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Bergmans S, Noel NCL, Masin L, Harding EG, Krzywańska AM, De Schutter JD, Ayana R, Hu CK, Arckens L, Ruzycki PA, MacDonald RB, Clark BS, Moons L. Age-related dysregulation of the retinal transcriptome in African turquoise killifish. Aging Cell 2024:e14192. [PMID: 38742929 DOI: 10.1111/acel.14192] [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: 03/06/2024] [Revised: 04/19/2024] [Accepted: 04/22/2024] [Indexed: 05/16/2024] Open
Abstract
Age-related vision loss caused by retinal neurodegenerative pathologies is becoming more prevalent in our ageing society. To understand the physiological and molecular impact of ageing on retinal homeostasis, we used the short-lived African turquoise killifish, a model known to naturally develop central nervous system (CNS) ageing hallmarks and vision loss. Bulk and single-cell RNA-sequencing (scRNAseq) of three age groups (6-, 12-, and 18-week-old) identified transcriptional ageing fingerprints in the killifish retina, unveiling pathways also identified in the aged brain, including oxidative stress, gliosis, and inflammageing. These findings were comparable to observations in the ageing mouse retina. Additionally, transcriptional changes in genes related to retinal diseases, such as glaucoma and age-related macular degeneration, were observed. The cellular heterogeneity in the killifish retina was characterized, confirming the presence of all typical vertebrate retinal cell types. Data integration from age-matched samples between the bulk and scRNAseq experiments revealed a loss of cellular specificity in gene expression upon ageing, suggesting potential disruption in transcriptional homeostasis. Differential expression analysis within the identified cell types highlighted the role of glial/immune cells as important stress regulators during ageing. Our work emphasizes the value of the fast-ageing killifish in elucidating molecular signatures in age-associated retinal disease and vision decline. This study contributes to the understanding of how age-related changes in molecular pathways may impact CNS health, providing insights that may inform future therapeutic strategies for age-related pathologies.
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Affiliation(s)
- Steven Bergmans
- Department of Biology, Animal Physiology and Neurobiology Division, Neural Circuit Development & Regeneration Research Group, KU Leuven, Leuven Brain Institute, Leuven, Belgium
| | - Nicole C L Noel
- University College London, Institute of Ophthalmology, London, UK
| | - Luca Masin
- Department of Biology, Animal Physiology and Neurobiology Division, Neural Circuit Development & Regeneration Research Group, KU Leuven, Leuven Brain Institute, Leuven, Belgium
| | - Ellen G Harding
- John F Hardesty, MD Department of Ophthalmology and Visual Sciences, Washington University School of Medicine, Saint Louis, Missouri, USA
| | | | - Julie D De Schutter
- Department of Biology, Animal Physiology and Neurobiology Division, Neural Circuit Development & Regeneration Research Group, KU Leuven, Leuven Brain Institute, Leuven, Belgium
| | - Rajagopal Ayana
- Department of Biology, Animal Physiology and Neurobiology Section, Laboratory of Neuroplasticity and Neuroproteomics, KU Leuven, Leuven Brain Institute, Leuven, Belgium
| | - Chi-Kuo Hu
- Department of Biochemistry and Cell Biology, Stony Brook University, Stony Brook, USA
| | - Lut Arckens
- Department of Biology, Animal Physiology and Neurobiology Section, Laboratory of Neuroplasticity and Neuroproteomics, KU Leuven, Leuven Brain Institute, Leuven, Belgium
| | - Philip A Ruzycki
- John F Hardesty, MD Department of Ophthalmology and Visual Sciences, Washington University School of Medicine, Saint Louis, Missouri, USA
- Department of Genetics, Washington University School of Medicine, Saint Louis, Missouri, USA
| | - Ryan B MacDonald
- University College London, Institute of Ophthalmology, London, UK
| | - Brian S Clark
- John F Hardesty, MD Department of Ophthalmology and Visual Sciences, Washington University School of Medicine, Saint Louis, Missouri, USA
- Department of Developmental Biology, Washington University School of Medicine, Saint Louis, Missouri, USA
- Center of Regenerative Medicine, Center of Regenerative Medicine, Washington University School of Medicine, Saint Louis, Missouri, USA
| | - Lieve Moons
- Department of Biology, Animal Physiology and Neurobiology Division, Neural Circuit Development & Regeneration Research Group, KU Leuven, Leuven Brain Institute, Leuven, Belgium
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2
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Pang JJ. The Variety of Mechanosensitive Ion Channels in Retinal Neurons. Int J Mol Sci 2024; 25:4877. [PMID: 38732096 PMCID: PMC11084373 DOI: 10.3390/ijms25094877] [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: 02/27/2024] [Revised: 04/16/2024] [Accepted: 04/20/2024] [Indexed: 05/13/2024] Open
Abstract
Alterations in intraocular and external pressure critically involve the pathogenesis of glaucoma, traumatic retinal injury (TRI), and other retinal disorders, and retinal neurons have been reported to express multiple mechanical-sensitive channels (MSCs) in recent decades. However, the role of MSCs in visual functions and pressure-related retinal conditions has been unclear. This review will focus on the variety and functional significance of the MSCs permeable to K+, Na+, and Ca2+, primarily including the big potassium channel (BK); the two-pore domain potassium channels TRAAK and TREK; Piezo; the epithelial sodium channel (ENaC); and the transient receptor potential channels vanilloid TRPV1, TRPV2, and TRPV4 in retinal photoreceptors, bipolar cells, horizontal cells, amacrine cells, and ganglion cells. Most MSCs do not directly mediate visual signals in vertebrate retinas. On the other hand, some studies have shown that MSCs can open in physiological conditions and regulate the activities of retinal neurons. While these data reasonably predict the crossing of visual and mechanical signals, how retinal light pathways deal with endogenous and exogenous mechanical stimulation is uncertain.
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Affiliation(s)
- Ji-Jie Pang
- Department of Ophthalmology, Baylor College of Medicine, Houston, TX 77030, USA
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Liu WW, Kinzy TG, Cooke Bailey JN, Xu Z, Hysi P, Wiggs JL. Mechanosensitive ion channel gene survey suggests potential roles in primary open angle glaucoma. Sci Rep 2023; 13:15871. [PMID: 37741866 PMCID: PMC10517927 DOI: 10.1038/s41598-023-43072-3] [Citation(s) in RCA: 3] [Impact Index Per Article: 3.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 05/22/2023] [Accepted: 09/18/2023] [Indexed: 09/25/2023] Open
Abstract
Although glaucoma is a disease modulated by eye pressure, the mechanisms of pressure sensing in the eye are not well understood. Here, we investigated associations between mechanosensitive ion channel gene variants and primary open-angle glaucoma (POAG). Common (minor allele frequency > 5%) single nucleotide polymorphisms located within the genomic regions of 20 mechanosensitive ion channel genes in the K2P, TMEM63, PIEZO and TRP channel families were assessed using genotype data from the NEIGHBORHOOD consortium of 3853 cases and 33,480 controls. Rare (minor allele frequency < 1%) coding variants were assessed using exome array genotyping data for 2606 cases and 2606 controls. Association with POAG was analyzed using logistic regression adjusting for age and sex. Two rare PIEZO1 coding variants with protective effects were identified in the NEIGHBOR dataset: R1527H, (OR 0.17, P = 0.0018) and a variant that alters a canonical splice donor site, g.16-88737727-C-G Hg38 (OR 0.38, P = 0.02). Both variants showed similar effects in the UK Biobank and the R1527H also in the FinnGen database. Several common variants also reached study-specific thresholds for association in the NEIGHBORHOOD dataset. These results identify novel variants in several mechanosensitive channel genes that show associations with POAG, suggesting that these channels may be potential therapeutic targets.
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Affiliation(s)
- Wendy W Liu
- Spencer Center for Vision Research, Byers Eye Institute, Stanford University School of Medicine, 2370 Watson Court, Palo Alto, CA, 94303, USA.
| | - Tyler G Kinzy
- Department of Population and Quantitative Health Sciences, Cleveland Institute for Computational Biology, Case Western Reserve University, Cleveland, OH, USA
| | - Jessica N Cooke Bailey
- Department of Population and Quantitative Health Sciences, Cleveland Institute for Computational Biology, Case Western Reserve University, Cleveland, OH, USA
| | - Zihe Xu
- Department of Ophthalmology, King's College London, St. Thomas' Hospital, London, UK
| | - Pirro Hysi
- Department of Ophthalmology, King's College London, St. Thomas' Hospital, London, UK
- Department of Twin Research and Genetic Epidemiology, King's College London, St. Thomas' Hospital, London, UK
| | - Janey L Wiggs
- Massachusetts Eye and Ear, Harvard Medical School Boston, Boston, MA, USA
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Gasińska K, Czop M, Kosior-Jarecka E, Wróbel-Dudzińska D, Kocki J, Żarnowski T. Small Nucleolar RNAs in Pseudoexfoliation Glaucoma. Cells 2022; 11:cells11172738. [PMID: 36078146 PMCID: PMC9454646 DOI: 10.3390/cells11172738] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 07/22/2022] [Revised: 08/24/2022] [Accepted: 08/31/2022] [Indexed: 11/16/2022] Open
Abstract
Small nucleolar RNAs (snoRNAs) are small non-coding regulatory RNAs that have been investigated extensively in recent years. However, the relationship between snoRNA and glaucoma is still unknown. This study aims to analyze the levels of snoRNA expression in the aqueous humor (AH) of patients with pseudoexfoliation glaucoma (PEXG) compared to a control group and identify hypothetical snoRNA-dependent mechanisms contributing to PEXG. The AH was obtained from eighteen Caucasian patients, comprising nine PEXG and nine age-matched control patients. RNA was isolated, and a microarray system was used to determine the snoRNA expression profiles. Functional and enrichment analyses were performed. We identified seven snoRNAs, SNORD73B, SNORD58A, SNORD56, SNORA77, SNORA72, SNORA64, and SNORA32, in the AH of the PEXG and control group patients. Five snoRNAs showed statistically significantly lower expression in the PEXG group, and two snoRNAs had statistically significantly higher expression in the PEXG group compared to the control group. In addition, we identified two factors-CACNB3 for SNORA64 and TMEM63C for SNORA32, similar to PEX-related genes (CACNA1A and TMEM136). The enrichment analysis for four genes targeted by snoRNAs revealed possible mechanisms associated with glaucoma and/or PEX, but the direct role of snoRNAs in these biological processes was not proven.
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Affiliation(s)
- Karolina Gasińska
- Department of Diagnostics and Microsurgery of Glaucoma, Medical University of Lublin, 20-079 Lublin, Poland
| | - Marcin Czop
- Department of Clinical Genetics, Medical University of Lublin, 20-080 Lublin, Poland
| | - Ewa Kosior-Jarecka
- Department of Diagnostics and Microsurgery of Glaucoma, Medical University of Lublin, 20-079 Lublin, Poland
- Correspondence:
| | - Dominika Wróbel-Dudzińska
- Department of Diagnostics and Microsurgery of Glaucoma, Medical University of Lublin, 20-079 Lublin, Poland
| | - Janusz Kocki
- Department of Clinical Genetics, Medical University of Lublin, 20-080 Lublin, Poland
| | - Tomasz Żarnowski
- Department of Diagnostics and Microsurgery of Glaucoma, Medical University of Lublin, 20-079 Lublin, Poland
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