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Martínez-Rivera FJ, Yim YY, Godino A, Minier-Toribio A, Tofani S, Holt LM, Torres-Berrío A, Futamura R, Browne CJ, Markovic T, Hamilton PJ, Neve RL, Nestler EJ. Cell-Type-Specific Regulation of Cocaine Reward by the E2F3a Transcription Factor in Nucleus Accumbens. BIORXIV : THE PREPRINT SERVER FOR BIOLOGY 2024:2024.07.08.602609. [PMID: 39026727 PMCID: PMC11257579 DOI: 10.1101/2024.07.08.602609] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 07/20/2024]
Abstract
The development of drug addiction is characterized by molecular changes in brain reward regions that lead to the transition from recreational to compulsive drug use. These neurobiological processes in brain reward regions, such as the nucleus accumbens (NAc), are orchestrated in large part by transcriptional regulation. Our group recently identified the transcription factor E2F3a as a novel regulator of cocaine's rewarding effects and gene expression regulation in the NAc of male mice. Despite this progress, no information is available about the role of E2F3a in regulating cocaine reward at the sex- and cell-specific levels. Here, we used male and female mice expressing Cre-recombinase in either D1- or D2-type medium spiny neurons (MSNs) combined with viral-mediated gene transfer to bidirectionally control levels of E2F3a in a cell-type-specific manner in the NAc during conditioned place preference (CPP) to cocaine. Our findings show that selective overexpression of E2F3a in D1-MSNs increased cocaine CPP in both male and female mice, whereas opposite effects were observed under knockdown conditions. In contrast, equivalent E2F3a manipulations in D2-MSNs had no significant effects. To further explore the role of E2F3a in sophisticated operant and motivated behaviors, we performed viral manipulations of all NAc neurons in combination with cocaine self-administration and behavioral economics procedures in rats and demonstrated that E2F3a regulates sensitivity aspects of cocaine seeking and taking. These results confirm E2F3a as a central substrate of cocaine reward and demonstrate that this effect is mediated in D1-MSNs, thereby providing increased knowledge of cocaine action at the transcriptional level.
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Truby NL, Kim RK, Silva GM, Qu X, Picone JA, Alemu R, Atiyeh CN, Neve RL, Liu J, Cui X, Hamilton PJ. A zinc finger transcription factor enables social behaviors while controlling transposable elements and immune response in prefrontal cortex. Transl Psychiatry 2024; 14:59. [PMID: 38272911 PMCID: PMC10810849 DOI: 10.1038/s41398-024-02775-5] [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: 11/28/2023] [Revised: 01/05/2024] [Accepted: 01/11/2024] [Indexed: 01/27/2024] Open
Abstract
The neurobiological origins of social behaviors are incompletely understood. Here we utilized synthetic biology approaches to reprogram the function of ZFP189, a transcription factor whose expression and function in rodent prefrontal cortex was previously demonstrated to be protective against stress-induced social deficits. We created novel synthetic ZFP189 transcription factors including ZFP189VPR, which activates the transcription of target genes and therefore exerts opposite functional control from the endogenous, transcriptionally repressive ZFP189WT. Following viral delivery of these synthetic ZFP189 transcription factors to mouse prefrontal cortex, we observe that ZFP189-mediated transcriptional control promotes mature dendritic spine morphology on transduced pyramidal neurons. Interestingly, inversion of ZFP189-mediated transcription in this brain area, achieved by viral delivery of synthetic ZFP189VPR, precipitates social behavioral deficits in terms of social interaction, motivation, and the cognition necessary for the maintenance of social hierarchy, without other observable behavioral deficits. RNA sequencing of virally manipulated prefrontal cortex tissues reveals that ZFP189 transcription factors of opposing regulatory function (ZFP189WT versus ZFP189VPR) have opposite influence on the expression of genetic transposable elements as well as genes that participate in adaptive immune functions. Collectively, this work reveals that ZFP189 function in the prefrontal cortex coordinates structural and transcriptional neuroadaptations necessary for complex social behaviors while regulating transposable element-rich regions of DNA and the expression of immune-related genes. Given the evidence for a co-evolution of social behavior and the brain immune response, we posit that ZFP189 may have evolved to augment brain transposon-associated immune function as a way of enhancing an animal's capacity for functioning in social groups.
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Affiliation(s)
- Natalie L Truby
- Department of Anatomy and Neurobiology, Virginia Commonwealth University School of Medicine, Richmond, VA, USA
| | - R Kijoon Kim
- Department of Anatomy and Neurobiology, Virginia Commonwealth University School of Medicine, Richmond, VA, USA
| | - Gabriella M Silva
- Department of Anatomy and Neurobiology, Virginia Commonwealth University School of Medicine, Richmond, VA, USA
| | - Xufeng Qu
- Department of Biostatistics, Virginia Commonwealth University School of Medicine, Richmond, VA, USA
| | - Joseph A Picone
- Department of Anatomy and Neurobiology, Virginia Commonwealth University School of Medicine, Richmond, VA, USA
| | - Rebecca Alemu
- Department of Anatomy and Neurobiology, Virginia Commonwealth University School of Medicine, Richmond, VA, USA
| | - Claire N Atiyeh
- Department of Anatomy and Neurobiology, Virginia Commonwealth University School of Medicine, Richmond, VA, USA
| | - Rachael L Neve
- Gene Delivery Technology Core, Massachusetts General Hospital, Cambridge, MA, USA
| | - Jinze Liu
- Department of Biostatistics, Virginia Commonwealth University School of Medicine, Richmond, VA, USA
| | - Xiaohong Cui
- Department of Anatomy and Neurobiology, Virginia Commonwealth University School of Medicine, Richmond, VA, USA
| | - Peter J Hamilton
- Department of Anatomy and Neurobiology, Virginia Commonwealth University School of Medicine, Richmond, VA, USA.
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Heller EA, Hamilton PJ. Stereotaxic Surgery as a Method to Deliver Epigenetic Editing Constructs in Rodent Brain. Methods Mol Biol 2024; 2842:309-321. [PMID: 39012603 DOI: 10.1007/978-1-0716-4051-7_16] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 07/17/2024]
Abstract
Modern neuroscience research is increasingly discovering that alterations in epigenetic states within key brain cells is correlated with brain diseases. These epigenetic alterations may include changes in histone post-translational modifications and/or DNA modifications, all of which affect transcription and other gene expression programs within the brain cells that comprise central brain regions. However, the exact causal contribution of these epigenome changes to brain disease cannot be elucidated in the absence of direct in vivo manipulations in the implicated brain areas. Combining the design and creation of epigenetic editing constructs, gene delivery strategies, and stereotaxic surgery enables neuroscience researchers to target and manipulate the epigenetic state of the brain cells of laboratory rodents in a locus-specific manner and test its causal contribution to disease-related pathology and behaviors. Here, we describe the surgical protocol utilized by our group and others, which is optimized for herpes simplex virus delivery into the mouse brain, although the protocol outlined herein could be applied for delivery of adeno-associated viruses, lentiviruses, or nonviral gene-delivery methods in both mice and rats. The method allows for the overexpression of engineered DNA-binding proteins for direct and targeted epigenome editing in rodent brain with excellent spatiotemporal control. Nearly any brain region of interest can be targeted in rodents at every stage of postnatal life. Owing to the versatility, reproducibility, and utility of this technique, it is an important method for any laboratory interested in studying the cellular, circuit, and behavioral consequences of manipulating the brain epigenome in laboratory rodents.
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Affiliation(s)
- Elizabeth A Heller
- Department of Systems Pharmacology and Translational Therapeutics, Institute for Translational Medicine and Therapeutics, Philadelphia, PA, USA
| | - Peter J Hamilton
- Department of Anatomy & Neurobiology, Virginia Commonwealth University School of Medicine, Richmond, VA, USA.
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4
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Koijam AS, Singh KD, Nameirakpam BS, Haobam R, Rajashekar Y. Drug addiction and treatment: An epigenetic perspective. Biomed Pharmacother 2024; 170:115951. [PMID: 38043446 DOI: 10.1016/j.biopha.2023.115951] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 09/16/2023] [Revised: 11/23/2023] [Accepted: 11/27/2023] [Indexed: 12/05/2023] Open
Abstract
Drug addiction is a complex disease affected by numerous genetic and environmental factors. Brain regions in reward pathway, neuronal adaptations, genetic and epigenetic interactions causing transcriptional enhancement or repression of multiple genes induce different addiction phenotypes for varying duration. Addictive drug use causes epigenetic alterations and similarly epigenetic changes induced by environment can promote addiction. Epigenetic mechanisms include DNA methylation and post-translational modifications like methylation, acetylation, phosphorylation, ubiquitylation, sumoylation, dopaminylation and crotonylation of histones, and ADP-ribosylation. Non-coding RNAs also induce epigenetic changes. This review discusses these above areas and stresses the need for exploring epidrugs as a treatment alternative and adjunct, considering the limited success of current addiction treatment strategies. Epigenome editing complexes have lately been effective in eukaryotic systems. Targeted DNA cleavage techniques such as CRISPR-Cas9 system, CRISPR-dCas9 complexes, transcription activator-like effector nucleases (TALENs) and zinc-finger nucleases (ZFNs) have been exploited as targeted DNA recognition or anchoring platforms, fused with epigenetic writer or eraser proteins and delivered by transfection or transduction methods. Efficacy of epidrugs is seen in various neuropsychiatric conditions and initial results in addiction treatment involving model organisms are remarkable. Epidrugs present a promising alternative treatment for addiction.
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Affiliation(s)
- Arunkumar Singh Koijam
- Insect Bioresources Laboratory, Animal Bioresources Programme, Institute of Bioresources & Sustainable Development, Department of Biotechnology, Govt. of India, Takyelpat, Imphal 795001, Manipur, India
| | - Kabrambam Dasanta Singh
- Insect Bioresources Laboratory, Animal Bioresources Programme, Institute of Bioresources & Sustainable Development, Department of Biotechnology, Govt. of India, Takyelpat, Imphal 795001, Manipur, India
| | - Bunindro Singh Nameirakpam
- Insect Bioresources Laboratory, Animal Bioresources Programme, Institute of Bioresources & Sustainable Development, Department of Biotechnology, Govt. of India, Takyelpat, Imphal 795001, Manipur, India
| | - Reena Haobam
- Department of Biotechnology, Manipur University, Canchipur, Imphal 795003, Manipur, India
| | - Yallappa Rajashekar
- Insect Bioresources Laboratory, Animal Bioresources Programme, Institute of Bioresources & Sustainable Development, Department of Biotechnology, Govt. of India, Takyelpat, Imphal 795001, Manipur, India.
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Liu X, Wang F, Le Q, Ma L. Cellular and molecular basis of drug addiction: The role of neuronal ensembles in addiction. Curr Opin Neurobiol 2023; 83:102813. [PMID: 37972536 DOI: 10.1016/j.conb.2023.102813] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 08/08/2023] [Revised: 10/25/2023] [Accepted: 10/25/2023] [Indexed: 11/19/2023]
Abstract
Addiction has been conceptualized as a disease of learning and memory. Learned associations between environmental cues and unconditioned rewards induced by drug administration, which play a critical role in addiction, have been shown to be encoded in sparsely distributed populations of neurons called neuronal ensembles. This review aims to highlight how synaptic remodeling and alterations in signaling pathways that occur specifically in neuronal ensembles contribute to the pathogenesis of addiction. Furthermore, a causal link between transcriptional and epigenetic modifications in neuronal ensembles and the development of the addictive state is proposed. Translational studies of molecular and cellular changes in neuronal ensembles that contribute to drug-seeking behavior, will allow the identification of molecular and circuit targets and interventions for substance use disorders.
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Affiliation(s)
- Xing Liu
- School of Basic Medical Sciences, State Key Laboratory of Medical Neurobiology, MOE Frontiers Center for Brain Science, Institutes of Brain Science, and Department of Neurology, Huashan Hospital, Fudan University, Shanghai, China; Research Unit of Addiction Memory, Chinese Academy of Medical Sciences (2021RU009), Shanghai, China
| | - Feifei Wang
- School of Basic Medical Sciences, State Key Laboratory of Medical Neurobiology, MOE Frontiers Center for Brain Science, Institutes of Brain Science, and Department of Neurology, Huashan Hospital, Fudan University, Shanghai, China; Research Unit of Addiction Memory, Chinese Academy of Medical Sciences (2021RU009), Shanghai, China.
| | - Qiumin Le
- School of Basic Medical Sciences, State Key Laboratory of Medical Neurobiology, MOE Frontiers Center for Brain Science, Institutes of Brain Science, and Department of Neurology, Huashan Hospital, Fudan University, Shanghai, China; Research Unit of Addiction Memory, Chinese Academy of Medical Sciences (2021RU009), Shanghai, China
| | - Lan Ma
- School of Basic Medical Sciences, State Key Laboratory of Medical Neurobiology, MOE Frontiers Center for Brain Science, Institutes of Brain Science, and Department of Neurology, Huashan Hospital, Fudan University, Shanghai, China; Research Unit of Addiction Memory, Chinese Academy of Medical Sciences (2021RU009), Shanghai, China
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Campbell RR, Lobo MK. Neurobiological mechanisms underlying psychostimulant use. Curr Opin Neurobiol 2023; 83:102786. [PMID: 37776675 DOI: 10.1016/j.conb.2023.102786] [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: 07/07/2023] [Revised: 09/01/2023] [Accepted: 09/01/2023] [Indexed: 10/02/2023]
Abstract
Rates of individuals struggling with psychostimulant use disorder (PSUD), defined as chronic use of psychostimulants despite negative consequences, are growing rapidly over the last few decades. However, there are no current pharmacotherapeutics to aid individuals in maintaining drug abstinence. Identifying the underlying neurobiological mechanisms that promote persistent craving and taking of psychostimulants is critical to creating novel pharmacological treatments for PSUD. Psychostimulant use dysregulates processes within the brain that are responsible for decision-making, reward, and memory formation to drive future drug-seeking. Here, we describe novel findings and theories on how psychostimulants impact mechanisms related to transcription, mitochondrial function, and synaptic plasticity within the reward system to drive drug-seeking. We also highlight work examining how psychostimulants impact neural networks through rewiring circuitry to drive addiction-related behaviors. Overall, this review aims to feature the latest progress in understanding the biological basis of PSUD and promising mechanisms for PSUD pharmacotherapeutics.
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Affiliation(s)
- Rianne R Campbell
- Department of Anatomy and Neurobiology, University of Maryland School of Medicine, Baltimore, MD, USA. https://twitter.com/RianneThoughts
| | - Mary Kay Lobo
- Department of Anatomy and Neurobiology, University of Maryland School of Medicine, Baltimore, MD, USA.
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Choi EY, Franco D, Stapf CA, Gordin M, Chow A, Cover KK, Chandra R, Lobo MK. Inducible CRISPR Epigenome Systems Mimic Cocaine Induced Bidirectional Regulation of Nab2 and Egr3. J Neurosci 2023; 43:2242-2259. [PMID: 36849419 PMCID: PMC10072301 DOI: 10.1523/jneurosci.1802-22.2022] [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: 09/19/2022] [Revised: 12/06/2022] [Accepted: 12/22/2022] [Indexed: 03/01/2023] Open
Abstract
Substance use disorder is a chronic disease and a leading cause of disability around the world. The NAc is a major brain hub mediating reward behavior. Studies demonstrate exposure to cocaine is associated with molecular and functional imbalance in NAc medium spiny neuron subtypes (MSNs), dopamine receptor 1 and 2 enriched D1-MSNs and D2-MSNs. We previously reported repeated cocaine exposure induced transcription factor early growth response 3 (Egr3) mRNA in NAc D1-MSNs, and reduced it in D2-MSNs. Here, we report our findings of repeated cocaine exposure in male mice inducing MSN subtype-specific bidirectional expression of the Egr3 corepressor NGFI-A-binding protein 2 (Nab2). Using CRISPR activation and interference (CRISPRa and CRISPRi) tools combined with Nab2 or Egr3-targeted sgRNAs, we mimicked these bidirectional changes in Neuro2a cells. Furthermore, we investigated D1-MSN- and D2-MSN-specific expressional changes of histone lysine demethylases Kdm1a, Kdm6a, and Kdm5c in NAc after repeated cocaine exposure in male mice. Since Kdm1a showed bidirectional expression patterns in D1-MSNs and D2-MSNs, like Egr3, we developed a light-inducible Opto-CRISPR-KDM1a system. We were able to downregulate Egr3 and Nab2 transcripts in Neuro2A cells and cause similar bidirectional expression changes we observed in D1-MSNs and D2-MSNs of mouse repeated cocaine exposure model. Contrastingly, our Opto-CRISPR-p300 activation system induced the Egr3 and Nab2 transcripts and caused opposite bidirectional transcription regulations. Our study sheds light on the expression patterns of Nab2 and Egr3 in specific NAc MSNs in cocaine action and uses CRISPR tools to further mimic these expression patterns.SIGNIFICANCE STATEMENT Substance use disorder is a major societal issue. The lack of medication to treat cocaine addiction desperately calls for a treatment development based on precise understanding of molecular mechanisms underlying cocaine addiction. In this study, we show that Egr3 and Nab2 are bidirectionally regulated in mouse NAc D1-MSNs and D2-MSNs after repeated exposure to cocaine. Furthermore, histone lysine demethylations enzymes with putative EGR3 binding sites showed bidirectional regulation in D1- and D2-MSNs after repeated exposure to cocaine. Using Cre- and light-inducible CRISPR tools, we show that we can mimic this bidirectional regulation of Egr3 and Nab2 in Neuro2a cells.
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Affiliation(s)
- Eric Y Choi
- Department of Anatomy and Neurobiology
- Graduate Program in Life Sciences, Biochemistry and Molecular Biology
| | - Daniela Franco
- Department of Anatomy and Neurobiology
- Program in Neuroscience, Graduate Program in Life Sciences
| | - Catherine A Stapf
- Department of Anatomy and Neurobiology
- Program in Neuroscience, Graduate Program in Life Sciences
| | | | | | - Kara K Cover
- Department of Anatomy and Neurobiology
- Program in Neuroscience, Graduate Program in Life Sciences
| | - Ramesh Chandra
- Department of Anatomy and Neurobiology
- Center for Innovative Biomedical Resources, Virus Vector Core, University of Maryland School of Medicine Baltimore, Maryland, 21201
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