Background DYX1C1 (DNAAF4) and DCDC2 are two of the most replicated dyslexia candidate genes in genetic studies. They both have demonstrated roles in neuronal migration, in cilia growth and function and they both are cytoskeletal interactors. In addition, they both have been characterized as ciliopathy genes. However, their exact molecular functions are still incompletely described. Based on these known roles, we asked whether DYX1C1 and DCDC2 interact on the genetic and the protein level. Results Here, we report the physical protein-protein interaction of DYX1C1 and DCDC2 as well as their respective interactions with the centrosomal protein CPAP (CENPJ) on exogenous and endogenous levels in different cell models including brain organoids. In addition, we show a synergistic genetic interaction between dyx1c1 and dcdc2b in zebrafish exacerbating the ciliary phenotype. Finally, we show a mutual effect on transcriptional regulation among DYX1C1 and DCDC2 in a cellular model. Conclusions In summary, we describe the physical and functional interaction between the two genes DYX1C1 and DCDC2 . These results contribute to the growing understanding of the molecular roles of DYX1C1 and DCDC2 and set the stage for future functional studies.

Glioblastoma multiforme (GBM) affects individuals above 65 years of age and has low median survival rate. Due to limited treatment options, lack of effective diagnosis, and palliative care, there is an urgent need to develop new therapeutic strategies to combat GBM. This review provides an overview of the current clinical trial scenario with a special focus on new targets, repurposed drugs, and technologies in the field of GBM. The use of technological advances and artificial intelligence in diagnosis and imaging is also discussed. In addition, this review also highlights the need to design a dynamic palliative care strategy for end-of-life management of patients with GBM.

POU genes are characterized by a conserved POU DNA-binding domain, and are divided into six subclasses. Class III and IV POU genes are predominantly expressed in the developing nervous system. POU class III genes are critical for several neuronal cell differentiation and class IV POU genes serve important functions in the differentiation and survival of sensory neurons. In this study, we attempted to identify POU genes in the zebrafish and pufferfish genomes by using existing bioinformatics tools. We analysed the expression of zebrafish brn1.2 and brn3a genes (brn3a1 and brn3a2)) using whole-mount in situ hybridisation. Similarly to the mammalian orthologue, zebrafish brn1.2 was widely expressed in the forebrain, midbrain and hindbrain. During the late stages of embryogenesis, brn1.2 expressing cells were located in the preoptic area and in the auditory vesicles. Expression of both zebrafish brn3a genes was detected in trigeminal ganglia, cranial sensory ganglia, sensory neurons along the dorsal spinal cord, in the anterior and posterior lateral line placodes (ALL and PLL), retinal ganglion cell layer, optic tectum and in small cell clusters in the forebrain and hindbrain. Similar to mammalian Brn3a, zebrafish brn3a genes were detected in the retina and sensory structures. However, different domains of expression were also observed, namely in spinal sensory neurons, and lateral line system.

The phenotype-based drug discovery (PDD) approach is re-emerging as an alternative platform for drug discovery. This review provides an overview of the various model systems and technical advances in imaging and image analyses that strengthen the PDD platform. In PDD screens, compounds of therapeutic value are identified based on the phenotypic perturbations produced irrespective of target(s) or mechanism of action. In this article, examples of phenotypic changes that can be detected and quantified with relative ease in a cell-based setup are discussed. In addition, a higher order of PDD screening setup using small animal models is also explored. As PDD screens integrate physiology and multiple signaling mechanisms during the screening process, the identified hits have higher biomedical applicability. Taken together, this review highlights the advantages gained by adopting a PDD approach in drug discovery. Such a PDD platform can complement target-based systems that are currently in practice to accelerate drug discovery.

The potential of multifunctional wound heal biomaterial relies on the optimal content of therapeutic constituents as well as the desirable physical, chemical, and biological properties to accelerate the healing process. Formulating biomaterials such as amnion or collagen based scaffolds with natural products offer an affordable strategy to develop dressing material with high efficiency in healing wounds. Using image based phenotyping and quantification, we screened natural product derived bioactive compounds for modulators of types I and III collagen production from human foreskin derived fibroblast cells. The identified hit was then formulated with amnion to develop a biomaterial, and its biophysical properties, in vitro and in vivo effects were characterized. In addition, we performed functional profiling analyses by PCR array to understand the effect of individual components of these materials on various genes such as inflammatory mediators including chemokines and cytokines, growth factors, fibroblast stimulating markers for collagen secretion, matrix metalloproteinases, etc., associated with wound healing. FACS based cell cycle analyses were carried out to evaluate the potential of biomaterials for induction of proliferation of fibroblasts. Western blot analyses was done to examine the effect of biomaterial on collagen synthesis by cells and compared to cells grown in the presence of growth factors. This work demonstrated an uncomplicated way of identifying components that synergistically promote healing. Besides, we demonstrated that modulating local wound environment using biomaterials with bioactive compounds could enhance healing. This study finds that the developed biomaterials offer immense scope for healing wounds by means of their skin regenerative features such as anti-inflammatory, fibroblast stimulation for collagen secretion as well as inhibition of enzymes and markers impeding the healing, hydrodynamic properties complemented with other features including non-toxicity, biocompatibility, and safety.

Stem cells display a fundamentally different mechanism of proliferation control when compared to somatic cells. Uncovering these mechanisms would maximize the impact in drug discovery with a higher translational applicability. The unbiased approach used in phenotype-based drug discovery (PDD) programs can offer a unique opportunity to identify such novel biological phenomenon. Here, we describe an integrated phenotypic screening approach, employing a combination of in vitro and in vivo PDD models to identify a small molecule increasing stem cell proliferation. We demonstrate that a combination of both in vitro and in vivo screening models improves hit identification and reproducibility of effects across various PDD models. Using cell viability and colony size phenotype measurement we characterize the structure activity relationship of the lead molecule, and identify that the small molecule inhibits phosphorylation of ERK2 and promotes stem cell proliferation. This study demonstrates a PDD approach that employs combinatorial models to identify compounds promoting stem cell proliferation.

The cellular cytoskeleton forms the primary basis through which a cell governs the changes in size, shape, migration, proliferation, and forms the primary means through which the cells respond to their environment. Indeed, cell and tissue morphologies are used routinely not only to grade tumors but also in various high-content screening methods with an aim to identify new small molecules with therapeutic potential. This study examines the expression of various cytoskeleton regulators in glioblastoma multiforme (GBM). GBM is a very aggressive disease with a low life expectancy even after chemo- and radiotherapy. Cancer cells of GBM are notorious for their invasiveness, ability to develop resistance to chemo- and radiotherapy, and to form secondary site tumors. This study aims to gain insight into cytoskeleton regulators in GBM cells and to understand the effect of various oncology drugs, including temozolomide, on cytoskeleton regulators. We compare the expression of various cytoskeleton regulators in GBM-derived tumor and normal tissue, CD133-postive and -negative cells from GBM and neural cells, and GBM stem-like and differentiated cells. In addition, the correlation between the expression of cytoskeleton regulators with the clinical outcome was examined to identify genes associated with longer patient survival. This was followed by a small molecule screening with US Food and Drug Administration (FDA)-approved oncology drugs, and its effect on cellular cytoskeleton was compared to treatment with temozolomide. This study identifies various groups of cytoskeletal regulators that have an important effect on patient survival and tumor development. Importantly, this work highlights the advantage of using cytoskeleton regulators as biomarkers for assessing prognosis and treatment design for GBM.

Inherited neurodegenerative disorders are debilitating diseases that occur across different species. We have performed clinical, pathological and genetic studies to characterize a novel canine neurodegenerative disease present in the Lagotto Romagnolo dog breed. Affected dogs suffer from progressive cerebellar ataxia, sometimes accompanied by episodic nystagmus and behavioral changes. Histological examination revealed unique pathological changes, including profound neuronal cytoplasmic vacuolization in the nervous system, as well as spheroid formation and cytoplasmic aggregation of vacuoles in secretory epithelial tissues and mesenchymal cells. Genetic analyses uncovered a missense change, c.1288G>A; p.A430T, in the autophagy-related ATG4D gene on canine chromosome 20 with a highly significant disease association (p = 3.8 x 10-136) in a cohort of more than 2300 Lagotto Romagnolo dogs. ATG4D encodes a poorly characterized cysteine protease belonging to the macroautophagy pathway. Accordingly, our histological analyses indicated altered autophagic flux in affected tissues. The knockdown of the zebrafish homologue atg4da resulted in a widespread developmental disturbance and neurodegeneration in the central nervous system. Our study describes a previously unknown canine neurological disease with particular pathological features and implicates the ATG4D protein as an important autophagy mediator in neuronal homeostasis. The canine phenotype serves as a model to delineate the disease-causing pathological mechanism(s) and ATG4D function, and can also be used to explore treatment options. Furthermore, our results reveal a novel candidate gene for human neurodegeneration and enable the development of a genetic test for veterinary diagnostic and breeding purposes.

Nephronophthisis-related ciliopathies (NPHP-RC) are recessive diseases characterized by renal dysplasia or degeneration. We here identify mutations of DCDC2 as causing a renal-hepatic ciliopathy. DCDC2 localizes to the ciliary axoneme and to mitotic spindle fibers in a cell-cycle-dependent manner. Knockdown of Dcdc2 in IMCD3 cells disrupts ciliogenesis, which is rescued by wild-type (WT) human DCDC2, but not by constructs that reflect human mutations. We show that DCDC2 interacts with DVL and DCDC2 overexpression inhibits beta-catenin-dependent Wnt signaling in an effect additive to Wnt inhibitors. Mutations detected in human NPHP-RC lack these effects. A Wnt inhibitor likewise restores ciliogenesis in 3D IMCD3 cultures, emphasizing the importance of Wnt signaling for renal tubulogenesis. Knockdown of dcdc2 in zebrafish recapitulates NPHP-RC phenotypes, including renal cysts and hydrocephalus, which is rescued by a Wnt inhibitor and by WT, but not by mutant, DCDC2. We thus demonstrate a central role of Wnt signaling in the pathogenesis of NPHP-RC, suggesting an avenue for potential treatment of NPHP-RC.

We report the synthesis of four different types of macrocyclic-derived glycohybrids from carbohydrates that have an amino acid moiety in the large-ring skeleton. These macrocyclic glycohybrids were obtained from -C-1H- and -C-1H-linked carbohydrates. In one series, we utilized ring-closing metathesis as the stitching technology to obtain two different macrocycles, i.e., trans equatorial-axial C-1H and C-5H and cis axial-axial C-1H and C-5H. The click approach was the key reaction in our second series to obtain two other macrocyclic compounds, i.e., trans equatorial-axial C-1H and C-5H and cis axial-axial C-1H and C-5H. The evaluation of this toolbox resulted in the identification of two unique compounds as antiangiogenesis agents in an embryonic zebrafish assay. Interestingly, in both cases, the macrocyclic compounds that have a cis relationship (i.e., axial-axial orientation) between C-1H and C-5H showed activity and their other diastereomers (i.e., equatorial-axial C-1H and C-5 H) with a trans relationship did not show any effect.

A practical and modular approach to obtain a diverse set of 14-membered macrocyclic compounds from carbohydrates is developed that utilizes functional groups at C-1 and C-5. The evaluation of this toolbox in various zebrafish assays led to the identification of 2.7f as an antiangiogenesis agent.

A modular approach to explore the macrocyclic chemical space around an aminoindoline scaffold is developed. This is achieved by incorporating an amino acid moiety and subsequent stitching technology. Through screening of a zebrafish assay, several antiangiogenesis agents are identified.

DYX1C1, a susceptibility gene for dyslexia, encodes a tetratricopeptide repeat domain containing protein that has been implicated in neuronal migration in rodent models. The developmental role of this gene remains unexplored. To understand the biological function(s) of zebrafish dyx1c1 during embryonic development, we cloned the zebrafish dyx1c1 and used morpholino-based knockdown strategy. Quantitative real-time PCR analysis revealed the presence of dyx1c1 transcripts in embryos, early larval stages and in a wide range of adult tissues. Using mRNA in situ hybridization, we show here that dyx1c1 is expressed in many ciliated tissues in zebrafish. Inhibition of dyx1c1 produced pleiotropic phenotypes characteristically associated with cilia defects such as body curvature, hydrocephalus, situs inversus and kidney cysts. We also demonstrate that in dyx1c1 morphants, cilia length is reduced in several organs including Kupffer's vesicle, pronephros, spinal canal and olfactory placode. Furthermore, electron microscopic analysis of cilia in dyx1c1 morphants revealed loss of both outer (ODA) and inner dynein arms (IDA) that have been shown to be required for cilia motility. Considering all these results, we propose an essential role for dyx1c1 in cilia growth and function.

We report a practical and modular approach to obtain two different types of 17-membered ring macrocyclic compounds through an intramolecular Heck reaction. These macrocyclic compounds are functionalized, that is, they contain two contiguous stereogenic hydroxy functional groups and an amino acid moiety in the macrocyclic ring skeleton. The macrocycles were then screened against a zebrafish assay to determine the antiangiogenesis activity of these small molecules. Macrocyclic compound 2.2a was identified as a potent inhibitor at 2.5 M, whereas its acyclic precursor and the other related macrocyclic compounds did not show any effect.

A highly practical and modular synthesis to obtain a diverse 14-membered ring-based macrocyclic toolbox is achieved. These compounds were further tested in zebrafish assays related to early embryonic development, angiogenesis, and neurogenesis, respectively. 1.4c was Identified as an antiangiogenesis agent.

A novel approach to incorporate the macrocyclic rings onto the privileged substructure, i.e., tetrahydroquinoline scaffold, is developed. The presence of an amino acid-derived moiety in the macrocyclic skeleton provides an opportunity to modulate the nature of the chiral side chain. Further, evaluation in a zebrafish screen identified three active small molecules (2.5b, 3.2d, and 4.2) as antiangiogenesis agents at 2.5 μM.

4-Nonylphenol (4-NP), an estrogen mimicking compound is produced by biodegradation of alkylethoxylates. It is well established that 4-NP can affect the development of aquatic animals by disrupting the endocrine signals. Here we show for the first time in zebrafish that 4-NP does not only target the neuroendocrine system but also the notochord and the muscle. The notochord malformation was first evident as distortions at 24hourspostfertilization (hpf) which within 24h appeared as kinks and herniations. The notochord phenotype was accompanied by reduced motility and impaired swimming behavior. Whole-mount in situ hybridization using chordamesoderm markers and electron microscopic analysis showed failure in the notochord differentiation and disruption of the perinotochordal basement membrane. Late larval stages of 4-NP treated embryos displayed abnormal mineralization, vertebral curvature, fusion of vertebral bodies and abnormal extension of haemal arches. The muscle structure and the maximal active force in isolated muscle preparations were similar between 4-NP exposed and of control embryos, suggesting that 4-NP did not induce major changes in striated muscle function. However, repeated electrical stimulation (>40Hz) of the 4-NP exposed larvae revealed an impaired relaxation between stimuli, possibly reflecting an alteration in the relaxant mechanisms (e.g. in cellular Ca(2+) removal) which could explain the abnormal swimming pattern exhibited by 4-NP exposed larvae. Additionally, we demonstrate that the expression levels of the stress hormone, corticotropin releasing hormonewere elevated in the brain following 4-NP treatment. We also observed a significant decrease in the transcript levels of luteinizing hormone b at early larval stages. Collectively, our results show that 4-NP is able to disrupt the notochord morphogenesis, muscle function and the neuroendocrine system. These data suggest that 4-NP enduringly affects the embryonic development in zebrafish and that this compound might exert these deleterious effects through diverse signaling pathways.

The identification of normal and cancerous stem cells and the recent advances made in isolation and culture of stem cells have rapidly gained attention in the field of drug discovery and regenerative medicine. The prospect of performing screens aimed at proliferation, directed differentiation, and toxicity and efficacy studies using stem cells offers a reliable platform for the drug discovery process. Advances made in the generation of induced pluripotent stem cells from normal or diseased tissue serves as a platform to perform drug screens aimed at developing cell-based therapies against conditions like Parkinson's disease and diabetes. This review discusses the application of stem cells and cancer stem cells in drug screening and their role in complementing, reducing, and replacing animal testing. In addition to this, target identification and major advances in the field of personalized medicine using induced pluripotent cells are also discussed.

Correspondence: Satish Srinivas Kitambi Department of Medical Biochemistry and Biophysics, Division of Molecular Neurobiology, Scheeles Väg 2, Karolinska Institutet, Stockholm, Sweden 17177 Tel +46 8 5248 7659 Fax +46 8 341 960 Email satish.kitambi@ki.se Abstract: The identification of normal and cancerous stem cells and the recent advances made in isolation and culture of stem cells have rapidly gained attention in the field of drug discovery and regenerative medicine. The prospect of performing screens aimed at proliferation, directed differentiation, and toxicity and efficacy studies using stem cells offers a reliable platform for the drug discovery process. Advances made in the generation of induced pluripotent stem cells from normal or diseased tissue serves as a platform to perform drug screens aimed at developing cell-based therapies against conditions like Parkinson’s disease and diabetes. This review discusses the application of stem cells and cancer stem cells in drug screening and their role in complementing, reducing, and replacing animal testing. In addition to this, target identification and major advances in the field of personalized medicine using induced pluripotent cells are also discussed.

The human eye is a highly specialized structure and defects in its development or functioning process have an impact on the quality of life. Different animal models, especially murine models, have been used to identify the key molecular players required for the normal functioning of the eye. This review highlights the importance of the teleost model in dissecting the development, functioning process and diseases of the human eye. A high degree of conservation is seen in the development, organization and function of the eye throughout vertebrates. Vertebrate teleost models, zebrafish and medaka, have become popular to study various aspects of developmental biology and genetics. Teleost eye shows high similarity to that of the mammalian eye; for example, as seen in mammals, the retina of zebrafish and medaka shows six types of neurons and one type of glia arranged in three layers. In addition, rapid embryonic development, transparency during early development, and the availability of various biochemical, molecular and genetic techniques applicable on these models facilitate in dissecting the developmental and functioning processes of the eye. The availability of mutants with eye defects in zebrafish and medaka allows the possibility of utilizing these two species as comparative models in gaining rapid understanding of the developmental events of various human diseases. The small size of these fish embryos and their availability in large numbers allow performing medically relevant chemical screens to identify potential drug and/or drug targets for different human eye conditions.