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Khalil MH. Neurosustainability. Front Hum Neurosci 2024; 18:1436179. [PMID: 39268220 PMCID: PMC11390526 DOI: 10.3389/fnhum.2024.1436179] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 05/21/2024] [Accepted: 08/07/2024] [Indexed: 09/15/2024] Open
Abstract
While the human brain has evolved extraordinary abilities to dominate nature, modern living has paradoxically trapped it in a contemporary "cage" that stifles neuroplasticity. Within this modern environment lurk unseen natural laws with power to sustain the human brain's adaptive capacities - if consciously orchestrated into the environments we design. For too long our contemporary environments have imposed an unyielding static state, while still neglecting the brain's constant adaptive nature as it evolves to dominate the natural world with increasing sophistication. The theory introduced in this article aims to go back in nature without having to go back in time, introducing and expounding Neurosustainability as a novel paradigm seeing beyond the contemporary confines to architect environments and brains in parallel. Its integrated neuro-evidenced framework proposes four enrichment scopes-spatial, natural, aesthetic, and social-each holding multifaceted attributes promising to sustain regions like the hippocampus, cortex and amygdala. Neurosustainability aims to liberate the quintessential essence of nature to sustain and enhance neuroplastic processes through a cycle that begins with design and extends through epigenetic changes. This paradigm shift aims to foster cognitive health and wellness by addressing issues like stress, depression, anxiety and cognitive decline common in the contemporary era thereby offering a path toward a more neurosustainable era aiming to nurture the evolution of the human brain now and beyond.
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Affiliation(s)
- Mohamed Hesham Khalil
- Department of Architecture, Faculty of Architecture and History of Art, School of Arts and Humanities, University of Cambridge, Cambridge, United Kingdom
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2
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Xiong HY, Wyns A, Campenhout JV, Hendrix J, De Bruyne E, Godderis L, Schabrun S, Nijs J, Polli A. Epigenetic Landscapes of Pain: DNA Methylation Dynamics in Chronic Pain. Int J Mol Sci 2024; 25:8324. [PMID: 39125894 PMCID: PMC11312850 DOI: 10.3390/ijms25158324] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 06/30/2024] [Revised: 07/19/2024] [Accepted: 07/23/2024] [Indexed: 08/12/2024] Open
Abstract
Chronic pain is a prevalent condition with a multifaceted pathogenesis, where epigenetic modifications, particularly DNA methylation, might play an important role. This review delves into the intricate mechanisms by which DNA methylation and demethylation regulate genes associated with nociception and pain perception in nociceptive pathways. We explore the dynamic nature of these epigenetic processes, mediated by DNA methyltransferases (DNMTs) and ten-eleven translocation (TET) enzymes, which modulate the expression of pro- and anti-nociceptive genes. Aberrant DNA methylation profiles have been observed in patients with various chronic pain syndromes, correlating with hypersensitivity to painful stimuli, neuronal hyperexcitability, and inflammatory responses. Genome-wide analyses shed light on differentially methylated regions and genes that could serve as potential biomarkers for chronic pain in the epigenetic landscape. The transition from acute to chronic pain is marked by rapid DNA methylation reprogramming, suggesting its potential role in pain chronicity. This review highlights the importance of understanding the temporal dynamics of DNA methylation during this transition to develop targeted therapeutic interventions. Reversing pathological DNA methylation patterns through epigenetic therapies emerges as a promising strategy for pain management.
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Affiliation(s)
- Huan-Yu Xiong
- Pain in Motion Research Group (PAIN), Department of Physiotherapy, Human Physiology and Anatomy, Faculty of Physical Education & Physiotherapy, Vrije Universiteit Brussel, 1090 Brussels, Belgium; (H.-Y.X.); (A.W.); (J.V.C.); (J.H.); (A.P.)
| | - Arne Wyns
- Pain in Motion Research Group (PAIN), Department of Physiotherapy, Human Physiology and Anatomy, Faculty of Physical Education & Physiotherapy, Vrije Universiteit Brussel, 1090 Brussels, Belgium; (H.-Y.X.); (A.W.); (J.V.C.); (J.H.); (A.P.)
| | - Jente Van Campenhout
- Pain in Motion Research Group (PAIN), Department of Physiotherapy, Human Physiology and Anatomy, Faculty of Physical Education & Physiotherapy, Vrije Universiteit Brussel, 1090 Brussels, Belgium; (H.-Y.X.); (A.W.); (J.V.C.); (J.H.); (A.P.)
| | - Jolien Hendrix
- Pain in Motion Research Group (PAIN), Department of Physiotherapy, Human Physiology and Anatomy, Faculty of Physical Education & Physiotherapy, Vrije Universiteit Brussel, 1090 Brussels, Belgium; (H.-Y.X.); (A.W.); (J.V.C.); (J.H.); (A.P.)
- Department of Public Health and Primary Care, Centre for Environment & Health, KU Leuven, 3000 Leuven, Belgium;
- Research Foundation—Flanders (FWO), 1000 Brussels, Belgium
| | - Elke De Bruyne
- Translational Oncology Research Center (TORC), Team Hematology and Immunology (HEIM), Vrije Universiteit Brussel, 1090 Brussels, Belgium;
| | - Lode Godderis
- Department of Public Health and Primary Care, Centre for Environment & Health, KU Leuven, 3000 Leuven, Belgium;
| | - Siobhan Schabrun
- The School of Physical Therapy, University of Western Ontario, London, ON N6A 3K7, Canada;
- The Gray Centre for Mobility and Activity, Parkwood Institute, St. Joseph’s Healthcare, London, ON N6A 4V2, Canada
| | - Jo Nijs
- Pain in Motion Research Group (PAIN), Department of Physiotherapy, Human Physiology and Anatomy, Faculty of Physical Education & Physiotherapy, Vrije Universiteit Brussel, 1090 Brussels, Belgium; (H.-Y.X.); (A.W.); (J.V.C.); (J.H.); (A.P.)
- Chronic Pain Rehabilitation, Department of Physical Medicine and Physiotherapy, University Hospital Brussels, 1090 Brussels, Belgium
- Department of Health and Rehabilitation, Unit of Physiotherapy, Institute of Neuroscience and Physiology, Sahlgrenska Academy, University of Gothenburg, 41390 Göterbog, Sweden
| | - Andrea Polli
- Pain in Motion Research Group (PAIN), Department of Physiotherapy, Human Physiology and Anatomy, Faculty of Physical Education & Physiotherapy, Vrije Universiteit Brussel, 1090 Brussels, Belgium; (H.-Y.X.); (A.W.); (J.V.C.); (J.H.); (A.P.)
- Department of Public Health and Primary Care, Centre for Environment & Health, KU Leuven, 3000 Leuven, Belgium;
- Research Foundation—Flanders (FWO), 1000 Brussels, Belgium
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3
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Yu X, Guo J, Song Y, Wei B, Shi Y, Zhao Y, Zhao Z, Gao Q, Wang B, Sun M. HDAC1/2/3-mediated downregulation of neurogranin is involved in cognitive impairment in offspring exposed to maternal subclinical hypothyroidism. FASEB J 2024; 38:e23736. [PMID: 38865202 DOI: 10.1096/fj.202400389r] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 02/20/2024] [Revised: 05/15/2024] [Accepted: 05/29/2024] [Indexed: 06/14/2024]
Abstract
Subclinical hypothyroidism (SCH) in pregnancy is the most common form of thyroid dysfunction in pregnancy, which can affect fetal nervous system development and increase the risk of neurodevelopmental disorders after birth. However, the mechanism of the effect of maternal subclinical hypothyroidism on fetal brain development and behavioral phenotypes is still unclear and requires further study. In this study, we constructed a mouse model of maternal subclinical hypothyroidism by exposing dams to drinking water containing 50 ppm propylthiouracil (PTU) during pregnancy and found that its offspring were accompanied by severe cognitive deficits by behavioral testing. Mechanistically, gestational SCH resulted in the upregulation of protein expression and activity of HDAC1/2/3 in the hippocampus of the offspring. ChIP analysis revealed that H3K9ac on the neurogranin (Ng) promoter was reduced in the hippocampus of the offspring of SCH, with a significant reduction in Ng protein, leading to reduced expression levels of synaptic plasticity markers PSD95 (a membrane-associated protein in the postsynaptic density) and SYN (synaptophysin, a specific marker for presynaptic terminals), and impaired synaptic plasticity. In addition, administration of MS-275 (an HDAC1/2/3-specific inhibitor) to SCH offspring alleviated impaired synaptic plasticity and cognitive dysfunction in offspring. Thus, our study suggests that maternal subclinical hypothyroidism may mediate offspring cognitive dysfunction through the HDAC1/2/3-H3K9ac-Ng pathway. Our study contributes to the understanding of the signaling mechanisms underlying maternal subclinical hypothyroidism-mediated cognitive impairment in the offspring.
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Affiliation(s)
- Xi Yu
- Institute for Fetology, The First Affiliated Hospital of Soochow University, Suzhou, Jiangsu, China
| | - Jun Guo
- Institute for Fetology, The First Affiliated Hospital of Soochow University, Suzhou, Jiangsu, China
| | - Yueyang Song
- Institute for Fetology, The First Affiliated Hospital of Soochow University, Suzhou, Jiangsu, China
| | - Bin Wei
- Institute for Fetology, The First Affiliated Hospital of Soochow University, Suzhou, Jiangsu, China
| | - Yajun Shi
- Institute for Fetology, The First Affiliated Hospital of Soochow University, Suzhou, Jiangsu, China
| | - Yan Zhao
- Institute for Fetology, The First Affiliated Hospital of Soochow University, Suzhou, Jiangsu, China
| | - Zejun Zhao
- Institute for Fetology, The First Affiliated Hospital of Soochow University, Suzhou, Jiangsu, China
| | - Qinqin Gao
- Institute for Fetology, The First Affiliated Hospital of Soochow University, Suzhou, Jiangsu, China
| | - Bin Wang
- Institute for Fetology, The First Affiliated Hospital of Soochow University, Suzhou, Jiangsu, China
| | - Miao Sun
- Institute for Fetology, The First Affiliated Hospital of Soochow University, Suzhou, Jiangsu, China
- Dushu Lake Hospital Affiliated to Soochow University, Suzhou, Jiangsu, China
- Center for Medical Genetics and Prenatal Diagnosis, Key Laboratory of Birth Defect Prevention and Genetic, Medicine of Shandong Health Commission, Key Laboratory of Birth Regulation and Control Technology of National Health Commission of China, Shandong Provincial Maternal and Child Health Care Hospital Affiliated to Qingdao University, Jinan, Shandong, China
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Lemes Dos Santos Sanna P, Bernardes Carvalho L, Cristina Dos Santos Afonso C, de Carvalho K, Aires R, Souza J, Rodrigues Ferreira M, Birbrair A, Martha Bernardi M, Latini A, Foganholi da Silva RA. Adora2A downregulation promotes caffeine neuroprotective effect against LPS-induced neuroinflammation in the hippocampus. Brain Res 2024; 1833:148866. [PMID: 38494098 DOI: 10.1016/j.brainres.2024.148866] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 01/16/2024] [Revised: 03/12/2024] [Accepted: 03/13/2024] [Indexed: 03/19/2024]
Abstract
Caffeine has been extensively studied in the context of CNS pathologies as many researchers have shown that consuming it reduces pro-inflammatory biomarkers, potentially delaying the progression of neurodegenerative pathologies. Several lines of evidence suggest that adenosine receptors, especially A1 and A2A receptors, are the main targets of its neuroprotective action. We found that caffeine pretreatment 15 min before LPS administration reduced the expression of Il1b in the hippocampus and striatum. The harmful modulation of caffeine-induced inflammatory response involved the downregulation of the expression of A2A receptors, especially in the hippocampus. Caffeine treatment alone promoted the downregulation of the adenosinergic receptor Adora2A; however, this promotion effect was reversed by LPS. Although administering caffeine increased the expression of the enzymes DNA methyltransferases 1 and 3A and decreased the expression of the demethylase enzyme Tet1, this effect was reversed by LPS in the hippocampus of mice that were administered Caffeine + LPS, relative to the basal condition; no significant differences were observed in the methylation status of the promoter regions of adenosine receptors. Finally, the bioinformatics analysis of the expanded network demonstrated the following results: the Adora2B gene connects the extended networks of the adenosine receptors Adora1 and Adora2A; the Mapk3 and Esr1 genes connect the extended Adora1 network; the Mapk4 and Arrb2 genes connect the extended Adora2A network with the extended network of the proinflammatory cytokine Il1β. These results indicated that the anti-inflammatory effects of acute caffeine administration in the hippocampus may be mediated by a complex network of interdependencies between the Adora2B and Adora2A genes.
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Affiliation(s)
| | | | | | - Kassia de Carvalho
- Center for Epigenetic Study and Genic Regulation - CEEpiRG, Program in Environmental and Experimental Pathology, Paulista University, São Paulo, São Paulo, Brazil
| | - Rogério Aires
- Center for Epigenetic Study and Genic Regulation - CEEpiRG, Program in Environmental and Experimental Pathology, Paulista University, São Paulo, São Paulo, Brazil
| | - Jennyffer Souza
- Laboratory of Bioenergetics and Oxidative Stress - LABOX, Department of Biochemistry, Center for Biological Sciences, Federal University of Santa Catarina, Florianopolis, Brazil
| | - Marcel Rodrigues Ferreira
- Molecular Genetics and Bioinformatics Laboratory, Experimental Research Unity, Botucatu Medical School, São Paulo State University, Brazil.
| | - Alexander Birbrair
- Department of Dermatology, University of Wisconsin-Madison, Madison, WI, USA
| | - Maria Martha Bernardi
- Center for Epigenetic Study and Genic Regulation - CEEpiRG, Program in Environmental and Experimental Pathology, Paulista University, São Paulo, São Paulo, Brazil
| | - Alexandra Latini
- Laboratory of Bioenergetics and Oxidative Stress - LABOX, Department of Biochemistry, Center for Biological Sciences, Federal University of Santa Catarina, Florianopolis, Brazil
| | - Rodrigo A Foganholi da Silva
- Dentistry, University of Taubaté, Taubaté, São Paulo, São Paulo, Brazil; Center for Epigenetic Study and Genic Regulation - CEEpiRG, Program in Environmental and Experimental Pathology, Paulista University, São Paulo, São Paulo, Brazil.
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5
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Zhang W, Jiao B, Yu S, Zhang C, Zhang K, Liu B, Zhang X. Histone deacetylase as emerging pharmacological therapeutic target for neuropathic pain: From epigenetic to selective drugs. CNS Neurosci Ther 2024; 30:e14745. [PMID: 38715326 PMCID: PMC11077000 DOI: 10.1111/cns.14745] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 02/01/2024] [Revised: 04/02/2024] [Accepted: 04/17/2024] [Indexed: 05/12/2024] Open
Abstract
BACKGROUND Neuropathic pain remains a formidable challenge for modern medicine. The first-line pharmacological therapies exhibit limited efficacy and unfavorable side effect profiles, highlighting an unmet need for effective therapeutic medications. The past decades have witnessed an explosion in efforts to translate epigenetic concepts into pain therapy and shed light on epigenetics as a promising avenue for pain research. Recently, the aberrant activity of histone deacetylase (HDAC) has emerged as a key mechanism contributing to the development and maintenance of neuropathic pain. AIMS In this review, we highlight the distinctive role of specific HDAC subtypes in a cell-specific manner in pain nociception, and outline the recent experimental evidence supporting the therapeutic potential of HDACi in neuropathic pain. METHODS We have summarized studies of HDAC in neuropathic pain in Pubmed. RESULTS HDACs, widely distributed in the neuronal and non-neuronal cells of the dorsal root ganglion and spinal cord, regulate gene expression by deacetylation of histone or non-histone proteins and involving in increased neuronal excitability and neuroinflammation, thus promoting peripheral and central sensitization. Importantly, pharmacological manipulation of aberrant acetylation using HDAC-targeted inhibitors (HDACi) has shown promising pain-relieving properties in various preclinical models of neuropathic pain. Yet, many of which exhibit low-specificity that may induce off-target toxicities, underscoring the necessity for the development of isoform-selective HDACi in pain management. CONCLUSIONS Abnormally elevated HDACs promote neuronal excitability and neuroinflammation by epigenetically modulating pivotal gene expression in neuronal and immune cells, contributing to peripheral and central sensitization in the progression of neuropathic pain, and HDACi showed significant efficacy and great potential for alleviating neuropathic pain.
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Affiliation(s)
- Wencui Zhang
- Department of Anesthesiology and Pain Medicine, Hubei Key Laboratory of Geriatric Anesthesia and Perioperative Brain Health, and Wuhan Clinical Research Center for Geriatric AnesthesiaTongji Hospital, Tongji Medical College, Huazhong University of Science and TechnologyWuhanChina
| | - Bo Jiao
- Department of Anesthesiology and Pain Medicine, Hubei Key Laboratory of Geriatric Anesthesia and Perioperative Brain Health, and Wuhan Clinical Research Center for Geriatric AnesthesiaTongji Hospital, Tongji Medical College, Huazhong University of Science and TechnologyWuhanChina
| | - Shangchen Yu
- Department of Anesthesiology and Pain Medicine, Hubei Key Laboratory of Geriatric Anesthesia and Perioperative Brain Health, and Wuhan Clinical Research Center for Geriatric AnesthesiaTongji Hospital, Tongji Medical College, Huazhong University of Science and TechnologyWuhanChina
| | - Caixia Zhang
- Department of Anesthesiology and Pain Medicine, Hubei Key Laboratory of Geriatric Anesthesia and Perioperative Brain Health, and Wuhan Clinical Research Center for Geriatric AnesthesiaTongji Hospital, Tongji Medical College, Huazhong University of Science and TechnologyWuhanChina
| | - Kaiwen Zhang
- Department of Anesthesiology and Pain Medicine, Hubei Key Laboratory of Geriatric Anesthesia and Perioperative Brain Health, and Wuhan Clinical Research Center for Geriatric AnesthesiaTongji Hospital, Tongji Medical College, Huazhong University of Science and TechnologyWuhanChina
| | - Baowen Liu
- Department of Anesthesiology and Pain Medicine, Hubei Key Laboratory of Geriatric Anesthesia and Perioperative Brain Health, and Wuhan Clinical Research Center for Geriatric AnesthesiaTongji Hospital, Tongji Medical College, Huazhong University of Science and TechnologyWuhanChina
| | - Xianwei Zhang
- Department of Anesthesiology and Pain Medicine, Hubei Key Laboratory of Geriatric Anesthesia and Perioperative Brain Health, and Wuhan Clinical Research Center for Geriatric AnesthesiaTongji Hospital, Tongji Medical College, Huazhong University of Science and TechnologyWuhanChina
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6
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Hendricks EL, Liebl FLW. The CHD family chromatin remodeling enzyme, Kismet, promotes both clathrin-mediated and activity-dependent bulk endocytosis. PLoS One 2024; 19:e0300255. [PMID: 38512854 PMCID: PMC10956772 DOI: 10.1371/journal.pone.0300255] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 07/18/2023] [Accepted: 02/23/2024] [Indexed: 03/23/2024] Open
Abstract
Chromodomain helicase DNA binding domain (CHD) proteins, including CHD7 and CHD8, remodel chromatin to enable transcriptional programs. Both proteins are important for proper neural development as heterozygous mutations in Chd7 and Chd8 are causative for CHARGE syndrome and correlated with autism spectrum disorders, respectively. Their roles in mature neurons are poorly understood despite influencing the expression of genes required for cell adhesion, neurotransmission, and synaptic plasticity. The Drosophila homolog of CHD7 and CHD8, Kismet (Kis), promotes neurotransmission, endocytosis, and larval locomotion. Endocytosis is essential in neurons for replenishing synaptic vesicles, maintaining protein localization, and preserving the size and composition of the presynaptic membrane. Several forms of endocytosis have been identified including clathrin-mediated endocytosis, which is coupled with neural activity and is the most prevalent form of synaptic endocytosis, and activity-dependent bulk endocytosis, which occurs during periods of intense stimulation. Kis modulates the expression of gene products involved in endocytosis including promoting shaggy/GSK3β expression while restricting PI3K92E. kis mutants electrophysiologically phenocopy a liquid facets mutant in response to paradigms that induce clathrin-mediated endocytosis and activity-dependent bulk endocytosis. Further, kis mutants do not show further reductions in endocytosis when activity-dependent bulk endocytosis or clathrin-mediated endocytosis are pharmacologically inhibited. We find that Kis is important in postsynaptic muscle for proper endocytosis but the ATPase domain of Kis is dispensable for endocytosis. Collectively, our data indicate that Kis promotes both clathrin-mediated endocytosis and activity-dependent bulk endocytosis possibly by promoting transcription of several endocytic genes and maintaining the size of the synaptic vesicle pool.
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Affiliation(s)
- Emily L. Hendricks
- Department of Biological Sciences, Southern Illinois University Edwardsville, Edwardsville, Illinois, United States of America
| | - Faith L. W. Liebl
- Department of Biological Sciences, Southern Illinois University Edwardsville, Edwardsville, Illinois, United States of America
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7
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Yaghoobi Z, Seyed Bagher Nazeri SS, Asadi A, Derafsh E, Talebi Taheri A, Tamtaji Z, Dadgostar E, Rahmati-Dehkordi F, Aschner M, Mirzaei H, Tamtaji OR, Nabavizadeh F. Non-coding RNAs and Aquaporin 4: Their Role in the Pathogenesis of Neurological Disorders. Neurochem Res 2024; 49:583-596. [PMID: 38114727 DOI: 10.1007/s11064-023-04067-8] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 09/23/2023] [Revised: 11/10/2023] [Accepted: 11/14/2023] [Indexed: 12/21/2023]
Abstract
Neurological disorders are a major group of non-communicable diseases affecting quality of life. Non-Coding RNAs (ncRNAs) have an important role in the etiology of neurological disorders. In studies on the genesis of neurological diseases, aquaporin 4 (AQP4) expression and activity have both been linked to ncRNAs. The upregulation or downregulation of several ncRNAs leads to neurological disorder progression by targeting AQP4. The role of ncRNAs and AQP4 in neurological disorders is discussed in this review.
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Affiliation(s)
- Zahra Yaghoobi
- Electrophysiology Research Center, Neuroscience Institute, Tehran University of Medical Sciences, Tehran, I.R. of Iran
- Department of Physiology, School of Medicine, Tehran University of Medical Sciences, Tehran, I.R. of Iran
| | | | - Amir Asadi
- Psychiatry and Behavioral Sciences Research Center, School of Medicine, Addiction Institute, and Department of Psychiatry, Mazandaran University of Medical Sciences, Sari, Iran
| | - Ehsan Derafsh
- Windsor University School of Medicine, Cayon, St Kitts and Nevis
| | - Abdolkarim Talebi Taheri
- Student Research Committee, School of Medicine, Shahid Beheshti University of Medical Sciences, Tehran, Iran
| | - Zeinab Tamtaji
- Student Research Committee, Kashan University of Medical Sciences, Kashan, I.R. of Iran
| | - Ehsan Dadgostar
- Behavioral Sciences Research Center, Isfahan University of Medical Sciences, Isfahan, I.R. of Iran
- Student Research Committee, Isfahan University of Medical Sciences, Isfahan, I.R. of Iran
| | - Fatemeh Rahmati-Dehkordi
- Electrophysiology Research Center, Neuroscience Institute, Tehran University of Medical Sciences, Tehran, I.R. of Iran
- Department of Physiology, School of Medicine, Tehran University of Medical Sciences, Tehran, I.R. of Iran
| | - Michael Aschner
- Department of Molecular Pharmacology, Albert Einstein College of Medicine, Bronx, NY, 10461, USA
| | - Hamed Mirzaei
- Research Center for Biochemistry and Nutrition in Metabolic Diseases, Kashan University of Medical Sciences, Kashan, I.R. of Iran.
| | - Omid Reza Tamtaji
- Electrophysiology Research Center, Neuroscience Institute, Tehran University of Medical Sciences, Tehran, I.R. of Iran.
- Department of Physiology, School of Medicine, Tehran University of Medical Sciences, Tehran, I.R. of Iran.
| | - Fatemeh Nabavizadeh
- Electrophysiology Research Center, Neuroscience Institute, Tehran University of Medical Sciences, Tehran, I.R. of Iran.
- Department of Physiology, School of Medicine, Tehran University of Medical Sciences, Tehran, I.R. of Iran.
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8
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Ribeiro-Davis A, Al Saeedy DY, Jahr FM, Hawkins E, McClay JL, Deshpande LS. Ketamine Produces Antidepressant Effects by Inhibiting Histone Deacetylases and Upregulating Hippocampal Brain-Derived Neurotrophic Factor Levels in a Diisopropyl Fluorophosphate-Based Rat Model of Gulf War Illness. J Pharmacol Exp Ther 2024; 388:647-654. [PMID: 37863487 PMCID: PMC10801753 DOI: 10.1124/jpet.123.001824] [Citation(s) in RCA: 5] [Impact Index Per Article: 5.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 01/27/2023] [Revised: 09/14/2023] [Accepted: 09/14/2023] [Indexed: 10/22/2023] Open
Abstract
Approximately one-third of Gulf War veterans suffer from Gulf War Illness (GWI), which encompasses mood disorders and depressive symptoms. Deployment-related exposure to organophosphate compounds has been associated with GWI development. Epigenetic modifications have been reported in GWI veterans. We previously showed that epigenetic histone dysregulations were associated with decreased brain-derived neurotrophic factor (BDNF) expression in a GWI rat model. GWI has no effective therapies. Ketamine (KET) has recently been approved by the Food and Drug Administration for therapy-resistant depression. Interestingly, BDNF upregulation underlies KET's antidepressant effect in GWI-related depression. Here, we investigated whether KET's effect on histone mechanisms signals BDNF upregulations in GWI. Male Sprague-Dawley rats were injected once daily with diisopropyl fluorophosphate (DFP; 0.5 mg/kg, s.c., 5 days). At 6 months following DFP exposure, KET (10 mg/kg, i.p.) was injected, and brains were dissected 24 hours later. Western blotting was used for protein expression, and epigenetic studies used chromatin immunoprecipitation methods. Dil staining was conducted for assessing dendritic spines. Our results indicated that an antidepressant dose of KET inhibited the upregulation of histone deacetylase (HDAC) enzymes in DFP rats. Furthermore, KET restored acetylated histone occupancy at the Bdnf promoter IV and induced BDNF protein expression in DFP rats. Finally, KET treatment also increased the spine density and altered the spine diversity with increased T-type and decreased S-type spines in DFP rats. Given these findings, we propose that KET's actions involve the inhibition of HDAC expression, upregulation of BDNF, and dendritic modifications that together ameliorates the pathologic synaptic plasticity and exerts an antidepressant effect in DFP rats. SIGNIFICANCE STATEMENT: This study offers evidence supporting the involvement of epigenetic histone pathways in the antidepressant effects of ketamine (KET) in a rat model of Gulf War Illness (GWI)-like depression. This effect is achieved through the modulation of histone acetylation at the Bdnf promoter, resulting in elevated brain-derived neurotrophic factor expression and subsequent dendritic remodeling in the hippocampus. These findings underscore the rationale for considering KET as a potential candidate for clinical trials aimed at managing GWI-related depression.
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Affiliation(s)
- Ana Ribeiro-Davis
- Departments of Neurology (A.R.-D., E.H., L.S.D.), Pharmacology and Toxicology (L.S.D.), School of Medicine, Virginia Commonwealth University, Richmond, Virginia and Department of Pharmacotherapy and Outcome Sciences (D.Y.A.S., F.M.J., J.L.M.), School of Pharmacy, Virginia Commonwealth University, Richmond, Virginia
| | - Dalia Y Al Saeedy
- Departments of Neurology (A.R.-D., E.H., L.S.D.), Pharmacology and Toxicology (L.S.D.), School of Medicine, Virginia Commonwealth University, Richmond, Virginia and Department of Pharmacotherapy and Outcome Sciences (D.Y.A.S., F.M.J., J.L.M.), School of Pharmacy, Virginia Commonwealth University, Richmond, Virginia
| | - Fay M Jahr
- Departments of Neurology (A.R.-D., E.H., L.S.D.), Pharmacology and Toxicology (L.S.D.), School of Medicine, Virginia Commonwealth University, Richmond, Virginia and Department of Pharmacotherapy and Outcome Sciences (D.Y.A.S., F.M.J., J.L.M.), School of Pharmacy, Virginia Commonwealth University, Richmond, Virginia
| | - Elisa Hawkins
- Departments of Neurology (A.R.-D., E.H., L.S.D.), Pharmacology and Toxicology (L.S.D.), School of Medicine, Virginia Commonwealth University, Richmond, Virginia and Department of Pharmacotherapy and Outcome Sciences (D.Y.A.S., F.M.J., J.L.M.), School of Pharmacy, Virginia Commonwealth University, Richmond, Virginia
| | - Joseph L McClay
- Departments of Neurology (A.R.-D., E.H., L.S.D.), Pharmacology and Toxicology (L.S.D.), School of Medicine, Virginia Commonwealth University, Richmond, Virginia and Department of Pharmacotherapy and Outcome Sciences (D.Y.A.S., F.M.J., J.L.M.), School of Pharmacy, Virginia Commonwealth University, Richmond, Virginia
| | - Laxmikant S Deshpande
- Departments of Neurology (A.R.-D., E.H., L.S.D.), Pharmacology and Toxicology (L.S.D.), School of Medicine, Virginia Commonwealth University, Richmond, Virginia and Department of Pharmacotherapy and Outcome Sciences (D.Y.A.S., F.M.J., J.L.M.), School of Pharmacy, Virginia Commonwealth University, Richmond, Virginia
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9
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Fuentes-Ramos M, Barco Á. Unveiling Transcriptional and Epigenetic Mechanisms Within Engram Cells: Insights into Memory Formation and Stability. ADVANCES IN NEUROBIOLOGY 2024; 38:111-129. [PMID: 39008013 DOI: 10.1007/978-3-031-62983-9_7] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 07/16/2024]
Abstract
Memory traces for behavioral experiences, such as fear conditioning or taste aversion, are believed to be stored through biophysical and molecular changes in distributed neuronal ensembles across various brain regions. These ensembles are known as engrams, and the cells that constitute them are referred to as engram cells. Recent advancements in techniques for labeling and manipulating neural activity have facilitated the study of engram cells throughout different memory phases, including acquisition, allocation, long-term storage, retrieval, and erasure. In this chapter, we will explore the application of next-generation sequencing methods to engram research, shedding new light on the contribution of transcriptional and epigenetic mechanisms to engram formation and stability.
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Affiliation(s)
- Miguel Fuentes-Ramos
- Instituto de Neurociencias, Universidad Miguel Hernández - Consejo Superior de Investigaciones Científicas, Alicante, Spain
| | - Ángel Barco
- Instituto de Neurociencias, Universidad Miguel Hernández - Consejo Superior de Investigaciones Científicas, Alicante, Spain.
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10
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Luu P, Tucker DM. Continuity and change in neural plasticity through embryonic morphogenesis, fetal activity-dependent synaptogenesis, and infant memory consolidation. Dev Psychobiol 2023; 65:e22439. [PMID: 38010309 DOI: 10.1002/dev.22439] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 03/31/2023] [Revised: 10/09/2023] [Accepted: 10/18/2023] [Indexed: 11/29/2023]
Abstract
There is an apparent continuity in human neural development that can be traced to venerable themes of vertebrate morphogenesis that have shaped the evolution of the reptilian telencephalon (including both primitive three-layered cortex and basal ganglia) and then the subsequent evolution of the mammalian six-layered neocortex. In this theoretical analysis, we propose that an evolutionary-developmental analysis of these general morphogenetic themes can help to explain the embryonic development of the dual divisions of the limbic system that control the dorsal and ventral networks of the human neocortex. These include the archicortical (dorsal limbic) Papez circuits regulated by the hippocampus that organize spatial, contextual memory, as well as the paleocortical (ventral limbic) circuits that organize object memory. We review evidence that these dorsal and ventral limbic divisions are controlled by the differential actions of brainstem lemnothalamic and midbrain collothalamic arousal control systems, respectively, thereby traversing the vertebrate subcortical neuraxis. These dual control systems are first seen shaping the phyletic morphogenesis of the archicortical and paleocortical foundations of the forebrain in embryogenesis. They then provide dual modes of activity-dependent synaptic organization in the active (lemnothalamic) and quiet (collothalamic) stages of fetal sleep. Finally, these regulatory systems mature to form the major systems of memory consolidation of postnatal development, including the rapid eye movement (lemnothalamic) consolidation of implicit memory and social attachment in the first year, and then-in a subsequent stage-the non-REM (collothalamic) consolidation of explicit memory that is integral to the autonomy and individuation of the second year of life.
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Affiliation(s)
- Phan Luu
- Brain Electrophysiology Laboratory Company, Eugene, Oregon, USA
- Department of Psychology, University of Oregon, Eugene, Oregon, USA
| | - Don M Tucker
- Brain Electrophysiology Laboratory Company, Eugene, Oregon, USA
- Department of Psychology, University of Oregon, Eugene, Oregon, USA
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11
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Graves LY, Keane KF, Taylor JY, Wang TF, Saligan L, Bogie KM. Subacute and Chronic Spinal Cord Injury: A Scoping Review of Epigenetics and Secondary Health Conditions. Epigenet Insights 2023; 16:25168657231205679. [PMID: 37900668 PMCID: PMC10612389 DOI: 10.1177/25168657231205679] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 02/23/2023] [Accepted: 09/11/2023] [Indexed: 10/31/2023] Open
Abstract
Background Epigenetics studies the impact of environmental and behavioral factors on stable phenotypic changes; however, the state of the science examining epigenomic mechanisms of regulation related to secondary health conditions (SHCs) and neuroepigenetics in chronic spinal cord injury (SCI) remain markedly underdeveloped. Objective This scoping review seeks to understand the state of the science in epigenetics and secondary complications following SCI. Methods A literature search was conducted, yielding 277 articles. The inclusion criteria were articles (1) investigating SCI and (2) examining epigenetic regulation as part of the study methodology. A total of 23 articles were selected for final inclusion. Results Of the 23 articles 52% focused on histone modification, while 26% focused on DNA methylation. One study had a human sample, while the majority sampled rats and mice. Primarily, studies examined regeneration, with only one study looking at clinically relevant SHC, such as neuropathic pain. Discussion The findings of this scoping review offer exciting insights into epigenetic and neuroepigenetic application in SCI research. Several key genes, proteins, and pathways emerged across studies, suggesting the critical role of epigenetic regulation in biological processes. This review reinforced the dearth of studies that leverage epigenetic methods to identify prognostic biomarkers in SHCs. Preclinical models of SCI were genotypically and phenotypically similar, which is not reflective of the heterogeneity found in the clinical population of persons with SCI. There is a need to develop better preclinical models and more studies that examine the role of genomics and epigenomics in understanding the diverse health outcomes associated with traumatic SCI.
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Affiliation(s)
- Letitia Y Graves
- School of Nursing, University of Texas Medical Branch, Galveston, TX, USA
- Louis Stokes Cleveland Veterans Affairs Medical Center, Cleveland, OH, USA
| | - Kayla F Keane
- National Institute of Nursing Research, National Institutes of Health, Bethesda, MD, USA
| | - Jacquelyn Y Taylor
- Columbia School of Nursing and Center for Research on People of Color, New York, NY, USA
| | - Tzu-fang Wang
- National Cancer Institute, National Institutes of Health, Bethesda, MD, USA
| | - Leorey Saligan
- National Institute of Nursing Research, National Institutes of Health, Bethesda, MD, USA
| | - Kath M Bogie
- Louis Stokes Cleveland Veterans Affairs Medical Center, Cleveland, OH, USA
- Case Western Reserve University, Cleveland, OH, USA
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12
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Yuan M, Yang B, Rothschild G, Mann JJ, Sanford LD, Tang X, Huang C, Wang C, Zhang W. Epigenetic regulation in major depression and other stress-related disorders: molecular mechanisms, clinical relevance and therapeutic potential. Signal Transduct Target Ther 2023; 8:309. [PMID: 37644009 PMCID: PMC10465587 DOI: 10.1038/s41392-023-01519-z] [Citation(s) in RCA: 14] [Impact Index Per Article: 14.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 11/17/2022] [Revised: 05/14/2023] [Accepted: 05/31/2023] [Indexed: 08/31/2023] Open
Abstract
Major depressive disorder (MDD) is a chronic, generally episodic and debilitating disease that affects an estimated 300 million people worldwide, but its pathogenesis is poorly understood. The heritability estimate of MDD is 30-40%, suggesting that genetics alone do not account for most of the risk of major depression. Another factor known to associate with MDD involves environmental stressors such as childhood adversity and recent life stress. Recent studies have emerged to show that the biological impact of environmental factors in MDD and other stress-related disorders is mediated by a variety of epigenetic modifications. These epigenetic modification alterations contribute to abnormal neuroendocrine responses, neuroplasticity impairment, neurotransmission and neuroglia dysfunction, which are involved in the pathophysiology of MDD. Furthermore, epigenetic marks have been associated with the diagnosis and treatment of MDD. The evaluation of epigenetic modifications holds promise for further understanding of the heterogeneous etiology and complex phenotypes of MDD, and may identify new therapeutic targets. Here, we review preclinical and clinical epigenetic findings, including DNA methylation, histone modification, noncoding RNA, RNA modification, and chromatin remodeling factor in MDD. In addition, we elaborate on the contribution of these epigenetic mechanisms to the pathological trait variability in depression and discuss how such mechanisms can be exploited for therapeutic purposes.
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Affiliation(s)
- Minlan Yuan
- Mental Health Center and Psychiatric Laboratory, the State Key Laboratory of Biotherapy, West China Hospital, Sichuan University, Chengdu, 610041, China
| | - Biao Yang
- Department of Abdominal Oncology, West China Hospital, Sichuan University, Chengdu, 610041, China
| | - Gerson Rothschild
- Department of Microbiology and Immunology, Vagelos College of Physicians and Surgeons, Columbia University, New York, NY, 10032, USA
| | - J John Mann
- Department of Psychiatry, Columbia University, New York, NY, 10032, USA
- Molecular Imaging and Neuropathology Division, New York State Psychiatric Institute, New York, NY, 10032, USA
- Department of Radiology, Columbia University, New York, NY, 10032, USA
| | - Larry D Sanford
- Sleep Research Laboratory, Center for Integrative Neuroscience and Inflammatory Diseases, Pathology and Anatomy, Eastern Virginia Medical School, Norfolk, VA, USA
| | - Xiangdong Tang
- Sleep Medicine Center, Department of Respiratory and Critical Care Medicine, Mental Health Center, Translational Neuroscience Center, and State Key Laboratory of Biotherapy, West China Hospital, Sichuan University, Chengdu, 610041, China
| | - Canhua Huang
- Department of Biotherapy, Cancer Center and State Key Laboratory of Biotherapy, West China Hospital, Sichuan University, Chengdu, 610041, China
| | - Chuang Wang
- Department of Pharmacology, and Provincial Key Laboratory of Pathophysiology in School of Medicine, Ningbo University, Ningbo, Zhejiang, 315211, China.
| | - Wei Zhang
- Mental Health Center and Psychiatric Laboratory, the State Key Laboratory of Biotherapy, West China Hospital, Sichuan University, Chengdu, 610041, China.
- West China Biomedical Big Data Center, West China Hospital, Sichuan University, Chengdu, 610041, China.
- Medical Big Data Center, Sichuan University, Chengdu, 610041, China.
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13
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Martínez-Iglesias O, Naidoo V, Carrera I, Carril JC, Cacabelos N, Cacabelos R. Influence of Metabolic, Transporter, and Pathogenic Genes on Pharmacogenetics and DNA Methylation in Neurological Disorders. BIOLOGY 2023; 12:1156. [PMID: 37759556 PMCID: PMC10525670 DOI: 10.3390/biology12091156] [Citation(s) in RCA: 1] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 07/20/2023] [Revised: 08/03/2023] [Accepted: 08/04/2023] [Indexed: 09/29/2023]
Abstract
Pharmacogenetics and DNA methylation influence therapeutic outcomes and provide insights into potential therapeutic targets for brain-related disorders. To understand the effect of genetic polymorphisms on drug response and disease risk, we analyzed the relationship between global DNA methylation, drug-metabolizing enzymes, transport genes, and pathogenic gene phenotypes in serum samples from two groups of patients: Group A, which showed increased 5-methylcytosine (5mC) levels during clinical follow-up, and Group B, which exhibited no discernible change in 5mC levels. We identified specific SNPs in several metabolizing genes, including CYP1A2, CYP2C9, CYP4F2, GSTP1, and NAT2, that were associated with differential drug responses. Specific SNPs in CYP had a significant impact on enzyme activity, leading to changes in phenotypic distribution between the two patient groups. Group B, which contained a lower frequency of normal metabolizers and a higher frequency of ultra-rapid metabolizers compared to patients in Group A, did not show an improvement in 5mC levels during follow-up. Furthermore, there were significant differences in phenotype distribution between patient Groups A and B for several SNPs associated with transporter genes (ABCB1, ABCC2, SLC2A9, SLC39A8, and SLCO1B1) and pathogenic genes (APOE, NBEA, and PTGS2). These findings appear to suggest that the interplay between pharmacogenomics and DNA methylation has important implications for improving treatment outcomes in patients with brain-related disorders.
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Affiliation(s)
- Olaia Martínez-Iglesias
- EuroEspes Biomedical Research Center, International Center of Neuroscience and Genomic Medicine, 15165 Bergondo, Corunna, Spain; (V.N.); (I.C.); (J.C.C.); (N.C.); (R.C.)
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14
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Navarro L, Gómez-Carballa A, Pischedda S, Montoto-Louzao J, Viz-Lasheras S, Camino-Mera A, Hinault T, Martinón-Torres F, Salas A. Sensogenomics of music and Alzheimer's disease: An interdisciplinary view from neuroscience, transcriptomics, and epigenomics. Front Aging Neurosci 2023; 15:1063536. [PMID: 36819725 PMCID: PMC9935844 DOI: 10.3389/fnagi.2023.1063536] [Citation(s) in RCA: 5] [Impact Index Per Article: 5.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 10/07/2022] [Accepted: 01/11/2023] [Indexed: 02/05/2023] Open
Abstract
Introduction The relationship between music and Alzheimer's disease (AD) has been approached by different disciplines, but most of our outstanding comes from neuroscience. Methods First, we systematically reviewed the state-of-the-art of neuroscience and cognitive sciences research on music and AD (>100 studies), and the progress made on the therapeutic impact of music stimuli in memory. Next, we meta-analyzed transcriptomic and epigenomic data of AD patients to search for commonalities with genes and pathways previously connected to music in genome association, epigenetic, and gene expression studies. Results Our findings indicate that >93% of the neuroscience/ cognitive sciences studies indicate at least one beneficial effect of music on patients with neurodegenerative diseases, being improvements on memory and cognition the most frequent outcomes; other common benefits were on social behavior, mood and emotion, anxiety and agitation, quality of life, and depression. Out of the 334 music-related genes, 127 (38%) were found to be linked to epigenome/transcriptome analysis in AD (vs. healthy controls); some of them (SNCA, SLC6A4, ASCC2, FTH1, PLAUR and ARHGAP26) have been reported to be associated e.g. with musical aptitude and music effect on the transcriptome. Other music-related genes (GMPR, SELENBP1 and ADIPOR1) associated to neuropsychiatric, neurodegenerative diseases and music performance, emerged as hub genes in consensus co-expression modules detected between AD and music estimulated transcriptomes. In addition, we found connections between music, AD and dopamine related genes, with SCNA being the most remarkable - a gene previously associated with learning and memory, and neurodegenerative disorders (e.g., Parkinson's disease and AD). Discussion The present study indicate that the vast majority of neuroscientific studies unambiguously show that music has a beneficial effect on health, being the most common benefits relevant to Alzheimer's disease. These findings illuminate a new roadmap for genetic research in neurosciences, and musical interventions in AD and other neurodegenerative conditions.
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Affiliation(s)
- Laura Navarro
- Genetics, Vaccines and Infections Research Group (GENVIP), Instituto de Investigación Sanitaria de Santiago, Universidade de Santiago de Compostela, Santiago de Compostela, Galicia, Spain,Unidade de Xenética, Instituto de Ciencias Forenses, Facultade de Medicina, Universidade de Santiago de Compostela, and GenPoB Research Group, Instituto de Investigación Sanitaria (IDIS), Hospital Clínico Universitario de Santiago (SERGAS), Santiago de Compostela, Galicia, Spain,Centro de Investigación Biomédica en Red de Enfermedades Respiratorias (CIBER-ES), Madrid, Spain
| | - Alberto Gómez-Carballa
- Genetics, Vaccines and Infections Research Group (GENVIP), Instituto de Investigación Sanitaria de Santiago, Universidade de Santiago de Compostela, Santiago de Compostela, Galicia, Spain,Unidade de Xenética, Instituto de Ciencias Forenses, Facultade de Medicina, Universidade de Santiago de Compostela, and GenPoB Research Group, Instituto de Investigación Sanitaria (IDIS), Hospital Clínico Universitario de Santiago (SERGAS), Santiago de Compostela, Galicia, Spain,Centro de Investigación Biomédica en Red de Enfermedades Respiratorias (CIBER-ES), Madrid, Spain
| | - Sara Pischedda
- Genetics, Vaccines and Infections Research Group (GENVIP), Instituto de Investigación Sanitaria de Santiago, Universidade de Santiago de Compostela, Santiago de Compostela, Galicia, Spain,Unidade de Xenética, Instituto de Ciencias Forenses, Facultade de Medicina, Universidade de Santiago de Compostela, and GenPoB Research Group, Instituto de Investigación Sanitaria (IDIS), Hospital Clínico Universitario de Santiago (SERGAS), Santiago de Compostela, Galicia, Spain,Centro de Investigación Biomédica en Red de Enfermedades Respiratorias (CIBER-ES), Madrid, Spain
| | - Julián Montoto-Louzao
- Genetics, Vaccines and Infections Research Group (GENVIP), Instituto de Investigación Sanitaria de Santiago, Universidade de Santiago de Compostela, Santiago de Compostela, Galicia, Spain,Unidade de Xenética, Instituto de Ciencias Forenses, Facultade de Medicina, Universidade de Santiago de Compostela, and GenPoB Research Group, Instituto de Investigación Sanitaria (IDIS), Hospital Clínico Universitario de Santiago (SERGAS), Santiago de Compostela, Galicia, Spain,Centro de Investigación Biomédica en Red de Enfermedades Respiratorias (CIBER-ES), Madrid, Spain
| | - Sandra Viz-Lasheras
- Genetics, Vaccines and Infections Research Group (GENVIP), Instituto de Investigación Sanitaria de Santiago, Universidade de Santiago de Compostela, Santiago de Compostela, Galicia, Spain,Unidade de Xenética, Instituto de Ciencias Forenses, Facultade de Medicina, Universidade de Santiago de Compostela, and GenPoB Research Group, Instituto de Investigación Sanitaria (IDIS), Hospital Clínico Universitario de Santiago (SERGAS), Santiago de Compostela, Galicia, Spain,Centro de Investigación Biomédica en Red de Enfermedades Respiratorias (CIBER-ES), Madrid, Spain
| | - Alba Camino-Mera
- Genetics, Vaccines and Infections Research Group (GENVIP), Instituto de Investigación Sanitaria de Santiago, Universidade de Santiago de Compostela, Santiago de Compostela, Galicia, Spain,Unidade de Xenética, Instituto de Ciencias Forenses, Facultade de Medicina, Universidade de Santiago de Compostela, and GenPoB Research Group, Instituto de Investigación Sanitaria (IDIS), Hospital Clínico Universitario de Santiago (SERGAS), Santiago de Compostela, Galicia, Spain,Centro de Investigación Biomédica en Red de Enfermedades Respiratorias (CIBER-ES), Madrid, Spain
| | - Thomas Hinault
- Normandie Université, UNICAEN, PSL Université Paris, EPHE, Inserm, U1077, CHU de Caen, Centre Cyceron, Neuropsychologie et Imagerie de la Mémoire Humaine, Caen, France
| | - Federico Martinón-Torres
- Genetics, Vaccines and Infections Research Group (GENVIP), Instituto de Investigación Sanitaria de Santiago, Universidade de Santiago de Compostela, Santiago de Compostela, Galicia, Spain,Centro de Investigación Biomédica en Red de Enfermedades Respiratorias (CIBER-ES), Madrid, Spain,Translational Pediatrics and Infectious Diseases, Department of Pediatrics, Hospital Clínico Universitario de Santiago de Compostela, Santiago de Compostela, Galicia, Spain
| | - Antonio Salas
- Genetics, Vaccines and Infections Research Group (GENVIP), Instituto de Investigación Sanitaria de Santiago, Universidade de Santiago de Compostela, Santiago de Compostela, Galicia, Spain,Unidade de Xenética, Instituto de Ciencias Forenses, Facultade de Medicina, Universidade de Santiago de Compostela, and GenPoB Research Group, Instituto de Investigación Sanitaria (IDIS), Hospital Clínico Universitario de Santiago (SERGAS), Santiago de Compostela, Galicia, Spain,Centro de Investigación Biomédica en Red de Enfermedades Respiratorias (CIBER-ES), Madrid, Spain,*Correspondence: Antonio Salas, ✉
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15
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Martínez-Iglesias O, Naidoo V, Carrera I, Corzo L, Cacabelos R. Natural Bioactive Products as Epigenetic Modulators for Treating Neurodegenerative Disorders. Pharmaceuticals (Basel) 2023; 16:216. [PMID: 37259364 PMCID: PMC9967112 DOI: 10.3390/ph16020216] [Citation(s) in RCA: 6] [Impact Index Per Article: 6.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 01/09/2023] [Revised: 01/26/2023] [Accepted: 01/28/2023] [Indexed: 08/27/2023] Open
Abstract
Neurodegenerative disorders (NDDs) are major health issues in Western countries. Despite significant efforts, no effective therapeutics for NDDs exist. Several drugs that target epigenetic mechanisms (epidrugs) have been recently developed for the treatment of NDDs, and several of these are currently being tested in clinical trials. Furthermore, various bioproducts have shown important biological effects for the potential prevention and treatment of these disorders. Here, we review the use of natural products as epidrugs to treat NDDs in order to explore the epigenetic effects and benefits of functional foods and natural bioproducts on neurodegeneration.
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Affiliation(s)
- Olaia Martínez-Iglesias
- EuroEspes Biomedical Research Center, International Center of Neuroscience and Genomic Medicine, 15165 Bergondo, Corunna, Spain
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16
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Raval M, Mishra S, Tiwari AK. Epigenetic regulons in Alzheimer's disease. PROGRESS IN MOLECULAR BIOLOGY AND TRANSLATIONAL SCIENCE 2023; 198:185-247. [DOI: 10.1016/bs.pmbts.2023.01.012] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 03/31/2023]
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17
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Mishra S, Raval M, Kachhawaha AS, Tiwari BS, Tiwari AK. Aging: Epigenetic modifications. PROGRESS IN MOLECULAR BIOLOGY AND TRANSLATIONAL SCIENCE 2023; 197:171-209. [PMID: 37019592 DOI: 10.1016/bs.pmbts.2023.02.002] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 03/15/2023]
Abstract
Aging is one of the most complex and irreversible health conditions characterized by continuous decline in physical/mental activities that eventually poses an increased risk of several diseases and ultimately death. These conditions cannot be ignored by anyone but there are evidences that suggest that exercise, healthy diet and good routines may delay the Aging process significantly. Several studies have demonstrated that Epigenetics plays a key role in Aging and Aging-associated diseases through methylation of DNA, histone modification and non-coding RNA (ncRNA). Comprehension and relevant alterations in these epigenetic modifications can lead to new therapeutic avenues of age-delaying contrivances. These processes affect gene transcription, DNA replication and DNA repair, comprehending epigenetics as a key factor in understanding Aging and developing new avenues for delaying Aging, clinical advancements in ameliorating aging-related diseases and rejuvenating health. In the present article, we have described and advocated the epigenetic role in Aging and associated diseases.
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18
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Domingos LB, Silva NR, Chaves Filho AJM, Sales AJ, Starnawska A, Joca S. Regulation of DNA Methylation by Cannabidiol and Its Implications for Psychiatry: New Insights from In Vivo and In Silico Models. Genes (Basel) 2022; 13:2165. [PMID: 36421839 PMCID: PMC9690868 DOI: 10.3390/genes13112165] [Citation(s) in RCA: 1] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 10/10/2022] [Revised: 11/11/2022] [Accepted: 11/16/2022] [Indexed: 12/24/2023] Open
Abstract
Cannabidiol (CBD) is a non-psychotomimetic compound present in cannabis sativa. Many recent studies have indicated that CBD has a promising therapeutic profile for stress-related psychiatric disorders, such as anxiety, schizophrenia and depression. Such a diverse profile has been associated with its complex pharmacology, since CBD can target different neurotransmitter receptors, enzymes, transporters and ion channels. However, the precise contribution of each of those mechanisms for CBD effects is still not yet completely understood. Considering that epigenetic changes make the bridge between gene expression and environment interactions, we review and discuss herein how CBD affects one of the main epigenetic mechanisms associated with the development of stress-related psychiatric disorders: DNA methylation (DNAm). Evidence from in vivo and in silico studies indicate that CBD can regulate the activity of the enzymes responsible for DNAm, due to directly binding to the enzymes and/or by indirectly regulating their activities as a consequence of neurotransmitter-mediated signaling. The implications of this new potential pharmacological target for CBD are discussed in light of its therapeutic and neurodevelopmental effects.
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Affiliation(s)
- Luana B. Domingos
- Department of Biomedicine, Aarhus University, 8000 Aarhus, Denmark
- Translational Neuropsychiatry Unit, Department of Clinical Medicine, Aarhus University, 8200 Aarhus, Denmark
| | - Nicole R. Silva
- Department of Biomedicine, Aarhus University, 8000 Aarhus, Denmark
- Translational Neuropsychiatry Unit, Department of Clinical Medicine, Aarhus University, 8200 Aarhus, Denmark
| | - Adriano J. M. Chaves Filho
- Department of Biomedicine, Aarhus University, 8000 Aarhus, Denmark
- Translational Neuropsychiatry Unit, Department of Clinical Medicine, Aarhus University, 8200 Aarhus, Denmark
| | - Amanda J. Sales
- Department of Pharmacology, School of Medicine of Ribeirao Preto, University of Sao Paulo, Ribeirao Preto 14049-900, SP, Brazil
| | - Anna Starnawska
- Department of Biomedicine, Aarhus University, 8000 Aarhus, Denmark
- The Lundbeck Foundation Initiative for Integrative Psychiatric Research, iPSYCH, 8000 Aarhus, Denmark
- Center for Genomics and Personalized Medicine, CGPM, Center for Integrative Sequencing, iSEQ, 8000 Aarhus, Denmark
| | - Sâmia Joca
- Department of Biomedicine, Aarhus University, 8000 Aarhus, Denmark
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JADE2 Is Essential for Hippocampal Synaptic Plasticity and Cognitive Functions in Mice. Biol Psychiatry 2022; 92:800-814. [PMID: 36008159 DOI: 10.1016/j.biopsych.2022.05.021] [Citation(s) in RCA: 5] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Submit a Manuscript] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 01/10/2022] [Revised: 04/20/2022] [Accepted: 05/11/2022] [Indexed: 11/23/2022]
Abstract
BACKGROUND Impairment of synaptic plasticity is closely correlated with a range of pathological conditions, such as cognitive deficits. However, how synaptic efficacy is regulated remains incompletely understood. Here, we report that the epigenetic factor JADE2 was indispensable for the maintenance of hippocampal synaptic plasticity and cognitive functions in mice. METHODS We used the Morris water maze and the fear conditioning test to examine learning-related behaviors. In addition, Western blotting, viral-mediated JADE2 manipulations, RNA sequencing, and electrophysiological recordings were used to address our questions. RESULTS JADE2 expression is increased upon enhanced neuronal activity in vitro and in vivo. Knockdown or genetic deletion of Jade2 in hippocampal CA1 results in impaired structural and functional synaptic plasticity, leading to memory impairment, whereas overexpression of JADE2 in CA1 neurons facilitates hippocampal-dependent learning and memory. Mechanistically, our data show that JADE2 modulates synaptic functions mainly by transcriptional activation of cytoskeletal regulator Rac1, and this activity is dependent on its interaction with histone acetyltransferase HBO1. Finally, we demonstrate that restoring RAC1 expression in Jade2 knockout mice could rescue the deficits in synaptic plasticity and learning-related behaviors. CONCLUSIONS Our findings reveal that JADE2 plays a critical role in regulating synaptic plasticity and memory formation, suggesting that activity-dependent epigenetic regulation is an important molecular mechanism in controlling synaptic plasticity.
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Martínez-Iglesias O, Naidoo V, Carrera I, Corzo L, Cacabelos R. Nosustrophine: An Epinutraceutical Bioproduct with Effects on DNA Methylation, Histone Acetylation and Sirtuin Expression in Alzheimer's Disease. Pharmaceutics 2022; 14:pharmaceutics14112447. [PMID: 36432638 PMCID: PMC9698419 DOI: 10.3390/pharmaceutics14112447] [Citation(s) in RCA: 3] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 09/02/2022] [Revised: 11/09/2022] [Accepted: 11/10/2022] [Indexed: 11/16/2022] Open
Abstract
Alzheimer's disease (AD), the most common cause of dementia, causes irreversible memory loss and cognitive deficits. Current AD drugs do not significantly improve cognitive function or cure the disease. Novel bioproducts are promising options for treating a variety of diseases, including neurodegenerative disorders. Targeting the epigenetic apparatus with bioactive compounds (epidrugs) may aid AD prevention treatment. The aims of this study were to determine the composition of a porcine brain-derived extract Nosustrophine, and whether treating young and older trigenic AD mice produced targeted epigenetic and neuroprotective effects against neurodegeneration. Nosustrophine regulated AD-related APOE and PSEN2 gene expression in young and older APP/BIN1/COPS5 mice, inflammation-related (NOS3 and COX-2) gene expression in 3-4-month-old mice only, global (5mC)- and de novo DNA methylation (DNMT3a), HDAC3 expression and HDAC activity in 3-4-month-old mice; and SIRT1 expression and acetylated histone H3 protein levels in 8-9-month-old mice. Mass spectrometric analysis of Nosustrophine extracts revealed the presence of adenosylhomocysteinase, an enzyme implicated in DNA methylation, and nicotinamide phosphoribosyltransferase, which produces the NAD+ precursor, enhancing SIRT1 activity. Our findings show that Nosustrophine exerts substantial epigenetic effects against AD-related neurodegeneration and establishes Nosustrophine as a novel nutraceutical bioproduct with epigenetic properties (epinutraceutical) that may be therapeutically effective for prevention and early treatment for AD-related neurodegeneration.
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21
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Mauceri D. Role of Epigenetic Mechanisms in Chronic Pain. Cells 2022; 11:cells11162613. [PMID: 36010687 PMCID: PMC9406853 DOI: 10.3390/cells11162613] [Citation(s) in RCA: 9] [Impact Index Per Article: 4.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 07/28/2022] [Revised: 08/19/2022] [Accepted: 08/20/2022] [Indexed: 12/11/2022] Open
Abstract
Pain is an unpleasant but essential-to-life sensation, usually resulting from tissue damage. When pain persists long after the injury has resolved, it becomes pathological. The precise molecular and cellular mechanisms causing the transition from acute to chronic pain are not fully understood. A key aspect of pain chronicity is that several plasticity events happen along the neural pathways involved in pain. These long-lasting adaptive changes are enabled by alteration in the expression of relevant genes. Among the different modulators of gene transcription in adaptive processes in the nervous system, epigenetic mechanisms play a pivotal role. In this review, I will first outline the main classes of epigenetic mediators and then discuss their implications in chronic pain.
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Affiliation(s)
- Daniela Mauceri
- Department of Neurobiology, Interdisciplinary Centre for Neurosciences (IZN), Heidelberg University, 69120 Heidelberg, Germany
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22
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Bohnsack JP, Zhang H, Wandling GM, He D, Kyzar EJ, Lasek AW, Pandey SC. Targeted epigenomic editing ameliorates adult anxiety and excessive drinking after adolescent alcohol exposure. SCIENCE ADVANCES 2022; 8:eabn2748. [PMID: 35507645 PMCID: PMC9067919 DOI: 10.1126/sciadv.abn2748] [Citation(s) in RCA: 33] [Impact Index Per Article: 16.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 05/05/2023]
Abstract
Adolescent binge drinking is a major risk factor for psychiatric disorders later in life including alcohol use disorder. Adolescent alcohol exposure induces epigenetic reprogramming at the enhancer region of the activity-regulated cytoskeleton-associated protein (Arc) immediate-early gene, known as synaptic activity response element (SARE), and decreases Arc expression in the amygdala of both rodents and humans. The causal role of amygdalar epigenomic regulation at Arc SARE in adult anxiety and drinking after adolescent alcohol exposure is unknown. Here, we show that dCas9-P300 increases histone acetylation at the Arc SARE and normalizes deficits in Arc expression, leading to attenuation of adult anxiety and excessive alcohol drinking in a rat model of adolescent alcohol exposure. Conversely, dCas9-KRAB increases repressive histone methylation at the Arc SARE, decreases Arc expression, and produces anxiety and alcohol drinking in control rats. These results demonstrate that epigenomic editing in the amygdala can ameliorate adult psychopathology after adolescent alcohol exposure.
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Affiliation(s)
- John Peyton Bohnsack
- Center for Alcohol Research in Epigenetics, Department of Psychiatry, University of Illinois at Chicago, Chicago, IL 60612, USA
| | - Huaibo Zhang
- Center for Alcohol Research in Epigenetics, Department of Psychiatry, University of Illinois at Chicago, Chicago, IL 60612, USA
- Jesse Brown VA Medical Center, Chicago, IL 60612, USA
| | - Gabriela M. Wandling
- Center for Alcohol Research in Epigenetics, Department of Psychiatry, University of Illinois at Chicago, Chicago, IL 60612, USA
| | - Donghong He
- Center for Alcohol Research in Epigenetics, Department of Psychiatry, University of Illinois at Chicago, Chicago, IL 60612, USA
| | - Evan J. Kyzar
- Center for Alcohol Research in Epigenetics, Department of Psychiatry, University of Illinois at Chicago, Chicago, IL 60612, USA
| | - Amy W. Lasek
- Center for Alcohol Research in Epigenetics, Department of Psychiatry, University of Illinois at Chicago, Chicago, IL 60612, USA
- Department of Anatomy and Cell Biology, University of Illinois at Chicago, Chicago, IL, 60612 USA
| | - Subhash C. Pandey
- Center for Alcohol Research in Epigenetics, Department of Psychiatry, University of Illinois at Chicago, Chicago, IL 60612, USA
- Jesse Brown VA Medical Center, Chicago, IL 60612, USA
- Department of Anatomy and Cell Biology, University of Illinois at Chicago, Chicago, IL, 60612 USA
- Corresponding author.
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23
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Ortega-de San Luis C, Ryan TJ. Understanding the physical basis of memory: Molecular mechanisms of the engram. J Biol Chem 2022; 298:101866. [PMID: 35346687 PMCID: PMC9065729 DOI: 10.1016/j.jbc.2022.101866] [Citation(s) in RCA: 19] [Impact Index Per Article: 9.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 10/22/2021] [Revised: 03/08/2022] [Accepted: 03/11/2022] [Indexed: 12/18/2022] Open
Abstract
Memory, defined as the storage and use of learned information in the brain, is necessary to modulate behavior and critical for animals to adapt to their environments and survive. Despite being a cornerstone of brain function, questions surrounding the molecular and cellular mechanisms of how information is encoded, stored, and recalled remain largely unanswered. One widely held theory is that an engram is formed by a group of neurons that are active during learning, which undergoes biochemical and physical changes to store information in a stable state, and that are later reactivated during recall of the memory. In the past decade, the development of engram labeling methodologies has proven useful to investigate the biology of memory at the molecular and cellular levels. Engram technology allows the study of individual memories associated with particular experiences and their evolution over time, with enough experimental resolution to discriminate between different memory processes: learning (encoding), consolidation (the passage from short-term to long-term memories), and storage (the maintenance of memory in the brain). Here, we review the current understanding of memory formation at a molecular and cellular level by focusing on insights provided using engram technology.
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Affiliation(s)
- Clara Ortega-de San Luis
- School of Biochemistry and Immunology and Trinity College Institute of Neuroscience, Trinity College Dublin, Dublin, Ireland.
| | - Tomás J Ryan
- School of Biochemistry and Immunology and Trinity College Institute of Neuroscience, Trinity College Dublin, Dublin, Ireland; Florey Institute of Neuroscience and Mental Health, Melbourne Brain Centre, University of Melbourne, Parkville, Victoria, Australia; Child & Brain Development Program, Canadian Institute for Advanced Research (CIFAR), Toronto, Ontario, Canada.
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24
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Creighton SD, Jardine KH, Desimone A, Zmetana M, Castellano S, Milite C, Sbardella G, Winters BD. Age-dependent attenuation of spatial memory deficits by the histone acetyltransferase p300/CBP-associated factor (PCAF) in 3xTG Alzheimer's disease mice. Learn Mem 2022; 29:71-76. [PMID: 35169045 PMCID: PMC8852226 DOI: 10.1101/lm.053536.121] [Citation(s) in RCA: 2] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 10/13/2021] [Accepted: 01/04/2022] [Indexed: 11/24/2022]
Abstract
Histone acetylation, catalyzed by histone acetyltransferases, has emerged as a promising therapeutic strategy in Alzheimer's disease (AD). By longitudinally characterizing spatial memory at 3, 6, and 9 mo of age, we show that acute activation and inhibition of the histone acetyltransferase PCAF remediated memory impairments in 3xTG-AD mice in an age-related bidirectional manner. At 3 and 6 mo of age, PCAF activation ameliorated memory deficits. At 9 mo of age, PCAF activation had no effect on spatial memory, whereas PCAF inhibition improved memory deficits in females. This work reveals a complex potential therapeutic role for PCAF in AD, initially benefitting memory but becoming detrimental as the disease progresses.
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Affiliation(s)
- Samantha D. Creighton
- Department of Psychology, Collaborative Neuroscience Program, University of Guelph, Guelph, Ontario N1G 2W1, Canada,Department of Psychology, University of Toronto Mississauga, Mississauga, Ontario L5L 1C6, Canada
| | - Kristen H. Jardine
- Department of Psychology, Collaborative Neuroscience Program, University of Guelph, Guelph, Ontario N1G 2W1, Canada
| | - Alexa Desimone
- Department of Psychology, Collaborative Neuroscience Program, University of Guelph, Guelph, Ontario N1G 2W1, Canada
| | - Megan Zmetana
- Department of Psychology, Collaborative Neuroscience Program, University of Guelph, Guelph, Ontario N1G 2W1, Canada
| | - Sabrina Castellano
- Department of Pharmacy, Epigenetic Med Chem Laboratory, University of Salerno, I-84084 Fisciano, Salerno, Italy
| | - Ciro Milite
- Department of Pharmacy, Epigenetic Med Chem Laboratory, University of Salerno, I-84084 Fisciano, Salerno, Italy
| | - Gianluca Sbardella
- Department of Pharmacy, Epigenetic Med Chem Laboratory, University of Salerno, I-84084 Fisciano, Salerno, Italy
| | - Boyer D. Winters
- Department of Psychology, Collaborative Neuroscience Program, University of Guelph, Guelph, Ontario N1G 2W1, Canada
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25
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Martínez-Iglesias O, Naidoo V, Carrera I, Cacabelos R. Epigenetic Studies in the Male APP/BIN1/COPS5 Triple-Transgenic Mouse Model of Alzheimer's Disease. Int J Mol Sci 2022; 23:2446. [PMID: 35269588 PMCID: PMC8909965 DOI: 10.3390/ijms23052446] [Citation(s) in RCA: 1] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 01/20/2022] [Revised: 02/17/2022] [Accepted: 02/17/2022] [Indexed: 12/20/2022] Open
Abstract
Alzheimer's Disease (AD) is a major health problem worldwide. The lack of efficacy of existing therapies for AD is because of diagnosis at late stages of the disease, limited knowledge of biomarkers, and molecular mechanisms of AD pathology, as well as conventional drugs that are focused on symptomatic rather than mechanistic features of the disease. The connection between epigenetics and AD, however, may be useful for the development of novel therapeutics or diagnostic biomarkers for AD. The aim of this study was to investigate a pathogenic role for epigenetics and other biomarkers in the male APP/BIN1/COPS5 triple-transgenic (3xTg) mouse model of AD. In the APP/BIN1/COPS5 3xTg-AD mouse hippocampus, sirtuin expression and activity decreased, HDAC3 expression and activity increased, PSEN1 mRNA levels were unchanged, PSEN2 and APOE expression was reduced, and levels of the pro-inflammatory marker IL-6 increased; levels of pro-inflammatory COX-2 and TNFα and apoptotic (NOS3) markers increased slightly, but these were non-significant. In fixed mouse-brain slices, immunoreactivity for CD11b and β-amyloid immunostaining increased. APP/BIN1/COPS5 3xTg-AD mice are a suitable model for evaluating epigenetic changes in AD, the discovery of new epigenetic-related biomarkers for AD diagnosis, and new epidrugs for the treatment of this neurodegenerative disease.
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Affiliation(s)
- Olaia Martínez-Iglesias
- EuroEspes Biomedical Research Center, International Center of Neuroscience and Genomic Medicine, 15165 Corunna, Spain; (V.N.); (I.C.); (R.C.)
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26
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Peltz G, Tan Y. What Have We Learned (or Expect to) From Analysis of Murine Genetic Models Related to Substance Use Disorders? Front Psychiatry 2022; 12:793961. [PMID: 35095607 PMCID: PMC8790171 DOI: 10.3389/fpsyt.2021.793961] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Submit a Manuscript] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 10/12/2021] [Accepted: 12/09/2021] [Indexed: 11/29/2022] Open
Abstract
The tremendous public health problem created by substance use disorders (SUDs) presents a major opportunity for mouse genetics. Inbred mouse strains exhibit substantial and heritable differences in their responses to drugs of abuse (DOA) and in many of the behaviors associated with susceptibility to SUD. Therefore, genetic discoveries emerging from analysis of murine genetic models can provide critically needed insight into the neurobiological effects of DOA, and they can reveal how genetic factors affect susceptibility drug addiction. There are already indications, emerging from our prior analyses of murine genetic models of responses related to SUDs that mouse genetic models of SUD can provide actionable information, which can lead to new approaches for alleviating SUDs. Lastly, we consider the features of murine genetic models that enable causative genetic factors to be successfully identified; and the methodologies that facilitate genetic discovery.
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Affiliation(s)
- Gary Peltz
- Department of Anesthesia, Pain and Perioperative Medicine, Stanford University School of Medicine, Stanford, CA, United States
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27
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Martínez-Iglesias O, Naidoo V, Cacabelos N, Cacabelos R. Epigenetic Biomarkers as Diagnostic Tools for Neurodegenerative Disorders. Int J Mol Sci 2021; 23:13. [PMID: 35008438 PMCID: PMC8745005 DOI: 10.3390/ijms23010013] [Citation(s) in RCA: 5] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.7] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 11/18/2021] [Revised: 12/03/2021] [Accepted: 12/17/2021] [Indexed: 12/12/2022] Open
Abstract
Epigenetics is the study of heritable changes in gene expression that occur without alterations to the DNA sequence, linking the genome to its surroundings. The accumulation of epigenetic alterations over the lifespan may contribute to neurodegeneration. The aim of the present study was to identify epigenetic biomarkers for improving diagnostic efficacy in patients with neurodegenerative diseases. We analyzed global DNA methylation, chromatin remodeling/histone modifications, sirtuin (SIRT) expression and activity, and the expression of several important neurodegeneration-related genes. DNA methylation, SIRT expression and activity and neuregulin 1 (NRG1), microtubule-associated protein tau (MAPT) and brain-derived neurotrophic factor (BDNF) expression were reduced in buffy coat samples from patients with neurodegenerative disorders. Our data suggest that these epigenetic biomarkers may be useful in clinical practical for the diagnosis, surveillance, and prognosis of disease activity in patients with neurodegenerative diseases.
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Affiliation(s)
- Olaia Martínez-Iglesias
- EuroEspes Biomedical Research Center, International Center of Neuroscience and Genomic Medicine, Bergondo, 15165 Corunna, Spain; (V.N.); (N.C.); (R.C.)
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28
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Irwin AB, Bahabry R, Lubin FD. A putative role for lncRNAs in epigenetic regulation of memory. Neurochem Int 2021; 150:105184. [PMID: 34530054 PMCID: PMC8552959 DOI: 10.1016/j.neuint.2021.105184] [Citation(s) in RCA: 11] [Impact Index Per Article: 3.7] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 11/11/2020] [Revised: 08/29/2021] [Accepted: 08/31/2021] [Indexed: 12/12/2022]
Abstract
The central dogma of molecular genetics is defined as encoded genetic information within DNA, transcribed into messenger RNA, which contain the instructions for protein synthesis, thus imparting cellular functionality and ultimately life. This molecular genetic theory has given birth to the field of neuroepigenetics, and it is now well established that epigenetic regulation of gene transcription is critical to the learning and memory process. In this review, we address a potential role for a relatively new player in the field of epigenetic crosstalk - long non-coding RNAs (lncRNAs). First, we briefly summarize epigenetic mechanisms in memory formation and examine what little is known about the emerging role of lncRNAs during this process. We then focus discussions on how lncRNAs interact with epigenetic mechanisms to control transcriptional programs under various conditions in the brain, and how this may be applied to regulation of gene expression necessary for memory formation. Next, we explore how epigenetic crosstalk in turn serves to regulate expression of various individual lncRNAs themselves. To highlight the importance of further exploring the role of lncRNA in epigenetic regulation of gene expression, we consider the significant relationship between lncRNA dysregulation and declining memory reserve with aging, Alzheimer's disease, and epilepsy, as well as the promise of novel therapeutic interventions. Finally, we conclude with a discussion of the critical questions that remain to be answered regarding a role for lncRNA in memory.
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Affiliation(s)
- Ashleigh B Irwin
- Department of Neurobiology, University of Alabama at Birmingham, Birmingham, Alabama, USA
| | - Rudhab Bahabry
- Department of Neurobiology, University of Alabama at Birmingham, Birmingham, Alabama, USA
| | - Farah D Lubin
- Department of Neurobiology, University of Alabama at Birmingham, Birmingham, Alabama, USA.
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29
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Wei X, Du P, Zhao Z. Impacts of DNA methylation on Tau protein related genes in the brains of patients with Alzheimer's disease. Neurosci Lett 2021; 763:136196. [PMID: 34437990 DOI: 10.1016/j.neulet.2021.136196] [Citation(s) in RCA: 1] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 01/09/2021] [Revised: 08/09/2021] [Accepted: 08/20/2021] [Indexed: 01/01/2023]
Abstract
As the most common cause of dementia, Alzheimer's disease (AD) is progressively neurodegenerative disease. In the initial stage, Alzheimer's disease is related to the memory disorder, followed by a serious progressive decline in cognitive function, and finally died. Neurofibrillary tangles (NFTs) deposited in neurons form one of the histopathological features of AD. NFTs are composed of abnormally modified forms, such as hyperphosphorylation, of tau protein. DNA methylation on Tau protein related genes in the brains of AD patients plays an important role in AD pathogenesis. In this paper, the process and role of gene methylation in abnormal Tau modification and aggregation in the development of Alzheimer's disease were discussed. The effect of DNA methylation on tau protein in the brain of patients with Alzheimer's disease will help to find new targets in the development of drugs for treating Alzheimer's disease.
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Affiliation(s)
- Xieze Wei
- Institute of Anesthesia, Department of Anatomy, Baotou Medical College, Baotou, Inner Mongolia, China; Xinxiang Central Hospital, China
| | | | - Zhiying Zhao
- Institute of Anesthesia, Department of Anatomy, Baotou Medical College, Baotou, Inner Mongolia, China.
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30
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Bano D, Salomoni P, Ehninger D, Nicotera P. The histone code in dementia: Transcriptional and chromatin plasticity fades away. Curr Opin Pharmacol 2021; 60:117-122. [PMID: 34411982 PMCID: PMC8519393 DOI: 10.1016/j.coph.2021.07.014] [Citation(s) in RCA: 4] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 06/23/2021] [Accepted: 07/21/2021] [Indexed: 01/16/2023]
Abstract
With the aging of the population, Alzheimer's disease and other forms of dementia represent major challenges for health care systems globally. To date, the molecular mechanisms underlying the pathophysiology of dementia remain elusive, with a consequent negative impact in developing efficient disease modifiers. New exciting findings suggest that modulation of the histone code may influence transcriptional networks at the root of neuronal plasticity and cognitive performance. Although most of the current conclusions require further mechanistic evidence, it appears that chromatin perturbations actually correlate with Alzheimer's disease onset and progression. Thus, a better understanding of the epigenetic contribution to normal brain function and dementia pathogenesis may help to identify new epigenetic targets for the inhibition of disease trajectories associated with cognitive decline.
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Affiliation(s)
- Daniele Bano
- German Center for Neurodegenerative Diseases (DZNE), Bonn, Germany.
| | - Paolo Salomoni
- German Center for Neurodegenerative Diseases (DZNE), Bonn, Germany
| | - Dan Ehninger
- German Center for Neurodegenerative Diseases (DZNE), Bonn, Germany
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31
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Torres-Perez JV, Irfan J, Febrianto MR, Di Giovanni S, Nagy I. Histone post-translational modifications as potential therapeutic targets for pain management. Trends Pharmacol Sci 2021; 42:897-911. [PMID: 34565578 DOI: 10.1016/j.tips.2021.08.002] [Citation(s) in RCA: 16] [Impact Index Per Article: 5.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 07/06/2021] [Revised: 08/17/2021] [Accepted: 08/18/2021] [Indexed: 11/26/2022]
Abstract
Effective pharmacological management of pain associated with tissue pathology is an unmet medical need. Transcriptional modifications in nociceptive pathways are pivotal for the development and the maintenance of pain associated with tissue damage. Accumulating evidence has shown the importance of the epigenetic control of transcription in nociceptive pathways via histone post-translational modifications (PTMs). Hence, histone PTMs could be targets for novel effective analgesics. Here, we discuss the current understanding of histone PTMs in the modulation of gene expression affecting nociception and pain phenotypes following tissue injury. We also provide a critical view of the translational implications of preclinical models and discuss opportunities and challenges of targeting histone PTMs to relieve pain in clinically relevant tissue injuries.
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Affiliation(s)
- Jose V Torres-Perez
- UK Dementia Research Institute at Imperial College London and Department of Brain Sciences, Imperial College London, 86 Wood Lane, London W12 0BZ, UK.
| | - Jahanzaib Irfan
- Nociception Group, Division of Anaesthesia, Pain Medicine and Intensive Care, Department of Surgery and Cancer, Imperial College London, Chelsea and Westminster Hospital Campus, 369 Fulham Road, London SW10 9FJ, UK
| | - Muhammad Rizki Febrianto
- Nociception Group, Division of Anaesthesia, Pain Medicine and Intensive Care, Department of Surgery and Cancer, Imperial College London, Chelsea and Westminster Hospital Campus, 369 Fulham Road, London SW10 9FJ, UK
| | - Simone Di Giovanni
- Division of Neuroscience, Department of Brain Sciences, Imperial College London, E505, Burlington Danes, Du Cane Road, London W12 ONN, UK.
| | - Istvan Nagy
- Nociception Group, Division of Anaesthesia, Pain Medicine and Intensive Care, Department of Surgery and Cancer, Imperial College London, Chelsea and Westminster Hospital Campus, 369 Fulham Road, London SW10 9FJ, UK.
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32
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Stephens KE, Zhou W, Renfro Z, Ji Z, Ji H, Guan Y, Taverna SD. Global gene expression and chromatin accessibility of the peripheral nervous system in animal models of persistent pain. J Neuroinflammation 2021; 18:185. [PMID: 34446036 PMCID: PMC8390277 DOI: 10.1186/s12974-021-02228-6] [Citation(s) in RCA: 3] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 04/18/2021] [Accepted: 08/04/2021] [Indexed: 11/16/2022] Open
Abstract
BACKGROUND Efforts to understand genetic variability involved in an individual's susceptibility to chronic pain support a role for upstream regulation by epigenetic mechanisms. METHODS To examine the transcriptomic and epigenetic basis of chronic pain that resides in the peripheral nervous system, we used RNA-seq and ATAC-seq of the rat dorsal root ganglion (DRG) to identify novel molecular pathways associated with pain hypersensitivity in two well-studied persistent pain models induced by chronic constriction injury (CCI) of the sciatic nerve and intra-plantar injection of complete Freund's adjuvant (CFA) in rats. RESULTS Our RNA-seq studies identify a variety of biological process related to synapse organization, membrane potential, transmembrane transport, and ion binding. Interestingly, genes that encode transcriptional regulators were disproportionately downregulated in both models. Our ATAC-seq data provide a comprehensive map of chromatin accessibility changes in the DRG. A total of 1123 regions showed changes in chromatin accessibility in one or both models when compared to the naïve and 31 shared differentially accessible regions (DAR)s. Functional annotation of the DARs identified disparate molecular functions enriched for each pain model which suggests that chromatin structure may be altered differently following sciatic nerve injury and hind paw inflammation. Motif analysis identified 17 DNA sequences known to bind transcription factors in the CCI DARs and 33 in the CFA DARs. Two motifs were significantly enriched in both models. CONCLUSIONS Our improved understanding of the changes in chromatin accessibility that occur in chronic pain states may identify regulatory genomic elements that play essential roles in modulating gene expression in the DRG.
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Affiliation(s)
- Kimberly E Stephens
- Department of Pediatrics, University of Arkansas for Medical Sciences, Little Rock, AR, USA.
- Arkansas Children's Research Institute, 13 Children's Way, Slot 512-47, Little Rock, AR, 72202, USA.
- Department of Pharmacology and Molecular Sciences, School of Medicine, Johns Hopkins University, Baltimore, MD, USA.
- Center for Epigenetics, Johns Hopkins University, Baltimore, MD, USA.
| | - Weiqiang Zhou
- Department of Biostatistics, School of Public Health, Johns Hopkins University, Baltimore, MD, USA
| | - Zachary Renfro
- Department of Pediatrics, University of Arkansas for Medical Sciences, Little Rock, AR, USA
- Arkansas Children's Research Institute, 13 Children's Way, Slot 512-47, Little Rock, AR, 72202, USA
| | - Zhicheng Ji
- Department of Biostatistics and Bioinformatics, Duke University, Durham, NC, USA
| | - Hongkai Ji
- Department of Biostatistics, School of Public Health, Johns Hopkins University, Baltimore, MD, USA
| | - Yun Guan
- Department of Anesthesia and Critical Care Medicine, School of Medicine, Johns Hopkins University, Baltimore, MD, USA.
- Department of Neurological Surgery, School of Medicine, Johns Hopkins University, Baltimore, MD, USA.
| | - Sean D Taverna
- Department of Pharmacology and Molecular Sciences, School of Medicine, Johns Hopkins University, Baltimore, MD, USA.
- Center for Epigenetics, Johns Hopkins University, Baltimore, MD, USA.
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33
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Frayre J, Frayre P, Wong I, Mithani A, Bishop S, Mani C, Ponce-Rubio K, Virk R, Morris MJ, Na ES. Perinatal exposure to high fat diet alters expression of MeCP2 in the hypothalamus. Behav Brain Res 2021; 415:113518. [PMID: 34391798 DOI: 10.1016/j.bbr.2021.113518] [Citation(s) in RCA: 1] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 12/22/2020] [Revised: 07/30/2021] [Accepted: 08/06/2021] [Indexed: 11/27/2022]
Abstract
Obesity is a complex disease that is the result of a number of different factors including genetic, environmental, and endocrine abnormalities. Given that monogenic forms of obesity are rare, it is important to identify other mechanisms that contribute to its etiology. Methyl-Cp-G binding protein 2 (MeCP2) is a neuroepigenetic factor that binds to methylated regions of DNA to influence transcription. Past studies demonstrate that disruption in MeCP2 function produces obesity in mice. Using a diet-induced obesity mouse model, we show that perinatal exposure to high fat diet significantly decreases MeCP2 protein expression in the hypothalamus of female mice, effects not seen when high fat diet is given to mice during adulthood. Moreover, these effects are seen specifically in a subregion of the hypothalamus known as the arcuate nucleus with females having decreased MeCP2 expression in rostral areas and males having decreased MeCP2 expression in intermediate regions of the arcuate nucleus. Interestingly, mice gain more weight when exposed to high fat diet during adulthood relative to mice exposed to high fat diet perinatally, suggesting that perhaps high fat diet exposure during adulthood may be affecting mechanisms independent of MeCP2 function. Collectively, our data demonstrate that there are developmentally sensitive periods in which MeCP2 expression is influenced by high fat diet exposure and this occurs in a sexually dimorphic manner.
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Affiliation(s)
- Jessica Frayre
- Department of Psychology & Philosophy, Texas Woman's University, 304 Administration Dr., Denton, TX, USA.
| | - Priscila Frayre
- Department of Psychology & Philosophy, Texas Woman's University, 304 Administration Dr., Denton, TX, USA.
| | - Ida Wong
- Department of Psychology & Philosophy, Texas Woman's University, 304 Administration Dr., Denton, TX, USA.
| | - Anusha Mithani
- Department of Psychology & Philosophy, Texas Woman's University, 304 Administration Dr., Denton, TX, USA.
| | - Stephanie Bishop
- Department of Psychology & Philosophy, Texas Woman's University, 304 Administration Dr., Denton, TX, USA.
| | - Chelsy Mani
- Department of Psychology & Philosophy, Texas Woman's University, 304 Administration Dr., Denton, TX, USA.
| | - Karen Ponce-Rubio
- Department of Psychology & Philosophy, Texas Woman's University, 304 Administration Dr., Denton, TX, USA.
| | - Ruvaid Virk
- Department of Psychology & Philosophy, Texas Woman's University, 304 Administration Dr., Denton, TX, USA.
| | - Michael J Morris
- Department of Psychology & Philosophy, Texas Woman's University, 304 Administration Dr., Denton, TX, USA.
| | - Elisa S Na
- Department of Psychology & Philosophy, Texas Woman's University, 304 Administration Dr., Denton, TX, USA.
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Fuentes-Ramos M, Alaiz-Noya M, Barco A. Transcriptome and epigenome analysis of engram cells: Next-generation sequencing technologies in memory research. Neurosci Biobehav Rev 2021; 127:865-875. [PMID: 34097980 DOI: 10.1016/j.neubiorev.2021.06.010] [Citation(s) in RCA: 7] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 03/26/2021] [Revised: 06/02/2021] [Accepted: 06/03/2021] [Indexed: 12/19/2022]
Abstract
Transcription and epigenetic changes are integral components of the neuronal response to stimulation and have been postulated to be drivers or substrates for enduring changes in animal behavior, including learning and memory. Memories are thought to be deposited in neuronal assemblies called engrams, i.e., groups of cells that undergo persistent physical or chemical changes during learning and are selectively reactivated to retrieve the memory. Despite the research progress made in recent years, the identity of specific epigenetic changes, if any, that occur in these cells and subsequently contribute to the persistence of memory traces remains unknown. The analysis of these changes is challenging due to the difficulty of exploring molecular alterations that only occur in a relatively small percentage of cells embedded in a complex tissue. In this review, we discuss the recent advances in this field and the promise of next-generation sequencing (NGS) and epigenome editing methods for overcoming these challenges and address long-standing questions concerning the role of epigenetic mechanisms in memory encoding, maintenance and expression.
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Affiliation(s)
- Miguel Fuentes-Ramos
- Instituto de Neurociencias, Universidad Miguel Hernández - Consejo Superior de Investigaciones Científicas, Av. Santiago Ramón y Cajal s/n, Sant Joan d'Alacant, 03550, Alicante, Spain
| | - Marta Alaiz-Noya
- Instituto de Neurociencias, Universidad Miguel Hernández - Consejo Superior de Investigaciones Científicas, Av. Santiago Ramón y Cajal s/n, Sant Joan d'Alacant, 03550, Alicante, Spain
| | - Angel Barco
- Instituto de Neurociencias, Universidad Miguel Hernández - Consejo Superior de Investigaciones Científicas, Av. Santiago Ramón y Cajal s/n, Sant Joan d'Alacant, 03550, Alicante, Spain.
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35
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Ginsburg S, Jablonka E. Evolutionary transitions in learning and cognition. Philos Trans R Soc Lond B Biol Sci 2021; 376:20190766. [PMID: 33550955 DOI: 10.1098/rstb.2019.0766] [Citation(s) in RCA: 19] [Impact Index Per Article: 6.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 12/23/2022] Open
Abstract
We define a cognitive system as a system that can learn, and adopt an evolutionary-transition-oriented framework for analysing different types of neural cognition. This enables us to classify types of cognition and point to the continuities and discontinuities among them. The framework we use for studying evolutionary transitions in learning capacities focuses on qualitative changes in the integration, storage and use of neurally processed information. Although there are always grey areas around evolutionary transitions, we recognize five major neural transitions, the first two of which involve animals at the base of the phylogenetic tree: (i) the evolutionary transition from learning in non-neural animals to learning in the first neural animals; (ii) the transition to animals showing limited, elemental associative learning, entailing neural centralization and primary brain differentiation; (iii) the transition to animals capable of unlimited associative learning, which, on our account, constitutes sentience and entails hierarchical brain organization and dedicated memory and value networks; (iv) the transition to imaginative animals that can plan and learn through selection among virtual events; and (v) the transition to human symbol-based cognition and cultural learning. The focus on learning provides a unifying framework for experimental and theoretical studies of cognition in the living world. This article is part of the theme issue 'Basal cognition: multicellularity, neurons and the cognitive lens'.
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Affiliation(s)
- Simona Ginsburg
- Natural Science Department, The Open University of Israel, 1 University Road, POB 808, Raanana 4353701, Israel
| | - Eva Jablonka
- The Cohn Institute for the History and Philosophy of Science and Ideas, Tel Aviv University, 6934525 Ramat Aviv, Israel.,CPNSS, London School of Economics, Houghton Street, London WC2A 2AE, UK
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36
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Guajardo L, Aguilar R, Bustos FJ, Nardocci G, Gutiérrez RA, van Zundert B, Montecino M. Downregulation of the Polycomb-Associated Methyltransferase Ezh2 during Maturation of Hippocampal Neurons Is Mediated by MicroRNAs Let-7 and miR-124. Int J Mol Sci 2020; 21:ijms21228472. [PMID: 33187138 PMCID: PMC7697002 DOI: 10.3390/ijms21228472] [Citation(s) in RCA: 5] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 10/06/2020] [Revised: 11/02/2020] [Accepted: 11/06/2020] [Indexed: 12/04/2022] Open
Abstract
Ezh2 is a catalytic subunit of the polycomb repressive complex 2 (PRC2) which mediates epigenetic gene silencing through depositing the mark histone H3 lysine 27 trimethylation (H3K27me3) at target genomic sequences. Previous studies have demonstrated that Enhancer of Zeste Homolog 2 (Ezh2) was differentially expressed during maturation of hippocampal neurons; in immature neurons, Ezh2 was abundantly expressed, whereas in mature neurons the expression Ezh2 was significantly reduced. Here, we report that Ezh2 is downregulated by microRNAs (miRs) that are expressed during the hippocampal maturation process. We show that, in mature hippocampal neurons, lethal-7 (let-7) and microRNA-124 (miR-124) are robustly expressed and can target cognate motifs at the 3′-UTR of the Ezh2 gene sequence to downregulate Ezh2 expression. Together, these data demonstrate that the PRC2 repressive activity during hippocampal maturation is controlled through a post-transcriptional mechanism that mediates Ezh2 downregulation in mature neurons.
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Affiliation(s)
- Laura Guajardo
- Institute of Biomedical Sciences, Faculty of Medicine and Faculty of Life Sciences, Universidad Andres Bello, Santiago 8370186, Chile; (L.G.); (R.A.); (F.J.B.); (G.N.)
- FONDAP Center for Genome Regulation, Santiago 8370186, Chile;
| | - Rodrigo Aguilar
- Institute of Biomedical Sciences, Faculty of Medicine and Faculty of Life Sciences, Universidad Andres Bello, Santiago 8370186, Chile; (L.G.); (R.A.); (F.J.B.); (G.N.)
- FONDAP Center for Genome Regulation, Santiago 8370186, Chile;
| | - Fernando J. Bustos
- Institute of Biomedical Sciences, Faculty of Medicine and Faculty of Life Sciences, Universidad Andres Bello, Santiago 8370186, Chile; (L.G.); (R.A.); (F.J.B.); (G.N.)
- FONDAP Center for Genome Regulation, Santiago 8370186, Chile;
- CARE Biomedical Research Center, Santiago 83370186, Chile
| | - Gino Nardocci
- Institute of Biomedical Sciences, Faculty of Medicine and Faculty of Life Sciences, Universidad Andres Bello, Santiago 8370186, Chile; (L.G.); (R.A.); (F.J.B.); (G.N.)
- FONDAP Center for Genome Regulation, Santiago 8370186, Chile;
| | - Rodrigo A. Gutiérrez
- FONDAP Center for Genome Regulation, Santiago 8370186, Chile;
- Millennium Institute for Integrative Biology, Departamento de Genética Molecular y Microbiología, Facultad de Ciencias Biológicas, Pontificia Universidad Católica de Chile, Santiago 8331150, Chile
| | - Brigitte van Zundert
- Institute of Biomedical Sciences, Faculty of Medicine and Faculty of Life Sciences, Universidad Andres Bello, Santiago 8370186, Chile; (L.G.); (R.A.); (F.J.B.); (G.N.)
- CARE Biomedical Research Center, Santiago 83370186, Chile
- Correspondence: (B.v.Z.); (M.M.)
| | - Martin Montecino
- Institute of Biomedical Sciences, Faculty of Medicine and Faculty of Life Sciences, Universidad Andres Bello, Santiago 8370186, Chile; (L.G.); (R.A.); (F.J.B.); (G.N.)
- FONDAP Center for Genome Regulation, Santiago 8370186, Chile;
- Correspondence: (B.v.Z.); (M.M.)
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37
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Murugan M, Boison D. Ketogenic diet, neuroprotection, and antiepileptogenesis. Epilepsy Res 2020; 167:106444. [PMID: 32854046 PMCID: PMC7655615 DOI: 10.1016/j.eplepsyres.2020.106444] [Citation(s) in RCA: 22] [Impact Index Per Article: 5.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 04/29/2020] [Revised: 06/30/2020] [Accepted: 08/13/2020] [Indexed: 12/13/2022]
Abstract
High fat, low carbohydrate ketogenic diets (KD) have been in use for the treatment of epilepsy for almost a hundred years. Remarkably, seizures that are resistant to conventional anti-seizure drugs can in many cases be controlled by the KD therapy, and it has been shown that many patients with epilepsy become seizure free even after discontinuation of the diet. These findings suggest that KD combine anti-seizure effects with disease modifying effects. In addition to the treatment of epilepsy, KDs are now widely used for the treatment of a wide range of conditions including weight reduction, diabetes, and cancer. The reason for the success of metabolic therapies is based on the synergism of at least a dozen different mechanisms through which KDs provide beneficial activities. Among the newest findings are epigenetic mechanisms (DNA methylation and histone acetylation) through which KD exerts long-lasting disease modifying effects. Here we review mechanisms through which KD can affect neuroprotection in the brain, and how a combination of those mechanisms with epigenetic alterations can attenuate and possibly reverse the development of epilepsy.
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Affiliation(s)
- Madhuvika Murugan
- Department of Neurosurgery, Robert Wood Johnson Medical School, Rutgers University, Piscataway, NJ 08854, United States
| | - Detlev Boison
- Department of Neurosurgery, Robert Wood Johnson Medical School, Rutgers University, Piscataway, NJ 08854, United States; Department of Neurosurgery, New Jersey Medical School, Rutgers University, Newark, NJ 07102, United States; Rutgers Neurosurgery H.O.P.E. Center, Department of Neurosurgery, Rutgers University, New Brunswick, NJ 08901, United States.
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38
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Aleo S, Cinnante C, Avignone S, Prada E, Scuvera G, Ajmone PF, Selicorni A, Costantino MA, Triulzi F, Marchisio P, Gervasini C, Milani D. Olfactory Malformations in Mendelian Disorders of the Epigenetic Machinery. Front Cell Dev Biol 2020; 8:710. [PMID: 32850830 PMCID: PMC7417603 DOI: 10.3389/fcell.2020.00710] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 05/14/2020] [Accepted: 07/13/2020] [Indexed: 11/13/2022] Open
Abstract
Usually overlooked by physicians, olfactory abnormalities are not uncommon. Olfactory malformations have recently been reported in an emerging group of genetic disorders called Mendelian Disorders of the Epigenetic Machinery (MDEM). This study aims to determine the prevalence of olfactory malformations in a heterogeneous group of subjects with MDEM. We reviewed the clinical data of 35 patients, 20 females and 15 males, with a mean age of 9.52 years (SD 4.99). All patients had a MDEM and an already available high-resolution brain MRI scan. Two experienced neuroradiologists reviewed the MR images, noting abnormalities and classifying olfactory malformations. Main findings included Corpus Callosum, Cerebellar vermis, and olfactory defects. The latter were found in 11/35 cases (31.4%), of which 7/11 had Rubinstein-Taybi syndrome (RSTS), 2/11 had CHARGE syndrome, 1/11 had Kleefstra syndrome (KLFS), and 1/11 had Weaver syndrome (WVS). The irregularities mainly concerned the olfactory bulbs and were bilateral in 9/11 patients. With over 30% of our sample having an olfactory malformation, this study reveals a possible new diagnostic marker for MDEM and links the epigenetic machinery to the development of the olfactory bulbs.
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Affiliation(s)
- Sebastiano Aleo
- Pediatric Highly Intensive Care Unit, Fondazione IRCCS Ca' Granda Ospedale Maggiore Policlinico, Milan, Italy
| | - Claudia Cinnante
- Fondazione IRCCS Ca' Granda Ospedale Maggiore Policlinico, Neuroradiology Unit, Università degli Studi di Milano, Milan, Italy
| | - Sabrina Avignone
- Fondazione IRCCS Ca' Granda Ospedale Maggiore Policlinico, Neuroradiology Unit, Università degli Studi di Milano, Milan, Italy
| | - Elisabetta Prada
- Pediatric Highly Intensive Care Unit, Fondazione IRCCS Ca' Granda Ospedale Maggiore Policlinico, Milan, Italy
| | - Giulietta Scuvera
- Pediatric Highly Intensive Care Unit, Fondazione IRCCS Ca' Granda Ospedale Maggiore Policlinico, Milan, Italy
| | - Paola Francesca Ajmone
- Child and Adolescent Neuropsychiatric Service (UONPIA), Fondazione IRCCS Ca' Granda Ospedale Maggiore Policlinico, Milan, Italy
| | | | - Maria Antonella Costantino
- Child and Adolescent Neuropsychiatric Service (UONPIA), Fondazione IRCCS Ca' Granda Ospedale Maggiore Policlinico, Milan, Italy
| | - Fabio Triulzi
- Fondazione IRCCS Ca' Granda Ospedale Maggiore Policlinico, Neuroradiology Unit, Università degli Studi di Milano, Milan, Italy
| | - Paola Marchisio
- Pediatric Highly Intensive Care Unit, Fondazione IRCCS Ca' Granda Ospedale Maggiore Policlinico, Milan, Italy.,Department of Pathophysiology and Transplantation, Università degli Studi di Milano, Milan, Italy
| | - Cristina Gervasini
- Division of Medical Genetics, Department of Health Sciences, Università degli Studi di Milano, Milan, Italy
| | - Donatella Milani
- Pediatric Highly Intensive Care Unit, Fondazione IRCCS Ca' Granda Ospedale Maggiore Policlinico, Milan, Italy
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39
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Shukla M, Vincent B. The multi-faceted impact of methamphetamine on Alzheimer's disease: From a triggering role to a possible therapeutic use. Ageing Res Rev 2020; 60:101062. [PMID: 32304732 DOI: 10.1016/j.arr.2020.101062] [Citation(s) in RCA: 25] [Impact Index Per Article: 6.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 10/31/2019] [Revised: 03/05/2020] [Accepted: 03/28/2020] [Indexed: 12/15/2022]
Abstract
Although it has been initially synthesized for therapeutic purposes and currently FDA-approved and prescribed for obesity, attention-deficit/hyperactivity disorder, narcolepsy and depression, methamphetamine became a recreational drug that is nowadays massively manufactured illegally. Because it is a powerful and extremely addictive psychotropic agent, its abuse has turned out to become a major health problem worldwide. Importantly, the numerous effects triggered by this drug induce neurotoxicity in the brain ultimately leading to serious neurological impairments, tissue damage and neuropsychological disturbances that are reminiscent to most of the symptoms observed in Alzheimer's disease and other pathological manifestations in aging brain. In this context, there is a growing number of compelling evidence linking methamphetamine abuse with a higher probability of developing premature Alzheimer's disease and consequent neurodegeneration. This review proposes to establish a broad assessment of the effects that this drug can generate at the cellular and molecular levels in connection with the development of the age-related Alzheimer's disease. Altogether, the objective is to warn against the long-term effects that methamphetamine abuse may convey on young consumers and the increased risk of developing this devastating brain disorder at later stages of their lives, but also to discuss a more recently emerging concept suggesting a possible use of methamphetamine for treating this pathology under proper and strictly controlled conditions.
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40
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Mo J, Liang Z, Lu M, Wang H. Protonation-Suppression-Free LC-MS/MS Analysis for Profiling of DNA Cytosine Modifications in Adult Mice. Anal Chem 2020; 92:7430-7436. [PMID: 32353227 DOI: 10.1021/acs.analchem.0c00962] [Citation(s) in RCA: 5] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/29/2022]
Abstract
DNA cytosine modifications are important epigenetic marks. To elucidate their roles by a large scale of comparative studies, it is important to quantify the abundance of DNA cytosine modifications accurately. Liquid chromatography-tandem mass spectrometry (LC-MS/MS) is a golden option. The performance of LC-MS/MS is heavily dependent on the ionization or protonation of target analytes. Initially, we found that two factors, DNA hydrolysate buffer and residual coeluted nucleosides, might greatly suppress the protonation of 5-(hydroxymethyl)-2'-deoxycytidine (5hmdC). Surprisingly, ammonium bicarbonate can eliminate the suppression caused by both factors. Mechanistically, ammonium bicarbonate increases the protonation capacity in the gas phase and facilitates proton transfer to the target nucleosides. Benefiting from these findings, we developed a suppression-free, sensitive, and robust ultrahigh-performance LC-MS/MS assay for massive detection of three DNA cytosine modifications, including 5-methyl-2'-deoxycytidine (5mdC), 5hmdC, and 5-formyl-2'-deoxycytidine (5fdC). In 30 consecutive analyses, the relative standard deviation (RSD) of the 5hmdC and 5fdC peak areas is 2.0% and 3.2%, respectively. In this case, no stable isotope-labeled standard is required for internal calibration. We further performed a comprehensive profiling of DNA cytosine modifications in 26 tissues of age-different C57BL/6N mice. Interestingly, we found that only liver 5hmdC abundance increases with the increasing age of adult mice, suggesting that liver 5hmdC might be a potential indicator of age in adulthood.
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Affiliation(s)
- Jiezhen Mo
- State Key Laboratory of Environmental Chemistry and Ecotoxicology, Research Center for Eco-Environmental Sciences, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Beijing 100085, China.,University of Chinese Academy of Sciences, Beijing 100049, China
| | - Ziyu Liang
- State Key Laboratory of Environmental Chemistry and Ecotoxicology, Research Center for Eco-Environmental Sciences, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Beijing 100085, China.,University of Chinese Academy of Sciences, Beijing 100049, China
| | - Meiling Lu
- Greater China Market Division, Agilent Technologies, Beijing 100102, China
| | - Hailin Wang
- State Key Laboratory of Environmental Chemistry and Ecotoxicology, Research Center for Eco-Environmental Sciences, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Beijing 100085, China.,University of Chinese Academy of Sciences, Beijing 100049, China.,Institute of Environment and Health, Jianghan University, Wuhan, Hubei 430056, China
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41
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Dobs YE, Ali MM. The epigenetic modulation of alcohol/ethanol and cannabis exposure/co-exposure during different stages. Open Biol 2020; 9:180115. [PMID: 30958117 PMCID: PMC6367141 DOI: 10.1098/rsob.180115] [Citation(s) in RCA: 7] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.8] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 12/23/2022] Open
Abstract
Studies have reported the significant economic impact of smoking cannabis and drinking alcohol In the USA. It was estimated that the costs of cannabis-related treatment, hospitalization and loss of work-related pay have amounted to $200 billion. (Andersen AM, Dogan MV, Beach SRH, Philibert RA. 2015 Genes 6, 991-1022. ( doi:10.3390/genes6040991 )). Data from the National Epidemiologic Survey on Alcohol and Related Conditions showed that individuals with general anxiety disorder and substance use disorder (GAD-SUD) have higher psychiatric comorbidity rates than those without substance use disorder (Alegría AA, Hasin DS, Nunes EV, Liu SM, Davies C, Grant BF, Blanco C. 2010 J. Clin. Psychiatry 71, 1187-1195. ( doi:10.4088/JCP.09m05328gry )). Moreover, the criminal justice system is significantly impacted by this cost (Andersen AM, Dogan MV, Beach SRH, Philibert RA. 2015 Genes 6, 991-1022. ( doi:10.3390/genes6040991 )). Despite the increasing use of cannabis, there are still too many obscure facts. One of the new areas that scientific evidence shows is impacted negatively by cannabis use is the epigenome, which is an understudied area that we are still learning about. In addition, over the past few decades, we have seen various social and healthcare changes that have raised critical questions about their ongoing roles in regulating marijuana and alcohol use. This is important because of the increasing popularity and usage across various ages especially young adults and teenagers. More than 97.5 million Americans over 12 years old have used cannabis for non-medical use despite the significant side effects, with 1 in 10 users developing cannabis dependence (Crean RD, Crane NA, Mason BJ. 2011 J. Addict. Med. 5, 1-8. ( doi:10.1097/ADM.0b013e31820c23fa ), Office of Applied Studies. 2006 Substance Abuse and Mental Health Services Administration, USA.). It was reported that 16% of substance abuse admissions in the USA were for cannabis-related symptoms, which is second only to alcohol-related disorders (Agalioti T, Lomvardas S, Parekh B, Yie J, Maniatis T, Thanos D. 2000 Cell 103, 667-678. ( doi:10.1016/S0092-8674(00)00169-0 ), Soutoglou E, Talianidis I. 2002 Science 295, 1901-1904. ( doi:10.1126/science.1068356 )). Today there are thirty-one states and the District of Columbia that currently have legalized marijuana for either medical or recreational use. Data about marijuana use from NIAAA's National Epidemiologic Survey on Alcohol and Related Conditions (NESARC) indicates that 'in total, 79 000 people were interviewed on alcohol and drug use. When examined by age young adults (ages 18-21) were found to be at highest risk for marijuana use and marijuana use disorder, with use increasing from 10.5 to 21.2% and disorder increasing from 4.4 to 7.5%'. 'Given these facts, George Koob, PhD, director of NIAAA stated the importance for the scientific community to convey this information to the public about the potential hazards of marijuana and it's use'. On the other hand, according to the National Institute on Alcohol Abuse and Alcoholism, 16 million adults suffer from alcohol use disorders. To the best of our knowledge, epigenetic mechanisms have been previously studied in alcohol and cannabis abuse separately. Recent studies highlighted the molecular mechanisms that are linked with drug-induced transcriptional regulation, behavioural abnormalities and neurodegeneration, which has emphasized the role of chromatin modification/remodelling in the generation of drug activation of certain genes and the disabling of others, and the effect of that on addiction (Maze I, Nestler EJ. 2011 Ann. N. Y. Acad. Sci. 1216, 99-113. ( doi:10.1111/j.1749-6632.2010.05893.x ); Renthal W, Nestler EJ. 2008 Trends Mol. Med. 14, 341-350. ( doi:10.1016/j.molmed.2008.06.004 )). In this review, we will give an overview of epigenome science relevant to cannabis/the endocannabinoid system and the potential of epigenetic overlap between alcohol and cannabinergic activity at different stages, to aid further investigations that could bring more treatment options to our horizon.
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Affiliation(s)
- Yasminah Elsaadany Dobs
- 1 Department of Biology and Biomedical Science, North Carolina Central University , Durham, NC , USA
| | - Mohamed Medhat Ali
- 2 Biomedical Sciences Program, Zewail City of Science and Technology , Giza , Egypt.,3 Department of Medical Microbiology and Immunology, Faculty of Medicine, Mansoura University , Egypt
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42
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Martínez-Iglesias O, Carrera I, Carril JC, Fernández-Novoa L, Cacabelos N, Cacabelos R. DNA Methylation in Neurodegenerative and Cerebrovascular Disorders. Int J Mol Sci 2020; 21:ijms21062220. [PMID: 32210102 PMCID: PMC7139499 DOI: 10.3390/ijms21062220] [Citation(s) in RCA: 36] [Impact Index Per Article: 9.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 02/17/2020] [Revised: 03/18/2020] [Accepted: 03/18/2020] [Indexed: 02/08/2023] Open
Abstract
DNA methylation is an epigenetic mechanism by which methyl groups are added to DNA, playing a crucial role in gene expression regulation. The aim of the present study is to compare methylation status of healthy subjects with that of patients with Alzheimer’s, Parkinson’s or Cerebrovascular diseases. We also analyze methylation status of a transgenic Alzheimer’s disease mouse model (3xTg-AD). Our results show that both global methylation (n = 141) and hydroxymethylation (n = 131) levels are reduced in DNA samples from buffy coats of patients with neurodegenerative disorders and age-related cerebrovascular disease. The importance of methylation and hydroxymethylation reduction is stressed by the finding that DNMT3a mRNA levels are also downregulated in buffy coats of patients with Dementia (n = 25). Global methylation is also reduced in brain, liver and serum samples of 3xTg-AD vs. wild type mice, such as DNMT3a mRNA levels that are also decreased in the brain of 3xTg-AD (n = 10). These results suggest that the use of global methylation and hydroxymethylation levels, together with the study of DNMT3a expression, could be useful as a new diagnostic biomarker for these prevalent disorders.
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43
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Harris CJ, Davis BA, Zweig JA, Nevonen KA, Quinn JF, Carbone L, Gray NE. Age-Associated DNA Methylation Patterns Are Shared Between the Hippocampus and Peripheral Blood Cells. Front Genet 2020; 11:111. [PMID: 32211019 PMCID: PMC7067920 DOI: 10.3389/fgene.2020.00111] [Citation(s) in RCA: 10] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 10/29/2019] [Accepted: 01/30/2020] [Indexed: 12/13/2022] Open
Abstract
As the population ages, interest in identifying biomarkers of healthy aging and developing antiaging interventions has increased. DNA methylation has emerged as a potentially powerful molecular marker of aging. Methylation changes at specific sites in the human genome that have been identified in peripheral blood have been used as robust estimators of chronological age. Similar age-related DNA methylation signatures are also seen in various tissue types in rodents. However, whether these peripheral alterations in methylation status reflect changes that also occur in the central nervous system remains unknown. This study begins to address this issue by identifying age-related methylation patterns in the hippocampus and blood of young and old mice. Reduced-representation bisulfite sequencing (RBSS) was used to identify differentially methylated regions (DMRs) in the blood and hippocampus of 2- and 20-month-old C57/Bl6 mice. Of the thousands of DMRs identified genome-wide only five were both found in gene promoters and significantly changed in the same direction with age in both tissues. We analyzed the hippocampal expression of these five hypermethylated genes and found that three were expressed at significantly lower levels in aged mice [suppressor of fused homolog (Sufu), nitric oxide synthase 1 (Nos1) and tripartite motif containing 2 (Trim2)]. We also identified several transcription factor binding motifs common to both hippocampus and blood that were enriched in the DMRs. Overall, our findings suggest that some age-related methylation changes that occur in the brain are also evident in the blood and could have significant translational relevance.
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Affiliation(s)
- Christopher J Harris
- Department of Neurology, Oregon Health and Science University, Portland, OR, United States
| | - Brett A Davis
- Department of Medicine, KCVI, Oregon Health and Science University, Portland, OR, United States
| | - Jonathan A Zweig
- Department of Neurology, Oregon Health and Science University, Portland, OR, United States
| | - Kimberly A Nevonen
- Department of Medicine, KCVI, Oregon Health and Science University, Portland, OR, United States
| | - Joseph F Quinn
- Department of Neurology, Oregon Health and Science University, Portland, OR, United States.,Parkinson's Disease Research, Education, and Clinical Center, Portland Veteran's Affairs Medical Center, Portland, OR, United States
| | - Lucia Carbone
- Department of Medicine, KCVI, Oregon Health and Science University, Portland, OR, United States.,Department of Molecular and Medical Genetics, Oregon Health and Science University, Portland, OR, United States.,Department of Medical Informatics and Clinical Epidemiology, Oregon Health and Science University, Portland, OR, United States.,Division of Genetics, Oregon National Primate Research Center, Beaverton, OR, United States
| | - Nora E Gray
- Department of Neurology, Oregon Health and Science University, Portland, OR, United States
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44
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Yang X, Xu S, Qian Y, He X, Chen S, Xiao Q. Hypermethylation of the Gene Coding for PGC-1α in Peripheral Blood Leukocytes of Patients With Parkinson's Disease. Front Neurosci 2020; 14:97. [PMID: 32174806 PMCID: PMC7054441 DOI: 10.3389/fnins.2020.00097] [Citation(s) in RCA: 14] [Impact Index Per Article: 3.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 10/06/2019] [Accepted: 01/23/2020] [Indexed: 12/13/2022] Open
Abstract
Decreased expression of peroxisome proliferator-activated receptor gamma coactivator-1α (PGC-1α) is implicated in the pathophysiology of Parkinson’s disease (PD). However, our understanding of the mechanism regulating the PGC-1α expression is still limited. We sought to determine whether the epigenetic modification of PPARGC1A (the gene encoding PGC-1α) could account for its diminished expression. We performed a study of PPARGC1A risk-SNP genotypes, methylation level, and the expression in blood from 171 subjects. The mean DNA methylation level of PPARGC1A intron 1 in patients with PD was higher than that in the controls (7.18 ± 1.74 vs. 6.36 ± 1.28, P = 0.007). A detailed comparison of the DNA methylation level at each CpG site showed that CpG_1, CpG_13.14, CpG_17.18, and CpG_20 were significantly hypermethylated in patients with PD. There was a significant negative correlation between PPARGC1A methylation and expression level (R = −0.404, P < 0.001). We found no correlations between the PPARGC1A methylation level and the clinical features, while the CpG_13.14 site methylation level was positively correlated with H&Y stage (R = 0.246, P = 0.020) and was increased in people carrying the rs2970848 AA genotype compared with that in carriers of the AG/GG genotype (7.27 ± 1.86 vs. 6.65 ± 1.92, P = 0.032). Our results support a link between PPARGC1A methylation, gene expression, and variability, which indicated that a novel epigenetic regulatory mechanism controlling PPARGC1A expression influences PD pathogenesis.
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Affiliation(s)
- Xiaodong Yang
- Department of Neurology, Ruijin Hospital Affiliated with the School of Medicine, Shanghai Jiao Tong University, Shanghai, China
| | - Shaoqing Xu
- Department of Neurology, Ruijin Hospital Affiliated with the School of Medicine, Shanghai Jiao Tong University, Shanghai, China
| | - Yiwei Qian
- Department of Neurology, Ruijin Hospital Affiliated with the School of Medicine, Shanghai Jiao Tong University, Shanghai, China
| | - Xiaoqin He
- Department of Neurology, Ruijin Hospital Affiliated with the School of Medicine, Shanghai Jiao Tong University, Shanghai, China
| | - Shengdi Chen
- Department of Neurology, Ruijin Hospital Affiliated with the School of Medicine, Shanghai Jiao Tong University, Shanghai, China
| | - Qin Xiao
- Department of Neurology, Ruijin Hospital Affiliated with the School of Medicine, Shanghai Jiao Tong University, Shanghai, China
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45
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Martínez-Pacheco H, Picazo O, López-Torres A, Morin JP, Castro-Cerritos KV, Zepeda RC, Roldán-Roldán G. Biochemical and Behavioral Characterization of IN14, a New Inhibitor of HDACs with Antidepressant-Like Properties. Biomolecules 2020; 10:biom10020299. [PMID: 32075023 PMCID: PMC7072255 DOI: 10.3390/biom10020299] [Citation(s) in RCA: 8] [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: 12/31/2019] [Revised: 02/06/2020] [Accepted: 02/12/2020] [Indexed: 12/27/2022] Open
Abstract
Evidence suggests that histone deacetylases (HDACs) inhibitors could be used as an effective treatment for some psychiatric and neurological conditions such as depression, anxiety and age-related cognitive decline. However, non-specific HDAC inhibiting compounds have a clear disadvantage regarding their efficacy and safety, thus the need to develop more selective ones. The present study evaluated the toxicity, the capacity to inhibit HDAC activity and antidepressant-like activity of three recently described class I HDAC inhibitors IN01, IN04 and IN14, using A. salina toxicity test, in vitro fluorometric HDAC activity assay and forced-swimming test, respectively. Our data show that IN14 possesses a better profile than the other two. Therefore, the pro-cognitive and antidepressant effects of IN14 were evaluated. In the forced-swimming test model of depression, intraperitoneal administration of IN14 (100 mg/Kg/day) for five days decreased immobility, a putative marker of behavioral despair, significantly more than tricyclic antidepressant desipramine, while also increasing climbing behavior, a putative marker of motivational behavior. On the other hand, IN14 left the retention latency in the elevated T-maze unaltered. These results suggest that novel HDAC class I inhibitor IN14 may represent a promising new antidepressant with low toxicity and encourages further studies on this compound.
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Affiliation(s)
- Heidy Martínez-Pacheco
- Laboratorio de Neurobiología Conductual, Departamento de Fisiología, Facultad de Medicina, Universidad Nacional Autónoma de México, Ciudad de México 04510, Mexico; (H.M.-P.); (J.-P.M.)
| | - Ofir Picazo
- Sección de Estudios de Posgrado e Investigación de la Escuela Superior de Medicina del Instituto Politécnico Nacional, Plan de San Luis y Salvador Díaz Mirón s/n, Casco de Santo Tomás, Ciudad de México 11340, Mexico;
| | - Adolfo López-Torres
- Instituto de Química Aplicada, Universidad del Papaloapan, Campus Tuxtepec, Circuito Central 200, Parque Industrial, Tuxtepec, Oaxaca 68301, Mexico (K.V.C.-C.)
| | - Jean-Pascal Morin
- Laboratorio de Neurobiología Conductual, Departamento de Fisiología, Facultad de Medicina, Universidad Nacional Autónoma de México, Ciudad de México 04510, Mexico; (H.M.-P.); (J.-P.M.)
| | - Karla Viridiana Castro-Cerritos
- Instituto de Química Aplicada, Universidad del Papaloapan, Campus Tuxtepec, Circuito Central 200, Parque Industrial, Tuxtepec, Oaxaca 68301, Mexico (K.V.C.-C.)
| | - Rossana Citlali Zepeda
- Centro de Investigaciones Biomédicas, Universidad Veracruzana. Av. Dr. Luis Castelazo Ayala s/n. Col., Industrial Ánimas, Xalapa, Veracruz 91190, Mexico;
| | - Gabriel Roldán-Roldán
- Laboratorio de Neurobiología Conductual, Departamento de Fisiología, Facultad de Medicina, Universidad Nacional Autónoma de México, Ciudad de México 04510, Mexico; (H.M.-P.); (J.-P.M.)
- Correspondence: ; Tel.: +52-5556-232364
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Liu XS, Jaenisch R. Editing the Epigenome to Tackle Brain Disorders. Trends Neurosci 2019; 42:861-870. [PMID: 31706628 DOI: 10.1016/j.tins.2019.10.003] [Citation(s) in RCA: 19] [Impact Index Per Article: 3.8] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 07/19/2019] [Revised: 09/20/2019] [Accepted: 10/07/2019] [Indexed: 02/08/2023]
Abstract
Genetic studies of epigenetic modifiers such as DNA methyltransferases and histone acetyltransferases have revealed a critical role for epigenetic regulation during brain development and function. Alteration of epigenetic modifications have been documented in a variety of brain disorders, including neurodevelopmental, psychiatric, and neurodegenerative diseases. Development of epigenome editing tools enables a functional dissection of the link between altered epigenetic changes and disease outcomes. Here, we review the development of epigenome editing tools, summarize proof of concept applications focusing on brain disease-associated genes, and discuss the promising application and challenges of epigenome editing to tackle brain disorders.
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Selective demethylation of two CpG sites causes postnatal activation of the Dao gene and consequent removal of D-serine within the mouse cerebellum. Clin Epigenetics 2019; 11:149. [PMID: 31661019 PMCID: PMC6819446 DOI: 10.1186/s13148-019-0732-z] [Citation(s) in RCA: 19] [Impact Index Per Article: 3.8] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 01/29/2019] [Accepted: 08/29/2019] [Indexed: 12/27/2022] Open
Abstract
BACKGROUND Programmed epigenetic modifications occurring at early postnatal brain developmental stages may have a long-lasting impact on brain function and complex behavior throughout life. Notably, it is now emerging that several genes that undergo perinatal changes in DNA methylation are associated with neuropsychiatric disorders. In this context, we envisaged that epigenetic modifications during the perinatal period may potentially drive essential changes in the genes regulating brain levels of critical neuromodulators such as D-serine and D-aspartate. Dysfunction of this fine regulation may contribute to the genesis of schizophrenia or other mental disorders, in which altered levels of D-amino acids are found. We recently demonstrated that Ddo, the D-aspartate degradation gene, is actively demethylated to ultimately reduce D-aspartate levels. However, the role of epigenetics as a mechanism driving the regulation of appropriate D-ser levels during brain development has been poorly investigated to date. METHODS We performed comprehensive ultradeep DNA methylation and hydroxymethylation profiling along with mRNA expression and HPLC-based D-amino acids level analyses of genes controlling the mammalian brain levels of D-serine and D-aspartate. DNA methylation changes occurring in specific cerebellar cell types were also investigated. We conducted high coverage targeted bisulfite sequencing by next-generation sequencing and single-molecule bioinformatic analysis. RESULTS We report consistent spatiotemporal modifications occurring at the Dao gene during neonatal development in a specific brain region (the cerebellum) and within specific cell types (astrocytes) for the first time. Dynamic demethylation at two specific CpG sites located just downstream of the transcription start site was sufficient to strongly activate the Dao gene, ultimately promoting the complete physiological degradation of cerebellar D-serine a few days after mouse birth. High amount of 5'-hydroxymethylcytosine, exclusively detected at relevant CpG sites, strongly evoked the occurrence of an active demethylation process. CONCLUSION The present investigation demonstrates that robust and selective demethylation of two CpG sites is associated with postnatal activation of the Dao gene and consequent removal of D-serine within the mouse cerebellum. A single-molecule methylation approach applied at the Dao locus promises to identify different cell-type compositions and functions in different brain areas and developmental stages.
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Fernandez-Albert J, Lipinski M, Lopez-Cascales MT, Rowley MJ, Martin-Gonzalez AM, Del Blanco B, Corces VG, Barco A. Immediate and deferred epigenomic signatures of in vivo neuronal activation in mouse hippocampus. Nat Neurosci 2019; 22:1718-1730. [PMID: 31501571 PMCID: PMC6875776 DOI: 10.1038/s41593-019-0476-2] [Citation(s) in RCA: 83] [Impact Index Per Article: 16.6] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 02/11/2019] [Accepted: 07/23/2019] [Indexed: 11/08/2022]
Abstract
Activity-driven transcription plays an important role in many brain processes, including those underlying memory and epilepsy. Here we combine genetic tagging of nuclei and ribosomes with RNA sequencing, chromatin immunoprecipitation with sequencing, assay for transposase-accessible chromatin using sequencing and Hi-C to investigate transcriptional and chromatin changes occurring in mouse hippocampal excitatory neurons at different time points after synchronous activation during seizure and sparse activation by novel context exploration. The transcriptional burst is associated with an increase in chromatin accessibility of activity-regulated genes and enhancers, de novo binding of activity-regulated transcription factors, augmented promoter-enhancer interactions and the formation of gene loops that bring together the transcription start site and transcription termination site of induced genes and may sustain the fast reloading of RNA polymerase complexes. Some chromatin occupancy changes and interactions, particularly those driven by AP1, remain long after neuronal activation and could underlie the changes in neuronal responsiveness and circuit connectivity observed in these neuroplasticity paradigms, perhaps thereby contributing to metaplasticity in the adult brain.
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Affiliation(s)
- Jordi Fernandez-Albert
- Instituto de Neurociencias, Universidad Miguel Hernández-Consejo Superior de Investigaciones Científicas, Sant Joan d'Alacant, Alicante, Spain
| | - Michal Lipinski
- Instituto de Neurociencias, Universidad Miguel Hernández-Consejo Superior de Investigaciones Científicas, Sant Joan d'Alacant, Alicante, Spain
| | - María T Lopez-Cascales
- Instituto de Neurociencias, Universidad Miguel Hernández-Consejo Superior de Investigaciones Científicas, Sant Joan d'Alacant, Alicante, Spain
| | - M Jordan Rowley
- Department of Biology, Emory University, Atlanta, GA, USA
- Department of Genetics, Cell Biology and Anatomy, University of Nebraska Medical Center, Omaha, NE, USA
| | - Ana M Martin-Gonzalez
- Instituto de Neurociencias, Universidad Miguel Hernández-Consejo Superior de Investigaciones Científicas, Sant Joan d'Alacant, Alicante, Spain
- Nencki Institute of Experimental Biology PAS, Warsaw, Poland
| | - Beatriz Del Blanco
- Instituto de Neurociencias, Universidad Miguel Hernández-Consejo Superior de Investigaciones Científicas, Sant Joan d'Alacant, Alicante, Spain
| | | | - Angel Barco
- Instituto de Neurociencias, Universidad Miguel Hernández-Consejo Superior de Investigaciones Científicas, Sant Joan d'Alacant, Alicante, Spain.
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Géranton SM. Does epigenetic 'memory' of early-life stress predispose to chronic pain in later life? A potential role for the stress regulator FKBP5. Philos Trans R Soc Lond B Biol Sci 2019; 374:20190283. [PMID: 31544613 DOI: 10.1098/rstb.2019.0283] [Citation(s) in RCA: 12] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.4] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 02/06/2023] Open
Abstract
Animal behaviours are affected not only by inherited genes but also by environmental experiences. For example, in both rats and humans, stressful early-life events such as being reared by an inattentive mother can leave a lasting trace and affect later stress response in adult life. This is owing to a chemical trace left on the chromatin attributed to so-called epigenetic mechanisms. Such an epigenetic trace often has consequences, sometimes long-lasting, on the functioning of our genes, thereby allowing individuals to rapidly adapt to a new environment. One gene under such epigenetic control is FKBP5, the gene that encodes the protein FKPB51, a crucial regulator of the stress axis and a significant driver of chronic pain states. In this article, we will discuss the possibility that exposure to stress could drive the susceptibly to chronic pain via epigenetic modifications of genes within the stress axis such as FKBP5. The possibility that such modifications, and therefore, the susceptibility to chronic pain, could be transmitted across generations in mammals and whether such mechanisms may be evolutionarily conserved across phyla will also be debated. This article is part of the Theo Murphy meeting issue 'Evolution of mechanisms and behaviour important for pain'.
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Affiliation(s)
- S M Géranton
- Department of Cell and Developmental Biology, University College London, Gower Street, London WC1E 6BT, UK
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Epigenetic Regulation of Hippocampal Fosb Expression Controls Behavioral Responses to Cocaine. J Neurosci 2019; 39:8305-8314. [PMID: 31477569 DOI: 10.1523/jneurosci.0800-19.2019] [Citation(s) in RCA: 19] [Impact Index Per Article: 3.8] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 04/09/2019] [Revised: 08/08/2019] [Accepted: 08/13/2019] [Indexed: 01/23/2023] Open
Abstract
Drug addiction results in part from maladaptive learning, including the formation of strong associations between the drug and the circumstances of consumption. However, drug-induced changes in gene expression underlying the saliency of these associations remain understudied. Consolidation of explicit memories occurs within the hippocampus, and we have shown that spatial learning induces expression of the transcription factor ΔFosB in hippocampus and that this induction is critical for learning. Drugs of abuse also upregulate ΔFosB in hippocampus, but the mechanism of its induction by cocaine and its role in hippocampus-dependent cocaine responses is unknown. We investigated differences in mouse dorsal and ventral hippocampal ΔFosB expression in response to chronic cocaine, because these regions appear to regulate distinct cocaine-related behaviors. We found that cocaine-mediated induction of ΔFosB was subregion-specific, and that ΔFosB transcriptional activity in both the dorsal and ventral hippocampus is necessary for cocaine conditioned place preference. Further, we characterize changes in histone modifications at the FosB promoter in hippocampus in response to chronic cocaine and found that locus-specific epigenetic modification is essential for FosB induction and multiple hippocampus-dependent behaviors, including cocaine place preference. Collectively, these findings suggest that exposure to cocaine induces histone modification at the hippocampal FosB gene promoter to cause ΔFosB induction critical for cocaine-related learning.SIGNIFICANCE STATEMENT Although cocaine addiction is driven in part by the formation of indelible associations between the drug and the environment, paraphernalia, and circumstances of use, and although this type of associative learning is dependent upon changes in gene expression in a brain region called the hippocampus, the mechanisms by which cocaine alters hippocampal gene expression to drive formation of these associations is poorly understood. Here, we demonstrate that chronic cocaine engages locus-specific changes in the epigenetic profile of the FosB gene in the hippocampus, and that these alterations are required for cocaine-dependent gene expression and cocaine-environment associations. This work provides novel insight into addiction etiology and potential inroads for therapeutic intervention in cocaine addiction.
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