Sandhoff disease (SD) is a genetic disorder caused by a mutation of HEXB, which is the β-subunit gene of β-hexosaminidase A and B (HexA and HexB) in humans. HEXB mutation reduces HexA and HexB enzymatic activities, and results in the massive accumulation of ganglioside GM2 in the nervous system. Severe phenotypes of SD show progressive neurodegeneration in human infants, and lysosomal dysfunction that may affect the early development of the nervous system. In a previous study, neural stem cells (NSCs) and induced pluripotent stem cells derived from SD model mice, which are Hexb-deficient (Hexb), demonstrated impaired neuronal differentiation. This study investigated early neurodevelopment in vivo using Hexb mice. The structure of adult cerebral cortices of Hexb mice was normal. However, the expression of Sox2, an NSC-related gene, was reduced in the embryonic cerebral cortices of Hexb mice. Moreover, a reduction of early neuronal migration and differentiation was observed in the embryonic cerebral cortices of Hexb mice. In addition, we showed that the production of layer-specific neurons was delayed in somatosensory cerebral cortices of Hexb mice. These findings suggest that the alterations observed in embryonic Hexb mice may contribute to deficits in neurodevelopment of SD.

Download full-text PDF

Source
http://dx.doi.org/10.1016/j.neures.2019.07.004DOI Listing

Publication Analysis

Top Keywords

hexb mice
24
cerebral cortices
16
cortices hexb
16
hexb
11
sandhoff disease
8
hexa hexb
8
nervous system
8
stem cells
8
embryonic cerebral
8
observed embryonic
8

Similar Publications

Sandhoff disease (SD) is a progressive neurodegenerative lysosomal storage disorder characterized by GM2 ganglioside accumulation as a result of mutations in the gene, which encodes the β-subunit of the enzyme β-hexosaminidase. Lysosomal storage of GM2 triggers inflammation in the CNS and periphery. The NLRP3 inflammasome is an important coordinator of pro-inflammatory responses, and we have investigated its regulation in murine SD.

View Article and Find Full Text PDF

JMJD3 deficiency disturbs dopamine biosynthesis in midbrain and aggravates chronic inflammatory pain.

Acta Neuropathol Commun

December 2024

Laboratory of Stem Cell Biology and Epigenetics, School of Basic Medical Sciences, Shanghai University of Medicine & Health Sciences, 279 Zhouzhu Highway, Pudong New Area, Shanghai, 201318, China.

Midbrain dopamine (mDA) neurons participate in a wide range of brain functions through an intricate regulation of DA biosynthesis. The epigenetic factors and mechanisms in this process are not well understood. Here we report that histone demethylase JMJD3 is a critical regulator for DA biosynthesis in adult mouse mDA neurons.

View Article and Find Full Text PDF

Patients receiving cranial radiation therapy experience tissue damage and cognitive deficits that severely decrease their quality of life. Experiments in rodent models show that these adverse neurological effects are in part due to functional changes in microglia, the resident immune cells of the central nervous system. Increasing evidence suggests that experimental manipulation of microglial signaling can regulate radiation-induced changes in the brain and behavior.

View Article and Find Full Text PDF

Reactivation of mTOR signaling slows neurodegeneration in a lysosomal sphingolipid storage disease.

Neurobiol Dis

January 2025

Genetics and Biochemistry Branch, National Institute of Diabetes and Digestive and Kidney Diseases, National Institutes of Health, Bethesda, MD, USA. Electronic address:

Sandhoff disease, a lysosomal storage disorder, is caused by pathogenic variants in the HEXB gene, resulting in the loss of β-hexosaminidase activity and accumulation of sphingolipids including GM2 ganglioside. This accumulation occurs primarily in neurons, and leads to progressive neurodegeneration through a largely unknown process. Lysosomal storage diseases often exhibit dysfunctional mTOR signaling, a pathway crucial for proper neuronal development and function.

View Article and Find Full Text PDF

Lysosomal storage disorders (LSDs) are a large disease class involving lysosomal dysfunction, often resulting in neurodegeneration. Sandhoff disease (SD) is an LSD caused by a deficiency in the β subunit of the β-hexosaminidase enzyme (). Although expression in the brain is specific to microglia, SD primarily affects neurons.

View Article and Find Full Text PDF

Want AI Summaries of new PubMed Abstracts delivered to your In-box?

Enter search terms and have AI summaries delivered each week - change queries or unsubscribe any time!