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Schultz A, Cheng SY, Kirchner E, Costello S, Miettinen H, Chaverra M, King C, George L, Zhao X, Narasimhan J, Weetall M, Slaugenhaupt S, Morini E, Punzo C, Lefcort F. Reduction of retinal ganglion cell death in mouse models of familial dysautonomia using AAV-mediated gene therapy and splicing modulators. Sci Rep 2023; 13:18600. [PMID: 37903840 PMCID: PMC10616160 DOI: 10.1038/s41598-023-45376-w] [Citation(s) in RCA: 1] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.0] [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: 05/20/2023] [Accepted: 10/18/2023] [Indexed: 11/01/2023] Open
Abstract
Familial dysautonomia (FD) is a rare neurodevelopmental and neurodegenerative disease caused by a splicing mutation in the Elongator Acetyltransferase Complex Subunit 1 (ELP1) gene. The reduction in ELP1 mRNA and protein leads to the death of retinal ganglion cells (RGCs) and visual impairment in all FD patients. Currently patient symptoms are managed, but there is no treatment for the disease. We sought to test the hypothesis that restoring levels of Elp1 would thwart the death of RGCs in FD. To this end, we tested the effectiveness of two therapeutic strategies for rescuing RGCs. Here we provide proof-of-concept data that gene replacement therapy and small molecule splicing modifiers effectively reduce the death of RGCs in mouse models for FD and provide pre-clinical foundational data for translation to FD patients.
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Affiliation(s)
- Anastasia Schultz
- Department of Microbiology and Cell Biology, Montana State University, Bozeman, MT, USA
| | - Shun-Yun Cheng
- Department of Ophthalmology, Neurobiology and Gene Therapy Center, University of Massachusetts Chan Medical School, Worcester, MA, USA
| | - Emily Kirchner
- Center for Genomic Medicine, Massachusetts General Hospital Research Institute, Boston, MA, USA
| | - Stephanann Costello
- Department of Microbiology and Cell Biology, Montana State University, Bozeman, MT, USA
| | - Heini Miettinen
- Department of Microbiology and Cell Biology, Montana State University, Bozeman, MT, USA
| | - Marta Chaverra
- Department of Microbiology and Cell Biology, Montana State University, Bozeman, MT, USA
| | - Colin King
- Department of Microbiology and Cell Biology, Montana State University, Bozeman, MT, USA
| | - Lynn George
- Department of Microbiology and Cell Biology, Montana State University, Bozeman, MT, USA
- Department of Biological and Physical Science, Montana State University Billings, Billings, MT, USA
| | - Xin Zhao
- PTC Therapeutics, Inc., South Plainfield, NJ, 07080, USA
| | | | - Marla Weetall
- PTC Therapeutics, Inc., South Plainfield, NJ, 07080, USA
| | - Susan Slaugenhaupt
- Center for Genomic Medicine, Massachusetts General Hospital Research Institute, Boston, MA, USA
- Department of Neurology, Massachusetts General Hospital Research Institute and Harvard Medical School, Boston, MA, USA
| | - Elisabetta Morini
- Center for Genomic Medicine, Massachusetts General Hospital Research Institute, Boston, MA, USA
- Department of Neurology, Massachusetts General Hospital Research Institute and Harvard Medical School, Boston, MA, USA
| | - Claudio Punzo
- Department of Ophthalmology, Neurobiology and Gene Therapy Center, University of Massachusetts Chan Medical School, Worcester, MA, USA
| | - Frances Lefcort
- Department of Microbiology and Cell Biology, Montana State University, Bozeman, MT, USA.
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2
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Schultz A, Cheng SY, Kirchner E, Costello S, Miettinen H, Chaverra M, King C, George L, Zhao X, Narasimhan J, Weetall M, Slaugenhaupt S, Morini E, Punzo C, Lefcort F. Reduction of retinal ganglion cell death in mouse models of familial dysautonomia using AAV-mediated gene therapy and splicing modulators. bioRxiv 2023:2023.05.22.541535. [PMID: 37293016 PMCID: PMC10245894 DOI: 10.1101/2023.05.22.541535] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 06/10/2023]
Abstract
Familial dysautonomia (FD) is a rare neurodevelopmental and neurodegenerative disease caused by a splicing mutation in the Elongator Acetyltransferase Complex Subunit 1 ( ELP1 ) gene. The reduction in ELP1 mRNA and protein leads to the death of retinal ganglion cells (RGCs) and visual impairment in all FD patients. Currently, patient symptoms are managed, but there is no treatment for the disease. We sought to test the hypothesis that restoring levels of Elp1 would thwart the death of RGCs in FD. To this end, we tested the effectiveness of two therapeutic strategies for rescuing RGCs. Here we provide proof-of-concept data that gene replacement therapy and small molecule splicing modifiers effectively reduce the death of RGCs in mouse models for FD and provide pre-clinical data foundation for translation to FD patients.
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3
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Costello SM, Cheney AM, Waldum A, Tripet B, Cotrina-Vidal M, Kaufmann H, Norcliffe-Kaufmann L, Lefcort F, Copié V. A Comprehensive NMR Analysis of Serum and Fecal Metabolites in Familial Dysautonomia Patients Reveals Significant Metabolic Perturbations. Metabolites 2023; 13:metabo13030433. [PMID: 36984872 PMCID: PMC10057143 DOI: 10.3390/metabo13030433] [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: 02/06/2023] [Revised: 03/06/2023] [Accepted: 03/14/2023] [Indexed: 03/18/2023] Open
Abstract
Central metabolism has a profound impact on the clinical phenotypes and penetrance of neurological diseases such as Alzheimer’s (AD) and Parkinson’s (PD) diseases, Amyotrophic Lateral Sclerosis (ALS) and Autism Spectrum Disorder (ASD). In contrast to the multifactorial origin of these neurological diseases, neurodevelopmental impairment and neurodegeneration in Familial Dysautonomia (FD) results from a single point mutation in the ELP1 gene. FD patients represent a well-defined population who can help us better understand the cellular networks underlying neurodegeneration, and how disease traits are affected by metabolic dysfunction, which in turn may contribute to dysregulation of the gut–brain axis of FD. Here, 1H NMR spectroscopy was employed to characterize the serum and fecal metabolomes of FD patients, and to assess similarities and differences in the polar metabolite profiles between FD patients and healthy relative controls. Findings from this work revealed noteworthy metabolic alterations reflected in energy (ATP) production, mitochondrial function, amino acid and nucleotide catabolism, neurosignaling molecules, and gut-microbial metabolism. These results provide further evidence for a close interconnection between metabolism, neurodegeneration, and gut microbiome dysbiosis in FD, and create an opportunity to explore whether metabolic interventions targeting the gut–brain–metabolism axis of FD could be used to redress or slow down the progressive neurodegeneration observed in FD patients.
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Affiliation(s)
- Stephanann M. Costello
- Department of Chemistry and Biochemistry, Montana State University, Bozeman, MT 59717, USA
| | - Alexandra M. Cheney
- Department of Chemistry and Biochemistry, Montana State University, Bozeman, MT 59717, USA
| | - Annie Waldum
- Department of Chemistry and Biochemistry, Montana State University, Bozeman, MT 59717, USA
| | - Brian Tripet
- Department of Chemistry and Biochemistry, Montana State University, Bozeman, MT 59717, USA
| | - Maria Cotrina-Vidal
- Department of Neurology, New York University School of Medicine, New York, NY 10017, USA
| | - Horacio Kaufmann
- Department of Neurology, New York University School of Medicine, New York, NY 10017, USA
| | | | - Frances Lefcort
- Department of Microbiology and Cell Biology, Montana State University, Bozeman, MT 59717, USA
| | - Valérie Copié
- Department of Chemistry and Biochemistry, Montana State University, Bozeman, MT 59717, USA
- Correspondence: ; Tel.: +1-406-994-7244
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Cheney AM, Costello SM, Pinkham NV, Waldum A, Broadaway SC, Cotrina-Vidal M, Mergy M, Tripet B, Kominsky DJ, Grifka-Walk HM, Kaufmann H, Norcliffe-Kaufmann L, Peach JT, Bothner B, Lefcort F, Copié V, Walk ST. Gut microbiome dysbiosis drives metabolic dysfunction in Familial dysautonomia. Nat Commun 2023; 14:218. [PMID: 36639365 PMCID: PMC9839693 DOI: 10.1038/s41467-023-35787-8] [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] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 06/13/2022] [Accepted: 12/18/2022] [Indexed: 01/15/2023] Open
Abstract
Familial dysautonomia (FD) is a rare genetic neurologic disorder caused by impaired neuronal development and progressive degeneration of both the peripheral and central nervous systems. FD is monogenic, with >99.4% of patients sharing an identical point mutation in the elongator acetyltransferase complex subunit 1 (ELP1) gene, providing a relatively simple genetic background in which to identify modifiable factors that influence pathology. Gastrointestinal symptoms and metabolic deficits are common among FD patients, which supports the hypothesis that the gut microbiome and metabolome are altered and dysfunctional compared to healthy individuals. Here we show significant differences in gut microbiome composition (16 S rRNA gene sequencing of stool samples) and NMR-based stool and serum metabolomes between a cohort of FD patients (~14% of patients worldwide) and their cohabitating, healthy relatives. We show that key observations in human subjects are recapitulated in a neuron-specific Elp1-deficient mouse model, and that cohousing mutant and littermate control mice ameliorates gut microbiome dysbiosis, improves deficits in gut transit, and reduces disease severity. Our results provide evidence that neurologic deficits in FD alter the structure and function of the gut microbiome, which shifts overall host metabolism to perpetuate further neurodegeneration.
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Affiliation(s)
- Alexandra M Cheney
- Department of Chemistry and Biochemistry, Montana State University, Bozeman, MT, USA
| | - Stephanann M Costello
- Department of Chemistry and Biochemistry, Montana State University, Bozeman, MT, USA
| | - Nicholas V Pinkham
- Department of Microbiology and Cell Biology, Montana State University, Bozeman, MT, USA
| | - Annie Waldum
- Department of Chemistry and Biochemistry, Montana State University, Bozeman, MT, USA
| | - Susan C Broadaway
- Department of Microbiology and Cell Biology, Montana State University, Bozeman, MT, USA
| | - Maria Cotrina-Vidal
- Department of Neurology, New York University School of Medicine, New York, NY, USA
| | - Marc Mergy
- Department of Microbiology and Cell Biology, Montana State University, Bozeman, MT, USA
| | - Brian Tripet
- Department of Chemistry and Biochemistry, Montana State University, Bozeman, MT, USA
| | - Douglas J Kominsky
- Department of Microbiology and Cell Biology, Montana State University, Bozeman, MT, USA
| | - Heather M Grifka-Walk
- Department of Microbiology and Cell Biology, Montana State University, Bozeman, MT, USA
| | - Horacio Kaufmann
- Department of Neurology, New York University School of Medicine, New York, NY, USA
| | | | - Jesse T Peach
- Department of Chemistry and Biochemistry, Montana State University, Bozeman, MT, USA
| | - Brian Bothner
- Department of Chemistry and Biochemistry, Montana State University, Bozeman, MT, USA
| | - Frances Lefcort
- Department of Microbiology and Cell Biology, Montana State University, Bozeman, MT, USA.
| | - Valérie Copié
- Department of Chemistry and Biochemistry, Montana State University, Bozeman, MT, USA.
| | - Seth T Walk
- Department of Microbiology and Cell Biology, Montana State University, Bozeman, MT, USA.
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Wu HF, Yu W, Saito-Diaz K, Huang CW, Carey J, Lefcort F, Hart GW, Liu HX, Zeltner N. Norepinephrine transporter defects lead to sympathetic hyperactivity in Familial Dysautonomia models. Nat Commun 2022; 13:7032. [PMID: 36396637 PMCID: PMC9671909 DOI: 10.1038/s41467-022-34811-7] [Citation(s) in RCA: 6] [Impact Index Per Article: 3.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 11/03/2021] [Accepted: 11/08/2022] [Indexed: 11/19/2022] Open
Abstract
Familial dysautonomia (FD), a rare neurodevelopmental and neurodegenerative disorder affects the sympathetic and sensory nervous system. Although almost all patients harbor a mutation in ELP1, it remains unresolved exactly how function of sympathetic neurons (symNs) is affected; knowledge critical for understanding debilitating disease hallmarks, including cardiovascular instability or dysautonomic crises, that result from dysregulated sympathetic activity. Here, we employ the human pluripotent stem cell (hPSC) system to understand symN disease mechanisms and test candidate drugs. FD symNs are intrinsically hyperactive in vitro, in cardiomyocyte co-cultures, and in animal models. We report reduced norepinephrine transporter expression, decreased intracellular norepinephrine (NE), decreased NE re-uptake, and excessive extracellular NE in FD symNs. SymN hyperactivity is not a direct ELP1 mutation result, but may connect to NET via RAB proteins. We found that candidate drugs lowered hyperactivity independent of ELP1 modulation. Our findings may have implications for other symN disorders and may allow future drug testing and discovery.
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Affiliation(s)
- Hsueh-Fu Wu
- Center for Molecular Medicine, University of Georgia, Athens, GA, USA
- Department of Biochemistry and Molecular Biology, University of Georgia, Athens, GA, USA
| | - Wenxin Yu
- Regenerative Bioscience Center, Department of Animal and Dairy Science, College of Agricultural and Environmental Sciences, University of Georgia, Athens, GA, USA
| | - Kenyi Saito-Diaz
- Center for Molecular Medicine, University of Georgia, Athens, GA, USA
| | - Chia-Wei Huang
- Department of Biochemistry and Molecular Biology, University of Georgia, Athens, GA, USA
- Complex Carbohydrate Research Center, University of Georgia, Athens, GA, USA
| | - Joseph Carey
- Department of Microbiology and Cell Biology, Montana State University, Bozeman, MT, USA
| | - Frances Lefcort
- Department of Microbiology and Cell Biology, Montana State University, Bozeman, MT, USA
| | - Gerald W Hart
- Department of Biochemistry and Molecular Biology, University of Georgia, Athens, GA, USA
- Complex Carbohydrate Research Center, University of Georgia, Athens, GA, USA
| | - Hong-Xiang Liu
- Regenerative Bioscience Center, Department of Animal and Dairy Science, College of Agricultural and Environmental Sciences, University of Georgia, Athens, GA, USA
| | - Nadja Zeltner
- Center for Molecular Medicine, University of Georgia, Athens, GA, USA.
- Department of Biochemistry and Molecular Biology, University of Georgia, Athens, GA, USA.
- Department of Cellular Biology, University of Georgia, Athens, GA, USA.
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Tolman Z, Chaverra M, George L, Lefcort F. Elp1 is required for development of visceral sensory peripheral and central circuitry. Dis Model Mech 2022; 15:275184. [PMID: 35481599 PMCID: PMC9187870 DOI: 10.1242/dmm.049274] [Citation(s) in RCA: 4] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.0] [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: 08/31/2021] [Accepted: 04/20/2022] [Indexed: 11/23/2022] Open
Abstract
Cardiovascular instability and a blunted respiratory drive in hypoxic conditions are hallmark features of the genetic sensory and autonomic neuropathy, familial dysautonomia (FD). FD results from a mutation in the gene ELP1, the encoded protein of which is a scaffolding subunit of the six-subunit Elongator complex. In mice, we and others have shown that Elp1 is essential for the normal development of neural crest-derived dorsal root ganglia sensory neurons. Whether Elp1 is also required for development of ectodermal placode-derived visceral sensory receptors, which are required for normal baroreception and chemosensory responses, has not been investigated. Using mouse models for FD, we here show that the entire circuitry underlying baroreception and chemoreception is impaired due to a requirement for Elp1 in the visceral sensory neuron ganglia, as well as for normal peripheral target innervation, and in their central nervous system synaptic partners in the medulla. Thus, Elp1 is required in both placode- and neural crest-derived sensory neurons, and its reduction aborts the normal development of neuronal circuitry essential for autonomic homeostasis and interoception. This article has an associated First Person interview with the first author of the paper. Summary: Our data indicate that Elp1 is required in both placode- and neural crest-derived sensory neurons, and that it exerts comparable effects, including survival, axonal morphology and target innervation in both lineages.
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Affiliation(s)
- Zariah Tolman
- Department of Microbiology and Cell Biology, Montana State University, Bozeman, MT 59717, USA
| | - Marta Chaverra
- Department of Microbiology and Cell Biology, Montana State University, Bozeman, MT 59717, USA
| | - Lynn George
- Department of Microbiology and Cell Biology, Montana State University, Bozeman, MT 59717, USA.,Department of Biological and Physical Sciences, Montana State University Billings, Billings, MT 59101, USA
| | - Frances Lefcort
- Department of Microbiology and Cell Biology, Montana State University, Bozeman, MT 59717, USA
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Leonard CE, Quiros J, Lefcort F, Taneyhill LA. Loss of Elp1 disrupts trigeminal ganglion neurodevelopment in a model of familial dysautonomia. eLife 2022; 11:71455. [PMID: 35713404 PMCID: PMC9273214 DOI: 10.7554/elife.71455] [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] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 06/19/2021] [Accepted: 06/17/2022] [Indexed: 01/28/2023] Open
Abstract
Familial dysautonomia (FD) is a sensory and autonomic neuropathy caused by mutations in elongator complex protein 1 (ELP1). FD patients have small trigeminal nerves and impaired facial pain and temperature perception. These signals are relayed by nociceptive neurons in the trigeminal ganglion, a structure that is composed of both neural crest- and placode-derived cells. Mice lacking Elp1 in neural crest derivatives ('Elp1 CKO') are born with small trigeminal ganglia, suggesting Elp1 is important for trigeminal ganglion development, yet the function of Elp1 in this context is unknown. We demonstrate that Elp1, expressed in both neural crest- and placode-derived neurons, is not required for initial trigeminal ganglion formation. However, Elp1 CKO trigeminal neurons exhibit abnormal axon outgrowth and deficient target innervation. Developing nociceptors expressing the receptor TrkA undergo early apoptosis in Elp1 CKO, while TrkB- and TrkC-expressing neurons are spared, indicating Elp1 supports the target innervation and survival of trigeminal nociceptors. Furthermore, we demonstrate that specific TrkA deficits in the Elp1 CKO trigeminal ganglion reflect the neural crest lineage of most TrkA neurons versus the placodal lineage of most TrkB and TrkC neurons. Altogether, these findings explain defects in cranial gangliogenesis that may lead to loss of facial pain and temperature sensation in FD.
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Affiliation(s)
- Carrie E Leonard
- Department of Avian and Animal Sciences, University of Maryland, College ParkCollege ParkUnited States
| | - Jolie Quiros
- Department of Avian and Animal Sciences, University of Maryland, College ParkCollege ParkUnited States
| | - Frances Lefcort
- Department of Microbiology and Cell Biology, Montana State UniversityBozemanUnited States
| | - Lisa A Taneyhill
- Department of Avian and Animal Sciences, University of Maryland, College ParkCollege ParkUnited States
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Vahidi G, Flook H, Sherk V, Mergy M, Lefcort F, Heveran CM. Bone biomechanical properties and tissue-scale bone quality in a genetic mouse model of familial dysautonomia. Osteoporos Int 2021; 32:2335-2346. [PMID: 34036438 PMCID: PMC8563419 DOI: 10.1007/s00198-021-06006-1] [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] [Submit a Manuscript] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 11/17/2020] [Accepted: 05/11/2021] [Indexed: 10/21/2022]
Abstract
PURPOSE Familial dysautonomia (FD) is associated with a high prevalence of bone fractures, but the impacts of the disease on bone mass and quality are unclear. The purpose of this study was to evaluate tissue through whole-bone scale bone quality in a mouse model of FD. METHODS Femurs from mature adult Tuba1a-Cre; Elp1LoxP/LoxP conditional knockouts (CKO) (F = 7, M = 4) and controls (F = 5, M = 6) were evaluated for whole-bone flexural material properties, trabecular microarchitecture and cortical geometry, and areal bone mineral density (BMD). Adjacent maps spanning the thickness of femur midshaft cortical bone assessed tissue-scale modulus (nanoindentation), bone mineralization, mineral maturity, and collagen secondary structure (Raman spectroscopy). RESULTS Consistent with prior studies on this mouse model, the Elp1 CKO mouse model recapitulated several key hallmarks of human FD, with one difference being the male mice tended to have a more severe phenotype than females. Deletion of Elp1 in neurons (using the neuronal-specific Tuba1a-cre) led to a significantly reduced whole-bone toughness but not strength or modulus. Elp1 CKO female mice had reduced trabecular microarchitecture (BV/TV, Tb.Th, Conn.D.) but not cortical geometry. The mutant mice also had a small but significant reduction in cortical bone nanoindentation modulus. While bone tissue mineralization and mineral maturity were not impaired, FD mice may have altered collagen secondary structure. Changes in collagen secondary structure were inversely correlated with bone toughness. BMD from dual-energy x-ray absorptiometry (DXA) was unchanged with FD. CONCLUSION The deletion of Elp1 in neurons is sufficient to generate a mouse line which demonstrates loss of whole-bone toughness, consistent with the poor bone quality suspected in the clinical setting. The Elp1 CKO model, as with human FD, impacts the nervous system, gut, kidney function, mobility, gait, and posture. The bone quality phenotype of Elp1 CKO mice, which includes altered microarchitecture and tissue-scale material properties, is complex and likely influenced by these multisystemic changes. This mouse model may provide a useful platform to not only investigate the mechanisms responsible for bone fragility in FD, but also a powerful model system with which to evaluate potential therapeutic interventions for bone fragility in FD patients.
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Affiliation(s)
- G Vahidi
- Department of Mechanical & Industrial Engineerings, Montana State University, Bozeman, MT, USA
| | - H Flook
- Department of Mechanical & Industrial Engineerings, Montana State University, Bozeman, MT, USA
| | - V Sherk
- Department of Orthopaedics, University of Colorado School of Medicine, Aurora, CO, USA
| | - M Mergy
- Department of Microbiology & Immunology, Montana State University, Bozeman, MT, USA
| | - F Lefcort
- Department of Microbiology & Immunology, Montana State University, Bozeman, MT, USA
| | - C M Heveran
- Department of Mechanical & Industrial Engineerings, Montana State University, Bozeman, MT, USA.
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Cameron B, Lehrmann E, Chih T, Walters J, Buksch R, Snyder S, Goffena J, Lefcort F, Becker KG, George L. Loss of Elp1 perturbs histone H2A.Z and the Notch signaling pathway. Biol Open 2021; 10:272332. [PMID: 34590699 PMCID: PMC8496692 DOI: 10.1242/bio.058979] [Citation(s) in RCA: 2] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.7] [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: 08/12/2021] [Accepted: 08/17/2021] [Indexed: 12/12/2022] Open
Abstract
Elongator dysfunction is increasingly recognized as a contributor to multiple neurodevelopmental and neurodegenerative disorders including familial dysautonomia, intellectual disability, amyotrophic lateral sclerosis, and autism spectrum disorder. Although numerous cellular processes are perturbed in the context of Elongator loss, converging evidence from multiple studies has resolved Elongator's primary function in the cell to the modification of tRNA wobble uridines and the translational regulation of codon-biased genes. Here we characterize H2a.z, encoding the variant H2a histone H2A.Z, as an indirect Elongator target. We further show that canonical Notch signaling, a pathway directed by H2A.Z, is perturbed as a consequence of Elp1 loss. Finally, we demonstrate that hyperacetylation of H2A.Z and other histones via exposure to the histone deacetylase inhibitor Trichostatin A during neurogenesis corrects the expression of Notch3 and rescues the development of sensory neurons in embryos lacking the Elp1 Elongator subunit. Summary: The maldevelopment of sensory neurons in Elongator knockout embryos is associated with elevated H2A.Z and perturbed Notch signaling that can be rescued by Trichostatin A.
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Affiliation(s)
- BreAnna Cameron
- Department of Biological and Physical Sciences, Montana State University Billings, Billings, MT 59101, USA
| | - Elin Lehrmann
- Computational Biology & Genomics Core (CBGC), Laboratory of Genetics and Genomics (LGG), Department of Health and Human Services (DHHS), National Institute on Aging, Intramural Research Program (NIA IRP), National Institutes of Health (NIH), Biomedical Research Center, Baltimore, MD 21224, USA
| | - Tien Chih
- Department of Biological and Physical Sciences, Montana State University Billings, Billings, MT 59101, USA
| | - Joseph Walters
- Department of Biological and Physical Sciences, Montana State University Billings, Billings, MT 59101, USA
| | - Richard Buksch
- Department of Biological and Physical Sciences, Montana State University Billings, Billings, MT 59101, USA
| | - Sara Snyder
- Department of Biological and Physical Sciences, Montana State University Billings, Billings, MT 59101, USA
| | - Joy Goffena
- Department of Biological and Physical Sciences, Montana State University Billings, Billings, MT 59101, USA
| | - Frances Lefcort
- Department of Microbiology and Immunology, Montana State University, Bozeman, MT 59717, USA
| | - Kevin G Becker
- Gene Expression and Genomics Unit, National Institute on Aging, National Institutes of Health, Baltimore, MD 21224, USA
| | - Lynn George
- Department of Biological and Physical Sciences, Montana State University Billings, Billings, MT 59101, USA
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10
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Abstract
Investigations of the cellular and molecular mechanisms that mediate the development of the autonomic nervous system have identified critical genes and signaling pathways that, when disrupted, cause disorders of the autonomic nervous system. This review summarizes our current understanding of how the autonomic nervous system emerges from the organized spatial and temporal patterning of precursor cell migration, proliferation, communication, and differentiation, and discusses potential clinical implications for developmental disorders of the autonomic nervous system, including familial dysautonomia, Hirschsprung disease, Rett syndrome, and congenital central hypoventilation syndrome.
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Affiliation(s)
- Frances Lefcort
- Department of Cell Biology and Neuroscience, Montana State University, Bozeman, Montana
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11
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Dunkel H, Chaverra M, Bradley R, Lefcort F. FGF
signaling is required for chemokinesis and ventral migration of trunk neural crest cells. Dev Dyn 2020; 249:1077-1097. [DOI: 10.1002/dvdy.190] [Citation(s) in RCA: 4] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 10/03/2019] [Revised: 04/24/2020] [Accepted: 05/04/2020] [Indexed: 11/08/2022] Open
Affiliation(s)
- Haley Dunkel
- Department of Cell Biology and NeuroscienceMontana State University Bozeman Montana USA
| | - Martha Chaverra
- Department of Cell Biology and NeuroscienceMontana State University Bozeman Montana USA
| | - Roger Bradley
- Department of Cell Biology and NeuroscienceMontana State University Bozeman Montana USA
| | - Frances Lefcort
- Department of Cell Biology and NeuroscienceMontana State University Bozeman Montana USA
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12
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Ueki Y, Shchepetkina V, Lefcort F. Retina-specific loss of Ikbkap/Elp1 causes mitochondrial dysfunction that leads to selective retinal ganglion cell degeneration in a mouse model of familial dysautonomia. Dis Model Mech 2018; 11:dmm.033746. [PMID: 29929962 PMCID: PMC6078410 DOI: 10.1242/dmm.033746] [Citation(s) in RCA: 8] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 01/22/2018] [Accepted: 06/12/2018] [Indexed: 12/26/2022] Open
Abstract
Familial dysautonomia (FD) is an autosomal recessive disorder marked by developmental and progressive neuropathies. It is caused by an intronic point-mutation in the IKBKAP/ELP1 gene, which encodes the inhibitor of κB kinase complex-associated protein (IKAP, also called ELP1), a component of the elongator complex. Owing to variation in tissue-specific splicing, the mutation primarily affects the nervous system. One of the most debilitating hallmarks of FD that affects patients' quality of life is progressive blindness. To determine the pathophysiological mechanisms that are triggered by the absence of IKAP in the retina, we generated retina-specific Ikbkap conditional knockout (CKO) mice using Pax6-Cre, which abolished Ikbkap expression in all cell types of the retina. Although sensory and autonomic neuropathies in FD are known to be developmental in origin, the loss of IKAP in the retina did not affect its development, demonstrating that IKAP is not required for retinal development. The loss of IKAP caused progressive degeneration of retinal ganglion cells (RGCs) by 1 month of age. Mitochondrial membrane integrity was breached in RGCs, and later in other retinal neurons. In Ikbkap CKO retinas, mitochondria were depolarized, and complex I function and ATP were significantly reduced. Although mitochondrial impairment was detected in all Ikbkap-deficient retinal neurons, RGCs were the only cell type to degenerate; the survival of other retinal neurons was unaffected. This retina-specific FD model is a useful in vivo model for testing potential therapeutics for mitigating blindness in FD. Moreover, our data indicate that RGCs and mitochondria are promising targets. Summary: The elongator subunit IKBKAP/ELP1 is not required for development, but is essential for maintaining mitochondrial function and retina morphology. Loss of this subunit causes progressive, selective degeneration of retinal ganglion cells.
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Affiliation(s)
- Yumi Ueki
- Department of Cell Biology and Neuroscience, Montana State University, Bozeman, MT 59717, USA
| | - Veronika Shchepetkina
- Department of Cell Biology and Neuroscience, Montana State University, Bozeman, MT 59717, USA
| | - Frances Lefcort
- Department of Cell Biology and Neuroscience, Montana State University, Bozeman, MT 59717, USA
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Lefcort F, Chaverra M, George L. When PNS Assembly Goes Awry: Familial Dysautonomia. FASEB J 2018. [DOI: 10.1096/fasebj.2018.32.1_supplement.367.1] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/11/2022]
Affiliation(s)
- Frances Lefcort
- Department of Cell Biology and NeuroscienceMontana State UniversityBozemanMT
| | - Marta Chaverra
- Department of Cell Biology and NeuroscienceMontana State UniversityBozemanMT
| | - Lynn George
- Department of Cell Biology and NeuroscienceMontana State UniversityBozemanMT
- Department of Biological and Physical SciencesMontana State UniversityBillingsMT
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Goffena J, Lefcort F, Zhang Y, Lehrmann E, Chaverra M, Felig J, Walters J, Buksch R, Becker KG, George L. Elongator and codon bias regulate protein levels in mammalian peripheral neurons. Nat Commun 2018; 9:889. [PMID: 29497044 PMCID: PMC5832791 DOI: 10.1038/s41467-018-03221-z] [Citation(s) in RCA: 50] [Impact Index Per Article: 8.3] [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: 03/20/2017] [Accepted: 01/29/2018] [Indexed: 12/16/2022] Open
Abstract
Familial dysautonomia (FD) results from mutation in IKBKAP/ELP1, a gene encoding the scaffolding protein for the Elongator complex. This highly conserved complex is required for the translation of codon-biased genes in lower organisms. Here we investigate whether Elongator serves a similar function in mammalian peripheral neurons, the population devastated in FD. Using codon-biased eGFP sensors, and multiplexing of codon usage with transcriptome and proteome analyses of over 6,000 genes, we identify two categories of genes, as well as specific gene identities that depend on Elongator for normal expression. Moreover, we show that multiple genes in the DNA damage repair pathway are codon-biased, and that with Elongator loss, their misregulation is correlated with elevated levels of DNA damage. These findings link Elongator’s function in the translation of codon-biased genes with both the developmental and neurodegenerative phenotypes of FD, and also clarify the increased risk of cancer associated with the disease. Familial dysautonomia is linked to mutations in IKBKAP, a scaffolding protein for the Elongator complex, which regulates codon-biased gene translation in yeast. Here the authors show in mammalian neurons that IKBKAP loss alters expression of codon-biased genes, including some involved in DNA damage.
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Affiliation(s)
- Joy Goffena
- Department of Biological and Physical Sciences, Montana State University Billings, Billings, MT, 59101, USA
| | - Frances Lefcort
- Department of Cell Biology and Neuroscience, Montana State University, Bozeman, MT, 59717, USA
| | - Yongqing Zhang
- Gene Expression and Genomics Unit, National Institute on Aging, National Institutes of Health, Baltimore, MD, 21224, USA
| | - Elin Lehrmann
- Gene Expression and Genomics Unit, National Institute on Aging, National Institutes of Health, Baltimore, MD, 21224, USA
| | - Marta Chaverra
- Department of Cell Biology and Neuroscience, Montana State University, Bozeman, MT, 59717, USA
| | - Jehremy Felig
- Department of Biological and Physical Sciences, Montana State University Billings, Billings, MT, 59101, USA
| | - Joseph Walters
- Department of Biological and Physical Sciences, Montana State University Billings, Billings, MT, 59101, USA
| | - Richard Buksch
- Department of Biological and Physical Sciences, Montana State University Billings, Billings, MT, 59101, USA
| | - Kevin G Becker
- Gene Expression and Genomics Unit, National Institute on Aging, National Institutes of Health, Baltimore, MD, 21224, USA
| | - Lynn George
- Department of Biological and Physical Sciences, Montana State University Billings, Billings, MT, 59101, USA.
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15
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Affiliation(s)
- Frances Lefcort
- Department of Cell Biology and Neuroscience, Montana State University, Bozeman, MT, 59717, USA.
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Lefcort F, Mergy M, Ohlen SB, Ueki Y, George L. Erratum to: Animal and cellular models of familial dysautonomia. Clin Auton Res 2017; 27:293. [PMID: 28717942 DOI: 10.1007/s10286-017-0453-3] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 10/19/2022]
Affiliation(s)
- Frances Lefcort
- Department of Cell Biology and Neuroscience, Montana State University, Bozeman, MT, 59717, USA.
| | - Marc Mergy
- Department of Cell Biology and Neuroscience, Montana State University, Bozeman, MT, 59717, USA
| | - Sarah B Ohlen
- Department of Cell Biology and Neuroscience, Montana State University, Bozeman, MT, 59717, USA
| | - Yumi Ueki
- Department of Cell Biology and Neuroscience, Montana State University, Bozeman, MT, 59717, USA
| | - Lynn George
- Department of Biological and Physical Sciences, Montana State University Billings, Billings, MT, 59101, USA
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Chaverra M, George L, Mergy M, Waller H, Kujawa K, Murnion C, Sharples E, Thorne J, Podgajny N, Grindeland A, Ueki Y, Eiger S, Cusick C, Babcock AM, Carlson GA, Lefcort F. The familial dysautonomia disease gene IKBKAP is required in the developing and adult mouse central nervous system. Dis Model Mech 2017; 10:605-618. [PMID: 28167615 PMCID: PMC5451171 DOI: 10.1242/dmm.028258] [Citation(s) in RCA: 23] [Impact Index Per Article: 3.3] [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: 10/26/2016] [Accepted: 01/23/2017] [Indexed: 02/06/2023] Open
Abstract
Hereditary sensory and autonomic neuropathies (HSANs) are a genetically and clinically diverse group of disorders defined by peripheral nervous system (PNS) dysfunction. HSAN type III, known as familial dysautonomia (FD), results from a single base mutation in the gene IKBKAP that encodes a scaffolding unit (ELP1) for a multi-subunit complex known as Elongator. Since mutations in other Elongator subunits (ELP2 to ELP4) are associated with central nervous system (CNS) disorders, the goal of this study was to investigate a potential requirement for Ikbkap in the CNS of mice. The sensory and autonomic pathophysiology of FD is fatal, with the majority of patients dying by age 40. While signs and pathology of FD have been noted in the CNS, the clinical and research focus has been on the sensory and autonomic dysfunction, and no genetic model studies have investigated the requirement for Ikbkap in the CNS. Here, we report, using a novel mouse line in which Ikbkap is deleted solely in the nervous system, that not only is Ikbkap widely expressed in the embryonic and adult CNS, but its deletion perturbs both the development of cortical neurons and their survival in adulthood. Primary cilia in embryonic cortical apical progenitors and motile cilia in adult ependymal cells are reduced in number and disorganized. Furthermore, we report that, in the adult CNS, both autonomic and non-autonomic neuronal populations require Ikbkap for survival, including spinal motor and cortical neurons. In addition, the mice developed kyphoscoliosis, an FD hallmark, indicating its neuropathic etiology. Ultimately, these perturbations manifest in a developmental and progressive neurodegenerative condition that includes impairments in learning and memory. Collectively, these data reveal an essential function for Ikbkap that extends beyond the peripheral nervous system to CNS development and function. With the identification of discrete CNS cell types and structures that depend on Ikbkap, novel strategies to thwart the progressive demise of CNS neurons in FD can be developed. Summary:Ikbkap is essential for normal CNS development, neuronal survival and behavior, adding to our understanding of the role of the Elongator complex in the mammalian CNS.
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Affiliation(s)
- Marta Chaverra
- Department of Cell Biology and Neuroscience, Montana State University, Bozeman, MT 59717, USA
| | - Lynn George
- Department of Cell Biology and Neuroscience, Montana State University, Bozeman, MT 59717, USA.,Department of Biological and Physical Sciences, Montana State University Billings, Billings, MT 59101, USA
| | - Marc Mergy
- Department of Cell Biology and Neuroscience, Montana State University, Bozeman, MT 59717, USA
| | - Hannah Waller
- Department of Cell Biology and Neuroscience, Montana State University, Bozeman, MT 59717, USA
| | - Katharine Kujawa
- Department of Psychology, Montana State University, Bozeman, MT 59717, USA
| | - Connor Murnion
- Department of Cell Biology and Neuroscience, Montana State University, Bozeman, MT 59717, USA
| | - Ezekiel Sharples
- Department of Cell Biology and Neuroscience, Montana State University, Bozeman, MT 59717, USA
| | - Julian Thorne
- Department of Cell Biology and Neuroscience, Montana State University, Bozeman, MT 59717, USA.,University of Washington, School of Medicine, Seattle, WA 98195, USA
| | - Nathaniel Podgajny
- Department of Cell Biology and Neuroscience, Montana State University, Bozeman, MT 59717, USA
| | | | - Yumi Ueki
- Department of Cell Biology and Neuroscience, Montana State University, Bozeman, MT 59717, USA
| | - Steven Eiger
- Department of Cell Biology and Neuroscience, Montana State University, Bozeman, MT 59717, USA
| | - Cassie Cusick
- Department of Cell Biology and Neuroscience, Montana State University, Bozeman, MT 59717, USA
| | - A Michael Babcock
- Department of Psychology, Montana State University, Bozeman, MT 59717, USA
| | | | - Frances Lefcort
- Department of Cell Biology and Neuroscience, Montana State University, Bozeman, MT 59717, USA
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Nelson BR, Matsuhashi S, Lefcort F. Restricted neural epidermal growth factor-like like 2 (NELL2) expression during muscle and neuronal differentiation. Mech Dev 2016; 119 Suppl 1:S11-9. [PMID: 14516654 DOI: 10.1016/s0925-4773(03)00084-4] [Citation(s) in RCA: 27] [Impact Index Per Article: 3.4] [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] [Indexed: 01/01/2023]
Abstract
We have identified a secreted glycoprotein, neural epidermal growth factor-like like 2 (NELL2), in a screen designed to isolate molecules regulating sensory neuron genesis and differentiation in the dorsal root ganglia (DRG). In investigating NELL2 expression during embryogenesis, we demonstrate here that NELL2 is highly regulated spatially and temporally, being only transiently expressed in discrete regions of the central (CNS) and peripheral nervous systems (PNS) and in a subset of mesoderm derived structures during their peak periods of development. In the CNS and PNS, NELL2 is maximally expressed as motor and sensory neurons differentiate. Interestingly, its expression is restricted to sublineages of the neural crest, being strongly expressed throughout the immature DRG, but excluded from sympathetic ganglia. Similarly during muscle development, NELL2 is specifically expressed by hypaxial muscle precursor cells in the differentiating somite and derivatives in the forelimbs and body wall, but not by epaxial muscle precursors. Furthermore, NELL2 is differentially regulated in the CNS and PNS; in the CNS, NELL2 is only expressed by nascent, post-mitotic neurons as they commence their differentiation, yet in the PNS, NELL2 is expressed by subsets of progenitor cells in addition to nascent neurons. Based on this restricted spatial and temporal expression pattern, functional studies are in progress to determine NELL2's role during neuronal differentiation in both the PNS and CNS.
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Affiliation(s)
- Branden R Nelson
- Department of Chemistry and Biochemistry, Montana State University, Bozeman, MT 59717, USA
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Lefcort F, Chaverra M, George L, Carleson G, Orr M, Grindeland A. ISDN2014_0026: Mouse models for Familial Dysautonomia reveal underlying cellular and molecular mechanisms that cause the human disease. Int J Dev Neurosci 2015. [DOI: 10.1016/j.ijdevneu.2015.04.021] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/15/2022] Open
Affiliation(s)
| | | | - Lynn George
- Montana State UniversityBozemanMTUnited States
| | | | - Miranda Orr
- McLaughlin Research InstituteGreat FallsMTUnited States
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George L, Chaverra M, Wolfe L, Thorne J, Close-Davis M, Eibs A, Riojas V, Grindeland A, Orr M, Carlson GA, Lefcort F. Familial dysautonomia model reveals Ikbkap deletion causes apoptosis of Pax3+ progenitors and peripheral neurons. Proc Natl Acad Sci U S A 2013; 110:18698-703. [PMID: 24173031 PMCID: PMC3831979 DOI: 10.1073/pnas.1308596110] [Citation(s) in RCA: 57] [Impact Index Per Article: 5.2] [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] [Indexed: 12/18/2022] Open
Abstract
Familial dysautonomia (FD) is a devastating developmental and progressive peripheral neuropathy caused by a mutation in the gene inhibitor of kappa B kinase complex-associated protein (IKBKAP). To identify the cellular and molecular mechanisms that cause FD, we generated mice in which Ikbkap expression is ablated in the peripheral nervous system and identify the steps in peripheral nervous system development that are Ikbkap-dependent. We show that Ikbkap is not required for trunk neural crest migration or pathfinding, nor for the formation of dorsal root or sympathetic ganglia, or the adrenal medulla. Instead, Ikbkap is essential for the second wave of neurogenesis during which the majority of tropomyosin-related kinase A (TrkA(+)) nociceptors and thermoreceptors arise. In its absence, approximately half the normal complement of TrkA(+) neurons are lost, which we show is partly due to p53-mediated premature differentiation and death of mitotically-active progenitors that express the paired-box gene Pax3 and give rise to the majority of TrkA(+) neurons. By the end of sensory development, the number of TrkC neurons is significantly increased, which may result from an increase in Runx3(+) cells. Furthermore, our data demonstrate that TrkA(+) (but not TrkC(+)) sensory and sympathetic neurons undergo exacerbated Caspase 3-mediated programmed cell death in the absence of Ikbkap and that this death is not due to a reduction in nerve growth factor synthesis. In summary, these data suggest that FD does not result from a failure in trunk neural crest migration, but rather from a critical function for Ikbkap in TrkA progenitors and TrkA(+) neurons.
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Affiliation(s)
- Lynn George
- Department of Cell Biology and Neuroscience, Montana State University, Bozeman, MT 59717
- Department of Biological and Physical Sciences, Montana State University Billings, Billings, MT 59101; and
| | - Marta Chaverra
- Department of Cell Biology and Neuroscience, Montana State University, Bozeman, MT 59717
| | - Lindsey Wolfe
- Department of Cell Biology and Neuroscience, Montana State University, Bozeman, MT 59717
| | - Julian Thorne
- Department of Cell Biology and Neuroscience, Montana State University, Bozeman, MT 59717
| | - Mattheson Close-Davis
- Department of Cell Biology and Neuroscience, Montana State University, Bozeman, MT 59717
| | - Amy Eibs
- Department of Cell Biology and Neuroscience, Montana State University, Bozeman, MT 59717
| | - Vickie Riojas
- Department of Cell Biology and Neuroscience, Montana State University, Bozeman, MT 59717
| | | | - Miranda Orr
- McLaughlin Research Institute, Great Falls, MT 59405
| | | | - Frances Lefcort
- Department of Cell Biology and Neuroscience, Montana State University, Bozeman, MT 59717
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Kasemeier-Kulesa JC, Lefcort F, Kulesa PM. Dorsal migration and formation of the secondary, permanent chain of sympathetic ganglia as revealed by confocal time-lapse analysis in chick. Auton Neurosci 2013. [DOI: 10.1016/j.autneu.2013.08.052] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/30/2022]
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Kulesa P, Kasemeier‐Kulesa JC, Lefcort F. Dynamic Formation of the Chick Sympathetic Ganglia. FASEB J 2013. [DOI: 10.1096/fasebj.27.1_supplement.18.4] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/11/2022]
Affiliation(s)
- Paul Kulesa
- Stowers Institute For Medical ResearchKansas CityMO
- Anatomy and Cell BiologyUniversity of Kansas School of MedicineKansas CityKS
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Hunnicutt BJ, Chaverra M, George L, Lefcort F. IKAP/Elp1 is required in vivo for neurogenesis and neuronal survival, but not for neural crest migration. PLoS One 2012; 7:e32050. [PMID: 22384137 PMCID: PMC3285659 DOI: 10.1371/journal.pone.0032050] [Citation(s) in RCA: 33] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.8] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 08/04/2011] [Accepted: 01/20/2012] [Indexed: 12/18/2022] Open
Abstract
Familial Dysautonomia (FD; Hereditary Sensory Autonomic Neuropathy; HSAN III) manifests from a failure in development of the peripheral sensory and autonomic nervous systems. The disease results from a point mutation in the IKBKAP gene, which encodes the IKAP protein, whose function is still unresolved in the developing nervous system. Since the neurons most severely depleted in the disease derive from the neural crest, and in light of data identifying a role for IKAP in cell motility and migration, it has been suggested that FD results from a disruption in neural crest migration. To determine the function of IKAP during development of the nervous system, we (1) first determined the spatial-temporal pattern of IKAP expression in the developing peripheral nervous system, from the onset of neural crest migration through the period of programmed cell death in the dorsal root ganglia, and (2) using RNAi, reduced expression of IKBKAP mRNA in the neural crest lineage throughout the process of dorsal root ganglia (DRG) development in chick embryos in ovo. Here we demonstrate that IKAP is not expressed by neural crest cells and instead is expressed as neurons differentiate both in the CNS and PNS, thus the devastation of the PNS in FD could not be due to disruptions in neural crest motility or migration. In addition, we show that alterations in the levels of IKAP, through both gain and loss of function studies, perturbs neuronal polarity, neuronal differentiation and survival. Thus IKAP plays pleiotropic roles in both the peripheral and central nervous systems.
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Affiliation(s)
| | | | | | - Frances Lefcort
- Department of Cell Biology and Neuroscience, Montana State University, Bozeman, Montana
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Kulesa PM, Kasemeier‐Kulesa JC, McLennan R, Romine MH, Lefcort F. The role of chemotaxis in neural crest migration. FASEB J 2011. [DOI: 10.1096/fasebj.25.1_supplement.180.3] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/11/2022]
Affiliation(s)
- Paul M Kulesa
- Anatomy and Cell BiologyKansas University School of MedicineKansas CityKS
- Stowers Institute for Medical ResearchKansas CityMO
| | | | | | | | - Frances Lefcort
- Cell Biology and NeuroscienceMontana State UniversityBozemanMT
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George L, Kasemeier-Kulesa J, Nelson BR, Koyano-Nakagawa N, Lefcort F. Patterned assembly and neurogenesis in the chick dorsal root ganglion. J Comp Neurol 2010; 518:405-22. [PMID: 20017208 DOI: 10.1002/cne.22248] [Citation(s) in RCA: 31] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.2] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/05/2022]
Abstract
The birth of small-diameter TrkA+ neurons that mediate pain and thermoreception begins approximately 24 hours after the cessation of neural crest cell migration from progenitors residing in the nascent dorsal root ganglion. Although multiple geographically distinct progenitor pools have been proposed, this study is the first to comprehensively characterize the derivation of small-diameter neurons. In the developing chick embryo we identify novel patterns in neural crest cell migration and colonization that sculpt the incipient ganglion into a postmitotic neuronal core encapsulated by a layer of proliferative progenitor cells. Furthermore, we show that this outer progenitor layer is composed of three spatially, temporally, and molecularly distinct progenitor zones, two of which give rise to distinct populations of TrkA+ neurons.
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Affiliation(s)
- Lynn George
- Department of Cell Biology and Neuroscience, Montana State University, Bozeman, Montana 59717, USA.
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George L, Kasemeier-Kulesa J, Nelson BR, Koyano-Nakagawa N, Lefcort F. Patterned assembly and neurogenesis in the chick dorsal root ganglion. J Comp Neurol 2010. [DOI: 10.1002/cne.22287] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/06/2022]
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Abstract
The neural crest is an excellent model system to study cell fate and cell guidance signaling. Neural crest cells emerge from a common multipotent subpopulation and follow stereotypical migratory pathways to contribute to many diverse peripheral structures throughout the vertebrate embryo. The neural tube and diverse embryonic microenvironments from which the neural crest originate and migrate through are important sources of signals, yet it is still unclear how a common pool of neural crest stem and progenitor cells diversify and become distributed along specific stereotypical migratory paths. In the post-otic hindbrain and trunk, the neural crest emerge and contribute to the autonomic nervous system, and failure of proper cell navigation and differentiation often leads to congenital disorders that include dysautonomias, Hirschprung's disease, and neuroblastoma cancer. Recent exciting studies of neural crest cell behaviors have revealed the interplay of several molecular signaling pathways that guide and shape autonomic precursor cells to and into proper target structures, suggesting further work may help to better understand autonomic nervous system assembly, derived from a convergence of time-lapse imaging and molecular analyses. In this mini-review, we summarize recent fluorescent cell labeling strategies and cell behavior analyses that elucidate the role of molecular signals on the migration of autonomic precursor cells. We highlight advances in our understanding of the autonomic precursor cell behaviors and fate determination studied within the embryonic microenvironment.
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Affiliation(s)
- Paul M Kulesa
- Stowers Institute for Medical Research, Kansas City, MO 64110, USA.
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Kasemeier-Kulesa J, Kulesa P, Lefcort F. P6.3 Time-lapse confocal analysis of the formation of the secondary, permanent chain of sympathetic ganglia in the chick. Auton Neurosci 2009. [DOI: 10.1016/j.autneu.2009.05.201] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/26/2022]
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Kulesa P, Kasemeier-Kulesa J, McLennan R, Lefcort F. S1. Molecular control of autonomic neuron development. Auton Neurosci 2009. [DOI: 10.1016/j.autneu.2009.05.006] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 10/20/2022]
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Kasemeier-Kulesa JC, McLennan R, Lefcort F, Kulesa PM. CXCR4 drives neural crest cells to the sympathetic ganglia. Dev Biol 2009. [DOI: 10.1016/j.ydbio.2009.05.269] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 10/20/2022]
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Abstract
The neural crest, the intriguing cell population that gives rise to a panoply of derivatives in the vertebrate embryo including the mesenchymal structures in the head, melanocytes and most of the peripheral nervous system still proves to be an important yet enigmatic developmental cell population to study, with applications in stem cell biology, cancer biology and clinical medicine. Albeit our knowledge base is rich due to a strong history of experimentation, the fact that we have yet to decipher so many key aspects of neural crest cell (NCC) behavior speaks to the challenging complexity of this transient yet vital cell population. With the advent of new fluorescent tracing techniques, we have reexamined the migratory behaviors and ultimate fate of ventrally migrating avian NCCs within a late wave of emigration and identified a subpopulation of lineally restricted NCCs who migrate to the contralateral dorsal root ganglia (DRG) and therein give rise to mitotically active progenitor cells that ultimately produce the majority of the nociceptive sensory neurons in the DRG. These data provide evidence for the fate prespecification of subsets of NCCs while still resident in the neural tube.
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Affiliation(s)
- Frances Lefcort
- Department of Cell Biology and Neuroscience, Montana State University, Bozeman, Montana 59717, USA.
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George L, Chaverra M, Todd V, Lansford R, Lefcort F. Nociceptive sensory neurons derive from contralaterally migrating, fate-restricted neural crest cells. Nat Neurosci 2007; 10:1287-93. [PMID: 17828258 DOI: 10.1038/nn1962] [Citation(s) in RCA: 36] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.1] [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: 03/27/2007] [Accepted: 07/16/2007] [Indexed: 11/09/2022]
Abstract
Neural crest cells (NCCs) are a transient population of multipotent progenitors that give rise to numerous cell types in the embryo. An unresolved issue is the degree to which the fate of NCCs is specified prior to their emigration from the neural tube. In chick embryos, we identified a subpopulation of NCCs that, upon delamination, crossed the dorsal midline to colonize spatially discrete regions of the contralateral dorsal root ganglia (DRG), where they later gave rise to nearly half of the nociceptor sensory neuron population. Our data indicate that before emigration, this NCC subset is phenotypically distinct, with an intrinsic lineage potential that differs from its temporally synchronized, but ipsilaterally migrating, cohort. These findings not only identify a major source of progenitor cells for the pain- and temperature-sensing afferents, but also reveal a previously unknown migratory pathway for sensory-fated NCCs that requires the capacity to cross the embryonic midline.
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Affiliation(s)
- Lynn George
- Department of Cell Biology and Neuroscience, Montana State University, Leon Johnson Hall, Rm 512, Bozeman, Montana 59717, USA
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Kasemeier-Kulesa JC, Lefcort F, Kulesa PM. Sagittal Explant Culture for 3D Confocal Time-Lapse Analysis of Chick Peripheral Nervous System Formation. Cold Spring Harb Protoc 2007; 2007:pdb.prot4791. [PMID: 21357129 DOI: 10.1101/pdb.prot4791] [Citation(s) in RCA: 3] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.2] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 05/30/2023]
Abstract
INTRODUCTIONThe peripheral nervous system (PNS) regulates key events within the body including breathing, heart rate, and pain and temperature sensation. In the trunk of the developing embryo, neural crest (NC) cells that follow a ventro-medial pathway form the dorsal root ganglia (DRG) and sympathetic ganglia (SG) of the PNS. The cellular and molecular mechanisms that mediate the formation of the PNS are not completely understood due to the lack of a model system to monitor NC cell migratory behaviors deep within the embryo. Here, we describe a unique sagittal explant culture technique that allows for visualization of DRG and SG formation in the relatively intact chick embryo to assess potential molecules and signals influencing the formation of the PNS. By making a midline cut down the chick antero-posterior axis, each half of the embryo is an explant that can be imaged either from the medial perspective, to reveal events occurring deep within the embryo (SG formation), or from the lateral surface, to image events occurring in the dorso-lateral plane (DRG formation).
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Lefcort F, George L, Kasemeier J, Kulesa PM. Live time‐lapse imaging of migrating neural crest cells reveals novel mechanisms that mediate the formation and differentiation of cells in the avian peripheral nervous system. FASEB J 2007. [DOI: 10.1096/fasebj.21.5.a80-c] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/11/2022]
Affiliation(s)
- Frances Lefcort
- Cell Biology and NeuroscienceMontana State UniversityLeon Johnson Hall, Rm 512BozemanMT59717
| | - Lynn George
- Cell Biology and NeuroscienceMontana State UniversityLeon Johnson Hall, Rm 512BozemanMT59717
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Kasemeier‐Kulesa J, Bradley R, Pasquale E, Lefcort F, Kulesa P. [S2]: Sculpting the sympathetic ganglia: Revealing the interplay of cell movements and molecular signals. Int J Dev Neurosci 2006. [DOI: 10.1016/j.ijdevneu.2006.09.005] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 10/23/2022] Open
Affiliation(s)
| | - R. Bradley
- Stowers Institute for Medical ResearchUSA
| | | | - F. Lefcort
- Stowers Institute for Medical ResearchUSA
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Kasemeier-Kulesa JC, Bradley R, Pasquale EB, Lefcort F, Kulesa PM. Eph/ephrins and N-cadherin coordinate to control the pattern of sympathetic ganglia. Development 2006; 133:4839-47. [PMID: 17108003 DOI: 10.1242/dev.02662] [Citation(s) in RCA: 95] [Impact Index Per Article: 5.3] [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] [Indexed: 01/16/2023]
Abstract
Previous studies have suggested that the segmental pattern of neural-crest-derived sympathetic ganglia arises as a direct result of signals that restrict neural crest cell migratory streams through rostral somite halves. We recently showed that the spatiotemporal pattern of chick sympathetic ganglia formation is a two-phase process. Neural crest cells migrate laterally to the dorsal aorta, then surprisingly spread out in the longitudinal direction, before sorting into discrete ganglia. Here, we investigate the function of two families of molecules that are thought to regulate cell sorting and aggregation. By blocking Eph/ephrins or N-cadherin function, we measure changes in neural crest cell migratory behaviors that lead to alterations in sympathetic ganglia formation using a recently developed sagittal slice explant culture and 3D confocal time-lapse imaging. Our results demonstrate that local inhibitory interactions within inter-ganglionic regions, mediated by Eph/ephrins, and adhesive cell-cell contacts at ganglia sites, mediated by N-cadherin, coordinate to sculpt discrete sympathetic ganglia.
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Hapner SJ, Nielsen KM, Chaverra M, Esper RM, Loeb JA, Lefcort F. NT-3 and CNTF exert dose-dependent, pleiotropic effects on cells in the immature dorsal root ganglion: Neuregulin-mediated proliferation of progenitor cells and neuronal differentiation. Dev Biol 2006; 297:182-97. [PMID: 16784738 DOI: 10.1016/j.ydbio.2006.05.007] [Citation(s) in RCA: 23] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.3] [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: 05/03/2005] [Revised: 05/01/2006] [Accepted: 05/10/2006] [Indexed: 01/19/2023]
Abstract
Neurons in the nascent dorsal root ganglia are born and differentiate in a complex cellular milieu composed of postmitotic neurons, and mitotically active glial and neural progenitor cells. Neurotrophic factors such as NT-3 are critically important for promoting the survival of postmitotic neurons in the DRG. However, the factors that regulate earlier events in the development of the DRG such as the mitogenesis of DRG progenitor cells and the differentiation of neurons are less defined. Here we demonstrate that both NT-3 and CNTF induce distinct dose-dependent responses on cells in the immature DRG: at low concentrations, they induce the proliferation of progenitor cells while at higher concentrations they promote neuronal differentiation. Furthermore, the mitogenic response is indirect; that is, NT-3 and CNTF first bind to nascent neurons in the DRG--which then stimulates those neurons to release mitogenic factors including neuregulin. Blockade of this endogenous neuregulin activity completely blocks the CNTF-induced proliferation and reduces about half of the NT-3-mediated proliferation. Thus, the genesis and differentiation of neurons and glia in the DRG are dependent upon reciprocal interactions among nascent neurons, glia, and mitotically active progenitor cells.
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Affiliation(s)
- Sharon J Hapner
- Department of Cell Biology and Neuroscience, Montana State University, Bozeman, MT 59717, USA
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Hurley SP, Clary DO, Copié V, Lefcort F. Anaplastic lymphoma kinase is dynamically expressed on subsets of motor neurons and in the peripheral nervous system. J Comp Neurol 2006; 495:202-12. [PMID: 16435287 PMCID: PMC2566964 DOI: 10.1002/cne.20887] [Citation(s) in RCA: 41] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 01/19/2023]
Abstract
During embryonic development, complex events, such as cellular proliferation, differentiation, survival, and guidance of axons, are orchestrated and regulated by a variety of extracellular signals. Receptor tyrosine kinases mediate many of these events, with several playing critical roles in neuronal survival and axonal guidance. It is evident that not all the receptor tyrosine kinases that play key roles in regulating neuronal development have been identified. In this study, we have characterized the spatial-temporal expression profile of a recently identified receptor tyrosine kinase, anaplastic lymphoma kinase (ALK), in embryonic chick by means of whole-mount in situ hybridization in conjunction with immunohistochemistry. Our findings reveal that Alk is expressed in sympathetic and dorsal root ganglia as early as stage 19. In addition, mRNA is expressed from stage 23/24 (E4) to stage 39 (E13) in discrete motor neuron subsets of chick spinal cord along with a select group of muscles that are innervated by one of these particular motor neuron clusters. Expression within the spinal cord is coincident with the onset and duration of motor neuron programmed cell death and during the period of musculature innervation and synapse formation. Hence, the data presented here identify ALK as a novel candidate receptor for regulating critical events in the development of neurons in both the central and the peripheral nervous systems.
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Affiliation(s)
- Shawn P. Hurley
- Department of Cell Biology and Neuroscience, Montana State University, Bozeman, MT 59717, USA
| | | | - Valérie Copié
- Department of Chemistry and Biochemistry, Montana State University, Bozeman, MT 59717, USA
| | - Frances Lefcort
- Department of Cell Biology and Neuroscience, Montana State University, Bozeman, MT 59717, USA
- WWAMI Medical Program, Montana State University, Bozeman, MT 59717, USA
- Correspondence to: Frances Lefcort, Department of Cell Biology and Neuroscience, Bozeman, MT 59717. Phone: (406)994−5656; Fax: (406)994−7077; E-mail:
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Abstract
The neural crest is a migratory population of cells that produces many diverse structures within the embryo. Trunk neural crest cells give rise to such structures as the dorsal root ganglia (DRG) and sympathetic ganglia (SG),which form in a metameric pattern along the anterior-posterior axis of the embryo. While static analyses have provided invaluable information concerning the development of these structures, time-lapse imaging of neural crest cells navigating through their normal environment could potentially reveal previously unidentified cellular and molecular interactions integral to DRG and SG development. In this study, we follow fluorescently labeled trunk neural crest cells using a novel sagittal explant and time-lapse confocal microscopy. We show that along their dorsoventral migratory route, trunk neural crest cells are highly motile and interact extensively with neighboring cells and the environment, with many cells migrating in chain-like formations. Surprisingly, the segregated pattern of crest cell streams through the rostral somite is not maintained once these cells arrive alongside the dorsal aorta. Instead, neural crest cells disperse along the ventral outer border of the somite, interacting extensively with each other and their environment via dynamic extension and retraction of filopodia. Discrete sympathetic ganglia arise as a consequence of intermixing and selective reorganization of neural crest cells at the target site. The diverse cell migratory behaviors and active reorganization at the target suggest that cell-cell and cell-environment interactions are coordinated with dynamic molecular processes.
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Nelson BR, Sadhu M, Kasemeier JC, Anderson LW, Lefcort F. Identification of genes regulating sensory neuron genesis and differentiation in the avian dorsal root ganglia. Dev Dyn 2004; 229:618-29. [PMID: 14991717 DOI: 10.1002/dvdy.20030] [Citation(s) in RCA: 8] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.4] [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] [Indexed: 01/01/2023] Open
Abstract
The dorsal root ganglia (DRG) derive from a population of migrating neural crest cells that coalesce laterally to the neural tube. As the DRG matures, discrete cell types emerge from a pool of differentiating progenitor cells. To identify genes that regulate sensory genesis and differentiation, we have designed screens to identify members from families of known regulatory molecules such as receptor tyrosine kinases, and generated full-length and subtractive cDNA libraries between immature and mature DRG for identifying novel genes not previously implicated in DRG development. Several genes were identified in these analyses that belong to important regulatory gene families. Quantitative PCR confirmed differential expression of candidate cDNAs identified from the subtraction/differential screening. In situ hybridization further validated dynamic expression of several cDNAs identified in our screens. Our results demonstrate the utility of combining specific and general screening approaches for isolating key regulatory genes involved in the genesis and differentiation of discrete cell types and tissues within the classic embryonic chick model system.
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Affiliation(s)
- Branden R Nelson
- Department of Chemistry and Biochemistry, Montana State University, Bozeman, Montana 59717, USA
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Nelson BR, Claes K, Todd V, Chaverra M, Lefcort F. NELL2 promotes motor and sensory neuron differentiation and stimulates mitogenesis in DRG in vivo. Dev Biol 2004; 270:322-35. [PMID: 15183717 DOI: 10.1016/j.ydbio.2004.03.004] [Citation(s) in RCA: 40] [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] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 10/11/2003] [Revised: 03/01/2004] [Accepted: 03/01/2004] [Indexed: 10/26/2022]
Abstract
We previously identified a secreted glycoprotein, neural epidermal growth factor-like like 2 (NELL2), in a subtraction screen designed to identify molecules regulating sensory neurogenesis and differentiation in the chick dorsal root ganglion (DRG). Characterization of NELL2 expression during embryogenesis revealed that NELL2 was specifically expressed during the peak periods of both sensory and motor neuron differentiation, and within the neural crest was restricted to the sensory lineage. We now provide evidence for a function for NELL2 during neuronal development. We report here that NELL2 acts cell autonomously within CNS and PNS progenitors, in vivo, to promote their differentiation into neurons. Additionally, neuron-secreted NELL2 acts paracrinely to stimulate the mitogenesis of adjacent cells within the nascent DRG. These studies implicate dual functions for NELL2 in both the cell autonomous differentiation of neural progenitor cells while simultaneously exerting paracrine proliferative activity.
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Affiliation(s)
- Branden R Nelson
- Department of Chemistry and Biochemistry, Montana State University, Bozeman, MT 59717, USA
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Nielsen KM, Chaverra M, Hapner SJ, Nelson BR, Todd V, Zigmond RE, Lefcort F. PACAP promotes sensory neuron differentiation: blockade by neurotrophic factors. Mol Cell Neurosci 2004; 25:629-41. [PMID: 15080892 DOI: 10.1016/j.mcn.2003.12.004] [Citation(s) in RCA: 22] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.1] [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: 02/07/2003] [Revised: 12/01/2003] [Accepted: 12/02/2003] [Indexed: 01/18/2023] Open
Abstract
Developing neurons encounter a panoply of extracellular signals as they differentiate. A major goal is to identify these extrinsic cues and define the mechanisms by which neurons simultaneously integrate stimulation by multiple factors yet initiate one specific biological response. Factors that are known to exert potent activities in the developing nervous system include the NGF family of neurotrophic factors, ciliary neurotrophic factor (CNTF), and pituitary adenylate cyclase-activating peptide (PACAP). Here we demonstrate that PACAP promotes the differentiation of nascent dorsal root ganglion (DRG) neurons in that it increases both the number of neural-marker-positive cells and axonogenesis without affecting the proliferation of neural progenitor cells. This response is mediated through the PAC1 receptor and requires MAP kinase activation. Moreover, we find that, in the absence of exogenously added PACAP, blockade of the PAC1 receptor inhibits neuronal differentiation. These data coupled with our finding that both PACAP and the PAC1 receptor are expressed during the peak period of neuronal differentiation in the DRG suggest that PACAP functions in vivo to promote the differentiation of nascent sensory neurons. Interestingly, we also demonstrate that the neurotrophic factors NT-3 and CNTF completely block the PACAP-induced neuronal differentiation. This points to the intricate integration of cellular signals by nascent neurons and, to our knowledge, is the first evidence for neurotrophic factor abrogation of a pathway regulated by G-protein-coupled receptors (GPCRs).
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MESH Headings
- Animals
- Biomarkers
- Cell Differentiation/drug effects
- Cell Differentiation/physiology
- Cells, Cultured
- Chick Embryo
- Ciliary Neurotrophic Factor/pharmacology
- Cues
- Ganglia, Spinal/cytology
- Ganglia, Spinal/embryology
- Growth Cones/metabolism
- Growth Cones/ultrastructure
- Nerve Growth Factors/metabolism
- Nerve Growth Factors/pharmacology
- Nerve Tissue Proteins/metabolism
- Neurons, Afferent/cytology
- Neurons, Afferent/drug effects
- Neurons, Afferent/metabolism
- Neuropeptides/antagonists & inhibitors
- Neuropeptides/metabolism
- Neurotrophin 3/metabolism
- Neurotrophin 3/pharmacology
- Pituitary Adenylate Cyclase-Activating Polypeptide
- Receptors, Pituitary Adenylate Cyclase-Activating Polypeptide
- Receptors, Pituitary Adenylate Cyclase-Activating Polypeptide, Type I
- Receptors, Pituitary Hormone/antagonists & inhibitors
- Receptors, Pituitary Hormone/metabolism
- Signal Transduction/drug effects
- Signal Transduction/physiology
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Affiliation(s)
- Katherine M Nielsen
- Department of Cell Biology and Neuroscience, Montana State University, Bozeman, MT 59717, USA
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Nelson BR, Matsuhashi S, Lefcort F. Restricted neural epidermal growth factor-like like 2 (NELL2) expression during muscle and neuronal differentiation. Gene Expr Patterns 2002; 2:7-15. [PMID: 12617830 DOI: 10.1016/s0925-4773(02)00347-7] [Citation(s) in RCA: 3] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.1] [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] [Indexed: 11/24/2022]
Abstract
We have identified a secreted glycoprotein, neural epidermal growth factor-like like 2 (NELL2), in a screen designed to isolate molecules regulating sensory neuron genesis and differentiation in the dorsal root ganglia (DRG). In investigating NELL2 expression during embryogenesis, we demonstrate here that NELL2 is highly regulated spatially and temporally, being only transiently expressed in discrete regions of the central (CNS) and peripheral nervous systems (PNS) and in a subset of mesoderm derived structures during their peak periods of development. In the CNS and PNS, NELL2 is maximally expressed as motor and sensory neurons differentiate. Interestingly, its expression is restricted to sublineages of the neural crest, being strongly expressed throughout the immature DRG, but excluded from sympathetic ganglia. Similarly during muscle development, NELL2 is specifically expressed by hypaxial muscle precursor cells in the differentiating somite and derivatives in the forelimbs and body wall, but not by epaxial muscle precursors. Furthermore, NELL2 is differentially regulated in the CNS and PNS; in the CNS, NELL2 is only expressed by nascent, post-mitotic neurons as they commence their differentiation, yet in the PNS, NELL2 is expressed by subsets of progenitor cells in addition to nascent neurons. Based on this restricted spatial and temporal expression pattern, functional studies are in progress to determine NELL2's role during neuronal differentiation in both the PNS and CNS.
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Affiliation(s)
- Branden R Nelson
- Department of Chemistry and Biochemistry, Montana State University, Bozeman, MT 59717, USA
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Abstract
To identify potential functions for neurotrophins during sensory neuron genesis and differentiation, we determined the temporal and spatial protein expression patterns of neurotrophin receptors throughout the process of sensory neurogenesis in the dorsal root ganglia (DRG). We show that neurotrophin receptors are expressed early, being first detected on subsets of migrating neural crest cells, and that trkC is among the earliest markers of neural lineage specification. In the immature DRG, we find that both trkC and p75(NTR) are expressed on subsets of dividing progenitor cells in vivo. Furthermore, our data directly reveal distinct patterns of trk receptor expression by individual sensory neurons from the time of their inception with all early arising cells initially being trkC(+), some subsets of whom also coexpress either trkA or trkB or both. As sensory neurons innervate their targets and establish their mature identities, the spectrum of trk receptors expressed by individual neurons is altered. The stereotyped trk receptor expression profiles identified here may potentially correspond to distinct lineages of sensory neurons. These data, in conjunction with other studies, argue for multiple functions for neurotrophins during the process of sensory neuron differentiation, including effects on both neural crest and DRG mitotically active progenitor cells, in addition to possibly influencing the establishment of sensory neuron identity.
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MESH Headings
- Animals
- Apoptosis
- Base Sequence
- Cell Differentiation
- Chick Embryo
- DNA Primers/genetics
- Ganglia, Spinal/embryology
- Ganglia, Spinal/metabolism
- Gene Expression Regulation, Developmental
- Mitosis
- Neural Crest/cytology
- Neural Crest/metabolism
- Neurons, Afferent/cytology
- Neurons, Afferent/metabolism
- Receptor, trkA/genetics
- Receptor, trkA/metabolism
- Receptor, trkB/genetics
- Receptor, trkB/metabolism
- Receptor, trkC/genetics
- Receptor, trkC/metabolism
- Receptors, Nerve Growth Factor/genetics
- Receptors, Nerve Growth Factor/metabolism
- Stem Cells/cytology
- Stem Cells/metabolism
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Affiliation(s)
- J T Rifkin
- Biotech Services Group, 1700 Rockville Pike, Rockville, Maryland 20850, USA
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Abstract
Neurotrophins and their cognate receptors are critical to normal nervous system development. Trk receptors are high-affinity receptors for nerve-growth factor (trkA), brain-derived neurotrophic factor and neurotrophin-4/5 (trkB), and neurotrophin-3 (trkC). We examine the expression of these three neurotrophin tyrosine kinase receptors in the chick auditory system throughout most of development. Trks were localized in the auditory brainstem, the cochlear ganglion, and the basilar papilla of chicks from embryonic (E) day 5 to E21, by using antibodies and standard immunocytochemical methods. TrkB mRNA was localized in brainstem nuclei by in situ hybridization. TrkB and trkC are highly expressed in the embryonic auditory brainstem, and their patterns of expression are both spatially and temporally dynamic. During early brainstem development, trkB and trkC are localized in the neuronal cell bodies and in the surrounding neuropil of nucleus magnocellularis (NM) and nucleus laminaris (NL). During later development, trkC is expressed in the cell bodies of NM and NL, whereas trkB is expressed in the nerve calyces surrounding NM neurons and in the ventral, but not the dorsal, dendrites of NL. In the periphery, trkB and trkC are located in the cochlear ganglion neurons and in peripheral fibers innervating the basilar papilla and synapsing at the base of hair cells. The protracted expression of trks seen in our materials is consistent with the hypothesis that the neurotrophins/tyrosine kinase receptors play one or several roles in the development of auditory circuitry. In particular, the polarized expression of trkB in NL is coincident with refinement of NM terminal arborizations on NL.
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Affiliation(s)
- S L Cochran
- Virginia Merrill Bloedel Hearing Research Center, Department of Otolaryngology/Head and Neck Surgery, University of Washington, Seattle 98195-7923, USA
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Abstract
trkC receptors, which serve critical functions during the development of the nervous system, are alternatively spliced to yield isoforms containing the catalytic tyrosine kinase domain (TK+) and truncated isoforms which lack this domain (TK-). To test for potential differences in their roles during early stages of neural development, TK+ and TK- isoforms were ectopically expressed in cultures of neural crest, the stem cell population that gives rise to the vast majority of the peripheral nervous system. NT-3 activation of ectopically expressed trkC TK+ receptors promoted both proliferation of neural crest cells and neuronal differentiation. Strikingly, the trkC TK- isoform was significantly more effective at promoting neuronal differentiation, but had no effect on proliferation. Furthermore, the trkC TK- response was dependent on a conserved receptor cytoplasmic domain and required the participation of the p75(NTR) neurotrophin receptor. Antibody-mediated receptor dimerization of TK+ receptors, but not TK- receptors, was sufficient to stimulate differentiation. These data identify a phenotypic response to activation of the trkC TK- receptor and demonstrate a functional interaction with p75(NTR), indicating there may be multiple trkC receptor-mediated systems guiding neuronal differentiation.
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Affiliation(s)
- S J Hapner
- Department of Biology, Montana State University, Bozeman, Montana 59717, Canada
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v Holst A, Lefcort F, Rohrer H. TrkA expression levels of sympathetic neurons correlate with NGF-dependent survival during development and after treatment with retinoic acid. Eur J Neurosci 1997; 9:2169-77. [PMID: 9421176 DOI: 10.1111/j.1460-9568.1997.tb01383.x] [Citation(s) in RCA: 31] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.1] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 02/05/2023]
Abstract
Sympathetic neurons depend on the classical neurotrophin nerve growth factor (NGF) for survival by the time they innervate their targets, but not before. The acquisition of NGF responsiveness is thought to be controlled by environmental cues in sympathetic neurons. We have investigated the expression of the signal transducing NGF receptor trkA on mRNA and protein level during development of chick sympathetic neurons obtained from lumbosacral, paravertebral chain ganglia between embryonic days (E) 6.5 and 10. We demonstrate that trkA mRNA levels increase between E6.5 and E10, whereas the levels of trkC and p75 do not change. We also observed a similar increase in trkA protein during this time period. This increase correlates with the increase in NGF-dependent survival of sympathetic neurons from the corresponding stages in vitro. To define the correlation between trkA expression and NGF-mediated survival in more detail, trkA expression was adjusted to different levels by treatment with increasing concentrations of retinoic acid. We observed that small changes of trkA mRNA expression levels, below one order of magnitude, are decisive for the ability of immature sympathetic neurons to survive in the presence of NGF. A small and transient increase in trkA mRNA expression was also elicited in vivo by application of retinoids. These data provide evidence that sympathetic neurons upregulate the NGF receptor trkA and in this way acquire NGF-dependency.
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Affiliation(s)
- A v Holst
- Max-Planck-Institute for Brain Research, Department of Neurochemistry, Frankfurt/Main, Germany
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Shepherd IT, Luo Y, Lefcort F, Reichardt LF, Raper JA. A sensory axon repellent secreted from ventral spinal cord explants is neutralized by antibodies raised against collapsin-1. Development 1997; 124:1377-85. [PMID: 9118808 PMCID: PMC2710131 DOI: 10.1242/dev.124.7.1377] [Citation(s) in RCA: 84] [Impact Index Per Article: 3.1] [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] [Indexed: 11/20/2022]
Abstract
During embryogenesis, different subclasses of sensory neurons extend central projections to specific locations in the spinal cord. Muscle and cutaneous afferents initially project to the same location in the dorsal cord. Later, specific muscle afferents leave other afferents behind and project into the ventral cord. Previous studies have shown that ventral spinal cord explants secrete a repellent for sensory neurites. We now find that antibodies to collapsin-1 neutralize this repellent activity. Additional data suggest that all afferents respond to collapsin-1 when they are first confined to the dorsal cord, but that ventrally projecting muscle afferents become collapsin-1 insensitive as they project into the ventral cord. Our results suggest that the transient dorsal expression of collapsin-1 prevents all efferents from entering the cord early and sustained ventral expression prevents dorsally terminating afferents from entering the ventral cord later.
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Affiliation(s)
- Iain T. Shepherd
- Department of Neuroscience, School of Medicine, University of Pennsylvania, Philadelphia, PA 19104, USA
| | - Yuling Luo
- Department of Neuroscience, School of Medicine, University of Pennsylvania, Philadelphia, PA 19104, USA
| | - Frances Lefcort
- Department of Biology, Montana State University, Bozeman, MT 59717, USA
| | - Louis F. Reichardt
- Howard Hughes Medical Institute and Department of Physiology, University of California, San Francisco, San Francisco, California 94143, USA
| | - Jonathan A. Raper
- Department of Neuroscience, School of Medicine, University of Pennsylvania, Philadelphia, PA 19104, USA
- Author for correspondence (e-mail: )
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Lefcort F, Clary DO, Rusoff AC, Reichardt LF. Inhibition of the NT-3 receptor TrkC, early in chick embryogenesis, results in severe reductions in multiple neuronal subpopulations in the dorsal root ganglia. J Neurosci 1996; 16:3704-13. [PMID: 8642413 PMCID: PMC6578834] [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] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 12/06/1995] [Revised: 03/05/1996] [Accepted: 03/07/1996] [Indexed: 02/01/2023] Open
Abstract
To assess functions of neurotrophins at defined times in development, we have prepared antibodies of the extracellular domains of each of the trk receptors. Here, antibodies to trkC, the major receptor for NT-3, are used to examine trkC expression and function during the formation and maturation of the chick dorsal root ganglion (DRG). Our results show that in the immature DRG, the majority of cells express trkC, and inhibition of trkC activation results in reductions in neuronal numbers before the period of target-mediated cell death, the time when neurotrophins previously have been shown to regulate survival. Furthermore, blockade of trkC in ovo induced reductions in subpopulations of DRG neurons known to be dependent on NGF, in addition to those dependent on NT-3 during the target-regulated cell death period. An early function for NT-3 on immature DRG neurons is supported further by data presented here that demonstrate that whereas BDNF and NGF can support a subset of immature DRG neurons in vitro, activation of the trkC receptor either by NT-3 binding or via antibody-mediated cross-linking induces the most robust survival response. When all three neurotrophins are combined, the number of surviving neurons does not exceed that supported by NT-3 alone. Together, these data are consistent with coexpression of more than one trk receptor family member on immature sensory neurons, and they demonstrate that inhibition of trkC activation has surprisingly early and pleiotrophic effects on the development of spinal sensory ganglia.
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Affiliation(s)
- F Lefcort
- Howard Hughes Medical Institute, Department of Physiology, University of California, San Francisco 94143-0724, USA
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