Thesis (Ph. D.)--University of Hong Kong, 2005. / Title proper from title frame. Also available in printed format.

Thesis (Ph. D.)--University of Hong Kong, 2007. / Also available online.

Orientador: Iscia Lopes-Cendes / Tese (doutorado) - Universidade Estadual de Campinas, Faculdade de Ciencias Medicas / Made available in DSpace on 2018-08-15T13:20:17Z (GMT). No. of bitstreams: 1 Dogini_DanyellaBarbosa_D.pdf: 2328676 bytes, checksum: 73a9334f34715cbcfdd00b38ccd1a93f (MD5) Previous issue date: 2010 / Resumo: MicroRNAs são moléculas recém-descobertas de RNA não-codificadores que possuem de 21 a 24 nucleotídeos e que regulam a expressão após a transcrição dos genes alvo. Essa regulação pode ser realizada através da inibição da tradução ou da degradação do RNA mensageiro. Os miRNAs estão envolvidos em vários processo biológicos como, diferenciação celular e desenvolvimento embrionário, além de apresentarem expressão tecido e tempo-específica. Eles podem regular a expressão de pelo menos 1/3 de todos os genes humanos e estão envolvidos com a regulação do metabolismo e da apoptose. Os miRNAs são a chave como reguladores pós-transcricionais da neurogênese; estudos mostram que eles possuem a expressão associada com a transição entre proliferação e diferenciação e também tem expressão constitutiva em neurônios maduros, evidenciando o envolvimento dessas moléculas com o desenvolvimento do sistema nervoso central (SNC). Outros miRNAs estão sendo estudados e verifica-se que eles agem como reguladores de genes envolvidos em doenças como Alzheimer, Parkinson e, provavelmente, também devam possuir um papel na regulação das epilepsias. No primeiro trabalho, apresentado no segundo capítulo, investigamos o papel dos miRNAs no desenvolvimento do SNC através da quantificação de 104 miRNAs em cérebros em desenvolvimento de camundongos. No segundo trabalho, apresentado no terceiro capítulo, para analisarmos o papel dos miRNAs na epilepsia de lobo temporal, verificamos se havia presença de miRNAs com expressão diferenciada entre tecidos removidos de pacientes que se submeteram a cirurgia de hipocampectomia e tecidos normais provenientes de autópsias. Para ambos os experimentos, foram extraídos os RNAs dos tecidos e quantificados por PCR em tempo real com o kit MicroRNA Assay baseado em iniciadores com estrutura em stem loop. Nos camundongos, análises de bioinformática encontraram quatro cluster de acordo com a expressão dos miRNAs. Um cluster (C1) com 12 miRNAs (miR-9; miR-17- 5p; miR-124a; miR-125a; miR-125b;miR-130a; miR-140; miR-181a; miR-199a; miR-205; miR-214; miR-301) apresentou expressão com diferença significativa durante o desenvolvimento. Nos tecidos dos pacientes, após a análise de bioinformática, encontramos três miRNAs com expressão diferenciada entre pacientes e controle (miR-29b, miR-30d e let-7). Em ambos os experimentos analisamos os possíveis genes alvo desse miRNAs. Nos camundongos, nossos resultados sugerem a presença de um padrão específico de expressão no cluster C1, indicando que esses miRNAs possam ter um papel na regulação de genes envolvidos na neurogênese. Nos tecidos humanos, os genes alvo encontrados estão envolvidos, principalmente, em proliferação celular, neurogênese e apoptose, indicando uma provável atuação dos miRNAs na regulação de genes que estão envolvidos na epilepsia de lobo temporal / Abstract: MicroRNAs are a new class of small RNA molecules (21-24 nucleotide-long) that negatively regulate gene expression either by translational repression or target mRNA degradation. It is believed that about 30% of all human genes are targeted by these molecules. MiRNAs are involved in many important biological processes including cell differentiation, embryonic development and central nervous system formation, besides they showed specific temporal-space expression. They can regulate 1/3 of human genes and are involved in metabolism and apoptosis. miRNAs are the key as neurogenesis postranscriptional regulation; studies previous indicates miRNA expression associate with proliferation and differentiation in development of central nervous system (CNS) and housekeeping expression in mature neurons. They are involved in several diseases as Alzkeimer's and Parkinson and may have a role in epilepsy regulation. In second chapter, we analyze the miRNA expression in mouse brain during four stages of CNS development; in third chapter, we analyze hippocampal tissue of four patients who underwent selective resection of the mesial temporal structures for the treatment of clinically refractory seizures. In addition we used control samples from autopsy (n=4) for comparison. In both experiments, total RNA was isolated from tissues and used in real-time PCR reactions with TaqMan¿ microRNA assays (Applied Biosystems) to quantify 104 (mouse brain) or 157 (human tissue) different miRNAs. In mouse brain analysis, we were able to identified four different clusters (C1, C2, C3 and C4) of miRNAs expression. Significant differences in expression during development were observed only in miRNAs included in C1. Our results suggest the presence of a specific expression pattern in C1, indicating that these miRNAs could have an important role in gene regulation during neurogenesis. We found a significant decrease (p<0,05) in expression of 12 miRNAs (miR-9; miR-17-5p; miR-124a; miR-125a; miR-125b;miR-130a; miR-140; miR-181a; miR-199a; miR-205; miR-214; miR- 301) belonging to cluster C1 in latter stages of development. Computational target identification showed that 10 of the 12 miRNAs present in C1 could be involved in neurogenesis. In human tissues, bioinformatics analyzes identified three miRNAs species which were differently expressed in patients as compared to controls: let7a was over expressed in patients (4 fold increased), miR-29b and miR-30d were down-regulated in patients (2.5 fold and 0.5 fold decreased, respectively). Possible target genes for let-7a are NME6 and NCAM1 (which would be down-regulated in patients); for miR-29b is MCL-1 and for miR30d are CTNND2, LGI1 and SON (which would be up-regulated in patients). We have identified three different miRNA species differently expressed in hippocampal sclerosis. Gene functions related to the possible miRNA targets are involved mainly with cell proliferation, neurogenesis, cell adhesion and apoptosis. Our results indicate new molecular targets which should be explored in additional studies addressing miRNA regulation in hippocampal sclerosis / Doutorado / Neurociencias / Doutor em Fisiopatologia Medica

Orientador: Iscia Teresinha Lopes-Cendes / Tese (doutorado) - Universidade Estadual de Campinas, Faculdade de Ciencias Medicas / Made available in DSpace on 2018-08-11T21:23:01Z (GMT). No. of bitstreams: 1 Araujo_PatriciaAlineOliveiraRibeirodeAguiar_D.pdf: 7351643 bytes, checksum: 6725a32e7f347be0b903efe1b6034c62 (MD5) Previous issue date: 2008 / Resumo: Introdução/Objetivo: Mutações no gene LGI1 foram descritas como causa da Epilepsia Parcial Autossômica Dominante com Sintomas Auditivos em algumas famílias. Alguns estudos apontam para um possível envolvimento do gene LGI1 com migração e/ou proliferação neuronal, porém a função exata desse gene permanece desconhecida. O objetivo deste trabalho foi determinar o perfil de expressão do gene Lgi1 em cérebro de camundongos durante o desenvolvimento do sistema nervoso central (SNC) e na fase adulta e, ainda, silenciar este gene em cérebros de camundongos utilizando a técnica de interferência por RNA (RNAi). Métodos: Acasalamentos programados foram realizados, utilizando camundongos Balb/c, para a obtenção de fetos de diferentes idades. Os cérebros de três animais, nas seguintes idades, foram retirados e os hemisférios direito e esquerdo separados: E15, E17, E18 dias (E:dias embrionários), P1, P7, P14 dias (P: dias pós-natal), 4, 6, 8 e 24 semanas. Também utilizamos cabeças inteiras de animais E13. Além disso, foram utilizados três animais adultos para a análise do gene Lgi1 em neocórtex, hipocampo e cerebelo. O perfil de expressão gênico foi determinado pela PCR em tempo real utilizando o sistema TaqMan® e por western blot. A técnica de RNAi foi realizada utilizando diferentes métodos de introdução de pequenas moléculas interferentes no cérebro de animais neonatos e adultos. Utilizamos também vários parâmetros diferentes no que se refere ao desenho das moléculas interferentes, suas concentrações, o local e o número de injeções. Além disso, experimentos de RNAi in vitro foram realizados, utilizando uma linhagem celular de glioblastoma humano, a U138MG, e uma linhagem de neuroblastoma murino, a Neuro2a. A confirmação do silenciamento gênico foi feita por PCR em tempo real e, em alguns experimentos, também por western blot. Resultados: A expressão do gene Lgi1 se apresentou baixa durante as idades intra-uterinas, aumentando progressivamente. Os animais em idade adulta apresentaram um aumento de expressão de 35 vezes quando comparadas às amostras E13, utilizando Gapdh como normalizador e de aproximadamente 28 vezes, utilizando ?-actina. Embora o teste estatístico não tenha encontrado diferença na expressão do gene Lgi1 entre os hemisférios cerebrais, ele revelou uma diferença significativa entre as idades estudadas. Os experimentos de western blot confirmaram o perfil de expressão determinado pelos estudos de PCR em tempo real, encontrando-se, a proteína Lgi1, em maior quantidade nas idades mais avançadas analisadas. O estudo de expressão das três regiões do cérebro não resultou em diferença estatisticamente significativa. O silenciamento do gene Lgi1 foi realizado com sucesso pela técnica de RNAi, em cérebro de animais adultos, sendo que os resultados mais consistentes, redução da expressão de aproximadamente 50%, foram observados com o método de eletroporação local e confirmação do silenciamento por PCR em tempo real. Além disso, nós conseguimos demonstrar silenciamento de até 99% do gene Lgi1 em cultura de células. Conclusões/Discussão: O padrão de expressão baixo do gene Lgi1 durante o desenvolvimento, com aumento progressivo e alta expressão na idade adulta aponta para uma potencial função inibitória da proliferação celular. Tal suposição encontra apoio em achados de neuroimagem de alguns pacientes com mutação em LGI1. O silenciamento do gene Lgi1 em cérebro de camundongos, utilizando a técnica de RNAi, foi alcançado, porém com grande dificuldade técnica. Esses obstáculos encontrados apontam para a existência de possíveis características moleculares próprias do gene LGI1 que poderiam dificultar seu silenciamento pela técnica da RNAi, tais como: um RNA mensageiro rico em proteínas associadas, impedindo o acesso da maquinaria de RNAi ou, ainda, LGI1 poderia ser um gene essencial, onde a diminuição de sua expressão ativaria processos celulares compensatórios / Abstract: Introduction/Objectives: Mutations in the LGI1 gene were described in some patients with autosomal dominant partial epilepsy with auditory features and preliminary functional studies point to a possible involvement of LGI1 with migration and/or neuronal proliferation. However, the precise function of LGI1 remains unknown. The objective of the present study was to determine the expression pattern of the Lgi1 gene in mice brain during central nervous system (CNS) development and in adult animals. In addition, we aimed to silence Lgi1 in mouse brain using RNA interference (RNAi). Methods: Programmed mating was carried with Balb/c mice in order to obtain embryos of different ages. The brains of three animals at the following ages were removed and the right and left hemispheres were separated: E15, E17, E18 days (E: embryo days), P1, P7, P14 (P: post-natal days), 4, 6, 8 and 24 weeks old. We also studied E13 whole head animals. In addition we studied three different regions from 5 weeks-old animal brains: neocortex, hippocampus and cerebellum. Gene expression assays were carried out using real time PCR with the TaqMan® system and western blot experiments. RNAi was performed using different methods for injection of interfering molecules into the neonate and adult brains. We also used different molecule designs and concentrations, as well as the number and the local of injections was varied. Furthermore, we performed in vitro RNAi experiments using a glioblastoma cell line, U138MG, and a murine cell line, Neuro2a. Gene silencing confirmation was carried out by real time PCR and western blot assays. Results: Lgi1 gene expression was significantly low during the intrauterine ages increasing progressively until the adult stages. Samples from adult animals presented a 35 fold increase in expression as compared to E13 samples, using Gapdh as endogenous control, and when we use ?-actin, adult samples presented approximately 28 fold increase in Lgi1 expression. There were no statistical differences between Lgi1 gene expression test between right and left hemispheres. However, a significant difference in expression was found among the different ages studied. The western blot showed higher expression of the Lgi1 protein in the most advanced ages analyzed, confirming the expression profile observed in the real time PCR studies. However, we did not find any statistic difference between the three regions of the brain studied. In addition, we achieved significant gene silencing of Lgi1, reduction of expression of approximately 50%, in brain of adult animals using RNAi and the local electroporation method. In addition, we demonstrated up to 99% silencing of LGI1 in cell culture. Conclusions/Discussion: The Lgi1 expression profile, which is characterized by low expression in the initial stages of development with progressive increase as the animal developed, could be explained by a possible inhibitory functional role in neuronal proliferation during CNS development. Lgi1 gene silencing in adult brain using RNAi technique was achieved after several attempts. These difficulties in gene silencing, point to the presence of intrinsic molecular characteristics of LGI1 which could be preventing silencing by RNAi, such as a message RNA too rich of associated proteins that may impairing the action of RNAi machinery; or LGI1 could be an essential gene, with very strong and stringent compensatory mechanisms; therefore, when attempting to decreased its expression one would activate the compensatory processes / Doutorado / Neurociencias / Doutor em Fisiopatologia Medica

No description available.

<p dir="ltr">Down syndrome (DS) arises from the triplication of human chromosome 21 (Hsa21), leading to a spectrum of phenotypes characterized by neurodevelopmental and cognitive abnormalities. The Ts65Dn mouse model emulates DS by harboring three copies of genes found on Hsa21 resulting in trisomy 21 (Ts21)- like traits, including disruptions in neuronal pathways, delays in sensorimotor and behavior milestones, and deficits in learning and memory tasks. There is no cure for DS and available therapies primarily address symptoms stemming from Ts21-associated phenotypes. <i>DYRK1A</i>, a gene triplicated in Ts21, has a pivotal role in pathways of neurodevelopment and has been a focus of inhibition treatment research aimed at preempting abnormal brain phenotypes. This study aimed to find a point of substantial <i>Dyrk1a </i>expression dysregulation during a period of critical neonatal neurodevelopment and employ targeted pharmacological and genetic knockdown methods to alleviate the presence or severity of characteristically abnormal brain and behavior phenotypes. The hypothesis of this study was that administering a targeted intervention prior to a point of known overexpression in trisomic pups would ameliorate molecular, sensorimotor, and neurobehavioral deficits, redirecting growth trajectories of Ts65Dn neonatal pups towards more neurotypical outcomes. To test this hypothesis, the spatiotemporal pattern of DYRK1A expression was quantified during the first three weeks of neonatal development across the hippocampus, cerebral cortex, and cerebellum of the Ts65Dn mouse model and found to fluctuate according to the genotype, age, sex, and brain region of the subject. <i>Dyrk1a </i>protein and mRNA expression levels were delineated in trisomic animals by age, exploring the correlation between expression and age, sex, genotype, and brain region. Next a constitutive <i>Dyrk1a </i>knockdown model was integrated with the Ts65Dn model to investigate the impact of gene copy number reduction on protein and mRNA expression levels during phases of known DYRK1A dysregulation. On postnatal day 6, protein expression was rescued in all three brain regions of male animals but was rescued only in the cerebellum of females. There were no significant differences in mRNA transcript levels in either sex at this age. Finally, genetic elements were introduced into the Ts65Dn model to facilitate a spatiotemporally controlled functional reduction of <i>Dyrk1a</i> and discern how the timing of gene copy number reduction affects molecular and neurobehavioral development in a trisomic system. Results from these studies suggest that only functionally reducing <i>Dyrk1a </i>gene copy number on the day of birth is not sufficient to rescue the majority of deficits and delays present in the Ts65Dn mouse model of DS. These findings significantly enhance the understanding of trisomic <i>Dyrk1a </i>expression dynamics during neonatal development and shed light on tailored therapeutic approaches to modulate intrinsic DS characteristics based on age, sex, and phenotypic considerations.</p>

Two different kinds of stabilising homeostatic behaviour have been observed in neurons. The first type involves the cell-autonomous maintenance of a cell-identity-based level of electrical activity. Neurons continually monitor their own electrical activity and can adjust many intracellular parameters, such as membrane ion channel densities, to keep this activity within a tight physiological range. The second type of homeostatic behaviour shares the same goal, to maintain a fixed level of electrical activity, but instead of adjusting intracellular parameters, the neuron recruits its synaptic partners to assist in maintaining a genetically prescribed activity level. This behaviour is most easily observed when a neuron is either electrically silenced by expressing an inwardly-rectifying potassium channel or rendered less sensitive to neurotransmitter through mutation of its postsynaptic receptors. Both of these perturbations result in increased synaptic drive from the presynaptic cells, either through increasing the number of neurotransmitter release sites or increasing the probability of release from single release sites. Many genes that are instrumental in the second type of homeostatic behaviour have been identified, mainly at the neuromuscular junction in the peripheral nervous system. However, studies on transsynaptic homeostatic compensation in an intact central nervous system have been few and far between. Also, which, if any, of the homeostatic genes are transcriptionally regulated in the nucleus after the onset of transsynaptic homeostatic adjustment, has not been adequately addressed. This thesis has developed a system to measure transcriptome-wide gene expression levels in presynaptic circuit elements after altering the firing properties of the downstream circuit in the CNS. Many transcriptionally regulated genes have been identified and are now being tested for their potential use as reporters for transsynaptic transcriptional regulation. It might be possible to capitalise on endogenous homeostatic signalling pathways to gain genetic access to synaptically connected neurons.

The enteric nervous system (ENS) is derived from neural crest cells (NCCs). Once these NCCs reach the foregut, they are recognized as enteric NCCs(ENCCs) which subsequently colonize the gastrointestinal track. The proliferation, migration and neuronal versusglial differentiation of ENCCs are tightly controlled by multiple signaling pathways and transcription factors. Impaired ENS development may result in various human congenital disorders such as Hirschsprung disease(HSCR). Hedgehog (Hh) signaling is a key element in ENS development. Patched-1 (Ptch1) is a negatively regulated receptor for Hh. Binding to Hh or deletion of Ptch1releases its inhibitory function and activates the Hh signaling cascade. Our group has previously revealedPTCH1as a susceptibility gene for HSCR. In particular, NCC-specific deletionofPtch1in mice led to premature glial differentiation and depletion of proliferative ENCC pool, but the molecular mechanisms are still not very clear. Sox10, a member of SRY-related HMG-box family transcription factor, is implicated in these two processes of ENS development. It prompted us to hypothesis that Ptch1 may interact with Sox10 to control ENCC proliferation and glial lineage differentiation. In this study, I generated compound mouse mutants to i) investigate the potential functional interaction between Ptch1 and Sox10 in ENCC differentiation and proliferation, and ii) examine the link between the perturbed NCC differentiation and aberrant proliferation of ENS progenitors, to determine how interruption of these processes may lead to intestinal hypoganglionosis of Ptch1mutants. I found that persistent Hh activation through deletionofPtch1causes a differentiation bias toward glial lineage. Ptch1mutants consistently contained more Sox10expressing glial committed ENCCs and exhibited premature gliogenesis. To test whether elevated Sox10expressing cells contribute in the ENS phenotypes of Ptch1 mutants, 〖Sox10〗^(NGFP/+); Ptch1 compound mutants were generated, where one copy of Sox10 was deleted. Immunohistochemical analysis revealed that 〖Sox10〗^(NGFP/+) mutants exhibitpremature neurogenesis as reported previously, while the proliferation and glial differentiation of ENCCs are not affected.On the other hand, in the compound mutants, heterozygous deletion of Sox10 markedly rescued premature gliogenesis caused by deletion of Ptch1. These data suggest that Ptch1 regulates gliogenesis of ENCCs through maintaining Sox10 expression. To delineate how premature glial differentiation of ENCCs leads to hypoganglionosis, I further investigated whether the differentiation defect perturbs the proliferation capacities of ENCCs. Correction of glial differentiation defect in Ptch1 mutant by heterogeneous deletion of Sox10 could significantly restore the pool size of the proliferative ENCCs of the compound mutant. This observation implies that proliferation defects in Ptch1 mutant represents a secondary consequence of premature gliogenesis, highlighting the close link between these two developmental processes. In summary, the current study provides evidence that Sox10 works coordinately with Ptch1 to mediate ENS development. Loss of Ptch1 favors glial differentiation and formation ofSox10 expressing glial progenitors, leading to intestinal hypoganglionosis as seen in Hirschsprung’s disease. / published_or_final_version / Surgery / Master / Master of Philosophy

The murine subventricular zone (SVZ) in a brain contains a population of stem cells and daily produces tens of thousands of neurons throughout lifetime. However, the mechanisms of SVZ neural stem/progenitor cell (NSPC) maintenance, differentiation and cell-fate specification are still not clear. To understand these parameters via histone methylations with bivalent mechanism, the SVZ NSPCs were first isolated by using a culture technique called neurosphere assay (NSA). It has been a challenge to culture pure cell populations of SVZ subtypes, so the NSA was initially validated. The H3K27me3 mark, which has a dominant role in the bivalent mechanism, has not been studied in postnatal and adult SVZ in vivo, yet their role has been implicated to control the shift of embryonic cortical neurogenesis to gliogenesis. Therefore, we have first investigated whether H3K27me3 marks are present in the postnatal and adult SVZ NSPC population and whether their marks have been changed after stroke or demyelination in central nervous system (CNS) by immunohistrochemistry. With the confirmation of H3K27me3 mark present in SVZ NSPCs, the presence of H3K27me3 catalyzer, called polycomb repressive complex 2 (PRC2) core components (Eed, Ezh2, Suz12) including Jarid2, was investigated and confirmed in postnatal SVZ in vitro by qRT-PCR and Western blot. To understand the role of PRC2 enzymatic activity in postnatal SVZ neurosphere self-renewal and multipotency, Eed was down-regulated by using lentiviral mediated delivery of shRNA. Also, PRC2 dependent or independent function of Jarid2 was examined via knockdown approach. The lack of Eed in the neurospheres resulted the attenuation of self-renewal and oligodendrogenesis, whereas the Jarid2 knockdown neurospheres showed the decreased proliferation with no SVZ NSPC differentiation. Based on these knockdown studies, it suggests Eed and Jarid2 might not share their function in the postnatal SVZ NSPCs to govern postnatal SVZ NSPC self-renewal and multipotency.

Traditional studies of simple perceptual choice tasks in vertebrates identified behavioural characteristics of deliberate decision-making that guided the development of general mathematical models, and the search for neurophysiological correlates. Current experimental and modelling efforts aim to uncover biophysical and circuit level mechanisms of decision-making processes. However, genetic manipulability constraints and lack of high-throughput assays make further progress in vertebrate studies a steep endeavour. In this thesis I studied decision-making in Drosophila melanogaster in trained two-alternative forced-choice olfactory tasks with varying stimulus contrast, using a high-resolution single fly behavioural assay. Analysing accuracy and reaction time as a function of task difficulty (i.e., stimulus contrast) showed that flies display behavioural characteristics of evidence accumulation processes, a signature of vertebrate decision-making: reaction times increased and perceptual accuracy declined as stimulus contrast decreased. Mutants for the gene encoding the transcription factor FoxP took longer than wild-type flies to form decisions of similar or reduced accuracy, especially in difficult tasks. Using the putative FoxP promoter to ascertain FoxP expression identified subsets of mushroom body intrinsic Kenyon cells, in &alpha;&beta; core and &gamma; neurons, as potential sites of FoxP action. Disrupting FoxP expression or decreasing neuronal excitability specifically in &alpha;&beta; core neurons mimicked the phenotype observed in FoxP mutants. FoxP expression therefore affects the development or function of &alpha;&beta; core neurons in the progression of a decision process towards commitment. To identify molecular processes involved in evidence integration regulated by FoxP I further screened 2nd and 3rd chromosome deficiency lines in a sensitised FoxP mutant background, uncovering genomic regions of interest for further study. Finally, analysing naive performance in tasks of increasing difficulty showed that naive discriminations are faster and less accurate than trained ones, pointing to the existence of two decision-making systems. FoxP mutants appear to engage the slower, more accurate decision making system and the mushroom body seems to be involved in naive discriminations. The molecular and neuronal players involved in olfactory decision making in Drosophila melanogaster uncovered in this thesis will allow researching decision making systems to an unprecedented level of detail.