scholarly journals In vivo epigenetic editing of sema6a promoter reverses impaired transcallosal connectivity caused by C11orf46/ARL14EP neurodevelopmental risk gene

2018 ◽  
Author(s):  
Cyril J. Peter ◽  
Atsushi Saito ◽  
Yuto Hasegawa ◽  
Yuya Tanaka ◽  
Gabriel Perez ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
Intellectual Disability ◽  
Pyramidal Neurons ◽  
Therapeutic Potential ◽  
Wilms Tumor ◽  
Regulation Of Gene Expression ◽  
Gene Promoters ◽  
Genes Encoding ◽  
Cortical Pyramidal Neurons ◽  
Epigenetic Editing

AbstractMany neuropsychiatric risk genes contribute to epigenetic regulation of gene expression but very little is known about specific chromatin-associated mechanisms governing the formation and maintenance of neuronal connectivity. Here we show that transcallosal connectivity is critically dependent on C11orf46 (also known as ARL14EP), a small nuclear protein encoded in the chromosome 11p13 Wilms Tumor, Aniridia, Genitourinary Abnormalities, intellectual disability (formerly referred to as Mental Retardation) (WAGR) risk locus. C11orf46 haploinsufficiency in WAGR microdeletion cases was associated with severe hypoplasia of the corpus callosum. In utero short hairpin RNA-mediated C11orf46 knockdown disrupted transcallosal projections of cortical pyramidal neurons, a phenotype that was rescued by wild type C11orf46 but not the C11orf46R236H mutant associated with autosomal recessive intellectual disability. Multiple genes encoding key regulators of axonal growth and differentiation, including Sema6A, were hyperexpressed in C11orf46-knockdown neurons. Importantly, RNA-guided epigenetic editing of neuronal Sema6a gene promoters via a dCas9 protein-conjugated SunTag scaffold with multimeric (10x) C11orf46 binding during early developmental periods, resulted in normalization of expression and rescue of transcallosal dysconnectivity via repressive chromatin remodeling, including up-regulated histone H3K9 methylation by the KAP1-SETDB1 repressor complex. Our study demonstrates that interhemispheric communication is highly sensitive to locus-specific remodeling of neuronal chromatin, revealing the therapeutic potential for shaping the brain’s connectome via gene-targeted designer activators and repressor proteins.

scholarly journals In vivo epigenetic editing of Sema6a promoter reverses transcallosal dysconnectivity caused by C11orf46/Arl14ep risk gene

2019 ◽  
Vol 10 (1) ◽  
Author(s):  
Cyril J. Peter ◽  
Atsushi Saito ◽  
Yuto Hasegawa ◽  
Yuya Tanaka ◽  
Mohika Nagpal ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
Therapeutic Potential ◽  
Gene Promoters ◽  
Risk Genes ◽  
Risk Gene ◽  
Axonal Development ◽  
Repressor Proteins ◽  
Repressor Complex ◽  
Genes Encoding ◽  
Epigenetic Editing

Abstract Many neuropsychiatric risk genes contribute to epigenetic regulation but little is known about specific chromatin-associated mechanisms governing the formation of neuronal connectivity. Here we show that transcallosal connectivity is critically dependent on C11orf46, a nuclear protein encoded in the chromosome 11p13 WAGR risk locus. C11orf46 haploinsufficiency was associated with hypoplasia of the corpus callosum. C11orf46 knockdown disrupted transcallosal projections and was rescued by wild type C11orf46 but not the C11orf46R236H mutant associated with intellectual disability. Multiple genes encoding key regulators of axonal development, including Sema6a, were hyperexpressed in C11orf46-knockdown neurons. RNA-guided epigenetic editing of Sema6a gene promoters via a dCas9-SunTag system with C11orf46 binding normalized SEMA6A expression and rescued transcallosal dysconnectivity via repressive chromatin remodeling by the SETDB1 repressor complex. Our study demonstrates that interhemispheric communication is sensitive to locus-specific remodeling of neuronal chromatin, revealing the therapeutic potential for shaping the brain’s connectome via gene-targeted designer activators and repressor proteins.

scholarly journals Prenatal treatment with rapamycin restores enhanced hippocampal mGluR-LTD and mushroom spine size in a Down’s syndrome mouse model

2021 ◽  
Vol 14 (1) ◽  
Author(s):  
Jesús David Urbano-Gámez ◽  
Juan José Casañas ◽  
Itziar Benito ◽  
María Luz Montesinos
Keyword(s):  
Intellectual Disability ◽  
Pyramidal Neurons ◽  
Metabotropic Glutamate Receptor ◽  
Therapeutic Potential ◽  
Mammalian Target Of Rapamycin ◽  
Memory Deficits ◽  
Prenatal Treatment ◽  
Hippocampal Pyramidal Neurons ◽  
Metabotropic Glutamate ◽  
Mushroom Spines

AbstractDown syndrome (DS) is the most frequent genetic cause of intellectual disability including hippocampal-dependent memory deficits. We have previously reported hippocampal mTOR (mammalian target of rapamycin) hyperactivation, and related plasticity as well as memory deficits in Ts1Cje mice, a DS experimental model. Here we characterize the proteome of hippocampal synaptoneurosomes (SNs) from these mice, and found a predicted alteration of synaptic plasticity pathways, including long term depression (LTD). Accordingly, mGluR-LTD (metabotropic Glutamate Receptor-LTD) is enhanced in the hippocampus of Ts1Cje mice and this is correlated with an increased proportion of a particular category of mushroom spines in hippocampal pyramidal neurons. Remarkably, prenatal treatment of these mice with rapamycin has a positive pharmacological effect on both phenotypes, supporting the therapeutic potential of rapamycin/rapalogs for DS intellectual disability.

scholarly journals Defective Dendrite Elongation but Normal Fertility in Mice Lacking the Rho-Like GTPase Activator Dbl

2002 ◽  
Vol 22 (9) ◽  
pp. 3140-3148 ◽  
Author(s):  
Emilio Hirsch ◽  
Michela Pozzato ◽  
Alessandro Vercelli ◽  
Laura Barberis ◽  
Ornella Azzolino ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
Pyramidal Neurons ◽  
Embryonic Stem ◽  
Large Family ◽  
Small Gtpases ◽  
Normal Morphology ◽  
Targeted Deletion ◽  
Cortical Pyramidal Neurons ◽  
Rho Family

ABSTRACT Dbl is the prototype of a large family of GDP-GTP exchange factors for small GTPases of the Rho family. In vitro, Dbl is known to activate Rho and Cdc42 and to induce a transformed phenotype. Dbl is specifically expressed in brain and gonads, but its in vivo functions are largely unknown. To assess its role in neurogenesis and gametogenesis, targeted deletion of the murine Dbl gene was accomplished in embryonic stem cells. Dbl-null mice are viable and did not show either decreased reproductive performances or obvious neurological defects. Histological analysis of mutant testis showed normal morphology and unaltered proliferation and survival of spermatogonia. Dbl-null brains indicated a correct disposition of the major neural structures. Analysis of cortical stratification indicated that Dbl is not crucial for neuronal migration. However, in distinct populations of Dbl-null cortical pyramidal neurons, the length of dendrites was significantly reduced, suggesting a role for Dbl in dendrite elongation.

scholarly journals Distinct in vivo dynamics of excitatory synapses onto cortical pyramidal neurons and parvalbumin-positive interneurons

Cell Reports ◽  
2021 ◽  
Vol 37 (6) ◽  
pp. 109972
Author(s):  
Joshua B. Melander ◽  
Aran Nayebi ◽  
Bart C. Jongbloets ◽  
Dale A. Fortin ◽  
Maozhen Qin ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
Pyramidal Neurons ◽  
Excitatory Synapses ◽  
Cortical Pyramidal Neurons

Activation of Serotonin Receptors Modulates Synaptic Transmission in Rat Cerebral Cortex

1999 ◽  
Vol 82 (6) ◽  
pp. 2989-2999 ◽  
Author(s):  
Fu-Ming Zhou ◽  
John J. Hablitz
Keyword(s):  
Cerebral Cortex ◽  
Pyramidal Neurons ◽  
Short Pulse ◽  
Inhibitory Neurons ◽  
Cellular Mechanisms ◽  
Postsynaptic Currents ◽  
Cortical Pyramidal Neurons ◽  
Immunohistochemical Studies

The cerebral cortex receives an extensive serotonergic (5-hydroxytryptamine, 5-HT) input. Immunohistochemical studies suggest that inhibitory neurons are the main target of 5-HT innervation. In vivo extracellular recordings have shown that 5-HT generally inhibited cortical pyramidal neurons, whereas in vitro studies have shown an excitatory action. To determine the cellular mechanisms underlying the diverse actions of 5-HT in the cortex, we examined its effects on cortical inhibitory interneurons and pyramidal neurons. We found that 5-HT, through activation of 5-HT2A receptors, induced a massive enhancement of spontaneous inhibitory postsynaptic currents (sIPSCs) in pyramidal neurons, lasting for ∼6 min. In interneurons, this 5-HT-induced enhancement of sIPSCs was much weaker. Activation of 5-HT2Areceptors also increased spontaneous excitatory postsynaptic currents (sEPSCs) in pyramidal neurons. This response desensitized less and at a slower rate. In contrast, 5-HT slightly decreased evoked IPSCs (eIPSCs) and eEPSCs. In addition, 5-HT via 5-HT3 receptors evoked a large and rapidly desensitizing inward current in a subset of interneurons and induced a transient enhancement of sIPSCs. Our results suggest that 5-HT has widespread effects on both interneurons and pyramidal neurons and that a short pulse of 5-HT is likely to induce inhibition whereas the prolonged presence of 5-HT may result in excitation.

scholarly journals Jointly reduced inhibition and excitation underlies circuit-wide changes in cortical processing in Rett syndrome

2016 ◽  
Vol 113 (46) ◽  
pp. E7287-E7296 ◽  
Author(s):  
Abhishek Banerjee ◽  
Rajeev V. Rikhye ◽  
Vincent Breton-Provencher ◽  
Xin Tang ◽  
Chenchen Li ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
Rett Syndrome ◽  
Time Course ◽  
Pyramidal Neurons ◽  
Reversal Potential ◽  
Mutant Mice ◽  
Loss Of Function ◽  
Cortical Circuits ◽  
Recombinant Human Insulin ◽  
Cortical Pyramidal Neurons

Rett syndrome (RTT) arises from loss-of-function mutations in methyl-CpG binding protein 2 gene (Mecp2), but fundamental aspects of its physiological mechanisms are unresolved. Here, by whole-cell recording of synaptic responses in MeCP2 mutant mice in vivo, we show that visually driven excitatory and inhibitory conductances are both reduced in cortical pyramidal neurons. The excitation-to-inhibition (E/I) ratio is increased in amplitude and prolonged in time course. These changes predict circuit-wide reductions in response reliability and selectivity of pyramidal neurons to visual stimuli, as confirmed by two-photon imaging. Targeted recordings reveal that parvalbumin-expressing (PV+) interneurons in mutant mice have reduced responses. PV-specific MeCP2 deletion alone recapitulates effects of global MeCP2 deletion on cortical circuits, including reduced pyramidal neuron responses and reduced response reliability and selectivity. Furthermore, MeCP2 mutant mice show reduced expression of the cation-chloride cotransporter KCC2 (K+/Cl− exporter) and a reduced KCC2/NKCC1 (Na+/K+/Cl− importer) ratio. Perforated patch recordings demonstrate that the reversal potential for GABA is more depolarized in mutant mice, but is restored by application of the NKCC1 inhibitor bumetanide. Treatment with recombinant human insulin-like growth factor-1 restores responses of PV+ and pyramidal neurons and increases KCC2 expression to normalize the KCC2/NKCC1 ratio. Thus, loss of MeCP2 in the brain alters both excitation and inhibition in brain circuits via multiple mechanisms. Loss of MeCP2 from a specific interneuron subtype contributes crucially to the cell-specific and circuit-wide deficits of RTT. The joint restoration of inhibition and excitation in cortical circuits is pivotal for functionally correcting the disorder.

In vivo dendritic calcium dynamics in deep-layer cortical pyramidal neurons

10.1038/14788 ◽  
1999 ◽  
Vol 2 (11) ◽  
pp. 989-996 ◽  
Author(s):  
Fritjof Helmchen ◽  
Karel Svoboda ◽  
Winfried Denk ◽  
David W. Tank
Keyword(s):  
Pyramidal Neurons ◽  
Deep Layer ◽  
Calcium Dynamics ◽  
Cortical Pyramidal Neurons

scholarly journals Genetic and Physiological Characterization of Fructose-1,6-Bisphosphate Aldolase and Glyceraldehyde-3-Phosphate Dehydrogenase in the Crabtree-Negative Yeast Kluyveromyces lactis

2022 ◽  
Vol 23 (2) ◽  
pp. 772
Author(s):  
Rosaura Rodicio ◽  
Hans-Peter Schmitz ◽  
Jürgen J. Heinisch
Keyword(s):  
Kluyveromyces Lactis ◽  
Regulation Of Gene Expression ◽  
Carbon Sources ◽  
Pentose Phosphate ◽  
Gene Encoding ◽  
Physiological Characterization ◽  
Genes Encoding ◽  
Fructose 1,6 Bisphosphate

The milk yeast Kluyveromyces lactis degrades glucose through glycolysis and the pentose phosphate pathway and follows a mainly respiratory metabolism. Here, we investigated the role of two reactions which are required for the final steps of glucose degradation from both pathways, as well as for gluconeogenesis, namely fructose-1,6-bisphosphate aldolase (FBA) and glyceraldehyde-3-phosphate dehydrogenase (GAPDH). In silico analyses identified one gene encoding the former (KlFBA1), and three genes encoding isoforms of the latter (KlTDH1, KlTDH2, KlGDP1). Phenotypic analyses were performed by deleting the genes from the haploid K. lactis genome. While Klfba1 deletions lacked detectable FBA activity, they still grew poorly on glucose. To investigate the in vivo importance of the GAPDH isoforms, different mutant combinations were analyzed for their growth behavior and enzymatic activity. KlTdh2 represented the major glycolytic GAPDH isoform, as its lack caused a slower growth on glucose. Cells lacking both KlTdh1 and KlTdh2 failed to grow on glucose but were still able to use ethanol as sole carbon sources, indicating that KlGdp1 is sufficient to promote gluconeogenesis. Life-cell fluorescence microscopy revealed that KlTdh2 accumulated in the nucleus upon exposure to oxidative stress, suggesting a moonlighting function of this isoform in the regulation of gene expression. Heterologous complementation of the Klfba1 deletion by the human ALDOA gene renders K. lactis a promising host for heterologous expression of human disease alleles and/or a screening system for specific drugs.

scholarly journals Spectral reconstruction of phase response curves reveals the synchronization properties of mouse globus pallidus neurons

2013 ◽  
Vol 110 (10) ◽  
pp. 2497-2506 ◽  
Author(s):  
Joshua A. Goldberg ◽  
Jeremy F. Atherton ◽  
D. James Surmeier
Keyword(s):  
Pyramidal Neurons ◽  
Phase Response Curve ◽  
Numerical Models ◽  
Low Noise ◽  
Phase Response ◽  
Response Curves ◽  
Spectral Reconstruction ◽  
Cortical Pyramidal Neurons ◽  
Low Dimensional

The propensity of a neuron to synchronize is captured by its infinitesimal phase response curve (iPRC). Determining whether an iPRC is biphasic, meaning that small depolarizing perturbations can actually delay the next spike, if delivered at appropriate phases, is a daunting experimental task because negative lobes in the iPRC (unlike positive ones) tend to be small and may be occluded by the normal discharge variability of a neuron. To circumvent this problem, iPRCs are commonly derived from numerical models of neurons. Here, we propose a novel and natural method to estimate the iPRC by direct estimation of its spectral modes. First, we show analytically that the spectral modes of the iPRC of an arbitrary oscillator are readily measured by applying weak harmonic perturbations. Next, applying this methodology to biophysical neuronal models, we show that a low-dimensional spectral reconstruction is sufficient to capture the structure of the iPRC. This structure was preserved reasonably well even with added physiological scale jitter in the neuronal models. To validate the methodology empirically, we applied it first to a low-noise electronic oscillator with a known design and then to cortical pyramidal neurons, recorded in whole cell configuration, that are known to possess a monophasic iPRC. Finally, using the methodology in conjunction with perforated-patch recordings from pallidal neurons, we show, in contrast to recent modeling studies, that these neurons have biphasic somatic iPRCs. Biphasic iPRCs would cause lateral somatically targeted pallidal inhibition to desynchronize pallidal neurons, providing a plausible explanation for their lack of synchrony in vivo.

scholarly journals MicroRNAs: Diverse Mechanisms of Action and Their Potential Applications as Cancer Epi-Therapeutics

Biomolecules ◽  
2020 ◽  
Vol 10 (9) ◽  
pp. 1285
Author(s):  
Anna Sadakierska-Chudy
Keyword(s):  
Tumor Suppressor ◽  
Cancer Progression ◽  
Therapeutic Potential ◽  
Translation Regulation ◽  
Gene Promoters ◽  
Protein Coding ◽  
Mirna Genes ◽  
Potential Applications

Usually, miRNAs function post-transcriptionally, by base-pairing with the 3′UTR of target mRNAs, repressing protein synthesis in the cytoplasm. Furthermore, other regions including gene promoters, as well as coding and 5′UTR regions of mRNAs are able to interact with miRNAs. In recent years, miRNAs have emerged as important regulators of both translational and transcriptional programs. The expression of miRNA genes, similar to protein-coding genes, can be epigenetically regulated, in turn miRNA molecules (named epi-miRs) are able to regulate epigenetic enzymatic machinery. The most recent line of evidence indicates that miRNAs can influence physiological processes, such as embryonic development, cell proliferation, differentiation, and apoptosis as well as pathological processes (e.g., tumorigenesis) through epigenetic mechanisms. Some tumor types show repression of tumor-suppressor epi-miRs resulting in cancer progression and metastasis, hence these molecules have become novel therapeutic targets in the last few years. This review provides information about miRNAs involvement in the various levels of transcription and translation regulation, as well as discusses therapeutic potential of tumor-suppressor epi-miRs used in in vitro and in vivo anti-cancer therapy.

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