Biology subjects

Maeda, J.

Publications and source records attributed to Maeda, J..

7 recordsLinked to original sources

bioRxiv2026

Rewiring systemic nodulation control to engineer heat-tolerant nitrogen fixation in Medicago truncatula and chickpea

Root nodule symbiosis allows legumes to meet their nitrogen requirements. However, the causes of symbiosis failure at high temperatures remain unknown. We demonstrated that elevated temperatures affect both the host and the microbial partner in Medicago truncatula and chickpea. Rhizobial viability and nod gene expression persisted under heat stress, but plant transcriptome analysis revealed a strong downregulation of the nodule organogenesis machinery. Nodule organogenesis was restored by constitutive overexpression of NIN-LBD16-NFYA1-NFYB16, miR2111, and CLE5 knockdown but failed to restore nitrogen fixation. In contrast, the genetic manipulation of the competence pathway involving CEP peptides significantly improved both nodulation and nitrogen fixation. Constitutive loss of the autoregulation of nodulation (AON) pathway in the SUNN alleles also rescued root nodulation and nitrogen fixation. Therefore, heat stress perturbs the balance between AON and the competence pathway, and genetic manipulation of these pathways is a promising approach to engineer thermotolerant nitrogen fixation in crop legumes.

plant biology↗

bioRxiv2025

Pharmacological potentiation of Nav1.1 channels in interneurons mitigates tau depositions and neuronal death in a mouse model of neurodegenerative dementias

Epileptiform discharges and neuronal hyperexcitability are key pathophysiological features of Alzheimers disease and related tauopathies. We previously identified selective dynfuntion of parvalbumin-positive GABAergic interneurons (PV neurons), which regulate neural network excitability, in a tauopathy mouse model. However, the mechanistic link between PV neuron deficits, tau pathology, and neurodegeneration remains unclear. Here, we demonstrate that pharmacological enhancement of phasic PV neuron activity markedly attenuates tau accumulation and neuronal loss in a tauopathy mouse model. We developed DSR-143630, a novel activator of voltage-gated sodium channel Nav1.1, selectively expressed in PV neurons. Administration of DSR-143630 alleviated febrile seizures in Nav1.1 haploinsufficient mice and suppressed high-frequency oscillations (HFOs), an electrophysiological signature of hyperexcitability associated with cognitive impairments, in rTg4510 tau transgenic mice. Longitudinal tau PET and volumetric MRI demonstrated that DSR-143630 treatment from 4 to 11 months of age profoundly reduced age-dependent tau deposition and atrophy in the neocortex and hippocampus. Postmortem analyses further revealed decreased levels of phosphorylated tau, preservation of neuronal populations, and attenuated neuroinflammatory responses, including reactive gliosis. These findings establish PV neuron dysfunctions and consequent network hyperexcitability as key drivers of tau pathogenesis and highlight pharmacological Nav1.1 activation as a promising disease-modifying strategy for neurodegenerative tauopathies. One Sentence SummaryPharmacological potentiation of interneuronal activities attenuates aberrant network excitability, progressive tau deposition, and neurodegeneration.

neuroscience↗

bioRxiv2021

Temporal change in chromatin accessibility predicts regulators of nodulation in Medicago truncatula

Rhizobia can establish symbiotic associations with legumes to provide plants with nitrogen needed in agricultural systems. Symbiosis triggers extensive genome and transcriptome remodeling in the plant, yet the extent of chromatin changes and impact on gene expression is unknown. We profiled the temporal chromatin accessibility (ATAC-seq) and transcriptome (RNA-seq) dynamics of M. truncatula roots treated with rhizobia lipo-chitooligosaccharides. Using a novel approach, Dynamic Regulatory Module Networks, we predicted gene expression as a function of chromatin accessibility and accessible cis-regulatory elements. This approach identified the cis-regulatory elements and associated transcription factors that most significantly contribute to transcriptomic changes triggered by lipo-chitooligosaccharides. Regulators involved in auxin (IAA4-5,SHY2), ethylene (EIN3, ERF1) and abscisic acid (ABI5) hormone response, as well as histone and DNA methylation (IBM1), emerged among those most predictive of transcriptome dynamics. RNAi-based knockdown of EIN3 and ERF1 reduced nodule number in M. truncatula validating the role of these predicted regulators in symbiosis between legumes and rhizobia. Significance StatementLegumes can fix nitrogen through symbiosis with rhizobia in root nodules, a critical mutualistic relationship for crop productivity and agricultural sustainability. Introducing this symbiotic relationship into non-legume crops is of great interest, but limited knowledge of host genome modifications induced by rhizobia has hampered such efforts. We applied time-course analysis of chromatin accessibility and gene expression of M. truncatula roots treated with rhizobia lipochitooligosaccharides. We show that extensive remodeling of genome accessibility drives a large component of the temporal transcriptome dynamics. By predicting gene expression as a function of accessibility of regulatory features, we identified known and novel regulators that are associated with early nodule development, which may be critical for its engineering into crops.

plant biology↗

bioRxiv2020

Tracking tau fibrillogenesis and consequent primary phagocytosis of neurons mediated by microglia in a living tauopathy model

Fibrillary tau pathologies have been implicated in Alzheimers and allied neurodegenerative diseases, while mechanisms by which neurons bearing tau tangles die remain enigmatic. To address this issue, we pursued tau and related key pathologies macroscopically by PET and MRI and microscopically by intravital two-photon laser optics. Time-course macroscopic assays of tau transgenic mice demonstrated intimate associations of tau deposition and increase of an inflammatory microglial marker, translocator protein (TSPO), with regional brain atrophy. Longitudinal microscopy of these mice revealed a rapid turnover of tau lesions resulting from continuous generation of new tau aggregates followed by loss of neurons and their fibrillar contents. This technology also allowed the capturing of the disappearance of tangle-bearing neurons several days after being engulfed by activated microglia. Notably, a therapeutic TSPO ligand profoundly suppressed the mobility and phagocytotic activity of microglia and improved neuronal survival in this model, supporting the involvement of primary phagocytosis of viable neurons by microglia in tau-primed neuronal death. Finally, partial depletion of microglia revealed roles of immune factors, MFG-E8 and C1q, as eat-me signals for an immediate attraction of phagocytic microglia towards the elimination of tangle-loaded neurons.

neuroscience↗

bioRxiv2020

Synthesis and preclinical evaluation of MTP38 as a novel PET ligand for phophodiesterase 7 in the brain

PurposePhosphodiesterase (PDE) 7 is a potential therapeutic target for neurological and inflammatory diseases, although in-vivo visualization of PDE7 has not been successful. In this study, we aimed to develop [11C]MTP38 as a novel positron emission tomography (PET) ligand for PDE7. Methods[11C]MTP38 was radiosynthesized by 11C-cyanation of a bromo precursor with [11C]HCN. PET scans of rat and rhesus monkey brains and in-vitro autoradiography of brain sections derived from these species were conducted with [11C]MTP38. In monkeys, dynamic PET data were analyzed with an arterial input function to calculate the total distribution volume (VT). The non-displaceable binding potential (BPND) in the striatum was also determined by a reference tissue model with cerebellar reference. Finally, striatal occupancy of PDE7 by an inhibitor was calculated in monkeys according to changes in BPND. Results[11C]MTP38 was synthesized with radiochemical purity [≥] 99.4% and molar activity of 38.6 {+/-} 12.6 GBq/mol. Autoradiography revealed high radioactivity in the striatum and its reduction by non-radiolabeled ligands, in contrast with unaltered autoradiographic signals in other regions. In-vivo PET after radioligand injection to rats and monkeys demonstrated that radioactivity was rapidly distributed to the brain and intensely accumulated in the striatum relative to the cerebellum. Correspondingly, estimated VT values in the monkey striatum and cerebellum were 3.59 and 2.69 mL/cm3, respectively. The cerebellar VT value was unchanged by pretreatment with unlabeled MTP38. Striatal BPND was reduced in a dose-dependent manner after pretreatment with MTP-X, a PDE7 inhibitor. Relationships between PDE7 occupancy by MTP-X and plasma MTP-X concentration could be described by Hills sigmoidal function. ConclusionWe have provided the first successful preclinical demonstration of in-vivo PDE7 imaging with a specific PET radioligand. [11C]MTP38 is a feasible radioligand for evaluating PDE7 in the brain and is currently being applied to a first-in-human PET study.

neuroscience↗

bioRxiv2020

MRS-measured Glutamate versus GABA reflects excitatory versus inhibitory neural activities in awake mice

To assess if magnetic resonance spectroscopy (MRS)-measured Glutamate (Glu) and GABA reflect excitatory and inhibitory neural activities, respectively, we conducted MRS measurements along with two-photon mesoscopic imaging of calcium signals in excitatory and inhibitory neurons of living, unanesthetized mice. For monitoring stimulus-driven activations of a brain region, MRS signals and mesoscopic neural activities were measured during two consecutive sessions of 15-min prolonged sensory stimulations. In the first session, putative excitatory neuronal activities were increased, while inhibitory neuronal activities remained at the baseline level. In the second half, while excitatory neuronal activities remained elevated, inhibitory neuronal activities were significantly enhanced. We also assessed regional neurochemical and functional statuses related to spontaneous neural firing by measuring MRS signals and neuronal activities in a mouse model of Dravet syndrome under a resting condition. Mesoscopic assessments showed that activities of inhibitory neurons in the cortex were diminished relative to wild-type mice in contrast to spared activities of excitatory neurons. Consistent with these observations, the Dravet model exhibited lower concentrations of GABA than wild-type controls. Collectively, the current investigations demonstrate that the MRS-measured Glu and GABA can reflect spontaneous and stimulated activities of neurons producing and releasing these neurotransmitters in an awake condition.

neuroscience↗

bioRxiv2020

Genetically targeted reporter imaging of deep neuronal network in the mammalian brain

Positron Emission Tomography (PET) allows biomolecular tracking, while PET monitoring of brain networks has been hampered by the lack of a suitable reporter. Here, we describe in vivo brain imaging that takes advantage of bacterial dihydrofolate reductase, ecDHFR, and its unique antagonist, TMP. In mice, peripheral administration of radiofluorinated and fluorescent TMP analogs enabled PET and intravital microscopy, respectively, of neuronal ecDHFR expressions. This technique is applicable to the visualization of neuronal ensemble activities elicited by chemogenetic manipulation in the mouse hippocampus. Notably, ecDHFR-PET offers mapping of neuronal projections in non-human primate brains, indicating the availability of ecDHFR-based tracking technologies for network monitoring. Finally, we demonstrate the utility of TMP analogs for PET assays of turnover and self-assembly of proteins tagged with ecDHFR mutants. Our findings may facilitate a broad spectrum of PET analyses of a mammalian brain circuit at molecular levels that were not previously applicable for technical reasons.

neuroscience↗