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Babicola L, Mancini C, Riccelli C, Di Segni M, Passeri A, Municchi D, D'Addario SL, Andolina D, Cifani C, Cabib S, Ventura R. A mouse model of the 3-hit effects of stress: Genotype controls the effects of life adversities in females. Prog Neuropsychopharmacol Biol Psychiatry 2023; 127:110842. [PMID: 37611651 DOI: 10.1016/j.pnpbp.2023.110842] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Submit a Manuscript] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 05/20/2023] [Revised: 08/14/2023] [Accepted: 08/17/2023] [Indexed: 08/25/2023]
Abstract
Helplessness is a dysfunctional coping response to stressors associated with different psychiatric conditions. The present study tested the hypothesis that early and adult adversities cumulate to produce helplessness depending on the genotype (3-hit hypothesis of psychopathology). To this aim, we evaluated whether Chronic Unpredictable Stress (CUS) differently affected coping and mesoaccumbens dopamine (DA) responses to stress challenge by adult mice of the C57BL/6J (B6) and DBA/2J (D2) inbred strains depending on early life experience (Repeated Cross Fostering, RCF). Three weeks of CUS increased the helplessness expressed in the Forced Swimming Test (FST) and the Tail Suspension Test by RCF-exposed female mice of the D2 strain. Moreover, female D2 mice with both RCF and CUS experiences showed inhibition of the stress-induced extracellular DA outflow in the Nucleus Accumbens, as measured by in vivo microdialysis, during and after FST. RCF-exposed B6 mice, instead, showed reduced helplessness and increased mesoaccumbens DA release. The present results support genotype-dependent additive effects of early experiences and adult adversities on behavioral and neural responses to stress by female mice. To our knowledge, this is the first report of a 3-hit effect in an animal model. Finally, the comparative analyses of behavioral and neural phenotypes expressed by B6 and D2 mice suggest some translationally relevant hypotheses of genetic risk factors for psychiatric disorders.
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Affiliation(s)
- Lucy Babicola
- IRCCS Fondazione Santa Lucia, Rome, Italy; Dept. of Psychology and Center "Daniel Bovet", Sapienza University, Rome 00184, Italy
| | - Camilla Mancini
- University of Camerino, School of Pharmacy, Pharmacology Unit, Camerino, Italy
| | - Cristina Riccelli
- Dept. of Psychology and Center "Daniel Bovet", Sapienza University, Rome 00184, Italy
| | - Matteo Di Segni
- IRCCS Fondazione Santa Lucia, Rome, Italy; Dept. of Psychology and Center "Daniel Bovet", Sapienza University, Rome 00184, Italy
| | - Alice Passeri
- Dept. of Psychology and Center "Daniel Bovet", Sapienza University, Rome 00184, Italy
| | - Diana Municchi
- IRCCS Fondazione Santa Lucia, Rome, Italy; Dept. of Psychology and Center "Daniel Bovet", Sapienza University, Rome 00184, Italy
| | | | - Diego Andolina
- IRCCS Fondazione Santa Lucia, Rome, Italy; Dept. of Psychology and Center "Daniel Bovet", Sapienza University, Rome 00184, Italy
| | - Carlo Cifani
- University of Camerino, School of Pharmacy, Pharmacology Unit, Camerino, Italy
| | - Simona Cabib
- IRCCS Fondazione Santa Lucia, Rome, Italy; Dept. of Psychology and Center "Daniel Bovet", Sapienza University, Rome 00184, Italy.
| | - Rossella Ventura
- IRCCS Fondazione Santa Lucia, Rome, Italy; IRCCS San Raffaele, Rome, Italy.
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2
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Lo Iacono L, Mancini C, Babicola L, Pietrosanto M, Di Segni M, D'Addario SL, Municchi D, Ielpo D, Pascucci T, Cabib S, Ferlazzo F, D'Amato FR, Andolina D, Helmer-Citterich M, Cifani C, Ventura R. Early life adversity affecting the attachment bond alters ventral tegmental area transcriptomic patterning and behavior almost exclusively in female mice. Neurobiol Stress 2021; 15:100406. [PMID: 34660854 PMCID: PMC8503667 DOI: 10.1016/j.ynstr.2021.100406] [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: 06/17/2021] [Revised: 09/22/2021] [Accepted: 10/02/2021] [Indexed: 02/07/2023] Open
Abstract
Early life experiences that affect the attachment bond formation can alter developmental trajectories and result in pathological outcomes in a sex-related manner. However, the molecular basis of sex differences is quite unknown. The dopaminergic system originating from the ventral tegmental area has been proposed to be a key mediator of this process. Here we exploited a murine model of early adversity (Repeated Cross Fostering, RCF) to test how interfering with the attachment bond formation affects the VTA-related functions in a sex-specific manner. Through a comprehensive behavioral screening, within the NiH RDoC framework, and by next-generation RNA-Seq experiments, we analyzed the long-lasting effect of RCF on behavioral and transcriptional profiles related to the VTA, across two different inbred strains of mouse in both sexes. We found that RCF impacted to an extremely greater extent VTA-related behaviors in females than in males and this result mirrored the transcriptional alterations in the VTA that were almost exclusively observed in females. The sexual dimorphism was conserved across two different inbred strains in spite of their divergent long lasting consequences of RCF exposure. Our data suggest that to be female primes a sub-set of genes to respond to early environmental perturbations. This is, to the best of our knowledge, the first evidence of an almost exclusive effect of early life experiences on females, thus mirroring the extremely stronger impact of precocious aversive events reported in clinical studies in women.
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Affiliation(s)
- Luisa Lo Iacono
- Dept. of Psychology and Center "Daniel Bovet", Sapienza University, Rome, Italy.,IRCCS Fondazione Santa Lucia, Roma, Italy
| | | | - Lucy Babicola
- Dept. of Psychology and Center "Daniel Bovet", Sapienza University, Rome, Italy.,IRCCS Fondazione Santa Lucia, Roma, Italy
| | - Marco Pietrosanto
- Centre for Molecular Bioinformatics, Department of Biology, University of Rome Tor Vergata, Rome, Italy
| | | | - Sebastian Luca D'Addario
- Dept. of Psychology and Center "Daniel Bovet", Sapienza University, Rome, Italy.,IRCCS Fondazione Santa Lucia, Roma, Italy.,Behavioral Neuroscience PhD Programme, Sapienza University, Rome, Italy
| | - Diana Municchi
- Dept. of Psychology and Center "Daniel Bovet", Sapienza University, Rome, Italy.,IRCCS Fondazione Santa Lucia, Roma, Italy.,Behavioral Neuroscience PhD Programme, Sapienza University, Rome, Italy
| | - Donald Ielpo
- Dept. of Psychology and Center "Daniel Bovet", Sapienza University, Rome, Italy.,IRCCS Fondazione Santa Lucia, Roma, Italy.,Behavioral Neuroscience PhD Programme, Sapienza University, Rome, Italy
| | - Tiziana Pascucci
- Dept. of Psychology and Center "Daniel Bovet", Sapienza University, Rome, Italy
| | - Simona Cabib
- Dept. of Psychology and Center "Daniel Bovet", Sapienza University, Rome, Italy.,IRCCS Fondazione Santa Lucia, Roma, Italy
| | - Fabio Ferlazzo
- Dept. of Psychology and Center "Daniel Bovet", Sapienza University, Rome, Italy
| | - Francesca R D'Amato
- Biochemistry and Cell Biology Institute, National Research Council, Via E Ramarini 32, 00015, Monterotondo Scalo, Roma, Italy
| | - Diego Andolina
- Dept. of Psychology and Center "Daniel Bovet", Sapienza University, Rome, Italy.,IRCCS Fondazione Santa Lucia, Roma, Italy
| | - Manuela Helmer-Citterich
- Centre for Molecular Bioinformatics, Department of Biology, University of Rome Tor Vergata, Rome, Italy
| | - Carlo Cifani
- University of Camerino School of Pharmacy, Camerino, Italy
| | - Rossella Ventura
- Dept. of Psychology and Center "Daniel Bovet", Sapienza University, Rome, Italy.,IRCCS Fondazione Santa Lucia, Roma, Italy
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3
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Narayanan R, Schratt G. miRNA regulation of social and anxiety-related behaviour. Cell Mol Life Sci 2020; 77:4347-4364. [PMID: 32409861 PMCID: PMC11104968 DOI: 10.1007/s00018-020-03542-7] [Citation(s) in RCA: 31] [Impact Index Per Article: 7.8] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 11/19/2019] [Revised: 03/31/2020] [Accepted: 04/27/2020] [Indexed: 12/21/2022]
Abstract
Neuropsychiatric disorders, including autism spectrum disorders (ASD) and anxiety disorders are characterized by a complex range of symptoms, including social behaviour and cognitive deficits, depression and repetitive behaviours. Although the mechanisms driving pathophysiology are complex and remain largely unknown, advances in the understanding of gene association and gene networks are providing significant clues to their aetiology. In recent years, small noncoding RNA molecules known as microRNA (miRNA) have emerged as a new gene regulatory layer in the pathophysiology of mental illness. These small RNAs can bind to the 3'-UTR of mRNA thereby negatively regulating gene expression at the post-transcriptional level. Their ability to regulate hundreds of target mRNAs simultaneously predestines them to control the activity of entire cellular pathways, with obvious implications for the regulation of complex processes such as animal behaviour. There is growing evidence to suggest that numerous miRNAs are dysregulated in pathophysiology of neuropsychiatric disorders, and there is strong genetic support for the association of miRNA genes and their targets with several of these conditions. This review attempts to cover the most relevant microRNAs for which an important contribution to the control of social and anxiety-related behaviour has been demonstrated by functional studies in animal models. In addition, it provides an overview of recent expression profiling and genetic association studies in human patient-derived samples in an attempt to highlight the most promising candidates for biomarker discovery and therapeutic intervention.
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Affiliation(s)
- Ramanathan Narayanan
- Lab of Systems Neuroscience, Department of Health Science and Technology, Institute for Neuroscience, Swiss Federal Institute of Technology ETH, Zurich, Switzerland
| | - Gerhard Schratt
- Lab of Systems Neuroscience, Department of Health Science and Technology, Institute for Neuroscience, Swiss Federal Institute of Technology ETH, Zurich, Switzerland.
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Babicola L, Pietrosanto M, Ielpo D, D'Addario SL, Cabib S, Ventura R, Ferlazzo F, Helmer-Citterich M, Andolina D, Lo Iacono L. RISC RNA sequencing in the Dorsal Raphè reveals microRNAs regulatory activities associated with behavioral and functional adaptations to chronic stress. Brain Res 2020; 1736:146763. [DOI: 10.1016/j.brainres.2020.146763] [Citation(s) in RCA: 2] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 12/04/2019] [Revised: 03/03/2020] [Accepted: 03/08/2020] [Indexed: 01/06/2023]
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Muriello M, Kim AY, Schatz KS, Beck N, Gunay-Aygun M, Hoover-Fong JE. Growth hormone deficiency, aortic dilation, and neurocognitive issues in Feingold syndrome 2. Am J Med Genet A 2019; 179:410-416. [PMID: 30672094 PMCID: PMC7038632 DOI: 10.1002/ajmg.a.61037] [Citation(s) in RCA: 8] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.6] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 09/14/2018] [Revised: 12/12/2018] [Accepted: 12/17/2018] [Indexed: 11/07/2022]
Abstract
We report three patients with Feingold 2 syndrome with the novel features of growth hormone deficiency associated with adenohypophyseal compression, aortic dilation, phalangeal joint contractures, memory, and sleep problems in addition to the typical features of microcephaly, brachymesophalangy, toe syndactyly, short stature, and cardiac anomalies. Microdeletions of chromosome 13q that include the MIR17HG gene were found in all three. One of the patients was treated successfully with growth hormone. In addition to expanding the phenotype of Feingold 2 syndrome, we suggest management of patients with Feingold 2 syndrome include echocardiography at the time of diagnosis in all patients and consideration of evaluation for growth hormone deficiency in patients with short stature.
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Affiliation(s)
- Michael Muriello
- McKusick-Nathans Institute of Genetic Medicine, Johns Hopkins University, Baltimore, Maryland
- Department of Pediatrics, Medical College of Wisconsin, Milwaukee, Wisconsin
| | - Alexander Y. Kim
- McKusick-Nathans Institute of Genetic Medicine, Johns Hopkins University, Baltimore, Maryland
| | | | - Natalie Beck
- McKusick-Nathans Institute of Genetic Medicine, Johns Hopkins University, Baltimore, Maryland
- Greenberg Center for Skeletal Dysplasia, Johns Hopkins University, Baltimore, Maryland
| | - Meral Gunay-Aygun
- McKusick-Nathans Institute of Genetic Medicine, Johns Hopkins University, Baltimore, Maryland
| | - Julie E. Hoover-Fong
- McKusick-Nathans Institute of Genetic Medicine, Johns Hopkins University, Baltimore, Maryland
- Greenberg Center for Skeletal Dysplasia, Johns Hopkins University, Baltimore, Maryland
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Abstract
MicroRNAs (miRNAs) are ∼22 nt RNAs that direct posttranscriptional repression of mRNA targets in diverse eukaryotic lineages. In humans and other mammals, these small RNAs help sculpt the expression of most mRNAs. This article reviews advances in our understanding of the defining features of metazoan miRNAs and their biogenesis, genomics, and evolution. It then reviews how metazoan miRNAs are regulated, how they recognize and cause repression of their targets, and the biological functions of this repression, with a compilation of knockout phenotypes that shows that important biological functions have been identified for most of the broadly conserved miRNAs of mammals.
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Affiliation(s)
- David P Bartel
- Howard Hughes Medical Institute and Whitehead Institute for Biomedical Research, Cambridge, MA 02142, USA; Department of Biology, Massachusetts Institute of Technology, Cambridge, MA 02139, USA.
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7
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The MYCN Protein in Health and Disease. Genes (Basel) 2017; 8:genes8040113. [PMID: 28358317 PMCID: PMC5406860 DOI: 10.3390/genes8040113] [Citation(s) in RCA: 106] [Impact Index Per Article: 15.1] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 01/31/2017] [Revised: 03/23/2017] [Accepted: 03/27/2017] [Indexed: 12/22/2022] Open
Abstract
MYCN is a member of the MYC family of proto-oncogenes. It encodes a transcription factor, MYCN, involved in the control of fundamental processes during embryonal development. The MYCN protein is situated downstream of several signaling pathways promoting cell growth, proliferation and metabolism of progenitor cells in different developing organs and tissues. Conversely, deregulated MYCN signaling supports the development of several different tumors, mainly with a childhood onset, including neuroblastoma, medulloblastoma, rhabdomyosarcoma and Wilms’ tumor, but it is also associated with some cancers occurring during adulthood such as prostate and lung cancer. In neuroblastoma, MYCN-amplification is the most consistent genetic aberration associated with poor prognosis and treatment failure. Targeting MYCN has been proposed as a therapeutic strategy for the treatment of these tumors and great efforts have allowed the development of direct and indirect MYCN inhibitors with potential clinical use.
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Weng HL, Wang MJ. Effects of microRNA‑338‑3p on morphine‑induced apoptosis and its underlying mechanisms. Mol Med Rep 2016; 14:2085-92. [PMID: 27432229 DOI: 10.3892/mmr.2016.5506] [Citation(s) in RCA: 7] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.9] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 08/31/2015] [Accepted: 05/25/2016] [Indexed: 11/05/2022] Open
Abstract
The aim of the present study was to investigate the effects of microRNA-338-3p (miR-338-3p) on morphine (MP)-induced apoptosis, and its underlying mechanisms. Freshly‑isolated mouse peritoneal macrophages were cultured in vitro and treated with MP following transfection with miR‑338‑3p mimic, inhibitor or controls. miR‑338‑3p expression levels increased significantly following MP treatment (P<0.01). This increase was enhanced following transfection with miR‑338‑3p mimic (P<0.05) and abrogated following transfection with miR‑338‑3p inhibitor (P<0.05). The apoptotic rate increased significantly in groups treated with MP (P<0.05); however, this increase was abrogated by transfection with miR‑338‑3p inhibitor (P<0.05). Bioinformatics software predicted that sex determining region Y‑box 4 (SOX4) was the target gene of miR‑338‑3p and this was verified using a dual‑luciferase reporter gene system. SOX4 mRNA and protein expression levels decreased significantly following MP treatment (P<0.05); however, this decrease was abrogated following transfection with miR‑338‑3p inhibitor (P<0.05). Caspase‑3 protein expression levels increased markedly following MP treatment (P<0.05); however, this increase was inhibited by transfection with miR‑338‑3p inhibitor (P<0.05). Therefore, decreased expression of miR‑338‑3p may suppress MP‑induced apoptosis, potentially via the upregulation of SOX4 expression and the caspase‑3‑dependent apoptotic signaling pathway.
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Affiliation(s)
- Hong-Liang Weng
- Department of Anesthesia, Linyi Yishui Central Hospital, Linyi, Shandong 276400, P.R. China
| | - Ming-Jing Wang
- Department of Clinical Laboratory, Linyi Yishui Central Hospital, Linyi, Shandong 276400, P.R. China
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