1
|
Barraclough BN, Stubbs WT, Bohic M, Upadhyay A, Abraira VE, Ramer MS. Direct comparison of Hoxb8-driven reporter distribution in the brains of four transgenic mouse lines: towards a spinofugal projection atlas. Front Neuroanat 2024; 18:1400015. [PMID: 38817241 PMCID: PMC11137224 DOI: 10.3389/fnana.2024.1400015] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 03/12/2024] [Accepted: 05/01/2024] [Indexed: 06/01/2024] Open
Abstract
Introduction Hox genes govern rostro-caudal identity along the developing spinal cord, which has a well-defined division of function between dorsal (sensory) and ventral (motor) halves. Here we exploit developmental Hoxb8 expression, normally restricted to the dorsal cord below the obex, to genetically label spinal cord-to-brain ("spinofugal") axons. Methods We crossed two targeted (knock-in) and two non-targeted recombinase-expressing lines (Hoxb8-IRES-Cre and Hoxb8-T2AFlpO; Hoxb8-Cre and Hoxb8-FlpO, respectively) with appropriate tdtomato-expressing reporter strains. Serial sectioning, confocal and superresolution microscopy, as well as light-sheet imaging was used to reveal robust labeling of ascending axons and their terminals in expected and unexpected regions. Results This strategy provides unprecedented anatomical detail of ascending spinal tracts anterior to the brainstem, and reveals a previously undescribed decussating tract in the ventral hypothalamus (the spinofugal hypothalamic decussating tract, or shxt). The absence of Hoxb8-suppressing elements led to multiple instances of ectopic reporter expression in Hoxb8-Cre mice (retinal ganglion and vomeronasal axons, anterior thalamic nuclei and their projections to the anterior cingulate and retrosplenial cortices and subiculum, and a population of astrocytes at the cephalic flexure) and Hoxb8-FlpO mice (Cajal-Retzius cells of the dentate gyrus, and mesenchymal cells of the choroid plexus). While targeted transgenic lines were similar in terms of known spinofugal projections, Hoxb8-IRES-Cre reporters had an additional projection to the core of the facial motor nucleus, and more abundant Hoxb8-lineage microglia scattered throughout the brain than Hoxb8-T2A-FlpO (or any other) mice, suggesting dysregulated Hoxb8-driven reporter expression in one or both lines. Discussion This work complements structural and connectivity atlases of the mouse central nervous system, and provides a platform upon which their reactions to injury or disease can be studied. Ectopic Hoxb8-driven recombinase expression may also be a useful tool to study structure and function of other cell populations in non-targeted lines.
Collapse
Affiliation(s)
- Bridget N. Barraclough
- International Collaboration on Repair Discoveries, The University of British Columbia, Vancouver, BC, Canada
- Department of Zoology, The University of British Columbia, Vancouver, BC, Canada
| | - W. Terrence Stubbs
- International Collaboration on Repair Discoveries, The University of British Columbia, Vancouver, BC, Canada
| | - Manon Bohic
- W.M. Keck Center for Collaborative Neuroscience, Rutgers, The State University of New Jersey, Piscataway, NJ, United States
- Department of Cell Biology and Neuroscience, Rutgers, The State University of New Jersey, Piscataway, NJ, United States
| | - Aman Upadhyay
- W.M. Keck Center for Collaborative Neuroscience, Rutgers, The State University of New Jersey, Piscataway, NJ, United States
- Department of Cell Biology and Neuroscience, Rutgers, The State University of New Jersey, Piscataway, NJ, United States
| | - Victoria E. Abraira
- W.M. Keck Center for Collaborative Neuroscience, Rutgers, The State University of New Jersey, Piscataway, NJ, United States
- Department of Cell Biology and Neuroscience, Rutgers, The State University of New Jersey, Piscataway, NJ, United States
| | - Matt S. Ramer
- International Collaboration on Repair Discoveries, The University of British Columbia, Vancouver, BC, Canada
- Department of Zoology, The University of British Columbia, Vancouver, BC, Canada
| |
Collapse
|
2
|
Weyer MP, Strehle J, Schäfer MKE, Tegeder I. Repurposing of pexidartinib for microglia depletion and renewal. Pharmacol Ther 2024; 253:108565. [PMID: 38052308 DOI: 10.1016/j.pharmthera.2023.108565] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 09/28/2023] [Revised: 11/20/2023] [Accepted: 11/22/2023] [Indexed: 12/07/2023]
Abstract
Pexidartinib (PLX3397) is a small molecule receptor tyrosine kinase inhibitor of colony stimulating factor 1 receptor (CSF1R) with moderate selectivity over other members of the platelet derived growth factor receptor family. It is approved for treatment of tenosynovial giant cell tumors (TGCT). CSF1R is highly expressed by microglia, which are macrophages of the central nervous system (CNS) that defend the CNS against injury and pathogens and contribute to synapse development and plasticity. Challenged by pathogens, apoptotic cells, debris, or inflammatory molecules they adopt a responsive state to propagate the inflammation and eventually return to a homeostatic state. The phenotypic switch may fail, and disease-associated microglia contribute to the pathophysiology in neurodegenerative or neuropsychiatric diseases or long-lasting detrimental brain inflammation after brain, spinal cord or nerve injury or ischemia/hemorrhage. Microglia also contribute to the growth permissive tumor microenvironment of glioblastoma (GBM). In rodents, continuous treatment for 1-2 weeks via pexidartinib food pellets leads to a depletion of microglia and subsequent repopulation from the remaining fraction, which is aided by peripheral monocytes that search empty niches for engraftment. The putative therapeutic benefit of such microglia depletion or forced renewal has been assessed in almost any rodent model of CNS disease or injury or GBM with heterogeneous outcomes, but a tendency of partial beneficial effects. So far, microglia monitoring e.g. via positron emission imaging is not standard of care for patients receiving Pexidartinib (e.g. for TGCT), so that the depletion and repopulation efficiency in humans is still largely unknown. Considering the virtuous functions of microglia, continuous depletion is likely no therapeutic option but short-lasting transient partial depletion to stimulate microglia renewal or replace microglia in genetic disease in combination with e.g. stem cell transplantation or as part of a multimodal concept in treatment of glioblastoma appears feasible. The present review provides an overview of the preclinical evidence pro and contra microglia depletion as a therapeutic approach.
Collapse
Affiliation(s)
- Marc-Philipp Weyer
- Institute of Clinical Pharmacology, Goethe-University Frankfurt, Faculty of Medicine, Frankfurt, Germany
| | - Jenny Strehle
- Department of Anesthesiology, University Medical Center Johannes Gutenberg-University Mainz, Germany
| | - Michael K E Schäfer
- Department of Anesthesiology, University Medical Center Johannes Gutenberg-University Mainz, Germany
| | - Irmgard Tegeder
- Institute of Clinical Pharmacology, Goethe-University Frankfurt, Faculty of Medicine, Frankfurt, Germany.
| |
Collapse
|
3
|
Nelson TS, Allen HN, Basu P, Prasoon P, Nguyen E, Arokiaraj CM, Santos DF, Seal RP, Ross SE, Todd AJ, Taylor BK. Alleviation of neuropathic pain with neuropeptide Y requires spinal Npy1r interneurons that coexpress Grp. JCI Insight 2023; 8:e169554. [PMID: 37824208 PMCID: PMC10721324 DOI: 10.1172/jci.insight.169554] [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: 02/07/2023] [Accepted: 10/04/2023] [Indexed: 10/14/2023] Open
Abstract
Neuropeptide Y targets the Y1 receptor (Y1) in the spinal dorsal horn (DH) to produce endogenous and exogenous analgesia. DH interneurons that express Y1 (Y1-INs; encoded by Npy1r) are necessary and sufficient for neuropathic hypersensitivity after peripheral nerve injury. However, as Y1-INs are heterogenous in composition in terms of morphology, neurophysiological characteristics, and gene expression, we hypothesized that a more precisely defined subpopulation mediates neuropathic hypersensitivity. Using fluorescence in situ hybridization, we found that Y1-INs segregate into 3 largely nonoverlapping subpopulations defined by the coexpression of Npy1r with gastrin-releasing peptide (Grp/Npy1r), neuropeptide FF (Npff/Npy1r), and cholecystokinin (Cck/Npy1r) in the superficial DH of mice, nonhuman primates, and humans. Next, we analyzed the functional significance of Grp/Npy1r, Npff/Npy1r, and Cck/Npy1r INs to neuropathic pain using a mouse model of peripheral nerve injury. We found that chemogenetic inhibition of Npff/Npy1r-INs did not change the behavioral signs of neuropathic pain. Further, inhibition of Y1-INs with an intrathecal Y1 agonist, [Leu31, Pro34]-NPY, reduced neuropathic hypersensitivity in mice with conditional deletion of Npy1r from CCK-INs and NPFF-INs but not from GRP-INs. We conclude that Grp/Npy1r-INs are conserved in higher order mammalian species and represent a promising and precise pharmacotherapeutic target for the treatment of neuropathic pain.
Collapse
Affiliation(s)
- Tyler S. Nelson
- Department of Anesthesiology and Perioperative Medicine
- Pittsburgh Project to end Opioid Misuse
- Center for Neuroscience
| | - Heather N. Allen
- Department of Anesthesiology and Perioperative Medicine
- Pittsburgh Project to end Opioid Misuse
- Pittsburgh Center for Pain Research, and
| | - Paramita Basu
- Department of Anesthesiology and Perioperative Medicine
- Pittsburgh Project to end Opioid Misuse
- Pittsburgh Center for Pain Research, and
| | - Pranav Prasoon
- Department of Anesthesiology and Perioperative Medicine
- Pittsburgh Project to end Opioid Misuse
- Pittsburgh Center for Pain Research, and
| | - Eileen Nguyen
- Center for Neuroscience
- Pittsburgh Center for Pain Research, and
- Department of Neurobiology, University of Pittsburgh School of Medicine, Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania, USA
| | - Cynthia M. Arokiaraj
- Center for Neuroscience
- Pittsburgh Center for Pain Research, and
- Department of Neurobiology, University of Pittsburgh School of Medicine, Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania, USA
| | - Diogo F.S. Santos
- Department of Anesthesiology and Perioperative Medicine
- Pittsburgh Project to end Opioid Misuse
- Pittsburgh Center for Pain Research, and
| | - Rebecca P. Seal
- Center for Neuroscience
- Pittsburgh Center for Pain Research, and
- Department of Neurobiology, University of Pittsburgh School of Medicine, Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania, USA
| | - Sarah E. Ross
- Center for Neuroscience
- Pittsburgh Center for Pain Research, and
- Department of Neurobiology, University of Pittsburgh School of Medicine, Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania, USA
| | - Andrew J. Todd
- Spinal Cord Group, School of Psychology and Neuroscience, University of Glasgow, Glasgow, United Kingdom
| | - Bradley K. Taylor
- Department of Anesthesiology and Perioperative Medicine
- Pittsburgh Project to end Opioid Misuse
- Center for Neuroscience
- Pittsburgh Center for Pain Research, and
- Department of Neurobiology, University of Pittsburgh School of Medicine, Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania, USA
| |
Collapse
|
4
|
Espinosa-Juárez JV, Chiquete E, Estañol B, Aceves JDJ. Optogenetic and Chemogenic Control of Pain Signaling: Molecular Markers. Int J Mol Sci 2023; 24:10220. [PMID: 37373365 DOI: 10.3390/ijms241210220] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 04/11/2023] [Revised: 06/05/2023] [Accepted: 06/10/2023] [Indexed: 06/29/2023] Open
Abstract
Pain is a complex experience that involves physical, emotional, and cognitive aspects. This review focuses specifically on the physiological processes underlying pain perception, with a particular emphasis on the various types of sensory neurons involved in transmitting pain signals to the central nervous system. Recent advances in techniques like optogenetics and chemogenetics have allowed researchers to selectively activate or inactivate specific neuronal circuits, offering a promising avenue for developing more effective pain management strategies. The article delves into the molecular targets of different types of sensory fibers such as channels, for example, TRPV1 in C-peptidergic fiber, TRPA1 in C-non-peptidergic receptors expressed differentially as MOR and DOR, and transcription factors, and their colocalization with the vesicular transporter of glutamate, which enable researchers to identify specific subtypes of neurons within the pain pathway and allows for selective transfection and expression of opsins to modulate their activity.
Collapse
Affiliation(s)
- Josue Vidal Espinosa-Juárez
- Escuela de Ciencias Químicas Sede Ocozocoautla, Universidad Autónoma de Chiapas, Ocozocoautla de Espinosa 29140, Mexico
| | - Erwin Chiquete
- Instituto Nacional de Ciencias Médicas y Nutrición Salvador Zubirán, Mexico City 14080, Mexico
| | - Bruno Estañol
- Instituto Nacional de Ciencias Médicas y Nutrición Salvador Zubirán, Mexico City 14080, Mexico
| | - José de Jesús Aceves
- Instituto Nacional de Ciencias Médicas y Nutrición Salvador Zubirán, Mexico City 14080, Mexico
| |
Collapse
|
5
|
Olde Heuvel F, Ouali Alami N, Aousji O, Pogatzki-Zahn E, Zahn PK, Wilhelm H, Deshpande D, Khatamsaz E, Catanese A, Woelfle S, Schön M, Jain S, Grabrucker S, Ludolph AC, Verpelli C, Michaelis J, Boeckers TM, Roselli F. Shank2 identifies a subset of glycinergic neurons involved in altered nociception in an autism model. Mol Autism 2023; 14:21. [PMID: 37316943 DOI: 10.1186/s13229-023-00552-7] [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: 10/27/2022] [Accepted: 05/26/2023] [Indexed: 06/16/2023] Open
Abstract
BACKGROUND Autism Spectrum Disorders (ASD) patients experience disturbed nociception in the form of either hyposensitivity to pain or allodynia. A substantial amount of processing of somatosensory and nociceptive stimulus takes place in the dorsal spinal cord. However, many of these circuits are not very well understood in the context of nociceptive processing in ASD. METHODS We have used a Shank2-/- mouse model, which displays a set of phenotypes reminiscent of ASD, and performed behavioural and microscopic analysis to investigate the role of dorsal horn circuitry in nociceptive processing of ASD. RESULTS We determined that Shank2-/- mice display increased sensitivity to formalin pain and thermal preference, but a sensory specific mechanical allodynia. We demonstrate that high levels of Shank2 expression identifies a subpopulation of neurons in murine and human dorsal spinal cord, composed mainly by glycinergic interneurons and that loss of Shank2 causes the decrease in NMDAR in excitatory synapses on these inhibitory interneurons. In fact, in the subacute phase of the formalin test, glycinergic interneurons are strongly activated in wild type (WT) mice but not in Shank2-/- mice. Consequently, nociception projection neurons in laminae I are activated in larger numbers in Shank2-/- mice. LIMITATIONS Our investigation is limited to male mice, in agreement with the higher representation of ASD in males; therefore, caution should be applied to extrapolate the findings to females. Furthermore, ASD is characterized by extensive genetic diversity and therefore the findings related to Shank2 mutant mice may not necessarily apply to patients with different gene mutations. Since nociceptive phenotypes in ASD range between hyper- and hypo-sensitivity, diverse mutations may affect the circuit in opposite ways. CONCLUSION Our findings prove that Shank2 expression identifies a new subset of inhibitory interneurons involved in reducing the transmission of nociceptive stimuli and whose unchecked activation is associated with pain hypersensitivity. We provide evidence that dysfunction in spinal cord pain processing may contribute to the nociceptive phenotypes in ASD.
Collapse
Affiliation(s)
| | - Najwa Ouali Alami
- Department of Neurology, Ulm University, Ulm, Germany
- International PhD Program, Ulm University, Ulm, Germany
| | | | - Esther Pogatzki-Zahn
- Department of Anesthesiology, Intensive Care and Pain Medicine, University Hospital Münster, Münster, Germany
| | - Peter K Zahn
- Department of Anesthesiology, Intensive Care and Pain Medicine, University Hospital Münster, Münster, Germany
- Clinic for Anesthesiology, Intensive Care and Pain Medicine, University Hospital Bergmannsheil Bochum, Bochum, Germany
| | - Hanna Wilhelm
- Department of Neurology, Ulm University, Ulm, Germany
| | | | | | - Alberto Catanese
- Institute of Anatomy and Cell Biology, Ulm University, Ulm, Germany
| | - Sarah Woelfle
- Institute of Anatomy and Cell Biology, Ulm University, Ulm, Germany
| | - Michael Schön
- Institute of Anatomy and Cell Biology, Ulm University, Ulm, Germany
| | - Sanjay Jain
- Department of Internal Medicine (Renal), Pathology and Immunology, Washington University School of Medicine, St. Louis, USA
| | | | - Albert C Ludolph
- Department of Neurology, Ulm University, Ulm, Germany
- German Center for Neurodegenerative Diseases (DZNE), Ulm, Germany
| | - Chiara Verpelli
- Institute of Neuroscience, National Science Council, Milan, Italy
| | | | - Tobias M Boeckers
- Institute of Anatomy and Cell Biology, Ulm University, Ulm, Germany.
- German Center for Neurodegenerative Diseases (DZNE), Ulm, Germany.
- Department of Anatomy and Cell Biology, Ulm University, Albert-Einstein Allee 11, 89081, Ulm, Germany.
| | - Francesco Roselli
- Department of Neurology, Ulm University, Ulm, Germany.
- German Center for Neurodegenerative Diseases (DZNE), Ulm, Germany.
- Center for Biomedical Research (ZBF), Helmholtzstraße 8/2, 89081, Ulm, Germany.
| |
Collapse
|
6
|
Wilson AC, Sweeney LB. Spinal cords: Symphonies of interneurons across species. Front Neural Circuits 2023; 17:1146449. [PMID: 37180760 PMCID: PMC10169611 DOI: 10.3389/fncir.2023.1146449] [Citation(s) in RCA: 5] [Impact Index Per Article: 5.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 01/17/2023] [Accepted: 03/23/2023] [Indexed: 05/16/2023] Open
Abstract
Vertebrate movement is orchestrated by spinal inter- and motor neurons that, together with sensory and cognitive input, produce dynamic motor behaviors. These behaviors vary from the simple undulatory swimming of fish and larval aquatic species to the highly coordinated running, reaching and grasping of mice, humans and other mammals. This variation raises the fundamental question of how spinal circuits have changed in register with motor behavior. In simple, undulatory fish, exemplified by the lamprey, two broad classes of interneurons shape motor neuron output: ipsilateral-projecting excitatory neurons, and commissural-projecting inhibitory neurons. An additional class of ipsilateral inhibitory neurons is required to generate escape swim behavior in larval zebrafish and tadpoles. In limbed vertebrates, a more complex spinal neuron composition is observed. In this review, we provide evidence that movement elaboration correlates with an increase and specialization of these three basic interneuron types into molecularly, anatomically, and functionally distinct subpopulations. We summarize recent work linking neuron types to movement-pattern generation across fish, amphibians, reptiles, birds and mammals.
Collapse
Affiliation(s)
| | - Lora B. Sweeney
- Institute of Science and Technology Austria (IST Austria), Klosterneuburg, Lower Austria, Austria
| |
Collapse
|
7
|
Nelson TS, Sinha GP, Santos DFS, Jukkola P, Prasoon P, Winter MK, McCarson KE, Smith BN, Taylor BK. Spinal neuropeptide Y Y1 receptor-expressing neurons are a pharmacotherapeutic target for the alleviation of neuropathic pain. Proc Natl Acad Sci U S A 2022; 119:e2204515119. [PMID: 36343228 PMCID: PMC9674229 DOI: 10.1073/pnas.2204515119] [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: 03/14/2022] [Accepted: 09/25/2022] [Indexed: 11/09/2022] Open
Abstract
Peripheral nerve injury sensitizes a complex network of spinal cord dorsal horn (DH) neurons to produce allodynia and neuropathic pain. The identification of a druggable target within this network has remained elusive, but a promising candidate is the neuropeptide Y (NPY) Y1 receptor-expressing interneuron (Y1-IN) population. We report that spared nerve injury (SNI) enhanced the excitability of Y1-INs and elicited allodynia (mechanical and cold hypersensitivity) and affective pain. Similarly, chemogenetic or optogenetic activation of Y1-INs in uninjured mice elicited behavioral signs of spontaneous, allodynic, and affective pain. SNI-induced allodynia was reduced by chemogenetic inhibition of Y1-INs, or intrathecal administration of a Y1-selective agonist. Conditional deletion of Npy1r in DH neurons, but not peripheral afferent neurons prevented the anti-hyperalgesic effects of the intrathecal Y1 agonist. We conclude that spinal Y1-INs are necessary and sufficient for the behavioral symptoms of neuropathic pain and represent a promising target for future pharmacotherapeutic development of Y1 agonists.
Collapse
Affiliation(s)
- Tyler S. Nelson
- Department of Anesthesiology and Perioperative Medicine, Center for Neuroscience, Pittsburgh Center for Pain Research, Pittsburgh Project to End Opioid Misuse, University of Pittsburgh School of Medicine, Pittsburgh, PA 15261
- Center for the Neural Basis of Cognition, University of Pittsburgh, Pittsburgh, PA 15261
| | - Ghanshyam P. Sinha
- Department of Anesthesiology and Perioperative Medicine, Center for Neuroscience, Pittsburgh Center for Pain Research, Pittsburgh Project to End Opioid Misuse, University of Pittsburgh School of Medicine, Pittsburgh, PA 15261
| | - Diogo F. S. Santos
- Department of Anesthesiology and Perioperative Medicine, Center for Neuroscience, Pittsburgh Center for Pain Research, Pittsburgh Project to End Opioid Misuse, University of Pittsburgh School of Medicine, Pittsburgh, PA 15261
| | - Peter Jukkola
- Department of Anesthesiology and Perioperative Medicine, Center for Neuroscience, Pittsburgh Center for Pain Research, Pittsburgh Project to End Opioid Misuse, University of Pittsburgh School of Medicine, Pittsburgh, PA 15261
| | - Pranav Prasoon
- Department of Anesthesiology and Perioperative Medicine, Center for Neuroscience, Pittsburgh Center for Pain Research, Pittsburgh Project to End Opioid Misuse, University of Pittsburgh School of Medicine, Pittsburgh, PA 15261
| | - Michelle K. Winter
- Kansas Intellectual and Developmental Disabilities Research Center; Department of Pharmacology, Toxicology, and Therapeutics, University of Kansas Medical Center, Kansas City, KS 66160
| | - Ken E. McCarson
- Kansas Intellectual and Developmental Disabilities Research Center; Department of Pharmacology, Toxicology, and Therapeutics, University of Kansas Medical Center, Kansas City, KS 66160
| | - Bret N. Smith
- Department of Neuroscience, University of Kentucky, Lexington, KY 40536
| | - Bradley K. Taylor
- Department of Anesthesiology and Perioperative Medicine, Center for Neuroscience, Pittsburgh Center for Pain Research, Pittsburgh Project to End Opioid Misuse, University of Pittsburgh School of Medicine, Pittsburgh, PA 15261
| |
Collapse
|
8
|
Wang H, Chen W, Dong Z, Xing G, Cui W, Yao L, Zou WJ, Robinson HL, Bian Y, Liu Z, Zhao K, Luo B, Gao N, Zhang H, Ren X, Yu Z, Meixiong J, Xiong WC, Mei L. A novel spinal neuron connection for heat sensation. Neuron 2022; 110:2315-2333.e6. [PMID: 35561677 DOI: 10.1016/j.neuron.2022.04.021] [Citation(s) in RCA: 15] [Impact Index Per Article: 7.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 08/08/2021] [Revised: 03/14/2022] [Accepted: 04/19/2022] [Indexed: 12/30/2022]
Abstract
Heat perception enables acute avoidance responses to prevent tissue damage and maintain body thermal homeostasis. Unlike other modalities, how heat signals are processed in the spinal cord remains unclear. By single-cell gene profiling, we identified ErbB4, a transmembrane tyrosine kinase, as a novel marker of heat-sensitive spinal neurons in mice. Ablating spinal ErbB4+ neurons attenuates heat sensation. These neurons receive monosynaptic inputs from TRPV1+ nociceptors and form excitatory synapses onto target neurons. Activation of ErbB4+ neurons enhances the heat response, while inhibition reduces the heat response. We showed that heat sensation is regulated by NRG1, an activator of ErbB4, and it involves dynamic activity of the tyrosine kinase that promotes glutamatergic transmission. Evidence indicates that the NRG1-ErbB4 signaling is also engaged in hypersensitivity of pathological pain. Together, these results identify a spinal neuron connection consisting of ErbB4+ neurons for heat sensation and reveal a regulatory mechanism by the NRG1-ErbB4 signaling.
Collapse
Affiliation(s)
- Hongsheng Wang
- Department of Neurosciences, School of Medicine, Case Western Reserve University, 10900 Euclid Avenue, Cleveland, OH 44106, USA
| | - Wenbing Chen
- Department of Neurosciences, School of Medicine, Case Western Reserve University, 10900 Euclid Avenue, Cleveland, OH 44106, USA
| | - Zhaoqi Dong
- Department of Neurosciences, School of Medicine, Case Western Reserve University, 10900 Euclid Avenue, Cleveland, OH 44106, USA
| | - Guanglin Xing
- Department of Neurosciences, School of Medicine, Case Western Reserve University, 10900 Euclid Avenue, Cleveland, OH 44106, USA
| | - Wanpeng Cui
- Department of Neurosciences, School of Medicine, Case Western Reserve University, 10900 Euclid Avenue, Cleveland, OH 44106, USA
| | - Lingling Yao
- Department of Neurosciences, School of Medicine, Case Western Reserve University, 10900 Euclid Avenue, Cleveland, OH 44106, USA
| | - Wen-Jun Zou
- Department of Neurosciences, School of Medicine, Case Western Reserve University, 10900 Euclid Avenue, Cleveland, OH 44106, USA
| | - Heath L Robinson
- Department of Neurosciences, School of Medicine, Case Western Reserve University, 10900 Euclid Avenue, Cleveland, OH 44106, USA
| | - Yaoyao Bian
- Department of Neurosciences, School of Medicine, Case Western Reserve University, 10900 Euclid Avenue, Cleveland, OH 44106, USA
| | - Zhipeng Liu
- Department of Neurosciences, School of Medicine, Case Western Reserve University, 10900 Euclid Avenue, Cleveland, OH 44106, USA
| | - Kai Zhao
- Department of Neurosciences, School of Medicine, Case Western Reserve University, 10900 Euclid Avenue, Cleveland, OH 44106, USA
| | - Bin Luo
- Department of Neurosciences, School of Medicine, Case Western Reserve University, 10900 Euclid Avenue, Cleveland, OH 44106, USA
| | - Nannan Gao
- Department of Neurosciences, School of Medicine, Case Western Reserve University, 10900 Euclid Avenue, Cleveland, OH 44106, USA
| | - Hongsheng Zhang
- Department of Neurosciences, School of Medicine, Case Western Reserve University, 10900 Euclid Avenue, Cleveland, OH 44106, USA
| | - Xiao Ren
- Department of Neurosciences, School of Medicine, Case Western Reserve University, 10900 Euclid Avenue, Cleveland, OH 44106, USA
| | - Zheng Yu
- Department of Neurosciences, School of Medicine, Case Western Reserve University, 10900 Euclid Avenue, Cleveland, OH 44106, USA
| | - James Meixiong
- Solomon H. Snyder Department of Neuroscience and Medical Scientist Training Program, Johns Hopkins University School of Medicine, Baltimore, MD 21205, USA
| | - Wen-Cheng Xiong
- Department of Neurosciences, School of Medicine, Case Western Reserve University, 10900 Euclid Avenue, Cleveland, OH 44106, USA; Louis Stokes Cleveland Veterans Affairs Medical Center, Cleveland, OH 44106, USA
| | - Lin Mei
- Department of Neurosciences, School of Medicine, Case Western Reserve University, 10900 Euclid Avenue, Cleveland, OH 44106, USA; Louis Stokes Cleveland Veterans Affairs Medical Center, Cleveland, OH 44106, USA.
| |
Collapse
|
9
|
Gatto G, Bourane S, Ren X, Di Costanzo S, Fenton PK, Halder P, Seal RP, Goulding MD. A Functional Topographic Map for Spinal Sensorimotor Reflexes. Neuron 2021; 109:91-104.e5. [PMID: 33181065 PMCID: PMC7790959 DOI: 10.1016/j.neuron.2020.10.003] [Citation(s) in RCA: 37] [Impact Index Per Article: 12.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 05/07/2019] [Revised: 06/17/2020] [Accepted: 09/30/2020] [Indexed: 01/02/2023]
Abstract
Cutaneous somatosensory modalities play pivotal roles in generating a wide range of sensorimotor behaviors, including protective and corrective reflexes that dynamically adapt ongoing movement and posture. How interneurons (INs) in the dorsal horn encode these modalities and transform them into stimulus-appropriate motor behaviors is not known. Here, we use an intersectional genetic approach to functionally assess the contribution that eight classes of dorsal excitatory INs make to sensorimotor reflex responses. We demonstrate that the dorsal horn is organized into spatially restricted excitatory modules composed of molecularly heterogeneous cell types. Laminae I/II INs drive chemical itch-induced scratching, laminae II/III INs generate paw withdrawal movements, and laminae III/IV INs modulate dynamic corrective reflexes. These data reveal a key principle in spinal somatosensory processing, namely, sensorimotor reflexes are driven by the differential spatial recruitment of excitatory neurons.
Collapse
Affiliation(s)
- Graziana Gatto
- Molecular Neurobiology Laboratory, The Salk Institute for Biological Studies, La Jolla, CA 92037, USA
| | - Steeve Bourane
- Molecular Neurobiology Laboratory, The Salk Institute for Biological Studies, La Jolla, CA 92037, USA; Université de la Réunion, DéTROI, UMR 1188 INSERM, Sainte Clotilde, La Réunion 97490, France
| | - Xiangyu Ren
- Molecular Neurobiology Laboratory, The Salk Institute for Biological Studies, La Jolla, CA 92037, USA; Biology Graduate Program, Division of Biological Sciences, University of California, San Diego, La Jolla, CA 92093, USA
| | - Stefania Di Costanzo
- Molecular Neurobiology Laboratory, The Salk Institute for Biological Studies, La Jolla, CA 92037, USA; Biology Graduate Program, Division of Biological Sciences, University of California, San Diego, La Jolla, CA 92093, USA
| | - Peter K Fenton
- Molecular Neurobiology Laboratory, The Salk Institute for Biological Studies, La Jolla, CA 92037, USA
| | - Priyabrata Halder
- Departments of Neurobiology and Otolaryngology, Center for Neural Basis of Cognition, and Pittsburgh Center for Pain Research, University of Pittsburgh School of Medicine, Pittsburgh, PA 15260, USA
| | - Rebecca P Seal
- Departments of Neurobiology and Otolaryngology, Center for Neural Basis of Cognition, and Pittsburgh Center for Pain Research, University of Pittsburgh School of Medicine, Pittsburgh, PA 15260, USA
| | - Martyn D Goulding
- Molecular Neurobiology Laboratory, The Salk Institute for Biological Studies, La Jolla, CA 92037, USA.
| |
Collapse
|
10
|
Bourojeni FB, Zeilhofer HU, Kania A. Netrin-1 receptor DCC is required for the contralateral topography of lamina I anterolateral system neurons. Pain 2021; 162:161-175. [PMID: 32701653 PMCID: PMC7737868 DOI: 10.1097/j.pain.0000000000002012] [Citation(s) in RCA: 3] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 03/27/2020] [Revised: 07/08/2020] [Accepted: 07/13/2020] [Indexed: 12/30/2022]
Abstract
Anterolateral system (AS) neurons relay nociceptive information from the spinal cord to the brain, protecting the body from harm by evoking a variety of behaviours and autonomic responses. The developmental programs that guide the connectivity of AS neurons remain poorly understood. Spinofugal axons cross the spinal midline in response to Netrin-1 signalling through its receptor deleted in colorectal carcinoma (DCC); however, the relevance of this canonical pathway to AS neuron development has only been demonstrated recently. Here, we disrupted Netrin-1:DCC signalling developmentally in AS neurons and assessed the consequences on the path finding of the different classes of spinofugal neurons. Many lamina I AS neurons normally innervate the lateral parabrachial nucleus and periaqueductal gray on the contralateral side. The loss of DCC in the developing spinal cord resulted in increased frequency of ipsilateral projection of spinoparabrachial and spinoperiaqueductal gray neurons. Given that contralateral spinofugal projections are largely associated with somatotopic representation of the body, changes in the laterality of AS spinofugal projections may contribute to reduced precision in pain localization observed in mice and humans carrying Dcc mutations.
Collapse
Affiliation(s)
- Farin B. Bourojeni
- Research Unit in Neural Circuit Development, Institut de Recherches Cliniques de Montréal (IRCM), Montréal, QC, Canada
- Integrated Program in Neuroscience, McGill University, Montréal, QC, Canada
| | - Hanns Ulrich Zeilhofer
- Institute of Pharmacology and Toxicology, University of Zurich, Zurich, Switzerland
- Institute of Pharmaceutical Sciences, Swiss Federal Institute of Technology (ETH) Zurich, Switzerland
| | - Artur Kania
- Research Unit in Neural Circuit Development, Institut de Recherches Cliniques de Montréal (IRCM), Montréal, QC, Canada
- Integrated Program in Neuroscience, McGill University, Montréal, QC, Canada
- Division of Experimental Medicine, Department of Anatomy and Cell Biology, McGill University, Montréal, QC, Canada
| |
Collapse
|
11
|
Roome RB, Bourojeni FB, Mona B, Rastegar-Pouyani S, Blain R, Dumouchel A, Salesse C, Thompson WS, Brookbank M, Gitton Y, Tessarollo L, Goulding M, Johnson JE, Kmita M, Chédotal A, Kania A. Phox2a Defines a Developmental Origin of the Anterolateral System in Mice and Humans. Cell Rep 2020; 33:108425. [PMID: 33238113 DOI: 10.1016/j.celrep.2020.108425] [Citation(s) in RCA: 31] [Impact Index Per Article: 7.8] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 05/05/2020] [Revised: 07/21/2020] [Accepted: 11/02/2020] [Indexed: 02/06/2023] Open
Abstract
Anterolateral system neurons relay pain, itch, and temperature information from the spinal cord to pain-related brain regions, but the differentiation of these neurons and their specific contribution to pain perception remain poorly defined. Here, we show that most mouse spinal neurons that embryonically express the autonomic-system-associated Paired-like homeobox 2A (Phox2a) transcription factor innervate nociceptive brain targets, including the parabrachial nucleus and the thalamus. We define the Phox2a anterolateral system neuron birth order, migration, and differentiation and uncover an essential role for Phox2a in the development of relay of nociceptive signals from the spinal cord to the brain. Finally, we also demonstrate that the molecular identity of Phox2a neurons is conserved in the human fetal spinal cord, arguing that the developmental expression of Phox2a is a prominent feature of anterolateral system neurons.
Collapse
Affiliation(s)
- R Brian Roome
- Institut de Recherches Cliniques de Montréal (IRCM), Montréal, QC H2W 1R7, Canada; Integrated Program in Neuroscience, McGill University, Montréal, QC H3A 2B4, Canada
| | - Farin B Bourojeni
- Institut de Recherches Cliniques de Montréal (IRCM), Montréal, QC H2W 1R7, Canada; Integrated Program in Neuroscience, McGill University, Montréal, QC H3A 2B4, Canada
| | - Bishakha Mona
- Department of Neuroscience, University of Texas Southwestern Medical Center, Dallas, TX 75390, USA
| | - Shima Rastegar-Pouyani
- Institut de Recherches Cliniques de Montréal (IRCM), Montréal, QC H2W 1R7, Canada; Integrated Program in Neuroscience, McGill University, Montréal, QC H3A 2B4, Canada
| | - Raphael Blain
- Sorbonne Université, INSERM, CNRS, Institut de la Vision, Paris 75012, France
| | - Annie Dumouchel
- Institut de Recherches Cliniques de Montréal (IRCM), Montréal, QC H2W 1R7, Canada
| | - Charleen Salesse
- Institut de Recherches Cliniques de Montréal (IRCM), Montréal, QC H2W 1R7, Canada
| | - W Scott Thompson
- Institut de Recherches Cliniques de Montréal (IRCM), Montréal, QC H2W 1R7, Canada
| | - Megan Brookbank
- Institut de Recherches Cliniques de Montréal (IRCM), Montréal, QC H2W 1R7, Canada
| | - Yorick Gitton
- Sorbonne Université, INSERM, CNRS, Institut de la Vision, Paris 75012, France
| | - Lino Tessarollo
- Neural Development Section, Mouse Cancer Genetics Program, National Cancer Institute, Frederick, MD 21702, USA
| | - Martyn Goulding
- Molecular Neurobiology Laboratory, The Salk Institute for Biological Studies, La Jolla, CA 92037, USA
| | - Jane E Johnson
- Department of Neuroscience, University of Texas Southwestern Medical Center, Dallas, TX 75390, USA; Department of Pharmacology, University of Texas Southwestern Medical Center, Dallas, TX 75390, USA
| | - Marie Kmita
- Institut de Recherches Cliniques de Montréal (IRCM), Montréal, QC H2W 1R7, Canada; Division of Experimental Medicine, McGill University, Montréal, QC H3A 2B2, Canada
| | - Alain Chédotal
- Sorbonne Université, INSERM, CNRS, Institut de la Vision, Paris 75012, France
| | - Artur Kania
- Institut de Recherches Cliniques de Montréal (IRCM), Montréal, QC H2W 1R7, Canada; Integrated Program in Neuroscience, McGill University, Montréal, QC H3A 2B4, Canada; Department of Anatomy and Cell Biology, McGill University, Montréal, QC H3A 0C7, Canada; Division of Experimental Medicine, McGill University, Montréal, QC H3A 2B2, Canada.
| |
Collapse
|
12
|
Spinal Inhibitory Ptf1a-Derived Neurons Prevent Self-Generated Itch. Cell Rep 2020; 33:108422. [PMID: 33238109 DOI: 10.1016/j.celrep.2020.108422] [Citation(s) in RCA: 5] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 02/21/2020] [Revised: 04/27/2020] [Accepted: 11/02/2020] [Indexed: 01/13/2023] Open
Abstract
Chronic itch represents an incapacitating burden on patients suffering from a spectrum of diseases. Despite recent advances in our understanding of the cells and circuits implicated in the processing of itch information, chronic itch often presents itself without an apparent cause. Here, we identify a spinal subpopulation of inhibitory neurons defined by the expression of Ptf1a, involved in gating mechanosensory information self-generated during movement. These neurons receive tactile and motor input and establish presynaptic inhibitory contacts on mechanosensory afferents. Loss of Ptf1a neurons leads to increased hairy skin sensitivity and chronic itch, partially mediated by the classic itch pathway involving gastrin-releasing peptide receptor (GRPR) spinal neurons. Conversely, chemogenetic activation of GRPR neurons elicits itch, which is suppressed by concomitant activation of Ptf1a neurons. These findings shed light on the circuit mechanisms implicated in chronic itch and open novel targets for therapy developments.
Collapse
|
13
|
Yvone GM, Chavez-Martinez CL, Nguyen AR, Wang DJ, Phelps PE. Reelin dorsal horn neurons co-express Lmx1b and are mispositioned in disabled-1 mutant mice. Eur J Neurosci 2020; 52:3322-3338. [PMID: 32492253 PMCID: PMC9451954 DOI: 10.1111/ejn.14847] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 08/27/2019] [Revised: 05/25/2020] [Accepted: 05/26/2020] [Indexed: 11/30/2022]
Abstract
Mice missing either Reelin or Disabled-1 (Dab1) exhibit dorsal horn neuronal positioning errors and display heat hypersensitivity and mechanical insensitivity. Reelin binds its receptors, apolipoprotein E receptor 2 and very low-density lipoprotein receptor, leading to the recruitment and phosphorylation of Dab1 and activation of downstream pathways that regulate neuronal migration. Previously, we reported that 70% of Dab1 laminae I-II neurons co-expressed LIM-homeobox transcription factor 1-beta (Lmx1b). Here, we asked whether Reelin-expressing dorsal horn neurons co-express Lmx1b, are mispositioned in dab1 mutants, and contribute to nociceptive abnormalities. About 90% of Reelin-labeled neurons are Lmx1b-positive in laminae I-II, confirming that most Reelin and Dab1 neurons are glutamatergic. We determined that Reelin-Lmx1b and Dab1-Lmx1b dorsal horn neurons are separate populations, and together, comprise 37% of Lmx1b-positive cells within and above the Isolectin B4 (IB4) layer in wild-type mice. Compared to wild-type mice, dab1 mutants have a reduced area of laminae I-II outer (above the IB4 layer), more Reelin-Lmx1b neurons within the IB4 layer, and fewer Reelin-Lmx1b neurons within the lateral reticulated area of lamina V and lateral spinal nucleus. Interestingly, both Reelin- and Dab1-labeled dorsal horn neurons sustain similar positioning errors in mutant mice. After noxious thermal and mechanical stimulation, Reelin, Lmx1b, and Reelin-Lmx1b neurons expressed Fos in laminae I-II and the lateral reticulated area in wild-type mice and, therefore, participate in nociceptive circuits. Together, our data suggest that disruption of the Reelin-signaling pathway results in neuroanatomical abnormalities that contribute to the nociceptive changes that characterize these mutant mice.
Collapse
Affiliation(s)
- Griselda M Yvone
- Department of Integrative Biology and Physiology, UCLA, Los Angeles, CA, USA
| | | | - Amanda R Nguyen
- Department of Integrative Biology and Physiology, UCLA, Los Angeles, CA, USA
| | - Deborah J Wang
- Department of Integrative Biology and Physiology, UCLA, Los Angeles, CA, USA
| | - Patricia E Phelps
- Department of Integrative Biology and Physiology, UCLA, Los Angeles, CA, USA
| |
Collapse
|
14
|
Petitjean H, Bourojeni FB, Tsao D, Davidova A, Sotocinal SG, Mogil JS, Kania A, Sharif-Naeini R. Recruitment of Spinoparabrachial Neurons by Dorsal Horn Calretinin Neurons. Cell Rep 2019; 28:1429-1438.e4. [DOI: 10.1016/j.celrep.2019.07.048] [Citation(s) in RCA: 19] [Impact Index Per Article: 3.8] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 08/13/2018] [Revised: 06/13/2019] [Accepted: 07/15/2019] [Indexed: 01/11/2023] Open
|
15
|
Acton D, Ren X, Di Costanzo S, Dalet A, Bourane S, Bertocchi I, Eva C, Goulding M. Spinal Neuropeptide Y1 Receptor-Expressing Neurons Form an Essential Excitatory Pathway for Mechanical Itch. Cell Rep 2019; 28:625-639.e6. [PMID: 31315043 PMCID: PMC6709688 DOI: 10.1016/j.celrep.2019.06.033] [Citation(s) in RCA: 57] [Impact Index Per Article: 11.4] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 10/11/2018] [Revised: 05/20/2019] [Accepted: 06/06/2019] [Indexed: 01/08/2023] Open
Abstract
Acute itch can be generated by either chemical or mechanical stimuli, which activate separate pathways in the periphery and spinal cord. While substantial progress has been made in mapping the transmission pathway for chemical itch, the central pathway for mechanical itch remains obscure. Using complementary genetic and pharmacological manipulations, we show that excitatory neurons marked by the expression of the neuropeptide Y1 receptor (Y1Cre neurons) form an essential pathway in the dorsal spinal cord for the transmission of mechanical but not chemical itch. Ablating or silencing the Y1Cre neurons abrogates mechanical itch, while chemogenetic activation induces scratching. Moreover, using Y1 conditional knockout mice, we demonstrate that endogenous neuropeptide Y (NPY) acts via dorsal-horn Y1-expressing neurons to suppress light punctate touch and mechanical itch stimuli. NPY-Y1 signaling thus regulates the transmission of innocuous tactile information by establishing biologically relevant thresholds for touch discrimination and mechanical itch reflexes.
Collapse
Affiliation(s)
- David Acton
- Molecular Neurobiology Laboratory, The Salk Institute for Biological Studies, 10010 North Torrey Pines Road, La Jolla, CA 92037, USA
| | - Xiangyu Ren
- Molecular Neurobiology Laboratory, The Salk Institute for Biological Studies, 10010 North Torrey Pines Road, La Jolla, CA 92037, USA; Biology Graduate Program, Division of Biological Sciences, University of California, San Diego, 9500 Gilman Drive, La Jolla, CA 92093, USA
| | - Stefania Di Costanzo
- Molecular Neurobiology Laboratory, The Salk Institute for Biological Studies, 10010 North Torrey Pines Road, La Jolla, CA 92037, USA; Biology Graduate Program, Division of Biological Sciences, University of California, San Diego, 9500 Gilman Drive, La Jolla, CA 92093, USA
| | - Antoine Dalet
- Molecular Neurobiology Laboratory, The Salk Institute for Biological Studies, 10010 North Torrey Pines Road, La Jolla, CA 92037, USA
| | - Steeve Bourane
- Molecular Neurobiology Laboratory, The Salk Institute for Biological Studies, 10010 North Torrey Pines Road, La Jolla, CA 92037, USA
| | - Ilaria Bertocchi
- Department of Neuroscience, University of Torino, Neuroscience Institute of the Cavalieri-Ottolenghi Foundation, Regione Gonzole 1, 10043 Orbassano, Italy
| | - Carola Eva
- Department of Neuroscience, University of Torino, Neuroscience Institute of the Cavalieri-Ottolenghi Foundation, Regione Gonzole 1, 10043 Orbassano, Italy
| | - Martyn Goulding
- Molecular Neurobiology Laboratory, The Salk Institute for Biological Studies, 10010 North Torrey Pines Road, La Jolla, CA 92037, USA.
| |
Collapse
|
16
|
Wang X, Yvone GM, Cilluffo M, Kim AS, Basbaum AI, Phelps PE. Mispositioned Neurokinin-1 Receptor-Expressing Neurons Underlie Heat Hyperalgesia in Disabled-1 Mutant Mice. eNeuro 2019; 6:ENEURO.0131-19.2019. [PMID: 31122949 PMCID: PMC6584071 DOI: 10.1523/eneuro.0131-19.2019] [Citation(s) in RCA: 2] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.4] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 04/05/2019] [Revised: 05/11/2019] [Accepted: 05/15/2019] [Indexed: 11/30/2022] Open
Abstract
Reelin (Reln) and Disabled-1 (Dab1) participate in the Reln-signaling pathway and when either is deleted, mutant mice have the same spinally mediated behavioral abnormalities, increased sensitivity to noxious heat and a profound loss in mechanical sensitivity. Both Reln and Dab1 are highly expressed in dorsal horn areas that receive and convey nociceptive information, Laminae I-II, lateral Lamina V, and the lateral spinal nucleus (LSN). Lamina I contains both projection neurons and interneurons that express Neurokinin-1 receptors (NK1Rs) and they transmit information about noxious heat both within the dorsal horn and to the brain. Here, we ask whether the increased heat nociception in Reln and dab1 mutants is due to incorrectly positioned dorsal horn neurons that express NK1Rs. We found more NK1R-expressing neurons in Reln-/- and dab1-/- Laminae I-II than in their respective wild-type mice, and some NK1R neurons co-expressed Dab1 and the transcription factor Lmx1b, confirming their excitatory phenotype. Importantly, heat stimulation in dab1-/- mice induced Fos in incorrectly positioned NK1R neurons in Laminae I-II. Next, we asked whether these ectopically placed and noxious-heat responsive NK1R neurons participated in pain behavior. Ablation of the superficial NK1Rs with an intrathecal injection of a substance P analog conjugated to the toxin saporin (SSP-SAP) eliminated the thermal hypersensitivity of dab1-/- mice, without altering their mechanical insensitivity. These results suggest that ectopically positioned NK1R-expressing neurons underlie the heat hyperalgesia of Reelin-signaling pathway mutants, but do not contribute to their profound mechanical insensitivity.
Collapse
Affiliation(s)
- Xidao Wang
- Departments of Anatomy and Physiology and W. M. Keck Foundation Center for Integrative Neuroscience, University of California, San Francisco, CA 94158
| | - Griselda M Yvone
- Department of Integrative Biology and Physiology UCLA, Los Angeles, Los Angeles, CA 90095
| | - Marianne Cilluffo
- Department of Integrative Biology and Physiology UCLA, Los Angeles, Los Angeles, CA 90095
| | - Ashley S Kim
- Department of Integrative Biology and Physiology UCLA, Los Angeles, Los Angeles, CA 90095
| | - Allan I Basbaum
- Departments of Anatomy and Physiology and W. M. Keck Foundation Center for Integrative Neuroscience, University of California, San Francisco, CA 94158
| | - Patricia E Phelps
- Department of Integrative Biology and Physiology UCLA, Los Angeles, Los Angeles, CA 90095
| |
Collapse
|
17
|
Monteiro C, Cardoso-Cruz H, Galhardo V. Animal models of congenital hypoalgesia: Untapped potential for assessing pain-related plasticity. Neurosci Lett 2019; 702:51-60. [DOI: 10.1016/j.neulet.2018.11.045] [Citation(s) in RCA: 2] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.4] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 02/03/2023]
|
18
|
Neuronal diversity in the somatosensory system: bridging the gap between cell type and function. Curr Opin Neurobiol 2019; 56:167-174. [PMID: 30953870 DOI: 10.1016/j.conb.2019.03.002] [Citation(s) in RCA: 45] [Impact Index Per Article: 9.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 01/02/2019] [Revised: 02/11/2019] [Accepted: 03/01/2019] [Indexed: 12/22/2022]
Abstract
A recent flurry of genetic studies in mice have provided key insights into how the somatosensory system is organized at a cellular level to encode itch, pain, temperature, and touch. These studies are largely predicated on the idea that functional cell types can be identified by their unique developmental provenance and gene expression profile. However, the extent to which gene expression profiles can be correlated with functional cell types and circuit organization remains an open question. In this review, we focus on recent progress in characterizing the sensory afferent and dorsal horn neuron cell types that process cutaneous somatosensory information and ongoing circuit studies that are beginning to bridge the divide between cell type and function.
Collapse
|
19
|
Andrews MG, Kong J, Novitch BG, Butler SJ. New perspectives on the mechanisms establishing the dorsal-ventral axis of the spinal cord. Curr Top Dev Biol 2018; 132:417-450. [PMID: 30797516 DOI: 10.1016/bs.ctdb.2018.12.010] [Citation(s) in RCA: 34] [Impact Index Per Article: 5.7] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 01/06/2023]
Abstract
Distinct classes of neurons arise at different positions along the dorsal-ventral axis of the spinal cord leading to spinal neurons being segregated along this axis according to their physiological properties and functions. Thus, the neurons associated with motor control are generally located in, or adjacent to, the ventral horn whereas the interneurons (INs) that mediate sensory activities are present within the dorsal horn. Here, we review classic and recent studies examining the developmental mechanisms that establish the dorsal-ventral axis in the embryonic spinal cord. Intriguingly, while the cellular organization of the dorsal and ventral halves of the spinal cord looks superficially similar during early development, the underlying molecular mechanisms that establish dorsal vs ventral patterning are markedly distinct. For example, the ventral spinal cord is patterned by the actions of a single growth factor, sonic hedgehog (Shh) acting as a morphogen, i.e., concentration-dependent signal. Recent studies have shed light on the mechanisms by which the spatial and temporal gradient of Shh is transduced by cells to elicit the generation of different classes of ventral INs, and motor neurons (MNs). In contrast, the dorsal spinal cord is patterned by the action of multiple factors, most notably by members of the bone morphogenetic protein (BMP) and Wnt families. While less is known about dorsal patterning, recent studies have suggested that the BMPs do not act as morphogens to specify dorsal IN identities as previously proposed, rather each BMP has signal-specific activities. Finally, we consider the promise that elucidation of these mechanisms holds for neural repair.
Collapse
Affiliation(s)
- Madeline G Andrews
- Department of Neurobiology, University of California, Los Angeles, CA, United States; Neuroscience Graduate Program, University of California, Los Angeles, CA, United States
| | - Jennifer Kong
- Department of Neurobiology, University of California, Los Angeles, CA, United States; Neuroscience Graduate Program, University of California, Los Angeles, CA, United States
| | - Bennett G Novitch
- Department of Neurobiology, University of California, Los Angeles, CA, United States; Eli and Edythe Broad Center of Regenerative Medicine and Stem Cell Research, University of California, Los Angeles, CA, United States
| | - Samantha J Butler
- Department of Neurobiology, University of California, Los Angeles, CA, United States; Eli and Edythe Broad Center of Regenerative Medicine and Stem Cell Research, University of California, Los Angeles, CA, United States.
| |
Collapse
|
20
|
Aldosterone-sensitive HSD2 neurons in mice. Brain Struct Funct 2018; 224:387-417. [PMID: 30343334 DOI: 10.1007/s00429-018-1778-y] [Citation(s) in RCA: 17] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.8] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 05/25/2018] [Accepted: 10/03/2018] [Indexed: 02/07/2023]
Abstract
Sodium deficiency elevates aldosterone, which in addition to epithelial tissues acts on the brain to promote dysphoric symptoms and salt intake. Aldosterone boosts the activity of neurons that express 11-beta-hydroxysteroid dehydrogenase type 2 (HSD2), a hallmark of aldosterone-sensitive cells. To better characterize these neurons, we combine immunolabeling and in situ hybridization with fate mapping and Cre-conditional axon tracing in mice. Many cells throughout the brain have a developmental history of Hsd11b2 expression, but in the adult brain one small brainstem region with a leaky blood-brain barrier contains HSD2 neurons. These neurons express Hsd11b2, Nr3c2 (mineralocorticoid receptor), Agtr1a (angiotensin receptor), Slc17a6 (vesicular glutamate transporter 2), Phox2b, and Nxph4; many also express Cartpt or Lmx1b. No HSD2 neurons express cholinergic, monoaminergic, or several other neuropeptidergic markers. Their axons project to the parabrachial complex (PB), where they intermingle with AgRP-immunoreactive axons to form dense terminal fields overlapping FoxP2 neurons in the central lateral subnucleus (PBcL) and pre-locus coeruleus (pLC). Their axons also extend to the forebrain, intermingling with AgRP- and CGRP-immunoreactive axons to form dense terminals surrounding GABAergic neurons in the ventrolateral bed nucleus of the stria terminalis (BSTvL). Sparse axons target the periaqueductal gray, ventral tegmental area, lateral hypothalamic area, paraventricular hypothalamic nucleus, and central nucleus of the amygdala. Dual retrograde tracing revealed that largely separate HSD2 neurons project to pLC/PB or BSTvL. This projection pattern raises the possibility that a subset of HSD2 neurons promotes the dysphoric, anorexic, and anhedonic symptoms of hyperaldosteronism via AgRP-inhibited relay neurons in PB.
Collapse
|
21
|
Nishida K, Ito S. Developmental origin of long-range neurons in the superficial dorsal spinal cord. Eur J Neurosci 2017; 46:2608-2619. [DOI: 10.1111/ejn.13736] [Citation(s) in RCA: 6] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.9] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 06/22/2017] [Revised: 09/27/2017] [Accepted: 09/28/2017] [Indexed: 01/08/2023]
Affiliation(s)
- Kazuhiko Nishida
- Department of Medical Chemistry; Kansai Medical University; Shinmachi 2-5-1 Hirakata Osaka 573-1010 Japan
| | - Seiji Ito
- Department of Medical Chemistry; Kansai Medical University; Shinmachi 2-5-1 Hirakata Osaka 573-1010 Japan
| |
Collapse
|
22
|
Chabrat A, Brisson G, Doucet-Beaupré H, Salesse C, Schaan Profes M, Dovonou A, Akitegetse C, Charest J, Lemstra S, Côté D, Pasterkamp RJ, Abrudan MI, Metzakopian E, Ang SL, Lévesque M. Transcriptional repression of Plxnc1 by Lmx1a and Lmx1b directs topographic dopaminergic circuit formation. Nat Commun 2017; 8:933. [PMID: 29038581 PMCID: PMC5643336 DOI: 10.1038/s41467-017-01042-0] [Citation(s) in RCA: 18] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.6] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 10/15/2016] [Accepted: 08/15/2017] [Indexed: 12/27/2022] Open
Abstract
Mesodiencephalic dopamine neurons play central roles in the regulation of a wide range of brain functions, including voluntary movement and behavioral processes. These functions are served by distinct subtypes of mesodiencephalic dopamine neurons located in the substantia nigra pars compacta and the ventral tegmental area, which form the nigrostriatal, mesolimbic, and mesocortical pathways. Until now, mechanisms involved in dopaminergic circuit formation remained largely unknown. Here, we show that Lmx1a, Lmx1b, and Otx2 transcription factors control subtype-specific mesodiencephalic dopamine neurons and their appropriate axon innervation. Our results revealed that the expression of Plxnc1, an axon guidance receptor, is repressed by Lmx1a/b and enhanced by Otx2. We also found that Sema7a/Plxnc1 interactions are responsible for the segregation of nigrostriatal and mesolimbic dopaminergic pathways. These findings identify Lmx1a/b, Otx2, and Plxnc1 as determinants of dopaminergic circuit formation and should assist in engineering mesodiencephalic dopamine neurons capable of regenerating appropriate connections for cell therapy.Midbrain dopaminergic neurons (mDAs) in the VTA and SNpc project to different regions and form distinct circuits. Here the authors show that transcription factors Lmx1a, Lmx1b, and Otx2 control the axon guidance of mDAs and the segregation of mesolimbic and nigrostriatal dopaminergic pathways.
Collapse
Affiliation(s)
- Audrey Chabrat
- Department of Psychiatry and Neurosciences, Faculty of Medicine, Université Laval, Québec, Quebec, G1V 0A6, Canada
- CERVO Brain Research Centre, 2601, chemin de la Canardière, Québec, Quebec, Canada, G1J 2G3
| | - Guillaume Brisson
- Department of Psychiatry and Neurosciences, Faculty of Medicine, Université Laval, Québec, Quebec, G1V 0A6, Canada
- CERVO Brain Research Centre, 2601, chemin de la Canardière, Québec, Quebec, Canada, G1J 2G3
| | - Hélène Doucet-Beaupré
- Department of Psychiatry and Neurosciences, Faculty of Medicine, Université Laval, Québec, Quebec, G1V 0A6, Canada
- CERVO Brain Research Centre, 2601, chemin de la Canardière, Québec, Quebec, Canada, G1J 2G3
| | - Charleen Salesse
- Department of Psychiatry and Neurosciences, Faculty of Medicine, Université Laval, Québec, Quebec, G1V 0A6, Canada
- CERVO Brain Research Centre, 2601, chemin de la Canardière, Québec, Quebec, Canada, G1J 2G3
| | - Marcos Schaan Profes
- Department of Psychiatry and Neurosciences, Faculty of Medicine, Université Laval, Québec, Quebec, G1V 0A6, Canada
- CERVO Brain Research Centre, 2601, chemin de la Canardière, Québec, Quebec, Canada, G1J 2G3
| | - Axelle Dovonou
- Department of Psychiatry and Neurosciences, Faculty of Medicine, Université Laval, Québec, Quebec, G1V 0A6, Canada
- CERVO Brain Research Centre, 2601, chemin de la Canardière, Québec, Quebec, Canada, G1J 2G3
| | - Cléophace Akitegetse
- Department of Psychiatry and Neurosciences, Faculty of Medicine, Université Laval, Québec, Quebec, G1V 0A6, Canada
- CERVO Brain Research Centre, 2601, chemin de la Canardière, Québec, Quebec, Canada, G1J 2G3
| | - Julien Charest
- Department of Psychiatry and Neurosciences, Faculty of Medicine, Université Laval, Québec, Quebec, G1V 0A6, Canada
- CERVO Brain Research Centre, 2601, chemin de la Canardière, Québec, Quebec, Canada, G1J 2G3
| | - Suzanne Lemstra
- Department of Translational Neuroscience, Brain Center Rudolf Magnus, University Medical Center Utrecht, 3584 CG, Utrecht, The Netherlands
| | - Daniel Côté
- CERVO Brain Research Centre, 2601, chemin de la Canardière, Québec, Quebec, Canada, G1J 2G3
- Département de Physique, Genie Physique et Optique, Université Laval, Québec, Quebec, G1V 0A6, Canada
| | - R Jeroen Pasterkamp
- Department of Translational Neuroscience, Brain Center Rudolf Magnus, University Medical Center Utrecht, 3584 CG, Utrecht, The Netherlands
| | - Monica I Abrudan
- Wellcome Trust Sanger Institute, Wellcome Trust Genome Campus, Hinxton, Cambridge, CB10 1SA, UK
- Faculty of Medicine, School of Public Health, Imperial College, London, W2 1PG, UK
| | - Emmanouil Metzakopian
- Wellcome Trust Sanger Institute, Wellcome Trust Genome Campus, Hinxton, Cambridge, CB10 1SA, UK
| | - Siew-Lan Ang
- The Francis Crick Institute, 1 Midland Road, London, NW1 1AT, UK
| | - Martin Lévesque
- Department of Psychiatry and Neurosciences, Faculty of Medicine, Université Laval, Québec, Quebec, G1V 0A6, Canada.
- CERVO Brain Research Centre, 2601, chemin de la Canardière, Québec, Quebec, Canada, G1J 2G3.
| |
Collapse
|
23
|
Lai HC, Seal RP, Johnson JE. Making sense out of spinal cord somatosensory development. Development 2017; 143:3434-3448. [PMID: 27702783 DOI: 10.1242/dev.139592] [Citation(s) in RCA: 121] [Impact Index Per Article: 17.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 12/16/2022]
Abstract
The spinal cord integrates and relays somatosensory input, leading to complex motor responses. Research over the past couple of decades has identified transcription factor networks that function during development to define and instruct the generation of diverse neuronal populations within the spinal cord. A number of studies have now started to connect these developmentally defined populations with their roles in somatosensory circuits. Here, we review our current understanding of how neuronal diversity in the dorsal spinal cord is generated and we discuss the logic underlying how these neurons form the basis of somatosensory circuits.
Collapse
Affiliation(s)
- Helen C Lai
- Department of Neuroscience, University of Texas Southwestern Medical Center, Dallas, TX 75390, USA
| | - Rebecca P Seal
- Department of Neurobiology, University of Pittsburgh School of Medicine, Pittsburgh, PA 15260, USA
| | - Jane E Johnson
- Department of Neuroscience, University of Texas Southwestern Medical Center, Dallas, TX 75390, USA
| |
Collapse
|
24
|
Tran M, Kuhn JA, Bráz JM, Basbaum AI. Neuronal aromatase expression in pain processing regions of the medullary and spinal cord dorsal horn. J Comp Neurol 2017. [PMID: 28649695 DOI: 10.1002/cne.24269] [Citation(s) in RCA: 9] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 12/21/2022]
Abstract
In both acute and chronic pain conditions, women tend to be more sensitive than men. This sex difference may be regulated by estrogens, such as estradiol, that are synthesized in the spinal cord and brainstem and act locally to influence pain processing. To identify a potential cellular source of local estrogen, here we examined the expression of aromatase, the enzyme that catalyzes the conversion of testosterone to estradiol. Our studies focused on primary afferent neurons and on their central targets in the spinal cord and medulla as well as in the nucleus of the solitary tract, the target of nodose ganglion-derived visceral afferents. Immunohistochemical staining in an aromatase reporter mouse revealed that many neurons in laminae I and V of the spinal cord dorsal horn and caudal spinal trigeminal nucleus and in the nucleus of the solitary tract express aromatase. The great majority of these cells also express inhibitory interneuron markers. We did not find sex differences in aromatase expression and neither the pattern nor the number of neurons changed in a sciatic nerve transection model of neuropathic pain or in the Complete Freund's adjuvant model of inflammatory pain. A few aromatase neurons express Fos after cheek injection of capsaicin, formalin, or chloroquine. In total, given their location, these aromatase neurons are poised to engage nociceptive circuits, whether it is through local estrogen synthesis or inhibitory neurotransmitter release.
Collapse
Affiliation(s)
- May Tran
- Department of Anatomy, University of California, San Francisco, San Francisco, California
| | - Julia A Kuhn
- Department of Anatomy, University of California, San Francisco, San Francisco, California
| | - João M Bráz
- Department of Anatomy, University of California, San Francisco, San Francisco, California
| | - Allan I Basbaum
- Department of Anatomy, University of California, San Francisco, San Francisco, California
| |
Collapse
|
25
|
Yvone GM, Zhao-Fleming HH, Udeochu JC, Chavez-Martinez CL, Wang A, Hirose-Ikeda M, Phelps PE. Disabled-1 dorsal horn spinal cord neurons co-express Lmx1b and function in nociceptive circuits. Eur J Neurosci 2017; 45:733-747. [PMID: 28083884 DOI: 10.1111/ejn.13520] [Citation(s) in RCA: 5] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.7] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 10/31/2016] [Revised: 12/20/2016] [Accepted: 01/09/2017] [Indexed: 12/30/2022]
Abstract
The Reelin-signaling pathway is essential for correct neuronal positioning within the central nervous system. Mutant mice with a deletion of Reelin, its lipoprotein receptors, or its intracellular adaptor protein Disabled-1 (Dab1), exhibit nociceptive abnormalities: thermal (heat) hyperalgesia and reduced mechanical sensitivity. To determine dorsal horn alterations associated with these nociceptive abnormalities, we first characterized the correctly positioned Dab1 neurons in wild-type and mispositioned neurons in Reelin-signaling pathway mutant lumbar spinal cord. Using immunofluorescence, we found that 70% of the numerous Dab1 neurons in Reln+/+ laminae I-II and 67% of those in the lateral reticulated area and lateral spinal nucleus (LSN) co-express the LIM-homeobox transcription factor 1 beta (Lmx1b), an excitatory glutamatergic neuron marker. Evidence of Dab1- and Dab1-Lmx1b neuronal positioning errors was found within the isolectin B4 terminal region of Reln-/- lamina IIinner and in the lateral reticulated area and LSN, where about 50% of the Dab1-Lmx1b neurons are missing. Importantly, Dab1-Lmx1b neurons in laminae I-II and the lateral reticulated area express Fos after noxious thermal or mechanical stimulation and thus participate in these circuits. In another pain relevant locus - the lateral cervical nucleus (LCN), we also found about a 50% loss of Dab1-Lmx1b neurons in Reln-/- mice. We suggest that extensively mispositioned Dab1 projection neurons in the lateral reticulated area, LSN, and LCN and the more subtle positioning errors of Dab1 interneurons in laminae I-II contribute to the abnormalities in pain responses found in Reelin-signaling pathway mutants.
Collapse
Affiliation(s)
- Griselda M Yvone
- Department of Integrative Biology and Physiology, UCLA, Terasaki Life Sciences Building, 610 Charles Young Dr. E, Los Angeles, CA, 90095-7239, USA
| | - Hannah H Zhao-Fleming
- Department of Integrative Biology and Physiology, UCLA, Terasaki Life Sciences Building, 610 Charles Young Dr. E, Los Angeles, CA, 90095-7239, USA
| | - Joe C Udeochu
- Department of Integrative Biology and Physiology, UCLA, Terasaki Life Sciences Building, 610 Charles Young Dr. E, Los Angeles, CA, 90095-7239, USA
| | - Carmine L Chavez-Martinez
- Department of Integrative Biology and Physiology, UCLA, Terasaki Life Sciences Building, 610 Charles Young Dr. E, Los Angeles, CA, 90095-7239, USA
| | - Austin Wang
- Department of Integrative Biology and Physiology, UCLA, Terasaki Life Sciences Building, 610 Charles Young Dr. E, Los Angeles, CA, 90095-7239, USA
| | - Megumi Hirose-Ikeda
- Department of Integrative Biology and Physiology, UCLA, Terasaki Life Sciences Building, 610 Charles Young Dr. E, Los Angeles, CA, 90095-7239, USA
| | - Patricia E Phelps
- Department of Integrative Biology and Physiology, UCLA, Terasaki Life Sciences Building, 610 Charles Young Dr. E, Los Angeles, CA, 90095-7239, USA
| |
Collapse
|
26
|
Hernandez-Miranda LR, Müller T, Birchmeier C. The dorsal spinal cord and hindbrain: From developmental mechanisms to functional circuits. Dev Biol 2016; 432:34-42. [PMID: 27742210 DOI: 10.1016/j.ydbio.2016.10.008] [Citation(s) in RCA: 59] [Impact Index Per Article: 7.4] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 07/17/2016] [Revised: 09/07/2016] [Accepted: 10/10/2016] [Indexed: 11/29/2022]
Abstract
Neurons of the dorsal hindbrain and spinal cord are central in receiving, processing and relaying sensory perception and participate in the coordination of sensory-motor output. Numerous cellular and molecular mechanisms that underlie neuronal development in both regions of the nervous system are shared. We discuss here the mechanisms that generate neuronal diversity in the dorsal spinal cord and hindbrain, and emphasize similarities in patterning and neuronal specification. Insight into the developmental mechanisms has provided tools that can help to assign functions to small subpopulations of neurons. Hence, novel information on how mechanosensory or pain sensation is encoded under normal and neuropathic conditions has already emerged. Such studies show that the complex neuronal circuits that control perception of somatosensory and viscerosensory stimuli are becoming amenable to investigations.
Collapse
Affiliation(s)
- Luis R Hernandez-Miranda
- Max-Delbrück-Center for Molecular Medicine in the Helmholtz-Association, Robert-Rössle-Str. 10, 13125 Berlin, Germany.
| | - Thomas Müller
- Max-Delbrück-Center for Molecular Medicine in the Helmholtz-Association, Robert-Rössle-Str. 10, 13125 Berlin, Germany
| | - Carmen Birchmeier
- Max-Delbrück-Center for Molecular Medicine in the Helmholtz-Association, Robert-Rössle-Str. 10, 13125 Berlin, Germany.
| |
Collapse
|
27
|
Hilinski WC, Bostrom JR, England SJ, Juárez-Morales JL, de Jager S, Armant O, Legradi J, Strähle U, Link BA, Lewis KE. Lmx1b is required for the glutamatergic fates of a subset of spinal cord neurons. Neural Dev 2016; 11:16. [PMID: 27553035 PMCID: PMC4995821 DOI: 10.1186/s13064-016-0070-1] [Citation(s) in RCA: 9] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.1] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 04/20/2016] [Accepted: 08/08/2016] [Indexed: 01/27/2023] Open
Abstract
Background Alterations in neurotransmitter phenotypes of specific neurons can cause imbalances in excitation and inhibition in the central nervous system (CNS), leading to diseases. Therefore, the correct specification and maintenance of neurotransmitter phenotypes is vital. As with other neuronal properties, neurotransmitter phenotypes are often specified and maintained by particular transcription factors. However, the specific molecular mechanisms and transcription factors that regulate neurotransmitter phenotypes remain largely unknown. Methods In this paper we use single mutant, double mutant and transgenic zebrafish embryos to elucidate the functions of Lmx1ba and Lmx1bb in the regulation of spinal cord interneuron neurotransmitter phenotypes. Results We demonstrate that lmx1ba and lmx1bb are both expressed in zebrafish spinal cord and that lmx1bb is expressed by both V0v cells and dI5 cells. Our functional analyses demonstrate that these transcription factors are not required for neurotransmitter fate specification at early stages of development, but that in embryos with at least two lmx1ba and/or lmx1bb mutant alleles there is a reduced number of excitatory (glutamatergic) spinal interneurons at later stages of development. In contrast, there is no change in the numbers of V0v or dI5 cells. These data suggest that lmx1b-expressing spinal neurons still form normally, but at least a subset of them lose, or do not form, their normal excitatory fates. As the reduction in glutamatergic cells is only seen at later stages of development, Lmx1b is probably required either for the maintenance of glutamatergic fates or to specify glutamatergic phenotypes of a subset of later forming neurons. Using double labeling experiments, we also show that at least some of the cells that lose their normal glutamatergic phenotype are V0v cells. Finally, we also establish that Evx1 and Evx2, two transcription factors that are required for V0v cells to acquire their excitatory neurotransmitter phenotype, are also required for lmx1ba and lmx1bb expression in these cells, suggesting that Lmx1ba and Lmx1bb act downstream of Evx1 and Evx2 in V0v cells. Conclusions Lmx1ba and Lmx1bb function at least partially redundantly in the spinal cord and three functional lmx1b alleles are required in zebrafish for correct numbers of excitatory spinal interneurons at later developmental stages. Taken together, our data significantly enhance our understanding of how spinal cord neurotransmitter fates are regulated.
Collapse
Affiliation(s)
- William C Hilinski
- Department of Biology, Syracuse University, 107 College Place, Syracuse, NY, 13244, USA.,Department of Neuroscience and Physiology, SUNY Upstate Medical University, 505 Irving Avenue, Syracuse, NY, 13210, USA
| | - Jonathan R Bostrom
- Department of Cell Biology, Neurobiology and Anatomy, Medical College of Wisconsin, 8701 Watertown Plank Rd., Milwaukee, WI, 53226, USA
| | - Samantha J England
- Department of Biology, Syracuse University, 107 College Place, Syracuse, NY, 13244, USA
| | - José L Juárez-Morales
- Department of Biology, Syracuse University, 107 College Place, Syracuse, NY, 13244, USA
| | - Sarah de Jager
- Department of Physiology, Development and Neuroscience, University of Cambridge, Downing Street, Cambridge, CB2 3DY, UK
| | - Olivier Armant
- Institute of Toxicology and Genetics, Karlsruhe Institute of Technology (KIT), Postfach 3640, 76021, Karlsruhe, Germany
| | - Jessica Legradi
- Institute of Toxicology and Genetics, Karlsruhe Institute of Technology (KIT), Postfach 3640, 76021, Karlsruhe, Germany
| | - Uwe Strähle
- Institute of Toxicology and Genetics, Karlsruhe Institute of Technology (KIT), Postfach 3640, 76021, Karlsruhe, Germany
| | - Brian A Link
- Department of Cell Biology, Neurobiology and Anatomy, Medical College of Wisconsin, 8701 Watertown Plank Rd., Milwaukee, WI, 53226, USA
| | - Katharine E Lewis
- Department of Biology, Syracuse University, 107 College Place, Syracuse, NY, 13244, USA.
| |
Collapse
|
28
|
Petitjean H, Pawlowski SA, Fraine SL, Sharif B, Hamad D, Fatima T, Berg J, Brown CM, Jan LY, Ribeiro-da-Silva A, Braz JM, Basbaum AI, Sharif-Naeini R. Dorsal Horn Parvalbumin Neurons Are Gate-Keepers of Touch-Evoked Pain after Nerve Injury. Cell Rep 2015; 13:1246-1257. [PMID: 26527000 PMCID: PMC6038918 DOI: 10.1016/j.celrep.2015.09.080] [Citation(s) in RCA: 213] [Impact Index Per Article: 23.7] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 06/29/2015] [Revised: 09/04/2015] [Accepted: 09/25/2015] [Indexed: 01/01/2023] Open
Abstract
Neuropathic pain is a chronic debilitating disease that results from nerve damage, persists long after the injury has subsided, and is characterized by spontaneous pain and mechanical hypersensitivity. Although loss of inhibitory tone in the dorsal horn of the spinal cord is a major contributor to neuropathic pain, the molecular and cellular mechanisms underlying this disinhibition are unclear. Here, we combined pharmacogenetic activation and selective ablation approaches in mice to define the contribution of spinal cord parvalbumin (PV)-expressing inhibitory interneurons in naive and neuropathic pain conditions. Ablating PV neurons in naive mice produce neuropathic pain-like mechanical allodynia via disinhibition of PKCγ excitatory interneurons. Conversely, activating PV neurons in nerve-injured mice alleviates mechanical hypersensitivity. These findings indicate that PV interneurons are modality-specific filters that gate mechanical but not thermal inputs to the dorsal horn and that increasing PV inter-neuron activity can ameliorate the mechanical hypersensitivity that develops following nerve injury.
Collapse
Affiliation(s)
- Hugues Petitjean
- Department of Physiology and Cell Information Systems Group, McGill University, Montreal, H3G0B1 QC, Canada
| | | | - Steven Li Fraine
- Department of Physiology and Cell Information Systems Group, McGill University, Montreal, H3G0B1 QC, Canada
| | - Behrang Sharif
- Department of Physiology and Cell Information Systems Group, McGill University, Montreal, H3G0B1 QC, Canada
| | - Doulia Hamad
- Department of Physiology and Cell Information Systems Group, McGill University, Montreal, H3G0B1 QC, Canada
| | - Tarheen Fatima
- Department of Physiology and Cell Information Systems Group, McGill University, Montreal, H3G0B1 QC, Canada
| | - Jim Berg
- Departments of Physiology and Biochemistry, Howard Hughes Medical Institute, University of California, San Francisco, 1550 4th Street, RH-490D, San Francisco, CA 94158, USA
| | - Claire M Brown
- Department of Physiology and Cell Information Systems Group, McGill University, Montreal, H3G0B1 QC, Canada; Advanced BioImaging Facility, McGill University, H3G0B1 QC, Canada
| | - Lily-Yeh Jan
- Departments of Physiology and Biochemistry, Howard Hughes Medical Institute, University of California, San Francisco, 1550 4th Street, RH-490D, San Francisco, CA 94158, USA
| | - Alfredo Ribeiro-da-Silva
- Department of Pharmacology and Therapeutics, McGill University, H3G1Y6 QC, Canada; Department of Anatomy and Cell Biology, McGill University, H3A0C7 QC, Canada
| | - Joao M Braz
- Department of Anatomy, University of California, San Francisco, 1550 4th Street, RH-348E, San Francisco, CA 94158, USA
| | - Allan I Basbaum
- Department of Anatomy, University of California, San Francisco, 1550 4th Street, RH-348E, San Francisco, CA 94158, USA
| | - Reza Sharif-Naeini
- Department of Physiology and Cell Information Systems Group, McGill University, Montreal, H3G0B1 QC, Canada.
| |
Collapse
|
29
|
Cell fate determination, neuronal maintenance and disease state: The emerging role of transcription factors Lmx1a and Lmx1b. FEBS Lett 2015; 589:3727-38. [PMID: 26526610 DOI: 10.1016/j.febslet.2015.10.020] [Citation(s) in RCA: 44] [Impact Index Per Article: 4.9] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 09/07/2015] [Revised: 10/06/2015] [Accepted: 10/15/2015] [Indexed: 01/28/2023]
Abstract
LIM-homeodomain (LIM-HD) proteins are evolutionary conserved developmental transcription factors. LIM-HD Lmx1a and Lmx1b orchestrate complex temporal and spatial gene expression of the dopaminergic pathway, and evidence shows they are also involved in adult neuronal homeostasis. In this review, the multiple roles played by Lmx1a and Lmx1b will be discussed. Controlled Lmx1a and Lmx1b expression and activities ensure the proper formation of critical signaling centers, including the embryonic ventral mesencephalon floor plate and sharp boundaries between lineage-specific cells. Lmx1a and Lmx1b expression persists in mature dopaminergic neurons of the substantia nigra pars compacta and the ventral tegmental area, and their role in the adult brain is beginning to be revealed. Notably, LMX1B expression was lower in brain tissue affected by Parkinson's disease. Actual and future applications of Lmx1a and Lmx1b transcription factors in stem cell production as well as in direct conversion of fibroblast into dopaminergic neurons are also discussed. A thorough understanding of the role of LMX1A and LMX1B in a number of disease states, including developmental diseases, cancer and neurodegenerative diseases, could lead to significant benefits for human healthcare.
Collapse
|