The marked diversity of unique cortical enhancers enables the generation of neuron-specific tools by Enhancer-Driven Gene Expression (EDGE)
Ontology highlight
ABSTRACT:
ORGANISM(S): Mus musculus
PROVIDER: GSE112897 | GEO | 2018/08/19
REPOSITORIES: GEO
Similar Datasets
Project description:Understanding neural circuit function requires individually addressing their component parts: specific neuronal cell types. However, not only do the precise genetic mechanisms specifying neuronal cell types remain obscure, access to these neuronal cell types by transgenic techniques also remains elusive. Whereas most genes are expressed in the brain, the vast majority are expressed in many different kinds of neurons, suggesting that promoters alone are not sufficiently specific to distinguish cell types. However, there are orders of magnitude more distal genetic cis-regulatory elements controlling transcription (i.e., enhancers), so we screened for enhancer activity in microdissected samples of mouse cortical subregions. This identified thousands of novel putative enhancers, many unique to particular cortical subregions. Pronuclear injection of expression constructs containing such region-specific enhancers resulted in transgenic lines driving expression in distinct sets of cells specifically in the targeted cortical subregions, even though the parent gene's promoter was relatively non-specific. These data showcase the promise of utilizing the genetic mechanisms underlying the specification of diverse neuronal cell types for the development of genetic tools potentially capable of targeting any neuronal circuit of interest, an approach we call enhancer-driven gene expression (EDGE).
| S-EPMC7301410 | biostudies-literature
Project description:The marked diversity of unique cortical enhancers enables the generation of neuron-specific tools by Enhancer-Driven Gene Expression (EDGE)
| PRJNA449442 | ENA
Project description:Key facets of mammalian forebrain cortical development include the radial migration of projection neurons and subsequent cellular differentiation into layer-specific subtypes. Inappropriate regulation of these processes can lead to a number of congenital brain defects in both mouse and human, including lissencephaly and intellectual disability. The genes regulating these processes are still not all identified, suggesting genetic analyses will continue to be a powerful tool in mechanistically studying the development of the cerebral cortex. Reelin is a molecule which we have understood to be critical for proper cortical development for many years. The precise mechanism of Reelin, however, is not fully understood. To address both of these unresolved issues, we report here the creation of a novel conditional allele of the Reelin gene and showcase the use of an Etv1-GFP transgenic line highlighting a subpopulation of the cortex: layer V pyramidal neurons. Together, these represent genetic tools which may facilitate the study of cortical development in a number of different ways.
| S-EPMC4732900 | biostudies-literature
Project description:The epigenetic landscape is dynamically remodeled during neurogenesis. However, it is not understood how chromatin modifications in neural stem cells instruct the formation of complex structures in the brain. We report that the histone methyltransferase PRDM16 is required in radial glia to regulate lineage-autonomous and stage-specific gene expression programs that control number and position of upper layer cortical projection neurons. PRDM16 regulates the epigenetic state of transcriptional enhancers to activate genes involved in intermediate progenitor cell production and repress genes involved in cell migration. The histone methyltransferase domain of PRDM16 is necessary in radial glia to promote cortical neuron migration through transcriptional silencing. We show that repression of the gene encoding the E3 ubiquitin ligase PDZRN3 by PRDM16 determines the position of upper layer neurons. These findings provide insights into how epigenetic control of transcriptional enhancers in radial glial determines the organization of the mammalian cerebral cortex.
| S-EPMC6667181 | biostudies-literature
Project description:Interconnectivity between neocortical areas is critical for sensory integration and sensorimotor transformations. These functions are mediated by heterogeneous interareal cortical projection neurons (ICPN), which send axon branches to distinct cortical areas as well as to subcortical targets. Although ICPN are anatomically diverse, they are molecularly homogeneous and how the diversity of their anatomical and functional features emerge during development remains largely unknown. Here, we address this question by linking connectome and transcriptome in developing single ICPN of the mouse neocortex using a combination of MAPseq mapping (to identify single-neuron axonal projections) and single-cell RNA sequencing (to identify corresponding gene expression). Focusing on neurons of the primary somatosensory cortex (S1), we reveal a protracted unfolding of the molecular and functional differentiation of motor cortex-projecting (M) compared to secondary somatosensory cortex-projecting (S2) ICPN. We identify SOX11 as a temporally differentially expressed transcription factor in M vs. S2 ICPN. Postnatal manipulation of SOX11 expression level in S1 impaired sensorimotor connectivity and selectively disrupted exploratory behavior in freely moving mice. Together, our results reveal that within a single cortical area, different subtypes of ICPN have distinct postnatal molecular differentiation paces, which is then reflected in distinct circuit connectivities and functions. Dynamic differences in expression levels of largely generic set of genes, rather than fundamental differences in the identity of developmental genetic programs, may thus account for emergence of intra-type diversity in cortical neurons.
2021-07-01 | GSE156080 | GEO
Project description:Interconnectivity between neocortical areas is critical for sensory integration and sensorimotor transformations. These functions are mediated by heterogeneous interareal cortical projection neurons (ICPN), which send axon branches to distinct cortical areas as well as to subcortical targets. Although ICPN are anatomically diverse, they are molecularly homogeneous and how the diversity of their anatomical and functional features emerge during development remains largely unknown. Here, we address this question by linking connectome and transcriptome in developing single ICPN of the mouse neocortex using a combination of MAPseq mapping (to identify single-neuron axonal projections) and single-cell RNA sequencing (to identify corresponding gene expression). Focusing on neurons of the primary somatosensory cortex (S1), we reveal a protracted unfolding of the molecular and functional differentiation of motor cortex-projecting (M) compared to secondary somatosensory cortex-projecting (S2) ICPN. We identify SOX11 as a temporally differentially expressed transcription factor in M vs. S2 ICPN. Postnatal manipulation of SOX11 expression level in S1 impaired sensorimotor connectivity and selectively disrupted exploratory behavior in freely moving mice. Together, our results reveal that within a single cortical area, different subtypes of ICPN have distinct postnatal molecular differentiation paces, which is then reflected in distinct circuit connectivities and functions. Dynamic differences in expression levels of largely generic set of genes, rather than fundamental differences in the identity of developmental genetic programs, may thus account for emergence of intra-type diversity in cortical neurons.
2021-07-01 | GSE118681 | GEO
Project description:Interconnectivity between neocortical areas is critical for sensory integration and sensorimotor transformations. These functions are mediated by heterogeneous interareal cortical projection neurons (ICPN), which send axon branches to distinct cortical areas as well as to subcortical targets. Although ICPN are anatomically diverse, they are molecularly homogeneous and how the diversity of their anatomical and functional features emerge during development remains largely unknown. Here, we address this question by linking connectome and transcriptome in developing single ICPN of the mouse neocortex using a combination of MAPseq mapping (to identify single-neuron axonal projections) and single-cell RNA sequencing (to identify corresponding gene expression). Focusing on neurons of the primary somatosensory cortex (S1), we reveal a protracted unfolding of the molecular and functional differentiation of motor cortex-projecting (M) compared to secondary somatosensory cortex-projecting (S2) ICPN. We identify SOX11 as a temporally differentially expressed transcription factor in M vs. S2 ICPN. Postnatal manipulation of SOX11 expression level in S1 impaired sensorimotor connectivity and selectively disrupted exploratory behavior in freely moving mice. Together, our results reveal that within a single cortical area, different subtypes of ICPN have distinct postnatal molecular differentiation paces, which is then reflected in distinct circuit connectivities and functions. Dynamic differences in expression levels of largely generic set of genes, rather than fundamental differences in the identity of developmental genetic programs, may thus account for emergence of intra-type diversity in cortical neurons.
2021-07-01 | GSE116944 | GEO
Project description:To determine the hierarchy of transcriptional regulation within the in vivo vertebrate embryo, we examined whether developmental enhancers were influenced by Nodal signaling during early embryogenesis in Xenopus tropicalis. We find that developmental enhancers, defined by the active enhancer chromatin marks H3K4me1 and H3K27ac, are established as early as blastula stage and that Smad2/3 only strongly associates with these regions at gastrula stages. Significantly, when we perturb Nodal signaling using the drug SB431542, most enhancers remain marked, including at genes known to be sensitive to Nodal signaling. Overall, as enhancers are in an active conformation prior to Nodal signaling and are established independently of Nodal signaling, we suggest that many developmental enhancers are marked maternally, prior to exposure to extrinsic signals.
| S-EPMC4517478 | biostudies-literature
Project description:Prostate cancer (PCa) is one of the most prevalent cancers in men. Cancer stem cells are thought to be associated with PCa relapse. Here we show that BAZ2A is required for PCa cells with a cancer stem-like state. BAZ2A genomic occupancy in PCa cells coincides with H3K14ac enriched chromatin regions. This association is mediated by BAZ2A-bromodomain (BAZ2A-BRD) that specifically binds H3K14ac. BAZ2A associates with inactive enhancers marked by H3K14ac and repressing transcription of genes frequently silenced in aggressive and poorly differentiated PCa. BAZ2A-mediated repression is also linked to EP300 that acetylates H3K14ac. BAZ2A-BRD mutations or treatment with inhibitors abrogating BAZ2A-BRD/H3K14ac interaction impair PCa stem cells. Furthermore, pharmacological inactivation of BAZ2A-BRD impairs Pten-loss oncogenic transformation of prostate organoids. Our findings indicate a role of BAZ2A-BRD in PCa stem cell features and suggest potential epigenetic-reader therapeutic strategies to target BAZ2A in aggressive PCa.
| S-SCDT-EMBOR-2021-53014V1 | biostudies-other
Project description:Prostate cancer (PCa) is one of the most prevalent cancers in men. Cancer stem cells are thought to be associated with PCa relapse. Here, we show that BAZ2A is required for PCa cells with a cancer stem-like state. BAZ2A genomic occupancy in PCa cells coincides with H3K14ac-enriched chromatin regions. This association is mediated by BAZ2A-bromodomain (BAZ2A-BRD) that specifically binds H3K14ac. BAZ2A associates with inactive enhancers marked by H3K14ac and repressing transcription of genes frequently silenced in aggressive and poorly differentiated PCa. BAZ2A-mediated repression is also linked to EP300 that acetylates H3K14ac. BAZ2A-BRD mutations or treatment with inhibitors abrogating BAZ2A-BRD/H3K14ac interaction impair PCa stem cells. Furthermore, pharmacological inactivation of BAZ2A-BRD impairs Pten-loss oncogenic transformation of prostate organoids. Our findings indicate a role of BAZ2A-BRD in PCa stem cell features and suggest potential epigenetic-reader therapeutic strategies to target BAZ2A in aggressive PCa.
| S-EPMC8567280 | biostudies-literature