Search bioRxivSearch

Biology subjects

Stanley, V.

Publications and source records attributed to Stanley, V..

2 recordsLinked to original sources

Somatic mosaicism in the mature brain reveals clonal cellular distributions during cortical development

The structure of the human neocortex underlies species-specific features and is a reflection of intricate developmental programs. Here we analyzed neocortical cellular lineages through a comprehensive assessment of brain somatic mosaicism--which acts as a neutral recorder of lineage history. We employed deep whole genome and variant sequencing in a single postmortem neurotypical human brain across 25 anatomic regions and three distinct modalities: bulk geographies, sorted cell types, and single nuclei. We identified 259 mosaic variants, revealing remarkable differences in localization, clonal abundance, cell type specificity, and clade distribution. We identified a set of hierarchical cellular diffusion barriers, whereby the left-right axis separation of the neocortex occurs prior to anterior-posterior and dorsal-ventral axis separation. We also found that stochastic distribution is a driver of clonal dispersion, and that rules regarding cellular lineages and anatomical boundaries are often ignored. Our data provides a comprehensive analysis of brain somatic mosaicism across the human cerebral cortex, deconvolving clonal distributions and migration patterns in the human embryo. One Sentence SummaryComprehensive evaluation of brain somatic mosaicism in the adult human identifies rules governing cellular distribution during embryogenesis.

genomics

MINPP1 prevents intracellular accumulation of the cation chelator inositol hexakisphosphate and is mutated in Pontocerebellar Hypoplasia

Inositol polyphosphates are vital metabolic and secondary messengers, involved in diverse cellular functions. Therefore, tight regulation of inositol polyphosphate metabolism is essential for proper cell physiology. Here, we describe an early-onset neurodegenerative syndrome caused by loss-of-function mutations in the multiple inositol polyphosphate phosphatase 1 gene (MINPP1). Patients were found to have a distinct type of Pontocerebellar Hypoplasia with typical basal ganglia involvement on neuroimaging. We found that patient-derived and genome edited MINPP1-/- induced pluripotent stem cells (iPSCs) are not able to differentiate efficiently into neurons. MINPP1 deficiency results in an intracellular imbalance of the inositol polyphosphate metabolism. This metabolic defect is characterized by an accumulation of highly phosphorylated inositols, mostly inositol hexakiphosphate (IP6), detected in HEK293, fibroblasts, iPSCs and differentiating neurons lacking MINPP1. In mutant cells, higher IP6 level is expected to be associated with an increased chelation of intracellular cations, such as iron or calcium, resulting in decreased levels of available ions. These data suggest the involvement of IP6-mediated chelation on Pontocerebellar Hypoplasia disease pathology and thereby highlight the critical role of MINPP1 in the regulation of human brain development and homeostasis.

genetics