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Montani C, Balasco L, Pagani M, Alvino FG, Barsotti N, de Guzman AE, Galbusera A, de Felice A, Nickl-Jockschat TK, Migliarini S, Casarosa S, Lau P, Mattioni L, Pasqualetti M, Provenzano G, Bozzi Y, Lombardo MV, Gozzi A. Sex-biasing influence of autism-associated Ube3a gene overdosage at connectomic, behavioral, and transcriptomic levels. SCIENCE ADVANCES 2024; 10:eadg1421. [PMID: 38996019 PMCID: PMC11244557 DOI: 10.1126/sciadv.adg1421] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 12/05/2022] [Accepted: 06/07/2024] [Indexed: 07/14/2024]
Abstract
Genomic mechanisms enhancing risk in males may contribute to sex bias in autism. The ubiquitin protein ligase E3A gene (Ube3a) affects cellular homeostasis via control of protein turnover and by acting as transcriptional coactivator with steroid hormone receptors. Overdosage of Ube3a via duplication or triplication of chromosomal region 15q11-13 causes 1 to 2% of autistic cases. Here, we test the hypothesis that increased dosage of Ube3a may influence autism-relevant phenotypes in a sex-biased manner. We show that mice with extra copies of Ube3a exhibit sex-biasing effects on brain connectomics and autism-relevant behaviors. These effects are associated with transcriptional dysregulation of autism-associated genes, as well as genes differentially expressed in 15q duplication and in autistic people. Increased Ube3a dosage also affects expression of genes on the X chromosome, genes influenced by sex steroid hormone, and genes sex-differentially regulated by transcription factors. These results suggest that Ube3a overdosage can contribute to sex bias in neurodevelopmental conditions via influence on sex-differential mechanisms.
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Affiliation(s)
- Caterina Montani
- Functional Neuroimaging Laboratory, Istituto Italiano di Tecnologia, Center for Neuroscience and Cognitive Systems, CNCS@UNITN, Rovereto, Italy
| | - Luigi Balasco
- Department of Cellular, Computational and Integrative Biology (CIBIO), University of Trento, Trento, Italy
| | - Marco Pagani
- Functional Neuroimaging Laboratory, Istituto Italiano di Tecnologia, Center for Neuroscience and Cognitive Systems, CNCS@UNITN, Rovereto, Italy
- Autism Center, Child Mind Institute, New York, NY, USA
- IMT School for Advanced Studies, Lucca, Italy
| | - Filomena Grazia Alvino
- Functional Neuroimaging Laboratory, Istituto Italiano di Tecnologia, Center for Neuroscience and Cognitive Systems, CNCS@UNITN, Rovereto, Italy
| | - Noemi Barsotti
- Unit of Cell and Developmental Biology, Department of Biology, University of Pisa, Pisa, Italy
| | - A. Elizabeth de Guzman
- Functional Neuroimaging Laboratory, Istituto Italiano di Tecnologia, Center for Neuroscience and Cognitive Systems, CNCS@UNITN, Rovereto, Italy
| | - Alberto Galbusera
- Functional Neuroimaging Laboratory, Istituto Italiano di Tecnologia, Center for Neuroscience and Cognitive Systems, CNCS@UNITN, Rovereto, Italy
| | - Alessia de Felice
- Functional Neuroimaging Laboratory, Istituto Italiano di Tecnologia, Center for Neuroscience and Cognitive Systems, CNCS@UNITN, Rovereto, Italy
| | - Thomas K. Nickl-Jockschat
- Department of Psychiatry and Psychotherapy, Otto-von-Guericke University, Magdeburg, Germany
- German Center for Mental Health (DZPG), partner site Halle-Jena-Magdeburg, Germany
- Center for Intervention and Research on adaptive and maladaptive brain Circuits underlying mental health (C-I-R-C), Halle-Jena-Magdeburg, Germany
| | - Sara Migliarini
- Unit of Cell and Developmental Biology, Department of Biology, University of Pisa, Pisa, Italy
| | - Simona Casarosa
- Department of Cellular, Computational and Integrative Biology (CIBIO), University of Trento, Trento, Italy
- Centre for Medical Sciences (CISMed), University of Trento, Trento, Italy
| | - Pierre Lau
- Istituto Italiano di Tecnologia, Center for Human Technologies, Genova, Italy
| | - Lorenzo Mattioni
- Department of Cellular, Computational and Integrative Biology (CIBIO), University of Trento, Trento, Italy
| | - Massimo Pasqualetti
- Unit of Cell and Developmental Biology, Department of Biology, University of Pisa, Pisa, Italy
| | - Giovanni Provenzano
- Department of Cellular, Computational and Integrative Biology (CIBIO), University of Trento, Trento, Italy
| | - Yuri Bozzi
- Center for Mind/Brain Sciences (CIMeC), University of Trento, Rovereto, Italy
- CNR Neuroscience Institute, Pisa, Italy
| | - Michael V. Lombardo
- Laboratory for Autism and Neurodevelopmental Disorders, Istituto Italiano di Tecnologia, Center for Neuroscience and Cognitive Systems, CNCS@UNITN, Rovereto, Italy
| | - Alessandro Gozzi
- Functional Neuroimaging Laboratory, Istituto Italiano di Tecnologia, Center for Neuroscience and Cognitive Systems, CNCS@UNITN, Rovereto, Italy
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Bonetti M, Giugno L, Borsani E, Bonomini F. Potential Neuroprotective Effect of Melatonin in the Hippocampus of Male BTBR Mice. Nutrients 2024; 16:1652. [PMID: 38892585 PMCID: PMC11174678 DOI: 10.3390/nu16111652] [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: 04/19/2024] [Revised: 05/21/2024] [Accepted: 05/23/2024] [Indexed: 06/21/2024] Open
Abstract
Autism spectrum disorder (ASD) is a neurodevelopmental disorder identified by impairments in common social interactions and repetitive behaviors. In ASD patients, substantial morphological alterations have been observed in the hippocampus, which represents an important region for the development of social skills. Melatonin, commonly found in many foods and plants, is also produced by the pineal gland. This indolamine, known to regulate the circadian rhythm, shows antioxidant and anti-inflammatory properties. We therefore hypothesized that melatonin may reduce oxidative stress and inflammation in the hippocampus of ASD patients. We explored our hypothesis using the BTBR mouse, a well-regarded murine transgenic model for ASD. Immediately after weaning, male BTBR and C57BL/6 mice underwent an 8-week treatment with melatonin or vehicle. Later, through immunohistochemistry and the immunoblotting analysis of the hippocampus, we evaluated the overall expression and cellular localization of Nrf2 and SOD1, two enzymes involved in the oxidative stress response. Similarly, we evaluated NLRP3 and NFkB, two mediators of inflammation, and GAD67, an enzyme responsible for the synthesis of GABA. Ultimately, we addressed melatonin's potential to regulate iron metabolism through a DAB-enhanced Perls reaction assay. Results showed melatonin's potential for modulating the analyzed markers in BTBR mice, suggesting a potential neuroprotective effect in ASD patients.
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Affiliation(s)
- Matteo Bonetti
- Division of Anatomy and Physiopathology, Department of Clinical and Experimental Sciences, University of Brescia, 25123 Brescia, Italy; (M.B.); (L.G.); (E.B.)
| | - Lorena Giugno
- Division of Anatomy and Physiopathology, Department of Clinical and Experimental Sciences, University of Brescia, 25123 Brescia, Italy; (M.B.); (L.G.); (E.B.)
| | - Elisa Borsani
- Division of Anatomy and Physiopathology, Department of Clinical and Experimental Sciences, University of Brescia, 25123 Brescia, Italy; (M.B.); (L.G.); (E.B.)
- Interdepartmental University Center of Research “Adaption and Regeneration of Tissues and Organs (ARTO)”, University of Brescia, 25123 Brescia, Italy
| | - Francesca Bonomini
- Division of Anatomy and Physiopathology, Department of Clinical and Experimental Sciences, University of Brescia, 25123 Brescia, Italy; (M.B.); (L.G.); (E.B.)
- Interdepartmental University Center of Research “Adaption and Regeneration of Tissues and Organs (ARTO)”, University of Brescia, 25123 Brescia, Italy
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3
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Benozzo D, Baron G, Coletta L, Chiuso A, Gozzi A, Bertoldo A. Macroscale coupling between structural and effective connectivity in the mouse brain. Sci Rep 2024; 14:3142. [PMID: 38326324 PMCID: PMC10850485 DOI: 10.1038/s41598-024-51613-7] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 07/27/2023] [Accepted: 01/07/2024] [Indexed: 02/09/2024] Open
Abstract
Exploring how the emergent functional connectivity (FC) relates to the underlying anatomy (structural connectivity, SC) is one of the major goals of modern neuroscience. At the macroscale level, no one-to-one correspondence between structural and functional links seems to exist. And we posit that to better understand their coupling, two key aspects should be considered: the directionality of the structural connectome and limitations in explaining networks functions through an undirected measure such as FC. Here, we employed an accurate directed SC of the mouse brain acquired through viral tracers and compared it with single-subject effective connectivity (EC) matrices derived from a dynamic causal model (DCM) applied to whole-brain resting-state fMRI data. We analyzed how SC deviates from EC and quantified their respective couplings by conditioning on the strongest SC links and EC links. We found that when conditioning on the strongest EC links, the obtained coupling follows the unimodal-transmodal functional hierarchy. Whereas the reverse is not true, as there are strong SC links within high-order cortical areas with no corresponding strong EC links. This mismatch is even more clear across networks; only within sensory motor networks did we observe connections that align in terms of both effective and structural strength.
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Affiliation(s)
- Danilo Benozzo
- Department of Information Engineering, University of Padova, Padua, Italy.
| | - Giorgia Baron
- Department of Information Engineering, University of Padova, Padua, Italy
| | - Ludovico Coletta
- Functional Neuroimaging Laboratory, Center for Neuroscience and Cognitive Systems @ UniTn, Istituto Italiano di Tecnologia, Rovereto, Italy
| | - Alessandro Chiuso
- Department of Information Engineering, University of Padova, Padua, Italy
| | - Alessandro Gozzi
- Functional Neuroimaging Laboratory, Center for Neuroscience and Cognitive Systems @ UniTn, Istituto Italiano di Tecnologia, Rovereto, Italy
| | - Alessandra Bertoldo
- Department of Information Engineering, University of Padova, Padua, Italy.
- Padova Neuroscience Center (PNC), Padua, Italy.
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4
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Lynton Z, Suárez R, Fenlon LR. Brain plasticity following corpus callosum agenesis or loss: a review of the Probst bundles. Front Neuroanat 2023; 17:1296779. [PMID: 38020213 PMCID: PMC10657877 DOI: 10.3389/fnana.2023.1296779] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 09/24/2023] [Accepted: 10/11/2023] [Indexed: 12/01/2023] Open
Abstract
The corpus callosum is the largest axonal tract in the human brain, connecting the left and right cortical hemipheres. This structure is affected in myriad human neurodevelopmental disorders, and can be entirely absent as a result of congenital or surgical causes. The age when callosal loss occurs, for example via surgical section in cases of refractory epilepsy, correlates with resulting brain morphology and neuropsychological outcomes, whereby an earlier loss generally produces relatively improved interhemispheric connectivity compared to a loss in adulthood (known as the "Sperry's paradox"). However, the mechanisms behind these age-dependent differences remain unclear. Perhaps the best documented and most striking of the plastic changes that occur due to developmental, but not adult, callosal loss is the formation of large, bilateral, longitudinal ectopic tracts termed Probst bundles. Despite over 100 years of research into these ectopic tracts, which are the largest and best described stereotypical ectopic brain tracts in humans, much remains unclear about them. Here, we review the anatomy of the Probst bundles, along with evidence for their faciliatory or detrimental function, the required conditions for their formation, patterns of etiology, and mechanisms of development. We provide hypotheses for many of the remaining mysteries of the Probst bundles, including their possible relationship to preserved interhemispheric communication following corpus callosum absence. Future research into naturally occurring plastic tracts such as Probst bundles will help to inform the general rules governing axon plasticity and disorders of brain miswiring.
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Affiliation(s)
- Zorana Lynton
- School of Biomedical Sciences, Faculty of Medicine, The University of Queensland, St Lucia, QLD, Australia
- Queensland Brain Institute, The University of Queensland, St Lucia, QLD, Australia
| | - Rodrigo Suárez
- School of Biomedical Sciences, Faculty of Medicine, The University of Queensland, St Lucia, QLD, Australia
- Queensland Brain Institute, The University of Queensland, St Lucia, QLD, Australia
| | - Laura R. Fenlon
- School of Biomedical Sciences, Faculty of Medicine, The University of Queensland, St Lucia, QLD, Australia
- Queensland Brain Institute, The University of Queensland, St Lucia, QLD, Australia
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5
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Choi S, Chen Y, Zeng H, Biswal B, Yu X. Identifying the distinct spectral dynamics of laminar-specific interhemispheric connectivity with bilateral line-scanning fMRI. J Cereb Blood Flow Metab 2023; 43:1115-1129. [PMID: 36803280 PMCID: PMC10291453 DOI: 10.1177/0271678x231158434] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Submit a Manuscript] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 02/02/2022] [Revised: 11/30/2022] [Accepted: 12/12/2022] [Indexed: 02/23/2023]
Abstract
Despite extensive efforts to identify interhemispheric functional connectivity (FC) with resting-state (rs-) fMRI, correlated low-frequency rs-fMRI signal fluctuation across homotopic cortices originates from multiple sources. It remains challenging to differentiate circuit-specific FC from global regulation. Here, we developed a bilateral line-scanning fMRI method to detect laminar-specific rs-fMRI signals from homologous forepaw somatosensory cortices with high spatial and temporal resolution in rat brains. Based on spectral coherence analysis, two distinct bilateral fluctuation spectral features were identified: ultra-slow fluctuation (<0.04 Hz) across all cortical laminae versus Layer (L) 2/3-specific evoked BOLD at 0.05 Hz based on 4 s on/16 s off block design and resting-state fluctuations at 0.08-0.1 Hz. Based on the measurements of evoked BOLD signal at corpus callosum (CC), this L2/3-specific 0.05 Hz signal is likely associated with neuronal circuit-specific activity driven by the callosal projection, which dampened ultra-slow oscillation less than 0.04 Hz. Also, the rs-fMRI power variability clustering analysis showed that the appearance of L2/3-specific 0.08-0.1 Hz signal fluctuation is independent of the ultra-slow oscillation across different trials. Thus, distinct laminar-specific bilateral FC patterns at different frequency ranges can be identified by the bilateral line-scanning fMRI method.
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Affiliation(s)
- Sangcheon Choi
- Athinoula A. Martinos Center for Biomedical Imaging, Department of Radiology, Harvard Medical School, Massachusetts General Hospital, Charlestown, MA, USA
- Max Planck Institute for Biological Cybernetics, Tübingen, Germany
| | - Yi Chen
- Max Planck Institute for Biological Cybernetics, Tübingen, Germany
| | - Hang Zeng
- Max Planck Institute for Biological Cybernetics, Tübingen, Germany
- Graduate Training Centre of Neuroscience, University of Tübingen, Tübingen, Germany
| | - Bharat Biswal
- Department of Biomedical Engineering, NJIT, Newark, NJ, USA
| | - Xin Yu
- Athinoula A. Martinos Center for Biomedical Imaging, Department of Radiology, Harvard Medical School, Massachusetts General Hospital, Charlestown, MA, USA
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Openshaw RL, Thomson DM, Bristow GC, Mitchell EJ, Pratt JA, Morris BJ, Dawson N. 16p11.2 deletion mice exhibit compromised fronto-temporal connectivity, GABAergic dysfunction, and enhanced attentional ability. Commun Biol 2023; 6:557. [PMID: 37225770 DOI: 10.1038/s42003-023-04891-2] [Citation(s) in RCA: 1] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 12/06/2022] [Accepted: 05/01/2023] [Indexed: 05/26/2023] Open
Abstract
Autism spectrum disorders are more common in males, and have a substantial genetic component. Chromosomal 16p11.2 deletions in particular carry strong genetic risk for autism, yet their neurobiological impact is poorly characterised, particularly at the integrated systems level. Here we show that mice reproducing this deletion (16p11.2 DEL mice) have reduced GABAergic interneuron gene expression (decreased parvalbumin mRNA in orbitofrontal cortex, and male-specific decreases in Gad67 mRNA in parietal and insular cortex and medial septum). Metabolic activity was increased in medial septum, and in its efferent targets: mammillary body and (males only) subiculum. Functional connectivity was altered between orbitofrontal, insular and auditory cortex, and between septum and hippocampus/subiculum. Consistent with this circuit dysfunction, 16p11.2 DEL mice showed reduced prepulse inhibition, but enhanced performance in the continuous performance test of attentional ability. Level 1 autistic individuals show similarly heightened performance in the equivalent human test, also associated with parietal, insular-orbitofrontal and septo-subicular dysfunction. The data implicate cortical and septal GABAergic dysfunction, and resulting connectivity changes, as the cause of pre-attentional and attentional changes in autism.
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Affiliation(s)
- Rebecca L Openshaw
- School of Psychology and Neuroscience, College of Medical, Veterinary and Life Sciences, University of Glasgow, Sir James Black Building, Glasgow, G12 8QQ, UK
| | - David M Thomson
- Strathclyde Institute of Pharmacy and Biomedical Sciences, University of Strathclyde, Glasgow, G4 0RE, UK
| | - Greg C Bristow
- Department of Biomedical and Life Sciences, Lancaster University, Lancaster, LA1 4YW, UK
- School of Pharmacy and Medical Sciences, University of Bradford, Bradford, BD7 1DP, UK
| | - Emma J Mitchell
- Strathclyde Institute of Pharmacy and Biomedical Sciences, University of Strathclyde, Glasgow, G4 0RE, UK
| | - Judith A Pratt
- Strathclyde Institute of Pharmacy and Biomedical Sciences, University of Strathclyde, Glasgow, G4 0RE, UK
| | - Brian J Morris
- School of Psychology and Neuroscience, College of Medical, Veterinary and Life Sciences, University of Glasgow, Sir James Black Building, Glasgow, G12 8QQ, UK.
| | - Neil Dawson
- Department of Biomedical and Life Sciences, Lancaster University, Lancaster, LA1 4YW, UK.
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7
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Ilchibaeva T, Tsybko A, Lipnitskaya M, Eremin D, Milutinovich K, Naumenko V, Popova N. Brain-Derived Neurotrophic Factor (BDNF) in Mechanisms of Autistic-like Behavior in BTBR Mice: Crosstalk with the Dopaminergic Brain System. Biomedicines 2023; 11:biomedicines11051482. [PMID: 37239153 DOI: 10.3390/biomedicines11051482] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 04/25/2023] [Revised: 05/17/2023] [Accepted: 05/18/2023] [Indexed: 05/28/2023] Open
Abstract
Disturbances in neuroplasticity undoubtedly play an important role in the development of autism spectrum disorders (ASDs). Brain neurotransmitters and brain-derived neurotrophic factor (BDNF) are known as crucial players in cerebral and behavioral plasticity. Such an important neurotransmitter as dopamine (DA) is involved in the behavioral inflexibility of ASD. Additionally, much evidence from human and animal studies implicates BDNF in ASD pathogenesis. Nonetheless, crosstalk between BDNF and the DA system has not been studied in the context of an autistic-like phenotype. For this reason, the aim of our study was to compare the effects of either the acute intracerebroventricular administration of a recombinant BDNF protein or hippocampal adeno-associated-virus-mediated BDNF overexpression on autistic-like behavior and expression of key DA-related and BDNF-related genes in BTBR mice (a widely recognized model of autism). The BDNF administration failed to affect autistic-like behavior but downregulated Comt mRNA in the frontal cortex and hippocampus; however, COMT protein downregulation in the hippocampus and upregulation in the striatum were insignificant. BDNF administration also reduced the receptor TrkB level in the frontal cortex and midbrain and the BDNF/proBDNF ratio in the striatum. In contrast, hippocampal BDNF overexpression significantly diminished stereotypical behavior and anxiety; these alterations were accompanied only by higher hippocampal DA receptor D1 mRNA levels. The results indicate an important role of BDNF in mechanisms underlying anxiety and repetitive behavior in ASDs and implicates BDNF-DA crosstalk in the autistic-like phenotype of BTBR mice.
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Affiliation(s)
- Tatiana Ilchibaeva
- Federal Research Center Institute of Cytology and Genetics, Siberian Branch of Russian Academy of Sciences, Prospekt Akad. Lavrentyeva 10, 630090 Novosibirsk, Russia
| | - Anton Tsybko
- Federal Research Center Institute of Cytology and Genetics, Siberian Branch of Russian Academy of Sciences, Prospekt Akad. Lavrentyeva 10, 630090 Novosibirsk, Russia
| | - Marina Lipnitskaya
- Federal Research Center Institute of Cytology and Genetics, Siberian Branch of Russian Academy of Sciences, Prospekt Akad. Lavrentyeva 10, 630090 Novosibirsk, Russia
| | - Dmitry Eremin
- Federal Research Center Institute of Cytology and Genetics, Siberian Branch of Russian Academy of Sciences, Prospekt Akad. Lavrentyeva 10, 630090 Novosibirsk, Russia
| | - Kseniya Milutinovich
- Federal Research Center Institute of Cytology and Genetics, Siberian Branch of Russian Academy of Sciences, Prospekt Akad. Lavrentyeva 10, 630090 Novosibirsk, Russia
| | - Vladimir Naumenko
- Federal Research Center Institute of Cytology and Genetics, Siberian Branch of Russian Academy of Sciences, Prospekt Akad. Lavrentyeva 10, 630090 Novosibirsk, Russia
| | - Nina Popova
- Federal Research Center Institute of Cytology and Genetics, Siberian Branch of Russian Academy of Sciences, Prospekt Akad. Lavrentyeva 10, 630090 Novosibirsk, Russia
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Rey Hipolito AG, van der Heijden ME, Sillitoe RV. Physiology of Dystonia: Animal Studies. INTERNATIONAL REVIEW OF NEUROBIOLOGY 2023; 169:163-215. [PMID: 37482392 DOI: 10.1016/bs.irn.2023.05.004] [Citation(s) in RCA: 1] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 07/25/2023]
Abstract
Dystonia is currently ranked as the third most prevalent motor disorder. It is typically characterized by involuntary muscle over- or co-contractions that can cause painful abnormal postures and jerky movements. Dystonia is a heterogenous disorder-across patients, dystonic symptoms vary in their severity, body distribution, temporal pattern, onset, and progression. There are also a growing number of genes that are associated with hereditary dystonia. In addition, multiple brain regions are associated with dystonic symptoms in both genetic and sporadic forms of the disease. The heterogeneity of dystonia has made it difficult to fully understand its underlying pathophysiology. However, the use of animal models has been used to uncover the complex circuit mechanisms that lead to dystonic behaviors. Here, we summarize findings from animal models harboring mutations in dystonia-associated genes and phenotypic animal models with overt dystonic motor signs resulting from spontaneous mutations, neural circuit perturbations, or pharmacological manipulations. Taken together, an emerging picture depicts dystonia as a result of brain-wide network dysfunction driven by basal ganglia and cerebellar dysfunction. In the basal ganglia, changes in dopaminergic, serotonergic, noradrenergic, and cholinergic signaling are found across different animal models. In the cerebellum, abnormal burst firing activity is observed in multiple dystonia models. We are now beginning to unveil the extent to which these structures mechanistically interact with each other. Such mechanisms inspire the use of pre-clinical animal models that will be used to design new therapies including drug treatments and brain stimulation.
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Affiliation(s)
- Alejandro G Rey Hipolito
- Department of Neuroscience, Baylor College of Medicine, Houston, TX, United States; Jan and Dan Duncan Neurological Research Institute at Texas Children's Hospital, Houston, TX, United States
| | - Meike E van der Heijden
- Department of Pathology & Immunology, Baylor College of Medicine, Houston, TX, United States; Jan and Dan Duncan Neurological Research Institute at Texas Children's Hospital, Houston, TX, United States
| | - Roy V Sillitoe
- Department of Neuroscience, Baylor College of Medicine, Houston, TX, United States; Department of Pathology & Immunology, Baylor College of Medicine, Houston, TX, United States; Department of Pediatrics, Baylor College of Medicine, Houston, TX, United States; Development, Disease Models & Therapeutics Graduate Program, Baylor College of Medicine, Houston, TX, United States; Jan and Dan Duncan Neurological Research Institute at Texas Children's Hospital, Houston, TX, United States.
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9
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Awad PN, Zerbi V, Johnson-Venkatesh EM, Damiani F, Pagani M, Markicevic M, Nickles S, Gozzi A, Umemori H, Fagiolini M. CDKL5 sculpts functional callosal connectivity to promote cognitive flexibility. Mol Psychiatry 2023:10.1038/s41380-023-01962-y. [PMID: 36737483 DOI: 10.1038/s41380-023-01962-y] [Citation(s) in RCA: 4] [Impact Index Per Article: 4.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Submit a Manuscript] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 05/09/2022] [Revised: 01/02/2023] [Accepted: 01/13/2023] [Indexed: 02/05/2023]
Abstract
Functional and structural connectivity alterations in short- and long-range projections have been reported across neurodevelopmental disorders (NDD). Interhemispheric callosal projection neurons (CPN) represent one of the major long-range projections in the brain, which are particularly important for higher-order cognitive function and flexibility. However, whether a causal relationship exists between interhemispheric connectivity alterations and cognitive deficits in NDD remains elusive. Here, we focused on CDKL5 Deficiency Disorder (CDD), a severe neurodevelopmental disorder caused by mutations in the X-linked Cyclin-dependent kinase-like 5 (CDKL5) gene. We found an increase in homotopic interhemispheric connectivity and functional hyperconnectivity across higher cognitive areas in adult male and female CDKL5-deficient mice by resting-state functional MRI (rs-fMRI) analysis. This was accompanied by an increase in the number of callosal synaptic inputs but decrease in local synaptic connectivity in the cingulate cortex of juvenile CDKL5-deficient mice, suggesting an impairment in excitatory synapse development and a differential role of CDKL5 across excitatory neuron subtypes. These deficits were associated with significant cognitive impairments in CDKL5 KO mice. Selective deletion of CDKL5 in the largest subtype of CPN likewise resulted in an increase of functional callosal inputs, without however significantly altering intracortical cingulate networks. Notably, such callosal-specific changes were sufficient to cause cognitive deficits. Finally, when CDKL5 was selectively re-expressed only in this CPN subtype, in otherwise CDKL5-deficient mice, it was sufficient to prevent the cognitive impairments of CDKL5 mutants. Together, these results reveal a novel role of CDKL5 by demonstrating that it is both necessary and sufficient for proper CPN connectivity and cognitive function and flexibility, and further validates a causal relationship between CPN dysfunction and cognitive impairment in a model of NDD.
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Affiliation(s)
- Patricia Nora Awad
- F. M. Kirby Neurobiology Center, Department of Neurology, Boston Children's Hospital, Harvard Medical School, Boston, MA, USA
| | - Valerio Zerbi
- Neural Control of Movement Lab, Department of Health Sciences and Technology, ETH Zurich, Zurich, Switzerland
- Neuro-X Institute, School of Engineering (STI), École Polytechnique Fédérale de Lausanne, Lausanne, Switzerland
- CIBM Center for Biomedical Imaging, Lausanne, Switzerland
| | - Erin M Johnson-Venkatesh
- F. M. Kirby Neurobiology Center, Department of Neurology, Boston Children's Hospital, Harvard Medical School, Boston, MA, USA
| | - Francesca Damiani
- F. M. Kirby Neurobiology Center, Department of Neurology, Boston Children's Hospital, Harvard Medical School, Boston, MA, USA
| | - Marco Pagani
- Functional Neuroimaging Laboratory, Center for Neuroscience and Cognitive Systems, Istituto Italiano di Tecnologia, Rovereto, Italy
- Autism Center, Child Mind Institute, New York, NY, USA
| | - Marija Markicevic
- Neural Control of Movement Lab, Department of Health Sciences and Technology, ETH Zurich, Zurich, Switzerland
| | - Sarah Nickles
- F. M. Kirby Neurobiology Center, Department of Neurology, Boston Children's Hospital, Harvard Medical School, Boston, MA, USA
| | - Alessandro Gozzi
- Functional Neuroimaging Laboratory, Center for Neuroscience and Cognitive Systems, Istituto Italiano di Tecnologia, Rovereto, Italy
| | - Hisashi Umemori
- F. M. Kirby Neurobiology Center, Department of Neurology, Boston Children's Hospital, Harvard Medical School, Boston, MA, USA
| | - Michela Fagiolini
- F. M. Kirby Neurobiology Center, Department of Neurology, Boston Children's Hospital, Harvard Medical School, Boston, MA, USA.
- Hock E. Tan and K. Lisa Yang Center for Autism Research at Harvard University, Boston, MA, USA.
- International Research Center for Neurointelligence (IRCN), University of Tokyo Institutes for Advanced Study, Tokyo, Japan.
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10
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Kisaretova P, Tsybko A, Bondar N, Reshetnikov V. Molecular Abnormalities in BTBR Mice and Their Relevance to Schizophrenia and Autism Spectrum Disorders: An Overview of Transcriptomic and Proteomic Studies. Biomedicines 2023; 11:biomedicines11020289. [PMID: 36830826 PMCID: PMC9953015 DOI: 10.3390/biomedicines11020289] [Citation(s) in RCA: 1] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 12/20/2022] [Revised: 01/17/2023] [Accepted: 01/18/2023] [Indexed: 01/22/2023] Open
Abstract
Animal models of psychopathologies are of exceptional interest for neurobiologists because these models allow us to clarify molecular mechanisms underlying the pathologies. One such model is the inbred BTBR strain of mice, which is characterized by behavioral, neuroanatomical, and physiological hallmarks of schizophrenia (SCZ) and autism spectrum disorders (ASDs). Despite the active use of BTBR mice as a model object, the understanding of the molecular features of this strain that cause the observed behavioral phenotype remains insufficient. Here, we analyzed recently published data from independent transcriptomic and proteomic studies on hippocampal and corticostriatal samples from BTBR mice to search for the most consistent aberrations in gene or protein expression. Next, we compared reproducible molecular signatures of BTBR mice with data on postmortem samples from ASD and SCZ patients. Taken together, these data helped us to elucidate brain-region-specific molecular abnormalities in BTBR mice as well as their relevance to the anomalies seen in ASDs or SCZ in humans.
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Affiliation(s)
- Polina Kisaretova
- Institute of Cytology and Genetics, Siberian Branch of Russian Academy of Sciences, Prospekt Akad. Lavrentyeva 10, Novosibirsk 630090, Russia
- Department of Natural Sciences, Novosibirsk State University, Pirogova Street 2, Novosibirsk 630090, Russia
| | - Anton Tsybko
- Institute of Cytology and Genetics, Siberian Branch of Russian Academy of Sciences, Prospekt Akad. Lavrentyeva 10, Novosibirsk 630090, Russia
| | - Natalia Bondar
- Institute of Cytology and Genetics, Siberian Branch of Russian Academy of Sciences, Prospekt Akad. Lavrentyeva 10, Novosibirsk 630090, Russia
| | - Vasiliy Reshetnikov
- Institute of Cytology and Genetics, Siberian Branch of Russian Academy of Sciences, Prospekt Akad. Lavrentyeva 10, Novosibirsk 630090, Russia
- Department of Biotechnology, Sirius University of Science and Technology, 1 Olympic Avenue, Sochi 354340, Russia
- Correspondence:
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11
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Tsurugizawa T. Translational Magnetic Resonance Imaging in Autism Spectrum Disorder From the Mouse Model to Human. Front Neurosci 2022; 16:872036. [PMID: 35585926 PMCID: PMC9108701 DOI: 10.3389/fnins.2022.872036] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 02/09/2022] [Accepted: 03/30/2022] [Indexed: 11/26/2022] Open
Abstract
Autism spectrum disorder (ASD) is a heterogeneous syndrome characterized by behavioral features such as impaired social communication, repetitive behavior patterns, and a lack of interest in novel objects. A multimodal neuroimaging using magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) in patients with ASD shows highly heterogeneous abnormalities in function and structure in the brain associated with specific behavioral features. To elucidate the mechanism of ASD, several ASD mouse models have been generated, by focusing on some of the ASD risk genes. A specific behavioral feature of an ASD mouse model is caused by an altered gene expression or a modification of a gene product. Using these mouse models, a high field preclinical MRI enables us to non-invasively investigate the neuronal mechanism of the altered brain function associated with the behavior and ASD risk genes. Thus, MRI is a promising translational approach to bridge the gap between mice and humans. This review presents the evidence for multimodal MRI, including functional MRI (fMRI), diffusion tensor imaging (DTI), and volumetric analysis, in ASD mouse models and in patients with ASD and discusses the future directions for the translational study of ASD.
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Affiliation(s)
- Tomokazu Tsurugizawa
- Human Informatics and Interaction Research Institute, National Institute of Advanced Industrial Science and Technology (AIST), Tsukuba, Japan
- Faculty of Engineering, University of Tsukuba, Tsukuba, Japan
- *Correspondence: Tomokazu Tsurugizawa,
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12
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Rocchi F, Canella C, Noei S, Gutierrez-Barragan D, Coletta L, Galbusera A, Stuefer A, Vassanelli S, Pasqualetti M, Iurilli G, Panzeri S, Gozzi A. Increased fMRI connectivity upon chemogenetic inhibition of the mouse prefrontal cortex. Nat Commun 2022; 13:1056. [PMID: 35217677 PMCID: PMC8881459 DOI: 10.1038/s41467-022-28591-3] [Citation(s) in RCA: 34] [Impact Index Per Article: 17.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 01/04/2021] [Accepted: 01/27/2022] [Indexed: 12/25/2022] Open
Abstract
While shaped and constrained by axonal connections, fMRI-based functional connectivity reorganizes in response to varying interareal input or pathological perturbations. However, the causal contribution of regional brain activity to whole-brain fMRI network organization remains unclear. Here we combine neural manipulations, resting-state fMRI and in vivo electrophysiology to probe how inactivation of a cortical node causally affects brain-wide fMRI coupling in the mouse. We find that chronic inhibition of the medial prefrontal cortex (PFC) via overexpression of a potassium channel increases fMRI connectivity between the inhibited area and its direct thalamo-cortical targets. Acute chemogenetic inhibition of the PFC produces analogous patterns of fMRI overconnectivity. Using in vivo electrophysiology, we find that chemogenetic inhibition of the PFC enhances low frequency (0.1–4 Hz) oscillatory power via suppression of neural firing not phase-locked to slow rhythms, resulting in increased slow and δ band coherence between areas that exhibit fMRI overconnectivity. These results provide causal evidence that cortical inactivation can counterintuitively increase fMRI connectivity via enhanced, less-localized slow oscillatory processes. Pathological perturbation affects whole brain network activity. Here the authors show in mice that cortical inactivation unexpectedly results in increased fMRI connectivity between the manipulated regions and its direct axonal targets.
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Affiliation(s)
- Federico Rocchi
- Functional Neuroimaging Laboratory, Center for Neuroscience and Cognitive systems, Istituto Italiano di Tecnologia, Rovereto, Italy.,Center for Mind and Brain Sciences, University of Trento, Rovereto, Italy
| | - Carola Canella
- Functional Neuroimaging Laboratory, Center for Neuroscience and Cognitive systems, Istituto Italiano di Tecnologia, Rovereto, Italy.,Center for Mind and Brain Sciences, University of Trento, Rovereto, Italy
| | - Shahryar Noei
- Center for Mind and Brain Sciences, University of Trento, Rovereto, Italy.,Neural Computational Laboratory, Center for Neuroscience and Cognitive Systems, Istituto Italiano di Tecnologia, Rovereto, Italy
| | - Daniel Gutierrez-Barragan
- Functional Neuroimaging Laboratory, Center for Neuroscience and Cognitive systems, Istituto Italiano di Tecnologia, Rovereto, Italy
| | - Ludovico Coletta
- Functional Neuroimaging Laboratory, Center for Neuroscience and Cognitive systems, Istituto Italiano di Tecnologia, Rovereto, Italy.,Center for Mind and Brain Sciences, University of Trento, Rovereto, Italy
| | - Alberto Galbusera
- Functional Neuroimaging Laboratory, Center for Neuroscience and Cognitive systems, Istituto Italiano di Tecnologia, Rovereto, Italy
| | - Alexia Stuefer
- Functional Neuroimaging Laboratory, Center for Neuroscience and Cognitive systems, Istituto Italiano di Tecnologia, Rovereto, Italy.,Center for Mind and Brain Sciences, University of Trento, Rovereto, Italy
| | - Stefano Vassanelli
- Dept. of Biomedical Sciences and Padua Neuroscience Center, University of Padova, Padova, Italy
| | - Massimo Pasqualetti
- Functional Neuroimaging Laboratory, Center for Neuroscience and Cognitive systems, Istituto Italiano di Tecnologia, Rovereto, Italy.,Biology Department, University of Pisa, Pisa, Italy
| | - Giuliano Iurilli
- Systems Neurobiology Laboratory, Center for Neuroscience and Cognitive systems, Istituto Italiano di Tecnologia, Rovereto, Italy
| | - Stefano Panzeri
- Neural Computational Laboratory, Center for Neuroscience and Cognitive Systems, Istituto Italiano di Tecnologia, Rovereto, Italy. .,Department of Excellence for Neural Information Processing, Center for Molecular Neurobiology, University Medical Center Hamburg-Eppendorf, Hamburg, Germany.
| | - Alessandro Gozzi
- Functional Neuroimaging Laboratory, Center for Neuroscience and Cognitive systems, Istituto Italiano di Tecnologia, Rovereto, Italy.
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13
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Gutierrez-Barragan D, Singh NA, Alvino FG, Coletta L, Rocchi F, De Guzman E, Galbusera A, Uboldi M, Panzeri S, Gozzi A. Unique spatiotemporal fMRI dynamics in the awake mouse brain. Curr Biol 2022; 32:631-644.e6. [PMID: 34998465 PMCID: PMC8837277 DOI: 10.1016/j.cub.2021.12.015] [Citation(s) in RCA: 46] [Impact Index Per Article: 23.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 09/28/2021] [Revised: 12/06/2021] [Accepted: 12/07/2021] [Indexed: 12/15/2022]
Abstract
Human imaging studies have shown that spontaneous brain activity exhibits stereotypic spatiotemporal reorganization in awake, conscious conditions with respect to minimally conscious states. However, whether and how this phenomenon can be generalized to lower mammalian species remains unclear. Leveraging a robust protocol for resting-state fMRI (rsfMRI) mapping in non-anesthetized, head-fixed mice, we investigated functional network topography and dynamic structure of spontaneous brain activity in wakeful animals. We found that rsfMRI networks in the awake state, while anatomically comparable to those observed under anesthesia, are topologically configured to maximize interregional communication, departing from the underlying community structure of the mouse axonal connectome. We further report that rsfMRI activity in wakeful animals exhibits unique spatiotemporal dynamics characterized by a state-dependent, dominant occurrence of coactivation patterns encompassing a prominent participation of arousal-related forebrain nuclei and functional anti-coordination between visual-auditory and polymodal cortical areas. We finally show that rsfMRI dynamics in awake mice exhibits a stereotypical temporal structure, in which state-dominant coactivation patterns are configured as network attractors. These findings suggest that spontaneous brain activity in awake mice is critically shaped by state-specific involvement of basal forebrain arousal systems and document that its dynamic structure recapitulates distinctive, evolutionarily relevant principles that are predictive of conscious states in higher mammalian species. fMRI networks in awake mice depart from underlying anatomical structure fMRI dynamics in wakeful mice is critically shaped by arousal-related nuclei Occurrence and topography of rsfMRI coactivation patterns define conscious states fMRI coactivation dynamics defines a signature of consciousness in the mouse brain
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Affiliation(s)
- Daniel Gutierrez-Barragan
- Functional Neuroimaging Laboratory, Center for Neuroscience and Cognitive systems, Istituto Italiano di Tecnologia, Rovereto, Italy
| | - Neha Atulkumar Singh
- Functional Neuroimaging Laboratory, Center for Neuroscience and Cognitive systems, Istituto Italiano di Tecnologia, Rovereto, Italy
| | - Filomena Grazia Alvino
- Functional Neuroimaging Laboratory, Center for Neuroscience and Cognitive systems, Istituto Italiano di Tecnologia, Rovereto, Italy
| | - Ludovico Coletta
- Functional Neuroimaging Laboratory, Center for Neuroscience and Cognitive systems, Istituto Italiano di Tecnologia, Rovereto, Italy; Center for Mind and Brain Sciences, University of Trento, Rovereto, Italy
| | - Federico Rocchi
- Functional Neuroimaging Laboratory, Center for Neuroscience and Cognitive systems, Istituto Italiano di Tecnologia, Rovereto, Italy; Center for Mind and Brain Sciences, University of Trento, Rovereto, Italy
| | - Elizabeth De Guzman
- Functional Neuroimaging Laboratory, Center for Neuroscience and Cognitive systems, Istituto Italiano di Tecnologia, Rovereto, Italy
| | - Alberto Galbusera
- Functional Neuroimaging Laboratory, Center for Neuroscience and Cognitive systems, Istituto Italiano di Tecnologia, Rovereto, Italy
| | | | - Stefano Panzeri
- Department of Excellence for Neural Information Processing, Center for Molecular Neurobiology (ZMNH), University Medical Center Hamburg-Eppendorf (UKE), Hamburg, Germany; Neural Computation Laboratory, Center for Neuroscience and Cognitive Systems, Istituto Italiano di Tecnologia, Rovereto, Italy
| | - Alessandro Gozzi
- Functional Neuroimaging Laboratory, Center for Neuroscience and Cognitive systems, Istituto Italiano di Tecnologia, Rovereto, Italy.
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14
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Zerbi V, Pagani M, Markicevic M, Matteoli M, Pozzi D, Fagiolini M, Bozzi Y, Galbusera A, Scattoni ML, Provenzano G, Banerjee A, Helmchen F, Basson MA, Ellegood J, Lerch JP, Rudin M, Gozzi A, Wenderoth N. Brain mapping across 16 autism mouse models reveals a spectrum of functional connectivity subtypes. Mol Psychiatry 2021; 26:7610-7620. [PMID: 34381171 PMCID: PMC8873017 DOI: 10.1038/s41380-021-01245-4] [Citation(s) in RCA: 30] [Impact Index Per Article: 10.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Submit a Manuscript] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 11/02/2020] [Revised: 06/30/2021] [Accepted: 07/20/2021] [Indexed: 02/07/2023]
Abstract
Autism Spectrum Disorder (ASD) is characterized by substantial, yet highly heterogeneous abnormalities in functional brain connectivity. However, the origin and significance of this phenomenon remain unclear. To unravel ASD connectopathy and relate it to underlying etiological heterogeneity, we carried out a bi-center cross-etiological investigation of fMRI-based connectivity in the mouse, in which specific ASD-relevant mutations can be isolated and modeled minimizing environmental contributions. By performing brain-wide connectivity mapping across 16 mouse mutants, we show that different ASD-associated etiologies cause a broad spectrum of connectional abnormalities in which diverse, often diverging, connectivity signatures are recognizable. Despite this heterogeneity, the identified connectivity alterations could be classified into four subtypes characterized by discrete signatures of network dysfunction. Our findings show that etiological variability is a key determinant of connectivity heterogeneity in ASD, hence reconciling conflicting findings in clinical populations. The identification of etiologically-relevant connectivity subtypes could improve diagnostic label accuracy in the non-syndromic ASD population and paves the way for personalized treatment approaches.
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Affiliation(s)
- V Zerbi
- Neural Control of Movement Lab, ETH Zurich, Zurich, Switzerland
| | - M Pagani
- Functional Neuroimaging Lab, Istituto Italiano di Tecnologia, Center for Neuroscience and Cognitive Systems, Rovereto, Italy
| | - M Markicevic
- Neural Control of Movement Lab, ETH Zurich, Zurich, Switzerland
| | - M Matteoli
- Laboratory of Pharmacology and Brain Pathology, Neurocenter, Humanitas Clinical and Research Center - IRCCS, Rozzano, Mi, Italy
- CNR Institute of Neuroscience, Milano, Italy
| | - D Pozzi
- Laboratory of Pharmacology and Brain Pathology, Neurocenter, Humanitas Clinical and Research Center - IRCCS, Rozzano, Mi, Italy
- Department of Biomedical Sciences, Humanitas University, Pieve Emanuele, Milan, Italy
| | - M Fagiolini
- F.M. Kirby Neurobiology Department, Boston Children's Hospital, Harvard Medical School, Boston, MA, USA
| | - Y Bozzi
- Center for Mind/Brain Sciences (CIMeC), University of Trento, Rovereto, Italy
| | - A Galbusera
- Functional Neuroimaging Lab, Istituto Italiano di Tecnologia, Center for Neuroscience and Cognitive Systems, Rovereto, Italy
| | - M L Scattoni
- Research Coordination and Support Service, Istituto Superiore di Sanità, Rome, Italy
| | - G Provenzano
- Department of Cellular, Computational and Integrative Biology. (CIBIO), University of Trento, Trento, Italy
| | - A Banerjee
- Brain Research Institute, University of Zurich, Zurich, Switzerland
- Biosciences Institute, Newcastle University, Newcastle upon Tyne, UK
| | - F Helmchen
- Brain Research Institute, University of Zurich, Zurich, Switzerland
| | - M A Basson
- Centre for Craniofacial and Regenerative Biology, King's College London, London, UK
- MRC Centre for Neurodevelopmental Disorders, King's College, London, London, UK
| | - J Ellegood
- Mouse Imaging Ctr., Hosp. For Sick Children, Toronto, ON, Canada
| | - J P Lerch
- Mouse Imaging Ctr., Hosp. For Sick Children, Toronto, ON, Canada
- Department of Medical Biophysics, University of Toronto, Toronto, ON, Canada
- Wellcome Centre for Integrative Neuroimaging, FMRIB, Nuffield Department of Clinical Neurosciences, University of Oxford, Oxford, UK
| | - M Rudin
- Institute for Biomedical Engineering, University and ETH Zurich, Zurich, Switzerland
| | - A Gozzi
- Functional Neuroimaging Lab, Istituto Italiano di Tecnologia, Center for Neuroscience and Cognitive Systems, Rovereto, Italy.
| | - N Wenderoth
- Neural Control of Movement Lab, ETH Zurich, Zurich, Switzerland
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15
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Balasco L, Pagani M, Pangrazzi L, Chelini G, Ciancone Chama AG, Shlosman E, Mattioni L, Galbusera A, Iurilli G, Provenzano G, Gozzi A, Bozzi Y. Abnormal Whisker-Dependent Behaviors and Altered Cortico-Hippocampal Connectivity in Shank3b-/- Mice. Cereb Cortex 2021; 32:3042-3056. [PMID: 34791077 PMCID: PMC9290535 DOI: 10.1093/cercor/bhab399] [Citation(s) in RCA: 9] [Impact Index Per Article: 3.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 03/24/2021] [Revised: 10/06/2021] [Accepted: 10/07/2021] [Indexed: 11/12/2022] Open
Abstract
Abnormal tactile response is an integral feature of Autism Spectrum Disorders (ASDs), and hypo-responsiveness to tactile stimuli is often associated with the severity of ASDs core symptoms. Patients with Phelan-McDermid syndrome (PMS), caused by mutations in the SHANK3 gene, show ASD-like symptoms associated with aberrant tactile responses. The neural underpinnings of these abnormalities are still poorly understood. Here we investigated, in Shank3b−/− adult mice, the neural substrates of whisker-guided behaviors, a key component of rodents’ interaction with the surrounding environment. We assessed whisker-dependent behaviors in Shank3b−/− adult mice and age-matched controls, using the textured novel object recognition (tNORT) and whisker nuisance (WN) test. Shank3b−/− mice showed deficits in whisker-dependent texture discrimination in tNORT and behavioral hypo-responsiveness to repetitive whisker stimulation in WN. Sensory hypo-responsiveness was accompanied by a significantly reduced activation of the primary somatosensory cortex (S1) and hippocampus, as measured by c-fos mRNA induction, a proxy of neuronal activity following whisker stimulation. Moreover, resting-state fMRI showed a significantly reduced S1-hippocampal connectivity in Shank3b mutants, in the absence of altered connectivity between S1 and other somatosensory areas. Impaired crosstalk between hippocampus and S1 might underlie Shank3b−/− hypo-reactivity to whisker-dependent cues, highlighting a potentially generalizable somatosensory dysfunction in ASD.
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Affiliation(s)
- Luigi Balasco
- CIMeC - Center for Mind/Brain Sciences, University of Trento, 38068 Rovereto, TN, Italy
| | - Marco Pagani
- Functional Neuroimaging Laboratory, Center for Neuroscience and Cognitive Systems, Istituto Italiano di Tecnologia, 38068 Rovereto, TN, Italy
| | - Luca Pangrazzi
- CIMeC - Center for Mind/Brain Sciences, University of Trento, 38068 Rovereto, TN, Italy
| | - Gabriele Chelini
- CIMeC - Center for Mind/Brain Sciences, University of Trento, 38068 Rovereto, TN, Italy
| | | | - Evgenia Shlosman
- CIMeC - Center for Mind/Brain Sciences, University of Trento, 38068 Rovereto, TN, Italy
| | - Lorenzo Mattioni
- Department of Cellular, Computational, and Integrative Biology (CIBIO), University of Trento, 38123 Trento, Italy
| | - Alberto Galbusera
- Functional Neuroimaging Laboratory, Center for Neuroscience and Cognitive Systems, Istituto Italiano di Tecnologia, 38068 Rovereto, TN, Italy
| | - Giuliano Iurilli
- Systems Neurobiology Laboratory, Center for Neuroscience and Cognitive Systems, Istituto Italiano di Tecnologia, 38068 Rovereto, TN, Italy
| | - Giovanni Provenzano
- Department of Cellular, Computational, and Integrative Biology (CIBIO), University of Trento, 38123 Trento, Italy
| | - Alessandro Gozzi
- Functional Neuroimaging Laboratory, Center for Neuroscience and Cognitive Systems, Istituto Italiano di Tecnologia, 38068 Rovereto, TN, Italy
| | - Yuri Bozzi
- CIMeC - Center for Mind/Brain Sciences, University of Trento, 38068 Rovereto, TN, Italy.,CNR Neuroscience Institute, 56124 Pisa, Italy
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16
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Pagani M, Barsotti N, Bertero A, Trakoshis S, Ulysse L, Locarno A, Miseviciute I, De Felice A, Canella C, Supekar K, Galbusera A, Menon V, Tonini R, Deco G, Lombardo MV, Pasqualetti M, Gozzi A. mTOR-related synaptic pathology causes autism spectrum disorder-associated functional hyperconnectivity. Nat Commun 2021; 12:6084. [PMID: 34667149 PMCID: PMC8526836 DOI: 10.1038/s41467-021-26131-z] [Citation(s) in RCA: 67] [Impact Index Per Article: 22.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 10/30/2020] [Accepted: 09/17/2021] [Indexed: 11/24/2022] Open
Abstract
Postmortem studies have revealed increased density of excitatory synapses in the brains of individuals with autism spectrum disorder (ASD), with a putative link to aberrant mTOR-dependent synaptic pruning. ASD is also characterized by atypical macroscale functional connectivity as measured with resting-state fMRI (rsfMRI). These observations raise the question of whether excess of synapses causes aberrant functional connectivity in ASD. Using rsfMRI, electrophysiology and in silico modelling in Tsc2 haploinsufficient mice, we show that mTOR-dependent increased spine density is associated with ASD -like stereotypies and cortico-striatal hyperconnectivity. These deficits are completely rescued by pharmacological inhibition of mTOR. Notably, we further demonstrate that children with idiopathic ASD exhibit analogous cortical-striatal hyperconnectivity, and document that this connectivity fingerprint is enriched for ASD-dysregulated genes interacting with mTOR or Tsc2. Finally, we show that the identified transcriptomic signature is predominantly expressed in a subset of children with autism, thereby defining a segregable autism subtype. Our findings causally link mTOR-related synaptic pathology to large-scale network aberrations, revealing a unifying multi-scale framework that mechanistically reconciles developmental synaptopathy and functional hyperconnectivity in autism.
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Affiliation(s)
- Marco Pagani
- Functional Neuroimaging Laboratory, Istituto Italiano di Tecnologia, Center for Neuroscience and Cognitive Systems @ University of Trento, Rovereto, Italy
- Autism Center, Child Mind Institute, New York, NY, USA
| | - Noemi Barsotti
- Department of Biology, Unit of Cell and Developmental Biology, University of Pisa, Pisa, Italy
| | - Alice Bertero
- Functional Neuroimaging Laboratory, Istituto Italiano di Tecnologia, Center for Neuroscience and Cognitive Systems @ University of Trento, Rovereto, Italy
- Department of Biology, Unit of Cell and Developmental Biology, University of Pisa, Pisa, Italy
| | - Stavros Trakoshis
- Department of Psychology, University of Cyprus, Nicosia, Cyprus
- Laboratory for Autism and Neurodevelopmental Disorders, Istituto Italiano di Tecnologia, Center for Neuroscience and Cognitive Systems @ University of Trento, Rovereto, Italy
| | - Laura Ulysse
- Center for Brain and Cognition, Computational Neuroscience Group, Department of Information and Communication Technologies, Barcelona, Spain
| | - Andrea Locarno
- Neuromodulation of Cortical and Subcortical Circuits Laboratory, Istituto Italiano di Tecnologia, Genova, Italy
| | - Ieva Miseviciute
- Neuromodulation of Cortical and Subcortical Circuits Laboratory, Istituto Italiano di Tecnologia, Genova, Italy
| | - Alessia De Felice
- Functional Neuroimaging Laboratory, Istituto Italiano di Tecnologia, Center for Neuroscience and Cognitive Systems @ University of Trento, Rovereto, Italy
| | - Carola Canella
- Functional Neuroimaging Laboratory, Istituto Italiano di Tecnologia, Center for Neuroscience and Cognitive Systems @ University of Trento, Rovereto, Italy
| | | | - Alberto Galbusera
- Functional Neuroimaging Laboratory, Istituto Italiano di Tecnologia, Center for Neuroscience and Cognitive Systems @ University of Trento, Rovereto, Italy
| | | | - Raffaella Tonini
- Neuromodulation of Cortical and Subcortical Circuits Laboratory, Istituto Italiano di Tecnologia, Genova, Italy
| | - Gustavo Deco
- Center for Brain and Cognition, Computational Neuroscience Group, Department of Information and Communication Technologies, Barcelona, Spain
- Institució Catalana de la Recerca i Estudis Avançats (ICREA), Universitat Pompeu Fabra, Barcelona, Spain
| | - Michael V Lombardo
- Laboratory for Autism and Neurodevelopmental Disorders, Istituto Italiano di Tecnologia, Center for Neuroscience and Cognitive Systems @ University of Trento, Rovereto, Italy
- Autism Research Centre, University of Cambridge, Cambridge, UK
| | - Massimo Pasqualetti
- Functional Neuroimaging Laboratory, Istituto Italiano di Tecnologia, Center for Neuroscience and Cognitive Systems @ University of Trento, Rovereto, Italy
- Department of Biology, Unit of Cell and Developmental Biology, University of Pisa, Pisa, Italy
| | - Alessandro Gozzi
- Functional Neuroimaging Laboratory, Istituto Italiano di Tecnologia, Center for Neuroscience and Cognitive Systems @ University of Trento, Rovereto, Italy.
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17
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Markicevic M, Savvateev I, Grimm C, Zerbi V. Emerging imaging methods to study whole-brain function in rodent models. Transl Psychiatry 2021; 11:457. [PMID: 34482367 PMCID: PMC8418612 DOI: 10.1038/s41398-021-01575-5] [Citation(s) in RCA: 16] [Impact Index Per Article: 5.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Submit a Manuscript] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 02/16/2021] [Revised: 08/05/2021] [Accepted: 08/23/2021] [Indexed: 02/07/2023] Open
Abstract
In the past decade, the idea that single populations of neurons support cognition and behavior has gradually given way to the realization that connectivity matters and that complex behavior results from interactions between remote yet anatomically connected areas that form specialized networks. In parallel, innovation in brain imaging techniques has led to the availability of a broad set of imaging tools to characterize the functional organization of complex networks. However, each of these tools poses significant technical challenges and faces limitations, which require careful consideration of their underlying anatomical, physiological, and physical specificity. In this review, we focus on emerging methods for measuring spontaneous or evoked activity in the brain. We discuss methods that can measure large-scale brain activity (directly or indirectly) with a relatively high temporal resolution, from milliseconds to seconds. We further focus on methods designed for studying the mammalian brain in preclinical models, specifically in mice and rats. This field has seen a great deal of innovation in recent years, facilitated by concomitant innovation in gene-editing techniques and the possibility of more invasive recordings. This review aims to give an overview of currently available preclinical imaging methods and an outlook on future developments. This information is suitable for educational purposes and for assisting scientists in choosing the appropriate method for their own research question.
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Affiliation(s)
- Marija Markicevic
- Neural Control of Movement Lab, HEST, ETH Zürich, Zürich, Switzerland
- Neuroscience Center Zurich, University and ETH Zürich, Zürich, Switzerland
| | - Iurii Savvateev
- Neural Control of Movement Lab, HEST, ETH Zürich, Zürich, Switzerland
- Neuroscience Center Zurich, University and ETH Zürich, Zürich, Switzerland
- Decision Neuroscience Lab, HEST, ETH Zürich, Zürich, Switzerland
| | - Christina Grimm
- Neural Control of Movement Lab, HEST, ETH Zürich, Zürich, Switzerland
- Neuroscience Center Zurich, University and ETH Zürich, Zürich, Switzerland
| | - Valerio Zerbi
- Neural Control of Movement Lab, HEST, ETH Zürich, Zürich, Switzerland.
- Neuroscience Center Zurich, University and ETH Zürich, Zürich, Switzerland.
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18
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Sex-specific behavioral and structural alterations caused by early-life stress in C57BL/6 and BTBR mice. Behav Brain Res 2021; 414:113489. [PMID: 34303728 DOI: 10.1016/j.bbr.2021.113489] [Citation(s) in RCA: 15] [Impact Index Per Article: 5.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 04/29/2021] [Revised: 07/06/2021] [Accepted: 07/21/2021] [Indexed: 11/21/2022]
Abstract
Lately, the development of various mental illnesses, such as depression, personality disorders, and autism spectrum disorders, is often associated with traumatic events in childhood. Nonetheless, the mechanism giving rise to this predisposition is still unknown. Because the development of a disease often depends on a combination of a genetic background and environment, we decided to evaluate the effect of early-life stress on BTBR mice, which have behavioral, neuroanatomical, and physiological features of autism spectrum disorders. As early-life stress, we used prolonged separation of pups from their mothers in the first 2 weeks of life (3 h once a day). We assessed effects of the early-life stress on juvenile (postnatal day 23) and adolescent (postnatal days 37-38) male and female mice of strains C57BL/6 (B6) and BTBR. We found that in both strains, the early-life stress did not lead to changes in the level of social behavior, which is an important characteristic of autism-related behavior. Nonetheless, the early-life stress resulted in increased locomotor activity in juvenile BTBR mice. In adolescent mice, the stress early in life caused a low level of anxiety in B6 males and BTBR females and increased exploratory activity in adolescent BTBR males and females. In addition, adolescent B6 male and female mice with a history of the early-life stress tended to have a thinner motor cortex as assessed by magnetic resonance imaging. As compared to B6 mice, BTBR mice showed reduced levels of social behavior and exploratory activity but their level of locomotor activity was higher. BTBR mice had smaller whole-brain, cortical, and dorsal hippocampal volumes; decreased motor cortex thickness; and increased ventral-hippocampus volume as compared to B6 mice, and these parameters correlated with the level of exploratory behavior of BTBR mice. Overall, the effects of early postnatal stress are sex- and strain-dependent.
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19
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Volumetric magnetic resonance and diffusion tensor imaging of C58/J mice: neural correlates of repetitive behavior. Brain Imaging Behav 2021; 14:2084-2096. [PMID: 31342238 DOI: 10.1007/s11682-019-00158-9] [Citation(s) in RCA: 14] [Impact Index Per Article: 4.7] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 12/31/2022]
Abstract
Restricted, repetitive behavior (RRB) involves sequences of responding with little variability and no obvious function. RRB is diagnostic for autism spectrum disorder (ASD) and a significant feature in several neurodevelopmental disorders. Despite its clinical importance, relatively little is known about how RRB is mediated by broader neural circuits. In this study, we employed ultra-high field (17.6 Tesla) magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) to study the C58/J mouse model of RRB. We determined alterations in brain morphology and connectivity of C58/J mice and their relationship to repetitive motor behavior using structural MRI and diffusion tensor imaging (DTI). Compared to the genetically similar C57BL/6 control mouse strain, C58/J mice showed evidence of structural alterations in basal ganglia and cerebellar networks. In particular, C58/J mice exhibited reduced volumes of key cortical and basal ganglia regions that have been implicated in repetitive behavior, including motor cortex, striatum, globus pallidus, and subthalamic nucleus, as well as volume differences in the cerebellum. Moreover, DTI revealed differences in fractional anisotropy and axial diffusivity in cerebellar white matter of C58/J mice. Importantly, we found that RRB exhibited by C58/J mice was correlated with volume of the striatum, subthalamic nucleus, and crus II of the cerebellum. These regions are key nodes in circuits connecting the basal ganglia and cerebellum and our findings implicate their role in RRB, particularly the indirect pathway.
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20
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Gandhi T, Lee CC. Neural Mechanisms Underlying Repetitive Behaviors in Rodent Models of Autism Spectrum Disorders. Front Cell Neurosci 2021; 14:592710. [PMID: 33519379 PMCID: PMC7840495 DOI: 10.3389/fncel.2020.592710] [Citation(s) in RCA: 34] [Impact Index Per Article: 11.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 08/07/2020] [Accepted: 12/09/2020] [Indexed: 12/15/2022] Open
Abstract
Autism spectrum disorder (ASD) is comprised of several conditions characterized by alterations in social interaction, communication, and repetitive behaviors. Genetic and environmental factors contribute to the heterogeneous development of ASD behaviors. Several rodent models display ASD-like phenotypes, including repetitive behaviors. In this review article, we discuss the potential neural mechanisms involved in repetitive behaviors in rodent models of ASD and related neuropsychiatric disorders. We review signaling pathways, neural circuits, and anatomical alterations in rodent models that display robust stereotypic behaviors. Understanding the mechanisms and circuit alterations underlying repetitive behaviors in rodent models of ASD will inform translational research and provide useful insight into therapeutic strategies for the treatment of repetitive behaviors in ASD and other neuropsychiatric disorders.
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Affiliation(s)
- Tanya Gandhi
- Department of Comparative Biomedical Sciences, Louisiana State University School of Veterinary Medicine, Baton Rouge, LA, United States
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21
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Bergmann E, Gofman X, Kavushansky A, Kahn I. Individual variability in functional connectivity architecture of the mouse brain. Commun Biol 2020; 3:738. [PMID: 33277621 PMCID: PMC7718219 DOI: 10.1038/s42003-020-01472-5] [Citation(s) in RCA: 17] [Impact Index Per Article: 4.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 04/15/2020] [Accepted: 11/11/2020] [Indexed: 02/06/2023] Open
Abstract
In recent years precision fMRI has emerged in human brain research, demonstrating characterization of individual differences in brain organization. However, mechanistic investigations to the sources of individual variability are limited in humans and thus require animal models. Here, we used resting-state fMRI in awake mice to quantify the contribution of individual variation to the functional architecture of the mouse cortex. We found that the mouse connectome is also characterized by stable individual features that support connectivity-based identification. Unlike in humans, we found that individual variation is homogeneously distributed in sensory and association networks. Finally, connectome-based predictive modeling of motor behavior in the rotarod task revealed that individual variation in functional connectivity explained behavioral variability. Collectively, these results establish the feasibility of precision fMRI in mice and lay the foundation for future mechanistic investigations of individual brain organization and pre-clinical studies of brain disorders in the context of personalized medicine.
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Affiliation(s)
- Eyal Bergmann
- Department of Neuroscience, Rappaport Faculty of Medicine, Technion - Israel Institute of Technology, Haifa, Israel
| | - Xenia Gofman
- Department of Neuroscience, Rappaport Faculty of Medicine, Technion - Israel Institute of Technology, Haifa, Israel
| | - Alexandra Kavushansky
- Department of Neuroscience, Rappaport Faculty of Medicine, Technion - Israel Institute of Technology, Haifa, Israel
| | - Itamar Kahn
- Department of Neuroscience, Rappaport Faculty of Medicine, Technion - Israel Institute of Technology, Haifa, Israel.
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22
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Peeters LM, van den Berg M, Hinz R, Majumdar G, Pintelon I, Keliris GA. Cholinergic Modulation of the Default Mode Like Network in Rats. iScience 2020; 23:101455. [PMID: 32846343 PMCID: PMC7452182 DOI: 10.1016/j.isci.2020.101455] [Citation(s) in RCA: 16] [Impact Index Per Article: 4.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 04/16/2020] [Revised: 07/14/2020] [Accepted: 08/10/2020] [Indexed: 12/21/2022] Open
Abstract
The discovery of the default mode network (DMN), a large-scale brain network that is suppressed during attention-demanding tasks, had major impact in neuroscience. This network exhibits an antagonistic relationship with attention-related networks. A better understanding of the processes underlying modulation of DMN is imperative, as this network is compromised in several neurological diseases. Cholinergic neuromodulation is one of the major regulatory networks for attention, and studies suggest a role in regulation of the DMN. In this study, we unilaterally activated the right basal forebrain cholinergic neurons and observed decreased right intra-hemispheric and interhemispheric FC in the default mode like network (DMLN). Our findings provide critical insights into the interplay between cholinergic neuromodulation and DMLN, demonstrate that differential effects can be exerted between the two hemispheres by unilateral stimulation, and open windows for further studies involving directed modulations of DMN in treatments for diseases demonstrating compromised DMN activity.
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Affiliation(s)
- Lore M. Peeters
- Bio-Imaging Lab, University of Antwerp, Campus Drie Eiken – Universiteitsplein 1, 2610 Wilrijk, Belgium
| | - Monica van den Berg
- Bio-Imaging Lab, University of Antwerp, Campus Drie Eiken – Universiteitsplein 1, 2610 Wilrijk, Belgium
| | - Rukun Hinz
- Bio-Imaging Lab, University of Antwerp, Campus Drie Eiken – Universiteitsplein 1, 2610 Wilrijk, Belgium
| | - Gaurav Majumdar
- Bio-Imaging Lab, University of Antwerp, Campus Drie Eiken – Universiteitsplein 1, 2610 Wilrijk, Belgium
| | - Isabel Pintelon
- Laboratory of Cell Biology and Histology, University of Antwerp, Universiteitsplein 1, 2610 Wilrijk, Belgium
| | - Georgios A. Keliris
- Bio-Imaging Lab, University of Antwerp, Campus Drie Eiken – Universiteitsplein 1, 2610 Wilrijk, Belgium
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23
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Brain-wide structural and functional disruption in mice with oligodendrocyte-specific Nf1 deletion is rescued by inhibition of nitric oxide synthase. Proc Natl Acad Sci U S A 2020; 117:22506-22513. [PMID: 32839340 PMCID: PMC7486714 DOI: 10.1073/pnas.2008391117] [Citation(s) in RCA: 10] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 12/22/2022] Open
Abstract
This study assessed the effects of myelin decompaction on motor behavior and brain-wide structural and functional connectivity, and the effect of nitric oxide synthase inhibition by N-nitro-l-arginine methyl ester (L-NAME) on these imaging measures. We report that inducible oligodendrocyte-specific inactivation of the Nf1 gene, which causes myelin decompaction, results in reduced initial motor coordination. Using diffusion-based magnetic resonance imaging (MRI), we show reduced myelin integrity, and using functional MRI, we show reduced functional connectivity in awake passive mice. L-NAME administration results in rescue of the pathology at the mesoscopic level, as measured using imaging procedures that can be directly applied to humans to study treatment efficacy in clinical trials. Neurofibromin gene (NF1) mutation causes neurofibromatosis type 1 (NF1), a disorder in which brain white matter deficits identified by neuroimaging are common, yet of unknown cellular etiology. In mice, Nf1 loss in adult oligodendrocytes causes myelin decompaction and increases oligodendrocyte nitric oxide (NO) levels. Nitric oxide synthase (NOS) inhibitors rescue this pathology. Whether oligodendrocyte pathology is sufficient to affect brain-wide structure and account for NF1 imaging findings is unknown. Here we show that Nf1 gene inactivation in adult oligodendrocytes (Plp-Nf1fl/+ mice) results in a motor coordination deficit. Magnetic resonance imaging in awake mice showed that fractional anisotropy is reduced in Plp-Nf1fl/+ corpus callosum and that interhemispheric functional connectivity in the motor cortex is also reduced, consistent with disrupted myelin integrity. Furthermore, NOS-specific inhibition rescued both measures. These results suggest that oligodendrocyte defects account for aspects of brain dysfunction in NF1 that can be identified by neuroimaging and ameliorated by NOS inhibition.
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24
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Edwards TJ, Fenlon LR, Dean RJ, Bunt J, Sherr EH, Richards LJ. Altered structural connectivity networks in a mouse model of complete and partial dysgenesis of the corpus callosum. Neuroimage 2020; 217:116868. [DOI: 10.1016/j.neuroimage.2020.116868] [Citation(s) in RCA: 7] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.8] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 10/31/2019] [Revised: 04/13/2020] [Accepted: 04/20/2020] [Indexed: 11/16/2022] Open
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25
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Cheng N, Pagtalunan E, Abushaibah A, Naidu J, Stell WK, Rho JM, Sauvé Y. Atypical visual processing in a mouse model of autism. Sci Rep 2020; 10:12390. [PMID: 32709898 PMCID: PMC7381655 DOI: 10.1038/s41598-020-68589-9] [Citation(s) in RCA: 11] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.8] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 06/14/2019] [Accepted: 06/15/2020] [Indexed: 12/03/2022] Open
Abstract
Human social cognition relies heavily on the processing of various visual cues, such as eye contact and facial expressions. Atypical visual perception and integration have been recognized as key phenotypes in individuals diagnosed with autism spectrum disorder (ASD), and may potentially contribute to impediments in normal social development, a hallmark of ASD. Meanwhile, increasing studies on visual function in ASD have pointed to detail-oriented perception, which has been hypothesized to result from heightened response to information of high spatial frequency. However, mixed results of human studies have led to much debate, and investigations using animal models have been limited. Here, using BTBR mice as a model of idiopathic ASD, we assessed retinal stimulus processing by full-field electroretinogram and found impaired photoreceptor function and retina-based alterations mostly in the cone pathway. Using the optokinetic reflex to evaluate visual function, we observed robustly enhanced visual response to finer spatial details and more subtle contrasts at only higher spatial frequencies in the BTBR mice, under both photopic and scotopic conditions. These behavioral results, which are similar to findings in a subset of ASD patients, indicate a bias toward processing information of high spatial frequencies. Together, these findings also suggest that, while enhancement of visual behaviors under both photopic and scotopic conditions might be due to alterations in visual processing common to both rod and cone pathways, these mechanisms are probably downstream of photoreceptor function.
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Affiliation(s)
- Ning Cheng
- Alberta Children's Hospital Research Institute (ACHRI), Cumming School of Medicine, University of Calgary, Calgary, AB, T2N 4N1, Canada.
| | - Eden Pagtalunan
- Alberta Children's Hospital Research Institute (ACHRI), Cumming School of Medicine, University of Calgary, Calgary, AB, T2N 4N1, Canada.,O'Brien Centre for the Bachelor of Health Sciences, Cumming School of Medicine, University of Calgary, Calgary, AB, Canada
| | - Abdulrahman Abushaibah
- Alberta Children's Hospital Research Institute (ACHRI), Cumming School of Medicine, University of Calgary, Calgary, AB, T2N 4N1, Canada.,O'Brien Centre for the Bachelor of Health Sciences, Cumming School of Medicine, University of Calgary, Calgary, AB, Canada
| | - Jessica Naidu
- Alberta Children's Hospital Research Institute (ACHRI), Cumming School of Medicine, University of Calgary, Calgary, AB, T2N 4N1, Canada.,O'Brien Centre for the Bachelor of Health Sciences, Cumming School of Medicine, University of Calgary, Calgary, AB, Canada
| | - William K Stell
- Department of Cell Biology and Anatomy, Alberta Children's Hospital Research Institute and Hotchkiss Brain Institute, Cumming School of Medicine, University of Calgary, Calgary, AB, Canada
| | - Jong M Rho
- Alberta Children's Hospital Research Institute (ACHRI), Cumming School of Medicine, University of Calgary, Calgary, AB, T2N 4N1, Canada.,Departments of Neurosciences and Pediatrics, University of California San Diego, Rady Children's Hospital, San Diego, CA, USA
| | - Yves Sauvé
- Department of Ophthalmology and Visual Sciences, University of Alberta, Edmonton, AB, Canada.,Department of Physiology, University of Alberta, Edmonton, AB, Canada
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26
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Zhang XF, Chen T, Yan A, Xiao J, Xie YL, Yuan J, Chen P, Wong AOL, Zhang Y, Wong NK. Poly(I:C) Challenge Alters Brain Expression of Oligodendroglia-Related Genes of Adult Progeny in a Mouse Model of Maternal Immune Activation. Front Mol Neurosci 2020; 13:115. [PMID: 32714147 PMCID: PMC7340146 DOI: 10.3389/fnmol.2020.00115] [Citation(s) in RCA: 5] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 02/02/2020] [Accepted: 06/03/2020] [Indexed: 12/15/2022] Open
Abstract
Background: Altered white matter connectivity, as evidenced by pervasive microstructural changes in myelination and axonal integrity in neuroimaging studies, has been implicated in the development of autism spectrum disorder (ASD) and related neurodevelopmental conditions such as schizophrenia. Despite an increasing appreciation that such white matter disconnectivity is linked to social behavior deficits, virtually no etiologically meaningful myelin-related genes have been identified in oligodendrocytes, the key myelinating cells in the CNS, to furnish an account on the causes. The impact of neurodevelopmental perturbations during pregnancy such as maternal immune activation (MIA) on these genes in memory-related neural networks has not been experimentally scrutinized. Methods: In this study, a mouse model of MIA by the viral dsRNA analog poly(I:C) was employed to mimic the effects of inflammation during pregnancy. Transcriptional expression levels of selected myelin- or oligodendroglia-related genes implicated in schizophrenia or ASD development were analyzed by in situ hybridization (ISH) and quantitative real-time PCR (qRT-PCR) with brain samples from MIA and control groups. The analysis focused on SOX-10 (SRY-related HMG-box 10), MAG (myelin-associated glycoprotein), and Tf (transferrin) expression in the hippocampus and the surrounding memory-related cortical regions in either hemisphere. Results: Specifically, ISH reveals that in the brain of prenatal poly(I:C)-exposed mouse offspring in the MIA model (gestation day 9), mRNA expression of the genes SOX10, MAG and Tf were generally reduced in the limbic system including the hippocampus, retrosplenial cortex and parahippocampal gyrus on either side of the hemispheres. qRT-PCR further confirms the reduction of SOX10, MAG, and Tf expression in the medial prefrontal cortex, sensory cortex, amygdala, and hippocampus. Conclusions: Our present results provide direct evidence that prenatal exposure to poly(I:C) elicits profound and long-term changes in transcript level and spatial distribution of myelin-related genes in multiple neocortical and limbic regions, notably the hippocampus and its surrounding memory-related neural networks. Our work demonstrates the potential utility of oligodendroglia-related genes as biomarkers for modeling neurodevelopmental disorders, in agreement with the hypothesis that MIA during pregnancy could lead to compromised white matter connectivity in ASD.
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Affiliation(s)
- Xiao-Fan Zhang
- Department of Psychiatry, Tongji Hospital, Tongji Medical College, Huazhong University of Science and Technology, Wuhan, China.,Department of Psychiatry, The University of Hong Kong, Hong Kong, China
| | - Ting Chen
- CAS Key Laboratory of Tropical Marine Bio-resources and Ecology (LMB), Key Laboratory of Applied Marine Biology of Guangdong Province and Chinese Academy of Sciences (LAMB), South China Sea Institute of Oceanology, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Guangzhou, China
| | - Aifen Yan
- School of Stomatology and Medicine, Foshan University, Foshan, China
| | - Jia Xiao
- School of Biomedical Sciences, Li Ka Shing Faculty of Medicine, The University of Hong Kong, Hong Kong, China.,National Clinical Research Center for Infectious Diseases, Shenzhen Third People's Hospital, The Second Hospital Affiliated to Southern University of Science and Technology, Shenzhen, China
| | - Yong-Li Xie
- National Clinical Research Center for Infectious Diseases, Shenzhen Third People's Hospital, The Second Hospital Affiliated to Southern University of Science and Technology, Shenzhen, China
| | - Jing Yuan
- National Clinical Research Center for Infectious Diseases, Shenzhen Third People's Hospital, The Second Hospital Affiliated to Southern University of Science and Technology, Shenzhen, China
| | - Pin Chen
- School of Biomedical Sciences, Li Ka Shing Faculty of Medicine, The University of Hong Kong, Hong Kong, China
| | | | - Yang Zhang
- CAS Key Laboratory of Tropical Marine Bio-resources and Ecology (LMB), Key Laboratory of Applied Marine Biology of Guangdong Province and Chinese Academy of Sciences (LAMB), South China Sea Institute of Oceanology, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Guangzhou, China
| | - Nai-Kei Wong
- Department of Psychiatry, The University of Hong Kong, Hong Kong, China.,National Clinical Research Center for Infectious Diseases, Shenzhen Third People's Hospital, The Second Hospital Affiliated to Southern University of Science and Technology, Shenzhen, China
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27
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Szczupak D, Liu C, Yen CCC, Choi SH, Meireles F, Victorino C, Richards L, Lent R, Silva AC, Tovar-Moll F. Long-distance aberrant heterotopic connectivity in a mouse strain with a high incidence of callosal anomalies. Neuroimage 2020; 217:116875. [PMID: 32335262 DOI: 10.1016/j.neuroimage.2020.116875] [Citation(s) in RCA: 4] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 03/04/2020] [Revised: 04/13/2020] [Accepted: 04/21/2020] [Indexed: 11/19/2022] Open
Abstract
Corpus callosum dysgenesis (CCD) is a developmental brain condition in which some white matter fibers fail to find their natural course across the midplane, reorganizing instead to form new aberrant pathways. This type of white matter reorganization is known as long-distance plasticity (LDP). The present work aimed to characterize the Balb/c mouse strain as a model of CCD. We employed high-resolution anatomical MRI in 81 Balb/c and 27 C57bl6 mice to show that the Balb/c mouse strain presents a variance in the size of the CC that is 3.9 times higher than the variance of normotypical C57bl6. We also performed high-resolution diffusion-weighted imaging (DWI) in 8 Balb/c and found that the Balb/c strain shows aberrant white matter bundles, such as the Probst (5/8 animals) and the Sigmoid bundles (7/8 animals), which are similar to those found in humans with CCD. Using a histological tracer technique, we confirmed the existence of these aberrant bundles in the Balb/c strain. Interestingly, we also identified sigmoid-like fibers in the C57bl6 strain, thought to a lesser degree. Next, we used a connectome approach and found widespread brain connectivity differences between Balb/c and C57bl6 strains. The Balb/c strain also exhibited increased variability of global connectivity. These findings suggest that the Balb/c strain presents local and global changes in brain structural connectivity. This strain often presents with callosal abnormalities, along with the Probst and the Sigmoid bundles, making it is an attractive animal model for CCD and LDP in general. Our results also show that even the C57bl6 strain, which typically serves as a normotypical control animal in a myriad of studies, presents sigmoid-fashion pattern fibers laid out in the brain. These results suggest that these aberrant fiber pathways may not necessarily be a pathological hallmark, but instead an alternative roadmap for misguided axons. Such findings offer new insights for interpreting the significance of CCD-associated LDP in humans.
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Affiliation(s)
- Diego Szczupak
- Post-Graduate Program in Morphological Sciences, Institute of Biomedical Sciences, Federal University of Rio de Janeiro, Brazil; National Institutes of Health, USA; University of Pittsburgh, USA
| | - Cirong Liu
- National Institutes of Health, USA; University of Pittsburgh, USA
| | | | - Sang-Ho Choi
- National Institutes of Health, USA; University of Pittsburgh, USA
| | - Fernanda Meireles
- D'Or Institute Research and Education (IDOR), Brazil; National Center of Structural Biology and Bioimaging (CENABIO), Federal University of Rio de Janeiro, Brazil
| | - Caroline Victorino
- D'Or Institute Research and Education (IDOR), Brazil; National Center of Structural Biology and Bioimaging (CENABIO), Federal University of Rio de Janeiro, Brazil
| | - Linda Richards
- The University of Queensland, Queensland Brain Institute and the School of Biomedical Science, Brisbane, Australia
| | - Roberto Lent
- Post-Graduate Program in Morphological Sciences, Institute of Biomedical Sciences, Federal University of Rio de Janeiro, Brazil; D'Or Institute Research and Education (IDOR), Brazil
| | - Afonso C Silva
- National Institutes of Health, USA; University of Pittsburgh, USA
| | - Fernanda Tovar-Moll
- Post-Graduate Program in Morphological Sciences, Institute of Biomedical Sciences, Federal University of Rio de Janeiro, Brazil; D'Or Institute Research and Education (IDOR), Brazil; National Center of Structural Biology and Bioimaging (CENABIO), Federal University of Rio de Janeiro, Brazil.
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28
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Grandjean J, Canella C, Anckaerts C, Ayrancı G, Bougacha S, Bienert T, Buehlmann D, Coletta L, Gallino D, Gass N, Garin CM, Nadkarni NA, Hübner NS, Karatas M, Komaki Y, Kreitz S, Mandino F, Mechling AE, Sato C, Sauer K, Shah D, Strobelt S, Takata N, Wank I, Wu T, Yahata N, Yeow LY, Yee Y, Aoki I, Chakravarty MM, Chang WT, Dhenain M, von Elverfeldt D, Harsan LA, Hess A, Jiang T, Keliris GA, Lerch JP, Meyer-Lindenberg A, Okano H, Rudin M, Sartorius A, Van der Linden A, Verhoye M, Weber-Fahr W, Wenderoth N, Zerbi V, Gozzi A. Common functional networks in the mouse brain revealed by multi-centre resting-state fMRI analysis. Neuroimage 2019; 205:116278. [PMID: 31614221 DOI: 10.1016/j.neuroimage.2019.116278] [Citation(s) in RCA: 116] [Impact Index Per Article: 23.2] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 05/06/2019] [Revised: 10/04/2019] [Accepted: 10/11/2019] [Indexed: 01/07/2023] Open
Abstract
Preclinical applications of resting-state functional magnetic resonance imaging (rsfMRI) offer the possibility to non-invasively probe whole-brain network dynamics and to investigate the determinants of altered network signatures observed in human studies. Mouse rsfMRI has been increasingly adopted by numerous laboratories worldwide. Here we describe a multi-centre comparison of 17 mouse rsfMRI datasets via a common image processing and analysis pipeline. Despite prominent cross-laboratory differences in equipment and imaging procedures, we report the reproducible identification of several large-scale resting-state networks (RSN), including a mouse default-mode network, in the majority of datasets. A combination of factors was associated with enhanced reproducibility in functional connectivity parameter estimation, including animal handling procedures and equipment performance. RSN spatial specificity was enhanced in datasets acquired at higher field strength, with cryoprobes, in ventilated animals, and under medetomidine-isoflurane combination sedation. Our work describes a set of representative RSNs in the mouse brain and highlights key experimental parameters that can critically guide the design and analysis of future rodent rsfMRI investigations.
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Affiliation(s)
- Joanes Grandjean
- Singapore Bioimaging Consortium, Agency for Science, Technology and Research, 11 Biopolis Way, 138667, Singapore.
| | - Carola Canella
- Functional Neuroimaging Laboratory, Istituto Italiano di Tecnologia, Centre for Neuroscience and Cognitive Systems @ UNITN, 38068, Rovereto, Italy; CIMeC, Centre for Mind/Brain Sciences, University of Trento, 38068, Rovereto, Italy
| | - Cynthia Anckaerts
- Bio-Imaging Lab, University of Antwerp, CDE, Universiteitsplein 1, 2610, Antwerp, Belgium
| | - Gülebru Ayrancı
- Douglas Mental Health University Institute, McGill University, Montreal, Quebec, Canada
| | - Salma Bougacha
- Commissariat à l'Énergie Atomique et Aux Énergies Alternatives (CEA), Direction de la Recherche Fondamentale (DRF), Institut François Jacob, MIRCen, Fontenay-aux-roses, France; Centre National de la Recherche Scientifique (CNRS), Université Paris-Sud, Université Paris-Saclay UMR 9199, Neurodegenerative Diseases Laboratory, Fontenay-aux-Roses, France
| | - Thomas Bienert
- Department of Radiology, Medical Physics, Medical Center - University of Freiburg, Faculty of Medicine, University of Freiburg, Killianstr. 5a, 79106, Freiburg, Germany; BrainLinks-BrainTools Cluster of Excellence, University of Freiburg, Georges-Köhler-Allee 80, 79110, Freiburg, Germany
| | - David Buehlmann
- Institute for Biomedical Engineering, University and ETH Zürich, Wolfgang-Pauli-Str. 27, 8093, Zürich, Switzerland
| | - Ludovico Coletta
- Functional Neuroimaging Laboratory, Istituto Italiano di Tecnologia, Centre for Neuroscience and Cognitive Systems @ UNITN, 38068, Rovereto, Italy; CIMeC, Centre for Mind/Brain Sciences, University of Trento, 38068, Rovereto, Italy
| | - Daniel Gallino
- Douglas Mental Health University Institute, McGill University, Montreal, Quebec, Canada
| | - Natalia Gass
- Department of Neuroimaging, Central Institute of Mental Health, Medical Faculty Mannheim, University of Heidelberg, Mannheim, Germany
| | - Clément M Garin
- Commissariat à l'Énergie Atomique et Aux Énergies Alternatives (CEA), Direction de la Recherche Fondamentale (DRF), Institut François Jacob, MIRCen, Fontenay-aux-roses, France; Centre National de la Recherche Scientifique (CNRS), Université Paris-Sud, Université Paris-Saclay UMR 9199, Neurodegenerative Diseases Laboratory, Fontenay-aux-Roses, France
| | - Nachiket Abhay Nadkarni
- Commissariat à l'Énergie Atomique et Aux Énergies Alternatives (CEA), Direction de la Recherche Fondamentale (DRF), Institut François Jacob, MIRCen, Fontenay-aux-roses, France; Centre National de la Recherche Scientifique (CNRS), Université Paris-Sud, Université Paris-Saclay UMR 9199, Neurodegenerative Diseases Laboratory, Fontenay-aux-Roses, France
| | - Neele S Hübner
- Department of Radiology, Medical Physics, Medical Center - University of Freiburg, Faculty of Medicine, University of Freiburg, Killianstr. 5a, 79106, Freiburg, Germany; BrainLinks-BrainTools Cluster of Excellence, University of Freiburg, Georges-Köhler-Allee 80, 79110, Freiburg, Germany
| | - Meltem Karatas
- Department of Radiology, Medical Physics, Medical Center - University of Freiburg, Faculty of Medicine, University of Freiburg, Killianstr. 5a, 79106, Freiburg, Germany; The Engineering Science, Computer Science and Imaging Laboratory (ICube), Department of Biophysics and Nuclear Medicine, University of Strasbourg and University Hospital of Strasbourg, 67000, Strasbourg, France
| | - Yuji Komaki
- Central Institute for Experimental Animals (CIEA), 3-25-12, Tonomachi, Kawasaki, Kanagawa, 210-0821, Japan; Department of Physiology, Keio University School of Medicine, 35 Shinanomachi, Shinjuku, Tokyo, 160-8582, Japan
| | - Silke Kreitz
- Institute of Experimental and Clinical Pharmacology and Toxicology, Friedrich-Alexander University Erlangen-Nürnberg (FAU), Fahrstraße 17, 91054, Erlangen, Germany
| | - Francesca Mandino
- Singapore Bioimaging Consortium, Agency for Science, Technology and Research, 11 Biopolis Way, 138667, Singapore; Faculty of Life Sciences, University of Manchester, Manchester, United Kingdom
| | - Anna E Mechling
- Department of Radiology, Medical Physics, Medical Center - University of Freiburg, Faculty of Medicine, University of Freiburg, Killianstr. 5a, 79106, Freiburg, Germany; BrainLinks-BrainTools Cluster of Excellence, University of Freiburg, Georges-Köhler-Allee 80, 79110, Freiburg, Germany
| | - Chika Sato
- Functional and Molecular Imaging Team, Department of Molecular Imaging and Theranostics, National Institute of Radiological Sciences, National Institutes for Quantum and Radiological Science and Technology, Anagawa 4-9-1, Inage, Chiba-city, Chiba, 263-8555, Japan
| | - Katja Sauer
- Institute of Experimental and Clinical Pharmacology and Toxicology, Friedrich-Alexander University Erlangen-Nürnberg (FAU), Fahrstraße 17, 91054, Erlangen, Germany
| | - Disha Shah
- Bio-Imaging Lab, University of Antwerp, CDE, Universiteitsplein 1, 2610, Antwerp, Belgium; Laboratory for the Research of Neurodegenerative Diseases, VIB Center for Brain and Disease Research, KU Leuven, O&N4 Herestraat 49 Box 602, 3000, Leuven, Belgium
| | - Sandra Strobelt
- Institute of Experimental and Clinical Pharmacology and Toxicology, Friedrich-Alexander University Erlangen-Nürnberg (FAU), Fahrstraße 17, 91054, Erlangen, Germany
| | - Norio Takata
- Central Institute for Experimental Animals (CIEA), 3-25-12, Tonomachi, Kawasaki, Kanagawa, 210-0821, Japan; Department of Neuropsychiatry, Keio University School of Medicine, 35 Shinanomachi, Shinjuku, Tokyo, 160-8582, Japan
| | - Isabel Wank
- Institute of Experimental and Clinical Pharmacology and Toxicology, Friedrich-Alexander University Erlangen-Nürnberg (FAU), Fahrstraße 17, 91054, Erlangen, Germany
| | - Tong Wu
- Queensland Brain Institute, The University of Queensland, Brisbane, Queensland, Australia; Centre for Medical Image Computing, Department of Computer Science, & Max Planck University College London Centre for Computational Psychiatry and Ageing Research, University College London, London, UK; Computational, Cognitive and Clinical Imaging Lab, Division of Brain Sciences, Department of Medicine, Imperial College London, W12 0NN, UK; UK DRI Centre for Care Research and Technology, Imperial College London, W12 0NN, UK
| | - Noriaki Yahata
- Functional and Molecular Imaging Team, Department of Molecular Imaging and Theranostics, National Institute of Radiological Sciences, National Institutes for Quantum and Radiological Science and Technology, Anagawa 4-9-1, Inage, Chiba-city, Chiba, 263-8555, Japan
| | - Ling Yun Yeow
- Singapore Bioimaging Consortium, Agency for Science, Technology and Research, 11 Biopolis Way, 138667, Singapore
| | - Yohan Yee
- Hospital for Sick Children and Department of Medical Biophysics, The University of Toronto, Toronto, Ontario, Canada
| | - Ichio Aoki
- Functional and Molecular Imaging Team, Department of Molecular Imaging and Theranostics, National Institute of Radiological Sciences, National Institutes for Quantum and Radiological Science and Technology, Anagawa 4-9-1, Inage, Chiba-city, Chiba, 263-8555, Japan
| | - M Mallar Chakravarty
- Douglas Mental Health University Institute, McGill University, Montreal, Quebec, Canada; Department of Psychiatry, McGill University, Montreal, Quebec, Canada; Department of Biological and Biomedical Engineering, McGill University, Montreal, Quebec, Canada
| | - Wei-Tang Chang
- Singapore Bioimaging Consortium, Agency for Science, Technology and Research, 11 Biopolis Way, 138667, Singapore
| | - Marc Dhenain
- Commissariat à l'Énergie Atomique et Aux Énergies Alternatives (CEA), Direction de la Recherche Fondamentale (DRF), Institut François Jacob, MIRCen, Fontenay-aux-roses, France; Centre National de la Recherche Scientifique (CNRS), Université Paris-Sud, Université Paris-Saclay UMR 9199, Neurodegenerative Diseases Laboratory, Fontenay-aux-Roses, France
| | - Dominik von Elverfeldt
- Department of Radiology, Medical Physics, Medical Center - University of Freiburg, Faculty of Medicine, University of Freiburg, Killianstr. 5a, 79106, Freiburg, Germany; BrainLinks-BrainTools Cluster of Excellence, University of Freiburg, Georges-Köhler-Allee 80, 79110, Freiburg, Germany
| | - Laura-Adela Harsan
- The Engineering Science, Computer Science and Imaging Laboratory (ICube), Department of Biophysics and Nuclear Medicine, University of Strasbourg and University Hospital of Strasbourg, 67000, Strasbourg, France
| | - Andreas Hess
- Institute of Experimental and Clinical Pharmacology and Toxicology, Friedrich-Alexander University Erlangen-Nürnberg (FAU), Fahrstraße 17, 91054, Erlangen, Germany
| | - Tianzi Jiang
- Queensland Brain Institute, The University of Queensland, Brisbane, Queensland, Australia; Brainnetome Center & National Laboratory of Pattern Recognition, Institute of Automation, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Beijing, 100190, China
| | - Georgios A Keliris
- Bio-Imaging Lab, University of Antwerp, CDE, Universiteitsplein 1, 2610, Antwerp, Belgium
| | - Jason P Lerch
- Hospital for Sick Children and Department of Medical Biophysics, The University of Toronto, Toronto, Ontario, Canada; Wellcome Centre for Integrative Neuroimaging, University of Oxford, Oxford, OX3 9DU, UK
| | - Andreas Meyer-Lindenberg
- Department of Psychiatry and Psychotherapy, Central Institute of Mental Health, Medical Faculty Mannheim, University of Heidelberg, Germany
| | - Hideyuki Okano
- Department of Physiology, Keio University School of Medicine, 35 Shinanomachi, Shinjuku, Tokyo, 160-8582, Japan; Laboratory for Marmoset Neural Architecture, RIKEN Brain Science Institute, Wako, Saitama, 351-0198, Japan
| | - Markus Rudin
- Institute for Biomedical Engineering, University and ETH Zürich, Wolfgang-Pauli-Str. 27, 8093, Zürich, Switzerland; Institute of Pharmacology and Toxicology, University of Zürich, Winterthurerstrasse 190, 8057, Zürich, Switzerland; Neuroscience Center Zürich, ETH Zürich and University of Zürich, Zürich, Switzerland
| | - Alexander Sartorius
- Department of Neuroimaging, Central Institute of Mental Health, Medical Faculty Mannheim, University of Heidelberg, Mannheim, Germany
| | - Annemie Van der Linden
- Bio-Imaging Lab, University of Antwerp, CDE, Universiteitsplein 1, 2610, Antwerp, Belgium
| | - Marleen Verhoye
- Bio-Imaging Lab, University of Antwerp, CDE, Universiteitsplein 1, 2610, Antwerp, Belgium
| | - Wolfgang Weber-Fahr
- Department of Neuroimaging, Central Institute of Mental Health, Medical Faculty Mannheim, University of Heidelberg, Mannheim, Germany
| | - Nicole Wenderoth
- Neural Control of Movement Lab, Department of Health Sciences and Technology, ETH Zürich, Winterthurerstrasse 190, 8057, Zurich, Switzerland; Neuroscience Center Zürich, ETH Zürich and University of Zürich, Zürich, Switzerland
| | - Valerio Zerbi
- Neural Control of Movement Lab, Department of Health Sciences and Technology, ETH Zürich, Winterthurerstrasse 190, 8057, Zurich, Switzerland; Neuroscience Center Zürich, ETH Zürich and University of Zürich, Zürich, Switzerland
| | - Alessandro Gozzi
- Functional Neuroimaging Laboratory, Istituto Italiano di Tecnologia, Centre for Neuroscience and Cognitive Systems @ UNITN, 38068, Rovereto, Italy
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Abstract
Autism spectrum disorder (ASD) has been hypothesized to be a result of altered connectivity in the brain. Recent imaging studies suggest accelerated maturation of the white matter in young children with ASD, with underlying mechanisms unknown. Myelin is an integral part of the white matter and critical for connectivity; however, its role in ASD remains largely unclear. Here, we investigated myelin development in a model of idiopathic ASD, the BTBR mice. Magnetic resonance imaging revealed that fiber tracts in the frontal brain of the BTBR mice had increased volume at postnatal day 6, but the difference reduced over time, reminiscent of the findings in young patients. We further identified that myelination in the frontal brain of both male and female neonatal BTBR mice was increased, associated with elevated levels of myelin basic protein. However, myelin pattern was unaltered in adult BTBR mice, revealing accelerated developmental trajectory of myelination. Consistently, we found that signaling of platelet-derived growth factor receptor alpha (PDGFRα) was reduced in the frontal brain of neonatal BTBR mice. However, levels of microRNA species known to regulate PDGFRα signaling and myelination were unaltered. Together, these results suggest that precocious myelination could potentially contribute to increased volume and connectivity of the white matter observed in young children with ASD.
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30
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Mancuso L, Uddin LQ, Nani A, Costa T, Cauda F. Brain functional connectivity in individuals with callosotomy and agenesis of the corpus callosum: A systematic review. Neurosci Biobehav Rev 2019; 105:231-248. [DOI: 10.1016/j.neubiorev.2019.07.004] [Citation(s) in RCA: 18] [Impact Index Per Article: 3.6] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 10/07/2018] [Revised: 06/30/2019] [Accepted: 07/04/2019] [Indexed: 02/05/2023]
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31
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Suetterlin P, Hurley S, Mohan C, Riegman KLH, Pagani M, Caruso A, Ellegood J, Galbusera A, Crespo-Enriquez I, Michetti C, Yee Y, Ellingford R, Brock O, Delogu A, Francis-West P, Lerch JP, Scattoni ML, Gozzi A, Fernandes C, Basson MA. Altered Neocortical Gene Expression, Brain Overgrowth and Functional Over-Connectivity in Chd8 Haploinsufficient Mice. Cereb Cortex 2019; 28:2192-2206. [PMID: 29668850 PMCID: PMC6018918 DOI: 10.1093/cercor/bhy058] [Citation(s) in RCA: 76] [Impact Index Per Article: 15.2] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 08/21/2017] [Indexed: 12/13/2022] Open
Abstract
Truncating CHD8 mutations are amongst the highest confidence risk factors for autism spectrum disorder (ASD) identified to date. Here, we report that Chd8 heterozygous mice display increased brain size, motor delay, hypertelorism, pronounced hypoactivity, and anomalous responses to social stimuli. Whereas gene expression in the neocortex is only mildly affected at midgestation, over 600 genes are differentially expressed in the early postnatal neocortex. Genes involved in cell adhesion and axon guidance are particularly prominent amongst the downregulated transcripts. Resting-state functional MRI identified increased synchronized activity in cortico-hippocampal and auditory-parietal networks in Chd8 heterozygous mutant mice, implicating altered connectivity as a potential mechanism underlying the behavioral phenotypes. Together, these data suggest that altered brain growth and diminished expression of important neurodevelopmental genes that regulate long-range brain wiring are followed by distinctive anomalies in functional brain connectivity in Chd8+/- mice. Human imaging studies have reported altered functional connectivity in ASD patients, with long-range under-connectivity seemingly more frequent. Our data suggest that CHD8 haploinsufficiency represents a specific subtype of ASD where neuropsychiatric symptoms are underpinned by long-range over-connectivity.
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Affiliation(s)
- Philipp Suetterlin
- Centre for Craniofacial and Regenerative Biology, King's College London, London SE1 9RT, UK
| | - Shaun Hurley
- Centre for Craniofacial and Regenerative Biology, King's College London, London SE1 9RT, UK
| | - Conor Mohan
- Centre for Craniofacial and Regenerative Biology, King's College London, London SE1 9RT, UK
| | - Kimberley L H Riegman
- Centre for Craniofacial and Regenerative Biology, King's College London, London SE1 9RT, UK
| | - Marco Pagani
- Functional Neuroimaging Laboratory, Center for Neuroscience and Cognitive Systems @ UniTn, 38068 Rovereto, TN, Italy
| | - Angela Caruso
- Research Coordination and Support Service, Istituto Superiore di Sanità, 00161 Rome, Italy
| | - Jacob Ellegood
- Department of Medical Biophysics, University of Toronto, Mouse Imaging Centre, Hospital for Sick Children, Toronto, Ontario, Canada M5T 3H7
| | - Alberto Galbusera
- Functional Neuroimaging Laboratory, Center for Neuroscience and Cognitive Systems @ UniTn, 38068 Rovereto, TN, Italy
| | - Ivan Crespo-Enriquez
- Centre for Craniofacial and Regenerative Biology, King's College London, London SE1 9RT, UK
| | - Caterina Michetti
- Center for Synaptic Neuroscience and Technology, Istituto Italiano di Tecnologia, 16132 Genova, Italy
| | - Yohan Yee
- Department of Medical Biophysics, University of Toronto, Mouse Imaging Centre, Hospital for Sick Children, Toronto, Ontario, Canada M5T 3H7
| | - Robert Ellingford
- Centre for Craniofacial and Regenerative Biology, King's College London, London SE1 9RT, UK
| | - Olivier Brock
- Department of Basic and Clinical Neuroscience, Institute of Psychiatry, Psychology & Neuroscience, King's College London, London SE5 9NU, UK
| | - Alessio Delogu
- Department of Basic and Clinical Neuroscience, Institute of Psychiatry, Psychology & Neuroscience, King's College London, London SE5 9NU, UK
| | - Philippa Francis-West
- Centre for Craniofacial and Regenerative Biology, King's College London, London SE1 9RT, UK
| | - Jason P Lerch
- Department of Medical Biophysics, University of Toronto, Mouse Imaging Centre, Hospital for Sick Children, Toronto, Ontario, Canada M5T 3H7
| | - Maria Luisa Scattoni
- Research Coordination and Support Service, Istituto Superiore di Sanità, 00161 Rome, Italy
| | - Alessandro Gozzi
- Functional Neuroimaging Laboratory, Center for Neuroscience and Cognitive Systems @ UniTn, 38068 Rovereto, TN, Italy
| | - Cathy Fernandes
- MRC Social, Genetic & Developmental Psychiatry Centre, PO82, Institute of Psychiatry, Psychology & Neuroscience, King's College London, De Crespigny Park, London SE5 8AF, UK.,MRC Centre for Neurodevelopmental Disorders, King's College London, London SE1 1UL, UK
| | - M Albert Basson
- Centre for Craniofacial and Regenerative Biology, King's College London, London SE1 9RT, UK.,MRC Centre for Neurodevelopmental Disorders, King's College London, London SE1 1UL, UK
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32
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Rogers-Carter MM, Christianson JP. An insular view of the social decision-making network. Neurosci Biobehav Rev 2019; 103:119-132. [PMID: 31194999 PMCID: PMC6699879 DOI: 10.1016/j.neubiorev.2019.06.005] [Citation(s) in RCA: 52] [Impact Index Per Article: 10.4] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 01/10/2019] [Revised: 05/24/2019] [Accepted: 06/08/2019] [Indexed: 12/11/2022]
Abstract
Social animals must detect, evaluate and respond to the emotional states of other individuals in their group. A constellation of gestures, vocalizations, and chemosignals enable animals to convey affect and arousal to others in nuanced, multisensory ways. Observers integrate social information with environmental and internal factors to select behavioral responses to others via a process call social decision-making. The Social Decision Making Network (SDMN) is a system of brain structures and neurochemicals that are conserved across species (mammals, reptiles, amphibians, birds) that are the proximal mediators of most social behaviors. However, how sensory information reaches the SDMN to shape behavioral responses during a social encounter is not well known. Here we review the empirical data that demonstrate the necessity of sensory systems in detecting social stimuli, as well as the anatomical connectivity of sensory systems with each node of the SDMN. We conclude that the insular cortex is positioned to link integrated social sensory cues to this network to produce flexible and appropriate behavioral responses to socioemotional cues.
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Affiliation(s)
- Morgan M Rogers-Carter
- Department of Psychology, McGuinn Rm 300, Boston College, 140 Commonwealth Ave, Chestnut Hill, MA, 02467, USA.
| | - John P Christianson
- Department of Psychology, McGuinn Rm 300, Boston College, 140 Commonwealth Ave, Chestnut Hill, MA, 02467, USA.
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33
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Gutierrez-Barragan D, Basson MA, Panzeri S, Gozzi A. Infraslow State Fluctuations Govern Spontaneous fMRI Network Dynamics. Curr Biol 2019; 29:2295-2306.e5. [PMID: 31303490 PMCID: PMC6657681 DOI: 10.1016/j.cub.2019.06.017] [Citation(s) in RCA: 75] [Impact Index Per Article: 15.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 01/17/2019] [Revised: 04/19/2019] [Accepted: 06/07/2019] [Indexed: 01/11/2023]
Abstract
Spontaneous brain activity as assessed with resting-state fMRI exhibits rich spatiotemporal structure. However, the principles by which brain-wide patterns of spontaneous fMRI activity reconfigure and interact with each other remain unclear. We used a framewise clustering approach to map spatiotemporal dynamics of spontaneous fMRI activity with voxel resolution in the resting mouse brain. We show that brain-wide patterns of fMRI co-activation can be reliably mapped at the group and subject level, defining a restricted set of recurring brain states characterized by rich network structure. Importantly, we document that the identified fMRI states exhibit contrasting patterns of functional activity and coupled infraslow network dynamics, with each network state occurring at specific phases of global fMRI signal fluctuations. Finally, we show that autism-associated genetic alterations entail the engagement of atypical functional states and altered infraslow network dynamics. Our results reveal a novel set of fundamental principles guiding the spatiotemporal organization of resting-state fMRI activity and its disruption in brain disorders.
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Affiliation(s)
- Daniel Gutierrez-Barragan
- Neural Computation Laboratory, Istituto Italiano di Tecnologia, Center for Neuroscience and Cognitive Systems @ UniTn, 38068 Rovereto (TN), Italy; Center for Mind/Brain Sciences, University of Trento, 38068 Rovereto (TN), Italy; Functional Neuroimaging Laboratory, Istituto Italiano di Tecnologia, Center for Neuroscience and Cognitive Systems @ UniTn, 38068 Rovereto (TN), Italy
| | - M Albert Basson
- Centre for Craniofacial and Regenerative Biology and MRC Centre for Neurodevelopmental Disorders, King's College London, London SE1 9RT, UK
| | - Stefano Panzeri
- Neural Computation Laboratory, Istituto Italiano di Tecnologia, Center for Neuroscience and Cognitive Systems @ UniTn, 38068 Rovereto (TN), Italy.
| | - Alessandro Gozzi
- Functional Neuroimaging Laboratory, Istituto Italiano di Tecnologia, Center for Neuroscience and Cognitive Systems @ UniTn, 38068 Rovereto (TN), Italy.
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34
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Valenti M, Pino MC, Mazza M, Panzarino G, Di Paolantonio C, Verrotti A. Abnormal Structural and Functional Connectivity of the Corpus Callosum in Autism Spectrum Disorders: a Review. REVIEW JOURNAL OF AUTISM AND DEVELOPMENTAL DISORDERS 2019. [DOI: 10.1007/s40489-019-00176-9] [Citation(s) in RCA: 7] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.4] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 12/14/2022]
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35
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Deletion of Autism Risk Gene Shank3 Disrupts Prefrontal Connectivity. J Neurosci 2019; 39:5299-5310. [PMID: 31061091 DOI: 10.1523/jneurosci.2529-18.2019] [Citation(s) in RCA: 65] [Impact Index Per Article: 13.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 10/02/2018] [Revised: 12/18/2018] [Accepted: 04/16/2019] [Indexed: 11/21/2022] Open
Abstract
Mutations in the synaptic scaffolding protein SHANK3 are a major cause of autism and are associated with prominent intellectual and language deficits. However, the neural mechanisms whereby SHANK3 deficiency affects higher-order socio-communicative functions remain unclear. Using high-resolution functional and structural MRI in adult male mice, here we show that loss of Shank3 (Shank3B -/-) results in disrupted local and long-range prefrontal and frontostriatal functional connectivity. We document that prefrontal hypoconnectivity is associated with reduced short-range cortical projections density, and reduced gray matter volume. Finally, we show that prefrontal disconnectivity is predictive of social communication deficits, as assessed with ultrasound vocalization recordings. Collectively, our results reveal a critical role of SHANK3 in the development of prefrontal anatomy and function, and suggest that SHANK3 deficiency may predispose to intellectual disability and socio-communicative impairments via dysregulation of higher-order cortical connectivity.SIGNIFICANCE STATEMENT Mutations in the synaptic scaffolding protein SHANK3 are commonly associated with autism, intellectual, and language deficits. Previous research has linked SHANK3 deficiency to basal ganglia dysfunction, motor stereotypies, and social deficits. However, the neural mechanism whereby Shank3 gene mutations affects cortical functional connectivity and higher-order socio-communicative functions remain unclear. Here we show that loss of SHANK3 in mice results in largely disrupted functional connectivity and abnormal gray matter anatomy in prefrontal areas. We also show that prefrontal connectivity disruption is tightly linked to socio-communicative deficits. Our findings suggest that SHANK3 is a critical orchestrator of frontocortical function, and that disrupted connectivity of prefrontal areas may underpin socio-communicative impairments observed in SHANK3 mutation carriers.
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36
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Chelini G, Zerbi V, Cimino L, Grigoli A, Markicevic M, Libera F, Robbiati S, Gadler M, Bronzoni S, Miorelli S, Galbusera A, Gozzi A, Casarosa S, Provenzano G, Bozzi Y. Aberrant Somatosensory Processing and Connectivity in Mice Lacking Engrailed-2. J Neurosci 2019; 39:1525-1538. [PMID: 30593497 PMCID: PMC6381254 DOI: 10.1523/jneurosci.0612-18.2018] [Citation(s) in RCA: 41] [Impact Index Per Article: 8.2] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 03/05/2018] [Revised: 12/12/2018] [Accepted: 12/14/2018] [Indexed: 11/21/2022] Open
Abstract
Overreactivity and defensive behaviors in response to tactile stimuli are common symptoms in autism spectrum disorder (ASD) patients. Similarly, somatosensory hypersensitivity has also been described in mice lacking ASD-associated genes such as Fmr1 (fragile X mental retardation protein 1). Fmr1 knock-out mice also show reduced functional connectivity between sensory cortical areas, which may represent an endogenous biomarker for their hypersensitivity. Here, we measured whole-brain functional connectivity in Engrailed-2 knock-out (En2-/-) adult mice, which show a lower expression of Fmr1 and anatomical defects common to Fmr1 knock-outs. MRI-based resting-state functional connectivity in adult En2-/- mice revealed significantly reduced synchronization in somatosensory-auditory/associative cortices and dorsal thalamus, suggesting the presence of aberrant somatosensory processing in these mutants. Accordingly, when tested in the whisker nuisance test, En2-/- but not WT mice of both sexes showed fear behavior in response to repeated whisker stimulation. En2-/- mice undergoing this test exhibited decreased c-Fos-positive neurons (a marker of neuronal activity) in layer IV of the primary somatosensory cortex and increased immunoreactive cells in the basolateral amygdala compared with WT littermates. Conversely, when tested in a sensory maze, En2-/- and WT mice spent a comparable time in whisker-guided exploration, indicating that whisker-mediated behaviors are otherwise preserved in En2 mutants. Therefore, fearful responses to somatosensory stimuli in En2-/- mice are accompanied by reduced basal connectivity of sensory regions, reduced activation of somatosensory cortex, and increased activation of the basolateral amygdala, suggesting that impaired somatosensory processing is a common feature in mice lacking ASD-related genes.SIGNIFICANCE STATEMENT Overreactivity to tactile stimuli is a common symptom in autism spectrum disorder (ASD) patients. Recent studies performed in mice bearing ASD-related mutations confirmed these findings. Here, we evaluated the behavioral response to whisker stimulation in mice lacking the ASD-related gene Engrailed-2 (En2-/- mice). Compared with WT controls, En2-/- mice showed reduced functional connectivity in the somatosensory cortex, which was paralleled by fear behavior, reduced activation of somatosensory cortex, and increased activation of the basolateral amygdala in response to repeated whisker stimulation. These results suggest that impaired somatosensory signal processing is a common feature in mice harboring ASD-related mutations.
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Affiliation(s)
- Gabriele Chelini
- Center for Integrative Biology (CIBIO), University of Trento, 38123 Trento, Italy
| | - Valerio Zerbi
- Neural Control of Movement Laboratory, Department of Health Sciences and Technology, Eidgenössische Technische Hochschule (ETH) Zürich, 8057 Zurich, Switzerland
| | - Luca Cimino
- Center for Integrative Biology (CIBIO), University of Trento, 38123 Trento, Italy
| | - Andrea Grigoli
- Center for Integrative Biology (CIBIO), University of Trento, 38123 Trento, Italy
| | - Marija Markicevic
- Neural Control of Movement Laboratory, Department of Health Sciences and Technology, Eidgenössische Technische Hochschule (ETH) Zürich, 8057 Zurich, Switzerland
| | - Francesco Libera
- Center for Integrative Biology (CIBIO), University of Trento, 38123 Trento, Italy
- Center for Mind/Brain Sciences (CIMeC), University of Trento, 38068 Rovereto, Italy
| | - Sergio Robbiati
- Model Organisms Facility, Center for Integrative Biology, University of Trento, 38123 Trento, Italy
| | - Mattia Gadler
- Center for Integrative Biology (CIBIO), University of Trento, 38123 Trento, Italy
| | - Silvia Bronzoni
- Center for Integrative Biology (CIBIO), University of Trento, 38123 Trento, Italy
- Center for Mind/Brain Sciences (CIMeC), University of Trento, 38068 Rovereto, Italy
| | - Silvia Miorelli
- Center for Integrative Biology (CIBIO), University of Trento, 38123 Trento, Italy
| | - Alberto Galbusera
- Functional Neuroimaging Laboratory, Center for Neuroscience and Cognitive Systems, Istituto Italiano di Tecnologia, 38068 Rovereto, Italy, and
| | - Alessandro Gozzi
- Functional Neuroimaging Laboratory, Center for Neuroscience and Cognitive Systems, Istituto Italiano di Tecnologia, 38068 Rovereto, Italy, and
| | - Simona Casarosa
- Center for Integrative Biology (CIBIO), University of Trento, 38123 Trento, Italy
- CNR Neuroscience Institute, 56124 Pisa, Italy
| | - Giovanni Provenzano
- Center for Integrative Biology (CIBIO), University of Trento, 38123 Trento, Italy,
| | - Yuri Bozzi
- Center for Mind/Brain Sciences (CIMeC), University of Trento, 38068 Rovereto, Italy,
- CNR Neuroscience Institute, 56124 Pisa, Italy
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37
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Crimi A, Giancardo L, Sambataro F, Gozzi A, Murino V, Sona D. MultiLink Analysis: Brain Network Comparison via Sparse Connectivity Analysis. Sci Rep 2019; 9:65. [PMID: 30635604 PMCID: PMC6329758 DOI: 10.1038/s41598-018-37300-4] [Citation(s) in RCA: 5] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 06/19/2018] [Accepted: 11/23/2018] [Indexed: 01/09/2023] Open
Abstract
The analysis of the brain from a connectivity perspective is revealing novel insights into brain structure and function. Discovery is, however, hindered by the lack of prior knowledge used to make hypotheses. Additionally, exploratory data analysis is made complex by the high dimensionality of data. Indeed, to assess the effect of pathological states on brain networks, neuroscientists are often required to evaluate experimental effects in case-control studies, with hundreds of thousands of connections. In this paper, we propose an approach to identify the multivariate relationships in brain connections that characterize two distinct groups, hence permitting the investigators to immediately discover the subnetworks that contain information about the differences between experimental groups. In particular, we are interested in data discovery related to connectomics, where the connections that characterize differences between two groups of subjects are found. Nevertheless, those connections do not necessarily maximize the accuracy in classification since this does not guarantee reliable interpretation of specific differences between groups. In practice, our method exploits recent machine learning techniques employing sparsity to deal with weighted networks describing the whole-brain macro connectivity. We evaluated our technique on functional and structural connectomes from human and murine brain data. In our experiments, we automatically identified disease-relevant connections in datasets with supervised and unsupervised anatomy-driven parcellation approaches and by using high-dimensional datasets.
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Affiliation(s)
- Alessandro Crimi
- Pattern Analysis and Computer Vision, Istituto Italiano di Tecnologia, Genova, Italy. .,Institute of Neuropathology, University Hospital of Zürich, Zürich, Switzerland.
| | - Luca Giancardo
- Pattern Analysis and Computer Vision, Istituto Italiano di Tecnologia, Genova, Italy.,Center for Precision Health, School of Biomedical Informatics, University of Texas Health Science Center at Houston, Houston, USA
| | - Fabio Sambataro
- Department of Experimental and Clinical Medical Sciences, University of Udine, Udine, Italy
| | - Alessandro Gozzi
- Functional Neuroimaging Laboratory, Istituto Italiano di Tecnologia, Rovereto, Italy
| | - Vittorio Murino
- Pattern Analysis and Computer Vision, Istituto Italiano di Tecnologia, Genova, Italy.,Department of Computer Science, University of Verona, Verona, Italy
| | - Diego Sona
- Pattern Analysis and Computer Vision, Istituto Italiano di Tecnologia, Genova, Italy.,Neuroinformatics Laboratory, Fondazione Bruno Kessler, Trento, Italy
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38
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Non-diagnostic symptoms in a mouse model of autism in relation to neuroanatomy: the BTBR strain reinvestigated. Transl Psychiatry 2018; 8:234. [PMID: 30367028 PMCID: PMC6203744 DOI: 10.1038/s41398-018-0280-x] [Citation(s) in RCA: 26] [Impact Index Per Article: 4.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Submit a Manuscript] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 05/23/2018] [Revised: 08/02/2018] [Accepted: 08/09/2018] [Indexed: 12/16/2022] Open
Abstract
Several mouse models of autism spectrum disorder (ASD), including the BTBR T + tf/J (BTBR) inbred strain, display a diverse array of behavioral deficits with particular face validity. Here we propose that phenotyping these preclinical models of ASD should avoid excessive reliance on appearance validity of the behavioral observations. BTBR mice were examined in three non-diagnostic symptoms modalities, beside an anatomical investigation for construct validity. The BTBR strain displayed poor sensorimotor integration as reflected by shorter stride length and greater latency on the balance beam task (BBT) when compared with C57BL/6 (B6) controls. Also, locomotor indices in the open-field task (OFT) revealed that BTBR mice traveled longer distances with a remarkably faster exploration than the B6 group in favor of hyperactivity and impulsiveness. Furthermore, analysis of spatial performance including search strategies in the Morris water task (MWT) indicated spatial impairment in the BTBR strain due to failure to employ spatial strategies during navigation. Quantitative cytoarchitectonics and volumetric examinations also indicated abnormal cortical and subcortical morphology in the BTBR mice. The results are discussed in relation to the neuroanatomical correlates of motor and cognitive impairments in the BTBR strain. We conclude that non-diagnostic autistic-like symptoms in the BTBR mouse strain can be impacted by autism risk factors in a similar way than the traditional diagnostic signs.
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39
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Belloy ME, Naeyaert M, Abbas A, Shah D, Vanreusel V, van Audekerke J, Keilholz SD, Keliris GA, Van der Linden A, Verhoye M. Dynamic resting state fMRI analysis in mice reveals a set of Quasi-Periodic Patterns and illustrates their relationship with the global signal. Neuroimage 2018; 180:463-484. [PMID: 29454935 PMCID: PMC6093802 DOI: 10.1016/j.neuroimage.2018.01.075] [Citation(s) in RCA: 42] [Impact Index Per Article: 7.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 04/15/2017] [Revised: 01/27/2018] [Accepted: 01/29/2018] [Indexed: 12/22/2022] Open
Abstract
Time-resolved 'dynamic' over whole-period 'static' analysis of low frequency (LF) blood-oxygen level dependent (BOLD) fluctuations provides many additional insights into the macroscale organization and dynamics of neural activity. Although there has been considerable advancement in the development of mouse resting state fMRI (rsfMRI), very little remains known about its dynamic repertoire. Here, we report for the first time the detection of a set of recurring spatiotemporal Quasi-Periodic Patterns (QPPs) in mice, which show spatial similarity with known resting state networks. Furthermore, we establish a close relationship between several of these patterns and the global signal. We acquired high temporal rsfMRI scans under conditions of low (LA) and high (HA) medetomidine-isoflurane anesthesia. We then employed the algorithm developed by Majeed et al. (2011), previously applied in rats and humans, which detects and averages recurring spatiotemporal patterns in the LF BOLD signal. One type of observed patterns in mice was highly similar to those originally observed in rats, displaying propagation from lateral to medial cortical regions, which suggestively pertain to a mouse Task-Positive like network (TPN) and Default Mode like network (DMN). Other QPPs showed more widespread or striatal involvement and were no longer detected after global signal regression (GSR). This was further supported by diminished detection of subcortical dynamics after GSR, with cortical dynamics predominating. Observed QPPs were both qualitatively and quantitatively determined to be consistent across both anesthesia conditions, with GSR producing the same outcome. Under LA, QPPs were consistently detected at both group and single subject level. Under HA, consistency and pattern occurrence rate decreased, whilst cortical contribution to the patterns diminished. These findings confirm the robustness of QPPs across species and demonstrate a new approach to study mouse LF BOLD spatiotemporal dynamics and mechanisms underlying functional connectivity. The observed impact of GSR on QPPs might help better comprehend its controversial role in conventional resting state studies. Finally, consistent detection of QPPs at single subject level under LA promises a step forward towards more reliable mouse rsfMRI and further confirms the importance of selecting an optimal anesthesia regime.
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Affiliation(s)
- Michaël E Belloy
- Bio-Imaging Lab, University of Antwerp, Universiteitsplein 1, 2610 Wilrijk, Antwerp, Belgium.
| | - Maarten Naeyaert
- Bio-Imaging Lab, University of Antwerp, Universiteitsplein 1, 2610 Wilrijk, Antwerp, Belgium
| | - Anzar Abbas
- Neuroscience, Emory University, 1760 Haygood Dr NE, Atlanta, GA 30322, United States
| | - Disha Shah
- Bio-Imaging Lab, University of Antwerp, Universiteitsplein 1, 2610 Wilrijk, Antwerp, Belgium
| | - Verdi Vanreusel
- Bio-Imaging Lab, University of Antwerp, Universiteitsplein 1, 2610 Wilrijk, Antwerp, Belgium
| | - Johan van Audekerke
- Bio-Imaging Lab, University of Antwerp, Universiteitsplein 1, 2610 Wilrijk, Antwerp, Belgium
| | - Shella D Keilholz
- Biomedical Engineering, Emory University and Georgia Institute of Technology, 1760 Haygood Dr NE, Atlanta, GA 30322, United States
| | - Georgios A Keliris
- Bio-Imaging Lab, University of Antwerp, Universiteitsplein 1, 2610 Wilrijk, Antwerp, Belgium
| | - Annemie Van der Linden
- Bio-Imaging Lab, University of Antwerp, Universiteitsplein 1, 2610 Wilrijk, Antwerp, Belgium
| | - Marleen Verhoye
- Bio-Imaging Lab, University of Antwerp, Universiteitsplein 1, 2610 Wilrijk, Antwerp, Belgium
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40
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Li Y, Shen M, Stockton ME, Zhao X. Hippocampal deficits in neurodevelopmental disorders. Neurobiol Learn Mem 2018; 165:106945. [PMID: 30321651 DOI: 10.1016/j.nlm.2018.10.001] [Citation(s) in RCA: 37] [Impact Index Per Article: 6.2] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 01/18/2018] [Revised: 10/08/2018] [Accepted: 10/11/2018] [Indexed: 12/17/2022]
Abstract
Neurodevelopmental disorders result from impaired development or maturation of the central nervous system. Both genetic and environmental factors can contribute to the pathogenesis of these disorders; however, the exact causes are frequently complex and unclear. Individuals with neurodevelopmental disorders may have deficits with diverse manifestations, including challenges with sensory function, motor function, learning, memory, executive function, emotion, anxiety, and social ability. Although these functions are mediated by multiple brain regions, many of them are dependent on the hippocampus. Extensive research supports important roles of the mammalian hippocampus in learning and cognition. In addition, with its high levels of activity-dependent synaptic plasticity and lifelong neurogenesis, the hippocampus is sensitive to experience and exposure and susceptible to disease and injury. In this review, we first summarize hippocampal deficits seen in several human neurodevelopmental disorders, and then discuss hippocampal impairment including hippocampus-dependent behavioral deficits found in animal models of these neurodevelopmental disorders.
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Affiliation(s)
- Yue Li
- Institute of Traditional Chinese Medicine, Tianjin University of Traditional Chinese Medicine, Tianjin 301617, China; Waisman Center, University of Wisconsin-Madison, Madison, WI 53705, USA; Department of Neuroscience, University of Wisconsin-Madison, Madison, WI 53705, USA
| | - Minjie Shen
- Waisman Center, University of Wisconsin-Madison, Madison, WI 53705, USA; Department of Neuroscience, University of Wisconsin-Madison, Madison, WI 53705, USA
| | - Michael E Stockton
- Department of Neuroscience, University of Wisconsin-Madison, Madison, WI 53705, USA
| | - Xinyu Zhao
- Waisman Center, University of Wisconsin-Madison, Madison, WI 53705, USA; Department of Neuroscience, University of Wisconsin-Madison, Madison, WI 53705, USA.
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41
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Nakai N, Takumi T, Nakai J, Sato M. Common Defects of Spine Dynamics and Circuit Function in Neurodevelopmental Disorders: A Systematic Review of Findings From in Vivo Optical Imaging of Mouse Models. Front Neurosci 2018; 12:412. [PMID: 29970983 PMCID: PMC6018076 DOI: 10.3389/fnins.2018.00412] [Citation(s) in RCA: 24] [Impact Index Per Article: 4.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 03/14/2018] [Accepted: 05/29/2018] [Indexed: 11/18/2022] Open
Abstract
In vivo optical imaging is a powerful tool for revealing brain structure and function at both the circuit and cellular levels. Here, we provide a systematic review of findings obtained from in vivo imaging studies of mouse models of neurodevelopmental disorders, including the monogenic disorders fragile X syndrome, Rett syndrome, and Angelman syndrome, which are caused by genetic abnormalities of FMR1, MECP2, and UBE3A, as well as disorders caused by copy number variations (15q11-13 duplication and 22q11.2 deletion) and BTBR mice as an inbred strain model of autism spectrum disorder (ASD). Most studies visualize the structural and functional responsiveness of cerebral cortical neurons to sensory stimuli and the developmental and experience-dependent changes in these responses as a model of brain functions affected by these disorders. The optical imaging techniques include two-photon microscopy of fluorescently labeled dendritic spines or neurons loaded with fluorescent calcium indicators and macroscopic imaging of cortical activity using calcium indicators, voltage-sensitive dyes or intrinsic optical signals. Studies have revealed alterations in the density, stability, and turnover of dendritic spines, aberrant cortical sensory responses, impaired inhibitory function, and concomitant failure of circuit maturation as common causes for neurological deficits. Mechanistic hypotheses derived from in vivo imaging also provide new directions for therapeutic interventions. For instance, it was recently demonstrated that early postnatal administration of a selective serotonin reuptake inhibitor (SSRI) restores impaired cortical inhibitory function and ameliorates the aberrant social behaviors in a mouse model of ASD. We discuss the potential use of SSRIs for treating ASDs in light of these findings.
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Affiliation(s)
| | | | - Junichi Nakai
- RIKEN Center for Brain Science, Wako, Japan
- RIKEN Center for Advanced Intelligence Project, Tokyo, Japan
- Graduate School of Science and Engineering, Saitama University, Saitama, Japan
- Brain and Body System Science Institute, Saitama University, Saitama, Japan
| | - Masaaki Sato
- RIKEN Center for Brain Science, Wako, Japan
- Graduate School of Science and Engineering, Saitama University, Saitama, Japan
- Brain and Body System Science Institute, Saitama University, Saitama, Japan
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42
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Campolongo M, Kazlauskas N, Falasco G, Urrutia L, Salgueiro N, Höcht C, Depino AM. Sociability deficits after prenatal exposure to valproic acid are rescued by early social enrichment. Mol Autism 2018; 9:36. [PMID: 29946415 PMCID: PMC6001054 DOI: 10.1186/s13229-018-0221-9] [Citation(s) in RCA: 51] [Impact Index Per Article: 8.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 03/02/2018] [Accepted: 05/31/2018] [Indexed: 12/28/2022] Open
Abstract
Background Autism spectrum disorder (ASD) is characterized by impaired social interactions and repetitive patterns of behavior. Symptoms appear in early life and persist throughout adulthood. Early social stimulation can help reverse some of the symptoms, but the biological mechanisms of these therapies are unknown. By analyzing the effects of early social stimulation on ASD-related behavior in the mouse, we aimed to identify brain structures that contribute to these behaviors. Methods We injected pregnant mice with 600-mg/kg valproic acid (VPA) or saline (SAL) at gestational day 12.5 and evaluated the effect of weaning their offspring in cages containing only VPA animals, only SAL animals, or mixed. We analyzed juvenile play at PD21 and performed a battery of behavioral tests in adulthood. We then used preclinical PET imaging for an unbiased analysis of the whole brain of these mice and studied the function of the piriform cortex by c-Fos immunoreactivity and HPLC. Results Compared to control animals, VPA-exposed animals play less as juveniles and exhibit a lower frequency of social interaction in adulthood when reared with other VPA mice. In addition, these animals were less likely to investigate social odors in the habituation/dishabituation olfactory test. However, when VPA animals were weaned with control animals, these behavioral alterations were not observed. Interestingly, repetitive behaviors and depression-related behaviors were not affected by social enrichment. We also found that VPA animals present high levels of glucose metabolism bilaterally in the piriform cortex (Pir), a region known to be involved in social behaviors. Moreover, we found alterations in the somatosensory, motor, and insular cortices. Remarkably, these effects were mostly reversed after social stimulation. To evaluate if changes in glucose metabolism in the Pir correlated with changes in neuronal activity, we measured c-Fos immunoreactivity in the Pir and found it increased in animals prenatally exposed to VPA. We further found increased dopamine turnover in the Pir. Both alterations were largely reversed by social enrichment. Conclusions We show that early social enrichment can specifically rescue social deficits in a mouse model of ASD. Our results identified the Pir as a structure affected by VPA-exposure and social enrichment, suggesting that it could be a key component of the social brain circuitry. Electronic supplementary material The online version of this article (10.1186/s13229-018-0221-9) contains supplementary material, which is available to authorized users.
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Affiliation(s)
- Marcos Campolongo
- Universidad de Buenos Aires, Facultad de Ciencias Exactas y Naturales, Departamento de Fisiología, Biología Molecular y Celular, Buenos Aires, Argentina.,2CONICET-Universidad de Buenos Aires, Instituto de Fisiología, Biología Molecular y Neurociencias (IFIBYNE), Buenos Aires, Argentina
| | - Nadia Kazlauskas
- Universidad de Buenos Aires, Facultad de Ciencias Exactas y Naturales, Departamento de Fisiología, Biología Molecular y Celular, Buenos Aires, Argentina.,2CONICET-Universidad de Buenos Aires, Instituto de Fisiología, Biología Molecular y Neurociencias (IFIBYNE), Buenos Aires, Argentina
| | - German Falasco
- 3FLENI, Centro de Imágenes Moleculares, Laboratorio de Imágenes Preclínicas, Buenos Aires, Argentina
| | - Leandro Urrutia
- 3FLENI, Centro de Imágenes Moleculares, Laboratorio de Imágenes Preclínicas, Buenos Aires, Argentina
| | - Natalí Salgueiro
- Universidad de Buenos Aires, Facultad de Ciencias Exactas y Naturales, Departamento de Fisiología, Biología Molecular y Celular, Buenos Aires, Argentina.,2CONICET-Universidad de Buenos Aires, Instituto de Fisiología, Biología Molecular y Neurociencias (IFIBYNE), Buenos Aires, Argentina
| | - Christian Höcht
- 4Facultad de Farmacia y Bioquímica, Cátedra de Farmacología, Universidad de Buenos Aires, Buenos Aires, Argentina
| | - Amaicha Mara Depino
- Universidad de Buenos Aires, Facultad de Ciencias Exactas y Naturales, Departamento de Fisiología, Biología Molecular y Celular, Buenos Aires, Argentina.,2CONICET-Universidad de Buenos Aires, Instituto de Fisiología, Biología Molecular y Neurociencias (IFIBYNE), Buenos Aires, Argentina.,5UBA-CONICET, Ciudad Universitaria, Int. Guiraldes 2160, Pabellon 2, Ciudad de Buenos Aires, Argentina
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43
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Michetti C, Caruso A, Pagani M, Sabbioni M, Medrihan L, David G, Galbusera A, Morini M, Gozzi A, Benfenati F, Scattoni ML. The Knockout of Synapsin II in Mice Impairs Social Behavior and Functional Connectivity Generating an ASD-like Phenotype. Cereb Cortex 2018; 27:5014-5023. [PMID: 28922833 DOI: 10.1093/cercor/bhx207] [Citation(s) in RCA: 33] [Impact Index Per Article: 5.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 02/06/2017] [Indexed: 12/28/2022] Open
Abstract
Autism spectrum disorders (ASD) and epilepsy are neurodevelopmental conditions that appear with high rate of co-occurrence, suggesting the possibility of a common genetic basis. Mutations in Synapsin (SYN) genes, particularly SYN1 and SYN2, have been recently associated with ASD and epilepsy in humans. Accordingly, mice lacking Syn1 or Syn2, but not Syn3, experience epileptic seizures and display autistic-like traits that precede the onset of seizures. Here, we analyzed social behavior and ultrasonic vocalizations emitted in 2 social contexts by SynI, SynII, or SynIII mutants and show that SynII mutants display the most severe ASD-like phenotype. We also show that the behavioral SynII phenotype correlates with a significant decrease in auditory and hippocampal functional connectivity as measured with resting state functional magnetic resonance imaging (rsfMRI). Taken together, our results reveal a permissive contribution of Syn2 to the expression of normal socio-communicative behavior, and suggest that Syn2-mediated synaptic dysfunction can lead to ASD-like behavior through dysregulation of cortical connectivity.
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Affiliation(s)
- Caterina Michetti
- Center for Synaptic Neuroscience and Technology, Istituto Italiano di Tecnologia, Genova 16132, Italy
| | - Angela Caruso
- Research Coordination and support Service, Istituto Superiore di Sanità, Viale Regina Elena 299, 00161 Rome, Italy
| | - Marco Pagani
- Functional Neuroimaging Laboratory, Center for Neuroscience and Cognitive Systems @ UniTn, Istituto Italiano di Tecnologia, Rovereto 38068, Italy.,Center for Mind and Brain Sciences, University of Trento, Rovereto 38068, Italy
| | - Mara Sabbioni
- Research Coordination and support Service, Istituto Superiore di Sanità, Viale Regina Elena 299, 00161 Rome, Italy
| | - Lucian Medrihan
- Center for Synaptic Neuroscience and Technology, Istituto Italiano di Tecnologia, Genova 16132, Italy
| | - Gergely David
- Functional Neuroimaging Laboratory, Center for Neuroscience and Cognitive Systems @ UniTn, Istituto Italiano di Tecnologia, Rovereto 38068, Italy
| | - Alberto Galbusera
- Functional Neuroimaging Laboratory, Center for Neuroscience and Cognitive Systems @ UniTn, Istituto Italiano di Tecnologia, Rovereto 38068, Italy
| | - Monica Morini
- Center for Synaptic Neuroscience and Technology, Istituto Italiano di Tecnologia, Genova 16132, Italy
| | - Alessandro Gozzi
- Functional Neuroimaging Laboratory, Center for Neuroscience and Cognitive Systems @ UniTn, Istituto Italiano di Tecnologia, Rovereto 38068, Italy
| | - Fabio Benfenati
- Center for Synaptic Neuroscience and Technology, Istituto Italiano di Tecnologia, Genova 16132, Italy
| | - Maria Luisa Scattoni
- Research Coordination and support Service, Istituto Superiore di Sanità, Viale Regina Elena 299, 00161 Rome, Italy
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44
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The neural circuitry of restricted repetitive behavior: Magnetic resonance imaging in neurodevelopmental disorders and animal models. Neurosci Biobehav Rev 2018; 92:152-171. [PMID: 29802854 DOI: 10.1016/j.neubiorev.2018.05.022] [Citation(s) in RCA: 46] [Impact Index Per Article: 7.7] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 08/11/2017] [Revised: 04/18/2018] [Accepted: 05/20/2018] [Indexed: 11/23/2022]
Abstract
Restricted, repetitive behaviors (RRBs) are patterns of behavior that exhibit little variation in form and have no obvious function. RRBs although transdiagonstic are a particularly prominent feature of certain neurodevelopmental disorders, yet relatively little is known about the neural circuitry of RRBs. Past work in this area has focused on isolated brain regions and neurotransmitter systems, but implementing a neural circuit approach has the potential to greatly improve understanding of RRBs. Magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) is well-suited to studying the structural and functional connectivity of the nervous system, and is a highly translational research tool. In this review, we synthesize MRI research from both neurodevelopmental disorders and relevant animal models that informs the neural circuitry of RRB. Together, these studies implicate distributed neural circuits between the cortex, basal ganglia, and cerebellum. Despite progress in neuroimaging of RRB, there are many opportunities for conceptual and methodological improvement. We conclude by suggesting future directions for MRI research in RRB, and how such studies can benefit from complementary approaches in neuroscience.
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45
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Liska A, Bertero A, Gomolka R, Sabbioni M, Galbusera A, Barsotti N, Panzeri S, Scattoni ML, Pasqualetti M, Gozzi A. Homozygous Loss of Autism-Risk Gene CNTNAP2 Results in Reduced Local and Long-Range Prefrontal Functional Connectivity. Cereb Cortex 2018; 28:1141-1153. [PMID: 28184409 DOI: 10.1093/cercor/bhx022] [Citation(s) in RCA: 61] [Impact Index Per Article: 10.2] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 06/10/2016] [Accepted: 01/18/2017] [Indexed: 12/16/2023] Open
Abstract
Functional connectivity aberrancies, as measured with resting-state functional magnetic resonance imaging (rsfMRI), have been consistently observed in the brain of autism spectrum disorders (ASD) patients. However, the genetic and neurobiological underpinnings of these findings remain unclear. Homozygous mutations in contactin associated protein-like 2 (CNTNAP2), a neurexin-related cell-adhesion protein, are strongly linked to autism and epilepsy. Here we used rsfMRI to show that homozygous mice lacking Cntnap2 exhibit reduced long-range and local functional connectivity in prefrontal and midline brain "connectivity hubs." Long-range rsfMRI connectivity impairments affected heteromodal cortical regions and were prominent between fronto-posterior components of the mouse default-mode network, an effect that was associated with reduced social investigation, a core "autism trait" in mice. Notably, viral tracing revealed reduced frequency of prefrontal-projecting neural clusters in the cingulate cortex of Cntnap2-/- mutants, suggesting a possible contribution of defective mesoscale axonal wiring to the observed functional impairments. Macroscale cortico-cortical white-matter organization appeared to be otherwise preserved in these animals. These findings reveal a key contribution of ASD-associated gene CNTNAP2 in modulating macroscale functional connectivity, and suggest that homozygous loss-of-function mutations in this gene may predispose to neurodevelopmental disorders and autism through a selective dysregulation of connectivity in integrative prefrontal areas.
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Affiliation(s)
- Adam Liska
- Functional Neuroimaging Laboratory, Center for Neuroscience and Cognitive Systems @ UniTn, Istituto Italiano di Tecnologia, Rovereto 38068, Italy
- CIMeC, Center for Mind/Brain Sciences, University of Trento, Rovereto 38068, Italy
| | - Alice Bertero
- Functional Neuroimaging Laboratory, Center for Neuroscience and Cognitive Systems @ UniTn, Istituto Italiano di Tecnologia, Rovereto 38068, Italy
- Department of Biology, Unit of Cell and Developmental Biology, University of Pisa, Pisa 56127, Italy
| | - Ryszard Gomolka
- Functional Neuroimaging Laboratory, Center for Neuroscience and Cognitive Systems @ UniTn, Istituto Italiano di Tecnologia, Rovereto 38068, Italy
| | - Mara Sabbioni
- Department of Cell Biology and Neurosciences, Istituto Superiore di Sanità, Neurotoxicology and Neuroendocrinology Section, Rome 00161, Italy
| | - Alberto Galbusera
- Functional Neuroimaging Laboratory, Center for Neuroscience and Cognitive Systems @ UniTn, Istituto Italiano di Tecnologia, Rovereto 38068, Italy
| | - Noemi Barsotti
- Department of Biology, Unit of Cell and Developmental Biology, University of Pisa, Pisa 56127, Italy
| | - Stefano Panzeri
- Neural Computation Laboratory, Center for Neuroscience and Cognitive Systems @ UniTn, Istituto Italiano di Tecnologia, Rovereto 38068, Italy
| | - Maria Luisa Scattoni
- Department of Cell Biology and Neurosciences, Istituto Superiore di Sanità, Neurotoxicology and Neuroendocrinology Section, Rome 00161, Italy
| | - Massimo Pasqualetti
- Functional Neuroimaging Laboratory, Center for Neuroscience and Cognitive Systems @ UniTn, Istituto Italiano di Tecnologia, Rovereto 38068, Italy
- Department of Biology, Unit of Cell and Developmental Biology, University of Pisa, Pisa 56127, Italy
| | - Alessandro Gozzi
- Functional Neuroimaging Laboratory, Center for Neuroscience and Cognitive Systems @ UniTn, Istituto Italiano di Tecnologia, Rovereto 38068, Italy
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Bajic D, Craig MM, Mongerson CRL, Borsook D, Becerra L. Identifying Rodent Resting-State Brain Networks with Independent Component Analysis. Front Neurosci 2017; 11:685. [PMID: 29311770 PMCID: PMC5733053 DOI: 10.3389/fnins.2017.00685] [Citation(s) in RCA: 33] [Impact Index Per Article: 4.7] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 08/22/2017] [Accepted: 11/22/2017] [Indexed: 01/08/2023] Open
Abstract
Rodent models have opened the door to a better understanding of the neurobiology of brain disorders and increased our ability to evaluate novel treatments. Resting-state functional magnetic resonance imaging (rs-fMRI) allows for in vivo exploration of large-scale brain networks with high spatial resolution. Its application in rodents affords researchers a powerful translational tool to directly assess/explore the effects of various pharmacological, lesion, and/or disease states on known neural circuits within highly controlled settings. Integration of animal and human research at the molecular-, systems-, and behavioral-levels using diverse neuroimaging techniques empowers more robust interrogations of abnormal/ pathological processes, critical for evolving our understanding of neuroscience. We present a comprehensive protocol to evaluate resting-state brain networks using Independent Component Analysis (ICA) in rodent model. Specifically, we begin with a brief review of the physiological basis for rs-fMRI technique and overview of rs-fMRI studies in rodents to date, following which we provide a robust step-by-step approach for rs-fMRI investigation including data collection, computational preprocessing, and brain network analysis. Pipelines are interwoven with underlying theory behind each step and summarized methodological considerations, such as alternative methods available and current consensus in the literature for optimal results. The presented protocol is designed in such a way that investigators without previous knowledge in the field can implement the analysis and obtain viable results that reliably detect significant differences in functional connectivity between experimental groups. Our goal is to empower researchers to implement rs-fMRI in their respective fields by incorporating technical considerations to date into a workable methodological framework.
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Affiliation(s)
- Dusica Bajic
- Department of Anesthesiology, Perioperative and Pain Medicine, Boston Children's Hospital, Boston, MA, United States.,Center for Pain and the Brain, Boston Children's Hospital, Boston, MA, United States.,Department of Anaesthesia, Harvard Medical School, Harvard University, Boston, MA, United States
| | - Michael M Craig
- Department of Anesthesiology, Perioperative and Pain Medicine, Boston Children's Hospital, Boston, MA, United States.,Center for Pain and the Brain, Boston Children's Hospital, Boston, MA, United States
| | - Chandler R L Mongerson
- Department of Anesthesiology, Perioperative and Pain Medicine, Boston Children's Hospital, Boston, MA, United States.,Center for Pain and the Brain, Boston Children's Hospital, Boston, MA, United States
| | - David Borsook
- Department of Anesthesiology, Perioperative and Pain Medicine, Boston Children's Hospital, Boston, MA, United States.,Center for Pain and the Brain, Boston Children's Hospital, Boston, MA, United States.,Department of Anaesthesia, Harvard Medical School, Harvard University, Boston, MA, United States
| | - Lino Becerra
- Department of Anesthesiology, Perioperative and Pain Medicine, Boston Children's Hospital, Boston, MA, United States.,Center for Pain and the Brain, Boston Children's Hospital, Boston, MA, United States.,Department of Anaesthesia, Harvard Medical School, Harvard University, Boston, MA, United States
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47
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Liu M, Xu P, Guan Z, Qian X, Dockery P, Fitzgerald U, O'Brien T, Shen S. Ulk4 deficiency leads to hypomyelination in mice. Glia 2017; 66:175-190. [PMID: 29034508 DOI: 10.1002/glia.23236] [Citation(s) in RCA: 20] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.9] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 07/20/2017] [Revised: 09/07/2017] [Accepted: 09/11/2017] [Indexed: 12/14/2022]
Abstract
Brain nerve fibers are insulated by myelin which is produced by oligodendrocytes. Defects in myelination are increasingly recognized as a common pathology underlying neuropsychiatric and neurodevelopmental disorders, which are associated with deletions of the Unc-51-like kinase 4 (ULK4) gene. Key transcription factors have been identified for oligodendrogenesis, but little is known about their associated regulators. Here we report that Ulk4 acts as a key regulator of myelination. Myelination is reduced by half in the Ulk4tm1a/tm1a hypomorph brain, whereas expression of axonal marker genes Tubb3, Nefh, Nefl and Nefm remains unaltered. Transcriptome analyses reveal that 8 (Gfap, Mbp, Mobp, Plp1, Slc1a2, Ttr, Cnp, Scd2) of the 10 most significantly altered genes in the Ulk4tm1a/tm1a brain are myelination-related. Ulk4 is co-expressed in Olig2+ (pan-oligodendrocyte marker) and CC1+ (mature myelinated oligodendrocyte marker) cells during postnatal development. Major oligodendrogeneic transcription factors, including Olig2, Olig1, Myrf, Sox10, Sox8, Sox6, Sox17, Nkx2-2, Nkx6-2 and Carhsp1, are significantly downregulated in the mutants. mRNA transcripts enriched in oligodendrocyte progenitor cells (OPCs), the newly formed oligodendrocytes (NFOs) and myelinating oligodendrocytes (MOs), are significantly attenuated. Expression of stage-specific oligodendrocyte factors including Cspg4, Sox17, Nfasc, Enpp6, Sirt2, Cnp, Plp1, Mbp, Ugt8, Mag and Mog are markedly decreased. Indirect effects of axon caliber and neuroinflammation may also contribute to the hypomyelination, as Ulk4 mutants display smaller axons and increased neuroinflammation. This is the first evidence demonstrating that ULK4 is a crucial regulator of myelination, and ULK4 may therefore become a novel therapeutic target for hypomyelination diseases.
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Affiliation(s)
- Min Liu
- Regenerative Medicine Institute, School of Medicine, National University of Ireland (NUI) Galway, Galway, Ireland
| | - Ping Xu
- State Key Laboratory of Proteomics, National Center for Protein Sciences, Beijing Proteome Research Center, National Engineering Research Center for Protein Drugs, Beijing Institute of Radiation Medicine, Beijing, 102206, China
| | - Zhenlong Guan
- Department of Physiology, College of Life Science, Hebei Normal University, Shijiazhuang, China
| | - Xiaohong Qian
- State Key Laboratory of Proteomics, National Center for Protein Sciences, Beijing Proteome Research Center, National Engineering Research Center for Protein Drugs, Beijing Institute of Radiation Medicine, Beijing, 102206, China
| | - Peter Dockery
- Anatomy, School of Medicine, National University of Ireland (NUI) Galway, Galway, Ireland
| | - Una Fitzgerald
- National Centre for Biomedical Engineering Science, Galway Neuroscience Centre, National University of Ireland (NUI) Galway, Galway, Ireland
| | - Timothy O'Brien
- Regenerative Medicine Institute, School of Medicine, National University of Ireland (NUI) Galway, Galway, Ireland
| | - Sanbing Shen
- Regenerative Medicine Institute, School of Medicine, National University of Ireland (NUI) Galway, Galway, Ireland
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48
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Bridging Autism Spectrum Disorders and Schizophrenia through inflammation and biomarkers - pre-clinical and clinical investigations. J Neuroinflammation 2017; 14:179. [PMID: 28870209 PMCID: PMC5584030 DOI: 10.1186/s12974-017-0938-y] [Citation(s) in RCA: 79] [Impact Index Per Article: 11.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 03/03/2017] [Accepted: 08/08/2017] [Indexed: 12/15/2022] Open
Abstract
In recent years, evidence supporting a link between inflammation and neuropsychiatric disorders has been mounting. Autism spectrum disorders (ASD) and schizophrenia share some clinical similarities which we hypothesize might reflect the same biological basis, namely, in terms of inflammation. However, the diagnosis of ASD and schizophrenia relies solely on clinical symptoms, and to date, there is no clinically useful biomarker to diagnose or monitor the course of such illnesses. The focus of this review is the central role that inflammation plays in ASD and schizophrenia. It spans from pre-clinical animal models to clinical research and excludes in vitro studies. Four major areas are covered: (1) microglia, the inflammatory brain resident myeloid cells, (2) biomarkers, including circulating cytokines, oxidative stress markers, and microRNA players, known to influence cellular processes at brain and immune levels, (3) effect of anti-psychotics on biomarkers and other predictors of response, and (4) impact of gender on response to immune activation, biomarkers, and response to anti-psychotic treatments.
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49
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Structural Basis of Large-Scale Functional Connectivity in the Mouse. J Neurosci 2017; 37:8092-8101. [PMID: 28716961 DOI: 10.1523/jneurosci.0438-17.2017] [Citation(s) in RCA: 91] [Impact Index Per Article: 13.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 02/16/2017] [Revised: 06/20/2017] [Accepted: 06/28/2017] [Indexed: 11/21/2022] Open
Abstract
Translational neuroimaging requires approaches and techniques that can bridge between multiple different species and disease states. One candidate method that offers insights into the brain's functional connectivity (FC) is resting-state fMRI (rs-fMRI). In both humans and nonhuman primates, patterns of FC (often referred to as the functional connectome) have been related to the underlying structural connectivity (SC; also called the structural connectome). Given the recent rise in preclinical neuroimaging of mouse models, it is an important question whether the mouse functional connectome conforms to the underlying SC. Here, we compared FC derived from rs-fMRI in female mice with the underlying monosynaptic structural connectome as provided by the Allen Brain Connectivity Atlas. We show that FC between interhemispheric homotopic cortical and hippocampal areas, as well as in cortico-striatal pathways, emerges primarily via monosynaptic structural connections. In particular, we demonstrate that the striatum (STR) can be segregated according to differential rs-fMRI connectivity patterns that mirror monosynaptic connectivity with isocortex. In contrast, for certain subcortical networks, FC emerges along polysynaptic pathways as shown for left and right STR, which do not share direct anatomical connections, but high FC is putatively driven by a top-down cortical control. Finally, we show that FC involving cortico-thalamic pathways is limited, possibly confounded by the effect of anesthesia, small regional size, and tracer injection volume. These findings provide a critical foundation for using rs-fMRI connectivity as a translational tool to study complex brain circuitry interactions and their pathology due to neurological or psychiatric diseases across species.SIGNIFICANCE STATEMENT A comprehensive understanding of how the anatomical architecture of the brain, often referred to as the "connectome," corresponds to its function is arguably one of the biggest challenges for understanding the brain and its pathologies. Here, we use the mouse as a model for comparing functional connectivity (FC) derived from resting-state fMRI with gold standard structural connectivity measures based on tracer injections. In particular, we demonstrate high correspondence between FC measurements of cortico-cortical and cortico-striatal regions and their anatomical underpinnings. This work provides a critical foundation for studying the pathology of these circuits across mouse models and human patients.
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50
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Schroeter A, Grandjean J, Schlegel F, Saab BJ, Rudin M. Contributions of structural connectivity and cerebrovascular parameters to functional magnetic resonance imaging signals in mice at rest and during sensory paw stimulation. J Cereb Blood Flow Metab 2017; 37:2368-2382. [PMID: 27596833 PMCID: PMC5531337 DOI: 10.1177/0271678x16666292] [Citation(s) in RCA: 23] [Impact Index Per Article: 3.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Submit a Manuscript] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 12/18/2022]
Abstract
Previously, we reported widespread bilateral increases in stimulus-evoked functional magnetic resonance imaging signals in mouse brain to unilateral sensory paw stimulation. We attributed the pattern to arousal-related cardiovascular changes overruling cerebral autoregulation thereby masking specific signal changes elicited by local neuronal activity. To rule out the possibility that interhemispheric neuronal communication might contribute to bilateral functional magnetic resonance imaging responses, we compared stimulus-evoked functional magnetic resonance imaging responses to unilateral hindpaw stimulation in acallosal I/LnJ, C57BL/6, and BALB/c mice. We found bilateral blood-oxygenation-level dependent signal changes in all three strains, ruling out a dominant contribution of transcallosal communication as reason for bilaterality. Analysis of functional connectivity derived from resting-state functional magnetic resonance imaging, revealed that bilateral cortical functional connectivity is largely abolished in I/LnJ animals. Cortical functional connectivity in all strains correlated with structural connectivity in corpus callosum as revealed by diffusion tensor imaging. Given the profound influence of systemic hemodynamics on stimulus-evoked functional magnetic resonance imaging outcomes, we evaluated whether functional connectivity data might be affected by cerebrovascular parameters, i.e. baseline cerebral blood volume, vascular reactivity, and reserve. We found that effects of cerebral hemodynamics on functional connectivity are largely outweighed by dominating contributions of structural connectivity. In contrast, contributions of transcallosal interhemispheric communication to the occurrence of ipsilateral functional magnetic resonance imaging response of equal amplitude to unilateral stimuli seem negligible.
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Affiliation(s)
- Aileen Schroeter
- 1 Institute for Biomedical Engineering, University and ETH Zurich, Zurich, Switzerland.,2 Neuroscience Center Zurich, University and ETH Zurich, Zurich, Switzerland
| | - Joanes Grandjean
- 1 Institute for Biomedical Engineering, University and ETH Zurich, Zurich, Switzerland.,2 Neuroscience Center Zurich, University and ETH Zurich, Zurich, Switzerland
| | - Felix Schlegel
- 1 Institute for Biomedical Engineering, University and ETH Zurich, Zurich, Switzerland.,2 Neuroscience Center Zurich, University and ETH Zurich, Zurich, Switzerland
| | - Bechara J Saab
- 2 Neuroscience Center Zurich, University and ETH Zurich, Zurich, Switzerland.,3 Preclinical Laboratory for Translational Research into Affective Disorders, University of Zurich Hospital for Psychiatry, Zurich, Switzerland
| | - Markus Rudin
- 1 Institute for Biomedical Engineering, University and ETH Zurich, Zurich, Switzerland.,2 Neuroscience Center Zurich, University and ETH Zurich, Zurich, Switzerland.,4 Institute of Pharmacology and Toxicology, University of Zurich, Zurich, Switzerland
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