Human iPS cell-derived mural cells as an in vitro model of hereditary cerebral small vessel disease

• Published in: Molecular brain 2020-03, Vol.13 (1), p.38-38, Article 38
• Main Authors: Yamamoto, Yumi, Kojima, Katsutoshi, Taura, Daisuke, Sone, Masakatsu, Washida, Kazuo, Egawa, Naohiro, Kondo, Takayuki, Minakawa, Eiko N, Tsukita, Kayoko, Enami, Takako, Tomimoto, Hidekazu, Mizuno, Toshiki, Kalaria, Raj N, Inagaki, Nobuya, Takahashi, Ryosuke, Harada-Shiba, Mariko, Ihara, Masafumi, Inoue, Haruhisa
• Format: Article
• Language: English
• Subjects: Actin; Analysis; Becaplermin - pharmacology; CADASIL; CADASIL - pathology; Cell differentiation; Cell Differentiation - drug effects; Cell growth; Cell Movement - drug effects; Cell Proliferation - drug effects; Cerebral Small Vessel Diseases - pathology; Cloning; Collagen; Differentiation; Diseases; EDTA; Endothelium; Genetic aspects; Humans; Immunoglobulins; Induced pluripotent stem cell; Induced Pluripotent Stem Cells - drug effects; Induced Pluripotent Stem Cells - metabolism; Induced Pluripotent Stem Cells - pathology; Leukoencephalopathy; Ligands; Models, Biological; Mural cell; Muscle proteins; Mutation; Notch3; Pathogenesis; PDGFRβ; Phenotype; Phenotypes; Platelet-derived growth factor; Receptor, Notch3 - metabolism; Receptor, Platelet-Derived Growth Factor beta - metabolism; Scientific equipment industry; Smooth muscle; Stem cells; Vascular diseases
• ISSN: 1756-6606; 1756-6606
• DOI: 10.1186/s13041-020-00573-w

Cerebral autosomal dominant arteriopathy with subcortical infarcts and leukoencephalopathy (CADASIL) is one of the most common forms of hereditary cerebral small vessel diseases and is caused by mutations in NOTCH3. Our group has previously reported incorporation of NOTCH3 extracellular domain (N3ECD) in the CADASIL-specific granular osmiophilic materials and increase of PDGFRβ immunoreactivity in CADASIL postmortem brains. Here, we aimed to establish an in vitro model of CADASIL, which can recapitulate those CADASIL phenotypes, using induced pluripotent stem cells (iPSCs). We have refined a differentiation protocol of endothelial cells to obtain mature mural cells (MCs) with their characteristic properties. iPSCs from three CADASIL patients with p.Arg182Cys, p.Arg141Cys and p.Cys106Arg mutations were differentiated into MCs and their functional and molecular profiles were compared. The differentiated CADASIL MCs recapitulated pathogenic changes reported previously: increased PDGFRβ and abnormal structure/distribution of filamentous actin network, as well as N3ECD/LTBP-1/HtrA1-immunopositive deposits. Migration rate of CADASIL MCs was enhanced but suppressed by knockdown of NOTCH3 or PDGFRB. CADASIL MCs showed altered reactivity to PDGF-BB. Patient-derived MCs can recapitulate CADASIL pathology and are therefore useful in understanding the pathogenesis and developing potential treatment strategies.