Project description:IntroductionHuman cerebral organoids (hCOs) derived from pluripotent stem cells are very promising for the study of neurodevelopment and the investigation of the healthy or diseased brain. To help establish hCOs as a powerful research model, it is essential to perform the morphological characterization of their cellular components in depth.MethodsIn this study, we analyzed the cell types consisting of hCOs after culturing for 45 days using immunofluorescence and reverse transcriptase qualitative polymerase chain reaction (RT-qPCR) assays. We also analyzed their subcellular morphological characteristics by transmission electron microscopy (TEM).ResultsOur results show the development of proliferative zones to be remarkably similar to those found in human brain development with cells having a polarized structure surrounding a central cavity with tight junctions and cilia. In addition, we describe the presence of immature and mature migrating neurons, astrocytes, oligodendrocyte precursor cells, and microglia-like cells.DiscussionThe ultrastructural characterization presented in this study provides valuable information on the structural development and morphology of the hCO, and this information is of general interest for future research on the mechanisms that alter the cell structure or function of hCOs.
Project description:Cerebral organoids (COs) are rapidly accelerating the rate of translational neuroscience based on their potential to model complex features of the developing human brain. Several studies have examined the electrophysiological and neural network features of COs; however, no study has comprehensively investigated the developmental trajectory of electrophysiological properties in whole-brain COs and correlated these properties with developmentally-linked morphological and cellular features. Here, we profiled the neuroelectrical activities of COs over the span of five months with a multi-electrode array (MEA) platform and observed the emergence and maturation of several electrophysiologic properties, including rapid firing rates and network bursting events. To complement these analyses, we characterized the complex molecular and cellular development that give rise to these mature neuroelectrical properties with immunohistochemical and single-cell transcriptomic analyses. This integrated approach underscores the value of COs as an emerging model system of human brain development and neurological disease.
Project description:Cerebral organoids â three-dimensional cultures of human cerebral tissue derived from pluripotent stem cells â have emerged as models of human cortical development. However, the extent to which in vitro organoid systems recapitulate neural progenitor cell proliferation and neuronal differentiation programs observed in vivo remains unclear. Here we use single-cell RNA sequencing (scRNA-seq) to dissect and compare cell composition and progenitor-to-neuron lineage relationships in human cerebral organoids and fetal neocortex. Covariation network analysis using the fetal neocortex data reveals known and novel interactions among genes central to neural progenitor proliferation and neuronal differentiation. In the organoid, we detect diverse progenitors and differentiated cell types of neuronal and mesenchymal lineages, and identify cells that derived from regions resembling the fetal neocortex. We find that these organoid cortical cells use gene expression programs remarkably similar to those of the fetal tissue in order to organize into cerebral cortex-like regions. Our comparison of in vivo and in vitro cortical single cell transcriptomes illuminates the genetic features underlying human cortical development that can be studied in organoid cultures. 734 single-cell transcriptomes from human fetal neocortex or human cerebral organoids from multiple time points were analyzed in this study. All single cell samples were processed on the microfluidic Fluidigm C1 platform and contain 92 external RNA spike-ins. Fetal neocortex data were generated at 12 weeks post conception (chip 1: 81 cells; chip 2: 83 cells) and 13 weeks post conception (62 cells). Cerebral organoid data were generated from dissociated whole organoids derived from induced pluripotent stem cell line 409B2 (iPSC 409B2) at 33 days (40 cells), 35 days (68 cells), 37 days (71 cells), 41 days (74 cells), and 65 days (80 cells) after the start of embryoid body culture. Cerebral organoid data were also generated from microdissected cortical-like regions from H9 embryonic stem cell derived organoids at 53 days (region 1, 48 cells; region 2, 48 cells) or from iPSC 409B2 organoids at 58 days (region 3, 43 cells; region 4, 36 cells).
Project description:The human brain has changed dramatically from other primate species, but the genetic and developmental mechanisms behind the differences remains unclear. Here we used single cell RNA sequencing based on 10X technology to explore temporal transcriptomic dynamics and cellular heterogeneity in cerebral organoids derived from human and non-human primates chimpanzee and rhesus macaque stem cells. Using cerebral organoids as a proxy of early brain development, we detect a delayed pace of human brain development relative to the other two primate species. Additional human-specific gene expression patterns resolved to different cell states through progenitors to neurons are also found. Our data provide a transcriptomic cell atlas of primate early brain development, and illustrate features that are unique to humans.
Project description:The human brain has changed dramatically from other primate species, but the genetic and developmental mechanisms behind the differences remains unclear. Here we used single cell RNA sequencing based on 10X technology to explore temporal transcriptomic dynamics and cellular heterogeneity in cerebral organoids derived from human and non-human primates chimpanzee and rhesus macaque stem cells. Using cerebral organoids as a proxy of early brain development, we detect a delayed pace of human brain development relative to the other two primate species. Additional human-specific gene expression patterns resolved to different cell states through progenitors to neurons are also found. Our data provide a transcriptomic cell atlas of primate early brain development, and illustrate features that are unique to humans.
Project description:Bulk ATAC-seq was performed on human, chimpanzee, bonobo, and macaque stem cell-derived cerebral organoids. ATAC-seq was performed on day 60 (2 months old) and day 120 (4 months old) cerebral organoids.
Project description:Pluripotent stem cells (PSC) can differentiate inot any cell type of an organism. Their remarkable capability of self-organization enables the formation of three-dimensional structures that resembles miniature organs, including cerebral organoids. These organoids can recreate early steps of the human cerebral cortex development, and show great potential for modeling human diseases, particularly for those with a developmental component. This data evidences stem cell-derived cerebral organoids as a key model to study brain development and neurodevelopmental, neurodegenerative and neuropsychiatric diseases.