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Dickkopf 3 Promotes the Differentiation of Substantia Nigra Dopaminergic Neurons In Vivo and from Pluripotent Stem Cells In Vitro

ABSTRACT: WNT1/beta-catenin signaling plays a crucial role in the generation of mesodiencephalic dopaminergic (mdDA) neurons including the Substantia nigra pars compacta (SNc) subpopulation, whose degeneration is a hallmark of Parkinson’s Disease (PD). However, the precise functions of WNT/beta-catenin signaling in this context remain unknown. Using mutant mice, primary ventral midbrain (VM) cells and pluripotent stem cells (mouse embryonic stem cells and induced pluripotent stem cells), we show that Dickkopf 3 (DKK3), a secreted glycoprotein that modulates WNT/beta-catenin signaling, is specifically required for the correct differentiation of a rostrolateral mdDA precursor subset into SNc DA neurons. Dkk3 transcription in the murine VM coincides with the onset of mdDA neurogenesis and is required for the maintenance of LMX1A and consequently PITX3 expression in rostrolateral mdDA precursors, without affecting the proliferation or specification of their progenitors. Treatment of primary VM cells or differentiating pluripotent stem cells with recombinant WNT1 and/or DKK3 proteins consistently increases the proportion of mdDA cells with SNc DA neuron identity and promotes their survival in vitro. The SNc DA pro-differentiation and pro-survival properties of DKK3, together with its known anti-tumorigenic effect, therefore make it an ideal candidate for the improvement of regenerative and neuroprotective strategies in the treatment of PD.

ORGANISM(S): Mus musculus

PROVIDER: GSE58813 | GEO | 2015/08/22

SECONDARY ACCESSION(S): PRJNA253577

REPOSITORIES: GEO

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Project description:Induced pluripotent stem cells (iPSCs) hold great promise for in vitro disease modeling and cell replacement therapy for Parkinson’s disease (PD). Both applications crucially require an in-depth profiling of the disease-relevant, iPSC-derived cell type. Midbrain dopaminergic (mDA) neurons derived from pluripotent stem cells are of substantial interest because of their instrumental value for PD therapy. IPSC-derived mDA neuron-like cells have been generated, however, detailed genetic and epigenetic characterization of strictly purified in vitro generated DA neurons has so far lagged behind. We generated mouse Pitx3gfp/+ iPSC-derived DA neurons that, after fluorescent activated cell sorting (FACS) allowed comprehensive comparison to mesodiencephalic dopaminergic (mdDA) neurons from Fac-sorted Pitx3gfp/+ ventral midbrains. We performed detailed analysis of global gene expression and genome-scale DNA methylation of CpG islands (CGIs) by reduced representation bisulfite sequencing. The reprogramming pathway from fibroblasts to iPSCs left parental cell footprints for both gene expression and DNA methylation. However, most gene expression patterns of iPSC-derived DA neurons closely resembled that of primary mdDA neurons with the strongest correlations for mdDA specific genes. Also, for DNA methylation patterns, high similarities were found for the vast majority of CGIs when comparing primary mdDA neurons with iPSC-derived DA neurons. Additionally, we found de novo DNA methylation during in vitro differentiation for hundreds of genes specifically in lineage-committed neural precursors that persisted in iPSC-derived DA neurons. Our study provides novel detailed characteristics of iPSC-derived DA neurons in comparison to the primary cell type. These findings add important information to our knowledge about these biomedically highly valuable, in vitro generated neurons. Microarray expression study comparing 3 samples of facs-sorted, Pitx3-gfp positive cells from each experimental group to a common reference consisting of adult mouse midbrain RNA. Each sample was analysed in normal and opposite dye orientation.

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Dickkopf 3 Promotes the Differentiation of Substantia Nigra Dopaminergic Neurons In Vivo and from Pluripotent Stem Cells In Vitro

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