Molecular programs of regional specification and neural stem cell fate progression in developing macaque telencephalon
Ontology highlight
ABSTRACT: During early telencephalic development, intricate processes of regional patterning and neural stem cell (NSC) fate specification take place. However, our understanding of these processes in primates, including both conserved and species-specific features, remains limited. Here, we profiled 761,529 single-cell transcriptomes from multiple regions of the prenatal macaque telencephalon. We deciphered the molecular programs of the early organizing centers and their cross-talk with NSCs, revealing primatebiased galanin-like peptide (GALP) signaling in the antero-ventral telencephalon. Regional transcriptomic variations were observed along the fronto-temporal axis during early stages of neocortical NSC progression and in neurons and astrocytes. Additionally, we found that genes associated with neuropsychiatric disorders and brain cancer risk might play critical roles in the early telencephalic organizers and during NSC progression.
Project description:Early telencephalic development involves patterning of the distinct regions and fate specification of the neural stem cells (NSCs). These processes, mainly characterized in rodents, remain elusive in primates and thus our understanding of conserved and species-specific features. Here, we profiled 761,529 single-cell transcriptomes from multiple regions of the prenatal macaque telencephalon. We defined the molecular programs of the early organizing centers and their cross-talk with NSCs, finding primatebiased signaling active in the antero-ventral telencephalon. Regional transcriptomic divergences were evident at early states of neocortical NSC progression and in differentiated neurons and astrocytes, more than in intermediate transitions. Finally, we show that neuropsychiatric disease- and brain cancerrisk genes have putative early roles in the telencephalic organizers’ activity and across cortical NSC progression.
Project description:The establishment of the fronto-temporal axis in the developing human cortex is achieved by temporary signaling activity coming from secondary organizers. However, studying this process remains challenging due to the limited access to fetal material and inaccuracy of animal models in mimicking human-specific aspects. Although human brain organoids provide a potential solution to study this, their lack of axial organization does not supply the appropriate positional information needed to recapitulate detailed patterning processes in situ. Here, we develop a method that combines a cell line expressing the morphogen FGF8 fused to organoids engineered with PDMS moulds representing the exact length of the developing brain, resulting in the formation of polarized cortical organoids, or PolarOids. Thanks to a dose-sensitive reporter for anterior cortical differentiation, we carefully titrate and time the fusion dynamics to elicit a gradient in the patterned tissue while preserving neural activity as assessed through electrophysiology. We show that our localized FGF8 source is sufficient to trigger a distance-dependent transcriptional signature that matches fronto-temporal cortical fates in vivo. Lastly, we use these PolarOids to model a disease-relevant FGFR3 mutation and describe the transcriptional loss of axial gradient formation underlying a dramatic cortical phenotype observed in patients. As such, Polaroids provide a powerful tool to model hitherto neglected human diseases caused by defects in antero-posterior patterning in the brain
Project description:Pax6 is one of the important transcription factors involved in regional specification and neurogenesis in the developing cortex. To identify candidate target genes of Pax6, we performed transcriptome analyses of wild-type (WT) and Pax6 homozygous mutant rats (rSey2/rSey2) telencephalons at E11.5 within a day of onset of Pax6 expression. In our transcriptome analyses, down-regulated genes in the rSey2/rSey2 rat exhibited larger fold changes, whereas up-regulated genes had relatively small fold changes. Total RNA was prepared using from 13 telencephalon dissected from E11.5 WT or rSey2/rSey2 rats embryos. Experiments using 13 telencephaon were repeated twice in each genotype.
Project description:Astrocytes within specific brain regions contribute uniquely to regional circuits for higher-order brain function through interactions with local neurons. The regional diversification of astrocytes is dictated by their embryonic origin, yet the mechanisms governing their regional allocation remain unknown. Here we show that allocation of astrocytes to specific brain regions requires the transcription factor 4 (Tcf4) mediated fate restriction during brain development. Loss of Tcf4 in ventral telencephalic neural progenitors alters the fate of oligodendrocyte precursors to transient intermediate astrocyte precursor cells, resulting in mislocated astrocytes in the dorsal neocortex. These ectopic astrocytes originated from the ventral telencephalon engage with neurons and acquire features reminiscent of local neocortical astrocytes. Furthermore, Tcf4 functions as a suppressor of astrocyte fate during differentiation of oligodendrocyte precursors, thereby restricting the fate to oligodendrocyte lineage. Our study reveals that fate restriction governs regional astrocyte allocation, contributing to astrocyte diversification across brain regions.
Project description:TESS_E14.5_Adult series: Set of microarray expreriments used to identify genes of TESS library preferentially expressed in Embryonic E14.5 mouse telencephalon Keywords: other
Project description:Human telencephalon is an evolutionary advanced brain structure associated with many uniquely human behaviors and disorders. However, cell lineages and molecular pathways implicated in human telencephalic development remains largely unknown. We generated human telencephalic organoids from stem cell-derived single neural rosettes (SNRs) and investigated telencephalic development under normal and pathological conditions. SNR-derived organoids contained pallial and subpallial neural progenitors (NPs), excitatory and inhibitory neurons, as well as macroglial and periendothelial cells, and demonstrated predictable organization and cytoarchitecture. We comprehensively characterized the properties of neurons in SNR-derived organoids and identified transcriptional programs associated with the specification of+B50:B51 excitatory and inhibitory lineages from a common pool of NPs early in telencephalic development. We also demonstrated that neurons in organoids with a hemizygous deletion of an autism- and intellectual disability associated gene SHANK3 exhibit intrinsic and excitatory synaptic deficits associated with impaired expression of clustered protocadherins. Collectively, this study validates SNR-derived organoids as a reliable new model for studying human telencephalic development and identifies novel molecular pathways disrupted by SHANK3 hemizygosity in human telencephalic tissue.
Project description:Human telencephalon is an evolutionary advanced brain structure associated with many uniquely human behaviors and disorders. However, cell lineages and molecular pathways implicated in human telencephalic development remains largely unknown. We generated human telencephalic organoids from stem cell-derived single neural rosettes (SNRs) and investigated telencephalic development under normal and pathological conditions. SNR-derived organoids contained pallial and subpallial neural progenitors (NPs), excitatory and inhibitory neurons, as well as macroglial and periendothelial cells, and demonstrated predictable organization and cytoarchitecture. We comprehensively characterized the properties of neurons in SNR-derived organoids and identified transcriptional programs associated with the specification of+B50:B51 excitatory and inhibitory lineages from a common pool of NPs early in telencephalic development. We also demonstrated that neurons in organoids with a hemizygous deletion of an autism- and intellectual disability associated gene SHANK3 exhibit intrinsic and excitatory synaptic deficits associated with impaired expression of clustered protocadherins. Collectively, this study validates SNR-derived organoids as a reliable new model for studying human telencephalic development and identifies novel molecular pathways disrupted by SHANK3 hemizygosity in human telencephalic tissue.
Project description:Human telencephalon is an evolutionary advanced brain structure associated with many uniquely human behaviors and disorders. However, cell lineages and molecular pathways implicated in human telencephalic development remains largely unknown. We generated human telencephalic organoids from stem cell-derived single neural rosettes (SNRs) and investigated telencephalic development under normal and pathological conditions. SNR-derived organoids contained pallial and subpallial neural progenitors (NPs), excitatory and inhibitory neurons, as well as macroglial and periendothelial cells, and demonstrated predictable organization and cytoarchitecture. We comprehensively characterized the properties of neurons in SNR-derived organoids and identified transcriptional programs associated with the specification of excitatory and inhibitory lineages from a common pool of NPs early in telencephalic development. We also demonstrated that neurons in organoids with a hemizygous deletion of an autism- and intellectual disability associated gene SHANK3 exhibit intrinsic and excitatory synaptic deficits associated with impaired expression of clustered protocadherins. Collectively, this study validates SNR-derived organoids as a reliable new model for studying human telencephalic development and identifies novel molecular pathways disrupted by SHANK3 hemizygosity in human telencephalic tissue.
Project description:Telencephalon, optic stalk, and optic-cup in vertebrates are originated from adjacent fields in the anterior neuroplate. How these tissues develop coordinately along the midline-periphery axis is unclear. Here, we report the self-formation of a human telencephalon-eye organoid comprising concentric zones of FOXG1+ telencephalon, PAX2+ optic disc/stalk, VSX2+ neuroretina, and PAX6+ tissues along the center-periphery axis. FGFs and BMPs were expressed starting at early stages and subsequently exhibited concentric gradients, suggesting their involvement in tissue patterning and coordinated cell differentiation. Early differentiated retinal ganglion cells (RGC) grew axons towards and along a path defined by an adjacent PAX2+ cell population. Lens cells were also found. Single-cell RNA sequencing confirmed telencephalic and ocular cell identities, located PAX2+ cell populations mimicking the optic disc/stalk, and identified RGC-specific cell surface protein CNTN2. RGCs were isolated in one step via CNTN2 in a native condition, facilitating therapeutic development for RGC-related retinal diseases such as glaucoma.