Biology subjects

Jansson, L.

Publications and source records attributed to Jansson, L..

5 recordsLinked to original sources

bioRxiv2026

Intergenerational instability of the C9orf72 hexanucleotide repeat

The C9orf72 hexanucleotide repeat expansion (HRE) is the most common cause of amyotrophic lateral sclerosis (ALS) and frontotemporal dementia (FTD). It follows autosomal dominant inheritance in families, however, a high proportion of cases are sporadic, raising the possibility of parental premutation. We have demonstrated that intermediate-length alleles (IAs) with >18 repeats (allele frequency ~1%) belong to the same pool of haplotypes as the HRE, suggesting shared ancestry. Here, we tested whether alleles with >18 repeats expand in parental transmission. We used two repeat-primed PCR methods to analyze allele lengths in 539 genetically unselected parent-offspring pairs and in 152 pairs known to carry the SNP (rs139185008*C) that tags >18 repeat IAs and the HRE in Finland. We discovered intergenerational repeat length changes only in >20 repeat alleles. A significant (P = 0.0059) sex bias in 6-40 repeat alleles was noted using a logistic regression model. In this allele range, 12 out of 16 expansions were paternally inherited and 6 out of 7 contractions were maternally inherited. The expansion rate of 20-40 repeat alleles was 34 % in paternal and 11 % in maternal transmissions. In the 20-40 repeat range, most intergenerational expansions were 1-4 repeats in size (15/16), but one larger jump, a paternal expansion from 27 to 73 repeats, was observed. These results demonstrate that alleles with >20 repeats have an increased likelihood of instability, that a paternal expansion bias is observed in alleles with 20-40 repeats, and that expansion events are predominantly 1-4 repeats in size.

genetics↗

bioRxiv2025

Intracortical transplantation of human induced pluripotent stem cell-derived progenitors ameliorates delayed thalamic degeneration following cortical stroke

Cortical ischemic stroke can trigger secondary neurodegeneration in remote brain regions connected to the primary lesion, particularly the thalamus. Although secondary thalamic degeneration is well established, the temporal relationship among early disruption of the thalamocortical pathway, neuronal degeneration, neuroinflammation, and delayed thalamic atrophy remains incompletely defined. Here, we investigated the longitudinal progression of secondary thalamic degeneration after cortical stroke, with particular emphasis on diffusion MRI tractography to monitor changes in anatomically defined thalamocortical pathways. We further determined whether early intracortical transplantation of human induced pluripotent stem cell (hiPSC)-derived neuronal progenitors could protect the remote thalamus and preserve thalamocortical connectivity.Cortical ischemic stroke was induced by distal middle cerebral artery occlusion in rats, and animals were assessed at multiple time points up to 6 months after stroke using longitudinal volumetric MRI and diffusion MRI tractography, combined with histological analyses of neuronal degeneration and microglial activation. The cortical infarct was established within 3-4 days, whereas alterations in diffusion metrics of thalamocortical pathways were detected within the first days after stroke. Neuronal degeneration in the ipsilateral ventral posterior nucleus (VPN) was evident at 2 weeks and preceded measurable VPN atrophy, which began at 3 months. Microglial activation also peaked at 2 weeks, coinciding with the onset of neuronal degeneration. Early intracortical transplantation of cortically primed hiPSC-derived neuronal progenitors 48 h after stroke did not alter cortical infarct volume but preserved VPN neurons, reduced subsequent thalamic atrophy, and maintained diffusion properties of affected thalamocortical pathways.These findings define secondary thalamic degeneration as a temporally ordered process in which early alterations in the thalamocortical pathway precede neuronal loss and delayed structural atrophy. Importantly, longitudinal tractography monitored both cortical stroke-induced thalamocortical degeneration and its modification by hiPSC-derived neuronal transplantation, establishing an in vivo approach to assess remote circuit degeneration and transplantation-dependent neuroprotection after cortical stroke.

neuroscience↗

bioRxiv2024

Assessment of DNA quality for whole genome library preparation

In recent years, more sophisticated DNA technologies for genotyping have enabled considerable progress in various fields such as clinical genetics, archaeogenetics and forensic genetics. DNA samples previously rejected as too challenging to analyze due to low amounts of degraded DNA can now provide useful information. To increase the chances of success with the new methodologies, it is crucial to know the fragment size of the template DNA molecules, and whether the DNA in a sample is mostly single or double stranded. With this knowledge, an appropriate library preparation method can be chosen, and the DNA shearing parameters of the protocol can be adjusted to the DNA fragment size in the sample. In this study, we first developed and evaluated a user-friendly fluorometry-based protocol for estimation of DNA strandedness. We also evaluated different capillary electrophoresis methods for estimation of DNA fragmentation levels. Next, we applied the developed methodologies to a broad variety of DNA samples processed with different DNA extraction protocols. Our findings show that both the applied DNA extraction method and the sample type affect the DNA strandedness and fragmentation. The established protocols and the gained knowledge will be applicable for future sequencing-based high-density SNP genotyping in various fields.

molecular biology↗

bioRxiv2024

Human cortical neurons rapidly generated by direct ES cell programming integrate into stroke-injured rat cortex

Stroke is a major cause of long-term disability in adult humans, the neuronal loss leading to motor, sensory, and cognitive impairments. Replacement of dead neurons by intracerebral transplantation of stem cell-derived neurons for reconstruction of injured neuronal networks has potential to become a novel therapeutic strategy to promote functional recovery after stroke. Here we describe a rapid and efficient protocol for the generation of cortical neurons via direct programming of human embryonic stem (hES) cells. Our results show that 7 days overexpression of the transcription factor neurogenin 2 (NGN2) in vitro was enough to generate hES-induced cells with cortical phenotype, as revealed by immunocytochemistry and RT-qPCR, and electrophysiological properties of neurons in an intermediate stage of maturity. At 3 months after translantation into the stroke-injured rat cortex, the hES-induced neurons (hES-iNs) showed immunocytochemical markers of mature layer-specific cortical neurons and sent widespread axonal projections to several areas in both hemispheres of the host brain. Their axons became myelinated and formed synaptic contacts with host neurons, as shown by immunoelectron microscopy. Our findings demonstrate for the first time that direct transcription factor programming of hES cells can efficiently and rapidly produce cortical neurons with capacity to integrate into the stroke-injured brain.

neuroscience↗

bioRxiv2023

Oligodendrocytes in human iPS cell-derived cortical grafts remyelinate adult rat and human cortical neurons

Neuronal loss and axonal demyelination underlie long-term functional impairments in patients affected by brain disorders such as ischemic stroke. Stem cell-based approaches reconstructing and remyelinating brain neural circuitry, leading to recovery, are highly warranted. Here we demonstrate the in vitro and in vivo production of myelinating oligodendrocytes from a human induced pluripotent stem (iPS) cell-derived long-term neuroepithelial stem (lt-NES) cell line, which also gives rise to neurons with the capacity to integrate into stroke-injured, adult rat cortical networks. Most importantly, the generated oligodendrocytes survive and form myelin ensheathing human axons in the host tissue after grafting onto adult human cortical organotypic cultures. This lt-NES cell line is the first human stem cell source that after intracerebral delivery can repair both injured neural circuitries and demyelinated axons. Our findings provide supportive evidence for the potential future use of human iPS cell-derived cell lines to promote effective clinical recovery following brain injuries.

neuroscience↗