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Menezes EC, Geiger H, Abreu FF, Rachmany L, Wilson DA, Alldred MJ, Castellanos FX, Fu R, Sargin D, Corvelo A, Teixeira CM. Early-life prefrontal cortex inhibition and early-life stress lead to long-lasting behavioral, transcriptional, and physiological impairments. Mol Psychiatry 2024; 29:2359-2371. [PMID: 38486048 PMCID: PMC11399324 DOI: 10.1038/s41380-024-02499-4] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Submit a Manuscript] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 06/08/2023] [Revised: 02/24/2024] [Accepted: 02/27/2024] [Indexed: 09/01/2024]
Abstract
Early-life stress has been linked to multiple neurodevelopmental and neuropsychiatric deficits. Our previous studies have linked maternal presence/absence from the nest in developing rat pups to changes in prefrontal cortex (PFC) activity. Furthermore, we have shown that these changes are modulated by serotonergic signaling. Here we test whether changes in PFC activity during early life affect the developing cortex leading to behavioral alterations in the adult. We show that inhibiting the PFC of mouse pups leads to cognitive deficits in the adult comparable to those seen following maternal separation. Moreover, we show that activating the PFC during maternal separation can prevent these behavioral deficits. To test how maternal separation affects the transcriptional profile of the PFC we performed single-nucleus RNA-sequencing. Maternal separation led to differential gene expression almost exclusively in inhibitory neurons. Among others, we found changes in GABAergic and serotonergic pathways in these interneurons. Interestingly, both maternal separation and early-life PFC inhibition led to changes in physiological responses in prefrontal activity to GABAergic and serotonergic antagonists that were similar to the responses of more immature brains. Prefrontal activation during maternal separation prevented these changes. These data point to a crucial role of PFC activity during early life in behavioral expression in adulthood.
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Affiliation(s)
- Edênia C Menezes
- Emotional Brain Institute, Nathan Kline Institute for Psychiatric Research, Orangeburg, NY, 10962, USA
- Department of Child and Adolescent Psychiatry, New York University Grossman School of Medicine, New York, NY, 10016, USA
| | | | - Fabiula F Abreu
- Emotional Brain Institute, Nathan Kline Institute for Psychiatric Research, Orangeburg, NY, 10962, USA
- Department of Child and Adolescent Psychiatry, New York University Grossman School of Medicine, New York, NY, 10016, USA
| | - Lital Rachmany
- Emotional Brain Institute, Nathan Kline Institute for Psychiatric Research, Orangeburg, NY, 10962, USA
- Department of Child and Adolescent Psychiatry, New York University Grossman School of Medicine, New York, NY, 10016, USA
| | - Donald A Wilson
- Emotional Brain Institute, Nathan Kline Institute for Psychiatric Research, Orangeburg, NY, 10962, USA
- Department of Child and Adolescent Psychiatry, New York University Grossman School of Medicine, New York, NY, 10016, USA
| | - Melissa J Alldred
- Emotional Brain Institute, Nathan Kline Institute for Psychiatric Research, Orangeburg, NY, 10962, USA
- Department of Psychiatry, New York University Grossman School of Medicine, New York, NY, 10016, USA
| | - Francisco X Castellanos
- Emotional Brain Institute, Nathan Kline Institute for Psychiatric Research, Orangeburg, NY, 10962, USA
- Department of Child and Adolescent Psychiatry, New York University Grossman School of Medicine, New York, NY, 10016, USA
| | - Rui Fu
- New York Genome Center, New York, NY, 10013, USA
| | - Derya Sargin
- Department of Psychology, Department of Physiology and Pharmacology, Hotchkiss Brain Institute, Alberta Children's Hospital Research Institute, University of Calgary, Calgary, AB, T2N 1N4, Canada
| | | | - Cátia M Teixeira
- Emotional Brain Institute, Nathan Kline Institute for Psychiatric Research, Orangeburg, NY, 10962, USA.
- Department of Child and Adolescent Psychiatry, New York University Grossman School of Medicine, New York, NY, 10016, USA.
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Campbell TS, Donoghue K, Roth TL. Unlocking the epigenome: Stress and exercise induced Bdnf regulation in the prefrontal cortex. Neurotoxicol Teratol 2024; 103:107353. [PMID: 38648864 DOI: 10.1016/j.ntt.2024.107353] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 12/18/2023] [Revised: 04/15/2024] [Accepted: 04/16/2024] [Indexed: 04/25/2024]
Abstract
Aversive caregiving in early life is a risk factor for aberrant brain and behavioral development. This outcome is related to epigenetic dysregulation of the brain-derived neurotrophic factor (Bdnf) gene. The Bdnf gene encodes for BDNF, a neurotrophin involved in early brain development, neural plasticity, learning, and memory. Recent work suggests that exercise may be neuroprotective in part by supporting BDNF protein and gene expression, making it an exciting target for therapeutic interventions. To our knowledge, exercise has never been studied as a therapeutic intervention in preclinical rodent models of caregiver maltreatment. To that end, the current study investigated the effect of an adult voluntary wheel running intervention on Bdnf methylation and expression in the prefrontal cortex of rats who experienced aversive caregiving in infancy. We employed a rodent model (Long Evans rats) wherein rat pups experienced intermittent caregiver-induced stress from postnatal days 1-7 and were given voluntary access to a running wheel (except in the control condition) from postnatal days 70-90 as a young adulthood treatment intervention. Our results indicate that maltreatment and exercise affect Bdnf gene methylation in an exon, CG site, and sex-specific manner. Here we add to a growing body of evidence of the ability for our experiences, including exercise, to permeate the brain. Keywords: Early life stress, Bdnf, exercise, prefrontal cortex.
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Affiliation(s)
- Taylor S Campbell
- University of Delaware, Psychological & Brain Sciences, Newark, DE 19716, United States of America.
| | - Katelyn Donoghue
- University of Delaware, Psychological & Brain Sciences, Newark, DE 19716, United States of America
| | - Tania L Roth
- University of Delaware, Psychological & Brain Sciences, Newark, DE 19716, United States of America
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Burenkova OV, Grigorenko EL. The role of epigenetic mechanisms in the long-term effects of early-life adversity and mother-infant relationship on physiology and behavior of offspring in laboratory rats and mice. Dev Psychobiol 2024; 66:e22479. [PMID: 38470450 PMCID: PMC10959231 DOI: 10.1002/dev.22479] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 09/15/2023] [Revised: 01/23/2024] [Accepted: 02/16/2024] [Indexed: 03/13/2024]
Abstract
Maternal care during the early postnatal period of altricial mammals is a key factor in the survival and adaptation of offspring to environmental conditions. Natural variations in maternal care and experimental manipulations with maternal-child relationships modeling early-life adversity (ELA) in laboratory rats and mice have a strong long-term influence on the physiology and behavior of offspring in rats and mice. This literature review is devoted to the latest research on the role of epigenetic mechanisms in these effects of ELA and mother-infant relationship, with a focus on the regulation of hypothalamic-pituitary-adrenal axis and brain-derived neurotrophic factor. An important part of this review is dedicated to pharmacological interventions and epigenetic editing as tools for studying the causal role of epigenetic mechanisms in the development of physiological and behavioral profiles. A special section of the manuscript will discuss the translational potential of the discussed research.
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Affiliation(s)
- Olga V. Burenkova
- Department of Psychology, University of Houston, Houston, Texas, USA
- Texas Institute for Measurement, Evaluation, and Statistics, University of Houston, Houston, Texas, USA
- Department of Integrative Biology, University of Guelph, Guelph, Ontario, Canada
| | - Elena L. Grigorenko
- Department of Psychology, University of Houston, Houston, Texas, USA
- Texas Institute for Measurement, Evaluation, and Statistics, University of Houston, Houston, Texas, USA
- Center for Cognitive Sciences, Sirius University of Science and Technology, Sochi, Russia
- Departments of Molecular and Human Genetics and Pediatrics, Baylor College of Medicine, Houston, Texas, USA
- Child Study Center, Yale University, New Haven, Connecticut, USA
- Research Administration, Moscow State University for Psychology and Education, Moscow, Russia
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Collins NJ, Campbell TS, Bozeman AL, Martes AC, Ross SE, Doherty TS, Brumley MR, Roth TL. Epigenetic processes associated with neonatal spinal transection. Dev Psychobiol 2024; 66:e22466. [PMID: 38388192 DOI: 10.1002/dev.22466] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 09/19/2023] [Revised: 12/29/2023] [Accepted: 01/18/2024] [Indexed: 02/24/2024]
Abstract
In early development, the spinal cord in healthy or disease states displays remarkable activity-dependent changes in plasticity, which may be in part due to the increased activity of brain derived neurotrophic factor (BDNF). Indeed, BDNF delivery has been efficacious in partially ameliorating many of the neurobiological and behavioral consequences of spinal cord injury (SCI), making elucidating the role of BDNF in the normative developing and injured spinal cord a critical research focus. Recent work in our laboratory provided evidence for aberrant global and locus-specific epigenetic changes in methylation of the Bdnf gene as a consequence of SCI. In the present study, animals underwent thoracic lesions on P1, with cervical and lumbar tissue being later collected on P7, P14, and P21. Levels of Bdnf expression and methylation (exon IX and exon IV), in addition to global methylation levels were quantified at each timepoint. Results indicated locus-specific reductions of Bdnf expression that was accompanied by a parallel increase in methylation caudal to the injury site, with animals displaying increased Bdnf expression at the P14 timepoint. Together, these findings suggest that epigenetic activity of the Bdnf gene may act as biomarker in the etiology and intervention effort efficacy following SCI.
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Affiliation(s)
- Nicholas J Collins
- Department of Psychological and Brain Sciences, University of Delaware, Newark, Delaware, USA
| | - Taylor S Campbell
- Department of Psychological and Brain Sciences, University of Delaware, Newark, Delaware, USA
| | - Aimee L Bozeman
- Department of Psychology, Idaho State University, Pocatello, Idaho, USA
| | - Alleyna C Martes
- Department of Psychology, Idaho State University, Pocatello, Idaho, USA
| | - Sydney E Ross
- Department of Psychological and Brain Sciences, University of Delaware, Newark, Delaware, USA
| | - Tiffany S Doherty
- Department of Psychological and Brain Sciences, University of Delaware, Newark, Delaware, USA
| | - Michele R Brumley
- Department of Psychology, Idaho State University, Pocatello, Idaho, USA
| | - Tania L Roth
- Department of Psychological and Brain Sciences, University of Delaware, Newark, Delaware, USA
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Zhou A, Ancelin ML, Ritchie K, Ryan J. Childhood adverse events and BDNF promoter methylation in later-life. Front Psychiatry 2023; 14:1108485. [PMID: 36911114 PMCID: PMC9998928 DOI: 10.3389/fpsyt.2023.1108485] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Submit a Manuscript] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 11/26/2022] [Accepted: 02/13/2023] [Indexed: 03/14/2023] Open
Abstract
Studies have shown that the effects of early-life stress and trauma can be enduring, with long-term negative effects on health. Epigenetics, including DNA methylation, have been implicated as a potential mechanism for these effects. Brain-derived neurotropic factor (BDNF) is a neurotransmitter involved in learning and memory, and altered BDNF promoter methylation measured in peripheral tissue has been found with early-life stress. However, whether such methylation differences remain stable into later life, is unknown. This study aimed to investigate the association between childhood adversity and BDNF promoter methylation in adults aged 65 years and over. Data came from a large study of older community-dwelling individuals in France (ESPRIT). Information on three major childhood adverse events, namely abuse/maltreatment, war/natural disaster, and financial difficulties/poverty, was obtained by retrospective reporting from participants of ESPRIT study. BDNF promoter I and IV methylation was assessed in blood and buccal tissue. Linear regression analysis was performed, adjusting for age, sex, education, depression, and morbidity. Among 927 participants, there was no strong evidence that childhood abuse/maltreatment or financial difficulties/poverty were associated with BDNF methylation in older individuals. For war/natural disaster, differential methylation at four of twenty-nine CpG sites was observed, however, these would not have remained significant after correction for multiple testing. Together, these findings do not support a long-term association between adverse childhood events and BDNF methylation in older age, but further large prospective studies are needed, which do not target specific genes, but consider DNA methylation across the genome.
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Affiliation(s)
- Aoshuang Zhou
- Division of Epidemiology, Jockey Club School of Public Health and Primary Care, Chinese University of Hong Kong, Hong Kong, Hong Kong SAR, China
| | - Marie-Laure Ancelin
- Institute for Neurosciences of Montpellier, University of Montpellier, INSERM, Montpellier, France
| | - Karen Ritchie
- Institute for Neurosciences of Montpellier, University of Montpellier, INSERM, Montpellier, France
| | - Joanne Ryan
- School of Public Health and Preventive Medicine, Monash University, Melbourne, VIC, Australia
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Collins NJ, Zimmerman CW, Phillips NLH, Fern S, Doherty TS, Roth TL. Developmental administration of valproic acid alters DNA methylation and maternal behavior. Dev Psychobiol 2022; 64:e22231. [PMID: 35312054 DOI: 10.1002/dev.22231] [Citation(s) in RCA: 4] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 08/17/2021] [Revised: 11/01/2021] [Accepted: 11/18/2021] [Indexed: 02/05/2023]
Abstract
Exposure to adversity in early development has powerful and potentially lasting consequences on behavior. Previous work in our laboratory using female Long-Evans rats has demonstrated that exposure to early-life maltreatment manifests into alterations in dam behavior, including a perpetuation of the maltreatment phenotype. These observed behavioral changes coincide with changes in epigenetic activity in the prefrontal cortex (PFC). Further, treating dams with a chromatin modifying agent (Zebularine) normalizes methylation and maltreatment phenotypes, suggesting a link between epigenetic programming and phenotypic outcomes. Here, we sought to investigate if administration of a chromatin modifying agent concurrent with the experience of maltreatment normalizes epigenetic activity associated with maltreatment and alters behavioral trajectories. Administration of valproic acid (VPA) transiently lowered levels of global DNA methylation in the PFC, regardless of exposure to nurturing care or maltreatment. When VPA-exposed animals reached adulthood, they engaged in more adverse behaviors toward their offspring. These data provide further evidence linking epigenetic changes in the developing brain with effects on behavior.
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Affiliation(s)
- Nicholas J Collins
- Department of Psychological and Brain Sciences, University of Delaware, Newark, Delaware, USA
| | - Catherine W Zimmerman
- Department of Psychological and Brain Sciences, University of Delaware, Newark, Delaware, USA
| | - Natalia L H Phillips
- Department of Psychological and Brain Sciences, University of Delaware, Newark, Delaware, USA
| | - Samantha Fern
- Department of Psychological and Brain Sciences, University of Delaware, Newark, Delaware, USA
| | - Tiffany S Doherty
- Department of Psychological and Brain Sciences, University of Delaware, Newark, Delaware, USA
| | - Tania L Roth
- Department of Psychological and Brain Sciences, University of Delaware, Newark, Delaware, USA
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Duffy HBD, Roth TL. Increases in Bdnf DNA Methylation in the Prefrontal Cortex Following Aversive Caregiving Are Reflected in Blood Tissue. Front Hum Neurosci 2020; 14:594244. [PMID: 33324186 PMCID: PMC7721665 DOI: 10.3389/fnhum.2020.594244] [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: 08/12/2020] [Accepted: 10/26/2020] [Indexed: 12/16/2022] Open
Abstract
Child maltreatment not only leads to epigenetic changes, but also increases the risk of related behavioral deficits and mental disorders. These issues presumably are most closely associated with epigenetic changes in the brain, but epigenetic changes in peripheral tissues like blood are often examined instead, due to their accessibility. As such, the reliability of using the peripheral epigenome as a proxy for that of the brain is imperative. Previously, our lab has found aberrant methylation at the Brain-derived neurotrophic factor (Bdnf) gene in the prefrontal cortex of rats following aversive caregiving. The current study examined whether aversive caregiving alters Bdnf DNA methylation in the blood compared to the prefrontal cortex. It was revealed that DNA methylation associated with adversity increased in both tissues, but this methylation was not correlated between tissues. These findings indicate that group trends in Bdnf methylation between blood and the brain are comparable, but variation exists among individual subjects.
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Affiliation(s)
- Hannah B D Duffy
- Department of Psychological and Brain Sciences, University of Delaware, Newark, DE, United States
| | - Tania L Roth
- Department of Psychological and Brain Sciences, University of Delaware, Newark, DE, United States
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Torres-Berrío A, Issler O, Parise EM, Nestler EJ. Unraveling the epigenetic landscape of depression: focus on early life stress
. DIALOGUES IN CLINICAL NEUROSCIENCE 2019; 21:341-357. [PMID: 31949402 PMCID: PMC6952747 DOI: 10.31887/dcns.2019.21.4/enestler] [Citation(s) in RCA: 63] [Impact Index Per Article: 12.6] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 01/07/2023]
Abstract
Depression is a devastating psychiatric disorder caused by a combination of genetic predisposition and life events, mainly exposure to stress. Early life stress (ELS) in particular is known to "scar" the brain, leading to an increased susceptibility to developing depression later in life via epigenetic mechanisms. Epigenetic processes lead to changes in gene expression that are not due to changes in DNA sequence, but achieved via modulation of chromatin modifications, DNA methylation, and noncoding RNAs. Here we review common epigenetic mechanisms including the enzymes that take part in reading, writing, and erasing specific epigenetic marks. We then describe recent developments in understanding how ELS leads to changes in the epigenome that are manifested in increased susceptibility to depression-like abnormalities in animal models. We conclude with highlighting the need for future studies that will potentially enable the utilisation of the understanding of epigenetic changes linked to ELS for the development of much-needed novel therapeutic strategies and biomarker discovery.
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Affiliation(s)
- Angélica Torres-Berrío
- Nash Family Department of Neuroscience and Friedman Brain Institute, Icahn School of Medicine at Mount Sinai, New York, NY, US
| | - Orna Issler
- Author affiliations: Nash Family Department of Neuroscience and Friedman Brain Institute, Icahn School of Medicine at Mount Sinai, New York, NY, US
| | - Eric M Parise
- Author affiliations: Nash Family Department of Neuroscience and Friedman Brain Institute, Icahn School of Medicine at Mount Sinai, New York, NY, US
| | - Eric J Nestler
- Author affiliations: Nash Family Department of Neuroscience and Friedman Brain Institute, Icahn School of Medicine at Mount Sinai, New York, NY, US
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