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PURPOSE. The pupillary light reflex (PLR) can be divided into processes regulated by the brain and by the iris sphincter muscle. This study aimed to unravel potential roles of opsin 3 (OPN3) and OPN5 for the intrinsic iris-regulated PLR.

METHODS. Opn3, Opn4, and Opn5 expression in the mouse and human iris was analyzed by reverse-transcription quantitative polymerase chain reaction (RT-qPCR). The intrinsic PLR was studied in enucleated eyes from wild-type (WT) and Opn3, Opn4, or Opn5 knockout (KO) mice in response to specific wavelengths of blue light (440, 460, and 480 nm) or ultraviolet A light (380 nm) by ex vivo PLR recordings. Enucleated eyes were either dark adapted only or challenged with short light flashes before PLR recordings.

RESULTS. Opn3, Opn4, and Opn5 are expressed in the iris of mice and humans. Opn3 KO enucleated mouse eyes challenged with short light flashes before dark adaptation, followed by 10 minutes (min) of 440 nm light exposure, remained significantly more constricted in the sustained contraction phase compared to Opn3 WT eyes. Exposure to 460 or 480 nm did not change the PLR between Opn3 WT and KO eyes. Moreover, Opn5 KO challenged eyes exposed to 10 min 380 nm light remained significantly less constricted in the sustained contraction phase compared to Opn5 WT eyes.

CONCLUSIONS. This study shows that OPN3 and OPN5 affect the intrinsic PLR in opposing manners, with increased iris contraction in Opn3 KO challenged eyes and decreased iris contraction in Opn5 KO challenged eyes, respectively. The study also provides evidence that OPN3, OPN4, and OPN5 are expressed in human iris.

In the nasal cavity, olfactory receptor neurons are situated in the sensory epithelium and act to transduce odor signals, whereas the respiratory epithelium is responsible for removing unwanted particles from inhaled air. Although several molecular markers have been identified to define multiple specific cell types in the sensory epithelium, less is known to indicate cells in the respiratory domain. We have recently shown that the non-visual photoreceptor opsin 3 (Opn3) is expressed in the developing olfactory region. This raised the question as to which functional role/s Opn3 might play in the nasal epithelium, as well as whether other non-visual photoreceptors may be expressed in this region. By using Opn3-eGFP and Opn5-tdTomato reporter mice in combination with Foxj1, Ker8, OMP, Sox2, and Tubb3 immunohistochemistry analyzes, our findings show that Opn3 is restricted to the olfactory sensory domain from early embryonic stages, whereas Opn5 is up-regulated in the respiratory epithelium at later developmental stages. In adulthood, Opn3 is expressed in Sox2/Ker8-positive sustentacular cells in the sensory epithelium, whereas Opn5 expression remains in the respiratory epithelium, thus indicating that these molecular markers could be used to distinguish the sensory versus respiratory epithelia. Studies of morphology and expression patterns of Foxj1, Ker8, OMP, Sox2, and Tubb3 in adult Opn3-/- and Opn5-/- mice did not reveal differences from wild-type mice. In addition, neither Opn3-/- nor Opn5-/- mice exhibited a disturbance in olfaction compared to wild-type littermates when performing a buried food test.

Background: Neuronal lamination is a hallmark of the mammalian central nervous system (CNS) and underlies connectivity and function. Initial formation of this tissue architecture involves the integration of various signaling pathways that regulate the differentiation and migration of neural progenitor cells.

Results: Here, we demonstrate that mTORC1 mediates critical roles during neuronal lamination using the mouse retina as a model system. Down-regulation of mTORC1-signaling in retinal progenitor cells by conditional deletion of Rptor led to decreases in proliferation and increased apoptosis during embryogenesis. These developmental deficits preceded aberrant lamination in adult animals which was best exemplified by the fusion of the outer and inner nuclear layer and the absence of an outer plexiform layer. Moreover, ganglion cell axons originating from each Rptor-ablated retina appeared to segregate to an equal degree at the optic chiasm with both contralateral and ipsilateral projections displaying overlapping termination topographies within several retinorecipient nuclei. In combination, these visual pathway defects led to visually mediated behavioral deficits.

Conclusions: This study establishes a critical role for mTORC1-signaling during retinal lamination and demonstrates that this pathway regulates diverse developmental mechanisms involved in driving the stratified arrangement of neurons during CNS development.

Chromatin organization controls transcription by modulating 3D-interactions between enhancers and promoters in the nucleus. Alterations in epigenetic states and 3D-chromatin organization result in gene expression changes contributing to cancer. Here, we map the promoter-enhancer interactome and regulatory landscape of glioblastoma, the most aggressive primary brain tumour. Our data reveals profound rewiring of promoter-enhancer interactions, chromatin accessibility and redistribution of histone marks in glioblastoma. This leads to loss of long-range regulatory interactions and overall activation of promoters, which orchestrate changes in the expression of genes associated to glutamatergic synapses, axon guidance, axonogenesis and chromatin remodelling. SMAD3 and PITX1 emerge as major transcription factors controlling genes related to synapse organization and axon guidance. Inhibition of SMAD3 and neuronal activity stimulation cooperate to promote proliferation of glioblastoma cells in co-culture with glutamatergic neurons, and in mice bearing patient-derived xenografts. Our findings provide mechanistic insight into the regulatory networks that mediate neurogliomal synaptic communication.

Background: The coordinated wiring of neurons, glia and endothelial cells into neurovascular units is critical for central nervous system development. This is best exemplified in the mammalian retina where interneurons, astrocytes and retinal ganglion cells sculpt their vascular environment to meet the metabolic demands of visual function. Identifying the molecular networks that underlie neurovascular unit formation is an important step towards a deeper understanding of nervous system development and function.

Results: Here, we report that cell-to-cell mTORC1-signaling is essential for neurovascular unit formation during mouse retinal development. Using a conditional knockout approach we demonstrate that reduced mTORC1 activity in asymmetrically positioned retinal ganglion cells induces a delay in postnatal vascular network formation in addition to the production of rudimentary and tortuous vessel networks in adult animals. The severity of this vascular phenotype is directly correlated to the degree of mTORC1 down regulation within the neighboring retinal ganglion cell population.

Conclusions: This study establishes a cell nonautonomous role for mTORC1-signaling during retinal development. These findings contribute to our current understanding of neurovascular unit formation and demonstrate how ganglion cells actively sculpt their local environment to ensure that the retina is perfused with an appropriate supply of oxygen and nutrients.

Development of the vertebrate central nervous system involves the co-ordinated differentiation of progenitor cells and the establishment of functional neural networks. This neurogenic process is driven by both intracellular and extracellular cues that converge on the mammalian target of rapamycin complex 1 (mTORC1). Here we demonstrate that mTORC1-signalling mediates multi-faceted roles during central nervous system development using the mouse retina as a model system. Downregulation of mTORC1-signalling in retinal progenitor cells by conditional ablation of Rptor leads to proliferation deficits and an over-production of retinal ganglion cells during embryonic development. In contrast, reduced mTORC1-signalling in postnatal animals leads to temporal deviations in programmed cell death and the consequent production of asymmetric retinal ganglion cell mosaics and associated loss of axonal termination topographies in the dorsal lateral geniculate nucleus of adult mice. In combination these developmental defects induce visually mediated behavioural deficits. These collective observations demonstrate that mTORC1-signalling mediates critical roles during visual pathway development and function.

Development of the cornea, lens, ciliary body and iris within the anterior segment of the eye involves coordinated interaction between cells originating from the ciliary margin of the optic cup, the overlying periocular mesenchyme and the lens epithelium. Anterior segment dysgenesis (ASD) encompasses a spectrum of developmental syndromes that affect these anterior segment tissues. ASD conditions arise as a result of dominantly inherited genetic mutations and result in both ocular-specific and systemic forms of dysgenesis that are best exemplified by aniridia and Axenfeld-Rieger syndrome, respectively. Extensive clinical overlap in disease presentation amongst ASD syndromes creates challenges for correct diagnosis and classification. The use of animal models has therefore proved to be a robust approach for unravelling this complex genotypic and phenotypic heterogeneity. However, despite these successes, it is clear that additional genes that underlie several ASD syndromes remain unidentified. Here, we report the characterisation of a novel mouse model of ASD. Conditional deletion of Tsc1 during eye development leads to a premature upregulation of mTORC1 activity within the ciliary margin, periocular mesenchyme and lens epithelium. This aberrant mTORC1 signalling within the ciliary margin in particular leads to a reduction in the number of cells that express Pax6, Bmp4 and Msx1. Sustained mTORC1 signalling also induces a decrease in ciliary margin progenitor cell proliferation and a consequent failure of ciliary body and iris development in postnatal animals. Our study therefore identifies Tsc1 as a novel candidate ASD gene. Furthermore, the Tsc1-ablated mouse model also provides a valuable resource for future studies concerning the molecular mechanisms underlying ASD and acts as a platform for evaluating therapeutic approaches for the treatment of visual disorders.

Tuberous sclerosis complex (TSC) is an autosomal dominant syndrome that is best characterised by neurodevelopmental deficits and the presence of benign tumours (called hamartomas) in affected organs. This multi-organ disorder results from inactivating point mutations in either the TSC1 or the TSC2 genes and consequent activation of the canonical mammalian target of rapamycin complex 1 signalling (mTORC1) pathway. Because lesions to the eye are central to TSC diagnosis, we report here the generation and characterisation of the first eye-specific TSC mouse model. We demonstrate that conditional ablation of Tsc1 in eye-committed progenitor cells leads to the accelerated differentiation and subsequent ectopic radial migration of retinal ganglion cells. This results in an increase in retinal ganglion cell apoptosis and consequent regionalised axonal loss within the optic nerve and topographical changes to the contra- and ipsilateral input within the dorsal lateral geniculate nucleus. Eyes from adult mice exhibit aberrant retinal architecture and display all the classic neuropathological hallmarks of TSC, including an increase in organ and cell size, ring heterotopias, hamartomas with retinal detachment, and lamination defects. Our results provide the first major insight into the molecular etiology of TSC within the developing eye and demonstrate a pivotal role for Tsc1 in regulating various aspects of visual-pathway development. Our novel mouse model therefore provides a valuable resource for future studies concerning the molecular mechanisms underlying TSC and also as a platform to evaluate new therapeutic approaches for the treatment of this multi-organ disorder.

A multitude of signalling pathways are involved in the process of forming an eye. Here we demonstrate that beta-catenin is essential for eye development as inactivation of beta-catenin prior to cellular specification in the optic vesicle caused anophthalmia in mice. By achieving this early and tissue-specific beta-catenin inactivation we find that retinal pigment epithelium (RPE) commitment was blocked and eye development was arrested prior to optic cup formation due to a loss of canonical Wnt signalling in the dorsal optic vesicle. Thus, these results show that Wnt/beta-catenin signalling is required earlier and play a more central role in eye development than previous studies have indicated. In our genetic model system a few RPE cells could escape beta-catenin inactivation leading to the formation of a small optic rudiment. The optic rudiment contained several neural retinal cell classes surrounded by an RPE. Unlike the RPE cells, the neural retinal cells could be beta-catenin- negative revealing that differentiation of the neural retinal cell classes is beta-catenin-independent. Moreover, although dorsoventral patterning is initiated in the mutant optic vesicle, the neural retinal cells in the optic rudiment displayed almost exclusively ventral identity. Thus, beta-catenin is required for optic cup formation, commitment to RPE cells and maintenance of dorsal identity of the retina.

Inactivation of the LIM-homeodomain 2 gene (Lhx2) results in a severe defect in specification of olfactory sensory neurons (OSNs). However, the ramifications of lack of Lhx2-dependent OSN specification for formation of the primary olfactory pathway have not been addressed, since mutant mice die in utero. We have analyzed prenatal and postnatal consequences of conditionally inactivating Lhx2 selectively in OSNs. A cell-autonomous effect is that OSN axons cannot innervate their target, the olfactory bulb. Moreover, the lack of Lhx2 in OSNs causes unpredicted, non-cell-autonomous phenotypes. First, the olfactory bulb shows pronounced hypoplasia in adults, and the data suggest that innervation by correctly specified OSNs is necessary for adult bulb size and organization. Second, absence of an olfactory nerve in the conditional mutant reveals that the vomeronasal nerve is dependent on olfactory nerve formation. Third, the lack of a proper vomeronasal nerve prevents migration of gonadotropin-releasing hormone (GnRH) cells the whole distance to their final positions in the hypothalamus during embryo development. As adults, the conditional mutants do not pass puberty, and these findings support the view of an exclusive nasal origin of GnRH neurons in the mouse. Thus, Lhx2 in OSNs is required for functional development of three separate systems.—Berghard, A., Hägglund, A.-C., Bohm, S., and Carlsson, L. Lhx2-dependent specification of olfactory sensory neurons is required for successful integration of olfactory, vomeronasal, and GnRH neurons.