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Szakats S, McAtamney A, Cross H, Wilson MJ. Sex-biased gene and microRNA expression in the developing mouse brain is associated with neurodevelopmental functions and neurological phenotypes. Biol Sex Differ 2023; 14:57. [PMID: 37679839 PMCID: PMC10486049 DOI: 10.1186/s13293-023-00538-3] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Submit a Manuscript] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 09/30/2022] [Accepted: 08/18/2023] [Indexed: 09/09/2023] Open
Abstract
BACKGROUND Sex differences pose a challenge and an opportunity in biomedical research. Understanding how sex chromosomes and hormones affect disease-causing mechanisms will shed light on the mechanisms underlying predominantly idiopathic sex-biased neurodevelopmental disorders such as ADHD, schizophrenia, and autism. Gene expression is a crucial conduit for the influence of sex on developmental processes; therefore, this study focused on sex differences in gene expression and the regulation of gene expression. The increasing interest in microRNAs (miRNAs), small, non-coding RNAs, for their contribution to normal and pathological neurodevelopment prompted us to test how miRNA expression differs between the sexes in the developing brain. METHODS High-throughput sequencing approaches were used to identify transcripts, including miRNAs, that showed significantly different expression between male and female brains on day 15.5 of development (E15.5). RESULTS Robust sex differences were identified for some genes and miRNAs, confirming the influence of biological sex on RNA. Many miRNAs that exhibit the greatest differences between males and females have established roles in neurodevelopment, implying that sex-biased expression may drive sex differences in developmental processes. In addition to highlighting sex differences for individual miRNAs, gene ontology analysis suggested several broad categories in which sex-biased RNAs might act to establish sex differences in the embryonic mouse brain. Finally, mining publicly available SNP data indicated that some sex-biased miRNAs reside near the genomic regions associated with neurodevelopmental disorders. CONCLUSIONS Together, these findings reinforce the importance of cataloguing sex differences in molecular biology research and highlight genes, miRNAs, and pathways of interest that may be important for sexual differentiation in the mouse and possibly the human brain.
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Affiliation(s)
- Susanna Szakats
- Developmental Genomics Laboratory, Department of Anatomy, School of Biomedical Sciences, University of Otago, P.O. Box 56, Dunedin, 9054, New Zealand
| | - Alice McAtamney
- Developmental Genomics Laboratory, Department of Anatomy, School of Biomedical Sciences, University of Otago, P.O. Box 56, Dunedin, 9054, New Zealand
| | - Hugh Cross
- Developmental Genomics Laboratory, Department of Anatomy, School of Biomedical Sciences, University of Otago, P.O. Box 56, Dunedin, 9054, New Zealand
| | - Megan J Wilson
- Developmental Genomics Laboratory, Department of Anatomy, School of Biomedical Sciences, University of Otago, P.O. Box 56, Dunedin, 9054, New Zealand.
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2
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González-Rodríguez A, Natividad M, Seeman MV, Paolini JP, Balagué A, Román E, Izquierdo E, Pérez A, Vallet A, Salvador M, Monreal JA. Schizophrenia: A Review of Social Risk Factors That Affect Women. Behav Sci (Basel) 2023; 13:581. [PMID: 37504028 PMCID: PMC10376000 DOI: 10.3390/bs13070581] [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: 06/09/2023] [Revised: 06/21/2023] [Accepted: 07/10/2023] [Indexed: 07/29/2023] Open
Abstract
Social risk factors are long-term or repeated environmental exposures in childhood and youth that change the brain and may, via epigenetic effects, change gene expression. They thus have the power to initiate or aggravate mental disorders. Because these effects can be mediated via hormonal or immune/inflammatory pathways that differ between men and women, their influence is often sex-specific. The goal of this narrative review is to explore the literature on social risk factors as they affect women with schizophrenia. We searched the PubMed and Scopus databases from 2000 to May 2023 using terms referring to the various social determinants of health in conjunction with "women" and with "schizophrenia". A total of 57 studies fulfilled the inclusion criteria. In the domains of childhood and adult abuse or trauma, victimization, stigma, housing, and socioeconomics, women with schizophrenia showed greater probability than their male peers of suffering negative consequences. Interventions targeting appropriate housing, income support, social and parenting support, protection from abuse, violence, and mothering-directed stigma have, to different degrees, yielded success in reducing stress levels and alleviating the many burdens of schizophrenia in women.
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Affiliation(s)
- Alexandre González-Rodríguez
- Department of Mental Health, Mutua Terrassa University Hospital, Fundació Docència I Recerca Mutua Terrassa, University of Barcelona (UB), 5 Dr. Robert Square, 08221 Terrassa, Spain
- Centro de Investigación Biomédica en Red de Salud Mental (CIBERSAM), 08221 Terrassa, Spain
| | - Mentxu Natividad
- Department of Mental Health, Mutua Terrassa University Hospital, Fundació Docència I Recerca Mutua Terrassa, University of Barcelona (UB), 5 Dr. Robert Square, 08221 Terrassa, Spain
| | - Mary V Seeman
- Department of Psychiatry, University of Toronto, 605 260 Heath Street West, Toronto, ON M5P 3L6, Canada
| | - Jennipher Paola Paolini
- Department of Mental Health, Mutua Terrassa University Hospital, Fundació Docència I Recerca Mutua Terrassa, University of Barcelona (UB), 5 Dr. Robert Square, 08221 Terrassa, Spain
| | - Ariadna Balagué
- Department of Mental Health, Mutua Terrassa University Hospital, Fundació Docència I Recerca Mutua Terrassa, University of Barcelona (UB), 5 Dr. Robert Square, 08221 Terrassa, Spain
| | - Eloïsa Román
- Department of Mental Health, Mutua Terrassa University Hospital, Fundació Docència I Recerca Mutua Terrassa, University of Barcelona (UB), 5 Dr. Robert Square, 08221 Terrassa, Spain
| | - Eduard Izquierdo
- Department of Mental Health, Mutua Terrassa University Hospital, Fundació Docència I Recerca Mutua Terrassa, University of Barcelona (UB), 5 Dr. Robert Square, 08221 Terrassa, Spain
| | - Anabel Pérez
- Department of Mental Health, Mutua Terrassa University Hospital, Fundació Docència I Recerca Mutua Terrassa, University of Barcelona (UB), 5 Dr. Robert Square, 08221 Terrassa, Spain
| | - Anna Vallet
- Department of Mental Health, Mutua Terrassa University Hospital, Fundació Docència I Recerca Mutua Terrassa, University of Barcelona (UB), 5 Dr. Robert Square, 08221 Terrassa, Spain
| | - Mireia Salvador
- Department of Mental Health, Mutua Terrassa University Hospital, Fundació Docència I Recerca Mutua Terrassa, University of Barcelona (UB), 5 Dr. Robert Square, 08221 Terrassa, Spain
| | - José Antonio Monreal
- Department of Mental Health, Mutua Terrassa University Hospital, Fundació Docència I Recerca Mutua Terrassa, University of Barcelona (UB), 5 Dr. Robert Square, 08221 Terrassa, Spain
- Centro de Investigación Biomédica en Red de Salud Mental (CIBERSAM), 08221 Terrassa, Spain
- Institut de Neurociències, Universitat Autònoma de Barcelona (UAB), 08221 Terrassa, Spain
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3
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Woodson J, Bergan JF. Uncovering the brain-wide pattern of synaptic input to vasopressin-expressing neurons in the paraventricular nucleus of the hypothalamus. J Comp Neurol 2023; 531:1017-1031. [PMID: 37121600 PMCID: PMC10566340 DOI: 10.1002/cne.25476] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 04/04/2022] [Revised: 03/03/2023] [Accepted: 03/07/2023] [Indexed: 05/02/2023]
Abstract
Arginine vasopressin (AVP) is a neuropeptide critical for the mammalian stress response and social behavior. AVP produced in the hypothalamus regulates water osmolality and vasoconstriction in the body, and in the brain, it regulates social behavior, aggression, and anxiety. However, the circuit mechanisms that link AVP to social behavior, homeostatic function, and disease are not well understood. This study investigates the circuit configurations of AVP-expressing neurons in the rodent hypothalamus and characterizes synaptic input from the entire brain. We targeted the paraventricular nucleus (PVN) using retrograde viral tracing techniques to identify direct afferent synaptic connections made onto AVP-expressing neurons. AVP neurons in the PVN display region-specific anatomical configurations that reflect their unique contributions to homeostatic function, motor behaviors, feeding, and affiliative behavior. The afferent connections identified were similar in both sexes and subsequent molecular investigation of these inputs shows that those local hypothalamic inputs are overwhelmingly nonpeptidergic cells indicating a potential interneuron nexus between hormone cell activation and broader cortical connection. This proposed work reveals new insights into the organization of social behavior circuits in the brain, and how neuropeptides act centrally to modulate social behaviors.
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Affiliation(s)
- Jonathan Woodson
- Neuroscience and Behavior Program, University of Massachusetts Amherst, Amherst, Massachusetts, USA
| | - Joseph F Bergan
- Neuroscience and Behavior Program, University of Massachusetts Amherst, Amherst, Massachusetts, USA
- Department of Psychological and Brain Sciences, University of Massachusetts Amherst, Amherst, Massachusetts, USA
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4
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Olazábal DE, Pillay N, Sandberg N, Hartman KJ. Description and comparison of brain distribution of oxytocin receptors in Rhabdomys pumillio and Rhabdomys dilectus. Gen Comp Endocrinol 2023; 335:114224. [PMID: 36702289 DOI: 10.1016/j.ygcen.2023.114224] [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: 07/18/2022] [Revised: 01/20/2023] [Accepted: 01/21/2023] [Indexed: 01/25/2023]
Abstract
Oxytocin receptor (OXTR) distribution in the brain has been associated with different reproductive and social strategies of species. Rhabdomys pumilio (R. pumilio) and Rhabdomys dilectus (R. dilectus) are two sister rodent species that live in large/medium (but flexible) or small (mostly solitary) social groups respectively. In this study, we describe and compare the distribution of OXTR in these two species. OXTR binding in the brain of R. pumilio (8 females and 5 males) and R. dilectus (8 females and 5 males) adults was determined using autoradiography. Our results revealed significant differences in the nucleus accumbens, diagonal band, medial preoptic area, lateral habenula, superior colliculus, periaqueductal area and anterior paraventricular nucleus (higher in R. dilectus), and the dorsal lateral septum and anterior bed nucleus of the stria terminalis (higher in R. pumilio). OXTR density in other brain regions, such as the amygdala nuclei and hippocampus, did not differ between the two species. Sex differences were found in the medial preoptic area and ventral region of the lateral septum in R. pumilio (OXTR density higher in males) and in the anterior paraventricular thalamic nucleus, ventromedial nucleus of the hypothalamus and basolateral amygdala of R. dilectus (OXTR density higher in females). A sex difference in the density of OXTR was also found in the posterior region of the bed nucleus of the stria terminalis, where it was higher in males than in females of both species. This study shows species-specific brain distribution of OXTR in R. pumilio and R. dilectus that are unique, but with similarities with other polygynous or promiscuous rodent species that live in variable size groups, such as R. norvergicus, C. sociabilis, S. teguina and M. musculus.
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Affiliation(s)
- D E Olazábal
- Departamento de Fisiología, Facultad de Medicina, Udelar, Montevideo, Uruguay.
| | - N Pillay
- School of Animal, Plant and Environmental Sciences, University of the Witwatersrand, Johannesburg, South Africa
| | - N Sandberg
- Departamento de Fisiología, Facultad de Medicina, Udelar, Montevideo, Uruguay
| | - K-J Hartman
- School of Animal, Plant and Environmental Sciences, University of the Witwatersrand, Johannesburg, South Africa
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5
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Koskinen MK, Hovatta I. Genetic insights into the neurobiology of anxiety. Trends Neurosci 2023; 46:318-331. [PMID: 36828693 DOI: 10.1016/j.tins.2023.01.007] [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: 09/15/2022] [Revised: 01/20/2023] [Accepted: 01/30/2023] [Indexed: 02/25/2023]
Abstract
Anxiety and fear are evolutionarily conserved emotions that increase the likelihood of an organism surviving threatening situations. Anxiety and vigilance states are regulated by neural networks involving multiple brain regions. In anxiety disorders, this intricate regulatory system is disturbed, leading to excessive or prolonged anxiety or fear. Anxiety disorders have both genetic and environmental risk factors. Genetic research has the potential to identify specific genetic variants causally associated with specific phenotypes. In recent decades, genome-wide association studies (GWASs) have revealed variants predisposing to neuropsychiatric disorders, suggesting novel neurobiological pathways in the etiology of these disorders. Here, we review recent human GWASs of anxiety disorders, and genetic studies of anxiety-like behavior in rodent models. These studies are paving the way for a better understanding of the neurobiological mechanisms underlying anxiety disorders.
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Affiliation(s)
- Maija-Kreetta Koskinen
- SleepWell Research Program and Department of Psychology and Logopedics, Faculty of Medicine, PO Box 21, 00014, University of Helsinki, Helsinki, Finland
| | - Iiris Hovatta
- SleepWell Research Program and Department of Psychology and Logopedics, Faculty of Medicine, PO Box 21, 00014, University of Helsinki, Helsinki, Finland.
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6
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Roy B, Dwivedi Y. An insight into the sprawling microverse of microRNAs in depression pathophysiology and treatment response. Neurosci Biobehav Rev 2023; 146:105040. [PMID: 36639069 PMCID: PMC9974865 DOI: 10.1016/j.neubiorev.2023.105040] [Citation(s) in RCA: 1] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 11/09/2022] [Revised: 01/06/2023] [Accepted: 01/08/2023] [Indexed: 01/12/2023]
Abstract
Stress-related neuropathologies are pivotal in developing major depressive disorder (MDD) and are often governed by gene-regulatory changes. Being a stress-responsive gene-regulatory factor, microRNAs (miRNAs) have tremendous biomolecular potential to define an altered gene-regulatory landscape in the MDD brain. MiRNAs' regulatory roles in the MDD brain are closely aligned with changes in plasticity, neurogenesis, and stress-axis functions. MiRNAs act at the epigenetic interface between stress-induced environmental stimuli and cellular pathologies by triggering large-scale gene expression changes in a highly coordinated fashion. The parallel changes in peripheral circulation may provide an excellent opportunity for miRNA to devise more effective treatment strategies and help explore their potential as biomarkers in treatment response. This review discusses the role of miRNAs as epigenetic modifiers in the etiopathogenesis of MDD. Concurrently, key research is highlighted to show the progress in using miRNAs as predictive biomarkers for treatment response.
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Affiliation(s)
- Bhaskar Roy
- Department of Psychiatry and Behavioral Neurobiology, University of Alabama at Birmingham, Birmingham, AL 35294, USA
| | - Yogesh Dwivedi
- Department of Psychiatry and Behavioral Neurobiology, University of Alabama at Birmingham, Birmingham, AL 35294, USA.
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7
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Krispil-Alon M, Jovasevic V, Radulovic J, Richter-Levin G. Sex-specific roles of hippocampal microRNAs in stress vulnerability and resilience. Transl Psychiatry 2022; 12:503. [PMID: 36473835 PMCID: PMC9726879 DOI: 10.1038/s41398-022-02267-4] [Citation(s) in RCA: 5] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Submit a Manuscript] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 02/10/2022] [Revised: 11/19/2022] [Accepted: 11/25/2022] [Indexed: 12/12/2022] Open
Abstract
Contrary to intuition, most individuals are resilient to psychological trauma and only a minority is vulnerable. Men and women are known to respond differently to trauma exposure, however, mechanisms underlying the relationship between sex differences and trauma resilience and vulnerability are not yet fully understood. Taking advantage of the Behavioral Profiling approach, which enables differentiating between 'affected' and 'unaffected' individuals, we examined sex-associated differences in stress exposure effects on hippocampal expression of selected stress-related GABA-A receptor targeting miRNAs. Levels of the miRNA-144 and miRNA-33 were measured in male and female affected (vulnerable, e.g., higher freezing time) and unaffected (resilient) rats. In male rats, increased levels of miRNA-144 and miRNA-33 were observed in the dorsal dentate gyrus (dDG) and ventral dentate gyrus (vDG) respectively, of stress-exposed but unaffected animals. In females, we observed an increased expression of miRNA-144 and miRNA-33 in the ventral cornu ammonis 1 (vCA1) of affected animals. Accordingly, we inhibited miRNAs expression selectively in hippocampal subregions using oligonucleotides containing locked nucleic acid bases, to examine the miRNAs' causal contribution to either vulnerability or resilience to stress in each sex. Inhibition of miRNA-144 in dDG and miRNA-33 in vDG in males resulted in an increased prevalence of vulnerable animals, while inhibition of miRNA-144 and miRNA-33 in vCA1 in females increased the proportion of resilient animals. The current findings reveal a critical sex-associated difference in the role of miRNAs in stress vulnerability and resilience. This novel understanding of sex-associated epigenetic involvement in the mechanism of stress-related psychopathologies may help improve gender-specific diagnosis and effective treatment.
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Affiliation(s)
- Maayan Krispil-Alon
- Sagol Department of Neurobiology, University of Haifa, Haifa, Israel
- The Integrated Brain and Behavior Research Center (IBBR), University of Haifa, Haifa, Israel
- Psychology Department, University of Haifa, Haifa, Israel
| | - Vladimir Jovasevic
- Department of Pharmacology, Northwestern University, Feinberg School of Medicine, Chicago, IL, 60611, USA
| | - Jelena Radulovic
- Dominick P. Purpura Department of Neuroscience, Albert Einstein College of Medicine, Bronx, New York, NY, 10461, USA
| | - Gal Richter-Levin
- Sagol Department of Neurobiology, University of Haifa, Haifa, Israel.
- The Integrated Brain and Behavior Research Center (IBBR), University of Haifa, Haifa, Israel.
- Psychology Department, University of Haifa, Haifa, Israel.
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8
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Prenatal and perinatal phthalate exposure is associated with sex-dependent changes in hippocampal miR-15b-5p and miR-34a-5p expression and changes in testicular morphology in rat offspring. Arh Hig Rada Toksikol 2022; 73:191-199. [PMID: 36226823 PMCID: PMC9837528 DOI: 10.2478/aiht-2022-73-3641] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 03/01/2022] [Accepted: 09/01/2022] [Indexed: 12/23/2022] Open
Abstract
MicroRNAs are a large group of non-coding nucleic acids, usually 20-22 nt long, which bind to regulatory sections of messenger RNA (mRNA) and inhibit gene expression. However, genome activity is also regulated by hormones. Endocrine disruptors such as those from the phthalate group imitate or block these hormonal effects, and our previous study showed a long-lasting decrease in plasma testosterone levels in rat offspring exposed to a mixture of three phthalates in utero and postnatally. These effects were also observed at the behavioural level. To shed more light on these findings, in this new study we compared testicular tissue morphology between control and phthalatetreated males and investigated possible persistent changes and sex differences in the expression of two hippocampal microRNAs - miR- 15b-5p and miR-34a-5p - participating in the transcription of steroidogenic genes. Histologically observed changes in testicular tissue morphology of phthalate-exposed males compared to control support testosterone drop observed in the previous study. At the microRNA level, we observed more significant changes in phthalate-treated females than in males. However, we are unable to relate these effects to the previously observed behavioural changes.
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9
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Vantrease JE, Avonts B, Padival M, DeJoseph MR, Urban JH, Rosenkranz JA. Sex Differences in the Activity of Basolateral Amygdalar Neurons That Project to the Bed Nucleus of the Stria Terminalis and Their Role in Anticipatory Anxiety. J Neurosci 2022; 42:4488-4504. [PMID: 35477901 PMCID: PMC9172066 DOI: 10.1523/jneurosci.1499-21.2022] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 07/22/2021] [Revised: 03/22/2022] [Accepted: 04/19/2022] [Indexed: 11/21/2022] Open
Abstract
Abnormal fear and anxiety can manifest as psychiatric disorders. The bed nucleus of the stria terminalis (BNST) is implicated in sustained responding to, or anticipation of, an aversive event which can be expressed as anticipatory anxiety. The BLA is also active during anticipatory anxiety and sends projections to the BNST. However, little is known about the role for BLA neurons that project to BNST (BLA-BNST) in anticipatory anxiety in rodents. To address this, we tested whether chemogenetic inactivation of the BLA-BNST pathway attenuates sustained conditioned responses produced by anticipation of an aversive stimulus. For comparison, we also assessed BLA-BNST inactivation during social interaction, which is sensitive to unlearned anxiety. We found that BLA-BNST inactivation reduced conditioned sustained freezing and increased social behaviors, but surprisingly, only in males. To determine whether sex differences in BLA-BNST neuronal activity contribute to the differences in behavior, we used in vivo and ex vivo electrophysiological approaches. In males, BLA-BNST projection neurons were more active and excitable, which coincided with a smaller after-hyperpolarization current (I AHP) compared with other BLA neurons; whereas in females, BLA-BNST neurons were less excitable and had larger I AHP compared with other BLA neurons. These findings demonstrate that activity of BLA-BNST neurons mediates conditioned anticipatory anxiety-like behavior in males. The lack of a role of BLA-BNST in females in this behavior, possibly because of low excitability of these neurons, also highlights the need for caution when generalizing the role of specific neurocircuits in fear and anxiety.SIGNIFICANCE STATEMENT Anxiety disorders disproportionately affect women. This hints toward sex differences within anxiety neurocircuitry, yet most of our understanding is derived from male rodents. Furthermore, debilitating anticipation of adverse events is among the most severe anxiety symptoms, but little is known about anticipatory anxiety neurocircuitry. Here we demonstrated that BLA-BNST activity is required for anticipatory anxiety to a prolonged aversive cue, but only in males. Moreover, BLA-BNST neurons are hypoactive and less excitable in females. These results uncover BLA-BNST as a key component of anticipatory anxiety circuitry, and cellular differences may explain the sex-dependent role of this circuit. Uncovering this disparity provides evidence that the assumed basic circuitry of an anxiety behavior might not readily transpose from males to females.
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Affiliation(s)
- Jaime E Vantrease
- Discipline of Cellular and Molecular Pharmacology, Chicago Medical School, Rosalind Franklin University of Medicine and Science, North Chicago, Illinois 60064
- Center for the Neurobiology of Stress Resilience and Psychiatric Disorders, Rosalind Franklin University, North Chicago, Illinois 60064
| | - Brittany Avonts
- Discipline of Cellular and Molecular Pharmacology, Chicago Medical School, Rosalind Franklin University of Medicine and Science, North Chicago, Illinois 60064
| | - Mallika Padival
- Discipline of Cellular and Molecular Pharmacology, Chicago Medical School, Rosalind Franklin University of Medicine and Science, North Chicago, Illinois 60064
- Center for the Neurobiology of Stress Resilience and Psychiatric Disorders, Rosalind Franklin University, North Chicago, Illinois 60064
| | - M Regina DeJoseph
- Discipline of Physiology and Biophysics, Chicago Medical School, Rosalind Franklin University of Medicine and Science, North Chicago, Illinois 60064
- Center for the Neurobiology of Stress Resilience and Psychiatric Disorders, Rosalind Franklin University, North Chicago, Illinois 60064
| | - Janice H Urban
- Discipline of Physiology and Biophysics, Chicago Medical School, Rosalind Franklin University of Medicine and Science, North Chicago, Illinois 60064
- Center for the Neurobiology of Stress Resilience and Psychiatric Disorders, Rosalind Franklin University, North Chicago, Illinois 60064
| | - J Amiel Rosenkranz
- Discipline of Cellular and Molecular Pharmacology, Chicago Medical School, Rosalind Franklin University of Medicine and Science, North Chicago, Illinois 60064
- Center for the Neurobiology of Stress Resilience and Psychiatric Disorders, Rosalind Franklin University, North Chicago, Illinois 60064
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10
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Kawatake-Kuno A, Murai T, Uchida S. The Molecular Basis of Depression: Implications of Sex-Related Differences in Epigenetic Regulation. Front Mol Neurosci 2021; 14:708004. [PMID: 34276306 PMCID: PMC8282210 DOI: 10.3389/fnmol.2021.708004] [Citation(s) in RCA: 9] [Impact Index Per Article: 3.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 05/11/2021] [Accepted: 06/14/2021] [Indexed: 12/22/2022] Open
Abstract
Major depressive disorder (MDD) is a leading cause of disability worldwide. Although the etiology and pathophysiology of MDD remain poorly understood, aberrant neuroplasticity mediated by the epigenetic dysregulation of gene expression within the brain, which may occur due to genetic and environmental factors, may increase the risk of this disorder. Evidence has also been reported for sex-related differences in the pathophysiology of MDD, with female patients showing a greater severity of symptoms, higher degree of functional impairment, and more atypical depressive symptoms. Males and females also differ in their responsiveness to antidepressants. These clinical findings suggest that sex-dependent molecular and neural mechanisms may underlie the development of depression and the actions of antidepressant medications. This review discusses recent advances regarding the role of epigenetics in stress and depression. The first section presents a brief introduction of the basic mechanisms of epigenetic regulation, including histone modifications, DNA methylation, and non-coding RNAs. The second section reviews their contributions to neural plasticity, the risk of depression, and resilience against depression, with a particular focus on epigenetic modulators that have causal relationships with stress and depression in both clinical and animal studies. The third section highlights studies exploring sex-dependent epigenetic alterations associated with susceptibility to stress and depression. Finally, we discuss future directions to understand the etiology and pathophysiology of MDD, which would contribute to optimized and personalized therapy.
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Affiliation(s)
- Ayako Kawatake-Kuno
- SK Project, Medical Innovation Center, Kyoto University Graduate School of Medicine, Kyoto, Japan
| | - Toshiya Murai
- SK Project, Medical Innovation Center, Kyoto University Graduate School of Medicine, Kyoto, Japan.,Department of Psychiatry, Kyoto University Graduate School of Medicine, Kyoto, Japan
| | - Shusaku Uchida
- SK Project, Medical Innovation Center, Kyoto University Graduate School of Medicine, Kyoto, Japan
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11
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Kaur S, Kinkade JA, Green MT, Martin RE, Willemse TE, Bivens NJ, Schenk AK, Helferich WG, Trainor BC, Fass J, Settles M, Mao J, Rosenfeld CS. Disruption of global hypothalamic microRNA (miR) profiles and associated behavioral changes in California mice (Peromyscus californicus) developmentally exposed to endocrine disrupting chemicals. Horm Behav 2021; 128:104890. [PMID: 33221288 PMCID: PMC7897400 DOI: 10.1016/j.yhbeh.2020.104890] [Citation(s) in RCA: 16] [Impact Index Per Article: 5.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Submit a Manuscript] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 08/24/2020] [Revised: 10/28/2020] [Accepted: 11/04/2020] [Indexed: 12/15/2022]
Abstract
Developmental exposure to endocrine disrupting chemicals (EDCs), e.g., bisphenol A (BPA) or genistein (GEN), causes longstanding epigenome effects. MicroRNAs (miRs) regulate which mRNAs will be translated to proteins and thereby serve as the final checkpoint in epigenetic control. Scant amount is known, however, whether EDCs affect neural miRNA (miR) patterns. We aimed to test the hypothesis that developmental exposure of California mice (Peromyscus californicus) to GEN, BPA, or both chemicals influences hypothalamic miR/small RNA profiles and ascertain the extent such biomolecular alterations correlate with behavioral and metabolic changes. California mice were developmentally exposed to GEN (250 mg/kg feed weight, FW), GEN (250 mg/kg FW)+BPA (5 mg/kg FW), low dose (LD) BPA (5 mg/kg FW), or upper dose (UD) BPA (50 mg/kg FW). Adult offspring were tested in a battery of behavioral and metabolic tests; whereupon, mice were euthanized, brains were collected and frozen, small RNAs were isolated from hypothalamic punches, and subsequently sequenced. California mice exposed to one or both EDCs engaged in one or more repetitive behaviors. GEN, LD BPA, and UD BPA altered aspects of ultrasonic and audible vocalizations. Each EDC exposure led to sex-dependent differences in differentially expressed miR/small RNAs with miR7-2, miR146, and miR148a being increased in all female and male EDC exposed groups. Current findings reveal that developmental exposure to GEN and/or BPA affects hypothalamic miR/small RNA expression patterns, and such changes correlate with EDC-induced behavioral and metabolic alterations. miR146 is likely an important mediator and biomarker of EDC exposure in mammals, including humans.
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Affiliation(s)
- Sarabjit Kaur
- Christopher S Bond Life Sciences Center, University of Missouri, Columbia, MO 65211, USA; Biomedical Sciences, University of Missouri, Columbia, MO 65211, USA
| | - Jessica A Kinkade
- Christopher S Bond Life Sciences Center, University of Missouri, Columbia, MO 65211, USA; Biomedical Sciences, University of Missouri, Columbia, MO 65211, USA
| | - Madison T Green
- Christopher S Bond Life Sciences Center, University of Missouri, Columbia, MO 65211, USA; Biomedical Sciences, University of Missouri, Columbia, MO 65211, USA
| | - Rachel E Martin
- Christopher S Bond Life Sciences Center, University of Missouri, Columbia, MO 65211, USA; Biomedical Sciences, University of Missouri, Columbia, MO 65211, USA
| | - Tess E Willemse
- Christopher S Bond Life Sciences Center, University of Missouri, Columbia, MO 65211, USA; Biomedical Sciences, University of Missouri, Columbia, MO 65211, USA
| | - Nathan J Bivens
- DNA Core Facility, University of Missouri, Columbia, MO 65211, USA
| | | | - William G Helferich
- Food Science and Human Nutrition, University of Illinois, Urbana, IL 61801, USA
| | - Brian C Trainor
- Department of Psychology, University of California, Davis, CA 95616, USA
| | - Joseph Fass
- Bioinformatics Core, UC Davis Genome Center, Davis, CA 95616, USA
| | - Matthew Settles
- Bioinformatics Core, UC Davis Genome Center, Davis, CA 95616, USA
| | - Jiude Mao
- Christopher S Bond Life Sciences Center, University of Missouri, Columbia, MO 65211, USA; Biomedical Sciences, University of Missouri, Columbia, MO 65211, USA.
| | - Cheryl S Rosenfeld
- Christopher S Bond Life Sciences Center, University of Missouri, Columbia, MO 65211, USA; Biomedical Sciences, University of Missouri, Columbia, MO 65211, USA; Informatics Institute, University of Missouri, Columbia, MO 65211, USA; Thompson Center for Autism and Neurobehavioral Disorders, University of Missouri, Columbia, MO 65211, USA; Genetics Area Program, University of Missouri, Columbia, MO 65211, USA.
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