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Wang L, Xu M, Wang Y, Wang F, Deng J, Wang X, Zhao Y, Liao A, Yang F, Wang S, Li Y. Melatonin improves synapse development by PI3K/Akt signaling in a mouse model of autism spectrum disorder. Neural Regen Res 2024; 19:1618-1624. [PMID: 38051907 PMCID: PMC10883500 DOI: 10.4103/1673-5374.387973] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 03/07/2023] [Accepted: 09/05/2023] [Indexed: 12/07/2023] Open
Abstract
Abstract
JOURNAL/nrgr/04.03/01300535-202407000-00043/figure1/v/2023-11-20T171125Z/r/image-tiff
Autism spectrum disorders are a group of neurodevelopmental disorders involving more than 1100 genes, including Ctnnd2 as a candidate gene. Ctnnd2 knockout mice, serving as an animal model of autism, have been demonstrated to exhibit decreased density of dendritic spines. The role of melatonin, as a neurohormone capable of effectively alleviating social interaction deficits and regulating the development of dendritic spines, in Ctnnd2 deletion-induced nerve injury remains unclear. In the present study, we discovered that the deletion of exon 2 of the Ctnnd2 gene was linked to social interaction deficits, spine loss, impaired inhibitory neurons, and suppressed phosphatidylinositol-3-kinase (PI3K)/protein kinase B (Akt) signal pathway in the prefrontal cortex. Our findings demonstrated that the long-term oral administration of melatonin for 28 days effectively alleviated the aforementioned abnormalities in Ctnnd2 gene-knockout mice. Furthermore, the administration of melatonin in the prefrontal cortex was found to improve synaptic function and activate the PI3K/Akt signal pathway in this region. The pharmacological blockade of the PI3K/Akt signal pathway with a PI3K/Akt inhibitor, wortmannin, and melatonin receptor antagonists, luzindole and 4-phenyl-2-propionamidotetralin, prevented the melatonin-induced enhancement of GABAergic synaptic function. These findings suggest that melatonin treatment can ameliorate GABAergic synaptic function by activating the PI3K/Akt signal pathway, which may contribute to the improvement of dendritic spine abnormalities in autism spectrum disorders.
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Affiliation(s)
- Luyi Wang
- Institute of Neuroscience, Department of Physiology, School of Basic Medical Science, Chongqing Medical University, Chongqing, China
| | - Man Xu
- Institute of Neuroscience, Department of Physiology, School of Basic Medical Science, Chongqing Medical University, Chongqing, China
- Department of Pediatric, Chongqing University Fuling Hospital, Chongqing, China
| | - Yan Wang
- Institute of Neuroscience, Department of Physiology, School of Basic Medical Science, Chongqing Medical University, Chongqing, China
| | - Feifei Wang
- Institute of Neuroscience, Department of Physiology, School of Basic Medical Science, Chongqing Medical University, Chongqing, China
| | - Jing Deng
- Institute of Neuroscience, Department of Physiology, School of Basic Medical Science, Chongqing Medical University, Chongqing, China
- Department of Neurosurgery, Xinqiao Hospital, Army Medical University, Chongqing, China
| | - Xiaoya Wang
- Institute of Neuroscience, Department of Physiology, School of Basic Medical Science, Chongqing Medical University, Chongqing, China
- Department of Pathology, Affiliated Hospital of North Sichuan Medical College, Nanchong, Sichuan Province, China
| | - Yu Zhao
- Institute of Neuroscience, Department of Physiology, School of Basic Medical Science, Chongqing Medical University, Chongqing, China
| | - Ailing Liao
- Institute of Neuroscience, Department of Physiology, School of Basic Medical Science, Chongqing Medical University, Chongqing, China
- NHC Key Laboratory of Birth Defects and Reproductive Health, Chongqing Population and Family Planning Science and Technology Research Institute, Chongqing, China
| | - Feng Yang
- China National Clinical Research Center for Neurological Diseases, Beijing Tiantan Hospital, Capital Medical University, Beijing, China
- Advanced Innovation Center for Human Brain Protection, Capital Medical University, Beijing, China
| | - Shali Wang
- Institute of Neuroscience, Department of Physiology, School of Basic Medical Science, Chongqing Medical University, Chongqing, China
| | - Yingbo Li
- Institute of Neuroscience, Department of Physiology, School of Basic Medical Science, Chongqing Medical University, Chongqing, China
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Brandner DD, Mashal MA, Grissom NM, Rothwell PE. Sex Differences in Morphine Sensitivity of Neuroligin-3 Knockout Mice. BIORXIV : THE PREPRINT SERVER FOR BIOLOGY 2024:2024.06.01.596965. [PMID: 38854153 PMCID: PMC11160712 DOI: 10.1101/2024.06.01.596965] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 06/11/2024]
Abstract
Sex has a strong influence on the prevalence and course of brain conditions, including autism spectrum disorders. The mechanistic basis for these sex differences remains poorly understood, due in part to historical bias in biomedical research favoring analysis of male subjects, and the exclusion of female subjects. For example, studies of male mice carrying autism-associated mutations in neuroligin-3 are over-represented in the literature, including our own prior work showing diminished responses to chronic morphine exposure in male neuroligin-3 knockout mice. We therefore studied how constitutive and conditional genetic knockout of neuroligin-3 affects morphine sensitivity of female mice. In contrast to male mice, female neuroligin-3 knockout mice showed normal psychomotor sensitization after chronic morphine exposure. However, in the absence of neuroligin-3 expression, both female and male mice show a similar change in the topography of locomotor stimulation produced by morphine. Conditional genetic deletion of neuroligin-3 from dopamine neurons increased the locomotor response of female mice to high doses of morphine, contrasting with the decrease in psychomotor sensitization caused by the same manipulation in male mice. Together, our data reveal that knockout of neuroligin-3 has both common and distinct effects on morphine sensitivity in female and male mice. These results also support the notion that female sex can confer resilience against the impact of autism-associated gene variants.
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Zhao T, Huang CQ, Zhang YH, Zhu YY, Chen XX, Wang T, Shao J, Meng XH, Huang Y, Wang H, Wang HL, Wang B, Xu DX. Prenatal 1-Nitropyrene Exposure Causes Autism-Like Behavior Partially by Altering DNA Hydroxymethylation in Developing Brain. ADVANCED SCIENCE (WEINHEIM, BADEN-WURTTEMBERG, GERMANY) 2024:e2306294. [PMID: 38757379 DOI: 10.1002/advs.202306294] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 09/04/2023] [Revised: 03/13/2024] [Indexed: 05/18/2024]
Abstract
Autism spectrum disorder (ASD) is a neurodevelopmental disorder, characterized by social communication disability and stereotypic behavior. This study aims to investigate the impact of prenatal exposure to 1-nitropyrene (1-NP), a key component of motor vehicle exhaust, on autism-like behaviors in a mouse model. Three-chamber test finds that prenatal 1-NP exposure causes autism-like behaviors during the weaning period. Patch clamp shows that inhibitory synaptic transmission is reduced in medial prefrontal cortex of 1-NP-exposed weaning pups. Immunofluorescence finds that prenatal 1-NP exposure reduces the number of prefrontal glutamate decarboxylase 67 (GAD67) positive interneurons in fetuses and weaning pups. Moreover, prenatal 1-NP exposure retards tangential migration of GAD67-positive interneurons and downregulates interneuron migration-related genes, such as Nrg1, Erbb4, and Sema3F, in fetal forebrain. Mechanistically, prenatal 1-NP exposure reduces hydroxymethylation of interneuron migration-related genes through inhibiting ten-eleven translocation (TET) activity in fetal forebrain. Supplement with alpha-ketoglutarate (α-KG), a cofactor of TET enzyme, reverses 1-NP-induced hypohydroxymethylation at specific sites of interneuron migration-related genes. Moreover, α-KG supplement alleviates 1-NP-induced migration retardation of interneurons in fetal forebrain. Finally, maternal α-KG supplement improves 1-NP-induced autism-like behaviors in weaning offspring. In conclusion, prenatal 1-NP exposure causes autism-like behavior partially by altering DNA hydroxymethylation of interneuron migration-related genes in developing brain.
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Affiliation(s)
- Ting Zhao
- Department of Toxicology, School of Public Health, Anhui Medical University, Hefei, 230022, China
- Key Laboratory of Environmental Toxicology of Anhui Higher Education Institutes, Anhui Medical University, Hefei, 230032, China
| | - Cheng-Qing Huang
- School of Food and Bioengineering, Hefei University of Technology, Hefei, 230009, China
| | - Yi-Hao Zhang
- Department of Toxicology, School of Public Health, Anhui Medical University, Hefei, 230022, China
- Key Laboratory of Environmental Toxicology of Anhui Higher Education Institutes, Anhui Medical University, Hefei, 230032, China
| | - Yan-Yan Zhu
- Department of Toxicology, School of Public Health, Anhui Medical University, Hefei, 230022, China
- Key Laboratory of Environmental Toxicology of Anhui Higher Education Institutes, Anhui Medical University, Hefei, 230032, China
| | - Xiao-Xi Chen
- Department of Toxicology, School of Public Health, Anhui Medical University, Hefei, 230022, China
- Key Laboratory of Environmental Toxicology of Anhui Higher Education Institutes, Anhui Medical University, Hefei, 230032, China
| | - Tao Wang
- Key Laboratory of Environmental Toxicology of Anhui Higher Education Institutes, Anhui Medical University, Hefei, 230032, China
| | - Jing Shao
- Key Laboratory of Environmental Toxicology of Anhui Higher Education Institutes, Anhui Medical University, Hefei, 230032, China
| | - Xiu-Hong Meng
- Key Laboratory of Environmental Toxicology of Anhui Higher Education Institutes, Anhui Medical University, Hefei, 230032, China
| | - Yichao Huang
- Department of Toxicology, School of Public Health, Anhui Medical University, Hefei, 230022, China
- Key Laboratory of Environmental Toxicology of Anhui Higher Education Institutes, Anhui Medical University, Hefei, 230032, China
| | - Hua Wang
- Department of Toxicology, School of Public Health, Anhui Medical University, Hefei, 230022, China
- Key Laboratory of Environmental Toxicology of Anhui Higher Education Institutes, Anhui Medical University, Hefei, 230032, China
| | - Hui-Li Wang
- School of Food and Bioengineering, Hefei University of Technology, Hefei, 230009, China
| | - Bo Wang
- Department of Toxicology, School of Public Health, Anhui Medical University, Hefei, 230022, China
- Key Laboratory of Environmental Toxicology of Anhui Higher Education Institutes, Anhui Medical University, Hefei, 230032, China
| | - De-Xiang Xu
- Department of Toxicology, School of Public Health, Anhui Medical University, Hefei, 230022, China
- Key Laboratory of Environmental Toxicology of Anhui Higher Education Institutes, Anhui Medical University, Hefei, 230032, China
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Ju J, Li X, Pan Y, Du J, Yang X, Men S, Liu B, Zhang Z, Zhong H, Mai J, Wang Y, Hou ST. Adenosine mediates the amelioration of social novelty deficits during rhythmic light treatment of 16p11.2 deletion female mice. Mol Psychiatry 2024:10.1038/s41380-024-02596-4. [PMID: 38740879 DOI: 10.1038/s41380-024-02596-4] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Submit a Manuscript] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 07/24/2023] [Revised: 05/01/2024] [Accepted: 05/03/2024] [Indexed: 05/16/2024]
Abstract
Non-invasive brain stimulation therapy for autism spectrum disorder (ASD) has shown beneficial effects. Recently, we and others demonstrated that visual sensory stimulation using rhythmic 40 Hz light flicker effectively improved cognitive deficits in mouse models of Alzheimer's disease and stroke. However, whether rhythmic visual 40 Hz light flicker stimulation can ameliorate behavioral deficits in ASD remains unknown. Here, we show that 16p11.2 deletion female mice exhibit a strong social novelty deficit, which was ameliorated by treatment with a long-term 40 Hz light stimulation. The elevated power of local-field potential (LFP) in the prefrontal cortex (PFC) of 16p11.2 deletion female mice was also effectively reduced by 40 Hz light treatment. Importantly, the 40 Hz light flicker reversed the excessive excitatory neurotransmission of PFC pyramidal neurons without altering the firing rate and the number of resident PFC neurons. Mechanistically, 40 Hz light flicker evoked adenosine release in the PFC to modulate excessive excitatory neurotransmission of 16p11.2 deletion female mice. Elevated adenosine functioned through its cognate A1 receptor (A1R) to suppress excessive excitatory neurotransmission and to alleviate social novelty deficits. Indeed, either blocking the A1R using a specific antagonist DPCPX or knocking down the A1R in the PFC using a shRNA completely ablated the beneficial effects of 40 Hz light flicker. Thus, this study identified adenosine as a novel neurochemical mediator for ameliorating social novelty deficit by reducing excitatory neurotransmission during 40 Hz light flicker treatment. The 40 Hz light stimulation warrants further development as a non-invasive ASD therapeutics.
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Affiliation(s)
- Jun Ju
- Brain Research Centre, Department of Neuroscience, School of Life Sciences, Southern University of Science and Technology, 1088 Xueyuan Blvd, Nanshan District, Shenzhen, 518055, Guangdong, PR China
| | - Xuanyi Li
- Brain Research Centre, Department of Neuroscience, School of Life Sciences, Southern University of Science and Technology, 1088 Xueyuan Blvd, Nanshan District, Shenzhen, 518055, Guangdong, PR China
| | - Yifan Pan
- Brain Research Centre, Department of Neuroscience, School of Life Sciences, Southern University of Science and Technology, 1088 Xueyuan Blvd, Nanshan District, Shenzhen, 518055, Guangdong, PR China
| | - Jun Du
- The Brain Science Center, Beijing Institute of Basic Medical Sciences, 100850, Beijing, China
| | - Xinyi Yang
- Brain Research Centre, Department of Neuroscience, School of Life Sciences, Southern University of Science and Technology, 1088 Xueyuan Blvd, Nanshan District, Shenzhen, 518055, Guangdong, PR China
| | - Siqi Men
- Brain Research Centre, Department of Neuroscience, School of Life Sciences, Southern University of Science and Technology, 1088 Xueyuan Blvd, Nanshan District, Shenzhen, 518055, Guangdong, PR China
| | - Bo Liu
- Brain Research Centre, Department of Neuroscience, School of Life Sciences, Southern University of Science and Technology, 1088 Xueyuan Blvd, Nanshan District, Shenzhen, 518055, Guangdong, PR China
| | - Zhenyu Zhang
- Brain Research Centre, Department of Neuroscience, School of Life Sciences, Southern University of Science and Technology, 1088 Xueyuan Blvd, Nanshan District, Shenzhen, 518055, Guangdong, PR China
| | - Haolin Zhong
- Brain Research Centre, Department of Neuroscience, School of Life Sciences, Southern University of Science and Technology, 1088 Xueyuan Blvd, Nanshan District, Shenzhen, 518055, Guangdong, PR China
| | - Jinyuan Mai
- Brain Research Centre, Department of Neuroscience, School of Life Sciences, Southern University of Science and Technology, 1088 Xueyuan Blvd, Nanshan District, Shenzhen, 518055, Guangdong, PR China
| | - Yizheng Wang
- Huashan Hospital, Fudan University, Shanghai, PR China
| | - Sheng-Tao Hou
- Brain Research Centre, Department of Neuroscience, School of Life Sciences, Southern University of Science and Technology, 1088 Xueyuan Blvd, Nanshan District, Shenzhen, 518055, Guangdong, PR China.
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Arutiunian V, Santhosh M, Neuhaus E, Borland H, Tompkins C, Bernier RA, Bookheimer SY, Dapretto M, Gupta AR, Jack A, Jeste S, McPartland JC, Naples A, Van Horn JD, Pelphrey KA, Webb SJ. The relationship between gamma-band neural oscillations and language skills in youth with Autism Spectrum Disorder and their first-degree relatives. Mol Autism 2024; 15:19. [PMID: 38711098 DOI: 10.1186/s13229-024-00598-1] [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: 11/06/2023] [Accepted: 04/18/2024] [Indexed: 05/08/2024] Open
Abstract
BACKGROUND Most children with Autism Spectrum Disorder (ASD) have co-occurring language impairments and some of these autism-specific language difficulties are also present in their non-autistic first-degree relatives. One of the possible neural mechanisms associated with variability in language functioning is alterations in cortical gamma-band oscillations, hypothesized to be related to neural excitation and inhibition balance. METHODS We used a high-density 128-channel electroencephalography (EEG) to register brain response to speech stimuli in a large sex-balanced sample of participants: 125 youth with ASD, 121 typically developing (TD) youth, and 40 unaffected siblings (US) of youth with ASD. Language skills were assessed with Clinical Evaluation of Language Fundamentals. RESULTS First, during speech processing, we identified significantly elevated gamma power in ASD participants compared to TD controls. Second, across all youth, higher gamma power was associated with lower language skills. Finally, the US group demonstrated an intermediate profile in both language and gamma power, with nonverbal IQ mediating the relationship between gamma power and language skills. LIMITATIONS We only focused on one of the possible neural contributors to variability in language functioning. Also, the US group consisted of a smaller number of participants in comparison to the ASD or TD groups. Finally, due to the timing issue in EEG system we have provided only non-phase-locked analysis. CONCLUSIONS Autistic youth showed elevated gamma power, suggesting higher excitation in the brain in response to speech stimuli and elevated gamma power was related to lower language skills. The US group showed an intermediate pattern of gamma activity, suggesting that the broader autism phenotype extends to neural profiles.
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Affiliation(s)
- Vardan Arutiunian
- Center for Child Health, Behavior and Development, Seattle Children's Research Institute, 1920 Terry Ave., Seattle, WA, 98101, USA
| | - Megha Santhosh
- Center for Child Health, Behavior and Development, Seattle Children's Research Institute, 1920 Terry Ave., Seattle, WA, 98101, USA
| | - Emily Neuhaus
- Center for Child Health, Behavior and Development, Seattle Children's Research Institute, 1920 Terry Ave., Seattle, WA, 98101, USA
- Department of Psychiatry and Behavioral Science, University of Washington, Seattle, WA, USA
- Institute of Human Development and Disability, University of Washington, Seattle, WA, USA
| | - Heather Borland
- Center for Child Health, Behavior and Development, Seattle Children's Research Institute, 1920 Terry Ave., Seattle, WA, 98101, USA
| | - Chris Tompkins
- Department of Psychiatry and Behavioral Science, University of Washington, Seattle, WA, USA
- Institute of Human Development and Disability, University of Washington, Seattle, WA, USA
| | - Raphael A Bernier
- Department of Psychiatry and Behavioral Science, University of Washington, Seattle, WA, USA
| | - Susan Y Bookheimer
- Center for Autism Research and Treatment, Semel Institute for Neuroscience and Human Behavior, David Geffen School of Medicine, University of California Los Angeles, Los Angeles, CA, USA
- Department of Psychiatry and Biobehavioral Sciences, University of California Los Angeles, Los Angeles, CA, USA
| | - Mirella Dapretto
- Center for Autism Research and Treatment, Semel Institute for Neuroscience and Human Behavior, David Geffen School of Medicine, University of California Los Angeles, Los Angeles, CA, USA
- Department of Psychiatry and Biobehavioral Sciences, University of California Los Angeles, Los Angeles, CA, USA
| | - Abha R Gupta
- Department of Pediatrics, Yale School of Medicine, New Haven, CT, USA
- Yale Child Study Center, Yale School of Medicine, New Haven, CT, USA
- Department of Neuroscience, Yale School of Medicine, New Haven, CT, USA
| | - Allison Jack
- Department of Psychology, George Mason University, Fairfax, VA, USA
| | - Shafali Jeste
- Department of Neurology, Children's Hospital of Los Angeles, Los Angeles, CA, USA
| | | | - Adam Naples
- Yale Child Study Center, Yale School of Medicine, New Haven, CT, USA
| | - John D Van Horn
- School of Data Science, University of Virginia, Charlottesville, VA, USA
| | - Kevin A Pelphrey
- Department of Neurology, School of Medicine, University of Virginia, Charlottesville, VA, USA
| | - Sara Jane Webb
- Center for Child Health, Behavior and Development, Seattle Children's Research Institute, 1920 Terry Ave., Seattle, WA, 98101, USA.
- Department of Psychiatry and Behavioral Science, University of Washington, Seattle, WA, USA.
- Institute of Human Development and Disability, University of Washington, Seattle, WA, USA.
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Sadakata M, Fujii K, Kaneko R, Hosoya E, Sugimoto H, Kawabata-Iwakawa R, Kasamatsu T, Hongo S, Koshidaka Y, Takase A, Iijima T, Takao K, Sadakata T. Maternal immunoglobulin G affects brain development of mouse offspring. J Neuroinflammation 2024; 21:114. [PMID: 38698428 PMCID: PMC11064405 DOI: 10.1186/s12974-024-03100-z] [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: 01/22/2024] [Accepted: 04/14/2024] [Indexed: 05/05/2024] Open
Abstract
Maternal immunoglobulin (Ig)G is present in breast milk and has been shown to contribute to the development of the immune system in infants. In contrast, maternal IgG has no known effect on early childhood brain development. We found maternal IgG immunoreactivity in microglia, which are resident macrophages of the central nervous system of the pup brain, peaking at postnatal one week. Strong IgG immunoreactivity was observed in microglia in the corpus callosum and cerebellar white matter. IgG stimulation of primary cultured microglia activated the type I interferon feedback loop by Syk. Analysis of neonatal Fc receptor knockout (FcRn KO) mice that could not take up IgG from their mothers revealed abnormalities in the proliferation and/or survival of microglia, oligodendrocytes, and some types of interneurons. Moreover, FcRn KO mice also exhibited abnormalities in social behavior and lower locomotor activity in their home cages. Thus, changes in the mother-derived IgG levels affect brain development in offsprings.
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Affiliation(s)
- Mizuki Sadakata
- Education and Research Support Center, Gunma University Graduate School of Medicine, Maebashi, Gunma, 371-8511, Japan.
| | - Kazuki Fujii
- Department of Behavioral Physiology, Faculty of Medicine, University of Toyama, Toyama, 930-0194, Japan
- Research Center for Idling Brain Science, University of Toyama, Toyama, 930-0194, Japan
- Life Science Research Center, University of Toyama, Toyama, 930-0194, Japan
| | - Ryosuke Kaneko
- Medical Genetics Research Center, Nara Medical University, Kashihara, Nara, 634-8521, Japan
| | - Emi Hosoya
- Education and Research Support Center, Gunma University Graduate School of Medicine, Maebashi, Gunma, 371-8511, Japan
| | - Hisako Sugimoto
- Education and Research Support Center, Gunma University Graduate School of Medicine, Maebashi, Gunma, 371-8511, Japan
| | - Reika Kawabata-Iwakawa
- Division of Integrated Oncology Research, Gunma University Initiative for Advanced Research (GIAR), Gunma University, Maebashi, Gunma, 371-8511, Japan
| | - Tetsuhiro Kasamatsu
- Department of Medical Technology and Clinical Engineering, Gunma University of Health and Walfare, Maebashi, Gunma, 371-0823, Japan
| | - Shoko Hongo
- Life Science Research Center, University of Toyama, Toyama, 930-0194, Japan
| | - Yumie Koshidaka
- Life Science Research Center, University of Toyama, Toyama, 930-0194, Japan
| | - Akinori Takase
- Medical Science College Office, Tokai University, Isehara, Kanagawa, 259-1193, Japan
| | - Takatoshi Iijima
- Department of Molecular Life Science, Division of Basic Medical Science and Molecular Medicine, School of Medicine, Tokai University, Isehara, Kanagawa, 259-1193, Japan
| | - Keizo Takao
- Department of Behavioral Physiology, Faculty of Medicine, University of Toyama, Toyama, 930-0194, Japan
- Research Center for Idling Brain Science, University of Toyama, Toyama, 930-0194, Japan
- Life Science Research Center, University of Toyama, Toyama, 930-0194, Japan
| | - Tetsushi Sadakata
- Education and Research Support Center, Gunma University Graduate School of Medicine, Maebashi, Gunma, 371-8511, Japan.
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Quiñones-Labernik P, Blocklinger KL, Bruce MR, Ferri SL. Excess neonatal testosterone causes male-specific social and fear memory deficits in wild-type mice. BIORXIV : THE PREPRINT SERVER FOR BIOLOGY 2024:2023.10.18.562939. [PMID: 37905064 PMCID: PMC10614869 DOI: 10.1101/2023.10.18.562939] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/02/2023]
Abstract
Neurodevelopmental disorders (ND) disproportionately affect males compared to females, and Autism Spectrum Disorder (ASD) in particular exhibits a 4:1 male bias. The biological mechanisms of this female protection or male susceptibility have not been identified. There is some evidence to suggest that fetal/neonatal gonadal hormones, which play pivotal roles in many aspects of development, may contribute. Here, we investigate the role of testosterone administration during a critical period of development, and its effects on social approach and fear learning in C57BL/6J wildtype mice. Male, but not female mice treated with testosterone on the day of birth (PN0) exhibited deficits in both social behavior and contextual fear conditioning, whereas mice treated with the same dose of testosterone on postnatal day 18 (PN18) did not display such impairments. Testosterone administration did not induce anxiogenic effects or lead to changes in body weight compared to the vehicle-treated group. These impairmeants are relevant to ND and may help identify novel treatment targets.
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Affiliation(s)
| | | | | | - Sarah L Ferri
- Department of Pediatrics, University of Iowa, Iowa City, IA, United States
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Li S, May C, Pang TY, Churilov L, Hannan AJ, Johnson KA, Burrows EL. Mice with an autism-associated R451C mutation in neuroligin-3 show intact attention orienting but atypical responses to methylphenidate and atomoxetine in the mouse-Posner task. Psychopharmacology (Berl) 2024; 241:555-567. [PMID: 38170320 DOI: 10.1007/s00213-023-06520-6] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Submit a Manuscript] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 08/27/2023] [Accepted: 12/18/2023] [Indexed: 01/05/2024]
Abstract
RATIONALE Atypical attention orienting has been associated with some autistic symptoms, but the neural mechanisms remain unclear. The human Posner task, a classic attention orienting paradigm, was recently adapted for use with mice, supporting the investigation of the neurobiological underpinnings of atypical attention orienting in preclinical mouse models. OBJECTIVE The current study tested mice expressing the autism-associated R451C gene mutation in neuroligin-3 (NL3) on the mouse-Posner (mPosner) task. METHODS NL3R451C and wild-type (WT) mice were trained to respond to a validly or invalidly cued target on a touchscreen. The cue was a peripheral non-predictive flash in the exogenous task and a central spatially predictive image in the endogenous task. The effects of dopaminergic- and noradrenergic-modulating drugs, methylphenidate and atomoxetine, on task performance were assessed. RESULTS In both tasks, mice were quicker and more accurate in the validly versus invalidly cued trials, consistent with results in the human Posner task. NL3R451C and WT mice showed similar response times and accuracy but responded differently when treated with methylphenidate and atomoxetine. Methylphenidate impaired exogenous attention disengagement in NL3R451C mice but did not significantly affect WT mice. Atomoxetine impaired endogenous orienting in WT mice but did not significantly affect NL3R451C mice. CONCLUSIONS NL3R451C mice demonstrated intact attention orienting but altered responses to the pharmacological manipulation of the dopaminergic and noradrenergic networks. These findings expand our understanding of the NL3R451C mutation by suggesting that this mutation may lead to selective alterations in attentional processes.
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Affiliation(s)
- Shuting Li
- Melbourne School of Psychological Sciences, The University of Melbourne, Parkville, VIC, 3010, Australia.
- Florey Institute of Neuroscience and Mental Health, The University of Melbourne, Parkville, VIC, 3052, Australia.
| | - Carlos May
- Florey Institute of Neuroscience and Mental Health, The University of Melbourne, Parkville, VIC, 3052, Australia
| | - Terence Y Pang
- Florey Institute of Neuroscience and Mental Health, The University of Melbourne, Parkville, VIC, 3052, Australia
- Department of Anatomy and Neuroscience, The University of Melbourne, Parkville, VIC, 3010, Australia
| | - Leonid Churilov
- Melbourne Medical School, The University of Melbourne, Parkville, VIC, 3010, Australia
| | - Anthony J Hannan
- Florey Institute of Neuroscience and Mental Health, The University of Melbourne, Parkville, VIC, 3052, Australia
- Department of Anatomy and Neuroscience, The University of Melbourne, Parkville, VIC, 3010, Australia
| | - Katherine A Johnson
- Melbourne School of Psychological Sciences, The University of Melbourne, Parkville, VIC, 3010, Australia
| | - Emma L Burrows
- Florey Institute of Neuroscience and Mental Health, The University of Melbourne, Parkville, VIC, 3052, Australia.
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Wang X, Zhang Y, Luo S, Zhao K, Gao C, Mei D, Duan Y, Hu S. Restoration of nNOS Expression Rescues Autistic-Like Phenotypes Through Normalization of AMPA Receptor-Mediated Neurotransmission. Mol Neurobiol 2024:10.1007/s12035-024-03997-w. [PMID: 38329681 DOI: 10.1007/s12035-024-03997-w] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 10/28/2023] [Accepted: 01/27/2024] [Indexed: 02/09/2024]
Abstract
Autism spectrum disorder (ASD) is associated with a range of abnormalities characterized by deficits in socialization, communication, repetitive behaviors, and restricted interests. We have recently shown that neuronal nitric oxide synthase (nNOS) expression was decreased in the basolateral amygdala (BLA) of mice after postnatal valproic acid exposure. Neuronal activity-regulated pentraxin (Narp) could contribute to the regulation of the GluA4 2-amino-3-(5-methyl-3-oxo-1,2-oxazol-4-yl) propanoic acid (AMPA) subunits which are predominantly expressed in interneurons. However, the specific role of nNOS re-expression on excitatory neurotransmitter with relevance to ASD core symptoms in VPA-treated animals remains to be elucidated. Herein, nNOS overexpression using a lentiviral vector and L-arginine-activating PI3K-Akt-mTOR signaling can restore nNOS expression in the BLA induced by VPA. Restoration of nNOS expression in these mice was sufficient to reduce the severity of ASD-like behavioral patterns such that animals exhibited decreases in abnormal social interactions and communication, stereotyped/repetitive behaviors, and anxiety-like traits. Most strikingly, re-expression of nNOS upregulated surface expression of Narp and GluA4 in nNOS-positive interneuron as shown by immunoprecipitation and Western blotting. Whole-cell patch-clamp recordings demonstrated that restoration of nNOS had a significant enhancing effect on AMPA receptor-mediated excitatory glutamatergic synaptic neurotransmission, which was inhibited by disturbing the interaction between Narp and GluA4 in acutely dissociated BLA slices. Overall, these data offer a scientific basis for the additional study of nNOS re-expression as a promising therapeutic target by correcting AMPA receptor-mediated synaptic function in ASD and related neurodevelopmental disorders.
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Affiliation(s)
- Xiaona Wang
- Henan Children's Hospital, Zhengzhou Children's Hospital, Henan Key Laboratory of Children's Genetics and Metabolic Diseases, Henan Children's Neurodevelopment Engineering Research Center, Children's Hospital Affiliated to Zhengzhou University, Zhengzhou, China.
| | - Yaodong Zhang
- Henan Children's Hospital, Zhengzhou Children's Hospital, Henan Key Laboratory of Children's Genetics and Metabolic Diseases, Henan Children's Neurodevelopment Engineering Research Center, Children's Hospital Affiliated to Zhengzhou University, Zhengzhou, China
| | - Shuying Luo
- Henan Children's Hospital, Zhengzhou Children's Hospital, Henan Key Laboratory of Children's Genetics and Metabolic Diseases, Henan Children's Neurodevelopment Engineering Research Center, Children's Hospital Affiliated to Zhengzhou University, Zhengzhou, China
| | - Ke Zhao
- Henan Children's Hospital, Zhengzhou Children's Hospital, Henan Key Laboratory of Children's Genetics and Metabolic Diseases, Henan Children's Neurodevelopment Engineering Research Center, Children's Hospital Affiliated to Zhengzhou University, Zhengzhou, China
| | - Chao Gao
- Department of Rehabilitation, Children's Hospital Affiliated to Zhengzhou University, Zhengzhou, China
| | - Daoqi Mei
- Department of Neurology, Children's Hospital Affiliated to Zhengzhou University, Zhengzhou, China
| | - Yongtao Duan
- Henan Children's Hospital, Zhengzhou Children's Hospital, Henan Key Laboratory of Children's Genetics and Metabolic Diseases, Henan Children's Neurodevelopment Engineering Research Center, Children's Hospital Affiliated to Zhengzhou University, Zhengzhou, China
| | - Shunan Hu
- Henan Children's Hospital, Zhengzhou Children's Hospital, Henan Key Laboratory of Children's Genetics and Metabolic Diseases, Henan Children's Neurodevelopment Engineering Research Center, Children's Hospital Affiliated to Zhengzhou University, Zhengzhou, China
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10
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Irie K, Ohta KI, Ujihara H, Araki C, Honda K, Suzuki S, Warita K, Otabi H, Kumei H, Nakamura S, Koyano K, Miki T, Kusaka T. An enriched environment ameliorates the reduction of parvalbumin-positive interneurons in the medial prefrontal cortex caused by maternal separation early in life. Front Neurosci 2024; 17:1308368. [PMID: 38292903 PMCID: PMC10825025 DOI: 10.3389/fnins.2023.1308368] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 10/06/2023] [Accepted: 12/11/2023] [Indexed: 02/01/2024] Open
Abstract
Early child maltreatment, such as child abuse and neglect, is well known to affect the development of social skills. However, the mechanisms by which such an adverse environment interrupts the development of social skills remain unelucidated. Identifying the period and brain regions that are susceptible to adverse environments can lead to appropriate developmental care later in life. We recently reported an excitatory/inhibitory imbalance and low activity during social behavior in the medial prefrontal cortex (mPFC) of the maternal separation (MS) animal model of early life neglect after maturation. Based on these results, in the present study, we investigated how MS disturbs factors related to excitatory and inhibitory neurons in the mPFC until the critical period of mPFC development. Additionally, we evaluated whether the effects of MS could be recovered in an enriched environment after MS exposure. Rat pups were separated from their dams on postnatal days (PDs) 2-20 (twice daily, 3 h each) and compared with the mother-reared control (MRC) group. Gene expression analysis revealed that various factors related to excitatory and inhibitory neurons were transiently disturbed in the mPFC during MS. A similar tendency was found in the sensory cortex; however, decreased parvalbumin (PV) expression persisted until PD 35 only in the mPFC. Moreover, the number of PV+ interneurons decreased in the ventromedial prefrontal cortex (vmPFC) on PD 35 in the MS group. Additionally, perineural net formation surrounding PV+ interneurons, which is an indicator of maturity and critical period closure, was unchanged, indicating that the decreased PV+ interneurons were not simply attributable to developmental delay. This reduction of PV+ interneurons improved to the level observed in the MRC group by the enriched environment from PD 21 after the MS period. These results suggest that an early adverse environment disturbs the development of the mPFC but that these abnormalities allow room for recovery depending on the subsequent environment. Considering that PV+ interneurons in the mPFC play an important role in social skills such as empathy, an early rearing environment is likely a very important factor in the subsequent acquisition of social skills.
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Affiliation(s)
- Kanako Irie
- Department of Anatomy and Neurobiology, Faculty of Medicine, Kagawa University, Kagawa, Japan
- Department of Pediatrics, Faculty of Medicine, Kagawa University, Kagawa, Japan
| | - Ken-ichi Ohta
- Department of Anatomy and Neurobiology, Faculty of Medicine, Kagawa University, Kagawa, Japan
| | - Hidetoshi Ujihara
- Department of Anatomy and Neurobiology, Faculty of Medicine, Kagawa University, Kagawa, Japan
| | - Chihiro Araki
- Department of Anatomy and Neurobiology, Faculty of Medicine, Kagawa University, Kagawa, Japan
| | - Kodai Honda
- Department of Anatomy and Neurobiology, Faculty of Medicine, Kagawa University, Kagawa, Japan
| | - Shingo Suzuki
- Department of Anatomy and Neurobiology, Faculty of Medicine, Kagawa University, Kagawa, Japan
| | - Katsuhiko Warita
- Department of Veterinary Anatomy, Faculty of Agriculture, Tottori University, Tottori, Japan
| | - Hikari Otabi
- Department of Anatomy and Neurobiology, Faculty of Medicine, Kagawa University, Kagawa, Japan
| | - Haruki Kumei
- Department of Anatomy and Neurobiology, Faculty of Medicine, Kagawa University, Kagawa, Japan
| | - Shinji Nakamura
- Department of Pediatrics, Faculty of Medicine, Kagawa University, Kagawa, Japan
| | - Kosuke Koyano
- Department of Pediatrics, Faculty of Medicine, Kagawa University, Kagawa, Japan
| | - Takanori Miki
- Department of Anatomy and Neurobiology, Faculty of Medicine, Kagawa University, Kagawa, Japan
| | - Takashi Kusaka
- Department of Pediatrics, Faculty of Medicine, Kagawa University, Kagawa, Japan
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11
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Gao K, Hu M, Li J, Li Z, Xu W, Qian Z, Gao F, Ma T. Drug-detecting bioelectronic nose based on odor cue memory combined with a brain computer interface. Biosens Bioelectron 2024; 244:115797. [PMID: 37922809 DOI: 10.1016/j.bios.2023.115797] [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: 05/29/2023] [Revised: 10/12/2023] [Accepted: 10/26/2023] [Indexed: 11/07/2023]
Abstract
The international drug situation is increasingly, various new drugs are hidden in public places through changing forms and packaging, which brings new challenges to drug enforcement. This study proposes a drug-detecting bioelectronic nose based on odor cue memory combined with brain-computer interface and optogenetic regulation technologies. First, the rats were trained to generate positive memories of drug odors through food reward training, and multichannel microelectrodes were implanted into the DG region of the hippocampus for responsible memory retrieval, the spike signals of individual neurons and the local field potential signals of population neurons in the brain region were collected for pattern recognition and analysis. Preliminary experimental results have shown that when low-dose drugs are buried in a hidden area, rats can find the location of the drugs in a very short time, and when close to the relevant area, there is a significant change in the energy value and time-frequency spectrum signal coupling of the returned data, which can be extracted to indicate that the rats have found the drugs. Second, we labled the neuronal activity marker c-fos and revealed more robust activation in the DG region following odor detection. We modulated these neurons through neuroregulatory technology, so that the rats could recognize drugs by retrieving memories more quickly. We conceive that the drug-detecting rat robot can detect trace amounts of various drugs in complex terrain and multiple scenes, which is of great significance for anti-drug work in the future.
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Affiliation(s)
- Keqiang Gao
- School of Pharmacy, Nanjing Medical University, Nanjing, 211166, China
| | - Mengxi Hu
- School of Pharmacy, Nanjing Medical University, Nanjing, 211166, China
| | - Jiyang Li
- School of Pharmacy, Nanjing Medical University, Nanjing, 211166, China
| | - Ziyi Li
- School of Pharmacy, Nanjing Medical University, Nanjing, 211166, China
| | - Wei Xu
- Department of Biomedical Engineering, Nanjing University of Aeronautics and Astronautics, Nanjing, 210016, China
| | - Zhiyu Qian
- Department of Biomedical Engineering, Nanjing University of Aeronautics and Astronautics, Nanjing, 210016, China
| | - Fan Gao
- Department of Biomedical Engineering, Nanjing University of Aeronautics and Astronautics, Nanjing, 210016, China.
| | - Tengfei Ma
- School of Pharmacy, Nanjing Medical University, Nanjing, 211166, China.
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12
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Kosel F, Hartley MR, Franklin TB. Aberrant Cortical Activity in 5xFAD Mice in Response to Social and Non-Social Olfactory Stimuli. J Alzheimers Dis 2024; 97:659-677. [PMID: 38143360 DOI: 10.3233/jad-230858] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 12/26/2023]
Abstract
BACKGROUND Neuroimaging studies investigating the behavioral and psychological symptoms of dementia (BPSD)- such as apathy, anxiety, and depression- have linked some of these symptoms with altered neural activity. However, inconsistencies in operational definitions and rating scales, limited scope of assessments, and poor temporal resolution of imaging techniques have hampered human studies. Many transgenic (Tg) mouse models of Alzheimer's disease (AD) exhibit BPSD-like behaviors concomitant with AD-related neuropathology, allowing examination of how neural activity may relate to BPSD-like behaviors with high temporal and spatial resolution. OBJECTIVE To examine task-dependent neural activity in the medial prefrontal cortex (mPFC) of AD-model mice in response to social and non-social olfactory stimuli. METHODS We previously demonstrated age-related decreases in social investigation in Tg 5xFAD females, and this reduced social investigation is evident in Tg 5xFAD females and males by 6 months of age. In the present study, we examine local field potential (LFP) in the mPFC of awake, behaving 5xFAD females and males at 6 months of age during exposure to social and non-social odor stimuli in a novel olfactometer. RESULTS Our results indicate that Tg 5xFAD mice exhibit aberrant baseline and task-dependent LFP activity in the mPFC- including higher relative delta (1-4 Hz) band power and lower relative power in higher bands, and overall stronger phase-amplitude coupling- compared to wild-type controls. CONCLUSIONS These results are consistent with previous human and animal studies examining emotional processing, anxiety, fear behaviors, and stress responses, and suggest that Tg 5xFAD mice may exhibit altered arousal or anxiety.
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Affiliation(s)
- Filip Kosel
- Department of Psychology and Neuroscience, Faculty of Science, Dalhousie University, Halifax, NS, Canada
| | - Mackenzie Rae Hartley
- Department of Psychology and Neuroscience, Faculty of Science, Dalhousie University, Halifax, NS, Canada
| | - Tamara Brook Franklin
- Department of Psychology and Neuroscience, Faculty of Science, Dalhousie University, Halifax, NS, Canada
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13
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Liu L, Luo Z, Mai Y, Lu Y, Sun Z, Chen J, Zeng T, Chen L, Liu Z, Yang H, Xu Q, Lan L, Tang C. Dexmedetomidine relieves inflammatory pain by enhancing GABAergic synaptic activity in pyramidal neurons of the anterior cingulate cortex. Neuropharmacology 2023; 240:109710. [PMID: 37683885 DOI: 10.1016/j.neuropharm.2023.109710] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 05/18/2023] [Revised: 08/23/2023] [Accepted: 09/03/2023] [Indexed: 09/10/2023]
Abstract
Pyramidal neuron (Pyn) hyperactivity in the anterior cingulate cortex (ACC) is involved in the modulation of pain. Previous studies indicate that the activation of α2 adrenoceptors (α2-ARs) by dexmedetomidine (DEX) is a safe and effective means of alleviating multiple types of pain. Here, we showed that systemically administered DEX can ameliorate the inflammatory pain induced by hindpaw injection of formalin (FA) and further examined the molecular and synaptic mechanisms of this DEX-elicited antinociceptive effect. We found that FA caused an increase in c-Fos expression in contralateral layer 2/3 (L2/3) ACC, and that intra-ACC infusion of DEX could also relieve phase 2 inflammatory pain behavior. DEX elicited an increase in the amplitude and frequency of miniature inhibitory post-synaptic currents (mIPSCs) and evoked IPSC amplitude, as well as a reduction in the hyperexcitability and both paired-pulse and excitation/inhibition ratios in contralateral L2/3 ACC Pyns of FA mice. These electrophysiological effects were associated with the upregulation of GABA A receptor (GABAAR) subunits. The interaction of phosphorylated Akt (p-Akt) with GABAAR subunits increased in the ACC following administration of DEX. These results suggest that DEX treatment reduces hyperactivity and enhances GABAergic inhibitory synaptic transmission in ACC Pyns, which produces analgesic effects by increasing GABAAR levels and activating the Akt signaling pathway.
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Affiliation(s)
- Ling Liu
- Medical College of Acu-Moxi and Rehabilitation, Guangzhou University of Chinese Medicine, Guangzhou, 510006, China; Department of Anesthesiology, The First Affiliated Hospital of Guangzhou Medical University, Guangzhou, 510120, China; South China Research Center for Acupuncture and Moxibustion, Medical College of Acu-Moxi and Rehabilitation, Guangzhou University of Chinese Medicine, Guangzhou, 510006, China
| | - Zhihao Luo
- Medical College of Acu-Moxi and Rehabilitation, Guangzhou University of Chinese Medicine, Guangzhou, 510006, China; South China Research Center for Acupuncture and Moxibustion, Medical College of Acu-Moxi and Rehabilitation, Guangzhou University of Chinese Medicine, Guangzhou, 510006, China
| | - Yuanying Mai
- Department of Nursing, The First Affiliated Hospital of Guangzhou Medical University, Guangzhou, 510120, China
| | - Yi Lu
- Department of Anesthesiology, The Affiliated Traditional Chinese Medicine Hospital of Guangzhou Medical University, Guangzhou, 510130, China
| | - Zhaoxia Sun
- Department of Anesthesiology, The First Affiliated Hospital of Guangzhou Medical University, Guangzhou, 510120, China
| | - Jianfeng Chen
- Department of Anesthesiology, The First Affiliated Hospital of Guangzhou Medical University, Guangzhou, 510120, China
| | - Tianyu Zeng
- Department of Anesthesiology, The First Affiliated Hospital of Guangzhou Medical University, Guangzhou, 510120, China
| | - Lei Chen
- Department of Anesthesiology, The First Affiliated Hospital of Guangzhou Medical University, Guangzhou, 510120, China
| | - Zihao Liu
- Department of Anesthesiology, The First Affiliated Hospital of Guangzhou Medical University, Guangzhou, 510120, China
| | - Hanyu Yang
- Department of Anesthesiology, The First Affiliated Hospital of Guangzhou Medical University, Guangzhou, 510120, China
| | - Qin Xu
- Medical College of Acu-Moxi and Rehabilitation, Guangzhou University of Chinese Medicine, Guangzhou, 510006, China; South China Research Center for Acupuncture and Moxibustion, Medical College of Acu-Moxi and Rehabilitation, Guangzhou University of Chinese Medicine, Guangzhou, 510006, China.
| | - Lan Lan
- Department of Anesthesiology, The First Affiliated Hospital of Guangzhou Medical University, Guangzhou, 510120, China.
| | - Chunzhi Tang
- Medical College of Acu-Moxi and Rehabilitation, Guangzhou University of Chinese Medicine, Guangzhou, 510006, China; South China Research Center for Acupuncture and Moxibustion, Medical College of Acu-Moxi and Rehabilitation, Guangzhou University of Chinese Medicine, Guangzhou, 510006, China.
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14
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Chen L, Xiong XY, Yao TT, Gui LN, Luo F, Du Y, Cheng Y. Blood exosome sensing via neuronal insulin-like growth factor-1 regulates autism-related phenotypes. Pharmacol Res 2023; 197:106965. [PMID: 37852341 DOI: 10.1016/j.phrs.2023.106965] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Submit a Manuscript] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 06/03/2023] [Revised: 10/15/2023] [Accepted: 10/16/2023] [Indexed: 10/20/2023]
Abstract
The development and progression of autism spectrum disorder (ASD) is characterized by multiple complex molecular events, highlighting the importance of the prefrontal brain regions in this process. Exosomes are nanovesicles that play a critical role in intercellular communication. Peripheral systems influence brain function under both physiological and pathological conditions. We investigated whether this influence was mediated by the direct sensing of peripheral blood exosomes by brain cells. Administration of serum exosomes from rats with valproic acid-induced ASD resulted in ASD-related phenotypes in mice, whereas exosomes from normal rats did not exhibit such effects. RNA sequencing and bioinformatics analysis suggested that negative regulation of medial prefrontal cortex (mPFC) insulin-like growth factor 1 (IGF-1) by exosome-derived miR-29b-3p may contribute to these ASD-associated effects. Further evidence showed that miR-29b-3p-enriched exosomes crossed the blood-brain barrier to reach the mPFC, subsequently inducing the suppression of IGF-1 expression in neurons. Optogenetic activation of excitatory neurons in the mPFC improved behavioral abnormalities in exosome-treated mice. The addition of exogenous IGF-1 or inhibition of miR-29b-3p expression in the mPFC also rescued the ASD-related phenotypes in mice. Importantly, administration of miR-29b-3p-enriched serum exosomes from human donors with ASD into the mouse medial prefrontal cortex was sufficient to induce hallmark ASD behaviors. Together, our findings indicate that blood-brain cross-talk is crucial for ASD pathophysiology and that the brain may sense peripheral system changes through exosomes, which could serve as the basis for future neurological therapies.
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Affiliation(s)
- Lei Chen
- Key Laboratory of Ethnomedicine of Ministry of Education, Center on Translational Neuroscience, School of Pharmacy, Minzu University of China, Beijing, China
| | - Xi-Yue Xiong
- NHC Key Laboratory of Birth Defects Research, Prevention and Treatment, Hunan Provincial Maternal and Child Health Care Hospital, Changsha, China
| | - Tong-Tong Yao
- College of Life and Environmental Sciences, Minzu University of China, Beijing, China
| | - Lue-Ning Gui
- College of Life and Environmental Sciences, Minzu University of China, Beijing, China
| | - Fan Luo
- College of Life and Environmental Sciences, Minzu University of China, Beijing, China
| | - Yang Du
- Key Laboratory of Ethnomedicine of Ministry of Education, Center on Translational Neuroscience, School of Pharmacy, Minzu University of China, Beijing, China.
| | - Yong Cheng
- Key Laboratory of Ethnomedicine of Ministry of Education, Center on Translational Neuroscience, School of Pharmacy, Minzu University of China, Beijing, China; College of Life and Environmental Sciences, Minzu University of China, Beijing, China; Institute of National Security, Minzu University of China, Beijing, China.
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15
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Kim J, Jung MW, Lee D. Reward learning improves social signal processing in autism model mice. Cell Rep 2023; 42:113228. [PMID: 37815916 DOI: 10.1016/j.celrep.2023.113228] [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: 02/21/2023] [Revised: 09/03/2023] [Accepted: 09/21/2023] [Indexed: 10/12/2023] Open
Abstract
Social and reward signal processing and their association are critical elements of social motivation. Despite the use of reward learning to improve the social interactions of patients with autism spectrum disorder (ASD), the underlying neural mechanisms are unknown. Here, we found different yet conjunct neuronal representations of social and reward signals in the mouse medial prefrontal cortex (mPFC). We also found that social signal processing is selectively disrupted, whereas reward signal processing is intact in the mPFC of Shank2-knockout mice, a mouse model of ASD. Furthermore, reward learning not only allows Shank2-knockout mice to associate social stimuli with reward availability, but it also rescues the impaired social signal processing. These findings provide insights into the neural basis for the therapeutic use of reward learning in ASD.
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Affiliation(s)
- Joowon Kim
- Center for Cognition and Sociality, Institute for Basic Science, Daejeon 34126, Korea; Graduate School of Medical Science and Engineering, Korea Advanced Institute of Science and Technology, Daejeon 34141, Korea
| | - Min Whan Jung
- Graduate School of Medical Science and Engineering, Korea Advanced Institute of Science and Technology, Daejeon 34141, Korea; Department of Biological Sciences, Korea Advanced Institute of Science and Technology, Daejeon 34141, Korea; Center for Synaptic Brain Dysfunction, Institute for Basic Science, Daejeon 34141, Korea.
| | - Doyun Lee
- Center for Cognition and Sociality, Institute for Basic Science, Daejeon 34126, Korea.
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16
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Li Y, Zhi W, Qi B, Wang L, Hu X. Update on neurobiological mechanisms of fear: illuminating the direction of mechanism exploration and treatment development of trauma and fear-related disorders. Front Behav Neurosci 2023; 17:1216524. [PMID: 37600761 PMCID: PMC10433239 DOI: 10.3389/fnbeh.2023.1216524] [Citation(s) in RCA: 2] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 05/04/2023] [Accepted: 07/18/2023] [Indexed: 08/22/2023] Open
Abstract
Fear refers to an adaptive response in the face of danger, and the formed fear memory acts as a warning when the individual faces a dangerous situation again, which is of great significance to the survival of humans and animals. Excessive fear response caused by abnormal fear memory can lead to neuropsychiatric disorders. Fear memory has been studied for a long time, which is of a certain guiding effect on the treatment of fear-related disorders. With continuous technological innovations, the study of fear has gradually shifted from the level of brain regions to deeper neural (micro) circuits between brain regions and even within single brain regions, as well as molecular mechanisms. This article briefly outlines the basic knowledge of fear memory and reviews the neurobiological mechanisms of fear extinction and relapse, which aims to provide new insights for future basic research on fear emotions and new ideas for treating trauma and fear-related disorders.
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Affiliation(s)
- Ying Li
- College of Education, Hebei University, Baoding, China
- Laboratory of Experimental Pathology, Beijing Institute of Radiation Medicine, Beijing, China
| | - Weijia Zhi
- Laboratory of Experimental Pathology, Beijing Institute of Radiation Medicine, Beijing, China
| | - Bing Qi
- College of Education, Hebei University, Baoding, China
| | - Lifeng Wang
- Laboratory of Experimental Pathology, Beijing Institute of Radiation Medicine, Beijing, China
| | - Xiangjun Hu
- College of Education, Hebei University, Baoding, China
- Laboratory of Experimental Pathology, Beijing Institute of Radiation Medicine, Beijing, China
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17
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Luo YF, Lu L, Song HY, Xu H, Zheng ZW, Wu ZY, Jiang CC, Tong C, Yuan HY, Liu XX, Chen X, Sun ML, Tang YM, Fan HY, Han F, Lu YM. Divergent projections of the prelimbic cortex mediate autism- and anxiety-like behaviors. Mol Psychiatry 2023; 28:2343-2354. [PMID: 36690791 PMCID: PMC10611563 DOI: 10.1038/s41380-023-01954-y] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Submit a Manuscript] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 05/04/2022] [Revised: 01/04/2023] [Accepted: 01/10/2023] [Indexed: 01/24/2023]
Abstract
The comorbidity of autism spectrum disorder and anxiety is common, but the underlying circuitry is poorly understood. Here, Tmem74-/- mice showed autism- and anxiety-like behaviors along with increased excitability of pyramidal neurons (PNs) in the prelimbic cortex (PL), which were reversed by Tmem74 re-expression and chemogenetic inhibition in PNs of the PL. To determine the underlying circuitry, we performed conditional deletion of Tmem74 in the PNs of PL of mice, and we found that alterations in the PL projections to fast-spiking interneurons (FSIs) in the dorsal striatum (dSTR) (PLPNs-dSTRFSIs) mediated the hyperexcitability of FSIs and autism-like behaviors and that alterations in the PL projections to the PNs of the basolateral amygdaloid nucleus (BLA) (PLPNs-BLAPNs) mediated the hyperexcitability of PNs and anxiety-like behaviors. However, the two populations of PNs in the PL had different spatial locations, optogenetic manipulations revealed that alterations in the activity in the PL-dSTR or PL-BLA circuits led to autism- or anxiety-like behaviors, respectively. Collectively, these findings highlight that the hyperactivity of the two populations of PNs in the PL mediates autism and anxiety comorbidity through the PL-dSTR and PL-BLA circuits, which may lead to the development of new therapeutics for the autism and anxiety comorbidity.
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Affiliation(s)
- Yi-Fan Luo
- International Joint Laboratory for Drug Target of Critical Illnesses, Key Laboratory of Cardiovascular and Cerebrovascular Medicine, School of Pharmacy, Nanjing Medical University, Nanjing, 211166, China
| | - Lu Lu
- International Joint Laboratory for Drug Target of Critical Illnesses, Key Laboratory of Cardiovascular and Cerebrovascular Medicine, School of Pharmacy, Nanjing Medical University, Nanjing, 211166, China
| | - Heng-Yi Song
- International Joint Laboratory for Drug Target of Critical Illnesses, Key Laboratory of Cardiovascular and Cerebrovascular Medicine, School of Pharmacy, Nanjing Medical University, Nanjing, 211166, China
| | - Han Xu
- International Joint Laboratory for Drug Target of Critical Illnesses, Key Laboratory of Cardiovascular and Cerebrovascular Medicine, School of Pharmacy, Nanjing Medical University, Nanjing, 211166, China
| | - Zhi-Wei Zheng
- Department of Physiology, School of Basic Medical Sciences, Nanjing Medical University, Nanjing, 211166, China
| | - Zhou-Yue Wu
- International Joint Laboratory for Drug Target of Critical Illnesses, Key Laboratory of Cardiovascular and Cerebrovascular Medicine, School of Pharmacy, Nanjing Medical University, Nanjing, 211166, China
| | - Chen-Chen Jiang
- International Joint Laboratory for Drug Target of Critical Illnesses, Key Laboratory of Cardiovascular and Cerebrovascular Medicine, School of Pharmacy, Nanjing Medical University, Nanjing, 211166, China
| | - Chu Tong
- Department of Physiology, School of Basic Medical Sciences, Nanjing Medical University, Nanjing, 211166, China
| | - Hao-Yang Yuan
- Department of Physiology, School of Basic Medical Sciences, Nanjing Medical University, Nanjing, 211166, China
| | - Xiu-Xiu Liu
- International Joint Laboratory for Drug Target of Critical Illnesses, Key Laboratory of Cardiovascular and Cerebrovascular Medicine, School of Pharmacy, Nanjing Medical University, Nanjing, 211166, China
| | - Xiang Chen
- International Joint Laboratory for Drug Target of Critical Illnesses, Key Laboratory of Cardiovascular and Cerebrovascular Medicine, School of Pharmacy, Nanjing Medical University, Nanjing, 211166, China
| | - Mei-Ling Sun
- International Joint Laboratory for Drug Target of Critical Illnesses, Key Laboratory of Cardiovascular and Cerebrovascular Medicine, School of Pharmacy, Nanjing Medical University, Nanjing, 211166, China
| | - Ya-Min Tang
- International Joint Laboratory for Drug Target of Critical Illnesses, Key Laboratory of Cardiovascular and Cerebrovascular Medicine, School of Pharmacy, Nanjing Medical University, Nanjing, 211166, China
| | - Heng-Yu Fan
- Life Sciences Institute and Innovation Center for Cell Biology, Zhejiang University, Hangzhou, 310058, China
| | - Feng Han
- International Joint Laboratory for Drug Target of Critical Illnesses, Key Laboratory of Cardiovascular and Cerebrovascular Medicine, School of Pharmacy, Nanjing Medical University, Nanjing, 211166, China.
- Institute of Brain Science, the Affiliated Brain Hospital of Nanjing Medical University, Nanjing, 211166, China.
| | - Ying-Mei Lu
- Department of Physiology, School of Basic Medical Sciences, Nanjing Medical University, Nanjing, 211166, China.
- Institute of Brain Science, the Affiliated Brain Hospital of Nanjing Medical University, Nanjing, 211166, China.
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18
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Chemogenetic rectification of the inhibitory tone onto hippocampal neurons reverts autistic-like traits and normalizes local expression of estrogen receptors in the Ambra1+/- mouse model of female autism. Transl Psychiatry 2023; 13:63. [PMID: 36804922 PMCID: PMC9941573 DOI: 10.1038/s41398-023-02357-x] [Citation(s) in RCA: 2] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Submit a Manuscript] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 09/06/2022] [Revised: 01/27/2023] [Accepted: 02/03/2023] [Indexed: 02/22/2023] Open
Abstract
Female, but not male, mice with haploinsufficiency for the proautophagic Ambra1 gene show an autistic-like phenotype associated with hippocampal circuits dysfunctions which include loss of parvalbuminergic interneurons (PV-IN), decrease in the inhibition/excitation ratio, and abundance of immature dendritic spines on CA1 pyramidal neurons. Given the paucity of data relating to female autism, we exploit the Ambra1+/- female model to investigate whether rectifying the inhibitory input onto hippocampal principal neurons (PN) rescues their ASD-like phenotype at both the systems and circuits level. Moreover, being the autistic phenotype exclusively observed in the female mice, we control the effect of the mutation and treatment on hippocampal expression of estrogen receptors (ER). Here we show that excitatory DREADDs injected in PV_Cre Ambra1+/- females augment the inhibitory input onto CA1 principal neurons (PN), rescue their social and attentional impairments, and normalize dendritic spine abnormalities and ER expression in the hippocampus. By providing the first evidence that hippocampal excitability jointly controls autistic-like traits and ER in a model of female autism, our findings identify an autophagy deficiency-related mechanism of hippocampal neural and hormonal dysregulation which opens novel perspectives for treatments specifically designed for autistic females.
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19
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Wang W, Fu P. Gut Microbiota Analysis and In Silico Biomarker Detection of Children with Autism Spectrum Disorder across Cohorts. Microorganisms 2023; 11:microorganisms11020291. [PMID: 36838256 PMCID: PMC9958793 DOI: 10.3390/microorganisms11020291] [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: 11/14/2022] [Revised: 01/15/2023] [Accepted: 01/17/2023] [Indexed: 01/26/2023] Open
Abstract
The study of human gut microbiota has attracted increasing interest in the fields of life science and healthcare. However, the complicated and interconnected associations between gut microbiota and human diseases are still difficult to determine in a predictive fashion. Artificial intelligence such as machine learning (ML) and deep learning can assist in processing and interpreting biological datasets. In this study, we aggregated data from different studies based on the species composition and relative abundance of gut microbiota in children with autism spectrum disorder (ASD) and typically developed (TD) individuals and analyzed the commonalities and differences of ASD-associated microbiota across cohorts. We established a predictive model using an ML algorithm to explore the diagnostic value of the gut microbiome for the children with ASD and identify potential biomarkers for ASD diagnosis. The results indicated that the Shenzhen cohort achieved a higher area under the receiver operating characteristic curve (AUROC) value of 0.984 with 97% accuracy, while the Moscow cohort achieved an AUROC value of 0.81 with 67% accuracy. For the combination of the two cohorts, the average prediction results had an AUROC of 0.86 and 80% accuracy. The results of our cross-cohort analysis suggested that a variety of influencing factors, such as population characteristics, geographical region, and dietary habits, should be taken into consideration in microbial transplantation or dietary therapy. Collectively, our prediction strategy based on gut microbiota can serve as an enhanced strategy for the clinical diagnosis of ASD and assist in providing a more complete method to assess the risk of the disorder.
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Affiliation(s)
- Wenjuan Wang
- School of Life and Pharmaceutical Sciences, Hainan University, 58 Renmin Avenue, Haikou 570228, China
| | - Pengcheng Fu
- State Key Laboratory of Marine Resource Utilization in South China Sea, Hainan University, 58 Renmin Avenue, Haikou 570228, China
- Correspondence:
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20
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Mendez-Vazquez H, Roach RL, Nip K, Sathler MF, Garver T, Danzman RA, Moseley MC, Roberts JP, Koch ON, Steger AA, Lee R, Arikkath J, Kim S. The autism-associated loss of δ-catenin functions disrupts social behaviors. BIORXIV : THE PREPRINT SERVER FOR BIOLOGY 2023:2023.01.12.523372. [PMID: 36711484 PMCID: PMC9882145 DOI: 10.1101/2023.01.12.523372] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 01/15/2023]
Abstract
δ-catenin is expressed in excitatory synapses and functions as an anchor for the glutamatergic AMPA receptor (AMPAR) GluA2 subunit in the postsynaptic density. The glycine 34 to serine (G34S) mutation in the δ-catenin gene is found in autism spectrum disorder (ASD) patients and induces loss of δ-catenin functions at excitatory synapses, which is presumed to underlie ASD pathogenesis in humans. However, how the G34S mutation causes loss of δ-catenin functions to induce ASD remains unclear. Here, using neuroblastoma cells, we discover that the G34S mutation generates an additional phosphorylation site for glycogen synthase kinase 3β (GSK3β). This promotes δ-catenin degradation and causes the reduction of δ-catenin levels, which likely contributes to the loss of δ-catenin functions. Synaptic δ-catenin and GluA2 levels in the cortex are significantly decreased in mice harboring the δ-catenin G34S mutation. The G34S mutation increases glutamatergic activity in cortical excitatory neurons while it is decreased in inhibitory interneurons, indicating changes in cellular excitation and inhibition. δ-catenin G34S mutant mice also exhibit social dysfunction, a common feature of ASD. Most importantly, inhibition of GSK3β activity reverses the G34S-induced loss of δ-catenin function effects in cells and mice. Finally, using δ-catenin knockout mice, we confirm that δ-catenin is required for GSK3β inhibition-induced restoration of normal social behaviors in δ-catenin G34S mutant animals. Taken together, we reveal that the loss of δ-catenin functions arising from the ASD-associated G34S mutation induces social dysfunction via alterations in glutamatergic activity and that GSK3β inhibition can reverse δ-catenin G34S-induced synaptic and behavioral deficits. Significance Statement δ-catenin is important for the localization and function of glutamatergic AMPA receptors at synapses in many brain regions. The glycine 34 to serine (G34S) mutation in the δ-catenin gene is found in autism patients and results in the loss of δ-catenin functions. δ-catenin expression is also closely linked to other autism-risk genes involved in synaptic structure and function, further implying that it is important for the autism pathophysiology. Importantly, social dysfunction is a key characteristic of autism. Nonetheless, the links between δ-catenin functions and social behaviors are largely unknown. The significance of the current research is thus predicated on filling this gap by discovering the molecular, cellular, and synaptic underpinnings of the role of δ-catenin in social behaviors.
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21
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Cao W, Li JH, Lin S, Xia QQ, Du YL, Yang Q, Ye YZ, Zeng LH, Li XY, Xu J, Luo JH. NMDA receptor hypofunction underlies deficits in parvalbumin interneurons and social behavior in neuroligin 3 R451C knockin mice. Cell Rep 2022; 41:111771. [PMID: 36476879 DOI: 10.1016/j.celrep.2022.111771] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 03/07/2022] [Revised: 09/15/2022] [Accepted: 11/11/2022] [Indexed: 12/12/2022] Open
Abstract
Neuroligins (NLs), a family of postsynaptic cell-adhesion molecules, have been associated with autism spectrum disorder. We have reported that dysfunction of the medial prefrontal cortex (mPFC) leads to social deficits in an NL3 R451C knockin (KI) mouse model of autism. However, the underlying molecular mechanism remains unclear. Here, we find that N-methyl-D-aspartate receptor (NMDAR) function and parvalbumin-positive (PV+) interneuron number and expression are reduced in the mPFC of the KI mice. Selective knockdown of NMDAR subunit GluN1 in the mPFC PV+ interneuron decreases its intrinsic excitability. Restoring NMDAR function by its partial agonist D-cycloserine rescues the PV+ interneuron dysfunction and social deficits in the KI mice. Interestingly, early D-cycloserine administration at adolescence prevents adult KI mice from social deficits. Together, our results suggest that NMDAR hypofunction and the resultant PV+ interneuron dysfunction in the mPFC may constitute a central node in the pathogenesis of social deficits in the KI mice.
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Affiliation(s)
- Wei Cao
- Department of Neurobiology, Affiliated Mental Health Center, College of Brain Science and Brain Medicine, Zhejiang University School of Medicine, Hangzhou, China; Institute of Brain Science and Department of Physiology, School of Basic Medical Sciences, Hangzhou Normal University, Hangzhou, China
| | - Jia-Hui Li
- Department of Neurobiology, Affiliated Mental Health Center, College of Brain Science and Brain Medicine, Zhejiang University School of Medicine, Hangzhou, China
| | - Shen Lin
- MOE Frontier Science Center for Brain Science and Brain-machine Integration, Liangzhu Laboratory, Zhejiang University Medical Center, Hangzhou, China
| | - Qiang-Qiang Xia
- Department of Neurobiology, Affiliated Mental Health Center, College of Brain Science and Brain Medicine, Zhejiang University School of Medicine, Hangzhou, China
| | - Yong-Lan Du
- MOE Frontier Science Center for Brain Science and Brain-machine Integration, Liangzhu Laboratory, Zhejiang University Medical Center, Hangzhou, China
| | - Qian Yang
- Department of Neurobiology, Affiliated Mental Health Center, College of Brain Science and Brain Medicine, Zhejiang University School of Medicine, Hangzhou, China
| | - Ying-Zhi Ye
- Department of Neurobiology, Affiliated Mental Health Center, College of Brain Science and Brain Medicine, Zhejiang University School of Medicine, Hangzhou, China
| | - Ling-Hui Zeng
- Key Laboratory of Novel Targets and Drug Study for Neural Repair of Zhejiang Province, School of Medicine, Zhejiang University City College, Hangzhou, China
| | - Xiang-Yao Li
- Department of Neurobiology, Affiliated Mental Health Center, College of Brain Science and Brain Medicine, Zhejiang University School of Medicine, Hangzhou, China
| | - Junyu Xu
- Department of Neurobiology, Affiliated Mental Health Center, College of Brain Science and Brain Medicine, Zhejiang University School of Medicine, Hangzhou, China; Department of Rehabilitation of the Children's Hospital, Zhejiang University School of Medicine, Hangzhou, China.
| | - Jian-Hong Luo
- Department of Neurobiology, Affiliated Mental Health Center, College of Brain Science and Brain Medicine, Zhejiang University School of Medicine, Hangzhou, China; MOE Frontier Science Center for Brain Science and Brain-machine Integration, Liangzhu Laboratory, Zhejiang University Medical Center, Hangzhou, China; Key Laboratory of Novel Targets and Drug Study for Neural Repair of Zhejiang Province, School of Medicine, Zhejiang University City College, Hangzhou, China.
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22
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Chang P, Fabrizi L, Fitzgerald M. Early Life Pain Experience Changes Adult Functional Pain Connectivity in the Rat Somatosensory and the Medial Prefrontal Cortex. J Neurosci 2022; 42:8284-8296. [PMID: 36192150 PMCID: PMC9653276 DOI: 10.1523/jneurosci.0416-22.2022] [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: 03/01/2022] [Revised: 08/19/2022] [Accepted: 08/24/2022] [Indexed: 11/21/2022] Open
Abstract
Early life pain (ELP) experience alters adult pain behavior and increases injury-induced pain hypersensitivity, but the effect of ELP on adult functional brain connectivity is not known. We have performed continuous local field potential (LFP) recording in the awake adult male rats to test the effect of ELP on functional cortical connectivity related to pain behavior. Primary somatosensory cortex (S1) and medial prefrontal cortex (mPFC) LFPs evoked by mechanical hindpaw stimulation were recorded simultaneously with pain reflex behavior for 10 d after adult incision injury. We show that, after adult injury, sensory evoked S1 LFP δ and γ energy and S1 LFP δ/γ frequency coupling are significantly increased in ELP rats compared with controls. Adult injury also induces increases in S1-mPFC functional connectivity, but this is significantly prolonged in ELP rats, lasting 4 d compared with 1 d in controls. Importantly, the increases in LFP energy and connectivity in ELP rats were directly correlated with increased behavioral pain hypersensitivity. Thus, ELP alters adult brain functional connectivity, both within and between cortical areas involved in sensory and affective dimensions of pain. The results reveal altered brain connectivity as a mechanism underlying the effects of ELP on adult pain perception.SIGNIFICANCE STATEMENT Pain and stress in early life has a lasting impact on pain behavior and may increase vulnerability to chronic pain in adults. Here, we record pain-related cortical activity and simultaneous pain behavior in awake adult male rats previously exposed to pain in early life. We show that functional connectivity within and between the somatosensory cortex and the medial prefrontal cortex (mPFC) is increased in these rats and that these increases are correlated with their behavioral pain hypersensitivity. The results reveal that early life pain (ELP) alters adult brain connectivity, which may explain the impact of childhood pain on adult chronic pain vulnerability.
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Affiliation(s)
- Pishan Chang
- Department of Neuroscience, Physiology and Pharmacology, Medawar Pain and Somatosensory Labs, University College London, London WC1E 6BT, United Kingdom
| | - Lorenzo Fabrizi
- Department of Neuroscience, Physiology and Pharmacology, Medawar Pain and Somatosensory Labs, University College London, London WC1E 6BT, United Kingdom
| | - Maria Fitzgerald
- Department of Neuroscience, Physiology and Pharmacology, Medawar Pain and Somatosensory Labs, University College London, London WC1E 6BT, United Kingdom
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23
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Wang L, Mirabella VR, Dai R, Su X, Xu R, Jadali A, Bernabucci M, Singh I, Chen Y, Tian J, Jiang P, Kwan KY, Pak C, Liu C, Comoletti D, Hart RP, Chen C, Südhof TC, Pang ZP. Analyses of the autism-associated neuroligin-3 R451C mutation in human neurons reveal a gain-of-function synaptic mechanism. Mol Psychiatry 2022:10.1038/s41380-022-01834-x. [PMID: 36280753 PMCID: PMC10123180 DOI: 10.1038/s41380-022-01834-x] [Citation(s) in RCA: 10] [Impact Index Per Article: 5.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Submit a Manuscript] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 11/12/2021] [Revised: 10/04/2022] [Accepted: 10/10/2022] [Indexed: 12/11/2022]
Abstract
Mutations in many synaptic genes are associated with autism spectrum disorders (ASD), suggesting that synaptic dysfunction is a key driver of ASD pathogenesis. Among these mutations, the R451C substitution in the NLGN3 gene that encodes the postsynaptic adhesion molecule Neuroligin-3 is noteworthy because it was the first specific mutation linked to ASDs. In mice, the corresponding Nlgn3 R451C-knockin mutation recapitulates social interaction deficits of ASD patients and produces synaptic abnormalities, but the impact of the NLGN3 R451C mutation on human neurons has not been investigated. Here, we generated human knockin neurons with the NLGN3 R451C and NLGN3 null mutations. Strikingly, analyses of NLGN3 R451C-mutant neurons revealed that the R451C mutation decreased NLGN3 protein levels but enhanced the strength of excitatory synapses without affecting inhibitory synapses; meanwhile NLGN3 knockout neurons showed reduction in excitatory synaptic strengths. Moreover, overexpression of NLGN3 R451C recapitulated the synaptic enhancement in human neurons. Notably, the augmentation of excitatory transmission was confirmed in vivo with human neurons transplanted into mouse forebrain. Using single-cell RNA-seq experiments with co-cultured excitatory and inhibitory NLGN3 R451C-mutant neurons, we identified differentially expressed genes in relatively mature human neurons corresponding to synaptic gene expression networks. Moreover, gene ontology and enrichment analyses revealed convergent gene networks associated with ASDs and other mental disorders. Our findings suggest that the NLGN3 R451C mutation induces a gain-of-function enhancement in excitatory synaptic transmission that may contribute to the pathophysiology of ASD.
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Affiliation(s)
- Le Wang
- Child Health Institute of New Jersey and Department of Neuroscience and Cell Biology, Robert Wood Johnson Medical School, Rutgers University, New Brunswick, NJ, 08901, USA
- Center for Medical Genetics & Hunan Key Laboratory of Medical Genetics, School of Life Sciences, and Department of Psychiatry, The Second Xiangya Hospital, Central South University, 410008, Changsha, China
| | - Vincent R Mirabella
- Child Health Institute of New Jersey and Department of Neuroscience and Cell Biology, Robert Wood Johnson Medical School, Rutgers University, New Brunswick, NJ, 08901, USA
- Department of Molecular & Cellular Physiology, Stanford University School of Medicine, Stanford, CA, 94305, USA
| | - Rujia Dai
- Department of Psychiatry, SUNY Upstate Medical University, Syracuse, NY, 13210, USA
| | - Xiao Su
- Child Health Institute of New Jersey and Department of Neuroscience and Cell Biology, Robert Wood Johnson Medical School, Rutgers University, New Brunswick, NJ, 08901, USA
| | - Ranjie Xu
- Department of Cell Biology and Neuroscience, Rutgers University, Piscataway, NJ, 08854, USA
| | - Azadeh Jadali
- Department of Cell Biology and Neuroscience, Rutgers University, Piscataway, NJ, 08854, USA
| | - Matteo Bernabucci
- Child Health Institute of New Jersey and Department of Neuroscience and Cell Biology, Robert Wood Johnson Medical School, Rutgers University, New Brunswick, NJ, 08901, USA
| | - Ishnoor Singh
- Child Health Institute of New Jersey and Department of Neuroscience and Cell Biology, Robert Wood Johnson Medical School, Rutgers University, New Brunswick, NJ, 08901, USA
| | - Yu Chen
- Center for Medical Genetics & Hunan Key Laboratory of Medical Genetics, School of Life Sciences, and Department of Psychiatry, The Second Xiangya Hospital, Central South University, 410008, Changsha, China
| | - Jianghua Tian
- Center for Medical Genetics & Hunan Key Laboratory of Medical Genetics, School of Life Sciences, and Department of Psychiatry, The Second Xiangya Hospital, Central South University, 410008, Changsha, China
| | - Peng Jiang
- Department of Cell Biology and Neuroscience, Rutgers University, Piscataway, NJ, 08854, USA
| | - Kevin Y Kwan
- Department of Cell Biology and Neuroscience, Rutgers University, Piscataway, NJ, 08854, USA
| | - ChangHui Pak
- Department of Biochemistry & Molecular Biology, University of Massachusetts, Amherst, MA, 01003, USA
| | - Chunyu Liu
- Center for Medical Genetics & Hunan Key Laboratory of Medical Genetics, School of Life Sciences, and Department of Psychiatry, The Second Xiangya Hospital, Central South University, 410008, Changsha, China
- Department of Psychiatry, SUNY Upstate Medical University, Syracuse, NY, 13210, USA
- School of Psychology, Shaanxi Normal University, 710000, Xi'an, Shaanxi, China
| | - Davide Comoletti
- Child Health Institute of New Jersey and Department of Neuroscience and Cell Biology, Robert Wood Johnson Medical School, Rutgers University, New Brunswick, NJ, 08901, USA
- School of Biological Sciences, Victoria University of Wellington, Wellington, 6012, New Zealand
| | - Ronald P Hart
- Department of Cell Biology and Neuroscience, Rutgers University, Piscataway, NJ, 08854, USA
| | - Chao Chen
- Center for Medical Genetics & Hunan Key Laboratory of Medical Genetics, School of Life Sciences, and Department of Psychiatry, The Second Xiangya Hospital, Central South University, 410008, Changsha, China.
- National Clinical Research Center for Geriatric Disorders, Xiangya Hospital, Central South University, 410008, Changsha, Hunan, China.
- Hunan Key Laboratory of Animal Models for Human Diseases, Central South University, 410008, Changsha, Hunan, China.
| | - Thomas C Südhof
- Department of Molecular & Cellular Physiology, Stanford University School of Medicine, Stanford, CA, 94305, USA.
- Howard Hughes Medical Institute, Stanford University School of Medicine, Stanford, CA, 94305, USA.
| | - Zhiping P Pang
- Child Health Institute of New Jersey and Department of Neuroscience and Cell Biology, Robert Wood Johnson Medical School, Rutgers University, New Brunswick, NJ, 08901, USA.
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24
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Zhao Z, Zeng F, Wang H, Wu R, Chen L, Wu Y, Li S, Shao J, Wang Y, Wu J, Feng Z, Gao W, Hu Y, Wang A, Cheng H, Zhang J, Chen L, Wu H. Encoding of social novelty by sparse GABAergic neural ensembles in the prelimbic cortex. SCIENCE ADVANCES 2022; 8:eabo4884. [PMID: 36044579 PMCID: PMC9432833 DOI: 10.1126/sciadv.abo4884] [Citation(s) in RCA: 8] [Impact Index Per Article: 4.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 02/07/2022] [Accepted: 07/15/2022] [Indexed: 05/05/2023]
Abstract
Although the prelimbic (PrL) area is associated with social behaviors, the neural ensembles that regulate social preference toward novelty or familiarity remain unknown. Using miniature two-photon microscopy (mTPM) to visualize social behavior-associated neuronal activity within the PrL in freely behaving mice, we found that the Ca2+ transients of GABAergic neurons were more highly correlated with social behaviors than those of glutamatergic neurons. Chemogenetic suppression of social behavior-activated GABAergic neurons in the PrL disrupts social novelty behaviors. Restoring the MeCP2 level in PrL GABAergic neurons in MECP2 transgenic (MECP2-TG) mice rescues the social novelty deficits. Moreover, we identified and characterized sparsely distributed NewPNs and OldPNs of GABAergic interneurons in the PrL preferentially responsible for new and old mouse exploration, respectively. Together, we propose that social novelty information may be encoded by the responses of NewPNs and OldPNs in the PrL area, possibly via synergistic actions on both sides of the seesaw.
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Affiliation(s)
- Zhe Zhao
- Department of Neurobiology, Beijing Institute of Basic Medical Sciences, 100850 Beijing, China
| | | | - Hanbin Wang
- Academy of Advanced Interdisciplinary Study, Peking University, 100871 Beijing, China
| | - Runlong Wu
- State Key Laboratory of Membrane Biology, Beijing Key Laboratory of Cardiometabolic Molecular Medicine, Institute of Molecular Medicine, Peking-Tsinghua Center for Life Sciences, College of Future Technology, Peking University, 100871 Beijing, China
| | - Liping Chen
- Department of Neurobiology, Beijing Institute of Basic Medical Sciences, 100850 Beijing, China
| | - Yan Wu
- Department of Neurobiology, Beijing Institute of Basic Medical Sciences, 100850 Beijing, China
| | - Shen Li
- Department of Neurobiology, Beijing Institute of Basic Medical Sciences, 100850 Beijing, China
| | - Jingyuan Shao
- Department of Neurobiology, Beijing Institute of Basic Medical Sciences, 100850 Beijing, China
| | - Yao Wang
- Academy of Advanced Interdisciplinary Study, Peking University, 100871 Beijing, China
| | - Junjie Wu
- College of Engineering, Peking University, 100871 Beijing, China
| | - Zhiheng Feng
- Academy of Advanced Interdisciplinary Study, Peking University, 100871 Beijing, China
| | - Weizheng Gao
- Academy of Advanced Interdisciplinary Study, Peking University, 100871 Beijing, China
| | - Yanhui Hu
- Beijing Transcend Vivoscope Biotech Co. Ltd., 100094 Beijing, China
| | - Aimin Wang
- State Key Laboratory of Advanced Optical Communication System and Networks, School of Electronics, Peking University, 100871 Beijing, China
| | - Heping Cheng
- State Key Laboratory of Membrane Biology, Beijing Key Laboratory of Cardiometabolic Molecular Medicine, Institute of Molecular Medicine, Peking-Tsinghua Center for Life Sciences, College of Future Technology, Peking University, 100871 Beijing, China
| | - Jue Zhang
- College of Engineering, Peking University, 100871 Beijing, China
- Academy of Advanced Interdisciplinary Study, Peking University, 100871 Beijing, China
| | - Liangyi Chen
- State Key Laboratory of Membrane Biology, Beijing Key Laboratory of Cardiometabolic Molecular Medicine, Institute of Molecular Medicine, Peking-Tsinghua Center for Life Sciences, College of Future Technology, Peking University, 100871 Beijing, China
- PKU-IDG/McGovern Institute for Brain Research, 100871 Beijing, China
- National Biomedical Imaging Center, Beijing 100871, China
| | - Haitao Wu
- Department of Neurobiology, Beijing Institute of Basic Medical Sciences, 100850 Beijing, China
- Key Laboratory of Neuroregeneration, Coinnovation Center of Neuroregeneration, Nantong University, Nantong 226019, Jiangsu Province, China
- Chinese Institute for Brain Research, 102206 Beijing, China
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25
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Guan A, Wang S, Huang A, Qiu C, Li Y, Li X, Wang J, Wang Q, Deng B. The role of gamma oscillations in central nervous system diseases: Mechanism and treatment. Front Cell Neurosci 2022; 16:962957. [PMID: 35966207 PMCID: PMC9374274 DOI: 10.3389/fncel.2022.962957] [Citation(s) in RCA: 25] [Impact Index Per Article: 12.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 06/07/2022] [Accepted: 07/11/2022] [Indexed: 12/15/2022] Open
Abstract
Gamma oscillation is the synchronization with a frequency of 30–90 Hz of neural oscillations, which are rhythmic electric processes of neuron groups in the brain. The inhibitory interneuron network is necessary for the production of gamma oscillations, but certain disruptions such as brain inflammation, oxidative stress, and metabolic imbalances can cause this network to malfunction. Gamma oscillations specifically control the connectivity between different brain regions, which is crucial for perception, movement, memory, and emotion. Studies have linked abnormal gamma oscillations to conditions of the central nervous system, including Alzheimer’s disease, Parkinson’s disease, and schizophrenia. Evidence suggests that gamma entrainment using sensory stimuli (GENUS) provides significant neuroprotection. This review discusses the function of gamma oscillations in advanced brain activities from both a physiological and pathological standpoint, and it emphasizes gamma entrainment as a potential therapeutic approach for a range of neuropsychiatric diseases.
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Affiliation(s)
- Ao Guan
- Department of Anesthesiology, Center for Brain Science, The First Affiliated Hospital of Xi’an Jiaotong University, Xi’an, China
- School of Medicine, Xiamen University, Xiamen, China
| | - Shaoshuang Wang
- Department of Anesthesiology, Center for Brain Science, The First Affiliated Hospital of Xi’an Jiaotong University, Xi’an, China
| | - Ailing Huang
- Department of Anesthesiology, School of Medicine, Xiang’an Hospital of Xiamen University, Xiamen University, Xiamen, China
| | - Chenyue Qiu
- Department of Anesthesiology, School of Medicine, Xiang’an Hospital of Xiamen University, Xiamen University, Xiamen, China
| | - Yansong Li
- Department of Anesthesiology, Center for Brain Science, The First Affiliated Hospital of Xi’an Jiaotong University, Xi’an, China
| | - Xuying Li
- Department of Anesthesiology, Center for Brain Science, The First Affiliated Hospital of Xi’an Jiaotong University, Xi’an, China
- Department of Anesthesiology, School of Medicine, Xiang’an Hospital of Xiamen University, Xiamen University, Xiamen, China
| | - Jinfei Wang
- School of Medicine, Xiamen University, Xiamen, China
| | - Qiang Wang
- Department of Anesthesiology, Center for Brain Science, The First Affiliated Hospital of Xi’an Jiaotong University, Xi’an, China
- Qiang Wang,
| | - Bin Deng
- Department of Anesthesiology, Center for Brain Science, The First Affiliated Hospital of Xi’an Jiaotong University, Xi’an, China
- Department of Anesthesiology, School of Medicine, Xiang’an Hospital of Xiamen University, Xiamen University, Xiamen, China
- *Correspondence: Bin Deng,
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26
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Bian WJ, Brewer CL, Kauer JA, de Lecea L. Adolescent sleep shapes social novelty preference in mice. Nat Neurosci 2022; 25:912-923. [PMID: 35618950 PMCID: PMC9283223 DOI: 10.1038/s41593-022-01076-8] [Citation(s) in RCA: 34] [Impact Index Per Article: 17.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 07/12/2021] [Accepted: 04/14/2022] [Indexed: 12/17/2022]
Abstract
Sleep disturbances frequently occur in neurodevelopmental disorders such as autism, but the developmental role of sleep is largely unexplored, and a causal relationship between developmental sleep defects and behavioral consequences in adulthood remains elusive. Here, we show that in mice, sleep disruption (SD) in adolescence, but not in adulthood, causes long-lasting impairment in social novelty preference. Furthermore, adolescent SD alters the activation and release patterns of dopaminergic neurons in the ventral tegmental area (VTA) in response to social novelty. This developmental sleep function is mediated by balanced VTA activity during adolescence; chemogenetic excitation mimics, whereas silencing rescues, the social deficits of adolescent SD. Finally, we show that in Shank3-mutant mice, improving sleep or rectifying VTA activity during adolescence ameliorates adult social deficits. Together, our results identify a critical role of sleep and dopaminergic activity in the development of social interaction behavior.
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Affiliation(s)
- Wen-Jie Bian
- Department of Psychiatry and Behavioral Sciences, Stanford University School of Medicine, Stanford, CA, USA.
- Wu Tsai Neurosciences Institute, Stanford University, Stanford, CA, USA.
| | - Chelsie L Brewer
- Department of Psychiatry and Behavioral Sciences, Stanford University School of Medicine, Stanford, CA, USA
- Wu Tsai Neurosciences Institute, Stanford University, Stanford, CA, USA
| | - Julie A Kauer
- Department of Psychiatry and Behavioral Sciences, Stanford University School of Medicine, Stanford, CA, USA
- Wu Tsai Neurosciences Institute, Stanford University, Stanford, CA, USA
| | - Luis de Lecea
- Department of Psychiatry and Behavioral Sciences, Stanford University School of Medicine, Stanford, CA, USA.
- Wu Tsai Neurosciences Institute, Stanford University, Stanford, CA, USA.
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27
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Yan J, Li W, Zhou C, Wu N, Yang X, Pan Q, He T, Wu Y, Guo Z, Xia Y, Sun X, Cheng C. Dynamic Measurements of Cerebral Blood Flow Responses to Cortical Spreading Depolarization in the Murine Endovascular Perforation Subarachnoid Hemorrhage Model. Transl Stroke Res 2022:10.1007/s12975-022-01052-1. [PMID: 35749033 DOI: 10.1007/s12975-022-01052-1] [Citation(s) in RCA: 1] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 03/15/2022] [Revised: 05/30/2022] [Accepted: 06/10/2022] [Indexed: 12/13/2022]
Abstract
Delayed cerebral ischemia (DCI) is the most severe complication after subarachnoid hemorrhage (SAH), and cortical spreading depolarization (CSD) is believed to play a vital role in it. However, the dynamic changes in cerebral blood flow (CBF) in response to CSD in typical SAH models have not been well investigated. Here, SAH was established in mice with endovascular perforation. Subsequently, the spontaneous CBF dropped instantly and then returned to baseline rapidly. After KCl application to the cortex, subsequent hypoperfusion waves occurred across the groups, while a lower average perfusion level was found in the SAH groups (days 1-7). Moreover, in the SAH groups, the number of CSD decreased within day 7, and the duration and spreading velocity of the CSD increased within day 3 and day 14, respectively. Next, we continuously monitored the local field potential (LFP) in the prefrontal cortex. The results showed that the decrease in the percentage of gamma oscillations lasted throughout the whole process in the SAH group. In the chronic phase after SAH, we found that the mice still had cognitive deficits but experienced no obvious tissue damage. In summary, SAH negatively affects the CBF responses to CSD and the spontaneous LFP activity and causes long-term cognitive deficits in mice. Based on these findings, in the specific phase after SAH, DCI is induced or exacerbated more easily by potential causers of CSD in clinical practice (edema, erythrocytolysis, inflammation), which may lead to neurological deterioration.
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Affiliation(s)
- Jin Yan
- Department of Neurosurgery, the First Affiliated Hospital of Chongqing Medical University, 1 Youyi Rd, Chongqing, 400016, People's Republic of China
| | - Wenlang Li
- Department of Anesthesiology, the Second Affiliated Hospital of Chongqing Medical University, Chongqing, China
| | - Chao Zhou
- Department of Neurosurgery, the First Affiliated Hospital of Chongqing Medical University, 1 Youyi Rd, Chongqing, 400016, People's Republic of China
| | - Na Wu
- Department of Neurosurgery, the First Affiliated Hospital of Chongqing Medical University, 1 Youyi Rd, Chongqing, 400016, People's Republic of China
| | - Xiaomin Yang
- Department of Neurosurgery, the First Affiliated Hospital of Chongqing Medical University, 1 Youyi Rd, Chongqing, 400016, People's Republic of China
| | - Qiuling Pan
- Department of Neurosurgery, the First Affiliated Hospital of Chongqing Medical University, 1 Youyi Rd, Chongqing, 400016, People's Republic of China
| | - Tao He
- Department of Orthopaedics, the First Affiliated Hospital of Chongqing Medical University, Chongqing, China
| | - Yue Wu
- Department of Neurosurgery, the First Affiliated Hospital of Chongqing Medical University, 1 Youyi Rd, Chongqing, 400016, People's Republic of China
| | - Zongduo Guo
- Department of Neurosurgery, the First Affiliated Hospital of Chongqing Medical University, 1 Youyi Rd, Chongqing, 400016, People's Republic of China
| | - Yongzhi Xia
- Department of Neurosurgery, the First Affiliated Hospital of Chongqing Medical University, 1 Youyi Rd, Chongqing, 400016, People's Republic of China
| | - Xiaochuan Sun
- Department of Neurosurgery, the First Affiliated Hospital of Chongqing Medical University, 1 Youyi Rd, Chongqing, 400016, People's Republic of China.
| | - Chongjie Cheng
- Department of Neurosurgery, the First Affiliated Hospital of Chongqing Medical University, 1 Youyi Rd, Chongqing, 400016, People's Republic of China.
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Han Y, Cao R, Qin L, Chen LY, Tang AH, Südhof TC, Zhang B. Neuroligin-3 confines AMPA receptors into nanoclusters, thereby controlling synaptic strength at the calyx of Held synapses. SCIENCE ADVANCES 2022; 8:eabo4173. [PMID: 35704570 PMCID: PMC9200272 DOI: 10.1126/sciadv.abo4173] [Citation(s) in RCA: 14] [Impact Index Per Article: 7.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 02/02/2022] [Accepted: 05/02/2022] [Indexed: 05/30/2023]
Abstract
The subsynaptic organization of postsynaptic neurotransmitter receptors into nanoclusters that are aligned with presynaptic release sites is essential for the high fidelity of synaptic transmission. However, the mechanisms controlling the nanoscale organization of neurotransmitter receptors in vivo remain incompletely understood. Here, we deconstructed the role of neuroligin-3 (Nlgn3), a postsynaptic adhesion molecule linked to autism, in organizing AMPA-type glutamate receptors in the calyx of Held synapse. Deletion of Nlgn3 lowered the amplitude and slowed the kinetics of AMPA receptor-mediated synaptic responses. Super-resolution microscopy revealed that, unexpectedly, these impairments in synaptic transmission were associated with an increase in the size of postsynaptic PSD-95 and AMPA receptor nanoclusters but a decrease of the densities in these clusters. Modeling showed that a dilution of AMPA receptors into larger nanocluster volumes decreases synaptic strength. Nlgn3, likely by binding to presynaptic neurexins, thus is a key organizer of AMPA receptor nanoclusters that likely acts via PSD-95 adaptors to optimize the fidelity of synaptic transmission.
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Affiliation(s)
- Ying Han
- School of Chemical Biology and Biotechnology, Peking University Shenzhen Graduate School, Shenzhen 518055, China
- Institute of Neurological and Psychiatric Disorders, Shenzhen Bay Laboratory, Shenzhen 518132, China
| | - Ran Cao
- Institute of Artificial Intelligence, Hefei Comprehensive National Science Center, Hefei 230026, China
- CAS Key Laboratory of Brain Function and Disease, Ministry of Education Key Laboratory for Membrane-less Organelles & Cellular Dynamics and Hefei National Laboratory for Physical Sciences at the Microscale, Division of Life Sciences and Medicine, University of Science and Technology of China, Hefei 230026, China
| | - Liming Qin
- School of Chemical Biology and Biotechnology, Peking University Shenzhen Graduate School, Shenzhen 518055, China
- Institute of Neurological and Psychiatric Disorders, Shenzhen Bay Laboratory, Shenzhen 518132, China
| | - Lulu Y. Chen
- Department of Anatomy and Neurobiology, University of California, Irvine, Irvine, CA 92697, USA
- Department of Molecular and Cellular Physiology, Howard Hughes Medical Institute, Stanford University School of Medicine, Stanford, CA 94043, USA
| | - Ai-Hui Tang
- Institute of Artificial Intelligence, Hefei Comprehensive National Science Center, Hefei 230026, China
- CAS Key Laboratory of Brain Function and Disease, Ministry of Education Key Laboratory for Membrane-less Organelles & Cellular Dynamics and Hefei National Laboratory for Physical Sciences at the Microscale, Division of Life Sciences and Medicine, University of Science and Technology of China, Hefei 230026, China
| | - Thomas C. Südhof
- Department of Molecular and Cellular Physiology, Howard Hughes Medical Institute, Stanford University School of Medicine, Stanford, CA 94043, USA
| | - Bo Zhang
- School of Chemical Biology and Biotechnology, Peking University Shenzhen Graduate School, Shenzhen 518055, China
- Institute of Neurological and Psychiatric Disorders, Shenzhen Bay Laboratory, Shenzhen 518132, China
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29
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Lim HK, Yoon JH, Song M. Autism Spectrum Disorder Genes: Disease-Related Networks and Compensatory Strategies. Front Mol Neurosci 2022; 15:922840. [PMID: 35726297 PMCID: PMC9206533 DOI: 10.3389/fnmol.2022.922840] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 04/18/2022] [Accepted: 05/17/2022] [Indexed: 11/16/2022] Open
Abstract
The mammalian brain comprises structurally and functionally distinct regions. Each of these regions has characteristic molecular mechanisms that mediate higher-order tasks, such as memory, learning, emotion, impulse, and motor control. Many genes are involved in neuronal signaling and contribute to normal brain development. Dysfunction of essential components of neural signals leads to various types of brain disorders. Autism spectrum disorder is a neurodevelopmental disorder characterized by social deficits, communication challenges, and compulsive repetitive behaviors. Long-term genetic studies have uncovered key genes associated with autism spectrum disorder, such as SH3 and multiple ankyrin repeat domains 3, methyl-CpG binding protein 2, neurexin 1, and chromodomain helicase DNA binding protein 8. In addition, disease-associated networks have been identified using animal models, and the understanding of the impact of these genes on disease susceptibility and compensation is deepening. In this review, we examine rescue strategies using key models of autism spectrum disorder.
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Affiliation(s)
- Hye Kyung Lim
- Department of Life Sciences, Yeungnam University, Gyeongsan, South Korea
| | - Jong Hyuk Yoon
- Neurodegenerative Diseases Research Group, Korea Brain Research Institute, Daegu, South Korea
- *Correspondence: Jong Hyuk Yoon,
| | - Minseok Song
- Department of Life Sciences, Yeungnam University, Gyeongsan, South Korea
- Minseok Song,
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30
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Liu XX, Chen XH, Zheng ZW, Jiang Q, Li C, Yang L, Chen X, Mao XF, Yuan HY, Feng LL, Jiang Q, Shi WX, Sasaki T, Fukunaga K, Chen Z, Han F, Lu YM. BOD1 regulates the cerebellar IV/V lobe-fastigial nucleus circuit associated with motor coordination. Signal Transduct Target Ther 2022; 7:170. [PMID: 35641478 PMCID: PMC9156688 DOI: 10.1038/s41392-022-00989-x] [Citation(s) in RCA: 5] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 10/20/2021] [Revised: 03/25/2022] [Accepted: 04/06/2022] [Indexed: 11/16/2022] Open
Abstract
Cerebellar ataxias are characterized by a progressive decline in motor coordination, but the specific output circuits and underlying pathological mechanism remain poorly understood. Through cell-type-specific manipulations, we discovered a novel GABAergic Purkinje cell (PC) circuit in the cerebellar IV/V lobe that projected to CaMKIIα+ neurons in the fastigial nucleus (FN), which regulated sensorimotor coordination. Furthermore, transcriptomics profiling analysis revealed various cerebellar neuronal identities, and we validated that biorientation defective 1 (BOD1) played an important role in the circuit of IV/V lobe to FN. BOD1 deficit in PCs of IV/V lobe attenuated the excitability and spine density of PCs, accompany with ataxia behaviors. Instead, BOD1 enrichment in PCs of IV/V lobe reversed the hyperexcitability of CaMKIIα+ neurons in the FN and ameliorated ataxia behaviors in L7-Cre; BOD1f/f mice. Together, these findings further suggest that specific regulation of the cerebellar IV/V lobePCs → FNCaMKIIα+ circuit might provide neuromodulatory targets for the treatment of ataxia behaviors.
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Affiliation(s)
- Xiu-Xiu Liu
- Key Laboratory of Cardiovascular & Cerebrovascular Medicine, Drug Target and Drug Discovery Center, School of Pharmacy, Nanjing Medical University, 211166, Nanjing, China
| | - Xing-Hui Chen
- Department of Physiology, School of Basic Medical Sciences, Nanjing Medical University, 211166, Nanjing, China.,Institute of Pharmacology and Toxicology, College of Pharmaceutical Sciences, Zhejiang University, 310058, Hangzhou, China
| | - Zhi-Wei Zheng
- Department of Physiology, School of Basic Medical Sciences, Nanjing Medical University, 211166, Nanjing, China
| | - Qin Jiang
- Department of Physiology, School of Basic Medical Sciences, Nanjing Medical University, 211166, Nanjing, China
| | - Chen Li
- Key Laboratory of Cardiovascular & Cerebrovascular Medicine, Drug Target and Drug Discovery Center, School of Pharmacy, Nanjing Medical University, 211166, Nanjing, China
| | - Lin Yang
- Department of Physiology, School of Basic Medical Sciences, Nanjing Medical University, 211166, Nanjing, China.,Institute of Pharmacology and Toxicology, College of Pharmaceutical Sciences, Zhejiang University, 310058, Hangzhou, China
| | - Xiang Chen
- Key Laboratory of Cardiovascular & Cerebrovascular Medicine, Drug Target and Drug Discovery Center, School of Pharmacy, Nanjing Medical University, 211166, Nanjing, China
| | - Xing-Feng Mao
- Key Laboratory of Cardiovascular & Cerebrovascular Medicine, Drug Target and Drug Discovery Center, School of Pharmacy, Nanjing Medical University, 211166, Nanjing, China
| | - Hao-Yang Yuan
- Department of Physiology, School of Basic Medical Sciences, Nanjing Medical University, 211166, Nanjing, China
| | - Li-Li Feng
- Key Laboratory of Cardiovascular & Cerebrovascular Medicine, Drug Target and Drug Discovery Center, School of Pharmacy, Nanjing Medical University, 211166, Nanjing, China
| | - Quan Jiang
- Institute of Pharmacology and Toxicology, College of Pharmaceutical Sciences, Zhejiang University, 310058, Hangzhou, China
| | - Wei-Xing Shi
- Department of Pharmaceutical and Administrative Sciences, Loma Linda University School of Pharmacy, Loma Linda, CA, 92350, USA.,Department of Basic Sciences, Loma Linda University School of Medicine, Loma Linda, CA, 92350, USA
| | - Takuya Sasaki
- Department of Pharmacology, Graduate School of Pharmaceutical Sciences, Tohoku University, Sendai, 980-8578, Japan
| | - Kohji Fukunaga
- Department of Pharmacology, Graduate School of Pharmaceutical Sciences, Tohoku University, Sendai, 980-8578, Japan
| | - Zhong Chen
- Institute of Pharmacology and Toxicology, College of Pharmaceutical Sciences, Zhejiang University, 310058, Hangzhou, China
| | - Feng Han
- Key Laboratory of Cardiovascular & Cerebrovascular Medicine, Drug Target and Drug Discovery Center, School of Pharmacy, Nanjing Medical University, 211166, Nanjing, China. .,Institute of Brain Science, the Affiliated Brain Hospital of Nanjing Medical University, 210029, Nanjing, China. .,Gusu School, Nanjing Medical University, Suzhou Municipal Hospital, The Affiliated Suzhou Hospital of Nanjing Medical University, 215002, Suzhou, China.
| | - Ying-Mei Lu
- Department of Physiology, School of Basic Medical Sciences, Nanjing Medical University, 211166, Nanjing, China. .,Institute of Brain Science, the Affiliated Brain Hospital of Nanjing Medical University, 210029, Nanjing, China.
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31
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Neuroligins in neurodevelopmental conditions: how mouse models of de novo mutations can help us link synaptic function to social behavior. Neuronal Signal 2022; 6:NS20210030. [PMID: 35601025 PMCID: PMC9093077 DOI: 10.1042/ns20210030] [Citation(s) in RCA: 1] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 11/09/2021] [Revised: 04/08/2022] [Accepted: 04/20/2022] [Indexed: 11/19/2022] Open
Abstract
Neurodevelopmental conditions (or neurodevelopmental disorders, NDDs) are highly heterogeneous with overlapping characteristics and shared genetic etiology. The large symptom variability and etiological heterogeneity have made it challenging to understand the biological mechanisms underpinning NDDs. To accommodate this individual variability, one approach is to move away from diagnostic criteria and focus on distinct dimensions with relevance to multiple NDDs. This domain approach is well suited to preclinical research, where genetically modified animal models can be used to link genetic variability to neurobiological mechanisms and behavioral traits. Genetic factors associated with NDDs can be grouped functionally into common biological pathways, with one prominent functional group being genes associated with the synapse. These include the neuroligins (Nlgns), a family of postsynaptic transmembrane proteins that are key modulators of synaptic function. Here, we review how research using Nlgn mouse models has provided insight into how synaptic proteins contribute to behavioral traits associated with NDDs. We focus on how mutations in different Nlgns affect social behaviors, as differences in social interaction and communication are a common feature of most NDDs. Importantly, mice carrying distinct mutations in Nlgns share some neurobiological and behavioral phenotypes with other synaptic gene mutations. Comparing the functional implications of mutations in multiple synaptic proteins is a first step towards identifying convergent neurobiological pathways in multiple brain regions and circuits.
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32
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Li KT, He X, Zhou G, Yang J, Li T, Hu H, Ji D, Zhou C, Ma H. Rational designing of oscillatory rhythmicity for memory rescue in plasticity-impaired learning networks. Cell Rep 2022; 39:110678. [PMID: 35417714 DOI: 10.1016/j.celrep.2022.110678] [Citation(s) in RCA: 1] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 10/20/2021] [Revised: 01/19/2022] [Accepted: 03/22/2022] [Indexed: 12/15/2022] Open
Abstract
In the brain, oscillatory strength embedded in network rhythmicity is important for processing experiences, and this process is disrupted in certain psychiatric disorders. The use of rhythmic network stimuli can change these oscillations and has shown promise in terms of improving cognitive function, although the underlying mechanisms are poorly understood. Here, we combine a two-layer learning model, with experiments involving genetically modified mice, that provides precise control of experience-driven oscillations by manipulating long-term potentiation of excitatory synapses onto inhibitory interneurons (LTPE→I). We find that, in the absence of LTPE→I, impaired network dynamics and memory are rescued by activating inhibitory neurons to augment the power in theta and gamma frequencies, which prevents network overexcitation with less inhibitory rebound. In contrast, increasing either theta or gamma power alone was less effective. Thus, inducing network changes at dual frequencies is involved in memory encoding, indicating a potentially feasible strategy for optimizing network-stimulating therapies.
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Affiliation(s)
- Kwan Tung Li
- Department of Physics, Centre for Nonlinear Studies, Beijing-Hong Kong-Singapore Joint Centre for Nonlinear and Complex Systems (Hong Kong), Institute of Computational and Theoretical Studies, Hong Kong Baptist University, Hong Kong, China
| | - Xingzhi He
- Department of Neurobiology, Affiliated Mental Health Center and Hangzhou Seventh People's Hospital, Zhejiang University School of Medicine, Hangzhou 310058, China; Liangzhu Laboratory, MOE Frontier Science Center for Brain Research and Brain-Machine Integration, School of Brain Science and Brain Medicine, Zhejiang University, Hangzhou 310058, China
| | - Guangjun Zhou
- Department of Neurobiology, Affiliated Mental Health Center and Hangzhou Seventh People's Hospital, Zhejiang University School of Medicine, Hangzhou 310058, China; Liangzhu Laboratory, MOE Frontier Science Center for Brain Research and Brain-Machine Integration, School of Brain Science and Brain Medicine, Zhejiang University, Hangzhou 310058, China
| | - Jing Yang
- Department of Neurobiology, Affiliated Mental Health Center and Hangzhou Seventh People's Hospital, Zhejiang University School of Medicine, Hangzhou 310058, China; Liangzhu Laboratory, MOE Frontier Science Center for Brain Research and Brain-Machine Integration, School of Brain Science and Brain Medicine, Zhejiang University, Hangzhou 310058, China
| | - Tao Li
- Department of Neurobiology, Affiliated Mental Health Center and Hangzhou Seventh People's Hospital, Zhejiang University School of Medicine, Hangzhou 310058, China; Liangzhu Laboratory, MOE Frontier Science Center for Brain Research and Brain-Machine Integration, School of Brain Science and Brain Medicine, Zhejiang University, Hangzhou 310058, China
| | - Hailan Hu
- Department of Neurobiology, Affiliated Mental Health Center and Hangzhou Seventh People's Hospital, Zhejiang University School of Medicine, Hangzhou 310058, China; Liangzhu Laboratory, MOE Frontier Science Center for Brain Research and Brain-Machine Integration, School of Brain Science and Brain Medicine, Zhejiang University, Hangzhou 310058, China; Research Units for Emotion and Emotion disorders, Chinese Academy of Medical Sciences, Beijing 100730, China
| | - Daoyun Ji
- Department of Neuroscience, Baylor College of Medicine, Houston, TX 77030, USA; Department of Molecular and Cellular Biology, Baylor College of Medicine, Houston, TX 77030, USA
| | - Changsong Zhou
- Department of Physics, Centre for Nonlinear Studies, Beijing-Hong Kong-Singapore Joint Centre for Nonlinear and Complex Systems (Hong Kong), Institute of Computational and Theoretical Studies, Hong Kong Baptist University, Hong Kong, China; Department of Physics, Zhejiang University, Hangzhou 310027, China.
| | - Huan Ma
- Department of Neurobiology, Affiliated Mental Health Center and Hangzhou Seventh People's Hospital, Zhejiang University School of Medicine, Hangzhou 310058, China; Liangzhu Laboratory, MOE Frontier Science Center for Brain Research and Brain-Machine Integration, School of Brain Science and Brain Medicine, Zhejiang University, Hangzhou 310058, China; Research Units for Emotion and Emotion disorders, Chinese Academy of Medical Sciences, Beijing 100730, China.
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33
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Sohal VS. Transforming Discoveries About Cortical Microcircuits and Gamma Oscillations Into New Treatments for Cognitive Deficits in Schizophrenia. Am J Psychiatry 2022; 179:267-276. [PMID: 35360913 DOI: 10.1176/appi.ajp.20220147] [Citation(s) in RCA: 2] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Submit a Manuscript] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/30/2022]
Abstract
The major cause of disability in schizophrenia is cognitive impairment, which remains largely refractory to existing treatments. This reflects the fact that antipsychotics and other therapies have not been designed to address specific brain abnormalities that cause cognitive impairment. This overview proposes that understanding how specific cellular and synaptic loci within cortical microcircuits contribute to cortical gamma oscillations may reveal treatments for cognitive impairment. Gamma oscillations are rhythmic patterns of high frequency (∼30-100 Hz) neuronal activity that are synchronized within and across brain regions, generated by a class of inhibitory interneurons that express parvalbumin, and recruited during a variety of cognitive tasks. In schizophrenia, both parvalbumin interneuron function and task-evoked gamma oscillations are deficient. While it has long been controversial whether gamma oscillations are merely a biomarker of circuit function or actually contribute to information processing by neuronal networks, recent neurobiological studies in mice have shown that disrupting or enhancing synchronized gamma oscillations can reproduce or ameliorate cognitive deficits resembling those seen in schizophrenia. In fact, transiently enhancing the synchrony of parvalbumin interneuron-generated gamma oscillations can lead to long-lasting improvements in cognition in mice that model aspects of schizophrenia. Gamma oscillations emerge from specific patterns of connections between a variety of cell types within cortical microcircuits. Thus, a critical next step is to understand how specific cell types and synapses generate gamma oscillations, mediate the effects of gamma oscillations on information processing, and/or undergo plasticity following the induction of gamma oscillations. Modulating these circuit loci, potentially in combination with other approaches such as cognitive training and brain stimulation, may yield potent and selective interventions for enhancing cognition in schizophrenia.
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Affiliation(s)
- Vikaas S Sohal
- Department of Psychiatry and Behavioral Sciences, Weill Institute for Neurosciences, and Kavli Institute for Fundamental Neuroscience, University of California, San Francisco
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34
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Kim J, Roh JD, Kim S, Kang H, Bae M, Kim E. Slc6a20a Heterozygous and Homozygous Mutant Mice Display Differential Behavioral and Transcriptomic Changes. Front Mol Neurosci 2022; 15:857820. [PMID: 35321029 PMCID: PMC8936588 DOI: 10.3389/fnmol.2022.857820] [Citation(s) in RCA: 1] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 01/19/2022] [Accepted: 01/28/2022] [Indexed: 11/23/2022] Open
Abstract
SLC6A20A is a proline and glycine transporter known to regulate glycine homeostasis and NMDA receptor (NMDAR) function in the brain. A previous study found increases in ambient glycine levels and NMDA receptor-mediated synaptic transmission in the brains of Slc6a20a-haploinsufficient mice, but it remained unknown whether Slc6a20a deficiency leads to disease-related behavioral deficits in mice. Here, we report that Slc6a20a heterozygous and homozygous mutant mice display differential behavioral phenotypes in locomotor, repetitive behavioral, and spatial and fear memory domains. In addition, these mice show differential transcriptomic changes in synapse, ribosome, mitochondria, autism, epilepsy, and neuron-related genes. These results suggest that heterozygous and homozygous Slc6a20a deletions in mice lead to differential changes in behaviors and transcriptomes.
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Affiliation(s)
- Junhyung Kim
- Department of Biological Sciences, Korea Advanced Institute for Science and Technology (KAIST), Daejeon, South Korea
| | - Junyeop Daniel Roh
- Center for Synaptic Brain Dysfunctions, Institute for Basic Science (IBS), Daejeon, South Korea
| | - Seongbin Kim
- Department of Biological Sciences, Korea Advanced Institute for Science and Technology (KAIST), Daejeon, South Korea
| | - Hyojin Kang
- Division of National Supercomputing, Korea Institute of Science and Technology Information (KISTI), Daejeon, South Korea
| | - Mihyun Bae
- Center for Synaptic Brain Dysfunctions, Institute for Basic Science (IBS), Daejeon, South Korea
| | - Eunjoon Kim
- Department of Biological Sciences, Korea Advanced Institute for Science and Technology (KAIST), Daejeon, South Korea
- Center for Synaptic Brain Dysfunctions, Institute for Basic Science (IBS), Daejeon, South Korea
- *Correspondence: Eunjoon Kim,
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35
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Vyas Y, Cheyne JE, Lee K, Jung Y, Cheung PY, Montgomery JM. Shankopathies in the Developing Brain in Autism Spectrum Disorders. Front Neurosci 2022; 15:775431. [PMID: 35002604 PMCID: PMC8727517 DOI: 10.3389/fnins.2021.775431] [Citation(s) in RCA: 15] [Impact Index Per Article: 7.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 09/14/2021] [Accepted: 11/22/2021] [Indexed: 11/13/2022] Open
Abstract
The SHANK family of proteins play critical structural and functional roles in the postsynaptic density (PSD) at excitatory glutamatergic synapses. Through their multidomain structure they form a structural platform across the PSD for protein–protein interactions, as well as recruiting protein complexes to strengthen excitatory synaptic transmission. Mutations in SHANKs reflect their importance to synapse development and plasticity. This is evident in autism spectrum disorder (ASD), a neurodevelopmental disorder resulting in behavioural changes including repetitive behaviours, lack of sociability, sensory issues, learning, and language impairments. Human genetic studies have revealed ASD mutations commonly occur in SHANKs. Rodent models expressing these mutations display ASD behavioural impairments, and a subset of these deficits are rescued by reintroduction of Shank in adult animals, suggesting that lack of SHANK during key developmental periods can lead to permanent changes in the brain’s wiring. Here we explore the differences in synaptic function and plasticity from development onward in rodent Shank ASD models. To date the most explored brain regions, relate to the behavioural changes observed, e.g., the striatum, hippocampus, sensory, and prefrontal cortex. In addition, less-studied regions including the hypothalamus, cerebellum, and peripheral nervous system are also affected. Synaptic phenotypes include weakened but also strengthened synaptic function, with NMDA receptors commonly affected, as well as changes in the balance of excitation and inhibition especially in cortical brain circuits. The effects of shankopathies in activity-dependent brain wiring is an important target for therapeutic intervention. We therefore highlight areas of research consensus and identify remaining questions and challenges.
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Affiliation(s)
- Yukti Vyas
- Department of Physiology, Faculty of Medical and Health Sciences, Centre for Brain Research, University of Auckland, Auckland, New Zealand
| | - Juliette E Cheyne
- Department of Physiology, Faculty of Medical and Health Sciences, Centre for Brain Research, University of Auckland, Auckland, New Zealand
| | - Kevin Lee
- Department of Physiology, Faculty of Medical and Health Sciences, Centre for Brain Research, University of Auckland, Auckland, New Zealand.,Department of Pharmacology, Faculty of Medical and Health Sciences, University of Auckland, Auckland, New Zealand
| | - Yewon Jung
- Department of Physiology, Faculty of Medical and Health Sciences, Centre for Brain Research, University of Auckland, Auckland, New Zealand.,Department of Pharmacology, Faculty of Medical and Health Sciences, University of Auckland, Auckland, New Zealand
| | - Pang Ying Cheung
- Department of Physiology, Faculty of Medical and Health Sciences, Centre for Brain Research, University of Auckland, Auckland, New Zealand
| | - Johanna M Montgomery
- Department of Physiology, Faculty of Medical and Health Sciences, Centre for Brain Research, University of Auckland, Auckland, New Zealand
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36
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Kotajima-Murakami H, Hagihara H, Sato A, Hagino Y, Tanaka M, Katoh Y, Nishito Y, Takamatsu Y, Uchino S, Miyakawa T, Ikeda K. Exposure to GABA A Receptor Antagonist Picrotoxin in Pregnant Mice Causes Autism-Like Behaviors and Aberrant Gene Expression in Offspring. Front Psychiatry 2022; 13:821354. [PMID: 35185658 PMCID: PMC8850354 DOI: 10.3389/fpsyt.2022.821354] [Citation(s) in RCA: 2] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Submit a Manuscript] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 11/24/2021] [Accepted: 01/11/2022] [Indexed: 12/11/2022] Open
Abstract
Autism spectrum disorder (ASD) is a neurodevelopmental disorder that is characterized by impairments in social interaction and restricted/repetitive behaviors. The neurotransmitter γ-aminobutyric acid (GABA) through GABAA receptor signaling in the immature brain plays a key role in the development of neuronal circuits. Excitatory/inhibitory imbalance in the mature brain has been investigated as a pathophysiological mechanism of ASD. However, whether and how disturbances of GABA signaling in embryos that are caused by GABAA receptor inhibitors cause ASD-like pathophysiology are poorly understood. The present study examined whether exposure to the GABAA receptor antagonist picrotoxin causes ASD-like pathophysiology in offspring by conducting behavioral tests from the juvenile period to adulthood and performing gene expression analyses in mature mouse brains. Here, we found that male mice that were prenatally exposed to picrotoxin exhibited a reduction of active interaction time in the social interaction test in both adolescence and adulthood. The gene expression analyses showed that picrotoxin-exposed male mice exhibited a significant increase in the gene expression of odorant receptors. Weighted gene co-expression network analysis showed a strong correlation between social interaction and enrichment of the "odorant binding" pathway gene module. Our findings suggest that exposure to a GABAA receptor inhibitor during the embryonic period induces ASD-like behavior, and impairments in odorant function may contribute to social deficits in offspring.
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Affiliation(s)
- Hiroko Kotajima-Murakami
- Addictive Substance Project, Tokyo Metropolitan Institute of Medical Science, Setagaya-Ku, Japan.,Department of Biosciences, School of Science and Engineering, Teikyo University, Utsunomiya-Shi, Japan
| | - Hideo Hagihara
- Division of Systems Medical Science, Institute for Comprehensive Medical Science, Fujita Health University, Toyoake-Shi, Japan
| | - Atsushi Sato
- Addictive Substance Project, Tokyo Metropolitan Institute of Medical Science, Setagaya-Ku, Japan.,Department of Pediatrics, Graduate School of Medicine, The University of Tokyo, Bunkyo-Ku, Japan
| | - Yoko Hagino
- Addictive Substance Project, Tokyo Metropolitan Institute of Medical Science, Setagaya-Ku, Japan
| | - Miho Tanaka
- Addictive Substance Project, Tokyo Metropolitan Institute of Medical Science, Setagaya-Ku, Japan.,Department of Psychiatry, The University of Tokyo Hospital, Bunkyo-Ku, Japan
| | - Yoshihisa Katoh
- Department of Obstetrics and Gynecology, Graduate School of Medicine, The University of Tokyo, Bunkyo-Ku, Japan
| | - Yasumasa Nishito
- Center for Basic Technology Research, Tokyo Metropolitan Institute of Medical Science, Setagaya-Ku, Japan
| | - Yukio Takamatsu
- Center for Basic Technology Research, Tokyo Metropolitan Institute of Medical Science, Setagaya-Ku, Japan
| | - Shigeo Uchino
- Addictive Substance Project, Tokyo Metropolitan Institute of Medical Science, Setagaya-Ku, Japan.,Department of Biosciences, School of Science and Engineering, Teikyo University, Utsunomiya-Shi, Japan
| | - Tsuyoshi Miyakawa
- Division of Systems Medical Science, Institute for Comprehensive Medical Science, Fujita Health University, Toyoake-Shi, Japan
| | - Kazutaka Ikeda
- Addictive Substance Project, Tokyo Metropolitan Institute of Medical Science, Setagaya-Ku, Japan
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37
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Ibarra-Lecue I, Haegens S, Harris AZ. Breaking Down a Rhythm: Dissecting the Mechanisms Underlying Task-Related Neural Oscillations. Front Neural Circuits 2022; 16:846905. [PMID: 35310550 PMCID: PMC8931663 DOI: 10.3389/fncir.2022.846905] [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: 12/31/2021] [Accepted: 02/10/2022] [Indexed: 11/13/2022] Open
Abstract
A century worth of research has linked multiple cognitive, perceptual and behavioral states to various brain oscillations. However, the mechanistic roles and circuit underpinnings of these oscillations remain an area of active study. In this review, we argue that the advent of optogenetic and related systems neuroscience techniques has shifted the field from correlational to causal observations regarding the role of oscillations in brain function. As a result, studying brain rhythms associated with behavior can provide insight at different levels, such as decoding task-relevant information, mapping relevant circuits or determining key proteins involved in rhythmicity. We summarize recent advances in this field, highlighting the methods that are being used for this purpose, and discussing their relative strengths and limitations. We conclude with promising future approaches that will help unravel the functional role of brain rhythms in orchestrating the repertoire of complex behavior.
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Affiliation(s)
- Inés Ibarra-Lecue
- Department of Psychiatry, College of Physicians and Surgeons, Columbia University, New York, NY, United States.,New York State Psychiatric Institute, New York, NY, United States
| | - Saskia Haegens
- Department of Psychiatry, College of Physicians and Surgeons, Columbia University, New York, NY, United States.,New York State Psychiatric Institute, New York, NY, United States.,Donders Centre for Cognitive Neuroimaging, Donders Institute for Brain, Cognition and Behaviour, Radboud University, Nijmegen, Netherlands
| | - Alexander Z Harris
- Department of Psychiatry, College of Physicians and Surgeons, Columbia University, New York, NY, United States.,New York State Psychiatric Institute, New York, NY, United States
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38
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Zhang Z, Hou M, Ou H, Wang D, Li Z, Zhang H, Lu J. Expression and structural analysis of human neuroligin 2 and neuroligin 3 implicated in autism spectrum disorders. Front Endocrinol (Lausanne) 2022; 13:1067529. [PMID: 36479216 PMCID: PMC9719943 DOI: 10.3389/fendo.2022.1067529] [Citation(s) in RCA: 3] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Submit a Manuscript] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 10/12/2022] [Accepted: 10/31/2022] [Indexed: 11/22/2022] Open
Abstract
The development of autism spectrum disorders (ASDs) involves both environmental factors such as maternal diabetes and genetic factors such as neuroligins (NLGNs). NLGN2 and NLGN3 are two members of NLGNs with distinct distributions and functions in synapse development and plasticity. The relationship between maternal diabetes and NLGNs, and the distinct working mechanisms of different NLGNs currently remain unclear. Here, we first analyzed the expression levels of NLGN2 and NLGN3 in a streptozotocin-induced ASD mouse model and different brain regions to reveal their differences and similarities. Then, cryogenic electron microscopy (cryo-EM) structures of human NLGN2 and NLGN3 were determined. The overall structures are similar to their homologs in previous reports. However, structural comparisons revealed the relative rotations of two protomers in the homodimers of NLGN2 and NLGN3. Taken together with the previously reported NLGN2-MDGA1 complex, we speculate that the distinct assembly adopted by NLGN2 and NLGN3 may affect their interactions with MDGAs. Our results provide structural insights into the potential distinct mechanisms of NLGN2 and NLGN3 implicated in the development of ASD.
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Affiliation(s)
- Zhenzhen Zhang
- Department of Biomedical Engineering, Southern University of Science and Technology, Shenzhen, China
| | - Mengzhuo Hou
- Department of Biomedical Engineering, Southern University of Science and Technology, Shenzhen, China
| | - Huaxing Ou
- Department of Biomedical Engineering, Southern University of Science and Technology, Shenzhen, China
| | - Daping Wang
- Department of Biomedical Engineering, Southern University of Science and Technology, Shenzhen, China
- Department of Orthopedics, Shenzhen Intelligent Orthopaedics and Biomedical Innovation Platform, Guangdong Provincial Research Center for Artificial Intelligence and Digital Orthopedic Technology, Shenzhen Second People’s Hospital, The First Affiliated Hospital of Shenzhen University, Shenzhen, China
| | - Zhifang Li
- Department of Biomedical Engineering, Southern University of Science and Technology, Shenzhen, China
- *Correspondence: Jianping Lu, ; Huawei Zhang, ; Zhifang Li,
| | - Huawei Zhang
- Department of Biomedical Engineering, Southern University of Science and Technology, Shenzhen, China
- Guangdong Provincial Key Laboratory of Advanced Biomaterials, Southern University of Science and Technology, Shenzhen, China
- *Correspondence: Jianping Lu, ; Huawei Zhang, ; Zhifang Li,
| | - Jianping Lu
- Department of Child and Adolescent Psychiatry, Shenzhen Kangning Hospital, Shenzhen Mental Health Center, Shenzhen, China
- *Correspondence: Jianping Lu, ; Huawei Zhang, ; Zhifang Li,
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39
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Zhang W, Rose MC, Yartsev MM. A unifying mechanism governing inter-brain neural relationship during social interactions. eLife 2022; 11:70493. [PMID: 35142287 PMCID: PMC8947764 DOI: 10.7554/elife.70493] [Citation(s) in RCA: 2] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 05/18/2021] [Accepted: 02/08/2022] [Indexed: 01/23/2023] Open
Abstract
A key goal of social neuroscience is to understand the inter-brain neural relationship-the relationship between the neural activity of socially interacting individuals. Decades of research investigating this relationship have focused on the similarity in neural activity across brains. Here, we instead asked how neural activity differs between brains, and how that difference evolves alongside activity patterns shared between brains. Applying this framework to bats engaged in spontaneous social interactions revealed two complementary phenomena characterizing the inter-brain neural relationship: fast fluctuations of activity difference across brains unfolding in parallel with slow activity covariation across brains. A model reproduced these observations and generated multiple predictions that we confirmed using experimental data involving pairs of bats and a larger social group of bats. The model suggests that a simple computational mechanism involving positive and negative feedback could explain diverse experimental observations regarding the inter-brain neural relationship.
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Affiliation(s)
- Wujie Zhang
- Helen Wills Neuroscience Institute and Department of Bioengineering, University of California, BerkeleyBerkeleyUnited States
| | - Maimon C Rose
- Helen Wills Neuroscience Institute and Department of Bioengineering, University of California, BerkeleyBerkeleyUnited States
| | - Michael M Yartsev
- Helen Wills Neuroscience Institute and Department of Bioengineering, University of California, BerkeleyBerkeleyUnited States
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40
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Zhang C, Zhu H, Ni Z, Xin Q, Zhou T, Wu R, Gao G, Gao Z, Ma H, Li H, He M, Zhang J, Cheng H, Hu H. Dynamics of a disinhibitory prefrontal microcircuit in controlling social competition. Neuron 2021; 110:516-531.e6. [PMID: 34793692 DOI: 10.1016/j.neuron.2021.10.034] [Citation(s) in RCA: 40] [Impact Index Per Article: 13.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 03/22/2021] [Revised: 08/12/2021] [Accepted: 10/22/2021] [Indexed: 12/23/2022]
Abstract
Social competition plays a pivotal role in determining individuals' social status. While the dorsomedial prefrontal cortex (dmPFC) is essential in regulating social competition, it remains unclear how information is processed within its local networks. Here, by applying optogenetic and chemogenetic manipulations in a dominance tube test, we reveal that, in accordance with pyramidal (PYR) neuron activation, excitation of the vasoactive intestinal polypeptide (VIP) or inhibition of the parvalbumin (PV) interneurons induces winning. The winning behavior is associated with sequential calcium activities initiated by VIP and followed by PYR and PV neurons. Using miniature two-photon microscopic (MTPM) and optrode recordings in awake mice, we show that VIP stimulation directly leads to a two-phased activity pattern of both PYR and PV neurons-rapid suppression followed by activation. The delayed activation of PV implies an embedded feedback tuning. This disinhibitory VIP-PV-PYR motif forms the core of a dmPFC microcircuit to control social competition.
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Affiliation(s)
- Chaoyi Zhang
- Department of Psychiatry of First Affiliated Hospital, Zhejiang University School of Medicine, Hangzhou 310058, China; Liangzhu Laboratory, The MOE Frontier Research Center of Brain & Brain-Machine Integration, Zhejiang University School of Brain Science and Brain Medicine, 1369 West Wenyi Road, Hangzhou 311121, China
| | - Hong Zhu
- Department of Psychiatry of First Affiliated Hospital, Zhejiang University School of Medicine, Hangzhou 310058, China; Liangzhu Laboratory, The MOE Frontier Research Center of Brain & Brain-Machine Integration, Zhejiang University School of Brain Science and Brain Medicine, 1369 West Wenyi Road, Hangzhou 311121, China.
| | - Zheyi Ni
- Department of Psychiatry of First Affiliated Hospital, Zhejiang University School of Medicine, Hangzhou 310058, China; Liangzhu Laboratory, The MOE Frontier Research Center of Brain & Brain-Machine Integration, Zhejiang University School of Brain Science and Brain Medicine, 1369 West Wenyi Road, Hangzhou 311121, China
| | - Qiuhong Xin
- Department of Psychiatry of First Affiliated Hospital, Zhejiang University School of Medicine, Hangzhou 310058, China; Liangzhu Laboratory, The MOE Frontier Research Center of Brain & Brain-Machine Integration, Zhejiang University School of Brain Science and Brain Medicine, 1369 West Wenyi Road, Hangzhou 311121, China
| | - Tingting Zhou
- Department of Psychiatry of First Affiliated Hospital, Zhejiang University School of Medicine, Hangzhou 310058, China; Liangzhu Laboratory, The MOE Frontier Research Center of Brain & Brain-Machine Integration, Zhejiang University School of Brain Science and Brain Medicine, 1369 West Wenyi Road, Hangzhou 311121, China
| | - Runlong Wu
- Research Unit of Mitochondria in Brain Diseases, Chinese Academy of Medical Sciences, PKU-Nanjing Institute of Translational Medicine, Nanjing 211500, China
| | - Guangping Gao
- Horae Gene Therapy Center, University of Massachusetts Medical School, Worcester, MA, USA
| | - Zhihua Gao
- Liangzhu Laboratory, The MOE Frontier Research Center of Brain & Brain-Machine Integration, Zhejiang University School of Brain Science and Brain Medicine, 1369 West Wenyi Road, Hangzhou 311121, China
| | - Huan Ma
- Liangzhu Laboratory, The MOE Frontier Research Center of Brain & Brain-Machine Integration, Zhejiang University School of Brain Science and Brain Medicine, 1369 West Wenyi Road, Hangzhou 311121, China
| | - Haohong Li
- Liangzhu Laboratory, The MOE Frontier Research Center of Brain & Brain-Machine Integration, Zhejiang University School of Brain Science and Brain Medicine, 1369 West Wenyi Road, Hangzhou 311121, China
| | - Miao He
- Institutes of Brain Science, Department of Neurology, State Key Laboratory of Medical Neurobiology and MOE Frontiers Center for Brain Science, Fudan University, Shanghai, China
| | - Jue Zhang
- Research Unit of Mitochondria in Brain Diseases, Chinese Academy of Medical Sciences, PKU-Nanjing Institute of Translational Medicine, Nanjing 211500, China
| | - Heping Cheng
- Research Unit of Mitochondria in Brain Diseases, Chinese Academy of Medical Sciences, PKU-Nanjing Institute of Translational Medicine, Nanjing 211500, China
| | - Hailan Hu
- Department of Psychiatry of First Affiliated Hospital, Zhejiang University School of Medicine, Hangzhou 310058, China; Liangzhu Laboratory, The MOE Frontier Research Center of Brain & Brain-Machine Integration, Zhejiang University School of Brain Science and Brain Medicine, 1369 West Wenyi Road, Hangzhou 311121, China; Center for Brian Science and Brain-Inspired Intelligence, Guangdong-Hong Kong-Macao Greater Bay Area, Guangzhou 510515, China; Research Units of Brain Mechanisms Underlying Emotion and Emotion Disorders, Chinese Academy of Medical Sciences, Beijing, 100730, China; Key Laboratory for Biomedical Engineering of Ministry of Education, Zhejiang University, Hangzhou 310058, China; Chuanqi Research and Development Center of Zhejiang University, Hangzhou 310058, China.
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41
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Uchigashima M, Cheung A, Futai K. Neuroligin-3: A Circuit-Specific Synapse Organizer That Shapes Normal Function and Autism Spectrum Disorder-Associated Dysfunction. Front Mol Neurosci 2021; 14:749164. [PMID: 34690695 PMCID: PMC8526735 DOI: 10.3389/fnmol.2021.749164] [Citation(s) in RCA: 22] [Impact Index Per Article: 7.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 07/29/2021] [Accepted: 09/06/2021] [Indexed: 01/02/2023] Open
Abstract
Chemical synapses provide a vital foundation for neuron-neuron communication and overall brain function. By tethering closely apposed molecular machinery for presynaptic neurotransmitter release and postsynaptic signal transduction, circuit- and context- specific synaptic properties can drive neuronal computations for animal behavior. Trans-synaptic signaling via synaptic cell adhesion molecules (CAMs) serves as a promising mechanism to generate the molecular diversity of chemical synapses. Neuroligins (Nlgns) were discovered as postsynaptic CAMs that can bind to presynaptic CAMs like Neurexins (Nrxns) at the synaptic cleft. Among the four (Nlgn1-4) or five (Nlgn1-3, Nlgn4X, and Nlgn4Y) isoforms in rodents or humans, respectively, Nlgn3 has a heterogeneous expression and function at particular subsets of chemical synapses and strong association with non-syndromic autism spectrum disorder (ASD). Several lines of evidence have suggested that the unique expression and function of Nlgn3 protein underlie circuit-specific dysfunction characteristic of non-syndromic ASD caused by the disruption of Nlgn3 gene. Furthermore, recent studies have uncovered the molecular mechanism underlying input cell-dependent expression of Nlgn3 protein at hippocampal inhibitory synapses, in which trans-synaptic signaling of specific alternatively spliced isoforms of Nlgn3 and Nrxn plays a critical role. In this review article, we overview the molecular, anatomical, and physiological knowledge about Nlgn3, focusing on the circuit-specific function of mammalian Nlgn3 and its underlying molecular mechanism. This will provide not only new insight into specific Nlgn3-mediated trans-synaptic interactions as molecular codes for synapse specification but also a better understanding of the pathophysiological basis for non-syndromic ASD associated with functional impairment in Nlgn3 gene.
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Affiliation(s)
- Motokazu Uchigashima
- Department of Cellular Neuropathology, Brain Research Institute, Niigata University, Niigata, Japan
| | - Amy Cheung
- Department of Neurobiology, Brudnick Neuropsychiatric Research Institute, University of Massachusetts Medical School, Worcester, MA, United States
| | - Kensuke Futai
- Department of Neurobiology, Brudnick Neuropsychiatric Research Institute, University of Massachusetts Medical School, Worcester, MA, United States
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42
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Socolovsky G, Shamir M. Robust rhythmogenesis via spike-timing-dependent plasticity. Phys Rev E 2021; 104:024413. [PMID: 34525545 DOI: 10.1103/physreve.104.024413] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 07/29/2020] [Accepted: 07/21/2021] [Indexed: 11/07/2022]
Abstract
Rhythmic activity has been observed in numerous animal species ranging from insects to humans, and in relation to a wide range of cognitive tasks. Various experimental and theoretical studies have investigated rhythmic activity. The theoretical efforts have mainly been focused on the neuronal dynamics, under the assumption that network connectivity satisfies certain fine-tuning conditions required to generate oscillations. However, it remains unclear how this fine-tuning is achieved. Here we investigated the hypothesis that spike-timing-dependent plasticity (STDP) can provide the underlying mechanism for tuning synaptic connectivity to generate rhythmic activity. We addressed this question in a modeling study. We examined STDP dynamics in the framework of a network of excitatory and inhibitory neuronal populations that has been suggested to underlie the generation of oscillations in the gamma range. Mean-field Fokker-Planck equations for the synaptic weight dynamics are derived in the limit of slow learning. We drew on this approximation to determine which types of STDP rules drive the system to exhibit rhythmic activity, and we demonstrate how the parameters that characterize the plasticity rule govern the rhythmic activity. Finally, we propose a mechanism that can ensure the robustness of self-developing processes in general, and for rhythmogenesis in particular.
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Affiliation(s)
- Gabi Socolovsky
- Department of Physics, Faculty of Natural Sciences, Ben-Gurion University of the Negev, Be'er-Sheva 8410501, Israel.,Zlotowski Center for Neuroscience, Ben-Gurion University of the Negev, Be'er-Sheva 8410501, Israel
| | - Maoz Shamir
- Department of Physics, Faculty of Natural Sciences, Ben-Gurion University of the Negev, Be'er-Sheva 8410501, Israel.,Zlotowski Center for Neuroscience, Ben-Gurion University of the Negev, Be'er-Sheva 8410501, Israel.,Department of Physiology and Cell Biology, Faculty of Health Sciences, Ben-Gurion University of the Negev, Be'er-Sheva 8410501, Israel
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43
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Chen J, Ma XL, Zhao H, Wang XY, Xu MX, Wang H, Yang TQ, Peng C, Liu SS, Huang M, Zhou YD, Shen Y. Increasing astrogenesis in the developing hippocampus induces autistic-like behavior in mice via enhancing inhibitory synaptic transmission. Glia 2021; 70:106-122. [PMID: 34498776 PMCID: PMC9291003 DOI: 10.1002/glia.24091] [Citation(s) in RCA: 8] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.7] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 04/12/2021] [Revised: 08/09/2021] [Accepted: 08/26/2021] [Indexed: 12/18/2022]
Abstract
Autism spectrum disorder (ASD) is a heterogeneous neurodevelopmental disorder characterized primarily by impaired social communication and rigid, repetitive, and stereotyped behaviors. Many studies implicate abnormal synapse development and the resultant abnormalities in synaptic excitatory–inhibitory (E/I) balance may underlie many features of the disease, suggesting aberrant neuronal connections and networks are prone to occur in the developing autistic brain. Astrocytes are crucial for synaptic formation and function, and defects in astrocytic activation and function during a critical developmental period may also contribute to the pathogenesis of ASD. Here, we report that increasing hippocampal astrogenesis during development induces autistic‐like behavior in mice and a concurrent decreased E/I ratio in the hippocampus that results from enhanced GABAergic transmission in CA1 pyramidal neurons. Suppressing the aberrantly elevated GABAergic synaptic transmission in hippocampal CA1 area rescues autistic‐like behavior and restores the E/I balance. Thus, we provide direct evidence for a developmental role of astrocytes in driving the behavioral phenotypes of ASD, and our results support that targeting the altered GABAergic neurotransmission may represent a promising therapeutic strategy for ASD.
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Affiliation(s)
- Juan Chen
- Department of Neurobiology and Department of General Intensive Care Unit of the Second Affiliated Hospital, Zhejiang University School of Medicine, Hangzhou, China
| | - Xiao-Lin Ma
- Department of Neurobiology and Department of Ophthalmology of the First Affiliated Hospital, Zhejiang University School of Medicine, Hangzhou, China.,NHC and CAMS Key Laboratory of Medical Neurobiology, MOE Frontier Science Center for Brain Research and Brain-Machine Integration, School of Brain Science and Brain Medicine, Zhejiang University, Hangzhou, China
| | - Hui Zhao
- Department of Neurobiology and Department of General Intensive Care Unit of the Second Affiliated Hospital, Zhejiang University School of Medicine, Hangzhou, China.,NHC and CAMS Key Laboratory of Medical Neurobiology, MOE Frontier Science Center for Brain Research and Brain-Machine Integration, School of Brain Science and Brain Medicine, Zhejiang University, Hangzhou, China
| | - Xiao-Yu Wang
- Department of Neurobiology and Department of Ophthalmology of the First Affiliated Hospital, Zhejiang University School of Medicine, Hangzhou, China.,NHC and CAMS Key Laboratory of Medical Neurobiology, MOE Frontier Science Center for Brain Research and Brain-Machine Integration, School of Brain Science and Brain Medicine, Zhejiang University, Hangzhou, China
| | - Min-Xin Xu
- Department of Neurobiology and Department of General Intensive Care Unit of the Second Affiliated Hospital, Zhejiang University School of Medicine, Hangzhou, China.,NHC and CAMS Key Laboratory of Medical Neurobiology, MOE Frontier Science Center for Brain Research and Brain-Machine Integration, School of Brain Science and Brain Medicine, Zhejiang University, Hangzhou, China
| | - Hua Wang
- Department of Neurobiology and Department of Ophthalmology of the First Affiliated Hospital, Zhejiang University School of Medicine, Hangzhou, China.,NHC and CAMS Key Laboratory of Medical Neurobiology, MOE Frontier Science Center for Brain Research and Brain-Machine Integration, School of Brain Science and Brain Medicine, Zhejiang University, Hangzhou, China
| | - Tian-Qi Yang
- Department of Neurobiology and Department of General Intensive Care Unit of the Second Affiliated Hospital, Zhejiang University School of Medicine, Hangzhou, China.,NHC and CAMS Key Laboratory of Medical Neurobiology, MOE Frontier Science Center for Brain Research and Brain-Machine Integration, School of Brain Science and Brain Medicine, Zhejiang University, Hangzhou, China
| | - Cheng Peng
- Department of Neurobiology and Department of Ophthalmology of the First Affiliated Hospital, Zhejiang University School of Medicine, Hangzhou, China.,NHC and CAMS Key Laboratory of Medical Neurobiology, MOE Frontier Science Center for Brain Research and Brain-Machine Integration, School of Brain Science and Brain Medicine, Zhejiang University, Hangzhou, China
| | - Shuang-Shuang Liu
- Core Facilities, Zhejiang University School of Medicine, Hangzhou, China
| | - Man Huang
- Department of General Intensive Care Unit of the Second Affiliated Hospital, Zhejiang University School of Medicine, Hangzhou, China
| | - Yu-Dong Zhou
- Department of Neurobiology and Department of Ophthalmology of the First Affiliated Hospital, Zhejiang University School of Medicine, Hangzhou, China.,NHC and CAMS Key Laboratory of Medical Neurobiology, MOE Frontier Science Center for Brain Research and Brain-Machine Integration, School of Brain Science and Brain Medicine, Zhejiang University, Hangzhou, China.,Department of Pharmacology, Zhejiang University City College School of Medicine, Hangzhou, China
| | - Yi Shen
- Department of Neurobiology and Department of General Intensive Care Unit of the Second Affiliated Hospital, Zhejiang University School of Medicine, Hangzhou, China.,NHC and CAMS Key Laboratory of Medical Neurobiology, MOE Frontier Science Center for Brain Research and Brain-Machine Integration, School of Brain Science and Brain Medicine, Zhejiang University, Hangzhou, China.,National Human Brain Bank for Health and Disease, Hangzhou, China
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44
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Lee E, Lee S, Shin JJ, Choi W, Chung C, Lee S, Kim J, Ha S, Kim R, Yoo T, Yoo YE, Kim J, Noh YW, Rhim I, Lee SY, Kim W, Lee T, Shin H, Cho IJ, Deisseroth K, Kim SJ, Park JM, Jung MW, Paik SB, Kim E. Excitatory synapses and gap junctions cooperate to improve Pv neuronal burst firing and cortical social cognition in Shank2-mutant mice. Nat Commun 2021; 12:5116. [PMID: 34433814 PMCID: PMC8387434 DOI: 10.1038/s41467-021-25356-2] [Citation(s) in RCA: 12] [Impact Index Per Article: 4.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 12/20/2020] [Accepted: 08/05/2021] [Indexed: 02/07/2023] Open
Abstract
NMDA receptor (NMDAR) and GABA neuronal dysfunctions are observed in animal models of autism spectrum disorders, but how these dysfunctions impair social cognition and behavior remains unclear. We report here that NMDARs in cortical parvalbumin (Pv)-positive interneurons cooperate with gap junctions to promote high-frequency (>80 Hz) Pv neuronal burst firing and social cognition. Shank2–/– mice, displaying improved sociability upon NMDAR activation, show impaired cortical social representation and inhibitory neuronal burst firing. Cortical Shank2–/– Pv neurons show decreased NMDAR activity, which suppresses the cooperation between NMDARs and gap junctions (GJs) for normal burst firing. Shank2–/– Pv neurons show compensatory increases in GJ activity that are not sufficient for social rescue. However, optogenetic boosting of Pv neuronal bursts, requiring GJs, rescues cortical social cognition in Shank2–/– mice, similar to the NMDAR-dependent social rescue. Therefore, NMDARs and gap junctions cooperate to promote cortical Pv neuronal bursts and social cognition. How NMDAR and GABA neuronal dysfunctions result in impaired social behaviour is unclear. Here, the authors show that NMDARs and gap junctions in cortical PV interneurons modulate burst firing, affecting social behaviour.
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Affiliation(s)
- Eunee Lee
- Center for Synaptic Brain Dysfunctions, Institute for Basic Science (IBS), Daejeon, Korea.,Department of Anatomy, College of Medicine, Yonsei University, Seoul, Korea
| | - Seungjoon Lee
- Department of Biological Sciences, KAIST, Daejeon, Korea
| | - Jae Jin Shin
- Department of Brain and Cognitive Science, College of Natural Science, Seoul National University, Seoul, Korea.,Center for Cognition and Sociality, Institute for Basic Science (IBS), Daejeon, Korea
| | - Woochul Choi
- Program of Brain and Cognitive Engineering, Department of Bio and Brain Engineering, Korea Advanced Institute for Science and Technology (KAIST), Daejeon, Korea
| | - Changuk Chung
- Center for Synaptic Brain Dysfunctions, Institute for Basic Science (IBS), Daejeon, Korea
| | - Suho Lee
- Department of Biological Sciences, KAIST, Daejeon, Korea
| | - Jihye Kim
- Center for Synaptic Brain Dysfunctions, Institute for Basic Science (IBS), Daejeon, Korea
| | - Seungmin Ha
- Center for Synaptic Brain Dysfunctions, Institute for Basic Science (IBS), Daejeon, Korea
| | - Ryunhee Kim
- Center for Synaptic Brain Dysfunctions, Institute for Basic Science (IBS), Daejeon, Korea
| | - Taesun Yoo
- Center for Synaptic Brain Dysfunctions, Institute for Basic Science (IBS), Daejeon, Korea
| | - Ye-Eun Yoo
- Department of Biological Sciences, KAIST, Daejeon, Korea
| | - Jisoo Kim
- Department of Biological Sciences, KAIST, Daejeon, Korea
| | - Young Woo Noh
- Department of Biological Sciences, KAIST, Daejeon, Korea
| | - Issac Rhim
- Center for Synaptic Brain Dysfunctions, Institute for Basic Science (IBS), Daejeon, Korea
| | - Soo Yeon Lee
- Department of Biological Sciences, KAIST, Daejeon, Korea
| | - Woohyun Kim
- Department of Biological Sciences, KAIST, Daejeon, Korea
| | - Taekyung Lee
- Center for Synaptic Brain Dysfunctions, Institute for Basic Science (IBS), Daejeon, Korea
| | - Hyogeun Shin
- Center for BioMicrosystems, Brain Science Institute, Korea Institute of Science and Technology (KIST), Seoul, Korea
| | - Il-Joo Cho
- Center for BioMicrosystems, Brain Science Institute, Korea Institute of Science and Technology (KIST), Seoul, Korea
| | - Karl Deisseroth
- Department of Bioengineering, Department of Psychiatry and Behavioral Sciences, Howard Hughes Medical Institute, Stanford University, Stanford, CA, USA
| | - Sang Jeong Kim
- Department of Physiology, College of Medicine, Seoul National University, Seoul, Korea
| | - Joo Min Park
- Center for Cognition and Sociality, Institute for Basic Science (IBS), Daejeon, Korea.
| | - Min Whan Jung
- Center for Synaptic Brain Dysfunctions, Institute for Basic Science (IBS), Daejeon, Korea. .,Department of Biological Sciences, KAIST, Daejeon, Korea.
| | - Se-Bum Paik
- Program of Brain and Cognitive Engineering, Department of Bio and Brain Engineering, Korea Advanced Institute for Science and Technology (KAIST), Daejeon, Korea.
| | - Eunjoon Kim
- Center for Synaptic Brain Dysfunctions, Institute for Basic Science (IBS), Daejeon, Korea. .,Department of Biological Sciences, KAIST, Daejeon, Korea.
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Shi X, Zhang Q, Li J, Liu X, Zhang Y, Huang M, Fang W, Xu J, Yuan T, Xiao L, Tang YQ, Wang XD, Luo J, Yang W. Disrupting phosphorylation of Tyr-1070 at GluN2B selectively produces resilience to depression-like behaviors. Cell Rep 2021; 36:109612. [PMID: 34433031 DOI: 10.1016/j.celrep.2021.109612] [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: 10/08/2020] [Revised: 05/12/2021] [Accepted: 08/05/2021] [Indexed: 01/30/2023] Open
Abstract
Drugs targeting N-methyl-D-aspartate receptors (NMDARs) have been approved to treat major depressive disorder (MDD); however, the presence of undesirable psychotomimetic and cognitive side effects may limit their utility. In this study, we show that the phosphorylation levels of the GluN2B subunit at tyrosine (Y) 1070 increase in mice after both acute and chronic restraint stress (CRS) exposure. Preventing GluN2B-Y1070 phosphorylation via Y1070F mutation knockin produces effects similar to those of antidepressants but does not affect cognitive or anxiety-related behaviors in subject mice. Mechanistically, the Y1070F mutation selectively reduces non-synaptic NMDAR currents and increases the number of excitatory synapses in the layer 5 pyramidal neurons of medial prefrontal cortex (mPFC) but not in the hippocampus. Altogether, our study identifies phosphorylation levels of GluN2B-Y1070 in the mPFC as a dynamic, master switch guarding depressive behaviors, suggesting that disrupting the Y1070 phosphorylation of GluN2B subunit has the potential for developing new antidepressants.
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Affiliation(s)
- Xiaofang Shi
- NHC and CAMS Key Laboratory of Medical Neurobiology, School of Brain Science and Brian Medicine and the MOE Frontier Science Center for Brain Research and Brain-Machine Integration, Zhejiang University School of Medicine, Hangzhou, 310058, P.R. China
| | - Qi Zhang
- Department of Biophysics, Department of Neurosurgery, The First Affiliated Hospital, School of Medicine, Zhejiang University, Hangzhou, Zhejiang, 310003, P.R. China
| | - Jie Li
- NHC and CAMS Key Laboratory of Medical Neurobiology, School of Brain Science and Brian Medicine and the MOE Frontier Science Center for Brain Research and Brain-Machine Integration, Zhejiang University School of Medicine, Hangzhou, 310058, P.R. China
| | - Xingyu Liu
- Department of Biophysics, Department of Neurosurgery, The First Affiliated Hospital, School of Medicine, Zhejiang University, Hangzhou, Zhejiang, 310003, P.R. China
| | - Yi Zhang
- Department of Biophysics, Department of Neurosurgery, The First Affiliated Hospital, School of Medicine, Zhejiang University, Hangzhou, Zhejiang, 310003, P.R. China
| | - Minhua Huang
- Department of Biophysics, Department of Neurosurgery, The First Affiliated Hospital, School of Medicine, Zhejiang University, Hangzhou, Zhejiang, 310003, P.R. China
| | - Weiqing Fang
- Department of Pharmacy, Women's Hospital, School of Medicine, Zhejiang University, Hangzhou, Zhejiang, 310006, P.R. China
| | - Junyu Xu
- NHC and CAMS Key Laboratory of Medical Neurobiology, School of Brain Science and Brian Medicine and the MOE Frontier Science Center for Brain Research and Brain-Machine Integration, Zhejiang University School of Medicine, Hangzhou, 310058, P.R. China
| | - Tifei Yuan
- Shanghai Mental Health Center, Shanghai Jiaotong University School of Medicine, Shanghai, China
| | - Lin Xiao
- Institute for Brain Research and Rehabilitation, South China Normal University, Key Laboratory of Brain Cognition and Education Sciences, Ministry of Education, 510631 Guangzhou, China
| | - Yi-Quan Tang
- State Key Laboratory of Medical Neurobiology and MOE Frontiers Center for Brain Science, Institutes of Brain Science, Fudan University, Shanghai, China
| | - Xiao-Dong Wang
- Department of Neurobiology and Department of Psychiatry of Sir Run Run Shaw Hospital, Zhejiang University School of Medicine, 310058, Hangzhou, China
| | - Jianhong Luo
- NHC and CAMS Key Laboratory of Medical Neurobiology, School of Brain Science and Brian Medicine and the MOE Frontier Science Center for Brain Research and Brain-Machine Integration, Zhejiang University School of Medicine, Hangzhou, 310058, P.R. China.
| | - Wei Yang
- Department of Biophysics, Department of Neurosurgery, The First Affiliated Hospital, School of Medicine, Zhejiang University, Hangzhou, Zhejiang, 310003, P.R. China.
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Chai AP, Chen XF, Xu XS, Zhang N, Li M, Li JN, Zhang L, Zhang D, Zhang X, Mao RR, Ding YQ, Xu L, Zhou QX. A Temporal Activity of CA1 Neurons Underlying Short-Term Memory for Social Recognition Altered in PTEN Mouse Models of Autism Spectrum Disorder. Front Cell Neurosci 2021; 15:699315. [PMID: 34335191 PMCID: PMC8319669 DOI: 10.3389/fncel.2021.699315] [Citation(s) in RCA: 5] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.7] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 04/23/2021] [Accepted: 06/21/2021] [Indexed: 11/30/2022] Open
Abstract
Memory-guided social recognition identifies someone from previous encounters or experiences, but the mechanisms of social memory remain unclear. Here, we find that a short-term memory from experiencing a stranger mouse lasting under 30 min interval is essential for subsequent social recognition in mice, but that interval prolonged to hours by replacing the stranger mouse with a familiar littermate. Optogenetic silencing of dorsal CA1 neuronal activity during trials or inter-trial intervals disrupted short-term memory-guided social recognition, without affecting the ability of being sociable or long-term memory-guided social recognition. Postnatal knockdown or knockout of autism spectrum disorder (ASD)-associated phosphatase and tensin homolog (PTEN) gene in dorsal hippocampal CA1 similarly impaired neuronal firing rate in vitro and altered firing pattern during social recognition. These PTEN mice showed deficits in social recognition with stranger mouse rather than littermate and exhibited impairment in T-maze spontaneous alternation task for testing short-term spatial memory. Thus, we suggest that a temporal activity of dorsal CA1 neurons may underlie formation of short-term memory to be critical for organizing subsequent social recognition but that is possibly disrupted in ASD.
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Affiliation(s)
- An-Ping Chai
- Key Laboratory of Animal Models and Human Disease Mechanisms, and Laboratory of Learning and Memory, and KIZ-SU Joint Laboratory of Animal Model and Drug Development, Kunming Institute of Zoology, The Chinese Academy of Sciences, Kunming, China
- The Brain Cognition and Brain Disease Institute, Shenzhen Institute of Advanced Technology, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Shenzhen, China
- Shenzhen-Hong Kong Institute of Brain Science-Shenzhen Fundamental Research Institutions, Shenzhen, China
| | - Xue-Feng Chen
- Key Laboratory of Animal Models and Human Disease Mechanisms, and Laboratory of Learning and Memory, and KIZ-SU Joint Laboratory of Animal Model and Drug Development, Kunming Institute of Zoology, The Chinese Academy of Sciences, Kunming, China
- School of Life Sciences, Yunnan University, Kunming, China
| | - Xiao-Shan Xu
- Key Laboratory of Animal Models and Human Disease Mechanisms, and Laboratory of Learning and Memory, and KIZ-SU Joint Laboratory of Animal Model and Drug Development, Kunming Institute of Zoology, The Chinese Academy of Sciences, Kunming, China
| | - Na Zhang
- School of Life Sciences, Anhui University, Hefei, China
| | - Meng Li
- Key Laboratory of Animal Models and Human Disease Mechanisms, and Laboratory of Learning and Memory, and KIZ-SU Joint Laboratory of Animal Model and Drug Development, Kunming Institute of Zoology, The Chinese Academy of Sciences, Kunming, China
| | - Jin-Nan Li
- Key Laboratory of Animal Models and Human Disease Mechanisms, and Laboratory of Learning and Memory, and KIZ-SU Joint Laboratory of Animal Model and Drug Development, Kunming Institute of Zoology, The Chinese Academy of Sciences, Kunming, China
| | - Lei Zhang
- Department of Anatomy and Neurobiology, Tongji University School of Medicine, Shanghai, China
| | - Dai Zhang
- Institute of Mental Health, The Sixth Hospital of Peking University, Beijing, China
| | - Xia Zhang
- Department of Cellular and Molecular Medicine, Institute of Mental Health Research at the Royal, University of Ottawa, Ottawa, ON, Canada
- Department of Psychiatry, Institute of Mental Health Research at the Royal, University of Ottawa, Ottawa, ON, Canada
| | - Rong-Rong Mao
- Key Laboratory of Animal Models and Human Disease Mechanisms, and Laboratory of Learning and Memory, and KIZ-SU Joint Laboratory of Animal Model and Drug Development, Kunming Institute of Zoology, The Chinese Academy of Sciences, Kunming, China
| | - Yu-Qiang Ding
- Department of Anatomy and Neurobiology, Tongji University School of Medicine, Shanghai, China
| | - Lin Xu
- Key Laboratory of Animal Models and Human Disease Mechanisms, and Laboratory of Learning and Memory, and KIZ-SU Joint Laboratory of Animal Model and Drug Development, Kunming Institute of Zoology, The Chinese Academy of Sciences, Kunming, China
- School of Life Sciences, Yunnan University, Kunming, China
- CAS Center for Excellence in Brain Science and Intelligence Technology, Shanghai, China
| | - Qi-Xin Zhou
- Key Laboratory of Animal Models and Human Disease Mechanisms, and Laboratory of Learning and Memory, and KIZ-SU Joint Laboratory of Animal Model and Drug Development, Kunming Institute of Zoology, The Chinese Academy of Sciences, Kunming, China
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Burrows EL, May C, Hill T, Churliov L, Johnson KA, Hannan AJ. Mice with an autism-associated R451C mutation in neuroligin-3 show a cautious but accurate response style in touchscreen attention tasks. GENES, BRAIN, AND BEHAVIOR 2021; 21:e12757. [PMID: 34085373 PMCID: PMC9744539 DOI: 10.1111/gbb.12757] [Citation(s) in RCA: 8] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.7] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Figures] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 01/27/2021] [Revised: 05/30/2021] [Accepted: 06/02/2021] [Indexed: 11/30/2022]
Abstract
One of the earliest identifiable features of autism spectrum disorder (ASD) is altered attention. Mice expressing the ASD-associated R451C mutation in synaptic adhesion protein neuroligin-3 (NL3) exhibit impaired reciprocal social interactions and repetitive and restrictive behaviours. The role of this mutation in attentional abnormalities has not been established. We assessed attention in male NL3R451C mice using two well-established tasks in touchscreen chambers. In the 5-choice serial reaction task, rodents were trained to attend to light stimuli that appear in any one of five locations. While no differences between NL3R451C and WT mice were seen in accuracy or omissions, slower response times and quicker reward collection latencies were seen across all training and probe trials. In the rodent continuous-performance test, animals were required to discriminate, and identify a visual target pattern over multiple distractor stimuli. NL3R451C mice displayed enhanced ability to attend to stimuli when task-load was low during training and baseline but lost this advantage when difficulty was increased by altering task parameters in probe trials. NL3R451C mice made less responses to the distractor stimuli, exhibiting lower false alarm rates during all training stages and in probe trials. Slower response times and quicker reward latencies were consistently seen in NL3R451C mice in the rCPT. Slower response times are a major cognitive phenotype reported in ASD patients and are indicative of slower processing speed. Enhanced attention has been shown in a subset of ASD patients and we have demonstrated this phenotype also exists in the NL3R451C mouse model.
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Affiliation(s)
- Emma L. Burrows
- Florey Institute of Neuroscience and Mental Health, University of MelbourneParkvilleVictoriaAustralia
| | - Carlos May
- Florey Institute of Neuroscience and Mental Health, University of MelbourneParkvilleVictoriaAustralia
| | - Thomas Hill
- Florey Institute of Neuroscience and Mental Health, University of MelbourneParkvilleVictoriaAustralia
| | - Leonid Churliov
- Florey Institute of Neuroscience and Mental HealthHeidelbergVictoriaAustralia
| | - Katherine A. Johnson
- School of Psychological SciencesUniversity of MelbourneParkvilleVictoriaAustralia
| | - Anthony J. Hannan
- Florey Institute of Neuroscience and Mental Health, University of MelbourneParkvilleVictoriaAustralia,Department of Anatomy and NeuroscienceUniversity of MelbourneParkvilleVictoriaAustralia
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48
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Sensitive period for rescuing parvalbumin interneurons connectivity and social behavior deficits caused by TSC1 loss. Nat Commun 2021; 12:3653. [PMID: 34135323 PMCID: PMC8209106 DOI: 10.1038/s41467-021-23939-7] [Citation(s) in RCA: 21] [Impact Index Per Article: 7.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 12/18/2019] [Accepted: 05/20/2021] [Indexed: 11/08/2022] Open
Abstract
The Mechanistic Target Of Rapamycin Complex 1 (mTORC1) pathway controls several aspects of neuronal development. Mutations in regulators of mTORC1, such as Tsc1 and Tsc2, lead to neurodevelopmental disorders associated with autism, intellectual disabilities and epilepsy. The correct development of inhibitory interneurons is crucial for functional circuits. In particular, the axonal arborisation and synapse density of parvalbumin (PV)-positive GABAergic interneurons change in the postnatal brain. How and whether mTORC1 signaling affects PV cell development is unknown. Here, we show that Tsc1 haploinsufficiency causes a premature increase in terminal axonal branching and bouton density formed by mutant PV cells, followed by a loss of perisomatic innervation in adult mice. PV cell-restricted Tsc1 haploinsufficient and knockout mice show deficits in social behavior. Finally, we identify a sensitive period during the third postnatal week during which treatment with the mTOR inhibitor Rapamycin rescues deficits in both PV cell innervation and social behavior in adult conditional haploinsufficient mice. Our findings reveal a role of mTORC1 signaling in the regulation of the developmental time course and maintenance of cortical PV cell connectivity and support a mechanistic basis for the targeted rescue of autism-related behaviors in disorders associated with deregulated mTORC1 signaling.
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49
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Lee S, Kang H, Jung H, Kim E, Lee E. Gene Dosage- and Age-Dependent Differential Transcriptomic Changes in the Prefrontal Cortex of Shank2-Mutant Mice. Front Mol Neurosci 2021; 14:683196. [PMID: 34177464 PMCID: PMC8226033 DOI: 10.3389/fnmol.2021.683196] [Citation(s) in RCA: 4] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 03/20/2021] [Accepted: 05/18/2021] [Indexed: 11/20/2022] Open
Abstract
Shank2 is an abundant postsynaptic scaffolding protein that is known to regulate excitatory synapse assembly and synaptic transmission and has been implicated in various neurodevelopmental disorders, including autism spectrum disorders (ASD). Previous studies on Shank2-mutant mice provided mechanistic insights into their autistic-like phenotypes, but it remains unclear how transcriptomic patterns are changed in brain regions of the mutant mice in age- and gene dosage-dependent manners. To this end, we performed RNA-Seq analyses of the transcripts from the prefrontal cortex (PFC) of heterozygous and homozygous Shank2-mutant mice lacking exons 6 and 7 at juvenile (week 3) and adult (week 12) stages. Juvenile heterozygous Shank2-mutant mice showed upregulation of glutamate synapse-related genes, downregulation of ribosomal and mitochondrial genes, and transcriptomic changes that are opposite to those observed in ASD (anti-ASD) such as upregulation of ASD_down (downregulated in ASD), GABA neuron-related, and oligodendrocyte-related genes. Juvenile homozygous Shank2 mice showed upregulation of chromatin-related genes and transcriptomic changes that are in line with those occurring in ASD (pro-ASD) such as downregulation of ASD_down, GABA neuron-related, and oligodendrocyte-related genes. Adult heterozygous and homozygous Shank2-mutant mice both exhibited downregulation of ribosomal and mitochondrial genes and pro-ASD transcriptomic changes. Therefore, the gene dosage- and age-dependent effects of Shank2 deletions in mice include differential transcriptomic changes across distinct functional contexts, including synapses, chromatin, ribosomes, mitochondria, GABA neurons, and oligodendrocytes.
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Affiliation(s)
- Seungjoon Lee
- Department of Biological Sciences, Korea Advanced Institute for Science and Technology (KAIST), Daejeon, South Korea
| | - Hyojin Kang
- Division of National Supercomputing, KISTI, Daejeon, South Korea
| | - Hwajin Jung
- Center for Synaptic Brain Dysfunctions, Institute for Basic Science (IBS), Daejeon, South Korea
| | - Eunjoon Kim
- Department of Biological Sciences, Korea Advanced Institute for Science and Technology (KAIST), Daejeon, South Korea.,Center for Synaptic Brain Dysfunctions, Institute for Basic Science (IBS), Daejeon, South Korea
| | - Eunee Lee
- Center for Synaptic Brain Dysfunctions, Institute for Basic Science (IBS), Daejeon, South Korea.,Department of Anatomy, School of Medicine, Yonsei University, Seoul, South Korea
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50
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Vanderplow AM, Eagle AL, Kermath BA, Bjornson KJ, Robison AJ, Cahill ME. Akt-mTOR hypoactivity in bipolar disorder gives rise to cognitive impairments associated with altered neuronal structure and function. Neuron 2021; 109:1479-1496.e6. [PMID: 33765445 PMCID: PMC8105282 DOI: 10.1016/j.neuron.2021.03.008] [Citation(s) in RCA: 29] [Impact Index Per Article: 9.7] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 09/01/2020] [Revised: 01/20/2021] [Accepted: 03/04/2021] [Indexed: 12/22/2022]
Abstract
The Akt family of kinases exerts many of its cellular effects via the activation of the mammalian target of rapamycin (mTOR) kinase through a series of intermediary proteins. Multiple lines of evidence have identified Akt-family kinases as candidate schizophrenia and bipolar disorder genes. Although dysfunction of the prefrontal cortex (PFC) is a key feature of both schizophrenia and bipolar disorder, no studies have comprehensively assessed potential alterations in Akt-mTOR pathway activity in the PFC of either disorder. Here, we examined the activity and expression profile of key proteins in the Akt-mTOR pathway in bipolar disorder and schizophrenia homogenates from two different PFC subregions. Our findings identify reduced Akt-mTOR PFC signaling in a subset of bipolar disorder subjects. Using a reverse-translational approach, we demonstrated that Akt hypofunction in the PFC is sufficient to give rise to key cognitive phenotypes that are paralleled by alterations in synaptic connectivity and function.
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Affiliation(s)
- Amanda M Vanderplow
- Department of Comparative Biosciences, University of Wisconsin-Madison, Madison, WI 53706, USA
| | - Andrew L Eagle
- Department of Physiology, Michigan State University, East Lansing, MI 48824, USA
| | - Bailey A Kermath
- Department of Comparative Biosciences, University of Wisconsin-Madison, Madison, WI 53706, USA
| | - Kathryn J Bjornson
- Department of Comparative Biosciences, University of Wisconsin-Madison, Madison, WI 53706, USA
| | - Alfred J Robison
- Department of Physiology, Michigan State University, East Lansing, MI 48824, USA
| | - Michael E Cahill
- Department of Comparative Biosciences, University of Wisconsin-Madison, Madison, WI 53706, USA.
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