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19 Publications visible to you, out of a total of 19
CRISPR-Mediated Induction of Neuron-Enriched Mitochondrial Proteins Boosts Direct Glia-to-Neuron Conversion.

Abstract (Expand)

Astrocyte-to-neuron conversion is a promising avenue for neuronal replacement therapy. Neurons are particularly dependent on mitochondrial function, but how well mitochondria adapt to the new fate is … unknown. Here, we determined the comprehensive mitochondrial proteome of cortical astrocytes and neurons, identifying about 150 significantly enriched mitochondrial proteins for each cell type, including transporters, metabolic enzymes, and cell-type-specific antioxidants. Monitoring their transition during reprogramming revealed late and only partial adaptation to the neuronal identity. Early dCas9-mediated activation of genes encoding mitochondrial proteins significantly improved conversion efficiency, particularly for neuron-enriched but not astrocyte-enriched antioxidant proteins. For example, Sod1 not only improves the survival of the converted neurons but also elicits a faster conversion pace, indicating that mitochondrial proteins act as enablers and drivers in this process. Transcriptional engineering of mitochondrial proteins with other functions improved reprogramming as well, demonstrating a broader role of mitochondrial proteins during fate conversion.

Authors: Gianluca L Russo, Giovanna Sonsalla, Poornemaa Natarajan, Christopher T Breunig, Giorgia Bulli, Juliane Merl-Pham, Sabine Schmitt, Jessica Giehrl-Schwab, Florian Giesert, Martin Jastroch, Hans Zischka, Wolfgang Wurst, Stefan H Stricker, Stefanie M Hauck, Giacomo Masserdotti, Magdalena Götz

Date Published: 4th Mar 2021

Publication Type: Journal

Adult neural stem cell activation in mice is regulated by the day/night cycle and intracellular calcium dynamics.

Abstract (Expand)

Neural stem cells (NSCs) in the adult brain transit from the quiescent state to proliferation to produce new neurons. The mechanisms regulating this transition in freely behaving animals are, however, … poorly understood. We customized in vivo imaging protocols to follow NSCs for several days up to months, observing their activation kinetics in freely behaving mice. Strikingly, NSC division is more frequent during daylight and is inhibited by darkness-induced melatonin signaling. The inhibition of melatonin receptors affected intracellular Ca<sup>2+</sup> dynamics and promoted NSC activation. We further discovered a Ca<sup>2+</sup> signature of quiescent versus activated NSCs and showed that several microenvironmental signals converge on intracellular Ca<sup>2+</sup> pathways to regulate NSC quiescence and activation. In vivo NSC-specific optogenetic modulation of Ca<sup>2+</sup> fluxes to mimic quiescent-state-like Ca<sup>2+</sup> dynamics in freely behaving mice blocked NSC activation and maintained their quiescence, pointing to the regulatory mechanisms mediating NSC activation in freely behaving animals.

Authors: Archana Gengatharan, Sarah Malvaut, Alina Marymonchyk, Majid Ghareghani, Marina Snapyan, Judith Fischer-Sternjak, Jovica Ninkovic, Magdalena Götz, Armen Saghatelyan

Date Published: 4th Feb 2021

Publication Type: Journal

Trnp1 organizes diverse nuclear membrane-less compartments in neural stem cells.

Abstract (Expand)

TMF1-regulated nuclear protein 1 (Trnp1) has been shown to exert potent roles in neural development affecting neural stem cell self-renewal and brain folding, but its molecular function in the nucleus … is still unknown. Here, we show that Trnp1 is a low complexity protein with the capacity to phase separate. Trnp1 interacts with factors located in several nuclear membrane-less organelles, the nucleolus, nuclear speckles, and condensed chromatin. Importantly, Trnp1 co-regulates the architecture and function of these nuclear compartments in vitro and in the developing brain in vivo. Deletion of a highly conserved region in the N-terminal intrinsic disordered region abolishes the capacity of Trnp1 to regulate nucleoli and heterochromatin size, proliferation, and M-phase length; decreases the capacity to phase separate; and abrogates most of Trnp1 protein interactions. Thus, we identified Trnp1 as a novel regulator of several nuclear membrane-less compartments, a function important to maintain cells in a self-renewing proliferative state.

Authors: Miriam Esgleas, Sven Falk, Ignasi Forné, Marc Thiry, Sonia Najas, Sirui Zhang, Aina Mas-Sanchez, Arie Geerlof, Dierk Niessing, Zefeng Wang, Axel Imhof, Magdalena Götz

Date Published: 17th Aug 2020

Publication Type: Journal

Filling the Gaps - A Call for Comprehensive Analysis of Extracellular Matrix of the Glial Scar in Region- and Injury-Specific Contexts.

Abstract (Expand)

Central nervous system (CNS) injury results in chronic scar formation that interferes with function and inhibits repair. Extracellular matrix (ECM) is prominent in the scar and potently regulates cell … behavior. However, comprehensive information about the ECM proteome is largely lacking, and region- as well as injury-specific differences are often not taken into account. These aspects are the focus of our perspective on injury and scar formation. To highlight the importance of such comprehensive proteome analysis we include data obtained with novel analysis tools of the ECM composition in the scar and show the contribution of monocytes to the ECM composition after traumatic brain injury (TBI). Monocyte invasion was reduced using the CCR2-/- mouse line and step-wise de-cellularization and proteomics allowed determining monocyte-dependent ECM composition and architecture of the glial scar. We find significant reduction in the ECM proteins Tgm1, Itih (1,2, and 3), and Ftl in the absence of monocyte invasion. We also describe the scar ECM comprising zones with distinctive composition and show a subacute signature upon comparison to proteome obtained at earlier times after TBI. These results are discussed in light of injury-, region- and time-specific regulation of scar formation highlighting the urgent need to differentiate injury conditions and CNS-regions using comprehensive ECM analysis.

Authors: Jacob Kjell, Magdalena Götz

Date Published: 20th Feb 2020

Publication Type: Journal

Defining the Adult Neural Stem Cell Niche Proteome Identifies Key Regulators of Adult Neurogenesis.

Abstract (Expand)

The mammalian brain contains few niches for neural stem cells (NSCs) capable of generating new neurons, whereas other regions are primarily gliogenic. Here we leverage the spatial separation of the … sub-ependymal zone NSC niche and the olfactory bulb, the region to which newly generated neurons from the sub-ependymal zone migrate and integrate, and present a comprehensive proteomic characterization of these regions in comparison to the cerebral cortex, which is not conducive to neurogenesis and integration of new neurons. We find differing compositions of regulatory extracellular matrix (ECM) components in the neurogenic niche. We further show that quiescent NSCs are the main source of their local ECM, including the multi-functional enzyme transglutaminase 2, which we show is crucial for neurogenesis. Atomic force microscopy corroborated indications from the proteomic analyses that neurogenic niches are significantly stiffer than non-neurogenic parenchyma. Together these findings provide a powerful resource for unraveling unique compositions of neurogenic niches.

Authors: Jacob Kjell, Judith Fischer-Sternjak, Amelia J Thompson, Christian Friess, Matthew J Sticco, Favio Salinas, Jürgen Cox, David C Martinelli, Jovica Ninkovic, Kristian Franze, Herbert B Schiller, Magdalena Götz

Date Published: 6th Feb 2020

Publication Type: Journal

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