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Age-maintained human neurons demonstrate a developmental loss of intrinsic neurite growth ability

Lear, B. P.; Thompson, E. A. N.; Rodriguez, K.; Arndt, Z. P.; Khullar, S.; Klosa, P. C.; Lu, R. J.; Morrow, C. S.; Risgaard, R.; Peterson, E. R.; Teefy, B. B.; Bhattacharyya, A.; Sousa, A. M. M.; Wang, D.; Benayoun, B. A.; Moore, D. L.

2023-05-24 neuroscience
10.1101/2023.05.23.541995 bioRxiv
Show abstract

Injury to adult mammalian central nervous system (CNS) axons results in limited regeneration. Rodent studies have revealed a developmental switch in CNS axon regenerative ability, yet whether this is conserved in humans is unknown. Using human fibroblasts from 8 gestational-weeks to 72 years-old, we performed direct reprogramming to transdifferentiate fibroblasts into induced neurons (Fib-iNs), avoiding pluripotency which restores cells to an embryonic state. We found that early gestational Fib-iNs grew longer neurites than all other ages, mirroring the developmental switch in regenerative ability in rodents. RNA-sequencing and screening revealed ARID1A as a developmentally-regulated modifier of neurite growth in human neurons. These data suggest that age-specific epigenetic changes may drive the intrinsic loss of neurite growth ability in human CNS neurons during development. One-Sentence Summary: Directly-reprogrammed human neurons demonstrate a developmental decrease in neurite growth ability.

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