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Yin MY, Guo L, Zhao LJ, Zhang C, Liu WP, Zhang CY, Huo JH, Wang L, Li SW, Zheng CB, Xiao X, Li M, Wang C, Chang H. Reduced Vrk2 expression is associated with higher risk of depression in humans and mediates depressive-like behaviors in mice. BMC Med 2023; 21:256. [PMID: 37452335 PMCID: PMC10349461 DOI: 10.1186/s12916-023-02945-0] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Submit a Manuscript] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 07/18/2022] [Accepted: 06/15/2023] [Indexed: 07/18/2023] Open
Abstract
BACKGROUND Genome-wide association studies (GWAS) have reported single-nucleotide polymorphisms (SNPs) in the VRK serine/threonine kinase 2 gene (VRK2) showing genome-wide significant associations with major depression, but the regulation effect of the risk SNPs on VRK2 as well as their roles in the illness are yet to be elucidated. METHODS Based on the summary statistics of major depression GWAS, we conducted population genetic analyses, epigenome bioinformatics analyses, dual luciferase reporter assays, and expression quantitative trait loci (eQTL) analyses to identify the functional SNPs regulating VRK2; we also carried out behavioral assessments, dendritic spine morphological analyses, and phosphorylated 4D-label-free quantitative proteomics analyses in mice with Vrk2 repression. RESULTS We identified a SNP rs2678907 located in the 5' upstream of VRK2 gene exhibiting large spatial overlap with enhancer regulatory marks in human neural cells and brain tissues. Using luciferase reporter gene assays and eQTL analyses, the depression risk allele of rs2678907 decreased enhancer activities and predicted lower VRK2 mRNA expression, which is consistent with the observations of reduced VRK2 level in the patients with major depression compared with controls. Notably, Vrk2-/- mice exhibited depressive-like behaviors compared to Vrk2+/+ mice and specifically repressing Vrk2 in the ventral hippocampus using adeno-associated virus (AAV) lead to consistent and even stronger depressive-like behaviors in mice. Compared with Vrk2+/+ mice, the density of mushroom and thin spines in the ventral hippocampus was significantly altered in Vrk2-/- mice, which is in line with the phosphoproteomic analyses showing dysregulated synapse-associated proteins and pathways in Vrk2-/- mice. CONCLUSIONS Vrk2 deficiency mice showed behavioral abnormalities that mimic human depressive phenotypes, which may serve as a useful murine model for studying the pathophysiology of depression.
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Affiliation(s)
- Mei-Yu Yin
- Key Laboratory of Animal Models and Human Disease Mechanisms of the Chinese Academy of Sciences and Yunnan Province, Kunming Institute of Zoology, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Kunming, Yunnan, China
- Kunming College of Life Science, University of Chinese Academy of Sciences, Kunming, Yunnan, China
| | - Lei Guo
- Zhejiang Key Laboratory of Pathophysiology, Health Science Center, Ningbo University, Ningbo, Zhejiang, China
- School of Basic Medical Science, Health Science Center, Ningbo University, Ningbo, Zhejiang, China
| | - Li-Juan Zhao
- Key Laboratory of Animal Models and Human Disease Mechanisms of the Chinese Academy of Sciences and Yunnan Province, Kunming Institute of Zoology, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Kunming, Yunnan, China
| | - Chen Zhang
- Clinical Research Center & Division of Mood Disorders, Shanghai Mental Health Center, Shanghai Jiao Tong University School of Medicine, Shanghai, China.
- Shanghai Key Laboratory of Psychotic Disorders, Shanghai, China.
| | - Wei-Peng Liu
- Key Laboratory of Animal Models and Human Disease Mechanisms of the Chinese Academy of Sciences and Yunnan Province, Kunming Institute of Zoology, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Kunming, Yunnan, China
| | - Chu-Yi Zhang
- Key Laboratory of Animal Models and Human Disease Mechanisms of the Chinese Academy of Sciences and Yunnan Province, Kunming Institute of Zoology, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Kunming, Yunnan, China
- Kunming College of Life Science, University of Chinese Academy of Sciences, Kunming, Yunnan, China
| | - Jin-Hua Huo
- Key Laboratory of Animal Models and Human Disease Mechanisms of the Chinese Academy of Sciences and Yunnan Province, Kunming Institute of Zoology, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Kunming, Yunnan, China
- Kunming College of Life Science, University of Chinese Academy of Sciences, Kunming, Yunnan, China
| | - Lu Wang
- Key Laboratory of Animal Models and Human Disease Mechanisms of the Chinese Academy of Sciences and Yunnan Province, Kunming Institute of Zoology, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Kunming, Yunnan, China
| | - Shi-Wu Li
- Key Laboratory of Animal Models and Human Disease Mechanisms of the Chinese Academy of Sciences and Yunnan Province, Kunming Institute of Zoology, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Kunming, Yunnan, China
| | - Chang-Bo Zheng
- School of Pharmaceutical Science and Yunnan Key Laboratory of Pharmacology for Natural Products, Kunming Medical University, Kunming, Yunnan, China
| | - Xiao Xiao
- Key Laboratory of Animal Models and Human Disease Mechanisms of the Chinese Academy of Sciences and Yunnan Province, Kunming Institute of Zoology, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Kunming, Yunnan, China
| | - Ming Li
- Key Laboratory of Animal Models and Human Disease Mechanisms of the Chinese Academy of Sciences and Yunnan Province, Kunming Institute of Zoology, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Kunming, Yunnan, China.
- Kunming College of Life Science, University of Chinese Academy of Sciences, Kunming, Yunnan, China.
| | - Chuang Wang
- Zhejiang Key Laboratory of Pathophysiology, Health Science Center, Ningbo University, Ningbo, Zhejiang, China.
- School of Basic Medical Science, Health Science Center, Ningbo University, Ningbo, Zhejiang, China.
| | - Hong Chang
- Key Laboratory of Animal Models and Human Disease Mechanisms of the Chinese Academy of Sciences and Yunnan Province, Kunming Institute of Zoology, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Kunming, Yunnan, China.
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Chen S, Du Y, Xu B, Li Q, Yang L, Jiang Z, Zeng Z, Chen L. Vaccinia-related kinase 2 blunts sorafenib's efficacy against hepatocellular carcinoma by disturbing the apoptosis-autophagy balance. Oncogene 2021; 40:3378-3393. [PMID: 33875785 DOI: 10.1038/s41388-021-01780-y] [Citation(s) in RCA: 2] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.7] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 08/06/2020] [Revised: 03/04/2021] [Accepted: 04/06/2021] [Indexed: 12/16/2022]
Abstract
Hepatocellular carcinoma (HCC) is a lethal malignancy with limited treatment options. Sorafenib is the only Food and Drug Administration (FDA)-approved first-line targeted drug for the treatment of advanced HCC. However, its effect on patient survival is limited. Recently, studies have demonstrated that the imbalance between apoptosis and autophagy plays a critical role in chemoresistance, and it is hypothesised that restoring the balance between these processes is a potential treatment strategy for improving chemoresistance in cancer. However, there is currently no evidence supporting this hypothesis. We aimed to investigate if vaccinia-related kinase 2 (VRK2), a serine/threonine protein kinase, confers sorafenib resistance in HCC cells. Here, we found that VRK2 was enriched in sorafenib-resistant HCC cells and patient-derived xenografts. Both in vivo and in vitro evidences showed that VRK2 blunts the efficacy of sorafenib against hepatocellular carcinoma by disturbing the balance between apoptosis and autophagy. Mechanistically, VRK2 promotes the phosphorylation of Bcl-2 by activating JNK1/MAPK8, thereby enhancing the dissociation of Bcl-2 from Beclin-1 and promoting the formation of the Beclin-1-Atg14-Vps34 complex, which facilitates autophagy. Furthermore, VRK2-induced phosphorylation of Bcl-2 promotes the interaction of Bcl-2 with BAX, thereby inhibiting apoptosis. In conclusion, targeting VRK2 for modulation of the balance between autophagy and apoptosis may be a novel strategy for overcoming sorafenib resistance in HCC.
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Affiliation(s)
- Sisi Chen
- Department of General Surgery, Second Affiliated Hospital of Nanchang University, Nanchang, China
| | - Yunyan Du
- Department of Medical, Jiangxi Provincial People's Hospital Affiliated to Nanchang University, Nanchang, China
| | - Bin Xu
- Department of Burns, First Affiliated Hospital of Nanchang University, Nanchang, China
| | - Qing Li
- Department of Pathology, Second Affiliated Hospital of Nanchang University, Nanchang, China
| | - Le Yang
- Department of Pharmacy, Second Affiliated Hospital of Nanchang University, Nanchang, China
| | - Zi Jiang
- Department of Pharmacy, Second Affiliated Hospital of Nanchang University, Nanchang, China
| | - Zhaoxia Zeng
- Department of Radiology, Second Affiliated Hospital of Nanchang University, Nanchang, China
| | - Leifeng Chen
- Department of General Surgery, Second Affiliated Hospital of Nanchang University, Nanchang, China.
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Liu X, Han T, Xie H, Fu Z, Yao Q, Lin Z, Zhu H, Zhan D. Evaluation of the relationship between VRK2, rs4380187 polymorphisms, and genetic susceptibility to schizophrenia in the Chinese Han population. J Gene Med 2021; 23:e3313. [PMID: 33522046 DOI: 10.1002/jgm.3313] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 10/10/2020] [Revised: 01/04/2021] [Accepted: 01/05/2021] [Indexed: 11/10/2022] Open
Abstract
BACKGROUND Schizophrenia (SZ) is a serious hereditary mental disease with a low recovery rate, especially due to the lack of understanding about the cause of the disease. VRK2 is considered to be related to the pathogenesis of schizophrenia. In this study, we analyzed the correlation between VRK2, rs4380187 single-nucleotide polymorphism (SNP), and schizophrenia. METHODS Peripheral blood DNA was extracted using a genomic DNA extraction kit. The DNA samples were genotyped using the Agena MassARRAY platform, and four genetic models were applied to compute the odds ratios (ORs) and 95% confidence intervals (CIs) using unconditional logistic regression. The p value was obtained by the chi-square and t test for independent samples. RESULTS The C allele of rs4380187 SNP was significantly (p = 0.008) associated with decreased risk of SZ. The AA genotype of rs4380187 showed significantly (p = 0.009) lower frequency in cases with SZ than in controls and was associated with decreased risk of the disease. The frequency of the CA genotype of rs4380187 correlated with a 0.73-fold decreased risk of SZ (p = 0.033). In the co-dominant genetic model, the genotype of rs4380187 was associated with a decreased risk of SZ (p = 0.010). We also found that the log-additive model of rs4380187 significantly reduced the risk of SZ disease (p = 0.007). CONCLUSION This study provides further evidence that rs4380187 SNP is associated with SZ. This genotype variation could be associated with the psychopathology and cognitive function in SZ.
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Affiliation(s)
- Xianglai Liu
- Institute of Mental Health, Anning Hospital, Hainan Province, China
| | - Tianming Han
- Institute of Mental Health, Anning Hospital, Hainan Province, China
| | - Hailing Xie
- Institute of Mental Health, Anning Hospital, Hainan Province, China.,The Third Department of Psychiatry, Anning Hospital, Hainan Province, China
| | - Zejuan Fu
- Institute of Mental Health, Anning Hospital, Hainan Province, China
| | - Qiankun Yao
- Institute of Mental Health, Anning Hospital, Hainan Province, China
| | - Zhan Lin
- Institute of Mental Health, Anning Hospital, Hainan Province, China
| | - Hong Zhu
- Institute of Mental Health, Anning Hospital, Hainan Province, China
| | - Dafei Zhan
- Institute of Mental Health, Anning Hospital, Hainan Province, China
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