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Rana N, Kapil L, Singh C, Singh A. Modeling Huntington's disease: An insight on in-vitro and in-vivo models. Behav Brain Res 2024; 459:114757. [PMID: 37952684 DOI: 10.1016/j.bbr.2023.114757] [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: 09/20/2023] [Revised: 11/09/2023] [Accepted: 11/09/2023] [Indexed: 11/14/2023]
Abstract
Huntington's disease is a neurodegenerative illness that causes neuronal death most extensively within the basal ganglia. There is a broad class of neurologic disorders associated with the expansion of polyglutamine (polyQ) repeats in numerous proteins. Several other molecular mechanisms have also been implicated in HD pathology, including brain-derived neurotrophic factor (BDNF), mitochondrial dysfunction, and altered synaptic plasticity in central spiny neurons. HD pathogenesis and the effectiveness of therapy approaches have been better understood through the use of animal models. The pathological manifestations of the disease were reproduced by early models of glutamate analog toxicity and mitochondrial respiration inhibition. Because the treatments available for HD are quite limited, it is important to have a definite preclinical model that mimics all the aspects of the disease. It can be used to study mechanisms and validate candidate therapies. Although there hasn't been much success in translating animal research into clinical practice, each model has something special to offer in the quest for a deeper comprehension of HD's neurobehavioral foundations. This review provides insight into various in-vitro-and in-vivo models of HD which may be useful in the screening of newer therapeutics for this incapacitating disorder.
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Affiliation(s)
- Nitasha Rana
- Department of Pharmacology, ISF College of Pharmacy, Moga 142001, Affiliated to I.K Gujral Punjab Technical University, Jalandhar, Punjab, India
| | - Lakshay Kapil
- Department of Pharmacology, ISF College of Pharmacy, Moga 142001, Affiliated to I.K Gujral Punjab Technical University, Jalandhar, Punjab, India
| | - Charan Singh
- Department of Pharmaceutical Sciences, HNB Garhwal University (A Central University), Chauras Campus, Distt. Tehri Garhwal, Uttarakhand 246174, India
| | - Arti Singh
- Department of Pharmacology, ISF College of Pharmacy, Moga 142001, Affiliated to I.K Gujral Punjab Technical University, Jalandhar, Punjab, India.
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2
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Dash SN, Patnaik L. Flight for fish in drug discovery: a review of zebrafish-based screening of molecules. Biol Lett 2023; 19:20220541. [PMID: 37528729 PMCID: PMC10394424 DOI: 10.1098/rsbl.2022.0541] [Citation(s) in RCA: 4] [Impact Index Per Article: 4.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 11/21/2022] [Accepted: 07/13/2023] [Indexed: 08/03/2023] Open
Abstract
Human disease and biological practices are modelled in zebrafish (Danio rerio) at various phases of drug development as well as toxicity evaluation. The zebrafish is ideal for in vivo pathological research and high-resolution investigation of disease progress. Zebrafish has an advantage over other mammalian models, it is cost-effective, it has external development and embryo transparency, easy to apply genetic manipulations, and open to both forward and reverse genetic techniques. Drug screening in zebrafish is suitable for target identification, illness modelling, high-throughput screening of compounds for inhibition or prevention of disease phenotypes and developing new drugs. Several drugs that have recently entered the clinic or clinical trials have their origins in zebrafish. The sophisticated screening methods used in zebrafish models are expected to play a significant role in advancing drug development programmes. This review highlights the current developments in drug discovery processes, including understanding the action of drugs in the context of disease and screening novel candidates in neurological diseases, cardiovascular diseases, glomerulopathies and cancer. Additionally, it summarizes the current techniques and approaches for the selection of small molecules and current technical limitations on the execution of zebrafish drug screening tests.
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Affiliation(s)
- Surjya Narayan Dash
- Institute of Biotechnology, Biocenter 2. Viikinkaari, University of Helsinki, Viikinkaari 5D, 00790 Helsinki, Finland
| | - Lipika Patnaik
- Environmental Science Laboratory, Department of Zoology, COE in Environment and Public Health, Ravenshaw University, Cuttack 751003, Odisha, India
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3
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Zhu Y, Auer F, Gelnaw H, Davis SN, Hamling KR, May CE, Ahamed H, Ringstad N, Nagel KI, Schoppik D. SAMPL is a high-throughput solution to study unconstrained vertical behavior in small animals. Cell Rep 2023; 42:112573. [PMID: 37267107 PMCID: PMC10592459 DOI: 10.1016/j.celrep.2023.112573] [Citation(s) in RCA: 7] [Impact Index Per Article: 7.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 01/09/2023] [Revised: 03/27/2023] [Accepted: 05/11/2023] [Indexed: 06/04/2023] Open
Abstract
Balance and movement are impaired in many neurological disorders. Recent advances in behavioral monitoring provide unprecedented access to posture and locomotor kinematics but without the throughput and scalability necessary to screen candidate genes/potential therapeutics. Here, we present a scalable apparatus to measure posture and locomotion (SAMPL). SAMPL includes extensible hardware and open-source software with real-time processing and can acquire data from D. melanogaster, C. elegans, and D. rerio as they move vertically. Using SAMPL, we define how zebrafish balance as they navigate vertically and discover small but systematic variations among kinematic parameters between genetic backgrounds. We demonstrate SAMPL's ability to resolve differences in posture and navigation as a function of effect size and data gathered, providing key data for screens. SAMPL is therefore both a tool to model balance and locomotor disorders and an exemplar of how to scale apparatus to support screens.
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Affiliation(s)
- Yunlu Zhu
- Department of Otolaryngology, New York University Grossman School of Medicine, New York, NY 10016, USA; The Neuroscience Institute, New York University Grossman School of Medicine, New York, NY 10016, USA; Department of Neuroscience & Physiology, New York University Grossman School of Medicine, New York, NY 10016, USA
| | - Franziska Auer
- Department of Otolaryngology, New York University Grossman School of Medicine, New York, NY 10016, USA; The Neuroscience Institute, New York University Grossman School of Medicine, New York, NY 10016, USA; Department of Neuroscience & Physiology, New York University Grossman School of Medicine, New York, NY 10016, USA
| | - Hannah Gelnaw
- Department of Otolaryngology, New York University Grossman School of Medicine, New York, NY 10016, USA; The Neuroscience Institute, New York University Grossman School of Medicine, New York, NY 10016, USA; Department of Neuroscience & Physiology, New York University Grossman School of Medicine, New York, NY 10016, USA
| | - Samantha N Davis
- Department of Otolaryngology, New York University Grossman School of Medicine, New York, NY 10016, USA; The Neuroscience Institute, New York University Grossman School of Medicine, New York, NY 10016, USA; Department of Neuroscience & Physiology, New York University Grossman School of Medicine, New York, NY 10016, USA
| | - Kyla R Hamling
- Department of Otolaryngology, New York University Grossman School of Medicine, New York, NY 10016, USA; The Neuroscience Institute, New York University Grossman School of Medicine, New York, NY 10016, USA; Department of Neuroscience & Physiology, New York University Grossman School of Medicine, New York, NY 10016, USA
| | - Christina E May
- The Neuroscience Institute, New York University Grossman School of Medicine, New York, NY 10016, USA; Department of Neuroscience & Physiology, New York University Grossman School of Medicine, New York, NY 10016, USA
| | - Hassan Ahamed
- Department of Cell Biology, Skirball Institute of Biomolecular Medicine, New York University Grossman School of Medicine, New York, NY 10016, USA
| | - Niels Ringstad
- Department of Cell Biology, Skirball Institute of Biomolecular Medicine, New York University Grossman School of Medicine, New York, NY 10016, USA
| | - Katherine I Nagel
- The Neuroscience Institute, New York University Grossman School of Medicine, New York, NY 10016, USA; Department of Neuroscience & Physiology, New York University Grossman School of Medicine, New York, NY 10016, USA
| | - David Schoppik
- Department of Otolaryngology, New York University Grossman School of Medicine, New York, NY 10016, USA; The Neuroscience Institute, New York University Grossman School of Medicine, New York, NY 10016, USA; Department of Neuroscience & Physiology, New York University Grossman School of Medicine, New York, NY 10016, USA.
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4
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Zhu Y, Auer F, Gelnaw H, Davis SN, Hamling KR, May CE, Ahamed H, Ringstad N, Nagel KI, Schoppik D. Scalable Apparatus to Measure Posture and Locomotion (SAMPL): a high-throughput solution to study unconstrained vertical behavior in small animals. BIORXIV : THE PREPRINT SERVER FOR BIOLOGY 2023:2023.01.07.523102. [PMID: 36712122 PMCID: PMC9881893 DOI: 10.1101/2023.01.07.523102] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Figures] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 01/09/2023]
Abstract
Balance and movement are impaired in a wide variety of neurological disorders. Recent advances in behavioral monitoring provide unprecedented access to posture and locomotor kinematics, but without the throughput and scalability necessary to screen candidate genes / potential therapeutics. We present a powerful solution: a Scalable Apparatus to Measure Posture and Locomotion (SAMPL). SAMPL includes extensible imaging hardware and low-cost open-source acquisition software with real-time processing. We first demonstrate that SAMPL's hardware and acquisition software can acquire data from from D. melanogaster, C. elegans, and D. rerio as they move vertically. Next, we leverage SAMPL's throughput to rapidly (two weeks) gather a new zebrafish dataset. We use SAMPL's analysis and visualization tools to replicate and extend our current understanding of how zebrafish balance as they navigate through a vertical environment. Next, we discover (1) that key kinematic parameters vary systematically with genetic background, and (2) that such background variation is small relative to the changes that accompany early development. Finally, we simulate SAMPL's ability to resolve differences in posture or vertical navigation as a function of affect size and data gathered -- key data for screens. Taken together, our apparatus, data, and analysis provide a powerful solution for labs using small animals to investigate balance and locomotor disorders at scale. More broadly, SAMPL is both an adaptable resource for labs looking process videographic measures of behavior in real-time, and an exemplar of how to scale hardware to enable the throughput necessary for screening.
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Affiliation(s)
- Yunlu Zhu
- Department. of Otolaryngology, New York University Grossman School of Medicine
- The Neuroscience Institute, New York University Grossman School of Medicine
- Department of Neuroscience & Physiology, New York University Grossman School of Medicine
| | - Franziska Auer
- Department. of Otolaryngology, New York University Grossman School of Medicine
- The Neuroscience Institute, New York University Grossman School of Medicine
- Department of Neuroscience & Physiology, New York University Grossman School of Medicine
| | - Hannah Gelnaw
- Department. of Otolaryngology, New York University Grossman School of Medicine
- The Neuroscience Institute, New York University Grossman School of Medicine
- Department of Neuroscience & Physiology, New York University Grossman School of Medicine
| | - Samantha N. Davis
- Department. of Otolaryngology, New York University Grossman School of Medicine
- The Neuroscience Institute, New York University Grossman School of Medicine
- Department of Neuroscience & Physiology, New York University Grossman School of Medicine
| | - Kyla R. Hamling
- Department. of Otolaryngology, New York University Grossman School of Medicine
- The Neuroscience Institute, New York University Grossman School of Medicine
- Department of Neuroscience & Physiology, New York University Grossman School of Medicine
| | - Christina E. May
- The Neuroscience Institute, New York University Grossman School of Medicine
- Department of Neuroscience & Physiology, New York University Grossman School of Medicine
| | - Hassan Ahamed
- Department of Cell Biology, Skirball Institute of Biomolecular Medicine, New York University Grossman School of Medicine
| | - Niels Ringstad
- Department of Cell Biology, Skirball Institute of Biomolecular Medicine, New York University Grossman School of Medicine
| | - Katherine I. Nagel
- The Neuroscience Institute, New York University Grossman School of Medicine
- Department of Neuroscience & Physiology, New York University Grossman School of Medicine
| | - David Schoppik
- Department. of Otolaryngology, New York University Grossman School of Medicine
- The Neuroscience Institute, New York University Grossman School of Medicine
- Department of Neuroscience & Physiology, New York University Grossman School of Medicine
- Lead Contact
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5
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Xu J, Zhang W, Zhong S, Xie X, Che H, Si W, Tuo X, Xu D, Zhao S. Microcystin-leucine-arginine affects brain gene expression programs and behaviors of offspring through paternal epigenetic information. THE SCIENCE OF THE TOTAL ENVIRONMENT 2023; 857:159032. [PMID: 36167133 DOI: 10.1016/j.scitotenv.2022.159032] [Citation(s) in RCA: 4] [Impact Index Per Article: 4.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 07/06/2022] [Revised: 09/01/2022] [Accepted: 09/21/2022] [Indexed: 06/16/2023]
Abstract
Microcystin-leucine-arginine (MC-LR) adversely affects male reproduction and interferes with the development of the offspring. Here, we establish a zebrafish (Danio rerio) model to understand the cross-generational effects of MC-LR in a male-lineage transmission pattern. F0 embryos were reared in water containing MC-LR (0, 5, and 25 μg/L) for 90 days and the developmental indices of F1 and F2 embryos were then measured with no MC-LR treatment. The results show that paternal MC-LR exposure reduced the hatching rate, heart rate and body weight in F1 and F2 generations. Global DNA methylation significantly increased in sperm and testes with the elevation expressions of DNA methyltransferases. Meanwhile, DNA methylation of brain-derived neurotrophic factor (bdnf) promoter was increased in sperm after paternal MC-LR exposure. Subsequently, increased DNA methylation of bdnf promoter and decreased gene expression of bdnf in the brain of F1 male zebrafish were detected. F1 offspring born to F0 males exhibit the depression of BDNF/AKT/CREB pathway and recapitulate these paternal neurodevelopment phenotypes in F2 offspring. In addition, the DNA methylations of dio3b and gad1b promoters were decreased and gene expressions of gad1b and dio3b were increased, accompanied with neurotransmitter disturbances in the brain of F1 male zebrafish after paternal MC-LR exposure. These data revealed that MC-LR displays a potential epigenetic impact on the germ line, reprogramming the epigenetic and transcriptional regulation of brain development, and contributing to aberrant expression of neurodevelopment-related genes and behavior disorders.
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Affiliation(s)
- Jiayi Xu
- School of Public Health, Anhui Medical University, Hefei 230032, China
| | - Weiyun Zhang
- School of Public Health, Anhui Medical University, Hefei 230032, China
| | - Shengzheng Zhong
- School of Public Health, Anhui Medical University, Hefei 230032, China
| | - Xinxin Xie
- School of Public Health, Anhui Medical University, Hefei 230032, China
| | - Huimin Che
- School of Public Health, Anhui Medical University, Hefei 230032, China
| | - Weirong Si
- School of Public Health, Anhui Medical University, Hefei 230032, China
| | - Xun Tuo
- College of Chemistry, Nanchang University, Nanchang 330031, China
| | - Dexiang Xu
- School of Public Health, Anhui Medical University, Hefei 230032, China
| | - Sujuan Zhao
- School of Public Health, Anhui Medical University, Hefei 230032, China.
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6
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Chia K, Klingseisen A, Sieger D, Priller J. Zebrafish as a model organism for neurodegenerative disease. Front Mol Neurosci 2022; 15:940484. [PMID: 36311026 PMCID: PMC9606821 DOI: 10.3389/fnmol.2022.940484] [Citation(s) in RCA: 27] [Impact Index Per Article: 13.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 05/10/2022] [Accepted: 07/01/2022] [Indexed: 11/20/2022] Open
Abstract
The zebrafish is increasingly recognized as a model organism for translational research into human neuropathology. The zebrafish brain exhibits fundamental resemblance with human neuroanatomical and neurochemical pathways, and hallmarks of human brain pathology such as protein aggregation, neuronal degeneration and activation of glial cells, for example, can be modeled and recapitulated in the fish central nervous system. Genetic manipulation, imaging, and drug screening are areas where zebrafish excel with the ease of introducing mutations and transgenes, the expression of fluorescent markers that can be detected in vivo in the transparent larval stages overtime, and simple treatment of large numbers of fish larvae at once followed by automated screening and imaging. In this review, we summarize how zebrafish have successfully been employed to model human neurodegenerative diseases such as Parkinson’s disease, Alzheimer’s disease, amyotrophic lateral sclerosis, and Huntington’s disease. We discuss advantages and disadvantages of choosing zebrafish as a model for these neurodegenerative conditions.
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Affiliation(s)
- Kelda Chia
- Centre for Clinical Brain Sciences, University of Edinburgh, Edinburgh, United Kingdom
- United Kingdom Dementia Research Institute at University of Edinburgh, Edinburgh, United Kingdom
| | - Anna Klingseisen
- Centre for Clinical Brain Sciences, University of Edinburgh, Edinburgh, United Kingdom
- United Kingdom Dementia Research Institute at University of Edinburgh, Edinburgh, United Kingdom
| | - Dirk Sieger
- Centre for Discovery Brain Sciences, University of Edinburgh, Edinburgh, United Kingdom
- *Correspondence: Dirk Sieger,
| | - Josef Priller
- Centre for Clinical Brain Sciences, University of Edinburgh, Edinburgh, United Kingdom
- United Kingdom Dementia Research Institute at University of Edinburgh, Edinburgh, United Kingdom
- Department of Psychiatry and Psychotherapy, School of Medicine, Technical University of Munich, Munich, Germany
- Neuropsychiatry and Laboratory of Molecular Psychiatry, Charité - Universitätsmedizin Berlin, DZNE, Berlin, Germany
- Department of Psychological Medicine, Institute of Psychiatry, Psychology and Neuroscience, King’s College London, London, United Kingdom
- Josef Priller,
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7
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Guo X, Zhang S, Liu X, Lu S, Wu Q, Xie P. Evaluation of the acute toxicity and neurodevelopmental inhibition of perfluorohexanoic acid (PFHxA) in zebrafish embryos. ECOTOXICOLOGY AND ENVIRONMENTAL SAFETY 2021; 225:112733. [PMID: 34478978 DOI: 10.1016/j.ecoenv.2021.112733] [Citation(s) in RCA: 14] [Impact Index Per Article: 4.7] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 07/21/2021] [Revised: 08/22/2021] [Accepted: 08/28/2021] [Indexed: 05/27/2023]
Abstract
Perfluorohexanoic acid (PFHxA), a widely used emerging alternative for 8-carbon PFAAs, has been detected at a high level in the water environment. While its toxicity and environmental health risk are still largely unknown in aquatic life. The present study aimed to evaluated the possible developmental neurotoxicity induced by PFHxA exposure (0, 0.48, 2.4, and 12 mg/L for 120 h) in the zebrafish embryo. Here, both developmental endpoints, neurotransmitters concentrations, locomotor behavior were analyzed. No significant effects on mortality, malformation rate, and growth delay were detected in the low dose treatment groups except for in the high dose group (12 mg/L). A significant increase in swimming speed were noted in the 0.48 mg/L group. Other changes including neurotransmitters concentrations and green fluorescent protein (GFP) expression in Tg (HuC-GFP) zebrafish larvae were significantly increased in 12 mg/L group. Beyond that, genes related to neurodevelopment were significantly decreased in larvae. Moreover, downregulations of protein expression levels of α1-tubulin, elavl3, and gap43 were identified. These results demonstrate that the PFAAs alternative PFHxA have no significant neurodevelopmental effects on zebrafish larvae under acute low-dose exposure, while, it is important to note that PFHxA perform inhibiting effects on neurotransmitter and central nervous system under a relatively high dose. This in vivo study could provide reliable toxicity information for risk assessments of PFHxA on aquatic ecosystems. CAPSULE: PFHxA have no significant neurodevelopmental effects on zebrafish larvae under acute low-dose exposure, while exposed with relatively high-dose, could induced the alternations of neurotransmitter concentrations as well as the genes involved in the early developmental stages of zebrafish, leading to the impairment of the nervous system in zebrafish larvae.
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Affiliation(s)
- Xiaochun Guo
- National Engineering Laboratory for Lake Pollution Control and Ecological Restoration, State Environment Protection Key Laboratory for Lake Pollution Control, State Environmental Protection Scientific Observation and Research Station for Lake Dongtinghu (SEPSORSLD), State Key Laboratory of Environmental Criteria and Risk Assessment, Chinese Research Academy of Environmental Sciences, Beijing 100012, China
| | - Shengnan Zhang
- National Engineering Laboratory for Lake Pollution Control and Ecological Restoration, State Environment Protection Key Laboratory for Lake Pollution Control, State Environmental Protection Scientific Observation and Research Station for Lake Dongtinghu (SEPSORSLD), State Key Laboratory of Environmental Criteria and Risk Assessment, Chinese Research Academy of Environmental Sciences, Beijing 100012, China; State Key Laboratory of Crop Genetics and Germplasm Enhancement, College of Resources and Environmental Sciences, Nanjing Agricultural University, Nanjing 210095, China
| | - Xiaohui Liu
- National Engineering Laboratory for Lake Pollution Control and Ecological Restoration, State Environment Protection Key Laboratory for Lake Pollution Control, State Environmental Protection Scientific Observation and Research Station for Lake Dongtinghu (SEPSORSLD), State Key Laboratory of Environmental Criteria and Risk Assessment, Chinese Research Academy of Environmental Sciences, Beijing 100012, China
| | - Shaoyong Lu
- National Engineering Laboratory for Lake Pollution Control and Ecological Restoration, State Environment Protection Key Laboratory for Lake Pollution Control, State Environmental Protection Scientific Observation and Research Station for Lake Dongtinghu (SEPSORSLD), State Key Laboratory of Environmental Criteria and Risk Assessment, Chinese Research Academy of Environmental Sciences, Beijing 100012, China
| | - Qin Wu
- Hubei Key Laboratory of Edible Wild Plants Conservation and Utilization, Hubei Engineering Research Center of Special Wild Vegetables Breeding and Comprehensive Utilization Technology, Hubei Normal University, Huangshi 435002, China
| | - Ping Xie
- Donghu Experimental Station of Lake Ecosystems, State Key Laboratory of Freshwater Ecology and Biotechnology of China, Institute of Hydrobiology, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Wuhan 430072, China
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8
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Lu D, Ma R, Xie Q, Xu Z, Yuan J, Ren M, Li J, Li Y, Wang J. Application and advantages of zebrafish model in the study of neurovascular unit. Eur J Pharmacol 2021; 910:174483. [PMID: 34481878 DOI: 10.1016/j.ejphar.2021.174483] [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: 07/14/2021] [Revised: 08/25/2021] [Accepted: 09/01/2021] [Indexed: 11/15/2022]
Abstract
The concept of "Neurovascular Unit" (NVU) was put forward, so that the research goal of Central Nervous System (CNS) diseases gradually transitioned from a single neuron to the structural and functional integrity of the NVU. Zebrafish has the advantages of high homology with human genes, strong reproductive capacity and visualization of neural circuits, so it has become an emerging model organism for NVU research and has been applied to a variety of CNS diseases. Based on CNKI (https://www.cnki.net/) and PubMed (https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/about/) databases, the author of this article sorted out the relevant literature, analyzed the construction of a zebrafish model of various CNS diseases,and the use of diagrams showed the application of zebrafish in the NVU, revealed its relationship, which would provide new methods and references for the treatment and research of CNS diseases.
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Affiliation(s)
- Danni Lu
- State Key Laboratory of Southwestern Chinese Medicine Resources, Chengdu, 611137, China; School of Pharmacy, Chengdu University of Traditional Chinese Medicine, Chengdu, 611137, China
| | - Rong Ma
- State Key Laboratory of Southwestern Chinese Medicine Resources, Chengdu, 611137, China; School of Pharmacy, Chengdu University of Traditional Chinese Medicine, Chengdu, 611137, China
| | - Qian Xie
- State Key Laboratory of Southwestern Chinese Medicine Resources, Chengdu, 611137, China; School of Pharmacy, Chengdu University of Traditional Chinese Medicine, Chengdu, 611137, China
| | - Zhuo Xu
- State Key Laboratory of Southwestern Chinese Medicine Resources, Chengdu, 611137, China; School of Pharmacy, Chengdu University of Traditional Chinese Medicine, Chengdu, 611137, China
| | - Jianmei Yuan
- State Key Laboratory of Southwestern Chinese Medicine Resources, Chengdu, 611137, China; School of Pharmacy, Chengdu University of Traditional Chinese Medicine, Chengdu, 611137, China
| | - Mihong Ren
- State Key Laboratory of Southwestern Chinese Medicine Resources, Chengdu, 611137, China; School of Pharmacy, Chengdu University of Traditional Chinese Medicine, Chengdu, 611137, China
| | - Jinxiu Li
- State Key Laboratory of Southwestern Chinese Medicine Resources, Chengdu, 611137, China; School of Pharmacy, Chengdu University of Traditional Chinese Medicine, Chengdu, 611137, China
| | - Yong Li
- State Key Laboratory of Southwestern Chinese Medicine Resources, Chengdu, 611137, China; School of Pharmacy, Chengdu University of Traditional Chinese Medicine, Chengdu, 611137, China
| | - Jian Wang
- State Key Laboratory of Southwestern Chinese Medicine Resources, Chengdu, 611137, China; School of Pharmacy, Chengdu University of Traditional Chinese Medicine, Chengdu, 611137, China.
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9
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Kumar V, Singh C, Singh A. Zebrafish an experimental model of Huntington's disease: molecular aspects, therapeutic targets and current challenges. Mol Biol Rep 2021; 48:8181-8194. [PMID: 34665402 DOI: 10.1007/s11033-021-06787-y] [Citation(s) in RCA: 12] [Impact Index Per Article: 4.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 07/10/2021] [Accepted: 09/17/2021] [Indexed: 12/13/2022]
Abstract
Huntington disease (HD) is a lethal autosomal dominant neurodegenerative disease whose exact causative mechanism is still unknown. It can transform from one generation to another generation. The CAG triplet expansion on polyglutamine (PolyQ) tract on Huntingtin protein primarily contributes in HD pathogenesis. Apart from this some another molecular mechanisms are also involved in HD pathology such as loss of Brain derived neurotrophic factor in medium spiny neurons, mitochondrial dysfunction, and alterations in synaptic plasticity are briefly discussed in this review. However, several chemicals (3-nitropropionic acid, and Quinolinic acid) and genetic (mHTT-ΔN17-97Q over expression) experimental models are used to explore the exact pathogenic mechanism and finding of new drug targets for the development of novel therapeutic approaches. The zebrafish (Danio rerio) is widely used in in-vivo screening of several central nervous system (CNS) diseases such as HD, Alzheimer's disease (AD), Parkinson's disease (PD), and in memory deficits. Thus, this makes zebrafish as an excellent animal model for the development of new therapeutic strategies against various CNS disorders. We had reviewed several publications utilizing zebrafish and rodents to explore the disease pathology. Studies suggested that zebrafish genes and their human homologues have conserved functions. Zebrafish advantages and their characteristics over the other experimental animals make it an excellent tool for the disease study. This review explains the possible pathogenic mechanism of HD and also discusses about possible treatment therapies, apart from this we also discussed about possible potential therapeutic targets which will helps in designing of novel therapeutic approaches to overcome the disease progression. Diagrammatic depiction shows prevention of HD pathogenesis through attenuation of various biochemical alterations.
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Affiliation(s)
- Vishal Kumar
- Department of Pharmacology, ISF College of Pharmacy, Moga, Punjab, 142001, India
| | - Charan Singh
- Department of Pharmaceutics, ISF College of Pharmacy, Moga, Punjab, 142001, India
- Affiliated to IK Gujral Punjab Technical University, Jalandhar, Punjab, 144603, India
| | - Arti Singh
- Department of Pharmacology, ISF College of Pharmacy, Moga, Punjab, 142001, India.
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10
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Treffy RW, Rajan SG, Jiang X, Nacke LM, Malkana UA, Naiche LA, Bergey DE, Santana D, Rajagopalan V, Kitajewski JK, O'Bryan JP, Saxena A. Neuroblastoma differentiation in vivo excludes cranial tumors. Dev Cell 2021; 56:2752-2764.e6. [PMID: 34610330 DOI: 10.1016/j.devcel.2021.09.014] [Citation(s) in RCA: 2] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.7] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 09/01/2020] [Revised: 05/28/2021] [Accepted: 09/13/2021] [Indexed: 01/05/2023]
Abstract
Neuroblastoma (NB), the most common cancer in the first year of life, presents almost exclusively in the trunk. To understand why an early-onset cancer would have such a specific localization, we xenotransplanted human NB cells into discrete neural crest (NC) streams in zebrafish embryos. Here, we demonstrate that human NB cells remain in an undifferentiated, tumorigenic state when comigrating posteriorly with NC cells but, upon comigration into the head, differentiate into neurons and exhibit decreased survival. Furthermore, we demonstrate that this in vivo differentiation requires retinoic acid and brain-derived neurotrophic factor signaling from the microenvironment, as well as cell-autonomous intersectin-1-dependent phosphoinositide 3-kinase-mediated signaling, likely via Akt kinase activation. Our findings suggest a microenvironment-driven explanation for NB's trunk-biased localization and highlight the potential for induced differentiation to promote NB resolution in vivo.
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Affiliation(s)
- Randall W Treffy
- Department of Biological Sciences, University of Illinois at Chicago, Chicago, IL 60607, USA
| | - Sriivatsan G Rajan
- Department of Biological Sciences, University of Illinois at Chicago, Chicago, IL 60607, USA
| | - Xinghang Jiang
- Department of Biological Sciences, University of Illinois at Chicago, Chicago, IL 60607, USA
| | - Lynne M Nacke
- Department of Biological Sciences, University of Illinois at Chicago, Chicago, IL 60607, USA
| | - Usama A Malkana
- Department of Biological Sciences, University of Illinois at Chicago, Chicago, IL 60607, USA
| | - L A Naiche
- Department of Physiology and Biophysics, University of Illinois at Chicago, Chicago, IL 60612, USA
| | - Dani E Bergey
- Department of Biological Sciences, University of Illinois at Chicago, Chicago, IL 60607, USA
| | - Dianicha Santana
- Department of Pharmacology, University of Illinois at Chicago, Chicago, IL 60612, USA
| | - Vinodh Rajagopalan
- Department of Cell and Molecular Pharmacology and Experimental Therapeutics, Hollings Cancer Center, Medical University of South Carolina, Charleston, SC 29425, USA
| | - Jan K Kitajewski
- Department of Physiology and Biophysics, University of Illinois at Chicago, Chicago, IL 60612, USA
| | - John P O'Bryan
- Department of Pharmacology, University of Illinois at Chicago, Chicago, IL 60612, USA; Department of Cell and Molecular Pharmacology and Experimental Therapeutics, Hollings Cancer Center, Medical University of South Carolina, Charleston, SC 29425, USA; Jesse Brown VA Medical Center, Chicago, IL 60612, USA; Ralph H. Johnson VA Medical Center, Charleston, SC 29401, USA
| | - Ankur Saxena
- Department of Biological Sciences, University of Illinois at Chicago, Chicago, IL 60607, USA.
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11
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Wang J, Cao H. Zebrafish and Medaka: Important Animal Models for Human Neurodegenerative Diseases. Int J Mol Sci 2021; 22:10766. [PMID: 34639106 PMCID: PMC8509648 DOI: 10.3390/ijms221910766] [Citation(s) in RCA: 9] [Impact Index Per Article: 3.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 07/27/2021] [Revised: 09/30/2021] [Accepted: 09/30/2021] [Indexed: 02/06/2023] Open
Abstract
Animal models of human neurodegenerative disease have been investigated for several decades. In recent years, zebrafish (Danio rerio) and medaka (Oryzias latipes) have become popular in pathogenic and therapeutic studies about human neurodegenerative diseases due to their small size, the optical clarity of embryos, their fast development, and their suitability to large-scale therapeutic screening. Following the emergence of a new generation of molecular biological technologies such as reverse and forward genetics, morpholino, transgenesis, and gene knockout, many human neurodegenerative disease models, such as Parkinson's, Huntington's, and Alzheimer's, were constructed in zebrafish and medaka. These studies proved that zebrafish and medaka genes are functionally conserved in relation to their human homologues, so they exhibit similar neurodegenerative phenotypes to human beings. Therefore, fish are a suitable model for the investigation of pathologic mechanisms of neurodegenerative diseases and for the large-scale screening of drugs for potential therapy. In this review, we summarize the studies in modelling human neurodegenerative diseases in zebrafish and medaka in recent years.
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Affiliation(s)
- Jing Wang
- State Key Laboratory of Freshwater Ecology and Biotechnology, Institute of Hydrobiology, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Donghu South Road 7#, Wuhan 430072, China;
- College of Advanced Agriculture Sciences, University of Chinese Academy of Sciences, Beijing 100049, China
| | - Hong Cao
- State Key Laboratory of Freshwater Ecology and Biotechnology, Institute of Hydrobiology, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Donghu South Road 7#, Wuhan 430072, China;
- College of Advanced Agriculture Sciences, University of Chinese Academy of Sciences, Beijing 100049, China
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12
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Seefelder M, Alva V, Huang B, Engler T, Baumeister W, Guo Q, Fernández-Busnadiego R, Lupas AN, Kochanek S. The evolution of the huntingtin-associated protein 40 (HAP40) in conjunction with huntingtin. BMC Evol Biol 2020; 20:162. [PMID: 33297953 PMCID: PMC7725122 DOI: 10.1186/s12862-020-01705-5] [Citation(s) in RCA: 10] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 03/02/2020] [Accepted: 10/20/2020] [Indexed: 11/24/2022] Open
Abstract
BACKGROUND The huntingtin-associated protein 40 (HAP40) abundantly interacts with huntingtin (HTT), the protein that is altered in Huntington's disease (HD). Therefore, we analysed the evolution of HAP40 and its interaction with HTT. RESULTS We found that in amniotes HAP40 is encoded by a single-exon gene, whereas in all other organisms it is expressed from multi-exon genes. HAP40 co-occurs with HTT in unikonts, including filastereans such as Capsaspora owczarzaki and the amoebozoan Dictyostelium discoideum, but both proteins are absent from fungi. Outside unikonts, a few species, such as the free-living amoeboflagellate Naegleria gruberi, contain putative HTT and HAP40 orthologs. Biochemically we show that the interaction between HTT and HAP40 extends to fish, and bioinformatic analyses provide evidence for evolutionary conservation of this interaction. The closest homologue of HAP40 in current protein databases is the family of soluble N-ethylmaleimide-sensitive factor attachment proteins (SNAPs). CONCLUSION Our results indicate that the transition from a multi-exon to a single-exon gene appears to have taken place by retroposition during the divergence of amphibians and amniotes, followed by the loss of the parental multi-exon gene. Furthermore, it appears that the two proteins probably originated at the root of eukaryotes. Conservation of the interaction between HAP40 and HTT and their likely coevolution strongly indicate functional importance of this interaction.
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Affiliation(s)
| | - Vikram Alva
- Department of Protein Evolution, Max Planck Institute for Developmental Biology, Max-Planck-Ring 5, 72076, Tübingen, Germany
| | - Bin Huang
- Department of Gene Therapy, Ulm University, 89081, Ulm, Germany
| | - Tatjana Engler
- Department of Gene Therapy, Ulm University, 89081, Ulm, Germany
| | - Wolfgang Baumeister
- Department of Molecular Structural Biology, Max Planck Institute of Biochemistry, 82152, Martinsried, Germany
| | - Qiang Guo
- Department of Molecular Structural Biology, Max Planck Institute of Biochemistry, 82152, Martinsried, Germany
- Peking-Tsinghua Joint Center for Life Sciences, School of Life Sciences, Peking University, Beijing, 100871, China
| | - Rubén Fernández-Busnadiego
- Department of Molecular Structural Biology, Max Planck Institute of Biochemistry, 82152, Martinsried, Germany
- Institute of Neuropathology, University Medical Center Göttingen, 37099, Göttingen, Germany
- Cluster of Excellence "Multiscale Bioimaging: From Molecular Machines To Networks of Excitable Cells" (MBExC), University of Göttingen, Göttingen, Germany
| | - Andrei N Lupas
- Department of Protein Evolution, Max Planck Institute for Developmental Biology, Max-Planck-Ring 5, 72076, Tübingen, Germany.
| | - Stefan Kochanek
- Department of Gene Therapy, Ulm University, 89081, Ulm, Germany.
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13
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Wiprich MT, Zanandrea R, Altenhofen S, Bonan CD. Influence of 3-nitropropionic acid on physiological and behavioral responses in zebrafish larvae and adults. Comp Biochem Physiol C Toxicol Pharmacol 2020; 234:108772. [PMID: 32353558 DOI: 10.1016/j.cbpc.2020.108772] [Citation(s) in RCA: 5] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Submit a Manuscript] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 01/17/2020] [Revised: 04/09/2020] [Accepted: 04/18/2020] [Indexed: 12/13/2022]
Abstract
Long-term treatment with 3-nitropropionic acid (3-NPA), a toxin derived from plants and fungi, may reproduce symptoms and biochemical characteristics of Huntington's disease (HD). Our study evaluated the effects of 3-NPA on the physiological and behavioral responses in zebrafish larvae and adults. Larvae exposed to 0.1, 0.2, or 0.5 mM 3-NPA exhibited an increase in heart rate at 2- and 5-days post-fertilization (dpf). There was a decrease in the ocular distance at 5 dpf with 0.05 mM 3-NPA treatment. However, 3-NPA did not alter larval locomotor parameters. Adult zebrafish received 3-NPA intraperitoneal injections (a total of seven injections at doses 10, 20, or 60 mg/kg every 96 h) and showed a decrease in body weight , locomotion and aggressive behavior. No changes were observed in anxiety-like behavior and social interaction between 3-NPA-exposed animals and control groups. However, 3-NPA-treated animals (at 60 mg/kg) demonstrated impaired long-term aversive memory. Overall, 3-NPA exposure induced morphological and heart rate alterations in zebrafish larvae. Additionally, our study showed behavioral changes in zebrafish that were submitted to long-term 3-NPA treatment, which could be related to HD symptoms.
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Affiliation(s)
- Melissa Talita Wiprich
- Programa de Pós-Graduação em Medicina e Ciências da Saúde, Escola de Medicina, Pontifícia Universidade Católica do Rio Grande do Sul, Porto Alegre, RS, Brazil; Laboratório de Neuroquímica e Psicofarmacologia, Escola de Ciências da Saúde e da Vida, Pontifícia Universidade Católica do Rio Grande do Sul, Porto Alegre, RS, Brazil
| | - Rodrigo Zanandrea
- Programa de Pós-Graduação em Medicina e Ciências da Saúde, Escola de Medicina, Pontifícia Universidade Católica do Rio Grande do Sul, Porto Alegre, RS, Brazil; Laboratório de Neuroquímica e Psicofarmacologia, Escola de Ciências da Saúde e da Vida, Pontifícia Universidade Católica do Rio Grande do Sul, Porto Alegre, RS, Brazil
| | - Stefani Altenhofen
- Programa de Pós-Graduação em Medicina e Ciências da Saúde, Escola de Medicina, Pontifícia Universidade Católica do Rio Grande do Sul, Porto Alegre, RS, Brazil; Laboratório de Neuroquímica e Psicofarmacologia, Escola de Ciências da Saúde e da Vida, Pontifícia Universidade Católica do Rio Grande do Sul, Porto Alegre, RS, Brazil; Instituto Nacional de Ciência e Tecnologia em Doenças Cerebrais, Excitotoxicidade e Neuroproteção, Porto Alegre, RS, Brazil
| | - Carla Denise Bonan
- Programa de Pós-Graduação em Medicina e Ciências da Saúde, Escola de Medicina, Pontifícia Universidade Católica do Rio Grande do Sul, Porto Alegre, RS, Brazil; Laboratório de Neuroquímica e Psicofarmacologia, Escola de Ciências da Saúde e da Vida, Pontifícia Universidade Católica do Rio Grande do Sul, Porto Alegre, RS, Brazil; Instituto Nacional de Ciência e Tecnologia em Doenças Cerebrais, Excitotoxicidade e Neuroproteção, Porto Alegre, RS, Brazil.
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14
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Barbereau C, Yehya A, Silhol M, Cubedo N, Verdier JM, Maurice T, Rossel M. Neuroprotective brain-derived neurotrophic factor signaling in the TAU-P301L tauopathy zebrafish model. Pharmacol Res 2020; 158:104865. [PMID: 32417505 DOI: 10.1016/j.phrs.2020.104865] [Citation(s) in RCA: 14] [Impact Index Per Article: 3.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Submit a Manuscript] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 02/28/2020] [Revised: 04/16/2020] [Accepted: 04/23/2020] [Indexed: 12/12/2022]
Abstract
Brain-derived neurotrophic factor (BDNF) dysregulations contribute to the neurotoxicity in neurodegenerative pathologies and could be efficiently targeted by therapies. In Alzheimer's disease (AD), although the relationship between BDNF and amyloid load has been extensively studied, how Tau pathology affects BDNF signaling remains unclear. Using the TAU-P301L transgenic zebrafish line, we investigated how early Tau-induced neurotoxicity modifies BDNF signaling. Alterations in BDNF expression levels were observed as early as 48 h post fertilization in TAU-P301L zebrafish embryos while TrkB receptor expression was not affected. Decreasing BDNF expression, using a knockdown strategy in wild-type embryos to mimic Tau-associated decrease, did not modify TrkB expression but promoted neurotoxicity as demonstrated by axonal outgrowth shortening and neuronal cell death. Moreover, the TrkB antagonist ANA-12 reduced the length of axonal projections. Rescue experiments with exogenous BDNF partially corrected neuronal alterations in TAU-P301L by counteracting primary axonal growth impairment but without effect on apoptosis. Importantly, the axonal rescue was proved functionally effective in a behavioral test, at a similar level as obtained with the GSK3β inhibitor LiCl, known to decrease TAU phosphorylation. Finally, treatment with a TrkB agonist, 7,8-dihydroxyflavone, led to comparable results and allowed full rescue of locomotor response. We provided here strong evidence that Tau neurotoxicity provoked alterations in BDNF system and that BDNF pathway might represent an efficient therapeutic target.
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Affiliation(s)
- Clément Barbereau
- MMDN, Univ Montpellier, EPHE, INSERM, UMR_S1198, PSL Research University, Montpellier, France
| | - Alaa Yehya
- MMDN, Univ Montpellier, EPHE, INSERM, UMR_S1198, PSL Research University, Montpellier, France
| | - Michelle Silhol
- MMDN, Univ Montpellier, EPHE, INSERM, UMR_S1198, PSL Research University, Montpellier, France
| | - Nicolas Cubedo
- MMDN, Univ Montpellier, EPHE, INSERM, UMR_S1198, PSL Research University, Montpellier, France
| | - Jean-Michel Verdier
- MMDN, Univ Montpellier, EPHE, INSERM, UMR_S1198, PSL Research University, Montpellier, France
| | - Tangui Maurice
- MMDN, Univ Montpellier, EPHE, INSERM, UMR_S1198, PSL Research University, Montpellier, France
| | - Mireille Rossel
- MMDN, Univ Montpellier, EPHE, INSERM, UMR_S1198, PSL Research University, Montpellier, France.
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15
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Li R, Guo W, Lei L, Zhang L, Liu Y, Han J, Chen L, Zhou B. Early-life exposure to the organophosphorus flame-retardant tris (1,3-dichloro-2-propyl) phosphate induces delayed neurotoxicity associated with DNA methylation in adult zebrafish. ENVIRONMENT INTERNATIONAL 2020; 134:105293. [PMID: 31731001 DOI: 10.1016/j.envint.2019.105293] [Citation(s) in RCA: 45] [Impact Index Per Article: 11.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 09/04/2019] [Revised: 10/22/2019] [Accepted: 10/28/2019] [Indexed: 06/10/2023]
Abstract
Early-life exposure to toxicants could affect health outcomes in adulthood. We determined the effects of early-life exposure to the organophosphorus flame-retardant tris (1,3-dichloro-2-propyl) phosphate (TDCIPP) in adult zebrafish. Embryos were exposed to TDCIPP from early embryogenesis (2 h post-fertilization) to 10 days post-fertilization (dpf), and larvae were transferred to clean water until adulthood (150 dpf). TDCIPP showed accumulation in larvae, but returned to control levels after 7 days of depuration. In adult zebrafish exposed to TDCIPP in early life, vulnerability to anxiety-like behavior was observed in females but not males, suggesting gender-dependent neurotoxicity. Decreased dopamine (DA) concentration and down-regulation of dopaminergic signaling related genes were observed in the brains of adult females. Upregulation of DNA methylation transferases (dnmt1, dnmt3a, and dnmt3b) genes were observed in larvae and brains of adult females. Further, the promoter regions of the selected key genes (bdnf, drd4b, zc4h2 and th) showed increased DNA methylation status, accompanied by down-regulation of gene transcription in larvae and brains of adult females. Our results indicate that early-life exposure to TDCIPP could cause delayed neurotoxicity in adult zebrafish.
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Affiliation(s)
- Ruiwen Li
- State Key Laboratory of Freshwater Ecology and Biotechnology, Institute of Hydrobiology, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Wuhan 430072, China; Department of Nutrition and Toxicology, School of Public Health, and Hubei Province Key Laboratory of Occupational Hazard Identification and Control, Wuhan University of Science and Technology, China
| | - Wei Guo
- State Key Laboratory of Freshwater Ecology and Biotechnology, Institute of Hydrobiology, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Wuhan 430072, China
| | - Lei Lei
- State Key Laboratory of Freshwater Ecology and Biotechnology, Institute of Hydrobiology, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Wuhan 430072, China
| | - Ling Zhang
- Department of Nutrition and Toxicology, School of Public Health, and Hubei Province Key Laboratory of Occupational Hazard Identification and Control, Wuhan University of Science and Technology, China
| | - Yunhao Liu
- Department of Nutrition and Toxicology, School of Public Health, and Hubei Province Key Laboratory of Occupational Hazard Identification and Control, Wuhan University of Science and Technology, China
| | - Jian Han
- State Key Laboratory of Freshwater Ecology and Biotechnology, Institute of Hydrobiology, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Wuhan 430072, China
| | - Lianguo Chen
- State Key Laboratory of Freshwater Ecology and Biotechnology, Institute of Hydrobiology, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Wuhan 430072, China
| | - Bingsheng Zhou
- State Key Laboratory of Freshwater Ecology and Biotechnology, Institute of Hydrobiology, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Wuhan 430072, China.
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16
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Sidik H, Ang CJ, Pouladi MA. Huntingtin confers fitness but is not embryonically essential in zebrafish development. Dev Biol 2019; 458:98-105. [PMID: 31682806 DOI: 10.1016/j.ydbio.2019.10.037] [Citation(s) in RCA: 4] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.8] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 04/17/2019] [Revised: 10/17/2019] [Accepted: 10/31/2019] [Indexed: 11/25/2022]
Abstract
Attempts to constitutively knockout HTT in rodents resulted in embryonic lethality, curtailing efforts to study HTT function later in development. Here we show that HTT is dispensable for early zebrafish development, contrasting published zebrafish morpholino experiment results. Homozygous HTT knockouts were embryonically viable and appeared developmentally normal through juvenile stages. Comparison of adult fish revealed significant reduction in body size and fitness in knockouts compared to hemizygotes and wildtype fish, indicating an important role for wildtype HTT in postnatal development. Our zebrafish model provides an opportunity to understand the function of wildtype HTT later in development.
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Affiliation(s)
- Harwin Sidik
- Translational Laboratory in Genetic Medicine (TLGM), Agency for Science, Technology and Research (A*STAR), 8A Biomedical Grove, Immunos, Level 5, 138648, Singapore
| | - Christy J Ang
- Translational Laboratory in Genetic Medicine (TLGM), Agency for Science, Technology and Research (A*STAR), 8A Biomedical Grove, Immunos, Level 5, 138648, Singapore
| | - Mahmoud A Pouladi
- Translational Laboratory in Genetic Medicine (TLGM), Agency for Science, Technology and Research (A*STAR), 8A Biomedical Grove, Immunos, Level 5, 138648, Singapore; Department of Medicine, National University of Singapore, 117597, Singapore; Department of Physiology, National University of Singapore, 117597, Singapore.
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17
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Nucleoporin 62-Like Protein is Required for the Development of Pharyngeal Arches through Regulation of Wnt/β-Catenin Signaling and Apoptotic Homeostasis in Zebrafish. Cells 2019; 8:cells8091038. [PMID: 31492028 PMCID: PMC6770318 DOI: 10.3390/cells8091038] [Citation(s) in RCA: 4] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.8] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 07/24/2019] [Revised: 09/04/2019] [Accepted: 09/04/2019] [Indexed: 12/12/2022] Open
Abstract
We have previously observed the predominant expression of nucleoporin 62-like (Nup62l) mRNA in the pharyngeal region of zebrafish, which raises the question whether Nup62l has important implications in governing the morphogenesis of pharyngeal arches (PA) in zebrafish. Herein, we explored the functions of Nup62l in PA development. The disruption of Nup62l with a CRISPR/Cas9-dependent gene knockout approach led to defective PA, which was characterized by a thinned and shortened pharyngeal region and a significant loss of pharyngeal cartilages. During pharyngeal cartilage formation, prechondrogenic condensation and chondrogenic differentiation were disrupted in homozygous nup62l-mutants, while the specification and migration of cranial neural crest cells (CNCCs) were unaffected. Mechanistically, the impaired PA region of nup62l-mutants underwent extensive apoptosis, which was mainly dependent on activation of p53-dependent apoptotic pathway. Moreover, aberrant activation of a series of apoptotic pathways in nup62l-mutants is closely associated with the inactivation of Wnt/β-catenin signaling. Thus, these findings suggest that the regulation of Wnt/β-catenin activity by Nup62l is crucial for PA formation in zebrafish.
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18
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Ceci M, Mariano V, Romano N. Zebrafish as a translational regeneration model to study the activation of neural stem cells and role of their environment. Rev Neurosci 2019; 30:45-66. [PMID: 30067512 DOI: 10.1515/revneuro-2018-0020] [Citation(s) in RCA: 20] [Impact Index Per Article: 4.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 03/04/2018] [Accepted: 04/27/2018] [Indexed: 02/07/2023]
Abstract
The review is an overview of the current knowledge of neuronal regeneration properties in mammals and fish. The ability to regenerate the damaged parts of the nervous tissue has been demonstrated in all vertebrates. Notably, fish and amphibians have the highest capacity for neurogenesis, whereas reptiles and birds are able to only regenerate specific regions of the brain, while mammals have reduced capacity for neurogenesis. Zebrafish (Danio rerio) is a promising model of study because lesions in the brain or complete cross-section of the spinal cord are followed by an effective neuro-regeneration that successfully restores the motor function. In the brain and the spinal cord of zebrafish, stem cell activity is always able to re-activate the molecular programs required for central nervous system regeneration. In mammals, traumatic brain injuries are followed by reduced neurogenesis and poor axonal regeneration, often insufficient to functionally restore the nervous tissue, while spinal injuries are not repaired at all. The environment that surrounds the stem cell niche constituted by connective tissue and stimulating factors, including pro-inflammation molecules, seems to be a determinant in triggering stem cell proliferation and/or the trans-differentiation of connective elements (mainly fibroblasts). Investigating and comparing the neuronal regeneration in zebrafish and mammals may lead to a better understanding of the mechanisms behind neurogenesis, and the failure of the regenerative response in mammals, first of all, the role of inflammation, considered the main inhibitor of the neuronal regeneration.
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Affiliation(s)
- Marcello Ceci
- Department of Ecological and Biological Sciences, University of Tuscia, largo dell'Università, I-01100 Viterbo, Italy
| | - Vittoria Mariano
- Department of Fundamental Neurosciences, University of Lausanne, CH-1005 Lausanne, Switzerland
| | - Nicla Romano
- Department of Ecological and Biological Sciences, University of Tuscia, largo dell'Università, I-01100 Viterbo, Italy
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19
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Pitchai A, Rajaretinam RK, Freeman JL. Zebrafish as an Emerging Model for Bioassay-Guided Natural Product Drug Discovery for Neurological Disorders. MEDICINES (BASEL, SWITZERLAND) 2019; 6:E61. [PMID: 31151179 PMCID: PMC6631710 DOI: 10.3390/medicines6020061] [Citation(s) in RCA: 27] [Impact Index Per Article: 5.4] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 04/29/2019] [Revised: 05/26/2019] [Accepted: 05/27/2019] [Indexed: 02/06/2023]
Abstract
Most neurodegenerative diseases are currently incurable, with large social and economic impacts. Recently, there has been renewed interest in investigating natural products in the modern drug discovery paradigm as novel, bioactive small molecules. Moreover, the discovery of potential therapies for neurological disorders is challenging and involves developing optimized animal models for drug screening. In contemporary biomedicine, the growing need to develop experimental models to obtain a detailed understanding of malady conditions and to portray pioneering treatments has resulted in the application of zebrafish to close the gap between in vitro and in vivo assays. Zebrafish in pharmacogenetics and neuropharmacology are rapidly becoming a widely used organism. Brain function, dysfunction, genetic, and pharmacological modulation considerations are enhanced by both larval and adult zebrafish. Bioassay-guided identification of natural products using zebrafish presents as an attractive strategy for generating new lead compounds. Here, we see evidence that the zebrafish's central nervous system is suitable for modeling human neurological disease and we review and evaluate natural product research using zebrafish as a vertebrate model platform to systematically identify bioactive natural products. Finally, we review recently developed zebrafish models of neurological disorders that have the potential to be applied in this field of research.
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Affiliation(s)
- Arjun Pitchai
- Molecular and Nanomedicine Research Unit (MNRU), Centre for Nanoscience and Nanotechnology (CNSNT), Sathyabama Institute of Science and Technology, Chennai 600119, Tamil Nadu, India.
- School of Health Sciences, Purdue University, West Lafayette, IN 47907, USA.
| | - Rajesh Kannan Rajaretinam
- Molecular and Nanomedicine Research Unit (MNRU), Centre for Nanoscience and Nanotechnology (CNSNT), Sathyabama Institute of Science and Technology, Chennai 600119, Tamil Nadu, India.
| | - Jennifer L Freeman
- School of Health Sciences, Purdue University, West Lafayette, IN 47907, USA.
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20
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Neurotrophin receptor Ntrk2b function in the maintenance of dopamine and serotonin neurons in zebrafish. Sci Rep 2019; 9:2036. [PMID: 30765816 PMCID: PMC6375947 DOI: 10.1038/s41598-019-39347-3] [Citation(s) in RCA: 10] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 06/22/2018] [Accepted: 01/18/2019] [Indexed: 12/16/2022] Open
Abstract
Neurotrophins and their receptors have highly conserved evolutionary lineage in vertebrates including zebrafish. The NTRK2 receptor has two isoforms in zebrafish, Ntrk2a and Ntrk2b. The spatio-temporal expression pattern of bdnf and ntrk2b in the zebrafish brain was studied using in situ hybridization. The robust and corresponding expression pattern of ntrk2b to bdnf suggests that ntrk2b is the key receptor for bdnf in the zebrafish brain, unlike its duplicate isoform ntrk2a. To study ntrk2b function, two different genetic strategies, the TILLING mutant and morpholino oligonucleotides (MO), were used. Specific subsets of the dopaminergic and serotonergic neuronal populations were affected in the mutants and morphants. The mutant showed anxiety- like behavior both in larval and adult stages. Our results consistently indicate that BDNF/NTRK2 signaling has a significant role in the development and maintenance of aminergic neuronal populations. Therefore, the ntrk2b-deficient zebrafish is well suited to study mechanisms relevant for psychiatric disorders attributed to a dysfunctional monoaminergic system.
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21
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Mastrodonato V, Beznoussenko G, Mironov A, Ferrari L, Deflorian G, Vaccari T. A genetic model of CEDNIK syndrome in zebrafish highlights the role of the SNARE protein Snap29 in neuromotor and epidermal development. Sci Rep 2019; 9:1211. [PMID: 30718891 PMCID: PMC6361908 DOI: 10.1038/s41598-018-37780-4] [Citation(s) in RCA: 17] [Impact Index Per Article: 3.4] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 08/16/2018] [Accepted: 12/06/2018] [Indexed: 12/25/2022] Open
Abstract
Homozygous mutations in SNAP29, encoding a SNARE protein mainly involved in membrane fusion, cause CEDNIK (Cerebral Dysgenesis, Neuropathy, Ichthyosis and Keratoderma), a rare congenital neurocutaneous syndrome associated with short life expectancy, whose pathogenesis is unclear. Here, we report the analysis of the first genetic model of CEDNIK in zebrafish. Strikingly, homozygous snap29 mutant larvae display CEDNIK-like features, such as microcephaly and skin defects. Consistent with Snap29 role in membrane fusion during autophagy, we observe accumulation of the autophagy markers p62 and LC3, and formation of aberrant multilamellar organelles and mitochondria. Importantly, we find high levels of apoptotic cell death during early development that might play a yet uncharacterized role in CEDNIK pathogenesis. Mutant larvae also display mouth opening problems, feeding impairment and swimming difficulties. These alterations correlate with defective trigeminal nerve formation and excess axonal branching. Since the paralog Snap25 is known to promote axonal branching, Snap29 might act in opposition with, or modulate Snap25 activity during neurodevelopment. Our vertebrate genetic model of CEDNIK extends the description in vivo of the multisystem defects due to loss of Snap29 and could provide the base to test compounds that might ameliorate traits of the disease.
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Affiliation(s)
- Valeria Mastrodonato
- IFOM, The FIRC Institute of Molecular Oncology, via Adamello 16, 20139, Milan, Italy
- University of Milan, Department of Biosciences, Via Celoria 26, 20133, Milan, Italy
| | - Galina Beznoussenko
- IFOM, The FIRC Institute of Molecular Oncology, via Adamello 16, 20139, Milan, Italy
| | - Alexandre Mironov
- IFOM, The FIRC Institute of Molecular Oncology, via Adamello 16, 20139, Milan, Italy
| | - Laura Ferrari
- IEO, European Institute of Oncology, via Adamello 16, 20139, Milan, Italy
| | - Gianluca Deflorian
- IFOM, The FIRC Institute of Molecular Oncology, via Adamello 16, 20139, Milan, Italy.
| | - Thomas Vaccari
- University of Milan, Department of Biosciences, Via Celoria 26, 20133, Milan, Italy.
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22
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Jensen MP, Barker RA. Disease-Modification in Huntington's Disease: Moving Away from a Single-Target Approach. J Huntingtons Dis 2019; 8:9-22. [PMID: 30636742 DOI: 10.3233/jhd-180320] [Citation(s) in RCA: 1] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.2] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 01/06/2023]
Abstract
To date, no candidate intervention has demonstrated a disease-modifying effect in Huntington's disease, despite promising results in preclinical studies. In this commentary we discuss disease-modifying therapies that have been trialled in Huntington's disease and speculate that these failures may be attributed, in part, to the assumption that a single drug selectively targeting one aspect of disease pathology will be universally effective, regardless of disease stage or "subtype". We therefore propose an alternative approach for effective disease-modification that uses 1) a combination approach rather than monotherapy, and 2) targets the disease process early on - before it is clinically manifest. Finally, we will consider whether this change in approach that we propose will be relevant in the future given the recent shift to targeting more proximal disease processes-e.g., huntingtin gene expression; a timely question given Roche's recent decision to take on the clinical development of a promising new drug candidate in Huntington's disease, IONIS-HTTRx.
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Affiliation(s)
- Melanie P Jensen
- John van Geest Centre for Brain Repair, Department of Clinical Neurosciences, University of Cambridge, Cambridge, UK
| | - Roger A Barker
- John van Geest Centre for Brain Repair, Department of Clinical Neurosciences, University of Cambridge, Cambridge, UK.,Cambridge Stem Cell Institute, Cambridge, UK
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Vaz RL, Outeiro TF, Ferreira JJ. Zebrafish as an Animal Model for Drug Discovery in Parkinson's Disease and Other Movement Disorders: A Systematic Review. Front Neurol 2018; 9:347. [PMID: 29910763 PMCID: PMC5992294 DOI: 10.3389/fneur.2018.00347] [Citation(s) in RCA: 90] [Impact Index Per Article: 15.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 02/01/2018] [Accepted: 04/30/2018] [Indexed: 12/21/2022] Open
Abstract
Movement disorders can be primarily divided into hypokinetic and hyperkinetic. Most of the hypokinetic syndromes are associated with the neurodegenerative disorder Parkinson’s disease (PD). By contrast, hyperkinetic syndromes encompass a broader array of diseases, including dystonia, essential tremor, or Huntington’s disease. The discovery of effective therapies for these disorders has been challenging and has also involved the development and characterization of accurate animal models for the screening of new drugs. Zebrafish constitutes an alternative vertebrate model for the study of movement disorders. The neuronal circuitries involved in movement in zebrafish are well characterized, and most of the associated molecular mechanisms are highly conserved. Particularly, zebrafish models of PD have contributed to a better understanding of the role of several genes implicated in the disease. Furthermore, zebrafish is a vertebrate model particularly suited for large-scale drug screenings. The relatively small size of zebrafish, optical transparency, and lifecycle, are key characteristics that facilitate the study of multiple compounds at the same time. Several transgenic, knockdown, and mutant zebrafish lines have been generated and characterized. Therefore, it is central to critically analyze these zebrafish lines and understand their suitability as models of movement disorders. Here, we revise the pathogenic mechanisms, phenotypes, and responsiveness to pharmacotherapies of zebrafish lines of the most common movement disorders. A systematic review of the literature was conducted by including all studies reporting the characterization of zebrafish models of the movement disorders selected from five bibliographic databases. A total of 63 studies were analyzed, and the most relevant data within the scope of this review were gathered. The majority (62%) of the studies were focused in the characterization of zebrafish models of PD. Overall, the zebrafish models included display conserved biochemical and neurobehavioral features of the phenomenology in humans. Nevertheless, in light of what is known for all animal models available, the use of zebrafish as a model for drug discovery requires further optimization. Future technological developments alongside with a deeper understanding of the molecular bases of these disorders should enable the development of novel zebrafish lines that can prove useful for drug discovery for movement disorders.
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Affiliation(s)
- Rita L Vaz
- TechnoPhage, SA, Lisboa, Portugal.,Faculdade de Medicina, Universidade de Lisboa, Lisboa, Portugal
| | - Tiago F Outeiro
- Department of Experimental Neurodegeneration, Center for Nanoscale Microscopy and Molecular Physiology of the Brain, University Medical Center Göttingen, Göttingen, Germany.,Department of Experimental Neurodegeneration, Center for Biostructural Imaging of Neurodegeneration, University Medical Center Göttingen, Göttingen, Germany.,CEDOC, Chronic Diseases Research Centre, Faculdade de Ciências Médicas, NOVA Medical School, Universidade NOVA de Lisboa, Lisboa, Portugal.,The Medical School, Institute of Neuroscience, Newcastle University, Newcastle upon Tyne, United Kingdom
| | - Joaquim J Ferreira
- Faculdade de Medicina, Instituto de Medicina Molecular, Universidade de Lisboa, Lisboa, Portugal.,Laboratory of Clinical Pharmacology and Therapeutics, Faculdade de Medicina, Universidade de Lisboa, Lisboa, Portugal.,CNS-Campus Neurológico Sénior, Torres Vedras, Portugal
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Wu Q, Yan W, Cheng H, Liu C, Hung TC, Guo X, Li G. Parental transfer of microcystin-LR induced transgenerational effects of developmental neurotoxicity in zebrafish offspring. ENVIRONMENTAL POLLUTION (BARKING, ESSEX : 1987) 2017; 231:471-478. [PMID: 28837927 DOI: 10.1016/j.envpol.2017.08.038] [Citation(s) in RCA: 52] [Impact Index Per Article: 7.4] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 04/25/2017] [Revised: 07/26/2017] [Accepted: 08/10/2017] [Indexed: 06/07/2023]
Abstract
Microcystin-LR (MCLR) has been reported to cause developmental neurotoxicity in zebrafish, but there are few studies on the mechanisms of MCLR-induced transgenerational effects of developmental neurotoxicity. In this study, zebrafish were exposed to 0, 1, 5, and 25 μg/L MCLR for 60 days. The F1 zebrafish embryos from the above-mentioned parents were collected and incubated in clean water for 120 h for hatching. After examining the parental zebrafish and F1 embryos, MCLR was detected in the gonad of adults and F1 embryos, indicating MCLR could potentially be transferred from parents to offspring. The larvae also showed a serious hypoactivity. The contents of dopamine, dihydroxyphenylacetic acid (DOPAC), serotonin, gamma-aminobutyric acid (GABA) and acetylcholine (ACh) were further detected, but only the first three neurotransmitters showed significant reduction in the 5 and 25 μg/L MCLR parental exposure groups. In addition, the acetylcholinesterase (AChE) activity was remarkably decreased in MCLR parental exposure groups, while the expression levels of manf, bdnf, ache, htr1ab, htr1b, htr2a, htr1aa, htr5a, DAT, TH1 and TH2 genes coincided with the decreased content of neurotransmitters (dopamine, DOPAC and serotonin) and the activity of AChE. Neuronal development related genes, α1-tubulin, syn2a, mbp, gfap, elavl3, shha and gap43 were also measured, but gap43 was the gene only up-regulated. Our results demonstrated MCLR could be transferred to offspring, and subsequently induce developmental neurotoxicity in F1 zebrafish larvae by disturbing the neurotransmitter systems and neuronal development.
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Affiliation(s)
- Qin Wu
- College of Fisheries, Huazhong Agricultural University, Wuhan 430070, PR China; Key Laboratory of Freshwater Animal Breeding, Ministry of Agriculture, Wuhan 430070, PR China
| | - Wei Yan
- Institute of Agricultural Quality Standards & Testing Technology, Hubei Academy of Agricultural Sciences, Wuhan 430064, PR China
| | - Houcheng Cheng
- College of Fisheries, Huazhong Agricultural University, Wuhan 430070, PR China; Key Laboratory of Freshwater Animal Breeding, Ministry of Agriculture, Wuhan 430070, PR China
| | - Chunsheng Liu
- College of Fisheries, Huazhong Agricultural University, Wuhan 430070, PR China
| | - Tien-Chieh Hung
- Department of Biological and Agricultural Engineering, University of California-Davis, Davis, CA 95616, USA
| | - Xiaochun Guo
- Chinese Research Academy of Environmental Science, State Key Laboratory of Environmental Criteria and Risk Assessment, State Environmental Protection Key Laboratory for Lake Pollution Control, Beijing 100012, PR China
| | - Guangyu Li
- College of Fisheries, Huazhong Agricultural University, Wuhan 430070, PR China; Key Laboratory of Freshwater Animal Breeding, Ministry of Agriculture, Wuhan 430070, PR China; Hubei Provincial Engineering Laboratory for Pond Aquaculture, Wuhan 430070, PR China; National Demonstration Center for Experimental Aquaculture Education (Huazhong Agricultural University), Wuhan 430070, PR China.
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25
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Jantzen CE, Annunziato KM, Cooper KR. Behavioral, morphometric, and gene expression effects in adult zebrafish (Danio rerio) embryonically exposed to PFOA, PFOS, and PFNA. AQUATIC TOXICOLOGY (AMSTERDAM, NETHERLANDS) 2016; 180:123-130. [PMID: 27710860 PMCID: PMC5839330 DOI: 10.1016/j.aquatox.2016.09.011] [Citation(s) in RCA: 60] [Impact Index Per Article: 7.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 07/18/2016] [Revised: 09/09/2016] [Accepted: 09/13/2016] [Indexed: 05/07/2023]
Abstract
Perfluoroalkylated substances (PFAS) are a class of persistent anthropogenic chemicals that have been detected worldwide. PFASs consist of fluorinated carbon chains of varying length, terminal groups, and have a number of industrial uses. A previous zebrafish study from our laboratory showed that acute (3-120h post fertilization, 0.02-2.0μM), waterborne embryonic exposure to these chemicals resulted in chemical specific alterations at 5days post fertilization (dpf), and some effects persisted up to 14 dpf. Using a gene battery consisting of 100 transcripts identified several genes that were up or down regulated. This current study looks at the long-term impacts of PFASs in adult zebrafish using the same exposure regimen. It was hypothesized that sub-lethal exposure of perfluorooctane sulfonate (PFOS), perfluorononanoic acid (PFNA), or perfluorooctane sulfonate (PFOA) in embryonic zebrafish (3-120 hpf) would result in permanent morphometric, gene expression, and behavioral changes in adult fish similar to those observed at 5 and 14 dpf. Zebrafish were exposed to PFOS, PFOA, and PFNA (Control 0μM, 2.0μM) for the first five days post fertilization. At six months post fertilization, no PFAS treatment resulted in a significant change in total body length or weight. In terms of behavior, PFNA males showed a reduction in total distance traveled and time of immobility, and an increase in thigmotaxis behavior, aggressive attacks, and preference for the bright section of the tank. PFOS treated males had a reduced aggression behavior, and PFOA females preferred the dark section of the tank. Gene expression of slco2b1, slco1d1, and tgfb1a were analyzed because these transcripts were previously found to be affected by PFAS exposure in 5dpf and 14 dpf zebrafish and resulted in: significant decrease in expression of slco2b1 for both sexes in PFNA and PFOS treated groups, significant decrease of slco1d1 in all treatment groups for females and PFOS and PFOA exposed males, significant increase of tgfb1a in males treated with PFOS and PFNA, and a significant increase of bdnf in all PFAS male groups. This study demonstrates that acute, embryonic exposure (5days) to individual PFASs result in significant biochemical and behavioral changes in young adult zebrafish 6 months after exposure. These three PFASs have long term and persistent impacts following short term embryonic exposure that persists into adulthood.
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Affiliation(s)
- Carrie E Jantzen
- Rutgers, The State University of New Jersey, Department of Environmental Sciences, New Brunswick, NJ, USA, USA.
| | - Kate M Annunziato
- Rutgers, The State University of New Jersey, Joint Graduate Program in Toxicology, New Brunswick, NJ, USA, USA
| | - Keith R Cooper
- Rutgers, The State University of New Jersey, Department of Environmental Sciences, New Brunswick, NJ, USA, USA; Rutgers, The State University of New Jersey, Joint Graduate Program in Toxicology, New Brunswick, NJ, USA, USA
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Huntingtin is required for ciliogenesis and neurogenesis during early Xenopus development. Dev Biol 2015; 408:305-15. [PMID: 26192473 DOI: 10.1016/j.ydbio.2015.07.013] [Citation(s) in RCA: 23] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.6] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 01/14/2015] [Revised: 05/09/2015] [Accepted: 07/13/2015] [Indexed: 11/21/2022]
Abstract
Huntington's Disease (HD) is a neurodegenerative disorder that results from the abnormal expansion of poly-glutamine (polyQ) repeats in the Huntingtin (HTT) gene. Although HTT has been linked to a variety of cellular events, it is still not clear what the physiological functions of the protein are. Because of its critical role during mouse embryonic mouse development, we investigated the functions of Htt during early Xenopus embryogenesis. We find that reduction of Htt levels affects cilia polarity and function and causes whole body paralysis. Moreover, Htt loss of function leads to abnormal development of trigeminal and motor neurons. Interestingly, these phenotypes are partially rescued by either wild-type or expanded HTT. These results show that the Htt activity is required for normal embryonic development, and highlight the usefulness of the Xenopus system for investigating proteins involved in human diseases.
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Wang X, Yang L, Wu Y, Huang C, Wang Q, Han J, Guo Y, Shi X, Zhou B. The developmental neurotoxicity of polybrominated diphenyl ethers: Effect of DE-71 on dopamine in zebrafish larvae. ENVIRONMENTAL TOXICOLOGY AND CHEMISTRY 2015; 34:1119-1126. [PMID: 25651517 DOI: 10.1002/etc.2906] [Citation(s) in RCA: 17] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.9] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 09/04/2014] [Revised: 10/27/2014] [Accepted: 01/21/2015] [Indexed: 06/04/2023]
Abstract
The potential neurotoxicity of polybrominated diphenyl ethers (PBDEs) is still a great concern. In the present study, the authors investigated whether exposure to PBDEs could affect the neurotransmitter system and cause developmental neurotoxicity in zebrafish. Zebrafish embryos (2 h postfertilization) were exposed to different concentrations of the PBDE mixture DE-71 (0-100 μg/L). The larvae were harvested at 120 h postfertilization, and the impact on dopaminergic signaling was investigated. The results revealed significant reductions in content of whole-body dopamine and its metabolite, dihydroxyphenylacetic acid, in DE-71-exposed larvae. The transcription of genes involved in the development of dopaminergic neurons (e.g., manf, bdnf, and nr4a2b) was significantly downregulated upon exposure to DE-71. Also, DE-71 resulted in a significant decrease of tyrosine hydroxylase and dopamine transporter protein levels in dopaminergic neurons. The expression level of tyrosine hydroxylase in forebrain neurons was assessed by whole-mount immunofluorescence, and the results further demonstrated that the tyrosine hydroxylase protein expression level was reduced in dopaminergic neurons. In addition to these molecular changes, the authors observed reduced locomotor activity in DE-71-exposed larvae. Taken together, the results of the present study demonstrate that acute exposure to PBDEs can affect dopaminergic signaling by disrupting the synthesis and transportation of dopamine in zebrafish, thereby disrupting normal neurodevelopment. In accord with its experimental findings, the present study extends knowledge of the mechanisms governing PBDE-induced developmental neurotoxicity.
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Affiliation(s)
- Xianfeng Wang
- State Key Laboratory of Freshwater Ecology and Biotechnology, Institute of Hydrobiology, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Wuhan, China; University of Chinese Academy of Sciences, Beijing, China
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BDNF-TrkB axis regulates migration of the lateral line primordium and modulates the maintenance of mechanoreceptor progenitors. PLoS One 2015; 10:e0119711. [PMID: 25751404 PMCID: PMC4353718 DOI: 10.1371/journal.pone.0119711] [Citation(s) in RCA: 16] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.8] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 07/10/2014] [Accepted: 01/16/2015] [Indexed: 12/12/2022] Open
Abstract
BDNF and its specialized receptor TrkB are expressed in the developing lateral line system of zebrafish, but their role in this organ is unknown. To tackle this problem in vivo, we used transgenic animals expressing fluorescent markers in different cell types of the lateral line and combined a BDNF gain-of-function approach by BDNF mRNA overexpression and by soaking embryos in a solution of BDNF, with a loss-of-function approach by injecting the antisence ntrk2b-morpholino and treating embryos with the specific Trk inhibitor K252a. Subsequent analysis demonstrated that the BDNF-TrkB axis regulates migration of the lateral line primordium. In particular, BDNF-TrkB influences the expression level of components of chemokine signaling including Cxcr4b, and the generation of progenitors of mechanoreceptors, at the level of expression of Atoh1a-Atp2b1a.
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29
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Nucleoporin 62-like protein activates canonical Wnt signaling through facilitating the nuclear import of β-catenin in zebrafish. Mol Cell Biol 2015; 35:1110-24. [PMID: 25605329 DOI: 10.1128/mcb.01181-14] [Citation(s) in RCA: 28] [Impact Index Per Article: 3.1] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 12/20/2022] Open
Abstract
Nucleoporin p62 (Nup62) localizes in the central channel of nuclear pore complexes (NPCs) and regulates nuclear pore permeability and nucleocytoplasmic transport. However, the developmental roles of Nup62 in vertebrates remain largely unclear. Zebrafish Nup62-like protein (Nup62l) is a homolog of mammalian Nup62. The nup62l gene is maternally expressed, but its transcripts are ubiquitously distributed during early embryogenesis and enriched in the head, pharynx, and intestine of developing embryos. Activation of the Wnt/β-catenin pathway positively modulates nup62l transcription, while Bmp signaling acts downstream of Wnt/β-catenin signaling to negatively regulate nup62l expression. Overexpression of nup62l dorsalized embryos and enhanced gastrula convergence and extension (CE) movements. In contrast, knockdown of Nup62l led to ventralized embryos, an impediment to CE movements, and defects in specification of midline organ progenitors. Mechanistically, Nup62l acts as an activator of Wnt/β-catenin signaling through interaction with and facilitation of nuclear import of β-catenin-1/2 in zebrafish. Thus, Nup62l regulates dorsoventral patterning, gastrula CE movements, and proper specification of midline organ precursors through mediating the nuclear import of β-catenins in zebrafish.
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30
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Godinho BM, Malhotra M, O’Driscoll CM, Cryan JF. Delivering a disease-modifying treatment for Huntington's disease. Drug Discov Today 2015; 20:50-64. [DOI: 10.1016/j.drudis.2014.09.011] [Citation(s) in RCA: 38] [Impact Index Per Article: 4.2] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 05/21/2014] [Revised: 07/28/2014] [Accepted: 09/16/2014] [Indexed: 11/16/2022]
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31
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Pietri JE, Cheung KW, Luckhart S. Knockdown of mitogen-activated protein kinase (MAPK) signalling in the midgut of Anopheles stephensi mosquitoes using antisense morpholinos. INSECT MOLECULAR BIOLOGY 2014; 23:558-65. [PMID: 24866718 PMCID: PMC4159403 DOI: 10.1111/imb.12103] [Citation(s) in RCA: 8] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.8] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 05/26/2023]
Abstract
Arthropod-borne infectious diseases are responsible for nearly 1.5 million deaths annually across the globe, with malaria responsible for >50% of these deaths. Recent efforts to enhance malaria control have focused on developing genetically modified Anopheles mosquitoes that are resistant to malaria parasite infection by manipulating proteins that are essential to the immune response. Although this approach has shown promise, the lack of efficient genetic tools in the mosquito makes it difficult to investigate innate immunity using reverse genetics. Current gene knockdown strategies based on small interfering RNA are typically labourious, inefficient, and require extensive training. In the present study, we describe the use of morpholino antisense oligomers to knockdown MEK-ERK signalling in the midgut of Anopheles stephensi through a simple feeding protocol. Anti-MEK morpholino provided in a saline meal was readily ingested by female mosquitoes with minimal toxicity and resulted in knockdown of total MEK protein levels 3-4 days after morpholino feeding. Further, anti-MEK morpholino feeding attenuated inducible phosphorylation of the downstream kinase ERK and, as predicted by previous work, reduced parasite burden in mosquitoes infected with Plasmodium falciparum. To our knowledge, this is the first example of morpholino use for target protein knockdown via feeding in an insect vector. Our results suggest this method is not only efficient for studies of individual proteins, but also for studies of phenotypic control by complex cell signalling networks. As such, our protocol is an effective alternative to current methods for gene knockdown in arthropods.
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Affiliation(s)
- Jose E. Pietri
- Department of Medical Microbiology and Immunology, School of Medicine, University of California, Davis, CA 95616
| | - Kong W. Cheung
- Department of Medical Microbiology and Immunology, School of Medicine, University of California, Davis, CA 95616
| | - Shirley Luckhart
- Department of Medical Microbiology and Immunology, School of Medicine, University of California, Davis, CA 95616
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Huntingtin is critical both pre- and postsynaptically for long-term learning-related synaptic plasticity in Aplysia. PLoS One 2014; 9:e103004. [PMID: 25054562 PMCID: PMC4108396 DOI: 10.1371/journal.pone.0103004] [Citation(s) in RCA: 16] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.6] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 11/02/2013] [Accepted: 06/26/2014] [Indexed: 11/20/2022] Open
Abstract
Patients with Huntington’s disease exhibit memory and cognitive deficits many years before manifesting motor disturbances. Similarly, several studies have shown that deficits in long-term synaptic plasticity, a cellular basis of memory formation and storage, occur well before motor disturbances in the hippocampus of the transgenic mouse models of Huntington’s disease. The autosomal dominant inheritance pattern of Huntington’s disease suggests the importance of the mutant protein, huntingtin, in pathogenesis of Huntington’s disease, but wild type huntingtin also has been shown to be important for neuronal functions such as axonal transport. Yet, the role of wild type huntingtin in long-term synaptic plasticity has not been investigated in detail. We identified a huntingtin homolog in the marine snail Aplysia, and find that similar to the expression pattern in mammalian brain, huntingtin is widely expressed in neurons and glial cells. Importantly the expression of mRNAs of huntingtin is upregulated by repeated applications of serotonin, a modulatory transmitter released during learning in Aplysia. Furthermore, we find that huntingtin expression levels are critical, not only in presynaptic sensory neurons, but also in the postsynaptic motor neurons for serotonin-induced long-term facilitation at the sensory-to-motor neuron synapse of the Aplysia gill-withdrawal reflex. These results suggest a key role for huntingtin in long-term memory storage.
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Das S, Rajanikant GK. Huntington disease: can a zebrafish trail leave more than a ripple? Neurosci Biobehav Rev 2014; 45:258-61. [PMID: 25003805 DOI: 10.1016/j.neubiorev.2014.06.013] [Citation(s) in RCA: 20] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 08/22/2013] [Revised: 06/22/2014] [Accepted: 06/27/2014] [Indexed: 11/26/2022]
Abstract
Over the past decade, zebrafish has proved to be very useful in modeling neurodegenerative conditions. It poses a number of advantages and has been accepted as one of the best models for elucidating pathophysiological mechanisms of neurodegenerative diseases, including Huntington disease (HD). HD is a debilitating neurodegenerative genetic disorder that affects a person's ability to think, talk, and move. The pathophysiology of HD is not completely understood, which prevents the development of effective therapeutic approaches. Using zebrafish as a model organism, scientific advancements can be made in understanding the HD pathology/mechanisms with the hope of developing potential therapies in the near future.
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Affiliation(s)
- Sambit Das
- School of Biotechnology, National Institute of Technology Calicut, NITC Campus PO, Calicut 673601, Kerala, India
| | - G K Rajanikant
- School of Biotechnology, National Institute of Technology Calicut, NITC Campus PO, Calicut 673601, Kerala, India.
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De Felice E, Porreca I, Alleva E, De Girolamo P, Ambrosino C, Ciriaco E, Germanà A, Sordino P. Localization of BDNF expression in the developing brain of zebrafish. J Anat 2014; 224:564-74. [PMID: 24588510 DOI: 10.1111/joa.12168] [Citation(s) in RCA: 40] [Impact Index Per Article: 4.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Accepted: 01/27/2014] [Indexed: 12/14/2022] Open
Abstract
The brain-derived neurotrophic factor (BDNF) gene is expressed in differentiating and post-mitotic neurons of the zebrafish embryo, where it has been implicated in Huntington's disease. Little is known, however, about the full complement of neuronal cell types that express BDNF in this important vertebrate model. Here, we further explored the transcriptional profiles during the first week of development using real-time quantitative polymerase chain reaction (RT-qPCR) and whole-mount in situ hybridization (WISH). RT-qPCR results revealed a high level of maternal contribution followed by a steady increase of zygotic transcription, consistent with the notion of a prominent role of BDNF in neuronal maturation and maintenance. Based on WISH, we demonstrate for the first time that BDNF expression in the developing brain of zebrafish is structure specific. Anatomical criteria and co-staining with genetic markers (shh, pax2a, emx1, krox20, lhx2b and lhx9) visualized major topological domains of BDNF-positive cells in the pallium, hypothalamus, posterior tuberculum and optic tectum. Moreover, the relative timing of BDNF transcription in the eye and tectum may illustrate a mechanism for coordinated development of the retinotectal system. Taken together, our results are compatible with a local delivery and early role of BDNF in the developing brain of zebrafish, adding basic knowledge to the study of neurotrophin functions in neural development and disease.
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Affiliation(s)
- E De Felice
- Laboratory of Cellular and Developmental Biology, Stazione Zoologica Anton Dohrn, Naples, Italy; Department of Morphology, Biochemistry, Physiology and Animal Productions, Section of Morphology, University of Messina, Messina, Italy
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Pickart MA, Klee EW. Zebrafish approaches enhance the translational research tackle box. Transl Res 2014; 163:65-78. [PMID: 24269745 DOI: 10.1016/j.trsl.2013.10.007] [Citation(s) in RCA: 36] [Impact Index Per Article: 3.6] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Submit a Manuscript] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 10/07/2013] [Revised: 10/24/2013] [Accepted: 10/28/2013] [Indexed: 01/08/2023]
Abstract
During the past few decades, zebrafish (Danio rerio) have been a workhorse for developmental biology and genetics. Concurrently, zebrafish have proved highly accessible and effective for translational research by providing a vertebrate animal model useful for gene discovery, disease modeling, chemical genetic screening, and other medically relevant studies. Key resources such as an annotated and complete genome sequence, and diverse tools for genetic manipulation continue to spur broad use of zebrafish. Thus, the purpose of this introductory review is to provide a window into the unique characteristics and diverse uses of zebrafish and to highlight in particular the increasing relevance of zebrafish as a translational animal model. This is accomplished by reviewing broad considerations of anatomic and physiological conservation, approaches for disease modeling and creation, general laboratory methods, genetic tools, genome conservation, and diverse opportunities for functional validation. Additional commentary throughout the review also guides the reader to the 4 new reviews found elsewhere in this special issue that showcase the many unique ways the zebrafish is improving understanding of renal regeneration, mitochondrial disease, dyslipidemia, and aging, for example. With many other possible approaches and a rapidly increasing number of medically relevant reports, zebrafish approaches enhance significantly the tools available for translational research and are actively improving the understanding of human disease.
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Affiliation(s)
| | - Eric W Klee
- Mayo Clinic, College of Medicine, Rochester, Minn
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Expression and anatomical distribution of TrkB in the encephalon of the adult zebrafish (Danio rerio). Neurosci Lett 2014; 563:66-9. [PMID: 24486890 DOI: 10.1016/j.neulet.2014.01.031] [Citation(s) in RCA: 19] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.9] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 11/21/2013] [Revised: 01/13/2014] [Accepted: 01/17/2014] [Indexed: 11/21/2022]
Abstract
Neurotrophins are a family of growth factor primarily acting in the nervous system, throughout two categories of membrane receptors on the basis of their high (Trk receptors) or low (p75NTR) affinity. Both neurotrophins and Trk receptors are phylogenetically conserved and are expressed not only in the central and peripheral nervous system but also in non-nervous tissues of vertebrates and some invertebrates. The brain-derived neurotrophic factor (BDNF)/TrkB system plays an important role in the development, phenotypic maintenance and plasticity of specific neuronal populations. Considering that this system is poorly characterized in the central nervous system of teleosts, the expression and anatomical distribution of TrkB in the brain of the adult zebrafish using reverse transcriptase-polymerase chain reaction (RT-PCR), Western-blot and immunohistochemistry were analysed. Both the riboprobe and the antibody used were designed to map within the catalytic domain of TrkB. RT-PCR detected specific TrkB mRNA in brain homogenates, while Western-blot identified one unique protein band with an estimated molecular weight of 145kDa, thus corresponding with the TrkB full-length isiform of the receptor. Immunohistochemistry showed specific TrkB immunoreactivity in restricted areas of the encephalon, i.e. the hypothalamus and a specific neuronal subpopulation of the reticular formation. The present results demonstrate, for the first time, that, as in mammals, the encephalon of adult zebrafish expresses TrkB in specific zones related to food intake, behaviour or motor activity.
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Abstract
Changes in the level and activity of brain-derived neurotrophic factor (BDNF) have been described in a number of neurodegenerative disorders since early 1990s. However, only in Huntington disease (HD) gain- and loss-of-function experiments have mechanistically linked these abnormalities with the genetic defect.In this chapter we will describe how huntingtin protein, whose mutation causes HD, is involved in the physiological control of BDNF synthesis and transport in neurons and how both processes are simultaneously disrupted in HD. We will describe the underlying molecular mechanisms and discuss pre-clinical data concerning the impact of the experimental manipulation of BDNF levels on HD progression. These studies have revealed that a major loss of BDNF protein in the brain of HD patients may contribute to the clinical manifestations of the disease. The experimental strategies under investigation to increase brain BDNF levels in animal models of HD will also be described, with a view to ultimately improving the clinical treatment of this condition.
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Affiliation(s)
- Chiara Zuccato
- Department of Biosciences and Centre for Stem cell Research, Università degli Studi di Milano, Via Viotti 3/5, 20133, Milan, Italy,
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Chakraborty J, Rajamma U, Mohanakumar KP. A mitochondrial basis for Huntington's disease: therapeutic prospects. Mol Cell Biochem 2013; 389:277-91. [PMID: 24374792 DOI: 10.1007/s11010-013-1951-9] [Citation(s) in RCA: 11] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 10/06/2013] [Accepted: 12/19/2013] [Indexed: 01/12/2023]
Abstract
Huntington's disease (HD) is an autosomal dominant disease, with overt movement dysfunctions. Despite focused research on the basis of neurodegeneration in HD for last few decades, the mechanism for the site-specific lesion of neurons in the brain is not clear. All the explanations that partially clarify the phenomenon of neurodegeneration leads to one organelle, mitochondrion, which is severely affected in HD at the level of electron transport chain, Ca(2+) buffering efficiency and morphology. But, with the existing knowledge, it is not clear whether the cell death processes in HD initiate from mitochondria, though the Huntingtin (Htt) aggregates show close proximity to this organelle, or do some extracellular stimuli like TNFα or FasL trigger the process. Mainly because of the disparity in the different available experimental models, the results are quite confusing or at least inconsistent to a great extent. The fact remains that the mutant Htt protein was seen to be associated with mitochondria directly, and as the striatum is highly enriched with dopamine and glutamate, it may make the striatal mitochondria more vulnerable because of the presence of dopa-quinones, and due to an imbalance in Ca(2+). The current therapeutic strategies are based on symptomatic relief, and, therefore, mainly target neurotransmitter(s) and their receptors to modulate behavioral outputs, but none of them targets mitochondria or try to address the basic molecular events that cause neurons to die in discrete regions of the brain, which could probably be resulting from grave mitochondrial dysfunctions. Therefore, targeting mitochondria for their protection, while addressing symptomatic recovery, holds a great potential to tone down the progression of the disease, and to provide better relief to the patients and caretakers.
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Affiliation(s)
- J Chakraborty
- Laboratory of Clinical and Experimental Neuroscience, Division of Cell Biology & Physiology, CSIR-Indian Institute of Chemical Biology, Rooms 117&119, 4, Raja S. C. Mullick Road, Kolkata, 700 032, India
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Nguyen M, Yang E, Neelkantan N, Mikhaylova A, Arnold R, Poudel MK, Stewart AM, Kalueff AV. Developing 'integrative' zebrafish models of behavioral and metabolic disorders. Behav Brain Res 2013; 256:172-87. [PMID: 23948218 DOI: 10.1016/j.bbr.2013.08.012] [Citation(s) in RCA: 41] [Impact Index Per Article: 3.7] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 07/09/2013] [Revised: 07/31/2013] [Accepted: 08/03/2013] [Indexed: 02/09/2023]
Abstract
Recently, the pathophysiological overlap between metabolic and mental disorders has received increased recognition. Zebrafish (Danio rerio) are rapidly becoming a popular model organism for translational biomedical research due to their genetic tractability, low cost, quick reproductive cycle, and ease of behavioral, pharmacological or genetic manipulation. High homology to mammalian physiology and the availability of well-developed assays also make the zebrafish an attractive organism for studying human disorders. Zebrafish neurobehavioral and endocrine phenotypes show promise for the use of zebrafish in studies of stress, obesity and related behavioral and metabolic disorders. Here, we discuss the parallels between zebrafish and other model species in stress and obesity physiology, as well as outline the available zebrafish models of weight gain, metabolic deficits, feeding, stress, anxiety and related behavioral disorders. Overall, zebrafish demonstrate a strong potential for modeling human behavioral and metabolic disorders, and their comorbidity.
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Affiliation(s)
- Michael Nguyen
- Department of Biomedical Engineering, University of Virginia, 415 Lane Road, Charlottesville, VA 22908, USA; Thomas Jefferson High School for Science and Technology, 6560 Braddock Road, Alexandria, VA 22312, USA
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40
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Conforti P, Zuccato C, Gaudenzi G, Ieraci A, Camnasio S, Buckley NJ, Mutti C, Cotelli F, Contini A, Cattaneo E. Binding of the repressor complex REST-mSIN3b by small molecules restores neuronal gene transcription in Huntington's disease models. J Neurochem 2013; 127:22-35. [PMID: 23800350 DOI: 10.1111/jnc.12348] [Citation(s) in RCA: 35] [Impact Index Per Article: 3.2] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 04/26/2013] [Revised: 06/10/2013] [Accepted: 06/17/2013] [Indexed: 01/24/2023]
Abstract
Transcriptional dysregulation is a hallmark of Huntington's disease (HD) and one cause of this dysregulation is enhanced activity of the REST-mSIN3a-mSIN3b-CoREST-HDAC repressor complex, which silences transcription through REST binding to the RE1/NRSE silencer. Normally, huntingtin (HTT) prevents this binding, allowing expressing of REST target genes. Here, we aimed to identify HTT mimetics that disrupt REST complex formation in HD. From a structure-based virtual screening of 7 million molecules, we selected 94 compounds predicted to interfere with REST complex formation by targeting the PAH1 domain of mSIN3b. Primary screening using DiaNRSELuc8 cells revealed two classes of compounds causing a greater than two-fold increase in luciferase. In particular, quinolone-like compound 91 (C91) at a non-toxic nanomolar concentration reduced mSIN3b nuclear entry and occupancy at the RE1/NRSE within the Bdnf locus, and restored brain-derived neurotrophic factor (BDNF) protein levels in HD cells. The mRNA levels of other RE1/NRSE-regulated genes were similarly increased while non-REST-regulated genes were unaffected. C91 stimulated REST-regulated gene expression in HTT-knockdown Zebrafish and increased BDNF mRNA in the presence of mutant HTT. Thus, a combination of virtual screening and biological approaches can lead to compounds reducing REST complex formation, which may be useful in HD and in other pathological conditions.
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Affiliation(s)
- Paola Conforti
- Department of BioSciences, Università degli Studi di Milano, Milano, Italy; Center for Stem Cell Research, Università degli Studi di Milano, Milano, Italy
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Jin J, Albertz J, Guo Z, Peng Q, Rudow G, Troncoso JC, Ross CA, Duan W. Neuroprotective effects of PPAR-γ agonist rosiglitazone in N171-82Q mouse model of Huntington's disease. J Neurochem 2013; 125:410-9. [PMID: 23373812 DOI: 10.1111/jnc.12190] [Citation(s) in RCA: 87] [Impact Index Per Article: 7.9] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 10/23/2012] [Revised: 01/30/2013] [Accepted: 01/30/2013] [Indexed: 12/15/2022]
Abstract
Huntington's disease (HD) is a devastating genetic neurodegenerative disease caused by CAG trinucleotide expansion in the exon-1 region of the huntingtin gene. Currently, no cure is available. It is becoming increasingly apparent that mutant Huntingtin (HTT) impairs metabolic homeostasis and causes transcriptional dysregulation. The peroxisome proliferator-activated receptor gamma (PPAR-γ) is a transcriptional factor that plays a key role in regulating genes involved in energy metabolism; recent studies demonstrated that PPAR-γ activation prevented mitochondrial depolarization in cells expressing mutant HTT and attenuated neurodegeneration in various models of neurodegenerative diseases. PPAR-γ-coactivator 1α (PGC-1 α) transcription activity is also impaired by mutant HTT. We now report that the PPAR-γ agonist, rosiglitazone (RSG), significantly attenuated mutant HTT-induced toxicity in striatal cells and that the protective effect of RSG is mediated by activation of PPAR-γ. Moreover, chronic administration of RSG (10 mg/kg/day, i.p) significantly improved motor function and attenuated hyperglycemia in N171-82Q HD mice. RSG administration rescued brain derived neurotrophic factor(BDNF) deficiency in the cerebral cortex, and prevented loss of orexin-A-immunopositive neurons in the hypothalamus of N171-82Q HD mice. RSG also prevented PGC-1α reduction and increased Sirt6 protein levels in HD mouse brain. Our results suggest that modifying the PPAR-γ pathway plays a beneficial role in rescuing motor function as well as glucose metabolic abnormalities in HD.
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Affiliation(s)
- Jing Jin
- Division of Neurobiology, Department of Psychiatry and Behavioral Sciences, Johns Hopkins University School of Medicine, Baltimore, Maryland, USA
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Chen Z, Lee H, Henle SJ, Cheever TR, Ekker SC, Henley JR. Primary neuron culture for nerve growth and axon guidance studies in zebrafish (Danio rerio). PLoS One 2013; 8:e57539. [PMID: 23469201 PMCID: PMC3587632 DOI: 10.1371/journal.pone.0057539] [Citation(s) in RCA: 32] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.9] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 10/19/2012] [Accepted: 01/25/2013] [Indexed: 12/21/2022] Open
Abstract
Zebrafish (Danio rerio) is a widely used model organism in genetics and developmental biology research. Genetic screens have proven useful for studying embryonic development of the nervous system in vivo, but in vitro studies utilizing zebrafish have been limited. Here, we introduce a robust zebrafish primary neuron culture system for functional nerve growth and guidance assays. Distinct classes of central nervous system neurons from the spinal cord, hindbrain, forebrain, and retina from wild type zebrafish, and fluorescent motor neurons from transgenic reporter zebrafish lines, were dissociated and plated onto various biological and synthetic substrates to optimize conditions for axon outgrowth. Time-lapse microscopy revealed dynamically moving growth cones at the tips of extending axons. The mean rate of axon extension in vitro was 21.4±1.2 µm hr−1 s.e.m. for spinal cord neurons, which corresponds to the typical ∼0.5 mm day−1 growth rate of nerves in vivo. Fluorescence labeling and confocal microscopy demonstrated that bundled microtubules project along axons to the growth cone central domain, with filamentous actin enriched in the growth cone peripheral domain. Importantly, the growth cone surface membrane expresses receptors for chemotropic factors, as detected by immunofluorescence microscopy. Live-cell functional assays of axon extension and directional guidance demonstrated mammalian brain-derived neurotrophic factor (BDNF)-dependent stimulation of outgrowth and growth cone chemoattraction, whereas mammalian myelin-associated glycoprotein inhibited outgrowth. High-resolution live-cell Ca2+-imaging revealed local elevation of cytoplasmic Ca2+ concentration in the growth cone induced by BDNF application. Moreover, BDNF-induced axon outgrowth, but not basal outgrowth, was blocked by treatments to suppress cytoplasmic Ca2+ signals. Thus, this primary neuron culture model system may be useful for studies of neuronal development, chemotropic axon guidance, and mechanisms underlying inhibition of neural regeneration in vitro, and complement observations made in vivo.
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Affiliation(s)
- Zheyan Chen
- Mayo Graduate School, College of Medicine, Mayo Clinic, Rochester, Minnesota, United States of America
| | - Han Lee
- Mayo Graduate School, College of Medicine, Mayo Clinic, Rochester, Minnesota, United States of America
| | - Steven J. Henle
- Department of Neurologic Surgery, Mayo Clinic, Rochester, Minnesota, United States of America
| | - Thomas R. Cheever
- Department of Neurologic Surgery, Mayo Clinic, Rochester, Minnesota, United States of America
| | - Stephen C. Ekker
- Department of Biochemistry and Molecular Biology, Mayo Clinic, Rochester, Minnesota, United States of America
| | - John R. Henley
- Mayo Graduate School, College of Medicine, Mayo Clinic, Rochester, Minnesota, United States of America
- Department of Neurologic Surgery, Mayo Clinic, Rochester, Minnesota, United States of America
- Department of Physiology and Biomedical Engineering, Mayo Clinic, Rochester, Minnesota, United States of America
- * E-mail:
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Shimada Y, Hirano M, Nishimura Y, Tanaka T. A high-throughput fluorescence-based assay system for appetite-regulating gene and drug screening. PLoS One 2012; 7:e52549. [PMID: 23300705 PMCID: PMC3530442 DOI: 10.1371/journal.pone.0052549] [Citation(s) in RCA: 51] [Impact Index Per Article: 4.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 08/13/2012] [Accepted: 11/20/2012] [Indexed: 12/13/2022] Open
Abstract
The increasing number of people suffering from metabolic syndrome and obesity is becoming a serious problem not only in developed countries, but also in developing countries. However, there are few agents currently approved for the treatment of obesity. Those that are available are mainly appetite suppressants and gastrointestinal fat blockers. We have developed a simple and rapid method for the measurement of the feeding volume of Danio rerio (zebrafish). This assay can be used to screen appetite suppressants and enhancers. In this study, zebrafish were fed viable paramecia that were fluorescently-labeled, and feeding volume was measured using a 96-well microplate reader. Gene expression analysis of brain-derived neurotrophic factor (bdnf), knockdown of appetite-regulating genes (neuropeptide Y, preproinsulin, melanocortin 4 receptor, agouti related protein, and cannabinoid receptor 1), and the administration of clinical appetite suppressants (fluoxetine, sibutramine, mazindol, phentermine, and rimonabant) revealed the similarity among mechanisms regulating appetite in zebrafish and mammals. In combination with behavioral analysis, we were able to evaluate adverse effects on locomotor activities from gene knockdown and chemical treatments. In conclusion, we have developed an assay that uses zebrafish, which can be applied to high-throughput screening and target gene discovery for appetite suppressants and enhancers.
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Affiliation(s)
- Yasuhito Shimada
- Department of Molecular and Cellular Pharmacology, Pharmacogenomics and Pharmacoinformatics, Mie University Graduate School of Medicine, Tsu, Mie, Japan
- Mie University Medical Zebrafish Research Center, Tsu, Mie, Japan
- Department of Bioinformatics, Mie University Life Science Research Center, Tsu, Mie, Japan
- Department of Omics Medicine, Mie University Industrial Technology Innovation Institute, Tsu, Mie, Japan
| | - Minoru Hirano
- Department of Molecular and Cellular Pharmacology, Pharmacogenomics and Pharmacoinformatics, Mie University Graduate School of Medicine, Tsu, Mie, Japan
| | - Yuhei Nishimura
- Department of Molecular and Cellular Pharmacology, Pharmacogenomics and Pharmacoinformatics, Mie University Graduate School of Medicine, Tsu, Mie, Japan
- Mie University Medical Zebrafish Research Center, Tsu, Mie, Japan
- Department of Bioinformatics, Mie University Life Science Research Center, Tsu, Mie, Japan
- Department of Omics Medicine, Mie University Industrial Technology Innovation Institute, Tsu, Mie, Japan
| | - Toshio Tanaka
- Department of Molecular and Cellular Pharmacology, Pharmacogenomics and Pharmacoinformatics, Mie University Graduate School of Medicine, Tsu, Mie, Japan
- Mie University Medical Zebrafish Research Center, Tsu, Mie, Japan
- Department of Bioinformatics, Mie University Life Science Research Center, Tsu, Mie, Japan
- Department of Omics Medicine, Mie University Industrial Technology Innovation Institute, Tsu, Mie, Japan
- * E-mail:
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Conforti P, Camnasio S, Mutti C, Valenza M, Thompson M, Fossale E, Zeitlin S, MacDonald ME, Zuccato C, Cattaneo E. Lack of huntingtin promotes neural stem cells differentiation into glial cells while neurons expressing huntingtin with expanded polyglutamine tracts undergo cell death. Neurobiol Dis 2012; 50:160-70. [PMID: 23089356 DOI: 10.1016/j.nbd.2012.10.015] [Citation(s) in RCA: 24] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 08/03/2012] [Revised: 10/10/2012] [Accepted: 10/13/2012] [Indexed: 10/27/2022] Open
Abstract
Huntington's disease (HD) is a neurodegenerative disorder that affects muscle coordination and diminishes cognitive abilities. The genetic basis of the disease is an expansion of CAG repeats in the Huntingtin (Htt) gene. Here we aimed to generate a series of mouse neural stem (NS) cell lines that carried varying numbers of CAG repeats in the mouse Htt gene (Hdh CAG knock-in NS cells) or that had Hdh null alleles (Hdh knock-out NS cells). Towards this end, Hdh CAG knock-in mouse ES cell lines that carried an Htt gene with 20, 50, 111, or 140 CAG repeats or that were Htt null were neuralized and converted into self-renewing NS cells. The resulting NS cell lines were immunopositive for the neural stem cell markers NESTIN, SOX2, and BLBP and had similar proliferative rates and cell cycle distributions. After 14 days in vitro, wild-type NS cells gave rise to cultures composed of 70% MAP2(+) neurons and 30% GFAP(+) astrocytes. In contrast, NS cells with expanded CAG repeats underwent neuronal cell death, with only 38%±15% of the MAP2(+) cells remaining at the end of the differentiation period. Cell death was verified by increased caspase 3/7 activity on day 14 of the neuronal differentiation protocol. Interestingly, Hdh knock-out NS cells treated using the same neuronal differentiation protocol showed a dramatic increase in the number of GFAP(+) cells on day 14 (61%±20% versus 24%±10% in controls), and a massive decrease of MAP2(+) neurons (30%±11% versus 64%±17% in controls). Both Hdh CAG knock-in NS cells and Hdh knock-out NS cells showed reduced levels of Bdnf mRNA during neuronal differentiation, in agreement with data obtained previously in HD mouse models and in post-mortem brain samples from HD patients. We concluded that Hdh CAG knock-in and Hdh knock-out NS cells have potential as tools for investigating the roles of normal and mutant HTT in differentiated neurons and glial cells of the brain.
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Affiliation(s)
- Paola Conforti
- Center for Stem Cell Research, Università degli Studi di Milano, Via Balzaretti 9, 20113 Milan, Italy
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Aspatwar A, Tolvanen MEE, Jokitalo E, Parikka M, Ortutay C, Harjula SKE, Rämet M, Vihinen M, Parkkila S. Abnormal cerebellar development and ataxia in CARP VIII morphant zebrafish. Hum Mol Genet 2012; 22:417-32. [PMID: 23087022 DOI: 10.1093/hmg/dds438] [Citation(s) in RCA: 34] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.8] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/14/2022] Open
Abstract
Congenital ataxia and mental retardation are mainly caused by variations in the genes that affect brain development. Recent reports have shown that mutations in the CA8 gene are associated with mental retardation and ataxia in humans and ataxia in mice. The gene product, carbonic anhydrase-related protein VIII (CARP VIII), is predominantly present in cerebellar Purkinje cells, where it interacts with the inositol 1,4,5-trisphosphate receptor type 1, a calcium channel. In this study, we investigated the effects of the loss of function of CARP VIII during embryonic development in zebrafish using antisense morpholino oligonucleotides against the CA8 gene. Knockdown of CA8 in zebrafish larvae resulted in a curved body axis, pericardial edema and abnormal movement patterns. Histologic examination revealed gross morphologic defects in the cerebellar region and in the muscle. Electron microscopy studies showed increased neuronal cell death in developing larvae injected with CA8 antisense morpholinos. These data suggest a pivotal role for CARP VIII during embryonic development. Furthermore, suppression of CA8 expression leads to defects in motor and coordination functions, mimicking the ataxic human phenotype. This work reveals an evolutionarily conserved function of CARP VIII in brain development and introduces a novel zebrafish model in which to investigate the mechanisms of CARP VIII-related ataxia and mental retardation in humans.
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Affiliation(s)
- Ashok Aspatwar
- Institute of Biomedical Technology and School of Medicine, University of Tampere and BioMediTech, Tampere 33014, Finland.
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Lo Sardo V, Zuccato C, Gaudenzi G, Vitali B, Ramos C, Tartari M, Myre MA, Walker JA, Pistocchi A, Conti L, Valenza M, Drung B, Schmidt B, Gusella J, Zeitlin S, Cotelli F, Cattaneo E. An evolutionary recent neuroepithelial cell adhesion function of huntingtin implicates ADAM10-Ncadherin. Nat Neurosci 2012; 15:713-21. [PMID: 22466506 DOI: 10.1038/nn.3080] [Citation(s) in RCA: 83] [Impact Index Per Article: 6.9] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 11/14/2011] [Accepted: 03/05/2012] [Indexed: 02/06/2023]
Abstract
The Huntington's disease gene product, huntingtin, is indispensable for neural tube formation, but its role is obscure. We studied neurulation in htt-null embryonic stem cells and htt-morpholino zebrafish embryos and found a previously unknown, evolutionarily recent function for this ancient protein. We found that htt was essential for homotypic interactions between neuroepithelial cells; it permitted neurulation and rosette formation by regulating metalloprotease ADAM10 activity and Ncadherin cleavage. This function was embedded in the N terminus of htt and was phenocopied by treatment of htt knockdown zebrafish with an ADAM10 inhibitor. Notably, in htt-null cells, reversion of the rosetteless phenotype occurred only with expression of evolutionarily recent htt heterologues from deuterostome organisms. Conversely, all of the heterologues that we tested, including htt from Drosophila melanogaster and Dictyostelium discoideum, exhibited anti-apoptotic activity. Thus, anti-apoptosis may have been one of htt’s ancestral function(s), but, in deuterostomes, htt evolved to acquire a unique regulatory activity for controlling neural adhesion via ADAM10-Ncadherin, with implications for brain evolution and development.
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Affiliation(s)
- Valentina Lo Sardo
- Department of Pharmacological Sciences and Centre for Stem Cell Research, Università degli Studi di Milano, Milano, Italy
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Prunet P, Øverli Ø, Douxfils J, Bernardini G, Kestemont P, Baron D. Fish welfare and genomics. FISH PHYSIOLOGY AND BIOCHEMISTRY 2012; 38:43-60. [PMID: 21671026 DOI: 10.1007/s10695-011-9522-z] [Citation(s) in RCA: 15] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 10/21/2010] [Accepted: 05/31/2011] [Indexed: 05/30/2023]
Abstract
There is a considerable public and scientific debate concerning welfare of fish in aquaculture. In this review, we will consider fish welfare as an integration of physiological, behavioral, and cognitive/emotional responses, all of which are essentially adaptative responses to stressful situations. An overview of fish welfare in this context suggests that understanding will rely on knowledge of all components of allostatic responses to stress and environmental perturbations. The development of genomic technologies provides new approaches to this task, exemplified by how genome-wide analysis of genetic structures and corresponding expression patterns can lead to the discovery of new aspects of adaptative responses. We will illustrate how the genomic approach may give rise to new biomarkers for fish welfare and also increase our understanding of the interaction between physiological, behavioral, and emotional responses. In a first part, we present data on expression of candidate genes selected a priori. This is a common avenue to develop molecular biomarkers capable of diagnosing a stress condition at its earliest onset, in order to allow quick corrective intervention in an aquaculture setting. However, most of these studies address isolated physiological functions and stress responses that may not be truly indicative of animal welfare, and there is only rudimentary understanding of genes related to possible cognitive and emotional responses in fish. We also present an overview on transcriptomic analysis related to the effect of aquaculture stressors, environmental changes (temperature, salinity, hypoxia), or concerning specific behavioral patterns. These studies illustrate the potential of genomic approaches to characterize the complexity of the molecular mechanisms which underlies not only physiological but also behavioral responses in relation to fish welfare. Thirdly, we address proteomic studies on biological responses to stressors such as salinity change and hypoxia. We will also consider proteomic studies developed in mammals in relation to anxiety and depressive status which may lead to new potential candidates in fish. Finally, in the conclusion, we will suggest new developments to facilitate an integrated view of fish welfare. This includes use of laser microdissection in the transcriptomic/proteomic studies, development of meta-analysis methods for extracting information from genomic data sets, and implementation of technological advances for high-throughput proteomic studies. Development of these new approaches should be as productive for our understanding of the biological processes underlying fish welfare as it has been for the progress of pathophysiological research.
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Affiliation(s)
- P Prunet
- UR1037 SCRIBE, IFR140, INRA, Campus de Beaulieu, Rennes, France.
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Mo W, Nicolson T. Both pre- and postsynaptic activity of Nsf prevents degeneration of hair-cell synapses. PLoS One 2011; 6:e27146. [PMID: 22073277 PMCID: PMC3207842 DOI: 10.1371/journal.pone.0027146] [Citation(s) in RCA: 28] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.2] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 06/14/2011] [Accepted: 10/11/2011] [Indexed: 01/27/2023] Open
Abstract
Vesicle fusion contributes to the maintenance of synapses in the nervous system by mediating synaptic transmission, release of neurotrophic factors, and trafficking of membrane receptors. N-ethylmaleimide-sensitive factor (NSF) is indispensible for dissociation of the SNARE-complex following vesicle fusion. Although NSF function has been characterized extensively in vitro, the in vivo role of NSF in vertebrate synaptogenesis is relatively unexplored. Zebrafish possess two nsf genes, nsf and nsfb. Here, we examine the function of either Nsf or Nsfb in the pre- and postsynaptic cells of the zebrafish lateral line organ and demonstrate that Nsf, but not Nsfb, is required for maintenance of afferent synapses in hair cells. In addition to peripheral defects in nsf mutants, neurodegeneration of glutamatergic synapses in the central nervous system also occurs in the absence of Nsf function. Expression of an nsf transgene in a null background indicates that stabilization of synapses requires Nsf function in both hair cells and afferent neurons. To identify potential targets of Nsf-mediated fusion, we examined the expression of genes implicated in stabilizing synapses and found that transcripts for multiple genes including brain-derived neurotrophic factor (bdnf) were significantly reduced in nsf mutants. With regard to trafficking of BDNF, we observed a striking accumulation of BDNF in the neurites of nsf mutant afferent neurons. In addition, injection of recombinant BDNF protein partially rescued the degeneration of afferent synapses in nsf mutants. These results establish a role for Nsf in the maintenance of synaptic contacts between hair cells and afferent neurons, mediated in part via the secretion of trophic signaling factors.
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Affiliation(s)
- Weike Mo
- Howard Hughes Medical Institute, Oregon Hearing Research Center and Vollum Institute, Oregon Health and Science University, Portland, Oregon, United States of America
| | - Teresa Nicolson
- Howard Hughes Medical Institute, Oregon Hearing Research Center and Vollum Institute, Oregon Health and Science University, Portland, Oregon, United States of America
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Capiotti KM, Menezes FP, Nazario LR, Pohlmann JB, de Oliveira GM, Fazenda L, Bogo MR, Bonan CD, Da Silva RS. Early exposure to caffeine affects gene expression of adenosine receptors, DARPP-32 and BDNF without affecting sensibility and morphology of developing zebrafish (Danio rerio). Neurotoxicol Teratol 2011; 33:680-5. [DOI: 10.1016/j.ntt.2011.08.010] [Citation(s) in RCA: 42] [Impact Index Per Article: 3.2] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 07/12/2011] [Revised: 08/19/2011] [Accepted: 08/22/2011] [Indexed: 10/17/2022]
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50
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Conditional BDNF release under pathological conditions improves Huntington's disease pathology by delaying neuronal dysfunction. Mol Neurodegener 2011; 6:71. [PMID: 21985529 PMCID: PMC3205049 DOI: 10.1186/1750-1326-6-71] [Citation(s) in RCA: 81] [Impact Index Per Article: 6.2] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 07/19/2011] [Accepted: 10/10/2011] [Indexed: 01/05/2023] Open
Abstract
Background Brain-Derived Neurotrophic Factor (BDNF) is the main candidate for neuroprotective therapy for Huntington's disease (HD), but its conditional administration is one of its most challenging problems. Results Here we used transgenic mice that over-express BDNF under the control of the Glial Fibrillary Acidic Protein (GFAP) promoter (pGFAP-BDNF mice) to test whether up-regulation and release of BDNF, dependent on astrogliosis, could be protective in HD. Thus, we cross-mated pGFAP-BDNF mice with R6/2 mice to generate a double-mutant mouse with mutant huntingtin protein and with a conditional over-expression of BDNF, only under pathological conditions. In these R6/2:pGFAP-BDNF animals, the decrease in striatal BDNF levels induced by mutant huntingtin was prevented in comparison to R6/2 animals at 12 weeks of age. The recovery of the neurotrophin levels in R6/2:pGFAP-BDNF mice correlated with an improvement in several motor coordination tasks and with a significant delay in anxiety and clasping alterations. Therefore, we next examined a possible improvement in cortico-striatal connectivity in R62:pGFAP-BDNF mice. Interestingly, we found that the over-expression of BDNF prevented the decrease of cortico-striatal presynaptic (VGLUT1) and postsynaptic (PSD-95) markers in the R6/2:pGFAP-BDNF striatum. Electrophysiological studies also showed that basal synaptic transmission and synaptic fatigue both improved in R6/2:pGAP-BDNF mice. Conclusions These results indicate that the conditional administration of BDNF under the GFAP promoter could become a therapeutic strategy for HD due to its positive effects on synaptic plasticity.
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