The TIR

Toll-like receptor 4 (Tlr4) plays an important role in ischemia–reperfusion (IR)-induced retinal inflammation and damage. However, the role of two Tlr4-dependent signaling cascades, myeloid differentiation primary response 88 (Myd88) and TIR-domain-containing adapter inducing interferon-β (Trif), in retinal IR injury is poorly understood. In this study, we investigated the contribution of the Myd88-dependent and Trif-dependent signaling cascades in retinal damage and inflammation triggered by IR, by using Myd88 knockout (Myd88KO) and Trif knockout (TrifKO) mice. Retinal IR injury was induced by unilateral elevation of intraocular pressure for 45 min by direct corneal cannulation. To study IR-induced retinal ganglion cell (RGC) death in vitro, we used an oxygen and glucose deprivation (OGD) model. Our data suggested that Myd88 was present in many retinal layers of sham-operated and ischemic mice, whereas Trif was mainly present in the ganglion cell layer (GCL). The level of Myd88 was increased in the retina after IR. We found that retinas of TrifKO mice had a significantly reduced neurotoxic pro-inflammatory response and significantly increased survival of the GCL neurons after IR. Although Myd88KO mice had relatively low levels of inflammation in ischemic retinas, their levels of IR-induced retinal damage were notably higher than those of TrifKO mice. We also found that Trif-deficient RGCs were more resistant to death induced by OGD than were RGCs isolated from Myd88KO mice. These data suggested that, as compared with the Myd88-dependent signaling cascade, Trif signaling contributes significantly to retinal damage after IR

Putative role of protein kinase C in neurotoxic inflammation mediated by extracellular heat shock protein 70 after ischemia-reperfusion

BACKGROUND: Sterile inflammation occurs in the absence of live pathogens and is an unavoidable consequence of ischemia-reperfusion (IR) injury in the central nervous system (CNS). It is known that toll-like receptor 4 (Tlr4) contributes to damage and sterile inflammation in the CNS mediated by IR. However, the mechanism of Tlr4 activation under sterile conditions in ischemic tissue is poorly understood. We performed this study to clarify the mechanism. To this end, we focused on the extracellular heat shock protein 70 (Hsp70), the prototypic Tlr4 ligand. METHODS: Tlr4-, Myd88- and Trif-knockout animals, as well as C57BL/6 mice, were used for the wild type control. For the in vivo study, we used a mouse model of retinal IR injury. To test the role of protein kinase C (PKC) in IR injury, IR retinas were treated with the PKC inhibitors (polymyxin B and Gö6976) and retinal damage was evaluated by directly counting neurons in the ganglion cell layer of flat-mounted retinas seven days after IR. Primary retinal neurons (retinal ganglion cells) and glial cells were used for in vitro experiments. Quantitative RT-PCR, ELISA and western blot analysis were used to study the production of pro-inflammatory factors in IR retinas and in primary cell cultures. RESULTS: We found significant accumulation of extracellular Hsp70 in a model of retinal IR injury. We noted that PKC was involved in Tlr4 signaling, and found that PKC inhibitors promoted neuroprotection by reducing pro-inflammatory activity in ischemic tissue. To put all of the pieces in the signaling cascade together, we performed an in vitro study. We found that PKC was critical to mediate the Hsp70-dependent pro-inflammatory response. At the same time, the contamination of Hsp70 preparations with low-dose endotoxin was not critical to mediate the production of pro-inflammatory factors. We found that extracellular Hsp70 can promote neuronal death at least, by mediating production of cytotoxic levels of tumor necrosis factor alpha, predominantly due to the Tlr4/Myd88 signaling cascade. CONCLUSIONS: Our findings suggest that PKC acts as a switch to amplify the pro-inflammatory activity of Hsp70/Tlr4 signaling, which is sufficient to mediate neuronal death

Molecular Characterization of Notch1 Positive Progenitor Cells in the Developing Retina

The oscillatory expression of Notch signaling in neural progenitors suggests that both repressors and activators of neural fate specification are expressed in the same progenitors. Since Notch1 regulates photoreceptor differentiation and contributes (together with Notch3) to ganglion cell fate specification, we hypothesized that genes encoding photoreceptor and ganglion cell fate activators would be highly expressed in Notch1 receptor-bearing (Notch1+) progenitors, directing these cells to differentiate into photoreceptors or into ganglion cells when Notch1 activity is diminished. To identify these genes, we used microarray analysis to study expression profiles of whole retinas and isolated from them Notch1+ cells at embryonic day 14 (E14) and postnatal day 0 (P0). To isolate Notch1+ cells, we utilized immunomagnetic cell separation. We also used Notch3 knockout (Notch3KO) animals to evaluate the contribution of Notch3 signaling in ganglion cell differentiation. Hierarchical clustering of 6,301 differentially expressed genes showed that Notch1+ cells grouped near the same developmental stage retina cluster. At E14, we found higher expression of repressors (Notch1, Hes5) and activators (Dll3, Atoh7, Otx2) of neuronal differentiation in Notch1+ cells compared to whole retinal cell populations. At P0, Notch1, Hes5, and Dll1 expression was significantly higher in Notch1+ cells than in whole retinas. Otx2 expression was more than thirty times higher than Atoh7 expression in Notch1+ cells at P0. We also observed that retinas of wild type animals had only 14% (P < 0.05) more ganglion cells compared to Notch3KO mice. Since this number is relatively small and Notch1 has been shown to contribute to ganglion cell fate specification, we suggested that Notch1 signaling may play a more significant role in RGC development than the Notch3 signaling cascade. Finally, our findings suggest that Notch1+ progenitors--since they heavily express both pro-ganglion cell (Atoh7) and pro-photoreceptor cell (Otx2) activators--can differentiate into either ganglion cells or photoreceptors

Molecular Characterization of Notch1 Positive Progenitor Cells in the Developing Retina

<div><p>The oscillatory expression of Notch signaling in neural progenitors suggests that both repressors and activators of neural fate specification are expressed in the same progenitors. Since Notch1 regulates photoreceptor differentiation and contributes (together with Notch3) to ganglion cell fate specification, we hypothesized that genes encoding photoreceptor and ganglion cell fate activators would be highly expressed in Notch1 receptor-bearing (Notch1⁺) progenitors, directing these cells to differentiate into photoreceptors or into ganglion cells when Notch1 activity is diminished. To identify these genes, we used microarray analysis to study expression profiles of whole retinas and isolated from them Notch1⁺ cells at embryonic day 14 (E14) and postnatal day 0 (P0). To isolate Notch1⁺ cells, we utilized immunomagnetic cell separation. We also used Notch3 knockout (Notch3KO) animals to evaluate the contribution of Notch3 signaling in ganglion cell differentiation. Hierarchical clustering of 6,301 differentially expressed genes showed that Notch1⁺ cells grouped near the same developmental stage retina cluster. At E14, we found higher expression of repressors (Notch1, Hes5) and activators (Dll3, Atoh7, Otx2) of neuronal differentiation in Notch1⁺ cells compared to whole retinal cell populations. At P0, Notch1, Hes5, and Dll1 expression was significantly higher in Notch1⁺ cells than in whole retinas. Otx2 expression was more than thirty times higher than Atoh7 expression in Notch1⁺ cells at P0. We also observed that retinas of wild type animals had only 14% (P < 0.05) more ganglion cells compared to Notch3KO mice. Since this number is relatively small and Notch1 has been shown to contribute to ganglion cell fate specification, we suggested that Notch1 signaling may play a more significant role in RGC development than the Notch3 signaling cascade. Finally, our findings suggest that Notch1⁺ progenitors—since they heavily express both pro-ganglion cell (Atoh7) and pro-photoreceptor cell (Otx2) activators—can differentiate into either ganglion cells or photoreceptors.</p></div

Immunomagnetic separation proved to be an effective method for positive selection of Notch1-specific cells from developing retinas.

<p><b>A)</b> The purity of isolated cells was tested using anti-Notch1 antibody (green). Propidium iodide (PI, red) was used to visualize the nucleus of the cell. Bar is 50 μm. <b>B)</b> The levels of Notch1 expression in isolated cells were higher compared to expression of Notch1 in whole retinas. Gene expression was measured by qRT-PCR. Results are expressed as a percentage of the corresponding value in the Notch1⁺ cells isolated from embryonic day 14 developing retinas ± SEM (*P < 0.05).</p

Differential gene expression was confirmed by qRT-PCR and demonstrated a consistent correlation with microarray data for a group of selected genes.

<p>For each gene, results are expressed as percentages ± SEM of the corresponding values in the Notch1⁺ cells isolated from E14 developing retinas (*P < 0.05).</p

Notch3 deficiency results in reduced ganglion cell numbers in the retina.

<p><b>A)</b> Confocal images of flat-mounted retinas from Notch3 knockout (Notch3KO) animals and wild type (WT) littermates were collected. RGCs were labeled with beta III Tubulin antibodies for counting. <b>B)</b> Numbers of RGCs were compared between Notch3KO and WT animals. Values are means ± SEM (*P < 0.05, n = 10 eyes).</p

Functional annotation for the selected genes revealed by One-Way ANOVA.

<p>Functional annotation for the selected genes revealed by One-Way ANOVA.</p

Hierarchical clustering of 6,301 differentially expressed genes showed that Notch1⁺ cells grouped near the same developmental stage retina cluster.

<p>Cluster analysis (hierarchical clustering) was performed using Gene Cluster 3.0 software.</p