Project description:Microglia repair injury and maintain homeostasis in the brain, but whether aberrant microglial activation can contribute to neurodegeneration remains unclear. Here, we use transcriptome profiling to demonstrate that deficiency in frontotemporal dementia (FTD) gene progranulin (Grn) leads to an age-dependent, progressive up-regulation of lysosomal and innate immunity genes, increased complement production, and synaptic pruning activity in microglia. During aging, Grn-/- mice show profound accumulation of microglia and preferential elimination of inhibitory synapses in the ventral thalamus, which contribute to hyperexcitability in the thalamocortical circuits and obsessive-compulsive disorder (OCD)-like grooming behaviors. Remarkably, blocking complement activation by deleting C1qa gene significantly reduces synaptic pruning by Grn-/- microglia, and mitigates neurodegeneration, behavioral phenotypes and premature mortality in Grn-/- mice. These results uncover a previously unrecognized role of progranulin in suppressing microglia activation during aging, and support the idea that blocking complement activation is a promising therapeutic target for neurodegeneration caused by progranulin deficiency. Gene expression study in multiple brain regions from a mouse model of progranulin deficiency Please note that 9 outlier samples were excluded from data analysis. Therefore, there are 326 raw data columns (i.e. 163 samples) in the non_normalized data matrix while 154 samples are represented here.
Project description:Microglia repair injury and maintain homeostasis in the brain, but whether aberrant microglial activation can contribute to neurodegeneration remains unclear. Here, we use transcriptome profiling to demonstrate that deficiency in frontotemporal dementia (FTD) gene progranulin (Grn) leads to an age-dependent, progressive up-regulation of lysosomal and innate immunity genes, increased complement production, and synaptic pruning activity in microglia. During aging, Grn-/- mice show profound accumulation of microglia and preferential elimination of inhibitory synapses in the ventral thalamus, which contribute to hyperexcitability in the thalamocortical circuits and obsessive-compulsive disorder (OCD)-like grooming behaviors. Remarkably, blocking complement activation by deleting C1qa gene significantly reduces synaptic pruning by Grn-/- microglia, and mitigates neurodegeneration, behavioral phenotypes and premature mortality in Grn-/- mice. These results uncover a previously unrecognized role of progranulin in suppressing microglia activation during aging, and support the idea that blocking complement activation is a promising therapeutic target for neurodegeneration caused by progranulin deficiency.
Project description:Up to 75% of systematic lupus erythematosus (SLE) patients experience neuropsychiatric (NP) symptoms, called neuropsychiatric SLE (NPSLE), yet the underlying mechanisms remain elusive. Complement cascades mediate synaptic pruning by microglia during early postnatal brain development. The process in NPSLE remains unclear. Here, we show that complement-coordinated elimination of synaptic terminals participated in NPSLE in MRL/lpr mice, a lupus-prone murine model. We elucidated that lupus mice developed increased anxiety-like behaviors and persistent phagocytic microglia reactivation before overt peripheral lupus pathology. Microglial engulfment of synapses explained behavioral disorders. We further determined that neuronal Nr4a1 signaling was essential for attracting C1q synaptic deposition then apposition of phagocytic microglia, ensuing synaptic loss and neurological disease. Minocycline-deactivated microglia, antibody-blocked C1q, or neuronal Nr4a1 restore protected lupus mice from synapse loss and NP manifestations. Our findings revealed an active role of neurons in coordinating microglia-mediated synaptic loss and highlight neuronal Nr4a1 and C1q as critical components amenable to pharmacological intervention.
Project description:The mammalian cortex is the structural basis for learning, cognition, and movement coordination. Dysgenesis of axon dendrites and synapses in cortical neurons can hinder learning and cognitive development, leading to epilepsy. Transcription factor Otx1 plays an important role in the development of the morphology and electrophysiological activity of cortical neurons and is associated with the occurrence of epilepsy. Abnormal synaptic pruning has been proposed to be one of the molecular mechanisms underlying epilepsy. Otx1 mutant mice leads to defective axonal pruning and changes the excitability and synaptic connections of the cortical neurons. However, little is known about the molecular pathways through which the loss of Otx1 causes epilepsy. On this basis, we found that the density and morphology of dendritic spines and microglia in Otx1 mutant mice changed significantly. TMT analysis of synaptic proteins reveals that Otx1 regulates the structure and function of cortical neurons and synaptic characteristics by regulating microglia-mediated synaptic pruning through the complement system, which also has important theoretical significance and application value for effective prevention and treatment of epilepsy.
Project description:Up to 75% of systematic lupus erythematosus (SLE) patients experience neuropsychiatric (NP) symptoms, called neuropsychiatric SLE (NPSLE), yet the underlying mechanisms remain elusive. Microglia control synaptic pruning during early postnatal brain development. The process in NPSLE remains unclear. Here, we show that microglia-coordinated elimination of synaptic terminals participated in NPSLE in MRL/lpr mice, a lupus-prone murine model. We elucidated that lupus mice developed increased depression- and anxiety-like behaviors and persistent phagocytic microglia reactivation before overt peripheral lupus pathology. Microglial engulfment of synapses explained behavioral disorders. To elucidate the mechanism of synaptic pruning by microglia, we sequenced the gene expression in sorted microglia from both lupus (MRL/lpr) mice and the wild-type (MRL/mpj) controls.
Project description:Patients with frontotemporal dementia (FTD) resulting from granulin (GRN) haploinsufficiency have reduced levels of progranulin and exhibit dysregulation in inflammatory and lysosomal networks. Microglia produce high levels of progranulin, and reduction of progranulin in microglia alone is sufficient to recapitulate inflammation, lysosomal dysfunction, and hyperproliferation in a cell-autonomous manner. Therefore, targeting microglial dysfunction caused by progranulin insufficiency represents a potential therapeutic strategy to manage neurodegeneration in FTD. Limitations of current progranulin-enhancing strategies necessitate the discovery of new targets.To identify compounds that can reverse microglial defects in Grn-deficient mouse microglia, we performed a compound screen coupled with high throughput sequencing to assess key transcriptional changes in inflammatory and lysosomal pathways. Positive hits from this initial screen were then further narrowed down based on their ability to rescue cathepsin activity, a critical biochemical readout of lysosomal capacity. The screen identified nor-binaltorphimine dihydrochloride (nor-BNI) and dibutyryl-cAMP, sodium salt (DB-cAMP) as two phenotypic modulators of progranulin deficiency. In addition, nor-BNI and DB-cAMP also rescued cell cycle abnormalities in progranulin-deficient cells. These data highlight the potential of a transcription-based platform for drug screening, and advance two novel lead compounds for FTD.
Project description:C9orf72 repeat expansions cause inherited amyotrophic lateral sclerosis/frontotemporal dementia (ALS/FTD) and result in both loss of C9orf72 protein expression and production of potentially toxic RNA and dipeptide repeat proteins. In addition to ALS/FTD, C9orf72 repeat expansions have been reported in a broad array of neurodegenerative syndromes including Alzheimer’s disease. Here we show that C9orf72 deficiency promotes loss of homeostatic signatures in microglia and transition to an inflammatory state characterized by an enhanced type I IFN signature. Furthermore, C9orf72-depleted microglia trigger age-dependent neuronal defects, in particular enhanced cortical synaptic pruning, leading to altered learning and memory behaviors in mice. Interestingly, C9orf72 deficient microglia also promote enhanced synapse loss and neuronal deficits in a mouse model of amyloid accumulation, while paradoxically improving plaque clearance. These findings suggest that altered microglial function due to decreased C9orf72 expression directly contributes to neurodegeneration in repeat expansion carriers independent of gain of function toxicities.
Project description:C9orf72 repeat expansions cause inherited amyotrophic lateral sclerosis/frontotemporal dementia (ALS/FTD) and result in both loss of C9orf72 protein expression and production of potentially toxic RNA and dipeptide repeat proteins. In addition to ALS/FTD, C9orf72 repeat expansions have been reported in a broad array of neurodegenerative syndromes including Alzheimer’s disease. Here we show that C9orf72 deficiency promotes loss of homeostatic signatures in microglia and transition to an inflammatory state characterized by an enhanced type I IFN signature. Furthermore, C9orf72-depleted microglia trigger age-dependent neuronal defects, in particular enhanced cortical synaptic pruning, leading to altered learning and memory behaviors in mice. Interestingly, C9orf72 deficient microglia also promote enhanced synapse loss and neuronal deficits in a mouse model of amyloid accumulation, while paradoxically improving plaque clearance. These findings suggest that altered microglial function due to decreased C9orf72 expression directly contributes to neurodegeneration in repeat expansion carriers independent of gain of function toxicities.
Project description:Genetic findings have highlighted key roles for microglia in the pathology of neurodegenerative conditions such as Alzheimer’s disease (AD). A number of mutations in the microglial protein TREM2 (triggering receptor expressed on myeloid cells 2) have been associated with increased risk for developing Alzheimer’s disease (AD), most notably the R47H/+ substitution. We employed gene editing and stem cell models to gain insight into the effects of the TREM2 R47H/+ mutation on human iPSC-derived microglia. We found transcriptional changes affecting numerous cellular processes, with R47H/+ cells exhibiting a pro-inflammatory gene expression signature. TREM2 R47H/+ also caused impairments in microglial movement and the uptake of multiple substrates, as well as rendering microglia hyper-responsive to inflammatory stimuli. We developed an in vitro laser-induced injury model in neuron-microglia co-cultures, finding an impaired injury response by TREM2 R47H/+ microglia. Furthermore, mouse brains transplanted with TREM2 R47H/+ microglia exhibited reduced synaptic density, with upregulation of multiple complement cascade components in TREM2 R47H/+ microglia suggesting inappropriate synaptic pruning as one potential mechanism. These findings identify a number of potentially detrimental effects of the TREM2 R47H/+ mutation on microglial gene expression and function likely to underlie its association with AD.
Project description:De novo germline histone H3.3 amino acid substitutions, including H3.3G34R/V, cause severe neurodevelopmental syndromes. To understand how these mutations impact brain development, we generated heterozygous H3.3G34R/V/W direct knock-in mutant mice and identified strikingly distinct developmental defects for each amino acid substitution. H3.3G34R-mutant mice uniquely exhibited progressive microcephaly and neurodegeneration, associated with abnormal accumulation of damage-associated microglia and astrocytes, and concurrent neuronal depletion in postnatal brains. On the mutant H3.3 tail, G34R severely decreased H3K36me2, impairing recruitment of DNA methyltransferase DNMT3A and promoting its redistribution on chromatin. This results in loss of CH methylation at complement and other innate immune genes promoting their sustained expression, and, aberrant CG methylation at neuronal gene promoters and undue silencing. Persistent complement expression in G34R neurons led to excessive synaptic pruning, neuroinflammation, and neuronal damage accounting for progressive neurodegeneration. Our study reveals H3.3G34-substitutions have differential impact on chromatin, which underlie the diverse phenotypes observed. Notably, we uncover unappreciated roles for H3K36me2 and DNMT3A-dependent CH-methylation in modulating pruning and neuroinflammation in post-natal brains.