Article
Multidisciplinary Sciences
Fenna M. Krienen, Kirsten M. Levandowski, Heather Zaniewski, Ricardo C. H. del Rosario, Margaret E. Schroeder, Melissa Goldman, Martin Wienisch, Alyssa Lutservitz, Victoria F. Beja-Glasser, Cindy Chen, Qiangge Zhang, Ken Y. Chan, Katelyn X. Li, Jitendra Sharma, Dana Mccormack, Tay Won Shin, Andrew Harrahill, Eric Nyase, Gagandeep Mudhar, Abigail Mauermann, Alec Wysoker, James Nemesh, Seva Kashin, Josselyn Vergara, Gabriele Chelini, Jordane Dimidschstein, Sabina Berretta, Benjamin E. Deverman, Ed Boyden, Steven A. Mccarroll, Guoping Feng
Summary: This study samples and analyzes brain cells from different brain structures in the common marmoset using single-nucleus RNA sequencing, and finds that the transcriptional identity of neuronal types is mainly influenced by developmental origin rather than neurotransmitter signaling repertoire. Quantitative mapping reveals distinct spatial principles of interneurons in the striatum and neocortex, and higher-order cortical association areas are characterized by high proportions of VIP+ neurons.
Article
Genetics & Heredity
Sathish Venkataramanappa, Dagmar Schuetz, Friederike Saaber, Praveen Ashok Kumar, Philipp Abe, Stefan Schulz, Ralf Stumm
Summary: Mutations in the DONSON gene have been linked to skeletal abnormalities and microcephaly. Deletion of Donson in cortical progenitors led to extensive cell death and abnormalities in cortical development. Targeting Donson may be a potential strategy for experimental and therapeutic purposes.
Article
Anatomy & Morphology
Mihaly Kalman, Vanessza Matuz, Oliver M. Sebok, David Lorincz
Summary: This study is the first comparative study on astroglia of different actinopterygian species at various phylogenetic positions, revealing that despite the diversity and evolutionary alterations of actinopterygii brains, the diversity of astroglial architecture is moderate. In contrast to Chondrichthyes and Amniotes, true astrocytes did not appear during evolution in Actinopterygii, and the expansion of GFAP-free areas was limited.
FRONTIERS IN NEUROANATOMY
(2021)
Article
Biochemistry & Molecular Biology
Alexandro E. Trevino, Fabian Mueller, Jimena Andersen, Laksshman Sundaram, Arwa Kathiria, Anna Shcherbina, Kyle Farh, Howard Y. Chang, Anca M. Pasca, Anshul Kundaje, Sergiu P. Pasca, William J. Greenleaf
Summary: Genetic perturbations of cortical development can lead to neurodevelopmental disease like autism spectrum disorder (ASD). Mapping the activity of gene-regulatory elements generating a single-cell atlas of gene expression and chromatin accessibility reveals gene regulation by key transcription factors, differentiates glial lineages' expression programs, and identifies lineage-determining TFs. High connection genes in early differentiating cells exhibit an active chromatin state consistent with lineage commitment. Neural network models pinpoint cell-type-specific enrichment of noncoding mutations associated with ASD in individuals and frequently disrupted TF binding sites. This highlights how cell-type-specific mapping can unveil insights into human development and disease programs.
Article
Multidisciplinary Sciences
Yingchao Shi, Mengdi Wang, Da Mi, Tian Lu, Bosong Wang, Hao Dong, Suijuan Zhong, Youqiao Chen, Le Sun, Xin Zhou, Qiang Ma, Zeyuan Liu, Wei Wang, Junjing Zhang, Qian Wu, Oscar Marin, Xiaoqun Wang
Summary: Genetic variation contributes to susceptibility to neurodevelopmental disorders by impacting the development of specific cell types, such as cortical and striatal GABAergic neurons. Using single-cell RNA sequencing, this study characterized the diversity of cell emergence in the human ganglionic eminences, where these neurons are generated. The findings demonstrate a regulatory logic controlling the specification, migration, and differentiation of GABAergic neurons in the human telencephalon that is evolutionarily conserved.
Article
Oncology
Allison R. Pine, Stefano M. Cirigliano, Richa Singhania, James Nicholson, Barbara da Silva, Christina S. Leslie, Howard A. Fine
Summary: Using a glioblastoma cerebral organoid model, the study investigated the epigenetic regulation and cellular states of glioma stem cells. Through chromatin accessibility profiling of single cells, the dynamic chromatin changes and shared cellular compartment in glioblastoma were identified. These findings provide insights into transcriptional regulation and potential therapeutic targets for genetically heterogeneous glioblastomas.
Article
Cell Biology
David van Bruggen, Fabio Pohl, Christoffer Mattsson Langseth, Petra Kukanja, Hower Lee, Alejandro Mossi Albiach, Mukund Kabbe, Mandy Meijer, Sten Linnarsson, Markus M. Hilscher, Mats Nilsson, Erik Sundstrom, Goncalo Castelo-Branco
Summary: The study identified the emergence of the first wave of oligodendrocyte lineage cells in the human forebrain as early as the 8th week of gestation, indicating evolutionary conservation of this process between mice and humans. Through analyzing the spatial expression of 50 key genes, regions in the human ventral fetal forebrain where oligodendrogenesis first occurs were identified.
DEVELOPMENTAL CELL
(2022)
Article
Cell Biology
Makoto Nasu, Shigeyuki Esumi, Jun Hatakeyama, Nobuaki Tamamaki, Kenji Shimamura
Summary: Proper brain development requires precisely controlled phases of stem cell proliferation, lineage specification, differentiation, and migration. This study reveals a novel developmental mechanism for telencephalon patterning that relies on the interplay of dose- and time-dependent signaling, including a time lag for specification and a temporal shift in cellular Shh sensitivity. The timing of signal exposure for efficient induction is specific to each lineage, and tissues with marked size expansion can compensate for the changing dynamics of morphogen signals through delayed fate choice.
FRONTIERS IN CELL AND DEVELOPMENTAL BIOLOGY
(2021)
Article
Neurosciences
Wentong Hong, Pifang Gong, Xinjie Pan, Zhonggan Ren, Yitong Liu, Guibo Qi, Jun-Liszt Li, Wenzhi Sun, Woo-Ping Ge, Chun-Li Zhang, Shumin Duan, Song Qin
Summary: This study reveals the developmental pattern and fate determination mechanism of astrocytes in the mouse diencephalon through lineage tracing and transcriptomic analysis.
NEUROSCIENCE BULLETIN
(2023)
Article
Multidisciplinary Sciences
Mercedes F. Paredes, Cristina Mora, Quetzal Flores-Ramirez, Arantxa Cebrian-Silla, Ashley Del Dosso, Phil Larimer, Jiapei Chen, Gugene Kang, Susana Gonzalez Granero, Eric Garcia, Julia Chu, Ryan Delgado, Jennifer A. Cotter, Vivian Tang, Julien Spatazza, Kirsten Obernier, Jaime Ferrer Lozano, Maximo Vento, Julia Scott, Colin Studholme, Tomasz J. Nowakowski, Arnold R. Kriegstein, Michael C. Oldham, Andrea Hasenstaub, Jose Manuel Garcia-Verdugo, Arturo Alvarez-Buylla, Eric J. Huang
Summary: Research has revealed that the human embryonic ventral forebrain contains nests of proliferative neuroblasts which play a crucial role in generating a sufficient number of functional interneurons for the human brain.
Article
Biology
Laura Fontenas, Sarah Kucenas
Summary: MEP glia are derived from lateral floor plate precursors and require foxd3 for delamination and migration out of the spinal cord. Their development also depends on axonally derived neuregulin1, and overexpressing axonal cues can generate additional MEP glia in the spinal cord.
Article
Neurosciences
Andreas F. Mack, Laura DeOliveira-Mello, Ulrich Mattheus, Peter H. Neckel
Summary: By studying the astroglial cells in the telencephalon of Astatotilapia burtoni fish, it was found that radial glial cells can adapt to the continuous growth of the brain and contribute to the morphological growth processes in the adult fish brain.
JOURNAL OF COMPARATIVE NEUROLOGY
(2021)
Review
Neurosciences
Harmony Fong, Deborah M. Kurrasch
Summary: The hypothalamus is an important regulator of various homeostatic processes, including circadian rhythms, energy balance, thirst, and thermoregulation. Recent research has revealed the presence of neurogenesis and gliogenesis in the hypothalamic third ventricle, mediated by a population of cells known as tanycytes. These tanycytes resemble radial glia and are located in the floor and ventrolateral walls of the third ventricle, extending into the hypothalamic parenchyma. This review focuses on the developmental origin of tanycytes from embryonic radial glia and their role in the adult neural stem cell niche, which is still not well understood.
FRONTIERS IN NEUROSCIENCE
(2023)
Article
Neurosciences
Jaime Fabra-Beser, Jessica Alves Medeiros de Araujo, Diego Marques-Coelho, Loyal A. Goff, Marcos R. Costa, Ulrich Muller, Cristina Gil-Sanz
Summary: Our study using single-cell RNA sequencing reveals molecular differences between progenitor cells with different neurogenic behavior at early stages of corticogenesis, and indicates that Sox9 is critical for the maintenance of radial glial progenitor cells (RGCs) to regulate the generation of upper layer neurons.
JOURNAL OF NEUROSCIENCE
(2021)
Article
Reproductive Biology
Weimin Liu, Jing Chen, Chen Yang, Kai-Fai Lee, Yin-Lau Lee, Philip Chi-Ngong Chiu, Yihui Zhang, Yong-Gong Duan, Kui Liu, William Shu-Biu Yeung
Summary: During mouse embryo development, the expression of let-7 microRNA varies at different stages, playing an important regulatory role in embryonic development and blastocyst formation. High expression of let-7 at the 2-cell stage favors the formation of the inner cell mass, while low expression at the 4-8 cell stages enhances blastocyst formation. Tead4 mediates the action of let-7 on the determination of inner cell mass cell fate.
BIOLOGY OF REPRODUCTION
(2022)
Article
Neurosciences
Sajad Hamid Ahanger, Ryan N. Delgado, Eugene Gil, Mitchel A. Cole, Jingjing Zhao, Sung Jun Hong, Arnold R. Kriegstein, Tomasz J. Nowakowski, Alex A. Pollen, Daniel A. Lim
Summary: This study utilized GO-CaRT technology to investigate genome architecture in neural precursors, revealing the relationship between LAD architecture and regional identity of neural precursor cells, as well as identifying transcriptionally highly active sub-domains within LADs. Additionally, the study found speckle-associated domains to be enriched for genetic loci associated with schizophrenia risk.
NATURE NEUROSCIENCE
(2021)
Article
Multidisciplinary Sciences
Mireia Coll-Tane, Naihua N. Gong, Samuel J. Belfer, Lara van Renssen, Evangeline C. Kurtz-Nelson, Milan Szuperak, Ilse Eidhof, Boyd van Reijmersdal, Isabel Terwindt, Jaclyn Durkin, Michel M. M. Verheij, Chang N. Kiln, Caitlin M. Hudac, Tomasz J. Nowakowski, Raphael A. Bernier, Sigrid Pillen, Rachel K. Earl, Evan E. Eichler, Tjitske Kleefstra, Matthew S. Kayser, Annette Schenck
Summary: Research shows that mutations in CHD8 and CHD7 genes can cause sleep maintenance disturbances, which are further validated in Drosophila mutants. Kismet plays a crucial role in sleep architecture within glial cells and the related defects can be reversed by behavioral therapy.
Article
Cell Biology
Zhenqin Wu, Bryant B. Chhun, Galina Popova, Syuan-Ming Guo, Chang N. Kim, Li-Hao Yeh, Tomasz Nowakowski, James Zou, Shalin B. Mehta
Summary: A cell's shape and motion are predictive of its function and pathology. However, automated analysis of cell morphology remains challenging, particularly for primary human cells that cannot be genetically labeled. To address this issue, researchers developed DynaMorph, a computational framework that combines quantitative live cell imaging with self-supervised learning to enable automated and quantitative analysis of cell morphodynamics.
MOLECULAR BIOLOGY OF THE CELL
(2022)
Article
Multidisciplinary Sciences
Rachel C. Bandler, Ilaria Vitali, Ryan N. Delgado, May C. Ho, Elena Dvoretskova, Josue S. Ibarra Molinas, Paul W. Frazel, Maesoumeh Mohammadkhani, Robert Machold, Sophia Maedler, Shane A. Liddelow, Tomasz J. Nowakowski, Gord Fishell, Christian Mayer
Summary: In this study, clonal relationships and transcriptomic signatures during mouse forebrain development were tracked using massively parallel tagging of progenitors, revealing diverse types of GABAergic neurons sharing a common lineage. Divergence of GABAergic clones was found to occur during embryogenesis upon cell-cycle exit, suggesting that differentiation into subtypes is initiated as a lineage-dependent process at the progenitor cell level.
Article
Multidisciplinary Sciences
Ryan N. Delgado, Denise E. Allen, Matthew G. Keefe, Walter R. Mancia Leon, Ryan S. Ziffra, Elizabeth E. Crouch, Arturo Alvarez-Buylla, Tomasz J. Nowakowski
Summary: Studies have shown that human cortical progenitors are capable of generating both excitatory neurons and cortical interneurons, expanding our understanding of the origins of neuronal diversity in the human cortex. By utilizing a new cellular barcoding tool called STICR, researchers were able to trace the clonal lineage of human cortical progenitors and identify transcriptional similarities between cortically born GABAergic neurons and cortical interneurons born from the ganglionic eminences.
Article
Clinical Neurology
Ethan Winkler, David Wu, Eugene Gil, David McCoy, Kazim Narsinh, Zhengda Sun, Kerstin Mueller, Jayden Ross, Helen Kim, Shantel Weinsheimer, Mitchel Berger, Tomasz Nowakowski, Daniel Lim, Adib Abla, Daniel Cooke
Summary: This study used endoluminal biopsy and computational fluid dynamic modeling to investigate gene expression and blood flow-mediated transcriptional changes in patients with brain arteriovenous malformations (bAVMs). The results revealed similar gene expression profiles to tissues obtained through open surgery and identified potentially targetable abnormalities in the Ras-MAPK signaling pathway. This biopsy method could facilitate precision medicine approaches to bAVMs research.
Article
Multidisciplinary Sciences
Ethan A. Winkler, Chang N. Kim, Jayden M. Ross, Joseph H. Garcia, Eugene Gil, Irene Oh, Lindsay Q. Chen, David Wu, Joshua S. Catapano, Kunal Raygor, Kazim Narsinh, Helen Kim, Shantel Weinsheimer, Daniel L. Cooke, Brian P. Walcott, Michael T. Lawton, Nalin Gupta, Berislav Zlokovic, Edward F. Chang, Adib A. Abla, Daniel A. Lim, Tomasz J. Nowakowski
Summary: This study constructed a cell atlas of the adult human cerebrovasculature using transcriptomic data of cerebrovascular cells. The cellular and molecular perturbations in brain arteriovenous malformations were investigated, revealing abnormal vascular patterning and inflammation associated with the disease.
Article
Multidisciplinary Sciences
Mercedes F. Paredes, Cristina Mora, Quetzal Flores-Ramirez, Arantxa Cebrian-Silla, Ashley Del Dosso, Phil Larimer, Jiapei Chen, Gugene Kang, Susana Gonzalez Granero, Eric Garcia, Julia Chu, Ryan Delgado, Jennifer A. Cotter, Vivian Tang, Julien Spatazza, Kirsten Obernier, Jaime Ferrer Lozano, Maximo Vento, Julia Scott, Colin Studholme, Tomasz J. Nowakowski, Arnold R. Kriegstein, Michael C. Oldham, Andrea Hasenstaub, Jose Manuel Garcia-Verdugo, Arturo Alvarez-Buylla, Eric J. Huang
Summary: Research has revealed that the human embryonic ventral forebrain contains nests of proliferative neuroblasts which play a crucial role in generating a sufficient number of functional interneurons for the human brain.
Article
Multidisciplinary Sciences
Matthew T. Schmitz, Kadellyn Sandoval, Christopher P. Chen, Mohammed A. Mostajo-Radji, William W. Seeley, Tomasz J. Nowakowski, Chun Jimmie Ye, Mercedes F. Paredes, Alex A. Pollen
Summary: This study investigates the gene expression trajectories of inhibitory neurons (INs) in primates and mice during neurogenic period. Researchers find that while the initial classes of INs generated prenatally are largely conserved among mammals, there are contrasting developmental mechanisms for specifying evolutionarily novel cell types during prenatal development.
Article
Multidisciplinary Sciences
Denise E. Allen, Kevin C. Donohue, Cathryn R. Cadwell, David Shin, Matthew G. Keefe, Vikaas S. Sohal, Tomasz J. Nowakowski
Summary: The progenitors of the human neocortex are located in the ventricular and outer subventricular zones. This study demonstrates that astrocytes derived from these zones populate distinct layers and exhibit morphological and molecular differences.
Article
Multidisciplinary Sciences
Diankun Yu, Tao Li, Jean-Christophe Delpech, Beika Zhu, Priya Kishore, Tatsuhiro Koshi, Rong Luo, Karishma J. B. Pratt, Galina Popova, Tomasz J. Nowakowski, Saul A. Villeda, Xianhua Piao
Summary: Parvalbumin-positive (PV+) interneurons are vital for circuit rhythm maintenance and their decrease has been linked to autism spectrum disorders. Animal studies have shown that maternal immune activation (MIA) can lead to reduced PV+ interneurons and autism-like behaviors. This study reveals that MIA down-regulates microglial Gpr56 expression, and its deletion mimics MIA-induced interneuron defects and autism-like behaviors. Additionally, elevated microglial tumor necrosis factor-alpha expression is implicated in impairing interneuron generation. Genetically restoring Gpr56 expression in microglia can improve PV+ interneuron deficits and autism-like behaviors in offspring. Therefore, microglial GPR56 plays an important role in PV+ interneuron development and is a significant target in MIA-induced neurodevelopmental disorders.
Review
Cell Biology
Tomasz J. Nowakowski, Sofie R. Salama
Summary: The cerebral cortex forms early in development and shows variations across mammals. Cerebral organoids, as an experimental platform, can recapitulate human brain development and be used to study regeneration, evolution, and neurological disease models.
Article
Computer Science, Information Systems
David F. Parks, Kateryna Voitiuk, Jinghui Geng, Matthew A. T. Elliott, Matthew G. Keefe, Erik A. Jung, Ash Robbins, Pierre Baudin, Victoria T. Ly, Nico Hawthorne, Dylan Yong, Sebastian E. Sanso, Nick Rezaee, Jess L. Seveston, Spencer T. Seiler, Rob Currie, Alex A. Pollen, Keith B. Hengen, Tomasz J. Nowakowski, Mohammed A. Mostajo-Radji, Sofie R. Salama, Mircea Teodorescu, David Haussler
Summary: The Internet of Things (IoT) is widely used in technology companies but rarely in biology experiments. However, it can greatly benefit cloud biology research through alarm notifications, automation, and real-time monitoring of experiments.
INTERNET OF THINGS
(2022)
Article
Computer Science, Information Systems
Pierre Baudin, Victoria T. Ly, Pattawong Pansodtee, Erik A. Jung, Robert Currie, Ryan Hoffman, Helen Rankin Willsey, Alex A. Pollen, Tomasz J. Nowakowski, David Haussler, Mohammed A. Mostajo-Radji, Sofie R. Salama, Mircea Teodorescu
Summary: The platform enables users to remotely monitor biological experiments with control and data analysis capabilities.
INTERNET OF THINGS
(2022)
Meeting Abstract
Biotechnology & Applied Microbiology
Danqing Zhu, Galina Schmunk, Tomasz Nowakowski, David V. Schaffer