Project description:Bipolar disorder (BP) is a recurring psychiatric condition characterized by alternating episodes of low energy (depressions) followed by manias (high energy). Cortical network activity produced by GABAergic interneurons may be critical in maintaining the balance in excitatory/inhibitory activity in the brain during development. Initially, GABAergic signaling is excitatory; with maturation, these cells undergo a functional switch that converts GABAA channels from depolarizing (excitatory) to hyperpolarizing (inhibitory), which is controlled by the intracellular concentration of two chloride transporters. The earliest, NKCC1, promotes chloride entry into the cell and depolarization, while the second (KCC2) stimulates movement of chloride from the neuron, hyperpolarizing it. Perturbations in the timing or expression of NKCC1/KCC2 may affect essential morphogenetic events including cell proliferation, migration, synaptogenesis and plasticity, and thereby the structure and function of the cortex. We derived induced pluripotent stem cells (iPSC) from BP patients and undiagnosed control (C) individuals, then modified a differentiation protocol to form GABAergic interneurons, harvesting cells at sequential stages of differentiation. qRT-PCR and RNA sequencing indicated that after six weeks of differentiation, controls transiently expressed high levels of NKCC1.
Project description:GABAergic interneurons are essential for maintaining neural circuit function, and their dysfunction is linked to a range of neurodevelopmental and neurodegenerative disorders. Traditional approaches for differentiating human pluripotent stem cells (PSCs) into neuronal cells are often hindered by challenges such as incomplete neural differentiation, prolonged culture times, and variability across PSC lines. To overcome these limitations, we developed an innovative strategy by combining the overexpression of transcription factors Ascl1 and Dlx2 with dual-SMAD and WNT inhibition, effectively driving the differentiation of PSCs into diverse, region-specific GABAergic neuron subtypes. Through single-cell sequencing, we thoroughly characterized the heterogeneity of these induced neurons (iNs) and uncovered the regulatory mechanisms underlying their fate specification. Our findings demonstrate the successful generation of multiple disease-relevant GABAergic neuron types. Furthermore, we investigated the impact of the ADNP syndrome-associated p.Tyr719* variant on GABAergic neuron differentiation, revealing that this mutation significantly alters neuronal subtype composition and synaptic transmission. This study advances our understanding of the diversity of PSC-derived GABAergic neurons and underscores their potential as models for exploring neurological disorders.
Project description:GABAergic interneurons are essential for maintaining neural circuit function, and their dysfunction is linked to a range of neurodevelopmental and neurodegenerative disorders. Traditional approaches for differentiating human pluripotent stem cells (PSCs) into neuronal cells are often hindered by challenges such as incomplete neural differentiation, prolonged culture times, and variability across PSC lines. To overcome these limitations, we developed an innovative strategy by combining the overexpression of transcription factors Ascl1 and Dlx2 with dual-SMAD and WNT inhibition, effectively driving the differentiation of PSCs into diverse, region-specific GABAergic neuron subtypes. Through single-cell sequencing, we thoroughly characterized the heterogeneity of these induced neurons (iNs) and uncovered the regulatory mechanisms underlying their fate specification. Our findings demonstrate the successful generation of multiple disease-relevant GABAergic neuron types. Furthermore, we investigated the impact of the ADNP syndrome-associated p.Tyr719* variant on GABAergic neuron differentiation, revealing that this mutation significantly alters neuronal subtype composition and synaptic transmission. This study advances our understanding of the diversity of PSC-derived GABAergic neurons and underscores their potential as models for exploring neurological disorders.
Project description:In this dataset, we studied human dopaminergic neuron differenation from induced pluripotent stem cells (iPSCs). We included the gene expression data obtained from iPSCs and iPSC-derived dopaminergic neurons. This dataset is used to predict chromatin accessibility in iPSCs and iPSC-derived neurons using BIRD (Big data Regression for predicting DNase I hypersensitivity).
Project description:We aim to profile the dynamic changes of gene expression dynamics during cortical neuron differentiation from human iPSCs. We used RNA-seq to map open chromatins in iPSCs, neural stem cells (NSCs) at day 33 and day 41.