Directly Reprogrammed Neurons Express MAPT and APP Splice Variants Pertinent to Ageing and Neurodegeneration.

Neurons produced by reprogramming of other cell types are used to study cellular mechanisms of age-related neurodegenerative diseases. To model Alzheimer's disease and other tauopathies, it is essential that alternative splicing of the MAPT transcript in these neurons produces the relevant tau isoforms. Human neurons derived from induced pluripotent stem cells, however, express tau isoform compositions characteristic of foetal neurons rather than of adult neurons unless cultured in vitro for extended time periods. In this study, we characterised the dynamics of the MAPT and APP alternative splicing during a developmental time-course of porcine and murine cerebral cortices. We found age-dependent and species-specific isoform composition of MAPT, including 3R and 4R isoforms in the porcine adult brain similar to that of the adult human brain. We converted adult and embryonic fibroblasts directly into induced neurons and found similar developmental patterns of isoform composition, notably, the 3R and 4R isoforms relevant to the pathogenesis of Alzheimer's disease. Also, we observed cell-type-specific isoform expression of APP transcripts during the conversion. The approach was further used to generate induced neurons from transgenic pigs carrying Alzheimer's disease-causing mutations. We show that such neurons authentically model the first crucial steps in AD pathogenesis.

Longitudinal biometal accumulation and Ca isotope composition of the Göttingen minipig brain.

Biometals play a critical role in both the healthy and diseased brain's functioning. They accumulate in the normal aging brain, and are inherent to neurodegenerative disorders and their associated pathologies. A prominent example of this is the brain accumulation of metals such as Ca, Fe and Cu (and more ambiguously, Zn) associated with Alzheimer's disease (AD). The natural stable isotope compositions of such metals have also shown utility in constraining biological mechanisms, and in differentiating between healthy and diseased states, sometimes prior to conventional methods. Here we have detailed the distribution of the biologically relevant elements Mg, P, K, Ca, Fe, Cu and Zn in brain regions of Göttingen minipigs ranging in age from three months to nearly six years, including control animals and both a single- and double-transgenic model of AD (PS1, APP/PS1). Moreover, we have characterized the Ca isotope composition of the brain for the first time. Concentration data track rises in brain biometals with age, namely for Fe and Cu, as observed in the normal ageing brain and in AD, and biometal data point to increased soluble amyloid beta (Aß) load prior to AD plaque identification via brain imaging. Calcium isotope results define the brain as the isotopically lightest permanent reservoir in the body, indicating that brain Ca dyshomeostasis may induce measurable isotopic disturbances in accessible downstream reservoirs such as biofluids.

MicroRNAs and Ascl1 facilitate direct conversion of porcine fibroblasts into induced neurons.

Direct neuronal conversion describes the process of generating induced neurons from somatic cells such as fibroblasts by overexpressing cell type-specific transcription factors, microRNAs or by culturing in the presence of small molecules. This was first achieved by expressing Brn2, Ascl1 and Myt1L in mouse fibroblasts, and was later achieved in human cells by the inclusion of additional factors such as NeuroD1. Here, we present the first protocol for directly converting porcine fibroblasts into induced neurons. We used lentivirus-mediated delivery of previously identified neuron-specifying transcription factors and microRNAs and evaluated morphology and neuron marker expression after ten days of conversion. We found that Ascl1 and microRNAs, miR-9/9* and miR-124 together generated more neuronal cells than other conditions tested. The porcine induced neurons expressed common mature markers such as MAP2 and Synaptophysin after four weeks of conversion. Transcriptomic analysis revealed that fibroblast-specific signatures were silenced early in the conversion process, while the neuron-specific genes became more abundant during conversion. We generated a heterogeneous population of glutamatergic and GABAergic neurons.

Transcriptomic profiling of porcine pluripotency identifies species-specific reprogramming requirements for culturing iPSCs.

Porcine embryonic and induced pluripotent stem cells (ESCs; iPSCs) have proven difficult to derive and maintain in vitro. This may be due to inappropriate culturing conditions and incomplete activation of proper pluripotency networks. To this end, we characterized the transcriptome of porcine inner cell mass, epiblast, and transgene-dependent iPSCs in relation to human and mouse embryonic and epiblast stem cells. We found that porcine inner cell mass has a unique pluripotency transcriptome distinct from human and mouse ESCs but shares more features with human naïve-like than primed stem cell states, as illustrated by their expression of KLF17 but not KLF2. Our data further show that current reprogramming strategies fail to silence parental fibroblast-specific genes and to activate specific signalling pathways that may be important for porcine pluripotency. Accordingly, we used human naïve culturing conditions to improve reprogramming efficiencies of porcine embryonic fibroblasts and enable essential naïve stem cell markers such as NANOG, KLF17 and CDH1to be expressed. The resultant porcine iPSC-like cells display a transcriptomic signature more closely resembling an inner cell mass state. These results represent new important steps towards generating bona fide porcine iPSCs and their great potential in translational medicine.

Examining the homeostatic distribution of metals and Zn isotopes in Göttingen minipigs.

The role of metals in biologic systems is manifold, and understanding their behaviour in bodily processes, especially those relating to neurodegenerative diseases, is at the forefront of medical science. The function(s) of metals - such as the transition metals - and their utility in both the diagnosis and treatment of diseases in human beings, is often examined via the characterization of their distribution in animal models, with porcine models considered exceptional proxies for human physiology. To this end, we have investigated the homeostatic distribution of numerous metals (Mg, K, Ca, Mn, Fe, Cu, Zn, Rb and Mo), the non-metal P, and Zn isotopes in the organs and blood (red blood cells, plasma) of Göttingen minipigs. These results represent the first set of data outlining the homeostatic distribution of metals and Zn isotopes in Göttingen minipigs, and indicate a relatively homogeneous distribution of alkali/alkaline earth metals and P among the organs, with generally lower levels in the blood, while indicating more heterogeneous and systematic abundance patterns for transition metals. In general, the distribution of all elements analysed is similar to that found in humans. Our elemental abundance data, together with data reported for humans in the literature, suggest that element-to-element ratios, e.g. Cu/Mg, show potential as simple diagnostics for diseases such as Alzheimer's. Isotopic data indicate a heterogeneous distribution of Zn isotopes among the organs and blood, with the liver, heart and brain being the most depleted in heavy Zn isotopes, and the blood the most enriched, consistent with observations in other animal models and humans. The Zn isotopic composition of Göttingen minipigs displays a systematic offset towards lighter δ66Zn values relative to mice and sheep models, suggesting physiology that is more closely aligned with that of humans. Cumulatively, these observations strongly suggest that Göttingen minipigs are an excellent animal model for translational research involving metals, and these data provide a strong foundation for future research.

Expression of the Alzheimer's Disease Mutations AßPP695sw and PSEN1M146I in Double-Transgenic Göttingen Minipigs.

Mutations in the amyloid-ß protein precursor gene (AßPP), the presenilin 1 gene (PSEN1) or the presenilin 2 gene (PSEN2) that increase production of the AßPP-derived peptide Aß42 cause early-onset Alzheimer's disease. Rodent models of the disease show that further increase in Aß42 production and earlier brain pathology can be obtained by coexpressing AßPP and PSEN1 mutations. To generate such elevated Aß42 level in a large animal model, we produced Göttingen minipigs carrying in their genome one copy of a human PSEN1 cDNA with the Met146Ile (PSEN1M146I) mutation and three copies of a human AßPP695 cDNA with the Lys670Asn/Met671Leu (AßPPsw) double-mutation. Both transgenes were expressed in fibroblasts and in the brain, and their respective proteins were processed normally. Immunohistochemical staining with Aß42-specific antibodies detected intraneuronal accumulation of Aß42 in brains from a 10- and an 18-month-old pig. Such accumulation may represent an early event in the pathogenesis of Alzheimer's disease.

Generation of minipigs with targeted transgene insertion by recombinase-mediated cassette exchange (RMCE) and somatic cell nuclear transfer (SCNT).

Targeted transgenesis using site-specific recombinases is an attractive method to create genetically modified animals as it allows for integration of the transgene in a pre-selected transcriptionally active genomic site. Here we describe the application of recombinase-mediated cassette exchange (RMCE) in cells from a Göttingen minipig with four RMCE acceptor loci, each containing a green fluorescence protein (GFP) marker gene driven by a human UbiC promoter. The four RMCE acceptor loci segregated independent of each other, and expression profiles could be determined in various tissues. Using minicircles in RMCE in fibroblasts with all four acceptor loci and followed by SCNT, we produced piglets with a single copy of a transgene incorporated into one of the transcriptionally active acceptor loci. The transgene, consisting of a cDNA of the Alzheimer's disease-causing gene PSEN1M146I driven by an enhanced human UbiC promoter, had an expression profile in various tissues similar to that of the GFP marker gene. The results show that RMCE can be done in a pre-selected transcriptionally active acceptor locus for targeted transgenesis in pigs.

Expression pattern of a single transgene cassette located in endogenous GLIS3 of cloned pigs; a nested situation.

One of the main focus areas in transgenesis is the choice of a promoter driving stable expression over time of the gene of interest. Besides promoter identity, the genomic environment of the transgene plays a pivotal role in transcription regulation. Studies in higher mammals describing transgene expression from a defined locus are very limited. We set out to determine the expression pattern of two transgene promoters, the human PDGFß and the viral SV40, in a single cassette positioned in the largest intron of the porcine GLIS3 locus. The PDGFß promoter drives a variant of the amyloid precursor protein gene named APP695sw and the SV40 promoter drives the neomycin resistant gene, Neo. The nested gene scenario was investigated in three transgenic cloned pigs sacrificed at 3 months, 2 years and 3 years of age. With identical genetic make-up and same environment, the three individual pigs are considered representative of 3 year lifespan of a single pig. Selected organs from the pigs were analyzed by quantitative RT-PCR for transgene promoter activity as well as endogenous GLIS3 promoter activity. No apparent effect of the transgene cassette was observed on endogenous GLIS3 expression. In addition, one year old homozygous pigs showed no phenotypic signs of dysfunctional GLIS3. Both transgene promoters showed and retained their tissue specificity with stable expression over time. Our study indicates that transgenes inserted in a nested situation might be applicable for faithful and long term transgene expression.

Pig transgenesis by Sleeping Beauty DNA transposition.

Modelling of human disease in genetically engineered pigs provides unique possibilities in biomedical research and in studies of disease intervention. Establishment of methodologies that allow efficient gene insertion by non-viral gene carriers is an important step towards development of new disease models. In this report, we present transgenic pigs created by Sleeping Beauty DNA transposition in primary porcine fibroblasts in combination with somatic cell nuclear transfer by handmade cloning. Göttingen minipigs expressing green fluorescent protein are produced by transgenesis with DNA transposon vectors carrying the transgene driven by the human ubiquitin C promoter. These animals carry multiple copies (from 8 to 13) of the transgene and show systemic transgene expression. Transgene-expressing pigs carry both transposase-catalyzed insertions and at least one copy of randomly inserted plasmid DNA. Our findings illustrate critical issues related to DNA transposon-directed transgenesis, including coincidental plasmid insertion and relatively low Sleeping Beauty transposition activity in porcine fibroblasts, but also provide a platform for future development of porcine disease models using the Sleeping Beauty gene insertion technology.

Establishment of a pig fibroblast-derived cell line for locus-directed transgene expression in cell cultures and blastocysts.

We report the establishment of a spontaneously immortalized pig cell line designated Pig Flip-in Visualize (PFV) for locus-directed transgene expression in pig cells and blastocysts. The PFV cell line was isolated from pig ear fibroblasts transfected with a Sleeping Beauty DNA transposon-based docking vector harbouring a selection gene, an eGFP reporter gene, and an Flp recombinase site for locus-directed gene insertion. PFV cells have insertion of a single docking vector with stable eGFP expression and generated phenotypic normal blastocysts with transgene expression after somatic cell nuclear transfer. PFV cells supported Flp mediated cassette exchange for transgene substitution of eGFP with dsRED, and the dsRED transgenic PFV cells generated blastocysts with transgene expression. Hence, the PFV cell line constitutes a valuable pig equivalent to transformed cell lines from other mammalian species suitable for locus-directed transgene expression in cell cultures and, in addition, for transgene analyses in the very early embryonic stages.

Determination of odor detection threshold in the Gottingen minipig.

The aim of the study was to examine the ability of Göttingen minipigs to acquire an olfaction-based operant conditioning task and to determine the detection threshold for ethyl acetate and ethanol. We used an automated olfactometer developed for rodents to train and test 14 pigs. Odor sampling and reliable responding were obtained after three to fifteen 160-trial sessions. Successful transfer of the task from ethyl acetate to ethanol was achieved in 1-4 sessions. Detection threshold for ethyl acetate varied between 10(-2)% and 10(-6)% v/v and for ethanol between 0.1% and 5 × 10(-6)% v/v. The results provide evidence that minipigs can successfully acquire 2-odorant discrimination using a food-rewarded instrumental conditioning paradigm for testing olfactory function. This olfactory discrimination paradigm provides reliable measures of olfactory sensitivity and thereby enables detection of changes in olfaction in a porcine model of Alzheimer's disease currently being developed.

Hemizygous minipigs produced by random gene insertion and handmade cloning express the Alzheimer's disease-causing dominant mutation APPsw.

In an effort to develop a porcine model of Alzheimer's disease we used handmade cloning to produce seven transgenic Göttingen minipigs. The donor fibroblasts had been stably transfected with a plasmid cassette containing, as transgene, the cDNA of the neuronal variant of the human amyloid precursor protein gene with the Swedish mutation preceded by beta-globin sequences to induce splicing and a human PDGF beta promoter fragment to drive transcription. Transgene insertion had occurred only at the GLIS3 locus where a single complete copy of the transgene was identified in intronic sequences in opposite direction. Similar and robust levels of the transgene transcript were detected in skin biopsies from all piglets and the sequence of full-length transcript was verified. Consistent with PDGF beta promoter function, high levels of transgene expression, including high level of the corresponding protein, was observed in brain tissue and not in heart or liver tissues. A rough estimate predicts that accumulation of the A beta peptide in the brain may develop at the age of 1-2 years.

Regulatory mechanisms for 3'-end alternative splicing and polyadenylation of the Glial Fibrillary Acidic Protein, GFAP, transcript.

The glial fibrillary acidic protein, GFAP, forms the intermediate cytoskeleton in cells of the glial lineage. Besides the common GFAP alpha transcript, the GFAP epsilon and GFAP kappa transcripts are generated by alternative mRNA 3'-end processing. Here we use a GFAP minigene to characterize molecular mechanisms participating in alternative GFAP expression. Usage of a polyadenylation signal within the alternatively spliced exon 7a is essential to generate the GFAP kappa and GFAP kappa transcripts. The GFAP kappa mRNA is distinct from GFAP epsilon mRNA given that it also includes intron 7a. Polyadenylation at the exon 7a site is stimulated by the upstream splice site. Moreover, exon 7a splice enhancer motifs supported both exon 7a splicing and polyadenylation. SR proteins increased the usage of the exon 7a polyadenylation signal but not the exon 7a splicing, whereas the polypyrimidine tract binding (PTB) protein enhanced both exon 7a polyadenylation and exon 7a splicing. Finally, increasing transcription by the VP16 trans-activator did not affect the frequency of use of the exon 7a polyadenylation signal whereas the exon 7a splicing frequency was decreased. Our data suggest a model with the selection of the exon 7a polyadenylation site being the essential and primary event for regulating GFAP alternative processing.

Identification of the porcine homologous of human disease causing trinucleotide repeat sequences.

Expansion in the repeat number of intragenic trinucleotide repeats (TNRs) is associated with a variety of inherited human neurodegenerative diseases. To study the composition of TNRs in a mammalian species representing an evolutionary intermediate between humans and rodents, we describe in this paper the identification of porcine noncoding and polyglutamine-encoding TNR regions and the comparison to the homologous TNRs from human, chimpanzee, dog, opossum, rat, and mouse. Several of the porcine TNR regions are highly polymorphic both within and between different breeds. The TNR regions are more conserved in terms of repeat length between humans and pigs than between humans and rodents suggesting that TNR lengths could be implicated in mammalian evolution. The TNRs in the FMR2, SCA6, SCA12, and Huntingtin genes are comparable in length to alleles naturally occurring in humans, and also in FMR1, a long uninterrupted CGG TNR was identified. Most strikingly, we identified a Huntingtin allele with 21 uninterrupted CAG repeats encoding a stretch of 24 polyglutamines. Examination of this particular Huntingtin TNR in 349 porcine offspring showed stable transmission. The presence in the porcine genome of TNRs within genes that, in humans, can undergo pathogenic expansions support the usage of the pig as an alternative animal model for studies of TNR evolution, stability, and functional properties.

Identification and characterization of GFAPkappa, a novel glial fibrillary acidic protein isoform.

Glial fibrillary acidic protein (GFAP) is the principal component of the intermediary filaments in mature astrocytes of the central nervous system (CNS). The protein consists of three domains: the head, the coiled-coil, and the tail. Here, we describe the isolation of an evolutionary conserved novel GFAP isoform, GFAPkappa, produced by alternative splicing and polyadenylation of the 3'-region of the human GFAP pre-mRNA. As a consequence, the resulting human GFAPkappa protein harbors a nonconserved C-terminal tail sequence distinct from the tails of GFAPalpha, the predominant GFAP isoform, and GFAPepsilon, an isoform which also results from alternative splicing. The head and coiled-coil rod domains are identical between the three GFAP isoforms. Interestingly, GFAPkappa is incapable of forming homomeric filaments, and increasing GFAPkappa expression levels causes a collapse of intermediate filaments formed by GFAPalpha. In searching for a biological relevance of GFAPkappa, we noticed that mRNA expression levels of GFAPalpha, GFAPepsilon, and GFAPkappa are gradually increased during development of the embryonic pig brain. However, whereas the GFAPalpha/GFAPepsilon ratio is constant, the GFAPkappa/GFAPepsilon ratio decreases during brain development. Furthermore, in glioblastoma tumors, an increased GFAPkappa/GFAPepsilon ratio is detected. Our results suggest that the relative expression level of the GFAPkappa isoform could modulate the properties of GFAP intermediate filaments and perhaps thereby influencing the motility of GFAP positive astrocytes and progenitor cells within the CNS.

Variant phenotypes of incomplete achromatopsia in two cousins with GNAT2 gene mutations.

PURPOSE: The present study was designed to elucidate the molecular genetic basis of a congenital stationary cone dysfunction characterized by congenital nystagmus, moderate visual impairment, and markedly disparate color vision deficiencies between two affected cousins. METHODS: Ophthalmic examinations with emphasis on color vision and electrophysiology. Molecular genetic analysis of the X-linked cone opsin genes, mutation screening of the CNGA3, CNGB3, and GNAT2 genes, and heterologous splicing experiments. RESULTS: Whereas the proband was found to carry a homozygous frameshift mutation (Tyr95fs) in GNAT2, her cousin was compound heterozygous for the Tyr95fs and a new intronic mutation c.461 + 24G-->A. Heterologous expression in COS7 cells showed that the latter causes a splicing defect that results in early translation termination. Yet, this mutation is leaky, giving rise to small amounts of correctly spliced transcripts and offer an explanation for the diverging clinical findings in the cousins, one best described as incomplete achromatopsia and the other with oligocone trichromacy. CONCLUSIONS: The cases presented broaden the phenotypic spectrum of GNAT2 mutations and underline the increasing importance of molecular genetics in the clinical diagnosis of atypical ophthalmic phenotypes.

Self-assembly of the cytoskeletal glial fibrillary acidic protein is inhibited by an isoform-specific C terminus.

The predominant isoform of glial fibrillary acidic protein (GFAP), GFAPalpha, is the characteristic building block of the cytoskeletal intermediate filaments in astrocytes. Isoform GFAPepsilon, produced by alternative splicing of the GFAP gene, includes a new tail domain that confers a presenilin binding capacity. We here show that the GFAPepsilon tail prevents GFAPepsilon homodimerization and homomeric filament formation, whereas the ability to form heterodimers and filaments with GFAPalpha is retained. Furthermore, GFAPepsilon shows decreased affinity for several GFAPalpha-interacting proteins. A GFAPepsilon tail mutation that results in gain of GFAPepsilon dimerization and filament formation abolishes presenilin binding. This mutation also abolishes interaction between the tail and the coiled-coil domain of GFAPepsilon. Together, this indicates that direct interaction between the coiled-coil and tail domains may serve as an inhibitory mechanism for homomeric dimerization and filament formation. We propose that the GFAPepsilon isoform represents a new functionally distinct component of GFAP intermediate filaments.

Structural and functional characterization of the zebrafish gene for glial fibrillary acidic protein, GFAP.

Glial fibrillary acidic protein, GFAP, is an astrocyte-specific member of the family of intermediate filament proteins which are involved in formation of the cytoskeletal structure. We here present a characterization of the zebrafish GFAP gene and corresponding protein. The zebrafish GFAP gene have the same exon-intron organization as the mammalian orthologoue genes. Comparison of the protein with mammalian GFAP shows that the amino acid sequence is highly conserved in the rod and tail domains whereas the head domain has diverged. Zebrafish GFAP exhibits functional characteristics of an intermediate filament protein such as dimerization potential, capacity to assembly into filaments, and cytoskeletal localization. Mutations in human GFAP have been associated with a severe childhood brain disorder called Alexander disease. Interestingly, the mutations affect preferentially amino acid residues of GFAP that are evolutionarily conserved. This indicates that a change of functionally core residues in GFAP is a prerequisite for the disease phenotype to develop and the initial steps in the pathogenesis may thus be modeled in zebrafish.

A new splice variant of glial fibrillary acidic protein, GFAP epsilon, interacts with the presenilin proteins.

We describe a new human isoform, GFAP epsilon, of the intermediary filament protein GFAP (glial fibrillary acidic protein). GFAP epsilon mRNA is the result of alternative splicing and a new polyadenylation signal, and thus GFAP epsilon has a new C-terminal protein sequence. This provides GFAP epsilon with the capacity for specific binding of presenilin proteins in yeast and in vitro. Our observations suggest a direct link between the presenilins and the cytoskeleton where GFAP epsilon is incorporated. Mutations in GFAP and presenilins are associated with Alexander disease and Alzheimer's disease, respectively. Accordingly, GFAP epsilon should be taken into consideration when studying neurodegenerative diseases.