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Kaye AD, Green AM, Claude JT, Daniel CP, Cooley JF, Sala KR, Potharaju P, Rieger R, Patil S, Ahmadzadeh S, Shekoohi S. Efficacy and Safety of Alpha-2 Agonists in Autism Spectrum Disorder: A Systematic Review. Adv Ther 2024:10.1007/s12325-024-02980-0. [PMID: 39269569 DOI: 10.1007/s12325-024-02980-0] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 06/05/2024] [Accepted: 08/23/2024] [Indexed: 09/15/2024]
Abstract
BACKGROUND This analysis is a systematic literature review assessing efficacy and adverse effects of three alpha-2 agonists for the symptomatic management of autism spectrum disorder (ASD). METHODS The present investigation involved an extensive systematic search for eligible studies in PubMed, Embase, Cochrane Library, and Google Scholar. Nine studies, collectively incorporating 226 patients, were assessed. RESULTS The results demonstrated promising indications for use of alpha-2 agonists in the symptomatic management of autism spectrum disorders, including improvement of hyperactivity, impulsivity, attention deficit symptoms, irritability, and stereotypies in many of the participants studied. CONCLUSION The present investigation encourages physicians to consider treatment outcomes of clonidine, guanfacine, and lofexidine to determine the most effective management of ASD-related symptoms and to minimize adverse effects. However, our review cannot provide definitive treatment protocols related to various study limitations.
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Affiliation(s)
- Alan D Kaye
- Departments of Anesthesiology and Pharmacology, Toxicology, and Neurosciences, Louisiana State University Health Sciences Center Shreveport, Shreveport, LA, 71103, USA
| | - Abigail M Green
- School of Medicine, Louisiana State University Health Sciences Center at Shreveport, 1501 Kings Highway, Shreveport, LA, 71103, USA
| | - Joseph Tremblay Claude
- School of Medicine, Louisiana State University Health Sciences Center at Shreveport, 1501 Kings Highway, Shreveport, LA, 71103, USA
| | - Charles P Daniel
- School of Medicine, Louisiana State University Health Sciences Center at Shreveport, 1501 Kings Highway, Shreveport, LA, 71103, USA
| | - Jada F Cooley
- School of Medicine, Louisiana State University Health Sciences Center at Shreveport, 1501 Kings Highway, Shreveport, LA, 71103, USA
| | - Kelly R Sala
- School of Medicine, Louisiana State University Health Sciences Center at New Orleans, 2020 Gravier Street, New Orleans, LA, 70113, USA
| | - Pooja Potharaju
- Department of Anesthesiology, Louisiana State University Health Sciences Center Shreveport, Shreveport, LA, 71103, USA
| | - Ross Rieger
- Department of Anesthesiology, Louisiana State University Health Sciences Center Shreveport, Shreveport, LA, 71103, USA
| | - Shilpadevi Patil
- Department of Anesthesiology, Louisiana State University Health Sciences Center Shreveport, Shreveport, LA, 71103, USA
| | - Shahab Ahmadzadeh
- Department of Anesthesiology, Louisiana State University Health Sciences Center Shreveport, Shreveport, LA, 71103, USA
| | - Sahar Shekoohi
- Department of Anesthesiology, Louisiana State University Health Sciences Center Shreveport, Shreveport, LA, 71103, USA.
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Garrido-Torres N, Guzmán-Torres K, García-Cerro S, Pinilla Bermúdez G, Cruz-Baquero C, Ochoa H, García-González D, Canal-Rivero M, Crespo-Facorro B, Ruiz-Veguilla M. miRNAs as biomarkers of autism spectrum disorder: a systematic review and meta-analysis. Eur Child Adolesc Psychiatry 2024; 33:2957-2990. [PMID: 36735095 PMCID: PMC11424746 DOI: 10.1007/s00787-023-02138-3] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Submit a Manuscript] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 11/30/2021] [Accepted: 01/05/2023] [Indexed: 02/04/2023]
Abstract
Autism spectrum disorder (ASD) is a neurodevelopmental disorder with complex clinical manifestations that arise between 18 and 36 months of age. Social interaction deficiencies, a restricted range of interests, and repetitive stereotyped behaviors are characteristics which are sometimes difficult to detect early. Several studies show that microRNAs (miRs/miRNAs) are strongly implicated in the development of the disorder and affect the expression of genes related to different neurological pathways involved in ASD. The present systematic review and meta-analysis addresses the current status of miRNA studies in different body fluids and the most frequently dysregulated miRNAs in patients with ASD. We used a combined approach to summarize miRNA fold changes in different studies using the mean values. In addition, we summarized p values for differential miRNA expression using the Fisher method. Our literature search yielded a total of 133 relevant articles, 27 of which were selected for qualitative analysis based on the inclusion and exclusion criteria, and 16 studies evaluating miRNAs whose data were completely reported were ultimately included in the meta-analysis. The most frequently dysregulated miRNAs across the analyzed studies were miR-451a, miR-144-3p, miR-23b, miR-106b, miR150-5p, miR320a, miR92a-2-5p, and miR486-3p. Among the most dysregulated miRNAs in individuals with ASD, miR-451a is the most relevant to clinical practice and is associated with impaired social interaction. Other miRNAs, including miR19a-3p, miR-494, miR-142-3p, miR-3687, and miR-27a-3p, are differentially expressed in various tissues and body fluids of patients with ASD. Therefore, all these miRNAs can be considered candidates for ASD biomarkers. Saliva may be the optimal biological fluid for miRNA measurements, because it is easy to collect from children compared to other biological fluids.
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Affiliation(s)
- Nathalia Garrido-Torres
- Hospital Universitario Virgen Del Rocio, IBIS-CSIC, Department of Psychiatry, University of Sevilla, Avda Manuel Siurot S/N, 41013, Seville, Spain
- Spanish Network for Research in Mental Health (CIBERSAM), Seville, Spain
| | | | - Susana García-Cerro
- Hospital Universitario Virgen Del Rocio, IBIS-CSIC, Department of Psychiatry, University of Sevilla, Avda Manuel Siurot S/N, 41013, Seville, Spain
- Spanish Network for Research in Mental Health (CIBERSAM), Seville, Spain
| | | | | | - Hansel Ochoa
- Epidemiology Research Group (EpiAndes), Los Andes University, Bogotá, Colombia
| | - Diego García-González
- Hospital Universitario Virgen Del Rocio, IBIS-CSIC, Department of Psychiatry, University of Sevilla, Avda Manuel Siurot S/N, 41013, Seville, Spain
| | - Manuel Canal-Rivero
- Hospital Universitario Virgen Del Rocio, IBIS-CSIC, Department of Psychiatry, University of Sevilla, Avda Manuel Siurot S/N, 41013, Seville, Spain
- Spanish Network for Research in Mental Health (CIBERSAM), Seville, Spain
| | - Benedicto Crespo-Facorro
- Hospital Universitario Virgen Del Rocio, IBIS-CSIC, Department of Psychiatry, University of Sevilla, Avda Manuel Siurot S/N, 41013, Seville, Spain.
- Spanish Network for Research in Mental Health (CIBERSAM), Seville, Spain.
| | - Miguel Ruiz-Veguilla
- Hospital Universitario Virgen Del Rocio, IBIS-CSIC, Department of Psychiatry, University of Sevilla, Avda Manuel Siurot S/N, 41013, Seville, Spain
- Spanish Network for Research in Mental Health (CIBERSAM), Seville, Spain
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3
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Al-Salihy AARS. Longitudinal trends and correlation between autism spectrum disorder prevalence and sperm quality parameters (2000-2024): a comprehensive statistical analysis. FRONTIERS IN REPRODUCTIVE HEALTH 2024; 6:1438049. [PMID: 39239154 PMCID: PMC11374721 DOI: 10.3389/frph.2024.1438049] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 05/28/2024] [Accepted: 07/31/2024] [Indexed: 09/07/2024] Open
Abstract
Introduction Over the past few decades, there has been growing concern about the concurrent trends of increasing Autism Spectrum Disorder (ASD) prevalence and declining sperm quality. These trends represent significant public health challenges that warrant thorough investigation of their underlying causes and implications. Objectives The primary objectives of this study are to analyze trends in ASD prevalence and sperm quality parameters from 2000 to 2024, assess the statistical significance and effect size of these trends, explore potential correlations between ASD prevalence and sperm quality parameters, and identify significant predictors among sperm quality parameters that influence ASD prevalence. Methods This study employed a longitudinal approach using multiple regression, time series analysis, ANOVA, Principal Component Analysis (PCA), hierarchical clustering, logistic regression, and cross-correlation analysis. Data on ASD prevalence were sourced from the CDC Autism and Developmental Disabilities Monitoring Network, while sperm quality data were collected from various published studies. Results The findings reveal significant negative associations between ASD prevalence and sperm quality parameters such as sperm concentration and motility, suggesting that better sperm quality is linked to lower ASD rates. Conversely, parameters like sperm DNA fragmentation (SDF), volume of ejaculate, pH level, and semen viscosity show positive associations with ASD prevalence, indicating higher values in these parameters correlate with higher ASD rates. Conclusion The study highlights the importance of maintaining reproductive health to potentially mitigate ASD risk and calls for further research to elucidate the underlying mechanisms driving these trends. These findings support the hypothesis that reproductive health factors play a crucial role in ASD etiology and suggest potential biological markers for assessing ASD risk.
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4
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Duan X, Shan X, Uddin LQ, Chen H. The future of disentangling the heterogeneity of autism with neuroimaging studies. Biol Psychiatry 2024:S0006-3223(24)01536-1. [PMID: 39181387 DOI: 10.1016/j.biopsych.2024.08.008] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Submit a Manuscript] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 02/26/2024] [Revised: 08/01/2024] [Accepted: 08/07/2024] [Indexed: 08/27/2024]
Abstract
Autism spectrum disorder (ASD) is a lifelong neurodevelopmental condition. Over the past decade, a considerable number of approaches have been developed to identify potential neuroimaging-based biomarkers of ASD and have uncovered specific neural mechanisms underlying behaviors associated with ASD. However, the substantial heterogeneity among those diagnosed with ASD hinders the development of biomarkers. Disentangling the heterogeneity of ASD is pivotal to improve quality of life for individuals with ASD by facilitating early diagnosis and individualized interventions for those who need support. In this Review, we discuss recent advances in neuroimaging that have facilitated the characterization of the heterogeneity of this condition from three frameworks: neurosubtyping, dimensional models, and normative models. In addition, we discuss the challenges, possible solutions, and clinical utility of these three frameworks. We argue that several factors need to be considered when parsing heterogeneity using neuroimaging, including co-occurring conditions, neurodevelopment, heredity and environment, and multi-site and multi-modality data. We close with a discussion of future directions for achieving a better understanding of the neural mechanisms underlying neurodevelopmental heterogeneity and the future of precision medicine in ASD.
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Affiliation(s)
- Xujun Duan
- Sichuan Provincial Center for Mental Health, Sichuan Provincial People's Hospital, School of Life Science and Technology, University of Electronic Science and Technology of China, Chengdu 611731, China; MOE Key Lab for Neuroinformation, High-Field Magnetic Resonance Brain Imaging Key Laboratory of Sichuan Province, University of Electronic Science and Technology of China, Chengdu, 610054, PR China.
| | - Xiaolong Shan
- Sichuan Provincial Center for Mental Health, Sichuan Provincial People's Hospital, School of Life Science and Technology, University of Electronic Science and Technology of China, Chengdu 611731, China; MOE Key Lab for Neuroinformation, High-Field Magnetic Resonance Brain Imaging Key Laboratory of Sichuan Province, University of Electronic Science and Technology of China, Chengdu, 610054, PR China
| | - Lucina Q Uddin
- Department of Psychiatry and Biobehavioral Sciences, University of California Los Angeles, Los Angeles, California, United States; Department of Psychology, University of California Los Angeles, Los Angeles, California, United States
| | - Huafu Chen
- Sichuan Provincial Center for Mental Health, Sichuan Provincial People's Hospital, School of Life Science and Technology, University of Electronic Science and Technology of China, Chengdu 611731, China; MOE Key Lab for Neuroinformation, High-Field Magnetic Resonance Brain Imaging Key Laboratory of Sichuan Province, University of Electronic Science and Technology of China, Chengdu, 610054, PR China.
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5
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Xu S, Wang J, Mao K, Jiao D, Li Z, Zhao H, Sun Y, Feng J, Lai Y, Peng R, Fu Y, Gan R, Chen S, Zhao HY, Wei HJ, Cheng Y. Generation and transcriptomic characterization of MIR137 knockout miniature pig model for neurodevelopmental disorders. Cell Biosci 2024; 14:86. [PMID: 38937838 PMCID: PMC11212353 DOI: 10.1186/s13578-024-01268-8] [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: 04/13/2024] [Accepted: 06/19/2024] [Indexed: 06/29/2024] Open
Abstract
BACKGROUND Neurodevelopmental disorders (NDD), such as autism spectrum disorders (ASD) and intellectual disorders (ID), are highly debilitating childhood psychiatric conditions. Genetic factors are recognized as playing a major role in NDD, with a multitude of genes and genomic regions implicated. While the functional validation of NDD-associated genes has predominantly been carried out using mouse models, the significant differences in brain structure and gene function between mice and humans have limited the effectiveness of mouse models in exploring the underlying mechanisms of NDD. Therefore, it is important to establish alternative animal models that are more evolutionarily aligned with humans. RESULTS In this study, we employed CRISPR/Cas9 and somatic cell nuclear transplantation technologies to successfully generate a knockout miniature pig model of the MIR137 gene, which encodes the neuropsychiatric disorder-associated microRNA miR-137. The homozygous knockout of MIR137 (MIR137-/-) effectively suppressed the expression of mature miR-137 and led to the birth of stillborn or short-lived piglets. Transcriptomic analysis revealed significant changes in genes associated with neurodevelopment and synaptic signaling in the brains of MIR137-/- miniature pig, mirroring findings from human ASD transcriptomic data. In comparison to miR-137-deficient mouse and human induced pluripotent stem cell (hiPSC)-derived neuron models, the miniature pig model exhibited more consistent changes in critical neuronal genes relevant to humans following the loss of miR-137. Furthermore, a comparative analysis identified differentially expressed genes associated with ASD and ID risk genes in both miniature pig and hiPSC-derived neurons. Notably, human-specific miR-137 targets, such as CAMK2A, known to be linked to cognitive impairments and NDD, exhibited dysregulation in MIR137-/- miniature pigs. These findings suggest that the loss of miR-137 in miniature pigs affects genes crucial for neurodevelopment, potentially contributing to the development of NDD. CONCLUSIONS Our study highlights the impact of miR-137 loss on critical genes involved in neurodevelopment and related disorders in MIR137-/- miniature pigs. It establishes the miniature pig model as a valuable tool for investigating neurodevelopmental disorders, providing valuable insights for potential applications in human research.
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Affiliation(s)
- Shengyun Xu
- Institute of Biomedical Research, Yunnan University, Kunming, 650500, China
| | - Jiaoxiang Wang
- Key Laboratory for Porcine Gene Editing and Xenotransplantation in Yunnan Province, Yunnan Agricultural University, Kunming, 650201, China
| | - Kexin Mao
- Institute of Biomedical Research, Yunnan University, Kunming, 650500, China
- Southwest United Graduate School, Kunming, 650092, China
| | - Deling Jiao
- Key Laboratory for Porcine Gene Editing and Xenotransplantation in Yunnan Province, Yunnan Agricultural University, Kunming, 650201, China
| | - Zhu Li
- Institute of Biomedical Research, Yunnan University, Kunming, 650500, China
| | - Heng Zhao
- Key Laboratory for Porcine Gene Editing and Xenotransplantation in Yunnan Province, Yunnan Agricultural University, Kunming, 650201, China
| | - Yifei Sun
- Institute of Biomedical Research, Yunnan University, Kunming, 650500, China
| | - Jin Feng
- Institute of Biomedical Research, Yunnan University, Kunming, 650500, China
- Southwest United Graduate School, Kunming, 650092, China
| | - Yuanhao Lai
- Institute of Biomedical Research, Yunnan University, Kunming, 650500, China
| | - Ruiqi Peng
- Institute of Biomedical Research, Yunnan University, Kunming, 650500, China
| | - Yu Fu
- Institute of Biomedical Research, Yunnan University, Kunming, 650500, China
| | - Ruoyi Gan
- Institute of Biomedical Research, Yunnan University, Kunming, 650500, China
- Southwest United Graduate School, Kunming, 650092, China
| | - Shuhan Chen
- Key Laboratory for Porcine Gene Editing and Xenotransplantation in Yunnan Province, Yunnan Agricultural University, Kunming, 650201, China
| | - Hong-Ye Zhao
- Key Laboratory for Porcine Gene Editing and Xenotransplantation in Yunnan Province, Yunnan Agricultural University, Kunming, 650201, China.
| | - Hong-Jiang Wei
- Key Laboratory for Porcine Gene Editing and Xenotransplantation in Yunnan Province, Yunnan Agricultural University, Kunming, 650201, China.
| | - Ying Cheng
- Institute of Biomedical Research, Yunnan University, Kunming, 650500, China.
- Southwest United Graduate School, Kunming, 650092, China.
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6
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Leow KQ, Tonta MA, Lu J, Coleman HA, Parkington HC. Towards understanding sex differences in autism spectrum disorders. Brain Res 2024; 1833:148877. [PMID: 38513995 DOI: 10.1016/j.brainres.2024.148877] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 03/05/2024] [Revised: 03/17/2024] [Accepted: 03/18/2024] [Indexed: 03/23/2024]
Abstract
Autism Spectrum Disorder (ASD) is a neurodevelopmental condition characterized by social deficits, repetitive behaviours and lack of empathy. Its significant genetic heritability and potential comorbidities often lead to diagnostic and therapeutic challenges. This review addresses the biological basis of ASD, focusing on the sex differences in gene expression and hormonal influences. ASD is more commonly diagnosed in males at a ratio of 4:1, indicating a potential oversight in female-specific ASD research and a risk of underdiagnosis in females. We consider how ASD manifests differently across sexes by exploring differential gene expression in female and male brains and consider how variations in steroid hormones influence ASD characteristics. Synaptic function, including excitation/inhibition ratio imbalance, is influenced by gene mutations and this is explored as a key factor in the cognitive and behavioural manifestations of ASD. We also discuss the role of micro RNAs (miRNAs) and highlight a novel mutation in miRNA-873, which affects a suite of key synaptic genes, neurexin, neuroligin, SHANK and post-synaptic density proteins, implicated in the pathology of ASD. Our review suggests that genetic predisposition, sex differences in brain gene expression, and hormonal factors significantly contribute to the presentation, identification and severity of ASD, necessitating sex-specific considerations in diagnosis and treatments. These findings advocate for personalized interventions to improve the outcomes for individuals with ASD.
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Affiliation(s)
- Karen Q Leow
- Department of Physiology, Biomedical Discovery Institute, Monash University, Victoria, Australia
| | - Mary A Tonta
- Department of Physiology, Biomedical Discovery Institute, Monash University, Victoria, Australia
| | - Jing Lu
- Tianjin Institute of Infectious Disease, Second Hospital of Tianjin Medical University, China
| | - Harold A Coleman
- Department of Physiology, Biomedical Discovery Institute, Monash University, Victoria, Australia
| | - Helena C Parkington
- Department of Physiology, Biomedical Discovery Institute, Monash University, Victoria, Australia.
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Duan X, Peng X, Jia X, Tan S, Guo H, Tan J, Hu Z. CELF2 Deficiency Demonstrates Autism-Like Behaviors and Interferes with Late Development of Cortical Neurons in Mice. Mol Neurobiol 2024:10.1007/s12035-024-04250-0. [PMID: 38829512 DOI: 10.1007/s12035-024-04250-0] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 10/13/2023] [Accepted: 05/13/2024] [Indexed: 06/05/2024]
Abstract
CELF2 variants have been linked to neurodevelopmental disorders (NDD), including autism spectrum disorder (ASD). However, the molecular mechanisms remain unclear. We generated Celf2 Nestin-Cre knockout mice.Our findings revealed that Celf2 Nestin-Cre heterozygous knockout mice exhibited social impairment and anxiety, an autism-like behavior, though no manifestations of repetitive stereotyped behavior, learning cognitive impairment, or depression were observed. Immunofluorescence assay showed an underdeveloped cerebral cortex with significantly reduced cortical thickness, albeit without abnormal cell density. Further in vitro neuronal culture demonstrated a significant reduction in dendritic spine density and affected synaptic maturation in Celf2 deficient mice, with no notable abnormalities in total neurite and axon length. RNA-seq and RIP-seq analysis of the cerebral cortex revealed differentially expressed genes post Celf2 gene knockout compared with the control group. Enrichment analysis highlighted significant enrichment in dendrite and synapse-related biological processes and pathways. Our study delineated the behavioral and neurodevelopmental phenotypes of Celf2, suggesting its potential involvement in autism through the regulation of target genes associated with dendritic spines and synapse development. Further research is needed to elucidate the specific mechanisms involved.
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Affiliation(s)
- Xinyu Duan
- Department of Pediatrics, Daping Hospital, Army Medical University, Chongqing, 400010, China
| | - Xiaoxia Peng
- Center for Medical Genetics and Hunan Key Laboratory of Medical Genetics, School of Life Science, Central South University, Changsha, 410078, Hunan, China
| | - Xiangbin Jia
- Center for Medical Genetics and Hunan Key Laboratory of Medical Genetics, School of Life Science, Central South University, Changsha, 410078, Hunan, China
| | - Senwei Tan
- Center for Medical Genetics and Hunan Key Laboratory of Medical Genetics, School of Life Science, Central South University, Changsha, 410078, Hunan, China
| | - Hui Guo
- Center for Medical Genetics and Hunan Key Laboratory of Medical Genetics, School of Life Science, Central South University, Changsha, 410078, Hunan, China
| | - Jieqiong Tan
- Center for Medical Genetics and Hunan Key Laboratory of Medical Genetics, School of Life Science, Central South University, Changsha, 410078, Hunan, China.
- Hunan Key Laboratory of Animal Models for Human Diseases, School of Life Sciences, Central South University, Changsha, 410078, Hunan, China.
- MOE Key Lab of Rare Pediatric Diseases, School of Life Sciences, Central South University, Changsha, 410078, Hunan, China.
- NHC Key Laboratory of Birth Defect for Research and Prevention, Hunan Provincial Maternal and Child Health Care Hospital, Changsha, 410078, Hunan, China.
| | - Zhangxue Hu
- Department of Pediatrics, Daping Hospital, Army Medical University, Chongqing, 400010, China.
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8
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Wang L, Mirabella VR, Dai R, Su X, Xu R, Jadali A, Bernabucci M, Singh I, Chen Y, Tian J, Jiang P, Kwan KY, Pak C, Liu C, Comoletti D, Hart RP, Chen C, Südhof TC, Pang ZP. Analyses of the autism-associated neuroligin-3 R451C mutation in human neurons reveal a gain-of-function synaptic mechanism. Mol Psychiatry 2024; 29:1620-1635. [PMID: 36280753 PMCID: PMC10123180 DOI: 10.1038/s41380-022-01834-x] [Citation(s) in RCA: 10] [Impact Index Per Article: 10.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Submit a Manuscript] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 11/12/2021] [Revised: 10/04/2022] [Accepted: 10/10/2022] [Indexed: 12/11/2022]
Abstract
Mutations in many synaptic genes are associated with autism spectrum disorders (ASD), suggesting that synaptic dysfunction is a key driver of ASD pathogenesis. Among these mutations, the R451C substitution in the NLGN3 gene that encodes the postsynaptic adhesion molecule Neuroligin-3 is noteworthy because it was the first specific mutation linked to ASDs. In mice, the corresponding Nlgn3 R451C-knockin mutation recapitulates social interaction deficits of ASD patients and produces synaptic abnormalities, but the impact of the NLGN3 R451C mutation on human neurons has not been investigated. Here, we generated human knockin neurons with the NLGN3 R451C and NLGN3 null mutations. Strikingly, analyses of NLGN3 R451C-mutant neurons revealed that the R451C mutation decreased NLGN3 protein levels but enhanced the strength of excitatory synapses without affecting inhibitory synapses; meanwhile NLGN3 knockout neurons showed reduction in excitatory synaptic strengths. Moreover, overexpression of NLGN3 R451C recapitulated the synaptic enhancement in human neurons. Notably, the augmentation of excitatory transmission was confirmed in vivo with human neurons transplanted into mouse forebrain. Using single-cell RNA-seq experiments with co-cultured excitatory and inhibitory NLGN3 R451C-mutant neurons, we identified differentially expressed genes in relatively mature human neurons corresponding to synaptic gene expression networks. Moreover, gene ontology and enrichment analyses revealed convergent gene networks associated with ASDs and other mental disorders. Our findings suggest that the NLGN3 R451C mutation induces a gain-of-function enhancement in excitatory synaptic transmission that may contribute to the pathophysiology of ASD.
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Affiliation(s)
- Le Wang
- Child Health Institute of New Jersey and Department of Neuroscience and Cell Biology, Robert Wood Johnson Medical School, Rutgers University, New Brunswick, NJ, 08901, USA
- Center for Medical Genetics & Hunan Key Laboratory of Medical Genetics, School of Life Sciences, and Department of Psychiatry, The Second Xiangya Hospital, Central South University, 410008, Changsha, China
| | - Vincent R Mirabella
- Child Health Institute of New Jersey and Department of Neuroscience and Cell Biology, Robert Wood Johnson Medical School, Rutgers University, New Brunswick, NJ, 08901, USA
- Department of Molecular & Cellular Physiology, Stanford University School of Medicine, Stanford, CA, 94305, USA
| | - Rujia Dai
- Department of Psychiatry, SUNY Upstate Medical University, Syracuse, NY, 13210, USA
| | - Xiao Su
- Child Health Institute of New Jersey and Department of Neuroscience and Cell Biology, Robert Wood Johnson Medical School, Rutgers University, New Brunswick, NJ, 08901, USA
| | - Ranjie Xu
- Department of Cell Biology and Neuroscience, Rutgers University, Piscataway, NJ, 08854, USA
| | - Azadeh Jadali
- Department of Cell Biology and Neuroscience, Rutgers University, Piscataway, NJ, 08854, USA
| | - Matteo Bernabucci
- Child Health Institute of New Jersey and Department of Neuroscience and Cell Biology, Robert Wood Johnson Medical School, Rutgers University, New Brunswick, NJ, 08901, USA
| | - Ishnoor Singh
- Child Health Institute of New Jersey and Department of Neuroscience and Cell Biology, Robert Wood Johnson Medical School, Rutgers University, New Brunswick, NJ, 08901, USA
| | - Yu Chen
- Center for Medical Genetics & Hunan Key Laboratory of Medical Genetics, School of Life Sciences, and Department of Psychiatry, The Second Xiangya Hospital, Central South University, 410008, Changsha, China
| | - Jianghua Tian
- Center for Medical Genetics & Hunan Key Laboratory of Medical Genetics, School of Life Sciences, and Department of Psychiatry, The Second Xiangya Hospital, Central South University, 410008, Changsha, China
| | - Peng Jiang
- Department of Cell Biology and Neuroscience, Rutgers University, Piscataway, NJ, 08854, USA
| | - Kevin Y Kwan
- Department of Cell Biology and Neuroscience, Rutgers University, Piscataway, NJ, 08854, USA
| | - ChangHui Pak
- Department of Biochemistry & Molecular Biology, University of Massachusetts, Amherst, MA, 01003, USA
| | - Chunyu Liu
- Center for Medical Genetics & Hunan Key Laboratory of Medical Genetics, School of Life Sciences, and Department of Psychiatry, The Second Xiangya Hospital, Central South University, 410008, Changsha, China
- Department of Psychiatry, SUNY Upstate Medical University, Syracuse, NY, 13210, USA
- School of Psychology, Shaanxi Normal University, 710000, Xi'an, Shaanxi, China
| | - Davide Comoletti
- Child Health Institute of New Jersey and Department of Neuroscience and Cell Biology, Robert Wood Johnson Medical School, Rutgers University, New Brunswick, NJ, 08901, USA
- School of Biological Sciences, Victoria University of Wellington, Wellington, 6012, New Zealand
| | - Ronald P Hart
- Department of Cell Biology and Neuroscience, Rutgers University, Piscataway, NJ, 08854, USA
| | - Chao Chen
- Center for Medical Genetics & Hunan Key Laboratory of Medical Genetics, School of Life Sciences, and Department of Psychiatry, The Second Xiangya Hospital, Central South University, 410008, Changsha, China.
- National Clinical Research Center for Geriatric Disorders, Xiangya Hospital, Central South University, 410008, Changsha, Hunan, China.
- Hunan Key Laboratory of Animal Models for Human Diseases, Central South University, 410008, Changsha, Hunan, China.
| | - Thomas C Südhof
- Department of Molecular & Cellular Physiology, Stanford University School of Medicine, Stanford, CA, 94305, USA.
- Howard Hughes Medical Institute, Stanford University School of Medicine, Stanford, CA, 94305, USA.
| | - Zhiping P Pang
- Child Health Institute of New Jersey and Department of Neuroscience and Cell Biology, Robert Wood Johnson Medical School, Rutgers University, New Brunswick, NJ, 08901, USA.
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Xia QQ, Singh A, Wang J, Xuan ZX, Singer JD, Powell CM. Autism risk gene Cul3 alters neuronal morphology via caspase-3 activity in mouse hippocampal neurons. Front Cell Neurosci 2024; 18:1320784. [PMID: 38803442 PMCID: PMC11129687 DOI: 10.3389/fncel.2024.1320784] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 10/12/2023] [Accepted: 04/15/2024] [Indexed: 05/29/2024] Open
Abstract
Autism Spectrum Disorders (ASDs) are neurodevelopmental disorders (NDDs) in which children display differences in social interaction/communication and repetitive stereotyped behaviors along with variable associated features. Cul3, a gene linked to ASD, encodes CUL3 (CULLIN-3), a protein that serves as a key component of a ubiquitin ligase complex with unclear function in neurons. Cul3 homozygous deletion in mice is embryonic lethal; thus, we examine the role of Cul3 deletion in early synapse development and neuronal morphology in hippocampal primary neuronal cultures. Homozygous deletion of Cul3 significantly decreased dendritic complexity and dendritic length, as well as axon formation. Synaptic spine density significantly increased, mainly in thin and stubby spines along with decreased average spine volume in Cul3 knockouts. Both heterozygous and homozygous knockout of Cul3 caused significant reductions in the density and colocalization of gephyrin/vGAT puncta, providing evidence of decreased inhibitory synapse number, while excitatory synaptic puncta vGulT1/PSD95 density remained unchanged. Based on previous studies implicating elevated caspase-3 after Cul3 deletion, we demonstrated increased caspase-3 in our neuronal cultures and decreased neuronal cell viability. We then examined the efficacy of the caspase-3 inhibitor Z-DEVD-FMK to rescue the decrease in neuronal cell viability, demonstrating reversal of the cell viability phenotype with caspase-3 inhibition. Studies have also implicated caspase-3 in neuronal morphological changes. We found that caspase-3 inhibition largely reversed the dendrite, axon, and spine morphological changes along with the inhibitory synaptic puncta changes. Overall, these data provide additional evidence that Cul3 regulates the formation or maintenance of cell morphology, GABAergic synaptic puncta, and neuronal viability in developing hippocampal neurons in culture.
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Affiliation(s)
- Qiang-qiang Xia
- Department of Neurobiology, Marnix E. Heersink School of Medicine & Civitan International Research Center, University of Alabama at Birmingham, Birmingham, AL, United States
| | - Anju Singh
- Department of Neurobiology, Marnix E. Heersink School of Medicine & Civitan International Research Center, University of Alabama at Birmingham, Birmingham, AL, United States
| | - Jing Wang
- Department of Neurobiology, Marnix E. Heersink School of Medicine & Civitan International Research Center, University of Alabama at Birmingham, Birmingham, AL, United States
| | - Zhong Xin Xuan
- Department of Neurobiology, Marnix E. Heersink School of Medicine & Civitan International Research Center, University of Alabama at Birmingham, Birmingham, AL, United States
| | - Jeffrey D. Singer
- Department of Biology, Portland State University, Portland, OR, United States
| | - Craig M. Powell
- Department of Neurobiology, Marnix E. Heersink School of Medicine & Civitan International Research Center, University of Alabama at Birmingham, Birmingham, AL, United States
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10
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Vilela J, Rasga C, Santos JX, Martiniano H, Marques AR, Oliveira G, Vicente AM. Bridging Genetic Insights with Neuroimaging in Autism Spectrum Disorder-A Systematic Review. Int J Mol Sci 2024; 25:4938. [PMID: 38732157 PMCID: PMC11084239 DOI: 10.3390/ijms25094938] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 02/29/2024] [Revised: 04/22/2024] [Accepted: 04/25/2024] [Indexed: 05/13/2024] Open
Abstract
Autism Spectrum Disorder (ASD) is an early onset neurodevelopmental disorder characterized by impaired social interaction and communication, and repetitive patterns of behavior. Family studies show that ASD is highly heritable, and hundreds of genes have previously been implicated in the disorder; however, the etiology is still not fully clear. Brain imaging and electroencephalography (EEG) are key techniques that study alterations in brain structure and function. Combined with genetic analysis, these techniques have the potential to help in the clarification of the neurobiological mechanisms contributing to ASD and help in defining novel therapeutic targets. To further understand what is known today regarding the impact of genetic variants in the brain alterations observed in individuals with ASD, a systematic review was carried out using Pubmed and EBSCO databases and following the Preferred Reporting Items for Systematic Reviews and Meta-Analyses (PRISMA) guidelines. This review shows that specific genetic variants and altered patterns of gene expression in individuals with ASD may have an effect on brain circuits associated with face processing and social cognition, and contribute to excitation-inhibition imbalances and to anomalies in brain volumes.
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Affiliation(s)
- Joana Vilela
- Departamento de Promoção da Saúde e Doenças Não Transmissíveis, Instituto Nacional de Saúde Doutor Ricardo Jorge, Avenida Padre Cruz, 1649-016 Lisboa, Portugal; (J.V.); (C.R.); (J.X.S.); (H.M.); (A.R.M.)
- BioISI-Biosystems & Integrative Sciences Institute, Faculty of Sciences, University of Lisboa, Campo Grande, C8, 1749-016 Lisboa, Portugal
| | - Célia Rasga
- Departamento de Promoção da Saúde e Doenças Não Transmissíveis, Instituto Nacional de Saúde Doutor Ricardo Jorge, Avenida Padre Cruz, 1649-016 Lisboa, Portugal; (J.V.); (C.R.); (J.X.S.); (H.M.); (A.R.M.)
- BioISI-Biosystems & Integrative Sciences Institute, Faculty of Sciences, University of Lisboa, Campo Grande, C8, 1749-016 Lisboa, Portugal
| | - João Xavier Santos
- Departamento de Promoção da Saúde e Doenças Não Transmissíveis, Instituto Nacional de Saúde Doutor Ricardo Jorge, Avenida Padre Cruz, 1649-016 Lisboa, Portugal; (J.V.); (C.R.); (J.X.S.); (H.M.); (A.R.M.)
- BioISI-Biosystems & Integrative Sciences Institute, Faculty of Sciences, University of Lisboa, Campo Grande, C8, 1749-016 Lisboa, Portugal
| | - Hugo Martiniano
- Departamento de Promoção da Saúde e Doenças Não Transmissíveis, Instituto Nacional de Saúde Doutor Ricardo Jorge, Avenida Padre Cruz, 1649-016 Lisboa, Portugal; (J.V.); (C.R.); (J.X.S.); (H.M.); (A.R.M.)
- BioISI-Biosystems & Integrative Sciences Institute, Faculty of Sciences, University of Lisboa, Campo Grande, C8, 1749-016 Lisboa, Portugal
| | - Ana Rita Marques
- Departamento de Promoção da Saúde e Doenças Não Transmissíveis, Instituto Nacional de Saúde Doutor Ricardo Jorge, Avenida Padre Cruz, 1649-016 Lisboa, Portugal; (J.V.); (C.R.); (J.X.S.); (H.M.); (A.R.M.)
- BioISI-Biosystems & Integrative Sciences Institute, Faculty of Sciences, University of Lisboa, Campo Grande, C8, 1749-016 Lisboa, Portugal
| | - Guiomar Oliveira
- Unidade de Neurodesenvolvimento e Autismo, Serviço do Centro de Desenvolvimento da Criança, Centro de Investigação e Formação Clínica, Hospital Pediátrico, Centro Hospitalar e Universitário de Coimbra (CHUC), 3000-602 Coimbra, Portugal;
- Coimbra Institute for Biomedical Imaging and Translational Research, University Clinic of Pediatrics, Faculty of Medicine, University of Coimbra, 3000-602 Coimbra, Portugal
| | - Astrid Moura Vicente
- Departamento de Promoção da Saúde e Doenças Não Transmissíveis, Instituto Nacional de Saúde Doutor Ricardo Jorge, Avenida Padre Cruz, 1649-016 Lisboa, Portugal; (J.V.); (C.R.); (J.X.S.); (H.M.); (A.R.M.)
- BioISI-Biosystems & Integrative Sciences Institute, Faculty of Sciences, University of Lisboa, Campo Grande, C8, 1749-016 Lisboa, Portugal
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11
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Tong J, Chen X, Wang X, Men S, Liu Y, Sun X, Yan D, Wang L. Novel KMT5B variant associated with neurodevelopmental disorder in a Chinese family: A case report. Heliyon 2024; 10:e28686. [PMID: 38571636 PMCID: PMC10988039 DOI: 10.1016/j.heliyon.2024.e28686] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 06/20/2023] [Revised: 03/14/2024] [Accepted: 03/22/2024] [Indexed: 04/05/2024] Open
Abstract
Background We report here the clinical and genetic features of KMT5B-related neurodevelopmental disorder caused by a novel heterozygous frameshift variant in KMT5B in a Chinese family. Case presentation A 7-year-old Chinese boy with mild-to-moderate intellectual disability, significant language impairment, motor disability, and coordination difficulties presented to our hospital because he "could not speak and did not look at others." He was diagnosed with autism spectrum disorder previously owing to developmental delays in cognition, language expression, and understanding. The child also had variable nonspecific features including macrocephaly, wide button-hole space and nasal bridge, low ear, social behavior disorder, and foot deformities. Exome sequencing (ES) revealed that both the proband and his younger brother had inherited a novel heterozygous frameshift variant c.438_439ins[ASD; KT192064.1:1_310] of the KMT5B gene from their father. Bioinformatics analysis showed that the novel mutation affected the structure of the KMT5B pre-SET domain, mainly in the α-helix region. According to the American College of Medical Genetics and Genomics (ACMG) guidelines, this type of variant was eventually determined to be likely pathogenic (PVS1+PM2_P). Conclusions Our investigation expands the mutation spectrum of KMT5B to help us to better understand KMT5B-related neurodevelopmental disorder.
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Affiliation(s)
| | | | - Xin Wang
- Lianyungang Maternal and Child Health Hospital, Lianyungang, Jiangsu, China
| | - Shuai Men
- Lianyungang Maternal and Child Health Hospital, Lianyungang, Jiangsu, China
| | - Yuan Liu
- Lianyungang Maternal and Child Health Hospital, Lianyungang, Jiangsu, China
| | - Xun Sun
- Lianyungang Maternal and Child Health Hospital, Lianyungang, Jiangsu, China
| | - Dongmei Yan
- Lianyungang Maternal and Child Health Hospital, Lianyungang, Jiangsu, China
| | - Leilei Wang
- Lianyungang Maternal and Child Health Hospital, Lianyungang, Jiangsu, China
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12
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Cheng J, Wang Z, Tang M, Zhang W, Li G, Tan S, Mu C, Hu M, Zhang D, Jia X, Wen Y, Guo H, Xu D, Liu L, Li J, Xia K, Li F, Duan R, Xu Z, Yuan L. KCTD10 regulates brain development by destabilizing brain disorder-associated protein KCTD13. Proc Natl Acad Sci U S A 2024; 121:e2315707121. [PMID: 38489388 PMCID: PMC10963008 DOI: 10.1073/pnas.2315707121] [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: 09/10/2023] [Accepted: 02/02/2024] [Indexed: 03/17/2024] Open
Abstract
KCTD10 belongs to the KCTD (potassiumchannel tetramerization domain) family, many members of which are associated with neuropsychiatric disorders. However, the biological function underlying the association with brain disorders remains to be explored. Here, we reveal that Kctd10 is highly expressed in neuronal progenitors and layer V neurons throughout brain development. Kctd10 deficiency triggers abnormal proliferation and differentiation of neuronal progenitors, reduced deep-layer (especially layer V) neurons, increased upper-layer neurons, and lowered brain size. Mechanistically, we screened and identified a unique KCTD10-interacting protein, KCTD13, associated with neurodevelopmental disorders. KCTD10 mediated the ubiquitination-dependent degradation of KCTD13 and KCTD10 ablation resulted in a considerable increase of KCTD13 expression in the developing cortex. KCTD13 overexpression in neuronal progenitors led to reduced proliferation and abnormal cell distribution, mirroring KCTD10 deficiency. Notably, mice with brain-specific Kctd10 knockout exhibited obvious motor deficits. This study uncovers the physiological function of KCTD10 and provides unique insights into the pathogenesis of neurodevelopmental disorders.
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Affiliation(s)
- Jianbo Cheng
- Center for Medical Genetics, Hunan Key Laboratory of Medical Genetics, Key Lab of Rare Pediatric Diseases of Ministry of Education, School of Life Sciences, Central South University, Changsha, Hunan410078, China
| | - Zhen Wang
- Center for Medical Genetics, Hunan Key Laboratory of Medical Genetics, Key Lab of Rare Pediatric Diseases of Ministry of Education, School of Life Sciences, Central South University, Changsha, Hunan410078, China
| | - Manpei Tang
- Center for Medical Genetics, Hunan Key Laboratory of Medical Genetics, Key Lab of Rare Pediatric Diseases of Ministry of Education, School of Life Sciences, Central South University, Changsha, Hunan410078, China
| | - Wen Zhang
- Center for Medical Genetics, Hunan Key Laboratory of Medical Genetics, Key Lab of Rare Pediatric Diseases of Ministry of Education, School of Life Sciences, Central South University, Changsha, Hunan410078, China
| | - Guozhong Li
- Center for Medical Genetics, Hunan Key Laboratory of Medical Genetics, Key Lab of Rare Pediatric Diseases of Ministry of Education, School of Life Sciences, Central South University, Changsha, Hunan410078, China
| | - Senwei Tan
- Center for Medical Genetics, Hunan Key Laboratory of Medical Genetics, Key Lab of Rare Pediatric Diseases of Ministry of Education, School of Life Sciences, Central South University, Changsha, Hunan410078, China
| | - Chenjun Mu
- Center for Medical Genetics, Hunan Key Laboratory of Medical Genetics, Key Lab of Rare Pediatric Diseases of Ministry of Education, School of Life Sciences, Central South University, Changsha, Hunan410078, China
| | - Mengyuan Hu
- Center for Medical Genetics, Hunan Key Laboratory of Medical Genetics, Key Lab of Rare Pediatric Diseases of Ministry of Education, School of Life Sciences, Central South University, Changsha, Hunan410078, China
| | - Dan Zhang
- State Key Laboratory of Molecular Developmental Biology, Institute of Genetics and Developmental Biology, University of Chinese Academy of Sciences, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Beijing100101, China
| | - Xiangbin Jia
- Center for Medical Genetics, Hunan Key Laboratory of Medical Genetics, Key Lab of Rare Pediatric Diseases of Ministry of Education, School of Life Sciences, Central South University, Changsha, Hunan410078, China
| | - Yangxuan Wen
- Center for Medical Genetics, Hunan Key Laboratory of Medical Genetics, Key Lab of Rare Pediatric Diseases of Ministry of Education, School of Life Sciences, Central South University, Changsha, Hunan410078, China
| | - Hui Guo
- Center for Medical Genetics, Hunan Key Laboratory of Medical Genetics, Key Lab of Rare Pediatric Diseases of Ministry of Education, School of Life Sciences, Central South University, Changsha, Hunan410078, China
- Hunan Key Laboratory of Animal Models for Human Diseases, Central South University, Changsha, Hunan410078, China
| | - Dan Xu
- Fujian Key Laboratory of Molecular Neurology, Institute of Neuroscience, Fujian Medical University, Fuzhou350005, China
| | - Liang Liu
- Department of Neurology, Xuanwu Hospital, Capital Medical University, Beijing100053, China
| | - Jiada Li
- Center for Medical Genetics, Hunan Key Laboratory of Medical Genetics, Key Lab of Rare Pediatric Diseases of Ministry of Education, School of Life Sciences, Central South University, Changsha, Hunan410078, China
- Hunan Key Laboratory of Animal Models for Human Diseases, Central South University, Changsha, Hunan410078, China
| | - Kun Xia
- Center for Medical Genetics, Hunan Key Laboratory of Medical Genetics, Key Lab of Rare Pediatric Diseases of Ministry of Education, School of Life Sciences, Central South University, Changsha, Hunan410078, China
- Hunan Key Laboratory of Animal Models for Human Diseases, Central South University, Changsha, Hunan410078, China
| | - Faxiang Li
- Center for Medical Genetics, Hunan Key Laboratory of Medical Genetics, Key Lab of Rare Pediatric Diseases of Ministry of Education, School of Life Sciences, Central South University, Changsha, Hunan410078, China
- Hunan Key Laboratory of Animal Models for Human Diseases, Central South University, Changsha, Hunan410078, China
| | - Ranhui Duan
- Center for Medical Genetics, Hunan Key Laboratory of Medical Genetics, Key Lab of Rare Pediatric Diseases of Ministry of Education, School of Life Sciences, Central South University, Changsha, Hunan410078, China
- Hunan Key Laboratory of Animal Models for Human Diseases, Central South University, Changsha, Hunan410078, China
| | - Zhiheng Xu
- State Key Laboratory of Molecular Developmental Biology, Institute of Genetics and Developmental Biology, University of Chinese Academy of Sciences, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Beijing100101, China
| | - Ling Yuan
- Center for Medical Genetics, Hunan Key Laboratory of Medical Genetics, Key Lab of Rare Pediatric Diseases of Ministry of Education, School of Life Sciences, Central South University, Changsha, Hunan410078, China
- Hunan Key Laboratory of Animal Models for Human Diseases, Central South University, Changsha, Hunan410078, China
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13
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Chen GT, Nair G, Osorio AJ, Holley SM, Ghassemzadeh K, Gonzalez J, Lu C, Sanjana NE, Cepeda C, Geschwind DH. Enhancer-targeted CRISPR-Activation Rescues Haploinsufficient Autism Susceptibility Genes. BIORXIV : THE PREPRINT SERVER FOR BIOLOGY 2024:2024.03.13.584921. [PMID: 38559217 PMCID: PMC10980046 DOI: 10.1101/2024.03.13.584921] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 04/04/2024]
Abstract
Autism Spectrum Disorder (ASD) is a highly heritable condition with diverse clinical presentations. Approximately 20% of ASD's genetic susceptibility is imparted by de novo mutations of major effect, most of which cause haploinsufficiency. We mapped enhancers of two high confidence autism genes - CHD8 and SCN2A and used CRISPR-based gene activation (CRISPR-A) in hPSC-derived excitatory neurons and cerebral forebrain organoids to correct the effects of haploinsufficiency, taking advantage of the presence of a wildtype allele of each gene and endogenous gene regulation. We found that CRISPR-A induced a sustained increase in CHD8 and SCN2A expression in treated neurons and organoids, with rescue of gene expression levels and mutation-associated phenotypes, including gene expression and physiology. These data support gene activation via targeting enhancers of haploinsufficient genes, as a therapeutic intervention in ASD and other neurodevelopmental disorders.
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14
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Hamzic E, Spahic L, Pistoljevic N, Dzanko E, Pasic S, Kadric L, Serdarevic F, Hajdarpasic A. Exploratory genetic analysis in children with autism spectrum disorder and other developmental disorders using whole exome sequencing. BIOMOLECULES & BIOMEDICINE 2024; 24:888-896. [PMID: 38421723 PMCID: PMC11293238 DOI: 10.17305/bb.2024.10221] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 12/29/2023] [Revised: 02/02/2024] [Accepted: 02/06/2024] [Indexed: 03/02/2024]
Abstract
Developmental disorders (DDs), such as autism spectrum disorder (ASD), incorporate various conditions; once identified, further diagnostics are necessary to specify their type and severity. The aim of this exploratory study was to identify genetic variants that can help differentiate ASD early from other DDs. We selected 36 children (mean age 60.1 months) with DDs using Developmental Behavioral Scales (DBS) through "EDUS-Education for All", an organization providing services for children with developmental disorders in Bosnia and Herzegovina. We further rated children's autistic traits with the preschool version of the Childhood Autism Rating Scale, second edition (CARS-II). We defined ASD if scores were >25.5 and other DDs if scores were <25.5. Diagnosis of ASD and DD were independently confirmed by child psychiatrists. Whole exome sequencing (WES) was performed by Veritas Genetics, USA, using Illumina NovaSeq 6000 (Illumina Inc., San Diego, CA, USA) next-generation sequencing (NGS) apparatus. We tested genetic association by applying SKAT-O, which optimally combines the standard Sequence Kernel Association Test (SKAT) and burden tests to identify rare variants associated with complex traits in samples of limited power. The analysis yielded seven genes (DSE, COL10A1, DLK2, CSMD1, FAM47E, PPIA, PYDC2) to potentially differentiate observed phenotypic characteristics between our cohort participants with ASD and other DDs. Our exploratory study in a small sample of participants with ASD and other DDs contributed to gene discovery in differentiating ASD from DDs. A replication study is needed in a larger sample to confirm our results.
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Affiliation(s)
- Edin Hamzic
- Biocomputix, Sarajevo, Bosnia and Herzegovina
- BioCertica, Paarl, South Africa
| | - Lemana Spahic
- International Burch University, Sarajevo, Bosnia and Herzegovina
| | | | - Eldin Dzanko
- Education for All (EDUS), Sarajevo, Bosnia and Herzegovina
| | - Sanela Pasic
- Department of Economics and Business, Sarajevo School of Science and Technology, Sarajevo, Bosnia and Herzegovina
| | - Lejla Kadric
- Department of Medical Biology and Genetics, Sarajevo Medical School, Sarajevo School of Science and Technology, Sarajevo, Bosnia and Herzegovina
| | - Fadila Serdarevic
- Department of Epidemiology, Sarajevo Medical School, Sarajevo School of Science and Technology, Sarajevo, Bosnia and Herzegovina
- Department of Child and Adolescent Psychiatry, Erasmus MC, Rotterdam, The Netherlands
| | - Aida Hajdarpasic
- Department of Medical Biology and Genetics, Sarajevo Medical School, Sarajevo School of Science and Technology, Sarajevo, Bosnia and Herzegovina
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15
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Jiang M, Wang Z, Lu T, Li X, Yang K, Zhao L, Zhang D, Li J, Wang L. Integrative analysis of long noncoding RNAs dysregulation and synapse-associated ceRNA regulatory axes in autism. Transl Psychiatry 2023; 13:375. [PMID: 38057311 DOI: 10.1038/s41398-023-02662-5] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Submit a Manuscript] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 04/09/2023] [Revised: 10/30/2023] [Accepted: 11/09/2023] [Indexed: 12/08/2023] Open
Abstract
Autism spectrum disorder (ASD) is a complex disorder of neurodevelopment, the function of long noncoding RNA (lncRNA) in ASD remains essentially unknown. In the present study, gene networks were used to explore the ASD disease mechanisms integrating multiple data types (for example, RNA expression, whole-exome sequencing signals, weighted gene co-expression network analysis, and protein-protein interaction) and datasets (five human postmortem datasets). A total of 388 lncRNAs and five co-expression modules were found to be altered in ASD. The downregulated co-expression M4 module was significantly correlated with ASD, enriched with autism susceptibility genes and synaptic signaling. Integrating lncRNAs from the M4 module and microRNA (miRNA) dysregulation data from the literature identified competing endogenous RNA (ceRNA) network. We identified the downregulated mRNAs that interact with miRNAs by the miRTarBase, miRDB, and TargetScan databases. Our analysis reveals that MIR600HG was downregulated in multiple brain tissue datasets and was closely associated with 9 autism-susceptible miRNAs in the ceRNA network. MIR600HG and target mRNAs (EPHA4, MOAP1, MAP3K9, STXBP1, PRKCE, and SCAMP5) were downregulated in the peripheral blood by quantitative reverse transcription polymerase chain reaction analysis (false discovery rate <0.05). Subsequently, we assessed the role of lncRNA dysregulation in altered mRNA levels. Experimental verification showed that some synapse-associated mRNAs were downregulated after the MIR600HG knockdown. BrainSpan project showed that the expression patterns of MIR600HG (primate-specific lncRNA) and synapse-associated mRNA were similar in different human brain regions and at different stages of development. A combination of support vector machine and random forest machine learning algorithms retrieved the marker gene for ASD in the ceRNA network, and the area under the curve of the diagnostic nomogram was 0.851. In conclusion, dysregulation of MIR600HG, a novel specific lncRNA associated with ASD, is responsible for the ASD-associated miRNA-mRNA axes, thereby potentially regulating synaptogenesis.
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Affiliation(s)
- Miaomiao Jiang
- National Clinical Research Center for Mental Disorders (Peking University Sixth Hospital), NHC Key Laboratory of Mental Health (Peking University), Peking University Sixth Hospital, Peking University Institute of Mental Health, Beijing, China
| | - Ziqi Wang
- Beijing Key Laboratory of Mental Disorders, National Clinical Research Center for Mental Disorders & National Center for Mental Disorders, Beijing Anding Hospital, Capital Medical University, Beijing, China
- Advanced Innovation Center for Human Brain Protection, Capital Medical University, Beijing, China
| | - Tianlan Lu
- National Clinical Research Center for Mental Disorders (Peking University Sixth Hospital), NHC Key Laboratory of Mental Health (Peking University), Peking University Sixth Hospital, Peking University Institute of Mental Health, Beijing, China
| | - Xianjing Li
- National Clinical Research Center for Mental Disorders (Peking University Sixth Hospital), NHC Key Laboratory of Mental Health (Peking University), Peking University Sixth Hospital, Peking University Institute of Mental Health, Beijing, China
| | - Kang Yang
- National Clinical Research Center for Mental Disorders (Peking University Sixth Hospital), NHC Key Laboratory of Mental Health (Peking University), Peking University Sixth Hospital, Peking University Institute of Mental Health, Beijing, China
| | - Liyang Zhao
- National Clinical Research Center for Mental Disorders (Peking University Sixth Hospital), NHC Key Laboratory of Mental Health (Peking University), Peking University Sixth Hospital, Peking University Institute of Mental Health, Beijing, China
| | - Dai Zhang
- National Clinical Research Center for Mental Disorders (Peking University Sixth Hospital), NHC Key Laboratory of Mental Health (Peking University), Peking University Sixth Hospital, Peking University Institute of Mental Health, Beijing, China
- Guangdong Key Laboratory of Mental Health and Cognitive Science, Institute for Brain Research and Rehabilitation (IBRR), South China Normal University, Guangzhou, China
| | - Jun Li
- National Clinical Research Center for Mental Disorders (Peking University Sixth Hospital), NHC Key Laboratory of Mental Health (Peking University), Peking University Sixth Hospital, Peking University Institute of Mental Health, Beijing, China.
| | - Lifang Wang
- National Clinical Research Center for Mental Disorders (Peking University Sixth Hospital), NHC Key Laboratory of Mental Health (Peking University), Peking University Sixth Hospital, Peking University Institute of Mental Health, Beijing, China.
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16
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Guo X, Zhai G, Liu J, Zhang X, Zhang T, Cui D, Zhou R, Gao L. Heterogeneity of dynamic synergetic configurations of salience network in children with autism spectrum disorder. Autism Res 2023; 16:2275-2290. [PMID: 37815146 DOI: 10.1002/aur.3037] [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: 05/17/2023] [Accepted: 09/20/2023] [Indexed: 10/11/2023]
Abstract
Atypical functional connectivity (FC) patterns have been identified in autism spectrum disorders (ASD), especially within salience network (SN) and between SN and default mode network (DMN) and central executive network (CEN). But whether the dynamic configuration of intra-SN and inter-SN (SN with DMN and CEN) FC in ASD is also heterogeneous remains unknown. Based on the resting-state functional magnetic resonance imaging data from 105 ASD and 102 typically-developing controls (TC), we calculated the time-varying FC of intra-SN and inter-SN (SN with DMN and CEN). Then, the joint recurrence features for the time-varying FC were calculated to assess how the SN dynamically recruits different configurations of network segregation and integration in ASD, that is, synergies, from the dynamical systems perspective. We analyzed the differences in synergetic patterns between ASD subtypes obtained by k-means clustering algorithm based on the synergy of SN and TC, and investigated the relationships between synergy of SN and severity of clinical symptoms of ASD for ASD subtypes. Two ASD subtypes were revealed, where the synergy of SN in ASD subtype 1 has lower stability and periodicity compared to the TC, and ASD subtype 2 exhibits the opposite alteration. Synergy of SN for ASD subtype 1 and 2 was found to predict the severity of communication impairments and restricted and repetitive behaviors in ASD, respectively. These results suggest the existence of subtypes with distinct patterns of the synergy of SN in ASD, and provide insight into the complex pathophysiological mechanism of clinical manifestations of ASD.
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Affiliation(s)
- Xiaonan Guo
- School of Information Science and Engineering, Yanshan University, Qinhuangdao, China
- Hebei Key Laboratory of Information Transmission and Signal Processing, Yanshan University, Qinhuangdao, China
| | - Guangjin Zhai
- School of Information Science and Engineering, Yanshan University, Qinhuangdao, China
- Hebei Key Laboratory of Information Transmission and Signal Processing, Yanshan University, Qinhuangdao, China
| | - Junfeng Liu
- Department of Neurology, West China Hospital Sichuan University, Chengdu, China
| | - Xia Zhang
- School of Information Science and Engineering, Yanshan University, Qinhuangdao, China
- Hebei Key Laboratory of Information Transmission and Signal Processing, Yanshan University, Qinhuangdao, China
| | - Tao Zhang
- School of Information Science and Engineering, Yanshan University, Qinhuangdao, China
- Hebei Key Laboratory of Information Transmission and Signal Processing, Yanshan University, Qinhuangdao, China
| | - Dong Cui
- School of Information Science and Engineering, Yanshan University, Qinhuangdao, China
- Hebei Key Laboratory of Information Transmission and Signal Processing, Yanshan University, Qinhuangdao, China
| | - Rongjuan Zhou
- Finance Department, Maternity and Child Health Hospital of Qinhuangdao, Qinhuangdao, China
| | - Le Gao
- School of Information Science and Engineering, Yanshan University, Qinhuangdao, China
- Hebei Key Laboratory of Information Transmission and Signal Processing, Yanshan University, Qinhuangdao, China
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17
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Bilgeç N, Balasar Ö, Uzun N, Pekcan S, Bedel FM, Çaksen H. Case of twin achondroplasia and autism coexistence and literature review. Psychiatr Genet 2023; 33:243-250. [PMID: 37706508 DOI: 10.1097/ypg.0000000000000350] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 09/15/2023]
Abstract
Achondroplasia and autism spectrum disorder (ASD) are two genetically based disorders. The coexistence of autism with chromosomal abnormalities such as Down syndrome, monogenic syndromes such as tuberous sclerosis, Fragile X, and Rett syndrome, and microdeletion syndromes such as Phelan-McDermid syndrome helps to shed light on the genetic basis of autism spectrum disorder. The association between ASD and achondroplasia has been reported twice in the literature. In this article, we report Turkish patients who were born as identical twins from IVF pregnancy of 34 and 36-year-old parents, clinically and molecularly diagnosed with achondroplasia, and diagnosed with ASD at the age of 39 months. Our case is the first twin patient with the coexistence of achondroplasia and autism. We discuss environmental and genetic factors contributing to the development of ASD.
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Affiliation(s)
- Nagehan Bilgeç
- Department of Pediatric Genetics, Necmettin Erbakan University, Meram Faculty of Medicine
| | | | - Necati Uzun
- Department of Child and Adolescent Psychiatry
| | - Sevgi Pekcan
- Department of Pediatric Pulmonology, Necmettin Erbakan University, Meram Faculty of Medicine, Konya, Turkey
| | - Fayize Maden Bedel
- Department of Pediatric Genetics, Necmettin Erbakan University, Meram Faculty of Medicine
| | - Hüseyin Çaksen
- Department of Pediatric Genetics, Necmettin Erbakan University, Meram Faculty of Medicine
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18
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Gusso D, Prauchner GRK, Rieder AS, Wyse ATS. Biological Pathways Associated with Vitamins in Autism Spectrum Disorder. Neurotox Res 2023; 41:730-740. [PMID: 37864660 DOI: 10.1007/s12640-023-00674-z] [Citation(s) in RCA: 2] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 06/23/2023] [Revised: 09/18/2023] [Accepted: 10/07/2023] [Indexed: 10/23/2023]
Abstract
Autism spectrum disorder (ASD) is characterized by early-appearing social communication deficits, with genetic and environmental factors potentially playing a role in its etiology, which remains largely unknown. During pregnancy, certain deficiencies in critical nutrients are mainly associated with central nervous system impairment. The vitamin B9 (folate) is primarily related to one-carbon and methionine metabolism, participating in methyl donor generation. In addition, supplementation with folic acid (FA) is recommended by the World Health Organization (WHO) in the first three gestational months to prevent neural tube defects. Vitamin B12 is related to folate regeneration, converting it into an active form. Deficiencies in this vitamin have a negative impact on cognitive function and brain development since it is involved in myelin synthesis. Vitamin D is intimately associated with Ca2+ levels, acting in bone development and calcium-dependent signaling. This vitamin is associated with ASD at several levels since it has a relation with ASD genes and oxidative stress environment. This review carries the recent literature about the role of folate, vitamin B12, and vitamin D in ASD. In addition, we discuss the possible impact of nutrient deficiency or hypersupplementation during fetal development. On the other hand, we explore the biases of vitamin supplementation studies such as the loss of participants in retrospective studies, as well as multiple variants that are not considered in the conclusion, like dietary intake or auto-medication during pregnancy. In this regard, we aim to contribute to the discussion about the role of vitamins in ASD currency, but also in pregnancy and fetal development as well. Furthermore, stress during pregnancy can be an ASD predisposition, with cortisol as a regulator. In this view, we propose that cortisol is the bridge of susceptibility between vitamin disorders and ASD prevalence.
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Affiliation(s)
- Darlan Gusso
- Neuroprotection and Neurometabolic Diseases Laboratory (Wyse's Lab), Graduate Program in Biological Sciences: Biochemistry, Department of Biochemistry, Federal University of Rio Grande Do Sul (UFRGS), Rua Ramiro Barcelos, 2600-Anexo, Zip Code 90035003, Porto Alegre, RS, Brazil.
| | - Gustavo Ricardo Krupp Prauchner
- Neuroprotection and Neurometabolic Diseases Laboratory (Wyse's Lab), Graduate Program in Biological Sciences: Biochemistry, Department of Biochemistry, Federal University of Rio Grande Do Sul (UFRGS), Rua Ramiro Barcelos, 2600-Anexo, Zip Code 90035003, Porto Alegre, RS, Brazil
| | - Alessandra Schmitt Rieder
- Neuroprotection and Neurometabolic Diseases Laboratory (Wyse's Lab), Graduate Program in Biological Sciences: Biochemistry, Department of Biochemistry, Federal University of Rio Grande Do Sul (UFRGS), Rua Ramiro Barcelos, 2600-Anexo, Zip Code 90035003, Porto Alegre, RS, Brazil
| | - Angela T S Wyse
- Neuroprotection and Neurometabolic Diseases Laboratory (Wyse's Lab), Graduate Program in Biological Sciences: Biochemistry, Department of Biochemistry, Federal University of Rio Grande Do Sul (UFRGS), Rua Ramiro Barcelos, 2600-Anexo, Zip Code 90035003, Porto Alegre, RS, Brazil
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19
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Yuan B, Wang M, Wu X, Cheng P, Zhang R, Zhang R, Yu S, Zhang J, Du Y, Wang X, Qiu Z. Identification of de novo Mutations in the Chinese Autism Spectrum Disorder Cohort via Whole-Exome Sequencing Unveils Brain Regions Implicated in Autism. Neurosci Bull 2023; 39:1469-1480. [PMID: 36881370 PMCID: PMC10533446 DOI: 10.1007/s12264-023-01037-6] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 09/19/2022] [Accepted: 10/30/2022] [Indexed: 03/08/2023] Open
Abstract
Autism spectrum disorder (ASD) is a highly heritable neurodevelopmental disorder characterized by deficits in social interactions and repetitive behaviors. Although hundreds of ASD risk genes, implicated in synaptic formation and transcriptional regulation, have been identified through human genetic studies, the East Asian ASD cohorts are still under-represented in genome-wide genetic studies. Here, we applied whole-exome sequencing to 369 ASD trios including probands and unaffected parents of Chinese origin. Using a joint-calling analytical pipeline based on GATK toolkits, we identified numerous de novo mutations including 55 high-impact variants and 165 moderate-impact variants, as well as de novo copy number variations containing known ASD-related genes. Importantly, combined with single-cell sequencing data from the developing human brain, we found that the expression of genes with de novo mutations was specifically enriched in the pre-, post-central gyrus (PRC, PC) and banks of the superior temporal (BST) regions in the human brain. By further analyzing the brain imaging data with ASD and healthy controls, we found that the gray volume of the right BST in ASD patients was significantly decreased compared to healthy controls, suggesting the potential structural deficits associated with ASD. Finally, we found a decrease in the seed-based functional connectivity between BST/PC/PRC and sensory areas, the insula, as well as the frontal lobes in ASD patients. This work indicated that combinatorial analysis with genome-wide screening, single-cell sequencing, and brain imaging data reveal the brain regions contributing to the etiology of ASD.
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Affiliation(s)
- Bo Yuan
- Institute of Neuroscience, State Key Laboratory of Neuroscience, CAS Center for Excellence in Brain Science and Intelligence Technology, Shanghai Center for Brain Science and Brain-Inspired Intelligence Technology, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Shanghai, 200032 China
| | - Mengdi Wang
- Institute of Biophysics, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Beijing, 100101 China
| | - Xinran Wu
- Institute of Science and Technology for Brain-Inspired Intelligence, Fudan University, Shanghai, 200433 China
| | - Peipei Cheng
- Shanghai Mental Health Center, Shanghai Jiao Tong University School of Medicine, Shanghai, 200032 China
| | - Ran Zhang
- Institute of Neuroscience, State Key Laboratory of Neuroscience, CAS Center for Excellence in Brain Science and Intelligence Technology, Shanghai Center for Brain Science and Brain-Inspired Intelligence Technology, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Shanghai, 200032 China
| | - Ran Zhang
- Shanghai Mental Health Center, Shanghai Jiao Tong University School of Medicine, Shanghai, 200032 China
| | - Shunying Yu
- Shanghai Mental Health Center, Shanghai Jiao Tong University School of Medicine, Shanghai, 200032 China
| | - Jie Zhang
- Institute of Science and Technology for Brain-Inspired Intelligence, Fudan University, Shanghai, 200433 China
| | - Yasong Du
- Shanghai Mental Health Center, Shanghai Jiao Tong University School of Medicine, Shanghai, 200032 China
| | - Xiaoqun Wang
- Beijing Normal University, Beijing, 100875 China
| | - Zilong Qiu
- Songjiang Research Institute, Songjiang Hospital, Shanghai Jiao Tong University School of Medicine, Shanghai, 201600 China
- Institute of Neuroscience, State Key Laboratory of Neuroscience, CAS Center for Excellence in Brain Science and Intelligence Technology, Shanghai Center for Brain Science and Brain-Inspired Intelligence Technology, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Shanghai, 200032 China
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20
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Winden KD, Pham TT, Teaney NA, Ruiz J, Chen R, Chen C, Sahin M. Increased degradation of FMRP contributes to neuronal hyperexcitability in tuberous sclerosis complex. Cell Rep 2023; 42:112838. [PMID: 37494191 PMCID: PMC10529098 DOI: 10.1016/j.celrep.2023.112838] [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: 12/16/2022] [Revised: 05/12/2023] [Accepted: 07/05/2023] [Indexed: 07/28/2023] Open
Abstract
Autism spectrum disorder (ASD) is a highly prevalent neurodevelopmental disorder, but new therapies have been impeded by a lack of understanding of the pathological mechanisms. Tuberous sclerosis complex (TSC) and fragile X syndrome are associated with alterations in the mechanistic target of rapamycin (mTOR) and fragile X messenger ribonucleoprotein 1 (FMRP), which have been implicated in the development of ASD. Previously, we observed that transcripts associated with FMRP were down-regulated in TSC2-deficient neurons. In this study, we find that FMRP turnover is dysregulated in TSC2-deficient rodent primary neurons and human induced pluripotent stem cell (iPSC)-derived neurons and is dependent on the E3 ubiquitin ligase anaphase-promoting complex. We also demonstrate that overexpression of FMRP can partially rescue hyperexcitability in TSC2-deficient iPSC-derived neurons. These data indicate that FMRP dysregulation represents an important pathological mechanism in the development of abnormal neuronal activity in TSC and illustrate a molecular convergence between these two neurogenetic disorders.
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Affiliation(s)
- Kellen D Winden
- Department of Neurology, Boston Children's Hospital, Harvard Medical School, Boston, MA 02115, USA
| | - Truc T Pham
- Department of Neurology, Boston Children's Hospital, Harvard Medical School, Boston, MA 02115, USA
| | - Nicole A Teaney
- Department of Neurology, Boston Children's Hospital, Harvard Medical School, Boston, MA 02115, USA
| | - Juan Ruiz
- Department of Neurology, Boston Children's Hospital, Harvard Medical School, Boston, MA 02115, USA
| | - Ryan Chen
- Human Neuron Core, Boston Children's Hospital, Harvard Medical School, Boston, MA 02115, USA
| | - Cidi Chen
- Human Neuron Core, Boston Children's Hospital, Harvard Medical School, Boston, MA 02115, USA; Rosamund Stone Zander Translational Neuroscience Center, Boston Children's Hospital, Harvard Medical School, Boston, MA 02115, USA
| | - Mustafa Sahin
- Department of Neurology, Boston Children's Hospital, Harvard Medical School, Boston, MA 02115, USA; Rosamund Stone Zander Translational Neuroscience Center, Boston Children's Hospital, Harvard Medical School, Boston, MA 02115, USA.
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21
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Wang Y, Yu S, Li M. Neurovascular crosstalk and cerebrovascular alterations: an underestimated therapeutic target in autism spectrum disorders. Front Cell Neurosci 2023; 17:1226580. [PMID: 37692552 PMCID: PMC10491023 DOI: 10.3389/fncel.2023.1226580] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 05/21/2023] [Accepted: 08/08/2023] [Indexed: 09/12/2023] Open
Abstract
Normal brain development, function, and aging critically depend on unique characteristics of the cerebrovascular system. Growing evidence indicated that cerebrovascular defects can have irreversible effects on the brain, and these defects have been implicated in various neurological disorders, including autism spectrum disorder (ASD). ASD is a neurodevelopmental disorder with heterogeneous clinical manifestations and anatomical changes. While extensive research has focused on the neural abnormalities underlying ASD, the role of brain vasculature in this disorder remains poorly understood. Indeed, the significance of cerebrovascular contributions to ASD has been consistently underestimated. In this work, we discuss the neurovascular crosstalk during embryonic development and highlight recent findings on cerebrovascular alterations in individuals with ASD. We also discuss the potential of vascular-based therapy for ASD. Collectively, these investigations demonstrate that ASD can be considered a neurovascular disease.
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Affiliation(s)
- Yiran Wang
- Queen Mary School, Jiangxi Medical College, Nanchang University, Nanchang, China
| | - Shunyu Yu
- Department of Psychosomatic Medicine, The First Affiliated Hospital of Nanchang University, Nanchang, Jiangxi, China
| | - Mengqian Li
- Department of Psychosomatic Medicine, The First Affiliated Hospital of Nanchang University, Nanchang, Jiangxi, China
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22
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Johnson KT, Narain J, Quatieri T, Maes P, Picard RW. ReCANVo: A database of real-world communicative and affective nonverbal vocalizations. Sci Data 2023; 10:523. [PMID: 37543663 PMCID: PMC10404278 DOI: 10.1038/s41597-023-02405-7] [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: 02/14/2022] [Accepted: 07/24/2023] [Indexed: 08/07/2023] Open
Abstract
Nonverbal vocalizations, such as sighs, grunts, and yells, are informative expressions within typical verbal speech. Likewise, individuals who produce 0-10 spoken words or word approximations ("minimally speaking" individuals) convey rich affective and communicative information through nonverbal vocalizations even without verbal speech. Yet, despite their rich content, little to no data exists on the vocal expressions of this population. Here, we present ReCANVo: Real-World Communicative and Affective Nonverbal Vocalizations - a novel dataset of non-speech vocalizations labeled by function from minimally speaking individuals. The ReCANVo database contains over 7000 vocalizations spanning communicative and affective functions from eight minimally speaking individuals, along with communication profiles for each participant. Vocalizations were recorded in real-world settings and labeled in real-time by a close family member who knew the communicator well and had access to contextual information while labeling. ReCANVo is a novel database of nonverbal vocalizations from minimally speaking individuals, the largest available dataset of nonverbal vocalizations, and one of the only affective speech datasets collected amidst daily life across contexts.
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Affiliation(s)
- Kristina T Johnson
- Massachusetts Institute of Technology, MIT Media Lab, Cambridge, MA, USA.
| | - Jaya Narain
- Massachusetts Institute of Technology, MIT Media Lab, Cambridge, MA, USA.
| | - Thomas Quatieri
- Massachusetts Institute of Technology, Lincoln Laboratory, Lexington, MA, USA
| | - Pattie Maes
- Massachusetts Institute of Technology, MIT Media Lab, Cambridge, MA, USA
| | - Rosalind W Picard
- Massachusetts Institute of Technology, MIT Media Lab, Cambridge, MA, USA
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23
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Cirnigliaro M, Chang TS, Arteaga SA, Pérez-Cano L, Ruzzo EK, Gordon A, Bicks LK, Jung JY, Lowe JK, Wall DP, Geschwind DH. The contributions of rare inherited and polygenic risk to ASD in multiplex families. Proc Natl Acad Sci U S A 2023; 120:e2215632120. [PMID: 37506195 PMCID: PMC10400943 DOI: 10.1073/pnas.2215632120] [Citation(s) in RCA: 21] [Impact Index Per Article: 21.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 09/15/2022] [Accepted: 06/13/2023] [Indexed: 07/30/2023] Open
Abstract
Autism spectrum disorder (ASD) has a complex genetic architecture involving contributions from both de novo and inherited variation. Few studies have been designed to address the role of rare inherited variation or its interaction with common polygenic risk in ASD. Here, we performed whole-genome sequencing of the largest cohort of multiplex families to date, consisting of 4,551 individuals in 1,004 families having two or more autistic children. Using this study design, we identify seven previously unrecognized ASD risk genes supported by a majority of rare inherited variants, finding support for a total of 74 genes in our cohort and a total of 152 genes after combined analysis with other studies. Autistic children from multiplex families demonstrate an increased burden of rare inherited protein-truncating variants in known ASD risk genes. We also find that ASD polygenic score (PGS) is overtransmitted from nonautistic parents to autistic children who also harbor rare inherited variants, consistent with combinatorial effects in the offspring, which may explain the reduced penetrance of these rare variants in parents. We also observe that in addition to social dysfunction, language delay is associated with ASD PGS overtransmission. These results are consistent with an additive complex genetic risk architecture of ASD involving rare and common variation and further suggest that language delay is a core biological feature of ASD.
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Affiliation(s)
- Matilde Cirnigliaro
- Department of Psychiatry and Biobehavioral Sciences, Semel Institute, David Geffen School of Medicine, University of California Los Angeles, Los Angeles, CA90095
| | - Timothy S. Chang
- Movement Disorders Program, Department of Neurology, David Geffen School of Medicine, University of California Los Angeles, Los Angeles, CA90095
| | - Stephanie A. Arteaga
- Program in Neurogenetics, Department of Neurology, David Geffen School of Medicine, University of California Los Angeles, Los Angeles, CA90095
| | - Laura Pérez-Cano
- STALICLA Discovery and Data Science Unit, World Trade Center, Barcelona08039, Spain
| | - Elizabeth K. Ruzzo
- Department of Psychiatry and Biobehavioral Sciences, Semel Institute, David Geffen School of Medicine, University of California Los Angeles, Los Angeles, CA90095
- Center for Autism Research and Treatment, Semel Institute, David Geffen School of Medicine, University of California Los Angeles, Los Angeles, CA90095
| | - Aaron Gordon
- Program in Neurogenetics, Department of Neurology, David Geffen School of Medicine, University of California Los Angeles, Los Angeles, CA90095
| | - Lucy K. Bicks
- Program in Neurogenetics, Department of Neurology, David Geffen School of Medicine, University of California Los Angeles, Los Angeles, CA90095
| | - Jae-Yoon Jung
- Department of Pediatrics, Division of Systems Medicine, Stanford University, Stanford, CA94304
- Department of Biomedical Data Science, Stanford University, Stanford, CA94305
| | - Jennifer K. Lowe
- Department of Psychiatry and Biobehavioral Sciences, Semel Institute, David Geffen School of Medicine, University of California Los Angeles, Los Angeles, CA90095
- Center for Autism Research and Treatment, Semel Institute, David Geffen School of Medicine, University of California Los Angeles, Los Angeles, CA90095
| | - Dennis P. Wall
- Department of Pediatrics, Division of Systems Medicine, Stanford University, Stanford, CA94304
- Department of Biomedical Data Science, Stanford University, Stanford, CA94305
| | - Daniel H. Geschwind
- Department of Psychiatry and Biobehavioral Sciences, Semel Institute, David Geffen School of Medicine, University of California Los Angeles, Los Angeles, CA90095
- Movement Disorders Program, Department of Neurology, David Geffen School of Medicine, University of California Los Angeles, Los Angeles, CA90095
- Center for Autism Research and Treatment, Semel Institute, David Geffen School of Medicine, University of California Los Angeles, Los Angeles, CA90095
- Department of Human Genetics, David Geffen School of Medicine, University of California Los Angeles, Los Angeles, CA90095
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24
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Xie Y, Sun J, Man W, Zhang Z, Zhang N. Personalized estimates of brain cortical structural variability in individuals with Autism spectrum disorder: the predictor of brain age and neurobiology relevance. Mol Autism 2023; 14:27. [PMID: 37507798 PMCID: PMC10375633 DOI: 10.1186/s13229-023-00558-1] [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: 03/24/2023] [Accepted: 07/07/2023] [Indexed: 07/30/2023] Open
Abstract
BACKGROUND Autism spectrum disorder (ASD) is a heritable condition related to brain development that affects a person's perception and socialization with others. Here, we examined variability in the brain morphology in ASD children and adolescent individuals at the level of brain cortical structural profiles and the level of each brain regional measure. METHODS We selected brain structural MRI data in 600 ASDs and 729 normal controls (NCs) from Autism Brain Imaging Data Exchange (ABIDE). The personalized estimate of similarity between gray matter volume (GMV) profiles of an individual to that of others in the same group was assessed by using the person-based similarity index (PBSI). Regional contributions to PBSI score were utilized for brain age gap estimation (BrainAGE) prediction model establishment, including support vector regression (SVR), relevance vector regression (RVR), and Gaussian process regression (GPR). The association between BrainAGE prediction in ASD and clinical performance was investigated. We further explored the related inter-regional profiles of gene expression from the Allen Human Brain Atlas with variability differences in the brain morphology between groups. RESULTS The PBSI score of GMV was negatively related to age regardless of the sample group, and the PBSI score was significantly lower in ASDs than in NCs. The regional contributions to the PBSI score of 126 brain regions in ASDs showed significant differences compared to NCs. RVR model achieved the best performance for predicting brain age. Higher inter-individual brain morphology variability was related to increased brain age, specific to communication symptoms. A total of 430 genes belonging to various pathways were identified as associated with brain cortical morphometric variation. The pathways, including short-term memory, regulation of system process, and regulation of nervous system process, were dominated mainly by gene sets for manno midbrain neurotypes. LIMITATIONS There is a sample mismatch between the gene expression data and brain imaging data from ABIDE. A larger sample size can contribute to the model training of BrainAGE and the validation of the results. CONCLUSIONS ASD has personalized heterogeneity brain morphology. The brain age gap estimation and transcription-neuroimaging associations derived from this trait are replenished in an additional direction to boost the understanding of the ASD brain.
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Affiliation(s)
- Yingying Xie
- Department of Radiology and Tianjin Key Laboratory of Functional Imaging, Tianjin Medical University General Hospital, No. 154, Anshan Road, Heping District, Tianjin, 300052, China
| | - Jie Sun
- Department of Radiology and Tianjin Key Laboratory of Functional Imaging, Tianjin Medical University General Hospital, No. 154, Anshan Road, Heping District, Tianjin, 300052, China
| | - Weiqi Man
- Department of Radiology and Tianjin Key Laboratory of Functional Imaging, Tianjin Medical University General Hospital, No. 154, Anshan Road, Heping District, Tianjin, 300052, China
- Department of Radiology, Tianjin First Central Hospital, Tianjin, 300192, China
| | - Zhang Zhang
- Department of Radiology and Tianjin Key Laboratory of Functional Imaging, Tianjin Medical University General Hospital, No. 154, Anshan Road, Heping District, Tianjin, 300052, China.
| | - Ningnannan Zhang
- Department of Radiology and Tianjin Key Laboratory of Functional Imaging, Tianjin Medical University General Hospital, No. 154, Anshan Road, Heping District, Tianjin, 300052, China.
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25
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Zhao Z, Parra OP, Musella F, Scrutton-Alvarado N, Fujita SI, Alber F, Yang Y, Yamada T. Mega-Enhancer Bodies Organize Neuronal Long Genes in the Cerebellum. BIORXIV : THE PREPRINT SERVER FOR BIOLOGY 2023:2023.07.19.549737. [PMID: 37503219 PMCID: PMC10370079 DOI: 10.1101/2023.07.19.549737] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 07/29/2023]
Abstract
Dynamic regulation of gene expression plays a key role in establishing the diverse neuronal cell types in the brain. Recent findings in genome biology suggest that three-dimensional (3D) genome organization has important, but mechanistically poorly understood functions in gene transcription. Beyond local genomic interactions between promoters and enhancers, we find that cerebellar granule neurons undergoing differentiation in vivo exhibit striking increases in long-distance genomic interactions between transcriptionally active genomic loci, which are separated by tens of megabases within a chromosome or located on different chromosomes. Among these interactions, we identify a nuclear subcompartment enriched for near-megabase long enhancers and their associated neuronal long genes encoding synaptic or signaling proteins. Neuronal long genes are differentially recruited to this enhancer-dense subcompartment to help shape the transcriptional identities of granule neuron subtypes in the cerebellum. SPRITE analyses of higher-order genomic interactions, together with IGM-based 3D genome modeling and imaging approaches, reveal that the enhancer-dense subcompartment forms prominent nuclear structures, which we term mega-enhancer bodies. These novel nuclear bodies reside in the nuclear periphery, away from other transcriptionally active structures, including nuclear speckles located in the nuclear interior. Together, our findings define additional layers of higher-order 3D genome organization closely linked to neuronal maturation and identity in the brain.
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26
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Wei R, Yehia L, Ni Y, Eng C. The mitochondrial genome as a modifier of autism versus cancer phenotypes in PTEN hamartoma tumor syndrome. HGG ADVANCES 2023; 4:100199. [PMID: 37216009 PMCID: PMC10193119 DOI: 10.1016/j.xhgg.2023.100199] [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: 01/20/2023] [Accepted: 04/13/2023] [Indexed: 05/24/2023] Open
Abstract
Cancer and autism spectrum disorder/developmental delay (ASD/DD) are two common clinical phenotypes in individuals with germline PTEN variants (PTEN hamartoma tumor syndrome, PHTS). Burgeoning studies have shown that genomic and metabolomic factors may act as modifiers of ASD/DD versus cancer in PHTS. Recently, we showed copy number variations to be associated with ASD/DD versus cancer in these PHTS individuals. We also found that mitochondrial complex II variants occurring in 10% of PHTS individuals modify breast cancer risk and thyroid cancer histology. These studies suggest that mitochondrial pathways could act as important factors in PHTS phenotype development. However, the mitochondrial genome (mtDNA) has never been systematically studied in PHTS. We therefore investigated the mtDNA landscape extracted from whole-genome sequencing data from 498 PHTS individuals, including 164 with ASD/DD (PHTS-onlyASD/DD), 184 with cancer (PHTS-onlyCancer), 132 with neither ASD/DD nor cancer (PHTS-neither), and 18 with both ASD/DD and cancer (PHTS-ASDCancer). We demonstrate that PHTS-onlyASD/DD has significantly higher mtDNA copy number than PHTS-onlyCancer group (p = 9.2 × 10-3 in all samples; p = 4.2 × 10-3 in the H haplogroup). PHTS-neither group has significantly higher mtDNA variant burden than PHTS-ASDCancer group (p = 4.6 × 10-2); the PHTS-noCancer group (PHTS-onlyASD/DD and PHTS-neither groups) also shows higher variant burden than the PHTS-Cancer group (PHTS-onlyCancer and PHTS-ASD/Cancer groups; p = 3.3 × 10-2). Our study implicates the mtDNA as a modifier of ASD/DD versus cancer phenotype development in PHTS.
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Affiliation(s)
- Ruipeng Wei
- Genomic Medicine Institute, Lerner Research Institute, Cleveland Clinic, Cleveland, OH 44195, USA
- Department of Nutrition, Case Western Reserve University School of Medicine, Cleveland, OH 44106, USA
| | - Lamis Yehia
- Genomic Medicine Institute, Lerner Research Institute, Cleveland Clinic, Cleveland, OH 44195, USA
| | - Ying Ni
- Center for Immunotherapy & Precision Immuno-Oncology, Lerner Research Institute, Cleveland Clinic, Cleveland, OH 44195, USA
| | - Charis Eng
- Genomic Medicine Institute, Lerner Research Institute, Cleveland Clinic, Cleveland, OH 44195, USA
- Taussig Cancer Institute, Cleveland Clinic, Cleveland, OH 44195, USA
- Department of Genetics and Genome Sciences, Case Western Reserve University School of Medicine, Cleveland, OH 44106, USA
- Germline High Risk Cancer Focus Group, Case Comprehensive Cancer Center, Case Western Reserve University, Cleveland, OH 44106, USA
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27
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Tuncay IO, DeVries D, Gogate A, Kaur K, Kumar A, Xing C, Goodspeed K, Seyoum-Tesfa L, Chahrour MH. The genetics of autism spectrum disorder in an East African familial cohort. CELL GENOMICS 2023; 3:100322. [PMID: 37492102 PMCID: PMC10363748 DOI: 10.1016/j.xgen.2023.100322] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 11/16/2022] [Revised: 03/09/2023] [Accepted: 04/16/2023] [Indexed: 07/27/2023]
Abstract
Autism spectrum disorder (ASD) is a group of complex neurodevelopmental conditions affecting communication and social interaction in 2.3% of children. Studies that demonstrated its complex genetic architecture have been mainly performed in populations of European ancestry. We investigate the genetics of ASD in an East African cohort (129 individuals) from a population with higher prevalence (5%). Whole-genome sequencing identified 2.13 million private variants in the cohort and potentially pathogenic variants in known ASD genes (including CACNA1C, CHD7, FMR1, and TCF7L2). Admixture analysis demonstrated that the cohort comprises two ancestral populations, African and Eurasian. Admixture mapping discovered 10 regions that confer ASD risk on the African haplotypes, containing several known ASD genes. The increased ASD prevalence in this population suggests decreased heterogeneity in the underlying genetic etiology, enabling risk allele identification. Our approach emphasizes the power of African genetic variation and admixture analysis to inform the architecture of complex disorders.
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Affiliation(s)
- Islam Oguz Tuncay
- Department of Neuroscience, University of Texas Southwestern Medical Center, Dallas, TX 75390, USA
| | - Darlene DeVries
- Eugene McDermott Center for Human Growth and Development, University of Texas Southwestern Medical Center, Dallas, TX 75390, USA
| | - Ashlesha Gogate
- Eugene McDermott Center for Human Growth and Development, University of Texas Southwestern Medical Center, Dallas, TX 75390, USA
| | - Kiran Kaur
- Eugene McDermott Center for Human Growth and Development, University of Texas Southwestern Medical Center, Dallas, TX 75390, USA
| | - Ashwani Kumar
- Eugene McDermott Center for Human Growth and Development, University of Texas Southwestern Medical Center, Dallas, TX 75390, USA
| | - Chao Xing
- Eugene McDermott Center for Human Growth and Development, University of Texas Southwestern Medical Center, Dallas, TX 75390, USA
- Department of Population and Data Sciences, University of Texas Southwestern Medical Center, Dallas, TX 75390, USA
- Lyda Hill Department of Bioinformatics, University of Texas Southwestern Medical Center, Dallas, TX 75390, USA
| | - Kimberly Goodspeed
- Department of Pediatrics, University of Texas Southwestern Medical Center, Dallas, TX 75390, USA
- Department of Neurology, University of Texas Southwestern Medical Center, Dallas, TX 75390, USA
- Department of Psychiatry, University of Texas Southwestern Medical Center, Dallas, TX 75390, USA
| | | | - Maria H Chahrour
- Department of Neuroscience, University of Texas Southwestern Medical Center, Dallas, TX 75390, USA
- Eugene McDermott Center for Human Growth and Development, University of Texas Southwestern Medical Center, Dallas, TX 75390, USA
- Department of Psychiatry, University of Texas Southwestern Medical Center, Dallas, TX 75390, USA
- Center for the Genetics of Host Defense, University of Texas Southwestern Medical Center, Dallas, TX 75390, USA
- Peter O'Donnell Jr. Brain Institute, University of Texas Southwestern Medical Center, Dallas, TX 75390, USA
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28
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Guo Q, Xia L, Guo R, Xu W, Zhang Y, Zhao C, Zhang P, Bai T, Ni X, Hao C, Xia K, Li W. Behavioural deficits of autism spectrum disorder and associations with different gene clusters: a study with the whole-genome transmission disequilibrium test. BMJ Paediatr Open 2023; 7:e001930. [PMID: 37407249 DOI: 10.1136/bmjpo-2023-001930] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Submit a Manuscript] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 03/01/2023] [Accepted: 05/17/2023] [Indexed: 07/07/2023] Open
Abstract
BACKGROUND Autism spectrum disorder (ASD) is a diverse neurodevelopmental disease primarily distinguished by limited and stereotyped activities as well as impaired social interaction. Due to the high heritability of ASD, research on the disorder has emphasised on identifying the underlying genetic and epigenetic aetiology. Many ASD loci have been identified by genome-wide association studies (GWASs). However, GWASs are more susceptible to bias due to population stratification. Moreover, GWASs barely reflect the genetic aetiology of subtypes of behavioural deficits. METHODS We applied whole-genome transmission disequilibrium test (TDT) to reveal the gene sets that are significantly associated with the four behavioural subtypes of restricted repetitive behaviours in 334 ASD trios. We further mapped the clustered genes to pathways and enriched the SFARI genes in these pathways. RESULTS Four unique gene clusters (181 genes in total) that are related to four different behavioural subtypes in ASD were identified. 23 SFARI genes were enriched in these four clusters. Through pathway analysis, nine non-SFARI genes (CNDP1, ETNK1, ITPKB, KCNQ5, PDE4D, PDGFRA, PPARGC1A, ULK2, SYNJ2) were found to be linked to the SFARI genes, which may contribute to the development of ASD. Furthermore, we found that the mTOR pathway enriched with the CNDP1, PDE4D, ULK2 genes is associated with neurodevelopment. CONCLUSIONS Whole-genome TDT test is a unique tool in clustering genes related to ASD subtypes of behavioural deficits. Several new candidate genes for ASD are revealed by pathway analysis of the clustered genes. These findings are useful for understanding the underlying mechanism of ASD.
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Affiliation(s)
- Qi Guo
- Beijing Children's Hospital, Capital Medical University, Beijing, China
- Beijing Key Laboratory for Genetics of Birth Defects, Beijing Pediatric Research Institute, Beijing, China
- MOE Key Laboratory of Major Diseases in Children, Beijing, China
| | - Lu Xia
- Xiangya Medical School of Central China University, Changsha, China
| | - Ruolan Guo
- Beijing Children's Hospital, Capital Medical University, Beijing, China
- Beijing Key Laboratory for Genetics of Birth Defects, Beijing Pediatric Research Institute, Beijing, China
- MOE Key Laboratory of Major Diseases in Children, Beijing, China
| | - Wenjian Xu
- Beijing Children's Hospital, Capital Medical University, Beijing, China
- Beijing Key Laboratory for Genetics of Birth Defects, Beijing Pediatric Research Institute, Beijing, China
- MOE Key Laboratory of Major Diseases in Children, Beijing, China
| | - Yue Zhang
- Beijing Children's Hospital, Capital Medical University, Beijing, China
- Beijing Key Laboratory for Genetics of Birth Defects, Beijing Pediatric Research Institute, Beijing, China
- MOE Key Laboratory of Major Diseases in Children, Beijing, China
| | - Chunlin Zhao
- Beijing Children's Hospital, Capital Medical University, Beijing, China
- Beijing Key Laboratory for Genetics of Birth Defects, Beijing Pediatric Research Institute, Beijing, China
- MOE Key Laboratory of Major Diseases in Children, Beijing, China
| | - Peng Zhang
- Beijing Children's Hospital, Capital Medical University, Beijing, China
- Beijing Key Laboratory for Genetics of Birth Defects, Beijing Pediatric Research Institute, Beijing, China
- MOE Key Laboratory of Major Diseases in Children, Beijing, China
| | - Ting Bai
- Xiangya Medical School of Central China University, Changsha, China
| | - Xin Ni
- National Center for Children's Health, Beijing, China
| | - Chanjuan Hao
- Beijing Children's Hospital, Capital Medical University, Beijing, China
- Beijing Key Laboratory for Genetics of Birth Defects, Beijing Pediatric Research Institute, Beijing, China
- MOE Key Laboratory of Major Diseases in Children, Beijing, China
| | - Kun Xia
- Xiangya Medical School of Central China University, Changsha, China
- Hengyang Medical School, University of South China, Hengyang, China
- MOE Key Laboratory of Pediatric Rare Diseases, Hengyang, China
| | - Wei Li
- Beijing Children's Hospital, Capital Medical University, Beijing, China
- Beijing Key Laboratory for Genetics of Birth Defects, Beijing Pediatric Research Institute, Beijing, China
- MOE Key Laboratory of Major Diseases in Children, Beijing, China
- National Center for Children's Health, Beijing, China
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29
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Apte M, Kumar A. Correlation of mutated gene and signalling pathways in ASD. IBRO Neurosci Rep 2023; 14:384-392. [PMID: 37101819 PMCID: PMC10123338 DOI: 10.1016/j.ibneur.2023.03.011] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 01/02/2023] [Accepted: 03/23/2023] [Indexed: 03/29/2023] Open
Abstract
Autism is a complicated spectrum of neurodevelopmental illnesses characterized by repetitive and constrained behaviors and interests, as well as social interaction and communication difficulties that are first shown in infancy. More than 18 million Indians, according to the National Health Portal of India, and 1 in 160 children worldwide, according to the WHO, are diagnosed with autism spectrum disorders. This review aims to discuss the complex genetic architecture that underlies autism and summarizes the role of proteins likely to play in the development of autism. We also consider how genetic mutations can affect convergent signaling pathways and hinder the development of brain circuitry and the role of cognition development and theory of mind with Cognition-behavior therapy benefits in autism.
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Affiliation(s)
- Madhavi Apte
- Quality Assurance and Pharmacognosy and Phytochemistry, SVKM’s Dr. Bhanuben Nanavati College of Pharmacy, Vile Parle, 400056 Mumbai, India
| | - Aayush Kumar
- Quality Assurance, SVKM’s Dr. Bhanuben Nanavati College of Pharmacy, Vile Parle, 400056 Mumbai, India
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30
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Dominguez-Alonso S, Carracedo A, Rodriguez-Fontenla C. The non-coding genome in Autism Spectrum Disorders. Eur J Med Genet 2023; 66:104752. [PMID: 37023975 DOI: 10.1016/j.ejmg.2023.104752] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 10/24/2022] [Revised: 03/10/2023] [Accepted: 03/19/2023] [Indexed: 04/08/2023]
Abstract
Autism Spectrum Disorders (ASD) are a group of neurodevelopmental disorders (NDDs) characterized by difficulties in social interaction and communication, repetitive behavior, and restricted interests. While ASD have been proven to have a strong genetic component, current research largely focuses on coding regions of the genome. However, non-coding DNA, which makes up for ∼99% of the human genome, has recently been recognized as an important contributor to the high heritability of ASD, and novel sequencing technologies have been a milestone in opening up new directions for the study of the gene regulatory networks embedded within the non-coding regions. Here, we summarize current progress on the contribution of non-coding alterations to the pathogenesis of ASD and provide an overview of existing methods allowing for the study of their functional relevance, discussing potential ways of unraveling ASD's "missing heritability".
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Affiliation(s)
- S Dominguez-Alonso
- Grupo de Medicina Xenómica, Center for Research in Molecular Medicine and Chronic Diseases (CiMUS), Universidad de Santiago de Compostela, Santiago de Compostela, Spain
| | - A Carracedo
- Grupo de Medicina Xenómica, Center for Research in Molecular Medicine and Chronic Diseases (CiMUS), Universidad de Santiago de Compostela, Santiago de Compostela, Spain; Grupo de Medicina Xenómica, Fundación Instituto de Investigación Sanitaria de Santiago de Compostela (FIDIS), Center for Research in Molecular Medicine and Chronic Diseases (CiMUS), Universidad de Santiago de Compostela, Santiago de Compostela, Spain
| | - C Rodriguez-Fontenla
- Grupo de Medicina Xenómica, Center for Research in Molecular Medicine and Chronic Diseases (CiMUS), Universidad de Santiago de Compostela, Santiago de Compostela, Spain.
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31
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The Autism Spectrum: Behavioral, Psychiatric and Genetic Associations. Genes (Basel) 2023; 14:genes14030677. [PMID: 36980949 PMCID: PMC10048473 DOI: 10.3390/genes14030677] [Citation(s) in RCA: 28] [Impact Index Per Article: 28.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 02/02/2023] [Revised: 03/03/2023] [Accepted: 03/06/2023] [Indexed: 03/11/2023] Open
Abstract
Autism spectrum disorder (ASD) consists of a group of heterogeneous genetic neurobehavioral disorders associated with developmental impairments in social communication skills and stereotypic, rigid or repetitive behaviors. We review common behavioral, psychiatric and genetic associations related to ASD. Autism affects about 2% of children with 4:1 male-to-female ratio and a heritability estimate between 70 and 90%. The etiology of ASD involves a complex interplay between inheritance and environmental factors influenced by epigenetics. Over 800 genes and dozens of genetic syndromes are associated with ASD. Novel gene–protein interactions with pathway and molecular function analyses have identified at least three functional pathways including chromatin modeling, Wnt, Notch and other signaling pathways and metabolic disturbances involving neuronal growth and dendritic spine profiles. An estimated 50% of individuals with ASD are diagnosed with chromosome deletions or duplications (e.g., 15q11.2, BP1-BP2, 16p11.2 and 15q13.3), identified syndromes (e.g., Williams, Phelan-McDermid and Shprintzen velocardiofacial) or single gene disorders. Behavioral and psychiatric conditions in autism impacted by genetics influence clinical evaluations, counseling, diagnoses, therapeutic interventions and treatment approaches. Pharmacogenetics testing is now possible to help guide the selection of psychotropic medications to treat challenging behaviors or co-occurring psychiatric conditions commonly seen in ASD. In this review of the autism spectrum disorder, behavioral, psychiatric and genetic observations and associations relevant to the evaluation and treatment of individuals with ASD are discussed.
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32
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Pérez-Cano L, Azidane Chenlo S, Sabido-Vera R, Sirci F, Durham L, Guney E. Translating precision medicine for autism spectrum disorder: A pressing need. Drug Discov Today 2023; 28:103486. [PMID: 36623795 DOI: 10.1016/j.drudis.2023.103486] [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: 08/18/2022] [Revised: 12/01/2022] [Accepted: 01/03/2023] [Indexed: 01/09/2023]
Abstract
Autism spectrum disorder (ASD) is a heterogenous group of neurodevelopmental disorders (NDDs) with a high unmet medical need. Currently, ASD is diagnosed according to behavior-based criteria that overlook clinical and genomic heterogeneity, thus repeatedly resulting in failed clinical trials. Here, we summarize the scientific evidence pointing to the pressing need to create a precision medicine framework for ASD and other NDDs. We discuss the role of omics and systems biology to characterize more homogeneous disease subtypes with different underlying pathophysiological mechanisms and to determine corresponding tailored treatments. Finally, we provide recent initiatives towards tackling the complexity in NDDs for precision medicine and cost-effective drug discovery.
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Affiliation(s)
- Laura Pérez-Cano
- Discovery and Data Science (DDS) Unit, STALICLA SL, Moll de Barcelona, s/n, Edif Este, 08039 Barcelona, Spain
| | - Sara Azidane Chenlo
- Discovery and Data Science (DDS) Unit, STALICLA SL, Moll de Barcelona, s/n, Edif Este, 08039 Barcelona, Spain
| | - Rubén Sabido-Vera
- Discovery and Data Science (DDS) Unit, STALICLA SL, Moll de Barcelona, s/n, Edif Este, 08039 Barcelona, Spain
| | - Francesco Sirci
- Discovery and Data Science (DDS) Unit, STALICLA SL, Moll de Barcelona, s/n, Edif Este, 08039 Barcelona, Spain
| | - Lynn Durham
- Discovery and Data Science (DDS) Unit, STALICLA SL, Moll de Barcelona, s/n, Edif Este, 08039 Barcelona, Spain; Drug Development Unit (DDU), STALICLA SA, Avenue de Sécheron 15, 1202 Geneva, Switzerland.
| | - Emre Guney
- Discovery and Data Science (DDS) Unit, STALICLA SL, Moll de Barcelona, s/n, Edif Este, 08039 Barcelona, Spain.
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33
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Rapanelli M, Wang W, Hurley E, Feltri ML, Pittenger C, Frick LR, Yan Z. Cholinergic neurons in the basal forebrain are involved in behavioral abnormalities associated with Cul3 deficiency: Role of prefrontal cortex projections in cognitive deficits. Transl Psychiatry 2023; 13:22. [PMID: 36693858 PMCID: PMC9873627 DOI: 10.1038/s41398-023-02306-8] [Citation(s) in RCA: 4] [Impact Index Per Article: 4.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Submit a Manuscript] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 11/30/2022] [Revised: 01/02/2023] [Accepted: 01/06/2023] [Indexed: 01/26/2023] Open
Abstract
Loss-of-function mutations of the gene Cul3 have been identified as a risk factor for autism-spectrum disorder (ASD), but the pathogenic mechanisms are not well understood. Conditional Cul3 ablation in cholinergic neurons of mice (ChatCRECul3F/+) recapitulated ASD-like social and sensory gating phenotypes and caused significant cognitive impairments, with diminished activity of cholinergic neurons in the basal forebrain (BF). Chemogenetic inhibition of BF cholinergic neurons in healthy mice induced similar social and cognitive deficits. Conversely, chemogenetic stimulation of BF cholinergic neurons in ChatCRECul3F/+ mice reversed abnormalities in sensory gating and cognition. Cortical hypofunction was also found after ChAT-specific Cul3 ablation and stimulation of cholinergic projections from the BF to the prefrontal cortex (PFC) mitigated cognitive deficits. Overall, we demonstrate that cholinergic dysfunction due to Cul3 deficiency is involved in ASD-like behavioral abnormalities, and that BF cholinergic neurons are particularly critical for cognitive component through their projections to the PFC.
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Affiliation(s)
- Maximiliano Rapanelli
- Department of Physiology and Biophysics, Jacobs School of Medicine, University at Buffalo, The State University of New York, Buffalo, USA
| | - Wei Wang
- Department of Physiology and Biophysics, Jacobs School of Medicine, University at Buffalo, The State University of New York, Buffalo, USA
| | - Edward Hurley
- Department of Neurology, Jacobs School of Medicine, University at Buffalo, The State University of New York, Buffalo, USA
- Institute for Myelin and Glia Exploration, University at Buffalo, The State University of New York, Buffalo, USA
| | - Maria Laura Feltri
- Department of Neurology, Jacobs School of Medicine, University at Buffalo, The State University of New York, Buffalo, USA
- Institute for Myelin and Glia Exploration, University at Buffalo, The State University of New York, Buffalo, USA
- Department of Biochemistry, Jacobs School of Medicine, University at Buffalo, The State University of New York, Buffalo, USA
- Neuroscience Graduate Program. Jacobs School of Medicine, University at Buffalo, The State University of New York, Buffalo, USA
| | - Christopher Pittenger
- Departments of Psychiatry and Psychology, Yale Child Study Center, and Interdepartmental Neuroscience Program, Yale University School of Medicine, Buffalo, USA
| | - Luciana Romina Frick
- Department of Neurology, Jacobs School of Medicine, University at Buffalo, The State University of New York, Buffalo, USA.
- Neuroscience Graduate Program. Jacobs School of Medicine, University at Buffalo, The State University of New York, Buffalo, USA.
- Department of Medicine, Jacobs School of Medicine, University at Buffalo, The State University of New York, Buffalo, USA.
- Clinical and Translational Research Center, Jacobs School of Medicine, University at Buffalo, The State University of New York, Buffalo, USA.
| | - Zhen Yan
- Department of Physiology and Biophysics, Jacobs School of Medicine, University at Buffalo, The State University of New York, Buffalo, USA.
- Neuroscience Graduate Program. Jacobs School of Medicine, University at Buffalo, The State University of New York, Buffalo, USA.
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34
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Al-Mamari W, Idris AB, Al-Thihli K, Abdulrahim R, Jalees S, Al-Jabri M, Gabr A, Al Murshedi F, Al Kindy A, Al-Hadabi I, Bruwer Z, Islam MM, Alsayegh A. Applying whole exome sequencing in a consanguineous population with autism spectrum disorder. INTERNATIONAL JOURNAL OF DEVELOPMENTAL DISABILITIES 2023; 69:190-200. [PMID: 37025335 PMCID: PMC10071987 DOI: 10.1080/20473869.2021.1937000] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 05/05/2023]
Abstract
This study aimed to systematically assess the impact of clinical and demographic variables on the diagnostic yield of Whole Exome Sequencing (WES) when applied to children with Autism Spectrum Disorder (ASD) from a consanguineous population. Ninety-seven children were included in the analysis, 63% were male and 37% were females. 77.3% had a suspected syndromic aetiology of which 68% had co-existent central nervous system (CNS) clinical features, while 69% had other systems involved. The diagnostic yield of WES in our cohort with ASD was 34%. Children with seizures were more likely to have positive WES results (46% vs. 31%, p = 0.042). Probands with suspected syndromic ASD aetiology showed no significant differential impact on the diagnostic yield of WES.
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Affiliation(s)
- Watfa Al-Mamari
- Developmental Pediatric Unit, Child Health Department, Sultan Qaboos University Hospital, Muscat, Oman
- Correspondence to: Watfa Al-Mamari, Developmental Pediatric Unit, Child Health Department, Sultan Qaboos University Hospital, Muscat, Oman.
| | - Ahmed B. Idris
- Developmental Pediatric Unit, Child Health Department, Sultan Qaboos University Hospital, Muscat, Oman
| | - Khalid Al-Thihli
- Genetic Department, Sultan Qaboos University Hospital, Muscat, Oman
| | - Reem Abdulrahim
- Genetic Department, Sultan Qaboos University Hospital, Muscat, Oman
| | - Saquib Jalees
- Developmental Pediatric Unit, Child Health Department, Sultan Qaboos University Hospital, Muscat, Oman
| | - Muna Al-Jabri
- Department of Nursing, Sultan Qaboos University Hospital, Muscat, Oman
| | - Ahlam Gabr
- Developmental Pediatric Unit, Child Health Department, Sultan Qaboos University Hospital, Muscat, Oman
| | | | - Adila Al Kindy
- Genetic Department, Sultan Qaboos University Hospital, Muscat, Oman
| | - Intisar Al-Hadabi
- Department of Nursing, Sultan Qaboos University Hospital, Muscat, Oman
| | - Zandrè Bruwer
- Genetic Department, Sultan Qaboos University Hospital, Muscat, Oman
| | - M. Mazharul Islam
- Department of Statistics, College of Science, Sultan Qaboos University, Muscat, Oman
| | - Abeer Alsayegh
- Genetic Department, Sultan Qaboos University Hospital, Muscat, Oman
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35
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Loth E. Does the current state of biomarker discovery in autism reflect the limits of reductionism in precision medicine? Suggestions for an integrative approach that considers dynamic mechanisms between brain, body, and the social environment. Front Psychiatry 2023; 14:1085445. [PMID: 36911126 PMCID: PMC9992810 DOI: 10.3389/fpsyt.2023.1085445] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Submit a Manuscript] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 10/31/2022] [Accepted: 01/23/2023] [Indexed: 02/24/2023] Open
Abstract
Over the past decade, precision medicine has become one of the most influential approaches in biomedical research to improve early detection, diagnosis, and prognosis of clinical conditions and develop mechanism-based therapies tailored to individual characteristics using biomarkers. This perspective article first reviews the origins and concept of precision medicine approaches to autism and summarises recent findings from the first "generation" of biomarker studies. Multi-disciplinary research initiatives created substantially larger, comprehensively characterised cohorts, shifted the focus from group-comparisons to individual variability and subgroups, increased methodological rigour and advanced analytic innovations. However, although several candidate markers with probabilistic value have been identified, separate efforts to divide autism by molecular, brain structural/functional or cognitive markers have not identified a validated diagnostic subgroup. Conversely, studies of specific monogenic subgroups revealed substantial variability in biology and behaviour. The second part discusses both conceptual and methodological factors in these findings. It is argued that the predominant reductionist approach, which seeks to parse complex issues into simpler, more tractable units, let us to neglect the interactions between brain and body, and divorce individuals from their social environment. The third part draws on insights from systems biology, developmental psychology and neurodiversity approaches to outline an integrative approach that considers the dynamic interaction between biological (brain, body) and social mechanisms (stress, stigma) to understanding the origins of autistic features in particular conditions and contexts. This requires 1) closer collaboration with autistic people to increase face validity of concepts and methodologies; (2) development of measures/technologies that enable repeat assessment of social and biological factors in different (naturalistic) conditions and contexts, (3) new analytic methods to study (simulate) these interactions (including emergent properties), and (4) cross-condition designs to understand which mechanisms are transdiagnostic or specific for particular autistic sub-populations. Tailored support may entail both creating more favourable conditions in the social environment and interventions for some autistic people to increase well-being.
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Affiliation(s)
- Eva Loth
- Department of Forensic and Neurodevelopmental Sciences, Institute of Psychiatry, Psychology and Neuroscience, King's College London, London, United Kingdom
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36
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Yang T, Al-Duailij MA, Bozdag S, Saeed F. Classification of Autism Spectrum Disorder Using rs-fMRI data and Graph Convolutional Networks. PROCEEDINGS : ... IEEE INTERNATIONAL CONFERENCE ON BIG DATA. IEEE INTERNATIONAL CONFERENCE ON BIG DATA 2022; 2022:3131-3138. [PMID: 38952948 PMCID: PMC11215804 DOI: 10.1109/bigdata55660.2022.10021070] [Citation(s) in RCA: 2] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 07/03/2024]
Abstract
Autism spectrum disorder (ASD) affects large number of children and adults in the US, and worldwide. Early and quick diagnosis of ASD can improve the quality of life significantly both for patients and their families. Prior research provides strong evidence that structural and functional magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) data collected from individuals with ASD exhibit distinguishing characteristics that differ in local and global, spatial and temporal neural patterns of the brain - and therefore can be used for diagnostic purposes for various mental disorders. However, the data from MRI are high-dimensional and advanced methods are needed to make sense out of these datasets. In this paper, we present a novel model based on graph convolutional network (GCN) that can utilize resting state fMRI (rs-fMRI) data to classify ASD subjects from health controls (HC). In addition to using the graph from traditional correlation matrices, our proposed GCN model incorporates graphlet topological counting as one of the training features. Our results show that graphlets can preserve the topological information of the graphs obtained from fMRI data. Combined with our GCN, the graphlets retain enough topological information to differentiate between the ASD and HC. Our proposed model gives an average accuracy of 64.27% on the whole ABIDE-I data sets (1035 subjects) and highest site-specific accuracy of 75.9%, which is comparable to other state-of-the-art methods - while potentially open to being more interpretable.
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Affiliation(s)
- Tianren Yang
- Knight Foundation School of Computing and Information Sciences, Florida International University (FIU), Miami, Florida
| | - Mai A Al-Duailij
- Princess Nourah Bint Abdul Rahman University, Riyadh, Saudi Arabia
| | - Serdar Bozdag
- Department of Computer Science and Engineering, Department of Mathematics, BioDiscovery Institute, University of North Texas, Denton, Texas
| | - Fahad Saeed
- Knight Foundation School of Computing and Information Sciences, Florida International University (FIU), Miami, Florida
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37
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Chen GT, Geschwind DH. Challenges and opportunities for precision medicine in neurodevelopmental disorders. Adv Drug Deliv Rev 2022; 191:114564. [PMID: 36183905 PMCID: PMC10409256 DOI: 10.1016/j.addr.2022.114564] [Citation(s) in RCA: 5] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 03/02/2022] [Revised: 09/20/2022] [Accepted: 09/24/2022] [Indexed: 01/24/2023]
Abstract
Neurodevelopmental Disorders (NDDs) encompass a broad spectrum of disorders, linked because of their origins in brain developmental processes, including diverse conditions across the age span, including autism spectrum disorders (ASD) and schizophrenia (SCZ). Clinical treatment of these disorders has traditionally focused on symptom management, as the severity of developmental disruption varies widely and the precise molecular mechanisms, timing, and progression of these disorders is usually not known. Several hundred genes have been identified as major risk factors for ASD and SCZ, which creates new potential therapeutic avenues, and there is strong evidence that these genes converge upon key molecular pathways, pointing to opportunities for precision medicine. In this review, we focus on forms of ASD and SCZ with known genetic etiologies and discuss advances in research technologies that enable a more systemic understanding of disease progression. We highlight recent advances in targeted clinical treatment and discuss ongoing preclinical efforts as well as new initiatives aimed at developing scalable platforms for NDD precision medicine.
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Affiliation(s)
- George T Chen
- Department of Neurology, David Geffen School of Medicine, UCLA, United States; Center for Autism Research and Treatment, Semel Institute, David Geffen School of Medicine, UCLA, United States
| | - Daniel H Geschwind
- Department of Neurology, David Geffen School of Medicine, UCLA, United States; Center for Autism Research and Treatment, Semel Institute, David Geffen School of Medicine, UCLA, United States; Department of Psychiatry and Biobehavioral Sciences, Semel Institute, David Geffen School of Medicine, UCLA, United States; Department of Human Genetics, David Geffen School of Medicine, UCLA, United States; Institute of Precision Health, UCLA, United States.
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38
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Zhang M, Hu X, Jiao J, Yuan D, Li S, Luo T, Wang M, Situ M, Sun X, Huang Y. Brain white matter microstructure abnormalities in children with optimal outcome from autism: a four-year follow-up study. Sci Rep 2022; 12:20151. [PMID: 36418886 PMCID: PMC9684497 DOI: 10.1038/s41598-022-21085-8] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 04/15/2022] [Accepted: 09/22/2022] [Indexed: 11/24/2022] Open
Abstract
Autism spectrum disorder (ASD) is a lifelong neurodevelopmental disorder, with only a small proportion of people obtaining optimal outcomes. We do not know if children with ASD exhibit abnormalities in the white matter (WM) microstructure or if this pattern would predict ASD prognosis in a longitudinal study. 182 children with ASD were recruited for MRI and clinical assessment; 111 completed a four-year follow-up visit (30 with optimal outcomes, ASD-; 81 with persistent diagnosis, ASD+). Additionally, 72 typically developing controls (TDC) were recruited. The microstructural integrity of WM fiber tracts was revealed using tract-based spatial statistics (TBSS) and probabilistic tractography analyses. We examined the neuroimaging abnormality associated with ASD and its relationship to ASD with optimal outcome. The ASD+ and TDC groups were propensity score matched to the ASD- group in terms of age, gender, and IQ. TBSS indicated that children with ASD exhibited abnormalities in the superior longitudinal fasciculus (SLF), inferior longitudinal fasciculus (ILF), and extending to the anterior thalamic radiation (ATR) and cingulum; whereas the ASD+ group showed more severe abnormalities than the ASD- group. Probabilistic tractography analysis revealed that ASD+ group exhibited lower Fractional Anisotropy (FA) of the left superior thalamic radiation (STR L) than ASD- group, and that FA value of the STR L was a significant predictor of optimal outcome (EX(B), 6.25; 95% CI 2.50-15.63; p < 0.001). Children with ASD showed significant variations in SLF_L and STR_L, and STR_L was a predictor of 'ASD with optimal outcome'. Our findings may aid in comprehension of the mechanisms of 'ASD with optimal outcome'.
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Affiliation(s)
- Manxue Zhang
- Mental Health Center, West China Hospital of Sichuan University, Chengdu, China
- The Second Affiliated Hospital of Chongqing Medical University, Chongqing, China
| | - Xiao Hu
- Mental Health Center, West China Hospital of Sichuan University, Chengdu, China
- West China Second Hospital of Sichuan University, Chengdu, China
| | - Jian Jiao
- Mental Health Center, West China Hospital of Sichuan University, Chengdu, China
| | - Danfeng Yuan
- Mental Health Center, West China Hospital of Sichuan University, Chengdu, China
| | - Sixun Li
- Mental Health Center, West China Hospital of Sichuan University, Chengdu, China
| | - Tingting Luo
- Mental Health Center, West China Hospital of Sichuan University, Chengdu, China
| | - Meiwen Wang
- Mental Health Center, West China Hospital of Sichuan University, Chengdu, China
| | - Mingjing Situ
- Mental Health Center, West China Hospital of Sichuan University, Chengdu, China
| | - Xueli Sun
- Mental Health Center, West China Hospital of Sichuan University, Chengdu, China.
| | - Yi Huang
- Mental Health Center, West China Hospital of Sichuan University, Chengdu, China.
- Brain Research Center, West China Hospital of Sichuan University, Chengdu, China.
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Duan X, Chen H. Mapping brain functional and structural abnormities in autism spectrum disorder: moving toward precision treatment. PSYCHORADIOLOGY 2022; 2:78-85. [PMID: 38665600 PMCID: PMC10917159 DOI: 10.1093/psyrad/kkac013] [Citation(s) in RCA: 1] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Figures] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 08/25/2022] [Revised: 10/09/2022] [Accepted: 10/12/2022] [Indexed: 04/28/2024]
Abstract
Autism spectrum disorder (ASD) is a formidable challenge for psychiatry and neuroscience because of its high prevalence, lifelong nature, complexity, and substantial heterogeneity. A major goal of neuroimaging studies of ASD is to understand the neurobiological underpinnings of this disorder from multi-dimensional and multi-level perspectives, by investigating how brain anatomy, function, and connectivity are altered in ASD, and how they vary across the population. However, ongoing debate exists within those studies, and neuroimaging findings in ASD are often contradictory. Over the past decade, we have dedicated to delineate a comprehensive and consistent mapping of the abnormal structure and function of the autistic brain, and this review synthesizes the findings across our studies reaching a consensus that the "social brain" are the most affected regions in the autistic brain at different levels and modalities. We suggest that the social brain network can serve as a plausible biomarker and potential target for effective intervention in individuals with ASD.
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Affiliation(s)
- Xujun Duan
- School of Life Science and Technology, University of Electronic Science and Technology of China, Chengdu 610054, PR China
- MOE Key Laboratory for Neuroinformation, High-Field Magnetic Resonance Brain Imaging Key Laboratory of Sichuan Province, University of Electronic Science and Technology of China, Chengdu 610054, PR China
| | - Huafu Chen
- School of Life Science and Technology, University of Electronic Science and Technology of China, Chengdu 610054, PR China
- MOE Key Laboratory for Neuroinformation, High-Field Magnetic Resonance Brain Imaging Key Laboratory of Sichuan Province, University of Electronic Science and Technology of China, Chengdu 610054, PR China
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40
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Rapanelli M, Williams JB, Ma K, Yang F, Zhong P, Patel R, Kumar M, Qin L, Rein B, Wang ZJ, Kassim B, Javidfar B, Couto L, Akbarian S, Yan Z. Targeting histone demethylase LSD1 for treatment of deficits in autism mouse models. Mol Psychiatry 2022; 27:3355-3366. [PMID: 35296809 PMCID: PMC9477974 DOI: 10.1038/s41380-022-01508-8] [Citation(s) in RCA: 7] [Impact Index Per Article: 3.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Submit a Manuscript] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 05/06/2021] [Revised: 02/16/2022] [Accepted: 02/23/2022] [Indexed: 11/09/2022]
Abstract
Large-scale genetic studies have revealed that the most prominent genes disrupted in autism are chromatin regulators mediating histone methylation/demethylation, suggesting the central role of epigenetic dysfunction in this disorder. Here, we show that histone lysine 4 dimethylation (H3K4me2), a histone mark linked to gene activation, is significantly decreased in the prefrontal cortex (PFC) of autistic human patients and mutant mice with the deficiency of top-ranking autism risk factor Shank3 or Cul3. A brief treatment of the autism models with highly potent and selective inhibitors of the H3K4me2 demethylase LSD1 (KDM1A) leads to the robust rescue of core symptoms of autism, including social deficits and repetitive behaviors. Concomitantly, LSD1 inhibition restores NMDA receptor function in PFC and AMPA receptor-mediated currents in striatum of Shank3-deficient mice. Genome-wide RNAseq and ChIPseq reveal that treatment of Shank3-deficient mice with the LSD1 inhibitor restores the expression and H3K4me2 occupancy of downregulated genes enriched in synaptic signaling and developmental processes. The immediate early gene tightly linked to neuronal plasticity, Egr1, is on the top list of rescued genes. The diminished transcription of Egr1 is recapitulated in PFC of autistic human patients. Overexpression of Egr1 in PFC of Shank3-deficient mice ameliorates social preference deficits. These results have for the first time revealed an important role of H3K4me2 abnormality in ASD pathophysiology, and the therapeutic potential of targeting H3K4me2 demethylase LSD1 or the downstream molecule Egr1 for ASD.
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Affiliation(s)
- Maximiliano Rapanelli
- Department of Physiology and Biophysics, Jacobs School of Medicine and Biomedical Sciences, State University of New York at Buffalo, Buffalo, NY, USA
| | - Jamal B Williams
- Department of Physiology and Biophysics, Jacobs School of Medicine and Biomedical Sciences, State University of New York at Buffalo, Buffalo, NY, USA
| | - Kaijie Ma
- Department of Physiology and Biophysics, Jacobs School of Medicine and Biomedical Sciences, State University of New York at Buffalo, Buffalo, NY, USA
| | - Fengwei Yang
- Department of Physiology and Biophysics, Jacobs School of Medicine and Biomedical Sciences, State University of New York at Buffalo, Buffalo, NY, USA
| | - Ping Zhong
- Department of Physiology and Biophysics, Jacobs School of Medicine and Biomedical Sciences, State University of New York at Buffalo, Buffalo, NY, USA
| | - Rajvi Patel
- Department of Physiology and Biophysics, Jacobs School of Medicine and Biomedical Sciences, State University of New York at Buffalo, Buffalo, NY, USA
| | - Manasa Kumar
- Department of Physiology and Biophysics, Jacobs School of Medicine and Biomedical Sciences, State University of New York at Buffalo, Buffalo, NY, USA
| | - Luye Qin
- Department of Physiology and Biophysics, Jacobs School of Medicine and Biomedical Sciences, State University of New York at Buffalo, Buffalo, NY, USA
| | - Benjamin Rein
- Department of Physiology and Biophysics, Jacobs School of Medicine and Biomedical Sciences, State University of New York at Buffalo, Buffalo, NY, USA
| | - Zi-Jun Wang
- Department of Physiology and Biophysics, Jacobs School of Medicine and Biomedical Sciences, State University of New York at Buffalo, Buffalo, NY, USA
| | - Bibi Kassim
- Department of Psychiatry; Friedman Brain Institute, Icahn School of Medicine at Mount Sinai, New York, NY, USA
| | - Behnam Javidfar
- Department of Psychiatry; Friedman Brain Institute, Icahn School of Medicine at Mount Sinai, New York, NY, USA
| | - Lizette Couto
- Department of Psychiatry; Friedman Brain Institute, Icahn School of Medicine at Mount Sinai, New York, NY, USA
| | - Schahram Akbarian
- Department of Psychiatry; Friedman Brain Institute, Icahn School of Medicine at Mount Sinai, New York, NY, USA
| | - Zhen Yan
- Department of Physiology and Biophysics, Jacobs School of Medicine and Biomedical Sciences, State University of New York at Buffalo, Buffalo, NY, USA.
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Shan X, Uddin LQ, Xiao J, He C, Ling Z, Li L, Huang X, Chen H, Duan X. Mapping the Heterogeneous Brain Structural Phenotype of Autism Spectrum Disorder Using the Normative Model. Biol Psychiatry 2022; 91:967-976. [PMID: 35367047 DOI: 10.1016/j.biopsych.2022.01.011] [Citation(s) in RCA: 19] [Impact Index Per Article: 9.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Submit a Manuscript] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 08/11/2021] [Revised: 12/28/2021] [Accepted: 01/14/2022] [Indexed: 12/27/2022]
Abstract
BACKGROUND Autism spectrum disorder (ASD) is a complex neurodevelopmental disorder characterized by substantial clinical and biological heterogeneity. Quantitative and individualized metrics for delineating the heterogeneity of brain structure in ASD are still lacking. Likewise, the extent to which brain structural metrics of ASD deviate from typical development (TD) and whether deviations can be used for parsing brain structural phenotypes of ASD is unclear. METHODS T1-weighted magnetic resonance imaging data from the Autism Brain Imaging Data Exchange (ABIDE) II (nTD = 564) were used to generate a normative model to map brain structure deviations of ABIDE I subjects (nTD = 560, nASD = 496). Voxel-based morphometry was used to compute gray matter volume. Non-negative matrix factorization was employed to decompose the gray matter matrix into 6 factors and weights. These weights were used for normative modeling to estimate the factor deviations. Then, clustering analysis was used to identify ASD subtypes. RESULTS Compared with TD, ASD showed increased weights and deviations in 5 factors. Three subtypes with distinct neuroanatomical deviation patterns were identified. ASD subtype 1 and subtype 3 showed positive deviations, whereas ASD subtype 2 showed negative deviations. Distinct clinical manifestations in social communication deficits were identified among the three subtypes. CONCLUSIONS Our findings suggest that individuals with ASD have heterogeneous deviation patterns in brain structure. The results highlight the need to test for subtypes in neuroimaging studies of ASD. This study also presents a framework for understanding neuroanatomical heterogeneity in this increasingly prevalent neurodevelopmental disorder.
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Affiliation(s)
- Xiaolong Shan
- Clinical Hospital of Chengdu Brain Science Institute, School of Life Science and Technology, University of Electronic Science and Technology of China, Chengdu, China; High-Field Magnetic Resonance Brain Imaging Key Laboratory of Sichuan Province, Ministry of Education Key Laboratory for NeuroInformation, University of Electronic Science and Technology of China, Chengdu, China
| | - Lucina Q Uddin
- Department of Psychiatry and Biobehavioral Sciences, University of California, Los Angeles, Los Angeles, California
| | - Jinming Xiao
- Clinical Hospital of Chengdu Brain Science Institute, School of Life Science and Technology, University of Electronic Science and Technology of China, Chengdu, China; High-Field Magnetic Resonance Brain Imaging Key Laboratory of Sichuan Province, Ministry of Education Key Laboratory for NeuroInformation, University of Electronic Science and Technology of China, Chengdu, China
| | - Changchun He
- Clinical Hospital of Chengdu Brain Science Institute, School of Life Science and Technology, University of Electronic Science and Technology of China, Chengdu, China; High-Field Magnetic Resonance Brain Imaging Key Laboratory of Sichuan Province, Ministry of Education Key Laboratory for NeuroInformation, University of Electronic Science and Technology of China, Chengdu, China
| | - Zihan Ling
- Clinical Hospital of Chengdu Brain Science Institute, School of Life Science and Technology, University of Electronic Science and Technology of China, Chengdu, China; High-Field Magnetic Resonance Brain Imaging Key Laboratory of Sichuan Province, Ministry of Education Key Laboratory for NeuroInformation, University of Electronic Science and Technology of China, Chengdu, China
| | - Lei Li
- Clinical Hospital of Chengdu Brain Science Institute, School of Life Science and Technology, University of Electronic Science and Technology of China, Chengdu, China; High-Field Magnetic Resonance Brain Imaging Key Laboratory of Sichuan Province, Ministry of Education Key Laboratory for NeuroInformation, University of Electronic Science and Technology of China, Chengdu, China
| | - Xinyue Huang
- Clinical Hospital of Chengdu Brain Science Institute, School of Life Science and Technology, University of Electronic Science and Technology of China, Chengdu, China; High-Field Magnetic Resonance Brain Imaging Key Laboratory of Sichuan Province, Ministry of Education Key Laboratory for NeuroInformation, University of Electronic Science and Technology of China, Chengdu, China
| | - Huafu Chen
- Clinical Hospital of Chengdu Brain Science Institute, School of Life Science and Technology, University of Electronic Science and Technology of China, Chengdu, China; High-Field Magnetic Resonance Brain Imaging Key Laboratory of Sichuan Province, Ministry of Education Key Laboratory for NeuroInformation, University of Electronic Science and Technology of China, Chengdu, China
| | - Xujun Duan
- Clinical Hospital of Chengdu Brain Science Institute, School of Life Science and Technology, University of Electronic Science and Technology of China, Chengdu, China; High-Field Magnetic Resonance Brain Imaging Key Laboratory of Sichuan Province, Ministry of Education Key Laboratory for NeuroInformation, University of Electronic Science and Technology of China, Chengdu, China.
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Chung C, Shin W, Kim E. Early and Late Corrections in Mouse Models of Autism Spectrum Disorder. Biol Psychiatry 2022; 91:934-944. [PMID: 34556257 DOI: 10.1016/j.biopsych.2021.07.021] [Citation(s) in RCA: 14] [Impact Index Per Article: 7.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Submit a Manuscript] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 01/27/2021] [Revised: 06/18/2021] [Accepted: 07/21/2021] [Indexed: 12/18/2022]
Abstract
Autism spectrum disorder (ASD) is a neurodevelopmental disorder characterized by social and repetitive symptoms. A key feature of ASD is early-life manifestations of symptoms, indicative of early pathophysiological mechanisms. In mouse models of ASD, increasing evidence indicates that there are early pathophysiological mechanisms that can be corrected early to prevent phenotypic defects in adults, overcoming the disadvantage of the short-lasting effects that characterize adult-initiated treatments. In addition, the results from gene restorations indicate that ASD-related phenotypes can be rescued in some cases even after the brain has fully matured. These results suggest that we need to consider both temporal and mechanistic aspects in studies of ASD models and carefully compare genetic and nongenetic corrections. Here, we summarize the early and late corrections in mouse models of ASD by genetic and pharmacological interventions and discuss how to better integrate these results to ensure efficient and long-lasting corrections for eventual clinical translation.
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Affiliation(s)
- Changuk Chung
- Center for Synaptic Brain Dysfunctions, Institute for Basic Science, Daejeon, South Korea; Department of Neurosciences, University of California San Diego, La Jolla, California
| | - Wangyong Shin
- Center for Synaptic Brain Dysfunctions, Institute for Basic Science, Daejeon, South Korea
| | - Eunjoon Kim
- Center for Synaptic Brain Dysfunctions, Institute for Basic Science, Daejeon, South Korea; Department of Biological Sciences, Korea Advanced Institute of Science and Technology, Daejeon, South Korea.
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Komada M, Nishimura Y. Epigenetics and Neuroinflammation Associated With Neurodevelopmental Disorders: A Microglial Perspective. Front Cell Dev Biol 2022; 10:852752. [PMID: 35646933 PMCID: PMC9133693 DOI: 10.3389/fcell.2022.852752] [Citation(s) in RCA: 1] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 01/11/2022] [Accepted: 04/22/2022] [Indexed: 12/15/2022] Open
Abstract
Neuroinflammation is a cause of neurodevelopmental disorders such as autism spectrum disorders, fetal alcohol syndrome, and cerebral palsy. Converging lines of evidence from basic and clinical sciences suggest that dysregulation of the epigenetic landscape, including DNA methylation and miRNA expression, is associated with neuroinflammation. Genetic and environmental factors can affect the interaction between epigenetics and neuroinflammation, which may cause neurodevelopmental disorders. In this minireview, we focus on neuroinflammation that might be mediated by epigenetic dysregulation in microglia, and compare studies using mammals and zebrafish.
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Affiliation(s)
- Munekazu Komada
- Mammalian Embryology, Department of Life Science, Faculty of Science and Engineering, Kindai University, Osaka, Japan
| | - Yuhei Nishimura
- Department of Integrative Pharmacology, Mie University Graduate School of Medicine, Tsu, Japan
- *Correspondence: Yuhei Nishimura,
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Mignogna ML, Ficarella R, Gelmini S, Marzulli L, Ponzi E, Gabellone A, Peschechera A, Alessio M, Margari L, Gentile M, D’Adamo P. Clinical characterization of a novel RAB39B nonstop mutation in a family with ASD and severe ID causing RAB39B downregulation and study of a Rab39b knock down mouse model. Hum Mol Genet 2022; 31:1389-1406. [PMID: 34761259 PMCID: PMC9071400 DOI: 10.1093/hmg/ddab320] [Citation(s) in RCA: 4] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 09/16/2021] [Revised: 10/25/2021] [Accepted: 10/26/2021] [Indexed: 11/18/2022] Open
Abstract
Autism spectrum disorder (ASD) and intellectual disability (ID) often exist together in patients. The RAB39B gene has been reported to be mutated in ID patients with additional clinical features ranging from ASD, macrocephaly, seizures and/or early-onset parkinsonism. Here, we describe a novel RAB39B nonstop mutation [Xq28; c.640 T > C; p.(*214Glnext*21)] in a family with ASD, severe ID and poor motor coordination, and we assessed the pathogenicity of the mutation. A heterologous cell system and a Rab39b knockdown (KD) murine model, which mimic the nonstop mutation, were used to validate the deleterious effect of the RAB39B mutation. The mutation led to RAB39B protein instability, resulting in its increased degradation and consequent downregulation. Using a Rab39b KD mouse model, we demonstrated that the downregulation of RAB39B led to increased GluA2 lacking Ca2+-permeable AMPAR composition at the hippocampal neuronal surface and increased dendritic spine density that remained in an immature filopodia-like state. These phenotypes affected behavioural performance in a disease-specific manner. Rab39b KD mice revealed impaired social behaviour but intact social recognition. They also showed normal anxiety-like, exploratory and motivational behaviours but impaired working and associative memories. In conclusion, we found a novel RAB39B nonstop variant that segregated in a family with a clinical phenotype including ID, ASD and poor motor coordination. The pathogenicity of mutations causing the downregulation of RAB39B proteins, impacting AMPAR trafficking and dendritic spine morphogenesis, reinforced the idea that AMPAR modulation and dendritic spine assets could be considered hallmarks of neurodevelopmental disorders.
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Affiliation(s)
- Maria Lidia Mignogna
- Molecular Genetics of Intellectual Disability, Division of Neuroscience, IRCCS San Raffaele Scientific Institute, 20132, Milan, Italy
| | - Romina Ficarella
- Medical Genetics Unit, Department of Reproductive Medicine, ASL Bari, 70132, Bari, Italy
| | - Susanna Gelmini
- Molecular Genetics of Intellectual Disability, Division of Neuroscience, IRCCS San Raffaele Scientific Institute, 20132, Milan, Italy
| | - Lucia Marzulli
- Child Neuropsychiatry Unit, Department of Biomedical Sciences and Human Oncology, University of Bari “Aldo Moro”, 70126, Bari, Italy
| | - Emanuela Ponzi
- Medical Genetics Unit, Department of Reproductive Medicine, ASL Bari, 70132, Bari, Italy
| | - Alessandra Gabellone
- Child Neuropsychiatry Unit, Department of Biomedical Sciences and Human Oncology, University of Bari “Aldo Moro”, 70126, Bari, Italy
| | - Antonia Peschechera
- Child Neuropsychiatry Unit, Department of Biomedical Sciences and Human Oncology, University of Bari “Aldo Moro”, 70126, Bari, Italy
| | - Massino Alessio
- Proteome Biochemistry, Center for Omics Sciences, IRCCS San Raffaele Scientific Institute, 20132, Milan, Italy
| | - Lucia Margari
- Child Neuropsychiatry Unit, Department of Biomedical Sciences and Human Oncology, University of Bari “Aldo Moro”, 70126, Bari, Italy
| | - Mattia Gentile
- Medical Genetics Unit, Department of Reproductive Medicine, ASL Bari, 70132, Bari, Italy
| | - Patrizia D’Adamo
- Molecular Genetics of Intellectual Disability, Division of Neuroscience, IRCCS San Raffaele Scientific Institute, 20132, Milan, Italy
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Santana CP, de Carvalho EA, Rodrigues ID, Bastos GS, de Souza AD, de Brito LL. rs-fMRI and machine learning for ASD diagnosis: a systematic review and meta-analysis. Sci Rep 2022; 12:6030. [PMID: 35411059 PMCID: PMC9001715 DOI: 10.1038/s41598-022-09821-6] [Citation(s) in RCA: 31] [Impact Index Per Article: 15.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 03/26/2021] [Accepted: 03/23/2022] [Indexed: 02/08/2023] Open
Abstract
Autism Spectrum Disorder (ASD) diagnosis is still based on behavioral criteria through a lengthy and time-consuming process. Much effort is being made to identify brain imaging biomarkers and develop tools that could facilitate its diagnosis. In particular, using Machine Learning classifiers based on resting-state fMRI (rs-fMRI) data is promising, but there is an ongoing need for further research on their accuracy and reliability. Therefore, we conducted a systematic review and meta-analysis to summarize the available evidence in the literature so far. A bivariate random-effects meta-analytic model was implemented to investigate the sensitivity and specificity across the 55 studies that offered sufficient information for quantitative analysis. Our results indicated overall summary sensitivity and specificity estimates of 73.8% and 74.8%, respectively. SVM stood out as the most used classifier, presenting summary estimates above 76%. Studies with bigger samples tended to obtain worse accuracies, except in the subgroup analysis for ANN classifiers. The use of other brain imaging or phenotypic data to complement rs-fMRI information seems promising, achieving higher sensitivities when compared to rs-fMRI data alone (84.7% versus 72.8%). Finally, our analysis showed AUC values between acceptable and excellent. Still, given the many limitations indicated in our study, further well-designed studies are warranted to extend the potential use of those classification algorithms to clinical settings.
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Affiliation(s)
- Caio Pinheiro Santana
- Institute of Systems Engineering and Information Technology, Federal University of Itajubá (UNIFEI), Itajubá, 37500-903, Brazil.
| | - Emerson Assis de Carvalho
- Institute of Systems Engineering and Information Technology, Federal University of Itajubá (UNIFEI), Itajubá, 37500-903, Brazil
- Department of Computing, Federal Institute of Education, Science and Technology of South of Minas Gerais (IFSULDEMINAS), Machado, 37750-000, Brazil
| | - Igor Duarte Rodrigues
- Institute of Systems Engineering and Information Technology, Federal University of Itajubá (UNIFEI), Itajubá, 37500-903, Brazil
| | - Guilherme Sousa Bastos
- Institute of Systems Engineering and Information Technology, Federal University of Itajubá (UNIFEI), Itajubá, 37500-903, Brazil
| | - Adler Diniz de Souza
- Institute of Mathematics and Computation, Federal University of Itajubá (UNIFEI), Itajubá, 37500-903, Brazil
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Chen G, Han L, Tan S, Jia X, Wu H, Quan Y, Zhang Q, Yu B, Hu Z, Xia K, Guo H. Loss-of-function of KMT5B leads to neurodevelopmental disorder and impairs neuronal development and neurogenesis. J Genet Genomics 2022; 49:881-890. [PMID: 35331928 DOI: 10.1016/j.jgg.2022.03.004] [Citation(s) in RCA: 4] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 10/18/2021] [Revised: 03/04/2022] [Accepted: 03/06/2022] [Indexed: 11/16/2022]
Abstract
Autism spectrum disorder (ASD) is a group of neurodevelopmental disorders that cause severe social, communication and behavioral problems. Recent studies show that the variants of a histone methyltransferase gene KMT5B, cause neurodevelopmental disorders (NDDs), including ASD and the knockout of Kmt5b in mice is embryonic lethal. However, the detailed genotype-phenotype correlations and functional effects of KMT5B in neurodevelopment are unclear. By targeted sequencing of a large Chinese ASD cohort, analyzing published genome-wide sequencing data, and mining literature, we curated 39 KMT5B variants identified from NDD individuals. A genotype-phenotype correlation analysis for ten individuals with KMT5B pathogenic variants reveals common symptoms, including ASD, intellectual disability, languages problem and macrocephaly. In vitro knockdown of the expression of Kmt5b in cultured mouse primary cortical neurons leads to a decrease in neuronal dendritic complexity and an increase in dendritic spine density, which can be rescued by expression of human KMT5B but not that of pathogenic de novo missense mutants. In vivo knockdown of the Kmt5b expression in the mouse embryonic cerebral cortex by in utero electroporation results in decreased proliferation and accelerated migration of neural progenitor cells. Our findings reveal essential roles of histone methyltransferase KMT5B in neuronal development, prenatal neurogenesis, and neuronal migration.
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Affiliation(s)
- Guodong Chen
- Center of Medical Genetics, School of Life Sciences, Central South University, Changsha, Hunan 421001, China
| | - Lin Han
- Center of Medical Genetics, School of Life Sciences, Central South University, Changsha, Hunan 421001, China; Chongqing Reproductive and Genetics Institute, Chongqing Health Center for Women and Children, Chongqing 400010, China
| | - Senwei Tan
- Center of Medical Genetics, School of Life Sciences, Central South University, Changsha, Hunan 421001, China
| | - Xiangbin Jia
- Center of Medical Genetics, School of Life Sciences, Central South University, Changsha, Hunan 421001, China
| | - Huidan Wu
- Center of Medical Genetics, School of Life Sciences, Central South University, Changsha, Hunan 421001, China
| | - Yingting Quan
- Center of Medical Genetics, School of Life Sciences, Central South University, Changsha, Hunan 421001, China
| | - Qiumeng Zhang
- Center of Medical Genetics, School of Life Sciences, Central South University, Changsha, Hunan 421001, China
| | - Bin Yu
- Center of Medical Genetics, School of Life Sciences, Central South University, Changsha, Hunan 421001, China
| | - Zhengmao Hu
- Center of Medical Genetics, School of Life Sciences, Central South University, Changsha, Hunan 421001, China
| | - Kun Xia
- Center of Medical Genetics, School of Life Sciences, Central South University, Changsha, Hunan 421001, China; CAS Center for Excellence in Brain Science and Intelligences Technology (CEBSIT), Chinese Academy of Sciences, Shanghai 200030, China
| | - Hui Guo
- Center of Medical Genetics, School of Life Sciences, Central South University, Changsha, Hunan 421001, China; Hunan Key Laboratory of Animal Models for Human Diseases, Changsha, Hunan 410078, China.
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Therapeutic Effects of a Novel Form of Biotin on Propionic Acid-Induced Autistic Features in Rats. Nutrients 2022; 14:nu14061280. [PMID: 35334937 PMCID: PMC8955994 DOI: 10.3390/nu14061280] [Citation(s) in RCA: 6] [Impact Index Per Article: 3.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 12/28/2021] [Revised: 03/15/2022] [Accepted: 03/16/2022] [Indexed: 12/04/2022] Open
Abstract
Magnesium biotinate (MgB) is a novel biotin complex with superior absorption and anti-inflammatory effects in the brain than D-Biotin. This study aimed to investigate the impact of different doses of MgB on social behavior deficits, learning and memory alteration, and inflammatory markers in propionic acid (PPA)-exposed rats. In this case, 35 Wistar rats (3 weeks old) were distributed into five groups: 1, Control; 2, PPA treated group; 3, PPA+MgBI (10 mg, HED); 4, PPA+MgBII (100 mg, HED); 5, PPA+MgBIII (500 mg, HED). PPA was given subcutaneously at 500 mg/kg/day for five days, followed by MgB for two weeks. PPA-exposed rats showed poor sociability and a high level of anxiety-like behaviors and cognitive impairments (p < 0.001). In a dose-dependent manner, behavioral and learning-memory disorders were significantly improved by MgB supplementation (p < 0.05). PPA decreased both the numbers and the sizes of Purkinje cells in the cerebellum. However, MgB administration increased the sizes and the densities of Purkinje cells. MgB improved the brain and serum Mg, biotin, serotonin, and dopamine concentrations, as well as antioxidant enzymes (CAT, SOD, GPx, and GSH) (p < 0.05). In addition, MgB treatment significantly regulated the neurotoxicity-related cytokines and neurotransmission-related markers. For instance, MgB significantly decreased the expression level of TNF-α, IL-6, IL-17, CCL-3, CCL-5, and CXCL-16 in the brain, compared to the control group (p < 0.05). These data demonstrate that MgB may ameliorate dysfunctions in social behavior, learning and memory and reduce the oxidative stress and inflammation indexes of the brain in a rat model.
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48
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Liu Y, Yang Z, Du Y, Shi S, Cheng Y. Antioxidant interventions in autism spectrum disorders: A meta-analysis. Prog Neuropsychopharmacol Biol Psychiatry 2022; 113:110476. [PMID: 34793863 DOI: 10.1016/j.pnpbp.2021.110476] [Citation(s) in RCA: 15] [Impact Index Per Article: 7.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Submit a Manuscript] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 07/02/2021] [Revised: 11/08/2021] [Accepted: 11/11/2021] [Indexed: 12/25/2022]
Abstract
BACKGROUND Autism spectrum disorder (ASD) might be associated with oxidative stress, and antioxidants are commonly used in the treatment of young people with ASD. However, the evidence about the effectiveness of these interventions remains debatable. We performed a meta-analysis to evaluate the effect of antioxidants on the symptoms of patients with autism. METHODS Data sources: PubMed and Web of Science databases. STUDY SELECTION We selected placebo-controlled, double-blind, randomized clinical trials published until February 2021 to evaluate the efficacy of antioxidant interventions on ASD. DATA ANALYSIS Aberrant Behavior Checklist (ABC), Repetitive Behavior Scale-Revised (RBS), Social Responsiveness Scale (SRS), Developmental Behavior Checklist (DBC) and Clinical Global Impressions Severity scale (CGIS) were used to evaluate the 22 different symptom outcomes. The Hedges-adjusted g value was used to estimate the effect of each dietary intervention relative to the placebo. RESULTS In this meta-analysis, we examined 13 double-blind randomized clinical trials, comprising a total of 570 patients with ASD: 293 in the intervention group and 277 in the placebo group. Antioxidants (N-acetylcysteine (NAC), other antioxidants) are more effective than placebos in improving the irritability among symptoms in the ABC and communication disturbance symptoms in the DBC. There was a good trend of improvement in the stereotypic behavior symptoms in the ABC. Treatment with NAC antioxidants showed a good trend of improvement in irritability in the ABC and symptoms of hyperactivity. The effect size was small, and there was a low risk of statistical heterogeneity and publication bias. LIMITATIONS The number of studies in this meta-analysis was small and the sample size was small. CONCLUSION This meta-analysis suggests that antioxidant intervention has a potential role in the management of some symptoms in patients with ASD, and indicates the feasibility of using antioxidants to treat autism in the future.
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Affiliation(s)
- Yiying Liu
- Center on Translational Neuroscience, College of Life and Environmental Sciences, Minzu University of China, China
| | - Zimeng Yang
- Center on Translational Neuroscience, College of Life and Environmental Sciences, Minzu University of China, China
| | - Yang Du
- Key Laboratory of Ethnomedicine for Ministry of Education, School of Pharmacy, Minzu University of China, Beijing, China
| | - Sha Shi
- Center on Translational Neuroscience, College of Life and Environmental Sciences, Minzu University of China, China.
| | - Yong Cheng
- Center on Translational Neuroscience, College of Life and Environmental Sciences, Minzu University of China, China.
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Early Developmental Signs in Children with Autism Spectrum Disorder: Results from the Japan Environment and Children’s Study. CHILDREN 2022; 9:children9010090. [PMID: 35053715 PMCID: PMC8774672 DOI: 10.3390/children9010090] [Citation(s) in RCA: 2] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 12/11/2021] [Revised: 12/25/2021] [Accepted: 01/05/2022] [Indexed: 11/16/2022]
Abstract
Autism spectrum disorder (ASD) is a developmental disability in early childhood. Early identification and intervention in children with ASD are essential for children and their families. This study aimed to identify the earliest signs of ASD. Using a large cohort including data from 104,062 fetal records in the Japan Environment and Children’s Study, we examined the Ages and Stages Questionnaires® (ASQ-3TM) scores of children with and without ASD. The ASQ-3 comprises five domains: communication, gross motor, fine motor, problem solving, and personal-social. The ASQ-3 scores were obtained at ages 6 months, 1 year, and 3 years. There were 64,501 children with available ASQ-3 data. The number of children diagnosed with ASD was 188 (0.29%) at 3 years of age. The highest relative risk (RR) for any domain below the monitoring score at 6 months was in the communication (RR 1.90, 95% CI 1.29–2.78, p = 0.0041), followed by fine motor (RR 1.50, 95% CI 1.28–1.76, p < 0.0001) domain. A low ASQ-3 score in the communication domain at 6 months was related to an ASD diagnosis at 3 years of age. The ASQ-3 score at 6 months can contribute to the early identification of and intervention for ASD.
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50
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Chisholm AK, Haebich KM, Pride NA, Walsh KS, Lami F, Ure A, Maloof T, Brignell A, Rouel M, Granader Y, Maier A, Barton B, Darke H, Dabscheck G, Anderson VA, Williams K, North KN, Payne JM. Delineating the autistic phenotype in children with neurofibromatosis type 1. Mol Autism 2022; 13:3. [PMID: 34983638 PMCID: PMC8729013 DOI: 10.1186/s13229-021-00481-3] [Citation(s) in RCA: 1] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 06/14/2021] [Accepted: 12/14/2021] [Indexed: 12/15/2022] Open
Abstract
Background Existing research has demonstrated elevated autistic behaviours in children with neurofibromatosis type 1 (NF1), but the autistic phenotype and its relationship to other neurodevelopmental manifestations of NF1 remains unclear. To address this gap, we performed detailed characterisation of autistic behaviours in children with NF1 and investigated their association with other common NF1 child characteristics. Methods Participants were drawn from a larger cross-sectional study examining autism in children with NF1. The population analysed in this study scored above threshold on the Social Responsiveness Scale-Second Edition (T-score ≥ 60; 51% larger cohort) and completed the Autism Diagnostic Interview-Revised (ADI-R) and/or the Autism Diagnostic Observation Schedule-Second Edition (ADOS-2). All participants underwent evaluation of their intellectual function, and behavioural data were collected via parent questionnaires. Results The study cohort comprised 68 children (3–15 years). Sixty-three per cent met the ADOS-2 ‘autism spectrum’ cut-off, and 34% exceeded the more stringent threshold for ‘autistic disorder’ on the ADI-R. Social communication symptoms were common and wide-ranging, while restricted and repetitive behaviours (RRBs) were most commonly characterised by ‘insistence on sameness’ (IS) behaviours such as circumscribed interests and difficulties with minor changes. Autistic behaviours were weakly correlated with hyperactive/impulsive attention deficit hyperactivity disorder (ADHD) symptoms but not with inattentive ADHD or other behavioural characteristics. Language and verbal IQ were weakly related to social communication behaviours but not to RRBs. Limitations Lack of genetic validation of NF1, no clinical diagnosis of autism, and a retrospective assessment of autistic behaviours in early childhood. Conclusions Findings provide strong support for elevated autistic behaviours in children with NF1. While these behaviours were relatively independent of other NF1 comorbidities, the importance of taking broader child characteristics into consideration when interpreting data from autism-specific measures in this population is highlighted. Social communication deficits appear similar to those observed in idiopathic autism and are coupled with a unique RRB profile comprising prominent IS behaviours. This autistic phenotype and its relationship to common NF1 comorbidities such as anxiety and executive dysfunction will be important to examine in future research. Current findings have important implications for the early identification of autism in NF1 and clinical management. Supplementary Information The online version contains supplementary material available at 10.1186/s13229-021-00481-3.
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Affiliation(s)
- Anita K Chisholm
- Murdoch Children's Research Institute, 50 Flemington Road, Parkville, VIC, 3052, Australia.,Department of Paediatrics, Faculty of Medicine, Dentistry and Health Sciences, University of Melbourne, Parkville, VIC, 3010, Australia.,The Royal Children's Hospital, 50 Flemington Road, Parkville, VIC, 3052, Australia
| | - Kristina M Haebich
- Murdoch Children's Research Institute, 50 Flemington Road, Parkville, VIC, 3052, Australia.,Department of Paediatrics, Faculty of Medicine, Dentistry and Health Sciences, University of Melbourne, Parkville, VIC, 3010, Australia
| | - Natalie A Pride
- Kids Neuroscience Centre, The Children's Hospital at Westmead, 178A Hawkesbury Road, Westmead, NSW, 2145, Australia
| | - Karin S Walsh
- Center for Neuroscience and Behavioral Medicine, Children's National Hospital, Michigan Avenue NW, Washington, DC, 20310, USA
| | - Francesca Lami
- Murdoch Children's Research Institute, 50 Flemington Road, Parkville, VIC, 3052, Australia.,Department of Paediatrics, Faculty of Medicine, Dentistry and Health Sciences, University of Melbourne, Parkville, VIC, 3010, Australia
| | - Alex Ure
- Murdoch Children's Research Institute, 50 Flemington Road, Parkville, VIC, 3052, Australia.,Department of Paediatrics, School of Clinical Sciences, Monash University, 246 Clayton Road, Clayton, VIC, 3168, Australia.,Developmental Paediatrics, Monash Children's Hospital, 246 Clayton Road, Clayton, VIC, 3168, Australia
| | - Tiba Maloof
- Department of Paediatrics, Faculty of Medicine, Dentistry and Health Sciences, University of Melbourne, Parkville, VIC, 3010, Australia.,The Royal Children's Hospital, 50 Flemington Road, Parkville, VIC, 3052, Australia
| | - Amanda Brignell
- Murdoch Children's Research Institute, 50 Flemington Road, Parkville, VIC, 3052, Australia.,Department of Paediatrics, School of Clinical Sciences, Monash University, 246 Clayton Road, Clayton, VIC, 3168, Australia
| | - Melissa Rouel
- Kids Neuroscience Centre, The Children's Hospital at Westmead, 178A Hawkesbury Road, Westmead, NSW, 2145, Australia
| | - Yael Granader
- Center for Neuroscience and Behavioral Medicine, Children's National Hospital, Michigan Avenue NW, Washington, DC, 20310, USA
| | - Alice Maier
- Murdoch Children's Research Institute, 50 Flemington Road, Parkville, VIC, 3052, Australia.,Department of Paediatrics, Faculty of Medicine, Dentistry and Health Sciences, University of Melbourne, Parkville, VIC, 3010, Australia
| | - Belinda Barton
- Kids Neuroscience Centre, The Children's Hospital at Westmead, 178A Hawkesbury Road, Westmead, NSW, 2145, Australia.,Sydney Medical School, University of Sydney, Camperdown, NSW, 2050, Australia.,Children's Hospital Education Research Institute, The Children's Hospital at Westmead, 178A Hawkesbury Road, Westmead, NSW, 2145, Australia
| | - Hayley Darke
- Murdoch Children's Research Institute, 50 Flemington Road, Parkville, VIC, 3052, Australia
| | - Gabriel Dabscheck
- Murdoch Children's Research Institute, 50 Flemington Road, Parkville, VIC, 3052, Australia.,Department of Paediatrics, Faculty of Medicine, Dentistry and Health Sciences, University of Melbourne, Parkville, VIC, 3010, Australia.,The Royal Children's Hospital, 50 Flemington Road, Parkville, VIC, 3052, Australia
| | - Vicki A Anderson
- Murdoch Children's Research Institute, 50 Flemington Road, Parkville, VIC, 3052, Australia.,Department of Paediatrics, Faculty of Medicine, Dentistry and Health Sciences, University of Melbourne, Parkville, VIC, 3010, Australia.,The Royal Children's Hospital, 50 Flemington Road, Parkville, VIC, 3052, Australia
| | - Katrina Williams
- Murdoch Children's Research Institute, 50 Flemington Road, Parkville, VIC, 3052, Australia.,Department of Paediatrics, Faculty of Medicine, Dentistry and Health Sciences, University of Melbourne, Parkville, VIC, 3010, Australia.,Department of Paediatrics, School of Clinical Sciences, Monash University, 246 Clayton Road, Clayton, VIC, 3168, Australia.,Developmental Paediatrics, Monash Children's Hospital, 246 Clayton Road, Clayton, VIC, 3168, Australia
| | - Kathryn N North
- Murdoch Children's Research Institute, 50 Flemington Road, Parkville, VIC, 3052, Australia.,Department of Paediatrics, Faculty of Medicine, Dentistry and Health Sciences, University of Melbourne, Parkville, VIC, 3010, Australia
| | - Jonathan M Payne
- Murdoch Children's Research Institute, 50 Flemington Road, Parkville, VIC, 3052, Australia. .,Department of Paediatrics, Faculty of Medicine, Dentistry and Health Sciences, University of Melbourne, Parkville, VIC, 3010, Australia. .,The Royal Children's Hospital, 50 Flemington Road, Parkville, VIC, 3052, Australia.
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