1
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Howe JR, Chan CL, Lee D, Blanquart M, Romero HK, Zadina AN, Lemieux ME, Mills F, Desplats PA, Tye KM, Root CM. Control of innate olfactory valence by segregated cortical amygdala circuits. BIORXIV : THE PREPRINT SERVER FOR BIOLOGY 2024:2024.06.26.600895. [PMID: 38979308 PMCID: PMC11230396 DOI: 10.1101/2024.06.26.600895] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 07/10/2024]
Abstract
Animals perform innate behaviors that are stereotyped responses to specific evolutionarily relevant stimuli in the absence of prior learning or experience. These behaviors can be reduced to an axis of valence, whereby specific odors evoke approach or avoidance. The cortical amygdala (plCoA) mediates innate attraction and aversion to odor. However, little is known about how this brain area gives rise to behaviors of opposing motivational valence. Here, we sought to define the circuit features of plCoA that give rise to innate olfactory behaviors of valence. We characterized the physiology, gene expression, and projections of this structure, identifying a divergent, topographic organization that selectively controls innate attraction and avoidance to odor. First, we examined odor-evoked responses in these areas and found sparse encoding of odor identity, but not valence. We next considered a topographic organization and found that optogenetic stimulation of the anterior and posterior domains of plCoA elicits attraction and avoidance, respectively, suggesting a functional axis for valence. Using single cell and spatial RNA sequencing, we identified the molecular cell types in plCoA, revealing an anteroposterior gradient in cell types, whereby anterior glutamatergic neurons preferentially express Slc17a6 and posterior neurons express Slc17a7. Activation of these respective cell types recapitulates appetitive and aversive valence behaviors, and chemogenetic inhibition reveals partial necessity for valence responses to innate appetitive or aversive odors. Finally, we identified topographically organized circuits defined by projections, whereby anterior neurons preferentially project to medial amygdala, and posterior neurons preferentially project to nucleus accumbens, which are respectively sufficient and necessary for innate negative and positive olfactory valence. Together, these data advance our understanding of how the olfactory system generates stereotypic, hardwired attraction and avoidance, and supports a model whereby distinct, topographically distributed plCoA populations direct innate olfactory valence responses by signaling to divergent valence-specific targets, linking upstream olfactory identity to downstream valence behaviors, through a population code. This represents a novel circuit motif in which valence encoding is represented not by the firing properties of individual neurons, but by population level identity encoding that is routed through divergent targets to mediate distinct valence.
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Affiliation(s)
- James R Howe
- Department of Biological Sciences, Section of Neuroscience, University of California, San Diego, La Jolla, CA 92093, USA
- Neurosciences Graduate Program, University of California, San Diego, La Jolla, CA 92093, USA
- Department of Neurosciences, University of California, San Diego, La Jolla, CA 92093, USA
- These authors contributed equally
| | - Chung-Lung Chan
- Department of Biological Sciences, Section of Neuroscience, University of California, San Diego, La Jolla, CA 92093, USA
- These authors contributed equally
| | - Donghyung Lee
- Department of Biological Sciences, Section of Neuroscience, University of California, San Diego, La Jolla, CA 92093, USA
| | - Marlon Blanquart
- Department of Biological Sciences, Section of Neuroscience, University of California, San Diego, La Jolla, CA 92093, USA
| | - Haylie K Romero
- Neurosciences Graduate Program, University of California, San Diego, La Jolla, CA 92093, USA
- Department of Neurosciences, University of California, San Diego, La Jolla, CA 92093, USA
- Center for Circadian Biology, University of California, San Diego, La Jolla, CA 92093, USA
| | - Abigail N Zadina
- Zuckerman Mind Brain Behavior Institute, Columbia University, New York, NY, 10027, USA
| | | | - Fergil Mills
- Salk Institute for Biological Sciences, La Jolla, CA 92037, USA
| | - Paula A Desplats
- Department of Neurosciences, University of California, San Diego, La Jolla, CA 92093, USA
- Center for Circadian Biology, University of California, San Diego, La Jolla, CA 92093, USA
- Department of Pathology, University of California, San Diego, La Jolla, CA 92093, USA
| | - Kay M Tye
- Department of Biological Sciences, Section of Neuroscience, University of California, San Diego, La Jolla, CA 92093, USA
- Salk Institute for Biological Sciences, La Jolla, CA 92037, USA
- Howard Hughes Medical Institute, La Jolla, CA 92037, USA
| | - Cory M Root
- Department of Biological Sciences, Section of Neuroscience, University of California, San Diego, La Jolla, CA 92093, USA
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2
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Fang A, Yu CR. Activity-dependent formation of the topographic map and the critical period in the development of mammalian olfactory system. Genesis 2024; 62:e23586. [PMID: 38593162 PMCID: PMC11003738 DOI: 10.1002/dvg.23586] [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: 12/05/2023] [Revised: 01/03/2024] [Accepted: 01/05/2024] [Indexed: 04/11/2024]
Abstract
Neural activity influences every aspect of nervous system development. In olfactory systems, sensory neurons expressing the same odorant receptor project their axons to stereotypically positioned glomeruli, forming a spatial map of odorant receptors in the olfactory bulb. As individual odors activate unique combinations of glomeruli, this map forms the basis for encoding olfactory information. The establishment of this stereotypical olfactory map requires coordinated regulation of axon guidance molecules instructed by spontaneous activity. Recent studies show that sensory experiences also modify innervation patterns in the olfactory bulb, especially during a critical period of the olfactory system development. This review examines evidence in the field to suggest potential mechanisms by which various aspects of neural activity regulate axon targeting. We also discuss the precise functions served by neural plasticity during the critical period.
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Affiliation(s)
- Ai Fang
- Stowers Institute for Medical Research, Kansas City, MO 64110, USA
| | - C. Ron Yu
- Stowers Institute for Medical Research, Kansas City, MO 64110, USA
- Department of Cell Biology and Physiology, University of Kansas Medical Center, 3901 Rainbow Boulevard, Kansas City, KS 66160, USA
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3
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Cantini D, Choleris E, Kavaliers M. Neurobiology of Pathogen Avoidance and Mate Choice: Current and Future Directions. Animals (Basel) 2024; 14:296. [PMID: 38254465 PMCID: PMC10812398 DOI: 10.3390/ani14020296] [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: 11/27/2023] [Revised: 01/09/2024] [Accepted: 01/13/2024] [Indexed: 01/24/2024] Open
Abstract
Animals are under constant threat of parasitic infection. This has influenced the evolution of social behaviour and has strong implications for sexual selection and mate choice. Animals assess the infection status of conspecifics based on various sensory cues, with odours/chemical signals and the olfactory system playing a particularly important role. The detection of chemical cues and subsequent processing of the infection threat that they pose facilitates the expression of disgust, fear, anxiety, and adaptive avoidance behaviours. In this selective review, drawing primarily from rodent studies, the neurobiological mechanisms underlying the detection and assessment of infection status and their relations to mate choice are briefly considered. Firstly, we offer a brief overview of the aspects of mate choice that are relevant to pathogen avoidance. Then, we specifically focus on the olfactory detection of and responses to conspecific cues of parasitic infection, followed by a brief overview of the neurobiological systems underlying the elicitation of disgust and the expression of avoidance of the pathogen threat. Throughout, we focus on current findings and provide suggestions for future directions and research.
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Affiliation(s)
- Dante Cantini
- Department of Psychology, College of Social and Applied Human Sciences, University of Guelph, Guelph, ON N1G 2W1, Canada;
| | - Elena Choleris
- Department of Psychology, College of Social and Applied Human Sciences, University of Guelph, Guelph, ON N1G 2W1, Canada;
| | - Martin Kavaliers
- Department of Psychology, College of Social and Applied Human Sciences, University of Guelph, Guelph, ON N1G 2W1, Canada;
- Department of Psychology, Western University, London, ON N6A 3K7, Canada
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4
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Massey WJ, Kay KE, Jaramillo TC, Horak AJ, Cao S, Osborn LJ, Banerjee R, Mrdjen M, Hamoudi MK, Silver DJ, Burrows AC, Brown AL, Reizes O, Lathia JD, Wang Z, Hazen SL, Brown JM. Metaorganismal choline metabolism shapes olfactory perception. J Biol Chem 2023; 299:105299. [PMID: 37777156 PMCID: PMC10630631 DOI: 10.1016/j.jbc.2023.105299] [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: 12/20/2021] [Revised: 09/18/2023] [Accepted: 09/23/2023] [Indexed: 10/02/2023] Open
Abstract
Microbes living in the intestine can regulate key signaling processes in the central nervous system that directly impact brain health. This gut-brain signaling axis is partially mediated by microbe-host-dependent immune regulation, gut-innervating neuronal communication, and endocrine-like small molecule metabolites that originate from bacteria to ultimately cross the blood-brain barrier. Given the mounting evidence of gut-brain crosstalk, a new therapeutic approach of "psychobiotics" has emerged, whereby strategies designed to primarily modify the gut microbiome have been shown to improve mental health or slow neurodegenerative diseases. Diet is one of the most powerful determinants of gut microbiome community structure, and dietary habits are associated with brain health and disease. Recently, the metaorganismal (i.e., diet-microbe-host) trimethylamine N-oxide (TMAO) pathway has been linked to the development of several brain diseases including Alzheimer's, Parkinson's, and ischemic stroke. However, it is poorly understood how metaorganismal TMAO production influences brain function under normal physiological conditions. To address this, here we have reduced TMAO levels by inhibiting gut microbe-driven choline conversion to trimethylamine (TMA), and then performed comprehensive behavioral phenotyping in mice. Unexpectedly, we find that TMAO is particularly enriched in the murine olfactory bulb, and when TMAO production is blunted at the level of bacterial choline TMA lyase (CutC/D), olfactory perception is altered. Taken together, our studies demonstrate a previously underappreciated role for the TMAO pathway in olfactory-related behaviors.
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Affiliation(s)
- William J Massey
- Department of Cardiovascular and Metabolic Sciences, Lerner Research Institute, Cleveland Clinic, Cleveland, Ohio, USA; Center for Microbiome & Human Health, Cleveland Clinic, Cleveland, Ohio, USA
| | - Kristen E Kay
- Department of Cardiovascular and Metabolic Sciences, Lerner Research Institute, Cleveland Clinic, Cleveland, Ohio, USA; Center for Microbiome & Human Health, Cleveland Clinic, Cleveland, Ohio, USA
| | - Thomas C Jaramillo
- Rodent Behavior Core, Lerner Research Institute, Cleveland Clinic, Cleveland, Ohio, USA
| | - Anthony J Horak
- Department of Cardiovascular and Metabolic Sciences, Lerner Research Institute, Cleveland Clinic, Cleveland, Ohio, USA; Center for Microbiome & Human Health, Cleveland Clinic, Cleveland, Ohio, USA; Department of Cancer Biology, Lerner Research Institute, Cleveland Clinic, Cleveland, Ohio, USA
| | - Shijie Cao
- Department of Cardiovascular and Metabolic Sciences, Lerner Research Institute, Cleveland Clinic, Cleveland, Ohio, USA; Center for Microbiome & Human Health, Cleveland Clinic, Cleveland, Ohio, USA; Department of Cancer Biology, Lerner Research Institute, Cleveland Clinic, Cleveland, Ohio, USA
| | - Lucas J Osborn
- Department of Cardiovascular and Metabolic Sciences, Lerner Research Institute, Cleveland Clinic, Cleveland, Ohio, USA; Center for Microbiome & Human Health, Cleveland Clinic, Cleveland, Ohio, USA
| | - Rakhee Banerjee
- Department of Cardiovascular and Metabolic Sciences, Lerner Research Institute, Cleveland Clinic, Cleveland, Ohio, USA; Center for Microbiome & Human Health, Cleveland Clinic, Cleveland, Ohio, USA; Department of Cancer Biology, Lerner Research Institute, Cleveland Clinic, Cleveland, Ohio, USA
| | - Marko Mrdjen
- Department of Cardiovascular and Metabolic Sciences, Lerner Research Institute, Cleveland Clinic, Cleveland, Ohio, USA; Center for Microbiome & Human Health, Cleveland Clinic, Cleveland, Ohio, USA; Department of Cancer Biology, Lerner Research Institute, Cleveland Clinic, Cleveland, Ohio, USA
| | - Michael K Hamoudi
- Department of Cardiovascular and Metabolic Sciences, Lerner Research Institute, Cleveland Clinic, Cleveland, Ohio, USA; Department of Cancer Biology, Lerner Research Institute, Cleveland Clinic, Cleveland, Ohio, USA
| | - Daniel J Silver
- Department of Cardiovascular and Metabolic Sciences, Lerner Research Institute, Cleveland Clinic, Cleveland, Ohio, USA; Cleveland Clinic Lerner College of Medicine of Case Western Reserve University, Cleveland, Ohio, USA; Case Comprehensive Cancer Center, Case Western Reserve University, Cleveland, Ohio, USA
| | - Amy C Burrows
- Department of Cardiovascular and Metabolic Sciences, Lerner Research Institute, Cleveland Clinic, Cleveland, Ohio, USA; Center for Microbiome & Human Health, Cleveland Clinic, Cleveland, Ohio, USA; Department of Cancer Biology, Lerner Research Institute, Cleveland Clinic, Cleveland, Ohio, USA
| | - Amanda L Brown
- Department of Cardiovascular and Metabolic Sciences, Lerner Research Institute, Cleveland Clinic, Cleveland, Ohio, USA; Center for Microbiome & Human Health, Cleveland Clinic, Cleveland, Ohio, USA; Department of Cancer Biology, Lerner Research Institute, Cleveland Clinic, Cleveland, Ohio, USA
| | - Ofer Reizes
- Department of Cardiovascular and Metabolic Sciences, Lerner Research Institute, Cleveland Clinic, Cleveland, Ohio, USA; Center for Microbiome & Human Health, Cleveland Clinic, Cleveland, Ohio, USA; Case Comprehensive Cancer Center, Case Western Reserve University, Cleveland, Ohio, USA
| | - Justin D Lathia
- Department of Cardiovascular and Metabolic Sciences, Lerner Research Institute, Cleveland Clinic, Cleveland, Ohio, USA; Center for Microbiome & Human Health, Cleveland Clinic, Cleveland, Ohio, USA; Case Comprehensive Cancer Center, Case Western Reserve University, Cleveland, Ohio, USA
| | - Zeneng Wang
- Department of Cardiovascular and Metabolic Sciences, Lerner Research Institute, Cleveland Clinic, Cleveland, Ohio, USA; Center for Microbiome & Human Health, Cleveland Clinic, Cleveland, Ohio, USA
| | - Stanley L Hazen
- Department of Cardiovascular and Metabolic Sciences, Lerner Research Institute, Cleveland Clinic, Cleveland, Ohio, USA; Center for Microbiome & Human Health, Cleveland Clinic, Cleveland, Ohio, USA; Department of Cardiovascular Medicine, Heart Vascular and Thoracic Institute, Cleveland Clinic, Cleveland, Ohio, USA
| | - J Mark Brown
- Department of Cardiovascular and Metabolic Sciences, Lerner Research Institute, Cleveland Clinic, Cleveland, Ohio, USA; Center for Microbiome & Human Health, Cleveland Clinic, Cleveland, Ohio, USA; Department of Cancer Biology, Lerner Research Institute, Cleveland Clinic, Cleveland, Ohio, USA; Case Comprehensive Cancer Center, Case Western Reserve University, Cleveland, Ohio, USA.
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5
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Shin MG, Bae Y, Afzal R, Kondoh K, Lee EJ. Olfactory modulation of stress-response neural circuits. Exp Mol Med 2023; 55:1659-1671. [PMID: 37524867 PMCID: PMC10474124 DOI: 10.1038/s12276-023-01048-3] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 01/15/2023] [Revised: 04/20/2023] [Accepted: 04/30/2023] [Indexed: 08/02/2023] Open
Abstract
Stress responses, which are crucial for survival, are evolutionally conserved throughout the animal kingdom. The most common endocrine axis among stress responses is that triggered by corticotropin-releasing hormone neurons (CRHNs) in the hypothalamus. Signals of various stressors are detected by different sensory systems and relayed through individual neural circuits that converge on hypothalamic CRHNs to initiate common stress hormone responses. To investigate the neurocircuitry mechanisms underlying stress hormone responses induced by a variety of stressors, researchers have recently developed new approaches employing retrograde transsynaptic viral tracers, providing a wealth of information about various types of neural circuits that control the activity of CRHNs in response to stress stimuli. Here, we review earlier and more recent findings on the stress neurocircuits that converge on CRHNs, focusing particularly on olfactory systems that excite or suppress the activities of CRHNs and lead to the initiation of stress responses. Because smells are arguably the most important signals that enable animals to properly cope with environmental changes and survive, unveiling the regulatory mechanisms by which smells control stress responses would provide broad insight into how stress-related environmental cues are perceived in the animal brain.
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Affiliation(s)
- Min-Gi Shin
- Department of Brain Science, Ajou University School of Medicine, Suwon, 16499, Korea
- AI-Superconvergence KIURI Translational Research Center, Ajou University School of Medicine, Suwon, 16499, Korea
| | - Yiseul Bae
- Department of Brain Science, Ajou University School of Medicine, Suwon, 16499, Korea
| | - Ramsha Afzal
- Department of Brain Science, Ajou University School of Medicine, Suwon, 16499, Korea
| | - Kunio Kondoh
- Division of Endocrinology and Metabolism, Department of Homeostatic Regulation, National Institute for Physiological Sciences, National Institutes of Natural Sciences, Okazaki, Aichi, 444-8585, Japan.
- Japan Science and Technology Agency, PRESTO, Okazaki, Aichi, 444-8585, Japan.
| | - Eun Jeong Lee
- Department of Brain Science, Ajou University School of Medicine, Suwon, 16499, Korea.
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6
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Guo L, Cheng J, Lian S, Liu Q, Lu Y, Zheng Y, Zhu K, Zhang M, Kong Y, Zhang C, Rong N, Zhuang Y, Fang G, Jiang J, Zhang T, Han X, Liu Z, Xia M, Liu S, Zhang L, Liberles SD, Yu X, Xu Y, Yang F, Li Q, Sun JP. Structural basis of amine odorant perception by a mammal olfactory receptor. Nature 2023; 618:193-200. [PMID: 37225986 DOI: 10.1038/s41586-023-06106-4] [Citation(s) in RCA: 15] [Impact Index Per Article: 15.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 10/14/2022] [Accepted: 04/20/2023] [Indexed: 05/26/2023]
Abstract
Odorants are detected as smell in the nasal epithelium of mammals by two G-protein-coupled receptor families, the odorant receptors and the trace amine-associated receptors1,2 (TAARs). TAARs emerged following the divergence of jawed and jawless fish, and comprise a large monophyletic family of receptors that recognize volatile amine odorants to elicit both intraspecific and interspecific innate behaviours such as attraction and aversion3-5. Here we report cryo-electron microscopy structures of mouse TAAR9 (mTAAR9) and mTAAR9-Gs or mTAAR9-Golf trimers in complex with β-phenylethylamine, N,N-dimethylcyclohexylamine or spermidine. The mTAAR9 structures contain a deep and tight ligand-binding pocket decorated with a conserved D3.32W6.48Y7.43 motif, which is essential for amine odorant recognition. In the mTAAR9 structure, a unique disulfide bond connecting the N terminus to ECL2 is required for agonist-induced receptor activation. We identify key structural motifs of TAAR family members for detecting monoamines and polyamines and the shared sequence of different TAAR members that are responsible for recognition of the same odour chemical. We elucidate the molecular basis of mTAAR9 coupling to Gs and Golf by structural characterization and mutational analysis. Collectively, our results provide a structural basis for odorant detection, receptor activation and Golf coupling of an amine olfactory receptor.
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MESH Headings
- Animals
- Mice
- Biogenic Amines/analysis
- Biogenic Amines/chemistry
- Biogenic Amines/metabolism
- Cryoelectron Microscopy
- GTP-Binding Protein alpha Subunits, Gs/chemistry
- GTP-Binding Protein alpha Subunits, Gs/metabolism
- GTP-Binding Protein alpha Subunits, Gs/ultrastructure
- Odorants/analysis
- Olfactory Perception/physiology
- Polyamines/analysis
- Polyamines/chemistry
- Polyamines/metabolism
- Receptors, Biogenic Amine/chemistry
- Receptors, Biogenic Amine/genetics
- Receptors, Biogenic Amine/metabolism
- Receptors, Biogenic Amine/ultrastructure
- Receptors, Odorant/chemistry
- Receptors, Odorant/genetics
- Receptors, Odorant/metabolism
- Receptors, Odorant/ultrastructure
- Smell/physiology
- Spermidine/analysis
- Spermidine/chemistry
- Spermidine/metabolism
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Affiliation(s)
- Lulu Guo
- Advanced Medical Research Institute, Meili Lake Translational Research Park, Cheeloo College of Medicine, Shandong University, Jinan, China
- Department of Biochemistry and Molecular Biology, Shandong University School of Medicine, Jinan, China
| | - Jie Cheng
- Advanced Medical Research Institute, Meili Lake Translational Research Park, Cheeloo College of Medicine, Shandong University, Jinan, China
- Key Laboratory Experimental Teratology of the Ministry of Education and Department of Physiology, School of Basic Medical Sciences, Shandong University, Jinan, China
- Department of Physiology and Pathophysiology, School of Basic Medical Sciences, Peking University, Key Laboratory of Molecular Cardiovascular Science, Ministry of Education, Beijing, China
| | - Shuo Lian
- Department of General Surgery, Qilu Hospital of Shandong University, Jinan, China
| | - Qun Liu
- Department of Biochemistry and Molecular Biology, Shandong University School of Medicine, Jinan, China
| | - Yan Lu
- Department of Biochemistry and Molecular Biology, Shandong University School of Medicine, Jinan, China
| | - Yuan Zheng
- Department of Physiology and Pathophysiology, School of Basic Medical Sciences, Peking University, Key Laboratory of Molecular Cardiovascular Science, Ministry of Education, Beijing, China
| | - Kongkai Zhu
- Advanced Medical Research Institute, Meili Lake Translational Research Park, Cheeloo College of Medicine, Shandong University, Jinan, China
| | - Minghui Zhang
- Department of General Surgery, Qilu Hospital of Shandong University, Jinan, China
| | - Yalei Kong
- Songjiang Institute and Songjiang Hospital, Shanghai Jiao Tong University School of Medicine, Shanghai, China
- Center for Brain Science, Shanghai Children's Medical Center, School of Medicine, Shanghai Jiao Tong University, Shanghai, China
- Department of Anatomy and Physiology, Ministry of Education-Shanghai Key Laboratory of Children's Environmental Health in Xinhua Hospital, Shanghai Jiao Tong University School of Medicine, Shanghai, China
| | - Chao Zhang
- Department of Biochemistry and Molecular Biology, Shandong University School of Medicine, Jinan, China
| | - Naikang Rong
- Department of Biochemistry and Molecular Biology, Shandong University School of Medicine, Jinan, China
| | - Yuming Zhuang
- Department of Biochemistry and Molecular Biology, Shandong University School of Medicine, Jinan, China
| | - Guoxing Fang
- Department of Biochemistry and Molecular Biology, Shandong University School of Medicine, Jinan, China
| | - Jingjing Jiang
- Department of Biochemistry and Molecular Biology, Shandong University School of Medicine, Jinan, China
| | - Tianyao Zhang
- Department of Biochemistry and Molecular Biology, Shandong University School of Medicine, Jinan, China
| | - Xiang Han
- Advanced Medical Research Institute, Meili Lake Translational Research Park, Cheeloo College of Medicine, Shandong University, Jinan, China
- Department of Biochemistry and Molecular Biology, Shandong University School of Medicine, Jinan, China
| | - Zili Liu
- Department of Biochemistry and Molecular Biology, Shandong University School of Medicine, Jinan, China
| | - Ming Xia
- Department of Otolaryngology, Shandong Provincial Hospital Affiliated to Shandong First Medical University, Shandong, China
| | - Shangming Liu
- Advanced Medical Research Institute, Meili Lake Translational Research Park, Cheeloo College of Medicine, Shandong University, Jinan, China
| | - Lei Zhang
- MOE Key Laboratory for Nonequilibrium Synthesis and Modulation of Condensed Matter, School of Physics, Xi'an Jiaotong University, Xi'an, China
| | - Stephen D Liberles
- Howard Hughes Medical Institute, Department of Cell Biology, Harvard Medical School, Boston, MA, USA
| | - Xiao Yu
- Key Laboratory Experimental Teratology of the Ministry of Education and Department of Physiology, School of Basic Medical Sciences, Shandong University, Jinan, China
| | - Yunfei Xu
- Department of General Surgery, Qilu Hospital of Shandong University, Jinan, China.
| | - Fan Yang
- Advanced Medical Research Institute, Meili Lake Translational Research Park, Cheeloo College of Medicine, Shandong University, Jinan, China.
- Department of Biochemistry and Molecular Biology, Shandong University School of Medicine, Jinan, China.
| | - Qian Li
- Songjiang Institute and Songjiang Hospital, Shanghai Jiao Tong University School of Medicine, Shanghai, China.
- Center for Brain Science, Shanghai Children's Medical Center, School of Medicine, Shanghai Jiao Tong University, Shanghai, China.
- Department of Anatomy and Physiology, Ministry of Education-Shanghai Key Laboratory of Children's Environmental Health in Xinhua Hospital, Shanghai Jiao Tong University School of Medicine, Shanghai, China.
- Shanghai Research Center for Brain Science and Brain-Inspired Intelligence, Shanghai, China.
| | - Jin-Peng Sun
- Advanced Medical Research Institute, Meili Lake Translational Research Park, Cheeloo College of Medicine, Shandong University, Jinan, China.
- Department of Biochemistry and Molecular Biology, Shandong University School of Medicine, Jinan, China.
- Department of Physiology and Pathophysiology, School of Basic Medical Sciences, Peking University, Key Laboratory of Molecular Cardiovascular Science, Ministry of Education, Beijing, China.
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7
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The role of gut-dependent molecule trimethylamine N-oxide as a novel target for the treatment of chronic kidney disease. Int Urol Nephrol 2023:10.1007/s11255-023-03500-9. [PMID: 36797553 DOI: 10.1007/s11255-023-03500-9] [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: 11/04/2020] [Accepted: 01/09/2023] [Indexed: 02/18/2023]
Abstract
Trimethylamine N-oxide (TMAO) is an intestinal uremic toxin molecule mainly excreted by the kidney. Therefore, the plasma TMAO concentration is significantly increased in chronic kidney disease (CKD) patients, and plasma TMAO can be cleared by dialysis. Furthermore, TMAO damage the kidney mainly through three mechanisms: oxidative stress, inflammation and endoplasmic reticulum stress. Clinical experiments have indicated that higher TMAO levels are strongly related to the elevated incidence and mortality of cardiovascular (CV) events in CKD patients. Moreover, experimental data have shown that high levels of TMAO directly aggravate atherosclerosis, thrombosis and enhance myocardial contractility, resulting in myocardial ischemia and stroke. Specially, there are currently four potential ways to reduce blood TMAO concentration or block the effect of TMAO, including reducing the intake of trimethylamine (TMA) precursors in the diet, regulating the intestinal flora to reduce TMA production, interrupting the role of flavin-dependent monooxygenase isoforms (FMOs) to reduce the generation of TMAO, and blocking the TMAO receptor protein kinase R-like endoplasmic reticulum kinase (PERK). We hope that more clinical studies and clinicians will focus on clinical treatment to reduce the concentration of TMAO and alleviate renal damage.
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8
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Liu W, Yang G, Liu P, Jiang X, Xin Y. Modulation of adipose tissue metabolism by microbial-derived metabolites. Front Microbiol 2022; 13:1031498. [PMID: 36569060 PMCID: PMC9783635 DOI: 10.3389/fmicb.2022.1031498] [Citation(s) in RCA: 4] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 08/31/2022] [Accepted: 10/04/2022] [Indexed: 12/14/2022] Open
Abstract
Obesity and its complications, including type 2 diabetes, cardiovascular disease, and certain cancers, have posed a significant burden on health and healthcare systems over the years due to their high prevalence and incidence. Gut microbial derivatives are necessary for the regulation of energy metabolism and host immunity, as well as for maintaining homeostasis of the intestinal environment. Gut flora metabolites may be a link between gut microbes and diseases, such as obesity, and help understand why alterations in the microbiota can influence the pathophysiology of human disease. This is supported by emerging evidence that microbial-derived metabolites, such as short-chain fatty acids, bile acids, tryptophan, trimethylamine-N-oxide, and lipopolysaccharides, can be beneficial or detrimental to the host by affecting organs outside the gut, including adipose tissue. Adipose tissue is the largest lipid storage organ in the body and an essential endocrine organ that plays an indispensable role in the regulation of lipid storage, metabolism, and energy balance. Adipose tissue metabolism includes adipocyte metabolism (lipogenesis and lipolysis), thermogenesis, and adipose tissue metabolic maladaptation. Adipose tissue dysfunction causes the development of metabolic diseases, such as obesity. Here, we review the current understanding of how these microbial metabolites are produced and discuss both established mechanisms and the most recent effects of microbial products on host adipose tissue metabolism. We aimed to identify novel therapeutic targets or strategies for the prevention and treatment of obesity and its complications.
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Affiliation(s)
- Wenyun Liu
- Jilin Provincial Key Laboratory of Radiation Oncology & Therapy, The First Hospital of Jilin University, and Key Laboratory of Pathobiology, Ministry of Education, Jilin University, Changchun, China,Key Laboratory of Pathobiology, Ministry of Education, Jilin University, Changchun, China
| | - Ge Yang
- Key Laboratory of Pathobiology, Ministry of Education, Jilin University, Changchun, China
| | - Pinyi Liu
- Jilin Provincial Key Laboratory of Radiation Oncology & Therapy, The First Hospital of Jilin University, and Key Laboratory of Pathobiology, Ministry of Education, Jilin University, Changchun, China,Jilin Provincial Key Laboratory of Radiation Oncology and Therapy, The First Hospital of Jilin University, Changchun, China,NHC Key Laboratory of Radiobiology, School of Public Health, Jilin University, Changchun, China
| | - Xin Jiang
- Jilin Provincial Key Laboratory of Radiation Oncology & Therapy, The First Hospital of Jilin University, and Key Laboratory of Pathobiology, Ministry of Education, Jilin University, Changchun, China,Jilin Provincial Key Laboratory of Radiation Oncology and Therapy, The First Hospital of Jilin University, Changchun, China,NHC Key Laboratory of Radiobiology, School of Public Health, Jilin University, Changchun, China,*Correspondence: Xin Jiang,
| | - Ying Xin
- Key Laboratory of Pathobiology, Ministry of Education, Jilin University, Changchun, China,Ying Xin,
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9
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Improved cognitive performance in trace amine-associated receptor 5 (TAAR5) knock-out mice. Sci Rep 2022; 12:14708. [PMID: 36038766 PMCID: PMC9424310 DOI: 10.1038/s41598-022-18924-z] [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: 05/10/2022] [Accepted: 08/22/2022] [Indexed: 11/23/2022] Open
Abstract
Trace amine-associated receptors (TAARs) are a family of G protein-coupled receptors present in mammals in the brain and several peripheral organs. Apart from its olfactory role, TAAR5 is expressed in the major limbic brain areas and regulates brain serotonin functions and emotional behaviours. However, most of its functions remain undiscovered. Given the role of serotonin and limbic regions in some aspects of cognition, we used a temporal decision-making task to unveil a possible role of TAAR5 in cognitive processes. We found that TAAR5 knock-out mice showed a generally better performance due to a reduced number of errors and displayed a greater rate of improvement at the task than WT littermates. However, task-related parameters, such as time accuracy and uncertainty have not changed significantly. Overall, we show that TAAR5 modulates specific domains of cognition, highlighting a new role in brain physiology.
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10
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Lee EJ, Saraiva LR, Hanchate NK, Ye X, Asher G, Ho J, Buck LB. Odor blocking of stress hormone responses. Sci Rep 2022; 12:8773. [PMID: 35610316 PMCID: PMC9130126 DOI: 10.1038/s41598-022-12663-x] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 03/03/2022] [Accepted: 04/26/2022] [Indexed: 11/10/2022] Open
Abstract
Scents have been employed for millennia to allay stress, but whether or how they might do so is largely unknown. Fear and stress induce increases in blood stress hormones controlled by hypothalamic corticotropin releasing hormone neurons (CRHNs). Here, we report that two common odorants block mouse stress hormone responses to three potent stressors: physical restraint, predator odor, and male-male social confrontation. One odorant inhibits restraint and predator odor activation of excitatory neurons upstream of CRHNs in the bed nucleus of the stria terminalis (BNSTa). In addition, both activate inhibitory neurons upstream of CRHNs in the hypothalamic ventromedial nucleus (VMH) and silencing of VMH inhibitory neurons hinders odor blocking of stress. Together, these findings indicate that odor blocking can occur via two mechanisms: (1) Inhibition of excitatory neurons that transmit stress signals to CRHNs and (2) activation of inhibitory neurons that act directly or indirectly to inhibit stressor activation of CRHNs.
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Affiliation(s)
- Eun Jeong Lee
- Fred Hutchinson Cancer Research Center, 1100 Fairview Avenue North, A3-020, Seattle, WA, 98109, USA
- Ajou University School of Medicine, Suwon, 16499, South Korea
| | - Luis R Saraiva
- Fred Hutchinson Cancer Research Center, 1100 Fairview Avenue North, A3-020, Seattle, WA, 98109, USA
- Sidra Medicine, Research Branch, Out Patient Clinic, Doha, Qatar
| | - Naresh K Hanchate
- Fred Hutchinson Cancer Research Center, 1100 Fairview Avenue North, A3-020, Seattle, WA, 98109, USA
- University College London, London, UK
| | - Xiaolan Ye
- Fred Hutchinson Cancer Research Center, 1100 Fairview Avenue North, A3-020, Seattle, WA, 98109, USA
| | - Gregory Asher
- Fred Hutchinson Cancer Research Center, 1100 Fairview Avenue North, A3-020, Seattle, WA, 98109, USA
| | - Jonathan Ho
- Fred Hutchinson Cancer Research Center, 1100 Fairview Avenue North, A3-020, Seattle, WA, 98109, USA
- School of Medicine, University of Pittsburgh, S530 Alan Magee Scaife Hall, 3550 Terrace Street, Pittsburgh, PA, 15261, USA
| | - Linda B Buck
- Fred Hutchinson Cancer Research Center, 1100 Fairview Avenue North, A3-020, Seattle, WA, 98109, USA.
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11
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Bon C, Chern TR, Cichero E, O’Brien TE, Gustincich S, Gainetdinov RR, Espinoza S. Discovery of Novel Trace Amine-Associated Receptor 5 (TAAR5) Antagonists Using a Deep Convolutional Neural Network. Int J Mol Sci 2022; 23:ijms23063127. [PMID: 35328548 PMCID: PMC8954676 DOI: 10.3390/ijms23063127] [Citation(s) in RCA: 4] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 02/05/2022] [Revised: 03/06/2022] [Accepted: 03/10/2022] [Indexed: 12/10/2022] Open
Abstract
Trace amine-associated receptor 5 (TAAR5) is a G protein-coupled receptor that belongs to the TAARs family (TAAR1-TAAR9). TAAR5 is expressed in the olfactory epithelium and is responsible for sensing 3-methylamine (TMA). However, recent studies showed that TAAR5 is also expressed in the limbic brain regions and is involved in the regulation of emotional behaviour and adult neurogenesis, suggesting that TAAR5 antagonism may represent a novel therapeutic strategy for anxiety and depression. We used the AtomNet® model, the first deep learning neural network for structure-based drug discovery, to identify putative TAAR5 ligands and tested them in an in vitro BRET assay. We found two mTAAR5 antagonists with low to submicromolar activity that are able to inhibit the cAMP production induced by TMA. Moreover, these two compounds also inhibited the mTAAR5 downstream signalling, such as the phosphorylation of CREB and ERK. These two hits exhibit drug-like properties and could be used to further develop more potent TAAR5 ligands with putative anxiolytic and antidepressant activity.
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Affiliation(s)
- Carlotta Bon
- Central RNA Laboratory, Istituto Italiano di Tecnologia (IIT), 16132 Genova, Italy; (C.B.); (S.G.)
| | - Ting-Rong Chern
- Atomwise Inc., San Francisco, CA 94103, USA; (T.-R.C.); (T.E.O.)
| | - Elena Cichero
- Department of Pharmacy, University of Genoa, Viale Benedetto XV, 16132 Genoa, Italy;
| | | | - Stefano Gustincich
- Central RNA Laboratory, Istituto Italiano di Tecnologia (IIT), 16132 Genova, Italy; (C.B.); (S.G.)
| | - Raul R. Gainetdinov
- Institute of Translational Biomedicine, Saint-Petersburg State University, 199034 St. Petersburg, Russia;
- Saint-Petersburg University Hospital, Saint-Petersburg State University, 199034 St. Petersburg, Russia
| | - Stefano Espinoza
- Central RNA Laboratory, Istituto Italiano di Tecnologia (IIT), 16132 Genova, Italy; (C.B.); (S.G.)
- Department of Health Sciences and Research, Center on Autoimmune and Allergic Diseases (CAAD), University of Piemonte Orientale (UPO), 28100 Novara, Italy
- Correspondence:
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12
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Loo RL, Chan Q, Nicholson JK, Holmes E. Balancing the Equation: A Natural History of Trimethylamine and Trimethylamine- N-oxide. J Proteome Res 2022; 21:560-589. [PMID: 35142516 DOI: 10.1021/acs.jproteome.1c00851] [Citation(s) in RCA: 11] [Impact Index Per Article: 5.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 12/14/2022]
Abstract
Trimethylamine (TMA) and its N-oxide (TMAO) are ubiquitous in prokaryote and eukaryote organisms as well as in the environment, reflecting their fundamental importance in evolutionary biology, and their diverse biochemical functions. Both metabolites have multiple biological roles including cell-signaling. Much attention has focused on the significance of serum and urinary TMAO in cardiovascular disease risk, yet this is only one of the many facets of a deeper TMA-TMAO partnership that reflects the significance of these metabolites in multiple biological processes spanning animals, plants, bacteria, and fungi. We report on analytical methods for measuring TMA and TMAO and attempt to critically synthesize and map the global functions of TMA and TMAO in a systems biology framework.
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Affiliation(s)
- Ruey Leng Loo
- Centre for Computational and Systems Medicine, Health Futures Institute, Murdoch University, 5 Robin Warren Drive, Perth, Western Australia 6150, Australia.,The Australian National Phenome Centre, Health Futures Institute, Murdoch University, 5 Robin Warren Drive, Perth, Western Australia 6150, Australia
| | - Queenie Chan
- Department of Epidemiology and Biostatistics, School of Public Health, Imperial College London, London W2 1PG, United Kingdom.,MRC Centre for Environment and Health, School of Public Health, Imperial College London, London W2 1PG, United Kingdom
| | - Jeremy K Nicholson
- Centre for Computational and Systems Medicine, Health Futures Institute, Murdoch University, 5 Robin Warren Drive, Perth, Western Australia 6150, Australia.,The Australian National Phenome Centre, Health Futures Institute, Murdoch University, 5 Robin Warren Drive, Perth, Western Australia 6150, Australia.,Institute of Global Health Innovation, Imperial College London, Level 1, Faculty Building, South Kensington Campus, London SW7 2NA, United Kingdom
| | - Elaine Holmes
- Centre for Computational and Systems Medicine, Health Futures Institute, Murdoch University, 5 Robin Warren Drive, Perth, Western Australia 6150, Australia.,The Australian National Phenome Centre, Health Futures Institute, Murdoch University, 5 Robin Warren Drive, Perth, Western Australia 6150, Australia.,Nutrition Research, Department of Metabolism, Nutrition and Reproduction, Faculty of Medicine, Imperial College London, Sir Alexander Fleming Building, London SW7 2AZ, United Kingdom
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13
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Helsley RN, Miyata T, Kadam A, Varadharajan V, Sangwan N, Huang EC, Banerjee R, Brown AL, Fung KK, Massey WJ, Neumann C, Orabi D, Osborn LJ, Schugar RC, McMullen MR, Bellar A, Poulsen KL, Kim A, Pathak V, Mrdjen M, Anderson JT, Willard B, McClain CJ, Mitchell M, McCullough AJ, Radaeva S, Barton B, Szabo G, Dasarathy S, Garcia-Garcia JC, Rotroff DM, Allende DS, Wang Z, Hazen SL, Nagy LE, Brown JM. Gut microbial trimethylamine is elevated in alcohol-associated hepatitis and contributes to ethanol-induced liver injury in mice. eLife 2022; 11:e76554. [PMID: 35084335 PMCID: PMC8853661 DOI: 10.7554/elife.76554] [Citation(s) in RCA: 20] [Impact Index Per Article: 10.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 12/21/2021] [Accepted: 12/31/2021] [Indexed: 11/13/2022] Open
Abstract
There is mounting evidence that microbes residing in the human intestine contribute to diverse alcohol-associated liver diseases (ALD) including the most deadly form known as alcohol-associated hepatitis (AH). However, mechanisms by which gut microbes synergize with excessive alcohol intake to promote liver injury are poorly understood. Furthermore, whether drugs that selectively target gut microbial metabolism can improve ALD has never been tested. We used liquid chromatography tandem mass spectrometry to quantify the levels of microbe and host choline co-metabolites in healthy controls and AH patients, finding elevated levels of the microbial metabolite trimethylamine (TMA) in AH. In subsequent studies, we treated mice with non-lethal bacterial choline TMA lyase (CutC/D) inhibitors to blunt gut microbe-dependent production of TMA in the context of chronic ethanol administration. Indices of liver injury were quantified by complementary RNA sequencing, biochemical, and histological approaches. In addition, we examined the impact of ethanol consumption and TMA lyase inhibition on gut microbiome structure via 16S rRNA sequencing. We show the gut microbial choline metabolite TMA is elevated in AH patients and correlates with reduced hepatic expression of the TMA oxygenase flavin-containing monooxygenase 3 (FMO3). Provocatively, we find that small molecule inhibition of gut microbial CutC/D activity protects mice from ethanol-induced liver injury. CutC/D inhibitor-driven improvement in ethanol-induced liver injury is associated with distinct reorganization of the gut microbiome and host liver transcriptome. The microbial metabolite TMA is elevated in patients with AH, and inhibition of TMA production from gut microbes can protect mice from ethanol-induced liver injury.
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Affiliation(s)
- Robert N Helsley
- Department of Cardiovascular and Metabolic Sciences, Lerner Research Institute of the Cleveland ClinicClevelandUnited States
- Center for Microbiome and Human Health, Lerner Research Institute, Cleveland ClinicClevelandUnited States
- Department of Pediatrics, Division of Pediatric Gastroenterology, Hepatology, and Nutrition, College of Medicine, University of KentuckyLexingtonUnited States
| | - Tatsunori Miyata
- Department of Inflammation and Immunity, Lerner Research Institute, Cleveland ClinicClevelandUnited States
| | - Anagha Kadam
- Department of Cardiovascular and Metabolic Sciences, Lerner Research Institute of the Cleveland ClinicClevelandUnited States
- Center for Microbiome and Human Health, Lerner Research Institute, Cleveland ClinicClevelandUnited States
| | - Venkateshwari Varadharajan
- Department of Cardiovascular and Metabolic Sciences, Lerner Research Institute of the Cleveland ClinicClevelandUnited States
- Center for Microbiome and Human Health, Lerner Research Institute, Cleveland ClinicClevelandUnited States
| | - Naseer Sangwan
- Department of Cardiovascular and Metabolic Sciences, Lerner Research Institute of the Cleveland ClinicClevelandUnited States
- Center for Microbiome and Human Health, Lerner Research Institute, Cleveland ClinicClevelandUnited States
| | - Emily C Huang
- Department of Inflammation and Immunity, Lerner Research Institute, Cleveland ClinicClevelandUnited States
| | - Rakhee Banerjee
- Department of Cardiovascular and Metabolic Sciences, Lerner Research Institute of the Cleveland ClinicClevelandUnited States
- Center for Microbiome and Human Health, Lerner Research Institute, Cleveland ClinicClevelandUnited States
| | - Amanda L Brown
- Department of Cardiovascular and Metabolic Sciences, Lerner Research Institute of the Cleveland ClinicClevelandUnited States
- Center for Microbiome and Human Health, Lerner Research Institute, Cleveland ClinicClevelandUnited States
| | - Kevin K Fung
- Department of Cardiovascular and Metabolic Sciences, Lerner Research Institute of the Cleveland ClinicClevelandUnited States
- Center for Microbiome and Human Health, Lerner Research Institute, Cleveland ClinicClevelandUnited States
| | - William J Massey
- Department of Cardiovascular and Metabolic Sciences, Lerner Research Institute of the Cleveland ClinicClevelandUnited States
- Center for Microbiome and Human Health, Lerner Research Institute, Cleveland ClinicClevelandUnited States
| | - Chase Neumann
- Department of Cardiovascular and Metabolic Sciences, Lerner Research Institute of the Cleveland ClinicClevelandUnited States
- Center for Microbiome and Human Health, Lerner Research Institute, Cleveland ClinicClevelandUnited States
| | - Danny Orabi
- Department of Cardiovascular and Metabolic Sciences, Lerner Research Institute of the Cleveland ClinicClevelandUnited States
- Center for Microbiome and Human Health, Lerner Research Institute, Cleveland ClinicClevelandUnited States
| | - Lucas J Osborn
- Department of Cardiovascular and Metabolic Sciences, Lerner Research Institute of the Cleveland ClinicClevelandUnited States
- Center for Microbiome and Human Health, Lerner Research Institute, Cleveland ClinicClevelandUnited States
| | - Rebecca C Schugar
- Department of Cardiovascular and Metabolic Sciences, Lerner Research Institute of the Cleveland ClinicClevelandUnited States
- Center for Microbiome and Human Health, Lerner Research Institute, Cleveland ClinicClevelandUnited States
| | - Megan R McMullen
- Department of Inflammation and Immunity, Lerner Research Institute, Cleveland ClinicClevelandUnited States
| | - Annette Bellar
- Department of Inflammation and Immunity, Lerner Research Institute, Cleveland ClinicClevelandUnited States
| | - Kyle L Poulsen
- Department of Inflammation and Immunity, Lerner Research Institute, Cleveland ClinicClevelandUnited States
| | - Adam Kim
- Department of Inflammation and Immunity, Lerner Research Institute, Cleveland ClinicClevelandUnited States
| | - Vai Pathak
- Department of Quantitative Health Sciences, Lerner Research Institute, Cleveland ClinicClevelandUnited States
| | - Marko Mrdjen
- Department of Cardiovascular and Metabolic Sciences, Lerner Research Institute of the Cleveland ClinicClevelandUnited States
- Center for Microbiome and Human Health, Lerner Research Institute, Cleveland ClinicClevelandUnited States
- Department of Inflammation and Immunity, Lerner Research Institute, Cleveland ClinicClevelandUnited States
| | - James T Anderson
- Department of Cardiovascular and Metabolic Sciences, Lerner Research Institute of the Cleveland ClinicClevelandUnited States
- Center for Microbiome and Human Health, Lerner Research Institute, Cleveland ClinicClevelandUnited States
| | - Belinda Willard
- Department of Cardiovascular and Metabolic Sciences, Lerner Research Institute of the Cleveland ClinicClevelandUnited States
- Center for Microbiome and Human Health, Lerner Research Institute, Cleveland ClinicClevelandUnited States
| | - Craig J McClain
- Department of Medicine, University of LouisvilleLouisvilleUnited States
| | - Mack Mitchell
- Department of Internal Medicine, University of Texas Southwestern Medical CenterDallasUnited States
| | - Arthur J McCullough
- Center for Microbiome and Human Health, Lerner Research Institute, Cleveland ClinicClevelandUnited States
- Department of Inflammation and Immunity, Lerner Research Institute, Cleveland ClinicClevelandUnited States
| | - Svetlana Radaeva
- National Institute on Alcohol Abuse and AlcoholismBethesdaUnited States
| | - Bruce Barton
- Department of Population and Quantitative Health Sciences, University of Massachusetts Medical SchoolWorcesterUnited States
| | - Gyongyi Szabo
- Department of Medicine, Beth Israel Deaconess Medical Center and Harvard Medical SchoolBostonUnited States
| | - Srinivasan Dasarathy
- Center for Microbiome and Human Health, Lerner Research Institute, Cleveland ClinicClevelandUnited States
- Department of Inflammation and Immunity, Lerner Research Institute, Cleveland ClinicClevelandUnited States
| | | | - Daniel M Rotroff
- Department of Quantitative Health Sciences, Lerner Research Institute, Cleveland ClinicClevelandUnited States
| | - Daniela S Allende
- Department of Anatomical Pathology, Cleveland ClinicClevelandUnited States
| | - Zeneng Wang
- Department of Cardiovascular and Metabolic Sciences, Lerner Research Institute of the Cleveland ClinicClevelandUnited States
- Center for Microbiome and Human Health, Lerner Research Institute, Cleveland ClinicClevelandUnited States
| | - Stanley L Hazen
- Department of Cardiovascular and Metabolic Sciences, Lerner Research Institute of the Cleveland ClinicClevelandUnited States
- Center for Microbiome and Human Health, Lerner Research Institute, Cleveland ClinicClevelandUnited States
- Department of Cardiovascular Medicine, Heart and Vascular and Thoracic Institute, Cleveland ClinicClevelandUnited States
| | - Laura E Nagy
- Center for Microbiome and Human Health, Lerner Research Institute, Cleveland ClinicClevelandUnited States
- Department of Inflammation and Immunity, Lerner Research Institute, Cleveland ClinicClevelandUnited States
| | - Jonathan Mark Brown
- Department of Cardiovascular and Metabolic Sciences, Lerner Research Institute of the Cleveland ClinicClevelandUnited States
- Center for Microbiome and Human Health, Lerner Research Institute, Cleveland ClinicClevelandUnited States
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14
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Schugar RC, Gliniak CM, Osborn LJ, Massey W, Sangwan N, Horak A, Banerjee R, Orabi D, Helsley RN, Brown AL, Burrows A, Finney C, Fung KK, Allen FM, Ferguson D, Gromovsky AD, Neumann C, Cook K, McMillan A, Buffa JA, Anderson JT, Mehrabian M, Goudarzi M, Willard B, Mak TD, Armstrong AR, Swanson G, Keshavarzian A, Garcia-Garcia JC, Wang Z, Lusis AJ, Hazen SL, Brown JM. Gut microbe-targeted choline trimethylamine lyase inhibition improves obesity via rewiring of host circadian rhythms. eLife 2022; 11:63998. [PMID: 35072627 PMCID: PMC8813054 DOI: 10.7554/elife.63998] [Citation(s) in RCA: 23] [Impact Index Per Article: 11.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 10/13/2020] [Accepted: 01/20/2022] [Indexed: 11/13/2022] Open
Abstract
Obesity has repeatedly been linked to reorganization of the gut microbiome, yet to this point obesity therapeutics have been targeted exclusively toward the human host. Here, we show that gut microbe-targeted inhibition of the trimethylamine N-oxide (TMAO) pathway protects mice against the metabolic disturbances associated with diet-induced obesity (DIO) or leptin deficiency (Lepob/ob). Small molecule inhibition of the gut microbial enzyme choline TMA-lyase (CutC) does not reduce food intake but is instead associated with alterations in the gut microbiome, improvement in glucose tolerance, and enhanced energy expenditure. We also show that gut microbial CutC inhibition is associated with reorganization of host circadian control of both phosphatidylcholine and energy metabolism. This study underscores the relationship between microbe and host metabolism and provides evidence that gut microbe-derived trimethylamine (TMA) is a key regulator of the host circadian clock. This work also demonstrates that gut microbe-targeted enzyme inhibitors have potential as anti-obesity therapeutics.
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Affiliation(s)
- Rebecca C Schugar
- Department of Cardiovascular and Metabolic Sciences, Cleveland Clinic Lerner College of Medicine
| | | | - Lucas J Osborn
- Department of Cardiovascular and Metabolic Sciences, Cleveland Clinic Lerner College of Medicine
| | - William Massey
- Department of Cardiovascular and Metabolic Sciences, Cleveland Clinic Lerner College of Medicine
| | - Naseer Sangwan
- Department of Cardiovascular and Metabolic Sciences, Cleveland Clinic Lerner College of Medicine
| | - Anthony Horak
- Department of Cardiovascular and Metabolic Sciences, Cleveland Clinic Lerner College of Medicine
| | - Rakhee Banerjee
- Department of Cardiovascular and Metabolic Sciences, Cleveland Clinic Lerner College of Medicine
| | - Danny Orabi
- Department of Cardiovascular and Metabolic Sciences, Cleveland Clinic Lerner College of Medicine
| | - Robert N Helsley
- Department of Cardiovascular and Metabolic Sciences, Cleveland Clinic Lerner College of Medicine
| | - Amanda L Brown
- Department of Cardiovascular and Metabolic Sciences, Cleveland Clinic Lerner College of Medicine
| | - Amy Burrows
- Department of Cardiovascular and Metabolic Sciences, Cleveland Clinic Lerner College of Medicine
| | - Chelsea Finney
- Department of Cardiovascular and Metabolic Sciences, Cleveland Clinic Lerner College of Medicine
| | - Kevin K Fung
- Department of Cardiovascular and Metabolic Sciences, Cleveland Clinic Lerner College of Medicine
| | - Frederick M Allen
- Department of Cardiovascular and Metabolic Sciences, Cleveland Clinic Lerner College of Medicine
| | - Daniel Ferguson
- Department of Cardiovascular and Metabolic Sciences, Cleveland Clinic Lerner College of Medicine
| | - Anthony D Gromovsky
- Department of Cardiovascular and Metabolic Sciences, Cleveland Clinic Lerner College of Medicine
| | - Chase Neumann
- Department of Cardiovascular and Metabolic Sciences, Cleveland Clinic Lerner College of Medicine
| | - Kendall Cook
- Department of Cardiovascular and Metabolic Sciences, Cleveland Clinic Lerner College of Medicine
| | - Amy McMillan
- Department of Cardiovascular and Metabolic Sciences, Cleveland Clinic Lerner College of Medicine
| | - Jennifer A Buffa
- Department of Cardiovascular and Metabolic Sciences, Cleveland Clinic Lerner College of Medicine
| | - James T Anderson
- Department of Cardiovascular and Metabolic Sciences, Cleveland Clinic Lerner College of Medicine
| | | | - Maryam Goudarzi
- Department of Cardiovascular and Metabolic Sciences, Cleveland Clinic Lerner College of Medicine
| | - Belinda Willard
- Research Core Services, Cleveland Clinic Lerner College of Medicine
| | - Tytus D Mak
- Mass Spectromety Data Center, National Institute of Standards and Technology (NIST)
| | | | - Garth Swanson
- Department of Internal Medicine, Rush University Medical Center
| | | | | | - Zeneng Wang
- Department of Cardiovascular and Metabolic Sciences, Cleveland Clinic Lerner College of Medicine
| | - Aldons J Lusis
- Department of Medicine, University of California, Los Angeles
| | - Stanley L Hazen
- Department of Cellular and Molecular Medicine, Cleveland Clinic Lerner College of Medicine
| | - Jonathan Mark Brown
- Department of Cardiovascular and Metabolic Sciences, Cleveland Clinic Lerner College of Medicine
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15
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Guo L, Dai W, Xu Z, Liang Q, Miller ET, Li S, Gao X, Baldwin MW, Chai R, Li Q. Evolution of brain-expressed biogenic amine receptors into olfactory trace amine-associated receptors. Mol Biol Evol 2022; 39:6503506. [PMID: 35021231 PMCID: PMC8890504 DOI: 10.1093/molbev/msac006] [Citation(s) in RCA: 1] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/24/2022] Open
Abstract
The family of trace amine-associated receptors (TAARs) is distantly related to G protein-coupled biogenic aminergic receptors. TAARs are found in the brain as well as in the olfactory epithelium where they detect biogenic amines. However, the functional relationship of receptors from distinct TAAR subfamilies and in different species is still uncertain. Here, we perform a thorough phylogenetic analysis of 702 TAAR-like (TARL) and TAAR sequences from 48 species. We show that a clade of Tarl genes has greatly expanded in lampreys, whereas the other Tarl clade consists of only one or two orthologs in jawed vertebrates and is lost in amniotes. We also identify two small clades of Taar genes in sharks related to the remaining Taar genes in bony vertebrates, which are divided into four major clades. We further identify ligands for 61 orphan TARLs and TAARs from sea lamprey, shark, ray-finned fishes, and mammals, as well as novel ligands for two 5-hydroxytryptamine receptor 4 orthologs, a serotonin receptor subtype closely related to TAARs. Our results reveal a pattern of functional convergence and segregation: TARLs from sea lamprey and bony vertebrate olfactory TAARs underwent independent expansions to function as chemosensory receptors, whereas TARLs from jawed vertebrates retain ancestral response profiles and may have similar functions to TAAR1 in the brain. Overall, our data provide a comprehensive understanding of the evolution and ligand recognition profiles of TAARs and TARLs.
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Affiliation(s)
- Lingna Guo
- Center for Brain Science, Shanghai Children's Medical Center, School of Medicine, Shanghai Jiao Tong University, Shanghai, 200127, China.,Department of Anatomy and Physiology, Key Laboratory of Cell Differentiation and Apoptosis of Chinese Ministry of Education, Shanghai Jiao Tong University School of Medicine, Shanghai, 200025, China.,State Key Laboratory of Bioelectronics, Department of Otolaryngology Head and Neck Surgery, Zhongda Hospital, School of Life Sciences and Technology, Jiangsu Province High-Tech Key Laboratory for Bio-Medical Research, Southeast University, Nanjing, 210096, China.,Co-Innovation Center of Neuroregeneration, Nantong University, Nantong, 226001, China
| | - Wenxuan Dai
- Center for Brain Science, Shanghai Children's Medical Center, School of Medicine, Shanghai Jiao Tong University, Shanghai, 200127, China.,Department of Anatomy and Physiology, Key Laboratory of Cell Differentiation and Apoptosis of Chinese Ministry of Education, Shanghai Jiao Tong University School of Medicine, Shanghai, 200025, China
| | - Zhengrong Xu
- Center for Brain Science, Shanghai Children's Medical Center, School of Medicine, Shanghai Jiao Tong University, Shanghai, 200127, China.,Department of Anatomy and Physiology, Key Laboratory of Cell Differentiation and Apoptosis of Chinese Ministry of Education, Shanghai Jiao Tong University School of Medicine, Shanghai, 200025, China.,Department of Otolaryngology Head and Neck Surgery, Affiliated Drum Tower Hospital of Nanjing University Medical School, Jiangsu Provincial Key Medical Discipline (Laboratory), Nanjing, 210008, China.,Research Institute of Otolaryngology, Nanjing, 210008, China
| | - Qiaoyi Liang
- Max Planck Institute for Ornithology, Evolution of Sensory Systems Research Group, Seewiesen, Germany
| | - Eliot T Miller
- Macaulay Library, Cornell Lab of Ornithology, Ithaca, NY, USA
| | - Shengju Li
- Center for Brain Science, Shanghai Children's Medical Center, School of Medicine, Shanghai Jiao Tong University, Shanghai, 200127, China.,Department of Anatomy and Physiology, Key Laboratory of Cell Differentiation and Apoptosis of Chinese Ministry of Education, Shanghai Jiao Tong University School of Medicine, Shanghai, 200025, China
| | - Xia Gao
- Department of Otolaryngology Head and Neck Surgery, Affiliated Drum Tower Hospital of Nanjing University Medical School, Jiangsu Provincial Key Medical Discipline (Laboratory), Nanjing, 210008, China.,Research Institute of Otolaryngology, Nanjing, 210008, China
| | - Maude W Baldwin
- Max Planck Institute for Ornithology, Evolution of Sensory Systems Research Group, Seewiesen, Germany
| | - Renjie Chai
- State Key Laboratory of Bioelectronics, Department of Otolaryngology Head and Neck Surgery, Zhongda Hospital, School of Life Sciences and Technology, Jiangsu Province High-Tech Key Laboratory for Bio-Medical Research, Southeast University, Nanjing, 210096, China.,Co-Innovation Center of Neuroregeneration, Nantong University, Nantong, 226001, China.,Research Institute of Otolaryngology, Nanjing, 210008, China
| | - Qian Li
- Center for Brain Science, Shanghai Children's Medical Center, School of Medicine, Shanghai Jiao Tong University, Shanghai, 200127, China.,Department of Anatomy and Physiology, Key Laboratory of Cell Differentiation and Apoptosis of Chinese Ministry of Education, Shanghai Jiao Tong University School of Medicine, Shanghai, 200025, China.,Shanghai Research Center for Brain Science and Brain-Inspired Intelligence, Shanghai, 201210, China
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16
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Role of the trace amine associated receptor 5 (TAAR5) in the sensorimotor functions. Sci Rep 2021; 11:23092. [PMID: 34845253 PMCID: PMC8630200 DOI: 10.1038/s41598-021-02289-w] [Citation(s) in RCA: 5] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.7] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 04/27/2021] [Accepted: 10/12/2021] [Indexed: 12/11/2022] Open
Abstract
Classical monoamines are well-known modulators of sensorimotor neural networks. However, the role of trace amines and their receptors in sensorimotor function remains unexplored. Using trace amine-associated receptor 5 knockout (TAAR5-KO) mice, that express beta-galactosidase mapping its localization, we observed TAAR5 expression in the Purkinje cells of the cerebellum and the medial vestibular nucleus, suggesting that TAAR5 might be involved in the vestibular and motor control. Accordingly, in various behavioral tests, TAAR5-KO mice demonstrated lower endurance, but better coordination and balance compared to wild-type controls. Furthermore, we found specific changes in striatal local field potentials and motor cortex electrocorticogram, such as a decrease in delta and an increase in theta oscillations of power spectra, respectively. The obtained data indicate that TAAR5 plays a considerable role in regulation postural stability, muscle force, balance, and motor coordination during active movements, likely via modulation of monoaminergic systems at different levels of sensorimotor control involving critical brain areas such as the brainstem, cerebellum, and forebrain.
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17
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Pheromones that correlate with reproductive success in competitive conditions. Sci Rep 2021; 11:21970. [PMID: 34754031 PMCID: PMC8578420 DOI: 10.1038/s41598-021-01507-9] [Citation(s) in RCA: 10] [Impact Index Per Article: 3.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 04/01/2021] [Accepted: 09/09/2021] [Indexed: 11/08/2022] Open
Abstract
The major urinary proteins (MUPs) of house mice (Mus musculus) bind and stabilize the release of pheromones and other volatile organic compounds (VOCs) from urinary scent marks, which mediate chemical communication. Social status influences MUP and VOC excretion, and the urinary scent of dominant males is attractive to females. Urinary pheromones influence the sexual behavior and physiology of conspecifics, and yet it is not known whether they also affect reproductive success. We monitored the excretion of urinary protein and VOCs of wild-derived house mice living in large seminatural enclosures to compare the sexes and to test how these compounds correlate with reproductive success. Among males, urinary protein concentration and VOC expression correlated with reproductive success and social status. Territorial dominance also correlated with reproductive success in both sexes; but among females, no urinary compounds were found to correlate with social status or reproductive success. We found several differences in the urinary protein and volatile pheromones of mice in standard cages versus seminatural enclosures, which raises caveats for conventional laboratory studies. These findings provide novel evidence for chemical signals that correlate with male reproductive success of house mice living in competitive conditions.
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Jia L, Li S, Dai W, Guo L, Xu Z, Scott AM, Zhang Z, Ren J, Zhang Q, Dexheimer TS, Chung-Davidson YW, Neubig RR, Li Q, Li W. Convergent olfactory trace amine-associated receptors detect biogenic polyamines with distinct motifs via a conserved binding site. J Biol Chem 2021; 297:101268. [PMID: 34600890 PMCID: PMC8546428 DOI: 10.1016/j.jbc.2021.101268] [Citation(s) in RCA: 4] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 05/29/2021] [Revised: 09/26/2021] [Accepted: 09/28/2021] [Indexed: 11/25/2022] Open
Abstract
Biogenic amines activate G-protein-coupled receptors (GPCRs) in the central nervous system in vertebrate animals. Several biogenic amines, when excreted, stimulate trace amine-associated receptors (TAARs), a group of GPCRs in the main olfactory epithelium, and elicit innate behaviors. How TAARs recognize amines with varying numbers of amino groups is largely unknown. We reasoned that a comparison between lamprey and mammalian olfactory TAARs, which are thought to have evolved independently but show convergent responses to polyamines, may reveal structural determinants of amine recognition. Here, we demonstrate that sea lamprey TAAR365 (sTAAR365) responds strongly to biogenic polyamines cadaverine, putrescine, and spermine, and shares a similar response profile as a mammalian TAAR (mTAAR9). Docking and site-directed mutagenesis analyses show that both sTAAR365 and mTAAR9 recognize the two amino groups of cadaverine with the conserved Asp3.32 and Tyr6.51 residues. sTAAR365, which has remarkable sensitivity for cadaverine (EC50 = 4 nM), uses an extra residue, Thr7.42, to stabilize ligand binding. These cadaverine recognition sites also interact with amines with four and three amino groups (spermine and spermidine, respectively). Glu7.36 of sTAAR365 cooperates with Asp3.32 and Thr7.42 to recognize spermine, whereas mTAAR9 recognizes spermidine through an additional aromatic residue, Tyr7.43. These results suggest a conserved mechanism whereby independently evolved TAAR receptors recognize amines with two, three, or four amino groups using the same recognition sites, at which sTAAR365 and mTAAR9 evolved distinct motifs. These motifs interact directly with the amino groups of the polyamines, a class of potent and ecologically important odorants, mediating olfactory signaling.
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Affiliation(s)
- Liang Jia
- Center for Brain Science, Shanghai Children's Medical Center, Shanghai Jiao Tong University School of Medicine, Shanghai, China; Department of Anatomy and Physiology, Shanghai Jiao Tong University School of Medicine, Shanghai, China; Department of Fisheries and Wildlife, Michigan State University, East Lansing, Michigan, USA; College of Fisheries and Life Sciences, Shanghai Ocean University, Shanghai, China
| | - Shengju Li
- Center for Brain Science, Shanghai Children's Medical Center, Shanghai Jiao Tong University School of Medicine, Shanghai, China; Department of Anatomy and Physiology, Shanghai Jiao Tong University School of Medicine, Shanghai, China
| | - Wenxuan Dai
- Center for Brain Science, Shanghai Children's Medical Center, Shanghai Jiao Tong University School of Medicine, Shanghai, China; Department of Anatomy and Physiology, Shanghai Jiao Tong University School of Medicine, Shanghai, China
| | - Lingna Guo
- Center for Brain Science, Shanghai Children's Medical Center, Shanghai Jiao Tong University School of Medicine, Shanghai, China; Department of Anatomy and Physiology, Shanghai Jiao Tong University School of Medicine, Shanghai, China
| | - Zhengrong Xu
- Center for Brain Science, Shanghai Children's Medical Center, Shanghai Jiao Tong University School of Medicine, Shanghai, China; Department of Anatomy and Physiology, Shanghai Jiao Tong University School of Medicine, Shanghai, China; Department of Otolaryngology Head and Neck Surgery, Jiangsu Provincial Key Medical Discipline (Laboratory), Affiliated Drum Tower Hospital of Nanjing University Medical School, Nanjing, China
| | - Anne M Scott
- Department of Fisheries and Wildlife, Michigan State University, East Lansing, Michigan, USA
| | - Zhe Zhang
- Department of Fisheries and Wildlife, Michigan State University, East Lansing, Michigan, USA
| | - Jianfeng Ren
- College of Fisheries and Life Sciences, Shanghai Ocean University, Shanghai, China
| | - Qinghua Zhang
- College of Fisheries and Life Sciences, Shanghai Ocean University, Shanghai, China
| | - Thomas S Dexheimer
- National Center for Advancing Translational Sciences, National Institutes of Health, Rockville, Maryland, USA
| | - Yu-Wen Chung-Davidson
- Department of Fisheries and Wildlife, Michigan State University, East Lansing, Michigan, USA
| | - Richard R Neubig
- Department of Pharmacology and Toxicology, Michigan State University, East Lansing, Michigan, USA.
| | - Qian Li
- Center for Brain Science, Shanghai Children's Medical Center, Shanghai Jiao Tong University School of Medicine, Shanghai, China; Department of Anatomy and Physiology, Shanghai Jiao Tong University School of Medicine, Shanghai, China; Shanghai Research Center for Brain Science and Brain-Inspired Intelligence, Shanghai, China.
| | - Weiming Li
- Department of Fisheries and Wildlife, Michigan State University, East Lansing, Michigan, USA.
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19
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Neural and Hormonal Basis of Opposite-Sex Preference by Chemosensory Signals. Int J Mol Sci 2021; 22:ijms22158311. [PMID: 34361077 PMCID: PMC8347621 DOI: 10.3390/ijms22158311] [Citation(s) in RCA: 9] [Impact Index Per Article: 3.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 07/02/2021] [Revised: 07/28/2021] [Accepted: 07/29/2021] [Indexed: 12/13/2022] Open
Abstract
In mammalian reproduction, sexually active males seek female conspecifics, while estrous females try to approach males. This sex-specific response tendency is called sexual preference. In small rodents, sexual preference cues are mainly chemosensory signals, including pheromones. In this article, we review the physiological mechanisms involved in sexual preference for opposite-sex chemosensory signals in well-studied laboratory rodents, mice, rats, and hamsters of both sexes, especially an overview of peripheral sensory receptors, and hormonal and central regulation. In the hormonal regulation section, we discuss potential rodent brain bisexuality, as it includes neural substrates controlling both masculine and feminine sexual preferences, i.e., masculine preference for female odors and the opposite. In the central regulation section, we show the substantial circuit regulating sexual preference and also the influence of sexual experience that innate attractants activate in the brain reward system to establish the learned attractant. Finally, we review the regulation of sexual preference by neuropeptides, oxytocin, vasopressin, and kisspeptin. Through this review, we clarified the contradictions and deficiencies in our current knowledge on the neuroendocrine regulation of sexual preference and sought to present problems requiring further study.
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20
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Fei A, Wu W, Tan L, Tang C, Xu Z, Huo X, Bao H, Kong Y, Johnson M, Hartmann G, Talay M, Yang C, Riegler C, Herrera KJ, Engert F, Xie XS, Barnea G, Liberles SD, Yang H, Li Q. Coordination of two enhancers drives expression of olfactory trace amine-associated receptors. Nat Commun 2021; 12:3798. [PMID: 34145235 PMCID: PMC8213717 DOI: 10.1038/s41467-021-23823-4] [Citation(s) in RCA: 5] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.7] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 08/20/2020] [Accepted: 05/18/2021] [Indexed: 02/05/2023] Open
Abstract
Olfactory sensory neurons (OSNs) are functionally defined by their expression of a unique odorant receptor (OR). Mechanisms underlying singular OR expression are well studied, and involve a massive cross-chromosomal enhancer interaction network. Trace amine-associated receptors (TAARs) form a distinct family of olfactory receptors, and here we find that mechanisms regulating Taar gene choice display many unique features. The epigenetic signature of Taar genes in TAAR OSNs is different from that in OR OSNs. We further identify that two TAAR enhancers conserved across placental mammals are absolutely required for expression of the entire Taar gene repertoire. Deletion of either enhancer dramatically decreases the expression probabilities of different Taar genes, while deletion of both enhancers completely eliminates the TAAR OSN populations. In addition, both of the enhancers are sufficient to drive transgene expression in the partially overlapped TAAR OSNs. We also show that the TAAR enhancers operate in cis to regulate Taar gene expression. Our findings reveal a coordinated control of Taar gene choice in OSNs by two remote enhancers, and provide an excellent model to study molecular mechanisms underlying formation of an olfactory subsystem.
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Affiliation(s)
- Aimei Fei
- Center for Brain Science of Shanghai Children's Medical Center, Shanghai Jiao Tong University School of Medicine, Shanghai, China
- Department of Anatomy and Physiology, Shanghai Jiao Tong University School of Medicine, Shanghai, China
| | - Wanqing Wu
- Center for Brain Science of Shanghai Children's Medical Center, Shanghai Jiao Tong University School of Medicine, Shanghai, China
- Department of Anatomy and Physiology, Shanghai Jiao Tong University School of Medicine, Shanghai, China
| | - Longzhi Tan
- Department of Chemistry and Chemical Biology, Harvard University, Cambridge, MA, USA
| | - Cheng Tang
- Institute of Neuroscience, State Key Laboratory of Neuroscience, Key Laboratory of Primate Neurobiology, CAS Center for Excellence in Brain Science and Intelligence Technology, Shanghai Research Center for Brain Science and Brian-Inspired Intelligence, Shanghai Institutes for Biological Sciences, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Shanghai, China
| | - Zhengrong Xu
- Center for Brain Science of Shanghai Children's Medical Center, Shanghai Jiao Tong University School of Medicine, Shanghai, China
- Department of Anatomy and Physiology, Shanghai Jiao Tong University School of Medicine, Shanghai, China
| | - Xiaona Huo
- Institute of Neuroscience, State Key Laboratory of Neuroscience, Key Laboratory of Primate Neurobiology, CAS Center for Excellence in Brain Science and Intelligence Technology, Shanghai Research Center for Brain Science and Brian-Inspired Intelligence, Shanghai Institutes for Biological Sciences, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Shanghai, China
| | - Hongqiang Bao
- Center for Brain Science of Shanghai Children's Medical Center, Shanghai Jiao Tong University School of Medicine, Shanghai, China
- Department of Anatomy and Physiology, Shanghai Jiao Tong University School of Medicine, Shanghai, China
| | - Yalei Kong
- Center for Brain Science of Shanghai Children's Medical Center, Shanghai Jiao Tong University School of Medicine, Shanghai, China
- Department of Anatomy and Physiology, Shanghai Jiao Tong University School of Medicine, Shanghai, China
| | - Mark Johnson
- Department of Neuroscience, Division of Biology and Medicine, Brown University, Providence, RI, USA
| | - Griffin Hartmann
- Department of Neuroscience, Division of Biology and Medicine, Brown University, Providence, RI, USA
| | - Mustafa Talay
- Department of Neuroscience, Division of Biology and Medicine, Brown University, Providence, RI, USA
| | - Cheng Yang
- Center for Brain Science of Shanghai Children's Medical Center, Shanghai Jiao Tong University School of Medicine, Shanghai, China
- Department of Anatomy and Physiology, Shanghai Jiao Tong University School of Medicine, Shanghai, China
| | - Clemens Riegler
- Department of Molecular and Cellular Biology and Center for Brain Science, Harvard University, Cambridge, MA, USA
| | - Kristian J Herrera
- Department of Molecular and Cellular Biology and Center for Brain Science, Harvard University, Cambridge, MA, USA
| | - Florian Engert
- Department of Molecular and Cellular Biology and Center for Brain Science, Harvard University, Cambridge, MA, USA
| | - X Sunney Xie
- Department of Chemistry and Chemical Biology, Harvard University, Cambridge, MA, USA
| | - Gilad Barnea
- Department of Neuroscience, Division of Biology and Medicine, Brown University, Providence, RI, USA
| | - Stephen D Liberles
- Howard Hughes Medical Institute, Department of Cell Biology, Harvard Medical School, Boston, MA, USA
| | - Hui Yang
- Institute of Neuroscience, State Key Laboratory of Neuroscience, Key Laboratory of Primate Neurobiology, CAS Center for Excellence in Brain Science and Intelligence Technology, Shanghai Research Center for Brain Science and Brian-Inspired Intelligence, Shanghai Institutes for Biological Sciences, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Shanghai, China
| | - Qian Li
- Center for Brain Science of Shanghai Children's Medical Center, Shanghai Jiao Tong University School of Medicine, Shanghai, China.
- Department of Anatomy and Physiology, Shanghai Jiao Tong University School of Medicine, Shanghai, China.
- Shanghai Research Center for Brain Science and Brain-Inspired Intelligence, Shanghai, China.
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21
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Deconstructing the mouse olfactory percept through an ethological atlas. Curr Biol 2021; 31:2809-2818.e3. [PMID: 33957076 DOI: 10.1016/j.cub.2021.04.020] [Citation(s) in RCA: 2] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.7] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 11/26/2020] [Revised: 03/09/2021] [Accepted: 04/09/2021] [Indexed: 10/21/2022]
Abstract
Odor perception in non-humans is poorly understood. Here, we generated the most comprehensive mouse olfactory ethological atlas to date, consisting of behavioral responses to a diverse panel of 73 odorants, including 12 at multiple concentrations. These data revealed that mouse behavior is incredibly diverse and changes in response to odorant identity and concentration. Using only behavioral responses observed in other mice, we could predict which of two odorants was presented to a held-out mouse 82% of the time. Considering all 73 possible odorants, we could uniquely identify the target odorant from behavior on the first try 20% of the time and 46% within five attempts. Although mouse behavior is difficult to predict from human perception, they share three fundamental properties: first, odor valence parameters explained the highest variance of olfactory perception. Second, physicochemical properties of odorants can be used to predict the olfactory percept. Third, odorant concentration quantitatively and qualitatively impacts olfactory perception. These results increase our understanding of mouse olfactory behavior and how it compares to human odor perception and provide a template for future comparative studies of olfactory percepts among species.
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22
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Qiu Q, Wu Y, Ma L, Xu W, Hills M, Ramalingam V, Yu CR. Acquisition of innate odor preference depends on spontaneous and experiential activities during critical period. eLife 2021; 10:e60546. [PMID: 33769278 PMCID: PMC8032394 DOI: 10.7554/elife.60546] [Citation(s) in RCA: 10] [Impact Index Per Article: 3.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 06/29/2020] [Accepted: 03/24/2021] [Indexed: 01/15/2023] Open
Abstract
Animals possess an inborn ability to recognize certain odors to avoid predators, seek food, and find mates. Innate odor preference is thought to be genetically hardwired. Here we report that acquisition of innate odor recognition requires spontaneous neural activity and is influenced by sensory experience during early postnatal development. Genetic silencing of mouse olfactory sensory neurons during the critical period has little impact on odor sensitivity, discrimination, and recognition later in life. However, it abolishes innate odor preference and alters the patterns of activation in brain centers. Exposure to innately recognized odors during the critical period abolishes the associated valence in adulthood in an odor-specific manner. The changes are associated with broadened projection of olfactory sensory neurons and expression of axon guidance molecules. Thus, a delicate balance of neural activity is needed during the critical period in establishing innate odor preference and convergent axon input is required to encode innate odor valence.
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Affiliation(s)
- Qiang Qiu
- Stowers Institute for Medical ResearchKansas CityUnited States
| | - Yunming Wu
- Stowers Institute for Medical ResearchKansas CityUnited States
| | - Limei Ma
- Stowers Institute for Medical ResearchKansas CityUnited States
| | - Wenjing Xu
- Stowers Institute for Medical ResearchKansas CityUnited States
| | - Max Hills
- Stowers Institute for Medical ResearchKansas CityUnited States
| | - Vivekanandan Ramalingam
- Stowers Institute for Medical ResearchKansas CityUnited States
- Interdisciplinary Graduate Program in Biomedical Sciences, University of Kansas Medical CenterKansas CityUnited States
| | - C Ron Yu
- Stowers Institute for Medical ResearchKansas CityUnited States
- Interdisciplinary Graduate Program in Biomedical Sciences, University of Kansas Medical CenterKansas CityUnited States
- Department of Anatomy and Cell Biology, University of Kansas Medical CenterKansas CityUnited States
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23
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Hunger enhances food-odour attraction through a neuropeptide Y spotlight. Nature 2021; 592:262-266. [PMID: 33658716 PMCID: PMC8035273 DOI: 10.1038/s41586-021-03299-4] [Citation(s) in RCA: 39] [Impact Index Per Article: 13.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 07/01/2019] [Accepted: 01/26/2021] [Indexed: 11/29/2022]
Abstract
Internal state controls olfaction through poorly understood mechanisms. Odors signifying food, mates, competitors, and predators activate parallel neural circuits that may be flexibly shaped by physiological need to alter behavioral outcome1. Here, we identify a neuronal mechanism by which hunger selectively promotes attraction to food odors over other olfactory cues. Optogenetic activation of hypothalamic Agouti-Related Peptide (AGRP) neurons enhances attraction to food odors but not pheromones, with branch-specific activation and inhibition revealing a key role for projections to the paraventricular thalamus. Knockout mice lacking Neuropeptide Y (NPY) or NPY receptor type 5 (NPY5R) fail to prefer food odors over pheromones after fasting, with hunger-dependent food odor attraction restored by cell-specific NPY rescue in AGRP neurons. Furthermore, acute NPY injection immediately rescues behavior without additional training, indicating that NPY is required for reading olfactory circuits during behavioral expression rather than writing olfactory circuits during odor learning. Together, these findings show that food odor-responsive neurons comprise an olfactory subcircuit that listens to hunger state through thalamic NPY release, and more generally, provide mechanistic insights into how internal state regulates behavior.
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24
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Qiu Q, Wu Y, Ma L, Yu CR. Encoding innately recognized odors via a generalized population code. Curr Biol 2021; 31:1813-1825.e4. [PMID: 33651991 PMCID: PMC8119320 DOI: 10.1016/j.cub.2021.01.094] [Citation(s) in RCA: 11] [Impact Index Per Article: 3.7] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 06/19/2020] [Revised: 12/25/2020] [Accepted: 01/27/2021] [Indexed: 01/19/2023]
Abstract
Odors carrying intrinsic values often trigger instinctive aversive or attractive responses. It is not known how innate valence is encoded. An intuitive model suggests that the information is conveyed through specific channels in hardwired circuits along the olfactory pathway, insulated from influences of other odors, to trigger innate responses. Here, we show that in mice, mixing innately aversive or attractive odors with a neutral odor and, surprisingly, mixing two odors with the same valence, abolish the innate behavioral responses. Recordings from the olfactory bulb indicate that odors are not masked at the level of peripheral activation and glomeruli independently encode components in the mixture. In contrast, crosstalk among the mitral and tufted (M/T) cells changes their patterns of activity such that those elicited by the mixtures can no longer be linearly decoded as separate components. The changes in behavioral and M/T cell responses are associated with reduced activation of brain areas linked to odor preferences. Thus, crosstalk among odor channels at the earliest processing stage in the olfactory pathway leads to re-coding of odor identity to abolish valence associated with the odors. These results are inconsistent with insulated labeled lines and support a model of a common mechanism of odor recognition for both innate and learned valence associations.
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Affiliation(s)
- Qiang Qiu
- Stowers Institute for Medical Research, 1000 East 50(th) Street, Kansas City, MO 64110, USA
| | - Yunming Wu
- Stowers Institute for Medical Research, 1000 East 50(th) Street, Kansas City, MO 64110, USA
| | - Limei Ma
- Stowers Institute for Medical Research, 1000 East 50(th) Street, Kansas City, MO 64110, USA
| | - C Ron Yu
- Stowers Institute for Medical Research, 1000 East 50(th) Street, Kansas City, MO 64110, USA; Department of Anatomy and Cell Biology, University of Kansas Medical Center, 3901 Rainbow Boulevard, Kansas City, KS 66160, USA.
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25
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Srinivasan M, Adnane M, Archunan G. Significance of cervico-vaginal microbes in bovine reproduction and pheromone production - A hypothetical review. Res Vet Sci 2021; 135:66-71. [PMID: 33450498 DOI: 10.1016/j.rvsc.2021.01.003] [Citation(s) in RCA: 8] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.7] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 10/16/2020] [Revised: 12/10/2020] [Accepted: 01/03/2021] [Indexed: 01/08/2023]
Abstract
The vaginal microbiota has been studied in animal reproduction and fertility, in particular little information of vaginal microbes in reference to bovine reproduction and pheromone production is known. The vaginal mucosa in healthy cow is colonized by an equilibrated and dynamic composition of aerobic, facultative anaerobic and obligate anaerobic microbes. Cervico-vaginal mucus (CVM) composition, viscosity and volume vary with the cyclicity and health status of the reproductive tract. In addition, CVM contains pheromones, volatile compounds, and proteins that attract males for coitus. Commensal microbiota plays a key role in protection of the genital tract from pathogenic microbes by competition effect. In the bovine species, the microbial composition, its abundance and diversity in the female gut, vagina, urine, saliva, and feces, and the associated chemical communication remains poorly documented. The impact of microbes in the reproductive tract of cow, buffalo and certain mammals are discussed in this review. Since the microbial population diversity of CVM is modified during estrus phase it presumes that it may have a role for pheromone production in conspecific. Herein, we would like to critically discuss the current state of knowledge on microbially produced signals in animals and the role of genital and CVM microbiota in estrous cycle and pregnancy.
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Affiliation(s)
- M Srinivasan
- Department of Animal Science, Bharathidasan University, Tiruchirappalli, India
| | - M Adnane
- Institute of Veterinary Sciences, University of Tiaret, Algeria.
| | - G Archunan
- Department of Animal Science, Bharathidasan University, Tiruchirappalli, India.
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26
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Ye Y, Lu Z, Zhou W. Pheromone effects on the human hypothalamus in relation to sexual orientation and gender. HANDBOOK OF CLINICAL NEUROLOGY 2021; 182:293-306. [PMID: 34266600 DOI: 10.1016/b978-0-12-819973-2.00021-6] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 12/24/2022]
Abstract
Pheromones are chemicals that serve communicational purposes within a species. In most terrestrial mammals, pheromones are detected by either the olfactory epithelium or the vomeronasal organ and processed by various downstream structures including the medial amygdala and the hypothalamus to regulate motivated behaviors and endocrine responses. The search for human pheromones began in the 1970s. Whereas bioactive ligands are yet to be identified, there has been accumulating evidence that human body odors exert a range of pheromone-like effects on the recipients, including triggering innate behavioral responses, modulating endocrine levels, signaling social information, and affecting mood and cognition. In parallel, results from recent brain imaging studies suggest that body odors evoke distinct neural responses from those observed with common nonsocial odors. Two endogenous steroids androsta-4,16,- dien-3-one and estra-1,3,5(10),16-tetraen-3-ol are considered by some as candidates for human sex pheromones. The two substances produce sexually dimorphic effects on human perception, mood, and physiological arousal. Moreover, they reportedly elicit different hypothalamic response patterns in manners contingent on the recipients' sex and sexual orientation. Neuroendocrine mechanisms underlying the effects of human chemosignals are not yet clear and await future detailed analyses.
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Affiliation(s)
- Yuting Ye
- State Key Laboratory of Brain and Cognitive Science, Institute of Psychology, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Beijing, China; Department of Psychology, University of Chinese Academy of Sciences, Beijing, China
| | - Zhonghua Lu
- Brain Cognition and Brain Disease Institute, Shenzhen Institutes of Advanced Technology, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Shenzhen, China
| | - Wen Zhou
- State Key Laboratory of Brain and Cognitive Science, Institute of Psychology, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Beijing, China; Department of Psychology, University of Chinese Academy of Sciences, Beijing, China.
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27
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Kurian SM, Naressi RG, Manoel D, Barwich AS, Malnic B, Saraiva LR. Odor coding in the mammalian olfactory epithelium. Cell Tissue Res 2021; 383:445-456. [PMID: 33409650 PMCID: PMC7873010 DOI: 10.1007/s00441-020-03327-1] [Citation(s) in RCA: 9] [Impact Index Per Article: 3.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 09/14/2020] [Accepted: 10/27/2020] [Indexed: 12/31/2022]
Abstract
Noses are extremely sophisticated chemical detectors allowing animals to use scents to interpret and navigate their environments. Odor detection starts with the activation of odorant receptors (ORs), expressed in mature olfactory sensory neurons (OSNs) populating the olfactory mucosa. Different odorants, or different concentrations of the same odorant, activate unique ensembles of ORs. This mechanism of combinatorial receptor coding provided a possible explanation as to why different odorants are perceived as having distinct odors. Aided by new technologies, several recent studies have found that antagonist interactions also play an important role in the formation of the combinatorial receptor code. These findings mark the start of a new era in the study of odorant-receptor interactions and add a new level of complexity to odor coding in mammals.
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Affiliation(s)
| | | | | | | | - Bettina Malnic
- Department of Biochemistry, University of São Paulo, São Paulo, Brazil.
| | - Luis R Saraiva
- Sidra Medicine, Doha, Qatar.
- Monell Chemical Senses Center, Philadelphia, USA.
- College of Health and Life Sciences, Hamad Bin Khalifa University, Doha, Qatar.
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28
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Restini CBA, Fink GD, Watts SW. Vascular reactivity stimulated by TMA and TMAO: Are perivascular adipose tissue and endothelium involved? Pharmacol Res 2021; 163:105273. [PMID: 33197599 PMCID: PMC7855790 DOI: 10.1016/j.phrs.2020.105273] [Citation(s) in RCA: 13] [Impact Index Per Article: 4.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Submit a Manuscript] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 09/12/2020] [Revised: 10/23/2020] [Accepted: 10/27/2020] [Indexed: 12/17/2022]
Abstract
Trimethylamine (TMA), formed by intestinal microbiota, and its Flavin-Monooxygenase 3 (FMO3) product Trimethylamine-N-Oxide (TMAO), are potential modulators of host cardiometabolic phenotypes. High circulating levels of TMAO are associated with increased risk for cardiovascular diseases. We hypothesized that TMA/TMAO could directly change the vascular tone. Perivascular adipose tissue (PVAT) helps to regulate vascular homeostasis and may also possess FMO3. Thoracic aorta with(+) or without(-) PVAT, also + or - the endothelium (E), of male Sprague Dawley rats were isolated for measurement of isometric tone in response to TMA/TMAO (1nM-0.5 M). Immunohistochemistry (IHC) studies were done to identify the presence of FMO3. TMA and TMAO elicited concentration-dependent arterial contraction. However, at a maximally achievable concentration (0.2 M), contraction stimulated by TMA was of a greater magnitude (141.5 ± 16% of maximum phenylephrine contraction) than that elicited by TMAO (19.1 ± 4.03%) with PVAT and endothelium intact. When PVAT was preserved, TMAO-induced contraction was extensively reduced the presence (19.1 ± 4.03%) versus absence of E (147.2 ± 20.5%), indicating that the endothelium plays a protective role against TMAO-induced contraction. FMO3 enzyme was present in aortic PVAT, but the FMO3 inhibitor methimazole did not affect contraction stimulated by TMA in aorta + PVAT. However, the l-type calcium channel blocker nifedipine reduced TMA-induced contraction by ∼50% compared to the vehicle. Though a high concentration of these compounds was needed to achieve contraction, the findings that TMA-induced contraction was independent of PVAT and E and mediated by nifedipine-sensitive calcium channels suggest metabolite-induced contraction may be physiologically important.
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Affiliation(s)
- Carolina Baraldi A Restini
- Department of Pharmacology and Toxicology, Michigan State University, East Lansing, MI 48824, United States; College of Osteopathic Medicine, Michigan State University, 44575 Garfield Road, Building UC4, Clinton Township, MI, 48038, United States.
| | - Gregory D Fink
- Department of Pharmacology and Toxicology, Michigan State University, East Lansing, MI 48824, United States
| | - Stephanie W Watts
- Department of Pharmacology and Toxicology, Michigan State University, East Lansing, MI 48824, United States
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29
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Zhukov DA, Vinogradova EP. Trace Amines and Behavior. NEUROCHEM J+ 2020. [DOI: 10.1134/s1819712420040108] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/22/2022]
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30
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Dewan A. Olfactory signaling via trace amine-associated receptors. Cell Tissue Res 2020; 383:395-407. [PMID: 33237477 DOI: 10.1007/s00441-020-03331-5] [Citation(s) in RCA: 14] [Impact Index Per Article: 3.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 07/24/2020] [Accepted: 10/28/2020] [Indexed: 01/30/2023]
Abstract
Trace amine-associated receptors (TAARs) are a family of G protein-coupled receptors that function as odorant receptors in the main olfactory system of vertebrates. TAARs are monoallelically expressed in primary sensory neurons where they couple to the same transduction cascade as canonical olfactory receptors and are mapped onto glomeruli within a specific region of the olfactory bulb. TAARs have a high affinity for volatile amines, a class of chemicals that are generated during the decomposition of proteins and are ubiquitous physiological metabolites that are found in body fluids. Thus, amines are proposed to play an important role in intra- and interspecific communication such as signaling the sex of the conspecific, the quality of the food source, or even the proximity of a predator. TAARs have a crucial role in the perception of these behaviorally relevant compounds as the genetic deletion of all or even individual olfactory TAARs can alter the behavioral response and reduce the sensitivity to amines. The small size of this receptor family combined with the ethological relevance of their ligands makes the TAARs an attractive model system for probing olfactory perception. This review will summarize the current knowledge on the olfactory TAARs and discuss whether they represent a unique subsystem within the main olfactory system.
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Affiliation(s)
- Adam Dewan
- Department of Psychology, Florida State University, 1107 W. Call St, Tallahassee, FL, 32306, USA.
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Vihani A, Hu XS, Gundala S, Koyama S, Block E, Matsunami H. Semiochemical responsive olfactory sensory neurons are sexually dimorphic and plastic. eLife 2020; 9:e54501. [PMID: 33231170 PMCID: PMC7732343 DOI: 10.7554/elife.54501] [Citation(s) in RCA: 12] [Impact Index Per Article: 3.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 12/16/2019] [Accepted: 11/22/2020] [Indexed: 01/21/2023] Open
Abstract
Understanding how genes and experience work in concert to generate phenotypic variability will provide a better understanding of individuality. Here, we considered this in the main olfactory epithelium, a chemosensory structure with over a thousand distinct cell types in mice. We identified a subpopulation of olfactory sensory neurons, defined by receptor expression, whose abundances were sexually dimorphic. This subpopulation of olfactory sensory neurons was over-represented in sex-separated mice and robustly responsive to sex-specific semiochemicals. Sex-combined housing led to an attenuation of the dimorphic representations. Single-cell sequencing analysis revealed an axis of activity-dependent gene expression amongst a subset of the dimorphic OSN populations. Finally, the pro-apoptotic gene Baxwas necessary to generate the dimorphic representations. Altogether, our results suggest a role of experience and activity in influencing homeostatic mechanisms to generate a robust sexually dimorphic phenotype in the main olfactory epithelium.
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Affiliation(s)
- Aashutosh Vihani
- Department of Neurobiology, Neurobiology Graduate Program, Duke University Medical CenterDurhamUnited States
| | - Xiaoyang Serene Hu
- Department of Molecular Genetics and Microbiology, Duke University Medical CenterDurhamUnited States
| | - Sivaji Gundala
- Department of Chemistry, University at Albany, State University of New YorkAlbanyUnited States
| | - Sachiko Koyama
- School of Medicine, Medical Sciences, Indiana UniversityBloomingtonUnited States
| | - Eric Block
- Department of Chemistry, University at Albany, State University of New YorkAlbanyUnited States
| | - Hiroaki Matsunami
- Department of Neurobiology, Neurobiology Graduate Program, Duke University Medical CenterDurhamUnited States
- Department of Molecular Genetics and Microbiology, Duke University Medical CenterDurhamUnited States
- Duke Institute for Brain Sciences, Duke UniversityDurhamUnited States
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32
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Giuffrè M, Moretti R, Campisciano G, da Silveira ABM, Monda VM, Comar M, Di Bella S, Antonello RM, Luzzati R, Crocè LS. You Talking to Me? Says the Enteric Nervous System (ENS) to the Microbe. How Intestinal Microbes Interact with the ENS. J Clin Med 2020; 9:E3705. [PMID: 33218203 PMCID: PMC7699249 DOI: 10.3390/jcm9113705] [Citation(s) in RCA: 25] [Impact Index Per Article: 6.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 10/26/2020] [Revised: 11/13/2020] [Accepted: 11/16/2020] [Indexed: 12/12/2022] Open
Abstract
Mammalian organisms form intimate interfaces with commensal and pathogenic gut microorganisms. Increasing evidence suggests a close interaction between gut microorganisms and the enteric nervous system (ENS), as the first interface to the central nervous system. Each microorganism can exert a different effect on the ENS, including phenotypical neuronal changes or the induction of chemical transmitters that interact with ENS neurons. Some pathogenic bacteria take advantage of the ENS to create a more suitable environment for their growth or to promote the effects of their toxins. In addition, some commensal bacteria can affect the central nervous system (CNS) by locally interacting with the ENS. From the current knowledge emerges an interesting field that may shape future concepts on the pathogen-host synergic interaction. The aim of this narrative review is to report the current findings regarding the inter-relationships between bacteria, viruses, and parasites and the ENS.
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Affiliation(s)
- Mauro Giuffrè
- Department of Medical, Surgical and Health Sciences, University of Trieste, 34149 Trieste, Italy; (M.G.); (R.M); (R.M.A.); (R.L.); (L.S.C.)
- Italian Liver Foundation, 34129 Trieste, Italy
| | - Rita Moretti
- Department of Medical, Surgical and Health Sciences, University of Trieste, 34149 Trieste, Italy; (M.G.); (R.M); (R.M.A.); (R.L.); (L.S.C.)
| | - Giuseppina Campisciano
- Department of Advanced Microbiology Diagnosis and Translational Research, Institute for Maternal and Child Health-IRCCS “Burlo Garofolo”, 34137 Trieste, Italy; (G.C.); (M.C.)
| | | | | | - Manola Comar
- Department of Advanced Microbiology Diagnosis and Translational Research, Institute for Maternal and Child Health-IRCCS “Burlo Garofolo”, 34137 Trieste, Italy; (G.C.); (M.C.)
| | - Stefano Di Bella
- Department of Medical, Surgical and Health Sciences, University of Trieste, 34149 Trieste, Italy; (M.G.); (R.M); (R.M.A.); (R.L.); (L.S.C.)
| | - Roberta Maria Antonello
- Department of Medical, Surgical and Health Sciences, University of Trieste, 34149 Trieste, Italy; (M.G.); (R.M); (R.M.A.); (R.L.); (L.S.C.)
| | - Roberto Luzzati
- Department of Medical, Surgical and Health Sciences, University of Trieste, 34149 Trieste, Italy; (M.G.); (R.M); (R.M.A.); (R.L.); (L.S.C.)
| | - Lory Saveria Crocè
- Department of Medical, Surgical and Health Sciences, University of Trieste, 34149 Trieste, Italy; (M.G.); (R.M); (R.M.A.); (R.L.); (L.S.C.)
- Italian Liver Foundation, 34129 Trieste, Italy
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33
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Efimova EV, Kozlova AA, Razenkova V, Katolikova NV, Antonova KA, Sotnikova TD, Merkulyeva NS, Veshchitskii AS, Kalinina DS, Korzhevskii DE, Musienko PE, Kanov EV, Gainetdinov RR. Increased dopamine transmission and adult neurogenesis in trace amine-associated receptor 5 (TAAR5) knockout mice. Neuropharmacology 2020; 182:108373. [PMID: 33132188 DOI: 10.1016/j.neuropharm.2020.108373] [Citation(s) in RCA: 21] [Impact Index Per Article: 5.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 09/07/2020] [Revised: 10/22/2020] [Accepted: 10/23/2020] [Indexed: 12/24/2022]
Abstract
Trace amine-associated receptors (TAARs) are a class of sensory G protein-coupled receptors that detect biogenic amines, products of decarboxylation of amino acids. The majority of TAARs (TAAR2-TAAR9) have been described mainly in the olfactory epithelium and considered to be olfactory receptors sensing innate odors. However, there is recent evidence that one of the members of this family, TAAR5, is expressed also in the limbic brain areas receiving projection from the olfactory system and involved in the regulation of emotions. In this study, we further characterized a mouse line lacking TAAR5 (TAAR5 knockout, TAAR5-KO mice) that express beta-galactosidase mapping TAAR5 expression. We found that in TAAR5-KO mice the number of dopamine neurons, the striatal levels of dopamine and its metabolites, as well as striatal levels of GDNF mRNA, are elevated indicating a potential increase in dopamine neuron proliferation. Furthermore, an analysis of TAAR5 beta-galactosidase expression revealed that TAAR5 is present in the major neurogenic areas of the brain such as the subventricular zone (SVZ), the subgranular zone (SGZ) and the less characterized potentially neurogenic zone surrounding the 3rd ventricle. Direct analysis of neurogenesis by using specific markers doublecortin (DCX) and proliferating cell nuclear antigen (PCNA) revealed at least 2-fold increase in the number of proliferating neurons in the SVZ and SGZ of TAAR5-KO mice, but no such markers were detected in mutant or control mice in the areas surrounding the 3rd ventricle. These observations indicate that TAAR5 involved not only in regulation of emotional status but also adult neurogenesis and dopamine transmission. Thus, future TAAR5 antagonists may exert not only antidepressant and/or anxiolytic action but may also provide new treatment opportunity for neurodegenerative disorders such as Parkinson's disease.
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Affiliation(s)
- Evgeniya V Efimova
- Institute of Translational Biomedicine, St. Petersburg State University, St. Petersburg, 199034, Russia
| | - Alena A Kozlova
- Institute of Translational Biomedicine, St. Petersburg State University, St. Petersburg, 199034, Russia
| | | | - Nataliia V Katolikova
- Institute of Translational Biomedicine, St. Petersburg State University, St. Petersburg, 199034, Russia
| | - Kristina A Antonova
- Institute of Translational Biomedicine, St. Petersburg State University, St. Petersburg, 199034, Russia
| | - Tatyana D Sotnikova
- Institute of Translational Biomedicine, St. Petersburg State University, St. Petersburg, 199034, Russia
| | - Natalia S Merkulyeva
- Institute of Translational Biomedicine, St. Petersburg State University, St. Petersburg, 199034, Russia; Pavlov Institute of Physiology RAS, St. Petersburg, Russia
| | | | - Daria S Kalinina
- Institute of Translational Biomedicine, St. Petersburg State University, St. Petersburg, 199034, Russia
| | | | - Pavel E Musienko
- Institute of Translational Biomedicine, St. Petersburg State University, St. Petersburg, 199034, Russia; St. Petersburg State Research Institute of Phthisiopulmonology, Ministry of Healthcare of the RF, St. Petersburg, 191036, Russia
| | - Evgeny V Kanov
- Institute of Translational Biomedicine, St. Petersburg State University, St. Petersburg, 199034, Russia
| | - Raul R Gainetdinov
- Institute of Translational Biomedicine, St. Petersburg State University, St. Petersburg, 199034, Russia; St. Petersburg University Hospital, St. Petersburg State University, St. Petersburg, 199034, Russia.
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34
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Gisladottir RS, Ivarsdottir EV, Helgason A, Jonsson L, Hannesdottir NK, Rutsdottir G, Arnadottir GA, Skuladottir A, Jonsson BA, Norddahl GL, Ulfarsson MO, Helgason H, Halldorsson BV, Nawaz MS, Tragante V, Sveinbjornsson G, Thorgeirsson T, Oddsson A, Kristjansson RP, Bjornsdottir G, Thorgeirsson G, Jonsdottir I, Holm H, Gudbjartsson DF, Thorsteinsdottir U, Stefansson H, Sulem P, Stefansson K. Sequence Variants in TAAR5 and Other Loci Affect Human Odor Perception and Naming. Curr Biol 2020; 30:4643-4653.e3. [PMID: 33035477 DOI: 10.1016/j.cub.2020.09.012] [Citation(s) in RCA: 17] [Impact Index Per Article: 4.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 12/04/2019] [Revised: 04/17/2020] [Accepted: 09/03/2020] [Indexed: 11/17/2022]
Abstract
Olfactory receptor (OR) genes in humans form a special class characterized by unusually high DNA sequence diversity, which should give rise to differences in perception and behavior. In the largest genome-wide association study to date based on olfactory testing, we investigated odor perception and naming with smell tasks performed by 9,122 Icelanders, with replication in a separate sample of 2,204 individuals. We discovered an association between a low-frequency missense variant in TAAR5 and reduced intensity rating of fish odor containing trimethylamine (p.Ser95Pro, pcombined = 5.6 × 10-15). We demonstrate that TAAR5 genotype affects aversion to fish odor, reflected by linguistic descriptions of the odor and pleasantness ratings. We also discovered common sequence variants in two canonical olfactory receptor loci that associate with increased intensity and naming of licorice odor (trans-anethole: lead variant p.Lys233Asn in OR6C70, pcombined = 8.8 × 10-16 and pcombined = 1.4 × 10-9) and enhanced naming of cinnamon (trans-cinnamaldehyde; intergenic variant rs317787-T, pcombined = 5.0 × 10-17). Together, our results show that TAAR5 genotype variation influences human odor responses and highlight that sequence diversity in canonical OR genes can lead to enhanced olfactory ability, in contrast to the view that greater tolerance for mutations in the human OR repertoire leads to diminished function.
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Affiliation(s)
- Rosa S Gisladottir
- deCODE Genetics/Amgen Inc., Sturlugata 8, 101 Reykjavik, Iceland; School of Humanities, University of Iceland, Saemundargata 2, 102 Reykjavik, Iceland.
| | - Erna V Ivarsdottir
- deCODE Genetics/Amgen Inc., Sturlugata 8, 101 Reykjavik, Iceland; School of Engineering and Natural Sciences, University of Iceland, Dunhagi 5, 107 Reykjavik, Iceland
| | - Agnar Helgason
- deCODE Genetics/Amgen Inc., Sturlugata 8, 101 Reykjavik, Iceland; Department of Anthropology, University of Iceland, Saemundargata 10, 102 Reykjavik, Iceland
| | - Lina Jonsson
- deCODE Genetics/Amgen Inc., Sturlugata 8, 101 Reykjavik, Iceland; Department of Pharmacology, Institute of Neuroscience and Physiology, Sahlgrenska Academy, University of Gothenburg, Medicinaregatan 13, SE-405 30, Gothenburg, Sweden; The Department of Psychiatry and Neurochemistry, Institute of Neuroscience and Physiology, Sahlgrenska Academy, University of Gothenburg, Blå Stråket 15, 413 45, Gothenburg, Sweden
| | | | | | | | | | | | | | - Magnus O Ulfarsson
- deCODE Genetics/Amgen Inc., Sturlugata 8, 101 Reykjavik, Iceland; Faculty of Electrical and Computer Engineering, University of Iceland, Dunhagi 5, 107 Reykjavik, Iceland
| | - Hannes Helgason
- deCODE Genetics/Amgen Inc., Sturlugata 8, 101 Reykjavik, Iceland
| | - Bjarni V Halldorsson
- deCODE Genetics/Amgen Inc., Sturlugata 8, 101 Reykjavik, Iceland; School of Technology, Reykjavik University, Menntavegur 1, 101 Reykjavik, Iceland
| | - Muhammad S Nawaz
- deCODE Genetics/Amgen Inc., Sturlugata 8, 101 Reykjavik, Iceland
| | | | | | | | - Asmundur Oddsson
- deCODE Genetics/Amgen Inc., Sturlugata 8, 101 Reykjavik, Iceland
| | | | | | - Gudmundur Thorgeirsson
- deCODE Genetics/Amgen Inc., Sturlugata 8, 101 Reykjavik, Iceland; Faculty of Medicine, University of Iceland, Vatnsmyrarvegur 16, 101 Reykjavik, Iceland; Division of Cardiology, Department of Internal Medicine, Landspitali, The National University Hospital of Iceland, Hringbraut, 101 Reykjavik, Iceland
| | - Ingileif Jonsdottir
- deCODE Genetics/Amgen Inc., Sturlugata 8, 101 Reykjavik, Iceland; Faculty of Medicine, University of Iceland, Vatnsmyrarvegur 16, 101 Reykjavik, Iceland; Department of Immunology, Landspitali, The National University Hospital of Iceland, Hringbraut, 101 Reykjavik, Iceland
| | - Hilma Holm
- deCODE Genetics/Amgen Inc., Sturlugata 8, 101 Reykjavik, Iceland
| | - Daniel F Gudbjartsson
- deCODE Genetics/Amgen Inc., Sturlugata 8, 101 Reykjavik, Iceland; School of Engineering and Natural Sciences, University of Iceland, Dunhagi 5, 107 Reykjavik, Iceland
| | - Unnur Thorsteinsdottir
- deCODE Genetics/Amgen Inc., Sturlugata 8, 101 Reykjavik, Iceland; Faculty of Medicine, University of Iceland, Vatnsmyrarvegur 16, 101 Reykjavik, Iceland
| | | | - Patrick Sulem
- deCODE Genetics/Amgen Inc., Sturlugata 8, 101 Reykjavik, Iceland
| | - Kari Stefansson
- deCODE Genetics/Amgen Inc., Sturlugata 8, 101 Reykjavik, Iceland; Faculty of Medicine, University of Iceland, Vatnsmyrarvegur 16, 101 Reykjavik, Iceland.
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35
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Sarkar A, Harty S, Johnson KVA, Moeller AH, Carmody RN, Lehto SM, Erdman SE, Dunbar RIM, Burnet PWJ. The role of the microbiome in the neurobiology of social behaviour. Biol Rev Camb Philos Soc 2020; 95:1131-1166. [PMID: 32383208 PMCID: PMC10040264 DOI: 10.1111/brv.12603] [Citation(s) in RCA: 53] [Impact Index Per Article: 13.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 03/26/2019] [Revised: 04/01/2020] [Accepted: 04/02/2020] [Indexed: 12/13/2022]
Abstract
Microbes colonise all multicellular life, and the gut microbiome has been shown to influence a range of host physiological and behavioural phenotypes. One of the most intriguing and least understood of these influences lies in the domain of the microbiome's interactions with host social behaviour, with new evidence revealing that the gut microbiome makes important contributions to animal sociality. However, little is known about the biological processes through which the microbiome might influence host social behaviour. Here, we synthesise evidence of the gut microbiome's interactions with various aspects of host sociality, including sociability, social cognition, social stress, and autism. We discuss evidence of microbial associations with the most likely physiological mediators of animal social interaction. These include the structure and function of regions of the 'social' brain (the amygdala, the prefrontal cortex, and the hippocampus) and the regulation of 'social' signalling molecules (glucocorticoids including corticosterone and cortisol, sex hormones including testosterone, oestrogens, and progestogens, neuropeptide hormones such as oxytocin and arginine vasopressin, and monoamine neurotransmitters such as serotonin and dopamine). We also discuss microbiome-associated host genetic and epigenetic processes relevant to social behaviour. We then review research on microbial interactions with olfaction in insects and mammals, which contribute to social signalling and communication. Following these discussions, we examine evidence of microbial associations with emotion and social behaviour in humans, focussing on psychobiotic studies, microbe-depression correlations, early human development, autism, and issues of statistical power, replication, and causality. We analyse how the putative physiological mediators of the microbiome-sociality connection may be investigated, and discuss issues relating to the interpretation of results. We also suggest that other candidate molecules should be studied, insofar as they exert effects on social behaviour and are known to interact with the microbiome. Finally, we consider different models of the sequence of microbial effects on host physiological development, and how these may contribute to host social behaviour.
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Affiliation(s)
- Amar Sarkar
- Trinity College, Trinity Street, University of Cambridge, Cambridge, CB2 1TQ, U.K.,Leverhulme Centre for Human Evolutionary Studies, Department of Archaeology, Fitzwilliam Street, University of Cambridge, Cambridge, CB2 1QH, U.K
| | - Siobhán Harty
- Institute of Neuroscience, Trinity College Dublin, Dublin 2, Dublin, Ireland.,School of Psychology, Trinity College Dublin, Dublin 2, Dublin, Ireland
| | - Katerina V-A Johnson
- Department of Experimental Psychology, Radcliffe Observatory Quarter, University of Oxford, Oxford, OX2 6GG, U.K.,Pembroke College, University of Oxford, Oxford, OX1 1DW, U.K.,Department of Psychiatry, Warneford Hospital, University of Oxford, Oxford, OX3 7JX, U.K
| | - Andrew H Moeller
- Department of Ecology and Evolutionary Biology, Corson Hall, Tower Road, Cornell University, Ithaca, NY, 14853, U.S.A
| | - Rachel N Carmody
- Department of Human Evolutionary Biology, Harvard University, Peabody Museum, 11 Divinity Avenue, Cambridge, Massachusetts, 02138, USA
| | - Soili M Lehto
- Psychiatry, University of Helsinki and Helsinki University Hospital, PL 590, FI-00029, Helsinki, Finland.,Department of Psychology and Logopedics, Faculty of Medicine, University of Helsinki, P.O. Box 6, FI-00014, Helsinki, Finland.,Institute of Clinical Medicine/Psychiatry, University of Eastern Finland, P.O. Box 1627, FI-70211, Kuopio, Finland
| | - Susan E Erdman
- Division of Comparative Medicine, Massachusetts Institute of Technology, Building 16-825, 77 Massachusetts Avenue, Cambridge, MA, 02139, U.S.A
| | - Robin I M Dunbar
- Department of Experimental Psychology, Radcliffe Observatory Quarter, University of Oxford, Oxford, OX2 6GG, U.K
| | - Philip W J Burnet
- Department of Psychiatry, Warneford Hospital, University of Oxford, Oxford, OX3 7JX, U.K
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36
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Han P, Weber C, Hummel T. Brain response to intranasal trimethylamine stimulation: A preliminary human fMRI study. Neurosci Lett 2020; 735:135166. [PMID: 32574795 DOI: 10.1016/j.neulet.2020.135166] [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: 04/21/2020] [Revised: 06/04/2020] [Accepted: 06/15/2020] [Indexed: 11/29/2022]
Abstract
The trace amine-associated receptors (TAARs) are a second class of olfactory receptors in humans. They are activated by volatile amines, including pheromone-like odors. However, in humans the neural processing of TAAR-associated signals is not known. Using functional magnetic resonance imaging, the current study investigated brain activation following intra-nasal stimulation with trimethylamine (TMA), an agonist of human TAAR5, and three "canonical" odors with varied valence (an unpleasant odor [n-butanol], a neutral to unpleasant odor [civet musk], and a pleasant odor [phenyl ethyl alcohol]) in 12 healthy young participants. Our hypothesis driven analysis showed that TMA induced a trend for stronger left amygdala activation as compared to the other odors (Family-Wise Error corrected p = 0.08). Whole-brain exploratory analyses revealed superior activation of the cerebellum and caudate to TMA compared to canonical odors, and stronger activation of the anterior cingulate and somatosensory regions (postcentral gyrus and mid cingulate) in response to canonical odors compared to TMA. The current results provide initial evidence on differential central processes of a TAAR mediated stimulus compared to odors targeting canonical olfactory receptors. Future research are needed to elucidate the physiological and psychological relevance of TAARs in humans.
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Affiliation(s)
- Pengfei Han
- Interdisciplinary Center on Smell and Taste, Department of Otorhinolaryngology, TU Dresden, Dresden, Germany; Faculty of Psychology, Southwest University, Chongqing, China; The Key Laboratory of Cognition and Personality, Ministry of Education, Chongqing, China.
| | - Catharina Weber
- Interdisciplinary Center on Smell and Taste, Department of Otorhinolaryngology, TU Dresden, Dresden, Germany
| | - Thomas Hummel
- Interdisciplinary Center on Smell and Taste, Department of Otorhinolaryngology, TU Dresden, Dresden, Germany
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37
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Baldwin MW, Ko MC. Functional evolution of vertebrate sensory receptors. Horm Behav 2020; 124:104771. [PMID: 32437717 DOI: 10.1016/j.yhbeh.2020.104771] [Citation(s) in RCA: 17] [Impact Index Per Article: 4.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Submit a Manuscript] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 01/01/2020] [Revised: 04/20/2020] [Accepted: 04/28/2020] [Indexed: 12/15/2022]
Abstract
Sensory receptors enable animals to perceive their external world, and functional properties of receptors evolve to detect the specific cues relevant for an organism's survival. Changes in sensory receptor function or tuning can directly impact an organism's behavior. Functional tests of receptors from multiple species and the generation of chimeric receptors between orthologs with different properties allow for the dissection of the molecular basis of receptor function and identification of the key residues that impart functional changes in different species. Knowledge of these functionally important sites facilitates investigation into questions regarding the role of epistasis and the extent of convergence, as well as the timing of sensory shifts relative to other phenotypic changes. However, as receptors can also play roles in non-sensory tissues, and receptor responses can be modulated by numerous other factors including varying expression levels, alternative splicing, and morphological features of the sensory cell, behavioral validation can be instrumental in confirming that responses observed in heterologous systems play a sensory role. Expression profiling of sensory cells and comparative genomics approaches can shed light on cell-type specific modifications and identify other proteins that may affect receptor function and can provide insight into the correlated evolution of complex suites of traits. Here we review the evolutionary history and diversity of functional responses of the major classes of sensory receptors in vertebrates, including opsins, chemosensory receptors, and ion channels involved in temperature-sensing, mechanosensation and electroreception.
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Affiliation(s)
| | - Meng-Ching Ko
- Max Planck Institute for Ornithology, Seewiesen, Germany
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38
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Espinoza S, Sukhanov I, Efimova EV, Kozlova A, Antonova KA, Illiano P, Leo D, Merkulyeva N, Kalinina D, Musienko P, Rocchi A, Mus L, Sotnikova TD, Gainetdinov RR. Trace Amine-Associated Receptor 5 Provides Olfactory Input Into Limbic Brain Areas and Modulates Emotional Behaviors and Serotonin Transmission. Front Mol Neurosci 2020; 13:18. [PMID: 32194374 PMCID: PMC7066256 DOI: 10.3389/fnmol.2020.00018] [Citation(s) in RCA: 37] [Impact Index Per Article: 9.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 10/21/2019] [Accepted: 01/21/2020] [Indexed: 11/13/2022] Open
Abstract
Trace amine-associated receptors (TAARs) are a class of G-protein-coupled receptors found in mammals. While TAAR1 is expressed in several brain regions, all the other TAARs have been described mainly in the olfactory epithelium and the glomerular layer of the olfactory bulb and are believed to serve as a new class of olfactory receptors sensing innate odors. However, there is evidence that TAAR5 could play a role also in the central nervous system. In this study, we characterized a mouse line lacking TAAR5 (TAAR5 knockout, TAAR5-KO) expressing beta-galactosidase mapping TAAR5 expression. We found that TAAR5 is expressed not only in the glomerular layer in the olfactory bulb but also in deeper layers projecting to the limbic brain olfactory circuitry with prominent expression in numerous limbic brain regions, such as the anterior olfactory nucleus, the olfactory tubercle, the orbitofrontal cortex (OFC), the amygdala, the hippocampus, the piriform cortex, the entorhinal cortex, the nucleus accumbens, and the thalamic and hypothalamic nuclei. TAAR5-KO mice did not show gross developmental abnormalities but demonstrated less anxiety- and depressive-like behavior in several behavioral tests. TAAR5-KO mice also showed significant decreases in the tissue levels of serotonin and its metabolite in several brain areas and were more sensitive to the hypothermic action of serotonin 5-HT1A receptor agonist 8-hydroxy-2-(di-n-propilamino)tetralin (8-OH-DPAT). These observations indicate that TAAR5 is not just innate odor-sensing olfactory receptor but also serves to provide olfactory input into limbic brain areas to regulate emotional behaviors likely via modulation of the serotonin system. Thus, anxiolytic and/or antidepressant action of future TAAR5 antagonists could be predicted. In general, "olfactory" TAAR-mediated brain circuitry may represent a previously unappreciated neurotransmitter system involved in the transmission of innate odors into emotional behavioral responses.
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Affiliation(s)
- Stefano Espinoza
- Department of Neuroscience and Brain Technologies, Istituto Italiano di Tecnologia, Genova, Italy
| | - Ilya Sukhanov
- Department of Pharmacology, St. Petersburg State Medical University, St. Petersburg, Russia
| | - Evgeniya V Efimova
- Institute of Translational Biomedicine, St. Petersburg State University, St. Petersburg, Russia
| | - Alena Kozlova
- Institute of Translational Biomedicine, St. Petersburg State University, St. Petersburg, Russia
| | - Kristina A Antonova
- Institute of Translational Biomedicine, St. Petersburg State University, St. Petersburg, Russia
| | - Placido Illiano
- Department of Neuroscience and Brain Technologies, Istituto Italiano di Tecnologia, Genova, Italy
| | - Damiana Leo
- Department of Neuroscience and Brain Technologies, Istituto Italiano di Tecnologia, Genova, Italy
| | - Natalia Merkulyeva
- Institute of Translational Biomedicine, St. Petersburg State University, St. Petersburg, Russia.,Pavlov Institute of Physiology RAS, St. Petersburg, Russia
| | - Daria Kalinina
- Institute of Translational Biomedicine, St. Petersburg State University, St. Petersburg, Russia.,Sechenov Institute of Evolutionary Physiology and Biochemistry RAS, St. Petersburg, Russia
| | - Pavel Musienko
- Institute of Translational Biomedicine, St. Petersburg State University, St. Petersburg, Russia.,St. Petersburg State Research Institute of Phthisiopulmonology, Ministry of Healthcare of the RF, St. Petersburg, Russia
| | - Anna Rocchi
- Center for Synaptic Neuroscience and Technology, Istituto Italiano di Tecnologia, Genoa, Italy.,IRCSS Ospedale Policlinico San Martino, Genoa, Italy
| | - Liudmila Mus
- Department of Neuroscience and Brain Technologies, Istituto Italiano di Tecnologia, Genova, Italy.,Department of Pharmacology, St. Petersburg State Medical University, St. Petersburg, Russia
| | - Tatiana D Sotnikova
- Institute of Translational Biomedicine, St. Petersburg State University, St. Petersburg, Russia
| | - Raul R Gainetdinov
- Institute of Translational Biomedicine, St. Petersburg State University, St. Petersburg, Russia.,St. Petersburg State University Hospital, St. Petersburg State University, St. Petersburg, Russia
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39
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Abstract
Trace amine-associated receptors (TAARs) are a family of G protein-coupled receptors (GPCRs) that are evolutionarily conserved in vertebrates. The first discovered TAAR1 is mainly expressed in the brain, and is able to detect low abundant trace amines. TAAR1 is also activated by several synthetic compounds and psychostimulant drugs like amphetamine. Activation of TAAR1 by specific agonists can regulate the classical monoaminergic systems in the brain. Further studies have revealed that other TAAR family members are highly expressed in the olfactory system which are termed olfactory TAARs. In vertebrates, olfactory TAARs can specifically recognize volatile or water-soluble amines. Some of these TAAR agonists are produced by decarboxylation of amino acids. In addition, some TAAR agonists are ethological odors that mediate animal innate behaviors. In this study, we provide a comprehensive review of TAAR agonists, including their structures, biosynthesis pathways, and functions.
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Affiliation(s)
- Zhengrong Xu
- Collaborative Innovation Center for Brain Science, Department of Anatomy and Physiology, Shanghai Jiao Tong University School of Medicine, Shanghai, 200025, China
- Department of Otolaryngology Head and Neck Surgery, Jiangsu Provincial Key Medical Discipline (Laboratory), Affiliated Drum Tower Hospital of Nanjing University Medical School, Nanjing, 210008, China
- Research Institute of Otolaryngology, Nanjing, 210008, China
| | - Qian Li
- Collaborative Innovation Center for Brain Science, Department of Anatomy and Physiology, Shanghai Jiao Tong University School of Medicine, Shanghai, 200025, China.
- Shanghai Research Center for Brain Science and Brain-Inspired Intelligence, Shanghai, 201210, China.
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40
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Trimethylamine N-Oxide Binds and Activates PERK to Promote Metabolic Dysfunction. Cell Metab 2019; 30:1141-1151.e5. [PMID: 31543404 DOI: 10.1016/j.cmet.2019.08.021] [Citation(s) in RCA: 205] [Impact Index Per Article: 41.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Submit a Manuscript] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 03/06/2019] [Revised: 07/02/2019] [Accepted: 08/26/2019] [Indexed: 12/20/2022]
Abstract
The gut-microbe-derived metabolite trimethylamine N-oxide (TMAO) is increased by insulin resistance and associated with several sequelae of metabolic syndrome in humans, including cardiovascular, renal, and neurodegenerative disease. The mechanism by which TMAO promotes disease is unclear. We now reveal the endoplasmic reticulum stress kinase PERK (EIF2AK3) as a receptor for TMAO: TMAO binds to PERK at physiologically relevant concentrations; selectively activates the PERK branch of the unfolded protein response; and induces the transcription factor FoxO1, a key driver of metabolic disease, in a PERK-dependent manner. Furthermore, interventions to reduce TMAO, either by manipulation of the gut microbiota or by inhibition of the TMAO synthesizing enzyme, flavin-containing monooxygenase 3, can reduce PERK activation and FoxO1 levels in the liver. Taken together, these data suggest TMAO and PERK may be central to the pathogenesis of the metabolic syndrome.
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41
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Segers FHID, Kaltenpoth M, Foitzik S. Abdominal microbial communities in ants depend on colony membership rather than caste and are linked to colony productivity. Ecol Evol 2019; 9:13450-13467. [PMID: 31871657 PMCID: PMC6912891 DOI: 10.1002/ece3.5801] [Citation(s) in RCA: 14] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.8] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 08/12/2019] [Revised: 09/30/2019] [Accepted: 10/03/2019] [Indexed: 12/13/2022] Open
Abstract
Gut bacteria aid their host in digestion and pathogen defense, and bacterial communities that differ in diversity or composition may vary in their ability to do so. Typically, the gut microbiomes of animals living in social groups converge as members share a nest environment and frequently interact. Social insect colonies, however, consist of individuals that differ in age, physiology, and behavior, traits that could affect gut communities or that expose the host to different bacteria, potentially leading to variation in the gut microbiome within colonies. Here we asked whether bacterial communities in the abdomen of Temnothorax nylanderi ants, composed largely of the gut microbiome, differ between different reproductive and behavioral castes. We compared microbiomes of queens, newly eclosed workers, brood carers, and foragers by high-throughput 16S rRNA sequencing. Additionally, we sampled individuals from the same colonies twice, in the field and after 2 months of laboratory housing. To disentangle the effects of laboratory environment and season on microbial communities, additional colonies were collected at the same location after 2 months. There were no large differences between ant castes, although queens harbored more diverse microbial communities than workers. Instead, we found effects of colony, environment, and season on the abdominal microbiome. Interestingly, colonies with more diverse communities had produced more brood. Moreover, the queens' microbiome composition was linked to egg production. Although long-term coevolution between social insects and gut bacteria has been repeatedly evidenced, our study is the first to find associations between abdominal microbiome characteristics and colony productivity in social insects.
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Affiliation(s)
- Francisca H. I. D. Segers
- LOEWE Centre for Translational Biodiversity Genomics (LOEWE‐TBG)FrankfurtGermany
- Behavioural Ecology and Social EvolutionInstitute of Organismic and Molecular EvolutionJohannes Gutenberg UniversityMainzGermany
- Present address:
Applied Bioinformatics GroupInstitute of Cell Biology & NeuroscienceGoethe UniversityFrankfurtGermany
| | - Martin Kaltenpoth
- Evolutionary EcologyInstitute of Organismic and Molecular EvolutionJohannes Gutenberg UniversityMainzGermany
| | - Susanne Foitzik
- Evolutionary EcologyInstitute of Organismic and Molecular EvolutionJohannes Gutenberg UniversityMainzGermany
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42
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Cherry JA, Baum MJ. Sex differences in main olfactory system pathways involved in psychosexual function. GENES BRAIN AND BEHAVIOR 2019; 19:e12618. [PMID: 31634411 DOI: 10.1111/gbb.12618] [Citation(s) in RCA: 9] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.8] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 07/10/2019] [Revised: 10/08/2019] [Accepted: 10/14/2019] [Indexed: 01/21/2023]
Abstract
We summarize literature from animal and human studies assessing sex differences in the ability of the main olfactory system to detect and process sex-specific olfactory signals ("pheromones") that control the expression of psychosexual functions in males and females. A case is made in non primate mammals for an obligatory role of pheromonal signaling via the main olfactory system (in addition to the vomeronasal-accessory olfactory system) in mate recognition and sexual arousal, with male-specific as well as female-specific pheromones subserving these functions in the opposite sex. Although the case for an obligatory role of pheromones in mate recognition and mating among old world primates, including humans, is weaker, we review the current literature assessing the role of putative human pheromones (eg, AND, EST, "copulin"), detected by the main olfactory system, in promoting mate choice and mating in men and women. Based on animal studies, we hypothesize that sexually dimorphic effects of putative human pheromones are mediated via main olfactory inputs to the medial amygdala which, in turn, transmits olfactory information to sites in the hypothalamus that regulate reproduction.
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Affiliation(s)
- James A Cherry
- Department of Psychological and Brain Sciences, Boston University, Boston, Massachusetts
| | - Michael J Baum
- Department of Biology, Boston University, Boston, Massachusetts
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43
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Sherwin E, Bordenstein SR, Quinn JL, Dinan TG, Cryan JF. Microbiota and the social brain. Science 2019; 366:366/6465/eaar2016. [DOI: 10.1126/science.aar2016] [Citation(s) in RCA: 186] [Impact Index Per Article: 37.2] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 01/09/2023]
Abstract
Sociability can facilitate mutually beneficial outcomes such as division of labor, cooperative care, and increased immunity, but sociability can also promote negative outcomes, including aggression and coercion. Accumulating evidence suggests that symbiotic microorganisms, specifically the microbiota that reside within the gastrointestinal system, may influence neurodevelopment and programming of social behaviors across diverse animal species. This relationship between host and microbes hints that host-microbiota interactions may have influenced the evolution of social behaviors. Indeed, the gastrointestinal microbiota is used by certain species as a means to facilitate communication among conspecifics. Further understanding of how microbiota influence the brain in nature may be helpful for elucidating the causal mechanisms underlying sociability and for generating new therapeutic strategies for social disorders in humans, such as autism spectrum disorders (ASDs).
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Affiliation(s)
- Eoin Sherwin
- APC Microbiome Ireland, University College Cork, Cork, Ireland
| | - Seth R. Bordenstein
- Department of Biological Sciences, Vanderbilt Microbiome Initiative, Vanderbilt University, Nashville, TN, USA
| | - John L. Quinn
- School of Biological, Earth and Environmental Sciences, University College Cork, Cork, Ireland
| | - Timothy G. Dinan
- APC Microbiome Ireland, University College Cork, Cork, Ireland
- Department of Psychiatry and Neurobehavioral Sciences, University College Cork, Cork, Ireland
| | - John F. Cryan
- APC Microbiome Ireland, University College Cork, Cork, Ireland
- Department of Anatomy and Neuroscience, University College Cork, Cork, Ireland
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44
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Bufe B, Teuchert Y, Schmid A, Pyrski M, Pérez-Gómez A, Eisenbeis J, Timm T, Ishii T, Lochnit G, Bischoff M, Mombaerts P, Leinders-Zufall T, Zufall F. Bacterial MgrB peptide activates chemoreceptor Fpr3 in mouse accessory olfactory system and drives avoidance behaviour. Nat Commun 2019; 10:4889. [PMID: 31653840 PMCID: PMC6814738 DOI: 10.1038/s41467-019-12842-x] [Citation(s) in RCA: 28] [Impact Index Per Article: 5.6] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 08/07/2019] [Accepted: 10/02/2019] [Indexed: 12/31/2022] Open
Abstract
Innate immune chemoreceptors of the formyl peptide receptor (Fpr) family are expressed by vomeronasal sensory neurons (VSNs) in the accessory olfactory system. Their biological function and coding mechanisms remain unknown. We show that mouse Fpr3 (Fpr-rs1) recognizes the core peptide motif f-MKKFRW that is predominantly present in the signal sequence of the bacterial protein MgrB, a highly conserved regulator of virulence and antibiotic resistance in Enterobacteriaceae. MgrB peptide can be produced and secreted by bacteria, and is selectively recognized by a subset of VSNs. Exposure to the peptide also stimulates VSNs in freely behaving mice and drives innate avoidance. Our data shows that Fpr3 is required for neuronal detection and avoidance of peptides derived from a conserved master virulence regulator of enteric bacteria.
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Affiliation(s)
- Bernd Bufe
- Center for Integrative Physiology and Molecular Medicine, Saarland University, 66424, Homburg, Germany.,Molecular Immunology Section, Faculty of Computer Science and Microsystems Engineering, University of Applied Sciences Kaiserslautern, Amerikastrasse 1, 66482, Zweibrücken, Germany
| | - Yannick Teuchert
- Center for Integrative Physiology and Molecular Medicine, Saarland University, 66424, Homburg, Germany
| | - Andreas Schmid
- Center for Integrative Physiology and Molecular Medicine, Saarland University, 66424, Homburg, Germany
| | - Martina Pyrski
- Center for Integrative Physiology and Molecular Medicine, Saarland University, 66424, Homburg, Germany
| | - Anabel Pérez-Gómez
- Center for Integrative Physiology and Molecular Medicine, Saarland University, 66424, Homburg, Germany.,Department of Molecular Medicine, The Scripps Research Institute, 10550 N Torrey Pines Road, La Jolla, CA, 92037, USA
| | - Janina Eisenbeis
- Institute for Medical Microbiology and Hygiene, Saarland University, 66424, Homburg, Germany
| | - Thomas Timm
- Protein Analytics, Institute of Biochemistry, Faculty of Medicine, Justus-Liebig-University Giessen, Friedrichstrasse 24, 35392, Giessen, Germany
| | - Tomohiro Ishii
- Max Planck Research Unit for Neurogenetics, Max-von-Laue-Strasse 4, 60438, Frankfurt, Germany.,Department of Cell Biology, Graduate School of Medical and Dental Science, Tokyo Medical and Dental University, 1-5-45 Yushima, Bunkyo-ku, Tokyo, 113-8510, Japan
| | - Günter Lochnit
- Protein Analytics, Institute of Biochemistry, Faculty of Medicine, Justus-Liebig-University Giessen, Friedrichstrasse 24, 35392, Giessen, Germany
| | - Markus Bischoff
- Institute for Medical Microbiology and Hygiene, Saarland University, 66424, Homburg, Germany
| | - Peter Mombaerts
- Max Planck Research Unit for Neurogenetics, Max-von-Laue-Strasse 4, 60438, Frankfurt, Germany
| | - Trese Leinders-Zufall
- Center for Integrative Physiology and Molecular Medicine, Saarland University, 66424, Homburg, Germany
| | - Frank Zufall
- Center for Integrative Physiology and Molecular Medicine, Saarland University, 66424, Homburg, Germany.
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45
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Yohe LR, Davies KTJ, Rossiter SJ, Dávalos LM. Expressed Vomeronasal Type-1 Receptors (V1rs) in Bats Uncover Conserved Sequences Underlying Social Chemical Signaling. Genome Biol Evol 2019; 11:2741-2749. [PMID: 31424505 PMCID: PMC6777432 DOI: 10.1093/gbe/evz179] [Citation(s) in RCA: 10] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Accepted: 08/10/2019] [Indexed: 01/08/2023] Open
Abstract
In mammals, social and reproductive behaviors are mediated by chemical cues encoded by hyperdiverse families of receptors expressed in the vomeronasal organ. Between species, the number of intact receptors can vary by orders of magnitude. However, the evolutionary processes behind variation in receptor number, and its link to fitness-related behaviors are not well understood. From vomeronasal transcriptomes, we discovered the first evidence of intact vomeronasal type-1 receptor (V1r) genes in bats, and we tested whether putatively functional bat receptors were orthologous to those of related taxa, or whether bats have evolved novel receptors. Instead of lineage-specific duplications, we found that bat V1rs show high levels of orthology to those of their relatives, and receptors are under comparative levels of purifying selection as non-bats. Despite widespread vomeronasal organ loss in bats, V1r copies have been retained for >65 million years. The highly conserved nature of bat V1rs challenges our current understanding of mammalian V1r function and suggests roles other than conspecific recognition or mating initiation in social behavior.
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Affiliation(s)
- Laurel R Yohe
- Department of Ecology and Evolution, Stony Brook University, NY
- Department of Geology & Geophysics, Yale University, New Haven, CT
| | - Kalina T J Davies
- School of Biological and Chemical Sciences, Queen Mary University of London, United Kingdom
| | - Stephen J Rossiter
- School of Biological and Chemical Sciences, Queen Mary University of London, United Kingdom
| | - Liliana M Dávalos
- Department of Ecology and Evolution, Stony Brook University, NY
- Consortium for Inter-Disciplinary Environmental Research, Stony Brook University, Stony Brook, NY
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46
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Yamaguchi MS, Ganz HH, Cho AW, Zaw TH, Jospin G, McCartney MM, Davis CE, Eisen JA, Coil DA. Bacteria isolated from Bengal cat (Felis catus × Prionailurus bengalensis) anal sac secretions produce volatile compounds potentially associated with animal signaling. PLoS One 2019; 14:e0216846. [PMID: 31518350 PMCID: PMC6743771 DOI: 10.1371/journal.pone.0216846] [Citation(s) in RCA: 6] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.2] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 04/25/2019] [Accepted: 07/31/2019] [Indexed: 11/23/2022] Open
Abstract
In social animals, scent secretions and marking behaviors play critical roles in communication, including intraspecific signals, such as identifying individuals and group membership, as well as interspecific signaling. Anal sacs are an important odor producing organ found across the carnivorans (species in the mammalian Order Carnivora). Secretions from the anal sac may be used as chemical signals by animals for behaviors ranging from defense to species recognition to signaling reproductive status. In addition, a recent study suggests that domestic cats utilize short-chain free fatty acids in anal sac secretions for individual recognition. The fermentation hypothesis is the idea that symbiotic microorganisms living in association with animals contribute to odor profiles used in chemical communication and that variation in these chemical signals reflects variation in the microbial community. Here we examine the fermentation hypothesis by characterizing volatile organic compounds (VOC) and bacteria isolated from anal sac secretions collected from a male Bengal cat (Felis catus × Prionailurus bengalensis), a cross between the domestic cat and the leopard cat. Both left and right anal sacs of a male Bengal cat were manually expressed (emptied) and collected. Half of the material was used to culture bacteria or to extract bacterial DNA and the other half was used for VOC analysis. DNA was extracted from the anal sac secretions and used for a 16S rRNA gene PCR amplification and sequencing based characterization of the microbial community. Additionally, some of the material was plated out in order to isolate bacterial colonies. Three taxa (Bacteroides fragilis, Tessaracoccus, and Finegoldia magna) were relatively abundant in the 16S rRNA gene sequence data and also isolated by culturing. Using Solid Phase Microextraction (SPME) gas chromatography-mass spectrometry (GC-MS), we tentatively identified 52 compounds from the Bengal cat anal sac secretions and 67 compounds from cultures of the three bacterial isolates chosen for further analysis. Among 67 compounds tentatively identified from bacterial isolates, 51 were also found in the anal sac secretion. We show that the bacterial community in the anal sac consists primarily of only a few abundant taxa and that isolates of these taxa produce numerous volatiles that are found in the combined anal sac volatile profile. Several of these volatiles are found in anal sac secretions from other carnivorans, and are also associated with known bacterial biosynthesis pathways. This is consistent with the fermentation hypothesis and the possibility that the anal sac is maintained at least in part to house bacteria that produce volatiles for the host.
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Affiliation(s)
- Mei S. Yamaguchi
- Department of Mechanical and Aerospace Engineering, University of California, Davis, California, United States of America
| | - Holly H. Ganz
- Genome Center, University of California, Davis, California, United States of America
| | - Adrienne W. Cho
- Genome Center, University of California, Davis, California, United States of America
| | - Thant H. Zaw
- Genome Center, University of California, Davis, California, United States of America
| | - Guillaume Jospin
- Genome Center, University of California, Davis, California, United States of America
| | - Mitchell M. McCartney
- Department of Mechanical and Aerospace Engineering, University of California, Davis, California, United States of America
| | - Cristina E. Davis
- Department of Mechanical and Aerospace Engineering, University of California, Davis, California, United States of America
| | - Jonathan A. Eisen
- Genome Center, University of California, Davis, California, United States of America
- Department of Evolution and Ecology, University of California, Davis, California, United States of America
- Department of Medical Microbiology and Immunology, University of California, Davis, Davis, California, United States of America
- * E-mail:
| | - David A. Coil
- Genome Center, University of California, Davis, California, United States of America
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47
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Santos PSC, Mezger M, Kolar M, Michler FU, Sommer S. The best smellers make the best choosers: mate choice is affected by female chemosensory receptor gene diversity in a mammal. Proc Biol Sci 2019; 285:20182426. [PMID: 30963892 DOI: 10.1098/rspb.2018.2426] [Citation(s) in RCA: 8] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.6] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 12/29/2022] Open
Abstract
The products of the genes of the major histocompatibility complex (MHC) are known to be drivers of pathogen resistance and sexual selection enhancing offspring genetic diversity. The MHC further influences individual odour types and social communication. However, little is known about the receptors and their volatile ligands that are involved in this type of chemical communication. Here, we have investigated chemosensory receptor genes that ultimately enable females to assess male genes through odour cues. As a model, we used an invasive population of North American raccoons ( Procyon lotor) in Germany. We investigated the effect of two groups of chemosensory receptor genes-trace amine-associated receptors (TAARs) and olfactory receptors (ORs)-on MHC-dependent mate choice. Females with more alleles of the TAAR or OR loci were more likely to choose a male with a diverse MHC. We additionally found that MHC class I genes have a stronger effect on mate choice than the recently reported effect for MHC class II genes, probably because of their immunological relevance for viral resistance. Our study is among the first to show a genetic link between behaviour and chemosensory receptor genes. These results contribute to understanding the link between genetics, olfaction and associated life-history decisions.
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Affiliation(s)
- Pablo S C Santos
- 1 Institute of Evolutionary Ecology and Conservation Genomics, University of Ulm , Ulm , Germany
| | - Maja Mezger
- 1 Institute of Evolutionary Ecology and Conservation Genomics, University of Ulm , Ulm , Germany
| | - Miriam Kolar
- 1 Institute of Evolutionary Ecology and Conservation Genomics, University of Ulm , Ulm , Germany
| | - Frank-Uwe Michler
- 2 Institute of Forest Botany and Forest Zoology, Technical University of Dresden , Tharandt , Germany
| | - Simone Sommer
- 1 Institute of Evolutionary Ecology and Conservation Genomics, University of Ulm , Ulm , Germany
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48
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Mohrhardt J, Nagel M, Fleck D, Ben-Shaul Y, Spehr M. Signal Detection and Coding in the Accessory Olfactory System. Chem Senses 2019; 43:667-695. [PMID: 30256909 PMCID: PMC6211456 DOI: 10.1093/chemse/bjy061] [Citation(s) in RCA: 65] [Impact Index Per Article: 13.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 12/19/2022] Open
Abstract
In many mammalian species, the accessory olfactory system plays a central role in guiding behavioral and physiological responses to social and reproductive interactions. Because of its relatively compact structure and its direct access to amygdalar and hypothalamic nuclei, the accessory olfactory pathway provides an ideal system to study sensory control of complex mammalian behavior. During the last several years, many studies employing molecular, behavioral, and physiological approaches have significantly expanded and enhanced our understanding of this system. The purpose of the current review is to integrate older and newer studies to present an updated and comprehensive picture of vomeronasal signaling and coding with an emphasis on early accessory olfactory system processing stages. These include vomeronasal sensory neurons in the vomeronasal organ, and the circuitry of the accessory olfactory bulb. Because the overwhelming majority of studies on accessory olfactory system function employ rodents, this review is largely focused on this phylogenetic order, and on mice in particular. Taken together, the emerging view from both older literature and more recent studies is that the molecular, cellular, and circuit properties of chemosensory signaling along the accessory olfactory pathway are in many ways unique. Yet, it has also become evident that, like the main olfactory system, the accessory olfactory system also has the capacity for adaptive learning, experience, and state-dependent plasticity. In addition to describing what is currently known about accessory olfactory system function and physiology, we highlight what we believe are important gaps in our knowledge, which thus define exciting directions for future investigation.
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Affiliation(s)
- Julia Mohrhardt
- Department of Chemosensation, Institute for Biology II, RWTH Aachen University, Aachen, Germany
| | - Maximilian Nagel
- Department of Chemosensation, Institute for Biology II, RWTH Aachen University, Aachen, Germany
| | - David Fleck
- Department of Chemosensation, Institute for Biology II, RWTH Aachen University, Aachen, Germany
| | - Yoram Ben-Shaul
- Department of Medical Neurobiology, School of Medicine, The Hebrew University of Jerusalem, Jerusalem, Israel
| | - Marc Spehr
- Department of Chemosensation, Institute for Biology II, RWTH Aachen University, Aachen, Germany
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49
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Francis AP, Dominguez-Bello MG. Early-Life Microbiota Perturbations and Behavioral Effects. Trends Microbiol 2019; 27:567-569. [PMID: 31103277 DOI: 10.1016/j.tim.2019.04.004] [Citation(s) in RCA: 9] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.8] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 10/10/2018] [Revised: 04/10/2019] [Accepted: 04/16/2019] [Indexed: 01/01/2023]
Abstract
The maternal environment, during the prenatal and postnatal periods, is a determinant of offspring development and health. Perturbations during these periods can affect maternal behaviors and maternal-infant bonding, and also impair transmission of maternal microbiota to the offspring. Impaired microbiota has been associated with alterations of offspring cognitive development and behavior.
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Affiliation(s)
- Antonia P Francis
- Department of Obstetrics and Gynecology, NYU Langone Health, New York, NY 10016, USA
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50
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Zhang R, Pan Y, Ahmed L, Block E, Zhang Y, Batista VS, Zhuang H. A Multispecific Investigation of the Metal Effect in Mammalian Odorant Receptors for Sulfur-Containing Compounds. Chem Senses 2019; 43:357-366. [PMID: 29659735 DOI: 10.1093/chemse/bjy022] [Citation(s) in RCA: 6] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.2] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/14/2022] Open
Abstract
Metal-coordinating compounds are generally known to have strong smells, a phenomenon that can be attributed to the fact that odorant receptors for intense-smelling compounds, such as those containing sulfur, may be metalloproteins. We previously identified a mouse odorant receptor (OR), Olfr1509, that requires copper ions for sensitive detection of a series of metal-coordinating odorants, including (methylthio)methanethiol (MTMT), a strong-smelling component of male mouse urine that attracts female mice. By combining mutagenesis and quantum mechanics/molecular mechanics (QM/MM) modeling, we identified candidate binding sites in Olfr1509 that may bind to the copper-MTMT complex. However, whether there are other receptors utilizing metal ions for ligand-binding and other sites important for receptor activation is still unknown. In this study, we describe a second mouse OR for MTMT with a copper effect, namely Olfr1019. In an attempt to investigate the functional changes of metal-coordinating ORs in multiple species and to decipher additional sites involved in the metal effect, we cloned various mammalian orthologs of the 2 mouse MTMT receptors, and a third mouse MTMT receptor, Olfr15, that does not have a copper effect. We found that the function of all 3 MTMT receptors varies greatly among species and that the response to MTMT always co-occurred with the copper effect. Furthermore, using ancestral reconstruction and QM/MM modeling combined with receptor functional assay, we found that the amino acid residue R260 in Olfr1509 and the respective R261 site in Olfr1019 may be important for receptor activation.
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Affiliation(s)
- Ruina Zhang
- Department of Pathophysiology, Key Laboratory of Cell Differentiation and Apoptosis of the Chinese Ministry of Education, Shanghai Jiaotong University School of Medicine, Huangpu District, Shanghai, P. R. China
| | - Yi Pan
- Department of Pathophysiology, Key Laboratory of Cell Differentiation and Apoptosis of the Chinese Ministry of Education, Shanghai Jiaotong University School of Medicine, Huangpu District, Shanghai, P. R. China
| | - Lucky Ahmed
- Department of Chemistry, Yale University, New Haven, CT, USA
| | - Eric Block
- Department of Chemistry, University at Albany, State University of New York, NY, USA
| | - Yuetian Zhang
- Department of Pathophysiology, Key Laboratory of Cell Differentiation and Apoptosis of the Chinese Ministry of Education, Shanghai Jiaotong University School of Medicine, Huangpu District, Shanghai, P. R. China
| | | | - Hanyi Zhuang
- Department of Pathophysiology, Key Laboratory of Cell Differentiation and Apoptosis of the Chinese Ministry of Education, Shanghai Jiaotong University School of Medicine, Huangpu District, Shanghai, P. R. China
- Institute of Health Sciences, Shanghai Jiaotong University School of Medicine/Shanghai Institutes for Biological Sciences of Chinese Academy of Sciences, Xuhui District, Shanghai, P. R. China
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