Reprogramming Mu?ller glia to regenerate ganglion-like cells in adult mouse retina with developmental transcription factors

Many neurodegenerative diseases cause degeneration of specific types of neurons. For example, glaucoma leads to death of retinal ganglion cells, leaving other neurons intact. Neurons are not regenerated in the adult mammalian central nervous system. However, in nonmammalian vertebrates, glial cells spontaneously reprogram into neural progenitors and replace neurons after injury. We have recently developed strategies to stimulate regeneration of functional neurons in the adult mouse retina by overexpressing the proneural factor Ascl1 in Mu''ller glia. Here, we test additional transcription factors (TFs) for their ability to direct regeneration to particular types of retinal neurons. We engineered mice to express different combinations of TFs in Mu''ller glia, including Ascl1, Pou4f2, Islet1, and Atoh1. Using immunohistochemistry, single-cell RNA sequencing, single-cell assay for transposase-accessible chromatin sequencing, and electrophysiology, we find that retinal ganglion- like cells can be regenerated in the damaged adult mouse retina in vivo with targeted overexpression of devel-opmental retinal ganglion cell TFs.

Automated summary

Many neurodegenerative diseases cause the degeneration of specific types of neurons. While neurons in the adult mammalian central nervous system cannot be regenerated, glial cells in nonmammalian vertebrates can spontaneously reprogram into neural progenitors and replace damaged neurons. In this study, researchers successfully stimulated the regeneration of functional neurons in the adult mouse retina by overexpressing certain transcription factors in Müller glia cells.