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An W, Zhou J, Qiu Z, Wang P, Han X, Cheng Y, He Z, An Y, Li S. Identification of crosstalk genes and immune characteristics between Alzheimer's disease and atherosclerosis. Front Immunol 2024; 15:1443464. [PMID: 39188714 PMCID: PMC11345154 DOI: 10.3389/fimmu.2024.1443464] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 06/04/2024] [Accepted: 07/25/2024] [Indexed: 08/28/2024] Open
Abstract
Background Advancements in modern medicine have extended human lifespan, but they have also led to an increase in age-related diseases such as Alzheimer's disease (AD) and atherosclerosis (AS). Growing research evidence indicates a close connection between these two conditions. Methods We downloaded four gene expression datasets related to AD and AS from the Gene Expression Omnibus (GEO) database (GSE33000, GSE100927, GSE44770, and GSE43292) and performed differential gene expression (DEGs) analysis using the R package "limma". Through Weighted gene correlation network analysis (WGCNA), we selected the gene modules most relevant to the diseases and intersected them with the DEGs to identify crosstalk genes (CGs) between AD and AS. Subsequently, we conducted functional enrichment analysis of the CGs using DAVID. To screen for potential diagnostic genes, we applied the least absolute shrinkage and selection operator (LASSO) regression and constructed a logistic regression model for disease prediction. We established a protein-protein interaction (PPI) network using STRING (https://cn.string-db.org/) and Cytoscape and analyzed immune cell infiltration using the CIBERSORT algorithm. Additionally, NetworkAnalyst (http://www.networkanalyst.ca) was utilized for gene regulation and interaction analysis, and consensus clustering was employed to determine disease subtypes. All statistical analyses and visualizations were performed using various R packages, with a significance level set at p<0.05. Results Through intersection analysis of disease-associated gene modules identified by DEGs and WGCNA, we identified a total of 31 CGs co-existing between AD and AS, with their biological functions primarily associated with immune pathways. LASSO analysis helped us identify three genes (C1QA, MT1M, and RAMP1) as optimal diagnostic CGs for AD and AS. Based on this, we constructed predictive models for both diseases, whose accuracy was validated by external databases. By establishing a PPI network and employing four topological algorithms, we identified four hub genes (C1QB, CSF1R, TYROBP, and FCER1G) within the CGs, closely related to immune cell infiltration. NetworkAnalyst further revealed the regulatory networks of these hub genes. Finally, defining C1 and C2 subtypes for AD and AS respectively based on the expression profiles of CGs, we found the C2 subtype exhibited immune overactivation. Conclusion This study utilized gene expression matrices and various algorithms to explore the potential links between AD and AS. The identification of CGs revealed interactions between these two diseases, with immune and inflammatory imbalances playing crucial roles in their onset and progression. We hope these findings will provide valuable insights for future research on AD and AS.
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Affiliation(s)
- Wenhao An
- Department of Neurosurgery, Sanbo Brain Hospital, Capital Medical University, Beijing, China
| | - Jiajun Zhou
- Department of Neurosurgery, Sanbo Brain Hospital, Capital Medical University, Beijing, China
| | - Zhiqiang Qiu
- Department of Neurosurgery, Sanbo Brain Hospital, Capital Medical University, Beijing, China
| | - Peishen Wang
- Department of Research and Development, Beijing Yihua Biotechnology Co., Ltd, Beijing, China
| | - Xinye Han
- Department of Research and Development, Beijing Yihua Biotechnology Co., Ltd, Beijing, China
| | - Yanwen Cheng
- Department of Research and Development, Beijing Yihua Biotechnology Co., Ltd, Beijing, China
| | - Zi He
- Department of Research and Development, Beijing Yihua Biotechnology Co., Ltd, Beijing, China
| | - Yihua An
- Department of Neurosurgery, Sanbo Brain Hospital, Capital Medical University, Beijing, China
| | - Shouwei Li
- Department of Neurosurgery, Sanbo Brain Hospital, Capital Medical University, Beijing, China
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Falkai P, Rossner MJ, Raabe FJ, Wagner E, Keeser D, Maurus I, Roell L, Chang E, Seitz-Holland J, Schulze TG, Schmitt A. Disturbed Oligodendroglial Maturation Causes Cognitive Dysfunction in Schizophrenia: A New Hypothesis. Schizophr Bull 2023; 49:1614-1624. [PMID: 37163675 PMCID: PMC10686333 DOI: 10.1093/schbul/sbad065] [Citation(s) in RCA: 6] [Impact Index Per Article: 6.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Submit a Manuscript] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 05/12/2023]
Abstract
BACKGROUND AND HYPOTHESIS Cognitive impairment is a hallmark of schizophrenia, but no effective treatment is available to date. The underlying pathophysiology includes disconnectivity between hippocampal and prefrontal brain regions. Supporting evidence comes from diffusion-weighted imaging studies that suggest abnormal organization of frontotemporal white matter pathways in schizophrenia. STUDY DESIGN Here, we hypothesize that in schizophrenia, deficient maturation of oligodendrocyte precursor cells (OPCs) into mature oligodendrocytes substantially contributes to abnormal frontotemporal macro- and micro-connectivity and subsequent cognitive deficits. STUDY RESULTS Our postmortem studies indicate a reduced oligodendrocyte number in the cornu ammonis 4 (CA4) subregion of the hippocampus, and others have reported the same histopathological finding in the dorsolateral prefrontal cortex. Our series of studies on aerobic exercise training showed a volume increase in the hippocampus, specifically in the CA4 region, and improved cognition in individuals with schizophrenia. The cognitive effects were subsequently confirmed by meta-analyses. Cell-specific schizophrenia polygenic risk scores showed that exercise-induced CA4 volume increase significantly correlates with OPCs. From animal models, it is evident that early life stress and oligodendrocyte-related gene variants lead to schizophrenia-related behavior, cognitive deficits, impaired oligodendrocyte maturation, and reduced myelin thickness. CONCLUSIONS Based on these findings, we propose that pro-myelinating drugs (e.g., the histamine blocker clemastine) combined with aerobic exercise training may foster the regeneration of myelin plasticity as a basis for restoring frontotemporal connectivity and cognition in schizophrenia.
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Affiliation(s)
- Peter Falkai
- Department of Psychiatry and Psychotherapy, University Hospital, Ludwig-Maximilian University, Munich, Germany
- Max-Planck-Institute of Psychiatry, Munich, Germany
| | - Moritz J Rossner
- Department of Psychiatry and Psychotherapy, University Hospital, Ludwig-Maximilian University, Munich, Germany
| | - Florian J Raabe
- Department of Psychiatry and Psychotherapy, University Hospital, Ludwig-Maximilian University, Munich, Germany
| | - Elias Wagner
- Department of Psychiatry and Psychotherapy, University Hospital, Ludwig-Maximilian University, Munich, Germany
| | - Daniel Keeser
- Department of Psychiatry and Psychotherapy, University Hospital, Ludwig-Maximilian University, Munich, Germany
- NeuroImaging Core Unit Munich (NICUM), University Hospital, Ludwig-Maximilian University, Munich, Germany
| | - Isabel Maurus
- Department of Psychiatry and Psychotherapy, University Hospital, Ludwig-Maximilian University, Munich, Germany
| | - Lukas Roell
- Department of Psychiatry and Psychotherapy, University Hospital, Ludwig-Maximilian University, Munich, Germany
- NeuroImaging Core Unit Munich (NICUM), University Hospital, Ludwig-Maximilian University, Munich, Germany
| | - Emily Chang
- Department of Psychiatry and Psychotherapy, University Hospital, Ludwig-Maximilian University, Munich, Germany
| | - Johanna Seitz-Holland
- Department of Psychiatry, Brigham and Women’s Hospital, Harvard Medical School, Boston, MA, USA
| | - Thomas G Schulze
- Institute for Psychiatric Phenomic and Genomic (IPPG), Munich, Germany
| | - Andrea Schmitt
- Department of Psychiatry and Psychotherapy, University Hospital, Ludwig-Maximilian University, Munich, Germany
- Laboratory of Neuroscience (LIM27), Institute of Psychiatry, University of São Paulo (USP), São Paulo-SP, Brazil
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3
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Yazarlou F, Tabibian M, Azarnezhad A, Sadeghi Rad H, Lipovich L, Sanati G, Mostafavi Abdolmaleky H, Alizadeh F. Evaluating Gene Expression and Methylation Profiles of TCF4, MBP, and EGR1 in Peripheral Blood of Drug-Free Patients with Schizophrenia: Correlations with Psychopathology, Intelligence, and Cognitive Impairment. J Mol Neurosci 2023; 73:738-750. [PMID: 37668894 DOI: 10.1007/s12031-023-02150-x] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 01/28/2023] [Accepted: 08/15/2023] [Indexed: 09/06/2023]
Abstract
Discovery and validation of new, reliable diagnostic and predictive biomarkers for schizophrenia (SCZ) are an ongoing effort. Here, we assessed the mRNA expression and DNA methylation of the TCF4, MBP, and EGR1 genes in the blood of patients with SCZ and evaluated their relationships to psychopathology and cognitive impairments. Quantitative real-time PCR and quantitative methylation-specific PCR methods were used to assess the expression level and promoter DNA methylation status of these genes in 70 drug-free SCZ patients and 72 healthy controls. The correlation of molecular changes with psychopathology and cognitive performance of participants was evaluated. We observed downregulation of TCF4 and upregulation of MBP mRNA levels in SCZ cases, relative to controls in our study. DNA methylation status at the promoter region of TCF4 demonstrated an altered pattern in SCZ as well. Additionally, TCF4 mRNA levels were inversely correlated with PANSS and Stroop total errors and positively correlated with WAIS total score and working memory, consistent with previous studies by our group. In contrast, MBP mRNA level was significantly positively correlated with PANSS and Stroop total errors and inversely correlated with WAIS total score and working memory. These epigenetic and expression signatures can help to assemble a peripheral biomarker-based diagnostic panel for SCZ.
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Affiliation(s)
- Fatemeh Yazarlou
- Department of Basic Medical Sciences, College of Medicine, Mohammed Bin Rashid University of Medicine and Health Sciences (MBRU), Dubai, United Arab Emirates
| | - Mobina Tabibian
- Department of Cellular and Molecular Biology, Faculty of Life Sciences and Biotechnologies, Shahid Beheshti University, Tehran, Iran
| | - Asaad Azarnezhad
- Liver and Digestive Research Center, Research Institute for Health Development, Kurdistan University of Medical Sciences, Sanandaj, Iran
| | - Habib Sadeghi Rad
- Department of Medical Genetics, School of Medicine, Tehran University of Medical Sciences, Tehran, Iran
| | - Leonard Lipovich
- Shenzhen Huayuan Biological Science Research Institute, Shenzhen Huayuan Biotechnology Co. Ltd., 601 Building C1, Guangming Science Park, Fenghuang Street, 518000, Shenzhen, Guangdong, People's Republic of China
- Center for Molecular Medicine and Genetics, Wayne State University, 540 E. Canfield St., Detroit, MI, 48201, USA
| | - Golshid Sanati
- Department of Medical Immunology, School of Medicine, Tehran University of Medical Sciences (TUMS), Tehran, Iran
| | | | - Fatemeh Alizadeh
- Department of Genomic Psychiatry and Behavioral Genomics (DGPBG), Roozbeh Hospital, School of Medicine, Tehran University of Medical Sciences (TUMS), Tehran, Iran.
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4
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Weeks EM, Ulirsch JC, Cheng NY, Trippe BL, Fine RS, Miao J, Patwardhan TA, Kanai M, Nasser J, Fulco CP, Tashman KC, Aguet F, Li T, Ordovas-Montanes J, Smillie CS, Biton M, Shalek AK, Ananthakrishnan AN, Xavier RJ, Regev A, Gupta RM, Lage K, Ardlie KG, Hirschhorn JN, Lander ES, Engreitz JM, Finucane HK. Leveraging polygenic enrichments of gene features to predict genes underlying complex traits and diseases. Nat Genet 2023; 55:1267-1276. [PMID: 37443254 PMCID: PMC10836580 DOI: 10.1038/s41588-023-01443-6] [Citation(s) in RCA: 32] [Impact Index Per Article: 32.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 08/14/2020] [Accepted: 06/09/2023] [Indexed: 07/15/2023]
Abstract
Genome-wide association studies (GWASs) are a valuable tool for understanding the biology of complex human traits and diseases, but associated variants rarely point directly to causal genes. In the present study, we introduce a new method, polygenic priority score (PoPS), that learns trait-relevant gene features, such as cell-type-specific expression, to prioritize genes at GWAS loci. Using a large evaluation set of genes with fine-mapped coding variants, we show that PoPS and the closest gene individually outperform other gene prioritization methods, but observe the best overall performance by combining PoPS with orthogonal methods. Using this combined approach, we prioritize 10,642 unique gene-trait pairs across 113 complex traits and diseases with high precision, finding not only well-established gene-trait relationships but nominating new genes at unresolved loci, such as LGR4 for estimated glomerular filtration rate and CCR7 for deep vein thrombosis. Overall, we demonstrate that PoPS provides a powerful addition to the gene prioritization toolbox.
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Affiliation(s)
- Elle M Weeks
- Broad Institute of MIT and Harvard, Cambridge, MA, USA.
| | - Jacob C Ulirsch
- Broad Institute of MIT and Harvard, Cambridge, MA, USA
- Program in Biological and Biomedical Sciences, Harvard Medical School, Boston, MA, USA
- Artificial Intelligence Laboratory, Illumina, Inc., San Diego, CA, USA
| | | | - Brian L Trippe
- Program in Computational & Systems Biology, MIT, Cambridge, MA, USA
- Computer Science & Artificial Intelligence Lab, MIT, Cambridge, MA, USA
| | - Rebecca S Fine
- Broad Institute of MIT and Harvard, Cambridge, MA, USA
- Division of Endocrinology and Center for Basic and Translational Obesity Research, Boston Children's Hospital, Boston, MA, USA
- Department of Genetics, Harvard Medical School, Boston, MA, USA
- Vertex Pharmaceuticals Incorporated, Boston, MA, USA
| | - Jenkai Miao
- Broad Institute of MIT and Harvard, Cambridge, MA, USA
- Division of Endocrinology and Center for Basic and Translational Obesity Research, Boston Children's Hospital, Boston, MA, USA
| | - Tejal A Patwardhan
- Broad Institute of MIT and Harvard, Cambridge, MA, USA
- Department of Statistics, Harvard University, Cambridge, MA, USA
| | - Masahiro Kanai
- Broad Institute of MIT and Harvard, Cambridge, MA, USA
- Analytic and Translational Genetics Unit, MGH, Boston, MA, USA
- Program in Bioinformatics and Integrative Genomics, Harvard Medical School, Boston, MA, USA
- Department of Statistical Genetics, Osaka University Graduate School of Medicine, Suita, Japan
| | - Joseph Nasser
- Broad Institute of MIT and Harvard, Cambridge, MA, USA
| | - Charles P Fulco
- Broad Institute of MIT and Harvard, Cambridge, MA, USA
- Bristol Myers Squibb, Cambridge, MA, USA
| | | | | | - Taibo Li
- Broad Institute of MIT and Harvard, Cambridge, MA, USA
- MD-PhD Program, Johns Hopkins University School of Medicine, Baltimore, MD, USA
| | - Jose Ordovas-Montanes
- Broad Institute of MIT and Harvard, Cambridge, MA, USA
- Division of Gastroenterology, Hepatology, and Nutrition, Boston Children's Hospital, Boston, MA, USA
- Program in Immunology, Harvard Medical School, Boston, MA, USA
- Harvard Stem Cell Institute, Cambridge, MA, USA
| | - Christopher S Smillie
- Broad Institute of MIT and Harvard, Cambridge, MA, USA
- Program in Computational & Systems Biology, MIT, Cambridge, MA, USA
| | - Moshe Biton
- Broad Institute of MIT and Harvard, Cambridge, MA, USA
- Department of Molecular Biology, MGH, Boston, MA, USA
- Department of Biological Regulation, Weizmann Institute of Science, Rehovot, Israel
| | - Alex K Shalek
- Broad Institute of MIT and Harvard, Cambridge, MA, USA
- Institute for Medical Engineering and Science, MIT, Cambridge, MA, USA
- Department of Chemistry, MIT, Cambridge, MA, USA
- Koch Institute for Integrative Cancer Research, MIT, Cambridge, MA, USA
- Ragon Institute of MGH, MMIT, Cambridge, MA, USA
| | - Ashwin N Ananthakrishnan
- Gastrointestinal Unit and Center for the Study of Inflammatory Bowel Disease, MGH, Boston, MA, USA
| | - Ramnik J Xavier
- Broad Institute of MIT and Harvard, Cambridge, MA, USA
- Department of Molecular Biology, MGH, Boston, MA, USA
- Gastrointestinal Unit and Center for the Study of Inflammatory Bowel Disease, MGH, Boston, MA, USA
- Center for Computational and Integrative Biology, Massachusetts General Hospital, Harvard Medical School, Boston, MA, USA
| | - Aviv Regev
- Broad Institute of MIT and Harvard, Cambridge, MA, USA
- Koch Institute for Integrative Cancer Research, MIT, Cambridge, MA, USA
- Howard Hughes Medical Institute, MIT, Cambridge, MA, USA
- Genentech, San Francisco, CA, USA
| | - Rajat M Gupta
- Broad Institute of MIT and Harvard, Cambridge, MA, USA
- Division of Cardiovascular Medicine and Genetics, Department of Medicine, Brigham and Women's Hospital, Boston, MA, USA
- Harvard Medical School, Boston, MA, USA
| | - Kasper Lage
- Broad Institute of MIT and Harvard, Cambridge, MA, USA
- Department of Surgery, MGH, Boston, MA, USA
| | - Kristin G Ardlie
- Broad Institute of MIT and Harvard, Cambridge, MA, USA
- Department of Biomedical Engineering, Johns Hopkins University, Baltimore, MD, USA
| | - Joel N Hirschhorn
- Broad Institute of MIT and Harvard, Cambridge, MA, USA
- Division of Endocrinology and Center for Basic and Translational Obesity Research, Boston Children's Hospital, Boston, MA, USA
- Department of Genetics, Harvard Medical School, Boston, MA, USA
- Department of Pediatrics, Harvard Medical School, Boston, MA, USA
| | - Eric S Lander
- Broad Institute of MIT and Harvard, Cambridge, MA, USA
- Department of Biology, MIT, Cambridge, MA, USA
- Department of Systems Biology, Harvard Medical School, Boston, MA, USA
| | - Jesse M Engreitz
- Broad Institute of MIT and Harvard, Cambridge, MA, USA
- Department of Genetics, Stanford University School of Medicine, Stanford, CA, USA
- BASE Initiative, Betty Irene Moore Children's Heart Center, Lucile Packard Children's Hospital, Stanford University School of Medicine, Stanford, CA, USA
| | - Hilary K Finucane
- Broad Institute of MIT and Harvard, Cambridge, MA, USA.
- Analytic and Translational Genetics Unit, MGH, Boston, MA, USA.
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5
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Su MH, Lai RY, Lin YF, Chen CY, Feng YCA, Hsiao PC, Wang SH. Evaluation of the causal relationship between smoking and schizophrenia in East Asia. SCHIZOPHRENIA 2022; 8:72. [PMID: 36085329 PMCID: PMC9463183 DOI: 10.1038/s41537-022-00281-5] [Citation(s) in RCA: 1] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 04/25/2022] [Accepted: 08/29/2022] [Indexed: 11/21/2022]
Abstract
Cigarette smoking has been suggested to be associated with the risk of schizophrenia in observational studies. A significant causal effect of smoking on schizophrenia has been reported in European populations using the Mendelian randomization approach; however, no evidence of causality was found in participants from East Asia. Using Taiwan Biobank (TWBB), we conducted genome-wide association studies (GWAS) to identify susceptibility loci for smoking behaviors, including smoking initiation (N = 79,989) and the onset age (N = 15,582). We then meta-analyzed GWAS from TWBB and Biobank Japan (BBJ) with the total sample size of 245,425 for smoking initiation and 46,000 for onset age of smoking. The GWAS for schizophrenia was taken from the East Asia Psychiatric Genomics Consortium, which included 22,778 cases and 35,362 controls. We performed a two-sample Mendelian randomization to estimate the causality of smoking behaviors on schizophrenia in East Asia. In TWBB, we identified one locus that met genome-wide significance for onset age. In a meta-analysis of TWBB and BBJ, we identified two loci for smoking initiation. In Mendelian randomization, genetically predicted smoking initiation (odds ratio (OR) = 4.00, 95% confidence interval (CI) = 0.89–18.01, P = 0.071) and onset age (OR for a per-year increase = 0.96, 95% CI = 0.91–1.01, P = 0.098) were not significantly associated with schizophrenia; the direction of effect was consistent with European Ancestry samples, which had higher statistical power. These findings provide tentative evidence consistent with a causal role of smoking on the development of schizophrenia in East Asian populations.
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6
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Kim H, Gao EB, Draper A, Berens NC, Vihma H, Zhang X, Higashi-Howard A, Ritola KD, Simon JM, Kennedy AJ, Philpot BD. Rescue of behavioral and electrophysiological phenotypes in a Pitt-Hopkins syndrome mouse model by genetic restoration of Tcf4 expression. eLife 2022; 11:e72290. [PMID: 35535852 PMCID: PMC9090324 DOI: 10.7554/elife.72290] [Citation(s) in RCA: 9] [Impact Index Per Article: 4.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 07/18/2021] [Accepted: 04/19/2022] [Indexed: 12/14/2022] Open
Abstract
Pitt-Hopkins syndrome (PTHS) is a neurodevelopmental disorder caused by monoallelic mutation or deletion in the transcription factor 4 (TCF4) gene. Individuals with PTHS typically present in the first year of life with developmental delay and exhibit intellectual disability, lack of speech, and motor incoordination. There are no effective treatments available for PTHS, but the root cause of the disorder, TCF4 haploinsufficiency, suggests that it could be treated by normalizing TCF4 gene expression. Here, we performed proof-of-concept viral gene therapy experiments using a conditional Tcf4 mouse model of PTHS and found that postnatally reinstating Tcf4 expression in neurons improved anxiety-like behavior, activity levels, innate behaviors, and memory. Postnatal reinstatement also partially corrected EEG abnormalities, which we characterized here for the first time, and the expression of key TCF4-regulated genes. Our results support a genetic normalization approach as a treatment strategy for PTHS, and possibly other TCF4-linked disorders.
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Affiliation(s)
- Hyojin Kim
- Department of Cell Biology and Physiology, University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill, Chapel Hill, United States
- Neuroscience Center, University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill, Chapel Hill, United States
| | - Eric B Gao
- Department of Cell Biology and Physiology, University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill, Chapel Hill, United States
- Neuroscience Center, University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill, Chapel Hill, United States
| | - Adam Draper
- Department of Cell Biology and Physiology, University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill, Chapel Hill, United States
- Neuroscience Center, University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill, Chapel Hill, United States
| | - Noah C Berens
- Department of Biology, University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill, Chapel Hill, United States
| | - Hanna Vihma
- Department of Cell Biology and Physiology, University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill, Chapel Hill, United States
- Neuroscience Center, University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill, Chapel Hill, United States
| | - Xinyuan Zhang
- Department of Chemistry and Biochemistry, Bates College, Lewiston, United States
| | | | | | - Jeremy M Simon
- Neuroscience Center, University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill, Chapel Hill, United States
- Department of Genetics, University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill, Chapel Hill, United States
- Carolina Institute for Developmental Disabilities, University of North Carolina at Chapel Hil, Chapel Hill, United States
| | - Andrew J Kennedy
- Department of Chemistry and Biochemistry, Bates College, Lewiston, United States
| | - Benjamin D Philpot
- Department of Cell Biology and Physiology, University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill, Chapel Hill, United States
- Neuroscience Center, University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill, Chapel Hill, United States
- Carolina Institute for Developmental Disabilities, University of North Carolina at Chapel Hil, Chapel Hill, United States
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7
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Sirp A, Roots K, Nurm K, Tuvikene J, Sepp M, Timmusk T. Functional consequences of TCF4 missense substitutions associated with Pitt-Hopkins syndrome, mild intellectual disability, and schizophrenia. J Biol Chem 2021; 297:101381. [PMID: 34748727 PMCID: PMC8648840 DOI: 10.1016/j.jbc.2021.101381] [Citation(s) in RCA: 7] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 08/06/2021] [Revised: 10/28/2021] [Accepted: 10/30/2021] [Indexed: 11/24/2022] Open
Abstract
Transcription factor 4 (TCF4) is a basic helix-loop-helix transcription factor essential for neurocognitive development. The aberrations in TCF4 are associated with neurodevelopmental disorders including schizophrenia, intellectual disability, and Pitt-Hopkins syndrome, an autism-spectrum disorder characterized by developmental delay. Several disease-associated missense mutations in TCF4 have been shown to interfere with TCF4 function, but for many mutations, the impact remains undefined. Here, we tested the effects of 12 functionally uncharacterized disease-associated missense mutations and variations in TCF4 using transient expression in mammalian cells, confocal imaging, in vitro DNA-binding assays, and reporter assays. We show that Pitt-Hopkins syndrome-associated missense mutations within the basic helix-loop-helix domain of TCF4 and a Rett-like syndrome-associated mutation in a transcription activation domain result in altered DNA-binding and transcriptional activity of the protein. Some of the missense variations found in schizophrenia patients slightly increase TCF4 transcriptional activity, whereas no effects were detected for missense mutations linked to mild intellectual disability. We in addition find that the outcomes of several disease-related mutations are affected by cell type, TCF4 isoform, and dimerization partner, suggesting that the effects of TCF4 mutations are context-dependent. Together with previous work, this study provides a basis for the interpretation of the functional consequences of TCF4 missense variants.
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Affiliation(s)
- Alex Sirp
- Department of Chemistry and Biotechnology, Tallinn University of Technology, Tallinn, Estonia
| | - Kaisa Roots
- Department of Chemistry and Biotechnology, Tallinn University of Technology, Tallinn, Estonia
| | - Kaja Nurm
- Department of Chemistry and Biotechnology, Tallinn University of Technology, Tallinn, Estonia
| | - Jürgen Tuvikene
- Department of Chemistry and Biotechnology, Tallinn University of Technology, Tallinn, Estonia; Protobios LLC, Tallinn, Estonia
| | - Mari Sepp
- Department of Chemistry and Biotechnology, Tallinn University of Technology, Tallinn, Estonia.
| | - Tõnis Timmusk
- Department of Chemistry and Biotechnology, Tallinn University of Technology, Tallinn, Estonia; Protobios LLC, Tallinn, Estonia.
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8
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Volkmann P, Stephan M, Krackow S, Jensen N, Rossner MJ. PsyCoP - A Platform for Systematic Semi-Automated Behavioral and Cognitive Profiling Reveals Gene and Environment Dependent Impairments of Tcf4 Transgenic Mice Subjected to Social Defeat. Front Behav Neurosci 2021; 14:618180. [PMID: 33519394 PMCID: PMC7841301 DOI: 10.3389/fnbeh.2020.618180] [Citation(s) in RCA: 9] [Impact Index Per Article: 3.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 10/16/2020] [Accepted: 12/15/2020] [Indexed: 12/14/2022] Open
Abstract
Recently, hundreds of risk genes associated with psychiatric disorders have been identified. These are thought to interact with environmental stress factors in precipitating pathological behaviors. However, the individual phenotypes resulting from specific genotype by environment (G×E) interactions remain to be determined. Toward a more systematic approach, we developed a novel standardized and partially automatized platform for systematic behavioral and cognitive profiling (PsyCoP). Here, we assessed the behavioral and cognitive disturbances in Tcf4 transgenic mice (Tcf4tg) exposed to psychosocial stress by social defeat during adolescence using a "two-hit" G×E mouse model. Notably, TCF4 has been repeatedly identified as a candidate risk gene for different psychiatric diseases and Tcf4tg mice display behavioral endophenotypes such as fear memory impairment and hyperactivity. We use the Research Domain Criteria (RDoC) concept as framework to categorize phenotyping results in a translational approach. We propose two methods of dimension reduction, clustering, and visualization of behavioral phenotypes to retain statistical power and clarity of the overview. Taken together, our results reveal that sensorimotor gating is disturbed by Tcf4 overexpression whereas both negative and positive valence systems are primarily influenced by psychosocial stress. Moreover, we confirm previous reports showing that deficits in the cognitive domain are largely dependent on the interaction between Tcf4 and psychosocial stress. We recommend that the standardized analysis and visualization strategies described here should be applied to other two-hit mouse models of psychiatric diseases and anticipate that this will help directing future preclinical treatment trials.
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Affiliation(s)
- Paul Volkmann
- Department of Psychiatry and Psychotherapy, Laboratory of Molecular Neurobiology, University Hospital, Ludwig-Maximilians-University Munich, Munich, Germany
| | - Marius Stephan
- Department of Psychiatry and Psychotherapy, Laboratory of Molecular Neurobiology, University Hospital, Ludwig-Maximilians-University Munich, Munich, Germany.,International Max Planck Research School for Translational Psychiatry (IMPRS-TP), Munich, Germany
| | - Sven Krackow
- Institute of Pathology and Molecular Pathology, University Hospital Zurich, Zurich, Switzerland
| | - Niels Jensen
- Department of Psychiatry and Psychotherapy, Laboratory of Molecular Neurobiology, University Hospital, Ludwig-Maximilians-University Munich, Munich, Germany
| | - Moritz J Rossner
- Department of Psychiatry and Psychotherapy, Laboratory of Molecular Neurobiology, University Hospital, Ludwig-Maximilians-University Munich, Munich, Germany
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9
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Teixeira JR, Szeto RA, Carvalho VMA, Muotri AR, Papes F. Transcription factor 4 and its association with psychiatric disorders. Transl Psychiatry 2021; 11:19. [PMID: 33414364 PMCID: PMC7791034 DOI: 10.1038/s41398-020-01138-0] [Citation(s) in RCA: 32] [Impact Index Per Article: 10.7] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Submit a Manuscript] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 07/15/2020] [Revised: 11/28/2020] [Accepted: 12/03/2020] [Indexed: 02/06/2023] Open
Abstract
The human transcription factor 4 gene (TCF4) encodes a helix-loop-helix transcription factor widely expressed throughout the body and during neural development. Mutations in TCF4 cause a devastating autism spectrum disorder known as Pitt-Hopkins syndrome, characterized by a range of aberrant phenotypes including severe intellectual disability, absence of speech, delayed cognitive and motor development, and dysmorphic features. Moreover, polymorphisms in TCF4 have been associated with schizophrenia and other psychiatric and neurological conditions. Details about how TCF4 genetic variants are linked to these diseases and the role of TCF4 during neural development are only now beginning to emerge. Here, we provide a comprehensive review of the functions of TCF4 and its protein products at both the cellular and organismic levels, as well as a description of pathophysiological mechanisms associated with this gene.
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Affiliation(s)
- José R. Teixeira
- grid.411087.b0000 0001 0723 2494Department of Genetics, Evolution, Microbiology and Immunology, Institute of Biology, University of Campinas, Campinas, São Paulo Brazil
| | - Ryan A. Szeto
- grid.266100.30000 0001 2107 4242Department of Pediatrics/Rady Children’s Hospital, School of Medicine, University of California San Diego, La Jolla, CA USA
| | - Vinicius M. A. Carvalho
- grid.411087.b0000 0001 0723 2494Department of Genetics, Evolution, Microbiology and Immunology, Institute of Biology, University of Campinas, Campinas, São Paulo Brazil ,grid.266100.30000 0001 2107 4242Department of Pediatrics/Rady Children’s Hospital, School of Medicine, University of California San Diego, La Jolla, CA USA
| | - Alysson R. Muotri
- grid.266100.30000 0001 2107 4242Department of Pediatrics/Rady Children’s Hospital, School of Medicine, University of California San Diego, La Jolla, CA USA ,grid.266100.30000 0001 2107 4242Department of Cellular & Molecular Medicine, School of Medicine, University of California San Diego, La Jolla, CA USA ,grid.266100.30000 0001 2107 4242Kavli Institute for Brain and Mind, University of California San Diego, La Jolla, CA USA ,grid.266100.30000 0001 2107 4242Center for Academic Research and Training in Anthropogeny (CARTA), University of California San Diego, La Jolla, CA USA
| | - Fabio Papes
- Department of Genetics, Evolution, Microbiology and Immunology, Institute of Biology, University of Campinas, Campinas, São Paulo, Brazil. .,Department of Pediatrics/Rady Children's Hospital, School of Medicine, University of California San Diego, La Jolla, CA, USA.
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10
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Rovný R, Besterciová D, Riečanský I. Genetic Determinants of Gating Functions: Do We Get Closer to Understanding Schizophrenia Etiopathogenesis? Front Psychiatry 2020; 11:550225. [PMID: 33324248 PMCID: PMC7723973 DOI: 10.3389/fpsyt.2020.550225] [Citation(s) in RCA: 2] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Submit a Manuscript] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 04/08/2020] [Accepted: 10/12/2020] [Indexed: 11/13/2022] Open
Abstract
Deficits in the gating of sensory stimuli, i.e., the ability to suppress the processing of irrelevant sensory input, are considered to play an important role in the pathogenesis of several neuropsychiatric disorders, in particular schizophrenia. Gating is disrupted both in schizophrenia patients and their unaffected relatives, suggesting that gating deficit may represent a biomarker associated with a genetic liability to the disorder. To assess the strength of the evidence for the etiopathogenetic links between genetic variation, gating efficiency, and schizophrenia, we carried out a systematic review of human genetic association studies of sensory gating (suppression of the P50 component of the auditory event-related brain potential) and sensorimotor gating (prepulse inhibition of the acoustic startle response). Sixty-three full-text articles met the eligibility criteria for inclusion in the review. In total, 117 genetic variants were reported to be associated with gating functions: 33 variants for sensory gating, 80 variants for sensorimotor gating, and four variants for both sensory and sensorimotor gating. However, only five of these associations (four for prepulse inhibition-CHRNA3 rs1317286, COMT rs4680, HTR2A rs6311, and TCF4 rs9960767, and one for P50 suppression-CHRNA7 rs67158670) were consistently replicated in independent samples. Although these variants and genes were all implicated in schizophrenia in research studies, only two polymorphisms (HTR2A rs6311 and TCF4 rs9960767) were also reported to be associated with schizophrenia at a meta-analytic or genome-wide level of evidence. Thus, although gating is widely considered as an important endophenotype of schizophrenia, these findings demonstrate that evidence for a common genetic etiology of impaired gating functions and schizophrenia is yet unsatisfactory, warranting further studies in this field.
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Affiliation(s)
- Rastislav Rovný
- Department of Behavioural Neuroscience, Institute of Normal and Pathological Physiology, Centre of Experimental Medicine, Slovak Academy of Sciences, Bratislava, Slovakia
| | - Dominika Besterciová
- Department of Behavioural Neuroscience, Institute of Normal and Pathological Physiology, Centre of Experimental Medicine, Slovak Academy of Sciences, Bratislava, Slovakia
| | - Igor Riečanský
- Department of Behavioural Neuroscience, Institute of Normal and Pathological Physiology, Centre of Experimental Medicine, Slovak Academy of Sciences, Bratislava, Slovakia
- Social, Cognitive and Affective Neuroscience Unit, Department of Cognition, Emotion, and Methods in Psychology, Faculty of Psychology, University of Vienna, Vienna, Austria
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11
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Widespread transcriptional disruption of the microRNA biogenesis machinery in brain and peripheral tissues of individuals with schizophrenia. Transl Psychiatry 2020; 10:376. [PMID: 33149139 PMCID: PMC7642431 DOI: 10.1038/s41398-020-01052-5] [Citation(s) in RCA: 11] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.8] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Submit a Manuscript] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 03/14/2020] [Revised: 09/16/2020] [Accepted: 10/01/2020] [Indexed: 12/17/2022] Open
Abstract
In schizophrenia, altered transcription in brain and peripheral tissues may be due to altered expression of the microRNA biogenesis machinery genes. In this study, we explore the expression of these genes both at the cerebral and peripheral levels. We used shinyGEO application to analyze gene expression from ten Gene Expression Omnibus datasets, in order to perform differential expression analyses for eight genes encoding the microRNA biogenesis machinery. First, we compared expression of the candidate genes between control subjects and individuals with schizophrenia in postmortem cerebral samples from seven different brain regions. Then, we compared the expression of the candidate genes between control subjects and individuals with schizophrenia in three peripheral tissues. In brain and peripheral tissues of individuals with schizophrenia, we report distinct altered expression patterns of the microRNA biogenesis machinery genes. In the dorsolateral prefrontal cortex, associative striatum and cerebellum of individuals with schizophrenia, we observed an overexpression pattern of some candidate genes suggesting a heightened miRNA production in these brain regions. Additionally, mixed transcriptional abnormalities were identified in the hippocampus. Moreover, in the blood and olfactory epithelium of individuals with schizophrenia, we observed distinct aberrant transcription patterns of the candidate genes. Remarkably, in individuals with schizophrenia, we report DICER1 overexpression in the dorsolateral prefrontal cortex, hippocampus and cerebellum as well as a congruent DICER1 upregulation in the blood compartment suggesting that it may represent a peripheral marker. Transcriptional disruption of the miRNA biogenesis machinery may contribute to schizophrenia pathogenesis both in brain and peripheral tissues.
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12
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Modulation of cognition and neuronal plasticity in gain- and loss-of-function mouse models of the schizophrenia risk gene Tcf4. Transl Psychiatry 2020; 10:343. [PMID: 33037178 PMCID: PMC7547694 DOI: 10.1038/s41398-020-01026-7] [Citation(s) in RCA: 13] [Impact Index Per Article: 3.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Submit a Manuscript] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 03/25/2020] [Revised: 08/12/2020] [Accepted: 08/21/2020] [Indexed: 12/16/2022] Open
Abstract
The transcription factor TCF4 was confirmed in several large genome-wide association studies as one of the most significant schizophrenia (SZ) susceptibility genes. Transgenic mice moderately overexpressing Tcf4 in forebrain (Tcf4tg) display deficits in fear memory and sensorimotor gating. As second hit, we exposed Tcf4tg animals to isolation rearing (IR), chronic social defeat (SD), enriched environment (EE), or handling control (HC) conditions and examined mice with heterozygous deletion of the exon 4 (Tcf4Ex4δ+/-) to unravel gene-dosage effects. We applied multivariate statistics for behavioral profiling and demonstrate that IR and SD cause strong cognitive deficits of Tcf4tg mice, whereas EE masked the genetic vulnerability. We observed enhanced long-term depression in Tcf4tg mice and enhanced long-term potentiation in Tcf4Ex4δ+/- mice indicating specific gene-dosage effects. Tcf4tg mice showed higher density of immature spines during development as assessed by STED nanoscopy and proteomic analyses of synaptosomes revealed concurrently increased levels of proteins involved in synaptic function and metabolic pathways. We conclude that environmental stress and Tcf4 misexpression precipitate cognitive deficits in 2-hit mouse models of relevance for schizophrenia.
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13
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Kim JO, Lee KO, Kim HW, Park HS, Kim J, Sung JH, Oh D, Kim OJ, Kim NK. Association between KCNQ2, TCF4 and RGS18 polymorphisms and silent brain infarction based on whole‑exome sequencing. Mol Med Rep 2020; 21:1973-1983. [PMID: 32319632 DOI: 10.3892/mmr.2020.10975] [Citation(s) in RCA: 1] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 09/16/2019] [Accepted: 01/20/2020] [Indexed: 11/05/2022] Open
Abstract
Silent brain infarction (SBI) is a cerebral infarction identified through brain imaging. In particular, studies have shown that the presence of SBI in elderly patients increases their risk of cognitive dysfunction, impairment and dementia. However, little research has been published on the relevance of SBI to these risks for the Korean population. The association between potassium voltage‑gated channel subfamily Q member 2 (KCNQ2), transcription factor 4 (TCF4) and regulator of G‑protein signaling 18 (RGS18) genotypes and SBI were investigated using whole‑exome sequencing and PCR restriction fragment length polymorphism (RFLP) analysis. The study population included 407 patients with SBI (171 males) and 401 control subjects (172 males). Genotyping was performed using PCR RFLP. Interestingly, TCF4 rs9957668T>C polymorphisms were associated with SBI prevalence [TT vs. CC: adjusted odds ratio (AOR), 1.815, 95% confidence intervals (CI), 1.202‑2.740; TT vs. TC+CC: AOR, 1.492, 95% CI, 1.066‑2.088; TT+TC vs. CC: AOR, 1.454, 95% CI, 1.045‑2.203]. The combination of KCNQ2 rs73146513A>G and TCF4 rs9957668T>C genotypes was associated with increasing SBI prevalence (AG/CC: AOR, 3.719, 95% CI, 1.766‑7.833; AA/CC: AOR, 3.201, 95% CI, 1.387‑7.387). The present study showed that TCF4 rs9957668T>C polymorphisms may be risk factors for SBI. Therefore, the TCF4 rs9957668T>C polymorphism may serve as a biomarker for increased risk of SBI in the Korean population.
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Affiliation(s)
- Jung Oh Kim
- Department of Biomedical Science, College of Life Science, CHA University, Seongnam, Gyeonggi 13488, Republic of Korea
| | - Kee Ook Lee
- Department of Neurology, CHA Bundang Medical Center, School of Medicine, CHA University, Seongnam, Gyeonggi 13496, Republic of Korea
| | - Hyun Woo Kim
- Department of Biomedical Science, College of Life Science, CHA University, Seongnam, Gyeonggi 13488, Republic of Korea
| | - Han Sung Park
- Department of Biomedical Science, College of Life Science, CHA University, Seongnam, Gyeonggi 13488, Republic of Korea
| | - Jinkwon Kim
- Department of Neurology, CHA Bundang Medical Center, School of Medicine, CHA University, Seongnam, Gyeonggi 13496, Republic of Korea
| | - Jung Hoon Sung
- Department of Cardiology, CHA Bundang Medical Center, School of Medicine, CHA University, Seongnam, Gyeonggi 13496, Republic of Korea
| | - Doyeun Oh
- Department of Internal Medicine, CHA Bundang Medical Center, School of Medicine, CHA University, Seongnam, Gyeonggi 13496, Republic of Korea
| | - Ok Joon Kim
- Department of Neurology, CHA Bundang Medical Center, School of Medicine, CHA University, Seongnam, Gyeonggi 13496, Republic of Korea
| | - Nam Keun Kim
- Department of Biomedical Science, College of Life Science, CHA University, Seongnam, Gyeonggi 13488, Republic of Korea
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14
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Hazelbaker DZ, Beccard A, Angelini G, Mazzucato P, Messana A, Lam D, Eggan K, Barrett LE. A multiplexed gRNA piggyBac transposon system facilitates efficient induction of CRISPRi and CRISPRa in human pluripotent stem cells. Sci Rep 2020; 10:635. [PMID: 31959800 PMCID: PMC6971260 DOI: 10.1038/s41598-020-57500-1] [Citation(s) in RCA: 27] [Impact Index Per Article: 6.8] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 07/22/2019] [Accepted: 12/30/2019] [Indexed: 12/18/2022] Open
Abstract
CRISPR-Cas9-mediated gene interference (CRISPRi) and activation (CRISPRa) approaches hold promise for functional gene studies and genome-wide screens in human pluripotent stem cells (hPSCs). However, in contrast to CRISPR-Cas9 nuclease approaches, the efficiency of CRISPRi/a depends on continued expression of the dead Cas9 (dCas9) effector and guide RNA (gRNA), which can vary substantially depending on transgene design and delivery. Here, we design and generate new fluorescently labeled piggyBac (PB) vectors to deliver uniform and sustained expression of multiplexed gRNAs. In addition, we generate hPSC lines harboring AAVS1-integrated, inducible and fluorescent dCas9-KRAB and dCas9-VPR transgenes to allow for accurate quantification and tracking of cells that express both the dCas9 effectors and gRNAs. We then employ these systems to target the TCF4 gene in hPSCs and assess expression levels of the dCas9 effectors, individual gRNAs and targeted gene. We also assess the performance of our PB system for single gRNA delivery, confirming its utility for library format applications. Collectively, our results provide proof-of-principle application of a stable, multiplexed PB gRNA delivery system that can be widely exploited to further enable genome engineering studies in hPSCs. Paired with diverse CRISPR tools including our dual fluorescence CRISPRi/a cell lines, this system can facilitate functional dissection of individual genes and pathways as well as larger-scale screens for studies of development and disease.
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Affiliation(s)
- Dane Z Hazelbaker
- Stanley Center for Psychiatric Research, Broad Institute of MIT and Harvard, Cambridge, MA, 02142, USA
| | - Amanda Beccard
- Stanley Center for Psychiatric Research, Broad Institute of MIT and Harvard, Cambridge, MA, 02142, USA
| | - Gabriella Angelini
- Stanley Center for Psychiatric Research, Broad Institute of MIT and Harvard, Cambridge, MA, 02142, USA
| | - Patrizia Mazzucato
- Stanley Center for Psychiatric Research, Broad Institute of MIT and Harvard, Cambridge, MA, 02142, USA
| | - Angelica Messana
- Stanley Center for Psychiatric Research, Broad Institute of MIT and Harvard, Cambridge, MA, 02142, USA
| | - Daisy Lam
- Stanley Center for Psychiatric Research, Broad Institute of MIT and Harvard, Cambridge, MA, 02142, USA
| | - Kevin Eggan
- Stanley Center for Psychiatric Research, Broad Institute of MIT and Harvard, Cambridge, MA, 02142, USA
- Department of Stem Cell and Regenerative Biology, Harvard University, Cambridge, MA, 02138, USA
| | - Lindy E Barrett
- Stanley Center for Psychiatric Research, Broad Institute of MIT and Harvard, Cambridge, MA, 02142, USA.
- Department of Stem Cell and Regenerative Biology, Harvard University, Cambridge, MA, 02138, USA.
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15
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Yin C, Jia X, Zhao Q, Zhao Z, Wang J, Zhang Y, Li Z, Sun H, Li Z. Transcription factor 7-like 2 promotes osteogenic differentiation and boron-induced bone repair via lipocalin 2. MATERIALS SCIENCE & ENGINEERING. C, MATERIALS FOR BIOLOGICAL APPLICATIONS 2020; 110:110671. [PMID: 32204099 DOI: 10.1016/j.msec.2020.110671] [Citation(s) in RCA: 14] [Impact Index Per Article: 3.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 02/18/2019] [Revised: 01/12/2020] [Accepted: 01/14/2020] [Indexed: 01/07/2023]
Abstract
Boron-containing mesoporous bioactive glass (B-MBG) scaffolds could be capable of promoting osteogenesis by activating Wnt/β-catenin signaling pathway during the process of bone defect repair. Despite this, more involving molecular controls are still largely unclear. In the present study, we identified that the downstream of Wnt/β-catenin signaling pathway named transcription factor 7-like 2 (TCF7L2) served as a key effector to promote boron-induced bone regeneration and osteogenesis through lipocalin 2 (LCN2). TCF7L2 was highly expressed in osteoblasts when treated with B-MBG scaffold extraction than MBG. LCN2, as a secreted bone factor, positively affected osteogenic differentiation of MC3T3-E1 and osteogenesis in vivo, which could be induced by TCF7L2. In addition, interference of TCF7L2 decreased the osteogenic differentiation of osteoblasts. Finally, we identified that rLCN2 could rescue the poor ability of osteogenic differentiation of MC3T3-E1 whose Tcf7l2 gene was knocked down by lentiviral transfection of shRNA. Our findings provide some new insights into the molecular controls of boron-associated bone regeneration and potential therapeutic targets for the treatment of bone defects.
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Affiliation(s)
- Chengcheng Yin
- The State Key Laboratory Breeding Base of Basic Science of Stomatology (Hubei-MOST) & Key Laboratory of Oral Biomedicine Ministry of Education, School & Hospital of Stomatology, Wuhan University, Wuhan 430079, China; School and Hospital of Stomatology, China Medical University, Liaoning Provincial Key Laboratory of Oral Diseases, Shenyang 110002, China
| | - Xiaoshi Jia
- The State Key Laboratory Breeding Base of Basic Science of Stomatology (Hubei-MOST) & Key Laboratory of Oral Biomedicine Ministry of Education, School & Hospital of Stomatology, Wuhan University, Wuhan 430079, China
| | - Qin Zhao
- The State Key Laboratory Breeding Base of Basic Science of Stomatology (Hubei-MOST) & Key Laboratory of Oral Biomedicine Ministry of Education, School & Hospital of Stomatology, Wuhan University, Wuhan 430079, China
| | - Zifan Zhao
- The State Key Laboratory Breeding Base of Basic Science of Stomatology (Hubei-MOST) & Key Laboratory of Oral Biomedicine Ministry of Education, School & Hospital of Stomatology, Wuhan University, Wuhan 430079, China
| | - Jinyang Wang
- The State Key Laboratory Breeding Base of Basic Science of Stomatology (Hubei-MOST) & Key Laboratory of Oral Biomedicine Ministry of Education, School & Hospital of Stomatology, Wuhan University, Wuhan 430079, China
| | - Yufeng Zhang
- The State Key Laboratory Breeding Base of Basic Science of Stomatology (Hubei-MOST) & Key Laboratory of Oral Biomedicine Ministry of Education, School & Hospital of Stomatology, Wuhan University, Wuhan 430079, China
| | - Zhi Li
- The State Key Laboratory Breeding Base of Basic Science of Stomatology (Hubei-MOST) & Key Laboratory of Oral Biomedicine Ministry of Education, School & Hospital of Stomatology, Wuhan University, Wuhan 430079, China.
| | - Hongchen Sun
- School and Hospital of Stomatology, China Medical University, Liaoning Provincial Key Laboratory of Oral Diseases, Shenyang 110002, China.
| | - Zubing Li
- The State Key Laboratory Breeding Base of Basic Science of Stomatology (Hubei-MOST) & Key Laboratory of Oral Biomedicine Ministry of Education, School & Hospital of Stomatology, Wuhan University, Wuhan 430079, China.
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16
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The subcellular localization of bHLH transcription factor TCF4 is mediated by multiple nuclear localization and nuclear export signals. Sci Rep 2019; 9:15629. [PMID: 31666615 PMCID: PMC6821749 DOI: 10.1038/s41598-019-52239-w] [Citation(s) in RCA: 4] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.8] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 08/07/2019] [Accepted: 10/11/2019] [Indexed: 01/10/2023] Open
Abstract
Transcription factor 4 (TCF4) is a class I basic helix-loop-helix (bHLH) transcription factor which regulates the neurogenesis and specialization of cells. TCF4 also plays an important role in the development and functioning of the immune system. Additionally, TCF4 regulates the development of Sertoli cells and pontine nucleus neurons, myogenesis, melanogenesis and epithelial-mesenchymal transition. The ability of transcription factors to fulfil their function often depends on their intracellular trafficking between the nucleus and cytoplasm of the cell. The trafficking is regulated by specific sequences, i.e. the nuclear localization signal (NLS) and the nuclear export signal (NES). We performed research on the TCF4 trafficking regulating sequences by mapping and detailed characterization of motifs potentially acting as the NLS or NES. We demonstrate that the bHLH domain of TCF4 contains an NLS that overlaps two NESs. The results of in silico analyses show high conservation of the sequences, especially in the area of the NLS and NESs. This high conservation is not only between mouse and human TCF4, but also between TCF4 and other mammalian E proteins, indicating the importance of these sequences for the functioning of bHLH class I transcription factors.
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17
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Tarczewska A, Greb-Markiewicz B. The Significance of the Intrinsically Disordered Regions for the Functions of the bHLH Transcription Factors. Int J Mol Sci 2019; 20:E5306. [PMID: 31653121 PMCID: PMC6862971 DOI: 10.3390/ijms20215306] [Citation(s) in RCA: 26] [Impact Index Per Article: 5.2] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 09/30/2019] [Revised: 10/22/2019] [Accepted: 10/22/2019] [Indexed: 11/17/2022] Open
Abstract
The bHLH proteins are a family of eukaryotic transcription factors regulating expression of a wide range of genes involved in cell differentiation and development. They contain the Helix-Loop-Helix (HLH) domain, preceded by a stretch of basic residues, which are responsible for dimerization and binding to E-box sequences. In addition to the well-preserved DNA-binding bHLH domain, these proteins may contain various additional domains determining the specificity of performed transcriptional regulation. According to this, the family has been divided into distinct classes. Our aim was to emphasize the significance of existing disordered regions within the bHLH transcription factors for their functionality. Flexible, intrinsically disordered regions containing various motives and specific sequences allow for multiple interactions with transcription co-regulators. Also, based on in silico analysis and previous studies, we hypothesize that the bHLH proteins have a general ability to undergo spontaneous phase separation, forming or participating into liquid condensates which constitute functional centers involved in transcription regulation. We shortly introduce recent findings on the crucial role of the thermodynamically liquid-liquid driven phase separation in transcription regulation by disordered regions of regulatory proteins. We believe that further experimental studies should be performed in this field for better understanding of the mechanism of gene expression regulation (among others regarding oncogenes) by important and linked to many diseases the bHLH transcription factors.
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Affiliation(s)
- Aneta Tarczewska
- Department of Biochemistry, Faculty of Chemistry, Wroclaw University of Science and Technology, Wybrzeże Wyspiańskiego 27, 50-370 Wroclaw, Poland.
| | - Beata Greb-Markiewicz
- Department of Biochemistry, Faculty of Chemistry, Wroclaw University of Science and Technology, Wybrzeże Wyspiańskiego 27, 50-370 Wroclaw, Poland.
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18
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Linking the Neuropsychiatric Disease Gene TCF4 to Neuronal Activity-Dependent Regulatory Networks. J Neurosci 2019. [PMID: 29540544 DOI: 10.1523/jneurosci.3475-17.2018] [Citation(s) in RCA: 2] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.4] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/21/2022] Open
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19
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Yin J, Zhu D, Li Y, Lv D, Yu H, Liang C, Luo X, Xu X, Fu J, Yan H, Dai Z, Zhou X, Wen X, Xiong S, Lin Z, Lin J, Zhao B, Wang Y, Li K, Ma G. Genetic Variability of TCF4 in Schizophrenia of Southern Chinese Han Population: A Case-Control Study. Front Genet 2019; 10:513. [PMID: 31191620 PMCID: PMC6546831 DOI: 10.3389/fgene.2019.00513] [Citation(s) in RCA: 5] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 11/05/2018] [Accepted: 05/10/2019] [Indexed: 12/30/2022] Open
Abstract
Objective: Schizophrenia is thought to be a neurodevelopmental disorder. As a key regulator in the development of the central nervous system, transcription factor 4 (TCF4) has been shown to be involved in the pathogenesis of schizophrenia. The aim of our study was to assay the association of TCF4 single nucleotide polymorphisms (SNPs) with schizophrenia and the effect of these SNPs on phenotypic variability in schizophrenia in Southern Chinese Han Population. Methods: Four SNPs (rs9960767, rs2958182, rs4309482, and rs12966547) of TCF4 were genotyped in 1137 schizophrenic patients and 1035 controls in a Southern Chinese Han population using the improved multiplex ligation detection reaction (iMLDR) technique. For patients with schizophrenia, the severity of symptom phenotypes was analyzed by the five-factor model of the Positive and Negative Symptom Scale (PANSS). Cognitive function was assessed using the Brief Assessment of Cognition in Schizophrenia (BACS) scale. Results: The results showed that the genotypes and alleles of the three SNPs (rs2958182, rs4309482, and rs12966547) were not significantly different between the control group and the case group (all P > 0.05). rs9960767 could not be included in the statistics for the extremely low minor allele frequency. However, the genotypes of rs4309482 shown a potential risk in the positive symptoms (P = 0.04) and excitement symptoms (P = 0.04) of the five-factor model of PANSS, but not survived in multiple test correction. The same potential risk was shown in the rs12966547 in positive symptoms of the PANSS (P = 0.03). Conclusion: Our results failed to find the associations of SNPs (rs2958182, rs4309482, and rs12966547) in TCF4 with schizophrenia in Southern Chinese Han Population.
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Affiliation(s)
- Jingwen Yin
- Department of Psychiatry, Affiliated Hospital of Guangdong Medical University, Zhanjiang, China
| | - Dongjian Zhu
- Department of Psychiatry, Affiliated Hospital of Guangdong Medical University, Zhanjiang, China
| | - You Li
- Department of Neurology, Affiliated Hospital of Guangdong Medical University, Zhanjiang, China.,Guangdong Key Laboratory of Age-Related Cardiac and Cerebral Diseases, Guangdong Medical University, Zhanjiang, China
| | - Dong Lv
- Department of Psychiatry, Affiliated Hospital of Guangdong Medical University, Zhanjiang, China
| | - Huajun Yu
- Experiment Animal Center, Guangdong Medical University, Zhanjiang, China
| | - Chunmei Liang
- Department of Neurology, Affiliated Hospital of Guangdong Medical University, Zhanjiang, China.,Guangdong Key Laboratory of Age-Related Cardiac and Cerebral Diseases, Guangdong Medical University, Zhanjiang, China
| | - Xudong Luo
- Department of Psychiatry, Affiliated Hospital of Guangdong Medical University, Zhanjiang, China
| | - Xusan Xu
- Guangdong Key Laboratory of Age-Related Cardiac and Cerebral Diseases, Guangdong Medical University, Zhanjiang, China
| | - Jiawu Fu
- Department of Neurology, Affiliated Hospital of Guangdong Medical University, Zhanjiang, China
| | - Haifeng Yan
- Department of Psychiatry, Affiliated Hospital of Guangdong Medical University, Zhanjiang, China
| | - Zhun Dai
- Department of Psychiatry, Affiliated Hospital of Guangdong Medical University, Zhanjiang, China
| | - Xia Zhou
- Guangdong Key Laboratory of Age-Related Cardiac and Cerebral Diseases, Guangdong Medical University, Zhanjiang, China
| | - Xia Wen
- Guangdong Key Laboratory of Age-Related Cardiac and Cerebral Diseases, Guangdong Medical University, Zhanjiang, China
| | - Susu Xiong
- Department of Psychiatry, Affiliated Hospital of Guangdong Medical University, Zhanjiang, China
| | - Zhixiong Lin
- Department of Psychiatry, Affiliated Hospital of Guangdong Medical University, Zhanjiang, China
| | - Juda Lin
- Department of Psychiatry, Affiliated Hospital of Guangdong Medical University, Zhanjiang, China
| | - Bin Zhao
- Guangdong Key Laboratory of Age-Related Cardiac and Cerebral Diseases, Guangdong Medical University, Zhanjiang, China
| | - Yajun Wang
- Clinical Research Center, Affiliated Hospital of Guangdong Medical University, Zhanjiang, China
| | - Keshen Li
- Guangdong Key Laboratory of Age-Related Cardiac and Cerebral Diseases, Guangdong Medical University, Zhanjiang, China.,Department of Neurology and Stroke Center, The First Affiliated Hospital, Jinan University, Guangzhou, China.,Clinical Neuroscience Institute of Jinan University, Guangzhou, China
| | - Guoda Ma
- Department of Neurology, Affiliated Hospital of Guangdong Medical University, Zhanjiang, China.,Guangdong Key Laboratory of Age-Related Cardiac and Cerebral Diseases, Guangdong Medical University, Zhanjiang, China
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A Bayesian framework that integrates multi-omics data and gene networks predicts risk genes from schizophrenia GWAS data. Nat Neurosci 2019; 22:691-699. [PMID: 30988527 PMCID: PMC6646046 DOI: 10.1038/s41593-019-0382-7] [Citation(s) in RCA: 89] [Impact Index Per Article: 17.8] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 08/16/2018] [Accepted: 03/13/2019] [Indexed: 12/17/2022]
Abstract
Genome-wide association studies (GWAS) have identified >100 schizophrenia (SCZ)-associated loci, but using these findings to illuminate disease biology remains a challenge. Here, we present integrative RIsk Gene Selector (iRIGS), a Bayesian framework that integrates multi-omics data and gene networks to infer risk genes in GWAS loci. By applying iRIGS to SCZ GWAS data, we predicted a set of high-confidence risk genes (HRGs), most of which are not the nearest genes to the GWAS index variants. HRGs account for a significantly enriched heritability estimated by stratified LD-score regression. Moreover, HRGs are predominantly expressed in brain tissues, especially prenatally, and are enriched for targets of approved drugs, suggesting opportunities to reposition existing drugs for SCZ. Thus, iRIGS can leverage accumulating functional genomics and GWAS data to advance understanding of SCZ etiology and potential therapeutics.
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Thyme SB, Pieper LM, Li EH, Pandey S, Wang Y, Morris NS, Sha C, Choi JW, Herrera KJ, Soucy ER, Zimmerman S, Randlett O, Greenwood J, McCarroll SA, Schier AF. Phenotypic Landscape of Schizophrenia-Associated Genes Defines Candidates and Their Shared Functions. Cell 2019; 177:478-491.e20. [PMID: 30929901 PMCID: PMC6494450 DOI: 10.1016/j.cell.2019.01.048] [Citation(s) in RCA: 118] [Impact Index Per Article: 23.6] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 06/07/2018] [Revised: 10/15/2018] [Accepted: 01/27/2019] [Indexed: 01/25/2023]
Abstract
Genomic studies have identified hundreds of candidate genes near loci associated with risk for schizophrenia. To define candidates and their functions, we mutated zebrafish orthologs of 132 human schizophrenia-associated genes. We created a phenotype atlas consisting of whole-brain activity maps, brain structural differences, and profiles of behavioral abnormalities. Phenotypes were diverse but specific, including altered forebrain development and decreased prepulse inhibition. Exploration of these datasets identified promising candidates in more than 10 gene-rich regions, including the magnesium transporter cnnm2 and the translational repressor gigyf2, and revealed shared anatomical sites of activity differences, including the pallium, hypothalamus, and tectum. Single-cell RNA sequencing uncovered an essential role for the understudied transcription factor znf536 in the development of forebrain neurons implicated in social behavior and stress. This phenotypic landscape of schizophrenia-associated genes prioritizes more than 30 candidates for further study and provides hypotheses to bridge the divide between genetic association and biological mechanism.
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Affiliation(s)
- Summer B Thyme
- Department of Molecular and Cellular Biology, Harvard University, Cambridge, MA 02138, USA.
| | - Lindsey M Pieper
- Department of Molecular and Cellular Biology, Harvard University, Cambridge, MA 02138, USA
| | - Eric H Li
- Department of Molecular and Cellular Biology, Harvard University, Cambridge, MA 02138, USA
| | - Shristi Pandey
- Department of Molecular and Cellular Biology, Harvard University, Cambridge, MA 02138, USA
| | - Yiqun Wang
- Department of Molecular and Cellular Biology, Harvard University, Cambridge, MA 02138, USA
| | - Nathan S Morris
- Department of Molecular and Cellular Biology, Harvard University, Cambridge, MA 02138, USA
| | - Carrie Sha
- Department of Molecular and Cellular Biology, Harvard University, Cambridge, MA 02138, USA
| | - Joo Won Choi
- Department of Molecular and Cellular Biology, Harvard University, Cambridge, MA 02138, USA
| | - Kristian J Herrera
- Department of Molecular and Cellular Biology, Harvard University, Cambridge, MA 02138, USA
| | - Edward R Soucy
- Center for Brain Science, Harvard University, Cambridge, MA 02138, USA
| | - Steve Zimmerman
- Department of Molecular and Cellular Biology, Harvard University, Cambridge, MA 02138, USA
| | - Owen Randlett
- Department of Molecular and Cellular Biology, Harvard University, Cambridge, MA 02138, USA
| | - Joel Greenwood
- Center for Brain Science, Harvard University, Cambridge, MA 02138, USA
| | - Steven A McCarroll
- Broad Institute of MIT and Harvard, Cambridge, MA 02142, USA; Department of Genetics, Harvard Medical School, Boston, MA 02115, USA; Stanley Center for Psychiatric Research, Cambridge, MA 02142, USA
| | - Alexander F Schier
- Department of Molecular and Cellular Biology, Harvard University, Cambridge, MA 02138, USA; Center for Brain Science, Harvard University, Cambridge, MA 02138, USA; Broad Institute of MIT and Harvard, Cambridge, MA 02142, USA; Biozentrum, University of Basel, CH-4056 Basel, Switzerland; Harvard Stem Cell Institute, Cambridge, MA 02138, USA; FAS Center for Systems Biology, Harvard University, MA 02138, USA; Allen Discovery Center for Cell Lineage Tracing, Seattle, WA 98104, USA.
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22
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Wang Z, Li P, Wu T, Zhu S, Deng L, Cui G. Axon guidance pathway genes are associated with schizophrenia risk. Exp Ther Med 2018; 16:4519-4526. [PMID: 30542400 PMCID: PMC6257106 DOI: 10.3892/etm.2018.6781] [Citation(s) in RCA: 18] [Impact Index Per Article: 3.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 05/22/2018] [Accepted: 09/11/2018] [Indexed: 01/09/2023] Open
Abstract
In the present study, we analyzed schizophrenia (SCZ)-related genome-wide association studies (GWAS) to identify genes and pathways associated with SCZ. We identified 1,098 common genes (1,098/9,468) and 20 shared KEGG pathways (both P<0.01) by integrating candidate genes from the European and American SCZ-related GWAS. The pathways related to axon guidance, long term potentiation and arrhythmogenic right ventricular cardiomyopathy (ARVC) were highly significant (P<10-3). Moreover, 15 axon guidance pathway-related genes were associated with SCZ. The association between axon guidance pathway genes and SCZ was validated by a two-stage case-control study on Shandong migrants in northeastern China. Moreover, individuals with the rs9944880 TT polymorphism in the deleted in colorectal cancer (DCC) gene were associated with SCZ. These findings indicate that the axon guidance pathway genes and the rs9944880 SNP in DCC gene are associated with SCZ pathogenesis.
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Affiliation(s)
- Zhichao Wang
- Department of Academic Research, Qiqihar Medical University, Qiqihar, Heilongjiang 161006, P.R. China
| | - Ping Li
- Department of Psychiatry and Mental Health, Qiqihar Medical University, Qiqihar, Heilongjiang 161006, P.R. China
| | - Tong Wu
- Department of Psychiatry and Mental Health, Qiqihar Medical University, Qiqihar, Heilongjiang 161006, P.R. China
| | - Shuangyue Zhu
- Department of Psychiatry, Hangzhou Seventh People's Hospital, Hangzhou, Zhejiang 310007, P.R. China
| | - Libin Deng
- Institute of Translational Medicine, Nanchang University, Nanchang, Jiangxi 330031, P.R. China
| | - Guangcheng Cui
- Department of Psychiatry and Mental Health, Qiqihar Medical University, Qiqihar, Heilongjiang 161006, P.R. China
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23
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Quednow BB, Ejebe K, Wagner M, Giakoumaki SG, Bitsios P, Kumari V, Roussos P. Meta-analysis on the association between genetic polymorphisms and prepulse inhibition of the acoustic startle response. Schizophr Res 2018; 198:52-59. [PMID: 29287625 DOI: 10.1016/j.schres.2017.12.011] [Citation(s) in RCA: 22] [Impact Index Per Article: 3.7] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Submit a Manuscript] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 09/19/2017] [Revised: 12/13/2017] [Accepted: 12/18/2017] [Indexed: 01/14/2023]
Abstract
Sensorimotor gating measured by prepulse inhibition (PPI) of the acoustic startle response (ASR) has been proposed as one of the most promising electrophysiological endophenotypes of schizophrenia. During the past decade, a number of publications have reported significant associations between genetic polymorphisms and PPI in samples of schizophrenia patients and healthy volunteers. However, an overall evaluation of the robustness of these results has not been published so far. Therefore, we performed the first meta-analysis of published and unpublished associations between gene polymorphisms and PPI of ASR. Unpublished associations between genetic polymorphisms and PPI were derived from three independent samples. In total, 120 single observations from 16 independent samples with 2660 study participants and 43 polymorphisms were included. After correction for multiple testing based on false discovery rate and considering the number of analyzed polymorphisms, significant associations were shown for four variants, even though none of these associations survived a genome-wide correction (P<5∗10-8). These results imply that PPI might be modulated by four genotypes - COMT rs4680 (primarily in males), GRIK3 rs1027599, TCF4 rs9960767, and PRODH rs385440 - indicating a role of these gene variations in the development of early information processing deficits in schizophrenia. However, the overall impact of single genes on PPI is still rather small suggesting that PPI is - like the disease phenotype - highly polygenic. Future genome-wide analyses studies with large sample sizes will enhance our understanding on the genetic architecture of PPI.
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Affiliation(s)
- Boris B Quednow
- Experimental and Clinical Pharmacopsychology, Psychiatric Hospital, University of Zurich, Switzerland; Neuroscience Center Zurich, University and ETH Zurich, Zurich, Switzerland.
| | - Kenechi Ejebe
- Department of Psychiatry, Icahn School of Medicine at Mount Sinai, New York, USA
| | - Michael Wagner
- Department for Neurodegenerative Diseases and GeriatricPsychiatry, University Hospital Bonn, Bonn, Germany
| | - Stella G Giakoumaki
- Department of Psychology, Gallos University campus, University of Crete, Rethymno, Greece
| | - Panos Bitsios
- Department of Psychiatry and Behavioral Sciences, Faculty of Medicine, Voutes University campus, University of Crete, Heraklion, Greece
| | - Veena Kumari
- Department of Psychology, Institute of Psychiatry, King's College London, United Kingdom
| | - Panos Roussos
- Department of Psychiatry, Icahn School of Medicine at Mount Sinai, New York, USA; Department of Genetics and Genomic Sciences, Icahn School of Medicine at Mount Sinai, New York, USA; Mental Illness Research, Education, and Clinical Center (VISN 2), James J. Peters VA Medical Center, New York, USA.
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24
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Forrest MP, Hill MJ, Kavanagh DH, Tansey KE, Waite AJ, Blake DJ. The Psychiatric Risk Gene Transcription Factor 4 (TCF4) Regulates Neurodevelopmental Pathways Associated With Schizophrenia, Autism, and Intellectual Disability. Schizophr Bull 2018; 44:1100-1110. [PMID: 29228394 PMCID: PMC6101561 DOI: 10.1093/schbul/sbx164] [Citation(s) in RCA: 58] [Impact Index Per Article: 9.7] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Submit a Manuscript] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 12/12/2022]
Abstract
BACKGROUND Common genetic variants in and around the gene encoding transcription factor 4 (TCF4) are associated with an increased risk of schizophrenia. Conversely, rare damaging TCF4 mutations cause Pitt-Hopkins syndrome and have also been found in individuals with intellectual disability (ID) and autism spectrum disorder (ASD). METHODS Chromatin immunoprecipitation and next generation sequencing were used to identify the genomic targets of TCF4. These data were integrated with expression, epigenetic and disease gene sets using a range of computational tools. RESULTS We identify 10604 TCF4 binding sites in the genome that were assigned to 5437 genes. De novo motif enrichment found that most TCF4 binding sites contained at least one E-box (5'-CAtcTG). Approximately 77% of TCF4 binding sites overlapped with the H3K27ac histone modification for active enhancers. Enrichment analysis on the set of TCF4 targets identified numerous, highly significant functional clusters for pathways including nervous system development, ion transport and signal transduction, and co-expression modules for genes associated with synaptic function and brain development. Importantly, we found that genes harboring de novo mutations in schizophrenia (P = 5.3 × 10-7), ASD (P = 2.5 × 10-4), and ID (P = 7.6 × 10-3) were also enriched among TCF4 targets. TCF4 binding sites were also found at other schizophrenia risk loci including the nicotinic acetylcholine receptor cluster, CHRNA5/CHRNA3/CHRNB4 and SETD1A. CONCLUSIONS These data demonstrate that TCF4 binding sites are found in a large number of neuronal genes that include many genetic risk factors for common neurodevelopmental disorders.
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Affiliation(s)
- Marc P Forrest
- Division of Psychological Medicine and Clinical Neurosciences, MRC Centre for Neuropsychiatric Genetics and Genomics, School of Medicine, Cardiff University, UK
| | - Matthew J Hill
- Division of Psychological Medicine and Clinical Neurosciences, MRC Centre for Neuropsychiatric Genetics and Genomics, School of Medicine, Cardiff University, UK
| | - David H Kavanagh
- Division of Psychological Medicine and Clinical Neurosciences, MRC Centre for Neuropsychiatric Genetics and Genomics, School of Medicine, Cardiff University, UK
| | - Katherine E Tansey
- College of Biomedical and Life Sciences, Cardiff University, Cardiff, UK
| | - Adrian J Waite
- Division of Psychological Medicine and Clinical Neurosciences, MRC Centre for Neuropsychiatric Genetics and Genomics, School of Medicine, Cardiff University, UK
| | - Derek J Blake
- Division of Psychological Medicine and Clinical Neurosciences, MRC Centre for Neuropsychiatric Genetics and Genomics, School of Medicine, Cardiff University, UK,To whom correspondence should be addressed; tel: +44(0)29 2068 8468, fax: +44(0)29 2068 7068, e-mail:
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25
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Crux S, Herms J, Dorostkar MM. Tcf4 regulates dendritic spine density and morphology in the adult brain. PLoS One 2018; 13:e0199359. [PMID: 29933371 PMCID: PMC6014661 DOI: 10.1371/journal.pone.0199359] [Citation(s) in RCA: 19] [Impact Index Per Article: 3.2] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 01/26/2018] [Accepted: 06/06/2018] [Indexed: 11/18/2022] Open
Abstract
Tcf4 is a transcription factor which regulates neurogenesis and neuronal migration in the brain. In humans, loss of function of Tcf4 leads to the rare neurodevelopmental disorder Pitt-Hopkins syndrome, which is characterized by intellectual disability, developmental delay and autistic behavior. We analyzed the consequences of functional loss of Tcf4 on dendritic spines in mature principal neurons. To this end, we crossed mice in which the DNA-binding domain of the Tcf4 gene is flanked by LoxP sites to mice expressing tamoxifen-inducible cre recombinase in a sparse subset of fluorescently labelled neurons (SlickV line). This resulted in a mouse model with an inducible functional knockout of Tcf4 in a subset of cortical and hippocampal neurons, in which we analyzed dendritic spines, which are the morphological correlate of excitatory postsynapses. Heterozygous as well as homozygous loss of Tcf4 led to a reduction in the number of dendritic spines in the cortex as well as in the hippocampus. This was accompanied by morphological changes of dendritic spines. These results suggest that Tcf4 is involved in synaptic plasticity in mature neurons, and functional loss of Tcf4 may contribute to the neurological symptoms in Pitt-Hopkins syndrome.
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Affiliation(s)
- Sophie Crux
- German Center for Neurodegenerative Diseases (DZNE), Munich, Germany
- Munich Cluster of Systems Neurology (SyNergy), Ludwig–Maximilian–University, Munich, Germany
| | - Jochen Herms
- German Center for Neurodegenerative Diseases (DZNE), Munich, Germany
- Munich Cluster of Systems Neurology (SyNergy), Ludwig–Maximilian–University, Munich, Germany
- Center for Neuropathology, Ludwig–Maximilian–University, Munich, Germany
| | - Mario M. Dorostkar
- Center for Neuropathology, Ludwig–Maximilian–University, Munich, Germany
- * E-mail:
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26
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Low-Dose Aripiprazole and Risperidone for Treating Problem Behavior in Children With Pitt-Hopkins Syndrome. J Clin Psychopharmacol 2018; 38:260-261. [PMID: 29596149 DOI: 10.1097/jcp.0000000000000871] [Citation(s) in RCA: 1] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.2] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Submit a Manuscript] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/26/2022]
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Common Pathophysiology in Multiple Mouse Models of Pitt-Hopkins Syndrome. J Neurosci 2017; 38:918-936. [PMID: 29222403 DOI: 10.1523/jneurosci.1305-17.2017] [Citation(s) in RCA: 33] [Impact Index Per Article: 4.7] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 05/10/2017] [Revised: 11/08/2017] [Accepted: 11/30/2017] [Indexed: 12/22/2022] Open
Abstract
Mutations or deletions of the transcription factor TCF4 are linked to Pitt-Hopkins syndrome (PTHS) and schizophrenia, suggesting that the precise pathogenic mutations dictate cellular, synaptic, and behavioral consequences. Here, we generated two novel mouse models of PTHS, one that mimics the most common pathogenic TCF4 point mutation (human R580W, mouse R579W) and one that deletes three pathogenic arginines, and explored phenotypes of these lines alongside models of pan-cellular or CNS-specific heterozygous Tcf4 disruption. We used mice of both sexes to show that impaired Tcf4 function results in consistent microcephaly, hyperactivity, reduced anxiety, and deficient spatial learning. All four PTHS mouse models demonstrated exaggerated hippocampal long-term potentiation (LTP), consistent with deficits in hippocampus-mediated behaviors. We further examined R579W mutant mice and mice with pan-cellular Tcf4 heterozygosity and found that they exhibited hippocampal NMDA receptor hyperfunction, which likely drives the enhanced LTP. Together, our data pinpoint convergent neurobiological features in PTHS mouse models and provide a foundation for preclinical studies and a rationale for testing whether NMDAR antagonists might be used to treat PTHS.SIGNIFICANCE STATEMENT Pitt-Hopkins syndrome (PTHS) is a rare neurodevelopmental disorder associated with TCF4 mutations/deletions. Despite this genetic insight, there is a need to identify the function of TCF4 in the brain. Toward this goal, we developed two mouse lines, including one harboring the most prevalent pathogenic point mutation, and compared them with two existing models that conditionally delete Tcf4 Our data identify a set of overlapping phenotypes that may serve as outcome measures for preclinical studies of PTHS treatments. We also discovered penetrant enhanced synaptic plasticity across mouse models that may be linked to increased NMDA receptor function. These data reveal convergent neurobiological characteristics of PTHS mouse models and support the further investigation of NMDA receptor antagonists as a possible PTHS treatment.
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28
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Alizadeh F, Tavakkoly-Bazzaz J, Bozorgmehr A, Azarnezhad A, Tabrizi M, Shahsavand Ananloo E. Association of transcription factor 4 (TCF4) gene mRNA level with schizophrenia, its psychopathology, intelligence and cognitive impairments. J Neurogenet 2017; 31:344-351. [DOI: 10.1080/01677063.2017.1396330] [Citation(s) in RCA: 6] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.9] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 10/18/2022]
Affiliation(s)
- Fatemeh Alizadeh
- Department of Medical Genetics, School of Medicine, Tehran University of Medical Sciences (TUMS), Tehran, Iran
| | - Javad Tavakkoly-Bazzaz
- Department of Medical Genetics, School of Medicine, Tehran University of Medical Sciences (TUMS), Tehran, Iran
| | - Ali Bozorgmehr
- Department of Neuroscience, Faculty of Advanced Technologies in Medicine, Iran University of Medical Sciences (IUMS), Tehran, Iran
| | - Asa’ad Azarnezhad
- Department of Medical Genetics, School of Medicine, Tehran University of Medical Sciences (TUMS), Tehran, Iran
| | - Mina Tabrizi
- Department of Medical Genetics, School of Medicine, Tehran University of Medical Sciences (TUMS), Tehran, Iran
| | - Esmaeil Shahsavand Ananloo
- Department of Genomic Psychiatry and Behavioral Genomics (DGPBG), Roozbeh Hospital, School of Medicine, Tehran University of Medical Sciences (TUMS), Tehran, Iran
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29
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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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30
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Ibrahim EC, Guillemot V, Comte M, Tenenhaus A, Zendjidjian XY, Cancel A, Belzeaux R, Sauvanaud F, Blin O, Frouin V, Fakra E. Modeling a linkage between blood transcriptional expression and activity in brain regions to infer the phenotype of schizophrenia patients. NPJ SCHIZOPHRENIA 2017; 3:25. [PMID: 28883405 PMCID: PMC5589880 DOI: 10.1038/s41537-017-0027-3] [Citation(s) in RCA: 6] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.9] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 03/10/2017] [Revised: 07/05/2017] [Accepted: 07/21/2017] [Indexed: 11/20/2022]
Abstract
Hundreds of genetic loci participate to schizophrenia liability. It is also known that impaired cerebral connectivity is directly related to the cognitive and affective disturbances in schizophrenia. How genetic susceptibility and brain neural networks interact to specify a pathological phenotype in schizophrenia remains elusive. Imaging genetics, highlighting brain variations, has proven effective to establish links between vulnerability loci and associated clinical traits. As previous imaging genetics works in schizophrenia have essentially focused on structural DNA variants, these findings could be blurred by epigenetic mechanisms taking place during gene expression. We explored the meaningful links between genetic data from peripheral blood tissues on one hand, and regional brain reactivity to emotion task assayed by blood oxygen level-dependent functional magnetic resonance imaging on the other hand, in schizophrenia patients and matched healthy volunteers. We applied Sparse Generalized Canonical Correlation Analysis to identify joint signals between two blocks of variables: (i) the transcriptional expression of 33 candidate genes, and (ii) the blood oxygen level-dependent activity in 16 region of interest. Results suggested that peripheral transcriptional expression is related to brain imaging variations through a sequential pathway, ending with the schizophrenia phenotype. Generalization of such an approach to larger data sets should thus help in outlining the pathways involved in psychiatric illnesses such as schizophrenia. IMAGING SEARCHING FOR LINKS TO AID DIAGNOSIS: Researchers explore links between the expression of genes associated with schizophrenia in blood cells and variations in brain activity during emotion processing. El Chérif Ibrahim and Eric Fakra at Aix-Marseille Université, France, and colleagues have developed a method to relate the expression levels of 33 schizophrenia susceptibility genes in blood cells and functional magnetic resonance imaging (fMRI) data obtained as individuals carry out a task that triggers emotional responses. Although they found no significant differences in the expression of genes between the 26 patients with schizophrenia and 26 healthy controls they examined, variations in activity in the superior temporal gyrus were strongly linked to schizophrenia-associated gene expression and presence of disease. Similar analyses of larger data sets will shed further light on the relationship between peripheral molecular changes and disease-related behaviors and ultimately, aid the diagnosis of neuropsychiatric disease.
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Affiliation(s)
- El Chérif Ibrahim
- Aix-Marseille Univ, CNRS, CRN2M, Marseille, France.
- Fondation FondaMental, Fondation de Recherche et de Soins en Santé Mentale, Créteil, France.
- Aix-Marseille Univ, CNRS, INT, Inst Neurosci Timone, Marseille, France.
| | - Vincent Guillemot
- INSERM, U 1127, Paris, France
- CNRS, 7225, Paris, France
- Sorbonne Universités, UPMC Univ Paris 06, UMRS_1127, Paris, France
- ICM, Département des maladies du système nerveux and Département de Génétique, Hôpital Pitié-Salpêtrière, Paris, France
| | - Magali Comte
- Aix-Marseille Univ, CNRS, INT, Inst Neurosci Timone, Marseille, France
| | - Arthur Tenenhaus
- Laboratoire des Signaux et Systèmes (L2S, UMR CNRS 8506), CentraleSupélec-CNRS Université Paris-Sud, Gif-sur-Yvette, France
- Bioinformatics/Biostatistics Platform IHU-A-ICM, Brain and Spine Institute, Paris, France
| | - Xavier Yves Zendjidjian
- Pôle Psychiatrie centre, Hôpital de la Conception, Assistance Publique des Hôpitaux de Marseille, Marseille, France
| | - Aida Cancel
- Aix-Marseille Univ, CNRS, INT, Inst Neurosci Timone, Marseille, France
- Service Hospitalo-Universitaire de Psychiatrie Secteur Saint-Etienne, Hôpital Nord, Saint-Etienne, France
| | - Raoul Belzeaux
- Aix-Marseille Univ, CNRS, CRN2M, Marseille, France
- Fondation FondaMental, Fondation de Recherche et de Soins en Santé Mentale, Créteil, France
- McGill Group for Suicide Studies, Douglas Mental Health University Institute, Department of Psychiatry, McGill University, Montreal, Quebec, Canada
| | - Florence Sauvanaud
- Service Hospitalo-Universitaire de Psychiatrie Secteur Saint-Etienne, Hôpital Nord, Saint-Etienne, France
| | - Olivier Blin
- Aix-Marseille Univ, CNRS, INT, Inst Neurosci Timone, Marseille, France
- CIC-UPCET et Pharmacologie Clinique, Hôpital de la Timone, Assistance Publique des Hôpitaux de Marseille, Marseille, France
| | | | - Eric Fakra
- Aix-Marseille Univ, CNRS, INT, Inst Neurosci Timone, Marseille, France.
- Service Hospitalo-Universitaire de Psychiatrie Secteur Saint-Etienne, Hôpital Nord, Saint-Etienne, France.
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31
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Mladinov M, Sedmak G, Fuller HR, Babić Leko M, Mayer D, Kirincich J, Štajduhar A, Borovečki F, Hof PR, Šimić G. Gene expression profiling of the dorsolateral and medial orbitofrontal cortex in schizophrenia. Transl Neurosci 2016; 7:139-150. [PMID: 28123834 PMCID: PMC5234522 DOI: 10.1515/tnsci-2016-0021] [Citation(s) in RCA: 13] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.6] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 09/12/2016] [Accepted: 11/05/2016] [Indexed: 12/29/2022] Open
Abstract
Schizophrenia is a complex polygenic disorder of unknown etiology. Over 3,000 candidate genes associated with schizophrenia have been reported, most of which being mentioned only once. Alterations in cognitive processing - working memory, metacognition and mentalization - represent a core feature of schizophrenia, which indicates the involvement of the prefrontal cortex in the pathophysiology of this disorder. Hence we compared the gene expression in postmortem tissue from the left and right dorsolateral prefrontal cortex (DLPFC, Brodmann's area 46), and the medial part of the orbitofrontal cortex (MOFC, Brodmann's area 11/12), in six patients with schizophrenia and six control brains. Although in the past decade several studies performed transcriptome profiling in schizophrenia, this is the first study to investigate both hemispheres, providing new knowledge about possible brain asymmetry at the level of gene expression and its relation to schizophrenia. We found that in the left hemisphere, twelve genes from the DLPFC and eight genes from the MOFC were differentially expressed in patients with schizophrenia compared to controls. In the right hemisphere there was only one gene differentially expressed in the MOFC. We reproduce the involvement of previously reported genes TARDBP and HNRNPC in the pathogenesis of schizophrenia, and report seven novel genes: SART1, KAT7, C1D, NPM1, EVI2A, XGY2, and TTTY15. As the differentially expressed genes only partially overlap with previous studies that analyzed other brain regions, our findings indicate the importance of considering prefrontal cortical regions, especially those in the left hemisphere, for obtaining disease-relevant insights.
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Affiliation(s)
- Mihovil Mladinov
- Department of Neuroscience, Croatian Institute for Brain Research, University of Zagreb Medical School, Zagreb, Croatia; Department of Psychiatry and Psychotherapy, University of Tübingen, Tübingen, Germany
| | - Goran Sedmak
- Department of Neuroscience, Croatian Institute for Brain Research, University of Zagreb Medical School, Zagreb, Croatia
| | - Heidi R Fuller
- Wolfson Centre for Inherited Neuromuscular Disease, RJAH Orthopaedic Hospital, Oswestry, SY10 7AG, UK and Institute for Science and Technology in Medicine, Keele University, Staffordshire, ST5 5BG, United Kingdom of Great Britain and Northern Ireland
| | - Mirjana Babić Leko
- Department of Neuroscience, Croatian Institute for Brain Research, University of Zagreb Medical School, Zagreb, Croatia
| | - Davor Mayer
- Department of Forensic Medicine, University of Zagreb Medical School, Zagreb, Croatia
| | - Jason Kirincich
- Department of Neuroscience, Croatian Institute for Brain Research, University of Zagreb Medical School, Zagreb, Croatia
| | - Andrija Štajduhar
- Department of Neuroscience, Croatian Institute for Brain Research, University of Zagreb Medical School, Zagreb, Croatia
| | - Fran Borovečki
- Department of Neurology, University Clinical Hospital Zagreb, Zagreb, Croatia
| | - Patrick R Hof
- Fishberg Department of Neuroscience, and Friedman Brain Institute, Icahn School of Medicine at Mount Sinai, New York, NY, United States of America
| | - Goran Šimić
- Department of Neuroscience, Croatian Institute for Brain Research, University of Zagreb Medical School, Zagreb, Croatia
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Asor E, Ben-Shachar D. Gene environment interaction in periphery and brain converge to modulate behavioral outcomes: Insights from the SP1 transient early in life interference rat model. World J Psychiatry 2016; 6:294-302. [PMID: 27679768 PMCID: PMC5031929 DOI: 10.5498/wjp.v6.i3.294] [Citation(s) in RCA: 1] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.1] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Journal Information] [Submit a Manuscript] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 05/23/2016] [Revised: 07/21/2016] [Accepted: 08/08/2016] [Indexed: 02/05/2023] Open
Abstract
It is generally assumed that behavior results from an interaction between susceptible genes and environmental stimuli during critical life stages. The present article reviews the main theoretical and practical concepts in the research of gene environment interaction, emphasizing the need for models simulating real life complexity. We review a novel approach to study gene environment interaction in which a brief post-natal interference with the expression of multiple genes, by hindering the activity of the ubiquitous transcription factor specificity protein 1 (Sp1) is followed by later-in-life exposure of rats to stress. Finally, this review discusses the role of peripheral processes in behavioral responses, with the Sp1 model as one example demonstrating how specific behavioral patterns are linked to modulations in both peripheral and central physiological processes. We suggest that models, which take into account the tripartite reciprocal interaction between the central nervous system, peripheral systems and environmental stimuli will advance our understanding of the complexity of behavior.
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Tcf4 transgenic female mice display delayed adaptation in an auditory latent inhibition paradigm. Eur Arch Psychiatry Clin Neurosci 2016; 266:505-12. [PMID: 26404636 DOI: 10.1007/s00406-015-0643-8] [Citation(s) in RCA: 8] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Submit a Manuscript] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 07/23/2015] [Accepted: 09/07/2015] [Indexed: 12/18/2022]
Abstract
Schizophrenia (SZ) is a severe mental disorder affecting about 1 % of the human population. Patients show severe deficits in cognitive processing often characterized by an improper filtering of environmental stimuli. Independent genome-wide association studies confirmed a number of risk variants for SZ including several associated with the gene encoding the transcription factor 4 (TCF4). TCF4 is widely expressed in the central nervous system of mice and humans and seems to be important for brain development. Transgenic mice overexpressing murine Tcf4 (Tcf4tg) in the adult brain display cognitive impairments and sensorimotor gating disturbances. To address the question of whether increased Tcf4 gene dosage may affect cognitive flexibility in an auditory associative task, we tested latent inhibition (LI) in female Tcf4tg mice. LI is a widely accepted translational endophenotype of SZ and results from a maladaptive delay in switching a response to a previously unconditioned stimulus when this becomes conditioned. Using an Audiobox, we pre-exposed Tcf4tg mice and their wild-type littermates to either a 3- or a 12-kHz tone before conditioning them to a 12-kHz tone. Tcf4tg animals pre-exposed to a 12-kHz tone showed significantly delayed conditioning when the previously unconditioned tone became associated with an air puff. These results support findings that associate TCF4 dysfunction with cognitive inflexibility and improper filtering of sensory stimuli observed in SZ patients.
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D'Rozario M, Zhang T, Waddell EA, Zhang Y, Sahin C, Sharoni M, Hu T, Nayal M, Kutty K, Liebl F, Hu W, Marenda DR. Type I bHLH Proteins Daughterless and Tcf4 Restrict Neurite Branching and Synapse Formation by Repressing Neurexin in Postmitotic Neurons. Cell Rep 2016; 15:386-97. [PMID: 27050508 DOI: 10.1016/j.celrep.2016.03.034] [Citation(s) in RCA: 25] [Impact Index Per Article: 3.1] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 04/21/2015] [Revised: 01/22/2016] [Accepted: 03/09/2016] [Indexed: 11/17/2022] Open
Abstract
Proneural proteins of the class I/II basic-helix-loop-helix (bHLH) family are highly conserved transcription factors. Class I bHLH proteins are expressed in a broad number of tissues during development, whereas class II bHLH protein expression is more tissue restricted. Our understanding of the function of class I/II bHLH transcription factors in both invertebrate and vertebrate neurobiology is largely focused on their function as regulators of neurogenesis. Here, we show that the class I bHLH proteins Daughterless and Tcf4 are expressed in postmitotic neurons in Drosophila melanogaster and mice, respectively, where they function to restrict neurite branching and synapse formation. Our data indicate that Daughterless performs this function in part by restricting the expression of the cell adhesion molecule Neurexin. This suggests a role for these proteins outside of their established roles in neurogenesis.
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Affiliation(s)
| | - Ting Zhang
- Department of Neuroscience, Temple University School of Medicine, Philadelphia, PA 19140, USA
| | - Edward A Waddell
- Department of Biology, Drexel University, Philadelphia, PA 19104, USA
| | - Yonggang Zhang
- Department of Neuroscience, Temple University School of Medicine, Philadelphia, PA 19140, USA
| | - Cem Sahin
- Department of Electrical and Computer Engineering, Drexel University, Philadelphia, PA 19104, USA
| | - Michal Sharoni
- Department of Biology, Drexel University, Philadelphia, PA 19104, USA
| | - Tina Hu
- Department of Biology, Drexel University, Philadelphia, PA 19104, USA
| | - Mohammad Nayal
- Department of Biology, Drexel University, Philadelphia, PA 19104, USA
| | - Kaveesh Kutty
- Department of Biology, Drexel University, Philadelphia, PA 19104, USA
| | - Faith Liebl
- Department of Biological Sciences, Southern Illinois University Edwardsville, Edwardsville, IL 62026, USA
| | - Wenhui Hu
- Department of Neuroscience, Temple University School of Medicine, Philadelphia, PA 19140, USA.
| | - Daniel R Marenda
- Department of Biology, Drexel University, Philadelphia, PA 19104, USA; Department of Neurobiology and Anatomy, Drexel University College of Medicine, Philadelphia, PA 19104, USA.
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Wang LH, Baker NE. E Proteins and ID Proteins: Helix-Loop-Helix Partners in Development and Disease. Dev Cell 2016; 35:269-80. [PMID: 26555048 DOI: 10.1016/j.devcel.2015.10.019] [Citation(s) in RCA: 110] [Impact Index Per Article: 13.8] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 06/08/2015] [Revised: 10/18/2015] [Accepted: 10/23/2015] [Indexed: 01/12/2023]
Abstract
The basic Helix-Loop-Helix (bHLH) proteins represent a well-known class of transcriptional regulators. Many bHLH proteins act as heterodimers with members of a class of ubiquitous partners, the E proteins. A widely expressed class of inhibitory heterodimer partners-the Inhibitor of DNA-binding (ID) proteins-also exists. Genetic and molecular analyses in humans and in knockout mice implicate E proteins and ID proteins in a wide variety of diseases, belying the notion that they are non-specific partner proteins. Here, we explore relationships of E proteins and ID proteins to a variety of disease processes and highlight gaps in knowledge of disease mechanisms.
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Affiliation(s)
- Lan-Hsin Wang
- Department of Genetics, Albert Einstein College of Medicine, 1300 Morris Park Avenue, Bronx, NY 10461, USA
| | - Nicholas E Baker
- Department of Genetics, Albert Einstein College of Medicine, 1300 Morris Park Avenue, Bronx, NY 10461, USA; Department of Developmental and Molecular Biology, Albert Einstein College of Medicine, 1300 Morris Park Avenue, Bronx, NY 10461, USA; Department of Ophthalmology and Visual Sciences, Albert Einstein College of Medicine, 1300 Morris Park Avenue, Bronx, NY 10461, USA.
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Wright C, Gupta CN, Chen J, Patel V, Calhoun VD, Ehrlich S, Wang L, Bustillo JR, Perrone-Bizzozero NI, Turner JA. Polymorphisms in MIR137HG and microRNA-137-regulated genes influence gray matter structure in schizophrenia. Transl Psychiatry 2016; 6:e724. [PMID: 26836412 PMCID: PMC4872419 DOI: 10.1038/tp.2015.211] [Citation(s) in RCA: 33] [Impact Index Per Article: 4.1] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Submit a Manuscript] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 05/07/2015] [Revised: 10/06/2015] [Accepted: 10/09/2015] [Indexed: 02/06/2023] Open
Abstract
Evidence suggests that microRNA-137 (miR-137) is involved in the genetic basis of schizophrenia. Risk variants within the miR-137 host gene (MIR137HG) influence structural and functional brain-imaging measures, and miR-137 itself is predicted to regulate hundreds of genes. We evaluated the influence of a MIR137HG risk variant (rs1625579) in combination with variants in miR-137-regulated genes TCF4, PTGS2, MAPK1 and MAPK3 on gray matter concentration (GMC). These genes were selected based on our previous work assessing schizophrenia risk within possible miR-137-regulated gene sets using the same cohort of subjects. A genetic risk score (GRS) was determined based on genotypes of these four schizophrenia risk-associated genes in 221 Caucasian subjects (89 schizophrenia patients and 132 controls). The effects of the rs1625579 genotype with the GRS of miR-137-regulated genes in a three-way interaction with diagnosis on GMC patterns were assessed using a multivariate analysis. We found that schizophrenia subjects homozygous for the MIR137HG risk allele show significant decreases in occipital, parietal and temporal lobe GMC with increasing miR-137-regulated GRS, whereas those carrying the protective minor allele show significant increases in GMC with GRS. No correlations of GMC and GRS were found in control subjects. Variants within or upstream of genes regulated by miR-137 in combination with the MIR137HG risk variant may influence GMC in schizophrenia-related regions in patients. Given that the genes evaluated here are involved in protein kinase A signaling, dysregulation of this pathway through alterations in miR-137 biogenesis may underlie the gray matter loss seen in the disease.
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Affiliation(s)
- C Wright
- The Mind Research Network, Albuquerque, NM, USA
- Department of Neurosciences, University of New Mexico, Albuquerque, NM, USA
| | - C N Gupta
- The Mind Research Network, Albuquerque, NM, USA
| | - J Chen
- The Mind Research Network, Albuquerque, NM, USA
| | - V Patel
- The Mind Research Network, Albuquerque, NM, USA
| | - V D Calhoun
- The Mind Research Network, Albuquerque, NM, USA
- Department of Neurosciences, University of New Mexico, Albuquerque, NM, USA
- Department of Electrical and Computer Engineering, University of New Mexico, Albuquerque, NM, USA
| | - S Ehrlich
- Translational Developmental Neuroscience Section, Department of Child and Adolescent Psychiatry, Faculty of Medicine, Technische Universität, Dresden, Germany
- Department of Psychiatry, Harvard Medical School, Massachusetts General Hospital, Boston, MA, USA
- Athinoula A. Martinos Center for Biomedical Imaging, Massachusetts General Hospital, Charlestown, MA, USA
| | - L Wang
- Department of Psychiatry and Behavioral Sciences, Northwestern University Feinberg School of Medicine, Chicago, IL, USA
- Department of Radiology, Northwestern University Feinberg School of Medicine, Chicago, IL, USA
| | - J R Bustillo
- Department of Neurosciences, University of New Mexico, Albuquerque, NM, USA
- Department of Psychiatry and Behavioral Sciences, University of New Mexico, Albuquerque, NM, USA
| | - N I Perrone-Bizzozero
- Department of Neurosciences, University of New Mexico, Albuquerque, NM, USA
- Department of Psychiatry and Behavioral Sciences, University of New Mexico, Albuquerque, NM, USA
| | - J A Turner
- The Mind Research Network, Albuquerque, NM, USA
- Department of Psychology and Neuroscience Institute, Georgia State University, Atlanta, GA, USA
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Brzózka MM, Unterbarnscheidt T, Schwab MH, Rossner MJ. OSO paradigm--A rapid behavioral screening method for acute psychosocial stress reactivity in mice. Neuroscience 2015; 314:1-11. [PMID: 26628400 DOI: 10.1016/j.neuroscience.2015.11.043] [Citation(s) in RCA: 5] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.6] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 09/27/2015] [Revised: 11/17/2015] [Accepted: 11/18/2015] [Indexed: 12/27/2022]
Abstract
Chronic psychosocial stress is an important environmental risk factor for the development of psychiatric diseases. However, studying the impact of chronic psychosocial stress in mice is time consuming and thus not optimally suited to 'screen' increasing numbers of genetically manipulated mouse models for psychiatric endophenotypes. Moreover, many studies focus on restraint stress, a strong physical stressor with limited relevance for psychiatric disorders. Here, we describe a simple and a rapid method based on the resident-intruder paradigm to examine acute effects of mild psychosocial stress in mice. The OSO paradigm (open field--social defeat--open field) compares behavioral consequences on locomotor activity, anxiety and curiosity before and after exposure to acute social defeat stress. We first evaluated OSO in male C57Bl/6 wildtype mice where a single episode of social defeat reduced locomotor activity, increased anxiety and diminished exploratory behavior. Subsequently, we applied the OSO paradigm to mouse models of two schizophrenia (SZ) risk genes. Transgenic mice with neuronal overexpression of Neuregulin-1 (Nrg1) type III showed increased risk-taking behavior after acute stress exposure suggesting that NRG1 dysfunction is associated with altered affective behavior. In contrast, Tcf4 transgenic mice displayed a normal stress response which is in line with the postulated predominant contribution of TCF4 to cognitive deficits of SZ. In conclusion, the OSO paradigm allows for rapid screening of selected psychosocial stress-induced behavioral endophenotypes in mouse models of psychiatric diseases.
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Affiliation(s)
- M M Brzózka
- Department of Psychiatry, Ludwig-Maximilian-University, Nussbaumstrasse 7, 80336 Munich, Germany.
| | - T Unterbarnscheidt
- Max Planck Institute of Experimental Medicine, Hermann-Rein-Strasse 3, 37075 Göttingen, Germany; Cellular Neurophysiology, Hannover Medical School, Carl-Neuberg-Strasse 1, 30625 Hannover, Germany.
| | - M H Schwab
- Max Planck Institute of Experimental Medicine, Hermann-Rein-Strasse 3, 37075 Göttingen, Germany; Cellular Neurophysiology, Hannover Medical School, Carl-Neuberg-Strasse 1, 30625 Hannover, Germany.
| | - M J Rossner
- Department of Psychiatry, Ludwig-Maximilian-University, Nussbaumstrasse 7, 80336 Munich, Germany; Max Planck Institute of Experimental Medicine, Hermann-Rein-Strasse 3, 37075 Göttingen, Germany.
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Lopez-Anido C, Sun G, Koenning M, Srinivasan R, Hung HA, Emery B, Keles S, Svaren J. Differential Sox10 genomic occupancy in myelinating glia. Glia 2015; 63:1897-1914. [PMID: 25974668 PMCID: PMC4644515 DOI: 10.1002/glia.22855] [Citation(s) in RCA: 87] [Impact Index Per Article: 9.7] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 12/19/2014] [Accepted: 04/22/2015] [Indexed: 11/11/2022]
Abstract
Myelin is formed by specialized myelinating glia: oligodendrocytes and Schwann cells in the central and peripheral nervous systems, respectively. While there are distinct developmental aspects and regulatory pathways in these two cell types, myelination in both systems requires the transcriptional activator Sox10. Sox10 interacts with cell type-specific transcription factors at some loci to induce myelin gene expression, but it is largely unknown how Sox10 transcriptional networks globally compare between oligodendrocytes and Schwann cells. We used in vivo ChIP-Seq analysis of spinal cord and peripheral nerve (sciatic nerve) to identify unique and shared Sox10 binding sites and assess their correlation with active enhancers and transcriptional profiles in oligodendrocytes and Schwann cells. Sox10 binding sites overlap with active enhancers and critical cell type-specific regulators of myelination, such as Olig2 and Myrf in oligodendrocytes, and Egr2/Krox20 in Schwann cells. Sox10 sites also associate with genes critical for myelination in both oligodendrocytes and Schwann cells and are found within super-enhancers previously defined in brain. In Schwann cells, Sox10 sites contain binding motifs of putative partners in the Sp/Klf, Tead, and nuclear receptor protein families. Specifically, siRNA analysis of nuclear receptors Nr2f1 and Nr2f2 revealed downregulation of myelin genes Mbp and Ndrg1 in primary Schwann cells. Our analysis highlights different mechanisms that establish cell type-specific genomic occupancy of Sox10, which reflects the unique characteristics of oligodendrocyte and Schwann cell differentiation. GLIA 2015;63:1897-1914.
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Affiliation(s)
- Camila Lopez-Anido
- Waisman Center, University of Wisconsin-Madison, Madison, WI 53705, USA
- Comparative Biomedical Sciences Graduate Program, University of Wisconsin-Madison, Madison, WI 53705, USA
| | - Guannan Sun
- Department of Biostatistics & Medical Informatics, University of Wisconsin-Madison, Madison, WI 53705, USA
| | - Matthias Koenning
- Department of Anatomy and Neuroscience and the Centre for Neuroscience Research, University of Melbourne, Melbourne, Australia
| | - Rajini Srinivasan
- Waisman Center, University of Wisconsin-Madison, Madison, WI 53705, USA
| | - Holly A. Hung
- Waisman Center, University of Wisconsin-Madison, Madison, WI 53705, USA
- Cellular and Molecular Pathology Graduate Program, University of Wisconsin-Madison, Madison, WI 53705, USA
| | - Ben Emery
- Department of Anatomy and Neuroscience and the Centre for Neuroscience Research, University of Melbourne, Melbourne, Australia
| | - Sunduz Keles
- Cellular and Molecular Pathology Graduate Program, University of Wisconsin-Madison, Madison, WI 53705, USA
| | - John Svaren
- Waisman Center, University of Wisconsin-Madison, Madison, WI 53705, USA
- Department of Comparative Biosciences, University of Wisconsin-Madison, Madison, WI 53705, USA
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Ayhan Y, McFarland R, Pletnikov MV. Animal models of gene-environment interaction in schizophrenia: A dimensional perspective. Prog Neurobiol 2015; 136:1-27. [PMID: 26510407 DOI: 10.1016/j.pneurobio.2015.10.002] [Citation(s) in RCA: 58] [Impact Index Per Article: 6.4] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 03/18/2015] [Revised: 09/07/2015] [Accepted: 10/22/2015] [Indexed: 12/12/2022]
Abstract
Schizophrenia has long been considered as a disorder with multifactorial origins. Recent discoveries have advanced our understanding of the genetic architecture of the disease. However, even with the increase of identified risk variants, heritability estimates suggest an important contribution of non-genetic factors. Various environmental risk factors have been proposed to play a role in the etiopathogenesis of schizophrenia. These include season of birth, maternal infections, obstetric complications, adverse events at early childhood, and drug abuse. Despite the progress in identification of genetic and environmental risk factors, we still have a limited understanding of the mechanisms whereby gene-environment interactions (G × E) operate in schizophrenia and psychoses at large. In this review we provide a critical analysis of current animal models of G × E relevant to psychotic disorders and propose that dimensional perspective will advance our understanding of the complex mechanisms of these disorders.
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Affiliation(s)
- Yavuz Ayhan
- Department of Psychiatry and Behavioral Sciences, Johns Hopkins University School of Medicine, USA; Hacettepe University Faculty of Medicine, Department of Psychiatry, Turkey
| | - Ross McFarland
- Department of Psychiatry and Behavioral Sciences, Johns Hopkins University School of Medicine, USA; Department of Molecular Microbiology and Immunology, Johns Hopkins Bloomberg School of Public Health, USA
| | - Mikhail V Pletnikov
- Department of Psychiatry and Behavioral Sciences, Johns Hopkins University School of Medicine, USA; Solomon H Snyder Department of Neuroscience, Johns Hopkins University School of Medicine, USA; Department of Molecular and Comparative Pathobiology, Johns Hopkins University School of Medicine, USA; Department of Molecular Microbiology and Immunology, Johns Hopkins Bloomberg School of Public Health, USA.
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40
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Stankiewicz AM, Goscik J, Dyr W, Juszczak GR, Ryglewicz D, Swiergiel AH, Wieczorek M, Stefanski R. Novel candidate genes for alcoholism--transcriptomic analysis of prefrontal medial cortex, hippocampus and nucleus accumbens of Warsaw alcohol-preferring and non-preferring rats. Pharmacol Biochem Behav 2015; 139:27-38. [PMID: 26455281 DOI: 10.1016/j.pbb.2015.10.003] [Citation(s) in RCA: 10] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.1] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Submit a Manuscript] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 05/13/2015] [Revised: 10/06/2015] [Accepted: 10/06/2015] [Indexed: 11/29/2022]
Abstract
OBJECTIVE Animal models provide opportunity to study neurobiological aspects of human alcoholism. Changes in gene expression have been implicated in mediating brain functions, including reward system and addiction. The current study aimed to identify genes that may underlie differential ethanol preference in Warsaw High Preferring (WHP) and Warsaw Low Preferring (WLP) rats. METHODS Microarray analysis comparing gene expression in nucleus accumbens (NAc), hippocampus (HP) and medial prefrontal cortex (mPFC) was performed in male WHP and WLP rats bred for differences in ethanol preference. RESULTS Differential and stable between biological repeats expression of 345, 254 and 129 transcripts in NAc, HP and mPFC was detected. Identified genes and processes included known mediators of ethanol response (Mx2, Fam111a, Itpr1, Gabra4, Agtr1a, LTP/LTD, renin-angiotensin signaling pathway), toxicity (Sult1c2a, Ces1, inflammatory response), as well as genes involved in regulation of important addiction-related brain systems such as dopamine, tachykinin or acetylcholine (Gng7, Tac4, Slc5a7). CONCLUSIONS The identified candidate genes may underlie differential ethanol preference in an animal model of alcoholism. COMMENT Names of genes are written in italics, while names of proteins are written in standard font. Names of human genes/proteins are written in all capital letters. Names of rodent genes/proteins are written in capital letter followed by small letters.
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Affiliation(s)
- Adrian M Stankiewicz
- Department of Animal Behaviour, Institute of Genetics and Animal Breeding, Polish Academy of Sciences, 05-552 Jastrzebiec, Poland
| | - Joanna Goscik
- Software Department, Faculty of Computer Science, Bialystok University of Technology, 15-351 Bialystok, Poland
| | - Wanda Dyr
- Department of Pharmacology and Physiology of the Nervous System, Institute of Psychiatry and Neurology, 02-957 Warsaw, Poland
| | - Grzegorz R Juszczak
- Department of Animal Behaviour, Institute of Genetics and Animal Breeding, Polish Academy of Sciences, 05-552 Jastrzebiec, Poland
| | - Danuta Ryglewicz
- First Department of Neurology, Institute of Psychiatry and Neurology, 02-957 Warsaw, Poland
| | - Artur H Swiergiel
- Department of Animal and Human Physiology, Faculty of Biology, University of Gdansk, 80-308 Gdansk, Poland; Department of Pharmacology, Toxicology and Neuroscience, Louisiana State University Health Sciences Center, Shreveport, LA71130, USA.
| | - Marek Wieczorek
- Department of Neurobiology, Faculty of Biology and Environmental Protection, University of Lodz, 90-236 Lodz, Poland
| | - Roman Stefanski
- Department of Pharmacology and Physiology of the Nervous System, Institute of Psychiatry and Neurology, 02-957 Warsaw, Poland
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Hui L, Rao WW, Yu Q, Kou C, Wu JQ, He JC, Ye MJ, Liu JH, Xu XJ, Zheng K, Ruan LN, Liu HY, Hu WM, Shao TN, AngRabanes MB, Soares JC, Zhang XY. TCF4 gene polymorphism is associated with cognition in patients with schizophrenia and healthy controls. J Psychiatr Res 2015; 69:95-101. [PMID: 26343600 DOI: 10.1016/j.jpsychires.2015.07.022] [Citation(s) in RCA: 17] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.9] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Submit a Manuscript] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 04/17/2015] [Revised: 07/01/2015] [Accepted: 07/16/2015] [Indexed: 01/02/2023]
Abstract
BACKGROUND Cognitive deficits have been identified as an important core feature of schizophrenia. Single nucleotide polymorphisms in the transcription factor 4 (TCF4) gene have been reported to be involved in the susceptibility to schizophrenia and be significantly related to cognitive deficits of schizophrenia and controls. This study examines whether the TCF4 rs2958182 polymorphism influences cognitive functions in chronic schizophrenia and controls. METHODS The presence of the TCF4 rs2958182 was determined in 976 patients and 420 controls using a case-control design. We assessed all the patients' psychopathology using the Positive and Negative Syndrome Scale (PANSS). Cognition was assessed in 777 patients and 399 controls by using the Repeatable Battery for the Assessment of Neuropsychological Status (RBANS). RESULTS There were marginally significant differences in the TCF4 rs2958182 allelic and genotypic distributions between patients and controls (χ2 = 3.48, p = 0.062 and χ2 = 0.036, p = 0.036, respectively). Cognitive test scores were significantly lower in patients than in controls on all scales (all p < 0.001) except for the visuospatial/constructional index (p > 0.05). There were significant genotype effects on delayed memory score (p = 0.013), the RBANS total score (p = 0.028) and language score (p = 0.034). Further analysis showed that the language score significantly differed according to the genotypic groups (A/A+T/A group versus T/T group) (p = 0.007) in patients but not in controls (p > 0.05), and the delayed memory score also significantly differed according to the genotypic groups (A/A+T/A group versus T/T group) (p = 0.021) in controls but not in patients (p > 0.05). CONCLUSIONS This study found that the A allele of the TCF4 rs2958182 polymorphism was the risk allele of schizophrenia, and was associated with lower cognitive performance in language in schizophrenia and delayed memory in controls. In contrast, the T allele of this polymorphism was found to be the schizophrenia risk allele in another study in Han Chinese people.
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Affiliation(s)
- Li Hui
- Institute of Wenzhou Kangning Mental Health, Wenzhou Kangning Hospital, Wenzhou Medical University, Wenzhou, Zhejiang, PR China
| | - Wen-Wang Rao
- Department of Epidemiology and Biostatistics, School of Public Health, Jilin University, Changchun, PR China
| | - Qiong Yu
- Department of Epidemiology and Biostatistics, School of Public Health, Jilin University, Changchun, PR China
| | - Changgui Kou
- Department of Epidemiology and Biostatistics, School of Public Health, Jilin University, Changchun, PR China
| | - Jing Qin Wu
- School of Biomedical Sciences and Pharmacy, Faculty of Health, The University of Newcastle, University Drive, Callaghan, NSW 2308, Australia; Biological Psychiatry Center, Beijing HuiLongGuan Hospital, Peking University, Beijing, PR China
| | - Jin Cai He
- Department of Neurology, The First Affiliated of Wenzhou Medical University, Wenzhou, Zhejiang, PR China
| | - Min Jie Ye
- Institute of Wenzhou Kangning Mental Health, Wenzhou Kangning Hospital, Wenzhou Medical University, Wenzhou, Zhejiang, PR China
| | - Jia Hong Liu
- Institute of Wenzhou Kangning Mental Health, Wenzhou Kangning Hospital, Wenzhou Medical University, Wenzhou, Zhejiang, PR China
| | - Xiao Jun Xu
- Institute of Wenzhou Kangning Mental Health, Wenzhou Kangning Hospital, Wenzhou Medical University, Wenzhou, Zhejiang, PR China
| | - Ke Zheng
- Institute of Wenzhou Kangning Mental Health, Wenzhou Kangning Hospital, Wenzhou Medical University, Wenzhou, Zhejiang, PR China
| | - Li Na Ruan
- Institute of Wenzhou Kangning Mental Health, Wenzhou Kangning Hospital, Wenzhou Medical University, Wenzhou, Zhejiang, PR China
| | - Hong Yang Liu
- Institute of Wenzhou Kangning Mental Health, Wenzhou Kangning Hospital, Wenzhou Medical University, Wenzhou, Zhejiang, PR China
| | - Wei Ming Hu
- Institute of Wenzhou Kangning Mental Health, Wenzhou Kangning Hospital, Wenzhou Medical University, Wenzhou, Zhejiang, PR China
| | - Tian Nan Shao
- Department of Neurology, The First Affiliated of Wenzhou Medical University, Wenzhou, Zhejiang, PR China
| | - Michael B AngRabanes
- Department of Psychiatry and Behavioral Sciences, Harris County Psychiatric Center, The University of Texas Health Science Center at Houston, Houston, TX, USA
| | - Jair C Soares
- Department of Psychiatry and Behavioral Sciences, Harris County Psychiatric Center, The University of Texas Health Science Center at Houston, Houston, TX, USA
| | - Xiang Yang Zhang
- Biological Psychiatry Center, Beijing HuiLongGuan Hospital, Peking University, Beijing, PR China; Department of Psychiatry and Behavioral Sciences, Harris County Psychiatric Center, The University of Texas Health Science Center at Houston, Houston, TX, USA.
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42
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Kraepelin revisited: schizophrenia from degeneration to failed regeneration. Mol Psychiatry 2015; 20:671-6. [PMID: 25824303 DOI: 10.1038/mp.2015.35] [Citation(s) in RCA: 66] [Impact Index Per Article: 7.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Submit a Manuscript] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 09/26/2014] [Revised: 02/11/2015] [Accepted: 02/24/2015] [Indexed: 12/18/2022]
Abstract
One hundred years after its conceptual definition as 'Dementia Praecox' by Emil Kraepelin, schizophrenia is still a serious psychiatric illness that affects young adults and leads to disability in at least half of patients. The key treatment issue is partial or non-response, especially of negative symptoms. The illness is also associated with different degrees of cognitive dysfunction, particularly in verbal and working memory; the resulting functional impairment may lead to unemployment and an inability to maintain stable relationships. Patients' cognitive dysfunction led Kraepelin to the assumption that schizophrenia is a form of juvenile dementia caused by a degenerative process of the human brain. Postmortem studies and a plethora of imaging studies do not support the notion of a degenerative process, but such a process is supported by the recently published, largest genome-wide association study on schizophrenia. More than a 100 hits were described, converging on pathways that have a significant role in dopamine metabolism in immune modulation, calcium signalling and synaptic plasticity. This review suggests that research should focus on animal models based on risk genes like transcription factor 4 and study the effects of exposure to environmental stressors relevant for schizophrenia. The use of relevant end points like pre-pulse inhibition or cognitive dysfunction will allow us to gain an understanding of the molecular pathways in schizophrenia and consequently result in improved treatment options, especially for the disabling aspects of this illness.
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Wright C, Calhoun VD, Ehrlich S, Wang L, Turner JA, Bizzozero NIP. Meta gene set enrichment analyses link miR-137-regulated pathways with schizophrenia risk. Front Genet 2015; 6:147. [PMID: 25941532 PMCID: PMC4403556 DOI: 10.3389/fgene.2015.00147] [Citation(s) in RCA: 32] [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: 11/28/2014] [Accepted: 03/27/2015] [Indexed: 11/23/2022] Open
Abstract
BACKGROUND A single nucleotide polymorphism (SNP) within MIR137, the host gene for miR-137, has been identified repeatedly as a risk factor for schizophrenia. Previous genetic pathway analyses suggest that potential targets of this microRNA (miRNA) are also highly enriched in schizophrenia-relevant biological pathways, including those involved in nervous system development and function. METHODS In this study, we evaluated the schizophrenia risk of miR-137 target genes within these pathways. Gene set enrichment analysis of pathway-specific miR-137 targets was performed using the stage 1 (21,856 subjects) schizophrenia genome wide association study data from the Psychiatric Genomics Consortium and a small independent replication cohort (244 subjects) from the Mind Clinical Imaging Consortium and Northwestern University. RESULTS Gene sets of potential miR-137 targets were enriched with variants associated with schizophrenia risk, including target sets involved in axonal guidance signaling, Ephrin receptor signaling, long-term potentiation, PKA signaling, and Sertoli cell junction signaling. The schizophrenia-risk association of SNPs in PKA signaling targets was replicated in the second independent cohort. CONCLUSIONS These results suggest that these biological pathways may be involved in the mechanisms by which this MIR137 variant enhances schizophrenia risk. SNPs in targets and the miRNA host gene may collectively lead to dysregulation of target expression and aberrant functioning of such implicated pathways. Pathway-guided gene set enrichment analyses should be useful in evaluating the impact of other miRNAs and target genes in different diseases.
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Affiliation(s)
- Carrie Wright
- The Mind Research NetworkAlbuquerque, NM, USA
- Department of Neurosciences, University of New MexicoAlbuquerque, NM, USA
| | - Vince D. Calhoun
- The Mind Research NetworkAlbuquerque, NM, USA
- Department of Neurosciences, University of New MexicoAlbuquerque, NM, USA
- Department of Electrical and Computer Engineering, University of New MexicoAlbuquerque, NM, USA
| | - Stefan Ehrlich
- Translational Developmental Neuroscience Section, Department of Child and Adolescent Psychiatry, Faculty of Medicine, Technische Universität DresdenDresden, Germany
- Department of Psychiatry, Harvard Medical School, Massachusetts General HospitalBoston, MA, USA
- Athinoula A. Martinos Center for Biomedical Imaging, Massachusetts General Hospital/Massachusetts Institute of Technology/Harvard Medical SchoolCharlestown, MA, USA
| | - Lei Wang
- Department of Psychiatry and Behavioral Sciences, Northwestern University Feinberg School of MedicineChicago, IL, USA
- Department of Radiology, Northwestern University Feinberg School of MedicineChicago, IL, USA
| | - Jessica A. Turner
- The Mind Research NetworkAlbuquerque, NM, USA
- Department of Psychology and Neuroscience Institute, Georgia State UniversityAtlanta, GA, USA
| | - Nora I. Perrone- Bizzozero
- Department of Neurosciences, University of New MexicoAlbuquerque, NM, USA
- Department of Psychiatry, University of New MexicoAlbuquerque, NM, USA
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Cattane N, Minelli A, Milanesi E, Maj C, Bignotti S, Bortolomasi M, Chiavetto LB, Gennarelli M. Altered gene expression in schizophrenia: findings from transcriptional signatures in fibroblasts and blood. PLoS One 2015; 10:e0116686. [PMID: 25658856 PMCID: PMC4319917 DOI: 10.1371/journal.pone.0116686] [Citation(s) in RCA: 54] [Impact Index Per Article: 6.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 12/20/2013] [Accepted: 12/12/2014] [Indexed: 11/18/2022] Open
Abstract
BACKGROUND Whole-genome expression studies in the peripheral tissues of patients affected by schizophrenia (SCZ) can provide new insight into the molecular basis of the disorder and innovative biomarkers that may be of great utility in clinical practice. Recent evidence suggests that skin fibroblasts could represent a non-neural peripheral model useful for investigating molecular alterations in psychiatric disorders. METHODS A microarray expression study was conducted comparing skin fibroblast transcriptomic profiles from 20 SCZ patients and 20 controls. All genes strongly differentially expressed were validated by real-time quantitative PCR (RT-qPCR) in fibroblasts and analyzed in a sample of peripheral blood cell (PBC) RNA from patients (n = 25) and controls (n = 22). To evaluate the specificity for SCZ, alterations in gene expression were tested in additional samples of fibroblasts and PBCs RNA from Major Depressive Disorder (MDD) (n = 16; n = 21, respectively) and Bipolar Disorder (BD) patients (n = 15; n = 20, respectively). RESULTS Six genes (JUN, HIST2H2BE, FOSB, FOS, EGR1, TCF4) were significantly upregulated in SCZ compared to control fibroblasts. In blood, an increase in expression levels was confirmed only for EGR1, whereas JUN was downregulated; no significant differences were observed for the other genes. EGR1 upregulation was specific for SCZ compared to MDD and BD. CONCLUSIONS Our study reports the upregulation of JUN, HIST2H2BE, FOSB, FOS, EGR1 and TCF4 in the fibroblasts of SCZ patients. A significant alteration in EGR1 expression is also present in SCZ PBCs compared to controls and to MDD and BD patients, suggesting that this gene could be a specific biomarker helpful in the differential diagnosis of major psychoses.
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Affiliation(s)
- Nadia Cattane
- Department of Molecular and Translational Medicine, Biology and Genetic Division, University of Brescia, Brescia, Italy
| | - Alessandra Minelli
- Department of Molecular and Translational Medicine, Biology and Genetic Division, University of Brescia, Brescia, Italy
| | - Elena Milanesi
- Genetics Unit, IRCCS Istituto Centro San Giovanni di Dio Fatebenefratelli, Brescia, Italy
| | - Carlo Maj
- Genetics Unit, IRCCS Istituto Centro San Giovanni di Dio Fatebenefratelli, Brescia, Italy
| | - Stefano Bignotti
- Psychiatric Unit, IRCCS Istituto Centro San Giovanni di Dio Fatebenefratelli, Brescia, Italy
| | | | - Luisella Bocchio Chiavetto
- Genetics Unit, IRCCS Istituto Centro San Giovanni di Dio Fatebenefratelli, Brescia, Italy
- Faculty of Psychology, eCampus University, Novedrate, Como, Italy
| | - Massimo Gennarelli
- Department of Molecular and Translational Medicine, Biology and Genetic Division, University of Brescia, Brescia, Italy
- Genetics Unit, IRCCS Istituto Centro San Giovanni di Dio Fatebenefratelli, Brescia, Italy
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Hill MJ, Forrest MP, Martin-Rendon E, Blake DJ. Association of Transcription Factor 4 (TCF4) variants with schizophrenia and intellectual disability. Curr Behav Neurosci Rep 2014. [DOI: 10.1007/s40473-014-0027-9] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Submit a Manuscript] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 10/24/2022]
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The emerging roles of TCF4 in disease and development. Trends Mol Med 2014; 20:322-31. [PMID: 24594265 DOI: 10.1016/j.molmed.2014.01.010] [Citation(s) in RCA: 112] [Impact Index Per Article: 11.2] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 12/06/2013] [Revised: 01/28/2014] [Accepted: 01/30/2014] [Indexed: 10/25/2022]
Abstract
Genome-wide association studies have identified common variants in transcription factor 4 (TCF4) as susceptibility loci for schizophrenia, Fuchs' endothelial corneal dystrophy, and primary sclerosing cholangitis. By contrast, rare TCF4 mutations cause Pitt-Hopkins syndrome, a disorder characterized by intellectual disability and developmental delay, and have also been described in patients with other neurodevelopmental disorders. TCF4 therefore sits at the nexus between common and rare disorders. TCF4 interacts with other basic helix-loop-helix proteins, forming transcriptional networks that regulate the differentiation of several distinct cell types. Here, we review the role of TCF4 in these seemingly diverse disorders and discuss recent data implicating TCF4 as an important regulator of neurodevelopment and epithelial-mesenchymal transition.
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