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Ramos Ferrer P, Vardhan S, Sakiyama-Elbert S. Sustained neurotrophin-3 delivery from hyaluronic acid hydrogels for neural tissue regeneration. J Biomed Mater Res A 2024; 112:1188-1199. [PMID: 37675824 DOI: 10.1002/jbm.a.37596] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 06/07/2023] [Revised: 07/31/2023] [Accepted: 08/01/2023] [Indexed: 09/08/2023]
Abstract
The goal of this work was to design a polymer-based platform capable of localized, long-term delivery of biologically active neurotropic factors using an affinity-based approach. Here, we synthesized hyaluronic acid-methylfuran (HA-mF) hydrogels that provide sustained, affinity-based release of neurotrophin-3 (NT-3), a growth factor that promotes axon growth for 28 days. A Diels-Alder crosslinking reaction between HA-mF and polyethylene glycol (PEG)-dimaleimide occurs within 15 min under physiological conditions, resulting in hydrogels that can be polymerized in the presence of cells and growth factors. We also tuned the hydrogel's storage modulus to match that of native rat spinal cord tissue, providing a platform not only for localized drug delivery but also a suitable vehicle for cellular transplantation. The NT-3 released from the HAmF hydrogels remains bioactive for at least 14 days, promoting axonal growth from primary sensory neurons as well as stem cell-derived V2a interneurons and motoneurons in vitro. The hydrogels also supported cell growth allowing for 3-dimensional axonal extensions within the scaffold matrix. Here we confirm the protective role of HA-mF on matrix-bound NT-3 activity and show that these hydrogels are an excellent platform for growth factor delivery for neural applications.
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Affiliation(s)
- Pablo Ramos Ferrer
- Department of Chemical Engineering, University of Washington, Seattle, Washington, USA
| | - Sangamithra Vardhan
- Department of Bioengineering, University of Washington, Seattle, Washington, USA
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2
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Goffin L, Lemoine D, Clotman F. Potential contribution of spinal interneurons to the etiopathogenesis of amyotrophic lateral sclerosis. Front Neurosci 2024; 18:1434404. [PMID: 39091344 PMCID: PMC11293063 DOI: 10.3389/fnins.2024.1434404] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 05/17/2024] [Accepted: 06/21/2024] [Indexed: 08/04/2024] Open
Abstract
Amyotrophic lateral sclerosis (ALS) consists of a group of adult-onset fatal and incurable neurodegenerative disorders characterized by the progressive death of motor neurons (MNs) throughout the central nervous system (CNS). At first, ALS was considered to be an MN disease, caused by cell-autonomous mechanisms acting specifically in MNs. Accordingly, data from ALS patients and ALS animal models revealed alterations in excitability in multiple neuronal populations, including MNs, which were associated with a variety of cellular perturbations such as protein aggregation, ribonucleic acid (RNA) metabolism defects, calcium dyshomeostasis, modified electrophysiological properties, and autophagy malfunctions. However, experimental evidence rapidly demonstrated the involvement of other types of cells, including glial cells, in the etiopathogenesis of ALS through non-cell autonomous mechanisms. Surprisingly, the contribution of pre-motor interneurons (INs), which regulate MN activity and could therefore critically modulate their excitability at the onset or during the progression of the disease, has to date been severely underestimated. In this article, we review in detail how spinal pre-motor INs are affected in ALS and their possible involvement in the etiopathogenesis of the disease.
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Affiliation(s)
| | | | - Frédéric Clotman
- Université catholique de Louvain, Louvain Institute of Biomolecular Science and Technology, Animal Molecular and Cellular Biology, Louvain-la-Neuve, Belgium
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3
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Renaux E, Baudouin C, Marchese D, Clovis Y, Lee SK, Gofflot F, Rezsohazy R, Clotman F. Lhx4 surpasses its paralog Lhx3 in promoting the differentiation of spinal V2a interneurons. Cell Mol Life Sci 2024; 81:286. [PMID: 38970652 DOI: 10.1007/s00018-024-05316-x] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 04/03/2024] [Revised: 06/11/2024] [Accepted: 06/12/2024] [Indexed: 07/08/2024]
Abstract
Paralog factors are considered to ensure the robustness of biological processes by providing redundant activity in cells where they are co-expressed. However, the specific contribution of each factor is frequently underestimated. In the developing spinal cord, multiple families of transcription factors successively contribute to differentiate an initially homogenous population of neural progenitors into a myriad of neuronal subsets with distinct molecular, morphological, and functional characteristics. The LIM-homeodomain transcription factors Lhx3, Lhx4, Isl1 and Isl2 promote the segregation and differentiation of spinal motor neurons and V2 interneurons. Based on their high sequence identity and their similar distribution, the Lhx3 and Lhx4 paralogs are considered to contribute similarly to these processes. However, the specific contribution of Lhx4 has never been studied. Here, we provide evidence that Lhx3 and Lhx4 are present in the same cell populations during spinal cord development. Similarly to Lhx3, Lhx4 can form multiproteic complexes with Isl1 or Isl2 and the nuclear LIM interactor NLI. Lhx4 can stimulate a V2-specific enhancer more efficiently than Lhx3 and surpasses Lhx3 in promoting the differentiation of V2a interneurons in chicken embryo electroporation experiments. Finally, Lhx4 inactivation in mice results in alterations of differentiation of the V2a subpopulation, but not of motor neuron production, suggesting that Lhx4 plays unique roles in V2a differentiation that are not compensated by the presence of Lhx3. Thus, Lhx4 could be the major LIM-HD factor involved in V2a interneuron differentiation during spinal cord development and should be considered for in vitro differentiation of spinal neuronal populations.
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Affiliation(s)
- Estelle Renaux
- Université catholique de Louvain, Louvain Institute of Biomolecular Science and Technology, Animal Molecular and Cellular Biology, Louvain-la-Neuve, 1348, Belgium
- Université catholique de Louvain, Institute of Neuroscience, Laboratory of Neural Differentiation, Brussels, 1200, Belgium
| | - Charlotte Baudouin
- Université catholique de Louvain, Institute of Neuroscience, Laboratory of Neural Differentiation, Brussels, 1200, Belgium
| | - Damien Marchese
- Université catholique de Louvain, Louvain Institute of Biomolecular Science and Technology, Animal Molecular and Cellular Biology, Louvain-la-Neuve, 1348, Belgium
| | - Yoanne Clovis
- Pediatric Neuroscience Research Program, Papé Family Pediatric Research Institute, Department of Pediatrics, Oregon Health and Science University, Portland, OR, 97239, USA
| | - Soo-Kyung Lee
- Pediatric Neuroscience Research Program, Papé Family Pediatric Research Institute, Department of Pediatrics, Oregon Health and Science University, Portland, OR, 97239, USA
- Department of Biological Sciences, University at Buffalo, Buffalo, NY, 14260, USA
| | - Françoise Gofflot
- Université catholique de Louvain, Louvain Institute of Biomolecular Science and Technology, Animal Molecular and Cellular Biology, Louvain-la-Neuve, 1348, Belgium
| | - René Rezsohazy
- Université catholique de Louvain, Louvain Institute of Biomolecular Science and Technology, Animal Molecular and Cellular Biology, Louvain-la-Neuve, 1348, Belgium
| | - Frédéric Clotman
- Université catholique de Louvain, Louvain Institute of Biomolecular Science and Technology, Animal Molecular and Cellular Biology, Louvain-la-Neuve, 1348, Belgium.
- Université catholique de Louvain, Institute of Neuroscience, Laboratory of Neural Differentiation, Brussels, 1200, Belgium.
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Tan Z, Xiao L, Ma J, Shi K, Liu J, Feng F, Xie P, Dai Y, Yuan Q, Wu W, Rong L, He L. Integrating hydrogels manipulate ECM deposition after spinal cord injury for specific neural reconnections via neuronal relays. SCIENCE ADVANCES 2024; 10:eado9120. [PMID: 38959311 PMCID: PMC11221524 DOI: 10.1126/sciadv.ado9120] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 03/03/2024] [Accepted: 05/30/2024] [Indexed: 07/05/2024]
Abstract
A bioinspired hydrogel composed of hyaluronic acid-graft-dopamine (HADA) and a designer peptide HGF-(RADA)4-DGDRGDS (HRR) was presented to enhance tissue integration following spinal cord injury (SCI). The HADA/HRR hydrogel manipulated the infiltration of PDGFRβ+ cells in a parallel pattern, transforming dense scars into an aligned fibrous substrate that guided axonal regrowth. Further incorporation of NT3 and curcumin promoted axonal regrowth and survival of interneurons at lesion borders, which served as relays for establishing heterogeneous axon connections in a target-specific manner. Notable improvements in motor, sensory, and bladder functions resulted in rats with complete spinal cord transection. The HADA/HRR + NT3/Cur hydrogel promoted V2a neuron accumulation in ventral spinal cord, facilitating the recovery of locomotor function. Meanwhile, the establishment of heterogeneous neural connections across the hemisected lesion of canines was documented in a target-specific manner via neuronal relays, significantly improving motor functions. Therefore, biomaterials can inspire beneficial biological activities for SCI repair.
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Affiliation(s)
- Zan Tan
- Department of Spine Surgery, The 3rd Affiliated Hospital, Sun Yat-sen University, Guangzhou 510630, China
| | - Longyou Xiao
- Department of Spine Surgery, The 3rd Affiliated Hospital, Sun Yat-sen University, Guangzhou 510630, China
| | - Junwu Ma
- Department of Spine Surgery, The 3rd Affiliated Hospital, Sun Yat-sen University, Guangzhou 510630, China
| | - Kaixi Shi
- Department of Spine Surgery, The 3rd Affiliated Hospital, Sun Yat-sen University, Guangzhou 510630, China
| | - Jialin Liu
- Department of Spine Surgery, The 3rd Affiliated Hospital, Sun Yat-sen University, Guangzhou 510630, China
| | - Feng Feng
- Department of Spine Surgery, The 3rd Affiliated Hospital, Sun Yat-sen University, Guangzhou 510630, China
| | - Pengfei Xie
- Department of Spine Surgery, The 3rd Affiliated Hospital, Sun Yat-sen University, Guangzhou 510630, China
| | - Yu Dai
- Department of Spine Surgery, The 3rd Affiliated Hospital, Sun Yat-sen University, Guangzhou 510630, China
| | - Qiuju Yuan
- Centre of Regenerative Medicine and Health, Hong Kong Institute of Science & Innovation, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Hong Kong 999077, China
| | - Wutian Wu
- Guangdong-Hong Kong-Macau Institute of CNS Regeneration (GHMICR), Jinan University, Guangzhou 510632, China
- Re-Stem Biotechnology Co. Ltd., Suzhou 215129, China
| | - Limin Rong
- Department of Spine Surgery, The 3rd Affiliated Hospital, Sun Yat-sen University, Guangzhou 510630, China
| | - Liumin He
- Department of Spine Surgery, The 3rd Affiliated Hospital, Sun Yat-sen University, Guangzhou 510630, China
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Shaw DK, Saraswathy VM, McAdow AR, Zhou L, Park D, Mote R, Johnson AN, Mokalled MH. Elevated phagocytic capacity directs innate spinal cord repair. BIORXIV : THE PREPRINT SERVER FOR BIOLOGY 2024:2024.06.11.598515. [PMID: 38915507 PMCID: PMC11195157 DOI: 10.1101/2024.06.11.598515] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 06/26/2024]
Abstract
Immune cells elicit a continuum of transcriptional and functional states after spinal cord injury (SCI). In mammals, inefficient debris clearance and chronic inflammation impede recovery and overshadow pro-regenerative immune functions. We found that, unlike mammals, zebrafish SCI elicits transient immune activation and efficient debris clearance, without causing chronic inflammation. Single-cell transcriptomics and inducible genetic ablation showed zebrafish macrophages are highly phagocytic and required for regeneration. Cross-species comparisons between zebrafish and mammalian macrophages identified transcription and immune response regulator ( tcim ) as a macrophage-enriched zebrafish gene. Genetic deletion of zebrafish tcim impairs phagocytosis and regeneration, causes aberrant and chronic immune activation, and can be rescued by transplanting wild-type immune precursors into tcim mutants. Conversely, genetic expression of human TCIM accelerates debris clearance and regeneration by reprogramming myeloid precursors into activated phagocytes. This study establishes a central requirement for elevated phagocytic capacity to achieve innate spinal cord repair.
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England SJ, Campbell PC, Banerjee S, Bates RL, Grieb G, Fancher WF, Lewis KE. Transcriptional regulators with broad expression in the zebrafish spinal cord. Dev Dyn 2024. [PMID: 38850245 DOI: 10.1002/dvdy.717] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 01/23/2024] [Revised: 04/12/2024] [Accepted: 05/15/2024] [Indexed: 06/10/2024] Open
Abstract
BACKGROUND The spinal cord is a crucial part of the vertebrate CNS, controlling movements and receiving and processing sensory information from the trunk and limbs. However, there is much we do not know about how this essential organ develops. Here, we describe expression of 21 transcription factors and one transcriptional regulator in zebrafish spinal cord. RESULTS We analyzed the expression of aurkb, foxb1a, foxb1b, her8a, homeza, ivns1abpb, mybl2b, myt1a, nr2f1b, onecut1, sall1a, sall3a, sall3b, sall4, sox2, sox19b, sp8b, tsc22d1, wdhd1, zfhx3b, znf804a, and znf1032 in wild-type and MIB E3 ubiquitin protein ligase 1 zebrafish embryos. While all of these genes are broadly expressed in spinal cord, they have distinct expression patterns from one another. Some are predominantly expressed in progenitor domains, and others in subsets of post-mitotic cells. Given the conservation of spinal cord development, and the transcription factors and transcriptional regulators that orchestrate it, we expect that these genes will have similar spinal cord expression patterns in other vertebrates, including mammals and humans. CONCLUSIONS Our data identify 22 different transcriptional regulators that are strong candidates for playing different roles in spinal cord development. For several of these genes, this is the first published description of their spinal cord expression.
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Affiliation(s)
| | - Paul C Campbell
- Department of Biology, Syracuse University, Syracuse, New York, USA
| | - Santanu Banerjee
- Biological Sciences Department, SUNY-Cortland, Cortland, New York, USA
| | - Richard L Bates
- Department of Biology, Syracuse University, Syracuse, New York, USA
| | - Ginny Grieb
- Department of Biology, Syracuse University, Syracuse, New York, USA
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England SJ, Campbell PC, Banerjee S, Bates RL, Grieb G, Fancher WF, Lewis KE. Transcriptional Regulators with Broad Expression in the Zebrafish Spinal Cord. BIORXIV : THE PREPRINT SERVER FOR BIOLOGY 2024:2024.02.14.580357. [PMID: 38405913 PMCID: PMC10888778 DOI: 10.1101/2024.02.14.580357] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 02/27/2024]
Abstract
Background The spinal cord is a crucial part of the vertebrate CNS, controlling movements and receiving and processing sensory information from the trunk and limbs. However, there is much we do not know about how this essential organ develops. Here, we describe expression of 21 transcription factors and one transcriptional regulator in zebrafish spinal cord. Results We analyzed the expression of aurkb, foxb1a, foxb1b, her8a, homeza, ivns1abpb, mybl2b, myt1a, nr2f1b, onecut1, sall1a, sall3a, sall3b, sall4, sox2, sox19b, sp8b, tsc22d1, wdhd1, zfhx3b, znf804a, and znf1032 in wild-type and MIB E3 ubiquitin protein ligase 1 zebrafish embryos. While all of these genes are broadly expressed in spinal cord, they have distinct expression patterns from one another. Some are predominantly expressed in progenitor domains, and others in subsets of post-mitotic cells. Given the conservation of spinal cord development, and the transcription factors and transcriptional regulators that orchestrate it, we expect that these genes will have similar spinal cord expression patterns in other vertebrates, including mammals and humans. Conclusions Our data identify 22 different transcriptional regulators that are strong candidates for playing different roles in spinal cord development. For several of these genes, this is the first published description of their spinal cord expression.
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Affiliation(s)
- Samantha J. England
- Department of Biology, Syracuse University, 107 College Place, Syracuse, NY 13244, USA
| | - Paul C. Campbell
- Department of Biology, Syracuse University, 107 College Place, Syracuse, NY 13244, USA
| | - Santanu Banerjee
- Biological Sciences Department, SUNY-Cortland, Cortland, NY 13045, USA
| | - Richard L. Bates
- Department of Biology, Syracuse University, 107 College Place, Syracuse, NY 13244, USA
| | - Ginny Grieb
- Department of Biology, Syracuse University, 107 College Place, Syracuse, NY 13244, USA
| | - William F. Fancher
- Department of Biology, Syracuse University, 107 College Place, Syracuse, NY 13244, USA
| | - Katharine E. Lewis
- Department of Biology, Syracuse University, 107 College Place, Syracuse, NY 13244, USA
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Wu W, Liu Y, Liu R, Wang Y, Zhao Y, Li H, Lu B, Ju C, Gao X, Xu H, Cao Y, Cheng S, Wang Z, Jia S, Hu C, Zhu L, Hao D. Decellularized Brain Extracellular Matrix Hydrogel Aids the Formation of Human Spinal-Cord Organoids Recapitulating the Complex Three-Dimensional Organization. ACS Biomater Sci Eng 2024; 10:3203-3217. [PMID: 38557027 DOI: 10.1021/acsbiomaterials.4c00029] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 04/04/2024]
Abstract
The intricate electrophysiological functions and anatomical structures of spinal cord tissue render the establishment of in vitro models for spinal cord-related diseases highly challenging. Currently, both in vivo and in vitro models for spinal cord-related diseases are still underdeveloped, complicating the exploration and development of effective therapeutic drugs or strategies. Organoids cultured from human induced pluripotent stem cells (hiPSCs) hold promise as suitable in vitro models for spinal cord-related diseases. However, the cultivation of spinal cord organoids predominantly relies on Matrigel, a matrix derived from murine sarcoma tissue. Tissue-specific extracellular matrices are key drivers of complex organ development, thus underscoring the urgent need to research safer and more physiologically relevant organoid culture materials. Herein, we have prepared a rat decellularized brain extracellular matrix hydrogel (DBECMH), which supports the formation of hiPSC-derived spinal cord organoids. Compared with Matrigel, organoids cultured in DBECMH exhibited higher expression levels of markers from multiple compartments of the natural spinal cord, facilitating the development and maturation of spinal cord organoid tissues. Our study suggests that DBECMH holds potential to replace Matrigel as the standard culture medium for human spinal cord organoids, thereby advancing the development of spinal cord organoid culture protocols and their application in in vitro modeling of spinal cord-related diseases.
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Affiliation(s)
- Weidong Wu
- Department of Orthopedics, The First Affiliated Hospital of Xi'an Jiaotong University, Xi'an 710061, China
- Department of Spine Surgery, Honghui Hospital, Xi'an Jiaotong University, Youyi East Road No. 555, Beilin District, Xi'an, Shaanxi, China 710001
- Shaanxi Key Laboratory of Spine Bionic Treatment, Youyi East Road No. 555, Beilin District, Xi'an, Shaanxi, China 710001
| | - Youjun Liu
- Department of Spine Surgery, Honghui Hospital, Xi'an Jiaotong University, Youyi East Road No. 555, Beilin District, Xi'an, Shaanxi, China 710001
- Shaanxi Key Laboratory of Spine Bionic Treatment, Youyi East Road No. 555, Beilin District, Xi'an, Shaanxi, China 710001
| | - Renfeng Liu
- Department of Spine Surgery, Honghui Hospital, Xi'an Jiaotong University, Youyi East Road No. 555, Beilin District, Xi'an, Shaanxi, China 710001
- Shaanxi Key Laboratory of Spine Bionic Treatment, Youyi East Road No. 555, Beilin District, Xi'an, Shaanxi, China 710001
| | - Yuhao Wang
- Department of Spine Surgery, Honghui Hospital, Xi'an Jiaotong University, Youyi East Road No. 555, Beilin District, Xi'an, Shaanxi, China 710001
- Shaanxi Key Laboratory of Spine Bionic Treatment, Youyi East Road No. 555, Beilin District, Xi'an, Shaanxi, China 710001
| | - Yuqi Zhao
- Department of Spine Surgery, Honghui Hospital, Xi'an Jiaotong University, Youyi East Road No. 555, Beilin District, Xi'an, Shaanxi, China 710001
- Shaanxi Key Laboratory of Spine Bionic Treatment, Youyi East Road No. 555, Beilin District, Xi'an, Shaanxi, China 710001
| | - Hui Li
- Department of Spine Surgery, Honghui Hospital, Xi'an Jiaotong University, Youyi East Road No. 555, Beilin District, Xi'an, Shaanxi, China 710001
- Shaanxi Key Laboratory of Spine Bionic Treatment, Youyi East Road No. 555, Beilin District, Xi'an, Shaanxi, China 710001
| | - Botao Lu
- Department of Spine Surgery, Honghui Hospital, Xi'an Jiaotong University, Youyi East Road No. 555, Beilin District, Xi'an, Shaanxi, China 710001
- Shaanxi Key Laboratory of Spine Bionic Treatment, Youyi East Road No. 555, Beilin District, Xi'an, Shaanxi, China 710001
| | - Cheng Ju
- Department of Spine Surgery, Honghui Hospital, Xi'an Jiaotong University, Youyi East Road No. 555, Beilin District, Xi'an, Shaanxi, China 710001
- Shaanxi Key Laboratory of Spine Bionic Treatment, Youyi East Road No. 555, Beilin District, Xi'an, Shaanxi, China 710001
| | - Xinlin Gao
- Department of Spine Surgery, Honghui Hospital, Xi'an Jiaotong University, Youyi East Road No. 555, Beilin District, Xi'an, Shaanxi, China 710001
- Shaanxi Key Laboratory of Spine Bionic Treatment, Youyi East Road No. 555, Beilin District, Xi'an, Shaanxi, China 710001
| | - Hailiang Xu
- Department of Spine Surgery, Honghui Hospital, Xi'an Jiaotong University, Youyi East Road No. 555, Beilin District, Xi'an, Shaanxi, China 710001
- Shaanxi Key Laboratory of Spine Bionic Treatment, Youyi East Road No. 555, Beilin District, Xi'an, Shaanxi, China 710001
| | - Yulin Cao
- Healthina Academy of Cellular Intelligence Manufacturing & Neurotrauma Repair of Tianjin Economic-Technological Development Area, No. 220 DongTing Road, TEDA District, Tianjin 300457, China
- TANGYI Biomedicine (Tianjin) Co., Ltd. (TBMed), No. 286 Anshan West Road, Nankai District, Tianjin 300190, China
| | - Shixiang Cheng
- Healthina Academy of Cellular Intelligence Manufacturing & Neurotrauma Repair of Tianjin Economic-Technological Development Area, No. 220 DongTing Road, TEDA District, Tianjin 300457, China
- TANGYI Biomedicine (Tianjin) Co., Ltd. (TBMed), No. 286 Anshan West Road, Nankai District, Tianjin 300190, China
| | - Zhiyuan Wang
- Department of Spine Surgery, Honghui Hospital, Xi'an Jiaotong University, Youyi East Road No. 555, Beilin District, Xi'an, Shaanxi, China 710001
- Shaanxi Key Laboratory of Spine Bionic Treatment, Youyi East Road No. 555, Beilin District, Xi'an, Shaanxi, China 710001
| | - Shuaijun Jia
- Department of Spine Surgery, Honghui Hospital, Xi'an Jiaotong University, Youyi East Road No. 555, Beilin District, Xi'an, Shaanxi, China 710001
- Shaanxi Key Laboratory of Spine Bionic Treatment, Youyi East Road No. 555, Beilin District, Xi'an, Shaanxi, China 710001
| | - Chunping Hu
- Department of Spine Surgery, Honghui Hospital, Xi'an Jiaotong University, Youyi East Road No. 555, Beilin District, Xi'an, Shaanxi, China 710001
- Shaanxi Key Laboratory of Spine Bionic Treatment, Youyi East Road No. 555, Beilin District, Xi'an, Shaanxi, China 710001
| | - Lei Zhu
- Department of Spine Surgery, Honghui Hospital, Xi'an Jiaotong University, Youyi East Road No. 555, Beilin District, Xi'an, Shaanxi, China 710001
- Shaanxi Key Laboratory of Spine Bionic Treatment, Youyi East Road No. 555, Beilin District, Xi'an, Shaanxi, China 710001
| | - Dingjun Hao
- Department of Orthopedics, The First Affiliated Hospital of Xi'an Jiaotong University, Xi'an 710061, China
- Department of Spine Surgery, Honghui Hospital, Xi'an Jiaotong University, Youyi East Road No. 555, Beilin District, Xi'an, Shaanxi, China 710001
- Shaanxi Key Laboratory of Spine Bionic Treatment, Youyi East Road No. 555, Beilin District, Xi'an, Shaanxi, China 710001
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Wang Z, Liu R, Liu Y, Zhao Y, Wang Y, Lu B, Li H, Ju C, Wu W, Gao X, Xu H, Cheng S, Cao Y, Jia S, Hu C, Zhu L, Hao D. Human Placenta Decellularized Extracellular Matrix Hydrogel Promotes the Generation of Human Spinal Cord Organoids with Dorsoventral Organization from Human Induced Pluripotent Stem Cells. ACS Biomater Sci Eng 2024; 10:3218-3231. [PMID: 38593429 DOI: 10.1021/acsbiomaterials.4c00067] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 04/11/2024]
Abstract
Spinal cord organoids are of significant value in the research of spinal cord-related diseases by simulating disease states, thereby facilitating the development of novel therapies. However, the complexity of spinal cord structure and physiological functions, along with the lack of human-derived inducing components, presents challenges in the in vitro construction of human spinal cord organoids. Here, we introduce a novel human decellularized placenta-derived extracellular matrix hydrogel (DPECMH) and, combined with a new induction protocol, successfully construct human spinal cord organoids. The human placenta-sourced decellularized extracellular matrix (dECM), verified through hematoxylin and eosin staining, DNA quantification, and immunofluorescence staining, retained essential ECM components such as elastin, fibronectin, type I collagen, laminin, and so forth. The temperature-sensitive hydrogel made from human placenta dECM demonstrated good biocompatibility and promoted the differentiation of human induced pluripotent stem cell (hiPSCs)-derived spinal cord organoids into neurons. It displayed enhanced expression of laminar markers in comparison to Matrigel and showed higher expression of laminar markers compared to Matrigel, accelerating the maturation process of spinal cord organoids and demonstrating its potential as an organoid culture substrate. DPECMH has the potential to replace Matrigel as the standard additive for human spinal cord organoids, thus advancing the development of spinal cord organoid culture protocols and their application in the in vitro modeling of spinal cord-related diseases.
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Affiliation(s)
- Zhiyuan Wang
- Department of Orthopedics, the First Affiliated Hospital of Xi'an Jiaotong University, Xi'an 710061, China
- Department of Spine Surgery, Honghui Hospital, Xi'an Jiaotong University, Youyi East Road No.555, Beilin District, Xi'an 710001, Shaanxi, China
- Shaanxi Key Laboratory of Spine Bionic Treatment, Youyi East Road No.555, Beilin District, Xi'an 710001, Shaanxi, China
| | - Renfeng Liu
- Department of Spine Surgery, Honghui Hospital, Xi'an Jiaotong University, Youyi East Road No.555, Beilin District, Xi'an 710001, Shaanxi, China
- Shaanxi Key Laboratory of Spine Bionic Treatment, Youyi East Road No.555, Beilin District, Xi'an 710001, Shaanxi, China
| | - Youjun Liu
- Department of Spine Surgery, Honghui Hospital, Xi'an Jiaotong University, Youyi East Road No.555, Beilin District, Xi'an 710001, Shaanxi, China
- Shaanxi Key Laboratory of Spine Bionic Treatment, Youyi East Road No.555, Beilin District, Xi'an 710001, Shaanxi, China
| | - Yuqi Zhao
- Department of Spine Surgery, Honghui Hospital, Xi'an Jiaotong University, Youyi East Road No.555, Beilin District, Xi'an 710001, Shaanxi, China
- Shaanxi Key Laboratory of Spine Bionic Treatment, Youyi East Road No.555, Beilin District, Xi'an 710001, Shaanxi, China
| | - Yuhao Wang
- Department of Spine Surgery, Honghui Hospital, Xi'an Jiaotong University, Youyi East Road No.555, Beilin District, Xi'an 710001, Shaanxi, China
- Shaanxi Key Laboratory of Spine Bionic Treatment, Youyi East Road No.555, Beilin District, Xi'an 710001, Shaanxi, China
| | - Botao Lu
- Department of Spine Surgery, Honghui Hospital, Xi'an Jiaotong University, Youyi East Road No.555, Beilin District, Xi'an 710001, Shaanxi, China
- Shaanxi Key Laboratory of Spine Bionic Treatment, Youyi East Road No.555, Beilin District, Xi'an 710001, Shaanxi, China
| | - Hui Li
- Department of Spine Surgery, Honghui Hospital, Xi'an Jiaotong University, Youyi East Road No.555, Beilin District, Xi'an 710001, Shaanxi, China
- Shaanxi Key Laboratory of Spine Bionic Treatment, Youyi East Road No.555, Beilin District, Xi'an 710001, Shaanxi, China
| | - Cheng Ju
- Department of Spine Surgery, Honghui Hospital, Xi'an Jiaotong University, Youyi East Road No.555, Beilin District, Xi'an 710001, Shaanxi, China
- Shaanxi Key Laboratory of Spine Bionic Treatment, Youyi East Road No.555, Beilin District, Xi'an 710001, Shaanxi, China
| | - Weidong Wu
- Department of Spine Surgery, Honghui Hospital, Xi'an Jiaotong University, Youyi East Road No.555, Beilin District, Xi'an 710001, Shaanxi, China
- Shaanxi Key Laboratory of Spine Bionic Treatment, Youyi East Road No.555, Beilin District, Xi'an 710001, Shaanxi, China
| | - Xinlin Gao
- Department of Spine Surgery, Honghui Hospital, Xi'an Jiaotong University, Youyi East Road No.555, Beilin District, Xi'an 710001, Shaanxi, China
- Shaanxi Key Laboratory of Spine Bionic Treatment, Youyi East Road No.555, Beilin District, Xi'an 710001, Shaanxi, China
| | - Hailiang Xu
- Department of Spine Surgery, Honghui Hospital, Xi'an Jiaotong University, Youyi East Road No.555, Beilin District, Xi'an 710001, Shaanxi, China
- Shaanxi Key Laboratory of Spine Bionic Treatment, Youyi East Road No.555, Beilin District, Xi'an 710001, Shaanxi, China
| | - Shixiang Cheng
- Healthina Academy of Cellular Intelligence Manufacturing & Neurotrauma Repair of Tianjin Economic-Technological Development Area, No. 220 DongTing Road, TEDA District, Tianjin 300457, China
- TANGYI Biomedicine (Tianjin) Co. Ltd (TBMed), No. 286 Anshan West Road, Nankai District, Tianjin 300190, China
| | - Yulin Cao
- Healthina Academy of Cellular Intelligence Manufacturing & Neurotrauma Repair of Tianjin Economic-Technological Development Area, No. 220 DongTing Road, TEDA District, Tianjin 300457, China
- TANGYI Biomedicine (Tianjin) Co. Ltd (TBMed), No. 286 Anshan West Road, Nankai District, Tianjin 300190, China
| | - Shuaijun Jia
- Department of Spine Surgery, Honghui Hospital, Xi'an Jiaotong University, Youyi East Road No.555, Beilin District, Xi'an 710001, Shaanxi, China
- Shaanxi Key Laboratory of Spine Bionic Treatment, Youyi East Road No.555, Beilin District, Xi'an 710001, Shaanxi, China
| | - Chunping Hu
- Department of Spine Surgery, Honghui Hospital, Xi'an Jiaotong University, Youyi East Road No.555, Beilin District, Xi'an 710001, Shaanxi, China
- Shaanxi Key Laboratory of Spine Bionic Treatment, Youyi East Road No.555, Beilin District, Xi'an 710001, Shaanxi, China
| | - Lei Zhu
- Department of Spine Surgery, Honghui Hospital, Xi'an Jiaotong University, Youyi East Road No.555, Beilin District, Xi'an 710001, Shaanxi, China
- Shaanxi Key Laboratory of Spine Bionic Treatment, Youyi East Road No.555, Beilin District, Xi'an 710001, Shaanxi, China
| | - Dingjun Hao
- Department of Orthopedics, the First Affiliated Hospital of Xi'an Jiaotong University, Xi'an 710061, China
- Department of Spine Surgery, Honghui Hospital, Xi'an Jiaotong University, Youyi East Road No.555, Beilin District, Xi'an 710001, Shaanxi, China
- Shaanxi Key Laboratory of Spine Bionic Treatment, Youyi East Road No.555, Beilin District, Xi'an 710001, Shaanxi, China
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10
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Bertho M, Caldeira V, Hsu LJ, Löw P, Borgius L, Kiehn O. Excitatory Spinal Lhx9-Derived Interneurons Modulate Locomotor Frequency in Mice. J Neurosci 2024; 44:e1607232024. [PMID: 38438260 PMCID: PMC11063822 DOI: 10.1523/jneurosci.1607-23.2024] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 08/09/2023] [Revised: 01/18/2024] [Accepted: 02/15/2024] [Indexed: 03/06/2024] Open
Abstract
Locomotion allows us to move and interact with our surroundings. Spinal networks that control locomotion produce rhythm and left-right and flexor-extensor coordination. Several glutamatergic populations, Shox2 non-V2a, Hb9-derived interneurons, and, recently, spinocerebellar neurons have been proposed to be involved in the mouse rhythm generating networks. These cells make up only a smaller fraction of the excitatory cells in the ventral spinal cord. Here, we set out to identify additional populations of excitatory spinal neurons that may be involved in rhythm generation or other functions in the locomotor network. We use RNA sequencing from glutamatergic, non-glutamatergic, and Shox2 cells in the neonatal mice from both sexes followed by differential gene expression analyses. These analyses identified transcription factors that are highly expressed by glutamatergic spinal neurons and differentially expressed between Shox2 neurons and glutamatergic neurons. From this latter category, we identified the Lhx9-derived neurons as having a restricted spinal expression pattern with no Shox2 neuron overlap. They are purely glutamatergic and ipsilaterally projecting. Ablation of the glutamatergic transmission or acute inactivation of the neuronal activity of Lhx9-derived neurons leads to a decrease in the frequency of locomotor-like activity without change in coordination pattern. Optogenetic activation of Lhx9-derived neurons promotes locomotor-like activity and modulates the frequency of the locomotor activity. Calcium activities of Lhx9-derived neurons show strong left-right out-of-phase rhythmicity during locomotor-like activity. Our study identifies a distinct population of spinal excitatory neurons that regulates the frequency of locomotor output with a suggested role in rhythm-generation in the mouse alongside other spinal populations.
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Affiliation(s)
- Maëlle Bertho
- Department of Neuroscience, Karolinska Institutet, 17177 Stockholm, Sweden
- Department of Neuroscience, University of Copenhagen, 2200 Copenhagen, Denmark
| | - Vanessa Caldeira
- Department of Neuroscience, Karolinska Institutet, 17177 Stockholm, Sweden
| | - Li-Ju Hsu
- Department of Neuroscience, Karolinska Institutet, 17177 Stockholm, Sweden
| | - Peter Löw
- Department of Neuroscience, Karolinska Institutet, 17177 Stockholm, Sweden
| | - Lotta Borgius
- Department of Neuroscience, Karolinska Institutet, 17177 Stockholm, Sweden
| | - Ole Kiehn
- Department of Neuroscience, Karolinska Institutet, 17177 Stockholm, Sweden
- Department of Neuroscience, University of Copenhagen, 2200 Copenhagen, Denmark
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11
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Carmona LM, Thomas ED, Smith K, Tasic B, Costa RM, Nelson A. Topographical and cell type-specific connectivity of rostral and caudal forelimb corticospinal neuron populations. Cell Rep 2024; 43:113993. [PMID: 38551963 PMCID: PMC11100358 DOI: 10.1016/j.celrep.2024.113993] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 12/01/2023] [Revised: 02/07/2024] [Accepted: 03/07/2024] [Indexed: 04/09/2024] Open
Abstract
Corticospinal neurons (CSNs) synapse directly on spinal neurons, a diverse assortment of cells with unique structural and functional properties necessary for body movements. CSNs modulating forelimb behavior fractionate into caudal forelimb area (CFA) and rostral forelimb area (RFA) motor cortical populations. Despite their prominence, the full diversity of spinal neurons targeted by CFA and RFA CSNs is uncharted. Here, we use anatomical and RNA sequencing methods to show that CSNs synapse onto a remarkably selective group of spinal cell types, favoring inhibitory populations that regulate motoneuron activity and gate sensory feedback. CFA and RFA CSNs target similar spinal neuron types, with notable exceptions that suggest that these populations differ in how they influence behavior. Finally, axon collaterals of CFA and RFA CSNs target similar brain regions yet receive highly divergent inputs. These results detail the rules of CSN connectivity throughout the brain and spinal cord for two regions critical for forelimb behavior.
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Affiliation(s)
- Lina Marcela Carmona
- Department of Neuroscience, Zuckerman Mind Brain Behavior Institute, Columbia University, New York, NY, USA
| | - Eric D Thomas
- Allen Institute for Brain Science, Allen Institute, Seattle, WA, USA
| | - Kimberly Smith
- Allen Institute for Brain Science, Allen Institute, Seattle, WA, USA
| | - Bosiljka Tasic
- Allen Institute for Brain Science, Allen Institute, Seattle, WA, USA
| | - Rui M Costa
- Department of Neuroscience, Zuckerman Mind Brain Behavior Institute, Columbia University, New York, NY, USA; Allen Institute for Brain Science, Allen Institute, Seattle, WA, USA
| | - Anders Nelson
- Center for Neural Science, New York University, New York, NY 10003, USA.
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12
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Dominguez-Bajo A, Clotman F. Potential Roles of Specific Subclasses of Premotor Interneurons in Spinal Cord Function Recovery after Traumatic Spinal Cord Injury in Adults. Cells 2024; 13:652. [PMID: 38667267 PMCID: PMC11048910 DOI: 10.3390/cells13080652] [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: 03/01/2024] [Revised: 04/04/2024] [Accepted: 04/05/2024] [Indexed: 04/28/2024] Open
Abstract
The differential expression of transcription factors during embryonic development has been selected as the main feature to define the specific subclasses of spinal interneurons. However, recent studies based on single-cell RNA sequencing and transcriptomic experiments suggest that this approach might not be appropriate in the adult spinal cord, where interneurons show overlapping expression profiles, especially in the ventral region. This constitutes a major challenge for the identification and direct targeting of specific populations that could be involved in locomotor recovery after a traumatic spinal cord injury in adults. Current experimental therapies, including electrical stimulation, training, pharmacological treatments, or cell implantation, that have resulted in improvements in locomotor behavior rely on the modulation of the activity and connectivity of interneurons located in the surroundings of the lesion core for the formation of detour circuits. However, very few publications clarify the specific identity of these cells. In this work, we review the studies where premotor interneurons were able to create new intraspinal circuits after different kinds of traumatic spinal cord injury, highlighting the difficulties encountered by researchers, to classify these populations.
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Affiliation(s)
- Ana Dominguez-Bajo
- Université catholique de Louvain, Louvain Institute of Biomolecular Science and Technology (LIBST), Animal Molecular and Cellular Biology Group (AMCB), Place Croix du Sud 4–5, 1348 Louvain la Neuve, Belgium
| | - Frédéric Clotman
- Université catholique de Louvain, Louvain Institute of Biomolecular Science and Technology (LIBST), Animal Molecular and Cellular Biology Group (AMCB), Place Croix du Sud 4–5, 1348 Louvain la Neuve, Belgium
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13
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Jensen VN, Huffman EE, Jalufka FL, Pritchard AL, Baumgartner S, Walling I, C. Gibbs H, McCreedy DA, Alilain WJ, Crone SA. V2a neurons restore diaphragm function in mice following spinal cord injury. Proc Natl Acad Sci U S A 2024; 121:e2313594121. [PMID: 38442182 PMCID: PMC10945804 DOI: 10.1073/pnas.2313594121] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 08/07/2023] [Accepted: 01/15/2024] [Indexed: 03/07/2024] Open
Abstract
The specific roles that different types of neurons play in recovery from injury is poorly understood. Here, we show that increasing the excitability of ipsilaterally projecting, excitatory V2a neurons using designer receptors exclusively activated by designer drugs (DREADDs) restores rhythmic bursting activity to a previously paralyzed diaphragm within hours, days, or weeks following a C2 hemisection injury. Further, decreasing the excitability of V2a neurons impairs tonic diaphragm activity after injury as well as activation of inspiratory activity by chemosensory stimulation, but does not impact breathing at rest in healthy animals. By examining the patterns of muscle activity produced by modulating the excitability of V2a neurons, we provide evidence that V2a neurons supply tonic drive to phrenic circuits rather than increase rhythmic inspiratory drive at the level of the brainstem. Our results demonstrate that the V2a class of neurons contribute to recovery of respiratory function following injury. We propose that altering V2a excitability is a potential strategy to prevent respiratory motor failure and promote recovery of breathing following spinal cord injury.
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Affiliation(s)
- Victoria N. Jensen
- Neuroscience Graduate Program, University of Cincinnati College of Medicine, Cincinnati, OH45219
| | - Emily E. Huffman
- Department of Neuroscience, University of Kentucky College of Medicine, Lexington, KY40536
- Spinal Cord and Brain Injury Research Center, University of Kentucky College of Medicine, Lexington, KY40536
| | - Frank L. Jalufka
- Department of Biology, Texas A&M University, College Station, TX77843
| | - Anna L. Pritchard
- Department of Biomedical Engineering, Texas A&M University, College Station, TX77843
| | - Sarah Baumgartner
- Division of Neurosurgery, Cincinnati Children’s Hospital Medical Center, Cincinnati, OH45229
| | - Ian Walling
- Neuroscience Graduate Program, University of Cincinnati College of Medicine, Cincinnati, OH45219
- Medical Scientist Training Program, University of Cincinnati College of Medicine, Cincinnati, OH45267
| | - Holly C. Gibbs
- Department of Biomedical Engineering, Texas A&M University, College Station, TX77843
- Microscopy and Imaging Center, Texas A&M University, College Station, TX77843
| | - Dylan A. McCreedy
- Department of Biology, Texas A&M University, College Station, TX77843
- Department of Biomedical Engineering, Texas A&M University, College Station, TX77843
- Texas A&M Institute for Neuroscience, Texas A&M University, College Station, TX77843
| | - Warren J. Alilain
- Department of Neuroscience, University of Kentucky College of Medicine, Lexington, KY40536
- Spinal Cord and Brain Injury Research Center, University of Kentucky College of Medicine, Lexington, KY40536
| | - Steven A. Crone
- Division of Neurosurgery, Cincinnati Children’s Hospital Medical Center, Cincinnati, OH45229
- Division of Developmental Biology, Cincinnati Children’s Hospital Medical Center, Cincinnati, OH45229
- Department of Neurosurgery, University of Cincinnati College of Medicine, Cincinnati, OH45267
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14
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Kokkorakis N, Douka K, Nalmpanti A, Politis PK, Zagoraiou L, Matsas R, Gaitanou M. Mirk/Dyrk1B controls ventral spinal cord development via Shh pathway. Cell Mol Life Sci 2024; 81:70. [PMID: 38294527 PMCID: PMC10830675 DOI: 10.1007/s00018-023-05097-9] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 07/14/2023] [Revised: 12/14/2023] [Accepted: 12/17/2023] [Indexed: 02/01/2024]
Abstract
Cross-talk between Mirk/Dyrk1B kinase and Sonic hedgehog (Shh)/Gli pathway affects physiology and pathology. Here, we reveal a novel role for Dyrk1B in regulating ventral progenitor and neuron subtypes in the embryonic chick spinal cord (SC) via the Shh pathway. Using in ovo gain-and-loss-of-function approaches at E2, we report that Dyrk1B affects the proliferation and differentiation of neuronal progenitors at E4 and impacts on apoptosis specifically in the motor neuron (MN) domain. Especially, Dyrk1B overexpression decreases the numbers of ventral progenitors, MNs, and V2a interneurons, while the pharmacological inhibition of endogenous Dyrk1B kinase activity by AZ191 administration increases the numbers of ventral progenitors and MNs. Mechanistically, Dyrk1B overexpression suppresses Shh, Gli2 and Gli3 mRNA levels, while conversely, Shh, Gli2 and Gli3 transcription is increased in the presence of Dyrk1B inhibitor AZ191 or Smoothened agonist SAG. Most importantly, in phenotype rescue experiments, SAG restores the Dyrk1B-mediated dysregulation of ventral progenitors. Further at E6, Dyrk1B affects selectively the medial lateral motor neuron column (LMCm), consistent with the expression of Shh in this region. Collectively, these observations reveal a novel regulatory function of Dyrk1B kinase in suppressing the Shh/Gli pathway and thus affecting ventral subtypes in the developing spinal cord. These data render Dyrk1B a possible therapeutic target for motor neuron diseases.
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Affiliation(s)
- N Kokkorakis
- Laboratory of Cellular and Molecular Neurobiology-Stem Cells, Hellenic Pasteur Institute, Athens, Greece
- Division of Animal and Human Physiology, Department of Biology, National and Kapodistrian University of Athens, Athens, Greece
| | - K Douka
- Laboratory of Cellular and Molecular Neurobiology-Stem Cells, Hellenic Pasteur Institute, Athens, Greece
| | - A Nalmpanti
- Laboratory of Cellular and Molecular Neurobiology-Stem Cells, Hellenic Pasteur Institute, Athens, Greece
- Athens International Master's Programme in Neurosciences, Department of Biology, National and Kapodistrian University of Athens, Athens, Greece
| | - P K Politis
- Center of Basic Research, Biomedical Research Foundation of the Academy of Athens, Athens, Greece
- School of Medicine, European University Cyprus, Nicosia, Cyprus
| | - L Zagoraiou
- School of Medicine, European University Cyprus, Nicosia, Cyprus
| | - R Matsas
- Laboratory of Cellular and Molecular Neurobiology-Stem Cells, Hellenic Pasteur Institute, Athens, Greece
| | - M Gaitanou
- Laboratory of Cellular and Molecular Neurobiology-Stem Cells, Hellenic Pasteur Institute, Athens, Greece.
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15
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Deska-Gauthier D, Borowska-Fielding J, Jones C, Zhang H, MacKay CS, Michail R, Bennett LA, Bikoff JB, Zhang Y. Embryonic temporal-spatial delineation of excitatory spinal V3 interneuron diversity. Cell Rep 2024; 43:113635. [PMID: 38160393 PMCID: PMC10877927 DOI: 10.1016/j.celrep.2023.113635] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 05/09/2023] [Revised: 10/24/2023] [Accepted: 12/14/2023] [Indexed: 01/03/2024] Open
Abstract
Spinal neural circuits that execute movement are composed of cardinal classes of neurons that emerged from distinct progenitor lineages. Each cardinal class contains multiple neuronal subtypes characterized by distinct molecular, anatomical, and physiological characteristics. Through a focus on the excitatory V3 interneuron class, here we demonstrate that interneuron subtype diversity is delineated through a combination of neurogenesis timing and final laminar settling position. We have revealed that early-born and late-born embryonic V3 temporal classes further diversify into subclasses with spatially and molecularly discrete identities. While neurogenesis timing accounts for V3 morphological diversification, laminar settling position accounts for electrophysiological profiles distinguishing V3 subtypes within the same temporal classes. Furthermore, V3 interneuron subtypes display independent behavioral recruitment patterns demonstrating a functional modularity underlying V3 interneuron diversity. These studies provide a framework for how early embryonic temporal and spatial mechanisms combine to delineate spinal interneuron classes into molecularly, anatomically, and functionally relevant subtypes in adults.
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Affiliation(s)
- Dylan Deska-Gauthier
- Department of Medical Neuroscience, Faculty of Medicine, Dalhousie University, Halifax, NS B3H 4R2, Canada
| | - Joanna Borowska-Fielding
- Department of Medical Neuroscience, Faculty of Medicine, Dalhousie University, Halifax, NS B3H 4R2, Canada
| | - Chris Jones
- Department of Biochemistry and Molecular Biology, Faculty of Medicine, Dalhousie University, Halifax, NS B3H 4R2, Canada
| | - Han Zhang
- Department of Medical Neuroscience, Faculty of Medicine, Dalhousie University, Halifax, NS B3H 4R2, Canada
| | - Colin S MacKay
- Department of Medical Neuroscience, Faculty of Medicine, Dalhousie University, Halifax, NS B3H 4R2, Canada
| | - Ramez Michail
- Department of Medical Neuroscience, Faculty of Medicine, Dalhousie University, Halifax, NS B3H 4R2, Canada
| | - Laura A Bennett
- Department of Medical Neuroscience, Faculty of Medicine, Dalhousie University, Halifax, NS B3H 4R2, Canada
| | - Jay B Bikoff
- Department of Developmental Neurobiology, St. Jude Children's Research Hospital, Memphis, TN 38105, USA
| | - Ying Zhang
- Department of Medical Neuroscience, Faculty of Medicine, Dalhousie University, Halifax, NS B3H 4R2, Canada.
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16
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Yazawa I, Yoshida Y, Yoshimi R, Ozato K. Immature functional development of lumbar locomotor networks in adult Irf8-/- mice. Front Neurosci 2024; 17:1234215. [PMID: 38239832 PMCID: PMC10794560 DOI: 10.3389/fnins.2023.1234215] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 06/03/2023] [Accepted: 12/11/2023] [Indexed: 01/22/2024] Open
Abstract
To date, research on the role of the brainstem and spinal cord in motor behavior has relied on in vitro preparations of the neonatal rodent spinal cord, with or without the brainstem; their spatial and temporal scope are subject to technical limitations imposed by low oxygen tension in deep tissues. Therefore, we created an arterially perfused in situ preparation that allowed us to investigate functional interactions in the CNS from the neonatal to adult period. Decerebrated rodents were kept alive via total artificial cardiopulmonary bypass for extracorporeal circulation; the plasma oxygen and ion components needed for survival were supplied through the blood vessels. Interferon regulatory factor 8 (IRF8) is a transcription factor that promotes myeloid cell development and stimulates innate immune responses. In the brain, IRF8 is expressed only in microglia and directs the expression of many genes that serve microglial functions. Recent evidence indicates that IRF8 affects behavior and modulates Alzheimer's disease progression in a mouse model. However, whether this immune deficiency arising from the absence of IRF8 influences the development of the neuronal network in the spinal cord is unknown. We applied the above methodology to mice of all ages and electrophysiologically explored whether the absence of IRF8 influences the development of lumbar central pattern generator (CPG) networks. In mice of all ages, bilateral neuronal discharges by the normal CPG networks activated by the modulated sympathetic tone via descending pathways at high flow rates became organized into discharge episodes punctuated by periods of quiescence. Similar discharge episodes were generated by the adult CPG networks (≥P14 days) activated by drug application. However, discharge episodes elicited by activating the neonatal-juvenile CPG networks (
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Affiliation(s)
- Itaru Yazawa
- Department of Food and Nutrition, Kyushu Nutrition Welfare University, Kitakyushu, Japan
- Laboratory of Neural Control, National Institute of Neurological Disorders and Stroke (NINDS), National Institutes of Health (NIH), Bethesda, MD, United States
| | - Yuko Yoshida
- Division of Developmental Biology, National Institute of Child Health and Human Development (NICHD), NIH, Bethesda, MD, United States
| | - Ryusuke Yoshimi
- Division of Developmental Biology, National Institute of Child Health and Human Development (NICHD), NIH, Bethesda, MD, United States
- Department of Stem Cell and Immune Regulation, Graduate School of Medicine, Yokohama City University, Yokohama, Japan
| | - Keiko Ozato
- Division of Developmental Biology, National Institute of Child Health and Human Development (NICHD), NIH, Bethesda, MD, United States
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17
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Roman A, Huntemer-Silveira A, Waldron MA, Khalid Z, Blake J, Parr AM, Low WC. Cell Transplantation for Repair of the Spinal Cord and Prospects for Generating Region-Specific Exogenic Neuronal Cells. Cell Transplant 2024; 33:9636897241241998. [PMID: 38590295 PMCID: PMC11005494 DOI: 10.1177/09636897241241998] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 09/25/2023] [Revised: 03/05/2024] [Accepted: 03/11/2024] [Indexed: 04/10/2024] Open
Abstract
Spinal cord injury (SCI) is associated with currently irreversible consequences in several functional components of the central nervous system. Despite the severity of injury, there remains no approved treatment to restore function. However, with a growing number of preclinical studies and clinical trials, cell transplantation has gained significant potential as a treatment for SCI. Researchers have identified several cell types as potential candidates for transplantation. To optimize successful functional outcomes after transplantation, one key factor concerns generating neuronal cells with regional and subtype specificity, thus calling on the developmental transcriptome patterning of spinal cord cells. A potential source of spinal cord cells for transplantation is the generation of exogenic neuronal progenitor cells via the emerging technologies of gene editing and blastocyst complementation. This review highlights the use of cell transplantation to treat SCI in the context of relevant developmental gene expression patterns useful for producing regionally specific exogenic spinal cells via in vitro differentiation and blastocyst complementation.
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Affiliation(s)
- Alex Roman
- Department of Neuroscience, University of Minnesota, Minneapolis, MN, USA
- Graduate Program in Neuroscience, University of Minnesota, Minneapolis, MN, USA
- Department of Neurosurgery, Stem Cell Institute, University of Minnesota, Minneapolis, MN, USA
| | - Anne Huntemer-Silveira
- Department of Neuroscience, University of Minnesota, Minneapolis, MN, USA
- Graduate Program in Neuroscience, University of Minnesota, Minneapolis, MN, USA
| | - Madison A. Waldron
- Department of Neuroscience, University of Minnesota, Minneapolis, MN, USA
- Graduate Program in Neuroscience, University of Minnesota, Minneapolis, MN, USA
| | - Zainab Khalid
- Department of Neurosurgery, Stem Cell Institute, University of Minnesota, Minneapolis, MN, USA
| | - Jeffrey Blake
- Department of Neurosurgery, Stem Cell Institute, University of Minnesota, Minneapolis, MN, USA
| | - Ann M. Parr
- Graduate Program in Neuroscience, University of Minnesota, Minneapolis, MN, USA
- Department of Neurosurgery, Stem Cell Institute, University of Minnesota, Minneapolis, MN, USA
| | - Walter C. Low
- Graduate Program in Neuroscience, University of Minnesota, Minneapolis, MN, USA
- Department of Neurosurgery, Stem Cell Institute, University of Minnesota, Minneapolis, MN, USA
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18
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Carmona LM, Thomas ET, Smith K, Tasic B, Costa RM, Nelson A. Topographical and cell type-specific connectivity of rostral and caudal forelimb corticospinal neuron populations. BIORXIV : THE PREPRINT SERVER FOR BIOLOGY 2023:2023.11.17.567623. [PMID: 38014164 PMCID: PMC10680840 DOI: 10.1101/2023.11.17.567623] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/29/2023]
Abstract
Corticospinal neurons (CSNs) synapse directly on spinal neurons, a diverse group of neurons with unique structural and functional properties necessary for body movements. CSNs modulating forelimb behavior fractionate into caudal forelimb area (CFA) and rostral forelimb area (RFA) motor cortical populations. Despite their prominence, no studies have mapped the diversity of spinal cell types targeted by CSNs, let alone compare CFA and RFA populations. Here we use anatomical and RNA-sequencing methods to show that CSNs synapse onto a remarkably selective group of spinal cell types, favoring inhibitory populations that regulate motoneuron activity and gate sensory feedback. CFA and RFA CSNs target similar spinal cell types, with notable exceptions that suggest these populations differ in how they influence behavior. Finally, axon collaterals of CFA and RFA CSNs target similar brain regions yet receive surprisingly divergent inputs. These results detail the rules of CSN connectivity throughout the brain and spinal cord for two regions critical for forelimb behavior.
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19
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Roome RB, Levine AJ. The organization of spinal neurons: Insights from single cell sequencing. Curr Opin Neurobiol 2023; 82:102762. [PMID: 37657185 PMCID: PMC10727478 DOI: 10.1016/j.conb.2023.102762] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 04/05/2023] [Revised: 06/16/2023] [Accepted: 07/22/2023] [Indexed: 09/03/2023]
Abstract
To understand how the spinal cord enacts complex sensorimotor functions, researchers have studied, classified, and functionally probed it's many neuronal populations for over a century. Recent developments in single-cell RNA-sequencing can characterize the gene expression signatures of the entire set of spinal neuron types and can simultaneously provide an unbiased view of their relationships to each other. This approach has revealed that the location of neurons predicts transcriptomic variability, as dorsal spinal neurons become highly distinct over development as ventral spinal neurons become less so. Temporal specification is also a major source of gene expression variation, subdividing many of the canonical embryonic lineage domains. Together, birthdate and cell body location are fundamental organizing features of spinal neuron diversity.
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Affiliation(s)
- R Brian Roome
- Spinal Circuits and Plasticity Unit, National Institute of Neurological Disorders and Stroke, National Institutes of Health; Bethesda, MD, USA. https://twitter.com/BrianRoome
| | - Ariel J Levine
- Spinal Circuits and Plasticity Unit, National Institute of Neurological Disorders and Stroke, National Institutes of Health; Bethesda, MD, USA.
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20
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Xu B, Liu D, Liu W, Long G, Liu W, Wu Y, He X, Shen Y, Jiang P, Yin M, Fan Y, Shen H, Shi L, Zhang Q, Xue W, Jin C, Chen Z, Chen B, Li J, Hu Y, Li X, Xiao Z, Zhao Y, Dai J. Engineered human spinal cord-like tissues with dorsal and ventral neuronal progenitors for spinal cord injury repair in rats and monkeys. Bioact Mater 2023; 27:125-137. [PMID: 37064803 PMCID: PMC10090126 DOI: 10.1016/j.bioactmat.2023.03.015] [Citation(s) in RCA: 5] [Impact Index Per Article: 5.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 12/12/2022] [Revised: 03/05/2023] [Accepted: 03/21/2023] [Indexed: 03/31/2023] Open
Abstract
Transplanting human neural progenitor cells is a promising method of replenishing the lost neurons after spinal cord injury (SCI), but differentiating neural progenitor cells into the diverse types of mature functional spinal cord neurons in vivo is challenging. In this study, engineered human embryonic spinal cord-like tissues with dorsal and ventral neuronal characters (DV-SC) were generated by inducing human neural progenitor cells (hscNPCs) to differentiate into various types of dorsal and ventral neuronal cells on collagen scaffold in vitro. Transplantation of DV-SC into complete SCI models in rats and monkeys showed better therapeutic effects than undifferentiated hscNPCs, including pronounced cell survival and maturation. DV-SC formed a targeted connection with the host's ascending and descending axons, partially restored interrupted neural circuits, and improved motor evoked potentials and the hindlimb function of animals with SCI. This suggests that the transplantation of pre-differentiated hscNPCs with spinal cord dorsal and ventral neuronal characteristics could be a promising strategy for SCI repair.
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21
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Punjani N, Deska-Gauthier D, Hachem LD, Abramian M, Fehlings MG. Neuroplasticity and regeneration after spinal cord injury. NORTH AMERICAN SPINE SOCIETY JOURNAL 2023; 15:100235. [PMID: 37416090 PMCID: PMC10320621 DOI: 10.1016/j.xnsj.2023.100235] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 04/13/2023] [Revised: 06/05/2023] [Accepted: 06/05/2023] [Indexed: 07/08/2023]
Abstract
Spinal cord injury (SCI) is a debilitating condition with significant personal, societal, and economic burden. The highest proportion of traumatic injuries occur at the cervical level, which results in severe sensorimotor and autonomic deficits. Following the initial physical damage associated with traumatic injuries, secondary pro-inflammatory, excitotoxic, and ischemic cascades are initiated further contributing to neuronal and glial cell death. Additionally, emerging evidence has begun to reveal that spinal interneurons undergo subtype specific neuroplastic circuit rearrangements in the weeks to months following SCI, contributing to or hindering functional recovery. The current therapeutic guidelines and standards of care for SCI patients include early surgery, hemodynamic regulation, and rehabilitation. Additionally, preclinical work and ongoing clinical trials have begun exploring neuroregenerative strategies utilizing endogenous neural stem/progenitor cells, stem cell transplantation, combinatorial approaches, and direct cell reprogramming. This review will focus on emerging cellular and noncellular regenerative therapies with an overview of the current available strategies, the role of interneurons in plasticity, and the exciting research avenues enhancing tissue repair following SCI.
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Affiliation(s)
- Nayaab Punjani
- Division of Genetics and Development, Krembil Research Institute, University Health Network, Toronto, ON, Canada
- Institute of Medical Science, University of Toronto, Toronto, ON, Canada
| | - Dylan Deska-Gauthier
- Division of Genetics and Development, Krembil Research Institute, University Health Network, Toronto, ON, Canada
- Institute of Medical Science, University of Toronto, Toronto, ON, Canada
| | - Laureen D. Hachem
- Division of Genetics and Development, Krembil Research Institute, University Health Network, Toronto, ON, Canada
- Institute of Medical Science, University of Toronto, Toronto, ON, Canada
- Department of Surgery, Division of Neurosurgery and Spine Program, University of Toronto, Toronto, ON, Canada
| | - Madlene Abramian
- Division of Genetics and Development, Krembil Research Institute, University Health Network, Toronto, ON, Canada
- Institute of Medical Science, University of Toronto, Toronto, ON, Canada
| | - Michael G. Fehlings
- Division of Genetics and Development, Krembil Research Institute, University Health Network, Toronto, ON, Canada
- Institute of Medical Science, University of Toronto, Toronto, ON, Canada
- Department of Surgery, Division of Neurosurgery and Spine Program, University of Toronto, Toronto, ON, Canada
- Division of Neurosurgery, Krembil Neuroscience Centre, Toronto Western Hospital, University Health Network, Toronto, ON, Canada
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22
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Aguglia G, Coyne CB, Dermody TS, Williams JV, Freeman MC. Contemporary enterovirus-D68 isolates infect human spinal cord organoids. mBio 2023; 14:e0105823. [PMID: 37535397 PMCID: PMC10470749 DOI: 10.1128/mbio.01058-23] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 04/28/2023] [Accepted: 06/05/2023] [Indexed: 08/04/2023] Open
Abstract
Enterovirus D68 (EV-D68) is a nonpolio enterovirus associated with severe respiratory illness and acute flaccid myelitis (AFM), a polio-like illness causing paralysis in children. AFM outbreaks have been associated with increased circulation and genetic diversity of EV-D68 since 2014, although the virus was discovered in the 1960s. The mechanisms by which EV-D68 targets the central nervous system are unknown. Since enteroviruses are human pathogens that do not routinely infect other animal species, establishment of a human model of the central nervous system is essential for understanding pathogenesis. Here, we describe two human spinal cord organoid (hSCO)-based models for EV-D68 infection derived from induced, pluripotent stem cell (iPSC) lines. One hSCO model consists primarily of spinal motor neurons, while the another model comprises multiple neuronal cell lineages, including motor neurons, interneurons, and glial cells. These hSCOs can be productively infected with contemporary strains, but not a historic strain, of EV-D68 and produce extracellular virus for at least 2 weeks without appreciable cytopathic effect. By comparison, infection with hSCO with another enterovirus, echovirus 11, causes significant structural destruction and apoptosis. Together, these findings suggest that EV-D68 infection is not the sole mediator of neuronal cell death in the spinal cord in those with AFM and that secondary injury from the immune response likely contributes to pathogenesis. IMPORTANCE AFM is a rare condition that causes significant morbidity in affected children, often contributing to life-long sequelae. It is unknown how EV-D68 causes paralysis in children, and effective therapeutic and preventative strategies are not available. Mice are not native hosts for EV-D68, and thus, existing mouse models use immunosuppressed or neonatal mice, mouse-adapted viruses, or intracranial inoculations. To complement existing models, we report two hSCO models for EV-D68 infection. These three-dimensional, multicellular models comprised human cells and include multiple neural lineages, including motor neurons, interneurons, and glial cells. These new hSCO models for EV-D68 infection will contribute to understanding how EV-D68 damages the human spinal cord, which could lead to new therapeutic and prophylactic strategies for this virus.
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Affiliation(s)
- Gabrielle Aguglia
- Department of Pediatrics, Division of Infectious Diseases, University of Pittsburgh School of Medicine, Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania, USA
| | - Carolyn B. Coyne
- Department of Molecular Genetics and Microbiology, Duke University School of Medicine, Durham, North Carolina, USA
| | - Terence S. Dermody
- Department of Pediatrics, Division of Infectious Diseases, University of Pittsburgh School of Medicine, Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania, USA
- Institute for Infection, Inflammation, and Immunity (i4Kids), UPMC Children’s Hospital of Pittsburgh, Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania, USA
- Department of Microbiology and Molecular Genetics, University of Pittsburgh School of Medicine, Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania, USA
| | - John V. Williams
- Department of Pediatrics, Division of Infectious Diseases, University of Pittsburgh School of Medicine, Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania, USA
- Institute for Infection, Inflammation, and Immunity (i4Kids), UPMC Children’s Hospital of Pittsburgh, Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania, USA
- Department of Microbiology and Molecular Genetics, University of Pittsburgh School of Medicine, Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania, USA
| | - Megan Culler Freeman
- Department of Pediatrics, Division of Infectious Diseases, University of Pittsburgh School of Medicine, Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania, USA
- Institute for Infection, Inflammation, and Immunity (i4Kids), UPMC Children’s Hospital of Pittsburgh, Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania, USA
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23
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Chen F, Köhler M, Cucun G, Takamiya M, Kizil C, Cosacak MI, Rastegar S. sox1a:eGFP transgenic line and single-cell transcriptomics reveal the origin of zebrafish intraspinal serotonergic neurons. iScience 2023; 26:107342. [PMID: 37529101 PMCID: PMC10387610 DOI: 10.1016/j.isci.2023.107342] [Citation(s) in RCA: 2] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 03/13/2023] [Revised: 06/03/2023] [Accepted: 07/06/2023] [Indexed: 08/03/2023] Open
Abstract
Sox transcription factors are crucial for vertebrate nervous system development. In zebrafish embryo, sox1 genes are expressed in neural progenitor cells and neurons of ventral spinal cord. Our recent study revealed that the loss of sox1a and sox1b function results in a significant decline of V2 subtype neurons (V2s). Using single-cell RNA sequencing, we analyzed the transcriptome of sox1a lineage progenitors and neurons in the zebrafish spinal cord at four time points during embryonic development, employing the Tg(sox1a:eGFP) line. In addition to previously characterized sox1a-expressing neurons, we discovered the expression of sox1a in late-developing intraspinal serotonergic neurons (ISNs). Developmental trajectory analysis suggests that ISNs arise from lateral floor plate (LFP) progenitor cells. Pharmacological inhibition of the Notch signaling pathway revealed its role in negatively regulating LFP progenitor cell differentiation into ISNs. Our findings highlight the zebrafish LFP as a progenitor domain for ISNs, alongside known Kolmer-Agduhr (KA) and V3 interneurons.
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Affiliation(s)
- Fushun Chen
- Institute of Biological and Chemical Systems-Biological Information Processing (IBCS-BIP), Karlsruhe Institute of Technology (KIT), Campus North, Hermann-von-Helmholtz-Platz 1, 76344 Eggenstein-Leopoldshafen, Germany
| | - Melina Köhler
- Institute of Biological and Chemical Systems-Biological Information Processing (IBCS-BIP), Karlsruhe Institute of Technology (KIT), Campus North, Hermann-von-Helmholtz-Platz 1, 76344 Eggenstein-Leopoldshafen, Germany
| | - Gokhan Cucun
- Institute of Biological and Chemical Systems-Biological Information Processing (IBCS-BIP), Karlsruhe Institute of Technology (KIT), Campus North, Hermann-von-Helmholtz-Platz 1, 76344 Eggenstein-Leopoldshafen, Germany
| | - Masanari Takamiya
- Institute of Biological and Chemical Systems-Biological Information Processing (IBCS-BIP), Karlsruhe Institute of Technology (KIT), Campus North, Hermann-von-Helmholtz-Platz 1, 76344 Eggenstein-Leopoldshafen, Germany
| | - Caghan Kizil
- German Center for Neurodegenerative Diseases (DZNE) Dresden, Helmholtz Association, Tatzberg 41, 01307 Dresden, Germany
- Department of Neurology and the Taub Institute for Research on Alzheimer’s Disease and the Aging Brain, Columbia University Irving Medical Center, 630 W 168th Street, New York, NY 10032, USA
| | - Mehmet Ilyas Cosacak
- German Center for Neurodegenerative Diseases (DZNE) Dresden, Helmholtz Association, Tatzberg 41, 01307 Dresden, Germany
| | - Sepand Rastegar
- Institute of Biological and Chemical Systems-Biological Information Processing (IBCS-BIP), Karlsruhe Institute of Technology (KIT), Campus North, Hermann-von-Helmholtz-Platz 1, 76344 Eggenstein-Leopoldshafen, Germany
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24
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Bohic M, Upadhyay A, Eisdorfer JT, Keating J, Simon RC, Briones BA, Azadegan C, Nacht HD, Oputa O, Martinez AM, Bethell BN, Gradwell MA, Romanienko P, Ramer MS, Stuber GD, Abraira VE. A new Hoxb8FlpO mouse line for intersectional approaches to dissect developmentally defined adult sensorimotor circuits. Front Mol Neurosci 2023; 16:1176823. [PMID: 37603775 PMCID: PMC10437123 DOI: 10.3389/fnmol.2023.1176823] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 02/28/2023] [Accepted: 07/04/2023] [Indexed: 08/23/2023] Open
Abstract
Improvements in the speed and cost of expression profiling of neuronal tissues offer an unprecedented opportunity to define ever finer subgroups of neurons for functional studies. In the spinal cord, single cell RNA sequencing studies support decades of work on spinal cord lineage studies, offering a unique opportunity to probe adult function based on developmental lineage. While Cre/Flp recombinase intersectional strategies remain a powerful tool to manipulate spinal neurons, the field lacks genetic tools and strategies to restrict manipulations to the adult mouse spinal cord at the speed at which new tools develop. This study establishes a new workflow for intersectional mouse-viral strategies to dissect adult spinal function based on developmental lineages in a modular fashion. To restrict manipulations to the spinal cord, we generate a brain-sparing Hoxb8FlpO mouse line restricting Flp recombinase expression to caudal tissue. Recapitulating endogenous Hoxb8 gene expression, Flp-dependent reporter expression is present in the caudal embryo starting day 9.5. This expression restricts Flp activity in the adult to the caudal brainstem and below. Hoxb8FlpO heterozygous and homozygous mice do not develop any of the sensory or locomotor phenotypes evident in Hoxb8 heterozygous or mutant animals, suggesting normal developmental function of the Hoxb8 gene and protein in Hoxb8FlpO mice. Compared to the variability of brain recombination in available caudal Cre and Flp lines, Hoxb8FlpO activity is not present in the brain above the caudal brainstem, independent of mouse genetic background. Lastly, we combine the Hoxb8FlpO mouse line with dorsal horn developmental lineage Cre mouse lines to express GFP in developmentally determined dorsal horn populations. Using GFP-dependent Cre recombinase viruses and Cre recombinase-dependent inhibitory chemogenetics, we target developmentally defined lineages in the adult. We show how developmental knock-out versus transient adult silencing of the same ROR𝛃 lineage neurons affects adult sensorimotor behavior. In summary, this new mouse line and viral approach provides a blueprint to dissect adult somatosensory circuit function using Cre/Flp genetic tools to target spinal cord interneurons based on genetic lineage.
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Affiliation(s)
- Manon Bohic
- Cell Biology and Neuroscience Department, Rutgers University, The State University of New Jersey, Piscataway, NJ, United States
- W.M. Keck Center for Collaborative Neuroscience, Rutgers University, The State University of New Jersey, Piscataway, NJ, United States
| | - Aman Upadhyay
- Cell Biology and Neuroscience Department, Rutgers University, The State University of New Jersey, Piscataway, NJ, United States
- W.M. Keck Center for Collaborative Neuroscience, Rutgers University, The State University of New Jersey, Piscataway, NJ, United States
- Neuroscience PhD Program at Rutgers Robert Wood Johnson Medical School, Piscataway, NJ, United States
| | - Jaclyn T. Eisdorfer
- Cell Biology and Neuroscience Department, Rutgers University, The State University of New Jersey, Piscataway, NJ, United States
- W.M. Keck Center for Collaborative Neuroscience, Rutgers University, The State University of New Jersey, Piscataway, NJ, United States
| | - Jessica Keating
- Cell Biology and Neuroscience Department, Rutgers University, The State University of New Jersey, Piscataway, NJ, United States
- W.M. Keck Center for Collaborative Neuroscience, Rutgers University, The State University of New Jersey, Piscataway, NJ, United States
- School of Medicine, Oregon Health and Science University, Portland, OR, United States
- M.D./PhD Program in Neuroscience, School of Medicine, Oregon Health and Science University, Portland, OR, United States
| | - Rhiana C. Simon
- Center for the Neurobiology of Addiction, Pain, and Emotion, Department of Anesthesiology and Pain Medicine, Department of Pharmacology, University of Washington, Seattle, WA, United States
| | - Brandy A. Briones
- Center for the Neurobiology of Addiction, Pain, and Emotion, Department of Anesthesiology and Pain Medicine, Department of Pharmacology, University of Washington, Seattle, WA, United States
| | - Chloe Azadegan
- Cell Biology and Neuroscience Department, Rutgers University, The State University of New Jersey, Piscataway, NJ, United States
- W.M. Keck Center for Collaborative Neuroscience, Rutgers University, The State University of New Jersey, Piscataway, NJ, United States
| | - Hannah D. Nacht
- Cell Biology and Neuroscience Department, Rutgers University, The State University of New Jersey, Piscataway, NJ, United States
- W.M. Keck Center for Collaborative Neuroscience, Rutgers University, The State University of New Jersey, Piscataway, NJ, United States
| | - Olisemeka Oputa
- Cell Biology and Neuroscience Department, Rutgers University, The State University of New Jersey, Piscataway, NJ, United States
- W.M. Keck Center for Collaborative Neuroscience, Rutgers University, The State University of New Jersey, Piscataway, NJ, United States
| | - Alana M. Martinez
- Cell Biology and Neuroscience Department, Rutgers University, The State University of New Jersey, Piscataway, NJ, United States
- W.M. Keck Center for Collaborative Neuroscience, Rutgers University, The State University of New Jersey, Piscataway, NJ, United States
| | - Bridget N. Bethell
- International Collaboration on Repair Discoveries and Department of Zoology, The University of British Columbia, Vancouver, BC, Canada
| | - Mark A. Gradwell
- Cell Biology and Neuroscience Department, Rutgers University, The State University of New Jersey, Piscataway, NJ, United States
- W.M. Keck Center for Collaborative Neuroscience, Rutgers University, The State University of New Jersey, Piscataway, NJ, United States
| | - Peter Romanienko
- Genome Editing Shared Resource, Rutgers Cancer Institute of New Jersey, New Brunswick, NJ, United States
| | - Matt S. Ramer
- International Collaboration on Repair Discoveries and Department of Zoology, The University of British Columbia, Vancouver, BC, Canada
| | - Garret D. Stuber
- Center for the Neurobiology of Addiction, Pain, and Emotion, Department of Anesthesiology and Pain Medicine, Department of Pharmacology, University of Washington, Seattle, WA, United States
| | - Victoria E. Abraira
- Cell Biology and Neuroscience Department, Rutgers University, The State University of New Jersey, Piscataway, NJ, United States
- W.M. Keck Center for Collaborative Neuroscience, Rutgers University, The State University of New Jersey, Piscataway, NJ, United States
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25
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Mora S, Allodi I. Neural circuit and synaptic dysfunctions in ALS-FTD pathology. Front Neural Circuits 2023; 17:1208876. [PMID: 37469832 PMCID: PMC10352654 DOI: 10.3389/fncir.2023.1208876] [Citation(s) in RCA: 2] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 04/19/2023] [Accepted: 06/08/2023] [Indexed: 07/21/2023] Open
Abstract
Action selection is a capital feature of cognition that guides behavior in processes that range from motor patterns to executive functions. Here, the ongoing actions need to be monitored and adjusted in response to sensory stimuli to increase the chances of reaching the goal. As higher hierarchical processes, these functions rely on complex neural circuits, and connective loops found within the brain and the spinal cord. Successful execution of motor behaviors depends, first, on proper selection of actions, and second, on implementation of motor commands. Thus, pathological conditions crucially affecting the integrity and preservation of these circuits and their connectivity will heavily impact goal-oriented motor behaviors. Amyotrophic Lateral Sclerosis (ALS) and Frontotemporal Dementia (FTD) are two neurodegenerative disorders known to share disease etiology and pathophysiology. New evidence in the field of ALS-FTD has shown degeneration of specific neural circuits and alterations in synaptic connectivity, contributing to neuronal degeneration, which leads to the impairment of motor commands and executive functions. This evidence is based on studies performed on animal models of disease, post-mortem tissue, and patient derived stem cells. In the present work, we review the existing evidence supporting pathological loss of connectivity and selective impairment of neural circuits in ALS and FTD, two diseases which share strong genetic causes and impairment in motor and executive functions.
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Affiliation(s)
- Santiago Mora
- Integrative Neuroscience Unit, Department of Neuroscience, Panum Institute, University of Copenhagen, Copenhagen, Denmark
| | - Ilary Allodi
- Integrative Neuroscience Unit, Department of Neuroscience, Panum Institute, University of Copenhagen, Copenhagen, Denmark
- Neural Circuits of Disease Laboratory, School of Psychology and Neuroscience, University of St Andrews, St Andrews, United Kingdom
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26
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Saraswathy VM, Zhou L, Mokalled MH. Single-cell analysis of innate spinal cord regeneration identifies intersecting modes of neuronal repair. BIORXIV : THE PREPRINT SERVER FOR BIOLOGY 2023:2023.05.19.541505. [PMID: 37292638 PMCID: PMC10245778 DOI: 10.1101/2023.05.19.541505] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 06/10/2023]
Abstract
Adult zebrafish have an innate ability to recover from severe spinal cord injury. Here, we report a comprehensive single nuclear RNA sequencing atlas that spans 6 weeks of regeneration. We identify cooperative roles for adult neurogenesis and neuronal plasticity during spinal cord repair. Neurogenesis of glutamatergic and GABAergic neurons restores the excitatory/inhibitory balance after injury. In addition, transient populations of injury-responsive neurons (iNeurons) show elevated plasticity between 1 and 3 weeks post-injury. Using cross-species transcriptomics and CRISPR/Cas9 mutagenesis, we found iNeurons are injury-surviving neurons that share transcriptional similarities with a rare population of spontaneously plastic mouse neurons. iNeurons are required for functional recovery and employ vesicular trafficking as an essential mechanism that underlies neuronal plasticity. This study provides a comprehensive resource of the cells and mechanisms that direct spinal cord regeneration and establishes zebrafish as a model of plasticity-driven neural repair.
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27
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Lefebvre-Omar C, Liu E, Dalle C, d'Incamps BL, Bigou S, Daube C, Karpf L, Davenne M, Robil N, Jost Mousseau C, Blanchard S, Tournaire G, Nicaise C, Salachas F, Lacomblez L, Seilhean D, Lobsiger CS, Millecamps S, Boillée S, Bohl D. Neurofilament accumulations in amyotrophic lateral sclerosis patients' motor neurons impair axonal initial segment integrity. Cell Mol Life Sci 2023; 80:150. [PMID: 37184603 DOI: 10.1007/s00018-023-04797-6] [Citation(s) in RCA: 4] [Impact Index Per Article: 4.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 11/04/2022] [Revised: 04/24/2023] [Accepted: 05/03/2023] [Indexed: 05/16/2023]
Abstract
Amyotrophic lateral sclerosis (ALS) is the most common motor neuron (MN) disease in adults with no curative treatment. Neurofilament (NF) level in patient' fluids have recently emerged as the prime biomarker of ALS disease progression, while NF accumulation in MNs of patients is the oldest and one of the best pathological hallmarks. However, the way NF accumulations could lead to MN degeneration remains unknown. To assess NF accumulations and study the impact on MNs, we compared MNs derived from induced pluripotent stem cells (iPSC) of patients carrying mutations in C9orf72, SOD1 and TARDBP genes, the three main ALS genetic causes. We show that in all mutant MNs, light NF (NF-L) chains rapidly accumulate in MN soma, while the phosphorylated heavy/medium NF (pNF-M/H) chains pile up in axonal proximal regions of only C9orf72 and SOD1 MNs. Excitability abnormalities were also only observed in these latter MNs. We demonstrate that the integrity of the MN axonal initial segment (AIS), the region of action potential initiation and responsible for maintaining axonal integrity, is impaired in the presence of pNF-M/H accumulations in C9orf72 and SOD1 MNs. We establish a strong correlation between these pNF-M/H accumulations, an AIS distal shift, increased axonal calibers and modified repartition of sodium channels. The results expand our understanding of how NF accumulation could dysregulate components of the axonal cytoskeleton and disrupt MN homeostasis. With recent cumulative evidence that AIS alterations are implicated in different brain diseases, preserving AIS integrity could have important therapeutic implications for ALS.
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Affiliation(s)
- Cynthia Lefebvre-Omar
- Sorbonne Université, Institut du Cerveau-Paris Brain Institute-ICM, Inserm, CNRS, AP-HP, Hôpital de la Pitié-Salpêtrière, Paris, France
| | - Elise Liu
- Sorbonne Université, Institut du Cerveau-Paris Brain Institute-ICM, Inserm, CNRS, AP-HP, Hôpital de la Pitié-Salpêtrière, Paris, France
| | - Carine Dalle
- Sorbonne Université, Institut du Cerveau-Paris Brain Institute-ICM, Inserm, CNRS, AP-HP, Hôpital de la Pitié-Salpêtrière, Paris, France
| | - Boris Lamotte d'Incamps
- Université Paris-Cité, CNRS, Saints-Pères Paris Institute for the Neurosciences, Paris, France
| | - Stéphanie Bigou
- Sorbonne Université, Institut du Cerveau-Paris Brain Institute-ICM, Inserm, CNRS, AP-HP, Hôpital de la Pitié-Salpêtrière, Paris, France
| | - Clément Daube
- Sorbonne Université, Institut du Cerveau-Paris Brain Institute-ICM, Inserm, CNRS, AP-HP, Hôpital de la Pitié-Salpêtrière, Paris, France
| | - Léa Karpf
- Sorbonne Université, Institut du Cerveau-Paris Brain Institute-ICM, Inserm, CNRS, AP-HP, Hôpital de la Pitié-Salpêtrière, Paris, France
| | - Marc Davenne
- Sorbonne Université, Institut du Cerveau-Paris Brain Institute-ICM, Inserm, CNRS, AP-HP, Hôpital de la Pitié-Salpêtrière, Paris, France
| | | | - Coline Jost Mousseau
- Sorbonne Université, Institut du Cerveau-Paris Brain Institute-ICM, Inserm, CNRS, AP-HP, Hôpital de la Pitié-Salpêtrière, Paris, France
| | - Stéphane Blanchard
- Institut Pasteur, INSERM U1115, Unité Biothérapies pour les Maladies Neurodégénératives, Paris, France
| | - Guillaume Tournaire
- Institut Pasteur, INSERM U1115, Unité Biothérapies pour les Maladies Neurodégénératives, Paris, France
| | | | - François Salachas
- Sorbonne Université, Institut du Cerveau-Paris Brain Institute-ICM, Inserm, CNRS, AP-HP, Hôpital de la Pitié-Salpêtrière, Paris, France
- Département de Neurologie, Assistance Publique Hôpitaux de Paris (APHP), Centre de Référence SLA Ile de France, Hôpital de la Pitié-Salpêtrière, Paris, France
| | - Lucette Lacomblez
- Département de Neurologie, Assistance Publique Hôpitaux de Paris (APHP), Centre de Référence SLA Ile de France, Hôpital de la Pitié-Salpêtrière, Paris, France
| | - Danielle Seilhean
- Sorbonne Université, Institut du Cerveau-Paris Brain Institute-ICM, Inserm, CNRS, AP-HP, Hôpital de la Pitié-Salpêtrière, Paris, France
- Département de Neuropathologie, AP-HP, Hôpital de la Pitié-Salpêtrière, Paris, France
| | - Christian S Lobsiger
- Sorbonne Université, Institut du Cerveau-Paris Brain Institute-ICM, Inserm, CNRS, AP-HP, Hôpital de la Pitié-Salpêtrière, Paris, France
| | - Stéphanie Millecamps
- Sorbonne Université, Institut du Cerveau-Paris Brain Institute-ICM, Inserm, CNRS, AP-HP, Hôpital de la Pitié-Salpêtrière, Paris, France
| | - Séverine Boillée
- Sorbonne Université, Institut du Cerveau-Paris Brain Institute-ICM, Inserm, CNRS, AP-HP, Hôpital de la Pitié-Salpêtrière, Paris, France
| | - Delphine Bohl
- Sorbonne Université, Institut du Cerveau-Paris Brain Institute-ICM, Inserm, CNRS, AP-HP, Hôpital de la Pitié-Salpêtrière, Paris, France.
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28
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Wilson AC, Sweeney LB. Spinal cords: Symphonies of interneurons across species. Front Neural Circuits 2023; 17:1146449. [PMID: 37180760 PMCID: PMC10169611 DOI: 10.3389/fncir.2023.1146449] [Citation(s) in RCA: 5] [Impact Index Per Article: 5.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 01/17/2023] [Accepted: 03/23/2023] [Indexed: 05/16/2023] Open
Abstract
Vertebrate movement is orchestrated by spinal inter- and motor neurons that, together with sensory and cognitive input, produce dynamic motor behaviors. These behaviors vary from the simple undulatory swimming of fish and larval aquatic species to the highly coordinated running, reaching and grasping of mice, humans and other mammals. This variation raises the fundamental question of how spinal circuits have changed in register with motor behavior. In simple, undulatory fish, exemplified by the lamprey, two broad classes of interneurons shape motor neuron output: ipsilateral-projecting excitatory neurons, and commissural-projecting inhibitory neurons. An additional class of ipsilateral inhibitory neurons is required to generate escape swim behavior in larval zebrafish and tadpoles. In limbed vertebrates, a more complex spinal neuron composition is observed. In this review, we provide evidence that movement elaboration correlates with an increase and specialization of these three basic interneuron types into molecularly, anatomically, and functionally distinct subpopulations. We summarize recent work linking neuron types to movement-pattern generation across fish, amphibians, reptiles, birds and mammals.
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Affiliation(s)
| | - Lora B. Sweeney
- Institute of Science and Technology Austria (IST Austria), Klosterneuburg, Lower Austria, Austria
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29
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Li X, Andrusivova Z, Czarnewski P, Langseth CM, Andersson A, Liu Y, Gyllborg D, Braun E, Larsson L, Hu L, Alekseenko Z, Lee H, Avenel C, Kallner HK, Åkesson E, Adameyko I, Nilsson M, Linnarsson S, Lundeberg J, Sundström E. Profiling spatiotemporal gene expression of the developing human spinal cord and implications for ependymoma origin. Nat Neurosci 2023; 26:891-901. [PMID: 37095395 PMCID: PMC10166856 DOI: 10.1038/s41593-023-01312-9] [Citation(s) in RCA: 9] [Impact Index Per Article: 9.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 12/07/2021] [Accepted: 03/20/2023] [Indexed: 04/26/2023]
Abstract
The spatiotemporal regulation of cell fate specification in the human developing spinal cord remains largely unknown. In this study, by performing integrated analysis of single-cell and spatial multi-omics data, we used 16 prenatal human samples to create a comprehensive developmental cell atlas of the spinal cord during post-conceptional weeks 5-12. This revealed how the cell fate commitment of neural progenitor cells and their spatial positioning are spatiotemporally regulated by specific gene sets. We identified unique events in human spinal cord development relative to rodents, including earlier quiescence of active neural stem cells, differential regulation of cell differentiation and distinct spatiotemporal genetic regulation of cell fate choices. In addition, by integrating our atlas with pediatric ependymomas data, we identified specific molecular signatures and lineage-specific genes of cancer stem cells during progression. Thus, we delineate spatiotemporal genetic regulation of human spinal cord development and leverage these data to gain disease insight.
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Affiliation(s)
- Xiaofei Li
- Division of Neurogeriatrics, Department of Neurobiology, Care Sciences and Society, Karolinska Institutet, Stockholm, Sweden.
| | - Zaneta Andrusivova
- Science for Life Laboratory, Department of Gene Technology, KTH Royal Institute of Technology, Stockholm, Sweden
| | - Paulo Czarnewski
- Science for Life Laboratory, Department of Gene Technology, KTH Royal Institute of Technology, Stockholm, Sweden
- Science for Life Laboratory, Department of Biochemistry and Biophysics, National Bioinformatics Infrastructure Sweden, Stockholm University, Stockholm, Sweden
| | | | - Alma Andersson
- Science for Life Laboratory, Department of Gene Technology, KTH Royal Institute of Technology, Stockholm, Sweden
- Department of Artificial Intelligence and Machine Learning, Research and Early Development, Genentech. Inc., South San Francisco, CA, USA
| | - Yang Liu
- Division of Neurogeriatrics, Department of Neurobiology, Care Sciences and Society, Karolinska Institutet, Stockholm, Sweden
- China National Clinical Research Center for Neurological Diseases, Beijing Tiantan Hospital, Capital Medical University, Beijing, China
| | - Daniel Gyllborg
- Science for Life Laboratory, Department of Biochemistry and Biophysics, Stockholm University, Stockholm, Sweden
| | - Emelie Braun
- Division of Molecular Neurobiology, Department of Medical Biochemistry and Biophysics, Karolinska Institutet, Stockholm, Sweden
| | - Ludvig Larsson
- Science for Life Laboratory, Department of Gene Technology, KTH Royal Institute of Technology, Stockholm, Sweden
| | - Lijuan Hu
- Division of Molecular Neurobiology, Department of Medical Biochemistry and Biophysics, Karolinska Institutet, Stockholm, Sweden
| | - Zhanna Alekseenko
- Division of Neurogeriatrics, Department of Neurobiology, Care Sciences and Society, Karolinska Institutet, Stockholm, Sweden
- Department of Cell and Molecular Biology, Karolinska Institutet, Stockholm, Sweden
| | - Hower Lee
- Science for Life Laboratory, Department of Biochemistry and Biophysics, Stockholm University, Stockholm, Sweden
| | - Christophe Avenel
- Department of Information Technology, Uppsala University, Uppsala, Sweden
- BioImage Informatics Facility, Science for Life Laboratory, SciLifeLab, Sweden
| | - Helena Kopp Kallner
- Department of Clinical Sciences, Danderyd Hospital, Karolinska Institutet, Stockholm, Sweden
- Department of Obstetrics and Gynecology, Danderyd Hospital, Danderyd, Sweden
| | - Elisabet Åkesson
- Division of Neurogeriatrics, Department of Neurobiology, Care Sciences and Society, Karolinska Institutet, Stockholm, Sweden
- R&D Unit, Stockholms Sjukhem, Stockholm, Sweden
| | - Igor Adameyko
- Department of Physiology and Pharmacology, Karolinska Institutet, Stockholm, Sweden
- Department of Neuroimmunology, Center for Brain Research, Medical University of Vienna, Vienna, Austria
| | - Mats Nilsson
- Science for Life Laboratory, Department of Biochemistry and Biophysics, Stockholm University, Stockholm, Sweden
| | - Sten Linnarsson
- Division of Molecular Neurobiology, Department of Medical Biochemistry and Biophysics, Karolinska Institutet, Stockholm, Sweden
| | - Joakim Lundeberg
- Science for Life Laboratory, Department of Gene Technology, KTH Royal Institute of Technology, Stockholm, Sweden
| | - Erik Sundström
- Division of Neurogeriatrics, Department of Neurobiology, Care Sciences and Society, Karolinska Institutet, Stockholm, Sweden.
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McKean M, Napoli FR, Hasan T, Joseph T, Wheeler A, Beebe K, Soriano-Cruz S, Kawano M, Cave C. GDE6 promotes progenitor identity in the vertebrate neural tube. Front Neurosci 2023; 17:1047767. [PMID: 37025379 PMCID: PMC10070723 DOI: 10.3389/fnins.2023.1047767] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 09/18/2022] [Accepted: 02/27/2023] [Indexed: 04/08/2023] Open
Abstract
The generation of neurons in the central nervous system is a complex, stepwise process necessitating the coordinated activity of mitotic progenitors known as radial glia. Following neural tube closure, radial glia undergo a period of active proliferation to rapidly expand their population, creating a densely packed neurepithelium. Simultaneously, radial glia positioned across the neural tube are uniquely specified to produce diverse neuronal sub-types. Although these cellular dynamics are well studied, the molecular mechanisms governing them are poorly understood. The six-transmembrane Glycerophosphodiester Phosphodiesterase proteins (GDE2, GDE3, and GDE6) comprise a family of cell-surface enzymes expressed in the embryonic nervous system. GDE proteins can release Glycosylphosphatidylinositol-anchored proteins from the cell surface via cleavage of their lipid anchor. GDE2 has established roles in motor neuron differentiation and oligodendrocyte maturation, and GDE3 regulates oligodendrocyte precursor cell proliferation. Here, we describe a role for GDE6 in early neural tube development. Using RNAscope, we show that Gde6 mRNA is expressed by ventricular zone progenitors in the caudal neural tube. Utilizing in-ovo electroporation, we show that GDE6 overexpression promotes neural tube hyperplasia and ectopic growths of the neurepithelium. At later stages, electroporated embryos exhibit an expansion of the ventral patterning domains accompanied by reduced cross-repression. Ultimately, electroporated embryos fail to produce the full complement of post-mitotic motor neurons. Our findings indicate that GDE6 overexpression significantly affects radial glia function and positions GDE6 as a complementary factor to GDE2 during neurogenesis.
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Affiliation(s)
| | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | - Clinton Cave
- Neuroscience Program, Middlebury College, Middlebury, VT, United States
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Psychostimulant Drugs Activate Cell-type Specific and Topographic cFos Expression in the Lumbar Spinal Cord. Neuroscience 2023; 510:9-20. [PMID: 36502959 DOI: 10.1016/j.neuroscience.2022.12.005] [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: 09/11/2022] [Revised: 11/02/2022] [Accepted: 12/04/2022] [Indexed: 12/13/2022]
Abstract
Psychostimulant drugs, such as cocaine, d-amphetamine and methylphenidate, alter a wide range of behaviors including locomotor activity and somatosensory perception. These altered behaviors are accompanied by the activation of specific neuronal populations within reward-, emotion- and locomotion-related circuits. However, whether such regulation occurs at the level of the spinal cord, a key node for neural circuits integrating and coordinating sensory and motor functions has never been addressed. By evaluating the temporal and spatial expression pattern of the phosphorylated form of the immediate early gene cFos at Ser32 (pS32-cFos), used as a proxy of neuronal activation, we demonstrate that, in adult male mice, d-amphetamine increases pS32-cFos expression in both inhibitory and excitatory neurons in dorsal and ventral horns at the lumbar spinal cord level. Interestingly, a fraction of neurons activated by a first exposure to d-amphetamine can be re-activated following d-amphetamine re-exposure. Similar expression patterns were observed in response to cocaine and methylphenidate, but not following morphine and dozilcipine administration. Finally, the blockade of dopamine reuptake was sufficient to recapitulate the increase in pS32-cFos expression induced by psychostimulant drugs. Our work provides evidence that cFos expression can be activated in lumbar spinal cord in response to acute psychostimulants administration.
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Vieillard J, Franck MCM, Hartung S, Jakobsson JET, Ceder MM, Welsh RE, Lagerström MC, Kullander K. Adult spinal Dmrt3 neurons receive direct somatosensory inputs from ipsi- and contralateral primary afferents and from brainstem motor nuclei. J Comp Neurol 2023; 531:5-24. [PMID: 36214727 PMCID: PMC9828095 DOI: 10.1002/cne.25405] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 03/22/2022] [Revised: 08/15/2022] [Accepted: 08/22/2022] [Indexed: 01/12/2023]
Abstract
In the spinal cord, sensory-motor circuits controlling motor activity are situated in the dorso-ventral interface. The neurons identified by the expression of the transcription factor Doublesex and mab-3 related transcription factor 3 (Dmrt3) have previously been associated with the coordination of locomotion in horses (Equus caballus, Linnaeus, 1758), mice (Mus musculus, Linnaeus, 1758), and zebrafish (Danio rerio, F. Hamilton, 1822). Based on earlier studies, we hypothesized that, in mice, these neurons may be positioned to receive sensory and central inputs to relay processed commands to motor neurons. Thus, we investigated the presynaptic inputs to spinal Dmrt3 neurons using monosynaptic retrograde replication-deficient rabies tracing. The analysis showed that lumbar Dmrt3 neurons receive inputs from intrasegmental neurons, and intersegmental neurons from the cervical, thoracic, and sacral segments. Some of these neurons belong to the excitatory V2a interneurons and to plausible Renshaw cells, defined by the expression of Chx10 and calbindin, respectively. We also found that proprioceptive primary sensory neurons of type Ia2, Ia3, and Ib, defined by the expression of calbindin, calretinin, and Brn3c, respectively, provide presynaptic inputs to spinal Dmrt3 neurons. In addition, we demonstrated that Dmrt3 neurons receive inputs from brain areas involved in motor regulation, including the red nucleus, primary sensory-motor cortex, and pontine nuclei. In conclusion, adult spinal Dmrt3 neurons receive inputs from motor-related brain areas as well as proprioceptive primary sensory neurons and have been shown to connect directly to motor neurons. Dmrt3 neurons are thus positioned to provide sensory-motor control and their connectivity is suggestive of the classical reflex pathways present in the spinal cord.
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Affiliation(s)
- Jennifer Vieillard
- Department of Immunology, Genetics and PathologyUppsala UniversityUppsalaSweden
| | - Marina C. M. Franck
- Department of Immunology, Genetics and PathologyUppsala UniversityUppsalaSweden,Present address: Department of Medical Biochemistry and BiophysicsKarolinska InstitutetStockholmSweden
| | - Sunniva Hartung
- Department of Immunology, Genetics and PathologyUppsala UniversityUppsalaSweden
| | - Jon E. T. Jakobsson
- Department of Immunology, Genetics and PathologyUppsala UniversityUppsalaSweden
| | - Mikaela M. Ceder
- Department of Immunology, Genetics and PathologyUppsala UniversityUppsalaSweden
| | - Robert E. Welsh
- Department of Immunology, Genetics and PathologyUppsala UniversityUppsalaSweden
| | - Malin C. Lagerström
- Department of Immunology, Genetics and PathologyUppsala UniversityUppsalaSweden
| | - Klas Kullander
- Department of Immunology, Genetics and PathologyUppsala UniversityUppsalaSweden
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BDNF guides neural stem cell-derived axons to ventral interneurons and motor neurons after spinal cord injury. Exp Neurol 2023; 359:114259. [PMID: 36309123 DOI: 10.1016/j.expneurol.2022.114259] [Citation(s) in RCA: 3] [Impact Index Per Article: 3.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 08/15/2022] [Revised: 10/11/2022] [Accepted: 10/21/2022] [Indexed: 12/30/2022]
Abstract
Neural stem cells (NSCs) implanted into sites of spinal cord injury (SCI) extend very large numbers of new axons over very long distances caudal to the lesion site, and support partial functional recovery. Newly extending graft axons distribute throughout host gray and white matter caudal to the injury. We hypothesized that provision of trophic gradients caudal to the injury would provide neurotrophic guidance to newly extending graft-derived axons to specific intermediate and ventral host gray matter regions, thereby potentially further improving neural relay formation. Immunodeficient rats underwent C5 lateral hemisection lesions, following by implants of human NSC grafts two weeks later. After an additional two weeks, animals received injections of AAV2-BDNF expressing vectors three spinal segments (9 mm) caudal to the lesion in host ventral and intermediate gray matter. After 2 months additional survival, we found a striking, 5.5-fold increase in the density of human axons innervating host ventral gray matter (P < 0.05) and 2.7-fold increase in intermediate gray matter (P < 0.01). Moreover, stem cell-derived axons formed a substantially greater number of putative synaptic connections with host motor neurons (P < 0.01). Thus, trophic guidance is an effective means of enhancing and guiding neural stem cell axon growth after SCI and will be used in future experiments to determine whether neural relay formation and functional outcomes can be improved.
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Generation of dorsoventral human spinal cord organoids via functionalizing composite scaffold for drug testing. iScience 2022; 26:105898. [PMID: 36647382 PMCID: PMC9840144 DOI: 10.1016/j.isci.2022.105898] [Citation(s) in RCA: 8] [Impact Index Per Article: 4.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 09/30/2022] [Revised: 12/07/2022] [Accepted: 12/22/2022] [Indexed: 12/28/2022] Open
Abstract
The spinal cord possesses highly complex, finely organized cytoarchitecture guided by two dorsoventral morphogenic organizing centers. Thus, generation of human spinal cord tissue in vitro is challenging. Here, we demonstrated a novel method for generation of human dorsoventral spinal cord organoids using composite scaffolds. Specifically, the spinal cord ventralizing signaling Shh agonist (SAG) was loaded into a porous chitosan microsphere (PCSM), then thermosensitive Matrigel was coated on the surface to form composite microspheres with functional sustained-release SAG, termed as PCSM-Matrigel@SAG. Using PCSM-Matrigel@SAG as the core to induce 3D engineering of human spinal cord organoids from human pluripotent stem cells (ehSC-organoids), we found ehSC-organoids could form dorsoventral spinal cord-like cytoarchitecture with major domain-specific progenitors and neurons. Besides, these ehSC-organoids also showed functional calcium activity. In summary, these ehSC-organoids are of great significance for modeling spinal cord development, drug screening as 3D models for motor neuron diseases, and spinal cord injury repair.
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Paredes-Espinosa MB, Paluh JL. Human stem cell-derived neurons and neural circuitry therapeutics: Next frontier in spinal cord injury repair. Exp Biol Med (Maywood) 2022; 247:2142-2151. [PMID: 35974701 PMCID: PMC9837306 DOI: 10.1177/15353702221114099] [Citation(s) in RCA: 1] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 01/24/2023] Open
Abstract
Spinal cord injury (SCI) remains a life-altering event that devastates those injured and the families that support them. Numerous laboratories are engaged in preclinical and clinical trials to repair the injured spinal cord with stem cell-derived therapeutics. A new developmental paradigm reveals early bifurcation of brain or trunk neurons in mammals via neuromesodermal progenitors (NMPs) relevant to therapies requiring homotypic spinal cord neural populations. Human-induced pluripotent stem cell (hiPSC) NMP-derived spinal motor neurons generated ex vivo following this natural developmental route demonstrate robust survival in vivo when delivered as suspension grafts or as in vitro preformed encapsulated neuronal circuitry when transplanted into a rat C4-C5 hemicontusion injury site. Use of in vitro matured neurons avoids in vivo differentiation challenges of using pluripotent hiPSC or multipotent neural stem cell (NSC) or mesenchymal stem cell therapeutics. In this review, we provide an injury to therapeutics overview focusing on how stem cell and developmental fields are merging to generate exquisitely matched spinal motor neurons for SCI therapeutic studies. The complexity of the SCI microenvironment generated by trauma to neurons and vasculature, along with infiltrating inflammatory cells and scarring, underlies the challenging cytokine microenvironment that therapeutic cells encounter. An overview of evolving but limited stem cell-based SCI therapies that have progressed from preclinical to clinical trials illustrates the challenges and need for additional stem cell-based therapeutic approaches. The focus here on neurons describes how NMP-based neurotechnologies are advancing parallel strategies such as transplantation of preformed neuronal circuitry as well as human in vitro gastruloid multicellular models of trunk central and peripheral nervous system integration with organs. NMP-derived neurons are expected to be powerful drivers of the next generation of SCI therapeutics and integrate well with combination therapies that may utilize alternate biomimetic scaffolds for bridging injuries or flexible biodegradable electronics for electrostimulation.
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Transcription Factor Hb9 Is Expressed in Glial Cell Lineages in the Developing Mouse Spinal Cord. eNeuro 2022; 9:ENEURO.0214-22.2022. [PMID: 36265906 PMCID: PMC9636997 DOI: 10.1523/eneuro.0214-22.2022] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 05/26/2022] [Revised: 09/14/2022] [Accepted: 10/10/2022] [Indexed: 12/24/2022] Open
Abstract
Hb9 (Mnx1) is a transcription factor described as a spinal cord motor neuron (MN)-specific marker and critical factor for the postmitotic specification of these cells. To date, expression of Hb9 in other cell types has not been reported. We performed a fate-mapping approach to examine distributions of Hb9-expressing cells and their progeny ("Hb9-lineage cells") within the embryonic and adult spinal cord of Hb9cre;Ai14 mice. We found that Hb9-lineage cells are distributed in a gradient of increasing abundance throughout the rostrocaudal spinal cord axis during embryonic and postnatal stages. Furthermore, although the majority of Hb9-lineage cells at cervical spinal cord levels are MNs, at more caudal levels, Hb9-lineage cells include small-diameter dorsal horn neurons, astrocytes, and oligodendrocytes. In the peripheral nervous system, we observed a similar phenomenon with more abundant Hb9-lineage Schwann cells in muscles of the lower body versus upper body muscles. We cultured spinal cord progenitors in vitro and found that gliogenesis was increased by treatment with the caudalizing factor FGF-8B, while glial tdTomato expression was increased by treatment with both FGF-8B and GDF-11. Together, these observations suggest that early and transient expression of Hb9 in spinal cord neural progenitors may be induced by caudalizing factors such as FGF and GDF signaling. Furthermore, our work raises the possibility that early Hb9 expression may influence the development of spinal cord macroglia and Schwann cells, especially at caudal regions. Together, these findings highlight the importance of using caution when designing experiments using Hb9cre mice to perform spinal cord MN-specific manipulations.
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Iyer NR, Shin J, Cuskey S, Tian Y, Nicol NR, Doersch TE, Seipel F, McCalla SG, Roy S, Ashton RS. Modular derivation of diverse, regionally discrete human posterior CNS neurons enables discovery of transcriptomic patterns. SCIENCE ADVANCES 2022; 8:eabn7430. [PMID: 36179024 PMCID: PMC9524835 DOI: 10.1126/sciadv.abn7430] [Citation(s) in RCA: 4] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 12/16/2021] [Accepted: 08/16/2022] [Indexed: 06/02/2023]
Abstract
Our inability to derive the neuronal diversity that comprises the posterior central nervous system (pCNS) using human pluripotent stem cells (hPSCs) poses an impediment to understanding human neurodevelopment and disease in the hindbrain and spinal cord. Here, we establish a modular, monolayer differentiation paradigm that recapitulates both rostrocaudal (R/C) and dorsoventral (D/V) patterning, enabling derivation of diverse pCNS neurons with discrete regional specificity. First, neuromesodermal progenitors (NMPs) with discrete HOX profiles are converted to pCNS progenitors (pCNSPs). Then, by tuning D/V signaling, pCNSPs are directed to locomotor or somatosensory neurons. Expansive single-cell RNA-sequencing (scRNA-seq) analysis coupled with a novel computational pipeline allowed us to detect hundreds of transcriptional markers within region-specific phenotypes, enabling discovery of gene expression patterns across R/C and D/V developmental axes. These findings highlight the potential of these resources to advance a mechanistic understanding of pCNS development, enhance in vitro models, and inform therapeutic strategies.
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Affiliation(s)
- Nisha R. Iyer
- Wisconsin Institute for Discovery, University of Wisconsin-Madison, Madison, WI, USA
- Department of Biomedical Engineering, University of Wisconsin-Madison, Madison, WI, USA
| | - Junha Shin
- Wisconsin Institute for Discovery, University of Wisconsin-Madison, Madison, WI, USA
| | - Stephanie Cuskey
- Wisconsin Institute for Discovery, University of Wisconsin-Madison, Madison, WI, USA
| | - Yucheng Tian
- Wisconsin Institute for Discovery, University of Wisconsin-Madison, Madison, WI, USA
- Department of Biomedical Engineering, University of Wisconsin-Madison, Madison, WI, USA
| | - Noah R. Nicol
- Wisconsin Institute for Discovery, University of Wisconsin-Madison, Madison, WI, USA
- Department of Biomedical Engineering, University of Wisconsin-Madison, Madison, WI, USA
| | - Tessa E. Doersch
- Wisconsin Institute for Discovery, University of Wisconsin-Madison, Madison, WI, USA
| | - Frank Seipel
- Wisconsin Institute for Discovery, University of Wisconsin-Madison, Madison, WI, USA
- Department of Biomedical Engineering, University of Wisconsin-Madison, Madison, WI, USA
| | - Sunnie Grace McCalla
- Wisconsin Institute for Discovery, University of Wisconsin-Madison, Madison, WI, USA
- Department of Biostatistics and Medical Informatics, University of Wisconsin-Madison, Madison, WI, USA
| | - Sushmita Roy
- Wisconsin Institute for Discovery, University of Wisconsin-Madison, Madison, WI, USA
- Department of Biostatistics and Medical Informatics, University of Wisconsin-Madison, Madison, WI, USA
| | - Randolph S. Ashton
- Wisconsin Institute for Discovery, University of Wisconsin-Madison, Madison, WI, USA
- Department of Biomedical Engineering, University of Wisconsin-Madison, Madison, WI, USA
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The Cell Autonomous and Non-Cell Autonomous Aspects of Neuronal Vulnerability and Resilience in Amyotrophic Lateral Sclerosis. BIOLOGY 2022; 11:biology11081191. [PMID: 36009818 PMCID: PMC9405388 DOI: 10.3390/biology11081191] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 06/15/2022] [Revised: 07/14/2022] [Accepted: 07/30/2022] [Indexed: 11/17/2022]
Abstract
Simple Summary Amyotrophic lateral sclerosis (ALS) is a fatal disease characterized by a progressive paralysis due to the loss of particular neurons in our nervous system called motor neurons, that exert voluntary control of all our skeletal muscles. It is not entirely understood why motor neurons are particularly vulnerable in ALS, neither is it completely clear why certain groups of motor neurons, including those that regulate eye movement, are rather resilient to this disease. However, both vulnerability and resilience to ALS likely reflect cell intrinsic properties of different motor neuron subpopulations as well as non-cell autonomous events regulated by surrounding cell types. In this review we dissect the particular properties of different motor neuron types and their responses to disease that may underlie their respective vulnerabilities and resilience. Disease progression in ALS involves multiple cell types that are closely connected to motor neurons and we here also discuss their contributions to the differential vulnerability of motor neurons. Abstract Amyotrophic lateral sclerosis (ALS) is defined by the loss of upper motor neurons (MNs) that project from the cerebral cortex to the brain stem and spinal cord and of lower MNs in the brain stem and spinal cord which innervate skeletal muscles, leading to spasticity, muscle atrophy, and paralysis. ALS involves several disease stages, and multiple cell types show dysfunction and play important roles during distinct phases of disease initiation and progression, subsequently leading to selective MN loss. Why MNs are particularly vulnerable in this lethal disease is still not entirely clear. Neither is it fully understood why certain MNs are more resilient to degeneration in ALS than others. Brain stem MNs of cranial nerves III, IV, and VI, which innervate our eye muscles, are highly resistant and persist until the end-stage of the disease, enabling paralyzed patients to communicate through ocular tracking devices. MNs of the Onuf’s nucleus in the sacral spinal cord, that innervate sphincter muscles and control urogenital functions, are also spared throughout the disease. There is also a differential vulnerability among MNs that are intermingled throughout the spinal cord, that directly relate to their physiological properties. Here, fast-twitch fatigable (FF) MNs, which innervate type IIb muscle fibers, are affected early, before onset of clinical symptoms, while slow-twitch (S) MNs, that innervate type I muscle fibers, remain longer throughout the disease progression. The resilience of particular MN subpopulations has been attributed to intrinsic determinants and multiple studies have demonstrated their unique gene regulation and protein content in health and in response to disease. Identified factors within resilient MNs have been utilized to protect more vulnerable cells. Selective vulnerability may also, in part, be driven by non-cell autonomous processes and the unique surroundings and constantly changing environment close to particular MN groups. In this article, we review in detail the cell intrinsic properties of resilient and vulnerable MN groups, as well as multiple additional cell types involved in disease initiation and progression and explain how these may contribute to the selective MN resilience and vulnerability in ALS.
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Sartoretti MM, Campetella CA, Lanuza GM. Dbx1 controls the development of astrocytes of the intermediate spinal cord by modulating Notch signaling. Development 2022; 149:275961. [DOI: 10.1242/dev.200750] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 03/13/2022] [Accepted: 06/27/2022] [Indexed: 10/17/2022]
Abstract
ABSTRACT
Significant progress has been made in elucidating the basic principles that govern neuronal specification in the developing central nervous system. In contrast, much less is known about the origin of astrocytic diversity. Here, we demonstrate that a restricted pool of progenitors in the mouse spinal cord, expressing the transcription factor Dbx1, produces a subset of astrocytes, in addition to interneurons. Ventral p0-derived astrocytes (vA0 cells) exclusively populate intermediate regions of spinal cord with extraordinary precision. The postnatal vA0 population comprises gray matter protoplasmic and white matter fibrous astrocytes and a group of cells with strict radial morphology contacting the pia. We identified that vA0 cells in the lateral funiculus are distinguished by the expression of reelin and Kcnmb4. We show that Dbx1 mutants have an increased number of vA0 cells at the expense of p0-derived interneurons. Manipulation of the Notch pathway, together with the alteration in their ligands seen in Dbx1 knockouts, suggest that Dbx1 controls neuron-glial balance by modulating Notch-dependent cell interactions. In summary, this study highlights that restricted progenitors in the dorsal-ventral neural tube produce region-specific astrocytic subgroups and that progenitor transcriptional programs highly influence glial fate and are instrumental in creating astrocyte diversity.
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Affiliation(s)
- Maria Micaela Sartoretti
- Developmental Neurobiology Lab, Fundación Instituto Leloir and Consejo Nacional de Investigaciones Científicas y Técnicas (IIBBA-CONICET) , Avenida Patricias Argentinas 435, Buenos Aires 1405 , Argentina
| | - Carla A. Campetella
- Developmental Neurobiology Lab, Fundación Instituto Leloir and Consejo Nacional de Investigaciones Científicas y Técnicas (IIBBA-CONICET) , Avenida Patricias Argentinas 435, Buenos Aires 1405 , Argentina
| | - Guillermo M. Lanuza
- Developmental Neurobiology Lab, Fundación Instituto Leloir and Consejo Nacional de Investigaciones Científicas y Técnicas (IIBBA-CONICET) , Avenida Patricias Argentinas 435, Buenos Aires 1405 , Argentina
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Collins JM, Atkinson RAK, Matthews LM, Murray IC, Perry SE, King AE. Sarm1 knockout modifies biomarkers of neurodegeneration and spinal cord circuitry but not disease progression in the mSOD1 G93A mouse model of ALS. Neurobiol Dis 2022; 172:105821. [PMID: 35863521 DOI: 10.1016/j.nbd.2022.105821] [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: 05/17/2022] [Revised: 07/13/2022] [Accepted: 07/14/2022] [Indexed: 10/17/2022] Open
Abstract
The mechanisms underlying the loss of motor neuron axon integrity in amyotrophic lateral sclerosis (ALS) are unclear. SARM1 has been identified as a genetic risk variant in sporadic ALS, and the SARM1 protein is a key mediator of axon degeneration. To investigate the role of SARM1 in ALS-associated axon degeneration, we knocked out Sarm1 (Sarm1KO) in mSOD1G93ATg (mSOD1) mice. Animals were monitored for ALS disease onset and severity, with motor function assessed at pre-symptomatic and late-stage disease and lumbar spinal cord and sciatic nerve harvested for immunohistochemistry at endpoint (20 weeks). Serum was collected monthly to assess protein concentrations of biomarkers linked to axon degeneration (neurofilament light (NFL) and tau), and astrogliosis (glial fibrillary acidic protein (GFAP)), using single molecule array (Simoa®) technology. Overall, loss of Sarm1 in mSOD1 mice did not slow or delay symptom onset, failed to improve functional declines, and failed to protect motor neurons. Serum NFL levels in mSOD1 mice increased between 8 -12 and 16-20 weeks of age, with the later increase significantly reduced by loss of SARM1. Similarly, loss of SARM1 significantly reduced an increase in serum GFAP between 16 and 20 weeks of age in mSOD1 mice, indicating protection of both global axon degeneration and astrogliosis. In the spinal cord, Sarm1 deletion protected against loss of excitatory VGluT2-positive puncta and attenuated astrogliosis in mSOD1 mice. In the sciatic nerve, absence of SARM1 in mSOD1 mice restored the average area of phosphorylated neurofilament reactivity towards WT levels. Together these data suggest that Sarm1KO in mSOD1 mice is not sufficient to ameliorate functional decline or motor neuron loss but does alter serum biomarker levels and provide protection to axons and glutamatergic synapses. This indicates that treatments targeting SARM1 could warrant further investigation in ALS, potentially as part of a combination therapy.
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Affiliation(s)
- Jessica M Collins
- Wicking Dementia Research and Education Centre, University of Tasmania, Private Bag 143, Hobart, Tas, 7001, Australia.
| | - Rachel A K Atkinson
- Wicking Dementia Research and Education Centre, University of Tasmania, Private Bag 143, Hobart, Tas, 7001, Australia.
| | - Lyzette M Matthews
- Wicking Dementia Research and Education Centre, University of Tasmania, Private Bag 143, Hobart, Tas, 7001, Australia.
| | - Isabella C Murray
- Wicking Dementia Research and Education Centre, University of Tasmania, Private Bag 143, Hobart, Tas, 7001, Australia.
| | - Sharn E Perry
- Wicking Dementia Research and Education Centre, University of Tasmania, Private Bag 143, Hobart, Tas, 7001, Australia.
| | - Anna E King
- Wicking Dementia Research and Education Centre, University of Tasmania, Private Bag 143, Hobart, Tas, 7001, Australia.
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41
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Carvelli A, Setti A, Desideri F, Galfrè SG, Biscarini S, Santini T, Colantoni A, Peruzzi G, Marzi MJ, Capauto D, Di Angelantonio S, Ballarino M, Nicassio F, Laneve P, Bozzoni I. A multifunctional locus controls motor neuron differentiation through short and long noncoding RNAs. EMBO J 2022; 41:e108918. [PMID: 35698802 PMCID: PMC9251839 DOI: 10.15252/embj.2021108918] [Citation(s) in RCA: 1] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 06/08/2021] [Revised: 04/29/2022] [Accepted: 05/02/2022] [Indexed: 12/12/2022] Open
Abstract
The transition from dividing progenitors to postmitotic motor neurons (MNs) is orchestrated by a series of events, which are mainly studied at the transcriptional level by analyzing the activity of specific programming transcription factors. Here, we identify a post‐transcriptional role of a MN‐specific transcriptional unit (MN2) harboring a lncRNA (lncMN2‐203) and two miRNAs (miR‐325‐3p and miR‐384‐5p) in this transition. Through the use of in vitro mESC differentiation and single‐cell sequencing of CRISPR/Cas9 mutants, we demonstrate that lncMN2‐203 affects MN differentiation by sponging miR‐466i‐5p and upregulating its targets, including several factors involved in neuronal differentiation and function. In parallel, miR‐325‐3p and miR‐384‐5p, co‐transcribed with lncMN2‐203, act by repressing proliferation‐related factors. These findings indicate the functional relevance of the MN2 locus and exemplify additional layers of specificity regulation in MN differentiation.
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Affiliation(s)
- Andrea Carvelli
- Center for Life Nano- & Neuro-Science of Istituto Italiano di Tecnologia (IIT), Rome, Italy
| | - Adriano Setti
- Department of Biology and Biotechnologies "Charles Darwin", Sapienza University of Rome, Rome, Italy
| | - Fabio Desideri
- Center for Life Nano- & Neuro-Science of Istituto Italiano di Tecnologia (IIT), Rome, Italy
| | - Silvia Giulia Galfrè
- Department of Biology and Biotechnologies "Charles Darwin", Sapienza University of Rome, Rome, Italy
| | - Silvia Biscarini
- Center for Life Nano- & Neuro-Science of Istituto Italiano di Tecnologia (IIT), Rome, Italy
| | - Tiziana Santini
- Department of Biology and Biotechnologies "Charles Darwin", Sapienza University of Rome, Rome, Italy
| | - Alessio Colantoni
- Center for Life Nano- & Neuro-Science of Istituto Italiano di Tecnologia (IIT), Rome, Italy
| | - Giovanna Peruzzi
- Center for Life Nano- & Neuro-Science of Istituto Italiano di Tecnologia (IIT), Rome, Italy
| | - Matteo Jacopo Marzi
- Center for Genomic Science of Istituto of Italiano di Tecnologia (IIT), Milan, Italy
| | - Davide Capauto
- Department of Biology and Biotechnologies "Charles Darwin", Sapienza University of Rome, Rome, Italy
| | | | - Monica Ballarino
- Department of Biology and Biotechnologies "Charles Darwin", Sapienza University of Rome, Rome, Italy
| | - Francesco Nicassio
- Center for Genomic Science of Istituto of Italiano di Tecnologia (IIT), Milan, Italy
| | - Pietro Laneve
- Institute of Molecular Biology and Pathology, National Research Council, Rome, Italy
| | - Irene Bozzoni
- Center for Life Nano- & Neuro-Science of Istituto Italiano di Tecnologia (IIT), Rome, Italy.,Department of Biology and Biotechnologies "Charles Darwin", Sapienza University of Rome, Rome, Italy
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42
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Xu J, Huang LJ, Fang Z, Luo HM, Chen YQ, Li YJ, Gong CZ, Chen H. Spinal dI4 Interneuron Differentiation From Human Pluripotent Stem Cells. Front Mol Neurosci 2022; 15:845875. [PMID: 35465095 PMCID: PMC9026311 DOI: 10.3389/fnmol.2022.845875] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 12/30/2021] [Accepted: 03/10/2022] [Indexed: 11/24/2022] Open
Abstract
Spinal interneurons (INs) form intricate local networks in the spinal cord and regulate not only the ascending and descending nerve transduction but also the central pattern generator function. They are therefore potential therapeutic targets in spinal cord injury and diseases. In this study, we devised a reproducible protocol to differentiate human pluripotent stem cells (hPSCs) from enriched spinal dI4 inhibitory GABAergic INs. The protocol is designed based on developmental principles and optimized by using small molecules to maximize its reproducibility. The protocol comprises induction of neuroepithelia, patterning of neuroepithelia to dorsal spinal progenitors, expansion of the progenitors in suspension, and finally differentiation into mature neurons. In particular, we employed both morphogen activators and inhibitors to restrict or “squeeze” the progenitor fate during the stage of neural patterning. We use retinoic acid (RA) which ventralizes cells up to the mid-dorsal region, with cyclopamine (CYC), an SHH inhibitor, to antagonize the ventralization effect of RA, yielding highly enriched dI4 progenitors (90% Ptf1a+, 90.7% Ascl1+). The ability to generate enriched spinal dI4 GABAergicINs will likely facilitate the study of human spinal IN development and regenerative therapies for traumatic injuries and diseases of the spinal cord.
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Affiliation(s)
- Jia Xu
- Department of Rehabilitation, Tongji Hospital, Tongji Medical College, Huazhong University of Science and Technology, Wuhan, China
- Stem Cell Research Center, Tongji Hospital, Tongji Medical College, Huazhong University of Science and Technology, Wuhan, China
| | - Liang-Jiang Huang
- Department of Rehabilitation, Tongji Hospital, Tongji Medical College, Huazhong University of Science and Technology, Wuhan, China
| | - Zhengyu Fang
- Department of Rehabilitation, Tongji Hospital, Tongji Medical College, Huazhong University of Science and Technology, Wuhan, China
| | - Hong-Mei Luo
- Department of Rehabilitation, Tongji Hospital, Tongji Medical College, Huazhong University of Science and Technology, Wuhan, China
| | - Yun-Qiang Chen
- Department of Rehabilitation, Tongji Hospital, Tongji Medical College, Huazhong University of Science and Technology, Wuhan, China
| | - Ya-Jie Li
- Department of Rehabilitation, Tongji Hospital, Tongji Medical College, Huazhong University of Science and Technology, Wuhan, China
- Stem Cell Research Center, Tongji Hospital, Tongji Medical College, Huazhong University of Science and Technology, Wuhan, China
| | - Chen-Zi Gong
- Department of Neurological Rehabilitation, Taihe Hospital, Hubei University of Medicine, Shiyan, China
| | - Hong Chen
- Department of Rehabilitation, Tongji Hospital, Tongji Medical College, Huazhong University of Science and Technology, Wuhan, China
- Stem Cell Research Center, Tongji Hospital, Tongji Medical College, Huazhong University of Science and Technology, Wuhan, China
- *Correspondence: Hong Chen
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43
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Progression in translational research on spinal cord injury based on microenvironment imbalance. Bone Res 2022; 10:35. [PMID: 35396505 PMCID: PMC8993811 DOI: 10.1038/s41413-022-00199-9] [Citation(s) in RCA: 65] [Impact Index Per Article: 32.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 04/03/2021] [Revised: 11/14/2021] [Accepted: 12/22/2021] [Indexed: 02/07/2023] Open
Abstract
Spinal cord injury (SCI) leads to loss of motor and sensory function below the injury level and imposes a considerable burden on patients, families, and society. Repair of the injured spinal cord has been recognized as a global medical challenge for many years. Significant progress has been made in research on the pathological mechanism of spinal cord injury. In particular, with the development of gene regulation, cell sequencing, and cell tracing technologies, in-depth explorations of the SCI microenvironment have become more feasible. However, translational studies related to repair of the injured spinal cord have not yielded significant results. This review summarizes the latest research progress on two aspects of SCI pathology: intraneuronal microenvironment imbalance and regenerative microenvironment imbalance. We also review repair strategies for the injured spinal cord based on microenvironment imbalance, including medications, cell transplantation, exosomes, tissue engineering, cell reprogramming, and rehabilitation. The current state of translational research on SCI and future directions are also discussed. The development of a combined, precise, and multitemporal strategy for repairing the injured spinal cord is a potential future direction.
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Lee JH, Shin H, Shaker MR, Kim HJ, Park SH, Kim JH, Lee N, Kang M, Cho S, Kwak TH, Kim JW, Song MR, Kwon SH, Han DW, Lee S, Choi SY, Rhyu IJ, Kim H, Geum D, Cho IJ, Sun W. Production of human spinal-cord organoids recapitulating neural-tube morphogenesis. Nat Biomed Eng 2022; 6:435-448. [PMID: 35347276 DOI: 10.1038/s41551-022-00868-4] [Citation(s) in RCA: 38] [Impact Index Per Article: 19.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 12/03/2020] [Accepted: 02/15/2022] [Indexed: 12/12/2022]
Abstract
Human spinal-cord-like tissues induced from human pluripotent stem cells are typically insufficiently mature and do not mimic the morphological features of neurulation. Here, we report a three-dimensional culture system and protocol for the production of human spinal-cord-like organoids (hSCOs) recapitulating the neurulation-like tube-forming morphogenesis of the early spinal cord. The hSCOs exhibited neurulation-like tube-forming morphogenesis, cellular differentiation into the major types of spinal-cord neurons as well as glial cells, and mature synaptic functional activities, among other features of the development of the spinal cord. We used the hSCOs to screen for antiepileptic drugs that can cause neural-tube defects. hSCOs may also facilitate the study of the development of the human spinal cord and the modelling of diseases associated with neural-tube defects.
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Affiliation(s)
- Ju-Hyun Lee
- Department of Anatomy, Brain Korea 21 Plus Program for Biomedical Science, Korea University College of Medicine, Seoul, Republic of Korea
| | - Hyogeun Shin
- Center for BioMicrosystems, Brain Science Institute, Korea Institute of Science and Technology (KIST), Seoul, Republic of Korea
| | - Mohammed R Shaker
- Department of Anatomy, Brain Korea 21 Plus Program for Biomedical Science, Korea University College of Medicine, Seoul, Republic of Korea
| | - Hyun Jung Kim
- Department of Anatomy, Brain Korea 21 Plus Program for Biomedical Science, Korea University College of Medicine, Seoul, Republic of Korea
| | - Si-Hyung Park
- Department of Anatomy, Brain Korea 21 Plus Program for Biomedical Science, Korea University College of Medicine, Seoul, Republic of Korea
| | - June Hoan Kim
- Department of Anatomy, Brain Korea 21 Plus Program for Biomedical Science, Korea University College of Medicine, Seoul, Republic of Korea
| | - Namwon Lee
- InterMinds Inc., Seongnam, Republic of Korea
| | - Minjin Kang
- Department of Biomedical Sciences, Korea University College of Medicine, Seoul, Republic of Korea
| | - Subin Cho
- Department of Bio-Information Science, Ewha Womans University, Seoul, Republic of Korea
| | - Tae Hwan Kwak
- Department of Stem Cell Biology, School of Medicine, Konkuk University, Seoul, Republic of Korea
| | - Jong Woon Kim
- Department of Obstetrics and Gynecology, Chonnam National University Medical School, Gwangju, Republic of Korea
| | - Mi-Ryoung Song
- School of Life Sciences, Gwangju Institute of Science and Technology, Gwangju, Republic of Korea
| | - Seung-Hae Kwon
- Seoul Center, Korea Basic Science Institute, Seoul, Republic of Korea
| | - Dong Wook Han
- Department of Stem Cell Biology, School of Medicine, Konkuk University, Seoul, Republic of Korea
| | - Sanghyuk Lee
- Department of Bio-Information Science, Ewha Womans University, Seoul, Republic of Korea.,Department of Life Sciences, Ewha Womans University, Seoul, Republic of Korea
| | - Se-Young Choi
- Department of Physiology, Dental Research Institute, Seoul National University School of Dentistry, Seoul, Republic of Korea
| | - Im Joo Rhyu
- Department of Anatomy, Brain Korea 21 Plus Program for Biomedical Science, Korea University College of Medicine, Seoul, Republic of Korea
| | - Hyun Kim
- Department of Anatomy, Brain Korea 21 Plus Program for Biomedical Science, Korea University College of Medicine, Seoul, Republic of Korea
| | - Dongho Geum
- Department of Biomedical Sciences, Korea University College of Medicine, Seoul, Republic of Korea
| | - Il-Joo Cho
- Center for BioMicrosystems, Brain Science Institute, Korea Institute of Science and Technology (KIST), Seoul, Republic of Korea.,School of Electrical and Electronics Engineering, Yonsei University, Seoul, Republic of Korea
| | - Woong Sun
- Department of Anatomy, Brain Korea 21 Plus Program for Biomedical Science, Korea University College of Medicine, Seoul, Republic of Korea.
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45
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Vargova I, Kriska J, Kwok JCF, Fawcett JW, Jendelova P. Long-Term Cultures of Spinal Cord Interneurons. Front Cell Neurosci 2022; 16:827628. [PMID: 35197829 PMCID: PMC8859857 DOI: 10.3389/fncel.2022.827628] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 12/02/2021] [Accepted: 01/12/2022] [Indexed: 11/25/2022] Open
Abstract
Spinal cord interneurons (SpINs) are highly diverse population of neurons that play a significant role in circuit reorganization and spontaneous recovery after spinal cord injury. Regeneration of SpIN axons across rodent spinal injuries has been demonstrated after modification of the environment and neurotrophin treatment, but development of methods to enhance the intrinsic regenerative ability of SpINs is needed. There is a lack of described in vitro models of spinal cord neurons in which to develop new regeneration treatments. For this reason, we developed a new model of mouse primary spinal cord neuronal culture in which to analyze maturation, morphology, physiology, connectivity and regeneration of identified interneurons. Isolated from E14 mice, the neurons mature over 15 days in vitro, demonstrated by expression of maturity markers, electrophysiological patch-clamp recordings, and formation of synapses. The neurons express markers of SpINs, including Tlx3, Lmx1b, Lbx1, Chx10, and Pax2. The neurons demonstrate distinct morphologies and some form perineuronal nets in long-term cultivation. Live neurons in various maturation stages were axotomized, using a 900 nm multiphoton laser and their fate was observed overnight. The percentage of axons that regenerated declined with neuronal maturity. This model of SpINs will be a valuable tool in future regenerative, developmental, and functional studies alongside existing models using cortical or hippocampal neurons.
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Affiliation(s)
- Ingrid Vargova
- Department of Neuroregeneration, Institute of Experimental Medicine, Czech Academy of Sciences, Prague, Czechia
- Second Faculty of Medicine, Charles University, Prague, Czechia
| | - Jan Kriska
- Department of Cellular Neurophysiology, Institute of Experimental Medicine, Czech Academy of Sciences, Prague, Czechia
| | - Jessica C. F. Kwok
- The Center for Reconstructive Neuroscience, Institute of Experimental Medicine, Czech Academy of Sciences, Prague, Czechia
- Faculty of Biological Sciences, University of Leeds, Leeds, United Kingdom
| | - James W. Fawcett
- The Center for Reconstructive Neuroscience, Institute of Experimental Medicine, Czech Academy of Sciences, Prague, Czechia
- John van Geest Centre for Brain Repair, Department of Clinical Neurosciences, University of Cambridge, Cambridge, United Kingdom
| | - Pavla Jendelova
- Department of Neuroregeneration, Institute of Experimental Medicine, Czech Academy of Sciences, Prague, Czechia
- Second Faculty of Medicine, Charles University, Prague, Czechia
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46
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Belmonte-Mateos C, Pujades C. From Cell States to Cell Fates: How Cell Proliferation and Neuronal Differentiation Are Coordinated During Embryonic Development. Front Neurosci 2022; 15:781160. [PMID: 35046768 PMCID: PMC8761814 DOI: 10.3389/fnins.2021.781160] [Citation(s) in RCA: 10] [Impact Index Per Article: 5.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 09/22/2021] [Accepted: 11/29/2021] [Indexed: 12/24/2022] Open
Abstract
The central nervous system (CNS) exhibits an extraordinary diversity of neurons, with the right cell types and proportions at the appropriate sites. Thus, to produce brains with specific size and cell composition, the rates of proliferation and differentiation must be tightly coordinated and balanced during development. Early on, proliferation dominates; later on, the growth rate almost ceases as more cells differentiate and exit the cell cycle. Generation of cell diversity and morphogenesis takes place concomitantly. In the vertebrate brain, this results in dramatic changes in the position of progenitor cells and their neuronal derivatives, whereas in the spinal cord morphogenetic changes are not so important because the structure mainly grows by increasing its volume. Morphogenesis is under control of specific genetic programs that coordinately unfold over time; however, little is known about how they operate and impact in the pools of progenitor cells in the CNS. Thus, the spatiotemporal coordination of these processes is fundamental for generating functional neuronal networks. Some key aims in developmental neurobiology are to determine how cell diversity arises from pluripotent progenitor cells, and how the progenitor potential changes upon time. In this review, we will share our view on how the advance of new technologies provides novel data that challenge some of the current hypothesis. We will cover some of the latest studies on cell lineage tracing and clonal analyses addressing the role of distinct progenitor cell division modes in balancing the rate of proliferation and differentiation during brain morphogenesis. We will discuss different hypothesis proposed to explain how progenitor cell diversity is generated and how they challenged prevailing concepts and raised new questions.
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Affiliation(s)
- Carla Belmonte-Mateos
- Department of Experimental and Health Sciences, Universitat Pompeu Fabra, Barcelona, Spain
| | - Cristina Pujades
- Department of Experimental and Health Sciences, Universitat Pompeu Fabra, Barcelona, Spain
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47
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Zanganeh PF, Barton SK, Lim K, Qian EL, Crombie DE, Bye CR, Turner BJ. OUP accepted manuscript. Brain Commun 2022; 4:fcac081. [PMID: 35445192 PMCID: PMC9016138 DOI: 10.1093/braincomms/fcac081] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 12/08/2020] [Revised: 12/22/2021] [Accepted: 03/29/2022] [Indexed: 11/30/2022] Open
Abstract
Amyotrophic lateral sclerosis is a late-onset adult neurodegenerative disease, although there is mounting electrophysiological and pathological evidence from patients and animal models for a protracted preclinical period of motor neuron susceptibility and dysfunction, long before clinical diagnosis. The key molecular mechanisms linked to motor neuron vulnerability in amyotrophic lateral sclerosis have been extensively studied using transcriptional profiling in motor neurons isolated from adult mutant superoxide dismutase 1 mice. However, neonatal and embryonic motor neurons from mutant superoxide dismutase 1 mice show abnormal morphology and hyperexcitability, suggesting preceding transcriptional dysregulation. Here, we used RNA sequencing on motor neurons isolated from embryonic superoxide dismutase 1G93A mice to determine the earliest molecular mechanisms conferring neuronal susceptibility and dysfunction known in a mouse model of amyotrophic lateral sclerosis. Transgenic superoxide dismutase 1G93A mice expressing the spinal motor neuron homeobox HB9:green fluorescent protein reporter allowed unambiguous identification and isolation of motor neurons using fluorescence-activated cell sorting. Gene expression profiling of isolated motor neurons revealed transcriptional dysregulation in superoxide dismutase 1G93A mice as early as embryonic Day 12.5 with the majority of differentially expressed genes involved in RNA processing and α-amino-3-hydroxyl-5-methyl-4-isoxazole-propionate-mediated glutamate receptor signalling. We confirmed dysregulation of the α-amino-3-hydroxyl-5-methyl-4-isoxazole-propionate receptor Subunit 2, at transcript and protein levels, in embryonic superoxide dismutase 1G93A mouse motor neurons and human motor neurons derived from amyotrophic lateral sclerosis patient induced pluripotent stem cells harbouring pathogenic superoxide dismutase 1 mutations. Mutant superoxide dismutase 1 induced pluripotent stem cell-derived motor neurons showed greater vulnerability to α-amino-3-hydroxyl-5-methyl-4-isoxazole-propionate-mediated excitotoxicity, consistent with α-amino-3-hydroxyl-5-methyl-4-isoxazole-propionate receptor Subunit 2 downregulation. Thus, α-amino-3-hydroxyl-5-methyl-4-isoxazole-propionate receptor Subunit 2 deficiency leading to enhanced α-amino-3-hydroxyl-5-methyl-4-isoxazole-propionate receptor signalling, calcium influx, hyperexcitability, and chronic excitotoxicity is a very early and intrinsic property of spinal motor neurons that may trigger amyotrophic lateral sclerosis pathogenesis later in life. This study reinforces the concept of therapeutic targeting of hyperexcitability and excitotoxicity as potential disease-modifying approaches for amyotrophic lateral sclerosis.
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Affiliation(s)
- Pardis F. Zanganeh
- The Florey Institute of Neuroscience and Mental Health, University of Melbourne, Melbourne, VIC 3052, Australia
| | - Samantha K. Barton
- The Florey Institute of Neuroscience and Mental Health, University of Melbourne, Melbourne, VIC 3052, Australia
| | - Katherine Lim
- The Florey Institute of Neuroscience and Mental Health, University of Melbourne, Melbourne, VIC 3052, Australia
| | - Elizabeth L. Qian
- The Florey Institute of Neuroscience and Mental Health, University of Melbourne, Melbourne, VIC 3052, Australia
| | - Duncan E. Crombie
- The Florey Institute of Neuroscience and Mental Health, University of Melbourne, Melbourne, VIC 3052, Australia
| | - Christopher R. Bye
- The Florey Institute of Neuroscience and Mental Health, University of Melbourne, Melbourne, VIC 3052, Australia
- Correspondence may also be addressed to: Christopher Bye E-mail:
| | - Bradley J. Turner
- The Florey Institute of Neuroscience and Mental Health, University of Melbourne, Melbourne, VIC 3052, Australia
- The Perron Institute for Neurological and Translational Science, Queen Elizabeth Medical Centre, Nedlands, WA 6150, Australia
- Correspondence to: Bradley Turner Florey Institute of Neuroscience and Mental Health 30 Royal Parade University of Melbourne Parkville, VIC 3052 Australia E-mail:
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Iglesias González AB, Jakobsson JET, Vieillard J, Lagerström MC, Kullander K, Boije H. Single Cell Transcriptomic Analysis of Spinal Dmrt3 Neurons in Zebrafish and Mouse Identifies Distinct Subtypes and Reveal Novel Subpopulations Within the dI6 Domain. Front Cell Neurosci 2021; 15:781197. [PMID: 35002627 PMCID: PMC8733252 DOI: 10.3389/fncel.2021.781197] [Citation(s) in RCA: 9] [Impact Index Per Article: 3.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 09/22/2021] [Accepted: 11/15/2021] [Indexed: 11/15/2022] Open
Abstract
The spinal locomotor network is frequently used for studies into how neuronal circuits are formed and how cellular activity shape behavioral patterns. A population of dI6 interneurons, marked by the Doublesex and mab-3 related transcription factor 3 (Dmrt3), has been shown to participate in the coordination of locomotion and gaits in horses, mice and zebrafish. Analyses of Dmrt3 neurons based on morphology, functionality and the expression of transcription factors have identified different subtypes. Here we analyzed the transcriptomes of individual cells belonging to the Dmrt3 lineage from zebrafish and mice to unravel the molecular code that underlies their subfunctionalization. Indeed, clustering of Dmrt3 neurons based on their gene expression verified known subtypes and revealed novel populations expressing unique markers. Differences in birth order, differential expression of axon guidance genes, neurotransmitters, and their receptors, as well as genes affecting electrophysiological properties, were identified as factors likely underlying diversity. In addition, the comparison between fish and mice populations offers insights into the evolutionary driven subspecialization concomitant with the emergence of limbed locomotion.
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Affiliation(s)
| | | | | | | | | | - Henrik Boije
- Department of Neuroscience, Uppsala University, Uppsala, Sweden
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49
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Deng L, Ravenscraft B, Xu XM. Exploring propriospinal neuron-mediated neural circuit plasticity using recombinant viruses after spinal cord injury. Exp Neurol 2021; 349:113962. [PMID: 34953895 DOI: 10.1016/j.expneurol.2021.113962] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 06/07/2021] [Revised: 12/16/2021] [Accepted: 12/19/2021] [Indexed: 11/04/2022]
Abstract
Propriospinal neurons (PSNs) play a crucial role in motor control and sensory processing and contribute to plastic reorganization of spinal circuits responsible for recovery from spinal cord injury (SCI). Due to their scattered distribution and various intersegmental projection patterns, it is challenging to dissect the function of PSNs within the neuronal network. New genetically encoded tools, particularly cell-type-specific transgene expression methods using recombinant viral vectors combined with other genetic, pharmacologic, and optogenetic approaches, have enormous potential for visualizing PSNs in the neuronal circuits and monitoring and manipulating their activity. Furthermore, recombinant viral tools have been utilized to promote the intrinsic regenerative capacities of PSNs, towards manipulating the 'hostile' microenvironment for improving functional regeneration of PSNs. Here we summarize the latest development in this fast-moving field and provide a perspective for using this technology to dissect PSN physiological role in contributing to recovery of function after SCI.
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Affiliation(s)
- Lingxiao Deng
- Spinal Cord and Brain Injury Research Group, Stark Neurosciences Research Institute, Indiana University School of Medicine, Indianapolis, IN 46202, United States; Department of Neurological Surgery, Indiana University School of Medicine, Indianapolis, IN 46202, United States
| | - Baylen Ravenscraft
- Spinal Cord and Brain Injury Research Group, Stark Neurosciences Research Institute, Indiana University School of Medicine, Indianapolis, IN 46202, United States
| | - Xiao-Ming Xu
- Spinal Cord and Brain Injury Research Group, Stark Neurosciences Research Institute, Indiana University School of Medicine, Indianapolis, IN 46202, United States; Department of Neurological Surgery, Indiana University School of Medicine, Indianapolis, IN 46202, United States.
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50
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Direct neuronal reprogramming: Fast forward from new concepts toward therapeutic approaches. Neuron 2021; 110:366-393. [PMID: 34921778 DOI: 10.1016/j.neuron.2021.11.023] [Citation(s) in RCA: 37] [Impact Index Per Article: 12.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 08/10/2021] [Revised: 10/25/2021] [Accepted: 11/19/2021] [Indexed: 12/21/2022]
Abstract
Differentiated cells have long been considered fixed in their identity. However, about 20 years ago, the first direct conversion of glial cells into neurons in vitro opened the field of "direct neuronal reprogramming." Since then, neuronal reprogramming has achieved the generation of fully functional, mature neurons with remarkable efficiency, even in diseased brain environments. Beyond their clinical implications, these discoveries provided basic insights into crucial mechanisms underlying conversion of specific cell types into neurons and maintenance of neuronal identity. Here we discuss such principles, including the importance of the starter cell for shaping the outcome of neuronal reprogramming. We further highlight technical concerns for in vivo reprogramming and propose a code of conduct to avoid artifacts and pitfalls. We end by pointing out next challenges for development of less invasive cell replacement therapies for humans.
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