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Biology subjects

Davis, L.

Publications and source records attributed to Davis, L..

At least 19 recordsLinked to original sources

Chd8 haploinsufficiency leads to molecular layer heterotopias and age-dependent cortical expansion

Mutations in the chromatin remodeler CHD8 are associated with autism and macrocephaly. While mouse models of Chd8 haploinsufficiency recapitulate brain overgrowth, the specific cellular mechanisms and developmental timing that lead to these anatomical abnormalities remain poorly understood. Here, we conducted 3D imaging of Chd8V986*/+ mouse brains using magnetic resonance imaging followed by tissue clearing and cellular resolution light-sheet microscopy across embryonic and postnatal developmental stages. We found that brain overgrowth occurs postnatally, driven by an increase in non-neuronal cells prior to volumetric expansion. Unexpectedly, we identified prevalent molecular layer heterotopias (MLH) within the frontal cortex of Chd8V986*/+ mice composed of neurons breaking through the pial surface during embryonic development and persisting throughout life. Increased incidence of MLH, previously identified in individuals with idiopathic autism, was replicated across three independent Chd8+/- mouse models and present across multiple genomic backgrounds, establishing aberrant neuronal migration as a core feature of Chd8 haploinsufficiency.

neuroscience↗

β-strand complementation within tip initiation complexes licenses assembly of diverse type IV filaments

PilC/PilY1 proteins are tip-located adhesins of type IV pili (T4P) that are critical for T4P function in diverse behaviors including twitching motility, DNA uptake, and host cell adhesion. PilC and PilY1 adhesins are proposed to interact with initiation complexes composed of minor pilins (PilIJK family proteins) to aid in initiation of T4P polymerization, but it has been unclear how PilC/PilY1 proteins promote fiber assembly. We combined structural modeling, genetic, and biochemical experiments using Neisseria gonorrhoeae and Acinetobacter baylyi to delineate how PilC/PilY1 control T4P assembly: a short peptide at the C-terminus of PilC/PilY1 initiates T4P assembly via {beta}-strand complementation with PilK-family minor pilins. This {beta}-strand is necessary and partially sufficient to trigger fiber assembly. In a working model, the PilK-PilC/PilY1 complex is recognized by a preformed PilI-PilJ heterodimer to form a quaternary "licensing complex" that then templates and initiates fiber assembly. In type II secretion systems (T2SS) lacking PilC/PilY1, PilK homologs directly incorporate the terminal {beta}-strand provided by PilC/PilY1 in T4P. Moreover, phylogenetically distinct Tad T4P lack a canonical PilK homolog and instead contain a structurally similar minor pilin-like protein called TadG/CpaL that is important for fiber assembly. We show that CpaL of Caulobacter crescentus Tad T4P acts similarly to the T2SS PilK homolog to provide the C-terminal {beta}-strand required for assembly. Our results explain how PilC/PilY1 can be retained on the fiber tip under enormous tensile loads generated during mechanical shear and T4P retraction and demonstrate how diverse T4P systems employ {beta}-strand complementation to license fiber assembly. SIGNIFICANCEProkaryotic type IV filaments are ancient, diverse, and broadly distributed nanomachines that assemble and retract to execute diverse microbial functions. They include type IV pili and type II secretion systems, mediating toxin secretion, motility, surface adhesion, biofilm formation, DNA uptake, and other functions. Here, we show that two widely conserved subunits of the tip, PilI and PilJ, form a module that recognizes the folding of a {beta}-sheet in a third subunit, PilK. The final {beta}-strand in this sheet can be supplied in trans by the last [~]10 aminoacyl residues of large PilC/PilY1 adhesins, or in cis by PilK itself. In a working model, this recognition results in formation of a PilIJK trimer, which then licenses fiber polymerization through a templating mechanism.

microbiology↗

Lactate promotes IL-8 secretion in human alveolar macrophages through GPR132 and lipid metabolic reprogramming

Alveolar macrophages are the primary lung immune cell. They play a crucial role in both maintenance of tissue homeostasis and the initiation of inflammation, secreting multiple immune mediators including the chemokine interleukin-8 (IL-8). Inflammatory settings are often characterised by tissue hypoxia, increased glycolytic rates and lactate secretion, yet how lactate influences alveolar macrophage function remains unclear. Here we investigated how lactate, once considered a waste-product, shapes alveolar macrophage function. To do so, primary human alveolar macrophages (hAMs) and a combination of flow cytometry, ELISA/Luminex, western blot, light microscopy, bioluminescence resonance energy transfer (BRET) and analysis of publicly available datasets were used to understand the role of lactate in lung pathological environments. We demonstrate that hAMs sense extracellular lactate via the expression of different lactate transporters (e.g. MCT1, MCT4) and receptors (i.e. GPR132). Lactate treatment of hAMs increased IL-8 secretion in a MCT1-dependent manner. Lipid metabolism and lipid droplet formation, as well as direct lactate-driven GPR132 signalling were required for lactate-dependent IL-8 release. Our findings uncover a previously unrecognised dual mechanism by which lactate orchestrates immune regulation in hAMs. Specifically, lactate-driven IL-8 production requires two distinct lactate-driven processes: uptake via MCT1, which reprograms lipid metabolism, and signaling through the lactate receptor GPR132. This functional integration of lactate transport and receptor-mediated signaling provides new mechanistic insight into lactates role in hAM biology and highlights potential targets for therapeutic intervention.

immunology↗

Alternate Splicing Directs PMCA2 to Lysosomes and is Linked to Neurodegeneration

Plasma membrane calcium ATPases (PMCAs) are believed to function exclusively at the plasma membrane where they expel calcium from the cytosol. We have unexpectedly identified a splice variant-dependent localisation of the PMCA isoform PMCA2 to the lysosome, where it forms an evolutionarily conserved complex with NPC1, the lysosomal membrane protein defective in the rare lysosomal storage disease Niemann-Pick disease type C (NPC). This interaction is required for lysosomal Ca2+ homeostasis and implicates PMCA2 as a mediator of Ca2+ uptake into lysosomes. Disruption of the NPC1-PMCA2 complex contributes to the pathophysiology of both Niemann-Pick disease type C and Parkinsons disease, revealing an unrecognised intracellular function for PMCA2 and a shared mechanism linking lysosomal Ca2+ and lipid regulation in neurodegeneration.

cell biology↗

Fusobacterium nucleatum produces previously unappreciated AHR-activating metabolites and promotes CRC cell proliferation via the AHR-TERT axis

Fusobacterium nucleatum (Fn) is prevalently enriched in colorectal cancer (CRC), promoting CRC progression. However, Fn-derived small molecules and their host target pathways in CRC remain largely underexplored. Here, we identify that Fn produces previously unrecognized three indole-containing metabolites, fusotrisindoline (FTIN), streptindole (STIN), and trisindoline (TIN). Using AHR reporter, CYP1A1 mRNA induction, CYP1A enzyme assay, photoaffinity AHR-ligand competition, and in silico docking, we establish that these metabolites are bona fide agonists of the aryl hydrocarbon receptor (AHR), with FTIN being the most potent AHR ligand (EC50 [~]41 nM in HepG2 cells). Genetic and pharmacological perturbations demonstrate that FTIN-activated AHR promotes proliferation, migration, and invasion in EGFR blockade-responsive CRC cell lines, such as SNU-C4, but not in EGFR blockade-resistant cell lines, such as HCT116. We show that FTIN-activated AHR signaling is critical for Fn-mediated promotion of CRC cell growth. A {Delta}tnaA mutant defective in indole production lacked FTIN/STIN/TIN production and was unable to activate AHR or enhance CRC cell growth in vitro and SNU-C4 xenograft growth in vivo. RNA-seq and follow-up functional validation identified TERT as a key downstream effector of FTIN-activated AHR signaling. FTIN upregulated TERT transcription and telomerase activity, and TERT knockdown abrogated FTIN-promoted CRC cell proliferation. FTIN production was conserved across Fn subspecies, as well as other Fusobacterium species, and detected in additional CRC- associated genera. In 30 patient pairs of CRC-matched normal colon tissues, FTIN was quantifiable in most CRC tissues and significantly enriched relative to matched normal colon tissues, whereas STIN/TIN were undetectable. Our findings reveal a metabolite-centered FTIN-AHR-TERT axis by which intratumoral bacteria, such as Fn, accelerate CRC growth and uncover FTIN as a potential biomarker in CRC.

microbiology↗

A Radiomic Approach to Clinical MRI Refines the Thalamus-Cognition Link in Multiple Sclerosis

Background and ObjectivesRadiomics extracts imaging features that may not be detectable through conventional volumetric analyses. Given their role in multiple sclerosis (MS), we applied radiomics to thalamic nuclei and examined their associations with cognitive performance. MethodsA total of 601 individuals were included (342 people with MS-PwMS from two cohorts, and 259 healthy controls-HC). Radiomic features (RF) and volumes were extracted from the whole thalamus, five thalamic nuclei, and the putamen segmented on 3D T1-weighted images. Cognitive performance was assessed using the Symbol Digit Modalities Test (SDMT) and Paced Auditory Serial Addition Test (PASAT) in PwMS, and the Digit Symbol Substitution Test (DSST) in HC. In the first MS cohort, multivariate linear regression in a discovery set (N=103) identified thalamus-derived RF associated with SDMT, which were retested in a replication set (N=63). Their associations with PASAT in a second MS cohort (N=176) and DSST in HC were also evaluated. We then tested whether the same RF, when extracted from the putamen, were associated with SDMT. LASSO models assessed the combined predictive value of RF and volumes. Figure 2 presents an overview of the involvement of different cohorts in the study, outlining the specific study objectives and the statistical analysis approaches employed. O_FIG O_LINKSMALLFIG WIDTH=200 HEIGHT=110 SRC="FIGDIR/small/657698v1_fig2.gif" ALT="Figure 2"> View larger version (40K): org.highwire.dtl.DTLVardef@6f1dd8org.highwire.dtl.DTLVardef@11069c6org.highwire.dtl.DTLVardef@905512org.highwire.dtl.DTLVardef@1c12171_HPS_FORMAT_FIGEXP M_FIG O_FLOATNOFigure 2.C_FLOATNO Overview of the involvement of different cohorts in the study, specific study objectives and the statistical analysis approaches employed. Abbreviations: SDMT: Symbol Digit Modalities Test, PASAT: Paced Auditory Serial Addition Test, DSST: Digit Symbol Substitution Test, LASSO: Least Absolute Shrinkage and Selection Operator. C_FIG ResultsTwenty-eight RF-ROI pairs were associated with SDMT in the replication set (FDR<0.05). Of these, 24 were also associated with PASAT (FDR[&le;]0.03), and 2 with DSST. Only ventral nuclei volume showed replicated associations among volumetrics. Only 4 putamen-derived pairs were associated with SDMT (FDR=0.04). LASSO results confirmed RF outperformed volumes. DiscussionRF extracted from the thalamus are strongly associated with cognitive performance in PwMS, outperforming volumetric measures and supporting their potential as sensitive imaging biomarkers.

neuroscience↗

Persistent cortical excitatory neuron dysregulation in adult Chd8 haploinsufficient mice.

CHD8 mutations cause autism spectrum disorder, cognitive deficits, and macrocephaly. Chd8+/- mouse models exhibit macrocephaly and transcriptional pathology, with inconsistent findings regarding neurogenesis, neuron function, and behavior. Via stereology and single nucleus transcriptomics (snRNA-seq), we found increased Chd8+/- cortical volume was not explained by increase in neuron number. Differential expression (DE) was present across cortical cell types, with excitatory neurons exhibiting high DE burden and shared and subclass-specific DE signatures. Bulk RNA-seq DE of constitutive Chd8+/- and conditional Camk2a-Cre Chd8+/-mice identified shared transcriptional pathology. DE in synaptosomal versus nuclear mRNA identified overlapping DEGs, but also significant differences and exaggerated synaptosomal changes. Building on DE findings implicating glutamatergic neurons, we found Chd8+/-mice exhibited altered excitatory neuron spine density and dynamics, decreased GCaMP activity correlation, and sleep perturbation. Thus, Chd8 haploinsufficiency causes lasting excitatory neuron dysfunction, perturbs RNA regulation beyond transcription, and impacts neuronal properties, cortical microcircuits, and behavior.

genomics↗

High-Throughput Multiomics Profiling of Model Systems Using the AVITI24 Platform

We present a multiomics platform comprising Teton, a detection assay system, and AVITI24, a dual-flowcell instrument that performs both cellular imaging and sequencing readout. Teton integrates a compartmentalized flowcell for cell culture with methods to measure morphology, RNA, and protein at subcellular resolution. The platform quantifies morphological features through cell painting of 6 cellular components, RNA expression of up to 350 transcripts via sequencing of oligonucleotides hybridized to mRNA, and protein expression of up to 200 targets using antibody-linked oligonucleotide sequencing. The flow cell accommodates >1 million cells in a 10 cm squared open-well format or can be subdivided into 12 or 48 wells to support experiments with multiple conditions or time points. We describe and validate the detection methods of the platform and showcase its capabilities by co-culturing three cancer cell lines and elucidating the cellular pathways triggered by various drug treatments as a function of time. Using multiple time points enables us to capture the dynamics of cellular processes including receptor activation and signaling cascades. The results demonstrate how different cancer cells evade TNF-induced apoptosis by activating compensatory signaling programs that maintain survival despite pro-apoptotic cues. Our model system replicates previously published results and highlights the versatility of the platform in enabling rapid, high-throughput analysis of complex cellular responses in varied biological contexts.

genomics↗

Sedentary life accelerates epigenetic ageing in King penguins

Introductory paragraphAdvances in medicine and food security have contributed to an increase in human lifespan1. Yet, the associated rise in sedentary behaviour and in obesity2,3 already threatens these gains4. Indeed, a growing body of evidence supports the central role of nutrient sensing and energy management pathways in regulating ageing rate and healthspan5,6, but the diversity of human lifestyles challenges our ability to identify the genetic and epigenetic drivers of this age acceleration. Here, we examine how the transition of wild King penguins to zoo husbandry can closely mimic the shift to a Western lifestyle in humans, and shed light on evolutionarily conserved epigenetic changes in responses to sedentary conditions. We show that, just like modern humans, zoo-housed King penguins experience an extended lifespan, but this comes at the cost of accelerated epigenetic ageing throughout life. This accelerated ageing is associated with differential methylation in key growth and maintenance pathways including the mTOR and PI3K/Akt networks, as well as in specific pathways of lipid-rich diet adaptation and heart-function. Our results demonstrate the deeply conserved link between sedentary behaviour and food availability on the one hand, and age acceleration on the other. Such evolutionary evidence may in turn help us to improve risk detection and, ultimately, therapeutics for lifestyle-induced age acceleration in humans7.

genomics↗

Fast Low-Input Efficient Hi-C

We developed FLIE (Fast Low-Input Efficient) Hi-C, a highly optimized and simplified version of Hi-C. Our method shortens the duration of Hi-C from five days to two days and decreases key reagent amounts 5-20 fold, while maintaining experimental controls and data quality. Importantly, the method also reduces the required input material by 100-1000 fold, as we demonstrate by generating detailed high complexity interaction maps from low-input sorted mouse frozen neuron nuclei and from 5,000-10,000 human Hap1 cells.

genomics↗

CTCF regulates anxiety and depression like behavior and maintenance of neuronal identity in the adult mouse brain

CCCTC-binding factor (CTCF) is a chromatin binding factor that binds to DNA sequence specific sites and, together with cohesin complex, establishes chromatin loops and regulates gene expression. CTCF was previously implicated as a major contributor in neural development. Genetic aberrations in CTCF are associated with intellectual disability, aggression, attention deficit, and autistic behavior. Previous mice-model studies have identified a necessary role for CTCF during development of CaMKIIa expressing excitatory neurons in the ability of learning and memory. However, it is not clear if CTCF is only necessary for development in the brain, or also in maintenance of neuronal functions and behavior in the adulthood. In the current study, adulthood-specific knockout of CTCF in excitatory neurons induced an elevation in anxiety and depression related behavior and a decrease in seeking social novelty. Depression and apathy-like behavior was reversed by treatment with serotonin specific reuptake inhibitor sertraline. Golgi staining analysis reveals major regression of dendritic complexity in the hippocampus and prefrontal cortex. In parallel, there is increased DNA compaction and decreased global H3K9 acetylation. Single nuclei RNA sequencing confirms a retreat in neuronal subtype identity in excitatory neurons after knockout. Gene ontology analysis display upregulation of genes that related regulation of cell population, neuronal development and neuronal differentiation and migration. These findings determine that CTCF is required for a propriate function of the mature excitatory neurons, independent of roles during development. Significance StatementThe gene CTCF is an important regulator of gene expression. Mutations in CTCF have been identified in individuals with a range of neurodevelopmental disorders, including intellectual disability and autism. However, it is unknown if CTCF is important only for neuronal development, or plays functional roles in the brain during adulthood. The current study finds that CTCF deletion during adulthood in excitatory neurons induces a behavioral phenotype that that includes increase in anxiety and depression-like behavior and changes in social behavior. In addition, CTCF depletion in adulthood affects the morphology, identity and gene expression of these specific types of neurons. Therefore, CTCF is not only important in brain development, but also in maintenance of proper neuronal function and behavior during adulthood.

neuroscience↗

Multi-ancestry GWAS of major depression aids locus discovery, fine-mapping, gene prioritisation, and causal inference

Most genome-wide association studies (GWAS) of major depression (MD) have been conducted in samples of European ancestry. Here we report a multi-ancestry GWAS of MD, adding data from 21 studies with 88,316 MD cases and 902,757 controls to previously reported data from individuals of European ancestry. This includes samples of African (36% of effective sample size), East Asian (26%) and South Asian (6%) ancestry and Hispanic/Latinx participants (32%). The multi-ancestry GWAS identified 190 significantly associated loci, 53 of them novel. For previously reported loci from GWAS in European ancestry the power-adjusted transferability ratio was 0.6 in the Hispanic/Latinx group and 0.3 in each of the other groups. Fine-mapping benefited from additional sample diversity: the number of credible sets with [&le;]5 variants increased from 3 to 12. A transcriptome-wide association study identified 354 significantly associated genes, 205 of them novel. Mendelian Randomisation showed a bidirectional relationship with BMI exclusively in samples of European ancestry. This first multi-ancestry GWAS of MD demonstrates the importance of large diverse samples for the identification of target genes and putative mechanisms.

genetics↗

Using a Quadruplet Codon to Expand the Genetic Code of an Animal

Genetic code expansion in multicellular organisms is currently limited to the use of repurposed amber stop codons. Here we introduce a system for the use of quadruplet codons to direct incorporation of non-canonical amino acids in vivo in an animal, the nematode worm Caenorhabditis elegans. We develop hybrid pyrrolysyl tRNA variants to incorporate non-canonical amino acids in response to the quadruplet codon UAGA. We demonstrate the efficiency of the quadruplet decoding system by incorporating photocaged amino acids into two proteins widely used as genetic tools. We use photocaged lysine to express photocaged Cre recombinase for the optical control of gene expression and photocaged cysteine to express photo-activatable caspase for light inducible cell ablation. Our approach will facilitate the routine adoption of quadruplet decoding for genetic code expansion in eukaryotic cells and multicellular organisms.

synthetic biology↗

Pathways and signatures of mutagenesis at targeted DNA nicks

Nicks are the most frequent form of DNA damage and a potential source of mutagenesis in human cells. By deep sequencing, we have identified factors and pathways that promote and limit mutagenic repair at targeted nicks. BRCA2 inhibits all categories of mutational events at nicks, including indels, SNVs and HDR. DNA2 and RPA promote 5 resection. Most insertions at nicks consist of a single C incorporated opposite the nick by the translesion polymerase REV1. DNA2 and REV3 inhibit these 1 bp insertions; and DNA2 also inhibits 1 bp deletions. Longer deletions are stimulated by DNA2, REV7 and POLQ. Strikingly, POLQ generates most SNVs at both nicks and double-strand breaks. These results identify mutagenic signatures of DNA2, REV1, REV3, REV7 and POLQ at nicks and highlight the potential for nicks to promote mutagenesis, especially in BRCA-deficient cells.

genetics↗

Reconstructing Full-Field Flapping Wing Dynamics from Sparse Measurements

Flapping insect wings deform during flight. This deformation benefits the insects aerodynamic force production as well as energetic efficiency. However, it is challenging to measure wing displacement field in flying insects. Many points must be tracked over the wings surface to resolve its instantaneous shape. To reduce the number of points one is required to track, we propose a physics-based reconstruction method called System Equivalent Reduction Expansion Processes (SEREP) to estimate wing deformation and strain from sparse measurements. Measurement locations are determined using a Weighted Normalized Modal Displacement (NMD) method. We experimentally validate the reconstruction technique by flapping a paper wing from 5-9 Hz with 45{degrees} and measuring strain at three locations. Two measurements are used for the reconstruction and the third for validation. Strain reconstructions had a maximal error of 30% in amplitude. We extend this methodology to a more realistic insect wing through numerical simulation. We show that wing displacement can be estimated from sparse displacement or strain measurements, and that additional sensors spatially average measurement noise to improve reconstruction accuracy. This research helps overcome some of the challenges of measuring full-field dynamics in flying insects and provides a framework for strain-based sensing in insect-inspired flapping robots.

bioengineering↗

Optically splitting symmetric neuron pairs in C. elegans

Synthetic strategies for optically controlling gene expression may enable the precise spatiotemporal control of genes in any combination of cells that cannot be targeted with specific promoters. We develop an efficient genetic code expansion system in C. elegans and use it to create a photo-activatable Cre recombinase. We laser-activate Cre in single neurons within a bilaterally symmetric pair to selectively switch on expression of a loxP controlled optogenetic channel in the targeted neuron. We use the system to dissect, in freely moving animals, the individual contributions of the mechanosensory neurons PLML/PLMR to the C. elegans touch response circuit, revealing distinct and synergistic roles for these neurons. We thus demonstrate how genetic code expansion and optical targeting can be combined to break the symmetry of neuron pairs and dissect behavioural outputs of individual neurons that cannot be genetically targeted.

neuroscience↗

Assessing the heterogeneity of cardiac non-myocytes and the effect of cell culture with integrative single cell analysis

Cardiac non-myocytes comprise a diverse and crucial cell population in the heart that plays dynamic roles in cardiac wound healing and growth. Non-myocytes broadly fall into four cell types: endothelium, fibroblasts, leukocytes, and pericytes. Here we characterize the diversity of the non-myocytes in vivo and in vitro using mass cytometry. By leveraging single-cell RNA sequencing we inform the design of a mass cytometry panel. To aid in annotation of the mass cytometry datasets, we utilize data integration with a neural network. We introduce approximately 460,000[~] single cell proteomes of non-myocytes as well as 5,000[~] CD31 negative single cell transcriptomes. Using our data, as well as previously reported datasets, we characterize cardiac non-myocytes with high depth in six mice, characterizing novel surface markers (CD9, CD200, Notch3, and FolR2). Further, we find that extended cell culture promotes the proliferation of CD45+CD11b+FolR2+IAIE- myeloid cells in addition to fibroblasts.

cell biology↗

A polygenic and phenotypic risk prediction for Polycystic Ovary Syndrome evaluated by Phenome-wide association studies

PurposeAs many as 75% of patients with Polycystic ovary syndrome (PCOS) are estimated to be unidentified in clinical practice. Utilizing polygenic risk prediction, we aim to identify the phenome-wide comorbidity patterns characteristic of PCOS to improve accurate diagnosis and preventive treatment.\n\nMethods and FindingsLeveraging the electronic health records (EHRs) of 124,852 individuals, we developed a PCOS risk prediction algorithm by combining polygenic risk scores (PRS) with PCOS component phenotypes into a polygenic and phenotypic risk score (PPRS). We evaluated its predictive capability across different ancestries and perform a PRS-based phenome-wide association study (PheWAS) to assess the phenomic expression of the heightened risk of PCOS. The integrated polygenic prediction improved the average performance (pseudo-R2) for PCOS detection by 0.228 (61.5-fold), 0.224 (58.8-fold), 0.211 (57.0-fold) over the null model across European, African, and multi-ancestry participants respectively. The subsequent PRS-powered PheWAS identified a high level of shared biology between PCOS and a range of metabolic and endocrine outcomes, especially with obesity and diabetes: morbid obesity, type 2 diabetes, hypercholesterolemia, disorders of lipid metabolism, hypertension and sleep apnea reaching phenome-wide significance.\n\nConclusionsOur study has expanded the methodological utility of PRS in patient stratification and risk prediction, especially in a multifactorial condition like PCOS, across different genetic origins. By utilizing the individual genome-phenome data available from the EHR, our approach also demonstrates that polygenic prediction by PRS can provide valuable opportunities to discover the pleiotropic phenomic network associated with PCOS pathogenesis.

bioinformatics↗