Article
Neurosciences
Stephan Raiders, Taeho Han, Nicole Scott-Hewitt, Sarah Kucenas, Deborah Lew, Mary A. Logan, Aakanksha Singhvi
Summary: The phagocytic activity of glial cells is crucial for proper nervous system development, maintenance, and health, with remarkably conserved pathways governing this engulfment process across different species and cell types.
JOURNAL OF NEUROSCIENCE
(2021)
Article
Developmental Biology
Clarisse Perron, Pascal Carme, Arnau Llobet Rosell, Eva Minnaert, Salome Ruiz-Demoulin, Heloise Szczkowski, Lukas Jakob Neukomm, Jean-Maurice Dura, Ana Boulanger
Summary: During animal development, neuronal circuits go through a period of refinement, which involves the removal of debris produced by neurons. Glial cells, particularly astrocytes, play a crucial role in phagocytosis and clearing this neuronal debris. Orion, a chemokine-like factor secreted by mushroom body neurons, is involved in the activation and transformation of astrocytes into phagocytes, as well as triggering glial infiltration, engulfment, and phagocytosis.
Article
Cell Biology
Lihong Sheng, Emily J. J. Shields, Janko Gospocic, Masato Sorida, Linyang Ju, China N. N. Byrns, Faith Carranza, Shelley L. L. Berger, Nancy Bonini, Roberto Bonasio
Summary: By studying the changes in the number and gene expression of ensheathing glia in Drosophila melanogaster brain, it is found that dysregulated ensheathing glia can lead to lipid droplet accumulation, cellular dysfunction, and death, affecting brain health and lifespan. Inhibition of apoptosis can restore the declining number of ensheathing glia with age, improve the neuro-motor performance of aged fruit flies and prolong lifespan. Furthermore, an expanded ensheathing glia population can prevent amyloid-beta accumulation in a fly model of Alzheimer's disease and delay the premature death of diseased animals. These findings highlight the vital role of ensheathing glia in regulating brain health and animal longevity.
Article
Ophthalmology
Aya Motoyoshi, Fuminori Saitoh, Tomohiro Iida, Hiroki Fujieda
Summary: The proliferative and neurogenic potential of retinal Muller glia after injury varies widely across species. This study reveals that nestin plays a critical role in regulating the proliferative response of rat Muller glia after retinal injury, while this response is not observed in mice. The findings highlight the importance of cross species analysis to understand the molecular mechanisms of injury response in the mammalian retina.
INVESTIGATIVE OPHTHALMOLOGY & VISUAL SCIENCE
(2023)
Editorial Material
Cell Biology
Aron Szabo, Gabor Juhasz
Summary: In the nervous system, macrophages or glia play a role in removing dead cell-derived material caused by injuries and neurodegeneration through phagocytosis. The process involves the capture of engulfed material into phagosomes, and the maturation and fusion of these vesicles with lysosomes may utilize the LC3-associated phagocytosis (LAP) pathway.
Article
Neurosciences
Whitney A. Thiel, Zachary Blume, Diana M. Mitchell
Summary: This study found that microglia are primarily responsible for the clearance of dying cells in the developing zebrafish retina, while Muller glia also have a limited role in this process. In the absence of microglia, Muller glia significantly increase their uptake of apoptotic cells, with several of these cells localized with the early phagosome/endosome marker Rab5. Additionally, lysosomal staining also increases in Muller glia in the absence of microglia. These findings highlight the phagocytic capacity and compensatory functions of Muller glia, and emphasize the need to consider the effects of microglial deficiency or depletion on other glial cell types.
Article
Neurosciences
Megan M. Corty, Jaeda Coutinho-Budd
Summary: The importance of glial cells has gained recognition in the past 20 years, but our knowledge about these cells is still limited compared to neurons. Drosophila glia share similar molecular players and functions with their vertebrate counterparts, making them suitable models to study glial composition and roles. Drosophila genetics and in vivo imaging techniques provide valuable tools to investigate glial development and their interactions with neurons.
CURRENT OPINION IN NEUROBIOLOGY
(2023)
Article
Biochemistry & Molecular Biology
Seokhui Jang, Byoungyun Choi, Chaejin Lim, Banseok Lee, Kyoung Sang Cho
Summary: The study reveals that dFabp in Drosophila is involved in the development of various tissues and brain functions, and serves as a mediator of neuron-glia interactions by regulating behavior.
BIOCHEMICAL AND BIOPHYSICAL RESEARCH COMMUNICATIONS
(2022)
Article
Developmental Biology
Jong-Eun Rhee, Jin-Hyeon Choi, Jae H. Park, Gyunghee Lee, Banya Pak, Seung-Hae Kwon, Sang-Hak Jeon
Summary: Glial cells play important roles in the nervous system, and the regulation of glial population size is poorly understood. Using Drosophila as a model system, researchers identified a novel LPP-encoding gene CG11426 that negatively regulates ERK signaling to promote apoptosis and maintain the proper glial population in the developing eye disc. Suppressing CG11426 increased glial cell number, while ectopic expression decreased it, with both types of mutations causing defects in axon projection to the optic lobe in larval eye-brain complexes.
DEVELOPMENTAL NEUROBIOLOGY
(2021)
Editorial Material
Developmental Biology
Alex Eve
Summary: Tom Nowakowski, an Assistant Professor at UCSF, utilizes single-cell sequencing technologies to investigate neurodevelopment. He is a Chan Zuckerberg Biohub Investigator and a Next Generation Leader at the Allen Institute for Brain Science. During our Zoom meeting, he discussed his career, transitioning into a group leader role, and his future plans.
Article
Multidisciplinary Sciences
Tala Shekarian, Carl P. Zinner, Ewelina M. Bartoszek, Wandrille Duchemin, Anna T. Wachnowicz, Sabrina Hogan, Manina M. Etter, Julia Flammer, Chiara Paganetti, Tomas A. Martins, Philip Schmassmann, Steven Zanganeh, Francois Le Goff, Manuele G. Muraro, Marie-Francoise Ritz, Darci Phillips, Salil S. Bhate, Graham L. Barlow, Garry P. Nolan, Christian M. Schuerch, Gregor Hutter
Summary: This study demonstrated that ex vivo immunotherapy of GBM explants can induce an active antitumoral immune response within the tumor center, providing a framework for multidimensional personalized assessment of tumor response to immunotherapy.
Article
Biochemistry & Molecular Biology
Bianca Petrignani, Samuel Rommelaere, Ketty Hakim-Mishnaevski, Florent Masson, Elodie Ramond, Reut Hilu-Dadia, Mickael Poidevin, Shu Kondo, Estee Kurant, Bruno Lemaitre
Summary: This study reveals the crucial role of the Nimrod family member NimB4 in the clearance of apoptotic cells in Drosophila, particularly in phagosome maturation, possibly through binding to apoptotic corpses to engage a phagosome maturation program dedicated to efferocytosis.
Article
Multidisciplinary Sciences
Hui Ji, Bei Wang, Yifan Shen, David Labib, Joyce Lei, Xinchen Chen, Maria Sapar, Ana Boulanger, Jean-Maurice Dura, Chun Han
Summary: This study reveals that the chemokine-like protein Orion in Drosophila can bind to phosphatidylserine (PS) exposed on the surface of degenerating neurons and mediate phagocytosis. Orion is also involved in facilitating the interaction between PS and the engulfment receptor Draper (Drpr). The dosage of Orion is a crucial determinant of the sensitivity of phagocytes to PS exposed on neurons.
PROCEEDINGS OF THE NATIONAL ACADEMY OF SCIENCES OF THE UNITED STATES OF AMERICA
(2023)
Article
Multidisciplinary Sciences
Nidhi Krishna Shrivastava, Namita Chauhan, Mallikarjun N. Shakarad
Summary: The study investigates the impact of selection on basal immune activity in larval stage of D. melanogaster populations. Selected populations showed enhanced immune responses compared to control populations, which could contribute to comparable larval survival in both groups.
Article
Immunology
Oladayo Oladiran, Xiang Qun Shi, Sylvie Fournier, Ji Zhang
Summary: This study demonstrated the importance of CX3CR1 in autoimmune peripheral neuropathy, showing that CX3CR1 is crucial for maintaining the survival of circulating monocytes and CD8(+) T cells, as well as the phagocytic ability of nerve macrophages. These findings suggest that blocking CX3CR1 signaling could be a potential anti-inflammatory strategy for improving therapeutic management in GBS patients.
FRONTIERS IN IMMUNOLOGY
(2021)
Article
Biochemical Research Methods
Lital Dabool, Liza Juravlev, Ketty Hakim-Mishnaevski, Estee Kurant
JOURNAL OF NEUROSCIENCE METHODS
(2019)
Review
Chemistry, Multidisciplinary
Omer Adir, Maria Poley, Gal Chen, Sahar Froim, Nitzan Krinsky, Jeny Shklover, Janna Shainsky-Roitman, Twan Lammers, Avi Schroeder
ADVANCED MATERIALS
(2020)
Article
Cell Biology
Ketty Hakim-Mishnaevski, Naama Flint-Brodsly, Boris Shklyar, Flonia Levy-Adam, Estee Kurant
Review
Immunology
Reut Hilu-Dadia, Estee Kurant
CURRENT OPINION IN IMMUNOLOGY
(2020)
Article
Multidisciplinary Sciences
Omer Adir, Noga Sharf-Pauker, Gal Chen, Maya Kaduri, Nitzan Krinsky, Janna Shainsky-Roitman, Jeny Shklover, Avi Schroeder
JOVE-JOURNAL OF VISUALIZED EXPERIMENTS
(2020)
Article
Multidisciplinary Sciences
Lital Dabool, Ketty Hakim-Mishnaevski, Liza Juravlev, Naama Flint-Brodsly, Silvia Mandel, Estee Kurant
Article
Biochemistry & Molecular Biology
Bianca Petrignani, Samuel Rommelaere, Ketty Hakim-Mishnaevski, Florent Masson, Elodie Ramond, Reut Hilu-Dadia, Mickael Poidevin, Shu Kondo, Estee Kurant, Bruno Lemaitre
Summary: This study reveals the crucial role of the Nimrod family member NimB4 in the clearance of apoptotic cells in Drosophila, particularly in phagosome maturation, possibly through binding to apoptotic corpses to engage a phagosome maturation program dedicated to efferocytosis.
Article
Multidisciplinary Sciences
Maya Kaduri, Mor Sela, Shaked Kagan, Maria Poley, Hanan Abumanhal-Masarweh, Patricia Mora-Raimundo, Alberto Ouro, Nitsan Dahan, Dov Hershkovitz, Jeny Shklover, Janna Shainsky-Roitman, Yosef Buganim, Avi Schroeder
Summary: Neurons within the tumor microenvironment play a role in promoting cancer progression, making local targeting of neurons potentially beneficial in clinical applications. Utilizing PEGylated lipid nanoparticles loaded with bupivacaine, researchers were able to suppress nerve-to-cancer cross-talk and inhibit cancer cell viability by curbing neurite growth and signaling in breast cancer tumors. The findings suggest that reducing nerve involvement in tumors is crucial for effective cancer treatment.
Article
Multidisciplinary Sciences
Omer Adir, Mia R. Albalak, Ravit Abel, Lucien E. Weiss, Gal Chen, Amit Gruber, Oskar Staufer, Yaniv Kurman, Ido Kaminer, Jeny Shklover, Janna Shainsky-Roitman, Ilia Platzman, Lior Gepstein, Yoav Shechtman, Benjamin A. Horwitz, Avi Schroeder
Summary: In this study, the authors designed bioluminescent signaling mechanisms for intracellular and intercellular synthetic-to-natural cell communication, providing a new tool for controlling engineered processes inside tissues.
NATURE COMMUNICATIONS
(2022)
Article
Multidisciplinary Sciences
Maayan Zohar-Fux, Aya Ben-Hamo-Arad, Tal Arad, Marina Volin, Boris Shklyar, Ketty Hakim-Mishnaevski, Lilach Porat-Kuperstein, Estee Kurant, Hila Toledano
Summary: This study reveals that in Drosophila testes, cyst cells play an active role in phagoptosis by removing viable progenitor germ cells through a specific sequence of events involving endosomes and lysosomes.
Article
Biochemistry & Molecular Biology
Olga Raskina, Boris Shklyar, Eviatar Nevo
Summary: This study investigated the impact of edaphic factors on DNA damage and repair in wild wheat. The results showed that plants grown in dry terra rossa soil had lower expression level of DNA repair genes and a higher number of DNA double-strand breaks in interphase nuclei. Additionally, the number of DNA double-strand breaks and R-loops in metaphase chromosomes was also greater in plants growing on terra rossa soil. These findings highlight the influence of soil factors on DNA damage and repair in the wheat genome.
INTERNATIONAL JOURNAL OF MOLECULAR SCIENCES
(2023)
Article
Cell Biology
Malak Ayoub, Li-mor David, Boris Shklyar, Ketty Hakim-Mishnaevski, Estee Kurant
Summary: Glial phagocytosis of apoptotic neurons is crucial for the development and function of the central nervous system. In Drosophila, the fibroblast growth factor receptor Heartless (Htl) and its ligand Pyramus play an essential role in the formation of glial extensions, which in turn affect the phagocytic ability of glial cells later on. Reduction in Htl pathway activity disrupts the branching morphology of glial cells, impairing their ability to engulf apoptotic neurons. This study highlights the importance of Htl signaling in glial subcellular morphogenesis and the establishment of glial phagocytic ability.
CELL DEATH DISCOVERY
(2023)
Review
Developmental Biology
Cheng Shi, Pengfei Jiao, Zhiyi Chen, Lan Ma, Siyue Yao
Summary: This review discusses the molecular etiology of congenital craniofacial abnormalities, with a focus on the role and mechanism of noncoding RNAs in regulating craniofacial development. Aberrant expression of noncoding RNAs has been implicated in the pathogenesis of craniofacial abnormalities, providing potential therapeutic targets.
DEVELOPMENTAL BIOLOGY
(2024)
Article
Developmental Biology
Hideru Togashi, Steven Ray Davis, Makoto Sato
Summary: Tile patterns, regulated by cell adhesion molecules, are regular arrangements of cells that play important functional roles in multicellular organisms. The physical constraints and cell adhesion regulate both cell shape and tissue morphogenesis.
DEVELOPMENTAL BIOLOGY
(2024)
Article
Developmental Biology
Armen Khanbabei, Lina Segura, Cynthia Petrossian, Aaron Lemus, Ithan Cano, Courtney Frazier, Armen Halajyan, Donnie Ca, Mariano Loza-Coll
Summary: This article investigates the genetic regulatory mechanisms of Drosophila intestinal stem cells. The study found that most target genes co-regulated by Esg and STAT show a consistent gene expression pattern. However, manipulating these validated targets in vivo rarely replicated the effects of manipulating Esg and STAT, suggesting the presence of complex genetic interactions among the downstream targets of these two master regulator genes.
DEVELOPMENTAL BIOLOGY
(2024)
Article
Developmental Biology
Bayley J. Waters, Zoe R. Birman, Matthew R. Wagner, Julia Lemanski, Barak Blum
Summary: Researchers found that conditional deletion of Robo2 in adult mice led to a significant loss of islet architecture without affecting beta cell identity or function, suggesting that Robo2 plays a role in actively maintaining adult islet architecture. Understanding the factors required for islet architecture maintenance is crucial for developing future diabetes therapies.
DEVELOPMENTAL BIOLOGY
(2024)
Article
Developmental Biology
Rhiannon Clements, Tyler Smith, Luke Cowart, Jennifer Zhumi, Alan Sherrod, Aidan Cahill, Ginger L. Hunter
Summary: Cell protrusions play a crucial role in regulating cell activities during development. By studying the regulation mechanism in fruit fly sensory bristle patterning, it was found that Myosin XV is essential for the dynamics of signaling filopodia and promotes long-range Notch signaling.
DEVELOPMENTAL BIOLOGY
(2024)
Article
Developmental Biology
Margaret Keating, Ryan Hagle, Daniel Osorio-Mendez, Anjelica Rodriguez-Parks, Sarah I. Almutawa, Junsu Kang
Summary: Knock-in reporter (KI) animals are essential for studying gene expression in biomedical research. This study developed a new strategy using minicircle technology and a minimal promoter to enhance knock-in events and establish stable KI transgenic reporter lines. The study also highlighted the importance of selecting the proper KI line due to potential inappropriate influence of genome editing on reporter gene expression.
DEVELOPMENTAL BIOLOGY
(2024)
Article
Developmental Biology
Christian Altbuerger, Meta Rath, Daniel Armbruster, Wolfgang Driever
Summary: This study reveals that Neurog1 and Olig2 transcription factors have differential requirements for the development of dopaminergic neurons, and they integrate local patterning signals and Notch neurogenic selection signaling to specify the progenitor population and initiate neurogenesis and differentiation.
DEVELOPMENTAL BIOLOGY
(2024)
