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Ajayi T, Thomas A, Nikolic M, Henderson L, Zaheri A, Dwyer DS. Evolutionary conservation of putative suicidality-related risk genes that produce diminished motivation corrected by clozapine, lithium and antidepressants. Front Psychiatry 2024; 15:1341735. [PMID: 38362034 PMCID: PMC10867104 DOI: 10.3389/fpsyt.2024.1341735] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Submit a Manuscript] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 11/20/2023] [Accepted: 01/17/2024] [Indexed: 02/17/2024] Open
Abstract
Background Genome wide association studies (GWAS) and candidate gene analyses have identified genetic variants and genes that may increase the risk for suicidal thoughts and behaviors (STBs). Important unresolved issues surround these tentative risk variants such as the characteristics of the associated genes and how they might elicit STBs. Methods Putative suicidality-related risk genes (PSRGs) were identified by comprehensive literature search and were characterized with respect to evolutionary conservation, participation in gene interaction networks and associated phenotypes. Evolutionary conservation was established with database searches and BLASTP queries, whereas gene-gene interactions were ascertained with GeneMANIA. We then examined whether mutations in risk-gene counterparts in C. elegans produced a diminished motivation phenotype previously connected to suicide risk factors. Results and conclusions From the analysis, 105 risk-gene candidates were identified and found to be: 1) highly conserved during evolution, 2) enriched for essential genes, 3) involved in significant gene-gene interactions, and 4) associated with psychiatric disorders, metabolic disturbances and asthma/allergy. Evaluation of 17 mutant strains with loss-of-function/deletion mutations in PSRG orthologs revealed that 11 mutants showed significant evidence of diminished motivation that manifested as immobility in a foraging assay. Immobility was corrected in some or all of the mutants with clozapine, lithium and tricyclic antidepressant drugs. In addition, 5-HT2 receptor and muscarinic receptor antagonists restored goal-directed behavior in most or all of the mutants. These studies increase confidence in the validity of the PSRGs and provide initial clues about possible mechanisms that mediate STBs.
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Affiliation(s)
- Titilade Ajayi
- Department of Pharmacology, Toxicology and Neuroscience, LSU Health Shreveport, Shreveport, LA, United States
| | - Alicia Thomas
- Department of Pharmacology, Toxicology and Neuroscience, LSU Health Shreveport, Shreveport, LA, United States
| | - Marko Nikolic
- Department of Psychiatry and Behavioral Medicine, LSU Health Shreveport, Shreveport, LA, United States
| | - Lauryn Henderson
- Department of Psychiatry and Behavioral Medicine, LSU Health Shreveport, Shreveport, LA, United States
| | - Alexa Zaheri
- Department of Psychiatry and Behavioral Medicine, LSU Health Shreveport, Shreveport, LA, United States
| | - Donard S. Dwyer
- Department of Pharmacology, Toxicology and Neuroscience, LSU Health Shreveport, Shreveport, LA, United States
- Department of Psychiatry and Behavioral Medicine, LSU Health Shreveport, Shreveport, LA, United States
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Kathuria A, Lopez-Lengowski K, Watmuff B, Karmacharya R. Morphological and transcriptomic analyses of stem cell-derived cortical neurons reveal mechanisms underlying synaptic dysfunction in schizophrenia. Genome Med 2023; 15:58. [PMID: 37507766 PMCID: PMC10375745 DOI: 10.1186/s13073-023-01203-5] [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: 08/14/2022] [Accepted: 06/16/2023] [Indexed: 07/30/2023] Open
Abstract
BACKGROUND Postmortem studies in schizophrenia consistently show reduced dendritic spines in the cerebral cortex but the mechanistic underpinnings of these deficits remain unknown. Recent genome-wide association studies and exome sequencing investigations implicate synaptic genes and processes in the disease biology of schizophrenia. METHODS We generated human cortical pyramidal neurons by differentiating iPSCs of seven schizophrenia patients and seven healthy subjects, quantified dendritic spines and synapses in different cortical neuron subtypes, and carried out transcriptomic studies to identify differentially regulated genes and aberrant cellular processes in schizophrenia. RESULTS Cortical neurons expressing layer III marker CUX1, but not those expressing layer V marker CTIP2, showed significant reduction in dendritic spine density in schizophrenia, mirroring findings in postmortem studies. Transcriptomic experiments in iPSC-derived cortical neurons showed that differentially expressed genes in schizophrenia were enriched for genes implicated in schizophrenia in genome-wide association and exome sequencing studies. Moreover, most of the differentially expressed genes implicated in schizophrenia genetic studies had lower expression levels in schizophrenia cortical neurons. Network analysis of differentially expressed genes led to identification of NRXN3 as a hub gene, and follow-up experiments showed specific reduction of the NRXN3 204 isoform in schizophrenia neurons. Furthermore, overexpression of the NRXN3 204 isoform in schizophrenia neurons rescued the spine and synapse deficits in the cortical neurons while knockdown of NRXN3 204 in healthy neurons phenocopied spine and synapse deficits seen in schizophrenia cortical neurons. The antipsychotic clozapine increased expression of the NRXN3 204 isoform in schizophrenia cortical neurons and rescued the spine and synapse density deficits. CONCLUSIONS Taken together, our findings in iPSC-derived cortical neurons recapitulate cell type-specific findings in postmortem studies in schizophrenia and have led to the identification of a specific isoform of NRXN3 that modulates synaptic deficits in schizophrenia neurons.
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Affiliation(s)
- Annie Kathuria
- Harvard University, MGH Center for Genomic Medicine, Massachusetts General Hospital, 185 Cambridge Street, CPZN6, Boston, MA, 02114, USA
- Chemical Biology Program, Broad Institute of MIT & Harvard, Cambridge, MA, USA
- Department of Psychiatry, Harvard Medical School, Boston, MA, USA
| | - Kara Lopez-Lengowski
- Harvard University, MGH Center for Genomic Medicine, Massachusetts General Hospital, 185 Cambridge Street, CPZN6, Boston, MA, 02114, USA
- Chemical Biology Program, Broad Institute of MIT & Harvard, Cambridge, MA, USA
| | - Bradley Watmuff
- Harvard University, MGH Center for Genomic Medicine, Massachusetts General Hospital, 185 Cambridge Street, CPZN6, Boston, MA, 02114, USA
- Chemical Biology Program, Broad Institute of MIT & Harvard, Cambridge, MA, USA
- Department of Psychiatry, Harvard Medical School, Boston, MA, USA
| | - Rakesh Karmacharya
- Harvard University, MGH Center for Genomic Medicine, Massachusetts General Hospital, 185 Cambridge Street, CPZN6, Boston, MA, 02114, USA.
- Chemical Biology Program, Broad Institute of MIT & Harvard, Cambridge, MA, USA.
- Department of Psychiatry, Harvard Medical School, Boston, MA, USA.
- Program in Neuroscience, Harvard University, Cambridge, MA, USA.
- Schizophrenia & Bipolar Disorder Program, McLean Hospital, Belmont, MA, USA.
- Program in Chemical Biology, Harvard University, Cambridge, MA, USA.
- Harvard Stem Cell Institute, Cambridge, MA, USA.
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Metabolic and behavioral effects of olanzapine and fluoxetine on the model organism Caenorhabditis elegans. Saudi Pharm J 2021; 29:917-929. [PMID: 34408550 PMCID: PMC8363109 DOI: 10.1016/j.jsps.2021.07.006] [Citation(s) in RCA: 7] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 02/15/2021] [Accepted: 07/04/2021] [Indexed: 12/29/2022] Open
Abstract
The use of many psychotropic drugs (PDs) is associated with increased caloric intake, significant weight gain, and metabolic disorders. The nematode Caenorhabditis elegans (C. elegans) has been used to study the effects of PDs on food intake. However, little is known about PDs effects on the body fat of C. elegans. In C. elegans, feeding behavior and fat metabolism are regulated through independent mechanisms. This study aims to evaluate the body fat and food intake of C. elegans in response to treatment olanzapine and fluoxetine. Here we report that, with careful consideration to the dosage used, administration of fluoxetine and olanzapine increases body fat and food intake in C. elegans.
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Campeiro JD, Nani JV, Monte GG, Almeida PGC, Mori MA, Hayashi MAF. Regulation of monoamine levels by typical and atypical antipsychotics in Caenorhabditis elegans mutant for nuclear distribution element genes. Neurochem Int 2021; 147:105047. [PMID: 33872680 DOI: 10.1016/j.neuint.2021.105047] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 12/23/2020] [Revised: 04/09/2021] [Accepted: 04/11/2021] [Indexed: 10/21/2022]
Abstract
Mammalian nuclear distribution genes encode proteins with essential roles in neuronal migration and brain formation during embryogenesis. The implication of human nuclear distribution genes, namely nudC and NDE1 (Nuclear Distribution Element 1)/NDEL1 (Nuclear Distribution Element-Like 1), in psychiatric disorders including schizophrenia and bipolar disorder, has been recently described. The partial loss of NDEL1 expression results in neuronal migration defects, while ndel1 null knockout (KO) leads to early embryonic lethality in mice. On the other hand, loss-of-function of the orthologs of nuclear distribution element genes (nud) in Caenorhabditis elegans renders viable worms and influences behavioral endophenotypes associated with dopaminergic and serotoninergic pathways. In the present work, we evaluated the role of nud genes in monoamine levels at baseline and after the treatment with typical or atypical antipsychotics. Dopamine, serotonin and octopamine levels were significantly lower in homozygous loss-of-function mutant worms KO for nud genes compared with wild-type (WT) C. elegans at baseline. While treatment with antipsychotics determined significant differences in monoamine levels in WT, the nud KO mutant worms appear to respond differently to the treatment. According to the best of our knowledge, we are the first to report the influence of nud genes in the monoamine levels changes in response to antipsychotic drugs, ultimately placing the nuclear distribution genes family at the cornerstone of pathways involved in the modulation of monoamines in response to different classes of antipsychotic drugs.
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Affiliation(s)
- Joana D'Arc Campeiro
- Department of Pharmacology, Escola Paulista de Medicina (EPM), Universidade Federal de São Paulo (UNIFESP), Brazil
| | - João V Nani
- Department of Pharmacology, Escola Paulista de Medicina (EPM), Universidade Federal de São Paulo (UNIFESP), Brazil; National Institute for Translational Medicine (INCT-TM, CNPq), Brazil
| | - Gabriela G Monte
- Department of Pharmacology, Escola Paulista de Medicina (EPM), Universidade Federal de São Paulo (UNIFESP), Brazil
| | - Priscila G C Almeida
- Department of Pharmacology, Escola Paulista de Medicina (EPM), Universidade Federal de São Paulo (UNIFESP), Brazil
| | - Marcelo A Mori
- Department of Biochemistry and Tissue Biology, Institute of Biology, Universidade Estadual de Campinas (UNICAMP), Campinas, SP, Brazil
| | - Mirian A F Hayashi
- Department of Pharmacology, Escola Paulista de Medicina (EPM), Universidade Federal de São Paulo (UNIFESP), Brazil; National Institute for Translational Medicine (INCT-TM, CNPq), Brazil.
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Clozapine, nimodipine and endosulfan differentially suppress behavioral defects caused by gain-of-function mutations in a two-pore domain K + channel (UNC-58). Neurosci Res 2020; 170:41-49. [PMID: 32681854 DOI: 10.1016/j.neures.2020.07.006] [Citation(s) in RCA: 3] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.8] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 02/26/2020] [Revised: 07/07/2020] [Accepted: 07/13/2020] [Indexed: 11/20/2022]
Abstract
Two-pore domain K+ channels (K2Ps) regulate the resting membrane potential in excitable cells and determine ease of depolarization. Gain-of-function (gf) mutations in one of these channels (unc-58) in C. elegans switch it to a Na+ conductance channel and cause tremors, paralysis and other defects. We hypothesized that it should be possible to identify drugs that corrected these defects in unc-58(gf) mutant animals by blocking or modulating the over-active channels. We examined dispersal of animals on food because the absence of effective forward locomotion is the most obvious defect. In addition, we quantified egg release over 24 h. Starting with a known inhibitor of mammalian K2Ps and directed structure-based screening, we evaluated numerous drugs in these assays. Loratadine, which inhibits human KCNK18, significantly improved movement as did methiothepin. We confirmed that endosulfan, a GABA-A receptor antagonist, corrected locomotion in the unc-58(gf) strains. Based on structural similarities to other hits, we found that clozapine, loxapine and amoxapine potently suppressed abnormal phenotypes. Curiously, nimodipine, a Ca++-channel blocker, dramatically improved movement and egg laying in unc-58(e665), but not unc-58(n495) animals. Molecular modeling provided initial insights into a possible basis for this difference based on the location of the e665 and n495 mutations. This research may lead to identification of novel K2P modulators and potential leads for drug discovery.
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Charmpilas N, Ruckenstuhl C, Sica V, Büttner S, Habernig L, Dichtinger S, Madeo F, Tavernarakis N, Bravo-San Pedro JM, Kroemer G. Acyl-CoA-binding protein (ACBP): a phylogenetically conserved appetite stimulator. Cell Death Dis 2020; 11:7. [PMID: 31907349 PMCID: PMC6944704 DOI: 10.1038/s41419-019-2205-x] [Citation(s) in RCA: 25] [Impact Index Per Article: 6.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 07/30/2019] [Revised: 12/12/2019] [Accepted: 12/12/2019] [Indexed: 12/31/2022]
Abstract
Recently, we reported that, in mice, hunger causes the autophagy-dependent release of a protein called "acyl-CoA-binding protein" or "diazepam binding inhibitor" (ACBP/DBI) from cells, resulting in an increase in plasma ACBP concentrations. Administration of extra ACBP is orexigenic and obesogenic, while its neutralization is anorexigenic in mice, suggesting that ACBP is a major stimulator of appetite and lipo-anabolism. Accordingly, obese persons have higher circulating ACBP levels than lean individuals, and anorexia nervosa is associated with subnormal ACBP plasma concentrations. Here, we investigated whether ACBP might play a phylogenetically conserved role in appetite stimulation. We found that extracellular ACBP favors sporulation in Saccharomyces cerevisiae, knowing that sporulation is a strategy for yeast to seek new food sources. Moreover, in the nematode Caenorhabditis elegans, ACBP increased the ingestion of bacteria as well as the frequency pharyngeal pumping. These observations indicate that ACBP has a phylogenetically ancient role as a 'hunger factor' that favors food intake.
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Affiliation(s)
- Nikolaos Charmpilas
- Institute of Molecular Biology and Biotechnology, Foundation for Research and Technology - Hellas, Nikolaou Plastira 100, 70013, Heraklion, Crete, Greece
- Department of Biology, University of Crete, 70013, Heraklion, Crete, Greece
| | - Christoph Ruckenstuhl
- Institute of Molecular Biosciences, NAWI Graz, University of Graz, Humboldtstrasse 50, 8010, Graz, Austria
| | - Valentina Sica
- Metabolomics and Cell Biology Platforms, Gustave Roussy Cancer Campus, Villejuif, France
- Inserm U1138, Centre de Recherche des Cordeliers, Sorbonne Universite, Universite de Paris, 15-rue de l'ecole de medecine, 75006, Paris, France
- Team "Metabolism, Cancer & Immunity", equipe 11 labellisee par la Ligue contre le Cancer, Paris, France
| | - Sabrina Büttner
- Institute of Molecular Biosciences, NAWI Graz, University of Graz, Humboldtstrasse 50, 8010, Graz, Austria
- Department of Molecular Biosciences, The Wenner Gren Institute, Stockholm University, Stockholm, Sweden
| | - Lukas Habernig
- Department of Molecular Biosciences, The Wenner Gren Institute, Stockholm University, Stockholm, Sweden
| | - Silvia Dichtinger
- Institute of Molecular Biosciences, NAWI Graz, University of Graz, Humboldtstrasse 50, 8010, Graz, Austria
| | - Frank Madeo
- Institute of Molecular Biosciences, NAWI Graz, University of Graz, Humboldtstrasse 50, 8010, Graz, Austria.
- BioTechMed Graz, Graz, Austria.
| | - Nektarios Tavernarakis
- Institute of Molecular Biology and Biotechnology, Foundation for Research and Technology - Hellas, Nikolaou Plastira 100, 70013, Heraklion, Crete, Greece.
- Department of Basic Sciences, Faculty of Medicine, University of Crete, 71110, Heraklion, Crete, Greece.
| | - José M Bravo-San Pedro
- Metabolomics and Cell Biology Platforms, Gustave Roussy Cancer Campus, Villejuif, France
- Inserm U1138, Centre de Recherche des Cordeliers, Sorbonne Universite, Universite de Paris, 15-rue de l'ecole de medecine, 75006, Paris, France
- Team "Metabolism, Cancer & Immunity", equipe 11 labellisee par la Ligue contre le Cancer, Paris, France
| | - Guido Kroemer
- Metabolomics and Cell Biology Platforms, Gustave Roussy Cancer Campus, Villejuif, France.
- Inserm U1138, Centre de Recherche des Cordeliers, Sorbonne Universite, Universite de Paris, 15-rue de l'ecole de medecine, 75006, Paris, France.
- Team "Metabolism, Cancer & Immunity", equipe 11 labellisee par la Ligue contre le Cancer, Paris, France.
- Pole de Biologie, Hopital Europeen Georges Pompidou, AP-HP, Paris, France.
- Suzhou Institute for Systems Medicine, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Suzhou, China.
- Karolinska Institute, Department of Women's and Children's Health, Karolinska University Hospital, Stockholm, Sweden.
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Zhang S, Li F, Zhou T, Wang G, Li Z. Caenorhabditis elegans as a Useful Model for Studying Aging Mutations. Front Endocrinol (Lausanne) 2020; 11:554994. [PMID: 33123086 PMCID: PMC7570440 DOI: 10.3389/fendo.2020.554994] [Citation(s) in RCA: 88] [Impact Index Per Article: 22.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Submit a Manuscript] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 04/23/2020] [Accepted: 09/01/2020] [Indexed: 12/12/2022] Open
Abstract
The Caenorhabditis elegans genome possesses homologs of about two-thirds of all human disease genes. Based on its physiological aging characteristics and superiority, the use of C. elegans as a model system for studies on aging, age-related diseases, mechanisms of longevity, and drug screening has been widely acknowledged in recent decades. Lifespan increasing mutations in C. elegans were found to delay aging by impinging several signaling pathways and related epigenetic modifications, including the insulin/IGF-1 signaling (IIS), AMP-activated protein kinase (AMPK), and mechanistic target of rapamycin (mTOR) pathways. Interestingly, dietary restriction (DR) has been shown to increase the lifespan of numerous metazoans and protect them from multiple age-related pathologies. However, the underlying molecular mechanisms are unclear. In recent decades, C. elegans has been used as a unique model system for high-throughput drug screening. Here, we review C. elegans mutants exhibiting increased in lifespan and age-dependent changes under DR, as well as the utility of C. elegans for drug screening. Thus, we provide evidence for the use of this model organism in research on the prevention of aging.
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Novel pharmacological modulation of dystonic phenotypes caused by a gain-of-function mutation in the Na+ leak-current channel. Behav Pharmacol 2019; 31:465-476. [DOI: 10.1097/fbp.0000000000000526] [Citation(s) in RCA: 6] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.2] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/27/2022]
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9
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Overexpression of BmFoxO inhibited larval growth and promoted glucose synthesis and lipolysis in silkworm. Mol Genet Genomics 2019; 294:1375-1383. [DOI: 10.1007/s00438-019-01550-2] [Citation(s) in RCA: 5] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 10/26/2018] [Accepted: 03/21/2019] [Indexed: 11/25/2022]
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Monte GG, Nani JV, de Almeida Campos MR, Dal Mas C, Marins LAN, Martins LG, Tasic L, Mori MA, Hayashi MAF. Impact of nuclear distribution element genes in the typical and atypical antipsychotics effects on nematode Caenorhabditis elegans: Putative animal model for studying the pathways correlated to schizophrenia. Prog Neuropsychopharmacol Biol Psychiatry 2019; 92:19-30. [PMID: 30578843 DOI: 10.1016/j.pnpbp.2018.12.010] [Citation(s) in RCA: 6] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.2] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Submit a Manuscript] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 09/03/2018] [Revised: 12/17/2018] [Accepted: 12/19/2018] [Indexed: 12/18/2022]
Abstract
The nuclear distribution element genes are conserved from fungus to humans. The nematode Caenorhabditis elegans expresses two isoforms of nuclear distribution element genes, namely nud-1 and nud-2. While nud-1 was functionally demonstrated to be the worm nudC ortholog, bioinformatic analysis revealed that the nud-2 gene encodes the worm ortholog of the mammalian NDE1 (Nuclear Distribution Element 1 or NudE) and NDEL1 (NDE-Like 1 or NudEL) genes, which share overlapping roles in brain development in mammals and also mediate the axon guidance in mammalian and C. elegans neurons. A significantly higher NDEL1 enzyme activity was shown in treatment non-resistant compared to treatment resistant SCZ patients, who essentially present response to the therapy with atypical clozapine but not with typical antipsychotics. Using C. elegans as a model, we tested the consequence of nud genes suppression in the effects of typical and atypical antipsychotics. To assess the role of nud genes and antipsychotic drugs over C. elegans behavior, we measured body bend frequency, egg laying and pharyngeal pumping, which traits are controlled by specific neurons and neurotransmitters known to be involved in SCZ, as dopamine and serotonin. Evaluation of metabolic and behavioral response to the pharmacotherapy with these antipsychotics demonstrates an important unbalance in serotonin pathway in both nud-1 and nud-2 knockout worms, with more significant effects for nud-2 knockout. The present data also show an interesting trend of mutant knockout worm strains to present a metabolic profile closer to that observed for the wild-type animals after the treatment with the typical antipsychotic haloperidol, but which was not observed for the treatment with the atypical antipsychotic clozapine. Paradoxically, behavioral assays showed more evident effects for clozapine than for haloperidol, which is in line with previous studies with rodent animal models and clinical evaluations with SCZ patients. In addition, the validity and reliability of using this experimental animal model to further explore the convergence between the dopamine/serotonin pathways and neurodevelopmental processes was demonstrated here, and the potential usefulness of this model for evaluating the metabolic consequences of treatments with antipsychotics is also suggested.
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Affiliation(s)
- Gabriela Guilherme Monte
- Department of Pharmacology, Escola Paulista de Medicina (EPM), Universidade Federal de São Paulo (UNIFESP) São Paulo, Brazil
| | - João V Nani
- Department of Pharmacology, Escola Paulista de Medicina (EPM), Universidade Federal de São Paulo (UNIFESP) São Paulo, Brazil
| | | | - Caroline Dal Mas
- Department of Pharmacology, Escola Paulista de Medicina (EPM), Universidade Federal de São Paulo (UNIFESP) São Paulo, Brazil
| | - Lucas Augusto Negri Marins
- Department of Pharmacology, Escola Paulista de Medicina (EPM), Universidade Federal de São Paulo (UNIFESP) São Paulo, Brazil
| | - Lucas Gelain Martins
- Chemical Biology Laboratory, Department of Organic Chemistry, Institute of Chemistry, Universidade Estadual de Campinas (UNICAMP), Campinas, SP, Brazil
| | - Ljubica Tasic
- Chemical Biology Laboratory, Department of Organic Chemistry, Institute of Chemistry, Universidade Estadual de Campinas (UNICAMP), Campinas, SP, Brazil
| | - Marcelo A Mori
- Departament of Biochemistry and Tissue Biology, Universidade Estadual de Campinas (UNICAMP), Campinas, SP, Brazil
| | - Mirian A F Hayashi
- Department of Pharmacology, Escola Paulista de Medicina (EPM), Universidade Federal de São Paulo (UNIFESP) São Paulo, Brazil.
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Xiang SY, Zhao J, Lu Y, Chen RM, Wang Y, Chen Y, Long B, Zhu LP, Yao PF, Xu YF, Chen JH. Network pharmacology-based identification for therapeutic mechanism of Ling-Gui-Zhu-Gan decoction in the metabolic syndrome induced by antipsychotic drugs. Comput Biol Med 2019; 110:1-7. [PMID: 31085379 DOI: 10.1016/j.compbiomed.2019.05.007] [Citation(s) in RCA: 14] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.8] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 03/06/2019] [Revised: 04/29/2019] [Accepted: 05/06/2019] [Indexed: 02/06/2023]
Abstract
BACKGROUND The metabolic syndrome (MetS) is a common side effect of second-generation antipsychotic drugs (SGAs), leading to poor prognosis in patients with mental illness. The traditional Chinese herbal formula Ling-Gui-Zhu-Gan decoction (LGZGD) is a clinically validated remedy for SGAs-induced MetS, but its underlying mechanism remains unclear. METHODS A network pharmacology-based analysis was performed to explore predicted plasma-absorbed components, putative therapeutic targets, and main pathways involved in LGZGD bioactivity. We constructed a target interaction network between the predicted targets of LGZGD and the known targets of MetS, after which we extracted major hubs using topological analysis. Thereafter, the maximum value of "edge betweenness" of all interactions was defined as a bottleneck, which suggested its importance in connecting all targets in the network. Finally, a pathway enrichment analysis of major hubs was used to reveal the biological functions of LGZGD. RESULTS This approach identified 120 compounds and 361 candidate targets of LGZGD. According to the data generated in this study, the interaction between JUN and APOA1 plays a vital role in the treatment of SGAs-induced MetS using LGZGD. Interestingly, JUN was a putative target of LGZGD and APOA1 is one of the known targets of both MetS and SGAs (olanzapine and clozapine). LGZGD was significantly associated with several pathways including PI3K-Akt signaling, insulin resistance, and MAPK signaling pathway. CONCLUSIONS LGZGD might inhibit JUN and thereby increases the expression of APOA1 to maintain metabolic homeostasis via some vital pathways.
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Affiliation(s)
- Si-Ying Xiang
- Shanghai Key Laboratory of Psychotic Disorders, Shanghai Mental Health Center, Shanghai Jiao Tong University School of Medicine, Shanghai, 200030, PR China
| | - Jing Zhao
- Shanghai Key Laboratory of Psychotic Disorders, Shanghai Mental Health Center, Shanghai Jiao Tong University School of Medicine, Shanghai, 200030, PR China
| | - Ying Lu
- Shanghai Key Laboratory of Psychotic Disorders, Shanghai Mental Health Center, Shanghai Jiao Tong University School of Medicine, Shanghai, 200030, PR China
| | - Ru-Meng Chen
- Shanghai Key Laboratory of Psychotic Disorders, Shanghai Mental Health Center, Shanghai Jiao Tong University School of Medicine, Shanghai, 200030, PR China
| | - Yan Wang
- Shanghai Key Laboratory of Psychotic Disorders, Shanghai Mental Health Center, Shanghai Jiao Tong University School of Medicine, Shanghai, 200030, PR China
| | - Yi Chen
- Department of Nephrology, Longhua Hospital, Shanghai University of Traditional Chinese Medicine, Shanghai, 200032, PR China
| | - Bin Long
- Shanghai Key Laboratory of Psychotic Disorders, Shanghai Mental Health Center, Shanghai Jiao Tong University School of Medicine, Shanghai, 200030, PR China
| | - Li-Ping Zhu
- Shanghai Key Laboratory of Psychotic Disorders, Shanghai Mental Health Center, Shanghai Jiao Tong University School of Medicine, Shanghai, 200030, PR China
| | - Pei-Fen Yao
- Shanghai Key Laboratory of Psychotic Disorders, Shanghai Mental Health Center, Shanghai Jiao Tong University School of Medicine, Shanghai, 200030, PR China
| | - Yi-Feng Xu
- Shanghai Key Laboratory of Psychotic Disorders, Shanghai Mental Health Center, Shanghai Jiao Tong University School of Medicine, Shanghai, 200030, PR China.
| | - Jian-Hua Chen
- Shanghai Key Laboratory of Psychotic Disorders, Shanghai Mental Health Center, Shanghai Jiao Tong University School of Medicine, Shanghai, 200030, PR China.
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Iaconelli J, Xuan L, Karmacharya R. HDAC6 Modulates Signaling Pathways Relevant to Synaptic Biology and Neuronal Differentiation in Human Stem-Cell-Derived Neurons. Int J Mol Sci 2019; 20:ijms20071605. [PMID: 30935091 PMCID: PMC6480207 DOI: 10.3390/ijms20071605] [Citation(s) in RCA: 17] [Impact Index Per Article: 3.4] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 01/21/2019] [Revised: 03/12/2019] [Accepted: 03/18/2019] [Indexed: 12/18/2022] Open
Abstract
Recent studies show that histone deacetylase 6 (HDAC6) has important roles in the human brain, especially in the context of a number of nervous system disorders. Animal models of neurodevelopmental, neurodegenerative, and neuropsychiatric disorders show that HDAC6 modulates important biological processes relevant to disease biology. Pan-selective histone deacetylase (HDAC) inhibitors had been studied in animal behavioral assays and shown to induce synaptogenesis in rodent neuronal cultures. While most studies of HDACs in the nervous system have focused on class I HDACs located in the nucleus (e.g., HDACs 1,2,3), recent findings in rodent models suggest that the cytoplasmic class IIb HDAC, HDAC6, plays an important role in regulating mood-related behaviors. Human studies suggest a significant role for synaptic dysfunction in the prefrontal cortex (PFC) and hippocampus in depression. Studies of HDAC inhibitors (HDACi) in human neuronal cells show that HDAC6 inhibitors (HDAC6i) increase the acetylation of specific lysine residues in proteins involved in synaptogenesis. This has led to the hypothesis that HDAC6i may modulate synaptic biology not through effects on the acetylation of histones, but by regulating acetylation of non-histone proteins.
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Affiliation(s)
- Jonathan Iaconelli
- Center for Genomic Medicine, Harvard Medical School and Massachusetts General Hospital, 185 Cambridge Street, Boston, MA 02114, USA.
- Chemical Biology Program, Broad Institute of Harvard and MIT, Cambridge, MA 02142, USA.
| | - Lucius Xuan
- Center for Genomic Medicine, Harvard Medical School and Massachusetts General Hospital, 185 Cambridge Street, Boston, MA 02114, USA.
- Chemical Biology Program, Broad Institute of Harvard and MIT, Cambridge, MA 02142, USA.
| | - Rakesh Karmacharya
- Center for Genomic Medicine, Harvard Medical School and Massachusetts General Hospital, 185 Cambridge Street, Boston, MA 02114, USA.
- Chemical Biology Program, Broad Institute of Harvard and MIT, Cambridge, MA 02142, USA.
- Schizophrenia and Bipolar Disorder Program, McLean Hospital, Belmont, MA 02478, USA.
- Program in Neuroscience, Harvard University, Cambridge, MA 02138, USA.
- Chemical Biology PhD Program, Harvard University, Cambridge, MA 02138, USA.
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13
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Kasap M, Rajani V, Rajani J, Dwyer DS. Surprising conservation of schizophrenia risk genes in lower organisms reflects their essential function and the evolution of genetic liability. Schizophr Res 2018; 202:120-128. [PMID: 30017463 DOI: 10.1016/j.schres.2018.07.017] [Citation(s) in RCA: 11] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.8] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Submit a Manuscript] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 05/09/2018] [Revised: 07/02/2018] [Accepted: 07/04/2018] [Indexed: 12/12/2022]
Abstract
Schizophrenia is a devastating psychiatric illness that affects approximately 1% of the population. Genetic variation in multiple genes causes elevated risk for the disorder, but the molecular basis is inadequately understood and it is not clear how risk genes have evolved and persisted in the genome. To address these issues, we have identified orthologs/homologs of 344 schizophrenia risk genes (from the Psychiatric Genomics Consortium dataset) in lower organisms, including C. elegans, Drosophila and zebrafish, along with phenotypes produced by genetic disruption in C. elegans. Schizophrenia risk genes were evolutionarily conserved at significantly higher rates in C. elegans (81%) and zebrafish (88%) than genes in general for these two species (40-70%). The risk-gene equivalents were highly (~3-fold) enriched for essential genes consistent with polygenic mutation threshold models, which propose that genetic susceptibility results from the inevitable expression of harmful combinations of risk variants in the population. Most notably, numerous examples of cross-species synteny revealed how blocks of risk genes geared toward a shared biological purpose coalesced into proximity during evolution. We obtained initial evidence that schizophrenia risk genes affected different stages of development, potentially allowing differential modulation by the environment. Taken together, studies of the conservation of schizophrenia risk genes in simple model organisms provided novel insights into the molecular basis for genetic susceptibility to a complex human psychiatric disorder.
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Affiliation(s)
- Merve Kasap
- Department of Pharmacology, Toxicology and Neuroscience, LSU Health Shreveport, USA
| | - Vivek Rajani
- Department of Psychiatry, LSU Health Shreveport, Shreveport, LA 71130, USA
| | - Jackie Rajani
- Department of Psychiatry, Rosalind Franklin University, Chicago, IL 60064, USA
| | - Donard S Dwyer
- Department of Pharmacology, Toxicology and Neuroscience, LSU Health Shreveport, USA; Department of Psychiatry, LSU Health Shreveport, Shreveport, LA 71130, USA.
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14
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Blazie SM, Jin Y. Pharming for Genes in Neurotransmission: Combining Chemical and Genetic Approaches in Caenorhabditis elegans. ACS Chem Neurosci 2018; 9:1963-1974. [PMID: 29432681 DOI: 10.1021/acschemneuro.7b00509] [Citation(s) in RCA: 7] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.2] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 01/06/2023] Open
Abstract
Synaptic transmission is central to nervous system function. Chemical and genetic screens are valuable approaches to probe synaptic mechanisms in living animals. The nematode Caenorhabditis elegans is a prime system to apply these methods to discover genes and dissect the cellular pathways underlying neurotransmission. Here, we review key approaches to understand neurotransmission and the action of psychiatric drugs in C. elegans. We start with early studies on cholinergic excitatory signaling at the neuromuscular junction, and move into mechanisms mediated by biogenic amines. Finally, we discuss emerging work toward understanding the mechanisms driving synaptic plasticity with a focus on regulation of protein translation.
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Affiliation(s)
- Stephen M. Blazie
- Neurobiology Section, Division of Biological Sciences, University of California, San Diego, La Jolla, California 92093, United States
| | - Yishi Jin
- Neurobiology Section, Division of Biological Sciences, University of California, San Diego, La Jolla, California 92093, United States
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15
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Dwyer DS. Crossing the Worm-Brain Barrier by Using Caenorhabditis elegans to Explore Fundamentals of Human Psychiatric Illness. MOLECULAR NEUROPSYCHIATRY 2018; 3:170-179. [PMID: 29594136 DOI: 10.1159/000485423] [Citation(s) in RCA: 17] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.8] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 12/15/2022]
Abstract
Endophenotypes and Research Domain Criteria (RDoC) represent recent efforts to deconvolute psychiatric illnesses into fundamental symptom clusters or biological markers more closely linked to genetic influences. By taking this one step farther, these biomarkers can be reduced to protophenotypes - endophenotypes conserved during evolution - with counterparts in lower organisms including Caenorhabditis elegans and Drosophila. Striking conservation in C. elegans of genes that increase the risk for mental illness bolsters the relevance of this model system for psychiatric research. Here, I review the characterization of several protophenotypes that are relevant for asociality, avolition/anhedonia, prepulse inhibition, and anorexia. Interestingly, the analogous behavioral defects in C. elegans are also corrected by psychotropic drugs used to treat the corresponding symptoms in man and/or are mediated by the same neurotransmitters. Overall, there is much we can learn about the complex human brain by studying simpler nervous systems directing evolutionarily conserved behaviors. The potential for generating important new insights from model organisms appears limitless when we begin to recognize the vestiges of evolution in ourselves.
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Affiliation(s)
- Donard S Dwyer
- Departments of Psychiatry and Pharmacology, Toxicology and Neuroscience, LSU Health Sciences Center at Shreveport, Shreveport, LA, USA
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16
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Iaconelli J, Lalonde J, Watmuff B, Liu B, Mazitschek R, Haggarty SJ, Karmacharya R. Lysine Deacetylation by HDAC6 Regulates the Kinase Activity of AKT in Human Neural Progenitor Cells. ACS Chem Biol 2017. [PMID: 28628306 DOI: 10.1021/acschembio.6b01014] [Citation(s) in RCA: 43] [Impact Index Per Article: 6.1] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 02/02/2023]
Abstract
The AKT family of serine-threonine kinases functions downstream of phosphatidylinositol 3-kinase (PI3K) to transmit signals by direct phosphorylation of a number of targets, including the mammalian target of rapamycin (mTOR), glycogen synthase kinase 3β (GSK3β), and β-catenin. AKT binds to phosphatidylinositol (3,4,5)-triphosphate (PIP3) generated by PI3K activation, which results in its membrane localization and subsequent activation through phosphorylation by phosphoinositide-dependent protein kinase 1 (PDK1). Together, the PI3K-AKT signaling pathway plays pivotal roles in many cellular systems, including in the central nervous system where it governs both neurodevelopment and neuroplasticity. Recently, lysine residues (Lys14 and Lys20) on AKT, located within its pleckstrin homology (PH) domain that binds to membrane-bound PIP3, have been found to be acetylated under certain cellular contexts in various cancer cell lines. These acetylation modifications are removed by the enzymatic action of the class III lysine deacetylases, SIRT1 and SIRT2, of the sirtuin family. The extent to which reversible acetylation regulates AKT function in other cell types remains poorly understood. We report here that AKT kinase activity is modulated by a class IIb lysine deacetylase, histone deacetylase 6 (HDAC6), in human neural progenitor cells (NPCs). We find that HDAC6 and AKT physically interact with each other in the neuronal cells, and in the presence of selective HDAC6 inhibition, AKT is acetylated at Lys163 and Lys377 located in the kinase domain, two novel sites distinct from the acetylation sites in the PH-domain modulated by the sirtuins. Measurement of the functional effect of HDAC6 inhibition on AKT revealed decreased binding to PIP3, a correlated decrease in AKT kinase activity, decreased phosphorylation of Ser552 on β-catenin, and modulation of neuronal differentiation trajectories. Taken together, our studies implicate the deacetylase activity of HDAC6 as a novel regulator of AKT signaling and point to novel mechanisms for regulating AKT activity with small-molecule inhibitors of HDAC6 currently under clinical development.
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Affiliation(s)
- Jonathan Iaconelli
- Center for Experimental Drugs and Diagnostics, Psychiatric and Neurodevelopmental Genetics Unit, Center for Genomic Medicine, Harvard Medical School and Massachusetts General Hospital, Boston, Massachusetts 02114, United States
- Chemical Biology Program, Broad Institute of Harvard and MIT, Cambridge, Massachusetts 02142, United States
| | - Jasmin Lalonde
- Center for Experimental Drugs and Diagnostics, Psychiatric and Neurodevelopmental Genetics Unit, Center for Genomic Medicine, Harvard Medical School and Massachusetts General Hospital, Boston, Massachusetts 02114, United States
- Department of Neurology, Harvard Medical School, Boston, Massachusetts 02115, United States
- Chemical Neurobiology Laboratory, Massachusetts General Hospital, Boston, Massachusetts 02114, United States
| | - Bradley Watmuff
- Center for Experimental Drugs and Diagnostics, Psychiatric and Neurodevelopmental Genetics Unit, Center for Genomic Medicine, Harvard Medical School and Massachusetts General Hospital, Boston, Massachusetts 02114, United States
- Chemical Biology Program, Broad Institute of Harvard and MIT, Cambridge, Massachusetts 02142, United States
| | - Bangyan Liu
- Center for Experimental Drugs and Diagnostics, Psychiatric and Neurodevelopmental Genetics Unit, Center for Genomic Medicine, Harvard Medical School and Massachusetts General Hospital, Boston, Massachusetts 02114, United States
| | - Ralph Mazitschek
- Center for Systems Biology, Harvard Medical School and Massachusetts General Hospital, Boston, Massachusetts 02114, United States
- Infectious Diseases Program, Broad Institute of Harvard and MIT, Cambridge, Massachusetts 02142, United States
| | - Stephen J. Haggarty
- Center for Experimental Drugs and Diagnostics, Psychiatric and Neurodevelopmental Genetics Unit, Center for Genomic Medicine, Harvard Medical School and Massachusetts General Hospital, Boston, Massachusetts 02114, United States
- Department of Neurology, Harvard Medical School, Boston, Massachusetts 02115, United States
- Chemical Neurobiology Laboratory, Massachusetts General Hospital, Boston, Massachusetts 02114, United States
| | - Rakesh Karmacharya
- Center for Experimental Drugs and Diagnostics, Psychiatric and Neurodevelopmental Genetics Unit, Center for Genomic Medicine, Harvard Medical School and Massachusetts General Hospital, Boston, Massachusetts 02114, United States
- Chemical Biology Program, Broad Institute of Harvard and MIT, Cambridge, Massachusetts 02142, United States
- Schizophrenia and Bipolar Disorder Program, McLean Hospital, Belmont, Massachusetts 02478, United States
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17
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Kudelska MM, Holden-Dye L, O'Connor V, Doyle DA. Concentration-dependent effects of acute and chronic neonicotinoid exposure on the behaviour and development of the nematode Caenorhabditis elegans. PEST MANAGEMENT SCIENCE 2017; 73:1345-1351. [PMID: 28261957 DOI: 10.1002/ps.4564] [Citation(s) in RCA: 5] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.7] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 12/05/2016] [Revised: 02/13/2017] [Accepted: 02/27/2017] [Indexed: 06/06/2023]
Abstract
BACKGROUND Neonicotinoid insecticides are under review owing to emerging toxicity to non-target species. Interest has focused on biological pollinators while their effects on other organisms that are key contributors to the ecosystem remain largely unknown. To advance this, we have tested the effects of representatives of three major classes of neonicotinoids, thiacloprid, clothianidin and nitenpyram, on the free-living nematode Caenorhabditis elegans (C. elegans), as a representative of the Nematoda, an ecologically important phylum contributing to biomass. RESULTS Concentrations that are several-fold higher than those with effects against target species had limited impact on locomotor function. However, increased potency was observed in a mutant with a hyperpermeable cuticle, which shows that drug access limits the effects of the neonicotinoids in C. elegans. Thiacloprid was most potent (EC50 714 μm). In addition, it selectively delayed larval development in wild-type worms at 1 mm. CONCLUSION C. elegans is less susceptible to neonicotinoids than target species of pest insect. We discuss an approach in which this defined low sensitivity may be exploited by heterologous expression of insect nicotinic acetylcholine receptors from both pest and beneficial insects in transgenic C. elegans with increased cuticle permeability to provide a whole organism assay for species-dependent neonicotinoid effects. © 2017 Society of Chemical Industry.
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Affiliation(s)
| | | | | | - Declan A Doyle
- Biological Sciences, University of Southampton, Southampton, UK
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18
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Clozapine Modulates Glucosylceramide, Clears Aggregated Proteins, and Enhances ATG8/LC3 in Caenorhabditis elegans. Neuropsychopharmacology 2017; 42:951-962. [PMID: 27711049 PMCID: PMC5312067 DOI: 10.1038/npp.2016.230] [Citation(s) in RCA: 6] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.9] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Submit a Manuscript] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 03/22/2016] [Revised: 08/27/2016] [Accepted: 09/21/2016] [Indexed: 12/31/2022]
Abstract
Defining the mechanisms of action of the antipsychotic drug (APD), clozapine, is of great importance, as clozapine is more effective and has therapeutic benefits in a broader range of psychiatric disorders compared with other APDs. Its range of actions have not been fully characterized. Exposure to APDs early in development causes dose-dependent developmental delay and lethality in Caenorhabditis elegans. A previous genome-wide RNAi screen for suppressors of clozapine-induced developmental delay and lethality revealed 40 candidate genes, including sms-1, which encodes a sphingomyelin synthase. One sms-1 isoform is expressed in the C. elegans pharynx, and its transgene rescues the sms-1 mutant phenotype. We examined pharyngeal pumping and observed that clozapine-induced inhibition of pharyngeal pumping requires sms-1, a finding that may explain the role of the gene in mediating clozapine-induced developmental delay/lethality. By analyzing multiple enzymes involved in sphingolipid metabolism, and by observing the effect of addition of various lipids directly to the worms, we suggest that glucosylceramide may be a key mediator of the effects of clozapine. We further observed that clozapine clears protein aggregates, such as α-synuclein, PolyQ protein, and α-1-antitrypsin mutant protein. In addition, it enhances ATG8/LC3. We conclude that clozapine appears to affect the development and induce lethality of worms, in part, through modulating glucosylceramide. We discuss the possible connections among glucosylceramide, protein aggregate clearance, and autophagy. Interactions, including mechanistic pathways involving these elements, may underlie some of the clinical effects of clozapine.
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19
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Huang JH, Park H, Iaconelli J, Berkovitch SS, Watmuff B, McPhie D, Öngür D, Cohen BM, Clish CB, Karmacharya R. Unbiased Metabolite Profiling of Schizophrenia Fibroblasts under Stressful Perturbations Reveals Dysregulation of Plasmalogens and Phosphatidylcholines. J Proteome Res 2016; 16:481-493. [DOI: 10.1021/acs.jproteome.6b00628] [Citation(s) in RCA: 11] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.4] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 12/13/2022]
Affiliation(s)
- Joanne H. Huang
- Center
for Experimental Drugs and Diagnostics, Psychiatric and Neurodevelopmental
Genetics Unit, Center for Human Genetic Research, Harvard Medical School and Massachusetts General Hospital, Boston, Massachusetts 02114, United States
- Chemical
Biology Program, Broad Institute of Harvard and MIT, Cambridge, Massachusetts 02142, United States
| | - Hyoungjun Park
- Institute
of Neuroinformatics, ETH Zurich and University of Zurich, CH-8057, Zurich, Switzerland
| | - Jonathan Iaconelli
- Center
for Experimental Drugs and Diagnostics, Psychiatric and Neurodevelopmental
Genetics Unit, Center for Human Genetic Research, Harvard Medical School and Massachusetts General Hospital, Boston, Massachusetts 02114, United States
- Chemical
Biology Program, Broad Institute of Harvard and MIT, Cambridge, Massachusetts 02142, United States
| | - Shaunna S. Berkovitch
- Center
for Experimental Drugs and Diagnostics, Psychiatric and Neurodevelopmental
Genetics Unit, Center for Human Genetic Research, Harvard Medical School and Massachusetts General Hospital, Boston, Massachusetts 02114, United States
- Chemical
Biology Program, Broad Institute of Harvard and MIT, Cambridge, Massachusetts 02142, United States
| | - Bradley Watmuff
- Center
for Experimental Drugs and Diagnostics, Psychiatric and Neurodevelopmental
Genetics Unit, Center for Human Genetic Research, Harvard Medical School and Massachusetts General Hospital, Boston, Massachusetts 02114, United States
- Chemical
Biology Program, Broad Institute of Harvard and MIT, Cambridge, Massachusetts 02142, United States
| | - Donna McPhie
- Schizophrenia
and Bipolar Disorder Program, Harvard Medical School and McLean Hospital, Belmont, Massachusetts 02478, United States
| | - Dost Öngür
- Schizophrenia
and Bipolar Disorder Program, Harvard Medical School and McLean Hospital, Belmont, Massachusetts 02478, United States
| | - Bruce M. Cohen
- Schizophrenia
and Bipolar Disorder Program, Harvard Medical School and McLean Hospital, Belmont, Massachusetts 02478, United States
| | - Clary B. Clish
- Chemical
Biology Program, Broad Institute of Harvard and MIT, Cambridge, Massachusetts 02142, United States
| | - Rakesh Karmacharya
- Center
for Experimental Drugs and Diagnostics, Psychiatric and Neurodevelopmental
Genetics Unit, Center for Human Genetic Research, Harvard Medical School and Massachusetts General Hospital, Boston, Massachusetts 02114, United States
- Chemical
Biology Program, Broad Institute of Harvard and MIT, Cambridge, Massachusetts 02142, United States
- Schizophrenia
and Bipolar Disorder Program, Harvard Medical School and McLean Hospital, Belmont, Massachusetts 02478, United States
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20
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Wang X, Hao L, Saur T, Joyal K, Zhao Y, Zhai D, Li J, Pribadi M, Coppola G, Cohen BM, Buttner EA. Forward Genetic Screen in Caenorhabditis elegans Suggests F57A10.2 and acp-4 As Suppressors of C9ORF72 Related Phenotypes. Front Mol Neurosci 2016; 9:113. [PMID: 27877110 PMCID: PMC5100550 DOI: 10.3389/fnmol.2016.00113] [Citation(s) in RCA: 15] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.9] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 07/14/2016] [Accepted: 10/17/2016] [Indexed: 01/17/2023] Open
Abstract
An abnormally expanded GGGGCC repeat in C9ORF72 is the most frequent causal mutation associated with amyotrophic lateral sclerosis (ALS)/frontotemporal lobar degeneration (FTLD). Both gain-of-function (gf) and loss-of-function (lf) mechanisms have been involved in C9ORF72 related ALS/FTLD. The gf mechanism of C9ORF72 has been studied in various animal models but not in C. elegans. In the present study, we described mutant C9ORF72 modeling in C. elegans and report the finding of two suppressor genes. We made transgenes containing 9 or 29 repeats of GGGGCC in C9ORF72, driven by either the hsp-16 promoters or the unc-119 promoter. Transgenic worms were made to carry such transgenes. Phenotypic analysis of those animals revealed that Phsp−16::(G4C2)29::GFP transgenic animals (EAB 135) displayed severe paralysis by the second day of adulthood, followed by lethality, which phenotypes were less severe in Phsp−16::(G4C2)9::GFP transgenic animals (EAB242), and absent in control strains expressing empty vectors. Suppressor genes of this locomotor phenotype were pursued by introducing mutations with ethyl methanesulfonate in EAB135, screening mutant strains that moved faster than EAB135 by a food-ring assay, identifying mutations by whole-genome sequencing and testing the underlying mechanism of the suppressor genes either by employing RNA interference studies or C. elegans genetics. Three mutant strains, EAB164, EAB165 and EAB167, were identified. Eight suppressor genes carrying nonsense/canonical splicing site mutations were confirmed, among which a nonsense mutation of F57A10.2/VAMP was found in all three mutant strains, and a nonsense mutation of acp-4/ACP2 was only found in EAB164. Knock down/out of those two genes in EAB135 animals by feeding RNAi/introducing a known acp-4 null allele phenocopied the suppression of the C9ORF72 variant related movement defect in the mutant strains. Translational conformation in a mammalian system is required, but our worm data suggest that altering acp-4/ACP2 encoding lysosomal acid phosphatase may provide a potential therapeutic method of reducing acp-4/ACP2 levels, as opposed or complementary to directly reducing C9ORF72, to relieve C9ORF72-ALS phenotypes. It also suggests that the C9ORF72-ALS/FTLD may share a pathophysiologic mechanism with vesicle-associated membrane protein-associated protein B, a homolog of F57A10.2/VAMP, which is a proven ALS8 gene.
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Affiliation(s)
- Xin Wang
- School of Public Health, Xinxiang Medical UniversityXinxiang, China; Program for Neuropsychiatric Research, McLean Hospital and Harvard Medical SchoolBelmont, MA, USA
| | - Limin Hao
- Program for Neuropsychiatric Research, McLean Hospital and Harvard Medical School Belmont, MA, USA
| | - Taixiang Saur
- Program for Neuropsychiatric Research, McLean Hospital and Harvard Medical School Belmont, MA, USA
| | - Katelyn Joyal
- Program for Neuropsychiatric Research, McLean Hospital and Harvard Medical School Belmont, MA, USA
| | - Ying Zhao
- School of Pharmacy, Xinxiang Medical University Xinxiang, China
| | - Desheng Zhai
- Program for Neuropsychiatric Research, McLean Hospital and Harvard Medical School Belmont, MA, USA
| | - Jie Li
- Tianjin Mental Health Center Tianjin, China
| | - Mochtar Pribadi
- Semel Institute for Neuroscience and Human Behavior, David Geffen School of Medicine, University of California, Los Angeles Los Angeles, CA, USA
| | - Giovanni Coppola
- Semel Institute for Neuroscience and Human Behavior, David Geffen School of Medicine, University of California, Los Angeles Los Angeles, CA, USA
| | - Bruce M Cohen
- Program for Neuropsychiatric Research, McLean Hospital and Harvard Medical School Belmont, MA, USA
| | - Edgar A Buttner
- Program for Neuropsychiatric Research, McLean Hospital and Harvard Medical School Belmont, MA, USA
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21
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Zeng Z, Wang X, Bhardwaj SK, Zhou X, Little PJ, Quirion R, Srivastava LK, Zheng W. The Atypical Antipsychotic Agent, Clozapine, Protects Against Corticosterone-Induced Death of PC12 Cells by Regulating the Akt/FoxO3a Signaling Pathway. Mol Neurobiol 2016; 54:3395-3406. [DOI: 10.1007/s12035-016-9904-4] [Citation(s) in RCA: 26] [Impact Index Per Article: 3.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 11/19/2015] [Accepted: 05/03/2016] [Indexed: 01/28/2023]
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22
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Dwyer DS, Aamodt E, Cohen B, Buttner EA. Drug elucidation: invertebrate genetics sheds new light on the molecular targets of CNS drugs. Front Pharmacol 2014; 5:177. [PMID: 25120487 PMCID: PMC4112795 DOI: 10.3389/fphar.2014.00177] [Citation(s) in RCA: 8] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.8] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 04/23/2014] [Accepted: 07/09/2014] [Indexed: 02/02/2023] Open
Abstract
Many important drugs approved to treat common human diseases were discovered by serendipity, without a firm understanding of their modes of action. As a result, the side effects and interactions of these medications are often unpredictable, and there is limited guidance for improving the design of next-generation drugs. Here, we review the innovative use of simple model organisms, especially Caenorhabditis elegans, to gain fresh insights into the complex biological effects of approved CNS medications. Whereas drug discovery involves the identification of new drug targets and lead compounds/biologics, and drug development spans preclinical testing to FDA approval, drug elucidation refers to the process of understanding the mechanisms of action of marketed drugs by studying their novel effects in model organisms. Drug elucidation studies have revealed new pathways affected by antipsychotic drugs, e.g., the insulin signaling pathway, a trace amine receptor and a nicotinic acetylcholine receptor. Similarly, novel targets of antidepressant drugs and lithium have been identified in C. elegans, including lipid-binding/transport proteins and the SGK-1 signaling pathway, respectively. Elucidation of the mode of action of anesthetic agents has shown that anesthesia can involve mitochondrial targets, leak currents, and gap junctions. The general approach reviewed in this article has advanced our knowledge about important drugs for CNS disorders and can guide future drug discovery efforts.
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Affiliation(s)
- Donard S. Dwyer
- Department of Psychiatry–Department of Pharmacology, Toxicology and Neuroscience, Louisiana State University Health Sciences Center-ShreveportShreveport, LA, USA
| | - Eric Aamodt
- Department of Biochemistry and Molecular Biology, Louisiana State University Health Sciences Center-ShreveportShreveport, LA, USA
| | - Bruce Cohen
- Department of Psychiatry, Harvard Medical SchoolBoston, MA, USA
- Mailman Research Center, McLean HospitalBelmont, MA, USA
| | - Edgar A. Buttner
- Mailman Research Center, McLean HospitalBelmont, MA, USA
- Department of Neurology–Department of Psychiatry, McLean Hospital, Harvard Medical SchoolBelmont, MA, USA
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23
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Wang X, Piccolo CW, Cohen BM, Buttner EA. Transient receptor potential melastatin (TRPM) channels mediate clozapine-induced phenotypes in Caenorhabditis elegans. J Neurogenet 2014; 28:86-97. [PMID: 24564792 DOI: 10.3109/01677063.2013.879717] [Citation(s) in RCA: 6] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.6] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/13/2022]
Abstract
The molecular mechanisms of action of antipsychotic drugs (APDs) are not fully understood. Here, we characterize phenotypes of missense and knockout mutations in the Caenorhabditis elegans transient receptor potential melastatin (TRPM) channel ortholog gtl-2, a candidate APD target identified in a genome-wide RNAi (RNA interference) screen for Suppressors of Clozapine-induced Larval Arrest (scla genes). We then employ the developmental phenotypes of gtl-2(lf) mutants to validate our previous gtl-2(RNAi) result. GTL-2 acts in the excretory canal cell to regulate Mg(2+) homeostasis. Using exc (excretory canal abnormal) gene mutants, we demonstrate that excretory canal cell function is necessary for clozapine-induced developmental delay and lethality. Moreover, cell-specific promoter-driven expression studies reveal that GTL-2 function in the excretory canal cell is important for its role in the SCLA phenotype. We then investigate the mechanism by which GTL-2 function in the excretory canal cell impacts clozapine-induced phenotypes. gtl-2(lf) mutations cause hypermagnesemia, and we show that exposure of the wild-type strain to high Mg(2+) phenocopies gtl-2(lf) with respect to suppression of clozapine-induced developmental delay and lethality. Our results suggest that GTL-2 TRPM channel function in the excretory canal cell is important for clozapine's developmental effects. TRP channels are expressed in mammalian brain and are implicated in the pathogenesis of mental illnesses but have not been previously implicated in APD action.
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Affiliation(s)
- Xin Wang
- Department of Psychiatry, Harvard Medical School , Boston, Massachusetts , USA
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24
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Hao L, Buttner EA. Methods for studying the mechanisms of action of antipsychotic drugs in Caenorhabditis elegans. J Vis Exp 2014:e50864. [PMID: 24561801 DOI: 10.3791/50864] [Citation(s) in RCA: 7] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.7] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 01/29/2023] Open
Abstract
Caenorhabditis elegans is a simple genetic organism amenable to large-scale forward and reverse genetic screens and chemical genetic screens. The C. elegans genome includes potential antipsychotic drug (APD) targets conserved in humans, including genes encoding proteins required for neurotransmitter synthesis and for synaptic structure and function. APD exposure produces developmental delay and/or lethality in nematodes in a concentration-dependent manner. These phenotypes are caused, in part, by APD-induced inhibition of pharyngeal pumping(1,2). Thus, the developmental phenotype has a neuromuscular basis, making it useful for pharmacogenetic studies of neuroleptics. Here we demonstrate detailed procedures for testing APD effects on nematode development and pharyngeal pumping. For the developmental assay, synchronized embryos are placed on nematode growth medium (NGM) plates containing APDs, and the stages of developing animals are then scored daily. For the pharyngeal pumping rate assay, staged young adult animals are tested on NGM plates containing APDs. The number of pharyngeal pumps per unit time is recorded, and the pumping rate is calculated. These assays can be used for studying many other types of small molecules or even large molecules.
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Affiliation(s)
- Limin Hao
- Department of Psychiatry, Harvard Medical School; Mailman Research Center, McLean Hospital
| | - Edgar A Buttner
- Department of Psychiatry, Harvard Medical School; Mailman Research Center, McLean Hospital;
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25
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Gubert P, Aguiar GC, Mourão T, Bridi JC, Barros AG, Soares FA, Romano-Silva MA. Behavioral and metabolic effects of the atypical antipsychotic ziprasidone on the nematode Caenorhabditis elegans. PLoS One 2013; 8:e74780. [PMID: 24069346 PMCID: PMC3777939 DOI: 10.1371/journal.pone.0074780] [Citation(s) in RCA: 14] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 03/05/2013] [Accepted: 08/06/2013] [Indexed: 11/29/2022] Open
Abstract
Atypical antipsychotics are associated with metabolic syndrome, primarily associated with weight gain. The effects of Ziprasidone, an atypical antipsychotic, on metabolic syndrome has yet to be evaluated. Here in, we evaluated lipid accumulation and behavioral changes in a new experimental model, the nematode Caenorhabditis elegans (C. elegans). Behavioral parameters in the worms were evaluated 24 h after Ziprasidone treatment. Subsequently, lipid accumulation was examined using Nile red, LipidTox green and BODIPY labeling. Ziprasidone at 40 µM for 24 h effectively decreased the fluorescence labeling of all markers in intestinal cells of C. elegans compared to control (0.16% dimethyl sulfoxide). Ziprasidone did not alter behaviors related to energetic balance, such as pharynx pumping, defecation cycles and movement. There was, however, a reduction in egg-production, egg-laying and body-length in nematodes exposed to Ziprasidone without any changes in the progression of larval stages. The serotoninergic pathway did not appear to modulate Ziprasidone’s effects on Nile red fluorescence. Additionally, Ziprasidone did not alter lipid accumulation in daf-16 or crh-1 deletion mutants (orthologous of the transcription factors DAF-16 and CREB, respectively). These results suggest that Ziprasidone alters reproductive behavior, morphology and lipid reserves in the intestinal cells of C. elegans. Our results highlight that the DAF-16 and CREB transcription factors are essential for Ziprasidone-induced fat store reduction.
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Affiliation(s)
- Priscila Gubert
- INCT de Medicina Molecular, Faculdade de Medicina, Universidade Federal de Minas Gerais, Belo Horizonte, Brazil
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No effect of adjunctive, repeated-dose intranasal insulin treatment on psychopathology and cognition in patients with schizophrenia. J Clin Psychopharmacol 2013; 33:226-30. [PMID: 23422397 PMCID: PMC5366038 DOI: 10.1097/jcp.0b013e31828701d0] [Citation(s) in RCA: 11] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Submit a Manuscript] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/26/2022]
Abstract
OBJECTIVE This study examined the effect of adjunctive intranasal insulin therapy on psychopathology and cognition in patients with schizophrenia. METHODS Each subject had a Diagnostic and Statistical Manual of Mental Disorders, Fourth Edition, diagnosis of schizophrenia or schizoaffective disorder and been on stable antipsychotics for at least 1 month. In an 8-week randomized, double-blind, placebo-controlled study, subjects received either intranasal insulin (40 IU 4 times per day) or placebo. Psychopathology was assessed using the Positive and Negative Syndrome Scale and the Scale for Assessment of Negative Symptoms. A neuropsychological battery was used to assess cognitive performance. The assessment for psychopathology and cognition was conducted at baseline, week 4, and week 8. RESULTS A total of 45 subjects were enrolled in the study (21 in the insulin group and 24 in the placebo group). The mixed model analysis showed that there were no significant differences between the 2 groups at week 8 on various psychopathology and cognitive measures (P > 0.1). CONCLUSIONS Adjunctive therapy with intranasal insulin did not seem to be beneficial in improving schizophrenia symptoms or cognition in the present study. The implications for future studies were discussed.
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Saur T, DeMarco SE, Ortiz A, Sliwoski GR, Hao L, Wang X, Cohen BM, Buttner EA. A genome-wide RNAi screen in Caenorhabditis elegans identifies the nicotinic acetylcholine receptor subunit ACR-7 as an antipsychotic drug target. PLoS Genet 2013; 9:e1003313. [PMID: 23468647 PMCID: PMC3585123 DOI: 10.1371/journal.pgen.1003313] [Citation(s) in RCA: 21] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.9] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 08/07/2012] [Accepted: 12/22/2012] [Indexed: 11/18/2022] Open
Abstract
We report a genome-wide RNA interference (RNAi) screen for Suppressors of Clozapine-induced Larval Arrest (scla genes) in Caenorhabditis elegans, the first genetic suppressor screen for antipsychotic drug (APD) targets in an animal. The screen identifies 40 suppressors, including the α-like nicotinic acetylcholine receptor (nAChR) homolog acr-7. We validate the requirement for acr-7 by showing that acr-7 knockout suppresses clozapine-induced larval arrest and that expression of a full-length translational GFP fusion construct rescues this phenotype. nAChR agonists phenocopy the developmental effects of clozapine, while nAChR antagonists partially block these effects. ACR-7 is strongly expressed in the pharynx, and clozapine inhibits pharyngeal pumping. acr-7 knockout and nAChR antagonists suppress clozapine-induced inhibition of pharyngeal pumping. These findings suggest that clozapine activates ACR-7 channels in pharyngeal muscle, leading to tetanus of pharyngeal muscle with consequent larval arrest. No APDs are known to activate nAChRs, but a number of studies indicate that α7-nAChR agonists may prove effective for the treatment of psychosis. α-like nAChR signaling is a mechanism through which clozapine may produce its therapeutic and/or toxic effects in humans, a hypothesis that could be tested following identification of the mammalian ortholog of C. elegans acr-7. Clozapine is the most effective medication for treatment-refractory schizophrenia but produces toxic side effects such as agranulocytosis, metabolic syndrome, and developmental defects after exposure early in life. However, clozapine's molecular mechanisms of action remain poorly understood. In past studies, we showed that pharmacogenomic experiments in C. elegans identify novel signaling pathways through which clozapine exerts its biological effects. Here, we report the first genetic suppressor screen for antipsychotic (APD) drug targets in an animal and identify 40 suppressors of clozapine-induced larval arrest, including the α-like nicotinic acetylcholine receptor (nAChR) acr-7. We validate our RNAi result by showing that an acr-7 knockout suppresses clozapine-induced larval arrest and inhibition of pharyngeal pumping. Expression of a full-length translational acr-7::GFP (Green Fluorescent Protein) construct in the acr-7 mutant rescues suppression of these phenotypes. Clozapine-induced phenotypes are phenocopied by nAChR agonists and blocked by nAChR antagonists. The results suggest that clozapine induces these phenotypes through activation of the ACR-7 receptor. Recent studies have underscored the potential importance of nAChRs in the pathophysiology of schizophrenia. A clearer understanding of APD mechanisms would facilitate the design of improved drugs and may inform our understanding, not only of drug mechanisms, but also of disease pathogenesis.
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Affiliation(s)
- Taixiang Saur
- Department of Psychiatry, Harvard Medical School, Boston, Massachusetts, United States of America
- Mailman Research Center, McLean Hospital, Belmont, Massachusetts, United States of America
| | - Sarah E. DeMarco
- Mailman Research Center, McLean Hospital, Belmont, Massachusetts, United States of America
| | - Angelica Ortiz
- Department of Molecular Pathology, University of Texas–MD Anderson Cancer Center, Houston, Texas, United States of America
| | - Gregory R. Sliwoski
- Department of Pharmacology, Vanderbilt University Medical Center, Nashville, Tennessee, United States of America
| | - Limin Hao
- Department of Psychiatry, Harvard Medical School, Boston, Massachusetts, United States of America
- Mailman Research Center, McLean Hospital, Belmont, Massachusetts, United States of America
| | - Xin Wang
- Department of Psychiatry, Harvard Medical School, Boston, Massachusetts, United States of America
- Mailman Research Center, McLean Hospital, Belmont, Massachusetts, United States of America
| | - Bruce M. Cohen
- Department of Psychiatry, Harvard Medical School, Boston, Massachusetts, United States of America
- Mailman Research Center, McLean Hospital, Belmont, Massachusetts, United States of America
| | - Edgar A. Buttner
- Department of Psychiatry, Harvard Medical School, Boston, Massachusetts, United States of America
- Mailman Research Center, McLean Hospital, Belmont, Massachusetts, United States of America
- Department of Neurology, Harvard Medical School, Boston, Massachusetts, United States of America
- * E-mail:
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Wang X, Sliwoski GR, Buttner EA. The relevance of Caenorhabditis elegans genetics for understanding human psychiatric disease. Harv Rev Psychiatry 2011; 19:210-8. [PMID: 21790269 DOI: 10.3109/10673229.2011.599185] [Citation(s) in RCA: 8] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.6] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Submit a Manuscript] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 01/10/2023]
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Karmacharya R, Lynn SK, Demarco S, Ortiz A, Wang X, Lundy MY, Xie Z, Cohen BM, Miller GM, Buttner EA. Behavioral effects of clozapine: involvement of trace amine pathways in C. elegans and M. musculus. Brain Res 2011; 1393:91-9. [PMID: 21529784 PMCID: PMC3107707 DOI: 10.1016/j.brainres.2011.04.010] [Citation(s) in RCA: 20] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 01/25/2011] [Revised: 04/02/2011] [Accepted: 04/04/2011] [Indexed: 11/27/2022]
Abstract
Clozapine is an antipsychotic medication with superior efficacy in treatment refractory schizophrenia. The molecular basis of clozapine's therapeutic profile is not well understood. We studied behavioral effects of clozapine in Caenorhabditis elegans to identify novel pathways that modulate clozapine's biological effects. Clozapine stimulated egg laying in C. elegans in a dose-dependent manner. This effect was clozapine-specific, as it was not observed with exposure to a typical antipsychotic, haloperidol or an atypical antipsychotic, olanzapine. A candidate gene screen of biogenic amine neurotransmitter systems identified signaling pathways that mediate this clozapine-specific effect on egg laying. Specifically, we found that clozapine-induced increase in egg laying requires tyramine biosynthesis. To test the implications of this finding across species, we explored whether trace amine systems modulate clozapine's behavioral effects in mammals by studying trace amine-associated receptor 1 (TAAR1) knockout mice. Clozapine increased prepulse inhibition (PPI) in wild-type mice. This increase in PPI was abrogated in TAAR1 knockout mice, implicating TAAR1 in clozapine-induced PPI enhancement. In transfected mammalian cell lines, we found no TAAR activation by antipsychotics, suggesting that modulation of trace amine signaling in mice does not occur directly at the receptor itself. In summary, we report a heretofore-unknown role for trace amine systems in clozapine-mediated effects across two species: C. elegans and mice.
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Affiliation(s)
- Rakesh Karmacharya
- Department of Psychiatry, Harvard Medical School, Boston, MA 02115 USA
- Mailman Research Center and Frazier Research Institute, McLean Hospital, 115 Mill Street, Belmont, MA 02478 USA
- Chemical Biology Program, Broad Institute of Harvard and MIT, 7 Cambridge Center, Cambridge, MA 02142 USA
| | - Spencer K. Lynn
- Department of Psychiatry, Harvard Medical School, Boston, MA 02115 USA
- Mailman Research Center and Frazier Research Institute, McLean Hospital, 115 Mill Street, Belmont, MA 02478 USA
- Department of Psychology, Boston College, Chestnut Hill, MA 02467 USA
| | - Sarah Demarco
- Mailman Research Center and Frazier Research Institute, McLean Hospital, 115 Mill Street, Belmont, MA 02478 USA
| | - Angelica Ortiz
- Mailman Research Center and Frazier Research Institute, McLean Hospital, 115 Mill Street, Belmont, MA 02478 USA
| | - Xin Wang
- Mailman Research Center and Frazier Research Institute, McLean Hospital, 115 Mill Street, Belmont, MA 02478 USA
| | - Miriam Y. Lundy
- Mailman Research Center and Frazier Research Institute, McLean Hospital, 115 Mill Street, Belmont, MA 02478 USA
| | - Zhihua Xie
- Department of Psychiatry, Harvard Medical School, Boston, MA 02115 USA
- Division of Neuroscience, New England Primate Research Center, Southborough, MA 01772 USA
| | - Bruce M. Cohen
- Department of Psychiatry, Harvard Medical School, Boston, MA 02115 USA
- Mailman Research Center and Frazier Research Institute, McLean Hospital, 115 Mill Street, Belmont, MA 02478 USA
| | - Gregory M. Miller
- Department of Psychiatry, Harvard Medical School, Boston, MA 02115 USA
- Division of Neuroscience, New England Primate Research Center, Southborough, MA 01772 USA
| | - Edgar A. Buttner
- Department of Psychiatry, Harvard Medical School, Boston, MA 02115 USA
- Mailman Research Center and Frazier Research Institute, McLean Hospital, 115 Mill Street, Belmont, MA 02478 USA
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Weeks KR, Dwyer DS, Aamodt EJ. Antipsychotic drugs activate the C. elegans akt pathway via the DAF-2 insulin/IGF-1 receptor. ACS Chem Neurosci 2010; 1:463-73. [PMID: 22778838 DOI: 10.1021/cn100010p] [Citation(s) in RCA: 30] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.1] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 02/08/2010] [Accepted: 03/15/2010] [Indexed: 01/23/2023] Open
Abstract
The molecular modes of action of antipsychotic drugs are poorly understood beyond their effects at the dopamine D2 receptor. Previous studies have placed Akt signaling downstream of D2 dopamine receptors, and recent data have suggested an association between psychotic illnesses and defective Akt signaling. To characterize the effect of antipsychotic drugs on the Akt pathway, we used the model organism C. elegans, a simple system where the Akt/forkhead box O transcription factor (FOXO) pathway has been well characterized. All major classes of antipsychotic drugs increased signaling through the insulin/Akt/FOXO pathway, whereas four other drugs that are known to affect the central nervous system did not. The antipsychotic drugs inhibited dauer formation, dauer recovery, and shortened lifespan, three biological processes affected by Akt signaling. Genetic analysis showed that AKT-1 and the insulin and insulin-like growth factor receptor, DAF-2, were required for the antipsychotic drugs to increase signaling. Serotonin synthesis was partially involved, whereas the mitogen activated protein kinase (MAPK), SEK-1 is a MAP kinase kinase (MAPKK), and calcineurin were not involved. This is the first example of a common but specific molecular effect produced by all presently known antipsychotic drugs in any biological system. Because untreated schizophrenics have been reported to have low levels of Akt signaling, increased Akt signaling might contribute to the therapeutic actions of antipsychotic drugs.
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Affiliation(s)
- Kathrine R. Weeks
- Department of Biochemistry and Molecular Biology, Louisiana State University Health Sciences Center, 1501 Kings Highway, Shreveport, Louisiana 71130-3932
| | - Donard S. Dwyer
- Department of Psychiatry and Department of Pharmacology, Louisiana State University Health Sciences Center, 1501 Kings Highway, Shreveport, Louisiana 71130-3932
| | - Eric J. Aamodt
- Department of Biochemistry and Molecular Biology, Louisiana State University Health Sciences Center, 1501 Kings Highway, Shreveport, Louisiana 71130-3932
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