Biology subjects

Williamson, J. M.

Publications and source records attributed to Williamson, J. M..

3 recordsLinked to original sources

bioRxiv2025

Late-Onset Preeclampsia is characterised by Accelerated Placental Aging

Late-onset preeclampsia (LOPE) is a major pregnancy complication characterised by hypertension and placental dysfunction, resolving only upon delivery. Here, we show that LOPE placentae undergo accelerated molecular aging, marked by telomere attrition, DNA damage and trophoblast senescence. Using primary placental tissue and trophoblast organoids, we demonstrate oxidative stress as a driver of telomere shortening and angiogenic imbalance. Inflammation did not alter placental aging trajectories. Antioxidant treatment (superoxide dismutase) preserved telomere length, reduced DNA damage and restored angiogenic balance, highlighting oxidative stress as a modifiable determinant of placental aging. We identify reduced expression of telomeric repeat-containing RNAs (TERRAs) as a molecular hallmark of LOPE, and show that antisense oligonucleotide-mediated TERRA depletion exacerbates telomere erosion and senescence. Together, these findings delineate oxidative stress and TERRA loss as mechanisms driving placental decline, establish trophoblast organoids as a tractable model of placental aging, and reveal potential therapeutic avenues for mitigating preeclampsia-associated placental dysfunction.

developmental biology↗

bioRxiv2020

Synaptic vesicle fusion along axons is driven by myelination and subsequently accelerates sheath growth in an activity-regulated manner

To study activity-regulated myelination, we imaged synaptic vesicle fusion along single axons in living zebrafish, and found, surprisingly, that axonal synaptic vesicle fusion is driven by myelination. This myelin-induced axonal vesicle fusion was enriched along the unmyelinated domains into which newly-formed sheaths grew, and was promoted by neuronal activity, which in turn accelerated sheath growth. Our results indicate that neuronal activity consolidates sheath growth along axons already selected for myelination.

neuroscience↗

bioRxiv2020

New oligodendrocytes exhibit more abundant and accurate myelin regeneration than those that survive demyelination

Regeneration of myelin (remyelination) in the central nervous system (CNS) has long been thought to be principally mediated by newly generated oligodendrocytes, a premise underpinning therapeutic strategies for demyelinating diseases, including multiple sclerosis (MS). Recent studies have indicated that oligodendrocytes that survive demyelination can also contribute to remyelination, including in MS, but it is unclear how remyelination by surviving oligodendrocytes compares to that of newly generated oligodendrocytes. Here we studied oligodendrocytes in MS, and also imaged remyelination in vivo by surviving and new oligodendrocytes using zebrafish. We define a previously unappreciated pathology in MS, myelination of neuronal cell bodies, which is recapitulated during remyelination by surviving oligodendrocytes in zebrafish. Live imaging also revealed that surviving oligodendrocytes make very few new sheaths, but can support sheath growth along axons. In comparison, newly made oligodendrocytes make abundant new sheaths, properly targeted to axons, and exhibit a much greater capacity for regeneration.

neuroscience↗