Project description:Why individuals with Down Syndrome (DS, trisomy 21) are particularly susceptible to SARS-CoV-2 induced disease remains largely unclear. The choroid plexus secrets the cerebrospinal fluid and strongly expresses the ACE2 receptor and the chromosome 21 encoded TMPRSS2 protease. To investigate the role of the choroid plexus in SARS-CoV-2 central nervous system infection in DS, we established a new type of brain organoid from DS and isogenic euploid control iPSC that consists of a core of appropriately patterned functional cortical neuronal cell types that is surrounded by a patent and functional choroid plexus (CPCOs). Remarkably, DS-CPCOs not only recapitulated abnormal features of DS cortical development but also revealed defects in ciliogenesis and epithelial cell polarity of the developing choroid plexus. We next demonstrate that the choroid plexus layer facilitates SARS-CoV-2 replication and infection of cortical neuronal cells, and that this is increased in DS-CPCOs. We further show that inhibition of TMPRSS2 activity in DS-CPCOs inhibits SARS-CoV-2 infectivity. We conclude that CPCOs are a useful model for dissecting the role of the choroid plexus in euploid and DS forebrain development and enables screening for therapeutics that can inhibit SARS-CoV-2 induced neuro-pathogenesis.
Project description:Why individuals with Down Syndrome (DS, trisomy 21) are particularly susceptible to SARS-CoV-2 induced disease remains largely unclear. The choroid plexus secrets the cerebrospinal fluid and strongly expresses the ACE2 receptor and the chromosome 21 encoded TMPRSS2 protease. To investigate the role of the choroid plexus in SARS-CoV-2 central nervous system infection in DS, we established a new type of brain organoid from DS and isogenic euploid control iPSC that consists of a core of appropriately patterned functional cortical neuronal cell types that is surrounded by a patent and functional choroid plexus (CPCOs). Remarkably, DS-CPCOs not only recapitulated abnormal features of DS cortical development but also revealed defects in ciliogenesis and epithelial cell polarity of the developing choroid plexus. We next demonstrate that the choroid plexus layer facilitates SARS-CoV-2 replication and infection of cortical neuronal cells, and that this is increased in DS-CPCOs. We further show that inhibition of TMPRSS2 activity in DS-CPCOs inhibits SARS-CoV-2 infectivity. We conclude that CPCOs are a useful model for dissecting the role of the choroid plexus in euploid and DS forebrain development and enables screening for therapeutics that can inhibit SARS-CoV-2 induced neuro-pathogenesis.
Project description:Background: Trisomy 21 causes Down syndrome (DS), but the mechanisms by which the extra chromosome leads to deficient intellectual and immune function are not well understood. Results: Here, we profile CpG methylation in DS and control cerebral and cerebellar cortex of adults and cerebrum of fetuses. We purify neuronal and non-neuronal nuclei and T-lymphocytes and find biologically relevant genes with DS-specific methylation (DS-DM) in brain cells. Some genes show brain-specific DS-DM, while others show stronger DS-DM in T cells. Both 5-methyl-cytosine and 5-hydroxy-methyl-cytosine contribute to the DS-DM. Thirty percent of genes with DS-DM in adult brain cells also show DS-DM in fetal brains, indicating early onset of these epigenetic changes, and we find early maturation of methylation patterns in DS brain and lymphocytes. Some, but not all, of the DS-DM genes show differential expression. DS-DM preferentially affected CpGs in or near specific transcription factor binding sites, implicating a mechanism involving altered transcription factor binding. Methyl-seq of brain DNA from mouse models with sub-chromosomal duplications mimicking DS reveals partial but significant overlaps with human DS-DM and shows that multiple chromosome 21 genes contribute to the downstream epigenetic effects. Conclusions: These data point to novel biological mechanisms in DS and have general implications for trans effects of chromosomal duplications and aneuploidies on epigenetic patterning. Examination of methylation changes in two mouse models of Down syndrome with sub-chromosomal duplications, Dp(10)1Yey and Dp(16)1Yey, compared to one littermate wild type mouse using whole genome bisulfite sequencing.
Project description:This case-control study utilized mass spectrometry-based proteomics to compare exosomes from non-diabetic stroke (nDS=14), diabetic stroke (DS=13), and healthy control (HC=12) subjects. Among 1288 identified proteins, 387 were statistically compared. Statistical comparisons using a general linear model (log2 foldchange 0.58 and FDR-p0.05) were performed for nDS vs. HC, DS vs. HC, and DS vs. nDS. DS vs. HC and DS vs. nDS comparisons produced 155 and 159 differentially expressed proteins, respectively.
Project description:In this study we performed a systematic analysis of the non-coding RNA (ncRNA) transcriptomes of the Down Syndrome (DS) developing hippocampus using the DS mouse model Dp16(1)Yey. DS, caused by the trisomy of chromosome 21 (HSA21) is the most frequent human chromosomal disorder. Hippocampal-dependent learning and memory impairment is one of the most significant deficits of DS. ncRNAs: microRNA (miRNA), long non-coding RNA (lncRNA), and circular RNA (circRNA) have been increasingly revealed to be participating in various biological activities, especially in the brain development and neuronal functions. This study provides a map of the dysregulated lncRNAs and circRNAs in the DS developing hippocampus for the first time.