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Kotajima-Murakami H, Hagihara H, Sato A, Hagino Y, Tanaka M, Katoh Y, Nishito Y, Takamatsu Y, Uchino S, Miyakawa T, Ikeda K. Exposure to GABA A Receptor Antagonist Picrotoxin in Pregnant Mice Causes Autism-Like Behaviors and Aberrant Gene Expression in Offspring. Front Psychiatry 2022; 13:821354. [PMID: 35185658 PMCID: PMC8850354 DOI: 10.3389/fpsyt.2022.821354] [Citation(s) in RCA: 2] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Submit a Manuscript] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 11/24/2021] [Accepted: 01/11/2022] [Indexed: 12/11/2022] Open
Abstract
Autism spectrum disorder (ASD) is a neurodevelopmental disorder that is characterized by impairments in social interaction and restricted/repetitive behaviors. The neurotransmitter γ-aminobutyric acid (GABA) through GABAA receptor signaling in the immature brain plays a key role in the development of neuronal circuits. Excitatory/inhibitory imbalance in the mature brain has been investigated as a pathophysiological mechanism of ASD. However, whether and how disturbances of GABA signaling in embryos that are caused by GABAA receptor inhibitors cause ASD-like pathophysiology are poorly understood. The present study examined whether exposure to the GABAA receptor antagonist picrotoxin causes ASD-like pathophysiology in offspring by conducting behavioral tests from the juvenile period to adulthood and performing gene expression analyses in mature mouse brains. Here, we found that male mice that were prenatally exposed to picrotoxin exhibited a reduction of active interaction time in the social interaction test in both adolescence and adulthood. The gene expression analyses showed that picrotoxin-exposed male mice exhibited a significant increase in the gene expression of odorant receptors. Weighted gene co-expression network analysis showed a strong correlation between social interaction and enrichment of the "odorant binding" pathway gene module. Our findings suggest that exposure to a GABAA receptor inhibitor during the embryonic period induces ASD-like behavior, and impairments in odorant function may contribute to social deficits in offspring.
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Affiliation(s)
- Hiroko Kotajima-Murakami
- Addictive Substance Project, Tokyo Metropolitan Institute of Medical Science, Setagaya-Ku, Japan.,Department of Biosciences, School of Science and Engineering, Teikyo University, Utsunomiya-Shi, Japan
| | - Hideo Hagihara
- Division of Systems Medical Science, Institute for Comprehensive Medical Science, Fujita Health University, Toyoake-Shi, Japan
| | - Atsushi Sato
- Addictive Substance Project, Tokyo Metropolitan Institute of Medical Science, Setagaya-Ku, Japan.,Department of Pediatrics, Graduate School of Medicine, The University of Tokyo, Bunkyo-Ku, Japan
| | - Yoko Hagino
- Addictive Substance Project, Tokyo Metropolitan Institute of Medical Science, Setagaya-Ku, Japan
| | - Miho Tanaka
- Addictive Substance Project, Tokyo Metropolitan Institute of Medical Science, Setagaya-Ku, Japan.,Department of Psychiatry, The University of Tokyo Hospital, Bunkyo-Ku, Japan
| | - Yoshihisa Katoh
- Department of Obstetrics and Gynecology, Graduate School of Medicine, The University of Tokyo, Bunkyo-Ku, Japan
| | - Yasumasa Nishito
- Center for Basic Technology Research, Tokyo Metropolitan Institute of Medical Science, Setagaya-Ku, Japan
| | - Yukio Takamatsu
- Center for Basic Technology Research, Tokyo Metropolitan Institute of Medical Science, Setagaya-Ku, Japan
| | - Shigeo Uchino
- Addictive Substance Project, Tokyo Metropolitan Institute of Medical Science, Setagaya-Ku, Japan.,Department of Biosciences, School of Science and Engineering, Teikyo University, Utsunomiya-Shi, Japan
| | - Tsuyoshi Miyakawa
- Division of Systems Medical Science, Institute for Comprehensive Medical Science, Fujita Health University, Toyoake-Shi, Japan
| | - Kazutaka Ikeda
- Addictive Substance Project, Tokyo Metropolitan Institute of Medical Science, Setagaya-Ku, Japan
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Huang TN, Shih YT, Lin SC, Hsueh YP. Social behaviors and contextual memory of Vcp mutant mice are sensitive to nutrition and can be ameliorated by amino acid supplementation. iScience 2020; 24:101949. [PMID: 33437936 PMCID: PMC7786123 DOI: 10.1016/j.isci.2020.101949] [Citation(s) in RCA: 1] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 04/14/2020] [Revised: 11/01/2020] [Accepted: 12/11/2020] [Indexed: 02/06/2023] Open
Abstract
Both genetic variations and nutritional deficiency are associated with autism spectrum disorders and other neurological disorders. However, it is less clear whether or how nutritional deficiency and genetic variations influence each other under pathogenic conditions. "Valosin-containing protein" (VCP, also known as p97) is associated with multiple neurological disorders and regulates dendritic spine formation by controlling endoplasmic reticulum formation and protein synthesis efficiency. Increased protein synthesis ameliorates the dendritic spine defects of Vcp-deficient neurons. Therefore, we investigated if Vcp-deficient mice are sensitive to nutritional conditions. Here, we show that social interaction and contextual memory of Vcp-deficient mice are indeed influenced by different dietary protein levels. Moreover, leucine supplementation ameliorates the behavioral deficits and dendritic spine density of Vcp-deficient mice, strengthening evidence for the role of protein synthesis in VCP function. Our study illustrates that genetic variation and nutrient factors cross-talk to influence neuronal and behavioral phenotypes.
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Affiliation(s)
- Tzyy-Nan Huang
- Institute of Molecular Biology, Academia Sinica, 128, Academia Road, Section 2, Taipei 11529, Taiwan, Republic of China
| | - Yu-Tzu Shih
- Institute of Molecular Biology, Academia Sinica, 128, Academia Road, Section 2, Taipei 11529, Taiwan, Republic of China
| | - Si-Cih Lin
- Institute of Molecular Biology, Academia Sinica, 128, Academia Road, Section 2, Taipei 11529, Taiwan, Republic of China
| | - Yi-Ping Hsueh
- Institute of Molecular Biology, Academia Sinica, 128, Academia Road, Section 2, Taipei 11529, Taiwan, Republic of China
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Xu M, Minagawa Y, Kumazaki H, Okada KI, Naoi N. Prefrontal Responses to Odors in Individuals With Autism Spectrum Disorders: Functional NIRS Measurement Combined With a Fragrance Pulse Ejection System. Front Hum Neurosci 2020; 14:523456. [PMID: 33132871 PMCID: PMC7579723 DOI: 10.3389/fnhum.2020.523456] [Citation(s) in RCA: 5] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 12/29/2019] [Accepted: 09/16/2020] [Indexed: 12/27/2022] Open
Abstract
Individuals with autism spectrum disorders (ASD) are impaired not only in social competencies but also in sensory perception, particularly olfaction. The olfactory ability of individuals with ASD has been examined in several psychophysical studies, but the results have been highly variable, which might be primarily due to methodological difficulties in the control of odor stimuli (e.g., the problem of lingering scents). In addition, the neural correlates of olfactory specificities in individuals with ASD remain largely unknown. To date, only one study has investigated this issue using functional magnetic resonance imaging (fMRI). The present study utilized a sophisticated method-a pulse ejection system-to present well-controlled odor stimuli to participants with ASD using an ASD-friendly application. With this advantageous system, we examined their odor detection, identification, and evaluation abilities and measured their brain activity evoked by odors using functional near-infrared spectroscopy (fNIRS). As the odor detection threshold (DT) of participants with ASD was highly variable, these participants were divided into two groups according to their DT: an ASD-Low DT group and an ASD-High DT group. Behavioral results showed that the ASD-High DT group had a significantly higher DT than the typically developing (control) group and the ASD-Low DT group, indicating their insensitivity to the tested odors. In addition, while there was no significant difference in the odor identification ability between groups, there was some discrepancy between the groups' evaluations of odor pleasantness. The brain data identified, for the first time, that neural activity in the right dorsolateral prefrontal cortex (DLPFC) was significantly weaker in the ASD-High DT group than in the control group. Moreover, the strength of activity in the right DLPFC was negatively correlated with the DT. These findings suggest that participants with ASD have impairments in the higher-order function of olfactory processing, such as olfactory working memory and/or attention.
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Affiliation(s)
- Mingdi Xu
- Faculty of Letters, Keio University, Tokyo, Japan.,Center of Life-Span Development of Communication Skills, Keio University, Yokohama, Japan
| | - Yasuyo Minagawa
- Faculty of Letters, Keio University, Tokyo, Japan.,Center of Life-Span Development of Communication Skills, Keio University, Yokohama, Japan.,Global Centre for Advanced Research on Logic and Sensibility, Keio University, Tokyo, Japan
| | | | - Ken-Ichi Okada
- Faculty of Science and Technology, Keio University, Yokohama, Japan
| | - Nozomi Naoi
- Global Centre for Advanced Research on Logic and Sensibility, Keio University, Tokyo, Japan.,Division of Arts and Sciences, College of Liberal Arts, International Christian University, Tokyo, Japan
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Martin-Kenny N, Bérubé NG. Effects of a postnatal Atrx conditional knockout in neurons on autism-like behaviours in male and female mice. J Neurodev Disord 2020; 12:17. [PMID: 32580781 PMCID: PMC7315487 DOI: 10.1186/s11689-020-09319-0] [Citation(s) in RCA: 1] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Submit a Manuscript] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 12/19/2019] [Accepted: 06/04/2020] [Indexed: 12/30/2022] Open
Abstract
BACKGROUND Alpha-thalassemia/mental retardation, X-linked, or ATRX, is an autism susceptibility gene that encodes a chromatin remodeler. Mutations of ATRX result in the ATR-X intellectual disability syndrome and have been identified in autism spectrum disorder (ASD) patients. The mechanisms by which ATRX mutations lead to autism and autistic-like behaviours are not yet known. To address this question, we generated mice with postnatal Atrx inactivation in excitatory neurons of the forebrain and performed a battery of behavioural assays that assess autistic-like behaviours. METHODS Male and female mice with a postnatal conditional ablation of ATRX were generated using the Cre/lox system under the control of the αCaMKII gene promoter. These mice were tested in a battery of behavioural tests that assess autistic-like features. We utilized paradigms that measure social behaviour, repetitive, and stereotyped behaviours, as well as sensory gating. Statistics were calculated by two-way repeated measures ANOVA with Sidak's multiple comparison test or unpaired Student's t tests as indicated. RESULTS The behaviour tests revealed no significant differences between Atrx-cKO and control mice. We identified sexually dimorphic changes in odor habituation and discrimination; however, these changes did not correlate with social deficits. CONCLUSION The postnatal knockout of Atrx in forebrain excitatory neurons does not lead to autism-related behaviours in male or female mice.
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Affiliation(s)
- Nicole Martin-Kenny
- Department of Paediatrics, Schulich School of Medicine and Dentistry, Western University, London, Ontario, Canada
- Department of Anatomy and Cell Biology, Schulich School of Medicine and Dentistry, Western University, London, Ontario, Canada
- Division of Genetics and Development, Children's Health Research Institute, London, Ontario, Canada
| | - Nathalie G Bérubé
- Department of Paediatrics, Schulich School of Medicine and Dentistry, Western University, London, Ontario, Canada.
- Department of Anatomy and Cell Biology, Schulich School of Medicine and Dentistry, Western University, London, Ontario, Canada.
- Division of Genetics and Development, Children's Health Research Institute, London, Ontario, Canada.
- Department of Oncology, Schulich School of Medicine and Dentistry, Western University, London, Ontario, Canada.
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Huang TN, Yen TL, Qiu LR, Chuang HC, Lerch JP, Hsueh YP. Haploinsufficiency of autism causative gene Tbr1 impairs olfactory discrimination and neuronal activation of the olfactory system in mice. Mol Autism 2019; 10:5. [PMID: 30792833 PMCID: PMC6371489 DOI: 10.1186/s13229-019-0257-5] [Citation(s) in RCA: 23] [Impact Index Per Article: 4.6] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 10/05/2018] [Accepted: 01/25/2019] [Indexed: 12/21/2022] Open
Abstract
Background Autism spectrum disorders (ASD) exhibit two clusters of core symptoms, i.e., social and communication impairment, and repetitive behaviors and sensory abnormalities. Our previous study demonstrated that TBR1, a causative gene of ASD, controls axonal projection and neuronal activation of amygdala and regulates social interaction and vocal communication in a mouse model. Behavioral defects caused by Tbr1 haploinsufficiency can be ameliorated by increasing neural activity via D-cycloserine treatment, an N-methyl-D-aspartate receptor (NMDAR) coagonist. In this report, we investigate the role of TBR1 in regulating olfaction and test whether D-cycloserine can also improve olfactory defects in Tbr1 mutant mice. Methods We used Tbr1+/− mice as a model to investigate the function of TBR1 in olfactory sensation and discrimination of non-social odors. We employed a behavioral assay to characterize the olfactory defects of Tbr1+/− mice. Magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) and histological analysis were applied to characterize anatomical features. Immunostaining was performed to further analyze differences in expression of TBR1 subfamily members (namely TBR1, TBR2, and TBX21), interneuron populations, and dendritic abnormalities in olfactory bulbs. Finally, C-FOS staining was used to monitor neuronal activation of the olfactory system upon odor stimulation. Results Tbr1+/− mice exhibited smaller olfactory bulbs and anterior commissures, reduced interneuron populations, and an abnormal dendritic morphology of mitral cells in the olfactory bulbs. Tbr1 haploinsufficiency specifically impaired olfactory discrimination but not olfactory sensation. Neuronal activation upon odorant stimulation was reduced in the glomerular layer of Tbr1+/− olfactory bulbs. Furthermore, although the sizes of piriform and perirhinal cortices were not affected by Tbr1 deficiency, neuronal activation was reduced in these two cortical regions in response to odorant stimulation. These results suggest an impairment of neuronal activation in olfactory bulbs and defective connectivity from olfactory bulbs to the upper olfactory system in Tbr1+/− mice. Systemic administration of D-cycloserine, an NMDAR co-agonist, ameliorated olfactory discrimination in Tbr1+/− mice, suggesting that increased neuronal activity has a beneficial effect on Tbr1 deficiency. Conclusions Tbr1 regulates neural circuits and activity in the olfactory system to control olfaction. Tbr1+/− mice can serve as a suitable model for revealing how an autism causative gene controls neuronal circuits, neural activity, and autism-related behaviors. Electronic supplementary material The online version of this article (10.1186/s13229-019-0257-5) contains supplementary material, which is available to authorized users.
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Affiliation(s)
- Tzyy-Nan Huang
- 1Institute of Molecular Biology, Academia Sinica, 128, Academia Rd., Sec. 2, Taipei, 11529 Taiwan
| | - Tzu-Li Yen
- 1Institute of Molecular Biology, Academia Sinica, 128, Academia Rd., Sec. 2, Taipei, 11529 Taiwan
| | - Lily R Qiu
- 2Mouse Imaging Centre, Hospital for Sick Children, Toronto, Canada
| | - Hsiu-Chun Chuang
- 1Institute of Molecular Biology, Academia Sinica, 128, Academia Rd., Sec. 2, Taipei, 11529 Taiwan.,4Present address: Department of Molecular and Cell Biology, University of California, Berkeley, Berkeley, CA 94720 USA
| | - Jason P Lerch
- 2Mouse Imaging Centre, Hospital for Sick Children, Toronto, Canada.,3Department of Medical Biophysics, The University of Toronto, Toronto, Canada
| | - Yi-Ping Hsueh
- 1Institute of Molecular Biology, Academia Sinica, 128, Academia Rd., Sec. 2, Taipei, 11529 Taiwan
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