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O'Connor M, Qiao H, Odamah K, Cerdeira PC, Man HY. Heterozygous Nexmif female mice demonstrate mosaic NEXMIF expression, autism-like behaviors, and abnormalities in dendritic arborization and synaptogenesis. Heliyon 2024; 10:e24703. [PMID: 38322873 PMCID: PMC10844029 DOI: 10.1016/j.heliyon.2024.e24703] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 03/13/2023] [Revised: 11/28/2023] [Accepted: 01/12/2024] [Indexed: 02/08/2024] Open
Abstract
Autism spectrum disorder (ASD) is a neurodevelopmental disorder with a strong genetic basis. ASDs are commonly characterized by impairments in language, restrictive and repetitive behaviors, and deficits in social interactions. Although ASD is a highly heterogeneous disease with many different genes implicated in its etiology, many ASD-associated genes converge on common cellular defects, such as aberrant neuronal morphology and synapse dysregulation. Our previous work revealed that, in mice, complete loss of the ASD-associated X-linked gene NEXMIF results in a reduction in dendritic complexity, a decrease in spine and synapse density, altered synaptic transmission, and ASD-like behaviors. Interestingly, human females of NEXMIF haploinsufficiency have recently been reported to demonstrate autistic features; however, the cellular and molecular basis for this haploinsufficiency-caused ASD remains unclear. Here we report that in the brains of Nexmif± female mice, NEXMIF shows a mosaic pattern in its expression in neurons. Heterozygous female mice demonstrate behavioral impairments similar to those of knockout male mice. In the mosaic mixture of neurons from Nexmif± mice, cells that lack NEXMIF have impairments in dendritic arborization and spine development. Remarkably, the NEXMIF-expressing neurons from Nexmif± mice also demonstrate similar defects in dendritic growth and spine formation. These findings establish a novel mouse model of NEXMIF haploinsufficiency and provide new insights into the pathogenesis of NEXMIF-dependent ASD.
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Affiliation(s)
- Margaret O'Connor
- Department of Biology, Boston University, 5 Cummington Mall, Boston, MA 02215, USA
| | - Hui Qiao
- Department of Biology, Boston University, 5 Cummington Mall, Boston, MA 02215, USA
| | - KathrynAnn Odamah
- Department of Biology, Boston University, 5 Cummington Mall, Boston, MA 02215, USA
| | | | - Heng-Ye Man
- Department of Biology, Boston University, 5 Cummington Mall, Boston, MA 02215, USA
- Department of Pharmacology, Physiology & Biophysics, Boston University School of Medicine, 72 East Concord St., Boston, MA 02118, USA
- Center for Systems Neuroscience, Boston University, 610 Commonwealth Ave, Boston, MA 02215, USA
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Mount RA, Athif M, O’Connor M, Saligrama A, Tseng HA, Sridhar S, Zhou C, Bortz E, San Antonio E, Kramer MA, Man HY, Han X. The autism spectrum disorder risk gene NEXMIF over-synchronizes hippocampal CA1 network and alters neuronal coding. Front Neurosci 2023; 17:1277501. [PMID: 37965217 PMCID: PMC10641898 DOI: 10.3389/fnins.2023.1277501] [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: 08/14/2023] [Accepted: 10/10/2023] [Indexed: 11/16/2023] Open
Abstract
Mutations in autism spectrum disorder (ASD) risk genes disrupt neural network dynamics that ultimately lead to abnormal behavior. To understand how ASD-risk genes influence neural circuit computation during behavior, we analyzed the hippocampal network by performing large-scale cellular calcium imaging from hundreds of individual CA1 neurons simultaneously in transgenic mice with total knockout of the X-linked ASD-risk gene NEXMIF (neurite extension and migration factor). As NEXMIF knockout in mice led to profound learning and memory deficits, we examined the CA1 network during voluntary locomotion, a fundamental component of spatial memory. We found that NEXMIF knockout does not alter the overall excitability of individual neurons but exaggerates movement-related neuronal responses. To quantify network functional connectivity changes, we applied closeness centrality analysis from graph theory to our large-scale calcium imaging datasets, in addition to using the conventional pairwise correlation analysis. Closeness centrality analysis considers both the number of connections and the connection strength between neurons within a network. We found that in wild-type mice the CA1 network desynchronizes during locomotion, consistent with increased network information coding during active behavior. Upon NEXMIF knockout, CA1 network is over-synchronized regardless of behavioral state and fails to desynchronize during locomotion, highlighting how perturbations in ASD-implicated genes create abnormal network synchronization that could contribute to ASD-related behaviors.
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Affiliation(s)
- Rebecca A. Mount
- Department of Biomedical Engineering, Boston University, Boston, MA, United States
| | - Mohamed Athif
- Department of Biomedical Engineering, Boston University, Boston, MA, United States
| | | | - Amith Saligrama
- Department of Biomedical Engineering, Boston University, Boston, MA, United States
- Commonwealth School, Boston, MA, United States
| | - Hua-an Tseng
- Department of Biomedical Engineering, Boston University, Boston, MA, United States
| | - Sudiksha Sridhar
- Department of Biomedical Engineering, Boston University, Boston, MA, United States
| | - Chengqian Zhou
- Department of Biomedical Engineering, Boston University, Boston, MA, United States
| | - Emma Bortz
- Department of Biomedical Engineering, Boston University, Boston, MA, United States
| | - Erynne San Antonio
- Department of Biomedical Engineering, Boston University, Boston, MA, United States
| | - Mark A. Kramer
- Department of Mathematics, Boston University, Boston, MA, United States
| | - Heng-Ye Man
- Department of Biology, Boston University, Boston, MA, United States
| | - Xue Han
- Department of Biomedical Engineering, Boston University, Boston, MA, United States
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Zhong L, Liu C, Lin L. Infantile spasms caused by NEXMIF mutation: A case report and literature review. APPLIED NEUROPSYCHOLOGY. CHILD 2023; 12:380-385. [PMID: 37313861 DOI: 10.1080/21622965.2023.2220459] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 06/15/2023]
Abstract
BACKGROUND Infantile spasms are rare epileptic syndromes associated with neurodevelopment and genes. The NEXMIF gene, identified as KIDLIA, KIAA2022 or Xpn, is a gene of unknown biological identity located on the q13.2 X chromosome. CASE DESCRIPTION We presented a 4-month-old infant with a diagnosis of infantile spasms with NEXMIF mutation. Clinical manifestations include psychomotor retardation, loss of consciousness, and seizures. After oral therapy with vigabatrin, sodium valproate, and levetiracetam, the syndrome was alleviated and no recurrence was observed during one month of follow-up. CONCLUSIONS A loss-of-function mutation in the NEXMIF gene has been reported. There are few reports on this mutation worldwide. This study provides a new idea for the clinical treatment of infantile spasms.
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Affiliation(s)
- Liuming Zhong
- Department of Internal Medicine-Pediatrics, Meizhou People's Hospital, Meizhou, China
| | - Caihui Liu
- Department of Internal Medicine-Pediatrics, Meizhou People's Hospital, Meizhou, China
| | - Liang Lin
- Department of Internal Medicine-Pediatrics, Meizhou People's Hospital, Meizhou, China
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Gamirova R, Barkov A, Shaimuchametova V, Liukshina N, Volkov I, Tomenko T, Rachmanina O, Shestakova O, Gorobets E. Epilepsy and other phenotypic features of X-linked intellectual disability caused by the mutations in the KIAA2022 gene. Zh Nevrol Psikhiatr Im S S Korsakova 2022; 122:14-20. [DOI: 10.17116/jnevro202212209214] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/17/2022]
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