Open AccessInhibition of β-catenin dependent WNT signalling upregulates the transcriptional repressor NR0B1 and downregulates markers of an A9 phenotype in human embryonic stem cell-derived dopaminergic neurons: Implications for Parkinson’s disease
Author(s) -
John M. Haynes,
Shanti M. Sibuea,
Alita Aguiar,
Fangwei Li,
Joan K. Ho,
Colin W. Pouton
Publication year - 2021
Publication title -
plos one
Language(s) - English
Resource type - Journals
SCImago Journal Rank - 0.99
H-Index - 332
ISSN - 1932-6203
DOI - 10.1371/journal.pone.0261730
Subject(s) - wnt signaling pathway , biology , dopaminergic , microbiology and biotechnology , substantia nigra , cancer research , neuroscience , dopamine , signal transduction
In this study we investigate how β-catenin-dependent WNT signalling impacts midbrain dopaminergic neuron (mDA) specification. mDA cultures at day 65 of differentiation responded to 25 days of the tankyrase inhibitor XAV969 (XAV, 100nM) with reduced expression of markers of an A9 mDA phenotype ( KCNJ6 , ALDH1A1 and TH ) but increased expression of the transcriptional repressors NR0B1 and NR0B2 . Overexpression of NR0B1 and or NR0B2 promoted a loss of A9 dopaminergic neuron phenotype markers ( KCNJ6 , ALDH1A1 and TH ). Overexpression of NR0B1 , but not NR0B2 promoted a reduction in expression of the β-catenin-dependent WNT signalling pathway activator RSPO2 . Analysis of Parkinson’s disease (PD) transcriptomic databases shows a profound PD-associated elevation of NR0B1 as well as reduced transcript for RSPO2 . We conclude that reduced β-catenin-dependent WNT signalling impacts dopaminergic neuron identity, in vitro , through increased expression of the transcriptional repressor, NR0B1 . We also speculate that dopaminergic neuron regulatory mechanisms may be perturbed in PD and that this may have an impact upon both existing nigral neurons and also neural progenitors transplanted as PD therapy.