scholarly journals The essential role of transcription factor Pitx3 in preventing mesodiencephalic dopaminergic neurodegeneration and maintaining neuronal subtype identities during aging

2021 ◽  
Vol 12 (11) ◽  
Author(s):  
Ying Wang ◽  
Xi Chen ◽  
Yuanyuan Wang ◽  
Song Li ◽  
Huaibin Cai ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
Neuronal Development ◽  
Substantia Nigra Pars Compacta ◽  
Motor Deficits ◽  
Rapid Reduction ◽  
Dopaminergic Neurodegeneration ◽  
Differential Vulnerability ◽  
Progressive Neurodegeneration ◽  
Mature Neurons ◽  
Neuronal Subtype

AbstractPituitary homeobox 3 (Pitx3) is required for the terminal differentiation of nigrostriatal dopaminergic neurons during neuronal development. However, whether Pitx3 contributes to the normal physiological function and cell-type identity of adult neurons remains unknown. To explore the role of Pitx3 in maintaining mature neurons, we selectively deleted Pitx3 in the mesodiencephalic dopaminergic (mdDA) neurons of Pitx3fl/fl/DATCreERT2 bigenic mice using a tamoxifen inducible CreERT2/loxp gene-targeting system. Pitx3fl/fl/DATCreERT2 mice developed age-dependent progressive motor deficits, concomitant with a rapid reduction of striatal dopamine (DA) content and a profound loss of mdDA neurons in the substantia nigra pars compacta (SNc) but not in the adjacent ventral tegmental area (VTA), recapitulating the canonical neuropathological features of Parkinson’s disease (PD). Mechanistic studies showed that Pitx3-deficiency significantly increased the number of cleaved caspase-3+ cells in SNc, which likely underwent neurodegeneration. Meanwhile, the vulnerability of SNc mdDA neurons was increased in Pitx3fl/fl/DATCreERT2 mice, as indicated by an early decline in glial cell line-derived neurotrophic factor (GDNF) and aldehyde dehydrogenase 1a1 (Aldh1a1) levels. Noticeably, somatic accumulation of α-synuclein (α-syn) was also significantly increased in the Pitx3-deficient neurons. Together, our data demonstrate that the loss of Pitx3 in fully differentiated mdDA neurons results in progressive neurodegeneration, indicating the importance of the Pitx3 gene in adult neuronal survival. Our findings also suggest that distinct Pitx3-dependent pathways exist in SNc and VTA mdDA neurons, correlating with the differential vulnerability of SNc and VTA mdDA neurons in the absence of Pitx3.

scholarly journals The Dopaminergic Control of Movement-Evolutionary Considerations

2021 ◽  
Vol 22 (20) ◽  
pp. 11284
Author(s):  
Juan Pérez-Fernández ◽  
Marta Barandela ◽  
Cecilia Jiménez-López
Keyword(s):  
Basal Ganglia ◽  
Dopaminergic Neurons ◽  
Dopaminergic System ◽  
Great Part ◽  
Substantia Nigra Pars Compacta ◽  
Motor Deficits ◽  
Motor Responses ◽  
Early Vertebrates ◽  
Characteristic Motor

Dopamine is likely the most studied modulatory neurotransmitter, in great part due to characteristic motor deficits in Parkinson’s disease that arise after the degeneration of the dopaminergic neurons in the substantia nigra pars compacta (SNc). The SNc, together with the ventral tegmental area (VTA), play a key role modulating motor responses through the basal ganglia. In contrast to the large amount of existing literature addressing the mammalian dopaminergic system, comparatively little is known in other vertebrate groups. However, in the last several years, numerous studies have been carried out in basal vertebrates, allowing a better understanding of the evolution of the dopaminergic system, especially the SNc/VTA. We provide an overview of existing research in basal vertebrates, mainly focusing on lampreys, belonging to the oldest group of extant vertebrates. The lamprey dopaminergic system and its role in modulating motor responses have been characterized in significant detail, both anatomically and functionally, providing the basis for understanding the evolution of the SNc/VTA in vertebrates. When considered alongside results from other early vertebrates, data in lampreys show that the key role of the SNc/VTA dopaminergic neurons modulating motor responses through the basal ganglia was already well developed early in vertebrate evolution.

scholarly journals Cerebellar neurodegeneration in the absence of microRNAs

2007 ◽  
Vol 204 (7) ◽  
pp. 1553-1558 ◽  
Author(s):  
Anne Schaefer ◽  
Dónal O'Carroll ◽  
Chan Lek Tan ◽  
Dean Hillman ◽  
Mutsuyuki Sugimori ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
Purkinje Cell ◽  
Small Rnas ◽  
Cerebellar Degeneration ◽  
Cell Physiology ◽  
Biological Processes ◽  
Progressive Loss ◽  
Purkinje Cell Death ◽  
Progressive Neurodegeneration ◽  
Mature Neurons

Genome-encoded microRNAs (miRNAs) are potent regulators of gene expression. The significance of miRNAs in various biological processes has been suggested by studies showing an important role of these small RNAs in regulation of cell differentiation. However, the role of miRNAs in regulation of differentiated cell physiology is not well established. Mature neurons express a large number of distinct miRNAs, but the role of miRNAs in postmitotic neurons has not been examined. Here, we provide evidence for an essential role of miRNAs in survival of differentiated neurons. We show that conditional Purkinje cell–specific ablation of the key miRNA-generating enzyme Dicer leads to Purkinje cell death. Deficiency in Dicer is associated with progressive loss of miRNAs, followed by cerebellar degeneration and development of ataxia. The progressive neurodegeneration in the absence of Dicer raises the possibility of an involvement of miRNAs in neurodegenerative disorders.

scholarly journals Essential role for autophagy protein VMP1 in maintaining neuronal homeostasis and preventing axonal degeneration

2021 ◽  
Vol 12 (1) ◽  
Author(s):  
Panpan Wang ◽  
Xi Chen ◽  
Yuanyuan Wang ◽  
Congcong Jia ◽  
Xinyao Liu ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
Mammalian Cells ◽  
Substantia Nigra Pars Compacta ◽  
Motor Deficits ◽  
Autophagic Flux ◽  
Sequestosome 1 ◽  
Neuronal Homeostasis ◽  
Autophagy Pathway ◽  
Lc3 Puncta ◽  
The Impact

AbstractVacuole membrane protein 1 (VMP1), the endoplasmic reticulum (ER)-localized autophagy protein, plays a key role during the autophagy process in mammalian cells. To study the impact of VMP1-deficiency on midbrain dopaminergic (mDAergic) neurons, we selectively deleted VMP1 in the mDAergic neurons of VMP1fl/fl/DATCreERT2 bigenic mice using a tamoxifen-inducible CreERT2/loxp gene targeting system. The VMP1fl/fl/DATCreERT2 mice developed progressive motor deficits, concomitant with a profound loss of mDAergic neurons in the substantia nigra pars compacta (SNc) and a high presynaptic accumulation of α-synuclein (α-syn) in the enlarged terminals. Mechanistic studies showed that VMP1 deficiency in the mDAergic neurons led to the increased number of microtubule-associated protein 1 light chain 3-labeled (LC3) puncta and the accumulation of sequestosome 1/p62 aggregates in the SNc neurons, suggesting the impairment of autophagic flux in these neurons. Furthermore, VMP1 deficiency resulted in multiple cellular abnormalities, including large vacuolar-like structures (LVSs), damaged mitochondria, swollen ER, and the accumulation of ubiquitin+ aggregates. Together, our studies reveal a previously unknown role of VMP1 in modulating neuronal survival and maintaining axonal homeostasis, which suggests that VMP1 deficiency might contribute to mDAergic neurodegeneration via the autophagy pathway.

The mechanistic role of thymoquinone in Parkinson's disease: focus on neuroprotection in pre-clinical studies

2021 ◽  
Vol 14 ◽  
Author(s):  
Mohammad Najim Uddin ◽  
Mohammad Injamul Hoq ◽  
Israt Jahan ◽  
Shafayet Ahmed Siddiqui ◽  
Chayan Dhar Clinton ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
Parkinson’S Disease ◽  
Parkinson's Disease ◽  
Clinical Studies ◽  
Nigella Sativa ◽  
Biological Effects ◽  
Neuroprotective Activity ◽  
Substantia Nigra Pars Compacta ◽  
Movement Difficulties

: Thymoquinone (TQ) is one of the leading phytochemicals, which is abundantly found in Nigella sativa L. seeds. TQ exhibited various biological effects such as antioxidant, anti-inflammatory, antimicrobial, and anti-tumoral in several pre-clinical studies. Parkinson's disease (PD) is a long-term neurodegenerative disease with movement difficulties, and the common feature of neurodegeneration in PD patients is caused by dopaminergic neural damage in the substantia nigra pars compacta. The neuroprotective activity of TQ has been studied in various neurological disorders. TQ-mediated neuroprotection against PD yet to be reported in a single frame; therefore, this review is intended to narrate the potentiality of TQ in the therapy of PD. TQ has been shown to protect against neurotoxins via amelioration of neuroinflammation, oxidative stress, apoptosis, thereby protects neurodegeneration in PD models. TQ could be an emerging therapeutic intervention in PD management, but mechanistic studies have been remained to be investigated to clarify its neuroprotective role.

scholarly journals Tcf4 Is Involved in Subset Specification of Mesodiencephalic Dopaminergic Neurons

Biomedicines ◽  
2021 ◽  
Vol 9 (3) ◽  
pp. 317
Author(s):  
Simone Mesman ◽  
Iris Wever ◽  
Marten P. Smidt
Keyword(s):  
Neuronal Differentiation ◽  
Dopaminergic Neurons ◽  
Neuronal Development ◽  
Neuronal Population ◽  
Minor Role ◽  
Initial Increase ◽  
E Box ◽  
A Minor ◽  
Bhlh Factor

During development, mesodiencephalic dopaminergic (mdDA) neurons form into different molecular subsets. Knowledge of which factors contribute to the specification of these subsets is currently insufficient. In this study, we examined the role of Tcf4, a member of the E-box protein family, in mdDA neuronal development and subset specification. We show that Tcf4 is expressed throughout development, but is no longer detected in adult midbrain. Deletion of Tcf4 results in an initial increase in TH-expressing neurons at E11.5, but this normalizes at later embryonic stages. However, the caudal subset marker Nxph3 and rostral subset marker Ahd2 are affected at E14.5, indicating that Tcf4 is involved in correct differentiation of mdDA neuronal subsets. At P0, expression of these markers partially recovers, whereas expression of Th transcript and TH protein appears to be affected in lateral parts of the mdDA neuronal population. The initial increase in TH-expressing cells and delay in subset specification could be due to the increase in expression of the bHLH factor Ascl1, known for its role in mdDA neuronal differentiation, upon loss of Tcf4. Taken together, our data identified a minor role for Tcf4 in mdDA neuronal development and subset specification.

scholarly journals Dissecting the role of redox signaling in neuronal development

2016 ◽  
Vol 137 (4) ◽  
pp. 506-517 ◽  
Author(s):  
Daniel A. Bórquez ◽  
Pamela J. Urrutia ◽  
Carlos Wilson ◽  
Brigitte van Zundert ◽  
Marco Tulio Núñez ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
Neuronal Development ◽  
Redox Signaling

Role of Mitochondrial Fission-Fusion Dynamics in Progressive Neurodegeneration and Memory Deficit After Traumatic Brain Injury

2021 ◽  
Vol 89 (9) ◽  
pp. S119-S120
Author(s):  
Preethy Sridharan ◽  
Edwin Vásquez-Rosa ◽  
Min-Kyoo Shin ◽  
Kathryn Z. Franke ◽  
Yeo Jung Koh ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
Traumatic Brain Injury ◽  
Brain Injury ◽  
Mitochondrial Fission ◽  
Memory Deficit ◽  
Progressive Neurodegeneration

scholarly journals DNAJB6b is Downregulated in Synucleinopathies

2021 ◽  
pp. 1-13
Author(s):  
Jonas Folke ◽  
Sertan Arkan ◽  
Isak Martinsson ◽  
Susana Aznar ◽  
Gunnar Gouras ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
Neurodegenerative Diseases ◽  
Substantia Nigra Pars Compacta ◽  
Endogenous Protein ◽  
Highly Sensitive ◽  
Brain Material ◽  
Health And Disease ◽  
Isoform B

Background: α-synuclein (α-syn) aggregation contributes to the progression of multiple neurodegenerative diseases. We recently found that the isoform b of the co-chaperone DNAJB6 is a strong suppressor of a-syn aggregation in vivo and in vitro. However, nothing is known about the role of the endogenous isoform b of DNAJB6 (DNAJB6b) in health and disease, due to lack of specific antibodies. Objective: Here we generated a novel anti-DNAJB6b antibody to analyze the localization and expression this isoform in cells, in tissue and in clinical material. Methods: To address this we used immunocytochemistry, immunohistochemistry, as well as a novel quantitative DNAJB6 specific ELISA method. Results: The endogenous protein is mainly expressed in the cytoplasm and in neurites in vitro, where it is found more in dendrites than in axons. We further verified in vivo that DNAJB6b is expressed in the dopaminergic neurons of the substantia nigra pars compacta (SNpc), which is a neuronal subpopulation highly sensitive to α-syn aggregation, that degenerate to a large extend in patients with Parkinson’s disease (PD) and multiple system atrophy (MSA). When we analyzed the expression levels of DNAJB6b in brain material from PD and MSA patients, we found a downregulation of DNAJB6b by use of ELISA based quantification. Interestingly, this was also true when analyzing tissue from patients with progressive supranuclear palsy, a taupathic atypical parkinsonian disorder. However, the total level of DNAJB6 was upregulated in these three diseases, which may indicate an upregulation of the other major isoform of DNAJB6, DNAJB6a. Conclusion: This study shows that DNAJB6b is downregulated in several different neurodegenerative diseases, which makes it an interesting target to further investigate in relation to amyloid protein aggregation and disease progression.

scholarly journals DIP-2 suppresses ectopic neurite sprouting and axonal regeneration in mature neurons

2018 ◽  
Vol 218 (1) ◽  
pp. 125-133 ◽  
Author(s):  
Nathaniel Noblett ◽  
Zilu Wu ◽  
Zhao Hua Ding ◽  
Seungmee Park ◽  
Tony Roenspies ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
Axonal Regeneration ◽  
Neuronal Development ◽  
Adult Life ◽  
Progressive Increase ◽  
Binding Domain ◽  
Neuronal Morphology ◽  
Loss Of Function ◽  
Neuron Morphology ◽  
Interacting Protein ◽  
Mature Neurons

Neuronal morphology and circuitry established during early development must often be maintained over the entirety of animal lifespans. Compared with neuronal development, the mechanisms that maintain mature neuronal structures and architecture are little understood. The conserved disco-interacting protein 2 (DIP2) consists of a DMAP1-binding domain and two adenylate-forming domains (AFDs). We show that the Caenorhabditis elegans DIP-2 maintains morphology of mature neurons. dip-2 loss-of-function mutants display a progressive increase in ectopic neurite sprouting and branching during late larval and adult life. In adults, dip-2 also inhibits initial stages of axon regeneration cell autonomously and acts in parallel to DLK-1 MAP kinase and EFA-6 pathways. The function of DIP-2 in maintenance of neuron morphology and in axon regrowth requires its AFD domains and is independent of its DMAP1-binding domain. Our findings reveal a new conserved regulator of neuronal morphology maintenance and axon regrowth after injury.

scholarly journals Striatal Chloride Dysregulation and Impaired GABAergic Signaling Due to Cation-Chloride Cotransporter Dysfunction in Huntington’s Disease

2022 ◽  
Vol 15 ◽  
Author(s):  
Melissa Serranilla ◽  
Melanie A. Woodin
Keyword(s):  
Huntington's Disease ◽  
Huntington’S Disease ◽  
Neurological Disorders ◽  
Synaptic Inhibition ◽  
Motor Impairments ◽  
Immature Brain ◽  
Amino Butyric Acid ◽  
Mature Neurons ◽  
Cation Chloride Cotransporters

Intracellular chloride (Cl–) levels in mature neurons must be tightly regulated for the maintenance of fast synaptic inhibition. In the mature central nervous system (CNS), synaptic inhibition is primarily mediated by gamma-amino butyric acid (GABA), which binds to Cl– permeable GABAA receptors (GABAARs). The intracellular Cl– concentration is primarily maintained by the antagonistic actions of two cation-chloride cotransporters (CCCs): Cl–-importing Na+-K+-Cl– co-transporter-1 (NKCC1) and Cl– -exporting K+-Cl– co-transporter-2 (KCC2). In mature neurons in the healthy brain, KCC2 expression is higher than NKCC1, leading to lower levels of intracellular Cl–, and Cl– influx upon GABAAR activation. However, in neurons of the immature brain or in neurological disorders such as epilepsy and traumatic brain injury, impaired KCC2 function and/or enhanced NKCC1 expression lead to intracellular Cl– accumulation and GABA-mediated excitation. In Huntington’s disease (HD), KCC2- and NKCC1-mediated Cl–-regulation are also altered, which leads to GABA-mediated excitation and contributes to the development of cognitive and motor impairments. This review summarizes the role of Cl– (dys)regulation in the healthy and HD brain, with a focus on the basal ganglia (BG) circuitry and CCCs as potential therapeutic targets in the treatment of HD.

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