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Delphin N, Aust C, Griffiths L, Fernandez F. Epigenetic Regulation in Schizophrenia: Focus on Methylation and Histone Modifications in Human Studies. Genes (Basel) 2024; 15:272. [PMID: 38540331 PMCID: PMC10970389 DOI: 10.3390/genes15030272] [Citation(s) in RCA: 1] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 01/20/2024] [Revised: 02/17/2024] [Accepted: 02/19/2024] [Indexed: 06/15/2024] Open
Abstract
Despite extensive research over the last few decades, the etiology of schizophrenia (SZ) remains unclear. SZ is a pathological disorder that is highly debilitating and deeply affects the lifestyle and minds of those affected. Several factors (one or in combination) have been reported as contributors to SZ pathogenesis, including neurodevelopmental, environmental, genetic and epigenetic factors. Deoxyribonucleic acid (DNA) methylation and post-translational modification (PTM) of histone proteins are potentially contributing epigenetic processes involved in transcriptional activity, chromatin folding, cell division and apoptotic processes, and DNA damage and repair. After establishing a summary of epigenetic processes in the context of schizophrenia, this review aims to highlight the current understanding of the role of DNA methylation and histone PTMs in this disorder and their potential roles in schizophrenia pathophysiology and pathogenesis.
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Affiliation(s)
- Natasha Delphin
- School of Health and Behavioural Sciences, Faculty of Health Sciences, Australian Catholic University, 1100 Nudgee Rd, Banyo, QLD 4014, Australia; (N.D.)
| | - Caitlin Aust
- School of Health and Behavioural Sciences, Faculty of Health Sciences, Australian Catholic University, 1100 Nudgee Rd, Banyo, QLD 4014, Australia; (N.D.)
| | - Lyn Griffiths
- Centre for Genomics and Personalised Health, School of Biomedical Sciences, Queensland University of Technology, 60 Musk Ave, Kelvin Grove, QLD 4059, Australia;
| | - Francesca Fernandez
- School of Health and Behavioural Sciences, Faculty of Health Sciences, Australian Catholic University, 1100 Nudgee Rd, Banyo, QLD 4014, Australia; (N.D.)
- Centre for Genomics and Personalised Health, School of Biomedical Sciences, Queensland University of Technology, 60 Musk Ave, Kelvin Grove, QLD 4059, Australia;
- Healthy Brain and Mind Research Centre, Australian Catholic University, Melbourne, VIC 3000, Australia
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Martínez-Peula O, Morentin B, Callado LF, Meana JJ, Rivero G, Ramos-Miguel A. Permissive epigenetic regulatory mechanisms at the histone level are enhanced in postmortem dorsolateral prefrontal cortex of individuals with schizophrenia. J Psychiatry Neurosci 2024; 49:E35-E44. [PMID: 38302137 PMCID: PMC10843339 DOI: 10.1503/jpn.230054] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Submit a Manuscript] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 04/04/2023] [Revised: 09/28/2023] [Accepted: 11/03/2023] [Indexed: 02/03/2024] Open
Abstract
BACKGROUND Susceptibility to schizophrenia is determined by interactions between genes and environment, possibly via epigenetic mechanisms. Schizophrenia has been associated with a restrictive epigenome, and histone deacetylase (HDAC) inhibitors have been postulated as coadjuvant agents to potentiate the efficacy of current antipsychotic drugs. We aimed to evaluate global histone posttranslational modifications (HPTMs) and HDAC expression and activity in the dorsolateral prefrontal cortex (DLPFC) of individuals with schizophrenia. METHODS We used postmortem DLPFC samples of individuals with schizophrenia and controls matched for sex, age, and postmortem interval. Schizophrenia samples were classified into antipsychotic-treated or antipsychotic-free subgroups according to blood toxicology. Expression of HPTMs and HDAC was quantified by Western blot. HDAC activity was measured with a fluorometric assay. RESULTS H3K9ac, H3K27ac, and H3K4me3 were globally enhanced in the DLPFC of individuals with schizophrenia (+24%-42%, p < 0.05). HDAC activity (-17%, p < 0.01) and HDAC4 protein expression (-20%, p < 0.05) were downregulated in individuals with schizophrenia. Analyses of antipsychotic-free and antipsychotic-treated subgroups revealed enhanced H3K4me3 and H3K27ac (+24%-49%, p < 0.05) and reduced HDAC activity in the antipsychotic-treated, but not in the antipsychotic-free subgroup. LIMITATIONS Special care was taken to control the effect of confounding factors: age, sex, postmortem interval, and storage time. However, replication studies in bigger cohorts might strengthen the association between permissive HPTMs and schizophrenia. CONCLUSION We found global HPTM alterations consistent with an aberrantly permissive epigenome in schizophrenia. Further studies to elucidate the significance of enhanced permissive HPTMs in schizophrenia and its association with the mechanism of action of antipsychotic drugs are encouraged.
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Affiliation(s)
- Oihane Martínez-Peula
- From the Department of Pharmacology, University of the Basque Country, UPV/EHU, Leioa, Spain (Martínez-Peula, Callado, Meana, Rivero, Ramos-Miguel); Section of Forensic Pathology, Basque Institute of Legal Medicine, Bilbao, Spain (Morentin); the Biobizkaia Health Research Institute, Barakaldo, Spain ( Morentin, Callado, Meana, Rivero, Ramos-Miguel); and the Centro de Investigación Biomédica en Red de Salud Mental, CIBERSAM, ISCIII, Spain (Callado, Meana, Rivero, Ramos-Miguel)
| | - Benito Morentin
- From the Department of Pharmacology, University of the Basque Country, UPV/EHU, Leioa, Spain (Martínez-Peula, Callado, Meana, Rivero, Ramos-Miguel); Section of Forensic Pathology, Basque Institute of Legal Medicine, Bilbao, Spain (Morentin); the Biobizkaia Health Research Institute, Barakaldo, Spain ( Morentin, Callado, Meana, Rivero, Ramos-Miguel); and the Centro de Investigación Biomédica en Red de Salud Mental, CIBERSAM, ISCIII, Spain (Callado, Meana, Rivero, Ramos-Miguel)
| | - Luis F Callado
- From the Department of Pharmacology, University of the Basque Country, UPV/EHU, Leioa, Spain (Martínez-Peula, Callado, Meana, Rivero, Ramos-Miguel); Section of Forensic Pathology, Basque Institute of Legal Medicine, Bilbao, Spain (Morentin); the Biobizkaia Health Research Institute, Barakaldo, Spain ( Morentin, Callado, Meana, Rivero, Ramos-Miguel); and the Centro de Investigación Biomédica en Red de Salud Mental, CIBERSAM, ISCIII, Spain (Callado, Meana, Rivero, Ramos-Miguel)
| | - J Javier Meana
- From the Department of Pharmacology, University of the Basque Country, UPV/EHU, Leioa, Spain (Martínez-Peula, Callado, Meana, Rivero, Ramos-Miguel); Section of Forensic Pathology, Basque Institute of Legal Medicine, Bilbao, Spain (Morentin); the Biobizkaia Health Research Institute, Barakaldo, Spain ( Morentin, Callado, Meana, Rivero, Ramos-Miguel); and the Centro de Investigación Biomédica en Red de Salud Mental, CIBERSAM, ISCIII, Spain (Callado, Meana, Rivero, Ramos-Miguel)
| | - Guadalupe Rivero
- From the Department of Pharmacology, University of the Basque Country, UPV/EHU, Leioa, Spain (Martínez-Peula, Callado, Meana, Rivero, Ramos-Miguel); Section of Forensic Pathology, Basque Institute of Legal Medicine, Bilbao, Spain (Morentin); the Biobizkaia Health Research Institute, Barakaldo, Spain ( Morentin, Callado, Meana, Rivero, Ramos-Miguel); and the Centro de Investigación Biomédica en Red de Salud Mental, CIBERSAM, ISCIII, Spain (Callado, Meana, Rivero, Ramos-Miguel)
| | - Alfredo Ramos-Miguel
- From the Department of Pharmacology, University of the Basque Country, UPV/EHU, Leioa, Spain (Martínez-Peula, Callado, Meana, Rivero, Ramos-Miguel); Section of Forensic Pathology, Basque Institute of Legal Medicine, Bilbao, Spain (Morentin); the Biobizkaia Health Research Institute, Barakaldo, Spain ( Morentin, Callado, Meana, Rivero, Ramos-Miguel); and the Centro de Investigación Biomédica en Red de Salud Mental, CIBERSAM, ISCIII, Spain (Callado, Meana, Rivero, Ramos-Miguel)
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Yu Z, Ueno K, Funayama R, Sakai M, Nariai N, Kojima K, Kikuchi Y, Li X, Ono C, Kanatani J, Ono J, Iwamoto K, Hashimoto K, Kinoshita K, Nakayama K, Nagasaki M, Tomita H. Sex-Specific Differences in the Transcriptome of the Human Dorsolateral Prefrontal Cortex in Schizophrenia. Mol Neurobiol 2023; 60:1083-1098. [PMID: 36414910 DOI: 10.1007/s12035-022-03109-6] [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: 06/10/2022] [Accepted: 10/20/2022] [Indexed: 11/24/2022]
Abstract
Schizophrenia presents clinical and biological differences between males and females. This study investigated transcriptional profiles in the dorsolateral prefrontal cortex (DLPFC) using postmortem data from the largest RNA-sequencing (RNA-seq) database on schizophrenic cases and controls. Data for 154 male and 113 female controls and 160 male and 93 female schizophrenic cases were obtained from the CommonMind Consortium. In the RNA-seq database, the principal component analysis showed that sex effects were small in schizophrenia. After we analyzed the impact of sex-specific differences on gene expression, the female group showed more significantly changed genes compared with the male group. Based on the gene ontology analysis, the female sex-specific genes that changed were overrepresented in the mitochondrion, ATP (phosphocreatine and adenosine triphosphate)-, and metal ion-binding relevant biological processes. An ingenuity pathway analysis revealed that the differentially expressed genes related to schizophrenia in the female group were involved in midbrain dopaminergic and γ-aminobutyric acid (GABA)-ergic neurons and microglia. We used methylated DNA-binding domain-sequencing analyses and microarray to investigate the DNA methylation that potentially impacts the sex differences in gene transcription using a maternal immune activation (MIA) murine model. Among the sex-specific positional genes related to schizophrenia in the PFC of female offspring from MIA, the changes in the methylation and transcriptional expression of loci ACSBG1 were validated in the females with schizophrenia in independent postmortem samples by real-time PCR and pyrosequencing. Our results reveal potential genetic risks in the DLPFC for the sex-dependent prevalence and symptomology of schizophrenia.
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Affiliation(s)
- Zhiqian Yu
- Department of Psychiatry, Graduate School of Medicine, Tohoku University, 1-1 Seiryo-Machi, Aoba-Ku, Sendai, 980-8574, Japan.
- Tohoku Medical Megabank Organization, Tohoku University, Sendai, Japan.
| | - Kazuko Ueno
- Tohoku Medical Megabank Organization, Tohoku University, Sendai, Japan
| | - Ryo Funayama
- Division of Cell Proliferation, United Centers for Advanced Research and Translational Medicine, Graduate School of Medicine, Tohoku University, Sendai, Japan
| | - Mai Sakai
- Department of Psychiatric Nursing, Graduate School of Medicine, Tohoku University, Sendai, Japan
| | - Naoki Nariai
- Tohoku Medical Megabank Organization, Tohoku University, Sendai, Japan
| | - Kaname Kojima
- Tohoku Medical Megabank Organization, Tohoku University, Sendai, Japan
| | - Yoshie Kikuchi
- Department of Psychiatry, Graduate School of Medicine, Tohoku University, 1-1 Seiryo-Machi, Aoba-Ku, Sendai, 980-8574, Japan
| | - Xue Li
- Department of Psychiatry, Graduate School of Medicine, Tohoku University, 1-1 Seiryo-Machi, Aoba-Ku, Sendai, 980-8574, Japan
| | - Chiaki Ono
- Department of Psychiatry, Graduate School of Medicine, Tohoku University, 1-1 Seiryo-Machi, Aoba-Ku, Sendai, 980-8574, Japan
| | - Junpei Kanatani
- Department of Psychiatry, Graduate School of Medicine, Tohoku University, 1-1 Seiryo-Machi, Aoba-Ku, Sendai, 980-8574, Japan
| | - Jiro Ono
- Department of Psychiatry, Graduate School of Medicine, Tohoku University, 1-1 Seiryo-Machi, Aoba-Ku, Sendai, 980-8574, Japan
| | - Kazuya Iwamoto
- Department of Molecular Brain Science, Faculty of Life Sciences, Kumamoto University, Kumamoto, Japan
| | - Kenji Hashimoto
- Division of Clinical Neuroscience, Center for Forensic Mental Health, Chiba University, Chiba, Japan
| | - Kengo Kinoshita
- Tohoku Medical Megabank Organization, Tohoku University, Sendai, Japan
| | - Keiko Nakayama
- Division of Cell Proliferation, United Centers for Advanced Research and Translational Medicine, Graduate School of Medicine, Tohoku University, Sendai, Japan
| | - Masao Nagasaki
- Human Biosciences Unit for the Top Global Course Center for the Promotion of Interdisciplinary Education and Research, Kyoto University, Kyoto, Japan
- Center for Genomic Medicine, Graduate School of Medicine, Kyoto University, Kyoto, Japan
| | - Hiroaki Tomita
- Department of Psychiatry, Graduate School of Medicine, Tohoku University, 1-1 Seiryo-Machi, Aoba-Ku, Sendai, 980-8574, Japan
- Tohoku Medical Megabank Organization, Tohoku University, Sendai, Japan
- Department of Disaster Psychiatry, International Research Institute for Disaster Science, Tohoku University, Sendai, Japan
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Pallier PN, Ferrara M, Romagnolo F, Ferretti MT, Soreq H, Cerase A. Chromosomal and environmental contributions to sex differences in the vulnerability to neurological and neuropsychiatric disorders: Implications for therapeutic interventions. Prog Neurobiol 2022; 219:102353. [PMID: 36100191 DOI: 10.1016/j.pneurobio.2022.102353] [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] [Received: 03/08/2022] [Revised: 08/22/2022] [Accepted: 09/06/2022] [Indexed: 10/14/2022]
Abstract
Neurological and neuropsychiatric disorders affect men and women differently. Multiple sclerosis, Alzheimer's disease, anxiety disorders, depression, meningiomas and late-onset schizophrenia affect women more frequently than men. By contrast, Parkinson's disease, autism spectrum condition, attention-deficit hyperactivity disorder, Tourette's syndrome, amyotrophic lateral sclerosis and early-onset schizophrenia are more prevalent in men. Women have been historically under-recruited or excluded from clinical trials, and most basic research uses male rodent cells or animals as disease models, rarely studying both sexes and factoring sex as a potential source of variation, resulting in a poor understanding of the underlying biological reasons for sex and gender differences in the development of such diseases. Putative pathophysiological contributors include hormones and epigenetics regulators but additional biological and non-biological influences may be at play. We review here the evidence for the underpinning role of the sex chromosome complement, X chromosome inactivation, and environmental and epigenetic regulators in sex differences in the vulnerability to brain disease. We conclude that there is a pressing need for a better understanding of the genetic, epigenetic and environmental mechanisms sustaining sex differences in such diseases, which is critical for developing a precision medicine approach based on sex-tailored prevention and treatment.
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Affiliation(s)
- Patrick N Pallier
- Blizard Institute, Centre for Neuroscience, Surgery and Trauma, Barts and The London School of Medicine and Dentistry, Queen Mary University of London, London E1 2AT, UK.
| | - Maria Ferrara
- Institute of Psychiatry, Department of Neuroscience and Rehabilitation, University of Ferrara, Ferrara, Italy; Department of Psychiatry, Yale University, School of Medicine, New Haven, CT, United States; Women's Brain Project (WBP), Switzerland
| | - Francesca Romagnolo
- Institute of Psychiatry, Department of Neuroscience and Rehabilitation, University of Ferrara, Ferrara, Italy
| | | | - Hermona Soreq
- The Edmond and Lily Safra Center of Brain Science, The Hebrew University of Jerusalem, 9190401, Israel
| | - Andrea Cerase
- EMBL-Rome, Via Ramarini 32, 00015 Monterotondo, RM, Italy; Blizard Institute, Centre for Genomics and Child Health, Barts and The London School of Medicine and Dentistry, Queen Mary University of London, London E1 2AT, UK; Department of Biology, University of Pisa, SS12 Abetone e Brennero 4, 56127 Pisa, Italy.
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McKinney BC, McClain LL, Hensler CM, Wei Y, Klei L, Lewis DA, Devlin B, Wang J, Ding Y, Sweet RA. Schizophrenia-associated differential DNA methylation in brain is distributed across the genome and annotated to MAD1L1, a locus at which DNA methylation and transcription phenotypes share genetic variation with schizophrenia risk. Transl Psychiatry 2022; 12:340. [PMID: 35987687 PMCID: PMC9392724 DOI: 10.1038/s41398-022-02071-0] [Citation(s) in RCA: 7] [Impact Index Per Article: 3.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Submit a Manuscript] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 05/05/2022] [Revised: 06/21/2022] [Accepted: 07/15/2022] [Indexed: 11/09/2022] Open
Abstract
DNA methylation (DNAm), the addition of a methyl group to a cytosine in DNA, plays an important role in the regulation of gene expression. Single-nucleotide polymorphisms (SNPs) associated with schizophrenia (SZ) by genome-wide association studies (GWAS) often influence local DNAm levels. Thus, DNAm alterations, acting through effects on gene expression, represent one potential mechanism by which SZ-associated SNPs confer risk. In this study, we investigated genome-wide DNAm in postmortem superior temporal gyrus from 44 subjects with SZ and 44 non-psychiatric comparison subjects using Illumina Infinium MethylationEPIC BeadChip microarrays, and extracted cell-type-specific methylation signals by applying tensor composition analysis. We identified SZ-associated differential methylation at 242 sites, and 44 regions containing two or more sites (FDR cutoff of q = 0.1) and determined a subset of these were cell-type specific. We found mitotic arrest deficient 1-like 1 (MAD1L1), a gene within an established GWAS risk locus, harbored robust SZ-associated differential methylation. We investigated the potential role of MAD1L1 DNAm in conferring SZ risk by assessing for colocalization among quantitative trait loci for methylation and gene transcripts (mQTLs and tQTLs) in brain tissue and GWAS signal at the locus using multiple-trait-colocalization analysis. We found that mQTLs and tQTLs colocalized with the GWAS signal (posterior probability >0.8). Our findings suggest that alterations in MAD1L1 methylation and transcription may mediate risk for SZ at the MAD1L1-containing locus. Future studies to identify how SZ-associated differential methylation affects MAD1L1 biological function are indicated.
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Affiliation(s)
- Brandon C McKinney
- Department of Psychiatry, University of Pittsburgh, Pittsburgh, PA, USA.
- Translational Neuroscience Program, Department of Psychiatry, University of Pittsburgh, Pittsburgh, PA, USA.
| | - Lora L McClain
- Department of Psychiatry, University of Pittsburgh, Pittsburgh, PA, USA
| | - Christopher M Hensler
- Translational Neuroscience Program, Department of Psychiatry, University of Pittsburgh, Pittsburgh, PA, USA
| | - Yue Wei
- Department of Biostatistics, University of Pittsburgh, Pittsburgh, PA, USA
| | - Lambertus Klei
- Department of Psychiatry, University of Pittsburgh, Pittsburgh, PA, USA
| | - David A Lewis
- Department of Psychiatry, University of Pittsburgh, Pittsburgh, PA, USA
- Translational Neuroscience Program, Department of Psychiatry, University of Pittsburgh, Pittsburgh, PA, USA
| | - Bernie Devlin
- Department of Psychiatry, University of Pittsburgh, Pittsburgh, PA, USA
| | - Jiebiao Wang
- Department of Biostatistics, University of Pittsburgh, Pittsburgh, PA, USA
| | - Ying Ding
- Department of Biostatistics, University of Pittsburgh, Pittsburgh, PA, USA
| | - Robert A Sweet
- Department of Psychiatry, University of Pittsburgh, Pittsburgh, PA, USA.
- Translational Neuroscience Program, Department of Psychiatry, University of Pittsburgh, Pittsburgh, PA, USA.
- Department of Neurology, University of Pittsburgh, Pittsburgh, PA, USA.
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Li M, Xiao L, Chen X. Histone Acetylation and Methylation Underlie Oligodendroglial and Myelin Susceptibility in Schizophrenia. Front Cell Neurosci 2022; 16:823708. [PMID: 35360494 PMCID: PMC8960244 DOI: 10.3389/fncel.2022.823708] [Citation(s) in RCA: 3] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 11/28/2021] [Accepted: 02/21/2022] [Indexed: 11/13/2022] Open
Abstract
Schizophrenia is a complex neuropsychiatric disorder affected by both genetic and epigenetic factors. Except for neuronal dysfunction, oligodendroglial abnormalities also contribute to the disease pathogenesis, characterized by a robust dysregulation of oligodendrocyte and myelin related genes. Accumulating evidence shows that histone modifications play important roles in transcriptional regulation of the genes crucial for oligodendrocyte differentiation and myelination. Specifically, the histone acetylation and methylation were two well-recognized histone modification abnormalities in the schizophrenic brains. In this mini-review, we will describe the dynamic changes of histone acetylation and methylation in schizophrenia, which may coordinate and induce deleterious epigenetic memory in oligodendroglial cells, and further lead to oligodendrocyte and myelin deficits. Precise modulation of histone modification status in oligodendroglial cells needs to secure the balance of epigenetic marks, which may revise the therapeutic strategy for the white matter etiology of neuropsychiatric disorders.
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Affiliation(s)
- Mei Li
- Department of Physiology, Research Center of Neuroscience, College of Basic Medical Science, Chongqing Medical University, Chongqing, China
- Laboratory of Human Physiology, Lab Teaching and Management Center, Chongqing Medical University, Chongqing, China
| | - Lan Xiao
- Department of Histology and Embryology, Institute of Brain and Intelligence, Army Medical University (Third Military Medical University), Chongqing, China
- *Correspondence: Lan Xiao,
| | - Xianjun Chen
- Department of Physiology, Research Center of Neuroscience, College of Basic Medical Science, Chongqing Medical University, Chongqing, China
- Department of Histology and Embryology, Institute of Brain and Intelligence, Army Medical University (Third Military Medical University), Chongqing, China
- Xianjun Chen,
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7
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Male sex bias in early and late onset neurodevelopmental disorders: shared aspects and differences in autism spectrum disorder, attention deficit/hyperactivity disorder, and schizophrenia. Neurosci Biobehav Rev 2022; 135:104577. [DOI: 10.1016/j.neubiorev.2022.104577] [Citation(s) in RCA: 8] [Impact Index Per Article: 4.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 12/09/2021] [Revised: 01/23/2022] [Accepted: 02/11/2022] [Indexed: 12/22/2022]
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8
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Panariello F, Fanelli G, Fabbri C, Atti AR, De Ronchi D, Serretti A. Epigenetic Basis of Psychiatric Disorders: A Narrative Review. CNS & NEUROLOGICAL DISORDERS DRUG TARGETS 2022; 21:302-315. [PMID: 34433406 DOI: 10.2174/1871527320666210825101915] [Citation(s) in RCA: 1] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 03/08/2021] [Revised: 07/02/2021] [Accepted: 07/12/2021] [Indexed: 06/13/2023]
Abstract
BACKGROUND Psychiatric disorders are complex, multifactorial illnesses with a demonstrated biological component in their etiopathogenesis. Epigenetic modifications, through the modulation of DNA methylation, histone modifications and RNA interference, tune tissue-specific gene expression patterns and play a relevant role in the etiology of psychiatric illnesses. OBJECTIVE This review aims to discuss the epigenetic mechanisms involved in psychiatric disorders, their modulation by environmental factors and their interactions with genetic variants, in order to provide a comprehensive picture of their mutual crosstalk. METHODS In accordance with the PRISMA guidelines, systematic searches of Medline, EMBASE, PsycINFO, Web of Science, Scopus, and the Cochrane Library were conducted. RESULTS Exposure to environmental factors, such as poor socio-economic status, obstetric complications, migration, and early life stressors, may lead to stable changes in gene expression and neural circuit function, playing a role in the risk of psychiatric diseases. The most replicated genes involved by studies using different techniques are discussed. Increasing evidence indicates that these sustained abnormalities are maintained by epigenetic modifications in specific brain regions and they interact with genetic variants in determining the risk of psychiatric disorders. CONCLUSION An increasing amount of evidence suggests that epigenetics plays a pivotal role in the etiopathogenesis of psychiatric disorders. New therapeutic approaches may work by reversing detrimental epigenetic changes that occurred during the lifespan.
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Affiliation(s)
- Fabio Panariello
- Department of Biomedical and Neuromotor Sciences, University of Bologna, Bologna, Italy
| | - Giuseppe Fanelli
- Department of Biomedical and Neuromotor Sciences, University of Bologna, Bologna, Italy
| | - Chiara Fabbri
- Department of Biomedical and Neuromotor Sciences, University of Bologna, Bologna, Italy
| | - Anna Rita Atti
- Department of Biomedical and Neuromotor Sciences, University of Bologna, Bologna, Italy
| | - Diana De Ronchi
- Department of Biomedical and Neuromotor Sciences, University of Bologna, Bologna, Italy
| | - Alessandro Serretti
- Department of Biomedical and Neuromotor Sciences, University of Bologna, Bologna, Italy
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9
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Brocos-Mosquera I, Miranda-Azpiazu P, Muguruza C, Corzo-Monje V, Morentin B, Meana JJ, Callado LF, Rivero G. Differential brain ADRA2A and ADRA2C gene expression and epigenetic regulation in schizophrenia. Effect of antipsychotic drug treatment. Transl Psychiatry 2021; 11:643. [PMID: 34930904 PMCID: PMC8688495 DOI: 10.1038/s41398-021-01762-4] [Citation(s) in RCA: 11] [Impact Index Per Article: 3.7] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Submit a Manuscript] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 06/30/2021] [Revised: 11/26/2021] [Accepted: 12/01/2021] [Indexed: 01/19/2023] Open
Abstract
Postsynaptic α2A-adrenoceptor density is enhanced in the dorsolateral prefrontal cortex (DLPFC) of antipsychotic-treated schizophrenia subjects. This alteration might be due to transcriptional activation, and could be regulated by epigenetic mechanisms such as histone posttranslational modifications (PTMs). The aim of this study was to evaluate ADRA2A and ADRA2C gene expression (codifying for α2-adrenoceptor subtypes), and permissive and repressive histone PTMs at gene promoter regions in the DLPFC of subjects with schizophrenia and matched controls (n = 24 pairs). We studied the effect of antipsychotic (AP) treatment in AP-free (n = 12) and AP-treated (n = 12) subgroups of schizophrenia subjects and in rats acutely and chronically treated with typical and atypical antipsychotics. ADRA2A mRNA expression was selectively upregulated in AP-treated schizophrenia subjects (+93%) whereas ADRA2C mRNA expression was upregulated in all schizophrenia subjects (+53%) regardless of antipsychotic treatment. Acute and chronic clozapine treatment in rats did not alter brain cortex Adra2a mRNA expression but increased Adra2c mRNA expression. Both ADRA2A and ADRA2C promoter regions showed epigenetic modification by histone methylation and acetylation in human DLPFC. The upregulation of ADRA2A expression in AP-treated schizophrenia subjects might be related to observed bivalent chromatin at ADRA2A promoter region in schizophrenia (depicted by increased permissive H3K4me3 and repressive H3K27me3) and could be triggered by the enhanced H4K16ac at ADRA2A promoter. In conclusion, epigenetic predisposition differentially modulated ADRA2A and ADRA2C mRNA expression in DLPFC of schizophrenia subjects.
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Affiliation(s)
- Iria Brocos-Mosquera
- grid.11480.3c0000000121671098Department of Pharmacology, University of the Basque Country, UPV/EHU, Leioa, Bizkaia Spain ,grid.469673.90000 0004 5901 7501Centro de Investigación Biomédica en Red de Salud Mental (CIBERSAM), Leioa, Spain
| | - Patricia Miranda-Azpiazu
- grid.11480.3c0000000121671098Department of Pharmacology, University of the Basque Country, UPV/EHU, Leioa, Bizkaia Spain ,grid.469673.90000 0004 5901 7501Centro de Investigación Biomédica en Red de Salud Mental (CIBERSAM), Leioa, Spain
| | - Carolina Muguruza
- grid.11480.3c0000000121671098Department of Pharmacology, University of the Basque Country, UPV/EHU, Leioa, Bizkaia Spain ,grid.469673.90000 0004 5901 7501Centro de Investigación Biomédica en Red de Salud Mental (CIBERSAM), Leioa, Spain
| | - Virginia Corzo-Monje
- grid.11480.3c0000000121671098Department of Pharmacology, University of the Basque Country, UPV/EHU, Leioa, Bizkaia Spain
| | - Benito Morentin
- Section of Forensic Pathology, Basque Institute of Legal Medicine, Bilbao, Spain ,grid.452310.1Biocruces Bizkaia Health Research Institute, Barakaldo, Bizkaia Spain
| | - J. Javier Meana
- grid.11480.3c0000000121671098Department of Pharmacology, University of the Basque Country, UPV/EHU, Leioa, Bizkaia Spain ,grid.469673.90000 0004 5901 7501Centro de Investigación Biomédica en Red de Salud Mental (CIBERSAM), Leioa, Spain ,grid.452310.1Biocruces Bizkaia Health Research Institute, Barakaldo, Bizkaia Spain
| | - Luis F. Callado
- grid.11480.3c0000000121671098Department of Pharmacology, University of the Basque Country, UPV/EHU, Leioa, Bizkaia Spain ,grid.469673.90000 0004 5901 7501Centro de Investigación Biomédica en Red de Salud Mental (CIBERSAM), Leioa, Spain ,grid.452310.1Biocruces Bizkaia Health Research Institute, Barakaldo, Bizkaia Spain
| | - Guadalupe Rivero
- Department of Pharmacology, University of the Basque Country, UPV/EHU, Leioa, Bizkaia, Spain. .,Centro de Investigación Biomédica en Red de Salud Mental (CIBERSAM), Leioa, Spain. .,Biocruces Bizkaia Health Research Institute, Barakaldo, Bizkaia, Spain.
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Richetto J, Meyer U. Epigenetic Modifications in Schizophrenia and Related Disorders: Molecular Scars of Environmental Exposures and Source of Phenotypic Variability. Biol Psychiatry 2021; 89:215-226. [PMID: 32381277 DOI: 10.1016/j.biopsych.2020.03.008] [Citation(s) in RCA: 77] [Impact Index Per Article: 25.7] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Submit a Manuscript] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 10/22/2019] [Revised: 02/19/2020] [Accepted: 03/16/2020] [Indexed: 12/18/2022]
Abstract
Epigenetic modifications are increasingly recognized to play a role in the etiology and pathophysiology of schizophrenia and other psychiatric disorders with developmental origins. Here, we summarize clinical and preclinical findings of epigenetic alterations in schizophrenia and relevant disease models and discuss their putative origin. Recent findings suggest that certain schizophrenia risk loci can influence stochastic variation in gene expression through epigenetic processes, highlighting the intricate interaction between genetic and epigenetic control of neurodevelopmental trajectories. In addition, a substantial portion of epigenetic alterations in schizophrenia and related disorders may be acquired through environmental factors and may be manifested as molecular "scars." Some of these scars can influence brain functions throughout the entire lifespan and may even be transmitted across generations via epigenetic germline inheritance. Epigenetic modifications, whether caused by genetic or environmental factors, are plausible molecular sources of phenotypic heterogeneity and offer a target for therapeutic interventions. The further elucidation of epigenetic modifications thus may increase our knowledge regarding schizophrenia's heterogeneous etiology and pathophysiology and, in the long term, may advance personalized treatments through the use of biomarker-guided epigenetic interventions.
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Affiliation(s)
- Juliet Richetto
- Institute of Pharmacology and Toxicology, University of Zurich-Vetsuisse, and Neuroscience Center Zurich, University of Zurich and ETH Zurich, Zurich, Switzerland.
| | - Urs Meyer
- Institute of Pharmacology and Toxicology, University of Zurich-Vetsuisse, and Neuroscience Center Zurich, University of Zurich and ETH Zurich, Zurich, Switzerland
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11
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Cui YH, Fu A, Wang XQ, Tu BX, Chen KZ, Wang YK, Hu QG, Wang LF, Hu ZL, Pan PH, Li F, Bi FF, Li CQ. Hippocampal LASP1 ameliorates chronic stress-mediated behavioral responses in a mouse model of unpredictable chronic mild stress. Neuropharmacology 2020; 184:108410. [PMID: 33242526 DOI: 10.1016/j.neuropharm.2020.108410] [Citation(s) in RCA: 3] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.8] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 04/22/2020] [Revised: 11/13/2020] [Accepted: 11/18/2020] [Indexed: 12/19/2022]
Abstract
Substantial evidence has revealed that abnormalities in synaptic plasticity play important roles during the process of depression. LASP1 (LIM and SH3 domain protein 1), a member of actin-binding proteins, has been shown to be associated with the regulation of synaptic plasticity. However, the role of LASP1 in the regulation of mood is still unclear. Here, using an unpredictable chronic mild stress (UCMS) paradigm, we found that the mRNA and protein levels of LASP1 were decreased in the hippocampus of stressed mice and that UCMS-induced down-regulation of LASP1 was abolished by chronic administration of fluoxetine. Adenosine-associated virus-mediated hippocampal LASP1 overexpression alleviated the UCMS-induced behavioral results of forced swimming test and sucrose preference test in stressed mice. It also restored the dendritic spine density, elevated the levels of AKT (a serine/threonine protein kinase), phosphorylated-AKT, insulin-like growth factor 2, and postsynaptic density protein 95. These findings suggest that LASP1 alleviates UCMS-provoked behavioral defects, which may be mediated by an enhanced dendritic spine density and more activated AKT-dependent LASP1 signaling, pointing to the antidepressant role of LASP1.
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Affiliation(s)
- Yan-Hui Cui
- Department of Anatomy and Neurobiology, School of Basic Medical Science, Central South University, Changsha, 410013, China; Department of Respiratory and Critical Care Medicine, Xiangya Hospital, Central South University, Changsha, 410008, China
| | - Ao Fu
- Clinic Medicine of 5-year Program, Xiangya School of Medicine, Central South University, Changsha, 410013, China
| | - Xue-Qin Wang
- Center for Neuroscience and behavior, Changsha Medical University, Changsha, 410219, China
| | - Bo-Xuan Tu
- Department of Anatomy and Neurobiology, School of Basic Medical Science, Central South University, Changsha, 410013, China
| | - Kang-Zhi Chen
- Clinic Medicine of 8-year Program, Xiangya School of Medicine, Central South University, Changsha, 410013, China
| | - Yi-Kai Wang
- Clinic Medicine of 8-year Program, Xiangya School of Medicine, Central South University, Changsha, 410013, China
| | - Qiong-Gui Hu
- Clinic Medicine of 8-year Program, Xiangya School of Medicine, Central South University, Changsha, 410013, China
| | - Lai-Fa Wang
- Center for Neuroscience and behavior, Changsha Medical University, Changsha, 410219, China
| | - Zhao-Lan Hu
- Department of Anesthesiology, The Second Xiangya Hospital, Central South University, Changsha, 410011, China
| | - Pin-Hua Pan
- Department of Respiratory and Critical Care Medicine, Xiangya Hospital, Central South University, Changsha, 410008, China
| | - Fang Li
- Department of Anatomy and Neurobiology, School of Basic Medical Science, Central South University, Changsha, 410013, China
| | - Fang-Fang Bi
- Department of Neurology, XiangYa Hospital, Central South University, Changsha, 410008, China.
| | - Chang-Qi Li
- Department of Anatomy and Neurobiology, School of Basic Medical Science, Central South University, Changsha, 410013, China.
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12
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Xing X, He Z, Wang Z, Mo Z, Chen L, Yang B, Zhang Z, Chen S, Ye L, Zhang R, Zheng Y, Chen W, Li D. Association between H3K36me3 modification and methylation of LINE-1 and MGMT in peripheral blood lymphocytes of PAH-exposed workers. Toxicol Res (Camb) 2020; 9:661-668. [PMID: 33178426 DOI: 10.1093/toxres/tfaa074] [Citation(s) in RCA: 6] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 07/10/2020] [Revised: 08/21/2020] [Accepted: 08/27/2020] [Indexed: 01/24/2023] Open
Abstract
To explore the epigenetic alterations in response to DNA damage following polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbons (PAHs) exposure and the crosstalk between different epigenetic regulations, we examined trimethylated Lys 36 of histone H3 (H3K36me3) and methylation of 'long interspersed element-1 (LINE-1)' and 'O 6-methylguanine-DNA methyltransferase (MGMT)' in peripheral blood lymphocytes (PBLCs) of 173 coke oven workers (PAH-exposed group) and 94 non-exposed workers (control group). The PAH-exposed group showed higher internal PAH exposure level, enhanced DNA damage and increased MGMT expression (all P < 0.001). Notably, the methylation of LINE-1 and MGMT decreased by 3.9 and 40.8%, respectively, while H3K36me3 level was 1.7 times higher in PBLCs of PAH-exposed group compared to control group (all P < 0.001). These three epigenetic marks were significantly associated with DNA damage degree (all P < 0.001) and PAH exposure level in a dose-response manner (all P < 0.001). LINE-1 hypomethylation is correlated with enhanced H3K36me3 modification (β = -0.198, P = 0.002), indicating a synergistic effect between histone modification and DNA methylation at the whole genome level. In addition, MGMT expression was positively correlated with H3K36me3 modification (r = 0.253, P < 0.001), but not negatively correlated with MGMT methylation (r = 0.202, P < 0.05). The in vitro study using human bronchial epithelial cells treated with the organic extract of coke oven emissions confirmed that H3K36me3 is important for MGMT expression following PAH exposure. In summary, our study indicates that histone modification and DNA methylation might have synergistic effects on DNA damage induced by PAH exposure at the whole genome level and H3K36me3 is more essential for MGMT expression during the course.
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Affiliation(s)
- Xiumei Xing
- Department of Toxicology, Guangdong Provincial Key Laboratory of Food, Nutrition and Health, School of Public Health, Sun Yat-sen University, 74 Zhongshan Road 2, Guangzhou 510080, China
| | - Zhini He
- Department of Toxicology, Guangdong Provincial Key Laboratory of Food, Nutrition and Health, School of Public Health, Sun Yat-sen University, 74 Zhongshan Road 2, Guangzhou 510080, China
| | - Ziwei Wang
- Department of Toxicology, Guangdong Provincial Key Laboratory of Food, Nutrition and Health, School of Public Health, Sun Yat-sen University, 74 Zhongshan Road 2, Guangzhou 510080, China
| | - Ziying Mo
- Department of Toxicology, Guangdong Provincial Key Laboratory of Food, Nutrition and Health, School of Public Health, Sun Yat-sen University, 74 Zhongshan Road 2, Guangzhou 510080, China
| | - Liping Chen
- Department of Toxicology, Guangdong Provincial Key Laboratory of Food, Nutrition and Health, School of Public Health, Sun Yat-sen University, 74 Zhongshan Road 2, Guangzhou 510080, China
| | - Boyi Yang
- Department of Toxicology, Guangdong Provincial Key Laboratory of Food, Nutrition and Health, School of Public Health, Sun Yat-sen University, 74 Zhongshan Road 2, Guangzhou 510080, China
| | - Zhengbao Zhang
- Department of Toxicology, Guangdong Provincial Key Laboratory of Food, Nutrition and Health, School of Public Health, Sun Yat-sen University, 74 Zhongshan Road 2, Guangzhou 510080, China
| | - Shen Chen
- Department of Toxicology, Guangdong Provincial Key Laboratory of Food, Nutrition and Health, School of Public Health, Sun Yat-sen University, 74 Zhongshan Road 2, Guangzhou 510080, China
| | - Lizhu Ye
- Department of Toxicology, Guangdong Provincial Key Laboratory of Food, Nutrition and Health, School of Public Health, Sun Yat-sen University, 74 Zhongshan Road 2, Guangzhou 510080, China
| | - Rui Zhang
- Department of Toxicology, Guangdong Provincial Key Laboratory of Food, Nutrition and Health, School of Public Health, Sun Yat-sen University, 74 Zhongshan Road 2, Guangzhou 510080, China
| | - Yuxin Zheng
- Department of Toxicology, School of Public Health, Qingdao University 38 Dengzhou Road, Qingdao 266021, China
| | - Wen Chen
- Department of Toxicology, Guangdong Provincial Key Laboratory of Food, Nutrition and Health, School of Public Health, Sun Yat-sen University, 74 Zhongshan Road 2, Guangzhou 510080, China
| | - Daochuan Li
- Department of Toxicology, Guangdong Provincial Key Laboratory of Food, Nutrition and Health, School of Public Health, Sun Yat-sen University, 74 Zhongshan Road 2, Guangzhou 510080, China
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13
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Smigielski L, Jagannath V, Rössler W, Walitza S, Grünblatt E. Epigenetic mechanisms in schizophrenia and other psychotic disorders: a systematic review of empirical human findings. Mol Psychiatry 2020; 25:1718-1748. [PMID: 31907379 DOI: 10.1038/s41380-019-0601-3] [Citation(s) in RCA: 77] [Impact Index Per Article: 19.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Submit a Manuscript] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 07/08/2019] [Revised: 11/05/2019] [Accepted: 11/07/2019] [Indexed: 12/26/2022]
Abstract
Schizophrenia and other psychotic disorders are highly debilitating psychiatric conditions that lack a clear etiology and exhibit polygenic inheritance underlain by pleiotropic genes. The prevailing explanation points to the interplay between predisposing genes and environmental exposure. Accumulated evidence suggests that epigenetic regulation of the genome may mediate dynamic gene-environment interactions at the molecular level by modulating the expression of psychiatric phenotypes through transcription factors. This systematic review summarizes the current knowledge linking schizophrenia and other psychotic disorders to epigenetics, based on PubMed and Web of Science database searches conducted according to the PRISMA guidelines. Three groups of mechanisms in case-control studies of human tissue (i.e., postmortem brain and bio-fluids) were considered: DNA methylation, histone modifications, and non-coding miRNAs. From the initial pool of 3,204 records, 152 studies met our inclusion criteria (11,815/11,528, 233/219, and 2,091/1,827 cases/controls for each group, respectively). Many of the findings revealed associations with epigenetic modulations of genes regulating neurotransmission, neurodevelopment, and immune function, as well as differential miRNA expression (e.g., upregulated miR-34a, miR-7, and miR-181b). Overall, actual evidence moderately supports an association between epigenetics and schizophrenia and other psychotic disorders. However, heterogeneous results and cross-tissue extrapolations call for future work. Integrating epigenetics into systems biology may critically enhance research on psychosis and thus our understanding of the disorder. This may have implications for psychiatry in risk stratification, early recognition, diagnostics, precision medicine, and other interventional approaches targeting epigenetic fingerprints.
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Affiliation(s)
- Lukasz Smigielski
- Department of Child and Adolescent Psychiatry and Psychotherapy, University Hospital of Psychiatry Zurich, University of Zurich, Zurich, Switzerland. .,The Zurich Program for Sustainable Development of Mental Health Services (ZInEP), University Hospital of Psychiatry Zurich, Zurich, Switzerland.
| | - Vinita Jagannath
- Department of Child and Adolescent Psychiatry and Psychotherapy, University Hospital of Psychiatry Zurich, University of Zurich, Zurich, Switzerland.,Merck Sharp & Dohme (MSD) R&D Innovation Centre, London, UK
| | - Wulf Rössler
- The Zurich Program for Sustainable Development of Mental Health Services (ZInEP), University Hospital of Psychiatry Zurich, Zurich, Switzerland.,Department of Psychiatry, Psychotherapy and Psychosomatics, University Hospital of Psychiatry, University of Zurich, Zurich, Switzerland.,Department of Psychiatry and Psychotherapy, Charité Universitätsmedizin, Berlin, Germany.,Laboratory of Neuroscience, Institute of Psychiatry, Universidade de São Paulo, São Paulo, Brazil
| | - Susanne Walitza
- Department of Child and Adolescent Psychiatry and Psychotherapy, University Hospital of Psychiatry Zurich, University of Zurich, Zurich, Switzerland.,The Zurich Program for Sustainable Development of Mental Health Services (ZInEP), University Hospital of Psychiatry Zurich, Zurich, Switzerland.,Neuroscience Center Zurich, University of Zurich and ETH Zurich, Zurich, Switzerland.,Zurich Center for Integrative Human Physiology, University of Zurich, Zurich, Switzerland
| | - Edna Grünblatt
- Department of Child and Adolescent Psychiatry and Psychotherapy, University Hospital of Psychiatry Zurich, University of Zurich, Zurich, Switzerland.,Neuroscience Center Zurich, University of Zurich and ETH Zurich, Zurich, Switzerland.,Zurich Center for Integrative Human Physiology, University of Zurich, Zurich, Switzerland
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Zhu Y, Sun D, Jakovcevski M, Jiang Y. Epigenetic mechanism of SETDB1 in brain: implications for neuropsychiatric disorders. Transl Psychiatry 2020; 10:115. [PMID: 32321908 PMCID: PMC7176658 DOI: 10.1038/s41398-020-0797-7] [Citation(s) in RCA: 16] [Impact Index Per Article: 4.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Submit a Manuscript] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 09/03/2019] [Revised: 03/13/2020] [Accepted: 03/26/2020] [Indexed: 12/14/2022] Open
Abstract
Neuropsychiatric disorders are a collective of cerebral conditions with a multifactorial and polygenetic etiology. Dysregulation of epigenetic profiles in the brain is considered to play a critical role in the development of neuropsychiatric disorders. SET domain, bifurcate 1 (SETDB1), functioning as a histone H3K9 specific methyltransferase, is not only critically involved in transcriptional silencing and local heterochromatin formation, but also affects genome-wide neuronal epigenetic profiles and is essential for 3D genome integrity. Here, we provide a review of recent advances towards understanding the role of SETDB1 in the central nervous system during early neurodevelopment as well as in the adult brain, with a particular focus on studies that link its functions to neuropsychiatric disorders and related behavioral changes, and the exploration of novel therapeutic strategies targeting SETDB1.
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Affiliation(s)
- Yueyan Zhu
- Institutes of Brain Science, State Key Laboratory of Medical Neurobiology and MOE Frontier Center for Brain Science, Fudan University, 200032, Shanghai, China
| | - Daijing Sun
- Institutes of Brain Science, State Key Laboratory of Medical Neurobiology and MOE Frontier Center for Brain Science, Fudan University, 200032, Shanghai, China
| | - Mira Jakovcevski
- Department of Stress Neurobiology and Neurogenetics, Max Planck Institute of Psychiatry, Munich, Germany
| | - Yan Jiang
- Institutes of Brain Science, State Key Laboratory of Medical Neurobiology and MOE Frontier Center for Brain Science, Fudan University, 200032, Shanghai, China.
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15
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Atypical lateralization in neurodevelopmental and psychiatric disorders: What is the role of stress? Cortex 2020; 125:215-232. [PMID: 32035318 DOI: 10.1016/j.cortex.2019.12.019] [Citation(s) in RCA: 64] [Impact Index Per Article: 16.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 08/29/2019] [Revised: 11/07/2019] [Accepted: 12/23/2019] [Indexed: 02/08/2023]
Abstract
Hemispheric asymmetries are a major organizational principle of the human brain. In different neurodevelopmental and psychiatric disorders, like schizophrenia, autism spectrum disorders, depression, dyslexia and posttraumatic stress disorder, functional and/or structural hemispheric asymmetries are altered compared to healthy controls. The question, why these disorders all share the common characteristic of altered hemispheric asymmetries despite vastly different etiologies and symptoms remains one of the unsolved mysteries of laterality research. This review is aimed at reviewing potential reasons for why atypical lateralization is so common in many neurodevelopmental and psychiatric disorders. To this end, we review the evidence for overlaps in the genetic and non-genetic factors involved in the ontogenesis of different disorders and hemispheric asymmetries. While there is evidence for genetic overlap between different disorders, only few asymmetry-related loci have also been linked to disorders and importantly, those effects are mostly specific to single disorders. However, there is evidence for shared non-genetic influences between disorders and hemispheric asymmetries. Most neurodevelopmental and psychiatric disorders show alterations in the hypothalamic-pituitary adrenocortical (HPA) axis and maternal as well as early life stress have been implicated in their etiology. Stress has also been suggested to affect hemispheric asymmetries. We propose a model in which early life stress as well as chronic stress not only increases the risk for psychiatric and neurodevelopmental disorders but also changes structural and functional hemispheric asymmetries leading to the aberrant lateralization patterns seen in these disorders. Thus, pathology-related changes in hemispheric asymmetries are not a factor causing disorders, but rather a different phenotype that is affected by partly overlapping ontogenetic factors, primarily stress.
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16
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Post-translational histone modifications and their interaction with sex influence normal brain development and elaboration of neuropsychiatric disorders. Biochim Biophys Acta Mol Basis Dis 2019; 1865:1968-1981. [DOI: 10.1016/j.bbadis.2018.10.016] [Citation(s) in RCA: 8] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.6] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 08/13/2018] [Revised: 10/05/2018] [Accepted: 10/08/2018] [Indexed: 02/06/2023]
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17
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Chase KA, Feiner B, Ramaker MJ, Hu E, Rosen C, Sharma RP. Examining the effects of the histone methyltransferase inhibitor BIX-01294 on histone modifications and gene expression in both a clinical population and mouse models. PLoS One 2019; 14:e0216463. [PMID: 31185023 PMCID: PMC6559633 DOI: 10.1371/journal.pone.0216463] [Citation(s) in RCA: 11] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.2] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 07/11/2018] [Accepted: 04/08/2019] [Indexed: 01/03/2023] Open
Abstract
Schizophrenia has been consistently characterized by abnormal patterns of gene down-regulation, increased restrictive chromatin assemblies, and reduced transcriptional activity. Histone methyltransferase (HMT) mRNA and H3K9me2 levels are elevated in postmortem brain and peripheral blood cells of persons with schizophrenia. Moreover, this epigenomic state likely contributes to the disease, as HMT levels correlate with clinical symptomatology. This manuscript sought to establish the potential therapeutic value of the HMT inhibitor BIX-01294 (BIX). Human peripheral mononuclear cells (PBMC) from 24 individuals with schizophrenia and 24 healthy individuals were cultured in the presence of BIX (5uM or 10uM). Mice were given once daily intraperitoneal injections of BIX (0.5 or 1mg/kg) for one week. Cultured cells, mouse cortex, or striatum was harvested, RNA extracted and RT-PCR conducted for several schizophrenia candidate genes: IL-6, Gad1, Nanog, KLF4, Reln, and Bdnf9a. Total H3K9me2 levels were measured using western blot while H3K9me2 binding to selected genes of interest was conducted using chromatin immunoprecipitation (ChIP). Neuronal subtype-specific BDNF conditional knockdown was conducted using the cre/lox system of mutant animals. Treatment with BIX decreased H3K9me2 and increased selected mRNA levels in cultured PBMCs from both normal controls and participants with schizophrenia. In mice, peripheral administration of BIX decreased cortical H3K9me2 levels and increased schizophrenia candidate gene expression. In BDNF conditional knockdown animals, BIX administration was able to significantly rescue Bdnf9a mRNA levels in ChAT and D1 Bdnf conditional knockdown mice. The results presented in this manuscript demonstrate a potential for further research into the clinical effectiveness of histone modifying pharmacology in the treatment of schizophrenia.
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Affiliation(s)
- Kayla A. Chase
- Department of Psychiatry, University of Illinois at Chicago, Chicago, IL, United States of America
- Jesse Brown Veterans Affairs Medical Center, Chicago, IL, United States of America
| | - Benjamin Feiner
- Department of Psychiatry, University of Illinois at Chicago, Chicago, IL, United States of America
| | - Marcia J. Ramaker
- Department of Psychiatry, University of California, La Jolla, CA, United States of America
| | - Edward Hu
- Department of Psychiatry, University of Illinois at Chicago, Chicago, IL, United States of America
| | - Cherise Rosen
- Department of Psychiatry, University of Illinois at Chicago, Chicago, IL, United States of America
| | - Rajiv P. Sharma
- Department of Psychiatry, University of Illinois at Chicago, Chicago, IL, United States of America
- Jesse Brown Veterans Affairs Medical Center, Chicago, IL, United States of America
- * E-mail:
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Hu TM, Chen SJ, Hsu SH, Cheng MC. Functional analyses and effect of DNA methylation on the EGR1 gene in patients with schizophrenia. Psychiatry Res 2019; 275:276-282. [PMID: 30952071 DOI: 10.1016/j.psychres.2019.03.044] [Citation(s) in RCA: 10] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Submit a Manuscript] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 08/29/2018] [Revised: 03/14/2019] [Accepted: 03/26/2019] [Indexed: 11/29/2022]
Abstract
EGR1, involved in the regulation of synaptic plasticity, learning, and memory, is considered a candidate gene for schizophrenia. We resequenced the exonic regions of EGR1 in 516 patients with schizophrenia and conducted a reporter gene assay. We found two mutations including a rare mutation (c.-8C>T, rs561524195) and one common SNP (c.308-42C>T, rs11743810). The reporter gene assay showed c.-8C>T mutant did not affect promoter activity. Gene expression analyses showed that the average EGR1 mRNA and protein levels in lymphoblastoid cell lines of schizophrenia in male, but not female, were significantly higher than those in controls. We conducted in vitro DNA methylation reaction, luciferase activity assay, and pyrosequencing to assess DNA methylation of EGR1 expression underlying the pathophysiology of schizophrenia. DNA methylation of the EGR1 promoter region attenuated reporter activity, suggesting that DNA methylation regulates EGR1 expression. There were no statistically significant differences in DNA methylation levels of 17 CpG sites at the EGR1 promoter region between 64 patients with schizophrenia compared with 64 controls. These results suggest that the exonic mutations in EGR1 and DNA methylation regulating EGR1 expression might not be associated with schizophrenia. However, the gender-specific association of elevated EGR1 expression might be involved in the pathophysiology of schizophrenia.
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Affiliation(s)
- Tsung-Ming Hu
- Department of Psychiatry, Yuli Branch, Taipei Veterans General Hospital, Hualien County, Taiwan; Department of Long-Term Care, University of Kang Ning, Taipei City, Taiwan
| | - Shaw-Ji Chen
- Department of Psychiatry, Mackay Medical College, New Taipei City, Taiwan; Department of Psychiatry, Mackay Memorial Hospital, Taitung Branch, Taitung County, Taiwan
| | - Shih-Hsin Hsu
- Department of Psychiatry, Yuli Branch, Taipei Veterans General Hospital, Hualien County, Taiwan
| | - Min-Chih Cheng
- Department of Psychiatry, Yuli Branch, Taipei Veterans General Hospital, Hualien County, Taiwan.
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19
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Riecher-Rössler A, Butler S, Kulkarni J. Sex and gender differences in schizophrenic psychoses-a critical review. Arch Womens Ment Health 2018; 21:627-648. [PMID: 29766281 DOI: 10.1007/s00737-018-0847-9] [Citation(s) in RCA: 125] [Impact Index Per Article: 20.8] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Submit a Manuscript] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 02/07/2023]
Abstract
Many sex and gender differences in schizophrenic psychoses have been reported, but few have been soundly replicated. A stable finding is the later age of onset in women compared to men. Gender differences in symptomatology, comorbidity, and neurocognition seem to reflect findings in the general population. There is increasing evidence for estrogens being psychoprotective in women and for hypothalamic-pituitary-gonadal dysfunction in both sexes.More methodologically sound, longitudinal, multi-domain, interdisciplinary research investigating both sex (biological) and gender (psychosocial) factors is required to better understand the different pathogenesis and etiologies of schizophrenic psychoses in women and men, thereby leading to better tailored treatments and improved outcomes.
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Affiliation(s)
- Anita Riecher-Rössler
- Center of Gender Research and Early Detection, University of Basel Psychiatric Hospital, Basel, Switzerland.
| | - Surina Butler
- Faculty of Medicine, Nursing & Health Sciences, Monash University, Melbourne, Australia
| | - Jayashri Kulkarni
- Monash Alfred Psychiatry Research Centre (MAPrc), Melbourne, VIC, 3004, Australia
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20
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Jakobsen MI, Fink-Jensen A. Eosinopenia in women with schizophrenia: Drug-induced or a sign of gender specific difference in pathogenesis? Schizophr Res 2018; 197:601-602. [PMID: 29490882 DOI: 10.1016/j.schres.2018.02.007] [Citation(s) in RCA: 1] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.2] [Reference Citation Analysis] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Submit a Manuscript] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 01/31/2018] [Revised: 02/05/2018] [Accepted: 02/10/2018] [Indexed: 10/17/2022]
Affiliation(s)
- M I Jakobsen
- Psychiatric Centre Copenhagen, Rigshospitalet, University of Copenhagen, Edel Sauntes Allé 10, DK-2100 Copenhagen O, Denmark
| | - A Fink-Jensen
- Psychiatric Centre Copenhagen, Rigshospitalet, University of Copenhagen, Edel Sauntes Allé 10, DK-2100 Copenhagen O, Denmark.
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Karanth AV, Maniswami RR, Prashanth S, Govindaraj H, Padmavathy R, Jegatheesan SK, Mullangi R, Rajagopal S. Emerging role of SETDB1 as a therapeutic target. Expert Opin Ther Targets 2017; 21:319-331. [PMID: 28076698 DOI: 10.1080/14728222.2017.1279604] [Citation(s) in RCA: 43] [Impact Index Per Article: 6.1] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 12/30/2022]
Abstract
INTRODUCTION Epigenetic changes lead to aberrant gene expression in cancer. SETDB1, a histone lysine methyltransferase plays an important role in methylation and gene silencing. Aberrant histone methylation at H3K9 by SETDB1 promotes silencing of tumor suppressor genes and thus contributes to carcinogenesis. Recent studies indicate that SETDB1 is abnormally expressed in various human cancer conditions which contributed to enhanced tumor growth and metastasis. Hence, SETDB1 appears to be a promising epigenetic target for therapeutic intervention. Areas covered: In this article, the structural features, localization and functions of SETDB1 are reviewed. Also, an overview of the role of SETDB1 in cancer and other disease mechanisms, the currently studied inhibitors for SETDB1 are mentioned. Expert opinion: Silencing of tumor suppressor genes due to excessive trimethylation at H3K9 by amplified SETDB1 levels is found in various cancerous conditions. Since epigenetic changes are reversible, SETDB1 holds promise as an important therapeutic target for cancer. Therefore, a better understanding of the role of SETDB1 and its interaction with various proteins in cancer-related mechanisms along with therapeutic interventions specific for SETDB1 may improve targeted cancer therapy.
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Histone Posttranslational Modifications in Schizophrenia. ADVANCES IN EXPERIMENTAL MEDICINE AND BIOLOGY 2017; 978:237-254. [PMID: 28523550 DOI: 10.1007/978-3-319-53889-1_13] [Citation(s) in RCA: 22] [Impact Index Per Article: 3.1] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 12/13/2022]
Abstract
Schizophrenia is a complex neuropsychiatric disorder with high heritability; however, family and twin studies have indicated that environmental factors also play important roles in the etiology of disease. Environmental triggers exert their influence on behavior via epigenetic mechanisms. Epigenetic modifications, such as histone acetylation and methylation, as well as DNA methylation, can induce lasting changes in gene expression and have therefore been implicated in promoting the behavioral and neuronal behaviors that characterize this disorder. Importantly, because epigenetic processes are potentially reversible, they might serve as targets in the design of novel therapies in psychiatry. This chapter will review the current information regarding histone modifications in schizophrenia and the potential therapeutic relevance of such marks.
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23
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Perez-Becerril C, Morris AG, Mortimer A, McKenna PJ, de Belleroche J. Common variants in the chromosome 2p23 region containing the SLC30A3 (ZnT3) gene are associated with schizophrenia in female but not male individuals in a large collection of European samples. Psychiatry Res 2016; 246:335-340. [PMID: 27750116 DOI: 10.1016/j.psychres.2016.09.052] [Citation(s) in RCA: 20] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Submit a Manuscript] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 04/25/2016] [Revised: 08/17/2016] [Accepted: 09/27/2016] [Indexed: 01/06/2023]
Abstract
Previously, we found a significant gender-specific association of schizophrenia, in a UK case/control study, with SLC30A3, a candidate that is consistently down-regulated in schizophrenia in two independent cohorts. In view of the potential significance of this finding, we extended this study to a larger cohort using GWAS data from the Psychiatric Genetic Consortium (PGC). Meta-analysis was performed for the only two SLC30A3 SNP variants (rs11126936 and rs11126929) available in most PGC cohorts. A significant association with schizophrenia was found for both variants. When meta-analysis was performed in male and female case-control subsets, an increased and gender-specific effect of allele on risk of disease was found in females for both SNPs with no significant effect in males, which was further associated with a gender-specific effect on gene expression. In conclusion, using a large European-wide sample we were able to replicate the gender-specific association previously found in a UK cohort.
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Affiliation(s)
- C Perez-Becerril
- Neurogenetics Group, Division of Brain Sciences, Faculty of Medicine, Imperial College London, UK.
| | - A G Morris
- Neurogenetics Group, Division of Brain Sciences, Faculty of Medicine, Imperial College London, UK.
| | - A Mortimer
- University of Hull and NAViGO, Hull, UK.
| | - P J McKenna
- Benito Menni Complex Assistencial en Salut Mental, Germanes Hospitalàries del Sagrat Cor de Jesús, C/Doctor Antoni Pujades 38-C, 08830 Sant Boi de Llobregat Barcelona, Spain.
| | - J de Belleroche
- Neurogenetics Group, Division of Brain Sciences, Faculty of Medicine, Imperial College London, UK.
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24
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Whitton L, Cosgrove D, Clarkson C, Harold D, Kendall K, Richards A, Mantripragada K, Owen MJ, O'Donovan MC, Walters J, Hartmann A, Konte B, Rujescu D, Gill M, Corvin A, Rea S, Donohoe G, Morris DW. Cognitive analysis of schizophrenia risk genes that function as epigenetic regulators of gene expression. Am J Med Genet B Neuropsychiatr Genet 2016; 171:1170-1179. [PMID: 27762073 DOI: 10.1002/ajmg.b.32503] [Citation(s) in RCA: 33] [Impact Index Per Article: 4.1] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Submit a Manuscript] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 03/07/2016] [Accepted: 09/27/2016] [Indexed: 12/13/2022]
Abstract
Epigenetic mechanisms are an important heritable and dynamic means of regulating various genomic functions, including gene expression, to orchestrate brain development, adult neurogenesis, and synaptic plasticity. These processes when perturbed are thought to contribute to schizophrenia pathophysiology. A core feature of schizophrenia is cognitive dysfunction. For genetic disorders where cognitive impairment is more severe such as intellectual disability, there are a disproportionally high number of genes involved in the epigenetic regulation of gene transcription. Evidence now supports some shared genetic aetiology between schizophrenia and intellectual disability. GWAS have identified 108 chromosomal regions associated with schizophrenia risk that span 350 genes. This study identified genes mapping to those loci that have epigenetic functions, and tested the risk alleles defining those loci for association with cognitive deficits. We developed a list of 350 genes with epigenetic functions and cross-referenced this with the GWAS loci. This identified eight candidate genes: BCL11B, CHD7, EP300, EPC2, GATAD2A, KDM3B, RERE, SATB2. Using a dataset of Irish psychosis cases and controls (n = 1235), the schizophrenia risk SNPs at these loci were tested for effects on IQ, working memory, episodic memory, and attention. Strongest associations were for rs6984242 with both measures of IQ (P = 0.001) and episodic memory (P = 0.007). We link rs6984242 to CHD7 via a long range eQTL. These associations were not replicated in independent samples. Our study highlights that a number of genes mapping to risk loci for schizophrenia may function as epigenetic regulators of gene expression but further studies are required to establish a role for these genes in cognition. © 2016 Wiley Periodicals, Inc.
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Affiliation(s)
- Laura Whitton
- Cognitive Genetics and Cognitive Therapy Group, Neuroimaging, Cognition and Genomics (NICOG) Centre and NCBES Galway Neuroscience Centre, School of Psychology and Discipline of Biochemistry, National University of Ireland Galway, Galway, Ireland
| | - Donna Cosgrove
- Cognitive Genetics and Cognitive Therapy Group, Neuroimaging, Cognition and Genomics (NICOG) Centre and NCBES Galway Neuroscience Centre, School of Psychology and Discipline of Biochemistry, National University of Ireland Galway, Galway, Ireland
| | - Christopher Clarkson
- Centre for Chromosome Biology, Discipline of Biochemistry, National University of Ireland Galway, Galway, Ireland
| | - Denise Harold
- Neuropsychiatric Genetics Research Group, Institute of Molecular Medicine and Discipline of Psychiatry, Trinity College Dublin, Dublin, Ireland.,School of Biotechnology, Dublin City University, Dublin, Ireland
| | - Kimberley Kendall
- MRC Centre for Neuropsychiatric Genetics and Genomics, Cardiff University School of Medicine, Cardiff, United Kingdom
| | - Alex Richards
- MRC Centre for Neuropsychiatric Genetics and Genomics, Cardiff University School of Medicine, Cardiff, United Kingdom
| | - Kiran Mantripragada
- MRC Centre for Neuropsychiatric Genetics and Genomics, Cardiff University School of Medicine, Cardiff, United Kingdom
| | - Michael J Owen
- MRC Centre for Neuropsychiatric Genetics and Genomics, Cardiff University School of Medicine, Cardiff, United Kingdom
| | - Michael C O'Donovan
- MRC Centre for Neuropsychiatric Genetics and Genomics, Cardiff University School of Medicine, Cardiff, United Kingdom
| | - James Walters
- MRC Centre for Neuropsychiatric Genetics and Genomics, Cardiff University School of Medicine, Cardiff, United Kingdom
| | | | - Betina Konte
- Department of Psychiatry, University of Halle, Halle, Germany
| | - Dan Rujescu
- Department of Psychiatry, University of Halle, Halle, Germany
| | | | - Michael Gill
- Neuropsychiatric Genetics Research Group, Institute of Molecular Medicine and Discipline of Psychiatry, Trinity College Dublin, Dublin, Ireland
| | - Aiden Corvin
- Neuropsychiatric Genetics Research Group, Institute of Molecular Medicine and Discipline of Psychiatry, Trinity College Dublin, Dublin, Ireland
| | - Stephen Rea
- Centre for Chromosome Biology, Discipline of Biochemistry, National University of Ireland Galway, Galway, Ireland
| | - Gary Donohoe
- Cognitive Genetics and Cognitive Therapy Group, Neuroimaging, Cognition and Genomics (NICOG) Centre and NCBES Galway Neuroscience Centre, School of Psychology and Discipline of Biochemistry, National University of Ireland Galway, Galway, Ireland
| | - Derek W Morris
- Cognitive Genetics and Cognitive Therapy Group, Neuroimaging, Cognition and Genomics (NICOG) Centre and NCBES Galway Neuroscience Centre, School of Psychology and Discipline of Biochemistry, National University of Ireland Galway, Galway, Ireland
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25
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Labad J, Gutiérrez-Zotes A, Creus M, Montalvo I, Cabezas Á, Solé M, Ortega L, Algora MJ, Sánchez-Gistau V, Vilella E. Hypothalamic-pituitary-adrenal axis measures and cognitive abilities in early psychosis: Are there sex differences? Psychoneuroendocrinology 2016; 72:54-62. [PMID: 27344379 DOI: 10.1016/j.psyneuen.2016.06.006] [Citation(s) in RCA: 17] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.1] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Submit a Manuscript] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 03/09/2016] [Revised: 06/05/2016] [Accepted: 06/06/2016] [Indexed: 12/28/2022]
Abstract
INTRODUCTION Measures of hypothalamic-pituitary-adrenal (HPA) axis activity such as increased diurnal cortisol levels or a blunted cortisol awakening response (CAR) have been associated with cognitive impairments in people with psychotic disorders. We aimed to explore whether there are sex differences in the relationship between HPA axis measures and cognition in early psychosis (EP). METHODS 60 EP outpatients and 50 healthy subjects (HS) were assessed with the MATRICS Consensus Cognitive Battery. Saliva cortisol levels were determined at the neuropsychological assessment and on another day at 6 sampling times: awakening; 30' and 60' post-awakening; and 10:00h, 23:00h and 10:00h the day after the administration of 0.25mg of dexamethasone, which occurred at 23:00h. Three HPA axis measures were calculated: CAR, cortisol diurnal slope and cortisol suppression ratio of the dexamethasone suppression test (DST). Multiple linear regression analyses were conducted to explore the relationship between HPA axis measures and cognitive tasks while adjusting for covariates (education level, smoking, cannabis use, and cortisol levels at the cognitive assessment). Interactions between female sex, EP diagnosis and HPA axis measures were examined. RESULTS An increased CAR was associated with a poorer cognitive performance in EP women in processing speed and verbal memory. In contrast, a more flattened diurnal cortisol slope was associated with poorer functioning in the spatial working memory of EP women. DST suppression ratio was associated with better visual memory, without sex differences. CONCLUSIONS Our study suggests that there are sex differences in the relationship between HPA axis measures and cognitive abilities in EP.
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Affiliation(s)
- Javier Labad
- Corporació Sanitària Parc Taulí, I3PT, Universitat Autònoma de Barcelona. CIBERSAM, Sabadell, Spain.
| | - Alfonso Gutiérrez-Zotes
- Hospital Universitari Institut Pere Mata, IISPV, Universitat Rovira i Virgili. CIBERSAM, Reus, Spain
| | - Marta Creus
- Hospital Universitari Institut Pere Mata, IISPV, Universitat Rovira i Virgili. CIBERSAM, Reus, Spain
| | - Itziar Montalvo
- Corporació Sanitària Parc Taulí, I3PT, Universitat Autònoma de Barcelona. CIBERSAM, Sabadell, Spain
| | - Ángel Cabezas
- Hospital Universitari Institut Pere Mata, IISPV, Universitat Rovira i Virgili. CIBERSAM, Reus, Spain
| | - Montse Solé
- Hospital Universitari Institut Pere Mata, IISPV, Universitat Rovira i Virgili. CIBERSAM, Reus, Spain
| | - Laura Ortega
- Hospital Universitari Institut Pere Mata, IISPV, Universitat Rovira i Virgili. CIBERSAM, Reus, Spain
| | - Maria José Algora
- Hospital Universitari Institut Pere Mata, IISPV, Universitat Rovira i Virgili. CIBERSAM, Reus, Spain
| | - Vanessa Sánchez-Gistau
- Hospital Universitari Institut Pere Mata, IISPV, Universitat Rovira i Virgili. CIBERSAM, Reus, Spain
| | - Elisabet Vilella
- Hospital Universitari Institut Pere Mata, IISPV, Universitat Rovira i Virgili. CIBERSAM, Reus, Spain
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26
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Kigar SL, Chang L, Hayne MR, Karls NT, Auger AP. Sex differences in Gadd45b expression and methylation in the developing rodent amygdala. Brain Res 2016; 1642:461-466. [PMID: 27086974 PMCID: PMC6701186 DOI: 10.1016/j.brainres.2016.04.031] [Citation(s) in RCA: 9] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.1] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 12/09/2015] [Revised: 04/12/2016] [Accepted: 04/14/2016] [Indexed: 01/25/2023]
Abstract
Precise spatiotemporal epigenetic regulation of the genome facilitates species-typical development; sexual differentiation of the brain by gonadal hormones and sex chromosomes causes extensive epigenetic reprogramming of many cells in the body, including the brain, and may indirectly predispose males and females to different psychiatric conditions. We and others have demonstrated sex differences in DNA methylation, as well as in the enzymes that form, or 'write', this epigenetic modification. However, while a growing body of evidence suggests that DNA methylation undergoes rapid turnover and is dynamically regulated in vivo, to our knowledge no studies have been done investigating whether sex differences exist in the epigenetic 'erasers' during postnatal development. Here we report sex differences in the expression of growth arrest and DNA damage inducible factor β (Gadd45b), but not family members α (a) or γ (g), in the neonatal and juvenile rodent amygdala.
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Affiliation(s)
- Stacey L Kigar
- Molecular and Cellular Pharmacology Training Program, University of Wisconsin-Madison, 1202 W Johnson St., Madison, WI 53706, United States.
| | - Liza Chang
- Department of Psychology, University of Wisconsin-Madison, 1202 W Johnson St., Madison, WI 53706, United States.
| | - Margaret R Hayne
- Department of Psychology, University of Wisconsin-Madison, 1202 W Johnson St., Madison, WI 53706, United States
| | - Nicolette T Karls
- Department of Psychology, University of Wisconsin-Madison, 1202 W Johnson St., Madison, WI 53706, United States
| | - Anthony P Auger
- Department of Psychology, University of Wisconsin-Madison, 1202 W Johnson St., Madison, WI 53706, United States; Neuroscience Training Program, University of Wisconsin-Madison, 1202 W Johnson St., Madison, WI 53706, United States.
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27
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Sharda M, Foster NEV, Hyde KL. Imaging Brain Development: Benefiting from Individual Variability. J Exp Neurosci 2015; 9:11-8. [PMID: 26648753 PMCID: PMC4667561 DOI: 10.4137/jen.s32734] [Citation(s) in RCA: 5] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.6] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 09/15/2015] [Revised: 10/21/2015] [Accepted: 10/26/2015] [Indexed: 11/05/2022] Open
Abstract
Human brain development is a complex process that evolves from early childhood to young adulthood. Major advances in brain imaging are increasingly being used to characterize the developing brain. These advances have further helped to elucidate the dynamic maturational processes that lead to the emergence of complex cognitive abilities in both typical and atypical development. However, conventional approaches involve categorical group comparison models and tend to disregard the role of widespread interindividual variability in brain development. This review highlights how this variability can inform our understanding of developmental processes. The latest studies in the field of brain development are reviewed, with a particular focus on the role of individual variability and the consequent heterogeneity in brain structural and functional development. This review also highlights how such heterogeneity might be utilized to inform our understanding of complex neuropsychiatric disorders and recommends the use of more dimensional approaches to study brain development.
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Affiliation(s)
- Megha Sharda
- International Laboratory for Brain Music and Sound (BRAMS), Department of Psychology, University of Montreal, Montreal, Canada
| | - Nicholas E V Foster
- International Laboratory for Brain Music and Sound (BRAMS), Department of Psychology, University of Montreal, Montreal, Canada
| | - Krista L Hyde
- International Laboratory for Brain Music and Sound (BRAMS), Department of Psychology, University of Montreal, Montreal, Canada. ; Faculty of Medicine, McGill University, Montreal, Canada
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28
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Sharma RP, Feiner B, Chase KA. Histone H3 phosphorylation is upregulated in PBMCs of schizophrenia patients in comparison to healthy controls. Schizophr Res 2015; 169:498-499. [PMID: 26476617 PMCID: PMC4835025 DOI: 10.1016/j.schres.2015.09.030] [Citation(s) in RCA: 12] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Submit a Manuscript] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 05/11/2015] [Revised: 09/24/2015] [Accepted: 09/27/2015] [Indexed: 10/22/2022]
Affiliation(s)
- Rajiv P. Sharma
- The Psychiatric Institute, University of Illinois at Chicago, 1601 W. Taylor St., Chicago, IL 60612, United States. Jesse Brown Veterans Affairs Medical Center, 820 South Damen Avenue (M/C 151), Chicago, IL 60612, United States
| | - Benjamin Feiner
- The Psychiatric Institute, University of Illinois at Chicago, 1601 W. Taylor St., Chicago, IL 60612, United States
| | - Kayla A. Chase
- The Psychiatric Institute, University of Illinois at Chicago, 1601 W. Taylor St., Chicago, IL 60612, United States
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