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Tarasova O, Ivanov V, Luzgarev S, Lavryashina M, Anan’ev V. Choline intake effects on psychophysiological indicators of students in the pre-exam period. FOODS AND RAW MATERIALS 2021. [DOI: 10.21603/2308-4057-2021-2-397-405] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/16/2022] Open
Abstract
Introduction. Choline has a wide range of physiological functions. It has a neuroprotective effect on brain dysfunctions, while its deficiency has a negative effect on antenatal development of the nervous system. We aimed to study the impact of exogenous choline on the psychophysiological indicators in students.
Study objects and methods. 87 students were surveyed by questionnaire to determine their background intake of dietary choline. One month before the exams, we measured their simple and complex visual-motor reaction times, functional mobility and balance of nervous processes, as well as indicators of their short-term memory, attention, health, activity, and mood. Then, we divided the students into a control and an experimental group, regardless of their choline intake. The experimental group took 700 mg choline supplements on a daily basis for one month, followed by a second psychophysiological examination.
Results and discussion. Students with a low choline intake had lower functional mobility and balance of nervous processes, but better attention stability than students with a high choline intake. The second examination showed improved short-term memory, health, and activity indicators in the experimental group, compared to the control. The visual-motor reaction times also increased, but only in students with an initially low level of choline intake.
Conclusion. Choline supplementation can be recommended to students under pre-exam stress to enhance the functional state of their central nervous system.
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Meireles ALF, Segabinazi E, Spindler C, Gasperini NF, Souza Dos Santos A, Pochmann D, Elsner VR, Marcuzzo S. Maternal resistance exercise promotes changes in neuroplastic and epigenetic marks of offspring's hippocampus during adult life. Physiol Behav 2020; 230:113306. [PMID: 33359430 DOI: 10.1016/j.physbeh.2020.113306] [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: 09/18/2020] [Revised: 12/19/2020] [Accepted: 12/22/2020] [Indexed: 12/01/2022]
Abstract
Studies indicate that gestational exercise practice positively impacts the offspring's cognition. Nevertheless, the influence of maternal resistance exercise, different periods of exercise practice, and the inter- and transgenerational effects involved in these responses are not known. This study sought to report the influence of the maternal practice of resistance exercise on offspring's cognitive function, exploring behavior, and neuroplastic and epigenetic marks in the hippocampus. Female Wistar rats were divided into four groups: sedentary (SS), exercised during pregnancy (SE), exercised before pregnancy (ES), and exercised before and during pregnancy (EE). Exercised rats were submitted to a resistance exercise protocol (vertical ladder climbing). Between postnatal days (P)81 and P85, male offspring were submitted to the Morris water maze test. At P85, the following analyses were performed in offspring's hippocampus: expression of IGF-1 and BrdU+ cells, global DNA methylation, H3/H4 acetylation, and HDAC2 amount. Only the offspring of SE mothers presented subtly better performance on learning and memory tasks, associated with lower HDAC2 amount. Offspring from ES mothers presented an overexpression of hippocampal neuroplastic marks (BrdU+ and IGF-1), as well as a decrease of DNA methylation and an increase in H4 acetylation. Offspring from EE mothers (continuously exercised) did not present modifications in plasticity or epigenetic parameters. This is the first study to observe the influence of maternal resistance exercise on offspring's brains. The findings provide evidence that offspring's hippocampus plasticity is influenced by exercise performed in isolated periods (pre- or gestationally) more than that performed continually.
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Affiliation(s)
- André Luís Ferreira Meireles
- Programa de Pós-Graduação em Neurociências, Instituto de Ciências Básicas da Saúde, Universidade Federal do Rio Grande do Sul, Porto Alegre, RS, Brazil; Laboratório de Histofisiologia Comparada, Departamento de Ciências Morfológicas, Instituto de Ciências Básicas da Saúde, Universidade Federal do Rio Grande do Sul, Porto Alegre, RS, Brazil.
| | - Ethiane Segabinazi
- Programa de Pós-Graduação em Neurociências, Instituto de Ciências Básicas da Saúde, Universidade Federal do Rio Grande do Sul, Porto Alegre, RS, Brazil; Laboratório de Histofisiologia Comparada, Departamento de Ciências Morfológicas, Instituto de Ciências Básicas da Saúde, Universidade Federal do Rio Grande do Sul, Porto Alegre, RS, Brazil
| | - Christiano Spindler
- Programa de Pós-Graduação em Neurociências, Instituto de Ciências Básicas da Saúde, Universidade Federal do Rio Grande do Sul, Porto Alegre, RS, Brazil; Laboratório de Histofisiologia Comparada, Departamento de Ciências Morfológicas, Instituto de Ciências Básicas da Saúde, Universidade Federal do Rio Grande do Sul, Porto Alegre, RS, Brazil
| | - Natália Felix Gasperini
- Laboratório de Histofisiologia Comparada, Departamento de Ciências Morfológicas, Instituto de Ciências Básicas da Saúde, Universidade Federal do Rio Grande do Sul, Porto Alegre, RS, Brazil
| | - Adriana Souza Dos Santos
- Programa de Pós-Graduação em Neurociências, Instituto de Ciências Básicas da Saúde, Universidade Federal do Rio Grande do Sul, Porto Alegre, RS, Brazil; Laboratório de Histofisiologia Comparada, Departamento de Ciências Morfológicas, Instituto de Ciências Básicas da Saúde, Universidade Federal do Rio Grande do Sul, Porto Alegre, RS, Brazil
| | - Daniela Pochmann
- Programa de Pós-Graduação em Biociências e Reabilitação, Centro Universitário Metodista-IPA, Porto Alegre, RS, Brazil
| | - Viviane Rostirola Elsner
- Programa de Pós-Graduação em Biociências e Reabilitação, Centro Universitário Metodista-IPA, Porto Alegre, RS, Brazil; Programa de Pós-Graduação em Ciências Biológicas: Fisiologia, Universidade Federal do Rio Grande do Sul, Porto Alegre, RS, Brazil
| | - Simone Marcuzzo
- Programa de Pós-Graduação em Neurociências, Instituto de Ciências Básicas da Saúde, Universidade Federal do Rio Grande do Sul, Porto Alegre, RS, Brazil; Laboratório de Histofisiologia Comparada, Departamento de Ciências Morfológicas, Instituto de Ciências Básicas da Saúde, Universidade Federal do Rio Grande do Sul, Porto Alegre, RS, Brazil
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Interplay between Metabolism, Nutrition and Epigenetics in Shaping Brain DNA Methylation, Neural Function and Behavior. Genes (Basel) 2020; 11:genes11070742. [PMID: 32635190 PMCID: PMC7397264 DOI: 10.3390/genes11070742] [Citation(s) in RCA: 8] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 05/24/2020] [Revised: 06/25/2020] [Accepted: 07/02/2020] [Indexed: 12/14/2022] Open
Abstract
Gene expression in the brain is dramatically regulated by a variety of stimuli. While the role of neural activity has been extensively studied, less is known about the effects of metabolism and nutrition on transcriptional control mechanisms in the brain. Extracellular signals are integrated at the chromatin level through dynamic modifications of epigenetic marks, which in turn fine-tune gene transcription. In the last twenty years, it has become clear that epigenetics plays a crucial role in modulating central nervous system functions and finally behavior. Here, we will focus on the effect of metabolic signals in shaping brain DNA methylation, both during development and adulthood. We will provide an overview of maternal nutrition effects on brain methylation and behavior in offspring. In addition, the impact of different diet challenges on cytosine methylation dynamics in the adult brain will be discussed. Finally, the possible role played by the metabolic status in modulating DNA hydroxymethylation, which is particularly abundant in neural tissue, will be considered.
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4
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General intelligence in the age of neuroimaging. Trends Neurosci Educ 2020; 18:100126. [PMID: 32085908 DOI: 10.1016/j.tine.2020.100126] [Citation(s) in RCA: 6] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 11/14/2019] [Accepted: 12/23/2019] [Indexed: 11/20/2022]
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5
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Keller SM, Doherty TS, Roth TL. Pharmacological manipulation of DNA methylation normalizes maternal behavior, DNA methylation, and gene expression in dams with a history of maltreatment. Sci Rep 2019; 9:10253. [PMID: 31311968 PMCID: PMC6635500 DOI: 10.1038/s41598-019-46539-4] [Citation(s) in RCA: 10] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 01/23/2019] [Accepted: 06/25/2019] [Indexed: 01/02/2023] Open
Abstract
The quality of parental care received during development profoundly influences an individual's phenotype, including that of maternal behavior. We previously found that female rats with a history of maltreatment during infancy mistreat their own offspring. One proposed mechanism through which early-life experiences influence behavior is via epigenetic modifications. Indeed, our lab has identified a number of brain epigenetic alterations in female rats with a history of maltreatment. Here we sought to investigate the role of DNA methylation in aberrant maternal behavior. We administered zebularine, a drug known to alter DNA methylation, to dams exposed during infancy to the scarcity-adversity model of low nesting resources, and then characterized the quality of their care towards their offspring. First, we replicate that dams with a history of maltreatment mistreat their own offspring. Second, we show that maltreated-dams treated with zebularine exhibit lower levels of adverse care toward their offspring. Third, we show that administration of zebularine in control dams (history of nurturing care) enhances levels of adverse care. Lastly, we show altered methylation and gene expression in maltreated dams normalized by zebularine. These findings lend support to the hypothesis that epigenetic alterations resulting from maltreatment causally relate to behavioral outcomes.
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Affiliation(s)
- Samantha M Keller
- Department of Psychological and Brain Sciences, University of Delaware, Newark, DE, 19716, USA
| | - Tiffany S Doherty
- Department of Psychological and Brain Sciences, University of Delaware, Newark, DE, 19716, USA
| | - Tania L Roth
- Department of Psychological and Brain Sciences, University of Delaware, Newark, DE, 19716, USA.
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In Vitro Neuroprotection of Rat Hippocampal Neurons by Manninotriose and Astragaloside IV Against Corticosterone-Induced Toxicity. Molecules 2018; 23:molecules23123339. [PMID: 30562980 PMCID: PMC6321307 DOI: 10.3390/molecules23123339] [Citation(s) in RCA: 5] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.8] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 09/20/2018] [Revised: 12/12/2018] [Accepted: 12/13/2018] [Indexed: 11/16/2022] Open
Abstract
A chronically elevated glucocorticoid level impairs memory and cognition. Manninotriose is the main oligosaccharide of Prepared Radix Rehmanniae, and Astragaloside IV (AS-IV) is the primary ingredient of Astragali Radix; they have been reported to possess neuroprotective effects. The aim of the present study was to investigate the protective effects of Manninotriose and AS-IV on corticosterone (CORT) induced neurotoxicity and the underlying mechanisms. Primary cultured hippocampal neurons from newborn Sprague Dawley rats were treated with CORT in the absence or presence of Manninotriose and AS-IV. Cell Counting Kit-8 experiments and fluorescein diacetate (FDA)/propidium iodide (PI) double staining were conducted to assess the activity and survival rate of neurons. Quantitative Real-time PCR (qRT-PCR) and western blot analysis were performed to detect the expression of glucocorticoid receptor (GR), zinc finger protein (Zif268) and synapsin 1 (SYN1). DNA methylation of the gene promoter was assessed by bisulfite sequencing (BSP) analysis. The results demonstrated that pre-treatment with Manninotriose and AS-IV significantly improved cell viability and survival rate, and ameliorated the downregulation of GR, Zif268 and SYN1 genes in CORT injured neurons. BSP analysis revealed that CORT was able to improve the CpG island methylation rate of SYN1. AS-IV was observed to decrease the hypermethylation of the SYN1 gene induced by CORT. The results of the present study indicated that Manninotriose and AS-IV may have a protective effect against CORT-induced damage and the downregulation of learning and memory associated genes in hippocampal neurons. Regulation of DNA methylation may be important in the pharmaceutical activities of AS-IV. Thus, Manninotriose and AS-IV may be effective agents against learning and memory impairment.
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Kilvitis HJ, Ardia DR, Thiam M, Martin LB. Corticosterone is correlated to mediators of neural plasticity and epigenetic potential in the hippocampus of Senegalese house sparrows (Passer domesticus). Gen Comp Endocrinol 2018; 269:177-183. [PMID: 30257180 DOI: 10.1016/j.ygcen.2018.09.014] [Citation(s) in RCA: 5] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.8] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Submit a Manuscript] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 03/13/2018] [Revised: 09/19/2018] [Accepted: 09/21/2018] [Indexed: 10/28/2022]
Abstract
Our previous research on range-expanding house sparrows in Kenya revealed that (i) range-edge birds released more corticosterone (CORT) in response to a stressor than range-core birds, ii) that range-edge birds were more exploratory than range-core birds, and that (iii) all birds exhibited extensive variation in genome-wide DNA methylation among individuals, regardless of their position along the range expansion. Within the hippocampus, mediators of neural plasticity such as brain-derived neurotrophic factor (BDNF), can influence and be influenced by CORT, hippocampus-associated behaviors and regulatory epigenetic modification enzymes. Here, we investigated whether individuals and populations colonizing a new geographic range, Senegal, vary in the expression of BDNF and DNA methyltransferases (DNMTs) within the hippocampus and the release of CORT in response to a stressor. DNMT expression is an important mediator of epigenetic potential, the propensity of a genome to capacitate phenotypic variation via mechanisms such as DNA methylation. We surveyed three populations across Senegal, predicting that hippocampal BDNF and DNMT expression would be highest at the range-edge, and that BDNF and DNMT would be inversely related to one another, but would each positively covary with CORT within individuals. We found a nonlinear relationship between CORT and BDNF expression within individuals. Moreover, we found that CORT positively covaried with DNMT1 expression in a more recently established population, while the reverse was true in the oldest population (i.e. at the range-core). Our study is among the first to explore whether and how variation in CORT regulation contributes to variation in mediators of neural plasticity and epigenetic potential within the hippocampus of a range-expanding vertebrate.
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Affiliation(s)
- Holly J Kilvitis
- University of South Florida, Department of Integrative Biology, Tampa, FL, USA.
| | - Daniel R Ardia
- Franklin & Marshall College, Department of Biology, Lancaster, PA, USA
| | - Massamba Thiam
- Universite Cheikh Anta Diop, Department of Biology, Dakar, Senegal
| | - Lynn B Martin
- University of South Florida, Department of Global Health, Tampa, FL, USA
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Keller SM, Doherty TS, Roth TL. Pharmacological Manipulation of DNA Methylation in Adult Female Rats Normalizes Behavioral Consequences of Early-Life Maltreatment. Front Behav Neurosci 2018; 12:126. [PMID: 30008666 PMCID: PMC6034089 DOI: 10.3389/fnbeh.2018.00126] [Citation(s) in RCA: 13] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.2] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 03/18/2018] [Accepted: 06/06/2018] [Indexed: 01/03/2023] Open
Abstract
Exposure to adversity early in development alters brain and behavioral trajectories. Data continue to accumulate that epigenetic mechanisms are a mediating factor between early-life adversity and adult behavioral phenotypes. Previous work from our laboratory has shown that female Long-Evans rats exposed to maltreatment during infancy display both aberrant forced swim behavior and patterns of brain DNA methylation in adulthood. Therefore, we examined the possibility of rescuing the aberrant forced swim behavior in maltreated-adult females by administering an epigenome-modifying drug (zebularine) at a dose previously shown to normalize DNA methylation. We found that zebularine normalized behavior in the forced swim test in maltreated females such that they performed at the levels of controls (females that had been exposed to only nurturing care during infancy). These data help link DNA methylation to an adult phenotype in our maltreatment model, and more broadly provide additional evidence that non-targeted epigenetic manipulations can change behavior associated with early-life adversity.
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Affiliation(s)
- Samantha M Keller
- Department of Psychological and Brain Sciences, University of Delaware, Newark, DE, United States
| | - Tiffany S Doherty
- Department of Psychological and Brain Sciences, University of Delaware, Newark, DE, United States
| | - Tania L Roth
- Department of Psychological and Brain Sciences, University of Delaware, Newark, DE, United States
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9
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Memory Function in Feeding Habit Transformation of Mandarin Fish ( Siniperca chuatsi). Int J Mol Sci 2018; 19:ijms19041254. [PMID: 29690543 PMCID: PMC5979507 DOI: 10.3390/ijms19041254] [Citation(s) in RCA: 12] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 01/20/2018] [Revised: 04/08/2018] [Accepted: 04/10/2018] [Indexed: 12/03/2022] Open
Abstract
Mandarin fish refuse dead prey fish or artificial diets and can be trained to transform their inborn feeding habit. To investigate the effect of memory on feeding habit transformation, we compared the reaction time to dead prey fish and the success rate of feeding habit transformation to dead prey fish with training of mandarin fish in the 1st experimental group (trained once) and the 2nd experimental group (trained twice). The mandarin fish in the 2nd group had higher success rate of feeding habit transformation (100%) than those in the 1st group (67%), and shorter reaction time to dead prey fish (<1 s) than those in the 1st group (>1 s). Gene expression of cAMP responsive element binding protein I (Creb I), brain-derived neurotrophic factor (Bdnf), CCAAT enhancer binding protein delta (C/EBPD), fos-related antigen 2 (Fra2), and proto-oncogenes c-fos (c-fos) involved in long-term memory formation were significantly increased in the 2nd group after repeated training, and taste 1 receptor member 1 (T1R1), involved in feeding habit formation, was significantly increased in brains of the 2nd group after repeated training. DNA methylation levels at five candidate CpG (cytosine–guanine) sites contained in the predicted CpG island in the 5′-flanking region of T1R1 were significantly decreased in brains of the 2nd group compared with that of the 1st group. These results indicated that the repeated training can improve the feeding habit transformation through the memory formation of accepting dead prey fish. DNA methylation of the T1R1 might be a regulatory factor for feeding habit transformation from live prey fish to dead prey fish in mandarin fish.
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11
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Rittschof CC, Hughes KA. Advancing behavioural genomics by considering timescale. Nat Commun 2018; 9:489. [PMID: 29434301 PMCID: PMC5809431 DOI: 10.1038/s41467-018-02971-0] [Citation(s) in RCA: 23] [Impact Index Per Article: 3.8] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 04/04/2017] [Accepted: 01/10/2018] [Indexed: 12/31/2022] Open
Abstract
Animal behavioural traits often covary with gene expression, pointing towards a genomic constraint on organismal responses to environmental cues. This pattern highlights a gap in our understanding of the time course of environmentally responsive gene expression, and moreover, how these dynamics are regulated. Advances in behavioural genomics explore how gene expression dynamics are correlated with behavioural traits that range from stable to highly labile. We consider the idea that certain genomic regulatory mechanisms may predict the timescale of an environmental effect on behaviour. This temporally minded approach could inform both organismal and evolutionary questions ranging from the remediation of early life social trauma to understanding the evolution of trait plasticity.
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Affiliation(s)
- Clare C Rittschof
- Department of Entomology, University of Kentucky, Lexington, KY, 40546, USA.
| | - Kimberly A Hughes
- Department of Biological Sciences, Florida State University, Tallahassee, FL, 32306, USA
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12
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Starnawska A, Tan Q, McGue M, Mors O, Børglum AD, Christensen K, Nyegaard M, Christiansen L. Epigenome-Wide Association Study of Cognitive Functioning in Middle-Aged Monozygotic Twins. Front Aging Neurosci 2017; 9:413. [PMID: 29311901 PMCID: PMC5733014 DOI: 10.3389/fnagi.2017.00413] [Citation(s) in RCA: 36] [Impact Index Per Article: 5.1] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 08/31/2017] [Accepted: 11/28/2017] [Indexed: 12/22/2022] Open
Abstract
As the world's population ages, the age-related cognitive decline presents a great challenge to world's healthcare systems. One of the molecular mechanisms implicated in cognitive ageing is DNA methylation, an epigenetic modification known to be a key player in memory formation, maintenance, and synaptic plasticity. Using the twin design we performed an epigenome-wide association study (EWAS) in a population of 486 middle-aged monozygotic twins (mean age at follow-up 65.9, SD = 6.1) and correlated their blood DNA methylation to their level (cross-sectional analysis) and change in cognitive abilities over 10 years (longitudinal analysis). We identified several CpG sites where cross-sectional cognitive functioning was associated with DNA methylation levels. The top identified loci were located in ZBTB46 (p = 5.84 × 10-7), and TAF12 (p = 4.91 × 10-7). KEGG's enrichment analyses of the most associated findings identified "Neuroactive ligand-receptor interaction" as the most enriched pathway (p = 0.0098). Change in cognitive functioning over 10 years was associated with DNA methylation levels in AGBL4 (p = 9.01 × 10-7) and SORBS1 (p = 5.28 × 10-6), with the first gene playing an important role in neuronal survival and the latter gene implicated before in Alzheimer's disease and ischemic stroke. Our findings point to an association between changes in DNA methylation of genes related to neuronal survival and change of cognitive functioning in aging individuals.
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Affiliation(s)
- Anna Starnawska
- The Lundbeck Foundation Initiative for Integrative Psychiatric Research, iPSYCH, Aarhus, Denmark
- Department of Biomedicine, Aarhus University, Aarhus, Denmark
- Center for Integrative Sequencing, iSEQ, Aarhus University, Aarhus, Denmark
| | - Qihua Tan
- The Danish Twin Registry, Institute of Public Health, University of Southern Denmark, Odense, Denmark
- Department of Clinical Genetics, Odense University Hospital, Odense, Denmark
| | - Matt McGue
- The Danish Twin Registry, Institute of Public Health, University of Southern Denmark, Odense, Denmark
- Department of Psychology, University of Minnesota, Minneapolis, MN, United States
| | - Ole Mors
- The Lundbeck Foundation Initiative for Integrative Psychiatric Research, iPSYCH, Aarhus, Denmark
- Center for Integrative Sequencing, iSEQ, Aarhus University, Aarhus, Denmark
- Psychosis Research Unit, Aarhus University Hospital, Risskov, Denmark
| | - Anders D. Børglum
- The Lundbeck Foundation Initiative for Integrative Psychiatric Research, iPSYCH, Aarhus, Denmark
- Department of Biomedicine, Aarhus University, Aarhus, Denmark
- Center for Integrative Sequencing, iSEQ, Aarhus University, Aarhus, Denmark
| | - Kaare Christensen
- The Danish Twin Registry, Institute of Public Health, University of Southern Denmark, Odense, Denmark
- Department of Clinical Genetics, Odense University Hospital, Odense, Denmark
- The Danish Aging Research Center, Institute of Public Health, University of Southern Denmark, Odense, Denmark
- Department of Clinical Biochemistry and Pharmacology, Odense University Hospital, Odense, Denmark
| | - Mette Nyegaard
- The Lundbeck Foundation Initiative for Integrative Psychiatric Research, iPSYCH, Aarhus, Denmark
- Department of Biomedicine, Aarhus University, Aarhus, Denmark
- Center for Integrative Sequencing, iSEQ, Aarhus University, Aarhus, Denmark
| | - Lene Christiansen
- The Danish Twin Registry, Institute of Public Health, University of Southern Denmark, Odense, Denmark
- The Danish Aging Research Center, Institute of Public Health, University of Southern Denmark, Odense, Denmark
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Roth TL. Epigenetic Advances in Behavioral and Brain Sciences have Relevance for Public Policy. ACTA ACUST UNITED AC 2017; 4:202-209. [PMID: 29202007 DOI: 10.1177/2372732217719091] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/17/2022]
Abstract
Nature and nurture work together to drive development, behavior, and health. Behavioral epigenetics research has uncovered the underlying mechanisms for how this happens. Children's early years in development may offer the greatest opportunity for environmental and experiential factors to influence epigenome (chemical compounds telling our genes what to do), but evidence suggests it is never too late. The policy implications of this research are vast, including relevance for child development, health, and disease intervention and prevention.
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Affiliation(s)
- Tania L Roth
- Department of Psychological and Brain Sciences, University of Delaware, Newark DE
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Chan RF, Shabalin AA, Xie LY, Adkins DE, Zhao M, Turecki G, Clark SL, Aberg KA, van den Oord EJCG. Enrichment methods provide a feasible approach to comprehensive and adequately powered investigations of the brain methylome. Nucleic Acids Res 2017; 45:e97. [PMID: 28334972 PMCID: PMC5499761 DOI: 10.1093/nar/gkx143] [Citation(s) in RCA: 29] [Impact Index Per Article: 4.1] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 11/26/2016] [Accepted: 02/20/2017] [Indexed: 12/19/2022] Open
Abstract
Methylome-wide association studies are typically performed using microarray technologies that only assay a very small fraction of the CG methylome and entirely miss two forms of methylation that are common in brain and likely of particular relevance for neuroscience and psychiatric disorders. The alternative is to use whole genome bisulfite (WGB) sequencing but this approach is not yet practically feasible with sample sizes required for adequate statistical power. We argue for revisiting methylation enrichment methods that, provided optimal protocols are used, enable comprehensive, adequately powered and cost-effective genome-wide investigations of the brain methylome. To support our claim we use data showing that enrichment methods approximate the sensitivity obtained with WGB methods and with slightly better specificity. However, this performance is achieved at <5% of the reagent costs. Furthermore, because many more samples can be sequenced simultaneously, projects can be completed about 15 times faster. Currently the only viable option available for comprehensive brain methylome studies, enrichment methods may be critical for moving the field forward.
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Affiliation(s)
- Robin F Chan
- Center for Biomarker Research and Precision Medicine, Virginia Commonwealth University, Richmond, VA 23298, USA
| | - Andrey A Shabalin
- Center for Biomarker Research and Precision Medicine, Virginia Commonwealth University, Richmond, VA 23298, USA
| | - Lin Y Xie
- Center for Biomarker Research and Precision Medicine, Virginia Commonwealth University, Richmond, VA 23298, USA
| | - Daniel E Adkins
- Center for Biomarker Research and Precision Medicine, Virginia Commonwealth University, Richmond, VA 23298, USA
| | - Min Zhao
- Center for Biomarker Research and Precision Medicine, Virginia Commonwealth University, Richmond, VA 23298, USA
| | - Gustavo Turecki
- Douglas Mental Health University Institute and McGill University, Montréal, Québec H4H 1R3, Canada
| | - Shaunna L Clark
- Center for Biomarker Research and Precision Medicine, Virginia Commonwealth University, Richmond, VA 23298, USA
| | - Karolina A Aberg
- Center for Biomarker Research and Precision Medicine, Virginia Commonwealth University, Richmond, VA 23298, USA
| | - Edwin J C G van den Oord
- Center for Biomarker Research and Precision Medicine, Virginia Commonwealth University, Richmond, VA 23298, USA
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15
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Christopher MA, Kyle SM, Katz DJ. Neuroepigenetic mechanisms in disease. Epigenetics Chromatin 2017; 10:47. [PMID: 29037228 PMCID: PMC5644115 DOI: 10.1186/s13072-017-0150-4] [Citation(s) in RCA: 41] [Impact Index Per Article: 5.9] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 06/09/2017] [Accepted: 08/23/2017] [Indexed: 02/08/2023] Open
Abstract
Epigenetics allows for the inheritance of information in cellular lineages during differentiation, independent of changes to the underlying genetic sequence. This raises the question of whether epigenetic mechanisms also function in post-mitotic neurons. During the long life of the neuron, fluctuations in gene expression allow the cell to pass through stages of differentiation, modulate synaptic activity in response to environmental cues, and fortify the cell through age-related neuroprotective pathways. Emerging evidence suggests that epigenetic mechanisms such as DNA methylation and histone modification permit these dynamic changes in gene expression throughout the life of a neuron. Accordingly, recent studies have revealed the vital importance of epigenetic players in the central nervous system and during neurodegeneration. Here, we provide a review of several of these recent findings, highlighting novel functions for epigenetics in the fields of Rett syndrome, Fragile X syndrome, and Alzheimer’s disease research. Together, these discoveries underscore the vital importance of epigenetics in human neurological disorders.
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Affiliation(s)
- Michael A Christopher
- Department of Cell Biology, Emory University School of Medicine, 615 Michael Street, Atlanta, GA, 30322, USA.,Department of Molecular, Cell and Developmental Biology, University of California, Los Angeles, Los Angeles, CA, 90095-7239, USA
| | - Stephanie M Kyle
- Department of Cell Biology, Emory University School of Medicine, 615 Michael Street, Atlanta, GA, 30322, USA
| | - David J Katz
- Department of Cell Biology, Emory University School of Medicine, 615 Michael Street, Atlanta, GA, 30322, USA.
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Walker CD, Bath KG, Joels M, Korosi A, Larauche M, Lucassen PJ, Morris MJ, Raineki C, Roth TL, Sullivan RM, Taché Y, Baram TZ. Chronic early life stress induced by limited bedding and nesting (LBN) material in rodents: critical considerations of methodology, outcomes and translational potential. Stress 2017; 20:421-448. [PMID: 28617197 PMCID: PMC5705407 DOI: 10.1080/10253890.2017.1343296] [Citation(s) in RCA: 222] [Impact Index Per Article: 31.7] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Submit a Manuscript] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 01/09/2017] [Revised: 06/07/2017] [Accepted: 06/09/2017] [Indexed: 02/07/2023] Open
Abstract
The immediate and long-term effects of exposure to early life stress (ELS) have been documented in humans and animal models. Even relatively brief periods of stress during the first 10 days of life in rodents can impact later behavioral regulation and the vulnerability to develop adult pathologies, in particular an impairment of cognitive functions and neurogenesis, but also modified social, emotional, and conditioned fear responses. The development of preclinical models of ELS exposure allows the examination of mechanisms and testing of therapeutic approaches that are not possible in humans. Here, we describe limited bedding and nesting (LBN) procedures, with models that produce altered maternal behavior ranging from fragmentation of care to maltreatment of infants. The purpose of this paper is to discuss important issues related to the implementation of this chronic ELS procedure and to describe some of the most prominent endpoints and consequences, focusing on areas of convergence between laboratories. Effects on the hypothalamic-pituitary adrenal (HPA) axis, gut axis and metabolism are presented in addition to changes in cognitive and emotional functions. Interestingly, recent data have suggested a strong sex difference in some of the reported consequences of the LBN paradigm, with females being more resilient in general than males. As both the chronic and intermittent variants of the LBN procedure have profound consequences on the offspring with minimal external intervention from the investigator, this model is advantageous ecologically and has a large translational potential. In addition to the direct effect of ELS on neurodevelopmental outcomes, exposure to adverse early environments can also have intergenerational impacts on mental health and function in subsequent generation offspring. Thus, advancing our understanding of the effect of ELS on brain and behavioral development is of critical concern for the health and wellbeing of both the current population, and for generations to come.
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Affiliation(s)
- Claire-Dominique Walker
- Department of Psychiatry, McGill University, Douglas Mental Health University Institute, 6875 Lasalle Blvd, Montreal, QC H4H 1R3, Canada
| | - Kevin G. Bath
- Department of Neuroscience, Brown University, 185 Meeting Street, Providence, RI 02912, USA
| | - Marian Joels
- Department Translational Neuroscience, Brain Center Rudolf Magnus, University Medical Center Utrecht, The Netherlands
| | - Aniko Korosi
- Brain Plasticity group, Swammerdam Institute for Life Sciences, University of Amsterdam, Science Park 904, 1098XH, Amsterdam, The Netherlands
| | - Muriel Larauche
- G. Oppenheimer Center for Neurobiology of Stress and Resilience, CURE: Digestive Diseases Research Center, Vatche and Tamar Manoukian Division of Digestive Diseases, Department of Medicine and Brain Research Institute, University of California Los Angeles, and VA Greater Los Angeles Healthcare System, Los Angeles, CA, 90073, USA
| | - Paul J. Lucassen
- Brain Plasticity group, Swammerdam Institute for Life Sciences, University of Amsterdam, Science Park 904, 1098XH, Amsterdam, The Netherlands
| | - Margaret J. Morris
- Department of Pharmacology, School of Medical Sciences, UNSW Australia, Sydney 2052, NSW, Australia
| | - Charlis Raineki
- Department of Cellular and Physiological Sciences, University of British Columbia, 2350 Health Sciences Mall, Vancouver, BC V6T 1Z3, Canada
- Emotional Brain Institute, Nathan Kline Institute for Psychiatric Research, Orangeburg, NY 10962, Department of Child and Adolescent Psychiatry, New York University Langone Medical School, New York, NY 10016, USA
| | - Tania L. Roth
- Department of Psychological and Brain Sciences, University of Delaware, Newark, DE, USA
| | - Regina M. Sullivan
- Emotional Brain Institute, Nathan Kline Institute for Psychiatric Research, Orangeburg, NY 10962, Department of Child and Adolescent Psychiatry, New York University Langone Medical School, New York, NY 10016, USA
| | - Yvette Taché
- G. Oppenheimer Center for Neurobiology of Stress and Resilience, CURE: Digestive Diseases Research Center, Vatche and Tamar Manoukian Division of Digestive Diseases, Department of Medicine and Brain Research Institute, University of California Los Angeles, and VA Greater Los Angeles Healthcare System, Los Angeles, CA, 90073, USA
| | - Tallie Z. Baram
- Department of Pediatrics, of Anatomy & Neurobiology and of Neurology, University of California-Irvine, Irvine, CA 92697, USA
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17
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Neuroprotective Actions of Dietary Choline. Nutrients 2017; 9:nu9080815. [PMID: 28788094 PMCID: PMC5579609 DOI: 10.3390/nu9080815] [Citation(s) in RCA: 147] [Impact Index Per Article: 21.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 06/20/2017] [Revised: 07/21/2017] [Accepted: 07/25/2017] [Indexed: 12/22/2022] Open
Abstract
Choline is an essential nutrient for humans. It is a precursor of membrane phospholipids (e.g., phosphatidylcholine (PC)), the neurotransmitter acetylcholine, and via betaine, the methyl group donor S-adenosylmethionine. High choline intake during gestation and early postnatal development in rat and mouse models improves cognitive function in adulthood, prevents age-related memory decline, and protects the brain from the neuropathological changes associated with Alzheimer’s disease (AD), and neurological damage associated with epilepsy, fetal alcohol syndrome, and inherited conditions such as Down and Rett syndromes. These effects of choline are correlated with modifications in histone and DNA methylation in brain, and with alterations in the expression of genes that encode proteins important for learning and memory processing, suggesting a possible epigenomic mechanism of action. Dietary choline intake in the adult may also influence cognitive function via an effect on PC containing eicosapentaenoic and docosahexaenoic acids; polyunsaturated species of PC whose levels are reduced in brains from AD patients, and is associated with higher memory performance, and resistance to cognitive decline.
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Neuner SM, Wilmott LA, Hoffmann BR, Mozhui K, Kaczorowski CC. Hippocampal proteomics defines pathways associated with memory decline and resilience in normal aging and Alzheimer's disease mouse models. Behav Brain Res 2017; 322:288-298. [PMID: 27265785 PMCID: PMC5135662 DOI: 10.1016/j.bbr.2016.06.002] [Citation(s) in RCA: 65] [Impact Index Per Article: 9.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 03/26/2016] [Revised: 05/20/2016] [Accepted: 06/01/2016] [Indexed: 12/13/2022]
Abstract
Alzheimer's disease (AD), the most common form of dementia in the elderly, has no cure. Thus, the identification of key molecular mediators of cognitive decline in AD remains a top priority. As aging is the most significant risk factor for AD, the goal of this study was to identify altered proteins and pathways associated with the development of normal aging and AD memory deficits, and identify unique proteins and pathways that may contribute to AD-specific symptoms. We used contextual fear conditioning to diagnose 8-month-old 5XFAD and non-transgenic (Ntg) mice as having either intact or impaired memory, followed by liquid chromatography-tandem mass spectrometry (LC-MS/MS) to quantify hippocampal membrane proteins across groups. Subsequent analysis detected 113 proteins differentially expressed relative to memory status (intact vs impaired) in Ntg mice and 103 proteins in 5XFAD mice. Thirty-six proteins, including several involved in neuronal excitability and synaptic plasticity (e.g., GRIA1, GRM3, and SYN1), were altered in both normal aging and AD. Pathway analysis highlighted HDAC4 as a regulator of observed protein changes in both genotypes and identified the REST epigenetic regulatory pathway and Gi intracellular signaling as AD-specific pathways involved in regulating the onset of memory deficits. Comparing the hippocampal membrane proteome of Ntg versus AD, regardless of cognitive status, identified 138 differentially expressed proteins, including confirmatory proteins APOE and CLU. Overall, we provide a novel list of putative targets and pathways with therapeutic potential, including a set of proteins associated with cognitive status in normal aging mice or gene mutations that cause AD.
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Affiliation(s)
- Sarah M Neuner
- Department of Anatomy and Neurobiology, University of Tennessee Health Science Center, Memphis, TN 38163, United States
| | - Lynda A Wilmott
- Department of Anatomy and Neurobiology, University of Tennessee Health Science Center, Memphis, TN 38163, United States
| | - Brian R Hoffmann
- Department of Medicine, Division of Cardiology and Biotechnology and Bioengineering Center, Medical College of Wisconsin, Milwaukee, WI, 53226 United States
| | - Khyobeni Mozhui
- Department of Preventive Medicine, University of Tennessee Health Science Center, Memphis, TN 38163, United States
| | - Catherine C Kaczorowski
- Department of Anatomy and Neurobiology, University of Tennessee Health Science Center, Memphis, TN 38163, United States.
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19
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Epigenetics in Alzheimer's Disease: Perspective of DNA Methylation. Mol Neurobiol 2017; 55:1026-1044. [PMID: 28092081 DOI: 10.1007/s12035-016-0357-6] [Citation(s) in RCA: 86] [Impact Index Per Article: 12.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 10/23/2016] [Accepted: 12/28/2016] [Indexed: 12/12/2022]
Abstract
Research over the years has shown that causes of Alzheimer's disease are not well understood, but over the past years, the involvement of epigenetic mechanisms in the developing memory formation either under pathological or physiological conditions has become clear. The term epigenetics represents the heredity of changes in phenotype that are independent of altered DNA sequences. Different studies validated that cytosine methylation of genomic DNA decreases with age in different tissues of mammals, and therefore, the role of epigenetic factors in developing neurological disorders in aging has been under focus. In this review, we summarized and reviewed the involvement of different epigenetic mechanisms especially the DNA methylation in Alzheimer's disease (AD), late-onset Alzheimer's disease (LOAD), familial Alzheimer's disease (FAD), and autosomal dominant Alzheimer's disease (ADAD). Down to the minutest of details, we tried to discuss the methylation patterns like mitochondrial DNA methylation and ribosomal DNA (rDNA) methylation. Additionally, we mentioned some therapeutic approaches related to epigenetics, which could provide a potential cure for AD. Moreover, we reviewed some recent studies that validate DNA methylation as a potential biomarker and its role in AD. We hope that this review will provide new insights into the understanding of AD pathogenesis from the epigenetic perspective especially from the perspective of DNA methylation.
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20
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Insight from animal models of environmentally driven epigenetic changes in the developing and adult brain. Dev Psychopathol 2016; 28:1229-1243. [PMID: 27687803 DOI: 10.1017/s095457941600081x] [Citation(s) in RCA: 17] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.1] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 12/21/2022]
Abstract
The efforts of many neuroscientists are directed toward understanding the appreciable plasticity of the brain and behavior. In recent years, epigenetics has become a core of this focus as a prime mechanistic candidate for behavioral modifications. Animal models have been instrumental in advancing our understanding of environmentally driven changes to the epigenome in the developing and adult brain. This review focuses mainly on such discoveries driven by adverse environments along with their associated behavioral outcomes. While much of the evidence discussed focuses on epigenetics within the central nervous system, several peripheral studies in humans who have experienced significant adversity are also highlighted. As we continue to unravel the link between epigenetics and phenotype, discerning the complexity and specificity of epigenetic changes induced by environments is an important step toward understanding optimal development and how to prevent or ameliorate behavioral deficits bred by disruptive environments.
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Boschen KE, McKeown SE, Roth TL, Klintsova AY. Impact of exercise and a complex environment on hippocampal dendritic morphology, Bdnf gene expression, and DNA methylation in male rat pups neonatally exposed to alcohol. Dev Neurobiol 2016; 77:708-725. [PMID: 27597545 DOI: 10.1002/dneu.22448] [Citation(s) in RCA: 19] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.4] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 06/01/2016] [Revised: 08/23/2016] [Accepted: 09/01/2016] [Indexed: 12/14/2022]
Abstract
Alcohol exposure in utero can result in Fetal Alcohol Spectrums Disorders (FASD). Measures of hippocampal neuroplasticity, including long-term potentiation, synaptic and dendritic organization, and adult neurogenesis, are consistently disrupted in rodent models of FASD. The current study investigated whether third trimester-equivalent binge-like alcohol exposure (AE) [postnatal days (PD) 4-9] affects dendritic morphology of immature dentate gyrus granule cells, and brain-derived neurotrophic factor (Bdnf) gene expression and DNA methylation in hippocampal tissue in adult male rats. To understand immediate impact of alcohol, DNA methylation was measured in the PD10 hippocampus. In addition, two behavioral interventions, wheel running (WR) and environmental complexity (EC), were utilized as rehabilitative therapies for alcohol-induced deficits. AE significantly decreased dendritic complexity of the immature neurons, demonstrating the long-lasting impact of neonatal alcohol exposure on dendritic morphology of immature neurons in the hippocampus. Both housing conditions robustly enhanced dendritic complexity in the AE animals. While Bdnf exon I DNA methylation was lower in the AE and sham-intubated animals compared with suckle controls on PD10, alterations to Bdnf DNA methylation and gene expression levels were not present at PD72. In control animals, exercise, but not exercise followed by housing in EC, resulted in higher levels of hippocampal Bdnf gene expression and lower DNA methylation. These studies demonstrate the long-lasting negative impact of developmental alcohol exposure on hippocampal dendritic morphology and support the implementation of exercise and complex environments as therapeutic interventions for individuals with FASD. © 2016 Wiley Periodicals, Inc. Develop Neurobiol 77: 708-725, 2017.
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Affiliation(s)
- K E Boschen
- Department of Psychological and Brain Sciences, University of Delaware, Newark, Delaware, 19716
| | - S E McKeown
- Department of Psychological and Brain Sciences, University of Delaware, Newark, Delaware, 19716
| | - T L Roth
- Department of Psychological and Brain Sciences, University of Delaware, Newark, Delaware, 19716
| | - A Y Klintsova
- Department of Psychological and Brain Sciences, University of Delaware, Newark, Delaware, 19716
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22
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Oliveira AMM. DNA methylation: a permissive mark in memory formation and maintenance. ACTA ACUST UNITED AC 2016; 23:587-93. [PMID: 27634149 PMCID: PMC5026210 DOI: 10.1101/lm.042739.116] [Citation(s) in RCA: 46] [Impact Index Per Article: 5.8] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 04/21/2016] [Accepted: 07/14/2016] [Indexed: 01/06/2023]
Abstract
DNA methylation was traditionally viewed as a static mechanism required during cell fate determination. This view has been challenged and it is now accepted that DNA methylation is involved in the regulation of genomic responses in mature neurons, particularly in cognitive functions. The evidence for a role of DNA methylation in memory formation and maintenance comes from the increasing number of studies that have assessed the effects of manipulation of DNA methylation modifiers in the ability to form and maintain memories. Moreover, insights from genome-wide analyses of the hippocampal DNA methylation status after neuronal activity show that DNA methylation is dynamically regulated. Despite all the experimental evidence, we are still far from having a clear picture of how DNA methylation regulates long-term adaptations. This review aims on one hand to describe the findings that led to the confirmation of DNA methylation as an important player in memory formation. On the other hand, it tries to integrate these discoveries into the current views of how memories are formed and maintained.
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Affiliation(s)
- Ana M M Oliveira
- Department of Neurobiology, Interdisciplinary Center for Neurosciences (IZN), University of Heidelberg, 69120 Heidelberg, Germany
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Cariaga-Martinez A, Saiz-Ruiz J, Alelú-Paz R. From Linkage Studies to Epigenetics: What We Know and What We Need to Know in the Neurobiology of Schizophrenia. Front Neurosci 2016; 10:202. [PMID: 27242407 PMCID: PMC4862989 DOI: 10.3389/fnins.2016.00202] [Citation(s) in RCA: 30] [Impact Index Per Article: 3.8] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 01/16/2016] [Accepted: 04/25/2016] [Indexed: 01/15/2023] Open
Abstract
Schizophrenia is a complex psychiatric disorder characterized by the presence of positive, negative, and cognitive symptoms that lacks a unifying neuropathology. In the present paper, we will review the current understanding of molecular dysregulation in schizophrenia, including genetic and epigenetic studies. In relation to the latter, basic research suggests that normal cognition is regulated by epigenetic mechanisms and its dysfunction occurs upon epigenetic misregulation, providing new insights into missing heritability of complex psychiatric diseases, referring to the discrepancy between epidemiological heritability and the proportion of phenotypic variation explained by DNA sequence difference. In schizophrenia the absence of consistently replicated genetic effects together with evidence for lasting changes in gene expression after environmental exposures suggest a role of epigenetic mechanisms. In this review we will focus on epigenetic modifications as a key mechanism through which environmental factors interact with individual's genetic constitution to affect risk of psychotic conditions throughout life.
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Affiliation(s)
- Ariel Cariaga-Martinez
- Laboratory for Neuroscience of Mental Disorders Elena Pessino, Department of Medicine and Medical Specialties, School of Medicine, Alcalá University Madrid, Spain
| | - Jerónimo Saiz-Ruiz
- Department of Psychiatry, Ramón y Cajal Hospital, IRYCISMadrid, Spain; Centro de Investigación Biomédica en Red de Salud Mental (CIBERSAM)Madrid, Spain
| | - Raúl Alelú-Paz
- Laboratory for Neuroscience of Mental Disorders Elena Pessino, Department of Medicine and Medical Specialties, School of Medicine, Alcalá UniversityMadrid, Spain; Department of Psychiatry, Ramón y Cajal Hospital, IRYCISMadrid, Spain
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24
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Sweatt JD. Dynamic DNA methylation controls glutamate receptor trafficking and synaptic scaling. J Neurochem 2016; 137:312-30. [PMID: 26849493 DOI: 10.1111/jnc.13564] [Citation(s) in RCA: 41] [Impact Index Per Article: 5.1] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 12/14/2015] [Revised: 01/27/2016] [Accepted: 01/30/2016] [Indexed: 12/27/2022]
Abstract
Hebbian plasticity, including long-term potentiation and long-term depression, has long been regarded as important for local circuit refinement in the context of memory formation and stabilization. However, circuit development and stabilization additionally relies on non-Hebbian, homeostatic, forms of plasticity such as synaptic scaling. Synaptic scaling is induced by chronic increases or decreases in neuronal activity. Synaptic scaling is associated with cell-wide adjustments in postsynaptic receptor density, and can occur in a multiplicative manner resulting in preservation of relative synaptic strengths across the entire neuron's population of synapses. Both active DNA methylation and demethylation have been validated as crucial regulators of gene transcription during learning, and synaptic scaling is known to be transcriptionally dependent. However, it has been unclear whether homeostatic forms of plasticity such as synaptic scaling are regulated via epigenetic mechanisms. This review describes exciting recent work that has demonstrated a role for active changes in neuronal DNA methylation and demethylation as a controller of synaptic scaling and glutamate receptor trafficking. These findings bring together three major categories of memory-associated mechanisms that were previously largely considered separately: DNA methylation, homeostatic plasticity, and glutamate receptor trafficking. This review describes exciting recent work that has demonstrated a role for active changes in neuronal DNA methylation and demethylation as a controller of synaptic scaling and glutamate receptor trafficking. These findings bring together three major categories of memory-associated mechanisms that were previously considered separately: glutamate receptor trafficking, DNA methylation, and homeostatic plasticity.
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Affiliation(s)
- J David Sweatt
- Department of Neurobiology, Evelyn F. McKnight Brain Institute, Civitan International Research Center, University of Alabama at Birmingham, Birmingham, Alabama, USA
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25
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Yu N, Liu J, Yi G, Ye F, Xiao J, Guo F. DNA methylation is necessary for erythropoietin to improve spatial learning and memory in SAMP8 mice. Exp Gerontol 2015; 69:111-5. [PMID: 26072265 DOI: 10.1016/j.exger.2015.06.009] [Citation(s) in RCA: 4] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.4] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 12/18/2014] [Revised: 05/24/2015] [Accepted: 06/09/2015] [Indexed: 11/16/2022]
Abstract
OBJECTIVE To reveal the role of Dnmts in the improvement of spatial learning and memory induced by erythropoietin (EPO) in SAMP8 mice. METHODS The Morris water maze (MWM) was used to assess spatial learning and memory. Mice were administered by intraperitoneal (i.p.) injection of recombinant human EPO and hippocamppi infusion (IH) of 5-aza-2'-deoxycytidine (5-AZA). The expression of genes Dnmt1, Dnmt3a and Dnmt3b in the hippocampus was detected by real-time qPCR. The level of proteins DNMT1, DNMT3A and DNMT3B was measured by Western blotting. RESULTS Spatial learning and memory in SAMP8 were promoted after i.p. injection of EPO (5000IU/kg/day) and expression of Dnmt3b mRNA and DNMT3B proteins in the hippocampus increased. The improved memory by EPO was blocked after IH 5-AZA. CONCLUSION DNA methylation is necessary for EPO to enhance spatial learning and memory in SAMP8 mice.
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Affiliation(s)
- Nengwei Yu
- Department of Neurology, Sichuan Provincial People's Hospital, 610072, 32 West Second Section First Ring Road, Chengdu, Sichuan, China.
| | - Jie Liu
- Department of Neurology, Sichuan Provincial People's Hospital, 610072, 32 West Second Section First Ring Road, Chengdu, Sichuan, China.
| | - Gang Yi
- Department of Neurology, Sichuan Provincial People's Hospital, 610072, 32 West Second Section First Ring Road, Chengdu, Sichuan, China.
| | - Fang Ye
- Department of Neurology, Sichuan Provincial People's Hospital, 610072, 32 West Second Section First Ring Road, Chengdu, Sichuan, China.
| | - Jun Xiao
- Department of Neurology, Sichuan Provincial People's Hospital, 610072, 32 West Second Section First Ring Road, Chengdu, Sichuan, China.
| | - Fuqiang Guo
- Department of Neurology, Sichuan Provincial People's Hospital, 610072, 32 West Second Section First Ring Road, Chengdu, Sichuan, China.
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26
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Meadows JP, Guzman-Karlsson MC, Phillips S, Holleman C, Posey JL, Day JJ, Hablitz JJ, Sweatt JD. DNA methylation regulates neuronal glutamatergic synaptic scaling. Sci Signal 2015; 8:ra61. [PMID: 26106219 DOI: 10.1126/scisignal.aab0715] [Citation(s) in RCA: 84] [Impact Index Per Article: 9.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 12/13/2022]
Abstract
Enhanced receptiveness at all synapses on a neuron that receive glutamatergic input is called cell-wide synaptic upscaling. We hypothesize that this type of synaptic plasticity may be critical for long-term memory storage within cortical circuits, a process that may also depend on epigenetic mechanisms, such as covalent chemical modification of DNA. We found that DNA cytosine demethylation mediates multiplicative synaptic upscaling of glutamatergic synaptic strength in cultured cortical neurons. Inhibiting neuronal activity with tetrodotoxin (TTX) decreased the cytosine methylation of and increased the expression of genes encoding glutamate receptors and trafficking proteins, in turn increasing the amplitude but not frequency of miniature excitatory postsynaptic currents (mEPSCs), indicating synaptic upscaling rather than increased spontaneous activity. Inhibiting DNA methyltransferase (DNMT) activity, either by using the small-molecule inhibitor RG108 or by knocking down Dnmt1 and Dnmt3a, induced synaptic upscaling to a similar magnitude as exposure to TTX. Moreover, upscaling induced by DNMT inhibition required transcription; the RNA polymerase inhibitor actinomycin D blocked upscaling induced by DNMT inhibition. Knocking down the cytosine demethylase TET1 also blocked the upscaling effects of RG108. DNMT inhibition induced a multiplicative increase in mEPSC amplitude, indicating that the alterations in glutamate receptor abundance occurred in a coordinated manner throughout a neuron and were not limited to individual active synapses. Our data suggest that DNA methylation status controls transcription-dependent regulation of glutamatergic synaptic homeostasis. Furthermore, covalent DNA modifications may contribute to synaptic plasticity events that underlie the formation and stabilization of memories.
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Affiliation(s)
- Jarrod P Meadows
- Evelyn F. McKnight Brain Institute, Department of Neurobiology, University of Alabama at Birmingham, Birmingham, AL 35294, USA
| | - Mikael C Guzman-Karlsson
- Evelyn F. McKnight Brain Institute, Department of Neurobiology, University of Alabama at Birmingham, Birmingham, AL 35294, USA
| | - Scott Phillips
- Evelyn F. McKnight Brain Institute, Department of Neurobiology, University of Alabama at Birmingham, Birmingham, AL 35294, USA
| | - Cassie Holleman
- Evelyn F. McKnight Brain Institute, Department of Neurobiology, University of Alabama at Birmingham, Birmingham, AL 35294, USA
| | - Jessica L Posey
- Evelyn F. McKnight Brain Institute, Department of Neurobiology, University of Alabama at Birmingham, Birmingham, AL 35294, USA
| | - Jeremy J Day
- Evelyn F. McKnight Brain Institute, Department of Neurobiology, University of Alabama at Birmingham, Birmingham, AL 35294, USA
| | - John J Hablitz
- Evelyn F. McKnight Brain Institute, Department of Neurobiology, University of Alabama at Birmingham, Birmingham, AL 35294, USA.
| | - J David Sweatt
- Evelyn F. McKnight Brain Institute, Department of Neurobiology, University of Alabama at Birmingham, Birmingham, AL 35294, USA.
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