Compartmentalized ciliation changes of oligodendrocytes in aged mouse optic nerve

Primary cilia are microtubule-based sensory organelles that project from the apical surface of most mammalian cells, including oligodendrocytes, which are myelinating cells of the central nervous system (CNS) that support critical axonal function. Dysfunction of CNS glia is associated with aging-related white matter diseases and neurodegeneration, and ciliopathies are known to affect CNS white matter. To investigate age-related changes in ciliary profile, we examined ciliary length and frequency in the retinogeniculate pathway, a white matter tract commonly affected by diseases of aging but in which expression of cilia has not been characterized. We found expression of Arl13b, a marker of primary cilia, in a small group of Olig2-positive oligodendrocytes in the optic nerve, optic chiasm, and optic tract in young and aged C57BL/6 wild-type mice. While the ciliary length and ciliated oligodendrocyte cells were constant in young mice in the retinogeniculate pathway, there was a significant increase in ciliary length in the anterior optic nerve as compared to the aged animals. Morphometric analysis confirmed a specific increase in the ciliation rate of CC1⁺/Olig2⁺ oligodendrocytes in aged mice compared with young mice. Thus, the prevalence of primary cilia in oligodendrocytes in the visual pathway and the age-related changes in ciliation suggest that they may play important roles in white matter and age-associated optic neuropathies.     

The peripheral nervous system of the ascidian tadpole larva: Types of neurons and their synaptic networks

Physical and chemical cues from the environment are used to direct animal behavior through a complex network of connections originating in exteroceptors. In chordates, mechanosensory and chemosensory neurons of the peripheral nervous system (PNS) must signal to the motor circuits of the central nervous system (CNS) through a series of pathways that integrate and regulate the output to motor neurons (MN); ultimately these drive contraction of the tail and limb muscles. We used serial‐section electron microscopy to reconstruct PNS neurons and their hitherto unknown synaptic networks in the tadpole larva of a sibling chordate, the ascidian, Ciona intestinalis. The larva has groups of neurons in its apical papillae, epidermal neurons in the rostral and apical trunk, caudal neurons in the dorsal and ventral epidermis, and a single tail tip neuron. The connectome reveals that the PNS input arises from scattered groups of these epidermal neurons, 54 in total, and has three main centers of integration in the CNS: in the anterior brain vesicle (which additionally receives input from photoreceptors of the ocellus), the motor ganglion (which contains five pairs of MN), and the tail, all of which in turn are themselves interconnected through important functional relay neurons. Some neurons have long collaterals that form autapses. Our study reveals interconnections with other sensory systems, and the exact inputs to the motor system required to regulate contractions in the tail that underlie larval swimming, or to the CNS to regulate substrate preference prior to the induction of larval settlement and metamorphosis.     

Neuromuscular organization of the Ctenophore Pleurobrachia bachei

Ctenophores are descendants of one of the earliest branching metazoan lineage with enigmatic nervous systems. The lack of convenient neurogenic molecules and neurotransmitters suggests an extensive parallel evolution and independent origins of neurons and synapses. However, the field lags due to the lack of microanatomical data about the neuro-muscular systems in this group of animals. Here, using immunohistochemistry and scanning electron microscopy, we describe the organization of both muscular and nervous systems in the sea gooseberry, Pleurobrachia bachei, from North Pacific. The diffuse neural system of Pleurobrachia consists of two subsystems: the subepithelial neural network and the mesogleal net with about 5,000–7,000 neurons combined. Our data revealed the unexpected complexity of neuromuscular organization in this basal metazoan lineage. The anatomical diversity of cell types includes at least nine broad categories of neurons, five families of surface receptors and more than two dozen types of muscle cells as well as regional concentrations of neuronal elements to support ctenophore feeding, complex swimming, escape, and prey capture behaviors. In summary, we recognize more than 80 total morphological cell types. Thus, in terms of cell-type specification and diversity, ctenophores significantly exceed what we currently know about other prebilaterian groups (placozoan, sponges, and cnidarians), and some basal bilaterians.     

Primer and interviews: Diverse connections between primary cilia and Hedgehog signaling

On the surface, the Hedgehog (Hh) pathway and primary cilia make strange bedfellows. Hh is a dynamic regulator of a myriad of developmental processes, ranging from spinal cord and limb patterning to lung branching morphogenesis. By contrast, immotile primary cilia were long considered ancestral holdovers with no known function. Considering the disparate perceptions of these two phenomena, the relatively recent discovery that there is a symbiotic‐like relationship between Hh and cilia was unexpected. This primer covers the basics of primary cilia and Hh signaling, highlighting variations in ways they are connected across species, and also discusses the evolutionary implications of these findings. Roles of cilia in signal transduction are analyzed further in an interview with Søren T. Christensen, PhD, and Andrew S. Peterson, PhD, in the A Conversation With the Experts section. Developmental Dynamics 239:1255–1262, 2010. © 2010 Wiley‐Liss, Inc.     

Retinoic acid improves ciliogenesis after surgery of the maxillary sinus in rabbits

OBJECTIVES/HYPOTHESIS: Retinoids have been shown to be important cofactors in regulating the differentiation and proliferation of ciliated epithelial cells of the respiratory tract. In particular, retinoic acid has been shown to enhance the regeneration of paranasal sinus mucosa. The objective of this study is to use scanning electron microscopy techniques to evaluate the effect of topical retinoic acid on mucosal wound healing in a rabbit model of maxillary sinus surgery. It is hypothesized that the application of topical retinoic acid will enhance ciliogenesis and improve the morphology of regenerated cilia compared with controls. STUDY DESIGN: Prospective multi-arm controlled animal trial. METHODS: Eighteen New Zealand white rabbits underwent surgical opening of the maxillary sinuses through a midline incision. The rabbits were divided among four experimental groups: 1) mucosal stripping alone (stripped control), 2) stripping followed by topical application of an inert aqueous gel, 3) stripping followed by application of 0.01% retinoic acid in aqueous gel, and 4) no mucosal stripping and no topical treatment (nonstripped control). After 14 days, the medial wall of the maxillary sinus was harvested and examined by scanning electron microscopy at x2,000 and x5,000 magnification. The micrographs were then rated by a blinded review panel for ciliary density, orientation, and morphology. RESULTS: Mean scores for ciliary density, orientation, and morphology were all significantly higher for the retinoic acid treatment group compared with both the inert aqueous gel treatment group and the stripped control group (P=.004-.03 for all comparisons, Student's t test). Mean scores for the retinoic acid treatment group were numerically lower than the nonstripped control group but did not approach statistical significance for any parameter (P=.23-.31). CONCLUSIONS: In a rabbit model of maxillary sinus surgery, topically delivered retinoic acid enhances ciliogenesis. Qualitative assessment of ciliary density, orientation, and morphology shows improved healing in retinoic acid treated sinuses compared with both untreated control sinuses and aqueous gel treated sinuses.     

Oralfacialdigital-like syndrome with respiratory tract symptoms from birth and ultrastructural centriole/basal body disarray

A girl with polydactyly has had respiratory tract problems, including atelectasis, since birth. She has a high arched palate, a tongue hamartoma and dysmorphic face. Electron microscopy of nasal and bronchial brush biopsies repeatedly revealed centriole/basal body disarray and extreme sparseness of cilia. At the age of 2 years and 11 months, she displayed retardation of both motor and mental skills. CONCLUSION: The manifestations tally with a ciliopathy, partly with the Bardet--Biedl syndrome (BBS) but especially with the oralfacialdigital syndrome (OFDS); however, with the addition of persistent respiratory tract problems. As these two syndromes are considered to be due to mutations affecting the centriole/basal body apparatus, the ultrastructural demonstration of disarray of these structures, never before demonstrated in such a patient, is of fundamental interest.     

Primary cilia in satellite cells are the mechanical sensors for muscle hypertrophy

Skeletal muscle atrophy is commonly associated with aging, immobilization, muscle unloading, and congenital myopathies. Generation of mature muscle cells from skeletal muscle satellite cells (SCs) is pivotal in repairing muscle tissue. Exercise therapy promotes muscle hypertrophy and strength. Primary cilium is implicated as the mechanical sensor in some mammalian cells, but its role in skeletal muscle cells remains vague. To determine mechanical sensors for exercise-induced muscle hypertrophy, we established three SC-specific cilium dysfunctional mouse models—Myogenic factor 5 (Myf5)-Arf-like Protein 3 (Arl3)^−/−, Paired box protein Pax-7 (Pax7)-Intraflagellar transport protein 88 homolog (Ift88)^−/−, and Pax7-Arl3^−/−—by specifically deleting a ciliary protein ARL3 in MYF5-expressing SCs, or IFT88 in PAX7-expressing SCs, or ARL3 in PAX7-expressing SCs, respectively. We show that the Myf5-Arl3^−/− mice develop grossly the same as WT mice. Intriguingly, mechanical stimulation-induced muscle hypertrophy or myoblast differentiation is abrogated in Myf5-Arl3^−/− and Pax7-Arl3^−/− mice or primary isolated Myf5-Arl3^−/− and Pax7-Ift88^−/− myoblasts, likely due to defective cilia-mediated Hedgehog (Hh) signaling. Collectively, we demonstrate SC cilia serve as mechanical sensors and promote exercise-induced muscle hypertrophy via Hh signaling pathway.

Exercise is considered as the primary intervention to improve muscle strength and to counteract muscle atrophy. While physical exercise training is considered a suitable intervention to improve muscle strength and endurance in healthy individuals, some people are resistant to the beneficial effects of exercise (1–3). It has been debated whether exercise is beneficial or harmful for patients with myopathic disorders (4) and type 2 diabetes (5). This so-called “exercise resistance” is considered congenital, and one recently identified causative factor involved in exercise resistance is hepatokine selenoprotein P (2, 6).Primary cilia have a mechanosensory function in bone cells (7), renal cells (8), and airway smooth muscle cells exert a role in sensing oscillatory fluid flow and transducing extracellular mechano-chemical signals into intracellular biochemical responses (9). Intriguingly, low muscle tone is a clinical feature often present in congenital ciliopathies with unclear underlying mechanisms (10). Arf-like Protein 3 (ARL3) is a highly conserved ciliary protein across ciliated organisms. ARL3, a regulator of intraflagellar transport in primary cilia, has been reported involving with various ciliary signaling functions (11, 12) and maintaining cell division polarity (13). Arl3 mutations cause Joubert syndrome (14, 15). Arl3^−/− knockout does not affect cilia structure but compromises ciliary function (16).Cells utilize primary cilia to convert environmental cues, mechanical or chemical, into various cellular signaling essential for development (17–21). During skeletal muscle development, Hedgehog (Hh) signaling helps to initiate the myogenic program (22). In myoblast cells, Fu et al. (23) showed that primary cilia are assembled during the initial stages of myogenic differentiation but disappear as cells progress through myogenesis. The ablation of primary cilia suppresses Hh signaling and myogenic differentiation while enhancing proliferation. However, there are still significant gaps in our understanding of how exercise and mechanical signals activate the Hh signaling pathway. In the present study, we hypothesize that primary cilia in satellite cells (SCs) transduce mechanical stimulation through activation of Hh signaling and promote muscle hypertrophy induced by exercise.Hypertrophy of skeletal muscle is a complex biological process that involves multiple cell types, including SCs, fibro-adipogenic precursors, endothelial cells, fibroblasts, pericytes, and immune cells. Removing cilia from fibro-adipogenic precursors can reduce intramuscular adipogenesis and increase myofibril size during muscle healing (24). SCs play an essential role in muscle hypertrophy and exercise adaptation (25, 26), especially in young mice (27). Mechanical signals can interrupt SC suppression in a skeletal muscle loss model induced by ovariectomy. Diminished SC number and elevated adipogenic gene expression in muscle caused by ovariectomy are averted by mechanical stimulation (28). Experiments in vitro indicate that mechanical stimulation enhances the fusion of SCs (29). SCs are a heterogeneous population of stem cells and committed progenitors (30). Paired box protein Pax-7 (Pax7) is a traditional marker of SCs and acts at different levels in a nonhierarchical regulatory network controlling SC-mediated muscle hypertrophy (31). A major target gene of Pax7 is Myogenic factor 5 (Myf5), and loss of Pax7 significantly decreases Myf5 expression in myoblasts (32). However, Myf5 is present in Pax3/Pax7 double mutants, indicating Myf5 activation occurs independently of Pax3/Pax7 (33). Furthermore, 10% of Pax7-expressing satellite cells have never expressed Myf5 (30). Parise et al. (34) observed an approximately sixfold increase in the number of Myf5-expressing cells by 48 h following exercise, which remained elevated until at least 96 h after exercise. We established three mouse models of Myf5-Arl3^−/−, Pax7-Intraflagellar transport protein 88 homolog (Ift88^−/−), and Pax7-Arl3^−/− to investigate the SC during mechanical stimulation and exercise. In the present study, we provide exciting evidence that SC cilia act as the key mechanical sensor for exercise-induced hypertrophy.