Article
Multidisciplinary Sciences
Ryohei Iwata, Pierre Casimir, Emir Erkol, Leila Boubakar, Melanie Planque, Isabel M. Gallego Lopez, Martyna Ditkowska, Vaiva Gaspariunaite, Sofie Beckers, Daan Remans, Katlijn Vints, Anke Vandekeere, Suresh Poovathingal, Matthew Bird, Ine Vlaeminck, Eline Creemers, Keimpe Wierda, Nikky Corthout, Pieter Vermeersch, Sebastien Carpentier, Kristofer Davie, Massimiliano Mazzone, Natalia V. Gounko, Stein Aerts, Bart Ghesquiere, Sarah-Maria Fendt, Pierre Vanderhaeghen
Summary: Compared with other mammals, the development of neuronal in the human cerebral cortex takes longer. We investigated the impact of mitochondria on the species-specific timing of cortical neuron maturation. Through comparing the maturation of human and mouse cortical neurons, we found that the mitochondria development in human cortical neurons was slower, accompanied by lower mitochondria metabolic activity, especially oxidative phosphorylation. Stimulating mitochondria metabolism in human neurons accelerated their development in vitro and in vivo, enabling them to mature weeks ahead of time, while inhibiting mitochondria in mouse neurons resulted in decreased rates of maturation. Therefore, mitochondria play a crucial role in regulating the pace of neuronal development underlying human-specific brain neoteny.
Article
Cell & Tissue Engineering
Padmina Shrestha, Anbalagan Jaganathan, Dhananjay Huilgol, Carlos Ballon, Yon Hwangbo, Alea A. Mills
Summary: Chd5 is an ATP-dependent chromatin remodeler that promotes neuronal differentiation, but its mechanism in neurogenesis is not well understood. Through transcriptional profiling of Chd5 deficient mice, we found that Chd5 regulates neurogenesis by directing stepwise transcriptional changes. Chd5 promotes the expression of Six3, a proneural transcription factor, to repress the non-canonical Wnt ligand Wnt5a during early stages of neurogenesis. This ability of Chd5 to transcriptionally repress neuronal maturation factors is critical for both lineage specification and maturation.
Article
Biology
Samuel J. Barnes, Georg B. Keller, Tara Keck
Summary: This study used two-photon imaging to observe changes in neuronal synaptic calcium signals in awake mice, revealing that spines correlated with intrinsic network activity undergo TNF-α-dependent homeostatic enhancement, while spines responsive to sensory stimulation do not. Following sensory deprivation, global sensory-evoked responses increased, despite identified sensory inputs not strengthening.
Article
Biology
Xinrui L. Zhang, William C. Spencer, Nobuko Tabuchi, Meagan M. Kitt, Evan S. Deneris, Paschalis Kratsios
Summary: The assembly of transcriptomes encoding unique neuronal identities requires selective accessibility of transcription factors to cis-regulatory sequences in nucleosome-embedded postmitotic chromatin. The study shows that unique distal enhancers define the Pet1 neuron lineage that generates serotonin neurons in mice. Pet1 and Lmx1b control chromatin accessibility to select Pet1-lineage-specific enhancers for serotonin neurotransmission.
Article
Multidisciplinary Sciences
Yujia Zhang, Jorin Riexinger, Xingyun Yang, Ellina Mikhailova, Yongcheng Jin, Linna Zhou, Hagan Bayley
Summary: A miniaturized hydrogel-based soft power source has been developed to modulate neuronal network activity without the need for metal electrodes.
Article
Neurosciences
Bruno Benedetti, Sebastien Couillard-Despres
Summary: Dormant precursors are a unique type of undifferentiated neuron found in the adult brain of several mammalian species, including humans. They differ from canonical neurogenic-niche progenitors and their awakening and maturation can have important implications for brain function and pathology.
FRONTIERS IN NEUROSCIENCE
(2022)
Article
Biochemistry & Molecular Biology
Suchetana B. Dutta, Gerit Arne Linneweber, Maheva Andriatsilavo, Peter Robin Hiesinger, Bassem A. Hassan
Summary: The development of neuronal connectivity requires stabilization of dynamic axonal branches at synapse formation sites. In the study using Drosophila brain as a model system, it was found that epidermal growth factor receptor (EGFR) activity plays a crucial role in regulating circuit wiring during two distinct temporal intervals. EGFR is required for primary axonal branching early on, and then independently required later to prevent degradation of the synaptic active zone protein Bruchpilot (Brp). This temporally restricted molecular mechanism is essential for coupling axonal branching and synaptic stabilization.
Article
Cell Biology
Samu N. Kurki, Rakenduvadhana Srinivasan, Jens Laine, Mari A. Virtanen, Tommi Ala-Kurikka, Juha Voipio, Kai Kaila
Summary: Acute neuroinflammation leads to hyperexcitability in dentate gyrus (DG) neurons, caused by disruption of neuronal chloride regulation and loss of GABAergic inhibition, resulting in cognitive impairment.
Article
Biochemistry & Molecular Biology
Semyon Kolmykov, Ivan Yevshin, Mikhail Kulyashov, Ruslan Sharipov, Yury Kondrakhin, Vsevolod J. Makeev, Ivan Kulakovskiy, Alexander Kel, Fedor Kolpakov
Summary: The Gene Transcription Regulation Database (GTRD) contains uniformly annotated NGS data related to gene transcription regulation and provides an integrated view of transcription regulation through a dedicated web interface with advanced browsing and search capabilities.
NUCLEIC ACIDS RESEARCH
(2021)
Article
Neurosciences
Alessandro Bregalda, Claudia Carducci, Maria Teresa Viscomi, Francesca Pierige, Sara Biagiotti, Michele Menotta, Federica Biancucci, Tiziana Pascucci, Vincenzo Leuzzi, Mauro Magnani, Luigia Rossi
Summary: Untreated phenylketonuria (PKU) patients and PKU animal models show hypomyelination in the central nervous system and white matter damages, which are accompanied by myelin basic protein (MBP) impairment. Despite many assumptions, the primary explanation of the mentioned cerebral outcomes remains elusive. In this study, the expression of MBP protein and mRNA in the brains of WT and ENU2 mice was analyzed throughout their lifespan, and the results revealed an unprecedented progressive MBP protein expression recovery in aged ENU2 mice. These findings suggest a potential role of differentially expressed microRNAs in modulating MBP expression and provide new insights into the understanding and treatment of PKU.
NEUROBIOLOGY OF DISEASE
(2023)
Article
Multidisciplinary Sciences
Dakota L. Jones, Grey F. Hallstroem, Xi Jiang, Ryan C. Locke, Mary Kate Evans, Edward D. Bonnevie, Anjana Srikumar, Thomas P. Leahy, Madhura P. Nijsure, Joel D. Boerckel, Robert L. Mauck, Nathaniel A. Dyment
Summary: Cells integrate mechanical cues to maintain tissue function and homeostasis, but the underlying mechanisms are not well understood. This study shows that loss of tensile cues changes nuclear morphology, positioning, and gene expression, resulting in weakening of tendons.
PROCEEDINGS OF THE NATIONAL ACADEMY OF SCIENCES OF THE UNITED STATES OF AMERICA
(2023)
Article
Cell Biology
Anna Antoniou, Loic Auderset, Lalit Kaurani, Eva Sebastian, Yuzhou Zeng, Maria Allahham, Silvia Cases-Cunillera, Susanne Schoch, Jan Gruendemann, Andre Fischer, Anja Schneider
Summary: Extracellular vesicles (EVs) play a role in cellular communication through the delivery of microRNAs (miRNAs) that regulate gene expression. This study demonstrates that brain-derived neurotrophic factor (BDNF) facilitates the sorting and delivery of specific miRNAs in neuron-derived EVs, leading to increased excitatory synapse formation and synaptic transmission. The differential expression of genes related to development and synaptogenesis, predicted targets of these miRNAs, further supports their role in modulating neural circuit connectivity. These findings contribute to a better understanding of neuropsychiatric disorders associated with aberrant neural circuitry.
Article
Developmental Biology
Julien C. Habif, Chao Xie, Carlos de Celis, Kirill Ukhanov, Warren W. Green, Jordan C. Moretta, Lian Zhang, Robert J. Campbell, Jeffrey R. Martens
Summary: Olfactory sensory neurons (OSNs) mature by developing glomeruli with multiple cilia, and a GTPase called ARL13B plays a crucial role in this maturation process. Loss of ARL13B in immature OSNs causes dysregulation of cellular homeostasis and delays the timing of maturation. Additionally, ARL13B is essential for the proper structure and innervation of glomeruli, contributing to odor detection and perception.
Article
Neurosciences
Han-Qing Pan, Xiao-Xuan Liu, Ye He, Jin Zhou, Cai-Zhi Liao, Wen-Jie You, Si-Ying Jiang, Xia Qin, Wen-Bing Chen, Er-Kang Fei, Wen-Hua Zhang, Bing-Xing Pan
Summary: This study reveals the unconventional and permissive role of extrasynaptic GABA(A) receptors in fear extinction through a route relying on nonsynaptic plasticity. The expression and function of GABA(A)(δ)R in the medial prefrontal cortex (mPFC) are positively correlated with fear extinction, and knockdown of GABA(A)(δ)R in the mPFC impairs fear extinction. Mechanistically, GABA(A)(δ)R enables the extinction-evoked plastic regulation of neuronal excitability in mPFC projection neurons.
JOURNAL OF NEUROSCIENCE
(2022)
Editorial Material
Biochemistry & Molecular Biology
Narendra P. Singh
Summary: This study demonstrates how the Hox transcription factor Ultrabithorax acts as both a repressor and an activator in a cell type-specific manner to alter chromatin accessibility and gene regulation.
