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Nieto-Estevez V, Varma P, Mirsadeghi S, Caballero J, Gamero-Alameda S, Hosseini A, Goswami S, Silvosa MJ, Thodeson DM, Lybrand ZR, Giugliano M, Navara C, Hsieh J. Dual effects of ARX poly-alanine mutations in human cortical and interneuron development. bioRxiv 2024:2024.01.25.577271. [PMID: 38328230 PMCID: PMC10849640 DOI: 10.1101/2024.01.25.577271] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Abstract] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 02/09/2024]
Abstract
Mutations in ARX , an X-linked gene, are implicated in a wide spectrum of neurological disorders including patients who have intellectual disability and epilepsy. Mouse models have shown that Arx is critical for cortical development and interneuron migration, however they do not recapitulate the full phenotype observed in patients. Moreover, the epilepsy in many patients with poly-alanine tract expansion (PAE) mutations in ARX show pharmacoresistance, emphasizing the need to develop new treatments. Here, we used human neural organoid models to study the consequences of PAE mutations, one of the most prevalent mutations in ARX . We found that PAE mutations result in an early increase in radial glia cells and intermediate progenitor cells, and premature differentiation leading to a loss of cortical neurons at later timepoints. Moreover, ARX expression is upregulated in CO derived from patient at 30 DIV which alters the expression of CDKN1C , SFRP1 , DLK1 and FABP7 , among others. We also found a cell autonomously enhanced interneuron migration, which can be rescued by CXCR4 inhibition. Furthermore, ARX PAE assembloids had hyper-activity and synchrony evident from the early stages. These data provide novel insights to the pathogenesis of these and likely related human neurological disorders and identifies a critical window for therapeutic interventions.
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Silvosa MJ, Romo Mercado N, Merlock N, Vidhate S, Mejia-Alvarez R, Yuan T, Willis AM, Lybrand ZR. Understanding primary blast injury: High frequency pressure acutely disrupts neuronal network dynamics in cerebral organoids. J Neurotrauma 2022; 39:1575-1590. [PMID: 35765922 DOI: 10.1089/neu.2022.0044] [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] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/12/2022] Open
Abstract
Blast exposure represents a common occupational risk capable of generating mild to severe traumatic brain injuries (TBI). During blast exposure, a pressure shockwave passes through the skull and exposes brain tissue to complex pressure waveforms. The primary neurophysiological response to blast-induced pressure waveforms remains poorly understood. Here, we use a computer-controlled table-top pressure chamber to expose human stem cell-derived cerebral organoids to varied frequency of pressure waves and characterize the neurophysiological response. Pressure waves that reach a maximum amplitude of 250kPa were used to model a less severe TBI and 350kPa for a more severe blast TBI event. With each amplitude, a frequency range of 500Hz, 3000Hz, and 5000Hz was tested. Following the 250 kPa overpressure a multielectrode array recorded organoid neural activity. We observed an acute suppression neuronal activity in single unit events, population events, and network oscillations that recovered within 24 hours. Additionally, we observed a network desynchronization after exposure higher frequency waveforms. Conversely, organoids exposed to higher amplitude pressure (350kPa) displayed drastic neurophysiological differences that failed to recover within 24 hours. Furthermore, lower amplitude 'blast' (250kPa) did not induce cellular damage whereas the higher amplitude 'blast' (350kPa) generated greater apoptosis throughout each organoid. Our data indicate that specific features of pressure waves found intracranially during blast TBI have varied effects on neurophysiological activity that can occur even without cellular damage.
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Affiliation(s)
| | | | - Nikolas Merlock
- UTSA, 12346, Department of Neuroscience, Developmental and Regenerative Biology, San Antonio, Texas, United States;
| | - Suhas Vidhate
- National Institutes of Health, 2511, Department of Radiology and Imaging Sciences, Clinical Center, Bethesda, Maryland, United States;
| | - Ricardo Mejia-Alvarez
- Michigan State University, 3078, Department of Mechanical Engineering, East Lansing, Michigan, United States;
| | - Tony Yuan
- 59th Medical Wing, 495529, Diagnostic and Therapeutic, 1632 Nellis Street, Bldg. 5406, Rm: B-207, Joint Base San Antonio-Lackland, Texas, United States, 78236-5415;
| | - Adam M Willis
- Michigan State University, 3078, Department of Mechanical Engineering, East Lansing, Michigan, United States.,59th Medical Wing, 495529, Diagnostic and Therapeutic, Joint Base San Antonio-Lackland, Texas, United States;
| | - Zane R Lybrand
- Texas Woman's University, 2910, Biology, P.O. Box 425799, Denton, Denton, Texas, United States, 76204;
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Lybrand ZR, Goswami S, Zhu J, Jarzabek V, Merlock N, Aktar M, Smith C, Zhang L, Varma P, Cho KO, Ge S, Hsieh J. A critical period of neuronal activity results in aberrant neurogenesis rewiring hippocampal circuitry in a mouse model of epilepsy. Nat Commun 2021; 12:1423. [PMID: 33658509 PMCID: PMC7930276 DOI: 10.1038/s41467-021-21649-8] [Citation(s) in RCA: 39] [Impact Index Per Article: 13.0] [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: 06/13/2019] [Accepted: 02/04/2021] [Indexed: 01/31/2023] Open
Abstract
In the mammalian hippocampus, adult-born granule cells (abGCs) contribute to the function of the dentate gyrus (DG). Disruption of the DG circuitry causes spontaneous recurrent seizures (SRS), which can lead to epilepsy. Although abGCs contribute to local inhibitory feedback circuitry, whether they are involved in epileptogenesis remains elusive. Here, we identify a critical window of activity associated with the aberrant maturation of abGCs characterized by abnormal dendrite morphology, ectopic migration, and SRS. Importantly, in a mouse model of temporal lobe epilepsy, silencing aberrant abGCs during this critical period reduces abnormal dendrite morphology, cell migration, and SRS. Using mono-synaptic tracers, we show silencing aberrant abGCs decreases recurrent CA3 back-projections and restores proper cortical connections to the hippocampus. Furthermore, we show that GABA-mediated amplification of intracellular calcium regulates the early critical period of activity. Our results demonstrate that aberrant neurogenesis rewires hippocampal circuitry aggravating epilepsy in mice.
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Affiliation(s)
- Zane R Lybrand
- Department of Biology, The University of Texas at San Antonio, San Antonio, TX, USA
- Brain Health Consortium, The University of Texas at San Antonio, San Antonio, TX, USA
- Department of Biology, Texas Woman's University, Denton, TX, USA
| | - Sonal Goswami
- Department of Biology, The University of Texas at San Antonio, San Antonio, TX, USA
- Brain Health Consortium, The University of Texas at San Antonio, San Antonio, TX, USA
| | - Jingfei Zhu
- Department of Molecular Biology, UT Southwestern Medical Center, Dallas, TX, USA
| | - Veronica Jarzabek
- Department of Biology, The University of Texas at San Antonio, San Antonio, TX, USA
- Brain Health Consortium, The University of Texas at San Antonio, San Antonio, TX, USA
| | - Nikolas Merlock
- Department of Biology, The University of Texas at San Antonio, San Antonio, TX, USA
- Brain Health Consortium, The University of Texas at San Antonio, San Antonio, TX, USA
| | - Mahafuza Aktar
- Department of Molecular Biology, UT Southwestern Medical Center, Dallas, TX, USA
| | - Courtney Smith
- Department of Biology, The University of Texas at San Antonio, San Antonio, TX, USA
- Brain Health Consortium, The University of Texas at San Antonio, San Antonio, TX, USA
| | - Ling Zhang
- Department of Molecular Biology, UT Southwestern Medical Center, Dallas, TX, USA
| | - Parul Varma
- Department of Biology, The University of Texas at San Antonio, San Antonio, TX, USA
- Brain Health Consortium, The University of Texas at San Antonio, San Antonio, TX, USA
| | - Kyung-Ok Cho
- Department of Pharmacology, Catholic Neuroscience Institute, College of Medicine, The Catholic University of Korea, Seoul, South Korea
- Department of Biomedicine & Health Sciences, Institute of Aging and Metabolic Diseases, College of Medicine, The Catholic University of Korea, Seoul, South Korea
| | - Shaoyu Ge
- Department of Neurobiology & Behavior, Stony Brook University, Stony Brook, NY, USA
| | - Jenny Hsieh
- Department of Biology, The University of Texas at San Antonio, San Antonio, TX, USA.
- Brain Health Consortium, The University of Texas at San Antonio, San Antonio, TX, USA.
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Varma P, Lybrand ZR, Antopia MC, Hsieh J. Novel Targets of SARS-CoV-2 Spike Protein in Human Fetal Brain Development Suggest Early Pregnancy Vulnerability. Front Neurosci 2021; 14:614680. [PMID: 33551727 PMCID: PMC7859280 DOI: 10.3389/fnins.2020.614680] [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: 10/06/2020] [Accepted: 12/21/2020] [Indexed: 12/18/2022] Open
Abstract
Pregnant women are at greater risk of infection by severe acute respiratory syndrome coronavirus 2 (SARS-CoV-2), because of their altered immunity and strained cardiovascular system. Emerging studies of placenta, embryos, and cerebral organoids suggest that fetal organs including brain could also be vulnerable to coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19). Additionally, a case study from Paris has reported transient neurological complications in neonates born to pregnant mothers. However, it remains poorly understood whether the fetal brain expresses cellular components that interact with Spike protein (S) of coronaviruses, which facilitates fusion of virus and host cell membrane and is the primary protein in viral entry. To address this question, we analyzed the expression of known (ACE2, TMPRSS2, and FURIN) and novel (ZDHHC5, GOLGA7, and ATP1A1) S protein interactors in publicly available fetal brain bulk and single cell RNA sequencing datasets. Bulk RNA sequencing analysis across multiple regions of fetal brain spanning 8 weeks post conception (wpc)-37wpc indicates that two of the known S protein interactors are expressed at low levels with median normalized gene expression values ranging from 0.08 to 0.06 (ACE2) and 0.01-0.02 (TMPRSS2). However, the third known S protein interactor FURIN is highly expressed (11.1-44.09) in fetal brain. Interestingly, all three novel S protein interactors are abundantly expressed throughout fetal brain development with median normalized gene expression values ranging from 20.38-21.60 (ZDHHC5), 92.47-68.35 (GOLGA7), and 65.45-194.5 (ATP1A1). Moreover, the peaks of expression of novel interactors is around 12-26wpc. Using publicly available single cell RNA sequencing datasets, we further show that novel S protein interactors show higher co-expression with neurons than with neural progenitors and astrocytes. These results suggest that even though two of the known S protein interactors are present at low levels in fetal brain, novel S protein interactors are abundantly present and could play a direct or indirect role in SARS-CoV-2 fetal brain pathogenesis, especially during the 2nd and 3rd trimesters of pregnancy.
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Affiliation(s)
- Parul Varma
- Department of Biology, University of Texas at San Antonio, San Antonio, TX, United States
- Brain Health Consortium, University of Texas at San Antonio, San Antonio, TX, United States
| | - Zane R. Lybrand
- Department of Biology, University of Texas at San Antonio, San Antonio, TX, United States
- Brain Health Consortium, University of Texas at San Antonio, San Antonio, TX, United States
- Department of Biology, Texas Woman's University, Denton, TX, United States
| | - Mariah C. Antopia
- Department of Biology, University of Texas at San Antonio, San Antonio, TX, United States
- Brain Health Consortium, University of Texas at San Antonio, San Antonio, TX, United States
| | - Jenny Hsieh
- Department of Biology, University of Texas at San Antonio, San Antonio, TX, United States
- Brain Health Consortium, University of Texas at San Antonio, San Antonio, TX, United States
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Lybrand ZR, Martinez-Acosta VG, Zoran MJ. Coupled sensory interneurons mediate escape neural circuit processing in an aquatic annelid worm, Lumbriculus variegatus. J Comp Neurol 2020; 528:468-480. [PMID: 31502251 DOI: 10.1002/cne.24769] [Citation(s) in RCA: 2] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.5] [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: 04/15/2019] [Revised: 07/25/2019] [Accepted: 08/30/2019] [Indexed: 11/08/2022]
Abstract
The interneurons associated with rapid escape circuits are adapted for fast pathway activation and rapid conduction. An essential aspect of fast activation is the processing of sensory information with limited delays. Although aquatic annelid worms have some of the fastest escape responses in nature, the sensory networks that mediate their escape behavior are not well defined. Here, we demonstrate that the escape circuit of the mud worm, Lumbriculus variegatus, is a segmentally arranged network of sensory interneurons electrically coupled to the central medial giant fiber (MGF), the command-like interneuron for head withdrawal. Electrical stimulation of the body wall evoked fast, short-duration spikelets in the MGF, which we suggest are the product of intermediate giant fiber activation coupled to MGF collateral dendrites. Since these contact sites have immunoreactivity with a glutamate receptor antibody, and the glutamate receptor antagonist 6-cyano-7-nitroquinoxaline-2,3-dion abolishes evoked MGF responses, we conclude that the afferent pathway for MGF-mediated escape is glutamatergic. This electrically coupled sensory network may facilitate rapid escape activation by enhancing the amplitude of giant axon depolarization.
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Affiliation(s)
- Zane R Lybrand
- Department of Biology, University of Texas, San Antonio, Texas
| | | | - Mark J Zoran
- Department of Biology, Texas A&M University, College Station, Texas
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Lybrand ZR, Goswami S, Hsieh J. Stem cells: A path towards improved epilepsy therapies. Neuropharmacology 2019; 168:107781. [PMID: 31539537 DOI: 10.1016/j.neuropharm.2019.107781] [Citation(s) in RCA: 6] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.2] [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: 05/13/2019] [Revised: 09/13/2019] [Accepted: 09/16/2019] [Indexed: 12/12/2022]
Abstract
Despite the immense growth of new anti-seizure drugs (ASDs), approximately one-third of epilepsy patients remain resistant to current treatment options. Advancements in whole genome sequencing technology continues to identify an increasing number of epilepsy-associated genes at a rate that is outpacing the development of in vivo animal models. Patient-derived induced pluripotent stem cells (iPSCs) show promise in providing a platform for modeling genetic epilepsies, high throughput drug screening, and personalized medicine. This is largely due to the ease of collecting donor cells for iPSC reprogramming, and their ability to be maintained in vitro, while preserving the patient's genetic background. In this review, we summarize the current state of iPSC research in epilepsy and closely related syndromes, discuss the growing need for high-throughput drug screening (HTS), and review the use of stem cell technology for the purpose of autologous transplantation for epilepsy stem cell therapy. Although the use of iPSC technology, as it applies to ASD discovery, is in its infancy, we highlight the significant progress that has been made in phenotype and assay development to facilitate systematic HTS for personalized medicine. This article is part of the special issue entitled 'New Epilepsy Therapies for the 21st Century - From Antiseizure Drugs to Prevention, Modification and Cure of Epilepsy'.
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Affiliation(s)
- Zane R Lybrand
- Department of Biology and Brain Health Consortium, The University of Texas at San Antonio, San Antonio, TX, USA
| | - Sonal Goswami
- Department of Biology and Brain Health Consortium, The University of Texas at San Antonio, San Antonio, TX, USA
| | - Jenny Hsieh
- Department of Biology and Brain Health Consortium, The University of Texas at San Antonio, San Antonio, TX, USA.
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Lybrand ZR, Zoran MJ. Rapid neural circuit switching mediated by synaptic plasticity during neural morphallactic regeneration. Dev Neurobiol 2012; 72:1256-66. [DOI: 10.1002/dneu.20993] [Citation(s) in RCA: 7] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.6] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 07/26/2011] [Accepted: 10/19/2011] [Indexed: 11/06/2022]
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