Project description:The choroid plexus (ChP) produces cerebrospinal fluid and forms an essential brain barrier. ChP tissues form in each brain ventricle, each one adopting a distinct shape, but remarkably little is known about the mechanisms underlying ChP development. Here, we show that epithelial WNT5A is crucial for determining fourth ventricle (4V) ChP morphogenesis and size in mouse. Systemic Wnt5a knockout, or forced Wnt5a overexpression beginning at embryonic day 10.5, profoundly reduced ChP size and development. However, Wnt5a expression was enriched in Foxj1-positive epithelial cells of 4V ChP plexus, and its conditional deletion in these cells affected the branched, villous morphology of the 4V ChP. We found that WNT5A was enriched in epithelial cells localized to the distal tips of 4V ChP villi, where WNT5A acted locally to activate non-canonical WNT signaling via ROR1 and ROR2 receptors. During 4V ChP development, MEIS1 bound to the proximal Wnt5a promoter, and gain- and loss-of-function approaches demonstrated that MEIS1 regulated Wnt5a expression. Collectively, our findings demonstrate a dual function of WNT5A in ChP development and identify MEIS transcription factors as upstream regulators of Wnt5a in the 4V ChP epithelium.
Project description:We used microarrays to reveal the global expression profiles of young and old whole lateral ventricle choroid plexus tissue. RNA was isolated from whole lateral ventricle choroid plexus tissue followed by RNA amplification and hybridization on Affymetrix microarrays. Each sample contains both lateral ventricle choroid plexi from one male CD1 mouse. A total of six samples (three biological replicates from 2 different ages) were analyzed.
Project description:Atoh1-Cre; Myc/Myc mice developed choroid plexus papilloma and Atoh1-Cre; Myc/Myc; p53fl/fl mice developed choroid plexus carcinoma. By studying the gene expression profiles of normal choroid plexus, choroid plexus papilloma and choroid plexus carcinoma in mice, we aim to gain a better understanding of the biology of choroid plexus tumors
Project description:A sheet of choroid plexus epithelial cells extends into each cerebral ventricle and secretes signaling factors into the cerebrospinal fluid (CSF). To evaluate whether differences in the CSF proteome across ventricles arise, in part, from regional differences in choroid plexus gene expression, we defined the transcriptome of lateral ventricle (telencephalic) vs. fourth ventricle (hindbrain) choroid plexus. We find that positional identities of mouse, macaque, and human choroid plexi derive from gene expression domains that parallel their axial tissues of origin. We then show that molecular heterogeneity between telencephalic and hindbrain choroid plexi contributes to region-specific, age-dependent protein secretion in vitro. Transcriptome analysis of FACS-purified choroid plexus epithelial cells also predicts their cell type-specific secretome. Spatial domains with distinct protein expression profiles were observed within each choroid plexus. We propose that regional differences between choroid plexi contribute to dynamic signaling gradients across the mammalian cerebroventricular system.
Project description:We report the transcription profiling of choroid plexus at 4 developmental stages, E12,5, P0, P14 and 6 month. We also compared wildtype and Foxj1-/- choroid plexus transcriptome at P0.
Project description:Healthy brain development and function highly depend on the choroid plexus. Temporal alterations in the cellular landscape and gene expression of choroid plexus cells, whether in health or disease, can alter immune cell trafficking in the brain and cerebrospinal fluid composition, ultimately impacting brain dynamics. Here, we performed a comprehensive multi-omics analysis—including bulk and single-cell transcriptomics and epigenomics—of the lateral ventricle choroid plexus across early postnatal and adult stages in mice and rats. We uncovered striking fluctuations in the choroid plexus cellular composition from neonatal to adult stages, accompanied by transcriptional remodeling of all main cell types. Immune profiling revealed a marked increase in immune cells in adulthood and an altered cell-type diversity through time. Surprisingly, we observed an early activation of host-defense genes in choroid plexus cell, beginning in the neonatal period and progressively increasing into young adulthood. Epithelial cells exhibited subtype diversity and plasticity, with distinct gene expression programs and chromatin accessibility profiles emerging over time. Notably, we identified a previously unrecognized epithelial cell subtype with unique gene markers suggesting a specialized function. Ligand-receptor interaction analysis revealed a progressive remodeling of cellular crosstalk networks during CP maturation, suggesting dynamic intercellular signaling as the tissue develops. Our study offers a comprehensive atlas of gene activity and chromatin accessibility in the lateral ventricle CP cells, providing a valuable resource to guide future efforts in targeting gene expression at the CP for therapeutical purposes.
Project description:The choroid plexus (ChP) in each brain ventricle produces cerebrospinal fluid (CSF) and forms the blood-CSF barrier. We apply single cell and single nuclei sequencing to identify region and age specific shifts in gene expression of the constituent cell types of the choroid plexus. First, we sequenced whole cells (15,620) from each ventricle (lateral, third and fourth) of the embryonic mouse brain (Embryonic day (E) 16.5). Our analyses and validation of gene (smFISH) and protein (immunohistochemistry) expression combined with spatial mapping (confocal imaging) revealed the identity and location of major cell types, subtypes, proliferating cells, progenitor populations and regionalized gene expression, across each ventricle in the developing brain. Next, to track age-dependent shifts in the choroid plexus properties, we performed single nuclei sequencing (83,040) across each ventricle of the embryonic (E16.5), adult (4 months) and aging (20 months) mouse brain. Epithelial and mesenchymal cells showed regionalized gene expression patterns by ventricle, starting at embryonic stages and persisting with age. Dramatic transcriptional shifts were found with maturation (embryonic to adult) and a smaller shift within each aged cell type. With aging, epithelial cells upregulated host defense programs and resident macrophages enhanced expression of IL-1b signaling genes. Our atlas revealed ChP brain barrier cellular diversity, architecture and signaling across ventricles during development, maturation and aging.