Establishment and application of a retinal ganglion cell-specific reporter stem cell line
Views:10526
DOI:10.3978/j.issn.1000-4432.2022.02.04
Publication Date:2023-01-06
Author(s):
ZHANG Rong #,YUAN Fa #,XIANG Mengqing
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Author(s):
ZHANG Rong #,YUAN Fa #,XIANG Mengqing
Institution/Unit:
1.Zhongshan Ophthalmic Center, Sun Yat-sen University, State Key Laboratory of Ophthalmology, Guangdong Provincial Key Laboratory of Ophthalmology and Visual Science, Guangzhou 510060; 实验室,广州 510060
2.Guangdong Provincial Key Laboratory of Brain Function and Disease, Zhongshan School of Medicine, Sun Yat-sen University, Guangzhou 510080, China
Keywords
embryonic stem cell
retinal ganglion cell
retinal organoid
cell transplantation
glaucoma
Abstract
Objective: This study was designed to establish a mouse embryonic stem cell line that can drive GFP expression specifically in retinal ganglion cells (RGCs). Methods: In this study, we established a Brn3b-GFP knock-in embryonic stem cell line (Brn3b-GFP ESC) by homologous recombination. By 3D culture, we induced these cells into retinal organoids to investigate the cell-specificity of GFP expression. GFP-positive RGCs were then enriched by flow cytometry and transplanted by intravitreal injection into the eyes of healthy mice and NMDA injury model mice to explore the feasibility of a potential clinical application. Results: GFP was specifically expressed in RGCs following induction of Brn3b-GFP ESCs into 3D retinal organoids. Two weeks after these GFP-positive RGCs were transplanted into the control and injured mice, GFP-positive cells were observed in all transplanted retinas, and donor RGCs were seen to integrate into the RGC layer of the host retina. Conclusion: This study has established a retinal ganglion cell-specific reporter stem cell line Brn3b-GFP ESC. The GFP-positive RGCs obtained by inducing the cell line into retinal organoids can be integrated into the host retina after transplantation. The establishment of such a cell line will provide an important research tool for glaucoma and related diseases.
(A) Homologous recombination occurred between the wild-type allele of Brn3b and the targeting vector resulting in complete replacement of the coding reading frame (black bars) with the GFP reporter and PGK-Neo cassette, but the start codon ATG was retained for GFP translation. TGA indicates the stop codon and the positions of BamHI, NcoI, NotI and SalI restriction endonucleases are also indicated.
(B)Southern blot analysis of BamHI-digested wild-type and heterozygous DNA. The 3' end probe identified BamHI bands of 10.1 kb (wild-type allele) and 6.2 kb (knock-in allele).
图2 3D视网膜类器官诱导无血清类胚体快速重聚集悬浮培养法(serum-free embryoid body quick reaggregation,SFEBq)培养流程,包括饲养层细胞培养,ESC复苏、维持和传代培养,ESC诱导分化,视网膜组织和体外视杯的形成,视网膜类器官收集、RGC的富集等过程
Figure 2 Schematic diagram of serum-free embryoid body quick reaggregation (SFEBq) methods for retinal tissue differentiation from mouse ESCs, including feeder cell culture, ESC resuscitation, maintenance and passage, ESC differentiation, retinal tissue and optic cup formation, and retinal organoid collection and RGC enrichment
(A) Schematic diagram of the 3D culture process. (B-D) ESCs spontaneously formed clump-like structures on day 1 (D1) and small optic vesicle-like structures by day 7 (arrows indicate optic cup-like structures). (E-J) After 10 days of culture, GFP began to express, indicating the gradual differentiation of RGCs. After 14 days of culture, a typical optic cup-like structure appeared and GFP signal was expressed inside the optic cup, indicating the presence of differentiated RGCs. (K,L) After 17 days of culture, the signal of GFP expressed in the optic cup was co-localized with Brn3b and Isl1, indicating that GFP was specifically expressed in RGCs. (M,N) By day 21, GFP expressed in the inner layer of retinal organoids was co-localized with Pax6 or Tuj1, indicating that RGCs were correctly localized to the inner layer of retinal organoids.(O) By day 21, recoverin and Chx10, specific molecular markers of photoreceptors and bipolar cells, respectively, were also abundantly expressed in the optic cup. Scale bars: B, 320 μm; C-J, 160 μm; K-O, 20 μm.
(A) Time schedule of RGC transplantation; (B) Surviving transplanted RGCs in retinal flat-mounts of control (WT) and NMDA injury models. Arrows point to surviving GFP-positive RGCs; (C) Retinal sections showing surviving transplanted RGCs in control and NMDA injury groups. Arrows point to surviving GFP-positive RGCs; (D) Quantification of the surviving transplanted RGCs. After NMDA treatment, the number of surviving GFP-positive RGCs was significantly increased (WT: n=3; NMDA: n=4; *P=0.0233). Scale bars: B, C, 20 μm.
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