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Kalani L, Kim BH, de Chavez AR, Roemer A, Mikhailov A, Merritt JK, Good KV, Chow RL, Delaney KR, Hendzel MJ, Zhou Z, Neul JL, Vincent JB, Ausió J. Testing the PEST hypothesis using relevant Rett mutations in MeCP2 E1 and E2 isoforms. Hum Mol Genet 2024:ddae119. [PMID: 39137370 DOI: 10.1093/hmg/ddae119] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 05/16/2024] [Revised: 07/19/2024] [Accepted: 08/07/2024] [Indexed: 08/15/2024] Open
Abstract
Mutations in methyl-CpG binding protein 2 (MeCP2), such as the T158M, P152R, R294X, and R306C mutations, are responsible for most Rett syndrome (RTT) cases. These mutations often result in altered protein expression that appears to correlate with changes in the nuclear size; however, the molecular details of these observations are poorly understood. Using a C2C12 cellular system expressing human MeCP2-E1 isoform as well as mouse models expressing these mutations, we show that T158M and P152R result in a decrease in MeCP2 protein, whereas R306C has a milder variation, and R294X resulted in an overall 2.5 to 3 fold increase. We also explored the potential involvement of the MeCP2 PEST domains in the proteasome-mediated regulation of MeCP2. Finally, we used the R294X mutant to gain further insight into the controversial competition between MeCP2 and histone H1 in the chromatin context. Interestingly, in R294X, MeCP2 E1 and E2 isoforms were differently affected, where the E1 isoform contributes to much of the overall protein increase observed, while E2 decreases by half. The modes of MeCP2 regulation, thus, appear to be differently regulated in the two isoforms.
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Affiliation(s)
- Ladan Kalani
- Department of Biochemistry and Microbiology, University of Victoria, 3800 Finnerty Rd, Victoria, BC V8W 2Y2, Canada
| | - Bo-Hyun Kim
- Department of Biochemistry and Microbiology, University of Victoria, 3800 Finnerty Rd, Victoria, BC V8W 2Y2, Canada
| | - Alberto Ruiz de Chavez
- Department of Biology, University of Victoria, 3800 Finnerty Rd, Victoria, BC V8W 2Y2, Canada
| | - Anastasia Roemer
- Departments of Oncology and Cell Biology, Faculty of Medicine and Dentistry, University of Alberta, 11560 University Ave, Edmonton, AB T6G 2H7, Canada
| | - Anna Mikhailov
- Molecular Neuropsychiatry & Development (MiND) Lab, Campbell Family Mental Health Research Institute, Centre for Addiction and Mental Health, 250 College St, Toronto, ON M5T 1R8, Canada
| | - Jonathan K Merritt
- Vanderbilt Kennedy Center, Departments of Pediatrics, Pharmacology, and Special Education, Vanderbilt University Medical Center and Vanderbilt University, 1211 Medical Center Dr, Nashville, TN 37232, United States
| | - Katrina V Good
- Department of Biochemistry and Microbiology, University of Victoria, 3800 Finnerty Rd, Victoria, BC V8W 2Y2, Canada
- Molecular Neuropsychiatry & Development (MiND) Lab, Campbell Family Mental Health Research Institute, Centre for Addiction and Mental Health, 250 College St, Toronto, ON M5T 1R8, Canada
| | - Robert L Chow
- Department of Biology, University of Victoria, 3800 Finnerty Rd, Victoria, BC V8W 2Y2, Canada
| | - Kerry R Delaney
- Department of Biology, University of Victoria, 3800 Finnerty Rd, Victoria, BC V8W 2Y2, Canada
| | - Michael J Hendzel
- Departments of Oncology and Cell Biology, Faculty of Medicine and Dentistry, University of Alberta, 11560 University Ave, Edmonton, AB T6G 2H7, Canada
| | - Zhaolan Zhou
- Department of Genetics, Epigenetics Institute, University of Pennsylvania Perelman School of Medicine, 3400 Civic Center Blvd, Philadelphia, PA 19104, United States
| | - Jeffrey L Neul
- Vanderbilt Kennedy Center, Departments of Pediatrics, Pharmacology, and Special Education, Vanderbilt University Medical Center and Vanderbilt University, 1211 Medical Center Dr, Nashville, TN 37232, United States
| | - John B Vincent
- Molecular Neuropsychiatry & Development (MiND) Lab, Campbell Family Mental Health Research Institute, Centre for Addiction and Mental Health, 250 College St, Toronto, ON M5T 1R8, Canada
- Institute of Medical Science, University of Toronto, 27 King's College Cir, Toronto, ON M5S 1A8, Canada
- Department of Psychiatry, University of Toronto, 27 King College Cir, Toronto, ON M5T 1R8, Canada
| | - Juan Ausió
- Department of Biochemistry and Microbiology, University of Victoria, 3800 Finnerty Rd, Victoria, BC V8W 2Y2, Canada
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2
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Tolezano GC, Bastos GC, da Costa SS, Scliar MDO, de Souza CFM, Van Der Linden H, Fernandes WLM, Otto PA, Vianna-Morgante AM, Haddad LA, Honjo RS, Yamamoto GL, Kim CA, Rosenberg C, Jorge AADL, Bertola DR, Krepischi ACV. Clinical Characterization and Underlying Genetic Findings in Brazilian Patients with Syndromic Microcephaly Associated with Neurodevelopmental Disorders. Mol Neurobiol 2024; 61:5230-5247. [PMID: 38180615 DOI: 10.1007/s12035-023-03894-8] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 07/13/2023] [Accepted: 12/20/2023] [Indexed: 01/06/2024]
Abstract
Microcephaly is characterized by an occipitofrontal circumference at least two standard deviations below the mean for age and sex. Neurodevelopmental disorders (NDD) are commonly associated with microcephaly, due to perturbations in brain development and functioning. Given the extensive genetic heterogeneity of microcephaly, managing patients is hindered by the broad spectrum of diagnostic possibilities that exist before conducting molecular testing. We investigated the genetic basis of syndromic microcephaly accompanied by NDD in a Brazilian cohort of 45 individuals and characterized associated clinical features, as well as evaluated the effectiveness of whole-exome sequencing (WES) as a diagnostic tool for this condition. Patients previously negative for pathogenic copy number variants underwent WES, which was performed using a trio approach for isolated index cases (n = 31), only the index in isolated cases with parental consanguinity (n = 8) or affected siblings in familial cases (n = 3). Pathogenic/likely pathogenic variants were identified in 19 families (18 genes) with a diagnostic yield of approximately 45%. Nearly 86% of the individuals had global developmental delay/intellectual disability and 51% presented with behavioral disturbances. Additional frequent clinical features included facial dysmorphisms (80%), brain malformations (67%), musculoskeletal (71%) or cardiovascular (47%) defects, and short stature (54%). Our findings unraveled the underlying genetic basis of microcephaly in half of the patients, demonstrating a high diagnostic yield of WES for microcephaly and reinforcing its genetic heterogeneity. We expanded the phenotypic spectrum associated with the condition and identified a potentially novel gene (CCDC17) for congenital microcephaly.
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Affiliation(s)
- Giovanna Cantini Tolezano
- Department of Genetics and Evolutionary Biology, Institute of Biosciences, Human Genome and Stem-Cell Research Center, University of São Paulo, 277 Rua do Matão, São Paulo, SP, 05508-090, Brazil
| | - Giovanna Civitate Bastos
- Department of Genetics and Evolutionary Biology, Institute of Biosciences, Human Genome and Stem-Cell Research Center, University of São Paulo, 277 Rua do Matão, São Paulo, SP, 05508-090, Brazil
| | - Silvia Souza da Costa
- Department of Genetics and Evolutionary Biology, Institute of Biosciences, Human Genome and Stem-Cell Research Center, University of São Paulo, 277 Rua do Matão, São Paulo, SP, 05508-090, Brazil
| | - Marília de Oliveira Scliar
- Department of Genetics and Evolutionary Biology, Institute of Biosciences, Human Genome and Stem-Cell Research Center, University of São Paulo, 277 Rua do Matão, São Paulo, SP, 05508-090, Brazil
| | - Carolina Fischinger Moura de Souza
- Postgraduate Program in Child and Adolescent Health, Universidade Federal do Rio Grande do Sul, Medical Genetics Service, Hospital de Clínicas de Porto Alegre, Porto Alegre, RS, Brazil
| | | | | | - Paulo Alberto Otto
- Department of Genetics and Evolutionary Biology, Institute of Biosciences, University of São Paulo, São Paulo, SP, Brazil
| | - Angela M Vianna-Morgante
- Department of Genetics and Evolutionary Biology, Institute of Biosciences, Human Genome and Stem-Cell Research Center, University of São Paulo, 277 Rua do Matão, São Paulo, SP, 05508-090, Brazil
| | - Luciana Amaral Haddad
- Department of Genetics and Evolutionary Biology, Institute of Biosciences, University of São Paulo, São Paulo, SP, Brazil
| | - Rachel Sayuri Honjo
- Unidade de Genética do Instituto da Criança, Hospital das Clínicas da Faculdade de Medicina da Universidade de São Paulo, São Paulo, SP, Brazil
| | - Guilherme Lopes Yamamoto
- Department of Genetics and Evolutionary Biology, Institute of Biosciences, Human Genome and Stem-Cell Research Center, University of São Paulo, 277 Rua do Matão, São Paulo, SP, 05508-090, Brazil
- Unidade de Genética do Instituto da Criança, Hospital das Clínicas da Faculdade de Medicina da Universidade de São Paulo, São Paulo, SP, Brazil
| | - Chong Ae Kim
- Unidade de Genética do Instituto da Criança, Hospital das Clínicas da Faculdade de Medicina da Universidade de São Paulo, São Paulo, SP, Brazil
| | - Carla Rosenberg
- Department of Genetics and Evolutionary Biology, Institute of Biosciences, Human Genome and Stem-Cell Research Center, University of São Paulo, 277 Rua do Matão, São Paulo, SP, 05508-090, Brazil
| | - Alexander Augusto de Lima Jorge
- Unidade de Endocrinologia Genética (LIM25), Hospital das Clínicas da Faculdade de Medicina da Universidade de São Paulo, São Paulo, SP, Brazil
| | - Débora Romeo Bertola
- Department of Genetics and Evolutionary Biology, Institute of Biosciences, Human Genome and Stem-Cell Research Center, University of São Paulo, 277 Rua do Matão, São Paulo, SP, 05508-090, Brazil
- Unidade de Genética do Instituto da Criança, Hospital das Clínicas da Faculdade de Medicina da Universidade de São Paulo, São Paulo, SP, Brazil
| | - Ana Cristina Victorino Krepischi
- Department of Genetics and Evolutionary Biology, Institute of Biosciences, Human Genome and Stem-Cell Research Center, University of São Paulo, 277 Rua do Matão, São Paulo, SP, 05508-090, Brazil.
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Frayre P, Ponce-Rubio K, Frayre J, Medrano J, Na ES. POMC-specific knockdown of MeCP2 leads to adverse phenotypes in mice chronically exposed to high fat diet. Behav Brain Res 2024; 461:114863. [PMID: 38224819 PMCID: PMC10872214 DOI: 10.1016/j.bbr.2024.114863] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 06/14/2023] [Revised: 12/22/2023] [Accepted: 01/06/2024] [Indexed: 01/17/2024]
Abstract
Methyl-CpG binding protein 2 (MeCP2) is an epigenetic factor associated with the neurodevelopmental disorders Rett Syndrome and MECP2 duplication syndrome. Previous studies have demonstrated that knocking out MeCP2 globally in the central nervous system leads to an obese phenotype and hyperphagia, however it is not clear if the hyperphagia is the result of an increased preference for food reward or due to an increase in motivation to obtain food reward. We show that mice deficient in MeCP2 specifically in pro-opiomelanocortin (POMC) neurons have an increased preference for high fat diet as measured by conditioned place preference but do not have a greater motivation to obtain food reward using a progressive ratio task, relative to wildtype littermate controls. We also demonstrate that POMC-Cre MeCP2 knockout (KO) mice have increased body weight after long-term high fat diet exposure as well as elevated plasma leptin and corticosterone levels compared to wildtype mice. Taken together, these results are the first to show that POMC-specific loss-of-function Mecp2 mutations leads to dissociable effects on the rewarding/motivational properties of food as well as changes to hormones associated with body weight homeostasis and stress.
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Affiliation(s)
- Priscila Frayre
- Texas Woman's University, School of Social Work, Psychology, & Philosophy, Denton, TX, USA
| | - Karen Ponce-Rubio
- Texas Woman's University, School of Social Work, Psychology, & Philosophy, Denton, TX, USA
| | - Jessica Frayre
- Texas Woman's University, School of Social Work, Psychology, & Philosophy, Denton, TX, USA
| | - Jacquelin Medrano
- Texas Woman's University, School of Social Work, Psychology, & Philosophy, Denton, TX, USA
| | - Elisa Sun Na
- Texas Woman's University, School of Social Work, Psychology, & Philosophy, Denton, TX, USA.
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4
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Tolezano GC, Bastos GC, da Costa SS, Freire BL, Homma TK, Honjo RS, Yamamoto GL, Passos-Bueno MR, Koiffmann CP, Kim CA, Vianna-Morgante AM, de Lima Jorge AA, Bertola DR, Rosenberg C, Krepischi ACV. Burden of Rare Copy Number Variants in Microcephaly: A Brazilian Cohort of 185 Microcephalic Patients and Review of the Literature. J Autism Dev Disord 2024; 54:1181-1212. [PMID: 36502452 DOI: 10.1007/s10803-022-05853-z] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Accepted: 11/26/2022] [Indexed: 12/14/2022]
Abstract
Microcephaly presents heterogeneous genetic etiology linked to several neurodevelopmental disorders (NDD). Copy number variants (CNVs) are a causal mechanism of microcephaly whose investigation is a crucial step for unraveling its molecular basis. Our purpose was to investigate the burden of rare CNVs in microcephalic individuals and to review genes and CNV syndromes associated with microcephaly. We performed chromosomal microarray analysis (CMA) in 185 Brazilian patients with microcephaly and evaluated microcephalic patients carrying < 200 kb CNVs documented in the DECIPHER database. Additionally, we reviewed known genes and CNV syndromes causally linked to microcephaly through the PubMed, OMIM, DECIPHER, and ClinGen databases. Rare clinically relevant CNVs were detected in 39 out of the 185 Brazilian patients investigated by CMA (21%). In 31 among the 60 DECIPHER patients carrying < 200 kb CNVs, at least one known microcephaly gene was observed. Overall, four gene sets implicated in microcephaly were disclosed: known microcephaly genes; genes with supporting evidence of association with microcephaly; known macrocephaly genes; and novel candidates, including OTUD7A, BBC3, CNTN6, and NAA15. In the review, we compiled 957 known microcephaly genes and 58 genomic CNV loci, comprising 13 duplications and 50 deletions, which have already been associated with clinical findings including microcephaly. We reviewed genes and CNV syndromes previously associated with microcephaly, reinforced the high CMA diagnostic yield for this condition, pinpointed novel candidate loci linked to microcephaly deserving further evaluation, and provided a useful resource for future research on the field of neurodevelopment.
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Affiliation(s)
- Giovanna Cantini Tolezano
- Department of Genetics and Evolutionary Biology, Human Genome and Stem-Cell Research Center, Institute of Biosciences, University of São Paulo, 106 Rua do Matão, São Paulo, SP, 05508-090, Brazil
| | - Giovanna Civitate Bastos
- Department of Genetics and Evolutionary Biology, Human Genome and Stem-Cell Research Center, Institute of Biosciences, University of São Paulo, 106 Rua do Matão, São Paulo, SP, 05508-090, Brazil
| | - Silvia Souza da Costa
- Department of Genetics and Evolutionary Biology, Human Genome and Stem-Cell Research Center, Institute of Biosciences, University of São Paulo, 106 Rua do Matão, São Paulo, SP, 05508-090, Brazil
| | - Bruna Lucheze Freire
- Unidade de Endocrinologia Genética (LIM25), Hospital das Clínicas da Faculdade de Medicina da Universidade de São Paulo, 455 Avenida Doutor Arnaldo, São Paulo, SP, 01246-903, Brazil
| | - Thais Kataoka Homma
- Unidade de Endocrinologia Genética (LIM25), Hospital das Clínicas da Faculdade de Medicina da Universidade de São Paulo, 455 Avenida Doutor Arnaldo, São Paulo, SP, 01246-903, Brazil
| | - Rachel Sayuri Honjo
- Unidade de Genética do Instituto da Criança, Hospital das Clínicas da Faculdade de Medicina da Universidade de São Paulo, 647 Avenida Doutor Enéas Carvalho de Aguiar, São Paulo, SP, 05403-900, Brazil
| | - Guilherme Lopes Yamamoto
- Department of Genetics and Evolutionary Biology, Human Genome and Stem-Cell Research Center, Institute of Biosciences, University of São Paulo, 106 Rua do Matão, São Paulo, SP, 05508-090, Brazil
- Unidade de Genética do Instituto da Criança, Hospital das Clínicas da Faculdade de Medicina da Universidade de São Paulo, 647 Avenida Doutor Enéas Carvalho de Aguiar, São Paulo, SP, 05403-900, Brazil
| | - Maria Rita Passos-Bueno
- Department of Genetics and Evolutionary Biology, Human Genome and Stem-Cell Research Center, Institute of Biosciences, University of São Paulo, 106 Rua do Matão, São Paulo, SP, 05508-090, Brazil
| | - Celia Priszkulnik Koiffmann
- Department of Genetics and Evolutionary Biology, Human Genome and Stem-Cell Research Center, Institute of Biosciences, University of São Paulo, 106 Rua do Matão, São Paulo, SP, 05508-090, Brazil
| | - Chong Ae Kim
- Unidade de Genética do Instituto da Criança, Hospital das Clínicas da Faculdade de Medicina da Universidade de São Paulo, 647 Avenida Doutor Enéas Carvalho de Aguiar, São Paulo, SP, 05403-900, Brazil
| | - Angela Maria Vianna-Morgante
- Department of Genetics and Evolutionary Biology, Human Genome and Stem-Cell Research Center, Institute of Biosciences, University of São Paulo, 106 Rua do Matão, São Paulo, SP, 05508-090, Brazil
| | - Alexander Augusto de Lima Jorge
- Unidade de Endocrinologia Genética (LIM25), Hospital das Clínicas da Faculdade de Medicina da Universidade de São Paulo, 455 Avenida Doutor Arnaldo, São Paulo, SP, 01246-903, Brazil
| | - Débora Romeo Bertola
- Department of Genetics and Evolutionary Biology, Human Genome and Stem-Cell Research Center, Institute of Biosciences, University of São Paulo, 106 Rua do Matão, São Paulo, SP, 05508-090, Brazil
- Unidade de Genética do Instituto da Criança, Hospital das Clínicas da Faculdade de Medicina da Universidade de São Paulo, 647 Avenida Doutor Enéas Carvalho de Aguiar, São Paulo, SP, 05403-900, Brazil
| | - Carla Rosenberg
- Department of Genetics and Evolutionary Biology, Human Genome and Stem-Cell Research Center, Institute of Biosciences, University of São Paulo, 106 Rua do Matão, São Paulo, SP, 05508-090, Brazil
| | - Ana Cristina Victorino Krepischi
- Department of Genetics and Evolutionary Biology, Human Genome and Stem-Cell Research Center, Institute of Biosciences, University of São Paulo, 106 Rua do Matão, São Paulo, SP, 05508-090, Brazil.
- Institute of Biosciences, University of São Paulo, 277 Rua do Matão, São Paulo, SP, 05508-090, Brazil.
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5
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Abushalbaq O, Baek J, Yaron A, Tran TS. Balancing act of small GTPases downstream of plexin-A4 signaling motifs promotes dendrite elaboration in mammalian cortical neurons. Sci Signal 2024; 17:eadh7673. [PMID: 38227686 DOI: 10.1126/scisignal.adh7673] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 03/13/2023] [Accepted: 12/21/2023] [Indexed: 01/18/2024]
Abstract
The precise development of neuronal morphologies is crucial to the establishment of synaptic circuits and, ultimately, proper brain function. Signaling by the axon guidance cue semaphorin 3A (Sema3A) and its receptor complex of neuropilin-1 and plexin-A4 has multifunctional outcomes in neuronal morphogenesis. Downstream activation of the RhoGEF FARP2 through interaction with the lysine-arginine-lysine motif of plexin-A4 and consequent activation of the small GTPase Rac1 promotes dendrite arborization, but this pathway is dispensable for axon repulsion. Here, we investigated the interplay of small GTPase signaling mechanisms underlying Sema3A-mediated dendritic elaboration in mouse layer V cortical neurons in vitro and in vivo. Sema3A promoted the binding of the small GTPase Rnd1 to the amino acid motif lysine-valine-serine (LVS) in the cytoplasmic domain of plexin-A4. Rnd1 inhibited the activity of the small GTPase RhoA and the kinase ROCK, thus supporting the activity of the GTPase Rac1, which permitted the growth and branching of dendrites. Overexpression of a dominant-negative RhoA, a constitutively active Rac1, or the pharmacological inhibition of ROCK activity rescued defects in dendritic elaboration in neurons expressing a plexin-A4 mutant lacking the LVS motif. Our findings provide insights into the previously unappreciated balancing act between Rho and Rac signaling downstream of specific motifs in plexin-A4 to mediate Sema3A-dependent dendritic elaboration in mammalian cortical neuron development.
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Affiliation(s)
- Oday Abushalbaq
- Department of Biological Sciences, Rutgers University, Newark, NJ 07102, USA
| | - Jiyeon Baek
- Department of Biological Sciences, Rutgers University, Newark, NJ 07102, USA
| | - Avraham Yaron
- Department of Biomolecular Sciences and Department of Molecular Neuroscience, Weizmann Institute of Science, Rehovot 76100, Israel
| | - Tracy S Tran
- Department of Biological Sciences, Rutgers University, Newark, NJ 07102, USA
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6
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O'Neill KM, Anderson ED, Mukherjee S, Gandu S, McEwan SA, Omelchenko A, Rodriguez AR, Losert W, Meaney DF, Babadi B, Firestein BL. Time-dependent homeostatic mechanisms underlie brain-derived neurotrophic factor action on neural circuitry. Commun Biol 2023; 6:1278. [PMID: 38110605 PMCID: PMC10728104 DOI: 10.1038/s42003-023-05638-9] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 01/05/2023] [Accepted: 11/27/2023] [Indexed: 12/20/2023] Open
Abstract
Plasticity and homeostatic mechanisms allow neural networks to maintain proper function while responding to physiological challenges. Despite previous work investigating morphological and synaptic effects of brain-derived neurotrophic factor (BDNF), the most prevalent growth factor in the central nervous system, how exposure to BDNF manifests at the network level remains unknown. Here we report that BDNF treatment affects rodent hippocampal network dynamics during development and recovery from glutamate-induced excitotoxicity in culture. Importantly, these effects are not obvious when traditional activity metrics are used, so we delve more deeply into network organization, functional analyses, and in silico simulations. We demonstrate that BDNF partially restores homeostasis by promoting recovery of weak and medium connections after injury. Imaging and computational analyses suggest these effects are caused by changes to inhibitory neurons and connections. From our in silico simulations, we find that BDNF remodels the network by indirectly strengthening weak excitatory synapses after injury. Ultimately, our findings may explain the difficulties encountered in preclinical and clinical trials with BDNF and also offer information for future trials to consider.
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Affiliation(s)
- Kate M O'Neill
- Department of Cell Biology and Neuroscience, Rutgers University, Piscataway, NJ, USA
- Biomedical Engineering Graduate Program, Rutgers University, Piscataway, NJ, USA
- Institute for Physical Science & Technology, University of Maryland, College Park, MD, USA
| | - Erin D Anderson
- Department of Bioengineering, University of Pennsylvania, Philadelphia, PA, USA
| | - Shoutik Mukherjee
- Department of Electrical and Computer Engineering, University of Maryland, College Park, MD, USA
| | - Srinivasa Gandu
- Department of Cell Biology and Neuroscience, Rutgers University, Piscataway, NJ, USA
- Cell and Developmental Biology Graduate Program, Rutgers University, Piscataway, NJ, USA
| | - Sara A McEwan
- Department of Cell Biology and Neuroscience, Rutgers University, Piscataway, NJ, USA
- Neuroscience Graduate Program, Rutgers University, Piscataway, NJ, USA
| | - Anton Omelchenko
- Department of Cell Biology and Neuroscience, Rutgers University, Piscataway, NJ, USA
- Neuroscience Graduate Program, Rutgers University, Piscataway, NJ, USA
| | - Ana R Rodriguez
- Department of Cell Biology and Neuroscience, Rutgers University, Piscataway, NJ, USA
- Biomedical Engineering Graduate Program, Rutgers University, Piscataway, NJ, USA
| | - Wolfgang Losert
- Department of Physics, University of Maryland, College Park, MD, USA
- Institute for Physical Science & Technology, University of Maryland, College Park, MD, USA
| | - David F Meaney
- Department of Bioengineering, University of Pennsylvania, Philadelphia, PA, USA
- Department of Neurosurgery, University of Pennsylvania, Philadelphia, PA, USA
| | - Behtash Babadi
- Department of Electrical and Computer Engineering, University of Maryland, College Park, MD, USA
| | - Bonnie L Firestein
- Department of Cell Biology and Neuroscience, Rutgers University, Piscataway, NJ, USA.
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7
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Kalani L, Kim BH, Vincent JB, Ausió J. MeCP2 ubiquitination and sumoylation, in search of a function†. Hum Mol Genet 2023; 33:1-11. [PMID: 37694858 DOI: 10.1093/hmg/ddad150] [Citation(s) in RCA: 1] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 08/04/2023] [Revised: 09/06/2023] [Accepted: 09/07/2023] [Indexed: 09/12/2023] Open
Abstract
MeCP2 (Methyl CpG binding protein 2) is an intrinsically disordered protein that binds to methylated genome regions. The protein is a critical transcriptional regulator of the brain, and its mutations account for 95% of Rett syndrome (RTT) cases. Early studies of this neurodevelopmental disorder revealed a close connection with dysregulations of the ubiquitin system (UbS), notably as related to UBE3A, a ubiquitin ligase involved in the proteasome-mediated degradation of proteins. MeCP2 undergoes numerous post-translational modifications (PTMs), including ubiquitination and sumoylation, which, in addition to the potential functional outcomes of their monomeric forms in gene regulation and synaptic plasticity, in their polymeric organization, these modifications play a critical role in proteasomal degradation. UbS-mediated proteasomal degradation is crucial in maintaining MeCP2 homeostasis for proper function and is involved in decreasing MeCP2 in some RTT-causing mutations. However, regardless of all these connections to UbS, the molecular details involved in the signaling of MeCP2 for its targeting by the ubiquitin-proteasome system (UPS) and the functional roles of monomeric MeCP2 ubiquitination and sumoylation remain largely unexplored and are the focus of this review.
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Affiliation(s)
- Ladan Kalani
- Department of Biochemistry and Microbiology, University of Victoria, 3800 Finnerty Rd, Victoria, BC V8W 2Y2, Canada
| | - Bo-Hyun Kim
- Department of Biochemistry and Microbiology, University of Victoria, 3800 Finnerty Rd, Victoria, BC V8W 2Y2, Canada
| | - John B Vincent
- Molecular Neuropsychiatry & Development (MiND) Lab, Campbell Family Mental Health Research Institute, Centre for Addiction and Mental Health, 250 College St, Toronto, ON M5T 1R8, Canada
- Institute of Medical Science, University of Toronto, 27 King's College Cir, Toronto, ON M5S 1A8, Canada
| | - Juan Ausió
- Department of Biochemistry and Microbiology, University of Victoria, 3800 Finnerty Rd, Victoria, BC V8W 2Y2, Canada
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8
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Zhang Y, Wang T, Cai Y, Cui T, Kuah M, Vicini S, Wang T. Role of α2δ-3 in regulating calcium channel localization at presynaptic active zones during homeostatic plasticity. Front Mol Neurosci 2023; 16:1253669. [PMID: 38025261 PMCID: PMC10662314 DOI: 10.3389/fnmol.2023.1253669] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 07/05/2023] [Accepted: 10/16/2023] [Indexed: 12/01/2023] Open
Abstract
The homeostatic modulation of synaptic transmission is an evolutionarily conserved mechanism that is critical for stabilizing the nervous system. At the Drosophila neuromuscular junction (NMJ), presynaptic homeostatic potentiation (PHP) compensates for impairments in postsynaptic glutamate receptors due to pharmacological blockade or genetic deletion. During PHP, there is an increase in presynaptic neurotransmitter release, counteracting postsynaptic changes and restoring excitation to baseline levels. Previous studies have shown that α2δ-3, an auxiliary subunit of voltage-gated calcium channels (VGCCs), is essential for both the rapid induction and sustained expression of PHP at the Drosophila NMJ. However, the molecular mechanisms by which α2δ-3 regulates neurotransmitter release during PHP remain to be elucidated. In this study, we utilized electrophysiological, confocal imaging, and super-resolution imaging approaches to explore how α2δ-3 regulates synaptic transmission during PHP. Our findings suggest that α2δ-3 governs PHP by controlling the localization of the calcium channel pore-forming α1 subunit at presynaptic release sites, or active zones. Moreover, we examined the role of two structural domains within α2δ-3 in regulating neurotransmitter release and calcium channel localization. Our results highlight that these domains in α2δ-3 serve distinct functions in controlling synaptic transmission and presynaptic calcium channel abundance, at baseline in the absence of perturbations and during PHP. In summary, our research offers compelling evidence that α2δ-3 is an indispensable signaling component for controlling calcium channel trafficking and stabilization in homeostatic plasticity.
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Affiliation(s)
- Yanfeng Zhang
- Department of Pediatric Neurology, First Hospital of Jilin University, Changchun, Jilin, China
- Department of Pharmacology and Physiology, Georgetown University Medical Center, Washington, DC, United States
| | - Ting Wang
- Department of Pharmacology and Physiology, Georgetown University Medical Center, Washington, DC, United States
| | - Yimei Cai
- Department of Pharmacology and Physiology, Georgetown University Medical Center, Washington, DC, United States
| | - Tao Cui
- Department of Pharmacology and Physiology, Georgetown University Medical Center, Washington, DC, United States
| | - Michelle Kuah
- Department of Pharmacology and Physiology, Georgetown University Medical Center, Washington, DC, United States
| | - Stefano Vicini
- Department of Pharmacology and Physiology, Georgetown University Medical Center, Washington, DC, United States
- Interdisciplinary Program in Neuroscience, Georgetown University Medical Center, Washington, DC, United States
| | - Tingting Wang
- Department of Pharmacology and Physiology, Georgetown University Medical Center, Washington, DC, United States
- Interdisciplinary Program in Neuroscience, Georgetown University Medical Center, Washington, DC, United States
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9
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Forrest MP, Penzes P. Mechanisms of copy number variants in neuropsychiatric disorders: From genes to therapeutics. Curr Opin Neurobiol 2023; 82:102750. [PMID: 37515924 PMCID: PMC10529795 DOI: 10.1016/j.conb.2023.102750] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 03/12/2023] [Revised: 06/01/2023] [Accepted: 06/27/2023] [Indexed: 07/31/2023]
Abstract
Copy number variants (CNVs) are genomic imbalances strongly linked to the aetiology of neuropsychiatric disorders such as schizophrenia and autism. By virtue of their large size, CNVs often contain many genes, providing a multi-genic view of disease processes that can be dissected in model systems. Thus, CNV research provides an important stepping stone towards understanding polygenic disease mechanisms, positioned between monogenic and polygenic risk models. In this review, we will outline hypothetical models for gene interactions occurring within CNVs and discuss different approaches used to study rodent and stem cell disease models. We highlight recent work showing that genetic and pharmacological strategies can be used to rescue important aspects of CNV-mediated pathophysiology, which often converges onto synaptic pathways. We propose that using a rescue approach in complete CNV models provides a new path forward for precise mechanistic understanding of complex disorders and a tangible route towards therapeutic development.
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Affiliation(s)
- Marc P Forrest
- Department of Neuroscience, Northwestern University Feinberg School of Medicine, Chicago, IL 60611, USA; Center for Autism and Neurodevelopment, Northwestern University Feinberg School of Medicine, Chicago, IL 60611, USA.
| | - Peter Penzes
- Department of Neuroscience, Northwestern University Feinberg School of Medicine, Chicago, IL 60611, USA; Center for Autism and Neurodevelopment, Northwestern University Feinberg School of Medicine, Chicago, IL 60611, USA.
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10
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Xing XH, Takam R, Bao XY, Ba-alwi NA, Ji H. Methyl-CpG-Binding protein 2 duplication syndrome in a Chinese patient: A case report and review of the literature. World J Clin Cases 2023; 11:6505-6514. [PMID: 37900250 PMCID: PMC10600989 DOI: 10.12998/wjcc.v11.i27.6505] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Journal Information] [Submit a Manuscript] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 05/07/2023] [Revised: 08/08/2023] [Accepted: 08/29/2023] [Indexed: 09/20/2023] Open
Abstract
BACKGROUND Chromosomal Xq28 region duplication encompassing methyl-CpG-binding protein 2 (MECP2) results in an identifiable phenotype and global developmental delay known as MECP2 duplication syndrome (MDS). This syndrome has a wide range of clinical manifestations, including abnormalities in appearance, neurodevelopment, and gastrointestinal motility; recurrent infections; and spasticity. Here, we report a case of confirmed MDS at our institution. CASE SUMMARY A 12-year-old Chinese boy presented with intellectual disability (poor intellectual [reasoning, judgment, abstract thinking, and learning] and adaptive [lack of communication and absent social skills, apraxia, and ataxia] functioning) and dysmorphism. He had no history of recurrent infections, seizures, or bowel dysfunction, which is different from that in reported cases. Microarray comparative genomic hybridization confirmed MECP2 duplication in the patient and his mother who is a carrier. The duplication size was the same in the patient and his mother. No prophylactic antibiotic or anti-seizure therapy was offered to the patient or his mother before or after the consultation. CONCLUSION MDS is rare and has various clinical presentations. Clinical suspicion is critical in patients presenting with developmental delays.
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Affiliation(s)
- Xu-Hang Xing
- Department of Pediatrics, The First Part of The First Affiliated Hospital of Dalian Medical University, Dalian 116011, Liaoning Province, China
| | - Russel Takam
- Department of Pediatrics, The First Part of The First Affiliated Hospital of Dalian Medical University, Dalian 116011, Liaoning Province, China
| | - Xiu-Ying Bao
- Department of Pediatrics, The First Part of The First Affiliated Hospital of Dalian Medical University, Dalian 116011, Liaoning Province, China
| | - Nour Abdallah Ba-alwi
- Department of Pediatrics, The First Part of The First Affiliated Hospital of Dalian Medical University, Dalian 116011, Liaoning Province, China
| | - Hong Ji
- Department of Pediatrics, The First Part of The First Affiliated Hospital of Dalian Medical University, Dalian 116011, Liaoning Province, China
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11
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Zhang S, Zhang H, Forrest MP, Zhou Y, Sun X, Bagchi VA, Kozlova A, Santos MD, Piguel NH, Dionisio LE, Sanders AR, Pang ZP, He X, Penzes P, Duan J. Multiple genes in a single GWAS risk locus synergistically mediate aberrant synaptic development and function in human neurons. CELL GENOMICS 2023; 3:100399. [PMID: 37719141 PMCID: PMC10504676 DOI: 10.1016/j.xgen.2023.100399] [Citation(s) in RCA: 2] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 01/24/2023] [Revised: 05/22/2023] [Accepted: 08/07/2023] [Indexed: 09/19/2023]
Abstract
The mechanistic tie between genome-wide association study (GWAS)-implicated risk variants and disease-relevant cellular phenotypes remains largely unknown. Here, using human induced pluripotent stem cell (hiPSC)-derived neurons as a neurodevelopmental model, we identify multiple schizophrenia (SZ) risk variants that display allele-specific open chromatin (ASoC) and are likely to be functional. Editing the strongest ASoC SNP, rs2027349, near vacuolar protein sorting 45 homolog (VPS45) alters the expression of VPS45, lncRNA AC244033.2, and a distal gene, C1orf54. Notably, the transcriptomic changes in neurons are associated with SZ and other neuropsychiatric disorders. Neurons carrying the risk allele exhibit increased dendritic complexity and hyperactivity. Interestingly, individual/combinatorial gene knockdown shows that these genes alter cellular phenotypes in a non-additive synergistic manner. Our study reveals that multiple genes at a single GWAS risk locus mediate a compound effect on neural function, providing a mechanistic link between a non-coding risk variant and disease-related cellular phenotypes.
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Affiliation(s)
- Siwei Zhang
- Center for Psychiatric Genetics, NorthShore University HealthSystem, Evanston, IL 60201, USA
- Department of Psychiatry and Behavioral Neuroscience, University of Chicago, Chicago, IL 60637, USA
| | - Hanwen Zhang
- Center for Psychiatric Genetics, NorthShore University HealthSystem, Evanston, IL 60201, USA
| | - Marc P. Forrest
- Department of Neuroscience, Northwestern University, Chicago, IL 60611, USA
- Center for Autism and Neurodevelopment, Northwestern University, Chicago, IL 60611, USA
| | - Yifan Zhou
- Department of Human Genetics, University of Chicago, Chicago, IL 60637, USA
| | - Xiaotong Sun
- Department of Human Genetics, University of Chicago, Chicago, IL 60637, USA
| | - Vikram A. Bagchi
- Department of Neuroscience, Northwestern University, Chicago, IL 60611, USA
- Center for Autism and Neurodevelopment, Northwestern University, Chicago, IL 60611, USA
| | - Alena Kozlova
- Center for Psychiatric Genetics, NorthShore University HealthSystem, Evanston, IL 60201, USA
| | - Marc Dos Santos
- Department of Neuroscience, Northwestern University, Chicago, IL 60611, USA
- Center for Autism and Neurodevelopment, Northwestern University, Chicago, IL 60611, USA
| | - Nicolas H. Piguel
- Department of Neuroscience, Northwestern University, Chicago, IL 60611, USA
- Center for Autism and Neurodevelopment, Northwestern University, Chicago, IL 60611, USA
| | - Leonardo E. Dionisio
- Department of Neuroscience, Northwestern University, Chicago, IL 60611, USA
- Center for Autism and Neurodevelopment, Northwestern University, Chicago, IL 60611, USA
| | - Alan R. Sanders
- Center for Psychiatric Genetics, NorthShore University HealthSystem, Evanston, IL 60201, USA
- Department of Psychiatry and Behavioral Neuroscience, University of Chicago, Chicago, IL 60637, USA
| | - Zhiping P. Pang
- Department of Neuroscience and Cell Biology, Child Health Institute of New Jersey, Rutgers Robert Wood Johnson Medical School, New Brunswick, NJ 08901, USA
| | - Xin He
- Department of Human Genetics, University of Chicago, Chicago, IL 60637, USA
| | - Peter Penzes
- Department of Neuroscience, Northwestern University, Chicago, IL 60611, USA
- Center for Autism and Neurodevelopment, Northwestern University, Chicago, IL 60611, USA
- Department of Psychiatry and Behavioral Sciences, Northwestern University Feinberg School of Medicine, Chicago, IL 60611, USA
- Department of Pharmacology, Northwestern University Feinberg School of Medicine, Chicago, IL 60611, USA
| | - Jubao Duan
- Center for Psychiatric Genetics, NorthShore University HealthSystem, Evanston, IL 60201, USA
- Department of Psychiatry and Behavioral Neuroscience, University of Chicago, Chicago, IL 60637, USA
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12
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Monday HR, Wang HC, Feldman DE. Circuit-level theories for sensory dysfunction in autism: convergence across mouse models. Front Neurol 2023; 14:1254297. [PMID: 37745660 PMCID: PMC10513044 DOI: 10.3389/fneur.2023.1254297] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 07/06/2023] [Accepted: 08/14/2023] [Indexed: 09/26/2023] Open
Abstract
Individuals with autism spectrum disorder (ASD) exhibit a diverse range of behavioral features and genetic backgrounds, but whether different genetic forms of autism involve convergent pathophysiology of brain function is unknown. Here, we analyze evidence for convergent deficits in neural circuit function across multiple transgenic mouse models of ASD. We focus on sensory areas of neocortex, where circuit differences may underlie atypical sensory processing, a central feature of autism. Many distinct circuit-level theories for ASD have been proposed, including increased excitation-inhibition (E-I) ratio and hyperexcitability, hypofunction of parvalbumin (PV) interneuron circuits, impaired homeostatic plasticity, degraded sensory coding, and others. We review these theories and assess the degree of convergence across ASD mouse models for each. Behaviorally, our analysis reveals that innate sensory detection behavior is heightened and sensory discrimination behavior is impaired across many ASD models. Neurophysiologically, PV hypofunction and increased E-I ratio are prevalent but only rarely generate hyperexcitability and excess spiking. Instead, sensory tuning and other aspects of neural coding are commonly degraded and may explain impaired discrimination behavior. Two distinct phenotypic clusters with opposing neural circuit signatures are evident across mouse models. Such clustering could suggest physiological subtypes of autism, which may facilitate the development of tailored therapeutic approaches.
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Affiliation(s)
- Hannah R. Monday
- Department of Molecular and Cell Biology, Helen Wills Neuroscience Institute, University of California, Berkeley, Berkeley, CA, United States
| | | | - Daniel E. Feldman
- Department of Molecular and Cell Biology, Helen Wills Neuroscience Institute, University of California, Berkeley, Berkeley, CA, United States
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13
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Yamada T, Watanabe T, Sasaki Y. Are sleep disturbances a cause or consequence of autism spectrum disorder? Psychiatry Clin Neurosci 2023; 77:377-385. [PMID: 36949621 PMCID: PMC10871071 DOI: 10.1111/pcn.13550] [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] [Submit a Manuscript] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 12/01/2022] [Revised: 03/10/2023] [Accepted: 03/17/2023] [Indexed: 03/24/2023]
Abstract
Autism spectrum disorder (ASD) is a neurodevelopmental disorder characterized by core symptoms such as atypical social communication, stereotyped behaviors, and restricted interests. One of the comorbid symptoms of individuals with ASD is sleep disturbance. There are two major hypotheses regarding the neural mechanism underlying ASD, i.e., the excitation/inhibition (E/I) imbalance and the altered neuroplasticity hypotheses. However, the pathology of ASD remains unclear due to inconsistent research results. This paper argues that sleep is a confounding factor, thus, must be considered when examining the pathology of ASD because sleep plays an important role in modulating the E/I balance and neuroplasticity in the human brain. Investigation of the E/I balance and neuroplasticity during sleep might enhance our understanding of the neural mechanisms of ASD. It may also lead to the development of neurobiologically informed interventions to supplement existing psychosocial therapies.
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Affiliation(s)
- Takashi Yamada
- Department of Cognitive, Linguistic, and Psychological Sciences, Brown University, Providence, 02912, USA
| | - Takeo Watanabe
- Department of Cognitive, Linguistic, and Psychological Sciences, Brown University, Providence, 02912, USA
| | - Yuka Sasaki
- Department of Cognitive, Linguistic, and Psychological Sciences, Brown University, Providence, 02912, USA
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14
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Wang Y, Lin J, Li J, Yan L, Li W, He X, Ma H. Chronic Neuronal Inactivity Utilizes the mTOR-TFEB Pathway to Drive Transcription-Dependent Autophagy for Homeostatic Up-Scaling. J Neurosci 2023; 43:2631-2652. [PMID: 36868861 PMCID: PMC10089247 DOI: 10.1523/jneurosci.0146-23.2023] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 01/24/2023] [Revised: 02/16/2023] [Accepted: 02/26/2023] [Indexed: 03/05/2023] Open
Abstract
Activity-dependent changes in protein expression are critical for neuronal plasticity, a fundamental process for the processing and storage of information in the brain. Among the various forms of plasticity, homeostatic synaptic up-scaling is unique in that it is induced primarily by neuronal inactivity. However, precisely how the turnover of synaptic proteins occurs in this homeostatic process remains unclear. Here, we report that chronically inhibiting neuronal activity in primary cortical neurons prepared from embryonic day (E)18 Sprague Dawley rats (both sexes) induces autophagy, thereby regulating key synaptic proteins for up-scaling. Mechanistically, chronic neuronal inactivity causes dephosphorylation of ERK and mTOR, which induces transcription factor EB (TFEB)-mediated cytonuclear signaling and drives transcription-dependent autophagy to regulate αCaMKII and PSD95 during synaptic up-scaling. Together, these findings suggest that mTOR-dependent autophagy, which is often triggered by metabolic stressors such as starvation, is recruited and sustained during neuronal inactivity to maintain synaptic homeostasis, a process that ensures proper brain function and if impaired can cause neuropsychiatric disorders such as autism.SIGNIFICANCE STATEMENT In the mammalian brain, protein turnover is tightly controlled by neuronal activation to ensure key neuronal functions during long-lasting synaptic plasticity. However, a long-standing question is how this process occurs during synaptic up-scaling, a process that requires protein turnover but is induced by neuronal inactivation. Here, we report that mTOR-dependent signaling, which is often triggered by metabolic stressors such as starvation, is "hijacked" by chronic neuronal inactivation, which then serves as a nucleation point for transcription factor EB (TFEB) cytonuclear signaling that drives transcription-dependent autophagy for up-scaling. These results provide the first evidence of a physiological role of mTOR-dependent autophagy in enduing neuronal plasticity, thereby connecting major themes in cell biology and neuroscience via a servo loop that mediates autoregulation in the brain.
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Affiliation(s)
- Yang Wang
- Department of Neurobiology, Affiliated Mental Health Center and Hangzhou Seventh People's Hospital, Zhejiang University School of Medicine, Hangzhou 310058, China
- Liangzhu Laboratory, MOE Frontier Science Center for Brain Science and Brain-machine Integration, State Key Laboratory of Brain-machine Intelligence, Zhejiang University, Hangzhou 311121, China
- National Health Commission of the PRC (NHC) and Chinese Academy of Medical Sciences (CAMS) Key Laboratory of Medical Neurobiology, Zhejiang University, Hangzhou 310058, China
| | - Jingran Lin
- Department of Neurobiology, Affiliated Mental Health Center and Hangzhou Seventh People's Hospital, Zhejiang University School of Medicine, Hangzhou 310058, China
- Liangzhu Laboratory, MOE Frontier Science Center for Brain Science and Brain-machine Integration, State Key Laboratory of Brain-machine Intelligence, Zhejiang University, Hangzhou 311121, China
- National Health Commission of the PRC (NHC) and Chinese Academy of Medical Sciences (CAMS) Key Laboratory of Medical Neurobiology, Zhejiang University, Hangzhou 310058, China
| | - Jiarui Li
- Department of Neurobiology, Affiliated Mental Health Center and Hangzhou Seventh People's Hospital, Zhejiang University School of Medicine, Hangzhou 310058, China
- Liangzhu Laboratory, MOE Frontier Science Center for Brain Science and Brain-machine Integration, State Key Laboratory of Brain-machine Intelligence, Zhejiang University, Hangzhou 311121, China
- National Health Commission of the PRC (NHC) and Chinese Academy of Medical Sciences (CAMS) Key Laboratory of Medical Neurobiology, Zhejiang University, Hangzhou 310058, China
| | - Lu Yan
- Department of Neurobiology, Affiliated Mental Health Center and Hangzhou Seventh People's Hospital, Zhejiang University School of Medicine, Hangzhou 310058, China
- Liangzhu Laboratory, MOE Frontier Science Center for Brain Science and Brain-machine Integration, State Key Laboratory of Brain-machine Intelligence, Zhejiang University, Hangzhou 311121, China
- National Health Commission of the PRC (NHC) and Chinese Academy of Medical Sciences (CAMS) Key Laboratory of Medical Neurobiology, Zhejiang University, Hangzhou 310058, China
| | - Wenwen Li
- Department of Neurobiology, Affiliated Mental Health Center and Hangzhou Seventh People's Hospital, Zhejiang University School of Medicine, Hangzhou 310058, China
- Liangzhu Laboratory, MOE Frontier Science Center for Brain Science and Brain-machine Integration, State Key Laboratory of Brain-machine Intelligence, Zhejiang University, Hangzhou 311121, China
- National Health Commission of the PRC (NHC) and Chinese Academy of Medical Sciences (CAMS) Key Laboratory of Medical Neurobiology, Zhejiang University, Hangzhou 310058, China
| | - Xingzhi He
- Department of Neurobiology, Affiliated Mental Health Center and Hangzhou Seventh People's Hospital, Zhejiang University School of Medicine, Hangzhou 310058, China
- Liangzhu Laboratory, MOE Frontier Science Center for Brain Science and Brain-machine Integration, State Key Laboratory of Brain-machine Intelligence, Zhejiang University, Hangzhou 311121, China
- National Health Commission of the PRC (NHC) and Chinese Academy of Medical Sciences (CAMS) Key Laboratory of Medical Neurobiology, Zhejiang University, Hangzhou 310058, China
| | - Huan Ma
- Department of Neurobiology, Affiliated Mental Health Center and Hangzhou Seventh People's Hospital, Zhejiang University School of Medicine, Hangzhou 310058, China
- Liangzhu Laboratory, MOE Frontier Science Center for Brain Science and Brain-machine Integration, State Key Laboratory of Brain-machine Intelligence, Zhejiang University, Hangzhou 311121, China
- National Health Commission of the PRC (NHC) and Chinese Academy of Medical Sciences (CAMS) Key Laboratory of Medical Neurobiology, Zhejiang University, Hangzhou 310058, China
- Research Units for Emotion and Emotion disorders, Chinese Academy of Medical Sciences, Beijing 100050, China
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15
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Potential of Circulating miRNAs as Molecular Markers in Mood Disorders and Associated Suicidal Behavior. Int J Mol Sci 2023; 24:ijms24054664. [PMID: 36902096 PMCID: PMC10003208 DOI: 10.3390/ijms24054664] [Citation(s) in RCA: 5] [Impact Index Per Article: 5.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 02/02/2023] [Revised: 02/23/2023] [Accepted: 02/26/2023] [Indexed: 03/04/2023] Open
Abstract
Mood disorders are the most prevalent psychiatric disorders associated with significant disability, morbidity, and mortality. The risk of suicide is associated with severe or mixed depressive episodes in patients with mood disorders. However, the risk of suicide increases with the severity of depressive episodes and is often presented with higher incidences in bipolar disorder (BD) patients than in patients with major depression (MDD). Biomarker study in neuropsychiatric disorders is critical for developing better treatment plans by facilitating more accurate diagnosis. At the same time, biomarker discovery also provides more objectivity to develop state-of-the-art personalized medicine with increased accuracy through clinical interventions. Recently, colinear changes in miRNA expression between brain and systemic circulation have added great interest in examining their potential as molecular markers in mental disorders, including MDD, BD, and suicidality. A present understanding of circulating miRNAs in body fluids implicates their role in managing neuropsychiatric conditions. Most notably, their use as prognostic and diagnostic markers and their potential role in treatment response have significantly advanced our knowledge base. The present review discusses circulatory miRNAs and their underlying possibilities to be used as a screening tool for assessing major psychiatric conditions, including MDD, BD, and suicidal behavior.
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16
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Developmental Inhibitory Changes in the Primary Somatosensory Cortex of the Stargazer Mouse Model of Absence Epilepsy. Biomolecules 2023; 13:biom13010186. [PMID: 36671571 PMCID: PMC9856073 DOI: 10.3390/biom13010186] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 12/18/2022] [Revised: 01/08/2023] [Accepted: 01/11/2023] [Indexed: 01/19/2023] Open
Abstract
Childhood absence epilepsy seizures arise in the cortico-thalamocortical network due to multiple cellular and molecular mechanisms, which are still under investigation. Understanding the precise mechanisms is imperative given that treatment fails in ~30% of patients while adverse neurological sequelae remain common. Impaired GABAergic neurotransmission is commonly reported in research models investigating these mechanisms. Recently, we reported a region-specific reduction in the whole-tissue and synaptic GABAA receptor (GABAAR) α1 subunit and an increase in whole-tissue GAD65 in the primary somatosensory cortex (SoCx) of the adult epileptic stargazer mouse compared with its non-epileptic (NE) littermate. The current study investigated whether these changes occurred prior to the onset of seizures on postnatal days (PN) 17-18, suggesting a causative role. Synaptic and cytosolic fractions were biochemically isolated from primary SoCx lysates followed by semiquantitative Western blot analyses for GABAAR α1 and GAD65. We found no significant changes in synaptic GABAAR α1 and cytosolic GAD65 in the primary SoCx of the stargazer mice at the critical developmental stages of PN 7-9, 13-15, and 17-18. This indicates that altered levels of GABAAR α1 and GAD65 in adult mice do not directly contribute to the initial onset of absence seizures but are a later consequence of seizure activity.
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17
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Perry S, Han Y, Qiu C, Chien C, Goel P, Nishimura S, Sajnani M, Schmid A, Sigrist SJ, Dickman D. A glutamate receptor C-tail recruits CaMKII to suppress retrograde homeostatic signaling. Nat Commun 2022; 13:7656. [PMID: 36496500 PMCID: PMC9741633 DOI: 10.1038/s41467-022-35417-9] [Citation(s) in RCA: 5] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 07/06/2021] [Accepted: 12/02/2022] [Indexed: 12/13/2022] Open
Abstract
Presynaptic homeostatic plasticity (PHP) adaptively enhances neurotransmitter release following diminished postsynaptic glutamate receptor (GluR) functionality to maintain synaptic strength. While much is known about PHP expression mechanisms, postsynaptic induction remains enigmatic. For over 20 years, diminished postsynaptic Ca2+ influx was hypothesized to reduce CaMKII activity and enable retrograde PHP signaling at the Drosophila neuromuscular junction. Here, we have interrogated inductive signaling and find that active CaMKII colocalizes with and requires the GluRIIA receptor subunit. Next, we generated Ca2+-impermeable GluRs to reveal that both CaMKII activity and PHP induction are Ca2+-insensitive. Rather, a GluRIIA C-tail domain is necessary and sufficient to recruit active CaMKII. Finally, chimeric receptors demonstrate that the GluRIIA tail constitutively occludes retrograde homeostatic signaling by stabilizing active CaMKII. Thus, the physical loss of the GluRIIA tail is sensed, rather than reduced Ca2+, to enable retrograde PHP signaling, highlighting a unique, Ca2+-independent control mechanism for CaMKII in gating homeostatic plasticity.
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Affiliation(s)
- Sarah Perry
- Department of Neurobiology, University of Southern California, Los Angeles, CA, USA
| | - Yifu Han
- Department of Neurobiology, University of Southern California, Los Angeles, CA, USA
| | - Chengjie Qiu
- Department of Neurobiology, University of Southern California, Los Angeles, CA, USA
| | - Chun Chien
- Department of Neurobiology, University of Southern California, Los Angeles, CA, USA
| | - Pragya Goel
- Department of Neurobiology, University of Southern California, Los Angeles, CA, USA
| | - Samantha Nishimura
- Department of Neurobiology, University of Southern California, Los Angeles, CA, USA
| | - Manisha Sajnani
- Department of Neurobiology, University of Southern California, Los Angeles, CA, USA
| | - Andreas Schmid
- Institute for Biology/Genetics, Freie Universität Berlin, Takustraße 6, 14195, Berlin, Germany
- Faculty of Life Sciences, Albstadt-Sigmaringen University, Sigmaringen, Germany
| | - Stephan J Sigrist
- Institute for Biology/Genetics, Freie Universität Berlin, Takustraße 6, 14195, Berlin, Germany
- NeuroCure Cluster of Excellence, Charité Universitätsmedizin, Charitéplatz 1, 10117, Berlin, Germany
| | - Dion Dickman
- Department of Neurobiology, University of Southern California, Los Angeles, CA, USA.
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18
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Kim NS, Ringeling FR, Zhou Y, Nguyen HN, Temme SJ, Lin YT, Eacker S, Dawson VL, Dawson TM, Xiao B, Hsu KS, Canzar S, Li W, Worley P, Christian KM, Yoon KJ, Song H, Ming GL. CYFIP1 Dosages Exhibit Divergent Behavioral Impact via Diametric Regulation of NMDA Receptor Complex Translation in Mouse Models of Psychiatric Disorders. Biol Psychiatry 2022; 92:815-826. [PMID: 34247782 PMCID: PMC8568734 DOI: 10.1016/j.biopsych.2021.04.023] [Citation(s) in RCA: 1] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Submit a Manuscript] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 03/15/2021] [Revised: 04/26/2021] [Accepted: 04/27/2021] [Indexed: 01/09/2023]
Abstract
BACKGROUND Gene dosage imbalance caused by copy number variations (CNVs) is a prominent contributor to brain disorders. In particular, 15q11.2 CNV duplications and deletions have been associated with autism spectrum disorder and schizophrenia, respectively. The mechanism underlying these diametric contributions remains unclear. METHODS We established both loss-of-function and gain-of-function mouse models of Cyfip1, one of four genes within 15q11.2 CNVs. To assess the functional consequences of altered CYFIP1 levels, we performed systematic investigations on behavioral, electrophysiological, and biochemical phenotypes in both mouse models. In addition, we utilized RNA immunoprecipitation sequencing (RIP-seq) analysis to reveal molecular targets of CYFIP1 in vivo. RESULTS Cyfip1 loss-of-function and gain-of function mouse models exhibited distinct and shared behavioral abnormalities related to autism spectrum disorder and schizophrenia. RIP-seq analysis identified messenger RNA targets of CYFIP1 in vivo, including postsynaptic NMDA receptor (NMDAR) complex components. In addition, these mouse models showed diametric changes in levels of postsynaptic NMDAR complex components at synapses because of dysregulated protein translation, resulting in bidirectional alteration of NMDAR-mediated signaling. Importantly, pharmacological balancing of NMDAR signaling in these mouse models with diametric Cyfip1 dosages rescues behavioral abnormalities. CONCLUSIONS CYFIP1 regulates protein translation of NMDAR and associated complex components at synapses to maintain normal synaptic functions and behaviors. Our integrated analyses provide insight into how gene dosage imbalance caused by CNVs may contribute to divergent neuropsychiatric disorders.
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Affiliation(s)
- Nam-Shik Kim
- Department of Neuroscience, Mahoney Institute for Neurosciences, Perelman School for Medicine, University of Pennsylvania, Philadelphia, Pennsylvania
| | - Francisca Rojas Ringeling
- Institute for Cell Engineering, Johns Hopkins University School of Medicine, Baltimore, Maryland; Gene Center, Ludwig-Maximilians-Universität München, Munich, Germany
| | - Ying Zhou
- Institute for Cell Engineering, Johns Hopkins University School of Medicine, Baltimore, Maryland
| | - Ha Nam Nguyen
- Institute for Cell Engineering, Johns Hopkins University School of Medicine, Baltimore, Maryland
| | - Stephanie J Temme
- Department of Neuroscience, Mahoney Institute for Neurosciences, Perelman School for Medicine, University of Pennsylvania, Philadelphia, Pennsylvania
| | - Yu-Ting Lin
- Institute for Cell Engineering, Johns Hopkins University School of Medicine, Baltimore, Maryland
| | - Stephen Eacker
- Institute for Cell Engineering, Johns Hopkins University School of Medicine, Baltimore, Maryland
| | - Valina L Dawson
- Institute for Cell Engineering, Johns Hopkins University School of Medicine, Baltimore, Maryland; Solomon H. Snyder Department of Neuroscience, Johns Hopkins University School of Medicine, Baltimore, Maryland
| | - Ted M Dawson
- Institute for Cell Engineering, Johns Hopkins University School of Medicine, Baltimore, Maryland; Solomon H. Snyder Department of Neuroscience, Johns Hopkins University School of Medicine, Baltimore, Maryland
| | - Bo Xiao
- Solomon H. Snyder Department of Neuroscience, Johns Hopkins University School of Medicine, Baltimore, Maryland
| | - Kuei-Sen Hsu
- Department of Pharmacology, College of Medicine, National Cheng Kung University, Tainan, Taiwan
| | - Stefan Canzar
- Gene Center, Ludwig-Maximilians-Universität München, Munich, Germany
| | - Weidong Li
- Bio-X Institutes, Key Laboratory for the Genetics of Development and Neuropsychiatric Disorders, Shanghai Jiao Tong University, Shanghai, China
| | - Paul Worley
- Solomon H. Snyder Department of Neuroscience, Johns Hopkins University School of Medicine, Baltimore, Maryland
| | - Kimberly M Christian
- Department of Neuroscience, Mahoney Institute for Neurosciences, Perelman School for Medicine, University of Pennsylvania, Philadelphia, Pennsylvania
| | - Ki-Jun Yoon
- Department of Neuroscience, Mahoney Institute for Neurosciences, Perelman School for Medicine, University of Pennsylvania, Philadelphia, Pennsylvania.
| | - Hongjun Song
- Department of Neuroscience, Mahoney Institute for Neurosciences, Perelman School for Medicine, University of Pennsylvania, Philadelphia, Pennsylvania; Department of Cell and Developmental Biology, Perelman School for Medicine, University of Pennsylvania, Philadelphia, Pennsylvania; Institute for Regenerative Medicine, Perelman School for Medicine, University of Pennsylvania, Philadelphia, Pennsylvania; Epigenetics Institute, Perelman School for Medicine, University of Pennsylvania, Philadelphia, Pennsylvania
| | - Guo-Li Ming
- Department of Neuroscience, Mahoney Institute for Neurosciences, Perelman School for Medicine, University of Pennsylvania, Philadelphia, Pennsylvania; Department of Cell and Developmental Biology, Perelman School for Medicine, University of Pennsylvania, Philadelphia, Pennsylvania; Institute for Regenerative Medicine, Perelman School for Medicine, University of Pennsylvania, Philadelphia, Pennsylvania; Department of Psychiatry, Perelman School for Medicine, University of Pennsylvania, Philadelphia, Pennsylvania.
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19
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Raj N. A Delicate Balance: CYFIP1 Dosage Drives Divergent Phenotypes. Biol Psychiatry 2022; 92:e43-e44. [PMID: 36265969 DOI: 10.1016/j.biopsych.2022.09.005] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Submit a Manuscript] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 08/22/2022] [Accepted: 09/06/2022] [Indexed: 11/02/2022]
Affiliation(s)
- Nisha Raj
- Laboratory for Translational Cell Biology, Department of Cell Biology, Emory University School of Medicine, Atlanta, Georgia.
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20
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Carleton M, Oesch NW. Differences in the spatial fidelity of evoked and spontaneous signals in the degenerating retina. Front Cell Neurosci 2022; 16:1040090. [PMID: 36419935 PMCID: PMC9676928 DOI: 10.3389/fncel.2022.1040090] [Citation(s) in RCA: 2] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 09/08/2022] [Accepted: 10/20/2022] [Indexed: 07/01/2024] Open
Abstract
Vision restoration strategies aim to reestablish vision by replacing the function of lost photoreceptors with optoelectronic hardware or through gene therapy. One complication to these approaches is that retinal circuitry undergoes remodeling after photoreceptor loss. Circuit remodeling following perturbation is ubiquitous in the nervous system and understanding these changes is crucial for treating neurodegeneration. Spontaneous oscillations that arise during retinal degeneration have been well-studied, however, other changes in the spatiotemporal processing of evoked and spontaneous activity have received less attention. Here we use subretinal electrical stimulation to measure the spatial and temporal spread of both spontaneous and evoked activity during retinal degeneration. We found that electrical stimulation synchronizes spontaneous oscillatory activity, over space and through time, thus leading to increased correlations in ganglion cell activity. Intriguingly, we found that spatial selectivity was maintained in rd10 retina for evoked responses, with spatial receptive fields comparable to wt retina. These findings indicate that different biophysical mechanisms are involved in mediating feed forward excitation, and the lateral spread of spontaneous activity in the rd10 retina, lending support toward the possibility of high-resolution vision restoration.
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Affiliation(s)
- Maya Carleton
- Department of Psychology, University of California, San Diego, La Jolla, CA, United States
| | - Nicholas W. Oesch
- Department of Psychology, University of California, San Diego, La Jolla, CA, United States
- Department of Ophthalmology, University of California, San Diego, La Jolla, CA, United States
- The Neurosciences Graduate Program, University of California, San Diego, La Jolla, CA, United States
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21
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Klusek J, Newman-Norlund R, Fairchild AJ, Newman-Norlund S, Sayers S, Stewart JC, Berry-Kravis E, Fridriksson J. Low normal FMR1 genotype in older adult women: Psychological well-being and motor function. Arch Gerontol Geriatr 2022; 103:104789. [PMID: 35981426 PMCID: PMC9464716 DOI: 10.1016/j.archger.2022.104789] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 04/06/2022] [Revised: 08/01/2022] [Accepted: 08/09/2022] [Indexed: 11/28/2022]
Abstract
The FMR1 gene plays a key role in adult neurogenesis and neuroplasticity, and thus may contribute to age-related health in the population. The current study focused on the "low normal" FMR1 genotype, defined by lower-than-typical numbers of FMR1 CGG repeats (<26), as a potential genetic determinant of age-related health. We characterized the effect of the low normal FMR1 genotype on psychological well-being and motor function in a racially diverse non-clinical sample of older adult women. Women with low CGG repeats were distinguished from those with CGGs falling within the mid-high end of the normal range by reduced performance on multimodal assessments of motor function and psychological well-being, with large effect sizes. Robust continuous associations were also detected between lower CGG repeat length and reduced psychological well-being, balance, and dexterity. Findings suggest that FMR1 may represent an important mediator of individual differences in age-related health; larger epidemiological studies are needed. Given that approximately 23-35% of females carry the low normal genotype, efforts to understand its clinical effects have relevance a broad swath of the aging population.
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Affiliation(s)
- Jessica Klusek
- Department of Communication Sciences and Disorders, Arnold School of Public Health, University of South Carolina, Close-Hipp Building, 1705 College Street, Columbia, SC 29208, USA.
| | - Roger Newman-Norlund
- Department of Communication Sciences and Disorders, Arnold School of Public Health, University of South Carolina, Close-Hipp Building, 1705 College Street, Columbia, SC 29208, USA; Department of Psychology, University of South Carolina, 1512 Pendleton Street, Columbia, SC 29208, USA
| | - Amanda J Fairchild
- Department of Psychology, University of South Carolina, 1512 Pendleton Street, Columbia, SC 29208, USA
| | - Sarah Newman-Norlund
- Department of Communication Sciences and Disorders, Arnold School of Public Health, University of South Carolina, Close-Hipp Building, 1705 College Street, Columbia, SC 29208, USA
| | - Sara Sayers
- Department of Communication Sciences and Disorders, Arnold School of Public Health, University of South Carolina, Close-Hipp Building, 1705 College Street, Columbia, SC 29208, USA
| | - Jill C Stewart
- Physical Therapy Program, Department of Exercise Science, Arnold School of Public Health, University of South Carolina, 921 Assembly Street, Columbia, SC 29208, USA
| | - Elizabeth Berry-Kravis
- Department of Pediatrics, Neurological Sciences and Anatomy and Cell Biology, Rush University Medical Center, 1725 West Harrison Street, Suite 718, Chicago, IL 60612, USA
| | - Julius Fridriksson
- Department of Communication Sciences and Disorders, Arnold School of Public Health, University of South Carolina, Close-Hipp Building, 1705 College Street, Columbia, SC 29208, USA
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22
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Fitzpatrick MJ, Kerschensteiner D. Homeostatic plasticity in the retina. Prog Retin Eye Res 2022; 94:101131. [PMID: 36244950 DOI: 10.1016/j.preteyeres.2022.101131] [Citation(s) in RCA: 4] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 08/08/2022] [Revised: 09/25/2022] [Accepted: 09/28/2022] [Indexed: 02/07/2023]
Abstract
Vision begins in the retina, whose intricate neural circuits extract salient features of the environment from the light entering our eyes. Neurodegenerative diseases of the retina (e.g., inherited retinal degenerations, age-related macular degeneration, and glaucoma) impair vision and cause blindness in a growing number of people worldwide. Increasing evidence indicates that homeostatic plasticity (i.e., the drive of a neural system to stabilize its function) can, in principle, preserve retinal function in the face of major perturbations, including neurodegeneration. Here, we review the circumstances and events that trigger homeostatic plasticity in the retina during development, sensory experience, and disease. We discuss the diverse mechanisms that cooperate to compensate and the set points and outcomes that homeostatic retinal plasticity stabilizes. Finally, we summarize the opportunities and challenges for unlocking the therapeutic potential of homeostatic plasticity. Homeostatic plasticity is fundamental to understanding retinal development and function and could be an important tool in the fight to preserve and restore vision.
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23
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Ash RT, Palagina G, Fernandez-Leon JA, Park J, Seilheimer R, Lee S, Sabharwal J, Reyes F, Wang J, Lu D, Sarfraz M, Froudarakis E, Tolias AS, Wu SM, Smirnakis SM. Increased Reliability of Visually-Evoked Activity in Area V1 of the MECP2-Duplication Mouse Model of Autism. J Neurosci 2022; 42:6469-6482. [PMID: 35831173 PMCID: PMC9398540 DOI: 10.1523/jneurosci.0654-22.2022] [Citation(s) in RCA: 2] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 04/03/2022] [Revised: 05/15/2022] [Accepted: 06/02/2022] [Indexed: 11/21/2022] Open
Abstract
Atypical sensory processing is now thought to be a core feature of the autism spectrum. Influential theories have proposed that both increased and decreased neural response reliability within sensory systems could underlie altered sensory processing in autism. Here, we report evidence for abnormally increased reliability of visual-evoked responses in layer 2/3 neurons of adult male and female primary visual cortex in the MECP2-duplication syndrome animal model of autism. Increased response reliability was due in part to decreased response amplitude, decreased fluctuations in endogenous activity, and an abnormal decoupling of visual-evoked activity from endogenous activity. Similar to what was observed neuronally, the optokinetic reflex occurred more reliably at low contrasts in mutant mice compared with controls. Retinal responses did not explain our observations. These data suggest that the circuit mechanisms for combining sensory-evoked and endogenous signal and noise processes may be altered in this form of syndromic autism.SIGNIFICANCE STATEMENT Atypical sensory processing is now thought to be a core feature of the autism spectrum. Influential theories have proposed that both increased and decreased neural response reliability within sensory systems could underlie altered sensory processing in autism. Here, we report evidence for abnormally increased reliability of visual-evoked responses in primary visual cortex of the animal model for MECP2-duplication syndrome, a high-penetrance single-gene cause of autism. Visual-evoked activity was abnormally decoupled from endogenous activity in mutant mice, suggesting in line with the influential "hypo-priors" theory of autism that sensory priors embedded in endogenous activity may have less influence on perception in autism.
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Affiliation(s)
- Ryan T Ash
- Department of Psychiatry, Stanford University School of Medicine, Stanford, California 94305
- Department of Neurology, Brigham and Women's Hospital, Harvard Medical School, Boston, Massachusetts 02115
- Department of Neuroscience, Baylor College of Medicine, Houston, Texas 77030
| | - Ganna Palagina
- Department of Neurology, Brigham and Women's Hospital, Harvard Medical School, Boston, Massachusetts 02115
| | - Jose A Fernandez-Leon
- Department of Neurology, Brigham and Women's Hospital, Harvard Medical School, Boston, Massachusetts 02115
- Department of Neuroscience, Baylor College of Medicine, Houston, Texas 77030
- Centro de Investigaciones en Física e Ingeniería del Centro de la Provincia de Buenos Aires and Instituto de Investigación en Tecnología Informática Avanzada, Exact Sciences Faculty-Universidad Nacional del Centro de la Provincia de Buenos Aires, Tandil, Argentina
| | - Jiyoung Park
- Department of Neurology, Brigham and Women's Hospital, Harvard Medical School, Boston, Massachusetts 02115
- Program in Structural and Computational Biology and Molecular Biophysics, Baylor College of Medicine, Houston, Texas 77030
| | - Rob Seilheimer
- Program in Structural and Computational Biology and Molecular Biophysics, Baylor College of Medicine, Houston, Texas 77030
- Department of Psychiatry, University of Pennsylvania, Philadelphia, Pennsylvania 19104
| | - Sangkyun Lee
- Department of Neurology, Brigham and Women's Hospital, Harvard Medical School, Boston, Massachusetts 02115
| | - Jasdeep Sabharwal
- Department of Neuroscience, Baylor College of Medicine, Houston, Texas 77030
- Wilmer Eye Institute, Johns Hopkins University, Baltimore, Maryland 21205
| | - Fredy Reyes
- Department of Neuroscience, Baylor College of Medicine, Houston, Texas 77030
| | - Jing Wang
- Department of Ophthalmology, Baylor College of Medicine, Houston, Texas 77030
| | - Dylan Lu
- Department of Neurology, Brigham and Women's Hospital, Harvard Medical School, Boston, Massachusetts 02115
| | - Muhammad Sarfraz
- Department of Neurology, Brigham and Women's Hospital, Harvard Medical School, Boston, Massachusetts 02115
| | - Emmanouil Froudarakis
- Department of Neuroscience, Baylor College of Medicine, Houston, Texas 77030
- FORTH, Heraklion, Crete, Greece 70013
| | - Andreas S Tolias
- Department of Neuroscience, Baylor College of Medicine, Houston, Texas 77030
| | - Samuel M Wu
- Department of Neuroscience, Baylor College of Medicine, Houston, Texas 77030
- Department of Ophthalmology, Baylor College of Medicine, Houston, Texas 77030
| | - Stelios M Smirnakis
- Department of Neurology, Brigham and Women's Hospital, Harvard Medical School, Boston, Massachusetts 02115
- Department of Neuroscience, Baylor College of Medicine, Houston, Texas 77030
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24
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IGF-1 receptor regulates upward firing rate homeostasis via the mitochondrial calcium uniporter. Proc Natl Acad Sci U S A 2022; 119:e2121040119. [PMID: 35943986 PMCID: PMC9388073 DOI: 10.1073/pnas.2121040119] [Citation(s) in RCA: 7] [Impact Index Per Article: 3.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/18/2022] Open
Abstract
An emerging hypothesis is that neuronal circuits homeostatically maintain a stable spike rate despite continuous environmental changes. This firing rate homeostasis is believed to confer resilience to neurodegeneration and cognitive decline. We show that insulin-like growth factor-1 receptor (IGF-1R) is necessary for homeostatic response of mean firing rate to inactivity, termed “upward firing rate homeostasis.” We show that its mechanism of action is to couple spike bursts with downstream mitochondrial Ca2+ influx via the mitochondrial calcium uniporter complex (MCUc). We propose that MCUc is a homeostatic Ca2+ sensor that triggers the integrated homeostatic response. Firing rate homeostasis may be the principal mechanism by which IGF-1R regulates aging and neurodevelopmental and neurodegenerative disorders. Regulation of firing rate homeostasis constitutes a fundamental property of central neural circuits. While intracellular Ca2+ has long been hypothesized to be a feedback control signal, the molecular machinery enabling a network-wide homeostatic response remains largely unknown. We show that deletion of insulin-like growth factor-1 receptor (IGF-1R) limits firing rate homeostasis in response to inactivity, without altering the distribution of baseline firing rates. The deficient firing rate homeostatic response was due to disruption of both postsynaptic and intrinsic plasticity. At the cellular level, we detected a fraction of IGF-1Rs in mitochondria, colocalized with the mitochondrial calcium uniporter complex (MCUc). IGF-1R deletion suppressed transcription of the MCUc members and burst-evoked mitochondrial Ca2+ (mitoCa2+) by weakening mitochondria-to-cytosol Ca2+ coupling. Overexpression of either mitochondria-targeted IGF-1R or MCUc in IGF-1R–deficient neurons was sufficient to rescue the deficits in burst-to-mitoCa2+ coupling and firing rate homeostasis. Our findings indicate that mitochondrial IGF-1R is a key regulator of the integrated homeostatic response by tuning the reliability of burst transfer by MCUc. Based on these results, we propose that MCUc acts as a homeostatic Ca2+ sensor. Faulty activation of MCUc may drive dysregulation of firing rate homeostasis in aging and in brain disorders associated with aberrant IGF-1R/MCUc signaling.
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25
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Schell G, Roy B, Prall K, Dwivedi Y. miR-218: A Stress-Responsive Epigenetic Modifier. Noncoding RNA 2022; 8:ncrna8040055. [PMID: 35893238 PMCID: PMC9326663 DOI: 10.3390/ncrna8040055] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 06/16/2022] [Revised: 07/13/2022] [Accepted: 07/14/2022] [Indexed: 11/16/2022] Open
Abstract
Understanding the epigenetic role of microRNAs (miRNAs) has been a critical development in the field of neuropsychiatry and in understanding their underlying pathophysiology. Abnormalities in miRNA expression are often seen as key to the pathogenesis of many stress-associated mental disorders, including major depressive disorder (MDD). Recent advances in omics biology have further contributed to this understanding and expanded the role of miRNAs in networking a diverse array of molecular pathways, which are essentially related to the stress adaptivity of a healthy brain. Studies have highlighted the role of many such miRNAs in causing maladaptive changes in the brain's stress axis. One such miRNA is miR-218, which is debated as a critical candidate for increased stress susceptibility. miR-218 is expressed throughout the brain, notably in the hippocampus and prefrontal cortex (PFC). It is expressed at various levels through life stages, as seen by adolescent and adult animal models. Until now, a minimal number of studies have been conducted on human subjects to understand its role in stress-related abnormalities in brain circuits. However, several studies, including animal and cell-culture models, have been used to understand the impact of miR-218 on stress response and hypothalamic-pituitary-adrenal (HPA) axis function. So far, expression changes in this miRNA have been found to regulate signaling pathways such as glucocorticoid signaling, serotonergic signaling, and glutamatergic signaling. Recently, the developmental role of miR-218 has generated interest, given its increasing expression from adolescence to adulthood and targeting the Netrin-1/DCC signaling pathway. Since miR-218 expression affects neuronal development and plasticity, it is expected that a change in miR-218 expression levels over the course of development may negatively impact the process and make individuals stress-susceptible in adulthood. In this review, we describe the role of miR-218 in stress-induced neuropsychiatric conditions with an emphasis on stress-related disorders.
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26
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Wang B, Zou L, Li M, Zhou L. Astrocyte: A Foe or a Friend in Intellectual Disability-Related Diseases. Front Synaptic Neurosci 2022; 14:877928. [PMID: 35812794 PMCID: PMC9259964 DOI: 10.3389/fnsyn.2022.877928] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 02/17/2022] [Accepted: 05/27/2022] [Indexed: 11/24/2022] Open
Abstract
Intellectual disabilities are a type of neurodevelopmental disease caused by neurological dysfunction. Their incidence is largely associated with neural development. Astrocytes are the most widely distributed cells in the mammalian brain. Previous studies have reported that astrocytes only supported and separated the neurons in the brain. However, recent studies have found that they also play an important role in neural development. Understanding the astrocyte mechanism in intellectual development disorder-related diseases will help provide new therapeutic targets for the treatment of intellectual disability-related diseases. This mini-review introduced the association between astrocyte and intellectual disabilities. Furthermore, recent advances in genetic and environmental factors causing intellectual disability and different pharmaceutical effects of intellectual disability-related drugs on astrocytes have been summarised. Finally, we discussed future perspectives of astrocyte-based therapy for intellectual disability.
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Affiliation(s)
| | | | | | - Liang Zhou
- *Correspondence: Liang Zhou, , orcid.org/0000-0003-0820-1520
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27
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Loomba S, Straehle J, Gangadharan V, Heike N, Khalifa A, Motta A, Ju N, Sievers M, Gempt J, Meyer HS, Helmstaedter M. Connectomic comparison of mouse and human cortex. Science 2022; 377:eabo0924. [PMID: 35737810 DOI: 10.1126/science.abo0924] [Citation(s) in RCA: 63] [Impact Index Per Article: 31.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 12/20/2022]
Abstract
The human cerebral cortex houses 1,000 times more neurons than the cerebral cortex of a mouse, but the possible differences in synaptic circuits between these species are still poorly understood. We used 3-dimensional electron microscopy of mouse, macaque and human cortical samples to study their cell type composition and synaptic circuit architecture. The 2.5-fold increase in interneurons in humans compared to mouse was compensated by a change in axonal connection probabilities and therefore did not yield a commensurate increase in inhibitory-vs-excitatory synaptic input balance on human pyramidal cells. Rather, increased inhibition created an expanded interneuron-to-interneuron network, driven by an expansion of interneuron-targeting interneuron types and an increase in their synaptic selectivity for interneuron innervation. These constitute key neuronal network alterations in human cortex.
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Affiliation(s)
- Sahil Loomba
- Department of Connectomics, Max Planck Institute for Brain Research, Frankfurt, Germany.,Faculty of Science, Radboud University, Nijmegen, Netherlands
| | - Jakob Straehle
- Department of Connectomics, Max Planck Institute for Brain Research, Frankfurt, Germany
| | - Vijayan Gangadharan
- Department of Connectomics, Max Planck Institute for Brain Research, Frankfurt, Germany
| | - Natalie Heike
- Department of Connectomics, Max Planck Institute for Brain Research, Frankfurt, Germany
| | - Abdelrahman Khalifa
- Department of Connectomics, Max Planck Institute for Brain Research, Frankfurt, Germany
| | - Alessandro Motta
- Department of Connectomics, Max Planck Institute for Brain Research, Frankfurt, Germany
| | - Niansheng Ju
- Department of Connectomics, Max Planck Institute for Brain Research, Frankfurt, Germany
| | - Meike Sievers
- Department of Connectomics, Max Planck Institute for Brain Research, Frankfurt, Germany.,Faculty of Science, Radboud University, Nijmegen, Netherlands
| | - Jens Gempt
- Department of Neurosurgery, Klinikum rechts der Isar, School of Medicine, Technical University of Munich, Germany
| | - Hanno S Meyer
- Department of Neurosurgery, Klinikum rechts der Isar, School of Medicine, Technical University of Munich, Germany
| | - Moritz Helmstaedter
- Department of Connectomics, Max Planck Institute for Brain Research, Frankfurt, Germany
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28
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Bülow P, Segal M, Bassell GJ. Mechanisms Driving the Emergence of Neuronal Hyperexcitability in Fragile X Syndrome. Int J Mol Sci 2022; 23:ijms23116315. [PMID: 35682993 PMCID: PMC9181819 DOI: 10.3390/ijms23116315] [Citation(s) in RCA: 5] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 04/15/2022] [Revised: 05/24/2022] [Accepted: 05/27/2022] [Indexed: 02/04/2023] Open
Abstract
Hyperexcitability is a shared neurophysiological phenotype across various genetic neurodevelopmental disorders, including Fragile X syndrome (FXS). Several patient symptoms are associated with hyperexcitability, but a puzzling feature is that their onset is often delayed until their second and third year of life. It remains unclear how and why hyperexcitability emerges in neurodevelopmental disorders. FXS is caused by the loss of FMRP, an RNA-binding protein which has many critical roles including protein synthesis-dependent and independent regulation of ion channels and receptors, as well as global regulation of protein synthesis. Here, we discussed recent literature uncovering novel mechanisms that may drive the progressive onset of hyperexcitability in the FXS brain. We discussed in detail how recent publications have highlighted defects in homeostatic plasticity, providing new insight on the FXS brain and suggest pharmacotherapeutic strategies in FXS and other neurodevelopmental disorders.
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Affiliation(s)
- Pernille Bülow
- Department of Cell Biology, Emory University School of Medicine, Atlanta, GA 30322, USA
- Correspondence: (P.B.); (G.J.B.)
| | - Menahem Segal
- Department of Brain Science, Weizmann Institute of Science, Rehovot 76100, Israel;
| | - Gary J. Bassell
- Department of Cell Biology, Emory University School of Medicine, Atlanta, GA 30322, USA
- Correspondence: (P.B.); (G.J.B.)
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29
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Homeostatic plasticity and excitation-inhibition balance: The good, the bad, and the ugly. Curr Opin Neurobiol 2022; 75:102553. [PMID: 35594578 DOI: 10.1016/j.conb.2022.102553] [Citation(s) in RCA: 25] [Impact Index Per Article: 12.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 12/22/2021] [Revised: 02/15/2022] [Accepted: 04/13/2022] [Indexed: 12/12/2022]
Abstract
In this review, we discuss the significance of the synaptic excitation/inhibition (E/I) balance in the context of homeostatic plasticity, whose primary goal is thought to maintain neuronal firing rates at a set point. We first provide an overview of the processes through which patterned input activity drives synaptic E/I tuning and maturation of circuits during development. Next, we emphasize the importance of the E/I balance at the synaptic level (homeostatic control of message reception) as a means to achieve the goal (homeostatic control of information transmission) at the network level and consider how compromised homeostatic plasticity associated with neurological diseases leads to hyperactivity, network instability, and ultimately improper information processing. Lastly, we highlight several pathological conditions related to sensory deafferentation and describe how, in some cases, homeostatic compensation without appropriate sensory inputs can result in phantom perceptions.
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30
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Omori NE, Woo GH, Mansor LS. Exogenous Ketones and Lactate as a Potential Therapeutic Intervention for Brain Injury and Neurodegenerative Conditions. Front Hum Neurosci 2022; 16:846183. [PMID: 36267349 PMCID: PMC9577611 DOI: 10.3389/fnhum.2022.846183] [Citation(s) in RCA: 2] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 12/30/2021] [Accepted: 04/04/2022] [Indexed: 11/13/2022] Open
Abstract
Metabolic dysfunction is a ubiquitous underlying feature of many neurological conditions including acute traumatic brain injuries and chronic neurodegenerative conditions. A central problem in neurological patients, in particular those with traumatic brain injuries, is an impairment in the utilization of glucose, which is the predominant metabolic substrate in a normally functioning brain. In such patients, alternative substrates including ketone bodies and lactate become important metabolic candidates for maintaining brain function. While the potential neuroprotective benefits of ketosis have been recognized for up to almost a century, the majority of work has focused on the use of ketogenic diets to induce such a state, which is inappropriate in cases of acute disease due to the prolonged periods of time (i.e., weeks to months) required for the effects of a ketogenic diet to be seen. The following review seeks to explore the neuroprotective effects of exogenous ketone and lactate preparations, which have more recently become commercially available and are able to induce a deep ketogenic response in a fraction of the time. The rapid response of exogenous preparations makes their use as a therapeutic adjunct more feasible from a clinical perspective in both acute and chronic neurological conditions. Potentially, their ability to globally moderate long-term, occult brain dysfunction may also be relevant in reducing lifetime risks of certain neurodegenerative conditions. In particular, this review explores the association between traumatic brain injury and contusion-related dementia, assessing metabolic parallels and highlighting the potential role of exogenous ketone and lactate therapies.
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31
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Muhtaseb AW, Duan J. Modeling common and rare genetic risk factors of neuropsychiatric disorders in human induced pluripotent stem cells. Schizophr Res 2022:S0920-9964(22)00156-6. [PMID: 35459617 PMCID: PMC9735430 DOI: 10.1016/j.schres.2022.04.003] [Citation(s) in RCA: 4] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Submit a Manuscript] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 02/14/2022] [Revised: 04/05/2022] [Accepted: 04/07/2022] [Indexed: 12/13/2022]
Abstract
Recent genome-wide association studies (GWAS) and whole-exome sequencing of neuropsychiatric disorders, especially schizophrenia, have identified a plethora of common and rare disease risk variants/genes. Translating the mounting human genetic discoveries into novel disease biology and more tailored clinical treatments is tied to our ability to causally connect genetic risk variants to molecular and cellular phenotypes. When combined with the Clustered Regularly Interspaced Short Palindromic Repeats (CRISPR)/CRISPR-associated (Cas) nuclease-mediated genome editing system, human induced pluripotent stem cell (hiPSC)-derived neural cultures (both 2D and 3D organoids) provide a promising tractable cellular model for bridging the gap between genetic findings and disease biology. In this review, we first conceptualize the advances in understanding the disease polygenicity and convergence from the past decade of iPSC modeling of different types of genetic risk factors of neuropsychiatric disorders. We then discuss the major cell types and cellular phenotypes that are most relevant to neuropsychiatric disorders in iPSC modeling. Finally, we critically review the limitations of iPSC modeling of neuropsychiatric disorders and outline the need for implementing and developing novel methods to scale up the number of iPSC lines and disease risk variants in a systematic manner. Sufficiently scaled-up iPSC modeling and a better functional interpretation of genetic risk variants, in combination with cutting-edge CRISPR/Cas9 gene editing and single-cell multi-omics methods, will enable the field to identify the specific and convergent molecular and cellular phenotypes in precision for neuropsychiatric disorders.
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Affiliation(s)
- Abdurrahman W Muhtaseb
- Center for Psychiatric Genetics, NorthShore University HealthSystem, Evanston, IL 60201, United States of America; Department of Human Genetics, The University of Chicago, Chicago, IL 60637, United States of America
| | - Jubao Duan
- Center for Psychiatric Genetics, NorthShore University HealthSystem, Evanston, IL 60201, United States of America; Department of Psychiatry and Behavioral Neuroscience, The University of Chicago, Chicago, IL 60637, United States of America.
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32
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Haouari S, Vourc’h P, Jeanne M, Marouillat S, Veyrat-Durebex C, Lanznaster D, Laumonnier F, Corcia P, Blasco H, Andres CR. The Roles of NEDD4 Subfamily of HECT E3 Ubiquitin Ligases in Neurodevelopment and Neurodegeneration. Int J Mol Sci 2022; 23:ijms23073882. [PMID: 35409239 PMCID: PMC8999422 DOI: 10.3390/ijms23073882] [Citation(s) in RCA: 9] [Impact Index Per Article: 4.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 02/01/2022] [Revised: 03/28/2022] [Accepted: 03/29/2022] [Indexed: 02/06/2023] Open
Abstract
The ubiquitin pathway regulates the function of many proteins and controls cellular protein homeostasis. In recent years, it has attracted great interest in neurodevelopmental and neurodegenerative diseases. Here, we have presented the first review on the roles of the 9 proteins of the HECT E3 ligase NEDD4 subfamily in the development and function of neurons in the central nervous system (CNS). We discussed their regulation and their direct or indirect involvement in neurodevelopmental diseases, such as intellectual disability, and neurodegenerative diseases, such as Alzheimer's disease, Parkinson's disease or Amyotrophic Lateral Sclerosis. Further studies on the roles of these proteins, their regulation and their targets in neurons will certainly contribute to a better understanding of neuronal function and dysfunction, and will also provide interesting information for the development of therapeutics targeting them.
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Affiliation(s)
- Shanez Haouari
- UMR 1253, iBrain, Université de Tours, Inserm, 37044 Tours, France; (S.H.); (M.J.); (S.M.); (C.V.-D.); (D.L.); (F.L.); (P.C.); (H.B.); (C.R.A.)
| | - Patrick Vourc’h
- UMR 1253, iBrain, Université de Tours, Inserm, 37044 Tours, France; (S.H.); (M.J.); (S.M.); (C.V.-D.); (D.L.); (F.L.); (P.C.); (H.B.); (C.R.A.)
- CHRU de Tours, Service de Biochimie et Biologie Moléculaire, 37044 Tours, France
- Correspondence: ; Tel.: +33-(0)2-34-37-89-10; Fax: +33-(0)2-47-36-61-85
| | - Médéric Jeanne
- UMR 1253, iBrain, Université de Tours, Inserm, 37044 Tours, France; (S.H.); (M.J.); (S.M.); (C.V.-D.); (D.L.); (F.L.); (P.C.); (H.B.); (C.R.A.)
- CHRU de Tours, Service de Génétique, 37044 Tours, France
| | - Sylviane Marouillat
- UMR 1253, iBrain, Université de Tours, Inserm, 37044 Tours, France; (S.H.); (M.J.); (S.M.); (C.V.-D.); (D.L.); (F.L.); (P.C.); (H.B.); (C.R.A.)
| | - Charlotte Veyrat-Durebex
- UMR 1253, iBrain, Université de Tours, Inserm, 37044 Tours, France; (S.H.); (M.J.); (S.M.); (C.V.-D.); (D.L.); (F.L.); (P.C.); (H.B.); (C.R.A.)
- CHRU de Tours, Service de Biochimie et Biologie Moléculaire, 37044 Tours, France
| | - Débora Lanznaster
- UMR 1253, iBrain, Université de Tours, Inserm, 37044 Tours, France; (S.H.); (M.J.); (S.M.); (C.V.-D.); (D.L.); (F.L.); (P.C.); (H.B.); (C.R.A.)
| | - Frédéric Laumonnier
- UMR 1253, iBrain, Université de Tours, Inserm, 37044 Tours, France; (S.H.); (M.J.); (S.M.); (C.V.-D.); (D.L.); (F.L.); (P.C.); (H.B.); (C.R.A.)
| | - Philippe Corcia
- UMR 1253, iBrain, Université de Tours, Inserm, 37044 Tours, France; (S.H.); (M.J.); (S.M.); (C.V.-D.); (D.L.); (F.L.); (P.C.); (H.B.); (C.R.A.)
- CHRU de Tours, Service de Neurologie, 37044 Tours, France
| | - Hélène Blasco
- UMR 1253, iBrain, Université de Tours, Inserm, 37044 Tours, France; (S.H.); (M.J.); (S.M.); (C.V.-D.); (D.L.); (F.L.); (P.C.); (H.B.); (C.R.A.)
- CHRU de Tours, Service de Biochimie et Biologie Moléculaire, 37044 Tours, France
| | - Christian R. Andres
- UMR 1253, iBrain, Université de Tours, Inserm, 37044 Tours, France; (S.H.); (M.J.); (S.M.); (C.V.-D.); (D.L.); (F.L.); (P.C.); (H.B.); (C.R.A.)
- CHRU de Tours, Service de Biochimie et Biologie Moléculaire, 37044 Tours, France
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33
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Yang J, Shakil H, Ratté S, Prescott SA. Minimal requirements for a neuron to co-regulate many properties and the implications for ion channel correlations and robustness. eLife 2022; 11:72875. [PMID: 35293858 PMCID: PMC8986315 DOI: 10.7554/elife.72875] [Citation(s) in RCA: 13] [Impact Index Per Article: 6.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 08/06/2021] [Accepted: 03/03/2022] [Indexed: 11/13/2022] Open
Abstract
Neurons regulate their excitability by adjusting their ion channel levels. Degeneracy – achieving equivalent outcomes (excitability) using different solutions (channel combinations) – facilitates this regulation by enabling a disruptive change in one channel to be offset by compensatory changes in other channels. But neurons must coregulate many properties. Pleiotropy – the impact of one channel on more than one property – complicates regulation because a compensatory ion channel change that restores one property to its target value often disrupts other properties. How then does a neuron simultaneously regulate multiple properties? Here, we demonstrate that of the many channel combinations producing the target value for one property (the single-output solution set), few combinations produce the target value for other properties. Combinations producing the target value for two or more properties (the multioutput solution set) correspond to the intersection between single-output solution sets. Properties can be effectively coregulated only if the number of adjustable channels (nin) exceeds the number of regulated properties (nout). Ion channel correlations emerge during homeostatic regulation when the dimensionality of solution space (nin − nout) is low. Even if each property can be regulated to its target value when considered in isolation, regulation as a whole fails if single-output solution sets do not intersect. Our results also highlight that ion channels must be coadjusted with different ratios to regulate different properties, which suggests that each error signal drives modulatory changes independently, despite those changes ultimately affecting the same ion channels.
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Affiliation(s)
- Jane Yang
- Neurosciences and Mental Health, The Hospital for Sick Children, Toronto, Canada
| | - Husain Shakil
- Neurosciences and Mental Health, The Hospital for Sick Children, Toronto, Canada
| | - Stéphanie Ratté
- Neurosciences and Mental Health, The Hospital for Sick Children, Toronto, Canada
| | - Steven Alec Prescott
- Neurosciences and Mental Health, The Hospital for Sick Children, Toronto, Canada
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34
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Zarhin D, Atsmon R, Ruggiero A, Baeloha H, Shoob S, Scharf O, Heim LR, Buchbinder N, Shinikamin O, Shapira I, Styr B, Braun G, Harel M, Sheinin A, Geva N, Sela Y, Saito T, Saido T, Geiger T, Nir Y, Ziv Y, Slutsky I. Disrupted neural correlates of anesthesia and sleep reveal early circuit dysfunctions in Alzheimer models. Cell Rep 2022; 38:110268. [PMID: 35045289 PMCID: PMC8789564 DOI: 10.1016/j.celrep.2021.110268] [Citation(s) in RCA: 13] [Impact Index Per Article: 6.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 11/01/2020] [Revised: 12/06/2021] [Accepted: 12/22/2021] [Indexed: 11/30/2022] Open
Abstract
Dysregulated homeostasis of neural activity has been hypothesized to drive Alzheimer's disease (AD) pathogenesis. AD begins with a decades-long presymptomatic phase, but whether homeostatic mechanisms already begin failing during this silent phase is unknown. We show that before the onset of memory decline and sleep disturbances, familial AD (fAD) model mice display no deficits in CA1 mean firing rate (MFR) during active wakefulness. However, homeostatic down-regulation of CA1 MFR is disrupted during non-rapid eye movement (NREM) sleep and general anesthesia in fAD mouse models. The resultant hyperexcitability is attenuated by the mitochondrial dihydroorotate dehydrogenase (DHODH) enzyme inhibitor, which tunes MFR toward lower set-point values. Ex vivo fAD mutations impair downward MFR homeostasis, resulting in pathological MFR set points in response to anesthetic drug and inhibition blockade. Thus, firing rate dyshomeostasis of hippocampal circuits is masked during active wakefulness but surfaces during low-arousal brain states, representing an early failure of the silent disease stage.
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Affiliation(s)
- Daniel Zarhin
- Department of Physiology and Pharmacology, Sackler Faculty of Medicine, Tel Aviv University, Tel Aviv 69978, Israel
| | - Refaela Atsmon
- Department of Physiology and Pharmacology, Sackler Faculty of Medicine, Tel Aviv University, Tel Aviv 69978, Israel; Sagol School of Neuroscience, Tel Aviv University, Tel Aviv 69978, Israel
| | - Antonella Ruggiero
- Department of Physiology and Pharmacology, Sackler Faculty of Medicine, Tel Aviv University, Tel Aviv 69978, Israel
| | - Halit Baeloha
- Department of Physiology and Pharmacology, Sackler Faculty of Medicine, Tel Aviv University, Tel Aviv 69978, Israel
| | - Shiri Shoob
- Department of Physiology and Pharmacology, Sackler Faculty of Medicine, Tel Aviv University, Tel Aviv 69978, Israel
| | - Oded Scharf
- Department of Physiology and Pharmacology, Sackler Faculty of Medicine, Tel Aviv University, Tel Aviv 69978, Israel; Sagol School of Neuroscience, Tel Aviv University, Tel Aviv 69978, Israel
| | - Leore R Heim
- Department of Physiology and Pharmacology, Sackler Faculty of Medicine, Tel Aviv University, Tel Aviv 69978, Israel
| | - Nadav Buchbinder
- Department of Physiology and Pharmacology, Sackler Faculty of Medicine, Tel Aviv University, Tel Aviv 69978, Israel; Sagol School of Neuroscience, Tel Aviv University, Tel Aviv 69978, Israel
| | - Ortal Shinikamin
- Department of Physiology and Pharmacology, Sackler Faculty of Medicine, Tel Aviv University, Tel Aviv 69978, Israel
| | - Ilana Shapira
- Department of Physiology and Pharmacology, Sackler Faculty of Medicine, Tel Aviv University, Tel Aviv 69978, Israel
| | - Boaz Styr
- Department of Physiology and Pharmacology, Sackler Faculty of Medicine, Tel Aviv University, Tel Aviv 69978, Israel
| | - Gabriella Braun
- Department of Physiology and Pharmacology, Sackler Faculty of Medicine, Tel Aviv University, Tel Aviv 69978, Israel; Sagol School of Neuroscience, Tel Aviv University, Tel Aviv 69978, Israel
| | - Michal Harel
- Department of Human Genetics and Biochemistry, Sackler Faculty of Medicine, Tel Aviv University, Tel Aviv 69978, Israel
| | - Anton Sheinin
- Sagol School of Neuroscience, Tel Aviv University, Tel Aviv 69978, Israel
| | - Nitzan Geva
- Department of Neurobiology, Weizmann Institute of Science, Rehovot 76100, Israel
| | - Yaniv Sela
- Department of Physiology and Pharmacology, Sackler Faculty of Medicine, Tel Aviv University, Tel Aviv 69978, Israel; Sagol School of Neuroscience, Tel Aviv University, Tel Aviv 69978, Israel
| | - Takashi Saito
- Laboratory for Proteolytic Neuroscience, RIKEN Center for Brain Science, Saitama 351-0198, Japan; Department of Neurocognitive Science, Institute of Brain Science, Nagoya City University Graduate School of Medical Sciences, Nagoya, Aichi 467-8601, Japan
| | - Takaomi Saido
- Laboratory for Proteolytic Neuroscience, RIKEN Center for Brain Science, Saitama 351-0198, Japan
| | - Tamar Geiger
- Department of Human Genetics and Biochemistry, Sackler Faculty of Medicine, Tel Aviv University, Tel Aviv 69978, Israel
| | - Yuval Nir
- Department of Physiology and Pharmacology, Sackler Faculty of Medicine, Tel Aviv University, Tel Aviv 69978, Israel; Sagol School of Neuroscience, Tel Aviv University, Tel Aviv 69978, Israel
| | - Yaniv Ziv
- Department of Neurobiology, Weizmann Institute of Science, Rehovot 76100, Israel
| | - Inna Slutsky
- Department of Physiology and Pharmacology, Sackler Faculty of Medicine, Tel Aviv University, Tel Aviv 69978, Israel; Sagol School of Neuroscience, Tel Aviv University, Tel Aviv 69978, Israel.
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35
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Allam SL, Rumbell TH, Hoang-Trong T, Parikh J, Kozloski JR. Neuronal population models reveal specific linear conductance controllers sufficient to rescue preclinical disease phenotypes. iScience 2021; 24:103279. [PMID: 34778727 PMCID: PMC8577087 DOI: 10.1016/j.isci.2021.103279] [Citation(s) in RCA: 1] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 06/11/2020] [Revised: 08/05/2021] [Accepted: 10/13/2021] [Indexed: 12/23/2022] Open
Abstract
Preclinical drug candidates are screened for their ability to ameliorate in vitro neuronal electrophysiology, and go/no-go decisions progress drugs to clinical trials based on population means across cells and animals. However, these measures do not mitigate clinical endpoint risk. Population-based modeling captures variability across multiple electrophysiological measures from healthy, disease, and drug phenotypes. We pursued optimizing therapeutic targets by identifying coherent sets of ion channel target modulations for recovering heterogeneous wild-type (WT) population excitability profiles from a heterogeneous Huntington's disease (HD) population. Our approach combines mechanistic simulations with population modeling of striatal neurons using evolutionary optimization algorithms to design 'virtual drugs'. We introduce efficacy metrics to score populations and rank virtual drug candidates. We found virtual drugs using heuristic approaches that performed better than single target modulators and standard classification methods. We compare a real drug to virtual candidates and demonstrate a novel in silico triaging method.
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Affiliation(s)
- Sushmita L. Allam
- IBM T.J. Watson Research Center, 13-158B, P.O. Box 218, 1101 Kitchawan Road, Yorktown Heights, NY 10598, USA
| | - Timothy H. Rumbell
- IBM T.J. Watson Research Center, 13-158B, P.O. Box 218, 1101 Kitchawan Road, Yorktown Heights, NY 10598, USA
| | - Tuan Hoang-Trong
- IBM T.J. Watson Research Center, 13-158B, P.O. Box 218, 1101 Kitchawan Road, Yorktown Heights, NY 10598, USA
| | - Jaimit Parikh
- IBM T.J. Watson Research Center, 13-158B, P.O. Box 218, 1101 Kitchawan Road, Yorktown Heights, NY 10598, USA
| | - James R. Kozloski
- IBM T.J. Watson Research Center, 13-158B, P.O. Box 218, 1101 Kitchawan Road, Yorktown Heights, NY 10598, USA
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36
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Pilot M, Moura AE, Okhlopkov IM, Mamaev NV, Manaseryan NH, Hayrapetyan V, Kopaliani N, Tsingarska E, Alagaili AN, Mohammed OB, Ostrander EA, Bogdanowicz W. Human-modified canids in human-modified landscapes: The evolutionary consequences of hybridization for grey wolves and free-ranging domestic dogs. Evol Appl 2021; 14:2433-2456. [PMID: 34745336 PMCID: PMC8549620 DOI: 10.1111/eva.13257] [Citation(s) in RCA: 10] [Impact Index Per Article: 3.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 10/01/2020] [Revised: 05/05/2021] [Accepted: 05/19/2021] [Indexed: 12/22/2022] Open
Abstract
Introgressive hybridization between domestic animals and their wild relatives is an indirect form of human-induced evolution, altering gene pools and phenotypic traits of wild and domestic populations. Although this process is well documented in many taxa, its evolutionary consequences are poorly understood. In this study, we assess introgression patterns in admixed populations of Eurasian wolves and free-ranging domestic dogs (FRDs), identifying chromosomal regions with significantly overrepresented hybrid ancestry and assessing whether genes located within these regions show signatures of selection. Although the dog admixture proportion in West Eurasian wolves (2.7%) was greater than the wolf admixture proportion in FRDs (0.75%), the number and average length of chromosomal blocks showing significant overrepresentation of hybrid ancestry were smaller in wolves than FRDs. In wolves, 6% of genes located within these blocks showed signatures of positive selection compared to 23% in FRDs. We found that introgression from wolves may provide a considerable adaptive advantage to FRDs, counterbalancing some of the negative effects of domestication, which can include reduced genetic diversity and excessive tameness. In wolves, introgression from FRDs is mostly driven by drift, with a small number of positively selected genes associated with brain function and behaviour. The predominance of drift may be the consequence of small effective size of wolf populations, which reduces efficiency of selection for weakly advantageous or against weakly disadvantageous introgressed variants. Small wolf population sizes result largely from human-induced habitat loss and hunting, thus linking introgression rates to anthropogenic processes. Our results imply that maintenance of large population sizes should be an important element of wolf management strategies aimed at reducing introgression rates of dog-derived variants.
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Affiliation(s)
- Małgorzata Pilot
- Museum and Institute of ZoologyPolish Academy of SciencesWarsawPoland
| | - Andre E. Moura
- Museum and Institute of ZoologyPolish Academy of SciencesWarsawPoland
| | - Innokentiy M. Okhlopkov
- Institute of Biological Problems of CryolithozoneSiberian Branch of Russian Academy of SciencesYakutskRussia
| | - Nikolay V. Mamaev
- Institute of Biological Problems of CryolithozoneSiberian Branch of Russian Academy of SciencesYakutskRussia
| | - Ninna H. Manaseryan
- Scientific Center of Zoology and HydroecologyNational Academy of SciencesYerevanArmenia
| | | | | | | | - Abdulaziz N. Alagaili
- KSU Mammals Research ChairDepartment of ZoologyKing Saud UniversityRiyadhSaudi Arabia
| | - Osama B. Mohammed
- KSU Mammals Research ChairDepartment of ZoologyKing Saud UniversityRiyadhSaudi Arabia
| | - Elaine A. Ostrander
- Cancer Genetics and Comparative Genomics BranchNational Human Genome Research InstituteNational Institutes of HealthBethesdaMDUSA
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37
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Lau CG, Zhang H, Murthy VN. Deletion of TrkB in parvalbumin interneurons alters cortical neural dynamics. J Cell Physiol 2021; 237:949-964. [PMID: 34491578 PMCID: PMC8810709 DOI: 10.1002/jcp.30571] [Citation(s) in RCA: 2] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.7] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 04/29/2021] [Revised: 08/20/2021] [Accepted: 08/23/2021] [Indexed: 11/25/2022]
Abstract
Signaling by neurotrophins such as the brain‐derived neurotrophic factor (BDNF) is known to modulate development of interneurons, but the circuit effects of this modulation remain unclear. Here, we examined the impact of deleting TrkB, a BDNF receptor, in parvalbumin‐expressing (PV) interneurons on the balance of excitation and inhibition (E‐I) in cortical circuits. In the mouse olfactory cortex, TrkB deletion impairs multiple aspects of PV neuronal function including synaptic excitation, intrinsic excitability, and the innervation pattern of principal neurons. Impaired PV cell function resulted in aberrant spiking patterns in principal neurons in response to stimulation of sensory inputs. Surprisingly, dampened PV neuronal function leads to a paradoxical decrease in overall excitability in cortical circuits. Our study demonstrates that, by modulating PV circuit plasticity and development, TrkB plays a critical role in shaping the evoked pattern of activity in a cortical network.
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Affiliation(s)
- Chunyue Geoffrey Lau
- Department of Neuroscience, City University of Hong Kong, Hong Kong, China.,Department of Molecular and Cellular Biology and Center for Brain Science, Harvard University, Cambridge, Massachusetts, USA
| | - Huiqi Zhang
- Department of Neuroscience, City University of Hong Kong, Hong Kong, China
| | - Venkatesh N Murthy
- Department of Molecular and Cellular Biology and Center for Brain Science, Harvard University, Cambridge, Massachusetts, USA
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38
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Colameo D, Rajman M, Soutschek M, Bicker S, von Ziegler L, Bohacek J, Winterer J, Germain PL, Dieterich C, Schratt G. Pervasive compartment-specific regulation of gene expression during homeostatic synaptic scaling. EMBO Rep 2021; 22:e52094. [PMID: 34396684 PMCID: PMC8490987 DOI: 10.15252/embr.202052094] [Citation(s) in RCA: 9] [Impact Index Per Article: 3.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 11/16/2020] [Revised: 07/12/2021] [Accepted: 07/20/2021] [Indexed: 12/13/2022] Open
Abstract
Synaptic scaling is a form of homeostatic plasticity which allows neurons to adjust their action potential firing rate in response to chronic alterations in neural activity. Synaptic scaling requires profound changes in gene expression, but the relative contribution of local and cell‐wide mechanisms is controversial. Here we perform a comprehensive multi‐omics characterization of the somatic and process compartments of primary rat hippocampal neurons during synaptic scaling. We uncover both highly compartment‐specific and correlating changes in the neuronal transcriptome and proteome. Whereas downregulation of crucial regulators of neuronal excitability occurs primarily in the somatic compartment, structural components of excitatory postsynapses are mostly downregulated in processes. Local inhibition of protein synthesis in processes during scaling is confirmed for candidate synaptic proteins. Motif analysis further suggests an important role for trans‐acting post‐transcriptional regulators, including RNA‐binding proteins and microRNAs, in the local regulation of the corresponding mRNAs. Altogether, our study indicates that, during synaptic scaling, compartmentalized gene expression changes might co‐exist with neuron‐wide mechanisms to allow synaptic computation and homeostasis.
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Affiliation(s)
- David Colameo
- Laboratory of Systems Neuroscience, Institute for Neuroscience, Department of Health Science and Technology, Swiss Federal Institute of Technology ETH, Zurich, Switzerland.,Neuroscience Center Zurich, ETH Zurich and University of Zurich, Zurich, Switzerland
| | - Marek Rajman
- Institute for Physiological Chemistry, Biochemical-Pharmacological Center Marburg, Philipps-University of Marburg, Marburg, Germany
| | - Michael Soutschek
- Laboratory of Systems Neuroscience, Institute for Neuroscience, Department of Health Science and Technology, Swiss Federal Institute of Technology ETH, Zurich, Switzerland.,Neuroscience Center Zurich, ETH Zurich and University of Zurich, Zurich, Switzerland
| | - Silvia Bicker
- Laboratory of Systems Neuroscience, Institute for Neuroscience, Department of Health Science and Technology, Swiss Federal Institute of Technology ETH, Zurich, Switzerland.,Neuroscience Center Zurich, ETH Zurich and University of Zurich, Zurich, Switzerland
| | - Lukas von Ziegler
- Neuroscience Center Zurich, ETH Zurich and University of Zurich, Zurich, Switzerland.,Laboratory of Behavioural and Molecular Neuroscience, Institute for Neuroscience, Department of Health Science and Technology, Swiss Federal Institute of Technology ETH, Zurich, Switzerland
| | - Johannes Bohacek
- Neuroscience Center Zurich, ETH Zurich and University of Zurich, Zurich, Switzerland.,Laboratory of Behavioural and Molecular Neuroscience, Institute for Neuroscience, Department of Health Science and Technology, Swiss Federal Institute of Technology ETH, Zurich, Switzerland
| | - Jochen Winterer
- Laboratory of Systems Neuroscience, Institute for Neuroscience, Department of Health Science and Technology, Swiss Federal Institute of Technology ETH, Zurich, Switzerland.,Neuroscience Center Zurich, ETH Zurich and University of Zurich, Zurich, Switzerland
| | - Pierre-Luc Germain
- Institute for Neuroscience, Department of Health Science and Technology, Swiss Federal Institute of Technology ETH, Zurich, Switzerland.,Laboratory of Statistical Bioinformatics, Department of Molecular Life Sciences, University of Zürich, Zurich, Switzerland
| | - Christoph Dieterich
- Section of Bioinformatics and Systems Cardiology, Department of Internal Medicine III and Klaus Tschira Institute for Integrative Computational Cardiology, University of Heidelberg, Heidelberg, Germany
| | - Gerhard Schratt
- Laboratory of Systems Neuroscience, Institute for Neuroscience, Department of Health Science and Technology, Swiss Federal Institute of Technology ETH, Zurich, Switzerland.,Neuroscience Center Zurich, ETH Zurich and University of Zurich, Zurich, Switzerland
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39
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Sun Y, Yang Y, Luo Y, Chen M, Wang L, Huang Y, Yang Y, Dong M. Lack of MECP2 gene transcription on the duplicated alleles of two related asymptomatic females with Xq28 duplications and opposite X-chromosome inactivation skewing. Hum Mutat 2021; 42:1429-1442. [PMID: 34273908 DOI: 10.1002/humu.24262] [Citation(s) in RCA: 2] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.7] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 03/16/2021] [Revised: 06/23/2021] [Accepted: 07/14/2021] [Indexed: 11/10/2022]
Abstract
Xq28 duplication syndrome (MIM# 300815) is a severe neurodevelopmental disorder in males due to MeCP2 overexpression. Most females with MECP2 duplication are asymptomatic carriers, but there are phenotypic heterogeneities. Skewed X-chromosome inactivation (XCI) can protect females from exhibiting clinical phenotypes. Herein we reported two asymptomatic females (mother and grandmother) with interstitial Xq28 duplication. AR and RP2 assays showed that both had extremely skewed XCI, the Xq28 duplicated chromosome was inactivated in the mother, but was surprisingly activated in the grandmother. Interestingly, by combining RNA sequencing and whole-exome sequencing, we confirmed that XIST only expressed in the Xq28 duplication chromosomes of the two females, indicating that the Xq28 duplication chromosomes were inactive. Meanwhile, MECP2 and most XCI genes in the duplicated X-chromosomes were not transcriptionally expressed or upregulated, precluding major clinical phenotypes in the two females, especially the grandmother. We showed that XCI status detected using RNA sequencing was more relevant for establishing the clinical phenotype of MECP2 duplication in females. It suggested that there were other factors maintaining the XCI status in addition to DNA methylation, a possible additional inhibition mechanism occurred at the transcriptional level in the unmethylated X-chromosome, counter balancing the MECP2 duplication's detrimental phenotype effects.
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Affiliation(s)
- Yixi Sun
- Department of Reproductive Genetics, Women's Hospital, School of Medicine, Zhejiang University, Hangzhou, Zhejiang, China.,Key Laboratory of Reproductive Genetics, Ministry of Education, Zhejiang University, Hangzhou, Zhejiang, China.,Key Laboratory of Women's Reproductive Health of Zhejiang Province, Hangzhou, Zhejiang, China
| | - Yali Yang
- Department of Reproductive Genetics, Women's Hospital, School of Medicine, Zhejiang University, Hangzhou, Zhejiang, China.,Key Laboratory of Reproductive Genetics, Ministry of Education, Zhejiang University, Hangzhou, Zhejiang, China.,Key Laboratory of Women's Reproductive Health of Zhejiang Province, Hangzhou, Zhejiang, China
| | - Yuqin Luo
- Department of Reproductive Genetics, Women's Hospital, School of Medicine, Zhejiang University, Hangzhou, Zhejiang, China.,Key Laboratory of Reproductive Genetics, Ministry of Education, Zhejiang University, Hangzhou, Zhejiang, China.,Key Laboratory of Women's Reproductive Health of Zhejiang Province, Hangzhou, Zhejiang, China
| | - Min Chen
- Department of Reproductive Genetics, Women's Hospital, School of Medicine, Zhejiang University, Hangzhou, Zhejiang, China.,Key Laboratory of Reproductive Genetics, Ministry of Education, Zhejiang University, Hangzhou, Zhejiang, China.,Key Laboratory of Women's Reproductive Health of Zhejiang Province, Hangzhou, Zhejiang, China
| | - Liya Wang
- Department of Reproductive Genetics, Women's Hospital, School of Medicine, Zhejiang University, Hangzhou, Zhejiang, China.,Key Laboratory of Reproductive Genetics, Ministry of Education, Zhejiang University, Hangzhou, Zhejiang, China.,Key Laboratory of Women's Reproductive Health of Zhejiang Province, Hangzhou, Zhejiang, China
| | - Yingzhi Huang
- Department of Reproductive Genetics, Women's Hospital, School of Medicine, Zhejiang University, Hangzhou, Zhejiang, China.,Key Laboratory of Reproductive Genetics, Ministry of Education, Zhejiang University, Hangzhou, Zhejiang, China.,Key Laboratory of Women's Reproductive Health of Zhejiang Province, Hangzhou, Zhejiang, China
| | - Yanmei Yang
- Department of Reproductive Genetics, Women's Hospital, School of Medicine, Zhejiang University, Hangzhou, Zhejiang, China.,Key Laboratory of Reproductive Genetics, Ministry of Education, Zhejiang University, Hangzhou, Zhejiang, China.,Key Laboratory of Women's Reproductive Health of Zhejiang Province, Hangzhou, Zhejiang, China
| | - Minyue Dong
- Department of Reproductive Genetics, Women's Hospital, School of Medicine, Zhejiang University, Hangzhou, Zhejiang, China.,Key Laboratory of Reproductive Genetics, Ministry of Education, Zhejiang University, Hangzhou, Zhejiang, China.,Key Laboratory of Women's Reproductive Health of Zhejiang Province, Hangzhou, Zhejiang, China
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40
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Ash RT, Buffington SA, Park J, Suter B, Costa-Mattioli M, Zoghbi HY, Smirnakis SM. Inhibition of Elevated Ras-MAPK Signaling Normalizes Enhanced Motor Learning and Excessive Clustered Dendritic Spine Stabilization in the MECP2-Duplication Syndrome Mouse Model of Autism. eNeuro 2021; 8:ENEURO.0056-21.2021. [PMID: 34021030 PMCID: PMC8260274 DOI: 10.1523/eneuro.0056-21.2021] [Citation(s) in RCA: 8] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.7] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 02/09/2021] [Revised: 04/06/2021] [Accepted: 04/07/2021] [Indexed: 12/26/2022] Open
Abstract
The inflexible repetitive behaviors and "insistence on sameness" seen in autism imply a defect in neural processes controlling the balance between stability and plasticity of synaptic connections in the brain. It has been proposed that abnormalities in the Ras-ERK/MAPK pathway, a key plasticity-related cell signaling pathway known to drive consolidation of clustered synaptic connections, underlie altered learning phenotypes in autism. However, a link between altered Ras-ERK signaling and clustered dendritic spine plasticity has yet to be explored in an autism animal model in vivo The formation and stabilization of dendritic spine clusters is abnormally increased in the MECP2-duplication syndrome mouse model of syndromic autism, suggesting that ERK signaling may be increased. Here, we show that the Ras-ERK pathway is indeed hyperactive following motor training in MECP2-duplication mouse motor cortex. Pharmacological inhibition of ERK signaling normalizes the excessive clustered spine stabilization and enhanced motor learning behavior in MECP2-duplication mice. We conclude that hyperactive ERK signaling may contribute to abnormal clustered dendritic spine consolidation and motor learning in this model of syndromic autism.
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Affiliation(s)
- Ryan Thomas Ash
- Department of Psychiatry and Behavioral Sciences, Stanford University, CA 94305
- Department of Neuroscience, Baylor College of Medicine, Houston, TX 77030
- Medical Scientist Training Program, Baylor College of Medicine, Houston, TX 77030
- Department of Neurology, Brigham and Women's Hospital and Jamaica Plain Veterans Administration Hospital, Harvard Medical School, Boston, MA 02115
| | - Shelly Alexandra Buffington
- Memory and Brain Research Center, Baylor College of Medicine, Houston, TX 77030
- Department of Neuroscience, Cell Biology, and Anatomy, University of Texas Medical Branch, Galveston, TX 77555
| | - Jiyoung Park
- Department of Neuroscience, Baylor College of Medicine, Houston, TX 77030
- Department of Neurology, Brigham and Women's Hospital and Jamaica Plain Veterans Administration Hospital, Harvard Medical School, Boston, MA 02115
| | - Bernhard Suter
- Department of Neurology, Brigham and Women's Hospital and Jamaica Plain Veterans Administration Hospital, Harvard Medical School, Boston, MA 02115
- Department of Pediatrics, Texas Children's Hospital and Baylor College of Medicine, Houston, TX 77030
| | - Mauro Costa-Mattioli
- Department of Neuroscience, Baylor College of Medicine, Houston, TX 77030
- Memory and Brain Research Center, Baylor College of Medicine, Houston, TX 77030
| | - Huda Yaya Zoghbi
- Department of Neuroscience, Baylor College of Medicine, Houston, TX 77030
- Department of Pediatrics, Texas Children's Hospital and Baylor College of Medicine, Houston, TX 77030
- Department of Molecular and Human Genetics, Baylor College of Medicine, Houston, TX 77030
- Jan and Dan Duncan Neurological Research Institute at Texas Children's Hospital, Houston, TX 77030
- Howard Hughes Medical Institute, Baylor College of Medicine, Houston, TX 77030
| | - Stelios Manolis Smirnakis
- Department of Neurology, Brigham and Women's Hospital and Jamaica Plain Veterans Administration Hospital, Harvard Medical School, Boston, MA 02115
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41
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Wang S, Gan M, Chen C, Zhang Y, Kong J, Zhang H, Lai M. Methyl CpG binding protein 2 promotes colorectal cancer metastasis by regulating N 6 -methyladenosine methylation through methyltransferase-like 14. Cancer Sci 2021; 112:3243-3254. [PMID: 34097350 PMCID: PMC8353896 DOI: 10.1111/cas.15011] [Citation(s) in RCA: 24] [Impact Index Per Article: 8.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 02/05/2021] [Revised: 05/31/2021] [Accepted: 06/03/2021] [Indexed: 12/24/2022] Open
Abstract
RNA N6‐methyladenosine (m6A) is an emerging regulatory mechanism for tumor progression in several types of cancer. However, the underlying regulation mechanisms of m6A methylation in colorectal cancer (CRC) remain unknown. Although the oncogenic function of methyl CpG binding protein 2 (MeCP2) has been reported, it is still unclear whether MeCP2 could alter RNA m6A methylation state. Here, we systematically identified MeCP2 as a prometastasis gene to regulate m6A methylation in CRC. Interestingly, MeCP2 could bind to methyltransferase‐like 14 (METTL14) to coregulate tumor suppressor Kruppel‐like factor 4 (KLF4) expression through changing m6A methylation modification. Furthermore, insulin‐like growth factor 2 mRNA‐binding protein 2 recognized the unique modified m6A methylation sites to enhance KLF4 mRNA stability. Taken together, these findings highlight the novel function of MeCP2 for regulating m6A methylation and reveal the underlying molecular mechanism for the interaction between MeCP2 and METTL14, which offers a better understanding of CRC progression and metastasis.
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Affiliation(s)
- Shuo Wang
- Department of Pathology, Key Laboratory of Disease Proteomics of Zhejiang Province, Research Unit of Intelligence Classification of Tumor Pathology and Precision Therapy, Chinese Academy of Medical Sciences (2019RU042), Zhejiang University School of Medicine, Hangzhou, China
| | - Meifu Gan
- Taizhou Hospital of Zhejiang Province affiliated to Wenzhou Medical University, Linhai, China
| | - Chaoyi Chen
- Department of Pathology, Key Laboratory of Disease Proteomics of Zhejiang Province, Research Unit of Intelligence Classification of Tumor Pathology and Precision Therapy, Chinese Academy of Medical Sciences (2019RU042), Zhejiang University School of Medicine, Hangzhou, China
| | - Yi Zhang
- Department of Pathology, Key Laboratory of Disease Proteomics of Zhejiang Province, Research Unit of Intelligence Classification of Tumor Pathology and Precision Therapy, Chinese Academy of Medical Sciences (2019RU042), Zhejiang University School of Medicine, Hangzhou, China
| | - Jianlu Kong
- Department of Pathology, Key Laboratory of Disease Proteomics of Zhejiang Province, Research Unit of Intelligence Classification of Tumor Pathology and Precision Therapy, Chinese Academy of Medical Sciences (2019RU042), Zhejiang University School of Medicine, Hangzhou, China
| | - Honghe Zhang
- Department of Pathology, Key Laboratory of Disease Proteomics of Zhejiang Province, Research Unit of Intelligence Classification of Tumor Pathology and Precision Therapy, Chinese Academy of Medical Sciences (2019RU042), Zhejiang University School of Medicine, Hangzhou, China
| | - Maode Lai
- Department of Pathology, Key Laboratory of Disease Proteomics of Zhejiang Province, Research Unit of Intelligence Classification of Tumor Pathology and Precision Therapy, Chinese Academy of Medical Sciences (2019RU042), Zhejiang University School of Medicine, Hangzhou, China.,Department of Pharmacology, China Pharmaceutical University, Nanjing, China
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42
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Oyigeya M. Reflex memory theory of acquired involuntary motor and sensory disorders. THE EGYPTIAN JOURNAL OF NEUROLOGY, PSYCHIATRY AND NEUROSURGERY 2021. [DOI: 10.1186/s41983-021-00307-2] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/10/2022] Open
Abstract
Abstract
Background
Explicit and implicit memories are conserved but flexible biological tools that nature uses to regulate the daily behaviors of human beings. An aberrant form of the implicit memory is presumed to exist and may be contributory to the pathophysiology of disorders such as tardive syndromes, phantom phenomena, flashback, posttraumatic stress disorders (PTSD), and related disorders. These disorders have posed significant clinical problems for both patients and physicians for centuries. All extant pathophysiological theories of these disorders have failed to provide basis for effective treatment.
Objective
The objective of this article is to propose an alternative pathophysiological theory that will hopefully lead to new treatment approaches.
Methods
The author sourced over 60 journal articles that treated topics on memory, and involuntary motor and sensory disorders, from open access journals using Google Scholar, and reviewed them and this helped in the formulation of this theory.
Results
From the reviews, the author thinks physical or chemical insult to the nervous system can cause defective circuit remodeling, leading to generation of a variant of implicit (automatic) memory, herein called “reflex memory” and this is encoded interoceptively to contribute to these phenomena states.
Conclusion
Acquired involuntary motor and sensory disorders are caused by defective circuit remodeling involving multiple neural mechanisms. Dysregulation of excitatory neurotransmitters, calcium overload, homeostatic failure, and neurotoxicity are implicated in the process. Sustained effects of these defective mechanisms are encoded interoceptively as abnormal memory in the neurons and the conscious manifestations are these disorders. Extant theories failed to recognize this possibility.
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43
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Ruggiero A, Katsenelson M, Slutsky I. Mitochondria: new players in homeostatic regulation of firing rate set points. Trends Neurosci 2021; 44:605-618. [PMID: 33865626 DOI: 10.1016/j.tins.2021.03.002] [Citation(s) in RCA: 18] [Impact Index Per Article: 6.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 11/06/2020] [Revised: 02/10/2021] [Accepted: 03/11/2021] [Indexed: 10/21/2022]
Abstract
Neural circuit functions are stabilized by homeostatic processes at long timescales in response to changes in behavioral states, experience, and learning. However, it remains unclear which specific physiological variables are being stabilized and which cellular or neural network components compose the homeostatic machinery. At this point, most evidence suggests that the distribution of firing rates among neurons in a neuronal circuit is the key variable that is maintained around a set-point value in a process called 'firing rate homeostasis.' Here, we review recent findings that implicate mitochondria as central players in mediating firing rate homeostasis. While mitochondria are known to regulate neuronal variables such as synaptic vesicle release or intracellular calcium concentration, the mitochondrial signaling pathways that are essential for firing rate homeostasis remain largely unknown. We used basic concepts of control theory to build a framework for classifying possible components of the homeostatic machinery that stabilizes firing rate, and we particularly emphasize the potential role of sleep and wakefulness in this homeostatic process. This framework may facilitate the identification of new homeostatic pathways whose malfunctions drive instability of neural circuits in distinct brain disorders.
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Affiliation(s)
- Antonella Ruggiero
- Department of Physiology and Pharmacology, Sackler Faculty of Medicine, Tel Aviv University, 69978 Tel Aviv, Israel
| | - Maxim Katsenelson
- Department of Physiology and Pharmacology, Sackler Faculty of Medicine, Tel Aviv University, 69978 Tel Aviv, Israel; Sagol School of Neuroscience, Tel Aviv University, 69978 Tel Aviv, Israel
| | - Inna Slutsky
- Department of Physiology and Pharmacology, Sackler Faculty of Medicine, Tel Aviv University, 69978 Tel Aviv, Israel; Sagol School of Neuroscience, Tel Aviv University, 69978 Tel Aviv, Israel.
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44
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Bisphenols exert detrimental effects on neuronal signaling in mature vertebrate brains. Commun Biol 2021; 4:465. [PMID: 33846518 PMCID: PMC8041872 DOI: 10.1038/s42003-021-01966-w] [Citation(s) in RCA: 14] [Impact Index Per Article: 4.7] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 08/15/2020] [Accepted: 03/08/2021] [Indexed: 11/13/2022] Open
Abstract
Bisphenols are important plasticizers currently in use and are released at rates of hundreds of tons each year into the biosphere1–3. However, for any bisphenol it is completely unknown if and how it affects the intact adult brain4–6, whose powerful homeostatic mechanisms could potentially compensate any effects bisphenols might have on isolated neurons. Here we analyzed the effects of one month of exposition to BPA or BPS on an identified neuron in the vertebrate brain, using intracellular in vivo recordings in the uniquely suited Mauthner neuron in goldfish. Our findings demonstrate an alarming and uncompensated in vivo impact of both BPA and BPS—at environmentally relevant concentrations—on essential communication functions of neurons in mature vertebrate brains and call for the rapid development of alternative plasticizers. The speed and resolution of the assay we present here could thereby be instrumental to accelerate the early testing phase of next-generation plasticizers. Elisabeth Schirmer, Stefan Schuster and Peter Machnik investigated the effects of bisphenols A and S on neuronal functioning. Using in vivo recordings in goldfish they demonstrate that basic neuronal properties such as action potentials and synaptic transmission are perturbed after chronic exposure to bisphenols.
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45
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Goel P, Dickman D. Synaptic homeostats: latent plasticity revealed at the Drosophila neuromuscular junction. Cell Mol Life Sci 2021; 78:3159-3179. [PMID: 33449150 PMCID: PMC8044042 DOI: 10.1007/s00018-020-03732-3] [Citation(s) in RCA: 5] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.7] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 08/24/2020] [Revised: 11/19/2020] [Accepted: 12/04/2020] [Indexed: 12/11/2022]
Abstract
Homeostatic signaling systems are fundamental forms of biological regulation that maintain stable functionality in a changing environment. In the nervous system, synapses are crucial substrates for homeostatic modulation, serving to establish, maintain, and modify the balance of excitation and inhibition. Synapses must be sufficiently flexible to enable the plasticity required for learning and memory but also endowed with the stability to last a lifetime. In response to the processes of development, growth, remodeling, aging, and disease that challenge synapses, latent forms of adaptive plasticity become activated to maintain synaptic stability. In recent years, new insights into the homeostatic control of synaptic function have been achieved using the powerful Drosophila neuromuscular junction (NMJ). This review will focus on work over the past 10 years that has illuminated the cellular and molecular mechanisms of five homeostats that operate at the fly NMJ. These homeostats adapt to loss of postsynaptic neurotransmitter receptor functionality, glutamate imbalance, axonal injury, as well as aberrant synaptic growth and target innervation. These diverse homeostats work independently yet can be simultaneously expressed to balance neurotransmission. Growing evidence from this model glutamatergic synapse suggests these ancient homeostatic signaling systems emerged early in evolution and are fundamental forms of plasticity that also function to stabilize mammalian cholinergic NMJs and glutamatergic central synapses.
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Affiliation(s)
- Pragya Goel
- Department of Neurobiology, University of Southern California, Los Angeles, CA, 90089, USA
| | - Dion Dickman
- Department of Neurobiology, University of Southern California, Los Angeles, CA, 90089, USA.
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46
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Patrizi A, Awad PN, Chattopadhyaya B, Li C, Di Cristo G, Fagiolini M. Accelerated Hyper-Maturation of Parvalbumin Circuits in the Absence of MeCP2. Cereb Cortex 2021; 30:256-268. [PMID: 31038696 DOI: 10.1093/cercor/bhz085] [Citation(s) in RCA: 26] [Impact Index Per Article: 8.7] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 04/30/2018] [Revised: 02/21/2019] [Accepted: 03/29/2019] [Indexed: 12/27/2022] Open
Abstract
Methyl-CpG-binding protein 2 (MeCP2) mutations are the primary cause of Rett syndrome, a severe neurodevelopmental disorder. Cortical parvalbumin GABAergic interneurons (PV) make exuberant somatic connections onto pyramidal cells in the visual cortex of Mecp2-deficient mice, which contributes to silencing neuronal cortical circuits. This phenotype can be rescued independently of Mecp2 by environmental, pharmacological, and genetic manipulation. It remains unknown how Mecp2 mutation can result in abnormal inhibitory circuit refinement. In the present manuscript, we examined the development of GABAergic circuits in the primary visual cortex of Mecp2-deficient mice. We identified that PV circuits were the only GABAergic interneurons to be upregulated, while other interneurons were downregulated. Acceleration of PV cell maturation was accompanied by increased PV cells engulfment by perineuronal nets (PNNs) and by an increase of PV cellular and PNN structural complexity. Interestingly, selective deletion of Mecp2 from PV cells was sufficient to drive increased structure complexity of PNN. Moreover, the accelerated PV and PNN maturation was recapitulated in organotypic cultures. Our results identify a specific timeline of disruption of GABAergic circuits in the absence of Mecp2, indicating a possible cell-autonomous role of MeCP2 in the formation of PV cellular arbors and PNN structures in the visual cortex.
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Affiliation(s)
- Annarita Patrizi
- F.M. Kirby Neurobiology Center, Boston Children's Hospital, Harvard Medical School, Boston, MA, USA.,Schaller Research Group Leader at the German Cancer Research Center (DKFZ), Heildeberg, Germany
| | - Patricia N Awad
- F.M. Kirby Neurobiology Center, Boston Children's Hospital, Harvard Medical School, Boston, MA, USA
| | | | - Chloe Li
- F.M. Kirby Neurobiology Center, Boston Children's Hospital, Harvard Medical School, Boston, MA, USA
| | - Graziella Di Cristo
- Department of Neurosciences, Université de Montréal, Montreal, Canada.,CHU Ste Justine Research Center, Montreal, QC Canada
| | - Michela Fagiolini
- F.M. Kirby Neurobiology Center, Boston Children's Hospital, Harvard Medical School, Boston, MA, USA.,International Research Center for Neurointelligence, University of Tokyo Institutes for Advanced Study, Tokyo, Japan
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47
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Levy G, Barak B. Postnatal therapeutic approaches in genetic neurodevelopmental disorders. Neural Regen Res 2021; 16:414-422. [PMID: 32985459 PMCID: PMC7996025 DOI: 10.4103/1673-5374.293133] [Citation(s) in RCA: 4] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 02/17/2020] [Revised: 02/28/2020] [Accepted: 03/28/2020] [Indexed: 12/16/2022] Open
Abstract
Genetic neurodevelopmental disorders are characterized by abnormal neurophysiological and behavioral phenotypes, affecting individuals worldwide. While the subject has been heavily researched, current treatment options relate mostly to alleviating symptoms, rather than targeting the altered genome itself. In this review, we address the neurogenetic basis of neurodevelopmental disorders, genetic tools that are enabling precision research of these disorders in animal models, and postnatal gene-therapy approaches for neurodevelopmental disorders derived from preclinical studies in the laboratory.
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Affiliation(s)
- Gilad Levy
- The Sagol School of Neuroscience, Tel Aviv University, Tel Aviv, Israel
| | - Boaz Barak
- The Sagol School of Neuroscience, Tel Aviv University, Tel Aviv, Israel
- The School of Psychological Sciences, Faculty of Social Sciences, Tel Aviv University, Tel Aviv, Israel
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48
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Gualtieri CT. Genomic Variation, Evolvability, and the Paradox of Mental Illness. Front Psychiatry 2021; 11:593233. [PMID: 33551865 PMCID: PMC7859268 DOI: 10.3389/fpsyt.2020.593233] [Citation(s) in RCA: 1] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Journal Information] [Submit a Manuscript] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 08/10/2020] [Accepted: 11/27/2020] [Indexed: 12/30/2022] Open
Abstract
Twentieth-century genetics was hard put to explain the irregular behavior of neuropsychiatric disorders. Autism and schizophrenia defy a principle of natural selection; they are highly heritable but associated with low reproductive success. Nevertheless, they persist. The genetic origins of such conditions are confounded by the problem of variable expression, that is, when a given genetic aberration can lead to any one of several distinct disorders. Also, autism and schizophrenia occur on a spectrum of severity, from mild and subclinical cases to the overt and disabling. Such irregularities reflect the problem of missing heritability; although hundreds of genes may be associated with autism or schizophrenia, together they account for only a small proportion of cases. Techniques for higher resolution, genomewide analysis have begun to illuminate the irregular and unpredictable behavior of the human genome. Thus, the origins of neuropsychiatric disorders in particular and complex disease in general have been illuminated. The human genome is characterized by a high degree of structural and behavioral variability: DNA content variation, epistasis, stochasticity in gene expression, and epigenetic changes. These elements have grown more complex as evolution scaled the phylogenetic tree. They are especially pertinent to brain development and function. Genomic variability is a window on the origins of complex disease, neuropsychiatric disorders, and neurodevelopmental disorders in particular. Genomic variability, as it happens, is also the fuel of evolvability. The genomic events that presided over the evolution of the primate and hominid lineages are over-represented in patients with autism and schizophrenia, as well as intellectual disability and epilepsy. That the special qualities of the human genome that drove evolution might, in some way, contribute to neuropsychiatric disorders is a matter of no little interest.
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49
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Tecchio F, Bertoli M, Gianni E, L'Abbate T, Paulon L, Zappasodi F. To Be Is To Become. Fractal Neurodynamics of the Body-Brain Control System. Front Physiol 2021; 11:609768. [PMID: 33384616 PMCID: PMC7770125 DOI: 10.3389/fphys.2020.609768] [Citation(s) in RCA: 9] [Impact Index Per Article: 3.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 09/24/2020] [Accepted: 11/25/2020] [Indexed: 11/28/2022] Open
Affiliation(s)
- Franca Tecchio
- Laboratory of Electrophysiology for Translational NeuroScience, Institute of Cognitive Sciences and Technologies-Consiglio Nazionale delle Ricerche, Rome, Italy
| | - Massimo Bertoli
- Laboratory of Electrophysiology for Translational NeuroScience, Institute of Cognitive Sciences and Technologies-Consiglio Nazionale delle Ricerche, Rome, Italy.,Department of Neuroscience, Imaging and Clinical Sciences, University 'Gabriele d'Annunzio' of Chieti-Pescara, Chieti, Italy
| | - Eugenia Gianni
- Laboratory of Electrophysiology for Translational NeuroScience, Institute of Cognitive Sciences and Technologies-Consiglio Nazionale delle Ricerche, Rome, Italy.,Unit of Neurology, Neurophysiology, Neurobiology, Department of Medicine, Università Campus Bio-Medico di Roma, Rome, Italy
| | - Teresa L'Abbate
- Laboratory of Electrophysiology for Translational NeuroScience, Institute of Cognitive Sciences and Technologies-Consiglio Nazionale delle Ricerche, Rome, Italy
| | - Luca Paulon
- Laboratory of Electrophysiology for Translational NeuroScience, Institute of Cognitive Sciences and Technologies-Consiglio Nazionale delle Ricerche, Rome, Italy
| | - Filippo Zappasodi
- Department of Neuroscience, Imaging and Clinical Sciences, University 'Gabriele d'Annunzio' of Chieti-Pescara, Chieti, Italy
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50
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Ash RT, Park J, Suter B, Zoghbi HY, Smirnakis SM. Excessive Formation and Stabilization of Dendritic Spine Clusters in the MECP2-Duplication Syndrome Mouse Model of Autism. eNeuro 2021; 8:ENEURO.0282-20.2020. [PMID: 33168618 PMCID: PMC7877475 DOI: 10.1523/eneuro.0282-20.2020] [Citation(s) in RCA: 9] [Impact Index Per Article: 3.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 06/29/2020] [Revised: 09/11/2020] [Accepted: 09/14/2020] [Indexed: 11/21/2022] Open
Abstract
Autism-associated genetic mutations may perturb the balance between stability and plasticity of synaptic connections in the brain. Here, we report an increase in the formation and stabilization of dendritic spines in the cerebral cortex of the mouse model of MECP2-duplication syndrome, a high-penetrance form of syndromic autism. Increased stabilization is mediated entirely by spines that form cooperatively in 10-μm clusters and is observable across multiple cortical areas both spontaneously and following motor training. Excessive stability of dendritic spine clusters could contribute to behavioral rigidity and other phenotypes in syndromic autism.
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Affiliation(s)
- Ryan Thomas Ash
- Department of Psychiatry and Behavioral Sciences, Stanford University, Stanford, CA 94305
- Department of Neuroscience, Baylor College of Medicine, Houston, TX 77030
- Medical Scientist Training Program, Baylor College of Medicine, Houston, TX 77030
- Department of Neurology, Brigham and Women's Hospital, Harvard Medical School, Boston, MA 02115
| | - Jiyoung Park
- Department of Neuroscience, Baylor College of Medicine, Houston, TX 77030
- Department of Neurology, Brigham and Women's Hospital, Harvard Medical School, Boston, MA 02115
| | - Bernhard Suter
- Department of Neurology, Brigham and Women's Hospital, Harvard Medical School, Boston, MA 02115
- Department of Pediatrics, Texas Children's Hospital and Baylor College of Medicine, Houston, TX 77030
- Department of Molecular and Human Genetics, Baylor College of Medicine, Houston, TX 77030
| | - Huda Yaya Zoghbi
- Department of Neuroscience, Baylor College of Medicine, Houston, TX 77030
- Department of Pediatrics, Texas Children's Hospital and Baylor College of Medicine, Houston, TX 77030
- Department of Molecular and Human Genetics, Baylor College of Medicine, Houston, TX 77030
- Jan and Dan Duncan Neurological Research Institute at Texas Children's Hospital, Houston, TX 77030
- Howard Hughes Medical Institute, Baylor College of Medicine, Houston, TX 77030
| | - Stelios Manolis Smirnakis
- Department of Neuroscience, Baylor College of Medicine, Houston, TX 77030
- Department of Neurology, Brigham and Women's Hospital, Harvard Medical School, Boston, MA 02115
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