scholarly journals Inducible alpha-synuclein overexpression affects human Neural Stem Cells behavior

2018 ◽  
Author(s):  
J Zasso ◽  
M Ahmed ◽  
A Cutarelli ◽  
L Conti

AbstractConverging evidence suggest that levels of alpha-Synuclein (aSyn) expression play a critical role in Parkinson’s disease (PD). Several mutations of the SNCA gene, encoding for aSyn have been associated to either the familial or the sporadic forms of PD. Nonetheless, the mechanism underlying wild type aSyn-mediated neurotoxicity in neuronal cells as well as its specific driving role in PD pathogenesis has yet to be fully clarified. In this view, the development of proper in vitro cellular systems is a crucial step.Here we present a novel human Tet-on hNSC cell line, in which aSyn timing and level of expression can be tightly experimentally tuned. Induction of aSyn in self-renewing hNSCs leads to progressive formation of aSyn aggregates and impairs their proliferation and cell survival. Furthermore, aSyn induction during the neuronal differentiation process results in impaired neurogenic potential due to enhanced refractoriness to exit self-renewal and to increase of gliogenic vs neurogenic competence. Finally, acute aSyn induction in hNSC-derived dopaminergic neuronal cultures results in cell toxicity.This novel conditional in vitro cell model system may be a valuable tool for dissecting of aSyn pathogenic effects in hNSCs and neurons and in developing new potential therapeutic strategies.

2014 ◽  
Vol 307 (3) ◽  
pp. H337-H345 ◽  
Author(s):  
Lara Gotha ◽  
Sang Yup Lim ◽  
Azriel B. Osherov ◽  
Rafael Wolff ◽  
Beiping Qiang ◽  
...  

Perlecan is a proteoglycan composed of a 470-kDa core protein linked to three heparan sulfate (HS) glycosaminoglycan chains. The intact proteoglycan inhibits the smooth muscle cell (SMC) response to vascular injury. Hspg2Δ3/Δ3 (MΔ3/Δ3) mice produce a mutant perlecan lacking the HS side chains. The objective of this study was to determine differences between these two types of perlecan in modifying SMC activities to the arterial injury response, in order to define the specific role of the HS side chains. In vitro proliferative and migratory activities were compared in SMC isolated from MΔ3/Δ3 and wild-type mice. Proliferation of MΔ3/Δ3 SMC was 1.5× greater than in wild type ( P < 0.001), increased by addition of growth factors, and showed a 42% greater migratory response than wild-type cells to PDGF-BB ( P < 0.001). In MΔ3/Δ3 SMC adhesion to fibronectin, and collagen types I and IV was significantly greater than wild type. Addition of DRL-12582, an inducer of perlecan expression, decreased proliferation and migratory response to PDGF-BB stimulation in wild-type SMC compared with MΔ3/Δ3. In an in vivo carotid artery wire injury model, the medial thickness, medial area/lumen ratio, and macrophage infiltration were significantly increased in the MΔ3/Δ3 mice, indicating a prominent role of the HS side chain in limiting vascular injury response. Mutant perlecan that lacks HS side chains had a marked reduction in the inhibition of in vitro SMC function and the in vivo arterial response to injury, indicating the critical role of HS side chains in perlecan function in the vessel wall.


Endocrinology ◽  
2003 ◽  
Vol 144 (3) ◽  
pp. 839-849 ◽  
Author(s):  
Buffy S. Ellsworth ◽  
Brett R. White ◽  
Ann T. Burns ◽  
Brian D. Cherrington ◽  
Annette M. Otis ◽  
...  

Reproductive function is dependent on the interaction between GnRH and its cognate receptor found on gonadotrope cells of the anterior pituitary gland. GnRH activation of the GnRH receptor (GnRHR) is a potent stimulus for increased expression of multiple genes including the gene encoding the GnRHR itself. Thus, homologous regulation of the GnRHR is an important mechanism underlying gonadotrope sensitivity to GnRH. Previously, we have found that GnRH induction of GnRHR gene expression in αT3-1 cells is partially mediated by protein kinase C activation of a canonical activator protein-1 (AP-1) element. In contrast, protein kinase A and a cAMP response element-like element have been implicated in mediating the GnRH response of the GnRHR gene using a heterologous cell model (GGH3). Herein we find that selective removal of the canonical AP-1 site leads to a loss of GnRH regulation of the GnRHR promoter in transgenic mice. Thus, an intact AP-1 element is necessary for GnRH responsiveness of the GnRHR gene both in vitro and in vivo. Based on in vitro analyses, GnRH appeared to enhance the interaction of JunD, FosB, and c-Fos at the GnRHR AP-1 element. Although enhanced binding of cFos reflected an increase in gene expression, GnRH appeared to regulate both FosB and JunD at a posttranslational level. Neither overexpression of a constitutively active Raf-kinase nor pharmacological blockade of GnRH-induced ERK activation eliminated the GnRH response of the GnRHR promoter. GnRH responsiveness was, however, lost in αT3-1 cells that stably express a dominant-negative c-Jun N-terminal kinase (JNK) kinase, suggesting a critical role for JNK in mediating GnRH regulation of the GnRHR gene. Consistent with this possibility, we find that the ability of forskolin and membrane-permeable forms of cAMP to inhibit the GnRH response of the GnRHR promoter is associated with a loss of both JNK activation and GnRH-mediated recruitment of the primary AP-1-binding components.


2020 ◽  
Vol 127 (Suppl_1) ◽  
Author(s):  
Yuan Zhang ◽  
Mohamed Ameen ◽  
Isaac Perea Gil ◽  
Jennifer Arthur ◽  
Alexandra A Gavidia ◽  
...  

Background: LMNA , a gene encoding A-type lamin proteins (abbreviated as lamin A), is one of the most frequently mutated genes in dilated cardiomyopathy (DCM). The molecular mechanisms underlying cardiomyocyte dysfunction in LMNA -related DCM remain elusive, translating to the lack of disease-specific therapies. Lamin A has been shown to play a critical role in genome organization via interactions with the chromatin at specific regions called lamina-associated domains (LADs). However, little is known about whether DCM-causing LMNA mutations rearrange the genome conformation and chromosome accessibility. The overarching goal of this study is to define the role of genome organization in LMNA -related DCM. Methods: LMNA -related DCM was modeled in vitro using cardiomyocytes derived from induced pluripotent stem cells (iPSC-CMs) from DCM patients carrying a frameshift mutation in the LMNA gene (c. 348_349insG; p. K117fs) and isogenic controls. We combined genome-wide single cell functional genomic and epigenomic mapping analyses to define the gene regulation and cis-regulatory interactions in isogenic iPSC-CMs. Results: Single-cell RNA-seq revealed global gene dysregulation in LMNA mutant compared to isogenic control iPSC-CMs. The homeodomain transcription factor PRRX1 was significantly upregulated in mutant cells. We showed that LAD integrity is disrupted at the PRRX1 locus in mutant iPSC-CMs. In agreement, DNA fluorescence in situ hybridization (FISH) revealed that the PRRX1 locus loses peripheral association and relocates towards the transcriptionally active nuclear interior in mutant iPSC-CMs. Correspondingly, single-cell assay for transposase accessible chromatin (ATAC)-seq showed increased chromatin co-accessibility at the PRRX1 locus, providing a plausible explanation for ectopic activation of PRRX1 in LMNA mutant iPSC-CMs. Conclusion: Our data suggest that LMNA haploinsufficiency disrupts the structure of LADs, leading to ectopic promoter interactions and altered gene expression in LMNA -related DCM iPSC-CMs. We identified PRRX1 as a promising candidate locus linking changes in LAD organization with gene dysregulation in LMNA -related DCM.


2008 ◽  
Vol 83 (3) ◽  
pp. 1173-1183 ◽  
Author(s):  
D. Curanović ◽  
M. G. Lyman ◽  
C. Bou-Abboud ◽  
J. P. Card ◽  
L. W. Enquist

ABSTRACT The attenuated pseudorabies virus (PRV) strain Bartha contains several characterized mutations that affect its virulence and ability to spread through neural circuits. This strain contains a small genomic deletion that abrogates anterograde spread and is widely used as a retrograde-restricted neural circuit tracer. Previous studies showed that the retrograde-directed spread of PRV Bartha is slower than that of wild-type PRV. We used compartmented neuronal cultures to characterize the retrograde defect and identify the genetic basis of the phenotype. PRV Bartha is not impaired in retrograde axonal transport, but transneuronal spread among neurons is diminished. Repair of the UL21 locus with wild-type sequence restored efficient transneuronal spread both in vitro and in vivo. It is likely that mutations in the Bartha UL21 gene confer defects that affect infectious particle production, causing a delay in spread to presynaptic neurons and amplification of infection. These events manifest as slower kinetics of retrograde viral spread in a neural circuit.


2006 ◽  
Vol 80 (7) ◽  
pp. 3582-3591 ◽  
Author(s):  
Jeffrey A. Speir ◽  
Brian Bothner ◽  
Chunxu Qu ◽  
Deborah A. Willits ◽  
Mark J. Young ◽  
...  

ABSTRACT Structural transitions in viral capsids play a critical role in the virus life cycle, including assembly, disassembly, and release of the packaged nucleic acid. Cowpea chlorotic mottle virus (CCMV) undergoes a well-studied reversible structural expansion in vitro in which the capsid expands by 10%. The swollen form of the particle can be completely disassembled by increasing the salt concentration to 1 M. Remarkably, a single-residue mutant of the CCMV N-terminal arm, K42R, is not susceptible to dissociation in high salt (salt-stable CCMV [SS-CCMV]) and retains 70% of wild-type infectivity. We present the combined structural and biophysical basis for the chemical stability and viability of the SS-CCMV particles. A 2.7-Å resolution crystal structure of the SS-CCMV capsid shows an addition of 660 new intersubunit interactions per particle at the center of the 20 hexameric capsomeres, which are a direct result of the K42R mutation. Protease-based mapping experiments of intact particles demonstrate that both the swollen and closed forms of the wild-type and SS-CCMV particles have highly dynamic N-terminal regions, yet the SS-CCMV particles are more resistant to degradation. Thus, the increase in SS-CCMV particle stability is a result of concentrated tethering of subunits at a local symmetry interface (i.e., quasi-sixfold axes) that does not interfere with the function of other key symmetry interfaces (i.e., fivefold, twofold, quasi-threefold axes). The result is a particle that is still dynamic but insensitive to high salt due to a new series of bonds that are resistant to high ionic strength and preserve the overall particle structure.


2005 ◽  
Vol 73 (3) ◽  
pp. 1820-1827 ◽  
Author(s):  
David J. McGee ◽  
Melanie L. Langford ◽  
Emily L. Watson ◽  
J. Elliot Carter ◽  
Yu-Ting Chen ◽  
...  

ABSTRACT Helicobacter pylori causes disease in the human stomach and in mouse and gerbil stomach models. Previous results have shown that motility is critical for H. pylori to colonize mice, gerbils, and other animal models. The role of chemotaxis, however, in colonization and disease is less well understood. Two genes in the H. pylori chemotaxis pathway, cheY and tlpB, which encode the chemotaxis response regulator and a methyl-accepting chemoreceptor, respectively, were disrupted. The cheY mutation was complemented with a wild-type copy of cheY inserted into the chromosomal rdxA gene. The cheY mutant lost chemotaxis but retained motility, while all other strains were motile and chemotactic in vitro. These strains were inoculated into gerbils either alone or in combination with the wild-type strain, and colonization and inflammation were assessed. While the cheY mutant completely failed to colonize gerbil stomachs, the tlpB mutant colonized at levels similar to those of the wild type. With the tlpB mutant, there was a substantial decrease in inflammation in the gerbil stomach compared to that with the wild type. Furthermore, there were differences in the numbers of each immune cell in the tlpB-mutant-infected stomach: the ratio of lymphocytes to neutrophils was about 8 to 1 in the wild type but only about 1 to 1 in the mutant. These results suggest that the TlpB chemoreceptor plays an important role in the inflammatory response while the CheY chemotaxis regulator plays a critical role in initial colonization. Chemotaxis mutants may provide new insights into the steps involved in H. pylori pathogenesis.


2000 ◽  
Vol 191 (5) ◽  
pp. 859-870 ◽  
Author(s):  
Melanie Allen ◽  
Linne Svensson ◽  
Marsha Roach ◽  
John Hambor ◽  
John McNeish ◽  
...  

The mitogen-activated protein (MAP) kinase p38 is a key component of stress response pathways and the target of cytokine-suppressing antiinflammatory drugs (CSAIDs). A genetic approach was employed to inactivate the gene encoding one p38 isoform, p38α. Mice null for the p38α allele die during embryonic development. p38α1/− embryonic stem (ES) cells grown in the presence of high neomycin concentrations demonstrated conversion of the wild-type allele to a targeted allele. p38α−/− ES cells lacked p38α protein and failed to activate MAP kinase–activated protein (MAPKAP) kinase 2 in response to chemical stress inducers. In contrast, p38α1/+ ES cells and primary embryonic fibroblasts responded to stress stimuli and phosphorylated p38α, and activated MAPKAP kinase 2. After in vitro differentiation, both wild-type and p38α−/− ES cells yielded cells that expressed the interleukin 1 receptor (IL-1R). p38α1/+ but not p38α−/− IL-1R–positive cells responded to IL-1 activation to produce IL-6. Comparison of chemical-induced apoptosis processes revealed no significant difference between the p38α1/+ and p38α−/− ES cells. Therefore, these studies demonstrate that p38α is a major upstream activator of MAPKAP kinase 2 and a key component of the IL-1 signaling pathway. However, p38α does not serve an indispensable role in apoptosis.


Blood ◽  
2006 ◽  
Vol 108 (11) ◽  
pp. 1508-1508 ◽  
Author(s):  
Shawn M. Jobe ◽  
Katina M. Wilson ◽  
Lori Leo ◽  
Jeffery D. Molkentin ◽  
Steven R. Lentz ◽  
...  

Abstract Dual stimulation of platelets with thrombin and collagen results in the formation of a unique subpopulation of highly activated platelets. Characteristics of the highly activated platelet subpopulation includeincreased surface retention of procoagulant alpha granule proteins,high-level phosphatidylserine (PS) externalization, andmodulation of the fibrinogen receptor αIIbβ3 as evidenced by their decreased recognition by antibodies to activated αIIbβ3 such as PAC-1 and JON/A. Formation of the highly activated platelet subpopulation is closely correlated with a rapid loss of mitochondrial transmembrane potential (ΔΨm), a marker of MPTP formation. To test whether formation of the MPTP might regulate the development of the highly activated platelet subpopulation, platelet activation responses were examined in the presence of inhibitors and activators of MPTP formation. Cyclosporine, an inhibitor of MPTP formation, inhibited both PS externalization and αIIbβ3 modulation following dual stimulation with thrombin and the glycoprotein VI agonist convulxin (58 ± 4% vs. 9 ± 3%, p<0.01). Conversely, thrombin stimulation of platelets in the presence of H2O2 (100μM), an MPTP activator, increased PS externalization and αIIbβ3 modulation relative to platelets stimulated with thrombin alone (11 ± 3% vs. 48 ± 6%, p<0.05). Platelet activation responses were examined in cyclophilin D null (CypD −/−) mice, which have marked impairment of MPTP formation. Following dual agonist stimulation with thrombin and convulxin, both αIIbβ3 modulation and platelet PS externalization were significantly abrogated in CypD −/− platelets relative to wild type (7 ± 1% vs. 69 ± 1%, p<0.01). Alpha granule release, however, was unaffected in the absence of CypD. In vitro tests of platelet function similarly demonstrated that CypD −/− platelets had marked impairment of platelet prothrombinase activity relative to wild-type platelets after stimulation with thrombin and convulxin, but normal platelet aggregation responses. We then tested the hypothesis that CypD −/− mice would have an altered thrombotic response to arterial injury. Following photochemical injury of the carotid artery endothelium, a stable occlusive thrombus formed more rapidly in CypD −/− than in wild-type mice (16 ± 2 vs. 32 ± 7 min, p<0.05). Tail-bleeding time was unaffected. These results strongly implicate cyclophilin D and the MPTP as critical regulators of the subset of platelet activation responses occurring in the highly activated platelet subpopulation and suggest that activation of this novel platelet mitochondrial signaling pathway might play an important role in the regulation of the thrombotic response in vivo.


Blood ◽  
2008 ◽  
Vol 112 (11) ◽  
pp. 3469-3469
Author(s):  
Pratibha Singh ◽  
Seiji Fukuda ◽  
Janardhan Sampath ◽  
Louis M. Pelus

Abstract Interaction of CXCR4 expressed on hematopoietic stem and progenitor cells (HSPC) with bone-marrow stromal SDF-1 is believed to play a central role in retention or mobilization of HSPC. Recently, a mobilization regimen of G-CSF was shown to decrease osteoblast number resulting in reduced levels of bone-marrow SDF-1, however the detailed mechanism leading to this reduction is currently unknown. It is unlikely that G-CSF directly regulates osteoblast SDF-1 production since osteoblasts do not express G-CSF receptor. Proteolytic cleavage of SDF-1 by peptidase CD26 in the bone-marrow may be an alternative mechanism responsible for reduction of SDF-1 level. Although CD26 can cleave SDF-1 in vitro, direct evidence of SDF-1 cleavage by CD26 in vivo during G-CSF induced HSPC mobilization has not been demonstrated. We previously demonstrated that neutrophils are required for G-CSF induced HSPC mobilization and that CD26 expression on neutrophils, rather than HSPC, is critical for mobilization. To more fully understand the role of CD26 in altering SDF-1 protein/activity during G-CSF induced HSPC mobilization, we quantitated bone-marrow SDF-1 levels in CD26−/− and wild-type CD26+/+ mice by ELISA during G-CSF administration. A standard 4 day G-CSF mobilization regimen (100 μg/kg bid, sc × 4 days) decreased bone-marrow total SDF-1 from 4.55±0.3 to 0.52±0.06 ng/femur in wild-type CD26+/+ mice (8.7-fold) and from 4.51±0.3 to 0.53±0.05 ng/femur (8.5-fold) in CD26−/− mice. However, despite an equivalent decrease in SDF-1, total CFU mobilization and the absolute number of mobilized SKL cells were decreased (3.1 and 2.0 fold lower, respectively) in CD26−/− mice compared to wild-type CD26+/+ controls. These results suggest that the decrease in total SDF-1 level in marrow seen following G-CSF treatment is independent of CD26. Cytological examination of bone-marrow smears showed that the reduction in SDF-1 levels in bone-marrow of both wild-type CD26+/+ and CD26−/− mice following G-CSF administration correlated with an increase in total absolute bone-marrow neutrophil cell number, suggesting a role for neutrophils in modulation of SDF-1 protein. To determine if neutrophils affect osteoblast SDF-1 production, bone marrow Gr-1+ neutrophils from wild-type CD26+/+ and CD26−/− mice were purified using anti-Ly6G magnetic beads and co-cultured with MC3T3-E1 preosteoblasts in vitro. Gr-1+ neutrophils from both wild-type and CD26−/− mice decreased pre-osteoblast SDF-1 production by similar amounts (15.4-fold vs 14.8-fold respectively), while Gr-1 neg cells from both wild-type CD26+/+ or CD26−/− were without effect on SDF-1 levels. Similarly, Gr-1+ neutrophils from both wild-type and CD26−/− mice decreased SDF-1 produced by MC3T3-E1-derived osteoblasts from 1.85±0.3 to 0.52±0.06 ng/ml (3.5 fold) and 0.56±0.07 ng/ml (3.3 fold) respectively, with Gr-1neg cells having no effect. Gr-1+ neutrophils either from wild-type or CD26−/− mice, but not Gr-1neg cells, significantly induced apoptosis of MC3T3-E1 cells as measured by Annexin-V staining (70.5%±10.2 vs 71.2%±12.5 for wild-type CD26+/+ and CD26−/− neutrophils respectively) and significantly inhibited osteoblast activity (20-fold vs 20.6-fold for CD26+/+ and CD26−/− neutrophils respectively) as measured by osteocalcin expression. Furthermore, irrespective of G-CSF treatment, an inverse correlation between absolute neutrophil number and SDF-1 protein levels was observed, suggesting that G-CSF induces neutrophil expansion but does not directly affect SDF-1 production. Collectively, these results provide additional support for the critical role of neutrophils in G-CSF induced mobilization and strongly suggested that neutrophils directly regulate bone-marrow SDF-1 levels independent of CD26 activity.


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