1
|
Smith SS, Benanni S, Jones Q, Kenney L, Evrard MR. Manipulation of α4βδ GABA A receptors alters synaptic pruning in layer 3 prelimbic prefrontal cortex and impairs temporal order recognition: Implications for schizophrenia and autism. Brain Res 2024; 1835:148929. [PMID: 38599510 DOI: 10.1016/j.brainres.2024.148929] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 02/20/2024] [Revised: 04/04/2024] [Accepted: 04/06/2024] [Indexed: 04/12/2024]
Abstract
Temporal order memory is impaired in autism spectrum disorder (ASD) and schizophrenia (SCZ). These disorders, more prevalent in males, result in abnormal dendritic spine pruning during adolescence in layer 3 (L3) medial prefrontal cortex (mPFC), yielding either too many (ASD) or too few (SCZ) spines. Here we tested whether altering spine density in neural circuits including the mPFC could be associated with impaired temporal order memory in male mice. We have shown that α4βδ GABAA receptors (GABARs) emerge at puberty on spines of L5 prelimbic mPFC (PL) where they trigger pruning. We show here that α4βδ receptors also increase at puberty in L3 PL (P < 0.0001) and used these receptors as a target to manipulate spine density here. Pubertal injection (14 d) of the GABA agonist gaboxadol, at a dose (3 mg/kg) selective for α4βδ, reduced L3 spine density by half (P < 0.0001), while α4 knock-out increased spine density ∼ 40 % (P < 0.0001), mimicking spine densities in SCZ and ASD, respectively. In both cases, performance on the mPFC-dependent temporal order recognition task was impaired, resulting in decreases in the discrimination ratio which assesses preference for the novel object: -0.39 ± 0.15, gaboxadol versus 0.52 ± 0.09, vehicle; P = 0.0002; -0.048 ± 0.10, α4 KO versus 0.49 ± 0.04, wild-type; P < 0.0001. In contrast, the number of approaches was unaltered, reflecting unchanged locomotion. These data suggest that altering α4βδ GABAR expression/activity alters spine density in L3 mPFC and impairs temporal order memory to mimic changes in ASD and SCZ. These findings may provide insight into these disorders.
Collapse
Affiliation(s)
- Sheryl S Smith
- Department of Physiology and Pharmacology, SUNY Downstate Medical Center, 450 Clarkson Ave., Brooklyn, NY 11203, USA.
| | - Safae Benanni
- Department of Physiology and Pharmacology, SUNY Downstate Medical Center, 450 Clarkson Ave., Brooklyn, NY 11203, USA.
| | - Quiana Jones
- Department of Physiology and Pharmacology, SUNY Downstate Medical Center, 450 Clarkson Ave., Brooklyn, NY 11203, USA.
| | - Lindsay Kenney
- Department of Physiology and Pharmacology, SUNY Downstate Medical Center, 450 Clarkson Ave., Brooklyn, NY 11203, USA.
| | - Matthew R Evrard
- Department of Physiology and Pharmacology, SUNY Downstate Medical Center, 450 Clarkson Ave., Brooklyn, NY 11203, USA.
| |
Collapse
|
2
|
Pedraza N, Monserrat MV, Ferrezuelo F, Torres-Rosell J, Colomina N, Miguez-Cabello F, Párraga JP, Soto D, López-Merino E, García-Vilela C, Esteban JA, Egea J, Garí E. Cyclin D1-Cdk4 regulates neuronal activity through phosphorylation of GABAA receptors. Cell Mol Life Sci 2023; 80:280. [PMID: 37684532 PMCID: PMC10491536 DOI: 10.1007/s00018-023-04920-7] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 06/14/2023] [Revised: 08/10/2023] [Accepted: 08/12/2023] [Indexed: 09/10/2023]
Abstract
Nuclear Cyclin D1 (Ccnd1) is a main regulator of cell cycle progression and cell proliferation. Interestingly, Ccnd1 moves to the cytoplasm at the onset of differentiation in neuronal precursors. However, cytoplasmic functions and targets of Ccnd1 in post-mitotic neurons are unknown. Here we identify the α4 subunit of gamma-aminobutyric acid (GABA) type A receptors (GABAARs) as an interactor and target of Ccnd1-Cdk4. Ccnd1 binds to an intracellular loop in α4 and, together with Cdk4, phosphorylates the α4 subunit at threonine 423 and serine 431. These modifications upregulate α4 surface levels, increasing the response of α4-containing GABAARs, measured in whole-cell patch-clamp recordings. In agreement with this role of Ccnd1-Cdk4 in neuronal signalling, inhibition of Cdk4 or expression of the non-phosphorylatable α4 decreases synaptic and extra-synaptic currents in the hippocampus of newborn rats. Moreover, according to α4 functions in synaptic pruning, CCND1 knockout mice display an altered pattern of dendritic spines that is rescued by the phosphomimetic α4. Overall, our findings molecularly link Ccnd1-Cdk4 to GABAARs activity in the central nervous system and highlight a novel role for this G1 cyclin in neuronal signalling.
Collapse
Affiliation(s)
- Neus Pedraza
- Cell Cycle, Department of Basic Medical Sciences, Institut de Recerca Biomèdica de Lleida (IRBLLEIDA), University of Lleida, Lleida, Spain.
| | - Ma Ventura Monserrat
- Cell Cycle, Department of Basic Medical Sciences, Institut de Recerca Biomèdica de Lleida (IRBLLEIDA), University of Lleida, Lleida, Spain
| | - Francisco Ferrezuelo
- Cell Cycle, Department of Basic Medical Sciences, Institut de Recerca Biomèdica de Lleida (IRBLLEIDA), University of Lleida, Lleida, Spain
| | - Jordi Torres-Rosell
- Cell Cycle, Department of Basic Medical Sciences, Institut de Recerca Biomèdica de Lleida (IRBLLEIDA), University of Lleida, Lleida, Spain
| | - Neus Colomina
- Cell Cycle, Department of Basic Medical Sciences, Institut de Recerca Biomèdica de Lleida (IRBLLEIDA), University of Lleida, Lleida, Spain
| | - Federico Miguez-Cabello
- Laboratori de Neurofisiologia, Departament de Biomedicina, Facultat de Medicina i Ciències de la Salut, Institut de Neurociències, Universitat de Barcelona, Barcelona, Spain
- Institut d'Investigacions Biomèdiques August Pi i Sunyer (IDIBAPS), Hospital Clínic, Universitat de Barcelona, Barcelona, Spain
| | - Javier Picañol Párraga
- Laboratori de Neurofisiologia, Departament de Biomedicina, Facultat de Medicina i Ciències de la Salut, Institut de Neurociències, Universitat de Barcelona, Barcelona, Spain
- Institut d'Investigacions Biomèdiques August Pi i Sunyer (IDIBAPS), Hospital Clínic, Universitat de Barcelona, Barcelona, Spain
| | - David Soto
- Laboratori de Neurofisiologia, Departament de Biomedicina, Facultat de Medicina i Ciències de la Salut, Institut de Neurociències, Universitat de Barcelona, Barcelona, Spain
- Institut d'Investigacions Biomèdiques August Pi i Sunyer (IDIBAPS), Hospital Clínic, Universitat de Barcelona, Barcelona, Spain
| | - Esperanza López-Merino
- Department of Molecular Neurobiology, Centro de Biología Molecular 'Severo Ochoa', Consejo Superior de Investigaciones Científicas (CSIC)/Universidad Autónoma de Madrid (UAM), Madrid, Spain
| | - Celia García-Vilela
- Department of Molecular Neurobiology, Centro de Biología Molecular 'Severo Ochoa', Consejo Superior de Investigaciones Científicas (CSIC)/Universidad Autónoma de Madrid (UAM), Madrid, Spain
| | - José A Esteban
- Department of Molecular Neurobiology, Centro de Biología Molecular 'Severo Ochoa', Consejo Superior de Investigaciones Científicas (CSIC)/Universidad Autónoma de Madrid (UAM), Madrid, Spain
| | - Joaquim Egea
- Molecular and Developmental Neurobiology, Dept. Ciències Mèdiques Bàsiques, Facultat de Medicina, Universitat de Lleida/IRBLLEIDA, Rovira Roure 80, 25198, Lleida, Spain
| | - Eloi Garí
- Cell Cycle, Department of Basic Medical Sciences, Institut de Recerca Biomèdica de Lleida (IRBLLEIDA), University of Lleida, Lleida, Spain.
| |
Collapse
|
3
|
Gill PS, Dweep H, Rose S, Wickramasinghe PJ, Vyas KK, McCullough S, Porter-Gill PA, Frye RE. Integrated microRNA–mRNA Expression Profiling Identifies Novel Targets and Networks Associated with Autism. J Pers Med 2022; 12:jpm12060920. [PMID: 35743705 PMCID: PMC9225282 DOI: 10.3390/jpm12060920] [Citation(s) in RCA: 2] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 04/05/2022] [Revised: 05/23/2022] [Accepted: 05/27/2022] [Indexed: 01/27/2023] Open
Abstract
Autism spectrum disorder (ASD) is a complex neurodevelopmental disorder, with mutations in hundreds of genes contributing to its risk. Herein, we studied lymphoblastoid cell lines (LCLs) from children diagnosed with autistic disorder (n = 10) and controls (n = 7) using RNA and miRNA sequencing profiles. The sequencing analysis identified 1700 genes and 102 miRNAs differentially expressed between the ASD and control LCLs (p ≤ 0.05). The top upregulated genes were GABRA4, AUTS2, and IL27, and the top upregulated miRNAs were hsa-miR-6813-3p, hsa-miR-221-5p, and hsa-miR-21-5p. The RT-qPCR analysis confirmed the sequencing results for randomly selected candidates: AUTS2, FMR1, PTEN, hsa-miR-15a-5p, hsa-miR-92a-3p, and hsa-miR-125b-5p. The functional enrichment analysis showed pathways involved in ASD control proliferation of neuronal cells, cell death of immune cells, epilepsy or neurodevelopmental disorders, WNT and PTEN signaling, apoptosis, and cancer. The integration of mRNA and miRNA sequencing profiles by miRWalk2.0 identified correlated changes in miRNAs and their targets’ expression. The integration analysis found significantly dysregulated miRNA–gene pairs in ASD. Overall, these findings suggest that mRNA and miRNA expression profiles in ASD are greatly altered in LCLs and reveal numerous miRNA–gene interactions that regulate critical pathways involved in the proliferation of neuronal cells, cell death of immune cells, and neuronal development.
Collapse
Affiliation(s)
- Pritmohinder S. Gill
- Department of Pediatrics, University of Arkansas for Medical Sciences, Little Rock, AR 72202, USA;
- Arkansas Children′s Research Institute, Little Rock, AR 72202, USA; (K.K.V.); (S.M.); (P.A.P.-G.)
- Correspondence: ; Tel.: +1-501-364-2743
| | - Harsh Dweep
- The Wistar Institute, 3601 Spruce St., Philadelphia, PA 19104, USA; (H.D.); (P.J.W.)
| | - Shannon Rose
- Department of Pediatrics, University of Arkansas for Medical Sciences, Little Rock, AR 72202, USA;
- Arkansas Children′s Research Institute, Little Rock, AR 72202, USA; (K.K.V.); (S.M.); (P.A.P.-G.)
| | | | - Kanan K. Vyas
- Arkansas Children′s Research Institute, Little Rock, AR 72202, USA; (K.K.V.); (S.M.); (P.A.P.-G.)
| | - Sandra McCullough
- Arkansas Children′s Research Institute, Little Rock, AR 72202, USA; (K.K.V.); (S.M.); (P.A.P.-G.)
| | - Patricia A. Porter-Gill
- Arkansas Children′s Research Institute, Little Rock, AR 72202, USA; (K.K.V.); (S.M.); (P.A.P.-G.)
| | - Richard E. Frye
- Barrow Neurological Institute at Phoenix Children′s Hospital, Phoenix, AZ 85016, USA;
- Department of Child Health, University of Arizona College of Medicine, Phoenix, AZ 85004, USA
| |
Collapse
|
4
|
Fan C, Gao Y, Liang G, Huang L, Wang J, Yang X, Shi Y, Dräger UC, Zhong M, Gao TM, Yang X. Transcriptomics of Gabra4 knockout mice reveals common NMDAR pathways underlying autism, memory, and epilepsy. Mol Autism 2020; 11:13. [PMID: 32033586 PMCID: PMC7007694 DOI: 10.1186/s13229-020-0318-9] [Citation(s) in RCA: 11] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.8] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 09/02/2019] [Accepted: 01/26/2020] [Indexed: 12/16/2022] Open
Abstract
Autism spectrum disorder (ASD) is a neuronal developmental disorder with impaired social interaction and communication, often with abnormal intelligence and comorbidity with epilepsy. Disturbances in synaptic transmission, including the GABAergic, glutamatergic, and serotonergic systems, are known to be involved in the pathogenesis of this disorder, yet we do not know if there is a common molecular mechanism. As mutations in the GABAergic receptor subunit gene GABRA4 are reported in patients with ASD, we eliminated the Gabra4 gene in mice and found that the Gabra4 knockout mice showed autistic-like behavior, enhanced spatial memory, and attenuated susceptibility to pentylenetetrazol-induced seizures, a constellation of symptoms resembling human high-functioning autism. To search for potential molecular pathways involved in these phenotypes, we performed a hippocampal transcriptome profiling, constructed a hippocampal interactome network, and revealed an upregulation of the NMDAR system at the center of the converged pathways underlying high-functioning autism-like and anti-epilepsy phenotypes.
Collapse
Affiliation(s)
- Cuixia Fan
- Department of Obstetrics and Gynecology, Nanfang Hospital, Southern Medical University, Guangzhou, 510515, China.,Institute of Neuroscience and Department of Neurology, The Second Affiliated Hospital of Guangzhou Medical University, Guangzhou, 510260, China
| | - Yue Gao
- Department of Obstetrics and Gynecology, Nanfang Hospital, Southern Medical University, Guangzhou, 510515, China.,Key Laboratory of Mental Health of the Ministry of Education, Southern Medical University, Guangzhou, 510515, China.,Department of Bioinformatics, School of Basic Medical Sciences, Southern Medical University, 1838 N. Guangzhou Ave, Guangzhou, 510515, China
| | - Guanmei Liang
- Department of Obstetrics and Gynecology, Nanfang Hospital, Southern Medical University, Guangzhou, 510515, China.,Key Laboratory of Mental Health of the Ministry of Education, Southern Medical University, Guangzhou, 510515, China.,Department of Bioinformatics, School of Basic Medical Sciences, Southern Medical University, 1838 N. Guangzhou Ave, Guangzhou, 510515, China
| | - Lang Huang
- Key Laboratory of Mental Health of the Ministry of Education, Southern Medical University, Guangzhou, 510515, China.,State Key Laboratory of Organ Failure Research, Guangdong-Hong Kong-Macao Greater Bay Area Center for Brain Science and Brain-Inspired Intelligence, Guangdong Key Laboratory of Psychiatric Disorders, Collaborative Innovation Center for Brain Science, Department of Neurobiology, School of Basic Medical Sciences, Southern Medical University, Guangzhou, 510515, China
| | - Jing Wang
- Department of Obstetrics and Gynecology, Nanfang Hospital, Southern Medical University, Guangzhou, 510515, China
| | - Xiaoxue Yang
- Department of Obstetrics and Gynecology, Nanfang Hospital, Southern Medical University, Guangzhou, 510515, China
| | - Yiwu Shi
- Institute of Neuroscience and Department of Neurology, The Second Affiliated Hospital of Guangzhou Medical University, Guangzhou, 510260, China
| | - Ursula C Dräger
- Department of Psychiatry, University of Massachusetts Medical School, Worcester, MA, 01655, USA
| | - Mei Zhong
- Department of Obstetrics and Gynecology, Nanfang Hospital, Southern Medical University, Guangzhou, 510515, China
| | - Tian-Ming Gao
- Key Laboratory of Mental Health of the Ministry of Education, Southern Medical University, Guangzhou, 510515, China.,State Key Laboratory of Organ Failure Research, Guangdong-Hong Kong-Macao Greater Bay Area Center for Brain Science and Brain-Inspired Intelligence, Guangdong Key Laboratory of Psychiatric Disorders, Collaborative Innovation Center for Brain Science, Department of Neurobiology, School of Basic Medical Sciences, Southern Medical University, Guangzhou, 510515, China
| | - Xinping Yang
- Department of Obstetrics and Gynecology, Nanfang Hospital, Southern Medical University, Guangzhou, 510515, China. .,Key Laboratory of Mental Health of the Ministry of Education, Southern Medical University, Guangzhou, 510515, China. .,Department of Bioinformatics, School of Basic Medical Sciences, Southern Medical University, 1838 N. Guangzhou Ave, Guangzhou, 510515, China.
| |
Collapse
|