Article
Cell Biology
Nathalia C. Oliveira, Fabiele B. Russo, Patricia Beltrao-Braga
Summary: This study aimed to establish a method for differentiating sensory neurons from induced pluripotent stem cells (iPSCs) derived from human exfoliated deciduous teeth (SHED), which have the same embryonic origin as the peripheral nervous system (PNS). The protocol successfully differentiated neural crest and PNS cells from SHED-derived iPSCs, providing a platform for future studies on PNS pathologies.
FRONTIERS IN CELL AND DEVELOPMENTAL BIOLOGY
(2023)
Review
Endocrinology & Metabolism
Bayley J. Waters, Barak Blum
Summary: Growing evidence suggests that axon guidance molecules play a crucial role in islet morphogenesis and function by regulating cell migration and cell-cell communication.
FRONTIERS IN ENDOCRINOLOGY
(2022)
Article
Neurosciences
Emily Holt, Danielle Stanton-Turcotte, Angelo Iulianella
Summary: This article discusses the importance of integrating sensory information for an animal's movement through their environment and maintenance of homeostatic physiology. It covers the origins and development of the dorsal root ganglia (DRG) and the cells that populate it, as well as the diverse developmental and molecular processes that control sensory connectivity to the spinal cord.
Review
Cell Biology
Alison Koontz, Hugo A. Urrutia, Marianne E. Bronner
Summary: During development of the vertebrate sensory system, neural crest and cranial ectodermal placodes play crucial roles in the formation of various peripheral sensory structures. Their interaction and contribution are key for the development of the lens, olfactory, otic, pituitary gland, and cranial ganglia. This review explores the origin of these cells and the signals that influence their specification, as well as the molecular pathways that contribute to the complex sensory system from an evolutionary perspective.
SEMINARS IN CELL & DEVELOPMENTAL BIOLOGY
(2023)
Article
Oncology
Yu-Hsuan Hung, Ya-Chin Hou, Shih-Han Hsu, Li-Yun Wang, Ya-Li Tsai, Yan-Shen Shan, Yung-Yeh Su, Wen-Chun Hung, Li-Tzong Chen
Summary: Perineural invasion and neurogenesis are common in pancreatic ductal adenocarcinoma (PDAC), and upregulated expression of semaphorin 3A (SEMA3A) is observed in PDAC. This study found that cancer-secreted SEMA3A promotes neural migration, neurite outgrowth, and neural recruitment, and these effects are dependent on the activation of receptors PLXNA1, NRP2, and MAPK. Inhibition of SEMA3A can reduce neural recruitment, tumor growth, and dissemination in PDAC.
AMERICAN JOURNAL OF CANCER RESEARCH
(2023)
Article
Neurosciences
Luis F. Martins, Ilaria Brambilla, Alessia Motta, Stefano de Pretis, Ganesh Parameshwar Bhat, Aurora Badaloni, Chiara Malpighi, Neal D. Amin, Fumiyasu Imai, Ramiro D. Almeida, Yutaka Yoshida, Samuel L. Pfaff, Dario Bonanomi
Summary: The close apposition of neurons and endothelial cells is crucial for the function of the nervous system. Motor neurons release a signaling molecule called Sema3C to repel endothelial cells and promote axon growth. The Plexin-D1 receptor in endothelial cells is found to be necessary for the development of neuromuscular connectivity. This study provides insights into the mechanisms that enable the avoidance of detrimental axon-endothelial encounters and facilitate vascularization within the nervous system.
Article
Biochemistry & Molecular Biology
Chinh Thanh Nguyen, Van Minh Nguyen, Sangyun Jeong
Summary: The role of Off-track receptor tyrosine kinase (OTK) in motor axon pathfinding in Drosophila is not well understood. This study found that OTK mediates forward and reverse signaling in intersegmental nerve b (ISNb) motor axon pathfinding and interacts with the Sema-1a/PlexA and Wnt signaling pathways.
INSECT BIOCHEMISTRY AND MOLECULAR BIOLOGY
(2022)
Review
Cell Biology
Eloisa Herrera, Augusto Escalante
Summary: The development of the nervous system involves neurogenesis, neuronal specification, axonal navigation, and circuits assembly. The growth cone located at the tip of the axon plays a crucial role in guiding axons towards their final targets. The transcriptional control and epigenetic regulation of axon guidance molecules are important for determining specific axonal behaviors.
FRONTIERS IN CELL AND DEVELOPMENTAL BIOLOGY
(2022)
Review
Biochemistry & Molecular Biology
Azel Zine, Bernd Fritzsch
Summary: Sensorineural hearing loss is a common sensory deficit in humans, mainly caused by the degeneration of key structures in the cochlea. Cell-based strategies are being extensively researched to replace damaged inner ear tissue and restore hearing function. Experimental in vitro models that mimic the early development of the inner ear are crucial for these treatment approaches. This review highlights the developmental events and cellular transformations involved in the formation of the inner ear and its sensory cells.
INTERNATIONAL JOURNAL OF MOLECULAR SCIENCES
(2023)
Review
Developmental Biology
Hugo Juraver-Geslin, Arun Devotta, Jean-Pierre Saint-Jeannet
Summary: Natriuretic peptides and their receptors play a role in controlling blood pressure, bone growth, and cardiovascular and renal homeostasis by modulating intracellular levels of cGMP and cAMP. Their functions have diverged between adults and embryos, regulating a diverse array of biological processes.
CELLS & DEVELOPMENT
(2023)
Article
Developmental Biology
Aliia Murtazina, Igor Adameyko
Summary: The peripheral nervous system is a heterogeneous system with diverse functions, including communication between the brain and the body, control of development and regeneration. It can be divided into sensory, motor, autonomic and enteric domains. Recent advances in single-cell transcriptomics have revealed new neuronal subtypes and improved cell-type classifications. This article discusses the roles, origin and heterogeneity of the peripheral nervous system, highlighting recent discoveries and future perspectives.
Article
Developmental Biology
Fumiyasu Imai, Mike Adam, S. Steven Potter, Yutaka Yoshida
Summary: The study reveals the crucial role of HoxD family transcription factors in the specificity of monosynaptic sensory-motor connections in the spinal cord. Mice lacking Hoxd9, Hoxd10 and Hoxd11 show locomotion defects and aberrant axon development in quadriceps motor neurons.
Article
Biology
Sang Hwa Kim, Kye D. Nichols, Eric N. Anderson, Yining Liu, Nandini Ramesh, Weiyan Jia, Connor J. Kuerbis, Mark Scalf, Lloyd M. Smith, Udai Bhan Pandey, Randal S. Tibbetts, Jeannie Chin
Summary: Mutations in UBQLN2 cause X-linked forms of ALS and FTD, but the underlying mechanisms are unknown. Studying ALS-associated mutants of UBQLN2 in Drosophila, it was found that they trigger heat stress-dependent neurodegeneration. A genetic modifier screen identified endolysosomal and axon guidance genes, including the netrin receptor Unc-5, as key regulators of UBQLN2 toxicity. Reduced dosage of Unc-5 or its coreceptor Dcc/frazzled alleviated neurodegenerative phenotypes in flies expressing UBQLN2(ALS) alleles. Further experiments using iPSCs and iMNs demonstrated lysosomal defects and cytosolic UBQLN2 inclusions, neurite complexity reduction, and growth cone defects, which were partially reversed by silencing of UNC5B and DCC. These findings suggest altered growth cone dynamics as a conserved pathomechanism in UBQLN2-associated ALS/FTD.
Review
Biochemistry & Molecular Biology
Jonathan H. P. Dawes, Robert N. Kelsh
Summary: The neural crest demonstrates remarkable multipotency, generating various cell types including pigment cells and skeletogenic cells. The control mechanism of this process has been debated for over 35 years. A new dynamic model based on zebrafish pigment cell development has been proposed, potentially resolving the controversy and changing our understanding of fate specification, differentiation, and commitment processes.
INTERNATIONAL JOURNAL OF MOLECULAR SCIENCES
(2021)
Article
Cell Biology
Maud Wurmser, Mridula Muppavarapu, Christine Mary Tait, Christophe Laumonnerie, Luz Maria Gonzalez-Castrillon, Sara Ivy Wilson
Summary: The correct organization and connectivity of neurons rely on the complex development from neural stem cell domains, with a significant role played by Robo2, particularly during embryonic stages in influencing axon guidance and cell body migration of dI1 neurons.
FRONTIERS IN CELL AND DEVELOPMENTAL BIOLOGY
(2021)
Article
Multidisciplinary Sciences
Juliane Schiweck, Kai Murk, Julia Ledderose, Agnieszka Muenster-Wandowski, Marta Ornaghi, Imre Vida, Britta J. Eickholt
Summary: The study reveals that brain injury in mice leads to an upregulation of DBN protein in astrocytes, which is crucial for scar formation and maintenance of astrocyte reactivity. DBN-mediated membrane trafficking serves as an important neuroprotective mechanism following traumatic brain injury in mice.
NATURE COMMUNICATIONS
(2021)
Review
Peripheral Vascular Disease
Giovanni Canu, Christiana Ruhrberg
Summary: Hematopoiesis in vertebrate embryos involves multiple stages, including primitive and definitive hematopoiesis, with a shift in cell identity achieved through endothelial-to-hematopoietic transition. This process generates a variety of blood cells in the fetus and adult, with hematopoietic stem cells playing a crucial role in sustaining adult hematopoiesis. Recent studies have provided insights into the molecular mechanisms driving the hemato-endothelial transcription program for EHT, as well as the use of human pluripotent stem cells for modeling fetal hematopoiesis and regenerative medicine applications.
Article
Cell Biology
Simon P. Windley, Chloe Mayere, Alice E. McGovern, Natasha L. Harvey, Serge Nef, Quenten Schwarz, Sharad Kumar, Dagmar Wilhelm
Summary: This study reveals an important role for the ubiquitin-protein ligase NEDD4 in testis sex determination and development. Lack of NEDD4 leads to male-to-female sex reversal in mice, as well as aberrant regulation of testis differentiation. Furthermore, NEDD4 deficiency results in ectopic upregulation of SYCP3 expression in germ cells.
CELL DEATH & DISEASE
(2022)
Article
Genetics & Heredity
Jacinta I. Kalisch-Smith, Emily C. Morris, Mary A. A. Strevens, Andia N. Redpath, Kostantinos Klaourakis, Dorota Szumska, Jennifer E. Outhwaite, Xin Sun, Joaquim Miguel Vieira, Nicola Smart, Sarah De Val, Paul R. Riley, Duncan B. Sparrow
Summary: The placental vasculature plays an important role in embryo development, but it has been understudied in mice. This study characterized the arterial and venous endothelial cells in the mouse placenta using molecular markers and found that placental endothelial cells may be unique compared to embryonic endothelial cells. Additionally, the study revealed that heart defects can cause defects in placental arterial formation.
FRONTIERS IN GENETICS
(2022)
Article
Clinical Neurology
Julia M. T. Ledderose, Jorge A. Benitez, Amanda J. Roberts, Rachel Reed, Willem Bintig, Matthew E. Larkum, Robert N. S. Sachdev, Frank Furnari, Britta J. Eickholt
Summary: PTEN mutations are associated with autism spectrum disorders and regulate neuron size and connectivity in brain circuits involved in sensory processing. Knock-in mice with PTEN T366 substitution exhibit cognitive deficits and selective sensory impairments. Differences in connectivity to the primary somatosensory cortex are observed in Pten(T366A/T366A) brains.
Article
Multidisciplinary Sciences
Iman Lohraseb, Peter McCarthy, Genevieve Secker, Ceilidh Marchant, Jianmin Wu, Naveid Ali, Sharad Kumar, Roger J. Daly, Natasha L. Harvey, Hiroshi Kawabe, Oded Kleifeld, Sophie Wiszniak, Quenten Schwarz
Summary: This study uncovers the important role of NEDD4-mediated ubiquitination in neural crest cell development, regulating the ubiquitination and turnover of Profilin 1 to modulate actin polymerization.
NATURE COMMUNICATIONS
(2022)
Review
Neurosciences
Joachim Fuchs, Shannon Bareesel, Cristina Kroon, Alexandra Polyzou, Britta J. Eickholt, George Leondaritis
Summary: This article discusses the crucial role of phospholipid phosphatase-related proteins (PLPPRs) in the nervous system, particularly in neuronal growth and synaptic transmission. It also highlights their association with various neurological disorders.
FRONTIERS IN MOLECULAR NEUROSCIENCE
(2022)
Article
Allergy
Kwok Ho Yip, Jessica Chao, Carl Coolen, Harshita Pant, Anita Kral, William Smith, Quenten Schwarz, Michele A. Grimbaldeston, Stuart Pitson, Angel F. Lopez, Joanna Woodcock, Damon J. Tumes
Summary: This study found that 14-3-3z protein plays a positive regulatory role in IgE-dependent activation of mast cells (MCs). It suggests that targeting this pathway could be a potential treatment for MC-mediated inflammatory diseases.
JOURNAL OF ALLERGY AND CLINICAL IMMUNOLOGY
(2023)
Article
Cell Biology
Holly K. Voges, Simon R. Foster, Liam Reynolds, Benjamin L. Parker, Lynn Devilee, Gregory A. Quaife-Ryan, Patrick R. J. Fortuna, Ellen Mathieson, Rebecca Fitzsimmons, Mary Lor, Christopher Batho, Janice Reid, Mark Pocock, Clayton E. Friedman, Dalia Mizikovsky, Mathias Francois, Nathan J. Palpant, Elise J. Needham, Marina Peralta, Gonzalo del Monte-Nieto, Lynelle K. Jones, Ian M. Smyth, Neda R. Mehdiabadi, Francesca Bolk, Vaibhao Janbandhu, Ernestene Yao, Richard P. Harvey, James J. H. Chong, David A. Elliott, Edouard G. Stanley, Sophie Wiszniak, Quenten Schwarz, David E. James, Richard J. Mills, Enzo R. Porrello, James E. Hudson
Summary: Communication between different types of cardiac cells is crucial for optimal heart performance. Our study demonstrates that vascular cells in human cardiac organoids improve their maturation, contraction strength, and disease modeling capabilities. We have developed a protocol to generate vascular populations along with other cell types, and these cells self-organize into structures resembling in-vivo conditions. We have identified specific mechanisms of communication between endothelial cells, pericytes, fibroblasts, and cardiomyocytes, which contribute to the maturation of cardiac organoids.
Article
Multidisciplinary Sciences
Elizabeth M. Davies, Rajendra Gurung, Kai Qin Le, Katherine T. T. Roan, Richard P. Harvey, Geraldine M. Mitchell, Quenten Schwarz, Christina A. Mitchell
Summary: Dynamic positioning of endothelial tip and stalk cells is essential for angiogenesis, which is regulated by the interplay between VEGFR2 and NOTCH signaling. PI(4,5)P2 hydrolysis by INPP5K contributes to angiogenesis by regulating tip cell specification and DLL4/NOTCH signaling. The inhibition of INPP5K increases PI(4,5)P2 levels, leading to the release of II-catenin from the plasma membrane and activation of AKT signaling, which enhances DLL4/NOTCH transcription.
Article
Developmental Biology
Elena Ceccacci, Emanuela Villa, Fabio Santoro, Saverio Minucci, Christiana Ruhrberg, Alessandro Fantin
Summary: We generated a scRNA-seq dataset from a whole mouse E12.5 liver, including all liver cell populations, to obtain a refined single cell landscape of haematopoiesis. Our findings confirm previous reports on the timing of liver colonisation by haematopoietic progenitors and the emergence of differentiated lineages, and provide further molecular characterisation. Additionally, we discovered a foetal intermediate haemoglobin profile and a previously unidentified population of primitive erythroid cells in the foetal liver.
JOURNAL OF DEVELOPMENTAL BIOLOGY
(2023)
Article
Neurosciences
Julia M. T. Ledderose, Timothy A. Zolnik, Maria Toumazou, Thorsten Trimbuch, Christian Rosenmund, Britta J. Eickholt, Dieter Jaeger, Matthew E. Larkum, Robert N. S. Sachdev
Summary: We studied the input to layer 1 of the mouse somatosensory cortex using retrograde tracing and optogenetics. Results indicate that the local input primarily comes from layers 2/3 and 5 pyramidal neurons and interneurons, with different probabilities of projection from different types of local neurons. Long-range input mainly originates from layers 2/3 neurons in the sensory-motor cortices. Optogenetic experiments also revealed the relationship between layer 5 pyramidal neurons and layer 1 interneurons and apical tuft dendrites.
Review
Cell Biology
Daniel Bishop, Quenten Schwarz, Sophie Wiszniak
Summary: Endothelial cells actively regulate tissue development and organ function, and play roles in disease and cancer through angiocrine signaling.
FRONTIERS IN CELL AND DEVELOPMENTAL BIOLOGY
(2023)
Article
Biochemistry & Molecular Biology
Samuel Hogarth, Emily J. Jaehne, Xiangjun Xu, Quenten Schwarz, Maarten van den Buuse
Summary: The aim of this study was to investigate the role of BDNF and dopamine D3 receptors in the effects of chronic methamphetamine on prepulse inhibition (PPI), an endophenotype of psychosis. The results showed that chronic methamphetamine disrupted PPI regulation in male mice with BDNF haploinsufficiency, regardless of D3 receptor knockout. However, there were no effects of BDNF heterozygosity or D3 knockout on PPI regulation in female mice. These findings suggest a significant involvement of BDNF in the long-term effects of methamphetamine on PPI, particularly in male mice.
Article
Cardiac & Cardiovascular Systems
Niklas Hegemann, Willem Bintig, Paul-Lennard Perret, Judith Rees, Alessandra Viperino, Britta Eickholt, Wolfgang M. M. Kuebler, Michael Hoepfner, Bianca Nitzsche, Jana Grune
Summary: Preclinical cardiovascular research heavily relies on non-invasive echocardiography in mice and rats to assess cardiac function and morphology. This study tested the feasibility of using an in-ovo system of incubated chicken eggs interfaced with small animal echocardiography as an alternative tool for cardiovascular research. Detailed standard operating procedures and reference values were provided, demonstrating the sensitivity of in-ovo echocardiography.
BASIC RESEARCH IN CARDIOLOGY
(2023)