Search bioRxiv⌕ Search
Home/Archive/bioRxiv

bioRxiv · 10.1101/2021.09.11.459765

Astrocytic cell adhesion genes linked to schizophrenia promote synaptic programs in neurons

Pietilainen, O.·Nehme, R.·Trehan, A.·Eggan, K.
View original source ↗Export metadata ↓

Abstract

The maturation of neurons and the development of synapses - while emblematic of neurons - also rely on interactions with astrocytes and other glia. To study the role of glia-neuron interactions, we analyzed the transcriptomes of human pluripotent stem cell (hPSC)-derived neurons, from a total of 80 human donors, that were cultured with or without contact with glial cells. We found that the presence of astrocytes enhanced synaptic gene-expression programs in neurons. These changes in neuronal synaptic gene expression correlated with increased expression in the co-cultured glia of genes that encode synaptic cell adhesion molecules, and they were greatly enhanced in the glia in coculture. Both the neuronal and astrocyte gene-expression programs were enriched for genes that are linked to schizophrenia risk. Physical contact between the two cell types was required for the induction of synaptic programs in neurons. Our results suggest that astrocyte-expressed genes with synaptic functions are associated with stronger expression of synaptic genetic programs in neurons and suggest a potential role for astrocyte-neuron interactions in schizophrenia.

Source connections

Explore related subjects

molecular biologyPreprint

Keep this discovery

Explore connections, maps & timelines

BibTeXRIS

Pietilainen, O., Nehme, R., Trehan, A., Eggan, K.. 2021-09-12. Astrocytic cell adhesion genes linked to schizophrenia promote synaptic programs in neurons. https://doi.org/10.1101/2021.09.11.459765

Cite the original work for its findings. Save a collection to share your selection of sources.

KEEP EXPLORING

Related preprints

bioRxiv2026

Trans-branching of polyubiquitin chains orchestrates the DNA replication stress response

Polyubiquitin chain geometry dictates functional consequences of ubiquitylation. Although branched polyubiquitin chains are abundant in cells, little is known about their functions. Here we show that branching on the DNA replication factor PCNA, mediated by the ubiquitin-conjugating enzyme UBE2K and involving lysines 63 and 48 of ubiquitin, orchestrates the sequence of events in response to replication stress. By inducing VCP-dependent extraction of PCNA from chromatin, branching promotes re-priming of stalled forks and necessitates a BRCA1-dependent pathway of daughter-strand gap repair. Our study identifies hyper-accumulation of daughter-strand gaps as the mechanistic basis underlying the toxicity of inhibitors of the PCNA-specific isopeptidase, USP1, in BRCA1-deficient cells. Moreover, an unexpected preference of UBE2K to operate in trans suggests a general timing mechanism to organize hierarchies amongst ubiquitin signals.

molecular biology↗
bioRxiv2026

Impaired proteostasis is an early feature of the diabetic heart in humans and mice

Diabetes and obesity increase cardiac lipid levels leading to cardiomyopathy and heart failure. We hypothesized that intermittent fasting would reduce cardiac lipid levels. Surprisingly, intermittent fasting increased myocardial triglyceride content, but rescued mortality and attenuated cardiomyopathy in mice overexpressing cardiomyocyte acyl-CoA synthetase 1 (MHC-ACSL1). Lipid overload caused cardiomyocyte accumulation of polyubiquitinated protein aggregates containing desmin, a scaffolding intermediate filament protein, which intermittent fasting prevented. Furthermore, intermittent fasting reversed elevated myocardial C16:0 ceramide content, and knockdown of ceramide synthase CerS5 and CerS6 reduced palmitate-induced protein aggregation, highlighting a role for C16:0 ceramides in this pathology. Conversely, impairing aggrephagy with cardiomyocyte-specific p62 ablation induced heart failure in mice fed a high-fat diet, with paradoxically reduced cardiac lipid content. Crucially, non-failing diabetic human hearts also exhibited protein aggregate pathology. Taken together, these results demonstrate that impaired proteostasis characterizes cardiomyopathy from cardiac lipid overload and identify a promising new therapeutic target for this condition.

molecular biology↗
bioRxiv2026

Spatial profiling and neurovascular communication in the developing and adolescent cortex following prenatal alcohol exposure

Fetal alcohol spectrum disorders (FASD) constitute a wide range of developmental, cognitive, and behavioral impairments caused by prenatal alcohol exposure (PAE). Although neuronal and vascular consequences of PAE have been studied, how alcohol affects the cerebrovasculature within the framework of the neurovascular unit (NVU) across development remains poorly understood. At minimum, the NVU comprises neurons, astrocyte endfeet, and endothelial cells (ECs), which coordinate to maintain brain homeostasis. Here, we used the NanoString Digital Spatial Profiling platform to characterize spatial transcriptomic data from neurons, astrocytes, and ECs from PAE and saccharin (SAC) control cortices at embryonic day 18 (E18) and postnatal day 28 (P28). Differentially expressed genes were then used for Ingenuity Pathway Analysis (IPA) to identify altered biological pathways and perform comparison analyses across developmental time points, while CellChat was used to infer cell cell communication networks. We uncovered thousands of differentially expressed genes and numerous altered pathways and biological processes in PAE cortices across development. Both IPA and CellChat analyses implicated dysregulation of vascular and extracellular matrix (ECM) remodeling, cell adhesion, and neuroinflammatory signaling. CellChat further predicted the loss of several key bidirectional relationships and altered ligand-receptor interactions among neurovascular cell types at E18 and P28. Overall, these findings identify PAE associated alterations in neurovascular gene expression and intercellular signaling across development, providing potential mechanisms by which PAE may disrupt neurodevelopment.

molecular biology↗