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King L, Weiner KS. Transcriptomic contributions to a modern cytoarchitectonic parcellation of the human cerebral cortex. Brain Struct Funct 2024; 229:919-936. [PMID: 38492042 DOI: 10.1007/s00429-023-02754-4] [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: 07/24/2023] [Accepted: 12/19/2023] [Indexed: 03/18/2024]
Abstract
Transcriptomic contributions to the anatomical, functional, and network layout of the human cerebral cortex (HCC) have become a major interest in cognitive and systems neuroscience. Here, we tested if transcriptomic differences support a modern, algorithmic cytoarchitectonic parcellation of HCC. Using a data-driven approach, we identified a sparse subset of genes that differentially contributed to the cytoarchitectonic parcellation of HCC. A combined metric of cortical thickness and myelination (CT/M ratio), as well as cell density, correlated with gene expression. Enrichment analyses showed that genes specific to the cytoarchitectonic parcellation of the HCC were related to molecular functions such as transmembrane transport and ion channel activity. Together, the relationship between transcriptomics and cytoarchitecture bridges the gap among (i) gradients at the macro-scale (including thickness and myelination), (ii) areas at the meso-scale, and (iii) cell density at the microscale, as well as supports the recently proposed cortical spectrum theory and structural model.
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Affiliation(s)
- Leana King
- Helen Wills Neuroscience Institute, University of California Berkeley, Berkeley, CA, 94720, USA.
- Department of Neuroscience, University of California Berkeley, Berkeley, CA, 94720, USA.
| | - Kevin S Weiner
- Helen Wills Neuroscience Institute, University of California Berkeley, Berkeley, CA, 94720, USA
- Department of Neuroscience, University of California Berkeley, Berkeley, CA, 94720, USA
- Department of Psychology, University of California Berkeley, Berkeley, CA, 94720, USA
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2
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Yao G, Zou T, Luo J, Hu S, Yang L, Li J, Li X, Zhang Y, Feng K, Xu Y, Liu P. Cortical structural changes of morphometric similarity network in early-onset schizophrenia correlate with specific transcriptional expression patterns. BMC Med 2023; 21:479. [PMID: 38049797 PMCID: PMC10696871 DOI: 10.1186/s12916-023-03201-1] [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: 08/01/2023] [Accepted: 11/27/2023] [Indexed: 12/06/2023] Open
Abstract
BACKGROUND This study aimed to investigate the neuroanatomical subtypes among early-onset schizophrenia (EOS) patients by exploring the association between structural alterations and molecular mechanisms using a combined analysis of morphometric similarity network (MSN) changes and specific transcriptional expression patterns. METHODS We recruited 206 subjects aged 7 to 17 years, including 100 EOS patients and 106 healthy controls (HC). Heterogeneity through discriminant analysis (HYDRA) was used to identify the EOS subtypes within the MSN strength. The differences in morphometric similarity between each EOS subtype and HC were compared. Furthermore, we examined the link between morphometric changes and brain-wide gene expression in different EOS subtypes using partial least squares regression (PLS) weight mapping, evaluated genetic commonalities with psychiatric disorders, identified functional enrichments of PLS-weighted genes, and assessed cellular transcriptional signatures. RESULTS Two distinct MSN-based EOS subtypes were identified, each exhibiting different abnormal MSN strength and cognitive functions compared to HC. The PLS1 score mapping demonstrated anterior-posterior gradients of gene expression in EOS1, whereas inverse distributions were observed in EOS2 cohorts. Genetic commonalities were identified in autistic disorder and adult schizophrenia with EOS1 and inflammatory bowel diseases with EOS2 cohorts. The EOS1 PLS1- genes (Z < -5) were significantly enriched in synaptic signaling-related functions, whereas EOS2 demonstrated enrichments in virtual infection-related pathways. Furthermore, the majority of observed associations with EOS1-specific MSN strength differences contributed to specific transcriptional changes in astrocytes and neurons. CONCLUSIONS The findings of this study provide a comprehensive analysis of neuroanatomical subtypes in EOS, shedding light on the intricate relationships between macrostructural and molecular aspects of the EOS disease.
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Affiliation(s)
- Guanqun Yao
- School of Medicine, Tsinghua University, Beijing, 100084, China
- Department of Psychiatry, Tsinghua University Yuquan Hospital, Shijingshan District, 5 Shijingshan Road, Beijing, China
| | - Ting Zou
- School of Life Sciences, University of Electronic Science and Technology of China, Chengdu, 611731, China
| | - Jing Luo
- School of Medicine, Tsinghua University, Beijing, 100084, China
| | - Shuang Hu
- Shanghai Mental Health Center, Shanghai, 200030, China
| | - Langxiong Yang
- School of Medicine, Tsinghua University, Beijing, 100084, China
| | - Jing Li
- College of Humanities and Social Science, Shanxi Medical University, Taiyuan, 030001, China
- School of Mental Health, Shanxi Medical University, Taiyuan, 030001, China
- Department of Psychiatry, the First Hospital of Shanxi Medical University, Taiyuan, 030001, China
| | - Xinrong Li
- Department of Psychiatry, the First Hospital of Shanxi Medical University, Taiyuan, 030001, China
| | - Yuqi Zhang
- School of Medicine, Tsinghua University, Beijing, 100084, China
| | - Kun Feng
- School of Medicine, Tsinghua University, Beijing, 100084, China.
- Department of Psychiatry, Tsinghua University Yuquan Hospital, Shijingshan District, 5 Shijingshan Road, Beijing, China.
| | - Yong Xu
- School of Mental Health, Shanxi Medical University, Taiyuan, 030001, China.
- Department of Psychiatry, the First Hospital of Shanxi Medical University, Taiyuan, 030001, China.
- Department of Mental Health, Shanxi Medical University, Taiyuan Central Hospital of Shanxi Medical University, 256 Fen Dongnan Road, Xiaodian District, Taiyuan City, Shanxi Province, China.
| | - Pozi Liu
- School of Medicine, Tsinghua University, Beijing, 100084, China.
- Department of Psychiatry, Tsinghua University Yuquan Hospital, Shijingshan District, 5 Shijingshan Road, Beijing, China.
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3
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Zhao L, Mühleisen TW, Pelzer DI, Burger B, Beins EC, Forstner AJ, Herms S, Hoffmann P, Amunts K, Palomero-Gallagher N, Cichon S. Relationships between neurotransmitter receptor densities and expression levels of their corresponding genes in the human hippocampus. Neuroimage 2023; 273:120095. [PMID: 37030412 PMCID: PMC10167541 DOI: 10.1016/j.neuroimage.2023.120095] [Citation(s) in RCA: 1] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 11/16/2022] [Revised: 03/02/2023] [Accepted: 04/05/2023] [Indexed: 04/08/2023] Open
Abstract
Neurotransmitter receptors are key molecules in signal transmission, their alterations are associated with brain dysfunction. Relationships between receptors and their corresponding genes are poorly understood, especially in humans. We combined in vitro receptor autoradiography and RNA sequencing to quantify, in the same tissue samples (7 subjects), the densities of 14 receptors and expression levels of their corresponding 43 genes in the Cornu Ammonis (CA) and dentate gyrus (DG) of human hippocampus. Significant differences in receptor densities between both structures were found only for metabotropic receptors, whereas significant differences in RNA expression levels mostly pertained ionotropic receptors. Receptor fingerprints of CA and DG differ in shapes but have similar sizes; the opposite holds true for their "RNA fingerprints", which represent the expression levels of multiple genes in a single area. In addition, the correlation coefficients between receptor densities and corresponding gene expression levels vary widely and the mean correlation strength was weak-to-moderate. Our results suggest that receptor densities are not only controlled by corresponding RNA expression levels, but also by multiple regionally specific post-translational factors.
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4
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Zachlod D, Palomero-Gallagher N, Dickscheid T, Amunts K. Mapping Cytoarchitectonics and Receptor Architectonics to Understand Brain Function and Connectivity. Biol Psychiatry 2023; 93:471-479. [PMID: 36567226 DOI: 10.1016/j.biopsych.2022.09.014] [Citation(s) in RCA: 4] [Impact Index Per Article: 4.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Submit a Manuscript] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 05/24/2022] [Revised: 08/18/2022] [Accepted: 09/10/2022] [Indexed: 02/04/2023]
Abstract
This review focuses on cytoarchitectonics and receptor architectonics as biological correlates of function and connectivity. It introduces the 3-dimensional cytoarchitectonic probabilistic maps of cortical areas and nuclei of the Julich-Brain Atlas, available at EBRAINS, to study structure-function relationships. The maps are linked to the BigBrain as microanatomical reference model and template space. The siibra software tool suite enables programmatic access to the maps and to receptor architectonic data that are anchored to brain areas. Such cellular and molecular data are tools for studying magnetic resonance connectivity including modeling and simulation. At the end, we highlight perspectives of the Julich-Brain as well as methodological considerations. Thus, microstructural maps as part of a multimodal atlas help elucidate the biological correlates of large-scale networks and brain function with a high level of anatomical detail, which provides a basis to study brains of patients with psychiatric disorders.
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Affiliation(s)
- Daniel Zachlod
- Institute of Neurosciences and Medicine, Research Centre Jülich, Jülich, Germany.
| | - Nicola Palomero-Gallagher
- Institute of Neurosciences and Medicine, Research Centre Jülich, Jülich, Germany; C. & O. Vogt Institute for Brain Research, Medical Faculty, University Hospital Düsseldorf, Heinrich-Heine-Universität Düsseldorf, Düsseldorf, Germany; Department of Psychiatry, Psychotherapy, Psychosomatics, Medical Faculty, RWTH Aachen, Jülich Aachen Research Alliance-Translational Brain Medicine, Aachen, Germany
| | - Timo Dickscheid
- Institute of Neurosciences and Medicine, Research Centre Jülich, Jülich, Germany; Helmholtz AI, Research Centre Jülich, Jülich, Germany; Department of Computer Science, Heinrich-Heine-Universität Düsseldorf, Düsseldorf, Germany
| | - Katrin Amunts
- Institute of Neurosciences and Medicine, Research Centre Jülich, Jülich, Germany; C. & O. Vogt Institute for Brain Research, Medical Faculty, University Hospital Düsseldorf, Heinrich-Heine-Universität Düsseldorf, Düsseldorf, Germany
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5
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Jockwitz C, Krämer C, Stumme J, Dellani P, Moebus S, Bittner N, Caspers S. Characterization of the angular gyrus in an older adult population: a multimodal multilevel approach. Brain Struct Funct 2023; 228:83-102. [PMID: 35904594 DOI: 10.1007/s00429-022-02529-3] [Citation(s) in RCA: 1] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 01/31/2022] [Accepted: 06/26/2022] [Indexed: 01/07/2023]
Abstract
The angular gyrus (AG) has been associated with multiple cognitive functions, such as language, spatial and memory functions. Since the AG is thought to be a cross-modal hub region suffering from significant age-related structural atrophy, it may also play a key role in age-related cognitive decline. However, the exact relation between structural atrophy of the AG and cognitive decline in older adults is not fully understood, which may be related to two aspects: First, the AG is cytoarchitectonically divided into two areas, PGa and PGp, potentially sub-serving different cognitive functions. Second, the older adult population is characterized by high between-subjects variability which requires targeting individual phenomena during the aging process. We therefore performed a multimodal (gray matter volume [GMV], resting-state functional connectivity [RSFC] and structural connectivity [SC]) characterization of AG subdivisions PGa and PGp in a large older adult population, together with relations to age, cognition and lifestyle on the group level. Afterwards, we switched the perspective to the individual, which is especially important when it comes to the assessment of individual patients. The AG can be considered a heterogeneous structure in of the older brain: we found the different AG parts to be associated with different patterns of whole-brain GMV associations as well as their associations with RSFC, and SC patterns. Similarly, differential effects of age, cognition and lifestyle on the GMV of AG subdivisions were observed. This suggests each region to be structurally and functionally differentially involved in the older adult's brain network architecture, which was supported by differential molecular and genetic patterns, derived from the EBRAINS multilevel atlas framework. Importantly, individual profiles deviated considerably from the global conclusion drawn from the group study. Hence, general observations within the older adult population need to be carefully considered, when addressing individual conditions in clinical practice.
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Affiliation(s)
- Christiane Jockwitz
- Institute of Neuroscience and Medicine (INM-1), Research Centre Jülich, Jülich, Germany. .,Institute for Anatomy I, Medical Faculty & University Hospital Düsseldorf, Heinrich Heine University, Düsseldorf, Germany.
| | - Camilla Krämer
- Institute of Neuroscience and Medicine (INM-1), Research Centre Jülich, Jülich, Germany.,Institute for Anatomy I, Medical Faculty & University Hospital Düsseldorf, Heinrich Heine University, Düsseldorf, Germany
| | - Johanna Stumme
- Institute of Neuroscience and Medicine (INM-1), Research Centre Jülich, Jülich, Germany.,Institute for Anatomy I, Medical Faculty & University Hospital Düsseldorf, Heinrich Heine University, Düsseldorf, Germany
| | - Paulo Dellani
- Institute of Neuroscience and Medicine (INM-1), Research Centre Jülich, Jülich, Germany.,Institute for Anatomy I, Medical Faculty & University Hospital Düsseldorf, Heinrich Heine University, Düsseldorf, Germany
| | - Susanne Moebus
- Institute of Urban Public Health, University of Duisburg-Essen, Essen, Germany
| | - Nora Bittner
- Institute of Neuroscience and Medicine (INM-1), Research Centre Jülich, Jülich, Germany.,Institute for Anatomy I, Medical Faculty & University Hospital Düsseldorf, Heinrich Heine University, Düsseldorf, Germany
| | - Svenja Caspers
- Institute of Neuroscience and Medicine (INM-1), Research Centre Jülich, Jülich, Germany.,Institute for Anatomy I, Medical Faculty & University Hospital Düsseldorf, Heinrich Heine University, Düsseldorf, Germany
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6
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Quabs J, Caspers S, Schöne C, Mohlberg H, Bludau S, Dickscheid T, Amunts K. Cytoarchitecture, probability maps and segregation of the human insula. Neuroimage 2022; 260:119453. [PMID: 35809885 DOI: 10.1016/j.neuroimage.2022.119453] [Citation(s) in RCA: 8] [Impact Index Per Article: 4.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 01/05/2022] [Revised: 06/09/2022] [Accepted: 07/04/2022] [Indexed: 10/17/2022] Open
Abstract
The human insular cortex supports multifunctional integration including interoceptive, sensorimotor, cognitive and social-emotional processing. Different concepts of the underlying microstructure have been proposed over more than a century. However, a 3D map of the cytoarchitectonic segregation of the insula in standard reference space, that could be directly linked to neuroimaging experiments addressing different cognitive tasks, is not yet available. Here we analyzed the middle posterior and dorsal anterior insula with image analysis and a statistical mapping procedure to delineate cytoarchitectonic areas in ten human postmortem brains. 3D-probability maps of seven new areas with granular (Ig3, posterior), agranular (Ia1, posterior) and dysgranular (Id2-Id6, middle to dorsal anterior) cytoarchitecture have been calculated to represent the new areas in stereotaxic space. A hierarchical cluster analysis based on cytoarchitecture resulted in three distinct clusters in the superior posterior, inferior posterior and dorsal anterior insula, providing deeper insights into the structural organization of the insula. The maps are openly available to support future studies addressing relations between structure and function in the human insula.
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Affiliation(s)
- Julian Quabs
- C. and O. Vogt Institute for Brain Research, Medical Faculty, University Hospital Düsseldorf, Heinrich Heine University of Düsseldorf, Germany; Institute for Anatomy I, Medical Faculty, Heinrich Heine University of Düsseldorf, Germany; Institute of Neuroscience and Medicine (INM-1), Research Centre Jülich, Germany.
| | - Svenja Caspers
- Institute for Anatomy I, Medical Faculty, Heinrich Heine University of Düsseldorf, Germany; Institute of Neuroscience and Medicine (INM-1), Research Centre Jülich, Germany
| | - Claudia Schöne
- C. and O. Vogt Institute for Brain Research, Medical Faculty, University Hospital Düsseldorf, Heinrich Heine University of Düsseldorf, Germany
| | - Hartmut Mohlberg
- Institute of Neuroscience and Medicine (INM-1), Research Centre Jülich, Germany
| | - Sebastian Bludau
- Institute of Neuroscience and Medicine (INM-1), Research Centre Jülich, Germany
| | - Timo Dickscheid
- Institute of Neuroscience and Medicine (INM-1), Research Centre Jülich, Germany
| | - Katrin Amunts
- C. and O. Vogt Institute for Brain Research, Medical Faculty, University Hospital Düsseldorf, Heinrich Heine University of Düsseldorf, Germany; Institute of Neuroscience and Medicine (INM-1), Research Centre Jülich, Germany
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7
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Eickhoff CR, Hoffstaedter F, Caspers J, Reetz K, Mathys C, Dogan I, Amunts K, Schnitzler A, Eickhoff SB. Advanced brain ageing in Parkinson's disease is related to disease duration and individual impairment. Brain Commun 2021; 3:fcab191. [PMID: 34541531 PMCID: PMC8445399 DOI: 10.1093/braincomms/fcab191] [Citation(s) in RCA: 15] [Impact Index Per Article: 5.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 03/19/2021] [Revised: 06/22/2021] [Accepted: 06/30/2021] [Indexed: 11/13/2022] Open
Abstract
Machine learning can reliably predict individual age from MRI data, revealing that patients with neurodegenerative disorders show an elevated biological age. A surprising gap in the literature, however, pertains to Parkinson's disease. Here, we evaluate brain age in two cohorts of Parkinson's patients and investigated the relationship between individual brain age and clinical characteristics. We assessed 372 patients with idiopathic Parkinson's disease, newly diagnosed cases from the Parkinson's Progression Marker Initiative database and a more chronic local sample, as well as age- and sex-matched healthy controls. Following morphometric preprocessing and atlas-based compression, individual brain age was predicted using a multivariate machine learning model trained on an independent, multi-site reference sample. Across cohorts, healthy controls were well predicted with a mean error of 4.4 years. In turn, Parkinson's patients showed a significant (controlling for age, gender and site) increase in brain age of ∼3 years. While this effect was already present in the newly diagnosed sample, advanced biological age was significantly related to disease duration as well as worse cognitive and motor impairment. While biological age is increased in patients with Parkinson's disease, the effect is at the lower end of what is found for other neurological and psychiatric disorders. We argue that this may reflect a heterochronicity between forebrain atrophy and small but behaviourally salient midbrain pathology. Finally, we point to the need to disentangle physiological ageing trajectories, lifestyle effects and core pathological changes.
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Affiliation(s)
- Claudia R Eickhoff
- Institute of Neuroscience and Medicine (INM-1, INM-7, INM-11), Jülich, Germany.,Institute of Clinical Neuroscience and Medical Psychology, Medical Faculty, Heinrich-Heine University Düsseldorf, Düsseldorf, Germany
| | - Felix Hoffstaedter
- Institute of Neuroscience and Medicine (INM-1, INM-7, INM-11), Jülich, Germany.,Institute of Systems Neuroscience, Medical Faculty, Heinrich-Heine University Düsseldorf, Düsseldorf, Germany
| | - Julian Caspers
- Institute of Diagnostic and Interventional Radiology, Medical Faculty, Heinrich-Heine University Düsseldorf, Düsseldorf, Germany
| | - Kathrin Reetz
- Institute of Neuroscience and Medicine (INM-1, INM-7, INM-11), Jülich, Germany.,Department of Neurology, University Hospital RWTH Aachen, Aachen, Germany
| | | | - Imis Dogan
- Institute of Neuroscience and Medicine (INM-1, INM-7, INM-11), Jülich, Germany.,Department of Neurology, University Hospital RWTH Aachen, Aachen, Germany
| | - Katrin Amunts
- Institute of Neuroscience and Medicine (INM-1, INM-7, INM-11), Jülich, Germany.,Institute of Clinical Neuroscience and Medical Psychology, Medical Faculty, Heinrich-Heine University Düsseldorf, Düsseldorf, Germany
| | - Alfons Schnitzler
- Institute of Clinical Neuroscience and Medical Psychology, Medical Faculty, Heinrich-Heine University Düsseldorf, Düsseldorf, Germany
| | - Simon B Eickhoff
- Institute of Neuroscience and Medicine (INM-1, INM-7, INM-11), Jülich, Germany.,Institute of Systems Neuroscience, Medical Faculty, Heinrich-Heine University Düsseldorf, Düsseldorf, Germany
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8
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Unger N, Heim S, Hilger DI, Bludau S, Pieperhoff P, Cichon S, Amunts K, Mühleisen TW. Identification of Phonology-Related Genes and Functional Characterization of Broca's and Wernicke's Regions in Language and Learning Disorders. Front Neurosci 2021; 15:680762. [PMID: 34539327 PMCID: PMC8446646 DOI: 10.3389/fnins.2021.680762] [Citation(s) in RCA: 3] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 03/15/2021] [Accepted: 08/04/2021] [Indexed: 12/02/2022] Open
Abstract
Impaired phonological processing is a leading symptom of multifactorial language and learning disorders suggesting a common biological basis. Here we evaluated studies of dyslexia, dyscalculia, specific language impairment (SLI), and the logopenic variant of primary progressive aphasia (lvPPA) seeking for shared risk genes in Broca's and Wernicke's regions, being key for phonological processing within the complex language network. The identified "phonology-related genes" from literature were functionally characterized using Atlas-based expression mapping (JuGEx) and gene set enrichment. Out of 643 publications from the last decade until now, we extracted 21 candidate genes of which 13 overlapped with dyslexia and SLI, six with dyslexia and dyscalculia, and two with dyslexia, dyscalculia, and SLI. No overlap was observed between the childhood disorders and the late-onset lvPPA often showing symptoms of learning disorders earlier in life. Multiple genes were enriched in Gene Ontology terms of the topics learning (CNTNAP2, CYFIP1, DCDC2, DNAAF4, FOXP2) and neuronal development (CCDC136, CNTNAP2, CYFIP1, DCDC2, KIAA0319, RBFOX2, ROBO1). Twelve genes showed above-average expression across both regions indicating moderate-to-high gene activity in the investigated cortical part of the language network. Of these, three genes were differentially expressed suggesting potential regional specializations: ATP2C2 was upregulated in Broca's region, while DNAAF4 and FOXP2 were upregulated in Wernicke's region. ATP2C2 encodes a magnesium-dependent calcium transporter which fits with reports about disturbed calcium and magnesium levels for dyslexia and other communication disorders. DNAAF4 (formerly known as DYX1C1) is involved in neuronal migration supporting the hypothesis of disturbed migration in dyslexia. FOXP2 is a transcription factor that regulates a number of genes involved in development of speech and language. Overall, our interdisciplinary and multi-tiered approach provided evidence that genetic and transcriptional variation of ATP2C2, DNAAF4, and FOXP2 may play a role in physiological and pathological aspects of phonological processing.
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Affiliation(s)
- Nina Unger
- Cécile and Oskar Vogt Institute for Brain Research, Medical Faculty, University Hospital Düsseldorf, Heinrich Heine University Düsseldorf, Düsseldorf, Germany
- Institute of Neuroscience and Medicine (INM-1), Research Centre Jülich, Jülich, Germany
- Department of Neurology, Medical Faculty, RWTH Aachen University, Aachen, Germany
| | - Stefan Heim
- Institute of Neuroscience and Medicine (INM-1), Research Centre Jülich, Jülich, Germany
- Department of Psychiatry, Psychotherapy and Psychosomatics, Medical Faculty, RWTH Aachen University, Aachen, Germany
- JARA-Brain, Jülich-Aachen Research Alliance, Jülich, Germany
| | - Dominique I. Hilger
- Institute of Neuroscience and Medicine (INM-1), Research Centre Jülich, Jülich, Germany
| | - Sebastian Bludau
- Institute of Neuroscience and Medicine (INM-1), Research Centre Jülich, Jülich, Germany
| | - Peter Pieperhoff
- Institute of Neuroscience and Medicine (INM-1), Research Centre Jülich, Jülich, Germany
| | - Sven Cichon
- Institute of Neuroscience and Medicine (INM-1), Research Centre Jülich, Jülich, Germany
- Department of Biomedicine, University of Basel, Basel, Switzerland
- Institute of Medical Genetics and Pathology, University Hospital Basel, Basel, Switzerland
| | - Katrin Amunts
- Cécile and Oskar Vogt Institute for Brain Research, Medical Faculty, University Hospital Düsseldorf, Heinrich Heine University Düsseldorf, Düsseldorf, Germany
- Institute of Neuroscience and Medicine (INM-1), Research Centre Jülich, Jülich, Germany
- JARA-Brain, Jülich-Aachen Research Alliance, Jülich, Germany
| | - Thomas W. Mühleisen
- Cécile and Oskar Vogt Institute for Brain Research, Medical Faculty, University Hospital Düsseldorf, Heinrich Heine University Düsseldorf, Düsseldorf, Germany
- Institute of Neuroscience and Medicine (INM-1), Research Centre Jülich, Jülich, Germany
- Department of Biomedicine, University of Basel, Basel, Switzerland
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9
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10
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Deep characterization of individual brain-phenotype relations using a multilevel atlas. Curr Opin Behav Sci 2021. [DOI: 10.1016/j.cobeha.2021.04.016] [Citation(s) in RCA: 3] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/21/2022]
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11
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Li J, Seidlitz J, Suckling J, Fan F, Ji GJ, Meng Y, Yang S, Wang K, Qiu J, Chen H, Liao W. Cortical structural differences in major depressive disorder correlate with cell type-specific transcriptional signatures. Nat Commun 2021; 12:1647. [PMID: 33712584 PMCID: PMC7955076 DOI: 10.1038/s41467-021-21943-5] [Citation(s) in RCA: 95] [Impact Index Per Article: 31.7] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 09/22/2020] [Accepted: 02/12/2021] [Indexed: 01/08/2023] Open
Abstract
Major depressive disorder (MDD) has been shown to be associated with structural abnormalities in a variety of spatially diverse brain regions. However, the correlation between brain structural changes in MDD and gene expression is unclear. Here, we examine the link between brain-wide gene expression and morphometric changes in individuals with MDD, using neuroimaging data from two independent cohorts and a publicly available transcriptomic dataset. Morphometric similarity network (MSN) analysis shows replicable cortical structural differences in individuals with MDD compared to control subjects. Using human brain gene expression data, we observe that the expression of MDD-associated genes spatially correlates with MSN differences. Analysis of cell type-specific signature genes suggests that microglia and neuronal specific transcriptional changes account for most of the observed correlation with MDD-specific MSN differences. Collectively, our findings link molecular and structural changes relevant for MDD. The correlation between brain structural changes in major depressive disorder (MDD) and gene expression is unclear. Here, the authors explore the correlation between cell type-specific gene expression changes and cortical structural difference in individuals with major depressive disorder.
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Affiliation(s)
- Jiao Li
- The Clinical Hospital of Chengdu Brain Science Institute, School of Life Science and Technology, University of Electronic Science and Technology of China, Chengdu, P.R. China.,MOE Key Lab for Neuroinformation, High-Field Magnetic Resonance Brain Imaging Key Laboratory of Sichuan Province, University of Electronic Science and Technology of China, Chengdu, P.R. China
| | - Jakob Seidlitz
- Children's Hospital of Philadelphia, Department of Child and Adolescent Psychiatry and Behavioral Science, Philadelphia, PA, USA.,University of Pennsylvania, Department of Psychiatry, Philadelphia, PA, USA
| | - John Suckling
- University of Cambridge, Department of Psychiatry, Cambridge, UK
| | - Feiyang Fan
- The Clinical Hospital of Chengdu Brain Science Institute, School of Life Science and Technology, University of Electronic Science and Technology of China, Chengdu, P.R. China.,MOE Key Lab for Neuroinformation, High-Field Magnetic Resonance Brain Imaging Key Laboratory of Sichuan Province, University of Electronic Science and Technology of China, Chengdu, P.R. China
| | - Gong-Jun Ji
- Department of Medical Psychology, Chaohu Clinical Medical College, Anhui Medical University, Hefei, P.R. China
| | - Yao Meng
- The Clinical Hospital of Chengdu Brain Science Institute, School of Life Science and Technology, University of Electronic Science and Technology of China, Chengdu, P.R. China.,MOE Key Lab for Neuroinformation, High-Field Magnetic Resonance Brain Imaging Key Laboratory of Sichuan Province, University of Electronic Science and Technology of China, Chengdu, P.R. China
| | - Siqi Yang
- The Clinical Hospital of Chengdu Brain Science Institute, School of Life Science and Technology, University of Electronic Science and Technology of China, Chengdu, P.R. China.,MOE Key Lab for Neuroinformation, High-Field Magnetic Resonance Brain Imaging Key Laboratory of Sichuan Province, University of Electronic Science and Technology of China, Chengdu, P.R. China
| | - Kai Wang
- Department of Medical Psychology, Chaohu Clinical Medical College, Anhui Medical University, Hefei, P.R. China
| | - Jiang Qiu
- School of Psychology, Southwest University, Chongqing, P.R. China
| | - Huafu Chen
- The Clinical Hospital of Chengdu Brain Science Institute, School of Life Science and Technology, University of Electronic Science and Technology of China, Chengdu, P.R. China. .,MOE Key Lab for Neuroinformation, High-Field Magnetic Resonance Brain Imaging Key Laboratory of Sichuan Province, University of Electronic Science and Technology of China, Chengdu, P.R. China.
| | - Wei Liao
- The Clinical Hospital of Chengdu Brain Science Institute, School of Life Science and Technology, University of Electronic Science and Technology of China, Chengdu, P.R. China. .,MOE Key Lab for Neuroinformation, High-Field Magnetic Resonance Brain Imaging Key Laboratory of Sichuan Province, University of Electronic Science and Technology of China, Chengdu, P.R. China.
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Exploring the secrets of brain transcriptional regulation: developing methodologies, recent significant findings, and perspectives. Brain Struct Funct 2021; 226:313-322. [PMID: 33547496 DOI: 10.1007/s00429-021-02230-x] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 05/21/2019] [Accepted: 01/22/2021] [Indexed: 10/22/2022]
Abstract
Exploring and revealing the secret of the function of the human brain has been the dream of mankind and science. Delineating brain transcriptional regulation has been extremely challenging, but recent technological advances have facilitated a deeper investigation of molecular processes in the brain. Tracing the molecular regulatory mechanisms of different gene expression profiles in the brain is divergent and has made it possible to connect spatial and temporal variations in gene expression to distributed properties of brain structure and function. Here, we review the molecular diversity of the brain among rodents, non-human primates and humans. We also discuss the molecular mechanism of non-coding DNA/RNA at the transcriptional/post-transcriptional level based on recent technical advances to highlight an improved understanding of the complex transcriptional network in the brain. Spatiotemporal and single-cell transcriptomics have attempted to gain novel insight into the development and evolution of the brain as well as the progression of human diseases. Although it is clear that the field is developing and challenges remain to be resolved, the impressive recent progress provides a solid foundation to better understand the brain and evidence-based recommendations for the diagnosis and treatment of brain diseases.
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Mohajer B, Abbasi N, Mohammadi E, Khazaie H, Osorio RS, Rosenzweig I, Eickhoff CR, Zarei M, Tahmasian M, Eickhoff SB. Gray matter volume and estimated brain age gap are not linked with sleep-disordered breathing. Hum Brain Mapp 2020; 41:3034-3044. [PMID: 32239749 PMCID: PMC7336142 DOI: 10.1002/hbm.24995] [Citation(s) in RCA: 17] [Impact Index Per Article: 4.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 10/02/2019] [Revised: 02/29/2020] [Accepted: 03/09/2020] [Indexed: 12/11/2022] Open
Abstract
Alzheimer's disease (AD) and sleep-disordered breathing (SDB) are prevalent conditions with a rising burden. It is suggested that SDB may contribute to cognitive decline and advanced aging. Here, we assessed the link between self-reported SDB and gray matter volume in patients with AD, mild cognitive impairment (MCI) and healthy controls (HCs). We further investigated whether SDB was associated with advanced brain aging. We included a total of 330 participants, divided based on self-reported history of SDB, and matched across diagnoses for age, sex and presence of the Apolipoprotein E4 allele, from the Alzheimer's Disease Neuroimaging Initiative (ADNI). Gray-matter volume was measured using voxel-wise morphometry and group differences in terms of SDB, cognitive status, and their interaction were assessed. Further, using an age-prediction model fitted on gray-matter data of external datasets, we predicted study participants' age from their structural images. Cognitive decline and advanced age were associated with lower gray matter volume in various regions, particularly in the bilateral temporal lobes. Brains age was well predicted from the morphological data in HCs and, as expected, elevated in MCI and particularly in AD subjects. However, there was neither a significant difference between regional gray matter volume in any diagnostic group related to the SDB status, nor in SDB-by-cognitive status interaction. Moreover, we found no difference in estimated chronological age gap related to SDB, or by-cognitive status interaction. Contrary to our hypothesis, we were not able to find a general or a diagnostic-dependent association of SDB with either gray-matter volumetric or brain aging.
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Affiliation(s)
- Bahram Mohajer
- Institute of Medical Science and Technology, Shahid Beheshti UniversityTehranIran
- Non‐Communicable Diseases Research CenterEndocrinology and Metabolism Population Sciences Institute, Tehran University of Medical SciencesTehranIran
| | - Nooshin Abbasi
- McConnell Brain Imaging CentreMontreal Neurological Institute, McGill UniversityMontrealQuebecCanada
| | - Esmaeil Mohammadi
- Institute of Medical Science and Technology, Shahid Beheshti UniversityTehranIran
- Non‐Communicable Diseases Research CenterEndocrinology and Metabolism Population Sciences Institute, Tehran University of Medical SciencesTehranIran
| | - Habibolah Khazaie
- Sleep Disorders Research CenterKermanshah University of Medical SciencesKermanshahIran
| | - Ricardo S. Osorio
- Department of Psychiatry, Center for Brain Health, NYU Langone Medical CenterNew YorkNew YorkUSA
- Nathan S. Kline Institute for Psychiatric ResearchNew YorkNew YorkUSA
| | - Ivana Rosenzweig
- Sleep Disorders CentreGuy's and St Thomas' Hospital, GSTT NHSLondonUK
- Sleep and Brain Plasticity Centre, Department of NeuroimagingIOPPN, King's College LondonLondonUK
| | - Claudia R. Eickhoff
- Institute of Neuroscience and Medicine (INM‐1; INM‐7), Research Center JülichJülichGermany
- Institute of Clinical Neuroscience and Medical Psychology, Heinrich Heine UniversityDüsseldorfGermany
| | - Mojtaba Zarei
- Institute of Medical Science and Technology, Shahid Beheshti UniversityTehranIran
| | - Masoud Tahmasian
- Institute of Medical Science and Technology, Shahid Beheshti UniversityTehranIran
| | - Simon B. Eickhoff
- Institute of Neuroscience and Medicine (INM‐1; INM‐7), Research Center JülichJülichGermany
- Institute of Systems Neuroscience, Medical Faculty, Heinrich‐Heine UniversityDüsseldorfGermany
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Human visual cortex is organized along two genetically opposed hierarchical gradients with unique developmental and evolutionary origins. PLoS Biol 2019; 17:e3000362. [PMID: 31269028 PMCID: PMC6634416 DOI: 10.1371/journal.pbio.3000362] [Citation(s) in RCA: 20] [Impact Index Per Article: 4.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 12/11/2018] [Revised: 07/16/2019] [Accepted: 06/25/2019] [Indexed: 01/24/2023] Open
Abstract
Human visual cortex is organized with striking consistency across individuals. While recent findings demonstrate an unexpected coupling between functional and cytoarchitectonic regions relative to the folding of human visual cortex, a unifying principle linking these anatomical and functional features of the cortex remains elusive. To fill this gap in knowledge, we combined independent and ground truth measurements of cytoarchitectonic regions and genetic tissue characterization within human occipitotemporal cortex. Using a data-driven approach, we examined whether differential gene expression among cytoarchitectonic areas could contribute to the arealization of occipitotemporal cortex into a hierarchy based on transcriptomics. This approach revealed two opposing gene expression gradients: one that contains a series of genes with expression magnitudes that ascend from posterior (e.g., areas human occipital [hOc]1, hOc2, hOc3, etc.) to anterior cytoarchitectonic areas (e.g., areas fusiform gyrus [FG]1–FG4) and another that contains a separate series of genes that show a descending gradient from posterior to anterior areas. Using data from the living human brain, we show that each of these gradients correlates strongly with variations in measures related to either thickness or myelination of cortex, respectively. We further reveal that these genetic gradients emerge along unique trajectories in human development: the ascending gradient is present at 10–12 gestational weeks, while the descending gradient emerges later (19–24 gestational weeks). Interestingly, it is not until early childhood (before 5 years of age) that the two expression gradients achieve their adult-like mean expression values. Additional analyses in nonhuman primates (NHPs) reveal that homologous genes do not generate the same ascending and descending expression gradients as in humans. We discuss these findings relative to previously proposed hierarchies based on functional and cytoarchitectonic features of visual cortex. Altogether, these findings bridge macroscopic features of human cytoarchitectonic areas in visual cortex with microscopic features of cellular organization and genetic expression, which, despite the complexity of this multiscale correspondence, can be described by a sparse subset (approximately 200) of genes. These findings help pinpoint the genes contributing to healthy cortical development and explicate the cortical biology distinguishing humans from other primates, as well as establishing essential groundwork for understanding future work linking genetic mutations with the function and development of the human brain. The expression of a sparse subset of human genes forms two opposed gradients that capture the processing hierarchy of visual cortex; these transcription gradients emerge at different points during human development and distinguish human from nonhuman primates.
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