Wednesday, April 2, 2025
4/2/2025
Elucidating the origins of cortical tuber cells using human brain organoid models of TSC - PROJECT SUMMARY Tuberous Sclerosis Complex (TSC) is a multi-system developmental disorder caused by mutations in the TSC1 or TSC2 genes. The protein products of these genes form a complex that is an essential negative regulator of mTORC1 signaling. In the absence of a functional TSC1/2 complex, mTORC1 signaling is deregulated and constitutively active. While the manifestations of TSC can affect several different organ systems, the neurological and psychiatric aspects of the disease are the most burdensome for caregivers and least well understood. These include early-onset epilepsy, varying degrees of intellectual disability, and a high prevalence of autism spectrum disorder and other behavioral conditions. A hallmark pathology of TSC is the presence of cortical tubers, which are focal regions of enlarged, dysplastic neurons and glia in the cortex that form during embryonic development. Cortical tubers can become epileptic foci and in some cases are surgically removed in individuals with intractable seizures. The size and number of cortical tubers is variable between patients and increased cortical tuber load is associated with worse outcomes including more severe epilepsy and cognitive impairment. The goal of this project is to determine the molecular mechanism(s) by which mutations in TSC1 or TSC2 lead to the formation of cortical tuber cells. To do this we will use our recently established human brain organoid models of TSC in which we have engineered loss of function mutations in TSC1 or TSC2. These human brain organoid models robustly reproduce key cellular features of cortical tubers including dysmorphic neurons, reactive astrocytes, and giant/balloon cells. In addition, we have observed a strong bias towards the production of glial-lineage cells at the expense of neurons in TSC brain organoids, which recapitulates observations from patient tuber samples. Here we will define the molecular basis for altered cortical cell development due to TSC1/2 mutations and investigate how the resulting tuber cells impact the function of the surrounding cortical network. In Aim 1 we will explore two potential hypotheses for altered differentiation of TSC1/2 mutant cells in brain organoids: 1) premature activation of astrogenic transcription programs that interfere with normal neurogenesis and/or 2) impaired survival and development of newborn neurons. To test these hypotheses we will use pharmacological, shRNA, and CRISPRi manipulations to test the contribution of candidate pathways. In Aim 2 we will use different strategies to manipulate mTORC1 signaling and specific downstream arms of the pathway to test whether these can prevent or rescue altered cellular development. In Aim 3, we will perform functional analyses to determine how the presence of cortical tuber cells impacts the activity of the surrounding cortical network. Together the results of these aims will generate new insights into the molecular and cellular mechanisms leading to cortical tuber formation and how these cells ultimately impact cortical function.
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