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Massih B, Veh A, Schenke M, Mungwa S, Seeger B, Selvaraj BT, Chandran S, Reinhardt P, Sterneckert J, Hermann A, Sendtner M, Lüningschrör P. A 3D cell culture system for bioengineering human neuromuscular junctions to model ALS. Front Cell Dev Biol 2023; 11:996952. [PMID: 36866276 PMCID: PMC9973451 DOI: 10.3389/fcell.2023.996952] [Citation(s) in RCA: 5] [Impact Index Per Article: 5.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 07/18/2022] [Accepted: 01/16/2023] [Indexed: 02/16/2023] Open
Abstract
The signals that coordinate and control movement in vertebrates are transmitted from motoneurons (MNs) to their target muscle cells at neuromuscular junctions (NMJs). Human NMJs display unique structural and physiological features, which make them vulnerable to pathological processes. NMJs are an early target in the pathology of motoneuron diseases (MND). Synaptic dysfunction and synapse elimination precede MN loss suggesting that the NMJ is the starting point of the pathophysiological cascade leading to MN death. Therefore, the study of human MNs in health and disease requires cell culture systems that enable the connection to their target muscle cells for NMJ formation. Here, we present a human neuromuscular co-culture system consisting of induced pluripotent stem cell (iPSC)-derived MNs and 3D skeletal muscle tissue derived from myoblasts. We used self-microfabricated silicone dishes combined with Velcro hooks to support the formation of 3D muscle tissue in a defined extracellular matrix, which enhances NMJ function and maturity. Using a combination of immunohistochemistry, calcium imaging, and pharmacological stimulations, we characterized and confirmed the function of the 3D muscle tissue and the 3D neuromuscular co-cultures. Finally, we applied this system as an in vitro model to study the pathophysiology of Amyotrophic Lateral Sclerosis (ALS) and found a decrease in neuromuscular coupling and muscle contraction in co-cultures with MNs harboring ALS-linked SOD1 mutation. In summary, the human 3D neuromuscular cell culture system presented here recapitulates aspects of human physiology in a controlled in vitro setting and is suitable for modeling of MND.
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Affiliation(s)
- Bita Massih
- Institute of Clinical Neurobiology, University Hospital Würzburg, Würzburg, Germany
| | - Alexander Veh
- Institute of Clinical Neurobiology, University Hospital Würzburg, Würzburg, Germany
| | - Maren Schenke
- Institute for Food Quality and Safety, Research Group Food Toxicology and Alternative/Complementary Methods to Animal Experiments, University of Veterinary Medicine Hannover, Hannover, Germany
| | - Simon Mungwa
- Institute of Clinical Neurobiology, University Hospital Würzburg, Würzburg, Germany
| | - Bettina Seeger
- Institute for Food Quality and Safety, Research Group Food Toxicology and Alternative/Complementary Methods to Animal Experiments, University of Veterinary Medicine Hannover, Hannover, Germany
| | - Bhuvaneish T. Selvaraj
- Centre for Clinical Brain Sciences, University of Edinburgh, Edinburgh, United Kingdom
- UK Dementia Research Institute at University of Edinburgh, University of Edinburgh, Edinburgh, United Kingdom
- Anne Rowling Regenerative Neurology Clinic, University of Edinburgh, Edinburgh, United Kingdom
| | - Siddharthan Chandran
- Centre for Clinical Brain Sciences, University of Edinburgh, Edinburgh, United Kingdom
- UK Dementia Research Institute at University of Edinburgh, University of Edinburgh, Edinburgh, United Kingdom
- Anne Rowling Regenerative Neurology Clinic, University of Edinburgh, Edinburgh, United Kingdom
| | - Peter Reinhardt
- Center for Regenerative Therapies Dresden, Technische Universität Dresden, Dresden, Germany
| | - Jared Sterneckert
- Center for Regenerative Therapies Dresden, Technische Universität Dresden, Dresden, Germany
- Medical Faculty Carl Gustav Carus of TU Dresden, Dresden, Germany
| | - Andreas Hermann
- Translational Neurodegeneration Section “Albrecht-Kossel”, Department of Neurology, University Medical Center Rostock, Rostock, Germany
- Center for Transdisciplinary Neurosciences Rostock, University Medical Center Rostock, Rostock, Germany
- Deutsches Zentrum für Neurodegenerative Erkrankungen (DZNE) Rostock/Greifswald, Rostock, Germany
| | - Michael Sendtner
- Institute of Clinical Neurobiology, University Hospital Würzburg, Würzburg, Germany
| | - Patrick Lüningschrör
- Institute of Clinical Neurobiology, University Hospital Würzburg, Würzburg, Germany
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Brenner D, Sieverding K, Bruno C, Lüningschrör P, Buck E, Mungwa S, Fischer L, Brockmann SJ, Ulmer J, Bliederhäuser C, Philibert CE, Satoh T, Akira S, Boillée S, Mayer B, Sendtner M, Ludolph AC, Danzer KM, Lobsiger CS, Freischmidt A, Weishaupt JH. Heterozygous Tbk1 loss has opposing effects in early and late stages of ALS in mice. J Exp Med 2019; 216:267-278. [PMID: 30635357 PMCID: PMC6363427 DOI: 10.1084/jem.20180729] [Citation(s) in RCA: 44] [Impact Index Per Article: 8.8] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 04/18/2018] [Revised: 10/24/2018] [Accepted: 11/28/2018] [Indexed: 12/11/2022] Open
Abstract
Heterozygous loss-of-function mutations of TANK-binding kinase 1 (TBK1 ) cause familial ALS, yet downstream mechanisms of TBK1 mutations remained elusive. TBK1 is a pleiotropic kinase involved in the regulation of selective autophagy and inflammation. We show that heterozygous Tbk1 deletion alone does not lead to signs of motoneuron degeneration or disturbed autophagy in mice during a 200-d observation period. Surprisingly, however, hemizygous deletion of Tbk1 inversely modulates early and late disease phases in mice additionally overexpressing ALS-linked SOD1G93A , which represents a "second hit" that induces both neuroinflammation and proteostatic dysregulation. At the early stage, heterozygous Tbk1 deletion impairs autophagy in motoneurons and prepones both the clinical onset and muscular denervation in SOD1G93A/Tbk1+/- mice. At the late disease stage, however, it significantly alleviates microglial neuroinflammation, decelerates disease progression, and extends survival. Our results indicate a profound effect of TBK1 on brain inflammatory cells under pro-inflammatory conditions and point to a complex, two-edged role of TBK1 in SOD1-linked ALS.
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Affiliation(s)
- David Brenner
- Department of Neurology, University of Ulm, Ulm, Germany
| | | | - Clara Bruno
- Department of Neurology, University of Ulm, Ulm, Germany
| | - Patrick Lüningschrör
- Institute of Clinical Neurobiology, University Hospital of Wuerzburg, Wuerzburg, Germany
| | - Eva Buck
- Department of Neurology, University of Ulm, Ulm, Germany
| | - Simon Mungwa
- Institute of Clinical Neurobiology, University Hospital of Wuerzburg, Wuerzburg, Germany
| | - Lena Fischer
- Department of Neurology, University of Ulm, Ulm, Germany
| | | | - Johannes Ulmer
- Department of Neurology, University of Ulm, Ulm, Germany
| | | | - Clémentine E Philibert
- Institut du Cerveau et de la Moelle Épinière, Institut National de la Santé et de la Recherche Médicale Unité 1127, Centre National de la Recherche Scientifique, Unité Mixte de Recherche 7225, Sorbonne Université, Paris, France
| | - Takashi Satoh
- Department of Host Defense, Research Institute for Microbial Diseases, Osaka University, Osaka, Japan
| | - Shizuo Akira
- Department of Host Defense, Research Institute for Microbial Diseases, Osaka University, Osaka, Japan
| | - Séverine Boillée
- Institut du Cerveau et de la Moelle Épinière, Institut National de la Santé et de la Recherche Médicale Unité 1127, Centre National de la Recherche Scientifique, Unité Mixte de Recherche 7225, Sorbonne Université, Paris, France
| | - Benjamin Mayer
- Institute of Epidemiology and Medical Biometry, Ulm University, Ulm, Germany
| | - Michael Sendtner
- Institute of Clinical Neurobiology, University Hospital of Wuerzburg, Wuerzburg, Germany
| | | | - Karin M Danzer
- Department of Neurology, University of Ulm, Ulm, Germany
| | - Christian S Lobsiger
- Institut du Cerveau et de la Moelle Épinière, Institut National de la Santé et de la Recherche Médicale Unité 1127, Centre National de la Recherche Scientifique, Unité Mixte de Recherche 7225, Sorbonne Université, Paris, France
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