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Volk DW, Lewis DA. Early developmental disturbances of cortical inhibitory neurons: contribution to cognitive deficits in schizophrenia. Schizophr Bull 2014; 40:952-7. [PMID: 25053651 PMCID: PMC4133685 DOI: 10.1093/schbul/sbu111] [Citation(s) in RCA: 76] [Impact Index Per Article: 7.6] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Submit a Manuscript] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 12/26/2022]
Abstract
Cognitive dysfunction is a disabling and core feature of schizophrenia. Cognitive impairments have been linked to disturbances in inhibitory (gamma-aminobutyric acid [GABA]) neurons in the prefrontal cortex. Cognitive deficits are present well before the onset of psychotic symptoms and have been detected in early childhood with developmental delays reported during the first year of life. These data suggest that the pathogenetic process that produces dysfunction of prefrontal GABA neurons in schizophrenia may be related to altered prenatal development. Interestingly, adult postmortem schizophrenia brain tissue studies have provided evidence consistent with a disease process that affects different stages of prenatal development of specific subpopulations of prefrontal GABA neurons. Prenatal ontogeny (ie, birth, proliferation, migration, and phenotypic specification) of distinct subpopulations of cortical GABA neurons is differentially regulated by a host of transcription factors, chemokine receptors, and other molecular markers. In this review article, we propose a strategy to investigate how alterations in the expression of these developmental regulators of subpopulations of cortical GABA neurons may contribute to the pathogenesis of cortical GABA neuron dysfunction and consequently cognitive impairments in schizophrenia.
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Affiliation(s)
- David W. Volk
- Department of Psychiatry, University of Pittsburgh, Pittsburgh, PA;,*To whom correspondence should be addressed; Department of Psychiatry, University of Pittsburgh, W1655 BST, 3811 O’Hara Street, Pittsburgh, PA 15213, US; tel: 412-648-9617, fax: 412-624-9910, e-mail:
| | - David A. Lewis
- Department of Psychiatry, University of Pittsburgh, Pittsburgh, PA;,Department of Neuroscience, University of Pittsburgh, Pittsburgh, PA
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252
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Agarwal A, Zhang M, Trembak-Duff I, Unterbarnscheidt T, Radyushkin K, Dibaj P, Martins de Souza D, Boretius S, Brzózka MM, Steffens H, Berning S, Teng Z, Gummert MN, Tantra M, Guest PC, Willig KI, Frahm J, Hell SW, Bahn S, Rossner MJ, Nave KA, Ehrenreich H, Zhang W, Schwab MH. Dysregulated expression of neuregulin-1 by cortical pyramidal neurons disrupts synaptic plasticity. Cell Rep 2014; 8:1130-45. [PMID: 25131210 DOI: 10.1016/j.celrep.2014.07.026] [Citation(s) in RCA: 63] [Impact Index Per Article: 6.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 11/25/2013] [Revised: 04/04/2014] [Accepted: 07/16/2014] [Indexed: 12/17/2022] Open
Abstract
Neuregulin-1 (NRG1) gene variants are associated with increased genetic risk for schizophrenia. It is unclear whether risk haplotypes cause elevated or decreased expression of NRG1 in the brains of schizophrenia patients, given that both findings have been reported from autopsy studies. To study NRG1 functions in vivo, we generated mouse mutants with reduced and elevated NRG1 levels and analyzed the impact on cortical functions. Loss of NRG1 from cortical projection neurons resulted in increased inhibitory neurotransmission, reduced synaptic plasticity, and hypoactivity. Neuronal overexpression of cysteine-rich domain (CRD)-NRG1, the major brain isoform, caused unbalanced excitatory-inhibitory neurotransmission, reduced synaptic plasticity, abnormal spine growth, altered steady-state levels of synaptic plasticity-related proteins, and impaired sensorimotor gating. We conclude that an "optimal" level of NRG1 signaling balances excitatory and inhibitory neurotransmission in the cortex. Our data provide a potential pathomechanism for impaired synaptic plasticity and suggest that human NRG1 risk haplotypes exert a gain-of-function effect.
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Affiliation(s)
- Amit Agarwal
- Department of Neurogenetics, Max Planck Institute of Experimental Medicine, 37075 Göttingen, Germany; Solomon H. Snyder Department of Neuroscience, Johns Hopkins University, Baltimore, MD 21025, USA
| | - Mingyue Zhang
- Laboratory of Molecular Psychiatry, Department of Psychiatry, University of Münster, 48149 Muenster Germany
| | - Irina Trembak-Duff
- Laboratory of Molecular Psychiatry, Department of Psychiatry, University of Münster, 48149 Muenster Germany
| | - Tilmann Unterbarnscheidt
- Department of Neurogenetics, Max Planck Institute of Experimental Medicine, 37075 Göttingen, Germany
| | - Konstantin Radyushkin
- Clinical Neuroscience, Max Planck Institute of Experimental Medicine, 37075 Göttingen, Germany
| | - Payam Dibaj
- Department of Neurogenetics, Max Planck Institute of Experimental Medicine, 37075 Göttingen, Germany
| | | | - Susann Boretius
- Biomedizinische NMR Forschungs GmbH, Max Planck Institute of Biophysical Chemistry, 37077 Göttingen, Germany
| | - Magdalena M Brzózka
- Department of Neurogenetics, Max Planck Institute of Experimental Medicine, 37075 Göttingen, Germany
| | - Heinz Steffens
- Department of NanoBiophotonics, Max Planck Institute for Biophysical Chemistry, 37077 Göttingen, Germany
| | - Sebastian Berning
- Department of NanoBiophotonics, Max Planck Institute for Biophysical Chemistry, 37077 Göttingen, Germany
| | - Zenghui Teng
- Laboratory of Molecular Psychiatry, Department of Psychiatry, University of Münster, 48149 Muenster Germany
| | - Maike N Gummert
- Department of Neurogenetics, Max Planck Institute of Experimental Medicine, 37075 Göttingen, Germany
| | - Martesa Tantra
- Clinical Neuroscience, Max Planck Institute of Experimental Medicine, 37075 Göttingen, Germany
| | - Peter C Guest
- Institute of Biotechnology, University of Cambridge, Cambridge CB2 1QT, UK
| | - Katrin I Willig
- Department of NanoBiophotonics, Max Planck Institute for Biophysical Chemistry, 37077 Göttingen, Germany
| | - Jens Frahm
- Biomedizinische NMR Forschungs GmbH, Max Planck Institute of Biophysical Chemistry, 37077 Göttingen, Germany
| | - Stefan W Hell
- Department of NanoBiophotonics, Max Planck Institute for Biophysical Chemistry, 37077 Göttingen, Germany
| | - Sabine Bahn
- Institute of Biotechnology, University of Cambridge, Cambridge CB2 1QT, UK
| | - Moritz J Rossner
- Department of Neurogenetics, Max Planck Institute of Experimental Medicine, 37075 Göttingen, Germany
| | - Klaus-Armin Nave
- Department of Neurogenetics, Max Planck Institute of Experimental Medicine, 37075 Göttingen, Germany
| | - Hannelore Ehrenreich
- Clinical Neuroscience, Max Planck Institute of Experimental Medicine, 37075 Göttingen, Germany
| | - Weiqi Zhang
- Laboratory of Molecular Psychiatry, Department of Psychiatry, University of Münster, 48149 Muenster Germany.
| | - Markus H Schwab
- Department of Neurogenetics, Max Planck Institute of Experimental Medicine, 37075 Göttingen, Germany.
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253
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Li XM, Su F, Ji MH, Zhang GF, Qiu LL, Jia M, Gao J, Xie Z, Yang JJ. Disruption of hippocampal neuregulin 1-ErbB4 signaling contributes to the hippocampus-dependent cognitive impairment induced by isoflurane in aged mice. Anesthesiology 2014; 121:79-88. [PMID: 24589481 DOI: 10.1097/aln.0000000000000191] [Citation(s) in RCA: 43] [Impact Index Per Article: 4.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 02/06/2023]
Abstract
BACKGROUND A prolonged isoflurane exposure may lead to cognitive decline in rodents. Neuregulin 1 (NRG1)-ErbB4 signaling plays a key role in the modulation of hippocampal synaptic plasticity through regulating the neurotransmission. The authors hypothesized that hippocampal NRG1-ErbB4 signaling is involved in isoflurane-induced cognitive impairments in aged mice. METHODS Fourteen-month-old C57BL/6 mice were randomized to receive 100% O2 exposure, vehicle injection after 100% O2 exposure, vehicle injection after exposure to isoflurane carried by 100% O2, NRG1-β1 injection after exposure to isoflurane carried by 100% O2, and NRG1-β1 and an ErbB4 inhibitor AG1478 injection after exposure to isoflurane carried by 100% O2. Fear conditioning test was used to assess the cognitive function of mice 48-h postexposure. The brain tissues were harvested 48-h postexposure to determine the levels of NRG1, ErbB4, p-ErbB4, parvalbumin, and glutamic acid decarboxylase 67 in the hippocampus using Western blotting, enzyme-linked immunosorbent assay, and immunofluorescence. RESULTS The percentage of freezing time to context was decreased from 50.28 ± 11.53% to 30.82 ± 10.00%, and the hippocampal levels of NRG1, p-ErbB4/ErbB4, parvalbumin, and glutamic acid decarboxylase 67 were decreased from 172.79 ± 20.85 ng/g, 69.15 ± 12.20%, 101.68 ± 11.21%, and 104.71 ± 6.85% to 112.92 ± 16.65 ng/g, 42.26 ± 9.71%, 75.89 ± 10.26%, and 73.87 ± 16.89%, respectively, after isoflurane exposure. NRG1-β1 attenuated the isoflurane-induced hippocampus-dependent cognitive impairment and the declines in the hippocampal NRG1, p-ErbB4/ErbB4, parvalbumin, and glutamic acid decarboxylase 67. AG1478 inhibited the rescuing effects of NRG1-β1. CONCLUSION Disruption of NRG1-ErbB4 signaling in the parvalbumin-positive interneurons might, at least partially, contribute to the isoflurane-induced hippocampus-dependent cognitive impairment after exposure to isoflurane carried by 100% O2 in aged mice.
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Affiliation(s)
- Xiao-Min Li
- From the Department of Anesthesiology, Jinling Hospital, School of Medicine, Nanjing University, Nanjing, China (X.-M.L., M.-H.J., G.-F.Z., L.-L.Q., M.J., J.-J.Y.); Department of Anesthesiology, Affiliate Hospital, Shandong Medical University of Traditional Chinese Medicine, Jinan, China (F.S.); Departments of Neurobiology and Pharmacology, Key Laboratory for Neurodegenerative Disease of Jiangsu Province, Nanjing Medical University, Nanjing, China (J.G.); and Geriatric Anesthesia Research Unit, Department of Anesthesia, Critical Care, and Pain Medicine, Massachusetts General Hospital and Harvard Medical School, Charlestown, Massachusetts (Z.X.)
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254
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Hu H, Gan J, Jonas P. Interneurons. Fast-spiking, parvalbumin⁺ GABAergic interneurons: from cellular design to microcircuit function. Science 2014; 345:1255263. [PMID: 25082707 DOI: 10.1126/science.1255263] [Citation(s) in RCA: 748] [Impact Index Per Article: 74.8] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 12/12/2022]
Abstract
The success story of fast-spiking, parvalbumin-positive (PV(+)) GABAergic interneurons (GABA, γ-aminobutyric acid) in the mammalian central nervous system is noteworthy. In 1995, the properties of these interneurons were completely unknown. Twenty years later, thanks to the massive use of subcellular patch-clamp techniques, simultaneous multiple-cell recording, optogenetics, in vivo measurements, and computational approaches, our knowledge about PV(+) interneurons became more extensive than for several types of pyramidal neurons. These findings have implications beyond the "small world" of basic research on GABAergic cells. For example, the results provide a first proof of principle that neuroscientists might be able to close the gaps between the molecular, cellular, network, and behavioral levels, representing one of the main challenges at the present time. Furthermore, the results may form the basis for PV(+) interneurons as therapeutic targets for brain disease in the future. However, much needs to be learned about the basic function of these interneurons before clinical neuroscientists will be able to use PV(+) interneurons for therapeutic purposes.
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Affiliation(s)
- Hua Hu
- IST Austria (Institute of Science and Technology Austria), Am Campus 1, A-3400 Klosterneuburg, Austria
| | - Jian Gan
- IST Austria (Institute of Science and Technology Austria), Am Campus 1, A-3400 Klosterneuburg, Austria
| | - Peter Jonas
- IST Austria (Institute of Science and Technology Austria), Am Campus 1, A-3400 Klosterneuburg, Austria.
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255
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Spiegel I, Mardinly AR, Gabel HW, Bazinet JE, Couch CH, Tzeng CP, Harmin DA, Greenberg ME. Npas4 regulates excitatory-inhibitory balance within neural circuits through cell-type-specific gene programs. Cell 2014; 157:1216-29. [PMID: 24855953 DOI: 10.1016/j.cell.2014.03.058] [Citation(s) in RCA: 273] [Impact Index Per Article: 27.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 03/04/2013] [Revised: 01/13/2014] [Accepted: 03/20/2014] [Indexed: 01/07/2023]
Abstract
The nervous system adapts to experience by inducing a transcriptional program that controls important aspects of synaptic plasticity. Although the molecular mechanisms of experience-dependent plasticity are well characterized in excitatory neurons, the mechanisms that regulate this process in inhibitory neurons are only poorly understood. Here, we describe a transcriptional program that is induced by neuronal activity in inhibitory neurons. We find that, while neuronal activity induces expression of early-response transcription factors such as Npas4 in both excitatory and inhibitory neurons, Npas4 activates distinct programs of late-response genes in inhibitory and excitatory neurons. These late-response genes differentially regulate synaptic input to these two types of neurons, promoting inhibition onto excitatory neurons while inducing excitation onto inhibitory neurons. These findings suggest that the functional outcomes of activity-induced transcriptional responses are adapted in a cell-type-specific manner to achieve a circuit-wide homeostatic response.
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Affiliation(s)
- Ivo Spiegel
- Department of Neurobiology, Harvard Medical School, 220 Longwood Avenue, Boston, MA 02115, USA
| | - Alan R Mardinly
- Department of Neurobiology, Harvard Medical School, 220 Longwood Avenue, Boston, MA 02115, USA; Program in Neuroscience, Harvard Medical School, 220 Longwood Avenue, Boston, MA 02115, USA
| | - Harrison W Gabel
- Department of Neurobiology, Harvard Medical School, 220 Longwood Avenue, Boston, MA 02115, USA
| | - Jeremy E Bazinet
- Department of Neurobiology, Harvard Medical School, 220 Longwood Avenue, Boston, MA 02115, USA
| | - Cameron H Couch
- Department of Neurobiology, Harvard Medical School, 220 Longwood Avenue, Boston, MA 02115, USA
| | - Christopher P Tzeng
- Department of Neurobiology, Harvard Medical School, 220 Longwood Avenue, Boston, MA 02115, USA; Program in Neuroscience, Harvard Medical School, 220 Longwood Avenue, Boston, MA 02115, USA
| | - David A Harmin
- Department of Neurobiology, Harvard Medical School, 220 Longwood Avenue, Boston, MA 02115, USA
| | - Michael E Greenberg
- Department of Neurobiology, Harvard Medical School, 220 Longwood Avenue, Boston, MA 02115, USA.
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256
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Fazzari P, Snellinx A, Sabanov V, Ahmed T, Serneels L, Gartner A, Shariati SAM, Balschun D, De Strooper B. Cell autonomous regulation of hippocampal circuitry via Aph1b-γ-secretase/neuregulin 1 signalling. eLife 2014; 3. [PMID: 24891237 PMCID: PMC4073283 DOI: 10.7554/elife.02196] [Citation(s) in RCA: 19] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.9] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 01/02/2014] [Accepted: 05/29/2014] [Indexed: 12/27/2022] Open
Abstract
Neuregulin 1 (NRG1) and the γ-secretase subunit APH1B have been previously implicated as genetic risk factors for schizophrenia and schizophrenia relevant deficits have been observed in rodent models with loss of function mutations in either gene. Here we show that the Aph1b-γ-secretase is selectively involved in Nrg1 intracellular signalling. We found that Aph1b-deficient mice display a decrease in excitatory synaptic markers. Electrophysiological recordings show that Aph1b is required for excitatory synaptic transmission and plasticity. Furthermore, gain and loss of function and genetic rescue experiments indicate that Nrg1 intracellular signalling promotes dendritic spine formation downstream of Aph1b-γ-secretase in vitro and in vivo. In conclusion, our study sheds light on the physiological role of Aph1b-γ-secretase in brain and provides a new mechanistic perspective on the relevance of NRG1 processing in schizophrenia. DOI:http://dx.doi.org/10.7554/eLife.02196.001 Schizophrenia affects around 1% of the world's population, with symptoms including hallucinations and delusions, apathy and cognitive impairments. Multiple genes and environmental factors interact to increase the risk of schizophrenia, making the causes of the disease—which can differ between individuals—difficult to disentangle. However, Schizophrenia is known to be associated with a reduction in the number of dendritic spines, the small protrusions that allow brain cells to receive inputs from other brain cells. One gene that has repeatedly been implicated in schizophrenia is neuregulin 1 (NRG1), which encodes a signalling protein with more than thirty different variants. One of these variants, type III NRG1, is located on the cell membrane. An enzyme called γ-secretase can cleave the 'tail' of this protein, which means that the tail becomes free to move to the nucleus of the cell, where it can alter the expression of genes. Fazzari et al. have now studied how different γ-secretases interact with type III NRG1 by using genetic techniques to remove a specific part of the enzymes in the brains of mice. The brain cells of these mutant mice contained fewer dendritic spines than mice with normal γ-secretases. However, the number of dendritic spines in the mutant mice could be restored by introducing γ-secretase. These results are consistent with a model in which mutations that remove the ability of γ-secretases to cleave NRG1 lead to some of the structural and functional changes in the brain that are associated with schizophrenia. An improved understanding of the properties of the various γ-secretases could also lead to the design of safer versions of drugs called γ-secretase modulators that are used to treat Alzheimer's disease. DOI:http://dx.doi.org/10.7554/eLife.02196.002
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Affiliation(s)
- Pietro Fazzari
- VIB Center for the Biology of Disease, KU Leuven, Leuven, Belgium
| | - An Snellinx
- VIB Center for the Biology of Disease, KU Leuven, Leuven, Belgium
| | - Victor Sabanov
- Laboratory of Biological Psychology, KU Leuven, Leuven, Belgium
| | - Tariq Ahmed
- Laboratory of Biological Psychology, KU Leuven, Leuven, Belgium
| | | | - Annette Gartner
- VIB Center for the Biology of Disease, KU Leuven, Leuven, Belgium
| | - S Ali M Shariati
- VIB Center for the Biology of Disease, KU Leuven, Leuven, Belgium
| | - Detlef Balschun
- Laboratory of Biological Psychology, KU Leuven, Leuven, Belgium
| | - Bart De Strooper
- VIB Center for the Biology of Disease, KU Leuven, Leuven, Belgium
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257
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Joshi D, Fullerton JM, Weickert CS. Elevated ErbB4 mRNA is related to interneuron deficit in prefrontal cortex in schizophrenia. J Psychiatr Res 2014; 53:125-32. [PMID: 24636039 DOI: 10.1016/j.jpsychires.2014.02.014] [Citation(s) in RCA: 51] [Impact Index Per Article: 5.1] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Submit a Manuscript] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 10/24/2013] [Revised: 02/17/2014] [Accepted: 02/17/2014] [Indexed: 12/18/2022]
Abstract
Neuregulin 1 and its receptor ErbB4 are confirmed risk genes for schizophrenia, but the neuropathological alterations in NRG1-ErbB4 in schizophrenia are unclear. The present investigations therefore focused on determining lamina specific (ErbB4-pan) and quantitative (pan, JMa, JMb, CYT1 and CYT2) ErbB4 mRNA changes in the dorsolateral prefrontal cortex (DLPFC) in schizophrenia. We also determined which neuronal profiles are ErbB4 mRNA+ in the human DLPFC and the relationship between ErbB4 and interneuron marker mRNAs. In situ hybridisation and quantitative PCR measurements were performed to determine changes in ErbB4 splice variant mRNA levels in the DLPFC in schizophrenia (n = 37) compared to control (n = 37) subjects. Cortical neurons expressing ErbB4-pan were labelled with silver grain clusters. Correlations were performed between ErbB4 and interneuron mRNA levels. ErbB4-pan mRNA was significantly increased (layers I, II and V) in the DLPFC in schizophrenia. Silver grain clusters for ErbB4-pan were detected predominantly over small-medium neurons with low-no expression in the larger, paler, more triangular neuronal profiles. ErbB4-JMa mRNA expression was increased in schizophrenia. Somatostatin, neuropeptide Y and vasoactive intestinal peptide mRNAs negatively correlated with ErbB4-JMa mRNA in people with schizophrenia. Our findings demonstrate that ErbB4-pan laminar mRNA expression is elevated (layers I, II, V) in schizophrenia. At the cellular level, ErbB4-pan mRNA+ signal was detected predominantly in interneuron-like neurons. We provide evidence from this independent Australian postmortem cohort that ErbB4-JMa expression is elevated in schizophrenia and is linked to deficits in dendrite-targeting somatostatin, neuropeptide Y and vasoactive intestinal peptide interneurons.
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Affiliation(s)
- Dipesh Joshi
- Schizophrenia Research Institute, Liverpool St, Darlinghurst, NSW 2011, Australia; Neuroscience Research Australia, Barker St, Randwick, NSW 2031, Australia; School of Psychiatry, Faculty of Medicine, University of New South Wales, Sydney, NSW 2052, Australia
| | - Janice M Fullerton
- Schizophrenia Research Institute, Liverpool St, Darlinghurst, NSW 2011, Australia; Neuroscience Research Australia, Barker St, Randwick, NSW 2031, Australia; School of Medical Sciences, Faculty of Medicine, University of New South Wales, Sydney, NSW 2052, Australia
| | - Cynthia Shannon Weickert
- Schizophrenia Research Institute, Liverpool St, Darlinghurst, NSW 2011, Australia; Neuroscience Research Australia, Barker St, Randwick, NSW 2031, Australia; School of Psychiatry, Faculty of Medicine, University of New South Wales, Sydney, NSW 2052, Australia.
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258
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Prenatal stress and inhibitory neuron systems: implications for neuropsychiatric disorders. Mol Psychiatry 2014; 19:641-51. [PMID: 24751963 PMCID: PMC4031286 DOI: 10.1038/mp.2014.35] [Citation(s) in RCA: 72] [Impact Index Per Article: 7.2] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Journal Information] [Submit a Manuscript] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 08/07/2013] [Revised: 03/03/2014] [Accepted: 03/10/2014] [Indexed: 01/09/2023]
Abstract
Prenatal stress is a risk factor for several psychiatric disorders in which inhibitory neuron pathology is implicated. A growing body of research demonstrates that inhibitory circuitry in the brain is directly and persistently affected by prenatal stress. This review synthesizes research that explores how this early developmental risk factor impacts inhibitory neurons and how these findings intersect with research on risk factors and inhibitory neuron pathophysiology in schizophrenia, anxiety, autism and Tourette syndrome. The specific impact of prenatal stress on inhibitory neurons, particularly developmental mechanisms, may elucidate further the pathophysiology of these disorders.
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259
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Neuropathologic implication of peripheral neuregulin-1 and EGF signals in dopaminergic dysfunction and behavioral deficits relevant to schizophrenia: their target cells and time window. BIOMED RESEARCH INTERNATIONAL 2014; 2014:697935. [PMID: 24949465 PMCID: PMC4052624 DOI: 10.1155/2014/697935] [Citation(s) in RCA: 22] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.2] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 02/01/2014] [Accepted: 04/10/2014] [Indexed: 01/01/2023]
Abstract
Neuregulin-1 and epidermal growth factor (EGF) are implicated in the pathogenesis of schizophrenia. To test the developmental hypothesis for schizophrenia, we administered these factors to rodent pups, juveniles, and adults and characterized neurobiological and behavioral consequences. These factors were also provided from their transgenes or infused into the adult brain. Here we summarize previous results from these experiments and discuss those from neuropathological aspects. In the neonatal stage but not the juvenile and adult stages, subcutaneously injected factors penetrated the blood-brain barrier and acted on brain neurons, which later resulted in persistent behavioral and dopaminergic impairments associated with schizophrenia. Neonatally EGF-treated animals exhibited persistent hyperdopaminergic abnormalities in the nigro-pallido-striatal system while neuregulin-1 treatment resulted in dopaminergic deficits in the corticolimbic dopamine system. Effects on GABAergic and glutamatergic systems were transient or limited. Even in the adult stage, intracerebral administration and transgenic expression of these factors produced similar but not identical behavioral impairments, although the effects of intracerebral administration were reversible. These findings suggest that dopaminergic development is highly vulnerable to circulating ErbB ligands in the pre- and perinatal stages. Once maldevelopment of the dopaminergic system is established during early development, dopamine-associating behavioral deficits become irreversible and manifest at postpubertal stages.
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260
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Genetic evidence for the adhesion protein IgSF9/Dasm1 to regulate inhibitory synapse development independent of its intracellular domain. J Neurosci 2014; 34:4187-99. [PMID: 24647940 DOI: 10.1523/jneurosci.3671-13.2014] [Citation(s) in RCA: 21] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.1] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/21/2022] Open
Abstract
Normal brain function requires balanced development of excitatory and inhibitory synapses. An imbalance in synaptic transmission underlies many brain disorders such as epilepsy, schizophrenia, and autism. Compared with excitatory synapses, relatively little is known about the molecular control of inhibitory synapse development. We used a genetic approach in mice to identify the Ig superfamily member IgSF9/Dasm1 as a candidate homophilic synaptic adhesion protein that regulates inhibitory synapse development. IgSF9 is expressed in pyramidal cells and subsets of interneurons in the CA1 region of hippocampus. Electrophysiological recordings of acute hippocampal slices revealed that genetic inactivation of the IgSF9 gene resulted in fewer functional inhibitory synapses; however, the strength of the remaining synapses was unaltered. These physiological abnormalities were correlated with decreased expression of inhibitory synapse markers in IgSF9(-/-) mice, providing anatomical evidence for a reduction in inhibitory synapse numbers, whereas excitatory synapse development was normal. Surprisingly, knock-in mice expressing a mutant isoform of IgSF9 lacking the entire cytoplasmic domain (IgSF9(ΔC/ΔC) mice) had no defects in inhibitory synapse development, providing genetic evidence that IgSF9 regulates synapse development via ectodomain interactions rather than acting itself as a signaling receptor. Further, we found that IgSF9 mediated homotypic binding and cell aggregation, but failed to induce synapse formation, suggesting that IgSF9 acts as a cell adhesion molecule (CAM) to maintain synapses. Juvenile IgSF9(-/-) mice exhibited increased seizure susceptibility indicative of an imbalance in synaptic excitation and inhibition. These results provide genetic evidence for a specific role of IgSF9 in inhibitory synapse development/maintenance, presumably by its CAM-like activity.
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261
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Cooper MA, Koleske AJ. Ablation of ErbB4 from excitatory neurons leads to reduced dendritic spine density in mouse prefrontal cortex. J Comp Neurol 2014; 522:3351-62. [PMID: 24752666 DOI: 10.1002/cne.23615] [Citation(s) in RCA: 21] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.1] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 01/22/2014] [Revised: 04/16/2014] [Accepted: 04/16/2014] [Indexed: 12/18/2022]
Abstract
Dendritic spine loss is observed in many psychiatric disorders, including schizophrenia, and likely contributes to the altered sense of reality, disruption of working memory, and attention deficits that characterize these disorders. ErbB4, a member of the EGF family of receptor tyrosine kinases, is genetically associated with schizophrenia, suggesting that alterations in ErbB4 function contribute to the disease pathology. Additionally, ErbB4 functions in synaptic plasticity, leading us to hypothesize that disruption of ErbB4 signaling may affect dendritic spine development. We show that dendritic spine density is reduced in the dorsomedial prefrontal cortex of ErbB4 conditional whole-brain knockout mice. We find that ErbB4 localizes to dendritic spines of excitatory neurons in cortical neuronal cultures and is present in synaptic plasma membrane preparations. Finally, we demonstrate that selective ablation of ErbB4 from excitatory neurons leads to a decrease in the proportion of mature spines and an overall reduction in dendritic spine density in the prefrontal cortex of weanling (P21) mice that persists at 2 months of age. These results suggest that ErbB4 signaling in excitatory pyramidal cells is critical for the proper formation and maintenance of dendritic spines in excitatory pyramidal cells.
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Affiliation(s)
- Margaret A Cooper
- Department of Molecular Biophysics and Biochemistry, Yale University, New Haven, Connecticut
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262
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Pei JC, Liu CM, Lai WS. Distinct phenotypes of new transmembrane-domain neuregulin 1 mutant mice and the rescue effects of valproate on the observed schizophrenia-related cognitive deficits. Front Behav Neurosci 2014; 8:126. [PMID: 24782733 PMCID: PMC3995064 DOI: 10.3389/fnbeh.2014.00126] [Citation(s) in RCA: 18] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.8] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 12/13/2013] [Accepted: 03/26/2014] [Indexed: 11/13/2022] Open
Abstract
Accumulating evidence suggests that neuregulin 1 (NRG1) might be involved in the neurodevelopment, neural plasticity, GABAergic neurotransmission, and pathogenesis of schizophrenia. NRG1 is abundantly expressed in the hippocampus, and emerging studies have begun to reveal the link between NRG1 signaling and cognitive deficits in schizophrenic patients. Because the transmembrane domain of NRG1 is vital for both forward and reverse signaling cascades, new Nrg1-deficient mice that carry a truncation of the transmembrane domain of the Nrg1 gene were characterized and used in this study to test a NRG1 loss-of-function hypothesis for schizophrenia. Both male and female Nrg1 heterozygous mutant mice and their wild-type littermates were used in a series of 4 experiments to characterize the impact of Nrg1 on behavioral phenotypes and to determine the importance of Nrg1 in the regulation of hippocampal neuromorphology and local GABAergic interneurons. First, a comprehensive battery of behavioral tasks indicated that male Nrg1-deficient mice exhibited significant impairments in cognitive functions. Second, pharmacological challenges were conducted and revealed that Nrg1 haploinsufficiency altered GABAergic activity in males. Third, although no genotype-specific neuromorphological alterations were found in the hippocampal CA1 pyramidal neurons, significant reductions in the hippocampal expressions of GAD67 and parvalbumin were revealed in the Nrg1-deficient males. Fourth, chronic treatment with valproate rescued the observed behavioral deficits and hippocampal GAD67 reduction in Nrg1-deficient males. Collectively, these results indicate the potential therapeutic effect of valproate and the importance of Nrg1 in the regulation of cognitive functions and hippocampal GABAergic interneurons, especially in males.
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Affiliation(s)
- Ju-Chun Pei
- Laboratory of Integrated Neuroscience and Ethology, Department of Psychology, National Taiwan University Taipei, Taiwan
| | - Chih-Min Liu
- Department of Psychiatry, National Taiwan University Hospital Taipei, Taiwan
| | - Wen-Sung Lai
- Laboratory of Integrated Neuroscience and Ethology, Department of Psychology, National Taiwan University Taipei, Taiwan ; Graduate Institute of Brain and Mind Sciences, National Taiwan University Taipei, Taiwan ; Neurobiology and Cognitive Science Center, National Taiwan University Taipei, Taiwan
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263
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Wang N, Zhang GF, Liu XY, Sun HL, Wang XM, Qiu LL, Yang C, Yang JJ. Downregulation of neuregulin 1-ErbB4 signaling in parvalbumin interneurons in the rat brain may contribute to the antidepressant properties of ketamine. J Mol Neurosci 2014; 54:211-8. [PMID: 24633675 DOI: 10.1007/s12031-014-0277-8] [Citation(s) in RCA: 33] [Impact Index Per Article: 3.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 11/09/2013] [Accepted: 02/27/2014] [Indexed: 12/15/2022]
Abstract
Increasing evidence underscores the strong, rapid, and sustained antidepressant properties of ketamine with a good tolerability profile in patients with depression; however, the underlying mechanisms are not fully elucidated. Neuregulin 1 (NRG1) is a bipolar disorder susceptibility gene and a biomarker of major depressive disorder, which regulates pyramidal neuron activity via ErbB4 in parvalbumin interneurons. Moreover, NRG1-ErbB4 signaling is reported to play a key role in the modulation of synaptic plasticity through regulating the neurotransmission. We therefore hypothesized that hypofunction of NRG1-ErbB4 signaling in parvalbumin interneurons is involved in the process of ketamine exerting rapid antidepressant actions in rats subjected to the forced swimming test (FST). The results showed that ketamine reduced the immobility time and latency to feed of rats receiving the FST, downregulated the levels of NRG1, phosphorylated ErbB4 (p-ErbB4), parvalbumin, 67-kDA isoform of glutamic acid decarboxylase (GAD67), gamma-aminobutyric acid (GABA), and upregulated the levels of glutamate in the rat prefrontal cortex and hippocampus. Pretreatment with NRG1 abolished both ketamine's antidepressant effects and ketamine-induced reduction in p-ErbB4, parvalbumin, GAD67, and GABA levels and increase in glutamate levels. These results suggest that the downregulation of NRG1-ErbB4 signaling in parvalbumin interneurons in the rat brain may be a mechanism underlying ketamine's antidepressant properties.
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Affiliation(s)
- Nan Wang
- Department of Anesthesiology, Jinling Hospital, School of Medicine, Nanjing University, Nanjing, 210002, China
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264
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Development of GABA circuitry of fast-spiking basket interneurons in the medial prefrontal cortex of erbb4-mutant mice. J Neurosci 2014; 33:19724-33. [PMID: 24336736 DOI: 10.1523/jneurosci.1584-13.2013] [Citation(s) in RCA: 48] [Impact Index Per Article: 4.8] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 01/05/2023] Open
Abstract
erbb4 is a susceptibility gene for schizophrenia and ErbB4 signals have been hypothesized to function in a number of cortical developmental processes (Silberberg et al., 2006; Mei and Xiong, 2008). Several recent studies show that the expression of ErbB4 is mainly restricted to GABAergic interneurons (Yau et al., 2003; Woo et al., 2007), specifically, to parvalbumin-positive (PV) fast-spiking (FS) interneurons (Vullhorst et al., 2009; Fazzari et al., 2010), a large majority of which are PV FS basket cells (Kawaguchi, 1995; Taniguchi et al., 2013). However, in the medial prefrontal cortex (mPFC), a brain region that is closely associated with neuropsychiatric disorders including schizophrenia, little is known about the roles of ErbB4 signals during the development of GABAergic circuitry particularly that associated with PV FS basket cells. Here, using molecular genetics, biochemistry, and electrophysiology, we deleted ErbB4 receptors in GABAergic forebrain neurons during the embryonic period and demonstrated that in the mouse mPFC, ErbB4 signals were dispensable for the development of GABAergic synapses by PV FS basket cells. Interestingly, they were required for the final maturation rather than the initial formation of glutamatergic synapses on PV FS basket cells. Furthermore, activity-dependent GABAergic PV FS pyramidal neuron transmission was decreased, whereas activity of pyramidal neurons was increased in KO mice. Together, these data indicate that ErbB4 signals contribute to the development of GABAergic circuitry associated with FS basket cells in component- and stage-dependent manners in the mPFC in vivo, and may suggest a mechanism for neuropsychiatric disorders including schizophrenia.
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265
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Kovács T, Bánsági B, Kelemen O, Kéri S. Neuregulin 1-induced AKT and ERK phosphorylation in patients with fragile X syndrome (FXS) and intellectual disability associated with obstetric complications. J Mol Neurosci 2014; 54:119-24. [PMID: 24563264 DOI: 10.1007/s12031-014-0257-z] [Citation(s) in RCA: 5] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 12/01/2013] [Accepted: 02/05/2014] [Indexed: 12/16/2022]
Abstract
Animal models of fragile X syndrome (FXS) suggest the impairment of the intracellular AKT messenger system, which is activated by neuregulin 1 (NRG1), a key regulator of neurodevelopment. We investigated NRG1-induced activation of the AKT and extracellular signal-regulated kinase (ERK) systems by the measurement of the phosphorylated AKT/ERK to total AKT/ERK ratio in peripheral B lymphoblasts of patients with FXS, IQ-matched controls with intellectual disability (obstetric complications, preterm birth, perinatal hypoxia, and low birth weight), and typically developed healthy participants. Results revealed that patients with FXS displayed decreased AKT but normal ERK activation after the administration of NRG1. IQ-matched controls with intellectual disability displayed intact AKT/ERK activation. In conclusion, FXS, but not intellectual disability associated with obstetric complications, is associated with decreased NRG1-induced AKT phosphorylation.
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Affiliation(s)
- Tamás Kovács
- Nyírő Gyula Hospital-National Institute of Psychiatry and Addictions, Budapest, Hungary
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266
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Directed differentiation and functional maturation of cortical interneurons from human embryonic stem cells. Cell Stem Cell 2014; 12:559-72. [PMID: 23642365 DOI: 10.1016/j.stem.2013.04.008] [Citation(s) in RCA: 431] [Impact Index Per Article: 43.1] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 05/08/2012] [Revised: 03/02/2013] [Accepted: 04/12/2013] [Indexed: 12/16/2022]
Abstract
Human pluripotent stem cells are a powerful tool for modeling brain development and disease. The human cortex is composed of two major neuronal populations: projection neurons and local interneurons. Cortical interneurons comprise a diverse class of cell types expressing the neurotransmitter GABA. Dysfunction of cortical interneurons has been implicated in neuropsychiatric diseases, including schizophrenia, autism, and epilepsy. Here, we demonstrate the highly efficient derivation of human cortical interneurons in an NKX2.1::GFP human embryonic stem cell reporter line. Manipulating the timing of SHH activation yields three distinct GFP+ populations with specific transcriptional profiles, neurotransmitter phenotypes, and migratory behaviors. Further differentiation in a murine cortical environment yields parvalbumin- and somatostatin-expressing neurons that exhibit synaptic inputs and electrophysiological properties of cortical interneurons. Our study defines the signals sufficient for modeling human ventral forebrain development in vitro and lays the foundation for studying cortical interneuron involvement in human disease pathology.
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267
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Nicholas CR, Chen J, Tang Y, Southwell DG, Chalmers N, Vogt D, Arnold CM, Chen YJJ, Stanley EG, Elefanty AG, Sasai Y, Alvarez-Buylla A, Rubenstein JLR, Kriegstein AR. Functional maturation of hPSC-derived forebrain interneurons requires an extended timeline and mimics human neural development. Cell Stem Cell 2014; 12:573-86. [PMID: 23642366 DOI: 10.1016/j.stem.2013.04.005] [Citation(s) in RCA: 393] [Impact Index Per Article: 39.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 09/21/2012] [Revised: 02/22/2013] [Accepted: 04/08/2013] [Indexed: 12/16/2022]
Abstract
Directed differentiation from human pluripotent stem cells (hPSCs) has seen significant progress in recent years. However, most differentiated populations exhibit immature properties of an early embryonic stage, raising concerns about their ability to model and treat disease. Here, we report the directed differentiation of hPSCs into medial ganglionic eminence (MGE)-like progenitors and their maturation into forebrain type interneurons. We find that early-stage progenitors progress via a radial glial-like stem cell enriched in the human fetal brain. Both in vitro and posttransplantation into the rodent cortex, the MGE-like cells develop into GABAergic interneuron subtypes with mature physiological properties along a prolonged intrinsic timeline of up to 7 months, mimicking endogenous human neural development. MGE-derived cortical interneuron deficiencies are implicated in a broad range of neurodevelopmental and degenerative disorders, highlighting the importance of these results for modeling human neural development and disease.
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Affiliation(s)
- Cory R Nicholas
- The Eli and Edythe Broad Center of Regeneration Medicine and Stem Cell Research, Department of Neurology, University of California, San Francisco, San Francisco, CA 94158, USA
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268
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Inan M, Anderson SA. The chandelier cell, form and function. Curr Opin Neurobiol 2014; 26:142-8. [PMID: 24556285 DOI: 10.1016/j.conb.2014.01.009] [Citation(s) in RCA: 52] [Impact Index Per Article: 5.2] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 10/09/2013] [Revised: 01/20/2014] [Accepted: 01/20/2014] [Indexed: 10/25/2022]
Abstract
Among γ-aminobutyric acid (GABA) interneurons, the chandelier cell (ChC) has captured the interest of neuroscientists for a very long time as a subtype not described by Ramon y Cajal. ChCs feature an axonal arborization that selectively innervates the axon initial segments of pyramidal cells. Recent studies involving transgenic mice have identified intriguing features of ChCs, including a remarkably specific spatial and temporal origins, their capacity to have either excitatory or inhibitory influences on pyramidal neurons, and their synaptic alterations in schizophrenia. This review explores these and other developmental and functional aspects of this fascinating cortical neuronal subtype.
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Affiliation(s)
- Melis Inan
- Weill Cornell Medical College, New York, NY, United States
| | - Stewart A Anderson
- Children's Hospital of Philadelphia/University of Pennsylvania, School of Medicine, Philadelphia, PA, United States.
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269
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A modular gain-of-function approach to generate cortical interneuron subtypes from ES cells. Neuron 2014; 80:1145-58. [PMID: 24314726 DOI: 10.1016/j.neuron.2013.09.022] [Citation(s) in RCA: 36] [Impact Index Per Article: 3.6] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Accepted: 09/11/2013] [Indexed: 01/18/2023]
Abstract
Whereas past work indicates that cortical interneurons (cINs) can be generically produced from stem cells, generating large numbers of specific subtypes of this population has remained elusive. This reflects an information gap in our understanding of the transcriptional programs required for different interneuron subtypes. Here, we have utilized the directed differentiation of stem cells into specific subpopulations of cortical interneurons as a means to identify some of these missing factors. To establish this approach, we utilized two factors known to be required for the generation of cINs, Nkx2-1 and Dlx2. As predicted, their regulated transient expression greatly improved the differentiation efficiency and specificity over baseline. We extended upon this "cIN-primed" model in order to establish a modular system whereby a third transcription factor could be systematically introduced. Using this approach, we identified Lmo3 and Pou3f4 as genes that can augment the differentiation and/or subtype specificity of cINs in vitro.
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270
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Abstract
The trophic factor neuregulin 1 (Nrg1) and its receptor ErbB4 are schizophrenia candidate genes. NRG1-ErbB4 signaling was thought to regulate spine formation and function in a cell-autonomous manner. Yet, recent studies indicate that ErbB4 expression is largely restricted to GABAergic interneurons and is very low or absent in pyramidal cells. Here, we generated and characterized cell type-specific ErbB4 mutant and transgenic mice. Spine density and the number of excitatory synapses were unaltered by neither deletion nor overexpression of ErbB4 in pyramidal neurons. However, spine density and excitatory synapse number were reduced in PV-ErbB4(-/-) mice where ErbB4 was selectively ablated in parvalbumin-positive GABAergic interneurons. Concurrently, basal glutamate transmission was impaired in PV-ErbB4(-/-) mice, but not in mice where ErbB4 was deleted or overexpressed in pyramidal neurons. Our results demonstrate a role of ErbB4 in PV-positive interneurons for spine formation in excitatory neurons.
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271
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Tai Y, Janas JA, Wang CL, Van Aelst L. Regulation of chandelier cell cartridge and bouton development via DOCK7-mediated ErbB4 activation. Cell Rep 2014; 6:254-63. [PMID: 24440718 DOI: 10.1016/j.celrep.2013.12.034] [Citation(s) in RCA: 38] [Impact Index Per Article: 3.8] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 08/15/2013] [Revised: 11/01/2013] [Accepted: 12/20/2013] [Indexed: 01/04/2023] Open
Abstract
Chandelier cells (ChCs), typified by their unique axonal morphology, are the most distinct interneurons present in cortical circuits. Via their distinctive axonal terminals, called cartridges, these cells selectively target the axon initial segment of pyramidal cells and control action potential initiation; however, the mechanisms that govern the characteristic ChC axonal structure have remained elusive. Here, by employing an in utero electroporation-based method that enables genetic labeling and manipulation of ChCs in vivo, we identify DOCK7, a member of the DOCK180 family, as a molecule essential for ChC cartridge and bouton development. Furthermore, we present evidence that DOCK7 functions as a cytoplasmic activator of the schizophrenia-associated ErbB4 receptor tyrosine kinase and that DOCK7 modulates ErbB4 activity to control ChC cartridge and bouton development. Thus, our findings define DOCK7 and ErbB4 as key components of a pathway that controls the morphological differentiation of ChCs, with implications for the pathogenesis of schizophrenia.
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Affiliation(s)
- Yilin Tai
- Cold Spring Harbor Laboratory, Cold Spring Harbor, NY 11724, USA
| | - Justyna A Janas
- Cold Spring Harbor Laboratory, Cold Spring Harbor, NY 11724, USA
| | - Chia-Lin Wang
- Cold Spring Harbor Laboratory, Cold Spring Harbor, NY 11724, USA
| | - Linda Van Aelst
- Cold Spring Harbor Laboratory, Cold Spring Harbor, NY 11724, USA.
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272
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Moran PM, O'Tuathaigh CM, Papaleo F, Waddington JL. Dopaminergic function in relation to genes associated with risk for schizophrenia. PROGRESS IN BRAIN RESEARCH 2014; 211:79-112. [DOI: 10.1016/b978-0-444-63425-2.00004-0] [Citation(s) in RCA: 17] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.7] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 02/07/2023]
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273
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Hou XJ, Ni KM, Yang JM, Li XM. Neuregulin 1/ErbB4 enhances synchronized oscillations of prefrontal cortex neurons via inhibitory synapses. Neuroscience 2013; 261:107-17. [PMID: 24374327 DOI: 10.1016/j.neuroscience.2013.12.040] [Citation(s) in RCA: 24] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.2] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 11/18/2013] [Revised: 12/18/2013] [Accepted: 12/18/2013] [Indexed: 01/31/2023]
Abstract
Both neuregulin 1 (NRG1) and its receptor ErbB4 are susceptibility genes for schizophrenia. Reduced synchronization of evoked oscillations in several cortical regions, especially in the prefrontal cortex, is associated with the core symptoms of schizophrenia. Recent studies have reported that NRG1 may affect the hippocampal oscillations. However, the role of NRG1/ErbB4 signaling in the synchronization of neurons in the prefrontal cortex is unclear. Here, we found that NRG1 enhanced the synchrony of pyramidal neurons via presynaptic interneurons. Meanwhile, NRG1 also increased the synchrony between pairs of fast-spiking interneurons and pairs of fast-spiking and non-fast-spiking interneurons in the prefrontal cortex, and this effect was mediated by ErbB4 receptors. Moreover, the NRG1-enhanced synchrony of interneurons was through their mutually-inhibitory synapses but not electrical coupling. Furthermore, kainate-induced gamma oscillations in vivo were enhanced by NRG1 and did not change in Dlx5/6-ErbB4(-/-) mice in which the ErbB4 receptors were specifically knocked out in interneurons of the frontal brain. Overall, our findings suggested that NRG1/ErbB4 signaling plays an important role in the synchronized oscillations of the whole network in the prefrontal cortex that are impaired in schizophrenia.
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Affiliation(s)
- X-J Hou
- Institute of Neuroscience, Department of Neurobiology, Key Laboratory of Medical Neurobiology of the Ministry of Health of China, Zhejiang Province Key Laboratory of Neurobiology, Zhejiang University School of Medicine, Hangzhou, Zhejiang 310058, China
| | - K-M Ni
- Institute of Neuroscience, Department of Neurobiology, Key Laboratory of Medical Neurobiology of the Ministry of Health of China, Zhejiang Province Key Laboratory of Neurobiology, Zhejiang University School of Medicine, Hangzhou, Zhejiang 310058, China
| | - J-M Yang
- Institute of Neuroscience, Department of Neurobiology, Key Laboratory of Medical Neurobiology of the Ministry of Health of China, Zhejiang Province Key Laboratory of Neurobiology, Zhejiang University School of Medicine, Hangzhou, Zhejiang 310058, China
| | - X-M Li
- Institute of Neuroscience, Department of Neurobiology, Key Laboratory of Medical Neurobiology of the Ministry of Health of China, Zhejiang Province Key Laboratory of Neurobiology, Zhejiang University School of Medicine, Hangzhou, Zhejiang 310058, China; Soft Matter Research Center, Zhejiang University, Hangzhou, Zhejiang 310058, China.
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274
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Frias CP, Wierenga CJ. Activity-dependent adaptations in inhibitory axons. Front Cell Neurosci 2013; 7:219. [PMID: 24312009 PMCID: PMC3836028 DOI: 10.3389/fncel.2013.00219] [Citation(s) in RCA: 12] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.1] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 09/27/2013] [Accepted: 10/30/2013] [Indexed: 11/13/2022] Open
Abstract
Synaptic connections in our brains change continuously and throughout our lifetime. Despite ongoing synaptic changes, a healthy balance between excitation and inhibition is maintained by various forms of homeostatic and activity-dependent adaptations, ensuring stable functioning of neuronal networks. In this review we summarize experimental evidence for activity-dependent changes occurring in inhibitory axons, in cultures as well as in vivo. Axons form many presynaptic terminals, which are dynamic structures sharing presynaptic material along the axonal shaft. We discuss how internal (e.g., vesicle sharing) and external factors (e.g., binding of cell adhesion molecules or secreted factors) may affect the formation and plasticity of inhibitory synapses.
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Affiliation(s)
| | - Corette J. Wierenga
- Division of Cell Biology, Faculty of Science, Utrecht UniversityUtrecht, Netherlands
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275
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Del Pino I, García-Frigola C, Dehorter N, Brotons-Mas JR, Alvarez-Salvado E, Martínez de Lagrán M, Ciceri G, Gabaldón MV, Moratal D, Dierssen M, Canals S, Marín O, Rico B. Erbb4 deletion from fast-spiking interneurons causes schizophrenia-like phenotypes. Neuron 2013; 79:1152-68. [PMID: 24050403 DOI: 10.1016/j.neuron.2013.07.010] [Citation(s) in RCA: 223] [Impact Index Per Article: 20.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Accepted: 07/05/2013] [Indexed: 01/09/2023]
Abstract
Genetic variation in neuregulin and its ErbB4 receptor has been linked to schizophrenia, although little is known about how they contribute to the disease process. Here, we have examined conditional Erbb4 mouse mutants to study how disruption of specific inhibitory circuits in the cerebral cortex may cause large-scale functional deficits. We found that deletion of ErbB4 from the two main classes of fast-spiking interneurons, chandelier and basket cells, causes relatively subtle but consistent synaptic defects. Surprisingly, these relatively small wiring abnormalities boost cortical excitability, increase oscillatory activity, and disrupt synchrony across cortical regions. These functional deficits are associated with increased locomotor activity, abnormal emotional responses, and impaired social behavior and cognitive function. Our results reinforce the view that dysfunction of cortical fast-spiking interneurons might be central to the pathophysiology of schizophrenia.
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Affiliation(s)
- Isabel Del Pino
- Instituto de Neurociencias, Consejo Superior de Investigaciones Científicas and Universidad Miguel Hernández, Sant Joan d'Alacant 03550, Spain
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276
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Liu Y, Yu Y, Schachner M, Zhao W. Neuregulin 1-β regulates cell adhesion molecule L1 expression in the cortex and hippocampus of mice. Biochem Biophys Res Commun 2013; 441:7-12. [PMID: 24140408 DOI: 10.1016/j.bbrc.2013.09.102] [Citation(s) in RCA: 8] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.7] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 09/13/2013] [Accepted: 09/20/2013] [Indexed: 02/05/2023]
Abstract
Neuregulin 1 (Nrg1) functions in neuronal migration, survival and differentiation as well as synaptogenesis during ontogenetic development and maintenance of synaptic functions in the adult mammalian brain. The neural adhesion molecule L1 (L1CAM) functions in similar overlapping, but also non-overlapping roles in the nervous system. In the present study, we therefore investigated some aspects of the functional relationship between Nrg1 and L1 in mammalian neural cells. Nrg1 regulates the expression of L1 in cultures of both human neuroblastoma SK-N-SH cells and mouse cortical and hippocampal neurons. To analyze the role of Nrg1 on L1 expression in vivo, young adult male mice received intraperitoneal injections of Nrg1 or PBS (vehicle control). The correlation between Nrg1 and L1 expression was tested by qPCR, Western blot analysis, and immunocytology. Our data indicate that neuregulin 1-β (Nrg1β) increases L1 expression in neurons of the cerebral cortex, and decreases expression in neurons of the hippocampus in vitro and in vivo. In addition, Nrg1 induces phosphorylation of its receptors, ErbB2 and ErbB4, the predominant ErbB receptors in the nervous system. These results show that Nrg1β affects expression of L1 in the central nervous system and in parallel activates the ErbB receptors for Nrg1, suggesting a crosstalk between molecules that are of prime importance for nervous system functions.
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Affiliation(s)
- Yang Liu
- Center for Neuroscience, Shantou University Medical College, 22 Xin Ling Rd, Shantou, Guangdong Province 515041, People's Republic of China
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277
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Gilabert-Juan J, Belles M, Saez AR, Carceller H, Zamarbide-Fores S, Moltó MD, Nacher J. A “double hit” murine model for schizophrenia shows alterations in the structure and neurochemistry of the medial prefrontal cortex and the hippocampus. Neurobiol Dis 2013; 59:126-40. [DOI: 10.1016/j.nbd.2013.07.008] [Citation(s) in RCA: 38] [Impact Index Per Article: 3.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 01/30/2013] [Revised: 06/19/2013] [Accepted: 07/17/2013] [Indexed: 12/22/2022] Open
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278
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Belinsky GS, Rich MT, Sirois CL, Short SM, Pedrosa E, Lachman HM, Antic SD. Patch-clamp recordings and calcium imaging followed by single-cell PCR reveal the developmental profile of 13 genes in iPSC-derived human neurons. Stem Cell Res 2013; 12:101-18. [PMID: 24157591 DOI: 10.1016/j.scr.2013.09.014] [Citation(s) in RCA: 41] [Impact Index Per Article: 3.7] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Submit a Manuscript] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 06/19/2013] [Revised: 09/18/2013] [Accepted: 09/21/2013] [Indexed: 12/13/2022] Open
Abstract
Molecular genetic studies are typically performed on homogenized biological samples, resulting in contamination from non-neuronal cells. To improve expression profiling of neurons we combined patch recordings with single-cell PCR. Two iPSC lines (healthy subject and 22q11.2 deletion) were differentiated into neurons. Patch electrode recordings were performed on 229 human cells from Day-13 to Day-88, followed by capture and single-cell PCR for 13 genes: ACTB, HPRT, vGLUT1, βTUBIII, COMT, DISC1, GAD1, PAX6, DTNBP1, ERBB4, FOXP1, FOXP2, and GIRK2. Neurons derived from both iPSC lines expressed βTUBIII, fired action potentials, and experienced spontaneous depolarizations (UP states) ~2 weeks before vGLUT1, GAD1 and GIRK2 appeared. Multisite calcium imaging revealed that these UP states were not synchronized among hESC-H9-derived neurons. The expression of FOXP1, FOXP2 and vGLUT1 was lost after 50 days in culture, in contrast to other continuously expressed genes. When gene expression was combined with electrophysiology, two subsets of genes were apparent; those irrelevant to spontaneous depolarizations (including vGLUT1, GIRK2, FOXP2 and DISC1) and those associated with spontaneous depolarizations (GAD1 and ERBB4). The results demonstrate that in the earliest stages of neuron development, it is useful to combine genetic analysis with physiological characterizations, on a cell-to-cell basis.
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Affiliation(s)
- Glenn S Belinsky
- Department of Neuroscience, University of Connecticut Health Center, Farmington, CT, USA
| | - Matthew T Rich
- Department of Neuroscience, University of Connecticut Health Center, Farmington, CT, USA
| | - Carissa L Sirois
- Department of Neuroscience, University of Connecticut Health Center, Farmington, CT, USA
| | - Shaina M Short
- Department of Neuroscience, University of Connecticut Health Center, Farmington, CT, USA
| | - Erika Pedrosa
- Department of Psychiatry and Behavioral Sciences, Albert Einstein College of Medicine, Bronx, New York, USA
| | - Herbert M Lachman
- Department of Psychiatry and Behavioral Sciences, Albert Einstein College of Medicine, Bronx, New York, USA
| | - Srdjan D Antic
- Department of Neuroscience, University of Connecticut Health Center, Farmington, CT, USA.
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279
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Raissi AJ, Staudenmaier EK, David S, Hu L, Paradis S. Sema4D localizes to synapses and regulates GABAergic synapse development as a membrane-bound molecule in the mammalian hippocampus. Mol Cell Neurosci 2013; 57:23-32. [PMID: 24036351 DOI: 10.1016/j.mcn.2013.08.004] [Citation(s) in RCA: 23] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.1] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 03/14/2013] [Revised: 08/01/2013] [Accepted: 08/31/2013] [Indexed: 11/17/2022] Open
Abstract
While numerous recent advances have contributed to our understanding of excitatory synapse formation, the processes that mediate inhibitory synapse formation remain poorly defined. Previously, we discovered that RNAi-mediated knockdown of a Class 4 Semaphorin, Sema4D, led to a decrease in the density of inhibitory synapses without an apparent effect on excitatory synapse formation. Our current work has led us to new insights about the molecular mechanisms by which Sema4D regulates GABAergic synapse development. Specifically, we report that the extracellular domain of Sema4D is proteolytically cleaved from the surface of neurons. However, despite this cleavage event, Sema4D signals through its extracellular domain as a membrane-bound, synaptically localized protein required in the postsynaptic membrane for proper GABAergic synapse formation. Thus, as Sema4D is one of only a few molecules identified thus far that preferentially regulates GABAergic synapse formation, these findings have important implications for our mechanistic understanding of this process.
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Affiliation(s)
- Aram J Raissi
- National Center for Behavioral Genomics and Volen Center for Complex Systems, Department of Biology, Brandeis University, Waltham, MA 02454, USA
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280
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Yamada A, Inoue E, Deguchi-Tawarada M, Matsui C, Togawa A, Nakatani T, Ono Y, Takai Y. Necl-2/CADM1 interacts with ErbB4 and regulates its activity in GABAergic neurons. Mol Cell Neurosci 2013; 56:234-43. [DOI: 10.1016/j.mcn.2013.06.003] [Citation(s) in RCA: 18] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.6] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 09/24/2012] [Revised: 05/15/2013] [Accepted: 06/04/2013] [Indexed: 11/27/2022] Open
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281
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The class 4 semaphorin Sema4D promotes the rapid assembly of GABAergic synapses in rodent hippocampus. J Neurosci 2013; 33:8961-73. [PMID: 23699507 DOI: 10.1523/jneurosci.0989-13.2013] [Citation(s) in RCA: 40] [Impact Index Per Article: 3.6] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/21/2022] Open
Abstract
Proper circuit function in the mammalian nervous system depends on the precise assembly and development of excitatory and inhibitory synaptic connections between neurons. Through a loss-of-function genetic screen in cultured hippocampal neurons, we previously identified the class 4 Semaphorin Sema4D as being required for proper GABAergic synapse development. Here we demonstrate that Sema4D is sufficient to promote GABAergic synapse formation in rodent hippocampus and investigate the kinetics of this activity. We find that Sema4D treatment of rat hippocampal neurons increases the density of GABAergic synapses as detected by immunocytochemistry within 30 min, much more rapidly than has been previously described for a prosynaptogenic molecule, and show that this effect is dependent on the Sema4D receptor PlexinB1 using PlxnB1(-/-) mice. Live imaging studies reveal that Sema4D elicits a rapid enhancement (within 10 min) in the rate of addition of synaptic proteins. Therefore, we demonstrate that Sema4D, via PlexinB1, acts to initiate synapse formation by recruiting molecules to both the presynaptic and the postsynaptic terminals; these nascent synapses subsequently become fully functional by 2 h after Sema4D treatment. In addition, acute treatment of an organotypic hippocampal slice epilepsy model with Sema4D reveals that Sema4D rapidly and dramatically alters epileptiform activity, which is consistent with a Sema4D-mediated shift in the balance of excitation and inhibition within the circuit. These data demonstrate an ability to quickly assemble GABAergic synapses in response to an appropriate signal and suggest a potential area of exploration for the development of novel antiepileptic drugs.
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282
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Type III neuregulin 1 is required for multiple forms of excitatory synaptic plasticity of mouse cortico-amygdala circuits. J Neurosci 2013; 33:9655-66. [PMID: 23739962 DOI: 10.1523/jneurosci.2888-12.2013] [Citation(s) in RCA: 31] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.8] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/21/2022] Open
Abstract
The amygdala plays an important role in the formation and storage of memories associated with emotional events. The cortical glutamatergic inputs onto pyramidal neurons in the basolateral nucleus of the amygdala (BLA) contribute to this process. As the interaction between neuregulin 1 (Nrg1) and its ErbB receptors has been implicated in the pathological mechanisms of schizophrenia, loss of Nrg1 may disrupt cortical-amygdala neural circuits, resulting in altered processing of salient memories. Here we show that Nrg1 is critical in multiple forms of plasticity of cortical projections to pyramidal neurons of the BLA. The miniature EPSCs in Nrg1 heterozygous animals have a faster time constant of decay and evoked synaptic currents have a smaller NMDA/AMPA ratio than those recorded in wild-type (WT) littermates. Both high-frequency electrical stimulation of cortical inputs and θ burst stimulation combined with nicotine exposure results in long-lasting potentiation in WT animals. However, the same manipulations have little to no effect on glutamatergic synaptic plasticity in the BLA from Nrg1 heterozygous mice. Comparison of WT, Nrg1 heterozygous animals and α7 nicotinic receptor heterozygous mice reveals that the sustained phase of potentiation of glutamatergic transmission after θ burst stimulation with or without nicotine only occurs in the WT mice. Together, these findings support the idea that type III Nrg1 is essential to multiple aspects of the modulation of excitatory plasticity at cortical-BLA synapses.
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283
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Yin DM, Chen YJ, Lu YS, Bean JC, Sathyamurthy A, Shen C, Liu X, Lin TW, Smith CA, Xiong WC, Mei L. Reversal of behavioral deficits and synaptic dysfunction in mice overexpressing neuregulin 1. Neuron 2013; 78:644-57. [PMID: 23719163 DOI: 10.1016/j.neuron.2013.03.028] [Citation(s) in RCA: 104] [Impact Index Per Article: 9.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Accepted: 03/20/2013] [Indexed: 11/16/2022]
Abstract
Neuregulin 1 (Nrg1) is a susceptibility gene of schizophrenia, a disabling mental illness that affects 1% of the general population. Here, we show that ctoNrg1 mice, which mimic high levels of NRG1 observed in forebrain regions of schizophrenic patients, exhibit behavioral deficits and hypofunction of glutamatergic and GABAergic pathways. Intriguingly, these deficits were diminished when NRG1 expression returned to normal in adult mice, suggesting that damage which occurred during development is recoverable. Conversely, increase of NRG1 in adulthood was sufficient to cause glutamatergic impairment and behavioral deficits. We found that the glutamatergic impairment by NRG1 overexpression required LIM domain kinase 1 (LIMK1), which was activated in mutant mice, identifying a pathological mechanism. These observations demonstrate that synaptic dysfunction and behavioral deficits in ctoNrg1 mice require continuous NRG1 abnormality in adulthood, suggesting that relevant schizophrenia may benefit from therapeutic intervention to restore NRG1 signaling.
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Affiliation(s)
- Dong-Min Yin
- Institute of Molecular Medicine and Genetics, Medical College of Georgia, Georgia Regents University, Augusta, GA 30912, USA
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284
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Marín O, Rico B. A new beginning for a broken mind: balancing neuregulin 1 reverses synaptic dysfunction. Neuron 2013; 78:577-9. [PMID: 23719157 DOI: 10.1016/j.neuron.2013.05.004] [Citation(s) in RCA: 3] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 10/26/2022]
Affiliation(s)
- Oscar Marín
- Instituto de Neurociencias, Consejo Superior de Investigaciones Científicas & Universidad Miguel Hernández, 03550 Sant Joan d'Alacant, Spain.
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285
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Thomas-Jinu S, Houart C. Dynamic expression of neurexophilin1 during zebrafish embryonic development. Gene Expr Patterns 2013; 13:395-401. [PMID: 23880144 PMCID: PMC3838620 DOI: 10.1016/j.gep.2013.07.006] [Citation(s) in RCA: 3] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 03/19/2013] [Revised: 07/06/2013] [Accepted: 07/10/2013] [Indexed: 10/26/2022]
Abstract
Neurexophilin 1 (Nxph1) is a specific endoligand of α-neurexins that is essential for trans-synaptic activation. Here, we report its dynamic expression during development in zebrafish. Our study revealed an early onset of expression of nxph1. RT-PCR on a series of embryonic stages showed that it is maternally deposited, although only readily detectable by whole mount in situ hybridization by 22hpf. During embryogenesis and larval stages, the zygotic transcript is expressed dynamically in various clusters of post-mitotic neurons and in glia in the central nervous system.
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Affiliation(s)
- Swapna Thomas-Jinu
- MRC Centre for Developmental Neurobiology, New Hunt's House, King's College London, London SE1 1UL, United Kingdom.
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286
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Penzes P, Buonanno A, Passafaro M, Sala C, Sweet RA. Developmental vulnerability of synapses and circuits associated with neuropsychiatric disorders. J Neurochem 2013; 126:165-82. [PMID: 23574039 PMCID: PMC3700683 DOI: 10.1111/jnc.12261] [Citation(s) in RCA: 73] [Impact Index Per Article: 6.6] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 04/08/2013] [Accepted: 04/08/2013] [Indexed: 12/20/2022]
Abstract
Psychiatric and neurodegenerative disorders, including intellectual disability, autism spectrum disorders (ASD), schizophrenia (SZ), and Alzheimer's disease, pose an immense burden to society. Symptoms of these disorders become manifest at different stages of life: early childhood, adolescence, and late adulthood, respectively. Progress has been made in recent years toward understanding the genetic substrates, cellular mechanisms, brain circuits, and endophenotypes of these disorders. Multiple lines of evidence implicate excitatory and inhibitory synaptic circuits in the cortex and hippocampus as key cellular substrates of pathogenesis in these disorders. Excitatory/inhibitory balance--modulated largely by dopamine--critically regulates cortical network function, neural network activity (i.e. gamma oscillations) and behaviors associated with psychiatric disorders. Understanding the molecular underpinnings of synaptic pathology and neuronal network activity may thus provide essential insight into the pathogenesis of these disorders and can reveal novel drug targets to treat them. Here, we discuss recent genetic, neuropathological, and molecular studies that implicate alterations in excitatory and inhibitory synaptic circuits in the pathogenesis of psychiatric disorders across the lifespan.
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Affiliation(s)
- Peter Penzes
- Department of Physiology, Northwestern University Feinberg School of Medicine, Chicago, Illinois 60611, USA.
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287
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Arguello A, Yang X, Vogt D, Stanco A, Rubenstein JLR, Cheyette BNR. Dapper antagonist of catenin-1 cooperates with Dishevelled-1 during postsynaptic development in mouse forebrain GABAergic interneurons. PLoS One 2013; 8:e67679. [PMID: 23826333 PMCID: PMC3691262 DOI: 10.1371/journal.pone.0067679] [Citation(s) in RCA: 19] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.7] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 11/02/2012] [Accepted: 05/21/2013] [Indexed: 11/24/2022] Open
Abstract
Synaptogenesis has been extensively studied along with dendritic spine development in glutamatergic pyramidal neurons, however synapse development in cortical interneurons, which are largely aspiny, is comparatively less well understood. Dact1, one of 3 paralogous Dact (Dapper/Frodo) family members in mammals, is a scaffold protein implicated in both the Wnt/β-catenin and the Wnt/Planar Cell Polarity pathways. We show here that Dact1 is expressed in immature cortical interneurons. Although Dact1 is first expressed in interneuron precursors during proliferative and migratory stages, constitutive Dact1 mutant mice have no major defects in numbers or migration of these neurons. However, cultured cortical interneurons derived from these mice have reduced numbers of excitatory synapses on their dendrites. We selectively eliminated Dact1 from mouse cortical interneurons using a conditional knock-out strategy with a Dlx-I12b enhancer-Cre allele, and thereby demonstrate a cell-autonomous role for Dact1 during postsynaptic development. Confirming this cell-autonomous role, we show that synapse numbers in Dact1 deficient cortical interneurons are rescued by virally-mediated re-expression of Dact1 specifically targeted to these cells. Synapse numbers in these neurons are also rescued by similarly targeted expression of the Dact1 binding partner Dishevelled-1, and partially rescued by expression of Disrupted in Schizophrenia-1, a synaptic protein genetically implicated in susceptibility to several major mental illnesses. In sum, our results support a novel cell-autonomous postsynaptic role for Dact1, in cooperation with Dishevelled-1 and possibly Disrupted in Schizophrenia-1, in the formation of synapses on cortical interneuron dendrites.
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Affiliation(s)
- Annie Arguello
- Biomedical Sciences Graduate Program, University of California San Francisco, San Francisco, California, United States of America
- Department of Psychiatry, Nina Ireland Laboratory of Developmental Neurobiology, University of California San Francisco, San Francisco, California, United States of America
| | - XiaoYong Yang
- Department of Psychiatry, Nina Ireland Laboratory of Developmental Neurobiology, University of California San Francisco, San Francisco, California, United States of America
| | - Daniel Vogt
- Department of Psychiatry, Nina Ireland Laboratory of Developmental Neurobiology, University of California San Francisco, San Francisco, California, United States of America
| | - Amelia Stanco
- Department of Psychiatry, Nina Ireland Laboratory of Developmental Neurobiology, University of California San Francisco, San Francisco, California, United States of America
| | - John L. R. Rubenstein
- Biomedical Sciences Graduate Program, University of California San Francisco, San Francisco, California, United States of America
- Department of Psychiatry, Nina Ireland Laboratory of Developmental Neurobiology, University of California San Francisco, San Francisco, California, United States of America
| | - Benjamin N. R. Cheyette
- Biomedical Sciences Graduate Program, University of California San Francisco, San Francisco, California, United States of America
- Department of Psychiatry, Nina Ireland Laboratory of Developmental Neurobiology, University of California San Francisco, San Francisco, California, United States of America
- * E-mail:
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288
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Volk DW, Lewis DA. Prenatal ontogeny as a susceptibility period for cortical GABA neuron disturbances in schizophrenia. Neuroscience 2013; 248:154-64. [PMID: 23769891 DOI: 10.1016/j.neuroscience.2013.06.008] [Citation(s) in RCA: 43] [Impact Index Per Article: 3.9] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 04/04/2013] [Revised: 06/04/2013] [Accepted: 06/05/2013] [Indexed: 11/17/2022]
Abstract
Cognitive deficits in schizophrenia have been linked to disturbances in GABA neurons in the prefrontal cortex (PFC). Furthermore, cognitive deficits in schizophrenia appear well before the onset of psychosis and have been reported to be present during early childhood and even during the first year of life. Taken together, these data raise the following question: Does the disease process that produces abnormalities in prefrontal GABA neurons in schizophrenia begin prenatally and disrupt the ontogeny of cortical GABA neurons? Here, we address this question through a consideration of evidence that genetic and/or environmental insults that occur during gestation initiate a pathogenetic process that alters cortical GABA neuron ontogeny and produces the pattern of GABA neuron abnormalities, and consequently cognitive difficulties, seen in schizophrenia. First, we review available evidence from postmortem human brain tissue studies characterizing alterations in certain subpopulations of prefrontal GABA neuron that provide clues to a prenatal origin in schizophrenia. Second, we review recent discoveries of transcription factors, cytokine receptors, and other developmental regulators that govern the birth, migration, specification, maturation, and survival of different subpopulations of prefrontal GABA neurons. Third, we discuss recent studies demonstrating altered expression of these ontogenetic factors in the PFC in schizophrenia. Fourth, we discuss the potential role of disturbances in the maternal-fetal environment such as maternal immune activation in the development of GABA neuron dysfunction. Finally, we propose critical questions that need to be answered in future research to further investigate the role of altered GABA neuron ontogeny in the pathogenesis of schizophrenia.
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Affiliation(s)
- D W Volk
- Department of Psychiatry, University of Pittsburgh, Pittsburgh, PA 15213, United States.
| | - D A Lewis
- Department of Psychiatry, University of Pittsburgh, Pittsburgh, PA 15213, United States; Department of Neuroscience, University of Pittsburgh, Pittsburgh, PA 15213, United States
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289
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Perinatal phencyclidine administration decreases the density of cortical interneurons and increases the expression of neuregulin-1. Psychopharmacology (Berl) 2013; 227:673-83. [PMID: 23380917 DOI: 10.1007/s00213-013-2999-7] [Citation(s) in RCA: 19] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.7] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Submit a Manuscript] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 10/12/2012] [Accepted: 01/16/2013] [Indexed: 12/22/2022]
Abstract
RATIONALE Perinatal phencyclidine (PCP) administration in rat blocks the N-methyl D-aspartate receptor (NMDAR) and causes symptoms reminiscent of schizophrenia in human. A growing body of evidence suggests that alterations in γ-aminobutyric acid (GABA) interneuron neurotransmission may be associated with schizophrenia. Neuregulin-1 (NRG-1) is a trophic factor important for neurodevelopment, synaptic plasticity, and wiring of GABA circuits. OBJECTIVES The aim of this study was to determine the long-term effects of perinatal PCP administration on the projection and local circuit neurons and NRG-1 expression in the cortex and hippocampus. METHODS Rats were treated on postnatal day 2 (P2), P6, P9, and P12 with either PCP (10 mg/kg) or saline. Morphological studies and determination of NRG-1 expression were performed at P70. RESULTS We demonstrate reduced densities of principal neurons in the CA3 and dentate gyrus (DG) subregions of the hippocampus and a reduction of major interneuronal populations in all cortical and hippocampal regions studied in PCP-treated rats compared with controls. For the first time, we show the reduced density of reelin- and somatostatin-positive cells in the cortex and hippocampus of animals perinatally treated with PCP. Furthermore, an increase in the numbers of perisomatic inhibitory terminals around the principal cells was observed in the motor cortex and DG. We also show that perinatal PCP administration leads to an increased NRG-1 expression in the cortex and hippocampus. CONCLUSION Taken together, our findings demonstrate that perinatal PCP administration increases NRG-1 expression and reduces the number of projecting and local circuit neurons, revealing complex consequences of NMDAR blockade.
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290
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Kelsom C, Lu W. Development and specification of GABAergic cortical interneurons. Cell Biosci 2013; 3:19. [PMID: 23618463 PMCID: PMC3668182 DOI: 10.1186/2045-3701-3-19] [Citation(s) in RCA: 115] [Impact Index Per Article: 10.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 02/25/2013] [Accepted: 03/28/2013] [Indexed: 12/21/2022] Open
Abstract
GABAergic interneurons are inhibitory neurons of the nervous system that play a vital role in neural circuitry and activity. They are so named due to their release of the neurotransmitter gamma-aminobutyric acid (GABA), and occupy different areas of the brain. This review will focus primarily on GABAergic interneurons of the mammalian cerebral cortex from a developmental standpoint. There is a diverse amount of cortical interneuronal subtypes that may be categorized by a number of characteristics; this review will classify them largely by the protein markers they express. The developmental origins of GABAergic interneurons will be discussed, as well as factors that influence the complex migration routes that these interneurons must take in order to ultimately localize in the cerebral cortex where they will integrate with the neural circuitry set in place. This review will also place an emphasis on the transcriptional network of genes that play a role in the specification and maintenance of GABAergic interneuron fate. Gaining an understanding of the different aspects of cortical interneuron development and specification, especially in humans, has many useful clinical applications that may serve to treat various neurological disorders linked to alterations in interneuron populations.
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Affiliation(s)
- Corey Kelsom
- Eli and Edythe Broad Center for Regenerative Medicine and Stem Cell Research, Department of Biochemistry and Molecular Biology, University of Southern California, 1425 San Pablo Street, Los Angeles, CA 90033, USA.
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291
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Wang X, Pinto-Duarte A, Sejnowski TJ, Behrens MM. How Nox2-containing NADPH oxidase affects cortical circuits in the NMDA receptor antagonist model of schizophrenia. Antioxid Redox Signal 2013; 18:1444-62. [PMID: 22938164 PMCID: PMC3603498 DOI: 10.1089/ars.2012.4907] [Citation(s) in RCA: 29] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.6] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Submit a Manuscript] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 08/17/2012] [Accepted: 09/02/2012] [Indexed: 12/13/2022]
Abstract
SIGNIFICANCE Schizophrenia is a complex neuropsychiatric disorder affecting around 1% of the population worldwide. Its mode of inheritance suggests a multigenic neurodevelopmental disorder with symptoms appearing during late adolescence/early adulthood, with its onset strongly influenced by environmental stimuli. Many neurotransmitter systems, including dopamine, glutamate, and gamma-aminobutyric acid, show alterations in affected individuals, and the behavioral and physiological characteristics of the disease can be mimicked by drugs that produce blockade of N-methyl-d-aspartate glutamate receptors (NMDARs). RECENT ADVANCES Mounting evidence suggests that drugs that block NMDARs specifically impair the inhibitory capacity of parvalbumin-expressing (PV+) fast-spiking neurons in adult and developing rodents, and alterations in these inhibitory neurons is one of the most consistent findings in the schizophrenic postmortem brain. Disruption of the inhibitory capacity of PV+ inhibitory neurons will alter the functional balance between excitation and inhibition in prefrontal cortical circuits producing impairment of working memory processes such as those observed in schizophrenia. CRITICAL ISSUES Mechanistically, the effect of NMDAR antagonists can be attributed to the activation of the Nox2-dependent reduced form of nicotinamide adenine dinucleotide phosphate oxidase pathway in cortical neurons, which is consistent with the emerging role of oxidative stress in the pathogenesis of mental disorders, specifically schizophrenia. Here we review the mechanisms by which NMDAR antagonists produce lasting impairment of the cortical PV+ neuronal system and the roles played by Nox2-dependent oxidative stress mechanisms. FUTURE DIRECTIONS The discovery of the pathways by which oxidative stress leads to unbalanced excitation and inhibition in cortical neural circuits opens a new perspective toward understanding the biological underpinnings of schizophrenia.
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Affiliation(s)
- Xin Wang
- The Salk Institute for Biological Studies, La Jolla, California
- Howard Hughes Medical Institute, La Jolla, California
| | - António Pinto-Duarte
- The Salk Institute for Biological Studies, La Jolla, California
- Howard Hughes Medical Institute, La Jolla, California
- Institute of Pharmacology and Neurosciences, Faculty of Medicine, University of Lisbon, Lisbon, Portugal
- Neurosciences Unit, Institute of Molecular Medicine, University of Lisbon, Lisbon, Portugal
| | - Terrence J. Sejnowski
- The Salk Institute for Biological Studies, La Jolla, California
- Howard Hughes Medical Institute, La Jolla, California
- Division of Biology, University of California San Diego, La Jolla, California
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292
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Le Magueresse C, Monyer H. GABAergic interneurons shape the functional maturation of the cortex. Neuron 2013; 77:388-405. [PMID: 23395369 DOI: 10.1016/j.neuron.2013.01.011] [Citation(s) in RCA: 308] [Impact Index Per Article: 28.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Accepted: 01/09/2013] [Indexed: 10/27/2022]
Abstract
From early embryonic development to adulthood, GABA release participates in the construction of the mammalian cerebral cortex. The maturation of GABAergic neurotransmission is a protracted process which takes place in discrete steps and results from the dynamic interaction between developmentally directed gene expression and brain activity. During the course of development, GABAergic interneurons contribute to key aspects of the functional maturation of the cortex in different ways, from exerting a trophic role to pacing immature neural networks. In this review, we provide an overview of the maturation of GABAergic neurotransmission and discuss the role of GABAergic interneurons in cortical wiring, plasticity, and network activity during pre- and postnatal development. We also discuss psychiatric diseases that may be considered at least in part developmental disorders of the GABAergic system.
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Affiliation(s)
- Corentin Le Magueresse
- Department of Clinical Neurobiology, Medical Faculty of Heidelberg University and German Cancer Research Center (DKFZ), Heidelberg 69120, Germany
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293
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Abstract
Chandelier (or axo-axonic) cells are a distinct group of GABAergic interneurons that innervate the axon initial segments of pyramidal cells and thus could have an important role controlling the activity of cortical circuits. To understand their connectivity, we labeled upper layers chandelier cells (ChCs) from mouse neocortex with a genetic strategy and studied how their axons contact local populations of pyramidal neurons, using immunohistochemical detection of axon initial segments. We studied ChCs located in the border of layers 1 and 2 from primary somatosensory cortex and found that practically all ChC axon terminals contact axon initial segments, with an average of three to five boutons per cartridge. By measuring the number of putative GABAergic synapses in initial segments, we estimate that each pyramidal neuron is innervated, on average, by four ChCs. Additionally, each individual ChC contacts 35-50% of pyramidal neurons within the areas traversed by its axonal arbor, with pockets of very high innervation density. Finally, ChCs have similar innervation patterns at different postnatal ages (P18-P90), with only relatively small lateral expansions of their arbor and increases in the total number of their cartridges during the developmental period analyzed. We conclude that ChCs innervate neighboring pyramidal neurons in a dense and overlapping manner, a connectivity pattern that could enable ChCs to exert a widespread influence on their local circuits.
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294
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Deng C, Pan B, Engel M, Huang XF. Neuregulin-1 signalling and antipsychotic treatment: potential therapeutic targets in a schizophrenia candidate signalling pathway. Psychopharmacology (Berl) 2013; 226:201-15. [PMID: 23389757 DOI: 10.1007/s00213-013-3003-2] [Citation(s) in RCA: 44] [Impact Index Per Article: 4.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Submit a Manuscript] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 06/24/2012] [Accepted: 01/22/2013] [Indexed: 02/08/2023]
Abstract
Identifying the signalling pathways underlying the pathophysiology of schizophrenia is an essential step in the rational development of new antipsychotic drugs for this devastating disease. Evidence from genetic, transgenic and post-mortem studies have strongly supported neuregulin-1 (NRG1)-ErbB4 signalling as a schizophrenia susceptibility pathway. NRG1-ErbB4 signalling plays crucial roles in regulating neurodevelopment and neurotransmission, with implications for the pathophysiology of schizophrenia. Post-mortem studies have demonstrated altered NRG1-ErbB4 signalling in the brain of schizophrenia patients. Antipsychotic drugs have different effects on NRG1-ErbB4 signalling depending on treatment duration. Abnormal behaviours relevant to certain features of schizophrenia are displayed in NRG1/ErbB4 knockout mice or those with NRG1/ErbB4 over-expression, some of these abnormalities can be improved by antipsychotic treatment. NRG1-ErbB4 signalling has extensive interactions with the GABAergic, glutamatergic and dopaminergic neurotransmission systems that are involved in the pathophysiology of schizophrenia. These interactions provide a number of targets for the development of new antipsychotic drugs. Furthermore, the key interaction points between NRG1-ErbB4 signalling and other schizophrenia susceptibility genes may also potentially provide specific targets for new antipsychotic drugs. In general, identification of these targets in NRG1-ErbB4 signalling and interacting pathways will provide unique opportunities for the development of new generation antipsychotics with specific efficacy and fewer side effects.
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Affiliation(s)
- Chao Deng
- Antipsychotic Research Laboratory, Illawarra Health and Medical Research Institute, University of Wollongong, Wollongong 2522 NSW, Australia.
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295
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Stefanis NC, Hatzimanolis A, Smyrnis N, Avramopoulos D, Evdokimidis I, van Os J, Stefanis CN, Straub RE, Weinberger DR. Schizophrenia candidate gene ERBB4: covert routes of vulnerability to psychosis detected at the population level. Schizophr Bull 2013; 39:349-57. [PMID: 22115776 PMCID: PMC3576167 DOI: 10.1093/schbul/sbr169] [Citation(s) in RCA: 13] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.2] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Submit a Manuscript] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/13/2022]
Abstract
Prior genetic and functional evidence established ERBB4 as a probable schizophrenia susceptibility gene that may confer risk via modulating brain information processing dependent on the integrity of frontotemporal brain circuitry. Utilizing retrospective data drawn from the cross-sectional population-based Athens Study of Psychosis Proneness and Incidence of Schizophrenia (ASPIS) (n = 1127), we attempted to independently replicate and further extend previous findings by examining the effects of ERBB4 gene variants on 3 broad population-based psychosis-related phenotypes: verbal working memory (VWM), trait schizotypy, and stress-induced subclinical psychotic experiences (PE). Three common ERBB4 single nucleotide polymorphisms that were previously associated with schizophrenia and impaired frontotemporal-related information processing (rs7598440, rs839523, and rs707284), their haplotypes, and corresponding diplotypes were tested. VWM performance was significantly associated with rs839523 and rs707284 markers even after correction for multiple testing, thus validating reported findings that have implicated ERBB4 gene variation on working memory. No associations were detected between these ERBB4 variants and trait schizotypy. However, we were able to detect a significant effect of rs7598440 marker on PE expressed under stressful environmental conditions. Combined haplotype analysis of the above 3 markers, identified a "yin-yang" pattern of association, confirmed at the diplotype level. While GGG haplotype homozygotes were associated with "protective" effects on VWM performance and PE, AAA "risk" haplotype carriers were associated with worse VWM performance and simultaneously exhibited significantly elevated PE. This dual, possibly pleiotropic, impact on frontotemporal circuitry and increased sensitivity to psychosocial stress may represent subtle manifestations of ERBB4-related vulnerability to psychosis, expressed at the population level.
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Affiliation(s)
- Nicholas C. Stefanis
- University Mental Health Research Institute, Athens, Greece,School of Psychiatry and Clinical Neurosciences, University of Western Australia, Perth, Australia,To whom correspondence should be addressed; Centre for Clinical Research in Neuropsychiatry, School of Psychiatry and Clinical Neurosciences, University of Western Australia and North Metropolitan Area Health Services - Mental Health (NMAHS-MH), John XXIII Avenue, Mount Claremont, WA 6010, Perth, Australia; tel: (08) 9347-6439, fax: (08) 9384-5128, e-mail:
| | - Alex Hatzimanolis
- Department of Psychiatry, National and Kapodistrian University of Athens, Athens, Greece
| | - Nikolaos Smyrnis
- Department of Psychiatry, National and Kapodistrian University of Athens, Athens, Greece
| | - Dimitrios Avramopoulos
- McKusick-Nathans Institute of Genetic Medicine, Johns Hopkins University School of Medicine, Baltimore, MD
| | | | - Jim van Os
- Department of Psychiatry and Neuropsychology, South Limburg Mental Health Research and Teaching Network, EURON, Maastricht University Medical Centre, Maastricht, The Netherlands
| | | | - Richard E. Straub
- Genes, Cognition, and Psychosis Program, National Institute of Mental Health, National Institutes of Health, Bethesda, MD
| | - Daniel R. Weinberger
- Genes, Cognition, and Psychosis Program, National Institute of Mental Health, National Institutes of Health, Bethesda, MD
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296
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Iwakura Y, Nawa H. ErbB1-4-dependent EGF/neuregulin signals and their cross talk in the central nervous system: pathological implications in schizophrenia and Parkinson's disease. Front Cell Neurosci 2013; 7:4. [PMID: 23408472 PMCID: PMC3570895 DOI: 10.3389/fncel.2013.00004] [Citation(s) in RCA: 98] [Impact Index Per Article: 8.9] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 11/30/2012] [Accepted: 01/08/2013] [Indexed: 12/15/2022] Open
Abstract
Ligands for ErbB1-4 receptor tyrosine kinases, such as epidermal growth factor (EGF) and neuregulins, regulate brain development and function. Thus, abnormalities in their signaling are implicated in the etiology or pathology of schizophrenia and Parkinson's disease. Among the ErbB receptors, ErbB1, and ErbB4 are expressed in dopamine and GABA neurons, while ErbB1, 2, and/or 3 are mainly present in oligodendrocytes, astrocytes, and their precursors. Thus, deficits in ErbB signaling might contribute to the neurological and psychiatric diseases stemming from these cell types. By incorporating the latest cancer molecular biology as well as our recent progress, we discuss signal cross talk between the ErbB1-4 subunits and their neurobiological functions in each cell type. The potential contribution of virus-derived cytokines (virokines) that mimic EGF and neuregulin-1 in brain diseases are also discussed.
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Affiliation(s)
- Yuriko Iwakura
- Division of Molecular Neurobiology, Brain Research Institute, Niigata University Niigata, Japan
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297
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Temporal dynamics of parvalbumin-expressing axo-axonic and basket cells in the rat medial prefrontal cortex in vivo. J Neurosci 2013; 32:16496-16502. [PMID: 23152631 DOI: 10.1523/jneurosci.3475-12.2012] [Citation(s) in RCA: 75] [Impact Index Per Article: 6.8] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/21/2022] Open
Abstract
Axo-axonic interneurons, innervating exclusively axon initial segments, and parvalbumin-expressing basket interneurons, targeting somata, dendrites, and spines of pyramidal cells, have been proposed to control neuronal activity in prefrontal circuits. We recorded the spike-timing of identified neurons in the prelimbic cortex of anesthetized rats, and show that axo-axonic cells increase their firing during tail pinch-induced brain state-activation. In addition, axo-axonic cells differ from other GABAergic parvalbumin-expressing cells in their spike timing during DOWN- to UP-state transitions of slow oscillations and in their coupling to gamma and spindle oscillations. The distinct firing dynamics and synaptic targets of axo-axonic and other parvalbumin-expressing cells provide differential contributions to the temporal organization of prefrontal networks.
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298
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Seshadri S, Zeledon M, Sawa A. Synapse-specific contributions in the cortical pathology of schizophrenia. Neurobiol Dis 2013; 53:26-35. [PMID: 23336981 DOI: 10.1016/j.nbd.2013.01.009] [Citation(s) in RCA: 20] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.8] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 10/31/2012] [Revised: 01/06/2013] [Accepted: 01/10/2013] [Indexed: 12/22/2022] Open
Abstract
Schizophrenia (SZ) is often described as a disease of neuronal connectivity. Cognitive processes such as working memory, which are particularly dependent on the proper functioning of complex cortical circuitry, are disturbed in the disease. Reciprocal connections between pyramidal neurons and interneurons, as well as dopaminergic innervations, form the basis for higher cognition in the cortex. Nonetheless, only a few review articles are available which address how each synapse operates, and is possibly disturbed in SZ, at least in part by the mechanisms involving genetic susceptibility factors for SZ. In this review, we provide an overview of cortical glutamatergic, GABAergic, and dopaminergic circuitry, review SZ-associated deficits at each of these synapses, and discuss how genetic factors for SZ may contribute to SZ-related phenotype deficits in a synapse-specific manner. Pinpointing the spatially and temporally distinct sites of action of putative SZ susceptibility factors may help us better understand the pathological mechanisms of SZ, especially those associated with synaptic functioning and neuronal connectivity.
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Affiliation(s)
- Saurav Seshadri
- Department of Psychiatry, Johns Hopkins University, Baltimore, MD 21287, USA
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299
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Abstract
GABAergic interneurons of the cerebral cortex (cINs) play crucial roles in many aspects of cortical function. The diverse types of cINs are classified into subgroups according to their morphology, intrinsic physiology, neurochemical markers and synaptic targeting. Recent advances in mouse genetics, imaging and electrophysiology techniques have greatly advanced our efforts to understand the role of normal cIN function and its dysfunction in neuropsychiatric disorders. In schizophrenia (SCZ), a wealth of data suggests that cIN function is perturbed, and that interneuron dysfunction may underlie key symptoms of the disease. In this review, we discuss the link between cINs and SCZ, focusing on the evidence for GABAergic signaling deficits from both SCZ patients and mouse models.
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300
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Denaxa M, Kalaitzidou M, Garefalaki A, Achimastou A, Lasrado R, Maes T, Pachnis V. Maturation-promoting activity of SATB1 in MGE-derived cortical interneurons. Cell Rep 2012; 2:1351-62. [PMID: 23142661 PMCID: PMC3607226 DOI: 10.1016/j.celrep.2012.10.003] [Citation(s) in RCA: 81] [Impact Index Per Article: 6.8] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 08/29/2012] [Revised: 10/01/2012] [Accepted: 10/04/2012] [Indexed: 01/26/2023] Open
Abstract
The generation of cortical interneuron subtypes is controlled by genetic programs that are activated in the ventral forebrain and unfold during the prolonged period of inhibitory neuron development. The LIM-homeodomain protein LHX6 is critical for the development of all cortical interneurons originating in the medial ganglionic eminence, but the molecular mechanisms that operate downstream of LHX6 to control the terminal differentiation of somatostatin- and parvalbumin-expressing interneurons within the cortex remain unknown. Here, we provide evidence that the nuclear matrix and genome organizer protein SATB1 is induced by neuronal activity and functions downstream of Lhx6 to control the transition of tangentially migrating immature interneurons into the terminally differentiated Somatostatin (SST)-expressing subtype. Our experiments provide a molecular framework for understanding the genetic and epigenetic mechanisms by which specified but immature cortical interneurons acquire the subtype-defining molecular and morphophysiological characteristics that allow them to integrate and function within cortical circuits.
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Affiliation(s)
- Myrto Denaxa
- Division of Molecular Neurobiology, MRC National Institute for Medical Research, The Ridgeway, Mill Hill, NW7 1AA London, United Kingdom
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