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Lawrence KE, Hernandez LM, Fuster E, Padgaonkar NT, Patterson G, Jung J, Okada NJ, Lowe JK, Hoekstra JN, Jack A, Aylward E, Gaab N, Van Horn JD, Bernier RA, McPartland JC, Webb SJ, Pelphrey KA, Green SA, Bookheimer SY, Geschwind DH, Dapretto M. Impact of autism genetic risk on brain connectivity: a mechanism for the female protective effect. Brain 2021; 145:378-387. [PMID: 34050743 PMCID: PMC8967090 DOI: 10.1093/brain/awab204] [Citation(s) in RCA: 7] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 11/21/2020] [Revised: 04/23/2021] [Accepted: 05/11/2021] [Indexed: 01/27/2023] Open
Abstract
The biological mechanisms underlying the greater prevalence of autism spectrum disorder in males than females remain poorly understood. One hypothesis posits that this female protective effect arises from genetic load for autism spectrum disorder differentially impacting male and female brains. To test this hypothesis, we investigated the impact of cumulative genetic risk for autism spectrum disorder on functional brain connectivity in a balanced sample of boys and girls with autism spectrum disorder and typically developing boys and girls (127 youth, ages 8-17). Brain connectivity analyses focused on the salience network, a core intrinsic functional connectivity network which has previously been implicated in autism spectrum disorder. The effects of polygenic risk on salience network functional connectivity were significantly modulated by participant sex, with genetic load for autism spectrum disorder influencing functional connectivity in boys with and without autism spectrum disorder but not girls. These findings support the hypothesis that autism spectrum disorder risk genes interact with sex differential processes, thereby contributing to the male bias in autism prevalence and proposing an underlying neurobiological mechanism for the female protective effect.
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Affiliation(s)
- Katherine E Lawrence
- Department of Psychiatry and Biobehavioral Sciences, University of California Los Angeles, Los Angeles, CA 90095, USA,Correspondence to: Mirella Dapretto Ahmanson-Lovelace Brain Mapping Center 660 Charles E. Young Drive South Los Angeles, CA 90095, USA E-mail:
| | - Leanna M Hernandez
- Department of Psychiatry and Biobehavioral Sciences, University of California Los Angeles, Los Angeles, CA 90095, USA
| | - Emily Fuster
- Department of Psychiatry and Biobehavioral Sciences, University of California Los Angeles, Los Angeles, CA 90095, USA
| | - Namita T Padgaonkar
- Department of Psychiatry and Biobehavioral Sciences, University of California Los Angeles, Los Angeles, CA 90095, USA
| | - Genevieve Patterson
- Department of Psychiatry and Biobehavioral Sciences, University of California Los Angeles, Los Angeles, CA 90095, USA
| | - Jiwon Jung
- Department of Psychiatry and Biobehavioral Sciences, University of California Los Angeles, Los Angeles, CA 90095, USA
| | - Nana J Okada
- Department of Psychiatry and Biobehavioral Sciences, University of California Los Angeles, Los Angeles, CA 90095, USA
| | - Jennifer K Lowe
- Department of Neurology, University of California Los Angeles, Los Angeles, CA 90095, USA
| | - Jackson N Hoekstra
- Department of Neurology, University of California Los Angeles, Los Angeles, CA 90095, USA
| | - Allison Jack
- Department of Psychology, George Mason University, Fairfax, VA 22030, USA
| | - Elizabeth Aylward
- Center for Integrative Brain Research, Seattle Children’s Research Institute, Seattle, WA 98101, USA
| | - Nadine Gaab
- Harvard Graduate School of Education, Cambridge, MA 02138, USA
| | - John D Van Horn
- Department of Psychology and School of Data Science, University of Virginia, Charlottesville, VA 22904, USA
| | - Raphael A Bernier
- Department of Psychiatry and Behavioral Sciences, University of Washington, Seattle, WA 98195, USA
| | | | - Sara J Webb
- Department of Psychiatry and Behavioral Sciences, University of Washington, Seattle, WA 98195, USA,Center on Child Health, Behavior, and Development, Seattle Children’s Research Institute, Seattle, WA 98101, USA
| | - Kevin A Pelphrey
- Department of Neurology, University of Virginia, Charlottesville, VA 22904, USA
| | - Shulamite A Green
- Department of Psychiatry and Biobehavioral Sciences, University of California Los Angeles, Los Angeles, CA 90095, USA
| | - Susan Y Bookheimer
- Department of Psychiatry and Biobehavioral Sciences, University of California Los Angeles, Los Angeles, CA 90095, USA
| | - Daniel H Geschwind
- Department of Neurology, University of California Los Angeles, Los Angeles, CA 90095, USA,Center for Neurobehavioral Genetics, University of California Los Angeles, Los Angeles, CA, 90095, USA
| | - Mirella Dapretto
- Department of Psychiatry and Biobehavioral Sciences, University of California Los Angeles, Los Angeles, CA 90095, USA
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Lewis EMA, Kaushik K, Sandoval LA, Antony I, Dietmann S, Kroll KL. Epigenetic regulation during human cortical development: Seq-ing answers from the brain to the organoid. Neurochem Int 2021; 147:105039. [PMID: 33915225 PMCID: PMC8387070 DOI: 10.1016/j.neuint.2021.105039] [Citation(s) in RCA: 4] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 09/24/2020] [Revised: 03/23/2021] [Accepted: 03/27/2021] [Indexed: 01/22/2023]
Abstract
Epigenetic regulation plays an important role in controlling gene expression during complex processes, such as development of the human brain. Mutations in genes encoding chromatin modifying proteins and in the non-protein coding sequences of the genome can potentially alter transcription factor binding or chromatin accessibility. Such mutations can frequently cause neurodevelopmental disorders, therefore understanding how epigenetic regulation shapes brain development is of particular interest. While epigenetic regulation of neural development has been extensively studied in murine models, significant species-specific differences in both the genome sequence and in brain development necessitate human models. However, access to human fetal material is limited and these tissues cannot be grown or experimentally manipulated ex vivo. Therefore, models that recapitulate particular aspects of human fetal brain development, such as the in vitro differentiation of human pluripotent stem cells (hPSCs), are instrumental for studying the epigenetic regulation of human neural development. Here, we examine recent studies that have defined changes in the epigenomic landscape during fetal brain development. We compare these studies with analogous data derived by in vitro differentiation of hPSCs into specific neuronal cell types or as three-dimensional cerebral organoids. Such comparisons can be informative regarding which aspects of fetal brain development are faithfully recapitulated by in vitro differentiation models and provide a foundation for using experimentally tractable in vitro models of human brain development to study neural gene regulation and the basis of its disruption to cause neurodevelopmental disorders.
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Affiliation(s)
- Emily M A Lewis
- Department of Developmental Biology, Washington University School of Medicine, 660 S. Euclid Avenue St, Louis, MO, 63110, USA.
| | - Komal Kaushik
- Department of Developmental Biology, Washington University School of Medicine, 660 S. Euclid Avenue St, Louis, MO, 63110, USA.
| | - Luke A Sandoval
- Department of Developmental Biology, Washington University School of Medicine, 660 S. Euclid Avenue St, Louis, MO, 63110, USA.
| | - Irene Antony
- Department of Developmental Biology, Washington University School of Medicine, 660 S. Euclid Avenue St, Louis, MO, 63110, USA.
| | - Sabine Dietmann
- Department of Developmental Biology, Washington University School of Medicine, 660 S. Euclid Avenue St, Louis, MO, 63110, USA.
| | - Kristen L Kroll
- Department of Developmental Biology, Washington University School of Medicine, 660 S. Euclid Avenue St, Louis, MO, 63110, USA.
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Park BY, Hong SJ, Valk SL, Paquola C, Benkarim O, Bethlehem RAI, Di Martino A, Milham MP, Gozzi A, Yeo BTT, Smallwood J, Bernhardt BC. Differences in subcortico-cortical interactions identified from connectome and microcircuit models in autism. Nat Commun 2021; 12:2225. [PMID: 33850128 PMCID: PMC8044226 DOI: 10.1038/s41467-021-21732-0] [Citation(s) in RCA: 42] [Impact Index Per Article: 14.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 05/09/2020] [Accepted: 02/05/2021] [Indexed: 01/14/2023] Open
Abstract
The pathophysiology of autism has been suggested to involve a combination of both macroscale connectome miswiring and microcircuit anomalies. Here, we combine connectome-wide manifold learning with biophysical simulation models to understand associations between global network perturbations and microcircuit dysfunctions in autism. We studied neuroimaging and phenotypic data in 47 individuals with autism and 37 typically developing controls obtained from the Autism Brain Imaging Data Exchange initiative. Our analysis establishes significant differences in structural connectome organization in individuals with autism relative to controls, with strong between-group effects in low-level somatosensory regions and moderate effects in high-level association cortices. Computational models reveal that the degree of macroscale anomalies is related to atypical increases of recurrent excitation/inhibition, as well as subcortical inputs into cortical microcircuits, especially in sensory and motor areas. Transcriptomic association analysis based on postmortem datasets identifies genes expressed in cortical and thalamic areas from childhood to young adulthood. Finally, supervised machine learning finds that the macroscale perturbations are associated with symptom severity scores on the Autism Diagnostic Observation Schedule. Together, our analyses suggest that atypical subcortico-cortical interactions are associated with both microcircuit and macroscale connectome differences in autism.
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Affiliation(s)
- Bo-Yong Park
- McConnell Brain Imaging Centre, Montreal Neurological Institute and Hospital, McGill University, Montreal, QC, Canada.
- Department of Data Science, Inha University, Incheon, South Korea.
| | - Seok-Jun Hong
- McConnell Brain Imaging Centre, Montreal Neurological Institute and Hospital, McGill University, Montreal, QC, Canada
- Center for the Developing Brain, Child Mind Institute, New York City, NY, USA
- Center for Neuroscience Imaging Research, Institute for Basic Science, Sungkyunkwan University, Suwon, South Korea
- Department of Biomedical Engineering, Sungkyunkwan University, Suwon, South Korea
| | - Sofie L Valk
- Forschungszentrum, Julich, Germany
- Max Planck Institute for Cognitive and Brain Sciences, Leipzig, Germany
| | - Casey Paquola
- McConnell Brain Imaging Centre, Montreal Neurological Institute and Hospital, McGill University, Montreal, QC, Canada
| | - Oualid Benkarim
- McConnell Brain Imaging Centre, Montreal Neurological Institute and Hospital, McGill University, Montreal, QC, Canada
| | - Richard A I Bethlehem
- Autism Research Centre, Department of Psychiatry, University of Cambridge, Cambridge, UK
- Brain Mapping Unit, Department of Psychiatry, University of Cambridge, Cambridge, UK
| | - Adriana Di Martino
- Center for the Developing Brain, Child Mind Institute, New York City, NY, USA
| | - Michael P Milham
- Center for the Developing Brain, Child Mind Institute, New York City, NY, USA
| | - Alessandro Gozzi
- Istituto Italiano di Tecnologia, Centre for Neuroscience and Cognitive Systems @ UNITN, Rovereto, Italy
| | - B T Thomas Yeo
- Department of Electrical and Computer Engineering, National University of Singapore, Singapore, Singapore
- Centre for Sleep and Cognition (CSC) & Centre for Translational Magnetic Resonance Research (TMR), National University of Singapore, Singapore, Singapore
- N.1 Institute for Health & Institute for Digital Medicine (WisDM), National University of Singapore, Singapore, Singapore
- Martinos Center for Biomedical Imaging, Massachusetts General Hospital, Charlestown, MA, USA
- Integrative Sciences and Engineering Programme (ISEP), National University of Singapore, Singapore, Singapore
| | - Jonathan Smallwood
- Department of Psychology, York Neuroimaging Centre, University of York, York, UK
- Department of Psychology, Queen's University, Kingston, ON, Canada
| | - Boris C Bernhardt
- McConnell Brain Imaging Centre, Montreal Neurological Institute and Hospital, McGill University, Montreal, QC, Canada.
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Shin S, Santi A, Huang S. Conditional Pten knockout in parvalbumin- or somatostatin-positive neurons sufficiently leads to autism-related behavioral phenotypes. Mol Brain 2021; 14:24. [PMID: 33504340 PMCID: PMC7839207 DOI: 10.1186/s13041-021-00731-8] [Citation(s) in RCA: 6] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 09/28/2020] [Accepted: 01/05/2021] [Indexed: 02/07/2023] Open
Abstract
Disrupted GABAergic neurons have been extensively described in brain tissues from individuals with autism spectrum disorder (ASD) and animal models for ASD. However, the contribution of these aberrant inhibitory neurons to autism-related behavioral phenotypes is not well understood. We examined ASD-related behaviors in mice with conditional Pten knockout in parvalbumin (PV)-expressing or somatostatin (Sst)-expressing neurons, two common subtypes of GABAergic neurons. We found that mice with deletion of Pten in either PV-neurons or Sst-neurons displayed social deficits, repetitive behaviors and impaired motor coordination/learning. In addition, mice with one copy of Pten deletion in PV-neurons exhibited hyperlocomotion in novel open fields and home cages. We also examined anxiety behaviors and found that mice with Pten deletion in Sst-neurons displayed anxiety-like behaviors, while mice with Pten deletion in PV-neurons exhibited anxiolytic-like behaviors. These behavioral assessments demonstrate that Pten knockout in the subtype of inhibitory neurons sufficiently gives rise to ASD-core behaviors, providing evidence that both PV- and Sst-neurons may play a critical role in ASD symptoms.
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Affiliation(s)
- Sangyep Shin
- Program in Neuroscience, Hussman Institute for Autism, Baltimore, MD 21201 USA
| | - Andrea Santi
- Program in Neuroscience, Hussman Institute for Autism, Baltimore, MD 21201 USA
| | - Shiyong Huang
- Program in Neuroscience, Hussman Institute for Autism, Baltimore, MD 21201 USA
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55
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Jo D, Yoon G, Song J. Role of Exendin-4 in Brain Insulin Resistance, Mitochondrial Function, and Neurite Outgrowth in Neurons under Palmitic Acid-Induced Oxidative Stress. Antioxidants (Basel) 2021; 10:antiox10010078. [PMID: 33435277 PMCID: PMC7827489 DOI: 10.3390/antiox10010078] [Citation(s) in RCA: 7] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 12/18/2020] [Revised: 01/06/2021] [Accepted: 01/07/2021] [Indexed: 11/17/2022] Open
Abstract
Glucagon like peptide 1 (GLP-1) is an incretin hormone produced by the gut and brain, and is currently being used as a therapeutic drug for type 2 diabetes and obesity, suggesting that it regulates abnormal appetite patterns, and ameliorates impaired glucose metabolism. Many researchers have demonstrated that GLP-1 agonists and GLP-1 receptor agonists exert neuroprotective effects against brain damage. Palmitic acid (PA) is a saturated fatty acid, and increases the risk of neuroinflammation, lipotoxicity, impaired glucose metabolism, and cognitive decline. In this study, we investigated whether or not Exentin-4 (Ex-4; GLP-1 agonist) inhibits higher production of reactive oxygen species (ROS) in an SH-SY5Y neuronal cell line under PA-induced apoptosis conditions. Moreover, pre-treatment with Ex-4 in SH-SY5Y neuronal cells prevents neural apoptosis and mitochondrial dysfunction through several cellular signal pathways. In addition, insulin sensitivity in neurons is improved by Ex-4 treatment under PA-induced insulin resistance. Additionally, our imaging data showed that neuronal morphology is improved by EX-4 treatment, in spite of PA-induced neuronal damage. Furthermore, we identified that Ex-4 inhibits neuronal damage and enhanced neural complexity, such as neurite length, secondary branches, and number of neurites from soma in PA-treated SH-SY5Y. We observed that Ex-4 significantly increases neural complexity, dendritic spine morphogenesis, and development in PA treated primary cortical neurons. Hence, we suggest that GLP-1 administration may be a crucial therapeutic solution for improving neuropathology in the obese brain.
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Affiliation(s)
- Danbi Jo
- Department of Anatomy, Chonnam National University Medical School, Hwasun 58128, Korea; (D.J.); (G.Y.)
- BK21 PLUS Center for Creative Biomedical Scientists at Chonnam National University, Research Institute of Medical Sciences, Chonnam National University Medical School, Gwangju 501-757, Korea
| | - Gwangho Yoon
- Department of Anatomy, Chonnam National University Medical School, Hwasun 58128, Korea; (D.J.); (G.Y.)
- BK21 PLUS Center for Creative Biomedical Scientists at Chonnam National University, Research Institute of Medical Sciences, Chonnam National University Medical School, Gwangju 501-757, Korea
| | - Juhyun Song
- Department of Anatomy, Chonnam National University Medical School, Hwasun 58128, Korea; (D.J.); (G.Y.)
- BK21 PLUS Center for Creative Biomedical Scientists at Chonnam National University, Research Institute of Medical Sciences, Chonnam National University Medical School, Gwangju 501-757, Korea
- Correspondence: ; Tel.:+82-61-379-2706; Fax: +82-61-375-5834
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Krzyżanowska M, Rębała K, Steiner J, Kaliszan M, Pieśniak D, Karnecki K, Wiergowski M, Brisch R, Braun K, Jankowski Z, Kosmowska M, Chociej J, Gos T. Reduced ribosomal DNA transcription in the prefrontal cortex of suicide victims: consistence of new molecular RT-qPCR findings with previous morphometric data from AgNOR-stained pyramidal neurons. Eur Arch Psychiatry Clin Neurosci 2021; 271:567-576. [PMID: 33501518 PMCID: PMC7981327 DOI: 10.1007/s00406-021-01232-4] [Citation(s) in RCA: 4] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Submit a Manuscript] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 10/02/2020] [Accepted: 01/11/2021] [Indexed: 12/12/2022]
Abstract
Prefrontal cortical regions play a key role in behavioural regulation, which is profoundly disturbed in suicide. The study was carried out on frozen cortical samples from the anterior cingulate cortex (dorsal and ventral parts, ACd and ACv), the orbitofrontal cortex (OFC), and the dorsolateral cortex (DLC) obtained from 20 suicide completers (predominantly violent) with unknown psychiatric diagnosis and 21 non-suicidal controls. The relative level of ribosomal RNA (rRNA) as a marker of the transcriptional activity of ribosomal DNA (rDNA) was evaluated bilaterally in prefrontal regions mentioned above (i.e. in eight regions of interest, ROIs) by reverse transcription and quantitative polymerase chain reaction (RT-qPCR). The overall statistical analysis revealed a decrease in rDNA activity in suicide victims versus controls, particularly in male subjects. Further ROI-specific post hoc analyses revealed a significant decrease in this activity in suicides compared to non-suicides in five ROIs. This effect was accentuated in the ACv, where it was observed bilaterally. Our findings suggest that decreased rDNA transcription in the prefrontal cortex plays an important role in suicide pathogenesis and corresponds with our previous morphometric analyses of AgNOR-stained neurons.
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Affiliation(s)
- Marta Krzyżanowska
- grid.11451.300000 0001 0531 3426Department of Forensic Medicine, Medical University of Gdańsk, ul. Dębowa 23, 80-204 Gdańsk, Poland
| | - Krzysztof Rębała
- grid.11451.300000 0001 0531 3426Department of Forensic Medicine, Medical University of Gdańsk, ul. Dębowa 23, 80-204 Gdańsk, Poland
| | - Johann Steiner
- grid.5807.a0000 0001 1018 4307Department of Psychiatry, Otto von Guericke University, Magdeburg, Germany
| | - Michał Kaliszan
- grid.11451.300000 0001 0531 3426Department of Forensic Medicine, Medical University of Gdańsk, ul. Dębowa 23, 80-204 Gdańsk, Poland
| | - Dorota Pieśniak
- grid.11451.300000 0001 0531 3426Department of Forensic Medicine, Medical University of Gdańsk, ul. Dębowa 23, 80-204 Gdańsk, Poland
| | - Karol Karnecki
- grid.11451.300000 0001 0531 3426Department of Forensic Medicine, Medical University of Gdańsk, ul. Dębowa 23, 80-204 Gdańsk, Poland
| | - Marek Wiergowski
- grid.11451.300000 0001 0531 3426Department of Forensic Medicine, Medical University of Gdańsk, ul. Dębowa 23, 80-204 Gdańsk, Poland
| | - Ralf Brisch
- grid.11451.300000 0001 0531 3426Department of Forensic Medicine, Medical University of Gdańsk, ul. Dębowa 23, 80-204 Gdańsk, Poland
| | - Katharina Braun
- grid.5807.a0000 0001 1018 4307Department of Zoology/Developmental Neurobiology, Institute of Biology, Otto von Guericke University, Magdeburg, Germany
| | - Zbigniew Jankowski
- grid.11451.300000 0001 0531 3426Department of Forensic Medicine, Medical University of Gdańsk, ul. Dębowa 23, 80-204 Gdańsk, Poland
| | - Monika Kosmowska
- grid.11451.300000 0001 0531 3426Department of Forensic Medicine, Medical University of Gdańsk, ul. Dębowa 23, 80-204 Gdańsk, Poland
| | - Joanna Chociej
- grid.11451.300000 0001 0531 3426Department of Forensic Medicine, Medical University of Gdańsk, ul. Dębowa 23, 80-204 Gdańsk, Poland
| | - Tomasz Gos
- Department of Forensic Medicine, Medical University of Gdańsk, ul. Dębowa 23, 80-204, Gdańsk, Poland. .,Department of Psychiatry, Otto von Guericke University, Magdeburg, Germany. .,Department of Zoology/Developmental Neurobiology, Institute of Biology, Otto von Guericke University, Magdeburg, Germany.
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Sharma AK, Gokulchandran N, Kulkarni PP, Sane HM, Sharma R, Jose A, Badhe PB. Cell transplantation as a novel therapeutic strategy for autism spectrum disorders: a clinical study. AMERICAN JOURNAL OF STEM CELLS 2020; 9:89-100. [PMID: 33489466 PMCID: PMC7811933] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 10/07/2019] [Accepted: 11/25/2019] [Indexed: 06/12/2023]
Abstract
BACKGROUND Autism spectrum disorders [ASD] is a lifelong disability mainly affecting the development, communication, social interaction and behavior of an individual. Cell transplantation is emerging as a potential therapeutic strategy for ASD. Our previously published proof of concept study showed beneficial effects of cell transplantation in ASD. This study shows effect of cell transplantation in a larger sample size of ASD patients. METHODS 254 patients diagnosed with ASD on DSM V criteria were enrolled in this open label non-randomized study. The intervention included intrathecal transplantation of autologous bone marrow mononuclear cells and neurorehabilitation. On mean follow up of 7.50 months, percentage analysis was performed on all symptomatic changes. Changes in outcome measures, Indian Scale for Assessment of Autism [ISAA] and Childhood Autism Rating Scale [CARS], were analyzed statistically using Wilcoxon Signed-Rank Test. Comparative analysis of Positron Emission Tomography [PET CT] scan brain, performed before and 6 months after intervention, was done in 86 patients to monitor the outcome at cellular level. Change in the standardized uptake values was statistically evaluated using T-Test [P≤0.05]. RESULTS Improvements were observed in eye contact, attention and concentration, hyperactivity, sitting tolerance, social interaction, stereotypical behavior, aggressiveness, communication, speech, command following and self-stimulatory behavior. Statistically significant improvement was observed in scores of ISAA and CARS after intervention. A significantly better outcome of the intervention was found in patients at younger age and with shorter duration of disease [<5 years from time of diagnosis]. 86 patients who underwent a repeat PET CT scan showed improved brain metabolism after intervention in areas which correlated to the symptomatic changes. No major procedure related adverse events were recorded. However, 5 patients, with history of seizure and abnormal EEG, had an episode of seizure which was managed using medications. Outcome of intervention in these patients was not affected by seizures as improvements were observed in them. CONCLUSION The results of this study indicate that autologous bone marrow mononuclear cells in combination with neurorehabilitation are a safe and effective treatment modality for ASD. It improves the quality of life of patients and helps them to integrate in mainstream lifestyle.
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Affiliation(s)
- Alok K Sharma
- Department of Medical Services and Clinical Research, NeuroGen Brain & Spine InstituteMumbai, India
| | - Nandini Gokulchandran
- Department of Medical Services and Clinical Research, NeuroGen Brain & Spine InstituteMumbai, India
| | - Pooja P Kulkarni
- Department of Research & Development, NeuroGen Brain & Spine InstituteMumbai, India
| | - Hemangi M Sane
- Department of Research & Development, NeuroGen Brain & Spine InstituteMumbai, India
| | - Ridhima Sharma
- Department of Neurorehabilitation, NeuroGen Brain & Spine InstituteMumbai, India
| | - Alitta Jose
- Department of Research & Development, NeuroGen Brain & Spine InstituteMumbai, India
| | - Prerna B Badhe
- Department of Regenerative Laboratory Services, NeuroGen Brain & Spine InstituteMumbai, India
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Filice F, Janickova L, Henzi T, Bilella A, Schwaller B. The Parvalbumin Hypothesis of Autism Spectrum Disorder. Front Cell Neurosci 2020; 14:577525. [PMID: 33390904 PMCID: PMC7775315 DOI: 10.3389/fncel.2020.577525] [Citation(s) in RCA: 45] [Impact Index Per Article: 11.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 06/29/2020] [Accepted: 11/10/2020] [Indexed: 12/11/2022] Open
Abstract
The prevalence of autism spectrum disorder (ASD)-a type of neurodevelopmental disorder-is increasing and is around 2% in North America, Asia, and Europe. Besides the known genetic link, environmental, epigenetic, and metabolic factors have been implicated in ASD etiology. Although highly heterogeneous at the behavioral level, ASD comprises a set of core symptoms including impaired communication and social interaction skills as well as stereotyped and repetitive behaviors. This has led to the suggestion that a large part of the ASD phenotype is caused by changes in a few and common set of signaling pathways, the identification of which is a fundamental aim of autism research. Using advanced bioinformatics tools and the abundantly available genetic data, it is possible to classify the large number of ASD-associated genes according to cellular function and pathways. Cellular processes known to be impaired in ASD include gene regulation, synaptic transmission affecting the excitation/inhibition balance, neuronal Ca2+ signaling, development of short-/long-range connectivity (circuits and networks), and mitochondrial function. Such alterations often occur during early postnatal neurodevelopment. Among the neurons most affected in ASD as well as in schizophrenia are those expressing the Ca2+-binding protein parvalbumin (PV). These mainly inhibitory interneurons present in many different brain regions in humans and rodents are characterized by rapid, non-adaptive firing and have a high energy requirement. PV expression is often reduced at both messenger RNA (mRNA) and protein levels in human ASD brain samples and mouse ASD (and schizophrenia) models. Although the human PVALB gene is not a high-ranking susceptibility/risk gene for either disorder and is currently only listed in the SFARI Gene Archive, we propose and present supporting evidence for the Parvalbumin Hypothesis, which posits that decreased PV level is causally related to the etiology of ASD (and possibly schizophrenia).
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Affiliation(s)
| | | | | | | | - Beat Schwaller
- Section of Medicine, Anatomy, University of Fribourg, Fribourg, Switzerland
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59
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Navas-Pérez E, Vicente-García C, Mirra S, Burguera D, Fernàndez-Castillo N, Ferrán JL, López-Mayorga M, Alaiz-Noya M, Suárez-Pereira I, Antón-Galindo E, Ulloa F, Herrera-Úbeda C, Cuscó P, Falcón-Moya R, Rodríguez-Moreno A, D'Aniello S, Cormand B, Marfany G, Soriano E, Carrión ÁM, Carvajal JJ, Garcia-Fernàndez J. Characterization of an eutherian gene cluster generated after transposon domestication identifies Bex3 as relevant for advanced neurological functions. Genome Biol 2020; 21:267. [PMID: 33100228 PMCID: PMC7586669 DOI: 10.1186/s13059-020-02172-3] [Citation(s) in RCA: 7] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.8] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 04/25/2020] [Accepted: 09/25/2020] [Indexed: 02/06/2023] Open
Abstract
BACKGROUND One of the most unusual sources of phylogenetically restricted genes is the molecular domestication of transposable elements into a host genome as functional genes. Although these kinds of events are sometimes at the core of key macroevolutionary changes, their origin and organismal function are generally poorly understood. RESULTS Here, we identify several previously unreported transposable element domestication events in the human and mouse genomes. Among them, we find a remarkable molecular domestication that gave rise to a multigenic family in placental mammals, the Bex/Tceal gene cluster. These genes, which act as hub proteins within diverse signaling pathways, have been associated with neurological features of human patients carrying genomic microdeletions in chromosome X. The Bex/Tceal genes display neural-enriched patterns and are differentially expressed in human neurological disorders, such as autism and schizophrenia. Two different murine alleles of the cluster member Bex3 display morphological and physiopathological brain modifications, such as reduced interneuron number and hippocampal electrophysiological imbalance, alterations that translate into distinct behavioral phenotypes. CONCLUSIONS We provide an in-depth understanding of the emergence of a gene cluster that originated by transposon domestication and gene duplication at the origin of placental mammals, an evolutionary process that transformed a non-functional transposon sequence into novel components of the eutherian genome. These genes were integrated into existing signaling pathways involved in the development, maintenance, and function of the CNS in eutherians. At least one of its members, Bex3, is relevant for higher brain functions in placental mammals and may be involved in human neurological disorders.
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Affiliation(s)
- Enrique Navas-Pérez
- Department of Genetics, Microbiology and Statistics, Faculty of Biology, and Institut de Biomedicina (IBUB), University of Barcelona, 08028, Barcelona, Spain
| | - Cristina Vicente-García
- Centro Andaluz de Biología del Desarrollo, CSIC-UPO-JA, Universidad Pablo de Olavide, 41013, Sevilla, Spain
| | - Serena Mirra
- Department of Genetics, Microbiology and Statistics, Faculty of Biology, and Institut de Biomedicina (IBUB), University of Barcelona, 08028, Barcelona, Spain.,Department of Cell Biology, Physiology and Immunology, and Institute of Neurosciences, University of Barcelona, 08028, Barcelona, Spain.,Centro de Investigación Biomédica en Red de Enfermedades Raras (CIBERER), Instituto de Salud Carlos III (ISCIII), Madrid, Spain.,Centro de Investigación Biomédica en Red sobre Enfermedades Neurodegenerativas (CIBERNED), Instituto de Salud Carlos III (ISCIII), 28029, Madrid, Spain
| | - Demian Burguera
- Department of Genetics, Microbiology and Statistics, Faculty of Biology, and Institut de Biomedicina (IBUB), University of Barcelona, 08028, Barcelona, Spain.,Department of Zoology, Charles University, Vinicna 7, 12844, Prague, Czech Republic
| | - Noèlia Fernàndez-Castillo
- Department of Genetics, Microbiology and Statistics, Faculty of Biology, and Institut de Biomedicina (IBUB), University of Barcelona, 08028, Barcelona, Spain.,Centro de Investigación Biomédica en Red de Enfermedades Raras (CIBERER), Instituto de Salud Carlos III (ISCIII), Madrid, Spain.,Institut de Recerca Sant Joan de Déu (IR-SJD), Esplugues de Llobregat, 08950, Barcelona, Spain
| | - José Luis Ferrán
- Department of Human Anatomy, School of Medicine, University of Murcia and IMIB-Arrixaca Institute, 30120, Murcia, Spain
| | - Macarena López-Mayorga
- Centro Andaluz de Biología del Desarrollo, CSIC-UPO-JA, Universidad Pablo de Olavide, 41013, Sevilla, Spain
| | - Marta Alaiz-Noya
- Department of Physiology, Anatomy and Cell Biology, Universidad Pablo de Olavide, 41013, Sevilla, Spain.,Present Address: Instituto de Neurociencias de Alicante (Universidad Miguel Hernández - Consejo Superior de Investigaciones Científicas), Alicante, Spain
| | - Irene Suárez-Pereira
- Department of Physiology, Anatomy and Cell Biology, Universidad Pablo de Olavide, 41013, Sevilla, Spain.,Present Address: Centro de Investigación Biomédica en Red de Salud Mental (CIBERSAM), Neuropsychopharmacology and psychobiology research group, UCA, INiBICA, Cádiz, Spain
| | - Ester Antón-Galindo
- Department of Genetics, Microbiology and Statistics, Faculty of Biology, and Institut de Biomedicina (IBUB), University of Barcelona, 08028, Barcelona, Spain
| | - Fausto Ulloa
- Department of Cell Biology, Physiology and Immunology, and Institute of Neurosciences, University of Barcelona, 08028, Barcelona, Spain.,Centro de Investigación Biomédica en Red sobre Enfermedades Neurodegenerativas (CIBERNED), Instituto de Salud Carlos III (ISCIII), 28029, Madrid, Spain
| | - Carlos Herrera-Úbeda
- Department of Genetics, Microbiology and Statistics, Faculty of Biology, and Institut de Biomedicina (IBUB), University of Barcelona, 08028, Barcelona, Spain
| | - Pol Cuscó
- Genome Architecture, Gene Regulation, Stem Cells and Cancer Programme, Centre for Genomic Regulation (CRG), the Barcelona Institute of Science and Technology, 08003, Barcelona, Spain.,Universitat Pompeu Fabra (UPF), 08003, Barcelona, Spain
| | - Rafael Falcón-Moya
- Department of Physiology, Anatomy and Cell Biology, Universidad Pablo de Olavide, 41013, Sevilla, Spain
| | - Antonio Rodríguez-Moreno
- Department of Physiology, Anatomy and Cell Biology, Universidad Pablo de Olavide, 41013, Sevilla, Spain
| | - Salvatore D'Aniello
- Department of Biology and Evolution of Marine Organisms, Stazione Zoologica Anton Dohrn, 80121, Naples, Italy
| | - Bru Cormand
- Department of Genetics, Microbiology and Statistics, Faculty of Biology, and Institut de Biomedicina (IBUB), University of Barcelona, 08028, Barcelona, Spain.,Centro de Investigación Biomédica en Red de Enfermedades Raras (CIBERER), Instituto de Salud Carlos III (ISCIII), Madrid, Spain.,Institut de Recerca Sant Joan de Déu (IR-SJD), Esplugues de Llobregat, 08950, Barcelona, Spain
| | - Gemma Marfany
- Department of Genetics, Microbiology and Statistics, Faculty of Biology, and Institut de Biomedicina (IBUB), University of Barcelona, 08028, Barcelona, Spain.,Centro de Investigación Biomédica en Red de Enfermedades Raras (CIBERER), Instituto de Salud Carlos III (ISCIII), Madrid, Spain.,Institut de Recerca Sant Joan de Déu (IR-SJD), Esplugues de Llobregat, 08950, Barcelona, Spain
| | - Eduardo Soriano
- Department of Cell Biology, Physiology and Immunology, and Institute of Neurosciences, University of Barcelona, 08028, Barcelona, Spain.,Centro de Investigación Biomédica en Red sobre Enfermedades Neurodegenerativas (CIBERNED), Instituto de Salud Carlos III (ISCIII), 28029, Madrid, Spain.,Institució Catalana de Recerca i Estudis Avançats (ICREA), 08010, Barcelona, Spain
| | - Ángel M Carrión
- Department of Physiology, Anatomy and Cell Biology, Universidad Pablo de Olavide, 41013, Sevilla, Spain
| | - Jaime J Carvajal
- Centro Andaluz de Biología del Desarrollo, CSIC-UPO-JA, Universidad Pablo de Olavide, 41013, Sevilla, Spain.
| | - Jordi Garcia-Fernàndez
- Department of Genetics, Microbiology and Statistics, Faculty of Biology, and Institut de Biomedicina (IBUB), University of Barcelona, 08028, Barcelona, Spain.
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60
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Liu X, Bautista J, Liu E, Zikopoulos B. Imbalance of laminar-specific excitatory and inhibitory circuits of the orbitofrontal cortex in autism. Mol Autism 2020; 11:83. [PMID: 33081829 PMCID: PMC7574354 DOI: 10.1186/s13229-020-00390-x] [Citation(s) in RCA: 16] [Impact Index Per Article: 4.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 05/19/2020] [Accepted: 10/06/2020] [Indexed: 12/11/2022] Open
Abstract
BACKGROUND The human orbitofrontal cortex (OFC) is involved in assessing the emotional significance of events and stimuli, emotion-based learning, allocation of attentional resources, and social cognition. Little is known about the structure, connectivity and excitatory/inhibitory circuit interactions underlying these diverse functions in human OFC, as well as how the circuit is disrupted in individuals with autism spectrum disorder (ASD). METHODS We used post-mortem brain tissue from neurotypical adults and individuals with ASD. We examined the morphology and distribution of myelinated axons across cortical layers in OFC, at the single axon level, as a proxy of excitatory pathways. In the same regions, we also examined the laminar distribution of all neurons and neurochemically- and functionally-distinct inhibitory neurons that express the calcium-binding proteins parvalbumin (PV), calbindin (CB), and calretinin (CR). RESULTS We found that the density of myelinated axons increased consistently towards layer 6, while the average axon diameter did not change significantly across layers in both groups. However, both the density and diameter of myelinated axons were significantly lower in the ASD group compared with the Control group. The distribution pattern and density of the three major types of inhibitory neurons was comparable between groups, but there was a significant reduction in the density of excitatory neurons across OFC layers in ASD. LIMITATIONS This study is limited by the availability of human post-mortem tissue optimally processed for high-resolution microscopy and immunolabeling, especially from individuals with ASD. CONCLUSIONS The balance between excitation and inhibition in OFC is at the core of its function, assessing and integrating emotional and social cues with internal states and external inputs. Our preliminary results provide evidence for laminar-specific changes in the ratio of excitation/inhibition in OFC of adults with ASD, with an overall weakening and likely disorganization of excitatory signals and a relative strengthening of local inhibition. These changes likely underlie pathology of major OFC communications with limbic or other cortices and the amygdala in individuals with ASD, and may provide the anatomic basis for disrupted transmission of signals for social interactions and emotions in autism.
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Affiliation(s)
- Xuefeng Liu
- Human Systems Neuroscience Laboratory, Department of Health Sciences, Boston University, 635 Commonwealth Ave., Room 401D, Boston, MA, 02215, USA
| | - Julied Bautista
- Human Systems Neuroscience Laboratory, Department of Health Sciences, Boston University, 635 Commonwealth Ave., Room 401D, Boston, MA, 02215, USA
| | - Edward Liu
- Human Systems Neuroscience Laboratory, Department of Health Sciences, Boston University, 635 Commonwealth Ave., Room 401D, Boston, MA, 02215, USA
| | - Basilis Zikopoulos
- Human Systems Neuroscience Laboratory, Department of Health Sciences, Boston University, 635 Commonwealth Ave., Room 401D, Boston, MA, 02215, USA. .,Department of Anatomy and Neurobiology, Boston University School of Medicine, Boston, MA, USA. .,Graduate Program in Neuroscience, Boston University, Boston, MA, USA.
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61
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Richards K, Jancovski N, Hanssen E, Connelly A, Petrou S. Atypical myelinogenesis and reduced axon caliber in the Scn1a variant model of Dravet syndrome: An electron microscopy pilot study of the developing and mature mouse corpus callosum. Brain Res 2020; 1751:147157. [PMID: 33069731 DOI: 10.1016/j.brainres.2020.147157] [Citation(s) in RCA: 4] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 05/05/2020] [Revised: 09/26/2020] [Accepted: 10/12/2020] [Indexed: 11/24/2022]
Abstract
Dravet Syndrome (DS) is a genetic neurodevelopmental disease. Recurrent severe seizures begin in infancy and co-morbidities follow, including developmental delay, cognitive and behavioral dysfunction. A majority of DS patients have an SCN1A heterozygous gene mutation. This mutation causes a loss-of-function in inhibitory neurons, initiating seizure onset. We have investigated whether the sodium channelopathy may result in structural changes in the DS model independent of seizures. Morphometric analyses of axons within the corpus callosum were completed at P16 and P50 in Scn1a heterozygote KO male mice and their age-matched wild-type littermates. Trainable machine learning algorithms were used to examine electron microscopy images of ~400 myelinated axons per animal, per genotype, including myelinated axon cross-section area, frequency distribution and g-ratios. Pilot data for Scn1a heterozygote KO mice demonstrate the average axon caliber was reduced in developing and adult mice. Qualitative analysis also shows micro-features marking altered myelination at P16 in the DS model, with myelin out-folding and myelin debris within phagocytic cells. The data has indicated, in the absence of behavioral seizures, factors that governed a shift toward small calibre axons at P16 have persisted in adult Scn1a heterozygote KO corpus callosum. The pilot study provides a basis for future meta-analysis that will enable robust estimates of the effects of the sodium channelopathy on axon architecture. We propose that early therapeutic strategies in DS could help minimize the effect of sodium channelopathies, beyond the impact of overt seizures, and therefore achieve better long-term treatment outcomes.
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Affiliation(s)
- Kay Richards
- Florey Institute of Neuroscience and Mental Health, Australia
| | | | - Eric Hanssen
- Bio21 Advanced Microscopy Facility, Bio21 Molecular Science and Biotechnology Institute, University of Melbourne, Australia
| | - Alan Connelly
- Florey Institute of Neuroscience and Mental Health, Australia; Florey Institute of Neuroscience and Mental Health, The Florey Department of Neuroscience and Mental Health, University of Melbourne, Australia
| | - Steve Petrou
- Florey Institute of Neuroscience and Mental Health, Australia.
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62
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Hong SJ, Hyung B, Paquola C, Bernhardt BC. The Superficial White Matter in Autism and Its Role in Connectivity Anomalies and Symptom Severity. Cereb Cortex 2020; 29:4415-4425. [PMID: 30566613 DOI: 10.1093/cercor/bhy321] [Citation(s) in RCA: 37] [Impact Index Per Article: 9.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 09/06/2018] [Revised: 01/11/2018] [Accepted: 11/26/2018] [Indexed: 12/29/2022] Open
Abstract
In autism spectrum disorders (ASDs), the majority of neuroimaging studies have focused on the analysis of cortical morphology. White matter changes remain less understood, particularly their association to cortical structure and function. Here, we focused on region that has gained only little attention in ASD neuroimaging: the superficial white matter (SWM) immediately beneath the cortical interface, a compartment playing a prominent role in corticogenesis that incorporates long- and short-range fibers implicated in corticocortical connectivity. Studying a multicentric dataset of ASD and neurotypical controls, we harnessed surface-based techniques to aggregate microstructural SWM diffusion features. Multivariate analysis revealed SWM anomalies in ASD compared with controls in medial parietal and temporoparietal regions. Effects were similar in children and adolescents/adults and consistent across sites. Although SWM anomalies were more confined when correcting for cortical thickness and surface area, findings were overall robust. Diffusion anomalies modulated functional connectivity reductions in ASD and related to symptom severity. Furthermore, mediation models indicated a link between SWM changes, functional connectivity, and symptom load. Analyses targeting the SWM offer a novel perspective on the interplay between structural and functional network perturbations in ASD, highlighting a potentially important neurobiological substrate contributing to its diverse behavioral phenotype.
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Affiliation(s)
- Seok-Jun Hong
- Multimodal Imaging and Connectome Analysis Laboratory, McConnell Brain Imaging Centre, Montreal Neurological Institute and Hospital, McGill University, Montreal, QC H3A 2B4, Canada.,Center for the Developing Brain, Child Mind Institute, 101 E 56th St, New York, NY 10022, USA
| | - Brian Hyung
- Multimodal Imaging and Connectome Analysis Laboratory, McConnell Brain Imaging Centre, Montreal Neurological Institute and Hospital, McGill University, Montreal, QC H3A 2B4, Canada
| | - Casey Paquola
- Multimodal Imaging and Connectome Analysis Laboratory, McConnell Brain Imaging Centre, Montreal Neurological Institute and Hospital, McGill University, Montreal, QC H3A 2B4, Canada
| | - Boris C Bernhardt
- Multimodal Imaging and Connectome Analysis Laboratory, McConnell Brain Imaging Centre, Montreal Neurological Institute and Hospital, McGill University, Montreal, QC H3A 2B4, Canada
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63
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Abstract
It is increasingly recognized that local protein synthesis (LPS) contributes to fundamental aspects of axon biology, in both developing and mature neurons. Mutations in RNA-binding proteins (RBPs), as central players in LPS, and other proteins affecting RNA localization and translation are associated with a range of neurological disorders, suggesting disruption of LPS may be of pathological significance. In this review, we substantiate this hypothesis by examining the link between LPS and key axonal processes, and the implicated pathophysiological consequences of dysregulated LPS. First, we describe how the length and autonomy of axons result in an exceptional reliance on LPS. We next discuss the roles of LPS in maintaining axonal structural and functional polarity and axonal trafficking. We then consider how LPS facilitates the establishment of neuronal connectivity through regulation of axonal branching and pruning, how it mediates axonal survival into adulthood and its involvement in neuronal stress responses.
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Affiliation(s)
- Julie Qiaojin Lin
- UK Dementia Research Institute at University of Cambridge, Department of Clinical Neurosciences, Island Research Building, Cambridge Biomedical Campus, Cambridge, UK
| | | | - Christine E Holt
- Department of Physiology, Development and Neuroscience, University of Cambridge, Cambridge, UK
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64
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Donegan JJ, Lodge DJ. Stem Cells for Improving the Treatment of Neurodevelopmental Disorders. Stem Cells Dev 2020; 29:1118-1130. [PMID: 32008442 PMCID: PMC7469694 DOI: 10.1089/scd.2019.0265] [Citation(s) in RCA: 5] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 11/08/2019] [Accepted: 01/16/2020] [Indexed: 12/11/2022] Open
Abstract
Treatment options for neurodevelopmental disorders such as schizophrenia and autism are currently limited. Antipsychotics used to treat schizophrenia are not effective for all patients, do not target all symptoms of the disease, and have serious adverse side effects. There are currently no FDA-approved drugs to treat the core symptoms of autism. In an effort to develop new and more effective treatment strategies, stem cell technologies have been used to reprogram adult somatic cells into induced pluripotent stem cells, which can be differentiated into neuronal cells and even three-dimensional brain organoids. This new technology has the potential to elucidate the complex mechanisms that underlie neurodevelopmental disorders, offer more relevant platforms for drug discovery and personalized medicine, and may even be used to treat the disease.
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Affiliation(s)
- Jennifer J. Donegan
- Department of Pharmacology, University of Texas Health Science Center at San Antonio, San Antonio, Texas, USA
- Center for Biomedical Neuroscience, University of Texas Health Science Center at San Antonio, San Antonio, Texas, USA
| | - Daniel J. Lodge
- Department of Pharmacology, University of Texas Health Science Center at San Antonio, San Antonio, Texas, USA
- Center for Biomedical Neuroscience, University of Texas Health Science Center at San Antonio, San Antonio, Texas, USA
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65
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Fleiss B, Gressens P, Stolp HB. Cortical Gray Matter Injury in Encephalopathy of Prematurity: Link to Neurodevelopmental Disorders. Front Neurol 2020; 11:575. [PMID: 32765390 PMCID: PMC7381224 DOI: 10.3389/fneur.2020.00575] [Citation(s) in RCA: 19] [Impact Index Per Article: 4.8] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 04/07/2020] [Accepted: 05/19/2020] [Indexed: 12/16/2022] Open
Abstract
Preterm-born infants frequently suffer from an array of neurological damage, collectively termed encephalopathy of prematurity (EoP). They also have an increased risk of presenting with a neurodevelopmental disorder (e.g., autism spectrum disorder; attention deficit hyperactivity disorder) later in life. It is hypothesized that it is the gray matter injury to the cortex, in addition to white matter injury, in EoP that is responsible for the altered behavior and cognition in these individuals. However, although it is established that gray matter injury occurs in infants following preterm birth, the exact nature of these changes is not fully elucidated. Here we will review the current state of knowledge in this field, amalgamating data from both clinical and preclinical studies. This will be placed in the context of normal processes of developmental biology and the known pathophysiology of neurodevelopmental disorders. Novel diagnostic and therapeutic tactics required integration of this information so that in the future we can combine mechanism-based approaches with patient stratification to ensure the most efficacious and cost-effective clinical practice.
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Affiliation(s)
- Bobbi Fleiss
- School of Health and Biomedical Sciences, RMIT University, Bundoora, VIC, Australia
- Université de Paris, NeuroDiderot, Inserm, Paris, France
- PremUP, Paris, France
- Centre for the Developing Brain, School of Biomedical Engineering and Imaging Sciences, King's College London, London, United Kingdom
| | - Pierre Gressens
- Université de Paris, NeuroDiderot, Inserm, Paris, France
- PremUP, Paris, France
- Centre for the Developing Brain, School of Biomedical Engineering and Imaging Sciences, King's College London, London, United Kingdom
| | - Helen B. Stolp
- Centre for the Developing Brain, School of Biomedical Engineering and Imaging Sciences, King's College London, London, United Kingdom
- Comparative Biomedical Sciences, Royal Veterinary College, London, United Kingdom
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66
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Kayarian FB, Jannati A, Rotenberg A, Santarnecchi E. Targeting Gamma-Related Pathophysiology in Autism Spectrum Disorder Using Transcranial Electrical Stimulation: Opportunities and Challenges. Autism Res 2020; 13:1051-1071. [PMID: 32468731 PMCID: PMC7387209 DOI: 10.1002/aur.2312] [Citation(s) in RCA: 8] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 01/23/2020] [Revised: 04/15/2020] [Accepted: 04/22/2020] [Indexed: 12/12/2022]
Abstract
A range of scalp electroencephalogram (EEG) abnormalities correlates with the core symptoms of autism spectrum disorder (ASD). Among these are alterations of brain oscillations in the gamma-frequency EEG band in adults and children with ASD, whose origin has been linked to dysfunctions of inhibitory interneuron signaling. While therapeutic interventions aimed to modulate gamma oscillations are being tested for neuropsychiatric disorders such as schizophrenia, Alzheimer's disease, and frontotemporal dementia, the prospects for therapeutic gamma modulation in ASD have not been extensively studied. Accordingly, we discuss gamma-related alterations in the setting of ASD pathophysiology, as well as potential interventions that can enhance gamma oscillations in patients with ASD. Ultimately, we argue that transcranial electrical stimulation modalities capable of entraining gamma oscillations, and thereby potentially modulating inhibitory interneuron circuitry, are promising methods to study and mitigate gamma alterations in ASD. Autism Res 2020, 13: 1051-1071. © 2020 International Society for Autism Research, Wiley Periodicals, Inc. LAY SUMMARY: Brain functions are mediated by various oscillatory waves of neuronal activity, ranging in amplitude and frequency. In certain neuropsychiatric disorders, such as schizophrenia and Alzheimer's disease, reduced high-frequency oscillations in the "gamma" band have been observed, and therapeutic interventions to enhance such activity are being explored. Here, we review and comment on evidence of reduced gamma activity in ASD, arguing that modalities used in other disorders may benefit individuals with ASD as well.
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Affiliation(s)
- Fae B. Kayarian
- Berenson-Allen Center for Noninvasive Brain Stimulation and Division of Cognitive Neurology, Beth Israel Deaconess Medical Center, Harvard Medical School, Boston, MA, USA
| | - Ali Jannati
- Berenson-Allen Center for Noninvasive Brain Stimulation and Division of Cognitive Neurology, Beth Israel Deaconess Medical Center, Harvard Medical School, Boston, MA, USA
- Neuromodulation Program and Division of Epilepsy and Clinical Neurophysiology, Department of Neurology, Boston Children’s Hospital, Harvard Medical School, Boston, MA, USA
| | - Alexander Rotenberg
- Berenson-Allen Center for Noninvasive Brain Stimulation and Division of Cognitive Neurology, Beth Israel Deaconess Medical Center, Harvard Medical School, Boston, MA, USA
- Neuromodulation Program and Division of Epilepsy and Clinical Neurophysiology, Department of Neurology, Boston Children’s Hospital, Harvard Medical School, Boston, MA, USA
- F.M. Kirby Neurobiology Center, Department of Neurology, Boston Children’s Hospital, Harvard Medical School, Boston, MA, USA
| | - Emiliano Santarnecchi
- Berenson-Allen Center for Noninvasive Brain Stimulation and Division of Cognitive Neurology, Beth Israel Deaconess Medical Center, Harvard Medical School, Boston, MA, USA
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67
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Fedorchak NJ, Iyer N, Ashton RS. Bioengineering tissue morphogenesis and function in human neural organoids. Semin Cell Dev Biol 2020; 111:52-59. [PMID: 32540123 DOI: 10.1016/j.semcdb.2020.05.025] [Citation(s) in RCA: 21] [Impact Index Per Article: 5.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 10/31/2019] [Revised: 04/17/2020] [Accepted: 05/27/2020] [Indexed: 12/12/2022]
Abstract
Over the last decade, scientists have begun to model CNS development, function, and disease in vitro using human pluripotent stem cell (hPSC)-derived organoids. Using traditional protocols, these 3D tissues are generated by combining the innate emergent properties of differentiating hPSC aggregates with a bioreactor environment that induces interstitial transport of oxygen and nutrients and an optional supportive hydrogel extracellular matrix (ECM). During extended culture, the hPSC-derived neural organoids (hNOs) obtain millimeter scale sizes with internal microscale cytoarchitectures, cellular phenotypes, and neuronal circuit behaviors mimetic of those observed in the developing brain, eye, or spinal cord. Early studies evaluated the cytoarchitectural and phenotypical character of these organoids and provided unprecedented insight into the morphogenetic processes that govern CNS development. Comparisons to human fetal tissues revealed their significant similarities and differences. While hNOs have current disease modeling applications and significant future promise, their value as anatomical and physiological models is limited because they fail to form reproducibly and recapitulate more mature in vivo features. These include biomimetic macroscale tissue morphology, positioning of morphogen signaling centers to orchestrate appropriate spatial organization and intra- and inter-connectivity of discrete tissue regions, maturation of physiologically relevant neural circuits, and formation of vascular networks that can support sustained in vitro tissue growth. To address these inadequacies scientists have begun to integrate organoid culture with bioengineering techniques and methodologies including genome editing, biomaterials, and microfabricated and microfluidic platforms that enable spatiotemporal control of cellular differentiation or the biochemical and biophysical cues that orchestrate organoid morphogenesis. This review will examine recent advances in hNO technologies and culture strategies that promote reproducible in vitro morphogenesis and greater biomimicry in structure and function.
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Affiliation(s)
- Nikolai J Fedorchak
- Wisconsin Institute for Discovery, University of Wisconsin-Madison, Madison, WI 53715, United States
| | - Nisha Iyer
- Wisconsin Institute for Discovery, University of Wisconsin-Madison, Madison, WI 53715, United States
| | - Randolph S Ashton
- Wisconsin Institute for Discovery, University of Wisconsin-Madison, Madison, WI 53715, United States; Department of Biomedical Engineering, University of Wisconsin-Madison, Madison, WI 53706, United States.
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68
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Janickova L, Rechberger KF, Wey L, Schwaller B. Absence of parvalbumin increases mitochondria volume and branching of dendrites in inhibitory Pvalb neurons in vivo: a point of convergence of autism spectrum disorder (ASD) risk gene phenotypes. Mol Autism 2020; 11:47. [PMID: 32517751 PMCID: PMC7285523 DOI: 10.1186/s13229-020-00323-8] [Citation(s) in RCA: 9] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 12/11/2019] [Accepted: 02/27/2020] [Indexed: 01/01/2023] Open
Abstract
Background In fast firing, parvalbumin (PV)-expressing (Pvalb) interneurons, PV acts as an intracellular Ca2+ signal modulator with slow-onset kinetics. In Purkinje cells of PV−/− mice, adaptive/homeostatic mechanisms lead to an increase in mitochondria, organelles equally capable of delayed Ca2+ sequestering/buffering. An inverse regulation of PV and mitochondria likewise operates in cell model systems in vitro including myotubes, epithelial cells, and oligodendrocyte-like cells overexpressing PV. Whether such opposite regulation pertains to all Pvalb neurons is currently unknown. In oligodendrocyte-like cells, PV additionally decreases growth and branching of processes in a cell-autonomous manner. Methods The in vivo effects of absence of PV were investigated in inhibitory Pvalb neurons expressing EGFP, present in the somatosensory and medial prefrontal cortex, striatum, thalamic reticular nucleus, hippocampal regions DG, CA3, and CA1 and cerebellum of mice either wild-type or knockout (PV−/−) for the Pvalb gene. Changes in Pvalb neuron morphology and PV concentrations were determined using immunofluorescence, followed by 3D-reconstruction and quantitative image analyses. Results PV deficiency led to an increase in mitochondria volume and density in the soma; the magnitude of the effect was positively correlated with the estimated PV concentrations in the various Pvalb neuron subpopulations in wild-type neurons. The increase in dendrite length and branching, as well as thickness of proximal dendrites of selected PV−/− Pvalb neurons is likely the result of the observed increased density and length of mitochondria in these PV−/− Pvalb neuron dendrites. The increased branching and soma size directly linked to the absence of PV is assumed to contribute to the increased volume of the neocortex present in juvenile PV−/− mice. The extended dendritic branching is in line with the hypothesis of local hyperconnectivity in autism spectrum disorder (ASD) and ASD mouse models including PV−/− mice, which display all ASD core symptoms and several comorbidities including cortical macrocephaly at juvenile age. Conclusion PV is involved in most proposed mechanisms implicated in ASD etiology: alterations in Ca2+ signaling affecting E/I balance, changes in mitochondria structure/function, and increased dendritic length and branching, possibly resulting in local hyperconnectivity, all in a likely cell autonomous way.
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Affiliation(s)
- Lucia Janickova
- Anatomy, Section of Medicine, University of Fribourg, Route Albert-Gockel 1, 1700, Fribourg, Switzerland
| | - Karin Farah Rechberger
- Anatomy, Section of Medicine, University of Fribourg, Route Albert-Gockel 1, 1700, Fribourg, Switzerland
| | - Lucas Wey
- Anatomy, Section of Medicine, University of Fribourg, Route Albert-Gockel 1, 1700, Fribourg, Switzerland
| | - Beat Schwaller
- Anatomy, Section of Medicine, University of Fribourg, Route Albert-Gockel 1, 1700, Fribourg, Switzerland.
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69
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Saito M, Smiley JF, Hui M, Masiello K, Betz J, Ilina M, Saito M, Wilson DA. Neonatal Ethanol Disturbs the Normal Maturation of Parvalbumin Interneurons Surrounded by Subsets of Perineuronal Nets in the Cerebral Cortex: Partial Reversal by Lithium. Cereb Cortex 2020; 29:1383-1397. [PMID: 29462278 DOI: 10.1093/cercor/bhy034] [Citation(s) in RCA: 22] [Impact Index Per Article: 5.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 09/19/2017] [Revised: 01/02/2018] [Accepted: 01/25/2018] [Indexed: 02/07/2023] Open
Abstract
Reduction in parvalbumin-positive (PV+) interneurons is observed in adult mice exposed to ethanol at postnatal day 7 (P7), a late gestation fetal alcohol spectrum disorder model. To evaluate whether PV+ cells are lost, or PV expression is reduced, we quantified PV+ and associated perineuronal net (PNN)+ cell densities in barrel cortex. While PNN+ cell density was not reduced by P7 ethanol, PV cell density decreased by 25% at P90 with no decrease at P14. PNN+ cells in controls were virtually all PV+, whereas more than 20% lacked PV in ethanol-treated adult animals. P7 ethanol caused immediate apoptosis in 10% of GFP+ cells in G42 mice, which express GFP in a subset of PV+ cells, and GFP+ cell density decreased by 60% at P90 without reduction at P14. The ethanol effect on PV+ cell density was attenuated by lithium treatment at P7 or at P14-28. Thus, reduced PV+ cell density may be caused by disrupted cell maturation, in addition to acute apoptosis. This effect may be regionally specific: in the dentate gyrus, P7 ethanol reduced PV+ cell density by 70% at P14 and both PV+ and PNN+ cell densities by 50% at P90, and delayed lithium did not alleviate ethanol's effect.
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Affiliation(s)
- Mariko Saito
- Division of Neurochemistry, Nathan Kline Institute for Psychiatric Research, Orangeburg, NY, USA.,Department of Psychiatry, NYU School of Medicine, New York, NY, USA
| | - John F Smiley
- Division of Neurochemistry, Nathan Kline Institute for Psychiatric Research, Orangeburg, NY, USA.,Department of Psychiatry, NYU School of Medicine, New York, NY, USA
| | - Maria Hui
- Division of Neurochemistry, Nathan Kline Institute for Psychiatric Research, Orangeburg, NY, USA
| | - Kurt Masiello
- Division of Neurochemistry, Nathan Kline Institute for Psychiatric Research, Orangeburg, NY, USA
| | - Judith Betz
- Division of Neurochemistry, Nathan Kline Institute for Psychiatric Research, Orangeburg, NY, USA
| | - Maria Ilina
- Emotional Brain Institute, Nathan Kline Institute for Psychiatric Research, Orangeburg, NY, USA
| | - Mitsuo Saito
- Department of Psychiatry, NYU School of Medicine, New York, NY, USA.,Emotional Brain Institute, Nathan Kline Institute for Psychiatric Research, Orangeburg, NY, USA
| | - Donald A Wilson
- Division of Analytical Psychopharmacology, Nathan Kline Institute for Psychiatric Research, Orangeburg, NY, USA.,Department of Child and Adolescent Psychiatry, NYU School of Medicine, New York, NY, USA
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70
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Arid1b haploinsufficiency in parvalbumin- or somatostatin-expressing interneurons leads to distinct ASD-like and ID-like behavior. Sci Rep 2020; 10:7834. [PMID: 32398858 PMCID: PMC7217886 DOI: 10.1038/s41598-020-64066-5] [Citation(s) in RCA: 15] [Impact Index Per Article: 3.8] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 11/14/2019] [Accepted: 04/06/2020] [Indexed: 02/07/2023] Open
Abstract
Inhibitory interneurons are essential for proper brain development and function. Dysfunction of interneurons is implicated in several neurodevelopmental disorders, including autism spectrum disorder (ASD) and intellectual disability (ID). We have previously shown that Arid1b haploinsufficiency interferes with interneuron development and leads to social, cognitive, and emotional impairments consistent with ASD and ID. It is unclear, however, whether interneurons play a major role for the behavioral deficits in Arid1b haploinsufficiency. Furthermore, it is critical to determine which interneuron subtypes contribute to distinct behavioral phenotypes. In the present study, we generated Arid1b haploinsufficient mice in which a copy of the Arid1b gene is deleted in either parvalbumin (PV) or somatostatin (SST) interneurons, and examined their ASD- and ID-like behaviors. We found that Arid1b haploinsufficiency in PV or SST interneurons resulted in distinct features that do not overlap with one another. Arid1b haploinsufficiency in PV neurons contributed to social and emotional impairments, while the gene deletion in the SST population caused stereotypies as well as learning and memory dysfunction. These findings demonstrate a critical role of interneurons in Arid1b haploinsufficient pathology and suggest that PV and SST interneurons may have distinct roles in modulating neurological phenotypes in Arid1b haploinsufficiency-induced ASD and ID.
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71
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Qian X, Su Y, Adam CD, Deutschmann AU, Pather SR, Goldberg EM, Su K, Li S, Lu L, Jacob F, Nguyen PTT, Huh S, Hoke A, Swinford-Jackson SE, Wen Z, Gu X, Pierce RC, Wu H, Briand LA, Chen HI, Wolf JA, Song H, Ming GL. Sliced Human Cortical Organoids for Modeling Distinct Cortical Layer Formation. Cell Stem Cell 2020; 26:766-781.e9. [PMID: 32142682 PMCID: PMC7366517 DOI: 10.1016/j.stem.2020.02.002] [Citation(s) in RCA: 236] [Impact Index Per Article: 59.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 08/07/2019] [Revised: 11/18/2019] [Accepted: 02/10/2020] [Indexed: 01/08/2023]
Abstract
Human brain organoids provide unique platforms for modeling development and diseases by recapitulating the architecture of the embryonic brain. However, current organoid methods are limited by interior hypoxia and cell death due to insufficient surface diffusion, preventing generation of architecture resembling late developmental stages. Here, we report the sliced neocortical organoid (SNO) system, which bypasses the diffusion limit to prevent cell death over long-term cultures. This method leads to sustained neurogenesis and formation of an expanded cortical plate that establishes distinct upper and deep cortical layers for neurons and astrocytes, resembling the third trimester embryonic human neocortex. Using the SNO system, we further identify a critical role of WNT/β-catenin signaling in regulating human cortical neuron subtype fate specification, which is disrupted by a psychiatric-disorder-associated genetic mutation in patient induced pluripotent stem cell (iPSC)-derived SNOs. These results demonstrate the utility of SNOs for investigating previously inaccessible human-specific, late-stage cortical development and disease-relevant mechanisms.
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Affiliation(s)
- Xuyu Qian
- Department of Neuroscience and Mahoney Institute for Neurosciences, University of Pennsylvania, Philadelphia, PA 19104, USA; Biomedical Engineering Graduate Program, Johns Hopkins University School of Medicine, Baltimore, MD 21205, USA
| | - Yijing Su
- Department of Neuroscience and Mahoney Institute for Neurosciences, University of Pennsylvania, Philadelphia, PA 19104, USA
| | - Christopher D Adam
- Neuroscience Graduate Program, University of Pennsylvania, Philadelphia, PA 19104, USA
| | | | - Sarshan R Pather
- Cell and Molecular Biology Graduate Group, University of Pennsylvania, Philadelphia, PA 19104, USA
| | - Ethan M Goldberg
- Department of Neuroscience and Mahoney Institute for Neurosciences, University of Pennsylvania, Philadelphia, PA 19104, USA; Division of Neurology, Department of Pediatrics, The Children's Hospital of Philadelphia, Philadelphia, PA 19104, USA
| | - Kenong Su
- Department of Computer Science, Emory University College of Arts and Sciences, Atlanta, GA 30322, USA
| | - Shiying Li
- Department of Neuroscience and Mahoney Institute for Neurosciences, University of Pennsylvania, Philadelphia, PA 19104, USA; Key Laboratory of Neuroregeneration of Jiangsu and Ministry of Education, Co-innovation Center of Neuroregeneration, Nantong University, Nantong, Jiangsu 226001, China
| | - Lu Lu
- Department of Neuroscience and Mahoney Institute for Neurosciences, University of Pennsylvania, Philadelphia, PA 19104, USA
| | - Fadi Jacob
- Department of Neuroscience and Mahoney Institute for Neurosciences, University of Pennsylvania, Philadelphia, PA 19104, USA; Department of Neuroscience, Johns Hopkins University School of Medicine, Baltimore, MD 21205, USA
| | - Phuong T T Nguyen
- Neuroscience Graduate Program, University of Pennsylvania, Philadelphia, PA 19104, USA
| | - Sooyoung Huh
- Department of Neuroscience and Mahoney Institute for Neurosciences, University of Pennsylvania, Philadelphia, PA 19104, USA
| | - Ahmet Hoke
- Department of Neuroscience, Johns Hopkins University School of Medicine, Baltimore, MD 21205, USA; Department of Neurology, Johns Hopkins University School of Medicine, Baltimore, MD 21205, USA
| | | | - Zhexing Wen
- Department of Psychiatry and Behavioral Science, Emory University School of Medicine, Atlanta, GA 30322, USA; Department of Cell Biology, Emory University School of Medicine, Atlanta, GA 30322, USA
| | - Xiaosong Gu
- Key Laboratory of Neuroregeneration of Jiangsu and Ministry of Education, Co-innovation Center of Neuroregeneration, Nantong University, Nantong, Jiangsu 226001, China
| | - R Christopher Pierce
- Neuroscience Graduate Program, University of Pennsylvania, Philadelphia, PA 19104, USA; Department of Psychiatry, University of Pennsylvania, Philadelphia, PA 19104, USA
| | - Hao Wu
- Department of Biostatistics and Bioinformatics, Rollins School of Public Health, Emory University, Atlanta, GA 30322, USA
| | - Lisa A Briand
- Department of Psychology, Temple University, Philadelphia, PA 19122, USA
| | - H Isaac Chen
- Neuroscience Graduate Program, University of Pennsylvania, Philadelphia, PA 19104, USA; Department of Neurosurgery, University of Pennsylvania, Philadelphia, PA 19104, USA; Institute for Regenerative Medicine, University of Pennsylvania, Philadelphia, PA 19104, USA; Corporal Michael J. Crescenz Veterans Affairs Medical Center, Philadelphia, PA 19104, USA
| | - John A Wolf
- Neuroscience Graduate Program, University of Pennsylvania, Philadelphia, PA 19104, USA; Department of Biostatistics and Bioinformatics, Rollins School of Public Health, Emory University, Atlanta, GA 30322, USA; Corporal Michael J. Crescenz Veterans Affairs Medical Center, Philadelphia, PA 19104, USA
| | - Hongjun Song
- Department of Neuroscience and Mahoney Institute for Neurosciences, University of Pennsylvania, Philadelphia, PA 19104, USA; Neuroscience Graduate Program, University of Pennsylvania, Philadelphia, PA 19104, USA; Cell and Molecular Biology Graduate Group, University of Pennsylvania, Philadelphia, PA 19104, USA; Institute for Regenerative Medicine, University of Pennsylvania, Philadelphia, PA 19104, USA; Department of Cell and Developmental Biology, University of Pennsylvania, Philadelphia, PA 19104, USA; The Epigenetics Institute, Perelman School for Medicine, University of Pennsylvania, Philadelphia, PA 19104, USA
| | - Guo-Li Ming
- Department of Neuroscience and Mahoney Institute for Neurosciences, University of Pennsylvania, Philadelphia, PA 19104, USA; Neuroscience Graduate Program, University of Pennsylvania, Philadelphia, PA 19104, USA; Department of Psychiatry, University of Pennsylvania, Philadelphia, PA 19104, USA; Institute for Regenerative Medicine, University of Pennsylvania, Philadelphia, PA 19104, USA; Department of Cell and Developmental Biology, University of Pennsylvania, Philadelphia, PA 19104, USA.
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72
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Guevara M, Guevara P, Román C, Mangin JF. Superficial white matter: A review on the dMRI analysis methods and applications. Neuroimage 2020; 212:116673. [DOI: 10.1016/j.neuroimage.2020.116673] [Citation(s) in RCA: 31] [Impact Index Per Article: 7.8] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 10/10/2019] [Revised: 02/17/2020] [Accepted: 02/19/2020] [Indexed: 12/12/2022] Open
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73
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Lawrence KE, Hernandez LM, Bowman HC, Padgaonkar NT, Fuster E, Jack A, Aylward E, Gaab N, Van Horn JD, Bernier RA, Geschwind DH, McPartland JC, Nelson CA, Webb SJ, Pelphrey KA, Green SA, Bookheimer SY, Dapretto M. Sex Differences in Functional Connectivity of the Salience, Default Mode, and Central Executive Networks in Youth with ASD. Cereb Cortex 2020; 30:5107-5120. [PMID: 32350530 DOI: 10.1093/cercor/bhaa105] [Citation(s) in RCA: 41] [Impact Index Per Article: 10.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 11/27/2019] [Revised: 03/10/2020] [Accepted: 03/30/2020] [Indexed: 02/07/2023] Open
Abstract
Autism spectrum disorder (ASD) is associated with the altered functional connectivity of 3 neurocognitive networks that are hypothesized to be central to the symptomatology of ASD: the salience network (SN), default mode network (DMN), and central executive network (CEN). Due to the considerably higher prevalence of ASD in males, however, previous studies examining these networks in ASD have used primarily male samples. It is thus unknown how these networks may be differentially impacted among females with ASD compared to males with ASD, and how such differences may compare to those observed in neurotypical individuals. Here, we investigated the functional connectivity of the SN, DMN, and CEN in a large, well-matched sample of girls and boys with and without ASD (169 youth, ages 8-17). Girls with ASD displayed greater functional connectivity between the DMN and CEN than boys with ASD, whereas typically developing girls and boys differed in SN functional connectivity only. Together, these results demonstrate that youth with ASD exhibit altered sex differences in these networks relative to what is observed in typical development, and highlight the importance of considering sex-related biological factors and participant sex when characterizing the neural mechanisms underlying ASD.
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Affiliation(s)
- Katherine E Lawrence
- Department of Psychiatry and Biobehavioral Sciences, University of California Los Angeles, Los Angeles, CA 90095, USA
| | - Leanna M Hernandez
- Department of Psychiatry and Biobehavioral Sciences, University of California Los Angeles, Los Angeles, CA 90095, USA
| | - Hilary C Bowman
- Department of Psychiatry and Biobehavioral Sciences, University of California Los Angeles, Los Angeles, CA 90095, USA
| | - Namita T Padgaonkar
- Department of Psychiatry and Biobehavioral Sciences, University of California Los Angeles, Los Angeles, CA 90095, USA
| | - Emily Fuster
- Department of Psychiatry and Biobehavioral Sciences, University of California Los Angeles, Los Angeles, CA 90095, USA
| | - Allison Jack
- Autism & Neurodevelopmental Disorders Institute, The George Washington University, Washington, DC 20052, USA.,Dept. of Pharmacology & Physiology, The George Washington University School of Medicine and Health Sciences, Washington, DC 20052, USA
| | - Elizabeth Aylward
- Center for Integrative Brain Research, Seattle Children's Research Institute, Seattle, Washington 98195, USA
| | - Nadine Gaab
- Division of Developmental Medicine, Department of Medicine, Boston Children's Hospital, Boston, MA 02115, USA.,Department of Pediatrics, Harvard Medical School, Cambridge, MA 02138, USA.,Harvard Graduate School of Education, Cambridge, MA 02138, USA
| | - John D Van Horn
- Department of Psychology, University of Virginia, Charlottesville, VA 22904, USA
| | - Raphael A Bernier
- Department of Psychiatry and Behavioral Sciences, University of Washington, Seattle, Washington 98195, USA
| | - Daniel H Geschwind
- Department of Neurology and Center for Neurobehavioral Genetics, University of California Los Angeles, Los Angeles, CA 90095, USA
| | - James C McPartland
- Department of Pediatrics, Yale School of Medicine, New Haven, CT 06520, USA.,Child Study Center, Yale School of Medicine, New Haven, CT 06520, USA
| | - Charles A Nelson
- Division of Developmental Medicine, Department of Medicine, Boston Children's Hospital, Boston, MA 02115, USA.,Department of Pediatrics, Harvard Medical School, Cambridge, MA 02138, USA
| | - Sara J Webb
- Department of Psychiatry and Behavioral Sciences, University of Washington, Seattle, Washington 98195, USA.,Center on Child Health, Behavior, and Development, Seattle Children's Research Institute, Seattle, Washington 98195, USA
| | - Kevin A Pelphrey
- Department of Neurology, University of Virginia, Charlottesville, VA 22904, USA
| | - Shulamite A Green
- Department of Psychiatry and Biobehavioral Sciences, University of California Los Angeles, Los Angeles, CA 90095, USA
| | - Susan Y Bookheimer
- Department of Psychiatry and Biobehavioral Sciences, University of California Los Angeles, Los Angeles, CA 90095, USA
| | - Mirella Dapretto
- Department of Psychiatry and Biobehavioral Sciences, University of California Los Angeles, Los Angeles, CA 90095, USA
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74
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GABA ARα2 is Decreased in the Axon Initial Segment of Pyramidal Cells in Specific Areas of the Prefrontal Cortex in Autism. Neuroscience 2020; 437:76-86. [PMID: 32335215 DOI: 10.1016/j.neuroscience.2020.04.025] [Citation(s) in RCA: 5] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 11/05/2019] [Revised: 04/13/2020] [Accepted: 04/16/2020] [Indexed: 12/20/2022]
Abstract
Some forms of Autism Spectrum Disorder, a neurodevelopmental syndrome characterized by impaired communication and social skills as well as repetitive behaviors, are purportedly associated with dysregulation of the excitation/inhibition balance in the cerebral cortex. Through human postmortem tissue analysis, we previously found a significant decrease in the number of a gamma-aminobutyric acid (GABA)ergic interneuron subtype, the chandelier (Ch) cell, in the prefrontal cortex of subjects with autism. Ch cells exclusively target the axon initial segment (AIS) of excitatory pyramidal (Pyr) neurons, and a single Ch cell forms synapses on hundreds of Pyr cells, indicating a possible role in maintaining electrical balance. Thus, we herein investigated this crucial link between Ch and Pyr cells in the anatomy of autism neuropathology by examining GABA receptor protein expression in the Pyr cell AIS in subjects with autism. We collected tissue from the prefrontal cortex (Brodmann Areas (BA) 9, 46, and 47) of 20 subjects with autism and 20 age- and sex-matched control subjects. Immunohistochemical staining with antibodies against the GABAA receptor subunit α2 (GABAARα2) - the subunit most prevalent in the Pyr cell AIS - revealed a significantly decreased GABAARα2 protein in the Pyr cell AIS in supragranular layers of prefrontal cortical areas BA9 and BA47 in autism. Downregulated GABAARα2 protein in the Pyr cell AIS may result from decreased GABA synthesis in the prefrontal cortex of subjects with autism, and thereby contribute to an excitation/inhibition imbalance. Our findings support the potential for GABA receptor agonists asa therapeutic tool for autism.
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75
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Decreased density of cholinergic interneurons in striatal territories in Williams syndrome. Brain Struct Funct 2020; 225:1019-1032. [PMID: 32189114 DOI: 10.1007/s00429-020-02055-0] [Citation(s) in RCA: 2] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 10/16/2019] [Accepted: 02/27/2020] [Indexed: 12/22/2022]
Abstract
Williams syndrome (WS) is a rare neurodevelopmental disorder caused by the hemideletion of approximately 25-28 genes at 7q11.23. Its unusual social and cognitive phenotype is most strikingly characterized by the disinhibition of social behavior, in addition to reduced global IQ, with a relative sparing of language ability. Hypersociality and increased social approach behavior in WS may represent a unique inability to inhibit responses to specific social stimuli, which is likely associated with abnormalities of frontostriatal circuitry. The striatum is characterized by a diversity of interneuron subtypes, including inhibitory parvalbumin-positive interneurons (PV+) and excitatory cholinergic interneurons (Ch+). Animal model research has identified an important role for these specialized cells in regulating social approach behavior. Previous research in humans identified a depletion of interneuron subtypes associated with neuropsychiatric disorders. Here, we examined the density of PV+ and Ch+ interneurons in the striatum of 13 WS and neurotypical (NT) subjects. We found a significant reduction in the density of Ch+ interneurons in the medial caudate nucleus and nucleus accumbens, important regions receiving cortical afferents from the orbitofrontal and ventromedial prefrontal cortex, and circuitry involved in language and reward systems. No significant difference in the distribution of PV+ interneurons was found. The pattern of decreased Ch+ interneuron densities in WS differs from patterns of interneuron depletion found in other disorders.
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76
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Shen J, Shenkar D, An L, Tomar JS. Local and Interregional Neurochemical Associations Measured by Magnetic Resonance Spectroscopy for Studying Brain Functions and Psychiatric Disorders. Front Psychiatry 2020; 11:802. [PMID: 32848957 PMCID: PMC7432119 DOI: 10.3389/fpsyt.2020.00802] [Citation(s) in RCA: 2] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Submit a Manuscript] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 06/08/2020] [Accepted: 07/27/2020] [Indexed: 12/11/2022] Open
Abstract
Magnetic resonance spectroscopy (MRS) studies have found significant correlations among neurometabolites (e.g., between glutamate and GABA) across individual subjects and altered correlations in neuropsychiatric disorders. In this article, we discuss neurochemical associations among several major neurometabolites which underpin these observations by MRS. We also illustrate the role of spectral editing in eliminating unwanted correlations caused by spectral overlapping. Finally, we describe the prospects of mapping macroscopic neurochemical associations across the brain and characterizing excitation-inhibition balance of neural networks using glutamate- and GABA-editing MRS imaging.
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Affiliation(s)
- Jun Shen
- Molecular Imaging Branch, National Institute of Mental Health, Bethesda, MD, United States
| | - Dina Shenkar
- Molecular Imaging Branch, National Institute of Mental Health, Bethesda, MD, United States
| | - Li An
- Molecular Imaging Branch, National Institute of Mental Health, Bethesda, MD, United States
| | - Jyoti Singh Tomar
- Molecular Imaging Branch, National Institute of Mental Health, Bethesda, MD, United States
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77
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Cellular and molecular characterization of multiplex autism in human induced pluripotent stem cell-derived neurons. Mol Autism 2019; 10:51. [PMID: 31893020 PMCID: PMC6936127 DOI: 10.1186/s13229-019-0306-0] [Citation(s) in RCA: 12] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.4] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 04/23/2019] [Accepted: 12/16/2019] [Indexed: 12/19/2022] Open
Abstract
Background Autism spectrum disorder (ASD) is a neurodevelopmental disorder with pronounced heritability in the general population. This is largely attributable to the effects of polygenic susceptibility, with inherited liability exhibiting distinct sex differences in phenotypic expression. Attempts to model ASD in human cellular systems have principally involved rare de novo mutations associated with ASD phenocopies. However, by definition, these models are not representative of polygenic liability, which accounts for the vast share of population-attributable risk. Methods Here, we performed what is, to our knowledge, the first attempt to model multiplex autism using patient-derived induced pluripotent stem cells (iPSCs) in a family manifesting incremental degrees of phenotypic expression of inherited liability (absent, intermediate, severe). The family members share an inherited variant of uncertain significance (VUS) in GPD2, a gene that was previously associated with developmental disability but here is insufficient by itself to cause ASD. iPSCs from three first-degree relatives and an unrelated control were differentiated into both cortical excitatory (cExN) and cortical inhibitory (cIN) neurons, and cellular phenotyping and transcriptomic analysis were conducted. Results cExN neurospheres from the two affected individuals were reduced in size, compared to those derived from unaffected related and unrelated individuals. This reduction was, at least in part, due to increased apoptosis of cells from affected individuals upon initiation of cExN neural induction. Likewise, cIN neural progenitor cells from affected individuals exhibited increased apoptosis, compared to both unaffected individuals. Transcriptomic analysis of both cExN and cIN neural progenitor cells revealed distinct molecular signatures associated with affectation, including the misregulation of suites of genes associated with neural development, neuronal function, and behavior, as well as altered expression of ASD risk-associated genes. Conclusions We have provided evidence of morphological, physiological, and transcriptomic signatures of polygenic liability to ASD from an analysis of cellular models derived from a multiplex autism family. ASD is commonly inherited on the basis of additive genetic liability. Therefore, identifying convergent cellular and molecular phenotypes resulting from polygenic and monogenic susceptibility may provide a critical bridge for determining which of the disparate effects of rare highly deleterious mutations might also apply to common autistic syndromes.
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78
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Douglas PS. Pre-emptive Intervention for Autism Spectrum Disorder: Theoretical Foundations and Clinical Translation. Front Integr Neurosci 2019; 13:66. [PMID: 31798425 PMCID: PMC6877903 DOI: 10.3389/fnint.2019.00066] [Citation(s) in RCA: 6] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.2] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 07/07/2019] [Accepted: 11/04/2019] [Indexed: 12/28/2022] Open
Abstract
Autism spectrum disorders (ASD) are an emergent public health problem, placing significant burden upon the individual, family and health system. ASD are polygenetic spectrum disorders of neural connectome development, in which one or more feedback loops amplify small genetic, structural, or functional variations in the very early development of motor and sensory-motor pathways. These perturbations trigger a 'butterfly effect' of unpredictable cascades of structural and functional imbalances in the global neuronal workspace, resulting in atypical behaviors, social communication, and cognition long-term. The first 100 days post-term are critically neuroplastic and comprise an injury-sensitive developmental window, characterized by a neural biomarker, the persistence of the cortical subplate, and a behavioral biomarker, the crying diathesis. By the time potential diagnostic signs are identified, from 6 months of age, ASD neuropathy is already entrenched. The International Society for Autism Research Special Interest Group has called for pre-emptive intervention, based upon rigorous theoretical frames, and real world translation and evaluation. This paper responds to that call. It synthesizes heterogenous evidence concerning ASD etiologies from both psychosocial and biological research literatures with complexity science and evolutionary biology, to propose a theoretical framework for pre-emptive intervention. This paper hypothesizes that environmental factors resulting from a mismatch between environment of evolutionary adaptedness and culture initiate or perpetuate early motor and sensory-motor lesions, triggering a butterfly effect of multi-directional cascades of atypical developmental in the complex adaptive system of the parent and ASD-susceptible infant. Chronic sympathetic nervous system/hypothalamic-pituitary-adrenal axis hyperarousal and disrupted parent-infant biobehavioral synchrony are the key biologic and behavioral mechanisms perpetuating these atypical developmental cascades. A clinical translation of this evidence is proposed, for application antenatally and in the first 6 months of life, as pre-emptive intervention for ASD.
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Affiliation(s)
- Pamela S. Douglas
- Transforming Maternity Care Collaborative, Griffith University, Brisbane, QLD, Australia
- Discipline of General Practice, The University of Queensland, Brisbane, QLD, Australia
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79
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Abstract
Ca2+ binding proteins (CBP) are of key importance for calcium to play its role as a pivotal second messenger. CBP bind Ca2+ in specific domains, contributing to the regulation of its concentration at the cytosol and intracellular stores. They also participate in numerous cellular functions by acting as Ca2+ transporters across cell membranes or as Ca2+-modulated sensors, i.e. decoding Ca2+ signals. Since CBP are integral to normal physiological processes, possible roles for them in a variety of diseases has attracted growing interest in recent years. In addition, research on CBP has been reinforced with advances in the structural characterization of new CBP family members. In this chapter we have updated a previous review on CBP, covering in more depth potential participation in physiopathological processes and candidacy for pharmacological targets in many diseases. We review intracellular CBP that contain the structural EF-hand domain: parvalbumin, calmodulin, S100 proteins, calcineurin and neuronal Ca2+ sensor proteins (NCS). We also address intracellular CBP lacking the EF-hand domain: annexins, CBP within intracellular Ca2+ stores (paying special attention to calreticulin and calsequestrin), proteins that contain a C2 domain (such as protein kinase C (PKC) or synaptotagmin) and other proteins of interest, such as regucalcin or proprotein convertase subtisilin kexins (PCSK). Finally, we summarise the latest findings on extracellular CBP, classified according to their Ca2+ binding structures: (i) EF-hand domains; (ii) EGF-like domains; (iii) ɣ-carboxyl glutamic acid (GLA)-rich domains; (iv) cadherin domains; (v) Ca2+-dependent (C)-type lectin-like domains; (vi) Ca2+-binding pockets of family C G-protein-coupled receptors.
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80
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van den Heuvel MP, Scholtens LH, Kahn RS. Multiscale Neuroscience of Psychiatric Disorders. Biol Psychiatry 2019; 86:512-522. [PMID: 31320130 DOI: 10.1016/j.biopsych.2019.05.015] [Citation(s) in RCA: 37] [Impact Index Per Article: 7.4] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Submit a Manuscript] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 12/28/2018] [Revised: 05/16/2019] [Accepted: 05/17/2019] [Indexed: 12/11/2022]
Abstract
The human brain comprises a multiscale network with multiple levels of organization. Neurons with dendritic and axonal connections form the microscale fabric of brain circuitry, and macroscale brain regions and white matter connections form the infrastructure for system-level brain communication and information integration. In this review, we discuss the emerging trend of multiscale neuroscience, the multidisciplinary field that brings together data from these different levels of nervous system organization to form a better understanding of between-scale relationships of brain structure, function, and behavior in health and disease. We provide a broad overview of this developing field and discuss recent findings of exemplary multiscale neuroscience studies that illustrate the importance of studying cross-scale interactions among the genetic, molecular, cellular, and macroscale levels of brain circuitry and connectivity and behavior. We particularly consider a central, overarching goal of these multiscale neuroscience studies of human brain connectivity: to obtain insight into how disease-related alterations at one level of organization may underlie alterations observed at other scales of brain network organization in mental disorders. We conclude by discussing the current limitations, challenges, and future directions of the field.
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Affiliation(s)
- Martijn P van den Heuvel
- Connectome Lab, Department of Complex Trait Genetics, Center for Neurogenomics and Cognitive Research, Vrije Universiteit Amsterdam, Amsterdam Neuroscience, Amsterdam, the Netherlands; Department of Clinical Genetics, Amsterdam University Medical Center, Amsterdam Neuroscience, Amsterdam, the Netherlands.
| | - Lianne H Scholtens
- Connectome Lab, Department of Complex Trait Genetics, Center for Neurogenomics and Cognitive Research, Vrije Universiteit Amsterdam, Amsterdam Neuroscience, Amsterdam, the Netherlands
| | - René S Kahn
- Brain Center Rudolf Magnus, Department of Psychiatry, University Medical Center Utrecht, Utrecht, the Netherlands; Department of Psychiatry, Icahn School of Medicine at Mount Sinai, New York, New York
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81
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Emotional face processing in autism spectrum disorder: Effects in gamma connectivity. Biol Psychol 2019; 149:107774. [PMID: 31574296 DOI: 10.1016/j.biopsycho.2019.107774] [Citation(s) in RCA: 8] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.6] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 05/08/2019] [Revised: 09/16/2019] [Accepted: 09/23/2019] [Indexed: 01/09/2023]
Abstract
Impairments in social functioning are characteristic of autism spectrum disorder (ASD). Differences in functional networks during face processing in ASD compared to controls have been reported; however, the spatial-temporal dynamics of networks underlying affective processing are still not well understood. The current magnetoencephalography study examined whole-brain functional connectivity to implicit happy and angry faces in 104 adults with and without ASD. A network of reduced gamma band (30-55 Hz) phase synchrony occurring 80-308 ms following angry face presentation was found in adults with ASD compared to controls. The network involved widespread connections primarily anchored in frontal regions, including bilateral orbitofrontal areas, bilateral inferior frontal gyri, and left middle frontal gyrus extending to occipital, temporal, parietal, and subcortical regions. This finding suggests disrupted long-range neuronal communication to angry faces. Additionally, reduced gamma band-specific connectivity may reflect altered E/I balance in brain regions critical for emotional face processing in ASD.
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82
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Rothman J, Bartky EJ, Halas FP. Effect of L1-79 on Core Symptoms of Autism Spectrum Disorder: A Case Series. Clin Ther 2019; 41:1972-1981. [PMID: 31492568 DOI: 10.1016/j.clinthera.2019.07.022] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 04/10/2019] [Revised: 06/12/2019] [Accepted: 07/27/2019] [Indexed: 10/26/2022]
Abstract
PURPOSE This study examines the effects of the tyrosine hydroxylase inhibitor L1-79, a racemic formulation of α-methylparatyrosine, in patients with autism spectrum disorder (ASD) in a prospective case series. The l-isomer formulation of α-methylparatyrosine, metyrosine, is approved for the management of patients with pheochromocytoma. METHODS Six male and 2 female patients aged 2.75 to 24 years with ASD were treated for 8 weeks at L1-79 doses ranging from 90 to 400 mg thrice daily. Assessments at weekly intervals included the Aberrant Behavior Checklist-Community (ABC-C), Connor's Parent Rating Scale (CPRS), and Clinical Global Impressions (CGI) scale. The Autism Diagnostic Observation Schedule (ADOS) was administered at baseline and week 10. FINDINGS The ABC-C and CPRS scores improved between baseline and end of study for 7 of 8 participants; most participants' assessment scores decreased. At week 8, the CGI efficacy index was 05 for 6 of 8 participants, indicating modest improvement with at least partial resolution of symptoms and no medication adverse effects, and 09 for 2 participants, indicating minimal improvement and no change in status or care needs, without adverse effects. The mean ADOS scores improved by ≥31% for 4 of the 6 participants tested, with 1 patient experiencing a 47% improvement. Seven of the 8 participants previously taking psychotropic medications were stable without their legacy medications while receiving L1-79, and 1 patient resumed a single legacy medication at a lower dose. Three adverse events were reported; symptoms were mild and resolved without change in therapy. IMPLICATIONS These results suggest L1-79 may be a tolerable and effective treatment for the core symptoms of ASD, which must be confirmed with double-blind studies.
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Orefice LL, Mosko JR, Morency DT, Wells MF, Tasnim A, Mozeika SM, Ye M, Chirila AM, Emanuel AJ, Rankin G, Fame RM, Lehtinen MK, Feng G, Ginty DD. Targeting Peripheral Somatosensory Neurons to Improve Tactile-Related Phenotypes in ASD Models. Cell 2019; 178:867-886.e24. [PMID: 31398341 PMCID: PMC6704376 DOI: 10.1016/j.cell.2019.07.024] [Citation(s) in RCA: 129] [Impact Index Per Article: 25.8] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 03/01/2019] [Revised: 05/06/2019] [Accepted: 07/11/2019] [Indexed: 12/23/2022]
Abstract
Somatosensory over-reactivity is common among patients with autism spectrum disorders (ASDs) and is hypothesized to contribute to core ASD behaviors. However, effective treatments for sensory over-reactivity and ASDs are lacking. We found distinct somatosensory neuron pathophysiological mechanisms underlie tactile abnormalities in different ASD mouse models and contribute to some ASD-related behaviors. Developmental loss of ASD-associated genes Shank3 or Mecp2 in peripheral mechanosensory neurons leads to region-specific brain abnormalities, revealing links between developmental somatosensory over-reactivity and the genesis of aberrant behaviors. Moreover, acute treatment with a peripherally restricted GABAA receptor agonist that acts directly on mechanosensory neurons reduced tactile over-reactivity in six distinct ASD models. Chronic treatment of Mecp2 and Shank3 mutant mice improved body condition, some brain abnormalities, anxiety-like behaviors, and some social impairments but not memory impairments, motor deficits, or overgrooming. Our findings reveal a potential therapeutic strategy targeting peripheral mechanosensory neurons to treat tactile over-reactivity and select ASD-related behaviors.
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Affiliation(s)
- Lauren L Orefice
- Department of Neurobiology, Harvard Medical School, 220 Longwood Avenue, Boston, MA 02115, USA; Howard Hughes Medical Institute, Harvard Medical School, 220 Longwood Avenue, Boston, MA 02115, USA
| | - Jacqueline R Mosko
- Department of Neurobiology, Harvard Medical School, 220 Longwood Avenue, Boston, MA 02115, USA; Howard Hughes Medical Institute, Harvard Medical School, 220 Longwood Avenue, Boston, MA 02115, USA
| | - Danielle T Morency
- Department of Neurobiology, Harvard Medical School, 220 Longwood Avenue, Boston, MA 02115, USA; Howard Hughes Medical Institute, Harvard Medical School, 220 Longwood Avenue, Boston, MA 02115, USA
| | - Michael F Wells
- McGovern Institute for Brain Research, Department of Brain and Cognitive Sciences, Massachusetts Institute of Technology, 43 Vassar Street, Cambridge, MA 02139, USA
| | - Aniqa Tasnim
- Department of Neurobiology, Harvard Medical School, 220 Longwood Avenue, Boston, MA 02115, USA; Howard Hughes Medical Institute, Harvard Medical School, 220 Longwood Avenue, Boston, MA 02115, USA
| | - Shawn M Mozeika
- Department of Neurobiology, Harvard Medical School, 220 Longwood Avenue, Boston, MA 02115, USA; Howard Hughes Medical Institute, Harvard Medical School, 220 Longwood Avenue, Boston, MA 02115, USA
| | - Mengchen Ye
- Department of Neurobiology, Harvard Medical School, 220 Longwood Avenue, Boston, MA 02115, USA; Howard Hughes Medical Institute, Harvard Medical School, 220 Longwood Avenue, Boston, MA 02115, USA
| | - Anda M Chirila
- Department of Neurobiology, Harvard Medical School, 220 Longwood Avenue, Boston, MA 02115, USA; Howard Hughes Medical Institute, Harvard Medical School, 220 Longwood Avenue, Boston, MA 02115, USA
| | - Alan J Emanuel
- Department of Neurobiology, Harvard Medical School, 220 Longwood Avenue, Boston, MA 02115, USA; Howard Hughes Medical Institute, Harvard Medical School, 220 Longwood Avenue, Boston, MA 02115, USA
| | - Genelle Rankin
- Department of Neurobiology, Harvard Medical School, 220 Longwood Avenue, Boston, MA 02115, USA; Howard Hughes Medical Institute, Harvard Medical School, 220 Longwood Avenue, Boston, MA 02115, USA
| | - Ryann M Fame
- Department of Pathology, Boston Children's Hospital, 300 Longwood Avenue, Boston, MA 02115, USA
| | - Maria K Lehtinen
- Department of Pathology, Boston Children's Hospital, 300 Longwood Avenue, Boston, MA 02115, USA
| | - Guoping Feng
- McGovern Institute for Brain Research, Department of Brain and Cognitive Sciences, Massachusetts Institute of Technology, 43 Vassar Street, Cambridge, MA 02139, USA
| | - David D Ginty
- Department of Neurobiology, Harvard Medical School, 220 Longwood Avenue, Boston, MA 02115, USA; Howard Hughes Medical Institute, Harvard Medical School, 220 Longwood Avenue, Boston, MA 02115, USA.
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84
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Tang X, Drotar J, Li K, Clairmont CD, Brumm AS, Sullins AJ, Wu H, Liu XS, Wang J, Gray NS, Sur M, Jaenisch R. Pharmacological enhancement of KCC2 gene expression exerts therapeutic effects on human Rett syndrome neurons and Mecp2 mutant mice. Sci Transl Med 2019; 11:eaau0164. [PMID: 31366578 PMCID: PMC8140401 DOI: 10.1126/scitranslmed.aau0164] [Citation(s) in RCA: 76] [Impact Index Per Article: 15.2] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 04/27/2018] [Revised: 04/14/2019] [Accepted: 07/12/2019] [Indexed: 12/14/2022]
Abstract
Rett syndrome (RTT) is a neurodevelopmental disorder caused by mutations in the methyl CpG binding protein 2 (MECP2) gene. There are currently no approved treatments for RTT. The expression of K+/Cl- cotransporter 2 (KCC2), a neuron-specific protein, has been found to be reduced in human RTT neurons and in RTT mouse models, suggesting that KCC2 might play a role in the pathophysiology of RTT. To develop neuron-based high-throughput screening (HTS) assays to identify chemical compounds that enhance the expression of the KCC2 gene, we report the generation of a robust high-throughput drug screening platform that allows for the rapid assessment of KCC2 gene expression in genome-edited human reporter neurons. From an unbiased screen of more than 900 small-molecule chemicals, we have identified a group of compounds that enhance KCC2 expression termed KCC2 expression-enhancing compounds (KEECs). The identified KEECs include U.S. Food and Drug Administration-approved drugs that are inhibitors of the fms-like tyrosine kinase 3 (FLT3) or glycogen synthase kinase 3β (GSK3β) pathways and activators of the sirtuin 1 (SIRT1) and transient receptor potential cation channel subfamily V member 1 (TRPV1) pathways. Treatment with hit compounds increased KCC2 expression in human wild-type (WT) and isogenic MECP2 mutant RTT neurons, and rescued electrophysiological and morphological abnormalities of RTT neurons. Injection of KEEC KW-2449 or piperine in Mecp2 mutant mice ameliorated disease-associated respiratory and locomotion phenotypes. The small-molecule compounds described in our study may have therapeutic effects not only in RTT but also in other neurological disorders involving dysregulation of KCC2.
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Affiliation(s)
- Xin Tang
- Whitehead Institute for Biomedical Research, Cambridge, MA 02142, USA
| | - Jesse Drotar
- Whitehead Institute for Biomedical Research, Cambridge, MA 02142, USA
| | - Keji Li
- Picower Institute for Learning and Memory, Department of Brain and Cognitive Sciences, Massachusetts Institute of Technology, Cambridge, MA 02139, USA
| | | | | | - Austin J Sullins
- Picower Institute for Learning and Memory, Department of Brain and Cognitive Sciences, Massachusetts Institute of Technology, Cambridge, MA 02139, USA
| | - Hao Wu
- Fulcrum Therapeutics, Cambridge, MA 02139, USA
| | | | - Jinhua Wang
- Department of Cancer Biology, Dana-Farber Cancer Institute, Harvard Medical School, Boston, MA 02215, USA
| | - Nathanael S Gray
- Department of Cancer Biology, Dana-Farber Cancer Institute, Harvard Medical School, Boston, MA 02215, USA
| | - Mriganka Sur
- Picower Institute for Learning and Memory, Department of Brain and Cognitive Sciences, Massachusetts Institute of Technology, Cambridge, MA 02139, USA
| | - Rudolf Jaenisch
- Whitehead Institute for Biomedical Research, Cambridge, MA 02142, USA.
- Department of Biology, Massachusetts Institute of Technology, Cambridge, MA 02142, USA
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85
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De Stefano LA, Schmitt LM, White SP, Mosconi MW, Sweeney JA, Ethridge LE. Developmental Effects on Auditory Neural Oscillatory Synchronization Abnormalities in Autism Spectrum Disorder. Front Integr Neurosci 2019; 13:34. [PMID: 31402856 PMCID: PMC6670023 DOI: 10.3389/fnint.2019.00034] [Citation(s) in RCA: 22] [Impact Index Per Article: 4.4] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 03/31/2019] [Accepted: 07/11/2019] [Indexed: 01/02/2023] Open
Abstract
Previous studies have found alterations in 40 Hz oscillatory activity in response to auditory stimuli in adults with Autism Spectrum Disorder (ASD). The current study sought to examine the specificity and developmental trajectory of these findings by driving the cortex to oscillate at a range of frequencies in both children and adults with and without ASD. Fifteen participants with ASD (3 female, aged 6–23 years) and 15 age-matched controls (4 female, aged 6–25 years) underwent dense-array EEG as they listened to a carrier tone amplitude-modulated by a sinusoid linearly increasing in frequency from 0–100 Hz over 2 s. EEG data were analyzed for inter-trial phase coherence (ITPC) and single-trial power (STP). Older participants with ASD displayed significantly decreased ability to phase-lock to the stimulus in the low gamma frequency range relative to their typically developing (TD) counterparts, while younger ASD and TD did not significantly differ from each other. An interaction between age and diagnosis suggested that TD and ASD also show different developmental trajectories for low gamma power; TD showed a significant decrease in low gamma power with age, while ASD did not. Regardless of age, increased low gamma STP was significantly correlated with increased clinical scores for repetitive behaviors in the ASD group, particularly insistence on sameness. This study contributes to a growing body of evidence supporting alterations in auditory processing in ASD. Older ASD participants showed more pronounced low gamma deficits than younger participants, suggesting an altered developmental trajectory for neural activity contributing to auditory processing deficits that may also be more broadly clinically relevant. Future studies are needed employing a longitudinal approach to confirm findings of this cross-sectional study.
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Affiliation(s)
- Lisa A De Stefano
- Department of Psychology, The University of Oklahoma, Norman, OK, United States
| | - Lauren M Schmitt
- Division of Developmental and Behavioral Pediatrics, Cincinnati Children's Hospital Medical Center, Cincinnati, OH, United States
| | - Stormi P White
- Department of Pediatrics, Emory University School of Medicine, Marcus Autism Center, Atlanta, GA, United States
| | - Matthew W Mosconi
- Schiefelbusch Institute for Life Span Studies and Clinical Child Psychology Program, University of Kansas, Lawrence, KS, United States.,Kansas Center for Autism Research and Training (KCART), Kansas City, KS, United States
| | - John A Sweeney
- Department of Psychiatry and Behavioral Neuroscience, University of Cincinnati, Cincinnati, OH, United States
| | - Lauren E Ethridge
- Department of Psychology, The University of Oklahoma, Norman, OK, United States.,Department of Pediatrics, Section on Developmental & Behavioral Pediatrics, University of Oklahoma Health Sciences Center, Oklahoma City, OK, United States
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Lapp HE, Hunter RG. Early life exposures, neurodevelopmental disorders, and transposable elements. Neurobiol Stress 2019; 11:100174. [PMID: 31193573 PMCID: PMC6536887 DOI: 10.1016/j.ynstr.2019.100174] [Citation(s) in RCA: 21] [Impact Index Per Article: 4.2] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 12/05/2018] [Revised: 03/27/2019] [Accepted: 05/21/2019] [Indexed: 12/26/2022] Open
Abstract
Transposable elements make up a much larger portion of the genome than protein-coding genes, yet we know relatively little about their function in the human genome. However, we are beginning to more fully understand their role in brain development, neuroinflammation, and adaptation to environmental insults such as stress. For instance, glucocorticoid receptor activation regulates transposable elements in the brain following acute stress. Early life is a period of substantial brain development during which transposable elements play a role. Environmental exposures and experiences during early life that promote abnormal regulation of transposable elements may lead to a cascade of events that ultimately increase susceptibility to disorders later in life. Recent attention to transposable elements in psychiatric illness has begun to clarify associations indicative of dysregulation of different classes of transposable elements in stress-related and neurodevelopmental illness. Though individual susceptibility or resiliency to psychiatric illness has not been explained by traditional genetic studies, the wide inter-individual variability in transposable element composition in the human genome make TEs attractive candidates to elucidate this differential susceptibility. In this review, we discuss evidence that regulation of transposable elements in the brain are stage-specific, sensitive to environmental factors, and may be impacted by early life perturbations. We further present evidence of associations with stress-related and neurodevelopmental psychiatric illness from a developmental perspective.
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Affiliation(s)
- Hannah E Lapp
- University of Massachusetts Boston, 100 Morrissey Blvd Boston, MA, 02125, USA
| | - Richard G Hunter
- University of Massachusetts Boston, 100 Morrissey Blvd Boston, MA, 02125, USA
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87
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The Structural Model: a theory linking connections, plasticity, pathology, development and evolution of the cerebral cortex. Brain Struct Funct 2019; 224:985-1008. [PMID: 30739157 PMCID: PMC6500485 DOI: 10.1007/s00429-019-01841-9] [Citation(s) in RCA: 116] [Impact Index Per Article: 23.2] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 10/11/2018] [Accepted: 01/29/2019] [Indexed: 12/21/2022]
Abstract
The classical theory of cortical systematic variation has been independently described in reptiles, monotremes, marsupials and placental mammals, including primates, suggesting a common bauplan in the evolution of the cortex. The Structural Model is based on the systematic variation of the cortex and is a platform for advancing testable hypotheses about cortical organization and function across species, including humans. The Structural Model captures the overall laminar structure of areas by dividing the cortical architectonic continuum into discrete categories (cortical types), which can be used to test hypotheses about cortical organization. By type, the phylogenetically ancient limbic cortices-which form a ring at the base of the cerebral hemisphere-are agranular if they lack layer IV, or dysgranular if they have an incipient granular layer IV. Beyond the dysgranular areas, eulaminate type cortices have six layers. The number and laminar elaboration of eulaminate areas differ depending on species or cortical system within a species. The construct of cortical type retains the topology of the systematic variation of the cortex and forms the basis for a predictive Structural Model, which has successfully linked cortical variation to the laminar pattern and strength of cortical connections, the continuum of plasticity and stability of areas, the regularities in the distribution of classical and novel markers, and the preferential vulnerability of limbic areas to neurodegenerative and psychiatric diseases. The origin of cortical types has been recently traced to cortical development, and helps explain the variability of diseases with an onset in ontogeny.
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88
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Merikanto I, Kuula L, Makkonen T, Salmela L, Räikkönen K, Pesonen AK. Autistic Traits Are Associated With Decreased Activity of Fast Sleep Spindles During Adolescence. J Clin Sleep Med 2019; 15:401-407. [PMID: 30853050 DOI: 10.5664/jcsm.7662] [Citation(s) in RCA: 5] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 08/21/2018] [Accepted: 10/26/2018] [Indexed: 11/13/2022]
Abstract
STUDY OBJECTIVES Autistic traits present a continuum from mild symptoms to severe disorder and have been associated with a high prevalence of sleep problems. Sleep spindles have a key function in sleep maintenance and in brain plasticity. Previous studies have found decreased spindle activity in clinical autism. Here we examine the associations between the entire range of autistic traits and sleep spindle activity in a nonclinical community cohort of adolescents. METHODS Our cohort is based on 172 adolescents born in 1998 (58.7% girls, mean age = 16.9 years, standard deviation = 0.1), who filled in the adult autism-spectrum quotient (AQ), consisting of total score, and social interaction and attention to details subscales. Participants underwent an ambulatory overnight sleep electroencephalography. Sleep spindles (amplitude, duration, density, and intensity) were automatically detected from stage N2 sleep, and divided to slow and fast spindles. RESULTS Higher AQ total sum and social interaction sum associated with lower fast spindle amplitude and intensity (P < .04). No associations were observed for attention to details. CONCLUSIONS Our findings indicate that a higher level of autistic traits in the nonclinical range among generally healthy adolescents associate with similar alterations in sleep spindle activity as observed in many neuropsychiatric conditions, indicating lower sleep-related brain plasticity. This indicates that sleep microstructures form a continuum that follows self-reported symptoms of autism.
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Affiliation(s)
- Ilona Merikanto
- SleepWell Research Program, Faculty of Medicine, University of Helsinki, Helsinki, Finland.,National Institute for Health and Welfare, Helsinki, Finland.,Orton Orthopaedics Hospital, Helsinki, Finland
| | - Liisa Kuula
- SleepWell Research Program, Faculty of Medicine, University of Helsinki, Helsinki, Finland
| | - Tommi Makkonen
- SleepWell Research Program, Faculty of Medicine, University of Helsinki, Helsinki, Finland
| | - Liisa Salmela
- SleepWell Research Program, Faculty of Medicine, University of Helsinki, Helsinki, Finland
| | - Katri Räikkönen
- SleepWell Research Program, Faculty of Medicine, University of Helsinki, Helsinki, Finland
| | - Anu-Katriina Pesonen
- SleepWell Research Program, Faculty of Medicine, University of Helsinki, Helsinki, Finland
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89
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Petanjek Z, Sedmak D, Džaja D, Hladnik A, Rašin MR, Jovanov-Milosevic N. The Protracted Maturation of Associative Layer IIIC Pyramidal Neurons in the Human Prefrontal Cortex During Childhood: A Major Role in Cognitive Development and Selective Alteration in Autism. Front Psychiatry 2019; 10:122. [PMID: 30923504 PMCID: PMC6426783 DOI: 10.3389/fpsyt.2019.00122] [Citation(s) in RCA: 33] [Impact Index Per Article: 6.6] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Submit a Manuscript] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 06/30/2018] [Accepted: 02/18/2019] [Indexed: 12/12/2022] Open
Abstract
The human specific cognitive shift starts around the age of 2 years with the onset of self-awareness, and continues with extraordinary increase in cognitive capacities during early childhood. Diffuse changes in functional connectivity in children aged 2-6 years indicate an increase in the capacity of cortical network. Interestingly, structural network complexity does not increase during this time and, thus, it is likely to be induced by selective maturation of a specific neuronal subclass. Here, we provide an overview of a subclass of cortico-cortical neurons, the associative layer IIIC pyramids of the human prefrontal cortex. Their local axonal collaterals are in control of the prefrontal cortico-cortical output, while their long projections modulate inter-areal processing. In this way, layer IIIC pyramids are the major integrative element of cortical processing, and changes in their connectivity patterns will affect global cortical functioning. Layer IIIC neurons have a unique pattern of dendritic maturation. In contrast to other classes of principal neurons, they undergo an additional phase of extensive dendritic growth during early childhood, and show characteristic molecular changes. Taken together, circuits associated with layer IIIC neurons have the most protracted period of developmental plasticity. This unique feature is advanced but also provides a window of opportunity for pathological events to disrupt normal formation of cognitive circuits involving layer IIIC neurons. In this manuscript, we discuss how disrupted dendritic and axonal maturation of layer IIIC neurons may lead into global cortical disconnectivity, affecting development of complex communication and social abilities. We also propose a model that developmentally dictated incorporation of layer IIIC neurons into maturing cortico-cortical circuits between 2 to 6 years will reveal a previous (perinatal) lesion affecting other classes of principal neurons. This "disclosure" of pre-existing functionally silent lesions of other neuronal classes induced by development of layer IIIC associative neurons, or their direct alteration, could be found in different forms of autism spectrum disorders. Understanding the gene-environment interaction in shaping cognitive microcircuitries may be fundamental for developing rehabilitation and prevention strategies in autism spectrum and other cognitive disorders.
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Affiliation(s)
- Zdravko Petanjek
- Department of Anatomy and Clinical Anatomy, School of Medicine, University of Zagreb, Zagreb, Croatia
- Department of Neuroscience, Croatian Institute for Brain Research, School of Medicine, University of Zagreb, Zagreb, Croatia
- Center of Excellence for Basic, Clinical and Translational Neuroscience, School of Medicine, University of Zagreb, Zagreb, Croatia
| | - Dora Sedmak
- Department of Anatomy and Clinical Anatomy, School of Medicine, University of Zagreb, Zagreb, Croatia
- Department of Neuroscience, Croatian Institute for Brain Research, School of Medicine, University of Zagreb, Zagreb, Croatia
- Center of Excellence for Basic, Clinical and Translational Neuroscience, School of Medicine, University of Zagreb, Zagreb, Croatia
| | - Domagoj Džaja
- Department of Anatomy and Clinical Anatomy, School of Medicine, University of Zagreb, Zagreb, Croatia
- Department of Neuroscience, Croatian Institute for Brain Research, School of Medicine, University of Zagreb, Zagreb, Croatia
- Center of Excellence for Basic, Clinical and Translational Neuroscience, School of Medicine, University of Zagreb, Zagreb, Croatia
| | - Ana Hladnik
- Department of Anatomy and Clinical Anatomy, School of Medicine, University of Zagreb, Zagreb, Croatia
- Department of Neuroscience, Croatian Institute for Brain Research, School of Medicine, University of Zagreb, Zagreb, Croatia
- Center of Excellence for Basic, Clinical and Translational Neuroscience, School of Medicine, University of Zagreb, Zagreb, Croatia
| | - Mladen Roko Rašin
- Department of Neuroscience and Cell Biology, Rutgers University, Robert Wood Johnson Medical School, Piscataway, NJ, United States
| | - Nataša Jovanov-Milosevic
- Department of Neuroscience, Croatian Institute for Brain Research, School of Medicine, University of Zagreb, Zagreb, Croatia
- Center of Excellence for Basic, Clinical and Translational Neuroscience, School of Medicine, University of Zagreb, Zagreb, Croatia
- Department of Medical Biology, School of Medicine, University of Zagreb, Zagreb, Croatia
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90
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Postnatal development and maturation of layer 1 in the lateral prefrontal cortex and its disruption in autism. Acta Neuropathol Commun 2019; 7:40. [PMID: 30867066 PMCID: PMC6417186 DOI: 10.1186/s40478-019-0684-8] [Citation(s) in RCA: 13] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.6] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 12/05/2018] [Accepted: 02/23/2019] [Indexed: 12/11/2022] Open
Abstract
Autism is a neurodevelopmental connectivity disorder characterized by cortical network disorganization and imbalance in excitation/inhibition. However, little is known about the development of autism pathology and the disruption of laminar-specific excitatory and inhibitory cortical circuits. To begin to address these issues, we examined layer 1 of the lateral prefrontal cortex (LPFC), an area with prolonged development and maturation that is affected in autism. We focused on layer 1 because it contains a distinctive, diverse population of interneurons and glia, receives input from feedback and neuromodulatory pathways, and plays a critical role in the development, maturation, and function of the cortex. We used unbiased quantitative methods at high resolution to study the morphology, neurochemistry, distribution, and density of neurons and myelinated axons in post-mortem brain tissue from children and adults with and without autism. We cross-validated our findings through comparisons with neighboring anterior cingulate cortices and optimally-fixed non-human primate tissue. In neurotypical controls we found an increase in the density of myelinated axons from childhood to adulthood. Neuron density overall declined with age, paralleled by decreased density of inhibitory interneurons labeled by calretinin (CR), calbindin (CB), and parvalbumin (PV). Importantly, we found PV neurons in layer 1 of typically developing children, previously detected only perinatally. In autism there was disorganization of cortical networks within layer 1: children with autism had increased variability in the trajectories and thickness of myelinated axons in layer 1, while adults with autism had a reduction in the relative proportion of thin axons. Neurotypical postnatal changes in layer 1 of LPFC likely underlie refinement of cortical activity during maturation of cortical networks involved in cognition. Our findings suggest that disruption of the maturation of feedback pathways, rather than interneurons in layer 1, has a key role in the development of imbalance between excitation and inhibition in autism.
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91
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Consequences of prenatal exposure to valproic acid in the socially monogamous prairie voles. Sci Rep 2019; 9:2453. [PMID: 30792426 PMCID: PMC6385222 DOI: 10.1038/s41598-019-39014-7] [Citation(s) in RCA: 12] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.4] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 08/20/2018] [Accepted: 01/10/2019] [Indexed: 12/03/2022] Open
Abstract
Environmental risk factors contribute to autism spectrum disorders (ASD) etiology. In particular, prenatal exposure to the highly teratogenic anticonvulsant valproic acid (VPA) significantly increases ASD prevalence. Although significant discoveries on the embryopathology of VPA have been reported, its effects on the ability to form enduring social attachment—characteristic of ASD but uncommonly displayed by rats and mice—remains unknown. We aimed to examine the effects of prenatal VPA exposure in the social, monogamous prairie voles (Microtus ochrogaster). Compared to prenatal vehicle-exposed controls, prenatal VPA-exposed prairie voles had lower body weight throughout postnatal development, engaged in fewer social affiliative behaviors in a familial context, exhibited less social interactions with novel conspecifics, and showed enhanced anxiety-like behavior. Along these behavioral deficits, prenatal VPA exposure downregulated prefrontal cortex vasopressin receptor (V1aR) and methyl CpG-binding protein 2 (MeCP2) mRNA expression, but did not alter spine density in adults. Remarkably, adult social bonding behaviors, such as partner preference formation and selective aggression, were not disrupted by prenatal VPA exposure. Collectively, these studies suggest that, in this animal model, VPA alters only certain behavioral domains such as sex-naive anxiety and affiliative behaviors, but does not alter other domains such as social bonding with opposite sex individuals.
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92
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Beul SF, Hilgetag CC. Neuron density fundamentally relates to architecture and connectivity of the primate cerebral cortex. Neuroimage 2019; 189:777-792. [PMID: 30677500 DOI: 10.1016/j.neuroimage.2019.01.010] [Citation(s) in RCA: 26] [Impact Index Per Article: 5.2] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 11/21/2018] [Accepted: 01/05/2019] [Indexed: 12/16/2022] Open
Abstract
Studies of structural brain connectivity have revealed many intriguing features of complex cortical networks. To advance integrative theories of cortical organization, an understanding is required of how connectivity interrelates with other aspects of brain structure. Recent studies have suggested that interareal connectivity may be related to a variety of macroscopic as well as microscopic architectonic features of cortical areas. However, it is unclear how these features are inter-dependent and which of them most strongly and fundamentally relate to structural corticocortical connectivity. Here, we systematically investigated the relation of a range of microscopic and macroscopic architectonic features of cortical organization, namely layer III pyramidal cell soma cross section, dendritic synapse count, dendritic synapse density and dendritic tree size as well as area neuron density, to multiple properties of cortical connectivity, using a comprehensive, up-to-date structural connectome of the primate brain. Importantly, relationships were investigated by multi-variate analyses to account for the interrelations of features. Of all considered factors, the classical architectonic parameter of neuron density most strongly and consistently related to essential features of cortical connectivity (existence and laminar patterns of projections, area degree), and in conjoint analyses largely abolished effects of cellular morphological features. These results confirm neuron density as a central architectonic indicator of the primate cerebral cortex that is closely related to essential aspects of brain connectivity and is also highly indicative of further features of the architectonic organization of cortical areas, such as the considered cellular morphological measures. Our findings integrate several aspects of cortical micro- and macroscopic organization, with implications for cortical development and function.
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Affiliation(s)
- Sarah F Beul
- Institute of Computational Neuroscience, University Medical Center Hamburg-Eppendorf, 20246, Hamburg, Germany
| | - Claus C Hilgetag
- Institute of Computational Neuroscience, University Medical Center Hamburg-Eppendorf, 20246, Hamburg, Germany; Department of Health Sciences, Boston University, 02215, Boston, MA, USA.
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Noakes Z, Keefe F, Tamburini C, Kelly CM, Cruz Santos M, Dunnett SB, Errington AC, Li M. Human Pluripotent Stem Cell-Derived Striatal Interneurons: Differentiation and Maturation In Vitro and in the Rat Brain. Stem Cell Reports 2019; 12:191-200. [PMID: 30661995 PMCID: PMC6373547 DOI: 10.1016/j.stemcr.2018.12.014] [Citation(s) in RCA: 10] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 06/08/2018] [Revised: 12/17/2018] [Accepted: 12/18/2018] [Indexed: 01/28/2023] Open
Abstract
Striatal interneurons are born in the medial and caudal ganglionic eminences (MGE and CGE) and play an important role in human striatal function and dysfunction in Huntington's disease and dystonia. MGE/CGE-like neural progenitors have been generated from human pluripotent stem cells (hPSCs) for studying cortical interneuron development and cell therapy for epilepsy and other neurodevelopmental disorders. Here, we report the capacity of hPSC-derived MGE/CGE-like progenitors to differentiate into functional striatal interneurons. In vitro, these hPSC neuronal derivatives expressed cortical and striatal interneuron markers at the mRNA and protein level and displayed maturing electrophysiological properties. Following transplantation into neonatal rat striatum, progenitors differentiated into striatal interneuron subtypes and were consistently found in the nearby septum and hippocampus. These findings highlight the potential for hPSC-derived striatal interneurons as an invaluable tool in modeling striatal development and function in vitro or as a source of cells for regenerative medicine. hPSCs differentiate into cortical and striatal interneuron-like cells in vitro They present mature electrophysiological and morphological properties in vitro They express striatal interneuron subtype markers upon transplantation in rat brain hPSC-interneuron-like cells adopt region-specific morphologies in vivo
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Affiliation(s)
- Zoe Noakes
- Neuroscience and Mental Health Research Institute, School of Medicine, Cardiff University, Cardiff CF24 4HQ, UK; School of Biosciences, Cardiff University, Cardiff CF10 3AX, UK.
| | - Francesca Keefe
- Neuroscience and Mental Health Research Institute, School of Medicine, Cardiff University, Cardiff CF24 4HQ, UK; School of Biosciences, Cardiff University, Cardiff CF10 3AX, UK
| | - Claudia Tamburini
- Neuroscience and Mental Health Research Institute, School of Medicine, Cardiff University, Cardiff CF24 4HQ, UK
| | - Claire M Kelly
- School of Biosciences, Cardiff University, Cardiff CF10 3AX, UK
| | - Maria Cruz Santos
- Neuroscience and Mental Health Research Institute, School of Medicine, Cardiff University, Cardiff CF24 4HQ, UK
| | | | - Adam C Errington
- Neuroscience and Mental Health Research Institute, School of Medicine, Cardiff University, Cardiff CF24 4HQ, UK
| | - Meng Li
- Neuroscience and Mental Health Research Institute, School of Medicine, Cardiff University, Cardiff CF24 4HQ, UK; School of Biosciences, Cardiff University, Cardiff CF10 3AX, UK.
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94
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Schob C, Morellini F, Ohana O, Bakota L, Hrynchak MV, Brandt R, Brockmann MD, Cichon N, Hartung H, Hanganu-Opatz IL, Kraus V, Scharf S, Herrmans-Borgmeyer I, Schweizer M, Kuhl D, Wöhr M, Vörckel KJ, Calzada-Wack J, Fuchs H, Gailus-Durner V, Hrabě de Angelis M, Garner CC, Kreienkamp HJ, Kindler S. Cognitive impairment and autistic-like behaviour in SAPAP4-deficient mice. Transl Psychiatry 2019; 9:7. [PMID: 30664629 PMCID: PMC6341115 DOI: 10.1038/s41398-018-0327-z] [Citation(s) in RCA: 13] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.6] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Submit a Manuscript] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 03/06/2018] [Revised: 09/20/2018] [Accepted: 11/08/2018] [Indexed: 12/02/2022] Open
Abstract
In humans, genetic variants of DLGAP1-4 have been linked with neuropsychiatric conditions, including autism spectrum disorder (ASD). While these findings implicate the encoded postsynaptic proteins, SAPAP1-4, in the etiology of neuropsychiatric conditions, underlying neurobiological mechanisms are unknown. To assess the contribution of SAPAP4 to these disorders, we characterized SAPAP4-deficient mice. Our study reveals that the loss of SAPAP4 triggers profound behavioural abnormalities, including cognitive deficits combined with impaired vocal communication and social interaction, phenotypes reminiscent of ASD in humans. These behavioural alterations of SAPAP4-deficient mice are associated with dramatic changes in synapse morphology, function and plasticity, indicating that SAPAP4 is critical for the development of functional neuronal networks and that mutations in the corresponding human gene, DLGAP4, may cause deficits in social and cognitive functioning relevant to ASD-like neurodevelopmental disorders.
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Affiliation(s)
- Claudia Schob
- Institute for Human Genetics, University Medical Centre Hamburg-Eppendorf, 20246, Hamburg, Germany
| | - Fabio Morellini
- Behavioral Biology, Centre for Molecular Neurobiology Hamburg (ZMNH), University Medical Centre Hamburg-Eppendorf, Hamburg, Germany
| | - Ora Ohana
- Institute for Molecular and Cellular Cognition, ZMNH, University Medical Center Hamburg-Eppendorf, Hamburg, Germany
| | - Lidia Bakota
- Department of Neurobiology, University of Osnabrück, 49076, Osnabrück, Germany
| | - Mariya V Hrynchak
- Department of Neurobiology, University of Osnabrück, 49076, Osnabrück, Germany
| | - Roland Brandt
- Department of Neurobiology, University of Osnabrück, 49076, Osnabrück, Germany
| | - Marco D Brockmann
- Developmental Neurophysiology, Department of Neuroanatomy, University Medical Centre Hamburg-Eppendorf, Hamburg, Germany
| | - Nicole Cichon
- Developmental Neurophysiology, Department of Neuroanatomy, University Medical Centre Hamburg-Eppendorf, Hamburg, Germany
| | - Henrike Hartung
- Developmental Neurophysiology, Department of Neuroanatomy, University Medical Centre Hamburg-Eppendorf, Hamburg, Germany
| | - Ileana L Hanganu-Opatz
- Developmental Neurophysiology, Department of Neuroanatomy, University Medical Centre Hamburg-Eppendorf, Hamburg, Germany
| | - Vanessa Kraus
- Behavioral Biology, Centre for Molecular Neurobiology Hamburg (ZMNH), University Medical Centre Hamburg-Eppendorf, Hamburg, Germany
| | - Sarah Scharf
- Behavioral Biology, Centre for Molecular Neurobiology Hamburg (ZMNH), University Medical Centre Hamburg-Eppendorf, Hamburg, Germany
| | - Irm Herrmans-Borgmeyer
- Transgenic Mouse Facility, ZMNH, University Medical Center Hamburg-Eppendorf, Hamburg, Germany
| | - Michaela Schweizer
- Morphology and Electron Microscopy, ZMNH, University Medical Center Hamburg-Eppendorf, Hamburg, Germany
| | - Dietmar Kuhl
- Institute for Molecular and Cellular Cognition, ZMNH, University Medical Center Hamburg-Eppendorf, Hamburg, Germany
| | - Markus Wöhr
- Behavioral Neuroscience, Experimental and Biological Psychology, Faculty of Psychology, Philipps-University of Marburg, 35032, Marburg, Germany
| | - Karl J Vörckel
- Behavioral Neuroscience, Experimental and Biological Psychology, Faculty of Psychology, Philipps-University of Marburg, 35032, Marburg, Germany
| | - Julia Calzada-Wack
- German Mouse Clinic, Institute of Experimental Genetics, Helmholtz Centre Munich, German Research Centre for Environmental Health, 85764, Neuherberg, Germany
| | - Helmut Fuchs
- German Mouse Clinic, Institute of Experimental Genetics, Helmholtz Centre Munich, German Research Centre for Environmental Health, 85764, Neuherberg, Germany
| | - Valérie Gailus-Durner
- German Mouse Clinic, Institute of Experimental Genetics, Helmholtz Centre Munich, German Research Centre for Environmental Health, 85764, Neuherberg, Germany
| | - Martin Hrabě de Angelis
- German Mouse Clinic, Institute of Experimental Genetics, Helmholtz Centre Munich, German Research Centre for Environmental Health, 85764, Neuherberg, Germany
- Chair of Experimental Genetics, School of Life Science Weihenstephan, Technische Universität München, 85354, Freising, Germany
- German Center for Diabetes Research (DZD), Neuherberg, Germany
| | - Craig C Garner
- German Centre for Neurodegenerative Diseases (DZNE), c/o Charité University Medical Centre, 10117, Berlin, Germany
| | - Hans-Jürgen Kreienkamp
- Institute for Human Genetics, University Medical Centre Hamburg-Eppendorf, 20246, Hamburg, Germany
| | - Stefan Kindler
- Institute for Human Genetics, University Medical Centre Hamburg-Eppendorf, 20246, Hamburg, Germany.
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95
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Sui YV, Donaldson J, Miles L, Babb JS, Castellanos FX, Lazar M. Diffusional kurtosis imaging of the corpus callosum in autism. Mol Autism 2018; 9:62. [PMID: 30559954 PMCID: PMC6293510 DOI: 10.1186/s13229-018-0245-1] [Citation(s) in RCA: 18] [Impact Index Per Article: 3.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 07/04/2018] [Accepted: 11/20/2018] [Indexed: 12/31/2022] Open
Abstract
Background The corpus callosum is implicated in the pathophysiology of autism spectrum disorder (ASD). However, specific structural deficits and underlying mechanisms are yet to be well defined. Methods We employed diffusional kurtosis imaging (DKI) metrics to characterize white matter properties within five discrete segments of the corpus callosum in 17 typically developing (TD) adults and 16 age-matched participants with ASD without co-occurring intellectual disability (ID). The DKI metrics included axonal water fraction (faxon) and intra-axonal diffusivity (Daxon), which reflect axonal density and caliber, and extra-axonal radial (RDextra) and axial (ADextra) diffusivities, which reflect myelination and microstructural organization of the extracellular space. The relationships between DKI metrics and processing speed, a cognitive feature known to be impaired in ASD, were also examined. Results ASD group had significantly decreased callosal faxon and Daxon (p = .01 and p = .045), particularly in the midbody, isthmus, and splenium. Regression analysis showed that variation in DKI metrics, primarily in the mid and posterior callosal regions explained up to 70.7% of the variance in processing speed scores for TD (p = .001) but not for ASD (p > .05). Conclusion Decreased DKI metrics suggested that ASD may be associated with axonal deficits such as reduced axonal caliber and density in the corpus callosum, especially in the mid and posterior callosal areas. These data suggest that impaired interhemispheric connectivity may contribute to decreased processing speed in ASD participants. Electronic supplementary material The online version of this article (10.1186/s13229-018-0245-1) contains supplementary material, which is available to authorized users.
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Affiliation(s)
- Yu Veronica Sui
- 1Department of Radiology, New York University School of Medicine, New York, NY USA.,4Center for Biomedical Imaging, NYU Langone Health, 660 First Ave, 4th floor, New York, NY 10016 USA
| | - Jeffrey Donaldson
- 1Department of Radiology, New York University School of Medicine, New York, NY USA
| | - Laura Miles
- 1Department of Radiology, New York University School of Medicine, New York, NY USA
| | - James S Babb
- 1Department of Radiology, New York University School of Medicine, New York, NY USA
| | - Francisco Xavier Castellanos
- 2Department of Child and Adolescent Psychiatry, Hassenfeld Children's Hospital at NYU Langone, New York, NY USA.,3Nathan Kline Institute for Psychiatric Research, Orangeburg, NY USA
| | - Mariana Lazar
- 1Department of Radiology, New York University School of Medicine, New York, NY USA.,4Center for Biomedical Imaging, NYU Langone Health, 660 First Ave, 4th floor, New York, NY 10016 USA
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96
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Transglutaminase 2 Induces Deficits in Social Behavior in Mice. Neural Plast 2018; 2018:2019091. [PMID: 30647729 PMCID: PMC6311865 DOI: 10.1155/2018/2019091] [Citation(s) in RCA: 1] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.2] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 04/26/2018] [Revised: 08/08/2018] [Accepted: 10/11/2018] [Indexed: 11/18/2022] Open
Abstract
Impairments in social behavior are highly implicated in many neuropsychiatric disorders. Recent studies indicate a role for endoplasmic reticulum (ER) stress in altering social behavior, but the underlying mechanism is not known. In the present study, we examined the role of transglutaminase 2 (TG2), a calcium-dependent enzyme known to be induced following ER stress, in social behavior in mice. ER stress induced by tunicamycin administration increased TG2 protein levels in the mouse prefrontal cortex (PFC). PFC-specific inhibition of TG2 attenuated ER stress-induced deficits in social behavior. Conversely, overexpression of TG2 in the PFC resulted in social behavior impairments in mice. In addition, systemic administration of cysteamine, a TG2 inhibitor, attenuated social behavior deficits. Our preliminary findings using postmortem human brain samples found increases in TG2 mRNA and protein levels in the middle frontal gyrus of subjects with autism spectrum disorder. These findings in mice and human postmortem brain samples identify changes in TG2 activity in the possible dysregulation of social behavior.
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97
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Abstract
Proper neuronal wiring is central to all bodily functions, sensory perception, cognition, memory, and learning. Establishment of a functional neuronal circuit is a highly regulated and dynamic process involving axonal and dendritic branching and navigation toward appropriate targets and connection partners. This intricate circuitry includes axo-dendritic synapse formation, synaptic connections formed with effector cells, and extensive dendritic arborization that function to receive and transmit mechanical and chemical sensory inputs. Such complexity is primarily achieved by extensive axonal and dendritic branch formation and pruning. Fundamental to neuronal branching are cytoskeletal dynamics and plasma membrane expansion, both of which are regulated via numerous extracellular and intracellular signaling mechanisms and molecules. This review focuses on recent advances in understanding the biology of neuronal branching.
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Affiliation(s)
- Shalini Menon
- Department of Cell Biology and Physiology, The University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill, Chapel Hill, Chapel Hill, NC, 27599, USA
| | - Stephanie Gupton
- Department of Cell Biology and Physiology, The University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill, Chapel Hill, Chapel Hill, NC, 27599, USA.,Neuroscience Center, The University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill, Chapel Hill, NC, 27599, USA.,Lineberger Comprehensive Cancer Center, University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill, Chapel Hill, NC, 27599, USA
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98
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Opposite development of short- and long-range anterior cingulate pathways in autism. Acta Neuropathol 2018; 136:759-778. [PMID: 30191402 PMCID: PMC6208731 DOI: 10.1007/s00401-018-1904-1] [Citation(s) in RCA: 15] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 06/29/2018] [Revised: 08/27/2018] [Accepted: 08/29/2018] [Indexed: 12/31/2022]
Abstract
Autism has been linked with the changes in brain connectivity that disrupt neural communication, especially involving frontal networks. Pathological changes in white matter are evident in adults with autism, particularly affecting axons below the anterior cingulate cortices (ACC). It is still unknown whether axon pathology appears early or late in development and whether it changes or not from childhood through adulthood. To address these questions, we examined typical and pathological development of about 1 million axons in post-mortem brains of children, adolescents, and adults with and without autism (ages 3-67 years). We used high-resolution microscopy to systematically sample and study quantitatively the fine structure of myelinated axons in the white matter below ACC. We provide novel evidence of changes in the density, size and trajectories of ACC axons in typical postnatal development from childhood through adulthood. Against the normal profile of axon development, our data revealed lower density of myelinated axons that connect ACC with neighboring cortices in children with autism. In the course of development the proportion of thin axons, which form short-range pathways, increased significantly in individuals with autism, but remained flat in controls. In contrast, the relative proportion of thick axons, which form long-range pathways, increased from childhood to adulthood in the control group, but decreased in autism. Our findings provide a timeline for profound changes in axon density and thickness below ACC that affect axon physiology in a direction suggesting bias in short over distant neural communication in autism. Importantly, measures of axon density, myelination, and orientation provide white matter anisotropy/diffusivity estimates at the level of single axons. The structural template established can be used to compare with measures obtained from imaging in living subjects, and guide analysis of functional and structural imaging data from humans for comparison with pathological states.
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99
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Lawrence KE, Hernandez LM, Bookheimer SY, Dapretto M. Atypical longitudinal development of functional connectivity in adolescents with autism spectrum disorder. Autism Res 2018; 12:53-65. [PMID: 30375176 DOI: 10.1002/aur.1971] [Citation(s) in RCA: 31] [Impact Index Per Article: 5.2] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 01/23/2018] [Revised: 04/20/2018] [Accepted: 05/11/2018] [Indexed: 12/26/2022]
Abstract
Autism spectrum disorder (ASD) is consistently associated with alterations in brain connectivity, but there are conflicting results as to where and when individuals with ASD display increased or reduced functional connectivity. Such inconsistent findings may be driven by atypical neurodevelopmental trajectories in ASD during adolescence, but no longitudinal studies to date have investigated this hypothesis. We thus examined the functional connectivity of three neurocognitive resting-state networks-the default mode network (DMN), salience network, and central executive network (CEN)-in a longitudinal sample of youth with ASD (n = 16) and without ASD (n = 22) studied during early/mid- and late adolescence. Functional connectivity between the CEN and the DMN displayed significantly altered developmental trajectories in ASD: typically developing (TD) controls-but not youth with ASD-exhibited an increase in negative functional connectivity between these two networks with age. This significant interaction was due to the ASD group displaying less negative functional connectivity than the TD group during late adolescence only, with no significant group differences in early/mid-adolescence. These preliminary findings suggest a localized age-dependency of functional connectivity alterations in ASD and underscore the importance of considering age when examining brain connectivity. Autism Research 2019, 12: 53-65. © 2018 International Society for Autism Research, Wiley Periodicals, Inc. LAY SUMMARY: Brain connectivity may develop differently during adolescence in youth with autism spectrum disorder (ASD). We looked at changes in brain connectivity over time within individuals and found that, for some brain regions, adolescents with ASD did not show the same changes in brain connectivity that typically developing adolescents did. This suggests it is important to consider age when studying brain connectivity in ASD.
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Affiliation(s)
- Katherine E Lawrence
- Ahmanson-Lovelace Brain Mapping Center, University of California Los Angeles, Los Angeles, CA.,Interdepartmental Neuroscience Program, University of California Los Angeles, Los Angeles, CA.,Department of Psychiatry and Biobehavioral Sciences, University of California Los Angeles, Los Angeles, CA
| | - Leanna M Hernandez
- Ahmanson-Lovelace Brain Mapping Center, University of California Los Angeles, Los Angeles, CA.,Interdepartmental Neuroscience Program, University of California Los Angeles, Los Angeles, CA.,Department of Psychiatry and Biobehavioral Sciences, University of California Los Angeles, Los Angeles, CA
| | - Susan Y Bookheimer
- Center for Cognitive Neuroscience, Los Angeles, CA.,Department of Psychiatry and Biobehavioral Sciences, University of California Los Angeles, Los Angeles, CA
| | - Mirella Dapretto
- Ahmanson-Lovelace Brain Mapping Center, University of California Los Angeles, Los Angeles, CA.,Department of Psychiatry and Biobehavioral Sciences, University of California Los Angeles, Los Angeles, CA
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100
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Rotaru DC, van Woerden GM, Wallaard I, Elgersma Y. Adult Ube3a Gene Reinstatement Restores the Electrophysiological Deficits of Prefrontal Cortex Layer 5 Neurons in a Mouse Model of Angelman Syndrome. J Neurosci 2018; 38:8011-8030. [PMID: 30082419 PMCID: PMC6596147 DOI: 10.1523/jneurosci.0083-18.2018] [Citation(s) in RCA: 51] [Impact Index Per Article: 8.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 01/12/2018] [Revised: 07/13/2018] [Accepted: 07/20/2018] [Indexed: 11/21/2022] Open
Abstract
E3 ubiquitin ligase (UBE3A) levels in the brain need to be tightly regulated, as loss of functional UBE3A protein is responsible for the severe neurodevelopmental disorder Angelman syndrome (AS), whereas increased activity of UBE3A is associated with nonsyndromic autism. Given the role of mPFC in neurodevelopmental disorders including autism, we aimed to identify the functional changes resulting from loss of UBE3A in infralimbic and prelimbic mPFC areas in a mouse model of AS. Whole-cell recordings from layer 5 mPFC pyramidal neurons obtained in brain slices from adult mice of both sexes revealed that loss of UBE3A results in a strong decrease of spontaneous inhibitory transmission and increase of spontaneous excitatory transmission potentially leading to a marked excitation/inhibition imbalance. Additionally, we found that loss of UBE3A led to decreased excitability and increased threshold for action potential of layer 5 fast spiking interneurons without significantly affecting the excitability of pyramidal neurons. Because we previously showed that AS mouse behavioral phenotypes are reversible upon Ube3a gene reactivation during a restricted period of early postnatal development, we investigated whether Ube3a gene reactivation in a fully mature brain could reverse any of the identified physiological deficits. In contrast to our previously reported behavioral findings, restoring UBE3A levels in adult animals fully rescued all the identified physiological deficits of mPFC neurons. Moreover, the kinetics of reversing these synaptic deficits closely followed the reinstatement of UBE3A protein level. Together, these findings show a striking dissociation between the rescue of behavioral and physiological deficits.SIGNIFICANCE STATEMENT Here we describe significant physiological deficits in the mPFC of an Angelman syndrome mouse model. We found a marked change in excitatory/inhibitory balance, as well as decreased excitability of fast spiking interneurons. A promising treatment strategy for Angelman syndrome is aimed at restoring UBE3A expression by activating the paternal UBE3A gene. Here we find that the physiological changes in the mPFC are fully reversible upon gene reactivation, even when the brain is fully mature. This indicates that there is no critical developmental window for reversing the identified physiological deficits in mPFC.
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Affiliation(s)
- Diana C Rotaru
- Department of Neuroscience and ENCORE Center for Neurodevelopmental Disorders, Erasmus University Medical Center, Wytemaweg 80, 3015 CN Rotterdam, The Netherlands
| | - Geeske M van Woerden
- Department of Neuroscience and ENCORE Center for Neurodevelopmental Disorders, Erasmus University Medical Center, Wytemaweg 80, 3015 CN Rotterdam, The Netherlands
| | - Ilse Wallaard
- Department of Neuroscience and ENCORE Center for Neurodevelopmental Disorders, Erasmus University Medical Center, Wytemaweg 80, 3015 CN Rotterdam, The Netherlands
| | - Ype Elgersma
- Department of Neuroscience and ENCORE Center for Neurodevelopmental Disorders, Erasmus University Medical Center, Wytemaweg 80, 3015 CN Rotterdam, The Netherlands
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