151
|
Palma-Gudiel H, Córdova-Palomera A, Leza JC, Fañanás L. Glucocorticoid receptor gene (NR3C1) methylation processes as mediators of early adversity in stress-related disorders causality: A critical review. Neurosci Biobehav Rev 2015; 55:520-35. [PMID: 26073068 DOI: 10.1016/j.neubiorev.2015.05.016] [Citation(s) in RCA: 217] [Impact Index Per Article: 24.1] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 02/11/2015] [Revised: 05/19/2015] [Accepted: 05/25/2015] [Indexed: 01/04/2023]
Abstract
Early life stress (ELS) is a known risk factor for suffering psychopathology in adulthood. The hypothalamic-pituitary-adrenal (HPA) axis has been described to be deregulated in both individuals who experienced early psychosocial stress and in patients with a wide range of psychiatric disorders. The NR3C1 gene codes for the glucocorticoid receptor, a key element involved in several steps of HPA axis modulation. In this review, we gather existing evidence linking NR3C1 methylation pattern with either ELS or psychopathology. We summarize that several types of ELS have been frequently associated with NR3C1 hypermethylation whereas hypomethylation has been continuously found to be associated with post-traumatic stress disorder. In light of the reported findings, the main concerns of ongoing research in this field are the lack of methodological consensus and selection of CpG sites. Further studies should target individual CpG site methylation assessment focusing in biologically relevant areas such as transcription factor binding regions whereas widening the examined sequence in order to include all non-coding first exons of the NR3C1 gene in the analysis.
Collapse
Affiliation(s)
- Helena Palma-Gudiel
- Unity of Anthropology, Departament of Animal Biology, Faculty of Biology, Instituto de Biomedicina (IBUB), Universidad de Barcelona (UB), Av. Diagonal, 643, 08028 Barcelona, Spain
| | - Aldo Córdova-Palomera
- Unity of Anthropology, Departament of Animal Biology, Faculty of Biology, Instituto de Biomedicina (IBUB), Universidad de Barcelona (UB), Av. Diagonal, 643, 08028 Barcelona, Spain; Centro de Investigación Biomédica en Red de Salud Mental (CIBERSAM), C/ Doctor Esquerdo, 46, 28007 Madrid, Spain
| | - Juan Carlos Leza
- Centro de Investigación Biomédica en Red de Salud Mental (CIBERSAM), C/ Doctor Esquerdo, 46, 28007 Madrid, Spain; Department of Pharmacology, Faculty of Medicine, Universidad Complutense, Madrid, Spain
| | - Lourdes Fañanás
- Unity of Anthropology, Departament of Animal Biology, Faculty of Biology, Instituto de Biomedicina (IBUB), Universidad de Barcelona (UB), Av. Diagonal, 643, 08028 Barcelona, Spain; Centro de Investigación Biomédica en Red de Salud Mental (CIBERSAM), C/ Doctor Esquerdo, 46, 28007 Madrid, Spain.
| |
Collapse
|
152
|
Vinkers CH, Kalafateli AL, Rutten BPF, Kas MJ, Kaminsky Z, Turner JD, Boks MPM. Traumatic stress and human DNA methylation: a critical review. Epigenomics 2015; 7:593-608. [DOI: 10.2217/epi.15.11] [Citation(s) in RCA: 76] [Impact Index Per Article: 8.4] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 12/16/2022] Open
Abstract
Animal studies have identified persistent and functional effects of traumatic stress on the epigenome. This review discusses the clinical evidence for trauma-induced changes in DNA methylation across the life span in humans. Studies are reviewed based on reports of trauma exposure during the prenatal period (13 studies), early life (20 studies), and adulthood (ten studies). Even though it is apparent that traumatic stress influences the human epigenome, there are significant drawbacks in the existing human literature. These include a lack of longitudinal studies, methodological heterogeneity, selection of tissue type, and the influence of developmental stage and trauma type on methylation outcomes. These issues are discussed in order to present a way in which future studies can gain more insight into the functional relevance of trauma-related DNA methylation changes. Epigenetic studies investigating the detrimental effects of traumatic stress have great potential for an improved detection and treatment of trauma-related psychiatric disorders.
Collapse
Affiliation(s)
- Christiaan H Vinkers
- Brain Center Rudolf Magnus, Department of Psychiatry, University Medical Centre Utrecht, PO Box 85500, 3508 GA Utrecht, The Netherlands
| | - Aimilia Lydia Kalafateli
- Brain Center Rudolf Magnus, Department of Translational Neuroscience, Utrecht, The Netherlands
- John B Pierce Laboratory, Department of Neurobiology, Yale Medical School, New Haven, CT 06519, USA
| | - Bart PF Rutten
- Department of Psychiatry & Neuropsychology, School for Mental Health & Neuroscience, Maastricht University Medical Centre, Maastricht, The Netherlands
| | - Martien J Kas
- Brain Center Rudolf Magnus, Department of Translational Neuroscience, Utrecht, The Netherlands
| | - Zachary Kaminsky
- The Mood Disorders Center, Department of Psychiatry & Behavioral Sciences, Johns Hopkins School of Medicine, Department of Mental Health, Johns Hopkins Bloomberg School of Public Health, MD 21205, USA
| | - Jonathan D Turner
- Institute of Immunology, Centre de Recherche Public de la Santé/Laboratoire National de Santé, Luxembourg, Grand-Duchy of Luxembourg
| | - Marco PM Boks
- Brain Center Rudolf Magnus, Department of Psychiatry, University Medical Centre Utrecht, PO Box 85500, 3508 GA Utrecht, The Netherlands
| |
Collapse
|
153
|
Merrill L, Grindstaff JL. Pre and post-natal antigen exposure can program the stress axis of adult zebra finches: evidence for environment matching. Brain Behav Immun 2015; 45:71-9. [PMID: 25535860 PMCID: PMC4342340 DOI: 10.1016/j.bbi.2014.12.013] [Citation(s) in RCA: 13] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.4] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Submit a Manuscript] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 09/15/2014] [Revised: 12/03/2014] [Accepted: 12/09/2014] [Indexed: 12/31/2022] Open
Abstract
Both maternal exposure to stressors and exposure of offspring to stressors during early life can have lifelong effects on the physiology and behavior of offspring. Stress exposure can permanently shape an individual's phenotype by influencing the development of the hypothalamic-pituitary-adrenal (HPA) axis, which is responsible for the production and regulation of glucocorticoids such as corticosterone (CORT). In this study we used captive zebra finches (Taeniopygia guttata) to examine the effects of matching and mismatching maternal and early post-natal exposure to one of two types of antigens or a control on HPA axis reactivity in adult offspring. Prior to breeding, adult females were injected with lipopolysaccharide (LPS), keyhole limpet hemocyanin (KLH) or a control. Offspring of females in each of the three treatments were themselves exposed to LPS, KLH or a control injection at 5 and 28days post-hatch. When offspring were at least 18months of age, standardized capture and restraint stress tests were conducted to determine the impact of the treatments on adult stress responsiveness. We found significant interaction effects between maternal and offspring treatments on stress-induced CORT levels, and evidence in support of the environment matching hypothesis for KLH-treated birds, not LPS-treated birds. KLH-treated offspring of KLH-treated mothers exhibited reduced stress-induced CORT levels, whereas LPS-treated or control offspring of KLH-treated mothers exhibited elevated stress-induced CORT levels. Although the treatment effects on baseline CORT were non-significant, the overall pattern was similar to the effects observed on stress-induced CORT levels. Our results highlight the complex nature of HPA axis programming, and to our knowledge, provide the first evidence that a match or mismatch between pre and post-natal antigen exposure can have life-long consequences for HPA axis function.
Collapse
Affiliation(s)
- Loren Merrill
- Oklahoma State University, Department of Integrative Biology, Stillwater, OK 74078, USA; Illinois Natural History Survey, University of Illinois, Champaign, IL 61820, USA.
| | - Jennifer L Grindstaff
- Oklahoma State University, Department of Integrative Biology, Stillwater, OK 74078, USA
| |
Collapse
|
154
|
Prados J, Stenz L, Courtet P, Prada P, Nicastro R, Adouan W, Guillaume S, Olié E, Aubry JM, Dayer A, Perroud N. Borderline personality disorder and childhood maltreatment: a genome-wide methylation analysis. GENES BRAIN AND BEHAVIOR 2015; 14:177-88. [PMID: 25612291 DOI: 10.1111/gbb.12197] [Citation(s) in RCA: 72] [Impact Index Per Article: 8.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 10/01/2014] [Revised: 12/17/2014] [Accepted: 12/17/2014] [Indexed: 12/30/2022]
Abstract
Early life adversity plays a critical role in the emergence of borderline personality disorder (BPD) and this could occur through epigenetic programming. In this perspective, we aimed to determine whether childhood maltreatment could durably modify epigenetic processes by the means of a whole-genome methylation scan of BPD subjects. Using the Illumina Infinium® HumanMethylation450 BeadChip, global methylation status of DNA extracted from peripheral blood leucocytes was correlated to the severity of childhood maltreatment in 96 BPD subjects suffering from a high level of child adversity and 93 subjects suffering from major depressive disorder (MDD) and reporting a low rate of child maltreatment. Several CpGs within or near the following genes (IL17RA, miR124-3, KCNQ2, EFNB1, OCA2, MFAP2, RPH3AL, WDR60, CST9L, EP400, A2ML1, NT5DC2, FAM163A and SPSB2) were found to be differently methylated, either in BPD compared with MDD or in relation to the severity of childhood maltreatment. A highly relevant biological result was observed for cg04927004 close to miR124-3 that was significantly associated with BPD and severity of childhood maltreatment. miR124-3 codes for a microRNA (miRNA) targeting several genes previously found to be associated with BPD such as NR3C1. Our results highlight the potentially important role played by miRNAs in the etiology of neuropsychiatric disorders such as BPD and the usefulness of using methylome-wide association studies to uncover such candidate genes. Moreover, they offer new understanding of the impact of maltreatments on biological processes leading to diseases and may ultimately result in the identification of relevant biomarkers.
Collapse
Affiliation(s)
- J Prados
- Department of Psychiatry, University of Geneva, Switzerland
| | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | |
Collapse
|
155
|
Dias BG, Maddox S, Klengel T, Ressler KJ. Epigenetic mechanisms underlying learning and the inheritance of learned behaviors. Trends Neurosci 2014; 38:96-107. [PMID: 25544352 DOI: 10.1016/j.tins.2014.12.003] [Citation(s) in RCA: 72] [Impact Index Per Article: 7.2] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 09/02/2014] [Revised: 11/22/2014] [Accepted: 12/01/2014] [Indexed: 01/17/2023]
Abstract
Gene expression and regulation is an important sculptor of the behavior of organisms. Epigenetic mechanisms regulate gene expression not by altering the genetic alphabet but rather by the addition of chemical modifications to proteins associated with the alphabet or of methyl marks to the alphabet itself. Being dynamic, epigenetic mechanisms of gene regulation serve as an important bridge between environmental stimuli and genotype. In this review, we outline epigenetic mechanisms by which gene expression is regulated in animals and humans. Using fear learning as a framework, we then delineate how such mechanisms underlie learning and stress responsiveness. Finally, we discuss how epigenetic mechanisms might inform us about the transgenerational inheritance of behavioral traits that are being increasingly reported.
Collapse
Affiliation(s)
- Brian G Dias
- Department of Psychiatry and Behavioral Sciences, Emory University School of Medicine, Atlanta, GA.,Center for Behavioral Neuroscience, Yerkes National Primate Research Center, Atlanta, GA.,Howard Hughes Medical Institute, Bethesda, MD
| | - Stephanie Maddox
- Department of Psychiatry and Behavioral Sciences, Emory University School of Medicine, Atlanta, GA.,Center for Behavioral Neuroscience, Yerkes National Primate Research Center, Atlanta, GA
| | - Torsten Klengel
- Department of Psychiatry and Behavioral Sciences, Emory University School of Medicine, Atlanta, GA.,Center for Behavioral Neuroscience, Yerkes National Primate Research Center, Atlanta, GA
| | - Kerry J Ressler
- Department of Psychiatry and Behavioral Sciences, Emory University School of Medicine, Atlanta, GA.,Center for Behavioral Neuroscience, Yerkes National Primate Research Center, Atlanta, GA.,Howard Hughes Medical Institute, Bethesda, MD
| |
Collapse
|
156
|
Progress towards understanding the genetics of posttraumatic stress disorder. J Anxiety Disord 2014; 28:873-83. [PMID: 25445077 DOI: 10.1016/j.janxdis.2014.09.014] [Citation(s) in RCA: 42] [Impact Index Per Article: 4.2] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Submit a Manuscript] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 07/14/2014] [Accepted: 09/16/2014] [Indexed: 01/12/2023]
Abstract
Posttraumatic stress disorder (PTSD) is a complex syndrome that occurs following exposure to a potentially life threatening traumatic event. This review summarises the literature on the genetics of PTSD including gene-environment interactions (GxE), epigenetics and genetics of treatment response. Numerous genes have been shown to be associated with PTSD using candidate gene approaches. Genome-wide association studies have been limited due to the large sample size required to reach statistical power. Studies have shown that GxE interactions are important for PTSD susceptibility. Epigenetics plays an important role in PTSD susceptibility and some of the most promising studies show stress and child abuse trigger epigenetic changes. Much of the molecular genetics of PTSD remains to be elucidated. However, it is clear that identifying genetic markers and environmental triggers has the potential to advance early PTSD diagnosis and therapeutic interventions and ultimately ease the personal and financial burden of this debilitating disorder.
Collapse
|
157
|
Daskalakis NP, Yehuda R. Site-specific methylation changes in the glucocorticoid receptor exon 1F promoter in relation to life adversity: systematic review of contributing factors. Front Neurosci 2014; 8:369. [PMID: 25484853 PMCID: PMC4240065 DOI: 10.3389/fnins.2014.00369] [Citation(s) in RCA: 69] [Impact Index Per Article: 6.9] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 08/21/2014] [Accepted: 10/28/2014] [Indexed: 12/20/2022] Open
Abstract
There has been recent interest in epigenetics in psychiatry since it offers a means of understanding how stressful life experiences, in interaction with the genotype, result in epigenetic changes that result in altered gene expression, ultimately affecting the risk for mental disorders. Many studies focused on methylation of the glucocorticoid receptor exon 1F promoter following an initial observation that changes in this region could be modulated by the environment. This review examines all published studies that have attempted to measure methylation in this region using different techniques, several tissue types, populations at different behavioral state and stages of development. Methodological issues have been raised with the aim of attempting to understand methylation quantification and site of action. We propose that it is useful to examine whether methylation at specific sites within the promoter region may be particularly relevant to psychiatric vulnerability to stress-related outcomes.
Collapse
Affiliation(s)
- Nikolaos P Daskalakis
- Traumatic Stress Studies Division, Department of Psychiatry, Icahn School of Medicine at Mount Sinai New York, NY, USA ; Mental Health Patient Care Center, James J. Peters Veterans Affairs Medical Center Bronx, New York, NY, USA ; Laboratory of Molecular Neuropsychiatry, Department of Psychiatry, Icahn School of Medicine at Mount Sinai New York, NY, USA
| | - Rachel Yehuda
- Traumatic Stress Studies Division, Department of Psychiatry, Icahn School of Medicine at Mount Sinai New York, NY, USA ; Mental Health Patient Care Center, James J. Peters Veterans Affairs Medical Center Bronx, New York, NY, USA ; Department of Neuroscience, Icahn School of Medicine at Mount Sinai New York, NY, USA
| |
Collapse
|
158
|
Rampp C, Binder EB, Provençal N. Epigenetics in posttraumatic stress disorder. PROGRESS IN MOLECULAR BIOLOGY AND TRANSLATIONAL SCIENCE 2014; 128:29-50. [PMID: 25410540 DOI: 10.1016/b978-0-12-800977-2.00002-4] [Citation(s) in RCA: 21] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.1] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 12/14/2022]
Abstract
Reported exposure to traumatic event is relatively common within the general population (40-90%), but only a fraction of individuals will develop posttraumatic stress disorder (PTSD). Indeed, the lifetime prevalence of PTSD is estimated to range between 7% and 12%. The factors influencing risk or resilience to PTSD after exposure to traumatic events are likely both environmental, such as type, timing, and extent of trauma, and genetic. Recently, epigenetic mechanisms have been implicated in mediating altered risk for PTSD as they can reflect both genetic and environmental influences. In this chapter, we describe the accumulating evidences for epigenetic factors in PTSD highlighting the importance of sensitive periods as well as methodological aspects such as tissue availabilities for such studies. We describe studies using a candidate gene approach focusing mainly on key players in the stress hormone regulation that show epigenetic alterations both in humans and in animal models for PTSD. We also summarize the results of epigenome-wide studies reporting associations with PTSD. For the above, we focus on one epigenetic mechanism, DNA methylation, as it is so far the best studied for this disorder. Finally, we describe how epigenetic mechanisms could be responsible for the long-lasting effects of gene-environment interactions observed in PTSD.
Collapse
Affiliation(s)
- Carina Rampp
- Department of Translational Research in Psychiatry, Max Planck Institute of Psychiatry, Munich, Germany
| | - Elisabeth B Binder
- Department of Translational Research in Psychiatry, Max Planck Institute of Psychiatry, Munich, Germany; Department of Psychiatry and Behavioral Sciences, Emory University School of Medicine, Atlanta, Georgia, USA
| | - Nadine Provençal
- Department of Translational Research in Psychiatry, Max Planck Institute of Psychiatry, Munich, Germany
| |
Collapse
|