Biology subjects

Redhead, Y.

Publications and source records attributed to Redhead, Y..

4 recordsLinked to original sources

bioRxiv2022

Mapping the Spatial Dynamics of the Human Oral Mucosa in Chronic Inflammatory Disease

The interplay among different cells in a tissue is essential for maintaining homeostasis. Although, disease states have been traditionally attributed to individual cell types, increasing evidence and new therapeutic options have demonstrated the primary role of multicellular functions to understand health and disease, opening new avenues to understand pathogenesis and develop new treatment strategies. We recently described the cellular composition and dynamics of the human oral mucosa; however, the spatial arrangement of cells is needed to better understand a morphologically complex tissue. Here, we link single-cell RNA sequencing, spatial transcriptomics, and high-resolution multiplex fluorescence in situ hybridisation to characterise human oral mucosa in health and oral chronic inflammatory disease. We deconvolved expression for resolution enhancement of spatial transcriptomic data and defined highly specialised epithelial and stromal compartments describing location-specific immune programs. Furthermore, we spatially mapped a rare pathogenic fibroblast population localised in a highly immunogenic region, responsible for lymphocyte recruitment through CXCL8 and CXCL10 and with a possible role in pathological angiogenesis through ALOX5AP. Collectively, our study provides a comprehensive reference for the study of oral chronic disease pathogenesis.

cell biology↗

bioRxiv2022

Craniofacial dysmorphology in Down Syndrome is caused by increased dosage of Dyrk1a and at least three other genes

Down syndrome (DS), trisomy of human chromosome 21 (Hsa21), occurs in 1 in 800 live births and is the most common human aneuploidy. DS results in multiple phenotypes, including craniofacial dysmorphology, characterised by midfacial hypoplasia, brachycephaly and micrognathia. The genetic and developmental causes of this are poorly understood. Using morphometric analysis of the Dp1Tyb mouse model of DS and an associated genetic mouse genetic mapping panel, we demonstrate that four Hsa21-orthologous regions of mouse chromosome 16 contain dosage-sensitive genes that cause the DS craniofacial phenotype, and identify one of these causative genes as Dyrk1a. We show that the earliest and most severe defects in Dp1Tyb skulls are in bones of neural crest (NC) origin, and that mineralisation of the Dp1Tyb skull base synchondroses is aberrant. Furthermore, we show that increased dosage of Dyrk1a results in decreased NC cell proliferation and a decrease in size and cellularity of the NC-derived frontal bone primordia. Thus, DS craniofacial dysmorphology is caused by increased dosage of Dyrk1a and at least three other genes. Summary statementCraniofacial dysmorphology in mouse models of Down syndrome is caused by increased dosage of at least four genes including Dyrk1a, resulting in reduced proliferation of neural crest-derived cranial bone progenitors.

developmental biology↗

bioRxiv2020

MRI-guided histology of TDP-43 knock-in mice implicates parvalbumin interneuron loss, impaired neurogenesis and aberrant neurodevelopment in ALS-FTD

Amyotrophic lateral sclerosis (ALS) and frontotemporal dementia (FTD) are overlapping neurodegenerative diseases that are increasingly understood to have long prodromal periods. Investigation of these early stages promises to yield valuable biomarkers of disease and will be key to understanding mechanisms underlying the genesis of ALS-FTD. Here, we use in vivo magnetic resonance imaging (MRI), histology and computed tomography to identify structural and cellular readouts of early stage disease in the TDP-43Q331K knock-in mouse model of ALS-FTD. Adult mutant mice demonstrated parenchymal volume reductions affecting the frontal lobe and entorhinal cortex in a manner reminiscent of ALS-FTD. Subcortical, cerebellar and brain stem regions were also affected in line with observations in presymptomatic carriers of mutations in C9orf72, the commonest genetic cause of both ALS and FTD. Volume loss, as measured by MRI, was also observed in the dentate gyrus (DG) of the hippocampus, along with ventricular enlargement. Guided by these imaging findings, detailed post-mortem brain tissue analysis revealed reduced parvalbumin-positive (PV+) interneurons as a potential cellular correlate of MRI changes in mutant mice. By contrast, microglia were in a disease activated state even in the absence of brain volume loss. A reduction in immature neurons was found in the DG, indicative of impaired adult neurogenesis, while a paucity of PV+ interneurons in juvenile mutant mice (P14) suggests that TDP-43Q331K disrupts neurodevelopment. Computerised tomography imaging also showed altered skull morphology in mutants, further suggesting a role for TDP-43Q331K in development. Finally, analysis of human post-mortem prefrontal cortices confirmed a paucity of PV+ interneurons in the prefrontal cortex in cases with both sporadic ALS and ALS linked to C9orf72 mutations. This study suggests an important role for PV+ interneurons in regional brain vulnerability associated with ALS-FTD, and identifies novel MRI and histological biomarkers that will be of value in assessing the efficacy of putative therapeutics in TDP-43Q331K knock-in mice.

neuroscience↗

bioRxiv2019

A landmark-free morphometric pipeline: Application to characterise a Down syndrome model skull phenotype

Characterising phenotypes often requires quantification of anatomical shapes. Quantitative shape comparison (morphometrics) traditionally uses anatomical landmarks and is therefore limited by the number of landmarks and operator accuracy when landmarks are located manually. Here we apply a landmark-free method to characterise the craniofacial skeletal phenotype of the Dp1Tyb mouse model of Down syndrome (DS), validating it against a landmark-based approach. We identify cranial dysmorphologies in Dp1Tyb mice, especially smaller size and brachycephaly (front-back shortening) homologous to the human phenotype. The landmark-free phenotyping was less labour-intensive and required less user training than the landmark-based method. It also enabled mapping of local differences as planar expansion or shrinkage. This higher resolution and local mapping pinpointed reductions in interior mid-snout structures and occipital bones in this DS model that were not as apparent using a traditional landmark-based method. This approach could make morphometrics widely-accessible beyond traditional niches in zoology and palaeontology, especially in characterising mutant phenotypes.

genetics↗