Project description:single cell gene expression profiling of microglia after peripheral nerve injury in Cx3cr1-yfp-creER/+ animals and Cx3cr1-yfp-creER/+; Tnfaip3 fl/fl animals
Project description:Microglia constitute a highly specialized network of tissue resident immune cells that is important for the control of tissue homeostasis and the resolution of virtually all diseases of the central nervous system (CNS). However, how this dissemination is established and maintained in vivo and its kinetics of these processes are poorly understood. Here we established a new multicolor fluorescence fate mapping system to monitor microglia dynamics during steady state and disease. Our findings that microglia establish a stable network over time albeit with regional differences and remarkably high turnover rates challenge their postulated longevity. Microglia self-renewal constitutes a random process without evidence of defined progenitor cells. Under pathological conditions this randomness shifts to clonal microglia expansion that is finally resolved by both cell apoptosis and egression for re-establishment of the stable microglia network. Our data reveal new insights on how microglia ensure their complex distribution throughout the healthy and diseased CNS .
Project description:Differentiated macrophages can self-renew in tissues and expand long-term in culture, but the gene regulatory mechanisms that accomplish self-renewal in the differentiated state have remained unknown. Here we show that in mice, the transcription factors MafB and c-Maf repress a macrophage-specific enhancer repertoire associated with a gene network controlling self-renewal. Single cell analysis revealed that, in vivo, proliferating resident macrophages can access this network by transient down-regulation of Maf transcription factors. The network also controls embryonic stem cell self-renewal but is associated with distinct embryonic stem cell-specific enhancers. This indicates that distinct lineage-specific enhancer platforms regulate a shared network of genes that control self-renewal potential in both stem and mature cells.
Project description:Cell lines geneticially engineered to undergo conditional asymmetric self-renewal were used to identify genes whose expression is asymmetric self-renewal associated (ASRA). Non-random sister chromatid segregation occurs concordantly with asymmetric self-renewal in these cell lines. Asymmetric self-renewal occurs when murine embryo fibroblasts that are otherwise p53-null are induced to express physiological levels of wildtype p53 protein (Asym). To distinguish p53-responsive genes that also require induction of asymmetric self renewal (i.e., ASRA genes) and/or non-random sister chromatid segregation for change, an additional control cell line, which continues to symmetrically self-renew (with random sister chromatid segregation) even when p53 is induced, was also compared (Symp53). This congenic cell line constitutively expresses the type II inosine monophosphate dehydrogenase (IMPDH II; the rate-limiting enzmye for guanine ribonucleotide biosynthesis) and, thereby, prevents p53-induced asymmetric self-renewal and non-random sister chromatid segregation. Three biological replicates of asymmetrically self-renewing cultures (Asym1-3) were compared with cultures that were symmetrically self-renewing - either because they did not express p53 (3 biological replicates, Sym1-3) or they expressed constitutive IMPDH II (i.e., not regulated by p53) as well as p53 (2 biological replicates, Symp53_1 and 2.)
Project description:During early embryogenesis microglia arise from yolk sac progenitors populating the developing CNS, where they are maintained as tissue-resident macrophages throughout the organism’s lifespan. Here, we describe an experimental system that allows the specific conditional ablation of microglia in vivo. Strikingly, we found that the microglia compartment was reconstituted within one week following depletion. Microglia repopulation relied entirely on a CNS-resident, internal pool and was independent from bone marrow-derived precursors. Newly formed microglia were found in highly proliferative, organized micro-clusters that dissolve once steady state was achieved. Gene expression profiling revealed prominent expression of Interleukin-1 (IL-1) receptor in proliferating microglia. During the repopulation phase, IL-1 signaling was neutralized by treatment with IL-1 receptor antagonist that impaired microglia proliferation. Hence, microglia harbor a highly efficient potential to restore themselves without contribution of peripheral myeloid cells. IL-1 signaling significantly participates in this restorative proliferation process and is involved in stabilizing microglia maintenance. bone marrow macrophages, wild type microglia, and repopulating microglia
Project description:Cell lines geneticially engineered to undergo conditional asymmetric self-renewal were used to identify genes whose expression is asymmetric self-renewal associated (ASRA). Non-random sister chromatid segregation occurs concordantly with asymmetric self-renewal in these cell lines. Asymmetric self-renewal occurs when murine embryo fibroblasts that are otherwise p53-null are induced to express physiological levels of wildtype p53 protein (Asym). To distinguish p53-responsive genes that also require induction of asymmetric self renewal (i.e., ASRA genes) and/or non-random sister chromatid segregation for change, an additional control cell line, which continues to symmetrically self-renew (with random sister chromatid segregation) even when p53 is induced, was also compared (Symp53). This congenic cell line constitutively expresses the type II inosine monophosphate dehydrogenase (IMPDH II; the rate-limiting enzmye for guanine ribonucleotide biosynthesis) and, thereby, prevents p53-induced asymmetric self-renewal and non-random sister chromatid segregation.
Project description:Stem cells (SC) exhibit a unique capacity for self-renewal in an undifferentiated state. It is unclear whether the self-renewal of pluripotent embryonic SC (ESC) and of tissue-specific adult SC such as hematopoietic SC (HSC) is controlled by common mechanisms. The deletion of transcription factor Zfx impaired the self-renewal but not the differentiation capacity of murine ESC; conversely, Zfx overexpression facilitated ESC self-renewal by opposing differentiation. Furthermore, Zfx deletion abolished the maintenance of adult bone marrow HSC, but did not affect erythromyeloid progenitors or fetal HSC. In both ESC and HSC, Zfx activated a common set of direct target genes. In addition, the loss of Zfx resulted in the induction of immediate-early and/or stress-inducible genes in both SC types but not in their differentiated progeny. These studies identify the first shared transcriptional regulator of ESC and HSC, suggesting a common molecular basis of self-renewal in embryonic and adult SC. Keywords: Global gene expression data analysis in Zfx-deficient murine ESC and HSC
Project description:Comparison of gene expression signatures in undifferentiated hESCs against differentiated embryoid bodies to identify key signatures defining self-renewal of hESCs.