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Lathen DR, Merrill CB, Rothenfluh A. Flying Together: Drosophila as a Tool to Understand the Genetics of Human Alcoholism. Int J Mol Sci 2020; 21:E6649. [PMID: 32932795 PMCID: PMC7555299 DOI: 10.3390/ijms21186649] [Citation(s) in RCA: 10] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 08/11/2020] [Revised: 09/07/2020] [Accepted: 09/08/2020] [Indexed: 12/14/2022] Open
Abstract
Alcohol use disorder (AUD) exacts an immense toll on individuals, families, and society. Genetic factors determine up to 60% of an individual's risk of developing problematic alcohol habits. Effective AUD prevention and treatment requires knowledge of the genes that predispose people to alcoholism, play a role in alcohol responses, and/or contribute to the development of addiction. As a highly tractable and translatable genetic and behavioral model organism, Drosophila melanogaster has proven valuable to uncover important genes and mechanistic pathways that have obvious orthologs in humans and that help explain the complexities of addiction. Vinegar flies exhibit remarkably strong face and mechanistic validity as a model for AUDs, permitting many advancements in the quest to understand human genetic involvement in this disease. These advancements occur via approaches that essentially fall into one of two categories: (1) discovering candidate genes via human genome-wide association studies (GWAS), transcriptomics on post-mortem tissue from AUD patients, or relevant physiological connections, then using reverse genetics in flies to validate candidate genes' roles and investigate their molecular function in the context of alcohol. (2) Utilizing flies to discover candidate genes through unbiased screens, GWAS, quantitative trait locus analyses, transcriptomics, or single-gene studies, then validating their translational role in human genetic surveys. In this review, we highlight the utility of Drosophila as a model for alcoholism by surveying recent advances in our understanding of human AUDs that resulted from these various approaches. We summarize the genes that are conserved in alcohol-related function between humans and flies. We also provide insight into some advantages and limitations of these approaches. Overall, this review demonstrates how Drosophila have and can be used to answer important genetic questions about alcohol addiction.
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Affiliation(s)
- Daniel R. Lathen
- Department of Psychiatry and Neuroscience Ph.D. Program, University of Utah, Salt Lake City, UT 84108, USA;
| | - Collin B. Merrill
- Molecular Medicine Program, University of Utah, Salt Lake City, UT 84112, USA;
| | - Adrian Rothenfluh
- Department of Psychiatry and Neuroscience Ph.D. Program, University of Utah, Salt Lake City, UT 84108, USA;
- Molecular Medicine Program, University of Utah, Salt Lake City, UT 84112, USA;
- Department of Neurobiology and Anatomy, University of Utah, Salt Lake City, UT 84132, USA
- Department of Human Genetics, University of Utah, Salt Lake City, UT 84112, USA
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Smith AH, Ovesen PL, Skeldal S, Yeo S, Jensen KP, Olsen D, Diazgranados N, Zhao H, Farrer LA, Goldman D, Glerup S, Kranzler HR, Nykjær A, Gelernter J. Risk Locus Identification Ties Alcohol Withdrawal Symptoms to SORCS2. Alcohol Clin Exp Res 2018; 42:2337-2348. [PMID: 30252935 PMCID: PMC6317871 DOI: 10.1111/acer.13890] [Citation(s) in RCA: 12] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 04/10/2018] [Accepted: 09/06/2018] [Indexed: 01/11/2023]
Abstract
BACKGROUND Efforts to promote the cessation of harmful alcohol use are hindered by the affective and physiological components of alcohol withdrawal (AW), which can include life-threatening seizures. Although previous studies of AW and relapse have highlighted the detrimental role of stress, little is known about genetic risk factors. METHODS We conducted a genome-wide association study of AW symptom count in uniformly assessed subjects with histories of serious AW, followed by additional genotyping in independent AW subjects. RESULTS The top association signal for AW severity was in sortilin family neurotrophin receptor gene SORCS2 on chromosome 4 (European American meta-analysis n = 1,478, p = 4.3 × 10-9 ). There were no genome-wide significant findings in African Americans (n = 1,231). Bioinformatic analyses were conducted using publicly available high-throughput transcriptomic and epigenomic data sets, showing that in humans SORCS2 is most highly expressed in the nervous system. The identified SORCS2 risk haplotype is predicted to disrupt a stress hormone-modulated regulatory element that has tissue-specific activity in human hippocampus. We used human neural lineage cells to demonstrate in vitro a causal relationship between stress hormone levels and SORCS2 expression, and show that SORCS2 levels in culture are increased upon ethanol exposure and withdrawal. CONCLUSIONS Taken together, these findings indicate that the pathophysiology of withdrawal may involve the effects of stress hormones on neurotrophic factor signaling. Further investigation of these pathways could produce new approaches to managing the aversive consequences of abrupt alcohol cessation.
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Affiliation(s)
- Andrew H. Smith
- Interdepartmental Neuroscience Program and Medical Scientist Training Program, Yale School of Medicine
- Division of Human Genetics, Department of Psychiatry, VA CT Healthcare Center and Yale School of Medicine
- Department of Psychiatry, Icahn School of Medicine at Mount Sinai, New York, NY 10029
| | - Peter L. Ovesen
- The Lundbeck Foundation Research Center MIND, Danish Research Institute of Translational Neuroscience DANDRITE - Nordic EMBL Partnership for Molecular Medicine, Department of Biomedicine, Aarhus University, DK-8000 Aarhus C, Denmark
| | - Sune Skeldal
- The Lundbeck Foundation Research Center MIND, Danish Research Institute of Translational Neuroscience DANDRITE - Nordic EMBL Partnership for Molecular Medicine, Department of Biomedicine, Aarhus University, DK-8000 Aarhus C, Denmark
| | - Seungeun Yeo
- Laboratory of Neurogenetics, National Institute on Alcohol Abuse and Alcoholism
| | - Kevin P. Jensen
- Division of Human Genetics, Department of Psychiatry, VA CT Healthcare Center and Yale School of Medicine
| | - Ditte Olsen
- The Lundbeck Foundation Research Center MIND, Danish Research Institute of Translational Neuroscience DANDRITE - Nordic EMBL Partnership for Molecular Medicine, Department of Biomedicine, Aarhus University, DK-8000 Aarhus C, Denmark
| | - Nancy Diazgranados
- Office of the Clinical Director, National Institute on Alcohol Abuse and Alcoholism, National Institutes of Health, Bethesda, MD 20892, USA
| | - Hongyu Zhao
- Department of Biostatistics, Yale School of Public Health
| | - Lindsay A. Farrer
- Departments of Medicine (Biomedical Genetics), Neurology, and Ophthalmology, School of Medicine, and Departments of Biostatistics and Epidemiology, School of Public Health, Boston University, Boston, MA 02118, USA
| | - David Goldman
- Laboratory of Neurogenetics, National Institute on Alcohol Abuse and Alcoholism
- Office of the Clinical Director, National Institute on Alcohol Abuse and Alcoholism, National Institutes of Health, Bethesda, MD 20892, USA
| | - Simon Glerup
- The Lundbeck Foundation Research Center MIND, Danish Research Institute of Translational Neuroscience DANDRITE - Nordic EMBL Partnership for Molecular Medicine, Department of Biomedicine, Aarhus University, DK-8000 Aarhus C, Denmark
| | - Henry R. Kranzler
- Department of Psychiatry, Perelman School of Medicine, University of Pennsylvania and Corporal Michael J. Crescenz VAMC, Philadelphia, Pennsylvania 19104, USA
| | - Anders Nykjær
- The Lundbeck Foundation Research Center MIND, Danish Research Institute of Translational Neuroscience DANDRITE - Nordic EMBL Partnership for Molecular Medicine, Department of Biomedicine, Aarhus University, DK-8000 Aarhus C, Denmark
- Department of Neuroscience, Mayo Clinic, Jacksonville 32224, Florida, USA
| | - Joel Gelernter
- Division of Human Genetics, Department of Psychiatry, VA CT Healthcare Center and Yale School of Medicine
- Departments of Genetics and Neuroscience, Yale School of Medicine, Yale University, New Haven, Connecticut 06510, USA
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Dutta N, Helton SG, Schwandt M, Zhu X, Momenan R, Lohoff FW. Genetic Variation in the Vesicular Monoamine Transporter 1 (VMAT1/SLC18A1) Gene and Alcohol Withdrawal Severity. Alcohol Clin Exp Res 2016; 40:474-81. [PMID: 26876819 DOI: 10.1111/acer.12991] [Citation(s) in RCA: 11] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.4] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 05/29/2015] [Accepted: 12/15/2015] [Indexed: 11/29/2022]
Abstract
BACKGROUND Alcohol withdrawal (AW) can be a serious consequence of alcohol dependence and consists of various neurochemical adaptations in the brain. One such neuroadaptation occurs in the monoamine neurotransmitter system. Recently, a functional variant in the presynaptic vesicular monoamine transporter gene (VMAT1/SLC18A1-Thr136Ile-rs1390938) was found to significantly increase transport of monoamines into synaptic vesicles in vitro. We hypothesize that the alteration of magnitude of monoamine release contributes to severity of AW symptoms. METHODS Alcohol-dependent individuals (n = 609; European American n = 340; African American n = 216; other n = 53) were administered the Clinical Institute Withdrawal Assessment of Alcohol Scale, Revised (CIWA-Ar) questionnaire at the time of inpatient admission. Patients were subsequently genotyped for 12 single nucleotide polymorphism (SNP) markers in VMAT1. Association analyses were conducted on the combined sample and separated by ethnicity. RESULTS Single marker association tests revealed a significant association between 3 VMAT1 markers and CIWA-Ar scores in the EA sample. The minor alleles of rs1390938 (A) and rs952859 (C) were significantly associated with lower CIWA-Ar scores (p = 0.0006; p = 0.0007), whereas the minor allele of rs3779672 (G) was significantly associated with higher scores (p = 0.006). Additionally, these 3 SNPs were found in a haplotype block that was significantly associated with lower CIWA-Ar scores after haplotype analyses were run (p = 0.009). CONCLUSIONS This study shows that genetic variants in VMAT1, including the functional SNP rs1390938, contribute to the severity of AW in patients of European descent. Our data show for the first time a role of presynaptic neurotransmitter release in AW severity. This finding could contribute to identifying patients at risk for severe AW and shed light into the pathophysiology of AW and its treatment.
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Affiliation(s)
- Nisha Dutta
- Section on Clinical Genomics and Experimental Therapeutics, National Institute on Alcohol Abuse and Alcoholism, National Institutes of Health, Bethesda, Maryland
| | - Sarah G Helton
- Section on Clinical Genomics and Experimental Therapeutics, National Institute on Alcohol Abuse and Alcoholism, National Institutes of Health, Bethesda, Maryland
| | - Melanie Schwandt
- Section on Clinical Genomics and Experimental Therapeutics, National Institute on Alcohol Abuse and Alcoholism, National Institutes of Health, Bethesda, Maryland
| | - Xi Zhu
- Section on Brain and Electrophysiology and Imaging, National Institute on Alcohol Abuse and Alcoholism, National Institutes of Health, Bethesda, Maryland
| | - Reza Momenan
- Section on Brain and Electrophysiology and Imaging, National Institute on Alcohol Abuse and Alcoholism, National Institutes of Health, Bethesda, Maryland
| | - Falk W Lohoff
- Section on Clinical Genomics and Experimental Therapeutics, National Institute on Alcohol Abuse and Alcoholism, National Institutes of Health, Bethesda, Maryland
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Bhandage AK, Jin Z, Bazov I, Kononenko O, Bakalkin G, Korpi ER, Birnir B. GABA-A and NMDA receptor subunit mRNA expression is altered in the caudate but not the putamen of the postmortem brains of alcoholics. Front Cell Neurosci 2014; 8:415. [PMID: 25538565 PMCID: PMC4257153 DOI: 10.3389/fncel.2014.00415] [Citation(s) in RCA: 16] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.6] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 09/22/2014] [Accepted: 11/15/2014] [Indexed: 01/16/2023] Open
Abstract
Chronic consumption of alcohol by humans has been shown to lead to impairment of executive and cognitive functions. Here, we have studied the mRNA expression of ion channel receptors for glutamate and GABA in the dorsal striatum of post-mortem brains from alcoholics (n = 29) and normal controls (n = 29), with the focus on the caudate nucleus that is associated with the frontal cortex executive functions and automatic thinking and on the putamen area that is linked to motor cortices and automatic movements. The results obtained by qPCR assay revealed significant changes in the expression of specific excitatory ionotropic glutamate and inhibitory GABA-A receptor subunit genes in the caudate but not the putamen. Thus, in the caudate we found reduced levels of mRNAs encoding the GluN2A glutamate receptor and the δ, ε, and ρ2 GABA-A receptor subunits, and increased levels of the mRNAs encoding GluD1, GluD2, and GABA-A γ1 subunits in the alcoholics as compared to controls. Interestingly in the controls, 11 glutamate and 5 GABA-A receptor genes were more prominently expressed in the caudate than the putamen (fold-increase varied from 1.24 to 2.91). Differences in gene expression patterns between the striatal regions may underlie differences in associated behavioral outputs. Our results suggest an altered balance between caudate-mediated voluntarily controlled and automatic behaviors in alcoholics, including diminished executive control on goal-directed alcohol-seeking behavior.
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Affiliation(s)
- Amol K Bhandage
- Molecular Physiology and Neuroscience, Biomedical Center, Uppsala University Uppsala, Sweden
| | - Zhe Jin
- Molecular Physiology and Neuroscience, Biomedical Center, Uppsala University Uppsala, Sweden
| | - Igor Bazov
- Pharmacology, Institute of Biomedicine, University of Helsinki Helsinki, Finland
| | - Olga Kononenko
- Pharmacology, Institute of Biomedicine, University of Helsinki Helsinki, Finland
| | - Georgy Bakalkin
- Pharmacology, Institute of Biomedicine, University of Helsinki Helsinki, Finland
| | - Esa R Korpi
- Department of Pharmaceutical Bioscience (Biological Research on Drug Dependence), Biomedical Center, Uppsala University Uppsala, Sweden
| | - Bryndis Birnir
- Molecular Physiology and Neuroscience, Biomedical Center, Uppsala University Uppsala, Sweden
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Huang MC, Schwandt ML, Chester JA, Kirchhoff AM, Kao CF, Liang T, Tapocik JD, Ramchandani VA, George DT, Hodgkinson CA, Goldman D, Heilig M. FKBP5 moderates alcohol withdrawal severity: human genetic association and functional validation in knockout mice. Neuropsychopharmacology 2014; 39:2029-38. [PMID: 24603855 PMCID: PMC4059914 DOI: 10.1038/npp.2014.55] [Citation(s) in RCA: 43] [Impact Index Per Article: 4.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Submit a Manuscript] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 09/13/2013] [Revised: 01/31/2014] [Accepted: 02/25/2014] [Indexed: 01/18/2023]
Abstract
Alcohol withdrawal is associated with hypothalamic-pituitary-adrenal (HPA) axis dysfunction. The FKBP5 gene codes for a co-chaperone, FK506-binding protein 5, that exerts negative feedback on HPA axis function. This study aimed to examine the effects of single-nucleotide polymorphisms (SNPs) of the FKBP5 gene in humans and the effect of Fkbp5 gene deletion in mice on alcohol withdrawal severity. We genotyped six FKBP5 SNPs (rs3800373, rs9296158, rs3777747, rs9380524, rs1360780, and rs9470080) in 399 alcohol-dependent inpatients with alcohol consumption 48 h before admission and recorded scores from the Clinical Institute Withdrawal Assessment-Alcohol revised (CIWA-Ar). Fkbp5 gene knockout (KO) and wild-type (WT) mice were assessed for alcohol withdrawal using handling-induced convulsions (HICs) following both acute and chronic alcohol exposure. We found the minor alleles of rs3800373 (G), rs9296158 (A), rs1360780 (T), and rs9470080 (T) were significantly associated with lower CIWA-Ar scores whereas the minor alleles of rs3777747 (G) and rs9380524 (A) were associated with higher scores. The haplotype-based analyses also showed an association with alcohol withdrawal severity. Fkbp5 KO mice showed significantly greater HICs during withdrawal from chronic alcohol exposure compared with WT controls. This study is the first to show a genetic effect of FKBP5 on the severity of alcohol withdrawal syndrome. In mice, the absence of the Fkbp5 gene enhances sensitivity to alcohol withdrawal. We suggest that FKBP5 variants may trigger different adaptive changes in HPA axis regulation during alcohol withdrawal with concomitant effects on withdrawal severity.
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Affiliation(s)
- Ming-Chyi Huang
- Department of Psychiatry, Taipei City Psychiatric Center, Taipei City Hospital, Taipei, Taiwan,Department of Psychiatry, School of Medicine, Taipei Medical University, Taipei, Taiwan
| | - Melanie L Schwandt
- Laboratory of Clinical and Translational Studies, National Institute on Alcohol Abuse and Alcoholism, National Institutes of Health, Bethesda, MD, USA
| | - Julia A Chester
- Department of Psychological Sciences, Purdue University, West Lafayette, IN, USA,Department of Medicine, Indiana University, School of Medicine, Indianapolis, IN, USA
| | - Aaron M Kirchhoff
- Department of Psychological Sciences, Purdue University, West Lafayette, IN, USA,Department of Medicine, Indiana University, School of Medicine, Indianapolis, IN, USA
| | - Chung-Feng Kao
- Department of Public Health and Institute of Epidemiology and Preventive Medicine, College of Public Health, Taipei, Taiwan
| | - Tiebing Liang
- Department of Psychological Sciences, Purdue University, West Lafayette, IN, USA,Department of Medicine, Indiana University, School of Medicine, Indianapolis, IN, USA
| | - Jenica D Tapocik
- Laboratory of Clinical and Translational Studies, National Institute on Alcohol Abuse and Alcoholism, National Institutes of Health, Bethesda, MD, USA
| | - Vijay A Ramchandani
- Laboratory of Clinical and Translational Studies, National Institute on Alcohol Abuse and Alcoholism, National Institutes of Health, Bethesda, MD, USA
| | - David T George
- Laboratory of Clinical and Translational Studies, National Institute on Alcohol Abuse and Alcoholism, National Institutes of Health, Bethesda, MD, USA
| | - Colin A Hodgkinson
- Laboratory of Neurogenetics, National Institute on Alcohol Abuse and Alcoholism/National Institutes of Health, Bethesda, MD, USA
| | - David Goldman
- Laboratory of Neurogenetics, National Institute on Alcohol Abuse and Alcoholism/National Institutes of Health, Bethesda, MD, USA
| | - Markus Heilig
- Laboratory of Clinical and Translational Studies, National Institute on Alcohol Abuse and Alcoholism, National Institutes of Health, Bethesda, MD, USA,Laboratory of Clinical and Translational Studies, National Institute on Alcohol Abuse and Alcoholism, National Institutes of Health, Bethesda, MD 20892, USA, Tel: +1 301 768 7326, Fax: +1 301 451 7498, E-mail:
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6
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Jin Z, Bhandage AK, Bazov I, Kononenko O, Bakalkin G, Korpi ER, Birnir B. Selective increases of AMPA, NMDA, and kainate receptor subunit mRNAs in the hippocampus and orbitofrontal cortex but not in prefrontal cortex of human alcoholics. Front Cell Neurosci 2014; 8:11. [PMID: 24523671 PMCID: PMC3905203 DOI: 10.3389/fncel.2014.00011] [Citation(s) in RCA: 34] [Impact Index Per Article: 3.4] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 09/16/2013] [Accepted: 01/08/2014] [Indexed: 12/31/2022] Open
Abstract
Glutamate is the main excitatory transmitter in the human brain. Drugs that affect the glutamatergic signaling will alter neuronal excitability. Ethanol inhibits glutamate receptors. We examined the expression level of glutamate receptor subunit mRNAs in human post-mortem samples from alcoholics and compared the results to brain samples from control subjects. RNA from hippocampal dentate gyrus (HP-DG), orbitofrontal cortex (OFC), and dorso-lateral prefrontal cortex (DL-PFC) samples from 21 controls and 19 individuals with chronic alcohol dependence were included in the study. Total RNA was assayed using quantitative RT-PCR. Out of the 16 glutamate receptor subunits, mRNAs encoding two AMPA [2-amino-3-(3-hydroxy-5-methyl-isoxazol-4-yl)propanoic acid] receptor subunits GluA2 and GluA3; three kainate receptor subunits GluK2, GluK3 and GluK5 and five NMDA (N-methyl-D-aspartate) receptor subunits GluN1, GluN2A, GluN2C, GluN2D, and GluN3A were significantly increased in the HP-DG region in alcoholics. In the OFC, mRNA encoding the NMDA receptor subunit GluN3A was increased, whereas in the DL-PFC, no differences in mRNA levels were observed. Our laboratory has previously shown that the expression of genes encoding inhibitory GABA-A receptors is altered in the HP-DG and OFC of alcoholics (Jin et al., 2011). Whether the changes in one neurotransmitter system drives changes in the other or if they change independently is currently not known. The results demonstrate that excessive long-term alcohol consumption is associated with altered expression of genes encoding glutamate receptors in a brain region-specific manner. It is an intriguing possibility that genetic predisposition to alcoholism may contribute to these gene expression changes.
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Affiliation(s)
- Zhe Jin
- Department of Neuroscience, Uppsala University Uppsala, Sweden
| | - Amol K Bhandage
- Department of Neuroscience, Uppsala University Uppsala, Sweden
| | - Igor Bazov
- Division of Biological Research on Drug Dependence, Department of Pharmaceutical Biosciences, Uppsala University Uppsala, Sweden
| | - Olga Kononenko
- Division of Biological Research on Drug Dependence, Department of Pharmaceutical Biosciences, Uppsala University Uppsala, Sweden
| | - Georgy Bakalkin
- Division of Biological Research on Drug Dependence, Department of Pharmaceutical Biosciences, Uppsala University Uppsala, Sweden
| | - Esa R Korpi
- Institute of Biomedicine, Pharmacology, University of Helsinki Helsinki, Finland
| | - Bryndis Birnir
- Department of Neuroscience, Uppsala University Uppsala, Sweden
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Razanau A, Xie J. Emerging mechanisms and consequences of calcium regulation of alternative splicing in neurons and endocrine cells. Cell Mol Life Sci 2013; 70:4527-36. [PMID: 23800988 PMCID: PMC11113957 DOI: 10.1007/s00018-013-1390-5] [Citation(s) in RCA: 23] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.1] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 04/05/2013] [Revised: 05/21/2013] [Accepted: 05/27/2013] [Indexed: 12/12/2022]
Abstract
Alternative splicing contributes greatly to proteomic complexity. How it is regulated by external stimuli to sculpt cellular properties, particularly the highly diverse and malleable neuronal properties, is an underdeveloped area of emerging interest. A number of recent studies in neurons and endocrine cells have begun to shed light on its regulation by calcium signals. Some mechanisms include changes in the trans-acting splicing factors by phosphorylation, protein level, alternative pre-mRNA splicing, and nucleocytoplasmic redistribution of proteins to alter protein-RNA or protein-protein interactions, as well as modulation of chromatin states. Importantly, functional analyses of the control of specific exons/splicing factors in the brain point to a crucial role of this regulation in synaptic maturation, maintenance, and transmission. Furthermore, its deregulation has been implicated in the pathogenesis of neurological disorders, particularly epilepsy/seizure. Together, these studies have not only provided mechanistic insights into the regulation of alternative splicing by calcium signaling but also demonstrated its impact on neuron differentiation, function, and disease. This may also help our understanding of similar regulations in other types of cells.
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Affiliation(s)
- Aleh Razanau
- Department of Physiology, University of Manitoba, 439 BMSB, 745 Bannatyne Ave, Winnipeg, R3E 0J9 Canada
| | - Jiuyong Xie
- Department of Physiology, University of Manitoba, 439 BMSB, 745 Bannatyne Ave, Winnipeg, R3E 0J9 Canada
- Department of Biochemistry and Medical Genetics, Faculty of Medicine, University of Manitoba, Winnipeg, MB R3E 0J9 Canada
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Chanasong R, Thanoi S, Watiktinkorn P, Reynolds GP, Nudmamud-Thanoi S. Genetic variation of GRIN1 confers vulnerability to methamphetamine-dependent psychosis in a Thai population. Neurosci Lett 2013; 551:58-61. [PMID: 23880023 DOI: 10.1016/j.neulet.2013.07.017] [Citation(s) in RCA: 16] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 05/28/2013] [Revised: 07/05/2013] [Accepted: 07/09/2013] [Indexed: 10/26/2022]
Abstract
GRIN1 is a gene that encodes the N-methyl-d aspartate (NMDA) receptor subunit1 (NR1). Variations of GRIN1 have been identified as a risk factor for schizophrenia and drug dependence, supporting hypotheses of glutamatergic dysfunction in these disorders. Methamphetamine (METH) is a psychostimulant drug which can induce psychotic symptoms reminiscent of those found in schizophrenia; thus GRIN1 is a candidate gene for vulnerability to METH dependence or METH-dependent psychosis. The present study examined two polymorphisms of GRIN1, rs11146020 (G1001C) and rs1126442 (G2108A), in 100 male Thai METH-dependent patients and 103 healthy controls using PCR-RFLP techniques. Neither polymorphism was significantly associated with METH dependence, although rs1126442 was highly significantly associated with METH-dependent psychosis, in which the A allele showed reduced frequency (P<0.00001). The present findings indicate that the rs1126442 of GRIN1 contributes to the genetic vulnerability to psychosis in METH-dependent subjects in the Thai population.
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Affiliation(s)
- Rachanee Chanasong
- Department of Anatomy, Faculty of Medical Science, Naresuan University, Phitsanulok 65000, Thailand
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9
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Karpyak VM, Geske JR, Colby CL, Mrazek DA, Biernacka JM. Genetic variability in the NMDA-dependent AMPA trafficking cascade is associated with alcohol dependence. Addict Biol 2012; 17:798-806. [PMID: 21762291 PMCID: PMC3197973 DOI: 10.1111/j.1369-1600.2011.00338.x] [Citation(s) in RCA: 30] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/28/2022]
Abstract
Model studies in mice indicate that the severity of alcohol withdrawal is associated with polymorphic variation and expression of the MPDZ gene. Current knowledge about variation in the human MPDZ gene is limited; however, our data indicate its potential association with alcohol dependence. The multi-PDZ protein is an important part of the N-methyl-D-aspartate (NMDA)-dependent α-amino-3-hydroxy-5-methyl-4-isoxazole propionic acid (AMPA) receptor trafficking cascade that controls glutamate-related excitatory neurotransmission. To investigate association of variation in the NMDA-dependent AMPA trafficking cascade with alcohol dependence, we performed a gene-set (pathway) analysis using single nucleotide polymorphism (SNP) data from the Study of Addiction: Genetic and Environment. Rather than testing for association with each SNP individually, which typically has low power to detect small effects of multiple SNPs, gene-set analysis applies a single statistical test to evaluate whether variation in a set of genes is associated with the phenotype of interest. Gene-set analysis of 988 SNPs in 13 genes in the pathway demonstrated a significant association with alcohol dependence, with P < 0.01 for the global effect of variation in this pathway. The statistically significant association of alcohol dependence with genetic variation in the NMDA-dependent AMPA receptor trafficking cascade indicates a need for further investigation of the role of this pathway in alcohol dependence.
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Affiliation(s)
- Victor M Karpyak
- Department of Psychiatry and Psychology, Mayo Clinic, Rochester, MN, USA.
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10
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Pathway based analysis of genotypes in relation to alcohol dependence. THE PHARMACOGENOMICS JOURNAL 2011; 12:342-8. [PMID: 21468025 PMCID: PMC3134610 DOI: 10.1038/tpj.2011.10] [Citation(s) in RCA: 15] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.2] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 01/05/2023]
Abstract
We introduce a method for detecting variants in several genes of related function with small effect on a phenotype of interest. Our method uses logistic regression to test whether multiple alleles within a functional set have significantly higher than expected predictive value, even though none individually may have strong individual effects. We illustrate this method by testing seven gene sets (including 48 genes), from a study with1350 single nucleotide polymorphisms in 130 addiction candidate genes studied in a sample of 575 alcohol dependence (AD) cases and 530 controls. We conclude that AD is related to variation in genes participating in Glutamate and GABA signaling, as has been reported elsewhere, and in stress response pathways, but not with genes in several other systems implicated in other drugs of abuse.
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11
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Ding YX, Zhang Y, He B, Yue WH, Zhang D, Zou LP. A possible association of responsiveness to adrenocorticotropic hormone with specific GRIN1 haplotypes in infantile spasms. Dev Med Child Neurol 2010; 52:1028-32. [PMID: 20722663 DOI: 10.1111/j.1469-8749.2010.03746.x] [Citation(s) in RCA: 19] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.4] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Submit a Manuscript] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/30/2022]
Abstract
AIM Adrenocorticotropic hormone (ACTH) has been used as the major therapy for infantile spasms since 1958 because it effectively suppresses seizures; it also normalizes the electroencephalogram in the short-term treatment of infantile spasms. G protein-regulated inducer of neurite outgrowth 1 (GRIN1, also known as N-methyl-D-aspartate receptor 1, NMDAR1), a glutamate receptor, is the main component of functional N-methyl-D-aspartic acid receptors that are involved in the glucocorticoid-induced neuronal damage. Thus, it may be a candidate gene to be tested for responsiveness to ACTH in infantile spasms. In the present study, polymorphisms in the GRIN1 gene in infantile spasms were investigated using a case-control design. METHOD Twelve single nucleotide polymorphisms in the GRIN1 gene were genotyped in a Chinese case-control set consisting of 97 unrelated patients with infantile spasms (60 males, 37 females; mean age 6.4 mo, SD 2.7) and 96 healthy individuals (63 males, 33 females; mean age 7.3 mo, SD 3.8). Association analysis was performed on the genotyped data. RESULTS Five estimated haplotypes with a frequency of more than 3% were detected. Results of the study showed that responsiveness to treatment with ACTH in homozygous carriers of the CTA haplotype was higher than that in heterozygous carriers and non-carriers (p=0.022). Furthermore, CTG, a rare haplotype, was strongly associated with infantile spasms (p=0.013). INTERPRETATION The results suggest that haplotypes of GRIN1 may influence responsiveness to ACTH. The findings necessitate further study for confirmation.
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Affiliation(s)
- Ying-Xue Ding
- Department of Neurology, Beijing Children's Hospital, The Capital Medical University, Beijing, China
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Kranzler HR, Gelernter J, Anton RF, Arias AJ, Herman A, Zhao H, Burian L, Covault J. Association of markers in the 3' region of the GluR5 kainate receptor subunit gene to alcohol dependence. Alcohol Clin Exp Res 2010; 33:925-30. [PMID: 19320626 DOI: 10.1111/j.1530-0277.2009.00913.x] [Citation(s) in RCA: 52] [Impact Index Per Article: 3.7] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/26/2022]
Abstract
BACKGROUND Glutamate neurotransmission plays an important role in a variety of alcohol-related phenomena, including alcohol self-administration by both animals and humans. Because the risk for alcohol dependence (AD) is genetically influenced, genes encoding glutamate receptors are candidates to contribute to the risk for AD. We examined the role of variation in the 3' region of GRIK1, the gene that encodes the GluR5 receptor subunit of the kainic acid glutamate receptor, on risk for AD. We focused specifically on this gene because topiramate, a glutamate modulator that binds to the GluR5 subunit, has shown robust efficacy in the treatment of AD. METHODS We genotyped 7 single nucleotide polymorphisms (SNPs) in the 3'-half of GRIK1, which includes 3 differentially spliced exons, in a sample of EA control subjects (n = 507) and subjects with AD (n = 1,057). RESULTS We found nominally significant evidence of association to AD for 3 SNPs (rs2832407 in intron 9, rs2186305 in intron 17, and rs2832387 in the 3'UTR). Empirical p-value estimation revealed that only rs2832407 was significantly associated to phenotype (p = 0.043). DISCUSSION These findings provide support for the hypothesis that variation in the 3' portion of the gene encoding the GluR5 kainate receptor subunit contributes to the risk for AD. Further research is needed to ascertain whether this SNP is itself functional or whether the association reflects linkage disequilibrium with functional variation elsewhere in the gene and whether this SNP moderates topiramate's effects in the treatment of AD.
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Affiliation(s)
- Henry R Kranzler
- Alcohol Research Center, Department of Psychiatry, University of Connecticut School of Medicine, University Health Center, Farmington, CT 06030-2103, USA.
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Hughes JR. Alcohol withdrawal seizures. Epilepsy Behav 2009; 15:92-7. [PMID: 19249388 DOI: 10.1016/j.yebeh.2009.02.037] [Citation(s) in RCA: 54] [Impact Index Per Article: 3.6] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Submit a Manuscript] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 12/23/2008] [Revised: 02/17/2009] [Accepted: 02/20/2009] [Indexed: 11/30/2022]
Abstract
The topic of alcohol withdrawal syndrome (AWS), including delirium tremens and especially seizures, is reviewed. From mice and rat studies, it is known that both N-methyl-d-aspartate (NMDA) and gamma-aminobutyric acid (GABA) receptors are involved in AWS. During alcohol intoxication chronic adaptations of NMDA and GABA receptors occur, and during alcohol withdrawal a hyperexcitable state develops. In studies on humans, during intoxication the NMDA receptors are activated and mediate tonic inhibition. In withdrawal, a rebound activation of these receptors occurs. Both GABA-A and GABA-B receptors, especially the alpha2 subunit of GABA-A receptors, are also likely involved. Homocysteine increases with active drinking, and in withdrawal, excitotoxicity likely is induced by a further increase in homocysteine, viewed as a risk factor for AWS and also as a screening tool. The dopamine transporter gene is also associated with AWS. Characteristics involves changes in the ECG, especially an increase in QT interval, and EEG changes, including abnormal quantified EEG, at times periodic lateralized epileptiform discharges, and especially seizures, usually occurring 6-48h after the cessation of drinking. Therapy has emphasized benzodiazepines, mainly diazepam and lorazepam, but more standard antiepileptic drugs, like carbamazepine and topiramate, are also effective and safe.
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Affiliation(s)
- John R Hughes
- Department of Neurology, University of Illinois Medical Center, M/C 796, 912 South Wood Street, Chicago, IL 60612, USA.
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Abstract
Delirium not induced by alcohol or other psychoactive substance and alcohol withdrawal delirium (or delirium tremens) are both cerebral syndromes with similar presentations and are associated with various adverse outcomes. Recently, interest in identifying genetic predisposing factors that influence the occurrence or the outcome of delirium has become a prominent point of delirium research. We systematically searched published articles concerning genetic associations and the occurrence and outcome of delirium. Of 33 identified articles, six investigated non-alcohol withdrawal delirium, and from those six, five evaluated an association with apolipoprotein E (APOE). One association of APOE genotype with the emergence of delirium and two associations of APOE genotype with the duration of delirium were reported. The remaining 27 identified articles investigated genetic associations with alcohol withdrawal delirium and were mainly related to dopamine. Two studies reported a significant association of alcohol withdrawal delirium with the dopamine transporter gene (SLC6A3) and the dopamine receptor 3 (DRD3). Results are inconclusive, and no hard evidence exists due primarily to insufficiently powered studies and other methodological issues. Prospective studies incorporating systematic and rigorous diagnostic criteria and involving long term follow up are needed to advance understanding of this field.
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Unraveling the molecular mechanisms of alcohol dependence. Trends Genet 2009; 25:49-55. [DOI: 10.1016/j.tig.2008.10.005] [Citation(s) in RCA: 35] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 08/14/2007] [Revised: 10/10/2008] [Accepted: 10/13/2008] [Indexed: 12/11/2022]
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Gass JT, Olive MF. Glutamatergic substrates of drug addiction and alcoholism. Biochem Pharmacol 2008; 75:218-65. [PMID: 17706608 PMCID: PMC2239014 DOI: 10.1016/j.bcp.2007.06.039] [Citation(s) in RCA: 355] [Impact Index Per Article: 22.2] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 05/03/2007] [Revised: 06/22/2007] [Accepted: 06/26/2007] [Indexed: 12/20/2022]
Abstract
The past two decades have witnessed a dramatic accumulation of evidence indicating that the excitatory amino acid glutamate plays an important role in drug addiction and alcoholism. The purpose of this review is to summarize findings on glutamatergic substrates of addiction, surveying data from both human and animal studies. The effects of various drugs of abuse on glutamatergic neurotransmission are discussed, as are the effects of pharmacological or genetic manipulation of various components of glutamate transmission on drug reinforcement, conditioned reward, extinction, and relapse-like behavior. In addition, glutamatergic agents that are currently in use or are undergoing testing in clinical trials for the treatment of addiction are discussed, including acamprosate, N-acetylcysteine, modafinil, topiramate, lamotrigine, gabapentin and memantine. All drugs of abuse appear to modulate glutamatergic transmission, albeit by different mechanisms, and this modulation of glutamate transmission is believed to result in long-lasting neuroplastic changes in the brain that may contribute to the perseveration of drug-seeking behavior and drug-associated memories. In general, attenuation of glutamatergic transmission reduces drug reward, reinforcement, and relapse-like behavior. On the other hand, potentiation of glutamatergic transmission appears to facilitate the extinction of drug-seeking behavior. However, attempts at identifying genetic polymorphisms in components of glutamate transmission in humans have yielded only a limited number of candidate genes that may serve as risk factors for the development of addiction. Nonetheless, manipulation of glutamatergic neurotransmission appears to be a promising avenue of research in developing improved therapeutic agents for the treatment of drug addiction and alcoholism.
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Affiliation(s)
- Justin T Gass
- Center for Drug and Alcohol Programs, Department of Psychiatry and Behavioral Sciences, Medical University of South Carolina, Charleston, SC 29425, USA
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van Munster BC, Korevaar JC, de Rooij SE, Levi M, Zwinderman AH. Genetic Polymorphisms Related to Delirium Tremens: A Systematic Review. Alcohol Clin Exp Res 2007; 31:177-84. [PMID: 17250608 DOI: 10.1111/j.1530-0277.2006.00294.x] [Citation(s) in RCA: 32] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.9] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/30/2022]
Abstract
BACKGROUND Delirium tremens (DT) is one of the more severe complications of alcohol withdrawal (AW), with a 5 to 10% lifetime risk for alcohol-dependent patients. The 2 most important neurosystems involved in AW are gamma-aminobutyric acid and glutamate. It is unknown whether these neurosystems are involved in the pathophysiology of DT as well. The candidate gene approach in DT could contribute to this knowledge and demonstrate a possible genetic predisposition for DT. The purpose of this study is to give an overview of all studied genetic polymorphisms in the diverse candidate genes related to DT and to summarize what these studies contribute to insights into the pathophysiology of DT. METHODS The inclusion criteria for this literature study were articles in English analyzing the association between a genetic polymorphism and DT without other AW syndromes. Studies were identified until February 2006 in MEDLINE and EMBASE databases. RESULTS We found 25 studies dealing with 30 polymorphisms, located in 19 different genes. Positive associations were found in 3 different candidate genes involved in the dopamine transmission, 1 gene involved in the glutamate pathway, 1 neuropeptide gene, and 1 cannabinoid gene. Two candidate genes involved in the dopamine transmission, dopamine receptor D3, and solute carrier family 6, were each associated with DT in 2 different study populations. The other 4 positive associations were not replicated in other studies. CONCLUSIONS A total of 8 positive associations out of 30 polymorphisms makes a genetic base for DT plausible. Understanding the pathophysiological process of the development of DT has, indeed, been augmented by the reviewed genetic association studies. These studies suggest that the regulation of dopaminergic neurotransmission may play an important role.
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Affiliation(s)
- Barbara C van Munster
- Department of Clinical Epidemiology and Biostatistics Academic Medical Centre, University of Amsterdam, Amsterdam, The Netherlands.
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