1
|
Katane M, Homma H. Biosynthesis and Degradation of Free D-Amino Acids and Their Physiological Roles in the Periphery and Endocrine Glands. Biol Pharm Bull 2024; 47:562-579. [PMID: 38432912 DOI: 10.1248/bpb.b23-00485] [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] [Indexed: 03/05/2024]
Abstract
It was long believed that D-amino acids were either unnatural isomers or laboratory artifacts, and that the important functions of amino acids were exerted only by L-amino acids. However, recent investigations have revealed a variety of D-amino acids in mammals that play important roles in physiological functions, including free D-serine and D-aspartate that are crucial in the central nervous system. The functions of several D-amino acids in the periphery and endocrine glands are also receiving increasing attention. Here, we present an overview of recent advances in elucidating the physiological roles of D-amino acids, especially in the periphery and endocrine glands.
Collapse
Affiliation(s)
- Masumi Katane
- Medicinal Research Laboratories, Graduate School of Pharmaceutical Sciences, Kitasato University
| | - Hiroshi Homma
- Laboratory of Analytical Chemistry, Graduate School of Pharmaceutical Sciences, Kitasato University
| |
Collapse
|
2
|
Involvement of DAAO Overexpression in Delayed Hippocampal Neuronal Death. Cells 2022; 11:cells11223689. [PMID: 36429117 PMCID: PMC9688509 DOI: 10.3390/cells11223689] [Citation(s) in RCA: 1] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 08/24/2022] [Revised: 11/17/2022] [Accepted: 11/17/2022] [Indexed: 11/22/2022] Open
Abstract
BACKGROUND D-amino acid oxidase (DAAO) is a flavoenzyme that specifically catalyzes the deamination of many neutral and basic D-amino acids. This study aims to explore the pathological increment of hippocampal DAAO and its potential relationship with delayed hippocampal neuronal death. METHODS Ischemia-reperfusion was induced in mice through middle cerebral artery occlusion (MCAO). Neurological deficit scores and hippocampal neuronal death were assessed in MCAO mice. Immunofluorescent staining was applied to identify activated astrocytes and evaluate DAAO expression. TUNEL and Nissl staining were utilized to identify cell apoptosis of hippocampal neurons. RESULTS Hippocampal astrocytic DAAO was strikingly increased following ischemic stroke, with the greatest increase on day 5 after surgery, followed by the manifestation of neurobehavioral deficits. Astrocytic DAAO was found to be mainly expressed in the hippocampal CA2 region and linked with subsequent specific neural apoptosis. Thus, it is supposed that the activation of astrocytic DAAO in ischemic stroke might contribute to neuronal death. An intravenous, twice-daily administration of 4H-furo[3,2-b]pyrrole-5-carboxylic acid (SUN, 10 mg/kg) markedly relieved behavioral status and delayed hippocampal neuronal death by 38.0% and 41.5%, respectively, compared to the model group treated with saline. In transfected primary astrocytes, DAAO overexpression inhibits cell activity, induces cytotoxicity, and promotes hippocampal neuronal death at least partly by enhancing H2O2 levels with subsequent activation of TRP calcium channels in neurons. CONCLUSIONS Our findings suggest that increased hippocampal DAAO is causally associated with the development of delayed neuronal death after MCAO onset via astrocyte-neuron interactions. Hence, targeting DAAO is a promising therapeutic strategy for the management of neurological disorders.
Collapse
|
3
|
Bauminger H, Gaisler-Salomon I. Beyond NMDA Receptors: Homeostasis at the Glutamate Tripartite Synapse and Its Contributions to Cognitive Dysfunction in Schizophrenia. Int J Mol Sci 2022; 23:8617. [PMID: 35955750 PMCID: PMC9368772 DOI: 10.3390/ijms23158617] [Citation(s) in RCA: 4] [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: 06/28/2022] [Revised: 07/30/2022] [Accepted: 08/01/2022] [Indexed: 02/01/2023] Open
Abstract
Cognitive deficits are core symptoms of schizophrenia but remain poorly addressed by dopamine-based antipsychotic medications. Glutamate abnormalities are implicated in schizophrenia-related cognitive deficits. While the role of the NMDA receptor has been extensively studied, less attention was given to other components that control glutamate homeostasis. Glutamate dynamics at the tripartite synapse include presynaptic and postsynaptic components and are tightly regulated by neuron-astrocyte crosstalk. Here, we delineate the role of glutamate homeostasis at the tripartite synapse in schizophrenia-related cognitive dysfunction. We focus on cognitive domains that can be readily measured in humans and rodents, i.e., working memory, recognition memory, cognitive flexibility, and response inhibition. We describe tasks used to measure cognitive function in these domains in humans and rodents, and the relevance of glutamate alterations in these domains. Next, we delve into glutamate tripartite synaptic components and summarize findings that implicate the relevance of these components to specific cognitive domains. These collective findings indicate that neuron-astrocyte crosstalk at the tripartite synapse is essential for cognition, and that pre- and postsynaptic components play a critical role in maintaining glutamate homeostasis and cognitive well-being. The contribution of these components to cognitive function should be considered in order to better understand the role played by glutamate signaling in cognition and develop efficient pharmacological treatment avenues for schizophrenia treatment-resistant symptoms.
Collapse
Affiliation(s)
- Hagar Bauminger
- School of Psychological Sciences, Department of Psychology, University of Haifa, Haifa 3498838, Israel;
- The Integrated Brain and Behavior Research Center (IBBRC), University of Haifa, Haifa 3498838, Israel
| | - Inna Gaisler-Salomon
- School of Psychological Sciences, Department of Psychology, University of Haifa, Haifa 3498838, Israel;
- The Integrated Brain and Behavior Research Center (IBBRC), University of Haifa, Haifa 3498838, Israel
| |
Collapse
|
4
|
Ni X, Mori H. Complex Processes Underlying the Dynamic Changes of D-serine Levels in AD Brains. Curr Alzheimer Res 2022; 19:485-493. [PMID: 35346007 DOI: 10.2174/1567205019666220328123048] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 09/22/2021] [Revised: 02/02/2022] [Accepted: 02/10/2022] [Indexed: 01/27/2023]
Abstract
BACKGROUND Alzheimer's disease (AD) is a neurodegenerative disorder characterized by extracellular β-amyloid (Aβ) plaques and cognitive impairments. D-Serine, produced by the enzyme serine racemase (SR) in the brain, functions as an endogenous co-agonist at the glycine-binding site of N-methyl-D-aspartate receptor (NMDAR), has been implicated in the pathophysiological progression of AD. OBJECTIVES Evidence regarding the understanding of the role and dynamic modulation of D-serine during AD progression remains controversial. This literature review aims to offer novel research directions for studying the functions and metabolisms of D-serine in AD brains. METHODS We searched PubMed, using D-serine/SR and AD as keywords. Studies related to NMDAR dysfunction, neuronal excitotoxicity, D-serine dynamic changes and inflammatory response were included. RESULTS This review primarily discusses: (i) Aβ oligomers' role in NMDAR dysregulation, and the subsequent synaptic dysfunction and neuronal damage in AD, (ii) D-serine's role in NMDAR-elicited excitotoxicity, and (iii) the involvement of D-serine and SR in AD-related inflammatory pathological progression. CONCLUSION We also presented supposed metabolism and dynamic changes of D-serine during AD progression and hypothesized that: (i) the possible modulation of D-serine levels or SR expression as an effective method of alleviating neurotoxicity during AD pathophysiological progression, and (ii) the dynamic changes of D-serine levels in AD brains possibly resulting from complex processes.
Collapse
Affiliation(s)
- Xiance Ni
- Graduate School of Innovative Life Science, University of Toyama, Toyama 930-0194, Japan
| | - Hisashi Mori
- Graduate School of Innovative Life Science, University of Toyama, Toyama 930-0194, Japan.,Research Center for Idling Brain Science (RCIBS), University of Toyama, Toyama 930-0194, Japan
| |
Collapse
|
5
|
Sherwood MW, Oliet SHR, Panatier A. NMDARs, Coincidence Detectors of Astrocytic and Neuronal Activities. Int J Mol Sci 2021; 22:7258. [PMID: 34298875 PMCID: PMC8307462 DOI: 10.3390/ijms22147258] [Citation(s) in RCA: 9] [Impact Index Per Article: 3.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 05/28/2021] [Revised: 06/30/2021] [Accepted: 06/30/2021] [Indexed: 12/18/2022] Open
Abstract
Synaptic plasticity is an extensively studied cellular correlate of learning and memory in which NMDARs play a starring role. One of the most interesting features of NMDARs is their ability to act as a co-incident detector. It is unique amongst neurotransmitter receptors in this respect. Co-incident detection is possible because the opening of NMDARs requires membrane depolarisation and the binding of glutamate. Opening of NMDARs also requires a co-agonist. Although the dynamic regulation of glutamate and membrane depolarization have been well studied in coincident detection, the role of the co-agonist site is unexplored. It turns out that non-neuronal glial cells, astrocytes, regulate co-agonist availability, giving them the ability to influence synaptic plasticity. The unique morphology and spatial arrangement of astrocytes at the synaptic level affords them the capacity to sample and integrate information originating from unrelated synapses, regardless of any pre-synaptic and post-synaptic commonality. As astrocytes are classically considered slow responders, their influence at the synapse is widely recognized as modulatory. The aim herein is to reconsider the potential of astrocytes to participate directly in ongoing synaptic NMDAR activity and co-incident detection.
Collapse
Affiliation(s)
- Mark W. Sherwood
- University of Bordeaux, INSERM, Neurocentre Magendie, U1215, F-3300 Bordeaux, France;
| | | | - Aude Panatier
- University of Bordeaux, INSERM, Neurocentre Magendie, U1215, F-3300 Bordeaux, France;
| |
Collapse
|
6
|
Pei JC, Luo DZ, Gau SS, Chang CY, Lai WS. Directly and Indirectly Targeting the Glycine Modulatory Site to Modulate NMDA Receptor Function to Address Unmet Medical Needs of Patients With Schizophrenia. Front Psychiatry 2021; 12:742058. [PMID: 34658976 PMCID: PMC8517243 DOI: 10.3389/fpsyt.2021.742058] [Citation(s) in RCA: 16] [Impact Index Per Article: 5.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Submit a Manuscript] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 07/15/2021] [Accepted: 09/02/2021] [Indexed: 12/30/2022] Open
Abstract
Schizophrenia is a severe mental illness that affects ~1% of the world's population. It is clinically characterized by positive, negative, and cognitive symptoms. Currently available antipsychotic medications are relatively ineffective in improving negative and cognitive deficits, which are related to a patient's functional outcomes and quality of life. Negative symptoms and cognitive deficits are unmet by the antipsychotic medications developed to date. In recent decades, compelling animal and clinical studies have supported the NMDA receptor (NMDAR) hypofunction hypothesis of schizophrenia and have suggested some promising therapeutic agents. Notably, several NMDAR-enhancing agents, especially those that function through the glycine modulatory site (GMS) of NMDAR, cause significant reduction in psychotic and cognitive symptoms in patients with schizophrenia. Given that the NMDAR-mediated signaling pathway has been implicated in cognitive/social functions and that GMS is a potential therapeutic target for enhancing the activation of NMDARs, there is great interest in investigating the effects of direct and indirect GMS modulators and their therapeutic potential. In this review, we focus on describing preclinical and clinical studies of direct and indirect GMS modulators in the treatment of schizophrenia, including glycine, D-cycloserine, D-serine, glycine transporter 1 (GlyT1) inhibitors, and D-amino acid oxidase (DAO or DAAO) inhibitors. We highlight some of the most promising recently developed pharmacological compounds designed to either directly or indirectly target GMS and thus augment NMDAR function to treat the cognitive and negative symptoms of schizophrenia. Overall, the current findings suggest that indirectly targeting of GMS appears to be more beneficial and leads to less adverse effects than direct targeting of GMS to modulate NMDAR functions. Indirect GMS modulators, especially GlyT1 inhibitors and DAO inhibitors, open new avenues for the treatment of unmet medical needs for patients with schizophrenia.
Collapse
Affiliation(s)
- Ju-Chun Pei
- Department of Psychology, National Taiwan University, Taipei, Taiwan
| | - Da-Zhong Luo
- Department of Psychology, National Taiwan University, Taipei, Taiwan
| | - Shiang-Shin Gau
- Department of Psychology, National Taiwan University, Taipei, Taiwan
| | - Chia-Yuan Chang
- Department of Psychology, National Taiwan University, Taipei, Taiwan.,Neurobiology and Cognitive Science Center, National Taiwan University, Taipei, Taiwan
| | - Wen-Sung Lai
- Department of Psychology, National Taiwan University, Taipei, Taiwan.,Neurobiology and Cognitive Science Center, National Taiwan University, Taipei, Taiwan.,Graduate Institute of Brain and Mind Sciences, National Taiwan University, Taipei, Taiwan
| |
Collapse
|
7
|
Nagy LV, Bali ZK, Kapus G, Pelsőczi P, Farkas B, Lendvai B, Lévay G, Hernádi I. Converging Evidence on D-Amino Acid Oxidase-Dependent Enhancement of Hippocampal Firing Activity and Passive Avoidance Learning in Rats. Int J Neuropsychopharmacol 2020; 24:434-445. [PMID: 33305805 PMCID: PMC8130201 DOI: 10.1093/ijnp/pyaa095] [Citation(s) in RCA: 4] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Submit a Manuscript] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 09/24/2020] [Revised: 12/02/2020] [Accepted: 12/08/2020] [Indexed: 12/11/2022] Open
Abstract
BACKGROUND N-methyl-D-aspartate (NMDA) receptor activation requires the binding of a co-agonist on the glycine-binding site. D-serine is the main endogenous co-agonist of NMDA receptors, and its availability significantly depends on the activity of the metabolic enzyme D-amino acid oxidase (DAAO). Inhibition of DAAO increases the brain levels of D-serine and modulates a variety of physiological functions, including cognitive behavior. METHODS Here, we examined the effects of a novel 4-hydroxypyridazin-3(2H)-one derivative DAAO inhibitor, Compound 30 (CPD30), on passive avoidance learning and on neuronal firing activity in rats. RESULTS D-serine administration was applied as reference, which increased cognitive performance and enhanced hippocampal firing activity and responsiveness to NMDA after both local and systemic application. Similarly to D-serine, CPD30 (0.1 mg/kg) effectively reversed MK-801-induced memory impairment in the passive avoidance test. Furthermore, local iontophoretic application of CPD30 in the vicinity of hippocampal pyramidal neurons significantly increased firing rate and enhanced their responses to locally applied NMDA. CPD30 also enhanced hippocampal firing activity after systemic administration. In 0.1- to 1.0-mg/kg doses, CPD30 increased spontaneous and NMDA-evoked firing activity of the neurons. Effects of CPD30 on NMDA responsiveness emerged faster (at 10 minutes post-injection) when a 1.0-mg/kg dose was applied compared with the onset of the effects of 0.1 mg/kg CPD30 (at 30 minutes post-injection). CONCLUSIONS The present results confirm that the inhibition of DAAO enzyme is an effective strategy for cognitive enhancement. Our findings further facilitate the understanding of the cellular mechanisms underlying the behavioral effects of DAAO inhibition in the mammalian brain.
Collapse
Affiliation(s)
- Lili Veronika Nagy
- Department of Experimental Zoology and Neurobiology, Faculty of Sciences, University of Pécs, Pécs, Hungary,Szentágothai Research Center, Center for Neuroscience, University of Pécs, Pécs, Hungary
| | - Zsolt Kristóf Bali
- Szentágothai Research Center, Center for Neuroscience, University of Pécs, Pécs, Hungary,Grastyán Translational Research Center, University of Pécs, Pécs, Hungary,Institute of Physiology, Medical School, University of Pécs, Pécs, Hungary,Correspondence: Zsolt Kristóf Bali, PhD, Translational Neuroscience Research Group, Grastyán Translational Research Center, 6 Ifjúság út, H-7624, Pécs, Hungary ()
| | - Gábor Kapus
- Pharmacological and Drug Safety Research, Gedeon Richter Plc, Budapest, Hungary
| | - Péter Pelsőczi
- Pharmacological and Drug Safety Research, Gedeon Richter Plc, Budapest, Hungary
| | - Bence Farkas
- Pharmacological and Drug Safety Research, Gedeon Richter Plc, Budapest, Hungary
| | - Balázs Lendvai
- Pharmacological and Drug Safety Research, Gedeon Richter Plc, Budapest, Hungary
| | - György Lévay
- Pharmacological and Drug Safety Research, Gedeon Richter Plc, Budapest, Hungary,Department of Morphology and Physiology, Faculty of Health Sciences, Semmelweis University, Budapest, Hungary
| | - István Hernádi
- Department of Experimental Zoology and Neurobiology, Faculty of Sciences, University of Pécs, Pécs, Hungary,Szentágothai Research Center, Center for Neuroscience, University of Pécs, Pécs, Hungary,Grastyán Translational Research Center, University of Pécs, Pécs, Hungary,Institute of Physiology, Medical School, University of Pécs, Pécs, Hungary
| |
Collapse
|
8
|
Maugard M, Vigneron PA, Bolaños JP, Bonvento G. l-Serine links metabolism with neurotransmission. Prog Neurobiol 2020; 197:101896. [PMID: 32798642 DOI: 10.1016/j.pneurobio.2020.101896] [Citation(s) in RCA: 35] [Impact Index Per Article: 8.8] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 04/02/2020] [Revised: 07/20/2020] [Accepted: 08/09/2020] [Indexed: 12/12/2022]
Abstract
Brain energy metabolism is often considered as a succession of biochemical steps that metabolize the fuel (glucose and oxygen) for the unique purpose of providing sufficient ATP to maintain the huge information processing power of the brain. However, a significant fraction (10-15 %) of glucose is shunted away from the ATP-producing pathway (oxidative phosphorylation) and may be used to support other functions. Recent studies have pointed to the marked compartmentation of energy metabolic pathways between neurons and glial cells. Here, we focused our attention on the biosynthesis of l-serine, a non-essential amino acid that is formed exclusively in glial cells (mostly astrocytes) by re-routing the metabolic fate of the glycolytic intermediate, 3-phosphoglycerate (3PG). This metabolic pathway is called the phosphorylated pathway and transforms 3PG into l-serine via three enzymatic reactions. We first compiled the available data on the mechanisms that regulate the flux through this metabolic pathway. We then reviewed the current evidence that is beginning to unravel the roles of l-serine both in the healthy and diseased brain, leading to the notion that this specific metabolic pathway connects glial metabolism with synaptic activity and plasticity. We finally suggest that restoring astrocyte-mediated l-serine homeostasis may provide new therapeutic strategies for brain disorders.
Collapse
Affiliation(s)
- Marianne Maugard
- Université Paris-Saclay, CEA, CNRS, MIRCen, Laboratoire des Maladies Neurodégénératives, Fontenay-aux-Roses, France
| | - Pierre-Antoine Vigneron
- Université Paris-Saclay, CEA, CNRS, MIRCen, Laboratoire des Maladies Neurodégénératives, Fontenay-aux-Roses, France
| | - Juan P Bolaños
- Institute of Functional Biology and Genomics (IBFG), Universidad de Salamanca, CSIC, Salamanca, Spain; Centro de Investigación Biomédica en Red sobre Fragilidad y Envejecimiento Saludable (CIBERFES), Institute of Biomedical Research of Salamanca, 37007, Salamanca, Spain
| | - Gilles Bonvento
- Université Paris-Saclay, CEA, CNRS, MIRCen, Laboratoire des Maladies Neurodégénératives, Fontenay-aux-Roses, France.
| |
Collapse
|
9
|
Liu H, Zhao MJ, Wang ZY, Han QQ, Wu HY, Mao XF, Wang YX. Involvement of d-amino acid oxidase in cerebral ischaemia induced by transient occlusion of the middle cerebral artery in mice. Br J Pharmacol 2019; 176:3336-3349. [PMID: 31309542 DOI: 10.1111/bph.14764] [Citation(s) in RCA: 3] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.6] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 11/09/2018] [Revised: 05/03/2019] [Accepted: 05/16/2019] [Indexed: 01/01/2023] Open
Abstract
BACKGROUND AND PURPOSE d-Amino acid oxidase (DAAO) is a flavine adenine dinucleotide-containing flavoenzyme and specifically catalyses oxidative deamination of d-amino acids. This study aimed to explore the association between increased cerebral DAAO expression or enzymic activity and the development of cerebral ischaemia. EXPERIMENTAL APPROACH A mouse model of transient (90 min) middle cerebral artery occlusion (MCAO) was established, and western blotting, enzymic activity assay, and fluorescent immunostaining techniques were used. KEY RESULTS The expression and enzymic activity of DAAO increased over time in the cortical peri-infarct area of the mice subjected to transient MCAO. The DAAO was specifically expressed in astrocytes, and its double immunostaining with the astrocytic intracellular marker, glial fibrillary acidic protein, in the cortical peri-infarct area was up-regulated following ischaemic insult, with peak increase on Day 5 after MCAO. Single intravenous injection of the specific and potent DAAO inhibitor Compound SUN reduced the cerebral DAAO enzymic activity and attenuated neuronal infarction and neurobehavioural deficits with optimal improvement apparent immediately after the MCAO procedure. The neuroprotective effect was dose dependent, with ED50 values of 3.9-4.5 mg·kg-1 . Intracerebroventricular injection of the DAAO gene silencer siRNA/DAAO significantly reduced cerebral DAAO expression and attenuated MCAO-induced neuronal infarction and behavioural deficits. CONCLUSIONS AND IMPLICATIONS Our results, for the first time, demonstrated that increased cerebral astrocytic DAAO expression and enzymic activity were causally associated with the development of neuronal destruction following ischaemic insults, suggesting that targeting cerebral DAAO could be a potential approach for treatment of neurological conditions following cerebral ischaemia.
Collapse
Affiliation(s)
- Hao Liu
- King's Lab, Shanghai Jiao Tong University School of Pharmacy, Shanghai, China
| | - Meng-Jing Zhao
- King's Lab, Shanghai Jiao Tong University School of Pharmacy, Shanghai, China
| | - Zi-Ying Wang
- King's Lab, Shanghai Jiao Tong University School of Pharmacy, Shanghai, China
| | - Qiao-Qiao Han
- King's Lab, Shanghai Jiao Tong University School of Pharmacy, Shanghai, China
| | - Hai-Yun Wu
- King's Lab, Shanghai Jiao Tong University School of Pharmacy, Shanghai, China
| | - Xiao-Fang Mao
- King's Lab, Shanghai Jiao Tong University School of Pharmacy, Shanghai, China
| | - Yong-Xiang Wang
- King's Lab, Shanghai Jiao Tong University School of Pharmacy, Shanghai, China
| |
Collapse
|
10
|
Regulators of Long-Term Memory Revealed by Mushroom Body-Specific Gene Expression Profiling in Drosophila melanogaster. Genetics 2018; 209:1167-1181. [PMID: 29925565 PMCID: PMC6063240 DOI: 10.1534/genetics.118.301106] [Citation(s) in RCA: 24] [Impact Index Per Article: 4.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 05/03/2018] [Accepted: 06/13/2018] [Indexed: 11/20/2022] Open
Abstract
Memory formation is achieved by genetically tightly controlled molecular pathways that result in a change of synaptic strength and synapse organization. While for short-term memory traces, rapidly acting biochemical pathways are in place, the formation of long-lasting memories requires changes in the transcriptional program of a cell. Although many genes involved in learning and memory formation have been identified, little is known about the genetic mechanisms required for changing the transcriptional program during different phases of long-term memory (LTM) formation. With Drosophila melanogaster as a model system, we profiled transcriptomic changes in the mushroom body—a memory center in the fly brain—at distinct time intervals during appetitive olfactory LTM formation using the targeted DamID technique. We describe the gene expression profiles during these phases and tested 33 selected candidate genes for deficits in LTM formation using RNAi knockdown. We identified 10 genes that enhance or decrease memory when knocked-down in the mushroom body. For vajk-1 and hacd1—the two strongest hits—we gained further support for their crucial role in appetitive learning and forgetting. These findings show that profiling gene expression changes in specific cell-types harboring memory traces provides a powerful entry point to identify new genes involved in learning and memory. The presented transcriptomic data may further be used as resource to study genes acting at different memory phases.
Collapse
|
11
|
Distinctive Roles of D-Amino Acids in the Homochiral World: Chirality of Amino Acids Modulates Mammalian Physiology and Pathology. Keio J Med 2018; 68:1-16. [PMID: 29794368 DOI: 10.2302/kjm.2018-0001-ir] [Citation(s) in RCA: 25] [Impact Index Per Article: 4.2] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/21/2022]
Abstract
Living organisms enantioselectively employ L-amino acids as the molecular architecture of protein synthesized in the ribosome. Although L-amino acids are dominantly utilized in most biological processes, accumulating evidence points to the distinctive roles of D-amino acids in non-ribosomal physiology. Among the three domains of life, bacteria have the greatest capacity to produce a wide variety of D-amino acids. In contrast, archaea and eukaryotes are thought generally to synthesize only two kinds of D-amino acids: D-serine and D-aspartate. In mammals, D-serine is critical for neurotransmission as an endogenous coagonist of N-methyl D-aspartate receptors. Additionally, D-aspartate is associated with neurogenesis and endocrine systems. Furthermore, recognition of D-amino acids originating in bacteria is linked to systemic and mucosal innate immunity. Among the roles played by D-amino acids in human pathology, the dysfunction of neurotransmission mediated by D-serine is implicated in psychiatric and neurological disorders. Non-enzymatic conversion of L-aspartate or L-serine residues to their D-configurations is involved in age-associated protein degeneration. Moreover, the measurement of plasma or urinary D-/L-serine or D-/L-aspartate levels may have diagnostic or prognostic value in the treatment of kidney diseases. This review aims to summarize current understanding of D-amino-acid-associated biology with a major focus on mammalian physiology and pathology.
Collapse
|
12
|
Guercio GD, Panizzutti R. Potential and Challenges for the Clinical Use of d-Serine As a Cognitive Enhancer. Front Psychiatry 2018; 9:14. [PMID: 29459833 PMCID: PMC5807334 DOI: 10.3389/fpsyt.2018.00014] [Citation(s) in RCA: 38] [Impact Index Per Article: 6.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Journal Information] [Submit a Manuscript] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 11/27/2017] [Accepted: 01/17/2018] [Indexed: 12/16/2022] Open
Abstract
After 25 years of its discovery in the rat brain, d-serine is a recognized modulator of synaptic plasticity and cognitive processes through its actions on the NMDA-glutamate receptor. Importantly, cognitive impairment is a core feature of conditions, such as schizophrenia, Alzheimer's disease, depression, and aging, and is associated to disturbances in NMDA-glutamate receptors. The d-serine pathway has been associated with cognitive deficits and these conditions, and, for this reason, d-serine signaling is subject of intense research to probe its role in aiding diagnosis and therapy. Nevertheless, this has not resulted in new therapies being incorporated into clinical practice. Therefore, in this review we will address many questions that need to be solved by future studies, regarding d-serine pharmacokinetics, possible side effects, other strategies to modulate its levels, and combination with other therapies to increase its efficacy.
Collapse
Affiliation(s)
- Gerson D. Guercio
- Instituto de Ciencias Biomedicas, Universidade Federal do Rio de Janeiro, Rio de Janeiro, Brazil
| | - Rogerio Panizzutti
- Instituto de Ciencias Biomedicas, Universidade Federal do Rio de Janeiro, Rio de Janeiro, Brazil
- Global Brain Health Institute, Trinity College Dublin, Dublin, Ireland
| |
Collapse
|
13
|
Murtas G, Caldinelli L, Cappelletti P, Sacchi S, Pollegioni L. Human d-amino acid oxidase: The inactive G183R variant. BIOCHIMICA ET BIOPHYSICA ACTA-PROTEINS AND PROTEOMICS 2017; 1866:822-830. [PMID: 29274788 DOI: 10.1016/j.bbapap.2017.12.007] [Citation(s) in RCA: 8] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.1] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 08/25/2017] [Revised: 12/12/2017] [Accepted: 12/14/2017] [Indexed: 12/11/2022]
Abstract
In the brain, the enzyme d-amino acid oxidase (DAAO) catalyzes the oxidative deamination of d-serine, a main positive modulator of the N-methyl-d-aspartate subtype of glutamate receptors (NMDAR). Dysregulation in d-serine signaling is implicated in the NMDAR dysfunctions observed in various brain diseases, such as amyotrophic lateral sclerosis, Alzheimer's disease, schizophrenia. A strain of ddY mice lacking DAAO activity due to the G181R substitution (DAAOG181R mice) and exhibiting increased d-serine concentration as compared to wild-type mice shows altered pain response, improved adaptative learning and cognitive functions, and larger hippocampal long-term potentiation. In past years, this mice line has been used to shed light on physiological and pathological brain functions related to NMDAR. Here, we decided to introduce the corresponding substitution in human DAAO (hDAAO). The recombinant G183R hDAAO is produced as an inactive apoprotein: the substitution alters the protein conformation that negatively affects the ability to bind the flavin cofactor in the orientation required for hydride-transfer during catalysis. At the cellular level, the overexpressed G183R hDAAO is not fully targeted to peroxisomes, forms protein aggregates showing a strong colocalization with ubiquitin, and significantly (7-fold) increases both the d-serine cellular concentration and the D/(D+L)-serine ratio. Taken together, our investigation warrants caution in using DAAOG181R mice: the abolition of enzymatic activity is coupled to DAAO aggregation, a central process in different pathological conditions. The effect due to G181R substitution in DAAO could be misleading: the effects due to impairment of d-serine degradation overlap with those related to aggregates accumulation.
Collapse
Affiliation(s)
- Giulia Murtas
- Dipartimento di Biotecnologie e Scienze della Vita, Università degli studi dell'Insubria, via J. H. Dunant 3, 21100 Varese, Italy.
| | - Laura Caldinelli
- Dipartimento di Biotecnologie e Scienze della Vita, Università degli studi dell'Insubria, via J. H. Dunant 3, 21100 Varese, Italy; The Protein Factory, Politecnico di Milano and Università degli studi dell'Insubria, via Mancinelli 7, 20131 Milan, Italy
| | - Pamela Cappelletti
- Dipartimento di Biotecnologie e Scienze della Vita, Università degli studi dell'Insubria, via J. H. Dunant 3, 21100 Varese, Italy; The Protein Factory, Politecnico di Milano and Università degli studi dell'Insubria, via Mancinelli 7, 20131 Milan, Italy
| | - Silvia Sacchi
- Dipartimento di Biotecnologie e Scienze della Vita, Università degli studi dell'Insubria, via J. H. Dunant 3, 21100 Varese, Italy; The Protein Factory, Politecnico di Milano and Università degli studi dell'Insubria, via Mancinelli 7, 20131 Milan, Italy
| | - Loredano Pollegioni
- Dipartimento di Biotecnologie e Scienze della Vita, Università degli studi dell'Insubria, via J. H. Dunant 3, 21100 Varese, Italy; The Protein Factory, Politecnico di Milano and Università degli studi dell'Insubria, via Mancinelli 7, 20131 Milan, Italy
| |
Collapse
|
14
|
Rojas C, Alt J, Ator NA, Wilmoth H, Rais R, Hin N, DeVivo M, Popiolek M, Tsukamoto T, Slusher BS. Oral administration of D-alanine in monkeys robustly increases plasma and cerebrospinal fluid levels but experimental D-amino acid oxidase inhibitors had minimal effect. J Psychopharmacol 2016; 30:887-95. [PMID: 27287825 DOI: 10.1177/0269881116652586] [Citation(s) in RCA: 5] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.6] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Submit a Manuscript] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 12/27/2022]
Abstract
Hypofunction of the N-methyl-d-aspartate (NMDA) receptor is thought to exacerbate psychosis in patients diagnosed with schizophrenia. Consistent with this hypothesis, D-alanine, a co-agonist at the glycine site of the NMDA receptor, was shown to improve positive and cognitive symptoms when used as add-on therapy for schizophrenia treatment. However, D-alanine had to be administered at high doses (~7 g) to observe clinical effects. One possible reason for the high dose is that D-alanine could be undergoing oxidation by D-amino acid oxidase (DAAO) before it reaches the brain. If this is the case, the dose could be reduced by co-administration of D-alanine with a DAAO inhibitor (DAAOi). Early studies with rodents showed that co-administration of D-alanine with 5-chloro-benzo[d]isoxazol-3-ol (CBIO), a prototype DAAOi, significantly enhanced the levels of extracellular D-alanine in the frontal cortex compared with D-alanine alone. Further, the use of CBIO reduced the dose of D-alanine needed to attenuate prepulse inhibition deficits induced by dizocilpine. The objective of the work reported herein was to confirm the hypothesis that DAAO inhibition can enhance D-alanine exposure in a species closer to humans: non-human primates. We report that while oral D-alanine administration to baboons (10 mg/kg) enhanced D-alanine plasma and CSF levels over 20-fold versus endogenous levels, addition of experimental DAAOi to the regimen exhibited a 2.2-fold enhancement in plasma and no measurable effect on CSF levels. The results provide caution regarding the utility of DAAO inhibition to increase D-amino acid levels as treatment for patients with schizophrenia.
Collapse
Affiliation(s)
- Camilo Rojas
- Johns Hopkins Drug Discovery Program, Johns Hopkins School of Medicine, Baltimore, MD, USA Department of Comparative Medicine and Molecular Pathobiology, Johns Hopkins School of Medicine, Baltimore, MD, USA
| | - Jesse Alt
- Johns Hopkins Drug Discovery Program, Johns Hopkins School of Medicine, Baltimore, MD, USA
| | - Nancy A Ator
- Department of Psychiatry and Behavioral Sciences, Johns Hopkins School of Medicine, Baltimore, MD, USA
| | - Heather Wilmoth
- Department of Psychiatry and Behavioral Sciences, Johns Hopkins School of Medicine, Baltimore, MD, USA
| | - Rana Rais
- Johns Hopkins Drug Discovery Program, Johns Hopkins School of Medicine, Baltimore, MD, USA
| | - Niyada Hin
- Johns Hopkins Drug Discovery Program, Johns Hopkins School of Medicine, Baltimore, MD, USA
| | | | | | - Takashi Tsukamoto
- Johns Hopkins Drug Discovery Program, Johns Hopkins School of Medicine, Baltimore, MD, USA Department of Neurology, Johns Hopkins School of Medicine, Baltimore, MD, USA
| | - Barbara S Slusher
- Johns Hopkins Drug Discovery Program, Johns Hopkins School of Medicine, Baltimore, MD, USA Department of Psychiatry and Behavioral Sciences, Johns Hopkins School of Medicine, Baltimore, MD, USA Department of Neurology, Johns Hopkins School of Medicine, Baltimore, MD, USA Department of Neuroscience, Johns Hopkins School of Medicine, Baltimore, MD, USA Department of Medicine, Johns Hopkins School of Medicine, Baltimore, MD, USA
| |
Collapse
|
15
|
Abstract
Homochirality is fundamental for life. L-Amino acids are exclusively used as substrates for the polymerization and formation of peptides and proteins in living systems. However, D- amino acids were recently detected in various living organisms, including mammals. Of these D-amino acids, D-serine has been most extensively studied. D-Serine was found to play an important role as a neurotransmitter in the human central nervous system (CNS) by binding to the N-methyl- D-aspartate receptor (NMDAr). D-Serine binds with high affinity to a co-agonist site at the NMDAr and, along with glutamate, mediates several vital physiological and pathological processes, including NMDAr transmission, synaptic plasticity and neurotoxicity. Therefore, a key role for D-serine as a determinant of NMDAr mediated neurotransmission in mammalian CNS has been suggested. In this context, we review the known functions of D-serine in human physiology, such as CNS development, and pathology, such as neuro-psychiatric and neurodegenerative diseases related to NMDAr dysfunction.
Collapse
|
16
|
Pritchett D, Taylor AM, Barkus C, Engle SJ, Brandon NJ, Sharp T, Foster RG, Harrison PJ, Peirson SN, Bannerman DM. Searching for cognitive enhancement in the Morris water maze: better and worse performance in D-amino acid oxidase knockout (Dao(-/-)) mice. Eur J Neurosci 2016; 43:979-89. [PMID: 26833794 PMCID: PMC4855640 DOI: 10.1111/ejn.13192] [Citation(s) in RCA: 19] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.4] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 10/26/2015] [Revised: 01/08/2016] [Accepted: 01/12/2016] [Indexed: 12/17/2022]
Abstract
A common strategy when searching for cognitive‐enhancing drugs has been to target the N‐methyl‐d‐aspartate receptor (NMDAR), given its putative role in synaptic plasticity and learning. Evidence in favour of this approach has come primarily from studies with rodents using behavioural assays like the Morris water maze. D‐amino acid oxidase (DAO) degrades neutral D‐amino acids such as D‐serine, the primary endogenous co‐agonist acting at the glycine site of the synaptic NMDAR. Inhibiting DAO could therefore provide an effective and viable means of enhancing cognition, particularly in disorders like schizophrenia, in which NMDAR hypofunction is implicated. Indirect support for this notion comes from the enhanced hippocampal long‐term potentiation and facilitated water maze acquisition of ddY/Dao− mice, which lack DAO activity due to a point mutation in the gene. Here, in Dao knockout (Dao−/−) mice, we report both better and worse water maze performance, depending on the radial distance of the hidden platform from the side wall of the pool. Dao−/− mice displayed an increased innate preference for swimming in the periphery of the maze (possibly due to heightened anxiety), which facilitated the discovery of a peripherally located platform, but delayed the discovery of a centrally located platform. By contrast, Dao−/− mice exhibited normal performance in two alternative assays of long‐term spatial memory: the appetitive and aversive Y‐maze reference memory tasks. Taken together, these results question the proposed relationship between DAO inactivation and enhanced long‐term associative spatial memory. They also have generic implications for how Morris water maze studies are performed and interpreted.
Collapse
Affiliation(s)
- David Pritchett
- Nuffield Department of Clinical Neurosciences (Nuffield Laboratory of Ophthalmology), John Radcliffe Hospital, University of Oxford, Oxford, UK
| | - Amy M Taylor
- Department of Experimental Psychology, University of Oxford, Tinbergen Building, 9 South Parks Road, Oxford, OX1 3UD, UK
| | | | | | | | - Trevor Sharp
- Department of Pharmacology, University of Oxford, Oxford, UK
| | - Russell G Foster
- Nuffield Department of Clinical Neurosciences (Nuffield Laboratory of Ophthalmology), John Radcliffe Hospital, University of Oxford, Oxford, UK
| | - Paul J Harrison
- Department of Psychiatry, Warneford Hospital, University of Oxford, Oxford, UK
| | - Stuart N Peirson
- Nuffield Department of Clinical Neurosciences (Nuffield Laboratory of Ophthalmology), John Radcliffe Hospital, University of Oxford, Oxford, UK
| | - David M Bannerman
- Department of Experimental Psychology, University of Oxford, Tinbergen Building, 9 South Parks Road, Oxford, OX1 3UD, UK
| |
Collapse
|
17
|
Han H, Peng Y, Dong Z. d-Serine rescues the deficits of hippocampal long-term potentiation and learning and memory induced by sodium fluoroacetate. Pharmacol Biochem Behav 2015; 133:51-6. [DOI: 10.1016/j.pbb.2015.03.017] [Citation(s) in RCA: 13] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.4] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Submit a Manuscript] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 11/03/2014] [Revised: 03/23/2015] [Accepted: 03/29/2015] [Indexed: 01/12/2023]
|
18
|
Pritchett D, Hasan S, Tam SKE, Engle SJ, Brandon NJ, Sharp T, Foster RG, Harrison PJ, Bannerman DM, Peirson SN. d-amino acid oxidase knockout (Dao(-/-) ) mice show enhanced short-term memory performance and heightened anxiety, but no sleep or circadian rhythm disruption. Eur J Neurosci 2015; 41:1167-79. [PMID: 25816902 PMCID: PMC4744680 DOI: 10.1111/ejn.12880] [Citation(s) in RCA: 28] [Impact Index Per Article: 3.1] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 06/23/2014] [Revised: 02/10/2015] [Accepted: 02/23/2015] [Indexed: 12/21/2022]
Abstract
d-amino acid oxidase (DAO, DAAO) is an enzyme that degrades d-serine, the primary endogenous co-agonist of the synaptic N-methyl-d-aspartate receptor. Convergent evidence implicates DAO in the pathophysiology and potential treatment of schizophrenia. To better understand the functional role of DAO, we characterized the behaviour of the first genetically engineered Dao knockout (Dao(-/-) ) mouse. Our primary objective was to assess both spatial and non-spatial short-term memory performance. Relative to wildtype (Dao(+/+) ) littermate controls, Dao(-/-) mice demonstrated enhanced spatial recognition memory performance, improved odour recognition memory performance, and enhanced spontaneous alternation in the T-maze. In addition, Dao(-/-) mice displayed increased anxiety-like behaviour in five tests of approach/avoidance conflict: the open field test, elevated plus maze, successive alleys, light/dark box and novelty-suppressed feeding. Despite evidence of a reciprocal relationship between anxiety and sleep and circadian function in rodents, we found no evidence of sleep or circadian rhythm disruption in Dao(-/-) mice. Overall, our observations are consistent with, and extend, findings in the natural mutant ddY/Dao(-) line. These data add to a growing body of preclinical evidence linking the inhibition, inactivation or deletion of DAO with enhanced cognitive performance. Our results have implications for the development of DAO inhibitors as therapeutic agents.
Collapse
Affiliation(s)
- David Pritchett
- Nuffield Department of Clinical Neurosciences (Nuffield Laboratory of Ophthalmology), John Radcliffe Hospital, University of Oxford, Oxford, OX3 9DU, UK
| | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | |
Collapse
|
19
|
Novel human D-amino acid oxidase inhibitors stabilize an active-site lid-open conformation. Biosci Rep 2014; 34:BSR20140071. [PMID: 25001371 PMCID: PMC4127593 DOI: 10.1042/bsr20140071] [Citation(s) in RCA: 26] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.6] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 02/02/2023] Open
Abstract
The NMDAR (N-methyl-D-aspartate receptor) is a central regulator of synaptic plasticity and learning and memory. hDAAO (human D-amino acid oxidase) indirectly reduces NMDAR activity by degrading the NMDAR co-agonist D-serine. Since NMDAR hypofunction is thought to be a foundational defect in schizophrenia, hDAAO inhibitors have potential as treatments for schizophrenia and other nervous system disorders. Here, we sought to identify novel chemicals that inhibit hDAAO activity. We used computational tools to design a focused, purchasable library of compounds. After screening this library for hDAAO inhibition, we identified the structurally novel compound, 'compound 2' [3-(7-hydroxy-2-oxo-4-phenyl-2H-chromen-6-yl)propanoic acid], which displayed low nM hDAAO inhibitory potency (Ki=7 nM). Although the library was expected to enrich for compounds that were competitive for both D-serine and FAD, compound 2 actually was FAD uncompetitive, much like canonical hDAAO inhibitors such as benzoic acid. Compound 2 and an analog were independently co-crystalized with hDAAO. These compounds stabilized a novel conformation of hDAAO in which the active-site lid was in an open position. These results confirm previous hypotheses regarding active-site lid flexibility of mammalian D-amino acid oxidases and could assist in the design of the next generation of hDAAO inhibitors.
Collapse
|
20
|
Schweimer JV, Coullon GSL, Betts JF, Burnet PWJ, Engle SJ, Brandon NJ, Harrison PJ, Sharp T. Increased burst-firing of ventral tegmental area dopaminergic neurons in D-amino acid oxidase knockout mice in vivo. Eur J Neurosci 2014; 40:2999-3009. [PMID: 25040393 DOI: 10.1111/ejn.12667] [Citation(s) in RCA: 13] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 01/14/2014] [Revised: 05/19/2014] [Accepted: 06/10/2014] [Indexed: 01/19/2023]
Abstract
d-Amino acid oxidase (DAO) degrades the N-methyl-d-aspartate (NMDA) receptor co-agonist d-serine, and is implicated in schizophrenia as a risk gene and therapeutic target. In schizophrenia, the critical neurochemical abnormality affects dopamine, but to date there is little evidence that DAO impacts on the dopamine system. To address this issue, we measured the electrophysiological properties of dopaminergic (DA) and non-DA neurons in the ventral tegmental area (VTA) of anaesthetised DAO knockout (DAO(-/-) ) and DAO heterozygote (DAO(+/-) ) mice as compared with their wild-type (DAO(+/+) ) littermates. Genotype was confirmed at the protein level by western blotting and immunohistochemistry. One hundred and thirty-nine VTA neurons were recorded in total, and juxtacellular labelling of a subset revealed that neurons immunopositive for tyrosine hydroxylase had DA-like electrophysiological properties that were distinct from those of neurons that were tyrosine hydroxylase-immunonegative. In DAO(-/-) mice, approximately twice as many DA-like neurons fired in a bursting pattern than in DAO(+/-) or DAO(+/+) mice, but other electrophysiological properties did not differ between genotypes. In contrast, non-DA-like neurons had a lower firing rate in DAO(-/-) mice than in DAO(+/-) or DAO(+/+) mice. These data provide the first direct evidence that DAO modulates VTA DA neuron activity, which is of interest for understanding both the glutamatergic regulation of dopamine function and the therapeutic potential of DAO inhibitors. The increased DA neuron burst-firing probably reflects increased availability of d-serine at VTA NMDA receptors, but the site, mechanism and mediation of the effect requires further investigation, and may include both direct and indirect processes.
Collapse
Affiliation(s)
- Judith V Schweimer
- University Department of Pharmacology, Mansfield Road, Oxford, OX1 3QT, UK; University Department of Psychiatry, Warneford Hospital, Oxford, OX3 7JX, UK
| | | | | | | | | | | | | | | |
Collapse
|
21
|
Lee YS. Genes and signaling pathways involved in memory enhancement in mutant mice. Mol Brain 2014; 7:43. [PMID: 24894914 PMCID: PMC4050447 DOI: 10.1186/1756-6606-7-43] [Citation(s) in RCA: 32] [Impact Index Per Article: 3.2] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 04/03/2014] [Accepted: 05/27/2014] [Indexed: 11/10/2022] Open
Abstract
Mutant mice have been used successfully as a tool for investigating the mechanisms of memory at multiple levels, from genes to behavior. In most cases, manipulating a gene expressed in the brain impairs cognitive functions such as memory and their underlying cellular mechanisms, including synaptic plasticity. However, a remarkable number of mutations have been shown to enhance memory in mice. Understanding how to improve a system provides valuable insights into how the system works under normal conditions, because this involves understanding what the crucial components are. Therefore, more can be learned about the basic mechanisms of memory by studying mutant mice with enhanced memory. This review will summarize the genes and signaling pathways that are altered in the mutants with enhanced memory, as well as their roles in synaptic plasticity. Finally, I will discuss how knowledge of memory-enhancing mechanisms could be used to develop treatments for cognitive disorders associated with impaired plasticity.
Collapse
Affiliation(s)
- Yong-Seok Lee
- Department of Life Science, College of Natural Science, Chung-Ang University, Seoul 156-756, Republic of Korea.
| |
Collapse
|
22
|
D-Serine metabolism: new insights into the modulation of D-amino acid oxidase activity. Biochem Soc Trans 2013; 41:1551-6. [DOI: 10.1042/bst20130184] [Citation(s) in RCA: 15] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.4] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 01/06/2023]
Abstract
Over the years, accumulating evidence has indicated that D-serine represents the main endogenous ligand of NMDA (N-methyl-D-aspartate) receptors. In the brain, the concentration of D-serine stored in cells is defined by the activity of two enzymes: serine racemase (responsible for both the synthesis and degradation) and D-amino acid oxidase (which catalyses D-serine degradation). The present review is focused on human D-amino acid oxidase, discussing the mechanisms involved in modulating enzyme activity and stability, with the aim to substantiate the pivotal role of D-amino acid oxidase in brain D-serine metabolism.
Collapse
|
23
|
Savanthrapadian S, Wolff AR, Logan BJ, Eckert MJ, Bilkey DK, Abraham WC. Enhanced hippocampal neuronal excitability and LTP persistence associated with reduced behavioral flexibility in the maternal immune activation model of schizophrenia. Hippocampus 2013; 23:1395-409. [PMID: 23966340 DOI: 10.1002/hipo.22193] [Citation(s) in RCA: 37] [Impact Index Per Article: 3.4] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Accepted: 08/16/2013] [Indexed: 12/23/2022]
Abstract
Individuals with schizophrenia display a number of structural and cytoarchitectural alterations in the hippocampus, suggesting that other functions such as synaptic plasticity may also be modified. Altered hippocampal plasticity is likely to affect memory processing, and therefore any such pathology may contribute to the cognitive symptoms of schizophrenia, which includes prominent memory impairment. The current study tested whether prenatal exposure to infection, an environmental risk factor that has previously been associated with schizophrenia produced changes in hippocampal synaptic transmission or plasticity, using the maternal immune activation (MIA) animal model. We also assessed performance in hippocampus-dependent memory tasks to determine whether altered plasticity is associated with memory dysfunction. MIA did not alter basal synaptic transmission in either the dentate gyrus or CA1 of freely moving adult rats. It did, however, result in increased paired-pulse facilitation of the dentate gyrus population spike and an enhanced persistence of dentate long-term potentiation. MIA animals displayed slower learning of a reversed platform location in the water maze, and a similarly slowed learning during reversal in a spatial plus maze task. Together these findings are indicative of reduced behavioral flexibility in response to changes in task requirements. The results are consistent with the hypothesis that hippocampal plasticity is altered in schizophrenia, and that this change in plasticity mechanisms may underlie some aspects of cognitive dysfunction in this disorder.
Collapse
Affiliation(s)
- Shakuntala Savanthrapadian
- Department of Psychology and the Brain Health Research Center, University of Otago, Dunedin, New Zealand
| | | | | | | | | | | |
Collapse
|
24
|
Menniti FS, Lindsley CW, Conn PJ, Pandit J, Zagouras P, Volkmann RA. Allosteric modulators for the treatment of schizophrenia: targeting glutamatergic networks. Curr Top Med Chem 2013; 13:26-54. [PMID: 23409764 DOI: 10.2174/1568026611313010005] [Citation(s) in RCA: 65] [Impact Index Per Article: 5.9] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 11/13/2012] [Revised: 12/11/2012] [Accepted: 12/15/2012] [Indexed: 12/20/2022]
Abstract
Schizophrenia is a highly debilitating mental disorder which afflicts approximately 1% of the global population. Cognitive and negative deficits account for the lifelong disability associated with schizophrenia, whose symptoms are not effectively addressed by current treatments. New medicines are needed to treat these aspects of the disease. Neurodevelopmental, neuropathological, genetic, and behavioral pharmacological data indicate that schizophrenia stems from a dysfunction of glutamate synaptic transmission, particularly in frontal cortical networks. A number of novel pre- and postsynaptic mechanisms affecting glutamatergic synaptic transmission have emerged as viable targets for schizophrenia. While developing orthosteric glutamatergic agents for these targets has proven extremely difficult, targeting allosteric sites of these targets has emerged as a promising alternative. From a medicinal chemistry perspective, allosteric sites provide an opportunity of finding agents with better drug-like properties and greater target specificity. Furthermore, allosteric modulators are better suited to maintaining the highly precise temporal and spatial aspects of glutamatergic synaptic transmission. Herein, we review neuropathological and genomic/genetic evidence underscoring the importance of glutamate synaptic dysfunction in the etiology of schizophrenia and make a case for allosteric targets for therapeutic intervention. We review progress in identifying allosteric modulators of AMPA receptors, NMDA receptors, and metabotropic glutamate receptors, all with the aim of restoring physiological glutamatergic synaptic transmission. Challenges remain given the complexity of schizophrenia and the difficulty in studying cognition in animals and humans. Nonetheless, important compounds have emerged from these efforts and promising preclinical and variable clinical validation has been achieved.
Collapse
|
25
|
Billard JM. Serine racemase as a prime target for age-related memory deficits. Eur J Neurosci 2013; 37:1931-8. [DOI: 10.1111/ejn.12226] [Citation(s) in RCA: 26] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.4] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 10/22/2012] [Revised: 02/26/2013] [Accepted: 03/22/2013] [Indexed: 11/29/2022]
Affiliation(s)
- J.-M. Billard
- Centre de Psychiatrie et Neurosciences; Faculté de Médecine; Université Paris Descartes; UMR 894; Sorbonne Paris Cité; 2 ter rue d'Alésia; Paris; 75014; France
| |
Collapse
|
26
|
Hopkins SC, Heffernan MLR, Saraswat LD, Bowen CA, Melnick L, Hardy LW, Orsini MA, Allen MS, Koch P, Spear KL, Foglesong RJ, Soukri M, Chytil M, Fang QK, Jones SW, Varney MA, Panatier A, Oliet SHR, Pollegioni L, Piubelli L, Molla G, Nardini M, Large TH. Structural, Kinetic, and Pharmacodynamic Mechanisms of d-Amino Acid Oxidase Inhibition by Small Molecules. J Med Chem 2013; 56:3710-24. [DOI: 10.1021/jm4002583] [Citation(s) in RCA: 31] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.8] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 12/12/2022]
Affiliation(s)
- Seth C. Hopkins
- Sunovion Pharmaceuticals Inc., Marlborough, Massachusetts 01752, United States
| | | | - Lakshmi D. Saraswat
- Sunovion Pharmaceuticals Inc., Marlborough, Massachusetts 01752, United States
| | - Carrie A. Bowen
- Sunovion Pharmaceuticals Inc., Marlborough, Massachusetts 01752, United States
| | - Laurence Melnick
- Sunovion Pharmaceuticals Inc., Marlborough, Massachusetts 01752, United States
| | - Larry W. Hardy
- Sunovion Pharmaceuticals Inc., Marlborough, Massachusetts 01752, United States
| | - Michael A. Orsini
- Sunovion Pharmaceuticals Inc., Marlborough, Massachusetts 01752, United States
| | | | - Patrick Koch
- Sunovion Pharmaceuticals Inc., Marlborough, Massachusetts 01752, United States
| | - Kerry L. Spear
- Sunovion Pharmaceuticals Inc., Marlborough, Massachusetts 01752, United States
| | | | | | - Milan Chytil
- Sunovion Pharmaceuticals Inc., Marlborough, Massachusetts 01752, United States
| | - Q. Kevin Fang
- Sunovion Pharmaceuticals Inc., Marlborough, Massachusetts 01752, United States
| | - Steven W. Jones
- Sunovion Pharmaceuticals Inc., Marlborough, Massachusetts 01752, United States
| | - Mark A. Varney
- Sunovion Pharmaceuticals Inc., Marlborough, Massachusetts 01752, United States
| | - Aude Panatier
- Neurocentre Magendie, Inserm U862 and Université de Bordeaux, Bordeaux, F-33077, France
| | - Stephane H. R. Oliet
- Neurocentre Magendie, Inserm U862 and Université de Bordeaux, Bordeaux, F-33077, France
| | - Loredano Pollegioni
- Dipartimento di Biotecnologie
e Scienze della Vita, Università degli Studi dell’Insubria, Via J. H. Dunant 3, 21100 Varese, Italy
- The Protein Factory, Politecnico di Milano, ICRM-CNR and Università degli Studi dell’Insubria, Via Mancinelli 7,
20131 Milano, Italy
| | - Luciano Piubelli
- Dipartimento di Biotecnologie
e Scienze della Vita, Università degli Studi dell’Insubria, Via J. H. Dunant 3, 21100 Varese, Italy
- The Protein Factory, Politecnico di Milano, ICRM-CNR and Università degli Studi dell’Insubria, Via Mancinelli 7,
20131 Milano, Italy
| | - Gianluca Molla
- Dipartimento di Biotecnologie
e Scienze della Vita, Università degli Studi dell’Insubria, Via J. H. Dunant 3, 21100 Varese, Italy
- The Protein Factory, Politecnico di Milano, ICRM-CNR and Università degli Studi dell’Insubria, Via Mancinelli 7,
20131 Milano, Italy
| | - Marco Nardini
- Department of Biosciences, University of Milan, I-20133 Milano, Italy
| | - Thomas H. Large
- Sunovion Pharmaceuticals Inc., Marlborough, Massachusetts 01752, United States
| |
Collapse
|
27
|
Katane M, Osaka N, Matsuda S, Maeda K, Kawata T, Saitoh Y, Sekine M, Furuchi T, Doi I, Hirono S, Homma H. Identification of Novel d-Amino Acid Oxidase Inhibitors by in Silico Screening and Their Functional Characterization in Vitro. J Med Chem 2013; 56:1894-907. [DOI: 10.1021/jm3017865] [Citation(s) in RCA: 34] [Impact Index Per Article: 3.1] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/30/2022]
Affiliation(s)
- Masumi Katane
- Laboratory of Biomolecular Science,
Graduate School of Pharmaceutical Sciences, Kitasato University, 5-9-1
Shirokane, Minato-ku, Tokyo 108-8641, Japan
| | - Naoko Osaka
- Laboratory of Biomolecular Science,
Graduate School of Pharmaceutical Sciences, Kitasato University, 5-9-1
Shirokane, Minato-ku, Tokyo 108-8641, Japan
| | - Satsuki Matsuda
- Laboratory of Biomolecular Science,
Graduate School of Pharmaceutical Sciences, Kitasato University, 5-9-1
Shirokane, Minato-ku, Tokyo 108-8641, Japan
| | - Kazuhiro Maeda
- Laboratory of Biomolecular Science,
Graduate School of Pharmaceutical Sciences, Kitasato University, 5-9-1
Shirokane, Minato-ku, Tokyo 108-8641, Japan
| | - Tomonori Kawata
- Laboratory of Biomolecular Science,
Graduate School of Pharmaceutical Sciences, Kitasato University, 5-9-1
Shirokane, Minato-ku, Tokyo 108-8641, Japan
| | - Yasuaki Saitoh
- Laboratory of Biomolecular Science,
Graduate School of Pharmaceutical Sciences, Kitasato University, 5-9-1
Shirokane, Minato-ku, Tokyo 108-8641, Japan
| | - Masae Sekine
- Laboratory of Biomolecular Science,
Graduate School of Pharmaceutical Sciences, Kitasato University, 5-9-1
Shirokane, Minato-ku, Tokyo 108-8641, Japan
| | - Takemitsu Furuchi
- Laboratory of Biomolecular Science,
Graduate School of Pharmaceutical Sciences, Kitasato University, 5-9-1
Shirokane, Minato-ku, Tokyo 108-8641, Japan
| | - Issei Doi
- Laboratory of Physical Chemistry
for Drug Design, Graduate School of Pharmaceutical Sciences, Kitasato
University, 5-9-1 Shirokane, Minato-ku, Tokyo 108-8641, Japan
- First Research Department, Toyama
Chemical Co., Ltd., 2-4-1 Shimookui, Toyama, Toyama 930-8508, Japan
| | - Shuichi Hirono
- Laboratory of Physical Chemistry
for Drug Design, Graduate School of Pharmaceutical Sciences, Kitasato
University, 5-9-1 Shirokane, Minato-ku, Tokyo 108-8641, Japan
| | - Hiroshi Homma
- Laboratory of Biomolecular Science,
Graduate School of Pharmaceutical Sciences, Kitasato University, 5-9-1
Shirokane, Minato-ku, Tokyo 108-8641, Japan
| |
Collapse
|
28
|
Mihali A, Subramani S, Kaunitz G, Rayport S, Gaisler-Salomon I. Modeling resilience to schizophrenia in genetically modified mice: a novel approach to drug discovery. Expert Rev Neurother 2012; 12:785-99. [PMID: 22853787 DOI: 10.1586/ern.12.60] [Citation(s) in RCA: 18] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 01/08/2023]
Abstract
Complex psychiatric disorders, such as schizophrenia, arise from a combination of genetic, developmental, environmental and social factors. These vulnerabilities can be mitigated by adaptive factors in each of these domains engendering resilience. Modeling resilience in mice using transgenic approaches offers a direct path to intervention, as resilience mutations point directly to therapeutic targets. As prototypes for this approach, we discuss the three mouse models of schizophrenia resilience, all based on modulating glutamatergic synaptic transmission. This motivates the broader development of schizophrenia resilience mouse models independent of specific pathophysiological hypotheses as a strategy for drug discovery. Three guiding validation criteria are presented. A resilience-oriented approach should identify pharmacologically tractable targets and in turn offer new insights into pathophysiological mechanisms.
Collapse
Affiliation(s)
- Andra Mihali
- Department of Psychiatry, Columbia University, New York State Psychiatric Institute, 1051 Riverside Drive, Unit 62, New York, NY 10032, USA
| | | | | | | | | |
Collapse
|
29
|
Morrow JA, Gilfillan R, Neale SA. Glutamatergic Approaches for the Treatment of Schizophrenia. DRUG DISCOVERY FOR PSYCHIATRIC DISORDERS 2012. [DOI: 10.1039/9781849734943-00056] [Citation(s) in RCA: 1] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.1] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 01/30/2023]
Abstract
Glutamate is the major excitatory neurotransmitter in the mammalian central nervous system and plays a key role in most aspects of normal brain function including cognition, learning and memory. Dysfunction of glutamatergic neurotransmission has been implicated in a number of neurological and psychiatric disorders with a growing body of evidence suggesting that hypofunction of glutamatergic neurotransmission via the N-methyl-d-aspartate (NMDA) receptor plays an important role in the pathophysiology of schizophrenia. It thus follows that potentiation of NMDA receptor function via pharmacological manipulation may provide therapeutic utility for the treatment of schizophrenia and a number of different approaches are currently being pursued by the pharmaceutical industry with this aim in mind. These include strategies that target the glycine/d-serine site of the NMDA receptor (glycine transporter GlyT1, d-serine transporter ASC-1 and d-amino acid oxidase (DAAO) inhibitors) together with those aimed at enhancing glutamatergic neurotransmission via modulation of AMPA receptor and metabotropic glutamate receptor function. Such efforts are now beginning to bear fruit with compounds such as the GlyT1 inhibitor RG1678 and mGlu2 agonist LY2140023 proving to have clinical meaningful effects in phase II clinical trials. While more studies are required to confirm long-term efficacy, functional outcome and safety in schizophrenic agents, these agents hold real promise for addressing unmet medical needs, in particular refractory negative and cognitive symptoms, not currently addressed by existing antipsychotic agents.
Collapse
Affiliation(s)
- John A. Morrow
- Neuroscience and Ophthalmology, Merck Research Laboratories 2015 Galloping Hill Road, Kenilworth, New Jersey 07033 USA
| | - Robert Gilfillan
- Discovery Chemistry, Merck Research Laboratories 770 Sumneytown Pike, West Point, Pennsylvania 19486 USA
| | - Stuart A. Neale
- Neurexpert Ltd Ground Floor, 2 Woodberry Grove, North Finchley, London, N12 0DR UK
| |
Collapse
|
30
|
Cozzolino M, Pesaresi MG, Gerbino V, Grosskreutz J, Carrì MT. Amyotrophic lateral sclerosis: new insights into underlying molecular mechanisms and opportunities for therapeutic intervention. Antioxid Redox Signal 2012; 17:1277-330. [PMID: 22413952 DOI: 10.1089/ars.2011.4328] [Citation(s) in RCA: 49] [Impact Index Per Article: 4.1] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Submit a Manuscript] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 12/11/2022]
Abstract
Recent years have witnessed a renewed interest in the pathogenic mechanisms of amyotrophic lateral sclerosis (ALS), a late-onset progressive degeneration of motor neurons. The discovery of new genes associated with the familial form of the disease, along with a deeper insight into pathways already described for this disease, has led scientists to reconsider previous postulates. While protein misfolding, mitochondrial dysfunction, oxidative damage, defective axonal transport, and excitotoxicity have not been dismissed, they need to be re-examined as contributors to the onset or progression of ALS in the light of the current knowledge that the mutations of proteins involved in RNA processing, apparently unrelated to the previous "old partners," are causative of the same phenotype. Thus, newly envisaged models and tools may offer unforeseen clues on the etiology of this disease and hopefully provide the key to treatment.
Collapse
|
31
|
Komarova NV, Golubev IV, Khoronenkova SV, Chubar’ TA, Tishkov VI. Engineering of substrate specificity of D-amino acid oxidase from the yeast Trigonopsis variabilis: Directed mutagenesis of Phe258 residue. BIOCHEMISTRY (MOSCOW) 2012; 77:1181-9. [DOI: 10.1134/s0006297912100100] [Citation(s) in RCA: 7] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.6] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/22/2022]
|
32
|
Yamanaka M, Miyoshi Y, Ohide H, Hamase K, Konno R. d-Amino acids in the brain and mutant rodents lacking d-amino-acid oxidase activity. Amino Acids 2012; 43:1811-21. [DOI: 10.1007/s00726-012-1384-x] [Citation(s) in RCA: 41] [Impact Index Per Article: 3.4] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 04/08/2012] [Accepted: 07/30/2012] [Indexed: 12/27/2022]
|
33
|
Paul P, de Belleroche J. The role of D-amino acids in amyotrophic lateral sclerosis pathogenesis: a review. Amino Acids 2012; 43:1823-31. [PMID: 22890612 DOI: 10.1007/s00726-012-1385-9] [Citation(s) in RCA: 40] [Impact Index Per Article: 3.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 05/10/2012] [Accepted: 07/31/2012] [Indexed: 10/28/2022]
Abstract
A potential role for D-amino acids in motor neuron disease/amyotrophic lateral sclerosis (ALS) is emerging. D-Serine, which is an activator/co-agonist at the N-methyl-D-aspartate glutamate receptor subtype, is elevated both in spinal cord from sporadic cases of ALS and in an animal model of ALS. Furthermore, we have shown that a mutation in D-amino acid oxidase (DAO), an enzyme strongly localized to spinal cord motor neurons and brain stem motor nuclei, is associated with familial ALS. DAO plays an important role in regulating levels of D-serine, and its function is impaired by the presence of this mutation and this may contribute to the pathogenic process in ALS. In sporadic ALS cases, elevated D-serine may arise from induction of serine racemase, its synthetic enzyme, caused by cell stress and inflammatory processes thought to contribute to disease progression. Both these abnormalities in D-serine metabolism lead to an increase in synaptic D-serine which may contribute to disease pathogenesis.
Collapse
Affiliation(s)
- Praveen Paul
- Neurogenetics Group, Centre for Neuroscience, Division of Brain Sciences, Department of Medicine, Imperial College London, Hammersmith Hospital Campus, Du Cane Road, London, W12 0NN, UK
| | | |
Collapse
|
34
|
Billard JM. d-Amino acids in brain neurotransmission and synaptic plasticity. Amino Acids 2012; 43:1851-60. [DOI: 10.1007/s00726-012-1346-3] [Citation(s) in RCA: 73] [Impact Index Per Article: 6.1] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 04/10/2012] [Accepted: 06/16/2012] [Indexed: 01/25/2023]
|
35
|
Structure–function relationships in human d-amino acid oxidase. Amino Acids 2012; 43:1833-50. [DOI: 10.1007/s00726-012-1345-4] [Citation(s) in RCA: 77] [Impact Index Per Article: 6.4] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 03/27/2012] [Accepted: 06/16/2012] [Indexed: 01/01/2023]
|
36
|
Collingridge GL, Volianskis A, Bannister N, France G, Hanna L, Mercier M, Tidball P, Fang G, Irvine MW, Costa BM, Monaghan DT, Bortolotto ZA, Molnár E, Lodge D, Jane DE. The NMDA receptor as a target for cognitive enhancement. Neuropharmacology 2012; 64:13-26. [PMID: 22796429 DOI: 10.1016/j.neuropharm.2012.06.051] [Citation(s) in RCA: 175] [Impact Index Per Article: 14.6] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 05/15/2012] [Revised: 06/22/2012] [Accepted: 06/24/2012] [Indexed: 12/31/2022]
Abstract
NMDA receptors (NMDARs) play an important role in neural plasticity including long-term potentiation and long-term depression, which are likely to explain their importance for learning and memory. Cognitive decline is a major problem facing an ageing human population, so much so that its reversal has become an important goal for scientific research and pharmaceutical development. Enhancement of NMDAR function is a core strategy toward this goal. In this review we indicate some of the major ways of potentiating NMDAR function by both direct and indirect modulation. There is good evidence that both positive and negative modulation can enhance function suggesting that a subtle approach correcting imbalances in particular clinical situations will be required. Excessive activation and the resultant deleterious effects will need to be carefully avoided. Finally we describe some novel positive allosteric modulators of NMDARs, with some subunit selectivity, and show initial evidence of their ability to affect NMDAR mediated events. This article is part of a Special Issue entitled 'Cognitive Enhancers'.
Collapse
Affiliation(s)
- Graham L Collingridge
- MRC Centre for Synaptic Plasticity, School of Physiology and Pharmacology, University of Bristol, Bristol BS1 3NY, UK.
| | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | |
Collapse
|
37
|
Errico F, Nisticò R, Napolitano F, Oliva AB, Romano R, Barbieri F, Florio T, Russo C, Mercuri NB, Usiello A. Persistent increase of d-aspartate in d-aspartate oxidase mutant mice induces a precocious hippocampal age-dependent synaptic plasticity and spatial memory decay. Neurobiol Aging 2011; 32:2061-74. [DOI: 10.1016/j.neurobiolaging.2009.12.007] [Citation(s) in RCA: 53] [Impact Index Per Article: 4.1] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 08/03/2009] [Revised: 10/20/2009] [Accepted: 12/08/2009] [Indexed: 11/29/2022]
|
38
|
d-Amino acid metabolism in mammals: Biosynthesis, degradation and analytical aspects of the metabolic study. J Chromatogr B Analyt Technol Biomed Life Sci 2011; 879:3162-8. [DOI: 10.1016/j.jchromb.2011.06.028] [Citation(s) in RCA: 66] [Impact Index Per Article: 5.1] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 12/05/2010] [Revised: 06/15/2011] [Accepted: 06/15/2011] [Indexed: 12/28/2022]
|
39
|
Strick CA, Li C, Scott L, Harvey B, Hajós M, Steyn SJ, Piotrowski MA, James LC, Downs JT, Rago B, Becker SL, El-Kattan A, Xu Y, Ganong AH, Tingley FD, Ramirez AD, Seymour PA, Guanowsky V, Majchrzak MJ, Fox CB, Schmidt CJ, Duplantier AJ. Modulation of NMDA receptor function by inhibition of D-amino acid oxidase in rodent brain. Neuropharmacology 2011; 61:1001-15. [PMID: 21763704 DOI: 10.1016/j.neuropharm.2011.06.029] [Citation(s) in RCA: 32] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 04/08/2011] [Revised: 06/28/2011] [Accepted: 06/29/2011] [Indexed: 01/16/2023]
Abstract
Observations that N-Methyl-D-Aspartate (NMDA) antagonists produce symptoms in humans that are similar to those seen in schizophrenia have led to the current hypothesis that schizophrenia might result from NMDA receptor hypofunction. Inhibition of D-amino acid oxidase (DAAO), the enzyme responsible for degradation of D-serine, should lead to increased levels of this co-agonist at the NMDA receptor, and thereby provide a therapeutic approach to schizophrenia. We have profiled some of the preclinical biochemical, electrophysiological, and behavioral consequences of administering potent and selective inhibitors of DAAO to rodents to begin to test this hypothesis. Inhibition of DAAO activity resulted in a significant dose and time dependent increase in D-serine only in the cerebellum, although a time delay was observed between peak plasma or brain drug concentration and cerebellum D-serine response. Pharmacokinetic/pharmacodynamic (PK/PD) modeling employing a mechanism-based indirect response model was used to characterize the correlation between free brain drug concentration and D-serine accumulation. DAAO inhibitors had little or no activity in rodent models considered predictive for antipsychotic activity. The inhibitors did, however, affect cortical activity in the Mescaline-Induced Scratching model, produced a modest but significant increase in NMDA receptor-mediated synaptic currents in primary neuronal cultures from rat hippocampus, and resulted in a significant increase in evoked hippocampal theta rhythm, an in vivo electrophysiological model of hippocampal activity. These findings demonstrate that although DAAO inhibition did not cause a measurable increase in D-serine in forebrain, it did affect hippocampal and cortical activity, possibly through augmentation of NMDA receptor-mediated currents.
Collapse
MESH Headings
- Animals
- Brain/drug effects
- Brain/metabolism
- Central Nervous System Stimulants/metabolism
- Central Nervous System Stimulants/pharmacology
- Cyclic GMP/analysis
- Cyclic GMP/biosynthesis
- D-Amino-Acid Oxidase/antagonists & inhibitors
- D-Amino-Acid Oxidase/metabolism
- D-Amino-Acid Oxidase/physiology
- Drug Evaluation, Preclinical
- Electroencephalography
- Habituation, Psychophysiologic/drug effects
- Habituation, Psychophysiologic/physiology
- Harmaline/metabolism
- Hippocampus/drug effects
- Hippocampus/metabolism
- Male
- Maze Learning/drug effects
- Maze Learning/physiology
- Memory, Short-Term/drug effects
- Memory, Short-Term/physiology
- Mescaline/pharmacology
- Mice
- Miniature Postsynaptic Potentials/drug effects
- Miniature Postsynaptic Potentials/physiology
- Models, Biological
- Models, Chemical
- Molecular Targeted Therapy
- Motor Activity/drug effects
- Motor Activity/physiology
- Pruritus/chemically induced
- Pruritus/prevention & control
- Psychomotor Agitation/drug therapy
- Rats
- Rats, Long-Evans
- Rats, Sprague-Dawley
- Receptors, N-Methyl-D-Aspartate/drug effects
- Receptors, N-Methyl-D-Aspartate/metabolism
- Sensory Gating/drug effects
- Sensory Gating/physiology
- Serine/blood
- Serotonin Receptor Agonists/pharmacology
Collapse
|
40
|
The association of schizophrenia risk D-amino acid oxidase polymorphisms with sensorimotor gating, working memory and personality in healthy males. Neuropsychopharmacology 2011; 36:1677-88. [PMID: 21471957 PMCID: PMC3138651 DOI: 10.1038/npp.2011.49] [Citation(s) in RCA: 33] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Submit a Manuscript] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 01/08/2023]
Abstract
There is evidence supporting a role for the D-amino acid oxidase (DAO) locus in schizophrenia. This study aimed to determine the relationship of five single-nucleotide polymorphisms (SNPs) within the DAO gene identified as promising schizophrenia risk genes (rs4623951, rs2111902, rs3918346, rs3741775, and rs3825251) to acoustic startle, prepulse inhibition (PPI), working memory, and personality dimensions. A highly homogeneous study entry cohort (n = 530) of healthy, young male army conscripts (n = 703) originating from the Greek LOGOS project (Learning On Genetics Of Schizophrenia Spectrum) underwent PPI of the acoustic startle reflex, working memory, and personality assessment. The QTPHASE from the UNPHASED package was used for the association analysis of each SNP or haplotype data, with p-values corrected for multiple testing by running 10,000 permutations of the data. The rs4623951_T-rs3741775_G and rs4623951_T-rs2111902_T diplotypes were associated with reduced PPI and worse performance in working memory tasks and a personality pattern characterized by attenuated anxiety. Median stratification analysis of the risk diplotype group (ie, those individuals homozygous for the T and G alleles (TG+)) showed reduced PPI and working memory performance only in TG+ individuals with high trait anxiety. The rs4623951_T allele, which is the DAO polymorphism most strongly associated with schizophrenia, might tag a haplotype that affects PPI, cognition, and personality traits in general population. Our findings suggest an influence of the gene in the neural substrate mediating sensorimotor gating and working memory, especially when combined with high anxiety and further validate DAO as a candidate gene for schizophrenia and spectrum disorders.
Collapse
|
41
|
Popiolek M, Ross JF, Charych E, Chanda P, Gundelfinger ED, Moss SJ, Brandon NJ, Pausch MH. D-amino acid oxidase activity is inhibited by an interaction with bassoon protein at the presynaptic active zone. J Biol Chem 2011; 286:28867-28875. [PMID: 21700703 DOI: 10.1074/jbc.m111.262063] [Citation(s) in RCA: 22] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.7] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 01/06/2023] Open
Abstract
Schizophrenia is a highly heritable neuropsychiatric disorder affecting ∼1% of the world's population. Linkage and association studies have identified multiple candidate schizophrenia susceptibility genes whose functions converge on the glutamatergic neurotransmitter system. One such susceptibility gene encoding D-amino acid oxidase (DAO), an enzyme that metabolizes the NMDA receptor (NMDAR) co-agonist D-serine, has the potential to modulate NMDAR function in the context of schizophrenia. To further investigate its cellular regulation, we sought to identify DAO-interacting proteins that participate in its functional regulation in rat cerebellum, where DAO expression is especially high. Immunoprecipitation with DAO-specific antibodies and subsequent mass spectrometric analysis of co-precipitated proteins yielded 24 putative DAO-interacting proteins. The most robust interactions occurred with known components of the presynaptic active zone, such as bassoon (BSN) and piccolo (PCLO). The interaction of DAO with BSN was confirmed through co-immunoprecipitation assays using DAO- and BSN-specific antibodies. Moreover, DAO and BSN colocalized with one another in cultured cerebellar granule cells and in synaptic junction membrane protein fractions derived from rat cerebellum. The functional consequences of this interaction were studied through enzyme assay experiments, where DAO enzymatic activity was significantly inhibited as a result of its interaction with BSN. Taking these results together, we hypothesize that synaptic D-serine concentrations may be under tight regulation by a BSN-DAO complex. We therefore predict that this mechanism plays a role in the modulation of glutamatergic signaling through NMDARs. It also furthers our understanding of the biology underlying this potential therapeutic entry point for schizophrenia and other psychiatric disorders.
Collapse
Affiliation(s)
- Michael Popiolek
- Neuroscience Research Unit, Pfizer Global Research and Development, Groton, Connecticut 06340
| | - John F Ross
- Aileron Therapeutics, Cambridge, Massachusetts, Germany
| | - Erik Charych
- Neuroscience Research Unit, Pfizer Global Research and Development, Groton, Connecticut 06340
| | - Pranab Chanda
- Neuroscience Research Unit, Pfizer Global Research and Development, Groton, Connecticut 06340
| | | | | | - Nicholas J Brandon
- Neuroscience Research Unit, Pfizer Global Research and Development, Groton, Connecticut 06340,.
| | - Mark H Pausch
- Neuroscience Research Unit, Pfizer Global Research and Development, Groton, Connecticut 06340,; Merck, West Point, Pennsylvania 19486
| |
Collapse
|
42
|
Chervyakov AV, Gulyaeva NV, Zakharova MN. D-amino acids in normal ageing and pathogenesis of neurodegenerative diseases. NEUROCHEM J+ 2011. [DOI: 10.1134/s1819712411020036] [Citation(s) in RCA: 15] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.2] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/23/2022]
|
43
|
Fuchs SA, Berger R, de Koning TJ. D-serine: the right or wrong isoform? Brain Res 2011; 1401:104-17. [PMID: 21676380 DOI: 10.1016/j.brainres.2011.05.039] [Citation(s) in RCA: 29] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.2] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 04/26/2011] [Revised: 05/13/2011] [Accepted: 05/14/2011] [Indexed: 12/17/2022]
Abstract
Only recently, d-amino acids have been identified in mammals. Of these, d-serine has been most extensively studied. d-Serine was found to play an important role as a neurotransmitter in the human central nervous system (CNS) by binding to the N-methyl-d-aspartate receptor (NMDAr), similar to glycine. Therefore, d-serine may well play a role in all physiological and pathological processes in which NMDArs have been implied. In this review, we discuss the findings implying an important role for d-serine in human physiology (CNS development and memory and learning) and pathology (excitotoxicity, perinatal asphyxia, amyotrophic lateral sclerosis (ALS), Alzheimer's disease, epilepsy, schizophrenia and bipolar disorder). We will debate on the relative contribution of d-serine versus glycine and conclude with clinical applications derived from these results and future directions to progress in this field. In general, adequate concentrations of d-serine are required for normal CNS development and function, while both decreased and increased concentrations can lead to CNS pathology. Therefore, d-serine appears to be the right isoform when present in the right concentrations.
Collapse
Affiliation(s)
- Sabine A Fuchs
- Department of Metabolic and Endocrine Diseases, University Medical Center Utrecht, 3508 AB, Utrecht, The Netherlands.
| | | | | |
Collapse
|
44
|
Labrie V, Wong AHC, Roder JC. Contributions of the D-serine pathway to schizophrenia. Neuropharmacology 2011; 62:1484-503. [PMID: 21295046 DOI: 10.1016/j.neuropharm.2011.01.030] [Citation(s) in RCA: 87] [Impact Index Per Article: 6.7] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 11/14/2010] [Revised: 01/16/2011] [Accepted: 01/19/2011] [Indexed: 01/30/2023]
Abstract
The glutamate neurotransmitter system is one of the major candidate pathways for the pathophysiology of schizophrenia, and increased understanding of the pharmacology, molecular biology and biochemistry of this system may lead to novel treatments. Glutamatergic hypofunction, particularly at the NMDA receptor, has been hypothesized to underlie many of the symptoms of schizophrenia, including psychosis, negative symptoms and cognitive impairment. This review will focus on D-serine, a co-agonist at the NMDA receptor that in combination with glutamate, is required for full activation of this ion channel receptor. Evidence implicating D-serine, NMDA receptors and related molecules, such as D-amino acid oxidase (DAO), G72 and serine racemase (SRR), in the etiology or pathophysiology of schizophrenia is discussed, including knowledge gained from mouse models with altered D-serine pathway genes and from preliminary clinical trials with D-serine itself or compounds modulating the D-serine pathway. Abnormalities in D-serine availability may underlie glutamatergic dysfunction in schizophrenia, and the development of new treatments acting through the D-serine pathway may significantly improve outcomes for many schizophrenia patients.
Collapse
Affiliation(s)
- Viviane Labrie
- Krembil Family Epigenetics Laboratory, Centre for Addiction and Mental Health, 250 College St, Toronto, ON M5T 1R8, Canada.
| | | | | |
Collapse
|
45
|
Zhang M, Ballard ME, Basso AM, Bratcher N, Browman KE, Curzon P, Konno R, Meyer AH, Rueter LE. Behavioral characterization of a mutant mouse strain lacking d-amino acid oxidase activity. Behav Brain Res 2011; 217:81-7. [DOI: 10.1016/j.bbr.2010.09.030] [Citation(s) in RCA: 11] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.8] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 10/08/2009] [Revised: 09/14/2010] [Accepted: 09/24/2010] [Indexed: 10/19/2022]
|
46
|
Konno R, Hamase K, Maruyama R, Zaitsu K. Mutant mice and rats lacking D-amino acid oxidase. Chem Biodivers 2010; 7:1450-8. [PMID: 20564563 DOI: 10.1002/cbdv.200900303] [Citation(s) in RCA: 21] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 01/31/2023]
Abstract
D-amino acid oxidase (DAO) catalyzes oxidative deamination of D-amino acids. Since D-amino acids are considered to be rare in eukaryotes, physiological function of this enzyme has been enigmatic for a long time. Mutant mice lacking DAO were found, and their strain was established. The urine of the mutant mice contained large amounts of D-amino acids. D-Amino acids were also present in their organs and blood. The origin of these D-amino acids was pursued. The results indicate that one of the physiological functions of DAO is the metabolism of D-amino acids of internal and external origin. A large amount of D-serine is shown to exist in the brain of mammals. It binds to the coagonist-binding site of N-methyl-D-aspartate (NMDA) subtype of glutamate receptors and enhances the neurotransmission. DAO metabolizes this D-serine and, therefore, modulates neurotransmission. Mutant mice displayed phenotypes resulting from the enhanced NMDA receptor function. Recent studies have shown that DAO is associated with schizophrenia. Mutant mice were resistant to the drugs which act on NMDA receptors and elicit schizophrenia-like symptoms. Recently, mutant rats lacking DAO have also been found. They were free from D-serine-induced nephrotoxicity, indicating involvement of DAO in this toxicity. The mutant mice and rats lacking DAO would be useful for the elucidation of the physiological functions of DAO and the etiology of neuronal diseases associated with DAO.
Collapse
Affiliation(s)
- Ryuichi Konno
- Graduate School of Pharmaceutical Sciences, International University of Health and Welfare, 2600-1 Kitakanemaru, Ohtawara, Tochigi 324-8501, Japan.
| | | | | | | |
Collapse
|
47
|
Smith SM, Uslaner JM, Hutson PH. The Therapeutic Potential of D-Amino Acid Oxidase (DAAO) Inhibitors. THE OPEN MEDICINAL CHEMISTRY JOURNAL 2010; 4:3-9. [PMID: 20648222 PMCID: PMC2905773 DOI: 10.2174/1874104501004020003] [Citation(s) in RCA: 66] [Impact Index Per Article: 4.7] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 08/27/2009] [Revised: 09/24/2009] [Accepted: 09/30/2009] [Indexed: 01/25/2023]
Abstract
D-amino acid oxidase (DAAO) is a flavoenzyme that degrades D-amino acids through the process of oxidative deamination. DAAO regulation of D-amino acid levels has been associated with several physiological processes ranging from hormone secretion to synaptic transmission and cognition. Recent genetic studies have identified a mutation on chromosome 13 in schizophrenia patients that encodes two gene products (G30 and G72) that are associated with DAAO. Furthermore, DAAO expression and enzyme activity has been reported to be increased in post mortem brain tissue samples from patients with schizophrenia compared to healthy controls. D-serine, a D-amino acid that is regulated by DAAO, is a potent, endogenous co-agonist of the N-methyl-D-aspartic acid (NMDA) receptor. Because NMDA receptor dysfunction is thought to be involved in the positive (psychotic), negative and cognitive symptoms in schizophrenia, there has been much interest in developing potent and selective DAAO inhibitors for the treatment of this disease. Several research reports have been published that describe the synthesis and biological effects of novel, selective, small molecule inhibitors of DAAO. Many of these compounds have been shown, when given systemically, to increase D-serine concentrations in the blood and brain. However, the efficacy of these compounds in behavioral assays that measure antipsychotic potential and pro-cognitive effects in laboratory animals has been inconsistent. This article highlights and reviews research advances for DAAO inhibitors published in peer reviewed journals.
Collapse
|
48
|
Familial amyotrophic lateral sclerosis is associated with a mutation in D-amino acid oxidase. Proc Natl Acad Sci U S A 2010; 107:7556-61. [PMID: 20368421 DOI: 10.1073/pnas.0914128107] [Citation(s) in RCA: 184] [Impact Index Per Article: 13.1] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 12/12/2022] Open
Abstract
We report a unique mutation in the D-amino acid oxidase gene (R199W DAO) associated with classical adult onset familial amyotrophic lateral sclerosis (FALS) in a three generational FALS kindred, after candidate gene screening in a 14.52 cM region on chromosome 12q22-23 linked to disease. Neuronal cell lines expressing R199W DAO showed decreased viability and increased ubiquitinated aggregates compared with cells expressing the wild-type protein. Similarly, lentiviral-mediated expression of R199W DAO in primary motor neuron cultures caused increased TUNEL labeling. This effect was also observed when motor neurons were cocultured on transduced astrocytes expressing R199W, indicating that the motor neuron cell death induced by this mutation is mediated by both cell autonomous and noncell autonomous processes. DAO controls the level of D-serine, which accumulates in the spinal cord in cases of sporadic ALS and in a mouse model of ALS, indicating that this abnormality may represent a fundamental component of ALS pathogenesis.
Collapse
|
49
|
Abstract
Cognitive deficits are core features of psychiatric disorders and contribute substantially to functional outcome. It is still unclear, however, how cognitive deficits are related to underlying genetic liability and overt clinical symptoms. Fortunately, animal models of susceptibility genes can illuminate how the products of disease-associated genetic variants affect brain function and ultimately alter behavior. Using as a reference findings from the Cognitive Neuroscience Treatment Research to Improve Cognition in Schizophrenia program and the SchizophreniaGene database, we review cognitive data from mutant models of rare and common genetic variants associated with schizophrenia.
Collapse
Affiliation(s)
- P. Alexander Arguello
- Department of Neuroscience,To whom correspondence should be addressed; tel: 1-212-305-2020, fax: 1-212-342-1801, e-mail:
| | - Joseph A. Gogos
- Department of Neuroscience,Department of Physiology and Cellular Biophysics, Columbia University Medical Center, 630 W. 168th Street, New York, NY 10032
| |
Collapse
|
50
|
Abstract
D-amino acid oxidase (DAO) is a flavoenzyme that metabolizes certain D-amino acids, notably the endogenous N-methyl D-aspartate receptor (NMDAR) co-agonist, D-serine. As such, it has the potential to modulate the function of NMDAR and to contribute to the widely hypothesized involvement of NMDAR signalling in schizophrenia. Three lines of evidence now provide support for this possibility: DAO shows genetic associations with the disorder in several, although not all, studies; the expression and activity of DAO are increased in schizophrenia; and DAO inactivation in rodents produces behavioural and biochemical effects, suggestive of potential therapeutic benefits. However, several key issues remain unclear. These include the regional, cellular and subcellular localization of DAO, the physiological importance of DAO and its substrates other than D-serine, as well as the causes and consequences of elevated DAO in schizophrenia. Herein, we critically review the neurobiology of DAO, its involvement in schizophrenia, and the therapeutic value of DAO inhibition. This review also highlights issues that have a broader relevance beyond DAO itself: how should we weigh up convergent and cumulatively impressive, but individually inconclusive, pieces of evidence regarding the role that a given gene may have in the aetiology, pathophysiology and pharmacotherapy of schizophrenia?
Collapse
|