Article
Neurosciences
Sherry Jingjing Wu, Elaine Sevier, Deepanjali Dwivedi, Giuseppe-Antonio Saldi, Ariel Hairston, Sabrina Yu, Lydia Abbott, Da Hae Choi, Mia Sherer, Yanjie Qiu, Ashwini Shinde, Mackenzie Lenahan, Daniella Rizzo, Qing Xu, Irving Barrera, Vipin Kumar, Giovanni Marrero, Alvar Pronneke, Shuhan Huang, Klas Kullander, David A. Stafford, Evan Macosko, Fei Chen, Bernardo Rudy, Gord Fishell
Summary: Cardinal classes of cortical interneurons provide a simplified understanding of diversity, but more detailed investigation is needed for subtypes such as somatostatin interneurons. This study reveals that different subtypes of somatostatin interneurons have unique laminar organization and axonal projection patterns, and form cell-type-specific cortical circuits.
Article
Multidisciplinary Sciences
Chien -Der Lee, Naomi Ziv, Alexander D. Johnson
Summary: The paper explores the stability of different cell types in the fungal species Candida albicans. By using an auxin-mediated degradation system, the researchers quickly removed the primary transcription activator Wor1, and observed that within approximately 1 hour, cells irreversibly lost their memory and switched to a different cell state. This study provides insights into the mechanisms underlying cell memory in eukaryotic cells.
PROCEEDINGS OF THE NATIONAL ACADEMY OF SCIENCES OF THE UNITED STATES OF AMERICA
(2023)
Article
Neurosciences
Jennifer D. Whitesell, Adam Liska, Ludovico Coletta, Karla E. Hirokawa, Phillip Bohn, Ali Williford, Peter A. Groblewski, Nile Graddis, Leonard Kuan, Joseph E. Knox, Anh Ho, Wayne Wakeman, Philip R. Nicovich, Thuc Nghi Nguyen, Cindy T. J. van Velthoven, Emma Garren, Olivia Fong, Maitham Naeemi, Alex M. Henry, Nick Dee, Kimberly A. Smith, Boaz Levi, David Feng, Lydia Ng, Bosiljka Tasic, Hongkui Zeng, Stefan Mihalas, Alessandro Gozzi, Julie A. Harris
Summary: Research using mice models demonstrated the differences in projection patterns between layer 2/3 and layer 5 neurons within the DMN, further revealing the anatomical correlates of the DMN at different spatial scales.
Article
Neurosciences
Juan Pablo Lopez, Malte D. Luecken, Elena Brivio, Stoyo Karamihalev, Aron Kos, Carlo De Donno, Asaf Benjamin, Huanqing Yang, Alec L. W. Dick, Rainer Stoffel, Cornelia Flachskamm, Andrea Ressle, Simone Roeh, Rosa-Eva Huettl, Andrea Parl, Carola Eggert, Bozidar Novak, Yu Yan, Karin Yeoh, Maria Holzapfel, Barbara Hauger, Daniela Harbich, Bianca Schmid, Rossella Di Giaimo, Christoph W. Turck, Mathias Schmidt, Jan M. Deussing, Matthias Eder, Julien Dine, Fabian J. Theis, Alon Chen
Summary: This study identifies the molecular mechanisms responsible for the sustained antidepressant effects of ketamine and highlights the role of the Kcnq2 gene in this process. It also demonstrates the ketamine-specific effects that can be augmented by adjunctive treatment with a KCNQ activator, providing important insights for clinical implications.
Review
Biochemistry & Molecular Biology
Anton Sergeevich Shakhov, Aleksandra Sergeevna Churkina, Anatoly Alekseevich Kotlobay, Irina Borisovna Alieva
Summary: This review summarizes information about the specific features of the centrosome and its relationship with the cell function of highly specialized cells. The participation of the centrosome in the functional activity of these cells, as well as its role as a universal regulatory and distribution center, controlling the dynamic morphology of animal cells, is discussed. The direct involvement of the centrosome in the performance of functions by specialized cells is also highlighted.
INTERNATIONAL JOURNAL OF MOLECULAR SCIENCES
(2023)
Article
Cell Biology
Quanxin Wang, Yun Wang, Hsien-Chi Kuo, Peng Xie, Xiuli Kuang, Karla E. Hirokawa, Maitham Naeemi, Shenqin Yao, Matt Mallory, Ben Ouellette, Phil Lesnar, Yaoyao Li, Min Ye, Chao Chen, Wei Xiong, Leila Ahmadinia, Laila El-Hifnawi, Ali Cetin, Staci A. Sorensen, Julie A. Harris, Hongkui Zeng, Christof Koch
Summary: Using multimodal reference datasets, the study confirmed the delineation of the mouse claustrum (CLA) as a single group of neurons embedded in the agranular insular cortex. Through quantitative investigation, the study revealed the brain-wide inputs and outputs of CLA and identified the cell-type-specific connections. The study also found that the prefrontal module has more cell types projecting to the CLA and identified nine morphological types of CLA principal neurons.
Article
Biochemical Research Methods
Ramzan Umarov, Yu Li, Erik Arner
Summary: DeepCellState is a deep learning framework that predicts cell type specific transcriptional states after drug treatment based on a large collection of transcriptional drug perturbation profiles. The method shows improved accuracy when generalized to multiple cell types, even for treatments with drugs not seen during training. Analysis of the trained model reveals the ability to learn regulatory relationships between genes in a fully data-driven manner.
PLOS COMPUTATIONAL BIOLOGY
(2021)
Article
Cell Biology
Changfu Yao, Stephanie A. Bora, Tanyalak Parimon, Tanzira Zaman, Oren A. Friedman, Joseph A. Palatinus, Nirmala S. Surapaneni, Yuri P. Matusov, Giuliana Cerro Chiang, Alexander G. Kassar, Nayan Patel, Chelsi E. R. Green, Adam W. Aziz, Harshpreet Suri, Jo Suda, Andres A. Lopez, Gislaine A. Martins, Barry R. Stripp, Sina A. Gharib, Helen S. Goodridge, Peter Chen
Summary: Recent studies have shown immunologic dysfunction in severely ill patients with COVID-19, particularly in those with ARDS, where defective antigen presentation and interferon responsiveness were observed in monocytes. There was also suppressed cytotoxic activity in NK cells and CD8 T lymphocytes, along with deficient B cell activation, indicating delayed viral clearance in severely ill patients. These findings suggest an immune imbalance in COVID-19 patients with ARDS, potentially contributing to a more severe disease course.
Article
Multidisciplinary Sciences
Jiao Li, Jakob Seidlitz, John Suckling, Feiyang Fan, Gong-Jun Ji, Yao Meng, Siqi Yang, Kai Wang, Jiang Qiu, Huafu Chen, Wei Liao
Summary: This study investigates the correlation between cell type-specific gene expression changes and cortical structural differences in individuals with major depressive disorder. The expression of MDD-associated genes spatially correlates with morphometric differences, suggesting a link between molecular and structural changes relevant for MDD. Analysis of cell type-specific signature genes indicates that microglia and neuronal specific transcriptional changes play a significant role in the observed correlation with MDD-specific morphometric differences.
NATURE COMMUNICATIONS
(2021)
Article
Multidisciplinary Sciences
Renchao Chen, Yiqiong Liu, Mohamed N. Djekidel, Wenqiang Chen, Aritra Bhattacherjee, Zhiyuan Chen, Ed Scolnick, Yi Zhang
Summary: In this study, a Setd1a haploinsufficiency mouse model was generated to investigate the effect of this SCZ-associated epigenetic factor on gene expression in brain regions relevant to SCZ. The results showed that Setd1a heterozygosity leads to highly variable transcriptional adaptations in different cell types in the prefrontal cortex and striatum, and the Foxp2(+) neurons exhibit the most prominent gene expression changes. Additionally, Setd1a(+/-) mice display behavioral features similar to SCZ patients, suggesting a potential role of Setd1a in SCZ pathogenesis.
Article
Biochemistry & Molecular Biology
Robert A. Ellingford, Martyna J. Panasiuk, Emilie Rabesahala de Meritens, Raghav Shaunak, Liam Naybour, Lorcan Browne, M. Albert Basson, Laura C. Andreae
Summary: The heterozygous mutation of CHD8 is strongly linked to autism spectrum disorder (ASD) and leads to dysregulated expression of neurodevelopmental and synaptic genes during brain development. Study on a Chd8 mouse model revealed significant alterations in both excitatory and inhibitory synaptic transmission onto deep layer projection neurons in the prefrontal cortex, resulting in an imbalance between excitatory and inhibitory signals. These disruptions were associated with impaired regulation of homeostatic plasticity mechanisms, suggesting a direct role of CHD8 mutation in the disruption of ASD-relevant cortical circuits.
MOLECULAR PSYCHIATRY
(2021)
Article
Multidisciplinary Sciences
Manoj Kumar, Gregory Handy, Stylianos Kouvaros, Yanjun Zhao, Lovisa Ljungqvist Brinson, Eric Wei, Brandon Bizup, Brent Doiron, Thanos Tzounopoulos
Summary: Peripheral sensory organ damage induces compensatory cortical plasticity, leading to the recovery of cortical responses to sound. Auditory cortical neurons show cell-type-specific plasticity in their sound-evoked and intrinsic properties after noise trauma. The mechanisms underlying this plasticity in diverse excitatory and inhibitory cortical neurons remain unknown.
NATURE COMMUNICATIONS
(2023)
Article
Plant Sciences
Meng Li, Xufang Niu, Shuang Li, Shasha Fu, Qianfang Li, Meizhi Xu, Chunhua Wang, Shuang Wu
Summary: CRISPR/Cas9-mediated gene knockout is an important tool for studying gene function. Engineering the Cas9 system to achieve cell-type-specific knockout of functional genes is useful for understanding the specific functions of genes in different cell types.
Article
Multidisciplinary Sciences
Yasufumi Hayano, Yugo Ishino, Jung Ho Hyun, Carlos G. Orozco, Andre Steinecke, Elizabeth Potts, Yasuhiro Oisi, Connon Thomas, Debbie Guerrero-Given, Eunjoon Kim, Hyung-Bae Kwon, Naomi Kamasawa, Hiroki Taniguchi
Summary: The study demonstrates the importance of IgSF11 homophilic adhesion proteins in a specific subtype of inhibitory interneurons, showing that loss of this protein affects synaptic development and connectivity in a specific layer. Overexpression of IgSF11 enhances presynaptic boutons in chandelier cells, while its expression in nontarget layers leads to ectopic synapse formation. These findings suggest that synapse-promoting adhesion proteins play a crucial role in determining layer-specific synaptic connectivity in cortical interneuron subtypes.
Article
Ecology
M. Pino Garcia-Sanchez, Sergio Gonzalez-Avila, Joaquin Solana-Gutierrez, Marius Popa, Ramon Jurj, Georgeta Ionescu, Ovidiu Ionescu, Mihai Fedorca, Ancuta Fedorca
Summary: This study aims to develop sex-specific distribution and connectivity models, assess movement pattern differences between females and males, and identify high-quality areas for species connectivity conservation. The findings highlight the importance of using interdisciplinary approaches to address sustainable design and management within landscapes, with separate spatial models for leading management and conservation measures.
Article
Neurosciences
Mathias Mahn, Inbar Saraf-Sinik, Pritish Patil, Mauro Pulin, Eyal Bitton, Nikolaos Karalis, Felicitas Bruentgens, Shaked Palgi, Asaf Gat, Julien Dine, Jonas Wietek, Ido Davidi, Rivka Levy, Anna Litvin, Fangmin Zhou, Kathrin Sauter, Peter Soba, Dietmar Schmitz, Andreas Luthi, Benjamin R. Rost, J. Simon Wiegert, Ofer Yizhar
Summary: A mosquito homolog of vertebrate encephalopsin was found to effectively suppress synaptic transmission through a specific signaling pathway, triggering lasting synaptic output inhibition that recovers spontaneously in vitro and in vivo. This discovery opens up new avenues for functional exploration of long-range neuronal circuits in vivo.
Article
Multidisciplinary Sciences
Jerome Ezan, Maite M. Moreau, Tamrat M. Mamo, Miki Shimbo, Maureen Decroo, Melanie Richter, Ronan Peyroutou, Rivka Rachel, Fadel Tissir, Froylan Calderon de Anda, Nathalie Sans, Mireille Montcouquiol
Summary: Neurodevelopmental disorders are linked to defects in processes controlled by Scrib protein, with Scrib deletion leading to reduced cortical thickness, partial corpus callosum and hippocampal commissure agenesis in mice. Additionally, Scrib cKO mice exhibit psychomotor deficits, highlighting the essential role of Scrib in early brain development and potential implications for complex neurodevelopmental pathologies.
SCIENTIFIC REPORTS
(2021)
Article
Genetics & Heredity
Alvaro Ingles-Prieto, Nikolas Furthmann, Samuel H. Crossman, Alexandra-Madelaine Tichy, Nina Hoyer, Meike Petersen, Vanessa Zheden, Julia Biebl, Eva Reichhart, Attila Gyoergy, Daria E. Siekhaus, Peter Soba, Konstanze F. Winklhofer, Harald Janovjak
Summary: This study presents a novel light-based method to deliver cell type-specific pro-survival signals in a genetic model of Parkinson's disease, demonstrating significant therapeutic effects. The optogenetic delivery of trophic signals is cell type-specific and reversible, offering potential for the development of novel spatio-temporal regulation of tissue repair strategies.
Article
Biochemistry & Molecular Biology
Bibi Nusreen Imambocus, Fangmin Zhou, Andrey Formozov, Annika Wittich, Federico M. Tenedini, Chun Hu, Kathrin Sauter, Ednilson Macarenhas Varela, Fabiana Heredia, Andreia P. Casimiro, Andre Macedo, Philipp Schlegel, Chung-Hui Yang, Irene Miguel-Aliaga, J. Simon Wiegert, Michael J. Pankratz, Alisson M. Gontijo, Albert Cardona, Peter Soba
Summary: Animals display selective escape behaviors when faced with environmental threats. This study investigates the underlying neuronal network mechanisms in Drosophila larvae and uncovers a circuit that gates selective escape behavior for noxious light through neuropeptide action.
Article
Biochemistry & Molecular Biology
Chun Hu, Pan Feng, Meilan Chen, Yan Tang, Peter Soba
Summary: Dendritic morphogenesis relies on dynamic microtubules to form a coordinated cytoskeletal network, with recent research showing that Tao kinase regulates dendritic branching by controlling the abundance of dynamic microtubules. Spatial and temporal changes in the number of dynamic microtubules, but not polarity or polymerization speed, correlate with dendritic branching and Tao kinase activity.
Editorial Material
Neurosciences
Quan Yuan, Chun Han, Peter Soba
FRONTIERS IN CELLULAR NEUROSCIENCE
(2022)
Article
Cell Biology
Durga Praveen Meka, Oliver Kobler, Shuai Hong, Carina Meta Friedrich, Souhaila Wuesthoff, Melad Henis, Birgit Schwanke, Christoph Krisp, Nessa Schmuelling, Rene Rueter, Tabitha Ruecker, Ewelina Betleja, Tao Cheng, Moe R. Mahjoub, Peter Soba, Hartmut Schluter, Eugenio F. Fornasiero, Froylan Calderon de Anda
Summary: The modification of microtubules plays a critical role in axon development. This study shows that early developing neurons have fewer acetylated microtubules in the cell body, while at later stages these microtubules spread out in the soma and concentrate in the growing axon. The findings suggest that centrosome-dependent microtubule modifications contribute to axon formation.
Article
Biology
Kawssar Harb, Melanie Richter, Nagammal Neelagandan, Elia Magrinelli, Hend Harfoush, Katrin Kuechler, Melad Henis, Irm Hermanns-Borgmeyer, Froylan Calderon de Anda, Kent Duncan
Summary: RNA-binding proteins play a role in defining area-specific cytoarchitecture in the neocortex. They interact with and affect the translation of mRNAs encoding specific proteins involved in neuronal specification. The post-transcriptional regulation mediated by these proteins contributes to the development of area-specific neuronal identity and connectivity in the neocortex.
Article
Biology
Silvia Rodriguez-Rozada, Jonas Wietek, Federico Tenedini, Kathrin Sauter, Neena Dhiman, Peter Hegemann, Peter Soba, J. Simon Wiegert
Summary: Aion is a bistable anion-conducting channelrhodopsin that enables long-term silencing of neuronal networks. It can be switched between active and inactive states with precise timing and maintains its activity in the absence of light, making it an ideal tool for optogenetic silencing.
COMMUNICATIONS BIOLOGY
(2022)
Article
Biochemistry & Molecular Biology
Robin Scharrenberg, Melanie Richter, Ole Johanns, Durga Praveen Meka, Tabitha Ruecker, Nadeem Murtaza, Zsuzsa Lindenmaier, Jacob Ellegood, Anne Naumann, Bing Zhao, Birgit Schwanke, Jan Sedlacik, Jens Fiehler, Ileana L. Hanganu-Opatz, Jason P. Lerch, Karun K. Singh, Froylan Calderon de Anda
Summary: This study demonstrates the essential role of the Taok2 gene in neuronal migration, particularly the impact of de novo mutations associated with ASD on migration, and highlights the critical role of Taok2 in cortical development.
MOLECULAR PSYCHIATRY
(2022)
Editorial Material
Biology
Bibi Nusreen Imambocus, Peter Soba
Summary: Neurons in fruit fly larvae have specialized dendritic architecture for detecting harmful mechanical forces, particularly pointy objects.
Article
Clinical Neurology
Ronald A. M. Buijsen, Michel Hu, Maria Saez-Gonzalez, Sofia Notopoulou, Eleni Mina, Winette Koning, Sarah L. Gardiner, Linda M. van der Graaf, Elena Daoutsali, Barry A. Pepers, Hailiang Mei, Vera van Dis, Jean-Philippe Frimat, Arn M. J. M. van den Maagdenberg, Spyros Petrakis, Willeke M. C. van Roon-Mom
Summary: In this study, SCA1-relevant phenotypes were investigated using patient-specific fibroblasts and induced pluripotent stem cells (iPSCs) neuronal cultures. The findings showed mitochondrial dysfunction, protein aggregation, and neuronal morphology changes in SCA1-related cells. Gene expression analysis identified differentially expressed genes associated with synapse organization and neuron projection guidance, providing insights into SCA1 pathogenesis.
MOVEMENT DISORDERS
(2023)
Review
Biochemistry & Molecular Biology
Meilan Chen, Lu Xu, Yi Wu, Peter Soba, Chun Hu
Summary: Dendrites are specialized compartments in neurons that sense, integrate, and transfer information. Abnormal dendrite development is strongly linked to neurological disorders. The Golgi apparatus, located at the center of the secretory pathway, plays a crucial role in posttranslational modifications, sorting, transport, and signal transduction. It also forms distinct structures known as Golgi outposts in dendrites. However, the organization and function of Golgi in dendrite development and its impact on neurological disorders are still not well understood and lack a comprehensive summary.
Article
Biochemical Research Methods
Bibi Nusreen Imambocus, Andrey Formozov, Fangmin Zhou, Peter Soba
Summary: This article introduces a method for evaluating light avoidance behavior in Drosophila larvae using two-choice assays, mapping the temporal distribution of larvae based on intensity analysis, and providing methods for implementing experimental setup and analysis scripts.