Project description:Abnormalities in neocortical and synaptic development have been associated with neurodevelopmental disorders. However, the molecular and cellular mechanisms regulating the formation of the initial synapses in an evolutionary advanced neocortical layer, the subplate (SP), are poorly understood. Our snRNAseq screen of human prefrontal neocortices from early (11/12 PCW), mid (14/15 PCW) to late (17/18 PCW) fetal developmental stages revealed the bipartite-to-tripartite differentiation of SP neuronal subclasses. Using polysome profiling with RNAseq, we report for the first time a set of mRNAs undergoing translational control in cellular subclasses of developing human prefrontal neocortices, including SP neurons. By examining both mouse and human neocortex, we further found that an autism spectrum disorder (ASD)-risk gene and RNA binding protein CUGBP Elav-Like Family Member 4 (CELF4) is selectively expressed in the neurons of two synapse-enriched compartments, the SP and the marginal zone. Furthermore, CELF4 binds mRNA targets that are encoded by the synaptic genes associated with ASD and adverse neurodevelopmental outcomes; albeit in an evolutionarily advanced fashion between mouse and human synaptic mRNAs. The selective forebrain Celf4 deletion from developing mouse cortical neurons disrupts the balance of SP synapses in a gender-specific fashion. Taken together, our results underscore the importance of RNA binding proteins and mRNA translation in evolutionarily advanced synaptic development, as well as their possible contribution to gender specific protein synthesis and vulnerability.
Project description:Abnormalities in neocortical and synaptic development have been associated with neurodevelopmental disorders. However, the molecular and cellular mechanisms regulating the formation of the initial synapses in an evolutionary advanced neocortical layer, the subplate (SP), are poorly understood. Our snRNAseq screen of human prefrontal neocortices from early (11/12 PCW), mid (14/15 PCW) to late (17/18 PCW) fetal developmental stages revealed the bipartite-to-tripartite differentiation of SP neuronal subclasses. Using polysome profiling with RNAseq, we report for the first time a set of mRNAs undergoing translational control in cellular subclasses of developing human prefrontal neocortices, including SP neurons. By examining both mouse and human neocortex, we further found that an autism spectrum disorder (ASD)-risk gene and RNA binding protein CUGBP Elav-Like Family Member 4 (CELF4) is selectively expressed in the neurons of two synapse-enriched compartments, the SP and the marginal zone. Furthermore, CELF4 binds mRNA targets that are encoded by the synaptic genes associated with ASD and adverse neurodevelopmental outcomes; albeit in an evolutionarily advanced fashion between mouse and human synaptic mRNAs. The selective forebrain Celf4 deletion from developing mouse cortical neurons disrupts the balance of SP synapses in a gender-specific fashion. Taken together, our results underscore the importance of RNA binding proteins and mRNA translation in evolutionarily advanced synaptic development, as well as their possible contribution to gender specific protein synthesis and vulnerability.
Project description:Abnormalities in neocortical and synaptic development have been associated with neurodevelopmental disorders. However, the molecular and cellular mechanisms regulating the formation of the initial synapses in an evolutionary advanced neocortical layer, the subplate (SP), are poorly understood. Our snRNAseq screen of human prefrontal neocortices from early (11/12 PCW), mid (14/15 PCW) to late (17/18 PCW) fetal developmental stages revealed the bipartite-to-tripartite differentiation of SP neuronal subclasses. Using polysome profiling with RNAseq, we report for the first time a set of mRNAs undergoing translational control in cellular subclasses of developing human prefrontal neocortices, including SP neurons. By examining both mouse and human neocortex, we further found that an autism spectrum disorder (ASD)-risk gene and RNA binding protein CUGBP Elav-Like Family Member 4 (CELF4) is selectively expressed in the neurons of two synapse-enriched compartments, the SP and the marginal zone. Furthermore, CELF4 binds mRNA targets that are encoded by the synaptic genes associated with ASD and adverse neurodevelopmental outcomes; albeit in an evolutionarily advanced fashion between mouse and human synaptic mRNAs. The selective forebrain Celf4 deletion from developing mouse cortical neurons disrupts the balance of SP synapses in a gender-specific fashion. Taken together, our results underscore the importance of RNA binding proteins and mRNA translation in evolutionarily advanced synaptic development, as well as their possible contribution to gender specific protein synthesis and vulnerability.
Project description:It has been shown that in mammalian cells alternative transcription initiation is extensively regulated during development and across cell-types, which confers dynamic transcript 5âUTR repertoire. However it is underexplored how the heterogeneity of 5âUTR isoforms would affect the downstream steps for protein expression, such as translation. To this end, we globally compared the translational profile of distinct mRNA TSS isoforms in mouse fibroblast cells, by combining deep-sequencing based mRNA 5âends profiling and polysome fractionation. We demonstrated the extensive translation regulation conferred by TSS heterogeneity. 5'end sequencing in seven polysome fractions, in two replicates, using Illumina Hiseq2000
Project description:To obtain translational profiles for all mRNAs, polysome preparations are separated according to their size using a sucrose gradient and the mRNAs in each fraction are identified and quantified with DNA microarrays. Starting with exponentially growing cells, we analyzed 12 polysome fractions using DNA microarrays containing elements for all known and predicted genes of fission yeast. This approach provided data on average numbers of associated ribosomes for most transcripts.