1
|
Riyahi J, Taslimi Z, Gelfo F, Petrosini L, Haghparast A. Trans-generational effects of parental exposure to drugs of abuse on offspring memory functions. Neurosci Biobehav Rev 2024; 160:105644. [PMID: 38548003 DOI: 10.1016/j.neubiorev.2024.105644] [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: 01/14/2024] [Revised: 03/10/2024] [Accepted: 03/22/2024] [Indexed: 04/01/2024]
Abstract
Recent evidence reported that parental-derived phenotypes can be passed on to the next generations. Within the inheritance of epigenetic characteristics allowing the transmission of information related to the ancestral environment to the offspring, the specific case of the trans-generational effects of parental drug addiction has been extensively studied. Drug addiction is a chronic disorder resulting from complex interactions among environmental, genetic, and drug-related factors. Repeated exposures to drugs induce epigenetic changes in the reward circuitry that in turn mediate enduring changes in brain function. Addictive drugs can exert their effects trans-generally and influence the offspring of addicted parents. Although there is growing evidence that shows a wide range of behavioral, physiological, and molecular phenotypes in inter-, multi-, and trans-generational studies, transmitted phenotypes often vary widely even within similar protocols. Given the breadth of literature findings, in the present review, we restricted our investigation to learning and memory performances, as examples of the offspring's complex behavioral outcomes following parental exposure to drugs of abuse, including morphine, cocaine, cannabinoids, nicotine, heroin, and alcohol.
Collapse
Affiliation(s)
- Javad Riyahi
- Department of Cognitive and Behavioral Science and Technology in Sport, Faculty of Sport Sciences and Health, Shahid Beheshti University, Tehran, Iran
| | - Zahra Taslimi
- Behavioral Disorders and Substance Abuse Research Center, Hamadan University of Medical Sciences, Hamadan, Iran; Fertility and Infertility Research Center, Hamadan University of Medical Sciences, Hamadan, Iran.
| | - Francesca Gelfo
- IRCCS Santa Lucia Foundation, Rome, Italy; Department of Human Sciences, Guglielmo Marconi University, Rome, Italy
| | | | - Abbas Haghparast
- Neuroscience Research Center, School of Medicine, Shahid Beheshti University of Medical Sciences, Tehran, Iran; School of Cognitive Sciences, Institute for Research in Fundamental Sciences, Tehran, Iran; Department of Basic Sciences, Iranian Academy of Medical Sciences, Tehran, Iran.
| |
Collapse
|
2
|
Cui J, Huang N, Fan G, Pan T, Han K, Jiang C, Liu X, Wang F, Ma L, Le Q. Paternal cocaine-seeking motivation defines offspring's vulnerability to addiction by down-regulating GABAergic GABRG3 in the ventral tegmental area. Transl Psychiatry 2024; 14:107. [PMID: 38388464 PMCID: PMC10884401 DOI: 10.1038/s41398-024-02835-w] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Submit a Manuscript] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 07/26/2023] [Revised: 02/10/2024] [Accepted: 02/14/2024] [Indexed: 02/24/2024] Open
Abstract
Epidemiological investigations indicate that parental drug abuse experiences significantly influenced the addiction vulnerability of offspring. Studies using animal models have shown that paternal cocaine use and highly motivated drug-seeking behavior are important determinants of offspring addiction susceptibility. However, the key molecules contributing to offspring addiction susceptibility are currently unclear. The motivation for cocaine-seeking behavior in offspring of male rats was compared between those whose fathers self-administered cocaine (SA) and those who were yoked with them and received non-contingent cocaine administrations (Yoke). We found that paternal experience with cocaine-seeking behavior, but not direct cocaine exposure, could lead to increased lever-pressing behavior in male F1 offspring. This effect was observed without significant changes to the dose-response relationship. The transcriptomes of ventral tegmental area (VTA) in offspring were analyzed under both naive state and after self-administration training. Specific transcriptomic changes in response to paternal cocaine-seeking experiences were found, which mainly affected biological processes such as synaptic connections and receptor signaling pathways. Through joint analysis of these candidate genes and parental drug-seeking motivation scores, we found that gamma-aminobutyric acid receptor subunit gamma-3 (Gabrg3) was in the hub position of the drug-seeking motivation-related module network and highly correlated with parental drug-seeking motivation scores. The downregulation of Gabrg3 expression, caused by paternal motivational cocaine-seeking, mainly occurred in GABAergic neurons in the VTA. Furthermore, down-regulating GABAergic Gabrg3 in VTA resulted in an increase in cocaine-seeking behavior in the Yoke F1 group. This down-regulation also reduced transcriptome differences between the Yoke and SA groups, affecting processes related to synaptic formation and neurotransmitter transmission. Taken together, we propose that paternal cocaine-seeking behavior, rather than direct drug exposure, significantly influences offspring addiction susceptibility through the downregulation of Gabrg3 in GABAergic neurons of the VTA, highlighting the importance of understanding specific molecular pathways in the intergenerational inheritance of addiction vulnerability.
Collapse
Affiliation(s)
- Jian Cui
- School of Basic Medical Sciences, State Key Laboratory of Medical Neurobiology, MOE Frontiers Center for Brain Science, Institutes of Brain Science, Department of Neurology, Pharmacology Research Center, Huashan Hospital, Fudan University, Shanghai, China
| | - Nan Huang
- School of Basic Medical Sciences, State Key Laboratory of Medical Neurobiology, MOE Frontiers Center for Brain Science, Institutes of Brain Science, Department of Neurology, Pharmacology Research Center, Huashan Hospital, Fudan University, Shanghai, China
| | - Guangyuan Fan
- School of Basic Medical Sciences, State Key Laboratory of Medical Neurobiology, MOE Frontiers Center for Brain Science, Institutes of Brain Science, Department of Neurology, Pharmacology Research Center, Huashan Hospital, Fudan University, Shanghai, China
| | - Tao Pan
- School of Basic Medical Sciences, State Key Laboratory of Medical Neurobiology, MOE Frontiers Center for Brain Science, Institutes of Brain Science, Department of Neurology, Pharmacology Research Center, Huashan Hospital, Fudan University, Shanghai, China
| | - Kunxiu Han
- School of Basic Medical Sciences, State Key Laboratory of Medical Neurobiology, MOE Frontiers Center for Brain Science, Institutes of Brain Science, Department of Neurology, Pharmacology Research Center, Huashan Hospital, Fudan University, Shanghai, China
| | - Changyou Jiang
- School of Basic Medical Sciences, State Key Laboratory of Medical Neurobiology, MOE Frontiers Center for Brain Science, Institutes of Brain Science, Department of Neurology, Pharmacology Research Center, Huashan Hospital, Fudan University, Shanghai, China
- Research Unit of Addiction Memory, Chinese Academy of Medical Sciences (2021RU009), Shanghai, China
| | - Xing Liu
- School of Basic Medical Sciences, State Key Laboratory of Medical Neurobiology, MOE Frontiers Center for Brain Science, Institutes of Brain Science, Department of Neurology, Pharmacology Research Center, Huashan Hospital, Fudan University, Shanghai, China
- Research Unit of Addiction Memory, Chinese Academy of Medical Sciences (2021RU009), Shanghai, China
| | - Feifei Wang
- School of Basic Medical Sciences, State Key Laboratory of Medical Neurobiology, MOE Frontiers Center for Brain Science, Institutes of Brain Science, Department of Neurology, Pharmacology Research Center, Huashan Hospital, Fudan University, Shanghai, China
- Research Unit of Addiction Memory, Chinese Academy of Medical Sciences (2021RU009), Shanghai, China
| | - Lan Ma
- School of Basic Medical Sciences, State Key Laboratory of Medical Neurobiology, MOE Frontiers Center for Brain Science, Institutes of Brain Science, Department of Neurology, Pharmacology Research Center, Huashan Hospital, Fudan University, Shanghai, China.
- Research Unit of Addiction Memory, Chinese Academy of Medical Sciences (2021RU009), Shanghai, China.
| | - Qiumin Le
- School of Basic Medical Sciences, State Key Laboratory of Medical Neurobiology, MOE Frontiers Center for Brain Science, Institutes of Brain Science, Department of Neurology, Pharmacology Research Center, Huashan Hospital, Fudan University, Shanghai, China.
- Research Unit of Addiction Memory, Chinese Academy of Medical Sciences (2021RU009), Shanghai, China.
| |
Collapse
|
3
|
Koijam AS, Singh KD, Nameirakpam BS, Haobam R, Rajashekar Y. Drug addiction and treatment: An epigenetic perspective. Biomed Pharmacother 2024; 170:115951. [PMID: 38043446 DOI: 10.1016/j.biopha.2023.115951] [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: 09/16/2023] [Revised: 11/23/2023] [Accepted: 11/27/2023] [Indexed: 12/05/2023] Open
Abstract
Drug addiction is a complex disease affected by numerous genetic and environmental factors. Brain regions in reward pathway, neuronal adaptations, genetic and epigenetic interactions causing transcriptional enhancement or repression of multiple genes induce different addiction phenotypes for varying duration. Addictive drug use causes epigenetic alterations and similarly epigenetic changes induced by environment can promote addiction. Epigenetic mechanisms include DNA methylation and post-translational modifications like methylation, acetylation, phosphorylation, ubiquitylation, sumoylation, dopaminylation and crotonylation of histones, and ADP-ribosylation. Non-coding RNAs also induce epigenetic changes. This review discusses these above areas and stresses the need for exploring epidrugs as a treatment alternative and adjunct, considering the limited success of current addiction treatment strategies. Epigenome editing complexes have lately been effective in eukaryotic systems. Targeted DNA cleavage techniques such as CRISPR-Cas9 system, CRISPR-dCas9 complexes, transcription activator-like effector nucleases (TALENs) and zinc-finger nucleases (ZFNs) have been exploited as targeted DNA recognition or anchoring platforms, fused with epigenetic writer or eraser proteins and delivered by transfection or transduction methods. Efficacy of epidrugs is seen in various neuropsychiatric conditions and initial results in addiction treatment involving model organisms are remarkable. Epidrugs present a promising alternative treatment for addiction.
Collapse
Affiliation(s)
- Arunkumar Singh Koijam
- Insect Bioresources Laboratory, Animal Bioresources Programme, Institute of Bioresources & Sustainable Development, Department of Biotechnology, Govt. of India, Takyelpat, Imphal 795001, Manipur, India
| | - Kabrambam Dasanta Singh
- Insect Bioresources Laboratory, Animal Bioresources Programme, Institute of Bioresources & Sustainable Development, Department of Biotechnology, Govt. of India, Takyelpat, Imphal 795001, Manipur, India
| | - Bunindro Singh Nameirakpam
- Insect Bioresources Laboratory, Animal Bioresources Programme, Institute of Bioresources & Sustainable Development, Department of Biotechnology, Govt. of India, Takyelpat, Imphal 795001, Manipur, India
| | - Reena Haobam
- Department of Biotechnology, Manipur University, Canchipur, Imphal 795003, Manipur, India
| | - Yallappa Rajashekar
- Insect Bioresources Laboratory, Animal Bioresources Programme, Institute of Bioresources & Sustainable Development, Department of Biotechnology, Govt. of India, Takyelpat, Imphal 795001, Manipur, India.
| |
Collapse
|
4
|
Souza INDO, Roychaudhuri R, de Belleroche J, Mothet JP. d-Amino acids: new clinical pathways for brain diseases. Trends Mol Med 2023; 29:1014-1028. [PMID: 37770379 DOI: 10.1016/j.molmed.2023.09.001] [Citation(s) in RCA: 5] [Impact Index Per Article: 5.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 07/20/2023] [Revised: 09/01/2023] [Accepted: 09/05/2023] [Indexed: 09/30/2023]
Abstract
Free d-amino acids (d-AAs) are emerging as a novel and important class of signaling molecules in many organs, including the brain and endocrine systems. There has been considerable progress in our understanding of the fundamental roles of these atypical messengers, with increasingly recognized implications in a wide range of neuropathologies, including schizophrenia (SCZ), epilepsy, Alzheimer's disease (AD), amyotrophic lateral sclerosis (ALS), substance abuse, and chronic pain, among others. Research has enabled the discovery that d-serine, d-aspartate and more recently d-cysteine are essential for the healthy development and function of the central nervous system (CNS). We discuss recent progress that has profoundly transformed our vision of numerous physiological processes but has also shown how d-AAs are now offering therapeutic promise in clinical settings for several human diseases.
Collapse
Affiliation(s)
- Isis Nem de Oliveira Souza
- Biophotonics and Synapse Physiopathology Team, Laboratoire LuMIn UMR9024 Université Paris-Saclay, ENS Paris-Saclay, CNRS, CentraleSupelec, 91190 Gif-sur-Yvette, France; Molecular Pharmacology Laboratory, Biomedical Sciences Institute, Universidade Federal do Rio de Janeiro, Rio de Janeiro, Brazil
| | - Robin Roychaudhuri
- Department of Obstetrics, Gynecology, and Reproductive Sciences, Center for Birth Defects, University of Maryland School of Medicine, Baltimore, MD 21201, USA
| | - Jacqueline de Belleroche
- Neurogenetics Group, Division of Brain Sciences, Department of Medicine, Imperial College London, London, UK
| | - Jean-Pierre Mothet
- Biophotonics and Synapse Physiopathology Team, Laboratoire LuMIn UMR9024 Université Paris-Saclay, ENS Paris-Saclay, CNRS, CentraleSupelec, 91190 Gif-sur-Yvette, France.
| |
Collapse
|
5
|
Rich MT, Worobey SJ, Mankame S, Pang ZP, Swinford-Jackson SE, Pierce RC. Sex-dependent fear memory impairment in cocaine-sired rat offspring. SCIENCE ADVANCES 2023; 9:eadf6039. [PMID: 37851809 PMCID: PMC10584337 DOI: 10.1126/sciadv.adf6039] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 11/30/2022] [Accepted: 09/14/2023] [Indexed: 10/20/2023]
Abstract
Cocaine self-administration by male rats results in neuronal and behavioral alterations in offspring, including responses to cocaine. Given the high degree of overlap between the brain systems underlying the pathological responses to cocaine and stress, we examined whether sire cocaine taking would influence fear-associated behavioral effects in drug-naïve adult male and female progeny. Sire cocaine exposure had no effect on contextual fear conditioning or its extinction in either male or female offspring. During cued fear conditioning, freezing behavior was enhanced in female, but not male, cocaine-sired progeny. In contrast, male cocaine-sired progeny exhibited enhanced expression of cue-conditioned fear during extinction. Long-term potentiation (LTP) was robust in the basolateral amygdala (BLA), which encodes fear conditioning, of female offspring but was completely absent in male offspring of cocaine-exposed sires. Collectively, these results indicate that cued fear memory is enhanced in the male progeny of cocaine exposed sires, which also have BLA synaptic plasticity deficits.
Collapse
Affiliation(s)
- Matthew T. Rich
- Brain Health Institute and Department of Psychiatry, Rutgers University, Piscataway, NJ 08854 USA
| | - Samantha J. Worobey
- Brain Health Institute and Department of Psychiatry, Rutgers University, Piscataway, NJ 08854 USA
| | - Sharvari Mankame
- Brain Health Institute and Department of Psychiatry, Rutgers University, Piscataway, NJ 08854 USA
| | - Zhiping P. Pang
- Child Health Institute and Department of Neuroscience & Cell Biology, Rutgers University, New Brunswick, NJ 08901, USA
| | | | - R. Christopher Pierce
- Brain Health Institute and Department of Psychiatry, Rutgers University, Piscataway, NJ 08854 USA
| |
Collapse
|
6
|
Zheng Y, Liu D, Guo H, Chen W, Liu Z, Li Z, Hu T, Zhang Y, Li X, Zhao Z, Cai Q, Ge F, Fan Y, Guan X. Paternal methamphetamine exposure induces higher sensitivity to methamphetamine in male offspring through driving ADRB1 on CaMKII-positive neurons in mPFC. Transl Psychiatry 2023; 13:324. [PMID: 37857642 PMCID: PMC10587075 DOI: 10.1038/s41398-023-02624-x] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Submit a Manuscript] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 02/09/2023] [Revised: 09/28/2023] [Accepted: 10/06/2023] [Indexed: 10/21/2023] Open
Abstract
Paternal abuse of drugs, such as methamphetamine (METH), elevates the risk of developing addiction in subsequent generations, however, its underlying molecular mechanism remains poorly understood. Male adult mice (F0) were exposed to METH for 30 days, followed by mating with naïve female mice to create the first-generation mice (F1). When growing to adulthood, F1 were subjected to conditioned place preference (CPP) test. Subthreshold dose of METH (sd-METH), insufficient to induce CPP normally, were used in F1. Selective antagonist (betaxolol) for β1-adrenergic receptor (ADRB1) or its knocking-down virus were administrated into mPFC to regulate ADRB1 function and expression on CaMKII-positive neurons. METH-sired male F1 acquired sd-METH-induced CPP, indicating that paternal METH exposure induce higher sensitivity to METH in male F1. Compared with saline (SAL)-sired male F1, CaMKII-positive neuronal activity was normal without sd-METH, but strongly evoked after sd-METH treatment in METH-sired male F1 during adulthood. METH-sired male F1 had higher ADRB1 levels without sd-METH, which was kept at higher levels after sd-METH treatment in mPFC. Either inhibiting ADRB1 function with betaxolol, or knocking-down ADRB1 level on CaMKII-positive neurons (ADRB1CaMKII) with virus transfection efficiently suppressed sd-METH -evoked mPFC activation, and ultimately blocked sd-METH-induced CPP in METH-sired male F1. In the process, the p-ERK1/2 and ΔFosB may be potential subsequent signals of mPFC ADRB1CaMKII. The mPFC ADRB1CaMKII mediates paternal METH exposure-induced higher sensitivity to drug addiction in male offspring, raising a promising pharmacological target for predicting or treating transgenerational addiction.
Collapse
Affiliation(s)
- Yanyan Zheng
- Department of Human Anatomy and Histoembryology, Nanjing University of Chinese Medicine, Nanjing, 210023, China
| | - Dekang Liu
- Department of Human Anatomy and Histoembryology, Nanjing University of Chinese Medicine, Nanjing, 210023, China
| | - Hao Guo
- Department of Human Anatomy and Histoembryology, Nanjing University of Chinese Medicine, Nanjing, 210023, China
| | - Wenwen Chen
- Department of Human Anatomy and Histoembryology, Nanjing University of Chinese Medicine, Nanjing, 210023, China
| | - Zhaoyu Liu
- Department of Human Anatomy and Histoembryology, Nanjing University of Chinese Medicine, Nanjing, 210023, China
| | - Zhaosu Li
- Department of Human Anatomy and Histoembryology, Nanjing University of Chinese Medicine, Nanjing, 210023, China
| | - Tao Hu
- Department of Human Anatomy and Histoembryology, Nanjing University of Chinese Medicine, Nanjing, 210023, China
| | - Yuanyuan Zhang
- Department of Human Anatomy and Histoembryology, Nanjing University of Chinese Medicine, Nanjing, 210023, China
| | - Xiang Li
- Department of Human Anatomy and Histoembryology, Nanjing University of Chinese Medicine, Nanjing, 210023, China
| | - Ziheng Zhao
- Department of Human Anatomy and Histoembryology, Nanjing University of Chinese Medicine, Nanjing, 210023, China
| | - Qinglong Cai
- Department of Human Anatomy and Histoembryology, Nanjing University of Chinese Medicine, Nanjing, 210023, China
| | - Feifei Ge
- Department of Human Anatomy and Histoembryology, Nanjing University of Chinese Medicine, Nanjing, 210023, China
| | - Yu Fan
- Department of Human Anatomy and Histoembryology, Nanjing University of Chinese Medicine, Nanjing, 210023, China.
| | - Xiaowei Guan
- Department of Human Anatomy and Histoembryology, Nanjing University of Chinese Medicine, Nanjing, 210023, China.
| |
Collapse
|
7
|
Alipour V, Shojaei A, Rezaei M, Mirnajafi-Zadeh J, Azizi H. Intergenerational consequences of adolescent morphine exposure on learning and memory. Neurosci Lett 2023; 808:137303. [PMID: 37196975 DOI: 10.1016/j.neulet.2023.137303] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 12/26/2022] [Revised: 04/01/2023] [Accepted: 05/14/2023] [Indexed: 05/19/2023]
Abstract
Drug addiction is a worldwide social and medical disorder. More than 50 percent of drug abusers start their substance abuse in adolescence between the ages of 15-19. Adolescence is a sensitive and crucial period for the development and maturity of the brain. Chronic exposure to morphine, particularly during this period, lead to long-lasting effects, including effects that extend to the next generation. The current study examined the intergenerational effects of paternal morphine exposure during adolescence on learning and memory. In this study, male Wistar rats were exposed to increasing doses of morphine (5-25 mg/kg, s.c.) or saline for 10 days at postnatal days (PND) 30-39 during adolescence. Following a 20-day drug-free period, the treated male rats were mated with naïve females. Adult male offspring (PND 60-80) were tested for working memory, novel object recognition memory, spatial memory, and passive avoidance memory using the Y-Maze, novel object recognition, Morris water maze, and shuttle box tests, respectively. The spontaneous alternation (as measured in the Y-Maze test) was significantly less in the morphine-sired group compared to the saline-sired one. The offspring showed significantly less discrimination index in the novel object recognition test when compared to the control group. Morphine-sired offspring tended to spend significantly more time in the target quadrant and less escape latency in the Morris water maze on probe day when compared to the saline-sired ones. The offspring showed significantly less step-through latency to enter the dark compartment compared to the control group when measured in the shuttle box test. Paternal exposure to morphine during adolescence impaired working, novel object recognition, and passive avoidance memory in male offspring. Spatial memory changed in the morphine-sired group compared to the saline-sired one.
Collapse
Affiliation(s)
- Vida Alipour
- Department of Physiology, Faculty of Medical Sciences, Tarbiat Modares University, Tehran, Iran
| | - Amir Shojaei
- Department of Physiology, Faculty of Medical Sciences, Tarbiat Modares University, Tehran, Iran; Institute for Brain Sciences and Cognition, Tarbiat Modares University, Tehran, Iran
| | - Mahmoud Rezaei
- Department of Physiology, Faculty of Medical Sciences, Tarbiat Modares University, Tehran, Iran
| | - Javad Mirnajafi-Zadeh
- Department of Physiology, Faculty of Medical Sciences, Tarbiat Modares University, Tehran, Iran; Institute for Brain Sciences and Cognition, Tarbiat Modares University, Tehran, Iran
| | - Hossein Azizi
- Department of Physiology, Faculty of Medical Sciences, Tarbiat Modares University, Tehran, Iran; Institute for Brain Sciences and Cognition, Tarbiat Modares University, Tehran, Iran.
| |
Collapse
|
8
|
Liu S, Sharma U. Sperm RNA Payload: Implications for Intergenerational Epigenetic Inheritance. Int J Mol Sci 2023; 24:5889. [PMID: 36982962 PMCID: PMC10052761 DOI: 10.3390/ijms24065889] [Citation(s) in RCA: 2] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 11/24/2022] [Revised: 03/03/2023] [Accepted: 03/14/2023] [Indexed: 03/30/2023] Open
Abstract
There is mounting evidence that ancestral life experiences and environment can influence phenotypes in descendants. The parental environment regulates offspring phenotypes potentially via modulating epigenetic marks in the gametes. Here, we review examples of across-generational inheritance of paternal environmental effects and the current understanding of the role of small RNAs in such inheritance. We discuss recent advances in revealing the small RNA payload of sperm and how environmental conditions modulate sperm small RNAs. Further, we discuss the potential mechanism of inheritance of paternal environmental effects by focusing on sperm small RNA-mediated regulation of early embryonic gene expression and its role in influencing offspring phenotypes.
Collapse
Affiliation(s)
| | - Upasna Sharma
- Department of Molecular, Cell and Developmental Biology, University of California, Santa Cruz, CA 95064, USA
| |
Collapse
|
9
|
Maurer JJ, Wimmer ME, Turner CA, Herman RJ, Zhang Y, Ragnini K, Ferrante J, Kimmey BA, Crist RC, Pierce RC, Schmidt HD. Paternal nicotine taking elicits heritable sex-specific phenotypes that are mediated by hippocampal Satb2. Mol Psychiatry 2022; 27:3864-3874. [PMID: 35595980 PMCID: PMC9675874 DOI: 10.1038/s41380-022-01622-7] [Citation(s) in RCA: 2] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Submit a Manuscript] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 02/02/2022] [Revised: 05/04/2022] [Accepted: 05/11/2022] [Indexed: 02/08/2023]
Abstract
Nicotine intake, whether through tobacco smoking or e-cigarettes, remains a global health concern. An emerging preclinical literature indicates that parental nicotine exposure produces behavioral, physiological, and molecular changes in subsequent generations. However, the heritable effects of voluntary parental nicotine taking are unknown. Here, we show increased acquisition of nicotine taking in male and female offspring of sires that self-administered nicotine. In contrast, self-administration of sucrose and cocaine were unaltered in male and female offspring suggesting that the intergenerational effects of paternal nicotine taking may be reinforcer specific. Further characterization revealed memory deficits and increased anxiety-like behaviors in drug-naive male, but not female, offspring of nicotine-experienced sires. Using an unbiased, genome-wide approach, we discovered that these phenotypes were associated with decreased expression of Satb2, a transcription factor known to play important roles in synaptic plasticity and memory formation, in the hippocampus of nicotine-sired male offspring. This effect was sex-specific as no changes in Satb2 expression were found in nicotine-sired female offspring. Finally, increasing Satb2 levels in the hippocampus prevented the escalation of nicotine intake and rescued the memory deficits associated with paternal nicotine taking in male offspring. Collectively, these findings indicate that paternal nicotine taking produces heritable sex-specific molecular changes that promote addiction-like phenotypes and memory impairments in male offspring.
Collapse
Affiliation(s)
- John J. Maurer
- Department of Biobehavioral Health Sciences, School of Nursing, University of Pennsylvania, Philadelphia, PA 19104, USA,Department of Psychiatry, Perelman School of Medicine, University of Pennsylvania, Philadelphia, PA 19104, USA
| | - Mathieu E. Wimmer
- Department of Psychology, College of Liberal Arts, Temple University, Philadelphia, PA, 19122, USA
| | - Christopher A. Turner
- Department of Biobehavioral Health Sciences, School of Nursing, University of Pennsylvania, Philadelphia, PA 19104, USA,Department of Psychiatry, Perelman School of Medicine, University of Pennsylvania, Philadelphia, PA 19104, USA
| | - Rae J. Herman
- Department of Biobehavioral Health Sciences, School of Nursing, University of Pennsylvania, Philadelphia, PA 19104, USA,Department of Psychiatry, Perelman School of Medicine, University of Pennsylvania, Philadelphia, PA 19104, USA
| | - Yafang Zhang
- Department of Biobehavioral Health Sciences, School of Nursing, University of Pennsylvania, Philadelphia, PA 19104, USA,Department of Psychiatry, Perelman School of Medicine, University of Pennsylvania, Philadelphia, PA 19104, USA
| | - Kael Ragnini
- Department of Biobehavioral Health Sciences, School of Nursing, University of Pennsylvania, Philadelphia, PA 19104, USA,Department of Psychiatry, Perelman School of Medicine, University of Pennsylvania, Philadelphia, PA 19104, USA
| | - Julia Ferrante
- Department of Biobehavioral Health Sciences, School of Nursing, University of Pennsylvania, Philadelphia, PA 19104, USA,Department of Psychiatry, Perelman School of Medicine, University of Pennsylvania, Philadelphia, PA 19104, USA
| | - Blake A. Kimmey
- Department of Biobehavioral Health Sciences, School of Nursing, University of Pennsylvania, Philadelphia, PA 19104, USA,Department of Psychiatry, Perelman School of Medicine, University of Pennsylvania, Philadelphia, PA 19104, USA
| | - Richard C. Crist
- Department of Psychiatry, Perelman School of Medicine, University of Pennsylvania, Philadelphia, PA 19104, USA
| | - R. Christopher Pierce
- Brain Health Institute and Department of Psychiatry, Robert Wood Johnson Medical School, Rutgers University, Piscataway, NJ 08854, USA
| | - Heath D. Schmidt
- Department of Biobehavioral Health Sciences, School of Nursing, University of Pennsylvania, Philadelphia, PA 19104, USA,Department of Psychiatry, Perelman School of Medicine, University of Pennsylvania, Philadelphia, PA 19104, USA
| |
Collapse
|
10
|
Fan Y, Li Z, Zheng Y, Wei X, Zhang Z, Cai Q, Liu D, Ge F, Guan X. Sex-specific neurobehavioural outcomes and brain stimulation pattern in adult offspring paternally exposed to methamphetamine. Addict Biol 2022; 27:e13175. [PMID: 35470558 DOI: 10.1111/adb.13175] [Citation(s) in RCA: 5] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 12/06/2021] [Revised: 01/24/2022] [Accepted: 04/08/2022] [Indexed: 12/21/2022]
Abstract
Paternal methamphetamine (METH) exposure results in long-term behavioural deficits in the sub-generations with a sex difference. Here, we aim to investigate the sex-specific neurobehavioural outcomes in the first-generation offspring mice (F1 mice) paternally exposed to METH prior to conception and explore the underlying brain mechanisms. We found that paternal METH exposure increased anxiety-like behaviours and spatial memory deficits only in female F1 mice and caused depression-like behaviours in the offspring without sex-specific differences. In parallel, METH-sired F1 mice exhibited sex-specific brain activity pattern in response to mild stimulus (in water at room temperature for 3 min). Overall, paternal METH exposure caused a blunting phenomenon of prelimbic cortex (PrL), infralimbic cortex (IL) and nucleus accumbens (NAc) core in both male and female F1 mice, as indicated by the decreased c-Fos levels under mild stimulus. Of note, the activity of central nucleus of the amygdala (CeA) by mild stimulus was triggered in male but suppressed in female F1 mice, whereas the neurons of orbitofrontal cortex (OFC), cingulate cortex (Cg1), NAc shell, medial habenula (mHb), dorsal hippocampal CA1 (dCA1) and ventral hippocampal CA1 (vCA1) were only blunted in female F1 mice. Taken together, the distinct brain stimulation patterns between male and female F1 mice might contribute to the sex-specific behavioural outcomes by paternal METH exposure, which indicate that sex differences should be considered in the treatment of offspring paternally exposed drugs.
Collapse
Affiliation(s)
- Yu Fan
- Department of Human Anatomy and Histoembryology Nanjing University of Chinese Medicine Nanjing China
| | - Zhaosu Li
- Department of Human Anatomy and Histoembryology Nanjing University of Chinese Medicine Nanjing China
| | - Yanyan Zheng
- Department of Human Anatomy and Histoembryology Nanjing University of Chinese Medicine Nanjing China
| | - Xiaoyan Wei
- Department of Human Anatomy and Histoembryology Nanjing University of Chinese Medicine Nanjing China
| | - Zijing Zhang
- Department of Human Anatomy and Histoembryology Nanjing University of Chinese Medicine Nanjing China
| | - Qinglong Cai
- Department of Human Anatomy and Histoembryology Nanjing University of Chinese Medicine Nanjing China
| | - Dekang Liu
- Department of Human Anatomy and Histoembryology Nanjing University of Chinese Medicine Nanjing China
| | - Feifei Ge
- Department of Human Anatomy and Histoembryology Nanjing University of Chinese Medicine Nanjing China
| | - Xiaowei Guan
- Department of Human Anatomy and Histoembryology Nanjing University of Chinese Medicine Nanjing China
| |
Collapse
|
11
|
Yaw AM, Glass JD, Prosser RA, Caldwell HK. Paternal Cocaine in Mice Alters Social Behavior and Brain Oxytocin Receptor Density in First Generation Offspring. Neuroscience 2022; 485:65-77. [PMID: 35063583 PMCID: PMC8866213 DOI: 10.1016/j.neuroscience.2022.01.010] [Citation(s) in RCA: 1] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 08/16/2021] [Revised: 01/06/2022] [Accepted: 01/11/2022] [Indexed: 12/27/2022]
Abstract
It is well established that the damaging effects of drugs of abuse, such as cocaine, can extend beyond the user to their offspring. While most preclinical models of the generational effects of cocaine abuse have focused on maternal effects, we, and others, report distinct effects on offspring sired by fathers treated with cocaine prior to breeding. However, little is known about the effects of paternal cocaine use on first generation (F1) offspring's social behaviors. Here, we expand upon our model of oral self-administered paternal cocaine use to address the idea that paternal cocaine alters first generation offspring social behaviors through modulation of the oxytocin system. F1 cocaine-sired males displayed unaltered social recognition vs. non-cocaine sired controls but showed increased investigation times that were not related to altered olfaction. Paternal cocaine did not alter F1 male-aggression behavior or depression-like behaviors, but cocaine-sired males did display decreased anxiety-like behaviors. Female F1 behavior was similarly examined, but there were no effects of paternal cocaine. Cocaine-sired male mice also exhibited localized oxytocin receptor expression differences vs. controls in several brain regions regulating social behavior. These results provide evidence for effects of paternal cocaine exposure on social behaviors in male offspring with associated alterations in central oxytocin transmission.
Collapse
Affiliation(s)
- Alexandra M. Yaw
- School of Biomedical Sciences, Kent State Univ., Kent, Ohio 44242,Laboratory of Neuroendocrinology and Behavior, Department of Biological Sciences, Brain Health Research Institute, Kent State University, Kent, OH, United States
| | - J. David Glass
- School of Biomedical Sciences, Kent State Univ., Kent, Ohio 44242
| | - Rebecca A. Prosser
- Department of Biochemistry & Cellular and Molecular Biology, and the NeuroNET Research Center, Univ. of Tennessee, Knoxville, TN 37996, United States
| | - Heather K. Caldwell
- School of Biomedical Sciences, Kent State Univ., Kent, Ohio 44242,Laboratory of Neuroendocrinology and Behavior, Department of Biological Sciences, Brain Health Research Institute, Kent State University, Kent, OH, United States,Corresponding Author Dr. Heather K. Caldwell, Professor, Department of Biological Sciences, Kent State Univ., Kent, OH 44242, 330-672-3636,
| |
Collapse
|
12
|
Azadi M, Moazen P, Wiskerke J, Semnanian S, Azizi H. Preconception paternal morphine exposure leads to an impulsive phenotype in male rat progeny. Psychopharmacology (Berl) 2021; 238:3435-3446. [PMID: 34427719 DOI: 10.1007/s00213-021-05962-0] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Submit a Manuscript] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 03/29/2021] [Accepted: 08/09/2021] [Indexed: 11/29/2022]
Abstract
RATIONALE Identifying the long-term neurocognitive implications of opioid addiction may further our understanding of the compulsive nature of this brain disorder. The aim of this study was to examine the effects of paternal adolescent opiate exposure on cognitive performance (visual attention, impulsivity, and compulsivity) in the next generation. METHODS Male Wistar rats received escalating doses of morphine (2.5-25 mg/kg, s.c.) or saline for 10 days during adolescence (P30-39). In adulthood (P70-80), these rats were allowed to mate with drug-naive females. Male offspring from morphine- and saline-exposed sires, once in adulthood, were trained and tested in the 5-choice serial reaction time test (5-CSRTT) to evaluate their cognitive abilities under baseline, drug-free conditions as well as following acute (1, 3, 5 mg/kg morphine) and subchronic morphine (5 mg/kg morphine for 5 days) treatment. Behavioral effects of the opioid receptor antagonist naloxone were also assessed. RESULTS Morphine-sired offspring exhibited delayed learning when the shortest stimulus duration (1 s) was introduced, i.e., when cognitive load was highest. These subjects also exhibited a reduced ability to exert inhibitory control, as reflected by increased premature and perseverative responding under drug-free baseline conditions in comparison to saline-sired rats. These impairments could not be reversed by administration of naloxone. Moreover, impulsive behavior was further enhanced in morphine-sired rats following acute and subchronic morphine treatment. CONCLUSION Paternal opiate exposure during adolescence was found to primarily impair inhibitory control in male progeny. These results further our understanding of the long-term costs and risk of opioid abuse, extending across generations.
Collapse
Affiliation(s)
- Maryam Azadi
- Department of Physiology, Faculty of Medical Sciences, Tarbiat Modares University, Tehran, Iran
| | - Parisa Moazen
- Department of Physiology, Faculty of Medical Sciences, Tarbiat Modares University, Tehran, Iran
| | - Joost Wiskerke
- Center for Social and Affective Neuroscience, Department of Biomedical and Clinical Sciences, Linköping University, Linköping, Sweden.
| | - Saeed Semnanian
- Department of Physiology, Faculty of Medical Sciences, Tarbiat Modares University, Tehran, Iran
| | - Hossein Azizi
- Department of Physiology, Faculty of Medical Sciences, Tarbiat Modares University, Tehran, Iran.
| |
Collapse
|
13
|
Gill WD, Burgess KC, Vied C, Brown RW. Transgenerational evidence of increases in dopamine D2 receptor sensitivity in rodents: Impact on sensorimotor gating, the behavioral response to nicotine and BDNF. J Psychopharmacol 2021; 35:1188-1203. [PMID: 34291671 PMCID: PMC9169618 DOI: 10.1177/02698811211033927] [Citation(s) in RCA: 3] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Submit a Manuscript] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 12/18/2022]
Abstract
BACKGROUND/AIMS Neonatal quinpirole (NQ) treatment to rats increases dopamine D2 (DAD2) receptor sensitivity in adult animals. We investigated if increased DAD2 sensitivity would be passed to the next (F1) generation, and if these animals demonstrated sensorimotor gating deficits and enhanced behavioral responses to nicotine. METHODS Male and female rats were intraperitoneal (IP) administered quinpirole (1 mg/kg) or saline (NS) from postnatal day (P)1-21. Animals were either behaviorally tested (F0) or raised to P60 and mated, creating F1 offspring. RESULTS Experiment 1 revealed that F1 generation animals that were the offspring of at least one NQ-treated founder increased yawning behavior, a DAD2-mediated behavioral event, in response to acute quinpirole (0.1 mg/kg). F1 generation rats also demonstrated increased striatal β arrestin-2 and decreased phospho-AKT signaling, consistent with increased G-protein independent DAD2 signaling, which was equal to F0 NQ-treated founders, although this was not observed in all groups. RNA-Seq analysis revealed significant gene expression changes in the F1 generation that were offspring of both NQ-treated founders compared to F0 NQ founders and controls, with enrichment in sensitivity to stress hormones and cell signaling pathways. In Experiment 2, all F1 generation offspring demonstrated sensorimotor gating deficits compared to controls, which were equivalent to F0 NQ-treated founders. In Experiment 3, all F1 generation animals demonstrated enhanced nicotine behavioral sensitization and nucleus accumbens (NAcc) brain-derived neurotrophic factor (BDNF) protein. Further, F1 generation rats demonstrated enhanced adolescent nicotine conditioned place preference equivalent to NQ-treated founders conditioned with nicotine. CONCLUSIONS This represents the first demonstration of transgenerational effects of increased DAD2 sensitivity in a rodent model.
Collapse
Affiliation(s)
- Wesley Drew Gill
- James H. Quillen College of Medicine, East Tennessee State University, Johnson City, TN, USA
| | - Katherine C Burgess
- James H. Quillen College of Medicine, East Tennessee State University, Johnson City, TN, USA
| | - Cynthia Vied
- Translational Science Laboratory, Florida State University College of Medicine, Tallahassee, FL, USA
| | - Russell W Brown
- James H. Quillen College of Medicine, East Tennessee State University, Johnson City, TN, USA
| |
Collapse
|
14
|
Abstract
Substance use disorders (SUDs) are chronic brain diseases characterized by transitions from recreational to compulsive drug use and aberrant drug craving that persists for months to years after abstinence is achieved. The transition to compulsive drug use implies that plasticity is occurring, altering the physiology of the brain to precipitate addicted states. Epigenetic phenomena represent a varied orchestra of transcriptional tuning mechanisms that, in response to environmental stimuli, create and maintain gene expression-mediated physiological outcomes. Therefore, epigenetic mechanisms represent a convergent regulatory framework through which the plasticity required to achieve an addicted state can arise and then persist long after drug use has ended. In the first section, we will introduce basic concepts in epigenetics, such as chromatin architecture, histones and their posttranslational modifications, DNA methylation, noncoding RNAs, and transcription factors, along with methods for their investigation. We will then examine the implications of these mechanisms in SUDs, with a particular focus on cocaine-mediated neuroepigenetic plasticity across multiple behavioral models of addiction.
Collapse
Affiliation(s)
- Andrew F Stewart
- Department of Neuroscience, Icahn School of Medicine at Mount Sinai, New York, New York 10029, USA
| | - Sasha L Fulton
- Department of Neuroscience, Icahn School of Medicine at Mount Sinai, New York, New York 10029, USA
| | - Ian Maze
- Department of Neuroscience, Icahn School of Medicine at Mount Sinai, New York, New York 10029, USA
- Pharmacological Sciences, Icahn School of Medicine at Mount Sinai, New York, New York 10029, USA
| |
Collapse
|
15
|
Bellver-Sanchis A, Pallàs M, Griñán-Ferré C. The Contribution of Epigenetic Inheritance Processes on Age-Related Cognitive Decline and Alzheimer's Disease. EPIGENOMES 2021; 5:epigenomes5020015. [PMID: 34968302 PMCID: PMC8594669 DOI: 10.3390/epigenomes5020015] [Citation(s) in RCA: 12] [Impact Index Per Article: 4.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 05/21/2021] [Revised: 06/15/2021] [Accepted: 06/17/2021] [Indexed: 12/15/2022] Open
Abstract
During the last years, epigenetic processes have emerged as important factors for many neurodegenerative diseases, such as Alzheimer’s disease (AD). These complex diseases seem to have a heritable component; however, genome-wide association studies failed to identify the genetic loci involved in the etiology. So, how can these changes be transmitted from one generation to the next? Answering this question would allow us to understand how the environment can affect human populations for multiple generations and explain the high prevalence of neurodegenerative diseases, such as AD. This review pays particular attention to the relationship among epigenetics, cognition, and neurodegeneration across generations, deepening the understanding of the relevance of heritability in neurodegenerative diseases. We highlight some recent examples of EI induced by experiences, focusing on their contribution of processes in learning and memory to point out new targets for therapeutic interventions. Here, we first describe the prominent role of epigenetic factors in memory processing. Then, we briefly discuss aspects of EI. Additionally, we summarize evidence of how epigenetic marks inherited by experience and/or environmental stimuli contribute to cognitive status offspring since better knowledge of EI can provide clues in the appearance and development of age-related cognitive decline and AD.
Collapse
|
16
|
De Serrano AR, Hughes KA, Rodd FH. Paternal exposure to a common pharmaceutical (Ritalin) has transgenerational effects on the behaviour of Trinidadian guppies. Sci Rep 2021; 11:3985. [PMID: 33597600 PMCID: PMC7889922 DOI: 10.1038/s41598-021-83448-x] [Citation(s) in RCA: 5] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.7] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 06/29/2020] [Accepted: 02/02/2021] [Indexed: 01/04/2023] Open
Abstract
Evidence is emerging that paternal effects, the nongenetic influence of fathers on their offspring, can be transgenerational, spanning several generations. Methylphenidate hydrochloride (MPH; e.g. Ritalin) is a dopaminergic drug that is highly prescribed to adolescent males for the treatment of Attention-deficit/hyperactivity disorder. It has been suggested that MPH could cause transgenerational effects because MPH can affect the male germline in rodents and because paternal effects have been observed in individuals taking similar drugs (e.g. cocaine). Despite these concerns, the transgenerational effects of paternal MPH exposure are unknown. Therefore, we exposed male and female Trinidadian guppies (Poecilia reticulata) to a low, chronic dose of MPH and observed that MPH affected the anxiety/exploratory behaviour of males, but not females. Because of this male-specific effect, we investigated the transgenerational effects of MPH through the paternal line. We observed behavioural effects of paternal MPH exposure on offspring and great-grandoffspring that were not directly administered the drug, making this the first study to demonstrate that paternal MPH exposure can affect descendants. These effects were not due to differential mortality or fecundity between control and MPH lines. These results highlight the transgenerational potential of MPH.
Collapse
Affiliation(s)
- Alex R De Serrano
- Department of Ecology and Evolutionary Biology, University of Toronto, 25 Willcocks St, Toronto, ON, M5S 3B2, Canada.
| | - Kimberly A Hughes
- Department of Biological Science, Florida State University, 319 Stadium Dr, Tallahassee, FL, 32304, USA
| | - F Helen Rodd
- Department of Ecology and Evolutionary Biology, University of Toronto, 25 Willcocks St, Toronto, ON, M5S 3B2, Canada
| |
Collapse
|
17
|
Experimentally altered male mating behaviour affects offspring exploratory behaviour via nongenetic paternal effects. Behav Brain Res 2020; 401:113062. [PMID: 33316325 DOI: 10.1016/j.bbr.2020.113062] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 08/14/2020] [Revised: 10/29/2020] [Accepted: 12/06/2020] [Indexed: 10/22/2022]
Abstract
Evidence is emerging that fathers can have nongenetic effects on the phenotypes of their offspring. Most studies have focused on the role that nongenetic modifications to sperm can have on offspring phenotype; however, fathers can also have nongenetic effects on offspring through their interactions with females, called female-mediated paternal effects. These effects can occur in situations where male phenotype, e.g. behaviour or morphology, affects female stress and/or provisioning of offspring. These effects are potentially widespread, but few studies have explicitly investigated the role of female-mediated paternal effects on offspring phenotype. Here, we asked if male mating interactions can affect offspring via female mediated paternal effects in the Trinidadian guppy, Poecilia reticulata. To do this, we manipulated mating behaviour by: (i) administering a drug known to affect the neurotransmitter dopamine, and (ii) varying the familiarity of potential mates, which affects attractiveness in this species. With these treatments, we successfully manipulated the mating behaviour of male guppies and female preference for those males. Further, we found significant effects of sire mating behaviour, sire drug treatment, and parental familiarity status on behavioural measures of offspring anxiety in response to a novel object. Because Control offspring of 'familiar' and 'unfamiliar' pairs differed in their behaviour, our results cannot be solely attributed to potential nongenetic modifications to sperm caused by the drug. These results emphasize the importance of female-mediated paternal effects, including those caused by altered male mating behaviour, in shaping offspring phenotype.
Collapse
|
18
|
Rutkowska J, Lagisz M, Bonduriansky R, Nakagawa S. Mapping the past, present and future research landscape of paternal effects. BMC Biol 2020; 18:183. [PMID: 33246472 PMCID: PMC7694421 DOI: 10.1186/s12915-020-00892-3] [Citation(s) in RCA: 11] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.8] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 05/19/2020] [Accepted: 10/08/2020] [Indexed: 12/13/2022] Open
Abstract
BACKGROUND Although in all sexually reproducing organisms an individual has a mother and a father, non-genetic inheritance has been predominantly studied in mothers. Paternal effects have been far less frequently studied, until recently. In the last 5 years, research on environmentally induced paternal effects has grown rapidly in the number of publications and diversity of topics. Here, we provide an overview of this field using synthesis of evidence (systematic map) and influence (bibliometric analyses). RESULTS We find that motivations for studies into paternal effects are diverse. For example, from the ecological and evolutionary perspective, paternal effects are of interest as facilitators of response to environmental change and mediators of extended heredity. Medical researchers track how paternal pre-fertilization exposures to factors, such as diet or trauma, influence offspring health. Toxicologists look at the effects of toxins. We compare how these three research guilds design experiments in relation to objects of their studies: fathers, mothers and offspring. We highlight examples of research gaps, which, in turn, lead to future avenues of research. CONCLUSIONS The literature on paternal effects is large and disparate. Our study helps in fostering connections between areas of knowledge that develop in parallel, but which could benefit from the lateral transfer of concepts and methods.
Collapse
Affiliation(s)
- Joanna Rutkowska
- Institute of Environmental Sciences, Faculty of Biology, Jagiellonian University, Kraków, Poland
- Evolution & Ecology Research Centre, School of Biological, Earth and Environmental Sciences, BEES, The University of New South Wales, Sydney, Australia
| | - Malgorzata Lagisz
- Evolution & Ecology Research Centre, School of Biological, Earth and Environmental Sciences, BEES, The University of New South Wales, Sydney, Australia
| | - Russell Bonduriansky
- Evolution & Ecology Research Centre, School of Biological, Earth and Environmental Sciences, BEES, The University of New South Wales, Sydney, Australia
| | - Shinichi Nakagawa
- Evolution & Ecology Research Centre, School of Biological, Earth and Environmental Sciences, BEES, The University of New South Wales, Sydney, Australia
| |
Collapse
|
19
|
Baratta AM, Rathod RS, Plasil SL, Seth A, Homanics GE. Exposure to drugs of abuse induce effects that persist across generations. INTERNATIONAL REVIEW OF NEUROBIOLOGY 2020; 156:217-277. [PMID: 33461664 PMCID: PMC8167819 DOI: 10.1016/bs.irn.2020.08.003] [Citation(s) in RCA: 11] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.8] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 02/07/2023]
Abstract
Substance use disorders are highly prevalent and continue to be one of the leading causes of disability in the world. Notably, not all people who use addictive drugs develop a substance use disorder. Although substance use disorders are highly heritable, patterns of inheritance cannot be explained purely by Mendelian genetic mechanisms. Vulnerability to developing drug addiction depends on the interplay between genetics and environment. Additionally, evidence from the past decade has pointed to the role of epigenetic inheritance in drug addiction. This emerging field focuses on how environmental perturbations, including exposure to addictive drugs, induce epigenetic modifications that are transmitted to the embryo at fertilization and modify developmental gene expression programs to ultimately impact subsequent generations. This chapter highlights intergenerational and transgenerational phenotypes in offspring following a history of parental drug exposure. Special attention is paid to parental preconception exposure studies of five drugs of abuse (alcohol, cocaine, nicotine, cannabinoids, and opiates) and associated behavioral and physiological outcomes in offspring. The highlighted studies demonstrate that parental exposure to drugs of abuse has enduring effects that persist into subsequent generations. Understanding the contribution of epigenetic inheritance in drug addiction may provide clues for better treatments and therapies for substance use disorders.
Collapse
Affiliation(s)
- Annalisa M Baratta
- Center for Neuroscience, University of Pittsburgh School of Medicine, Pittsburgh, PA, United States
| | - Richa S Rathod
- Department of Anesthesiology and Perioperative Medicine, University of Pittsburgh School of Medicine, Pittsburgh, PA, United States
| | - Sonja L Plasil
- Department of Pharmacology and Chemical Biology, University of Pittsburgh School of Medicine, Pittsburgh, PA, United States
| | - Amit Seth
- Department of Anesthesiology and Perioperative Medicine, University of Pittsburgh School of Medicine, Pittsburgh, PA, United States
| | - Gregg E Homanics
- Center for Neuroscience, University of Pittsburgh School of Medicine, Pittsburgh, PA, United States; Department of Anesthesiology and Perioperative Medicine, University of Pittsburgh School of Medicine, Pittsburgh, PA, United States; Department of Pharmacology and Chemical Biology, University of Pittsburgh School of Medicine, Pittsburgh, PA, United States; Department of Neurobiology, University of Pittsburgh School of Medicine, Pittsburgh, PA, United States.
| |
Collapse
|
20
|
Rathod RS, Ferguson C, Seth A, Baratta AM, Plasil SL, Homanics GE. Effects of Paternal Preconception Vapor Alcohol Exposure Paradigms on Behavioral Responses in Offspring. Brain Sci 2020; 10:brainsci10090658. [PMID: 32971974 PMCID: PMC7564629 DOI: 10.3390/brainsci10090658] [Citation(s) in RCA: 8] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 08/31/2020] [Revised: 09/16/2020] [Accepted: 09/18/2020] [Indexed: 12/26/2022] Open
Abstract
We and others previously reported that paternal preconception chronic ethanol exposure leads to molecular, physiological, and behavioral changes in offspring including reduced ethanol consumption and preference relative to controls. The goal of the present study was to further explore the impact of paternal ethanol exposure on a wide variety of basal and drug-induced behavioral responses in first generation offspring. Adult male mice were exposed to chronic intermittent vapor ethanol or control conditions for 5-6 weeks before being mated with ethanol-naïve females to produce ethanol (E)- and control (C)-sired offspring. E-sired male offspring showed stress hyporesponsivity in a stress-induced hyperthermia assay and E-sired female offspring had reduced binge-like ethanol consumption in a drinking in the dark assay compared to C-sired offspring. E-sired offspring also showed altered sensitivity to a sedative/hypnotic dose of the GABAergic drug midazolam, but not ketamine or ethanol, in a loss of the righting response assay. E-sired offspring did not differ from controls in marble burying, novel object location, novel object recognition, social interaction, bottle-brush, novelty suppressed feeding, prepulse inhibition, every-other-day ethanol drinking, or home cage activity assays. This study adds to a growing body of literature suggesting that like in utero alcohol exposure, paternal preconception alcohol exposure can also have effects that persist and impact behavior of offspring.
Collapse
Affiliation(s)
- Richa S. Rathod
- Department of Anesthesiology & Perioperative Medicine, University of Pittsburgh School of Medicine, Pittsburgh, PA 15261, USA; (R.S.R.); (C.F.); (A.S.)
| | - Carolyn Ferguson
- Department of Anesthesiology & Perioperative Medicine, University of Pittsburgh School of Medicine, Pittsburgh, PA 15261, USA; (R.S.R.); (C.F.); (A.S.)
| | - Amit Seth
- Department of Anesthesiology & Perioperative Medicine, University of Pittsburgh School of Medicine, Pittsburgh, PA 15261, USA; (R.S.R.); (C.F.); (A.S.)
| | - Annalisa M. Baratta
- Center for Neuroscience, University of Pittsburgh School of Medicine, Pittsburgh, PA 15261, USA;
| | - Sonja L. Plasil
- Department of Pharmacology & Chemical Biology, University of Pittsburgh School of Medicine, Pittsburgh, PA 15261, USA;
| | - Gregg E. Homanics
- Department of Anesthesiology & Perioperative Medicine, University of Pittsburgh School of Medicine, Pittsburgh, PA 15261, USA; (R.S.R.); (C.F.); (A.S.)
- Center for Neuroscience, University of Pittsburgh School of Medicine, Pittsburgh, PA 15261, USA;
- Department of Pharmacology & Chemical Biology, University of Pittsburgh School of Medicine, Pittsburgh, PA 15261, USA;
- Department of Neurobiology, University of Pittsburgh School of Medicine, Pittsburgh, PA 15261, USA
- Correspondence: ; Tel.: +1-412-648-8172
| |
Collapse
|
21
|
Cross-Generational THC Exposure Alters Heroin Reinforcement in Adult Male Offspring. Drug Alcohol Depend 2020; 212:107985. [PMID: 32386920 DOI: 10.1016/j.drugalcdep.2020.107985] [Citation(s) in RCA: 7] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.8] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Submit a Manuscript] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 12/23/2019] [Revised: 03/09/2020] [Accepted: 03/23/2020] [Indexed: 11/21/2022]
Abstract
BACKGROUND An emerging area of preclinical research has investigated whether drug use in parents prior to conception influences drug responsivity in their offspring. The present work sought to further characterize such effects with cannabis by examining whether a parental THC history modified locomotor sensitization to morphine and self-administration of heroin in adult progeny. METHODS Male and female Sprague Dawley rats were exposed to eight injections of 0 or 1.5 mg/kg THC during adolescence and bred with subjects from the same dose group. In Experiment 1, adult male and female offspring (F1-THC and F1-Veh) underwent locomotor sensitization procedures with morphine over five trials followed by a 5-day abstinence period and a final morphine challenge. In Experiment 2, subjects were trained to self-administer heroin and tested under a number of conditions (FR1, FR5, FR10, PR, dose response assessment, extinction, cue- + stress-induced reinstatement). RESULTS Germline THC exposure had no effect on morphine locomotor sensitization. However, F1-THC males displayed a reduced motivation to self-administer heroin relative to F1-Veh males. CONCLUSIONS The present data indicate that parental THC exposure alters the reinforcing properties of heroin in a sex-specific manner. As such, mild to moderate cannabis use during adolescence may alter heroin abuse liability for males in the subsequent generation, but have limited effects on females.
Collapse
|
22
|
Verstegen RHJ, Wang G, Langenberg-Ververgaert KPS, Ren LY, Nulman I. Paternal exposure to recreational drugs before conception and its effect on live-born offspring: A scoping review. Birth Defects Res 2020; 112:970-988. [PMID: 32431075 DOI: 10.1002/bdr2.1702] [Citation(s) in RCA: 3] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.8] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 01/22/2020] [Revised: 04/03/2020] [Accepted: 04/21/2020] [Indexed: 01/29/2023]
Abstract
BACKGROUND Men of reproductive age increasingly use recreational drugs. While many of these substances may reduce the quantity and quality of sperm, less is known about the effects of these exposures on their offspring. We performed a scoping review to summarize the available literature and identify areas for future research on the outcome of live-born offspring of fathers who were exposed to recreational drugs before conception. METHODS A systematic search was conducted of the Medline, EMBASE, and Web of Science databases, which included keywords for the following substances: cannabis-related products, cocaine, heroin, hallucinogens, ecstasy and amphetamines. In total, 2,983 records were screened, and 129 publications were selected for full-text assessment. Publications were included if (a) the timing of exposure included the preconceptional period, and (b) if outcomes in live-born offspring were compared with an unexposed group. RESULTS We included 30 publications, of which 15 animal studies and 15 human studies. Animal studies showed neurocognitive abnormalities, in particular in male offspring. Interestingly, these outcomes depend significantly on the method of exposure (i.e., fixed-dose administration vs. variable self-administration, which mimics addiction). Human studies were limited to specific congenital malformations and childhood cancers, which showed small increased odds ratios. CONCLUSIONS While animal studies describe impaired neurocognitive outcomes following paternal exposure to recreational drugs, data in humans is currently lacking. Human studies require sound methodology in order to confirm findings on congenital malformations and childhood cancers. In addition, future neurocognitive studies require parental neurocognitive assessments to correct for confounding effects (i.e., role of genetics).
Collapse
Affiliation(s)
- Ruud H J Verstegen
- Division of Clinical Pharmacology and Toxicology, Department of Paediatrics, The Hospital for Sick Children, Toronto, Ontario, Canada
| | - Guo Wang
- Division of Clinical Pharmacology and Toxicology, Department of Paediatrics, The Hospital for Sick Children, Toronto, Ontario, Canada
| | | | - Lily Yuxi Ren
- Hospital Library, The Hospital for Sick Children, Toronto, Ontario, Canada
| | - Irena Nulman
- Division of Clinical Pharmacology and Toxicology, Department of Paediatrics, The Hospital for Sick Children, Toronto, Ontario, Canada
| |
Collapse
|
23
|
González B, Gancedo SN, Garazatua SAJ, Roldán E, Vitullo AD, González CR. Dopamine Receptor D1 Contributes to Cocaine Epigenetic Reprogramming of Histone Modifications in Male Germ Cells. Front Cell Dev Biol 2020; 8:216. [PMID: 32318569 PMCID: PMC7146055 DOI: 10.3389/fcell.2020.00216] [Citation(s) in RCA: 13] [Impact Index Per Article: 3.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 02/03/2020] [Accepted: 03/12/2020] [Indexed: 11/28/2022] Open
Abstract
Paternal environmental perturbations, including cocaine intake, can affect the development and behavior of the offspring through epigenetic inheritance. However, the mechanism by which cocaine alters the male germ cells epigenome is almost unexplored. Here, we report that cocaine-treated male mice showed alterations on specific histone post-translational modifications (PTMs) including increased silent chromatin marks H3K9me3 and H3K27me3 and decreased active enhancer and promoter marks H3K27ac and H3K4me3 in isolated germ cells. Also, cocaine increased H3K9ac and H4K16ac levels, involved in the replacement of histones by protamines that take place at round spermatid stage. Cocaine also altered histones H3/H4 epigenetic enzymes by increasing acetyltransferase KAT8/MOF, deacetylase SIRT1 and methyltransferase KMT1C/G9A, and decreasing deacetylases HDAC1/2 and demethylase KDM1A/LSD1 protein levels. Moreover, a pre-treatment with dopamine receptor 1 (DRD1) antagonist SCH23390 (SCH) blocked cocaine effects on H3K4me3, H3K27me3, and H4K16ac epigenetic marks. Interestingly, treatment with SCH-only was able to modify most of the histone marks tested here, pointing to a dopamine role in controlling histone PTMs in germ cells. Taken together, our data suggest a key role for DRD1 in mediating cocaine-triggered epigenetic modifications related to the silencing of gene transcription and the histone-to-protamine replacement that controls chromatin architecture of maturing sperm cells, and pinpoints a novel role of the dopaminergic system in the regulation of male germ cells reprogramming.
Collapse
Affiliation(s)
- Betina González
- Instituto de Investigaciones Farmacológicas, Universidad de Buenos Aires-Consejo Nacional de Investigaciones Científicas y Técnicas, Buenos Aires, Argentina
| | - Samanta N Gancedo
- Instituto de Investigaciones Farmacológicas, Universidad de Buenos Aires-Consejo Nacional de Investigaciones Científicas y Técnicas, Buenos Aires, Argentina
| | - Sahira A Janeir Garazatua
- Centro de Estudios Biomédicos Básicos, Aplicados y Desarrollo, Universidad Maimónides, Buenos Aires, Argentina
| | - Eduardo Roldán
- Departamento de Biodiversidad y Biología Evolutiva, Museo Nacional de Ciencias Naturales, Madrid, Spain
| | - Alfredo D Vitullo
- Centro de Estudios Biomédicos Básicos, Aplicados y Desarrollo, Universidad Maimónides, Buenos Aires, Argentina
| | - Candela R González
- Centro de Estudios Biomédicos Básicos, Aplicados y Desarrollo, Universidad Maimónides, Buenos Aires, Argentina
| |
Collapse
|
24
|
Chan JC, Morgan CP, Adrian Leu N, Shetty A, Cisse YM, Nugent BM, Morrison KE, Jašarević E, Huang W, Kanyuch N, Rodgers AB, Bhanu NV, Berger DS, Garcia BA, Ament S, Kane M, Neill Epperson C, Bale TL. Reproductive tract extracellular vesicles are sufficient to transmit intergenerational stress and program neurodevelopment. Nat Commun 2020; 11:1499. [PMID: 32198406 PMCID: PMC7083921 DOI: 10.1038/s41467-020-15305-w] [Citation(s) in RCA: 109] [Impact Index Per Article: 27.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 04/02/2018] [Accepted: 02/27/2020] [Indexed: 12/21/2022] Open
Abstract
Extracellular vesicles (EVs) are a unique mode of intercellular communication capable of incredible specificity in transmitting signals involved in cellular function, including germ cell maturation. Spermatogenesis occurs in the testes, behind a protective barrier to ensure safeguarding of germline DNA from environmental insults. Following DNA compaction, further sperm maturation occurs in the epididymis. Here, we report reproductive tract EVs transmit information regarding stress in the paternal environment to sperm, potentially altering fetal development. Using intracytoplasmic sperm injection, we found that sperm incubated with EVs collected from stress-treated epididymal epithelial cells produced offspring with altered neurodevelopment and adult stress reactivity. Proteomic and transcriptomic assessment of these EVs showed dramatic changes in protein and miRNA content long after stress treatment had ended, supporting a lasting programmatic change in response to chronic stress. Thus, EVs as a normal process in sperm maturation, can also perform roles in intergenerational transmission of paternal environmental experience.
Collapse
Affiliation(s)
- Jennifer C Chan
- Department of Biomedical Sciences, School of Veterinary Medicine and Perelman School of Medicine, University of Pennsylvania, Philadelphia, PA, 19104, USA
| | - Christopher P Morgan
- Department of Pharmacology and Center for Epigenetic Research in Child Health and Brain Development, University of Maryland School of Medicine, Baltimore, MD, 21201, USA
| | - N Adrian Leu
- Department of Biomedical Sciences, School of Veterinary Medicine and Perelman School of Medicine, University of Pennsylvania, Philadelphia, PA, 19104, USA
| | - Amol Shetty
- Institute for Genome Sciences, University of Maryland School of Medicine, Baltimore, MD, 21201, USA
| | - Yasmine M Cisse
- Department of Pharmacology and Center for Epigenetic Research in Child Health and Brain Development, University of Maryland School of Medicine, Baltimore, MD, 21201, USA
| | - Bridget M Nugent
- Department of Pharmacology and Center for Epigenetic Research in Child Health and Brain Development, University of Maryland School of Medicine, Baltimore, MD, 21201, USA
| | - Kathleen E Morrison
- Department of Pharmacology and Center for Epigenetic Research in Child Health and Brain Development, University of Maryland School of Medicine, Baltimore, MD, 21201, USA
| | - Eldin Jašarević
- Department of Pharmacology and Center for Epigenetic Research in Child Health and Brain Development, University of Maryland School of Medicine, Baltimore, MD, 21201, USA
| | - Weiliang Huang
- Department of Pharmaceutical Science, University of Maryland School of Pharmacy, Baltimore, MD, 21201, USA
| | - Nickole Kanyuch
- Department of Pharmacology and Center for Epigenetic Research in Child Health and Brain Development, University of Maryland School of Medicine, Baltimore, MD, 21201, USA
| | - Ali B Rodgers
- Department of Biomedical Sciences, School of Veterinary Medicine and Perelman School of Medicine, University of Pennsylvania, Philadelphia, PA, 19104, USA
| | - Natarajan V Bhanu
- Epigenetics Institute, Department of Biochemistry and Biophysics, Perelman School of Medicine, University of Pennsylvania, Philadelphia, PA, 19104, USA
| | - Dara S Berger
- Department of Obstetrics and Gynecology, Division of Reproductive Endocrinology and Infertility, Perelman School of Medicine, University of Pennsylvania, Philadelphia, PA, 19104, USA
| | - Benjamin A Garcia
- Epigenetics Institute, Department of Biochemistry and Biophysics, Perelman School of Medicine, University of Pennsylvania, Philadelphia, PA, 19104, USA
| | - Seth Ament
- Institute for Genome Sciences, University of Maryland School of Medicine, Baltimore, MD, 21201, USA
| | - Maureen Kane
- Department of Pharmaceutical Science, University of Maryland School of Pharmacy, Baltimore, MD, 21201, USA
| | - C Neill Epperson
- Department of Psychiatry, Perelman School of Medicine, University of Pennsylvania, Philadelphia, PA, 19104, USA
| | - Tracy L Bale
- Department of Pharmacology and Center for Epigenetic Research in Child Health and Brain Development, University of Maryland School of Medicine, Baltimore, MD, 21201, USA.
| |
Collapse
|
25
|
Multi-, Inter-, and Transgenerational Effects of Drugs of Abuse on Behavior. Curr Top Behav Neurosci 2020; 42:247-258. [PMID: 31396893 DOI: 10.1007/7854_2019_106] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 04/05/2023]
Abstract
Transgenerational epigenetic inheritance is a burgeoning field that has recently garnered much attention. A growing body of evidence identifies behavioral phenotypes associated with inter-, multi-, and transgenerational studies following a wide variety of parental exposures. This chapter in current topics in behavioral neurogenomics examines the evidence for the presence of behavioral phenotypes and, in particular, the varied and often opposite behavioral responses observed with protocol shifts. Effects following parental exposure to drugs of abuse are used as an example of the wide range of behavioral outcomes and the variability associated with these multiple generation studies. The behavioral phenotypes associated with drug exposure are reviewed in depth.
Collapse
|
26
|
Bond C, Johnson J, Chaudhary V, McCarthy E, McWhorter M, Woehrle N. Perinatal fluoxetine exposure results in social deficits and reduced monoamine oxidase gene expression in mice. Brain Res 2020; 1727:146282. [DOI: 10.1016/j.brainres.2019.06.001] [Citation(s) in RCA: 15] [Impact Index Per Article: 3.8] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 01/04/2019] [Revised: 05/28/2019] [Accepted: 06/01/2019] [Indexed: 12/27/2022]
|
27
|
Starr JM. Ageing and epigenetics: linking neurodevelopmental and neurodegenerative disorders. Dev Med Child Neurol 2019; 61:1134-1138. [PMID: 30883719 DOI: 10.1111/dmcn.14210] [Citation(s) in RCA: 8] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.6] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Submit a Manuscript] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Accepted: 01/30/2019] [Indexed: 12/18/2022]
Abstract
Epigenetics has classically been recognized as crucial to neurodevelopment and neurodevelopmental disorders. More recently its role in ageing processes, including neurodegenerative disorders has emerged, although far more research is required in this area, particularly in humans. Epigenetic processes that regulate gene expression comprise strata of DNA modification (e.g. methylation), histone modification (e.g. histone acetylation), and mRNA translation (e.g. by microRNAs). These strata are progressively more fluid whereby changes in DNA methylation may persist for many years whilst expression of microRNAs fluctuates over short periods. There is considerable 'cross-talk' between these epigenetic strata. Epigenetic mechanisms are open to parental imprinting and thus they are candidates for linking diseases, not just over the life course, but also intergenerationally. There is a genetic overlap between intellectual disability and cognitive ageing. Epigenetic pathways may strengthen the links between neurodevelopmental disorders and neurodegenerative diseases. WHAT THIS PAPER ADDS: DNA methylation has relevance to both neurological development and neurodegeneration. Links between epigenetics, genotype and phenotype are emerging.
Collapse
Affiliation(s)
- John M Starr
- Alzheimer Scotland Dementia Research Centre, University of Edinburgh, Edinburgh, UK
| |
Collapse
|
28
|
Gu X, Xu Y, Xue WZ, Wu Y, Ye Z, Xiao G, Wang HL. Interplay of miR-137 and EZH2 contributes to the genome-wide redistribution of H3K27me3 underlying the Pb-induced memory impairment. Cell Death Dis 2019; 10:671. [PMID: 31511494 PMCID: PMC6739382 DOI: 10.1038/s41419-019-1912-7] [Citation(s) in RCA: 27] [Impact Index Per Article: 5.4] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 04/21/2019] [Revised: 08/13/2019] [Accepted: 08/26/2019] [Indexed: 01/20/2023]
Abstract
Compromised learning and memory is a common feature of multiple neurodegenerative disorders. A paradigm spatial memory impairment could be caused by developmental lead (Pb) exposure. Growing evidence implicates epigenetic modifications in the Pb-mediated memory deficits; however, how histone modifications exemplified by H3K27me3 (H3 Lys27 trimethylation) contribute to this pathogenesis remains poorly understood. Here we found that Pb exposure diminished H3K27me3 levels in vivo by suppressing EZH2 (enhancer of zeste homolog 2) expression at an early stage. EZH2 overexpression in Pb-treated rats rescued the H3K27me3 abundance and partially restored the normal spatial memory, as manifested by the rat performance in a Morris water maze test, and structural analysis of hippocampal spine densities. Furthermore, miR-137 and EZH2 constitute mutually inhibitory loop to regulate the H3K27me3 level, and this feedback regulation could be specifically activated by Pb treatment. Considering genes targeted by H3K27me3, ChIP-chip (chromatin immunoprecipitation on chip) studies revealed that Pb could remodel the genome-wide distribution of H3K27me3, represented by pathways like transcriptional regulation, developmental regulation, cell motion, and apoptosis, as well as a novel Wnt9b locus. As a Wnt isoform associated with canonical and noncanonical signaling, Wnt9b was regulated by the opposite modifications of H3K4me3 (H3 Lys4 trimethylation) and H3K27me3 in Pb-exposed neurons. Rescue trials further validated the contribution of Wnt9b to Pb-induced neuronal impairments, wherein canonical or noncanonical Wnt signaling potentially exhibited destructive or protective roles, respectively. In summary, the study reveals an epigenetic-based molecular change underlying Pb-triggered spatial memory deficits, and provides new potential avenues for our understanding of neurodegenerative diseases with environmental etiology.
Collapse
Affiliation(s)
- Xiaozhen Gu
- School of Food and Bioengineering, Hefei University of Technology, Hefei, Anhui, 230009, People's Republic of China
| | - Yi Xu
- School of Food and Bioengineering, Hefei University of Technology, Hefei, Anhui, 230009, People's Republic of China
| | - Wei-Zhen Xue
- School of Food and Bioengineering, Hefei University of Technology, Hefei, Anhui, 230009, People's Republic of China
| | - Yulan Wu
- School of Food and Bioengineering, Hefei University of Technology, Hefei, Anhui, 230009, People's Republic of China
| | - Zi Ye
- College of Life Science and Bio-engineering, Beijing University of Technology, Beijing, 100022, People's Republic of China
| | - Guiran Xiao
- School of Food and Bioengineering, Hefei University of Technology, Hefei, Anhui, 230009, People's Republic of China.
| | - Hui-Li Wang
- School of Food and Bioengineering, Hefei University of Technology, Hefei, Anhui, 230009, People's Republic of China.
| |
Collapse
|
29
|
Tuscher JJ, Day JJ. Multigenerational epigenetic inheritance: One step forward, two generations back. Neurobiol Dis 2019; 132:104591. [PMID: 31470104 DOI: 10.1016/j.nbd.2019.104591] [Citation(s) in RCA: 16] [Impact Index Per Article: 3.2] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 04/02/2019] [Revised: 07/22/2019] [Accepted: 08/26/2019] [Indexed: 02/08/2023] Open
Abstract
Modifications to DNA and histone proteins serve a critical regulatory role in the developing and adult brain, and over a decade of research has established the importance of these "epigenetic" modifications in a wide variety of brain functions across the lifespan. Epigenetic patterns orchestrate gene expression programs that establish the phenotypic diversity of various cellular classes in the central nervous system, play a key role in experience-dependent gene regulation in the adult brain, and are commonly implicated in neurodevelopmental, psychiatric, and neurodegenerative disease states. In addition to these established roles, emerging evidence indicates that epigenetic information can potentially be transmitted to offspring, giving rise to inter- and trans-generational epigenetic inheritance phenotypes. However, our understanding of the cellular events that participate in this information transfer is incomplete, and the ability of this transfer to overcome complete epigenetic reprogramming during embryonic development is highly controversial. This review explores the existing literature on multigenerational epigenetic mechanisms in the central nervous system. First, we focus on the cellular mechanisms that may perpetuate or counteract this type of information transfer, and consider how epigenetic modification in germline and somatic cells regulate important aspects of cellular and organismal development. Next, we review the potential phenotypes resulting from ancestral experiences that impact gene regulatory modifications, including how these changes may give rise to unique metabolic phenotypes. Finally, we discuss several caveats and technical limitations that influence multigenerational epigenetic effects. We argue that studies reporting multigenerational epigenetic changes impacting the central nervous system must be interpreted with caution, and provide suggestions for how epigenetic information transfer can be mechanistically disentangled from genetic and environmental influences on brain function.
Collapse
Affiliation(s)
- Jennifer J Tuscher
- Department of Neurobiology, Evelyn F. McKnight Brain Institute, University of Alabama at Birmingham, Birmingham, AL 35294, USA.
| | - Jeremy J Day
- Department of Neurobiology, Evelyn F. McKnight Brain Institute, University of Alabama at Birmingham, Birmingham, AL 35294, USA.
| |
Collapse
|
30
|
Nieto SJ, Kosten TA. Who's your daddy? Behavioral and epigenetic consequences of paternal drug exposure. Int J Dev Neurosci 2019; 78:109-121. [PMID: 31301337 DOI: 10.1016/j.ijdevneu.2019.07.002] [Citation(s) in RCA: 10] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 02/28/2019] [Revised: 06/11/2019] [Accepted: 07/08/2019] [Indexed: 12/11/2022] Open
Abstract
Substance use disorders (SUDs) reflect genetic and environmental factors. While identifying reliable genetic variants that predispose individuals to developing SUDs has been challenging, epigenetic factors may also contribute to the heritability of SUDs. Familial drug use associates with a wide range of problems in children, including an increased risk for developing a SUD. The implications of maternal drug use on offspring development are a well-studied area; however, paternal drug use prior to conception has received relatively little attention. Paternal exposure to several environmental stimuli (i.e. stress or diet manipulations) results in behavioral and epigenetic changes in offspring. The purpose of this review is to determine the state of the preclinical literature on the behavioral and epigenetic consequences of paternal drug exposure. Drug-sired offspring show several developmental and physiological abnormalities. These offspring also show deficits in cognitive and emotional domains. Examining sensitivity to drugs in offspring is a growing area of research. Drug-sired offspring are resistant to the rewarding and reinforcing properties of drugs. However, greater paternal motivation for the drug, combined with high drug intake, can result in addiction-like behaviors in offspring. Drug-sired offspring also show altered histone modifications and DNA methylation levels of imprinted genes and microRNAs; epigenetic-mediated changes were also noted in genes related to glutamatergic and neurotrophic factor signaling. In some instances, drug use resulted in aberrant epigenetic modifications in sire sperm, and these changes were maintained in the brains of offspring. Thus, paternal drug exposure has long-lasting consequences that include altered drug sensitivity in subsequent generations. We discuss factors (i.e. maternal behaviors) that may moderate these paternal drug-induced effects as well as ideas for future directions.
Collapse
Affiliation(s)
- Steven J Nieto
- University of Houston, Department of Psychology & Texas Institute for Measurement, Evaluation and Statistics (TIMES), Houston, TX, 77204-6022, United States
| | - Therese A Kosten
- University of Houston, Department of Psychology & Texas Institute for Measurement, Evaluation and Statistics (TIMES), Houston, TX, 77204-6022, United States
| |
Collapse
|
31
|
Sidoli S, Kori Y, Lopes M, Yuan ZF, Kim HJ, Kulej K, Janssen KA, Agosto LM, Cunha JPCD, Andrews AJ, Garcia BA. One minute analysis of 200 histone posttranslational modifications by direct injection mass spectrometry. Genome Res 2019; 29:978-987. [PMID: 31123082 PMCID: PMC6581051 DOI: 10.1101/gr.247353.118] [Citation(s) in RCA: 31] [Impact Index Per Article: 6.2] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 12/11/2018] [Accepted: 05/13/2019] [Indexed: 01/11/2023]
Abstract
DNA and histone proteins define the structure and composition of chromatin. Histone posttranslational modifications (PTMs) are covalent chemical groups capable of modeling chromatin accessibility, mostly due to their ability in recruiting enzymes responsible for DNA readout and remodeling. Mass spectrometry (MS)-based proteomics is the methodology of choice for large-scale identification and quantification of protein PTMs, including histones. High sensitivity proteomics requires online MS coupling with relatively low throughput and poorly robust nano-liquid chromatography (nanoLC) and, for histone proteins, a 2-d sample preparation that includes histone purification, derivatization, and digestion. We present a new protocol that achieves quantitative data on about 200 histone PTMs from tissue or cell lines in 7 h from start to finish. This protocol includes 4 h of histone extraction, 3 h of derivatization and digestion, and only 1 min of MS analysis via direct injection (DI-MS). We demonstrate that this sample preparation can be parallelized for 384 samples by using multichannel pipettes and 96-well plates. We also engineered the sequence of a synthetic "histone-like" peptide to spike into the sample, of which derivatization and digestion benchmarks the quality of the sample preparation. We ensure that DI-MS does not introduce biases in histone peptide ionization as compared to nanoLC-MS/MS by producing and analyzing a library of synthetically modified histone peptides mixed in equal molarity. Finally, we introduce EpiProfileLite for comprehensive analysis of this new data type. Altogether, our workflow is suitable for high-throughput screening of >1000 samples per day using a single mass spectrometer.
Collapse
Affiliation(s)
- Simone Sidoli
- Epigenetics Institute, Department of Biochemistry and Biophysics, Perelman School of Medicine, University of Pennsylvania, Philadelphia, Pennsylvania 19104, USA
| | - Yekaterina Kori
- Epigenetics Institute, Department of Biochemistry and Biophysics, Perelman School of Medicine, University of Pennsylvania, Philadelphia, Pennsylvania 19104, USA.,Biochemistry and Molecular Biophysics Graduate Group, Perelman School of Medicine, University of Pennsylvania, Philadelphia, Pennsylvania 19104, USA
| | - Mariana Lopes
- Epigenetics Institute, Department of Biochemistry and Biophysics, Perelman School of Medicine, University of Pennsylvania, Philadelphia, Pennsylvania 19104, USA.,Laboratório Especial de Ciclo Celular, Center of Toxins, Immune Response and Cell Signaling - CeTICS, Instituto Butantan, São Paulo, 05503-900, Brazil
| | - Zuo-Fei Yuan
- Epigenetics Institute, Department of Biochemistry and Biophysics, Perelman School of Medicine, University of Pennsylvania, Philadelphia, Pennsylvania 19104, USA
| | - Hee Jong Kim
- Epigenetics Institute, Department of Biochemistry and Biophysics, Perelman School of Medicine, University of Pennsylvania, Philadelphia, Pennsylvania 19104, USA.,Biochemistry and Molecular Biophysics Graduate Group, Perelman School of Medicine, University of Pennsylvania, Philadelphia, Pennsylvania 19104, USA
| | - Katarzyna Kulej
- Epigenetics Institute, Department of Biochemistry and Biophysics, Perelman School of Medicine, University of Pennsylvania, Philadelphia, Pennsylvania 19104, USA
| | - Kevin A Janssen
- Epigenetics Institute, Department of Biochemistry and Biophysics, Perelman School of Medicine, University of Pennsylvania, Philadelphia, Pennsylvania 19104, USA.,Biochemistry and Molecular Biophysics Graduate Group, Perelman School of Medicine, University of Pennsylvania, Philadelphia, Pennsylvania 19104, USA
| | - Laura M Agosto
- Epigenetics Institute, Department of Biochemistry and Biophysics, Perelman School of Medicine, University of Pennsylvania, Philadelphia, Pennsylvania 19104, USA.,Biochemistry and Molecular Biophysics Graduate Group, Perelman School of Medicine, University of Pennsylvania, Philadelphia, Pennsylvania 19104, USA
| | - Julia Pinheiro Chagas da Cunha
- Laboratório Especial de Ciclo Celular, Center of Toxins, Immune Response and Cell Signaling - CeTICS, Instituto Butantan, São Paulo, 05503-900, Brazil
| | - Andrew J Andrews
- Cancer Epigenetics Program, Fox Chase Cancer Center, Philadelphia, Pennsylvania 19111, USA
| | - Benjamin A Garcia
- Epigenetics Institute, Department of Biochemistry and Biophysics, Perelman School of Medicine, University of Pennsylvania, Philadelphia, Pennsylvania 19104, USA.,Biochemistry and Molecular Biophysics Graduate Group, Perelman School of Medicine, University of Pennsylvania, Philadelphia, Pennsylvania 19104, USA
| |
Collapse
|
32
|
Evans JP, Wilson AJ, Pilastro A, Garcia-Gonzalez F. Ejaculate-mediated paternal effects: evidence, mechanisms and evolutionary implications. Reproduction 2019; 157:R109-R126. [PMID: 30668523 DOI: 10.1530/rep-18-0524] [Citation(s) in RCA: 41] [Impact Index Per Article: 8.2] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 10/03/2018] [Accepted: 01/21/2019] [Indexed: 12/29/2022]
Abstract
Despite serving the primary objective of ensuring that at least one sperm cell reaches and fertilises an ovum, the male ejaculate (i.e. spermatozoa and seminal fluid) is a compositionally complex 'trait' that can respond phenotypically to subtle changes in conditions. In particular, recent research has shown that environmentally and genetically induced changes to ejaculates can have implications for offspring traits that are independent of the DNA sequence encoded into the sperm's haploid genome. In this review, we compile evidence from several disciplines and numerous taxonomic systems to reveal the extent of such ejaculate-mediated paternal effects (EMPEs). We consider a number of environmental and genetic factors that have been shown to impact offspring phenotypes via ejaculates, and where possible, we highlight the putative mechanistic pathways by which ejaculates can act as conduits for paternal effects. We also highlight how females themselves can influence EMPEs, and in some cases, how maternally derived sources of variance may confound attempts to test for EMPEs. Finally, we consider a range of putative evolutionary implications of EMPEs and suggest a number of potentially useful approaches for exploring these further. Overall, our review confirms that EMPEs are both widespread and varied in their effects, although studies reporting their evolutionary effects are still in their infancy.
Collapse
Affiliation(s)
- Jonathan P Evans
- Centre for Evolutionary Biology, School of Biological Sciences, University of Western Australia, Crawley, Western Australia, Australia
| | - Alastair J Wilson
- Centre for Ecology and Evolution, University of Exeter, Cornwall Campus, Penryn, UK
| | | | - Francisco Garcia-Gonzalez
- Centre for Evolutionary Biology, School of Biological Sciences, University of Western Australia, Crawley, Western Australia, Australia.,Estacion Biologica de Doñana-CSIC, Sevilla, Spain
| |
Collapse
|
33
|
Yeshurun S, Hannan AJ. Transgenerational epigenetic influences of paternal environmental exposures on brain function and predisposition to psychiatric disorders. Mol Psychiatry 2019. [PMID: 29520039 DOI: 10.1038/s41380-018-0039-z] [Citation(s) in RCA: 75] [Impact Index Per Article: 15.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Submit a Manuscript] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 12/13/2022]
Abstract
In recent years, striking new evidence has demonstrated non-genetic inheritance of acquired traits associated with parental environmental exposures. In particular, this transgenerational modulation of phenotypic traits is of direct relevance to psychiatric disorders, including depression, post-traumatic stress disorder, and other anxiety disorders. Here we review the recent progress in this field, with an emphasis on acquired traits of psychiatric illnesses transmitted epigenetically via the male lineage. We discuss the transgenerational effects of paternal exposure to stress vs. positive stimuli, such as exercise, and discuss their impact on the behavioral, affective and cognitive characteristics of their progeny. Furthermore, we review the recent evidence suggesting that these transgenerational effects are mediated by epigenetic mechanisms, including changes in DNA methylation and small non-coding RNAs in the sperm. We discuss the urgent need for more research exploring transgenerational epigenetic effects in animal models and human populations. These future studies may identify epigenetic mechanisms as potential contributors to the 'missing heritability' observed in genome-wide association studies of psychiatric illnesses and other human disorders. This exciting new field of transgenerational epigenomics will facilitate the development of novel strategies to predict, prevent and treat negative epigenetic consequences on offspring health, and psychiatric disorders in particular.
Collapse
Affiliation(s)
- Shlomo Yeshurun
- Florey Institute of Neuroscience and Mental Health, Melbourne Brain Centre, University of Melbourne, Parkville, VIC, 3010, Australia
| | - Anthony J Hannan
- Florey Institute of Neuroscience and Mental Health, Melbourne Brain Centre, University of Melbourne, Parkville, VIC, 3010, Australia. .,Department of Anatomy and Neuroscience, University of Melbourne, Parkville, VIC, 3010, Australia.
| |
Collapse
|
34
|
Yaw AM, Prosser RA, Jones PC, Garcia BJ, Jacobson DA, Glass JD. Epigenetic effects of paternal cocaine on reward stimulus behavior and accumbens gene expression in mice. Behav Brain Res 2019; 367:68-81. [PMID: 30910707 DOI: 10.1016/j.bbr.2019.02.043] [Citation(s) in RCA: 10] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 01/04/2019] [Revised: 02/08/2019] [Accepted: 02/25/2019] [Indexed: 12/23/2022]
Abstract
Paternal cocaine use causes phenotypic alterations in offspring behavior and associated neural processing. In rodents, changes in first generation (F1) offspring include drug reward behavior, circadian timing, and anxiety responses. This study, utilizing a murine (C57BL/6J) oral cocaine model, examines the effects of paternal cocaine exposure on fundamental characteristics of offspring reward responses, including: 1) the extent of cocaine-induced effects after different durations of sire drug withdrawal; 2) sex- and drug-dependent differences in F1 reward preference; 3) effects on second generation (F2) cocaine preference; and 4) corresponding changes in reward area (nucleus accumbens) mRNA expression. We demonstrate that paternal cocaine intake over a single ˜40-day spermatogenic cycle significantly decreased cocaine (but not ethanol or sucrose) preference in a sex-specific manner in F1 mice from sires mated 24 h after drug withdrawal. However, F1 offspring of sires bred 4 months after withdrawal did not exhibit altered cocaine preference. Altered cocaine preference also was not observed in F2's. RNASeq analyses of F1 accumbens tissue revealed changes in gene expression in male offspring of cocaine-exposed sires, including many genes not previously linked to cocaine addiction. Enrichment analyses highlight genes linked to CNS development, synaptic signaling, extracellular matrix, and immune function. Expression correlation analyses identified a novel target, Fam19a4, that may negatively regulate many genes in the accumbens, including genes already identified in addiction. Collectively, these results reveal that paternal cocaine effects in F1 offspring may involve temporally limited epigenetic germline effects and identify new genetic targets for addiction research.
Collapse
Affiliation(s)
- Alexandra M Yaw
- School of Biomedical Sciences, Kent State Univ., Kent, OH, 44242, United States
| | - Rebecca A Prosser
- Dept. of Biochemistry & Cellular and Molecular Biology, University of Tennessee, Knoxville, TN, 37996, United States; NeuroNET Research Center, University of Tennessee, Knoxville, TN, 37996, United States
| | - Piet C Jones
- Biosciences Division, Oak Ridge National Laboratory, Oak Ridge, TN, 37830, United States; Bredesen Center for Interdisciplinary Research, University of Tennessee, Knoxville, TN, 37996, United States
| | - Benjamin J Garcia
- Biosciences Division, Oak Ridge National Laboratory, Oak Ridge, TN, 37830, United States
| | - Daniel A Jacobson
- NeuroNET Research Center, University of Tennessee, Knoxville, TN, 37996, United States; Biosciences Division, Oak Ridge National Laboratory, Oak Ridge, TN, 37830, United States; Bredesen Center for Interdisciplinary Research, University of Tennessee, Knoxville, TN, 37996, United States; Department of Psychology, University of Tennessee, Knoxville, TN, 37996, United States
| | - J David Glass
- School of Biomedical Sciences, Kent State Univ., Kent, OH, 44242, United States.
| |
Collapse
|
35
|
|
36
|
Goldberg LR, Gould TJ. Multigenerational and transgenerational effects of paternal exposure to drugs of abuse on behavioral and neural function. Eur J Neurosci 2018; 50:2453-2466. [PMID: 29949212 DOI: 10.1111/ejn.14060] [Citation(s) in RCA: 49] [Impact Index Per Article: 8.2] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 03/30/2018] [Revised: 06/08/2018] [Accepted: 06/25/2018] [Indexed: 02/06/2023]
Abstract
Addictions are highly heritable disorders, with heritability estimates ranging from 39% to 72%. Multiple studies suggest a link between paternal drug abuse and addiction in their children. However, patterns of inheritance cannot be explained purely by Mendelian genetic mechanisms. Exposure to drugs of abuse results in epigenetic changes that may be passed on through the germline. This mechanism of epigenetic transgenerational inheritance may provide a link between paternal drug exposure and addiction susceptibility in the offspring. Recent studies have begun to investigate the effect of paternal drug exposure on behavioral and neurobiological phenotypes in offspring of drug-exposed fathers in rodent models. This review aims to discuss behavioral and neural effects of paternal exposure to alcohol, cocaine, opioids, and nicotine. Although a special focus will be on addiction-relevant behaviors, additional behavioral effects including cognition, anxiety, and depressive-like behaviors will be discussed.
Collapse
Affiliation(s)
- Lisa R Goldberg
- Department of Biobehavioral Health, Penn State University, 219 Biobehavioral Health Building, University Park, PA, 16801, USA
| | - Thomas J Gould
- Department of Biobehavioral Health, Penn State University, 219 Biobehavioral Health Building, University Park, PA, 16801, USA
| |
Collapse
|
37
|
Pierce RC, Fant B, Swinford-Jackson SE, Heller EA, Berrettini WH, Wimmer ME. Environmental, genetic and epigenetic contributions to cocaine addiction. Neuropsychopharmacology 2018; 43:1471-1480. [PMID: 29453446 PMCID: PMC5983541 DOI: 10.1038/s41386-018-0008-x] [Citation(s) in RCA: 58] [Impact Index Per Article: 9.7] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Submit a Manuscript] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 09/29/2017] [Revised: 12/21/2017] [Accepted: 12/30/2017] [Indexed: 12/13/2022]
Abstract
Decades of research on cocaine has produced volumes of data that have answered many important questions about the nature of this highly addictive drug. Sadly, none of this information has translated into the development of effective therapies for the treatment of cocaine addiction. This review endeavors to assess the current state of cocaine research in an attempt to identify novel pathways for therapeutic development. For example, risk of cocaine addiction is highly heritable but genome-wide analyses comparing cocaine-dependent individuals to controls have not resulted in promising targets for drug development. Is this because the genetics of addiction is too complex or because the existing research methodologies are inadequate? Likewise, animal studies have revealed dozens of enduring changes in gene expression following prolonged exposure to cocaine, none of which have translated into therapeutics either because the resulting compounds were ineffective or produced intolerable side-effects. Recently, attention has focused on epigenetic modifications resulting from repeated cocaine intake, some of which appear to be heritable through changes in the germline. While epigenetic changes represent new vistas for therapeutic development, selective manipulation of epigenetic marks is currently challenging even in animals such that translational potential is a distant prospect. This review will reveal that despite the enormous progress made in understanding the molecular and physiological bases of cocaine addiction, there is much that remains a mystery. Continued advances in genetics and molecular biology hold potential for revealing multiple pathways toward the development of treatments for the continuing scourge of cocaine addiction.
Collapse
Affiliation(s)
- R. Christopher Pierce
- 0000 0004 1936 8972grid.25879.31Department of Psychiatry, Center for Neurobiology and Behavior, Perelman School of Medicine at the University of Pennsylvania, Philadelphia, PA 19104 USA
| | - Bruno Fant
- 0000 0004 1936 8972grid.25879.31Department of Psychiatry, Center for Neurobiology and Behavior, Perelman School of Medicine at the University of Pennsylvania, Philadelphia, PA 19104 USA
| | - Sarah E. Swinford-Jackson
- 0000 0004 1936 8972grid.25879.31Department of Psychiatry, Center for Neurobiology and Behavior, Perelman School of Medicine at the University of Pennsylvania, Philadelphia, PA 19104 USA
| | - Elizabeth A. Heller
- 0000 0004 1936 8972grid.25879.31Department of Systems Pharmacology and Translational Therapeutics, Perelman School of Medicine at the University of Pennsylvania, Philadelphia, PA 19104 USA
| | - Wade H. Berrettini
- 0000 0004 1936 8972grid.25879.31Department of Psychiatry, Center for Neurobiology and Behavior, Perelman School of Medicine at the University of Pennsylvania, Philadelphia, PA 19104 USA
| | - Mathieu E. Wimmer
- 0000 0001 2248 3398grid.264727.2Department of Psychology, Temple University, Philadelphia, PA 19122 USA
| |
Collapse
|
38
|
Chan JC, Nugent BM, Bale TL. Parental Advisory: Maternal and Paternal Stress Can Impact Offspring Neurodevelopment. Biol Psychiatry 2018; 83:886-894. [PMID: 29198470 PMCID: PMC5899063 DOI: 10.1016/j.biopsych.2017.10.005] [Citation(s) in RCA: 132] [Impact Index Per Article: 22.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Submit a Manuscript] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 04/18/2017] [Revised: 09/07/2017] [Accepted: 10/03/2017] [Indexed: 12/16/2022]
Abstract
Parental stress exposures are implicated in the risk for offspring neurodevelopmental and neuropsychiatric disorders, prompting critical examination of preconception and prenatal periods as vulnerable to environmental insults such as stress. Evidence from human studies and animal models demonstrates the influence that both maternal and paternal stress exposures have in changing the course of offspring brain development. Mechanistic examination of modes of intergenerational transmission of exposure during pregnancy has pointed to alterations in placental signaling, including changes in inflammatory, nutrient-sensing, and epigenetic pathways. Transmission of preconception paternal stress exposure is associated with changes in epigenetic marks in sperm, with a primary focus on the reprogramming of DNA methylation, histone posttranslational modifications, and small noncoding RNAs. In this review, we discuss evidence supporting the important contribution of intergenerational parental stress in offspring neurodevelopment and disease risk, and the currently known epigenetic mechanisms underlying this transmission.
Collapse
Affiliation(s)
- Jennifer C Chan
- Department of Biomedical Sciences, School of Veterinary Medicine and Perelman School of Medicine University of Pennsylvania, Philadelphia, Pennsylvania
| | - Bridget M Nugent
- Department of Pharmacology, University of Maryland School of Medicine, University of Maryland, Baltimore, Maryland
| | - Tracy L Bale
- Department of Pharmacology, University of Maryland School of Medicine, University of Maryland, Baltimore, Maryland.
| |
Collapse
|
39
|
Yaw AM, Woodruff RW, Prosser RA, Glass JD. Paternal Cocaine Disrupts Offspring Circadian Clock Function in a Sex-Dependent Manner in Mice. Neuroscience 2018; 379:257-268. [DOI: 10.1016/j.neuroscience.2018.03.012] [Citation(s) in RCA: 6] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 12/08/2017] [Revised: 02/20/2018] [Accepted: 03/09/2018] [Indexed: 10/17/2022]
|