1
|
Bhattacharya S, MacCallum PE, Dayma M, McGrath-Janes A, King B, Dawson L, Bambico FR, Berry MD, Yuan Q, Martin GM, Preisser EL, Blundell JJ. A short pre-conception bout of predation risk affects both children and grandchildren. Sci Rep 2023; 13:10886. [PMID: 37407623 DOI: 10.1038/s41598-023-37455-9] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 04/07/2023] [Accepted: 06/22/2023] [Indexed: 07/07/2023] Open
Abstract
Traumatic events that affect physiology and behavior in the current generation may also impact future generations. We demonstrate that an ecologically realistic degree of predation risk prior to conception causes lasting changes in the first filial (F1) and second filial (F2) generations. We exposed male and female mice to a live rat (predator stress) or control (non-predator) condition for 5 min. Ten days later, stressed males and females were bred together as were control males and females. Adult F1 offspring from preconception-stressed parents responded to a mild stressor with more anxiety-like behavior and hyperarousal than offspring from control parents. Exposing these F1 offspring to the mild stressor increased neuronal activity (cFOS) in the hippocampus and altered glucocorticoid system function peripherally (plasma corticosterone levels). Even without the mild stressor, F1 offspring from preconception-stressed parents still exhibited more anxiety-like behaviors than controls. Cross-fostering studies confirmed that preconception stress, not maternal social environment, determined offspring behavioral phenotype. The effects of preconception parental stress were also unexpectedly persistent and produced similar behavioral phenotypes in the F2 offspring. Our data illustrate that a surprisingly small amount of preconception predator stress alters the brain, physiology, and behavior of future generations. A better understanding of the 'long shadow' cast by fearful events is critical for understanding the adaptive costs and benefits of transgenerational plasticity. It also suggests the intriguing possibility that similar risk-induced changes are the rule rather than the exception in free-living organisms, and that such multigenerational impacts are as ubiquitous as they are cryptic.
Collapse
Affiliation(s)
- Sriya Bhattacharya
- Department of Psychology, Memorial University of Newfoundland, St. John's, NL, A1B 3X9, Canada
- Northwestern Polytechnic, Grande Prairie, AB, T8V 4C4, Canada
| | - Phillip E MacCallum
- Department of Psychology, Memorial University of Newfoundland, St. John's, NL, A1B 3X9, Canada
| | - Mrunal Dayma
- Department of Biochemistry, Memorial University of Newfoundland, St. John's, NL, A1B 3X9, Canada
| | - Andrea McGrath-Janes
- Department of Psychology, Memorial University of Newfoundland, St. John's, NL, A1B 3X9, Canada
| | - Brianna King
- Department of Psychology, Memorial University of Newfoundland, St. John's, NL, A1B 3X9, Canada
| | - Laura Dawson
- Department of Psychology, Memorial University of Newfoundland, St. John's, NL, A1B 3X9, Canada
| | - Francis R Bambico
- Department of Psychology, Memorial University of Newfoundland, St. John's, NL, A1B 3X9, Canada
| | - Mark D Berry
- Department of Biochemistry, Memorial University of Newfoundland, St. John's, NL, A1B 3X9, Canada
| | - Qi Yuan
- Biomedical Sciences, Faculty of Medicine, Memorial University of Newfoundland, St. John's, NL, A1B 3X9, Canada
| | - Gerard M Martin
- Department of Psychology, Memorial University of Newfoundland, St. John's, NL, A1B 3X9, Canada
| | - Evan L Preisser
- Department of Biological Sciences, University of Rhode Island, Kingston, RI, 02881, USA
| | - Jacqueline J Blundell
- Department of Psychology, Memorial University of Newfoundland, St. John's, NL, A1B 3X9, Canada.
| |
Collapse
|
2
|
Mori T, Machida K, Kudou Y, Kimishima M, Sassa K, Goto-Inoue N, Minei R, Ogura A, Kobayashi Y, Kamiya K, Nakaya D, Yamamoto N, Kashiwagi A, Kashiwagi K. Novel predator-induced phenotypic plasticity by hemoglobin and physiological changes in the brain of Xenopus tropicalis. Front Physiol 2023; 14:1178869. [PMID: 37346489 PMCID: PMC10279953 DOI: 10.3389/fphys.2023.1178869] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 03/13/2023] [Accepted: 05/22/2023] [Indexed: 06/23/2023] Open
Abstract
Organisms adapt to changes in their environment to survive. The emergence of predators is an example of environmental change, and organisms try to change their external phenotypic systems and physiological mechanisms to adapt to such changes. In general, prey exhibit different phenotypes to predators owing to historically long-term prey-predator interactions. However, when presented with a novel predator, the extent and rate of phenotypic plasticity in prey are largely unknown. Therefore, exploring the physiological adaptive response of organisms to novel predators is a crucial topic in physiology and evolutionary biology. Counterintuitively, Xenopus tropicalis tadpoles do not exhibit distinct external phenotypes when exposed to new predation threats. Accordingly, we examined the brains of X. tropicalis tadpoles to understand their response to novel predation pressure in the absence of apparent external morphological adaptations. Principal component analysis of fifteen external morphological parameters showed that each external morphological site varied nonlinearly with predator exposure time. However, the overall percentage change in principal components during the predation threat (24 h) was shown to significantly (p < 0.05) alter tadpole morphology compared with that during control or 5-day out treatment (5 days of exposure to predation followed by 5 days of no exposure). However, the adaptive strategy of the altered sites was unknown because the changes were not specific to a particular site but were rather nonlinear in various sites. Therefore, RNA-seq, metabolomic, Ingenuity Pathway Analysis, and Kyoto Encyclopedia of Genes and Genomes analyses were performed on the entire brain to investigate physiological changes in the brain, finding that glycolysis-driven ATP production was enhanced and ß-oxidation and the tricarboxylic acid cycle were downregulated in response to predation stress. Superoxide dismutase was upregulated after 6 h of exposure to new predation pressure, and radical production was reduced. Hemoglobin was also increased in the brain, forming oxyhemoglobin, which is known to scavenge hydroxyl radicals in the midbrain and hindbrain. These suggest that X. tropicalis tadpoles do not develop external morphological adaptations that are positively correlated with predation pressure, such as tail elongation, in response to novel predators; however, they improve their brain functionality when exposed to a novel predator.
Collapse
Affiliation(s)
- Tsukasa Mori
- Nihon University College of Bioresource Sciences, Fujisawa, Japan
| | - Kazumasa Machida
- Nihon University College of Bioresource Sciences, Fujisawa, Japan
| | - Yuki Kudou
- Nihon University College of Bioresource Sciences, Fujisawa, Japan
| | - Masaya Kimishima
- Nihon University College of Bioresource Sciences, Fujisawa, Japan
| | - Kaito Sassa
- Nihon University College of Bioresource Sciences, Fujisawa, Japan
| | - Naoko Goto-Inoue
- Nihon University College of Bioresource Sciences, Fujisawa, Japan
| | - Ryuhei Minei
- Department of Computer Bioscience, Nagahama Institute of Bio-Science and Technology, Nagahama, Japan
| | - Atsushi Ogura
- Department of Computer Bioscience, Nagahama Institute of Bio-Science and Technology, Nagahama, Japan
| | | | | | | | - Naoyuki Yamamoto
- Department of Animal Sciences, Graduate School of Bioagricultural Sciences, Nagoya University, Nagoya, Japan
| | | | - Keiko Kashiwagi
- Hiroshima University Amphibian Research Center, Hiroshima, Japan
| |
Collapse
|
3
|
Mori T, Kitani Y, Hatakeyama D, Machida K, Goto-Inoue N, Hayakawa S, Yamamoto N, Kashiwagi K, Kashiwagi A. Predation threats for a 24-h period activated the extension of axons in the brains of Xenopus tadpoles. Sci Rep 2020; 10:11737. [PMID: 32678123 PMCID: PMC7367293 DOI: 10.1038/s41598-020-67975-7] [Citation(s) in RCA: 3] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.8] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 12/26/2019] [Accepted: 02/24/2020] [Indexed: 11/24/2022] Open
Abstract
The threat of predation is a driving force in the evolution of animals. We have previously reported that Xenopus laevis enhanced their tail muscles and increased their swimming speeds in the presence of Japanese larval salamander predators. Herein, we investigated the induced gene expression changes in the brains of tadpoles under the threat of predation using 3′-tag digital gene expression profiling. We found that many muscle genes were expressed after 24 h of exposure to predation. Ingenuity pathway analysis further showed that after 24 h of a predation threat, various signal transduction genes were stimulated, such as those affecting the actin cytoskeleton and CREB pathways, and that these might increase microtubule dynamics, axonogenesis, cognition, and memory. To verify the increase in microtubule dynamics, DiI was inserted through the tadpole nostrils. Extension of the axons was clearly observed from the nostril to the diencephalon and was significantly increased (P ≤ 0.0001) after 24 h of exposure to predation, compared with that of the control. The dynamic changes in the signal transductions appeared to bring about new connections in the neural networks, as suggested by the microtubule dynamics. These connections may result in improved memory and cognition abilities, and subsequently increase survivability.
Collapse
Affiliation(s)
- Tsukasa Mori
- Department of Marine Science and Resources, College of Bioresource Sciences, Nihon University, Kameino 1866, Fujisawa, 252-0880, Japan.
| | - Yoichiro Kitani
- Department of Marine Science and Resources, College of Bioresource Sciences, Nihon University, Kameino 1866, Fujisawa, 252-0880, Japan.,Institute of Nature and Environmental Technology, Kanazawa University, Kanazawa, Japan
| | - Den Hatakeyama
- Department of Marine Science and Resources, College of Bioresource Sciences, Nihon University, Kameino 1866, Fujisawa, 252-0880, Japan
| | - Kazumasa Machida
- Department of Marine Science and Resources, College of Bioresource Sciences, Nihon University, Kameino 1866, Fujisawa, 252-0880, Japan
| | - Naoko Goto-Inoue
- Department of Marine Science and Resources, College of Bioresource Sciences, Nihon University, Kameino 1866, Fujisawa, 252-0880, Japan
| | - Satoshi Hayakawa
- Department of Pathology and Microbiology, School of Medicine, Nihon University, Tokyo, Japan
| | - Naoyuki Yamamoto
- Department of Animal Sciences, Graduate School of Bioagricultural Sciences, Nagoya University, Nagoya, Japan
| | - Keiko Kashiwagi
- Amphibian Research Center (Building M), Hiroshima University, Hiroshima, Japan
| | - Akihiko Kashiwagi
- Amphibian Research Center (Building M), Hiroshima University, Hiroshima, Japan
| |
Collapse
|
4
|
Bhattacharya S, Fontaine A, MacCallum PE, Drover J, Blundell J. Stress Across Generations: DNA Methylation as a Potential Mechanism Underlying Intergenerational Effects of Stress in Both Post-traumatic Stress Disorder and Pre-clinical Predator Stress Rodent Models. Front Behav Neurosci 2019; 13:113. [PMID: 31191267 PMCID: PMC6547031 DOI: 10.3389/fnbeh.2019.00113] [Citation(s) in RCA: 11] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.2] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 12/06/2018] [Accepted: 05/07/2019] [Indexed: 12/12/2022] Open
Abstract
Although most humans will experience some type of traumatic event in their lifetime only a small set of individuals will go on to develop post-traumatic stress disorder (PTSD). Differences in sex, age, trauma type, and comorbidity, along with many other elements, contribute to the heterogenous manifestation of this disorder. Nonetheless, aberrant hypothalamus-pituitary-adrenal (HPA) axis activity, especially in terms of cortisol and glucocorticoid receptor (GR) alterations, has been postulated as a tenable factor in the etiology and pathophysiology of PTSD. Moreover, emerging data suggests that the harmful effects of traumatic stress to the HPA axis in PTSD can also propagate into future generations, making offspring more prone to psychopathologies. Predator stress models provide an ethical and ethologically relevant way to investigate tentative mechanisms that are thought to underlie this phenomenon. In this review article, we discuss findings from human and laboratory predator stress studies that suggest changes to DNA methylation germane to GRs may underlie the generational effects of trauma transmission. Understanding mechanisms that promote stress-induced psychopathology will represent a major advance in the field and may lead to novel treatments for such devastating, and often treatment-resistant trauma and stress-disorders.
Collapse
Affiliation(s)
- Sriya Bhattacharya
- Department of Psychology, Memorial University of Newfoundland, St. John's, NL, Canada
| | - Audrey Fontaine
- Department of Psychology, Memorial University of Newfoundland, St. John's, NL, Canada.,Institut des Systèmes Intelligents et de Robotique (ISIR), Université Pierre et Marie Curie, Sorbonne Universités, Paris, France
| | - Phillip E MacCallum
- Department of Psychology, Memorial University of Newfoundland, St. John's, NL, Canada
| | - James Drover
- Department of Psychology, Memorial University of Newfoundland, St. John's, NL, Canada
| | - Jacqueline Blundell
- Department of Psychology, Memorial University of Newfoundland, St. John's, NL, Canada
| |
Collapse
|
5
|
Silva BA, Gross CT, Gräff J. The neural circuits of innate fear: detection, integration, action, and memorization. ACTA ACUST UNITED AC 2016; 23:544-55. [PMID: 27634145 PMCID: PMC5026211 DOI: 10.1101/lm.042812.116] [Citation(s) in RCA: 94] [Impact Index Per Article: 11.8] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 04/28/2016] [Accepted: 07/19/2016] [Indexed: 12/26/2022]
Abstract
How fear is represented in the brain has generated a lot of research attention, not only because fear increases the chances for survival when appropriately expressed but also because it can lead to anxiety and stress-related disorders when inadequately processed. In this review, we summarize recent progress in the understanding of the neural circuits processing innate fear in rodents. We propose that these circuits are contained within three main functional units in the brain: a detection unit, responsible for gathering sensory information signaling the presence of a threat; an integration unit, responsible for incorporating the various sensory information and recruiting downstream effectors; and an output unit, in charge of initiating appropriate bodily and behavioral responses to the threatful stimulus. In parallel, the experience of innate fear also instructs a learning process leading to the memorization of the fearful event. Interestingly, while the detection, integration, and output units processing acute fear responses to different threats tend to be harbored in distinct brain circuits, memory encoding of these threats seems to rely on a shared learning system.
Collapse
Affiliation(s)
- Bianca A Silva
- Laboratory of Neuroepigenetics, Brain Mind Institute, Faculty of Life Sciences, Ecole Polytechnique Fédérale Lausanne, CH-1015 Lausanne, Switzerland
| | - Cornelius T Gross
- Mouse Biology Unit, European Molecular Biology Laboratory (EMBL), 00015 Monterotondo, Italy
| | - Johannes Gräff
- Laboratory of Neuroepigenetics, Brain Mind Institute, Faculty of Life Sciences, Ecole Polytechnique Fédérale Lausanne, CH-1015 Lausanne, Switzerland
| |
Collapse
|
6
|
Zoladz PR, Diamond DM. Predator-based psychosocial stress animal model of PTSD: Preclinical assessment of traumatic stress at cognitive, hormonal, pharmacological, cardiovascular and epigenetic levels of analysis. Exp Neurol 2016; 284:211-219. [PMID: 27283115 DOI: 10.1016/j.expneurol.2016.06.003] [Citation(s) in RCA: 40] [Impact Index Per Article: 5.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 12/17/2015] [Revised: 05/27/2016] [Accepted: 06/03/2016] [Indexed: 01/10/2023]
Abstract
Research on post-traumatic stress disorder (PTSD) is faced with the challenge of understanding how a traumatic experience produces long-lasting detrimental effects on behavior and brain functioning, and more globally, how stress exacerbates somatic disorders, including cardiovascular disease. Moreover, the design of translational research needs to link animal models of PTSD to clinically relevant risk factors which address why only a subset of traumatized individuals develop persistent psychopathology. In this review, we have summarized our psychosocial stress rodent model of PTSD which is based on well-described PTSD-inducing risk factors, including a life-threatening experience, a sense of horror and uncontrollability, and insufficient social support. Specifically, our animal model of PTSD integrates acute episodes of inescapable exposure of immobilized rats to a predator with chronic daily social instability. This stress regimen produces PTSD-like effects in rats at behavioral, cognitive, physiological, pharmacological and epigenetic levels of analysis. We have discussed a recent extension of our animal model of PTSD in which stress exacerbated coronary pathology following an ischemic event, assessed in vitro. In addition, we have reviewed our research investigating pharmacological and non-pharmacological therapeutic strategies which may have value in clinical approaches toward the treatment of traumatized people. Overall, our translational approach bridges the gap between human and animal PTSD research to create a framework with which to enhance our understanding of the biological basis of trauma-induced pathology and to assess therapeutic approaches in the treatment of psychopathology.
Collapse
Affiliation(s)
- Phillip R Zoladz
- Department of Psychology, Sociology, & Criminal Justice, Ohio Northern University, 525 S. Main St., Ada, OH 45810, USA
| | - David M Diamond
- Department of Psychology, University of South Florida, 4202 E. Fowler Ave., Tampa, FL 33620, USA; Department of Molecular Pharmacology & Physiology, University of South Florida, 4202 E. Fowler Ave., Tampa, FL 33620, USA; Center for Preclinical & Clinical Research on PTSD, University of South Florida, 4202 E. Fowler Ave., Tampa, FL 33620, USA.
| |
Collapse
|
7
|
Holubova K, Kleteckova L, Skurlova M, Ricny J, Stuchlik A, Vales K. Rapamycin blocks the antidepressant effect of ketamine in task-dependent manner. Psychopharmacology (Berl) 2016; 233:2077-2097. [PMID: 27004790 DOI: 10.1007/s00213-016-4256-3] [Citation(s) in RCA: 30] [Impact Index Per Article: 3.8] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Submit a Manuscript] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 10/05/2015] [Accepted: 02/21/2016] [Indexed: 12/20/2022]
Abstract
OBJECTIVE The aim of our study was to test whether ketamine produces an antidepressant effect in animal model of olfactory bulbectomy and assess the role of mammalian target of rapamycin (mTOR) pathway in ketamine's antidepressant effect. METHODS Bulbectomized (OBX) rats and sham controls were assigned to four subgroups according to the treatment they received (ketamine, saline, ketamine + rapamycin, and saline + rapamycin). The animals were subjected to open field (OF), elevated plus maze (EPM), passive avoidance (PA), Morris water maze (MWM), and Carousel maze (CM) tests. Blood samples were collected before and after drug administration for analysis of phosphorylated mTOR level. After behavioral testing, brains were removed for evaluation of brain-derived neurotrophic factor (BDNF) in prefrontal cortex (PFC) and hippocampus. RESULTS Ketamine normalized hyperactivity of OBX animals in EPM and increased the time spent in open arms. Rapamycin pretreatment resulted in elimination of ketamine effect in EPM test. In CM test, ketamine + rapamycin administration led to cognitive impairment not observed in saline-, ketamine-, or saline + rapamycin-treated OBX rats. Prefrontal BDNF content was significantly decreased, and level of mTOR was significantly elevated in OBX groups. CONCLUSIONS OBX animals significantly differed from sham controls in most of the tests used. Treatment had more profound effect on OBX phenotype than controls. Pretreatment with rapamycin eliminated the anxiolytic and antidepressant effects of ketamine in task-dependent manner. The results indicate that ketamine + rapamycin application resulted in impaired stress responses manifested by cognitive deficits in active place avoidance (CM) test. Intensity of stressor (mild vs. severe) used in the behavioral tests had opposite effect on controls and on OBX animals.
Collapse
Affiliation(s)
- Kristina Holubova
- The Institute of Physiology, Academy of Sciences of the Czech Republic, v.v.i., Videnska 1083, 14220, Prague, Czech Republic.,National Institute of Mental Health, Topolova 748, 250 67 Klecany, Prague East, Czech Republic
| | - Lenka Kleteckova
- The Institute of Physiology, Academy of Sciences of the Czech Republic, v.v.i., Videnska 1083, 14220, Prague, Czech Republic.,National Institute of Mental Health, Topolova 748, 250 67 Klecany, Prague East, Czech Republic
| | - Martina Skurlova
- The Institute of Physiology, Academy of Sciences of the Czech Republic, v.v.i., Videnska 1083, 14220, Prague, Czech Republic.,National Institute of Mental Health, Topolova 748, 250 67 Klecany, Prague East, Czech Republic
| | - Jan Ricny
- National Institute of Mental Health, Topolova 748, 250 67 Klecany, Prague East, Czech Republic
| | - Ales Stuchlik
- The Institute of Physiology, Academy of Sciences of the Czech Republic, v.v.i., Videnska 1083, 14220, Prague, Czech Republic
| | - Karel Vales
- The Institute of Physiology, Academy of Sciences of the Czech Republic, v.v.i., Videnska 1083, 14220, Prague, Czech Republic. .,National Institute of Mental Health, Topolova 748, 250 67 Klecany, Prague East, Czech Republic.
| |
Collapse
|
8
|
Halonen JD, Zoladz PR, Park CR, Diamond DM. Behavioral and Neurobiological Assessments of Predator-Based Fear Conditioning and Extinction. ACTA ACUST UNITED AC 2016. [DOI: 10.4236/jbbs.2016.68033] [Citation(s) in RCA: 3] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.4] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/20/2022]
|