CRISPR-Mediated Induction of Neuron-Enriched Mitochondrial Proteins Boosts Direct Glia-to-Neuron Conversion.
TL;DR: The comprehensive mitochondrial proteome of cortical astrocytes and neurons is determined, identifying about 150 significantly enriched mitochondrial proteins for each cell type, including transporters, metabolic enzymes, and cell-type-specific antioxidants.
About: This article is published in Cell Stem Cell.The article was published on 2021-03-04 and is currently open access. It has received 31 citations till now. The article focuses on the topics: Mitochondrion & Proteome.
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TL;DR: Recently, it was shown that mitochondria and metabolism remodeling are causally linked to neurogenesis as mentioned in this paper, which has important implications for our understanding of neurodevelopmental diseases and possibly human brain evolution.
32 citations
TL;DR: In this article, the authors discuss the role of α-synuclein (α-syn) pathology in Parkinson's disease and conclude that replenishing the glial cells is a valuable therapeutic approach.
Abstract: Parkinson’s disease (PD) is a common neurodegenerative disorder that primarily affects the elderly. While the etiology of PD is likely multifactorial with the involvement of genetic, environmental, aging and other factors, α-synuclein (α-syn) pathology is a pivotal mechanism underlying the development of PD. In recent years, astrocytes have attracted considerable attention in the field. Although astrocytes perform a variety of physiological functions in the brain, they are pivotal mediators of α-syn toxicity since they internalize α-syn released from damaged neurons, and this triggers an inflammatory response, protein degradation dysfunction, mitochondrial dysfunction and endoplasmic reticulum stress. Astrocytes are indispensable coordinators in the background of several genetic mutations, including PARK7, GBA1, LRRK2, ATP13A2, PINK1, PRKN and PLA2G6. As the most abundant glial cells in the brain, functional astrocytes can be replenished and even converted to functional neurons. In this review, we discuss astrocyte dysfunction in PD with an emphasis on α-syn toxicity and genetic modulation and conclude that astrocyte replenishment is a valuable therapeutic approach in PD.
19 citations
TL;DR: In this article , the authors discuss the importance of the starter cell for shaping the outcome of neuronal reprogramming and propose a code of conduct to avoid artifacts and pitfalls, and point out next challenges for less invasive cell replacement therapies for humans.
19 citations
TL;DR: In this article, a review of the regulatory properties of proneural genes encoding basic-helix-loophelix (bHLH) transcription factors (TFs) is presented, focusing on the murine cerebral cortex.
Abstract: Historically, the mammalian brain was thought to lack stem cells as no new neurons were found to be made in adulthood. That dogma changed ∼25 years ago with the identification of neural stem cells (NSCs) in the adult rodent forebrain. However, unlike rapidly self-renewing mature tissues (e.g., blood, intestinal crypts, skin), the majority of adult NSCs are quiescent, and those that become 'activated' are restricted to a few neurogenic zones that repopulate specific brain regions. Conversely, embryonic NSCs are actively proliferating and neurogenic. Investigations into the molecular control of the quiescence-to-proliferation-to-differentiation continuum in the embryonic and adult brain have identified proneural genes encoding basic-helix-loop-helix (bHLH) transcription factors (TFs) as critical regulators. These bHLH TFs initiate genetic programs that remove NSCs from quiescence and drive daughter neural progenitor cells (NPCs) to differentiate into specific neural cell subtypes, thereby contributing to the enormous cellular diversity of the adult brain. However, new insights have revealed that proneural gene activities are context-dependent and tightly regulated. Here we review how proneural bHLH TFs are regulated, with a focus on the murine cerebral cortex, drawing parallels where appropriate to other organisms and neural tissues. We discuss upstream regulatory events, post-translational modifications (phosphorylation, ubiquitinylation), protein-protein interactions, epigenetic and metabolic mechanisms that govern bHLH TF expression, stability, localization, and consequent transactivation of downstream target genes. These tight regulatory controls help to explain paradoxical findings of changes to bHLH activity in different cellular contexts.
16 citations
References
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TL;DR: Tight genetic linkage between FALS and a gene that encodes a cytosolic, Cu/Zn-binding superoxide dismutase (SOD1), a homodimeric metalloenzyme that catalyzes the dismutation of the toxic superoxide anion O–2 to O2 and H2O2 is reported.
Abstract: Amyotrophic lateral sclerosis (ALS) is a degenerative disorder of motor neurons in the cortex, brainstem and spinal cord. Its cause is unknown and it is uniformly fatal, typically within five years. About 10% of cases are inherited as an autosomal dominant trait, with high penetrance after the sixth decade. In most instances, sporadic and autosomal dominant familial ALS (FALS) are clinically similar. We have previously shown that in some but not all FALS pedigrees the disease is linked to a genetic defect on chromosome 21q (refs 8, 9). Here we report tight genetic linkage between FALS and a gene that encodes a cytosolic, Cu/Zn-binding superoxide dismutase (SOD1), a homodimeric metalloenzyme that catalyzes the dismutation of the toxic superoxide anion O2.- to O2 and H2O2 (ref. 10). Given this linkage and the potential role of free radical toxicity in other neurodenegerative disorders, we investigated SOD1 as a candidate gene in FALS. We identified 11 different SOD1 missense mutations in 13 different FALS families.
6,733 citations
TL;DR: A method is described, filter-aided sample preparation (FASP), which combines the advantages of in-gel and in-solution digestion for mass spectrometry–based proteomics and allows single-run analyses of organelles and an unprecedented depth of proteome coverage.
Abstract: A method, filter-aided sample preparation (FASP) combines the advantages of in-gel and in-solution digestion for mass spectrometry–based proteomics, allowing deeper proteomic coverage in a shorter analysis time, using small sample amounts. We describe a method, filter-aided sample preparation (FASP), which combines the advantages of in-gel and in-solution digestion for mass spectrometry–based proteomics. We completely solubilized the proteome in sodium dodecyl sulfate, which we then exchanged by urea on a standard filtration device. Peptides eluted after digestion on the filter were pure, allowing single-run analyses of organelles and an unprecedented depth of proteome coverage.
6,096 citations
TL;DR: Structural-guided engineering of a CRISPR-Cas9 complex to mediate efficient transcriptional activation at endogenous genomic loci is described and the potential of Cas9-based activators as a powerful genetic perturbation technology is demonstrated.
Abstract: Systematic interrogation of gene function requires the ability to perturb gene expression in a robust and generalizable manner. Here we describe structure-guided engineering of a CRISPR-Cas9 complex to mediate efficient transcriptional activation at endogenous genomic loci. We used these engineered Cas9 activation complexes to investigate single-guide RNA (sgRNA) targeting rules for effective transcriptional activation, to demonstrate multiplexed activation of ten genes simultaneously, and to upregulate long intergenic non-coding RNA (lincRNA) transcripts. We also synthesized a library consisting of 70,290 guides targeting all human RefSeq coding isoforms to screen for genes that, upon activation, confer resistance to a BRAF inhibitor. The top hits included genes previously shown to be able to confer resistance, and novel candidates were validated using individual sgRNA and complementary DNA overexpression. A gene expression signature based on the top screening hits correlated with markers of BRAF inhibitor resistance in cell lines and patient-derived samples. These results collectively demonstrate the potential of Cas9-based activators as a powerful genetic perturbation technology.
2,186 citations
"CRISPR-Mediated Induction of Neuron..." refers background in this paper
...…transactivating domains (VP64, p65, and RTA[R transactivator]) and SAM (synergistic activator Mediator) components (dCAM) (Chavez et al., 2015; Konermann et al., 2015; STARMethods) with the astrocyte-specific Aldh1l1:Cre mouse line (Tien et al., 2012; Figure 3B), were co-transfected with the…...
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TL;DR: This work predicts 19 proteins to be important for the function of complex I (CI) of the electron transport chain and validate a subset of these predictions using RNAi, including C8orf38, which is shown to have an inherited mutation in a lethal, infantile CI deficiency.
1,836 citations
"CRISPR-Mediated Induction of Neuron..." refers background in this paper
...Mitochondria perform a plethora of additional functions (Spinelli and Haigis, 2018), and specific mitochondrial proteins may be required to implement the celltype-specificmetabolic needs (Calvo andMootha, 2010; Folmes et al., 2012; Pagliarini et al., 2008)....
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22 May 2016
1,792 citations