1
|
Benca-Bachman CE, Bubier J, Syed RA, Romero Villela PN, Palmer RHC. Polygenic influences on the behavioral effects of alcohol withdrawal in a mixed-ancestry population from the collaborative study on the genetics of alcoholism (COGA). Mol Cell Neurosci 2023; 125:103851. [PMID: 37031923 PMCID: PMC10315187 DOI: 10.1016/j.mcn.2023.103851] [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: 01/16/2023] [Revised: 03/29/2023] [Accepted: 04/02/2023] [Indexed: 04/11/2023] Open
Abstract
Alcohol withdrawal (AW) is a feature of alcohol use disorder that may occur in up to half of individuals with chronic, heavy alcohol consumption whenever alcohol use is abruptly stopped or significantly reduced. To date, few genes have been robustly associated with AW; this may be partly due to most studies defining AW as a binary construct despite the multiple symptoms and their range in severity from mild to severe. The current study examined the effects of genome-wide loci on a factor score for AW in high risk and community family samples in the Collaborative Study for the Genetics of Alcoholism (COGA). In addition, we tested whether differentially expressed genes associated with alcohol withdrawal in model organisms are enriched in human genome-wide association study (GWAS) effects. Analyses employed roughly equal numbers of males and females (mean age 35, standard deviation = 15; total N = 8009) and included individuals from multiple ancestral backgrounds. Genomic data were imputed to the HRC reference panel and underwent strict quality control procedures using Plink2. Analyses controlled for age, sex, and population stratification effects using ancestral principal components. We found support that AW is a polygenic disease (SNP-heritability = 0.08 [95 % CI = 0.01, 0.15; pedigree-based heritability = 0.12 [0.08,0.16]. We identified five single nucleotide variants that met genomewide significance, some of which have previously been associated with alcohol phenotypes. Gene-level analyses suggest a role for COL19A1 in AW; H-MAGMA analyses implicated 12 genes associated with AW. Cross-species enrichment analyses indicated that variation within genes identified in model organism studies explained <1 % of the phenotypic variability in human AW. Notably, the surrounding regulatory regions of model organism genes explained more variance than expected by chance, indicating that these regulatory regions and gene sets may be important for human AW. Lastly, when comparing the overlap in genes identified from the human GWAS and H-MAGMA analyses with the genes identified from the animal studies, there was modest overlap, indicating some convergence between the methods and organisms.
Collapse
Affiliation(s)
- Chelsie E Benca-Bachman
- Behavioral Genetics of Addiction Laboratory, Department of Psychology, Emory University, Atlanta, GA 30322, USA; Providence Veterans Affairs Medical Center, Providence, RI 02908, USA
| | | | - Rameez A Syed
- Behavioral Genetics of Addiction Laboratory, Department of Psychology, Emory University, Atlanta, GA 30322, USA
| | - Pamela N Romero Villela
- Behavioral Genetics of Addiction Laboratory, Department of Psychology, Emory University, Atlanta, GA 30322, USA; Institute for Behavior Genetics, University of Colorado of Boulder, Boulder, CO 80309, USA; Department of Psychology and Neuroscience, University of Colorado, Boulder, CO 80309, USA
| | - Rohan H C Palmer
- Behavioral Genetics of Addiction Laboratory, Department of Psychology, Emory University, Atlanta, GA 30322, USA; Providence Veterans Affairs Medical Center, Providence, RI 02908, USA; Jackson Laboratory, Bar Harbor, ME 04609, USA.
| |
Collapse
|
2
|
Jiang Y, Liu L, Yang ZQ. KDM4 Demethylases: Structure, Function, and Inhibitors. ADVANCES IN EXPERIMENTAL MEDICINE AND BIOLOGY 2023; 1433:87-111. [PMID: 37751137 DOI: 10.1007/978-3-031-38176-8_5] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 09/27/2023]
Abstract
KDM4 histone demethylases mainly catalyze the removal of methyl marks from H3K9 and H3K36 to epigenetically regulate chromatin structure and gene expression. KDM4 expression is strictly regulated to ensure proper function in a myriad of biological processes, including transcription, cellular proliferation and differentiation, DNA damage repair, immune response, and stem cell self-renewal. Aberrant expression of KDM4 demethylase has been documented in many types of blood and solid tumors, and thus, KDM4s represent promising therapeutic targets. In this chapter, we summarize the current knowledge of the structures and regulatory mechanisms of KDM4 proteins and our understanding of their alterations in human pathological processes with a focus on development and cancer. We also review the reported KDM4 inhibitors and discuss their potential as therapeutic agents.
Collapse
Affiliation(s)
- Yuanyuan Jiang
- Department of Oncology, Karmanos Cancer Institute, Wayne State University, 4100 John R Street, HWCRC 815, Detroit, MI, 48201, USA
| | - Lanxin Liu
- Department of Oncology, Karmanos Cancer Institute, Wayne State University, 4100 John R Street, HWCRC 815, Detroit, MI, 48201, USA
| | - Zeng-Quan Yang
- Department of Oncology, Karmanos Cancer Institute, Wayne State University, 4100 John R Street, HWCRC 815, Detroit, MI, 48201, USA.
| |
Collapse
|
3
|
Abstract
At-risk alcohol use is a major contributor to the global health care burden and leads to preventable deaths and diseases including alcohol addiction, alcoholic liver disease, cardiovascular disease, diabetes, traumatic injuries, gastrointestinal diseases, cancers, and fetal alcohol syndrome. Excessive and frequent alcohol consumption has increasingly been linked to alcohol-associated tissue injury and pathophysiology, which have significant adverse effects on multiple organ systems. Extensive research in animal and in vitro models has elucidated the salient mechanisms involved in alcohol-induced tissue and organ injury. In some cases, these pathophysiological mechanisms are shared across organ systems. The major alcohol- and alcohol metabolite-mediated mechanisms include oxidative stress, inflammation and immunometabolic dysregulation, gut leak and dysbiosis, cell death, extracellular matrix remodeling, endoplasmic reticulum stress, mitochondrial dysfunction, and epigenomic modifications. These mechanisms are complex and interrelated, and determining the interplay among them will make it possible to identify how they synergistically or additively interact to cause alcohol-mediated multiorgan injury. In this article, we review the current understanding of pathophysiological mechanisms involved in alcohol-induced tissue injury.
Collapse
Affiliation(s)
- Liz Simon
- Comprehensive Alcohol-HIV/AIDS Research Center, Louisiana State University Health Sciences Center, New Orleans, Louisiana, USA;
- Department of Physiology, Louisiana State University Health Sciences Center, New Orleans, Louisiana, USA
| | - Flavia M Souza-Smith
- Department of Physiology, Louisiana State University Health Sciences Center, New Orleans, Louisiana, USA
| | - Patricia E Molina
- Comprehensive Alcohol-HIV/AIDS Research Center, Louisiana State University Health Sciences Center, New Orleans, Louisiana, USA;
- Department of Physiology, Louisiana State University Health Sciences Center, New Orleans, Louisiana, USA
| |
Collapse
|
4
|
Genome-wide association study of problematic opioid prescription use in 132,113 23andMe research participants of European ancestry. Mol Psychiatry 2021; 26:6209-6217. [PMID: 34728798 PMCID: PMC8562028 DOI: 10.1038/s41380-021-01335-3] [Citation(s) in RCA: 21] [Impact Index Per Article: 7.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Submit a Manuscript] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 06/20/2021] [Revised: 09/21/2021] [Accepted: 09/29/2021] [Indexed: 12/31/2022]
Abstract
The growing prevalence of opioid use disorder (OUD) constitutes an urgent health crisis. Ample evidence indicates that risk for OUD is heritable. As a surrogate (or proxy) for OUD, we explored the genetic basis of using prescription opioids 'not as prescribed'. We hypothesized that misuse of opiates might be a heritable risk factor for OUD. To test this hypothesis, we performed a genome-wide association study (GWAS) of problematic opioid use (POU) in 23andMe research participants of European ancestry (N = 132,113; 21% cases). We identified two genome-wide significant loci (rs3791033, an intronic variant of KDM4A; rs640561, an intergenic variant near LRRIQ3). POU showed positive genetic correlations with the two largest available GWAS of OUD and opioid dependence (rg = 0.64, 0.80, respectively). We also identified numerous additional genetic correlations with POU, including alcohol dependence (rg = 0.74), smoking initiation (rg = 0.63), pain relief medication intake (rg = 0.49), major depressive disorder (rg = 0.44), chronic pain (rg = 0.42), insomnia (rg = 0.39), and loneliness (rg = 0.28). Although POU was positively genetically correlated with risk-taking (rg = 0.38), conditioning POU on risk-taking did not substantially alter the magnitude or direction of these genetic correlations, suggesting that POU does not simply reflect a genetic tendency towards risky behavior. Lastly, we performed phenome- and lab-wide association analyses, which uncovered additional phenotypes that were associated with POU, including respiratory failure, insomnia, ischemic heart disease, and metabolic and blood-related biomarkers. We conclude that opioid misuse can be measured in population-based cohorts and provides a cost-effective complementary strategy for understanding the genetic basis of OUD.
Collapse
|
5
|
Witt SH, Frank J, Frischknecht U, Treutlein J, Streit F, Foo JC, Sirignano L, Dukal H, Degenhardt F, Koopmann A, Hoffmann S, Koller G, Pogarell O, Preuss UW, Zill P, Adorjan K, Schulze TG, Nöthen M, Spanagel R, Kiefer F, Rietschel M. Acute alcohol withdrawal and recovery in men lead to profound changes in DNA methylation profiles: a longitudinal clinical study. Addiction 2020; 115:2034-2044. [PMID: 32080920 DOI: 10.1111/add.15020] [Citation(s) in RCA: 17] [Impact Index Per Article: 4.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Submit a Manuscript] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 07/02/2019] [Revised: 10/24/2019] [Accepted: 02/14/2020] [Indexed: 12/12/2022]
Abstract
BACKGROUND AND AIMS Withdrawal is a serious and sometimes life-threatening event in alcohol-dependent individuals. It has been suggested that epigenetic processes may play a role in this context. This study aimed to identify genes and pathways involved in such processes which hint to relevant mechanisms underlying withdrawal. DESIGN Cross-sectional case-control study and longitudinal within-cases study during alcohol withdrawal and after 2 weeks of recovery SETTING: Addiction medicine departments in two university hospitals in southern Germany. PARTICIPANTS/CASES Ninety-nine alcohol-dependent male patients receiving in-patient treatment and suffering from severe withdrawal symptoms during detoxification and 95 age-matched male controls. MEASUREMENTS Epigenome-wide methylation patterns were analyzed in patients during acute alcohol withdrawal and after 2 weeks of recovery, as well as in age-matched controls using Illumina EPIC bead chips. Methylation levels of patients and controls were tested for association with withdrawal status. Tests were adjusted for technical and batch effects, age, smoking and cell type distribution. Single-site analysis, as well as an analysis of differentially methylated regions and gene ontology analysis, were performed. FINDINGS We found pronounced epigenome-wide significant [false discovery rate (FDR) < 0.05] differences between patients during withdrawal and after 2 weeks [2876 cytosine-phosphate-guanine (CpG) sites], as well as between patients and controls (9845 and 6094 CpG sites comparing patients at time-point 1 and patients at time-point 2 versus controls, respectively). Analysis of differentially methylated regions and involved pathways revealed an over-representation of gene ontology terms related to the immune system response. Differences between patients and controls diminished after recovery (> 800 CpG sites less), suggesting a partial reversibility of alcohol- and withdrawal-related methylation. CONCLUSIONS Acute alcohol withdrawal in severely dependent male patients appears to be associated with extensive changes in epigenome-wide methylation patterns. In particular, genes involved in immune system response seem to be affected by this condition.
Collapse
Affiliation(s)
- Stephanie H Witt
- Department of Genetic Epidemiology in Psychiatry, Central Institute of Mental Health, Heidelberg University, Mannheim, Germany
| | - Josef Frank
- Department of Genetic Epidemiology in Psychiatry, Central Institute of Mental Health, Heidelberg University, Mannheim, Germany
| | - Ulrich Frischknecht
- Department of Addictive Behaviour and Addiction Medicine, Central Institute of Mental Health, Heidelberg University, Mannheim, Germany
| | - Jens Treutlein
- Department of Genetic Epidemiology in Psychiatry, Central Institute of Mental Health, Heidelberg University, Mannheim, Germany
| | - Fabian Streit
- Department of Genetic Epidemiology in Psychiatry, Central Institute of Mental Health, Heidelberg University, Mannheim, Germany
| | - Jerome C Foo
- Department of Genetic Epidemiology in Psychiatry, Central Institute of Mental Health, Heidelberg University, Mannheim, Germany
| | - Lea Sirignano
- Department of Genetic Epidemiology in Psychiatry, Central Institute of Mental Health, Heidelberg University, Mannheim, Germany
| | - Helene Dukal
- Department of Genetic Epidemiology in Psychiatry, Central Institute of Mental Health, Heidelberg University, Mannheim, Germany
| | - Franziska Degenhardt
- Institute of Human Genetics, University of Bonn, Bonn, Germany.,Department of Genomics, Life and Brain Center, University of Bonn, Bonn, Germany
| | - Anne Koopmann
- Department of Addictive Behaviour and Addiction Medicine, Central Institute of Mental Health, Heidelberg University, Mannheim, Germany
| | - Sabine Hoffmann
- Department of Addictive Behaviour and Addiction Medicine, Central Institute of Mental Health, Heidelberg University, Mannheim, Germany
| | - Gabi Koller
- Department of Psychiatry and Psychotherapy, University Hospital, Ludwig Maximilian University (LMU) Munich, Munich, Germany
| | - Oliver Pogarell
- Department of Psychiatry and Psychotherapy, University Hospital, Ludwig Maximilian University (LMU) Munich, Munich, Germany
| | - Ulrich W Preuss
- Department of Psychiatry, Psychotherapy, Psychosomatics, Martin-Luther-University (MLU), Halle/Saale, Germany
| | - Peter Zill
- Department of Psychiatry and Psychotherapy, University Hospital, Ludwig Maximilian University (LMU) Munich, Munich, Germany
| | - Kristina Adorjan
- Department of Psychiatry and Psychotherapy, University Hospital, Ludwig Maximilian University (LMU) Munich, Munich, Germany.,Institute of Psychiatric Phenomics and Genomics (IPPG), University Hospital, Ludwig Maximilian University (LMU) Munich, Munich, Germany
| | - Thomas G Schulze
- Institute of Psychiatric Phenomics and Genomics (IPPG), University Hospital, Ludwig Maximilian University (LMU) Munich, Munich, Germany
| | - Markus Nöthen
- Institute of Human Genetics, University of Bonn, Bonn, Germany.,Department of Genomics, Life and Brain Center, University of Bonn, Bonn, Germany
| | - Rainer Spanagel
- Institute of Psychopharmacology, Central Institute of Mental Health, Heidelberg University, Mannheim, Germany
| | - Falk Kiefer
- Department of Addictive Behaviour and Addiction Medicine, Central Institute of Mental Health, Heidelberg University, Mannheim, Germany
| | - Marcella Rietschel
- Department of Genetic Epidemiology in Psychiatry, Central Institute of Mental Health, Heidelberg University, Mannheim, Germany
| |
Collapse
|
6
|
Chang LH, Whitfield JB, Liu M, Medland SE, Hickie IB, Martin NG, Verhulst B, Heath AC, Madden PA, Statham DJ, Gillespie NA. Associations between polygenic risk for tobacco and alcohol use and liability to tobacco and alcohol use, and psychiatric disorders in an independent sample of 13,999 Australian adults. Drug Alcohol Depend 2019; 205:107704. [PMID: 31731259 DOI: 10.1016/j.drugalcdep.2019.107704] [Citation(s) in RCA: 13] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.6] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Submit a Manuscript] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 05/27/2019] [Revised: 09/18/2019] [Accepted: 10/21/2019] [Indexed: 12/31/2022]
Abstract
BACKGROUND Substance use, substance use disorders (SUDs), and psychiatric disorders commonly co-occur. Genetic risk common to these complex traits is an important explanation; however, little is known about how polygenic risk for tobacco or alcohol use overlaps the genetic risk for the comorbid SUDs and psychiatric disorders. METHODS We constructed polygenic risk scores (PRSs) using GWAS meta-analysis summary statistics from a large discovery sample, GWAS & Sequencing Consortium of Alcohol and Nicotine use (GSCAN), for smoking initiation (SI; N = 631,564), age of initiating regular smoking (AI; N = 258,251), cigarettes per day (CPD; N = 258,999), smoking cessation (SC; N = 312,273), and drinks per week (DPW; N = 527,402). We then estimated the fixed effect of these PRSs on the liability to 15 phenotypes related to tobacco and alcohol use, substance use disorders, and psychiatric disorders in an independent target sample of Australian adults. RESULTS After adjusting for multiple testing, 10 of 75 combinations of discovery and target phenotypes remained significant. PRS-SI (R2 range: 1.98%-5.09 %) was positively associated with SI, DPW, and with DSM-IV and FTND nicotine dependence, and conduct disorder. PRS-AI (R2: 3.91 %) negatively associated with DPW. PRS-CPD (R2: 1.56 %-1.77 %) positively associated with DSM-IV nicotine dependence and conduct disorder. PRS-DPW (R2: 3.39 %-6.26 %) positively associated with only DPW. The variation of DPW was significantly influenced by sex*PRS-SI, sex*PRS-AI and sex*PRS-DPW. Such interaction effect was not detected in the other 14 phenotypes. CONCLUSIONS Polygenic risks associated with tobacco use are also associated with liability to alcohol consumption, nicotine dependence, and conduct disorder.
Collapse
Affiliation(s)
- Lun-Hsien Chang
- Genetic Epidemiology, QIMR Berghofer Medical Research Institute, 300 Herston Road, Herston QLD 4006, Australia; Faculty of Medicine, the University of Queensland, 20 Weightman St, Herston QLD 4006, Australia.
| | - John B Whitfield
- Genetic Epidemiology, QIMR Berghofer Medical Research Institute, 300 Herston Road, Herston QLD 4006, Australia.
| | - Mengzhen Liu
- Department of Psychology, University of Minnesota Twin Cities, 75 E River Rd, Minneapolis, MN 55455, USA.
| | - Sarah E Medland
- Genetic Epidemiology, QIMR Berghofer Medical Research Institute, 300 Herston Road, Herston QLD 4006, Australia.
| | - Ian B Hickie
- Brain and Mind Centre, University of Sydney, 94 Mallett St, Camperdown NSW 2050, USA.
| | - Nicholas G Martin
- Genetic Epidemiology, QIMR Berghofer Medical Research Institute, 300 Herston Road, Herston QLD 4006, Australia.
| | - Brad Verhulst
- Department of psychology, Michigan State University, 316 Physics Road #262, East Lansing, MI 48824, USA.
| | - Andrew C Heath
- Department of Psychiatry, Washington University School of Medicine, 660 S Euclid Ave, St. Louis, MO 63110, USA.
| | - Pamela A Madden
- Department of Psychiatry, Washington University School of Medicine, 660 S Euclid Ave, St. Louis, MO 63110, USA.
| | - Dixie J Statham
- School of Health and Life Sciences, Federation University, Federation University Australia, PO Box 663, Ballarat, VIC 3353, Australia.
| | - Nathan A Gillespie
- Virginia Institute for Psychiatric and Behavioural Genetics, Virginia Commonwealth University, Richmond, VA 23298, USA.
| | | |
Collapse
|
7
|
Chang LH, Couvy-Duchesne B, Liu M, Medland SE, Verhulst B, Benotsch EG, Hickie IB, Martin NG, Gillespie NA. Association between polygenic risk for tobacco or alcohol consumption and liability to licit and illicit substance use in young Australian adults. Drug Alcohol Depend 2019; 197:271-279. [PMID: 30875648 PMCID: PMC11100300 DOI: 10.1016/j.drugalcdep.2019.01.015] [Citation(s) in RCA: 17] [Impact Index Per Article: 3.4] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Submit a Manuscript] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 10/06/2018] [Revised: 12/25/2018] [Accepted: 01/19/2019] [Indexed: 11/21/2022]
Abstract
BACKGROUND Co-morbid substance use is very common. Despite a historical focus using genetic epidemiology to investigate comorbid substance use and misuse, few studies have examined substance-substance associations using polygenic risk score (PRS) methods. METHODS Using summary statistics from the largest substance use GWAS to date (258,797- 632,802 subjects), GWAS and Sequencing Consortium of Alcohol and Nicotine use (GSCAN), we constructed PRSs for smoking initiation (PRS-SI), age of initiation of regular smoking (PRS-AI), cigarettes per day (PRS-CPD), smoking cessation (PRS-SC), and drinks per week (PRS-DPW). We then estimated the fixed effect of individual PRSs on 22 lifetime substance use and substance use disorder phenotypes collected in an independent sample of 2463 young Australian adults using genetic restricted maximal likelihood (GREML) in Genome-wide Complex Trait Analysis (GCTA), separately in females, males and both sexes together. RESULTS After accounting for multiple testing, PRS-SI significantly explained variation in the risk of cocaine (0.67%), amphetamine (1.54%), hallucinogens (0.72%), ecstasy (1.66%) and cannabis initiation (0.97%), as well as DSM-5 alcohol use disorder (0.72%). PRS-DPW explained 0.75%, 0.59% and 0.90% of the variation of cocaine, amphetamine and ecstasy initiation respectively. None of the 22 phenotypes including emergent classes of substance use were significantly predicted by PRS-AI, PRS-CPD, and PRS-SC. CONCLUSIONS To our knowledge, this is the first study to report significant genetic overlap between the polygenic risks for smoking initiation and alcohol consumption and the risk of initiating major classes of illicit substances. PRSs constructed from large discovery GWASs allows the detection of novel genetic associations.
Collapse
Affiliation(s)
- Lun-Hsien Chang
- Genetic Epidemiology, QIMR Berghofer Medical Research Institute, Brisbane, Australia; Faculty of Medicine, the University of Queensland, Brisbane, Australia.
| | - Baptiste Couvy-Duchesne
- Genetic Epidemiology, QIMR Berghofer Medical Research Institute, Brisbane, Australia; Institute for Molecular Bioscience, the University of Queensland, Brisbane, Australia
| | - Mengzhen Liu
- Department of Psychology, University of Minnesota Twin Cities, Minneapolis, MN, USA
| | - Sarah E Medland
- Genetic Epidemiology, QIMR Berghofer Medical Research Institute, Brisbane, Australia
| | - Brad Verhulst
- Department of Psychology, Michigan State University, East Lansing, MI, USA
| | - Eric G Benotsch
- Psychology Department, Virginia Commonwealth University, VA, USA
| | - Ian B Hickie
- Brain and Mind Centre, University of Sydney, Sydney, New South Wales, Australia
| | - Nicholas G Martin
- Genetic Epidemiology, QIMR Berghofer Medical Research Institute, Brisbane, Australia
| | - Nathan A Gillespie
- Genetic Epidemiology, QIMR Berghofer Medical Research Institute, Brisbane, Australia; Department of Psychology, Michigan State University, East Lansing, MI, USA
| |
Collapse
|
8
|
You C, Vandegrift B, Brodie MS. Ethanol actions on the ventral tegmental area: novel potential targets on reward pathway neurons. Psychopharmacology (Berl) 2018; 235:1711-1726. [PMID: 29549390 PMCID: PMC5949141 DOI: 10.1007/s00213-018-4875-y] [Citation(s) in RCA: 38] [Impact Index Per Article: 6.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Submit a Manuscript] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 10/19/2017] [Accepted: 03/06/2018] [Indexed: 12/14/2022]
Abstract
The ventral tegmental area (VTA) evaluates salience of environmental stimuli and provides dopaminergic innervation to many brain areas affected by acute and chronic ethanol exposure. While primarily associated with rewarding and reinforcing stimuli, recent evidence indicates a role for the VTA in aversion as well. Ethanol actions in the VTA may trigger neuroadaptation resulting in reduction of the aversive responses to alcohol and a relative increase in the rewarding responses. In searching for effective pharmacotherapies for the treatment of alcohol abuse and alcoholism, recognition of this imbalance may reveal novel strategies. In addition to conventional receptor/ion channel pharmacotherapies, epigenetic factors that control neuroadaptation to chronic ethanol treatment can be targeted as an avenue for development of therapeutic approaches to restore the balance. Furthermore, when exploring therapies to address reward/aversion imbalance in the action of alcohol in the VTA, sex differences have to be taken into account to ensure effective treatment for both men and women. These principles apply to a VTA-centric approach to therapies, but should hold true when thinking about the overall approach in the development of neuroactive drugs to treat alcohol use disorders. Although the functions of the VTA itself are complex, it is a useful model system to evaluate the reward/aversion imbalance that occurs with ethanol exposure and could be used to provide new leads in the efforts to develop novel drugs to treat alcoholism.
Collapse
Affiliation(s)
- Chang You
- Department of Physiology and Biophysics, University of Illinois at Chicago, 835 S. Wolcott Ave, Room E-202, M/C 901, Chicago, IL, 60612, USA
- Center for Alcohol Research in Epigenetics, Department of Psychiatry, University of Illinois at Chicago, Chicago, IL, 60612, USA
| | - Bertha Vandegrift
- Department of Physiology and Biophysics, University of Illinois at Chicago, 835 S. Wolcott Ave, Room E-202, M/C 901, Chicago, IL, 60612, USA
- Center for Alcohol Research in Epigenetics, Department of Psychiatry, University of Illinois at Chicago, Chicago, IL, 60612, USA
| | - Mark S Brodie
- Department of Physiology and Biophysics, University of Illinois at Chicago, 835 S. Wolcott Ave, Room E-202, M/C 901, Chicago, IL, 60612, USA.
- Center for Alcohol Research in Epigenetics, Department of Psychiatry, University of Illinois at Chicago, Chicago, IL, 60612, USA.
| |
Collapse
|
9
|
Abstract
PURPOSE OF REVIEW With the advent of the genome-wide association study (GWAS), our understanding of the genetics of addiction has made significant strides forward. Here, we summarize genetic loci containing variants identified at genome-wide statistical significance (P < 5 × 10-8) and independently replicated, review evidence of functional or regulatory effects for GWAS-identified variants, and outline multi-omics approaches to enhance discovery and characterize addiction loci. RECENT FINDINGS Replicable GWAS findings span 11 genetic loci for smoking, eight loci for alcohol, and two loci for illicit drugs combined and include missense functional variants and noncoding variants with regulatory effects in human brain tissues traditionally viewed as addiction-relevant (e.g., prefrontal cortex [PFC]) and, more recently, tissues often overlooked (e.g., cerebellum). GWAS analyses have discovered several novel, replicable variants contributing to addiction. Using larger sample sizes from harmonized datasets and new approaches to integrate GWAS with multiple 'omics data across human brain tissues holds great promise to significantly advance our understanding of the biology underlying addiction.
Collapse
Affiliation(s)
- Dana B Hancock
- Behavioral and Urban Health Program, Behavioral Health and Criminal Justice Division, RTI International, 3040 East Cornwallis Road, P. O. Box 12194, Research Triangle Park, NC, 27709, USA.
| | - Christina A Markunas
- Behavioral and Urban Health Program, Behavioral Health and Criminal Justice Division, RTI International, 3040 East Cornwallis Road, P. O. Box 12194, Research Triangle Park, NC, 27709, USA
| | - Laura J Bierut
- Department of Psychiatry, Washington University, St. Louis, MO, USA
| | - Eric O Johnson
- Fellow Program and Behavioral Health and Criminal Justice Division, RTI International, Research Triangle Park, NC, USA
| |
Collapse
|
10
|
Pinzón JH, Reed AR, Shalaby NA, Buszczak M, Rodan AR, Rothenfluh A. Alcohol-Induced Behaviors Require a Subset of Drosophila JmjC-Domain Histone Demethylases in the Nervous System. Alcohol Clin Exp Res 2017; 41:2015-2024. [PMID: 28940624 DOI: 10.1111/acer.13508] [Citation(s) in RCA: 15] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.1] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 04/03/2017] [Accepted: 09/15/2017] [Indexed: 12/18/2022]
Abstract
BACKGROUND Long-lasting transcriptional changes underlie a number of adaptations that contribute to alcohol use disorders (AUD). Chromatin remodeling, including histone methylation, can confer distinct, long-lasting transcriptional changes, and histone methylases are known to play a role in the development of addiction. Conversely, little is known about the relevance of Jumonji (JmjC) domain-containing demethylases in AUDs. We systematically surveyed the alcohol-induced phenotypes of null mutations in all 13 Drosophila JmjC genes. METHODS We used a collection of JmjC mutants, the majority of which we generated by homologous recombination, and assayed them in the Booze-o-mat to determine their naïve sensitivity to sedation and their tolerance (change in sensitivity upon repeat exposure). Mutants with reproducible phenotypes had their phenotypes rescued with tagged genomic transgenes, and/or phenocopied by nervous system-specific knockdown using RNA interference (RNAi). RESULTS Four of the 13 JmjC genes (KDM3, lid, NO66, and HSPBAP1) showed reproducible ethanol (EtOH) sensitivity phenotypes. Some of the phenotypes were observed across doses, for example, the enhanced EtOH sensitivity of KDM3KO and NO66KO , but others were dose dependent, such as the reduced EtOH sensitivity of HSPBAP1KO , or the enhanced EtOH tolerance of NO66KO . These phenotypes were rescued by their respective genomic transgenes in KDM3KO and NO66KO mutants. While we were unable to rescue lidk mutants, knockdown of lid in the nervous system recapitulated the lidk phenotype, as was observed for KDM3KO and NO66KO RNAi-mediated knockdown. CONCLUSIONS Our study reveals that the Drosophila JmjC-domain histone demethylases Lid, KDM3, NO66, and HSPBAP1 are required for normal EtOH-induced sedation and tolerance. Three of 3 tested of those 4 JmjC genes are required in the nervous system for normal alcohol-induced behavioral responses, suggesting that this gene family is an intriguing avenue for future research.
Collapse
Affiliation(s)
- Jorge H Pinzón
- Department of Psychiatry, Southwestern Medical Center, University of Texas, Dallas, Texas.,Molecular Biology, Southwestern Medical Center, University of Texas, Dallas, Texas
| | - Addison R Reed
- Department of Psychiatry, University of Utah, Salt Lake City, Utah
| | - Nevine A Shalaby
- Molecular Biology, Southwestern Medical Center, University of Texas, Dallas, Texas
| | - Michael Buszczak
- Molecular Biology, Southwestern Medical Center, University of Texas, Dallas, Texas
| | - Aylin R Rodan
- Departments of Internal Medicine/Division of Nephrology, Molecular Medicine Program, University of Utah, Salt Lake City, Utah
| | - Adrian Rothenfluh
- Department of Psychiatry, Southwestern Medical Center, University of Texas, Dallas, Texas.,Department of Psychiatry, University of Utah, Salt Lake City, Utah
| |
Collapse
|
11
|
Yeung EW, Craggs JG, Gizer IR. Comorbidity of Alcohol Use Disorder and Chronic Pain: Genetic Influences on Brain Reward and Stress Systems. Alcohol Clin Exp Res 2017; 41:1831-1848. [PMID: 29048744 DOI: 10.1111/acer.13491] [Citation(s) in RCA: 15] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.1] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 05/04/2017] [Accepted: 08/25/2017] [Indexed: 01/10/2023]
Abstract
Alcohol use disorder (AUD) is highly comorbid with chronic pain (CP). Evidence has suggested that neuroadaptive processes characterized by reward deficit and stress surfeit are involved in the development of AUD and pain chronification. Neurological data suggest that shared genetic architecture associated with the reward and stress systems may contribute to the comorbidity of AUD and CP. This monograph first delineates the prevailing theories of the development of AUD and pain chronification focusing on the reward and stress systems. It then provides a brief summary of relevant neurological findings followed by an evaluation of evidence documented by molecular genetic studies. Candidate gene association studies have provided some initial support for the genetic overlap between AUD and CP; however, these results must be interpreted with caution until studies with sufficient statistical power are conducted and replications obtained. Genomewide association studies have suggested a number of genes (e.g., TBX19, HTR7, and ADRA1A) that are either directly or indirectly related to the reward and stress systems in the AUD and CP literature. Evidence reviewed in this monograph suggests that shared genetic liability underlying the comorbidity between AUD and CP, if present, is likely to be complex. As the advancement in molecular genetic methods continues, future studies may show broader central nervous system involvement in AUD-CP comorbidity.
Collapse
Affiliation(s)
- Ellen W Yeung
- Department of Psychological Sciences, University of Missouri, Columbia, Missouri.,Institute for Interdisciplinary Salivary Bioscience Research, University of California at Irvine, Irvine, California
| | - Jason G Craggs
- Department of Psychological Sciences, University of Missouri, Columbia, Missouri.,School of Health Professions, University of Missouri, Columbia, Missouri
| | - Ian R Gizer
- Department of Psychological Sciences, University of Missouri, Columbia, Missouri
| |
Collapse
|
12
|
Berkel TDM, Pandey SC. Emerging Role of Epigenetic Mechanisms in Alcohol Addiction. Alcohol Clin Exp Res 2017; 41:666-680. [PMID: 28111764 DOI: 10.1111/acer.13338] [Citation(s) in RCA: 66] [Impact Index Per Article: 9.4] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 09/16/2016] [Accepted: 01/09/2017] [Indexed: 12/15/2022]
Abstract
Alcohol use disorder (AUD) is a complex brain disorder with an array of persistent behavioral and neurochemical manifestations. Both genetic and environmental factors are known to contribute to the development of AUD, and recent studies on alcohol exposure and subsequent changes in gene expression suggest the importance of epigenetic mechanisms. In particular, histone modifications and DNA methylation have emerged as important regulators of gene expression and associated phenotypes of AUD. Given the therapeutic potential of epigenetic targets, this review aims to summarize the role of epigenetic regulation in our current understanding of AUD by evaluating known epigenetic signatures of brain regions critical to addictive behaviors in both animal and human studies throughout various stages of AUD. More specifically, the effects of acute and chronic alcohol exposure, tolerance, and postexposure withdrawal on epigenetically induced changes to gene expression and synaptic plasticity within key brain regions and the associated behavioral phenotypes have been discussed. Understanding the contribution of epigenetic regulation to crucial signaling pathways may prove vital for future development of novel biomarkers and treatment agents in ameliorating or preventing AUD.
Collapse
Affiliation(s)
- Tiffani D M Berkel
- Center for Alcohol Research in Epigenetics, Department of Psychiatry, University of Illinois at Chicago, Chicago, Illinois.,Jesse Brown Veterans Affairs Medical Center, Chicago, Illinois
| | - Subhash C Pandey
- Center for Alcohol Research in Epigenetics, Department of Psychiatry, University of Illinois at Chicago, Chicago, Illinois.,Jesse Brown Veterans Affairs Medical Center, Chicago, Illinois.,Department of Anatomy and Cell Biology, University of Illinois at Chicago, Chicago, Illinois
| |
Collapse
|
13
|
Pandey SC, Kyzar EJ, Zhang H. Epigenetic basis of the dark side of alcohol addiction. Neuropharmacology 2017; 122:74-84. [PMID: 28174112 DOI: 10.1016/j.neuropharm.2017.02.002] [Citation(s) in RCA: 83] [Impact Index Per Article: 11.9] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 01/15/2017] [Accepted: 02/02/2017] [Indexed: 12/13/2022]
Abstract
Alcoholism is a complex brain disease characterized by three distinct stages of the addiction cycle that manifest as neuroadaptive changes in the brain. One such stage of the addiction cycle is alcohol withdrawal and the negative affective states that promote drinking and maintain addiction. Repeated alcohol use, genetic predisposition to alcoholism and anxiety, and alcohol exposure during crucial developmental periods all contribute to the development of alcohol-induced withdrawal and negative affective symptoms. Epigenetic modifications within the amygdala have provided a molecular basis of these negative affective symptoms, also known as the dark side of addiction. Here, we propose that allostatic change within the epigenome in the amygdala is a prime mechanism of the biological basis of negative affective states resulting from, and contributing to, alcoholism. Acute alcohol exposure produces an anxiolytic response which is associated with the opening of chromatin due to increased histone acetylation, increased CREB binding protein (CBP) levels, and histone deacetylase (HDAC) inhibition. After chronic ethanol exposure, these changes return to baseline along with anxiety-like behaviors. However, during withdrawal, histone acetylation decreases due to increased HDAC activity and decreased CBP levels in the amygdala circuitry leading to the development of anxiety-like behaviors. Additionally, innately higher expression of the HDAC2 isoform leads to a deficit in global and gene-specific histone acetylation in the amygdala that is associated with a decrease in the expression of several synaptic plasticity-associated genes and maintaining heightened anxiety-like behavior and excessive alcohol intake. Adolescent alcohol exposure also leads to higher expression of HDAC2 and a deficit in histone acetylation leading to decreased expression of synaptic plasticity-associated genes and high anxiety and drinking behavior in adulthood. All these studies indicate that the epigenome can undergo allostatic reprogramming in the amygdaloid circuitry during various stages of alcohol exposure. Furthermore, opening the chromatin by inhibiting HDACs using pharmacological or genetic manipulations can lead to the attenuation of anxiety as well as alcohol intake. Chromatin remodeling provides a clear biological basis for the negative affective states seen during alcohol addiction and presents opportunities for novel drug development and treatment options. This article is part of the Special Issue entitled "Alcoholism".
Collapse
Affiliation(s)
- Subhash C Pandey
- Center for Alcohol Research in Epigenetics, Department of Psychiatry, University of Illinois at Chicago, Chicago, IL, 60612, USA; Jesse Brown Veterans Affairs Medical Center, Chicago, IL, 60612, USA.
| | - Evan J Kyzar
- Center for Alcohol Research in Epigenetics, Department of Psychiatry, University of Illinois at Chicago, Chicago, IL, 60612, USA; Jesse Brown Veterans Affairs Medical Center, Chicago, IL, 60612, USA
| | - Huaibo Zhang
- Center for Alcohol Research in Epigenetics, Department of Psychiatry, University of Illinois at Chicago, Chicago, IL, 60612, USA; Jesse Brown Veterans Affairs Medical Center, Chicago, IL, 60612, USA
| |
Collapse
|
14
|
Palmer RHC, McGeary JE, Heath AC, Keller MC, Brick LA, Knopik VS. Shared additive genetic influences on DSM-IV criteria for alcohol dependence in subjects of European ancestry. Addiction 2015; 110:1922-31. [PMID: 26211938 PMCID: PMC4644467 DOI: 10.1111/add.13070] [Citation(s) in RCA: 15] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.7] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Submit a Manuscript] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 01/13/2015] [Revised: 04/22/2015] [Accepted: 07/16/2015] [Indexed: 01/03/2023]
Abstract
BACKGROUND AND AIMS Genetic studies of alcohol dependence (AD) have identified several candidate loci and genes, but most observed effects are small and difficult to reproduce. A plausible explanation for inconsistent findings may be a violation of the assumption that genetic factors contributing to each of the seven DSM-IV criteria point to a single underlying dimension of risk. Given that recent twin studies suggest that the genetic architecture of AD is complex and probably involves multiple discrete genetic factors, the current study employed common single nucleotide polymorphisms in two multivariate genetic models to examine the assumption that the genetic risk underlying DSM-IV AD is unitary. DESIGN, SETTING, PARTICIPANTS, MEASUREMENTS AD symptoms and genome-wide single nucleotide polymorphism (SNP) data from 2596 individuals of European descent from the Study of Addiction: Genetics and Environment were analyzed using genomic-relatedness-matrix restricted maximum likelihood. DSM-IV AD symptom covariance was described using two multivariate genetic factor models. FINDINGS Common SNPs explained 30% (standard error=0.136, P=0.012) of the variance in AD diagnosis. Additive genetic effects varied across AD symptoms. The common pathway model approach suggested that symptoms could be described by a single latent variable that had a SNP heritability of 31% (0.130, P=0.008). Similarly, the exploratory genetic factor model approach suggested that the genetic variance/covariance across symptoms could be represented by a single genetic factor that accounted for at least 60% of the genetic variance in any one symptom. CONCLUSION Additive genetic effects on DSM-IV alcohol dependence criteria overlap. The assumption of common genetic effects across alcohol dependence symptoms appears to be a valid assumption.
Collapse
Affiliation(s)
- Rohan H. C. Palmer
- Division of Behavioral Genetics, Department of Psychiatry, Rhode Island Hospital, Providence RI
- Department of Psychiatry and Human Behavior, Brown University, Providence, RI, 02903
| | - John E. McGeary
- Division of Behavioral Genetics, Department of Psychiatry, Rhode Island Hospital, Providence RI
- Department of Psychiatry and Human Behavior, Brown University, Providence, RI, 02903
- Providence Veterans Affairs Medical Center, Providence, RI, 02908
| | - Andrew C. Heath
- Midwest Alcoholism Research Center, Department of Psychiatry, Washington University School of Medicine, St. Louis, MO, USA
| | - Matthew C. Keller
- Department of Psychology and Neuroscience and Institute for Behavioral Genetics at the University of Colorado at Boulder, Boulder, CO
| | - Leslie A. Brick
- Division of Behavioral Genetics, Department of Psychiatry, Rhode Island Hospital, Providence RI
| | - Valerie S. Knopik
- Division of Behavioral Genetics, Department of Psychiatry, Rhode Island Hospital, Providence RI
- Department of Psychiatry and Human Behavior, Brown University, Providence, RI, 02903
| |
Collapse
|
15
|
Samochowiec J, Samochowiec A, Puls I, Bienkowski P, Schott BH. Genetics of alcohol dependence: a review of clinical studies. Neuropsychobiology 2015; 70:77-94. [PMID: 25359488 DOI: 10.1159/000364826] [Citation(s) in RCA: 22] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.4] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Submit a Manuscript] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 10/07/2013] [Accepted: 05/24/2014] [Indexed: 11/19/2022]
Abstract
BACKGROUND/AIMS Alcohol dependence is a common severe psychiatric disorder with a multifactorial etiology. Since the completion of the human genome project and with the increased availability of high-throughput genotyping, multiple genetic risk factors for substance-related disorders, including alcohol dependence, have been identified, but not all results could be replicated. METHODS We systematically review the clinical literature on genetic risk factors for alcohol dependence and alcohol-related phenotypes, including candidate gene-based studies, linkage studies and genome-wide association studies (GWAS). RESULTS Irrespectively of the methodology employed, the most robust findings regarding genetic risk factors for alcohol dependence concern genetic variations that affect alcohol metabolism. GWAS confirm the importance of the alcohol dehydrogenase gene cluster on chromosome 4 in the genetic risk for alcohol dependence with multiple variants that exert a small, but cumulative influence. A single variant with strong influence on individual risk is the aldehyde dehydrogenase 2 ALDHD2*2 variant common in Asian populations. Other robust associations have been found with previously uncharacterized genes like KIAA0040, and such observations can lead to the identification of thus far unknown signaling pathways. Converging evidence also points to a role of glutamatergic, dopaminergic and serotonergic neurotransmitter signaling in the risk for alcohol dependence, but effects are small, and gene-environment interactions further increase the complexity. CONCLUSION With few exceptions like ALDH2*2, the contribution of individual genetic variants to the risk for alcohol-related disorders is small. However, the concentration of risk variants within neurotransmitter signaling pathways may help to deepen our understanding of the underlying pathophysiology and thereby contribute to develop novel therapeutic strategies.
Collapse
Affiliation(s)
- Jerzy Samochowiec
- Department of Psychiatry, Pomeranian Medical University, Szczecin, Poland
| | | | | | | | | |
Collapse
|
16
|
Manzardo AM, McGuire A, Butler MG. Clinically relevant genetic biomarkers from the brain in alcoholism with representation on high resolution chromosome ideograms. Gene 2015; 560:184-94. [PMID: 25655461 DOI: 10.1016/j.gene.2015.01.064] [Citation(s) in RCA: 12] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 12/08/2014] [Revised: 01/27/2015] [Accepted: 01/30/2015] [Indexed: 11/26/2022]
Abstract
OBJECTIVE Alcoholism arises from combined effects of multiple biological factors including genetic and non-genetic causes with gene/environmental interaction. Intensive research and advanced genetic technology has generated a long list of genes and biomarkers involved in alcoholism neuropathology. These markers reflect complex overlapping and competing effects of possibly hundreds of genes which impact brain structure, function, biochemical alcohol processing, sensitivity and risk for dependence. METHOD We compiled a tabular list of clinically relevant genetic biomarkers for alcoholism targeting expression disturbances in the human brain through an extensive search of keywords related to alcoholism, alcohol abuse, and genetics from peer reviewed medical research articles and related nationally sponsored websites. Gene symbols were then placed on high resolution human chromosome ideograms with gene descriptions in tabular form. RESULTS We identified 337 clinically relevant genetic biomarkers and candidate genes for alcoholism and alcohol-responsiveness from human brain research. Genetic biomarkers included neurotransmitter pathways associated with brain reward processes for dopaminergic (e.g., DRD2, MAOA, and COMT), serotoninergic (e.g., HTR3A, HTR1B, HTR3B, and SLC6A4), GABAergic (e.g., GABRA1, GABRA2, and GABRG1), glutaminergic (GAD1, GRIK3, and GRIN2C) and opioid (e.g., OPRM1, OPRD1, and OPRK1) pathways which presumably impact reinforcing properties of alcohol. Gene level disturbances in cellular and molecular networks impacted by alcohol and alcoholism pathology include transketolase (TKT), transferrin (TF), and myelin (e.g., MBP, MOBP, and MOG). CONCLUSIONS High resolution chromosome ideograms provide investigators, physicians, geneticists and counselors a convenient visual image of the distribution of alcoholism genetic biomarkers from brain research with alphabetical listing of genes in tabular form allowing comparison between alcoholism-related phenotypes, and clinically-relevant alcoholism gene(s) at the chromosome band level to guide research, diagnosis, and treatment. Chromosome ideograms may facilitate gene-based personalized counseling of alcohol dependent individuals and their families.
Collapse
Affiliation(s)
- Ann M Manzardo
- Department of Psychiatry & Behavioral Sciences, University of Kansas Medical Center, Kansas City, KS 66160, USA.
| | - Austen McGuire
- Department of Psychiatry & Behavioral Sciences, University of Kansas Medical Center, Kansas City, KS 66160, USA
| | - Merlin G Butler
- Department of Psychiatry & Behavioral Sciences, University of Kansas Medical Center, Kansas City, KS 66160, USA; Department of Pediatrics, University of Kansas Medical Center, Kansas City, KS 66160, USA
| |
Collapse
|
17
|
Chin YW, Han SY. KDM4 histone demethylase inhibitors for anti-cancer agents: a patent review. Expert Opin Ther Pat 2014; 25:135-44. [PMID: 25468267 DOI: 10.1517/13543776.2014.991310] [Citation(s) in RCA: 27] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.7] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 12/31/2022]
Abstract
INTRODUCTION As epigenetic modulators, histone demethylases can be a therapeutic target in the area of oncology. KDM4 subfamily proteins are histone demethylases with a Jumonji domain. The subfamily consists of five functional members: KDM4A, KDM4B, KDM4C, KDM4D, and KDM4E. The role of the KDM4 subfamily proteins is reported in oncogenesis, and their overexpression in various tumor types is observed. Small molecule inhibitors for KDM4 proteins have great potential in anti-cancer therapy. AREAS COVERED A comprehensive review of the patents for KDM4 inhibitors is provided in this paper. Small molecule structural information and pharmacological effects are presented in the content. EXPERT OPINION The status of KDM4 inhibitor development is still in the early stages with small numbers of patents and journal articles. Future KDM4 inhibitor development should focus on obtaining selectivity between KDM4 subtypes, development of small molecules with in vivo activity, and extension of the therapeutic area of KDM4 inhibitors other than use in cancer therapy.
Collapse
Affiliation(s)
- Young-Won Chin
- Dongguk University-Seoul, College of Pharmacy and BK21PLUS R-FIND Team , Goyang, Gyeonggi-do 410-820 , Republic of Korea
| | | |
Collapse
|
18
|
Loukola A, Wedenoja J, Keskitalo-Vuokko K, Broms U, Korhonen T, Ripatti S, Sarin AP, Pitkäniemi J, He L, Häppölä A, Heikkilä K, Chou YL, Pergadia ML, Heath AC, Montgomery GW, Martin NG, Madden PAF, Kaprio J. Genome-wide association study on detailed profiles of smoking behavior and nicotine dependence in a twin sample. Mol Psychiatry 2014; 19:615-24. [PMID: 23752247 PMCID: PMC3883996 DOI: 10.1038/mp.2013.72] [Citation(s) in RCA: 49] [Impact Index Per Article: 4.9] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Submit a Manuscript] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 06/18/2012] [Revised: 03/28/2013] [Accepted: 04/29/2013] [Indexed: 01/11/2023]
Abstract
Smoking is a major risk factor for several somatic diseases and is also emerging as a causal factor for neuropsychiatric disorders. Genome-wide association (GWA) and candidate gene studies for smoking behavior and nicotine dependence (ND) have disclosed too few predisposing variants to account for the high estimated heritability. Previous large-scale GWA studies have had very limited phenotypic definitions of relevance to smoking-related behavior, which has likely impeded the discovery of genetic effects. We performed GWA analyses on 1114 adult twins ascertained for ever smoking from the population-based Finnish Twin Cohort study. The availability of 17 smoking-related phenotypes allowed us to comprehensively portray the dimensions of smoking behavior, clustered into the domains of smoking initiation, amount smoked and ND. Our results highlight a locus on 16p12.3, with several single-nucleotide polymorphisms (SNPs) in the vicinity of CLEC19A showing association (P<1 × 10(-6)) with smoking quantity. Interestingly, CLEC19A is located close to a previously reported attention-deficit hyperactivity disorder (ADHD) linkage locus and an evident link between ADHD and smoking has been established. Intriguing preliminary association (P<1 × 10(-5)) was detected between DSM-IV (Diagnostic and Statistical Manual of Mental Disorders, 4th edition) ND diagnosis and several SNPs in ERBB4, coding for a Neuregulin receptor, on 2q33. The association between ERBB4 and DSM-IV ND diagnosis was replicated in an independent Australian sample. Recently, a significant increase in ErbB4 and Neuregulin 3 (Nrg3) expression was revealed following chronic nicotine exposure and withdrawal in mice and an association between NRG3 SNPs and smoking cessation success was detected in a clinical trial. ERBB4 has previously been associated with schizophrenia; further, it is located within an established schizophrenia linkage locus and within a linkage locus for a smoker phenotype identified in this sample. In conclusion, we disclose novel tentative evidence for the involvement of ERBB4 in ND, suggesting the involvement of the Neuregulin/ErbB signalling pathway in addictions and providing a plausible link between the high co-morbidity of schizophrenia and ND.
Collapse
Affiliation(s)
- Anu Loukola
- Department of Public Health, Hjelt Institute, University of
Helsinki, Finland
| | - Juho Wedenoja
- Department of Public Health, Hjelt Institute, University of
Helsinki, Finland
| | | | - Ulla Broms
- Department of Public Health, Hjelt Institute, University of
Helsinki, Finland
- National Institute for Health and Welfare, Helsinki,
Finland
| | - Tellervo Korhonen
- Department of Public Health, Hjelt Institute, University of
Helsinki, Finland
- National Institute for Health and Welfare, Helsinki,
Finland
| | - Samuli Ripatti
- National Institute for Health and Welfare, Helsinki,
Finland
- Institute for Molecular Medicine Finland FIMM, University
of Helsinki, Finland
- Wellcome Trust Sanger Institute, Cambridge, UK
| | - Antti-Pekka Sarin
- National Institute for Health and Welfare, Helsinki,
Finland
- Institute for Molecular Medicine Finland FIMM, University
of Helsinki, Finland
| | - Janne Pitkäniemi
- Department of Public Health, Hjelt Institute, University of
Helsinki, Finland
| | - Liang He
- Department of Public Health, Hjelt Institute, University of
Helsinki, Finland
| | - Anja Häppölä
- Department of Public Health, Hjelt Institute, University of
Helsinki, Finland
| | - Kauko Heikkilä
- Department of Public Health, Hjelt Institute, University of
Helsinki, Finland
| | - Yi-Ling Chou
- Washington University School of Medicine, Saint Louis,
USA
| | | | - Andrew C Heath
- Washington University School of Medicine, Saint Louis,
USA
| | | | | | | | - Jaakko Kaprio
- Department of Public Health, Hjelt Institute, University of
Helsinki, Finland
- National Institute for Health and Welfare, Helsinki,
Finland
- Institute for Molecular Medicine Finland FIMM, University
of Helsinki, Finland
| |
Collapse
|
19
|
Krishnan HR, Sakharkar AJ, Teppen TL, Berkel TDM, Pandey SC. The epigenetic landscape of alcoholism. INTERNATIONAL REVIEW OF NEUROBIOLOGY 2014; 115:75-116. [PMID: 25131543 DOI: 10.1016/b978-0-12-801311-3.00003-2] [Citation(s) in RCA: 74] [Impact Index Per Article: 7.4] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 12/19/2022]
Abstract
Alcoholism is a complex psychiatric disorder that has a multifactorial etiology. Epigenetic mechanisms are uniquely capable of accounting for the multifactorial nature of the disease in that they are highly stable and are affected by environmental factors, including alcohol itself. Chromatin remodeling causes changes in gene expression in specific brain regions contributing to the endophenotypes of alcoholism such as tolerance and dependence. The epigenetic mechanisms that regulate changes in gene expression observed in addictive behaviors respond not only to alcohol exposure but also to comorbid psychopathology such as the presence of anxiety and stress. This review summarizes recent developments in epigenetic research that may play a role in alcoholism. We propose that pharmacologically manipulating epigenetic targets, as demonstrated in various preclinical models, hold great therapeutic potential in the treatment and prevention of alcoholism.
Collapse
Affiliation(s)
- Harish R Krishnan
- Department of Psychiatry, University of Illinois at Chicago, Chicago, Illinois, USA; Jesse Brown Veterans Affairs Medical Center, Chicago, Illinois, USA
| | - Amul J Sakharkar
- Department of Psychiatry, University of Illinois at Chicago, Chicago, Illinois, USA; Jesse Brown Veterans Affairs Medical Center, Chicago, Illinois, USA
| | - Tara L Teppen
- Department of Psychiatry, University of Illinois at Chicago, Chicago, Illinois, USA; Jesse Brown Veterans Affairs Medical Center, Chicago, Illinois, USA
| | - Tiffani D M Berkel
- Department of Psychiatry, University of Illinois at Chicago, Chicago, Illinois, USA; Jesse Brown Veterans Affairs Medical Center, Chicago, Illinois, USA
| | - Subhash C Pandey
- Department of Psychiatry, University of Illinois at Chicago, Chicago, Illinois, USA; Jesse Brown Veterans Affairs Medical Center, Chicago, Illinois, USA; Department of Anatomy and Cell Biology, University of Illinois at Chicago, Chicago, Illinois, USA.
| |
Collapse
|
20
|
Edwards AC, Kendler KS. Alcohol consumption in men is influenced by qualitatively different genetic factors in adolescence and adulthood. Psychol Med 2013; 43:1857-1868. [PMID: 23282961 PMCID: PMC3670965 DOI: 10.1017/s0033291712002917] [Citation(s) in RCA: 26] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.4] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Submit a Manuscript] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/06/2022]
Abstract
BACKGROUND Alcohol consumption is influenced by genetic factors. Previous studies have examined the heritability of alcohol consumption, or related phenotypes, from adolescence into adulthood, frequently finding that total heritability changes over time. However, it remains unclear whether the same genes underlie liability to alcohol consumption across development versus whether novel risk genes become important over time. Method A population-based study of adult male twins (n=1790) born in Virginia, USA, retrospectively reported on their average monthly alcohol consumption from early adolescence through adulthood. We used twin modeling methods to explore genetic and environmental influences on alcohol consumption over time. RESULTS One latent genetic factor accounted for the majority of the heritability in alcohol consumption during mid- to late adolescence, but its influence declined thereafter; from young adulthood forward, heritability was largely attributable to a second genetic factor. The total heritability of alcohol consumption increased from 0 at ages 12-14 years to 0.40 by ages 18-21 years. Shared environmental factors declined in influence over time. CONCLUSIONS The heritability of alcohol consumption over time is dynamic both quantitatively and qualitatively. These results have important implications for gene identification endeavors. Furthermore, these findings could inform efforts to elucidate developmentally dynamic behaviors, such as antisocial behavior.
Collapse
Affiliation(s)
- A C Edwards
- Virginia Institute for Psychiatric and Behavioral Genetics, Department of Psychiatry, Virginia Commonwealth University, Richmond, VA 23298-0126, USA.
| | | |
Collapse
|
21
|
Emerging roles for chromatin as a signal integration and storage platform. Nat Rev Mol Cell Biol 2013; 14:211-24. [PMID: 23524488 DOI: 10.1038/nrm3545] [Citation(s) in RCA: 210] [Impact Index Per Article: 19.1] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 12/12/2022]
Abstract
Cells of a multicellular organism, all containing nearly identical genetic information, respond to differentiation cues in variable ways. In addition, cells are plastic, able to execute their specialized function while maintaining the ability to adapt to environmental changes. This is achieved through multiple mechanisms, including the direct regulation of chromatin-based processes in response to stimuli. How signal transduction pathways directly communicate with chromatin to change the epigenetic landscape is poorly understood. The preponderance of covalent modifications on histone tails coupled with a relatively small number of functional outputs raises the possibility that chromatin acts as a site of signal integration and storage.
Collapse
|
22
|
Meyers JL, Nyman E, Loukola A, Rose RJ, Kaprio J, Dick DM. The association between DRD2/ANKK1 and genetically informed measures of alcohol use and problems. Addict Biol 2013; 18:523-36. [PMID: 22970887 PMCID: PMC3522787 DOI: 10.1111/j.1369-1600.2012.00490.x] [Citation(s) in RCA: 26] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.4] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 12/24/2022]
Abstract
In 1990, Blum and colleagues first reported an association between DRD2 and alcoholism. While there have been subsequent replications of this genetic association, there have also been numerous studies that failed to detect an association between DRD2 and alcohol dependence. We propose that one aspect contributing to this inconsistency is the variation in alcohol phenotype used across studies. Within the population-based Finnish twin sample, FinnTwin16, we previously performed multivariate twin analyses to extract latent genetic factors, which account for the variation across seven measures of alcohol consumption (frequency of drinking, frequency × quantity, frequency of heavy drinking, frequency of intoxication and maximum drinks in a 24-hour period) and problems (the Rutgers Alcohol Problem Index-RAPI and the Mälmö-modified Michigan Alcohol Screen Test-MmMAST) in 3065 twins. In the present study, we examined the association between 31 DRD2/ANKK1 single-nucleotide polymorphisms (SNPs) and the genetic factor scores generated by twin analyses in a subset of FinnTwin16 (n = 602). We focus on two of the genetic factors: a general alcohol consumption and problems factor score, which represents shared genetic variance across alcohol measures, and a alcohol problems genetic factor score, which loads onto the two indices of problematic drinking (MAST and RAPI). After correction for multiple testing across SNPs and phenotypes, of the 31 SNPs genotyped across DRD2/ANKK1, one SNP (rs10891549) showed significant association with the general alcohol consumption and problems factor score (P = 0.004), and four SNPs (rs10891549, rs1554929, rs6275, rs6279), representing two independent signals after accounting for linkage disequilibrium, showed significant association with the alcohol problems genetic factor score (P = 0.005, P = 0.005, P = 0.003, P = 0.003). In this study, we provide additional positive evidence for the association between DRD2/ANKK1 and alcohol outcomes, including frequency of drinking and drinking problems. Additionally, post hoc analyses indicate stronger association signals using genetic factor scores than individual measures, which suggest that accounting for the genetic architecture of the alcohol measures reduces genetic heterogeneity in alcohol dependence outcomes in this sample and enhances the ability to detect association.
Collapse
Affiliation(s)
| | - Emma Nyman
- Institute for Molecular Medicine Finland FIMM, University of Helsinki, Finland
| | - Anu Loukola
- Department of Public Health, Hjelt Institute, University of Helsinki, Finland
- Department of Mental Health and Substance Abuse Services, National Institute for Health and Welfare, Helsinki, Finland
| | - Richard J. Rose
- Department of Psychological & Brain Sciences, Indiana University, Bloomington
| | - Jaakko Kaprio
- Institute for Molecular Medicine Finland FIMM, University of Helsinki, Finland
- Department of Public Health, Hjelt Institute, University of Helsinki, Finland
- Department of Mental Health and Substance Abuse Services, National Institute for Health and Welfare, Helsinki, Finland
| | - Danielle M. Dick
- Virginia Institute of Psychiatric and Behavioral Genetics, Richmond
| |
Collapse
|
23
|
Iancu OD, Oberbeck D, Darakjian P, Metten P, McWeeney S, Crabbe JC, Hitzemann R. Selection for drinking in the dark alters brain gene coexpression networks. Alcohol Clin Exp Res 2013; 37:1295-303. [PMID: 23550792 DOI: 10.1111/acer.12100] [Citation(s) in RCA: 61] [Impact Index Per Article: 5.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 08/17/2012] [Accepted: 12/18/2012] [Indexed: 12/29/2022]
Abstract
BACKGROUND Heterogeneous stock (HS/NPT) mice have been used to create lines selectively bred in replicate for elevated drinking in the dark (DID). Both selected lines routinely reach a blood ethanol (EtOH) concentration (BEC) of 1.00 mg/ml or greater at the end of the 4-hour period of access in Day 2. The mechanisms through which genetic differences influence DID are currently unclear. Therefore, the current study examines the transcriptome, the first stage at which genetic variability affects neurobiology. Rather than focusing solely on differential expression (DE), we also examine changes in the ways that gene transcripts collectively interact with each other, as revealed by changes in coexpression patterns. METHODS Naïve mice (N = 48/group) were genotyped using the Mouse Universal Genotyping Array, which provided 3,683 informative markers. Quantitative trait locus (QTL) analysis used a marker-by-marker strategy with the threshold for a significant logarithm of odds (LOD) set at 10.6. Gene expression in the ventral striatum was measured using the Illumina Mouse 8.2 array. Differential gene expression and the weighted gene coexpression network analysis (WGCNA) were implemented largely as described elsewhere. RESULTS Significant QTLs for elevated BECs after DID were detected on chromosomes 4, 14, and 16; the latter 2 were associated with gene-poor regions. None of the QTLs overlapped with known QTLs for EtOH preference drinking. Ninety-four transcripts were detected as being differentially expressed in both selected lines versus HS controls; there was no overlap with known preference genes. The WGCNA revealed 2 modules as showing significant effects of both selections on intramodular connectivity. A number of genes known to be associated with EtOH phenotypes (e.g., Gabrg1, Glra2, Grik1, Npy2r, and Nts) showed significant changes in connectivity. CONCLUSIONS We found marked and consistent effects of selection on coexpression patterns; DE changes were more modest and less concordant. The QTLs and differentially expressed genes detected here are distinct from the preference phenotype. This is consistent with behavioral data and suggests that the DID and preference phenotypes are markedly different genetically.
Collapse
Affiliation(s)
- Ovidiu D Iancu
- Department of Behavioral Neuroscience, Oregon Health & Science University, Portland, OR, USA.
| | | | | | | | | | | | | |
Collapse
|
24
|
Abstract
Alcohol consumption dates back to the Neolithic period, and alcohol dependence contributes substantially to the current global burden of disease. Despite this, optimal therapies and preventive strategies are lacking. Formal genetic studies of alcohol dependence have shown that genetic factors play as large a role in disease etiology as environmental factors. Molecular genetic studies may identify causal factors and facilitate the development of novel preventive and therapeutic approaches. Whereas earlier studies involved the use of linkage- and candidate-gene approaches, recent years have witnessed the introduction of genome-wide association studies (GWAS). The present review provides a brief overview of the findings of formal genetic studies, summarizes the results of earlier molecular-genetic investigations, and presents a detailed overview of all published GWAS in the field of alcohol dependence research. To date, few genome-wide significant findings have been reported. However, through the polygenic approach, GWAS have both confirmed the existence of a multitude of novel risk genes and indicated interesting new candidates.
Collapse
Affiliation(s)
- Marcella Rietschel
- Department of Genetic Epidemiology in Psychiatry, Central Institute of Mental Health Mannheim, University Medical Center Mannheim, University of Heidelberg, Germany.
| | | |
Collapse
|
25
|
Palmer RHC, McGeary JE, Francazio S, Raphael BJ, Lander AD, Heath AC, Knopik VS. The genetics of alcohol dependence: advancing towards systems-based approaches. Drug Alcohol Depend 2012; 125:179-91. [PMID: 22854292 PMCID: PMC3470479 DOI: 10.1016/j.drugalcdep.2012.07.005] [Citation(s) in RCA: 24] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Submit a Manuscript] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 02/07/2012] [Revised: 07/09/2012] [Accepted: 07/10/2012] [Indexed: 01/02/2023]
Abstract
BACKGROUND Personalized treatment for psychopathologies, in particular alcoholism, is highly dependent upon our ability to identify patterns of genetic and environmental effects that influence a person's risk. Unfortunately, array-based whole genome investigations into heritable factors that explain why one person becomes dependent upon alcohol and another does not, have indicated that alcohol's genetic architecture is highly complex. That said, uncovering and interpreting the missing heritability in alcohol genetics research has become all the more important, especially since the problem may extend to our inability to model the cumulative and combinatorial relationships between common and rare genetic variants. As numerous studies begin to illustrate the dependency of alcohol pharmacotherapies on an individual's genotype, the field is further challenged to identify new ways to transcend agnostic genomewide association approaches. We discuss insights from genetic studies of alcohol related diseases, as well as issues surrounding alcohol's genetic complexity and etiological heterogeneity. Finally, we describe the need for innovative systems-based approaches (systems genetics) that can provide additional statistical power that can enhance future gene-finding strategies and help to identify heretofore-unrealized mechanisms that may provide new targets for prevention/treatments efforts. Emerging evidence from early studies suggest that systems genetics has the potential to organize our neurological, pharmacological, and genetic understanding of alcohol dependence into a biologically plausible framework that represents how perturbations across evolutionarily robust biological systems determine susceptibility to alcohol dependence.
Collapse
Affiliation(s)
- R H C Palmer
- Division of Behavioral Genetics, Department of Psychiatry at Rhode Island Hospital, USA.
| | | | | | | | | | | | | |
Collapse
|