1
|
de Kloet ER, Joëls M. The cortisol switch between vulnerability and resilience. Mol Psychiatry 2024; 29:20-34. [PMID: 36599967 DOI: 10.1038/s41380-022-01934-8] [Citation(s) in RCA: 12] [Impact Index Per Article: 12.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Submit a Manuscript] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 07/11/2022] [Revised: 12/14/2022] [Accepted: 12/16/2022] [Indexed: 01/06/2023]
Abstract
In concert with neuropeptides and transmitters, the end products of the hypothalamus-pituitary-adrenal (HPA) axis, the glucocorticoid hormones cortisol and corticosterone (CORT), promote resilience: i.e., the ability to cope with threats, adversity, and trauma. To exert this protective action, CORT activates mineralocorticoid receptors (MR) and glucocorticoid receptors (GR) that operate in a complementary manner -as an on/off switch- to coordinate circadian events, stress-coping, and adaptation. The evolutionary older limbic MR facilitates contextual memory retrieval and supports an on-switch in the selection of stress-coping styles at a low cost. The rise in circulating CORT concentration after stress subsequently activates a GR-mediated off-switch underlying recovery of homeostasis by providing the energy for restraining the primary stress reactions and promoting cognitive control over emotional reactivity. GR activation facilitates contextual memory storage of the experience to enable future stress-coping. Such complementary MR-GR-mediated actions involve rapid non-genomic and slower gene-mediated mechanisms; they are time-dependent, conditional, and sexually dimorphic, and depend on genetic background and prior experience. If coping fails, GR activation impairs cognitive control and promotes emotional arousal which eventually may compromise resilience. Such breakdown of resilience involves a transition to a chronic stress construct, where information processing is crashed; it leads to an imbalanced MR-GR switch and hence increased vulnerability. Novel MR-GR modulators are becoming available that may reset a dysregulated stress response system to reinstate the cognitive flexibility required for resilience.
Collapse
Affiliation(s)
- E Ronald de Kloet
- Division of Endocrinology, Department of Internal Medicine, Leiden University Medical Center, Leiden University, Leiden, The Netherlands.
- Leiden/Amsterdam Center of Drug Research, Leiden University, Leiden, The Netherlands.
| | - Marian Joëls
- Dept. Translational Neuroscience, University Medical Center Utrecht, Utrecht University, Utrecht, The Netherlands
- University Medical Center Groningen, University of Groningen, Groningen, The Netherlands
| |
Collapse
|
2
|
Zeng WX, Liu H, Hao Y, Qian KY, Tian FM, Li L, Yu B, Zeng XT, Gao S, Hu Z, Tong XJ. CaMKII mediates sexually dimorphic synaptic transmission at neuromuscular junctions in C. elegans. J Cell Biol 2023; 222:e202301117. [PMID: 37624117 PMCID: PMC10457463 DOI: 10.1083/jcb.202301117] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 01/27/2023] [Revised: 06/20/2023] [Accepted: 08/14/2023] [Indexed: 08/26/2023] Open
Abstract
Sexually dimorphic behaviors are ubiquitous throughout the animal kingdom. Although both sex-specific and sex-shared neurons have been functionally implicated in these diverse behaviors, less is known about the roles of sex-shared neurons. Here, we discovered sexually dimorphic cholinergic synaptic transmission in C. elegans occurring at neuromuscular junctions (NMJs), with males exhibiting increased release frequencies, which result in sexually dimorphic locomotion behaviors. Scanning electron microscopy revealed that males have significantly more synaptic vesicles (SVs) at their cholinergic synapses than hermaphrodites. Analysis of previously published transcriptome identified the male-enriched transcripts and focused our attention on UNC-43/CaMKII. We ultimately show that differential accumulation of UNC-43 at cholinergic neurons controls axonal SV abundance and synaptic transmission. Finally, we demonstrate that sex reversal of all neurons in hermaphrodites generates male-like cholinergic transmission and locomotion behaviors. Thus, beyond demonstrating UNC-43/CaMKII as an essential mediator of sex-specific synaptic transmission, our study provides molecular and cellular insights into how sex-shared neurons can generate sexually dimorphic locomotion behaviors.
Collapse
Affiliation(s)
- Wan-Xin Zeng
- School of Life Science and Technology, ShanghaiTech University, Shanghai, China
- Institute of Neuroscience, Shanghai Institutes for Biological Sciences, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Shanghai, China
- University of Chinese Academy of Sciences, Beijing, China
| | - Haowen Liu
- Queensland Brain Institute, Clem Jones Centre for Ageing Dementia Research (CJCADR), The University of Queensland, Brisbane, Australia
| | - Yue Hao
- School of Life Science and Technology, ShanghaiTech University, Shanghai, China
- Institute of Neuroscience, Shanghai Institutes for Biological Sciences, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Shanghai, China
- University of Chinese Academy of Sciences, Beijing, China
| | - Kang-Ying Qian
- School of Life Science and Technology, ShanghaiTech University, Shanghai, China
- Institute of Neuroscience, Shanghai Institutes for Biological Sciences, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Shanghai, China
- University of Chinese Academy of Sciences, Beijing, China
| | - Fu-Min Tian
- School of Life Science and Technology, ShanghaiTech University, Shanghai, China
| | - Lei Li
- Queensland Brain Institute, Clem Jones Centre for Ageing Dementia Research (CJCADR), The University of Queensland, Brisbane, Australia
| | - Bin Yu
- College of Life Science and Technology, Huazhong University of Science and Technology, Wuhan, China
| | - Xian-Ting Zeng
- School of Life Science and Technology, ShanghaiTech University, Shanghai, China
| | - Shangbang Gao
- College of Life Science and Technology, Huazhong University of Science and Technology, Wuhan, China
| | - Zhitao Hu
- Queensland Brain Institute, Clem Jones Centre for Ageing Dementia Research (CJCADR), The University of Queensland, Brisbane, Australia
- Department of Neuroscience, City University of Hong Kong, Kowloon, China
| | - Xia-Jing Tong
- School of Life Science and Technology, ShanghaiTech University, Shanghai, China
| |
Collapse
|
3
|
Daskalakis NP, Meijer OC, Ronald de Kloet E. Mineralocorticoid receptor and glucocorticoid receptor work alone and together in cell-type-specific manner: Implications for resilience prediction and targeted therapy. Neurobiol Stress 2022; 18:100455. [PMID: 35601687 PMCID: PMC9118500 DOI: 10.1016/j.ynstr.2022.100455] [Citation(s) in RCA: 20] [Impact Index Per Article: 10.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 01/15/2022] [Revised: 03/30/2022] [Accepted: 04/19/2022] [Indexed: 12/24/2022] Open
Abstract
‘You can't roll the clock back and reverse the effects of experiences' Bruce McEwen used to say when explaining how allostasis labels the adaptive process. Here we will for once roll the clock back to the times that the science of the glucocorticoid hormone was honored with a Nobel prize and highlight the discovery of their receptors in the hippocampus as inroad to its current status as master regulator in control of stress coping and adaptation. Glucocorticoids operate in concert with numerous neurotransmitters, neuropeptides, and other hormones with the aim to facilitate processing of information in the neurocircuitry of stress, from anticipation and perception of a novel experience to behavioral adaptation and memory storage. This action, exerted by the glucocorticoids, is guided by two complementary receptor systems, mineralocorticoid receptors (MR) and glucocorticoid receptors (GR), that need to be balanced for a healthy stress response pattern. Here we discuss the cellular, neuroendocrine, and behavioral studies underlying the MR:GR balance concept, highlight the relevance of hypothalamic-pituitary-adrenal (HPA) -axis patterns and note the limited understanding yet of sexual dimorphism in glucocorticoid actions. We conclude with the prospect that (i) genetically and epigenetically regulated receptor variants dictate cell-type-specific transcriptome signatures of stress-related neuropsychiatric symptoms and (ii) selective receptor modulators are becoming available for more targeted treatment. These two new developments may help to ‘restart the clock’ with the prospect to support resilience.
Collapse
|
4
|
Oakley RH, Whirledge SD, Petrillo MG, Riddick NV, Xu X, Moy SS, Cidlowski JA. Combinatorial actions of glucocorticoid and mineralocorticoid stress hormone receptors are required for preventing neurodegeneration of the mouse hippocampus. Neurobiol Stress 2021; 15:100369. [PMID: 34368410 PMCID: PMC8326231 DOI: 10.1016/j.ynstr.2021.100369] [Citation(s) in RCA: 11] [Impact Index Per Article: 3.7] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 03/17/2021] [Revised: 07/15/2021] [Accepted: 07/19/2021] [Indexed: 11/25/2022] Open
Abstract
Chronic stress contributes to numerous human pathologies including cognition impairments and psychiatric disorders. Glucocorticoids are primary stress hormones that activate two closely related nuclear receptors, the glucocorticoid (GR) and mineralocorticoid receptor (MR), that are both highly expressed in the hippocampus. To investigate potential combinatorial actions of hippocampal GR and MR, we developed mice with conditional knockout of both GR and MR in the hippocampus and compared them to their single knockout counterparts. Mice lacking MR alone or both GR and MR in the hippocampus exhibited altered expression of multiple CA2-specific neuronal markers and enhanced cue-dependent learning in a conditioned fear test. Provocatively, in contrast to the single knockouts, mice depleted of both GR and MR showed profound neurodegeneration of the hippocampus. Neuronal death was increased and neurogenesis was reduced in the dentate gyrus of the double knockout mice. Global gene expression assays of the knockout mice revealed a synergistic increase in the number of dysregulated genes in the hippocampus lacking both GR and MR. This large cohort of genes reliant on both GR and MR for expression was strongly associated with cell death and cell proliferation pathways. GR/MR complexes were detected in CA1 and dentate gyrus neurons suggesting receptor heterodimers contribute to the joint actions of GR and MR. These findings reveal an obligate role for MR signaling in regulating the molecular phenotype of CA2 neurons and demonstrate that combinatorial actions of GR and MR are essential for preserving dentate gyrus neurons and maintaining hippocampal health.
Collapse
Affiliation(s)
- Robert H. Oakley
- Signal Transduction Laboratory, National Institute of Environmental Health Sciences, National Institutes of Health, Research Triangle Park, NC, 27709, USA
| | - Shannon D. Whirledge
- Signal Transduction Laboratory, National Institute of Environmental Health Sciences, National Institutes of Health, Research Triangle Park, NC, 27709, USA
| | - Maria G. Petrillo
- Signal Transduction Laboratory, National Institute of Environmental Health Sciences, National Institutes of Health, Research Triangle Park, NC, 27709, USA
| | - Natallia V. Riddick
- Department of Psychiatry and Carolina Institute for Developmental Disabilities, University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill, Chapel Hill, NC, 27599, USA
| | - Xiaojiang Xu
- Laboratory of Integrative Bioinformatics, National Institute of Environmental Health Sciences, National Institutes of Health, Research Triangle Park, NC, 27709, USA
| | - Sheryl S. Moy
- Department of Psychiatry and Carolina Institute for Developmental Disabilities, University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill, Chapel Hill, NC, 27599, USA
| | - John A. Cidlowski
- Signal Transduction Laboratory, National Institute of Environmental Health Sciences, National Institutes of Health, Research Triangle Park, NC, 27709, USA
| |
Collapse
|
5
|
Corrales WA, Silva JP, Parra CS, Olave FA, Aguayo FI, Román-Albasini L, Aliaga E, Venegas-Zamora L, Avalos AM, Rojas PS, Maracaja-Coutinho V, Oakley RH, Cidlowski JA, Fiedler JL. Sex-Dependent Changes of miRNA Levels in the Hippocampus of Adrenalectomized Rats Following Acute Corticosterone Administration. ACS Chem Neurosci 2021; 12:2981-3001. [PMID: 34339164 DOI: 10.1021/acschemneuro.0c00762] [Citation(s) in RCA: 3] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 12/22/2022] Open
Abstract
We explored sex-biased effects of the primary stress glucocorticoid hormone corticosterone on the miRNA expression profile in the rat hippocampus. Adult adrenalectomized (ADX) female and male rats received a single corticosterone (10 mg/kg) or vehicle injection, and after 6 h, hippocampi were collected for miRNA, mRNA, and Western blot analyses. miRNA profiling microarrays showed a basal sex-biased miRNA profile in ADX rat hippocampi. Additionally, acute corticosterone administration triggered a sex-biased differential expression of miRNAs derived from genes located in several chromosomes and clusters on the X and 6 chromosomes. Putative promoter analysis unveiled that most corticosterone-responsive miRNA genes contained motifs for either direct or indirect glucocorticoid actions in both sexes. The evaluation of transcription factors indicated that almost 50% of miRNA genes sensitive to corticosterone in both sexes was under glucocorticoid receptor regulation. Transcription factor-miRNA regulatory network analyses identified several transcription factors that regulate, activate, or repress miRNA expression. Validated target mRNA analysis of corticosterone-responsive miRNAs showed a more complex miRNA-mRNA interaction network in males compared to females. Enrichment analysis revealed that several hippocampal-relevant pathways were affected in both sexes, such as neurogenesis and neurotrophin signaling. The evaluation of selected miRNA targets from these pathways displayed a strong sex difference in the hippocampus of ADX-vehicle rats. Corticosterone treatment did not change the levels of the miRNA targets and their corresponding tested proteins. Our data indicate that corticosterone exerts a sex-biased effect on hippocampal miRNA expression, which may engage in sculpting the basal sex differences observed at higher levels of hippocampal functioning.
Collapse
Affiliation(s)
- Wladimir A. Corrales
- Laboratory of Neuroplasticity and Neurogenetics, Faculty of Chemical and Pharmaceutical Sciences, Department of Biochemistry and Molecular Biology, Universidad de Chile, Independencia, Santiago 8380492, Chile
| | - Juan P. Silva
- Laboratory of Neuroplasticity and Neurogenetics, Faculty of Chemical and Pharmaceutical Sciences, Department of Biochemistry and Molecular Biology, Universidad de Chile, Independencia, Santiago 8380492, Chile
| | - Claudio S. Parra
- Laboratory of Neuroplasticity and Neurogenetics, Faculty of Chemical and Pharmaceutical Sciences, Department of Biochemistry and Molecular Biology, Universidad de Chile, Independencia, Santiago 8380492, Chile
| | - Felipe A. Olave
- Laboratory of Neuroplasticity and Neurogenetics, Faculty of Chemical and Pharmaceutical Sciences, Department of Biochemistry and Molecular Biology, Universidad de Chile, Independencia, Santiago 8380492, Chile
| | - Felipe I. Aguayo
- Laboratory of Neuroplasticity and Neurogenetics, Faculty of Chemical and Pharmaceutical Sciences, Department of Biochemistry and Molecular Biology, Universidad de Chile, Independencia, Santiago 8380492, Chile
| | - Luciano Román-Albasini
- Laboratory of Neuroplasticity and Neurogenetics, Faculty of Chemical and Pharmaceutical Sciences, Department of Biochemistry and Molecular Biology, Universidad de Chile, Independencia, Santiago 8380492, Chile
| | - Esteban Aliaga
- Department of Kinesiology and The Neuropsychology and Cognitive Neurosciences Research Center (CINPSI-Neurocog), Faculty of Health Sciences, Universidad Católica del Maule, Talca 3460000, Chile
| | - Leslye Venegas-Zamora
- Laboratory of Neuroplasticity and Neurogenetics, Faculty of Chemical and Pharmaceutical Sciences, Department of Biochemistry and Molecular Biology, Universidad de Chile, Independencia, Santiago 8380492, Chile
| | - Ana M. Avalos
- Instituto de Ciencias Biomédicas, Facultad de Ciencias de la Salud, Universidad Autónoma de Chile, Santiago 8910060, Chile
| | - Paulina S. Rojas
- Escuela de Química y Farmacia, Facultad de Medicina, Universidad Andres Bello, Santiago 8370149, Chile
| | - Vinicius Maracaja-Coutinho
- Advanced Center for Chronic Diseases (ACCDiS), Faculty of Chemical and Pharmaceutical Sciences, Department of Biochemistry and Molecular Biology, Universidad de Chile, Independencia, Santiago 8380492, Chile
| | - Robert H. Oakley
- National Institute of Environmental Health Sciences, National Institutes of Health, Department of Health and Human Services, Research Triangle Park, North Carolina 27709, United States
| | - John A. Cidlowski
- National Institute of Environmental Health Sciences, National Institutes of Health, Department of Health and Human Services, Research Triangle Park, North Carolina 27709, United States
| | - Jenny L. Fiedler
- Laboratory of Neuroplasticity and Neurogenetics, Faculty of Chemical and Pharmaceutical Sciences, Department of Biochemistry and Molecular Biology, Universidad de Chile, Independencia, Santiago 8380492, Chile
| |
Collapse
|