Biology subjects

Walsh, C.

Publications and source records attributed to Walsh, C..

44 records · Page 3Linked to original sources

bioRxiv2020

Multi-fluorescence high-resolution episcopic microscopy (MF-HREM) for three dimensional imaging of adult murine organs

Three-dimensional microscopy of large biological samples (>0.5 cm3) is transforming biological research. Many existing techniques require trade-offs between image resolution, sample size and method complexity. A simple robust instrument with the potential to perform large volume 3D imaging currently exists in the form of the Optical HREM, however the development of the instrument to date is limited to single fluorescent wavelength imaging with non-specific eosin staining. This work presents developments to realize the potential of the HREM to become Multi-fluorescent High Resolution Episcopic Microscopy (MF-HREM). MF-HREM is a serial-sectioning and block-facing wide-field fluorescence imaging technique, which does not require tissue clearing or optical sectioning. Multiple developments are detailed in sample preparation and image post-processing to enable multiple specific stains in large samples, and show how these enable segmentation and quantification of the data. The application of MF-HREM is demonstrated in a variety of biological contexts: 3D imaging of whole tumor vascular networks and tumor cell invasion in xenograft tumors up to 7.5 mm3 at resolutions of 2.75 m, quantification of glomeruli volume in the adult mouse kidney, and quantification of vascular networks and white matter track orientation in adult mouse brain.

biophysics↗

bioRxiv2019

Diverse Species-Specific Phenotypic Consequences of Loss of Function Sorting Nexin 14 Mutations

Mutations in the SNX14 gene cause spinocerebellar ataxia, autosomal recessive 20 (SCAR20) in both humans and dogs. SCAR20 is understood to involve subcellular disruption to autophagy and lipid metabolism. Previously reported studies on the phenotypic consequences of SNX14 mutations have been limited to in vitro investigation of patient-derived dermal fibroblasts, laboratory engineered cell lines and developmental analysis of zebrafish morphants. In addition, studies have investigated the biochemical roles of SNX14 homologues Snz (Drosophila) and Mdm1 (yeast) which have demonstrated an important role during lipid biogenesis. This study investigates the impact of constitutive Snx14 mutations in laboratory species: mice and zebrafish. Loss of SNX14 in mice was found to be embryonic lethal around mid-gestation. This is due to placental pathology that involves severe disruption to syncytiotrophoblast cell differentiation. Zebrafish carrying a homozygous, maternal zygotic snx14 genetic loss-of-function mutation contrasts with other vertebrates, being both viable and anatomically normal. Whilst no obvious behavioural effects were observed, elevated levels of neutral lipids and phospholipids resemble previously reported effects on lipid homeostasis in other species. The biochemical role of SNX14 therefore appears largely conserved through evolution while the overall consequences of loss of function varies considerably between species. New mouse and zebrafish models therefore provide valuable insights into the functional importance of SNX14 with distinct opportunities for investigating its cellular and metabolic function in vivo.

developmental biology↗

bioRxiv2019

Distinct neural mechanisms of social orienting and mentalizing revealed by independent measures of neural and eye movement typicality

Extensive study of typically developing individuals and those on the autism spectrum has identified a large number of brain regions associated with our ability to navigate the social world. Although it is widely appreciated that this so-called social brain is composed of distinct, interacting systems, these component parts have yet to be clearly elucidated. Here we used measures of eye movement and neural typicality - based on the degree to which subjects deviated from the norm - while typically developing (N = 62) and individuals with autism (N = 36) watched a large battery of movies depicting social interactions. Our findings provide clear evidence for distinct, but overlapping, neural systems underpinning two major components of the social brain, social orienting and inferring the mental state of others.

neuroscience↗

bioRxiv2019

Defining the emergence of myeloid-derived suppressor cells in breast cancer using single-cell transcriptomics

Myeloid-derived suppressor cells (MDSCs) are innate immune cells that acquire the capacity to suppress adaptive immune responses during cancer. It remains elusive how MDSCs differ from their normal myeloid counterparts, which limits our ability to specifically detect and therapeutically target MDSCs during cancer. Here, we used single-cell RNAseq to compare MDSC-containing splenic myeloid cells from breast tumor-bearing mice to wildtype controls. Our computational analysis of 14,646 single-cell transcriptomes reveals that MDSCs emerge through a previously unrealized aberrant neutrophil maturation trajectory in the spleen giving rise to a unique chemokine-responsive, immunosuppressive cell state that strongly differs from normal myeloid cells. We establish the first MDSC-specific gene signature and identify novel surface markers for improved detection and enrichment of MDSCs in murine and human samples. Our study provides the first single-cell transcriptional map defining the development of MDSCs, which will ultimately enable us to specifically target these cells in cancer patients.\n\nOne Sentence SummaryWe used single cell transcriptomics to identify the unique molecular features distinguishing myeloid-derived suppressor cells (MDSCs) from their normal, myeloid counterparts, which enabled us to reveal distinct transitory gene expression changes during their maturation in the spleen, and to identify novel cell surface markers for improved detection and isolation of MDSCs.

cancer biology↗

bioRxiv2018

Multifaceted integration - memory for faces is subserved by widespread connections between visual, memory, social and auditory networks

Face memory abilities are at the core of human social interaction, yet these vary widely within the general population, ranging from developmental prosopagnosia to \"super-recognizers\". Previous work has focused mainly on the contribution of the well described face network to this variance. However, given the nature of the face memory task, and the social context in which it takes place, we were interested in exploring how the collaboration between different networks outside the face network (measured through resting state connectivity) affects performance on face memory tasks. We discovered that face recognition memory is supported by a wide network of connections between the face patches, memory regions, auditory regions and social networks. Moreover, this network was selective for memory for faces, and did not predict memory for other visual objects, such as cars.

neuroscience↗

bioRxiv2018

Arginine to glutamine mutation in olfactomedin-like 3 (OLFML3) is a candidate for severe goniodysgenesis and glaucoma in the Border Collie dog breed.

Goniodysgenesis is a developmental abnormality of the anterior chamber of the eye. It is generally considered to be congenital in dogs (Canis lupus familiaris), and has been associated with glaucoma and blindness. Goniodysgenesis and early-onset glaucoma initially emerged in Border Collies in Australia in the late 1990s and has subsequently been found in Europe and the USA. The objective of the present study was to determine the genetic basis of goniodysgenesis in Border Collies. Clinical diagnosis was based on results of examinations by veterinary ophthalmologists of affected and unaffected dogs from eleven different countries. Genotyping using the Illumina high density canine SNP chip and whole genome sequencing were used to identify candidate genetic regions. Expression profiles and evolutionary conservation of candidate genes were assessed using public databases. Analysis of pedigree information was consistent with an autosomal recessive mode of inheritance for severe goniodysgenesis (potentially leading to glaucoma) in this breed. There was a highly significant peak of association over chromosome 17, with a p-value of 2 x 10-13. Whole genome sequences of three dogs with glaucoma, three severely affected and three unaffected dogs identified a missense variant in the olfactomedin like 3 (OLFML3) gene in all six affected animals. This was homozygous in all nine cases with glaucoma and 12 of 14 other severely affected animals. Of 67 reportedly unaffected animals, only one (offspring of two homozygous affected parents) was homozygous for this variant. The identification of a candidate genetic region and putative causative mutation will aid breeders to reduce the frequency of goniodysgenesis and the risk of glaucoma in the Border Collie population.

genetics↗

bioRxiv2017

The bovine alveolar macrophage DNA methylome is resilient to infection with Mycobacterium bovis

DNA methylation is pivotal in orchestrating gene expression patterns in various mammalian biological processes. Perturbation of the bovine alveolar macrophage (bAM) transcriptome, due to Mycobacterium bovis (M. bovis) infection, has been well documented; however, the impact of this intracellular pathogen on the bAM epigenome has not been determined. Here, whole genome bisulfite sequencing (WGBS) was used to assess the effect of M. bovis infection on the bAM DNA methylome. The methylomes of bAM infected with M. bovis were compared to those of non-infected bAM 24 hours post-infection (hpi). No differences in DNA methylation (CpG or non-CpG) were observed. Analysis of DNA methylation at proximal promoter regions uncovered >250 genes harbouring intermediately methylated (IM) promoters (average methylation of 33-66%). Gene ontology analysis, focusing on genes with low, intermediate or highly methylated promoters, revealed that genes with IM promoters were enriched for immune-related GO categories; this enrichment was not observed for genes in the high or low methylation groups. Targeted analysis of genes in the IM category confirmed the WGBS observation. This study is the first in cattle examining genome-wide DNA methylation at single nucleotide resolution in an important bovine cellular host-pathogen interaction model, providing evidence for IM promoter methylation in bAM.

genomics↗

bioRxiv2017

PaSD-qc: Quality control for single cell whole-genome sequencing data using power spectral density estimation

Single cell whole-genome sequencing (scWGS) is providing novel insights into the nature of genetic heterogeneity in normal and diseased cells. However, scWGS introduces DNA amplification-related biases that can confound downstream analysis. Here we present a statistical method, with an accompanying package PaSD-qc (Power Spectral Density-qc), that evaluates the quality of single cell libraries. It uses a modified power spectral density to assess amplification uniformity, amplicon size distribution, autocovariance, and inter-sample consistency as well as identifies aberrantly amplified chromosomes. We demonstrate the usefulness of this tool in evaluating scWGS protocols and in selecting high-quality libraries from low-coverage data for deep sequencing.

bioinformatics↗