Navroop K Dhaliwal, Octavia Yifang Weng, Xiaoxue Dong, Afrin Bhattacharya, Mai Ahmed, Haruka Nishimura, Wendy W Y Choi, Aditi Aggarwal, Bryan W Luikart, Qiang Shu, Xuekun Li, Michael D Wilson, Jason Moffat, Lu-Yang Wang, Julien Muffat, Yun Li
Mutations in the phosphatase and tensin homolog (PTEN) gene are associated with severe neurodevelopmental disorders. Loss of PTEN leads to hyperactivation of the mechanistic target of rapamycin (mTOR), which functions in two distinct protein complexes, mTORC1 and mTORC2. The downstream signaling mechanisms that contribute to PTEN mutant phenotypes are not well delineated. Here, we show that pluripotent stem cell-derived PTEN mutant human neurons, neural precursors, and cortical organoids recapitulate disease-relevant phenotypes, including hypertrophy, electrical hyperactivity, enhanced proliferation, and structural overgrowth...
May 2, 2024: Cell Reports