-motor behaviors in mental health and disease.
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Affiliation(s)
| | - Richard Hawkes
- Department of Cell Biology and Anatomy, Genes and Development Research Group and Hotchkiss Brain Institute, Faculty of Medicine, University of Calgary
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White JJ, Sillitoe RV. Postnatal development of cerebellar zones revealed by neurofilament heavy chain protein expression. Front Neuroanat 2013; 7:9. [PMID: 23675325 PMCID: PMC3648691 DOI: 10.3389/fnana.2013.00009] [Citation(s) in RCA: 30] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.7] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 04/06/2013] [Accepted: 04/24/2013] [Indexed: 11/13/2022] Open
Abstract
The cerebellum is organized into parasagittal zones that control sensory-motor behavior. Although the architecture of adult zones is well understood, very little is known about how zones emerge during development. Understanding the process of zone formation is an essential step toward unraveling how circuits are constructed to support specific behaviors. Therefore, we focused this study on postnatal development to determine the spatial and temporal changes that establish zonal patterns during circuit formation. We used a combination of wholemount and tissue section immunohistochemistry in mice to show that the cytoskeletal protein neurofilament heavy chain (NFH) is a robust marker for postnatal cerebellar zonal patterning. The patterned expression of NFH is initiated shortly after birth, and compared to the domains of several known zonal markers such as zebrin II, HSP25, neurogranin, and phospholipase Cβ4 (PLCβ4), NFH does not exhibit transient expression patterns that are typically remodeled between stages, and the adult zones do not emerge after a period of uniform expression in all lobules. Instead, we found that throughout postnatal development NFH gradually reveals distinct zones in each cerebellar lobule. The boundaries of individual NFH zones sharpen over time, as zones are refined during the second and third weeks after birth. Double labeling with neurogranin and PLCβ4 further revealed that although the postnatal expression of NFH is spatially and temporally unique, its pattern of zones respects a fundamental and well-known molecular topography in the cerebellum. The dynamics of NFH expression support the hypothesis that adult circuits are derived from an embryonic map that is refined into zones during the first 3-weeks of life.
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Affiliation(s)
- Joshua J White
- Department of Pathology and Immunology, Baylor College of Medicine, Jan and Dan Duncan Neurological Research Institute of Texas Children's Hospital Houston, TX, USA ; Department of Neuroscience, Baylor College of Medicine, Jan and Dan Duncan Neurological Research Institute of Texas Children's Hospital Houston, TX, USA
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McGrath SE, Michael A, Pandha H, Morgan R. Engrailed homeobox transcription factors as potential markers and targets in cancer. FEBS Lett 2013; 587:549-54. [DOI: 10.1016/j.febslet.2013.01.054] [Citation(s) in RCA: 14] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 11/26/2012] [Revised: 01/25/2013] [Accepted: 01/28/2013] [Indexed: 01/10/2023]
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Maloney SE, Rieger MA, Dougherty JD. Identifying essential cell types and circuits in autism spectrum disorders. INTERNATIONAL REVIEW OF NEUROBIOLOGY 2013; 113:61-96. [PMID: 24290383 DOI: 10.1016/b978-0-12-418700-9.00003-4] [Citation(s) in RCA: 15] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.4] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 12/16/2022]
Abstract
Autism spectrum disorder (ASD) is highly genetic in its etiology, with potentially hundreds of genes contributing to risk. Despite this heterogeneity, these disparate genetic lesions may result in the disruption of a limited number of key cell types or circuits-information which could be leveraged for the design of therapeutic interventions. While hypotheses for cellular disruptions can be identified by postmortem anatomical analysis and expression studies of ASD risk genes, testing these hypotheses requires the use of animal models. In this review, we explore the existing evidence supporting the contribution of different cell types to ASD, specifically focusing on rodent studies disrupting serotonergic, GABAergic, cerebellar, and striatal cell types, with particular attention to studies of the sufficiency of specific cellular disruptions to generate ASD-related behavioral abnormalities. This evidence suggests multiple cellular routes can create features of the disorder, though it is currently unclear if these cell types converge on a final common circuit. We hope that in the future, systematic studies of cellular sufficiency and genetic interaction will help to classify patients into groups by type of cellular disruptions which suggest tractable therapeutic targets.
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Affiliation(s)
- Susan E Maloney
- Department of Genetics, Washington University School of Medicine, St. Louis, Missouri, USA; Department of Psychiatry, Washington University School of Medicine, St. Louis, Missouri, USA
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Purkinje cell compartmentalization in the cerebellum of the spontaneous mutant mouse dreher. Brain Struct Funct 2012; 219:35-47. [PMID: 23160833 DOI: 10.1007/s00429-012-0482-6] [Citation(s) in RCA: 5] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.4] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 07/20/2012] [Accepted: 11/01/2012] [Indexed: 12/19/2022]
Abstract
The cerebellar morphological phenotype of the spontaneous neurological mutant mouse dreher (Lmx1a(dr-J)) results from cell fate changes in dorsal midline patterning involving the roof plate and rhombic lip. Positional cloning revealed that the gene Lmx1a, which encodes a LIM homeodomain protein, is mutated in dreher, and is expressed in the developing roof plate and rhombic lip. Loss of Lmx1a causes reduction of the roof plate, an important embryonic signaling center, and abnormal cell fate specification within the embryonic cerebellar rhombic lip. In adult animals, these defects result in variable, medial fusion of the cerebellar vermis and posterior cerebellar vermis hypoplasia. It is unknown whether deleting Lmx1a results in displacement or loss of specific lobules in the vermis. To distinguish between an ectopic and absent vermis, the expression patterns of two Purkinje cell-specific compartmentation antigens, zebrin II/aldolase C and the small heat shock protein HSP25 were analyzed in dreher cerebella. The data reveal that despite the reduction in volume and abnormal foliation of the cerebellum, the transverse zones and parasagittal stripe arrays characteristic of the normal vermis are present in dreher, but may be highly distorted. In dreher mutants with a severe phenotype, zebrin II stripes are fragmented and distributed non-symmetrically about the cerebellar midline. We conclude that although Purkinje cell agenesis or selective Purkinje cell death may contribute to the dreher phenotype, our data suggest that aberrant anlage patterning and granule cell development lead to Purkinje cell ectopia, which ultimately causes abnormal cerebellar architecture in dreher.
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Engrailed is required in maturing serotonin neurons to regulate the cytoarchitecture and survival of the dorsal raphe nucleus. J Neurosci 2012; 32:7832-42. [PMID: 22674259 DOI: 10.1523/jneurosci.5829-11.2012] [Citation(s) in RCA: 33] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.8] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/21/2022] Open
Abstract
Analysis of constitutive Engrailed (En) null mice previously implicated the two En homeobox paralogs in the development of serotonin (5-HT) neurons. An unresolved question is whether En plays intrinsic roles in these neurons. Here, we show that En1 and En2 are expressed in maturing 5-HT neurons that will form the dorsal raphe nucleus (DRN) and part of the median raphe nucleus. Although En1 expression in 5-HT neurons persists postnatally, En2 expression is extinguished by embryonic day 17.5. To investigate intrinsic serotonergic functions for En1/2, we generated compound conditional En mutants with floxed alleles and a cre recombinase line that becomes active in postmitotic fetal 5-HT neurons. We present evidence in support of a requirement for En1/2 in the maturation of DRN cytoarchitecture. The disruption of DRN cytoarchitecture appears to result from a defect in secondary migration of serotonergic cell bodies toward the midline rather than disruption of their primary ventral migration away from the ventricular zone. Furthermore, En1/2 are required for perinatal maintenance of serotonergic identity and postnatal forebrain 5-HT levels. Increased numbers of caspase-3-expressing cells and loss of significant numbers of 5-HT neuron cell bodies, indicative of apoptosis, occurred after loss of serotonergic identity. Analysis of an allelic series of conditional mutants showed that En1 is the predominant functional En paralog in maturing 5-HT neurons, although a small contribution from En2 was reproducibly detected. Together, our findings reveal complex intrinsic functions for En in maturing 5-HT neurons, hence necessitating a reinterpretation of their roles in 5-HT system development.
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Brielmaier J, Matteson PG, Silverman JL, Senerth JM, Kelly S, Genestine M, Millonig JH, DiCicco-Bloom E, Crawley JN. Autism-relevant social abnormalities and cognitive deficits in engrailed-2 knockout mice. PLoS One 2012; 7:e40914. [PMID: 22829897 PMCID: PMC3400671 DOI: 10.1371/journal.pone.0040914] [Citation(s) in RCA: 119] [Impact Index Per Article: 9.9] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 05/31/2012] [Accepted: 06/15/2012] [Indexed: 12/20/2022] Open
Abstract
ENGRAILED 2 (En2), a homeobox transcription factor, functions as a patterning gene in the early development and connectivity of rodent hindbrain and cerebellum, and regulates neurogenesis and development of monoaminergic pathways. To further understand the neurobiological functions of En2, we conducted neuroanatomical expression profiling of En2 wildtype mice. RTQPCR assays demonstrated that En2 is expressed in adult brain structures including the somatosensory cortex, hippocampus, striatum, thalamus, hypothalamus and brainstem. Human genetic studies indicate that EN2 is associated with autism. To determine the consequences of En2 mutations on mouse behaviors, including outcomes potentially relevant to autism, we conducted comprehensive phenotyping of social, communication, repetitive, and cognitive behaviors. En2 null mutants exhibited robust deficits in reciprocal social interactions as juveniles and adults, and absence of sociability in adults, replicated in two independent cohorts. Fear conditioning and water maze learning were impaired in En2 null mutants. High immobility in the forced swim test, reduced prepulse inhibition, mild motor coordination impairments and reduced grip strength were detected in En2 null mutants. No genotype differences were found on measures of ultrasonic vocalizations in social contexts, and no stereotyped or repetitive behaviors were observed. Developmental milestones, general health, olfactory abilities, exploratory locomotor activity, anxiety-like behaviors and pain responses did not differ across genotypes, indicating that the behavioral abnormalities detected in En2 null mutants were not attributable to physical or procedural confounds. Our findings provide new insight into the role of En2 in complex behaviors and suggest that disturbances in En2 signaling may contribute to neuropsychiatric disorders marked by social and cognitive deficits, including autism spectrum disorders.
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Affiliation(s)
- Jennifer Brielmaier
- Laboratory of Behavioral Neuroscience, National Institute of Mental Health, Bethesda, Maryland, USA.
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White JJ, Sillitoe RV. Development of the cerebellum: from gene expression patterns to circuit maps. WILEY INTERDISCIPLINARY REVIEWS-DEVELOPMENTAL BIOLOGY 2012; 2:149-64. [DOI: 10.1002/wdev.65] [Citation(s) in RCA: 102] [Impact Index Per Article: 8.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 01/16/2023]
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Orvis GD, Hartzell AL, Smith JB, Barraza LH, Wilson SL, Szulc KU, Turnbull DH, Joyner AL. The engrailed homeobox genes are required in multiple cell lineages to coordinate sequential formation of fissures and growth of the cerebellum. Dev Biol 2012; 367:25-39. [PMID: 22564796 DOI: 10.1016/j.ydbio.2012.04.018] [Citation(s) in RCA: 42] [Impact Index Per Article: 3.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 12/19/2011] [Revised: 03/30/2012] [Accepted: 04/11/2012] [Indexed: 11/15/2022]
Abstract
The layered cortex of the cerebellum is folded along the anterior-posterior axis into lobules separated by fissures, allowing the large number of cells needed for advanced cerebellar functions to be packed into a small volume. During development, the cerebellum begins as a smooth ovoid structure with two progenitor zones, the ventricular zone and upper rhombic lip, which give rise to distinct cell types in the mature cerebellum. Initially, the cerebellar primordium is divided into five cardinal lobes, which are subsequently further subdivided by fissures. The cellular processes and genes that regulate the formation of a normal pattern of fissures are poorly understood. The engrailed genes (En1 and En2) are expressed in all cerebellar cell types and are critical for regulating formation of specific fissures. However, the cerebellar cell types that En1 and En2 act in to control growth and/or patterning of fissures has not been determined. We conditionally eliminated En2 or En1 and En2 either in both progenitor zones and their descendents or in the two complementary sets of cells derived from each progenitor zone. En2 was found to be required only transiently in the progenitor zones and their immediate descendents to regulate formation of three fissures and for general growth of the cerebellum. In contrast, En1 and En2 have overlapping functions in the cells derived from each progenitor zone in regulating formation of additional fissures and for extensive cerebellar growth. Furthermore, En1/2 function in ventricular zone-derived cells plays a more significant role in determining the timing of initiation and positioning of fissures, whereas in upper rhombic lip-derived cells the genes are more important in regulating cerebellar growth. Our studies reveal the complex manner in which the En genes control cerebellar growth and foliation in distinct cell types.
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Affiliation(s)
- Grant D Orvis
- Developmental Biology Program, Sloan-Kettering Institute, 1275 York Avenue, New York, NY 10065, USA
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Wilson SL, Kalinovsky A, Orvis GD, Joyner AL. Spatially restricted and developmentally dynamic expression of engrailed genes in multiple cerebellar cell types. THE CEREBELLUM 2012; 10:356-72. [PMID: 21431469 DOI: 10.1007/s12311-011-0254-5] [Citation(s) in RCA: 41] [Impact Index Per Article: 3.4] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/28/2022]
Abstract
The cerebellum is a highly organized structure partitioned into lobules along the anterior-posterior (A-P) axis and into striped molecular domains along the medial-lateral (M-L) axis. The Engrailed (En) homeobox genes are required for patterning the morphological and molecular domains along both axes, as well as for the establishment of the normal afferent topography required to generate a fully functional cerebellum. As a means to understand how the En genes regulate multiple levels of cerebellum construction, we characterized En1 and En2 expression around birth and at postnatal day (P) 21 during the period when the cerebellum undergoes a remarkable transformation from a smooth ovoid structure to a highly foliated structure. We show that both En1 and En2 are expressed in many neuronal cell types in the cerebellum, and expression persists until at least P21. En1 and En2 expression, however, undergoes profound changes in their cellular and spatial distributions between embryonic stages and P21, and their expression domains become largely distinct. Comparison of the distribution of En-expressing Purkinje cells relative to early- and late-onset Purkinje cell M-L stripe proteins revealed that although En1- and En2-expressing Purkinje cell domains do not strictly align with those of ZEBRINII at P21, a clear pattern exists that is most evident at E17.5 by an inverse correlation between the level of En2 expression and PLCß4 and EPHA4.
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Affiliation(s)
- Sandra L Wilson
- Developmental Biology Program, Memorial Sloan-Kettering Cancer Center, New York, NY 10065, USA
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