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Akhgari A, Michel TM, Vafaee MS. Dendritic spines and their role in the pathogenesis of neurodevelopmental and neurological disorders. Rev Neurosci 2024; 35:489-502. [PMID: 38440811 DOI: 10.1515/revneuro-2023-0151] [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: 12/06/2023] [Accepted: 02/02/2024] [Indexed: 03/06/2024]
Abstract
Since Cajal introduced dendritic spines in the 19th century, they have attained considerable attention, especially in neuropsychiatric and neurologic disorders. Multiple roles of dendritic spine malfunction and pathology in the progression of various diseases have been reported. Thus, it is inevitable to consider these structures as new therapeutic targets for treating neuropsychiatric and neurologic disorders such as autism spectrum disorders, schizophrenia, dementia, Down syndrome, etc. Therefore, we attempted to prepare a narrative review of the literature regarding the role of dendritic spines in the pathogenesis of aforementioned diseases and to shed new light on their pathophysiology.
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Affiliation(s)
- Aisan Akhgari
- Student Research Committee, Tabriz University of Medical Sciences, Golgasht Street, Tabriz 5166616471, Iran
| | - Tanja Maria Michel
- Research Unit for Psychiatry, Odense University Hospital, J. B. Winsløws Vej 4, Odense 5000, Denmark
- Clinical Institute, University of Southern Denmark, Campusvej 55, Odense 5230, Denmark
| | - Manouchehr Seyedi Vafaee
- Research Unit for Psychiatry, Odense University Hospital, J. B. Winsløws Vej 4, Odense 5000, Denmark
- Clinical Institute, University of Southern Denmark, Campusvej 55, Odense 5230, Denmark
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2
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Funk AT, Hassan AAO, Brüggemann N, Sharma N, Breiter HC, Blood AJ, Waugh JL. In humans, striato-pallido-thalamic projections are largely segregated by their origin in either the striosome-like or matrix-like compartments. Front Neurosci 2023; 17:1178473. [PMID: 37954873 PMCID: PMC10634229 DOI: 10.3389/fnins.2023.1178473] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 03/02/2023] [Accepted: 09/04/2023] [Indexed: 11/14/2023] Open
Abstract
Cortico-striato-thalamo-cortical (CSTC) loops are fundamental organizing units in mammalian brains. CSTCs process limbic, associative, and sensorimotor information in largely separated but interacting networks. CTSC loops pass through paired striatal compartments, striosome (aka patch) and matrix, segregated pools of medium spiny projection neurons with distinct embryologic origins, cortical/subcortical structural connectivity, susceptibility to injury, and roles in behaviors and diseases. Similarly, striatal dopamine modulates activity in striosome and matrix in opposite directions. Routing CSTCs through one compartment may be an anatomical basis for regulating discrete functions. We used differential structural connectivity, identified through probabilistic diffusion tractography, to distinguish the striatal compartments (striosome-like and matrix-like voxels) in living humans. We then mapped compartment-specific projections and quantified structural connectivity between each striatal compartment, the globus pallidus interna (GPi), and 20 thalamic nuclei in 221 healthy adults. We found that striosome-originating and matrix-originating streamlines were segregated within the GPi: striosome-like connectivity was significantly more rostral, ventral, and medial. Striato-pallido-thalamic streamline bundles that were seeded from striosome-like and matrix-like voxels transited spatially distinct portions of the white matter. Matrix-like streamlines were 5.7-fold more likely to reach the GPi, replicating animal tract-tracing studies. Striosome-like connectivity dominated in six thalamic nuclei (anteroventral, central lateral, laterodorsal, lateral posterior, mediodorsal-medial, and medial geniculate). Matrix-like connectivity dominated in seven thalamic nuclei (centromedian, parafascicular, pulvinar-anterior, pulvinar-lateral, ventral lateral-anterior, ventral lateral-posterior, ventral posterolateral). Though we mapped all thalamic nuclei independently, functionally-related nuclei were matched for compartment-level bias. We validated these results with prior thalamostriate tract tracing studies in non-human primates and other species; where reliable data was available, all agreed with our measures of structural connectivity. Matrix-like connectivity was lateralized (left > right hemisphere) in 18 thalamic nuclei, independent of handedness, diffusion protocol, sex, or whether the nucleus was striosome-dominated or matrix-dominated. Compartment-specific biases in striato-pallido-thalamic structural connectivity suggest that routing CSTC loops through striosome-like or matrix-like voxels is a fundamental mechanism for organizing and regulating brain networks. Our MRI-based assessments of striato-thalamic connectivity in humans match and extend the results of prior tract tracing studies in animals. Compartment-level characterization may improve localization of human neuropathologies and improve neurosurgical targeting in the GPi and thalamus.
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Affiliation(s)
- Adrian T. Funk
- Division of Pediatric Neurology, Department of Pediatrics, University of Texas Southwestern, Dallas, TX, United States
| | - Asim A. O. Hassan
- Department of Natural Sciences and Mathematics, University of Texas at Dallas, Richardson, TX, United States
| | - Norbert Brüggemann
- Department of Neurology and Institute of Neurogenetics, University of Lübeck, Lübeck, Germany
| | - Nutan Sharma
- Department of Neurology, Massachusetts General Hospital, Harvard University, Boston, MA, United States
| | - Hans C. Breiter
- Laboratory of Neuroimaging and Genetics, Massachusetts General Hospital, Charlestown, MA, United States
- Warren Wright Adolescent Center, Department of Psychiatry and Behavioral Sciences, Northwestern University Feinberg School of Medicine, Chicago, IL, United States
| | - Anne J. Blood
- Laboratory of Neuroimaging and Genetics, Massachusetts General Hospital, Charlestown, MA, United States
- Department of Psychiatry, Massachusetts General Hospital, Harvard University, Boston, MA, United States
- Mood and Motor Control Laboratory, Massachusetts General Hospital, Charlestown, MA, United States
- Martinos Center for Biomedical Imaging, Massachusetts General Hospital, Charlestown, MA, United States
| | - Jeff L. Waugh
- Division of Pediatric Neurology, Department of Pediatrics, University of Texas Southwestern, Dallas, TX, United States
- Mood and Motor Control Laboratory, Massachusetts General Hospital, Charlestown, MA, United States
- Martinos Center for Biomedical Imaging, Massachusetts General Hospital, Charlestown, MA, United States
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3
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Roberts RC, McCollum LA, Schoonover KE, Mabry SJ, Roche JK, Lahti AC. Ultrastructural evidence for glutamatergic dysregulation in schizophrenia. Schizophr Res 2022; 249:4-15. [PMID: 32014360 PMCID: PMC7392793 DOI: 10.1016/j.schres.2020.01.016] [Citation(s) in RCA: 14] [Impact Index Per Article: 7.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Submit a Manuscript] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 12/09/2019] [Revised: 01/16/2020] [Accepted: 01/18/2020] [Indexed: 12/14/2022]
Abstract
The aim of this paper is to summarize ultrastructural evidence for glutamatergic dysregulation in several linked regions in postmortem schizophrenia brain. Following a brief summary of glutamate circuitry and how synapses are identified at the electron microscopic (EM) level, we will review EM pathology in the cortex and basal ganglia. We will include the effects of antipsychotic drugs and the relation of treatment response. We will discuss how these findings support or confirm other postmortem findings as well as imaging results. Briefly, synaptic and mitochondrial density in anterior cingulate cortex was decreased in schizophrenia, versus normal controls (NCs), in a selective layer specific pattern. In dorsal striatum, increases in excitatory synaptic density were detected in caudate matrix, a compartment associated with cognitive and motor function, and in the putamen patches, a region associated with limbic function and in the core of the nucleus accumbens. Patients who were treatment resistant or untreated had significantly elevated numbers of excitatory synapses in limbic striatal areas in comparison to NCs and responders. Protein levels of vGLUT2, found in subcortical glutamatergic neurons, were increased in the nucleus accumbens in schizophrenia. At the EM level, schizophrenia subjects had an increase in density of excitatory synapses in several areas of the basal ganglia. In the substantia nigra, the protein levels of vGLUT2 were elevated in untreated patients compared to NCs. The density of inhibitory synapses was decreased in schizophrenia versus NCs. In schizophrenia, glutamatergic synapses are differentially affected depending on the brain region, treatment status, and treatment response.
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Affiliation(s)
- Rosalinda C Roberts
- Department of Psychiatry and Behavioral Neurobiology, University of Alabama, Birmingham, AL 35294, United States of America.
| | - Lesley A McCollum
- Department of Psychiatry and Behavioral Neurobiology, University of Alabama, Birmingham, AL 35294, United States of America
| | - Kirsten E Schoonover
- Department of Psychiatry and Behavioral Neurobiology, University of Alabama, Birmingham, AL 35294, United States of America
| | - Samuel J Mabry
- Department of Psychiatry and Behavioral Neurobiology, University of Alabama, Birmingham, AL 35294, United States of America
| | - Joy K Roche
- Department of Psychiatry and Behavioral Neurobiology, University of Alabama, Birmingham, AL 35294, United States of America
| | - Adrienne C Lahti
- Department of Psychiatry and Behavioral Neurobiology, University of Alabama, Birmingham, AL 35294, United States of America
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4
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Gross I, Brandt N, Vonk D, Köper F, Wöhlbrand L, Rabus R, Witt M, Heep A, Plösch T, Hipp MS, Bräuer AU. Plasticity-Related Gene 5 Is Expressed in a Late Phase of Neurodifferentiation After Neuronal Cell-Fate Determination. Front Cell Neurosci 2022; 16:797588. [PMID: 35496908 PMCID: PMC9053830 DOI: 10.3389/fncel.2022.797588] [Citation(s) in RCA: 2] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 10/18/2021] [Accepted: 03/17/2022] [Indexed: 12/27/2022] Open
Abstract
During adult neurogenesis, neuronal stem cells differentiate into mature neurons that are functionally integrated into the existing network. One hallmark during the late phase of this neurodifferentiation process is the formation of dendritic spines. These morphological specialized structures form the basis of most excitatory synapses in the brain, and are essential for neuronal communication. Additionally, dendritic spines are affected in neurological disorders, such as Alzheimer’s disease or schizophrenia. However, the mechanisms underlying spinogenesis, as well as spine pathologies, are poorly understood. Plasticity-related Gene 5 (PRG5), a neuronal transmembrane protein, has previously been linked to spinogenesis in vitro. Here, we analyze endogenous expression of the PRG5 protein in different mouse brain areas, as well as on a subcellular level. We found that native PRG5 is expressed dendritically, and in high abundance in areas characterized by their regenerative capacity, such as the hippocampus and the olfactory bulb. During adult neurogenesis, PRG5 is specifically expressed in a late phase after neuronal cell-fate determination associated with dendritic spine formation. On a subcellular level, we found PRG5 not to be localized at the postsynaptic density, but at the base of the synapse. In addition, we showed that PRG5-induced formation of membrane protrusions is independent from neuronal activity, supporting a possible role in the morphology and stabilization of spines.
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Affiliation(s)
- Isabel Gross
- Research Group Anatomy, School of Medicine and Health Sciences, Carl von Ossietzky University of Oldenburg, Oldenburg, Germany
- School of Medicine and Health Sciences, Carl von Ossietzky University of Oldenburg, Oldenburg, Germany
| | - Nicola Brandt
- Research Group Anatomy, School of Medicine and Health Sciences, Carl von Ossietzky University of Oldenburg, Oldenburg, Germany
- School of Medicine and Health Sciences, Carl von Ossietzky University of Oldenburg, Oldenburg, Germany
| | - Danara Vonk
- Research Group Anatomy, School of Medicine and Health Sciences, Carl von Ossietzky University of Oldenburg, Oldenburg, Germany
- School of Medicine and Health Sciences, Carl von Ossietzky University of Oldenburg, Oldenburg, Germany
- Department of Biomedical Sciences of Cells and Systems, University Medical Center Groningen, University of Groningen, Groningen, Netherlands
| | - Franziska Köper
- Research Group Anatomy, School of Medicine and Health Sciences, Carl von Ossietzky University of Oldenburg, Oldenburg, Germany
- School of Medicine and Health Sciences, Carl von Ossietzky University of Oldenburg, Oldenburg, Germany
- Perinatal Neurobiology Research Group, School of Medicine and Health Sciences, Carl von Ossietzky University of Oldenburg, Oldenburg, Germany
| | - Lars Wöhlbrand
- General and Molecular Microbiology, Institute for Chemistry and Biology of the Marine Environment (ICBM), Carl von Ossietzky University of Oldenburg, Oldenburg, Germany
| | - Ralf Rabus
- General and Molecular Microbiology, Institute for Chemistry and Biology of the Marine Environment (ICBM), Carl von Ossietzky University of Oldenburg, Oldenburg, Germany
| | - Martin Witt
- Department of Anatomy, University Medical Center Rostock, Rostock, Germany
| | - Axel Heep
- School of Medicine and Health Sciences, Carl von Ossietzky University of Oldenburg, Oldenburg, Germany
- Perinatal Neurobiology Research Group, School of Medicine and Health Sciences, Carl von Ossietzky University of Oldenburg, Oldenburg, Germany
- Research Center Neurosensory Science, Carl von Ossietzky University of Oldenburg, Oldenburg, Germany
| | - Torsten Plösch
- School of Medicine and Health Sciences, Carl von Ossietzky University of Oldenburg, Oldenburg, Germany
- Perinatal Neurobiology Research Group, School of Medicine and Health Sciences, Carl von Ossietzky University of Oldenburg, Oldenburg, Germany
- Research Center Neurosensory Science, Carl von Ossietzky University of Oldenburg, Oldenburg, Germany
| | - Mark S. Hipp
- School of Medicine and Health Sciences, Carl von Ossietzky University of Oldenburg, Oldenburg, Germany
- Department of Biomedical Sciences of Cells and Systems, University Medical Center Groningen, University of Groningen, Groningen, Netherlands
| | - Anja U. Bräuer
- Research Group Anatomy, School of Medicine and Health Sciences, Carl von Ossietzky University of Oldenburg, Oldenburg, Germany
- School of Medicine and Health Sciences, Carl von Ossietzky University of Oldenburg, Oldenburg, Germany
- Research Center Neurosensory Science, Carl von Ossietzky University of Oldenburg, Oldenburg, Germany
- *Correspondence: Anja U. Bräuer,
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5
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Pekala M, Doliwa M, Kalita K. Impact of maternal immune activation on dendritic spine development. Dev Neurobiol 2021; 81:524-545. [PMID: 33382515 DOI: 10.1002/dneu.22804] [Citation(s) in RCA: 9] [Impact Index Per Article: 3.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 10/01/2020] [Revised: 11/26/2020] [Accepted: 12/28/2020] [Indexed: 01/08/2023]
Abstract
Dendritic spines are small dendritic protrusions that harbor most excitatory synapses in the brain. The proper generation and maturation of dendritic spines are crucial for the regulation of synaptic transmission and formation of neuronal circuits. Abnormalities in dendritic spine density and morphology are common pathologies in autism and schizophrenia. According to epidemiological studies, one risk factor for these neurodevelopmental disorders is maternal infection during pregnancy. This review discusses spine alterations in animal models of maternal immune activation in the context of neurodevelopmental disorders. We describe potential mechanisms that might be responsible for prenatal infection-induced changes in the dendritic spine phenotype and behavior in offspring.
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Affiliation(s)
- Martyna Pekala
- Laboratory of Neurobiology, BRAINCITY, Nencki Institute of Experimental Biology, Polish Academy of Sciences, Warsaw, Poland
| | - Marta Doliwa
- Laboratory of Neurobiology, BRAINCITY, Nencki Institute of Experimental Biology, Polish Academy of Sciences, Warsaw, Poland
| | - Katarzyna Kalita
- Laboratory of Neurobiology, BRAINCITY, Nencki Institute of Experimental Biology, Polish Academy of Sciences, Warsaw, Poland
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6
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Roberts RC. Mitochondrial dysfunction in schizophrenia: With a focus on postmortem studies. Mitochondrion 2021; 56:91-101. [PMID: 33221354 PMCID: PMC7810242 DOI: 10.1016/j.mito.2020.11.009] [Citation(s) in RCA: 37] [Impact Index Per Article: 12.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 08/28/2020] [Revised: 10/23/2020] [Accepted: 11/11/2020] [Indexed: 12/13/2022]
Abstract
Among the many brain abnormalities in schizophrenia are those related to mitochondrial functions such as oxidative stress, energy metabolism and synaptic efficacy. The aim of this paper is to provide a brief review of mitochondrial structure and function and then to present abnormalities in mitochondria in postmortem brain in schizophrenia with a focus on anatomy. Deficits in expression of various mitochondrial genes have been found in multiple schizophrenia cohorts. Decreased activity of complexes I and IV are prominent as well as abnormal levels of individual subunits that comprise the complexes of the electron transport chain. Ultrastructural studies have shown layer, input and cell specific decreases in mitochondria. In cortex, there are fewer mitochondria in axon terminals, neuronal somata of pyramidal neurons and oligodendrocytes in both grey and white matter. In the caudate and putamen mitochondrial number is linked with symptoms and symptom severity. While there is a decrease in the number of mitochondria in astrocytes, mitochondria are smaller in oligodendrocytes. In the nucleus accumbens and substantia nigra, mitochondria are similar in density, size and structural integrity in schizophrenia compared to controls. Mitochondrial production of ATP and calcium buffering are essential in maintaining synaptic strength and abnormalities in these processes could lead to decreased metabolism and defective synaptic activity. Abnormalities in mitochondria in oligodendrocytes might contribute to myelin pathology and underlie dysconnectivity in the brain. In schizophrenia, mitochondria are affected differentially depending on the brain region, cell type in which they reside, subcellular location, treatment status, treatment response and predominant symptoms.
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Affiliation(s)
- Rosalinda C Roberts
- Department of Psychiatry and Behavioral Neurobiology, University of Alabama, Birmingham, AL 35294, United States.
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7
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Glutamatergic Dysfunction and Synaptic Ultrastructural Alterations in Schizophrenia and Autism Spectrum Disorder: Evidence from Human and Rodent Studies. Int J Mol Sci 2020; 22:ijms22010059. [PMID: 33374598 PMCID: PMC7793137 DOI: 10.3390/ijms22010059] [Citation(s) in RCA: 26] [Impact Index Per Article: 6.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 11/29/2020] [Revised: 12/15/2020] [Accepted: 12/22/2020] [Indexed: 12/12/2022] Open
Abstract
The correlation between dysfunction in the glutamatergic system and neuropsychiatric disorders, including schizophrenia and autism spectrum disorder, is undisputed. Both disorders are associated with molecular and ultrastructural alterations that affect synaptic plasticity and thus the molecular and physiological basis of learning and memory. Altered synaptic plasticity, accompanied by changes in protein synthesis and trafficking of postsynaptic proteins, as well as structural modifications of excitatory synapses, are critically involved in the postnatal development of the mammalian nervous system. In this review, we summarize glutamatergic alterations and ultrastructural changes in synapses in schizophrenia and autism spectrum disorder of genetic or drug-related origin, and briefly comment on the possible reversibility of these neuropsychiatric disorders in the light of findings in regular synaptic physiology.
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8
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Sancho-Balsells A, Brito V, Fernández B, Pardo M, Straccia M, Ginés S, Alberch J, Hernández I, Arranz B, Canals JM, Giralt A. Lack of Helios During Neural Development Induces Adult Schizophrenia-Like Behaviors Associated With Aberrant Levels of the TRIF-Recruiter Protein WDFY1. Front Cell Neurosci 2020; 14:93. [PMID: 32477064 PMCID: PMC7240114 DOI: 10.3389/fncel.2020.00093] [Citation(s) in RCA: 2] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 12/31/2019] [Accepted: 03/30/2020] [Indexed: 12/21/2022] Open
Abstract
The role of the WDFY1 protein has been studied as a TLR3/4 scaffold/recruiting protein in the immune system and in different oncogenic conditions. However, its function in brain remains poorly understood. We have found that in mice devoid of Helios (He-/- mice), a transcription factor specifically expressed during the development of the immune cells and the central nervous system, there is a permanent and sustained increase of Wdfy1 gene expression in the striatum and hippocampus. Interestingly, we observed that WDFY1 protein levels were also increased in the hippocampus and dorsolateral prefrontal cortex of schizophrenic patients, but not in the hippocampus of Alzheimer's disease patients with an associated psychotic disorder. Accordingly, young He-/- mice displayed several schizophrenic-like behaviors related to dysfunctions in the striatum and hippocampus. These changes were associated with an increase in spine density in medium spiny neurons (MSNs) and with a decrease in the number and size of PSD-95-positive clusters in the stratum radiatum of the CA1. Moreover, these alterations in structural synaptic plasticity were associated with a strong reduction of neuronal NF-κB in the pyramidal layer of the CA1 in He-/- mice. Altogether, our data indicate that alterations involving the molecular axis Helios-WDFY1 in neurons during the development of core brain regions could be relevant for the pathophysiology of neuropsychiatric disorders such as schizophrenia.
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Affiliation(s)
- Anna Sancho-Balsells
- Departament de Biomedicina, Facultat de Medicina i Ciències de la Salut, Universitat de Barcelona, Barcelona, Spain.,Institut de Neurociències, Universitat de Barcelona, Barcelona, Spain.,Institut d'Investigacions Biomèdiques August Pi i Sunyer (IDIBAPS), Barcelona, Spain.,Centro de Investigación Biomédica en Red sobre Enfermedades Neurodegenerativas (CIBERNED), Madrid, Spain
| | - Veronica Brito
- Departament de Biomedicina, Facultat de Medicina i Ciències de la Salut, Universitat de Barcelona, Barcelona, Spain.,Institut de Neurociències, Universitat de Barcelona, Barcelona, Spain.,Institut d'Investigacions Biomèdiques August Pi i Sunyer (IDIBAPS), Barcelona, Spain.,Centro de Investigación Biomédica en Red sobre Enfermedades Neurodegenerativas (CIBERNED), Madrid, Spain
| | - Belissa Fernández
- Departament de Biomedicina, Facultat de Medicina i Ciències de la Salut, Universitat de Barcelona, Barcelona, Spain.,Institut de Neurociències, Universitat de Barcelona, Barcelona, Spain.,Institut d'Investigacions Biomèdiques August Pi i Sunyer (IDIBAPS), Barcelona, Spain.,Centro de Investigación Biomédica en Red sobre Enfermedades Neurodegenerativas (CIBERNED), Madrid, Spain
| | - Mónica Pardo
- Institut de Neurociències, Universitat de Barcelona, Barcelona, Spain.,Institut d'Investigacions Biomèdiques August Pi i Sunyer (IDIBAPS), Barcelona, Spain.,Centro de Investigación Biomédica en Red sobre Enfermedades Neurodegenerativas (CIBERNED), Madrid, Spain.,Laboratory of Stem Cells and Regenerative Medicine, Department of Biomedical Sciences, Faculty of Medicine and Health Science, University of Barcelona, Barcelona, Spain
| | - Marco Straccia
- Institut de Neurociències, Universitat de Barcelona, Barcelona, Spain.,Institut d'Investigacions Biomèdiques August Pi i Sunyer (IDIBAPS), Barcelona, Spain.,Centro de Investigación Biomédica en Red sobre Enfermedades Neurodegenerativas (CIBERNED), Madrid, Spain.,Laboratory of Stem Cells and Regenerative Medicine, Department of Biomedical Sciences, Faculty of Medicine and Health Science, University of Barcelona, Barcelona, Spain.,Faculty of Medicine and Health Science, Production and Validation Center of Advanced Therapies (Creatio), University of Barcelona, Barcelona, Spain
| | - Silvia Ginés
- Departament de Biomedicina, Facultat de Medicina i Ciències de la Salut, Universitat de Barcelona, Barcelona, Spain.,Institut de Neurociències, Universitat de Barcelona, Barcelona, Spain.,Institut d'Investigacions Biomèdiques August Pi i Sunyer (IDIBAPS), Barcelona, Spain.,Centro de Investigación Biomédica en Red sobre Enfermedades Neurodegenerativas (CIBERNED), Madrid, Spain
| | - Jordi Alberch
- Departament de Biomedicina, Facultat de Medicina i Ciències de la Salut, Universitat de Barcelona, Barcelona, Spain.,Institut de Neurociències, Universitat de Barcelona, Barcelona, Spain.,Institut d'Investigacions Biomèdiques August Pi i Sunyer (IDIBAPS), Barcelona, Spain.,Centro de Investigación Biomédica en Red sobre Enfermedades Neurodegenerativas (CIBERNED), Madrid, Spain.,Faculty of Medicine and Health Science, Production and Validation Center of Advanced Therapies (Creatio), University of Barcelona, Barcelona, Spain
| | - Isabel Hernández
- Alzheimer Research Center and Memory Clinic, Fundació ACE, Institut Català de Neurociències Aplicades. Barcelona, Spain
| | - Belén Arranz
- Parc Sanitari Sant Joan de Déu, CIBERSAM, Barcelona, Spain
| | - Josep M Canals
- Institut de Neurociències, Universitat de Barcelona, Barcelona, Spain.,Institut d'Investigacions Biomèdiques August Pi i Sunyer (IDIBAPS), Barcelona, Spain.,Centro de Investigación Biomédica en Red sobre Enfermedades Neurodegenerativas (CIBERNED), Madrid, Spain.,Laboratory of Stem Cells and Regenerative Medicine, Department of Biomedical Sciences, Faculty of Medicine and Health Science, University of Barcelona, Barcelona, Spain.,Faculty of Medicine and Health Science, Production and Validation Center of Advanced Therapies (Creatio), University of Barcelona, Barcelona, Spain
| | - Albert Giralt
- Departament de Biomedicina, Facultat de Medicina i Ciències de la Salut, Universitat de Barcelona, Barcelona, Spain.,Institut de Neurociències, Universitat de Barcelona, Barcelona, Spain.,Institut d'Investigacions Biomèdiques August Pi i Sunyer (IDIBAPS), Barcelona, Spain.,Centro de Investigación Biomédica en Red sobre Enfermedades Neurodegenerativas (CIBERNED), Madrid, Spain.,Faculty of Medicine and Health Science, Production and Validation Center of Advanced Therapies (Creatio), University of Barcelona, Barcelona, Spain
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9
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Berdenis van Berlekom A, Muflihah CH, Snijders GJLJ, MacGillavry HD, Middeldorp J, Hol EM, Kahn RS, de Witte LD. Synapse Pathology in Schizophrenia: A Meta-analysis of Postsynaptic Elements in Postmortem Brain Studies. Schizophr Bull 2020; 46:374-386. [PMID: 31192350 PMCID: PMC7442385 DOI: 10.1093/schbul/sbz060] [Citation(s) in RCA: 55] [Impact Index Per Article: 13.8] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Submit a Manuscript] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 12/31/2022]
Abstract
Changed synapse density has been suggested to be involved in the altered brain connectivity underlying schizophrenia (SCZ) pathology. However, postmortem studies addressing this topic are heterogeneous and it is not known whether changes are restricted to specific brain regions. Using meta-analysis, we systematically and quantitatively reviewed literature on the density of postsynaptic elements in postmortem brain tissue of patients with SCZ compared to healthy controls. We included 3 outcome measurements for postsynaptic elements: dendritic spine density (DSD), postsynaptic density (PSD) number, and PSD protein expression levels. Random-effects meta-analysis (31 studies) revealed an overall decrease in density of postsynaptic elements in SCZ (Hedges's g: -0.33; 95% CI: -0.60 to -0.05; P = .020). Subgroup analyses showed reduction of postsynaptic elements in cortical but not subcortical tissues (Hedges's g: -0.44; 95% CI: -0.76 to -0.12; P = .008, Hedges's g: -0.11; 95% CI: -0.54 to 0.35; P = .671) and specifically a decrease for the outcome measure DSD (Hedges's g: -0.81; 95% CI: -1.37 to -0.26; P = .004). Further exploratory analyses showed a significant decrease of postsynaptic elements in the prefrontal cortex and cortical layer 3. In all analyses, substantial heterogeneity was present. Meta-regression analyses showed no influence of age, sex, postmortem interval, or brain bank on the effect size. This meta-analysis shows a region-specific decrease in the density of postsynaptic elements in SCZ. This phenotype provides an important cellular hallmark for future preclinical and neuropathological research in order to increase our understanding of brain dysconnectivity in SCZ.
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Affiliation(s)
- Amber Berdenis van Berlekom
- Department of Psychiatry, University Medical Center Utrecht Brain Center, Utrecht University, Utrecht, The Netherlands,Department of Translational Neuroscience, University Medical Center Utrecht Brain Center, Utrecht University, Utrecht, The Netherlands,To whom correspondence should be addressed; tel: +31-88-75-68811, fax: +31(0)887569032, e-mail:
| | - Cita H Muflihah
- Department of Translational Neuroscience, University Medical Center Utrecht Brain Center, Utrecht University, Utrecht, The Netherlands,Faculty of Pharmacy, Universitas Muhammadiyah Surakarta, Sukoharjo, Indonesia
| | - Gijsje J L J Snijders
- Department of Psychiatry, University Medical Center Utrecht Brain Center, Utrecht University, Utrecht, The Netherlands,Department of Translational Neuroscience, University Medical Center Utrecht Brain Center, Utrecht University, Utrecht, The Netherlands
| | - Harold D MacGillavry
- Cell Biology, Department of Biology, Faculty of Science, Utrecht University, Utrecht, The Netherlands
| | - Jinte Middeldorp
- Department of Translational Neuroscience, University Medical Center Utrecht Brain Center, Utrecht University, Utrecht, The Netherlands
| | - Elly M Hol
- Department of Translational Neuroscience, University Medical Center Utrecht Brain Center, Utrecht University, Utrecht, The Netherlands
| | - René S Kahn
- Department of Psychiatry, University Medical Center Utrecht Brain Center, Utrecht University, Utrecht, The Netherlands,Department of Psychiatry, Icahn School of Medicine at Mount Sinai, New York City, NY,Mental Illness Research, Education and Clinical Center (MIRECC), James J Peters VA Medical Center, Bronx, NY
| | - Lot D de Witte
- Department of Psychiatry, University Medical Center Utrecht Brain Center, Utrecht University, Utrecht, The Netherlands,Department of Psychiatry, Icahn School of Medicine at Mount Sinai, New York City, NY,Mental Illness Research, Education and Clinical Center (MIRECC), James J Peters VA Medical Center, Bronx, NY
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10
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Roberts RC. Postmortem studies on mitochondria in schizophrenia. Schizophr Res 2017; 187:17-25. [PMID: 28189530 PMCID: PMC5550365 DOI: 10.1016/j.schres.2017.01.056] [Citation(s) in RCA: 66] [Impact Index Per Article: 9.4] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Submit a Manuscript] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 09/27/2016] [Revised: 01/27/2017] [Accepted: 01/30/2017] [Indexed: 01/02/2023]
Abstract
The aim of this paper is to provide a brief review of mitochondrial structure as it relates to function and then present abnormalities in mitochondria in postmortem schizophrenia with a focus on ultrastructure. Function, morphology, fusion, fission, motility, ΔΨmem, ATP production, mitochondrial derived vesicles, and mitochondria-associated ER membranes will be briefly covered. Pathology in mitochondria has long been implicated in schizophrenia, as shown by genetic, proteomic, enzymatic and anatomical abnormalities. The cortex and basal ganglia will be reviewed. In the anterior cingulate cortex, the number of mitochondria per neuronal somata in layers 5/6 in schizophrenia is decreased by 43%. There are also fewer mitochondria in terminals forming axospinous synapses. In the caudate and putamen the number of mitochondria is abnormal in both glial cells and neurons in schizophrenia subjects, the extent of which depends on treatment, response and predominant lifetime symptoms. Treatment-responsive schizophrenia subjects had about a 40% decrease in the number of mitochondria per synapse in the caudate nucleus and putamen, while treatment resistant cases had normal values. A decrease in mitochondrial density in the neuropil distinguishes paranoid from undifferentiated schizophrenia. The appearance, size and density of mitochondria were normal in the nucleus accumbens. In the substantia nigra, COX subunits were affected in rostral regions. Mitochondrial hyperplasia occurs within axon terminals that synapse onto dopamine neurons, but mitochondria in dopamine neuronal somata are similar in size and number. In schizophrenia, mitochondria are differentially affected depending on the brain region, cell type, subcellular location, treatment status, treatment response and symptoms.
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Affiliation(s)
- Rosalinda C. Roberts
- Department of Psychiatry and Behavioral Neurobiology, University of Alabama, Birmingham, AL 35294
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11
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McCollum LA, Walker CK, Roche JK, Roberts RC. Elevated Excitatory Input to the Nucleus Accumbens in Schizophrenia: A Postmortem Ultrastructural Study. Schizophr Bull 2015; 41:1123-32. [PMID: 25817135 PMCID: PMC4535638 DOI: 10.1093/schbul/sbv030] [Citation(s) in RCA: 27] [Impact Index Per Article: 3.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Submit a Manuscript] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 01/22/2023]
Abstract
The cause of schizophrenia (SZ) is unknown and no single region of the brain can be pinpointed as an area of primary pathology. Rather, SZ results from dysfunction of multiple neurotransmitter systems and miswiring between brain regions. It is necessary to elucidate how communication between regions is disrupted to advance our understanding of SZ pathology. The nucleus accumbens (NAcc) is a prime region of interest, where inputs from numerous brain areas altered in SZ are integrated. Aberrant signaling in the NAcc is hypothesized to cause symptoms of SZ, but it is unknown if these abnormalities are actually present. Electron microscopy was used to study the morphology of synaptic connections in SZ. The NAcc core and shell of 6 SZ subjects and 8 matched controls were compared in this pilot study. SZ subjects had a 19% increase in the density of asymmetric axospinous synapses (characteristic of excitatory inputs) in the core, but not the shell. Both groups had similar densities of symmetric synapses (characteristic of inhibitory inputs). The postsynaptic densities of asymmetric synapses had 22% smaller areas in the core, but not the shell. These results indicate that the core receives increased excitatory input in SZ, potentially leading to dysfunctional dopamine neurotransmission and cortico-striatal-thalamic stimulus processing. The reduced postsynaptic density size of asymmetric synapses suggests impaired signaling at these synapses. These findings enhance our understanding of the role the NAcc might play in SZ and the interaction of glutamatergic and dopaminergic abnormalities in SZ.
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Affiliation(s)
- Lesley A. McCollum
- Department of Psychiatry and Behavioral Neurobiology, University of Alabama at Birmingham, Birmingham, AL;,*To whom correspondence should be addressed; Department of Psychiatry and Behavioral Neurobiology, University of Alabama at Birmingham, Sparks Center 841, 1720 2nd Avenue South, Birmingham, AL 35294, US; tel: +1-205-934-1858, fax: +1-205-996-9377, e-mail:
| | - Courtney K. Walker
- Department of Psychology, University of Alabama at Birmingham, Birmingham, AL
| | - Joy K. Roche
- Department of Psychiatry and Behavioral Neurobiology, University of Alabama at Birmingham, Birmingham, AL
| | - Rosalinda C. Roberts
- Department of Psychiatry and Behavioral Neurobiology, University of Alabama at Birmingham, Birmingham, AL
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12
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Abstract
Although serotonin was discovered over 65 years ago, it has been only within the past decade that serotonin was found to be involved in a covalent post-translational modification to proteins. The enzyme transglutaminase catalyzes the transamidation of serotonin to a protein-bound glutamine residue; the amino group of serotonin is covalently bound to the gamma carboxamide of glutamine. The term serotonylation is used to describe this transamidation reaction to serotonin. Not only can serotonin be a substrate for transamidation to proteins but also other monoamine neurotransmitters are substrates including histamine, dopamine, and noradrenaline. The term monoaminylation has been coined to describe the transamidation of monoamines to protein substrates. Small G proteins have emerged as the most common substrate for monoaminylation and are activated by this post-translational modification. Fibronectin and cytoskeletal proteins are also substrates for monoaminylation. Serotonylation and monoaminylation are involved in a number of physiological functions, including platelet activation, insulin release, smooth muscle contraction, and regulation of membrane localization of the serotonin transporter. Stimulation of 5-HT2A receptors increases serotonylation and activates the small G protein Rac1, which plays a role in dendritic spine regulation. Monoaminylation is implicated in pathophysiological processes as well such as diabetes and hypertension. The availability of monoamines for monoaminylation is altered by antidepressants that target serotonin transporters, noradrenaline transporters, or the enzymatic degradation of monoamines as well as drugs of abuse such as cocaine and amphetamines. Further research on monoaminylation is needed to elucidate its physiological and pathophysiological roles and to explore monoaminylation as a novel target for drug therapy.
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Affiliation(s)
- Nancy A. Muma
- Department
of Pharmacology
and Toxicology, University of Kansas School of Pharmacy, Lawrence, Kansas 66045, United States
| | - Zhen Mi
- Department
of Pharmacology
and Toxicology, University of Kansas School of Pharmacy, Lawrence, Kansas 66045, United States
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13
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Glausier JR, Lewis DA. Dendritic spine pathology in schizophrenia. Neuroscience 2012; 251:90-107. [PMID: 22546337 DOI: 10.1016/j.neuroscience.2012.04.044] [Citation(s) in RCA: 377] [Impact Index Per Article: 31.4] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 01/13/2012] [Revised: 03/22/2012] [Accepted: 04/05/2012] [Indexed: 01/22/2023]
Abstract
Schizophrenia is a neurodevelopmental disorder whose clinical features include impairments in perception, cognition and motivation. These impairments reflect alterations in neuronal circuitry within and across multiple brain regions that are due, at least in part, to deficits in dendritic spines, the site of most excitatory synaptic connections. Dendritic spine alterations have been identified in multiple brain regions in schizophrenia, but are best characterized in layer 3 of the neocortex, where pyramidal cell spine density is lower. These spine deficits appear to arise during development, and thus are likely the result of disturbances in the molecular mechanisms that underlie spine formation, pruning, and/or maintenance. Each of these mechanisms may provide insight into novel therapeutic targets for preventing or repairing the alterations in neural circuitry that mediate the debilitating symptoms of schizophrenia.
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Affiliation(s)
- J R Glausier
- Translational Neuroscience Program, Department of Psychiatry, University of Pittsburgh, Pittsburgh, PA, USA
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14
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Somerville SM, Conley RR, Roberts RC. Striatal mitochondria in subjects with chronic undifferentiated vs. chronic paranoid schizophrenia. Synapse 2011; 66:29-41. [PMID: 21905126 DOI: 10.1002/syn.20981] [Citation(s) in RCA: 12] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.9] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 07/01/2011] [Revised: 08/29/2011] [Accepted: 09/03/2011] [Indexed: 01/24/2023]
Abstract
Schizophrenia (SZ) is a heterogeneous disease with a spectrum of symptoms, risk factors, and etiology. Abnormalities in mitochondria, the energy-producing organelles of the cell, have been observed in mixed cohorts of subjects with SZ. The purpose of the present study was to determine if striatal mitochondria were differentially affected in two different DSM-IV subgroups of SZ. Postmortem striatal tissue was examined from normal controls (NC), chronic paranoid SZs (SZP), and chronic undifferentiated SZs (SZU). Tissue was processed for calbindin immunohistochemistry to identify striosomal compartments, prepared for electron microscopy and analyzed using stereological methods. In both caudate and putamen, the density of mitochondria in the neuropil was decreased in SZP compared to both NCs and SZU. In the putamen, both the SZP and the SZU subgroups had fewer mitochondria per synapse than did NCs. When examining patch matrix compartments, striatal compartments associated with different circuitry and function, only the matrix exhibited changes. In the caudate matrix, the SZP subgroup had fewer mitochondria in the neuropil than did the SZU and NCs. In the putamen matrix, the SZP had fewer mitochondria in the neuropil as compared to NCs, but not the SZU. The numbers of mitochondria per synapse in both the SZP and the SZU groups were similar to each other and fewer than that of NCs. A decrease in mitochondrial density in the neuropil distinguishes the SZP from the SZU subgroup, which could be associated with the symptoms of paranoia and/or could represent a protective mechanism against some of the symptoms that are less pronounced in this subtype than in the SZU subgroup such as cognitive and emotional deficits.
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Affiliation(s)
- Shahza M Somerville
- Maryland Psychiatric Research Center, Maple and Locust Street, Baltimore, Maryland 21228, USA
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15
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Crittenden JR, Graybiel AM. Basal Ganglia disorders associated with imbalances in the striatal striosome and matrix compartments. Front Neuroanat 2011; 5:59. [PMID: 21941467 PMCID: PMC3171104 DOI: 10.3389/fnana.2011.00059] [Citation(s) in RCA: 300] [Impact Index Per Article: 23.1] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 06/14/2011] [Accepted: 08/18/2011] [Indexed: 11/24/2022] Open
Abstract
The striatum is composed principally of GABAergic, medium spiny striatal projection neurons (MSNs) that can be categorized based on their gene expression, electrophysiological profiles, and input–output circuits. Major subdivisions of MSN populations include (1) those in ventromedial and dorsolateral striatal regions, (2) those giving rise to the direct and indirect pathways, and (3) those that lie in the striosome and matrix compartments. The first two classificatory schemes have enabled advances in understanding of how basal ganglia circuits contribute to disease. However, despite the large number of molecules that are differentially expressed in the striosomes or the extra-striosomal matrix, and the evidence that these compartments have different input–output connections, our understanding of how this compartmentalization contributes to striatal function is still not clear. A broad view is that the matrix contains the direct and indirect pathway MSNs that form parts of sensorimotor and associative circuits, whereas striosomes contain MSNs that receive input from parts of limbic cortex and project directly or indirectly to the dopamine-containing neurons of the substantia nigra, pars compacta. Striosomes are widely distributed within the striatum and are thought to exert global, as well as local, influences on striatal processing by exchanging information with the surrounding matrix, including through interneurons that send processes into both compartments. It has been suggested that striosomes exert and maintain limbic control over behaviors driven by surrounding sensorimotor and associative parts of the striatal matrix. Consistent with this possibility, imbalances between striosome and matrix functions have been reported in relation to neurological disorders, including Huntington’s disease, L-DOPA-induced dyskinesias, dystonia, and drug addiction. Here, we consider how signaling imbalances between the striosomes and matrix might relate to symptomatology in these disorders.
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Affiliation(s)
- Jill R Crittenden
- Brain and Cognitive Sciences Department and McGovern Institute for Brain Research, Massachusetts Institute of Technology Cambridge, MA, USA
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16
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Somerville SM, Lahti AC, Conley RR, Roberts RC. Mitochondria in the striatum of subjects with schizophrenia: relationship to treatment response. Synapse 2011; 65:215-24. [PMID: 20665724 DOI: 10.1002/syn.20838] [Citation(s) in RCA: 23] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.8] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 02/06/2023]
Abstract
Schizophrenia (SZ) is a severe mental illness with neuropathology in many regions, including the striatum. The typical symptoms of this disease are psychosis (such as hallucinations and delusions), cognitive impairments, and the deficit syndrome. Not all patients respond to treatment and, in those who do, only psychotic symptoms are improved. Imaging studies support a biological distinction between treatment response and resistance, but postmortem examinations of this issue are rare. This study tests the hypotheses that abnormalities in mitochondria, the energy producing organelles in the cell, may correlate with treatment response. Postmortem striatal tissue was obtained from the Maryland Brain Collection. The density of mitochondria (in various neuropil compartments) and the number of mitochondria per synapse (all types of synapses combined) were tallied using electron microscopy and stereology in striatum from SZ subjects (rated treatment responsive or not) and normal controls. The number of mitochondria per synapse was significantly different among groups for both the caudate nucleus (P < 0.025) and putamen (P < 0.002). Compared to controls, treatment-responsive SZ subjects had a 37-43% decrease in the number of mitochondria per synapse in the caudate nucleus and putamen. In the putamen, treatment-responsive subjects also had decreases in this measure compared to treatment-resistant subjects (34%). Our results provide further support for a biological distinction between treatment response and treatment resistance in SZ. Because treatment responders have fewer mitochondria per synapse than controls, although the treatment-resistant subjects have similar results to that of controls, fewer mitochondria per synapse may be related to treatment response.
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Affiliation(s)
- Shahza M Somerville
- Neuroscience and Cognitive Sciences, University of Maryland, Baltimore County, Catonsville 21228, USA
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Somerville SM, Conley RR, Roberts RC. Mitochondria in the striatum of subjects with schizophrenia. World J Biol Psychiatry 2011; 12:48-56. [PMID: 20698738 DOI: 10.3109/15622975.2010.505662] [Citation(s) in RCA: 25] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.9] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Submit a Manuscript] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 12/30/2022]
Abstract
OBJECTIVES Schizophrenia is a severe mental illness that manifests pathology in many brain regions, including the striatum. Among the abnormalities in schizophrenia are those related to mitochondria. The present study sought to determine whether the number of mitochondria was affected at the level of the synapse. METHODS Human postmortem striatum from schizophrenia subjects and controls was examined at the ultrastructural level. The density of mitochondria and synapses were tabulated using stereology. RESULTS There were similar overall numbers of mitochondria in the caudate nucleus and putamen of schizophrenia subjects vs. controls, but a differential distribution of existing mitochondria. Schizophrenia subjects had 26?30% fewer mitochondria per synapse compared to controls. This may contribute to the pathophysiology of the illness, may be a medication effect, or an adaptive response to normalize the high number of striatal synapses we have previously found. The higher density of mitochondria in dendrites in the caudate nucleus in certain subgroups of schizophrenia vs. controls (>34%) may be related to more synaptic inputs. CONCLUSIONS The role of mitochondria in the various symptoms of schizophrenia is still unclear. A comparison of schizophrenia subjects with differing symptoms or treatment response might shed light on whether differences in mitochondrial density are abnormal or adaptive.
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Affiliation(s)
- Shahza M Somerville
- Neuroscience and Cognitive Sciences, University of Maryland, Baltimore County, Catonsville, MD, USA
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18
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Barakauskas VE, Beasley CL, Barr AM, Ypsilanti AR, Li HY, Thornton AE, Wong H, Rosokilja G, Mann JJ, Mancevski B, Jakovski Z, Davceva N, Ilievski B, Dwork AJ, Falkai P, Honer WG. A novel mechanism and treatment target for presynaptic abnormalities in specific striatal regions in schizophrenia. Neuropsychopharmacology 2010; 35:1226-38. [PMID: 20072114 PMCID: PMC3055413 DOI: 10.1038/npp.2009.228] [Citation(s) in RCA: 48] [Impact Index Per Article: 3.4] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Submit a Manuscript] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 09/30/2009] [Revised: 11/06/2009] [Accepted: 11/20/2009] [Indexed: 02/01/2023]
Abstract
Abnormalities of amount and function of presynaptic terminals may have an important role in the mechanism of illness in schizophrenia. The SNARE proteins (SNAP-25, syntaxin, and VAMP) are enriched in presynaptic terminals, where they interact to form a functional complex to facilitate vesicle fusion. SNARE protein amounts are altered in the cortical regions in schizophrenia, but studies of protein-protein interactions are limited. We extended these investigations to the striatal regions (such as the nucleus accumbens, ventromedial caudate (VMC), and dorsal caudate) relevant to disease symptoms. In addition to measuring SNARE protein levels, we studied SNARE protein-protein interactions using a novel ELISA method. The possible effect of antipsychotic treatment was investigated in parallel in the striatum of rodents that were administered haloperidol and clozapine. In schizophrenia samples, compared with controls, SNAP-25 was 32% lower (P=0.015) and syntaxin was 26% lower (P=0.006) in the VMC. In contrast, in the same region, SNARE protein-protein interactions were higher in schizophrenia (P=0.008). Confocal microscopy of schizophrenia and control VMC showed qualitatively similar SNARE protein immunostaining. Haloperidol treatment of rats increased levels of SNAP-25 (mean 24%, P=0.003), syntaxin (mean 18%, P=0.010), and VAMP (mean 16%, P=0.001), whereas clozapine increased only the VAMP level (mean 13%, P=0.004). Neither drug altered SNARE protein-protein interactions. These results indicate abnormalities of amount and interactions of proteins directly related to presynaptic function in the VMC in schizophrenia. SNARE proteins and their interactions may be a novel target for the development of therapeutics.
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Affiliation(s)
- Vilte E Barakauskas
- Department of Psychiatry, University of British Columbia, Vancouver, BC, Canada
| | - Clare L Beasley
- Department of Psychiatry, University of British Columbia, Vancouver, BC, Canada
| | - Alasdair M Barr
- Department of Anesthesiology, Pharmacology and Therapeutics, University of British Columbia, Vancouver, BC, Canada
| | - Athena R Ypsilanti
- Department of Psychiatry, University of British Columbia, Vancouver, BC, Canada
| | - Hong-Ying Li
- Department of Psychiatry, University of British Columbia, Vancouver, BC, Canada
| | - Allen E Thornton
- Department of Psychology, Simon Fraser University, Burnaby, BC, Canada
| | - Hubert Wong
- Department of Health Care and Epidemiology, University of British Columbia, Vancouver, BC, Canada
| | - Gorazd Rosokilja
- Department of Molecular Imaging and Neuropathology, New York State Psychiatric Institute, New York, NY, USA
- Department of Psychiatry, Surgeons of Columbia University, New York, NY, USA
- Macedonian Academy of Sciences and Arts, University ‘SS. Cyril and Methodius' Skopje, Macedonia
| | - J John Mann
- Department of Molecular Imaging and Neuropathology, New York State Psychiatric Institute, New York, NY, USA
- Department of Psychiatry, Surgeons of Columbia University, New York, NY, USA
| | - Branislav Mancevski
- Department of Molecular Imaging and Neuropathology, New York State Psychiatric Institute, New York, NY, USA
- Department of Psychiatry, Surgeons of Columbia University, New York, NY, USA
| | - Zlatko Jakovski
- Institute for Forensic Medicine, University ‘SS. Cyril and Methodius,' Skopje, Macedonia
| | - Natasha Davceva
- Institute for Forensic Medicine, University ‘SS. Cyril and Methodius,' Skopje, Macedonia
| | - Boro Ilievski
- Department of Molecular Imaging and Neuropathology, New York State Psychiatric Institute, New York, NY, USA
- Institute for Pathology, University ‘SS. Cyril and Methodius,', Skopje, Macedonia
| | - Andrew J Dwork
- Department of Molecular Imaging and Neuropathology, New York State Psychiatric Institute, New York, NY, USA
- Department of Psychiatry, Surgeons of Columbia University, New York, NY, USA
- Department of Pathology and Cell Biology, College of Physicians, Surgeons of Columbia University, New York, NY, USA
| | - Peter Falkai
- Department of Psychiatry, Göttingen University, Göttingen, Germany
| | - William G Honer
- Department of Psychiatry, University of British Columbia, Vancouver, BC, Canada
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19
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Axer H, Bernstein HG, Keiner S, Heronimus P, Sauer H, Witte OW, Bogerts B, Bär KJ. Increased neuronal cell number in the dorsal motor nucleus of the vagus in schizophrenia. Acta Neuropsychiatr 2010; 22:26-34. [PMID: 25384954 DOI: 10.1111/j.1601-5215.2009.00434.x] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Submit a Manuscript] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/29/2022]
Abstract
UNLABELLED Axer H, Bernstein H-G, Keiner S, Heronimus P, Sauer H, Witte OW, Bogerts B, Bär K-J. Increased neuronal cell number in the dorsal motor nucleus of the vagus in schizophrenia. OBJECTIVE Recently, a reduction in efferent vagal regulation has been found in schizophrenic patients. METHODS Therefore, the brainstems of nine schizophrenic patients and nine normal controls were stereologically analysed. The number of neurons using the optical fractionator method and nuclear volumes applying the Cavalieri principle was estimated in Nissl stained sections of the dorsal motor nucleus of the vagus (DMNV) and the hypoglossal nucleus. RESULTS The neurons in the right DMNV were significantly increased in the schizophrenic group compared to normal controls (p = 0.047), while the volumes of the DMNV did not differ. In contrast, no such differences were found in the hypoglossal nucleus. CONCLUSION Although this pilot study is limited by its small sample size, the analysis of the solitarius-ambiguus-vagus system in schizophrenic patients is an interesting target in schizophrenia research. The most reasonable background for increased neuron numbers in the DMNV could be a system-specific neurodevelopmental disturbance in schizophrenia.
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Affiliation(s)
- Hubertus Axer
- 1Department of Neurology, Friedrich-Schiller-University Jena, Erlanger Allee 101, D-07747 Jena, Germany
| | - Hans-Gert Bernstein
- 2Department of Psychiatry, University of Magdeburg, Leipziger Str. 44, D-39120 Magdeburg, Germany
| | - Silke Keiner
- 1Department of Neurology, Friedrich-Schiller-University Jena, Erlanger Allee 101, D-07747 Jena, Germany
| | - Polina Heronimus
- 2Department of Psychiatry, University of Magdeburg, Leipziger Str. 44, D-39120 Magdeburg, Germany
| | - Heinrich Sauer
- 3Department of Psychiatry and Psychotherapy, Friedrich-Schiller-University Jena, Philosophenweg 3, D-07747 Jena, Germany
| | - Otto W Witte
- 1Department of Neurology, Friedrich-Schiller-University Jena, Erlanger Allee 101, D-07747 Jena, Germany
| | - Bernhard Bogerts
- 2Department of Psychiatry, University of Magdeburg, Leipziger Str. 44, D-39120 Magdeburg, Germany
| | - Karl-Jürgen Bär
- 3Department of Psychiatry and Psychotherapy, Friedrich-Schiller-University Jena, Philosophenweg 3, D-07747 Jena, Germany
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Perez-Costas E, Melendez-Ferro M, Roberts RC. Basal ganglia pathology in schizophrenia: dopamine connections and anomalies. J Neurochem 2010; 113:287-302. [PMID: 20089137 DOI: 10.1111/j.1471-4159.2010.06604.x] [Citation(s) in RCA: 104] [Impact Index Per Article: 7.4] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 01/08/2023]
Abstract
Schizophrenia is a severe mental illness that affects 1% of the world population. The disease usually manifests itself in early adulthood with hallucinations, delusions, cognitive and emotional disturbances and disorganized thought and behavior. Dopamine was the first neurotransmitter to be implicated in the disease, and though no longer the only suspect in schizophrenia pathophysiology, it obviously plays an important role. The basal ganglia are the site of most of the dopamine neurons in the brain and the target of anti-psychotic drugs. In this review, we will start with an overview of basal ganglia anatomy emphasizing dopamine circuitry. Then, we will review the major deficits in dopamine function in schizophrenia, emphasizing the role of excessive dopamine in the basal ganglia and the link to psychosis.
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Affiliation(s)
- Emma Perez-Costas
- Department of Psychiatry and Behavioral Neurobiology, University of Alabama at Birmingham, Birmingham, Alabama 35294, USA
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21
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Roberts RC, Roche JK, Conley RR, Lahti AC. Dopaminergic synapses in the caudate of subjects with schizophrenia: relationship to treatment response. Synapse 2009; 63:520-30. [PMID: 19226604 DOI: 10.1002/syn.20623] [Citation(s) in RCA: 48] [Impact Index Per Article: 3.2] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/08/2022]
Abstract
The typical symptoms of schizophrenia (SZ) are psychotic symptoms (hallucinations, delusions, disorders of thought or speech, grossly disorganized behavior) as well as cognitive impairments and negative symptoms. Not all patients respond to treatment and in those who do, only psychotic symptoms are usually improved. Imaging studies have shown that SZ subjects with high striatal dopamine release are far more responsive to antipsychotic drugs than those patients who have dopamine levels lower than or comparable to that of normal controls. In the present study we hypothesized that there was a link between psychosis and the number of dopaminergic synapses in the caudate nucleus in SZ. We examined dopaminergic synapses at the electron microscopic level in postmortem caudate from cases obtained from the Maryland Brain Collection. SZs were subdivided based on treatment response or resistance. The tissue was processed for the immunocytochemical localization of tyrosine hydroxylase (TH), the synthesizing enzyme for dopamine, and prepared for electron microscopy. The density of all TH labeled synapses was 43% greater in treatment responders than in controls and 62% greater in than in treatment resistant SZ. Axodendritic, but not axospinous, TH-labeled synapses showed this increase. TH-labeled axodendritic synapses in treatment responders were elevated in density (1.95 +/- 0.093/10 microm(3)) compared to treatment resistant SZ (0.04 +/- 0.017/10 microm(3)) and controls (0.11 +/- 0.044/10 microm(3)). The results of the present study suggest that one anatomical underpinning of good treatment response may be a higher density of dopaminergic synapses and support a biological basis to treatment response and resistance. Moreover, these data have important implications for linking specific neuropathology with particular symptoms.
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Affiliation(s)
- Rosalinda C Roberts
- Department of Psychiatry and Behavioral Neurobiology, University of Alabama at Birmingham, Birmingham, Alabama 35294, USA.
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22
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Roberts RC, Roche JK, Conley RR. Differential synaptic changes in the striatum of subjects with undifferentiated versus paranoid schizophrenia. Synapse 2008; 62:616-27. [PMID: 18509852 DOI: 10.1002/syn.20534] [Citation(s) in RCA: 24] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/06/2022]
Abstract
Subjects with schizophrenia (SZ) have an increased density of synapses characteristic of corticostriatal or thalamostriatal glutamatergic inputs in the caudate matrix and putamen patches. SZ is a heterogeneous disease in many aspects including symptoms. The purpose of the present study was to determine if the synaptic organization in two different DSM-i.v. subgroups of SZ was differentially affected. Postmortem striatal tissue was obtained from the Maryland Brain Collection from normal controls (NC), chronic paranoid SZs (SZP), and chronic undifferentiated SZs (SZU). Tissue was prepared for calbindin immunocytochemistry to identify patch matrix compartments, prepared for electron microscopy and analyzed using stereological methods. The synaptic density of asymmetric synapses, characteristic of glutamatergic inputs, was elevated equivalently in striatal patches in the SZP and SZU versus NC. The SZU also had an increased density of asymmetric synapses in the striatal matrix compared to NC. Moreover, symmetric axospinous synapses, characteristic of intrinsic inhibitory inputs and dopaminergic afferents, showed a dichotomy in synaptic density between the SZU and SZP in the striatal and caudate matrix. These data show discreet differences in synaptic organization between SZU and SZP and/or NCs. The results suggest that abnormal corticostriatal and/or corticothalamic inputs to striatal patches may be related to limbic dysfunction, which is perturbed in both subtypes of SZ. The selective increase in axospinous synapses in the matrix of the SZU subgroup compared to the SZP may be related to more severe cognitive problems in that subset of SZ compared to SZP.
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Affiliation(s)
- Rosalinda C Roberts
- Department of Psychiatry and Behavioral Neurobiology, University of Alabama at Birmingham, Birmingham, Alabama 35294, USA.
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23
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Lang UE, Puls I, Muller DJ, Strutz-Seebohm N, Gallinat J. Molecular mechanisms of schizophrenia. Cell Physiol Biochem 2007; 20:687-702. [PMID: 17982252 DOI: 10.1159/000110430] [Citation(s) in RCA: 183] [Impact Index Per Article: 10.8] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Accepted: 09/11/2007] [Indexed: 12/11/2022] Open
Abstract
Schizophrenia is a complex disorder, where family, twin and adoption studies have been demonstrating a high heritability of the disease and that this disease is not simply defined by several major genes but rather evolves from addition or potentiation of a specific cluster of genes, which subsequently determines the genetic vulnerability of an individual. Linkage and association studies suggest that a genetic vulnerablility, is not forcefully leading to the disease since triggering factors and environmental influences, i.e. birth complications, drug abuse, urban background or time of birth have been identified. This has lead to the assumption that schizophrenia is not only a genetically defined static disorder but a dynamic process leading to dysregulation of multiple pathways. There are several different hypothesis based on several facets of the disease, some of them due to the relatively well-known mechanisms of therapeutic agents. The most widely considered neurodevelopmental hypothesis of schizophrenia integrates environmental influences and causative genes. The dopamine hypothesis of schizophrenia is based on the fact that all common treatments involve antidopaminergic mechanisms and genes such as DRD2, DRD3, DARPP-32, BDNF or COMT are closely related to dopaminergic system functioning. The glutamatergic hypothesis of schizophrenia lead recently to a first successful mGlu2/3 receptor agonistic drug and is underpinned by significant findings in genes regulating the glutamatergic system (SLC1A6, SLC1A2 GRIN1, GRIN2A, GRIA1, NRG1, ErbB4, DTNBP1, DAAO, G72/30, GRM3). Correspondingly, GABA has been proposed to modulate the pathophysiology of the disease which is represented by the involvement of genes like GABRA1, GABRP, GABRA6 and Reelin. Moreover, several genes implicating immune, signaling and networking deficits have been reported to be involved in the disease, i.e. DISC1, RGS4, PRODH, DGCR6, ZDHHC8, DGCR2, Akt, CREB, IL-1B, IL-1RN, IL-10, IL-1B. However, molecular findings suggest that a complex interplay between receptors, kinases, proteins and hormones is involved in schizophrenia. In a unifying hypothesis, different cascades merge into another that ultimately lead to the development of symptoms adherent to schizophrenic disorders.
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Affiliation(s)
- Undine E Lang
- Department of Psychiatry, Charité University Medicine Berlin, Campus Mitte, Berlin (Germany).
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