1
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Yang K, Hasegawa Y, Bhattarai JP, Hua J, Dower M, Etyemez S, Prasad N, Duvall L, Paez A, Smith A, Wang Y, Zhang YF, Lane AP, Ishizuka K, Kamath V, Ma M, Kamiya A, Sawa A. Inflammation-related pathology in the olfactory epithelium: its impact on the olfactory system in psychotic disorders. Mol Psychiatry 2024; 29:1453-1464. [PMID: 38321120 PMCID: PMC11189720 DOI: 10.1038/s41380-024-02425-8] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Submit a Manuscript] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 06/01/2023] [Revised: 01/03/2024] [Accepted: 01/08/2024] [Indexed: 02/08/2024]
Abstract
Smell deficits and neurobiological changes in the olfactory bulb (OB) and olfactory epithelium (OE) have been observed in schizophrenia and related disorders. The OE is the most peripheral olfactory system located outside the cranium, and is connected with the brain via direct neuronal projections to the OB. Nevertheless, it is unknown whether and how a disturbance of the OE affects the OB in schizophrenia and related disorders. Addressing this gap would be the first step in studying the impact of OE pathology in the disease pathophysiology in the brain. In this cross-species study, we observed that chronic, local OE inflammation with a set of upregulated genes in an inducible olfactory inflammation (IOI) mouse model led to a volume reduction, layer structure changes, and alterations of neuron functionality in the OB. Furthermore, IOI model also displayed behavioral deficits relevant to negative symptoms (avolition) in parallel to smell deficits. In first episode psychosis (FEP) patients, we observed a significant alteration in immune/inflammation-related molecular signatures in olfactory neuronal cells (ONCs) enriched from biopsied OE and a significant reduction in the OB volume, compared with those of healthy controls (HC). The increased expression of immune/inflammation-related molecules in ONCs was significantly correlated to the OB volume reduction in FEP patients, but no correlation was found in HCs. Moreover, the increased expression of human orthologues of the IOI genes in ONCs was significantly correlated with the OB volume reduction in FEP, but not in HCs. Together, our study implies a potential mechanism of the OE-OB pathology in patients with psychotic disorders (schizophrenia and related disorders). We hope that this mechanism may have a cross-disease implication, including COVID-19-elicited mental conditions that include smell deficits.
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Affiliation(s)
- Kun Yang
- Department of Psychiatry, Johns Hopkins University School of Medicine, Baltimore, MD, USA
| | - Yuto Hasegawa
- Department of Psychiatry, Johns Hopkins University School of Medicine, Baltimore, MD, USA
| | - Janardhan P Bhattarai
- Department of Neuroscience, University of Pennsylvania Perelman School of Medicine, Philadelphia, PA, USA
| | - Jun Hua
- Department of Radiology and Radiological Sciences, Johns Hopkins University School of Medicine, Baltimore, MD, USA
- F.M. Kirby Research Center for Functional Brain Imaging, Kennedy Krieger Institute, Baltimore, MD, USA
| | - Milan Dower
- Department of Biomedical Engineering, Johns Hopkins University School of Medicine, Baltimore, MD, USA
| | - Semra Etyemez
- Department of Psychiatry, Johns Hopkins University School of Medicine, Baltimore, MD, USA
| | - Neal Prasad
- Department of Psychiatry, Johns Hopkins University School of Medicine, Baltimore, MD, USA
| | - Lauren Duvall
- Department of Psychiatry, Johns Hopkins University School of Medicine, Baltimore, MD, USA
| | - Adrian Paez
- F.M. Kirby Research Center for Functional Brain Imaging, Kennedy Krieger Institute, Baltimore, MD, USA
| | - Amy Smith
- Department of Otolaryngology-Head and Neck Surgery, Johns Hopkins University School of Medicine, Baltimore, MD, USA
| | - Yingqi Wang
- Department of Neuroscience, University of Pennsylvania Perelman School of Medicine, Philadelphia, PA, USA
| | - Yun-Feng Zhang
- Department of Neuroscience, University of Pennsylvania Perelman School of Medicine, Philadelphia, PA, USA
| | - Andrew P Lane
- Department of Otolaryngology-Head and Neck Surgery, Johns Hopkins University School of Medicine, Baltimore, MD, USA
| | - Koko Ishizuka
- Department of Psychiatry, Johns Hopkins University School of Medicine, Baltimore, MD, USA
| | - Vidyulata Kamath
- Department of Psychiatry, Johns Hopkins University School of Medicine, Baltimore, MD, USA
| | - Minghong Ma
- Department of Neuroscience, University of Pennsylvania Perelman School of Medicine, Philadelphia, PA, USA
| | - Atsushi Kamiya
- Department of Psychiatry, Johns Hopkins University School of Medicine, Baltimore, MD, USA.
| | - Akira Sawa
- Department of Psychiatry, Johns Hopkins University School of Medicine, Baltimore, MD, USA.
- Department of Biomedical Engineering, Johns Hopkins University School of Medicine, Baltimore, MD, USA.
- Department of Neuroscience, Johns Hopkins University School of Medicine, Baltimore, MD, USA.
- Department of Pharmacology, Johns Hopkins University School of Medicine, Baltimore, MD, USA.
- Department of Genetic Medicine, Johns Hopkins University School of Medicine, Baltimore, MD, USA.
- Department of Mental Health, Johns Hopkins Bloomberg School of Public Health, Baltimore, MD, USA.
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2
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Casey C, Fullard JF, Sleator RD. Unravelling the genetic basis of Schizophrenia. Gene 2024; 902:148198. [PMID: 38266791 DOI: 10.1016/j.gene.2024.148198] [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: 09/01/2023] [Revised: 12/07/2023] [Accepted: 01/19/2024] [Indexed: 01/26/2024]
Abstract
Neuronal development is a highly regulated mechanism that is central to organismal function in animals. In humans, disruptions to this process can lead to a range of neurodevelopmental phenotypes, including Schizophrenia (SCZ). SCZ has a significant genetic component, whereby an individual with an SCZ affected family member is eight times more likely to develop the disease than someone with no family history of SCZ. By examining a combination of genomic, transcriptomic and epigenomic datasets, large-scale 'omics' studies aim to delineate the relationship between genetic variation and abnormal cellular activity in the SCZ brain. Herein, we provide a brief overview of some of the key omics methods currently being used in SCZ research, including RNA-seq, the assay for transposase-accessible chromatin with high-throughput sequencing (ATAC-seq) and high-throughput chromosome conformation capture (3C) approaches (e.g., Hi-C), as well as single-cell/nuclei iterations of these methods. We also discuss how these techniques are being employed to further our understanding of the genetic basis of SCZ, and to identify associated molecular pathways, biomarkers, and candidate drug targets.
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Affiliation(s)
- Clara Casey
- Department of Biological Sciences, Munster Technological University, Bishopstown, Cork, Ireland; Center for Disease Neurogenomics, Icahn School of Medicine at Mount Sinai, New York, NY 10029, United States; Department of Psychiatry, Icahn School of Medicine at Mount Sinai, New York, NY 10029, United States; Department of Genetics and Genomic Sciences, Icahn School of Medicine at Mount Sinai, New York, NY 10029, United States
| | - John F Fullard
- Center for Disease Neurogenomics, Icahn School of Medicine at Mount Sinai, New York, NY 10029, United States; Department of Psychiatry, Icahn School of Medicine at Mount Sinai, New York, NY 10029, United States; Department of Genetics and Genomic Sciences, Icahn School of Medicine at Mount Sinai, New York, NY 10029, United States
| | - Roy D Sleator
- Department of Biological Sciences, Munster Technological University, Bishopstown, Cork, Ireland.
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3
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Yang K, Hasegawa Y, Bhattarai JP, Hua J, Dower M, Etyemez S, Prasad N, Duvall L, Paez A, Smith A, Wang Y, Zhang YF, Lane AP, Ishizuka K, Kamath V, Ma M, Kamiya A, Sawa A. Inflammation-related pathology in the olfactory epithelium: its impact on the olfactory system in psychotic disorders. BIORXIV : THE PREPRINT SERVER FOR BIOLOGY 2024:2022.09.23.509224. [PMID: 36203543 PMCID: PMC9536041 DOI: 10.1101/2022.09.23.509224] [Citation(s) in RCA: 1] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 04/25/2023]
Abstract
Smell deficits and neurobiological changes in the olfactory bulb (OB) and olfactory epithelium (OE) have been observed in schizophrenia and related disorders. The OE is the most peripheral olfactory system located outside the cranium, and is connected with the brain via direct neuronal projections to the OB. Nevertheless, it is unknown whether and how a disturbance of the OE affects the OB in schizophrenia and related disorders. Addressing this gap would be the first step in studying the impact of OE pathology in the disease pathophysiology in the brain. In this cross-species study, we observed that chronic, local OE inflammation with a set of upregulated genes in an inducible olfactory inflammation (IOI) mouse model led to a volume reduction, layer structure changes, and alterations of neuron functionality in the OB. Furthermore, IOI model also displayed behavioral deficits relevant to negative symptoms (avolition) in parallel to smell deficits. In first episode psychosis (FEP) patients, we observed a significant alteration in immune/inflammation-related molecular signatures in olfactory neuronal cells (ONCs) enriched from biopsied OE and a significant reduction in the OB volume, compared with those of healthy controls (HC). The increased expression of immune/inflammation-related molecules in ONCs was significantly correlated to the OB volume reduction in FEP patients, but no correlation was found in HCs. Moreover, the increased expression of human orthologues of the IOI genes in ONCs was significantly correlated with the OB volume reduction in FEP, but not in HCs. Together, our study implies a potential mechanism of the OE-OB pathology in patients with psychotic disorders (schizophrenia and related disorders). We hope that this mechanism may have a cross-disease implication, including COVID-19-elicited mental conditions that include smell deficits.
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4
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Yang K, Ayala-Grosso C, Bhattarai JP, Sheriff A, Takahashi T, Cristino AS, Zelano C, Ma M. Unraveling the Link between Olfactory Deficits and Neuropsychiatric Disorders. J Neurosci 2023; 43:7501-7510. [PMID: 37940584 PMCID: PMC10634556 DOI: 10.1523/jneurosci.1380-23.2023] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 07/17/2023] [Revised: 07/27/2023] [Accepted: 07/31/2023] [Indexed: 11/10/2023] Open
Abstract
Smell loss has caught public attention during the recent COVID-19 pandemic. Research on olfactory function in health and disease gains new momentum. Smell deficits have long been recognized as an early clinical sign associated with neuropsychiatric disorders. Here we review research on the associations between olfactory deficits and neuropathological conditions, focusing on recent progress in four areas: (1) human clinical studies of the correlations between smell deficits and neuropsychiatric disorders; (2) development of olfactory mucosa-derived tissue and cell models for studying the molecular pathologic mechanisms; (3) recent findings in brain imaging studies of structural and functional connectivity changes in olfactory pathways in neuropsychiatric disorders; and (4) application of preclinical animal models to validate and extend the findings from human subjects. Together, these studies have provided strong evidence of the link between the olfactory system and neuropsychiatric disorders, highlighting the relevance of deepening our understanding of the role of the olfactory system in pathophysiological processes. Following the lead of studies reviewed here, future research in this field may open the door to the early detection of neuropsychiatric disorders, personalized treatment approaches, and potential therapeutic interventions through nasal administration techniques, such as nasal brush or nasal spray.
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Affiliation(s)
- Kun Yang
- Department of Psychiatry, Johns Hopkins University School of Medicine, Baltimore, Maryland 21287
| | - Carlos Ayala-Grosso
- Unit of Cellular Therapy, Centre of Experimental Medicine, Instituto Venezolano de Investigaciones Cientificas, Caracas, 1020-A, Venezuela
- Unit of Advanced Therapies, Instituto Distrital de Ciencia Biotecnología e Innovación en Salud, Bogotá, Colombia 111-611
| | - Janardhan P Bhattarai
- Department of Neuroscience, University of Pennsylvania Perelman School of Medicine, Philadelphia, Pennsylvania 19104
| | - Andrew Sheriff
- Department of Neurology, Feinberg School of Medicine, Northwestern University, Chicago, Illinois 60611
| | - Tsutomu Takahashi
- Department of Neuropsychiatry, University of Toyama Graduate School of Medicine and Pharmaceutical Sciences, Toyama, 930-0194, Japan
| | - Alexandre S Cristino
- Griffith Institute for Drug Discovery, Griffith University, Brisbane, Queensland 4111, Australia
| | - Christina Zelano
- Department of Neurology, Feinberg School of Medicine, Northwestern University, Chicago, Illinois 60611
| | - Minghong Ma
- Department of Neuroscience, University of Pennsylvania Perelman School of Medicine, Philadelphia, Pennsylvania 19104
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5
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Zhang M, Zhang Y, Xu Q, Crawford J, Qian C, Wang GH, Qian J, Dong XZ, Pletnikov MV, Liu CM, Zhou FQ. Neuronal Histone Methyltransferase EZH2 Regulates Neuronal Morphogenesis, Synaptic Plasticity, and Cognitive Behavior in Mice. Neurosci Bull 2023; 39:1512-1532. [PMID: 37326884 PMCID: PMC10533778 DOI: 10.1007/s12264-023-01074-1] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 08/22/2022] [Accepted: 02/09/2023] [Indexed: 06/17/2023] Open
Abstract
The histone methyltransferase enhancer of zeste 2 polycomb repressive complex 2 subunit (EZH2)-mediated trimethylation of histone H3 lysine 27 (H3K27me3) regulates neural stem cell proliferation and fate specificity through silencing different gene sets in the central nervous system. Here, we explored the function of EZH2 in early post-mitotic neurons by generating a neuron-specific Ezh2 conditional knockout mouse line. The results showed that a lack of neuronal EZH2 led to delayed neuronal migration, more complex dendritic arborization, and increased dendritic spine density. Transcriptome analysis revealed that neuronal EZH2-regulated genes are related to neuronal morphogenesis. In particular, the gene encoding p21-activated kinase 3 (Pak3) was identified as a target gene suppressed by EZH2 and H3K27me3, and expression of the dominant negative Pak3 reversed Ezh2 knockout-induced higher dendritic spine density. Finally, the lack of neuronal EZH2 resulted in impaired memory behaviors in adult mice. Our results demonstrated that neuronal EZH2 acts to control multiple steps of neuronal morphogenesis during development, and has long-lasting effects on cognitive function in adult mice.
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Affiliation(s)
- Mei Zhang
- Department of Orthopaedic Surgery, Johns Hopkins University School of Medicine, Baltimore, 21205, USA
- School of Life Sciences, Division of Life Sciences and Medicine, University of Science and Technology of China, Hefei, 230026, China
| | - Yong Zhang
- The Solomon H. Snyder Department of Neuroscience, Johns Hopkins University School of Medicine, Baltimore, 21205, USA
| | - Qian Xu
- The Solomon H. Snyder Department of Neuroscience, Johns Hopkins University School of Medicine, Baltimore, 21205, USA
| | - Joshua Crawford
- Department of Psychiatry and Behavioral Sciences, Johns Hopkins University School of Medicine, Baltimore, 21205, USA
| | - Cheng Qian
- Department of Orthopaedic Surgery, Johns Hopkins University School of Medicine, Baltimore, 21205, USA
| | - Guo-Hua Wang
- Department of Ophthalmology, Johns Hopkins University School of Medicine, Baltimore, 21205, USA
| | - Jiang Qian
- Department of Ophthalmology, Johns Hopkins University School of Medicine, Baltimore, 21205, USA
| | - Xin-Zhong Dong
- The Solomon H. Snyder Department of Neuroscience, Johns Hopkins University School of Medicine, Baltimore, 21205, USA
| | - Mikhail V Pletnikov
- Department of Psychiatry and Behavioral Sciences, Johns Hopkins University School of Medicine, Baltimore, 21205, USA
| | - Chang-Mei Liu
- Department of Orthopaedic Surgery, Johns Hopkins University School of Medicine, Baltimore, 21205, USA.
- State Key Laboratory of Reproductive Biology, Institute of Zoology, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Beijing, 100190, China.
| | - Feng-Quan Zhou
- Department of Orthopaedic Surgery, Johns Hopkins University School of Medicine, Baltimore, 21205, USA.
- The Solomon H. Snyder Department of Neuroscience, Johns Hopkins University School of Medicine, Baltimore, 21205, USA.
- Sir Run Run Shaw Hospital, Zhejiang University School of Medicine, Hangzhou, 310016, China.
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6
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Grosu ȘA, Dobre M, Milanesi E, Hinescu ME. Blood-Based MicroRNAs in Psychotic Disorders-A Systematic Review. Biomedicines 2023; 11:2536. [PMID: 37760977 PMCID: PMC10525934 DOI: 10.3390/biomedicines11092536] [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: 07/03/2023] [Revised: 09/01/2023] [Accepted: 09/12/2023] [Indexed: 09/29/2023] Open
Abstract
Psychotic disorders are a heterogenous class of mental illness, with an intricate pathophysiology, involving genetics and environmental factors, and their interaction. The identification of accessible biomarkers in bodily systems such as blood may lead to more accurate diagnosis, and more effective treatments targeting dysfunctional pathways, and could assist in monitoring the disease evolution. This systematic review aims to highlight the dysregulated microRNAs (miRNAs) in the peripheral blood of patients with psychotic disorders. Using the PRISMA protocol, PubMed and Science Direct databases were investigated and 22 articles were included. Fifty-five different miRNAs were found differentially expressed in the blood of psychotic patients compared to controls. Seventeen miRNAs (miR-34a, miR-181b, miR-432, miR-30e, miR-21, miR-137, miR-134, miR-7, miR-92a, miR-1273d, miR-1303, miR-3064-5p, miR-3131, miR-3687, miR-4428, miR-4725-3p, and miR-5096) were dysregulated with the same trend (up- or down-regulation) in at least two studies. Of note, miR-34a and miR-181b were up-regulated in the blood of psychotic patients in seven and six studies, respectively. Moreover, the level of miR-181b in plasma was found to be positively correlated with the amelioration of negative symptoms. The panel of miRNAs identified in this review could be validated in future studies in large and well-characterized cohorts of psychotic patients.
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Affiliation(s)
- Ștefania-Alexandra Grosu
- Faculty of Medicine, Carol Davila University of Medicine and Pharmacy, 050474 Bucharest, Romania; (Ș.-A.G.); (M.E.H.)
| | - Maria Dobre
- Victor Babes National Institute of Pathology, 050096 Bucharest, Romania;
| | - Elena Milanesi
- Faculty of Medicine, Carol Davila University of Medicine and Pharmacy, 050474 Bucharest, Romania; (Ș.-A.G.); (M.E.H.)
- Victor Babes National Institute of Pathology, 050096 Bucharest, Romania;
| | - Mihail Eugen Hinescu
- Faculty of Medicine, Carol Davila University of Medicine and Pharmacy, 050474 Bucharest, Romania; (Ș.-A.G.); (M.E.H.)
- Victor Babes National Institute of Pathology, 050096 Bucharest, Romania;
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7
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Yang K, Evgrafov OV. Editorial: Olfactory neuroepithelium-derived cellular models to study neurological and psychiatric disorders. Front Neurosci 2023; 17:1203466. [PMID: 37250419 PMCID: PMC10213714 DOI: 10.3389/fnins.2023.1203466] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Key Words] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 04/10/2023] [Accepted: 04/20/2023] [Indexed: 05/31/2023] Open
Affiliation(s)
- Kun Yang
- Department of Psychiatry, Johns Hopkins University, Baltimore, MD, United States
| | - Oleg V. Evgrafov
- Department of Cell Biology, SUNY Downstate Health Sciences University, Brooklyn, NY, United States
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8
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Mihaljevic M, Lam M, Ayala-Grosso C, Davis-Batt F, Schretlen DJ, Ishizuka K, Yang K, Sawa A. Olfactory neuronal cells as a promising tool to realize the "druggable genome" approach for drug discovery in neuropsychiatric disorders. Front Neurosci 2023; 16:1081124. [PMID: 36967982 PMCID: PMC10038100 DOI: 10.3389/fnins.2022.1081124] [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: 10/26/2022] [Accepted: 12/26/2022] [Indexed: 03/12/2023] Open
Abstract
"Druggable genome" is a novel concept that emphasizes the importance of using the information of genome-wide genetic studies for drug discovery and development. Successful precedents of "druggable genome" have recently emerged for some disorders by combining genomic and gene expression profiles with medical and pharmacological knowledge. One of the key premises for the success is the good access to disease-relevant tissues from "living" patients in which we may observe molecular expression changes in association with symptomatic alteration. Thus, given brain biopsies are ethically and practically difficult, the application of the "druggable genome" approach is challenging for neuropsychiatric disorders. Here, to fill this gap, we propose the use of olfactory neuronal cells (ONCs) biopsied and established via nasal biopsy from living subjects. By using candidate genes that were proposed in a study in which genetic information, postmortem brain expression profiles, and pharmacological knowledge were considered for cognition in the general population, we addressed the utility of ONCs in the "druggable genome" approach by using the clinical and cell resources of an established psychosis cohort in our group. Through this pilot effort, we underscored the chloride voltage-gated channel 2 (CLCN2) gene as a possible druggable candidate for early-stage psychosis. The CLCN2 gene expression was associated with verbal memory, but not with other dimensions in cognition, nor psychiatric manifestations (positive and negative symptoms). The association between this candidate molecule and verbal memory was also confirmed at the protein level. By using ONCs from living subjects, we now provide more specific information regarding molecular expression and clinical phenotypes. The use of ONCs also provides the opportunity of validating the relationship not only at the RNA level but also protein level, leading to the potential of functional assays in the future. Taken together, we now provide evidence that supports the utility of ONCs as a tool for the "druggable genome" approach in translational psychiatry.
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Affiliation(s)
- Marina Mihaljevic
- Department of Neuroscience, Johns Hopkins University School of Medicine, Baltimore, MD, United States
| | - Max Lam
- IMH Neuropsychiatric Genomics Laboratory, Institute of Mental Health, Singapore, Singapore
- Population and Global Health, LKC Medicine, Nanyang Technological University, Singapore, Singapore
- Neurogenomic Biomarkers Laboratory, Zucker Hillside Hospital, Glen Oaks, NY, United States
- Stanley Center for Psychiatric Research, Broad Institute of MIT and Harvard, Cambridge, MA, United States
| | - Carlos Ayala-Grosso
- Unit of Cellular Therapy, Centre of Experimental Medicine, Instituto Venezolano de Investigaciones Cientificas IVIC, Caracas, Venezuela
| | - Finn Davis-Batt
- Department of Psychiatry, Johns Hopkins University School of Medicine, Baltimore, MD, United States
| | - David J. Schretlen
- Department of Psychiatry, Johns Hopkins University School of Medicine, Baltimore, MD, United States
| | - Koko Ishizuka
- Department of Psychiatry, Johns Hopkins University School of Medicine, Baltimore, MD, United States
| | - Kun Yang
- Department of Psychiatry, Johns Hopkins University School of Medicine, Baltimore, MD, United States
| | - Akira Sawa
- Department of Neuroscience, Johns Hopkins University School of Medicine, Baltimore, MD, United States
- Department of Psychiatry, Johns Hopkins University School of Medicine, Baltimore, MD, United States
- Department of Pharmacology, Johns Hopkins University School of Medicine, Baltimore, MD, United States
- Department of Biomedical Engineering, Johns Hopkins University School of Medicine, Baltimore, MD, United States
- Department of Genetic Medicine, Johns Hopkins University School of Medicine, Baltimore, MD, United States
- Department of Mental Health, Johns Hopkins Bloomberg School of Public Health, Baltimore, MD, United States
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9
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Namkung H, Yukitake H, Fukudome D, Lee BJ, Tian M, Ursini G, Saito A, Lam S, Kannan S, Srivastava R, Niwa M, Sharma K, Zandi P, Jaaro-Peled H, Ishizuka K, Chatterjee N, Huganir RL, Sawa A. The miR-124-AMPAR pathway connects polygenic risks with behavioral changes shared between schizophrenia and bipolar disorder. Neuron 2023; 111:220-235.e9. [PMID: 36379214 PMCID: PMC10183200 DOI: 10.1016/j.neuron.2022.10.031] [Citation(s) in RCA: 12] [Impact Index Per Article: 12.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 09/04/2021] [Revised: 08/16/2022] [Accepted: 10/20/2022] [Indexed: 11/16/2022]
Abstract
Schizophrenia (SZ) and bipolar disorder (BP) are highly heritable major psychiatric disorders that share a substantial portion of genetic risk as well as their clinical manifestations. This raises a fundamental question of whether, and how, common neurobiological pathways translate their shared polygenic risks into shared clinical manifestations. This study shows the miR-124-3p-AMPAR pathway as a key common neurobiological mediator that connects polygenic risks with behavioral changes shared between these two psychotic disorders. We discovered the upregulation of miR-124-3p in neuronal cells and the postmortem prefrontal cortex from both SZ and BP patients. Intriguingly, the upregulation is associated with the polygenic risks shared between these two disorders. Seeking mechanistic dissection, we generated a mouse model that upregulates miR-124-3p in the medial prefrontal cortex. We demonstrated that the upregulation of miR-124-3p increases GRIA2-lacking calcium-permeable AMPARs and perturbs AMPAR-mediated excitatory synaptic transmission, leading to deficits in the behavioral dimensions shared between SZ and BP.
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Affiliation(s)
- Ho Namkung
- Department of Biomedical Engineering, Baltimore, MD, USA; Department of Psychiatry, Baltimore, MD, USA
| | | | | | - Brian J Lee
- Department of Psychiatry, Baltimore, MD, USA
| | | | - Gianluca Ursini
- Department of Psychiatry, Baltimore, MD, USA; Lieber Institute for Brain Development, Johns Hopkins Medical Campus, Baltimore, MD 21205, USA
| | | | - Shravika Lam
- Department of Psychiatry, Baltimore, MD, USA; Department of Neuroscience, Baltimore, MD, USA
| | - Suvarnambiga Kannan
- Department of Psychiatry, Baltimore, MD, USA; Department of Mental Health, Baltimore, MD, USA
| | | | - Minae Niwa
- Department of Psychiatry, Baltimore, MD, USA
| | - Kamal Sharma
- Department of Psychiatry, Baltimore, MD, USA; Department of Neuroscience, Baltimore, MD, USA
| | - Peter Zandi
- Department of Psychiatry, Baltimore, MD, USA; Department of Mental Health, Baltimore, MD, USA; Department of Epidemiology, Baltimore, MD, USA
| | | | | | - Nilanjan Chatterjee
- Department of Epidemiology, Baltimore, MD, USA; Biostatistics, Johns Hopkins University Bloomberg School of Public Health, Baltimore, MD 21205, USA
| | - Richard L Huganir
- Department of Psychiatry, Baltimore, MD, USA; Department of Neuroscience, Baltimore, MD, USA; Kavli Neuroscience Discovery Institute, Johns Hopkins University, Baltimore, MD 21205, USA
| | - Akira Sawa
- Department of Biomedical Engineering, Baltimore, MD, USA; Department of Psychiatry, Baltimore, MD, USA; Department of Neuroscience, Baltimore, MD, USA; Department of Pharmacology, Baltimore, MD, USA; Genetic Medicine, Johns Hopkins University School of Medicine, Baltimore, MD 21205, USA; Department of Mental Health, Baltimore, MD, USA.
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10
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Büttiker P, Weissenberger S, Esch T, Anders M, Raboch J, Ptacek R, Kream RM, Stefano GB. Dysfunctional mitochondrial processes contribute to energy perturbations in the brain and neuropsychiatric symptoms. Front Pharmacol 2023; 13:1095923. [PMID: 36686690 PMCID: PMC9849387 DOI: 10.3389/fphar.2022.1095923] [Citation(s) in RCA: 2] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 11/11/2022] [Accepted: 12/15/2022] [Indexed: 01/06/2023] Open
Abstract
Mitochondria are complex endosymbionts that evolved from primordial purple nonsulfur bacteria. The incorporation of bacteria-derived mitochondria facilitates a more efficient and effective production of energy than what could be achieved based on previous processes alone. In this case, endosymbiosis has resulted in the seamless coupling of cytochrome c oxidase and F-ATPase to maximize energy production. However, this mechanism also results in the generation of reactive oxygen species (ROS), a phenomenon that can have both positive and negative ramifications on the host. Recent studies have revealed that neuropsychiatric disorders have a pro-inflammatory component in which ROS is capable of initiating damage and cognitive malfunction. Our current understanding of cognition suggests that it is the product of a neuronal network that consumes a substantial amount of energy. Thus, alterations or perturbations of mitochondrial function may alter not only brain energy supply and metabolite generation, but also thought processes and behavior. Mitochondrial abnormalities and oxidative stress have been implicated in several well-known psychiatric disorders, including schizophrenia (SCZ) and bipolar disorder (BPD). As cognition is highly energy-dependent, we propose that the neuronal pathways underlying maladaptive cognitive processing and psychiatric symptoms are most likely dependent on mitochondrial function, and thus involve brain energy translocation and the accumulation of the byproducts of oxidative stress. We also hypothesize that neuropsychiatric symptoms (e.g., disrupted emotional processing) may represent the vestiges of an ancient masked evolutionary response that can be used by both hosts and pathogens to promote self-repair and proliferation via parasitic and/or symbiotic pathways.
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Affiliation(s)
- Pascal Büttiker
- Department of Psychiatry, First Faculty of Medicine, Charles University and General University Hospital in Prague, Czech Republic, Prague, Czechia
| | - Simon Weissenberger
- Department of Psychology, University of New York in Prague, Czech Republic, Prague, Czechia
| | - Tobias Esch
- Institute for Integrative Health Care and Health Promotion, School of Medicine, Witten/Herdecke University, Witten, Germany
| | - Martin Anders
- Department of Psychiatry, First Faculty of Medicine, Charles University and General University Hospital in Prague, Czech Republic, Prague, Czechia
| | - Jiri Raboch
- Department of Psychiatry, First Faculty of Medicine, Charles University and General University Hospital in Prague, Czech Republic, Prague, Czechia
| | - Radek Ptacek
- Department of Psychiatry, First Faculty of Medicine, Charles University and General University Hospital in Prague, Czech Republic, Prague, Czechia
| | - Richard M. Kream
- Department of Psychiatry, First Faculty of Medicine, Charles University and General University Hospital in Prague, Czech Republic, Prague, Czechia
| | - George B. Stefano
- Department of Psychiatry, First Faculty of Medicine, Charles University and General University Hospital in Prague, Czech Republic, Prague, Czechia,*Correspondence: George B. Stefano,
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11
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Farrelly LA, Zheng S, Schrode N, Topol A, Bhanu NV, Bastle RM, Ramakrishnan A, Chan JC, Cetin B, Flaherty E, Shen L, Gleason K, Tamminga CA, Garcia BA, Li H, Brennand KJ, Maze I. Chromatin profiling in human neurons reveals aberrant roles for histone acetylation and BET family proteins in schizophrenia. Nat Commun 2022; 13:2195. [PMID: 35459277 PMCID: PMC9033776 DOI: 10.1038/s41467-022-29922-0] [Citation(s) in RCA: 17] [Impact Index Per Article: 8.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 02/01/2020] [Accepted: 03/01/2022] [Indexed: 12/19/2022] Open
Abstract
Schizophrenia (SZ) is a psychiatric disorder with complex genetic risk dictated by interactions between hundreds of risk variants. Epigenetic factors, such as histone posttranslational modifications (PTMs), have been shown to play critical roles in many neurodevelopmental processes, and when perturbed may also contribute to the precipitation of disease. Here, we apply an unbiased proteomics approach to evaluate combinatorial histone PTMs in human induced pluripotent stem cell (hiPSC)-derived forebrain neurons from individuals with SZ. We observe hyperacetylation of H2A.Z and H4 in neurons derived from SZ cases, results that were confirmed in postmortem human brain. We demonstrate that the bromodomain and extraterminal (BET) protein, BRD4, is a bona fide 'reader' of H2A.Z acetylation, and further provide evidence that BET family protein inhibition ameliorates transcriptional abnormalities in patient-derived neurons. Thus, treatments aimed at alleviating BET protein interactions with hyperacetylated histones may aid in the prevention or treatment of SZ.
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Affiliation(s)
- Lorna A Farrelly
- Nash Family Department of Neuroscience, Friedman Brain Institute, Icahn School of Medicine at Mount Sinai, New York, NY, 10029, USA
| | - Shuangping Zheng
- Beijing Advanced Innovation Center for Structural Biology, MOE Key Laboratory of Protein Sciences, Department of Basic Medical Sciences, School of Medicine, Tsinghua University, 100084, Beijing, China
| | - Nadine Schrode
- Department of Genetics and Genomic Sciences, Pamela Sklar Division of Psychiatric Genomics, Icahn Institute of Genomics and Multiscale Biology, Icahn School of Medicine at Mount Sinai, New York, NY, 10029, USA
| | - Aaron Topol
- Graduate School of Biomedical Science, Icahn School of Medicine at Mount Sinai, New York, NY, 10029, USA
| | - Natarajan V Bhanu
- Epigenetics Institute, Department of Biochemistry and Biophysics, Perelman School of Medicine, University of Pennsylvania, Philadelphia, PA, 19104, USA
| | - Ryan M Bastle
- Nash Family Department of Neuroscience, Friedman Brain Institute, Icahn School of Medicine at Mount Sinai, New York, NY, 10029, USA
| | - Aarthi Ramakrishnan
- Nash Family Department of Neuroscience, Friedman Brain Institute, Icahn School of Medicine at Mount Sinai, New York, NY, 10029, USA
| | - Jennifer C Chan
- Nash Family Department of Neuroscience, Friedman Brain Institute, Icahn School of Medicine at Mount Sinai, New York, NY, 10029, USA
| | - Bulent Cetin
- Nash Family Department of Neuroscience, Friedman Brain Institute, Icahn School of Medicine at Mount Sinai, New York, NY, 10029, USA
| | - Erin Flaherty
- Nash Family Department of Neuroscience, Friedman Brain Institute, Icahn School of Medicine at Mount Sinai, New York, NY, 10029, USA
- Department of Genetics and Genomic Sciences, Pamela Sklar Division of Psychiatric Genomics, Icahn Institute of Genomics and Multiscale Biology, Icahn School of Medicine at Mount Sinai, New York, NY, 10029, USA
| | - Li Shen
- Nash Family Department of Neuroscience, Friedman Brain Institute, Icahn School of Medicine at Mount Sinai, New York, NY, 10029, USA
| | - Kelly Gleason
- Department of Psychiatry, University of Texas Southwestern Medical School, Dallas, TX, 75390, USA
| | - Carol A Tamminga
- Department of Psychiatry, University of Texas Southwestern Medical School, Dallas, TX, 75390, USA
| | - Benjamin A Garcia
- Epigenetics Institute, Department of Biochemistry and Biophysics, Perelman School of Medicine, University of Pennsylvania, Philadelphia, PA, 19104, USA
| | - Haitao Li
- Beijing Advanced Innovation Center for Structural Biology, MOE Key Laboratory of Protein Sciences, Department of Basic Medical Sciences, School of Medicine, Tsinghua University, 100084, Beijing, China.
| | - Kristen J Brennand
- Nash Family Department of Neuroscience, Friedman Brain Institute, Icahn School of Medicine at Mount Sinai, New York, NY, 10029, USA.
- Department of Genetics and Genomic Sciences, Pamela Sklar Division of Psychiatric Genomics, Icahn Institute of Genomics and Multiscale Biology, Icahn School of Medicine at Mount Sinai, New York, NY, 10029, USA.
- Black Family Stem Cell Institute, Icahn School of Medicine at Mount Sinai, New York, NY, 10029, USA.
- Department of Psychiatry, Icahn School of Medicine at Mount Sinai, New York, NY, 10029, USA.
- Departments of Psychiatry and Genetics, Wu Tsai Institute, Yale School of Medicine, New Haven, CT, 065109, USA.
| | - Ian Maze
- Nash Family Department of Neuroscience, Friedman Brain Institute, Icahn School of Medicine at Mount Sinai, New York, NY, 10029, USA.
- Department of Pharmacological Sciences, Icahn School of Medicine at Mount Sinai, New York, NY, 10029, USA.
- Howard Hughes Medical Institute, Icahn School of Medicine at Mount Sinai, New York, NY, 10029, USA.
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12
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Cuenod M, Steullet P, Cabungcal JH, Dwir D, Khadimallah I, Klauser P, Conus P, Do KQ. Caught in vicious circles: a perspective on dynamic feed-forward loops driving oxidative stress in schizophrenia. Mol Psychiatry 2022; 27:1886-1897. [PMID: 34759358 PMCID: PMC9126811 DOI: 10.1038/s41380-021-01374-w] [Citation(s) in RCA: 48] [Impact Index Per Article: 24.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Submit a Manuscript] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 08/25/2021] [Revised: 10/18/2021] [Accepted: 10/20/2021] [Indexed: 12/18/2022]
Abstract
A growing body of evidence has emerged demonstrating a pathological link between oxidative stress and schizophrenia. This evidence identifies oxidative stress as a convergence point or "central hub" for schizophrenia genetic and environmental risk factors. Here we review the existing experimental and translational research pinpointing the complex dynamics of oxidative stress mechanisms and their modulation in relation to schizophrenia pathophysiology. We focus on evidence supporting the crucial role of either redox dysregulation, N-methyl-D-aspartate receptor hypofunction, neuroinflammation or mitochondria bioenergetics dysfunction, initiating "vicious circles" centered on oxidative stress during neurodevelopment. These processes would amplify one another in positive feed-forward loops, leading to persistent impairments of the maturation and function of local parvalbumin-GABAergic neurons microcircuits and myelinated fibers of long-range macrocircuitry. This is at the basis of neural circuit synchronization impairments and cognitive, emotional, social and sensory deficits characteristic of schizophrenia. Potential therapeutic approaches that aim at breaking these different vicious circles represent promising strategies for timely and safe interventions. In order to improve early detection and increase the signal-to-noise ratio for adjunctive trials of antioxidant, anti-inflammatory and NMDAR modulator drugs, a reverse translation of validated circuitry approach is needed. The above presented processes allow to identify mechanism based biomarkers guiding stratification of homogenous patients groups and target engagement required for successful clinical trials, paving the way towards precision medicine in psychiatry.
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Affiliation(s)
- Michel Cuenod
- Center for Psychiatric Neuroscience, Department of Psychiatry, Lausanne University Hospital (CHUV), Prilly, Lausanne, Switzerland
| | - Pascal Steullet
- Center for Psychiatric Neuroscience, Department of Psychiatry, Lausanne University Hospital (CHUV), Prilly, Lausanne, Switzerland
| | - Jan-Harry Cabungcal
- Center for Psychiatric Neuroscience, Department of Psychiatry, Lausanne University Hospital (CHUV), Prilly, Lausanne, Switzerland
| | - Daniella Dwir
- Center for Psychiatric Neuroscience, Department of Psychiatry, Lausanne University Hospital (CHUV), Prilly, Lausanne, Switzerland
| | - Ines Khadimallah
- Center for Psychiatric Neuroscience, Department of Psychiatry, Lausanne University Hospital (CHUV), Prilly, Lausanne, Switzerland
| | - Paul Klauser
- Center for Psychiatric Neuroscience, Department of Psychiatry, Lausanne University Hospital (CHUV), Prilly, Lausanne, Switzerland
- Service of Child and Adolescent Psychiatry, Department of Psychiatry, Lausanne University Hospital, Prilly, Lausanne, Switzerland
| | - Philippe Conus
- Service of General Psychiatry, Department of Psychiatry, Lausanne University Hospital, Prilly, Lausanne, Switzerland
| | - Kim Q Do
- Center for Psychiatric Neuroscience, Department of Psychiatry, Lausanne University Hospital (CHUV), Prilly, Lausanne, Switzerland.
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13
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Histone Modifications in Neurological Disorders. ADVANCES IN EXPERIMENTAL MEDICINE AND BIOLOGY 2022; 1382:95-107. [DOI: 10.1007/978-3-031-05460-0_7] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/25/2022]
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14
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Yang K, Hua J, Etyemez S, Paez A, Prasad N, Ishizuka K, Sawa A, Kamath V. Volumetric alteration of olfactory bulb and immune-related molecular changes in olfactory epithelium in first episode psychosis patients. Schizophr Res 2021; 235:9-11. [PMID: 34280869 DOI: 10.1016/j.schres.2021.07.016] [Citation(s) in RCA: 6] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Submit a Manuscript] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 04/05/2021] [Revised: 07/11/2021] [Accepted: 07/12/2021] [Indexed: 02/06/2023]
Affiliation(s)
- Kun Yang
- Department of Psychiatry, Johns Hopkins University School of Medicine, Baltimore, MD, United States of America
| | - Jun Hua
- Department of Psychiatry, Radiology and Radiological Sciences, Johns Hopkins University School of Medicine, Baltimore, MD, United States of America; F.M. Kirby Research Center for Functional Brain Imaging, Kennedy Krieger Institute, Baltimore, MD, United States of America
| | - Semra Etyemez
- Department of Psychiatry, Johns Hopkins University School of Medicine, Baltimore, MD, United States of America
| | - Adrian Paez
- F.M. Kirby Research Center for Functional Brain Imaging, Kennedy Krieger Institute, Baltimore, MD, United States of America
| | - Neal Prasad
- Department of Psychiatry, Johns Hopkins University School of Medicine, Baltimore, MD, United States of America
| | - Koko Ishizuka
- Department of Psychiatry, Johns Hopkins University School of Medicine, Baltimore, MD, United States of America
| | - Akira Sawa
- Department of Psychiatry, Johns Hopkins University School of Medicine, Baltimore, MD, United States of America; Department of Psychiatry, Radiology and Radiological Sciences, Johns Hopkins University School of Medicine, Baltimore, MD, United States of America; Department of Psychiatry, Neuroscience, Johns Hopkins University School of Medicine, Baltimore, MD, United States of America; Department of Psychiatry, Biomedical Engineering, Johns Hopkins University School of Medicine, Baltimore, MD, United States of America; Department of Psychiatry, Genetic Medicine, Johns Hopkins University School of Medicine, Baltimore, MD, United States of America; Department of Mental Health, Johns Hopkins Bloomberg School of Public Health, Baltimore, MD, United States of America.
| | - Vidyulata Kamath
- Department of Psychiatry, Johns Hopkins University School of Medicine, Baltimore, MD, United States of America
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15
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Takayanagi Y, Ishizuka K, Laursen TM, Yukitake H, Yang K, Cascella NG, Ueda S, Sumitomo A, Narita Z, Horiuchi Y, Niwa M, Taguchi A, White MF, Eaton WW, Mortensen PB, Sakurai T, Sawa A. From population to neuron: exploring common mediators for metabolic problems and mental illnesses. Mol Psychiatry 2021; 26:3931-3942. [PMID: 33173197 PMCID: PMC8514126 DOI: 10.1038/s41380-020-00939-5] [Citation(s) in RCA: 11] [Impact Index Per Article: 3.7] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Submit a Manuscript] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 07/01/2019] [Revised: 10/05/2020] [Accepted: 10/26/2020] [Indexed: 11/24/2022]
Abstract
Major mental illnesses such as schizophrenia (SZ) and bipolar disorder (BP) frequently accompany metabolic conditions, but their relationship is still unclear, in particular at the mechanistic level. We implemented an approach of "from population to neuron", combining population-based epidemiological analysis with neurobiological experiments using cell and animal models based on a hypothesis built from the epidemiological study. We characterized high-quality population data, olfactory neuronal cells biopsied from patients with SZ or BP, and healthy subjects, as well as mice genetically modified for insulin signaling. We accessed the Danish Registry and observed (1) a higher incidence of diabetes in people with SZ or BP and (2) higher incidence of major mental illnesses in people with diabetes in the same large cohort. These epidemiological data suggest the existence of common pathophysiological mediators in both diabetes and major mental illnesses. We hypothesized that molecules associated with insulin resistance might be such common mediators, and then validated the hypothesis by using two independent sets of olfactory neuronal cells biopsied from patients and healthy controls. In the first set, we confirmed an enrichment of insulin signaling-associated molecules among the genes that were significantly different between SZ patients and controls in unbiased expression profiling data. In the second set, olfactory neuronal cells from SZ and BP patients who were not pre-diabetic or diabetic showed reduced IRS2 tyrosine phosphorylation upon insulin stimulation, indicative of insulin resistance. These cells also displayed an upregulation of IRS1 protein phosphorylation at serine-312 at baseline (without insulin stimulation), further supporting the concept of insulin resistance in olfactory neuronal cells from SZ patients. Finally, Irs2 knockout mice showed an aberrant response to amphetamine, which is also observed in some patients with major mental illnesses. The bi-directional relationships between major mental illnesses and diabetes suggest that there may be common pathophysiological mediators associated with insulin resistance underlying these mental and physical conditions.
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Affiliation(s)
- Yoichiro Takayanagi
- Department of Mental Health, Johns Hopkins University Bloomberg School of Public Health, Baltimore, MD, USA
| | - Koko Ishizuka
- Department of Psychiatry, Johns Hopkins University School of Medicine, Baltimore, MD, USA
| | - Thomas M. Laursen
- National Centre for Register-Based Research, Department of Economics and Business Economics, Aarhus University, Denmark
| | - Hiroshi Yukitake
- Department of Psychiatry, Johns Hopkins University School of Medicine, Baltimore, MD, USA
| | - Kun Yang
- Department of Psychiatry, Johns Hopkins University School of Medicine, Baltimore, MD, USA
| | - Nicola G. Cascella
- Department of Psychiatry, Johns Hopkins University School of Medicine, Baltimore, MD, USA
| | - Shuhei Ueda
- Medical Innovation Center, Kyoto University Graduate School of Medicine, Japan
| | - Akiko Sumitomo
- Medical Innovation Center, Kyoto University Graduate School of Medicine, Japan
| | - Zui Narita
- Department of Psychiatry, Johns Hopkins University School of Medicine, Baltimore, MD, USA
| | - Yasue Horiuchi
- Department of Psychiatry, Johns Hopkins University School of Medicine, Baltimore, MD, USA
| | - Minae Niwa
- Department of Psychiatry, Johns Hopkins University School of Medicine, Baltimore, MD, USA
| | - Akiko Taguchi
- Department of Integrative Aging Neuroscience, National Center for Geriatrics and Gerontology, Japan
| | - Morris F. White
- Division of Endocrinology, Department of Medicine, Boston Children’s Hospital, Harvard Medical School, Boston, MA, USA
| | - William W. Eaton
- Department of Mental Health, Johns Hopkins University Bloomberg School of Public Health, Baltimore, MD, USA
| | - Preben B. Mortensen
- National Centre for Register-Based Research, Department of Economics and Business Economics, Aarhus University, Denmark,The Lundbeck Foundation’s Initiative for Integrative Research, iPSYCH,Center for Integrated Register-based Research at Aarhus University, CIRRAU, Johns Hopkins University School of Medicine, Baltimore, MD, USA
| | - Takeshi Sakurai
- Medical Innovation Center, Kyoto University Graduate School of Medicine, Kyoto, Japan.
| | - Akira Sawa
- Department of Mental Health, Johns Hopkins University Bloomberg School of Public Health, Baltimore, MD, USA. .,Department of Psychiatry, Johns Hopkins University School of Medicine, Baltimore, MD, USA. .,Departments of Neuroscience, Johns Hopkins University School of Medicine, Baltimore, MD, USA. .,Department of Biomedical Engineering, Johns Hopkins University School of Medicine, Baltimore, MD, USA. .,Department of Genetic Medicine, Johns Hopkins University School of Medicine, Baltimore, MD, USA.
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16
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Unterholzner J, Millischer V, Wotawa C, Sawa A, Lanzenberger R. Making Sense of Patient-Derived iPSCs, Transdifferentiated Neurons, Olfactory Neuronal Cells, and Cerebral Organoids as Models for Psychiatric Disorders. Int J Neuropsychopharmacol 2021; 24:759-775. [PMID: 34216465 PMCID: PMC8538891 DOI: 10.1093/ijnp/pyab037] [Citation(s) in RCA: 4] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Submit a Manuscript] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 11/12/2020] [Revised: 05/30/2021] [Accepted: 07/02/2021] [Indexed: 11/17/2022] Open
Abstract
The improvement of experimental models for disorders requires a constant approximation towards the dysregulated tissue. In psychiatry, where an impairment of neuronal structure and function is assumed to play a major role in disease mechanisms and symptom development, this approximation is an ongoing process implicating various fields. These include genetic, animal, and post-mortem studies. To test hypotheses generated through these studies, in vitro models using non-neuronal cells such as fibroblasts and lymphocytes have been developed. For brain network disorders, cells with neuronal signatures would, however, represent a more adequate tissue. Considering the limited accessibility of brain tissue, research has thus turned towards neurons generated from induced pluripotent stem cells as well as directly induced neurons, cerebral organoids, and olfactory neuroepithelium. Regarding the increasing importance and amount of research using these neuronal cells, this review aims to provide an overview of all these models to make sense of the current literature. The development of each model system and its use as a model for the various psychiatric disorder categories will be laid out. Also, advantages and limitations of each model will be discussed, including a reflection on implications and future perspectives.
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Affiliation(s)
- Jakob Unterholzner
- Department of Psychiatry and Psychotherapy, Medical University of Vienna, Austria
| | - Vincent Millischer
- Department of Psychiatry and Psychotherapy, Medical University of Vienna, Austria,Neurogenetics Unit, Department of Molecular Medicine and Surgery, Karolinska Institutet, Stockholm, Sweden,Center for Molecular Medicine, Karolinska University Hospital, Stockholm, Sweden
| | - Christoph Wotawa
- Department of Psychiatry and Psychotherapy, Medical University of Vienna, Austria
| | - Akira Sawa
- Department of Mental Health, Johns Hopkins University Bloomberg School of Public Health, Baltimore, MD, USA,Departments of Psychiatry, Neuroscience, Biomedical Engineering and Genetic Medicine, Johns Hopkins University School of Medicine, Baltimore, MD, USA
| | - Rupert Lanzenberger
- Department of Psychiatry and Psychotherapy, Medical University of Vienna, Austria,Correspondence: Prof. Rupert Lanzenberger, MD, PD, NEUROIMAGING LABS (NIL) - PET, MRI, EEG, TMS & Chemical Lab, Department of Psychiatry and Psychotherapy, Medical University of Vienna, Waehringer Guertel 18–20, 1090 Vienna, Austria ()
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17
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Epigenomic Dysregulation in Schizophrenia: In Search of Disease Etiology and Biomarkers. Cells 2020; 9:cells9081837. [PMID: 32764320 PMCID: PMC7463953 DOI: 10.3390/cells9081837] [Citation(s) in RCA: 47] [Impact Index Per Article: 11.8] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 06/23/2020] [Revised: 07/27/2020] [Accepted: 07/31/2020] [Indexed: 12/13/2022] Open
Abstract
Schizophrenia is a severe psychiatric disorder with a complex array of signs and symptoms that causes very significant disability in young people. While schizophrenia has a strong genetic component, with heritability around 80%, there is also a very significant range of environmental exposures and stressors that have been implicated in disease development and neuropathology, such as maternal immune infection, obstetric complications, childhood trauma and cannabis exposure. It is postulated that epigenetic factors, as well as regulatory non-coding RNAs, mediate the effects of these environmental stressors. In this review, we explore the most well-known epigenetic marks, including DNA methylation and histone modification, along with emerging RNA mediators of epigenomic state, including miRNAs and lncRNAs, and discuss their collective potential for involvement in the pathophysiology of schizophrenia implicated through the postmortem analysis of brain tissue. Given that peripheral tissues, such as blood, saliva, and olfactory epithelium have the same genetic composition and are exposed to many of the same environmental exposures, we also examine some studies supporting the application of peripheral tissues for epigenomic biomarker discovery in schizophrenia. Finally, we provide some perspective on how these biomarkers may be utilized to capture a signature of past events that informs future treatment.
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18
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The clues in solving the mystery of major psychosis: The epigenetic basis of schizophrenia and bipolar disorder. Neurosci Biobehav Rev 2020; 113:51-61. [DOI: 10.1016/j.neubiorev.2020.03.005] [Citation(s) in RCA: 11] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.8] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 11/12/2019] [Revised: 02/19/2020] [Accepted: 03/04/2020] [Indexed: 02/07/2023]
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19
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Kano SI, Hodgkinson CA, Jones-Brando L, Eastwood S, Ishizuka K, Niwa M, Choi EY, Chang DJ, Chen Y, Velivela SD, Leister F, Wood J, Chowdari K, Ducci F, Caycedo DA, Heinz E, Newman ER, Cascella N, Mortensen PB, Zandi PP, Dickerson F, Nimgaonkar V, Goldman D, Harrison PJ, Yolken RH, Sawa A. Host-parasite interaction associated with major mental illness. Mol Psychiatry 2020; 25:194-205. [PMID: 30127472 PMCID: PMC6382596 DOI: 10.1038/s41380-018-0217-z] [Citation(s) in RCA: 18] [Impact Index Per Article: 4.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Submit a Manuscript] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 12/17/2015] [Revised: 04/16/2018] [Accepted: 06/20/2018] [Indexed: 11/23/2022]
Abstract
Clinical studies frequently report that patients with major mental illness such as schizophrenia and bipolar disorder have co-morbid physical conditions, suggesting that systemic alterations affecting both brain and peripheral tissues might underlie the disorders. Numerous studies have reported elevated levels of anti-Toxoplasma gondii (T. gondii) antibodies in patients with major mental illnesses, but the underlying mechanism was unclear. Using multidisciplinary epidemiological, cell biological, and gene expression profiling approaches, we report here multiple lines of evidence suggesting that a major mental illness-related susceptibility factor, Disrupted in schizophrenia (DISC1), is involved in host immune responses against T. gondii infection. Specifically, our cell biology and gene expression studies have revealed that DISC1 Leu607Phe variation, which changes DISC1 interaction with activating transcription factor 4 (ATF4), modifies gene expression patterns upon T. gondii infection. Our epidemiological data have also shown that DISC1 607 Phe/Phe genotype was associated with higher T. gondii antibody levels in sera. Although further studies are required, our study provides mechanistic insight into one of the few well-replicated serological observations in major mental illness.
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Affiliation(s)
- Shin-Ichi Kano
- Departments of Psychiatry and Behavioral Sciences, Johns Hopkins University School of Medicine, Baltimore, MD, 21287, USA
| | - Colin A Hodgkinson
- Laboratory of Neurogenetics, National Institute on Alcohol Abuse and Alcoholism, Bethesda, MD, 20892, USA
| | - Lorraine Jones-Brando
- Stanley Division of Developmental Neurovirology, Johns Hopkins University School of Medicine, Baltimore, MD, 21287, USA
| | - Sharon Eastwood
- Department of Psychiatry, University of Oxford, Oxford, OX3 7JX, United Kingdom
| | - Koko Ishizuka
- Departments of Psychiatry and Behavioral Sciences, Johns Hopkins University School of Medicine, Baltimore, MD, 21287, USA
| | - Minae Niwa
- Departments of Psychiatry and Behavioral Sciences, Johns Hopkins University School of Medicine, Baltimore, MD, 21287, USA
| | - Eric Y Choi
- Departments of Psychiatry and Behavioral Sciences, Johns Hopkins University School of Medicine, Baltimore, MD, 21287, USA
| | - Daniel J Chang
- Departments of Psychiatry and Behavioral Sciences, Johns Hopkins University School of Medicine, Baltimore, MD, 21287, USA
| | - Yian Chen
- Departments of Psychiatry and Behavioral Sciences, Johns Hopkins University School of Medicine, Baltimore, MD, 21287, USA
| | - Swetha D Velivela
- Departments of Psychiatry and Behavioral Sciences, Johns Hopkins University School of Medicine, Baltimore, MD, 21287, USA
| | - Flora Leister
- Departments of Psychiatry and Behavioral Sciences, Johns Hopkins University School of Medicine, Baltimore, MD, 21287, USA
| | - Joel Wood
- Departments of Psychiatry and Human Genetics, University of Pittsburgh School of Medicine, Pittsburgh, PA, 15213, USA
| | - Kodavali Chowdari
- Departments of Psychiatry and Human Genetics, University of Pittsburgh School of Medicine, Pittsburgh, PA, 15213, USA
| | - Francesca Ducci
- Laboratory of Neurogenetics, National Institute on Alcohol Abuse and Alcoholism, Bethesda, MD, 20892, USA
| | - Daniel A Caycedo
- Laboratory of Neurogenetics, National Institute on Alcohol Abuse and Alcoholism, Bethesda, MD, 20892, USA
| | - Elizabeth Heinz
- Laboratory of Neurogenetics, National Institute on Alcohol Abuse and Alcoholism, Bethesda, MD, 20892, USA
| | - Emily R Newman
- Laboratory of Neurogenetics, National Institute on Alcohol Abuse and Alcoholism, Bethesda, MD, 20892, USA
| | - Nicola Cascella
- Departments of Psychiatry and Behavioral Sciences, Johns Hopkins University School of Medicine, Baltimore, MD, 21287, USA
| | - Preben B Mortensen
- National Centre for Register-Based Research, University of Aarhus, Aarhus, 8000, Denmark
| | - Peter P Zandi
- Department of Mental Health, Johns Hopkins University Bloomberg School of Public Health, Baltimore, MD, 21205, USA
| | - Faith Dickerson
- Stanley Research Program, Sheppard Pratt Health System, Baltimore, MD, 21204, USA
| | - Vishwajit Nimgaonkar
- Departments of Psychiatry and Human Genetics, University of Pittsburgh School of Medicine, Pittsburgh, PA, 15213, USA
| | - David Goldman
- Laboratory of Neurogenetics, National Institute on Alcohol Abuse and Alcoholism, Bethesda, MD, 20892, USA
| | - Paul J Harrison
- Department of Psychiatry, University of Oxford, Oxford, OX3 7JX, United Kingdom
| | - Robert H Yolken
- Stanley Division of Developmental Neurovirology, Johns Hopkins University School of Medicine, Baltimore, MD, 21287, USA
| | - Akira Sawa
- Department of Mental Health, Johns Hopkins University Bloomberg School of Public Health, Baltimore, MD, 21205, USA.
- Department of Neuroscience, Johns Hopkins University School of Medicine, Baltimore, MD, 21287, USA.
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20
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Duan J, Sanders AR, Gejman PV. From Schizophrenia Genetics to Disease Biology: Harnessing New Concepts and Technologies. JOURNAL OF PSYCHIATRY AND BRAIN SCIENCE 2019; 4:e190014. [PMID: 31555746 PMCID: PMC6760308 DOI: 10.20900/jpbs.20190014] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/20/2022]
Abstract
Schizophrenia (SZ) is a severe mental disorder afflicting around 1% of the population. It is highly heritable but with complex genetics. Recent research has unraveled a plethora of risk loci for SZ. Accordingly, our conceptual understanding of SZ genetics has been rapidly evolving, from oligogenic models towards polygenic or even omnigenic models. A pressing challenge to the field, however, is the translation of the many genetic findings of SZ into disease biology insights leading to more effective treatments. Bridging this gap requires the integration of genetic findings and functional genomics using appropriate cellular models. Harnessing new technologies, such as the development of human induced pluripotent stem cells (hiPSC) and the CRISPR/Cas-based genome/epigenome editing approach are expected to change our understanding of SZ disease biology to a fundamentally higher level. Here, we discuss some new developments.
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Affiliation(s)
- Jubao Duan
- Center for Psychiatric Genetics, NorthShore University HealthSystem, Evanston, IL 60201, USA
- Department of Psychiatry and Behavioral Neurosciences, The University of Chicago, Chicago, IL 60637, USA
| | - Alan R. Sanders
- Center for Psychiatric Genetics, NorthShore University HealthSystem, Evanston, IL 60201, USA
- Department of Psychiatry and Behavioral Neurosciences, The University of Chicago, Chicago, IL 60637, USA
| | - Pablo V. Gejman
- Center for Psychiatric Genetics, NorthShore University HealthSystem, Evanston, IL 60201, USA
- Department of Psychiatry and Behavioral Neurosciences, The University of Chicago, Chicago, IL 60637, USA
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21
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Abstract
PURPOSE OF REVIEW The objective of this article is to highlight the potential role of the galantamine-memantine combination as a novel antioxidant treatment for schizophrenia. RECENT FINDINGS In addition to the well-known mechanisms of action of galantamine and memantine, these medications also have antioxidant activity. Furthermore, an interplay exists between oxidative stress, inflammation (redox-inflammatory hypothesis), and kynurenine pathway metabolites. Also, there is an interaction between brain-derived neurotrophic factor and oxidative stress in schizophrenia. Oxidative stress may be associated with positive, cognitive, and negative symptoms and impairments in white matter integrity in schizophrenia. The antipsychotic-galantamine-memantine combination may provide a novel strategy in schizophrenia to treat positive, cognitive, and negative symptoms. SUMMARY A "single antioxidant" may be inadequate to counteract the complex cascade of oxidative stress. The galantamine-memantine combination as "double antioxidants" is promising. Hence, randomized controlled trials are warranted with the antipsychotic-galantamine-memantine combination with oxidative stress and antioxidant biomarkers in schizophrenia.
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22
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Jia P, Chen X, Xie W, Kendler KS, Zhao Z. Mega-analysis of Odds Ratio: A Convergent Method for a Deep Understanding of the Genetic Evidence in Schizophrenia. Schizophr Bull 2019; 45:698-708. [PMID: 29931221 PMCID: PMC6483587 DOI: 10.1093/schbul/sby085] [Citation(s) in RCA: 11] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.2] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Submit a Manuscript] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 12/22/2022]
Abstract
Numerous high-throughput omics studies have been conducted in schizophrenia, providing an accumulated catalog of susceptible variants and genes. The results from these studies, however, are highly heterogeneous. The variants and genes nominated by different omics studies often have limited overlap with each other. There is thus a pressing need for integrative analysis to unify the different types of data and provide a convergent view of schizophrenia candidate genes (SZgenes). In this study, we collected a comprehensive, multidimensional dataset, including 7819 brain-expressed genes. The data hosted genome-wide association evidence in genetics (eg, genotyping data, copy number variations, de novo mutations), epigenetics, transcriptomics, and literature mining. We developed a method named mega-analysis of odds ratio (MegaOR) to prioritize SZgenes. Application of MegaOR in the multidimensional data resulted in consensus sets of SZgenes (up to 530), each enriched with dense, multidimensional evidence. We proved that these SZgenes had highly tissue-specific expression in brain and nerve and had intensive interactions that were significantly stronger than chance expectation. Furthermore, we found these SZgenes were involved in human brain development by showing strong spatiotemporal expression patterns; these characteristics were replicated in independent brain expression datasets. Finally, we found the SZgenes were enriched in critical functional gene sets involved in neuronal activities, ligand gated ion signaling, and fragile X mental retardation protein targets. In summary, MegaOR analysis reported consensus sets of SZgenes with enriched association evidence to schizophrenia, providing insights into the pathophysiology underlying schizophrenia.
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Affiliation(s)
- Peilin Jia
- Center for Precision Health, School of Biomedical Informatics, The University of Texas Health Science Center at Houston, Houston, TX
| | - Xiangning Chen
- Department of Psychology, University of Nevada Las Vegas, Las Vegas, NV,Nevada Institute of Personalized Medicine, University of Nevada Las Vegas, Las Vegas, NV
| | - Wei Xie
- Department of Electrical Engineering and Computer Science, Vanderbilt University, Nashville, TN
| | - Kenneth S Kendler
- Virginia Institute for Psychiatric and Behavioral Genetics, Virginia Commonwealth University, Richmond, VA,Department of Psychiatry, Virginia Commonwealth University, Richmond, VA
| | - Zhongming Zhao
- Center for Precision Health, School of Biomedical Informatics, The University of Texas Health Science Center at Houston, Houston, TX,Department of Psychiatry, The University of Texas Health Science Center at Houston, Houston, TX,To whom correspondence should be addressed; School of Biomedical Informatics, The University of Texas Health Science Center at Houston, 7000 Fannin St. Suite 820, Houston, TX 77030, USA; tel: 713-500-3631, fax: 713-500-3907, e-mail:
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23
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Sumitomo A, Yukitake H, Hirai K, Horike K, Ueta K, Chung Y, Warabi E, Yanagawa T, Kitaoka S, Furuyashiki T, Narumiya S, Hirano T, Niwa M, Sibille E, Hikida T, Sakurai T, Ishizuka K, Sawa A, Tomoda T. Ulk2 controls cortical excitatory-inhibitory balance via autophagic regulation of p62 and GABAA receptor trafficking in pyramidal neurons. Hum Mol Genet 2019; 27:3165-3176. [PMID: 29893844 DOI: 10.1093/hmg/ddy219] [Citation(s) in RCA: 29] [Impact Index Per Article: 5.8] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 01/26/2018] [Accepted: 06/04/2018] [Indexed: 01/21/2023] Open
Abstract
Autophagy plays an essential role in intracellular degradation and maintenance of cellular homeostasis in all cells, including neurons. Although a recent study reported a copy number variation of Ulk2, a gene essential for initiating autophagy, associated with a case of schizophrenia (SZ), it remains to be studied whether Ulk2 dysfunction could underlie the pathophysiology of the disease. Here we show that Ulk2 heterozygous (Ulk2+/-) mice have upregulated expression of sequestosome-1/p62, an autophagy-associated stress response protein, predominantly in pyramidal neurons of the prefrontal cortex (PFC), and exhibit behavioral deficits associated with the PFC functions, including attenuated sensorimotor gating and impaired cognition. Ulk2+/- neurons showed imbalanced excitatory-inhibitory neurotransmission, due in part to selective down-modulation of gamma-aminobutyric acid (GABA)A receptor surface expression in pyramidal neurons. Genetically reducing p62 gene dosage or suppressing p62 protein levels with an autophagy-inducing agent restored the GABAA receptor surface expression and rescued the behavioral deficits in Ulk2+/- mice. Moreover, expressing a short peptide that specifically interferes with the interaction of p62 and GABAA receptor-associated protein, a protein that regulates endocytic trafficking of GABAA receptors, also restored the GABAA receptor surface expression and rescued the behavioral deficits in Ulk2+/- mice. Thus, the current study reveals a novel mechanism linking deregulated autophagy to functional disturbances of the nervous system relevant to SZ, through regulation of GABAA receptor surface presentation in pyramidal neurons.
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Affiliation(s)
- Akiko Sumitomo
- Department of Research and Drug Discovery, Medical Innovation Center, Kyoto University Graduate School of Medicine, Kyoto, Japan
| | - Hiroshi Yukitake
- Department of Psychiatry and Behavioral Sciences, Johns Hopkins University School of Medicine, Baltimore, MD, USA
| | - Kazuko Hirai
- Department of Research and Drug Discovery, Medical Innovation Center, Kyoto University Graduate School of Medicine, Kyoto, Japan
| | - Kouta Horike
- Department of Research and Drug Discovery, Medical Innovation Center, Kyoto University Graduate School of Medicine, Kyoto, Japan
| | - Keisho Ueta
- Department of Research and Drug Discovery, Medical Innovation Center, Kyoto University Graduate School of Medicine, Kyoto, Japan
| | - Youjin Chung
- Department of Psychiatry and Behavioral Sciences, Johns Hopkins University School of Medicine, Baltimore, MD, USA
| | - Eiji Warabi
- Faculty of Medicine, University of Tsukuba, Tsukuba 305-8575, Japan
| | - Toru Yanagawa
- Faculty of Medicine, University of Tsukuba, Tsukuba 305-8575, Japan
| | - Shiho Kitaoka
- CREST Project, Medical Innovation Center, Kyoto University Graduate School of Medicine, Kyoto, Japan.,Department of Pharmacology, Kobe University Graduate School of Medicine, Hyogo, Japan
| | - Tomoyuki Furuyashiki
- CREST Project, Medical Innovation Center, Kyoto University Graduate School of Medicine, Kyoto, Japan.,Department of Pharmacology, Kobe University Graduate School of Medicine, Hyogo, Japan
| | - Shuh Narumiya
- CREST Project, Medical Innovation Center, Kyoto University Graduate School of Medicine, Kyoto, Japan
| | - Tomoo Hirano
- Department of Biophysics, Kyoto University Graduate School of Science, Kyoto, Japan
| | - Minae Niwa
- Department of Psychiatry and Behavioral Sciences, Johns Hopkins University School of Medicine, Baltimore, MD, USA
| | - Etienne Sibille
- Campbell Family Mental Health Research Institute, Centre for Addiction and Mental Health, University of Toronto, Toronto, ON, Canada
| | - Takatoshi Hikida
- Department of Research and Drug Discovery, Medical Innovation Center, Kyoto University Graduate School of Medicine, Kyoto, Japan
| | - Takeshi Sakurai
- Department of Research and Drug Discovery, Medical Innovation Center, Kyoto University Graduate School of Medicine, Kyoto, Japan
| | - Koko Ishizuka
- Department of Psychiatry and Behavioral Sciences, Johns Hopkins University School of Medicine, Baltimore, MD, USA
| | - Akira Sawa
- Department of Psychiatry and Behavioral Sciences, Johns Hopkins University School of Medicine, Baltimore, MD, USA
| | - Toshifumi Tomoda
- Department of Research and Drug Discovery, Medical Innovation Center, Kyoto University Graduate School of Medicine, Kyoto, Japan.,Campbell Family Mental Health Research Institute, Centre for Addiction and Mental Health, University of Toronto, Toronto, ON, Canada
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24
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Kano SI, Choi EY, Dohi E, Agarwal S, Chang DJ, Wilson AM, Lo BD, Rose IVL, Gonzalez S, Imai T, Sawa A. Glutathione S-transferases promote proinflammatory astrocyte-microglia communication during brain inflammation. Sci Signal 2019; 12:12/569/eaar2124. [PMID: 30783009 DOI: 10.1126/scisignal.aar2124] [Citation(s) in RCA: 31] [Impact Index Per Article: 6.2] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 12/14/2022]
Abstract
Astrocytes and microglia play critical roles in brain inflammation. Here, we report that glutathione S-transferases (GSTs), particularly GSTM1, promote proinflammatory signaling in astrocytes and contribute to astrocyte-mediated microglia activation during brain inflammation. In vivo, astrocyte-specific knockdown of GSTM1 in the prefrontal cortex attenuated microglia activation in brain inflammation induced by systemic injection of lipopolysaccharides (LPS). Knocking down GSTM1 in astrocytes also attenuated LPS-induced production of the proinflammatory cytokine tumor necrosis factor-α (TNF-α) by microglia when the two cell types were cocultured. In astrocytes, GSTM1 was required for the activation of nuclear factor κB (NF-κB) and the production of proinflammatory mediators, such as granulocyte-macrophage colony-stimulating factor (GM-CSF) and C-C motif chemokine ligand 2 (CCL2), both of which enhance microglia activation. Our study suggests that GSTs play a proinflammatory role in priming astrocytes and enhancing microglia activation in a microglia-astrocyte positive feedback loop during brain inflammation.
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Affiliation(s)
- Shin-Ichi Kano
- Department of Psychiatry and Behavioral Sciences, Johns Hopkins University School of Medicine, Baltimore, MD 21287, USA.
| | - Eric Y Choi
- Department of Psychiatry and Behavioral Sciences, Johns Hopkins University School of Medicine, Baltimore, MD 21287, USA
| | - Eisuke Dohi
- Department of Psychiatry and Behavioral Sciences, Johns Hopkins University School of Medicine, Baltimore, MD 21287, USA
| | - Swati Agarwal
- Department of Psychiatry and Behavioral Sciences, Johns Hopkins University School of Medicine, Baltimore, MD 21287, USA
| | - Daniel J Chang
- Department of Psychiatry and Behavioral Sciences, Johns Hopkins University School of Medicine, Baltimore, MD 21287, USA
| | - Ashley M Wilson
- Department of Psychiatry and Behavioral Sciences, Johns Hopkins University School of Medicine, Baltimore, MD 21287, USA
| | - Brian D Lo
- Department of Psychiatry and Behavioral Sciences, Johns Hopkins University School of Medicine, Baltimore, MD 21287, USA
| | - Indigo V L Rose
- Department of Psychiatry and Behavioral Sciences, Johns Hopkins University School of Medicine, Baltimore, MD 21287, USA
| | - Santiago Gonzalez
- Department of Psychiatry and Behavioral Sciences, Johns Hopkins University School of Medicine, Baltimore, MD 21287, USA
| | - Takashi Imai
- Department of Psychiatry and Behavioral Sciences, Johns Hopkins University School of Medicine, Baltimore, MD 21287, USA.,Department of Infectious Diseases and Host Defense, Gunma University Graduate School of Medicine, Maebashi, Gunma 371-8510, Japan
| | - Akira Sawa
- Department of Psychiatry and Behavioral Sciences, Johns Hopkins University School of Medicine, Baltimore, MD 21287, USA. .,Solomon H. Snyder Department of Neuroscience, Johns Hopkins University School of Medicine, Baltimore, MD 21205, USA.,Department of Biomedical Engineering, Johns Hopkins University School of Medicine, Baltimore, MD 21205, USA.,Department of Mental Health, Johns Hopkins University Bloomberg School of Public Health, Baltimore, MD 21205, USA
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25
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Golimbet VE, Kryukov AI, Kostyuk GP, Arzamasov SG, Tsarapkin GY. [Olfactory neuroepithelium as a model for the studies of molecular mechanisms of schizophrenia]. Zh Nevrol Psikhiatr Im S S Korsakova 2018; 118:111-114. [PMID: 30040811 DOI: 10.17116/jnevro201811861111] [Citation(s) in RCA: 1] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.2] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/17/2022]
Abstract
Olfactory neuroepithelium (OE) is shown to be a suitable experimental model to study neuronal biomarkers of psychiatric diseases including schizophrenia. Olfactory neuronal precursors can be useful for studying neurodevelopmental stages, neuronal markers, pharmacological screening. However, a limited number of research groups have used this cell model in a small number of patients and healthy people that can be explained by several factors. Based on literature reports and own research, the authors analyze the advantages and limitations of OE-derived cell/tissue models. The main limitations of these models are decreased rate of harvesting and culturing OE-derived cell and low percentage of patients who agreed to participate in the study. Our results showed that only 10% of patients with schizophrenia signed informed consent for nasal biopsy, 80% of them underwent biopsy.
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Affiliation(s)
| | - A I Kryukov
- Sverzhevskiy Otorhinolaryngology Healthcare Research Institute, Moscow Department of Healthcare, Moscow, Russia
| | - G P Kostyuk
- Alekseev Psychiatric Clinical Hospital #1, Moscow, Russia
| | - S G Arzamasov
- Sverzhevskiy Otorhinolaryngology Healthcare Research Institute, Moscow Department of Healthcare, Moscow, Russia
| | - G Yu Tsarapkin
- Sverzhevskiy Otorhinolaryngology Healthcare Research Institute, Moscow Department of Healthcare, Moscow, Russia
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26
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Srivastava R, Faust T, Ramos A, Ishizuka K, Sawa A. Dynamic Changes of the Mitochondria in Psychiatric Illnesses: New Mechanistic Insights From Human Neuronal Models. Biol Psychiatry 2018; 83:751-760. [PMID: 29486891 PMCID: PMC6469392 DOI: 10.1016/j.biopsych.2018.01.007] [Citation(s) in RCA: 35] [Impact Index Per Article: 5.8] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Submit a Manuscript] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 09/26/2017] [Revised: 12/18/2017] [Accepted: 01/07/2018] [Indexed: 02/06/2023]
Abstract
Mitochondria play a crucial role in neuronal function, especially in energy production, the generation of reactive oxygen species, and calcium signaling. Multiple lines of evidence have suggested the possible involvement of mitochondrial deficits in major psychiatric disorders, such as schizophrenia and bipolar disorder. This review will outline the current understanding of the physiological role of mitochondria and their dysfunction under pathological conditions, particularly in psychiatric disorders. The current knowledge about mitochondrial deficits in these disorders is somewhat limited because of the lack of effective methods to dissect dynamic changes in functional deficits that are directly associated with psychiatric conditions. Human neuronal cell model systems have been dramatically developed in recent years with the use of stem cell technology, and these systems may be key tools for overcoming this dilemma and improving our understanding of the dynamic changes in the mitochondrial deficits in patients with psychiatric disorders. We introduce recent discoveries from new experimental models and conclude the discussion by referring to future perspectives. We emphasize the significance of combining studies of human neuronal cell models with those of other experimental systems, including animal models.
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Affiliation(s)
- Rupali Srivastava
- Department of Psychiatry and Behavioral Sciences, Johns Hopkins University School of Medicine, Baltimore, Maryland
| | - Travis Faust
- Department of Psychiatry and Behavioral Sciences, Johns Hopkins University School of Medicine, Baltimore, Maryland
| | - Adriana Ramos
- Department of Psychiatry and Behavioral Sciences, Johns Hopkins University School of Medicine, Baltimore, Maryland
| | - Koko Ishizuka
- Department of Psychiatry and Behavioral Sciences, Johns Hopkins University School of Medicine, Baltimore, Maryland
| | - Akira Sawa
- Department of Psychiatry and Behavioral Sciences, Johns Hopkins University School of Medicine, Baltimore, Maryland.
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27
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McLean CK, Narayan S, Lin SY, Rai N, Chung Y, Hipolito MS, Cascella NG, Nurnberger JI, Ishizuka K, Sawa AS, Nwulia EA. Lithium-associated transcriptional regulation of CRMP1 in patient-derived olfactory neurons and symptom changes in bipolar disorder. Transl Psychiatry 2018; 8:81. [PMID: 29666369 PMCID: PMC5904136 DOI: 10.1038/s41398-018-0126-6] [Citation(s) in RCA: 8] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Submit a Manuscript] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 12/06/2017] [Accepted: 12/13/2017] [Indexed: 12/17/2022] Open
Abstract
There is growing evidence that lithium used in the treatment of bipolar disorder (BD) affects molecular targets that are involved in neuronal growth, survival, and maturation, but it remains unclear if neuronal alterations in any of these molecules predict specific symptom changes in BD patients undergoing lithium monotherapy. The goals of this study were to (a) determine which molecular changes in the olfactory neurons of symptomatic patients receiving lithium are associated with antimanic or antidepressant response, and (b) uncover novel intraneuronal regulatory mechanisms of lithium therapy. Twenty-two treatment-naïve non-smoking patients, with symptomatic BD underwent nasal biopsies for collection of olfactory tissues, prior to their treatment and following a 6-week course of lithium monotherapy. Sixteen healthy controls were also biopsied. Combining laser capture microdissection with real-time polymerase chain reaction, we investigated baseline and treatment-associated transcriptional changes in candidate molecular targets of lithium action in the olfactory neuroepithelium. Baseline mRNA levels of glycogen synthase kinase 3 beta (GSK3β) and collapsin response mediator protein 1 (CRMP1) genes were significantly associated with BD status and with severity of mood symptoms. Among BD subjects, treatment-associated downregulation of CRMP1 expression was most predictive of decreases in both manic and depressive symptoms. This study provides a novel insight into the relevance of CRMP1, a key molecule in semaphorin-3A signaling during neurodevelopment, in the molecular mechanism of action of lithium, and in the pathophysiology of BD. It supports the use of human-derived olfactory neuronal tissues in the evaluation of treatment response of psychiatric disorders.
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Affiliation(s)
- Charlee K. McLean
- 0000 0001 0547 4545grid.257127.4Department of Psychiatry and Behavioral Sciences, Howard University, Washington, DC USA
| | - Soumya Narayan
- 0000 0001 2171 9311grid.21107.35Department of Psychiatry, Johns Hopkins University, Baltimore, MD USA
| | - Sandra Y. Lin
- 0000 0001 2171 9311grid.21107.35Department of Otolaryngology-Head and Neck Surgery, Johns Hopkins University, Baltimore, MD USA
| | - Narayan Rai
- 0000 0001 0547 4545grid.257127.4Department of Psychiatry and Behavioral Sciences, Howard University, Washington, DC USA
| | - Youjin Chung
- 0000 0001 2171 9311grid.21107.35Department of Psychiatry, Johns Hopkins University, Baltimore, MD USA
| | - MariaMananita S. Hipolito
- 0000 0001 0547 4545grid.257127.4Department of Psychiatry and Behavioral Sciences, Howard University, Washington, DC USA
| | - Nicola G. Cascella
- grid.415690.fDepartment of Psychiatry, Sheppard Pratt Health Systems, Baltimore, MD USA
| | - John I Nurnberger
- 0000 0001 0790 959Xgrid.411377.7Department of Psychiatry, Indiana University, Bloomington, IN USA
| | - Koko Ishizuka
- 0000 0001 2171 9311grid.21107.35Department of Psychiatry, Johns Hopkins University, Baltimore, MD USA
| | - Akira S. Sawa
- 0000 0001 2171 9311grid.21107.35Department of Psychiatry, Johns Hopkins University, Baltimore, MD USA
| | - Evaristus A. Nwulia
- 0000 0001 0547 4545grid.257127.4Department of Psychiatry and Behavioral Sciences, Howard University, Washington, DC USA
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28
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Abstract
BACKGROUND Though olfactory deficits are well-documented in schizophrenia, fewer studies have examined olfactory performance profiles across the psychosis spectrum. The current study examined odor identification, discrimination, and detection threshold performance in first-episode psychosis (FEP) patients diagnosed with schizophrenia, schizoaffective disorder, bipolar disorder with psychotic features, major depression with psychotic features, and other psychotic conditions. METHOD FEP patients (n = 97) and healthy adults (n = 98) completed birhinal assessments of odor identification, discrimination, and detection threshold sensitivity for lyral and citralva. Participants also completed measures of anticipatory pleasure, anhedonia, and empathy. Differences in olfactory performances were assessed between FEP patients and controls and within FEP subgroups. Sex-stratified post hoc analyses were employed for a complete analysis of sex differences. Relationships between self-report measures and olfactory scores were also examined. RESULTS Individuals with psychosis had poorer scores across all olfactory measures when compared to the control group. Within the psychosis cohort, patients with schizophrenia-associated psychosis had poorer odor identification, discrimination, and citralva detection threshold scores relative to controls. In schizophrenia patients, greater olfactory disturbance was associated with increased negative symptomatology, greater self-reported anhedonia, and lower self-reported anticipatory pleasure. Patients with mood-associated psychosis performed comparable to controls though men and women in this cohort showed differential olfactory profiles. CONCLUSIONS These findings indicate that olfactory deficits extend beyond measures of odor identification in FEP with greater deficits observed in schizophrenia-related subgroups of psychosis. Studies examining whether greater olfactory dysfunction confers greater risk for developing schizophrenia relative to other forms of psychosis are warranted.
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Affiliation(s)
- Vidyulata Kamath
- Department of Psychiatry and Behavioral Sciences, The Johns Hopkins University School of Medicine, Baltimore, MD
- To whom correspondence should be addressed; Division of Medical Psychology, The Johns Hopkins University School of Medicine, 600 N. Wolfe Street, Meyer 218, Baltimore, MD 21287-7218, US; tel: 410-614-6342, fax: 410-955-0504, e-mail:
| | - Patricia Lasutschinkow
- Department of Psychiatry and Behavioral Sciences, The Johns Hopkins University School of Medicine, Baltimore, MD
| | - Koko Ishizuka
- Department of Psychiatry and Behavioral Sciences, The Johns Hopkins University School of Medicine, Baltimore, MD
| | - Akira Sawa
- Department of Psychiatry and Behavioral Sciences, The Johns Hopkins University School of Medicine, Baltimore, MD
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29
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Posporelis S, Coughlin JM, Marsman A, Pradhan S, Tanaka T, Wang H, Varvaris M, Ward R, Higgs C, Edwards JA, Ford CN, Kim PK, Lloyd AM, Edden RAE, Schretlen DJ, Cascella NG, Barker PB, Sawa A. Decoupling of Brain Temperature and Glutamate in Recent Onset of Schizophrenia: A 7T Proton Magnetic Resonance Spectroscopy Study. BIOLOGICAL PSYCHIATRY. COGNITIVE NEUROSCIENCE AND NEUROIMAGING 2018; 3:248-254. [PMID: 29486866 PMCID: PMC5836506 DOI: 10.1016/j.bpsc.2017.04.003] [Citation(s) in RCA: 18] [Impact Index Per Article: 3.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 12/27/2016] [Revised: 03/23/2017] [Accepted: 04/10/2017] [Indexed: 01/09/2023]
Abstract
BACKGROUND Converging evidence suggests that cerebral metabolic and cellular homeostasis is altered in patients with recent onset of schizophrenia. As a possible marker of metabolic changes that might link to altered neurotransmission, we used proton magnetic resonance spectroscopy to estimate brain temperature, and we evaluated its relationship to a relevant metabolite, glutamate, within this study population. METHODS Using proton magnetic resonance spectroscopy at 7T, 20 patients with recent onset (≤24 months after first psychotic symptoms) of schizophrenia and 20 healthy control subjects were studied. We measured levels of N-acetylaspartate and glutamate and estimated brain temperature in a noninvasive manner. RESULTS Healthy control subjects showed a significant negative correlation between glutamate and brain temperature in the anterior cingulate cortex. In contrast, the physiological correlation between glutamate and brain temperature was lost in patients with recent onset of schizophrenia. CONCLUSIONS This study supports the hypothesized disrupted relationship between brain metabolism and neurotransmission in patients with recent onset of schizophrenia. The findings include mechanistic implications that are to be followed up in both preclinical and clinical studies.
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Affiliation(s)
- Sotirios Posporelis
- Department of Psychiatry and Behavioral Sciences, Johns Hopkins Medical Institutions, Baltimore, Maryland; South London and Maudsley National Health Service Foundation Trust, London, United Kingdom
| | - Jennifer M Coughlin
- Department of Psychiatry and Behavioral Sciences, Johns Hopkins Medical Institutions, Baltimore, Maryland; Russell H. Morgan Department of Radiology and Radiological Science, Johns Hopkins Medical Institutions, Baltimore, Maryland
| | - Anouk Marsman
- Russell H. Morgan Department of Radiology and Radiological Science, Johns Hopkins Medical Institutions, Baltimore, Maryland
| | - Subechhya Pradhan
- Russell H. Morgan Department of Radiology and Radiological Science, Johns Hopkins Medical Institutions, Baltimore, Maryland
| | - Teppei Tanaka
- Department of Psychiatry and Behavioral Sciences, Johns Hopkins Medical Institutions, Baltimore, Maryland
| | - Hongxing Wang
- Department of Psychiatry and Behavioral Sciences, Johns Hopkins Medical Institutions, Baltimore, Maryland
| | - Mark Varvaris
- Department of Psychiatry and Behavioral Sciences, Johns Hopkins Medical Institutions, Baltimore, Maryland
| | - Rebecca Ward
- Department of Psychiatry and Behavioral Sciences, Johns Hopkins Medical Institutions, Baltimore, Maryland
| | - Cecilia Higgs
- Department of Psychiatry and Behavioral Sciences, Johns Hopkins Medical Institutions, Baltimore, Maryland
| | - Jamie A Edwards
- Department of Psychiatry and Behavioral Sciences, Johns Hopkins Medical Institutions, Baltimore, Maryland
| | - Candice N Ford
- Department of Psychiatry and Behavioral Sciences, Johns Hopkins Medical Institutions, Baltimore, Maryland
| | - Pearl K Kim
- Department of Psychiatry and Behavioral Sciences, Johns Hopkins Medical Institutions, Baltimore, Maryland
| | - Ashley M Lloyd
- Department of Psychiatry and Behavioral Sciences, Johns Hopkins Medical Institutions, Baltimore, Maryland
| | - Richard A E Edden
- Russell H. Morgan Department of Radiology and Radiological Science, Johns Hopkins Medical Institutions, Baltimore, Maryland
| | - David J Schretlen
- Department of Psychiatry and Behavioral Sciences, Johns Hopkins Medical Institutions, Baltimore, Maryland
| | - Nicola G Cascella
- Department of Psychiatry and Behavioral Sciences, Johns Hopkins Medical Institutions, Baltimore, Maryland
| | - Peter B Barker
- Russell H. Morgan Department of Radiology and Radiological Science, Johns Hopkins Medical Institutions, Baltimore, Maryland
| | - Akira Sawa
- Department of Psychiatry and Behavioral Sciences, Johns Hopkins Medical Institutions, Baltimore, Maryland.
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30
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Mitchell AC, Javidfar B, Pothula V, Ibi D, Shen EY, Peter CJ, Bicks L, Fehr T, Jiang Y, Brennand KJ, Neve RL, Gonzalez-Maeso J, Akbarian S. MEF2C transcription factor is associated with the genetic and epigenetic risk architecture of schizophrenia and improves cognition in mice. Mol Psychiatry 2018; 23:123-132. [PMID: 28115742 PMCID: PMC5966823 DOI: 10.1038/mp.2016.254] [Citation(s) in RCA: 61] [Impact Index Per Article: 10.2] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Submit a Manuscript] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 04/21/2016] [Revised: 10/30/2016] [Accepted: 12/06/2016] [Indexed: 12/20/2022]
Abstract
Large-scale consortia mapping the genomic risk architectures of schizophrenia provide vast amounts of molecular information, with largely unexplored therapeutic potential. We harnessed publically available information from the Psychiatric Genomics Consortium, and report myocyte enhancer factor 2C (MEF2C) motif enrichment in sequences surrounding the top scoring single-nucleotide polymorphisms within risk loci contributing by individual small effect to disease heritability. Chromatin profiling at base-pair resolution in neuronal nucleosomes extracted from prefrontal cortex of 34 subjects, including 17 cases diagnosed with schizophrenia, revealed MEF2C motif enrichment within cis-regulatory sequences, including neuron-specific promoters and superenhancers, affected by histone H3K4 hypermethylation in disease cases. Vector-induced short- and long-term Mef2c upregulation in mouse prefrontal projection neurons consistently resulted in enhanced cognitive performance in working memory and object recognition paradigms at baseline and after psychotogenic drug challenge, in conjunction with remodeling of local connectivity. Neuronal genome tagging in vivo by Mef2c-Dam adenine methyltransferase fusion protein confirmed the link between cognitive enhancement and MEF2C occupancy at promoters harboring canonical and variant MEF2C motifs. The multilayered integrative approaches presented here provide a roadmap to uncover the therapeutic potential of transcriptional regulators for schizophrenia and related disorders.
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Affiliation(s)
- Amanda C. Mitchell
- Department of Psychiatry, Icahn School of Medicine at Mount Sinai, New York, NY 10029
- Department of Neuroscience, Icahn School of Medicine at Mount Sinai, New York, NY 10029
- Friedman Brain Institute, Icahn School of Medicine at Mount Sinai, New York, NY 10029
| | - Behnam Javidfar
- Department of Psychiatry, Icahn School of Medicine at Mount Sinai, New York, NY 10029
- Department of Neuroscience, Icahn School of Medicine at Mount Sinai, New York, NY 10029
- Friedman Brain Institute, Icahn School of Medicine at Mount Sinai, New York, NY 10029
| | - Venu Pothula
- Department of Psychiatry, Icahn School of Medicine at Mount Sinai, New York, NY 10029
- Department of Neuroscience, Icahn School of Medicine at Mount Sinai, New York, NY 10029
- Friedman Brain Institute, Icahn School of Medicine at Mount Sinai, New York, NY 10029
| | - Daisuke Ibi
- Department of Psychiatry, Icahn School of Medicine at Mount Sinai, New York, NY 10029
| | - Erica Y. Shen
- Department of Psychiatry, Icahn School of Medicine at Mount Sinai, New York, NY 10029
- Department of Neuroscience, Icahn School of Medicine at Mount Sinai, New York, NY 10029
- Friedman Brain Institute, Icahn School of Medicine at Mount Sinai, New York, NY 10029
| | - Cyril J. Peter
- Department of Psychiatry, Icahn School of Medicine at Mount Sinai, New York, NY 10029
- Department of Neuroscience, Icahn School of Medicine at Mount Sinai, New York, NY 10029
- Friedman Brain Institute, Icahn School of Medicine at Mount Sinai, New York, NY 10029
| | - Lucy Bicks
- Department of Psychiatry, Icahn School of Medicine at Mount Sinai, New York, NY 10029
- Department of Neuroscience, Icahn School of Medicine at Mount Sinai, New York, NY 10029
- Friedman Brain Institute, Icahn School of Medicine at Mount Sinai, New York, NY 10029
| | - Tristan Fehr
- Department of Psychiatry, Icahn School of Medicine at Mount Sinai, New York, NY 10029
- Department of Neuroscience, Icahn School of Medicine at Mount Sinai, New York, NY 10029
- Friedman Brain Institute, Icahn School of Medicine at Mount Sinai, New York, NY 10029
| | - Yan Jiang
- Department of Psychiatry, Icahn School of Medicine at Mount Sinai, New York, NY 10029
- Department of Neuroscience, Icahn School of Medicine at Mount Sinai, New York, NY 10029
- Friedman Brain Institute, Icahn School of Medicine at Mount Sinai, New York, NY 10029
| | - Kristen J. Brennand
- Department of Psychiatry, Icahn School of Medicine at Mount Sinai, New York, NY 10029
- Department of Neuroscience, Icahn School of Medicine at Mount Sinai, New York, NY 10029
- Friedman Brain Institute, Icahn School of Medicine at Mount Sinai, New York, NY 10029
| | - Rachael L. Neve
- McGovern Institute for Brain Research, Massachusetts Institute of Technology, Cambridge MA02139, USA
| | - Javier Gonzalez-Maeso
- Department of Physiology and Biophysics, Virginia Commonwealth University Medical School, Richmond, Virginia 23298, USA
| | - Schahram Akbarian
- Department of Psychiatry, Icahn School of Medicine at Mount Sinai, New York, NY 10029
- Department of Neuroscience, Icahn School of Medicine at Mount Sinai, New York, NY 10029
- Friedman Brain Institute, Icahn School of Medicine at Mount Sinai, New York, NY 10029
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Gulchina Y, Xu SJ, Snyder MA, Elefant F, Gao WJ. Epigenetic mechanisms underlying NMDA receptor hypofunction in the prefrontal cortex of juvenile animals in the MAM model for schizophrenia. J Neurochem 2017. [PMID: 28628228 DOI: 10.1111/jnc.14101] [Citation(s) in RCA: 38] [Impact Index Per Article: 5.4] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 12/22/2022]
Abstract
Schizophrenia (SCZ) is characterized not only by psychosis, but also by working memory and executive functioning deficiencies, processes that rely on the prefrontal cortex (PFC). Because these cognitive impairments emerge prior to psychosis onset, we investigated synaptic function during development in the neurodevelopmental methylazoxymethanol (MAM) model for SCZ. Specifically, we hypothesize that N-methyl-D-aspartate receptor (NMDAR) hypofunction is attributable to reductions in the NR2B subunit through aberrant epigenetic regulation of gene expression, resulting in deficient synaptic physiology and PFC-dependent cognitive dysfunction, a hallmark of SCZ. Using western blot and whole-cell patch-clamp electrophysiology, we found that the levels of synaptic NR2B protein are significantly decreased in juvenile MAM animals, and the function of NMDARs is substantially compromised. Both NMDA-mEPSCs and synaptic NMDA-eEPSCs are significantly reduced in prelimbic PFC (plPFC). This protein loss during the juvenile period is correlated with an aberrant increase in enrichment of the epigenetic transcriptional repressor RE1-silencing transcription factor (REST) and the repressive histone marker H3K27me3 at the Grin2b promoter, as assayed by ChIP-quantitative polymerase chain reaction. Glutamate hypofunction has been a prominent hypothesis in the understanding of SCZ pathology; however, little attention has been given to the NMDAR system in the developing PFC in models for SCZ. Our work is the first to confirm that NMDAR hypofunction is a feature of early postnatal development, with epigenetic hyper-repression of the Grin2b promoter being a contributing factor. The selective loss of NR2B protein and subsequent synaptic dysfunction weakens plPFC function during development and may underlie early cognitive impairments in SCZ models and patients. Read the Editorial Highlight for this article on page 264.
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Affiliation(s)
- Yelena Gulchina
- Department of Neurobiology and Anatomy, Drexel University College of Medicine, Philadelphia, Pennsylvania, USA
| | - Song-Jun Xu
- Department of Biology, Drexel University, Philadelphia, Pennsylvania, USA
| | - Melissa A Snyder
- Department of Neurobiology and Anatomy, Drexel University College of Medicine, Philadelphia, Pennsylvania, USA
| | - Felice Elefant
- Department of Biology, Drexel University, Philadelphia, Pennsylvania, USA
| | - Wen-Jun Gao
- Department of Neurobiology and Anatomy, Drexel University College of Medicine, Philadelphia, Pennsylvania, USA
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32
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Javidfar B, Park R, Kassim BS, Bicks LK, Akbarian S. The epigenomics of schizophrenia, in the mouse. Am J Med Genet B Neuropsychiatr Genet 2017; 174:631-640. [PMID: 28699694 PMCID: PMC5573750 DOI: 10.1002/ajmg.b.32566] [Citation(s) in RCA: 12] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.7] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Submit a Manuscript] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 03/04/2017] [Revised: 05/04/2017] [Accepted: 06/12/2017] [Indexed: 01/02/2023]
Abstract
Large-scale consortia including the Psychiatric Genomics Consortium, the Common Minds Consortium, BrainSeq and PsychENCODE, and many other studies taken together provide increasingly detailed insights into the genetic and epigenetic risk architectures of schizophrenia (SCZ) and offer vast amounts of molecular information, but with largely unexplored therapeutic potential. Here we discuss how epigenomic studies in human brain could guide animal work to test the impact of disease-associated alterations in chromatin structure and function on cognition and behavior. For example, transcription factors such as MYOCYTE-SPECIFIC ENHANCER FACTOR 2C (MEF2C), or multiple regulators of the open chromatin mark, methyl-histone H3-lysine 4, are associated with the genetic risk architectures of common psychiatric disease and alterations in chromatin structure and function in diseased brain tissue. Importantly, these molecules also affect cognition and behavior in genetically engineered mice, including virus-mediated expression changes in prefrontal cortex (PFC) and other key nodes in the circuitry underlying psychosis. Therefore, preclinical and small laboratory animal work could target genomic sequences affected by chromatin alterations in SCZ. To this end, in vivo editing of enhancer and other regulatory non-coding DNA by RNA-guided nucleases including CRISPR-Cas, and designer transcription factors, could be expected to deliver pipelines for novel therapeutic approaches aimed at improving cognitive dysfunction and other core symptoms of SCZ.
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Affiliation(s)
| | | | | | - Lucy K. Bicks
- Department of Psychiatry; Friedman Brain Institute; Icahn School of Medicine at Mount Sinai; New York New York
| | - Schahram Akbarian
- Department of Psychiatry; Friedman Brain Institute; Icahn School of Medicine at Mount Sinai; New York New York
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Abstract
PURPOSE OF REVIEW The goal of this review article is to introduce olfactory epithelium-derived cell/tissue models as a promising surrogate system to study the molecular mechanisms implicated in schizophrenia and other neuropsychiatric disorders. Here, we particularly focus on the utility of their neural progenitors. RECENT FINDINGS Recent investigations of the pathophysiology of schizophrenia using olfactory epithelium-derived tissue/cell models have provided insights about schizophrenia-associated alterations in neurodevelopment, stress response, and gene/protein expression regulatory pathways. SUMMARY The olfactory epithelium retains the capacity for lifelong neurogenesis and regeneration, because of the presence of neural stem cells and progenitors. Thus, both mature neurons and neural progenitors can be obtained from the olfactory epithelium without the need for genetic reprogramming and related confounds. Furthermore, the olfactory epithelium is highly scalable resource in translational settings. Here, we also demonstrate recent findings from research using olfactory epithelium-derived tissue/cell models in schizophrenia and other brain disorders. In summary, we propose that the olfactory epithelium is a promising resource to study neural molecular and cellular signatures relevant to the pathology of schizophrenia and other mental disorders.
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Vitale AM, Matigian NA, Cristino AS, Nones K, Ravishankar S, Bellette B, Fan Y, Wood SA, Wolvetang E, Mackay-Sim A. DNA methylation in schizophrenia in different patient-derived cell types. NPJ SCHIZOPHRENIA 2017; 3:6. [PMID: 28560252 PMCID: PMC5441549 DOI: 10.1038/s41537-016-0006-0] [Citation(s) in RCA: 21] [Impact Index Per Article: 3.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 04/13/2016] [Revised: 11/11/2016] [Accepted: 12/02/2016] [Indexed: 12/21/2022]
Abstract
DNA methylation of gene promoter regions represses transcription and is a mechanism via which environmental risk factors could affect cells during development in individuals at risk for schizophrenia. We investigated DNA methylation in patient-derived cells that might shed light on early development in schizophrenia. Induced pluripotent stem cells may reflect a “ground state” upon which developmental and environmental influences would be minimal. Olfactory neurosphere-derived cells are an adult-derived neuro-ectodermal stem cell modified by developmental and environmental influences. Fibroblasts provide a non-neural control for life-long developmental and environmental influences. Genome-wide profiling of DNA methylation and gene expression was done in these three cell types from the same individuals. All cell types had distinct, statistically significant schizophrenia-associated differences in DNA methylation and linked gene expression, with Gene Ontology analysis showing that the differentially affected genes clustered in networks associated with cell growth, proliferation, and movement, functions known to be affected in schizophrenia patient-derived cells. Only five gene loci were differentially methylated in all three cell types. Understanding the role of epigenetics in cell function in the brain in schizophrenia is likely to be complicated by similar cell type differences in intrinsic and environmentally induced epigenetic regulation. Schizophrenia-associated differences in the DNA methylation status of patient-derived cells suggest it could affect early brain development. Mechanisms that control gene expression without altering the genetic code, such as DNA methylation, could explain how environmental risk factors contribute to schizophrenia in genetically susceptible individuals. Alan Mackay-Sim and colleagues from Griffith University, Australia, carried out genome-wide comparisons of DNA methylation in induced pluripotent stem (iPS) cells, olfactory neurosphere-derived cells and fibroblasts from patients and controls. Differences in the DNA methylation pattern between patient and control iPS cells, which could reflect what happens in the embryo, suggest a disease-associated effect very early on in development. Only five genes were differentially methylated in all three patient-derived cell types compared to controls. None of these genes has previously been associated with schizophrenia and may represent new targets for future research.
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Affiliation(s)
- Alejandra M Vitale
- Griffith Institute for Drug Discovery, Griffith University, Nathan, QLD Australia.,Instituto de Biologia y Medicina Experimental-IBYME-CONICET, Buenos Aires, Argentina
| | - Nicholas A Matigian
- Griffith Institute for Drug Discovery, Griffith University, Nathan, QLD Australia.,The University of Queensland Diamantina Institute, Translational Research Institute, Brisbane, QLD Australia
| | - Alexandre S Cristino
- The University of Queensland Diamantina Institute, Translational Research Institute, Brisbane, QLD Australia
| | - Katia Nones
- Queensland Centre for Medical Genomics, Institute for Molecular Bioscience, The University of Queensland, St Lucia, Brisbane, QLD Australia
| | - Sugandha Ravishankar
- Griffith Institute for Drug Discovery, Griffith University, Nathan, QLD Australia
| | - Bernadette Bellette
- Griffith Institute for Drug Discovery, Griffith University, Nathan, QLD Australia
| | - Yongjun Fan
- Griffith Institute for Drug Discovery, Griffith University, Nathan, QLD Australia
| | - Stephen A Wood
- Griffith Institute for Drug Discovery, Griffith University, Nathan, QLD Australia
| | - Ernst Wolvetang
- Australian Institute for Bioengineering and Nanotechnology, The University of Queensland, Brisbane, QLD Australia
| | - Alan Mackay-Sim
- Griffith Institute for Drug Discovery, Griffith University, Nathan, QLD Australia
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35
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Ricq EL, Hooker JM, Haggarty SJ. Toward development of epigenetic drugs for central nervous system disorders: Modulating neuroplasticity via H3K4 methylation. Psychiatry Clin Neurosci 2016; 70:536-550. [PMID: 27485392 PMCID: PMC5764164 DOI: 10.1111/pcn.12426] [Citation(s) in RCA: 11] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.4] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Submit a Manuscript] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Accepted: 07/29/2016] [Indexed: 12/19/2022]
Abstract
The mammalian brain dynamically activates or silences gene programs in response to environmental input and developmental cues. This neuroplasticity is controlled by signaling pathways that modify the activity, localization, and/or expression of transcriptional-regulatory enzymes in combination with alterations in chromatin structure in the nucleus. Consistent with this key neurobiological role, disruptions in the fine-tuning of epigenetic and transcriptional regulation have emerged as a recurrent theme in studies of the genetics of neurodevelopmental and neuropsychiatric disorders. Furthermore, environmental factors have been implicated in the increased risk of heterogeneous, multifactorial, neuropsychiatric disorders via epigenetic mechanisms. Aberrant epigenetic regulation of gene expression thus provides an attractive unifying model for understanding the complex risk architecture of mental illness. Here, we review emerging genetic evidence implicating dysregulation of histone lysine methylation in neuropsychiatric disease and outline advancements in small-molecule probes targeting this chromatin modification. The emerging field of neuroepigenetic research is poised to provide insight into the biochemical basis of genetic risk for diverse neuropsychiatric disorders and to develop the highly selective chemical tools and imaging agents necessary to dissect dynamic transcriptional-regulatory mechanisms in the nervous system. On the basis of these findings, continued advances may lead to the validation of novel, disease-modifying therapeutic targets for a range of disorders with aberrant chromatin-mediated neuroplasticity.
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Affiliation(s)
- Emily L. Ricq
- Department of Chemistry and Chemical Biology, Harvard University, Cambridge, Massachusetts 02138, United States
- Athinoula A. Martinos Center for Biomedical Imaging, Department of Radiology, Massachusetts General Hospital, Harvard Medical School, Charlestown, Massachusetts 02129, United States
- Chemical Neurobiology Laboratory, Center for Human Genetic Research, Departments of Neurology & Psychiatry, Massachusetts General Hospital, Harvard Medical School, Boston, Massachusetts 02114, United States
| | - Jacob M. Hooker
- Department of Chemistry and Chemical Biology, Harvard University, Cambridge, Massachusetts 02138, United States
- Athinoula A. Martinos Center for Biomedical Imaging, Department of Radiology, Massachusetts General Hospital, Harvard Medical School, Charlestown, Massachusetts 02129, United States
| | - Stephen J. Haggarty
- Chemical Neurobiology Laboratory, Center for Human Genetic Research, Departments of Neurology & Psychiatry, Massachusetts General Hospital, Harvard Medical School, Boston, Massachusetts 02114, United States
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Horiuchi Y, Kondo MA, Okada K, Takayanagi Y, Tanaka T, Ho T, Varvaris M, Tajinda K, Hiyama H, Ni K, Colantuoni C, Schretlen D, Cascella NG, Pevsner J, Ishizuka K, Sawa A. Molecular signatures associated with cognitive deficits in schizophrenia: a study of biopsied olfactory neural epithelium. Transl Psychiatry 2016; 6:e915. [PMID: 27727244 PMCID: PMC5315541 DOI: 10.1038/tp.2016.154] [Citation(s) in RCA: 22] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.8] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Submit a Manuscript] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 09/20/2015] [Revised: 06/21/2016] [Accepted: 07/12/2016] [Indexed: 01/10/2023] Open
Abstract
Cognitive impairment is a key feature of schizophrenia (SZ) and determines functional outcome. Nonetheless, molecular signatures in neuronal tissues that associate with deficits are not well understood. We conducted nasal biopsy to obtain olfactory epithelium from patients with SZ and control subjects. The neural layers from the biopsied epithelium were enriched by laser-captured microdissection. We then performed an unbiased microarray expression study and implemented a systematic neuropsychological assessment on the same participants. The differentially regulated genes in SZ were further filtered based on correlation with neuropsychological traits. This strategy identified the SMAD 5 gene, and real-time quantitative PCR analysis also supports downregulation of the SMAD pathway in SZ. The SMAD pathway has been important in multiple tissues, including the role for neurodevelopment and bone formation. Here the involvement of the pathway in adult brain function is suggested. This exploratory study establishes a strategy to better identify neuronal molecular signatures that are potentially associated with mental illness and cognitive deficits. We propose that the SMAD pathway may be a novel target in addressing cognitive deficit of SZ in future studies.
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Affiliation(s)
- Y Horiuchi
- Department of Psychiatry, Johns Hopkins University, Baltimore, MD, USA
| | - M A Kondo
- Department of Psychiatry, Johns Hopkins University, Baltimore, MD, USA
| | - K Okada
- Department of Psychiatry, Johns Hopkins University, Baltimore, MD, USA
| | - Y Takayanagi
- Department of Mental Health, Johns Hopkins University, Baltimore, MD, USA
| | - T Tanaka
- Department of Psychiatry, Johns Hopkins University, Baltimore, MD, USA
| | - T Ho
- Department of Psychiatry, Johns Hopkins University, Baltimore, MD, USA
| | - M Varvaris
- Department of Psychiatry, Johns Hopkins University, Baltimore, MD, USA
| | - K Tajinda
- Department of Psychiatry, Johns Hopkins University, Baltimore, MD, USA
| | - H Hiyama
- Department of Psychiatry, Johns Hopkins University, Baltimore, MD, USA
| | - K Ni
- Pharmacology Research Labs, Astellas Pharma Inc., Tsukuba-shi, Ibaraki, Japan
| | - C Colantuoni
- Lieber Institute for Brain Development, Baltimore, MD, USA
| | - D Schretlen
- Department of Psychiatry, Johns Hopkins University, Baltimore, MD, USA
| | - N G Cascella
- Department of Psychiatry, Johns Hopkins University, Baltimore, MD, USA
| | - J Pevsner
- Department of Psychiatry, Johns Hopkins University, Baltimore, MD, USA,Hugo W Moser Research Institute at Kennedy Krieger, Baltimore, MD, USA
| | - K Ishizuka
- Department of Psychiatry, Johns Hopkins University, Baltimore, MD, USA
| | - A Sawa
- Department of Psychiatry, Johns Hopkins University, Baltimore, MD, USA,Department of Mental Health, Johns Hopkins University, Baltimore, MD, USA,Department of Psychiatry, Johns Hopkins School of Medicine, 600 North Wolfe Street, Meyer 3-166A, Baltimore, MD 21287, USA. E-mail:
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37
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Koga M, Serritella AV, Sawa A, Sedlak TW. Implications for reactive oxygen species in schizophrenia pathogenesis. Schizophr Res 2016; 176:52-71. [PMID: 26589391 DOI: 10.1016/j.schres.2015.06.022] [Citation(s) in RCA: 114] [Impact Index Per Article: 14.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Submit a Manuscript] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 04/01/2014] [Revised: 06/20/2015] [Accepted: 06/23/2015] [Indexed: 12/18/2022]
Abstract
Oxidative stress is a well-recognized participant in the pathophysiology of multiple brain disorders, particularly neurodegenerative conditions such as Alzheimer's and Parkinson's diseases. While not a dementia, a wide body of evidence has also been accumulating for aberrant reactive oxygen species and inflammation in schizophrenia. Here we highlight roles for oxidative stress as a common mechanism by which varied genetic and epidemiologic risk factors impact upon neurodevelopmental processes that underlie the schizophrenia syndrome. While there is longstanding evidence that schizophrenia may not have a single causative lesion, a common pathway involving oxidative stress opens the possibility for intervention at susceptible phases.
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Affiliation(s)
- Minori Koga
- Department of Psychiatry and Behavioral Sciences, Johns Hopkins University School of Medicine, 600 North Wolfe Street, Meyer 3-166, Baltimore, MD 21287, USA
| | - Anthony V Serritella
- Department of Psychiatry and Behavioral Sciences, Johns Hopkins University School of Medicine, 600 North Wolfe Street, Meyer 3-166, Baltimore, MD 21287, USA
| | - Akira Sawa
- Department of Psychiatry and Behavioral Sciences, Johns Hopkins University School of Medicine, 600 North Wolfe Street, Meyer 3-166, Baltimore, MD 21287, USA
| | - Thomas W Sedlak
- Department of Psychiatry and Behavioral Sciences, Johns Hopkins University School of Medicine, 600 North Wolfe Street, Meyer 3-166, Baltimore, MD 21287, USA.
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38
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Hervé M, Ibrahim EC. MicroRNA screening identifies a link between NOVA1 expression and a low level of IKAP in familial dysautonomia. Dis Model Mech 2016; 9:899-909. [PMID: 27483351 PMCID: PMC5007982 DOI: 10.1242/dmm.025841] [Citation(s) in RCA: 14] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.8] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 04/07/2016] [Accepted: 06/22/2016] [Indexed: 12/20/2022] Open
Abstract
Familial dysautonomia (FD) is a rare neurodegenerative disease caused by a mutation in intron 20 of the IKBKAP gene (c.2204+6T>C), leading to tissue-specific skipping of exon 20 and a decrease in the synthesis of the encoded protein IKAP (also known as ELP1). Small non-coding RNAs known as microRNAs (miRNAs) are important post-transcriptional regulators of gene expression and play an essential role in the nervous system development and function. To better understand the neuronal specificity of IKAP loss, we examined expression of miRNAs in human olfactory ecto-mesenchymal stem cells (hOE-MSCs) from five control individuals and five FD patients. We profiled the expression of 373 miRNAs using microfluidics and reverse transcription coupled to quantitative PCR (RT-qPCR) on two biological replicate series of hOE-MSC cultures from healthy controls and FD patients. This led to the total identification of 26 dysregulated miRNAs in FD, validating the existence of a miRNA signature in FD. We then selected the nine most discriminant miRNAs for further analysis. The signaling pathways affected by these dysregulated miRNAs were largely within the nervous system. In addition, many targets of these dysregulated miRNAs had been previously demonstrated to be affected in FD models. Moreover, we found that four of our nine candidate miRNAs target the neuron-specific splicing factor NOVA1. We demonstrated that overexpression of miR-203a-3p leads to a decrease of NOVA1, counter-balanced by an increase of IKAP, supporting a potential interaction between NOVA1 and IKAP. Taken together, these results reinforce the choice of miRNAs as potential therapeutic targets and suggest that NOVA1 could be a regulator of FD pathophysiology. Summary: A miRNA screening conducted in olfactory stem cells from patients links the neuron-specific splicing factor NOVA1 to neurodegeneration in familial dysautonomia.
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Affiliation(s)
- Mylène Hervé
- CRN2M-UMR7286, Aix-Marseille Université, CNRS, Faculté de Médecine Nord, Marseille 13344, Cedex 15, France
| | - El Chérif Ibrahim
- CRN2M-UMR7286, Aix-Marseille Université, CNRS, Faculté de Médecine Nord, Marseille 13344, Cedex 15, France
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Abstract
Despite a lack of recent progress in the treatment of schizophrenia, our understanding of its genetic and environmental causes has considerably improved, and their relationship to aberrant patterns of neurodevelopment has become clearer. This raises the possibility that 'disease-modifying' strategies could alter the course to - and of - this debilitating disorder, rather than simply alleviating symptoms. A promising window for course-altering intervention is around the time of the first episode of psychosis, especially in young people at risk of transition to schizophrenia. Indeed, studies performed in both individuals at risk of developing schizophrenia and rodent models for schizophrenia suggest that pre-diagnostic pharmacotherapy and psychosocial or cognitive-behavioural interventions can delay or moderate the emergence of psychosis. Of particular interest are 'hybrid' strategies that both relieve presenting symptoms and reduce the risk of transition to schizophrenia or another psychiatric disorder. This Review aims to provide a broad-based consideration of the challenges and opportunities inherent in efforts to alter the course of schizophrenia.
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40
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Landek-Salgado MA, Faust TE, Sawa A. Molecular substrates of schizophrenia: homeostatic signaling to connectivity. Mol Psychiatry 2016; 21:10-28. [PMID: 26390828 PMCID: PMC4684728 DOI: 10.1038/mp.2015.141] [Citation(s) in RCA: 73] [Impact Index Per Article: 9.1] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Submit a Manuscript] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 07/26/2014] [Revised: 06/24/2015] [Accepted: 06/25/2015] [Indexed: 02/06/2023]
Abstract
Schizophrenia (SZ) is a devastating psychiatric condition affecting numerous brain systems. Recent studies have identified genetic factors that confer an increased risk of SZ and participate in the disease etiopathogenesis. In parallel to such bottom-up approaches, other studies have extensively reported biological changes in patients by brain imaging, neurochemical and pharmacological approaches. This review highlights the molecular substrates identified through studies with SZ patients, namely those using top-down approaches, while also referring to the fruitful outcomes of recent genetic studies. We have subclassified the molecular substrates by system, focusing on elements of neurotransmission, targets in white matter-associated connectivity, immune/inflammatory and oxidative stress-related substrates, and molecules in endocrine and metabolic cascades. We further touch on cross-talk among these systems and comment on the utility of animal models in charting the developmental progression and interaction of these substrates. Based on this comprehensive information, we propose a framework for SZ research based on the hypothesis of an imbalance in homeostatic signaling from immune/inflammatory, oxidative stress, endocrine and metabolic cascades that, at least in part, underlies deficits in neural connectivity relevant to SZ. Thus, this review aims to provide information that is translationally useful and complementary to pathogenic hypotheses that have emerged from genetic studies. Based on such advances in SZ research, it is highly expected that we will discover biomarkers that may help in the early intervention, diagnosis or treatment of SZ.
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Affiliation(s)
- M A Landek-Salgado
- Department of Psychiatry, John Hopkins University School of Medicine, Baltimore, MD, USA
| | - T E Faust
- Department of Psychiatry, John Hopkins University School of Medicine, Baltimore, MD, USA.,Department of Neuroscience, John Hopkins University School of Medicine, Baltimore, MD, USA
| | - A Sawa
- Department of Psychiatry, John Hopkins University School of Medicine, Baltimore, MD, USA
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41
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Coughlin JM, Tanaka T, Marsman A, Wang H, Bonekamp S, Kim PK, Higgs C, Varvaris M, Edden RAE, Pomper M, Schretlen D, Barker PB, Sawa A. Decoupling of N-acetyl-aspartate and glutamate within the dorsolateral prefrontal cortex in schizophrenia. Curr Mol Med 2015; 15:176-83. [PMID: 25732147 DOI: 10.2174/1566524015666150303104811] [Citation(s) in RCA: 24] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.7] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 07/04/2014] [Revised: 12/20/2014] [Accepted: 01/18/2015] [Indexed: 11/22/2022]
Abstract
Aberrant function of glutamatergic pathways is likely to underlie the pathology of schizophrenia. Evidence of oxidative stress in the disease pathology has also been reported. N-Acetylaspartate (NAA) is metabolically linked to both cascades and may be a key marker in exploring the interconnection of glutamatergic pathways and oxidative stress. Several studies have reported positive correlation between the levels of NAA and Glx (the sum of glutamate and glutamine) in several brain regions in healthy subjects, by using proton magnetic resonance spectroscopy ([(1)H]MRS). Interestingly, one research group recently reported decoupling of the relationship between NAA and Glx in the hippocampus of patients with schizophrenia. Here we report levels of NAA and Glx measured using [(1)H]MRS, relative to the level of creatine (Cr) as an internal control. The dorsolateral prefrontal cortex (DLPFC) and anterior cingulate cortex (ACC) in 25 patients with schizophrenia and 17 matched healthy controls were studied. In DLPFC, NAA/Cr and Glx/Cr were significantly positively correlated in healthy controls after correction for the effect of age and smoking status and after correction for multiple comparisons (r= 0.627, P= 0.017). However, in patients with schizophrenia, the positive correlation between NAA/Cr and Glx/Cr was not observed even after correcting for these two variables (r= -0.330, P= 0.124). Positive correlation between NAA/Cr and Glx/Cr was not observed in the ACC in both groups. Decoupling of NAA and Glx in the DLPFC may reflect the interconnection of glutamatergic pathways and oxidative stress in the pathology of schizophrenia, and may possibly be a biomarker of the disease.
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Affiliation(s)
| | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | - A Sawa
- Department of Psychiatry and Behavioral Sciences, Hopkins Medical Institutions, 600 N. Wolfe Street, Meyer 3-166A, Baltimore, MD 21287, USA.
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42
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Kano S, Yuan M, Cardarelli RA, Maegawa G, Higurashi N, Gaval-Cruz M, Wilson AM, Tristan C, Kondo MA, Chen Y, Koga M, Obie C, Ishizuka K, Seshadri S, Srivastava R, Kato TA, Horiuchi Y, Sedlak TW, Lee Y, Rapoport JL, Hirose S, Okano H, Valle D, O'Donnell P, Sawa A, Kai M. Clinical utility of neuronal cells directly converted from fibroblasts of patients for neuropsychiatric disorders: studies of lysosomal storage diseases and channelopathy. Curr Mol Med 2015; 15:138-45. [PMID: 25732146 DOI: 10.2174/1566524015666150303110300] [Citation(s) in RCA: 13] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.4] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 07/15/2014] [Revised: 12/20/2014] [Accepted: 01/18/2015] [Indexed: 11/22/2022]
Abstract
Methodologies for generating functional neuronal cells directly from human fibroblasts [induced neuronal (iN) cells] have been recently developed, but the research so far has only focused on technical refinements or recapitulation of known pathological phenotypes. A critical question is whether this novel technology will contribute to elucidation of novel disease mechanisms or evaluation of therapeutic strategies. Here we have addressed this question by studying Tay-Sachs disease, a representative lysosomal storage disease, and Dravet syndrome, a form of severe myoclonic epilepsy in infancy, using human iN cells with feature of immature postmitotic glutamatergic neuronal cells. In Tay-Sachs disease, we have successfully characterized canonical neuronal pathology, massive accumulation of GM2 ganglioside, and demonstrated the suitability of this novel cell culture for future drug screening. In Dravet syndrome, we have identified a novel functional phenotype that was not suggested by studies of classical mouse models and human autopsied brains. Taken together, the present study demonstrates that human iN cells are useful for translational neuroscience research to explore novel disease mechanisms and evaluate therapeutic compounds. In the future, research using human iN cells with well-characterized genomic landscape can be integrated into multidisciplinary patient-oriented research on neuropsychiatric disorders to address novel disease mechanisms and evaluate therapeutic strategies.
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Affiliation(s)
| | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | - A Sawa
- Departments of Psychiatry and Behavioral Sciences and Neuroscience, Johns Hopkins University School of Medicine, Baltimore, MD 21287, USA.
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43
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Nestler EJ, Peña CJ, Kundakovic M, Mitchell A, Akbarian S. Epigenetic Basis of Mental Illness. Neuroscientist 2015; 22:447-63. [PMID: 26450593 DOI: 10.1177/1073858415608147] [Citation(s) in RCA: 189] [Impact Index Per Article: 21.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 01/17/2023]
Abstract
Psychiatric disorders are complex multifactorial illnesses involving chronic alterations in neural circuit structure and function as well as likely abnormalities in glial cells. While genetic factors are important in the etiology of most mental disorders, the relatively high rates of discordance among identical twins, particularly for depression and other stress-related syndromes, clearly indicate the importance of additional mechanisms. Environmental factors such as stress are known to play a role in the onset of these illnesses. Exposure to such environmental insults induces stable changes in gene expression, neural circuit function, and ultimately behavior, and these maladaptations appear distinct between developmental versus adult exposures. Increasing evidence indicates that these sustained abnormalities are maintained by epigenetic modifications in specific brain regions. Indeed, transcriptional dysregulation and the aberrant epigenetic regulation that underlies this dysregulation is a unifying theme in psychiatric disorders. Here, we provide a progress report of epigenetic studies of the three major psychiatric syndromes, depression, schizophrenia, and bipolar disorder. We review the literature derived from animal models of these disorders as well as from studies of postmortem brain tissue from human patients. While epigenetic studies of mental illness remain at early stages, understanding how environmental factors recruit the epigenetic machinery within specific brain regions to cause lasting changes in disease susceptibility and pathophysiology is revealing new insight into the etiology and treatment of these conditions.
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Affiliation(s)
- Eric J Nestler
- Departments of Neuroscience and Psychiatry, The Friedman Brain Institute, Icahn School of Medicine at Mount Sinai, New York, NY, USA
| | - Catherine J Peña
- Departments of Neuroscience and Psychiatry, The Friedman Brain Institute, Icahn School of Medicine at Mount Sinai, New York, NY, USA
| | - Marija Kundakovic
- Departments of Neuroscience and Psychiatry, The Friedman Brain Institute, Icahn School of Medicine at Mount Sinai, New York, NY, USA
| | - Amanda Mitchell
- Departments of Neuroscience and Psychiatry, The Friedman Brain Institute, Icahn School of Medicine at Mount Sinai, New York, NY, USA
| | - Schahram Akbarian
- Departments of Neuroscience and Psychiatry, The Friedman Brain Institute, Icahn School of Medicine at Mount Sinai, New York, NY, USA
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Reduced protein synthesis in schizophrenia patient-derived olfactory cells. Transl Psychiatry 2015; 5:e663. [PMID: 26485547 PMCID: PMC4930119 DOI: 10.1038/tp.2015.119] [Citation(s) in RCA: 70] [Impact Index Per Article: 7.8] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Submit a Manuscript] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 04/02/2015] [Revised: 06/16/2015] [Accepted: 07/08/2015] [Indexed: 11/16/2022] Open
Abstract
Human olfactory neurosphere-derived (ONS) cells have the potential to provide novel insights into the cellular pathology of schizophrenia. We used discovery-based proteomics and targeted functional analyses to reveal reductions in 17 ribosomal proteins, with an 18% decrease in the total ribosomal signal intensity in schizophrenia-patient-derived ONS cells. We quantified the rates of global protein synthesis in vitro and found a significant reduction in the rate of protein synthesis in schizophrenia patient-derived ONS cells compared with control-derived cells. Protein synthesis rates in fibroblast cell lines from the same patients did not differ, suggesting cell type-specific effects. Pathway analysis of dysregulated proteomic and transcriptomic data sets from these ONS cells converged to highlight perturbation of the eIF2α, eIF4 and mammalian target of rapamycin (mTOR) translational control pathways, and these pathways were also implicated in an independent induced pluripotent stem cell-derived neural stem model, and cohort, of schizophrenia patients. Analysis in schizophrenia genome-wide association data from the Psychiatric Genetics Consortium specifically implicated eIF2α regulatory kinase EIF2AK2, and confirmed the importance of the eIF2α, eIF4 and mTOR translational control pathways at the level of the genome. Thus, we integrated data from proteomic, transcriptomic, and functional assays from schizophrenia patient-derived ONS cells with genomics data to implicate dysregulated protein synthesis for the first time in schizophrenia.
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Converging models of schizophrenia--Network alterations of prefrontal cortex underlying cognitive impairments. Prog Neurobiol 2015; 134:178-201. [PMID: 26408506 DOI: 10.1016/j.pneurobio.2015.09.010] [Citation(s) in RCA: 60] [Impact Index Per Article: 6.7] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 02/04/2015] [Revised: 09/10/2015] [Accepted: 09/17/2015] [Indexed: 02/08/2023]
Abstract
The prefrontal cortex (PFC) and its connections with other brain areas are crucial for cognitive function. Cognitive impairments are one of the core symptoms associated with schizophrenia, and manifest even before the onset of the disorder. Altered neural networks involving PFC contribute to cognitive impairments in schizophrenia. Both genetic and environmental risk factors affect the development of the local circuitry within PFC as well as development of broader brain networks, and make the system vulnerable to further insults during adolescence, leading to the onset of the disorder in young adulthood. Since spared cognitive functions correlate with functional outcome and prognosis, a better understanding of the mechanisms underlying cognitive impairments will have important implications for novel therapeutics for schizophrenia focusing on cognitive functions. Multidisciplinary approaches, from basic neuroscience to clinical studies, are required to link molecules, circuitry, networks, and behavioral phenotypes. Close interactions among such fields by sharing a common language on connectomes, behavioral readouts, and other concepts are crucial for this goal.
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Topol A, Zhu S, Tran N, Simone A, Fang G, Brennand KJ. Altered WNT Signaling in Human Induced Pluripotent Stem Cell Neural Progenitor Cells Derived from Four Schizophrenia Patients. Biol Psychiatry 2015; 78:e29-34. [PMID: 25708228 PMCID: PMC4520784 DOI: 10.1016/j.biopsych.2014.12.028] [Citation(s) in RCA: 71] [Impact Index Per Article: 7.9] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Submit a Manuscript] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 09/12/2014] [Revised: 12/05/2014] [Accepted: 12/10/2014] [Indexed: 12/21/2022]
Affiliation(s)
- Aaron Topol
- Department of Psychiatry, Icahn School of Medicine at Mount Sinai, 1425 Madison Avenue, New York, NY 10029
| | - Shijia Zhu
- Department of Genetics and Genomics, Icahn School of Medicine at Mount Sinai, 1425 Madison Avenue, New York, NY 10029
| | - Ngoc Tran
- Department of Psychiatry, Icahn School of Medicine at Mount Sinai, 1425 Madison Avenue, New York, NY 10029
| | - Anthony Simone
- Salk Institute for Biological Studies, Laboratory of Genetics, 10010 North Torrey Pines Road, La Jolla CA 92037
| | - Gang Fang
- Department of Genetics and Genomics, Icahn School of Medicine at Mount Sinai, 1425 Madison Avenue, New York, NY 10029
| | - Kristen J. Brennand
- Department of Psychiatry, Icahn School of Medicine at Mount Sinai, 1425 Madison Avenue, New York, NY 10029
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Abstract
Schizophrenia is a major psychiatric disorder that lacks a unifying neuropathology, while currently available pharmacological treatments provide only limited benefits to many patients. This review will discuss how the field of neuroepigenetics could contribute to advancements of the existing knowledge on the neurobiology and treatment of psychosis. Genome-scale mapping of DMA methylation, histone modifications and variants, and chromosomal loopings for promoter-enhancer interactions and other epigenetic determinants of genome organization and function are likely to provide important clues about mechanisms contributing to dysregulated expression of synaptic and metabolic genes in schizophrenia brain, including the potential links to the underlying genetic risk architecture and environmental exposures. In addition, studies in animal models are providing a rapidly increasing list of chromatin-regulatory mechanisms with significant effects on cognition and complex behaviors, thereby pointing to the therapeutic potential of epigenetic drug targets in the nervous system.
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Affiliation(s)
- Schahram Akbarian
- Department of Psychiatry, Friedman Brain Institute Icahn School of Medicine at Mount Sinai, New York, USA
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Leza JC, García-Bueno B, Bioque M, Arango C, Parellada M, Do K, O'Donnell P, Bernardo M. Inflammation in schizophrenia: A question of balance. Neurosci Biobehav Rev 2015; 55:612-26. [PMID: 26092265 DOI: 10.1016/j.neubiorev.2015.05.014] [Citation(s) in RCA: 142] [Impact Index Per Article: 15.8] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 12/17/2014] [Revised: 04/22/2015] [Accepted: 05/18/2015] [Indexed: 02/08/2023]
Abstract
In the past decade, there has been renewed interest in immune/inflammatory changes and their associated oxidative/nitrosative consequences as key pathophysiological mechanisms in schizophrenia and related disorders. Both brain cell components (microglia, astrocytes, and neurons) and peripheral immune cells have been implicated in inflammation and the resulting oxidative/nitrosative stress (O&NS) in schizophrenia. Furthermore, down-regulation of endogenous antioxidant and anti-inflammatory mechanisms has been identified in biological samples from patients, although the degree and progression of the inflammatory process and the nature of its self-regulatory mechanisms vary from early onset to full-blown disease. This review focuses on the interactions between inflammation and O&NS, their damaging consequences for brain cells in schizophrenia, the possible origins of inflammation and increased O&NS in the disorder, and current pharmacological strategies to deal with these processes (mainly treatments with anti-inflammatory or antioxidant drugs as add-ons to antipsychotics).
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Affiliation(s)
- Juan C Leza
- Centro de Investigación Biomédica en Red de Salud Mental (CIBERSAM), Complutense University, Madrid, Spain; Department of Pharmacology, Faculty of Medicine, Complutense University, Madrid, Spain; Instituto de Investigación Sanitaria (IIS) Hospital 12 de Octubre (i+12), Madrid, Spain.
| | - Borja García-Bueno
- Centro de Investigación Biomédica en Red de Salud Mental (CIBERSAM), Complutense University, Madrid, Spain; Department of Pharmacology, Faculty of Medicine, Complutense University, Madrid, Spain; Instituto de Investigación Sanitaria (IIS) Hospital 12 de Octubre (i+12), Madrid, Spain
| | - Miquel Bioque
- Centro de Investigación Biomédica en Red de Salud Mental (CIBERSAM), Complutense University, Madrid, Spain; Barcelona Clínic Schizophrenia Unit, Hospital Clínic Barcelona, University of Barcelona, IDIBAPS, Barcelona, Spain
| | - Celso Arango
- Centro de Investigación Biomédica en Red de Salud Mental (CIBERSAM), Complutense University, Madrid, Spain; Department of Psychiatry, Faculty of Medicine, Complutense University, Madrid, Spain; Child and Adolescent Psychiatry Department, IIS Hospital Gregorio Marañón (IISGM), Madrid, Spain
| | - Mara Parellada
- Centro de Investigación Biomédica en Red de Salud Mental (CIBERSAM), Complutense University, Madrid, Spain; Department of Psychiatry, Faculty of Medicine, Complutense University, Madrid, Spain; Child and Adolescent Psychiatry Department, IIS Hospital Gregorio Marañón (IISGM), Madrid, Spain
| | - Kim Do
- Center for Psychiatric Neuroscience, Department of Psychiatry, Lausanne University Hospital, Lausanne, Switzerland
| | | | - Miguel Bernardo
- Centro de Investigación Biomédica en Red de Salud Mental (CIBERSAM), Complutense University, Madrid, Spain; Barcelona Clínic Schizophrenia Unit, Hospital Clínic Barcelona, University of Barcelona, IDIBAPS, Barcelona, Spain
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Abdolmaleky HM, Zhou JR, Thiagalingam S. An update on the epigenetics of psychotic diseases and autism. Epigenomics 2015; 7:427-49. [DOI: 10.2217/epi.14.85] [Citation(s) in RCA: 48] [Impact Index Per Article: 5.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 12/12/2022] Open
Abstract
The examination of potential roles of epigenetic alterations in the pathogenesis of psychotic diseases have become an essential alternative in recent years as genetic studies alone are yet to uncover major gene(s) for psychosis. Here, we describe the current state of knowledge from the gene-specific and genome-wide studies of postmortem brain and blood cells indicating that aberrant DNA methylation, histone modifications and dysregulation of micro-RNAs are linked to the pathogenesis of mental diseases. There is also strong evidence supporting that all classes of psychiatric drugs modulate diverse features of the epigenome. While comprehensive environmental and genetic/epigenetic studies are uncovering the origins, and the key genes/pathways affected in psychotic diseases, characterizing the epigenetic effects of psychiatric drugs may help to design novel therapies in psychiatry.
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Affiliation(s)
- Hamid Mostafavi Abdolmaleky
- Departments of Medicine (Biomedical Genetics Section), Genetics & Genomics, Boston University School of Medicine, Boston, MA 02118, USA
- Nutrition/Metabolism Laboratory at Beth Israel Deaconess Medical Center, Department of Surgery, Harvard Medical School, Boston, MA, USA
| | - Jin-Rong Zhou
- Nutrition/Metabolism Laboratory at Beth Israel Deaconess Medical Center, Department of Surgery, Harvard Medical School, Boston, MA, USA
| | - Sam Thiagalingam
- Departments of Medicine (Biomedical Genetics Section), Genetics & Genomics, Boston University School of Medicine, Boston, MA 02118, USA
- Department of Pathology & Laboratory Medicine, Boston University School of Medicine, Boston, MA, USA
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Shen E, Shulha H, Weng Z, Akbarian S. Regulation of histone H3K4 methylation in brain development and disease. Philos Trans R Soc Lond B Biol Sci 2015; 369:rstb.2013.0514. [PMID: 25135975 DOI: 10.1098/rstb.2013.0514] [Citation(s) in RCA: 88] [Impact Index Per Article: 9.8] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 12/13/2022] Open
Abstract
The growing list of mutations implicated in monogenic disorders of the developing brain includes at least seven genes (ARX, CUL4B, KDM5A, KDM5C, KMT2A, KMT2C, KMT2D) with loss-of-function mutations affecting proper regulation of histone H3 lysine 4 methylation, a chromatin mark which on a genome-wide scale is broadly associated with active gene expression, with its mono-, di- and trimethylated forms differentially enriched at promoter and enhancer and other regulatory sequences. In addition to these rare genetic syndromes, dysregulated H3K4 methylation could also play a role in the pathophysiology of some cases diagnosed with autism or schizophrenia, two conditions which on a genome-wide scale are associated with H3K4 methylation changes at hundreds of loci in a subject-specific manner. Importantly, the reported alterations for some of the diseased brain specimens included a widespread broadening of H3K4 methylation profiles at gene promoters, a process that could be regulated by the UpSET(KMT2E/MLL5)-histone deacetylase complex. Furthermore, preclinical studies identified maternal immune activation, parental care and monoaminergic drugs as environmental determinants for brain-specific H3K4 methylation. These novel insights into the epigenetic risk architectures of neurodevelopmental disease will be highly relevant for efforts aimed at improved prevention and treatment of autism and psychosis spectrum disorders.
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Affiliation(s)
- Erica Shen
- Department of Psychiatry, Friedman Brain Institute, Icahn School of Medicine at Mount Sinai, New York, NY 10029, USA
| | - Hennady Shulha
- Program in Bioinformatics and Integrative Biology, University of Massachusetts Medical School, Worcester, MA 01604, USA
| | - Zhiping Weng
- Program in Bioinformatics and Integrative Biology, University of Massachusetts Medical School, Worcester, MA 01604, USA
| | - Schahram Akbarian
- Department of Psychiatry, Friedman Brain Institute, Icahn School of Medicine at Mount Sinai, New York, NY 10029, USA
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