Browsing by Author "Court, Felipe A."

Now showing 1 - 10 of 10
  • No Thumbnail Available
    Item
    Abrogation of prostaglandin E2/EP4 signaling impairs the development of rag1+ lymphoid precursors in the thymus of zebrafish embryos
    (2007) Villablanca, Eduardo J.; Pistocchi, Anna; Court, Felipe A.; Cotelli, Franco; Bordignon, Claudio; Allende, Miguel L.; Traversari, Catia; Russo, Vincenzo
    PGE(2) is involved in a wide variety of physiological and pathological processes; however, deciphering its role in early Mammalian development has been difficult due to the maternal contribution of PGE(2). To overcome this limitation we have investigated the role of PGE(2) during T cell development in zebrafish. In this study, we show that zebrafish ep4a, a PGE(2) receptor isoform of EP4, is expressed at 26 h postfertilization in the dorsal aorta-posterior cardinal vein joint region, which has a high homology with the mammal aorta-gonad-mesonephros area and where definitive hemopoiesis arises. Furthermore, it is expressed in the presumptive thymus rudiment by 48 h postfertilization. Supplementation of PGE(2), results in a strong increase in rag 1 levels and cell proliferation in the thymus. In contrast, the inhibition of PGE(2) production, as well as EP4 blockade, abrogates the expression of rag1 in the thymus and that of the lymphoid precursor marker ikaros, not only in the dorsal aorta-posterior cardinal vein joint region but also in the newly identified caudal hemopoietic tissue without affecting early hemopoietic (scl, gata2) and erythropoietic (gatal1) markers. These results identify ep4a as the earliest thymus marker and define a novel role for the PGE(2)/EP4 pathway in controlling T cell precursor development in zebrafish.
  • No Thumbnail Available
    Item
    Applying the area fraction fractionator (AFF) probe for total volume estimations of somatic, dendritic and axonal domains of the nigrostriatal dopaminergic system in a murine model
    (2024) Onate-Ponce, Alejandro; Munoz-Munoz, Catalina; Catenaccio, Alejandra; Court, Felipe A.; Henny, Pablo
    Background: The Cavalieri estimator is used for volume measurement of brain and brain regions. Derived from this estimator is the Area Fraction Fractionator (AFF), used for efficient area and number estimations of small 2D elements, such as axons in cross-sectioned nerves. However, to our knowledge, the AFF has not been combined with serial sectioning analysis to measure the volume of small-size nervous structures. New method: Using the nigrostriatal dopaminergic system as an illustrative case, we describe a protocol based on Cavalieri's principle and AFF to estimate the volume of its somatic, nuclear, dendritic, axonal and axon terminal cellular compartments in the adult mouse. The protocol consists of (1) systematic random sampling of sites within and across sections in regions of interest (substantia nigra, the nigrostriatal tract, caudate-putamen), (2) confocal image acquisition of sites, (3) marking of cellular domains using Cavalieri's 2D point-counting grids, and 4) determination of compartments' total volume using the estimated area of each compartment, and between-sections distance. Results: The volume of the nigrostriatal system per hemisphere is 0.38 mm3, with 5 % corresponding to perikarya and cell nuclei, 10 % to neuropil/dendrites, and 85 % to axons and varicosities. Comparison with existing methods: In contrast to other methods to measure volume of discrete objects, such as the optical nucleator or 3D reconstructions, it stands out for its versatility and ease of use. Conclusions: The use of a simple quantitative, unbiased approach to assess the global state of a system may allow quantification of compartment-specific changes that may accompany neurodegenerative processes.
  • No Thumbnail Available
    Item
    Axonal Degeneration Is Mediated by Necroptosis Activation
    (2019) Arrazola, Macarena S.; Saquel, Cristian; Catalan, Romina J.; Barrientos, Sebastian A.; Hernandez, Diego E.; Martinez, Nicolas W.; Catenaccio, Alejandra; Court, Felipe A.
    Axonal degeneration, which contributes to functional impairment in several disorders of the nervous system, is an important target for neuroprotection. Several individual factors and subcellular events have been implicated in axonal degeneration, but researchers have so far been unable to identify an integrative signaling pathway activating this self-destructive process. Through pharmacological and genetic approaches, we tested whether necroptosis, a regulated cell-death mechanism implicated in the pathogenesis of several neurodegenerative diseases, is involved in axonal degeneration. Pharmacological inhibition of the necroptotic kinase RIPK1 using necrostatin-1 strongly delayed axonal degeneration in the peripheral nervous system and CNS of wild-type mice of either sex and protected in vitro sensory axons from degeneration after mechanical and toxic insults. These effects were also observed after genetic knock-down of RIPK3, a second key regulator of necroptosis, and the downstream effector MLKL (Mixed Lineage Kinase Domain-Like). RIPK1 inhibition prevented mitochondrial fragmentation in vitro and in vivo, a typical feature of necrotic death, and inhibition of mitochondrial fission by Mdivi also resulted in reduced axonal loss in damaged nerves. Furthermore, electrophysiological analysis demonstrated that inhibition of necroptosis delays not only the morphological degeneration of axons, but also the loss of their electrophysiological function after nerve injury. Activation of the necroptotic pathway early during injury-induced axonal degeneration was made evident by increased phosphorylation of the downstream effector MLKL. Our results demonstrate that axonal degeneration proceeds by necroptosis, thus defining a novel mechanistic framework in the axonal degenerative cascade for therapeutic interventions in a wide variety of conditions that lead to neuronal loss and functional impairment.
  • No Thumbnail Available
    Item
    BAX inhibitor-1 regulates autophagy by controlling the IRE1α branch of the unfolded protein response
    (2011) Castillo, Karen; Rojas-Rivera, Diego; Lisbona, Fernanda; Caballero, Benjamin; Nassif, Melissa; Court, Felipe A.; Schuck, Sebastian; Ibar, Consuelo; Walter, Peter; Sierralta, Jimena; Glavic, Alvaro; Hetz, Claudio
    Both autophagy and apoptosis are tightly regulated processes playing a central role in tissue homeostasis. Bax inhibitor 1 (BI-1) is a highly conserved protein with a dual role in apoptosis and endoplasmic reticulum (ER) stress signalling through the regulation of the ER stress sensor inositol requiring kinase 1 alpha (IRE1 alpha). Here, we describe a novel function of BI-1 in the modulation of autophagy. BI-1-deficient cells presented a faster and stronger induction of autophagy, increasing LC3 flux and autophagosome formation. These effects were associated with enhanced cell survival under nutrient deprivation. Repression of autophagy by BI-1 was dependent on cJun-N terminal kinase (JNK) and IRE1 alpha expression, possibly due to a displacement of TNF-receptor associated factor-2 (TRAF2) from IRE1 alpha. Targeting BI-1 expression in flies altered autophagy fluxes and salivary gland degradation. BI-1 deficiency increased flies survival under fasting conditions. Increased expression of autophagy indicators was observed in the liver and kidney of bi-1-deficient mice. In summary, we identify a novel function of BI-1 in multicellular organisms, and suggest a critical role of BI-1 as a stress integrator that modulates autophagy levels and other interconnected homeostatic processes. The EMBO Journal (2011) 30, 4465-4478. doi:10.1038/emboj.2011.318; Published online 16 September 2011
  • No Thumbnail Available
    Item
    Chronic intermittent hypoxia-induced vascular enlargement and VEGF upregulation in the rat carotid body is not prevented by antioxidant treatment
    (2011) Del Rio, Rodrigo; Munoz, Cristian; Arias, Paulina; Court, Felipe A.; Moya, Esteban A.; Iturriaga, Rodrigo
    Del Rio R, Munoz C, Arias P, Court FA, Moya EA, Iturriaga R. Chronic intermittent hypoxia-induced vascular enlargement and VEGF upregulation in the rat carotid body is not prevented by antioxidant treatment. Am J Physiol Lung Cell Mol Physiol 301: L702-L711, 2011. First published August 5, 2011; doi:10.1152/ajplung.00128.2011.-Chronic intermittent hypoxia (CIH), a characteristic of sleep obstructive apnea, enhances carotid body (CB) chemosensory responses to hypoxia, but its consequences on CB vascular area and VEGF expression are unknown. Accordingly, we studied the effect of CIH on CB volume, glomus cell numbers, blood vessel diameter and number, and VEGF immunoreactivity (VEGF-ir) in male Sprague-Dawley rats exposed to 5% O-2, 12 times/h for 8 h or sham condition for 21 days. We found that CIH did not modify the CB volume or the number of glomus cells but increased VEGF-ir and enlarged the vascular area by increasing the size of the blood vessels, whereas the number of the vessels was unchanged. Because oxidative stress plays an essential role in the CIH-induced carotid chemosensory potentiation, we tested whether antioxidant treatment with ascorbic acid may impede the vascular enlargement and the VEGF upregulation. Ascorbic acid, which prevents the CB chemosensory potentiation, failed to impede the vascular enlargement and the increased VEGF-ir. Thus present results suggest that the CB vascular enlargement induced by CIH is a direct effect of intermittent hypoxia and not secondary to the oxidative stress. Accordingly, the subsequent capillary changes may be secondary to the mechanisms involved in the neural chemosensory plasticity induced by intermittent hypoxia.
  • No Thumbnail Available
    Item
    Collateral Sprouting of Peripheral Sensory Neurons Exhibits a Unique Transcriptomic Profile
    (2020) Lemaitre, Dominique; Llavero Hurtado, Maica; De Gregorio, Cristian; Onate, Maritza; Martinez, Gabriela; Catenaccio, Alejandra; Wishart, Thomas M.; Court, Felipe A.
    Peripheral nerve injuries result in motor and sensory dysfunction which can be recovered by compensatory or regenerative processes. In situations where axonal regeneration of injured neurons is hampered, compensation by collateral sprouting from uninjured neurons contributes to target reinnervation and functional recovery. Interestingly, this process of collateral sprouting from uninjured neurons has been associated with the activation of growth-associated programs triggered by Wallerian degeneration. Nevertheless, the molecular alterations at the transcriptomic level associated with these compensatory growth mechanisms remain to be fully elucidated. We generated a surgical model of partial sciatic nerve injury in mice to mechanistically study degeneration-induced collateral sprouting from spared fibers in the peripheral nervous system. Using next-generation sequencing and Ingenuity Pathway Analysis, we described the sprouting-associated transcriptome of uninjured sensory neurons and compare it with the activated by regenerating neurons. In vitro approaches were used to functionally assess sprouting gene candidates in the mechanisms of axonal growth. Using a novel animal model, we provide the first description of the sprouting transcriptome observed in uninjured sensory neurons after nerve injury. This collateral sprouting-associated transcriptome differs from that seen in regenerating neurons, suggesting a molecular program distinct from axonal growth. We further demonstrate that genetic upregulation of novel sprouting-associated genes activates a specific growth program in vitro, leading to increased neuronal branching. These results contribute to our understanding of the molecular mechanisms associated with collateral sprouting in vivo. The data provided here will therefore be instrumental in developing therapeutic strategies aimed at promoting functional recovery after injury to the nervous system.
  • No Thumbnail Available
    Item
    Necroptosis inhibition counteracts neurodegeneration, memory decline, and key hallmarks of aging, promoting brain rejuvenation
    (2023) Arrazola, Macarena S.; Lira, Matias; Veliz-Valverde, Felipe; Quiroz, Gabriel; Iqbal, Somya; Eaton, Samantha L.; Lamont, Douglas J.; Huerta, Hernan; Ureta, Gonzalo; Bernales, Sebastian; Cardenas, J. Cesar; Cerpa, Waldo; Wishart, Thomas M.; Court, Felipe A.
    Age is the main risk factor for the development of neurodegenerative diseases. In the aged brain, axonal degeneration is an early pathological event, preceding neuronal dysfunction, and cognitive disabilities in humans, primates, rodents, and invertebrates. Necroptosis mediates degeneration of injured axons, but whether necroptosis triggers neurodegeneration and cognitive impairment along aging is unknown. Here, we show that the loss of the necroptotic effector Mlkl was sufficient to delay age-associated axonal degeneration and neuroinflammation, protecting against decreased synaptic transmission and memory decline in aged mice. Moreover, short-term pharmacologic inhibition of necroptosis targeting RIPK3 in aged mice, reverted structural and functional hippocampal impairment, both at the electrophysiological and behavioral level. Finally, a quantitative proteomic analysis revealed that necroptosis inhibition leads to an overall improvement of the aged hippocampal proteome, including a subclass of molecular biofunctions associated with brain rejuvenation, such as long-term potentiation and synaptic plasticity. Our results demonstrate that necroptosis contributes to age-dependent brain degeneration, disturbing hippocampal neuronal connectivity, and cognitive function. Therefore, necroptosis inhibition constitutes a potential geroprotective strategy to treat age-related disabilities associated with memory impairment and cognitive decline.
  • No Thumbnail Available
    Item
    Neuronal activity-dependent ATP enhances the pro-growth effect of repair Schwann cell extracellular vesicles by increasing their miRNA-21 loading
    (2022) Saquel, Cristian; Catalan, Romina J.; Lopez-Leal, Rodrigo; Ramirez, Ramon A.; Necunir, David; Wyneken, Ursula; Lamaze, Christophe; Court, Felipe A.
    Functional recovery after peripheral nerve injuries is critically dependent on axonal regeneration. Several autonomous and non-cell autonomous processes regulate axonal regeneration, including the activation of a growth-associated transcriptional program in neurons and the reprogramming of differentiated Schwann cells (dSCs) into repair SCs (rSCs), triggering the secretion of neurotrophic factors and the activation of an inflammatory response. Repair Schwann cells also release pro-regenerative extracellular vesicles (EVs), but is still unknown whether EV secretion is regulated non-cell autonomously by the regenerating neuron. Interestingly, it has been described that nerve activity enhances axonal regeneration by increasing the secretion of neurotrophic factors by rSC, but whether this activity modulates pro-regenerative EV secretion by rSC has not yet been explored. Here, we demonstrate that neuronal activity enhances the release of rSC-derived EVs and their transfer to neurons. This effect is mediated by activation of P2Y receptors in SCs after activity-dependent ATP release from sensory neurons. Importantly, activation of P2Y in rSCs also increases the amount of miRNA-21 present in rSC-EVs. Taken together, our results demonstrate that neuron to glia communication by ATP-P2Y signaling regulates the content of SC-derived EVs and their transfer to axons, modulating axonal elongation in a non-cell autonomous manner.
  • No Thumbnail Available
    Item
    The necroptosis machinery mediates axonal degeneration in a model of Parkinson disease
    (2020) Onate, Maritza; Catenaccio, Alejandra; Salvadores, Natalia; Saquel, Cristian; Martinez, Alexis; Moreno-Gonzalez, Ines; Gamez, Nazaret; Soto, Paulina; Soto, Claudio; Hetz, Claudio; Court, Felipe A.
    Parkinson's disease (PD) is the second most common neurodegenerative condition, characterized by motor impairment due to the progressive degeneration of dopaminergic neurons in the substantia nigra and depletion of dopamine release in the striatum. Accumulating evidence suggest that degeneration of axons is an early event in the disease, involving destruction programs that are independent of the survival of the cell soma. Necroptosis, a programmed cell death process, is emerging as a mediator of neuronal loss in models of neurodegenerative diseases. Here, we demonstrate activation of necroptosis in postmortem brain tissue from PD patients and in a toxin-based mouse model of the disease. Inhibition of key components of the necroptotic pathway resulted in a significant delay of 6-hydroxydopamine-dependent axonal degeneration of dopaminergic and cortical neurons in vitro. Genetic ablation of necroptosis mediators MLKL and RIPK3, as well as pharmacological inhibition of RIPK1 in preclinical models of PD, decreased dopaminergic neuron degeneration, improving motor performance. Together, these findings suggest that axonal degeneration in PD is mediated by the necroptosis machinery, a process here referred to as necroaxoptosis, a druggable pathway to target dopaminergic neuronal loss.
  • No Thumbnail Available
    Item
    The p75 neurotrophin receptor evades the endolysosomal route in neuronal cells, favouring multivesicular bodies specialised for exosomal release
    (2014) Escudero, Claudia A.; Lazo, Oscal M.; Galleguillos, Carolina; Parraguez, Jose I.; Lopez-Verrilli, Maria A.; Cabeza, Carolina; Leon, Luisa; Saeed, Uzma; Retamal, Claudio; Gonzalez, Alfonso; Marzolo, Maria-Paz; Carter, Bruce D.; Court, Felipe A.; Bronfman, Francisca C.
    The p75 neurotrophin receptor (p75, also known as NGFR) is a multifaceted signalling receptor that regulates neuronal physiology, including neurite outgrowth, and survival and death decisions. A key cellular aspect regulating neurotrophin signalling is the intracellular trafficking of their receptors; however, the post-endocytic trafficking of p75 is poorly defined. We used sympathetic neurons and rat PC12 cells to study the mechanism of internalisation and post-endocytic trafficking of p75. We found that p75 internalisation depended on the clathrin adaptor protein AP2 and on dynamin. More surprisingly, p75 evaded the lysosomal route at the level of the early endosome, instead accumulating in two different types of endosomes, Rab11-positive endosomes and multivesicular bodies (MVBs) positive for CD63, a marker of the exosomal pathway. Consistently, depolarisation by KCl induced the liberation of previously endocytosed full-length p75 into the extracellular medium in exosomes. Thus, p75 defines a subpopulation of MVBs that does not mature to lysosomes and is available for exosomal release by neuronal cells.