Project description:For screening mouse models for CNS diseases for changes in ncRNA expression, we first investigated two models with impaired voltage-gated Ca2+ channel activity, i.e. the lethargic mutant of the auxiliary calcium channel β4 subunit (Cacnb4lh; (Burgess et al. 1997)) and knockout mice for the L-type calcium channel CaV1.3 (Platzer et al. 2000), which have been implicated in a variety of neurological disorders such as psychiatric disorders (Cacnb4) or Parkinsons disease (Cav1.3).
Project description:For screening mouse models for CNS diseases for changes in ncRNA expression, we first investigated two models with impaired voltage-gated Ca2+ channel activity, i.e. the lethargic mutant of the auxiliary calcium channel β4 subunit (Cacnb4lh; (Burgess et al. 1997)) and knockout mice for the L-type calcium channel CaV1.3 (Platzer et al. 2000), which have been implicated in a variety of neurological disorders such as psychiatric disorders (Cacnb4) or Parkinson’s disease (Cav1.3).
Project description:Current treatments for neurodegenerative diseases and neural injuries fall short of success. One primary reason is that neurons in the mammalian central nervous system (CNS) lose their regeneration ability as they mature. Here, we investigated the role of Ezh2, a histone methyltransferase, in regulation of mammalian axon regeneration. We found that Ezh2 declined in the mouse nervous system during maturation but was upregulated in adult dorsal root ganglion neurons to support spontaneous axon regeneration following peripheral nerve injury. In addition, overexpression of Ezh2 in retinal ganglion cells in the CNS promoted optic nerve regeneration via both histone methylation-dependent and -independent mechanisms. Further investigation revealed that Ezh2 supported axon regeneration by systematically silencing the transcription of genes regulating synaptic function and inhibiting axon regeneration, while simultaneously activating various axon regeneration promoting factors. In particular, our study demonstrated that the GABA transporter 2 encoded by the gene Slc6a13 acted downstream of Ezh2 to control axon regeneration. Our study suggested that modulating chromatin accessibility was a promising strategy to promote CNS axon regeneration.
Project description:Current treatments for neurodegenerative diseases and neural injuries fall short of success. One primary reason is that neurons in the mammalian central nervous system (CNS) lose their regeneration ability as they mature. Here, we investigated the role of Ezh2, a histone methyltransferase, in regulation of mammalian axon regeneration. We found that Ezh2 declined in the mouse nervous system during maturation but was upregulated in adult dorsal root ganglion neurons to support spontaneous axon regeneration following peripheral nerve injury. In addition, overexpression of Ezh2 in retinal ganglion cells in the CNS promoted optic nerve regeneration via both histone methylation-dependent and -independent mechanisms. Further investigation revealed that Ezh2 supported axon regeneration by systematically silencing the transcription of genes regulating synaptic function and inhibiting axon regeneration, while simultaneously activating various axon regeneration promoting factors. In particular, our study demonstrated that the GABA transporter 2 encoded by the gene Slc6a13 acted downstream of Ezh2 to control axon regeneration. Our study suggested that modulating chromatin accessibility was a promising strategy to promote CNS axon regeneration.
Project description:Current treatments for neurodegenerative diseases and neural injuries fall short of success. One primary reason is that neurons in the mammalian central nervous system (CNS) lose their regeneration ability as they mature. Here, we investigated the role of Ezh2, a histone methyltransferase, in regulation of mammalian axon regeneration. We found that Ezh2 declined in the mouse nervous system during maturation but was upregulated in adult dorsal root ganglion neurons to support spontaneous axon regeneration following peripheral nerve injury. In addition, overexpression of Ezh2 in retinal ganglion cells in the CNS promoted optic nerve regeneration via both histone methylation-dependent and -independent mechanisms. Further investigation revealed that Ezh2 supported axon regeneration by systematically silencing the transcription of genes regulating synaptic function and inhibiting axon regeneration, while simultaneously activating various axon regeneration promoting factors. In particular, our study demonstrated that the GABA transporter 2 encoded by the gene Slc6a13 acted downstream of Ezh2 to control axon regeneration. Our study suggested that modulating chromatin accessibility was a promising strategy to promote CNS axon regeneration.
Project description:Current treatments for neurodegenerative diseases and neural injuries fall short of success. One primary reason is that neurons in the mammalian central nervous system (CNS) lose their regeneration ability as they mature. Here, we investigated the role of Ezh2, a histone methyltransferase, in regulation of mammalian axon regeneration. We found that Ezh2 declined in the mouse nervous system during maturation but was upregulated in adult dorsal root ganglion neurons to support spontaneous axon regeneration following peripheral nerve injury. In addition, overexpression of Ezh2 in retinal ganglion cells in the CNS promoted optic nerve regeneration via both histone methylation-dependent and -independent mechanisms. Further investigation revealed that Ezh2 supported axon regeneration by systematically silencing the transcription of genes regulating synaptic function and inhibiting axon regeneration, while simultaneously activating various axon regeneration promoting factors. In particular, our study demonstrated that the GABA transporter 2 encoded by the gene Slc6a13 acted downstream of Ezh2 to control axon regeneration. Our study suggested that modulating chromatin accessibility was a promising strategy to promote CNS axon regeneration.
Project description:Adult mammalian CNS neurons undergo a developmental switch in intrinsic axon growth ability associated with their failure to regenerate axons after injury. Krüppel-like transcription factors (KLF) regulate intrinsic axon growth ability, but signaling regulation upstream and downstream is poorly understood. Here we find that suppressing expression of KLF9, an axon growth suppressor normally upregulated 250-fold in retinal ganglion cell (RGC) development, promotes long-distance optic nerve regeneration in vivo. We identify a novel binding partner, MAPK10/JNK3, critical for KLF9’s axon growth suppressive activity. Additionally, by screening genes regulated by KLFs in RGCs, we identify dual-specificity phosphatase 14 (Dusp14) as key to limiting axon growth and regenerative ability downstream of KLF9, associated with its dephosphorylation of MAPKs critical to neurotrophic signaling of RGC axon elongation. These results now link intrinsic and extrinsic regulation of axon growth and suggest new therapeutic strategies to promote axon regeneration in the adult CNS.
Project description:In addition to altered gene expression, pathological cytoskeletal dynamics in the axon are another key intrinsic barrier for axon regeneration in the central nervous system (CNS). Here we showed that knocking out myosin IIA/B in retinal ganglion cells alone either before or after optic nerve crush induced significant optic nerve regeneration. Combined Lin28a overexpression and myosin IIA/B knockout led to additive promoting effect and long-distance axon regeneration. Immunostaining, RNA sequencing and western blot analyses revealed that myosin II deletion did not affect known axon regeneration signaling pathways or the expression of regeneration associated genes. Instead, it abolished the retraction bulb formation and significantly enhanced the axon extension efficiency. The study provided clear evidence that directly targeting neuronal cytoskeleton was sufficient to induce significant CNS axon regeneration, and combining altered gene expression in the soma and modified cytoskeletal dynamics in the axon was a promising approach for long-distance CNS axon regeneration