神经嵴发育异常导致综合征型耳聋的机制

综合征型耳聋(Syndromic hearing loss, SHL)现已报道400多种,大多数发病率低,临床常见的有Waardenburg综合征(WS)、先天性小耳畸形综合征、前庭导水管扩大综合征等。因SHL具有极强的临床和遗传异质性,所以对其遗传基础及发病机制的研究变得十分困难。以SOX10和PAX3为中心的基因作用网络引起的神经嵴细胞功能异常与WS、小耳畸形及前庭导水管扩大等表型相关。本课题组前期研究也证实该基因网络参与WS的发病机制。文章针对神经嵴发育异常导致相关综合征型耳聋的发病机制的研究进展进行了系统的阐述,分析并归纳了与综合征型耳聋发病相关的神经嵴发育异常基因互作网络,以期为系统地研究常见综合征型耳聋致病基因的定位克隆以及发病机制提供研究思路和理论基础。     

小鼠心脏神经嵴细胞的体外培养及其生物学特性

目的体外培养和鉴定心脏神经嵴细胞,探讨其生物学特性。方法取8·5d小鼠胚胎枕中部至第3体节神经管,组织块法无血清条件培养获心脏神经嵴细胞,采用转录激活因子2α(AP-2α)作为其生物学标记物,观察其迁移、分化等生物学特性。结果从胎鼠神经管中分离培养的细胞AP-2α表达阳性,具有迁移特性,传代后以含血清培养基培养后能自然分化成神经元和神经胶质细胞。结论体外培养可成功获得心脏神经嵴细胞,且具有迁移特性和多向潜能分化能力。     

PTEN基因对早期胚胎神经嵴细胞迁移的作用研究

目的 初步探讨PTEN基因在早期神经嵴细胞迁移中的作用.方法 首先胚胎整体的原位杂交和免疫荧光方法检测鸡胚胎内源性的PTEN基因及蛋白水平的表达情况;其次,利用鸡胚胎体内半侧神经管转染的方法,使神经管一侧PTEN基因过表达,对侧神经管为正常对照侧;最后,通过Pax7的整体胚胎免疫荧光表达观察PTEN基因对其标记的部分神经嵴细胞迁移的影响.结果 内源性PTEN基因在mRNA和蛋白水平表达显示,其在早期胚胎HH4期的神经板即开始明显的表达;通过半侧过表达PTEN基因后观察到过表达PTEN基因侧的头部神经嵴细胞迁移与对照侧相比明显受到抑制,但对躯干部的影响并不明显.结论 PTEN基因可能抑制早期胚胎头部神经嵴细胞的迁移.     

胚胎发育中神经嵴细胞迁移机制的研究进展

神经嵴(neural crest,NC)是一种具有高度迁移能力的多功能细胞群,它形成于胚胎发育过程中神经上皮和上皮细胞前体之间的交界处。神经嵴细胞在经历了横贯整个胚胎的迁移之后,会固定下来并分化发育成多种组织和器官。神经嵴细胞在迁移过程中表现出趋化性(chemotaxis)和趋电性(electrotaxis)。神经嵴细胞能够沿着胞外可溶性因子浓度梯度产生定向迁移,这些趋化性因子包括SDF-1、VEGE、FGF、PDGF等;神经嵴细胞也能在生理电场(endogenous electric fields)或适当外源电场(exogenous electric fields)中沿电场方向,向正极或负极迁移。一些重要的与趋电性相关的分子已经被发现,如EGFR、Rac1、V-ATPase H+pump、PI3 kinase/Pten。本综述详细介绍了神经嵴细胞趋化性和趋电性迁移中的可能机理和实验证据,为后续研究提供参考。     

机械阻断神经管的闭合影响爪蟾神经管辐射状切入及神经嵴细胞定向迁移(英文)

神经管闭合缺陷 (NTDs)是一种严重的先天畸形疾病,在新生儿中有千分之一的发病率。神经管融合前后,多种组织参与形态发生运动。神经管一经融合,神经嵴细胞就会向背侧中线方向产生单极突出并向此方向迁移形成神经管的顶部。与此同时,神经管从腹侧开始发生辐射状切入以实现单层化。在此,我们在非洲爪蟾的移植体中机械阻断神经管的闭合以检测其细胞运动及随后的图式形成。结果显示神经管闭合缺陷的移植体不能形成单层化的神经管,并且神经嵴细胞滞留在侧面区域不能向背侧中线迁移,而对神经前体标记基因的检测显示神经管的背腹图式形成并未受到影响。以上结果表明神经管的融合对于辐射状切入和神经嵴细胞向背侧中线方向的迁移过程是必需的,而对于神经管的沿背腹轴方向的图式形成是非必需的。     

Smad2/3a对斑马鱼神经嵴细胞标记基因crestin表达的影响

目的 探讨Smad2/3a对脊椎动物神经嵴细胞发育的影响。方法 通过在斑马鱼胚胎单细胞时期显微注射smad2/3吗啉环修饰的反义寡核苷酸的方法,特异性敲降smad2/3基因的表达,至胚胎发育至6体节,利用整胚原位杂交检测神经嵴细胞特异性标记基因snail1b,sox10,foxd3和crestin的表达情况;通过casmad2 mRNA和smad3a mRNA显微注射的方法过表达smad2和smad3a,同样利用整胚原位杂交检测神经嵴细胞特异性标记基因crestin的表达情况;通过过表达casmad2及smad3a对下调smad2和smad3a的胚胎进行挽救。结果 smad2/3a被敲低后,crestin的表达量显著降低,而snail1b,sox10和foxd3的表达量无明显变化。smad3b被敲低后,crestin,snail1b,sox10和foxd3的表达量均无明显变化;过表达casmad2和smad3a均可导致crestin的表达量增高;过表达casmad2和smad3a可挽救由于smad2/3a敲降所造成crestin的低表达量。结论 Smad2和Smad3a对神经嵴细胞标记基因crestin的表达具有重要作用。     

感染在神经退行性疾病中的调控机制

神经退行性疾病以突触丢失和神经元死亡为特征,表现为认知功能下降、痴呆和运动功能丧失。流行病学和实验证据提示:慢性细菌、病毒和真菌感染可能是导致神经退行性疾病如阿尔兹海默症(AD)、帕金森病(PD)、肌萎缩性侧索硬化症(ALS)和多发性硬化症(MS)等的危险因素。病原体在中枢神经系统的持续感染可导致一系列细胞生物学功能的异常,如诱导蛋白质的错误折叠和聚集、导致氧化应激损伤、细胞自噬异常以及神经元凋亡和坏死等;感染还会触发炎症介质释放并激活宿主免疫应答;此外,感染还可引起慢性神经炎症并导致能量代谢障碍等。本文就感染在神经退行性疾病中的作用机制及其研究进展作一综述,从而为科研人员开发新的药物和治疗方法提供新思路。     

鸡胚早期发育过程中细胞迁移的基因调控

鸡胚是发育生物学研究的经典动物模型,通过基因导入技术调节胚胎发育的基因功能,研究鸡胚早期发育过程中的细胞迁移,有助于更好地诠释相关先天性疾病的发生发展过程。在早期胚胎发育的过程中,原肠胚期三胚层的形成、心管的发生及神经嵴的发育都伴随着显著的细胞迁移过程。该文将结合近年来国内外对该过程的研究进展,介绍这三个不同时期细胞的迁移及相关基因调控。     

毛囊来源的神经嵴干细胞修复大鼠坐骨神经缺损

毛囊来源的神经嵴干细胞(Epidermal Neural Crest Stem Cell,EPI-NCSC)由于取材方便,具有多种分化潜能,是一种具有良好应用前景的组织工程种子细胞。目前,在神经损伤修复领域中,EPI-NCSC主要被应用于脊髓损伤的修复。为了探讨EPI-NCSC对周围神经缺损的修复作用,对原代培养的GFP-SD大鼠来源的EPI-NCSC的体外性质进行了考察,并以其为种子细胞,将其等量与细胞外基质(Extracellular matrix,ECM)混合后,预置入聚乳酸-聚羟基乙酸共聚物(Poly lactic acid co glycolic acid copolymer,PLGA)导管中,同时,以等量的达尔伯克(氏)改良伊格尔(氏)培养基(Dulbecco's Modified Eagle's medium,DMEM)代替EPI-NCSC作为对照,以用于修复大鼠坐骨神经10 mm距离的缺失。噻唑蓝(Methyl thiazolyl tetrazolium,MTT)比色分析结果显示,EPI-NCSC在PLGA膜上的初期粘附率为89.7%。在第1、3、5、7天细胞相对增殖率分别为89.3%、87.6%、85.6%和96.6%。细胞周期与DNA倍体分析表明,与PLGA共培养的EPI-NCSC与单独培养的EPI-NCSC相比较,二者的细胞周期变化趋势相同,增殖指数变化趋势也相同。在神经导管移植4周,术部实现了组织学水平的修复。大鼠手术一侧后肢感觉功能有所恢复,坐骨神经指数有所提高。研究结果表明,在PLGA导管中预置EPI-NCSC,有望实现较好的周围神经缺损的修复效果。     

心脏发育中的细胞凋亡

重点讨论了心脏发育过程中主要的细胞凋亡以及信号串级联,这些信号串往往伴随着有序的形态学上的事件.细胞凋亡主要发生在胚胎心脏中非心肌的隔室中,其隔室由心内膜、心外膜和神经嵴衍生的细胞组成.这些信号的级联包含了潜在生长转化因子的激活,导致心肌细胞的迁移以及随后的心内膜垫的心肌化.错误的细胞凋亡将导致心脏发育的异常.     

Control of neural crest cell behavior and migration

Neural crest cells (NCCs) are a remarkable, dynamic group of cells that travel long distances in the embryo to reach their target sites. They are responsible for the formation of craniofacial bones and cartilage, neurons and glia in the peripheral nervous system, and pigment cells. Live imaging of NCCs as they traverse the embryo has been critical to increasing our knowledge of their biology. NCCs exhibit multiple behaviors and communicate with each other and their environment along each step of their journey. Imaging combined with molecular manipulations has led to insights into the mechanisms controlling these behaviors. In this review, we highlight studies that have used live imaging to provide novel insight into NCC migration and discuss how continued use of such techniques can advance our understanding of NCC biology.     

Cooperation between the PDGF receptors in cardiac neural crest cell migration

Neural crest cells (NCCs) are essential components of the sympathetic nervous system, skin, craniofacial skeleton, and aortic arch. It has been known for many years that perturbation of migration, proliferation, and/or differentiation of these cells leads to birth defects such as cleft palate and persistent truncus arteriosus (PTA). Previously, we had shown that disruption of the platelet-derived growth factor receptor (PDGFR) alpha in NCCs resulted in defects in craniofacial and aortic arch development, the latter with variable penetrance. Because we observed ventricular septal defects in embryos that are null for the PDGFRbeta, we hypothesized that both PDGF receptors are involved in NCC formation. Here, we show that both receptors are expressed in cardiac NCCs and that the combined loss of the PDGFRalpha and PDGFRbeta in NCCs resulted in NCC-related heart abnormalities, including PTA and a ventricular septal defect (VSD). Using NCC lineage tracing, we observed that loss of PDGF receptor signaling resulted in reduced NCCs in the conotruncus region, leading to defects in aortic arch septation. These results indicate that while PDGFRalpha plays a predominant role in NCC development, the PDGFRbeta is expressed by and functions in cardiac NCCs. Combined PDGF receptor signaling is required for sufficient recruitment of cardiac NCCs into the conotruncal region and for formation of the aortico-pulmonary and ventricular septum.     

Sonic hedgehog is required for cardiac outflow tract and neural crest cell development

The Hedgehog signaling pathway is critical for a significant number of developmental patterning events. In this study, we focus on the defects in pharyngeal arch and cardiovascular patterning present in Sonic hedgehog (Shh) null mouse embryos. Our data indicate that, in the absence of Shh, there is general failure of the pharyngeal arch development leading to cardiac and craniofacial defects. The cardiac phenotype results from arch artery and outflow tract patterning defects, as well as abnormal development of migratory neural crest cells (NCCs). The constellation of cardiovascular defects resembles a severe form of the human birth defect syndrome tetralogy of Fallot with complete pulmonary artery atresia. Previous studies have demonstrated a role for Shh in NCC survival and proliferation at later stages of development. Our data suggest that SHH signaling does not act directly on NCCs as a survival factor, but rather acts to restrict the domains that NCCs can populate during early stages (e8.5-10.5) of cardiovascular and craniofacial development.     

Fgf8 is required for pharyngeal arch and cardiovascular development in the mouse

We present here an analysis of cardiovascular and pharyngeal arch development in mouse embryos hypomorphic for Fgf8. Previously, we have described the generation of Fgf8 compound heterozygous (Fgf8(neo/-)) embryos. Although early analysis demonstrated that some of these embryos have abnormal left-right (LR) axis specification and cardiac looping reversals, the number and type of cardiac defects present at term suggested an additional role for Fgf8 in cardiovascular development. Most Fgf8(neo/-) mutant embryos survive to term with abnormal cardiovascular patterning, including outflow tract, arch artery and intracardiac defects. In addition, these mutants have hypoplastic pharyngeal arches, small or absent thymus and abnormal craniofacial development. Neural crest cells (NCCs) populate the pharyngeal arches and contribute to many structures of the face, neck and cardiovascular system, suggesting that Fgf8 may be required for NCC development. Fgf8 is expressed within the developing pharyngeal arch ectoderm and endoderm during NCC migration through the arches. Analysis of NCC development in Fgf8(neo/-) mutant embryos demonstrates that NCCs are specified and migrate, but undergo cell death in areas both adjacent and distal to where Fgf8 is normally expressed. This study defines the cardiovascular defects present in Fgf8 mutants and supports a role for Fgf8 in development of all the pharyngeal arches and in NCC survival.     

Cell autonomous requirement for PDGFRalpha in populations of cranial and cardiac neural crest cells

Cardiac and cephalic neural crest cells (NCCs) are essential components of the craniofacial and aortic arch mesenchyme. Genetic disruption of the platelet-derived growth factor receptor alpha (PDGFRalpha) results in defects in multiple tissues in the mouse, including neural crest derivatives contributing to the frontonasal process and the aortic arch. Using chimeric analysis, we show that loss of the receptor in NCCs renders them inefficient at contributing to the cranial mesenchyme. Conditional gene ablation in NCCs results in neonatal lethality because of aortic arch defects and a severely cleft palate. The conotruncal defects are first observed at E11.5 and are consistent with aberrant NCC development in the third, fourth and sixth branchial arches, while the bone malformations present in the frontonasal process and skull coincide with defects of NCCs from the first to third branchial arches. Changes in cell proliferation, migration, or survival were not observed in PDGFRalpha NCC conditional embryos, suggesting that the PDGFRalpha may play a role in a later stage of NCC development. Our results demonstrate that the PDGFRalpha plays an essential, cell-autonomous role in the development of cardiac and cephalic NCCs and provides a model for the study of aberrant NCC development.     

Control of neural crest cell behavior and migration: Insights from live imaging

Neural crest cells (NCCs) are a remarkable, dynamic group of cells that travel long distances in the embryo to reach their target sites. They are responsible for the formation of craniofacial bones and cartilage, neurons and glia in the peripheral nervous system and pigment cells. Live imaging of NCCs as they traverse the embryo has been critical to increasing our knowledge of their biology. NCCs exhibit multiple behaviors and communicate with each other and their environment along each step of their journey. Imaging combined with molecular manipulations has led to insights into the mechanisms controlling these behaviors. In this Review, we highlight studies that have used live imaging to provide novel insight into NCC migration and discuss how continued use of such techniques can advance our understanding of NCC biology.Key words: live imaging, neural crest, EMT, Rho GTPase, ephrin, PCP signaling, cadherin, VEGFNeural crest cells (NCCs) are a pluripotent population of cells that migrate from the dorsal neuroepithelium and give rise to multiple cell types including neurons and glia of the peripheral nervous system, pigment cells and craniofacial bone and cartilage.¹ An important hallmark of NCCs is their remarkable ability to migrate over long distances and along specific pathways through the embryo. NCC migration begins with an epithelial to mesenchymal transition (EMT), in which NCCs lose adhesions with their neighbors and segregate from the neuroepithelium.^2,3 Following EMT, NCCs acquire a polarized morphology and initiate directed migration away from the neural tube. While migrating along their pathways to their target tissues, NCCs are guided by extensive communication with one another and by other cues from the extracellular environment. Each of these aspects of NCC migration requires precise regulation of cell motile behaviors, although the mechanisms controlling them are still not well understood. A critical step toward understanding the molecular control of NCC motility is characterization of NCC behaviors as they migrate in their native environment. In the past 15 years, multiple studies have analyzed specific behaviors associated with NCCs along the various stages of their journey and have begun to identify molecules controlling these behaviors. In this review we will focus specifically on these studies that employ live imaging and will highlight the strength of live imaging to reveal mechanisms regulating NCC motility and migration pathways.     

In the beginning

Neural crest cells (NCCs) are migratory cells that delaminate from the neural tube early in development and then disseminate throughout the embryo to give rise to a wide variety of cell types that are key to the vertebrate body plan. During their journey from the neural tube to their peripheral targets, NCCs progressively differentiate, raising the question when the fate of an individual NCC is sealed. One hypothesis suggests that the fate of a NCC is specified by target-derived signals emanating from the environment they migrate through, while another hypothesis proposes that NCCs are already specified to differentiate along select lineages at the time they are born in the neural tube, with environmental signals helping them to realize their prespecified fate potential. Alternatively, both mechanisms may cooperate to drive NCC diversity. This review highlights recent advances in our understanding of prespecification during trunk NCC development.     

Inactivation of Cdc42 in neural crest cells causes craniofacial and cardiovascular morphogenesis defects

Neural crest cells (NCCs) are physically responsible for craniofacial skeleton formation, pharyngeal arch artery remodeling and cardiac outflow tract septation during vertebrate development. Cdc42 (cell division cycle 42) is a Rho family small GTP-binding protein that works as a molecular switch to regulate cytoskeleton remodeling and the establishment of cell polarity. To investigate the role of Cdc42 in NCCs during embryonic development, we deleted Cdc42 in NCCs by crossing Cdc42 flox mice with Wnt1-cre mice. We found that the inactivation of Cdc42 in NCCs caused embryonic lethality with craniofacial deformities and cardiovascular developmental defects. Specifically, Cdc42 NCC knockout embryos showed fully penetrant cleft lips and short snouts. Alcian Blue and Alizarin Red staining of the cranium exhibited an unfused nasal capsule and palatine in the mutant embryos. India ink intracardiac injection analysis displayed a spectrum of cardiovascular developmental defects, including persistent truncus arteriosus, hypomorphic pulmonary arteries, interrupted aortic arches, and right-sided aortic arches. To explore the underlying mechanisms of Cdc42 in the formation of the great blood vessels, we generated Wnt1Cre-Cdc42-Rosa26 reporter mice. By beta-galactosidase staining, a subpopulation of Cdc42-null NCCs was observed halting in their migration midway from the pharyngeal arches to the conotruncal cushions. Phalloidin staining revealed dispersed, shorter and disoriented stress fibers in Cdc42-null NCCs. Finally, we demonstrated that the inactivation of Cdc42 in NCCs impaired bone morphogenetic protein 2 (BMP2)-induced NCC cytoskeleton remodeling and migration. In summary, our results demonstrate that Cdc42 plays an essential role in NCC migration, and inactivation of Cdc42 in NCCs impairs craniofacial and cardiovascular development in mice.