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Zhang W, Zhang M, Xu Z, Yan H, Wang H, Jiang J, Wan J, Tang B, Liu C, Chen C, Meng Q. Human forebrain organoid-based multi-omics analyses of PCCB as a schizophrenia associated gene linked to GABAergic pathways. Nat Commun 2023; 14:5176. [PMID: 37620341 PMCID: PMC10449845 DOI: 10.1038/s41467-023-40861-2] [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: 03/14/2023] [Accepted: 08/14/2023] [Indexed: 08/26/2023] Open
Abstract
Identifying genes whose expression is associated with schizophrenia (SCZ) risk by transcriptome-wide association studies (TWAS) facilitates downstream experimental studies. Here, we integrated multiple published datasets of TWAS, gene coexpression, and differential gene expression analysis to prioritize SCZ candidate genes for functional study. Convergent evidence prioritized Propionyl-CoA Carboxylase Subunit Beta (PCCB), a nuclear-encoded mitochondrial gene, as an SCZ risk gene. However, the PCCB's contribution to SCZ risk has not been investigated before. Using dual luciferase reporter assay, we identified that SCZ-associated SNPs rs6791142 and rs35874192, two eQTL SNPs for PCCB, showed differential allelic effects on transcriptional activities. PCCB knockdown in human forebrain organoids (hFOs) followed by RNA sequencing analysis revealed dysregulation of genes enriched with multiple neuronal functions including gamma-aminobutyric acid (GABA)-ergic synapse. The metabolomic and mitochondrial function analyses confirmed the decreased GABA levels resulted from inhibited tricarboxylic acid cycle in PCCB knockdown hFOs. Multielectrode array recording analysis showed that PCCB knockdown in hFOs resulted into SCZ-related phenotypes including hyper-neuroactivities and decreased synchronization of neural network. In summary, this study utilized hFOs-based multi-omics analyses and revealed that PCCB downregulation may contribute to SCZ risk through regulating GABAergic pathways, highlighting the mitochondrial function in SCZ.
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Affiliation(s)
- Wendiao Zhang
- Center for Medical Genetics & Hunan Key Laboratory of Medical Genetics, School of Life Sciences, and Department of Psychiatry, The Second Xiangya Hospital, Central South University, 410008, Changsha, Hunan, China
- The First Affiliated Hospital, Multi-Omics Research Center for Brain Disorders, Hengyang Medical School, University of South China, 421000, Hengyang, Hunan, China
- The First Affiliated Hospital, Clinical Research Center for Immune-Related Encephalopathy of Hunan Province, Hengyang Medical School, University of South China, 421000, Hengyang, Hunan, China
- The First Affiliated Hospital, Department of Neurology, Hengyang Medical School, University of South China, 421000, Hengyang, Hunan, China
| | - Ming Zhang
- Center for Medical Genetics & Hunan Key Laboratory of Medical Genetics, School of Life Sciences, and Department of Psychiatry, The Second Xiangya Hospital, Central South University, 410008, Changsha, Hunan, China
| | - Zhenhong Xu
- The First Affiliated Hospital, Multi-Omics Research Center for Brain Disorders, Hengyang Medical School, University of South China, 421000, Hengyang, Hunan, China
- The First Affiliated Hospital, Clinical Research Center for Immune-Related Encephalopathy of Hunan Province, Hengyang Medical School, University of South China, 421000, Hengyang, Hunan, China
- The First Affiliated Hospital, Department of Neurology, Hengyang Medical School, University of South China, 421000, Hengyang, Hunan, China
| | - Hongye Yan
- The First Affiliated Hospital, Multi-Omics Research Center for Brain Disorders, Hengyang Medical School, University of South China, 421000, Hengyang, Hunan, China
- The First Affiliated Hospital, Clinical Research Center for Immune-Related Encephalopathy of Hunan Province, Hengyang Medical School, University of South China, 421000, Hengyang, Hunan, China
- The First Affiliated Hospital, Department of Neurology, Hengyang Medical School, University of South China, 421000, Hengyang, Hunan, China
| | - Huimin Wang
- The First Affiliated Hospital, Multi-Omics Research Center for Brain Disorders, Hengyang Medical School, University of South China, 421000, Hengyang, Hunan, China
- The First Affiliated Hospital, Clinical Research Center for Immune-Related Encephalopathy of Hunan Province, Hengyang Medical School, University of South China, 421000, Hengyang, Hunan, China
- The First Affiliated Hospital, Department of Neurology, Hengyang Medical School, University of South China, 421000, Hengyang, Hunan, China
| | - Jiamei Jiang
- The First Affiliated Hospital, Multi-Omics Research Center for Brain Disorders, Hengyang Medical School, University of South China, 421000, Hengyang, Hunan, China
- The First Affiliated Hospital, Clinical Research Center for Immune-Related Encephalopathy of Hunan Province, Hengyang Medical School, University of South China, 421000, Hengyang, Hunan, China
- The First Affiliated Hospital, Department of Neurology, Hengyang Medical School, University of South China, 421000, Hengyang, Hunan, China
| | - Juan Wan
- The First Affiliated Hospital, Multi-Omics Research Center for Brain Disorders, Hengyang Medical School, University of South China, 421000, Hengyang, Hunan, China
- The First Affiliated Hospital, Clinical Research Center for Immune-Related Encephalopathy of Hunan Province, Hengyang Medical School, University of South China, 421000, Hengyang, Hunan, China
- The First Affiliated Hospital, Department of Neurology, Hengyang Medical School, University of South China, 421000, Hengyang, Hunan, China
| | - Beisha Tang
- The First Affiliated Hospital, Multi-Omics Research Center for Brain Disorders, Hengyang Medical School, University of South China, 421000, Hengyang, Hunan, China
- The First Affiliated Hospital, Clinical Research Center for Immune-Related Encephalopathy of Hunan Province, Hengyang Medical School, University of South China, 421000, Hengyang, Hunan, China
- The First Affiliated Hospital, Department of Neurology, Hengyang Medical School, University of South China, 421000, Hengyang, Hunan, China
- Department of Neurology, Xiangya Hospital, Central South University, 410008, Changsha, Hunan, China
- National Clinical Research Center for Geriatric Disorders, Xiangya Hospital, Central South University, 410008, Changsha, Hunan, China
| | - Chunyu Liu
- Center for Medical Genetics & Hunan Key Laboratory of Medical Genetics, School of Life Sciences, and Department of Psychiatry, The Second Xiangya Hospital, Central South University, 410008, Changsha, Hunan, China.
- Department of Psychiatry, SUNY Upstate Medical University, Syracuse, NY, 13210, USA.
| | - Chao Chen
- Center for Medical Genetics & Hunan Key Laboratory of Medical Genetics, School of Life Sciences, and Department of Psychiatry, The Second Xiangya Hospital, Central South University, 410008, Changsha, Hunan, China.
- National Clinical Research Center for Geriatric Disorders, Xiangya Hospital, Central South University, 410008, Changsha, Hunan, China.
- Hunan Key Laboratory of Animal Models for Human Diseases, Central South University, Changsha, Hunan, 410008, China.
- Hunan Key Laboratory of Molecular Precision Medicine, Central South University, Changsha, Hunan, 410008, China.
| | - Qingtuan Meng
- The First Affiliated Hospital, Multi-Omics Research Center for Brain Disorders, Hengyang Medical School, University of South China, 421000, Hengyang, Hunan, China.
- The First Affiliated Hospital, Clinical Research Center for Immune-Related Encephalopathy of Hunan Province, Hengyang Medical School, University of South China, 421000, Hengyang, Hunan, China.
- The First Affiliated Hospital, Department of Neurology, Hengyang Medical School, University of South China, 421000, Hengyang, Hunan, China.
- MOE Key Lab of Rare Pediatric Diseases & School of Life Sciences, University of South China, 421001, Hengyang, Hunan, China.
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Olayinka OA, O'Neill NK, Farrer LA, Wang G, Zhang X. Molecular Quantitative Trait Locus Mapping in Human Complex Diseases. Curr Protoc 2022; 2:e426. [PMID: 35587224 PMCID: PMC9186089 DOI: 10.1002/cpz1.426] [Citation(s) in RCA: 1] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/09/2022]
Abstract
Mapping quantitative trait loci (QTLs) for molecular traits from chromatin to metabolites (i.e., xQTLs) provides insight into the locations and effect modes of genetic variants that influence these molecular phenotypes and the propagation of functional consequences of each variant. xQTL studies indirectly interrogate the functional landscape of the molecular basis of complex diseases, including the impact of non-coding regulatory variants, the tissue specificity of regulatory elements, and their contribution to disease by integrating with genome-wide association studies (GWAS). We summarize a variety of molecular xQTL studies in human tissues and cells. In addition, using the Alzheimer's Disease Sequencing Project (ADSP) as an example, we describe the ADSP xQTL project, a collaborative effort across the ADSP Functional Genomics Consortium (ADSP-FGC). The project's ultimate goal is a reference map of Alzheimer's-related QTLs using existing datasets from multiple omics layers to help us study the consequences of genetic variants identified in the ADSP. xQTL studies enable the identification of the causal genes and pathways in GWAS loci, which will likely aid in the discovery of novel biomarkers and therapeutic targets for complex diseases. © 2022 Wiley Periodicals LLC.
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Affiliation(s)
- Oluwatosin A Olayinka
- Bioinformatics Program, Boston University, Boston, Massachusetts
- Department of Medicine (Biomedical Genetics), Boston University School of Medicine, Boston, Massachusetts
| | - Nicholas K O'Neill
- Bioinformatics Program, Boston University, Boston, Massachusetts
- Department of Medicine (Biomedical Genetics), Boston University School of Medicine, Boston, Massachusetts
| | - Lindsay A Farrer
- Bioinformatics Program, Boston University, Boston, Massachusetts
- Department of Medicine (Biomedical Genetics), Boston University School of Medicine, Boston, Massachusetts
- Department of Neurology, Boston University School of Medicine, Boston, Massachusetts
- Department of Ophthalmology, Boston University School of Medicine, Boston, Massachusetts
- Department of Biostatistics, Boston University School of Public Health, Boston, Massachusetts
- Department of Epidemiology, Boston University School of Public Health, Boston, Massachusetts
| | - Gao Wang
- Department of Neurology, Columbia University, New York, New York
- Gertrude H. Sergievsky Center, Columbia University, New York, New York
| | - Xiaoling Zhang
- Bioinformatics Program, Boston University, Boston, Massachusetts
- Department of Medicine (Biomedical Genetics), Boston University School of Medicine, Boston, Massachusetts
- Department of Biostatistics, Boston University School of Public Health, Boston, Massachusetts
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Xu YM, Deng F, Zhong BL. Facial emotion identification impairments in Chinese persons living with schizophrenia: A meta-analysis. Front Psychiatry 2022; 13:1097350. [PMID: 36606133 PMCID: PMC9807786 DOI: 10.3389/fpsyt.2022.1097350] [Citation(s) in RCA: 6] [Impact Index Per Article: 3.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Submit a Manuscript] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 11/13/2022] [Accepted: 11/28/2022] [Indexed: 12/24/2022] Open
Abstract
BACKGROUND Facial emotion identification (FEI) deficits are associated with impaired social functioning in persons living with schizophrenia (PLwS), but the research on emotion-specific FEI deficits remains inconclusive. Furthermore, existing studies on FEI deficits are limited by their small sample sizes. We performed a meta-analysis of studies comparing the FEI abilities between Chinese PLwS and healthy controls in terms of the six basic facial emotions (happiness, sadness, fear, disgust, anger, and surprise), as well as contempt, calmness, and neutral facial expressions. METHODS Major Chinese- and English-language databases were searched to retrieve case-control studies that compared the FEI task performance between Chinese PLwS and healthy controls (HCs) and reported the emotion-specific correct identification scores for PLwS and HCs. The Joanna Briggs Institute Critical Appraisal Checklist for Case-control Studies ("JBI checklist," hereafter) was used to assess the risk of bias (RoB) of the included studies. Statistical analysis was performed using the "meta" package of R 4.1.2. RESULTS Twenty-three studies with a total of 28 case-control cohorts and 1,894 PLwS and 1,267 HCs were included. The RoB scores of the included studies ranged from two to seven. PLwS had statistically significantly lower FEI scores than HCs and the corresponding emotion-specific pooled standard mean differences (95% confidence intervals) were -0.69 (-0.88, -0.50) for happiness, -0.88 (-1.12, -0.63) for sadness, -1.44 (-1.83, -1.06) for fear, -1.18 (-1.60, -0.76) for disgust, -0.91 (-1.24, -0.57) for anger, -1.09 (-1.39, -0.78) for surprise, -0.26 (-0.51, -0.01) for contempt, -0.31 (-0.52, -0.09) for calmness, and -0.42 (-0.65, -0.18) for neutral. In the analyses of sources of heterogeneity, drug-naïve status, clinical setting, positive and negative psychotic symptoms, and RoB were significant moderators of the magnitudes of FEI deficits. CONCLUSIONS Chinese PLwS have significant FEI impairments in terms of recognizing the six basic facial emotions, contempt, calmness, and neutral emotions, and the magnitude of impairment varies depending on the type of emotion, clinical characteristics, and the level of RoB of the study. It is necessary to consider the characteristics of FEI deficits and the clinical moderators in the FEI deficits to develop remediation strategies targeting FEI deficits in schizophrenia.
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Affiliation(s)
- Yan-Min Xu
- Department of Psychiatry, Wuhan Mental Health Center, Wuhan, China.,Department of Clinical Psychology, Wuhan Hospital for Psychotherapy, Wuhan, China
| | - Fang Deng
- Department of Psychiatry, Wuhan Mental Health Center, Wuhan, China.,Department of Clinical Psychology, Wuhan Hospital for Psychotherapy, Wuhan, China
| | - Bao-Liang Zhong
- Department of Psychiatry, Wuhan Mental Health Center, Wuhan, China.,Department of Clinical Psychology, Wuhan Hospital for Psychotherapy, Wuhan, China
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