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De Kleijn KMA, Zuure WA, Straasheijm KR, Martens MB, Avramut MC, Koning RI, Martens GJM. Human cortical spheroids with a high diversity of innately developing brain cell types. Stem Cell Res Ther 2023; 14:50. [PMID: 36959625 PMCID: PMC10035191 DOI: 10.1186/s13287-023-03261-3] [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: 06/03/2022] [Accepted: 02/28/2023] [Indexed: 03/25/2023] Open
Abstract
BACKGROUND Three-dimensional (3D) human brain spheroids are instrumental to study central nervous system (CNS) development and (dys)function. Yet, in current brain spheroid models the limited variety of cell types hampers an integrated exploration of CNS (disease) mechanisms. METHODS Here we report a 5-month culture protocol that reproducibly generates H9 embryonic stem cell-derived human cortical spheroids (hCSs) with a large cell-type variety. RESULTS We established the presence of not only neuroectoderm-derived neural progenitor populations, mature excitatory and inhibitory neurons, astrocytes and oligodendrocyte (precursor) cells, but also mesoderm-derived microglia and endothelial cell populations in the hCSs via RNA-sequencing, qPCR, immunocytochemistry and transmission electron microscopy. Transcriptomic analysis revealed resemblance between the 5-months-old hCSs and dorsal frontal rather than inferior regions of human fetal brains of 19-26 weeks of gestational age. Pro-inflammatory stimulation of the generated hCSs induced a neuroinflammatory response, offering a proof-of-principle of the applicability of the spheroids. CONCLUSIONS Our protocol provides a 3D human brain cell model containing a wide variety of innately developing neuroectoderm- as well as mesoderm-derived cell types, furnishing a versatile platform for comprehensive examination of intercellular CNS communication and neurological disease mechanisms.
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Affiliation(s)
- Kim M A De Kleijn
- Department of Molecular Animal Physiology, Donders Institute for Brain, Cognition and Behavior, Centre for Neuroscience, Faculty of Science, Radboud University, 6525GA, Nijmegen, The Netherlands.
- NeuroDrug Research Ltd, 6525ED, Nijmegen, The Netherlands.
| | - Wieteke A Zuure
- Department of Molecular Animal Physiology, Donders Institute for Brain, Cognition and Behavior, Centre for Neuroscience, Faculty of Science, Radboud University, 6525GA, Nijmegen, The Netherlands
| | | | | | - M Cristina Avramut
- Department of Cell and Chemical Biology, Leiden University Medical Center, 2300RC, Leiden, The Netherlands
| | - Roman I Koning
- Department of Cell and Chemical Biology, Leiden University Medical Center, 2300RC, Leiden, The Netherlands
| | - Gerard J M Martens
- Department of Molecular Animal Physiology, Donders Institute for Brain, Cognition and Behavior, Centre for Neuroscience, Faculty of Science, Radboud University, 6525GA, Nijmegen, The Netherlands
- NeuroDrug Research Ltd, 6525ED, Nijmegen, The Netherlands
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Maas DA, Martens MB, Priovoulos N, Zuure WA, Homberg JR, Nait-Oumesmar B, Martens GJM. Key role for lipids in cognitive symptoms of schizophrenia. Transl Psychiatry 2020; 10:399. [PMID: 33184259 PMCID: PMC7665187 DOI: 10.1038/s41398-020-01084-x] [Citation(s) in RCA: 4] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Submit a Manuscript] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 02/17/2020] [Revised: 10/02/2020] [Accepted: 10/26/2020] [Indexed: 12/19/2022] Open
Abstract
Schizophrenia (SZ) is a psychiatric disorder with a convoluted etiology that includes cognitive symptoms, which arise from among others a dysfunctional dorsolateral prefrontal cortex (dlPFC). In our search for the molecular underpinnings of the cognitive deficits in SZ, we here performed RNA sequencing of gray matter from the dlPFC of SZ patients and controls. We found that the differentially expressed RNAs were enriched for mRNAs involved in the Liver X Receptor/Retinoid X Receptor (LXR/RXR) lipid metabolism pathway. Components of the LXR/RXR pathway were upregulated in gray matter but not in white matter of SZ dlPFC. Intriguingly, an analysis for shared genetic etiology, using two SZ genome-wide association studies (GWASs) and GWAS data for 514 metabolites, revealed genetic overlap between SZ and acylcarnitines, VLDL lipids, and fatty acid metabolites, which are all linked to the LXR/RXR signaling pathway. Furthermore, analysis of structural T1-weighted magnetic resonance imaging in combination with cognitive behavioral data showed that the lipid content of dlPFC gray matter is lower in SZ patients than in controls and correlates with a tendency towards reduced accuracy in the dlPFC-dependent task-switching test. We conclude that aberrations in LXR/RXR-regulated lipid metabolism lead to a decreased lipid content in SZ dlPFC that correlates with reduced cognitive performance.
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Affiliation(s)
- Dorien A. Maas
- grid.5590.90000000122931605Faculty of Science, Centre for Neuroscience, Department of Molecular Animal Physiology, Donders Institute for Brain, Cognition and Behavior, Radboud University Nijmegen, Geert Grooteplein Zuid 26-28, 6525 GA Nijmegen, The Netherlands ,Sorbonne Université, Paris Brain Institute – ICM, Inserm U1127, CNRS UMR 7225, Hôpital Pitié-Salpêtrière, Paris, France ,Department of Cognitive Neuroscience, Donders Institute for Brain, Cognition and Behavior, Donders Centre for Medical Neuroscience, Radboud University Medical Center, Kapittelweg 29, 6525 EN Nijmegen, The Netherlands
| | - Marijn B. Martens
- NeuroDrug Research Ltd, Toernooiveld 1, 6525 ED Nijmegen, The Netherlands
| | - Nikos Priovoulos
- grid.458380.20000 0004 0368 8664Spinoza Centre for Neuroimaging, Meibergdreef 75, Amsterdam-Zuidoost, 1105 BK Amsterdam, The Netherlands
| | - Wieteke A. Zuure
- grid.5590.90000000122931605Faculty of Science, Centre for Neuroscience, Department of Molecular Animal Physiology, Donders Institute for Brain, Cognition and Behavior, Radboud University Nijmegen, Geert Grooteplein Zuid 26-28, 6525 GA Nijmegen, The Netherlands
| | - Judith R. Homberg
- Department of Cognitive Neuroscience, Donders Institute for Brain, Cognition and Behavior, Donders Centre for Medical Neuroscience, Radboud University Medical Center, Kapittelweg 29, 6525 EN Nijmegen, The Netherlands
| | - Brahim Nait-Oumesmar
- Sorbonne Université, Paris Brain Institute – ICM, Inserm U1127, CNRS UMR 7225, Hôpital Pitié-Salpêtrière, Paris, France
| | - Gerard J. M. Martens
- grid.5590.90000000122931605Faculty of Science, Centre for Neuroscience, Department of Molecular Animal Physiology, Donders Institute for Brain, Cognition and Behavior, Radboud University Nijmegen, Geert Grooteplein Zuid 26-28, 6525 GA Nijmegen, The Netherlands ,NeuroDrug Research Ltd, Toernooiveld 1, 6525 ED Nijmegen, The Netherlands
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De Kleijn KMA, Zuure WA, Peijnenborg J, Heuvelmans JM, Martens GJM. Reappraisal of Human HOG and MO3.13 Cell Lines as a Model to Study Oligodendrocyte Functioning. Cells 2019; 8:cells8091096. [PMID: 31533280 PMCID: PMC6769895 DOI: 10.3390/cells8091096] [Citation(s) in RCA: 12] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.4] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 06/04/2019] [Revised: 09/09/2019] [Accepted: 09/10/2019] [Indexed: 02/07/2023] Open
Abstract
Myelination of neuronal axons is essential for proper brain functioning and requires mature myelinating oligodendrocytes (myOLs). The human OL cell lines HOG and MO3.13 have been widely used as in vitro models to study OL (dys) functioning. Here we applied a number of protocols aimed at differentiating HOG and MO3.13 cells into myOLs. However, none of the differentiation protocols led to increased expression of terminal OL differentiation or myelin-sheath formation markers. Surprisingly, the applied protocols did cause changes in the expression of markers for early OLs, neurons, astrocytes and Schwann cells. Furthermore, we noticed that mRNA expression levels in HOG and MO3.13 cells may be affected by the density of the cultured cells. Finally, HOG and MO3.13 co-cultured with human neuronal SH-SY5Y cells did not show myelin formation under several pro-OL-differentiation and pro-myelinating conditions. Together, our results illustrate the difficulty of inducing maturation of HOG and MO3.13 cells into myOLs, implying that these oligodendrocytic cell lines may not represent an appropriate model to study the (dys)functioning of human (my)OLs and OL-linked disease mechanisms.
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Affiliation(s)
- Kim M A De Kleijn
- Department of Molecular Animal Physiology, Donders Institute for Brain, Cognition and Behaviour, Centre for Neuroscience, Faculty of Science, Radboud University, 6525AJ Nijmegen, The Netherlands.
- NeuroDrug Research, 6525 HP Nijmegen, The Netherlands.
| | - Wieteke A Zuure
- Department of Molecular Animal Physiology, Donders Institute for Brain, Cognition and Behaviour, Centre for Neuroscience, Faculty of Science, Radboud University, 6525AJ Nijmegen, The Netherlands.
| | - Jolien Peijnenborg
- Department of Molecular Animal Physiology, Donders Institute for Brain, Cognition and Behaviour, Centre for Neuroscience, Faculty of Science, Radboud University, 6525AJ Nijmegen, The Netherlands.
| | - Josje M Heuvelmans
- Department of Molecular Animal Physiology, Donders Institute for Brain, Cognition and Behaviour, Centre for Neuroscience, Faculty of Science, Radboud University, 6525AJ Nijmegen, The Netherlands.
| | - Gerard J M Martens
- Department of Molecular Animal Physiology, Donders Institute for Brain, Cognition and Behaviour, Centre for Neuroscience, Faculty of Science, Radboud University, 6525AJ Nijmegen, The Netherlands.
- NeuroDrug Research, 6525 HP Nijmegen, The Netherlands.
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Zuure WA, Quennell JH, Anderson GM. Leptin Responsive and GABAergic Projections to the Rostral Preoptic Area in Mice. J Neuroendocrinol 2016; 28:12357. [PMID: 26716764 DOI: 10.1111/jne.12357] [Citation(s) in RCA: 10] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Submit a Manuscript] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 04/29/2015] [Revised: 12/23/2015] [Accepted: 12/23/2015] [Indexed: 12/14/2022]
Abstract
The adipocyte-derived hormone leptin plays a critical role in the control of reproduction via signalling in hypothalamic neurones. The drivers of the hypothalamic-pituitary-gonadal axis, the gonadotrophin-releasing hormone (GnRH) neurones, do not have the receptors for leptin. Therefore, intermediate leptin responsive neurones must provide leptin-to-GnRH signalling. We investigated the populations of leptin responsive neurones that provide input to the rostral preoptic area (rPOA) where GnRH cell bodies reside. Fluorescent retrograde tracer beads (RetroBeads; Lumafluor Inc., Naples, FL, USA) were injected into the rPOA of transgenic leptin receptor enhanced green fluorescent protein (Lepr-eGFP) reporter mice. Uptake of the RetroBeads by Lepr-eGFP neurones was assessed throughout the hypothalamus. RetroBead uptake was most evident in the medial arcuate nucleus (ARC), the dorsomedial nucleus (DMN) and the ventral premammillary nucleus (PMV) of the hypothalamus. The uptake of RetroBeads specifically by Lepr-eGFP neurones was highest in the medial ARC (18% of tracer-labelled neurones Lepr-eGFP-positive). Because neurones that are both leptin responsive and GABAergic play a critical role in the regulation of fertility by leptin, we next focussed on the location of these populations. To address whether GABAergic neurones in leptin-responsive hypothalamic regions project to the rPOA, the experiment was repeated in GABA neurone reporter mice (Vgat-tdTomato). Between 10% and 45% of RetroBead-labelled neurones in the ARC were GABAergic, whereas uptake of tracer by GABAergic neurones in the DMN and PMV was very low (< 5%). These results show that both leptin responsive and GABAergic neurones from the ARC project to the region of the GnRH cell bodies. Our findings suggest that LEPR-expressing GABA neurones from the ARC may be mediators of leptin-to-GnRH signalling.
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Affiliation(s)
- W A Zuure
- Centre for Neuroendocrinology and Department of Anatomy, University of Otago School of Medical Sciences, Dunedin, New Zealand
| | - J H Quennell
- Centre for Neuroendocrinology and Department of Anatomy, University of Otago School of Medical Sciences, Dunedin, New Zealand
| | - G M Anderson
- Centre for Neuroendocrinology and Department of Anatomy, University of Otago School of Medical Sciences, Dunedin, New Zealand
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Singireddy AV, Inglis MA, Zuure WA, Kim JS, Anderson GM. Neither signal transducer and activator of transcription 3 (STAT3) or STAT5 signaling pathways are required for leptin's effects on fertility in mice. Endocrinology 2013; 154:2434-45. [PMID: 23696567 DOI: 10.1210/en.2013-1109] [Citation(s) in RCA: 44] [Impact Index Per Article: 4.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Submit a Manuscript] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 01/06/2023]
Abstract
The hormone leptin is critical for the regulation of energy balance and fertility. The long-form leptin receptor (LepR) regulates multiple intracellular signaling cascades, including the classic Janus kinase-signal transducer and activator of transcription (STAT) pathways. Previous studies have shown that deletion of STAT3 or the closely related STAT5 from the brain results in an obese phenotype, but their roles in fertility regulation are not clear. This study tested whether STAT3 and STAT5 pathways of leptin signaling are required for fertility, and whether absence of one pathway might be compensated for by the other in a redundant manner. A Cre-loxP approach was used to generate 3 models of male and female transgenic mice with LepR-specific deletion of STAT3, STAT5, or both STAT3 and STAT5. Body weight, puberty onset, estrous cyclicity, and fertility were measured in all knockout (KO) mice and their control littermates. Knocking out STAT3 or both STAT3 and 5 from LepR expressing cells, but not STAT5 alone, led to significant increase in body weight. All STAT3 and STAT5 single KO mice exhibited normal puberty onset and subsequent fertility compared to their control littermates. Surprisingly, all STAT3 and STAT5 double KO mice also exhibited normal puberty onset, estrous cyclicity, and fertility, although they had severely disrupted body weight regulation. These results suggest that, although STAT3 signaling is crucial for body weight regulation, neither STAT3 nor STAT5 is required for the regulation of fertility by leptin. It remains to be determined what other signaling molecules mediate this effect of leptin, and whether they interact in a redundant manner.
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Affiliation(s)
- Amritha V Singireddy
- Centre for Neuroendocrinology and Department of Anatomy, University of Otago School of Medical Sciences, Dunedin 9054, New Zealand
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