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Although many previous investigations have studied how mercury compounds cause cell death,sub-cytotoxic levels may affect mechanisms essential for the proper development of the nervous system. The present study investigates whether low doses of methylmercury (MeHg) and mercury chloride (HgCl2) can modulate the activity of JAK/STAT signaling,a pathway that promotes gliogenesis. We report that sub-cytotoxic doses of MeHg enhance ciliary neurotrophic factor (CNTF) evoked STAT3 phosphorylation in human SH-SY5Y neuroblastoma and mouse cortical neural progenitor cells (NPCs). This effect is specific for MeHg,since HgCl2 fails to enhance JAK/STAT signaling. Exposing NPCs to these low doses of MeHg (30-300nM) enhances CNTF-induced expression of STAT3-target genes such as glial fibrillary acidic protein (GFAP) and suppressors of cytokine signaling 3 (SOCS3),and increases the proportion of cells expressing GFAP following 2 days of differentiation. Higher,near-cytotoxic concentrations of MeHg and HgCl2 inhibit STAT3 phosphorylation and lead to increased production of superoxide. Lower concentrations of MeHg effective in enhancing JAK/STAT signaling (30nM) do not result in a detectable increase in superoxide nor increased expression of the oxidant-responsive genes,heme oxygenase 1,heat shock protein A5 and sirtuin 1. These findings suggest that low concentrations of MeHg inappropriately enhance STAT3 phosphorylation and glial differentiation,and that the mechanism causing this enhancement is distinct from the reactive oxygen species-associated cell death observed at higher concentrations of MeHg and HgCl2. View Publication

BACKGROUND Glioblastoma (GBM),being a highly vascularised and locally invasive tumour,is an attractive target for anti-angiogenic and anti-invasive therapies. The GBM/endothelial cell response to gossypol/temozolomide (TMZ) treatment was investigated with a particular aim to assess treatment effects on cancer hallmarks. METHODS Cell viability,endothelial tube formation and GBM tumour cell invasion were variously assessed following combined treatment in vitro. The U87MG-luc2 subcutaneous xenograft model was used to investigate therapeutic response in vivo. Viable tumour response to treatment was interrogated using immunohistochemistry. Combined treatment protocols were also tested in primary GBM patient-derived cultures. RESULTS An endothelial/GBM cell viability inhibitory effect,as well as an anti-angiogenic and anti-invasive response,to combined treatment have been demonstrated in vitro. A significantly greater anti-proliferative (P=0.020,P=0.030),anti-angiogenic (P=0.040,P<0.0001) and pro-apoptotic (P=0.0083,P=0.0149) response was observed when combined treatment was compared with single gossypol/TMZ treatment response,respectively. GBM cell line and patient-specific response to gossypol/TMZ treatment was observed. CONCLUSIONS Our results indicate that response to a combined gossypol/TMZ treatment is related to inhibition of tumour-associated angiogenesis,invasion and proliferation and warrants further investigation as a novel targeted GBM treatment strategy. View Publication

Neurobasal®/B27 is a gold standard culture media used to study primary neurons in vitro. An alternative media (BrainPhys®/SM1) was recently developed which robustly enhances neuronal activity vs. Neurobasal® or DMEM. To the best of our knowledge BrainPhys® has not been explored in the setting of neuronal injury. Here we characterized the utility of BrainPhys® in a model of in vitro mechanical-stretch injury. METHODS/RESULTSPrimary rat cortical neurons were maintained in classic Neurobasal®,or sequentially maintained in Neurocult® followed by BrainPhys® (hereafter simply referred to as BrainPhys® maintained neurons?). The levels of axonal markers and proteins involved in neurotransmission were compared on day in vitro 10 (DIV10). BrainPhys® maintained neurons had higher levels of GluN2B,GluR1,Neurofilament light/heavy chain (NF-L & NF-H),and protein phosphatase 2 A (PP2A) vs. neurons in Neurobasal®. Mechanical stretch-injury (50ms/54% biaxial stretch) to BrainPhys® maintained neurons modestly (albeit significantly) increased 24h lactate dehydrogenase (LDH) levels but markedly decreased axonal NF-L levels post-injury vs. uninjured controls or neurons given a milder 38% stretch-injury. Furthermore,two 54% stretch-injuries (in tandem) exacerbated 24h LDH release,increased α-spectrin breakdown products (SBDPs),and decreased Tau levels. Also,BrainPhys® maintained cultures had decreased markers of cell damage 24h after a single 54% stretch-injury vs. neurons in Neurobasal®. Finally,we tested the hypothesis that lentivirus mediated overexpression of the pro-death protein RBM5 exacerbates neuronal and/or axonal injury in primary CNS cultures. RBM5 overexpression vs. empty-vector controls increased 24h LDH release,and SBDP levels,after a single 54% stretch-injury but did not affect NF-L levels or Tau. CONCLUSIONBrainPhys® is a promising new reagent which facilities the investigation of molecular targets involved in axonal and/or neuronal injury in vitro. View Publication

The aim of the present study is to clarify the functional expression and physiological role in neural progenitor cells (NPCs) of carnitine/organic cation transporter OCTN1/SLC22A4,which accepts the naturally occurring food-derived antioxidant ergothioneine (ERGO) as a substrate in vivo. Real-time PCR analysis revealed that mRNA expression of OCTN1 was much higher than that of other organic cation transporters in mouse cultured cortical NPCs. Immunocytochemical analysis showed colocalization of OCTN1 with the NPC marker nestin in cultured NPCs and mouse embryonic carcinoma P19 cells differentiated into neural progenitor-like cells (P19-NPCs). These cells exhibited time-dependent [(3)H]ERGO uptake. These results demonstrate that OCTN1 is functionally expressed in murine NPCs. Cultured NPCs and P19-NPCs formed neurospheres from clusters of proliferating cells in a culture time-dependent manner. Exposure of cultured NPCs to ERGO or other antioxidants (edaravone and ascorbic acid) led to a significant decrease in the area of neurospheres with concomitant elimination of intracellular reactive oxygen species. Transfection of P19-NPCs with small interfering RNA for OCTN1 markedly promoted formation of neurospheres with a concomitant decrease of [(3)H]ERGO uptake. On the other hand,exposure of cultured NPCs to ERGO markedly increased the number of cells immunoreactive for the neuronal marker βIII-tubulin,but decreased the number immunoreactive for the astroglial marker glial fibrillary acidic protein (GFAP),with concomitant up-regulation of neuronal differentiation activator gene Math1. Interestingly,edaravone and ascorbic acid did not affect such differentiation of NPCs,in contrast to the case of proliferation. Knockdown of OCTN1 increased the number of cells immunoreactive for GFAP,but decreased the number immunoreactive for βIII-tubulin,with concomitant down-regulation of Math1 in P19-NPCs. Thus,OCTN1-mediated uptake of ERGO in NPCs inhibits cellular proliferation via regulation of oxidative stress,and also promotes cellular differentiation by modulating the expression of basic helix-loop-helix transcription factors via an unidentified mechanism different from antioxidant action. View Publication

UNLABELLED Among the known genetic risk factors for Parkinson disease,mutations in GBA1,the gene responsible for the lysosomal disorder Gaucher disease,are the most common. This genetic link has directed attention to the role of the lysosome in the pathogenesis of parkinsonism. To study how glucocerebrosidase impacts parkinsonism and to evaluate new therapeutics,we generated induced human pluripotent stem cells from four patients with Type 1 (non-neuronopathic) Gaucher disease,two with and two without parkinsonism,and one patient with Type 2 (acute neuronopathic) Gaucher disease,and differentiated them into macrophages and dopaminergic neurons. These cells exhibited decreased glucocerebrosidase activity and stored the glycolipid substrates glucosylceramide and glucosylsphingosine,demonstrating their similarity to patients with Gaucher disease. Dopaminergic neurons from patients with Type 2 and Type 1 Gaucher disease with parkinsonism had reduced dopamine storage and dopamine transporter reuptake. Levels of α-synuclein,a protein present as aggregates in Parkinson disease and related synucleinopathies,were selectively elevated in neurons from the patients with parkinsonism or Type 2 Gaucher disease. The cells were then treated with NCGC607,a small-molecule noninhibitory chaperone of glucocerebrosidase identified by high-throughput screening and medicinal chemistry structure optimization. This compound successfully chaperoned the mutant enzyme,restored glucocerebrosidase activity and protein levels,and reduced glycolipid storage in both iPSC-derived macrophages and dopaminergic neurons,indicating its potential for treating neuronopathic Gaucher disease. In addition,NCGC607 reduced α-synuclein levels in dopaminergic neurons from the patients with parkinsonism,suggesting that noninhibitory small-molecule chaperones of glucocerebrosidase may prove useful for the treatment of Parkinson disease. SIGNIFICANCE STATEMENT Because GBA1 mutations are the most common genetic risk factor for Parkinson disease,dopaminergic neurons were generated from iPSC lines derived from patients with Gaucher disease with and without parkinsonism. These cells exhibit deficient enzymatic activity,reduced lysosomal glucocerebrosidase levels,and storage of glucosylceramide and glucosylsphingosine. Lines generated from the patients with parkinsonism demonstrated elevated levels of α-synuclein. To reverse the observed phenotype,the neurons were treated with a novel noninhibitory glucocerebrosidase chaperone,which successfully restored glucocerebrosidase activity and protein levels and reduced glycolipid storage. In addition,the small-molecule chaperone reduced α-synuclein levels in dopaminergic neurons,indicating that chaperoning glucocerebrosidase to the lysosome may provide a novel therapeutic strategy for both Parkinson disease and neuronopathic forms of Gaucher disease. View Publication

Neural stem and progenitor cells (NSCs/NPCs) are distinct groups of cells found in the mammalian central nervous system (CNS). Previously we determined that members of the High Mobility Group (HMG) B family of chromatin structural proteins modulate NSC proliferation and self-renewal. Among them HMGB2 was found to be dynamically expressed in proliferating and differentiating NSCs,suggesting that it may regulate NSC maintenance. We report now that Hmgb2(-/-) mice exhibit SVZ hyperproliferation,increased numbers of SVZ NSCs,and a trend towards aberrant increases in newly born neurons in the olfactory bulb (OB) granule cell layer. Increases in the levels of the transcription factor p21 and the Neural cell adhesion molecule (NCAM),along with down-regulation of the transcription/pluripotency factor Oct4 in the Hmgb2-/- SVZ point to a possible pathway for this increased proliferation/differentiation. Our findings suggest that HMGB2 functions as a modulator of neurogenesis in young adult mice through regulation of NSC proliferation,and identify a potential target via which CNS repair could be amplified following trauma or disease-based neuronal degeneration. View Publication

INTRODUCTION Despite attempts to prevent brain injury during the hyperacute phase of stroke,most sufferers end up with significant neuronal loss and functional deficits. The use of cell-based therapies to recover the injured brain offers new hope. In the current study,we employed human neural stem cells (hNSCs) isolated from subventricular zone (SVZ),and directed their differentiation into GABAergic neurons followed by transplantation to ischemic brain. METHODS Pre-differentiated GABAergic neurons,undifferentiated SVZ-hNSCs or media alone were stereotaxically transplanted into the rat brain (n=7/group) 7 days after endothelin-1 induced stroke. Neurological outcome was assessed by neurological deficit scores and the cylinder test. Transplanted cell survival,cellular phenotype and maturation were assessed using immunohistochemistry and confocal microscopy. RESULTS Behavioral assessments revealed accelerated improvements in motor function 7 days post-transplant in rats treated with pre-differentiated GABAergic cells in comparison to media alone and undifferentiated hNSC treated groups. Histopathology 28 days-post transplant indicated that pre-differentiated cells maintained their GABAergic neuronal phenotype,showed evidence of synaptogenesis and up-regulated expression of both GABA and calcium signaling proteins associated with neurotransmission. Rats treated with pre-differentiated cells also showed increased neurogenic activity within the SVZ at 28 days,suggesting an additional trophic role of these GABAergic cells. In contrast,undifferentiated SVZ-hNSCs predominantly differentiated into GFAP-positive astrocytes and appeared to be incorporated into the glial scar. CONCLUSION Our study is the first to show enhanced exogenous repopulation of a neuronal phenotype after stroke using techniques aimed at GABAergic cell induction prior to delivery that resulted in accelerated and improved functional recovery. View Publication

Under appropriate conditions in culture,embryonic stem cells will differentiate and form embryoid bodies that have been shown to contain cells of the hematopoietic,endothelial,muscle and neuronal lineages. Many aspects of the lineage-specific differentiation programs observed within the embryoid bodies reflect those found in the embryo,indicating that this model system provides access to early cell populations that develop in a normal fashion. Recent studies involving the differentiation of genetically altered embryonic stem cells highlight the potential of this in vitro differentiation system for defining the function of genes in early development. View Publication

Neural stem cells (NSCs) have the ability to self-renew and to differentiate into various cell types of the central nervous system. This potential can be recapitulated by human induced pluripotent stem cells (hiPSCs) in vitro. The differentiation capacity of hiPSCs is characterized by several stages with distinct morphologies and the expression of various marker molecules. We used the monoclonal antibodies (mAbs) 487(LeX),5750(LeX) and 473HD to analyze the expression pattern of particular carbohydrate motifs as potential markers at six differentiation stages of hiPSCs. Mouse ESCs were used as a comparison. At the pluripotent stage,487(LeX)-,5750(LeX)- and 473HD-related glycans were differently expressed. Later,cells of the three germ layers in embryoid bodies (hEBs) and,even after neuralization of hEBs,subpopulations of cells were labeled with these surface antibodies. At the human rosette-stage of NSCs (hR-NSC),LeX- and 473HD-related epitopes showed antibody-specific expression patterns. We also found evidence that these surface antibodies could be used to distinguish the hR-NSCs from the hSR-NSCs stages. Characterization of hNSCs(FGF-2/EGF) derived from hSR-NSCs revealed that both LeX antibodies and the 473HD antibody labeled subpopulations of hNSCs(FGF-2/EGF). Finally,we identified potential LeX carrier molecules that were spatiotemporally regulated in early and late stages of differentiation. Our study provides new insights into the regulation of glycoconjugates during early human stem cell development. The mAbs 487(LeX),5750(LeX) and 473HD are promising tools for identifying distinct stages during neural differentiation. View Publication

Ion channels and transporters have increasingly recognized roles in cancer progression through the regulation of cell proliferation,migration,and death. Glioblastoma stem-like cells (GSCs) are a source of tumor formation and recurrence in glioblastoma multiforme,a highly aggressive brain cancer,suggesting that ion channel expression may be perturbed in this population. However,little is known about the expression and functional relevance of ion channels that may contribute to GSC malignancy. Using RNA sequencing,we assessed the enrichment of ion channels in GSC isolates and non-tumor neural cell types. We identified a unique set of GSC-enriched ion channels using differential expression analysis that is also associated with distinct gene mutation signatures. In support of potential clinical relevance,expression of selected GSC-enriched ion channels evaluated in human glioblastoma databases of The Cancer Genome Atlas and Ivy Glioblastoma Atlas Project correlated with patient survival times. Finally,genetic knockdown as well as pharmacological inhibition of individual or classes of GSC-enriched ion channels constrained growth of GSCs compared to normal neural stem cells. This first-in-kind global examination characterizes ion channels enriched in GSCs and explores their potential clinical relevance to glioblastoma molecular subtypes,gene mutations,survival outcomes,regional tumor expression,and experimental responses to loss-of-function. Together,the data support the potential biological and therapeutic impact of ion channels on GSC malignancy and provide strong rationale for further examination of their mechanistic and therapeutic importance. View Publication

Although human induced pluripotent stem cells (hiPSCs) hold great potential for the study of human diseases affecting disparate cell types,they have been underutilized in seeking mechanistic insights into the pathogenesis of congenital craniofacial disorders. Craniofrontonasal syndrome (CFNS) is a rare X-linked disorder caused by mutations in EFNB1 and characterized by craniofacial,skeletal,and neurological anomalies. Heterozygous females are more severely affected than hemizygous males,a phenomenon termed cellular interference that involves mosaicism for EPHRIN-B1 function. Although the mechanistic basis for cellular interference in CFNS has been hypothesized to involve Eph/ephrin-mediated cell segregation,no direct evidence for this has been demonstrated. Here,by generating hiPSCs from CFNS patients,we demonstrate that mosaicism for EPHRIN-B1 expression induced by random X inactivation in heterozygous females results in robust cell segregation in human neuroepithelial cells,thus supplying experimental evidence that Eph/ephrin-mediated cell segregation is relevant to pathogenesis in human CFNS patients. View Publication

Huntington disease (HD) is a dominant neurodegenerative disorder caused by a CAG repeat expansion in HTT. Here we report correction of HD human induced pluripotent stem cells (hiPSCs) using a CRISPR-Cas9 and piggyBac transposon-based approach. We show that both HD and corrected isogenic hiPSCs can be differentiated into excitable,synaptically active forebrain neurons. We further demonstrate that phenotypic abnormalities in HD hiPSC-derived neural cells,including impaired neural rosette formation,increased susceptibility to growth factor withdrawal,and deficits in mitochondrial respiration,are rescued in isogenic controls. Importantly,using genome-wide expression analysis,we show that a number of apparent gene expression differences detected between HD and non-related healthy control lines are absent between HD and corrected lines,suggesting that these differences are likely related to genetic background rather than HD-specific effects. Our study demonstrates correction of HD hiPSCs and associated phenotypic abnormalities,and the importance of isogenic controls for disease modeling using hiPSCs. View Publication