Modeling early retinal development with human embryonic and induced pluripotent stem cells

Human pluripotent stem cells have the potential to provide comprehensive model systems for the earliest stages of human ontogenesis. To serve in this capacity, these cells must undergo a targeted, stepwise differentiation process that follows a normal developmental timeline. Here we demonstrate the ability of both human embryonic stem cells (hESCs) and induced pluripotent stem (iPS) cells to meet these requirements for human retinogenesis. Upon differentiation, hESCs initially yielded a highly enriched population of early eye field cells. Thereafter, a subset of cells acquired features of advancing retinal differentiation in a sequence and time course that mimicked in vivo human retinal development. Application of this culture method to a human iPS cell line also generated retina-specific cell types at comparable times in vitro. Lastly, altering endogenous signaling during differentiation affected lineage-specific gene expression in a manner consistent with established mechanisms of early neural and retinal cell fate determination. These findings should aid in the investigation of the molecular events governing retinal specification from human pluripotent stem cells.

Optic vesicle-like structures derived from human pluripotent stem cells facilitate a customized approach to retinal disease treatment

Differentiation methods for human induced pluripotent stem cells (hiPSCs) typically yield progeny from multiple tissue lineages, limiting their use for drug testing and autologous cell transplantation. In particular, early retina and forebrain derivatives often intermingle in pluripotent stem cell cultures, owing to their shared ancestry and tightly coupled development. Here, we demonstrate that three-dimensional populations of retinal progenitor cells (RPCs) can be isolated from early forebrain populations in both human embryonic stem cell and hiPSC cultures, providing a valuable tool for developmental, functional, and translational studies. Using our established protocol, we identified a transient population of optic vesicle (OV)-like structures that arose during a time period appropriate for normal human retinogenesis. These structures were independently cultured and analyzed to confirm their multipotent RPC status and capacity to produce physiologically responsive retinal cell types, including photoreceptors and retinal pigment epithelium (RPE). We then applied this method to hiPSCs derived from a patient with gyrate atrophy, a retinal degenerative disease affecting the RPE. RPE generated from these hiPSCs exhibited a disease-specific functional defect that could be corrected either by pharmacological means or following targeted gene repair. The production of OV-like populations from human pluripotent stem cells should facilitate the study of human retinal development and disease and advance the use of hiPSCs in personalized medicine.

Blood-derived human iPS cells generate optic vesicle-like structures with the capacity to form retinal laminae and develop synapses

PURPOSE

We sought to determine if human induced pluripotent stem cells (iPSCs) derived from blood could produce optic vesicle-like structures (OVs) with the capacity to stratify and express markers of intercellular communication.

METHODS

Activated T-lymphocytes from a routine peripheral blood sample were reprogrammed by retroviral transduction to iPSCs. The T-lymphocyte-derived iPSCs (TiPSCs) were characterized for pluripotency and differentiated to OVs using our previously published protocol. TiPSC-OVs were then manually isolated, pooled, and cultured en masse to more mature stages of retinogenesis. Throughout this stepwise differentiation process, changes in anterior neural, retinal, and synaptic marker expression were monitored by PCR, immunocytochemistry, and/or flow cytometry.

RESULTS

TiPSCs generated abundant OVs, which contained a near homogeneous population of proliferating neuroretinal progenitor cells (NRPCs). These NRPCs differentiated into multiple neuroretinal cell types, similar to OV cultures from human embryonic stem cells and fibroblast-derived iPSCs. In addition, portions of some TiPSC-OVs maintained their distinctive neuroepithelial appearance and spontaneously formed primitive laminae, reminiscent of the developing retina. Retinal progeny from TiPSC-OV cultures expressed numerous genes and proteins critical for synaptogenesis and gap junction formation, concomitant with the emergence of glia and the upregulation of thrombospondins in culture.

CONCLUSIONS

We demonstrate for the first time that human blood-derived iPSCs can generate retinal cell types, providing a highly convenient donor cell source for iPSC-based retinal studies. We also show that cultured TiPSC-OVs have the capacity to self-assemble into rudimentary neuroretinal structures and express markers indicative of chemical and electrical synapses.

iPS cell modeling of Best disease: insights into the pathophysiology of an inherited macular degeneration

Best disease (BD) is an inherited degenerative disease of the human macula that results in progressive and irreversible central vision loss. It is caused by mutations in the retinal pigment epithelium (RPE) gene BESTROPHIN1 (BEST1), which, through mechanism(s) that remain unclear, lead to the accumulation of subretinal fluid and autofluorescent waste products from shed photoreceptor outer segments (POSs). We employed human iPS cell (hiPSC) technology to generate RPE from BD patients and unaffected siblings in order to examine the cellular and molecular processes underlying this disease. Consistent with the clinical phenotype of BD, RPE from mutant hiPSCs displayed disrupted fluid flux and increased accrual of autofluorescent material after long-term POS feeding when compared with hiPSC-RPE from unaffected siblings. On a molecular level, RHODOPSIN degradation after POS feeding was delayed in BD hiPSC-RPE relative to unaffected sibling hiPSC-RPE, directly implicating impaired POS handling in the pathophysiology of the disease. In addition, stimulated calcium responses differed between BD and normal sibling hiPSC-RPE, as did oxidative stress levels after chronic POS feeding. Subcellular localization, fractionation and co-immunoprecipitation experiments in hiPSC-RPE and human prenatal RPE further linked BEST1 to the regulation and release of endoplasmic reticulum calcium stores. Since calcium signaling and oxidative stress are critical regulators of fluid flow and protein degradation, these findings likely contribute to the clinical picture of BD. In a larger context, this report demonstrates the potential to use patient-specific hiPSCs to model and study maculopathies, an important class of blinding disorders in humans.

Gene expression in human neural stem cells: effects of leukemia inhibitory factor

Human neural precursor cells grown in culture provide a source of tissue for drug screening, developmental studies and cell therapy. However, mechanisms underlying their growth and differentiation are poorly understood. We show that epidermal growth factor (EGF) responsive precursors derived from the developing human cortex undergo senescence after 30-40 population doublings. Leukemia inhibitory factor (LIF) increased overall expansion rates, prevented senescence and allowed the growth of a long-term self renewing neural stem cell (ltNSCctx) for up to 110 population doublings. We established basal gene expression in ltNSCctx using Affymetrix oligonucleotide microarrays that delineated specific members of important growth factor and signaling families consistently expressed across three separate lines. Following LIF withdrawal, 200 genes showed significant decreases. Protein analysis confirmed LIF-regulated expression of glial fibrillary acidic protein, CD44, and major histocompatibility complex I. This study provides the first molecular profile of human ltNSCctx cultures capable of long-term self renewal, and reveals specific sets of genes that are directly or indirectly regulated by LIF.

Human progenitor cells isolated from the developing cortex undergo decreased neurogenesis and eventual senescence following expansion in vitro

Isolation of a true self-renewing stem cell from the human brain would be of great interest as a reliable source of neural tissue. Here, we report that human fetal cortical cells grown in epidermal growth factor expressed low levels of telomerase and telomeres in these cultures shortened over time leading to growth arrest after 30 weeks. Following leukemia inhibitory factor (LIF) supplementation, growth rates and telomerase expression increased. This was best demonstrated following cell cycle synchronization and staining for telomerase using immunocytochemistry. This increase in activity resulted in the maintenance of telomeres at approximately 7 kb for more than 60 weeks in vitro. However, all cultures displayed a lack of oligodendrotye production, decreases in neurogenesis over time and underwent replicative senescence associated with increased expression of p21 before 70 weeks in vitro. Thus, under our culture conditions, these cells are not stable, multipotent, telomerase expressing self-renewing stem cells. They may be more accurately described as human neural progenitor cells (hNPC) with limited lifespan and bi-potent potential (neurons/astrocytes). Interestingly, hNPC follow a course of proliferation, neuronal production and growth arrest similar to that seen during expansion and development of the human cortex, thus providing a possible model neural system. Furthermore, due to their high expansion potential and lack of tumorogenicity, these cells remain a unique and safe source of tissue for clinical transplantation.

Mitotic and neurogenic effects of dehydroepiandrosterone (DHEA) on human neural stem cell cultures derived from the fetal cortex

Dehydroepiandrosterone (DHEA) is a neurosteroid with potential effects on neurogenesis and neuronal survival in humans. However, most studies on DHEA have been performed in rodents, and there is little direct evidence for biological effects on the human nervous system. Furthermore, the mechanism of its action is unknown. Here, we show that DHEA significantly increased the growth rates of human neural stem cells derived from the fetal cortex and grown with both epidermal growth factor (EGF) and leukemia inhibitory factor (LIF). However, it had no effect on cultures grown in either factor alone, suggesting a specific action on the EGF/LIF-responsive cell. Precursors of DHEA such as pregnenolone or six of its major metabolites, had no significant effect on proliferation rates. DHEA did not alter the small number (<3%) of newly formed neuroblasts or the large number (>95%) of nestin-positive precursors. However, the number of glial fibrillary acidic protein-positive cells, its mRNA, and protein were significantly increased by DHEA. We found both N-methyl-d-aspartate and sigma 1 antagonists, but not GABA antagonists, could completely eliminate the effects of DHEA on stem cell proliferation. Finally we asked whether the EGF/LIF/DHEA-responsive stem cells had an increased potential for neurogenesis and found a 29% increase in neuronal production when compared to cultures grown in EGF/LIF alone. Together these data suggest that DHEA is involved in the maintenance and division of human neural stem cells. Given the wide availability of this neurosteroid, this finding has important implications for future use.

Long-term vision rescue by human neural progenitors in a rat model of photoreceptor degeneration

PURPOSE

As a follow-up to previous studies showing that human cortical neural progenitor cells (hNPC(ctx)) can sustain vision for at least 70 days after injection into the subretinal space of Royal College of Surgeons (RCS) rats, the authors examined how functional rescue is preserved over long periods and how this relates to retinal integrity and donor cell survival.

METHODS

Pigmented dystrophic RCS rats (n = 15) received unilateral subretinal injections of hNPC(ctx) at postnatal day (P) 21; control rats (n = 10) received medium alone and were untreated. All animals were maintained on oral cyclosporine A. Function was monitored serially by measuring acuity (using an optomotor test) and luminance thresholds (recording from the superior colliculus) at approximately P90, P150, and P280. Eyes were processed for histologic study after functional tests.

RESULTS

Acuity and luminance thresholds were significantly better in hNPC(ctx)-treated animals than in controls (P < 0.001) at all time points studied. Acuity was greater than 90%, 82%, and 37% of normal at P90, P150, and P270, whereas luminance thresholds in the area of best rescue remained similar the whole time. Histologic studies revealed substantial photoreceptor rescue, even up to P280, despite progressive deterioration in rod and cone morphology. Donor cells were still present at P280, and no sign of donor cell overgrowth was seen.

CONCLUSIONS

Long-term rescue of function and associated morphologic substrates was seen, together with donor cell survival even in the xenograft paradigm. This is encouraging when exploring further the potential for the application of hNPC(ctx) in treating retinal disease.

Functional analysis of serially expanded human iPS cell-derived RPE cultures

PURPOSE

To determine the effects of serial expansion on the cellular, molecular, and functional properties of human iPS cell (hiPSC)-derived RPE cultures.

METHODS

Fibroblasts obtained from four individuals were reprogrammed into hiPSCs and differentiated to RPE cells using previously described methods. Patches of deeply pigmented hiPSC-RPE were dissected, dissociated, and grown in culture until they re-formed pigmented monolayers. Subsequent passages were obtained by repeated dissociation, expansion, and maturation of RPE into pigmented monolayers. Gene and protein expression profiles and morphological and functional characteristics of hiPSC-RPE at different passages were compared with each other and to human fetal RPE (hfRPE).

RESULTS

RPE from all four hiPSC lines could be expanded more than 1000-fold when serially passaged as pigmented monolayer cultures. Importantly, expansion of hiPSC-RPE monolayers over the first three passages (P1-P3) resulted in decreased expression of pluripotency and neuroretinal markers and maintenance of characteristic morphological features and gene and protein expression profiles. Furthermore, P1 to P3 hiPSC-RPE monolayers reliably demonstrated functional tight junctions, G-protein-coupled receptor-mediated calcium transients, phagocytosis and degradation of photoreceptor outer segments, and polarized secretion of biomolecules. In contrast, P4 hiPSC-RPE cells failed to form monolayers and possessed altered morphological and functional characteristics and gene expression levels.

CONCLUSIONS

Highly differentiated, pigmented hiPSC-RPE monolayers can undergo limited serial expansion while retaining key cytological and functional attributes. However, passaging hiPSC-RPE cultures beyond senescence leads to loss of such features. Our findings support limited, controlled passaging of patient-specific hiPSC-RPE to procure cells needed for in vitro disease modeling, drug screening, and cellular transplantation.

Modeling human retinal development with patient-specific induced pluripotent stem cells reveals multiple roles for visual system homeobox 2

Human induced pluripotent stem cells (hiPSCs) have been shown to differentiate along the retinal lineage in a manner that mimics normal mammalian development. Under certain culture conditions, hiPSCs form optic vesicle-like structures (OVs), which contain proliferating progenitors capable of yielding all neural retina (NR) cell types over time. Such observations imply conserved roles for regulators of retinogenesis in hiPSC-derived cultures and the developing embryo. However, whether and to what extent this assumption holds true has remained largely uninvestigated. We examined the role of a key NR transcription factor, visual system homeobox 2 (VSX2), using hiPSCs derived from a patient with microphthalmia caused by an R200Q mutation in the VSX2 homeodomain region. No differences were noted between (R200Q)VSX2 and sibling control hiPSCs prior to OV generation. Thereafter, (R200Q)VSX2 hiPSC-OVs displayed a significant growth deficit compared to control hiPSC-OVs, as well as increased production of retinal pigmented epithelium at the expense of NR cell derivatives. Furthermore, (R200Q)VSX2 hiPSC-OVs failed to produce bipolar cells, a distinctive feature previously observed in Vsx2 mutant mice. (R200Q)VSX2 hiPSC-OVs also demonstrated delayed photoreceptor maturation, which could be overcome via exogenous expression of wild-type VSX2 at early stages of retinal differentiation. Finally, RNAseq analysis on isolated hiPSC-OVs implicated key transcription factors and extracellular signaling pathways as potential downstream effectors of VSX2-mediated gene regulation. Our results establish hiPSC-OVs as versatile model systems to study retinal development at stages not previously accessible in humans and support the bona fide nature of hiPSC-OV-derived retinal progeny.

Glutamate enhances proliferation and neurogenesis in human neural progenitor cell cultures derived from the fetal cortex

Excitatory amino acids such as glutamate play important roles in the central nervous system. We previously demonstrated that a neurosteroid, dehydroepiandrosterone (DHEA), has powerful effects on the cell proliferation of human neural progenitor cells (hNPC) derived from the fetal cortex, and this effect is modulated through NMDA receptor signaling. Here, we show that glutamate can significantly increase the proliferation rates of hNPC. The increased proliferation could be blocked by specific NMDA receptor antagonists, but not other glutamate antagonists for kainate-AMPA or metabotropic receptors. The NR1 subunit of the NMDA receptor was detectable in elongated bipolar or unipolar cells with small cell bodies. These NR1-positive cells were colocalized with GFAP immunoreactivity. Detection of the phosphorylation of cAMP response element-binding protein (pCREB) revealed that a subset of NR1-positive hNPC could respond to glutamate. Furthermore, we hypothesized that glutamate treatment may affect mainly the hNPC with a radial morphology and found that glutamate as well as DHEA selectively affected elongated hNPC; these elongated cells may be a type of radial glial cell. Finally we asked whether the glutamate-responsive hNPC had an increased potential for neurogenesis and found that glutamate-treated hNPC produced significantly more neurons following differentiation. Together these data suggest that glutamate stimulates the division of human progenitor cells with neurogenic potential.

Effects of lead on rat kidney and liver: GST expression and oxidative stress

The effect of acute exposure to lead acetate on the expression of glutathione S-transferase (GST) subunits and the levels of reduced and oxidized glutathione (GSH) and malondialdehyde (MDA) in rat kidney and liver was determined. The purpose of this study was to determine if GSH depletion and/or oxidative stress were responsible for changes in the expression of some or all GSTs that followed lead exposure. In kidney, all GST subunits increased following injection of lead. The level of kidney GSH was not changed at either 0.5 or 1 h after lead exposure, but increased 3, 6, 12 and 24 h after a single injection of lead. MDA levels (a marker of lipid peroxidation) did not change in kidney following lead injection. Immunohistochemical markers of oxidative stress and nitric oxide production were also unchanged by lead administration. Therefore. we conclude that the increases in GST levels in kidney following lead exposure were not dependent on oxidative stress. In liver, lead injection caused GSH depletion (61% of control 12 h after lead treatment) and increased MDA production (2.5-fold increase 6 h after lead exposure), while GSTA1, GSTA2, GSTM1 and GSTM2 did not increase. Analysis of the effects of lead on GST mRNA and GST cellular localization were performed by Northern blot and immunohistochemical techniques. Immunoperoxidase light microscopy and immunogold electron microscopy revealed that the increase in kidney GSTM1 and GSTP1 occurred in nuclei, cytoplasm and microvilli of proximal tubules. Northern blot analysis of GSTA2 and GSTP1 mRNAs showed that their increase following lead exposure was inhibited by actinomycin D, suggesting transcriptional induction. This study demonstrates that acute lead exposure causes dramatic changes in the subcellular distribution and expression of rat kidney GSTs, and that these changes are not a result of oxidative stress.

A novel serum-free method for culturing human prenatal retinal pigment epithelial cells

PURPOSE

Established techniques for culturing primary human retinal pigment epithelial (RPE) cells have facilitated the laboratory investigation of this multipurpose retinal cell layer. However, most culture methods involve the use of animal serum to establish and maintain RPE monolayers, which can complicate efforts to define and study factors involved in the maturation and function of these cells. Therefore, this study was conducted to develop a simple, serum-free system to propagate and sustain human RPE in vitro.

METHODS

RPE was dissected from human prenatal donor eyes and cultured in serum-free defined medium containing the commercially formulated supplement B27 or N2. Cultures were grown initially as adherent tissue sections or suspended spherical aggregates and later expanded and maintained as monolayers. PCR, Western blot analysis, and immunocytochemistry were used to monitor gene and protein expression in established cultures, followed by examination of secretory products in RPE conditioned medium by ELISA and mass spectrometric analysis.

RESULTS

In medium supplemented with B27, but not N2, RPE could be expanded up to 40,000-fold over six passages and maintained in culture for more than 1 year. In long-term cultures, typical cellular morphology and pigmentation were observed, along with expression of characteristic RPE markers. RPE monolayers also retained proper apical-basal orientation and secreted multiple factors implicated in the maintenance of photoreceptor health and the pathogenesis of age-related macular degeneration.

CONCLUSIONS

Monolayer cultures of human prenatal RPE can be grown and maintained long term in the total absence of serum and still retain the phenotype, gene and protein expression profile, and secretory capacity exhibited by mature RPE cells.

Induced pluripotent stem cells as custom therapeutics for retinal repair: progress and rationale

Human pluripotent stem cells have made a remarkable impact on science, technology and medicine by providing a potentially unlimited source of human cells for basic research and clinical applications. In recent years, knowledge gained from the study of human embryonic stem cells and mammalian somatic cell reprogramming has led to the routine production of human induced pluripotent stem cells (hiPSCs) in laboratories worldwide. hiPSCs show promise for use in transplantation, high throughput drug screening, "disease-in-a-dish" modeling, disease gene discovery, and gene therapy testing. This review will focus on the first application, beginning with a discussion of methods for producing retinal lineage cells that are lost in inherited and acquired forms of retinal degenerative disease. The selection of appropriate hiPSC-derived donor cell type(s) for transplantation will be discussed, as will the caveats and prerequisite steps to formulating a clinical Good Manufacturing Practice (cGMP) product for clinical trials.

Rotenone-induced caspase 9/3-independent and -dependent cell death in undifferentiated and differentiated human neural stem cells

We used human neural stem cells (hNSCs) and their differentiated cultures as a model system to evaluate the mechanism(s) involved in rotenone (RO)- and camptothecin (CA)-induced cytotoxicity. Results from ultrastructural damage and terminal deoxynucleotidyl transferase-mediated dUTP nick end labeling (TUNEL) staining indicated that RO-induced cytotoxicity resembled CA-induced apoptosis more than H(2)O(2)-induced necrosis. However, unlike CA-induced, caspase 9/3-dependent apoptosis, there was no increased activity in caspase 9, caspase 3 or poly (ADP-ribose) polymerase (PARP) cleavage in RO-induced cytotoxicity, in spite of time-dependent release of cytochrome c and apoptosis-inducing factor (AIF) following mitochondrial membrane depolarization and a significant increase in reactive oxygen species generation. Equal doses of RO and CA used in hNSCs induced caspase 9/3-dependent apoptosis in differentiated cultures. Time-dependent ATP depletion occurred earlier and to a greater extent in RO-treated hNSCs than in CA-treated hNSCs, or differentiated cultures treated with RO or CA. In conclusion, these results represent a unique ultrastructural and molecular characterization of RO- and CA-induced cytotoxicity in hNSCs and their differentiated cultures. Intracellular ATP levels may play an important role in determining whether neural progenitors or their differentiated cells follow a caspase 9/3-dependent or -independent pathway in response to acute insults from neuronal toxicants.

Loss of MITF expression during human embryonic stem cell differentiation disrupts retinal pigment epithelium development and optic vesicle cell proliferation

Microphthalmia-associated transcription factor (MITF) is a master regulator of pigmented cell survival and differentiation with direct transcriptional links to cell cycle, apoptosis and pigmentation. In mouse, Mitf is expressed early and uniformly in optic vesicle (OV) cells as they evaginate from the developing neural tube, and null Mitf mutations result in microphthalmia and pigmentation defects. However, homozygous mutations in MITF have not been identified in humans; therefore, little is known about its role in human retinogenesis. We used a human embryonic stem cell (hESC) model that recapitulates numerous aspects of retinal development, including OV specification and formation of retinal pigment epithelium (RPE) and neural retina progenitor cells (NRPCs), to investigate the earliest roles of MITF. During hESC differentiation toward a retinal lineage, a subset of MITF isoforms was expressed in a sequence and tissue distribution similar to that observed in mice. In addition, we found that promoters for the MITF-A, -D and -H isoforms were directly targeted by Visual Systems Homeobox 2 (VSX2), a transcription factor involved in patterning the OV toward a NRPC fate. We then manipulated MITF RNA and protein levels at early developmental stages and observed decreased expression of eye field transcription factors, reduced early OV cell proliferation and disrupted RPE maturation. This work provides a foundation for investigating MITF and other highly complex, multi-purposed transcription factors in a dynamic human developmental model system.

Regional protein alterations in rat kidneys induced by lead exposure

Lead is a potent neuro- and nephrotoxin in humans and a renal carcinogen in rats. Previous studies have detected lead-induced increases in the activities of specific detoxification enzymes in distinct kidney cell types preceding irreversible renal damage. While preferential susceptibility of the highly vascularized cortex to the effects of lead is clear, lead effects on the medullary region have remained unexplored. The present study was undertaken to investigate the extent to which regional renal protein expression differs and to determine which, if any, regionally distinct protein markers indicative of lead's renotoxic mechanism might be detected in kidney cortical and medullary cytosols. We examined protein expression in these two functionally and anatomically distinct regions, and identified several proteins that are differentially expressed in those regions and were significantly altered by lead. Kidney cytosols from rats injected with lead acetate (114 mg/kg, three consecutive daily injections) were separated by two-dimensional electrophoresis. Lead exposure significantly (P<0.001) altered the abundance (either or) of 76 proteins in the cortex and only 13 in the medulla. Eleven of the proteins altered in the protein patterns were conclusively identified either by matrix-assisted laser desorption/ionization mass spectrometry/electrospray ionization-mass spectrometry (MALDI-MS/ESI-MS) analysis of peptide digests, immunological methods, or by gel matching. Several of the cortical proteins altered by lead were unchanged in the medulla while others underwent similar but lesser alterations. These observations reflect the complexity of lead's nephrotoxicity and endorse the application of proteomics in mechanistic studies as well as biomarker development in a variety of toxicologic paradigms.

Regulation of WNT Signaling by VSX2 During Optic Vesicle Patterning in Human Induced Pluripotent Stem Cells

Few gene targets of Visual System Homeobox 2 (VSX2) have been identified despite its broad and critical role in the maintenance of neural retina (NR) fate during early retinogenesis. We performed VSX2 ChIP-seq and ChIP-PCR assays on early stage optic vesicle-like structures (OVs) derived from human iPS cells (hiPSCs), which highlighted WNT pathway genes as direct regulatory targets of VSX2. Examination of early NR patterning in hiPSC-OVs from a patient with a functional null mutation in VSX2 revealed mis-expression and upregulation of WNT pathway components and retinal pigmented epithelium (RPE) markers in comparison to control hiPSC-OVs. Furthermore, pharmacological inhibition of WNT signaling rescued the early mutant phenotype, whereas augmentation of WNT signaling in control hiPSC-OVs phenocopied the mutant. These findings reveal an important role for VSX2 as a regulator of WNT signaling and suggest that VSX2 may act to maintain NR identity at the expense of RPE in part by direct repression of WNT pathway constituents. Stem Cells 2016;34:2625-2634.

Proteomic analysis of simulated occupational jet fuel exposure in the lung

We analyzed protein expression in the cytosolic fraction prepared from whole lung tissue in male Swiss-Webster mice exposed 1 h/day for seven days to aerosolized JP-8 jet fuel at concentrations of 1000 and 2500 mg/m3, simulating military occupational exposure. Lung cytosol samples were solubilized and separated via large scale, high resolution two-dimensional electrophoresis (2-DE) and gel patterns scanned, digitized and processed for statistical analysis. Significant quantitative and qualitative changes in tissue cytosol proteins resulted from jet fuel exposure. Several of the altered proteins were identified by peptide mass fingerprinting, confirmed by sequence tag analysis, and related to impaired protein synthetic machinery, toxic/metabolic stress and detoxification systems, ultrastructural damage, and functional responses to CO2 handling, acid-base homeostasis and fluid secretion. These results demonstrate a significant but comparatively moderate JP-8 effect on protein expression and corroborate previous morphological and biochemical evidence. Further molecular marker development and mechanistic inferences from these observations await proteomic analysis of whole tissue homogenates and other cell compartment, i.e., mitochondria, microsomes, and nuclei of lung and other targets.

β2-Adrenergic Receptor Antagonism Attenuates CNV Through Inhibition of VEGF and IL-6 Expression

Purpose

The role of β–adrenergic receptor (AR) signaling in neovascular ocular diseases has recently emerged. We have previously reported that intraperitoneal propranolol inhibits choroidal neovascularization (CNV) in vivo and β2-AR blockade reduces vascular endothelial growth factor (VEGF) expression in mouse retinal pigment epithelium and choroidal endothelial cells in culture. Here we tested the hypothesis that the β2-AR regulates CNV through modulation of VEGF and inflammatory cytokine expression.

Methods

Mice were subjected to laser burns, inducing CNV, and were treated with an intravitreal β2-AR antagonist. After 3 and 5 days, total eye interleukin-6 (IL-6) and VEGF protein levels were measured, respectively. After 14 days, CNV was measured on choroidal–scleral flatmounts. The effects of β-AR signaling on VEGF and IL-6 expression were investigated in various mouse retinal and human RPE cells by using specific β-AR agonists and antagonists.

Results

β2–Adrenergic receptor signaling increased Vegf mRNA expression by approximately 3- to 4-fold in mouse retinal microglia and pericytes in culture. β2–Adrenergic receptor signaling upregulated IL-6 mRNA expression between 10- and 60-fold in mouse retinal microglia, pericytes, RPE, and choroidal endothelial cells in culture. Intravitreal injection of β2-AR antagonist ICI 118,551 reduced CNV by 35% and decreased IL-6 protein levels by approximately 50%. In primary human RPE cells, β2-AR activation also stimulated VEGF and IL-6 mRNA expression by 2- and 10-fold, respectively.

Conclusions

Anti-VEGF therapy for CNV is highly effective; however, some patients are resistant to therapy while others undergo repeated, frequent treatments. β2–Adrenergic receptor signaling is a potential therapeutic target because of its angiogenic and inflammatory properties.

Differential expression of cytosolic proteins in the rat kidney cortex and medulla: preliminary proteomics

The rodent kidney is a target of many xenobiotics and is typified by regionally specific structure and function. This renders distinct regions of the kidney differentially susceptible to toxic exposure and effect. To characterize these differences at the proteome level, protein patterns from male rat kidney cortex and medulla cytosols were examined by two-dimensional electrophoresis (2-DE) and image analysis and prominent proteins identified immunologically or by matrix-assisted laser desorption/ionization-mass spectrometry (MALDI-MS) and electrospray/ionization-tandem mass spectrometry (ESI-MS/MS) sequence tag identification. An average of 727 protein spots were resolved and matched to the cortex cytosol reference pattern, and 716 in the medulla. Of this total, 127 proteins were found to differ in abundance (86 higher in cortex; 41 higher in medulla) (P < 0.001). Of those proteins that were detectable in both cortex and medulla, the abundance of 97 differed significantly while 30 proteins were found to be unique to one region or the other (26 in cortex, 4 in medulla). Twenty protein spots were identified and their regional differences are discussed. These results both confirm and expand our understanding of the molecular heterogeneity characterizing structurally and functionally distinct regions of the kidney and serve as a useful foundation for future nephrotoxicologic studies.

Regulation of prenatal human retinal neurosphere growth and cell fate potential by retinal pigment epithelium and Mash1

During development of the central nervous system, stem and progenitor cell proliferation and differentiation are controlled by complex inter- and intracellular interactions that orchestrate the precise spatiotemporal production of particular cell types. Within the embryonic retina, progenitor cells are located adjacent to the retinal pigment epithelium (RPE), which differentiates prior to the neurosensory retina and has the capacity to secrete a multitude of growth factors. We found that secreted proteinaceous factors in human prenatal RPE conditioned medium (RPE CM) prolonged and enhanced the growth of human prenatal retinal neurospheres. The growth-promoting activity of RPE CM was mitogen-dependent and associated with an acute increase in transcription factor phosphorylation. Expanded populations of RPE CM-treated retinal neurospheres expressed numerous neurodevelopmental and eye specification genes and markers characteristic of neural and retinal progenitor cells, but gradually lost the potential to generate neurons upon differentiation. Misexpression of Mash1 restored the neurogenic potential of long-term cultures, yielding neurons with phenotypic characteristics of multiple inner retinal cell types. Thus, a novel combination of extrinsic and intrinsic factors was required to promote both progenitor cell proliferation and neuronal multipotency in human retinal neurosphere cultures. These results support a pro-proliferative and antiapoptotic role for RPE in human retinal development, reveal potential limitations of human retinal progenitor culture systems, and suggest a means for overcoming cell fate restriction in vitro.

Posttranslational modification of calmodulin in rat brain and pituitary

The posttranslational modification of calmodulin has been studied in six brain regions and the anterior pituitary. Carboxylmethylation, calmodulin converting enzyme, and calmodulin (lysine) N-methyltransferase activities were determined. Incubation of calmodulin with cytosolic extracts of these tissues in the presence of the methyl donor [methyl-3H]-S-adenosyl-L-methionine and identification of labeled proteins by gel electrophoresis and fluorography indicated that calmodulin is a substrate for protein carboxylmethyltransferase in all tissues tested. In hippocampus, caudate nucleus, cerebral cortex, and anterior pituitary, but not in cerebellum, superior colliculus, brainstem, or diencephalon, a second methylated protein was found when calmodulin was added to incubation mixtures. This protein was shown to be identical to the previously described product of calmodulin converting enzyme. Converted calmodulin was isolated by fast protein liquid chromatography and shown to be des(Lys)calmodulin, lacking the carboxy terminal lysine residue of calmodulin. The anterior pituitary had by far the highest levels of calmodulin converting enzyme; this enzyme, in turn, was identified as a cobalt-stimulated carboxylpeptidase B. In contrast to the regional differences in these parameters, the levels of calmodulin (lysine) N-methyltransferase did not differ greatly among brain regions, although regional differences in the activity of this enzyme were statistically significant.