scholarly journals Deficiency in MT5-MMP Supports Branching of Human iPSCs-Derived Neurons and Reduces Expression of GLAST/S100 in iPSCs-Derived Astrocytes

Cells ◽  
2021 ◽  
Vol 10 (7) ◽  
pp. 1705
Author(s):  
Nikita Arnst ◽  
Pedro Belio-Mairal ◽  
Laura García-González ◽  
Laurie Arnaud ◽  
Louise Greetham ◽  
...  

For some time, it has been accepted that the β-site APP cleaving enzyme 1 (BACE1) and the γ-secretase are two main players in the amyloidogenic processing of the β-amyloid precursor protein (APP). Recently, the membrane-type 5 matrix metalloproteinase (MT5-MMP/MMP-24), mainly expressed in the nervous system, has been highlighted as a new key player in APP-processing, able to stimulate amyloidogenesis and also to generate a neurotoxic APP derivative. In addition, the loss of MT5-MMP has been demonstrated to abrogate pathological hallmarks in a mouse model of Alzheimer’s disease (AD), thus shedding light on MT5-MMP as an attractive new therapeutic target. However, a more comprehensive analysis of the role of MT5-MMP is necessary to evaluate how its targeting affects neurons and glia in pathological and physiological situations. In this study, leveraging on CRISPR-Cas9 genome editing strategy, we established cultures of human-induced pluripotent stem cells (hiPSC)-derived neurons and astrocytes to investigate the impact of MT5-MMP deficiency on their phenotypes. We found that MT5-MMP-deficient neurons exhibited an increased number of primary and secondary neurites, as compared to isogenic hiPSC-derived neurons. Moreover, MT5-MMP-deficient astrocytes displayed higher surface area and volume compared to control astrocytes. The MT5-MMP-deficient astrocytes also exhibited decreased GLAST and S100β expression. These findings provide novel insights into the physiological role of MT5-MMP in human neurons and astrocytes, suggesting that therapeutic strategies targeting MT5-MMP should be controlled for potential side effects on astrocytic physiology and neuronal morphology.

2021 ◽  
Author(s):  
Magdalena Antonino ◽  
Paula Marmo ◽  
Carlos Leandro Freites ◽  
Gonzalo Quassollo ◽  
Maria Florencia Sanchez ◽  
...  

ABSTRACTAlzheimer’s disease (AD) is characterized by a cognitive impairment associated to amyloid beta (Aβ) aggregation and deposition in the brain. Aβ is generated by sequential cleavage of the amyloid precursor protein (APP) by β-site APP cleaving enzyme 1 (BACE1) and γ-secretase complex. The mechanisms that underlie exacerbated production of Aβ, favoring its deposition in the brain, is largely unknown. In vitro studies have shown that Aβ aggregates trigger enhanced production of Aβ by a yet non described mechanism. Here, we show that in different cell types, including human neurons derived from induced pluripotent stem cells (iPSC), oligomers and fibrils of Aβ enhance the convergence and interaction of APP and BACE1 in endosomal compartments. We demonstrated a key role of Aβ-APP/Go/Gβγ signaling on the amyloidogenic processing of APP. We show that APP mutants with impaired capacity to bind Aβ or to activate Go protein, are unable to exacerbate APP and BACE1 colocalization in the presence of Aβ. Moreover, pharmacological inhibition of Gβγ subunits signaling with gallein, abrogate Aβ-dependent interaction of APP and BACE1 in endosomes preventing β-processing of APP. Collectively, these findings uncover a feed-forward mechanism of amyloidogenesis that might contribute to Aβ pathology in early stages of AD and suggest that gallein might have clinical relevance.


Author(s):  
Lorenzo Cangiano ◽  
Sabrina Asteriti

AbstractIn the vertebrate retina, signals generated by cones of different spectral preference and by highly sensitive rod photoreceptors interact at various levels to extract salient visual information. The first opportunity for such interaction is offered by electrical coupling of the photoreceptors themselves, which is mediated by gap junctions located at the contact points of specialised cellular processes: synaptic terminals, telodendria and radial fins. Here, we examine the evolutionary pressures for and against interphotoreceptor coupling, which are likely to have shaped how coupling is deployed in different species. The impact of coupling on signal to noise ratio, spatial acuity, contrast sensitivity, absolute and increment threshold, retinal signal flow and colour discrimination is discussed while emphasising available data from a variety of vertebrate models spanning from lampreys to primates. We highlight the many gaps in our knowledge, persisting discrepancies in the literature, as well as some major unanswered questions on the actual extent and physiological role of cone-cone, rod-cone and rod-rod communication. Lastly, we point toward limited but intriguing evidence suggestive of the ancestral form of coupling among ciliary photoreceptors.


2019 ◽  
Vol 10 (1) ◽  
Author(s):  
Monica Frega ◽  
Katrin Linda ◽  
Jason M. Keller ◽  
Güvem Gümüş-Akay ◽  
Britt Mossink ◽  
...  

Abstract Kleefstra syndrome (KS) is a neurodevelopmental disorder caused by mutations in the histone methyltransferase EHMT1. To study the impact of decreased EHMT1 function in human cells, we generated excitatory cortical neurons from induced pluripotent stem (iPS) cells derived from KS patients. Neuronal networks of patient-derived cells exhibit network bursting with a reduced rate, longer duration, and increased temporal irregularity compared to control networks. We show that these changes are mediated by upregulation of NMDA receptor (NMDAR) subunit 1 correlating with reduced deposition of the repressive H3K9me2 mark, the catalytic product of EHMT1, at the GRIN1 promoter. In mice EHMT1 deficiency leads to similar neuronal network impairments with increased NMDAR function. Finally, we rescue the KS patient-derived neuronal network phenotypes by pharmacological inhibition of NMDARs. Summarized, we demonstrate a direct link between EHMT1 deficiency and NMDAR hyperfunction in human neurons, providing a potential basis for more targeted therapeutic approaches for KS.


2021 ◽  
Vol 22 (17) ◽  
pp. 9460
Author(s):  
Helmut Segner ◽  
Christyn Bailey ◽  
Carolina Tafalla ◽  
Jun Bo

The impact of anthropogenic contaminants on the immune system of fishes is an issue of growing concern. An important xenobiotic receptor that mediates effects of chemicals, such as halogenated aromatic hydrocarbons (HAHs) and polyaromatic hydrocarbons (PAHs), is the aryl hydrocarbon receptor (AhR). Fish toxicological research has focused on the role of this receptor in xenobiotic biotransformation as well as in causing developmental, cardiac, and reproductive toxicity. However, biomedical research has unraveled an important physiological role of the AhR in the immune system, what suggests that this receptor could be involved in immunotoxic effects of environmental contaminants. The aims of the present review are to critically discuss the available knowledge on (i) the expression and possible function of the AhR in the immune systems of teleost fishes; and (ii) the impact of AhR-activating xenobiotics on the immune systems of fish at the levels of immune gene expression, immune cell proliferation and immune cell function, immune pathology, and resistance to infectious disease. The existing information indicates that the AhR is expressed in the fish immune system, but currently, we have little understanding of its physiological role. Exposure to AhR-activating contaminants results in the modulation of numerous immune structural and functional parameters of fish. Despite the diversity of fish species studied and the experimental conditions investigated, the published findings rather uniformly point to immunosuppressive actions of xenobiotic AhR ligands in fish. These effects are often associated with increased disease susceptibility. The fact that fish populations from HAH- and PAH-contaminated environments suffer immune disturbances and elevated disease susceptibility highlights that the immunotoxic effects of AhR-activating xenobiotics bear environmental relevance.


2019 ◽  
Vol 85 (6) ◽  
Author(s):  
Sarah Piché-Choquette ◽  
Philippe Constant

ABSTRACTThe atmosphere of the early Earth is hypothesized to have been rich in reducing gases such as hydrogen (H2). H2has been proposed as the first electron donor leading to ATP synthesis due to its ubiquity throughout the biosphere as well as its ability to easily diffuse through microbial cells and its low activation energy requirement. Even today, hydrogenase enzymes enabling the production and oxidation of H2are found in thousands of genomes spanning the three domains of life across aquatic, terrestrial, and even host-associated ecosystems. Even though H2has already been proposed as a universal growth and maintenance energy source, its potential contribution as a driver of biogeochemical cycles has received little attention. Here, we bridge this knowledge gap by providing an overview of the classification, distribution, and physiological role of hydrogenases. Distribution of these enzymes in various microbial functional groups and recent experimental evidence are finally integrated to support the hypothesis that H2-oxidizing microbes are keystone species driving C cycling along O2concentration gradients found in H2-rich soil ecosystems. In conclusion, we suggest focusing on the metabolic flexibility of H2-oxidizing microbes by combining community-level and individual-level approaches aiming to decipher the impact of H2on C cycling and the C-cycling potential of H2-oxidizing microbes, via both culture-dependent and culture-independent methods, to give us more insight into the role of H2as a driver of biogeochemical processes.


Lupus ◽  
2010 ◽  
Vol 19 (4) ◽  
pp. 379-384 ◽  
Author(s):  
E. Matsuura ◽  
L. Shen ◽  
Y. Matsunami ◽  
N. Quan ◽  
M. Makarova ◽  
...  

Since β2-glycoprotein I (β2GPI) was described as the major antigenic target for antiphospholipid antibodies, many studies have focused their attention to the physiological role of β2GPI and anti-β2GPI antibodies on autoimmune-mediated thrombosis. Studies reporting the physiological role of β2GPI have been numerous, but the exact mechanism of action(s) has yet to be completely determined. β2GPI’s epitopes for anti-β2GPI autoantibodies have been characterized, however, not all of the heterogeneous anti-β2GPI antibodies are pathogenic. The pathophysiologic role of β2GPI has been reported in the fields of coagulation, fibrinolysis, angiogenesis, and atherosclerosis. Our understanding of the impact of β2GPI, its metabolites and autoantibodies to β2GPI on these physiological functions may contribute to the development of better therapeutic strategies to treat and prevent autoimmune-mediated atherothrombotic vascular disease. Lupus (2010) 19, 379—384.


2006 ◽  
Vol 191 (1) ◽  
pp. 197-205 ◽  
Author(s):  
Takaharu Maruyama ◽  
Kenichi Tanaka ◽  
Jun Suzuki ◽  
Hiroyuki Miyoshi ◽  
Naomoto Harada ◽  
...  

G protein-coupled bile acid receptor 1 (Gpbar1/M-Bar) is a novel G protein-coupled receptor for bile acid. Tissue distribution and cell-type specificity of Gpbar1 mRNA suggest a potential role for the receptor in the endocrine system; however, the precise physiological role of Gpbar1 still remains to be elucidated. To investigate the role of Gpbar1 in vivo, the Gpbar1 gene was disrupted in mice. In homozygous mice, total bile acid pool size was significantly decreased by 21–25% compared with that of the wild-type mice, suggesting that Gpbar1 contributes to bile acid homeostasis. In order to assess the impact of Gpbar1 deficiency in bile acid homeostasis more precisely, Gpbar1 homozygous mice were fed a high-fat diet for 2 months. As a result, female Gpbar1 homozygous mice showed significant fat accumulation with body weight gain compared with that of the wild-type mice. These findings were also observed in heterozygous mice to the same extent. Although the precise mechanism for fat accumulation in female Gpbar1 homozygous mice remains to be addressed, these data indicate that Gpbar1 is a potential new player in energy homeostasis. Thus, Gpbar1-deficient mice are useful in elucidating new physiological roles for Gpbar1.


2020 ◽  
Author(s):  
Christos Galanis ◽  
Meike Fellenz ◽  
Denise Becker ◽  
Charlotte Bold ◽  
Stefan F. Lichtenthaler ◽  
...  

ABSTRACTThe physiological role of the amyloid-precursor protein (APP) is insufficiently understood. Recent work has implicated APP in the regulation of synaptic plasticity. Substantial evidence exists for a role of APP and its secreted ectodomain APPsα in Hebbian plasticity. Here, we addressed the relevance of APP in homeostatic synaptic plasticity using organotypic tissue cultures of APP−/− mice. In the absence of APP, dentate granule cells failed to strengthen their excitatory synapses homeostatically. Homeostatic plasticity is rescued by amyloid-β (Aβ) and not by APPsα, and it is neither observed in APP+/+ tissue treated with β- or γ-secretase inhibitors nor in synaptopodin-deficient cultures lacking the Ca2+-dependent molecular machinery of the spine apparatus. Together, these results suggest a role of APP processing via the amyloidogenic pathway in homeostatic synaptic plasticity, representing a function of relevance for brain physiology as well as for brain states associated with increased Aβ levels.


2018 ◽  
Author(s):  
Carole Shum ◽  
Lucia Dutan ◽  
Emily Annuario ◽  
Katherine Warre-Cornish ◽  
Samuel E. Taylor ◽  
...  

AbstractEndocannabinoids regulate different aspects of neurodevelopment. In utero exposure to the exogenous psychoactive cannabinoid Δ9-tetrahydrocannabinol (Δ9-THC), has been linked with abnormal cortical development in animal models. However, much less is known about the actions of endocannabinoids in human neurons. Here we investigated the effect of the endogenous endocannabinoid 2-arachidonoyl glycerol (2AG) and Δ9-THC on the development of neuronal morphology and activation of signaling kinases, in cortical glutamatergic neurons derived from human induced pluripotent stem cells (hiPSCs). Our data indicate that the cannabinoid type 1 receptor (CB1R), but not the cannabinoid 2 receptor (CB2R), GPR55 or TRPV1 receptors, is expressed in young, immature hiPSC-derived cortical neurons. Consistent with previous reports, 2AG and Δ9-THC negatively regulated neurite outgrowth. Interestingly, acute exposure to both 2AG and Δ9-THC inhibited phosphorylation of serine/threonine kinase extracellular signal-regulated protein kinases (ERK1/2), whereas Δ9-THC also reduced phosphorylation of Akt (aka PKB). Moreover, the CB1R inverse agonist SR 141716A attenuated the negative regulation of neurite outgrowth and ERK1/2 phosphorylation induced by 2AG and Δ9-THC. Taken together, our data suggest that hiPSC-derived cortical neurons express CB1Rs and are responsive to both endogenous and exogenous cannabinoids. Thus, hiPSC-neurons may represent a good cellular model for investigating the role of the endocannabinoid system in regulating cellular processes in human neurons.


2011 ◽  
Vol 2011 ◽  
pp. 1-16 ◽  
Author(s):  
Stephen W. Briggs ◽  
Aristea S. Galanopoulou

The incidence of seizures is particularly high in the early ages of life. The immaturity of inhibitory systems, such as GABA, during normal brain development and its further dysregulation under pathological conditions that predispose to seizures have been speculated to play a major role in facilitating seizures. Seizures can further impair or disrupt GABAAsignaling by reshuffling the subunit composition of its receptors or causing aberrant reappearance of depolarizing or hyperpolarizing GABAAreceptor currents. Such effects may not result in epileptogenesis as frequently as they do in adults. Given the central role of GABAAsignaling in brain function and development, perturbation of its physiological role may interfere with neuronal morphology, differentiation, and connectivity, manifesting as cognitive or neurodevelopmental deficits. The current GABAergic antiepileptic drugs, while often effective for adults, are not always capable of stopping seizures and preventing their sequelae in neonates. Recent studies have explored the therapeutic potential of chloride cotransporter inhibitors, such as bumetanide, as adjunctive therapies of neonatal seizures. However, more needs to be known so as to develop therapies capable of stopping seizures while preserving the age- and sex-appropriate development of the brain.


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