251
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Sungur AÖ, Schwarting RKW, Wöhr M. Behavioral phenotypes and neurobiological mechanisms in the Shank1 mouse model for autism spectrum disorder: A translational perspective. Behav Brain Res 2017; 352:46-61. [PMID: 28963042 DOI: 10.1016/j.bbr.2017.09.038] [Citation(s) in RCA: 18] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.6] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 05/28/2017] [Revised: 09/11/2017] [Accepted: 09/25/2017] [Indexed: 11/27/2022]
Abstract
Autism spectrum disorder (ASD) is a heterogeneous group of neurodevelopmental disorders, characterized by early-onset deficits in social behavior and communication across multiple contexts, together with restricted, repetitive patterns of behavior, interests, or activities. ASD is among the most heritable neuropsychiatric conditions with heritability estimates higher than 80%, and while available evidence points to a complex set of genetic factors, the SHANK (also known as ProSAP) gene family has emerged as one of the most promising candidates. Several genetic Shank mouse models for ASD were generated, including Shank1 knockout mice. Behavioral studies focusing on the Shank1 knockout mouse model for ASD included assays for detecting ASD-relevant behavioral phenotypes in the following domains: (I) social behavior, (II) communication, and (III) repetitive and stereotyped patterns of behavior. In addition, assays for detecting behavioral phenotypes with relevance to comorbidities in ASD were performed, including but not limited to (IV) cognitive functioning. Here, we summarize and discuss behavioral and neuronal findings obtained in the Shank1 knockout mouse model for ASD. We identify open research questions by comparing such findings with the symptoms present in humans diagnosed with ASD and carrying SHANK1 deletions. We conclude by discussing the implications of the behavioral and neuronal phenotypes displayed by the Shank1 knockout mouse model for the development of future pharmacological interventions in ASD.
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Affiliation(s)
- A Özge Sungur
- Behavioral Neuroscience, Experimental and Biological Psychology, Philipps-University of Marburg, Marburg, Germany
| | - Rainer K W Schwarting
- Behavioral Neuroscience, Experimental and Biological Psychology, Philipps-University of Marburg, Marburg, Germany
| | - Markus Wöhr
- Behavioral Neuroscience, Experimental and Biological Psychology, Philipps-University of Marburg, Marburg, Germany.
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252
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The Intellectual Disability and Schizophrenia Associated Transcription Factor TCF4 Is Regulated by Neuronal Activity and Protein Kinase A. J Neurosci 2017; 37:10516-10527. [PMID: 28951451 DOI: 10.1523/jneurosci.1151-17.2017] [Citation(s) in RCA: 31] [Impact Index Per Article: 4.4] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 04/20/2017] [Revised: 09/10/2017] [Accepted: 09/16/2017] [Indexed: 12/23/2022] Open
Abstract
Transcription factor 4 (TCF4 also known as ITF2 or E2-2) is a basic helix-loop-helix (bHLH) protein associated with Pitt-Hopkins syndrome, intellectual disability, and schizophrenia (SCZ). Here, we show that TCF4-dependent transcription in cortical neurons cultured from embryonic rats of both sexes is induced by neuronal activity via soluble adenylyl cyclase and protein kinase A (PKA) signaling. PKA phosphorylates TCF4 directly and a PKA phosphorylation site in TCF4 is necessary for its transcriptional activity in cultured neurons and in the developing brain in vivo We also demonstrate that Gadd45g (growth arrest and DNA damage inducible gamma) is a direct target of neuronal-activity-induced, TCF4-dependent transcriptional regulation and that TCF4 missense variations identified in SCZ patients alter the transcriptional activity of TCF4 in neurons. This study identifies a new role for TCF4 as a neuronal-activity-regulated transcription factor, offering a novel perspective on the association of TCF4 with cognitive disorders.SIGNIFICANCE STATEMENT The importance of the basic helix-loop-helix transcription factor transcription factor 4 (TCF4) in the nervous system is underlined by its association with common and rare cognitive disorders. In the current study, we show that TCF4-controlled transcription in primary cortical neurons is induced by neuronal activity and protein kinase A. Our results support the hypotheses that dysregulation of neuronal-activity-dependent signaling plays a significant part in the etiology of neuropsychiatric and neurodevelopmental disorders.
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253
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Riikonen R. Insulin-Like Growth Factors in the Pathogenesis of Neurological Diseases in Children. Int J Mol Sci 2017; 18:E2056. [PMID: 28954393 PMCID: PMC5666738 DOI: 10.3390/ijms18102056] [Citation(s) in RCA: 15] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.1] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 08/22/2017] [Revised: 09/12/2017] [Accepted: 09/20/2017] [Indexed: 12/12/2022] Open
Abstract
Insulin-like growth factors play a key role for neuronal growth, differentiation, the survival of neurons and synaptic formation. The action of IGF-1 is most pronounced in the developing brain. In this paper we will try to give an answer to the following questions: Why are studies in children important? What clinical studies in neonatal asphyxia, infantile spasms, progressive encephalopathy-hypsarrhythmia-optical atrophy (PEHO) syndrome, infantile ceroid lipofuscinosis (INCL), autistic spectrum disorders (ASD) and subacute sclerosing encephalopathy (SSPE) have been carried out? What are IGF-based therapeutic strategies? What are the therapeutic approaches? We conclude that there are now great hopes for the therapeutic use of IGF-1 for some neurological disorders (particularly ASD).
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Affiliation(s)
- Raili Riikonen
- Child Neurology, Children's Hospital, University of Eastern Finland and Kuopio University Hospital, P.O. Box 1627, FI-70211 Kuopio, Finland.
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254
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Shepherd JD. Arc - An endogenous neuronal retrovirus? Semin Cell Dev Biol 2017; 77:73-78. [PMID: 28941877 DOI: 10.1016/j.semcdb.2017.09.029] [Citation(s) in RCA: 19] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.7] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 08/11/2017] [Revised: 09/18/2017] [Accepted: 09/19/2017] [Indexed: 12/29/2022]
Abstract
The neuronal gene Arc is essential for long-lasting information storage in the mammalian brain and has been implicated in various neurological disorders. However, little is known about Arc's evolutionary origins. Recent studies suggest that mammalian Arc originated from a vertebrate lineage of Ty3/gypsy retrotransposons, which are also ancestral to retroviruses. In particular, Arc contains homology to the Gag polyprotein that forms the viral capsid and is essential for viral infectivity. This surprising connection raises the intriguing possibility that Arc may share molecular characteristics of retroviruses.
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Affiliation(s)
- Jason D Shepherd
- Department of Neurobiology and Anatomy, The University of Utah School of Medicine, 4539 SMBB, 36 S. Wasatch Dr., Salt Lake City, UT, 84112, United States.
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255
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Managò F, Papaleo F. Schizophrenia: What's Arc Got to Do with It? Front Behav Neurosci 2017; 11:181. [PMID: 28979198 PMCID: PMC5611489 DOI: 10.3389/fnbeh.2017.00181] [Citation(s) in RCA: 12] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.7] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 05/01/2017] [Accepted: 09/11/2017] [Indexed: 01/08/2023] Open
Abstract
Human studies of schizophrenia are now reporting a previously unidentified genetic convergence on postsynaptic signaling complexes such as the activity-regulated cytoskeletal-associated (Arc) gene. However, because this evidence is still very recent, the neurobiological implication of Arc in schizophrenia is still scattered and unrecognized. Here, we first review current and developing findings connecting Arc in schizophrenia. We then highlight recent and previous findings from preclinical mouse models that elucidate how Arc genetic modifications might recapitulate schizophrenia-relevant behavioral phenotypes following the novel Research Domain Criteria (RDoC) framework. Building on this, we finally compare and evaluate several lines of evidence demonstrating that Arc genetics can alter both glutamatergic and dopaminergic systems in a very selective way, again consistent with molecular alterations characteristic of schizophrenia. Despite being only initial, accumulating and compelling data are showing that Arc might be one of the primary biological players in schizophrenia. Synaptic plasticity alterations in the genetic architecture of psychiatric disorders might be a rule, not an exception. Thus, we anticipate that additional evidence will soon emerge to clarify the Arc-dependent mechanisms involved in the psychiatric-related dysfunctional behavior.
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Affiliation(s)
- Francesca Managò
- Department of Neuroscience and Brain Technologies, Istituto Italiano di TecnologiaGenova, Italy
| | - Francesco Papaleo
- Department of Neuroscience and Brain Technologies, Istituto Italiano di TecnologiaGenova, Italy
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256
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Autism spectrum disorders and disease modeling using stem cells. Cell Tissue Res 2017; 371:153-160. [PMID: 28918504 DOI: 10.1007/s00441-017-2685-x] [Citation(s) in RCA: 7] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 05/25/2017] [Accepted: 08/19/2017] [Indexed: 12/13/2022]
Abstract
Autism spectrum disorders (ASD) represent a variety of disorders characterized as complex lifelong neurodevelopment disabilities, which may affect the ability of communication and socialization, including typical comportments like repetitive and stereotyped behavior. Other comorbidities are usually present, such as echolalia, hypotonia, intellectual disability and difficulties in processing figured speech. Furthermore, some ASD individuals may present certain abilities, such as eidetic memory, outstanding musical or painting talents and special mathematical skills, among others. Considering the variability of the clinical symptoms, one autistic individual can be severely affected in communication while others can speak perfectly, sometimes having a vocabulary above average in early childhood. The same variability can be seen in other clinical symptoms, thus the "spectrum" can vary from severe to mild. Induced pluripotent stem cell technology has been used to model several neurological diseases, including syndromic and non-syndromic autism. We discuss how modeling the central nervous system cells in a dish may help to reach a better understanding of ASD pathology and variability, as well as personalize their treatment.
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257
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Szkop KJ, Cooke PIC, Humphries JA, Kalna V, Moss DS, Schuster EF, Nobeli I. Dysregulation of Alternative Poly-adenylation as a Potential Player in Autism Spectrum Disorder. Front Mol Neurosci 2017; 10:279. [PMID: 28955198 PMCID: PMC5601403 DOI: 10.3389/fnmol.2017.00279] [Citation(s) in RCA: 12] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.7] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 07/17/2017] [Accepted: 08/17/2017] [Indexed: 11/30/2022] Open
Abstract
We present here the hypothesis that alternative poly-adenylation (APA) is dysregulated in the brains of individuals affected by Autism Spectrum Disorder (ASD), due to disruptions in the calcium signaling networks. APA, the process of selecting different poly-adenylation sites on the same gene, yielding transcripts with different-length 3′ untranslated regions (UTRs), has been documented in different tissues, stages of development and pathologic conditions. Differential use of poly-adenylation sites has been shown to regulate the function, stability, localization and translation efficiency of target RNAs. However, the role of APA remains rather unexplored in neurodevelopmental conditions. In the human brain, where transcripts have the longest 3′ UTRs and are thus likely to be under more complex post-transcriptional regulation, erratic APA could be particularly detrimental. In the context of ASD, a condition that affects individuals in markedly different ways and whose symptoms exhibit a spectrum of severity, APA dysregulation could be amplified or dampened depending on the individual and the extent of the effect on specific genes would likely vary with genetic and environmental factors. If this hypothesis is correct, dysregulated APA events might be responsible for certain aspects of the phenotypes associated with ASD. Evidence supporting our hypothesis is derived from standard RNA-seq transcriptomic data but we suggest that future experiments should focus on techniques that probe the actual poly-adenylation site (3′ sequencing). To address issues arising from the use of post-mortem tissue and low numbers of heterogeneous samples affected by confounding factors (such as the age, gender and health of the individuals), carefully controlled in vitro systems will be required to model the effect of calcium signaling dysregulation in the ASD brain.
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Affiliation(s)
- Krzysztof J Szkop
- Department of Biological Sciences, Institute of Structural and Molecular Biology, Birkbeck, University of LondonLondon, United Kingdom
| | - Peter I C Cooke
- Department of Biological Sciences, Institute of Structural and Molecular Biology, Birkbeck, University of LondonLondon, United Kingdom
| | - Joanne A Humphries
- Department of Biological Sciences, Institute of Structural and Molecular Biology, Birkbeck, University of LondonLondon, United Kingdom
| | - Viktoria Kalna
- Department of Biological Sciences, Institute of Structural and Molecular Biology, Birkbeck, University of LondonLondon, United Kingdom
| | - David S Moss
- Department of Biological Sciences, Institute of Structural and Molecular Biology, Birkbeck, University of LondonLondon, United Kingdom
| | | | - Irene Nobeli
- Department of Biological Sciences, Institute of Structural and Molecular Biology, Birkbeck, University of LondonLondon, United Kingdom
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258
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Kang MS, Choi TY, Ryu HG, Lee D, Lee SH, Choi SY, Kim KT. Autism-like behavior caused by deletion of vaccinia-related kinase 3 is improved by TrkB stimulation. J Exp Med 2017; 214:2947-2966. [PMID: 28899869 PMCID: PMC5626391 DOI: 10.1084/jem.20160974] [Citation(s) in RCA: 19] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.7] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 06/26/2016] [Revised: 12/12/2016] [Accepted: 02/09/2017] [Indexed: 12/23/2022] Open
Abstract
Kang et al. showed that reduced vaccinia-related kinase 3 (VRK3) expression affects synaptic structure and function and results in cognitive dysfunction and autism-like behaviors in mice. TrkB stimulation reverses the altered synaptic properties and restores autism-like behaviors in VRK3-deficient mice. Vaccinia-related kinases (VRKs) are multifaceted serine/threonine kinases that play essential roles in various aspects of cell signaling, cell cycle progression, apoptosis, and neuronal development and differentiation. However, the neuronal function of VRK3 is still unknown despite its etiological potential in human autism spectrum disorder (ASD). Here, we report that VRK3-deficient mice exhibit typical symptoms of autism-like behavior, including hyperactivity, stereotyped behaviors, reduced social interaction, and impaired context-dependent spatial memory. A significant decrease in dendritic spine number and arborization were identified in the hippocampus CA1 of VRK3-deficient mice. These mice also exhibited a reduced rectification of AMPA receptor–mediated current and changes in expression of synaptic and signaling proteins, including tyrosine receptor kinase B (TrkB), Arc, and CaMKIIα. Notably, TrkB stimulation with 7,8-dihydroxyflavone reversed the altered synaptic structure and function and successfully restored autism-like behavior in VRK3-deficient mice. These results reveal that VRK3 plays a critical role in neurodevelopmental disorders and suggest a potential therapeutic strategy for ASD.
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Affiliation(s)
- Myung-Su Kang
- Department of Life Sciences, Pohang University of Science and Technology, Pohang, Republic of Korea
| | - Tae-Yong Choi
- Department of Physiology, Dental Research Institute, Seoul National University School of Dentistry, Seoul, Republic of Korea
| | - Hye Guk Ryu
- Department of Life Sciences, Pohang University of Science and Technology, Pohang, Republic of Korea
| | - Dohyun Lee
- Department of Life Sciences, Pohang University of Science and Technology, Pohang, Republic of Korea
| | - Seung-Hyun Lee
- Department of Physiology, Dental Research Institute, Seoul National University School of Dentistry, Seoul, Republic of Korea
| | - Se-Young Choi
- Department of Physiology, Dental Research Institute, Seoul National University School of Dentistry, Seoul, Republic of Korea
| | - Kyong-Tai Kim
- Department of Life Sciences, Pohang University of Science and Technology, Pohang, Republic of Korea .,Division of Integrative Biosciences and Biotechnology, Pohang University of Science and Technology, Pohang, Republic of Korea
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259
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Misregulation of an Activity-Dependent Splicing Network as a Common Mechanism Underlying Autism Spectrum Disorders. Mol Cell 2017; 64:1023-1034. [PMID: 27984743 DOI: 10.1016/j.molcel.2016.11.033] [Citation(s) in RCA: 96] [Impact Index Per Article: 13.7] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 06/30/2016] [Revised: 10/27/2016] [Accepted: 11/22/2016] [Indexed: 12/22/2022]
Abstract
A key challenge in understanding and ultimately treating autism is to identify common molecular mechanisms underlying this genetically heterogeneous disorder. Transcriptomic profiling of autistic brains has revealed correlated misregulation of the neuronal splicing regulator nSR100/SRRM4 and its target microexon splicing program in more than one-third of analyzed individuals. To investigate whether nSR100 misregulation is causally linked to autism, we generated mutant mice with reduced levels of this protein and its target splicing program. Remarkably, these mice display multiple autistic-like features, including altered social behaviors, synaptic density, and signaling. Moreover, increased neuronal activity, which is often associated with autism, results in a rapid decrease in nSR100 and splicing of microexons that significantly overlap those misregulated in autistic brains. Collectively, our results provide evidence that misregulation of an nSR100-dependent splicing network controlled by changes in neuronal activity is causally linked to a substantial fraction of autism cases.
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260
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Kabir ZD, Lee AS, Burgdorf CE, Fischer DK, Rajadhyaksha AM, Mok E, Rizzo B, Rice RC, Singh K, Ota KT, Gerhard DM, Schierberl KC, Glass MJ, Duman RS, Rajadhyaksha AM. Cacna1c in the Prefrontal Cortex Regulates Depression-Related Behaviors via REDD1. Neuropsychopharmacology 2017; 42:2032-2042. [PMID: 27922594 PMCID: PMC5561335 DOI: 10.1038/npp.2016.271] [Citation(s) in RCA: 37] [Impact Index Per Article: 5.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Submit a Manuscript] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 05/12/2016] [Revised: 11/01/2016] [Accepted: 11/25/2016] [Indexed: 01/03/2023]
Abstract
The CACNA1C gene that encodes the L-type Ca2+ channel (LTCC) Cav1.2 subunit has emerged as a candidate risk gene for multiple neuropsychiatric disorders including bipolar disorder, major depressive disorder, and schizophrenia, all marked with depression-related symptoms. Although cacna1c heterozygous (HET) mice have been previously reported to exhibit an antidepressant-like phenotype, the molecular and circuit-level dysfunction remains unknown. Here we report that viral vector-mediated deletion of cacna1c in the adult prefrontal cortex (PFC) of mice recapitulates the antidepressant-like effect observed in cacna1c HET mice using the sucrose preference test (SPT), forced swim test (FST), and tail suspension test (TST). Molecular studies identified lower levels of REDD1, a protein previously linked to depression, in the PFC of HET mice, and viral-mediated REDD1 overexpression in the PFC of these HET mice reversed the antidepressant-like effect in SPT and TST. Examination of downstream REDD1 targets found lower levels of active/phosphorylated Akt (S473) with no change in mTORC1 phosphorylation. Examination of the transcription factor FoxO3a, previously linked to depression-related behavior and shown to be regulated in other systems by Akt, revealed higher nuclear levels in the PFC of cacna1c HET mice that was further increased following REDD1-mediated reversal of the antidepressant-like phenotype. Collectively, these findings suggest that REDD1 in cacna1c HET mice may influence depression-related behavior via regulation of the FoxO3a pathway. Cacna1c HET mice thus serve as a useful mouse model to further study cacna1c-associated molecular signaling and depression-related behaviors relevant to human CACNA1C genetic variants.
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Affiliation(s)
- Zeeba D Kabir
- Division of Pediatric Neurology, Department of Pediatrics, Weill Cornell Medicine, New York, NY, USA
| | - Anni S Lee
- Division of Pediatric Neurology, Department of Pediatrics, Weill Cornell Medicine, New York, NY, USA
- Feil Family Brain and Mind Research Institute, Weill Cornell Medicine, New York, NY, USA
| | - Caitlin E Burgdorf
- Division of Pediatric Neurology, Department of Pediatrics, Weill Cornell Medicine, New York, NY, USA
- Feil Family Brain and Mind Research Institute, Weill Cornell Medicine, New York, NY, USA
| | - Delaney K Fischer
- Division of Pediatric Neurology, Department of Pediatrics, Weill Cornell Medicine, New York, NY, USA
| | - Aditi M Rajadhyaksha
- Division of Pediatric Neurology, Department of Pediatrics, Weill Cornell Medicine, New York, NY, USA
| | - Ethan Mok
- Division of Pediatric Neurology, Department of Pediatrics, Weill Cornell Medicine, New York, NY, USA
| | - Bryant Rizzo
- Division of Pediatric Neurology, Department of Pediatrics, Weill Cornell Medicine, New York, NY, USA
| | - Richard C Rice
- Division of Pediatric Neurology, Department of Pediatrics, Weill Cornell Medicine, New York, NY, USA
| | - Kamalpreet Singh
- Division of Pediatric Neurology, Department of Pediatrics, Weill Cornell Medicine, New York, NY, USA
| | - Kristie T Ota
- Laboratory of Molecular Psychiatry, Department of Psychiatry, Yale University School of Medicine, New Haven, CT, USA
| | - Danielle M Gerhard
- Laboratory of Molecular Psychiatry, Department of Psychiatry, Yale University School of Medicine, New Haven, CT, USA
| | - Kathryn C Schierberl
- Division of Pediatric Neurology, Department of Pediatrics, Weill Cornell Medicine, New York, NY, USA
- Feil Family Brain and Mind Research Institute, Weill Cornell Medicine, New York, NY, USA
| | - Michael J Glass
- Feil Family Brain and Mind Research Institute, Weill Cornell Medicine, New York, NY, USA
| | - Ronald S Duman
- Laboratory of Molecular Psychiatry, Department of Psychiatry, Yale University School of Medicine, New Haven, CT, USA
| | - Anjali M Rajadhyaksha
- Division of Pediatric Neurology, Department of Pediatrics, Weill Cornell Medicine, New York, NY, USA
- Feil Family Brain and Mind Research Institute, Weill Cornell Medicine, New York, NY, USA
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261
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Negative Allosteric Modulation of mGluR5 Partially Corrects Pathophysiology in a Mouse Model of Rett Syndrome. J Neurosci 2017; 36:11946-11958. [PMID: 27881780 DOI: 10.1523/jneurosci.0672-16.2016] [Citation(s) in RCA: 35] [Impact Index Per Article: 5.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 02/29/2016] [Revised: 08/12/2016] [Accepted: 09/29/2016] [Indexed: 12/25/2022] Open
Abstract
Rett syndrome (RTT) is caused by mutations in the gene encoding methyl-CpG binding protein 2 (MECP2), an epigenetic regulator of mRNA transcription. Here, we report a test of the hypothesis of shared pathophysiology of RTT and fragile X, another monogenic cause of autism and intellectual disability. In fragile X, the loss of the mRNA translational repressor FMRP leads to exaggerated protein synthesis downstream of metabotropic glutamate receptor 5 (mGluR5). We found that mGluR5- and protein-synthesis-dependent synaptic plasticity were similarly altered in area CA1 of Mecp2 KO mice. CA1 pyramidal cell-type-specific, genome-wide profiling of ribosome-bound mRNAs was performed in wild-type and Mecp2 KO hippocampal CA1 neurons to reveal the MeCP2-regulated "translatome." We found significant overlap between ribosome-bound transcripts overexpressed in the Mecp2 KO and FMRP mRNA targets. These tended to encode long genes that were functionally related to either cytoskeleton organization or the development of neuronal connectivity. In the Fmr1 KO mouse, chronic treatment with mGluR5-negative allosteric modulators (NAMs) has been shown to ameliorate many mutant phenotypes by correcting excessive protein synthesis. In Mecp2 KO mice, we found that mGluR5 NAM treatment significantly reduced the level of overexpressed ribosome-associated transcripts, particularly those that were also FMRP targets. Some Rett phenotypes were also ameliorated by treatment, most notably hippocampal cell size and lifespan. Together, these results suggest a potential mechanistic link between MeCP2-mediated transcription regulation and mGluR5/FMRP-mediated protein translation regulation through coregulation of a subset of genes relevant to synaptic functions. SIGNIFICANCE STATEMENT Altered regulation of synaptic protein synthesis has been hypothesized to contribute to the pathophysiology that underlies multiple forms of intellectual disability and autism spectrum disorder. Here, we show in a mouse model of Rett syndrome (Mecp2 KO) that metabotropic glutamate receptor 5 (mGluR5)- and protein-synthesis-dependent synaptic plasticity are abnormal in the hippocampus. We found that a subset of ribosome-bound mRNAs was aberrantly upregulated in hippocampal CA1 neurons of Mecp2 KO mice, that these significantly overlapped with FMRP direct targets and/or SFARI human autism genes, and that chronic treatment of Mecp2 KO mice with an mGluR5-negative allosteric modulator tunes down upregulated ribosome-bound mRNAs and partially improves mutant mice phenotypes.
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262
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Mahmood U, Ahn S, Yang EJ, Choi M, Kim H, Regan P, Cho K, Kim HS. Dendritic spine anomalies and PTEN alterations in a mouse model of VPA-induced autism spectrum disorder. Pharmacol Res 2017; 128:110-121. [PMID: 28823725 DOI: 10.1016/j.phrs.2017.08.006] [Citation(s) in RCA: 31] [Impact Index Per Article: 4.4] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Submit a Manuscript] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 07/14/2017] [Revised: 08/08/2017] [Accepted: 08/12/2017] [Indexed: 11/18/2022]
Abstract
Mounting evidence suggests that the etiology of autism spectrum disorders (ASDs) is profoundly influenced by exposure to environmental factors, although the precise molecular and cellular links remain ill-defined. In this study, we examined how exposure to valproic acid (VPA) during pregnancy is associated with an increased incidence of ASD. A mouse model was established by injecting VPA at embryonic day 13, and its behavioral phenotypes including impaired social interaction, increased repetitive behaviors and decreased nociception were observed at postnatal days 21-42. VPA-treated mice showed dysregulation of synaptic structure in cortical neurons, including a reduced proportion of filopodium-type and stubby spines and increased proportions of thin and mushroom-type spines, along with a decreased spine head size. We also found that VPA-treatment led to decreased expression of phosphate and tensin homolog (PTEN) and increased levels of p-AKT protein in the hippocampus and cortex. Our data suggest that there is a correlation between VPA exposure and dysregulation of PTEN with ASD-like behavioral and neuroanatomical changes, and this may be a potential mechanism of VPA-induced ASD.
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Affiliation(s)
- Usman Mahmood
- Interdisciplinary Program in Brain Sciences, Seoul National University College of Natural Sciences, Seoul, 08826, Republic of Korea
| | - Sangzin Ahn
- Department of Pharmacology and Biomedical Sciences, Seoul National University College of Medicine, Seoul, 03080, Republic of Korea; Present address: Department of Pharmacology, Inje University College of Medicine, Busan, 47392, Republic of Korea
| | - Eun-Jeong Yang
- Department of Pharmacology and Biomedical Sciences, Seoul National University College of Medicine, Seoul, 03080, Republic of Korea
| | - Moonseok Choi
- Department of Pharmacology and Biomedical Sciences, Seoul National University College of Medicine, Seoul, 03080, Republic of Korea
| | - Hyunju Kim
- Department of Pharmacology and Biomedical Sciences, Seoul National University College of Medicine, Seoul, 03080, Republic of Korea
| | - Philip Regan
- School of Clinical Sciences, Faculty of Health Sciences, University of Bristol, Whitson Street, Bristol BS1 3NY, United Kingdom
| | - Kwangwook Cho
- School of Clinical Sciences, Faculty of Health Sciences, University of Bristol, Whitson Street, Bristol BS1 3NY, United Kingdom
| | - Hye-Sun Kim
- Interdisciplinary Program in Brain Sciences, Seoul National University College of Natural Sciences, Seoul, 08826, Republic of Korea; Department of Pharmacology and Biomedical Sciences, Seoul National University College of Medicine, Seoul, 03080, Republic of Korea; Seoul National University Bundang Hospital, Seoul National University College of Medicine, Sungnam, 13620, Republic of Korea.
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263
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In vivo and in vitro sex differences in the dendritic morphology of developing murine hippocampal and cortical neurons. Sci Rep 2017; 7:8486. [PMID: 28814778 PMCID: PMC5559594 DOI: 10.1038/s41598-017-08459-z] [Citation(s) in RCA: 43] [Impact Index Per Article: 6.1] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 05/19/2017] [Accepted: 07/12/2017] [Indexed: 12/20/2022] Open
Abstract
Altered dendritic morphology is common in neurodevelopmental disorders (NDDs), many of which show sex biases in prevalence, onset and/or severity. However, whether dendritic morphology varies as a function of sex in juvenile mice or primary neuronal cell cultures is largely unknown even though both are widely used models for studying NDDs. To address this gap, we quantified dendritic morphology in CA1 pyramidal hippocampal and adjacent somatosensory pyramidal cortical neurons from male and female postnatal day (P)28 C57BL/6J mice. As determined by Sholl analysis of Golgi-stained brain sections, dendritic arbors of male hippocampal neurons are more complex than females. Conversely, dendritic morphology of female cortical neurons is more complex than males. In primary neuron-glia co-cultures from P0 mouse hippocampi, male neurons have more complex dendritic arbors than female neurons. Sex differences are less pronounced in cortical cultures. In vitro sex differences in dendritic morphology are driven in part by estrogen-dependent mechanisms, as evidenced by decreased dendritic complexity in male hippocampal neurons cultured in phenol red-free media or in the presence of an estrogen receptor antagonist. Evidence that sex influences dendritic morphogenesis in two models of neurodevelopment in a region-specific manner has significant mechanistic implications regarding sex biases in NDDs.
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264
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Soltani A, Lebrun S, Carpentier G, Zunino G, Chantepie S, Maïza A, Bozzi Y, Desnos C, Darchen F, Stettler O. Increased signaling by the autism-related Engrailed-2 protein enhances dendritic branching and spine density, alters synaptic structural matching, and exaggerates protein synthesis. PLoS One 2017; 12:e0181350. [PMID: 28809922 PMCID: PMC5557355 DOI: 10.1371/journal.pone.0181350] [Citation(s) in RCA: 15] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.1] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 12/19/2016] [Accepted: 06/29/2017] [Indexed: 12/13/2022] Open
Abstract
Engrailed 1 (En1) and 2 (En2) code for closely related homeoproteins acting as transcription factors and as signaling molecules that contribute to midbrain and hindbrain patterning, to development and maintenance of monoaminergic pathways, and to retinotectal wiring. En2 has been suggested to be an autism susceptibility gene and individuals with autism display an overexpression of this homeogene but the mechanisms remain unclear. We addressed in the present study the effect of exogenously added En2 on the morphology of hippocampal cells that normally express only low levels of Engrailed proteins. By means of RT-qPCR, we confirmed that En1 and En2 were expressed at low levels in hippocampus and hippocampal neurons, and observed a pronounced decrease in En2 expression at birth and during the first postnatal week, a period characterized by intense synaptogenesis. To address a putative effect of Engrailed in dendritogenesis or synaptogenesis, we added recombinant En1 or En2 proteins to hippocampal cell cultures. Both En1 and En2 treatment increased the complexity of the dendritic tree of glutamatergic neurons, but only En2 increased that of GABAergic cells. En1 increased the density of dendritic spines both in vitro and in vivo. En2 had similar but less pronounced effect on spine density. The number of mature synapses remained unchanged upon En1 treatment but was reduced by En2 treatment, as well as the area of post-synaptic densities. Finally, both En1 and En2 elevated mTORC1 activity and protein synthesis in hippocampal cells, suggesting that some effects of Engrailed proteins may require mRNA translation. Our results indicate that Engrailed proteins can play, even at low concentrations, an active role in the morphogenesis of hippocampal cells. Further, they emphasize the over-regulation of GABA cell morphology and the vulnerability of excitatory synapses in a pathological context of En2 overexpression.
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Affiliation(s)
- Asma Soltani
- UMR 8250, Centre National de la Recherche Scientifique, Université Paris Descartes, Sorbonne Paris Cité, Paris, France
| | - Solène Lebrun
- UMR 8250, Centre National de la Recherche Scientifique, Université Paris Descartes, Sorbonne Paris Cité, Paris, France
| | - Gilles Carpentier
- Laboratoire Croissance, Réparation et Régénération Tissulaires (CRRET), EA 4397 / ERL 9215, Centre National de la Recherche Scientifique, Université Paris Est Créteil, Créteil, France
| | - Giulia Zunino
- Centre for Integrative Biology, University of Trento, Trento, Italy
| | - Sandrine Chantepie
- Laboratoire Croissance, Réparation et Régénération Tissulaires (CRRET), EA 4397 / ERL 9215, Centre National de la Recherche Scientifique, Université Paris Est Créteil, Créteil, France
| | - Auriane Maïza
- Laboratoire Croissance, Réparation et Régénération Tissulaires (CRRET), EA 4397 / ERL 9215, Centre National de la Recherche Scientifique, Université Paris Est Créteil, Créteil, France
| | - Yuri Bozzi
- Centre for Integrative Biology, University of Trento, Trento, Italy
| | - Claire Desnos
- UMR 8250, Centre National de la Recherche Scientifique, Université Paris Descartes, Sorbonne Paris Cité, Paris, France
| | - François Darchen
- UMR 8250, Centre National de la Recherche Scientifique, Université Paris Descartes, Sorbonne Paris Cité, Paris, France
| | - Olivier Stettler
- UMR 8250, Centre National de la Recherche Scientifique, Université Paris Descartes, Sorbonne Paris Cité, Paris, France
- Laboratoire Croissance, Réparation et Régénération Tissulaires (CRRET), EA 4397 / ERL 9215, Centre National de la Recherche Scientifique, Université Paris Est Créteil, Créteil, France
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265
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Mauger O, Lemoine F, Scheiffele P. Targeted Intron Retention and Excision for Rapid Gene Regulation in Response to Neuronal Activity. Neuron 2017; 92:1266-1278. [PMID: 28009274 DOI: 10.1016/j.neuron.2016.11.032] [Citation(s) in RCA: 140] [Impact Index Per Article: 20.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 05/21/2016] [Revised: 10/14/2016] [Accepted: 11/18/2016] [Indexed: 01/03/2023]
Abstract
Activity-dependent transcription has emerged as a major source of gene products that regulate neuronal excitability, connectivity, and synaptic properties. However, the elongation rate of RNA polymerases imposes a significant temporal constraint for transcript synthesis, in particular for long genes where new synthesis requires hours. Here we reveal a novel, transcription-independent mechanism that releases transcripts within minutes of neuronal stimulation. We found that, in the mouse neocortex, polyadenylated transcripts retain select introns and are stably accumulated in the cell nucleus. A subset of these intron retention transcripts undergoes activity-dependent splicing, cytoplasmic export, and ribosome loading, thus acutely releasing mRNAs in response to stimulation. This process requires NMDA receptor- and calmodulin-dependent kinase pathways, and it is particularly prevalent for long transcripts. We conclude that regulated intron retention in fully transcribed RNAs represents a mechanism to rapidly mobilize a pool of mRNAs in response to neuronal activity.
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Affiliation(s)
- Oriane Mauger
- Biozentrum of the University of Basel, Klingelbergstrasse 50-70, 4056 Basel, Switzerland
| | - Frédéric Lemoine
- GenoSplice Technology, iPEPS-ICM, Hôpital de la Pitié Salpêtrière, 75013 Paris, France
| | - Peter Scheiffele
- Biozentrum of the University of Basel, Klingelbergstrasse 50-70, 4056 Basel, Switzerland.
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266
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Uchida S, Shumyatsky GP. Synaptically Localized Transcriptional Regulators in Memory Formation. Neuroscience 2017; 370:4-13. [PMID: 28733211 DOI: 10.1016/j.neuroscience.2017.07.023] [Citation(s) in RCA: 23] [Impact Index Per Article: 3.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 03/24/2017] [Revised: 07/07/2017] [Accepted: 07/10/2017] [Indexed: 01/07/2023]
Abstract
At the neuronal cell level, long-term memory formation emerges from interactions between initial activity-dependent molecular changes at the synapse and subsequent regulation of gene transcription in the nucleus. This in turn leads to strengthening of the connections back at the synapse that received the initial signal. However, the mechanisms through which this synapse-to-nucleus molecular exchange occurs remain poorly understood. Here we discuss recent studies that delineate nucleocytoplasmic transport of a special class of synaptically localized transcriptional regulators that upon receiving initial external signal by the synapse move to the nucleus to modulate gene transcription.
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Affiliation(s)
- Shusaku Uchida
- Division of Neuropsychiatry, Department of Neuroscience, Yamaguchi University Graduate School of Medicine, 1-1-1 Minami-Kogushi, Ube, Yamaguchi 755-8505, Japan
| | - Gleb P Shumyatsky
- Department of Genetics, Rutgers University, 145 Bevier Rd., Piscataway, NJ 08854, USA.
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267
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Kabir ZD, Martínez-Rivera A, Rajadhyaksha AM. From Gene to Behavior: L-Type Calcium Channel Mechanisms Underlying Neuropsychiatric Symptoms. Neurotherapeutics 2017; 14:588-613. [PMID: 28497380 PMCID: PMC5509628 DOI: 10.1007/s13311-017-0532-0] [Citation(s) in RCA: 58] [Impact Index Per Article: 8.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 12/11/2022] Open
Abstract
The L-type calcium channels (LTCCs) Cav1.2 and Cav1.3, encoded by the CACNA1C and CACNA1D genes, respectively, are important regulators of calcium influx into cells and are critical for normal brain development and plasticity. In humans, CACNA1C has emerged as one of the most widely reproduced and prominent candidate risk genes for a range of neuropsychiatric disorders, including bipolar disorder (BD), schizophrenia (SCZ), major depressive disorder, autism spectrum disorder, and attention deficit hyperactivity disorder. Separately, CACNA1D has been found to be associated with BD and autism spectrum disorder, as well as cocaine dependence, a comorbid feature associated with psychiatric disorders. Despite growing evidence of a significant link between CACNA1C and CACNA1D and psychiatric disorders, our understanding of the biological mechanisms by which these LTCCs mediate neuropsychiatric-associated endophenotypes, many of which are shared across the different disorders, remains rudimentary. Clinical studies with LTCC blockers testing their efficacy to alleviate symptoms associated with BD, SCZ, and drug dependence have provided mixed results, underscoring the importance of further exploring the neurobiological consequences of dysregulated Cav1.2 and Cav1.3. Here, we provide a review of clinical studies that have evaluated LTCC blockers for BD, SCZ, and drug dependence-associated symptoms, as well as rodent studies that have identified Cav1.2- and Cav1.3-specific molecular and cellular cascades that underlie mood (anxiety, depression), social behavior, cognition, and addiction.
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Affiliation(s)
- Zeeba D Kabir
- Pediatric Neurology, Pediatrics, Weill Cornell Medicine, New York, NY, USA
- Weill Cornell Autism Research Program, Weill Cornell Medicine, New York, NY, USA
| | - Arlene Martínez-Rivera
- Pediatric Neurology, Pediatrics, Weill Cornell Medicine, New York, NY, USA
- Weill Cornell Autism Research Program, Weill Cornell Medicine, New York, NY, USA
| | - Anjali M Rajadhyaksha
- Pediatric Neurology, Pediatrics, Weill Cornell Medicine, New York, NY, USA.
- Weill Cornell Autism Research Program, Weill Cornell Medicine, New York, NY, USA.
- Feil Family Brain and Mind Research Institute, Weill Cornell Medicine, New York, NY, USA.
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268
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Sztainberg Y, Zoghbi HY. Lessons learned from studying syndromic autism spectrum disorders. Nat Neurosci 2017; 19:1408-1417. [PMID: 27786181 DOI: 10.1038/nn.4420] [Citation(s) in RCA: 148] [Impact Index Per Article: 21.1] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 02/07/2023]
Abstract
Syndromic autism spectrum disorders represent a group of childhood neurological conditions, typically associated with chromosomal abnormalities or mutations in a single gene. The discovery of their genetic causes has increased our understanding of the molecular pathways critical for normal cognitive and social development. Human studies have revealed that the brain is particularly sensitive to changes in dosage of various proteins from transcriptional and translational regulators to synaptic proteins. Investigations of these disorders in animals have shed light on previously unknown pathogenic mechanisms leading to the identification of potential targets for therapeutic intervention. The demonstration of reversibility of several phenotypes in adult mice is encouraging, and brings hope that with novel therapies, skills and functionality might improve in affected children and young adults. As new research reveals points of convergence between syndromic and nonsyndromic autism spectrum disorders, we believe there will be opportunities for shared therapeutics for this class of conditions.
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Affiliation(s)
- Yehezkel Sztainberg
- Department of Molecular and Human Genetics, Baylor College of Medicine, Houston, Texas, USA.,Jan and Dan Duncan Neurological Research Institute at Texas Children's Hospital, Houston, Texas, USA
| | - Huda Y Zoghbi
- Department of Molecular and Human Genetics, Baylor College of Medicine, Houston, Texas, USA.,Department of Neuroscience, Baylor College of Medicine, Houston, Texas, USA.,Howard Hughes Medical Institute, Baylor College of Medicine, Houston, Texas, USA
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269
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Neuronal activity-regulated alternative mRNA splicing. Int J Biochem Cell Biol 2017; 91:184-193. [PMID: 28591617 DOI: 10.1016/j.biocel.2017.06.002] [Citation(s) in RCA: 18] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.6] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 02/23/2017] [Revised: 05/24/2017] [Accepted: 06/01/2017] [Indexed: 11/20/2022]
Abstract
Activity-regulated gene transcription underlies plasticity-dependent changes in the molecular composition and structure of neurons. Numerous genes whose expression is induced by different neuronal plasticity inducing pathways have been identified, but the alteration of gene expression levels represents only part of the complexity of the activity-regulated transcriptional program. Alternative splicing of precursor mRNA is an additional mechanism that modulates the activity-dependent transcriptional signature. Recently developed splicing sensitive transcriptome wide analyses improve our understanding of the underlying mechanisms and demonstrate to what extend the activity regulated transcriptome is alternatively spliced. So far, only for a small group of differentially spliced mRNAs of synaptic proteins, the functional implications have been studied in detail. These include examples in which differential exon usage can result in the expression of alternative proteins which interfere with or alter the function of preexisting proteins and cause a dominant negative functional block of constitutively expressed variants. Such altered proteins contribute to the structural and functional reorganization of pre- and postsynaptic terminals and to the maintenance and formation of synapses. In addition, activity-induced alternative splicing can affect the untranslated regions (UTRs) and generates mRNAs harboring different cis-regulatory elements. Such differential UTRs can influence mRNA stability, translation, and can change the targeting of mRNAs to subcellular compartments. Here, we summarize different categories of alternative splicing which are thought to contribute to synaptic remodeling, give an overview of activity-regulated alternatively spliced mRNAs of synaptic proteins that impact synaptic functions, and discuss splicing factors and epigenetic modifications as regulatory determinants.
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270
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Sungur AÖ, Jochner MCE, Harb H, Kılıç A, Garn H, Schwarting RKW, Wöhr M. Aberrant cognitive phenotypes and altered hippocampal BDNF expression related to epigenetic modifications in mice lacking the post-synaptic scaffolding protein SHANK1: Implications for autism spectrum disorder. Hippocampus 2017; 27:906-919. [PMID: 28500650 DOI: 10.1002/hipo.22741] [Citation(s) in RCA: 22] [Impact Index Per Article: 3.1] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 02/13/2017] [Revised: 04/05/2017] [Accepted: 05/03/2017] [Indexed: 12/29/2022]
Abstract
Autism spectrum disorder (ASD) is a class of neurodevelopmental disorders characterized by persistent deficits in social communication/interaction, together with restricted/repetitive patterns of behavior. ASD is among the most heritable neuropsychiatric conditions, and while available evidence points to a complex set of genetic factors, the SHANK gene family has emerged as one of the most promising candidates. Here, we assessed ASD-related phenotypes with particular emphasis on social behavior and cognition in Shank1 mouse mutants in comparison to heterozygous and wildtype littermate controls across development in both sexes. While social approach behavior was evident in all experimental conditions and social recognition was only mildly affected by genotype, Shank1-/- null mutant mice were severely impaired in object recognition memory. This effect was particularly prominent in juveniles, not due to impairments in object discrimination, and replicated in independent mouse cohorts. At the neurobiological level, object recognition deficits were paralleled by increased brain-derived neurotrophic factor (BDNF) protein expression in the hippocampus of Shank1-/- mice; yet BDNF levels did not differ under baseline conditions. We therefore investigated changes in the epigenetic regulation of hippocampal BDNF expression and detected an enrichment of histone H3 acetylation at the Bdnf promoter1 in Shank1-/- mice, consistent with increased learning-associated BDNF. Together, our findings indicate that Shank1 deletions lead to an aberrant cognitive phenotype characterized by severe impairments in object recognition memory and increased hippocampal BDNF levels, possibly due to epigenetic modifications. This result supports the link between ASD and intellectual disability, and suggests epigenetic regulation as a potential therapeutic target.
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Affiliation(s)
- A Özge Sungur
- Behavioral Neuroscience, Experimental and Biological Psychology, Philipps-University of Marburg, Marburg, Germany
| | - Magdalena C E Jochner
- Behavioral Neuroscience, Experimental and Biological Psychology, Philipps-University of Marburg, Marburg, Germany
| | - Hani Harb
- Institute of Laboratory Medicine and Pathobiochemistry-Molecular Diagnostics, Philipps-University of Marburg, Marburg, Germany
| | - Ayşe Kılıç
- Institute of Laboratory Medicine and Pathobiochemistry-Molecular Diagnostics, Philipps-University of Marburg, Marburg, Germany
| | - Holger Garn
- Institute of Laboratory Medicine and Pathobiochemistry-Molecular Diagnostics, Philipps-University of Marburg, Marburg, Germany
| | - Rainer K W Schwarting
- Behavioral Neuroscience, Experimental and Biological Psychology, Philipps-University of Marburg, Marburg, Germany
| | - Markus Wöhr
- Behavioral Neuroscience, Experimental and Biological Psychology, Philipps-University of Marburg, Marburg, Germany
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271
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Porter RS, Murata-Nakamura Y, Nagasu H, Kim HG, Iwase S. Transcriptome Analysis Revealed Impaired cAMP Responsiveness in PHF21A-Deficient Human Cells. Neuroscience 2017; 370:170-180. [PMID: 28571721 DOI: 10.1016/j.neuroscience.2017.05.031] [Citation(s) in RCA: 4] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.6] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 03/01/2017] [Revised: 05/08/2017] [Accepted: 05/19/2017] [Indexed: 12/16/2022]
Abstract
Potocki-Shaffer Syndrome is a rare neurodevelopmental syndrome associated with microdeletion of a region of Chromosome 11p11.2. Genetic evidence has implicated haploinsufficiency of PHF21A, a gene that encodes a histone-binding protein, as the likely cause of intellectual disability and craniofacial abnormalities in Potocki-Shaffer Syndrome. However, the molecular consequences of reduced PHF21A expression remain elusive. In this study, we analyzed by RNA-Sequencing (RNA-Seq) two patient-derived cell lines with heterozygous loss of PHF21A compared to unaffected individuals and identified 1,885 genes that were commonly misregulated. The patient cells displayed down-regulation of key pathways relevant to learning and memory, including Cyclic Adenosine Monophosphate (cAMP)-signaling pathway genes. We found that PHF21A is required for full induction of a luciferase reporter carrying cAMP-responsive elements (CRE) following stimulation by the cAMP analog, forskolin. Finally, PHF21A-deficient patient-derived cells exhibited a delayed induction of immediate early genes following forskolin stimulation. These results suggest that an impaired response to cAMP signaling might be involved in the pathology of PHF21A deficiency. This article is part of a Special Issue entitled: [SI: Molecules & Cognition].
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Affiliation(s)
- Robert S Porter
- Department of Human Genetics, University of Michigan, Ann Arbor, MI, USA
| | | | - Hajime Nagasu
- Department of Human Genetics, University of Michigan, Ann Arbor, MI, USA
| | - Hyung-Goo Kim
- Section of Reproductive Endocrinology, Infertility & Genetics, Department of Obstetrics & Gynecology, Augusta University, Augusta, GA 30912, USA
| | - Shigeki Iwase
- Department of Human Genetics, University of Michigan, Ann Arbor, MI, USA.
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272
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Discovery of nitrate-CPK-NLP signalling in central nutrient-growth networks. Nature 2017; 545:311-316. [PMID: 28489820 DOI: 10.1038/nature22077] [Citation(s) in RCA: 330] [Impact Index Per Article: 47.1] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 06/21/2016] [Accepted: 03/16/2017] [Indexed: 12/17/2022]
Abstract
Nutrient signalling integrates and coordinates gene expression, metabolism and growth. However, its primary molecular mechanisms remain incompletely understood in plants and animals. Here we report unique Ca2+ signalling triggered by nitrate with live imaging of an ultrasensitive biosensor in Arabidopsis leaves and roots. A nitrate-sensitized and targeted functional genomic screen identifies subgroup III Ca2+-sensor protein kinases (CPKs) as master regulators that orchestrate primary nitrate responses. A chemical switch with the engineered mutant CPK10(M141G) circumvents embryo lethality and enables conditional analyses of cpk10 cpk30 cpk32 triple mutants to define comprehensive nitrate-associated regulatory and developmental programs. Nitrate-coupled CPK signalling phosphorylates conserved NIN-LIKE PROTEIN (NLP) transcription factors to specify the reprogramming of gene sets for downstream transcription factors, transporters, nitrogen assimilation, carbon/nitrogen metabolism, redox, signalling, hormones and proliferation. Conditional cpk10 cpk30 cpk32 and nlp7 mutants similarly impair nitrate-stimulated system-wide shoot growth and root establishment. The nutrient-coupled Ca2+ signalling network integrates transcriptome and cellular metabolism with shoot-root coordination and developmental plasticity in shaping organ biomass and architecture.
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273
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Tien NW, Soto F, Kerschensteiner D. Homeostatic Plasticity Shapes Cell-Type-Specific Wiring in the Retina. Neuron 2017; 94:656-665.e4. [PMID: 28457596 DOI: 10.1016/j.neuron.2017.04.016] [Citation(s) in RCA: 33] [Impact Index Per Article: 4.7] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 11/29/2016] [Revised: 03/17/2017] [Accepted: 04/11/2017] [Indexed: 10/19/2022]
Abstract
Convergent input from different presynaptic partners shapes the responses of postsynaptic neurons. Whether developing postsynaptic neurons establish connections with each presynaptic partner independently or balance inputs to attain specific responses is unclear. Retinal ganglion cells (RGCs) receive convergent input from bipolar cell types with different contrast responses and temporal tuning. Here, using optogenetic activation and pharmacogenetic silencing, we found that type 6 bipolar (B6) cells dominate excitatory input to ONα-RGCs. We generated mice in which B6 cells were selectively removed from developing circuits (B6-DTA). In B6-DTA mice, ONα-RGCs adjusted connectivity with other bipolar cells in a cell-type-specific manner. They recruited new partners, increased synapses with some existing partners, and maintained constant input from others. Patch-clamp recordings revealed that anatomical rewiring precisely preserved contrast and temporal frequency response functions of ONα-RGCs, indicating that homeostatic plasticity shapes cell-type-specific wiring in the developing retina to stabilize visual information sent to the brain.
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Affiliation(s)
- Nai-Wen Tien
- Department of Ophthalmology and Visual Sciences, Washington University School of Medicine, St. Louis, MO 63110, USA; Graduate Program in Neuroscience, Washington University School of Medicine, St. Louis, MO 63110, USA
| | - Florentina Soto
- Department of Ophthalmology and Visual Sciences, Washington University School of Medicine, St. Louis, MO 63110, USA
| | - Daniel Kerschensteiner
- Department of Ophthalmology and Visual Sciences, Washington University School of Medicine, St. Louis, MO 63110, USA; Department of Neuroscience, Washington University School of Medicine, St. Louis, MO 63110, USA; Department of Biomedical Engineering, Washington University School of Medicine, St. Louis, MO 63110, USA; Hope Center for Neurological Disorders, Washington University School of Medicine, St. Louis, MO 63110, USA.
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274
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Poquérusse J, Luikart BW. A Neurodevelopmental Perspective for Autism-Associated Gene Function. OBM NEUROBIOLOGY 2017; 1:004. [PMID: 35445171 PMCID: PMC9017685 DOI: 10.21926/obm.neurobiol.1702004] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Figures] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 06/14/2023]
Abstract
Large-scale genetic sequencing studies have identified a wealth of genes in which mutations are associated with autism spectrum disorder (ASD). Understanding the biological function of these genes sheds light onto the neurodevelopmental basis of ASD. To this end, we defined functional categories representing brain development - (1) Cell Division and Survival, (2) Cell Migration and Differentiation, (3) Neuronal Morphological Elaboration, (4) Development and Regulation of Cellular Excitability, and (5) Synapse Formation and Function - and place 100 high confidence ASD-associated genes yielding at least 50 published PubMed articles into these categories based on keyword searches. We compare the categorization of ASD genes to genes associated with developmental delay (DD) and systematically review the published literature on the function of these genes. We find evidence that ASD-associated genes have important functions that span the neurodevelopmental continuum. Further, examining the temporal expression pattern of these genes using the BrainSpan Atlas of the Developing Human Brain supports their function across development. Thus, our analyses and review of literature on ASD gene function support a model whereby differences in brain development - from very early stages of macroarchitectural patterning to late stages of activity-dependent sculpting of synaptic connectivity - may lead to ASD. It will be important to keep investigating potential points of mechanistic convergence which could explain a common pathophysiological basis of ASD behind this disparate array of genes.
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275
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Takemoto-Kimura S, Suzuki K, Horigane SI, Kamijo S, Inoue M, Sakamoto M, Fujii H, Bito H. Calmodulin kinases: essential regulators in health and disease. J Neurochem 2017; 141:808-818. [PMID: 28295333 DOI: 10.1111/jnc.14020] [Citation(s) in RCA: 122] [Impact Index Per Article: 17.4] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 12/31/2016] [Revised: 02/24/2017] [Accepted: 03/08/2017] [Indexed: 01/22/2023]
Abstract
Neuronal activity induces intracellular Ca2+ increase, which triggers activation of a series of Ca2+ -dependent signaling cascades. Among these, the multifunctional Ca2+ /calmodulin-dependent protein kinases (CaMKs, or calmodulin kinases) play key roles in neuronal transmission, synaptic plasticity, circuit development and cognition. The most investigated CaMKs for these roles in neuronal functions are CaMKI, CaMKII, CaMKIV and we will shed light on these neuronal CaMKs' functions in this review. Catalytically active members of CaMKs currently are CaMKI, CaMKII, CaMKIV and CaMKK. Although they all necessitate the binding of Ca2+ and calmodulin complex (Ca2+ /CaM) for releasing autoinhibition, each member of CaMK has distinct activation mechanisms-autophosphorylation mediated autonomy of multimeric CaMKII and CaMKK-dependent phosphoswitch-induced activation of CaMKI or CaMKIV. Furthermore, each CaMK shows distinct subcellular localization that underlies specific compartmentalized function in each activated neuron. In this review, we first summarize these molecular characteristics of each CaMK as to regulation and subcellular localization, and then describe each biological function. In the last section, we also focus on the emerging role of CaMKs in pathophysiological conditions by introducing the recent studies, especially focusing on drug addiction and depression, and discuss how dysfunctional CaMKs may contribute to the pathology of the neuropsychological disorders. This article is part of the mini review series "60th Anniversary of the Japanese Society for Neurochemistry".
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Affiliation(s)
- Sayaka Takemoto-Kimura
- Department of Neurochemistry, Graduate School of Medicine, The University of Tokyo, Tokyo, Japan.,Department of Neuroscience I, Research Institute of Environmental Medicine, Nagoya University, Chikusa-ku, Nagoya, Japan.,PRESTO-Japan Science and Technology Agency, Chiyoda-ku, Tokyo, Japan
| | - Kanzo Suzuki
- Department of Neurochemistry, Graduate School of Medicine, The University of Tokyo, Tokyo, Japan
| | - Shin-Ichiro Horigane
- Department of Neurochemistry, Graduate School of Medicine, The University of Tokyo, Tokyo, Japan.,Department of Neuroscience I, Research Institute of Environmental Medicine, Nagoya University, Chikusa-ku, Nagoya, Japan
| | - Satoshi Kamijo
- Department of Neurochemistry, Graduate School of Medicine, The University of Tokyo, Tokyo, Japan
| | - Masatoshi Inoue
- Department of Neurochemistry, Graduate School of Medicine, The University of Tokyo, Tokyo, Japan
| | - Masayuki Sakamoto
- Department of Neurochemistry, Graduate School of Medicine, The University of Tokyo, Tokyo, Japan
| | - Hajime Fujii
- Department of Neurochemistry, Graduate School of Medicine, The University of Tokyo, Tokyo, Japan
| | - Haruhiko Bito
- Department of Neurochemistry, Graduate School of Medicine, The University of Tokyo, Tokyo, Japan
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276
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Mercati O, Huguet G, Danckaert A, André-Leroux G, Maruani A, Bellinzoni M, Rolland T, Gouder L, Mathieu A, Buratti J, Amsellem F, Benabou M, Van-Gils J, Beggiato A, Konyukh M, Bourgeois JP, Gazzellone MJ, Yuen RKC, Walker S, Delépine M, Boland A, Régnault B, Francois M, Van Den Abbeele T, Mosca-Boidron AL, Faivre L, Shimoda Y, Watanabe K, Bonneau D, Rastam M, Leboyer M, Scherer SW, Gillberg C, Delorme R, Cloëz-Tayarani I, Bourgeron T. CNTN6 mutations are risk factors for abnormal auditory sensory perception in autism spectrum disorders. Mol Psychiatry 2017; 22:625-633. [PMID: 27166760 PMCID: PMC5378808 DOI: 10.1038/mp.2016.61] [Citation(s) in RCA: 48] [Impact Index Per Article: 6.9] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Submit a Manuscript] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 08/18/2015] [Revised: 02/12/2016] [Accepted: 02/17/2016] [Indexed: 12/11/2022]
Abstract
Contactin genes CNTN5 and CNTN6 code for neuronal cell adhesion molecules that promote neurite outgrowth in sensory-motor neuronal pathways. Mutations of CNTN5 and CNTN6 have previously been reported in individuals with autism spectrum disorders (ASDs), but very little is known on their prevalence and clinical impact. In this study, we identified CNTN5 and CNTN6 deleterious variants in individuals with ASD. Among the carriers, a girl with ASD and attention-deficit/hyperactivity disorder was carrying five copies of CNTN5. For CNTN6, both deletions (6/1534 ASD vs 1/8936 controls; P=0.00006) and private coding sequence variants (18/501 ASD vs 535/33480 controls; P=0.0005) were enriched in individuals with ASD. Among the rare CNTN6 variants, two deletions were transmitted by fathers diagnosed with ASD, one stop mutation CNTN6W923X was transmitted by a mother to her two sons with ASD and one variant CNTN6P770L was found de novo in a boy with ASD. Clinical investigations of the patients carrying CNTN5 or CNTN6 variants showed that they were hypersensitive to sounds (a condition called hyperacusis) and displayed changes in wave latency within the auditory pathway. These results reinforce the hypothesis of abnormal neuronal connectivity in the pathophysiology of ASD and shed new light on the genes that increase risk for abnormal sensory perception in ASD.
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Affiliation(s)
- O Mercati
- Human Genetics and Cognitive Functions Unit, Institut Pasteur, Paris, France
- CNRS UMR 3571: Genes, Synapses and Cognition, Institut Pasteur, Paris, France
- Université Paris Diderot, Sorbonne Paris Cité, Human Genetics and Cognitive Functions, Paris, France
| | - G Huguet
- Human Genetics and Cognitive Functions Unit, Institut Pasteur, Paris, France
- CNRS UMR 3571: Genes, Synapses and Cognition, Institut Pasteur, Paris, France
- Université Paris Diderot, Sorbonne Paris Cité, Human Genetics and Cognitive Functions, Paris, France
| | - A Danckaert
- Imagopole, Citech, Institut Pasteur, Paris, France
| | - G André-Leroux
- Institut Pasteur, Unité de Microbiologie Structurale, Paris, France
- CNRS UMR 3528, Paris, France
- INRA, Unité MaIAGE, UR1404, Jouy-en-Josas, France
| | - A Maruani
- Assistance Publique-Hôpitaux de Paris, Child and Adolescent Psychiatry Department, Robert Debré Hospital, Paris, France
| | - M Bellinzoni
- Institut Pasteur, Unité de Microbiologie Structurale, Paris, France
- CNRS UMR 3528, Paris, France
| | - T Rolland
- Human Genetics and Cognitive Functions Unit, Institut Pasteur, Paris, France
- CNRS UMR 3571: Genes, Synapses and Cognition, Institut Pasteur, Paris, France
- Université Paris Diderot, Sorbonne Paris Cité, Human Genetics and Cognitive Functions, Paris, France
| | - L Gouder
- Human Genetics and Cognitive Functions Unit, Institut Pasteur, Paris, France
- CNRS UMR 3571: Genes, Synapses and Cognition, Institut Pasteur, Paris, France
- Université Paris Diderot, Sorbonne Paris Cité, Human Genetics and Cognitive Functions, Paris, France
| | - A Mathieu
- Human Genetics and Cognitive Functions Unit, Institut Pasteur, Paris, France
- CNRS UMR 3571: Genes, Synapses and Cognition, Institut Pasteur, Paris, France
- Université Paris Diderot, Sorbonne Paris Cité, Human Genetics and Cognitive Functions, Paris, France
| | - J Buratti
- Human Genetics and Cognitive Functions Unit, Institut Pasteur, Paris, France
- CNRS UMR 3571: Genes, Synapses and Cognition, Institut Pasteur, Paris, France
- Université Paris Diderot, Sorbonne Paris Cité, Human Genetics and Cognitive Functions, Paris, France
| | - F Amsellem
- Assistance Publique-Hôpitaux de Paris, Child and Adolescent Psychiatry Department, Robert Debré Hospital, Paris, France
| | - M Benabou
- Human Genetics and Cognitive Functions Unit, Institut Pasteur, Paris, France
- CNRS UMR 3571: Genes, Synapses and Cognition, Institut Pasteur, Paris, France
- Université Paris Diderot, Sorbonne Paris Cité, Human Genetics and Cognitive Functions, Paris, France
| | - J Van-Gils
- Human Genetics and Cognitive Functions Unit, Institut Pasteur, Paris, France
- CNRS UMR 3571: Genes, Synapses and Cognition, Institut Pasteur, Paris, France
- Université Paris Diderot, Sorbonne Paris Cité, Human Genetics and Cognitive Functions, Paris, France
| | - A Beggiato
- Assistance Publique-Hôpitaux de Paris, Child and Adolescent Psychiatry Department, Robert Debré Hospital, Paris, France
| | - M Konyukh
- Human Genetics and Cognitive Functions Unit, Institut Pasteur, Paris, France
- CNRS UMR 3571: Genes, Synapses and Cognition, Institut Pasteur, Paris, France
- Université Paris Diderot, Sorbonne Paris Cité, Human Genetics and Cognitive Functions, Paris, France
| | - J-P Bourgeois
- Human Genetics and Cognitive Functions Unit, Institut Pasteur, Paris, France
- CNRS UMR 3571: Genes, Synapses and Cognition, Institut Pasteur, Paris, France
- Université Paris Diderot, Sorbonne Paris Cité, Human Genetics and Cognitive Functions, Paris, France
| | - M J Gazzellone
- Centre for Applied Genomics, Program in Genetics and Genome Biology, Hospital for Sick Children, Toronto, ON, Canada
| | - R K C Yuen
- Centre for Applied Genomics, Program in Genetics and Genome Biology, Hospital for Sick Children, Toronto, ON, Canada
| | - S Walker
- Centre for Applied Genomics, Program in Genetics and Genome Biology, Hospital for Sick Children, Toronto, ON, Canada
| | - M Delépine
- Centre National de Génotypage, Evry, France
| | - A Boland
- Centre National de Génotypage, Evry, France
| | - B Régnault
- Eukaryote Genotyping Platform, Genopole, Institut Pasteur, Paris, France
| | - M Francois
- Assistance Publique-Hôpitaux de Paris, ENT and Head and Neck Surgery Department, Robert Debré Hospital, Paris-VII University, Paris, France
| | - T Van Den Abbeele
- Assistance Publique-Hôpitaux de Paris, ENT and Head and Neck Surgery Department, Robert Debré Hospital, Paris-VII University, Paris, France
| | - A L Mosca-Boidron
- Département de Génétique, CHU Dijon et Université de Bourgogne, Dijon, France
| | - L Faivre
- Département de Génétique, CHU Dijon et Université de Bourgogne, Dijon, France
| | - Y Shimoda
- Department of Bioengineering, Nagaoka University of Technology, Nagaoka, Japan
| | - K Watanabe
- Department of Bioengineering, Nagaoka University of Technology, Nagaoka, Japan
| | - D Bonneau
- Département de Biochimie et Génétique, Centre Hospitalier Universitaire, Angers, France
| | - M Rastam
- Department of Clinical Sciences in Lund, Lund University, Lund, Sweden
- Gillberg Neuropsychiatry Centre, University of Gothenburg, Gothenburg, Sweden
| | - M Leboyer
- INSERM U955, Psychiatrie Translationnelle, Créteil, France
- Université Paris Est, Faculté de Médecine, Créteil, France
- Assistance Publique-Hôpitaux de Paris, DHU Pe-PSY, H. Mondor Hospital, Department of Psychiatry, Créteil, France
- FondaMental Foundation, Créteil, France
| | - S W Scherer
- Centre for Applied Genomics, Program in Genetics and Genome Biology, Hospital for Sick Children, Toronto, ON, Canada
- McLaughlin Centre, Department of Molecular Genetics, University of Toronto, Toronto, ON, Canada
| | - C Gillberg
- Gillberg Neuropsychiatry Centre, University of Gothenburg, Gothenburg, Sweden
| | - R Delorme
- Human Genetics and Cognitive Functions Unit, Institut Pasteur, Paris, France
- CNRS UMR 3571: Genes, Synapses and Cognition, Institut Pasteur, Paris, France
- Université Paris Diderot, Sorbonne Paris Cité, Human Genetics and Cognitive Functions, Paris, France
- Assistance Publique-Hôpitaux de Paris, Child and Adolescent Psychiatry Department, Robert Debré Hospital, Paris, France
| | - I Cloëz-Tayarani
- Human Genetics and Cognitive Functions Unit, Institut Pasteur, Paris, France
- CNRS UMR 3571: Genes, Synapses and Cognition, Institut Pasteur, Paris, France
- Université Paris Diderot, Sorbonne Paris Cité, Human Genetics and Cognitive Functions, Paris, France
| | - T Bourgeron
- Human Genetics and Cognitive Functions Unit, Institut Pasteur, Paris, France
- CNRS UMR 3571: Genes, Synapses and Cognition, Institut Pasteur, Paris, France
- Université Paris Diderot, Sorbonne Paris Cité, Human Genetics and Cognitive Functions, Paris, France
- Gillberg Neuropsychiatry Centre, University of Gothenburg, Gothenburg, Sweden
- FondaMental Foundation, Créteil, France
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277
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Blüthgen N, van Bentum M, Merz B, Kuhl D, Hermey G. Profiling the MAPK/ERK dependent and independent activity regulated transcriptional programs in the murine hippocampus in vivo. Sci Rep 2017; 7:45101. [PMID: 28349920 PMCID: PMC5368636 DOI: 10.1038/srep45101] [Citation(s) in RCA: 33] [Impact Index Per Article: 4.7] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 11/08/2016] [Accepted: 02/17/2017] [Indexed: 11/09/2022] Open
Abstract
Activity-dependent alteration of the transcriptional program is central for shaping neuronal connectivity. Constitutively expressed transcription factors orchestrate the initial response to neuronal stimulation and serve as substrates for second messenger-regulated kinase signalling cascades. The mitogen-activated protein kinase ERK conveys signalling from the synapse to the nucleus but its genetic signature following neuronal activity has not been revealed. The goal of the present study was to identify ERK dependent and independent activity regulated transcriptional programs in the murine hippocampus. We used generalized seizures combined with the pharmacological intervention of MEK activation as an in vivo model to determine the complete transcriptional program initiated by ERK after neuronal activity. Our survey demonstrates that the induction of a large number of activity-regulated genes, including Arc/Arg3.1, Arl5b, Gadd45b, Homer1, Inhba and Zwint, is indeed dependent on ERK phosphorylation. In contrast, expression of a small group of genes, including Npas4, Arl4d, Errfi1, and Rgs2, is only partially dependent or completely independent (Ppp1r15a) of this signalling pathway. Among the identified transcripts are long non-coding (lnc) RNAs and induction of LincPint and splice variants of NEAT1 are ERK dependent. Our survey provides a comprehensive analysis of the transcriptomic response conveyed by ERK signalling in the hippocampus.
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Affiliation(s)
- Nils Blüthgen
- Institute for Theoretical Biology and Institute of Pathology, Charité - Universitätsmedizin Berlin, 10117, Berlin, Germany
| | - Mirjam van Bentum
- Institute for Theoretical Biology and Institute of Pathology, Charité - Universitätsmedizin Berlin, 10117, Berlin, Germany
| | - Barbara Merz
- Institute for Molecular and Cellular Cognition, Center for Molecular Neurobiology Hamburg, University Medical Center Hamburg-Eppendorf, 20251, Hamburg, Germany
| | - Dietmar Kuhl
- Institute for Molecular and Cellular Cognition, Center for Molecular Neurobiology Hamburg, University Medical Center Hamburg-Eppendorf, 20251, Hamburg, Germany
| | - Guido Hermey
- Institute for Molecular and Cellular Cognition, Center for Molecular Neurobiology Hamburg, University Medical Center Hamburg-Eppendorf, 20251, Hamburg, Germany
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278
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Ruangjaroon T, Chokchaichamnankit D, Srisomsap C, Svasti J, Paricharttanakul NM. Involvement of vimentin in neurite outgrowth damage induced by fipronil in SH-SY5Y cells. Biochem Biophys Res Commun 2017; 486:652-658. [PMID: 28322794 DOI: 10.1016/j.bbrc.2017.03.081] [Citation(s) in RCA: 12] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.7] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 03/03/2017] [Accepted: 03/17/2017] [Indexed: 01/14/2023]
Abstract
Fipronil, a phenylpyrazole insecticide, is more selective in its potency towards insects than humans and is thus commonly used. In this study, we demonstrated that exposure to fipronil may pose a human health risk. We observed in vitro the shortening of neurite outgrowths of SH-SY5Y neuroblastoma cells upon treatment with fipronil, even at a non-cytotoxic concentration. Fipronil induced apoptosis involving caspase-6, which is an apoptotic effector highly implicated in neurodegenerative diseases. Moreover, at a concentration that did not induce apoptosis, mitochondrial dysfunction and autophagic vacuole formation were detected. Interestingly using proteomics, we identified vimentin to be dramatically expressed by SH-SY5Y cells as a response to fipronil treatment. Not only did the expression of total vimentin increase, different isoforms were observed, indicating alterations in post-translational modifications. Vimentin was localized at the neurite outgrowth, possibly to repair the damage in cellular structure. However at high concentrations of fipronil, vimentin was found in less defined fibrils, in bridge-like formation, and dense surrounding vacuoles. In all, our results indicate that vimentin plays an important role in fipronil-induced neurotoxicity in SH-SY5Y cells.
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Affiliation(s)
- Theetat Ruangjaroon
- Environmental Toxicology Program, Chulabhorn Graduate Institute, Bangkok, Thailand
| | | | | | - Jisnuson Svasti
- Laboratory of Biochemistry, Chulabhorn Research Institute, Bangkok, Thailand; Applied Biological Sciences Program, Chulabhorn Graduate Institute, Bangkok, Thailand
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279
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A Rare Variant Identified Within the GluN2B C-Terminus in a Patient with Autism Affects NMDA Receptor Surface Expression and Spine Density. J Neurosci 2017; 37:4093-4102. [PMID: 28283559 DOI: 10.1523/jneurosci.0827-16.2017] [Citation(s) in RCA: 58] [Impact Index Per Article: 8.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 03/09/2016] [Revised: 02/01/2017] [Accepted: 02/04/2017] [Indexed: 12/11/2022] Open
Abstract
NMDA receptors (NMDARs) are ionotropic glutamate receptors that are crucial for neuronal development and higher cognitive processes. NMDAR dysfunction is involved in a variety of neurological and psychiatric diseases; however, the mechanistic link between the human pathology and NMDAR dysfunction is poorly understood. Rare missense variants within NMDAR subunits have been identified in numerous patients with mental or neurological disorders. We specifically focused on the GluN2B NMDAR subunit, which is highly expressed in the hippocampus and cortex throughout development. We analyzed several variants located in the GluN2B C terminus and found that three variants in patients with autism (S1415L) or schizophrenia (L1424F and S1452F) (S1413L, L1422F, and S1450F in rodents, respectively) displayed impaired binding to membrane-associated guanylate kinase (MAGUK) proteins. In addition, we observed a deficit in surface expression for GluN2B S1413L. Furthermore, there were fewer dendritic spines in GluN2B S1413L-expressing neurons. Importantly, synaptic NMDAR currents in neurons transfected with GluN2B S1413L in GluN2A/B-deficient mouse brain slices revealed only partial rescue of synaptic current amplitude. Functional properties of GluN2B S1413L in recombinant systems revealed no change in receptor properties, consistent with synaptic defects being the result of reduced trafficking and targeting of GluN2B S1413L to the synapse. Therefore, we find that GluN2B S1413L displays deficits in NMDAR trafficking, synaptic currents, and spine density, raising the possibility that this mutation may contribute to the phenotype in this autism patient. More broadly, our research demonstrates that the targeted study of certain residues in NMDARs based on rare variants identified in patients is a powerful approach to studying receptor function.SIGNIFICANCE STATEMENT We have used a "bedside-to-bench" approach to investigate the functional regulation of NMDA receptors (NMDARs). Using information from deep sequencing of patients with neurological or psychiatric disorders, we investigated missense variants identified in the intracellular C-terminal domain of the GluN2B NMDAR subunit. We found several variants that displayed altered properties. In particular, one variant identified in a patient with autism, human GluN2B S1415L, displayed reduced surface expression and binding to PSD-95. Furthermore expression of GluN2B S1415L (S1413L in mouse) showed a deficit in rescue of synaptic NMDAR currents and fewer dendritic spines, consistent with other reports of spine abnormalities being associated with autism. More broadly, we demonstrate that using patient data is an effective approach to probing the structure/function relationship of NMDARs.
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280
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Wang M, Li H, Takumi T, Qiu Z, Xu X, Yu X, Bian WJ. Distinct Defects in Spine Formation or Pruning in Two Gene Duplication Mouse Models of Autism. Neurosci Bull 2017; 33:143-152. [PMID: 28258509 PMCID: PMC5360848 DOI: 10.1007/s12264-017-0111-8] [Citation(s) in RCA: 17] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.4] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 01/22/2017] [Accepted: 02/13/2017] [Indexed: 11/11/2022] Open
Abstract
Autism spectrum disorder (ASD) encompasses a complex set of developmental neurological disorders, characterized by deficits in social communication and excessive repetitive behaviors. In recent years, ASD is increasingly being considered as a disease of the synapse. One main type of genetic aberration leading to ASD is gene duplication, and several mouse models have been generated mimicking these mutations. Here, we studied the effects of MECP2 duplication and human chromosome 15q11-13 duplication on synaptic development and neural circuit wiring in the mouse sensory cortices. We showed that mice carrying MECP2 duplication had specific defects in spine pruning, while the 15q11-13 duplication mouse model had impaired spine formation. Our results demonstrate that spine pathology varies significantly between autism models and that distinct aspects of neural circuit development may be targeted in different ASD mutations. Our results further underscore the importance of gene dosage in normal development and function of the brain.
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Affiliation(s)
- Miao Wang
- Institute of Neuroscience, State Key Laboratory of Neuroscience, CAS Center for Excellence in Brain Science and Intelligence Technology, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Shanghai, 200031, China.,University of Chinese Academy of Sciences, Beijing, 100049, China
| | - Huiping Li
- Department of Child Healthcare, Children's Hospital of Fudan University, Shanghai, 201102, China
| | - Toru Takumi
- RIKEN Brain Science Institute, Wako, Saitama, 351-0198, Japan
| | - Zilong Qiu
- Institute of Neuroscience, State Key Laboratory of Neuroscience, CAS Center for Excellence in Brain Science and Intelligence Technology, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Shanghai, 200031, China
| | - Xiu Xu
- Department of Child Healthcare, Children's Hospital of Fudan University, Shanghai, 201102, China.
| | - Xiang Yu
- Institute of Neuroscience, State Key Laboratory of Neuroscience, CAS Center for Excellence in Brain Science and Intelligence Technology, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Shanghai, 200031, China. .,University of Chinese Academy of Sciences, Beijing, 100049, China. .,School of Life Science and Technology, ShanghaiTech University, Shanghai, 201210, China.
| | - Wen-Jie Bian
- Institute of Neuroscience, State Key Laboratory of Neuroscience, CAS Center for Excellence in Brain Science and Intelligence Technology, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Shanghai, 200031, China. .,University of Chinese Academy of Sciences, Beijing, 100049, China.
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281
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Townsend LB, Smith SL. Genotype- and sex-dependent effects of altered Cntnap2 expression on the function of visual cortical areas. J Neurodev Disord 2017; 9:2. [PMID: 28115996 PMCID: PMC5244519 DOI: 10.1186/s11689-016-9182-5] [Citation(s) in RCA: 7] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Submit a Manuscript] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 06/21/2016] [Accepted: 12/30/2016] [Indexed: 12/29/2022] Open
Abstract
Background Autism spectrum disorder (ASD) is a heritable, heterogeneous neurodevelopmental disorder that is four times more likely to affect males than females. Despite this overt sex bias, it is unclear how genetic mutations associated with ASD alter cortical circuitry to produce the behavioral phenotypes by which ASD is diagnosed. Contactin-associated protein-like 2 (CNTNAP2) is an ASD-associated gene, and while Cntnap2 knockout (KO) mice recapitulate many of the features of ASD, the effect on cortical circuitry is poorly understood. Moreover, although heterozygous (Het) mice are the more relevant genotype for ASD-linked CNTNAP2 mutations in humans, to our knowledge, no effects in Het mice have been previously reported. Methods Intrinsic signal optical imaging was used to measure functional visual responses in primary and higher visual cortical areas in male and female Cntnap2 KO, Het, and wild-type (WT) mice. Main effect of genotype was assessed with one-way ANOVA. Visual responses were also measured in P17–18 and P30–32 KO and WT mice. Main effects of age and genotype were assessed using two-way ANOVA. Results Visually evoked activity in dorsal stream associated higher visual areas in both KO and Het adult males was decreased relative to WT adult males. This decrease was not observed in adult females. Additionally, no significant difference was observed between WT and KO males at P17–18 with differences beginning to emerge at P30–32. Conclusions The functional responses of cortical circuitry in male mice are more strongly affected by Cntnap2 mutations than females, an effect present even in Hets. The observed differences in males emerge with development beginning at P30–32. These results reveal genotype- and sex-dependent effects of altered Cntnap2 expression and can shed light on the sex-dependent incidence of ASD. Electronic supplementary material The online version of this article (doi:10.1186/s11689-016-9182-5) contains supplementary material, which is available to authorized users.
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Affiliation(s)
- Leah B Townsend
- Neuroscience Curriculum, University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill, Chapel Hill, NC USA
| | - Spencer L Smith
- Neuroscience Curriculum, University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill, Chapel Hill, NC USA.,Department of Cell Biology and Physiology, University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill, Chapel Hill, NC USA.,Carolina Institute for Developmental Disabilities, University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill, Chapel Hill, NC USA.,Neuroscience Center, University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill, Chapel Hill, NC USA
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282
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Stream-dependent development of higher visual cortical areas. Nat Neurosci 2017; 20:200-208. [PMID: 28067905 PMCID: PMC5272868 DOI: 10.1038/nn.4469] [Citation(s) in RCA: 41] [Impact Index Per Article: 5.9] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 08/15/2016] [Accepted: 11/28/2016] [Indexed: 12/14/2022]
Abstract
Multiple cortical areas contribute to visual processing in mice. However, the functional organization and development of higher visual areas are unclear. Here we used intrinsic signal optical imaging and two-photon calcium imaging to map visual responses in adult and developing mice. We found that visually driven activity was well correlated among higher visual areas within two distinct subnetworks resembling the dorsal and ventral visual streams. Visual response magnitude in dorsal stream areas slowly increased over the first 2 weeks of visual experience. By contrast, ventral stream areas exhibited strong responses shortly after eye opening. Neurons in a dorsal stream area showed little change in their tuning sharpness to oriented gratings while those in a ventral stream area increased stimulus selectivity and expanded their receptive fields significantly. Together, these findings provide a functional basis for grouping subnetworks of mouse visual areas and revealed stream differences in the development of receptive field properties.
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283
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Abstract
Protein phosphorylation regulates brain development and neuronal activities; and dysregulation of phosphorylation contributes to neurobiological disorders. Phosphoproteomic analysis provides comprehensive modification maps for measuring protein activities in cellular pathways and biological processes. Here, we introduce a mass spectrometry (MS)-based protocol to quantitatively analyze the phosphoproteome of human postmortem brains of Alzheimer's disease. In this isobaric labeling protocol, up to ten brain samples are selected from control and diseased cases for comparison. Approximately 1 mg proteins per sample are extracted, digested, labeled, and then mixed at an equal ratio. To improve the coverage of phosphoproteome, the peptide mix is further fractionated by offline basic pH reversed-phase liquid chromatography (LC) with high-resolution power. Phosphopeptides in each fraction are then enriched by the titanium dioxide method and analyzed by online acidic pH reverse phase LC-MS/MS, leading to the analysis of tens of thousands of phosphorylation events. This protocol can also be adapted to profile phosphoproteome in other biological samples.
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284
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Anatomy and Cell Biology of Autism Spectrum Disorder: Lessons from Human Genetics. ADVANCES IN ANATOMY, EMBRYOLOGY, AND CELL BIOLOGY 2017; 224:1-25. [PMID: 28551748 DOI: 10.1007/978-3-319-52498-6_1] [Citation(s) in RCA: 10] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.4] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 12/13/2022]
Abstract
Until recently autism spectrum disorder (ASD) was regarded as a neurodevelopmental condition with unknown causes and pathogenesis. In the footsteps of the revolution of genome technologies and genetics, and with its high degree of heritability, ASD became the first neuropsychiatric disorder for which clues towards molecular and cellular pathogenesis were uncovered by genetic identification of susceptibility genes. Currently several hundreds of risk genes have been assigned, with a recurrence below 1% in the ASD population. The multitude and diversity of known ASD genes has extended the clinical notion that ASD comprises very heterogeneous conditions ranging from severe intellectual disabilities to mild high-functioning forms. The results of genetics have allowed to pinpoint a limited number of cellular and molecular processes likely involved in ASD including protein synthesis, signal transduction, transcription/chromatin remodelling and synaptic function all playing an essential role in the regulation of synaptic homeostasis during brain development. In this context, we highlight the role of protein synthesis as a key process in ASD pathogenesis as it might be central in synaptic deregulation and a potential target for intervention. These current insights should lead to a rational design of interventions in molecular and cellular pathways of ASD pathogenesis that may be applied to affected individuals in the future.
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285
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Keown CL, Datko MC, Chen CP, Maximo JO, Jahedi A, Müller RA. Network organization is globally atypical in autism: A graph theory study of intrinsic functional connectivity. BIOLOGICAL PSYCHIATRY: COGNITIVE NEUROSCIENCE AND NEUROIMAGING 2017; 2:66-75. [PMID: 28944305 DOI: 10.1016/j.bpsc.2016.07.008] [Citation(s) in RCA: 51] [Impact Index Per Article: 7.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 12/25/2022]
Abstract
BACKGROUND Despite abundant evidence of brain network anomalies in autism spectrum disorder (ASD), findings have varied from broad functional underconnectivity to broad overconnectivity. Rather than pursuing overly simplifying general hypotheses ('under' vs. 'over'), we tested the hypothesis of atypical network distribution in ASD (i.e., participation of unusual loci in distributed functional networks). METHODS We used a selective high-quality data subset from the ABIDE datashare (including 111 ASD and 174 typically developing [TD] participants) and several graph theory metrics. Resting state functional MRI data were preprocessed and analyzed for detection of low-frequency intrinsic signal correlations. Groups were tightly matched for available demographics and head motion. RESULTS As hypothesized, the Rand Index (reflecting how similar network organization was to a normative set of networks) was significantly lower in ASD than TD participants. This was accounted for by globally reduced cohesion and density, but increased dispersion of networks. While differences in hub architecture did not survive correction, rich club connectivity (among the hubs) was increased in the ASD group. CONCLUSIONS Our findings support the model of reduced network integration (connectivity with networks) and differentiation (or segregation; based on connectivity outside network boundaries) in ASD. While the findings applied at the global level, they were not equally robust across all networks and in one case (greater cohesion within ventral attention network in ASD) even reversed.
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Affiliation(s)
- Christopher L Keown
- Brain Development Imaging Laboratory, Department of Psychology, San Diego State University, San Diego, CA, United States.,Department of Cognitive Science, University of California, San Diego, CA
| | - Michael C Datko
- Brain Development Imaging Laboratory, Department of Psychology, San Diego State University, San Diego, CA, United States.,Department of Cognitive Science, University of California, San Diego, CA
| | - Colleen P Chen
- Brain Development Imaging Laboratory, Department of Psychology, San Diego State University, San Diego, CA, United States.,Computational Science Research Center, San Diego State University, San Diego, CA
| | - José Omar Maximo
- Brain Development Imaging Laboratory, Department of Psychology, San Diego State University, San Diego, CA, United States
| | - Afrooz Jahedi
- Brain Development Imaging Laboratory, Department of Psychology, San Diego State University, San Diego, CA, United States.,Department of Mathematics and Statistics, San Diego State University, San Diego, CA, United States
| | - Ralph-Axel Müller
- Brain Development Imaging Laboratory, Department of Psychology, San Diego State University, San Diego, CA, United States
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286
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Watson LA, Tsai LH. In the loop: how chromatin topology links genome structure to function in mechanisms underlying learning and memory. Curr Opin Neurobiol 2016; 43:48-55. [PMID: 28024185 DOI: 10.1016/j.conb.2016.12.002] [Citation(s) in RCA: 36] [Impact Index Per Article: 4.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 09/12/2016] [Revised: 12/01/2016] [Accepted: 12/05/2016] [Indexed: 12/18/2022]
Abstract
Different aspects of learning, memory, and cognition are regulated by epigenetic mechanisms such as covalent DNA modifications and histone post-translational modifications. More recently, the modulation of chromatin architecture and nuclear organization is emerging as a key factor in dynamic transcriptional regulation of the post-mitotic neuron. For instance, neuronal activity induces relocalization of gene loci to 'transcription factories', and specific enhancer-promoter looping contacts allow for precise transcriptional regulation. Moreover, neuronal activity-dependent DNA double-strand break formation in the promoter of immediate early genes appears to overcome topological constraints on transcription. Together, these findings point to a critical role for genome topology in integrating dynamic environmental signals to define precise spatiotemporal gene expression programs supporting cognitive processes.
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Affiliation(s)
| | - Li-Huei Tsai
- Picower Institute for Learning and Memory, USA; Department of Brain and Cognitive Sciences, Massachusetts Institute of Technology, 77 Massachusetts Avenue, Building 46, Room 4235A, Cambridge, MA 02139, USA.
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287
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Garay PM, Wallner MA, Iwase S. Yin-yang actions of histone methylation regulatory complexes in the brain. Epigenomics 2016; 8:1689-1708. [PMID: 27855486 PMCID: PMC5289040 DOI: 10.2217/epi-2016-0090] [Citation(s) in RCA: 23] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.9] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 07/26/2016] [Accepted: 10/05/2016] [Indexed: 02/07/2023] Open
Abstract
Dysregulation of histone methylation has emerged as a major driver of neurodevelopmental disorders including intellectual disabilities and autism spectrum disorders. Histone methyl writer and eraser enzymes generally act within multisubunit complexes rather than in isolation. However, it remains largely elusive how such complexes cooperate to achieve the precise spatiotemporal gene expression in the developing brain. Histone H3K4 methylation (H3K4me) is a chromatin signature associated with active gene-regulatory elements. We review a body of literature that supports a model in which the RAI1-containing H3K4me writer complex counterbalances the LSD1-containing H3K4me eraser complex to ensure normal brain development. This model predicts H3K4me as the nexus of previously unrelated neurodevelopmental disorders.
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Affiliation(s)
- Patricia Marie Garay
- Neuroscience Graduate Program, The University of Michigan Medical School, Ann Arbor, MI 48109, USA
| | | | - Shigeki Iwase
- Neuroscience Graduate Program, The University of Michigan Medical School, Ann Arbor, MI 48109, USA
- Department of Human Genetics, The University of Michigan, Ann Arbor, MI 48109, USA
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288
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Ehrhart F, Coort SLM, Cirillo E, Smeets E, Evelo CT, Curfs LMG. Rett syndrome - biological pathways leading from MECP2 to disorder phenotypes. Orphanet J Rare Dis 2016; 11:158. [PMID: 27884167 PMCID: PMC5123333 DOI: 10.1186/s13023-016-0545-5] [Citation(s) in RCA: 48] [Impact Index Per Article: 6.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 09/22/2016] [Accepted: 11/17/2016] [Indexed: 02/07/2023] Open
Abstract
Rett syndrome (RTT) is a rare disease but still one of the most abundant causes for intellectual disability in females. Typical symptoms are onset at month 6-18 after normal pre- and postnatal development, loss of acquired skills and severe intellectual disability. The type and severity of symptoms are individually highly different. A single mutation in one gene, coding for methyl-CpG-binding protein 2 (MECP2), is responsible for the disease. The most important action of MECP2 is regulating epigenetic imprinting and chromatin condensation, but MECP2 influences many different biological pathways on multiple levels although the molecular pathways from gene to phenotype are currently not fully understood. In this review the known changes in metabolite levels, gene expression and biological pathways in RTT are summarized, discussed how they are leading to some characteristic RTT phenotypes and therefore the gaps of knowledge are identified. Namely, which phenotypes have currently no mechanistic explanation leading back to MECP2 related pathways? As a result of this review the visualization of the biologic pathways showing MECP2 up- and downstream regulation was developed and published on WikiPathways which will serve as template for future omics data driven research. This pathway driven approach may serve as a use case for other rare diseases, too.
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Affiliation(s)
- Friederike Ehrhart
- Governor Kremers Centre - Rett Expertise Centre, Maastricht University Medical Center, Maastricht, The Netherlands. .,Department of Bioinformatics, NUTRIM School of Nutrition and Translational Research in Metabolism, Maastricht University, Maastricht, The Netherlands.
| | - Susan L M Coort
- Department of Bioinformatics, NUTRIM School of Nutrition and Translational Research in Metabolism, Maastricht University, Maastricht, The Netherlands
| | - Elisa Cirillo
- Department of Bioinformatics, NUTRIM School of Nutrition and Translational Research in Metabolism, Maastricht University, Maastricht, The Netherlands
| | - Eric Smeets
- Governor Kremers Centre - Rett Expertise Centre, Maastricht University Medical Center, Maastricht, The Netherlands
| | - Chris T Evelo
- Governor Kremers Centre - Rett Expertise Centre, Maastricht University Medical Center, Maastricht, The Netherlands.,Department of Bioinformatics, NUTRIM School of Nutrition and Translational Research in Metabolism, Maastricht University, Maastricht, The Netherlands
| | - Leopold M G Curfs
- Governor Kremers Centre - Rett Expertise Centre, Maastricht University Medical Center, Maastricht, The Netherlands
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289
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San-Miguel A, Kurshan PT, Crane MM, Zhao Y, McGrath PT, Shen K, Lu H. Deep phenotyping unveils hidden traits and genetic relations in subtle mutants. Nat Commun 2016; 7:12990. [PMID: 27876787 PMCID: PMC5122966 DOI: 10.1038/ncomms12990] [Citation(s) in RCA: 27] [Impact Index Per Article: 3.4] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 02/08/2016] [Accepted: 08/24/2016] [Indexed: 12/29/2022] Open
Abstract
Discovering mechanistic insights from phenotypic information is critical for the understanding of biological processes. For model organisms, unlike in cell culture, this is currently bottlenecked by the non-quantitative nature and perceptive biases of human observations, and the limited number of reporters that can be simultaneously incorporated in live animals. An additional challenge is that isogenic populations exhibit significant phenotypic heterogeneity. These difficulties limit genetic approaches to many biological questions. To overcome these bottlenecks, we developed tools to extract complex phenotypic traits from images of fluorescently labelled subcellular landmarks, using C. elegans synapses as a test case. By population-wide comparisons, we identified subtle but relevant differences inaccessible to subjective conceptualization. Furthermore, the models generated testable hypotheses of how individual alleles relate to known mechanisms or belong to new pathways. We show that our model not only recapitulates current knowledge in synaptic patterning but also identifies novel alleles overlooked by traditional methods. Experimenter scoring of cellular imaging data can be biased. This study describes an automated and unbiased multidimensional phenotyping method that relies on machine learning and complex feature computation of imaging data, and identifies weak alleles affecting synapse morphology in live C. elegans.
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Affiliation(s)
- Adriana San-Miguel
- School of Chemical and Biomolecular Engineering, Georgia Institute of Technology, Atlanta, Georgia 30332, USA
| | - Peri T Kurshan
- Department of Biology, Howard Hughes Medical Institute, Stanford University, Stanford, California 94305, USA
| | - Matthew M Crane
- Interdisciplinary Program in Bioengineering, Georgia Institute of Technology, Atlanta, Georgia 30332, USA
| | - Yuehui Zhao
- School of Biological Sciences, Georgia Institute of Technology, Atlanta, Georgia 30332, USA
| | - Patrick T McGrath
- School of Biological Sciences, Georgia Institute of Technology, Atlanta, Georgia 30332, USA
| | - Kang Shen
- Department of Biology, Howard Hughes Medical Institute, Stanford University, Stanford, California 94305, USA
| | - Hang Lu
- School of Chemical and Biomolecular Engineering, Georgia Institute of Technology, Atlanta, Georgia 30332, USA.,Interdisciplinary Program in Bioengineering, Georgia Institute of Technology, Atlanta, Georgia 30332, USA
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290
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Lin YC, Frei JA, Kilander MBC, Shen W, Blatt GJ. A Subset of Autism-Associated Genes Regulate the Structural Stability of Neurons. Front Cell Neurosci 2016; 10:263. [PMID: 27909399 PMCID: PMC5112273 DOI: 10.3389/fncel.2016.00263] [Citation(s) in RCA: 68] [Impact Index Per Article: 8.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 07/19/2016] [Accepted: 10/28/2016] [Indexed: 12/15/2022] Open
Abstract
Autism spectrum disorder (ASD) comprises a range of neurological conditions that affect individuals’ ability to communicate and interact with others. People with ASD often exhibit marked qualitative difficulties in social interaction, communication, and behavior. Alterations in neurite arborization and dendritic spine morphology, including size, shape, and number, are hallmarks of almost all neurological conditions, including ASD. As experimental evidence emerges in recent years, it becomes clear that although there is broad heterogeneity of identified autism risk genes, many of them converge into similar cellular pathways, including those regulating neurite outgrowth, synapse formation and spine stability, and synaptic plasticity. These mechanisms together regulate the structural stability of neurons and are vulnerable targets in ASD. In this review, we discuss the current understanding of those autism risk genes that affect the structural connectivity of neurons. We sub-categorize them into (1) cytoskeletal regulators, e.g., motors and small RhoGTPase regulators; (2) adhesion molecules, e.g., cadherins, NCAM, and neurexin superfamily; (3) cell surface receptors, e.g., glutamatergic receptors and receptor tyrosine kinases; (4) signaling molecules, e.g., protein kinases and phosphatases; and (5) synaptic proteins, e.g., vesicle and scaffolding proteins. Although the roles of some of these genes in maintaining neuronal structural stability are well studied, how mutations contribute to the autism phenotype is still largely unknown. Investigating whether and how the neuronal structure and function are affected when these genes are mutated will provide insights toward developing effective interventions aimed at improving the lives of people with autism and their families.
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Affiliation(s)
- Yu-Chih Lin
- Laboratory of Neuronal Connectivity, Program in Neuroscience, Hussman Institute for Autism, Baltimore MD, USA
| | - Jeannine A Frei
- Laboratory of Neuronal Connectivity, Program in Neuroscience, Hussman Institute for Autism, Baltimore MD, USA
| | - Michaela B C Kilander
- Laboratory of Neuronal Connectivity, Program in Neuroscience, Hussman Institute for Autism, Baltimore MD, USA
| | - Wenjuan Shen
- Laboratory of Neuronal Connectivity, Program in Neuroscience, Hussman Institute for Autism, Baltimore MD, USA
| | - Gene J Blatt
- Laboratory of Autism Neurocircuitry, Program in Neuroscience, Hussman Institute for Autism, Baltimore MD, USA
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291
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Choi H, Song J, Park G, Kim J. Modeling of Autism Using Organoid Technology. Mol Neurobiol 2016; 54:7789-7795. [DOI: 10.1007/s12035-016-0274-8] [Citation(s) in RCA: 13] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.6] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 04/20/2016] [Accepted: 10/30/2016] [Indexed: 01/01/2023]
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292
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Chahrour M, O'Roak BJ, Santini E, Samaco RC, Kleiman RJ, Manzini MC. Current Perspectives in Autism Spectrum Disorder: From Genes to Therapy. J Neurosci 2016; 36:11402-11410. [PMID: 27911742 PMCID: PMC5125207 DOI: 10.1523/jneurosci.2335-16.2016] [Citation(s) in RCA: 38] [Impact Index Per Article: 4.8] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 07/13/2016] [Revised: 08/23/2016] [Accepted: 08/25/2016] [Indexed: 12/17/2022] Open
Abstract
Autism spectrum disorder (ASD) is a constellation of neurodevelopmental presentations with high heritability and both phenotypic and genetic heterogeneity. To date, mutations in hundreds of genes have been associated to varying degrees with increased ASD risk. A better understanding of the functions of these genes and whether they fit together in functional groups or impact similar neuronal circuits is needed to develop rational treatment strategies. We will review current areas of emphasis in ASD research, starting from human genetics and exploring how mouse models of human mutations have helped identify specific molecular pathways (protein synthesis and degradation, chromatin remodeling, intracellular signaling), which are linked to alterations in circuit function and cognitive/social behavior. We will conclude by discussing how we can leverage the findings on molecular and cellular alterations found in ASD to develop therapies for neurodevelopmental disorders.
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Affiliation(s)
- Maria Chahrour
- Eugene McDermott Center for Human Growth and Development, Departments of Neuroscience and Psychiatry, University of Texas Southwestern Medical Center, Dallas, Texas 75390,
| | - Brian J O'Roak
- Department of Molecular and Medical Genetics, Oregon Health and Science University, Portland, Oregon 97239
| | - Emanuela Santini
- Center for Neural Science, New York University, New York, New York 10003
| | - Rodney C Samaco
- Department of Molecular and Human Genetics, Program in Translational Biology and Molecular Medicine, Baylor College of Medicine, Jan and Dan Duncan Neurological Research Institute, Texas Children's Hospital, Houston, Texas 77030
| | - Robin J Kleiman
- Translational Neuroscience Center, F.M. Kirby Neurobiology Center, Department of Neurology, Boston Children's Hospital, Harvard Medical School, Boston, Massachusetts 02115, and
| | - M Chiara Manzini
- Department of Pharmacology and Physiology, George Washington University School of Medicine and Health Sciences, Washington, DC 20037
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293
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Kwan V, Meka D, White S, Hung C, Holzapfel N, Walker S, Murtaza N, Unda B, Schwanke B, Yuen R, Habing K, Milsom C, Hope K, Truant R, Scherer S, Calderon de Anda F, Singh K. DIXDC1 Phosphorylation and Control of Dendritic Morphology Are Impaired by Rare Genetic Variants. Cell Rep 2016; 17:1892-1904. [DOI: 10.1016/j.celrep.2016.10.047] [Citation(s) in RCA: 20] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 02/11/2016] [Revised: 09/02/2016] [Accepted: 10/14/2016] [Indexed: 10/20/2022] Open
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294
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Roussos P, Guennewig B, Kaczorowski DC, Barry G, Brennand KJ. Activity-Dependent Changes in Gene Expression in Schizophrenia Human-Induced Pluripotent Stem Cell Neurons. JAMA Psychiatry 2016; 73:1180-1188. [PMID: 27732689 PMCID: PMC5437975 DOI: 10.1001/jamapsychiatry.2016.2575] [Citation(s) in RCA: 36] [Impact Index Per Article: 4.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Submit a Manuscript] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 12/26/2022]
Abstract
IMPORTANCE Schizophrenia candidate genes participate in common molecular pathways that are regulated by activity-dependent changes in neurons. One important next step is to further our understanding on the role of activity-dependent changes of gene expression in the etiopathogenesis of schizophrenia. OBJECTIVE To examine whether neuronal activity-dependent changes of gene expression are dysregulated in schizophrenia. DESIGN, SETTING, AND PARTICIPANTS Neurons differentiated from human-induced pluripotent stem cells derived from 4 individuals with schizophrenia and 4 unaffected control individuals were depolarized using potassium chloride. RNA was extracted followed by genome-wide profiling of the transcriptome. Neurons were planted on June 21, 2013, and harvested on August 2, 2013. MAIN OUTCOMES AND MEASURES We performed differential expression analysis and gene coexpression analysis to identify activity-dependent or disease-specific changes of the transcriptome. Gene expression differences were assessed with linear models. Furthermore, we used gene set analyses to identify coexpressed modules that are enriched for schizophrenia risk genes. RESULTS We identified 1669 genes that were significantly different in schizophrenia-associated vs control human-induced pluripotent stem cell-derived neurons and 1199 genes that are altered in these cells in response to depolarization (linear models at false discovery rate ≤0.05). The effect of activity-dependent changes of gene expression in schizophrenia-associated neurons (59 significant genes at false discovery rate ≤0.05) was attenuated compared with control samples (594 significant genes at false discovery rate ≤0.05). Using gene coexpression analysis, we identified 2 modules (turquoise and brown) that were associated with diagnosis status and 2 modules (yellow and green) that were associated with depolarization at a false discovery rate of ≤0.05. For 3 of the 4 modules, we found enrichment with schizophrenia-associated variants: brown (χ2 = 20.68; P = .002), turquoise (χ2 = 12.95; P = .04), and yellow (χ2 = 15.34; P = .02). CONCLUSIONS AND RELEVANCE In this analysis, candidate genes clustered within gene networks that were associated with a blunted effect of activity-dependent changes of gene expression in schizophrenia-associated neurons. Overall, these findings link schizophrenia candidate genes with specific molecular functions in neurons, which could be used to examine underlying mechanisms and therapeutic interventions related to schizophrenia.
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Affiliation(s)
- Panos Roussos
- Department of Psychiatry, Icahn School of Medicine at Mount Sinai, New York, NY, USA,Department of Genetics and Genomic Science and Institute for Multiscale Biology, Icahn School of Medicine at Mount Sinai, New York, NY, USA,Mental Illness Research, Education, and Clinical Center (VISN 3), James J. Peters VA Medical Center, Bronx, NY, USA
| | - Boris Guennewig
- Garvan Institute of Medical Research, Sydney, NSW 2010, Australia,St. Vincent’s Clinical School and School of Biotechnology and Biomolecular Sciences, University of New South Wales, Kensington, NSW 2052, Australia
| | | | - Guy Barry
- QIMR Berghofer Medical Research Institute, Herston, QLD, Australia
| | - Kristen J. Brennand
- Department of Psychiatry, Icahn School of Medicine at Mount Sinai, New York, NY, USA,Department of Neuroscience and Friedman Brain Institute, Icahn School of Medicine at Mount Sinai, New York, NY, USA,Garvan Institute of Medical Research, Sydney, NSW 2010, Australia
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295
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Riikonen R. Treatment of autistic spectrum disorder with insulin-like growth factors. Eur J Paediatr Neurol 2016; 20:816-823. [PMID: 27562096 DOI: 10.1016/j.ejpn.2016.08.005] [Citation(s) in RCA: 28] [Impact Index Per Article: 3.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Submit a Manuscript] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 04/13/2016] [Revised: 08/06/2016] [Accepted: 08/08/2016] [Indexed: 01/17/2023]
Abstract
There are no treatments for the core symptoms of autistic spectrum disorder (ASD), but there is now more knowledge on emerging mechanisms and on mechanism-based therapies. In autism there are altered synapses: genes affected are commonly related to synaptic and immune function. Dysregulation of activity-dependent signaling networks may have a key role the etiology of autism. There is an over-activation of IGF-AKT-mTor in autism spectrum disorders. Morphological and electro-physiological defects of the cerebellum are linked to system-wide ASD-like behavior defects. The molecular basis for a cerebellar contribution has been demonstrated in a mouse model. These have led to a potential mechanism-based use of drug targets and mouse models. Neurotrophic factors are potential candidates for the treatment. Insulin-like growth factor-1 (IGF-1) is altered in autism. It reduces neuro-inflammation: by causing changes of cytokines such as IL-6 and microglial function. IGF-1 reduces the defects in the synapse. It alleviates NMDA-induced neurotoxicity via the IGF-AKT-mTor pathway in microglia. IGF-1 may rescue function in Rett syndrome and ASD caused by changes of the SCHANK3 gene. There are recently pilot studies of the treatment of Rett syndrome and of SCHANK3 gene deficiency syndromes. The FDA has granted Orphan drug designations for Fragile X syndrome, SCHANK3 gene deficiency syndrome and Rett syndrome.
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Affiliation(s)
- Raili Riikonen
- Children's Hospital, University of Eastern Finland and Kuopio University Hospital, P. O. Box 1627, FI-70211 Kuopio, Finland.
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296
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Majumder P, Chu JF, Chatterjee B, Swamy KBS, Shen CKJ. Co-regulation of mRNA translation by TDP-43 and Fragile X Syndrome protein FMRP. Acta Neuropathol 2016; 132:721-738. [PMID: 27518042 PMCID: PMC5073124 DOI: 10.1007/s00401-016-1603-8] [Citation(s) in RCA: 76] [Impact Index Per Article: 9.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 05/15/2016] [Revised: 07/28/2016] [Accepted: 07/28/2016] [Indexed: 01/15/2023]
Abstract
For proper mammalian brain development and functioning, the translation of many neuronal mRNAs needs to be repressed without neuronal activity stimulations. We have discovered that the expression of a subclass of neuronal proteins essential for neurodevelopment and neuron plasticity is co-regulated at the translational level by TDP-43 and the Fragile X Syndrome protein FMRP. Using molecular, cellular and imaging approaches, we show that these two RNA-binding proteins (RBP) co-repress the translation initiation of Rac1, Map1b and GluR1 mRNAs, and consequently the hippocampal spinogenesis. The co-repression occurs through binding of TDP-43 to mRNA(s) at specific UG/GU sequences and recruitment of the inhibitory CYFIP1-FMRP complex by its glycine-rich domain. This novel regulatory scenario could be utilized to silence a significant portion of around 160 common target mRNAs of the two RBPs. The study establishes a functional/physical partnership between FMRP and TDP-43 that mechanistically links several neurodevelopmental disorders and neurodegenerative diseases.
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297
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Marín O. Developmental timing and critical windows for the treatment of psychiatric disorders. Nat Med 2016; 22:1229-1238. [PMID: 27783067 DOI: 10.1038/nm.4225] [Citation(s) in RCA: 228] [Impact Index Per Article: 28.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 08/24/2016] [Accepted: 10/05/2016] [Indexed: 02/07/2023]
Abstract
There is a growing understanding that pathological genetic variation and environmental insults during sensitive periods in brain development have long-term consequences on brain function, which range from learning disabilities to complex psychiatric disorders such as schizophrenia. Furthermore, recent experiments in animal models suggest that therapeutic interventions during sensitive periods, typically before the onset of clear neurological and behavioral symptoms, might prevent or ameliorate the development of specific pathologies. These studies suggest that understanding the dynamic nature of the pathophysiological mechanisms underlying psychiatric disorders is crucial for the development of effective therapies. In this Perspective, I explore the emerging concept of developmental windows in psychiatric disorders, their relevance for understanding disease progression and their potential for the design of new therapies. The limitations and caveats of early interventions in psychiatric disorders are also discussed in this context.
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Affiliation(s)
- Oscar Marín
- Centre for Developmental Neurobiology, Institute of Psychiatry, Psychology and Neuroscience, King's College London, United Kingdom.,MRC Centre for Neurodevelopmental Disorders, King's College London, United Kingdom
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298
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Torres AR, Sweeten TL, Johnson RC, Odell D, Westover JB, Bray-Ward P, Ward DC, Davies CJ, Thomas AJ, Croen LA, Benson M. Common Genetic Variants Found in HLA and KIR Immune Genes in Autism Spectrum Disorder. Front Neurosci 2016; 10:463. [PMID: 27812316 PMCID: PMC5071356 DOI: 10.3389/fnins.2016.00463] [Citation(s) in RCA: 29] [Impact Index Per Article: 3.6] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 06/08/2016] [Accepted: 09/26/2016] [Indexed: 11/13/2022] Open
Abstract
The "common variant-common disease" hypothesis was proposed to explain diseases with strong inheritance. This model suggests that a genetic disease is the result of the combination of several common genetic variants. Common genetic variants are described as a 5% frequency differential between diseased vs. matched control populations. This theory was recently supported by an epidemiology paper stating that about 50% of genetic risk for autism resides in common variants. However, rare variants, rather than common variants, have been found in numerous genome wide genetic studies and many have concluded that the "common variant-common disease" hypothesis is incorrect. One interpretation is that rare variants are major contributors to genetic diseases and autism involves the interaction of many rare variants, especially in the brain. It is obvious there is much yet to be learned about autism genetics. Evidence has been mounting over the years indicating immune involvement in autism, particularly the HLA genes on chromosome 6 and KIR genes on chromosome 19. These two large multigene complexes have important immune functions and have been shown to interact to eliminate unwanted virally infected and malignant cells. HLA proteins have important functions in antigen presentation in adaptive immunity and specific epitopes on HLA class I proteins act as cognate ligands for KIR receptors in innate immunity. Data suggests that HLA alleles and KIR activating genes/haplotypes are common variants in different autism populations. For example, class I allele (HLA-A2 and HLA-G 14 bp-indel) frequencies are significantly increased by more than 5% over control populations (Table 2). The HLA-DR4 Class II and shared epitope frequencies are significantly above the control populations (Table 2). Three activating KIR genes: 3DS1, 2DS1, and 2DS2 have increased frequencies of 15, 22, and 14% in autism populations, respectively. There is a 6% increase in total activating KIR genes in autism over control subjects. And, more importantly there is a 12% increase in activating KIR genes and their cognate HLA alleles over control populations (Torres et al., 2012a). These data suggest the interaction of HLA ligand/KIR receptor pairs encoded on two different chromosomes is more significant as a ligand/receptor complex than separately in autism.
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Affiliation(s)
- Anthony R. Torres
- Center for Persons with Disabilities, Utah State UniversityLogan, UT, USA
| | | | - Randall C. Johnson
- BSP CCR Genetics Core, SAIC-Frederick, Inc., Frederick National Laboratory for Cancer ResearchFrederick, MD, USA
| | - Dennis Odell
- Center for Persons with Disabilities, Utah State UniversityLogan, UT, USA
| | - Jonna B. Westover
- Center for Persons with Disabilities, Utah State UniversityLogan, UT, USA
| | - Patricia Bray-Ward
- Center for Persons with Disabilities, Utah State UniversityLogan, UT, USA
| | - David C. Ward
- Center for Persons with Disabilities, Utah State UniversityLogan, UT, USA
| | | | - Aaron J. Thomas
- Division of Research, Kaiser Permanente of Northern CaliforniaOakland, CA, USA
| | - Lisa A. Croen
- Center for Integrated BioSystems, Utah State UniversityLogan, UT, USA
| | - Michael Benson
- Center for Persons with Disabilities, Utah State UniversityLogan, UT, USA
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299
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Neuronal Signaling: an introduction. Neuronal Signal 2016; 1:NS20160025. [PMID: 32714575 PMCID: PMC7377261 DOI: 10.1042/ns20160025] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/17/2022] Open
Abstract
There have been a number of advances in our knowledge of neuronal communication in processes involved in development, functioning and disorders of the nervous system. This progress has prompted the Biochemical Society to launch Neuronal Signaling, a new open access journal that aims to expand on the existing knowledge about signaling within and between neurons.
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300
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Wiens D. Could folic acid influence growth cone motility during the development of neural connectivity? NEUROGENESIS 2016; 3:e1230167. [PMID: 27844023 PMCID: PMC5063060 DOI: 10.1080/23262133.2016.1230167] [Citation(s) in RCA: 1] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.1] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 06/28/2016] [Revised: 08/23/2016] [Accepted: 08/25/2016] [Indexed: 11/15/2022]
Abstract
Perinatal dietary supplementation, together with widespread fortification of grain-based foods with synthetic folic acid (FA) has resulted in rising concentrations of unmetabolized plasma FA in pregnant women. In a recently published study we reported on experiments in which we cultured dorsal root ganglia from chick embryos in a range of FA concentrations. We found that FA inhibited neurite extension, synaptogenesis, and growth cone motility. In this commentary we consider the possible mechanism further. The effect of FA is more likely to be on motility processes of growth cones with their exploratory filapodia than on neurotrophic stimulation. Receptors present in the filapodia membrane recognize and bind to environmental guidance cues. The presence of the NMDA receptor on filapodia, and the possible competition of FA with the neurotransmitter glutamate for binding to it, resulting in perturbation of growth cone guidance, are discussed. Whether excess FA exerts its inhibitory effects by such binding competition or via some other mechanism, further investigation is needed. Sufficient intake of folate from conception through the first month of human pregnancy is essential for neural tube closure. However, our results suggest that an upper limit for FA consumption after the first month should be considered.
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Affiliation(s)
- Darrell Wiens
- Biology Department, University of Northern Iowa , Cedar Falls, Iowa
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