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Yeung J, DeYoung T, Spring S, de Guzman AE, Elder MW, Beauchamp A, Wong CS, Palmert MR, Lerch JP, Nieman BJ. Sex chromosomes and hormones independently influence healthy brain development but act similarly after cranial radiation. Proc Natl Acad Sci U S A 2024; 121:e2404042121. [PMID: 39207735 PMCID: PMC11388377 DOI: 10.1073/pnas.2404042121] [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: 02/27/2024] [Accepted: 07/30/2024] [Indexed: 09/04/2024] Open
Abstract
The course of normal development and response to pathology are strongly influenced by biological sex. For instance, female childhood cancer survivors who have undergone cranial radiation therapy (CRT) tend to display more pronounced cognitive deficits than their male counterparts. Sex effects can be the result of sex chromosome complement (XX vs. XY) and/or gonadal hormone influence. The contributions of each can be separated using the four-core genotype mouse model (FCG), where sex chromosome complement and gonadal sex are decoupled. While studies of FCG mice have evaluated brain differences in adulthood, it is still unclear how sex chromosome and sex hormone effects emerge through development in both healthy and pathological contexts. Our study utilizes longitudinal MRI with the FCG model to investigate sex effects in healthy development and after CRT in wildtype and immune-modified Ccl2-knockout mice. Our findings in normally developing mice reveal a relatively prominent chromosome effect prepubertally, compared to sex hormone effects which largely emerge later. Spatially, sex chromosome and hormone influences were independent of one another. After CRT in Ccl2-knockout mice, both male chromosomes and male hormones similarly improved brain outcomes but did so more separately than in combination. Our findings highlight the crucial role of sex chromosomes in early development and identify roles for sex chromosomes and hormones after CRT-induced inflammation, highlighting the influences of biological sex in both normal brain development and pathology.
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Affiliation(s)
- Jonas Yeung
- Mouse Imaging Centre, Hospital for Sick Children, Toronto ON M5T 3H7, Canada
- Translational Medicine, Hospital for Sick Children, Toronto ON M5G 1X8, Canada
- Department of Medical Biophysics, University of Toronto, Toronto ON M5G 1L7, Canada
| | - Taylor DeYoung
- Mouse Imaging Centre, Hospital for Sick Children, Toronto ON M5T 3H7, Canada
- Translational Medicine, Hospital for Sick Children, Toronto ON M5G 1X8, Canada
- Department of Medical Biophysics, University of Toronto, Toronto ON M5G 1L7, Canada
| | - Shoshana Spring
- Mouse Imaging Centre, Hospital for Sick Children, Toronto ON M5T 3H7, Canada
| | - A Elizabeth de Guzman
- Mouse Imaging Centre, Hospital for Sick Children, Toronto ON M5T 3H7, Canada
- Translational Medicine, Hospital for Sick Children, Toronto ON M5G 1X8, Canada
- Department of Medical Biophysics, University of Toronto, Toronto ON M5G 1L7, Canada
- Functional Neuroimaging Laboratory, Istituto Italiano di Tecnologia, Rovereto TN 38068, Italy
| | - Madeline W Elder
- Mouse Imaging Centre, Hospital for Sick Children, Toronto ON M5T 3H7, Canada
| | - Antoine Beauchamp
- Mouse Imaging Centre, Hospital for Sick Children, Toronto ON M5T 3H7, Canada
- Department of Medical Biophysics, University of Toronto, Toronto ON M5G 1L7, Canada
| | - C Shun Wong
- Department of Medical Biophysics, University of Toronto, Toronto ON M5G 1L7, Canada
- Department of Radiation Oncology, Sunnybrook Health Sciences Centre, Odette Cancer Centre, Toronto ON M4N 3M5, Canada
- Department of Radiation Oncology, University of Toronto, Toronto ON M5T 1P5, Canada
| | - Mark R Palmert
- Division of Endocrinology, The Hospital for Sick Children, University of Toronto, Toronto ON M5G 1X8, Canada
- Department of Pediatrics, University of Toronto, Toronto ON M5S 1A8, Canada
- Department of Physiology, University of Toronto, Toronto ON M5S 1A8, Canada
- Genetics and Genome Biology, Hospital for Sick Children, Toronto ON M5G 1X8, Canada
| | - Jason P Lerch
- Mouse Imaging Centre, Hospital for Sick Children, Toronto ON M5T 3H7, Canada
- Department of Medical Biophysics, University of Toronto, Toronto ON M5G 1L7, Canada
- Wellcome Centre for Integrative Neuroimaging, Medical Sciences Division, University of Oxford, Oxford, OXF OX3 9DU, United Kingdom
- Nuffield Department of Clinical Neurosciences, Medical Sciences Division, University of Oxford, Oxford, OXF OX3 9DU, United Kingdom
| | - Brian J Nieman
- Mouse Imaging Centre, Hospital for Sick Children, Toronto ON M5T 3H7, Canada
- Translational Medicine, Hospital for Sick Children, Toronto ON M5G 1X8, Canada
- Department of Medical Biophysics, University of Toronto, Toronto ON M5G 1L7, Canada
- Ontario Institute for Cancer Research, Toronto, ON M5G 0A3, Canada
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2
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Cioffi L, Grassi D, Diviccaro S, Caruso D, Pinto-Benito D, Arevalo MA, Garcia-Segura LM, Melcangi RC, Giatti S. Sex chromosome complement interacts with gonadal hormones in determining regional-specific neuroactive steroid levels in plasma, hippocampus, and hypothalamus. A study using the four core genotype mouse model. J Steroid Biochem Mol Biol 2024; 241:106514. [PMID: 38554982 DOI: 10.1016/j.jsbmb.2024.106514] [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: 02/02/2024] [Revised: 03/18/2024] [Accepted: 03/23/2024] [Indexed: 04/02/2024]
Abstract
An important aspect of the neuromodulatory and neuroprotective actions exerted by neuroactive steroids is that they are sex-specific, as determined by the sexually dimorphic levels of these molecules in plasma and the nervous tissue. Thus, the identification of the factors that generate the sex-dimorphic levels of neuroactive steroids may be crucial from a neuroprotectant perspective. The main driver for sex determination in mammals is the SRY gene and the subsequent presence of a specific gonad: testes for males and ovaries for females, thus producing hormonal compounds, primarily androgens and estrogens, respectively. Nowadays, it is well established that despite the relevance of gonads, other factors control sexual features, and, among them, sex chromosome complement is highly relevant. In this study, neuroactive steroids were evaluated by liquid chromatography-tandem mass spectrometry in the hypothalamus, the hippocampus, and plasma of the four core genotype mouse model, to determine the relative contribution of sex chromosome complement and gonads in determining their sex dimorphic levels. The data obtained reveal that although gonads are the main contributing factor for sex differences in neuroactive steroid levels, the levels of some neuroactive steroids, including testosterone, are also influenced in brain and plasma by tissue-specific actions of sex chromosomes. The data presented here adds a new piece to the puzzle of steroid level regulation, which may be useful in designing sex-specific neuroprotective approaches to pathological conditions affecting the nervous system.
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Affiliation(s)
- Lucia Cioffi
- Department of Pharmacological and Biomolecular Sciences "Rodolfo Paoletti", Università degli Studi di Milano, Milano 20133, Itlay
| | - Daniela Grassi
- Department of Anatomy, Histology and Neuroscience, School of Medicine, Autonoma University of Madrid, Calle Arzobispo Morcillo 4, Madrid 28029, Spain
| | - Silvia Diviccaro
- Department of Pharmacological and Biomolecular Sciences "Rodolfo Paoletti", Università degli Studi di Milano, Milano 20133, Itlay
| | - Donatella Caruso
- Department of Pharmacological and Biomolecular Sciences "Rodolfo Paoletti", Università degli Studi di Milano, Milano 20133, Itlay
| | - Daniel Pinto-Benito
- Cajal Institute, CSIC, Avenida Doctor Arce 37, 28002 Madrid, Spain and Centro de Investigación Biomédica en Red Fragilidad y Envejecimiento Saludable (CIBERFES), Instituto de Salud Carlos III, Madrid 28029, Spain
| | - Maria-Angeles Arevalo
- Cajal Institute, CSIC, Avenida Doctor Arce 37, 28002 Madrid, Spain and Centro de Investigación Biomédica en Red Fragilidad y Envejecimiento Saludable (CIBERFES), Instituto de Salud Carlos III, Madrid 28029, Spain
| | - Luis Miguel Garcia-Segura
- Cajal Institute, CSIC, Avenida Doctor Arce 37, 28002 Madrid, Spain and Centro de Investigación Biomédica en Red Fragilidad y Envejecimiento Saludable (CIBERFES), Instituto de Salud Carlos III, Madrid 28029, Spain
| | - Roberto Cosimo Melcangi
- Department of Pharmacological and Biomolecular Sciences "Rodolfo Paoletti", Università degli Studi di Milano, Milano 20133, Itlay
| | - Silvia Giatti
- Department of Pharmacological and Biomolecular Sciences "Rodolfo Paoletti", Università degli Studi di Milano, Milano 20133, Itlay
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Omelková M, Fenger CD, Murray M, Hammer TB, Pravata VM, Bartual SG, Czajewski I, Bayat A, Ferenbach AT, Stavridis MP, van Aalten DMF. An O-GlcNAc transferase pathogenic variant linked to intellectual disability affects pluripotent stem cell self-renewal. Dis Model Mech 2023; 16:dmm049132. [PMID: 37334838 DOI: 10.1242/dmm.049132] [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: 05/25/2021] [Accepted: 04/19/2023] [Indexed: 06/21/2023] Open
Abstract
O-linked β-N-acetylglucosamine (O-GlcNAc) transferase (OGT) is an essential enzyme that modifies proteins with O-GlcNAc. Inborn OGT genetic variants were recently shown to mediate a novel type of congenital disorder of glycosylation (OGT-CDG), which is characterised by X-linked intellectual disability (XLID) and developmental delay. Here, we report an OGTC921Y variant that co-segregates with XLID and epileptic seizures, and results in loss of catalytic activity. Colonies formed by mouse embryonic stem cells carrying OGTC921Y showed decreased levels of protein O-GlcNAcylation accompanied by decreased levels of Oct4 (encoded by Pou5f1), Sox2 and extracellular alkaline phosphatase (ALP), implying reduced self-renewal capacity. These data establish a link between OGT-CDG and embryonic stem cell self-renewal, providing a foundation for examining the developmental aetiology of this syndrome.
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Affiliation(s)
- Michaela Omelková
- Division of Molecular, Cell and Developmental Biology, School of Life Sciences, University of Dundee, Dundee DD1 5EH, UK
| | - Christina Dühring Fenger
- Department of Epilepsy Genetics, Filadelfia Danish Epilepsy Centre, Dianalund 4293, Denmark
- Amplexa Genetics A/S, Odense 5000, Denmark
| | - Marta Murray
- Division of Molecular, Cell and Developmental Biology, School of Life Sciences, University of Dundee, Dundee DD1 5EH, UK
| | - Trine Bjørg Hammer
- Department of Epilepsy Genetics, Filadelfia Danish Epilepsy Centre, Dianalund 4293, Denmark
| | - Veronica M Pravata
- Division of Molecular, Cell and Developmental Biology, School of Life Sciences, University of Dundee, Dundee DD1 5EH, UK
| | - Sergio Galan Bartual
- Division of Molecular, Cell and Developmental Biology, School of Life Sciences, University of Dundee, Dundee DD1 5EH, UK
- Department of Molecular Biology and Genetics, Aarhus University, Aarhus 8000, Denmark
| | - Ignacy Czajewski
- Division of Molecular, Cell and Developmental Biology, School of Life Sciences, University of Dundee, Dundee DD1 5EH, UK
| | - Allan Bayat
- Department of Epilepsy Genetics, Filadelfia Danish Epilepsy Centre, Dianalund 4293, Denmark
| | - Andrew T Ferenbach
- Division of Molecular, Cell and Developmental Biology, School of Life Sciences, University of Dundee, Dundee DD1 5EH, UK
- Department of Molecular Biology and Genetics, Aarhus University, Aarhus 8000, Denmark
| | - Marios P Stavridis
- Division of Molecular, Cell and Developmental Biology, School of Life Sciences, University of Dundee, Dundee DD1 5EH, UK
| | - Daan M F van Aalten
- Division of Molecular, Cell and Developmental Biology, School of Life Sciences, University of Dundee, Dundee DD1 5EH, UK
- Institute of Molecular Precision Medicine, Xiangya Hospital, Central South University, Changsha 410008, China
- Department of Molecular Biology and Genetics, Aarhus University, Aarhus 8000, Denmark
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Tsompanidis A, Warrier V, Baron-Cohen S. The genetics of autism and steroid-related traits in prenatal and postnatal life. Front Endocrinol (Lausanne) 2023; 14:1126036. [PMID: 37223033 PMCID: PMC10200920 DOI: 10.3389/fendo.2023.1126036] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Submit a Manuscript] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 12/17/2022] [Accepted: 04/18/2023] [Indexed: 05/25/2023] Open
Abstract
Background Autism likelihood is a largely heritable trait. Autism prevalence has a skewed sex ratio, with males being diagnosed more often than females. Steroid hormones play a mediating role in this, as indicated by studies of both prenatal biology and postnatal medical conditions in autistic men and women. It is currently unclear if the genetics of steroid regulation or production interact with the genetic liability for autism. Methods To address this, two studies were conducted using publicly available datasets, which focused respectively on rare genetic variants linked to autism and neurodevelopmental conditions (study 1) and common genetic variants (study 2) for autism. In Study 1 an enrichment analysis was conducted, between autism-related genes (SFARI database) and genes that are differentially expressed (FDR<0.1) between male and female placentas, in 1st trimester chorionic villi samples of viable pregnancies (n=39). In Study 2 summary statistics of genome wide association studies (GWAS) were used to investigate the genetic correlation between autism and bioactive testosterone, estradiol and postnatal PlGF levels, as well as steroid-related conditions such as polycystic ovaries syndrome (PCOS), age of menarche, and androgenic alopecia. Genetic correlation was calculated based on LD Score regression and results were corrected for multiple testing with FDR. Results In Study 1, there was significant enrichment of X-linked autism genes in male-biased placental genes, independently of gene length (n=5 genes, p<0.001). In Study 2, common genetic variance associated with autism did not correlate to the genetics for the postnatal levels of testosterone, estradiol or PlGF, but was associated with the genotypes associated with early age of menarche in females (b=-0.109, FDR-q=0.004) and protection from androgenic alopecia for males (b=-0.135, FDR-q=0.007). Conclusion The rare genetic variants associated with autism appear to interact with placental sex differences, while the common genetic variants associated with autism appear to be involved in the regulation of steroid-related traits. These lines of evidence indicate that the likelihood for autism is partly linked to factors mediating physiological sex differences throughout development.
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Affiliation(s)
- Alex Tsompanidis
- Autism Research Centre, Department of Psychiatry, University of Cambridge, Cambridge, United Kingdom
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5
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Bustos F, Findlay GM. Therapeutic validation and targeting of signalling networks that are dysregulated in intellectual disability. FEBS J 2023; 290:1454-1460. [PMID: 35212144 PMCID: PMC10952735 DOI: 10.1111/febs.16411] [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: 11/12/2021] [Revised: 01/14/2022] [Accepted: 02/22/2022] [Indexed: 11/28/2022]
Abstract
Intellectual disability (ID) represents a major burden on healthcare systems in the developed world. However, there is a disconnect between our knowledge of genes that are mutated in ID and our understanding of the underpinning molecular mechanisms that cause these disorders. We argue that elucidating the signalling and transcriptional networks that are dysregulated in patients will afford new therapeutic opportunities.
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Affiliation(s)
- Francisco Bustos
- Pediatrics and Rare Diseases GroupSanford ResearchSioux FallsSDUSA
- Department of PediatricsSanford School of MedicineUniversity of South DakotaSioux FallsSDUSA
| | - Greg M. Findlay
- The MRC Protein Phosphorylation & Ubiquitylation UnitSchool of Life SciencesThe University of DundeeDundeeUK
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6
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Cabrera Zapata LE, Garcia-Segura LM, Cambiasso MJ, Arevalo MA. Genetics and Epigenetics of the X and Y Chromosomes in the Sexual Differentiation of the Brain. Int J Mol Sci 2022; 23:ijms232012288. [PMID: 36293143 PMCID: PMC9603441 DOI: 10.3390/ijms232012288] [Citation(s) in RCA: 6] [Impact Index Per Article: 3.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 09/23/2022] [Revised: 10/10/2022] [Accepted: 10/11/2022] [Indexed: 11/27/2022] Open
Abstract
For many decades to date, neuroendocrinologists have delved into the key contribution of gonadal hormones to the generation of sex differences in the developing brain and the expression of sex-specific physiological and behavioral phenotypes in adulthood. However, it was not until recent years that the role of sex chromosomes in the matter started to be seriously explored and unveiled beyond gonadal determination. Now we know that the divergent evolutionary process suffered by X and Y chromosomes has determined that they now encode mostly dissimilar genetic information and are subject to different epigenetic regulations, characteristics that together contribute to generate sex differences between XX and XY cells/individuals from the zygote throughout life. Here we will review and discuss relevant data showing how particular X- and Y-linked genes and epigenetic mechanisms controlling their expression and inheritance are involved, along with or independently of gonadal hormones, in the generation of sex differences in the brain.
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Affiliation(s)
- Lucas E. Cabrera Zapata
- Instituto de Investigación Médica Mercedes y Martín Ferreyra (INIMEC), Consejo Nacional de Investigaciones Científicas y Técnicas (CONICET), Universidad Nacional de Córdoba, Córdoba 5016, Argentina
- Instituto Cajal (IC), Consejo Superior de Investigaciones Científicas (CSIC), 28002 Madrid, Spain
| | | | - María Julia Cambiasso
- Instituto de Investigación Médica Mercedes y Martín Ferreyra (INIMEC), Consejo Nacional de Investigaciones Científicas y Técnicas (CONICET), Universidad Nacional de Córdoba, Córdoba 5016, Argentina
- Cátedra de Biología Celular, Facultad de Odontología, Universidad Nacional de Córdoba, Córdoba 5000, Argentina
- Correspondence: (M.J.C.); (M.A.A.)
| | - Maria Angeles Arevalo
- Instituto Cajal (IC), Consejo Superior de Investigaciones Científicas (CSIC), 28002 Madrid, Spain
- Centro de Investigación Biomédica en Red de Fragilidad y Envejecimiento Saludable (CIBERFES), Instituto de Salud Carlos III, 28029 Madrid, Spain
- Correspondence: (M.J.C.); (M.A.A.)
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7
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Summers V. Sex differences in number of X chromosomes and X-chromosome inactivation in females promote greater variability in hearing among males. Biol Sex Differ 2022; 13:49. [PMID: 36114557 PMCID: PMC9482204 DOI: 10.1186/s13293-022-00457-9] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Submit a Manuscript] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 04/27/2022] [Accepted: 08/27/2022] [Indexed: 01/19/2023] Open
Abstract
BACKGROUND For more than 150 years, research studies have documented greater variability across males than across females ("greater male variability"-GMV) over a broad range of behavioral and morphological measures. In placental mammals, an ancient difference between males and females that may make an important contribution to GMV is the different pattern of activation of X chromosomes across cells in females (mosaic inactivation of one the two X chromosomes across cells) vs males (consistent activation of a single X chromosome in all cells). In the current study, variability in hearing thresholds was examined for human listeners with thresholds within the normal range. Initial analyses compared variability in thresholds across males vs. across females. If greater across-male than across-female variability was present, and if these differences in variability related to the different patterns X-chromosome activation in males vs. females, it was expected that correlations between related measures within a given subject (e.g., hearing thresholds at given frequency in the two ears) would be greater in males than females. METHODS Hearing thresholds at audiometric test frequencies (500-6000 or 500-8000 Hz) were extracted from two datasets representing more than 8500 listeners with normal hearing (4590 males, 4376 females). Separate data analyses were carried out on each dataset to compare: (1) relative variability in hearing thresholds across males vs. across females at each test frequency; (2) correlations between both across-ear and within-ear hearing thresholds within males vs. within females, and (3) mean thresholds for females vs. males at each frequency. RESULTS A consistent pattern of GMV in hearing thresholds was seen across frequencies in both datasets. In addition, both across-ear and within-ear correlations between thresholds were consistently greater in males than females. Previous studies have frequently reported lower mean thresholds for females than males for listeners with normal hearing. One of the datasets replicated this result, showing a clear and consistent pattern of lower mean thresholds for females. The second data set did not show clear evidence of this female advantage. CONCLUSIONS Hearing thresholds showed clear evidence of greater variability across males than across females and higher correlations across related threshold measures within males than within females. The results support a link between the observed GMV and the mosaic pattern of X-activation for females that is not present in males.
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8
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Pallier PN, Ferrara M, Romagnolo F, Ferretti MT, Soreq H, Cerase A. Chromosomal and environmental contributions to sex differences in the vulnerability to neurological and neuropsychiatric disorders: Implications for therapeutic interventions. Prog Neurobiol 2022; 219:102353. [PMID: 36100191 DOI: 10.1016/j.pneurobio.2022.102353] [Citation(s) in RCA: 11] [Impact Index Per Article: 5.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 03/08/2022] [Revised: 08/22/2022] [Accepted: 09/06/2022] [Indexed: 10/14/2022]
Abstract
Neurological and neuropsychiatric disorders affect men and women differently. Multiple sclerosis, Alzheimer's disease, anxiety disorders, depression, meningiomas and late-onset schizophrenia affect women more frequently than men. By contrast, Parkinson's disease, autism spectrum condition, attention-deficit hyperactivity disorder, Tourette's syndrome, amyotrophic lateral sclerosis and early-onset schizophrenia are more prevalent in men. Women have been historically under-recruited or excluded from clinical trials, and most basic research uses male rodent cells or animals as disease models, rarely studying both sexes and factoring sex as a potential source of variation, resulting in a poor understanding of the underlying biological reasons for sex and gender differences in the development of such diseases. Putative pathophysiological contributors include hormones and epigenetics regulators but additional biological and non-biological influences may be at play. We review here the evidence for the underpinning role of the sex chromosome complement, X chromosome inactivation, and environmental and epigenetic regulators in sex differences in the vulnerability to brain disease. We conclude that there is a pressing need for a better understanding of the genetic, epigenetic and environmental mechanisms sustaining sex differences in such diseases, which is critical for developing a precision medicine approach based on sex-tailored prevention and treatment.
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Affiliation(s)
- Patrick N Pallier
- Blizard Institute, Centre for Neuroscience, Surgery and Trauma, Barts and The London School of Medicine and Dentistry, Queen Mary University of London, London E1 2AT, UK.
| | - Maria Ferrara
- Institute of Psychiatry, Department of Neuroscience and Rehabilitation, University of Ferrara, Ferrara, Italy; Department of Psychiatry, Yale University, School of Medicine, New Haven, CT, United States; Women's Brain Project (WBP), Switzerland
| | - Francesca Romagnolo
- Institute of Psychiatry, Department of Neuroscience and Rehabilitation, University of Ferrara, Ferrara, Italy
| | | | - Hermona Soreq
- The Edmond and Lily Safra Center of Brain Science, The Hebrew University of Jerusalem, 9190401, Israel
| | - Andrea Cerase
- EMBL-Rome, Via Ramarini 32, 00015 Monterotondo, RM, Italy; Blizard Institute, Centre for Genomics and Child Health, Barts and The London School of Medicine and Dentistry, Queen Mary University of London, London E1 2AT, UK; Department of Biology, University of Pisa, SS12 Abetone e Brennero 4, 56127 Pisa, Italy.
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9
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Sneddon EA, Rasizer LN, Cavalco NG, Jaymes AH, Ostlie NJ, Minshall BL, Masters BM, Hughes MR, Hrncir H, Arnold AP, Radke AK. Gonadal hormones and sex chromosome complement differentially contribute to ethanol intake, preference, and relapse-like behaviour in four core genotypes mice. Addict Biol 2022; 27:e13222. [PMID: 36001422 PMCID: PMC9413386 DOI: 10.1111/adb.13222] [Citation(s) in RCA: 2] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 06/02/2022] [Accepted: 07/21/2022] [Indexed: 01/15/2023]
Abstract
Alcohol use and high-risk alcohol drinking behaviours among women are rapidly rising. In rodent models, females typically consume more ethanol (EtOH) than males. Here, we used the four core genotypes (FCG) mouse model to investigate the influence of gonadal hormones and sex chromosome complement on EtOH drinking behaviours. FCG mice were given access to escalating concentrations of EtOH in a two-bottle, 24-h continuous access drinking paradigm to assess consumption and preference. Relapse-like behaviour was measured by assessing escalated intake following repeated cycles of deprivation and re-exposure. Twenty-four-hour EtOH consumption was greater in mice with ovaries (Sry-), relative to those with testes, and in mice with the XX chromosome complement, relative to those with XY sex chromosomes. EtOH preference was higher in XX versus XY mice. For both consumption and preference, the influences of the Sry gene and sex chromosomes were concentration dependent. Escalated intake following repeated cycles of deprivation and re-exposure emerged only in XX mice (vs. XY). Mice with ovaries (Sry- FCG mice and C57BL/6J females) were also found to consume more water than mice with testes. These results demonstrate that aspects of EtOH drinking behaviour may be independently regulated by sex hormones and chromosomes and inform our understanding of the neurobiological mechanisms which contribute to EtOH dependence in male and female mice. Future investigation of the contribution of sex chromosomes to EtOH drinking behaviours is warranted. We used the FCG mouse model to investigate the influence of gonadal hormones and sex chromosome complement on EtOH drinking behaviours, including the alcohol deprivation effect. Escalated intake following repeated cycles of deprivation and re-exposure emerged only in XX mice (vs. XY). These results demonstrate that aspects of EtOH drinking behaviour may be independently regulated by sex hormones and chromosomes.
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Affiliation(s)
- Elizabeth A. Sneddon
- Department of Psychology and Center for Neuroscience and Behavior, Miami University, Oxford, OH, USA
| | - Lindsay N. Rasizer
- Department of Psychology and Center for Neuroscience and Behavior, Miami University, Oxford, OH, USA
| | - Natalie G. Cavalco
- Department of Psychology and Center for Neuroscience and Behavior, Miami University, Oxford, OH, USA
| | - Asa H. Jaymes
- Department of Psychology and Center for Neuroscience and Behavior, Miami University, Oxford, OH, USA
| | - Noah J. Ostlie
- Department of Psychology and Center for Neuroscience and Behavior, Miami University, Oxford, OH, USA
| | - Brianna L. Minshall
- Department of Psychology and Center for Neuroscience and Behavior, Miami University, Oxford, OH, USA
| | - Brianna M. Masters
- Department of Psychology and Center for Neuroscience and Behavior, Miami University, Oxford, OH, USA
| | | | - Haley Hrncir
- Department of Integrative Biology and Physiology, and Laboratory of Neuroendocrinology of the Brain Research Institute, University of California, Los Angeles, CA, USA
| | - Arthur P. Arnold
- Department of Integrative Biology and Physiology, and Laboratory of Neuroendocrinology of the Brain Research Institute, University of California, Los Angeles, CA, USA
| | - Anna K. Radke
- Department of Psychology and Center for Neuroscience and Behavior, Miami University, Oxford, OH, USA
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10
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Bouw N, Swaab H, Tartaglia N, Jansen AC, van Rijn S. Early impact of X- and Y-chromosome variations (XXX, XXY, XYY) on social communication and social emotional development in 1-2-year-old children. Am J Med Genet A 2022; 188:1943-1953. [PMID: 35285124 PMCID: PMC9311155 DOI: 10.1002/ajmg.a.62720] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 07/19/2021] [Revised: 01/12/2022] [Accepted: 02/18/2022] [Indexed: 11/10/2022]
Abstract
Sex chromosome trisomies (SCTs) are characterized by an extra X- or Y-chromosome (XXX, XXY, XYY). The present study aims to investigate early signs of social communication and social emotional development in very young children with SCT. Thirty-four children with SCT (aged 12-24 months) were included in this study, as well as 31 age-matched controls. Social communication was measured with structured behavior observations according to the Early Social Communication Scales, and social emotional developmental level with the Bayley Social Emotional parental questionnaire. Recruitment and assessment took place in the Netherlands and in the United States. On average, 12-24-month old children with SCT showed difficulties with early social communication, more so in responding to others as compared to initiating social communications. During social interactions, children with SCT made less frequent eye contact, compared to controls. Also, difficulties in acquiring social emotional milestones were found in 1-year old children with SCT, with 44% of the children having social emotional vulnerabilities in the borderline or extremely low range, compared to typically developing children. In this cohort, no significant predictive effects of karyotype-subtype (XXX, XXY, XYY) were found. Already from a very early age, SCT can be associated with increased risk for vulnerabilities in adaptive social functioning. These findings suggest that SCT impact the maturation of the social brain already from an early age, and stress the importance of early monitoring and (preventive) support early social development in young children with SCT.
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Affiliation(s)
- Nienke Bouw
- Clinical Neurodevelopmental SciencesLeiden UniversityLeidenthe Netherlands
- Leiden Institute for Brain and CognitionLeidenthe Netherlands
| | - Hanna Swaab
- Clinical Neurodevelopmental SciencesLeiden UniversityLeidenthe Netherlands
- Leiden Institute for Brain and CognitionLeidenthe Netherlands
| | - Nicole Tartaglia
- Developmental Pediatrics, Children's Hospital ColoradoUniversity of Colorado School of MedicineAuroraColoradoUSA
- Department of PediatricsUniversity of Colorado School of MedicineAuroraColoradoUSA
| | - Anna C. Jansen
- Pediatric Neurology Unit, Department of PediatricsUZ BrusselJetteBelgium
- Neurogenetics Research GroupVrije Universiteit BrusselBrusselsBelgium
| | - Sophie van Rijn
- Clinical Neurodevelopmental SciencesLeiden UniversityLeidenthe Netherlands
- Leiden Institute for Brain and CognitionLeidenthe Netherlands
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11
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Wren G, Davies W. Sex-linked genetic mechanisms and atrial fibrillation risk. Eur J Med Genet 2022; 65:104459. [PMID: 35189376 DOI: 10.1016/j.ejmg.2022.104459] [Citation(s) in RCA: 6] [Impact Index Per Article: 3.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 11/17/2021] [Revised: 01/11/2022] [Accepted: 02/16/2022] [Indexed: 01/14/2023]
Abstract
Atrial fibrillation (AF) is a cardiac condition characterised by an irregular heartbeat, atrial pathology and an elevated downstream risk of thrombosis and heart failure, as well as neurological sequelae including stroke and dementia. The prevalence and presentation of, risk factors for, and therapeutic responses to, AF differ by sex, and this sex bias may be partially explained in terms of genetics. Here, we consider four sex-linked genetic mechanisms that may influence sex-biased phenotypes related to AF and provide examples of each: X-linked gene dosage, X-linked genomic imprinting, sex-biased autosomal gene expression, and male-limited Y-linked gene expression. We highlight novel candidate risk genes and pathways that warrant further investigation in clinical and preclinical studies. Understanding the biological basis of sex differences in AF should allow better prediction of disease risk, identification of novel risk/protective factors, and the development of more effective sex-tailored interventions.
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Affiliation(s)
| | - William Davies
- School of Psychology, Cardiff University, UK; School of Medicine, Cardiff University, UK.
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12
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Kuiper K, Swaab H, Tartaglia N, van Rijn S. Early developmental impact of sex chromosome trisomies on attention deficit-hyperactivity disorder symptomology in young children. Am J Med Genet A 2021; 185:3664-3674. [PMID: 34240550 PMCID: PMC9292447 DOI: 10.1002/ajmg.a.62418] [Citation(s) in RCA: 2] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.7] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 02/23/2021] [Revised: 05/14/2021] [Accepted: 06/18/2021] [Indexed: 01/16/2023]
Abstract
Individuals with sex chromosome trisomies ([SCT], XXX, XXY, and XYY)) are at increased risk for neurodevelopmental problems, given that a significant portion of the sex chromosome genes impact brain functioning. An elevated risk for psychopathology has also been described, including attention deficit-hyperactivity disorder (ADHD). The present study aimed at identifying early markers of ADHD, providing the first investigation of ADHD symptomology in very young children with SCT. The variety, type, and severity of ADHD symptomology in 1-6-year-old children with SCT (n = 104) were compared with population-based controls (n = 101) using the strengths and weaknesses of ADHD symptoms and normal-behavior (SWAN) parent-report questionnaire. ADHD symptomology was significantly more prevalent in SCT and already present from toddlerhood on, compared to controls. ADHD inattention symptoms were significantly increased in all karyotypes (XXX, XXY, and XYY), boys with XYY also showed significantly more hyperactivity/impulsivity symptoms than controls. Inattentiveness was more pronounced with increasing age for SCT, in contrast to controls. Within the SCT group, 24% of the children had significantly elevated ADHD symptoms at a clinical level. Already from an early age on, SCT is associated with a risk for ADHD, suggesting that its neurodevelopmental risk lies anchored in early brain maturation. Studying this genetically vulnerable population allows for the prospective study of risk markers to facilitate early and preventive interventions.
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Affiliation(s)
- Kimberly Kuiper
- Clinical Neurodevelopmental SciencesLeiden UniversityLeidenThe Netherlands
- Leiden Institute for Brain and CognitionLeidenThe Netherlands
| | - Hanna Swaab
- Clinical Neurodevelopmental SciencesLeiden UniversityLeidenThe Netherlands
- Leiden Institute for Brain and CognitionLeidenThe Netherlands
| | - Nicole Tartaglia
- eXtraordinarY Kids Clinic, Developmental PediatricsChildren's Hospital ColoradoAuroraColoradoUSA
- Department of PediatricsUniversity of Colorado School of MedicineAuroraColoradoUSA
| | - Sophie van Rijn
- Clinical Neurodevelopmental SciencesLeiden UniversityLeidenThe Netherlands
- Leiden Institute for Brain and CognitionLeidenThe Netherlands
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13
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X-linked histone H3K27 demethylase Kdm6a regulates sexually dimorphic differentiation of hypothalamic neurons. Cell Mol Life Sci 2021; 78:7043-7060. [PMID: 34633482 PMCID: PMC8558156 DOI: 10.1007/s00018-021-03945-0] [Citation(s) in RCA: 10] [Impact Index Per Article: 3.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 05/31/2021] [Revised: 08/26/2021] [Accepted: 09/17/2021] [Indexed: 12/26/2022]
Abstract
Several X-linked genes are involved in neuronal differentiation and may contribute to the generation of sex dimorphisms in the brain. Previous results showed that XX hypothalamic neurons grow faster, have longer axons, and exhibit higher expression of the neuritogenic gene neurogenin 3 (Ngn3) than XY before perinatal masculinization. Here we evaluated the participation of candidate X-linked genes in the development of these sex differences, focusing mainly on Kdm6a, a gene encoding for an H3K27 demethylase with functions controlling gene expression genome-wide. We established hypothalamic neuronal cultures from wild-type or transgenic Four Core Genotypes mice, a model that allows evaluating the effect of sex chromosomes independently of gonadal type. X-linked genes Kdm6a, Eif2s3x and Ddx3x showed higher expression in XX compared to XY neurons, regardless of gonadal sex. Moreover, Kdm6a expression pattern with higher mRNA levels in XX than XY did not change with age at E14, P0, and P60 in hypothalamus or under 17β-estradiol treatment in culture. Kdm6a pharmacological blockade by GSK-J4 reduced axonal length only in female neurons and decreased the expression of neuritogenic genes Neurod1, Neurod2 and Cdk5r1 in both sexes equally, while a sex-specific effect was observed in Ngn3. Finally, Kdm6a downregulation using siRNA reduced axonal length and Ngn3 expression only in female neurons, abolishing the sex differences observed in control conditions. Altogether, these results point to Kdm6a as a key mediator of the higher axogenesis and Ngn3 expression observed in XX neurons before the critical period of brain masculinization.
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14
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Mallard TT, Liu S, Seidlitz J, Ma Z, Moraczewski D, Thomas A, Raznahan A. X-chromosome influences on neuroanatomical variation in humans. Nat Neurosci 2021; 24:1216-1224. [PMID: 34294918 DOI: 10.1038/s41593-021-00890-w] [Citation(s) in RCA: 22] [Impact Index Per Article: 7.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 06/04/2020] [Accepted: 06/14/2021] [Indexed: 02/06/2023]
Abstract
The X-chromosome has long been hypothesized to have a disproportionate influence on the brain based on its enrichment for genes that are expressed in the brain and associated with intellectual disability. Here, we verify this hypothesis through partitioned heritability analysis of X-chromosome influences (XIs) on human brain anatomy in 32,256 individuals from the UK Biobank. We first establish evidence for dosage compensation in XIs on brain anatomy-reflecting larger XIs in males compared to females, which correlate with regional sex-biases in neuroanatomical variance. XIs are significantly larger than would be predicted from X-chromosome size for the relative surface area of cortical systems supporting attention, decision-making and motor control. Follow-up association analyses implicate X-linked genes with pleiotropic effects on cognition. Our study reveals a privileged role for the X-chromosome in human neurodevelopment and urges greater inclusion of this chromosome in future genome-wide association studies.
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Affiliation(s)
- Travis T Mallard
- Department of Psychology, University of Texas at Austin, Austin, TX, USA
- Section on Developmental Neurogenomics, Human Genetics Branch, National Institute of Mental Health Intramural Research Program, Bethesda, MD, USA
| | - Siyuan Liu
- Section on Developmental Neurogenomics, Human Genetics Branch, National Institute of Mental Health Intramural Research Program, Bethesda, MD, USA
| | - Jakob Seidlitz
- Section on Developmental Neurogenomics, Human Genetics Branch, National Institute of Mental Health Intramural Research Program, Bethesda, MD, USA
| | - Zhiwei Ma
- Laboratory of Functional and Molecular Imaging, National Institute of Neurological Disorders and Stroke, National Institutes of Health, Bethesda, MD, USA
| | - Dustin Moraczewski
- Data Science and Sharing Team, National Institute of Mental Health, Bethesda, MD, USA
| | - Adam Thomas
- Data Science and Sharing Team, National Institute of Mental Health, Bethesda, MD, USA
| | - Armin Raznahan
- Section on Developmental Neurogenomics, Human Genetics Branch, National Institute of Mental Health Intramural Research Program, Bethesda, MD, USA.
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15
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Fang H, Deng X, Disteche CM. X-factors in human disease: Impact of gene content and dosage regulation. Hum Mol Genet 2021; 30:R285-R295. [PMID: 34387327 DOI: 10.1093/hmg/ddab221] [Citation(s) in RCA: 10] [Impact Index Per Article: 3.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 06/01/2021] [Revised: 07/21/2021] [Accepted: 07/23/2021] [Indexed: 11/13/2022] Open
Abstract
The gene content of the X and Y chromosomes has dramatically diverged during evolution. The ensuing dosage imbalance within the genome of males and females has led to unique chromosome-wide regulatory mechanisms with significant and sex-specific impacts on X-linked gene expression. X inactivation or silencing of most genes on one X chromosome chosen at random in females profoundly affects the manifestation of X-linked diseases, as males inherit a single maternal allele, while females express maternal and paternal alleles in a mosaic manner. An additional complication is the existence of genes that escape X inactivation and thus are ubiquitously expressed from both alleles in females. The mosaic nature of X-linked gene expression and the potential for escape can vary between individuals, tissues, cell types, and stages of life. Our understanding of the specialized nature of X-linked genes and of the multilayer epigenetic regulation that influence their expression throughout the organism has been helped by molecular studies conducted by tissue-specific and single-cell-specific approaches. In turn, the definition of molecular events that control X silencing has helped develop new approaches for the treatment of some X-linked disorders. This review focuses on the peculiarities of the X chromosome genetic content and epigenetic regulation in shaping the manifestation of congenital and acquired X-linked disorders in a sex-specific manner.
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Affiliation(s)
- He Fang
- Department of Laboratory Medicine and Pathology
| | | | - Christine M Disteche
- Department of Laboratory Medicine and Pathology.,Department of Medicine, University of Washington, Seattle, WA, 98195, USA
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16
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Raznahan A, Disteche CM. X-chromosome regulation and sex differences in brain anatomy. Neurosci Biobehav Rev 2021; 120:28-47. [PMID: 33171144 PMCID: PMC7855816 DOI: 10.1016/j.neubiorev.2020.10.024] [Citation(s) in RCA: 18] [Impact Index Per Article: 6.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 03/19/2020] [Revised: 10/13/2020] [Accepted: 10/20/2020] [Indexed: 01/08/2023]
Abstract
Humans show reproducible sex-differences in cognition and psychopathology that may be contributed to by influences of gonadal sex-steroids and/or sex-chromosomes on regional brain development. Gonadal sex-steroids are well known to play a major role in sexual differentiation of the vertebrate brain, but far less is known regarding the role of sex-chromosomes. Our review focuses on this latter issue by bridging together two literatures that have to date been largely disconnected. We first consider "bottom-up" genetic and molecular studies focused on sex-chromosome gene content and regulation. This literature nominates specific sex-chromosome genes that could drive developmental sex-differences by virtue of their sex-biased expression and their functions within the brain. We then consider the complementary "top down" view, from magnetic resonance imaging studies that map sex- and sex chromosome effects on regional brain anatomy, and link these maps to regional gene-expression within the brain. By connecting these top-down and bottom-up approaches, we emphasize the potential role of X-linked genes in driving sex-biased brain development and outline key goals for future work in this field.
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Affiliation(s)
- Armin Raznahan
- Section on Developmental Neurogenomics, Human Genetics Branch, National Institute of Mental Health, Bethesda, MD, 20892, USA.
| | - Christine M Disteche
- Department of Pathology and Medicine, University of Washington, Seattle, WA 98195, USA.
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17
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Israfil A, Israfil N. RETRACTED: Temperament gene inheritance. Meta Gene 2020. [DOI: 10.1016/j.mgene.2020.100728] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/26/2022] Open
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18
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Pravata VM, Omelková M, Stavridis MP, Desbiens CM, Stephen HM, Lefeber DJ, Gecz J, Gundogdu M, Õunap K, Joss S, Schwartz CE, Wells L, van Aalten DMF. An intellectual disability syndrome with single-nucleotide variants in O-GlcNAc transferase. Eur J Hum Genet 2020; 28:706-714. [PMID: 32080367 PMCID: PMC7253464 DOI: 10.1038/s41431-020-0589-9] [Citation(s) in RCA: 26] [Impact Index Per Article: 6.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 02/06/2019] [Revised: 12/30/2019] [Accepted: 02/04/2020] [Indexed: 01/05/2023] Open
Abstract
Intellectual disability (ID) is a neurodevelopmental condition that affects ~1% of the world population. In total 5-10% of ID cases are due to variants in genes located on the X chromosome. Recently, variants in OGT have been shown to co-segregate with X-linked intellectual disability (XLID) in multiple families. OGT encodes O-GlcNAc transferase (OGT), an essential enzyme that catalyses O-linked glycosylation with β-N-acetylglucosamine (O-GlcNAc) on serine/threonine residues of thousands of nuclear and cytosolic proteins. In this review, we compile the work from the last few years that clearly delineates a new syndromic form of ID, which we propose to classify as a novel Congenital Disorder of Glycosylation (OGT-CDG). We discuss potential hypotheses for the underpinning molecular mechanism(s) that provide impetus for future research studies geared towards informed interventions.
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Affiliation(s)
- Veronica M. Pravata
- 0000 0004 0397 2876grid.8241.fDivision of Gene Regulation and Expression and School of Life Sciences, University of Dundee, Dundee, UK
| | - Michaela Omelková
- 0000 0004 0397 2876grid.8241.fDivision of Gene Regulation and Expression and School of Life Sciences, University of Dundee, Dundee, UK
| | - Marios P. Stavridis
- 0000 0004 0397 2876grid.8241.fDivision of Cell and Developmental Biology, School of Life Sciences, University of Dundee, Dundee, UK
| | - Chelsea M. Desbiens
- 0000 0004 1936 738Xgrid.213876.9Department of Biochemistry and Molecular Biology and Chemistry, Complex Carbohydrate Research Center, University of Georgia, Athens, GA USA
| | - Hannah M. Stephen
- 0000 0004 1936 738Xgrid.213876.9Department of Biochemistry and Molecular Biology and Chemistry, Complex Carbohydrate Research Center, University of Georgia, Athens, GA USA
| | - Dirk J. Lefeber
- 0000 0004 0444 9382grid.10417.33Department of Neurology, Donders Institute for Brain, Cognition and Behaviour, Radboud University Medical Centre, 6500 HB Nijmegen, The Netherlands
| | - Jozef Gecz
- 0000 0004 1936 7304grid.1010.0Adelaide Medical School and the Robinson Research Institute, The University of Adelaide, Adelaide, SA Australia
| | - Mehmet Gundogdu
- 0000 0001 2193 314Xgrid.8756.cInstitute of Molecular Cell and System Biology, University of Glasgow, Glasgow, UK
| | - Katrin Õunap
- 0000 0001 0585 7044grid.412269.aDepartment of Clinical Genetics, United Laboratories, Tartu University Hospital, Tartu, Estonia ,0000 0001 0943 7661grid.10939.32Department of Clinical Genetics, Institute of Clinical Medicine, University of Tartu, Tartu, Estonia
| | - Shelagh Joss
- West of Scotland Genetic Service, Queen Elizabeth University Hospital, Glasgow, UK
| | - Charles E. Schwartz
- 0000 0000 8571 0933grid.418307.9Greenwood Genetic Center, Greenwood, SC 29646 USA
| | - Lance Wells
- 0000 0004 1936 738Xgrid.213876.9Department of Biochemistry and Molecular Biology and Chemistry, Complex Carbohydrate Research Center, University of Georgia, Athens, GA USA
| | - Daan M. F. van Aalten
- 0000 0004 0397 2876grid.8241.fDivision of Gene Regulation and Expression and School of Life Sciences, University of Dundee, Dundee, UK ,0000 0001 0379 7164grid.216417.7Institute of Molecular Precision Medicine, Xiangya Hospital, Central South University, Changsha, China
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19
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Asperholm M, van Leuven L, Herlitz A. Sex Differences in Episodic Memory Variance. Front Psychol 2020; 11:613. [PMID: 32362856 PMCID: PMC7180222 DOI: 10.3389/fpsyg.2020.00613] [Citation(s) in RCA: 14] [Impact Index Per Article: 3.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 11/20/2019] [Accepted: 03/16/2020] [Indexed: 12/14/2022] Open
Abstract
Men as a group have been shown to have larger variances than women in several areas pertaining to both biological and psychological traits, but no investigation has been performed in regard to episodic memory. We conducted an analysis on sex differences in episodic memory variance on 535 studies, representing 962,946 individuals, conducted between 1973 and 2013. Results showed that men had larger variances than women in verbal episodic memory tasks as well as episodic memory tasks having to do with spatial locations. Women, on the other hand, had larger variance than men for tasks involving remembering routes. These effects were for the most part small, and exploratory analyses suggest that they might come about, at least in part, because of measures not sufficiently controlled for ceiling effects. This means that the effects should be interpreted with caution and that further research on sex differences in episodic memory variance is needed.
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Affiliation(s)
- Martin Asperholm
- Department of Clinical Neuroscience, Karolinska Institutet, Stockholm, Sweden
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20
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Santos-Rebouças CB, Boy R, Vianna EQ, Gonçalves AP, Piergiorge RM, Abdala BB, Dos Santos JM, Calassara V, Machado FB, Medina-Acosta E, Pimentel MMG. Skewed X-Chromosome Inactivation and Compensatory Upregulation of Escape Genes Precludes Major Clinical Symptoms in a Female With a Large Xq Deletion. Front Genet 2020; 11:101. [PMID: 32194616 PMCID: PMC7064548 DOI: 10.3389/fgene.2020.00101] [Citation(s) in RCA: 18] [Impact Index Per Article: 4.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 07/31/2019] [Accepted: 01/29/2020] [Indexed: 11/13/2022] Open
Abstract
In mammalian females, X-chromosome inactivation (XCI) acts as a dosage compensation mechanism that equalizes X-linked genes expression between homo- and heterogametic sexes. However, approximately 12–23% of X-linked genes escape from XCI, being bi-allelic expressed. Herein, we report on genetic and functional data from an asymptomatic female of a Fragile X syndrome family, who harbors a large deletion on the X-chromosome. Array-CGH uncovered that the de novo, terminal, paternally originated 32 Mb deletion on Xq25-q28 spans 598 RefSeq genes, including escape and variable escape genes. Androgen receptor (AR) and retinitis pigmentosa 2 (RP2) methylation assays showed extreme skewed XCI ratios from both peripheral blood and buccal mucosa, silencing the abnormal X-chromosome. Surprisingly, transcriptome-wide analysis revealed that escape and variable escape genes spanning the deletion are mostly upregulated on the active X-chromosome, precluding major clinical/cognitive phenotypes in the female. Metaphase high count, hemizygosity concordance for microsatellite markers, and monoallelic expression of genes within the deletion suggest the absence of mosaicism in both blood and buccal mucosa. Taken together, our data suggest that an additional protective gene-by-gene mechanism occurs at the transcriptional level in the active X-chromosome to counterbalance detrimental phenotype effects of large Xq deletions.
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Affiliation(s)
- Cíntia B Santos-Rebouças
- Department of Genetics, Institute of Biology Roberto Alcantara Gomes, State University of Rio de Janeiro, Rio de Janeiro, Brazil
| | - Raquel Boy
- Pedro Ernesto University Hospital, State University of Rio de Janeiro, Rio de Janeiro, Brazil
| | - Evelyn Q Vianna
- Department of Genetics, Institute of Biology Roberto Alcantara Gomes, State University of Rio de Janeiro, Rio de Janeiro, Brazil
| | - Andressa P Gonçalves
- Department of Genetics, Institute of Biology Roberto Alcantara Gomes, State University of Rio de Janeiro, Rio de Janeiro, Brazil
| | - Rafael M Piergiorge
- Department of Genetics, Institute of Biology Roberto Alcantara Gomes, State University of Rio de Janeiro, Rio de Janeiro, Brazil
| | - Bianca B Abdala
- Department of Genetics, Institute of Biology Roberto Alcantara Gomes, State University of Rio de Janeiro, Rio de Janeiro, Brazil
| | - Jussara M Dos Santos
- Department of Genetics, Institute of Biology Roberto Alcantara Gomes, State University of Rio de Janeiro, Rio de Janeiro, Brazil
| | - Veluma Calassara
- Department of Genetics, Institute of Biology Roberto Alcantara Gomes, State University of Rio de Janeiro, Rio de Janeiro, Brazil
| | - Filipe B Machado
- Department of Biological Sciences, Minas Gerais State University, Ubá, Brazil
| | - Enrique Medina-Acosta
- Laboratory of Biotechnology, State University of Northern Rio de Janeiro Darcy Ribeiro, Rio de Janeiro, Brazil
| | - Márcia M G Pimentel
- Department of Genetics, Institute of Biology Roberto Alcantara Gomes, State University of Rio de Janeiro, Rio de Janeiro, Brazil
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21
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Abstract
For over a century, mice have been used to model human disease, leading to many fundamental discoveries about mammalian biology and the development of new therapies. Mouse genetics research has been further catalysed by a plethora of genomic resources developed in the last 20 years, including the genome sequence of C57BL/6J and more recently the first draft reference genomes for 16 additional laboratory strains. Collectively, the comparison of these genomes highlights the extreme diversity that exists at loci associated with the immune system, pathogen response, and key sensory functions, which form the foundation for dissecting phenotypic traits in vivo. We review the current status of the mouse genome across the diversity of the mouse lineage and discuss the value of mice to understanding human disease.
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Affiliation(s)
- Jingtao Lilue
- European Molecular Biology Laboratory, European Bioinformatics Institute, Hinxton, Cambridge, United Kingdom
- Instituto Gulbenkian de Ciência, Oeiras, Lisbon, Portugal
| | - Anu Shivalikanjli
- European Molecular Biology Laboratory, European Bioinformatics Institute, Hinxton, Cambridge, United Kingdom
| | | | - Thomas M. Keane
- European Molecular Biology Laboratory, European Bioinformatics Institute, Hinxton, Cambridge, United Kingdom
- School of Life Sciences, University of Nottingham, Nottingham, United Kingdom
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22
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Post-translational histone modifications and their interaction with sex influence normal brain development and elaboration of neuropsychiatric disorders. Biochim Biophys Acta Mol Basis Dis 2019; 1865:1968-1981. [DOI: 10.1016/j.bbadis.2018.10.016] [Citation(s) in RCA: 8] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.6] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 08/13/2018] [Revised: 10/05/2018] [Accepted: 10/08/2018] [Indexed: 02/06/2023]
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23
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Williams AC, Hill LJ. Nicotinamide as Independent Variable for Intelligence, Fertility, and Health: Origin of Human Creative Explosions? Int J Tryptophan Res 2019; 12:1178646919855944. [PMID: 31258332 PMCID: PMC6585247 DOI: 10.1177/1178646919855944] [Citation(s) in RCA: 3] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.6] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 04/25/2019] [Accepted: 05/03/2019] [Indexed: 12/28/2022] Open
Abstract
Meat and nicotinamide acquisition was a defining force during the 2-million-year evolution of the big brains necessary for, anatomically modern, Homo sapiens to survive. Our next move was down the food chain during the Mesolithic 'broad spectrum', then horticultural, followed by the Neolithic agricultural revolutions and progressively lower average 'doses' of nicotinamide. We speculate that a fertility crisis and population bottleneck around 40 000 years ago, at the time of the Last Glacial Maximum, was overcome by Homo (but not the Neanderthals) by concerted dietary change plus profertility genes and intense sexual selection culminating in behaviourally modern Homo sapiens. Increased reliance on the 'de novo' synthesis of nicotinamide from tryptophan conditioned the immune system to welcome symbionts, such as TB (that excrete nicotinamide), and to increase tolerance of the foetus and thereby fertility. The trade-offs during the warmer Holocene were physical and mental stunting and more infectious diseases and population booms and busts. Higher nicotinamide exposure could be responsible for recent demographic and epidemiological transitions to lower fertility and higher longevity, but with more degenerative and auto-immune disease.
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Affiliation(s)
- Adrian C Williams
- Department of Neurology, University Hospitals Birmingham NHS Foundation Trust, Birmingham, UK
| | - Lisa J Hill
- School of Biomedical Sciences, Institute of Clinical Sciences, University of Birmingham, Birmingham, UK
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24
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Gokhman D, Kelman G, Amartely A, Gershon G, Tsur S, Carmel L. Gene ORGANizer: linking genes to the organs they affect. Nucleic Acids Res 2019; 45:W138-W145. [PMID: 28444223 PMCID: PMC5570240 DOI: 10.1093/nar/gkx302] [Citation(s) in RCA: 28] [Impact Index Per Article: 5.6] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 01/03/2017] [Accepted: 04/14/2017] [Indexed: 12/16/2022] Open
Abstract
One of the biggest challenges in studying how genes work is understanding their effect on the physiology and anatomy of the body. Existing tools try to address this using indirect features, such as expression levels and biochemical pathways. Here, we present Gene ORGANizer (geneorganizer.huji.ac.il), a phenotype-based tool that directly links human genes to the body parts they affect. It is built upon an exhaustive curated database that links >7000 genes to ∼150 anatomical parts using >150 000 gene-organ associations. The tool offers user-friendly platforms to analyze the anatomical effects of individual genes, and identify trends within groups of genes. We demonstrate how Gene ORGANizer can be used to make new discoveries, showing that chromosome X is enriched with genes affecting facial features, that positive selection targets genes with more constrained phenotypic effects, and more. We expect Gene ORGANizer to be useful in a variety of evolutionary, medical and molecular studies aimed at understanding the phenotypic effects of genes.
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Affiliation(s)
- David Gokhman
- Department of Genetics, The Alexander Silberman Institute of Life Sciences, The Hebrew University of Jerusalem, Edmond J. Safra Campus, Givat Ram, Jerusalem 91904, Israel
| | - Guy Kelman
- Department of Genetics, The Alexander Silberman Institute of Life Sciences, The Hebrew University of Jerusalem, Edmond J. Safra Campus, Givat Ram, Jerusalem 91904, Israel
| | - Adir Amartely
- Department of Genetics, The Alexander Silberman Institute of Life Sciences, The Hebrew University of Jerusalem, Edmond J. Safra Campus, Givat Ram, Jerusalem 91904, Israel
| | - Guy Gershon
- Department of Genetics, The Alexander Silberman Institute of Life Sciences, The Hebrew University of Jerusalem, Edmond J. Safra Campus, Givat Ram, Jerusalem 91904, Israel
| | - Shira Tsur
- Department of Genetics, The Alexander Silberman Institute of Life Sciences, The Hebrew University of Jerusalem, Edmond J. Safra Campus, Givat Ram, Jerusalem 91904, Israel
| | - Liran Carmel
- Department of Genetics, The Alexander Silberman Institute of Life Sciences, The Hebrew University of Jerusalem, Edmond J. Safra Campus, Givat Ram, Jerusalem 91904, Israel.,Evolution and Ecology Research Centre, School of Biological, Earth and Environmental Sciences, The University of New South Wales, Sydney, NSW 2052, Australia
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25
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A review of neurocognitive functioning and risk for psychopathology in sex chromosome trisomy (47,XXY, 47,XXX, 47, XYY). Curr Opin Psychiatry 2019; 32:79-84. [PMID: 30689602 PMCID: PMC6687415 DOI: 10.1097/yco.0000000000000471] [Citation(s) in RCA: 44] [Impact Index Per Article: 8.8] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Submit a Manuscript] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 12/18/2022]
Abstract
PURPOSE OF REVIEW About one in 650-1000 children is born with an extra X or Y chromosome, referred to as sex chromosome trisomies (SCTs). Studying SCTs may uncover unique insights in neurodevelopmental pathways underlying the risk for neurobehavioral problems and psychopathology. There is also a clinical need for more knowledge about the phenotype of SCT with the recent introduction of noninvasive prenatal screening. RECENT FINDINGS The reviewed studies illustrate an increased vulnerability for psychopathology such as (symptoms of) autism spectrum disorder, attention-deficit/hyperactivity disorder, anxiety, depression and, to a lesser degree, psychotic disorders. Although traditionally the primary focus has been on language and learning problems, recent research suggests that impairments in executive functioning, social cognition and emotion regulation may also be key factors underlying the risk for neurobehavioral problems. SUMMARY The research field of SCT is in need of a more longitudinal perspective to identify early markers of 'at risk' development, and to assess the effectiveness of early interventions. Neurocognitive markers that signal compromised neurodevelopment may prove to be helpful in this. Variability in the SCT phenotype provides a unique opportunity to identify not only genetic but also environmental factors that shape neurodevelopmental outcome, calling for studies focused on understanding individual differences.
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Abstract
Mammalian sex chromosomes evolved from an ordinary pair of autosomes. The X chromosome is highly conserved, whereas the Y chromosome varies among species in size, structure, and gene content. Unlike autosomes that contain randomly mixed collections of genes, the sex chromosomes are enriched in testis-biased genes related to sexual development and reproduction, particularly in spermatogenesis and male fertility. This review focuses on how sex chromosome dosage compensation takes place and why meiotic sex chromosome inactivation occurs during spermatogenesis. Furthermore, the review also emphasizes how testis-biased genes are enriched on the sex chromosomes and their functions in male fertility. It is concluded that sex chromosomes are critical to sexual development and male fertility; however, our understanding of how sex chromosome genes direct sexual development and fertility has been hampered by the structural complexities of the sex chromosomes and by the multicopy nature of the testis gene families that also play a role in immunity, cancer development, and brain function.
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Affiliation(s)
- Wan-Sheng Liu
- Department of Animal Science, Center for Reproductive Biology and Health, College of Agricultural Sciences, The Pennsylvania State University, University Park, Pennsylvania 16802, USA
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Duan JE, Flock K, Jue N, Zhang M, Jones A, Seesi SA, Mandoiu I, Pillai S, Hoffman M, O'Neill R, Zinn S, Govoni K, Reed S, Jiang H, Jiang ZC, Tian XC. Dosage Compensation and Gene Expression of the X Chromosome in Sheep. G3 (BETHESDA, MD.) 2019; 9:305-314. [PMID: 30482800 PMCID: PMC6325915 DOI: 10.1534/g3.118.200815] [Citation(s) in RCA: 6] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.2] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 10/17/2018] [Accepted: 11/26/2018] [Indexed: 12/20/2022]
Abstract
Ohno's hypothesis predicts that the expression of the single X chromosome in males needs compensatory upregulation to balance its dosage with that of the diploid autosomes. Additionally, X chromosome inactivation ensures that quadruple expression of the two X chromosomes is avoided in females. These mechanisms have been actively studied in mice and humans but lag behind in domestic species. Using RNA sequencing data, we analyzed the X chromosome upregulation in sheep fetal tissues from day 135 of gestation under control, over or restricted maternal diets (100%, 140% and 60% of National Research Council Total Digestible Nutrients), and in conceptuses, juvenile, and adult somatic tissues. By computing the mean expression ratio of all X-linked genes to all autosomal genes (X:A), we found that all samples displayed some levels of X chromosome upregulation. The degrees of X upregulation were not significant (P-value = 0.74) between ovine females and males in the same somatic tissues. Brain, however, displayed complete X upregulation. Interestingly, the male and female reproduction-related tissues exhibited divergent X dosage upregulation. Moreover, expression upregulation of the X chromosome in fetal tissues was not affected by maternal diets. Maternal nutrition, however, did change expression levels of several X-linked genes, such as sex determination genes SOX3 and NR0B1 In summary, our results showed that X chromosome upregulation occurred in nearly all sheep somatic tissues analyzed, thus support Ohno's hypothesis in a new species. However, the levels of upregulation differed by different subgroups of genes such as those that are house-keeping and "dosage-sensitive".
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Affiliation(s)
| | | | - Nathanial Jue
- School of Natural Sciences, California State University, Monterey Bay, Seaside, CA 93955
| | - Mingyuan Zhang
- Department of Animal Science
- Laboratory Animal Center, Guangxi Medical University, Nanning 530021, China
| | | | - Sahar Al Seesi
- Smith College Department of Computer Science, Northampton, MA 01063
- Department of Computer Science
| | | | | | | | - Rachel O'Neill
- Department of Molecular and Cell Biology, and University of Connecticut, Storrs, CT, 06269
| | | | | | | | - Hesheng Jiang
- College of Animal Science and Technology, Guangxi University, Nanning 530004, China, and
| | - Zongliang Carl Jiang
- Department of Animal Science
- School of Animal Science, Louisiana State University, Baton Rouge, LA 70803
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Ruszkiewicz JA, Miranda-Vizuete A, Tinkov AA, Skalnaya MG, Skalny AV, Tsatsakis A, Aschner M. Sex-Specific Differences in Redox Homeostasis in Brain Norm and Disease. J Mol Neurosci 2019; 67:312-342. [DOI: 10.1007/s12031-018-1241-9] [Citation(s) in RCA: 19] [Impact Index Per Article: 3.8] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 11/14/2018] [Accepted: 12/10/2018] [Indexed: 12/12/2022]
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Duan JE, Shi W, Jue NK, Jiang Z, Kuo L, O'Neill R, Wolf E, Dong H, Zheng X, Chen J, Tian XC. Dosage Compensation of the X Chromosomes in Bovine Germline, Early Embryos, and Somatic Tissues. Genome Biol Evol 2019; 11:242-252. [PMID: 30566637 PMCID: PMC6354180 DOI: 10.1093/gbe/evy270] [Citation(s) in RCA: 6] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.2] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Accepted: 12/12/2018] [Indexed: 12/15/2022] Open
Abstract
Dosage compensation of the mammalian X chromosome (X) was proposed by Susumu Ohno as a mechanism wherein the inactivation of one X in females would lead to doubling the expression of the other. This would resolve the dosage imbalance between eutherian females (XX) versus male (XY) and between a single active X versus autosome pairs (A). Expression ratio of X- and A-linked genes has been relatively well studied in humans and mice, despite controversial results over the existence of upregulation of X-linked genes. Here we report the first comprehensive test of Ohno’s hypothesis in bovine preattachment embryos, germline, and somatic tissues. Overall an incomplete dosage compensation (0.5 < X:A < 1) of expressed genes and an excess X dosage compensation (X:A > 1) of ubiquitously expressed “dosage-sensitive” genes were seen. No significant differences in X:A ratios were observed between bovine female and male somatic tissues, further supporting Ohno’s hypothesis. Interestingly, preimplantation embryos manifested a unique pattern of X dosage compensation dynamics. Specifically, X dosage decreased after fertilization, indicating that the sperm brings in an inactive X to the matured oocyte. Subsequently, the activation of the bovine embryonic genome enhanced expression of X-linked genes and increased the X dosage. As a result, an excess compensation was exhibited from the 8-cell stage to the compact morula stage. The X dosage peaked at the 16-cell stage and stabilized after the blastocyst stage. Together, our findings confirm Ohno’s hypothesis of X dosage compensation in the bovine and extend it by showing incomplete and over-compensation for expressed and “dosage-sensitive” genes, respectively.
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Affiliation(s)
| | - Wei Shi
- Department of Statistics, University of Connecticut, Storrs, CT
| | - Nathaniel K Jue
- School of Natural Sciences, California State University, Monterey Bay, CA
| | - Zongliang Jiang
- School of Animal Science, Louisiana State University, Agricultural Center, Baton Rouge, LA
| | - Lynn Kuo
- Department of Statistics, University of Connecticut, Storrs, CT
| | - Rachel O'Neill
- Department of Molecular and Cell Biology, University of Connecticut, Storrs, CT
| | - Eckhard Wolf
- Gene Center and Department of Biochemistry, Ludwig-Maximilians-Universität Muünchen, Germany
| | - Hong Dong
- Institute of Animal Science, Xinjiang Academy of Animal Sciences, Urumqi, Xinjiang, P.R. China
| | - Xinbao Zheng
- Institute of Animal Science, Xinjiang Academy of Animal Sciences, Urumqi, Xinjiang, P.R. China
| | - Jingbo Chen
- Institute of Animal Science, Xinjiang Academy of Animal Sciences, Urumqi, Xinjiang, P.R. China
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30
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Wierenga LM, Sexton JA, Laake P, Giedd JN, Tamnes CK. A Key Characteristic of Sex Differences in the Developing Brain: Greater Variability in Brain Structure of Boys than Girls. Cereb Cortex 2018; 28:2741-2751. [PMID: 28981610 PMCID: PMC6041809 DOI: 10.1093/cercor/bhx154] [Citation(s) in RCA: 84] [Impact Index Per Article: 14.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 03/10/2017] [Revised: 05/15/2017] [Accepted: 06/02/2017] [Indexed: 12/13/2022] Open
Abstract
In many domains, including cognition and personality, greater variability is observed in males than in females in humans. However, little is known about how variability differences between sexes are represented in the brain. The present study tested whether there is a sex difference in variance in brain structure using a cohort of 643 males and 591 females aged between 3 and 21 years. The broad age-range of the sample allowed us to test if variance differences in the brain differ across age. We observed significantly greater male than female variance for several key brain structures, including cerebral white matter and cortex, hippocampus, pallidum, putamen, and cerebellar cortex volumes. The differences were observed at both upper and lower extremities of the distributions and appeared stable across development. These findings move beyond mean levels by showing that sex differences were pronounced for variability, thereby providing a novel perspective on sex differences in the developing brain.
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Affiliation(s)
- Lara M Wierenga
- Brain and Development Research Center, Leiden University, RB Leiden, The Netherlands
| | - Joseph A Sexton
- Department of Biostatistics, Institute of Basic Medical Sciences, University of Oslo, Blindern, Oslo, Norway
| | - Petter Laake
- Department of Biostatistics, Institute of Basic Medical Sciences, University of Oslo, Blindern, Oslo, Norway
| | - Jay N Giedd
- Department of Psychiatry, University of California, San Diego, CA, USA
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31
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Manoli DS, Tollkuhn J. Gene regulatory mechanisms underlying sex differences in brain development and psychiatric disease. Ann N Y Acad Sci 2018; 1420:26-45. [PMID: 29363776 PMCID: PMC5991992 DOI: 10.1111/nyas.13564] [Citation(s) in RCA: 20] [Impact Index Per Article: 3.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 04/30/2017] [Revised: 10/26/2017] [Accepted: 11/01/2017] [Indexed: 12/12/2022]
Abstract
The sexual differentiation of the mammalian nervous system requires the precise coordination of the temporal and spatial regulation of gene expression in diverse cell types. Sex hormones act at multiple developmental time points to specify sex-typical differentiation during embryonic and early development and to coordinate subsequent responses to gonadal hormones later in life by establishing sex-typical patterns of epigenetic modifications across the genome. Thus, mutations associated with neuropsychiatric conditions may result in sexually dimorphic symptoms by acting on different neural substrates or chromatin landscapes in males and females. Finally, as stress hormone signaling may directly alter the molecular machinery that interacts with sex hormone receptors to regulate gene expression, the contribution of chronic stress to the pathogenesis or presentation of mental illness may be additionally different between the sexes. Here, we review the mechanisms that contribute to sexual differentiation in the mammalian nervous system and consider some of the implications of these processes for sex differences in neuropsychiatric conditions.
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Affiliation(s)
- Devanand S. Manoli
- Department of Psychiatry and Weill Institute for Neuroscience, University of California, San Francisco, San Francisco, California
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32
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Ratnu VS, Emami MR, Bredy TW. Genetic and epigenetic factors underlying sex differences in the regulation of gene expression in the brain. J Neurosci Res 2017; 95:301-310. [PMID: 27870402 DOI: 10.1002/jnr.23886] [Citation(s) in RCA: 85] [Impact Index Per Article: 12.1] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 04/25/2016] [Revised: 07/13/2016] [Accepted: 07/25/2016] [Indexed: 12/14/2022]
Abstract
There are inherent biological differences between males and females that contribute to sex differences in brain function and to many sex-specific illnesses and disorders. Traditionally, it has been thought that such differences are due largely to hormonal regulation; however, there are also genetic and epigenetic effects caused by the inheritance and unequal dosage of genes located on the X and Y chromosomes. Here we discuss the evidence in favor of a genetic and epigenetic basis for sexually dimorphic behavior, as a consequence of underlying differences in the regulation of genes that drive brain function. A better understanding of sex-specific molecular processes in the brain will provide further insight for the development of novel therapeutic approaches for the treatment of neuropsychiatric disorders characterized by sex differences. © 2016 Wiley Periodicals, Inc.
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Affiliation(s)
- Vikram S Ratnu
- Queensland Brain Institute, The University of Queensland, Brisbane, Queensland, Australia
| | - Michael R Emami
- Department of Neurobiology and Behavior, University of California, Irvine, California
| | - Timothy W Bredy
- Queensland Brain Institute, The University of Queensland, Brisbane, Queensland, Australia.,Department of Neurobiology and Behavior, University of California, Irvine, California
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33
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Abstract
Brain development diverges in males and females in response to androgen production by the fetal testis. This sexual differentiation of the brain occurs during a sensitive window and induces enduring neuroanatomical and physiological changes that profoundly impact behavior. What we know about the contribution of sex chromosomes is still emerging, highlighting the need to integrate multiple factors into understanding sex differences, including the importance of context. The cellular mechanisms are best modeled in rodents and have provided both unifying principles and surprising specifics. Markedly distinct signaling pathways direct differentiation in specific brain regions, resulting in mosaicism of relative maleness, femaleness, and sameness through-out the brain, while canalization both exaggerates and constrains sex differences. Non-neuronal cells and inflammatory mediators are found in greater number and at higher levels in parts of male brains. This higher baseline of inflammation is speculated to increase male vulnerability to developmental neuropsychiatric disorders that are triggered by inflammation.
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Affiliation(s)
- Margaret M McCarthy
- Department of Pharmacology, University of Maryland School of Medicine, Baltimore, Maryland, USA
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34
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Connecting the Dots between Schizotypal Symptoms and Social Anxiety in Youth with an Extra X Chromosome: A Mediating Role for Catastrophizing. Brain Sci 2017; 7:brainsci7090113. [PMID: 28878159 PMCID: PMC5615254 DOI: 10.3390/brainsci7090113] [Citation(s) in RCA: 4] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.6] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 07/28/2017] [Revised: 08/30/2017] [Accepted: 09/02/2017] [Indexed: 12/30/2022] Open
Abstract
Youth with an extra X chromosome (47, XXY & 47, XXX) display higher levels of schizotypal symptoms and social anxiety as compared to typically developing youth. It is likely that the extra X chromosome group is at-risk for clinical levels of schizotypy and social anxiety. Hence, this study investigated how schizotypal and social anxiety symptoms are related and mechanisms that may explain their association in a group of 38 children and adolescents with an extra X chromosome and a comparison group of 109 typically developing peers (8–19 years). Three cognitive coping strategies were investigated as potential mediators, rumination, catastrophizing, and other-blame. Moderated mediation analyses revealed that the relationship between schizotypal symptoms and social anxiety was mediated by catastrophizing coping in the extra X chromosome group but not in the comparison group. The results suggest that youth with an extra X chromosome with schizotypal symptoms could benefit from an intervention to weaken the tendency to catastrophize life events as a way of reducing the likelihood of social anxiety symptoms.
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35
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Yang T, Yildirim E. Epigenetic and LncRNA-Mediated Regulation of X Chromosome Inactivation and Its Impact on Pathogenesis. CURRENT PATHOBIOLOGY REPORTS 2017. [DOI: 10.1007/s40139-017-0120-3] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 10/20/2022]
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36
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Balachandar V, Dhivya V, Gomathi M, Mohanadevi S, Venkatesh B, Geetha B. A review of Rett syndrome (RTT) with induced pluripotent stem cells. Stem Cell Investig 2016; 3:52. [PMID: 27777941 DOI: 10.21037/sci.2016.09.05] [Citation(s) in RCA: 13] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.6] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 08/24/2016] [Accepted: 09/08/2016] [Indexed: 11/06/2022]
Abstract
Human induced pluripotent stem cells (hiPSCs) are pluripotent stem cells generated from somatic cells by the introduction of a combination of pluripotency-associated genes such as OCT4, SOX2, along with either KLF4 and c-MYC or NANOG and LIN28 via retroviral or lentiviral vectors. Most importantly, hiPSCs are similar to human embryonic stem cells (hESCs) functionally as they are pluripotent and can potentially differentiate into any desired cell type when provided with the appropriate cues, but do not have the ethical issues surrounding hESCs. For these reasons, hiPSCs have huge potential in translational medicine such as disease modeling, drug screening, and cellular therapy. Indeed, patient-specific hiPSCs have been generated for a multitude of diseases, including many with a neurological basis, in which disease phenotypes have been recapitulated in vitro and proof-of-principle drug screening has been performed. As the techniques for generating hiPSCs are refined and these cells become a more widely used tool for understanding brain development, the insights they produce must be understood in the context of the greater complexity of the human genome and the human brain. Disease models using iPS from Rett syndrome (RTT) patient's fibroblasts have opened up a new avenue of drug discovery for therapeutic treatment of RTT. The analysis of X chromosome inactivation (XCI) upon differentiation of RTT-hiPSCs into neurons will be critical to conclusively demonstrate the isolation of pre-XCI RTT-hiPSCs in comparison to post-XCI RTT-hiPSCs. The current review projects on iPSC studies in RTT as well as XCI in hiPSC were it suggests for screening new potential therapeutic targets for RTT in future for the benefit of RTT patients. In conclusion, patient-specific drug screening might be feasible and would be particularly helpful in disorders where patients frequently have to try multiple drugs before finding a regimen that works.
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Affiliation(s)
- Vellingiri Balachandar
- Human Molecular Genetics and Stem Cell Laboratory, Department of Human Genetics and Molecular Biology, Bharathiar University, Coimbatore-641 046, Tamil Nadu, India
| | - Venkatesan Dhivya
- Human Molecular Genetics and Stem Cell Laboratory, Department of Human Genetics and Molecular Biology, Bharathiar University, Coimbatore-641 046, Tamil Nadu, India
| | - Mohan Gomathi
- Human Molecular Genetics and Stem Cell Laboratory, Department of Human Genetics and Molecular Biology, Bharathiar University, Coimbatore-641 046, Tamil Nadu, India
| | - Subramaniam Mohanadevi
- Human Molecular Genetics and Stem Cell Laboratory, Department of Human Genetics and Molecular Biology, Bharathiar University, Coimbatore-641 046, Tamil Nadu, India
| | - Balasubramanian Venkatesh
- Human Molecular Genetics and Stem Cell Laboratory, Department of Human Genetics and Molecular Biology, Bharathiar University, Coimbatore-641 046, Tamil Nadu, India
| | - Bharathi Geetha
- Human Molecular Genetics and Stem Cell Laboratory, Department of Human Genetics and Molecular Biology, Bharathiar University, Coimbatore-641 046, Tamil Nadu, India
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37
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Disteche CM. Dosage compensation of the sex chromosomes and autosomes. Semin Cell Dev Biol 2016; 56:9-18. [PMID: 27112542 DOI: 10.1016/j.semcdb.2016.04.013] [Citation(s) in RCA: 79] [Impact Index Per Article: 9.9] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 01/05/2016] [Revised: 04/15/2016] [Accepted: 04/19/2016] [Indexed: 12/16/2022]
Abstract
Males are XY and females are XX in most mammalian species. Other species such as birds have a different sex chromosome make-up: ZZ in males and ZW in females. In both types of organisms one of the sex chromosomes, Y or W, has degenerated due to lack of recombination with its respective homolog X or Z. Since autosomes are present in two copies in diploid organisms the heterogametic sex has become a natural "aneuploid" with haploinsufficiency for X- or Z-linked genes. Specific mechanisms have evolved to restore a balance between critical gene products throughout the genome and between males and females. Some of these mechanisms were co-opted from and/or added to compensatory processes that alleviate autosomal aneuploidy. Surprisingly, several modes of dosage compensation have evolved. In this review we will consider the evidence for dosage compensation and the molecular mechanisms implicated.
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Affiliation(s)
- Christine M Disteche
- Department of Pathology, School of Medicine, University of Washington, 1959 NE Pacific St. Seattle, WA 98115, USA; Department of Medicine, School of Medicine, University of Washington, 1959 NE Pacific St. Seattle, WA 98115, USA.
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38
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Vacca M, Della Ragione F, Scalabrì F, D'Esposito M. X inactivation and reactivation in X-linked diseases. Semin Cell Dev Biol 2016; 56:78-87. [PMID: 26994527 DOI: 10.1016/j.semcdb.2016.03.009] [Citation(s) in RCA: 37] [Impact Index Per Article: 4.6] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 01/05/2016] [Revised: 03/10/2016] [Accepted: 03/11/2016] [Indexed: 12/22/2022]
Abstract
X chromosome inactivation (XCI) is the phenomenon by which mammals compensate for dosage of X-linked genes in females (XX) versus males (XY). XCI patterns can be random or show extreme skewing, and can modify the mode of inheritance of X-driven phenotypes, which contributes to the variability of human pathologies. Recent findings have shown reversibility of the XCI process, which has opened new avenues in the approaches used for the treatment of X-linked diseases.
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Affiliation(s)
- Marcella Vacca
- Institute of Genetics and Biophysics "A. Buzzati Traverso", CNR, via Pietro Castellino, 111, 80131, Naples, Italy.
| | - Floriana Della Ragione
- Institute of Genetics and Biophysics "A. Buzzati Traverso", CNR, via Pietro Castellino, 111, 80131, Naples, Italy; IRCCS Neuromed, Pozzilli, Isernia, Italy
| | | | - Maurizio D'Esposito
- Institute of Genetics and Biophysics "A. Buzzati Traverso", CNR, via Pietro Castellino, 111, 80131, Naples, Italy; IRCCS Neuromed, Pozzilli, Isernia, Italy
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39
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Paessler K. Sex Differences in Variability in Vocational Interests: Evidence from Two Large Samples. EUROPEAN JOURNAL OF PERSONALITY 2015. [DOI: 10.1002/per.2010] [Citation(s) in RCA: 5] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.6] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/12/2022]
Abstract
Greater male variability has been established in cognitive abilities and physical attributes. This study investigated sex differences in variability in vocational interests with two large samples (N > 40 000 and N > 70 000). The results show that although men varied more in Realistic and Enterprising interests, women varied more in Artistic and Conventional interests. These differences in variability had considerable influence on the female–male tail ratios in vocational interests that have been found to contribute to reported gender disparities in certain fields of work and academic disciplines. Moreover, differences in means and variability interacted non–linearly in shaping tail–ratio imbalances. An age–specific analysis additionally revealed that differences in variability diminished with age: Older samples showed smaller differences in variance in Realistic, Artistic, and Social interests than younger samples. Thus, I found no evidence that greater male variability applies for vocational interests in general. Copyright © 2015 European Association of Personality Psychology
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Affiliation(s)
- Katja Paessler
- School of Applied Psychology, University of Applied Sciences and Arts Northwestern Switzerland, Olten, Switzerland
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40
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Zhou S, Shi Z, Cui M, Li J, Ma Z, Shi Y, Zheng Z, Zhang F, Jin T, Geng T, Chen C, Guo Y, Zhou J, Huang S, Guo X, Gao L, Gong P, Gao X, Zhang K. A New Role for LOC101928437 in Non-Syndromic Intellectual Disability: Findings from a Family-Based Association Test. PLoS One 2015; 10:e0135669. [PMID: 26287547 PMCID: PMC4545728 DOI: 10.1371/journal.pone.0135669] [Citation(s) in RCA: 2] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.2] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 12/09/2014] [Accepted: 07/25/2015] [Indexed: 11/19/2022] Open
Abstract
Non-syndromic intellectual disability (NSID) is mental retardation in persons of normal physical appearance who have no recognisable features apart from obvious deficits in intellectual functioning and adaptive ability; however, its genetic etiology of most patients has remained unknown. The main purpose of this study was to fine map and identify specific causal gene(s) by genotyping a NSID family cohort using a panel of markers encompassing a target region reported in a previous work. A total of 139 families including probands, parents and relatives were included in the household survey, clinical examinations and intelligence tests, recruited from the Qinba mountain region of Shannxi province, western China. A collection of 34 tagged single nucleotide polymorphisms (tSNPs) spanning five microsatellite marker (STR) loci were genotyped using an iPLEX Gold assay. The association between tSNPs and patients was analyzed by family-based association testing (FBAT) and haplotype analysis (HBAT). Four markers (rs5974392, rs12164331, rs5929554 and rs3116911) in a block that showed strong linkage disequilibrium within the first three introns of the LOC101928437 locus were found to be significantly associated with NSID (all P<0.01) by the FBAT method for a single marker in additive, dominant and recessive models. The results of haplotype tests of this block also revealed a significant association with NSID (all P<0.05) using 2-window and larger HBAT analyses. These results suggest that LOC101928437 is a novel candidate gene for NSID in Han Chinese individuals of the Qinba region of China. Although the biological function of the gene has not been well studied, knowledge about this gene will provide insights that will increase our understanding of NSID development.
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Affiliation(s)
- Shaohe Zhou
- Key Laboratory of Resource Biology and Biotechnology in Western China (Ministry of Education), College of Life Science, Institute of Population and Health, Northwest University, Xi’an, China
| | - Zhangyan Shi
- Key Laboratory of Resource Biology and Biotechnology in Western China (Ministry of Education), College of Life Science, Institute of Population and Health, Northwest University, Xi’an, China
| | - Meng Cui
- Xi’an Institute of Mental Health, Xi’an, China
| | - Junlin Li
- Key Laboratory of Resource Biology and Biotechnology in Western China (Ministry of Education), College of Life Science, Institute of Population and Health, Northwest University, Xi’an, China
| | - Zhe Ma
- Key Laboratory of Resource Biology and Biotechnology in Western China (Ministry of Education), College of Life Science, Institute of Population and Health, Northwest University, Xi’an, China
| | - Yuanyu Shi
- Key Laboratory of Resource Biology and Biotechnology in Western China (Ministry of Education), College of Life Science, Institute of Population and Health, Northwest University, Xi’an, China
| | - Zijian Zheng
- College of Public Management, Institute of Application Psychology, Northwest University, Xi’an, China
| | - Fuchang Zhang
- Key Laboratory of Resource Biology and Biotechnology in Western China (Ministry of Education), College of Life Science, Institute of Population and Health, Northwest University, Xi’an, China
- College of Public Management, Institute of Application Psychology, Northwest University, Xi’an, China
| | - Tianbo Jin
- School of Life Sciences, Northwest University, Xi’an, Shaanxi, China
- National Engineering Research Center for Miniaturized Detection Systems, Xi’an, Shaanxi, China
| | - Tingting Geng
- School of Life Sciences, Northwest University, Xi’an, Shaanxi, China
- National Engineering Research Center for Miniaturized Detection Systems, Xi’an, Shaanxi, China
| | - Chao Chen
- School of Life Sciences, Northwest University, Xi’an, Shaanxi, China
- National Engineering Research Center for Miniaturized Detection Systems, Xi’an, Shaanxi, China
| | - Yale Guo
- The 2 Affiliated Hospital, Xi’an Jiaotong University, Xi’an, China
| | - Jianping Zhou
- The 2 Affiliated Hospital, Xi’an Jiaotong University, Xi’an, China
| | - Shaoping Huang
- The 2 Affiliated Hospital, Xi’an Jiaotong University, Xi’an, China
| | - Xingli Guo
- School of Computer Science and Technology, Xidian University, Xi'an Shaanxi, China
| | - Lin Gao
- School of Computer Science and Technology, Xidian University, Xi'an Shaanxi, China
| | - Pingyuan Gong
- Laboratory of Medical Molecular Biology, Henan University of Science and Technology, Luoyang, China
| | - Xiaocai Gao
- Key Laboratory of Resource Biology and Biotechnology in Western China (Ministry of Education), College of Life Science, Institute of Population and Health, Northwest University, Xi’an, China
- College of Public Management, Institute of Application Psychology, Northwest University, Xi’an, China
- * E-mail: (XG); (KZ)
| | - Kejin Zhang
- Key Laboratory of Resource Biology and Biotechnology in Western China (Ministry of Education), College of Life Science, Institute of Population and Health, Northwest University, Xi’an, China
- * E-mail: (XG); (KZ)
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41
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Women's fertility across the cycle increases the short-term attractiveness of creative intelligence. HUMAN NATURE-AN INTERDISCIPLINARY BIOSOCIAL PERSPECTIVE 2015; 17:50-73. [PMID: 26181345 DOI: 10.1007/s12110-006-1020-0] [Citation(s) in RCA: 91] [Impact Index Per Article: 10.1] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 06/30/2004] [Revised: 09/22/2004] [Accepted: 01/11/2005] [Indexed: 10/23/2022]
Abstract
Male provisioning ability may have evolved as a "good dad" indicator through sexual selection, whereas male creativity may have evolved partly as a "good genes" indicator. If so, women near peak fertility (midcycle) should prefer creativity over wealth, especially in short-term mating. Forty-one normally cycling women read vignettes describing creative but poor men vs. uncreative but rich men. Women's estimated fertility predicted their short-term (but not long-term) preference for creativity over wealth, in both their desirability ratings of individual men (r=.40, p<.01) and their forced-choice decisions between men (r=.46, p<.01). These preliminary results are consistent with the view that creativity evolved at least partly as a good genes indicator through mate choice.
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42
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Craig IW, Haworth CMA, Plomin R. Commentary on "A Role for the X Chromosome in Sex Differences in Variability in General Intelligence?" (Johnson et al., 2009). PERSPECTIVES ON PSYCHOLOGICAL SCIENCE 2015; 4:615-21. [PMID: 26161737 DOI: 10.1111/j.1745-6924.2009.01170.x] [Citation(s) in RCA: 9] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/30/2022]
Abstract
Johnson et al.'s (2009) article highlights the role of X-chromosomal genes in general intelligence and draws attention to their potential role in explaining the observed greater variance for this trait in males and their excess at both extremes of the distribution. We note that this would result from a simple additive effect of X-linked intelligence genes and also discuss the potentially important contribution of recessive deleterious loci. The buffering effect of heterozygosity in females will be partly constrained by the skewing of X-inactivation patterns increasing the variance of females beyond what is expected. Furthermore, escape of some X-linked genes from in-activation may also be relevant to male-female variance comparisons. We also comment on the difficulty of establishing the extent to which the X chromosome is enriched for intelligence genes and point out that their estimates of the proportion of genes influencing general intelligence that might be located on the X chromosome rely on some doubtful premises, especially concerning the likely equivalence of X-linked gene action in males and females. Finally, we discuss the increasingly compelling evidence for the accumulation of genes on the X chromosome that have selective benefit to males, including those implicated infertility and some manifestations of intelligence.
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Affiliation(s)
- Ian W Craig
- Social, Genetic, and Developmental Psychiatry Centre, Institute of Psychiatry, London, United Kingdom
| | - Claire M A Haworth
- Social, Genetic, and Developmental Psychiatry Centre, Institute of Psychiatry, London, United Kingdom
| | - Robert Plomin
- Social, Genetic, and Developmental Psychiatry Centre, Institute of Psychiatry, London, United Kingdom
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43
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Johnson W, Carothers A, Deary IJ. A Role for the X Chromosome in Sex Differences in Variability in General Intelligence? PERSPECTIVES ON PSYCHOLOGICAL SCIENCE 2015; 4:598-611. [PMID: 26161735 DOI: 10.1111/j.1745-6924.2009.01168.x] [Citation(s) in RCA: 39] [Impact Index Per Article: 4.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 01/24/2023]
Abstract
There is substantial evidence that males are more variable than females in general intelligence. In recent years, researchers have presented this as a reason that, although there is little, if any, mean sex difference in general intelligence, males tend to be overrepresented at both ends of its overall distribution. Part of the explanation could be the presence of genes on the X chromosome related both to syndromal disorders involving mental retardation and to population variation in general intelligence occurring normally. Genes on the X chromosome appear overrepresented among genes with known involvement in mental retardation, which is consistent with a model we developed of the population distribution of general intelligence as a mixture of two normal distributions. Using this model, we explored the expected ratios of males to females at various points in the distribution and estimated the proportion of variance in general intelligence potentially due to genes on the X chromosome. These estimates provide clues to the extent to which biologically based sex differences could be manifested in the environment as sex differences in displayed intellectual abilities. We discuss these observations in the context of sex differences in specific cognitive abilities and evolutionary theories of sexual selection.
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Affiliation(s)
- Wendy Johnson
- University of Edinburgh, United Kingdom University of Minnesota-Twin Cities, and
| | - Andrew Carothers
- Public Health Sciences, University of Edinburgh Medical School, United Kingdom
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44
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Shioda N, Fukunaga K. [Molecular mechanisms of synapse pathology in ATR-X syndrome]. Nihon Yakurigaku Zasshi 2015; 145:174-7. [PMID: 25864826 DOI: 10.1254/fpj.145.174] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 10/23/2022]
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45
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Abstract
I present evidence that humans have evolved convergently to social insects with regard to a large suite of social, ecological, and reproductive phenotypes. Convergences between humans and social insects include: (1) groups with genetically and environmentally defined structures; (2) extensive divisions of labor; (3) specialization of a relatively restricted set of females for reproduction, with enhanced fertility; (4) extensive extramaternal care; (5) within-group food sharing; (6) generalized diets composed of high-nutrient-density food; (7) solicitous juveniles, but high rates of infanticide; (8) ecological dominance; (9) enhanced colonizing abilities; and (10) collective, cooperative decision-making. Most of these convergent phenotypic adaptations stem from reorganization of key life-history trade-offs due to behavioral, physiological, and life-historical specializations. Despite their extensive socioreproductive overlap with social insects, humans differ with regard to the central aspect of eusociality: reproductive division of labor. This difference may be underpinned by the high energetic costs of producing offspring with large brains.
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Affiliation(s)
- Bernard Crespi
- Department of Biological Sciences, Simon Fraser University, Burnaby, British Columbia, Canada, V5A 1S6,
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46
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van Rijn S, Swaab H. Executive dysfunction and the relation with behavioral problems in children with 47,XXY and 47,XXX. GENES BRAIN AND BEHAVIOR 2015; 14:200-8. [DOI: 10.1111/gbb.12203] [Citation(s) in RCA: 41] [Impact Index Per Article: 4.6] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 09/16/2014] [Revised: 01/16/2015] [Accepted: 01/20/2015] [Indexed: 10/24/2022]
Affiliation(s)
- S. van Rijn
- Clinical Child and Adolescent Studies; Leiden University; Leiden The Netherlands
- Leiden Institute for Brain and Cognition; Leiden The Netherlands
| | - H. Swaab
- Clinical Child and Adolescent Studies; Leiden University; Leiden The Netherlands
- Leiden Institute for Brain and Cognition; Leiden The Netherlands
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47
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Huang J, Zhang L, Deng H, Chang L, Liu Q, Liu P. Global transcriptome analysis of peripheral blood identifies the most significantly down-regulated genes associated with metabolism regulation in Klinefelter syndrome. Mol Reprod Dev 2015; 82:17-25. [PMID: 25581374 DOI: 10.1002/mrd.22438] [Citation(s) in RCA: 24] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.7] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 09/13/2014] [Accepted: 10/28/2014] [Indexed: 11/11/2022]
Abstract
The molecular pathogenesis of Klinefelter Syndrome (KS) is not fully understood. The aim of this study was to determine differences in gene expression patterns between KS patients and control individuals to help identify disease-related genes and biological pathways. Gene expression profiles of five KS patients and five healthy men were determined by microarray; 21 differentially expressed genes with a fold-change >1.5 and q-value <0.05 were identified between the groups. Genes associated with metabolism regulation and encoding liver fatty acid-binding protein (FABP1), aldehyde dehydrogenase 1 family member L1 (ALDH1L1), and vitronectin (VTN) were the most-significantly down-regulated in KS, as confirmed by quantitative reverse transcription PCR. Notably, none of these differentially expressed genes are normally found on the X chromosome. Thus, our results indicate that aberrant metabolism is involved in the pathogenesis of KS. Further elucidation of the how aberrant expression of metabolism-related genes affect the pathogenesis of KS may lead to the development of novel preventative and therapeutic strategies.
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Affiliation(s)
- Jin Huang
- Center of Reproductive Medicine, Department of Obstetrics and Gynecology, Peking University Third Hospital, Beijing, China; Key Laboratory of Assisted Reproduction, Ministry of Education, Beijing, China; Beijing Key Laboratory of Reproductive Endocrinology and Assisted Reproduction, Beijing, China
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48
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Corre C, Friedel M, Vousden DA, Metcalf A, Spring S, Qiu LR, Lerch JP, Palmert MR. Separate effects of sex hormones and sex chromosomes on brain structure and function revealed by high-resolution magnetic resonance imaging and spatial navigation assessment of the Four Core Genotype mouse model. Brain Struct Funct 2014; 221:997-1016. [PMID: 25445841 DOI: 10.1007/s00429-014-0952-0] [Citation(s) in RCA: 60] [Impact Index Per Article: 6.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 06/26/2014] [Accepted: 11/22/2014] [Indexed: 12/18/2022]
Abstract
Males and females exhibit several differences in brain structure and function. To examine the basis for these sex differences, we investigated the influences of sex hormones and sex chromosomes on brain structure and function in mice. We used the Four Core Genotype (4CG) mice, which can generate both male and female mice with XX or XY sex chromosome complement, allowing the decoupling of sex chromosomes from hormonal milieu. To examine whole brain structure, high-resolution ex vivo MRI was performed, and to assess differences in cognitive function, mice were trained on a radial arm maze. Voxel-wise and volumetric analyses of MRI data uncovered a striking independence of hormonal versus chromosomal influences in 30 sexually dimorphic brain regions. For example, the bed nucleus of the stria terminalis and the parieto-temporal lobe of the cerebral cortex displayed steroid-dependence while the cerebellar cortex, corpus callosum, and olfactory bulbs were influenced by sex chromosomes. Spatial learning and memory demonstrated strict hormone-dependency with no apparent influence of sex chromosomes. Understanding the influences of chromosomes and hormones on brain structure and function is important for understanding sex differences in brain structure and function, an endeavor that has eventual implications for understanding sex biases observed in the prevalence of psychiatric disorders.
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Affiliation(s)
- Christina Corre
- Division of Endocrinology, The Hospital for Sick Children, 555 University Avenue, Toronto, ON, M5G 1X8, Canada.
| | - Miriam Friedel
- Mouse Imaging Centre and Program in Neuroscience and Mental Health, The Hospital for Sick Children, 25 Orde Street, Toronto, ON, M5T 3H7, Canada
| | - Dulcie A Vousden
- Mouse Imaging Centre and Program in Neuroscience and Mental Health, The Hospital for Sick Children, 25 Orde Street, Toronto, ON, M5T 3H7, Canada.,Department of Medical Biophysics, The University of Toronto, Toronto, ON, Canada
| | - Ariane Metcalf
- Mouse Imaging Centre and Program in Neuroscience and Mental Health, The Hospital for Sick Children, 25 Orde Street, Toronto, ON, M5T 3H7, Canada
| | - Shoshana Spring
- Mouse Imaging Centre and Program in Neuroscience and Mental Health, The Hospital for Sick Children, 25 Orde Street, Toronto, ON, M5T 3H7, Canada
| | - Lily R Qiu
- Division of Endocrinology, The Hospital for Sick Children, 555 University Avenue, Toronto, ON, M5G 1X8, Canada.,Institute of Medical Science, The University of Toronto, Toronto, ON, Canada
| | - Jason P Lerch
- Mouse Imaging Centre and Program in Neuroscience and Mental Health, The Hospital for Sick Children, 25 Orde Street, Toronto, ON, M5T 3H7, Canada.,Department of Medical Biophysics, The University of Toronto, Toronto, ON, Canada
| | - Mark R Palmert
- Division of Endocrinology, The Hospital for Sick Children, 555 University Avenue, Toronto, ON, M5G 1X8, Canada. .,Institute of Medical Science, The University of Toronto, Toronto, ON, Canada. .,Departments of Paediatrics and Physiology, The University of Toronto, Toronto, ON, Canada.
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49
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Cox KH, Bonthuis PJ, Rissman EF. Mouse model systems to study sex chromosome genes and behavior: relevance to humans. Front Neuroendocrinol 2014; 35:405-19. [PMID: 24388960 PMCID: PMC4079771 DOI: 10.1016/j.yfrne.2013.12.004] [Citation(s) in RCA: 50] [Impact Index Per Article: 5.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Submit a Manuscript] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 10/01/2013] [Revised: 12/16/2013] [Accepted: 12/20/2013] [Indexed: 10/25/2022]
Abstract
Sex chromosome genes directly influence sex differences in behavior. The discovery of the Sry gene on the Y chromosome (Gubbay et al., 1990; Koopman et al., 1990) substantiated the sex chromosome mechanistic link to sex differences. Moreover, the pronounced connection between X chromosome gene mutations and mental illness produces a strong sex bias in these diseases. Yet, the dominant explanation for sex differences continues to be the gonadal hormones. Here we review progress made on behavioral differences in mouse models that uncouple sex chromosome complement from gonadal sex. We conclude that many social and cognitive behaviors are modified by sex chromosome complement, and discuss the implications for human research. Future directions need to include identification of the genes involved and interactions with these genes and gonadal hormones.
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Affiliation(s)
- Kimberly H Cox
- Department of Biochemistry and Molecular Genetics and Program in Neuroscience, University of Virginia School of Medicine, Charlottesville, VA 22908, United States
| | - Paul J Bonthuis
- Department of Biochemistry and Molecular Genetics and Program in Neuroscience, University of Virginia School of Medicine, Charlottesville, VA 22908, United States
| | - Emilie F Rissman
- Department of Biochemistry and Molecular Genetics and Program in Neuroscience, University of Virginia School of Medicine, Charlottesville, VA 22908, United States.
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50
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Abstract
Epigenetic control of gene expression programs is essential for normal organismal development and cellular function. Abrogation of epigenetic regulation is seen in many human diseases, including cancer and neuropsychiatric disorders, where it can affect disease etiology and progression. Abnormal epigenetic profiles can serve as biomarkers of disease states and predictors of disease outcomes. Therefore, epigenetics is a key area of clinical investigation in diagnosis, prognosis, and treatment. In this review, we give an overarching view of epigenetic mechanisms of human disease. Genetic mutations in genes that encode chromatin regulators can cause monogenic disease or are incriminated in polygenic, multifactorial diseases. Environmental stresses can also impact directly on chromatin regulation, and these changes can increase the risk of, or directly cause, disease. Finally, emerging evidence suggests that exposure to environmental stresses in older generations may predispose subsequent generations to disease in a manner that involves the transgenerational inheritance of epigenetic information.
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Affiliation(s)
- Emily Brookes
- Department of Cell Biology, Harvard Medical School, Boston, Massachusetts 02115
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