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
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
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
Biochemistry & Molecular Biology
J. S. Witteveen, S. R. Loopstok, L. Luque Ballesteros, A. Boonstra, N. H. M. van Bakel, W. H. P. van Boekel, G. J. M. Martens, J. E. Visser, S. M. Kolk
Summary: In Lesch-Nyhan disease, deficiency of the HGprt enzyme leads to neurodevelopmental abnormalities in mice, specifically affecting proliferation and migration of midbrain dopamine neurons. These abnormalities are associated with disorganized dopamine innervation and provide evidence for a developmental nature of the brain disorder in LND.
CELLULAR AND MOLECULAR LIFE SCIENCES
(2022)
Article
Multidisciplinary Sciences
Rongxin Fang, Chenglong Xia, Jennie L. Close, Meng Zhan, Jiang He, Zhengkai Huang, Aaron R. Halpern, Brian Long, Jeremy A. Miller, Ed S. Lein, Xiaowei Zhuang
Summary: This study used MERFISH to perform single-cell profiling of the human cerebral cortex, identifying over 100 different cell types and generating a cell atlas of the middle and superior temporal gyrus. Comparison with the mouse cortex revealed conservation in cell laminar organization and differences in cell-cell interactions across species.
Editorial Material
Neurosciences
Victor Borrell
Summary: Researchers have found that a population of neural progenitor cells co-expressing Neurog2 and Ascl1 play a key role in the implementation of cortex folding during embryonic development.
Editorial Material
Cell Biology
Alexander Atamian, Marcella Birtele, Giorgia Quadrato
Summary: This study compares different methods for deriving human cortical organoids and finds that combining WNT and dual SMAD inhibition is more effective in inducing cortical identity in 3D human pluripotent stem-cell aggregates compared to dual SMAD inhibition alone.
NATURE CELL BIOLOGY
(2022)
Review
Developmental Biology
Thomas Becker, Catherina G. Becker
Summary: Neural stem cells in fishes and salamanders can switch back to neurogenesis after injury, unlike mammals. Understanding the signaling mechanisms in naturally regenerating species, such as zebrafish, provides insights into how to promote neurogenesis in non-regenerating mammals.
Article
Neurosciences
Kyoji Ohyama, Hiroshi M. Shinohara, Shoichiro Omura, Tomomi Kawachi, Toru Sato, Keiko Toda
Summary: In the mouse dentate gyrus, a specific subpopulation of neural progenitors and radial glia-like cells can be marked by the expression of PSmad3. PSmad3+ cells in the subgranular zone (SGZ) are predominantly quiescent from P14 onwards, while PSmad3+/GFP+ astrocytes co-express Olig2 and S100 beta.
FRONTIERS IN NEUROSCIENCE
(2023)
Review
Biochemistry & Molecular Biology
Kevin W. Kelley, Sergiu P. Pasca
Summary: The construction of the human nervous system is a complex and regulated process. Recent advancements in genomics and stem cell-based tissue modeling have allowed for a better understanding of human neural development and dysfunction in neuropsychiatric disease.
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
Biochemistry & Molecular Biology
Mengmeng Jin, Hui Zhang, Baijie Xu, Yanan Li, Huiwen Qin, Shuguang Yu, Jie He
Summary: This study reveals the interaction between neurons and glial cells mediated by Jag2b and Notch3/Notch1b in the developing zebrafish retina, which is crucial for the generation and differentiation of Muller glia (MG) and the irreversible differentiation of MG.
Article
Biology
Dongjin R. Lee, Christopher Rhodes, Apratim Mitra, Yajun Zhang, Dragan Maric, Ryan K. Dale, Timothy J. Petros
Summary: This study characterized the transcriptional heterogeneity of radial glia cells in the ganglionic eminences using single-cell RNA sequencing. The results revealed previously unknown spatial and temporal genetic diversity of VZ cells in the ventral forebrain, which will contribute to our understanding of initial fate decisions in the forebrain.
Article
Genetics & Heredity
Varun Suresh, Bhavana Muralidharan, Saurabh J. Pradhan, Mahima Bose, Leora D'Souza, Arpan Parichha, Puli Chandramouli Reddy, Sanjeev Galande, Shubha Tole
Summary: We investigated the differences between the hippocampal primordium (Hcp) and the neocortical primordium (Ncp) in the mouse during early neurogenesis. Our results showed that the Hcp was more accessible than the Ncp at this stage. We identified LHX2 as a candidate transcription factor that regulates gene expression in the Hcp and Ncp, controlling fundamental aspects of development.
Article
Neurosciences
Nicole K. Morrill, Qingyou Li, Aurelie Joly-Amado, Edwin J. Weeber, Kevin R. Nash
Summary: This study discovered a novel structure of Reelin, R36, which was found to have biological effects in vitro and in vivo. It can enhance the Reelin signaling pathway and may have potential for gene therapy in diseases characterized by reduced levels of Reelin.
EUROPEAN JOURNAL OF NEUROSCIENCE
(2023)
Article
Biochemistry & Molecular Biology
Kakanahalli Nagaraj, Lars V. Kristiansen, Adam Skrzynski, Carlos Castiella, Luis Garcia-Alonso, Michael Hortsch
HUMAN MOLECULAR GENETICS
(2009)
Article
Multidisciplinary Sciences
Emanuelle Donier, Jose Antonio Gomez-Sanchez, Carmen Grijota-Martinez, Jarmila Lakoma, Sigrid Baars, Luis Garcia-Alonso, Hugo Cabedo
Article
Genetics & Heredity
Emma Velasquez, Jose Gomez-Sanchez, Emmanuelle Donier, Carmen P. Grijota-Martinez, Hugo P. Cabedo, Luis P. Garcia-Alonso
Summary: The study reveals the crucial role of the Drosophila Neural Cell Adhesion Molecule Fasciclin 2 in regulating epithelial organ growth and size by promoting cell proliferation through interaction with EGFR, creating a self-stimulatory loop. This mechanism controls intercalary growth in imaginal discs and may determine the threshold for epithelial organ development.
Article
Cell Biology
R Islam, LV Kristiansen, S Romani, L Garcia-Alonso, M Hortsch
MOLECULAR BIOLOGY OF THE CELL
(2004)
Article
Neurosciences
L García-Alonso, S Romani, F Jiménez
Article
Neurosciences
LV Kristiansen, E Velasquez, S Romani, S Baars, V Berezin, E Bock, M Hortsch, L Garcia-Alonso
MOLECULAR AND CELLULAR NEUROSCIENCE
(2005)