Centre for Neuroscience - Research Publications

Permanent URI for this collection

http://hdl.handle.net/11343/276

Filters

2012 - 2014 3
Reset filters

Settings
Statistics
Citations
Author: DENHAM, MARK × Type: Journal Article ×

Search Results

Now showing 1 - 3 of 3
  • Item
    Thumbnail Image
    Functional Characterization of Friedreich Ataxia iPS-Derived Neuronal Progenitors and Their Integration in the Adult Brain
    Bird, MJ ; Needham, K ; Frazier, AE ; van Rooijen, J ; Leung, J ; Hough, S ; Denham, M ; Thornton, ME ; Parish, CL ; Nayagam, BA ; Pera, M ; Thorburn, DR ; Thompson, LH ; Dottori, M ; Zheng, JC (PUBLIC LIBRARY SCIENCE, 2014-07-07)
    Friedreich ataxia (FRDA) is an autosomal recessive disease characterised by neurodegeneration and cardiomyopathy that is caused by an insufficiency of the mitochondrial protein, frataxin. Our previous studies described the generation of FRDA induced pluripotent stem cell lines (FA3 and FA4 iPS) that retained genetic characteristics of this disease. Here we extend these studies, showing that neural derivatives of FA iPS cells are able to differentiate into functional neurons, which don't show altered susceptibility to cell death, and have normal mitochondrial function. Furthermore, FA iPS-derived neural progenitors are able to differentiate into functional neurons and integrate in the nervous system when transplanted into the cerebellar regions of host adult rodent brain. These are the first studies to describe both in vitro and in vivo characterization of FA iPS-derived neurons and demonstrate their capacity to survive long term. These findings are highly significant for developing FRDA therapies using patient-derived stem cells.
  • Item
    Thumbnail Image
    Glycogen Synthase Kinase 3β and Activin/Nodal Inhibition in Human Embryonic Stem Cells Induces a Pre-Neuroepithelial State That Is Required for Specification to a Floor Plate Cell Lineage
    Denham, M ; Bye, C ; Leung, J ; Conley, BJ ; Thompson, LH ; Dottori, M (WILEY, 2012-11)
    The floor plate is one of the major organizers of the developing nervous system through its secretion of sonic hedgehog (Shh). Although the floor plate is located within the neural tube, the derivation of the floor plate during development is still debatable and some studies suggest that floor plate cells are specified by Shh in a temporarily restricted window different to neuroepithelial cells. Using human embryonic stem cells (hESC) as a model of neurogenesis, we sought to determine how floor plate cells may be temporarily specified by SHH signaling during human embryogenesis. We found that inhibition of both GSK3β and activin/nodal pathways in hESC induces a cellular state of SOX2+/PAX6- expression, we describe as "pre-neuroepithelial." Exposure of SHH during this pre-neuroepithelial period causes the expression of GLI transcription factors to function as activators and consequently upregulate expression of the floor plate marker, FOXA2, while also supressing PAX6 expression to inhibit neuroepithelial fate. FOXA2+ cells were able to efficiently generate mesencephalic dopaminergic neurons, a floor plate derivative. Overall, this study demonstrates a highly efficient system for generating floor plate cells from hESC and, most importantly, reveals that specification of floor plate cells is temporally dependent, whereby it occurs prior to the onset of PAX6 expression, within a pre-neuroepithelial stage.
  • Item
    No Preview Available
    Extracellular signal-regulated kinase 1/2 signaling promotes oligodendrocyte myelination in vitro
    Xiao, J ; Ferner, AH ; Wong, AW ; Denham, M ; Kilpatrick, TJ ; Murray, SS (WILEY-BLACKWELL, 2012-09)
    Multiple extracellular factors have been implicated in orchestrating myelination of the CNS; however, less is known about the intracellular signaling cascades that regulate this process. We have previously shown that brain-derived neurotrophic factor (BDNF) promotes oligodendrocyte myelination. Here, we screened for the activation of candidate signaling pathways in in vitro myelination assays and found that extracellular signal-regulated kinase (Erk) signaling positively correlated with basal levels of oligodendrocyte myelination as well as BDNF-induced myelination in vitro. By selectively manipulating Erk1/2 activation in oligodendrocytes in vitro, we found that constitutive activation of Erk1/2 significantly increased myelination, mimicking the promyelinating effect of BDNF, and also caused myelination to occur earlier. Conversely, selective inhibition of Erk1/2 in oligodendrocytes significantly reduced the basal level of myelination and blocked the promyelinating effect of BDNF. Analysis of myelinating spinal cord and corpus callosum white matter tracts revealed that the majority of mature oligodendrocytes are co-labeled with phospho-Erk1/2, whereas phospho-Erk1/2 was rarely observed in oligodendrocyte progenitor cells. Finally, the total level of phospho-Erk1/2 correlated with myelin formation during the early postnatal period. Collectively, these data identify that Erk1/2 signaling within oligodendrocytes exerts an important and direct effect to promote myelination.