Similar Datasets
Project description:The generation of brain region-specific progenitors from human embryonic stem cells (hESCs) is critical for their application. However, transcriptional regulation of neural regionalization in humans is poorly understood. Here, we applied a rostrocaudal patterning system from hESCs to dissect global transcriptional networks controlling early neural regionalization. We found that SOX21 is required for rostral forebrain fate specification. SOX21 knockout led to activation of Wnt signaling, resulting in caudalization of regional identity of rostral forebrain neural progenitor cells. Moreover, we identified WNT8B as a SOX21 direct target. Deletion of WNT8B or inhibition of Wnt signaling in SOX21 knockout neural progenitor cells restored rostral forebrain identity. Furthermore, SOX21 interacted with β-catenin, interfering with the binding of TCF4/β-catenin complex to the WNT8B enhancer. Collectively, these results unveil the unknown role of SOX21 and shed light on how a transcriptional factor modulates early neural regionalization through crosstalk with a key component of Wnt signaling.
| S-EPMC6915843 | biostudies-literature
Project description:Generation of brain region-specific progenitors from human embryonic stem cells (hESCs) is critical for their application. However, transcriptional regulation of neural regionalization in human embryos is poorly understood. Here, we report that transcription factor SOX21 is required for telencephalic fate specification from hESCs. SOX21 knockout (KO) impairs telencephalic fate specification, concomitant with the activation of diencephalic genes and Wnt signaling. Inhibition of Wnt signaling restores telencephalic specification from SOX21 KO hESCs. Analysis of global SOX21 DNA binding profiles and SOX21-regulated genes identifies SOX21 targets. SOX21 interacts with b-catenin and interferes with TCF4/b-catenin binding to the enhancer of WNT8B. Double KO of SOX21 and WNT8B restores telencephalic specification, indicating that SOX21 specifies the telencephalic fate through repressing WNT8B expression. Moreover, the high and low levels of SOX21 in the telencephalon and diencephalon, respectively, in developing human brains support its role in telencephalic fate specification. Collectively, this study unveils previously unappreciated roles of SOX21 and sheds light on the transcriptional control of telencephalic patterning in humans.
2019-10-28 | GSE138094 | GEO
Project description:Generation of brain region-specific progenitors from human embryonic stem cells (hESCs) is critical for their application. However, transcriptional regulation of neural regionalization in human embryos is poorly understood. Here, we report that transcription factor SOX21 is required for telencephalic fate specification from hESCs. SOX21 knockout (KO) impairs telencephalic fate specification, concomitant with the activation of diencephalic genes and Wnt signaling. Inhibition of Wnt signaling restores telencephalic specification from SOX21 KO hESCs. Analysis of global SOX21 DNA binding profiles and SOX21-regulated genes identifies SOX21 targets. SOX21 interacts with b-catenin and interferes with TCF4/b-catenin binding to the enhancer of WNT8B. Double KO of SOX21 and WNT8B restores telencephalic specification, indicating that SOX21 specifies the telencephalic fate through repressing WNT8B expression. Moreover, the high and low levels of SOX21 in the telencephalon and diencephalon, respectively, in developing human brains support its role in telencephalic fate specification. Collectively, this study unveils previously unappreciated roles of SOX21 and sheds light on the transcriptional control of telencephalic patterning in humans.
2019-10-28 | GSE110504 | GEO
Project description:SOX21 ensures rostral forebrain identity by suppression of WNT8B during neural regionalization of human embryonic stem cells
| PRJNA574589 | ENA
Project description:SOX21 ensures rostral forebrain identity by suppression of WNT8B during neural regionalization of human embryonic stem cells
| PRJNA433877 | ENA
Project description:SOX21 ensures rostral forebrain identity by suppression of WNT8B during neural regionalization of human embryonic stem cells
| PRJNA433872 | ENA
Project description:A comprehensive characterization of epigenomic organization in the embryonic mouse forebrain will enhance our understanding of neurodevelopment and provide insight into mechanisms of neurological disease. Here we collected single-cell chromatin accessibility profiles from four distinct neurogenic regions of the embryonic mouse forebrain using single nuclei ATAC-Seq (snATAC-Seq). We identified thousands of differentially accessible peaks, many restricted to distinct progenitor cell types or brain regions. We integrated snATAC-Seq and single cell transcriptome data to characterize changes of chromatin accessibility at enhancers and promoters with associated transcript abundance. Multi-modal integration of histone modifications (CUT&Tag and CUT&RUN), promoter-enhancer interactions (Capture-C) and high-order chromatin structure (Hi-C) extended these initial observations. This dataset reveals a diverse chromatin landscape with region-specific regulatory mechanisms and genomic interactions in distinct neurogenic regions of the embryonic mouse brain and represents an extensive public resource of a 'ground truth' epigenomic landscape at this critical stage of neurogenesis.
| S-EPMC9300614 | biostudies-literature
Project description:Relatively little is known about the molecular events that specify the rostrocaudal axis of the neural plate. Here we show that a member of the Distal-less (Dlx) homeobox gene family, Dlx5, is one of the earliest known markers for the most rostral ectoderm, before the formation of an overt neural plate. During late gastrulation Dlx5 expression becomes localized to the anterior neural ridge, which defines the rostral boundary of the neural plate, and also extends caudolaterally, marking the region of the presumptive neural crest. Subsequently, Dlx5 is expressed in tissues (olfactory epithelium, ventral cephalic epithelium) that are believed to derive from the anterior neural ridge, based on the avian fate map. The early phase of Dlx5 expression in the anterior neural ridge and its derivatives is distinct from a later phase of expression in the ventral telencephalon and diencephalon and also appears to be unique for Dlx5 among members of the Dlx family. Another distinctive feature of Dlx5 expression is the occurrence of an alternative transcript (deltaDlx5), which encodes a truncated protein lacking the homeodomain, and represents a significant fraction of total Dlx5 transcripts at all embryonic stages that were examined. In contrast with full-length DLX5, the deltaDLX5 truncated protein is deficient in DNA-binding activity and does not interact with the homeoprotein partner MSX1. Taken together, our findings suggest that Dlx5 activity may be regulated via the expression of an alternative transcript and demonstrate that Dlx5 marks the anterior boundary of the neural plate.
| S-EPMC6792835 | biostudies-literature
Project description:Human beings are remarkably skilled at recognizing faces, with the marked exception of other-race faces: the so-called "other-race effect." As reported nearly a century ago [Feingold CA (1914) Journal of Criminal Law and Police Science 5:39-51], this face-recognition impairment is accompanied by the popular belief that other-race faces all look alike. However, the neural mechanisms underlying this high-level "perceptual illusion" are still unknown. To address this question, we recorded high-resolution electrophysiological scalp signals from East Asian (EA) and Western Caucasian (WC) observers as they viewed two EA or WC faces. The first adaptor face was followed by a target face of either the same or different identity. We quantified repetition suppression (RS), a reduction in neural activity in stimulus-sensitive regions following stimulus repetition. Conventional electrophysiological analyses on target faces failed to reveal any RS effect. However, to fully account for the paired nature of RS events, we subtracted the signal elicited by target to adaptor faces for each single trial and performed unbiased spatiotemporal data-driven analyses. This unique approach revealed stronger RS to same-race faces of same identity in both groups of observers on the face-sensitive N170 component. Such neurophysiological modulation in RS suggests efficient identity coding for same-race faces. Strikingly, OR faces elicited identical RS regardless of identity, all looking alike to the neural population underlying the N170. Our data show that sensitivity to race begins early at the perceptual level, providing, after nearly 100 y of investigations, a neurophysiological correlate of the "all look alike" perceptual experience.
| S-EPMC2993371 | biostudies-literature
Project description:Adult neural stem cells (NSCs) reside in two distinct niches in the mammalian brain, the ventricular-subventricular zone (V-SVZ) of the forebrain lateral ventricles and the subgranular zone (SGZ) of the hippocampal dentate gyrus. They are thought to be molecularly distinct since V-SVZ NSCs produce inhibitory olfactory bulb (OB) interneurons and SGZ NSCs excitatory dentate granule neurons. Here, we have asked whether this is so by directly comparing V-SVZ and SGZ NSCs from embryogenesis to adulthood using single-cell transcriptional data. We show that the embryonic radial glial precursor (RP) parents of these two NSC populations are very similar, but differentially express a small cohort of genes involved in glutamatergic versus GABAergic neurogenesis. These different RPs then undergo a similar gradual transition to a dormant adult NSC state over the first three postnatal weeks. This dormancy state involves transcriptional shutdown of genes that maintain an active, proliferative, prodifferentiation state and induction of genes involved in sensing and regulating their niche environment. Moreover, when reactivated to generate adult-born progeny, both populations reacquire a development-like state and re-express proneurogenic genes. Thus, V-SVZ and SGZ NSCs share a common transcriptional state throughout their lifespans and transition into and out of dormancy via similar trajectories.
| S-EPMC8856713 | biostudies-literature