Cell-type specific developmental defects inPTEN-mutant cortical organoids converge on abnormal circuit activity

AbstractDe novoheterozygous loss-of-function mutations inPTENare strongly associated with Autism spectrum disorders (ASD); however, it is unclear how heterozygous mutations in this gene affects different cell types during human brain development, and how these effects vary across individuals. Here, we used human cortical organoids from different donors to identify cell-type-specific developmental events that are affected by heterozygous mutations inPTEN. We profiled individual organoids by single-cell RNA-seq, proteomics and spatial transcriptomics, and revealed abnormalities in developmental timing in human outer radial glia progenitors and deep layer cortical projection neurons, which varied with the donor genetic background. Calcium imaging in intact organoids showed that both accelerated and delayed neuronal development phenotypes resulted in similar abnormal activity of local circuits, irrespective of genetic background. The work reveals donor-dependent, cell-type specific developmental phenotypes ofPTENheterozygosity that later converge on disrupted neuronal activity.