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Griffith EC, West AE, Greenberg ME. Neuronal enhancers fine-tune adaptive circuit plasticity. Neuron 2024; 112:3043-3057. [PMID: 39208805 DOI: 10.1016/j.neuron.2024.08.002] [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: 05/01/2023] [Revised: 07/22/2024] [Accepted: 08/06/2024] [Indexed: 09/04/2024]
Abstract
Neuronal activity-regulated gene expression plays a crucial role in sculpting neural circuits that underpin adaptive brain function. Transcriptional enhancers are now recognized as key components of gene regulation that orchestrate spatiotemporally precise patterns of gene transcription. We propose that the dynamics of enhancer activation uniquely position these genomic elements to finely tune activity-dependent cellular plasticity. Enhancer specificity and modularity can be exploited to gain selective genetic access to specific cell states, and the precise modulation of target gene expression within restricted cellular contexts enabled by targeted enhancer manipulation allows for fine-grained evaluation of gene function. Mounting evidence also suggests that enduring stimulus-induced changes in enhancer states can modify target gene activation upon restimulation, thereby contributing to a form of cell-wide metaplasticity. We advocate for focused exploration of activity-dependent enhancer function to gain new insight into the mechanisms underlying brain plasticity and cognitive dysfunction.
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Affiliation(s)
- Eric C Griffith
- Department of Neurobiology, Harvard Medical School, Boston, MA, USA
| | - Anne E West
- Department of Neurobiology, Duke University Medical Center, Durham, NC, USA.
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2
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Nohesara S, Mostafavi Abdolmaleky H, Thiagalingam S. Substance-Induced Psychiatric Disorders, Epigenetic and Microbiome Alterations, and Potential for Therapeutic Interventions. Brain Sci 2024; 14:769. [PMID: 39199463 PMCID: PMC11352452 DOI: 10.3390/brainsci14080769] [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: 06/23/2024] [Revised: 07/18/2024] [Accepted: 07/25/2024] [Indexed: 09/01/2024] Open
Abstract
Substance use disorders (SUDs) are complex biopsychosocial diseases that cause neurocognitive deficits and neurological impairments by altering the gene expression in reward-related brain areas. Repeated drug use gives rise to alterations in DNA methylation, histone modifications, and the expression of microRNAs in several brain areas that may be associated with the development of psychotic symptoms. The first section of this review discusses how substance use contributes to the development of psychotic symptoms via epigenetic alterations. Then, we present more evidence about the link between SUDs and brain epigenetic alterations. The next section presents associations between paternal and maternal exposure to substances and epigenetic alterations in the brains of offspring and the role of maternal diet in preventing substance-induced neurological impairments. Then, we introduce potential therapeutic agents/approaches such as methyl-rich diets to modify epigenetic alterations for alleviating psychotic symptoms or depression in SUDs. Next, we discuss how substance use-gut microbiome interactions contribute to the development of neurological impairments through epigenetic alterations and how gut microbiome-derived metabolites may become new therapeutics for normalizing epigenetic aberrations. Finally, we address possible challenges and future perspectives for alleviating psychotic symptoms and depression in patients with SUDs by modulating diets, the epigenome, and gut microbiome.
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Affiliation(s)
- Shabnam Nohesara
- Department of Medicine (Biomedical Genetics), Boston University Chobanian and Avedisian School of Medicine, Boston, MA 02118, USA;
- Mental Health Research Center, Psychosocial Health Research Institute, Department of Psychiatry, School of Medicine, Iran University of Medical Sciences, Tehran 14535, Iran
| | - Hamid Mostafavi Abdolmaleky
- Department of Medicine (Biomedical Genetics), Boston University Chobanian and Avedisian School of Medicine, Boston, MA 02118, USA;
- Nutrition/Metabolism Laboratory, Department of Surgery, BIDMC, Harvard Medical School, Boston, MA 02215, USA
| | - Sam Thiagalingam
- Department of Medicine (Biomedical Genetics), Boston University Chobanian and Avedisian School of Medicine, Boston, MA 02118, USA;
- Department of Pathology & Laboratory Medicine, Boston University Chobanian and Avedisian School of Medicine, Boston, MA 02118, USA
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3
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Daiwile AP, McCoy MT, Ladenheim B, Subramaniam J, Cadet JL. Incubation of methamphetamine craving in punishment-resistant individuals is associated with activation of specific gene networks in the rat dorsal striatum. Mol Psychiatry 2024; 29:1990-2000. [PMID: 38351172 PMCID: PMC11408252 DOI: 10.1038/s41380-024-02455-2] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Submit a Manuscript] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 07/03/2023] [Revised: 01/18/2024] [Accepted: 01/23/2024] [Indexed: 02/16/2024]
Abstract
Methamphetamine use disorder (MUD) is characterized by loss of control over compulsive drug use. Here, we used a self-administration (SA) model to investigate transcriptional changes associated with the development of early and late compulsivity during contingent footshocks. Punishment initially separated methamphetamine taking rats into always shock-resistant (ASR) rats that continued active lever pressing and shock-sensitive (SS) rats that reduced their lever pressing. At the end of the punishment phase, rats underwent 15 days of forced abstinence at the end of which they were re-introduced to the SA paradigm followed by SA plus contingent shocks. Interestingly, 36 percent of the initial SS rats developed delayed shock-resistance (DSR). Of translational relevance, ASR rats showed more incubation of methamphetamine craving than DSR and always sensitive (AS) rats. RNA sequencing revealed increased striatal Rab37 and Dipk2b mRNA levels that correlated with incubation of methamphetamine craving. Interestingly, Bdnf mRNA levels showed HDAC2-dependent decreased expression in the AS rats. The present SA paradigm should help to elucidate the molecular substrates of early and late addiction-like behaviors.
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Affiliation(s)
- Atul P Daiwile
- Molecular Neuropsychiatry Research Branch, NIH/NIDA Intramural Research Program, Baltimore, MD, 21224, USA
| | - Michael T McCoy
- Molecular Neuropsychiatry Research Branch, NIH/NIDA Intramural Research Program, Baltimore, MD, 21224, USA
| | - Bruce Ladenheim
- Molecular Neuropsychiatry Research Branch, NIH/NIDA Intramural Research Program, Baltimore, MD, 21224, USA
| | - Jayanthi Subramaniam
- Molecular Neuropsychiatry Research Branch, NIH/NIDA Intramural Research Program, Baltimore, MD, 21224, USA
| | - Jean Lud Cadet
- Molecular Neuropsychiatry Research Branch, NIH/NIDA Intramural Research Program, Baltimore, MD, 21224, USA.
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Cheng Y, Justice A, Wang Z, Li B, Hancock DB, Johnson EO, Xu K. Cis-meQTL for cocaine use-associated DNA methylation in an HIV-positive cohort show pleiotropic effects on multiple traits. BMC Genomics 2023; 24:556. [PMID: 37730558 PMCID: PMC10510240 DOI: 10.1186/s12864-023-09661-2] [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: 03/24/2023] [Accepted: 09/08/2023] [Indexed: 09/22/2023] Open
Abstract
BACKGROUND Cocaine use (CU) is associated with psychiatric and medical diseases. Little is known about the mechanisms of CU-related comorbidities. Findings from preclinical and clinical studies have suggested that CU is associated with aberrant DNA methylation (DNAm) that may be influenced by genetic variants [i.e., methylation quantitative trait loci (meQTLs)]. In this study, we mapped cis-meQTLs for CU-associated DNAm sites (CpGs) in an HIV-positive cohort (Ntotal = 811) and extended the meQTLs to multiple traits. RESULTS We conducted cis-meQTL analysis for 224 candidate CpGs selected for their association with CU in blood. We identified 7,101 significant meQTLs [false discovery rate (FDR) < 0.05], which mostly mapped to genes involved in immunological functions and were enriched in immune pathways. We followed up the meQTLs using phenome-wide association study and trait enrichment analyses, which revealed 9 significant traits. We tested for causal effects of CU on these 9 traits using Mendelian Randomization and found evidence that CU plays a causal role in increasing hypertension (p-value = 2.35E-08) and decreasing heel bone mineral density (p-value = 1.92E-19). CONCLUSIONS These findings suggest that genetic variants for CU-associated DNAm have pleiotropic effects on other relevant traits and provide new insights into the causal relationships between cocaine use and these complex traits.
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Affiliation(s)
- Youshu Cheng
- Department of Biostatistics, Yale School of Public Health, New Haven, CT, 06511, USA
- VA Connecticut Healthcare System, West Haven, CT, 06516, USA
| | - Amy Justice
- VA Connecticut Healthcare System, West Haven, CT, 06516, USA
- Department of Internal Medicine, Yale School of Medicine, New Haven, CT, 06511, USA
| | - Zuoheng Wang
- Department of Biostatistics, Yale School of Public Health, New Haven, CT, 06511, USA
| | - Boyang Li
- Department of Biostatistics, Yale School of Public Health, New Haven, CT, 06511, USA
- VA Connecticut Healthcare System, West Haven, CT, 06516, USA
| | - Dana B Hancock
- GenOmics, Bioinformatics, and Translational Research Center, RTI International, Research Triangle Park, NC, USA
| | - Eric O Johnson
- GenOmics, Bioinformatics, and Translational Research Center, RTI International, Research Triangle Park, NC, USA
- Fellow Program, RTI International, Research Triangle Park, NC, USA
| | - Ke Xu
- VA Connecticut Healthcare System, West Haven, CT, 06516, USA.
- Department of Psychiatry, Yale School of Medicine, 300 George Street, New Haven, CT, 06511, USA.
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Tiukacheva EA, Ulianov SV, Karpukhina A, Razin SV, Vassetzky Y. 3D genome alterations and editing in pathology. Mol Ther 2023; 31:924-933. [PMID: 36755493 PMCID: PMC10124079 DOI: 10.1016/j.ymthe.2023.02.005] [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: 07/25/2022] [Revised: 12/07/2022] [Accepted: 02/03/2023] [Indexed: 02/10/2023] Open
Abstract
The human genome is folded into a multi-level 3D structure that controls many nuclear functions including gene expression. Recently, alterations in 3D genome organization were associated with several genetic diseases and cancer. As a consequence, experimental approaches are now being developed to modify the global 3D genome organization and that of specific loci. Here, we discuss emerging experimental approaches of 3D genome editing that may prove useful in biomedicine.
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Affiliation(s)
- Eugenia A Tiukacheva
- CNRS UMR9018, Institut Gustave Roussy, 94805 Villejuif, France; Institute of Gene Biology, Moscow 119334, Russia; Moscow Institute of Physics and Technology, Moscow 141700, Russia; Faculty of Biology, Lomonosov Moscow State University, Moscow 119991, Russia; Koltzov Institute of Developmental Biology, Moscow 119334, Russia
| | - Sergey V Ulianov
- Institute of Gene Biology, Moscow 119334, Russia; Faculty of Biology, Lomonosov Moscow State University, Moscow 119991, Russia
| | - Anna Karpukhina
- CNRS UMR9018, Institut Gustave Roussy, 94805 Villejuif, France; Koltzov Institute of Developmental Biology, Moscow 119334, Russia
| | - Sergey V Razin
- Institute of Gene Biology, Moscow 119334, Russia; Faculty of Biology, Lomonosov Moscow State University, Moscow 119991, Russia
| | - Yegor Vassetzky
- CNRS UMR9018, Institut Gustave Roussy, 94805 Villejuif, France; Koltzov Institute of Developmental Biology, Moscow 119334, Russia.
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6
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Poisel E, Zillich L, Streit F, Frank J, Friske MM, Foo JC, Mechawar N, Turecki G, Hansson AC, Nöthen MM, Rietschel M, Spanagel R, Witt SH. DNA methylation in cocaine use disorder-An epigenome-wide approach in the human prefrontal cortex. Front Psychiatry 2023; 14:1075250. [PMID: 36865068 PMCID: PMC9970996 DOI: 10.3389/fpsyt.2023.1075250] [Citation(s) in RCA: 6] [Impact Index Per Article: 6.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Submit a Manuscript] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 10/20/2022] [Accepted: 01/10/2023] [Indexed: 02/16/2023] Open
Abstract
BACKGROUND Cocaine use disorder (CUD) is characterized by a loss of control over cocaine intake and is associated with structural, functional, and molecular alterations in the human brain. At the molecular level, epigenetic alterations are hypothesized to contribute to the higher-level functional and structural brain changes observed in CUD. Most evidence of cocaine-associated epigenetic changes comes from animal studies while only a few studies have been performed using human tissue. METHODS We investigated epigenome-wide DNA methylation (DNAm) signatures of CUD in human post-mortem brain tissue of Brodmann area 9 (BA9). A total of N = 42 BA9 brain samples were obtained from N = 21 individuals with CUD and N = 21 individuals without a CUD diagnosis. We performed an epigenome-wide association study (EWAS) and analyzed CUD-associated differentially methylated regions (DMRs). To assess the functional role of CUD-associated differential methylation, we performed Gene Ontology (GO) enrichment analyses and characterized co-methylation networks using a weighted correlation network analysis. We further investigated epigenetic age in CUD using epigenetic clocks for the assessment of biological age. RESULTS While no cytosine-phosphate-guanine (CpG) site was associated with CUD at epigenome-wide significance in BA9, we detected a total of 20 CUD-associated DMRs. After annotation of DMRs to genes, we identified Neuropeptide FF Receptor 2 (NPFFR2) and Kalirin RhoGEF Kinase (KALRN) for which a previous role in the behavioral response to cocaine in rodents is known. Three of the four identified CUD-associated co-methylation modules were functionally related to neurotransmission and neuroplasticity. Protein-protein interaction (PPI) networks derived from module hub genes revealed several addiction-related genes as highly connected nodes such as Calcium Voltage-Gated Channel Subunit Alpha1 C (CACNA1C), Nuclear Receptor Subfamily 3 Group C Member 1 (NR3C1), and Jun Proto-Oncogene, AP-1 Transcription Factor Subunit (JUN). In BA9, we observed a trend toward epigenetic age acceleration (EAA) in individuals with CUD remaining stable even after adjustment for covariates. CONCLUSION Results from our study highlight that CUD is associated with epigenome-wide differences in DNAm levels in BA9 particularly related to synaptic signaling and neuroplasticity. This supports findings from previous studies that report on the strong impact of cocaine on neurocircuits in the human prefrontal cortex (PFC). Further studies are needed to follow up on the role of epigenetic alterations in CUD focusing on the integration of epigenetic signatures with transcriptomic and proteomic data.
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Affiliation(s)
- Eric Poisel
- Department of Genetic Epidemiology in Psychiatry, Central Institute of Mental Health, Medical Faculty Mannheim, Heidelberg University, Mannheim, Germany
| | - Lea Zillich
- Department of Genetic Epidemiology in Psychiatry, Central Institute of Mental Health, Medical Faculty Mannheim, Heidelberg University, Mannheim, Germany
| | - Fabian Streit
- Department of Genetic Epidemiology in Psychiatry, Central Institute of Mental Health, Medical Faculty Mannheim, Heidelberg University, Mannheim, Germany
| | - Josef Frank
- Department of Genetic Epidemiology in Psychiatry, Central Institute of Mental Health, Medical Faculty Mannheim, Heidelberg University, Mannheim, Germany
| | - Marion M Friske
- Institute of Psychopharmacology, Central Institute of Mental Health, Medical Faculty Mannheim, Heidelberg University, Mannheim, Germany
| | - Jerome C Foo
- Department of Genetic Epidemiology in Psychiatry, Central Institute of Mental Health, Medical Faculty Mannheim, Heidelberg University, Mannheim, Germany
| | - Naguib Mechawar
- McGill Group for Suicide Studies, Douglas Mental Health University Institute, Montreal, QC, Canada.,Department of Psychiatry, McGill University, Montreal, QC, Canada
| | - Gustavo Turecki
- McGill Group for Suicide Studies, Douglas Mental Health University Institute, Montreal, QC, Canada.,Department of Psychiatry, McGill University, Montreal, QC, Canada
| | - Anita C Hansson
- Institute of Psychopharmacology, Central Institute of Mental Health, Medical Faculty Mannheim, Heidelberg University, Mannheim, Germany
| | - Markus M Nöthen
- Institute of Human Genetics, University of Bonn, School of Medicine and University Hospital Bonn, Bonn, Germany
| | - Marcella Rietschel
- Department of Genetic Epidemiology in Psychiatry, Central Institute of Mental Health, Medical Faculty Mannheim, Heidelberg University, Mannheim, Germany
| | - Rainer Spanagel
- Institute of Psychopharmacology, Central Institute of Mental Health, Medical Faculty Mannheim, Heidelberg University, Mannheim, Germany
| | - Stephanie H Witt
- Department of Genetic Epidemiology in Psychiatry, Central Institute of Mental Health, Medical Faculty Mannheim, Heidelberg University, Mannheim, Germany.,Center for Innovative Psychiatric and Psychotherapeutic Research, Biobank, Central Institute of Mental Health, Medical Faculty Mannheim, Heidelberg University, Mannheim, Germany
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7
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Shang Q, Wang J, Xi Z, Gao B, Qian H, An R, Shao G, Liu H, Li T, Liu X. Mechanisms underlying microRNA-222-3p modulation of methamphetamine-induced conditioned place preference in the nucleus accumbens in mice. Psychopharmacology (Berl) 2022; 239:2997-3008. [PMID: 35881147 DOI: 10.1007/s00213-022-06183-9] [Citation(s) in RCA: 3] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Submit a Manuscript] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 01/11/2022] [Accepted: 06/20/2022] [Indexed: 11/24/2022]
Abstract
RATIONALE MicroRNA (miRNA) control of post-transcription gene expression in the nucleus accumbens (NAc) has been implicated in methamphetamine (METH) dependence. Conditioned place preference (CPP) is a classical animal procedure that reflects the rewarding effects of addictive drugs. miR-222-3p has been reported to play a key role in various neurological diseases and is strongly associated with alcohol dependence. Nevertheless, the role of miR-222-3p in METH dependence remains unclear. OBJECTIVE To explore the molecular mechanisms underlying the role of miR-222-3p in the NAc in METH-induced CPP. METHODS miR-222-3p expression in the NAc of METH-induced CPP mice was detected by quantitative real-time (qPCR). Following adeno-associated virus (AAV)-mediated overexpression or knockdown of miR-222-3p in the NAc, mice were subjected to CPP to investigate the effects of miR-222-3p on METH-induced CPP. Target genes of mir-222-3p were predicted using bioinformatics analysis. Candidate target genes for METH-induced CPP were validated by qPCR. RESULTS miR-222-3p expression in the NAc was decreased in CPP mice. Overexpression of miR-222-3p in the NAc blunted METH-induced CPP. Ppp3r1, Cdkn1c, Fmr1, and PPARGC1A were identified as target gene transcripts potentially mediating the effects of miR-222-3p on METH-induced CPP. CONCLUSION Our results highlight miR-222-3p as a key epigenetic regulator in METH-induced CPP and suggest a potential role for miR-222-3p in the regulation of METH-induced reward-related changes in the brain.
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Affiliation(s)
- Qing Shang
- Institute of Forensic Injury, Institute of Forensic Bio-Evidence, Western China Science and Technology Innovation Harbor, Xi'an Jiaotong University, Xi'an, People's Republic of China.,College of Forensic Medicine, Xi'an Jiaotong University Health Science Center, Yanta Road W.76, Xi'an, 710061, Shaanxi, People's Republic of China
| | - Jing Wang
- Institute of Forensic Injury, Institute of Forensic Bio-Evidence, Western China Science and Technology Innovation Harbor, Xi'an Jiaotong University, Xi'an, People's Republic of China.,College of Forensic Medicine, Xi'an Jiaotong University Health Science Center, Yanta Road W.76, Xi'an, 710061, Shaanxi, People's Republic of China
| | - Zhijia Xi
- Institute of Forensic Injury, Institute of Forensic Bio-Evidence, Western China Science and Technology Innovation Harbor, Xi'an Jiaotong University, Xi'an, People's Republic of China.,College of Forensic Medicine, Xi'an Jiaotong University Health Science Center, Yanta Road W.76, Xi'an, 710061, Shaanxi, People's Republic of China
| | - Baoyao Gao
- Institute of Forensic Injury, Institute of Forensic Bio-Evidence, Western China Science and Technology Innovation Harbor, Xi'an Jiaotong University, Xi'an, People's Republic of China.,College of Forensic Medicine, Xi'an Jiaotong University Health Science Center, Yanta Road W.76, Xi'an, 710061, Shaanxi, People's Republic of China
| | - Hongyan Qian
- Institute of Forensic Injury, Institute of Forensic Bio-Evidence, Western China Science and Technology Innovation Harbor, Xi'an Jiaotong University, Xi'an, People's Republic of China.,College of Forensic Medicine, Xi'an Jiaotong University Health Science Center, Yanta Road W.76, Xi'an, 710061, Shaanxi, People's Republic of China
| | - Ran An
- Institute of Forensic Injury, Institute of Forensic Bio-Evidence, Western China Science and Technology Innovation Harbor, Xi'an Jiaotong University, Xi'an, People's Republic of China.,College of Forensic Medicine, Xi'an Jiaotong University Health Science Center, Yanta Road W.76, Xi'an, 710061, Shaanxi, People's Republic of China
| | - Gaojie Shao
- Institute of Forensic Injury, Institute of Forensic Bio-Evidence, Western China Science and Technology Innovation Harbor, Xi'an Jiaotong University, Xi'an, People's Republic of China.,College of Forensic Medicine, Xi'an Jiaotong University Health Science Center, Yanta Road W.76, Xi'an, 710061, Shaanxi, People's Republic of China
| | - Hua Liu
- Key Laboratory of Forensic Toxicology, Ministry of Public Security, Beijing, People's Republic of China
| | - Tao Li
- Institute of Forensic Injury, Institute of Forensic Bio-Evidence, Western China Science and Technology Innovation Harbor, Xi'an Jiaotong University, Xi'an, People's Republic of China. .,College of Forensic Medicine, Xi'an Jiaotong University Health Science Center, Yanta Road W.76, Xi'an, 710061, Shaanxi, People's Republic of China.
| | - Xinshe Liu
- Institute of Forensic Injury, Institute of Forensic Bio-Evidence, Western China Science and Technology Innovation Harbor, Xi'an Jiaotong University, Xi'an, People's Republic of China. .,College of Forensic Medicine, Xi'an Jiaotong University Health Science Center, Yanta Road W.76, Xi'an, 710061, Shaanxi, People's Republic of China.
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Whole Genome DNA Methylation Profiling of D2 Medium Spiny Neurons in Mouse Nucleus Accumbens Using Two Independent Library Preparation Methods. Genes (Basel) 2022; 13:genes13020306. [PMID: 35205351 PMCID: PMC8872013 DOI: 10.3390/genes13020306] [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: 12/24/2021] [Revised: 02/01/2022] [Accepted: 02/02/2022] [Indexed: 11/21/2022] Open
Abstract
DNA methylation plays essential roles in various cellular processes. Next-generation sequencing has enabled us to study the functional implication of DNA methylation across the whole genome. However, this approach usually requires a substantial amount of genomic DNA, which limits its application to defined cell types within a discrete brain region. Here, we applied two separate protocols, Accel-NGS Methyl-Seq (AM-seq) and Enzymatic Methyl-seq (EM-seq), to profile the methylome of D2 dopamine receptor-expressing medium spiny neurons (D2-MSNs) in mouse nucleus accumbens (NAc). Using 40 ng DNA extracted from FACS-isolated D2-MSNs, we found that both methods yielded comparably high-quality methylome data. Additionally, we identified numerous unmethylated regions (UMRs) as cell type-specific regulatory regions. By comparing the NAc D2-MSN methylome with the published methylomes of mouse prefrontal cortex excitatory neurons and neural progenitor cells (NPCs), we identified numerous differentially methylated CpG and non-CpG regions. Our study not only presents a comparison of these two low-input DNA whole genome methylation profiling protocols, but also provides a resource of DNA methylome of mouse accumbal D2-MSNs, a neuron type that has critical roles in addiction and other neuropsychiatric disorders.
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Kaplan G, Xu H, Abreu K, Feng J. DNA Epigenetics in Addiction Susceptibility. Front Genet 2022; 13:806685. [PMID: 35145550 PMCID: PMC8821887 DOI: 10.3389/fgene.2022.806685] [Citation(s) in RCA: 2] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 11/01/2021] [Accepted: 01/06/2022] [Indexed: 12/22/2022] Open
Abstract
Addiction is a chronically relapsing neuropsychiatric disease that occurs in some, but not all, individuals who use substances of abuse. Relatively little is known about the mechanisms which contribute to individual differences in susceptibility to addiction. Neural gene expression regulation underlies the pathogenesis of addiction, which is mediated by epigenetic mechanisms, such as DNA modifications. A growing body of work has demonstrated distinct DNA epigenetic signatures in brain reward regions that may be associated with addiction susceptibility. Furthermore, factors that influence addiction susceptibility are also known to have a DNA epigenetic basis. In the present review, we discuss the notion that addiction susceptibility has an underlying DNA epigenetic basis. We focus on major phenotypes of addiction susceptibility and review evidence of cell type-specific, time dependent, and sex biased effects of drug use. We highlight the role of DNA epigenetics in these diverse processes and propose its contribution to addiction susceptibility differences. Given the prevalence and lack of effective treatments for addiction, elucidating the DNA epigenetic mechanism of addiction vulnerability may represent an expeditious approach to relieving the addiction disease burden.
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10
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De Sa Nogueira D, Bourdy R, Alcala-Vida R, Filliol D, Andry V, Goumon Y, Zwiller J, Romieu P, Merienne K, Olmstead MC, Befort K. Hippocampal Cannabinoid 1 Receptors Are Modulated Following Cocaine Self-administration in Male Rats. Mol Neurobiol 2022; 59:1896-1911. [PMID: 35032317 DOI: 10.1007/s12035-022-02722-9] [Citation(s) in RCA: 2] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 08/19/2021] [Accepted: 12/30/2021] [Indexed: 02/07/2023]
Abstract
Cocaine addiction is a complex pathology inducing long-term neuroplastic changes that, in turn, contribute to maladaptive behaviors. This behavioral dysregulation is associated with transcriptional reprogramming in brain reward circuitry, although the mechanisms underlying this modulation remain poorly understood. The endogenous cannabinoid system may play a role in this process in that cannabinoid mechanisms modulate drug reward and contribute to cocaine-induced neural adaptations. In this study, we investigated whether cocaine self-administration induces long-term adaptations, including transcriptional modifications and associated epigenetic processes. We first examined endocannabinoid gene expression in reward-related brain regions of the rat following self-administered (0.33 mg/kg intravenous, FR1, 10 days) cocaine injections. Interestingly, we found increased Cnr1 expression in several structures, including prefrontal cortex, nucleus accumbens, dorsal striatum, hippocampus, habenula, amygdala, lateral hypothalamus, ventral tegmental area, and rostromedial tegmental nucleus, with most pronounced effects in the hippocampus. Endocannabinoid levels, measured by mass spectrometry, were also altered in this structure. Chromatin immunoprecipitation followed by qPCR in the hippocampus revealed that two activating histone marks, H3K4Me3 and H3K27Ac, were enriched at specific endocannabinoid genes following cocaine intake. Targeting CB1 receptors using chromosome conformation capture, we highlighted spatial chromatin re-organization in the hippocampus, as well as in the nucleus accumbens, suggesting that destabilization of the chromatin may contribute to neuronal responses to cocaine. Overall, our results highlight a key role for the hippocampus in cocaine-induced plasticity and broaden the understanding of neuronal alterations associated with endocannabinoid signaling. The latter suggests that epigenetic modifications contribute to maladaptive behaviors associated with chronic drug use.
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Affiliation(s)
- David De Sa Nogueira
- Laboratoire de Neurosciences Cognitives Et Adaptatives (LNCA), Centre de La Recherche Nationale Scientifique, Université de Strasbourg, 12 rue Goethe, 67000, Strasbourg, France.,Brain Health Institute, Rutgers University and Rutgers Biomedical and Health Sciences, 683 Hoes Lane West, Piscataway, NJ, 08854, USA
| | - Romain Bourdy
- Laboratoire de Neurosciences Cognitives Et Adaptatives (LNCA), Centre de La Recherche Nationale Scientifique, Université de Strasbourg, 12 rue Goethe, 67000, Strasbourg, France
| | - Rafael Alcala-Vida
- Laboratoire de Neurosciences Cognitives Et Adaptatives (LNCA), Centre de La Recherche Nationale Scientifique, Université de Strasbourg, 12 rue Goethe, 67000, Strasbourg, France
| | - Dominique Filliol
- Laboratoire de Neurosciences Cognitives Et Adaptatives (LNCA), Centre de La Recherche Nationale Scientifique, Université de Strasbourg, 12 rue Goethe, 67000, Strasbourg, France
| | - Virginie Andry
- Institut Des Neurosciences Cellulaires Et Intégratives (INCI), UPR 3212, CNRS, 8 Allée du Général Rouvillois, 67000, Strasbourg, France
| | - Yannick Goumon
- Institut Des Neurosciences Cellulaires Et Intégratives (INCI), UPR 3212, CNRS, 8 Allée du Général Rouvillois, 67000, Strasbourg, France
| | - Jean Zwiller
- Laboratoire de Neurosciences Cognitives Et Adaptatives (LNCA), Centre de La Recherche Nationale Scientifique, Université de Strasbourg, 12 rue Goethe, 67000, Strasbourg, France
| | - Pascal Romieu
- Laboratoire de Neurosciences Cognitives Et Adaptatives (LNCA), Centre de La Recherche Nationale Scientifique, Université de Strasbourg, 12 rue Goethe, 67000, Strasbourg, France
| | - Karine Merienne
- Laboratoire de Neurosciences Cognitives Et Adaptatives (LNCA), Centre de La Recherche Nationale Scientifique, Université de Strasbourg, 12 rue Goethe, 67000, Strasbourg, France
| | - Mary C Olmstead
- Department of Psychology, Center for Neuroscience Studies, Queen's University, Kingston, ON, K7L 3N6, Canada
| | - Katia Befort
- Laboratoire de Neurosciences Cognitives Et Adaptatives (LNCA), Centre de La Recherche Nationale Scientifique, Université de Strasbourg, 12 rue Goethe, 67000, Strasbourg, France.
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Vaillancourt K, Chen GG, Fiori L, Maussion G, Yerko V, Théroux JF, Ernst C, Labonté B, Calipari E, Nestler EJ, Nagy C, Mechawar N, Mash DC, Turecki G. Methylation of the tyrosine hydroxylase gene is dysregulated by cocaine dependence in the human striatum. iScience 2021; 24:103169. [PMID: 34693223 PMCID: PMC8517202 DOI: 10.1016/j.isci.2021.103169] [Citation(s) in RCA: 6] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 04/15/2021] [Revised: 06/15/2021] [Accepted: 09/21/2021] [Indexed: 02/01/2023] Open
Abstract
Cocaine dependence is a chronic, relapsing disorder caused by lasting changes in the brain. Animal studies have identified cocaine-related alterations in striatal DNA methylation; however, it is unclear how methylation is related to cocaine dependence in humans. We generated methylomic profiles of the nucleus accumbens using human postmortem brains from a cohort of individuals with cocaine dependence and healthy controls (n = 25 per group). We found hypermethylation in a cluster of CpGs within the gene body of tyrosine hydroxylase (TH), containing a putative binding site for the early growth response 1 (EGR1) transcription factor, which is hypermethylated in the caudate nucleus of cocaine-dependent individuals. We replicated this finding and found it to be specific to striatal neuronal nuclei. Furthermore, this locus demonstrates enhancer activity which is attenuated by methylation and enhanced by EGR1 overexpression. These results suggest that cocaine dependence alters the epigenetic regulation of dopaminergic signaling genes.
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Affiliation(s)
- Kathryn Vaillancourt
- McGill Group for Suicide Studies, Douglas Hospital Research Center, Verdun, QC, Canada
- Integrated Program in Neuroscience, McGill University, Montreal, QC, Canada
| | - Gang G. Chen
- McGill Group for Suicide Studies, Douglas Hospital Research Center, Verdun, QC, Canada
| | - Laura Fiori
- McGill Group for Suicide Studies, Douglas Hospital Research Center, Verdun, QC, Canada
| | - Gilles Maussion
- Department of Neurology and Neurosurgery, Montreal Neurological Institute, Montreal, QC, Canada
| | - Volodymyr Yerko
- McGill Group for Suicide Studies, Douglas Hospital Research Center, Verdun, QC, Canada
| | - Jean-François Théroux
- McGill Group for Suicide Studies, Douglas Hospital Research Center, Verdun, QC, Canada
| | - Carl Ernst
- Department of Psychiatry, McGill University, Montreal, QC, Canada
| | - Benoit Labonté
- Centre de Recherche Cervo, Université Laval, Québec, QC, Canada
| | - Erin Calipari
- Departments of Pharmacology, Molecular Physiology and Biophysics, Psychiatry and Behavioral Sciences; Vanderbilt Center for Addiction Research; Vanderbilt Brain Institute, Vanderbilt University, Nashville, TN, USA
| | - Eric J. Nestler
- Nash Family Department of Neuroscience and Friedman Brain Institute, Icahn School of Medicine at Mount Sinai, New York, NY, USA
| | - Corina Nagy
- McGill Group for Suicide Studies, Douglas Hospital Research Center, Verdun, QC, Canada
- Department of Psychiatry, McGill University, Montreal, QC, Canada
| | - Naguib Mechawar
- McGill Group for Suicide Studies, Douglas Hospital Research Center, Verdun, QC, Canada
- Department of Psychiatry, McGill University, Montreal, QC, Canada
| | - Deborah C. Mash
- Department of Neurology, University of Miami Miller School of Medicine, Miami, FL, USA
| | - Gustavo Turecki
- McGill Group for Suicide Studies, Douglas Hospital Research Center, Verdun, QC, Canada
- Integrated Program in Neuroscience, McGill University, Montreal, QC, Canada
- Department of Psychiatry, McGill University, Montreal, QC, Canada
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Abstract
Animal and humans exposed to stress early in life are more likely to suffer from long-term behavioral, mental health, metabolic, immune, and cardiovascular health consequences. The hypothalamus plays a nodal role in programming, controlling, and regulating stress responses throughout the life course. Epigenetic reprogramming in the hippocampus and the hypothalamus play an important role in adapting genome function to experiences and exposures during the perinatal and early life periods and setting up stable phenotypic outcomes. Epigenetic programming during development enables one genome to express multiple cell type identities. The most proximal epigenetic mark to DNA is a covalent modification of the DNA itself by enzymatic addition of methyl moieties. Cell-type-specific DNA methylation profiles are generated during gestational development and define cell and tissue specific phenotypes. Programming of neuronal phenotypes and sex differences in the hypothalamus is achieved by developmentally timed rearrangement of DNA methylation profiles. Similarly, other stations in the life trajectory such as puberty and aging involve predictable and scheduled reorganization of DNA methylation profiles. DNA methylation and other epigenetic marks are critical for maintaining cell-type identity in the brain, across the body, and throughout life. Data that have emerged in the last 15 years suggest that like its role in defining cell-specific phenotype during development, DNA methylation might be involved in defining experiential identities, programming similar genes to perform differently in response to diverse experiential histories. Early life stress impact on lifelong phenotypes is proposed to be mediated by DNA methylation and other epigenetic marks. Epigenetic marks, as opposed to genetic mutations, are reversible by either pharmacological or behavioral strategies and therefore offer the potential for reversing or preventing disease including behavioral and mental health disorders. This chapter discusses data testing the hypothesis that DNA methylation modulations of the HPA axis mediate the impact of early life stress on lifelong behavioral and physical phenotypes.
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Affiliation(s)
- Moshe Szyf
- Department of Pharmacology and Therapeutics, McGill University, Montreal, QC, Canada.
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