scholarly journals Roots of the Malformations of Cortical Development in the Cell Biology of Neural Progenitor Cells

2022 ◽  
Vol 15 ◽  
Author(s):  
Chiara Ossola ◽  
Nereo Kalebic
Keyword(s):  
Cerebral Cortex ◽  
Progenitor Cells ◽  
Neural Progenitor Cells ◽  
Cortical Development ◽  
Neural Progenitor ◽  
Autism Spectrum ◽  
Model Systems ◽  
Cortical Plate ◽  
Malformations Of Cortical Development ◽  
Brain Functions

The cerebral cortex is a structure that underlies various brain functions, including cognition and language. Mammalian cerebral cortex starts developing during the embryonic period with the neural progenitor cells generating neurons. Newborn neurons migrate along progenitors’ radial processes from the site of their origin in the germinal zones to the cortical plate, where they mature and integrate in the forming circuitry. Cell biological features of neural progenitors, such as the location and timing of their mitoses, together with their characteristic morphologies, can directly or indirectly regulate the abundance and the identity of their neuronal progeny. Alterations in the complex and delicate process of cerebral cortex development can lead to malformations of cortical development (MCDs). They include various structural abnormalities that affect the size, thickness and/or folding pattern of the developing cortex. Their clinical manifestations can entail a neurodevelopmental disorder, such as epilepsy, developmental delay, intellectual disability, or autism spectrum disorder. The recent advancements of molecular and neuroimaging techniques, along with the development of appropriate in vitro and in vivo model systems, have enabled the assessment of the genetic and environmental causes of MCDs. Here we broadly review the cell biological characteristics of neural progenitor cells and focus on those features whose perturbations have been linked to MCDs.

scholarly journals Dual Role of Rbpj in the Maintenance of Neural Progenitor Cells and Neuronal Migration in Cortical Development

2020 ◽  
Vol 30 (12) ◽  
pp. 6444-6457
Author(s):  
Alexander I Son ◽  
Shahid Mohammad ◽  
Toru Sasaki ◽  
Seiji Ishii ◽  
Satoshi Yamashita ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
Cerebral Cortex ◽  
Notch Signaling ◽  
Progenitor Cells ◽  
Knockout Mice ◽  
Neural Progenitor Cells ◽  
Cortical Development ◽  
Neural Progenitor ◽  
Dual Role

Abstract The development of the cerebral cortex is directed by a series of methodically precise events, including progenitor cell proliferation, neural differentiation, and cell positioning. Over the past decade, many studies have demonstrated the critical contributions of Notch signaling in neurogenesis, including that in the developing telencephalon. However, in vivo evidence for the role of Notch signaling in cortical development still remains limited partly due to the redundant functions of four mammalian Notch paralogues and embryonic lethality of the knockout mice. Here, we utilized the conditional deletion and in vivo gene manipulation of Rbpj, a transcription factor that mediates signaling by all four Notch receptors, to overcome these challenges and examined the specific roles of Rbpj in cortical development. We report severe structural abnormalities in the embryonic and postnatal cerebral cortex in Rbpj conditional knockout mice, which provide strong in vivo corroboration of previously reported functions of Notch signaling in neural development. Our results also provide evidence for a novel dual role of Rbpj in cell type-specific regulation of two key developmental events in the cerebral cortex: the maintenance of the undifferentiated state of neural progenitor cells, and the radial and tangential allocation of neurons, possibly through stage-dependent differential regulation of Ngn1.

scholarly journals KIF20A/MKLP2 regulates the division modes of neural progenitor cells during cortical development

2018 ◽  
Vol 9 (1) ◽  
Author(s):  
Anqi Geng ◽  
Runxiang Qiu ◽  
Kiyohito Murai ◽  
Jiancheng Liu ◽  
Xiwei Wu ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
Progenitor Cells ◽  
Neural Progenitor Cells ◽  
Cortical Development ◽  
Neural Progenitor

scholarly journals NCAM regulates temporal specification of neural progenitor cells via profilin2 during corticogenesis

2019 ◽  
Vol 219 (1) ◽  
Author(s):  
Rui Huang ◽  
De-Juan Yuan ◽  
Shao Li ◽  
Xue-Song Liang ◽  
Yue Gao ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
Progenitor Cells ◽  
Cortical Neurons ◽  
Actin Polymerization ◽  
Molecular Mechanisms ◽  
Neural Progenitor Cells ◽  
Cortical Development ◽  
Neural Progenitor ◽  
Neural Cell Adhesion ◽  
Fate Decision ◽  
Temporal Specification

The development of cerebral cortex requires spatially and temporally orchestrated proliferation, migration, and differentiation of neural progenitor cells (NPCs). The molecular mechanisms underlying cortical development are, however, not fully understood. The neural cell adhesion molecule (NCAM) has been suggested to play a role in corticogenesis. Here we show that NCAM is dynamically expressed in the developing cortex. NCAM expression in NPCs is highest in the neurogenic period and declines during the gliogenic period. In mice bearing an NPC-specific NCAM deletion, proliferation of NPCs is reduced, and production of cortical neurons is delayed, while formation of cortical glia is advanced. Mechanistically, NCAM enhances actin polymerization in NPCs by interacting with actin-associated protein profilin2. NCAM-dependent regulation of NPCs is blocked by mutations in the profilin2 binding site. Thus, NCAM plays an essential role in NPC proliferation and fate decision during cortical development by regulating profilin2-dependent actin polymerization.

scholarly journals SEPT7 Interacts with KIF20A and Regulates the Proliferative State of Neural Progenitor Cells During Cortical Development

2019 ◽  
Vol 30 (5) ◽  
pp. 3030-3043 ◽  
Author(s):  
Runxiang Qiu ◽  
Qiu Runxiang ◽  
Anqi Geng ◽  
Jiancheng Liu ◽  
C Wilson Xu ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
Cell Division ◽  
Progenitor Cells ◽  
Neuronal Differentiation ◽  
Cell Fate ◽  
Neural Progenitor Cells ◽  
Cortical Development ◽  
Neural Progenitor ◽  
Mammalian Brain ◽  
Additional Cell ◽  
A Cell

Abstract Balanced proliferation and differentiation of neural progenitor cells (NPCs) are critical for brain development, but how the process is regulated and what components of the cell division machinery is involved are not well understood. Here we report that SEPT7, a cell division regulator originally identified in Saccharomyces cerevisiae, interacts with KIF20A in the intercellular bridge of dividing NPCs and plays an essential role in maintaining the proliferative state of NPCs during cortical development. Knockdown of SEPT7 in NPCs results in displacement of KIF20A from the midbody and early neuronal differentiation. NPC-specific inducible knockout of Sept7 causes early cell cycle exit, precocious neuronal differentiation, and ventriculomegaly in the cortex, but surprisingly does not lead to noticeable cytokinesis defect. Our data uncover an interaction of SEPT7 and KIF20A during NPC divisions and demonstrate a crucial role of SEPT7 in cell fate determination. In addition, this study presents a functional approach for identifying additional cell fate regulators of the mammalian brain.

scholarly journals Mammalian Fat and Dachsous cadherins regulate apical membrane organization in the embryonic cerebral cortex

2009 ◽  
Vol 185 (6) ◽  
pp. 959-967 ◽  
Author(s):  
Takashi Ishiuchi ◽  
Kazuyo Misaki ◽  
Shigenobu Yonemura ◽  
Masatoshi Takeichi ◽  
Takuji Tanoue
Keyword(s):  
Cerebral Cortex ◽  
Plasma Membrane ◽  
Progenitor Cells ◽  
Neural Progenitor Cells ◽  
Apical Membrane ◽  
Neural Progenitor ◽  
Apical Plasma Membrane ◽  
Cell Contact ◽  
Membrane Organization ◽  
A Cell

Compartmentalization of the plasma membrane in a cell is fundamental for its proper functions. In this study, we present evidence that mammalian Fat4 and Dachsous1 cadherins regulate the apical plasma membrane organization in the embryonic cerebral cortex. In neural progenitor cells of the cortex, Fat4 and Dachsous1 were concentrated together in a cell–cell contact area positioned more apically than the adherens junction (AJ). These molecules interacted in a heterophilic fashion, affecting their respective protein levels. We further found that Fat4 associated and colocalized with the Pals1 complex. Ultrastructurally, the apical junctions of the progenitor cells comprised the AJ and a stretch of plasma membrane apposition extending apically from the AJ, which positionally corresponded to the Fat4–Dachsous1-positive zone. Depletion of Fat4 or Pals1 abolished this membrane apposition. These results highlight the importance of the Fat4–Dachsous1–Pals1 complex in organizing the apical membrane architecture of neural progenitor cells.

scholarly journals Genome-wide screens in accelerated human stem cell-derived neural progenitor cells identify Zika virus host factors and drivers of proliferation

2018 ◽  
Author(s):  
Michael F. Wells ◽  
Max R. Salick ◽  
Federica Piccioni ◽  
Ellen J. Hill ◽  
Jana M. Mitchell ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
Stem Cell ◽  
Progenitor Cells ◽  
Zika Virus ◽  
Large Scale ◽  
Neural Progenitor Cells ◽  
Neural Progenitor ◽  
Autism Spectrum ◽  
Host Factors ◽  
Protein Markers ◽  
Genome Wide

SUMMARYNeural progenitor cells (NPCs) are essential to brain development and their dysfunction is linked to several disorders, including autism, Zika Virus Congenital Syndrome, and cancer. Understanding of these conditions has been improved by advancements with stem cell-derived NPC models. However, current differentiation methods require many days or weeks to generate NPCs and show variability in efficacy among cell lines. Here, we describe humanStem cell-derivedNGN2-acceleratedProgenitor cells (SNaPs), which are produced in only 48 hours. SNaPs express canonical forebrain NPC protein markers, are proliferative, multipotent, and like other human NPCs, are susceptible to Zika-mediated death. We further demonstrate SNaPs are valuable for large-scale investigations of genetic and environmental influencers of neurodevelopment by deploying them for genome-wide CRISPR-Cas9 screens. Our studies expand knowledge of NPCs by identifying known and novel Zika host factors, as well as new regulators of NPC proliferation validated by re-identification of the autism spectrum genePTEN.

scholarly journals Cellular and molecular characterization of multiplex autism in human induced pluripotent stem cell-derived neurons

2019 ◽  
Author(s):  
Emily M.A. Lewis ◽  
Kesavan Meganathan ◽  
Dustin Baldridge ◽  
Paul Gontarz ◽  
Bo Zhang ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
Progenitor Cells ◽  
Neural Progenitor Cells ◽  
Phenotypic Expression ◽  
Neural Progenitor ◽  
Autism Spectrum ◽  
Cellular Systems ◽  
Transcriptomic Analysis ◽  
Unrelated Control ◽  
Altered Expression ◽  
Induced Pluripotent

AbstractBackgroundAutism spectrum disorder (ASD) is a neurodevelopmental disorder with pronounced heritability in the general population. This is largely attributable to effects of polygenic susceptibility, with inherited liability exhibiting distinct sex differences in phenotypic expression. Attempts to model ASD in human cellular systems have principally involved rarede novomutations associated with ASD phenocopies. However, by definition, these models are not representative of polygenic liability, which accounts for the vast share of population-attributable risk.MethodsHere, we performed what is, to our knowledge, the first attempt to model multiplex autism using patient-derived induced pluripotent stem cells (iPSCs) in a family manifesting incremental degrees of phenotypic expression of inherited liability (absent, intermediate, severe). The family members share an inherited variant of unknown significance inGPD2, a gene that was previously associated with developmental disability but here is insufficient by itself to cause ASD. iPSCs from three first-degree relatives and an unrelated control were differentiated into both cortical excitatory (cExN) and cortical inhibitory (cIN) neurons, and cellular phenotyping and transcriptomic analysis were conducted.ResultscExN neurospheres from the two affected individuals were reduced in size, compared to those derived from unaffected related and unrelated individuals. This reduction was, at least in part, due to increased apoptosis of cells from affected individuals upon initiation of cExN neural induction. Likewise, cIN neural progenitor cells from affected individuals exhibited increased apoptosis, compared to both unaffected individuals. Transcriptomic analysis of both cExN and cIN neural progenitor cells revealed distinct molecular signatures associated with affectation, including misregulation of suites of genes associated with neural development, neuronal function, and behavior, as well as altered expression of ASD risk-associated genes.ConclusionsWe have provided evidence of morphological, physiological, and transcriptomic signatures of polygenic liability to ASD from an analysis of cellular models derived from a multiplex autism family. ASD is commonly inherited on the basis of additive genetic liability. Therefore, identifying convergent cellular and molecular phenotypes resulting from polygenic and monogenic susceptibility may provide a critical bridge for determining which of the disparate effects of rare highly deleterious mutations might also apply to common autistic syndromes.

scholarly journals Cellular and molecular characterization of multiplex autism in human induced pluripotent stem cell-derived neurons

2019 ◽  
Vol 10 (1) ◽  
Author(s):  
Emily M. A. Lewis ◽  
Kesavan Meganathan ◽  
Dustin Baldridge ◽  
Paul Gontarz ◽  
Bo Zhang ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
Progenitor Cells ◽  
Neural Progenitor Cells ◽  
Phenotypic Expression ◽  
Neural Progenitor ◽  
Autism Spectrum ◽  
Cellular Systems ◽  
Transcriptomic Analysis ◽  
Unrelated Control ◽  
Altered Expression ◽  
Induced Pluripotent

Abstract Background Autism spectrum disorder (ASD) is a neurodevelopmental disorder with pronounced heritability in the general population. This is largely attributable to the effects of polygenic susceptibility, with inherited liability exhibiting distinct sex differences in phenotypic expression. Attempts to model ASD in human cellular systems have principally involved rare de novo mutations associated with ASD phenocopies. However, by definition, these models are not representative of polygenic liability, which accounts for the vast share of population-attributable risk. Methods Here, we performed what is, to our knowledge, the first attempt to model multiplex autism using patient-derived induced pluripotent stem cells (iPSCs) in a family manifesting incremental degrees of phenotypic expression of inherited liability (absent, intermediate, severe). The family members share an inherited variant of uncertain significance (VUS) in GPD2, a gene that was previously associated with developmental disability but here is insufficient by itself to cause ASD. iPSCs from three first-degree relatives and an unrelated control were differentiated into both cortical excitatory (cExN) and cortical inhibitory (cIN) neurons, and cellular phenotyping and transcriptomic analysis were conducted. Results cExN neurospheres from the two affected individuals were reduced in size, compared to those derived from unaffected related and unrelated individuals. This reduction was, at least in part, due to increased apoptosis of cells from affected individuals upon initiation of cExN neural induction. Likewise, cIN neural progenitor cells from affected individuals exhibited increased apoptosis, compared to both unaffected individuals. Transcriptomic analysis of both cExN and cIN neural progenitor cells revealed distinct molecular signatures associated with affectation, including the misregulation of suites of genes associated with neural development, neuronal function, and behavior, as well as altered expression of ASD risk-associated genes. Conclusions We have provided evidence of morphological, physiological, and transcriptomic signatures of polygenic liability to ASD from an analysis of cellular models derived from a multiplex autism family. ASD is commonly inherited on the basis of additive genetic liability. Therefore, identifying convergent cellular and molecular phenotypes resulting from polygenic and monogenic susceptibility may provide a critical bridge for determining which of the disparate effects of rare highly deleterious mutations might also apply to common autistic syndromes.

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