1
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Ulicevic J, Shao Z, Jasnovidova O, Bressin A, Gajos M, Ng AH, Annaldasula S, Meierhofer D, Church GM, Busskamp V, Mayer A. Uncovering the dynamics and consequences of RNA isoform changes during neuronal differentiation. Mol Syst Biol 2024:10.1038/s44320-024-00039-4. [PMID: 38755290 DOI: 10.1038/s44320-024-00039-4] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 10/20/2023] [Revised: 04/16/2024] [Accepted: 04/18/2024] [Indexed: 05/18/2024] Open
Abstract
Static gene expression programs have been extensively characterized in stem cells and mature human cells. However, the dynamics of RNA isoform changes upon cell-state-transitions during cell differentiation, the determinants and functional consequences have largely remained unclear. Here, we established an improved model for human neurogenesis in vitro that is amenable for systems-wide analyses of gene expression. Our multi-omics analysis reveals that the pronounced alterations in cell morphology correlate strongly with widespread changes in RNA isoform expression. Our approach identifies thousands of new RNA isoforms that are expressed at distinct differentiation stages. RNA isoforms mainly arise from exon skipping and the alternative usage of transcription start and polyadenylation sites during human neurogenesis. The transcript isoform changes can remodel the identity and functions of protein isoforms. Finally, our study identifies a set of RNA binding proteins as a potential determinant of differentiation stage-specific global isoform changes. This work supports the view of regulated isoform changes that underlie state-transitions during neurogenesis.
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Affiliation(s)
- Jelena Ulicevic
- Otto-Warburg-Laboratory, Max Planck Institute for Molecular Genetics, Berlin, Germany
- Department of Biology, Chemistry and Pharmacy, Freie Universität Berlin, Berlin, Germany
| | - Zhihao Shao
- Otto-Warburg-Laboratory, Max Planck Institute for Molecular Genetics, Berlin, Germany
- Department of Mathematics and Computer Science, Freie Universität Berlin, Berlin, Germany
| | - Olga Jasnovidova
- Otto-Warburg-Laboratory, Max Planck Institute for Molecular Genetics, Berlin, Germany
| | - Annkatrin Bressin
- Otto-Warburg-Laboratory, Max Planck Institute for Molecular Genetics, Berlin, Germany
| | - Martyna Gajos
- Otto-Warburg-Laboratory, Max Planck Institute for Molecular Genetics, Berlin, Germany
- Department of Mathematics and Computer Science, Freie Universität Berlin, Berlin, Germany
| | - Alex Hm Ng
- Department of Genetics, Blavatnik Institute, Harvard Medical School, Boston, USA
- Wyss Institute for Biologically Inspired Engineering at Harvard University, Boston, USA
| | - Siddharth Annaldasula
- Otto-Warburg-Laboratory, Max Planck Institute for Molecular Genetics, Berlin, Germany
| | - David Meierhofer
- Mass Spectrometry Facility, Max Planck Institute for Molecular Genetics, Berlin, Germany
| | - George M Church
- Department of Genetics, Blavatnik Institute, Harvard Medical School, Boston, USA
- Wyss Institute for Biologically Inspired Engineering at Harvard University, Boston, USA
| | - Volker Busskamp
- Department of Ophthalmology, University Hospital Bonn, Medical Faculty, Bonn, Germany
| | - Andreas Mayer
- Otto-Warburg-Laboratory, Max Planck Institute for Molecular Genetics, Berlin, Germany.
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2
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Podoliak E, Lamm GHU, Marin E, Schellbach AV, Fedotov DA, Stetsenko A, Asido M, Maliar N, Bourenkov G, Balandin T, Baeken C, Astashkin R, Schneider TR, Bateman A, Wachtveitl J, Schapiro I, Busskamp V, Guskov A, Gordeliy V, Alekseev A, Kovalev K. A subgroup of light-driven sodium pumps with an additional Schiff base counterion. Nat Commun 2024; 15:3119. [PMID: 38600129 PMCID: PMC11006869 DOI: 10.1038/s41467-024-47469-0] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 10/12/2023] [Accepted: 04/01/2024] [Indexed: 04/12/2024] Open
Abstract
Light-driven sodium pumps (NaRs) are unique ion-transporting microbial rhodopsins. The major group of NaRs is characterized by an NDQ motif and has two aspartic acid residues in the central region essential for sodium transport. Here we identify a subgroup of the NDQ rhodopsins bearing an additional glutamic acid residue in the close vicinity to the retinal Schiff base. We thoroughly characterize a member of this subgroup, namely the protein ErNaR from Erythrobacter sp. HL-111 and show that the additional glutamic acid results in almost complete loss of pH sensitivity for sodium-pumping activity, which is in contrast to previously studied NaRs. ErNaR is capable of transporting sodium efficiently even at acidic pH levels. X-ray crystallography and single particle cryo-electron microscopy reveal that the additional glutamic acid residue mediates the connection between the other two Schiff base counterions and strongly interacts with the aspartic acid of the characteristic NDQ motif. Hence, it reduces its pKa. Our findings shed light on a subgroup of NaRs and might serve as a basis for their rational optimization for optogenetics.
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Affiliation(s)
- E Podoliak
- Department of Ophthalmology, University Hospital Bonn, Medical Faculty, Bonn, Germany
| | - G H U Lamm
- Institute of Physical and Theoretical Chemistry, Goethe University Frankfurt, 60438, Frankfurt am Main, Germany
| | - E Marin
- Groningen Institute for Biomolecular Sciences and Biotechnology, University of Groningen, 9747AG, Groningen, the Netherlands
| | - A V Schellbach
- Institute of Physical and Theoretical Chemistry, Goethe University Frankfurt, 60438, Frankfurt am Main, Germany
- School of Chemistry, University of Edinburgh, Edinburgh, EH9 3FJ, UK
| | - D A Fedotov
- Fritz Haber Center for Molecular Dynamics Research, Institute of Chemistry, The Hebrew University of Jerusalem, Jerusalem, 9190401, Israel
| | - A Stetsenko
- Groningen Institute for Biomolecular Sciences and Biotechnology, University of Groningen, 9747AG, Groningen, the Netherlands
| | - M Asido
- Institute of Physical and Theoretical Chemistry, Goethe University Frankfurt, 60438, Frankfurt am Main, Germany
| | - N Maliar
- Department of Biochemistry, University of Cambridge, 80 Tennis Court Road, Cambridge, CB2 1GA, UK
| | - G Bourenkov
- European Molecular Biology Laboratory, EMBL Hamburg c/o DESY, 22607, Hamburg, Germany
| | - T Balandin
- Institute of Biological Information Processing (IBI-7: Structural Biochemistry), Forschungszentrum Jülich, Jülich, Germany
- JuStruct: Jülich Center for Structural Biology, Forschungszentrum Jülich, Jülich, Germany
| | - C Baeken
- Institute of Biological Information Processing (IBI-7: Structural Biochemistry), Forschungszentrum Jülich, Jülich, Germany
- JuStruct: Jülich Center for Structural Biology, Forschungszentrum Jülich, Jülich, Germany
| | - R Astashkin
- Univ. Grenoble Alpes, CEA, CNRS, Institut de Biologie Structurale (IBS), 38000, Grenoble, France
| | - T R Schneider
- European Molecular Biology Laboratory, EMBL Hamburg c/o DESY, 22607, Hamburg, Germany
| | - A Bateman
- European Molecular Biology Laboratory, European Bioinformatics Institute (EMBL-EBI), Wellcome Genome Campus, Hinxton, UK
| | - J Wachtveitl
- Institute of Physical and Theoretical Chemistry, Goethe University Frankfurt, 60438, Frankfurt am Main, Germany
| | - I Schapiro
- Fritz Haber Center for Molecular Dynamics Research, Institute of Chemistry, The Hebrew University of Jerusalem, Jerusalem, 9190401, Israel
| | - V Busskamp
- Department of Ophthalmology, University Hospital Bonn, Medical Faculty, Bonn, Germany
| | - A Guskov
- Groningen Institute for Biomolecular Sciences and Biotechnology, University of Groningen, 9747AG, Groningen, the Netherlands
| | - V Gordeliy
- Institute of Biological Information Processing (IBI-7: Structural Biochemistry), Forschungszentrum Jülich, Jülich, Germany
- JuStruct: Jülich Center for Structural Biology, Forschungszentrum Jülich, Jülich, Germany
- Univ. Grenoble Alpes, CEA, CNRS, Institut de Biologie Structurale (IBS), 38000, Grenoble, France
| | - A Alekseev
- University Medical Center Göttingen, Institute for Auditory Neuroscience and InnerEarLab, Robert-Koch-Str. 40, 37075, Göttingen, Germany.
- Cluster of Excellence "Multiscale Bioimaging: from Molecular Machines to Networks of Excitable Cells" (MBExC), University of Göttingen, Göttingen, Germany.
| | - K Kovalev
- European Molecular Biology Laboratory, EMBL Hamburg c/o DESY, 22607, Hamburg, Germany.
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3
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Yu Q, Walters HE, Pasquini G, Pal Singh S, Lachnit M, Oliveira CR, León-Periñán D, Petzold A, Kesavan P, Subiran Adrados C, Garteizgogeascoa I, Knapp D, Wagner A, Bernardos A, Alfonso M, Nadar G, Graf AM, Troyanovskiy KE, Dahl A, Busskamp V, Martínez-Máñez R, Yun MH. Cellular senescence promotes progenitor cell expansion during axolotl limb regeneration. Dev Cell 2023; 58:2416-2427.e7. [PMID: 37879337 DOI: 10.1016/j.devcel.2023.09.009] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 08/04/2022] [Revised: 04/25/2023] [Accepted: 09/29/2023] [Indexed: 10/27/2023]
Abstract
Axolotl limb regeneration is accompanied by the transient induction of cellular senescence within the blastema, the structure that nucleates regeneration. The precise role of this blastemal senescent cell (bSC) population, however, remains unknown. Here, through a combination of gain- and loss-of-function assays, we elucidate the functions and molecular features of cellular senescence in vivo. We demonstrate that cellular senescence plays a positive role during axolotl regeneration by creating a pro-proliferative niche that supports progenitor cell expansion and blastema outgrowth. Senescent cells impact their microenvironment via Wnt pathway modulation. Further, we identify a link between Wnt signaling and senescence induction and propose that bSC-derived Wnt signals facilitate the proliferation of neighboring cells in part by preventing their induction into senescence. This work defines the roles of cellular senescence in the regeneration of complex structures.
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Affiliation(s)
- Qinghao Yu
- Technische Universität Dresden, CRTD/Center for Regenerative Therapies Dresden, Dresden, Germany
| | - Hannah E Walters
- Technische Universität Dresden, CRTD/Center for Regenerative Therapies Dresden, Dresden, Germany
| | - Giovanni Pasquini
- Department of Ophthalmology, Medical Faculty, University of Bonn, Bonn, Germany
| | | | - Martina Lachnit
- Technische Universität Dresden, CRTD/Center for Regenerative Therapies Dresden, Dresden, Germany
| | - Catarina R Oliveira
- Technische Universität Dresden, CRTD/Center for Regenerative Therapies Dresden, Dresden, Germany
| | - Daniel León-Periñán
- Technische Universität Dresden, Center for Information Services and High Performance Computing (ZIH), Technische Universität Dresden, Dresden, Germany
| | - Andreas Petzold
- DRESDEN-Concept Genome Center (DcGC), Center for Molecular and Cellular Bioengineering, TU Dresden, Dresden, Germany
| | - Preethi Kesavan
- Technische Universität Dresden, CRTD/Center for Regenerative Therapies Dresden, Dresden, Germany
| | - Cristina Subiran Adrados
- Technische Universität Dresden, CRTD/Center for Regenerative Therapies Dresden, Dresden, Germany
| | | | - Dunja Knapp
- Technische Universität Dresden, CRTD/Center for Regenerative Therapies Dresden, Dresden, Germany
| | - Anne Wagner
- Technische Universität Dresden, CRTD/Center for Regenerative Therapies Dresden, Dresden, Germany
| | - Andrea Bernardos
- Instituto Interuniversitario de Investigación de Reconocimiento Molecular y Desarrollo Tecnológico (IDM), Universitat Politècnica de València, Valencia, Spain; CIBER de Bioingeniería, Biomateriales y Nanomedicina (CIBER-BBN), Instituto de Salud Carlos III, Madrid, Spain; Unidad Mixta UPV-CIPF de Investigación en Mecanismos de Enfermedades y Nanomedicina, Universitat Politècnica de València, Centro de Investigación Príncipe Felipe, Valencia, Spain
| | - María Alfonso
- Instituto Interuniversitario de Investigación de Reconocimiento Molecular y Desarrollo Tecnológico (IDM), Universitat Politècnica de València, Valencia, Spain
| | - Gayathri Nadar
- Max Planck Institute of Molecular Cellular Biology and Genetics, Dresden, Germany
| | - Alwin M Graf
- Technische Universität Dresden, CRTD/Center for Regenerative Therapies Dresden, Dresden, Germany
| | | | - Andreas Dahl
- DRESDEN-Concept Genome Center (DcGC), Center for Molecular and Cellular Bioengineering, TU Dresden, Dresden, Germany
| | - Volker Busskamp
- Department of Ophthalmology, Medical Faculty, University of Bonn, Bonn, Germany
| | - Ramón Martínez-Máñez
- Instituto Interuniversitario de Investigación de Reconocimiento Molecular y Desarrollo Tecnológico (IDM), Universitat Politècnica de València, Valencia, Spain; CIBER de Bioingeniería, Biomateriales y Nanomedicina (CIBER-BBN), Instituto de Salud Carlos III, Madrid, Spain; Unidad Mixta de Investigación en Nanomedicina y Sensores, Universitat Politècnica de València, IIS La Fe, Valencia, Spain; Unidad Mixta UPV-CIPF de Investigación en Mecanismos de Enfermedades y Nanomedicina, Universitat Politècnica de València, Centro de Investigación Príncipe Felipe, Valencia, Spain
| | - Maximina H Yun
- Technische Universität Dresden, CRTD/Center for Regenerative Therapies Dresden, Dresden, Germany; Max Planck Institute of Molecular Cellular Biology and Genetics, Dresden, Germany; Physics of Life Excellence Cluster, Dresden, Germany.
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4
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Busskamp V, Roska B, Sahel JA. Optogenetic Vision Restoration. Cold Spring Harb Perspect Med 2023:a041660. [PMID: 37734866 DOI: 10.1101/cshperspect.a041660] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 09/23/2023]
Abstract
Optogenetics has emerged over the past 20 years as a powerful tool to investigate the various circuits underlying numerous functions, especially in neuroscience. The ability to control by light the activity of neurons has enabled the development of therapeutic strategies aimed at restoring some level of vision in blinding retinal conditions. Promising preclinical and initial clinical data support such expectations. Numerous challenges remain to be tackled (e.g., confirmation of safety, cell and circuit specificity, patterns, intensity and mode of stimulation, rehabilitation programs) on the path toward useful vision restoration.
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Affiliation(s)
- Volker Busskamp
- Degenerative Retinal Diseases, University Hospital Bonn, 53127 Bonn, Germany
| | - Botond Roska
- Institute of Molecular and Clinical Ophthalmology Basel, 4031 Basel, Switzerland
- Department of Ophthalmology, University of Basel, 4001 Basel, Switzerland
| | - Jose-Alain Sahel
- Department of Ophthalmology, UPMC Vision Institute, University of Pittsburgh School of Medicine, Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania 15213, USA
- Institut Hospitalo-Universitaire FOReSIGHT, Sorbonne Universite, Inserm, Quinze-Vingts Hopital de la Vision, 75012 Paris, France
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5
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Gabriel E, Albanna W, Pasquini G, Ramani A, Josipovic N, Mariappan A, Riparbelli MG, Callaini G, Karch CM, Goureau O, Papantonis A, Busskamp V, Schneider T, Gopalakrishnan J. Generation of iPSC-derived human forebrain organoids assembling bilateral eye primordia. Nat Protoc 2023:10.1038/s41596-023-00814-x. [PMID: 37198320 DOI: 10.1038/s41596-023-00814-x] [Citation(s) in RCA: 2] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Abstract] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 01/11/2022] [Accepted: 01/13/2023] [Indexed: 05/19/2023]
Abstract
Induced pluripotent stem cell-derived brain organoids enable the developmental complexities of the human brain to be deconstructed. During embryogenesis, optic vesicles (OVs), the eye primordium attached to the forebrain, develop from diencephalon. However, most 3D culturing methods generate either brain or retinal organoids individually. Here we describe a protocol to generate organoids with both forebrain entities, which we call OV-containing brain organoids (OVB organoids). In this protocol, we first induce neural differentiation (days 0-5) and collect neurospheres, which we culture in a neurosphere medium to initiate their patterning and further self-assembly (days 5-10). Then, upon transfer to spinner flasks containing OVB medium (days 10-30), neurospheres develop into forebrain organoids with one or two pigmented dots restricted to one pole, displaying forebrain entities of ventral and dorsal cortical progenitors and preoptic areas. Further long-term culture results in photosensitive OVB organoids constituting complementary cell types of OVs, including primitive corneal epithelial and lens-like cells, retinal pigment epithelia, retinal progenitor cells, axon-like projections and electrically active neuronal networks. OVB organoids provide a system to help dissect interorgan interactions between the OVs as sensory organs and the brain as a processing unit, and can help model early eye patterning defects, including congenital retinal dystrophy. To conduct the protocol, experience in sterile cell culture and maintenance of human induced pluripotent stem cells is essential; theoretical knowledge of brain development is advantageous. Furthermore, specialized expertise in 3D organoid culture and imaging for the analysis is needed.
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Affiliation(s)
- Elke Gabriel
- Institute of Human Genetics, University Hospital, Heinrich-Heine-University, Düsseldorf, Germany
| | - Walid Albanna
- Institute for Neurophysiology, University of Cologne, Cologne, Germany
- Department of Neurosurgery, RWTH Aachen University, Aachen, Germany
| | - Giovanni Pasquini
- Department of Ophthalmology, Medical Faculty, University of Bonn, Bonn, Germany
| | - Anand Ramani
- Institute of Human Genetics, University Hospital, Heinrich-Heine-University, Düsseldorf, Germany
| | - Natasa Josipovic
- Institute of Pathology, University Medicine Göttingen, Georg-August University Göttingen, Göttingen, Germany
- Center of Molecular Medicine Cologne (CMMC), University of Cologne, Cologne, Germany
| | - Aruljothi Mariappan
- Institute of Human Genetics, University Hospital, Heinrich-Heine-University, Düsseldorf, Germany
| | | | - Giuliano Callaini
- Department of Life Sciences and Medical Biotechnology University of Siena, Siena, Italy
| | - Celeste M Karch
- Department of Psychiatry, Washington University in St. Louis, St. Louis, MO, USA
| | - Olivier Goureau
- Institut de la Vision, Sorbonne Université, INSERM, CNRS, Paris, France
| | - Argyris Papantonis
- Institute of Pathology, University Medicine Göttingen, Georg-August University Göttingen, Göttingen, Germany
- Center of Molecular Medicine Cologne (CMMC), University of Cologne, Cologne, Germany
| | - Volker Busskamp
- Department of Ophthalmology, Medical Faculty, University of Bonn, Bonn, Germany
| | - Toni Schneider
- Institute for Neurophysiology, University of Cologne, Cologne, Germany
| | - Jay Gopalakrishnan
- Institute of Human Genetics, University Hospital, Heinrich-Heine-University, Düsseldorf, Germany.
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6
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Striebel J, Kalinski L, Sturm M, Drouvé N, Peters S, Lichterfeld Y, Habibey R, Hauslage J, El Sheikh S, Busskamp V, Liemersdorf C. Human neural network activity reacts to gravity changes in vitro. Front Neurosci 2023; 17:1085282. [PMID: 36968488 PMCID: PMC10030604 DOI: 10.3389/fnins.2023.1085282] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Abstract] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 10/31/2022] [Accepted: 02/06/2023] [Indexed: 03/11/2023] Open
Abstract
During spaceflight, humans experience a variety of physiological changes due to deviations from familiar earth conditions. Specifically, the lack of gravity is responsible for many effects observed in returning astronauts. These impairments can include structural as well as functional changes of the brain and a decline in cognitive performance. However, the underlying physiological mechanisms remain elusive. Alterations in neuronal activity play a central role in mental disorders and altered neuronal transmission may also lead to diminished human performance in space. Thus, understanding the influence of altered gravity at the cellular and network level is of high importance. Previous electrophysiological experiments using patch clamp techniques and calcium indicators have shown that neuronal activity is influenced by altered gravity. By using multi-electrode array (MEA) technology, we advanced the electrophysiological investigation covering single-cell to network level responses during exposure to decreased (micro-) or increased (hyper-) gravity conditions. We continuously recorded in real-time the spontaneous activity of human induced pluripotent stem cell (hiPSC)-derived neural networks in vitro. The MEA device was integrated into a custom-built environmental chamber to expose the system with neuronal cultures to up to 6 g of hypergravity on the Short-Arm Human Centrifuge at the DLR Cologne, Germany. The flexibility of the experimental hardware set-up facilitated additional MEA electrophysiology experiments under 4.7 s of high-quality microgravity (10–6 to 10–5 g) in the Bremen drop tower, Germany. Hypergravity led to significant changes in activity. During the microgravity phase, the mean action potential frequency across the neural networks was significantly enhanced, whereas different subgroups of neurons showed distinct behaviors, such as increased or decreased firing activity. Our data clearly demonstrate that gravity as an environmental stimulus triggers changes in neuronal activity. Neuronal networks especially reacted to acute changes in mechanical loading (hypergravity) or de-loading (microgravity). The current study clearly shows the gravity-dependent response of neuronal networks endorsing the importance of further investigations of neuronal activity and its adaptive responses to micro- and hypergravity. Our approach provided the basis for the identification of responsible mechanisms and the development of countermeasures with potential implications on manned space missions.
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Affiliation(s)
- Johannes Striebel
- Department of Ophthalmology, Medical Faculty, University of Bonn, Bonn, Germany
| | - Laura Kalinski
- Department of Gravitational Biology, Institute of Aerospace Medicine, German Aerospace Center, Cologne, Germany
| | - Maximilian Sturm
- Department of Gravitational Biology, Institute of Aerospace Medicine, German Aerospace Center, Cologne, Germany
| | - Nils Drouvé
- Department of Applied Sciences, Cologne University of Applied Sciences, Leverkusen, Germany
| | - Stefan Peters
- Department of Applied Sciences, Cologne University of Applied Sciences, Leverkusen, Germany
| | - Yannick Lichterfeld
- Department of Gravitational Biology, Institute of Aerospace Medicine, German Aerospace Center, Cologne, Germany
| | - Rouhollah Habibey
- Department of Ophthalmology, Medical Faculty, University of Bonn, Bonn, Germany
| | - Jens Hauslage
- Department of Gravitational Biology, Institute of Aerospace Medicine, German Aerospace Center, Cologne, Germany
| | - Sherif El Sheikh
- Department of Applied Sciences, Cologne University of Applied Sciences, Leverkusen, Germany
| | - Volker Busskamp
- Department of Ophthalmology, Medical Faculty, University of Bonn, Bonn, Germany
| | - Christian Liemersdorf
- Department of Gravitational Biology, Institute of Aerospace Medicine, German Aerospace Center, Cologne, Germany
- *Correspondence: Christian Liemersdorf,
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7
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Busskamp V. Stem cells for treating retinal degeneration. J Perinat Med 2022:jpm-2022-0510. [PMID: 36474335 DOI: 10.1515/jpm-2022-0510] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Submit a Manuscript] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 10/21/2022] [Accepted: 11/16/2022] [Indexed: 12/12/2022]
Abstract
The mammalian retina lacks regenerative potency to replace damaged or degenerated cells. Therefore, traumatic or genetic insults that lead to the degeneration of retinal neurons or retinal pigment epithelium (RPE) cells alter visual perception and ultimately can lead to blindness. The advent of human stem cells and their exploitation for vision restoration approaches has boosted the field. Traditionally, animal models-mostly rodents-have been generated and used to mimic certain monogenetic hereditary diseases. Of note, some models were extremely useful to develop specific gene therapies, for example for Retinitis Pigmentosa, Leber congenital amaurosis and achromatopsia. However, complex multifactorial diseases are not well recapitulated in rodent models such as age-related macular degeneration (AMD) as rodents lack a macula. Here, human stem cells are extremely valuable to advance the development of therapies. Particularly, cell replacement therapy is of enormous importance to treat retinal degenerative diseases. Moreover, different retinal degenerative disorders require the transplantation of unique cell types. The most advanced one is to substitute the RPE cells, which stabilize the light-sensitive photoreceptors. Some diseases require also the transplantation of photoreceptors. Depending on the disease pattern, both approaches can also be combined. Within this article, I briefly feature the underlying principle of cell replacement therapies, demonstrate some successes and discuss certain shortcomings of these approaches for clinical application.
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Affiliation(s)
- Volker Busskamp
- Degenerative Retinal Diseases, University Hospital Bonn, Venusberg-Campus 1 Gebäude 5, 53127 Bonn, Germany
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8
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Habibey R, Striebel J, Schmieder F, Czarske J, Busskamp V. Long-term morphological and functional dynamics of human stem cell-derived neuronal networks on high-density micro-electrode arrays. Front Neurosci 2022; 16:951964. [PMID: 36267241 PMCID: PMC9578684 DOI: 10.3389/fnins.2022.951964] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Abstract] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 05/24/2022] [Accepted: 09/06/2022] [Indexed: 11/13/2022] Open
Abstract
Comprehensive electrophysiological characterizations of human induced pluripotent stem cell (hiPSC)-derived neuronal networks are essential to determine to what extent these in vitro models recapitulate the functional features of in vivo neuronal circuits. High-density micro-electrode arrays (HD-MEAs) offer non-invasive recording with the best spatial and temporal resolution possible to date. For 3 months, we tracked the morphology and activity features of developing networks derived from a transgenic hiPSC line in which neurogenesis is inducible by neurogenic transcription factor overexpression. Our morphological data revealed large-scale structural changes from homogeneously distributed neurons in the first month to the formation of neuronal clusters over time. This led to a constant shift in position of neuronal cells and clusters on HD-MEAs and corresponding changes in spatial distribution of the network activity maps. Network activity appeared as scarce action potentials (APs), evolved as local bursts with longer duration and changed to network-wide synchronized bursts with higher frequencies but shorter duration over time, resembling the emerging burst features found in the developing human brain. Instantaneous firing rate data indicated that the fraction of fast spiking neurons (150–600 Hz) increases sharply after 63 days post induction (dpi). Inhibition of glutamatergic synapses erased burst features from network activity profiles and confirmed the presence of mature excitatory neurotransmission. The application of GABAergic receptor antagonists profoundly changed the bursting profile of the network at 120 dpi. This indicated a GABAergic switch from excitatory to inhibitory neurotransmission during circuit development and maturation. Our results suggested that an emerging GABAergic system at older culture ages is involved in regulating spontaneous network bursts. In conclusion, our data showed that long-term and continuous microscopy and electrophysiology readouts are crucial for a meaningful characterization of morphological and functional maturation in stem cell-derived human networks. Most importantly, assessing the level and duration of functional maturation is key to subject these human neuronal circuits on HD-MEAs for basic and biomedical applications.
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Affiliation(s)
- Rouhollah Habibey
- Department of Ophthalmology, Universitäts-Augenklinik Bonn, University of Bonn, Bonn, Germany
| | - Johannes Striebel
- Department of Ophthalmology, Universitäts-Augenklinik Bonn, University of Bonn, Bonn, Germany
| | - Felix Schmieder
- Laboratory of Measurement and Sensor System Technique, Faculty of Electrical and Computer Engineering, TU Dresden, Dresden, Germany
| | - Jürgen Czarske
- Laboratory of Measurement and Sensor System Technique, Faculty of Electrical and Computer Engineering, TU Dresden, Dresden, Germany
- Competence Center for Biomedical Computational Laser Systems (BIOLAS), TU Dresden, Dresden, Germany
- Cluster of Excellence Physics of Life, TU Dresden, Dresden, Germany
- School of Science, Institute of Applied Physics, TU Dresden, Dresden, Germany
| | - Volker Busskamp
- Department of Ophthalmology, Universitäts-Augenklinik Bonn, University of Bonn, Bonn, Germany
- *Correspondence: Volker Busskamp,
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9
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Abstract
The widespread adoption of microfluidic devices among the neuroscience and neurobiology communities has enabled addressing a broad range of questions at the molecular, cellular, circuit, and system levels. Here, we review biomedical engineering approaches that harness the power of microfluidics for bottom-up generation of neuronal cell types and for the assembly and analysis of neural circuits. Microfluidics-based approaches are instrumental to generate the knowledge necessary for the derivation of diverse neuronal cell types from human pluripotent stem cells, as they enable the isolation and subsequent examination of individual neurons of interest. Moreover, microfluidic devices allow to engineer neural circuits with specific orientations and directionality by providing control over neuronal cell polarity and permitting the isolation of axons in individual microchannels. Similarly, the use of microfluidic chips enables the construction not only of 2D but also of 3D brain, retinal, and peripheral nervous system model circuits. Such brain-on-a-chip and organoid-on-a-chip technologies are promising platforms for studying these organs as they closely recapitulate some aspects of in vivo biological processes. Microfluidic 3D neuronal models, together with 2D in vitro systems, are widely used in many applications ranging from drug development and toxicology studies to neurological disease modeling and personalized medicine. Altogether, microfluidics provide researchers with powerful systems that complement and partially replace animal models.
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Affiliation(s)
- Rouhollah Habibey
- Department of Ophthalmology, Universitäts-Augenklinik Bonn, University of Bonn, Ernst-Abbe-Straße 2, D-53127 Bonn, Germany
| | - Jesús Eduardo Rojo Arias
- Wellcome─MRC Cambridge Stem Cell Institute, Jeffrey Cheah Biomedical Centre, Cambridge Biomedical Campus, University of Cambridge, Cambridge CB2 0AW, United Kingdom
| | - Johannes Striebel
- Department of Ophthalmology, Universitäts-Augenklinik Bonn, University of Bonn, Ernst-Abbe-Straße 2, D-53127 Bonn, Germany
| | - Volker Busskamp
- Department of Ophthalmology, Universitäts-Augenklinik Bonn, University of Bonn, Ernst-Abbe-Straße 2, D-53127 Bonn, Germany
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10
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Gasparini SJ, Tessmer K, Reh M, Wieneke S, Carido M, Völkner M, Borsch O, Swiersy A, Zuzic M, Goureau O, Kurth T, Busskamp V, Zeck G, Karl MO, Ader M. Transplanted human cones incorporate and function in a murine cone degeneration model. J Clin Invest 2022; 132:154619. [PMID: 35482419 PMCID: PMC9197520 DOI: 10.1172/jci154619] [Citation(s) in RCA: 19] [Impact Index Per Article: 9.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 08/31/2021] [Accepted: 04/26/2022] [Indexed: 11/17/2022] Open
Abstract
Once human photoreceptors die, they do not regenerate, thus, photoreceptor transplantation has emerged as a potential treatment approach for blinding diseases. Improvements in transplant organization, donor cell maturation, and synaptic connectivity to the host will be critical in advancing this technology for use in clinical practice. Unlike the unstructured grafts of prior cell-suspension transplantations into end-stage degeneration models, we describe the extensive incorporation of induced pluripotent stem cell (iPSC) retinal organoid–derived human photoreceptors into mice with cone dysfunction. This incorporative phenotype was validated in both cone-only as well as pan-photoreceptor transplantations. Rather than forming a glial barrier, Müller cells extended throughout the graft, even forming a series of adherens junctions between mouse and human cells, reminiscent of an outer limiting membrane. Donor-host interaction appeared to promote polarization as well as the development of morphological features critical for light detection, namely the formation of inner and well-stacked outer segments oriented toward the retinal pigment epithelium. Putative synapse formation and graft function were evident at both structural and electrophysiological levels. Overall, these results show that human photoreceptors interacted readily with a partially degenerated retina. Moreover, incorporation into the host retina appeared to be beneficial to graft maturation, polarization, and function.
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Affiliation(s)
| | - Karen Tessmer
- Ader Lab, Center for Regenerative Therapies TU Dresden, Dresden, Germany
| | - Miriam Reh
- Department of Neurophysics, NMI Natural and Medical Sciences Institute at the University Tübingen, Reutlingen, Germany
| | - Stephanie Wieneke
- Karl Lab, Center for Regenerative Therapies TU Dresden and German Center for Neurodegenerative Diseases (DZNE) Dresden, Dresden, Germany
| | - Madalena Carido
- Ader Lab, Center for Regenerative Therapies TU Dresden, Dresden, Germany
| | - Manuela Völkner
- Karl Lab, Center for Regenerative Therapies TU Dresden, Dresden, Germany
| | - Oliver Borsch
- Ader Lab, Center for Regenerative Therapies TU Dresden, Dresden, Germany
| | - Anka Swiersy
- Busskamp Lab, Center for Regenerative Therapies TU Dresden, Dresden, Germany
| | - Marta Zuzic
- Department of Ophthalmology, University of Bonn, Bonn, Germany
| | - Olivier Goureau
- Institut de la Vision, INSERM, CNRS, Sorbonne Université, Paris, France
| | - Thomas Kurth
- Center for Molecular and Cellular Biology, Technische Universität (TU) Dresden, Dresden, Germany
| | - Volker Busskamp
- Department of Ophthalmology, University of Bonn, Bonn, Germany
| | - Günther Zeck
- Department of Neurophysics, NMI Natural and Medical Sciences Institute at the University Tübingen, Reutlingen, Germany
| | - Mike O Karl
- Karl Lab, Center for Regenerative Therapies TU Dresden, Dresden, Germany
| | - Marius Ader
- Ader Lab, Center for Regenerative Therapies TU Dresden, Dresden, Germany
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11
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Schmieder F, Habibey R, Striebel J, Büttner L, Czarske J, Busskamp V. Tracking connectivity maps in human stem cell-derived neuronal networks by holographic optogenetics. Life Sci Alliance 2022; 5:5/7/e202101268. [PMID: 35418473 PMCID: PMC9008225 DOI: 10.26508/lsa.202101268] [Citation(s) in RCA: 2] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 10/21/2021] [Revised: 03/25/2022] [Accepted: 03/29/2022] [Indexed: 11/24/2022] Open
Abstract
Holographic optogenetic stimulation of human iPSC–derived neuronal networks was exploited to map precise functional connectivity motifs and their long-term dynamics during network development. Neuronal networks derived from human induced pluripotent stem cells have been exploited widely for modeling neuronal circuits, neurological diseases, and drug screening. As these networks require extended culturing periods to functionally mature in vitro, most studies are based on immature networks. To obtain insights on long-term functional features, we improved a glia–neuron co-culture protocol within multi-electrode arrays, facilitating continuous assessment of electrical features in weekly intervals. By full-field optogenetic stimulation, we detected an earlier onset of neuronal firing and burst activity compared with spontaneous activity. Full-field stimulation enhanced the number of active neurons and their firing rates. Compared with full-field stimulation, which evoked synchronized activity across all neurons, holographic stimulation of individual neurons resulted in local activity. Single-cell holographic stimulation facilitated to trace propagating evoked activities of 400 individually stimulated neurons per multi-electrode array. Thereby, we revealed precise functional neuronal connectivity motifs. Holographic stimulation data over time showed increasing connection numbers and strength with culture age. This holographic stimulation setup has the potential to establish a profound functional testbed for in-depth analysis of human-induced pluripotent stem cell-derived neuronal networks.
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Affiliation(s)
- Felix Schmieder
- Laboratory of Measurement and Sensor System Technique, Faculty of Electrical and Computer Engineering, TU Dresden, Dresden, Germany
| | - Rouhollah Habibey
- Department of Ophthalmology, Universitäts-Augenklinik Bonn, University of Bonn, Bonn, Germany
| | - Johannes Striebel
- Department of Ophthalmology, Universitäts-Augenklinik Bonn, University of Bonn, Bonn, Germany
| | - Lars Büttner
- Laboratory of Measurement and Sensor System Technique, Faculty of Electrical and Computer Engineering, TU Dresden, Dresden, Germany
| | - Jürgen Czarske
- Laboratory of Measurement and Sensor System Technique, Faculty of Electrical and Computer Engineering, TU Dresden, Dresden, Germany .,Competence Center for Biomedical Computational Laser Systems (BIOLAS), TU Dresden, Dresden, Germany.,Cluster of Excellence Physics of Life, TU Dresden, Dresden, Germany.,Institute of Applied Physics, School of Science, TU Dresden, Dresden, Germany
| | - Volker Busskamp
- Department of Ophthalmology, Universitäts-Augenklinik Bonn, University of Bonn, Bonn, Germany
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12
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Abstract
Spontaneous and optogenetically evoked activities of human induced pluripotent stem cell (hiPSC)-derived neurons can be assessed by patch clamp and multi-electrode array (MEA) electrophysiology. Optogenetic activation of these human neurons facilitates the characterization of their functional properties at the single neuron and circuit level. Here we showcase the preparation of hiPSC-derived neurons expressing optogenetic actuators, in vitro optogenetic stimulation and simultaneous functional recordings using patch clamp and MEA electrophysiology.
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Affiliation(s)
- Rouhollah Habibey
- Department of Ophthalmology, Universitäts-Augenklinik Bonn, University of Bonn, Bonn, Germany
| | - Johannes Striebel
- Department of Ophthalmology, Universitäts-Augenklinik Bonn, University of Bonn, Bonn, Germany
| | - Kritika Sharma
- Department of Ophthalmology, Universitäts-Augenklinik Bonn, University of Bonn, Bonn, Germany
| | - Volker Busskamp
- Department of Ophthalmology, Universitäts-Augenklinik Bonn, University of Bonn, Bonn, Germany.
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13
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Gabriel E, Albanna W, Pasquini G, Ramani A, Josipovic N, Mariappan A, Schinzel F, Karch CM, Bao G, Gottardo M, Suren AA, Hescheler J, Nagel-Wolfrum K, Persico V, Rizzoli SO, Altmüller J, Riparbelli MG, Callaini G, Goureau O, Papantonis A, Busskamp V, Schneider T, Gopalakrishnan J. Human brain organoids assemble functionally integrated bilateral optic vesicles. Cell Stem Cell 2021; 28:1740-1757.e8. [PMID: 34407456 DOI: 10.1016/j.stem.2021.07.010] [Citation(s) in RCA: 54] [Impact Index Per Article: 18.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 12/22/2020] [Revised: 04/23/2021] [Accepted: 07/20/2021] [Indexed: 02/07/2023]
Abstract
During embryogenesis, optic vesicles develop from the diencephalon via a multistep process of organogenesis. Using induced pluripotent stem cell (iPSC)-derived human brain organoids, we attempted to simplify the complexities and demonstrate formation of forebrain-associated bilateral optic vesicles, cellular diversity, and functionality. Around day 30, brain organoids attempt to assemble optic vesicles, which develop progressively as visible structures within 60 days. These optic vesicle-containing brain organoids (OVB-organoids) constitute a developing optic vesicle's cellular components, including primitive corneal epithelial and lens-like cells, retinal pigment epithelia, retinal progenitor cells, axon-like projections, and electrically active neuronal networks. OVB-organoids also display synapsin-1, CTIP-positive myelinated cortical neurons, and microglia. Interestingly, various light intensities could trigger photosensitive activity of OVB-organoids, and light sensitivities could be reset after transient photobleaching. Thus, brain organoids have the intrinsic ability to self-organize forebrain-associated primitive sensory structures in a topographically restricted manner and can allow interorgan interaction studies within a single organoid.
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Affiliation(s)
- Elke Gabriel
- Institute of Human Genetics, University Hospital, Heinrich-Heine-Universität, 40225 Düsseldorf, Germany
| | - Walid Albanna
- Institute for Neurophysiology, University of Cologne, 50931 Cologne, Germany; Department of Neurosurgery, RWTH Aachen University, 52074 Aachen, Germany
| | - Giovanni Pasquini
- Department of Ophthalmology, Medical Faculty, University of Bonn, Bonn, Germany
| | - Anand Ramani
- Institute of Human Genetics, University Hospital, Heinrich-Heine-Universität, 40225 Düsseldorf, Germany
| | - Natasa Josipovic
- Institute of Pathology, University Medicine Göttingen, Georg-August University Göttingen, 37075 Göttingen, Germany; Center for molecular medicine, Cologne, Universität zu Köln, 50931 Köln, Germany
| | - Aruljothi Mariappan
- Institute of Human Genetics, University Hospital, Heinrich-Heine-Universität, 40225 Düsseldorf, Germany
| | - Friedrich Schinzel
- Institute of Human Genetics, University Hospital, Heinrich-Heine-Universität, 40225 Düsseldorf, Germany
| | - Celeste M Karch
- Department of Psychiatry, Washington University in St. Louis, St. Louis, MO 63116, USA
| | - Guobin Bao
- Institute of Neurophysiology and Cellular Biophysics, University Medicine Göttingen, Georg-August-Universität Göttingen, 37073 Göttingen, Germany
| | - Marco Gottardo
- Institute of Human Genetics, University Hospital, Heinrich-Heine-Universität, 40225 Düsseldorf, Germany
| | - Ata Alp Suren
- Institute of Human Genetics, University Hospital, Heinrich-Heine-Universität, 40225 Düsseldorf, Germany
| | - Jürgen Hescheler
- Institute for Neurophysiology, University of Cologne, 50931 Cologne, Germany
| | - Kerstin Nagel-Wolfrum
- Institute of Molecular Physiology, Johannes Gutenberg University, 55099 Mainz, Germany
| | - Veronica Persico
- Department of Life Sciences and Medical Biotechnology University of Siena, Siena 53100, Italy
| | - Silvio O Rizzoli
- Institute of Neurophysiology and Cellular Biophysics, University Medicine Göttingen, Georg-August-Universität Göttingen, 37073 Göttingen, Germany
| | - Janine Altmüller
- Cologne Center for Genomics (CCG), Universität zu Köln, Köln, Germany; Center for molecular medicine, Cologne, Universität zu Köln, 50931 Köln, Germany
| | | | - Giuliano Callaini
- Department of Life Sciences and Medical Biotechnology University of Siena, Siena 53100, Italy
| | - Olivier Goureau
- Institut de la Vision, Sorbonne Université, INSERM, CNRS, 75012 Paris, France
| | - Argyris Papantonis
- Institute of Pathology, University Medicine Göttingen, Georg-August University Göttingen, 37075 Göttingen, Germany
| | - Volker Busskamp
- Department of Ophthalmology, Medical Faculty, University of Bonn, Bonn, Germany
| | - Toni Schneider
- Institute for Neurophysiology, University of Cologne, 50931 Cologne, Germany
| | - Jay Gopalakrishnan
- Institute of Human Genetics, University Hospital, Heinrich-Heine-Universität, 40225 Düsseldorf, Germany.
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14
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Liu S, Striebel J, Pasquini G, Ng AHM, Khoshakhlagh P, Church GM, Busskamp V. Neuronal Cell-type Engineering by Transcriptional Activation. Front Genome Ed 2021; 3:715697. [PMID: 34713262 PMCID: PMC8525383 DOI: 10.3389/fgeed.2021.715697] [Citation(s) in RCA: 4] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 05/27/2021] [Accepted: 08/12/2021] [Indexed: 12/26/2022] Open
Abstract
Gene activation with the CRISPR-Cas system has great implications in studying gene function, controlling cellular behavior, and modulating disease progression. In this review, we survey recent studies on targeted gene activation and multiplexed screening for inducing neuronal differentiation using CRISPR-Cas transcriptional activation (CRISPRa) and open reading frame (ORF) expression. Critical technical parameters of CRISPRa and ORF-based strategies for neuronal programming are presented and discussed. In addition, recent progress on in vivo applications of CRISPRa to the nervous system are highlighted. Overall, CRISPRa represents a valuable addition to the experimental toolbox for neuronal cell-type programming.
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Affiliation(s)
- Songlei Liu
- Department of Genetics, Blavatnik Institute, Harvard Medical School, Boston, MA, United States
- Wyss Institute for Biologically Inspired Engineering, Harvard University, Boston, MA, United States
| | - Johannes Striebel
- Department of Ophthalmology, Medical Faculty, University of Bonn, Bonn, Germany
| | - Giovanni Pasquini
- Department of Ophthalmology, Medical Faculty, University of Bonn, Bonn, Germany
| | | | | | - George M. Church
- Department of Genetics, Blavatnik Institute, Harvard Medical School, Boston, MA, United States
- Wyss Institute for Biologically Inspired Engineering, Harvard University, Boston, MA, United States
- GC Therapeutics, Inc, Cambridge, MA, United States
| | - Volker Busskamp
- Department of Ophthalmology, Medical Faculty, University of Bonn, Bonn, Germany
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15
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Ng AHM, Khoshakhlagh P, Rojo Arias JE, Pasquini G, Wang K, Swiersy A, Shipman SL, Appleton E, Kiaee K, Kohman RE, Vernet A, Dysart M, Leeper K, Saylor W, Huang JY, Graveline A, Taipale J, Hill DE, Vidal M, Melero-Martin JM, Busskamp V, Church GM. A comprehensive library of human transcription factors for cell fate engineering. Nat Biotechnol 2021; 39:510-519. [PMID: 33257861 PMCID: PMC7610615 DOI: 10.1038/s41587-020-0742-6] [Citation(s) in RCA: 85] [Impact Index Per Article: 28.3] [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: 11/03/2019] [Accepted: 10/19/2020] [Indexed: 02/06/2023]
Abstract
Human pluripotent stem cells (hPSCs) offer an unprecedented opportunity to model diverse cell types and tissues. To enable systematic exploration of the programming landscape mediated by transcription factors (TFs), we present the Human TFome, a comprehensive library containing 1,564 TF genes and 1,732 TF splice isoforms. By screening the library in three hPSC lines, we discovered 290 TFs, including 241 that were previously unreported, that induce differentiation in 4 days without alteration of external soluble or biomechanical cues. We used four of the hits to program hPSCs into neurons, fibroblasts, oligodendrocytes and vascular endothelial-like cells that have molecular and functional similarity to primary cells. Our cell-autonomous approach enabled parallel programming of hPSCs into multiple cell types simultaneously. We also demonstrated orthogonal programming by including oligodendrocyte-inducible hPSCs with unmodified hPSCs to generate cerebral organoids, which expedited in situ myelination. Large-scale combinatorial screening of the Human TFome will complement other strategies for cell engineering based on developmental biology and computational systems biology.
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Affiliation(s)
- Alex H M Ng
- Department of Genetics, Blavatnik Institute, Harvard Medical School, Boston, MA, USA
- Wyss Institute for Biologically Inspired Engineering at Harvard University, Boston, MA, USA
- GC Therapeutics, Inc, Cambridge, MA, USA
| | - Parastoo Khoshakhlagh
- Department of Genetics, Blavatnik Institute, Harvard Medical School, Boston, MA, USA
- Wyss Institute for Biologically Inspired Engineering at Harvard University, Boston, MA, USA
- GC Therapeutics, Inc, Cambridge, MA, USA
| | - Jesus Eduardo Rojo Arias
- Technische Universität Dresden, Center for Molecular and Cellular Bioengineering (CMCB), Center for Regenerative Therapies Dresden (CRTD), Dresden, Germany
- Wellcome-MRC Cambridge Stem Cell Institute, Jeffrey Cheah Biomedical Centre, Cambridge Biomedical Campus, University of Cambridge, Cambridge, UK
| | - Giovanni Pasquini
- Technische Universität Dresden, Center for Molecular and Cellular Bioengineering (CMCB), Center for Regenerative Therapies Dresden (CRTD), Dresden, Germany
| | - Kai Wang
- Department of Cardiac Surgery, Boston Children's Hospital, Boston, MA, USA
- Department of Surgery, Harvard Medical School, Boston, MA, USA
| | - Anka Swiersy
- Technische Universität Dresden, Center for Molecular and Cellular Bioengineering (CMCB), Center for Regenerative Therapies Dresden (CRTD), Dresden, Germany
| | - Seth L Shipman
- Gladstone Institutes and University of California, San Francisco, San Francisco, CA, USA
| | - Evan Appleton
- Department of Genetics, Blavatnik Institute, Harvard Medical School, Boston, MA, USA
- Wyss Institute for Biologically Inspired Engineering at Harvard University, Boston, MA, USA
- GC Therapeutics, Inc, Cambridge, MA, USA
| | - Kiavash Kiaee
- Department of Genetics, Blavatnik Institute, Harvard Medical School, Boston, MA, USA
- Wyss Institute for Biologically Inspired Engineering at Harvard University, Boston, MA, USA
- GC Therapeutics, Inc, Cambridge, MA, USA
| | - Richie E Kohman
- Department of Genetics, Blavatnik Institute, Harvard Medical School, Boston, MA, USA
- Wyss Institute for Biologically Inspired Engineering at Harvard University, Boston, MA, USA
| | - Andyna Vernet
- Wyss Institute for Biologically Inspired Engineering at Harvard University, Boston, MA, USA
| | - Matthew Dysart
- Department of Genetics, Blavatnik Institute, Harvard Medical School, Boston, MA, USA
- Wyss Institute for Biologically Inspired Engineering at Harvard University, Boston, MA, USA
| | - Kathleen Leeper
- Department of Genetics, Blavatnik Institute, Harvard Medical School, Boston, MA, USA
- Wyss Institute for Biologically Inspired Engineering at Harvard University, Boston, MA, USA
| | - Wren Saylor
- Department of Genetics, Blavatnik Institute, Harvard Medical School, Boston, MA, USA
- Wyss Institute for Biologically Inspired Engineering at Harvard University, Boston, MA, USA
| | - Jeremy Y Huang
- Department of Genetics, Blavatnik Institute, Harvard Medical School, Boston, MA, USA
- Wyss Institute for Biologically Inspired Engineering at Harvard University, Boston, MA, USA
| | - Amanda Graveline
- Wyss Institute for Biologically Inspired Engineering at Harvard University, Boston, MA, USA
| | - Jussi Taipale
- Department of Biochemistry, University of Cambridge, Cambridge, UK
- Department of Medical Biochemistry and Biophysics, Karolinska Institute, Stockholm, Sweden
- Applied Tumor Genomics Program, Faculty of Medicine, University of Helsinki, Helsinki, Finland
| | - David E Hill
- Department of Genetics, Blavatnik Institute, Harvard Medical School, Boston, MA, USA
- Center for Cancer Systems Biology (CCSB), Dana-Farber Cancer Institute, Boston, MA, USA
| | - Marc Vidal
- Department of Genetics, Blavatnik Institute, Harvard Medical School, Boston, MA, USA
- Center for Cancer Systems Biology (CCSB), Dana-Farber Cancer Institute, Boston, MA, USA
| | - Juan M Melero-Martin
- Department of Cardiac Surgery, Boston Children's Hospital, Boston, MA, USA
- Department of Surgery, Harvard Medical School, Boston, MA, USA
| | - Volker Busskamp
- Technische Universität Dresden, Center for Molecular and Cellular Bioengineering (CMCB), Center for Regenerative Therapies Dresden (CRTD), Dresden, Germany.
- Department of Ophthalmology, Medical Faculty, University of Bonn, Bonn, Germany.
| | - George M Church
- Department of Genetics, Blavatnik Institute, Harvard Medical School, Boston, MA, USA.
- Wyss Institute for Biologically Inspired Engineering at Harvard University, Boston, MA, USA.
- GC Therapeutics, Inc, Cambridge, MA, USA.
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16
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Abstract
MicroRNAs (miRNAs) are important regulators of gene expression. These small, non-coding RNAs post-transcriptionally silence messenger RNAs (mRNAs) in a sequence-specific manner. In this way, miRNAs control important regulatory functions, also in the retina. If dysregulated, these molecules are involved in several retinal pathologies. For example, several miRNAs have been linked to essential photoreceptor functions, including light sensitivity, synaptic transmission, and modulation of inflammatory responses. Mechanistic miRNA knockout and knockdown studies further linked their functions to degenerative retinal diseases. Of note, the type and timing of genetic manipulation before, during, or after retinal development, is important when studying specific miRNA knockout effects. Within this review, we focus on miR-124 and the miR-183/96/182 cluster, which have assigned functions in photoreceptors in health and disease. As a single miRNA can regulate hundreds of mRNAs, we will also discuss the experimental validation and manipulation approaches to study complex miRNA/mRNA regulatory networks. Revealing these networks is essential to understand retinal pathologies and to harness miRNAs as precise therapeutic and diagnostic tools to stabilize the photoreceptors’ transcriptomes and, thereby, function.
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Affiliation(s)
- Julia Sophie Pawlick
- Universitäts-Augenklinik Bonn, Department of Ophthalmology, University of Bonn, Bonn, Germany
| | - Marta Zuzic
- Center for Regenerative Therapies Dresden (CRTD), Technische Universität Dresden, Dresden, Germany
| | - Giovanni Pasquini
- Universitäts-Augenklinik Bonn, Department of Ophthalmology, University of Bonn, Bonn, Germany.,Center for Regenerative Therapies Dresden (CRTD), Technische Universität Dresden, Dresden, Germany
| | - Anka Swiersy
- Center for Regenerative Therapies Dresden (CRTD), Technische Universität Dresden, Dresden, Germany
| | - Volker Busskamp
- Universitäts-Augenklinik Bonn, Department of Ophthalmology, University of Bonn, Bonn, Germany.,Center for Regenerative Therapies Dresden (CRTD), Technische Universität Dresden, Dresden, Germany
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17
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Pasquini G, Rojo Arias JE, Schäfer P, Busskamp V. Automated methods for cell type annotation on scRNA-seq data. Comput Struct Biotechnol J 2021; 19:961-969. [PMID: 33613863 PMCID: PMC7873570 DOI: 10.1016/j.csbj.2021.01.015] [Citation(s) in RCA: 65] [Impact Index Per Article: 21.7] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 10/30/2020] [Revised: 01/13/2021] [Accepted: 01/13/2021] [Indexed: 12/22/2022] Open
Abstract
The advent of single-cell sequencing started a new era of transcriptomic and genomic research, advancing our knowledge of the cellular heterogeneity and dynamics. Cell type annotation is a crucial step in analyzing single-cell RNA sequencing data, yet manual annotation is time-consuming and partially subjective. As an alternative, tools have been developed for automatic cell type identification. Different strategies have emerged to ultimately associate gene expression profiles of single cells with a cell type either by using curated marker gene databases, correlating reference expression data, or transferring labels by supervised classification. In this review, we present an overview of the available tools and the underlying approaches to perform automated cell type annotations on scRNA-seq data.
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Affiliation(s)
- Giovanni Pasquini
- Technische Universität Dresden, Center for Molecular and Cellular Bioengineering (CMCB), Center for Regenerative Therapies Dresden (CRTD), Dresden 01307, Germany
- Universitäts-Augenklinik Bonn, University of Bonn, Department of Ophthalmology, Bonn 53127, Germany
| | - Jesus Eduardo Rojo Arias
- Wellcome-MRC Cambridge Stem Cell Institute, Jeffrey Cheah Biomedical Centre, Cambridge Biomedical Campus, University of Cambridge, Cambridge, UK
| | - Patrick Schäfer
- Technische Universität Dresden, Center for Molecular and Cellular Bioengineering (CMCB), Center for Regenerative Therapies Dresden (CRTD), Dresden 01307, Germany
| | - Volker Busskamp
- Technische Universität Dresden, Center for Molecular and Cellular Bioengineering (CMCB), Center for Regenerative Therapies Dresden (CRTD), Dresden 01307, Germany
- Universitäts-Augenklinik Bonn, University of Bonn, Department of Ophthalmology, Bonn 53127, Germany
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18
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Morselli Gysi D, de Miranda Fragoso T, Zebardast F, Bertoli W, Busskamp V, Almaas E, Nowick K. Whole transcriptomic network analysis using Co-expression Differential Network Analysis (CoDiNA). PLoS One 2020; 15:e0240523. [PMID: 33057419 PMCID: PMC7561188 DOI: 10.1371/journal.pone.0240523] [Citation(s) in RCA: 8] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.0] [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: 01/31/2020] [Accepted: 09/29/2020] [Indexed: 01/05/2023] Open
Abstract
Biological and medical sciences are increasingly acknowledging the significance of gene co-expression-networks for investigating complex-systems, phenotypes or diseases. Typically, complex phenotypes are investigated under varying conditions. While approaches for comparing nodes and links in two networks exist, almost no methods for the comparison of multiple networks are available and—to best of our knowledge—no comparative method allows for whole transcriptomic network analysis. However, it is the aim of many studies to compare networks of different conditions, for example, tissues, diseases, treatments, time points, or species. Here we present a method for the systematic comparison of an unlimited number of networks, with unlimited number of transcripts: Co-expression Differential Network Analysis (CoDiNA). In particular, CoDiNA detects links and nodes that are common, specific or different among the networks. We developed a statistical framework to normalize between these different categories of common or changed network links and nodes, resulting in a comprehensive network analysis method, more sophisticated than simply comparing the presence or absence of network nodes. Applying CoDiNA to a neurogenesis study we identified candidate genes involved in neuronal differentiation. We experimentally validated one candidate, demonstrating that its overexpression resulted in a significant disturbance in the underlying gene regulatory network of neurogenesis. Using clinical studies, we compared whole transcriptome co-expression networks from individuals with or without HIV and active tuberculosis (TB) and detected signature genes specific to HIV. Furthermore, analyzing multiple cancer transcription factor (TF) networks, we identified common and distinct features for particular cancer types. These CoDiNA applications demonstrate the successful detection of genes associated with specific phenotypes. Moreover, CoDiNA can also be used for comparing other types of undirected networks, for example, metabolic, protein-protein interaction, ecological and psychometric networks. CoDiNA is publicly available as an R package in CRAN (https://CRAN.R-project.org/package=CoDiNA).
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Affiliation(s)
- Deisy Morselli Gysi
- Department of Computer Science, Leipzig University, Leipzig, Germany
- * E-mail: (KN); (DMG)
| | | | - Fatemeh Zebardast
- Department of Biology, Chemistry, Pharmacy, Freie Universitaet Berlin, Berlin, Germany
| | - Wesley Bertoli
- Department of Statistics, Federal University of Technology - Paraná, Curitiba, Brazil
| | - Volker Busskamp
- Center for Regenerative Therapies (CRTD), Technical University Dresden, Dresden, Germany
- Dept. of Ophthalmology, Universitäts-Augenklinik Bonn, University of Bonn, Bonn, Germany
| | - Eivind Almaas
- Department of Biotechnology, NTNU - Norwegian University of Science and Technology, Trondheim, Norway
- K.G. Jebsen Centre for Genetic Epidemiology, NTNU - Norwegian University of Science and Technology, Trondheim, Norway
| | - Katja Nowick
- Department of Biology, Chemistry, Pharmacy, Freie Universitaet Berlin, Berlin, Germany
- * E-mail: (KN); (DMG)
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19
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Turelli P, Playfoot C, Grun D, Raclot C, Pontis J, Coudray A, Thorball C, Duc J, Pankevich EV, Deplancke B, Busskamp V, Trono D. Primate-restricted KRAB zinc finger proteins and target retrotransposons control gene expression in human neurons. Sci Adv 2020; 6:eaba3200. [PMID: 32923624 PMCID: PMC7455193 DOI: 10.1126/sciadv.aba3200] [Citation(s) in RCA: 39] [Impact Index Per Article: 9.8] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 11/22/2019] [Accepted: 07/16/2020] [Indexed: 05/11/2023]
Abstract
In the first days of embryogenesis, transposable element-embedded regulatory sequences (TEeRS) are silenced by Kruppel-associated box (KRAB) zinc finger proteins (KZFPs). Many TEeRS are subsequently co-opted in transcription networks, but how KZFPs influence this process is largely unknown. We identify ZNF417 and ZNF587 as primate-specific KZFPs repressing HERVK (human endogenous retrovirus K) and SVA (SINE-VNTR-Alu) integrants in human embryonic stem cells (ESCs). Expressed in specific regions of the human developing and adult brain, ZNF417/587 keep controlling TEeRS in ESC-derived neurons and brain organoids, secondarily influencing the differentiation and neurotransmission profile of neurons and preventing the induction of neurotoxic retroviral proteins and an interferon-like response. Thus, evolutionarily recent KZFPs and their TE targets partner up to influence human neuronal differentiation and physiology.
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Affiliation(s)
- Priscilla Turelli
- School of Life Sciences, Ecole Polytechnique Fédérale de Lausanne (EPFL), Lausanne, Switzerland
| | - Christopher Playfoot
- School of Life Sciences, Ecole Polytechnique Fédérale de Lausanne (EPFL), Lausanne, Switzerland
| | - Dephine Grun
- School of Life Sciences, Ecole Polytechnique Fédérale de Lausanne (EPFL), Lausanne, Switzerland
| | - Charlène Raclot
- School of Life Sciences, Ecole Polytechnique Fédérale de Lausanne (EPFL), Lausanne, Switzerland
| | - Julien Pontis
- School of Life Sciences, Ecole Polytechnique Fédérale de Lausanne (EPFL), Lausanne, Switzerland
| | - Alexandre Coudray
- School of Life Sciences, Ecole Polytechnique Fédérale de Lausanne (EPFL), Lausanne, Switzerland
| | - Christian Thorball
- School of Life Sciences, Ecole Polytechnique Fédérale de Lausanne (EPFL), Lausanne, Switzerland
| | - Julien Duc
- School of Life Sciences, Ecole Polytechnique Fédérale de Lausanne (EPFL), Lausanne, Switzerland
| | - Eugenia V. Pankevich
- School of Life Sciences, Ecole Polytechnique Fédérale de Lausanne (EPFL), Lausanne, Switzerland
- CeMM Research Center for Molecular Medicine of the Austrian Academy of Sciences, Vienna, Austria
| | - Bart Deplancke
- School of Life Sciences, Ecole Polytechnique Fédérale de Lausanne (EPFL), Lausanne, Switzerland
| | - Volker Busskamp
- Center for Regenerative Therapies, Technische Universität Dresden, Dresden, Germany
- Faculty of Medicine, Department of Ophthalmology, University of Bonn, Bonn, Germany
| | - Didier Trono
- School of Life Sciences, Ecole Polytechnique Fédérale de Lausanne (EPFL), Lausanne, Switzerland
- Corresponding author.
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20
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Habibey R, Sharma K, Swiersy A, Busskamp V. Optogenetics for neural transplant manipulation and functional analysis. Biochem Biophys Res Commun 2020; 527:343-349. [PMID: 32033753 DOI: 10.1016/j.bbrc.2020.01.141] [Citation(s) in RCA: 5] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 01/10/2020] [Accepted: 01/24/2020] [Indexed: 01/02/2023]
Abstract
Transplantation of neural stem cells (NSCs) or NSC-derived neurons into the brain is a promising therapeutic approach to restore neuronal function. Rapid progress in the NSCs research field, particularly due to the exploitation of induced pluripotent stem cells (iPSCs), offers great potential and an unlimited source of stem cell-derived neural grafts. Studying the functional integration of these grafts into host brain tissues and their effects on each other have been boosted by the implementation of optogenetic technologies. Optogenetics provides high spatiotemporal functional manipulations of grafted or host neurons in parallel. This review aims to highlight the impact of optogenetics in neural stem cell transplantations.
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Affiliation(s)
- Rouhollah Habibey
- Technische Universität Dresden, CRTD - Center for Regenerative Therapies at TU Dresden, D-01307, Dresden, Germany
| | - Kritika Sharma
- Technische Universität Dresden, CRTD - Center for Regenerative Therapies at TU Dresden, D-01307, Dresden, Germany
| | - Anka Swiersy
- Technische Universität Dresden, CRTD - Center for Regenerative Therapies at TU Dresden, D-01307, Dresden, Germany
| | - Volker Busskamp
- Technische Universität Dresden, CRTD - Center for Regenerative Therapies at TU Dresden, D-01307, Dresden, Germany; Universitäts-Augenklinik Bonn, University of Bonn, Dep. of Ophthalmology, D-53127, Bonn, Germany.
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21
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Rajan R, Divya KP, Kandadai RM, Yadav R, Satagopam VP, Madhusoodanan UK, Agarwal P, Kumar N, Ferreira T, Kumar H, Sreeram Prasad AV, Shetty K, Mehta S, Desai S, Kumar S, Prashanth LK, Bhatt M, Wadia P, Ramalingam S, Wali GM, Pandey S, Bartusch F, Hannussek M, Krüger J, Kumar-Sreelatha A, Grover S, Lichtner P, Sturm M, Roeper J, Busskamp V, Chandak GR, Schwamborn J, Seth P, Gasser T, Riess O, Goyal V, Pal PK, Borgohain R, Krüger R, Kishore A, Sharma M. Genetic Architecture of Parkinson's Disease in the Indian Population: Harnessing Genetic Diversity to Address Critical Gaps in Parkinson's Disease Research. Front Neurol 2020; 11:524. [PMID: 32655481 PMCID: PMC7323575 DOI: 10.3389/fneur.2020.00524] [Citation(s) in RCA: 19] [Impact Index Per Article: 4.8] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 02/02/2020] [Accepted: 05/13/2020] [Indexed: 12/21/2022] Open
Abstract
Over the past two decades, our understanding of Parkinson's disease (PD) has been gleaned from the discoveries made in familial and/or sporadic forms of PD in the Caucasian population. The transferability and the clinical utility of genetic discoveries to other ethnically diverse populations are unknown. The Indian population has been under-represented in PD research. The Genetic Architecture of PD in India (GAP-India) project aims to develop one of the largest clinical/genomic bio-bank for PD in India. Specifically, GAP-India project aims to: (1) develop a pan-Indian deeply phenotyped clinical repository of Indian PD patients; (2) perform whole-genome sequencing in 500 PD samples to catalog Indian genetic variability and to develop an Indian PD map for the scientific community; (3) perform a genome-wide association study to identify novel loci for PD and (4) develop a user-friendly web-portal to disseminate results for the scientific community. Our "hub-spoke" model follows an integrative approach to develop a pan-Indian outreach to develop a comprehensive cohort for PD research in India. The alignment of standard operating procedures for recruiting patients and collecting biospecimens with international standards ensures harmonization of data/bio-specimen collection at the beginning and also ensures stringent quality control parameters for sample processing. Data sharing and protection policies follow the guidelines established by local and national authorities.We are currently in the recruitment phase targeting recruitment of 10,200 PD patients and 10,200 healthy volunteers by the end of 2020. GAP-India project after its completion will fill a critical gap that exists in PD research and will contribute a comprehensive genetic catalog of the Indian PD population to identify novel targets for PD.
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Affiliation(s)
- Roopa Rajan
- Department of Neurology, All India Institute of Medical Sciences, New Delhi, India
| | - K P Divya
- Sree Chitra Tirunal Institute for Medical Sciences, Trivandrum, India
| | | | - Ravi Yadav
- National Institute of Mental Health and Neurosciences (NIMHANS), Bengaluru, India
| | - Venkata P Satagopam
- Luxembourg Centre for Systems Biomedicine, University of Luxembourg, Luxembourg, Luxembourg.,ELIXIR-Luxembourg Node, Belvaux, Luxembourg
| | - U K Madhusoodanan
- Sree Chitra Tirunal Institute for Medical Sciences, Trivandrum, India
| | - Pankaj Agarwal
- Movement Disorders Clinic, Global Hospitals, Mumbai, India
| | - Niraj Kumar
- All India Institute of Medical Sciences, Rishikesh, India
| | | | | | | | - Kuldeep Shetty
- Narayana Hrudayalaya Multispeciality Hospital, Bangalore, India
| | - Sahil Mehta
- Department of Neurology, PGIMER, Chandigarh, India
| | - Soaham Desai
- Shree Krishna Hospital and Pramukhswami Medical College, Karamsad, India
| | - Suresh Kumar
- Department of Neurology, Vijaya Health Centre, Chennai, India
| | - L K Prashanth
- Center for Parkinson's Disease and Movement Disorders, Vikram Hospital, Bangalore, India
| | - Mohit Bhatt
- Kokilaben Dhirubhai Ambani Hospital, Mumbai, India
| | | | - Sudha Ramalingam
- Department of Community Medicine, PSG Institute of Medical Sciences and Research, Coimbatore, India
| | - G M Wali
- Neurospecialities Centre, Belgaum, India
| | - Sanjay Pandey
- Department of Neurology, G. B. Pant Institute of Medical Education and Research, New Delhi, India
| | - Felix Bartusch
- Zentrum für Datenverarbeitung (ZDV), University of Tubingen, Tübingen, Germany
| | | | - Jens Krüger
- Zentrum für Datenverarbeitung (ZDV), University of Tubingen, Tübingen, Germany
| | - Ashwin Kumar-Sreelatha
- Centre for Genetic Epidemiology, Institute for Clinical Epidemiology and Applied Biometry, University of Tubingen, Tübingen, Germany
| | - Sandeep Grover
- Centre for Genetic Epidemiology, Institute for Clinical Epidemiology and Applied Biometry, University of Tubingen, Tübingen, Germany
| | - Peter Lichtner
- Helmholtz Zentrum München, German Research Center for Environmental Health, Institute of Human Genetics, Neuherberg, Germany
| | - Marc Sturm
- Institute for Medical Genetics and Applied Genomics, University of Tubingen, Tübingen, Germany
| | - Jochen Roeper
- Institute of Neurophysiology, Goethe University Frankfurt, Frankfurt, Germany
| | - Volker Busskamp
- Department of Ophthalmology, Universitäts-Augenklinik Bonn, University of Bonn, Bonn, Germany
| | | | - Jens Schwamborn
- Luxembourg Centre for Systems Biomedicine, University of Luxembourg, Luxembourg, Luxembourg
| | - Pankaj Seth
- National Brain Research Centre, Gurugram, India
| | - Thomas Gasser
- Department of Neurodegenerative Diseases, Hertie Institute for Clinical Brain Research, University of Tübingen, Tübingen, Germany
| | - Olaf Riess
- Institute for Medical Genetics and Applied Genomics, University of Tubingen, Tübingen, Germany
| | - Vinay Goyal
- Department of Neurology, All India Institute of Medical Sciences, New Delhi, India.,Medanta the Medicity, Gurgaon, India
| | - Pramod Kumar Pal
- National Institute of Mental Health and Neurosciences (NIMHANS), Bengaluru, India
| | - Rupam Borgohain
- Department of Neurology, Nizam's Institute of Medical Sciences, Hyderabad, India
| | - Rejko Krüger
- Luxembourg Centre for Systems Biomedicine, University of Luxembourg, Luxembourg, Luxembourg.,Transversal Translational Medicine, Luxembourg Institute of Health (LIH), Strassen, Luxembourg
| | - Asha Kishore
- Sree Chitra Tirunal Institute for Medical Sciences, Trivandrum, India
| | - Manu Sharma
- Department of Neurology, G. B. Pant Institute of Medical Education and Research, New Delhi, India
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22
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Pasquini G, Cora V, Swiersy A, Achberger K, Antkowiak L, Müller B, Wimmer T, Fraschka SAK, Casadei N, Ueffing M, Liebau S, Stieger K, Busskamp V. Using Transcriptomic Analysis to Assess Double-Strand Break Repair Activity: Towards Precise in vivo Genome Editing. Int J Mol Sci 2020; 21:E1380. [PMID: 32085662 PMCID: PMC7073035 DOI: 10.3390/ijms21041380] [Citation(s) in RCA: 9] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 01/23/2020] [Revised: 02/13/2020] [Accepted: 02/15/2020] [Indexed: 12/17/2022] Open
Abstract
Mutations in more than 200 retina-specific genes have been associated with inherited retinal diseases. Genome editing represents a promising emerging field in the treatment of monogenic disorders, as it aims to correct disease-causing mutations within the genome. Genome editing relies on highly specific endonucleases and the capacity of the cells to repair double-strand breaks (DSBs). As DSB pathways are cell-cycle dependent, their activity in postmitotic retinal neurons, with a focus on photoreceptors, needs to be assessed in order to develop therapeutic in vivo genome editing. Three DSB-repair pathways are found in mammalian cells: Non-homologous end joining (NHEJ); microhomology-mediated end joining (MMEJ); and homology-directed repair (HDR). While NHEJ can be used to knock out mutant alleles in dominant disorders, HDR and MMEJ are better suited for precise genome editing, or for replacing entire mutation hotspots in genomic regions. Here, we analyzed transcriptomic in vivo and in vitro data and revealed that HDR is indeed downregulated in postmitotic neurons, whereas MMEJ and NHEJ are active. Using single-cell RNA sequencing analysis, we characterized the dynamics of DSB repair pathways in the transition from dividing cells to postmitotic retinal cells. Time-course bulk RNA-seq data confirmed DSB repair gene expression in both in vivo and in vitro samples. Transcriptomic DSB repair pathway profiles are very similar in adult human, macaque, and mouse retinas, but not in ground squirrel retinas. Moreover, human-induced pluripotent stem-cell-derived neurons and retinal organoids can serve as well suited in vitro testbeds for developing genomic engineering approaches in photoreceptors. Our study provides additional support for designing precise in vivo genome-editing approaches via MMEJ, which is active in mature photoreceptors.
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Affiliation(s)
- Giovanni Pasquini
- Center for Regenerative Therapies (CRTD), Technical University Dresden, 01307 Dresden, Germany
| | - Virginia Cora
- Institute of Neuroanatomy & Developmental Biology (INDB), Eberhard Karls University Tübingen, 72074 Tübingen, Germany
| | - Anka Swiersy
- Center for Regenerative Therapies (CRTD), Technical University Dresden, 01307 Dresden, Germany
| | - Kevin Achberger
- Institute of Neuroanatomy & Developmental Biology (INDB), Eberhard Karls University Tübingen, 72074 Tübingen, Germany
| | - Lena Antkowiak
- Institute of Neuroanatomy & Developmental Biology (INDB), Eberhard Karls University Tübingen, 72074 Tübingen, Germany
| | - Brigitte Müller
- Department of Ophthalmology, Justus-Liebig-University, 35392 Giessen, Germany
| | - Tobias Wimmer
- Department of Ophthalmology, Justus-Liebig-University, 35392 Giessen, Germany
| | - Sabine Anne-Kristin Fraschka
- Institute of Medical Genetics and Applied Genomics, University of Tübingen, 72076 Tübingen, Germany
- DFG NGS Competence Center Tübingen, 72076 Tübingen, Germany
| | - Nicolas Casadei
- Institute of Medical Genetics and Applied Genomics, University of Tübingen, 72076 Tübingen, Germany
- DFG NGS Competence Center Tübingen, 72076 Tübingen, Germany
| | - Marius Ueffing
- Department of Ophthalmology, Institute for Ophthalmic Research, University of Tübingen, 72076 Tübingen, Germany
| | - Stefan Liebau
- Institute of Neuroanatomy & Developmental Biology (INDB), Eberhard Karls University Tübingen, 72074 Tübingen, Germany
| | - Knut Stieger
- Department of Ophthalmology, Justus-Liebig-University, 35392 Giessen, Germany
| | - Volker Busskamp
- Center for Regenerative Therapies (CRTD), Technical University Dresden, 01307 Dresden, Germany
- Universitäts-Augenklinik Bonn, University of Bonn, Dept. of Ophthalmology, 53127 Bonn, Germany
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23
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Abstract
MicroRNAs (miRNAs) are small RNA molecules with important roles in post-transcriptional regulation of gene expression. In recent years, the predicted number of miRNAs has skyrocketed, largely as a consequence of high-throughput sequencing technologies becoming ubiquitous. This dramatic increase in miRNA candidates poses multiple challenges in terms of data deposition, curation, and validation. Although multiple databases containing miRNA annotations and targets have been developed, ensuring data quality by validating miRNA-target interactions requires the efforts of the research community. In order to generate databases containing biologically active miRNAs, it is imperative to overcome a multitude of hurdles, including restricted miRNA expression patterns, distinct miRNA biogenesis machineries, and divergent miRNA-mRNA interaction dynamics. In the present review, we discuss recent advances and limitations in miRNA prediction, identification, and validation. Lastly, we focus on the most enriched neuronal miRNA, miR-124, and its gene regulatory network in human neurons, which has been revealed using a combined computational and experimental approach.
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Affiliation(s)
| | - Volker Busskamp
- Center for Regenerative Therapies (CRTD), Technische Universität Dresden, Dresden, Germany
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24
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Marrone L, Drexler HCA, Wang J, Tripathi P, Distler T, Heisterkamp P, Anderson EN, Kour S, Moraiti A, Maharana S, Bhatnagar R, Belgard TG, Tripathy V, Kalmbach N, Hosseinzadeh Z, Crippa V, Abo-Rady M, Wegner F, Poletti A, Troost D, Aronica E, Busskamp V, Weis J, Pandey UB, Hyman AA, Alberti S, Goswami A, Sterneckert J. FUS pathology in ALS is linked to alterations in multiple ALS-associated proteins and rescued by drugs stimulating autophagy. Acta Neuropathol 2019; 138:67-84. [PMID: 30937520 PMCID: PMC6570784 DOI: 10.1007/s00401-019-01998-x] [Citation(s) in RCA: 78] [Impact Index Per Article: 15.6] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 12/12/2018] [Revised: 03/26/2019] [Accepted: 03/26/2019] [Indexed: 12/13/2022]
Abstract
Amyotrophic lateral sclerosis (ALS) is a lethal disease characterized by motor neuron degeneration and associated with aggregation of nuclear RNA-binding proteins (RBPs), including FUS. How FUS aggregation and neurodegeneration are prevented in healthy motor neurons remain critically unanswered questions. Here, we use a combination of ALS patient autopsy tissue and induced pluripotent stem cell-derived neurons to study the effects of FUS mutations on RBP homeostasis. We show that FUS’ tendency to aggregate is normally buffered by interacting RBPs, but this buffering is lost when FUS mislocalizes to the cytoplasm due to ALS mutations. The presence of aggregation-prone FUS in the cytoplasm causes imbalances in RBP homeostasis that exacerbate neurodegeneration. However, enhancing autophagy using small molecules reduces cytoplasmic FUS, restores RBP homeostasis and rescues motor function in vivo. We conclude that disruption of RBP homeostasis plays a critical role in FUS-ALS and can be treated by stimulating autophagy.
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25
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Tondera C, Akbar TF, Thomas AK, Lin W, Werner C, Busskamp V, Zhang Y, Minev IR. Highly Conductive, Stretchable, and Cell-Adhesive Hydrogel by Nanoclay Doping. Small 2019; 15:e1901406. [PMID: 31025545 DOI: 10.1002/smll.201901406] [Citation(s) in RCA: 42] [Impact Index Per Article: 8.4] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 03/15/2019] [Revised: 04/11/2019] [Indexed: 05/25/2023]
Abstract
Electrically conductive materials that mimic physical and biological properties of tissues are urgently required for seamless brain-machine interfaces. Here, a multinetwork hydrogel combining electrical conductivity of 26 S m-1 , stretchability of 800%, and tissue-like elastic modulus of 15 kPa with mimicry of the extracellular matrix is reported. Engineering this unique set of properties is enabled by a novel in-scaffold polymerization approach. Colloidal hydrogels of the nanoclay Laponite are employed as supports for the assembly of secondary polymer networks. Laponite dramatically increases the conductivity of in-scaffold polymerized poly(ethylene-3,4-diethoxy thiophene) in the absence of other dopants, while preserving excellent stretchability. The scaffold is coated with a layer containing adhesive peptide and polysaccharide dextran sulfate supporting the attachment, proliferation, and neuronal differentiation of human induced pluripotent stem cells directly on the surface of conductive hydrogels. Due to its compatibility with simple extrusion printing, this material promises to enable tissue-mimetic neurostimulating electrodes.
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Affiliation(s)
- Christoph Tondera
- Biotechnology Center (BIOTEC), Center for Molecular and Cellular Bioengineering (CMCB), Technische Universität Dresden, Dresden, 01307, Germany
| | - Teuku Fawzul Akbar
- Biotechnology Center (BIOTEC), Center for Molecular and Cellular Bioengineering (CMCB), Technische Universität Dresden, Dresden, 01307, Germany
- Leibniz Institute of Polymer Research Dresden (IPF), Max Bergmann Center of Biomaterials Dresden (MBC), Dresden, 01069, Germany
| | - Alvin Kuriakose Thomas
- B CUBE Center for Molecular Bioengineering, Center for Molecular and Cellular Bioengineering (CMCB), Technische Universität Dresden, Dresden, 01307, Germany
| | - Weilin Lin
- B CUBE Center for Molecular Bioengineering, Center for Molecular and Cellular Bioengineering (CMCB), Technische Universität Dresden, Dresden, 01307, Germany
| | - Carsten Werner
- Leibniz Institute of Polymer Research Dresden (IPF), Max Bergmann Center of Biomaterials Dresden (MBC), Dresden, 01069, Germany
- Center for Regenerative Therapies Dresden (CRTD), Center for Molecular and Cellular Bioengineering (CMCB), Technische Universität Dresden, Dresden, 01307, Germany
| | - Volker Busskamp
- Center for Regenerative Therapies Dresden (CRTD), Center for Molecular and Cellular Bioengineering (CMCB), Technische Universität Dresden, Dresden, 01307, Germany
| | - Yixin Zhang
- B CUBE Center for Molecular Bioengineering, Center for Molecular and Cellular Bioengineering (CMCB), Technische Universität Dresden, Dresden, 01307, Germany
| | - Ivan R Minev
- Biotechnology Center (BIOTEC), Center for Molecular and Cellular Bioengineering (CMCB), Technische Universität Dresden, Dresden, 01307, Germany
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26
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Kutsche LK, Gysi DM, Fallmann J, Lenk K, Petri R, Swiersy A, Klapper SD, Pircs K, Khattak S, Stadler PF, Jakobsson J, Nowick K, Busskamp V. Combined Experimental and System-Level Analyses Reveal the Complex Regulatory Network of miR-124 during Human Neurogenesis. Cell Syst 2018; 7:438-452.e8. [PMID: 30292704 PMCID: PMC6205824 DOI: 10.1016/j.cels.2018.08.011] [Citation(s) in RCA: 32] [Impact Index Per Article: 5.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 03/08/2018] [Revised: 07/12/2018] [Accepted: 08/23/2018] [Indexed: 02/07/2023]
Abstract
Non-coding RNAs regulate many biological processes including neurogenesis. The brain-enriched miR-124 has been assigned as a key player of neuronal differentiation via its complex but little understood regulation of thousands of annotated targets. To systematically chart its regulatory functions, we used CRISPR/Cas9 gene editing to disrupt all six miR-124 alleles in human induced pluripotent stem cells. Upon neuronal induction, miR-124-deleted cells underwent neurogenesis and became functional neurons, albeit with altered morphology and neurotransmitter specification. Using RNA-induced-silencing-complex precipitation, we identified 98 high-confidence miR-124 targets, of which some directly led to decreased viability. By performing advanced transcription-factor-network analysis, we identified indirect miR-124 effects on apoptosis, neuronal subtype differentiation, and the regulation of previously uncharacterized zinc finger transcription factors. Our data emphasize the need for combined experimental- and system-level analyses to comprehensively disentangle and reveal miRNA functions, including their involvement in the neurogenesis of diverse neuronal cell types found in the human brain. miR-124 is not essential for neurogenesis from human iPSCs miR-124 regulation mediates neuroprotection and refines neuronal cell fates miRNA knockout characterization by experimental and advanced computational analyses Identification of 98 targets including the neuronal feature repressor ZNF787
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Affiliation(s)
- Lisa K Kutsche
- Technische Universität Dresden, DFG Research Center for Regenerative Therapies, Dresden 01307, Germany
| | - Deisy M Gysi
- Department of Computer Science, Bioinformatics Group, Interdisciplinary Center for Bioinformatics, University of Leipzig, Leipzig 04107, Germany; Faculty of Mathematics and Computer Science, Swarm Intelligence and Complex Systems Group, University of Leipzig, Leipzig 04109, Germany; Faculty for Biology, Chemistry and Pharmacy, Freie Universität Berlin, Institute for Biology, Berlin 14195, Germany
| | - Joerg Fallmann
- Department of Computer Science, Bioinformatics Group, Interdisciplinary Center for Bioinformatics, University of Leipzig, Leipzig 04107, Germany
| | - Kerstin Lenk
- Technische Universität Dresden, DFG Research Center for Regenerative Therapies, Dresden 01307, Germany
| | - Rebecca Petri
- Department of Experimental Medical Science, Laboratory of Molecular Neurogenetics, Wallenberg Neuroscience Center and Lund Stem Cell Center, Lunds Universitet, Lund 22184, Sweden
| | - Anka Swiersy
- Technische Universität Dresden, DFG Research Center for Regenerative Therapies, Dresden 01307, Germany
| | - Simon D Klapper
- Technische Universität Dresden, DFG Research Center for Regenerative Therapies, Dresden 01307, Germany
| | - Karolina Pircs
- Department of Experimental Medical Science, Laboratory of Molecular Neurogenetics, Wallenberg Neuroscience Center and Lund Stem Cell Center, Lunds Universitet, Lund 22184, Sweden
| | - Shahryar Khattak
- Technische Universität Dresden, DFG Research Center for Regenerative Therapies, Dresden 01307, Germany
| | - Peter F Stadler
- Department of Computer Science, Bioinformatics Group, Interdisciplinary Center for Bioinformatics, University of Leipzig, Leipzig 04107, Germany; Max Planck Institute for Mathematics in the Sciences, Leipzig 04103, Germany; Santa Fe Institute, 1399 Hyde Park Road, Santa Fe, NM 87501, USA
| | - Johan Jakobsson
- Department of Experimental Medical Science, Laboratory of Molecular Neurogenetics, Wallenberg Neuroscience Center and Lund Stem Cell Center, Lunds Universitet, Lund 22184, Sweden
| | - Katja Nowick
- Faculty for Biology, Chemistry and Pharmacy, Freie Universität Berlin, Institute for Biology, Berlin 14195, Germany
| | - Volker Busskamp
- Technische Universität Dresden, DFG Research Center for Regenerative Therapies, Dresden 01307, Germany.
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Abstract
In this issue of Neuron, Tochitsky et al. (2016) have identified the mechanism by which small-molecule photoswitches enter and specifically activate retinal OFF-ganglion cells in degenerated retinas. This drug development is a tremendous step toward the treatment of blindness, regardless of the underlying mutation.
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Affiliation(s)
- Simon Darius Klapper
- Center for Regenerative Therapies Dresden, TU Dresden, Fetscherstrasse 105, 01307 Dresden, Germany
| | - Volker Busskamp
- Center for Regenerative Therapies Dresden, TU Dresden, Fetscherstrasse 105, 01307 Dresden, Germany.
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28
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Abstract
Optogenetics refers to the genetic modification of cells to express light-sensitive proteins, which mediate ion flow or secondary signalling cascades upon light exposure. Channelrhodopsin, the most famous example, is an unselective cation channel, which opens when exposed to blue light, thus mediating the depolarisation of the expressing cell. Along with other light-sensitive proteins such as the chloride pump eNpHR, which mediates light-activated hyperpolarisation, the optogenetic toolset offers a wide range of non-invasive single cell manipulations. Due to the direct modulation of the membrane potential, the in-vivo and in-vitro application of optogenetics in neuronal cells seemed to be of outstanding interest. Soon it became evident that these tools are well-suited to treat retinas of patients suffering from photoreceptor degeneration, independently of the underlying mutation. The ectopic expression of channelrhodopsin or eNpHR may cause inactive photoreceptors or other, intact cells of the retina to become sensitive to light. Thus, the most basic function of the retina, the perception of light, can be restored. This review gives a short overview of the retinal structure as well as its physiological and pathological function as the primary light-perceiving tissue. We will focus on different optogenetic strategies to restore visual function in previously blind retinas.
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Affiliation(s)
- A Swiersy
- DFG-Forschungszentrum für Regenerative Therapien Dresden (CRTD), Technische Universität Dresden
| | - S D Klapper
- DFG-Forschungszentrum für Regenerative Therapien Dresden (CRTD), Technische Universität Dresden
| | - V Busskamp
- DFG-Forschungszentrum für Regenerative Therapien Dresden (CRTD), Technische Universität Dresden
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29
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Klapper SD, Swiersy A, Bamberg E, Busskamp V. Biophysical Properties of Optogenetic Tools and Their Application for Vision Restoration Approaches. Front Syst Neurosci 2016; 10:74. [PMID: 27642278 PMCID: PMC5009148 DOI: 10.3389/fnsys.2016.00074] [Citation(s) in RCA: 32] [Impact Index Per Article: 4.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 06/30/2016] [Accepted: 08/17/2016] [Indexed: 11/13/2022] Open
Abstract
Optogenetics is the use of genetically encoded light-activated proteins to manipulate cells in a minimally invasive way using light. The most prominent example is channelrhodopsin-2 (ChR2), which allows the activation of electrically excitable cells via light-dependent depolarization. The combination of ChR2 with hyperpolarizing-light-driven ion pumps such as the Cl(-) pump halorhodopsin (NpHR) enables multimodal remote control of neuronal cells in culture, tissue, and living animals. Very soon, it became obvious that this method offers a chance of gene therapy for many diseases affecting vision. Here, we will give a brief introduction to retinal function and retinal diseases; optogenetic vision restoration strategies will be highlighted. We will discuss the functional and structural properties of rhodopsin-based optogenetic tools and analyze the potential for the application of vision restoration.
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Affiliation(s)
- Simon D Klapper
- Center for Regenerative Therapies Dresden, Technische Universität Dresden Dresden, Germany
| | - Anka Swiersy
- Center for Regenerative Therapies Dresden, Technische Universität Dresden Dresden, Germany
| | - Ernst Bamberg
- Max Planck Institute of Biophysics Frankfurt, Germany
| | - Volker Busskamp
- Center for Regenerative Therapies Dresden, Technische Universität Dresden Dresden, Germany
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30
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Völkner M, Zschätzsch M, Rostovskaya M, Overall RW, Busskamp V, Anastassiadis K, Karl MO. Retinal Organoids from Pluripotent Stem Cells Efficiently Recapitulate Retinogenesis. Stem Cell Reports 2016; 6:525-538. [PMID: 27050948 PMCID: PMC4834051 DOI: 10.1016/j.stemcr.2016.03.001] [Citation(s) in RCA: 190] [Impact Index Per Article: 23.8] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 05/22/2015] [Revised: 03/02/2016] [Accepted: 03/03/2016] [Indexed: 12/16/2022] Open
Abstract
The plasticity of pluripotent stem cells provides new possibilities for studying development, degeneration, and regeneration. Protocols for the differentiation of retinal organoids from embryonic stem cells have been developed, which either recapitulate complete eyecup morphogenesis or maximize photoreceptor genesis. Here, we have developed a protocol for the efficient generation of large, 3D-stratified retinal organoids that does not require evagination of optic-vesicle-like structures, which so far limited the organoid yield. Analysis of gene expression in individual organoids, cell birthdating, and interorganoid variation indicate efficient, reproducible, and temporally regulated retinogenesis. Comparative analysis of a transgenic reporter for PAX6, a master regulator of retinogenesis, shows expression in similar cell types in mouse in vivo, and in mouse and human retinal organoids. Early or late Notch signaling inhibition forces cell differentiation, generating organoids enriched with cone or rod photoreceptors, respectively, demonstrating the power of our improved organoid system for future research in stem cell biology and regenerative medicine. Efficient protocol for pluripotent stem cell-derived retinal organoidogenesis Temporal gene-expression profile analysis of individual organoids Comparative hPAX6GFP expression in murine retinal organoids and mouse retina Timed Notch inhibition results in cone- or rod-photoreceptor-enriched organoids
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Affiliation(s)
- Manuela Völkner
- German Center for Neurodegenerative Diseases (DZNE) Dresden, 01307 Dresden, Germany
| | - Marlen Zschätzsch
- German Center for Neurodegenerative Diseases (DZNE) Dresden, 01307 Dresden, Germany
| | - Maria Rostovskaya
- Stem Cell Engineering, Biotechnology Center (BIOTEC), TU Dresden, 01307 Dresden, Germany
| | - Rupert W Overall
- CRTD - Center for Regenerative Therapies Dresden, Technische Universität Dresden, 01307 Dresden, Germany
| | - Volker Busskamp
- CRTD - Center for Regenerative Therapies Dresden, Technische Universität Dresden, 01307 Dresden, Germany
| | | | - Mike O Karl
- German Center for Neurodegenerative Diseases (DZNE) Dresden, 01307 Dresden, Germany; CRTD - Center for Regenerative Therapies Dresden, Technische Universität Dresden, 01307 Dresden, Germany.
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31
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Cronin T, Vandenberghe LH, Hantz P, Juttner J, Reimann A, Kacsó AE, Huckfeldt RM, Busskamp V, Kohler H, Lagali PS, Roska B, Bennett J. Efficient transduction and optogenetic stimulation of retinal bipolar cells by a synthetic adeno-associated virus capsid and promoter. EMBO Mol Med 2015; 6:1175-90. [PMID: 25092770 PMCID: PMC4197864 DOI: 10.15252/emmm.201404077] [Citation(s) in RCA: 124] [Impact Index Per Article: 13.8] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/22/2022] Open
Abstract
In this report, we describe the development of a modified adeno-associated virus (AAV) capsid and promoter for transduction of retinal ON-bipolar cells. The bipolar cells, which are post-synaptic to the photoreceptors, are important retinal targets for both basic and preclinical research. In particular, a therapeutic strategy under investigation for advanced forms of blindness involves using optogenetic molecules to render ON-bipolar cells light-sensitive. Currently, delivery of adequate levels of gene expression is a limiting step for this approach. The synthetic AAV capsid and promoter described here achieves high level of optogenetic transgene expression in ON-bipolar cells. This evokes high-frequency (∼100 Hz) spiking responses in ganglion cells of previously blind, rd1, mice. Our vector is a promising vehicle for further development toward potential clinical use.
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Affiliation(s)
- Therese Cronin
- Center for Advanced Retinal and Ophthalmic Therapeutics, F.M. Kirby Center for Molecular Ophthalmology, Scheie Eye Institute, University of Pennsylvania, Philadelphia, PA, USA Friedrich Miescher Institute for Biomedical Research, Basel, Switzerland
| | - Luk H Vandenberghe
- Center for Advanced Retinal and Ophthalmic Therapeutics, F.M. Kirby Center for Molecular Ophthalmology, Scheie Eye Institute, University of Pennsylvania, Philadelphia, PA, USA Schepens Eye Research Institute, Massachusetts Eye and Ear Infirmary, Harvard Medical School, Boston, MA, USA
| | - Péter Hantz
- Friedrich Miescher Institute for Biomedical Research, Basel, Switzerland
| | - Josephine Juttner
- Friedrich Miescher Institute for Biomedical Research, Basel, Switzerland
| | - Andreas Reimann
- Friedrich Miescher Institute for Biomedical Research, Basel, Switzerland
| | | | - Rachel M Huckfeldt
- Center for Advanced Retinal and Ophthalmic Therapeutics, F.M. Kirby Center for Molecular Ophthalmology, Scheie Eye Institute, University of Pennsylvania, Philadelphia, PA, USA
| | - Volker Busskamp
- Friedrich Miescher Institute for Biomedical Research, Basel, Switzerland Genetics Department, Harvard Medical School, Boston, MA, USA
| | - Hubertus Kohler
- Friedrich Miescher Institute for Biomedical Research, Basel, Switzerland
| | - Pamela S Lagali
- Friedrich Miescher Institute for Biomedical Research, Basel, Switzerland Regenerative Medicine Program, Ottawa Hospital Research Institute, Ottawa, ON, Canada
| | - Botond Roska
- Friedrich Miescher Institute for Biomedical Research, Basel, Switzerland
| | - Jean Bennett
- Center for Advanced Retinal and Ophthalmic Therapeutics, F.M. Kirby Center for Molecular Ophthalmology, Scheie Eye Institute, University of Pennsylvania, Philadelphia, PA, USA
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32
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Busskamp V, Lewis NE, Guye P, Ng AHM, Shipman SL, Byrne SM, Sanjana NE, Murn J, Li Y, Li S, Stadler M, Weiss R, Church GM. Rapid neurogenesis through transcriptional activation in human stem cells. Mol Syst Biol 2014; 10:760. [PMID: 25403753 PMCID: PMC4299601 DOI: 10.15252/msb.20145508] [Citation(s) in RCA: 146] [Impact Index Per Article: 14.6] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 06/20/2014] [Revised: 10/14/2014] [Accepted: 10/16/2014] [Indexed: 12/23/2022] Open
Abstract
Advances in cellular reprogramming and stem cell differentiation now enable ex vivo studies of human neuronal differentiation. However, it remains challenging to elucidate the underlying regulatory programs because differentiation protocols are laborious and often result in low neuron yields. Here, we overexpressed two Neurogenin transcription factors in human-induced pluripotent stem cells and obtained neurons with bipolar morphology in 4 days, at greater than 90% purity. The high purity enabled mRNA and microRNA expression profiling during neurogenesis, thus revealing the genetic programs involved in the rapid transition from stem cell to neuron. The resulting cells exhibited transcriptional, morphological and functional signatures of differentiated neurons, with greatest transcriptional similarity to prenatal human brain samples. Our analysis revealed a network of key transcription factors and microRNAs that promoted loss of pluripotency and rapid neurogenesis via progenitor states. Perturbations of key transcription factors affected homogeneity and phenotypic properties of the resulting neurons, suggesting that a systems-level view of the molecular biology of differentiation may guide subsequent manipulation of human stem cells to rapidly obtain diverse neuronal types.
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Affiliation(s)
- Volker Busskamp
- Department of Genetics, Harvard Medical School, Boston, MA, USA Wyss Institute for Biologically Inspired Engineering at Harvard University, Boston, MA, USA
| | - Nathan E Lewis
- Department of Genetics, Harvard Medical School, Boston, MA, USA Wyss Institute for Biologically Inspired Engineering at Harvard University, Boston, MA, USA Department of Biology, Brigham Young University, Provo, UT, USA Department of Pediatrics, University of California, San Diego, CA, USA
| | - Patrick Guye
- Department of Biological Engineering, Massachusetts Institute of Technology, Cambridge, MA, USA
| | - Alex H M Ng
- Department of Genetics, Harvard Medical School, Boston, MA, USA Wyss Institute for Biologically Inspired Engineering at Harvard University, Boston, MA, USA Department of Systems Biology, Harvard Medical School, Boston, MA, USA
| | - Seth L Shipman
- Department of Genetics, Harvard Medical School, Boston, MA, USA Wyss Institute for Biologically Inspired Engineering at Harvard University, Boston, MA, USA
| | - Susan M Byrne
- Department of Genetics, Harvard Medical School, Boston, MA, USA Wyss Institute for Biologically Inspired Engineering at Harvard University, Boston, MA, USA
| | - Neville E Sanjana
- Broad Institute of MIT and Harvard Cambridge Center, Cambridge, MA, USA McGovern Institute for Brain Research, Department of Brain and Cognitive Sciences, Department of Biological Engineering, Massachusetts Institute of Technology (MIT), Cambridge, MA, USA
| | - Jernej Murn
- Department of Cell Biology, Harvard Medical School, Boston, MA, USA Division of Newborn Medicine, Boston Children's Hospital, Boston, MA, USA
| | - Yinqing Li
- Department of Biological Engineering, Massachusetts Institute of Technology, Cambridge, MA, USA
| | - Shangzhong Li
- Department of Bioengineering, University of California, San Diego, CA, USA
| | - Michael Stadler
- Friedrich Miescher Institute for Biomedical Research, Basel, Switzerland Swiss Institute of Bioinformatics, Basel, Switzerland University of Basel, Basel, Switzerland
| | - Ron Weiss
- Department of Biological Engineering, Massachusetts Institute of Technology, Cambridge, MA, USA
| | - George M Church
- Department of Genetics, Harvard Medical School, Boston, MA, USA Wyss Institute for Biologically Inspired Engineering at Harvard University, Boston, MA, USA
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33
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Chuong AS, Miri ML, Busskamp V, Matthews GAC, Acker LC, Sørensen AT, Young A, Klapoetke NC, Henninger MA, Kodandaramaiah SB, Ogawa M, Ramanlal SB, Bandler RC, Allen BD, Forest CR, Chow BY, Han X, Lin Y, Tye KM, Roska B, Cardin JA, Boyden ES. Noninvasive optical inhibition with a red-shifted microbial rhodopsin. Nat Neurosci 2014; 17:1123-9. [PMID: 24997763 PMCID: PMC4184214 DOI: 10.1038/nn.3752] [Citation(s) in RCA: 346] [Impact Index Per Article: 34.6] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 02/28/2014] [Accepted: 06/01/2014] [Indexed: 12/11/2022]
Abstract
Optogenetic inhibition of the electrical activity of neurons enables the causal assessment of their contributions to brain functions. Red light penetrates deeper into tissue than other visible wavelengths. We present a red-shifted cruxhalorhodopsin, Jaws, derived from Haloarcula (Halobacterium) salinarum (strain Shark) and engineered to result in red light-induced photocurrents three times those of earlier silencers. Jaws exhibits robust inhibition of sensory-evoked neural activity in the cortex and results in strong light responses when used in retinas of retinitis pigmentosa model mice. We also demonstrate that Jaws can noninvasively mediate transcranial optical inhibition of neurons deep in the brains of awake mice. The noninvasive optogenetic inhibition opened up by Jaws enables a variety of important neuroscience experiments and offers a powerful general-use chloride pump for basic and applied neuroscience.
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Affiliation(s)
- Amy S Chuong
- 1] Media Lab, Department of Media Arts and Sciences, Massachusetts Institute of Technology, Cambridge, Massachusetts, USA. [2] McGovern Institute for Brain Research, Department of Brain and Cognitive Sciences, Massachusetts Institute of Technology, Cambridge, Massachusetts, USA. [3] Department of Biological Engineering, Massachusetts Institute of Technology, Cambridge, Massachusetts, USA
| | - Mitra L Miri
- 1] Department of Neurobiology, Yale School of Medicine, Yale University, New Haven, Connecticut, USA. [2]
| | - Volker Busskamp
- 1] Neural Circuit Laboratories, Friedrich Miescher Institute for Biomedical Research, Basel, Switzerland. [2] Department of Genetics, Harvard Medical School, Boston, Massachusetts, USA. [3]
| | - Gillian A C Matthews
- 1] Picower Institute for Learning and Memory, Department of Brain and Cognitive Sciences, Massachusetts Institute of Technology, Cambridge, Massachusetts, USA. [2]
| | - Leah C Acker
- 1] Media Lab, Department of Media Arts and Sciences, Massachusetts Institute of Technology, Cambridge, Massachusetts, USA. [2] McGovern Institute for Brain Research, Department of Brain and Cognitive Sciences, Massachusetts Institute of Technology, Cambridge, Massachusetts, USA. [3] Department of Biological Engineering, Massachusetts Institute of Technology, Cambridge, Massachusetts, USA. [4]
| | - Andreas T Sørensen
- McGovern Institute for Brain Research, Department of Brain and Cognitive Sciences, Massachusetts Institute of Technology, Cambridge, Massachusetts, USA
| | - Andrew Young
- McGovern Institute for Brain Research, Department of Brain and Cognitive Sciences, Massachusetts Institute of Technology, Cambridge, Massachusetts, USA
| | - Nathan C Klapoetke
- 1] Media Lab, Department of Media Arts and Sciences, Massachusetts Institute of Technology, Cambridge, Massachusetts, USA. [2] McGovern Institute for Brain Research, Department of Brain and Cognitive Sciences, Massachusetts Institute of Technology, Cambridge, Massachusetts, USA. [3] Department of Biological Engineering, Massachusetts Institute of Technology, Cambridge, Massachusetts, USA
| | - Mike A Henninger
- 1] Media Lab, Department of Media Arts and Sciences, Massachusetts Institute of Technology, Cambridge, Massachusetts, USA. [2] McGovern Institute for Brain Research, Department of Brain and Cognitive Sciences, Massachusetts Institute of Technology, Cambridge, Massachusetts, USA. [3] Department of Biological Engineering, Massachusetts Institute of Technology, Cambridge, Massachusetts, USA
| | - Suhasa B Kodandaramaiah
- 1] Media Lab, Department of Media Arts and Sciences, Massachusetts Institute of Technology, Cambridge, Massachusetts, USA. [2] McGovern Institute for Brain Research, Department of Brain and Cognitive Sciences, Massachusetts Institute of Technology, Cambridge, Massachusetts, USA. [3] Department of Biological Engineering, Massachusetts Institute of Technology, Cambridge, Massachusetts, USA. [4] George W. Woodruff School of Mechanical Engineering, Georgia Institute of Technology, Atlanta, Georgia, USA
| | - Masaaki Ogawa
- 1] Media Lab, Department of Media Arts and Sciences, Massachusetts Institute of Technology, Cambridge, Massachusetts, USA. [2] McGovern Institute for Brain Research, Department of Brain and Cognitive Sciences, Massachusetts Institute of Technology, Cambridge, Massachusetts, USA. [3] Department of Biological Engineering, Massachusetts Institute of Technology, Cambridge, Massachusetts, USA
| | - Shreshtha B Ramanlal
- Department of Biomedical Engineering, Boston University, Boston, Massachusetts, USA
| | - Rachel C Bandler
- Media Lab, Department of Media Arts and Sciences, Massachusetts Institute of Technology, Cambridge, Massachusetts, USA
| | - Brian D Allen
- Media Lab, Department of Media Arts and Sciences, Massachusetts Institute of Technology, Cambridge, Massachusetts, USA
| | - Craig R Forest
- George W. Woodruff School of Mechanical Engineering, Georgia Institute of Technology, Atlanta, Georgia, USA
| | - Brian Y Chow
- Department of Bioengineering, University of Pennsylvania, Philadelphia, Pennsylvania, USA
| | - Xue Han
- Department of Biomedical Engineering, Boston University, Boston, Massachusetts, USA
| | - Yingxi Lin
- McGovern Institute for Brain Research, Department of Brain and Cognitive Sciences, Massachusetts Institute of Technology, Cambridge, Massachusetts, USA
| | - Kay M Tye
- Picower Institute for Learning and Memory, Department of Brain and Cognitive Sciences, Massachusetts Institute of Technology, Cambridge, Massachusetts, USA
| | - Botond Roska
- Neural Circuit Laboratories, Friedrich Miescher Institute for Biomedical Research, Basel, Switzerland
| | - Jessica A Cardin
- 1] Department of Neurobiology, Yale School of Medicine, Yale University, New Haven, Connecticut, USA. [2] Kavli Institute for Neuroscience, Yale University, New Haven, Connecticut, USA
| | - Edward S Boyden
- 1] Media Lab, Department of Media Arts and Sciences, Massachusetts Institute of Technology, Cambridge, Massachusetts, USA. [2] McGovern Institute for Brain Research, Department of Brain and Cognitive Sciences, Massachusetts Institute of Technology, Cambridge, Massachusetts, USA. [3] Department of Biological Engineering, Massachusetts Institute of Technology, Cambridge, Massachusetts, USA
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34
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Busskamp V, Krol J, Nelidova D, Daum J, Szikra T, Tsuda B, Jüttner J, Farrow K, Scherf BG, Alvarez CPP, Genoud C, Sothilingam V, Tanimoto N, Stadler M, Seeliger M, Stoffel M, Filipowicz W, Roska B. miRNAs 182 and 183 are necessary to maintain adult cone photoreceptor outer segments and visual function. Neuron 2014; 83:586-600. [PMID: 25002228 DOI: 10.1016/j.neuron.2014.06.020] [Citation(s) in RCA: 108] [Impact Index Per Article: 10.8] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Accepted: 06/19/2014] [Indexed: 12/31/2022]
Abstract
The outer segments of cones serve as light detectors for daylight color vision, and their dysfunction leads to human blindness conditions. We show that the cone-specific disruption of DGCR8 in adult mice led to the loss of miRNAs and the loss of outer segments, resulting in photoreceptors with significantly reduced light responses. However, the number of cones remained unchanged. The loss of the outer segments occurred gradually over 1 month, and during this time the genetic signature of cones decreased. Reexpression of the sensory-cell-specific miR-182 and miR-183 prevented outer segment loss. These miRNAs were also necessary and sufficient for the formation of inner segments, connecting cilia and short outer segments, as well as light responses in stem-cell-derived retinal cultures. Our results show that miR-182- and miR-183-regulated pathways are necessary for cone outer segment maintenance in vivo and functional outer segment formation in vitro.
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Affiliation(s)
- Volker Busskamp
- Neural Circuit Laboratories, Friedrich Miescher Institute for Biomedical Research, 4058 Basel, Switzerland
| | - Jacek Krol
- Neural Circuit Laboratories, Friedrich Miescher Institute for Biomedical Research, 4058 Basel, Switzerland
| | - Dasha Nelidova
- Neural Circuit Laboratories, Friedrich Miescher Institute for Biomedical Research, 4058 Basel, Switzerland; University of Basel, 4058 Basel, Switzerland
| | - Janine Daum
- Neural Circuit Laboratories, Friedrich Miescher Institute for Biomedical Research, 4058 Basel, Switzerland; University of Basel, 4058 Basel, Switzerland
| | - Tamas Szikra
- Neural Circuit Laboratories, Friedrich Miescher Institute for Biomedical Research, 4058 Basel, Switzerland
| | - Ben Tsuda
- Neural Circuit Laboratories, Friedrich Miescher Institute for Biomedical Research, 4058 Basel, Switzerland
| | - Josephine Jüttner
- Neural Circuit Laboratories, Friedrich Miescher Institute for Biomedical Research, 4058 Basel, Switzerland
| | - Karl Farrow
- Neural Circuit Laboratories, Friedrich Miescher Institute for Biomedical Research, 4058 Basel, Switzerland
| | - Brigitte Gross Scherf
- Neural Circuit Laboratories, Friedrich Miescher Institute for Biomedical Research, 4058 Basel, Switzerland
| | | | - Christel Genoud
- Neural Circuit Laboratories, Friedrich Miescher Institute for Biomedical Research, 4058 Basel, Switzerland
| | - Vithiyanjali Sothilingam
- Division of Ocular Neurodegeneration, Institute for Ophthalmic Research, Department of Ophthalmology, Eberhard-Karls University, 72076 Tübingen, Germany
| | - Naoyuki Tanimoto
- Division of Ocular Neurodegeneration, Institute for Ophthalmic Research, Department of Ophthalmology, Eberhard-Karls University, 72076 Tübingen, Germany
| | - Michael Stadler
- Neural Circuit Laboratories, Friedrich Miescher Institute for Biomedical Research, 4058 Basel, Switzerland
| | - Mathias Seeliger
- Division of Ocular Neurodegeneration, Institute for Ophthalmic Research, Department of Ophthalmology, Eberhard-Karls University, 72076 Tübingen, Germany
| | - Markus Stoffel
- Institute for Molecular Health Sciences, ETH, 8093 Zürich
| | - Witold Filipowicz
- Neural Circuit Laboratories, Friedrich Miescher Institute for Biomedical Research, 4058 Basel, Switzerland; University of Basel, 4058 Basel, Switzerland.
| | - Botond Roska
- Neural Circuit Laboratories, Friedrich Miescher Institute for Biomedical Research, 4058 Basel, Switzerland.
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35
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Abstract
Retinitis pigmentosa (RP) is a hereditary retinal disease leading to blindness, which affects two million people worldwide. Restoring vision in these blind patients was proposed by gene delivery of microbial light-activated ionic channels or pumps "optogenetic proteins" to transform surviving cells into artificial photoreceptors. This therapeutic strategy was validated in blind animal models of RP by recording at the level of the retina and cortex and by behavioural tests. The translational potentials of these optogenetic approaches have been evaluated using in vitro studies on post-mortem human retinal tissues. Here, we review these recent results and discuss the potential clinical applications of the optogenetic therapy for RP patients.
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Affiliation(s)
- Botond Roska
- Friedrich Miescher Institute for Biomedical Research, Maulbeerstrasse 66F, 4058 Basel, Switzerland
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36
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Busskamp V, Roska B. Optogenetic approaches to restoring visual function in retinitis pigmentosa. Curr Opin Neurobiol 2011; 21:942-6. [PMID: 21708457 DOI: 10.1016/j.conb.2011.06.001] [Citation(s) in RCA: 74] [Impact Index Per Article: 5.7] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 05/16/2011] [Accepted: 06/03/2011] [Indexed: 12/15/2022]
Abstract
Retinitis pigmentosa is a hereditary eye disease that affects photoreceptors and leads to blindness. The discovery of a microbial light-gated channel and the subsequent development of similar 'optogenetic' sensors have opened the door to creating artificial photoreceptors in the remaining retinal circuits of retinitis pigmentosa retinas via gene therapy. Here we review recent studies in animal models of retinitis pigmentosa that have combined knowledge of retinal cell types, circuits and computations with the ability to equip cell types with optogenetic sensors in order to restore visual activity. We also discuss the translational potential of this therapy.
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Affiliation(s)
- Volker Busskamp
- Neural Circuit Laboratories, Friedrich Miescher Institute for Biomedical Research, Basel, Switzerland
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37
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Fradot M, Busskamp V, Forster V, Cronin T, Léveillard T, Bennett J, Sahel JA, Roska B, Picaud S. Gene therapy in ophthalmology: validation on cultured retinal cells and explants from postmortem human eyes. Hum Gene Ther 2011; 22:587-93. [PMID: 21142470 DOI: 10.1089/hum.2010.157] [Citation(s) in RCA: 37] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.8] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 01/27/2023] Open
Abstract
Gene therapy studies in primates can provide important information regarding vector tropism, specific cellular expression, biodistribution, and safety prior to clinical trials. In this study, we report the assessment of transduction efficiency of recombinant adeno-associated virus (rAAV) vectors using human postmortem retina. Transductions were performed using two in vitro models prepared from human tissue: dissociated cell cultures and retinal explants. These models were used to assess cellular tropism and selectivity of rAAV vectors encoding for fluorescent proteins under the control of different promoters. These promoters were a ubiquitous cytomegalovirus promoter and a cell type-specific promoter targeting expression in ON bipolar cells. The results demonstrate that this in vitro approach can limit the use of living primates for the validation of gene therapy in vision and ophthalmology.
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38
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Busskamp V, Duebel J, Balya D, Fradot M, Viney TJ, Siegert S, Groner AC, Cabuy E, Forster V, Seeliger M, Biel M, Humphries P, Paques M, Mohand-Said S, Trono D, Deisseroth K, Sahel JA, Picaud S, Roska B. Genetic reactivation of cone photoreceptors restores visual responses in retinitis pigmentosa. Science 2010; 329:413-7. [PMID: 20576849 DOI: 10.1126/science.1190897] [Citation(s) in RCA: 476] [Impact Index Per Article: 34.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Abstract] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 12/27/2022]
Abstract
Retinitis pigmentosa refers to a diverse group of hereditary diseases that lead to incurable blindness, affecting two million people worldwide. As a common pathology, rod photoreceptors die early, whereas light-insensitive, morphologically altered cone photoreceptors persist longer. It is unknown if these cones are accessible for therapeutic intervention. Here, we show that expression of archaebacterial halorhodopsin in light-insensitive cones can substitute for the native phototransduction cascade and restore light sensitivity in mouse models of retinitis pigmentosa. Resensitized photoreceptors activate all retinal cone pathways, drive sophisticated retinal circuit functions (including directional selectivity), activate cortical circuits, and mediate visually guided behaviors. Using human ex vivo retinas, we show that halorhodopsin can reactivate light-insensitive human photoreceptors. Finally, we identified blind patients with persisting, light-insensitive cones for potential halorhodopsin-based therapy.
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Affiliation(s)
- Volker Busskamp
- Neural Circuit Laboratories, Friedrich Miescher Institute for Biomedical Research, Basel, Switzerland
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Krol J, Busskamp V, Markiewicz I, Stadler MB, Ribi S, Richter J, Duebel J, Bicker S, Fehling HJ, Schübeler D, Oertner TG, Schratt G, Bibel M, Roska B, Filipowicz W. Characterizing light-regulated retinal microRNAs reveals rapid turnover as a common property of neuronal microRNAs. Cell 2010; 141:618-31. [PMID: 20478254 DOI: 10.1016/j.cell.2010.03.039] [Citation(s) in RCA: 370] [Impact Index Per Article: 26.4] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Abstract] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 06/16/2009] [Revised: 01/22/2010] [Accepted: 03/05/2010] [Indexed: 11/15/2022]
Abstract
Adaptation to different levels of illumination is central to the function of the retina. Here, we demonstrate that levels of the miR-183/96/182 cluster, miR-204, and miR-211 are regulated by different light levels in the mouse retina. Concentrations of these microRNAs were downregulated during dark adaptation and upregulated in light-adapted retinas, with rapid decay and increased transcription being responsible for the respective changes. We identified the voltage-dependent glutamate transporter Slc1a1 as one of the miR-183/96/182 targets in photoreceptor cells. We found that microRNAs in retinal neurons decay much faster than microRNAs in nonneuronal cells. The high turnover is also characteristic of microRNAs in hippocampal and cortical neurons, and neurons differentiated from ES cells in vitro. Blocking activity reduced turnover of microRNAs in neuronal cells while stimulation with glutamate accelerated it. Our results demonstrate that microRNA metabolism in neurons is higher than in most other cells types and linked to neuronal activity.
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Affiliation(s)
- Jacek Krol
- Friedrich Miescher Institute for Biomedical Research, PO Box 2543, 4002 Basel, Switzerland
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Jakobsson J, Cordero MI, Bisaz R, Groner AC, Busskamp V, Bensadoun JC, Cammas F, Losson R, Mansuy IM, Sandi C, Trono D. KAP1-mediated epigenetic repression in the forebrain modulates behavioral vulnerability to stress. Neuron 2009; 60:818-31. [PMID: 19081377 DOI: 10.1016/j.neuron.2008.09.036] [Citation(s) in RCA: 86] [Impact Index Per Article: 5.7] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 02/14/2008] [Revised: 05/06/2008] [Accepted: 09/29/2008] [Indexed: 02/07/2023]
Abstract
KAP1 is an essential cofactor of KRAB-zinc finger proteins, a family of vertebrate-specific epigenetic repressors of largely unknown functions encoded in the hundreds by the mouse and human genomes. Here, we report that KAP1 is expressed at high levels and necessary for KRAB-mediated repression in mature neurons of the mouse brain. Mice deleted for KAP1 in the adult forebrain exhibit heightened levels of anxiety-like and exploratory activity and stress-induced alterations in spatial learning and memory. In the hippocampus, a small number of genes are dysregulated, including some imprinted genes. Chromatin analyses of the promoters of two genes markedly upregulated in knockout mice reveal decreased histone 3 K9-trimethylation and increased histone 3 and histone 4 acetylation. We propose a model in which the tethering of KAP1-associated chromatin remodeling factors via KRAB-ZFPs epigenetically controls gene expression in the hippocampus, thereby conditioning responses to behavioral stress.
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Affiliation(s)
- Johan Jakobsson
- School of Life Sciences, National Center of Competence in Research, Ecole Polytechnique Fédérale de Lausanne, 1015 Lausanne, Switzerland
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Boldogkoi Z, Balint K, Awatramani GB, Balya D, Busskamp V, Viney TJ, Lagali PS, Duebel J, Pásti E, Tombácz D, Tóth JS, Takács IF, Scherf BG, Roska B. Genetically timed, activity-sensor and rainbow transsynaptic viral tools. Nat Methods 2009; 6:127-30. [PMID: 19122667 DOI: 10.1038/nmeth.1292] [Citation(s) in RCA: 73] [Impact Index Per Article: 4.9] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 05/29/2008] [Accepted: 12/01/2008] [Indexed: 11/09/2022]
Abstract
We developed retrograde, transsynaptic pseudorabies viruses (PRVs) with genetically encoded activity sensors that optically report the activity of connected neurons among spatially intermingled neurons in the brain. Next we engineered PRVs to express two differentially colored fluorescent proteins in a time-shifted manner to define a time period early after infection to investigate neural activity. Finally we used multiple-colored PRVs to differentiate and dissect the complex architecture of brain regions.
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Affiliation(s)
- Zsolt Boldogkoi
- Department of Medical Biology, Faculty of Medicine, University of Szeged, Somogyi B. u. 4., Szeged, H-6720, Hungary
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Lagali PS, Balya D, Awatramani GB, Münch TA, Kim DS, Busskamp V, Cepko CL, Roska B. Light-activated channels targeted to ON bipolar cells restore visual function in retinal degeneration. Nat Neurosci 2008; 11:667-75. [PMID: 18432197 DOI: 10.1038/nn.2117] [Citation(s) in RCA: 431] [Impact Index Per Article: 26.9] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 01/03/2008] [Accepted: 04/03/2008] [Indexed: 11/09/2022]
Abstract
Genetically encoded optical neuromodulators create an opportunity for circuit-specific intervention in neurological diseases. One of the diseases most amenable to this approach is retinal degeneration, where the loss of photoreceptors leads to complete blindness. To restore photosensitivity, we genetically targeted a light-activated cation channel, channelrhodopsin-2, to second-order neurons, ON bipolar cells, of degenerated retinas in vivo in the Pde6b(rd1) (also known as rd1) mouse model. In the absence of 'classical' photoreceptors, we found that ON bipolar cells that were engineered to be photosensitive induced light-evoked spiking activity in ganglion cells. The rescue of light sensitivity was selective to the ON circuits that would naturally respond to increases in brightness. Despite degeneration of the outer retina, our intervention restored transient responses and center-surround organization of ganglion cells. The resulting signals were relayed to the visual cortex and were sufficient for the animals to successfully perform optomotor behavioral tasks.
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Affiliation(s)
- Pamela S Lagali
- Neural Circuit Laboratories, Friedrich Miescher Institute for Biomedical Research, Maulbeerstrasse 66, CH-4058 Basel, Switzerland
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