scholarly journals Telomere length and human hippocampal neurogenesis

2020 ◽  
Vol 45 (13) ◽  
pp. 2239-2247 ◽  
Author(s):  
Alish B. Palmos ◽  
Rodrigo R. R. Duarte ◽  
Demelza M. Smeeth ◽  
Erin C. Hedges ◽  
Douglas F. Nixon ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
Cognitive Function ◽  
Psychiatric Disorder ◽  
Telomere Length ◽  
Gene Networks ◽  
Hippocampal Neurogenesis ◽  
Telomere Maintenance ◽  
Adult Hippocampal Neurogenesis ◽  
Telomere Shortening ◽  
Age Related

Abstract Short telomere length is a risk factor for age-related disease, but it is also associated with reduced hippocampal volumes, age-related cognitive decline and psychiatric disorder risk. The current study explored whether telomere shortening might have an influence on cognitive function and psychiatric disorder pathophysiology, via its hypothesised effects on adult hippocampal neurogenesis. We modelled telomere shortening in human hippocampal progenitor cells in vitro using a serial passaging protocol that mimics the end-replication problem. Serially passaged progenitors demonstrated shorter telomeres (P ≤ 0.05), and reduced rates of cell proliferation (P ≤ 0.001), with no changes in the ability of cells to differentiate into neurons or glia. RNA-sequencing and gene-set enrichment analyses revealed an effect of cell ageing on gene networks related to neurogenesis, telomere maintenance, cell senescence and cytokine production. Downregulated transcripts in our model showed a significant overlap with genes regulating cognitive function (P ≤ 1 × 10−5), and risk for schizophrenia (P ≤ 1 × 10−10) and bipolar disorder (P ≤ 0.005). Collectively, our results suggest that telomere shortening could represent a mechanism that moderates the proliferative capacity of human hippocampal progenitors, which may subsequently impact on human cognitive function and psychiatric disorder pathophysiology.

scholarly journals The impact of telomere shortening on human hippocampal neurogenesis: Implications for cognitive function and psychiatric disorder risk

2020 ◽  
Author(s):  
Alish B. Palmos ◽  
Rodrigo R. R. Duarte ◽  
Demelza M. Smeeth ◽  
Erin C. Hedges ◽  
Douglas F. Nixon ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
Cognitive Function ◽  
Psychiatric Disorder ◽  
Progenitor Cells ◽  
Hippocampal Neurogenesis ◽  
Gene Set Enrichment Analysis ◽  
Telomere Maintenance ◽  
Proliferative Capacity ◽  
Telomere Shortening ◽  
Age Related ◽  
Disorder Risk

AbstractTelomere shortening is one hallmark of cell ageing that can limit the proliferative capacity of cell populations and increase risk for age-related disease. It has been hypothesized that short telomeres, and subsequently a limited proliferative capacity of hippocampal progenitor cells, could contribute to smaller hippocampal volumes and impaired cognition, amongst psychiatric disorder patients. The current study employed a systematic, multidisciplinary approach which aimed to model the effects of telomere shortening on human hippocampal neurogenesis, and to explore its relationship with cognition and psychiatric disorder risk. We modelled telomere shortening in human hippocampal progenitor cells in vitro using a serial passaging protocol that mimics the end-replication problem. Aged progenitors demonstrated shorter telomeres (p<0.05), and reduced rates of cell proliferation, as marked by bromodeoxyuridine staining (p<0.001), with no changes in the ability of cells to differentiate into neurons or glia. RNA-sequencing and gene set enrichment analysis revealed an effect of cell ageing on gene networks related to neurogenesis, telomere maintenance, cell senescence and cytokine production. Downregulated transcripts showed a significant overlap with genes regulating cognitive function and risk for schizophrenia and bipolar disorder. Collectively, our results suggest that reductions in adult hippocampal neurogenesis, caused by telomere shortening, could represent a cellular mechanism contributing to age-related cognitive impairment and psychiatric disorder risk.

Telomerase Activity and Telomere Length of CD4+CD25+ Regulatory T-Cells under Conditions of In Vitro and In Vivo Expansion.

Blood ◽  
2004 ◽  
Vol 104 (11) ◽  
pp. 3857-3857
Author(s):  
Dominik G.F. Wolf ◽  
Anna M. Wolf ◽  
Christian Koppelstaetter ◽  
Holger F. Rumpold ◽  
Gert Mayer ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
T Cells ◽  
Regulatory T Cells ◽  
Telomere Length ◽  
Cancer Patients ◽  
Telomerase Activity ◽  
Telomere Maintenance ◽  
Healthy Human ◽  
Telomere Shortening

Abstract The expandability of CD4+CD25+ regulatory T-cells (Treg) has been shown in vitro and in vivo. Activation of telomerase activity is a prerequisite for clonal expansion and telomere maintenance in T-cells. There is currently no data available on the expression and function of telomerase in proliferating Treg. Analyses of telomere length by flow-FISH, real-time PCR and Southern blotting revealed that Treg isolated from healthy human volunteers have significantly shortened telomeres when compared to CD4+CD25− T-cells. However, telomere length is not further shortened in Treg isolated from the peripheral blood of cancer patients, despite the observation that the regulatory T-cell pool of these patients was significantly enlarged. To gain further insight into maintenance of telomere length of Treg, we induced in vitro proliferation of Treg by stimulation with anti-CD3 and IL-2. This led to a rapid increase of telomerase activity, as determined by PCR-ELISA. However, when we focused on the proliferating fraction of Treg using a sorting strategy based on the dilution of CFSE, we could show a significant telomere shortening in Treg with high proliferative and immmuno-suppressive capacity. Of note, proliferating CFSElow Treg are characterized by high telomerase activity, which however seems to be insufficient to avoid further telomere shortening under conditions of strong in vitro stimulation. In contrast, under conditions of in vivo expansion of Treg in cancer patients, the induction of telomerase activity is likely to compensate for further telomere erosion. These data might be of importance when considering the application of in vitro expanded Treg for the treatment of GvHD or autoimmune diseases, as telomere shortening might be associated with genomic instability.

Regulation And Effect Of Telomerase And Telomeric Length In Stem Cells

2020 ◽  
Vol 15 ◽  
Author(s):  
Basak Celtikci ◽  
Gulnihal Kulaksiz Erkmen ◽  
Zeliha Gunnur Dikmen
Keyword(s):  
Telomere Length ◽  
Somatic Cells ◽  
Telomere Maintenance ◽  
The Other ◽  
Telomerase Reverse Transcriptase ◽  
Human Telomerase Reverse Transcriptase ◽  
Telomere Shortening ◽  
Maintenance Mechanism ◽  
Associated Diseases ◽  
Human Telomerase

: Telomeres are the protective end caps of eukaryotic chromosomes and they decide the proliferative lifespan of somatic cells, as the guardians of the cell replication. Telomere length in leucocytes reflects telomere length in other somatic cells. Leucocyte telomere length can be a biomarker of human ageing. The risk of diseases, which are associated with reduced cell proliferation and tissue degeneration, including aging or aging-associated diseases, such as dyskeratosis congenita, cardiovascular diseases, pulmonary fibrosis and aplastic anemia, are correlated with an increase in short telomeres. On the other hand, the risk of diseases, which are associated with increased proliferative growth, including major cancers, is correlated with long telomeres. In most of the cancers, a telomere maintenance mechanism during DNA replication is essential. The reactivation of the functional ribonucleoprotein holoenzyme complex [telomerase] starts the cascade from normal and premalignant somatic cells to advanced malignant cells. Telomerase is overexpressed during the development of cancer and embryonic stem cells, through controlling genome integrity, cancer formation and stemness. Cancer cells have mechanisms to maintain telomeres to avoid initiation of cellular senescence or apoptosis, and halting cell division by critically short telomeres. Modulation of the human telomerase reverse transcriptase is the ratelimiting step for the production of functional telomerase and the telomere maintenance. Human telomerase reverse transcriptase promoter promotes its gene expression only in tumor cells, but not in normal cells. Some cancers activate an alternative lengthening of telomeres maintenance mechanism via DNA recombination to unshorten their telomeres. Not only heritability but also oxidative stress, inflammation, environmental factors, and therapeutic interventions have an effect on telomere shortening, explaining the variability in telomere length across individuals. There have been a large number of publications, which correlate human diseases with progressive telomere shortening. Telomere length of an individual at birth is also important to follow up telomere shortening, and it can be used as biomarkers for healthy aging. On the other hand, understanding of cellular stress factors, which affect stem cell behavior, will be useful in regeneration or treatment in cancer and age-associated diseases. In this review, we will understand the connection between stem cell and telomere biology, cancer, and aging-associated diseases. This connection may be useful for discovering novel drug targets and improve outcomes for patients having cancer and aging-associated diseases.

scholarly journals GABAB receptor antagonist promotes hippocampal neurogenesis and facilitates cognitive function recovery following acute cerebral ischemia in mice

2021 ◽  
Vol 12 (1) ◽  
Author(s):  
Dan Song ◽  
Yaohua Chen ◽  
Cheng Chen ◽  
Lili Chen ◽  
Oumei Cheng
Keyword(s):  
Cognitive Function ◽  
Cerebral Ischemia ◽  
Learning And Memory ◽  
Spatial Learning ◽  
Hippocampal Neurogenesis ◽  
Morris Water Maze Test ◽  
Spatial Learning And Memory ◽  
In Vitro Experiments ◽  
Adult Mice

Abstract Purpose and background Previous studies have suggested that promoting endogenous neurogenesis has great significance for the recovery of cognitive dysfunction caused by cerebral ischemia (CI). Pharmacological inhibition of GABAB receptor can enhance neurogenesis in adult healthy and depressed mice. In the study, we intended to investigate the effects of GABAB receptor antagonists on cognitive function and hippocampal neurogenesis in mice following CI. Methods Adult mice were subjected to bilateral common carotid artery occlusion (BCCAO) for 20 min to induce CI and treated with CGP52432 (antagonist of GABAB receptor, CGP, 10 mg/kg intraperitoneal injection) starting 24 h after CI. The Morris water maze test was performed to test spatial learning and memory at day 28. Immunofluorescence was applied to detect neurogenesis in the DG region at day 14 and 28. In in vitro experiments, cell proliferation was detected by CCK8 and immunofluorescence, and the expression of cAMP/CREB signaling pathway-related proteins was detected by ELISA assay and Western blot. Results CGP significantly improved spatial learning and memory disorders caused by CI, and it enhanced the proliferation of neural stem cells (NSCs), the number of immature neurons, and the differentiation from newborn cells to neurons. In vitro experiments further confirmed that CGP dose-dependently enhanced the cell viability of NSCs, and immunofluorescence staining showed that CGP promoted the proliferation of NSCs. In addition, treatment with CGP increased the expression of cAMP, PKA, and pCREB in cultured NSCs. Conclusion Inhibition of GABAB receptor can effectively promote hippocampal neurogenesis and improve spatial learning and memory in adult mice following CI.

scholarly journals WGS-based telomere length analysis in Dutch family trios implicates stronger maternal inheritance and a role for RRM1 gene

2019 ◽  
Vol 9 (1) ◽  
Author(s):  
Lilit Nersisyan ◽  
◽  
Maria Nikoghosyan ◽  
Arsen Arakelyan
Keyword(s):  
Telomere Length ◽  
Telomere Maintenance ◽  
Whole Genome Sequencing Data ◽  
Sequencing Data ◽  
Association Analyses ◽  
Relative Contribution ◽  
Age Related ◽  
Small Influence ◽  
Ribonuclease Reductase ◽  
Length Analysis

AbstractTelomere length (TL) regulation is an important factor in ageing, reproduction and cancer development. Genetic, hereditary and environmental factors regulating TL are currently widely investigated, however, their relative contribution to TL variability is still understudied. We have used whole genome sequencing data of 250 family trios from the Genome of the Netherlands project to perform computational measurement of TL and a series of regression and genome-wide association analyses to reveal TL inheritance patterns and associated genetic factors. Our results confirm that TL is a largely heritable trait, primarily with mother’s, and, to a lesser extent, with father’s TL having the strongest influence on the offspring. In this cohort, mother’s, but not father’s age at conception was positively linked to offspring TL. Age-related TL attrition of 40 bp/year had relatively small influence on TL variability. Finally, we have identified TL-associated variations in ribonuclease reductase catalytic subunit M1 (RRM1 gene), which is known to regulate telomere maintenance in yeast. We also highlight the importance of multivariate approach and the limitations of existing tools for the analysis of TL as a polygenic heritable quantitative trait.

scholarly journals Does Impairment of Adult Neurogenesis Contribute to Pathophysiology of Alzheimer's Disease? A Still Open Question

2021 ◽  
Vol 13 ◽  
Author(s):  
Domenica Donatella Li Puma ◽  
Roberto Piacentini ◽  
Claudio Grassi
Keyword(s):  
Alzheimer’S Disease ◽  
Alzheimer's Disease ◽  
Cognitive Impairment ◽  
Adult Neurogenesis ◽  
Memory Formation ◽  
Hippocampal Neurogenesis ◽  
Synaptic Function ◽  
Adult Hippocampal Neurogenesis ◽  
Amyloid Β Protein

Adult hippocampal neurogenesis is a physiological mechanism contributing to hippocampal memory formation. Several studies associated altered hippocampal neurogenesis with aging and Alzheimer's disease (AD). However, whether amyloid-β protein (Aβ)/tau accumulation impairs adult hippocampal neurogenesis and, consequently, the hippocampal circuitry, involved in memory formation, or altered neurogenesis is an epiphenomenon of AD neuropathology contributing negligibly to the AD phenotype, is, especially in humans, still debated. The detrimental effects of Aβ/tau on synaptic function and neuronal viability have been clearly addressed both in in vitro and in vivo experimental models. Until some years ago, studies carried out on in vitro models investigating the action of Aβ/tau on proliferation and differentiation of hippocampal neural stem cells led to contrasting results, mainly due to discrepancies arising from different experimental conditions (e.g., different cellular/animal models, different Aβ and/or tau isoforms, concentrations, and/or aggregation profiles). To date, studies investigating in situ adult hippocampal neurogenesis indicate severe impairment in most of transgenic AD mice; this impairment precedes by several months cognitive dysfunction. Using experimental tools, which only became available in the last few years, research in humans indicated that hippocampal neurogenesis is altered in cognitive declined individuals affected by either mild cognitive impairment or AD as well as in normal cognitive elderly with a significant inverse relationship between the number of newly formed neurons and cognitive impairment. However, despite that such information is available, the question whether impaired neurogenesis contributes to AD pathogenesis or is a mere consequence of Aβ/pTau accumulation is not definitively answered. Herein, we attempted to shed light on this complex and very intriguing topic by reviewing relevant literature on impairment of adult neurogenesis in mouse models of AD and in AD patients analyzing the temporal relationship between the occurrence of altered neurogenesis and the appearance of AD hallmarks and cognitive dysfunctions.

scholarly journals Red Ginseng Attenuates Aβ-Induced Mitochondrial Dysfunction and Aβ-mediated Pathology in an Animal Model of Alzheimer’s Disease

2019 ◽  
Vol 20 (12) ◽  
pp. 3030 ◽  
Author(s):  
Soo Jung Shin ◽  
Seong Gak Jeon ◽  
Jin-il Kim ◽  
Yu-on Jeong ◽  
Sujin Kim ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
Alzheimer’S Disease ◽  
Alzheimer's Disease ◽  
Hippocampal Formation ◽  
Experimental Models ◽  
Hippocampal Neurogenesis ◽  
Adult Hippocampal Neurogenesis ◽  
Red Ginseng ◽  
Model Of Alzheimer’S Disease

Alzheimer’s disease (AD) is the most common neurodegenerative disease and is characterized by neurodegeneration and cognitive deficits. Amyloid beta (Aβ) peptide is known to be a major cause of AD pathogenesis. However, recent studies have clarified that mitochondrial deficiency is also a mediator or trigger for AD development. Interestingly, red ginseng (RG) has been demonstrated to have beneficial effects on AD pathology. However, there is no evidence showing whether RG extract (RGE) can inhibit the mitochondrial deficit-mediated pathology in the experimental models of AD. The effects of RGE on Aβ-mediated mitochondrial deficiency were investigated in both HT22 mouse hippocampal neuronal cells and the brains of 5XFAD Aβ-overexpressing transgenic mice. To examine whether RGE can affect mitochondria-related pathology, we used immunohistostaining to study the effects of RGE on Aβ accumulation, neuroinflammation, neurodegeneration, and impaired adult hippocampal neurogenesis in hippocampal formation of 5XFAD mice. In vitro and in vivo findings indicated that RGE significantly improves Aβ-induced mitochondrial pathology. In addition, RGE significantly ameliorated AD-related pathology, such as Aβ deposition, gliosis, and neuronal loss, and deficits in adult hippocampal neurogenesis in brains with AD. Our results suggest that RGE may be a mitochondria-targeting agent for the treatment of AD.

scholarly journals Pwp1 regulates telomere length by stabilizing shelterin complex and maintaining histone H4K20 trimethylation

2019 ◽  
Vol 5 (1) ◽  
Author(s):  
Yangyang Yu ◽  
Wenwen Jia ◽  
Yao Lyu ◽  
Dingwen Su ◽  
Mingliang Bai ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
Telomere Length ◽  
Knockout Mice ◽  
Embryonic Stem ◽  
Telomere Maintenance ◽  
Reproductive Capacity ◽  
Mouse Development ◽  
Telomere Shortening ◽  
Shelterin Complex ◽  
Telomere Homeostasis ◽  
Novel Protein

Abstract Telomere maintenance is critical for chromosome stability. Here we report that periodic tryptophan protein 1 (PWP1) is involved in regulating telomere length homeostasis. Pwp1 appears to be essential for mouse development and embryonic stem cell (ESC) survival, as homozygous Pwp1-knockout mice and ESCs have never been obtained. Heterozygous Pwp1-knockout mice had shorter telomeres and decreased reproductive capacity. Pwp1 depletion induced rapid telomere shortening accompanied by reduced shelterin complex and increased DNA damage in telomeric regions. Mechanistically, PWP1 bound and stabilized the shelterin complex via its WD40 domains and regulated the overall level of H4K20me3. The rescue of telomere length in Pwp1-deficient cells by PWP1 overexpression depended on SUV4-20H2 co-expression and increased H4K20me3. Therefore, our study revealed a novel protein involved in telomere homeostasis in both mouse and human cells. This knowledge will improve our understanding of how chromatin structure and histone modifications are involved in maintaining telomere integrity.

scholarly journals Postnatal NG2 proteoglycan–expressing progenitor cells are intrinsically multipotent and generate functional neurons

2003 ◽  
Vol 161 (1) ◽  
pp. 169-186 ◽  
Author(s):  
Shibeshih Belachew ◽  
Ramesh Chittajallu ◽  
Adan A. Aguirre ◽  
Xiaoqing Yuan ◽  
Martha Kirby ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
Progenitor Cells ◽  
Intrinsic Property ◽  
Hippocampal Neurogenesis ◽  
Adult Hippocampal Neurogenesis ◽  
High Rate ◽  
Fast Kinetics ◽  
Sizeable Fraction ◽  
Ng2 Proteoglycan

Neurogenesis is known to persist in the adult mammalian central nervous system (CNS). The identity of the cells that generate new neurons in the postnatal CNS has become a crucial but elusive issue. Using a transgenic mouse, we show that NG2 proteoglycan–positive progenitor cells that express the 2′,3′-cyclic nucleotide 3′-phosphodiesterase gene display a multipotent phenotype in vitro and generate electrically excitable neurons, as well as astrocytes and oligodendrocytes. The fast kinetics and the high rate of multipotent fate of these NG2+ progenitors in vitro reflect an intrinsic property, rather than reprogramming. We demonstrate in the hippocampus in vivo that a sizeable fraction of postnatal NG2+ progenitor cells are proliferative precursors whose progeny appears to differentiate into GABAergic neurons capable of propagating action potentials and displaying functional synaptic inputs. These data show that at least a subpopulation of postnatal NG2-expressing cells are CNS multipotent precursors that may underlie adult hippocampal neurogenesis.

Extensive Chromosome Instability in Acute Myeloid Leukemia Is Associated with Critical Telomere Shortening.

Blood ◽  
2004 ◽  
Vol 104 (11) ◽  
pp. 3376-3376
Author(s):  
Susan J.J. Swiggers ◽  
Marianne A. Kuijpers ◽  
Maartje J. de Cort ◽  
Berna Beverloo ◽  
J. Mark J.M. Zijlmans
Keyword(s):  
Telomere Length ◽  
Reciprocal Translocation ◽  
Genetic Instability ◽  
Myeloid Leukemia ◽  
Chromosomal Abnormalities ◽  
Chromosome Instability ◽  
Telomerase Activity ◽  
In Vitro Models ◽  
Telomere Shortening

Abstract Telomeres, the ends of linear chromosomes, have a critical role in protection against chromosome end-to-end fusion. Telomeres shorten in every cell division due to the end replication problem. Telomerase is a reverse transcriptase that adds telomeric DNA repeats to the ultimate chromosome end. In vitro models of long-term fibroblast cultures have identified two sequential mortality stages, senescence (M1) and crisis (M2). Senescence can be bypassed by loss of p53 or Rb function, whereas escape from crisis can only be achieved by activating a telomere maintenance mechanism, mostly telomerase reactivation. Cells that bypass senescence (M1) did not reactivate telomerase, resulting in further telomere shortening to a critical telomere length upon reaching crisis (M2). In these models, critical telomere shortening induces extensive chromosome instability, most likely via chromosome end-to-end fusions. Dicentric chromosomes lead to anaphase breakage-fusion-bridges resulting in multiple chromosomal aberrations. To investigate whether similar mechanisms may be involved in the development of genetic instability in human cancer, we studied telomere length and expression of critical telomeric proteins (TRF2 and POT1) in acute myeloid leukemia (AML) patients. AML is a good model for these studies since distinct subgroups of AML are characterized by either exchanges along chromosome arms (translocation or inversion), or by a complex karyotype with multiple chromosome aberrations. Groups were age-matched. Telomere length was studied in metaphase arrested leukemic cells using quantitative fluorescence in situ hybridization (Q-FISH) using a telomere-specific probe. Subsequently, metaphase spreads were hybridized with a leukemia-specific probe to confirm leukemic origin of each metaphase. Telomeres were significantly shorter in AML samples with multiple chromosomal abnormalities in comparison to AML samples with a reciprocal translocation/inversion or no abnormalities (mean±SEM=16±1.7 AFU, n=12 versus 29±4.3 AFU, n=18; p=0.015). Interestingly, telomerase activity level is significantly higher in AML samples with multiple chromosomal abnormalities, compared to AML samples with a reciprocal translocation or inversion (mean±SEM=330±95, n=11 versus 70±21, n=13; p=0.02). Expression levels of telomeric proteins TRF2 and POT1 were similar in these AML groups. Our observations suggest that, consistent with previous in vitro models in fibroblasts, critical telomere shortening may have a role in the development of genetic instability in human AML. Critically short telomeres in association with high levels of telomerase activity suggest that AML cells with multiple chromosomal abnormalities have bypassed crisis (M2). The longer telomeres and low levels of telomerase activity in AML cells with a reciprocal translocation or inversion suggest that they originate from an earlier stage, preceding crisis. Consequently, telomere length modulation may have a role in cancer prevention.

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