1
|
Eichenauer H, Fischer S, Gardini E, Onsongo S, Ehlert U. Effects of improved on-farm crop storage on DNA methylation of mothers and their infants: evidence from a randomized controlled trial in Kenya. Clin Epigenetics 2024; 16:90. [PMID: 38978139 PMCID: PMC11232227 DOI: 10.1186/s13148-024-01693-z] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 03/11/2024] [Accepted: 06/06/2024] [Indexed: 07/10/2024] Open
Abstract
BACKGROUND Stress during pregnancy can lead to adverse maternal and infant health outcomes through epigenetic changes in the hypothalamic-pituitary-adrenal axis. Among farmers in low-income countries, one important stressor is food insecurity, which can be reduced using hermetic storage bags. This study aimed to determine, for the first time, whether a hermetic storage bag intervention during pregnancy positively affects maternal and infant DNA methylation of the hypothalamic-pituitary-adrenal axis-related genes FKBP5 and NR3C1. We further analyzed whether anthropometrics, stress, and mental health were associated with DNA methylation. METHODS This study was part of a larger matched-pair randomized controlled trial focusing on the impact of improved on-farm storage on food security, poverty, and net income of smallholder farming households. A total of N = 149 mothers were recruited by telephone and invited to attend a study appointment at health facilities in Kakamega County, Western Kenya, with their infants in April or May 2021. During the appointment, anthropometric measurements were taken, questionnaires on stress and mental health were administered, and saliva samples were collected. Logistic and multiple linear regression were used to examine the effect of the intervention and related measures on DNA methylation. RESULTS Mothers in the intervention group showed higher mean NR3C1 methylation levels than those in the control group, corrected for multiple testing. Maternal postpartum body mass index was positively associated with infant NR3C1 CpG3 DNA methylation. The more stressful life events a mother had experienced in the previous 12 months (including during pregnancy), the lower her FKBP5 CpG3 methylation levels. CONCLUSIONS Food insecurity and stressful life events during pregnancy seem to exert significant effects on maternal DNA methylation. While these stressors did not appear to impact infant DNA methylation in the present study, maternal postpartum body mass index was significantly related to infant methylation. These findings suggest that while infants may be protected from excessive maternal glucocorticoids by placental barrier activity, maternal metabolic status is still reflected in their epigenetic make-up. Trial registration This study was part of a larger matched-pair randomized controlled trial on the impact of improved on-farm crop storage on welfare, nutrition, and human health. Registration can be found in the American Economic Association (AEA) RCT Registry, RCT ID: AEARCTR-0005845.
Collapse
Affiliation(s)
- Heike Eichenauer
- Institute of Psychology, Clinical Psychology and Psychotherapy, University of Zurich, Binzmuehlestrasse 14/Box 26, 8050, Zurich, Switzerland
| | - Susanne Fischer
- Institute of Psychology, Clinical Psychology and Psychotherapy, University of Zurich, Binzmuehlestrasse 14/Box 26, 8050, Zurich, Switzerland
| | - Elena Gardini
- Institute of Psychology, Clinical Psychology and Psychotherapy, University of Zurich, Binzmuehlestrasse 14/Box 26, 8050, Zurich, Switzerland
| | | | - Ulrike Ehlert
- Institute of Psychology, Clinical Psychology and Psychotherapy, University of Zurich, Binzmuehlestrasse 14/Box 26, 8050, Zurich, Switzerland.
| |
Collapse
|
2
|
de Nooij L, Wirz L, Heling E, Pais M, Hendriks GJ, Verkes RJ, Roozendaal B, Hermans EJ. Exogenous glucocorticoids to improve extinction learning for post-traumatic stress disorder patients with hypothalamic-pituitary-adrenal-axis dysregulation: a study protocol description. Eur J Psychotraumatol 2024; 15:2364441. [PMID: 38973398 PMCID: PMC11232644 DOI: 10.1080/20008066.2024.2364441] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Submit a Manuscript] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 01/29/2024] [Accepted: 05/15/2024] [Indexed: 07/09/2024] Open
Abstract
Background: Trauma-focused treatments for post-traumatic stress disorder (PTSD) are effective for many patients. However, relapse may occur when acquired extinction memories fail to generalize beyond treatment contexts. A subgroup of PTSD patients - potentially with substantial exposure to early-life adversity (ELA) - show dysregulation of the hypothalamic-pituitary-adrenal (HPA) axis, which results in lower cortisol levels. Glucocorticoids, including cortisol, appear to facilitate strength and generalization of emotional memories.Objective: We describe the protocol of an integrated PTSD study. We investigate (A) associations between HPA-axis dysregulation, ELA, epigenetic markers, and PTSD treatment outcome (observational study); and (B) effects of exogenous glucocorticoids on strength and generalization of extinction memories and associated neural mechanisms [pharmacological intervention study with functional magnetic resonance imaging (fMRI)]. The objective is to provide proof of concept that PTSD patients with HPA-axis dysregulation often experienced ELA and may show improved strength and generalization of extinction learning after glucocorticoid administration.Method: The observational study (n = 160 PTSD group, n = 30 control group) assesses ELA, follow-up PTSD symptoms, epigenetic markers, and HPA-axis characteristics (salivary cortisol levels during low-dose dexamethasone suppression test and socially evaluated cold-pressor test). The pharmacological intervention study (n = 80 PTSD group, with and without HPA-axis dysregulation) is a placebo-controlled fMRI study with a crossover design. To investigate strength and generalization of extinction memories, we use a differential fear acquisition, extinction, and extinction recall task with spatial contexts within a virtual environment. Prior to extinction learning, 20 mg hydrocortisone or placebo is administered. During next-day recall, strength of the extinction memory is determined by recovery of skin conductance and pupil dilation differential responding, whereas generalization is assessed by comparing responses between different spatial contexts.Conclusion: The integrated study described in the current protocol paper could inform a personalized treatment approach in which these PTSD patients may receive glucocorticoids as a treatment enhancer in trauma-focused therapies.Trial registration: The research project is registered in the European Union Drug Regulating Authorities Clinical Trials (EudraCT) database, https://eudract.ema.europa.eu/, EudraCT number 2020-000712-30.
Collapse
Affiliation(s)
- Laura de Nooij
- Department of Cognitive Neuroscience, Radboud University Medical Center, Donders Institute for Brain, Cognition and Behaviour, Nijmegen, The Netherlands
| | - Lisa Wirz
- Department of Cognitive Neuroscience, Radboud University Medical Center, Donders Institute for Brain, Cognition and Behaviour, Nijmegen, The Netherlands
- Cognitive Psychology, Ruhr-University Bochum, Bochum, Germany
| | - Emma Heling
- Department of Cognitive Neuroscience, Radboud University Medical Center, Donders Institute for Brain, Cognition and Behaviour, Nijmegen, The Netherlands
| | - Mariana Pais
- Department of Cognitive Neuroscience, Radboud University Medical Center, Donders Institute for Brain, Cognition and Behaviour, Nijmegen, The Netherlands
| | - Gert-Jan Hendriks
- Behavioural Science Institute, Radboud University, Nijmegen, The Netherlands
- ‘Overwaal’ Center of Expertise for Anxiety, Obsessive Compulsive and Posttraumatic Stress Disorders, Institution for Integrated Mental Health Care “Pro Persona”, Nijmegen, The Netherlands
| | - Robbert-Jan Verkes
- Department of Cognitive Neuroscience, Radboud University Medical Center, Donders Institute for Brain, Cognition and Behaviour, Nijmegen, The Netherlands
- Kairos Forensic Care, Pompestichting, Nijmegen, The Netherlands
| | - Benno Roozendaal
- Department of Cognitive Neuroscience, Radboud University Medical Center, Donders Institute for Brain, Cognition and Behaviour, Nijmegen, The Netherlands
| | - Erno J. Hermans
- Department of Cognitive Neuroscience, Radboud University Medical Center, Donders Institute for Brain, Cognition and Behaviour, Nijmegen, The Netherlands
| |
Collapse
|
3
|
Gescher DM, Schanze D, Vavra P, Wolff P, Zimmer-Bensch G, Zenker M, Frodl T, Schmahl C. Differential methylation of OPRK1 in borderline personality disorder is associated with childhood trauma. Mol Psychiatry 2024:10.1038/s41380-024-02628-z. [PMID: 38862675 DOI: 10.1038/s41380-024-02628-z] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Submit a Manuscript] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 09/19/2023] [Revised: 05/21/2024] [Accepted: 05/28/2024] [Indexed: 06/13/2024]
Abstract
According to a growing body of neurobiological evidence, the core symptoms of borderline personality disorder (BPD) may be linked to an opioidergic imbalance between the hedonic and stimulatory activity of mu opioid receptors (MOR) and the reward system inhibiting effects of kappa opioid receptors (KOR). Childhood trauma (CT), which is etiologically relevant to BPD, is also likely to lead to epigenetic and neurobiological adaptations by extensive activation of the stress and endogenous opioid systems. In this study, we investigated the methylation differences in the promoter of the KOR gene (OPRK1) in subjects with BPD (N = 47) and healthy controls (N = 48). Comparing the average methylation rates of regulatorily relevant subregions (specified regions CGI-1, CGI-2, EH1), we found no differences between BPD and HC. Analyzing individual CG nucleotides (N = 175), we found eight differentially methylated CG sites, all of which were less methylated in BPD, with five showing highly interrelated methylation rates. This differentially methylated region (DMR) was found on the falling slope (5') of the promoter methylation gap, whose effect is enhanced by the DMR hypomethylation in BPD. A dimensional assessment of the correlation between disease severity and DMR methylation rate revealed DMR hypomethylation to be negatively associated with BPD symptom severity (measured by BSL-23). Finally, analyzing the influence of CT on DMR methylation, we found DMR hypomethylation to correlate with physical and emotional neglect in childhood (quantified by CTQ). Thus, the newly identified DMR may be a biomarker of the risks caused by CT, which likely epigenetically contribute to the development of BPD.
Collapse
Affiliation(s)
- Dorothee Maria Gescher
- Department of Psychiatry, Psychotherapy and Psychosomatics, Medical Faculty, RWTH Aachen University, Aachen, Germany.
- Department for General Psychiatry, Center of Psychosocial Medicine, Medical Faculty, Heidelberg University, Heidelberg, Germany.
- Department of Psychiatry and Psychotherapy, Medical Faculty, Otto-von-Guericke University, Magdeburg, Germany.
| | - Denny Schanze
- Institute of Human Genetics, Medical Faculty, Otto-von-Guericke University, Magdeburg, Germany
| | - Peter Vavra
- Department of Biological Psychology, Institute of Psychology, Otto-von-Guericke University, Magdeburg, Germany
| | - Philip Wolff
- Division of Neuroepigenetics, Institute of Zoology (Biology II), RWTH Aachen University, Aachen, Germany
| | - Geraldine Zimmer-Bensch
- Division of Neuroepigenetics, Institute of Zoology (Biology II), RWTH Aachen University, Aachen, Germany
| | - Martin Zenker
- Institute of Human Genetics, Medical Faculty, Otto-von-Guericke University, Magdeburg, Germany
| | - Thomas Frodl
- Department of Psychiatry, Psychotherapy and Psychosomatics, Medical Faculty, RWTH Aachen University, Aachen, Germany
- Department of Psychiatry and Psychotherapy, Medical Faculty, Otto-von-Guericke University, Magdeburg, Germany
- German Center for Mental Health (DZPG), Jena-Magdeburg-Halle, Germany
- Center for Intervention and Research on adaptive and maladaptive brain Circuits underlying mental health (C-I-R-C), Jena-Magdeburg-Halle, Germany
| | - Christian Schmahl
- Department of Psychosomatic Medicine and Psychotherapy, Central Institute of Mental Health, Medical Faculty Mannheim, Heidelberg University, Mannheim, Germany
| |
Collapse
|
4
|
Butzin-Dozier Z, Mertens AN, Tan ST, Granger DA, Pitchik HO, Il'yasova D, Tofail F, Rahman MZ, Spasojevic I, Shalev I, Ali S, Karim MR, Shahriar S, Famida SL, Shuman G, Shoab AK, Akther S, Hossen MS, Mutsuddi P, Rahman M, Unicomb L, Das KK, Yan L, Meyer A, Stewart CP, Hubbard AE, Naved RT, Parvin K, Mamun MMA, Luby SP, Colford JM, Fernald LCH, Lin A. Stress biomarkers and child development in young children in Bangladesh. Psychoneuroendocrinology 2024; 164:107023. [PMID: 38522372 PMCID: PMC11157411 DOI: 10.1016/j.psyneuen.2024.107023] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Submit a Manuscript] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 09/23/2023] [Revised: 01/31/2024] [Accepted: 03/09/2024] [Indexed: 03/26/2024]
Abstract
BACKGROUND Hundreds of millions of children in low- and middle-income countries are exposed to chronic stressors, such as poverty, poor sanitation and hygiene, and sub-optimal nutrition. These stressors can have physiological consequences for children and may ultimately have detrimental effects on child development. This study explores associations between biological measures of chronic stress in early life and developmental outcomes in a large cohort of young children living in rural Bangladesh. METHODS We assessed physiologic measures of stress in the first two years of life using measures of the hypothalamic-pituitary-adrenal (HPA) axis (salivary cortisol and glucocorticoid receptor gene methylation), the sympathetic-adrenal-medullary (SAM) system (salivary alpha-amylase, heart rate, and blood pressure), and oxidative status (F2-isoprostanes). We assessed child development in the first two years of life with the MacArthur-Bates Communicative Development Inventories (CDI), the WHO gross motor milestones, and the Extended Ages and Stages Questionnaire (EASQ). We compared development outcomes of children at the 75th and 25th percentiles of stress biomarker distributions while adjusting for potential confounders using generalized additive models, which are statistical models where the outcome is predicted by a potentially non-linear function of predictor variables. RESULTS We analyzed data from 684 children (49% female) at both 14 and 28 months of age; we included an additional 765 children at 28 months of age. We detected a significant relationship between HPA axis activity and child development, where increased HPA axis activity was associated with poor development outcomes. Specifically, we found that cortisol reactivity (coefficient -0.15, 95% CI (-0.29, -0.01)) and post-stressor levels (coefficient -0.12, 95% CI (-0.24, -0.01)) were associated with CDI comprehension score, post-stressor cortisol was associated with combined EASQ score (coefficient -0.22, 95% CI (-0.41, -0.04), and overall glucocorticoid receptor methylation was associated with CDI expression score (coefficient -0.09, 95% CI (-0.17, -0.01)). We did not detect a significant relationship between SAM activity or oxidative status and child development. CONCLUSIONS Our observations reveal associations between the physiological evidence of stress in the HPA axis with developmental status in early childhood. These findings add to the existing evidence exploring the developmental consequences of early life stress.
Collapse
Affiliation(s)
| | - Andrew N Mertens
- School of Public Health, University of California, Berkeley, CA, USA
| | - Sophia T Tan
- Division of Infectious Diseases and Geographic Medicine, Stanford University, Stanford, CA, USA
| | - Douglas A Granger
- Institute for Interdisciplinary Salivary Bioscience Research, University of California, Irvine, CA, USA; Department of Pediatrics, Johns Hopkins University School of Medicine, Baltimore, MD, USA
| | - Helen O Pitchik
- School of Public Health, University of California, Berkeley, CA, USA
| | | | - Fahmida Tofail
- International Centre for Diarrhoeal Disease Research, Dhaka, Bangladesh
| | - Md Ziaur Rahman
- International Centre for Diarrhoeal Disease Research, Dhaka, Bangladesh
| | | | - Idan Shalev
- Department of Biobehavioral Health, Pennsylvania State University, University Park, PA, USA
| | - Shahjahan Ali
- International Centre for Diarrhoeal Disease Research, Dhaka, Bangladesh
| | | | - Sunny Shahriar
- International Centre for Diarrhoeal Disease Research, Dhaka, Bangladesh
| | | | - Gabrielle Shuman
- School of Public Health, University of California, Berkeley, CA, USA
| | - Abul K Shoab
- International Centre for Diarrhoeal Disease Research, Dhaka, Bangladesh
| | - Salma Akther
- International Centre for Diarrhoeal Disease Research, Dhaka, Bangladesh
| | - Md Saheen Hossen
- International Centre for Diarrhoeal Disease Research, Dhaka, Bangladesh
| | - Palash Mutsuddi
- International Centre for Diarrhoeal Disease Research, Dhaka, Bangladesh
| | - Mahbubur Rahman
- International Centre for Diarrhoeal Disease Research, Dhaka, Bangladesh
| | - Leanne Unicomb
- International Centre for Diarrhoeal Disease Research, Dhaka, Bangladesh
| | - Kishor K Das
- International Centre for Diarrhoeal Disease Research, Dhaka, Bangladesh
| | | | | | | | - Alan E Hubbard
- School of Public Health, University of California, Berkeley, CA, USA
| | | | - Kausar Parvin
- International Centre for Diarrhoeal Disease Research, Dhaka, Bangladesh
| | | | - Stephen P Luby
- Division of Infectious Diseases and Geographic Medicine, Stanford University, Stanford, CA, USA
| | - John M Colford
- School of Public Health, University of California, Berkeley, CA, USA
| | - Lia C H Fernald
- School of Public Health, University of California, Berkeley, CA, USA
| | - Audrie Lin
- Department of Microbiology and Environmental Toxicology, University of California, Santa Cruz, CA, USA.
| |
Collapse
|
5
|
Baud O, Knoop M. [Oxytocin as a neuroprotective strategy in neonates: concept and preclinical evidence]. GYNECOLOGIE, OBSTETRIQUE, FERTILITE & SENOLOGIE 2024; 52:418-424. [PMID: 38145743 DOI: 10.1016/j.gofs.2023.12.005] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 12/20/2023] [Accepted: 12/20/2023] [Indexed: 12/27/2023]
Abstract
OBJECTIVE Prematurity and intra-uterine growth retardation are responsible for brain damage associated with various neurocognitive and behavioral disorders in more than 9 million children each year. Most pharmacological strategies aimed at preventing perinatal brain injury have not demonstrated substantial clinical benefits so far. In contrast, enrichment of the newborn's environment appears to have positive effects on brain structure and function, influences newborn hormonal responses, and has lasting neurobehavioral consequences during infancy and adulthood. Oxytocin (OT), a neuropeptide released by the hypothalamus, may represent the hormonal basis for these long-term effects. METHOD This review of the literature summarizes the knowledge concerning the effect of OT in the newborn and the preclinical data supporting its neuroprotective effect. RESULTS OT plays a role during the perinatal period, in parent-child attachment and in social behavior. Furthermore, preclinical studies strongly suggest that endogenous and synthetic OT is capable of regulating the inflammatory response of the central nervous system in response to situations of prematurity or more generally insults to the developing brain. The long-term effect of synthetic OT administration during labor is also discussed. CONCLUSION All the conceptual and experimental data converge to indicate that OT would be a promising candidate for neonatal neuroprotection, in particular through the regulation of neuroinflammation.
Collapse
Affiliation(s)
- Olivier Baud
- Laboratoire du développement, Université de Genève, Genève, Suisse; Inserm U1141, Université Paris Cité, Paris, France; Service de Soins Intensifs Pédiatriques et Néonatologie, Hôpitaux Universitaires de Genève, Genève, Suisse.
| | - Marit Knoop
- Laboratoire du développement, Université de Genève, Genève, Suisse
| |
Collapse
|
6
|
Liu M, Deng P, Li G, Liu H, Zuo J, Cui W, Zhang H, Chen X, Yao J, Peng X, Peng L, Liu J, Zheng W, Yan W, Luan N. Neurotoxicity of Combined Exposure to the Heavy Metals (Pb and As) in Zebrafish ( Danio rerio). TOXICS 2024; 12:282. [PMID: 38668505 PMCID: PMC11054020 DOI: 10.3390/toxics12040282] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 03/18/2024] [Revised: 04/02/2024] [Accepted: 04/09/2024] [Indexed: 04/29/2024]
Abstract
Lead (Pb) and arsenic (As) are commonly occurring heavy metals in the environment and produce detrimental impacts on the central nervous system. Although they have both been indicated to exhibit neurotoxic properties, it is not known if they have joint effects, and their mechanisms of action are likewise unknown. In this study, zebrafish were exposed to different concentrations of Pb (40 μg/L, 4 mg/L), As (32 μg/L, 3.2 mg/L) and their combinations (40 μg/L + 32 μg/L, 4 mg/L + 3.2 mg/L) for 30 days. The histopathological analyses showed significant brain damage characterized by glial scar formation and ventricular enlargement in all exposed groups. In addition, either Pb or As staining inhibited the swimming speed of zebrafish, which was enhanced by their high concentrations in a mixture. To elucidate the underlying mechanisms, we examined changes in acetylcholinesterase (AChE) activity, neurotransmitter (dopamine, 5-hydroxytryptamine) levels, HPI axis-related hormone (cortisol and epinephrine) contents and neurodevelopment-related gene expression in zebrafish brain. The observations suggest that combined exposure to Pb and As can cause abnormalities in swimming behavior and ultimately exacerbate neurotoxicity in zebrafish by interfering with the cholinergic system, dopamine and 5-hydroxytryptamine signaling, HPI axis function as well as neuronal development. This study provides an important theoretical basis for the mixed exposure of heavy metals and their toxicity to aquatic organisms.
Collapse
Affiliation(s)
- Ming Liu
- College of Fisheries, Huazhong Agricultural University, Wuhan 430070, China; (M.L.); (G.L.); (H.L.); (J.Z.); (W.Z.)
| | - Ping Deng
- Wuhan Academy of Agricultural Sciences, Wuhan 430056, China;
| | - Guangyu Li
- College of Fisheries, Huazhong Agricultural University, Wuhan 430070, China; (M.L.); (G.L.); (H.L.); (J.Z.); (W.Z.)
| | - Haoling Liu
- College of Fisheries, Huazhong Agricultural University, Wuhan 430070, China; (M.L.); (G.L.); (H.L.); (J.Z.); (W.Z.)
| | - Junli Zuo
- College of Fisheries, Huazhong Agricultural University, Wuhan 430070, China; (M.L.); (G.L.); (H.L.); (J.Z.); (W.Z.)
| | - Wenwen Cui
- Hubei Key Laboratory of Nutritional Quality and Safety of Agro-Products, Institute of Quality Standard and Testing Technology for Agro-Products, Hubei Academy of Agricultural Sciences, Wuhan 430064, China; (W.C.); (H.Z.); (X.C.); (J.Y.); (X.P.); (L.P.); (J.L.)
| | - Huixian Zhang
- Hubei Key Laboratory of Nutritional Quality and Safety of Agro-Products, Institute of Quality Standard and Testing Technology for Agro-Products, Hubei Academy of Agricultural Sciences, Wuhan 430064, China; (W.C.); (H.Z.); (X.C.); (J.Y.); (X.P.); (L.P.); (J.L.)
| | - Xin Chen
- Hubei Key Laboratory of Nutritional Quality and Safety of Agro-Products, Institute of Quality Standard and Testing Technology for Agro-Products, Hubei Academy of Agricultural Sciences, Wuhan 430064, China; (W.C.); (H.Z.); (X.C.); (J.Y.); (X.P.); (L.P.); (J.L.)
| | - Jingjing Yao
- Hubei Key Laboratory of Nutritional Quality and Safety of Agro-Products, Institute of Quality Standard and Testing Technology for Agro-Products, Hubei Academy of Agricultural Sciences, Wuhan 430064, China; (W.C.); (H.Z.); (X.C.); (J.Y.); (X.P.); (L.P.); (J.L.)
| | - Xitian Peng
- Hubei Key Laboratory of Nutritional Quality and Safety of Agro-Products, Institute of Quality Standard and Testing Technology for Agro-Products, Hubei Academy of Agricultural Sciences, Wuhan 430064, China; (W.C.); (H.Z.); (X.C.); (J.Y.); (X.P.); (L.P.); (J.L.)
| | - Lijun Peng
- Hubei Key Laboratory of Nutritional Quality and Safety of Agro-Products, Institute of Quality Standard and Testing Technology for Agro-Products, Hubei Academy of Agricultural Sciences, Wuhan 430064, China; (W.C.); (H.Z.); (X.C.); (J.Y.); (X.P.); (L.P.); (J.L.)
| | - Jiao Liu
- Hubei Key Laboratory of Nutritional Quality and Safety of Agro-Products, Institute of Quality Standard and Testing Technology for Agro-Products, Hubei Academy of Agricultural Sciences, Wuhan 430064, China; (W.C.); (H.Z.); (X.C.); (J.Y.); (X.P.); (L.P.); (J.L.)
| | - Wenting Zheng
- College of Fisheries, Huazhong Agricultural University, Wuhan 430070, China; (M.L.); (G.L.); (H.L.); (J.Z.); (W.Z.)
| | - Wei Yan
- Hubei Key Laboratory of Nutritional Quality and Safety of Agro-Products, Institute of Quality Standard and Testing Technology for Agro-Products, Hubei Academy of Agricultural Sciences, Wuhan 430064, China; (W.C.); (H.Z.); (X.C.); (J.Y.); (X.P.); (L.P.); (J.L.)
| | - Ning Luan
- College of Fisheries, Huazhong Agricultural University, Wuhan 430070, China; (M.L.); (G.L.); (H.L.); (J.Z.); (W.Z.)
| |
Collapse
|
7
|
Burenkova OV, Grigorenko EL. The role of epigenetic mechanisms in the long-term effects of early-life adversity and mother-infant relationship on physiology and behavior of offspring in laboratory rats and mice. Dev Psychobiol 2024; 66:e22479. [PMID: 38470450 PMCID: PMC10959231 DOI: 10.1002/dev.22479] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 09/15/2023] [Revised: 01/23/2024] [Accepted: 02/16/2024] [Indexed: 03/13/2024]
Abstract
Maternal care during the early postnatal period of altricial mammals is a key factor in the survival and adaptation of offspring to environmental conditions. Natural variations in maternal care and experimental manipulations with maternal-child relationships modeling early-life adversity (ELA) in laboratory rats and mice have a strong long-term influence on the physiology and behavior of offspring in rats and mice. This literature review is devoted to the latest research on the role of epigenetic mechanisms in these effects of ELA and mother-infant relationship, with a focus on the regulation of hypothalamic-pituitary-adrenal axis and brain-derived neurotrophic factor. An important part of this review is dedicated to pharmacological interventions and epigenetic editing as tools for studying the causal role of epigenetic mechanisms in the development of physiological and behavioral profiles. A special section of the manuscript will discuss the translational potential of the discussed research.
Collapse
Affiliation(s)
- Olga V. Burenkova
- Department of Psychology, University of Houston, Houston, Texas, USA
- Texas Institute for Measurement, Evaluation, and Statistics, University of Houston, Houston, Texas, USA
- Department of Integrative Biology, University of Guelph, Guelph, Ontario, Canada
| | - Elena L. Grigorenko
- Department of Psychology, University of Houston, Houston, Texas, USA
- Texas Institute for Measurement, Evaluation, and Statistics, University of Houston, Houston, Texas, USA
- Center for Cognitive Sciences, Sirius University of Science and Technology, Sochi, Russia
- Departments of Molecular and Human Genetics and Pediatrics, Baylor College of Medicine, Houston, Texas, USA
- Child Study Center, Yale University, New Haven, Connecticut, USA
- Research Administration, Moscow State University for Psychology and Education, Moscow, Russia
| |
Collapse
|
8
|
Jones EF, Haldar A, Oza VH, Lasseigne BN. Quantifying transcriptome diversity: a review. Brief Funct Genomics 2024; 23:83-94. [PMID: 37225889 DOI: 10.1093/bfgp/elad019] [Citation(s) in RCA: 3] [Impact Index Per Article: 3.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 01/18/2023] [Revised: 04/14/2023] [Accepted: 05/05/2023] [Indexed: 05/26/2023] Open
Abstract
Following the central dogma of molecular biology, gene expression heterogeneity can aid in predicting and explaining the wide variety of protein products, functions and, ultimately, heterogeneity in phenotypes. There is currently overlapping terminology used to describe the types of diversity in gene expression profiles, and overlooking these nuances can misrepresent important biological information. Here, we describe transcriptome diversity as a measure of the heterogeneity in (1) the expression of all genes within a sample or a single gene across samples in a population (gene-level diversity) or (2) the isoform-specific expression of a given gene (isoform-level diversity). We first overview modulators and quantification of transcriptome diversity at the gene level. Then, we discuss the role alternative splicing plays in driving transcript isoform-level diversity and how it can be quantified. Additionally, we overview computational resources for calculating gene-level and isoform-level diversity for high-throughput sequencing data. Finally, we discuss future applications of transcriptome diversity. This review provides a comprehensive overview of how gene expression diversity arises, and how measuring it determines a more complete picture of heterogeneity across proteins, cells, tissues, organisms and species.
Collapse
Affiliation(s)
- Emma F Jones
- The Department of Cell, Developmental and Integrative Biology, Heersink School of Medicine, The University of Alabama at Birmingham, Birmingham, AL, USA
| | - Anisha Haldar
- The Department of Cell, Developmental and Integrative Biology, Heersink School of Medicine, The University of Alabama at Birmingham, Birmingham, AL, USA
| | - Vishal H Oza
- The Department of Cell, Developmental and Integrative Biology, Heersink School of Medicine, The University of Alabama at Birmingham, Birmingham, AL, USA
| | - Brittany N Lasseigne
- The Department of Cell, Developmental and Integrative Biology, Heersink School of Medicine, The University of Alabama at Birmingham, Birmingham, AL, USA
| |
Collapse
|
9
|
Fadaei-Kenarsary M, Esmaeilpour K, Shabani M, Sheibani V. Maternal Substance Use and Early-Life Adversity: Inducing Drug Dependence in Offspring, Interactions, Mechanisms, and Treatments. ADDICTION & HEALTH 2024; 16:51-66. [PMID: 38651025 PMCID: PMC11032613 DOI: 10.34172/ahj.2024.1478] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 07/03/2023] [Accepted: 08/11/2023] [Indexed: 04/25/2024]
Abstract
The likelihood of substance dependency in offspring is increased in cases when there is a family history of drug or alcohol use. Mothering is limited by maternal addiction because of the separation. Maternal separation (MS) leads to the development of behavioural and neuropsychiatric issues in the future. Despite the importance of this issue, empirical investigations of the influences of maternal substance use and separation on substance use problems in offspring are limited, and studies that consider both effects are rare. This study aims to review a few studies on the mechanisms, treatments, genetics, epigenetics, molecular and psychological alterations, and neuroanatomical regions involved in the dependence of offspring who underwent maternal addiction and separation. The PubMed database was used. A total of 95 articles were found, including the most related ones in the review. The brain's lateral paragigantocellularis (LPGi), nucleus accumbens (NAc), caudate-putamen (CPu), prefrontal cortex (PFC), and hippocampus, can be affected by MS. Dopamine receptor subtype genes, alcohol biomarker minor allele, and preproenkephalin mRNA may be affected by alcohol or substance use disorders. After early-life adversity, histone acetylation in the hippocampus may be linked to brain-derived neurotrophic factor (BDNF) gene epigenetics and glucocorticoid receptors (GRs). The adverse early-life experiences differ in offspring›s genders and rewire the brain›s dopamine and endocannabinoid circuits, making offspring more susceptible to dependence. Related psychological factors rooted in early-life stress (ELS) and parental substance use disorder (SUD). Treatments include antidepressants, histone deacetylase inhibitors, lamotrigine, ketamine, choline, modafinil, methadone, dopamine, cannabinoid 1 receptor agonists/antagonists, vitamins, oxytocin, tetrahydrocannabinol, SR141716A, and dronabinol. Finally, the study emphasizes the need for multifaceted strategies to prevent these outcomes.
Collapse
Affiliation(s)
- Maysam Fadaei-Kenarsary
- Neuroscience Research Center, Institute of Neuropharmacology, Kerman University of Medical Sciences, Kerman, Iran
| | - Khadijeh Esmaeilpour
- Neuroscience Research Center, Institute of Neuropharmacology, Kerman University of Medical Sciences, Kerman, Iran
- Department of Health Sciences, Faculty of Health, University of Waterloo, Waterloo, Ontario, Canada
| | - Mohammad Shabani
- Neuroscience Research Center, Institute of Neuropharmacology, Kerman University of Medical Sciences, Kerman, Iran
| | - Vahid Sheibani
- Neuroscience Research Center, Institute of Neuropharmacology, Kerman University of Medical Sciences, Kerman, Iran
| |
Collapse
|
10
|
Latchney SE, Cadney MD, Hopkins A, Garland T. Maternal upbringing and selective breeding for voluntary exercise behavior modify patterns of DNA methylation and expression of genes in the mouse brain. GENES, BRAIN, AND BEHAVIOR 2023; 22:e12858. [PMID: 37519068 PMCID: PMC10733581 DOI: 10.1111/gbb.12858] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 04/20/2023] [Revised: 06/26/2023] [Accepted: 07/12/2023] [Indexed: 08/01/2023]
Abstract
Selective breeding has been utilized to study the genetic basis of exercise behavior, but research suggests that epigenetic mechanisms, such as DNA methylation, also contribute to this behavior. In a previous study, we demonstrated that the brains of mice from a genetically selected high runner (HR) line have sex-specific changes in DNA methylation patterns in genes known to be genomically imprinted compared to those from a non-selected control (C) line. Through cross-fostering, we also found that maternal upbringing can modify the DNA methylation patterns of additional genes. Here, we identify an additional set of genes in which DNA methylation patterns and gene expression may be altered by selection for increased wheel-running activity and maternal upbringing. We performed bisulfite sequencing and gene expression assays of 14 genes in the brain and found alterations in DNA methylation and gene expression for Bdnf, Pde4d and Grin2b. Decreases in Bdnf methylation correlated with significant increases in Bdnf gene expression in the hippocampus of HR compared to C mice. Cross-fostering also influenced the DNA methylation patterns for Pde4d in the cortex and Grin2b in the hippocampus, with associated changes in gene expression. We also found that the DNA methylation patterns for Atrx and Oxtr in the cortex and Atrx and Bdnf in the hippocampus were further modified by sex. Together with our previous study, these results suggest that DNA methylation and the resulting change in gene expression may interact with early-life influences to shape adult exercise behavior.
Collapse
Affiliation(s)
- Sarah E. Latchney
- Department of BiologySt. Mary's College of MarylandSt. Mary's CityMarylandUSA
| | - Marcell D. Cadney
- Department of Evolution, Ecology, and Organismal BiologyUniversity of CaliforniaRiversideCaliforniaUSA
- Neuroscience Research Institute, University of CaliforniaSanta BarbaraCaliforniaUSA
| | | | - Theodore Garland
- Department of Evolution, Ecology, and Organismal BiologyUniversity of CaliforniaRiversideCaliforniaUSA
| |
Collapse
|
11
|
Butzin-Dozier Z, Mertens AN, Tan ST, Granger DA, Pitchik HO, Il’yasova D, Tofail F, Rahman MZ, Spasojevic I, Shalev I, Ali S, Karim MR, Shahriar S, Famida SL, Shuman G, Shoab AK, Akther S, Hossen MS, Mutsuddi P, Rahman M, Unicomb L, Das KK, Yan L, Meyer A, Stewart CP, Hubbard A, Tabassum Naved R, Parvin K, Mamun MMA, Luby SP, Colford JM, Fernald LCH, Lin A. Stress Biomarkers and Child Development in Young Children in Bangladesh. MEDRXIV : THE PREPRINT SERVER FOR HEALTH SCIENCES 2023:2023.09.12.23295429. [PMID: 37745503 PMCID: PMC10516093 DOI: 10.1101/2023.09.12.23295429] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 09/26/2023]
Abstract
Background Hundreds of millions of children in low- and middle-income countries are exposed to chronic stressors, such as poverty, poor sanitation and hygiene, and sub-optimal nutrition. These stressors can have physiological consequences for children and may ultimately have detrimental effects on child development. This study explores associations between biological measures of chronic stress in early life and developmental outcomes in a large cohort of young children living in rural Bangladesh. Methods We assessed physiologic measures of stress in the first two years of life using measures of the hypothalamic-pituitary-adrenal (HPA) axis (salivary cortisol and glucocorticoid receptor gene methylation), the sympathetic-adrenal-medullary (SAM) system (salivary alpha-amylase, heart rate, and blood pressure), and oxidative status (F2-isoprostanes). We assessed child development in the first two years of life with the MacArthur-Bates Communicative Development Inventories (CDI), the WHO gross motor milestones, and the Extended Ages and Stages Questionnaire (EASQ). We compared development outcomes of children at the 75th and 25th percentiles of stress biomarker distributions while adjusting for potential confounders (hereafter referred to as contrasts) using generalized additive models, which are statistical models where the outcome is predicted by a potentially non-linear function of predictor variables. Results We analyzed data from 684 children (49% female) at both 14 and 28 months of age; we included an additional 765 children at 28 months of age. We observed 135 primary contrasts of the differences in child development outcomes at the 75th and 25th percentiles of stress biomarkers, where we detected significant relationships in 5 out of 30 contrasts (17%) of HPA axis activity, 1 out of 30 contrasts (3%) of SAM activity, and 3 out of 75 contrasts (4%) of oxidative status. These findings revealed that measures of HPA axis activity were associated with poor development outcomes. We did not find consistent evidence that markers of SAM system activity or oxidative status were associated with developmental status. Conclusions Our observations reveal associations between the physiological evidence of stress in the HPA axis with developmental status in early childhood. These findings add to the existing evidence exploring the developmental consequences of early life stress.
Collapse
Affiliation(s)
| | - Andrew N. Mertens
- School of Public Health, University of California, Berkeley, Berkeley, CA USA
| | - Sophia T. Tan
- Division of HIV, Infectious Diseases, and Global Medicine, University of California, San Francisco, San Francisco, CA, USA
| | - Douglas A. Granger
- Institute for Interdisciplinary Salivary Bioscience Research, University of California, Irvine, Irvine, CA USA
- Department of Pediatrics, Johns Hopkins University School of Medicine, Baltimore, MD USA
| | - Helen O. Pitchik
- School of Public Health, University of California, Berkeley, Berkeley, CA USA
| | | | - Fahmida Tofail
- International Centre for Diarrhoeal Disease Research, Bangladesh, Dhaka, Bangladesh
| | - Md. Ziaur Rahman
- International Centre for Diarrhoeal Disease Research, Bangladesh, Dhaka, Bangladesh
| | | | - Idan Shalev
- Department of Biobehavioral Health, Pennsylvania State University, University Park, PA USA
| | - Shahjahan Ali
- International Centre for Diarrhoeal Disease Research, Bangladesh, Dhaka, Bangladesh
| | | | - Sunny Shahriar
- International Centre for Diarrhoeal Disease Research, Bangladesh, Dhaka, Bangladesh
| | - Syeda Luthfa Famida
- International Centre for Diarrhoeal Disease Research, Bangladesh, Dhaka, Bangladesh
| | - Gabrielle Shuman
- School of Public Health, University of California, Berkeley, Berkeley, CA USA
| | - Abul K. Shoab
- International Centre for Diarrhoeal Disease Research, Bangladesh, Dhaka, Bangladesh
| | - Salma Akther
- International Centre for Diarrhoeal Disease Research, Bangladesh, Dhaka, Bangladesh
| | - Md. Saheen Hossen
- International Centre for Diarrhoeal Disease Research, Bangladesh, Dhaka, Bangladesh
| | - Palash Mutsuddi
- International Centre for Diarrhoeal Disease Research, Bangladesh, Dhaka, Bangladesh
| | - Mahbubur Rahman
- International Centre for Diarrhoeal Disease Research, Bangladesh, Dhaka, Bangladesh
| | - Leanne Unicomb
- International Centre for Diarrhoeal Disease Research, Bangladesh, Dhaka, Bangladesh
| | - Kishor K. Das
- International Centre for Diarrhoeal Disease Research, Bangladesh, Dhaka, Bangladesh
| | | | | | | | - Alan Hubbard
- School of Public Health, University of California, Berkeley, Berkeley, CA USA
| | | | - Kausar Parvin
- International Centre for Diarrhoeal Disease Research, Bangladesh, Dhaka, Bangladesh
| | - Md. Mahfuz Al Mamun
- International Centre for Diarrhoeal Disease Research, Bangladesh, Dhaka, Bangladesh
| | - Stephen P. Luby
- Division of Infectious Diseases and Geographic Medicine, Stanford University, Stanford, CA USA
| | - John M. Colford
- School of Public Health, University of California, Berkeley, Berkeley, CA USA
| | - Lia C. H. Fernald
- School of Public Health, University of California, Berkeley, Berkeley, CA USA
| | - Audrie Lin
- Department of Microbiology and Environmental Toxicology, University of California, Santa Cruz, Santa Cruz, CA USA
| |
Collapse
|
12
|
Yuan M, Yang B, Rothschild G, Mann JJ, Sanford LD, Tang X, Huang C, Wang C, Zhang W. Epigenetic regulation in major depression and other stress-related disorders: molecular mechanisms, clinical relevance and therapeutic potential. Signal Transduct Target Ther 2023; 8:309. [PMID: 37644009 PMCID: PMC10465587 DOI: 10.1038/s41392-023-01519-z] [Citation(s) in RCA: 14] [Impact Index Per Article: 14.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 11/17/2022] [Revised: 05/14/2023] [Accepted: 05/31/2023] [Indexed: 08/31/2023] Open
Abstract
Major depressive disorder (MDD) is a chronic, generally episodic and debilitating disease that affects an estimated 300 million people worldwide, but its pathogenesis is poorly understood. The heritability estimate of MDD is 30-40%, suggesting that genetics alone do not account for most of the risk of major depression. Another factor known to associate with MDD involves environmental stressors such as childhood adversity and recent life stress. Recent studies have emerged to show that the biological impact of environmental factors in MDD and other stress-related disorders is mediated by a variety of epigenetic modifications. These epigenetic modification alterations contribute to abnormal neuroendocrine responses, neuroplasticity impairment, neurotransmission and neuroglia dysfunction, which are involved in the pathophysiology of MDD. Furthermore, epigenetic marks have been associated with the diagnosis and treatment of MDD. The evaluation of epigenetic modifications holds promise for further understanding of the heterogeneous etiology and complex phenotypes of MDD, and may identify new therapeutic targets. Here, we review preclinical and clinical epigenetic findings, including DNA methylation, histone modification, noncoding RNA, RNA modification, and chromatin remodeling factor in MDD. In addition, we elaborate on the contribution of these epigenetic mechanisms to the pathological trait variability in depression and discuss how such mechanisms can be exploited for therapeutic purposes.
Collapse
Affiliation(s)
- Minlan Yuan
- Mental Health Center and Psychiatric Laboratory, the State Key Laboratory of Biotherapy, West China Hospital, Sichuan University, Chengdu, 610041, China
| | - Biao Yang
- Department of Abdominal Oncology, West China Hospital, Sichuan University, Chengdu, 610041, China
| | - Gerson Rothschild
- Department of Microbiology and Immunology, Vagelos College of Physicians and Surgeons, Columbia University, New York, NY, 10032, USA
| | - J John Mann
- Department of Psychiatry, Columbia University, New York, NY, 10032, USA
- Molecular Imaging and Neuropathology Division, New York State Psychiatric Institute, New York, NY, 10032, USA
- Department of Radiology, Columbia University, New York, NY, 10032, USA
| | - Larry D Sanford
- Sleep Research Laboratory, Center for Integrative Neuroscience and Inflammatory Diseases, Pathology and Anatomy, Eastern Virginia Medical School, Norfolk, VA, USA
| | - Xiangdong Tang
- Sleep Medicine Center, Department of Respiratory and Critical Care Medicine, Mental Health Center, Translational Neuroscience Center, and State Key Laboratory of Biotherapy, West China Hospital, Sichuan University, Chengdu, 610041, China
| | - Canhua Huang
- Department of Biotherapy, Cancer Center and State Key Laboratory of Biotherapy, West China Hospital, Sichuan University, Chengdu, 610041, China
| | - Chuang Wang
- Department of Pharmacology, and Provincial Key Laboratory of Pathophysiology in School of Medicine, Ningbo University, Ningbo, Zhejiang, 315211, China.
| | - Wei Zhang
- Mental Health Center and Psychiatric Laboratory, the State Key Laboratory of Biotherapy, West China Hospital, Sichuan University, Chengdu, 610041, China.
- West China Biomedical Big Data Center, West China Hospital, Sichuan University, Chengdu, 610041, China.
- Medical Big Data Center, Sichuan University, Chengdu, 610041, China.
| |
Collapse
|
13
|
Mposhi A, Turner JD. How can early life adversity still exert an effect decades later? A question of timing, tissues and mechanisms. Front Immunol 2023; 14:1215544. [PMID: 37457711 PMCID: PMC10348484 DOI: 10.3389/fimmu.2023.1215544] [Citation(s) in RCA: 7] [Impact Index Per Article: 7.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 05/02/2023] [Accepted: 06/14/2023] [Indexed: 07/18/2023] Open
Abstract
Exposure to any number of stressors during the first 1000 days from conception to age 2 years is important in shaping an individual's life trajectory of health and disease. Despite the expanding range of stressors as well as later-life phenotypes and outcomes, the underlying molecular mechanisms remain unclear. Our previous data strongly suggests that early-life exposure to a stressor reduces the capacity of the immune system to generate subsequent generations of naïve cells, while others have shown that, early life stress impairs the capacity of neuronal stem cells to proliferate as they age. This leads us to the "stem cell hypothesis" whereby exposure to adversity during a sensitive period acts through a common mechanism in all the cell types by programming the tissue resident progenitor cells. Furthermore, we review the mechanistic differences observed in fully differentiated cells and suggest that early life adversity (ELA) may alter mitochondria in stem cells. This may consequently alter the destiny of these cells, producing the lifelong "supply" of functionally altered fully differentiated cells.
Collapse
|
14
|
Tkaczynski PJ, Mafessoni F, Girard-Buttoz C, Samuni L, Ackermann CY, Fedurek P, Gomes C, Hobaiter C, Löhrich T, Manin V, Preis A, Valé PD, Wessling EG, Wittiger L, Zommers Z, Zuberbuehler K, Vigilant L, Deschner T, Wittig RM, Crockford C. Shared community effects and the non-genetic maternal environment shape cortisol levels in wild chimpanzees. Commun Biol 2023; 6:565. [PMID: 37237178 DOI: 10.1038/s42003-023-04909-9] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 12/10/2022] [Accepted: 05/03/2023] [Indexed: 05/28/2023] Open
Abstract
Mechanisms of inheritance remain poorly defined for many fitness-mediating traits, especially in long-lived animals with protracted development. Using 6,123 urinary samples from 170 wild chimpanzees, we examined the contributions of genetics, non-genetic maternal effects, and shared community effects on variation in cortisol levels, an established predictor of survival in long-lived primates. Despite evidence for consistent individual variation in cortisol levels across years, between-group effects were more influential and made an overwhelming contribution to variation in this trait. Focusing on within-group variation, non-genetic maternal effects accounted for 8% of the individual differences in average cortisol levels, significantly more than that attributable to genetic factors, which was indistinguishable from zero. These maternal effects are consistent with a primary role of a shared environment in shaping physiology. For chimpanzees, and perhaps other species with long life histories, community and maternal effects appear more relevant than genetic inheritance in shaping key physiological traits.
Collapse
Affiliation(s)
- Patrick J Tkaczynski
- Max Planck Institute for Evolutionary Anthropology, Leipzig, Germany.
- Taï Chimpanzee Project, Centre Suisse de Recherches Scientifiques, Abidjan, Côte d'Ivoire.
- School of Biological and Environmental Sciences, Liverpool John Moores University, Liverpool, UK.
| | - Fabrizio Mafessoni
- Max Planck Institute for Evolutionary Anthropology, Leipzig, Germany.
- Weizmann Institute of Science, Department of Plant and Environmental Sciences, Rehovot, Israel.
| | - Cédric Girard-Buttoz
- Max Planck Institute for Evolutionary Anthropology, Leipzig, Germany
- Taï Chimpanzee Project, Centre Suisse de Recherches Scientifiques, Abidjan, Côte d'Ivoire
- The Ape Social Mind Lab, Institut des Sciences Cognitives, CNRS UMR 5229, Lyon, France
| | - Liran Samuni
- Max Planck Institute for Evolutionary Anthropology, Leipzig, Germany
- Taï Chimpanzee Project, Centre Suisse de Recherches Scientifiques, Abidjan, Côte d'Ivoire
- Department of Human Evolutionary Biology, Harvard University, Cambridge, MA, USA
- Centre for Social Learning & Cognitive Evolution, School of Psychology & Neuroscience, University of St Andrews, St Andrews, UK
| | - Corinne Y Ackermann
- Universite de Neuchatel, Institut de Biologie, Cognition Compare, Neuchatel, Switzerland
| | - Pawel Fedurek
- Division of Psychology, University of Stirling, Stirling, UK
| | - Cristina Gomes
- Tropical Conservation Institute, Institute of Environment, College of Arts, Science and Education, Florida International University, Miami, FL, USA
| | - Catherine Hobaiter
- Centre for Social Learning & Cognitive Evolution, School of Psychology & Neuroscience, University of St Andrews, St Andrews, UK
| | - Therese Löhrich
- World Wide Fund for Nature, Dzanga Sangha Protected Areas, BP 1053, Bangui, Central African Republic
- Robert Koch Institute, Epidemiology of Highly Pathogenic Microorganisms, Berlin, Germany
| | - Virgile Manin
- Max Planck Institute for Evolutionary Anthropology, Leipzig, Germany
- Taï Chimpanzee Project, Centre Suisse de Recherches Scientifiques, Abidjan, Côte d'Ivoire
| | - Anna Preis
- Taï Chimpanzee Project, Centre Suisse de Recherches Scientifiques, Abidjan, Côte d'Ivoire
| | - Prince D Valé
- Max Planck Institute for Evolutionary Anthropology, Leipzig, Germany
- Taï Chimpanzee Project, Centre Suisse de Recherches Scientifiques, Abidjan, Côte d'Ivoire
- Unité de Formation et de Recherche Agroferesterie, Université Jean Lorougnon Guédé, Daloa, Côte d'Ivoire
| | - Erin G Wessling
- Department of Human Evolutionary Biology, Harvard University, Cambridge, MA, USA
| | | | - Zinta Zommers
- Perry World House, University of Pennsylvania, Philadelphia, USA
| | - Klaus Zuberbuehler
- Universite de Neuchatel, Institut de Biologie, Cognition Compare, Neuchatel, Switzerland
| | - Linda Vigilant
- Max Planck Institute for Evolutionary Anthropology, Leipzig, Germany
| | - Tobias Deschner
- Institute of Cognitive Science, Comparative BioCognition, University of Osnabrück, Osnabrück, Germany
| | - Roman M Wittig
- Max Planck Institute for Evolutionary Anthropology, Leipzig, Germany
- Taï Chimpanzee Project, Centre Suisse de Recherches Scientifiques, Abidjan, Côte d'Ivoire
- The Ape Social Mind Lab, Institut des Sciences Cognitives, CNRS UMR 5229, Lyon, France
| | - Catherine Crockford
- Max Planck Institute for Evolutionary Anthropology, Leipzig, Germany
- Taï Chimpanzee Project, Centre Suisse de Recherches Scientifiques, Abidjan, Côte d'Ivoire
- The Ape Social Mind Lab, Institut des Sciences Cognitives, CNRS UMR 5229, Lyon, France
| |
Collapse
|
15
|
van Oers K, van den Heuvel K, Sepers B. The Epigenetics of Animal Personality. Neurosci Biobehav Rev 2023; 150:105194. [PMID: 37094740 DOI: 10.1016/j.neubiorev.2023.105194] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 10/29/2022] [Revised: 04/12/2023] [Accepted: 04/21/2023] [Indexed: 04/26/2023]
Abstract
Animal personality, consistent individual differences in behaviour, is an important concept for understanding how individuals vary in how they cope with environmental challenges. In order to understand the evolutionary significance of animal personality, it is crucial to understand the underlying regulatory mechanisms. Epigenetic marks such as DNA methylation are hypothesised to play a major role in explaining variation in phenotypic changes in response to environmental alterations. Several characteristics of DNA methylation also align well with the concept of animal personality. In this review paper, we summarise the current literature on the role that molecular epigenetic mechanisms may have in explaining personality variation. We elaborate on the potential for epigenetic mechanisms to explain behavioural variation, behavioural development and temporal consistency in behaviour. We then suggest future routes for this emerging field and point to potential pitfalls that may be encountered. We conclude that a more inclusive approach is needed for studying the epigenetics of animal personality and that epigenetic mechanisms cannot be studied without considering the genetic background.
Collapse
Affiliation(s)
- Kees van Oers
- Department of Animal Ecology, Netherlands Institute of Ecology (NIOO-KNAW), Wageningen, The Netherlands; Behavioural Ecology Group, Wageningen University & Research (WUR), Wageningen, the Netherlands.
| | - Krista van den Heuvel
- Department of Animal Ecology, Netherlands Institute of Ecology (NIOO-KNAW), Wageningen, The Netherlands; Behavioural Ecology Group, Wageningen University & Research (WUR), Wageningen, the Netherlands
| | - Bernice Sepers
- Department of Animal Ecology, Netherlands Institute of Ecology (NIOO-KNAW), Wageningen, The Netherlands; Behavioural Ecology Group, Wageningen University & Research (WUR), Wageningen, the Netherlands
| |
Collapse
|
16
|
Chubar V, Vaessen T, Noortgate WVD, Lutin E, Bosmans G, Bekaert B, Van Leeuwen K, Calders F, Weyn S, Bijttebier P, Goossens L, Claes S. Mild daily stress, in interaction with NR3C1 DNA methylation levels, is linked to alterations in the HPA axis and ANS response to acute stress in early adolescents. Psychoneuroendocrinology 2023; 150:106045. [PMID: 36796155 DOI: 10.1016/j.psyneuen.2023.106045] [Citation(s) in RCA: 4] [Impact Index Per Article: 4.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Submit a Manuscript] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 04/25/2022] [Revised: 01/26/2023] [Accepted: 01/28/2023] [Indexed: 02/05/2023]
Abstract
BACKGROUND Daily Hassles (DH) or daily stress - is a mild type of stressor with unique contributions to psychological distress. Yet, most prior studies that investigate the effects of stressful life experiences focus on childhood trauma or on early life stress and little is known about the effects of DH on epigenetic changes in stress system related genes and on the physiological response to social stressors. METHODS In the present study, conducted among 101 early adolescents (mean age = 11.61; SD = 0.64), we investigated whether Autonomic Nervous System (ANS) (namely heart rate and heart rate variability) and Hypothalamic-Pituitary-Adrenal (HPA) axis functioning (measured as cortisol stress reactivity and recovery) are associated with DNA methylation (DNAm) in the glucocorticoid receptor gene (NR3C1), the level of DH and their interaction. To assess the stress system functioning the TSST protocol was used. RESULTS Our findings show that higher NR3C1 DNAm in interaction with higher levels of daily hassles, is associated with blunted HPA axis reactivity to psychosocial stress. In addition, higher levels of DH are associated with extended HPA axis stress recovery. In addition, participants with higher NR3C1 DNAm had lower ANS adaptability to stress, specifically lower parasympathetic withdrawal; for heart rate variability this effect was strongest for participants with higher level of DH. CONCLUSIONS The observation that interaction effects between NR3C1 DNAm levels and daily stress on the functioning of the stress-systems, are already detectable in young adolescents, highlights the importance of early interventions, not only in the case of trauma, but also daily stress. This might help to prevent stress-induced mental and physical disorders later in life.
Collapse
Affiliation(s)
- Viktoria Chubar
- Mind-Body Research Group, Department of Neuroscience, KU Leuven, Leuven, Belgium.
| | - Thomas Vaessen
- Mind-Body Research Group, Department of Neuroscience, KU Leuven, Leuven, Belgium; Center for Contextual Psychiatry, Department of Neuroscience, KU Leuven, Leuven, Belgium
| | - Wim Van den Noortgate
- Methodology of Educational Sciences, Faculty of Psychology and Educational Sciences & itec, an imec research group at KU Leuven, Leuven, Belgium
| | - Erika Lutin
- ESAT Electrical Engineering, KU Leuven, Leuven, Belgium; imec-Belgium, Heverlee, Belgium
| | - Guy Bosmans
- Department of Clinical Psychology, KU Leuven, Belgium
| | - Bram Bekaert
- Department of Forensic Medicine, Laboratory of Forensic Genetics and Molecular Archaeology, KU Leuven, Leuven, Belgium; Department of Imaging & Pathology, KU Leuven, Leuven, Belgium
| | - Karla Van Leeuwen
- Parenting and Special Education Research Unit, Faculty of Psychology and Educational Sciences, KU Leuven, Leuven, Belgium
| | - Filip Calders
- Parenting and Special Education Research Unit, Faculty of Psychology and Educational Sciences, KU Leuven, Leuven, Belgium
| | - Sofie Weyn
- School Psychology and Development in Context, Faculty of Psychology and Educational Sciences, KU Leuven, Leuven, Belgium
| | - Patricia Bijttebier
- School Psychology and Development in Context, Faculty of Psychology and Educational Sciences, KU Leuven, Leuven, Belgium
| | - Luc Goossens
- School Psychology and Child and Adolescent Development Research Unit, Faculty of Psychology and Educational Sciences, KU Leuven, Leuven, Belgium
| | - Stephan Claes
- Mind-Body Research Group, Department of Neuroscience, KU Leuven, Leuven, Belgium; University Psychiatric Center KU Leuven, Leuven, Belgium
| |
Collapse
|
17
|
Mendonça MS, Mangiavacchi PM, Mendes AV, Loureiro SR, Martín-Santos R, Glória LS, Marques W, De Marco SPG, Kanashiro MM, Hallak JEC, Crippa JAS, Rios ÁFL. DNA methylation in regulatory elements of the FKBP5 and NR3C1 gene in mother-child binomials with depression. J Affect Disord 2023; 331:287-299. [PMID: 36933666 DOI: 10.1016/j.jad.2023.03.031] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Submit a Manuscript] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 09/27/2022] [Revised: 02/24/2023] [Accepted: 03/11/2023] [Indexed: 03/20/2023]
Abstract
BACKGROUND The FKBP5 and NR3C1 genes play an important role in stress response, thus impacting mental health. Stress factor exposure in early life, such as maternal depression, may contribute to epigenetic modifications in stress response genes, increasing the susceptibility to different psychopathologies. The present study aimed to evaluate the DNA methylation profile in maternal-infant depression in regulatory regions of the FKBP5 gene and the alternative promoter of the NR3C1 gene. METHODS We evaluated 60 mother-infant pairs. The levels of DNA methylation were analyzed by the MSRED-qPCR technique. RESULTS We observed an increased DNA methylation profile in the NR3C1 gene promoter in children with depression and children exposed to maternal depression (p < 0.05). In addition, we observed a correlation of DNA methylation between mothers and offspring exposed to maternal depression. This correlation shows a possible intergenerational effect of maternal MDD exposure on the offspring. For FKBP5, we found a decrease in DNA methylation at intron 7 in children exposed to maternal MDD during pregnancy and a correlation of DNA methylation between mothers and children exposed to maternal MDD (p < 0.05). LIMITATIONS Although the individuals of this study are a rare group, the sample size of the study was small, and we evaluated the DNA methylation of only one CpG site for each region. CONCLUSION These results indicate changes in DNA methylation levels in regulatory regions of FKBP5 and NR3C1 in the mother-child MDD context and represent a potential target of studies to understand the depression etiology and how it occurs between generations.
Collapse
Affiliation(s)
- Mariana S Mendonça
- Laboratory of Biotechnology, Universidade Estadual do Norte Fluminense Darcy Ribeiro, Campos dos Goytacazes, Rio de Janeiro 28013-602, Brazil
| | - Paula M Mangiavacchi
- Laboratory of Reproduction and Animal Breeding, Universidade Estadual do Norte Fluminense Darcy Ribeiro, Campos dos Goytacazes, Rio de Janeiro 28013-602, Brazil
| | - Ana V Mendes
- Department of Neurosciences and Behavioral Sciences, USP, Ribeirão Preto, São Paulo 14051-140, Brazil
| | - Sonia R Loureiro
- Department of Neurosciences and Behavioral Sciences, USP, Ribeirão Preto, São Paulo 14051-140, Brazil
| | - Rocio Martín-Santos
- Instituto Nacional de Ciência e Tecnologia Translacional em Medicina Translational Medicine (INCT-TM), National Council for Scientific and Technological Development, São Paulo, Brazil; Department of Psychiatry and Psychology, Hospital Clínic, Institut d' Investigacions Biomedicas August Pi I Sunyer (IDIBAPS), Centro de Investigación Biomédica en Red en Salud Mental (CIBERSAM), Instituto de Neurociencias, University of Barcelona, Barcelona 08036, Spain
| | - Leonardo S Glória
- Laboratory of Animal Science, Universidade Estadual do Norte Fluminense Darcy Ribeiro, Campos dos Goytacazes, Rio de Janeiro 28013-602, Brazil
| | - Wilson Marques
- Department of Neurosciences and Behavioral Sciences, USP, Ribeirão Preto, São Paulo 14051-140, Brazil
| | - Silmara P G De Marco
- Department of Neurosciences and Behavioral Sciences, USP, Ribeirão Preto, São Paulo 14051-140, Brazil
| | - Milton M Kanashiro
- Laboratory of Recognition Biology, North Fluminense State University (UENF), Campos dos Goytacazes, Rio de Janeiro 28013-602, Brazil
| | - Jaime E C Hallak
- Department of Neurosciences and Behavioral Sciences, USP, Ribeirão Preto, São Paulo 14051-140, Brazil; Instituto Nacional de Ciência e Tecnologia Translacional em Medicina Translational Medicine (INCT-TM), National Council for Scientific and Technological Development, São Paulo, Brazil
| | - José A S Crippa
- Department of Neurosciences and Behavioral Sciences, USP, Ribeirão Preto, São Paulo 14051-140, Brazil; Instituto Nacional de Ciência e Tecnologia Translacional em Medicina Translational Medicine (INCT-TM), National Council for Scientific and Technological Development, São Paulo, Brazil
| | - Álvaro F L Rios
- Laboratory of Biotechnology, Universidade Estadual do Norte Fluminense Darcy Ribeiro, Campos dos Goytacazes, Rio de Janeiro 28013-602, Brazil.
| |
Collapse
|
18
|
Zambrano E, Reyes-Castro LA, Rodríguez-González GL, Chavira R, Lomas-Soria C, Gerow KG, Nathanielsz PW. Developmental Programming-Aging Interactions Have Sex-Specific and Developmental Stage of Exposure Outcomes on Life Course Circulating Corticosterone and Dehydroepiandrosterone (DHEA) Concentrations in Rats Exposed to Maternal Protein-Restricted Diets. Nutrients 2023; 15:nu15051239. [PMID: 36904238 PMCID: PMC10005360 DOI: 10.3390/nu15051239] [Citation(s) in RCA: 1] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 01/14/2023] [Revised: 02/23/2023] [Accepted: 02/25/2023] [Indexed: 03/05/2023] Open
Abstract
The steroids corticosterone and dehydroepiandrosterone (DHEA) perform multiple life course functions. Rodent life-course circulating corticosterone and DHEA trajectories are unknown. We studied life course basal corticosterone and DHEA in offspring of rats fed protein-restricted (10% protein, R) or control (20% protein, C), pregnancy diet first letter, and/or lactation second letter, producing four offspring groups-CC, RR, CR, and RC. We hypothesize that 1. maternal diet programs are sexually dimorphic, offspring life course steroid concentrations, and 2. an aging-related steroid will fall. Both changes differ with the plastic developmental period offspring experienced R, fetal life or postnatally, pre-weaning. Corticosterone was measured by radioimmunoassay and DHEA by ELISA. Steroid trajectories were evaluated by quadratic analysis. Female corticosterone was higher than male in all groups. Male and female corticosterone were highest in RR, peaked at 450 days, and fell thereafter. DHEA declined with aging in all-male groups. DHEA: corticosterone fell in three male groups but increased in all-female groups with age. In conclusion, life course and sexually dimorphic steroid developmental programming-aging interactions may explain differences in steroid studies at different life stages and between colonies experiencing different early-life programming. These data support our hypotheses of sex and programming influences and aging-related fall in rat life course serum steroids. Life course studies should address developmental programming-aging interactions.
Collapse
Affiliation(s)
- Elena Zambrano
- Departamento de Biología de la Reproducción, Instituto Nacional de Ciencias Médicas y Nutrición Salvador Zubirán, Mexico City 14080, Mexico
| | - Luis A. Reyes-Castro
- Departamento de Biología de la Reproducción, Instituto Nacional de Ciencias Médicas y Nutrición Salvador Zubirán, Mexico City 14080, Mexico
| | - Guadalupe L. Rodríguez-González
- Departamento de Biología de la Reproducción, Instituto Nacional de Ciencias Médicas y Nutrición Salvador Zubirán, Mexico City 14080, Mexico
| | - Roberto Chavira
- Departamento de Biología de la Reproducción, Instituto Nacional de Ciencias Médicas y Nutrición Salvador Zubirán, Mexico City 14080, Mexico
| | - Consuelo Lomas-Soria
- Departamento de Biología de la Reproducción, Instituto Nacional de Ciencias Médicas y Nutrición Salvador Zubirán, Mexico City 14080, Mexico
- CONACyT-Cátedras, Departamento de Biología de la Reproducción, Instituto Nacional de Ciencias Médicas y Nutrición SZ, Mexico City 14080, Mexico
| | - Kenneth G. Gerow
- Department of Statistics, University of Wyoming, Laramie, WY 82071, USA
| | - Peter W. Nathanielsz
- Wyoming Center for Pregnancy and Life Course Health Research, Department of Animal Science, University of Wyoming, Laramie, WY 82071, USA
- Correspondence:
| |
Collapse
|
19
|
Baud O, Knoop M, Jacquens A, Possovre ML. [Oxytocin: a new target for neuroprotection?]. Biol Aujourdhui 2023; 216:145-153. [PMID: 36744980 DOI: 10.1051/jbio/2022012] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 04/27/2022] [Indexed: 02/07/2023]
Abstract
Every year, 30 million infants worldwide are delivered after intra-uterine growth restriction (IUGR) and 15 million are born preterm. These two conditions are the leading causes of ante-/perinatal stress and brain injury responsible for neurocognitive and behavioral disorders affecting more than 9 million children each year. Most pharmacological candidates to prevent perinatal brain damage have failed to demonstrate substantial benefits. In contrast, environment enrichment based on developmental care, skin-to-skin contact and vocal/music exposure appear to exert positive effects on brain structure and function. However, mechanisms underlying these effects remain unknown. There is strong evidence that an adverse environment during pregnancy and the neonatal period can influence hormonal responses of the newborn with long-lasting neurobehavioral consequences in infancy and adulthood. In particular, excessive cortisol release in response to perinatal stress associated with prematurity or IUGR is recognized to induce brain-programming effects and neuroinflammation, a key predictor of subsequent neurological impairments. These deleterious effects are known to be balanced by oxytocin (OT), a neuropeptide released by the hypothalamus, which plays a role during the perinatal period and in social behavior. In addition, preclinical studies suggest that OT is able to regulate the central inflammatory response to injury in the adult brain. Using a rodent model of IUGR associated with developing white matter damage, we recently reported that carbetocin, a brain permeable OT receptor (OTR) agonist, induced a significant reduction of activated microglia, the primary immune cells of the brain. Moreover, this reduced microglia reactivity was associated with long-term neuroprotection. These findings make OT a promising candidate for neonatal neuroprotection through neuroinflammation regulation. However, the mechanisms linking endogenous OT and central inflammation response to injury have not yet been established. Further studies are needed to assess the protective role of OT in the developing brain through modulation of microglial activation, a key feature of brain injury observed in infants born preterm or growth-restricted. They are expected to have several impacts in the near future not only for improving knowledge of microglial cell physiology and reactivity during brain development, but also to design clinical trials testing interventions associated with endogenous OT release as a relevant strategy to alleviate neuroinflammation in neonates.
Collapse
Affiliation(s)
- Olivier Baud
- Laboratoire du développement, Université de Genève, Genève, Suisse - Inserm U1141, Université Paris Cité, 75019 Paris, France - Service de Soins Intensifs Pédiatriques et Néonatologie, Hôpitaux Universitaires de Genève, 30 boulevard de Cluse, 1205 Genève, Suisse
| | - Marit Knoop
- Laboratoire du développement, Université de Genève, Genève, Suisse
| | - Alice Jacquens
- Laboratoire du développement, Université de Genève, Genève, Suisse - Inserm U1141, Université Paris Cité, 75019 Paris, France
| | | |
Collapse
|
20
|
Palacios MG, Bronikowski AM, Amer A, Gangloff EJ. Transgenerational effects of maternal corticosterone across early life in a viviparous snake. Gen Comp Endocrinol 2023; 331:114162. [PMID: 36356645 DOI: 10.1016/j.ygcen.2022.114162] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Submit a Manuscript] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 08/19/2022] [Revised: 10/28/2022] [Accepted: 11/02/2022] [Indexed: 11/09/2022]
Abstract
Glucocorticoids (GCs) are central mediators of vertebrate responses to intrinsic and extrinsic stimuli. Among the sources of variation in circulating GCs are transgenerational effects mediated by mothers. Here we studied potential maternal effects mediated by GCs on offspring phenotype in a live-bearing reptile, the western terrestrial garter snake (Thamnophis elegans). We evaluated the association between baseline corticosterone (CORT) levels during gestation (i.e., preparturition) in field-captured mothers and 1) reproductive success and offspring sex ratios, 2) birth phenotypic traits of offspring born under common-garden laboratory conditions, and 3) neonate (age 3 months) and juvenile (age 12 months) traits of offspring raised under two thermal regimes ('warm' and 'cool') during their first year of life. Reproductive success and offspring sex ratios were not associated with preparturition maternal CORT, but pregnant snakes with higher CORT levels gave birth to smaller, lighter offspring, which tended to grow faster to age three months. Neonate baseline CORT varied with preparturition maternal CORT in a sex-specific manner (positive trend for females, negative for males). Maternal CORT effects on offspring phenotype were no longer detectable in juveniles at age one year. Instead, juvenile phenotypes were most influenced by rearing environment, with offspring raised under the cool regime showing higher baseline CORT and slower growth than those raised under warmer conditions. Our findings support the notion that offspring phenotype might be continuously adjusted in response to environmental cues -both pre- and post-natal- and that the strength of maternal CORT effects declines as offspring develop and experience unique environmental challenges. Our results contribute to a growing literature on transgenerational effects of hormones and help to fill a gap in our knowledge of these effects in ectothermic amniotes.
Collapse
Affiliation(s)
- Maria G Palacios
- Department of Ecology, Evolution, and Organismal Biology, Iowa State University, Ames, IA 50011, USA; Centro Para el Estudio de Sistemas Marinos, CCT CONICET-CENPAT, Blvd. Brown 2915, Puerto Madryn, Chubut, Argentina.
| | - Anne M Bronikowski
- Department of Ecology, Evolution, and Organismal Biology, Iowa State University, Ames, IA 50011, USA; Kellogg Biological Station, Michigan State University, Hickory Corners, MI, USA
| | - Ali Amer
- Department of Biological Sciences, Ohio Wesleyan University, Delaware, OH, USA
| | - Eric J Gangloff
- Department of Biological Sciences, Ohio Wesleyan University, Delaware, OH, USA
| |
Collapse
|
21
|
Got milk? Maternal immune activation during the mid-lactational period affects nutritional milk quality and adolescent offspring sensory processing in male and female rats. Mol Psychiatry 2022; 27:4829-4842. [PMID: 36056174 PMCID: PMC9771965 DOI: 10.1038/s41380-022-01744-y] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Submit a Manuscript] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 05/17/2022] [Revised: 08/08/2022] [Accepted: 08/11/2022] [Indexed: 01/14/2023]
Abstract
Previous studies have underscored the importance of breastfeeding and parental care on offspring development and behavior. However, their contribution as dynamic variables in animal models of early life stress are often overlooked. In the present study, we investigated how lipopolysaccharide (LPS)-induced maternal immune activation (MIA) on postnatal day (P)10 affects maternal care, milk, and offspring development. MIA was associated with elevated milk corticosterone concentrations on P10, which recovered by P11. In contrast, both milk triglyceride and percent creamatocrit values demonstrated a prolonged decrease following inflammatory challenge. Adolescent MIA offspring were heavier, which is often suggestive of poor early life nutrition. While MIA did not decrease maternal care quality, there was a significant compensatory increase in maternal licking and grooming the day following inflammatory challenge. However, this did not protect against disrupted neonatal huddling or later-life alterations in sensorimotor gating, conditioned fear, mechanical allodynia, or reductions in hippocampal parvalbumin expression in MIA offspring. MIA-associated changes in brain and behavior were likely driven by differences in milk nutritional values and not by direct exposure to LPS or inflammatory molecules as neither LPS binding protein nor interleukin-6 milk levels differed between groups. These findings reflected comparable microbiome and transcriptomic patterns at the genome-wide level. Animal models of early life stress can impact both parents and their offspring. One mechanism that can mediate the effects of such stressors is changes to maternal lactation quality which our data show can confer multifaceted and compounding effects on offspring physiology and behavior.
Collapse
|
22
|
Therapeutic Implications of microRNAs in Depressive Disorders: A Review. Int J Mol Sci 2022; 23:ijms232113530. [PMID: 36362315 PMCID: PMC9658840 DOI: 10.3390/ijms232113530] [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: 09/15/2022] [Revised: 10/28/2022] [Accepted: 10/28/2022] [Indexed: 11/06/2022] Open
Abstract
MicroRNAs are hidden players in complex psychophysical phenomena such as depression and anxiety related disorders though the activation and deactivation of multiple proteins in signaling cascades. Depression is classified as a mood disorder and described as feelings of sadness, loss, or anger that interfere with a person’s everyday activities. In this review, we have focused on exploration of the significant role of miRNAs in depression by affecting associated target proteins (cellular and synaptic) and their signaling pathways which can be controlled by the attachment of miRNAs at transcriptional and translational levels. Moreover, miRNAs have potential role as biomarkers and may help to cure depression through involvement and interactions with multiple pharmacological and physiological therapies. Taken together, miRNAs might be considered as promising novel therapy targets themselves and may interfere with currently available antidepressant treatments.
Collapse
|
23
|
Hong JY. Developmental Programming by Perinatal Glucocorticoids. Mol Cells 2022; 45:685-691. [PMID: 36254710 PMCID: PMC9589377 DOI: 10.14348/molcells.2022.0042] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 03/18/2022] [Revised: 05/29/2022] [Accepted: 06/15/2022] [Indexed: 11/07/2022] Open
Abstract
Early-life environmental factors can have persistent effects on physiological functions by altering developmental procedures in various organisms. Recent experimental and epidemiological studies now further support the idea that developmental programming is also present in mammals, including humans, influencing long-term health. Although the mechanism of programming is still largely under investigation, the role of endocrine glucocorticoids in developmental programming is gaining interest. Studies found that perinatal glucocorticoids have a persistent effect on multiple functions of the body, including metabolic, behavioral, and immune functions, in adulthood. Several mechanisms have been proposed to play a role in long-term programming. In this review, recent findings on this topic are summarized and the potential biological rationale behind this phenomenon is discussed.
Collapse
Affiliation(s)
- Jun Young Hong
- Department of Systems Biology, College of Life Science and Biotechnology, Yonsei University, Seoul 03722, Korea
| |
Collapse
|
24
|
Saadatmand F, Abbas M, Apprey V, Tailor K, Kwabi-Addo B. Sex differences in saliva-based DNA methylation changes and environmental stressor in young African American adults. PLoS One 2022; 17:e0273717. [PMID: 36067197 PMCID: PMC9447871 DOI: 10.1371/journal.pone.0273717] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 04/20/2022] [Accepted: 08/02/2022] [Indexed: 11/21/2022] Open
Abstract
BACKGROUND Low socioeconomic status neighborhood exposure to stress and violence may be sources of negative stimuli that poses significant health risks for children, adolescents and throughout the life course of an individual. The study aims to investigate if aberrant epigenetic DNA methylation changes may be a potential mechanism for regulating neighborhood exposures and health outcomes. METHODS Exposure to environmental stressors identified in 98 young African American (AA) adults aged 18-25 years old from the Washington D.C., area were used in the study. We correlated the association between stress markers; cortisol, CRP, IgG, IGA, IgM, and self-reported exposure to violence and stress, with quantitative DNA methylation changes in a panel of gene-specific loci using saliva DNA. RESULTS In all participants studied, the exposure to violence was significant and negatively correlated with DNA methylation of MST1R loci (p = 0.032; r = -0.971) and nominally significant with NR3C1 loci (p = 0.053; r = -0.948). In addition, we observed significant and negative correlation of DNA methylation changes of LINE1 (p = 0.044; r = -0.248); NR3C1 (p = 0.017; r = -0.186); MSTR1 (p = 0.022; r = -0.192); and DRD2 (p = 0.056; r = -0.184; albeit nominal significant correlation) with IgA expression. On the other hand, we observed a significant and position correlation of DNA methylation changes in DRD2 (p = 0.037; r = 0.184) with IgG expression. When participants were stratified by sex, we observed in AA young male adults, significant DNA methylation changes of MST1R (p< 0.05) and association with exposure to violence and IgG level. We also observed significant DNA methylation levels of DRD2 (p< 0.05) and association with IgA, IgG, and cortisol level. Furthermore, we observed significant DNA methylation changes of NR3C1 (p< 0.05) with stress, IgA, and IgG in the male participants only. On the other hand, we only observed significant and a positive association of IgG with DNA methylation levels of ESR1 (p = 0.041) in the young AA female participants. CONCLUSION Our preliminary observation of significant DNA methylation changes in neuronal and immune genes in saliva samples supports our recently published genome-wide DNA methylations changes in blood samples from young AA male adults indicating that saliva offers a non-invasive means for DNA methylation prediction of exposure to environmental stressors in a gender-specific manner.
Collapse
Affiliation(s)
- Forough Saadatmand
- Department of Pediatrics, Howard University, Washington, D.C., United States of America
| | - Muneer Abbas
- Department of Microbiology & The National Human Genome Center, Howard University, Washington, D.C., United States of America
| | - Victor Apprey
- Department of Biochemistry and Molecular Biology, College of Medicine, Howard University, Washington, D.C., United States of America
| | - Krishma Tailor
- Department of Biochemistry and Molecular Biology, College of Medicine, Howard University, Washington, D.C., United States of America
| | - Bernard Kwabi-Addo
- Department of Biochemistry and Molecular Biology, College of Medicine, Howard University, Washington, D.C., United States of America
- * E-mail:
| |
Collapse
|
25
|
Jimeno B, Zimmer C. Glucocorticoid receptor expression as an integrative measure to assess glucocorticoid plasticity and efficiency in evolutionary endocrinology: A perspective. Horm Behav 2022; 145:105240. [PMID: 35933849 DOI: 10.1016/j.yhbeh.2022.105240] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Submit a Manuscript] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 06/21/2022] [Revised: 07/21/2022] [Accepted: 07/22/2022] [Indexed: 11/17/2022]
Abstract
Organisms have to cope with the changes that take place in their environment in order to keep their physical and psychological stability. In vertebrates, the hypothalamic-pituitary-adrenal (HPA) axis plays a key role in mediating phenotypic adjustments to environmental changes, primarily by regulating glucocorticoids (GCs). Although circulating GCs have widely been used as proxy for individual health and fitness, our understanding of HPA regulation is still very limited, especially in free-living animals. Circulating GCs only exert their actions when they are bound to receptors, and therefore, GC receptors play a pivotal role mediating HPA regulation and GC downstream phenotypic changes. Because under challenging conditions GC actions (as well as negative feedback activation) occur mainly through binding to low-affinity glucocorticoid receptors (GR), we propose that GR activity, and in particular GR expression, may play a crucial role in GC regulation and dynamics, and be ultimately related to organismal capacity to appropriately respond to environmental changes. Thus, we suggest that GR expression will provide more comprehensive information of GC variation and function. To support this idea, we compile previous evidence demonstrating the fundamental role of GR on GC responses and the fine-tuning of circulating GCs. We also make predictions about the phenotypic differences in GC responsiveness - and ultimately HPA regulation capacity - associated with differences in GR expression, focusing on GC plasticity and efficiency. Finally, we discuss current priorities and limitations of integrating measures of GR expression into evolutionary endocrinology and ecology studies, and propose further research directions towards the use of GR expression and the study of the mechanisms regulating GR activity to gather information on coping strategies and stress resilience. Our goals are to provide an integrative perspective that will prompt reconsideration on the ecological and physiological interpretation of current GC measurements, and motivate further research on the role of GR in tuning individual responses to dynamic environments.
Collapse
Affiliation(s)
- Blanca Jimeno
- Instituto de Investigación en Recursos Cinegéticos (IREC), CSIC-UCLM-JCCM, Ronda de Toledo 12, 13005 Ciudad Real, Spain.
| | - Cedric Zimmer
- Laboratoire d'Ethologie Expérimentale et Comparée, LEEC, Université Sorbonne Paris Nord, UR 4443, 93430 Villetaneuse, France; Global Health and Infectious Disease Research Center, University of South Florida, 33612 Tampa, FL, USA
| |
Collapse
|
26
|
Olsen MB, Sannes AC, Yang K, Nielsen MB, Einarsen SV, Christensen JO, Pallesen S, Bjørås M, Gjerstad J. Mapping of pituitary stress-induced gene regulation connects Nrcam to negative emotions. iScience 2022; 25:104953. [PMID: 36060062 PMCID: PMC9437855 DOI: 10.1016/j.isci.2022.104953] [Citation(s) in RCA: 1] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 12/16/2021] [Revised: 06/08/2022] [Accepted: 08/12/2022] [Indexed: 01/22/2023] Open
Abstract
Environmental stressors such as repeated social defeat may initiate powerful activation of subconscious parts of the brain. Here, we examine the consequences of such stress (induced by resident-intruder paradigm) on the pituitary gland. In male stressed vs. control rats, by RNA- and bisulfite DNA sequencing, we found regulation of genes involved in neuron morphogenesis and communication. Among these, Neuronal cell adhesion molecule (Nrcam) showed reduced transcription and reduced DNA methylation in a region corresponding to intron 1 in human NRCAM. Also, genetic variability in this area was associated with altered stress response in male humans exposed to repeated social defeat in the form of abusive supervision. Thus, our data show that the pituitary gene expression may be affected by social stress and that genetic variability in NRCAM intron 1 region influences stress-induced negative emotions. We hope our shared datasets will facilitate further exploration of the motions triggered by social stressors. Social stress-induced pituitary gene regulation was characterized in rats Here, genes involved in neuron morphogenesis and communication were regulated Both expression and methylation of the Nrcam gene were affected Genetic variability in NRCAM in humans influenced stress-induced negative emotions
Collapse
Affiliation(s)
- Maria Belland Olsen
- Research Institute of Internal Medicine, Oslo University Hospital, Oslo, Norway
- Faculty of Medicine, University of Oslo, Oslo, Norway
- Corresponding author
| | | | - Kuan Yang
- Research Institute of Internal Medicine, Oslo University Hospital, Oslo, Norway
| | - Morten Birkeland Nielsen
- National Institute of Occupational Health, Oslo, Norway
- Department of Psychosocial Science, University of Bergen, Bergen, Norway
| | | | | | - Ståle Pallesen
- Department of Psychosocial Science, University of Bergen, Bergen, Norway
| | - Magnar Bjørås
- Department of Microbiology, Oslo University Hospital, Oslo, Norway
- Department of Clinical and Molecular Medicine, Norwegian University of Science and Technology, Trondheim, Norway
| | | |
Collapse
|
27
|
Ruiz-Raya F, Noguera JC, Velando A. Light received by embryos promotes postnatal junior phenotypes in a seabird. Behav Ecol 2022. [DOI: 10.1093/beheco/arac079] [Citation(s) in RCA: 2] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 02/06/2023] Open
Abstract
Abstract
Light is a salient and variable ecological factor that can impact developmental trajectories of vertebrate embryos, yet whether prenatal light environment can act as an anticipatory cue preparing organisms to cope with postnatal conditions is still unclear. In asynchronous birds, last-laid eggs are particularly exposed to sunlight as parental incubation behavior becomes intermittent after the hatching of senior chicks. Here, we explore whether natural variations in prenatal light exposure shape the distinctive phenotype showed by last-hatched chicks of a semi-precocial seabird, the yellow-legged gull (Larus michahellis), potentially preparing them to cope with the postnatal competitive context. To do this, we manipulated the amount of light received by last-laid eggs (within a natural range) during last stages of embryonic development. Prenatal exposure to light cues promoted the development of the resilient “junior phenotype” exhibited by last-hatched gull chicks, characterized by accelerated hatching, increased begging behavior and a slower growth rate. These developmental and behavioral adjustments were accompanied by down-regulation of genes involved in metabolism and development regulation (SOD2 and TRalpha), as well as changes in the HPA-axis functioning (lower baseline corticosterone and robust adrenocortical response). Junior chicks exposed to light cues during the embryonic development showed longer telomeres during the early postnatal period, suggesting that light-induced adjustments could allow them to buffer the competitive disadvantages associated with hatching asynchrony. Our study provides evidence that postnatal junior phenotypes are, at least in part, prenatally shaped by light cues that act during a critical temporal window of developmental sensitivity.
Collapse
Affiliation(s)
- Francisco Ruiz-Raya
- Centro de Investigación Mariña, Universidade de Vigo, Grupo de Ecoloxía Animal , Vigo 36310 , Spain
| | - Jose C Noguera
- Centro de Investigación Mariña, Universidade de Vigo, Grupo de Ecoloxía Animal , Vigo 36310 , Spain
| | - Alberto Velando
- Centro de Investigación Mariña, Universidade de Vigo, Grupo de Ecoloxía Animal , Vigo 36310 , Spain
| |
Collapse
|
28
|
Grajek M, Krupa-Kotara K, Białek-Dratwa A, Sobczyk K, Grot M, Kowalski O, Staśkiewicz W. Nutrition and mental health: A review of current knowledge about the impact of diet on mental health. Front Nutr 2022; 9:943998. [PMID: 36071944 PMCID: PMC9441951 DOI: 10.3389/fnut.2022.943998] [Citation(s) in RCA: 30] [Impact Index Per Article: 15.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 05/14/2022] [Accepted: 07/20/2022] [Indexed: 12/13/2022] Open
Abstract
Applied psychopharmacotherapy and psychotherapy do not always bring the expected results in the treatment of mental disorders. As a result, other interventions are receiving increasing attention. In recent years, there has been a surge in research on the effects of nutrition on mental status, which may be an important aspect of the prevention of many mental disorders and, at the same time, may lead to a reduction in the proportion of people with mental disorders. This review aims to answer whether and to what extent lifestyle and related nutrition affect mental health and whether there is scientific evidence supporting a link between diet and mental health. A review of the scientific evidence was conducted based on the available literature by typing in phrases related to nutrition and mental health using the methodological tool of the PubMed database. The literature search yielded 3,473 records, from which 356 sources directly related to the topic of the study were selected, and then those with the highest scientific value were selected according to bibliometric impact factors. In the context of current changes, urbanization, globalization, including the food industry, and changes in people’s lifestyles and eating habits, the correlations between these phenomena and their impact on mental state become important. Knowledge of these correlations creates potential opportunities to implement new effective dietary, pharmacological, therapeutic, and above all preventive interventions. The highest therapeutic potential is seen in the rational diet, physical activity, use of psychobiotics, and consumption of antioxidants. Research also shows that there are nutritional interventions that have psychoprotective potential.
Collapse
Affiliation(s)
- Mateusz Grajek
- Department of Public Health, Department of Public Health Policy, Faculty of Health Sciences in Bytom, Medical University of Silesia in Katowice, Katowice, Poland
| | - Karolina Krupa-Kotara
- Department of Epidemiology, Faculty of Health Sciences in Bytom, Medical University of Silesia in Katowice, Katowice, Poland
- *Correspondence: Karolina Krupa-Kotara,
| | - Agnieszka Białek-Dratwa
- Department of Human Nutrition, Department of Dietetics, Faculty of Health Sciences in Bytom, Medical University of Silesia in Katowice, Katowice, Poland
| | - Karolina Sobczyk
- Department of Economics and Health Care Management, Faculty of Health Sciences in Bytom, Medical University of Silesia in Katowice, Katowice, Poland
| | - Martina Grot
- Department of Public Health, Department of Public Health Policy, Faculty of Health Sciences in Bytom, Medical University of Silesia in Katowice, Katowice, Poland
| | - Oskar Kowalski
- Department of Human Nutrition, Department of Dietetics, Faculty of Health Sciences in Bytom, Medical University of Silesia in Katowice, Katowice, Poland
| | - Wiktoria Staśkiewicz
- Department of Technology and Food Quality Evaluation, Department of Dietetics, Faculty of Health Sciences in Bytom, Medical University of Silesia in Katowice, Katowice, Poland
| |
Collapse
|
29
|
Milking It for All It's Worth: The Effects of Environmental Enrichment on Maternal Nurturance, Lactation Quality, and Offspring Social Behavior. eNeuro 2022; 9:ENEURO.0148-22.2022. [PMID: 35995560 PMCID: PMC9417599 DOI: 10.1523/eneuro.0148-22.2022] [Citation(s) in RCA: 1] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 04/06/2022] [Revised: 06/10/2022] [Accepted: 07/15/2022] [Indexed: 12/17/2022] Open
Abstract
Breastfeeding confers robust benefits to offspring development in terms of growth, immunity, and neurophysiology. Similarly, improving environmental complexity, i.e., environmental enrichment (EE), contributes developmental advantages to both humans and laboratory animal models. However, the impact of environmental context on maternal care and milk quality has not been thoroughly evaluated, nor are the biological underpinnings of EE on offspring development understood. Here, Sprague Dawley rats were housed and bred in either EE or standard-housed (SD) conditions. EE dams gave birth to a larger number of pups, and litters were standardized and cross-fostered across groups on postnatal day (P)1. Maternal milk samples were then collected on P1 (transitional milk phase) and P10 (mature milk phase) for analysis. While EE dams spent less time nursing, postnatal enrichment exposure was associated with heavier offspring bodyweights. Milk from EE mothers had increased triglyceride levels, a greater microbiome diversity, and a significantly higher abundance of bacterial families related to bodyweight and energy metabolism. These differences reflected comparable transcriptomic changes at the genome-wide level. In addition to changes in lactational quality, we observed elevated levels of cannabinoid receptor 1 in the hypothalamus of EE dams, and sex-dependent and time-dependent effects of EE on offspring social behavior. Together, these results underscore the multidimensional impact of the combined neonatal and maternal environments on offspring development and maternal health. Moreover, they highlight potential deficiencies in the use of "gold standard" laboratory housing in the attempt to design translationally relevant animal models in biomedical research.
Collapse
|
30
|
Haas A, Borsook D, Adler G, Freeman R. Stress, hypoglycemia, and the autonomic nervous system. Auton Neurosci 2022; 240:102983. [PMID: 35417827 DOI: 10.1016/j.autneu.2022.102983] [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: 01/21/2022] [Revised: 03/30/2022] [Accepted: 04/01/2022] [Indexed: 11/29/2022]
Abstract
Stress can be classified as either psychosocial or physiologic. Physiologic stress refers to stresses due to acute illness, trauma, pain, hypoglycemia, and sleep deprivation-much less is known regarding its health consequences. This review focuses on hypoglycemia as a model to further investigate physiological stress. Experimental mild to moderate hypoglycemia is a paradigmatic physiological stress that evokes autonomic, neuroendocrine, and immune responses. Hypoglycemic stress is an ideal model to examine the interactions and consequences of physiological stress on the autonomic nervous system. Acute hypoglycemia has been demonstrated to increase inflammatory markers, prolong QTc, and impair cardiac-vagal baroreflex sensitivity. Some of these consequences may not reverse completely when euglycemia is restored. For example, there is attenuation of the cardiac-vagal baroreflex, attenuation of the vascular sympathetic baroreflex (muscle sympathetic nerve activity response to transient hypotension), and attenuation of the catecholamine response to lower body negative pressure that is present the next day after hypoglycemia has resolved.
Collapse
Affiliation(s)
- Andrea Haas
- Division of Endocrinology, Diabetes and Hypertension, Brigham and Women's Hospital, Boston, MA, USA
| | - David Borsook
- Department of Anesthesiology, Perioperative and Pain Medicine, Boston Children's Hospital, Boston, MA, USA
| | - Gail Adler
- Division of Endocrinology, Diabetes and Hypertension, Brigham and Women's Hospital, Boston, MA, USA
| | - Roy Freeman
- Department of Neurology, Beth Israel Deaconess Medical Center, Harvard Medical School, Boston, MA, USA.
| |
Collapse
|
31
|
Rami FZ, Nguyen TB, Oh YE, Karamikheirabad M, Le TH, Chung YC. Risperidone Induced DNA Methylation Changes in Dopamine Receptor and Stathmin Genes in Mice Exposed to Social Defeat Stress. CLINICAL PSYCHOPHARMACOLOGY AND NEUROSCIENCE 2022; 20:373-388. [PMID: 35466108 PMCID: PMC9048015 DOI: 10.9758/cpn.2022.20.2.373] [Citation(s) in RCA: 4] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 05/20/2021] [Revised: 07/11/2021] [Accepted: 07/12/2021] [Indexed: 11/18/2022]
Abstract
Objective Methods Results Conclusion
Collapse
Affiliation(s)
- Fatima Zahra Rami
- Department of Psychiatry, Jeonbuk National University Medical School, Jeonju, Korea
- Research Institute of Clinical Medicine of Jeonbuk National University and Biomedical Research Institute of Jeonbuk National University Hospital, Jeonju, Korea
| | - Thong Ba Nguyen
- Department of Psychiatry, Jeonbuk National University Medical School, Jeonju, Korea
- Research Institute of Clinical Medicine of Jeonbuk National University and Biomedical Research Institute of Jeonbuk National University Hospital, Jeonju, Korea
| | - Young-Eun Oh
- Department of Psychiatry, Jeonbuk National University Medical School, Jeonju, Korea
- Research Institute of Clinical Medicine of Jeonbuk National University and Biomedical Research Institute of Jeonbuk National University Hospital, Jeonju, Korea
| | - Maryam Karamikheirabad
- Department of Psychiatry, Jeonbuk National University Medical School, Jeonju, Korea
- Research Institute of Clinical Medicine of Jeonbuk National University and Biomedical Research Institute of Jeonbuk National University Hospital, Jeonju, Korea
| | - Thi-Hung Le
- Department of Psychiatry, Jeonbuk National University Medical School, Jeonju, Korea
- Research Institute of Clinical Medicine of Jeonbuk National University and Biomedical Research Institute of Jeonbuk National University Hospital, Jeonju, Korea
| | - Young-Chul Chung
- Department of Psychiatry, Jeonbuk National University Medical School, Jeonju, Korea
- Research Institute of Clinical Medicine of Jeonbuk National University and Biomedical Research Institute of Jeonbuk National University Hospital, Jeonju, Korea
| |
Collapse
|
32
|
Ehichioya DE, Tahajjul Taufique SK, Anigbogu CN, Jaja SI. Effect of rapid eye movement sleep deprivation during pregnancy on glucocorticoid receptor regulation of HPA axis function in female offspring. Brain Res 2022; 1781:147823. [PMID: 35151654 DOI: 10.1016/j.brainres.2022.147823] [Citation(s) in RCA: 1] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 05/11/2021] [Revised: 01/29/2022] [Accepted: 02/04/2022] [Indexed: 12/24/2022]
Abstract
Poor maternal sleep quality during the different phases of pregnancy acts as a prenatal stress and is critical for fetal development. Despite the potential adverse effects of maternal stress on the behavior and physiology of the offspring, the mechanisms remain poorly understood. The present study investigates the effects of maternal sleep deprivation (SD) at different stages of pregnancy on the hypothalamic-pituitary-adrenal (HPA) axis in female offspring. The pregnant rats were subjected to sleep deprivation of 12 h per day at different stages; early (ESD), mid (MSD), and late (LSD) stages, on pregnancy days 1-7, 8-14, and 14-20, respectively. At postnatal day 60, levels of corticosterone (CORT), hypothalamic corticotropin-releasing factor receptor 1 (CRF-R1), and hippocampal glucocorticoid receptors (GR) were evaluated in the offspring. Although the hypothalamic CRF-R1 level was increased in the offspring of SD dams, immunohistochemical staining showed reduced immunoreactivity of GR in ESD and LSD offspring hippocampal area. Altogether, the data suggests that a critical period for adverse effects of SD on the HPA axis in female offspring of Wistar rats may be during early and late pregnancy.
Collapse
Affiliation(s)
- David E Ehichioya
- Department of Physiology, School of Basic Medical Sciences, Babcock University, Ilishan-Remo, Ogun State, Nigeria; Department of Physiology, Faculty of Basic Medical Sciences, College of Medicine, University of Lagos, Lagos, Nigeria.
| | - S K Tahajjul Taufique
- Department of Neuroscience, University of Texas Southwestern Medical Center, Dallas, TX, USA
| | - Chikodi N Anigbogu
- Department of Physiology, Faculty of Basic Medical Sciences, College of Medicine, University of Lagos, Lagos, Nigeria
| | - Smith I Jaja
- Department of Physiology, Faculty of Basic Medical Sciences, College of Medicine, University of Lagos, Lagos, Nigeria
| |
Collapse
|
33
|
Oh YE, Nguyen TB, Rami FZ, Karamikheirabad M, Chung YC. Impact of Social Defeat Stress on DNA Methylation in Drd2, Nr3c1, and Stmn1 in Wild-type and Stmn1 Knock-out Mice. CLINICAL PSYCHOPHARMACOLOGY AND NEUROSCIENCE 2022; 20:51-60. [PMID: 35078948 PMCID: PMC8813314 DOI: 10.9758/cpn.2022.20.1.51] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 09/17/2020] [Revised: 10/26/2020] [Accepted: 10/27/2020] [Indexed: 11/28/2022]
Abstract
Objective Epigenetic profiles can be modified by stress. Dopamine receptor D2 (Drd2), glucocorticoid receptor gene (Nr3c1) and Stathmin 1 (Stmn1) genes are all implicated in adaptation to stress. The aim of study is to investigate impact of social defeat on DNA methylation in Drd2, Nr3c1, and Stmn1 in wild-type (WT) and Stmn1 knock-out (KO) mice. Methods The WT and Stmn1 KO mice were subjected to chronic social defeat. Brain tissues of the prefrontal cortex (PFC), amygdala (AMY) and hippocampus (HIP) were obtained. We measured DNA methylation levels of the Drd2, Nr3c1, and Stmn1 genes in the PFC, AMY, and HIP using pyrosequencing. Results In WT mice, social defeat stress did not induce any changes in Drd2 methylation, whereas significant hypermethylation occurred in Nr3c1 and Stmn1 in the susceptible and unsusceptible groups, respectively, compared to the control group. The methylation responses in the Stmn1 KO mice differed from those seen in the WT mice, such that hypermethylation was evident in all three genes in the susceptible and unsusceptible groups compared to control group. Comparison of the Stmn1 KO and WT mice revealed the same pattern of hypermethylation for all three genes. Conclusion Social defeat stress induced different epigenetic modifications in three genes among control, unsusceptible, and susceptible groups of WT and Stmn1 KO mice. In particular, hypermethylation of Nr3c1 in the HIP of the susceptible group, and of Stmn1 in the AMY of the unsusceptible group in WT mice, could serve as epigenetic biomarkers of stress susceptibility and stress resilience, respectively.
Collapse
Affiliation(s)
- Young-Eun Oh
- Department of Psychiatry, Jeonbuk National University Medical School, Jeonju, Korea
- Research Institute of Clinical Medicine of Jeonbuk National University, Biomedical Research Institute of Jeonbuk National University Hospital, Jeonju, Korea
| | - Thong Ba Nguyen
- Department of Psychiatry, Jeonbuk National University Medical School, Jeonju, Korea
- Research Institute of Clinical Medicine of Jeonbuk National University, Biomedical Research Institute of Jeonbuk National University Hospital, Jeonju, Korea
| | - Fatima Zahra Rami
- Department of Psychiatry, Jeonbuk National University Medical School, Jeonju, Korea
- Research Institute of Clinical Medicine of Jeonbuk National University, Biomedical Research Institute of Jeonbuk National University Hospital, Jeonju, Korea
| | - Maryam Karamikheirabad
- Department of Psychiatry, Jeonbuk National University Medical School, Jeonju, Korea
- Research Institute of Clinical Medicine of Jeonbuk National University, Biomedical Research Institute of Jeonbuk National University Hospital, Jeonju, Korea
| | - Young-Chul Chung
- Department of Psychiatry, Jeonbuk National University Medical School, Jeonju, Korea
- Research Institute of Clinical Medicine of Jeonbuk National University, Biomedical Research Institute of Jeonbuk National University Hospital, Jeonju, Korea
| |
Collapse
|
34
|
A novel mouse model of postpartum depression using emotional stress as evaluated by nesting behavior. Sci Rep 2021; 11:22615. [PMID: 34799651 PMCID: PMC8604943 DOI: 10.1038/s41598-021-02004-9] [Citation(s) in RCA: 1] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 07/20/2021] [Accepted: 11/08/2021] [Indexed: 11/17/2022] Open
Abstract
Postpartum depression is an important mental health issue not only for the mother but also for the child’s development, other family members, and the society. An appropriate animal model is desired to elucidate the pathogenesis of postpartum depression. However, methods for stress loading during pregnancy have not been established. Behavioral experiments to investigate postpartum depression-like behaviors should be conducted without stress because behavioral tests affect rearing behaviors such as lactation. Therefore, we developed a new mouse model of postpartum depression using a psychological stress method. Mating partners were made to witness their partners experiencing social defeat stress and then listen to their cries. Emotional stress loading during pregnancy significantly increased postpartum depression-like behaviors. Postpartum depression also affected nurturing behaviors and caused disturbances in pup care. Furthermore, nesting behavior was impaired in the stressed group, suggesting that the observation of nesting behavior may be useful for assessing social dysfunction in postpartum depression. These results demonstrate the utility of this new mouse model of postpartum depression.
Collapse
|
35
|
Aykac A, Kalkan R. Epigenetic Approach to PTSD: In the Aspects of Rat Models. Glob Med Genet 2021; 9:7-13. [PMID: 35169777 PMCID: PMC8837403 DOI: 10.1055/s-0041-1736633] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 08/11/2021] [Accepted: 09/18/2021] [Indexed: 11/04/2022] Open
Abstract
Posttraumatic stress disorder (PTSD) is a stress-related mental disorder and develops after exposure to life-threatening traumatic experiences. The risk factors of PTSD included genetic factors; alterations in hypothalamic–pituitary–adrenal (HPA) axis; neurotrophic, serotonergic, dopaminergic, and catecholaminergic systems; and a variety of environmental factors, such as war, accident, natural disaster, pandemic, physical, or sexual abuse, that cause stress or trauma in individuals. To be able to understand the molecular background of PTSD, rodent animal models are widely used by researchers. When looking for a solution for PTSD, it is important to consider preexisting genetic risk factors and physiological, molecular, and biochemical processes caused by trauma that may cause susceptibility to this disorder. In studies, it is reported that epigenetic mechanisms play important roles in the biological response affected by environmental factors, as well as the task of programming cell identity. In this article, we provided an overview of the role of epigenetic modifications in understanding the biology of PTSD. We also summarized the data from animal studies and their importance during the investigation of PTSD. This study shed light on the epigenetic background of stress and PTSD.
Collapse
Affiliation(s)
- Asli Aykac
- Department of Biophysics, Faculty of Medicine, Near East University, Nicosia, Cyprus
| | - Rasime Kalkan
- Department of Molecular Biology and Genetics, Faculty of Arts and Sciences, Near East University, Nicosia, Cyprus
- Department of Medical Genetics, Faculty of Medicine, Near East University, Nicosia, Cyprus
| |
Collapse
|
36
|
Ibrahim P, Almeida D, Nagy C, Turecki G. Molecular impacts of childhood abuse on the human brain. Neurobiol Stress 2021; 15:100343. [PMID: 34141833 PMCID: PMC8187840 DOI: 10.1016/j.ynstr.2021.100343] [Citation(s) in RCA: 11] [Impact Index Per Article: 3.7] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 01/19/2021] [Revised: 04/24/2021] [Accepted: 05/13/2021] [Indexed: 12/17/2022] Open
Abstract
Childhood abuse (CA) is a prevalent global health concern, increasing the risk of negative mental health outcomes later in life. In the literature, CA is commonly defined as physical, sexual, and emotional abuse, as well as neglect. Several mental disorders have been associated with CA, including depression, bipolar disorder, schizophrenia, and post-traumatic stress disorder, along with an increased risk of suicide. It is thought that traumatic life events occurring during childhood and adolescence may have a significant impact on essential brain functions, which may persist throughout adulthood. The interaction between the brain and the external environment can be mediated by epigenetic alterations in gene expression, and there is a growing body of evidence to show that such changes occur as a function of CA. Disruptions in the HPA axis, myelination, plasticity, and signaling have been identified in individuals with a history of CA. Understanding the molecular impact of CA on the brain is essential for the development of treatment and prevention measures. In this review, we will summarize studies that highlight the molecular changes associated with CA in the human brain, along with supporting evidence from peripheral studies and animal models. We will also discuss some of the limitations surrounding the study of CA and propose extracellular vesicles as a promising future approach in the field.
Collapse
Affiliation(s)
- Pascal Ibrahim
- Integrated Program in Neuroscience, McGill University, Montreal, Quebec, Canada
- McGill Group for Suicide Studies, Douglas Mental Health University Institute, Verdun, Quebec, Canada
| | - Daniel Almeida
- Integrated Program in Neuroscience, McGill University, Montreal, Quebec, Canada
- McGill Group for Suicide Studies, Douglas Mental Health University Institute, Verdun, Quebec, Canada
| | - Corina Nagy
- McGill Group for Suicide Studies, Douglas Mental Health University Institute, Verdun, Quebec, Canada
- Department of Psychiatry, McGill University, Montreal, Quebec, Canada
| | - Gustavo Turecki
- McGill Group for Suicide Studies, Douglas Mental Health University Institute, Verdun, Quebec, Canada
- Department of Psychiatry, McGill University, Montreal, Quebec, Canada
| |
Collapse
|
37
|
Kanwal JK, Coddington E, Frazer R, Limbania D, Turner G, Davila KJ, Givens MA, Williams V, Datta SR, Wasserman S. Internal State: Dynamic, Interconnected Communication Loops Distributed Across Body, Brain, and Time. Integr Comp Biol 2021; 61:867-886. [PMID: 34115114 PMCID: PMC8623242 DOI: 10.1093/icb/icab101] [Citation(s) in RCA: 9] [Impact Index Per Article: 3.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 02/07/2023] Open
Abstract
Internal state profoundly alters perception and behavior. For example, a starved fly may approach and consume foods that it would otherwise find undesirable. A socially engaged newt may remain engaged in the presence of a predator, whereas a solitary newt would otherwise attempt to escape. Yet, the definition of internal state is fluid and ill-defined. As an interdisciplinary group of scholars spanning five career stages (from undergraduate to full professor) and six academic institutions, we came together in an attempt to provide an operational definition of internal state that could be useful in understanding the behavior and the function of nervous systems, at timescales relevant to the individual. In this perspective, we propose to define internal state through an integrative framework centered on dynamic and interconnected communication loops within and between the body and the brain. This framework is informed by a synthesis of historical and contemporary paradigms used by neurobiologists, ethologists, physiologists, and endocrinologists. We view internal state as composed of both spatially distributed networks (body-brain communication loops), and temporally distributed mechanisms that weave together neural circuits, physiology, and behavior. Given the wide spatial and temporal scales at which internal state operates-and therefore the broad range of scales at which it could be defined-we choose to anchor our definition in the body. Here we focus on studies that highlight body-to-brain signaling; body represented in endocrine signaling, and brain represented in sensory signaling. This integrative framework of internal state potentially unites the disparate paradigms often used by scientists grappling with body-brain interactions. We invite others to join us as we examine approaches and question assumptions to study the underlying mechanisms and temporal dynamics of internal state.
Collapse
Affiliation(s)
- Jessleen K Kanwal
- Division of Biology and Biological Engineering, California Institute of
Technology, Pasadena, CA 91125, USA
| | - Emma Coddington
- Department of Biology, Willamette University, Salem, OR
97301, USA
| | - Rachel Frazer
- Division of Neurobiology and Behavior, Columbia Universitye,
New York, NY 10027, USA
| | - Daniela Limbania
- Department of Neuroscience, Wellesley College, Wellesley, MA
02481, USA
| | - Grace Turner
- Department of Neuroscience, Wellesley College, Wellesley, MA
02481, USA
| | - Karla J Davila
- Department of Biology, Willamette University, Salem, OR
97301, USA
| | - Michael A Givens
- Department of Biology, Willamette University, Salem, OR
97301, USA
| | - Valarie Williams
- Department of Dance, The Ohio State University, Columbus, OH
43210, USA
| | | | - Sara Wasserman
- Department of Neuroscience, Wellesley College, Wellesley, MA
02481, USA
| |
Collapse
|
38
|
Duclot F, Kabbaj M. Epigenetics of Aggression. Curr Top Behav Neurosci 2021; 54:283-310. [PMID: 34595741 DOI: 10.1007/7854_2021_252] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/24/2022]
Abstract
Aggression is a complex behavioral trait modulated by both genetic and environmental influences on gene expression. By controlling gene expression in a reversible yet potentially lasting manner in response to environmental stimulation, epigenetic mechanisms represent prime candidates in explaining both individual differences in aggression and the development of elevated aggressive behaviors following life adversity. In this manuscript, we review the evidence for an epigenetic basis in the development and expression of aggression in both humans and related preclinical animal models. In particular, we discuss reports linking DNA methylation, histone post-translational modifications, as well as non-coding RNA, to the regulation of a variety of genes implicated in the neurobiology of aggression including neuropeptides, the serotoninergic and dopaminergic systems, and stress response related systems. While clinical reports do reveal interesting patterns of DNA methylation underlying individual differences and experience-induced aggressive behaviors, they do, in general, face the challenge of linking peripheral observations to central nervous system regulations. Preclinical studies, on the other hand, provide detailed mechanistic insights into the epigenetic reprogramming of gene expression following life adversities. Although the functional link to aggression remains unclear in most, these studies together do highlight the involvement of epigenetic events driven by DNA methylation, histone modifications, and non-coding RNA in the neuroadaptations underlying the development and expression of aggression.
Collapse
Affiliation(s)
- Florian Duclot
- Department of Biomedical Sciences and Program in Neuroscience, Florida State University, Tallahassee, FL, USA.
| | - Mohamed Kabbaj
- Department of Biomedical Sciences and Program in Neuroscience, Florida State University, Tallahassee, FL, USA.
| |
Collapse
|
39
|
Girard-Buttoz C, Tkaczynski PJ, Samuni L, Fedurek P, Gomes C, Löhrich T, Manin V, Preis A, Valé PF, Deschner T, Wittig RM, Crockford C. Early maternal loss leads to short- but not long-term effects on diurnal cortisol slopes in wild chimpanzees. eLife 2021; 10:e64134. [PMID: 34133269 PMCID: PMC8208813 DOI: 10.7554/elife.64134] [Citation(s) in RCA: 7] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 10/19/2020] [Accepted: 05/19/2021] [Indexed: 12/18/2022] Open
Abstract
The biological embedding model (BEM) suggests that fitness costs of maternal loss arise when early-life experience embeds long-term alterations to hypothalamic-pituitary-adrenal (HPA) axis activity. Alternatively, the adaptive calibration model (ACM) regards physiological changes during ontogeny as short-term adaptations. Both models have been tested in humans but rarely in wild, long-lived animals. We assessed whether, as in humans, maternal loss had short- and long-term impacts on orphan wild chimpanzee urinary cortisol levels and diurnal urinary cortisol slopes, both indicative of HPA axis functioning. Immature chimpanzees recently orphaned and/or orphaned early in life had diurnal cortisol slopes reflecting heightened activation of the HPA axis. However, these effects appeared short-term, with no consistent differences between orphan and non-orphan cortisol profiles in mature males, suggesting stronger support for the ACM than the BEM in wild chimpanzees. Compensatory mechanisms, such as adoption, may buffer against certain physiological effects of maternal loss in this species.
Collapse
Affiliation(s)
- Cédric Girard-Buttoz
- Department of Human Behavior, Ecology and Culture, Max Planck Institute for Evolutionary AnthropologyLeipzigGermany
- Taï Chimpanzee Project, Centre Suisse de Recherches ScientifiquesAbidjanCôte d'Ivoire
| | - Patrick J Tkaczynski
- Department of Human Behavior, Ecology and Culture, Max Planck Institute for Evolutionary AnthropologyLeipzigGermany
- Taï Chimpanzee Project, Centre Suisse de Recherches ScientifiquesAbidjanCôte d'Ivoire
| | - Liran Samuni
- Taï Chimpanzee Project, Centre Suisse de Recherches ScientifiquesAbidjanCôte d'Ivoire
- Department of Primatology, Max Planck Institute for Evolutionary AnthropologyLeipzigGermany
- Department of Human Evolutionary Biology, Harvard UniversityCambridgeUnited States
| | - Pawel Fedurek
- Division of Psychology, University of StirlingStirlingUnited Kingdom
| | - Cristina Gomes
- Tropical Conservation Institute, Florida International UniversityMiamiUnited States
| | - Therese Löhrich
- World Wide Fund for Nature, Dzanga Sangha Protected AreasBanguiCentral African Republic
- Robert Koch Institute, Epidemiology of Highly Pathogenic MicroorganismsBerlinGermany
| | - Virgile Manin
- Department of Human Behavior, Ecology and Culture, Max Planck Institute for Evolutionary AnthropologyLeipzigGermany
- Taï Chimpanzee Project, Centre Suisse de Recherches ScientifiquesAbidjanCôte d'Ivoire
| | - Anna Preis
- Department of Primatology, Max Planck Institute for Evolutionary AnthropologyLeipzigGermany
| | - Prince F Valé
- Taï Chimpanzee Project, Centre Suisse de Recherches ScientifiquesAbidjanCôte d'Ivoire
- Department of Primatology, Max Planck Institute for Evolutionary AnthropologyLeipzigGermany
- Centre Suisse de Recherches Scientifiques en Côte d'IvoireAbidjanCôte d'Ivoire
- Unité de Formation et de Recherche Biosciences, Université Félix Houphouët BoignyAbidjanCôte d'Ivoire
| | - Tobias Deschner
- Interim Group Primatology, Max Planck Institute for Evolutionary AnthropologyLeipzigGermany
| | - Roman M Wittig
- Department of Human Behavior, Ecology and Culture, Max Planck Institute for Evolutionary AnthropologyLeipzigGermany
- Taï Chimpanzee Project, Centre Suisse de Recherches ScientifiquesAbidjanCôte d'Ivoire
| | - Catherine Crockford
- Department of Human Behavior, Ecology and Culture, Max Planck Institute for Evolutionary AnthropologyLeipzigGermany
- Taï Chimpanzee Project, Centre Suisse de Recherches ScientifiquesAbidjanCôte d'Ivoire
- Institut des Sciences Cognitives, CNRSLyonFrance
| |
Collapse
|
40
|
In Response to Abiotic Stress, DNA Methylation Confers EpiGenetic Changes in Plants. PLANTS 2021; 10:plants10061096. [PMID: 34070712 PMCID: PMC8227271 DOI: 10.3390/plants10061096] [Citation(s) in RCA: 32] [Impact Index Per Article: 10.7] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 04/21/2021] [Revised: 05/26/2021] [Accepted: 05/27/2021] [Indexed: 02/07/2023]
Abstract
Epigenetics involves the heritable changes in patterns of gene expression determined by developmental and abiotic stresses, i.e., drought, cold, salinity, trace metals, and heat. Gene expression is driven by changes in DNA bases, histone proteins, the biogenesis of ncRNA, and changes in the nucleotide sequence. To cope with abiotic stresses, plants adopt certain changes driven by a sophisticated biological system. DNA methylation is a primary mechanism for epigenetic variation, which can induce phenotypic alterations in plants under stress. Some of the stress-driven changes in plants are temporary, while some modifications may be stable and inheritable to the next generations to allow them to cope with such extreme stress challenges in the future. In this review, we discuss the pivotal role of epigenetically developed phenotypic characteristics in plants as an evolutionary process participating in adaptation and tolerance responses to abiotic and biotic stresses that alter their growth and development. We emphasize the molecular process underlying changes in DNA methylation, differential variation for different species, the roles of non-coding RNAs in epigenetic modification, techniques for studying DNA methylation, and its role in crop improvement in tolerance to abiotic stress (drought, salinity, and heat). We summarize DNA methylation as a significant future research priority for tailoring crops according to various challenging environmental issues.
Collapse
|
41
|
Epigenetic Targeting of Histone Deacetylases in Diagnostics and Treatment of Depression. Int J Mol Sci 2021; 22:ijms22105398. [PMID: 34065586 PMCID: PMC8160658 DOI: 10.3390/ijms22105398] [Citation(s) in RCA: 14] [Impact Index Per Article: 4.7] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 04/26/2021] [Revised: 05/17/2021] [Accepted: 05/18/2021] [Indexed: 12/13/2022] Open
Abstract
Depression is a highly prevalent, disabling, and often chronic illness that places substantial burdens on patients, families, healthcare systems, and the economy. A substantial minority of patients are unresponsive to current therapies, so there is an urgent need to develop more broadly effective, accessible, and tolerable therapies. Pharmacological regulation of histone acetylation level has been investigated as one potential clinical strategy. Histone acetylation status is considered a potential diagnostic biomarker for depression, while inhibitors of histone deacetylases (HDACs) have garnered interest as novel therapeutics. This review describes recent advances in our knowledge of histone acetylation status in depression and the therapeutic potential of HDAC inhibitors.
Collapse
|
42
|
Castañeda-Cortés DC, Zhang J, Boan AF, Langlois VS, Fernandino JI. High temperature stress response is not sexually dimorphic at the whole-body level and is dependent on androgens to induce sex reversal. Gen Comp Endocrinol 2020; 299:113605. [PMID: 32866474 DOI: 10.1016/j.ygcen.2020.113605] [Citation(s) in RCA: 8] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Submit a Manuscript] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 04/14/2020] [Revised: 07/14/2020] [Accepted: 08/24/2020] [Indexed: 12/31/2022]
Abstract
The understanding of the molecular and endocrine mechanisms behind environmentally-induced sex reversal in fish is of great importance in the context of predicting the potential effects of climate change, especially increasing temperature. Here, we demonstrate the global effects of high temperature on genome-wide transcription in medaka (Oryzias latipes) during early development. Interestingly, data analysis did not show sexual dimorphic changes, demonstrating that thermal stress is not dependent on genotypic sex. Additionally, our results revealed significant changes in several pathways under high temperature, such as stress response from brain, steroid biosynthesis, epigenetic mechanisms, and thyroid hormone biosynthesis, among others. These microarray data raised the question of what the exact molecular and hormonal mechanisms of action are for female-to-male sex reversal under high temperatures in fish. Complementary gene expression analysis revealed that androgen-related genes increase in females (XX) experiencing high water temperature. To test the involvement of androgens in thermal-induced sex reversal, an androgen antagonist was used to treat XX medaka under a high-temperature setup. Data clearly demonstrated failure of female-to-male sex reversal when androgen action is inhibited, corroborating the importance of androgens in environmentally-induced sex reversal.
Collapse
Affiliation(s)
- Diana C Castañeda-Cortés
- Laboratorio de Biología del Desarrollo - Instituto Tecnológico de Chascomús, INTECH (CONICET-UNSAM), Argentina
| | - Jing Zhang
- Department of Diagnostic Imaging, Hospital for Sick Children, Toronto, ON, Canada; Neurosciences & Mental Health, SickKids Research Institute, Toronto, ON, Canada
| | - Agustín F Boan
- Laboratorio de Biología del Desarrollo - Instituto Tecnológico de Chascomús, INTECH (CONICET-UNSAM), Argentina
| | - Valerie S Langlois
- Institut National de la Recherche Scientifique (INRS) - Centre Eau Terre Environnement, Quebec, Canada.
| | - Juan I Fernandino
- Laboratorio de Biología del Desarrollo - Instituto Tecnológico de Chascomús, INTECH (CONICET-UNSAM), Argentina.
| |
Collapse
|
43
|
Determining effects of adolescent stress exposure on risk for posttraumatic stress disorder in adulthood. Curr Opin Behav Sci 2020. [DOI: 10.1016/j.cobeha.2020.07.004] [Citation(s) in RCA: 2] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 12/29/2022]
|
44
|
Franke K, Van den Bergh BRH, de Rooij SR, Kroegel N, Nathanielsz PW, Rakers F, Roseboom TJ, Witte OW, Schwab M. Effects of maternal stress and nutrient restriction during gestation on offspring neuroanatomy in humans. Neurosci Biobehav Rev 2020; 117:5-25. [PMID: 32001273 PMCID: PMC8207653 DOI: 10.1016/j.neubiorev.2020.01.031] [Citation(s) in RCA: 16] [Impact Index Per Article: 4.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 10/10/2017] [Revised: 01/23/2020] [Accepted: 01/24/2020] [Indexed: 01/06/2023]
Abstract
Cognitive and mental health are major determinants of quality of life, allowing integration into society at all ages. Human epidemiological and animal studies indicate that in addition to genetic factors and lifestyle, prenatal environmental influences may program neuropsychiatric disorders in later life. While several human studies have examined the effects of prenatal stress and nutrient restriction on brain function and mental health in later life, potentially mediating effects of prenatal stress and nutrient restriction on offspring neuroanatomy in humans have been studied only in recent years. Based on neuroimaging and anatomical data, we comprehensively review the studies in this emerging field. We relate prenatal environmental influences to neuroanatomical abnormalities in the offspring, measured in utero and throughout life. We also assess the relationship between neuroanatomical abnormalities and cognitive and mental disorders. Timing- and gender-specific effects are considered, if reported. Our review provides evidence for adverse effects of an unfavorable prenatal environment on structural brain development that may contribute to the risk for cognitive, behavioral and mental health problems throughout life.
Collapse
Affiliation(s)
- Katja Franke
- Department of Neurology, Jena University Hospital, Jena, Germany.
| | - Bea R H Van den Bergh
- Research Group on Health Psychology, Faculty of Psychology and Educational Sciences, KU Leuven, Leuven, Belgium; Department for Welfare, Public Health and Family, Flemish Government, Brussels, Belgium
| | - Susanne R de Rooij
- Department of Clinical Epidemiology, Biostatistics and Bioinformatics, Amsterdam University Medical Centres, University of Amsterdam, The Netherlands
| | - Nasim Kroegel
- Department of Neurology, Jena University Hospital, Jena, Germany; acatech - National Academy of Science and Engineering, Berlin, Germany
| | - Peter W Nathanielsz
- Texas Pregnancy & Life Course Health Research Center, Southwest National Primate Research Center, Texas Biomedical Research Institute, San Antonio, TX, United States; Dept. of Animal Science, University of Wyoming, Laramie, WY, United States
| | - Florian Rakers
- Department of Neurology, Jena University Hospital, Jena, Germany
| | - Tessa J Roseboom
- Department of Clinical Epidemiology, Biostatistics and Bioinformatics, Amsterdam University Medical Centres, University of Amsterdam, The Netherlands; Department of Obstetrics and Gynaecology, Amsterdam University Medical Centres, University of Amsterdam, The Netherlands
| | - Otto W Witte
- Department of Neurology, Jena University Hospital, Jena, Germany
| | - Matthias Schwab
- Department of Neurology, Jena University Hospital, Jena, Germany
| |
Collapse
|
45
|
Prenatal stress and epigenetics. Neurosci Biobehav Rev 2020; 117:198-210. [DOI: 10.1016/j.neubiorev.2017.05.016] [Citation(s) in RCA: 96] [Impact Index Per Article: 24.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 11/16/2016] [Revised: 05/15/2017] [Accepted: 05/16/2017] [Indexed: 12/22/2022]
|
46
|
Premachandran H, Zhao M, Arruda-Carvalho M. Sex Differences in the Development of the Rodent Corticolimbic System. Front Neurosci 2020; 14:583477. [PMID: 33100964 PMCID: PMC7554619 DOI: 10.3389/fnins.2020.583477] [Citation(s) in RCA: 36] [Impact Index Per Article: 9.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 07/15/2020] [Accepted: 09/01/2020] [Indexed: 12/18/2022] Open
Abstract
In recent years, a growing body of research has shown sex differences in the prevalence and symptomatology of psychopathologies, such as depression, anxiety, and fear-related disorders, all of which show high incidence rates in early life. This has highlighted the importance of including female subjects in animal studies, as well as delineating sex differences in neural processing across development. Of particular interest is the corticolimbic system, comprising the hippocampus, amygdala, and medial prefrontal cortex. In rodents, these corticolimbic regions undergo dynamic changes in early life, and disruption to their normative development is believed to underlie the age and sex-dependent effects of stress on affective processing. In this review, we consolidate research on sex differences in the hippocampus, amygdala, and medial prefrontal cortex across early development. First, we briefly introduce current principles on sexual differentiation of the rodent brain. We then showcase corticolimbic regional sex differences in volume, morphology, synaptic organization, cell proliferation, microglia, and GABAergic signaling, and explain how these differences are influenced by perinatal and pubertal gonadal hormones. In compiling this research, we outline evidence of what and when sex differences emerge in the developing corticolimbic system, and illustrate how temporal dynamics of its maturational trajectory may differ in male and female rodents. This will help provide insight into potential neural mechanisms underlying sex-specific critical windows for stress susceptibility and behavioral emergence.
Collapse
Affiliation(s)
| | - Mudi Zhao
- Department of Psychology, University of Toronto Scarborough, Toronto, ON, Canada
| | - Maithe Arruda-Carvalho
- Department of Psychology, University of Toronto Scarborough, Toronto, ON, Canada.,Department of Cell and Systems Biology, University of Toronto Scarborough, Toronto, ON, Canada
| |
Collapse
|
47
|
Dong E, Pandey SC. Prenatal stress induced chromatin remodeling and risk of psychopathology in adulthood. INTERNATIONAL REVIEW OF NEUROBIOLOGY 2020; 156:185-215. [PMID: 33461663 PMCID: PMC7864549 DOI: 10.1016/bs.irn.2020.08.004] [Citation(s) in RCA: 8] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 12/12/2022]
Abstract
New insights into the pathophysiology of psychiatric disorders suggest the existence of a complex interplay between genetics and environment. This notion is supported by evidence suggesting that exposure to stress during pregnancy exerts profound effects on the neurodevelopment and behavior of the offspring and predisposes them to psychiatric disorders later in life. Accumulated evidence suggests that vulnerability to psychiatric disorders may result from permanent negative effects of long-term changes in synaptic plasticity due to altered epigenetic mechanisms (histone modifications and DNA methylation) that lead to condensed chromatin architecture, thereby decreasing the expression of candidate genes during early brain development. In this chapter, we have summarized the literature of clinical studies on psychiatric disorders induced by maternal stress during pregnancy. We also discussed the epigenetic alterations of gene regulations induced by prenatal stress. Because the clinical manifestations of psychiatric disorders are complex, it is obvious that the biological progression of these diseases cannot be studied only in postmortem brains of patients and the use of animal models is required. Therefore, in this chapter, we have introduced a well-established mouse model of prenatal stress (PRS) generated in restrained pregnant dams. The behavioral phenotypes of the offspring (PRS mice) born to the stressed dam and underlying epigenetic changes in key molecules related to synaptic activity were described and highlighted. PRS mice may serve as a useful model for investigating the pathogenesis of psychiatric disorders and may be a useful tool for screening for the potential compounds that may normalize aberrant epigenetic mechanisms induced by prenatal stress.
Collapse
Affiliation(s)
- Erbo Dong
- Center for Alcohol Research in Epigenetics, Department of Psychiatry, College of Medicine, University of Illinois at Chicago, Chicago, IL, United States.
| | - Subhash C Pandey
- Center for Alcohol Research in Epigenetics, Department of Psychiatry, College of Medicine, University of Illinois at Chicago, Chicago, IL, United States; Jesse Brown VA Medical Center, Chicago, IL, United States
| |
Collapse
|
48
|
de Schultz T, Bock J, Braun K. Paternal Deprivation and Female Biparental Family Rearing Induce Dendritic and Synaptic Changes in Octodon degus: I. Medial Prefrontal Cortex. Front Synaptic Neurosci 2020; 12:38. [PMID: 33013347 PMCID: PMC7498658 DOI: 10.3389/fnsyn.2020.00038] [Citation(s) in RCA: 2] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 01/22/2020] [Accepted: 07/31/2020] [Indexed: 12/31/2022] Open
Abstract
In most mammalian species parent-offspring interactions during early life periods primarily comprise social contacts with the mother, whereas the role of males in parental care is one of the most overlooked and understudied topics. The present study addressed the hypothesis that the complete deprivation of paternal care delays or permanently retards synaptic connectivity in the brain, particularly in the medial prefrontal cortex (mPFC) of the offspring in a sex-specific manner. Another aim of this study was to address the question whether and in which way replacing the father with a female caregiver (in our experiments the “aunt”) can “buffer” the detrimental effects of paternal deprivation on neuronal development. The comparison of: (a) single mother rearing; (b) biparental rearing by father and mother; and (c) biparental rearing by two female caregivers revealed that: (i) paternal care represents a critical environmental factor for synaptic and dendritic development of pyramidal neurons in the vmPFC of their offspring; (ii) a second female caregiver (“aunt”) does not “buffer” the neuronal consequences of paternal deprivation; and that (iii) neuronal development in the vmPFC is differentially affected in male and female offspring in response to different family constellations.
Collapse
Affiliation(s)
- Tony de Schultz
- Department of Zoology, Developmental Neurobiology, Institute of Biology, Otto von Guericke University Magdeburg, Magdeburg, Germany
| | - Joerg Bock
- PG "Epigenetics and Structural Plasticity," Institute of Biology, Otto von Guericke, University Magdeburg, Magdeburg, Germany.,Center for Behavioral Brain Sciences, Magdeburg, Germany
| | - Katharina Braun
- Department of Zoology, Developmental Neurobiology, Institute of Biology, Otto von Guericke University Magdeburg, Magdeburg, Germany.,Center for Behavioral Brain Sciences, Magdeburg, Germany
| |
Collapse
|
49
|
An epigenome-wide association study of early-onset major depression in monozygotic twins. Transl Psychiatry 2020; 10:301. [PMID: 32843619 PMCID: PMC7447798 DOI: 10.1038/s41398-020-00984-2] [Citation(s) in RCA: 20] [Impact Index Per Article: 5.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Submit a Manuscript] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 10/08/2019] [Revised: 06/18/2020] [Accepted: 07/22/2020] [Indexed: 12/20/2022] Open
Abstract
Major depression (MD) is a debilitating mental health condition with peak prevalence occurring early in life. Genome-wide examination of DNA methylation (DNAm) offers an attractive complement to studies of allelic risk given it can reflect the combined influence of genes and environment. The current study used monozygotic twins to identify differentially and variably methylated regions of the genome that distinguish twins with and without a lifetime history of early-onset MD. The sample included 150 Caucasian monozygotic twins between the ages of 15 and 20 (73% female; Mage = 17.52 SD = 1.28) who were assessed during a developmental stage characterized by relatively distinct neurophysiological changes. All twins were generally healthy and currently free of medications with psychotropic effects. DNAm was measured in peripheral blood cells using the Infinium Human BeadChip 450 K Array. MD associations with early-onset MD were detected at 760 differentially and variably methylated probes/regions that mapped to 428 genes. Genes and genomic regions involved neural circuitry formation, projection, functioning, and plasticity. Gene enrichment analyses implicated genes related to neuron structures and neurodevelopmental processes including cell-cell adhesion genes (e.g., PCDHA genes). Genes previously implicated in mood and psychiatric disorders as well as chronic stress (e.g., NRG3) also were identified. DNAm regions associated with early-onset MD were found to overlap genetic loci identified in the latest Psychiatric Genomics Consortium meta-analysis of depression. Understanding the time course of epigenetic influences during emerging adulthood may clarify developmental phases where changes in the DNA methylome may modulate individual differences in MD risk.
Collapse
|
50
|
Nist MD, Harrison TM, Tate J, Robinson A, Balas M, Pickler RH. Losing touch. Nurs Inq 2020; 27:e12368. [PMID: 32697024 DOI: 10.1111/nin.12368] [Citation(s) in RCA: 8] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 06/01/2020] [Accepted: 06/02/2020] [Indexed: 12/15/2022]
Abstract
The need for human touch is universal among critical care patients and is an important component of the nurse-patient relationship. However, multiple barriers to human touch exist in the critical care environment. With little research to guide practice, we argue for the importance of human touch in the provision of holistic nursing care.
Collapse
Affiliation(s)
| | | | - Judith Tate
- The Ohio State University College of Nursing, Columbus, OH, USA
| | - Audrey Robinson
- The Ohio State University College of Nursing, Columbus, OH, USA
| | - Michele Balas
- The Ohio State University College of Nursing, Columbus, OH, USA
| | - Rita H Pickler
- The Ohio State University College of Nursing, Columbus, OH, USA
| |
Collapse
|