Biology subjects

Kitazawa, A.

Publications and source records attributed to Kitazawa, A..

3 recordsLinked to original sources

bioRxiv2024

Integrative Transcriptomics Reveals Layer 1 Astrocytes Altered in Schizophrenia

Schizophrenia is one of the most prevalent psychiatric disorders with unclear pathophysiology despite a century-long history of intense research. Schizophrenia affects multiple networks across different brain regions. The anterior cingulate cortex (ACC) is the region that connects the limbic system to cognitive areas such as the prefrontal cortex and represents a pivotal region for the etiology of schizophrenia; however, the molecular pathology, considering its cellular and anatomical complexity, is not well understood. Here, we performed an integrative analysis of spatial and single-nucleus transcriptomics of the postmortem ACC of people with schizophrenia, together with a thorough histological analysis. The data revealed major transcriptomics signatures altered in schizophrenia, pointing at the dysregulation of glial cells, primarily in astrocytes. We further discovered a decrease in the cellular density and abundance of processes of interlaminar astrocytes, a subpopulation of astrocytes specific to primates that localize in the layer 1 and influence the superficial cortical microenvironment across layer 1 and layers 2/3 of the cortex. Our study suggests that aberrant changes in interlaminar astrocytes could explain the cell-to-cell circuit alterations found in schizophrenia and represent novel therapeutic targets to ameliorate schizophrenia-associated dysfunction.

neuroscience↗

bioRxiv2023

Propagation of neuronal micronuclei regulates microglial states

Microglia, resident immune cells in the central nervous system, undergo morphological and functional changes in response to signals from the local environment and mature into various homeostatic states. However, niche signals underlying microglial development and maturation remain largely unknown. In this study, we show that neuronal micronuclei propagate microglia, followed by changing microglial states during the postnatal period. We discovered that neurons passing through a dense region of the developing neocortex give rise to micronuclei and release them into the extracellular space. Moreover, neuronal micronuclei were incorporated into microglia and affected morphological changes. Loss of the cGAS gene alleviates effects on micronucleus-dependent morphological changes. Notably, neuronal micronuclei-harboring microglia exhibit unique transcriptome signatures. These results demonstrate that neuronal micronuclei serve as niche signals that produce novel microglial states. Our findings provide a potential mechanism for regulating the microglial state in the early-postnatal neocortex.

neuroscience↗

bioRxiv2020

Comprehensive characterization of migration profiles of murine cerebral cortical neurons during development using FlashTag labeling

In mammalian cerebral neocortex, different regions have different cytoarchitecture, neuronal birthdates and functions. In most regions, neuronal migratory profiles have been speculated similar to each other based on observations using thymidine analogues. Few reports investigated regional migratory differences from mitosis at the ventricular surface. Here, in mice, we applied FlashTag technology, in which dyes are injected intraventricularly, to describe migratory profiles. We revealed a mediolateral regional difference in migratory profiles of neurons that is dependent on the developmental stages, e.g., neurons labeled at E12.5-15.5 reached their destination earlier dorsomedially than dorsolaterally even where there were underlying ventricular surfaces, reflecting sojourning below the subplate. This difference was hardly recapitulated by thymidine analogues, which visualize neurogenic gradient, suggesting biological significance different from neurogenic gradient. These observations advance understanding of cortical development, portraying strength of FlashTag in studying migration, and are thus a resource for studies of normal and abnormal neurodevelopment.

neuroscience↗