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Rivi V, Benatti C, Blom JMC, Pani L, Brunello N, Drago F, Papaleo F, Caraci F, Geraci F, Torrisi SA, Leggio GM, Tascedda F. The Role of Dopamine D3 Receptors, Dysbindin, and Their Functional Interaction in the Expression of Key Genes for Neuroplasticity and Neuroinflammation in the Mouse Brain. Int J Mol Sci 2023; 24:8699. [PMID: 37240042 PMCID: PMC10218262 DOI: 10.3390/ijms24108699] [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: 03/15/2023] [Revised: 05/04/2023] [Accepted: 05/10/2023] [Indexed: 05/28/2023] Open
Abstract
Cognitive impairment in schizophrenia remains a clinically and pharmacologically unsolved challenge. Clinical and preclinical studies have revealed that the concomitant reduction in dysbindin (DYS) and dopamine receptor D3 functionality improves cognitive functions. However, the molecular machinery underlying this epistatic interaction has not yet been fully elucidated. The glutamate NMDA receptors and the neurotrophin BDNF, with their established role in promoting neuroplasticity, may be involved in the complex network regulated by the D3/DYS interaction. Furthermore, as inflammation is involved in the etiopathogenesis of several psychiatric diseases, including schizophrenia, the D3/DYS interaction may affect the expression levels of pro-inflammatory cytokines. Thus, by employing mutant mice bearing selective heterozygosis for D3 and/or DYS, we provide new insights into the functional interactions (single and synergic) between these schizophrenia susceptibility genes and the expression levels of key genes for neuroplasticity and neuroinflammation in three key brain areas for schizophrenia: the prefrontal cortex, striatum, and hippocampus. In the hippocampus, the epistatic interaction between D3 and DYS reversed to the wild-type level the downregulated mRNA levels of GRIN1 and GRIN2A were observed in DYS +/- and D3 +/- mice. In all the areas investigated, double mutant mice had higher BDNF levels compared to their single heterozygote counterparts, whereas D3 hypofunction resulted in higher pro-inflammatory cytokines. These results may help to clarify the genetic mechanisms and functional interactions involved in the etiology and development of schizophrenia.
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Affiliation(s)
- Veronica Rivi
- Department of Biomedical, Metabolic and Neural Sciences, University of Modena and Reggio Emilia, 41125 Modena, Italy; (V.R.); (C.B.); (J.M.C.B.); (L.P.)
| | - Cristina Benatti
- Department of Biomedical, Metabolic and Neural Sciences, University of Modena and Reggio Emilia, 41125 Modena, Italy; (V.R.); (C.B.); (J.M.C.B.); (L.P.)
- Centre of Neuroscience and Neurotechnology, University of Modena and Reggio Emilia, 41125 Modena, Italy
| | - Joan M. C. Blom
- Department of Biomedical, Metabolic and Neural Sciences, University of Modena and Reggio Emilia, 41125 Modena, Italy; (V.R.); (C.B.); (J.M.C.B.); (L.P.)
- Centre of Neuroscience and Neurotechnology, University of Modena and Reggio Emilia, 41125 Modena, Italy
| | - Luca Pani
- Department of Biomedical, Metabolic and Neural Sciences, University of Modena and Reggio Emilia, 41125 Modena, Italy; (V.R.); (C.B.); (J.M.C.B.); (L.P.)
- Centre of Neuroscience and Neurotechnology, University of Modena and Reggio Emilia, 41125 Modena, Italy
- Department of Psychiatry and Behavioral Sciences, University of Miami, Miami, FL 33136, USA
| | - Nicoletta Brunello
- Department of Life Sciences, University of Modena and Reggio Emilia, 41125 Modena, Italy;
| | - Filippo Drago
- Department of Biomedical and Biotechnological Sciences, University of Catania, 95123 Catania, Italy; (F.D.); (F.C.); (F.G.); (S.A.T.)
| | - Francesco Papaleo
- Department of Neuroscience and Brain Technologies, Italian Institute of Technology, 16132 Genova, Italy;
| | - Filippo Caraci
- Department of Biomedical and Biotechnological Sciences, University of Catania, 95123 Catania, Italy; (F.D.); (F.C.); (F.G.); (S.A.T.)
| | - Federica Geraci
- Department of Biomedical and Biotechnological Sciences, University of Catania, 95123 Catania, Italy; (F.D.); (F.C.); (F.G.); (S.A.T.)
| | - Sebastiano Alfio Torrisi
- Department of Biomedical and Biotechnological Sciences, University of Catania, 95123 Catania, Italy; (F.D.); (F.C.); (F.G.); (S.A.T.)
| | - Gian Marco Leggio
- Department of Biomedical and Biotechnological Sciences, University of Catania, 95123 Catania, Italy; (F.D.); (F.C.); (F.G.); (S.A.T.)
| | - Fabio Tascedda
- Centre of Neuroscience and Neurotechnology, University of Modena and Reggio Emilia, 41125 Modena, Italy
- Department of Life Sciences, University of Modena and Reggio Emilia, 41125 Modena, Italy;
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The epistatic interaction between the dopamine D3 receptor and dysbindin-1 modulates higher-order cognitive functions in mice and humans. Mol Psychiatry 2021; 26:1272-1285. [PMID: 31492942 DOI: 10.1038/s41380-019-0511-4] [Citation(s) in RCA: 29] [Impact Index Per Article: 9.7] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Submit a Manuscript] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 05/18/2018] [Revised: 07/15/2019] [Accepted: 07/26/2019] [Indexed: 11/08/2022]
Abstract
The dopamine D2 and D3 receptors are implicated in schizophrenia and its pharmacological treatments. These receptors undergo intracellular trafficking processes that are modulated by dysbindin-1 (Dys). Indeed, Dys variants alter cognitive responses to antipsychotic drugs through D2-mediated mechanisms. However, the mechanism by which Dys might selectively interfere with the D3 receptor subtype is unknown. Here, we revealed an interaction between functional genetic variants altering Dys and D3. Specifically, both in patients with schizophrenia and in genetically modified mice, concomitant reduction in D3 and Dys functionality was associated with improved executive and working memory abilities. This D3/Dys interaction produced a D2/D3 imbalance favoring increased D2 signaling in the prefrontal cortex (PFC) but not in the striatum. No epistatic effects on the clinical positive and negative syndrome scale (PANSS) scores were evident, while only marginal effects on sensorimotor gating, locomotor functions, and social behavior were observed in mice. This genetic interaction between D3 and Dys suggests the D2/D3 imbalance in the PFC as a target for patient stratification and procognitive treatments in schizophrenia.
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Neuritin-overexpressing transgenic mice demonstrate enhanced neuroregeneration capacity and improved spatial learning and memory recovery after ischemia-reperfusion injury. Aging (Albany NY) 2020; 13:2681-2699. [PMID: 33323541 PMCID: PMC7880330 DOI: 10.18632/aging.202318] [Citation(s) in RCA: 4] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 09/11/2019] [Accepted: 10/01/2020] [Indexed: 02/01/2023]
Abstract
Acute ischemia-reperfusion (IR)-induced brain injury is further exacerbated by a series of slower secondary pathogenic events, including delayed apoptosis due to neurotrophic factor deficiency. Neuritin, a neurotrophic factor regulating nervous system development and plasticity, is a potential therapeutic target for treatment of IR injury. In this study, Neuritin-overexpressing transgenic (Tg) mice were produced by pronuclear injection and offspring with high overexpression used to generate a line with stable inheritance for testing the neuroprotective capacity of Neuritin against transient global ischemia (TGI). Compared to wild-type mice, transgenic mice demonstrated reduced degradation of the DNA repair factor poly [ADP-ribose] polymerase 1 (PARP 1) in the hippocampus, indicating decreased hippocampal apoptosis rate, and a greater number of surviving hippocampal neurons during the first week post-TGI. In addition, Tg mice showed increased expression of the regeneration markers NF-200, synaptophysin, and GAP-43, and improved recovery of spatial learning and memory. Our findings exhibited that the window of opportunity of neural recovery in Neuritin transgenic mice group had a tendency to move ahead after TGI, which indicated that Neuritin can be used as a potential new therapeutic strategy for improving the outcome of cerebral ischemia injury.
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Novel Approaches for Identifying the Molecular Background of Schizophrenia. Cells 2020; 9:cells9010246. [PMID: 31963710 PMCID: PMC7017322 DOI: 10.3390/cells9010246] [Citation(s) in RCA: 12] [Impact Index Per Article: 3.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 11/05/2019] [Revised: 01/06/2020] [Accepted: 01/16/2020] [Indexed: 12/20/2022] Open
Abstract
Recent advances in psychiatric genetics have led to the discovery of dozens of genomic loci associated with schizophrenia. However, a gap exists between the detection of genetic associations and understanding the underlying molecular mechanisms. This review describes the basic approaches used in the so-called post-GWAS studies to generate biological interpretation of the existing population genetic data, including both molecular (creation and analysis of knockout animals, exploration of the transcriptional effects of common variants in human brain cells) and computational (fine-mapping of causal variability, gene set enrichment analysis, partitioned heritability analysis) methods. The results of the crucial studies, in which these approaches were used to uncover the molecular and neurobiological basis of the disease, are also reported.
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Romain K, Eriksson A, Onyon R, Kumar M. The psychosis risk timeline: can we improve our preventive strategies? Part 1: early life. BJPSYCH ADVANCES 2019. [DOI: 10.1192/bja.2018.66] [Citation(s) in RCA: 1] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.2] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 01/19/2023]
Abstract
SUMMARYPsychosis is a complex presentation with a wide range of factors contributing to its development, biological and environmental. Psychosis is a feature present in a variety of psychiatric disorders. It is important for clinicians to keep up to date with evidence regarding current understanding of the reasons psychosis may occur. Furthermore, it is necessary to find clinical utility from this knowledge so that effective primary, secondary and tertiary preventative strategies can be considered. This article is the first of a three-part series that examines contemporary knowledge of risk factors for psychosis and presents an overview of current explanations. The articles focus on the psychosis risk timeline, which gives a structure within which to consider key aspects of risk likely to affect people at different stages of life. In this first article, early life is discussed. It covers elements that contribute in the prenatal and early childhood period and includes genetic, nutritional and infective risk factors.LEARNING OBJECTIVESAfter reading this article you will be able to:
•give an up-to-date overview of psychosis risk factors that can affect early life•describe some important genetic risk factors•understand more about the role of environmental factors such as nutrition and infection.DECLARATION OF INTERESTNone.
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Association of functional polymorphisms in 3'-untranslated regions of COMT, DISC1, and DTNBP1 with schizophrenia: a meta-analysis. Psychiatr Genet 2019; 28:110-119. [PMID: 30252773 DOI: 10.1097/ypg.0000000000000210] [Citation(s) in RCA: 3] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.6] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 12/18/2022]
Abstract
INTRODUCTION In recent years, various studies have accumulated evidence of the involvement of single nucleotide polymorphisms (SNPs) in introns and exons in schizophrenia. The association of functional SNPs in the 3'-untranslated regions with schizophrenia has been explored in a number of studies, but the results are inconclusive because of limited meta-analyses. To systematically analyze the association between SNPs in 3'-untranslated regions and schizophrenia, we conducted a meta-analysis by combining all available studies on schizophrenia candidate genes. MATERIALS AND METHODS We searched candidate genes from the schizophrenia database and performed a comprehensive meta-analysis using all the available data up to August 2017. The association between susceptible SNPs and schizophrenia was assessed by the pooled odds ratio with 95% confidence interval using fixed-effect and random-effect models. RESULTS A total of 21 studies including 8291 cases and 9638 controls were used for meta-analysis. Three investigated SNPs were rs165599, rs3737597, and rs1047631 of COMT, DISC1, and DTNBP1, respectively. Our results suggested that rs3737597 showed a significant association with schizophrenia in Europeans (odds ratio: 1.584, P: 0.002, 95% confidence interval: 1.176-2.134) under a random-effect framework. CONCLUSION This meta-analysis indicated that rs3737597 of DISC1 was significantly associated with schizophrenia in Europeans, and it can be suggested as an ethnic-specific risk genetic factor.
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Yao JJ, Zhao QR, Lu JM, Mei YA. Functions and the related signaling pathways of the neurotrophic factor neuritin. Acta Pharmacol Sin 2018; 39:1414-1420. [PMID: 29595190 PMCID: PMC6289377 DOI: 10.1038/aps.2017.197] [Citation(s) in RCA: 13] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.2] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 09/20/2017] [Accepted: 12/08/2017] [Indexed: 12/29/2022] Open
Abstract
Neuritin is a member of the neurotrophic factor family, which is activated by neural activity and neurotrophins, and promotes neurite growth and branching. It has shown to play an important role in neuronal plasticity and regeneration. It is also involved in other biological processes such as angiogenesis, tumorigenesis and immunomodulation. Thus far, however, the primary mechanisms of neuritin, including whether or not it acts through a receptor or which downstream signals might be activated following binding, are not fully understood. Recent evidence suggests that neuritin may be a potential therapeutic target in several neurodegenerative diseases. This review focuses on the recent advances in studies regarding the newly identified functions of neuritin and the signaling pathways related to these functions. We also discuss current hot topics and difficulties in neuritin research.
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Affiliation(s)
- Jin-Jing Yao
- Institutes of Brain Science, State Key Laboratory of Medical Neurobiology and School of Life Sciences, Fudan University, Shanghai, 200433, China
| | - Qian-Ru Zhao
- Institutes of Brain Science, State Key Laboratory of Medical Neurobiology and School of Life Sciences, Fudan University, Shanghai, 200433, China
| | - Jun-Mei Lu
- Institutes of Brain Science, State Key Laboratory of Medical Neurobiology and School of Life Sciences, Fudan University, Shanghai, 200433, China
| | - Yan-Ai Mei
- Institutes of Brain Science, State Key Laboratory of Medical Neurobiology and School of Life Sciences, Fudan University, Shanghai, 200433, China.
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Wang H, Xu J, Lazarovici P, Quirion R, Zheng W. cAMP Response Element-Binding Protein (CREB): A Possible Signaling Molecule Link in the Pathophysiology of Schizophrenia. Front Mol Neurosci 2018; 11:255. [PMID: 30214393 PMCID: PMC6125665 DOI: 10.3389/fnmol.2018.00255] [Citation(s) in RCA: 229] [Impact Index Per Article: 38.2] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 04/03/2018] [Accepted: 07/06/2018] [Indexed: 12/17/2022] Open
Abstract
Dopamine is a brain neurotransmitter involved in the pathology of schizophrenia. The dopamine hypothesis states that, in schizophrenia, dopaminergic signal transduction is hyperactive. The cAMP-response element binding protein (CREB) is an intracellular protein that regulates the expression of genes that are important in dopaminergic neurons. Dopamine affects the phosphorylation of CREB via G protein-coupled receptors. Neurotrophins, such as brain derived growth factor (BDNF), are critical regulators during neurodevelopment and synaptic plasticity. The CREB is one of the major regulators of neurotrophin responses since phosphorylated CREB binds to a specific sequence in the promoter of BDNF and regulates its transcription. Moreover, susceptibility genes associated with schizophrenia also target and stimulate the activity of CREB. Abnormalities of CREB expression is observed in the brain of individuals suffering from schizophrenia, and two variants (-933T to C and -413G to A) were found only in schizophrenic patients. The CREB was also involved in the therapy of animal models of schizophrenia. Collectively, these findings suggest a link between CREB and the pathophysiology of schizophrenia. This review provides an overview of CREB structure, expression, and biological functions in the brain and its interaction with dopamine signaling, neurotrophins, and susceptibility genes for schizophrenia. Animal models in which CREB function is modulated, by either overexpression of the protein or knocked down through gene deletion/mutation, implicating CREB in schizophrenia and antipsychotic drugs efficacy are also discussed. Targeting research and drug development on CREB could potentially accelerate the development of novel medications against schizophrenia.
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Affiliation(s)
- Haitao Wang
- Department of Neuropharmacology and Drug Discovery, School of Pharmaceutical Sciences, Southern Medical University, Guangzhou, China
| | - Jiangping Xu
- Department of Neuropharmacology and Drug Discovery, School of Pharmaceutical Sciences, Southern Medical University, Guangzhou, China
| | - Philip Lazarovici
- School of Pharmacy Institute for Drug Research, Faculty of Medicine, The Hebrew University of Jerusalem, Jerusalem, Israel
| | - Remi Quirion
- Douglas Mental Health University Institute, McGill University, Montreal, QC, Canada
| | - Wenhua Zheng
- Faculty of Health Sciences, University of Macau, Taipa, China
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Mohammadi A, Rashidi E, Amooeian VG. Brain, blood, cerebrospinal fluid, and serum biomarkers in schizophrenia. Psychiatry Res 2018; 265:25-38. [PMID: 29680514 DOI: 10.1016/j.psychres.2018.04.036] [Citation(s) in RCA: 69] [Impact Index Per Article: 11.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Submit a Manuscript] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 12/04/2017] [Revised: 03/20/2018] [Accepted: 04/11/2018] [Indexed: 12/29/2022]
Abstract
Over the last decade, finding a reliable biomarker for the early detection of schizophrenia (Scz) has been a topic of interest. The main goal of the current review is to provide a comprehensive view of the brain, blood, cerebrospinal fluid (CSF), and serum biomarkers of Scz disease. Imaging studies have demonstrated that the volumes of the corpus callosum, thalamus, hippocampal formation, subiculum, parahippocampal gyrus, superior temporal gyrus, prefrontal and orbitofrontal cortices, and amygdala-hippocampal complex were reduced in patients diagnosed with Scz. It has been revealed that the levels of interleukin 1β (IL-1β), IL-6, IL-8, and TNF-α were increased in patients with Scz. Decreased mRNA levels of brain-derived neurotrophic factor (BDNF), tropomyosin receptor kinase B (TrkB), neurotrophin-3 (NT-3), nerve growth factor (NGF), and vascular endothelial growth factor (VEGF) genes have also been reported in Scz patients. Genes with known strong relationships with this disease include BDNF, catechol-O-methyltransferase (COMT), regulator of G-protein signaling 4 (RGS4), dystrobrevin-binding protein 1 (DTNBP1), neuregulin 1 (NRG1), Reelin (RELN), Selenium-binding protein 1 (SELENBP1), glutamic acid decarboxylase 67 (GAD 67), and disrupted in schizophrenia 1 (DISC1). The levels of dopamine, tyrosine hydroxylase (TH), serotonin or 5-hydroxytryptamine (5-HT) receptor 1A and B (5-HTR1A and 5-HTR1B), and 5-HT1B were significantly increased in Scz patients, while the levels of gamma-aminobutyric acid (GABA), 5-HT transporter (5-HTT), and 5-HT receptor 2A (5-HTR2A) were decreased. The increased levels of SELENBP1 and Glycogen synthase kinase 3 subunit α (GSK3α) genes in contrast with reduced levels of B-cell translocation gene 1 (BTG1), human leukocyte antigen DRB1 (HLA-DRB1), heterogeneous nuclear ribonucleoprotein A3 (HNRPA3), and serine/arginine-rich splicing factor 1 (SFRS1) genes have also been reported. This review covers various dysregulation of neurotransmitters and also highlights the strengths and weaknesses of studies attempting to identify candidate biomarkers.
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Affiliation(s)
- Alireza Mohammadi
- Neuroscience Research Center, Baqiyatallah University of Medical Sciences, Tehran, Iran.
| | - Ehsan Rashidi
- Students' Scientific Research Center (SSRC), Tehran University of Medical Sciences, Tehran, Iran
| | - Vahid Ghasem Amooeian
- Students' Scientific Research Center (SSRC), Tehran University of Medical Sciences, Tehran, Iran
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Dysbindin-1 Involvement in the Etiology of Schizophrenia. Int J Mol Sci 2017; 18:ijms18102044. [PMID: 28937620 PMCID: PMC5666726 DOI: 10.3390/ijms18102044] [Citation(s) in RCA: 23] [Impact Index Per Article: 3.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 08/28/2017] [Revised: 09/16/2017] [Accepted: 09/19/2017] [Indexed: 12/13/2022] Open
Abstract
Schizophrenia is a major psychiatric disorder that afflicts about 1% of the world’s population, falling into the top 10 medical disorders causing disability. Existing therapeutic strategies have had limited success on cognitive impairment and long-term disability and are burdened by side effects. Although new antipsychotic medications have been launched in the past decades, there has been a general lack of significant innovation. This lack of significant progress in the pharmacotherapy of schizophrenia is a reflection of the complexity and heterogeneity of the disease. To date, many susceptibility genes have been identified to be associated with schizophrenia. DTNBP1 gene, which encodes dysbindin-1, has been linked to schizophrenia in multiple populations. Studies on genetic variations show that DTNBP1 modulate prefrontal brain functions and psychiatric phenotypes. Dysbindin-1 is enriched in the dorsolateral prefrontal cortex and hippocampus, while postmortem brain studies of individuals with schizophrenia show decreased levels of dysbindin-1 mRNA and protein in these brain regions. These studies proposed a strong connection between dysbindin-1 function and the pathogenesis of disease. Dysbindin-1 protein was localized at both pre- and post-synaptic sites, where it regulates neurotransmitter release and receptors signaling. Moreover, dysbindin-1 has also been found to be involved in neuronal development. Reduced expression levels of dysbindin-1 mRNA and protein appear to be common in dysfunctional brain areas of schizophrenic patients. The present review addresses our current knowledge of dysbindin-1 with emphasis on its potential role in the schizophrenia pathology. We propose that dysbindin-1 and its signaling pathways may constitute potential therapeutic targets in the therapy of schizophrenia.
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