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Nuclear PTEN deficiency causes microcephaly with decreased neuronal soma size and increased seizure susceptibility.

ABSTRACT: Defects in phosphatase and tensin homolog (PTEN) are associated with neurological disorders and tumors. PTEN functions at two primary intracellular locations: the plasma membrane and the nucleus. At the membrane, PTEN functions as a phosphatidylinositol (3,4,5)-trisphosphate phosphatase and suppresses PI 3-kinase signaling that drives cell growth and tumorigenesis. However, the in vivo function of nuclear PTEN is unclear. Here, using CRISPR/Cas9, we generated a mouse model in which PTEN levels in the nucleus are decreased. Nuclear PTEN-deficient mice were born with microcephaly and maintained a small brain during adulthood. The size of neuronal soma was significantly smaller in the cerebellum, cerebral cortex, and hippocampus. Also, these mice were prone to seizure. No changes in PI 3-kinase signaling were observed. By contrast, the size of other organs was unaffected. Therefore, nuclear PTEN is essential for the health of the brain by promoting the growth of neuronal soma size during development.

SUBMITTER: Igarashi A

PROVIDER: S-EPMC6005449 | biostudies-literature | 2018 Jun

REPOSITORIES: biostudies-literature

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Nuclear PTEN deficiency causes microcephaly with decreased neuronal soma size and increased seizure susceptibility.

Igarashi Atsushi A Itoh Kie K Yamada Tatsuya T Adachi Yoshihiro Y Kato Takashi T Murata Daisuke D Sesaki Hiromi H Iijima Miho M

The Journal of biological chemistry 20180507 24

Defects in phosphatase and tensin homolog (PTEN) are associated with neurological disorders and tumors. PTEN functions at two primary intracellular locations: the plasma membrane and the nucleus. At the membrane, PTEN functions as a phosphatidylinositol (3,4,5)-trisphosphate phosphatase and suppresses PI 3-kinase signaling that drives cell growth and tumorigenesis. However, the <i>in vivo</i> function of nuclear PTEN is unclear. Here, using CRISPR/Cas9, we generated a mouse model in which PTEN l ...[more]

PMID: 29735527

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Project description:BackgroundPTEN, a syndromic autism spectrum disorder (ASD) risk gene, is mutated in approximately 10% of macrocephalic ASD cases. Despite the described genetic association between PTEN and ASD and ensuing studies, we continue to have a limited understanding of how PTEN disruption drives ASD pathogenesis and maintenance.MethodsWe derived neural stem cells (NSCs) from the dentate gyrus (DG) of Ptenm3m4 mice, a model that recapitulates PTEN-ASD phenotypes. We subsequently characterized the expression of stemness factors, proliferation, and differentiation of neurons and glia in Ptenm3m4 NSCs using immunofluorescent and immunoblotting approaches. We also measured Creb phosphorylation by Western blot analysis and expression of Creb-regulated genes with qRT-PCR.ResultsThe m3m4 mutation decreases Pten localization to the nucleus and its global expression over time. Ptenm3m4 NSCs exhibit persistent stemness characteristics associated with increased proliferation and a resistance to neuronal maturation during differentiation. Given the increased proliferation of Ptenm3m4 NSCs, a significant increase in the population of immature neurons relative to mature neurons occurs, an approximately tenfold decrease in the ratio between the homozygous mutant and wildtype. There is an opposite pattern of differentiation in some Ptenm3m4 glia, specifically an increase in astrocytes. These aberrant differentiation patterns associate with changes in Creb activation in Ptenm3m4/m3m4 NSCs. We specifically observed loss of Creb phosphorylation at S133 in Ptenm3m4/m3m4 NSCs and a subsequent decrease in expression of Creb-regulated genes important to neuronal function (i.e., Bdnf). Interestingly, Bdnf treatment is able to partially rescue the stunted neuronal maturation phenotype in Ptenm3m4/m3m4 NSCs.ConclusionsConstitutional disruption of Pten nuclear localization with subsequent global decrease in Pten expression generates abnormal patterns of differentiation, a stunting of neuronal maturation. The propensity of Pten disruption to restrain neurons to a more progenitor-like state may be an important feature contributing to PTEN-ASD pathogenesis.

Dataset Information

Nuclear PTEN deficiency causes microcephaly with decreased neuronal soma size and increased seizure susceptibility.

Publications

Nuclear PTEN deficiency causes microcephaly with decreased neuronal soma size and increased seizure susceptibility.

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