Project description:Genomic response of C. elegans after infection with Microbacterium nematophilum.<br><br>The interaction between the nematode Caenorhabditis elegans and a Gram-positive bacterial pathogen, Microbacterium nematophilum, provides a model for an innate immune response in nematodes. This pathogen adheres to the rectal and post-anal cuticle of the worm, causing slowed growth, constipation, and a defensive swelling response of rectal hypodermal cells. To explore the genomic responses that the worm activates after pathogenic attack we used microarray analysis of transcriptional changes induced after 6 hr infection, comparing virulent with avirulent infection.
Project description:Tauopathies are age-associated neurodegenerative diseases whose mechanistic underpinnings remain elusive, partially due to lack of appropriate human models. Here, we engineered new human induced pluripotent stem cell (hiPSC)-derived neuronal lines to express 4R Tau and 4R Tau carrying the P301S MAPT mutation when differentiated into neurons. 4R-P301S neurons display progressive Tau inclusions upon seeding with Tau fibrils and recapitulate features of tauopathy phenotypes including shared transcriptomic signatures, autophagic body accumulation, and reduced neuronal activity. A CRISPRi screen of genes associated with Tau pathobiology identified over 500 genetic modifiers of seeding-induced Tau propagation, including retromer VPS29 and genes in the UFMylation cascade. In progressive supranuclear palsy (PSP) and Alzheimer’s Disease (AD) brains, the UFMylation cascade is altered in neurofibrillary-tangle-bearing neurons. Inhibiting the UFMylation cascade in vitro and in vivo suppressed seeding-induced Tau propagation. This model provides a robust platform to identify novel therapeutic strategies for 4R tauopathy.
Project description:Progressive Supranuclear Palsy (PSP) is a clinically heterogeneous 4-repeat (4R)-tauopathy marked by variable progression and phenotypic diversity. We examined the distribution of high-molecular-weight tau (HMW-tau) species and 4R-tau seeding capacity across 25 PSP cases and 20 brain regions. HMW-tau levels varied regionally, with the temporal and motor cortices exhibiting the highest abundance. Using size-exclusion chromatography (SEC) and 4R-tau seed amplification assays (SAAs), we identified that HMW-tau fractions exhibit the greatest seeding activity. Proteomic and spatial transcriptomic analyses of the primary motor cortex revealed dysregulated adaptive immunity and metabolic pathways in high-seeder cases. Neuropathological clustering confirmed distinct profiles associated with tau seeding activity. These findings suggest that evaluating tau seeding capacity may offer valuable insights into the heterogeneity of PSP and its underlying molecular drivers.
Project description:Tauopathies are age-associated neurodegenerative diseases whose mechanistic underpinnings remain elusive, partially due to lack of appropriate human models. Here, we engineered new human induced pluripotent stem cell (hiPSC)-derived neuronal lines to express 4R Tau and 4R Tau carrying the P301S MAPT mutation when differentiated into neurons. 4R-P301S neurons display progressive Tau inclusions upon seeding with Tau fibrils and recapitulate features of tauopathy phenotypes including shared transcriptomic signatures, autophagic body accumulation, and reduced neuronal activity. A CRISPRi screen of genes associated with Tau pathobiology identified over 500 genetic modifiers of seeding-induced Tau propagation, including retromer VPS29 and genes in the UFMylation cascade. In progressive supranuclear palsy (PSP) and Alzheimer’s Disease (AD) brains, the UFMylation cascade is altered in neurofibrillary-tangle-bearing neurons. Inhibiting the UFMylation cascade in vitro and in vivo suppressed seeding-induced Tau propagation. This model provides a robust platform to identify novel therapeutic strategies for 4R tauopathy.