Scientific Resources

Neurogenesis persists in the rodent dentate gyrus (DG) throughout adulthood but declines with age and stress. Neural progenitor cells (NPCs) residing in the subgranular zone of the DG are regulated by an array of growth factors and respond to the microenvironment,adjusting their proliferation level to determine the rate of neurogenesis. Here we report that genetic deletion of neurofibromin (Nf1),a tumor suppressor with RAS-GAP activity,in adult NPCs enhanced DG proliferation and increased generation of new neurons in mice. Nf1 loss-associated neurogenesis had the functional effect of enhancing behavioral responses to subchronic antidepressants and,over time,led to spontaneous antidepressive-like behaviors. Thus,our findings establish an important role for the Nf1-Ras pathway in regulating adult hippocampal neurogenesis,and demonstrate that activation of adult NPCs is sufficient to modulate depression- and anxiety-like behaviors. View Publication

In vitro exposure of neural progenitor cell (NPC) populations to reduced O(2) (e.g. 3% versus 20%) can increase their proliferation,survival and neuronal differentiation. Our objective was to determine if an acute (textless1hr),in vivo exposure to intermittent hypoxia (AIH) alters expansion and/or differentiation of subsequent in vitro cultures of NPC from the subventricular zone (SVZ). Neonatal C57BL/6 mice (postnatal day 4) were exposed to an AIH paradigm (20×1 minute; alternating 21% and 10% O(2)). Immediately after AIH,SVZ tissue was isolated and NPC populations were cultured and assayed either as neurospheres (NS) or as adherent monolayer cells (MASC). AIH markedly increased the capacity for expansion of cultured NS and MASC,and this was accompanied by increases in a proliferation maker (Ki67),MTT activity and hypoxia-inducible factor-1α (HIF-1α) signaling in NS cultures. Peptide blockade experiments confirmed that proteins downstream of HIF-1α are important for both proliferation and morphological changes associated with terminal differentiation in NS cultures. Finally,immunocytochemistry and Western blotting experiments demonstrated that AIH increased expression of the neuronal fate determination transcription factor Pax6 in SVZ tissue,and this was associated with increased neuronal differentiation in cultured NS and MASC. We conclude that in vivo AIH exposure can enhance the viability of subsequent in vitro SVZ-derived NPC cultures. AIH protocols may therefore provide a means to prime" NPC prior to transplantation into the injured central nervous system." View Publication

The detection of growth hormone (GH) and its receptor in germinal regions of the mammalian brain prompted our investigation of GH and its role in the regulation of endogenous neural precursor cell activity. Here we report that the addition of exogenous GH significantly increased the expansion rate in long-term neurosphere cultures derived from wild-type mice,while neurospheres derived from GH null mice exhibited a reduced expansion rate. We also detected a doubling in the frequency of large (i.e. stem cell-derived) colonies for up to 120 days following a 7-day intracerebroventricular infusion of GH suggesting the activation of endogenous stem cells. Moreover,gamma irradiation induced the ablation of normally quiescent stem cells in GH-infused mice,resulting in a decline in olfactory bulb neurogenesis. These results suggest that GH activates populations of resident stem and progenitor cells,and therefore may represent a novel therapeutic target for age-related neurodegeneration and associated cognitive decline. View Publication

The identification of succinate dehydrogenase (SDH),fumarate hydratase (FH) and isocitrate dehydrogenase (IDH) mutations in human cancers has rekindled the idea that altered cellular metabolism can transform cells. Inactivating SDH and FH mutations cause the accumulation of succinate and fumarate,respectively,which can inhibit 2-oxoglutarate (2-OG)-dependent enzymes,including the EGLN prolyl 4-hydroxylases that mark the hypoxia inducible factor (HIF) transcription factor for polyubiquitylation and proteasomal degradation. Inappropriate HIF activation is suspected of contributing to the pathogenesis of SDH-defective and FH-defective tumours but can suppress tumour growth in some other contexts. IDH1 and IDH2,which catalyse the interconversion of isocitrate and 2-OG,are frequently mutated in human brain tumours and leukaemias. The resulting mutants have the neomorphic ability to convert 2-OG to the (R)-enantiomer of 2-hydroxyglutarate ((R)-2HG). Here we show that (R)-2HG,but not (S)-2HG,stimulates EGLN activity,leading to diminished HIF levels,which enhances the proliferation and soft agar growth of human astrocytes. These findings define an enantiomer-specific mechanism by which the (R)-2HG that accumulates in IDH mutant brain tumours promotes transformation and provide a justification for exploring EGLN inhibition as a potential treatment strategy. View Publication

Glioblastoma (GBM) is distinguished by a high degree of intratumoral heterogeneity,which extends to the pattern of expression and amplification of receptor tyrosine kinases (RTKs). Although most GBMs harbor RTK amplifications,clinical trials of small-molecule inhibitors targeting individual RTKs have been disappointing to date. Activation of multiple RTKs within individual GBMs provides a theoretical mechanism of resistance; however,the spectrum of functional RTK dependence among tumor cell subpopulations in actual tumors is unknown. We investigated the pattern of heterogeneity of RTK amplification and functional RTK dependence in GBM tumor cell subpopulations. Analysis of The Cancer Genome Atlas GBM dataset identified 34 of 463 cases showing independent focal amplification of two or more RTKs,most commonly platelet-derived growth factor receptor α (PDGFRA) and epidermal growth factor receptor (EGFR). Dual-color fluorescence in situ hybridization was performed on eight samples with EGFR and PDGFRA amplification,revealing distinct tumor cell subpopulations amplified for only one RTK; in all cases these predominated over cells amplified for both. Cell lines derived from coamplified tumors exhibited genotype selection under RTK-targeted ligand stimulation or pharmacologic inhibition in vitro. Simultaneous inhibition of both EGFR and PDGFR was necessary for abrogation of PI3 kinase pathway activity in the mixed population. DNA sequencing of isolated subpopulations establishes a common clonal origin consistent with late or ongoing divergence of RTK genotype. This phenomenon is especially common among tumors with PDGFRA amplification: overall,43% of PDGFRA-amplified GBM were found to have amplification of EGFR or the hepatocyte growth factor receptor gene (MET) as well. View Publication

The ATR (ATM (ataxia telangiectasia mutated) and rad3-related) checkpoint kinase is considered critical for signalling DNA replication stress and its dysfunction can lead to the neurodevelopmental disorder,ATR-Seckel syndrome. To understand how ATR functions during neurogenesis,we conditionally deleted Atr broadly throughout the murine nervous system,or in a restricted manner in the dorsal telencephalon. Unexpectedly,in both scenarios,Atr loss impacted neurogenesis relatively late during neural development involving only certain progenitor populations. Whereas the Atr-deficient embryonic cerebellar external germinal layer underwent p53- (and p16(Ink4a/Arf))-independent proliferation arrest,other brain regions suffered apoptosis that was partially p53 dependent. In contrast to other organs,in the nervous system,p53 loss did not worsen the outcome of Atr inactivation. Coincident inactivation of Atm also did not affect the phenotype after Atr deletion,supporting non-overlapping physiological roles for these related DNA damage-response kinases in the brain. Rather than an essential general role in preventing replication stress,our data indicate that ATR functions to monitor genomic integrity in a selective spatiotemporal manner during neurogenesis. View Publication

Within high-grade gliomas,the precise identities and functional roles of stem-like cells remain unclear. In the normal neurogenic niche,ID (Inhibitor of DNA-binding) genes maintain self-renewal and multipotency of adult neural stem cells. Using PDGF- and KRAS-driven murine models of gliomagenesis,we show that high Id1 expression (Id1(high)) identifies tumor cells with high self-renewal capacity,while low Id1 expression (Id1(low)) identifies tumor cells with proliferative potential but limited self-renewal capacity. Surprisingly,Id1(low) cells generate tumors more rapidly and with higher penetrance than Id1(high) cells. Further,eliminating tumor cell self-renewal through deletion of Id1 has modest effects on animal survival,while knockdown of Olig2 within Id1(low) cells has a significant survival benefit,underscoring the importance of non-self-renewing lineages in disease progression. View Publication

Overexpression of dual-specificity tyrosine-(Y)-phosphorylation-regulated kinase 1A (DYRK1A),encoded by a gene located in the Down syndrome (DS) critical region,is considered a major contributor to developmental abnormalities in DS. DYRK1A regulates numerous genes involved in neuronal commitment,differentiation,maturation,and apoptosis. Because alterations of neurogenesis could lead to impaired brain development and mental retardation in individuals with DS,pharmacological normalization of DYRK1A activity has been postulated as DS therapy. We tested the effect of harmine,a specific DYRK1A inhibitor,on the development of neuronal progenitor cells (NPCs) isolated from the periventricular zone of newborn mice with segmental trisomy 16 (Ts65Dn mice),a mouse model for DS that overexpresses Dyrk1A by 1.5-fold. Trisomy did not affect the ability of NPCs to expand in culture. Twenty-four hours after stimulation of migration and neuronal differentiation,NPCs showed increased expression of Dyrk1A,particularly in the trisomic cultures. After 7 days,NPCs developed into a heterogeneous population of differentiating neurons and astrocytes that expressed Dyrk1A in the nuclei. In comparison with disomic cells,NPCs with trisomy showed premature neuronal differentiation and enhanced γ-aminobutyric acid (GABA)-ergic differentiation,but astrocyte development was unchanged. Harmine prevented premature neuronal maturation of trisomic NPCs but not acceleration of GABA-ergic development. In control NPCs,harmine treatment caused altered neuronal development of NPCs,similar to that in trisomic NPCs with Dyrk1A overexpression. This study suggests that pharmacological normalization of DYRK1A activity may have a potential role in DS therapy. View Publication

Appropriate number of neurons and glial cells is generated from neural stem cells (NSCs) by the regulation of cell cycle exit and subsequent differentiation. Although the regulatory mechanism remains obscure,Id (inhibitor of differentiation) proteins are known to contribute critically to NSC proliferation by controlling cell cycle. Here,we report that a transcriptional factor,RP58,negatively regulates all four Id genes (Id1-Id4) in developing cerebral cortex. Consistently,Rp58 knockout (KO) mice demonstrated enhanced astrogenesis accompanied with an excess of NSCs. These phenotypes were mimicked by the overexpression of all Id genes in wild-type cortical progenitors. Furthermore,Rp58 KO phenotypes were rescued by the knockdown of all Id genes in mutant cortical progenitors but not by the knockdown of each single Id gene. Finally,we determined p57 as an effector gene of RP58-Id-mediated cell fate control. These findings establish RP58 as a novel key regulator that controls the self-renewal and differentiation of NSCs and restriction of astrogenesis by repressing all Id genes during corticogenesis. View Publication

BACKGROUND: Although both the alkylating agent temozolomide (TMZ) and oncolytic viruses hold promise for treating glioblastoma,which remains uniformly lethal,the effectiveness of combining the two treatments and the mechanism of their interaction on cancer stem cells are unknown. METHODS: We investigated the efficacy of combining TMZ and the oncolytic herpes simplex virus (oHSV) G47Δ in killing glioblastoma stem cells (GSCs),using Chou-Talalay combination index analysis,immunocytochemistry and fluorescence microscopy,and neutral comet assay. The role of treatment-induced DNA double-strand breaks,activation of DNA damage responses,and virus replication in the cytotoxic interaction between G47Δ and TMZ was examined with a panel of pharmacological inhibitors and short-hairpin RNA (shRNA)-mediated knockdown of DNA repair pathways. Comparisons of cell survival and virus replication were performed using a two-sided t test (unpaired). The survival of athymic mice (n = 6-8 mice per group) bearing GSC-derived glioblastoma tumors treated with the combination of G47Δ and TMZ was analyzed by the Kaplan-Meier method and evaluated with a two-sided log-rank test. RESULTS: The combination of G47Δ and TMZ acted synergistically in killing GSCs but not neurons,with associated robust induction of DNA damage. Pharmacological and shRNA-mediated knockdown studies suggested that activated ataxia telangiectasia mutated (ATM) is a crucial mediator of synergy. Activated ATM relocalized to HSV DNA replication compartments where it likely enhanced oHSV replication and could not participate in repairing TMZ-induced DNA damage. Sensitivity to TMZ and synergy with G47Δ decreased with O(6)-methylguanine-DNA-methyltransferase (MGMT) expression and MSH6 knockdown. Combined G47Δ and TMZ treatment extended survival of mice bearing GSC-derived intracranial tumors,achieving long-term remission in four of eight mice (median survival = 228 days; G47Δ alone vs G47Δ + TMZ,hazard ratio of survival = 7.1,95% confidence interval = 1.9 to 26.1,P = .003) at TMZ doses attainable in patients. CONCLUSIONS: The combination of G47Δ and TMZ acts synergistically in killing GSCs through oHSV-mediated manipulation of DNA damage responses. This strategy is highly efficacious in representative preclinical models and warrants clinical translation. View Publication

Stem-like cells have been isolated in tumors such as breast,lung,colon,prostate and brain. A critical issue in all these tumors,especially in glioblastoma mutliforme (GBM),is to identify and isolate tumor initiating cell population(s) to investigate their role in tumor formation,progression,and recurrence. Understanding tumor initiating cell populations will provide clues to finding effective therapeutic approaches for these tumors. The neurosphere assay (NSA) due to its simplicity and reproducibility has been used as the method of choice for isolation and propagation of many of this tumor cells. This protocol demonstrates the neurosphere culture method to isolate and expand stem-like cells in surgically resected human GBM tumor tissue. The procedures include an initial chemical digestion and mechanical dissociation of tumor tissue,and subsequently plating the resulting single cell suspension in NSA culture. After 7-10 days,primary neurospheres of 150-200 μm in diameter can be observed and are ready for further passaging and expansion. View Publication

Glioblastoma multiforme is the most common glioma variant in adults and is highly malignant. Tumors are thought to harbor a subpopulation of stem-like cancer cells,with the bulk resembling neural progenitor-like cells that are unable to fully differentiate. Although multiple pathways are known to be involved in glioma tumorigenesis,the role of Wnt signaling has been poorly described. Here,we show that Dishevelled 2 (Dvl2),a key component of the Wnt signaling pathway,is overexpressed in human gliomas. RNA interference-mediated depletion of Dvl2 blocked proliferation and promoted the differentiation of cultured human glioma cell lines and primary,patient-derived glioma cells. In addition,Dvl2 depletion inhibited tumor formation after intracranial injection of glioblastoma cells in immunodeficient mice. Inhibition of canonical Wnt/β-catenin signaling also blocked proliferation,but unlike Dvl2 depletion,did not induce differentiation. Finally,Wnt5a,a noncanonical Wnt ligand,was also required for glioma cell proliferation. The data therefore suggest that both canonical and noncanonical Wnt signaling pathways downstream of Dvl2 cooperate to maintain the proliferative capacity of human glioblastomas. View Publication