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Phomvisith O, Muroya S, Otomaru K, Oshima K, Oshima I, Nishino D, Haginouchi T, Gotoh T. Maternal Undernutrition Affects Fetal Thymus DNA Methylation, Gene Expression, and, Thereby, Metabolism and Immunopoiesis in Wagyu (Japanese Black) Cattle. Int J Mol Sci 2024; 25:9242. [PMID: 39273192 PMCID: PMC11395129 DOI: 10.3390/ijms25179242] [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: 07/30/2024] [Revised: 08/20/2024] [Accepted: 08/22/2024] [Indexed: 09/15/2024] Open
Abstract
We aimed to determine the effects of maternal nutrient restriction (MNR) on the DNA methylation and gene expression patterns associated with metabolism and immunopoiesis in the thymuses of fetal Wagyu cattle. Pregnant cows were allocated to two groups: a low-nutrition (LN; 60% nutritional requirement; n = 5) and a high-nutrition (HN; 120% nutritional requirement, n = 6) group, until 8.5 months of gestation. Whole-genome bisulfite sequencing (WGBS) and RNA sequencing were used to analyze DNA methylation and gene expression, while capillary electrophoresis-Fourier transform mass spectrometry assessed the metabolome. WGBS identified 4566 hypomethylated and 4303 hypermethylated genes in the LN group, with the intergenic regions most frequently being methylated. Pathway analysis linked hypoDMGs to Ras signaling, while hyperDMGs were associated with Hippo signaling. RNA sequencing found 94 differentially expressed genes (66 upregulated, 28 downregulated) in the LN group. The upregulated genes were tied to metabolic pathways and oxidative phosphorylation; the downregulated genes were linked to natural killer cell cytotoxicity. Key overlapping genes (GRIA1, CACNA1D, SCL25A4) were involved in cAMP signaling. The metabolomic analysis indicated an altered amino acid metabolism in the MNR fetuses. These findings suggest that MNR affects DNA methylation, gene expression, and the amino acid metabolism, impacting immune system regulation during fetal thymus development in Wagyu cattle.
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Affiliation(s)
- Ouanh Phomvisith
- Field Science Center for Northern Biosphere, Hokkaido University, N11W10, Kita, Sapporo 060-0811, Hokkaido, Japan
| | - Susumu Muroya
- Department of Animal Science, Joint Faculty of Veterinary Medicine, Kagoshima University, Korimoto 1-21-24, Kagoshima 890-8580, Kagoshima, Japan
| | - Konosuke Otomaru
- Joint Faculty of Veterinary Medicine, Kagoshima University, Korimoto 1-21-24, Kagoshima 890-8580, Kagoshima, Japan
| | - Kazunaga Oshima
- Division of Year-Round Grazing Research, NARO Western Region Agricultural Research Center, 60 Yoshinaga, Ohda 694-0013, Shimane, Japan
| | - Ichiro Oshima
- Department of Animal Science, Joint Faculty of Veterinary Medicine, Kagoshima University, Korimoto 1-21-24, Kagoshima 890-8580, Kagoshima, Japan
| | - Daichi Nishino
- Graduate School of Bioresource and Bioenvironmental Sciences, Kyushu University, 744 Motooka Nishi-ku, Fukuoka 819-0395, Fukuoka, Japan
| | - Taketo Haginouchi
- Field Science Center for Northern Biosphere, Hokkaido University, N11W10, Kita, Sapporo 060-0811, Hokkaido, Japan
| | - Takafumi Gotoh
- Field Science Center for Northern Biosphere, Hokkaido University, N11W10, Kita, Sapporo 060-0811, Hokkaido, Japan
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Fallah M, Udobi KC, Swiatek AE, Scott CB, Evans RC. Inhibitory basal ganglia nuclei differentially innervate pedunculopontine nucleus subpopulations and evoke opposite motor and valence behaviors. BIORXIV : THE PREPRINT SERVER FOR BIOLOGY 2024:2024.08.05.606694. [PMID: 39149277 PMCID: PMC11326182 DOI: 10.1101/2024.08.05.606694] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 08/17/2024]
Abstract
The canonical basal ganglia model predicts that the substantia nigra pars reticulata (SNr) and the globus pallidus externa (GPe) will have specific effects on locomotion: the SNr inhibiting locomotion and the GPe enhancing it. In this manuscript, we use in vivo optogenetics to show that a projection-defined neural subpopulation within each structure exerts non-canonical effects on locomotion. These non-canonical subpopulations are defined by their projection to the pedunculopontine nucleus (PPN) and mediate opposing effects on reward. To understand how these structures differentially modulate the PPN, we use ex vivo whole-cell recording with optogenetics to comprehensively dissect the SNr and GPe connections to regionally- and molecularly-defined populations of PPN neurons. The SNr inhibits all PPN subtypes, but most strongly inhibits caudal glutamatergic neurons. The GPe selectively inhibits caudal glutamatergic and GABAergic neurons, avoiding both cholinergic and rostral cells. This circuit characterization reveals non-canonical basal ganglia pathways for locomotion and valence.
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Affiliation(s)
- Michel Fallah
- Interdisciplinary Program in Neuroscience, Georgetown University, Washington, DC, USA 20007
- Department of Neuroscience, Georgetown University Medical Center, Washington, DC, USA 20007
- Senior author
| | - Kenea C Udobi
- Department of Neuroscience, Georgetown University Medical Center, Washington, DC, USA 20007
| | - Aleksandra E Swiatek
- Department of Neuroscience, Georgetown University Medical Center, Washington, DC, USA 20007
| | - Chelsea B Scott
- Department of Neuroscience, Georgetown University Medical Center, Washington, DC, USA 20007
| | - Rebekah C Evans
- Department of Neuroscience, Georgetown University Medical Center, Washington, DC, USA 20007
- Lead contact
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Chiu WH, Wattad N, Goldberg JA. Ion channel dysregulation and cellular adaptations to alpha-synuclein in stressful pacemakers of the parkinsonian brainstem. Pharmacol Ther 2024; 260:108683. [PMID: 38950869 DOI: 10.1016/j.pharmthera.2024.108683] [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: 01/23/2024] [Revised: 06/21/2024] [Accepted: 06/28/2024] [Indexed: 07/03/2024]
Abstract
Parkinson's disease (PD) is diagnosed by its cardinal motor symptoms that are associated with the loss of dopamine neurons in the substantia nigra pars compacta (SNc). However, PD patients suffer from various non-motor symptoms years before diagnosis. These prodromal symptoms are thought to be associated with the appearance of Lewy body pathologies (LBP) in brainstem regions such as the dorsal motor nucleus of the vagus (DMV), the locus coeruleus (LC) and others. The neurons in these regions that are vulnerable to LBP are all slow autonomous pacemaker neurons that exhibit elevated oxidative stress due to their perpetual influx of Ca2+ ions. Aggregation of toxic α-Synuclein (aSyn) - the main constituent of LBP - during the long prodromal period challenges these vulnerable neurons, presumably altering their biophysics and physiology. In contrast to pathophysiology of late stage parkinsonism which is well-documented, little is known about the pathophysiology of the brainstem during prodromal PD. In this review, we discuss ion channel dysregulation associated with aSyn aggregation in brainstem pacemaker neurons and their cellular responses to them. While toxic aSyn elevates oxidative stress in SNc and LC pacemaker neurons and exacerbates their phenotype, DMV neurons mount an adaptive response that mitigates the oxidative stress. Ion channel dysregulation and cellular adaptations may be the drivers of the prodromal symptoms of PD. For example, selective targeting of toxic aSyn to DMV pacemakers, elevates the surface density of K+ channels, which slows their firing rate, resulting in reduced parasympathetic tone to the gastrointestinal tract, which resembles the prodromal PD symptoms of dysphagia and constipation. The divergent responses of SNc & LC vs. DMV pacemaker neurons may explain why the latter outlive the former despite presenting LBPs earlier. Elucidation the brainstem pathophysiology of prodromal PD could pave the way for physiological biomarkers, earlier diagnosis and novel neuroprotective therapies for PD.
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Affiliation(s)
- Wei-Hua Chiu
- Department of Neurology, New York University Grossman School of Medicine, New York, NY 10016, USA
| | - Nadine Wattad
- Department of Medical Neurobiology, Institute of Medical Research Israel - Canada, The Faculty of Medicine, The Hebrew University of Jerusalem, 9112102 Jerusalem, Israel
| | - Joshua A Goldberg
- Department of Medical Neurobiology, Institute of Medical Research Israel - Canada, The Faculty of Medicine, The Hebrew University of Jerusalem, 9112102 Jerusalem, Israel; Department of Neuroscience, Feinberg School of Medicine, Northwestern University, Chicago, IL, 60611, USA.
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Chen RYT, Evans RC. Comparing tonic and phasic dendritic calcium in cholinergic pedunculopontine neurons and dopaminergic substantia nigra neurons. Eur J Neurosci 2024; 59:1638-1656. [PMID: 38383047 PMCID: PMC10987283 DOI: 10.1111/ejn.16281] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 08/28/2023] [Revised: 01/25/2024] [Accepted: 01/30/2024] [Indexed: 02/23/2024]
Abstract
Several brainstem nuclei degenerate in Parkinson's disease (PD). In addition to the well-characterized dopaminergic neurons of the substantia nigra pars compacta (SNc), the cholinergic neurons of the pedunculopontine nucleus (PPN) also degenerate in PD. One leading hypothesis of selective vulnerability is that pacemaking activity and the activation of low-threshold L-type calcium current are major contributors to tonic calcium load and cellular stress in SNc dopaminergic neurons. However, it is not yet clear whether the vulnerable PPN cholinergic neurons share this property. Therefore, we used two-photon dendritic calcium imaging and whole-cell electrophysiology to evaluate the role of L-type calcium channels in tonic and phasic dendritic calcium signals in PPN and SNc neurons. In addition, we investigated N- and P/Q-type calcium channel regulation of firing properties and dendritic calcium in PPN neurons. We found that blocking L-type channels reduces tonic firing rate and dendritic calcium levels in SNc neurons. By contrast, the tonic calcium load in PPN neurons did not depend on L-, N- or P/Q-type channels. However, we found that blocking either L-type (with nifedipine) or N- and P/Q-type (with omega-conotoxin MVIIC) channels reduces phasic calcium influx in PPN dendrites. Together, these findings show that L-type calcium channels play different roles in the activity of SNc and PPN neurons, and suggest that low-threshold L-type channels are not responsible for tonic calcium levels in PPN cholinergic neurons and are therefore not likely to be a source of selective vulnerability in these cells.
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Affiliation(s)
- Rita Yu-Tzu Chen
- Department of Neuroscience, Georgetown University Medical Center, Washington DC
| | - Rebekah C. Evans
- Department of Neuroscience, Georgetown University Medical Center, Washington DC
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Watanabe H, Dijkstra JM, Nagatsu T. Parkinson's Disease: Cells Succumbing to Lifelong Dopamine-Related Oxidative Stress and Other Bioenergetic Challenges. Int J Mol Sci 2024; 25:2009. [PMID: 38396687 PMCID: PMC10888576 DOI: 10.3390/ijms25042009] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 12/29/2023] [Revised: 01/31/2024] [Accepted: 02/02/2024] [Indexed: 02/25/2024] Open
Abstract
The core pathological event in Parkinson's disease (PD) is the specific dying of dopamine (DA) neurons of the substantia nigra pars compacta (SNc). The reasons why SNc DA neurons are especially vulnerable and why idiopathic PD has only been found in humans are still puzzling. The two main underlying factors of SNc DA neuron vulnerability appear related to high DA production, namely (i) the toxic effects of cytoplasmic DA metabolism and (ii) continuous cytosolic Ca2+ oscillations in the absence of the Ca2+-buffer protein calbindin. Both factors cause oxidative stress by producing highly reactive quinones and increasing intra-mitochondrial Ca2+ concentrations, respectively. High DA expression in human SNc DA neuron cell bodies is suggested by the abundant presence of the DA-derived pigment neuromelanin, which is not found in such abundance in other species and has been associated with toxicity at higher levels. The oxidative stress created by their DA production system, despite the fact that the SN does not use unusually high amounts of energy, explains why SNc DA neurons are sensitive to various genetic and environmental factors that create mitochondrial damage and thereby promote PD. Aging increases multiple risk factors for PD, and, to a large extent, PD is accelerated aging. To prevent PD neurodegeneration, possible approaches that are discussed here are (1) reducing cytoplasmic DA accumulation, (2) blocking cytoplasmic Ca2+ oscillations, and (3) providing bioenergetic support.
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Affiliation(s)
- Hirohisa Watanabe
- Department of Neurology, School of Medicine, Fujita Health University, Toyoake 470-1192, Aichi, Japan
| | - Johannes M. Dijkstra
- Center for Medical Science, Fujita Health University, Toyoake 470-1192, Aichi, Japan
| | - Toshiharu Nagatsu
- Center for Research Promotion and Support, Fujita Health University, Toyoake 470-1192, Aichi, Japan;
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