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Zhang Y, Wang S, Hei M. Maternal separation as early-life stress: Mechanisms of neuropsychiatric disorders and inspiration for neonatal care. Brain Res Bull 2024; 217:111058. [PMID: 39197670 DOI: 10.1016/j.brainresbull.2024.111058] [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: 06/05/2024] [Revised: 08/01/2024] [Accepted: 08/25/2024] [Indexed: 09/01/2024]
Abstract
The establishment of positive early parent-infant relationships provide essential nourishment and social stimulation for newborns. During the early stages of postnatal brain development, events such as synaptogenesis, neuronal maturation and glial differentiation occur in a highly coordinated manner. Maternal separation, as an early-life stress introducer, can disrupt the formation of parent-child bonds and exert long-term adverse effects throughout life. When offspring are exposed to maternal separation, the body regulates the stress of maternal separation through multiple mechanisms, including neuroinflammatory responses, neuroendocrinology, and neuronal electrical activity. In adulthood, early maternal separation has long-term effects, such as the induction of neuropsychiatric disorders such as anxiety, depression, and cognitive dysfunction. This review summarized the application of maternal separation models and the mechanisms of stress system response in neuropsychiatric disorders, serving as both a reminder and inspiration for approaches to improve neonatal care, "from bench to bedside".
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Affiliation(s)
- Yuan Zhang
- Neonatal Center, Beijing Children's Hospital Capital Medical University, National Center of Children's Health, Beijing 100045, China
| | - Shu Wang
- Department of Neurosurgery, Beijing Tiantan Hospital, Capital Medical University, Beijing 100070, China
| | - Mingyan Hei
- Neonatal Center, Beijing Children's Hospital Capital Medical University, National Center of Children's Health, Beijing 100045, China.
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Sigutova V, Xiang W, Regensburger M, Winner B, Prots I. Alpha-synuclein fine-tunes neuronal response to pro-inflammatory cytokines. Brain Behav Immun 2024; 122:216-230. [PMID: 39128571 DOI: 10.1016/j.bbi.2024.08.015] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Submit a Manuscript] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 05/28/2024] [Revised: 07/30/2024] [Accepted: 08/08/2024] [Indexed: 08/13/2024] Open
Abstract
Pro-inflammatory cytokines are emerging as neuroinflammatory mediators in Parkinson's disease (PD) due to their ability to act through neuronal cytokine receptors. Critical questions persist regarding the role of cytokines in neuronal dysfunction and their contribution to PD pathology. Specifically, the potential synergy of the hallmark PD protein alpha-synuclein (α-syn) with cytokines is of interest. We therefore investigated the direct impact of pro-inflammatory cytokines on neurons and hypothesized that α-syn pathology exacerbates cytokine-induced neuronal deficits in PD. iPSC-derived cortical neurons (CNs) from healthy controls and patients with α-syn gene locus duplication (SNCA dupl) were stimulated with IL-17A, TNF-α, IFN-γ, or a combination thereof. For rescue experiments, CNs were pre-treated with α-syn anti-oligomerisation compound NPT100-18A prior to IL-17A stimulation. Cytokine receptor expression, microtubule cytoskeleton, axonal transport and neuronal activity were assessed. SNCA dupl CNs displayed an increased IL-17A receptor expression and impaired IL-17A-mediated cytokine receptor regulation. Cytokines exacerbated the altered distribution of tubulin post-translational modifications in SNCA dupl neurites, with SNCA dupl-specific IL-17A effects. Tau pathology in SNCA dupl CNs was also aggravated by IL-17A and cytokine mix. Cytokines slowed down mitochondrial axonal transport, with IL-17A-mediated retrograde slowing in SNCA dupl only. The pre-treatment of SNCA dupl CNs with NPT100-18A prevented the IL-17A-induced functional impairments in axonal transport and neural activity. Our work elucidates the detrimental effects of pro-inflammatory cytokines, particularly IL-17A, on human neuronal structure and function in the context of α-syn pathology, suggesting that cytokine-mediated inflammation represents a second hit to neurons in PD which is amenable to disease modifying therapies that are currently in clinical trials.
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Affiliation(s)
- Veronika Sigutova
- Department of Stem Cell Biology, University Hospital Erlangen, FAU Erlangen-Nürnberg, Erlangen, Germany; Dental Clinic 1, Department of Operative Dentistry and Periodontology, University Hospital Erlangen, FAU Erlangen-Nürnberg, Erlangen, Germany
| | - Wei Xiang
- Department of Molecular Neurology, University Hospital Erlangen, FAU Erlangen-Nürnberg, Erlangen, Germany
| | - Martin Regensburger
- Department of Stem Cell Biology, University Hospital Erlangen, FAU Erlangen-Nürnberg, Erlangen, Germany; Department of Molecular Neurology, University Hospital Erlangen, FAU Erlangen-Nürnberg, Erlangen, Germany; Deutsches Zentrum Immuntherapie (DZI), University Hospital Erlangen, Erlangen, Germany
| | - Beate Winner
- Department of Stem Cell Biology, University Hospital Erlangen, FAU Erlangen-Nürnberg, Erlangen, Germany; Deutsches Zentrum Immuntherapie (DZI), University Hospital Erlangen, Erlangen, Germany; Center for Rare Diseases Erlangen (ZSEER), University Hospital Erlangen, FAU Erlangen-Nürnberg, Erlangen, Germany
| | - Iryna Prots
- Department of Stem Cell Biology, University Hospital Erlangen, FAU Erlangen-Nürnberg, Erlangen, Germany; Dental Clinic 1, Department of Operative Dentistry and Periodontology, University Hospital Erlangen, FAU Erlangen-Nürnberg, Erlangen, Germany.
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Wardhani K, Yazzie S, Edeh O, Grimes M, Dixson C, Jacquez Q, Zychowski KE. Neuroinflammation is dependent on sex and ovarian hormone presence following acute woodsmoke exposure. Sci Rep 2024; 14:12995. [PMID: 38844478 PMCID: PMC11156661 DOI: 10.1038/s41598-024-63562-2] [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: 03/04/2024] [Accepted: 05/30/2024] [Indexed: 06/09/2024] Open
Abstract
Woodsmoke (WS) exposure is associated with significant health-related sequelae. Different populations can potentially exhibit varying susceptibility, based on endocrine phenotypes, to WS and investigating neurological impacts following inhaled WS is a growing area of research. In this study, a whole-body inhalation chamber was used to expose both male and female C57BL/6 mice (n = 8 per group) to either control filtered air (FA) or acute WS (0.861 ± 0.210 mg/m3) for 4 h/d for 2 days. Neuroinflammatory and lipid-based biological markers were then assessed. In a second set of studies, female mice were divided into two groups: one group was ovariectomized (OVX) to simulate an ovarian hormone-deficient state (surgical menopause), and the other underwent Sham surgery as controls, to mechanistically assess the impact of ovarian hormone presence on neuroinflammation following FA and acute WS exposure to simulate an acute wildfire episode. There was a statistically significant impact of sex (P ≤ 0.05) and statistically significant interactions between sex and treatment in IL-1β, CXCL-1, TGF-β, and IL-6 brain relative gene expression. Hippocampal and cortex genes also exhibited significant changes in acute WS-exposed Sham and OVX mice, particularly in TGF-β (hippocampus) and CCL-2 and CXCL-1 (cortex). Cortex GFAP optical density (OD) showed a notable elevation in male mice exposed to acute WS, compared to the control FA. Sham and OVX females demonstrated differential GFAP expression, depending on brain region. Overall, targeted lipidomics in phosphatidylcholine (PC) and phosphatidylethanolamine (PE) serum and brain lipids demonstrated more significant changes between control FA and acute WS exposure in female mice, compared to males. In summary, male and female mice show distinct neuroinflammatory markers in response to acute WS exposure. Furthermore, ovarian hormone deficiency may impact the neuroinflammatory response following an acute WS event.
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Affiliation(s)
- Kartika Wardhani
- College of Nursing, University of New Mexico-Health Sciences Center, Albuquerque, NM, 87131, USA
- Biochemistry and Biotechnology (B-TEK) Group, Bioscience Division, Los Alamos National Laboratory, Los Alamos, NM, 87545, USA
| | - Sydnee Yazzie
- College of Nursing, University of New Mexico-Health Sciences Center, Albuquerque, NM, 87131, USA
| | - Onamma Edeh
- College of Nursing, University of New Mexico-Health Sciences Center, Albuquerque, NM, 87131, USA
| | - Martha Grimes
- Department of Pharmaceutical Sciences, College of Pharmacy, University of New Mexico-Health Sciences Center, Albuquerque, NM, 87131, USA
| | - Connor Dixson
- College of Nursing, University of New Mexico-Health Sciences Center, Albuquerque, NM, 87131, USA
| | - Quiteria Jacquez
- Department of Pharmaceutical Sciences, College of Pharmacy, University of New Mexico-Health Sciences Center, Albuquerque, NM, 87131, USA
| | - Katherine E Zychowski
- College of Nursing, University of New Mexico-Health Sciences Center, Albuquerque, NM, 87131, USA.
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Vacharasin JM, Ward JA, McCord MM, Cox K, Imitola J, Lizarraga SB. Neuroimmune mechanisms in autism etiology - untangling a complex problem using human cellular models. OXFORD OPEN NEUROSCIENCE 2024; 3:kvae003. [PMID: 38665176 PMCID: PMC11044813 DOI: 10.1093/oons/kvae003] [Citation(s) in RCA: 1] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Figures] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 09/04/2023] [Revised: 01/13/2024] [Accepted: 01/31/2024] [Indexed: 04/28/2024]
Abstract
Autism spectrum disorder (ASD) affects 1 in 36 people and is more often diagnosed in males than in females. Core features of ASD are impaired social interactions, repetitive behaviors and deficits in verbal communication. ASD is a highly heterogeneous and heritable disorder, yet its underlying genetic causes account only for up to 80% of the cases. Hence, a subset of ASD cases could be influenced by environmental risk factors. Maternal immune activation (MIA) is a response to inflammation during pregnancy, which can lead to increased inflammatory signals to the fetus. Inflammatory signals can cross the placenta and blood brain barriers affecting fetal brain development. Epidemiological and animal studies suggest that MIA could contribute to ASD etiology. However, human mechanistic studies have been hindered by a lack of experimental systems that could replicate the impact of MIA during fetal development. Therefore, mechanisms altered by inflammation during human pre-natal brain development, and that could underlie ASD pathogenesis have been largely understudied. The advent of human cellular models with induced pluripotent stem cell (iPSC) and organoid technology is closing this gap in knowledge by providing both access to molecular manipulations and culturing capability of tissue that would be otherwise inaccessible. We present an overview of multiple levels of evidence from clinical, epidemiological, and cellular studies that provide a potential link between higher ASD risk and inflammation. More importantly, we discuss how stem cell-derived models may constitute an ideal experimental system to mechanistically interrogate the effect of inflammation during the early stages of brain development.
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Affiliation(s)
- Janay M Vacharasin
- Department of Biological Sciences, and Center for Childhood Neurotherapeutics, Univ. of South Carolina, 715 Sumter Street, Columbia, SC 29208, USA
- Department of Biological Sciences, Francis Marion University, 4822 East Palmetto Street, Florence, S.C. 29506, USA
| | - Joseph A Ward
- Department of Molecular Biology, Cell Biology, & Biochemistry, Brown University, 185 Meeting Street, Providence, RI 02912, USA
- Center for Translational Neuroscience, Carney Institute of Brain Science, Brown University, 70 Ship Street, Providence, RI 02903, USA
| | - Mikayla M McCord
- Department of Biological Sciences, and Center for Childhood Neurotherapeutics, Univ. of South Carolina, 715 Sumter Street, Columbia, SC 29208, USA
| | - Kaitlin Cox
- Department of Biological Sciences, and Center for Childhood Neurotherapeutics, Univ. of South Carolina, 715 Sumter Street, Columbia, SC 29208, USA
| | - Jaime Imitola
- Laboratory of Neural Stem Cells and Functional Neurogenetics, UConn Health, Departments of Neuroscience, Neurology, Genetics and Genome Sciences, UConn Health, 263 Farmington Avenue, Farmington, CT 06030-5357, USA
| | - Sofia B Lizarraga
- Department of Molecular Biology, Cell Biology, & Biochemistry, Brown University, 185 Meeting Street, Providence, RI 02912, USA
- Center for Translational Neuroscience, Carney Institute of Brain Science, Brown University, 70 Ship Street, Providence, RI 02903, USA
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Takada R, Toritsuka M, Yamauchi T, Ishida R, Kayashima Y, Nishi Y, Ishikawa M, Yamamuro K, Ikehara M, Komori T, Noriyama Y, Kamikawa K, Saito Y, Okano H, Makinodan M. Granulocyte macrophage colony-stimulating factor-induced macrophages of individuals with autism spectrum disorder adversely affect neuronal dendrites through the secretion of pro-inflammatory cytokines. Mol Autism 2024; 15:10. [PMID: 38383466 PMCID: PMC10882766 DOI: 10.1186/s13229-024-00589-2] [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: 02/16/2023] [Accepted: 02/06/2024] [Indexed: 02/23/2024] Open
Abstract
BACKGROUND A growing body of evidence suggests that immune dysfunction and inflammation in the peripheral tissues as well as the central nervous system are associated with the neurodevelopmental deficits observed in autism spectrum disorder (ASD). Elevated expression of pro-inflammatory cytokines in the plasma, serum, and peripheral blood mononuclear cells of ASD has been reported. These cytokine expression levels are associated with the severity of behavioral impairments and symptoms in ASD. In a prior study, our group reported that tumor necrosis factor-α (TNF-α) expression in granulocyte-macrophage colony-stimulating factor-induced macrophages (GM-CSF MΦ) and the TNF-α expression ratio in GM-CSF MΦ/M-CSF MΦ (macrophage colony-stimulating factor-induced macrophages) was markedly higher in individuals with ASD than in typically developed (TD) individuals. However, the mechanisms of how the macrophages and the highly expressed cytokines affect neurons remain to be addressed. METHODS To elucidate the effect of macrophages on human neurons, we used a co-culture system of control human-induced pluripotent stem cell-derived neurons and differentiated macrophages obtained from the peripheral blood mononuclear cells of five TD individuals and five individuals with ASD. All participants were male and ethnically Japanese. RESULTS Our results of co-culture experiments showed that GM-CSF MΦ affect the dendritic outgrowth of neurons through the secretion of pro-inflammatory cytokines, interleukin-1α and TNF-α. Macrophages derived from individuals with ASD exerted more severe effects than those derived from TD individuals. LIMITATIONS The main limitations of our study were the small sample size with a gender bias toward males, the use of artificially polarized macrophages, and the inability to directly observe the interaction between neurons and macrophages from the same individuals. CONCLUSIONS Our co-culture system revealed the non-cell autonomous adverse effects of GM-CSF MΦ in individuals with ASD on neurons, mediated by interleukin-1α and TNF-α. These results may support the immune dysfunction hypothesis of ASD, providing new insights into its pathology.
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Affiliation(s)
- Ryohei Takada
- Department of Psychiatry, Nara Medical University School of Medicine, 840 Shijo-Cho, Kashihara City, Nara, 634-8522, Japan
| | - Michihiro Toritsuka
- Department of Psychiatry, Nara Medical University School of Medicine, 840 Shijo-Cho, Kashihara City, Nara, 634-8522, Japan.
| | - Takahira Yamauchi
- Department of Psychiatry, Nara Medical University School of Medicine, 840 Shijo-Cho, Kashihara City, Nara, 634-8522, Japan
| | - Rio Ishida
- Department of Psychiatry, Nara Medical University School of Medicine, 840 Shijo-Cho, Kashihara City, Nara, 634-8522, Japan
| | - Yoshinori Kayashima
- Department of Psychiatry, Nara Medical University School of Medicine, 840 Shijo-Cho, Kashihara City, Nara, 634-8522, Japan
| | - Yuki Nishi
- Department of Psychiatry, Nara Medical University School of Medicine, 840 Shijo-Cho, Kashihara City, Nara, 634-8522, Japan
| | - Mitsuru Ishikawa
- Department of Physiology, Keio University School of Medicine, 35 Shinanomachi, Shinjuku-Ku, Tokyo, 160-8582, Japan
| | - Kazuhiko Yamamuro
- Department of Psychiatry, Nara Medical University School of Medicine, 840 Shijo-Cho, Kashihara City, Nara, 634-8522, Japan
| | - Minobu Ikehara
- Department of Psychiatry, Nara Medical University School of Medicine, 840 Shijo-Cho, Kashihara City, Nara, 634-8522, Japan
| | - Takashi Komori
- Department of Psychiatry, Nara Medical University School of Medicine, 840 Shijo-Cho, Kashihara City, Nara, 634-8522, Japan
| | - Yuki Noriyama
- Department of Psychiatry, Nara Medical University School of Medicine, 840 Shijo-Cho, Kashihara City, Nara, 634-8522, Japan
| | - Kohei Kamikawa
- Department of Psychiatry, Nara Medical University School of Medicine, 840 Shijo-Cho, Kashihara City, Nara, 634-8522, Japan
| | - Yasuhiko Saito
- Department of Neurophysiology, Nara Medical University School of Medicine, 840 Shijo-Cho, Kashihara City, Nara, 634-8522, Japan
| | - Hideyuki Okano
- Department of Physiology, Keio University School of Medicine, 35 Shinanomachi, Shinjuku-Ku, Tokyo, 160-8582, Japan
| | - Manabu Makinodan
- Department of Psychiatry, Nara Medical University School of Medicine, 840 Shijo-Cho, Kashihara City, Nara, 634-8522, Japan
- Osaka Psychiatric Research Center, 3-16-21 Miyanosaka, Hirakata City, Osaka, 573-0022, Japan
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Liu X, Liu H, Gu N, Pei J, Lin X, Zhao W. Preeclampsia promotes autism in offspring via maternal inflammation and fetal NFκB signaling. Life Sci Alliance 2023; 6:e202301957. [PMID: 37290815 PMCID: PMC10250690 DOI: 10.26508/lsa.202301957] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 01/27/2023] [Revised: 05/28/2023] [Accepted: 05/30/2023] [Indexed: 06/10/2023] Open
Abstract
Preeclampsia (PE) is a risk factor for autism spectrum disorder (ASD) in offspring. However, the exact mechanisms underlying the impact of PE on progeny ASD are not fully understood, which hinders the development of effective therapeutic approaches. This study shows the offspring born to a PE mouse model treated by Nω-nitro-L-arginine methyl ester (L-NAME) exhibit ASD-like phenotypes, including neurodevelopment deficiency and behavioral abnormalities. Transcriptomic analysis of the embryonic cortex and adult offspring hippocampus suggested the expression of ASD-related genes was dramatically changed. Furthermore, the level of inflammatory cytokines TNFα in maternal serum and nuclear factor kappa B (NFκB) signaling in the fetal cortex were elevated. Importantly, TNFα neutralization during pregnancy enabled to ameliorate ASD-like phenotypes and restore the NFκB activation level in the offspring exposed to PE. Furthermore, TNFα/NFκB signaling axis, but not L-NAME, caused deficits in neuroprogenitor cell proliferation and synaptic development. These experiments demonstrate that offspring exposed to PE phenocopies ASD signatures reported in humans and indicate therapeutic targeting of TNFα decreases the likelihood of bearing children with ASD phenotypes from PE mothers.
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Affiliation(s)
- Xueyuan Liu
- Obstetrics and Gynecology Hospital of Fudan University, Shanghai, China
- Environmental and Occupational Health Science Institute, Rutgers University, Piscataway, NJ, USA
| | - Haiyan Liu
- Obstetrics and Gynecology Hospital of Fudan University, Shanghai, China
| | - Nihao Gu
- International Peace Maternity & Child Health Hospital Affiliated to Shanghai Jiao Tong University School of Medicine and Shanghai Key Laboratory for Embryo-Feta Original Adult Disease, Shanghai Jiao Tong University, Shanghai, China
| | - Jiangnan Pei
- Obstetrics and Gynecology Hospital of Fudan University, Shanghai, China
| | - Xianhua Lin
- Obstetrics and Gynecology Hospital of Fudan University, Shanghai, China
| | - Wenlong Zhao
- Environmental and Occupational Health Science Institute, Rutgers University, Piscataway, NJ, USA
- International Peace Maternity & Child Health Hospital Affiliated to Shanghai Jiao Tong University School of Medicine and Shanghai Key Laboratory for Embryo-Feta Original Adult Disease, Shanghai Jiao Tong University, Shanghai, China
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Dillon K, Goodman Z, Kaur S, Levin B, McIntosh R. Neutrophil-to-Lymphocyte Ratio Amplifies the Effects of Aging on Decrements in Grip Strength and Its Functional Neural Underpinnings. J Gerontol A Biol Sci Med Sci 2023; 78:882-889. [PMID: 36757160 PMCID: PMC10235193 DOI: 10.1093/gerona/glad048] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 06/28/2022] [Indexed: 02/10/2023] Open
Abstract
The neutrophil-to-lymphocyte ratio (NLR) is a trans-prognostic biomarker of physiologic stress and inflammation linked to muscle weakness in older adults. Generation of grip force coincides with sustained activity in the primary sensorimotor cortex (SM1). The current study investigates whether whole-brain functional connectivity, that is, degree centrality (CD) of SM1 relates to grip strength and whether both functional measures are predicted by advancing age as a function of the NLR. A structural regression model investigated the main and interactive effects of age and NLR on grip strength and CD of SM1 in 589 adults aged 21-85 years (M = 45.87, SD = 18.06). The model including the entire sample had a good fit (χ 2(4) = 1.63, p = .804). In individuals aged 50 years and older, age predicted lower grip strength and SM1 CD as a function of increasing NLR. In a model stratified by sex, the effect of age, NLR, and their interaction on grip strength are significant for older men but not older women. Analyses support CD of SM1 at rest as a neural biomarker of grip strength. Grip and its neural underpinnings decrease with advancing age and increasing NLR in mid to late life. Age-related decrements in grip strength and functional connectivity of brain regions involved in the generation of dynamic grip appear to be accelerated as a function of systemic physiological stress and inflammation, particularly in older men.
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Affiliation(s)
- Kaitlyn Dillon
- Department of Psychology, University of Miami, Coral Gables, Florida, USA
| | - Zachary T Goodman
- Department of Psychology, University of Miami, Coral Gables, Florida, USA
| | - Sonya S Kaur
- Department of Neurology, University of Miami Miller School of Medicine, Miami, Florida, USA
| | - Bonnie Levin
- Department of Neurology, University of Miami Miller School of Medicine, Miami, Florida, USA
| | - Roger McIntosh
- Department of Psychology, University of Miami, Coral Gables, Florida, USA
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Couch ACM, Solomon S, Duarte RRR, Marrocu A, Sun Y, Sichlinger L, Matuleviciute R, Polit LD, Hanger B, Brown A, Kordasti S, Srivastava DP, Vernon AC. Acute IL-6 exposure triggers canonical IL6Ra signaling in hiPSC microglia, but not neural progenitor cells. Brain Behav Immun 2023; 110:43-59. [PMID: 36781081 PMCID: PMC10682389 DOI: 10.1016/j.bbi.2023.02.007] [Citation(s) in RCA: 4] [Impact Index Per Article: 4.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Submit a Manuscript] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 08/09/2022] [Revised: 12/20/2022] [Accepted: 02/10/2023] [Indexed: 02/13/2023] Open
Abstract
BACKGROUND Prenatal exposure to elevated interleukin (IL)-6 levels is associated with increased risk for psychiatric disorders with a putative neurodevelopmental origin, such as schizophrenia (SZ), autism spectrum condition (ASC) and bipolar disorder (BD). Although rodent models provide causal evidence for this association, we lack a detailed understanding of the cellular and molecular mechanisms in human model systems. To close this gap, we characterized the response of human induced pluripotent stem cell (hiPSC-)derived microglia-like cells (MGL) and neural progenitor cells (NPCs) to IL-6 in monoculture. RESULTS We observed that human forebrain NPCs did not respond to acute IL-6 exposure in monoculture at both protein and transcript levels due to the absence of IL6R expression and soluble (s)IL6Ra secretion. By contrast, acute IL-6 exposure resulted in STAT3 phosphorylation and increased IL6, JMJD3 and IL10 expression in MGL, confirming activation of canonical IL6Ra signaling. Bulk RNAseq identified 156 up-regulated genes (FDR < 0.05) in MGL following acute IL-6 exposure, including IRF8, REL, HSPA1A/B and OXTR, which significantly overlapped with an up-regulated gene set from human post-mortem brain tissue from individuals with schizophrenia. Acute IL-6 stimulation significantly increased MGL motility, consistent with gene ontology pathways highlighted from the RNAseq data and replicating rodent model indications that IRF8 regulates microglial motility. Finally, IL-6 induces MGLs to secrete CCL1, CXCL1, MIP-1α/β, IL-8, IL-13, IL-16, IL-18, MIF and Serpin-E1 after 3 h and 24 h. CONCLUSION Our data provide evidence for cell specific effects of acute IL-6 exposure in a human model system, ultimately suggesting that microglia-NPC co-culture models are required to study how IL-6 influences human cortical neural progenitor cell development in vitro.
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Affiliation(s)
- Amalie C M Couch
- Department of Basic and Clinical Neuroscience, Institute of Psychiatry, Psychology and Neuroscience, King's College London, London, UK; MRC Centre for Neurodevelopmental Disorders, King's College London, London, UK
| | - Shiden Solomon
- Department of Basic and Clinical Neuroscience, Institute of Psychiatry, Psychology and Neuroscience, King's College London, London, UK
| | - Rodrigo R R Duarte
- Department of Social, Genetic & Developmental Psychiatry, Institute of Psychiatry, Psychology & Neuroscience, King's College London, London, UK; Department of Medicine, Weill Cornell Medical College, Cornell University, NY, USA
| | - Alessia Marrocu
- Department of Basic and Clinical Neuroscience, Institute of Psychiatry, Psychology and Neuroscience, King's College London, London, UK; Division of Immunology, Infection and Inflammatory Disease, King's College London, London, UK
| | - Yiqing Sun
- Department of Basic and Clinical Neuroscience, Institute of Psychiatry, Psychology and Neuroscience, King's College London, London, UK
| | - Laura Sichlinger
- Department of Basic and Clinical Neuroscience, Institute of Psychiatry, Psychology and Neuroscience, King's College London, London, UK; MRC Centre for Neurodevelopmental Disorders, King's College London, London, UK
| | - Rugile Matuleviciute
- Department of Basic and Clinical Neuroscience, Institute of Psychiatry, Psychology and Neuroscience, King's College London, London, UK; MRC Centre for Neurodevelopmental Disorders, King's College London, London, UK
| | - Lucia Dutan Polit
- Department of Basic and Clinical Neuroscience, Institute of Psychiatry, Psychology and Neuroscience, King's College London, London, UK
| | - Bjørn Hanger
- Department of Basic and Clinical Neuroscience, Institute of Psychiatry, Psychology and Neuroscience, King's College London, London, UK; MRC Centre for Neurodevelopmental Disorders, King's College London, London, UK
| | - Amelia Brown
- Department of Basic and Clinical Neuroscience, Institute of Psychiatry, Psychology and Neuroscience, King's College London, London, UK; MRC Centre for Neurodevelopmental Disorders, King's College London, London, UK
| | - Shahram Kordasti
- Comprehensive Cancer Centre, School of Cancer and Pharmaceutical Sciences, Faculty of Life Sciences and Medicine, King's College London, London, UK
| | - Deepak P Srivastava
- Department of Basic and Clinical Neuroscience, Institute of Psychiatry, Psychology and Neuroscience, King's College London, London, UK; MRC Centre for Neurodevelopmental Disorders, King's College London, London, UK
| | - Anthony C Vernon
- Department of Basic and Clinical Neuroscience, Institute of Psychiatry, Psychology and Neuroscience, King's College London, London, UK; MRC Centre for Neurodevelopmental Disorders, King's College London, London, UK.
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9
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Jia R, Han J, Liu X, Li K, Lai W, Bian L, Yan J, Xi Z. Exposure to Polypropylene Microplastics via Oral Ingestion Induces Colonic Apoptosis and Intestinal Barrier Damage through Oxidative Stress and Inflammation in Mice. TOXICS 2023; 11:127. [PMID: 36851002 PMCID: PMC9962291 DOI: 10.3390/toxics11020127] [Citation(s) in RCA: 19] [Impact Index Per Article: 19.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 12/24/2022] [Revised: 01/23/2023] [Accepted: 01/26/2023] [Indexed: 05/30/2023]
Abstract
Extensive environmental pollution by microplastics has increased the risk of human exposure to plastics. However, the biosafety of polypropylene microplastics (PP-MPs), especially of PP particles < 10 μm, in mammals has not been studied. Thus, here, we explored the mechanism of action and effect of exposure to small and large PP-MPs, via oral ingestion, on the mouse intestinal tract. Male C57BL/6 mice were administered PP suspensions (8 and 70 μm; 0.1, 1.0, and 10 mg/mL) for 28 days. PP-MP treatment resulted in inflammatory pathological damage, ultrastructural changes in intestinal epithelial cells, imbalance of the redox system, and inflammatory reactions in the colon. Additionally, we observed damage to the tight junctions of the colon and decreased intestinal mucus secretion and ion transporter expression. Further, the apoptotic rate of colonic cells significantly increased after PP-MP treatment. The expression of pro-inflammatory and pro-apoptosis proteins significantly increased in colon tissue, while the expression of anti-inflammatory and anti-apoptosis proteins significantly decreased. In summary, this study demonstrates that PP-MPs induce colonic apoptosis and intestinal barrier damage through oxidative stress and activation of the TLR4/NF-κB inflammatory signal pathway in mice, which provides new insights into the toxicity of MPs in mammals.
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Affiliation(s)
- Rui Jia
- College of Marine Ecology and Environment, Shanghai Ocean University, Shanghai 201306, China
- Tianjin Institute of Environmental and Operational Medicine, Tianjin 300050, China
| | - Jie Han
- Tianjin Institute of Environmental and Operational Medicine, Tianjin 300050, China
| | - Xiaohua Liu
- Tianjin Institute of Environmental and Operational Medicine, Tianjin 300050, China
| | - Kang Li
- Tianjin Institute of Environmental and Operational Medicine, Tianjin 300050, China
| | - Wenqing Lai
- Tianjin Institute of Environmental and Operational Medicine, Tianjin 300050, China
| | - Liping Bian
- Tianjin Institute of Environmental and Operational Medicine, Tianjin 300050, China
| | - Jun Yan
- Tianjin Institute of Environmental and Operational Medicine, Tianjin 300050, China
| | - Zhuge Xi
- College of Marine Ecology and Environment, Shanghai Ocean University, Shanghai 201306, China
- Tianjin Institute of Environmental and Operational Medicine, Tianjin 300050, China
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10
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Dubey H, Sharma RK, Krishnan S, Knickmeyer R. SARS-CoV-2 (COVID-19) as a possible risk factor for neurodevelopmental disorders. Front Neurosci 2022; 16:1021721. [PMID: 36590303 PMCID: PMC9800937 DOI: 10.3389/fnins.2022.1021721] [Citation(s) in RCA: 10] [Impact Index Per Article: 5.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 08/17/2022] [Accepted: 11/28/2022] [Indexed: 12/23/2022] Open
Abstract
Pregnant women constitute one of the most vulnerable populations to be affected by severe acute respiratory syndrome coronavirus 2 (SARS-CoV-2) infection, the cause of coronavirus disease 2019. SARS-CoV-2 infection during pregnancy could negatively impact fetal brain development via multiple mechanisms. Accumulating evidence indicates that mother to fetus transmission of SARS-CoV-2 does occur, albeit rarely. When it does occur, there is a potential for neuroinvasion via immune cells, retrograde axonal transport, and olfactory bulb and lymphatic pathways. In the absence of maternal to fetal transmission, there is still the potential for negative neurodevelopmental outcomes as a consequence of disrupted placental development and function leading to preeclampsia, preterm birth, and intrauterine growth restriction. In addition, maternal immune activation may lead to hypomyelination, microglial activation, white matter damage, and reduced neurogenesis in the developing fetus. Moreover, maternal immune activation can disrupt the maternal or fetal hypothalamic-pituitary-adrenal (HPA) axis leading to altered neurodevelopment. Finally, pro-inflammatory cytokines can potentially alter epigenetic processes within the developing brain. In this review, we address each of these potential mechanisms. We propose that SARS-CoV-2 could lead to neurodevelopmental disorders in a subset of pregnant women and that long-term studies are warranted.
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Affiliation(s)
- Harikesh Dubey
- Division of Neuroengineering, Institute for Quantitative Health Sciences and Engineering, Michigan State University, East Lansing, MI, United States
| | - Ravindra K. Sharma
- Department of Physiology and Functional Genomics, University of Florida College of Medicine, Gainesville, FL, United States
| | - Suraj Krishnan
- Jacobi Medical Center, Albert Einstein College of Medicine, The Bronx, NY, United States
| | - Rebecca Knickmeyer
- Division of Neuroengineering, Institute for Quantitative Health Sciences and Engineering, Michigan State University, East Lansing, MI, United States,Department of Pediatrics and Human Development, Michigan State University, East Lansing, MI, United States,*Correspondence: Rebecca Knickmeyer,
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11
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Yang TN, Li XN, Wang YX, Ma XY, Li JL. Disrupted microbiota-barrier-immune interaction in phthalates-mediated barrier defect in the duodenum. CHEMOSPHERE 2022; 308:136275. [PMID: 36058374 DOI: 10.1016/j.chemosphere.2022.136275] [Citation(s) in RCA: 19] [Impact Index Per Article: 9.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 06/26/2022] [Revised: 08/15/2022] [Accepted: 08/27/2022] [Indexed: 06/15/2023]
Abstract
As one of the most used phthalates, Di (2-ethylhexyl) phthalate (DEHP) is a widespread environmental contaminant. Extremely persistent plastic can enter the food chain of animals through the aquatic environment, affect metabolic pathways and cause damage to the digestive system. But the molecular mechanism of its toxic effects on the duodenum in birds has not been elucidated. To investigate the toxicity of phthalates in the duodenum, quails were gavaged with 250, 500, and 750 mg/kg doses of DEHP for 45 days, and water and oil control groups were retained. This study revealed that subchronic exposure to DEHP could lead to duodenal barrier defect in quail. The damage to duodenum was reflected in a reduction in V/C and tight junction proteins. Moreover, DEHP also led to a breakdown of antimicrobial defenses through the flora derangement, which acted as a biological barrier. The massive presence of Lipopolysaccharide (LPS) led to the activation of TLR4 receptors. In addition, DEHP activated oxidative stress, which synergized the inflammatory response induced by the TLR4-NFκB pathway, and further promoted duodenum damage. This study provides a base for the further effect of phthalates on the microbiota-barrier-immune interaction.
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Affiliation(s)
- Tian-Ning Yang
- College of Veterinary Medicine, Northeast Agricultural University, Harbin, 150030, PR China
| | - Xue-Nan Li
- College of Veterinary Medicine, Northeast Agricultural University, Harbin, 150030, PR China; Key Laboratory of the Provincial Education Department of Heilongjiang for Common Animal Disease Prevention and Treatment, Northeast Agricultural University, Harbin, 150030, PR China; Heilongjiang Key Laboratory for Laboratory Animals and Comparative Medicine, Northeast Agricultural University, Harbin, 150030, PR China
| | - Yu-Xiang Wang
- College of Veterinary Medicine, Northeast Agricultural University, Harbin, 150030, PR China
| | - Xiang-Yu Ma
- College of Veterinary Medicine, Northeast Agricultural University, Harbin, 150030, PR China
| | - Jin-Long Li
- College of Veterinary Medicine, Northeast Agricultural University, Harbin, 150030, PR China; Key Laboratory of the Provincial Education Department of Heilongjiang for Common Animal Disease Prevention and Treatment, Northeast Agricultural University, Harbin, 150030, PR China; Heilongjiang Key Laboratory for Laboratory Animals and Comparative Medicine, Northeast Agricultural University, Harbin, 150030, PR China.
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12
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Liu P, Li Y, Wang W, Bai Y, Jia H, Yuan Z, Yang Z. Role and mechanisms of the NF-ĸB signaling pathway in various developmental processes. Biomed Pharmacother 2022; 153:113513. [DOI: 10.1016/j.biopha.2022.113513] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 05/19/2022] [Revised: 07/26/2022] [Accepted: 08/01/2022] [Indexed: 11/02/2022] Open
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13
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Deficiency of nde1 in zebrafish induces brain inflammatory responses and autism-like behavior. iScience 2022; 25:103876. [PMID: 35243238 PMCID: PMC8861649 DOI: 10.1016/j.isci.2022.103876] [Citation(s) in RCA: 5] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 07/27/2021] [Revised: 01/10/2022] [Accepted: 02/01/2022] [Indexed: 12/27/2022] Open
Abstract
The cytoskeletal protein NDE1 plays an important role in chromosome segregation, neural precursor differentiation, and neuronal migration. Clinical studies have shown that NDE1 deficiency is associated with several neuropsychiatric disorders including autism. Here, we generated nde1 homologous deficiency zebrafish (nde1−/−) to elucidate the cellular molecular mechanisms behind it. nde1−/− exhibit increased neurological apoptotic responses at early infancy, enlarged ventricles, and shrank valvula cerebelli in adult brain tissue. Behavioral analysis revealed that nde1−/− displayed autism-like behavior traits such as increased locomotor activity and repetitive stereotype behaviors and impaired social and kin recognition behaviors. Furthermore, nde1 mRNA injection rescued apoptosis in early development, and minocycline treatment rescued impaired social behavior and overactive motor activity by inhibiting inflammatory cytokines. In this study, we revealed that nde1 homozygous deletion leads to abnormal neurological development with autism-related behavioral phenotypes and that inflammatory responses in the brain are an important molecular basis behind it. nde1−/− zebrafish display autism-like behavior features nde1 deficiency results in immune responses in the brain Minocycline treatment inhibits immune responses in the adult nde1−/− brain Minocycline rescued the impaired social behavior and locomotor activity
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14
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Lyall K, Ames JL, Pearl M, Traglia M, Weiss LA, Windham GC, Kharrazi M, Yoshida CK, Yolken R, Volk HE, Ashwood P, Van de Water J, Croen LA. A profile and review of findings from the Early Markers for Autism study: unique contributions from a population-based case-control study in California. Mol Autism 2021; 12:24. [PMID: 33736683 PMCID: PMC7977191 DOI: 10.1186/s13229-021-00429-7] [Citation(s) in RCA: 5] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.7] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 11/30/2020] [Accepted: 02/23/2021] [Indexed: 12/31/2022] Open
Abstract
BACKGROUND The Early Markers for Autism (EMA) study is a population-based case-control study designed to learn more about early biologic processes involved in ASD. METHODS Participants were drawn from Southern California births from 2000 to 2003 with archived prenatal and neonatal screening specimens. Across two phases, children with ASD (n = 629) and intellectual disability without ASD (ID, n = 230) were ascertained from the California Department of Developmental Services (DDS), with diagnoses confirmed according to DSM-IV-TR criteria based on expert clinical review of abstracted records. General population controls (GP, n = 599) were randomly sampled from birth certificate files and matched to ASD cases by sex, birth month and year after excluding individuals with DDS records. EMA has published over 20 papers examining immune markers, endogenous hormones, environmental chemicals, and genetic factors in association with ASD and ID. This review summarizes the results across these studies, as well as the EMA study design and future directions. RESULTS EMA enabled several key contributions to the literature, including the examination of biomarker levels in biospecimens prospectively collected during critical windows of neurodevelopment. Key findings from EMA include demonstration of elevated cytokine and chemokine levels in maternal mid-pregnancy serum samples in association with ASD, as well as aberrations in other immune marker levels; suggestions of increased odds of ASD with prenatal exposure to certain endocrine disrupting chemicals, though not in mixture analyses; and demonstration of maternal and fetal genetic influence on prenatal chemical, and maternal and neonatal immune marker and vitamin D levels. We also observed an overall lack of association with ASD and measured maternal and neonatal vitamin D, mercury, and brain-derived neurotrophic factor (BDNF) levels. LIMITATIONS Covariate and outcome data were limited to information in Vital Statistics and DDS records. As a study based in Southern California, generalizability for certain environmental exposures may be reduced. CONCLUSIONS Results across EMA studies support the importance of the prenatal and neonatal periods in ASD etiology, and provide evidence for the role of the maternal immune response during pregnancy. Future directions for EMA, and the field of ASD in general, include interrogation of mechanistic pathways and examination of combined effects of exposures.
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Affiliation(s)
- Kristen Lyall
- A.J. Drexel Autism Institute, Drexel University, Suite 560, 3020 Market St, Philadelphia, PA, 19104, USA.
| | - Jennifer L Ames
- Division of Research, Kaiser Permanente Northern California, Oakland, CA, USA
| | - Michelle Pearl
- Environmental Health Investigations Branch, California Department of Public Health, Richmond, CA, USA
| | - Michela Traglia
- University of California, San Francisco, San Francisco, CA, USA
| | - Lauren A Weiss
- University of California, San Francisco, San Francisco, CA, USA
| | - Gayle C Windham
- Environmental Health Investigations Branch, California Department of Public Health, Richmond, CA, USA
| | - Martin Kharrazi
- Environmental Health Investigations Branch, California Department of Public Health, Richmond, CA, USA
| | - Cathleen K Yoshida
- Division of Research, Kaiser Permanente Northern California, Oakland, CA, USA
| | - Robert Yolken
- School of Medicine, Johns Hopkins University, Baltimore, MD, USA
| | - Heather E Volk
- Department of Mental Health, Johns Hopkins University, Baltimore, MD, USA
| | - Paul Ashwood
- UC Davis MIND Institute, University of California, Davis, Davis, CA, USA
| | - Judy Van de Water
- UC Davis MIND Institute, University of California, Davis, Davis, CA, USA
| | - Lisa A Croen
- Division of Research, Kaiser Permanente Northern California, Oakland, CA, USA
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15
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Neurotoxicity and underlying cellular changes of 21 mitochondrial respiratory chain inhibitors. Arch Toxicol 2021; 95:591-615. [PMID: 33512557 PMCID: PMC7870626 DOI: 10.1007/s00204-020-02970-5] [Citation(s) in RCA: 23] [Impact Index Per Article: 7.7] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 11/16/2020] [Accepted: 12/29/2020] [Indexed: 12/14/2022]
Abstract
Inhibition of complex I of the mitochondrial respiratory chain (cI) by rotenone and methyl-phenylpyridinium (MPP +) leads to the degeneration of dopaminergic neurons in man and rodents. To formally describe this mechanism of toxicity, an adverse outcome pathway (AOP:3) has been developed that implies that any inhibitor of cI, or possibly of other parts of the respiratory chain, would have the potential to trigger parkinsonian motor deficits. We used here 21 pesticides, all of which are described in the literature as mitochondrial inhibitors, to study the general applicability of AOP:3 or of in vitro assays that are assessing its activation. Five cI, three complex II (cII), and five complex III (cIII) inhibitors were characterized in detail in human dopaminergic neuronal cell cultures. The NeuriTox assay, examining neurite damage in LUHMES cells, was used as in vitro proxy of the adverse outcome (AO), i.e., of dopaminergic neurodegeneration. This test provided data on whether test compounds were unspecific cytotoxicants or specifically neurotoxic, and it yielded potency data with respect to neurite degeneration. The pesticide panel was also examined in assays for the sequential key events (KE) leading to the AO, i.e., mitochondrial respiratory chain inhibition, mitochondrial dysfunction, and disturbed proteostasis. Data from KE assays were compared to the NeuriTox data (AO). The cII-inhibitory pesticides tested here did not appear to trigger the AOP:3 at all. Some of the cI/cIII inhibitors showed a consistent AOP activation response in all assays, while others did not. In general, there was a clear hierarchy of assay sensitivity: changes of gene expression (biomarker of neuronal stress) correlated well with NeuriTox data; mitochondrial failure (measured both by a mitochondrial membrane potential-sensitive dye and a respirometric assay) was about 10–260 times more sensitive than neurite damage (AO); cI/cIII activity was sometimes affected at > 1000 times lower concentrations than the neurites. These data suggest that the use of AOP:3 for hazard assessment has a number of caveats: (i) specific parkinsonian neurodegeneration cannot be easily predicted from assays of mitochondrial dysfunction; (ii) deriving a point-of-departure for risk assessment from early KE assays may overestimate toxicant potency. Comparison of 21 data-rich mitochondrial toxicants for neurotoxicity Quantitative comparison of key event triggering thresholds for AOP:3 Comparison of two cell models and two exposure times for neurotoxicity Comparison of transcriptome changes and classical key event measures for sensitivity
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16
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Lalli MA, Avey D, Dougherty JD, Milbrandt J, Mitra RD. High-throughput single-cell functional elucidation of neurodevelopmental disease-associated genes reveals convergent mechanisms altering neuronal differentiation. Genome Res 2020; 30:1317-1331. [PMID: 32887689 PMCID: PMC7545139 DOI: 10.1101/gr.262295.120] [Citation(s) in RCA: 33] [Impact Index Per Article: 8.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 02/11/2020] [Accepted: 08/03/2020] [Indexed: 12/16/2022]
Abstract
The overwhelming success of exome- and genome-wide association studies in discovering thousands of disease-associated genes necessitates developing novel high-throughput functional genomics approaches to elucidate the molecular mechanisms of these genes. Here, we have coupled multiplexed repression of neurodevelopmental disease–associated genes to single-cell transcriptional profiling in differentiating human neurons to rapidly assay the functions of multiple genes in a disease-relevant context, assess potentially convergent mechanisms, and prioritize genes for specific functional assays. For a set of 13 autism spectrum disorder (ASD)–associated genes, we show that this approach generated important mechanistic insights, revealing two functionally convergent modules of ASD genes: one that delays neuron differentiation and one that accelerates it. Five genes that delay neuron differentiation (ADNP, ARID1B, ASH1L, CHD2, and DYRK1A) mechanistically converge, as they all dysregulate genes involved in cell-cycle control and progenitor cell proliferation. Live-cell imaging after individual ASD-gene repression validated this functional module, confirming that these genes reduce neural progenitor cell proliferation and neurite growth. Finally, these functionally convergent ASD gene modules predicted shared clinical phenotypes among individuals with mutations in these genes. Altogether, these results show the utility of a novel and simple approach for the rapid functional elucidation of neurodevelopmental disease-associated genes.
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Affiliation(s)
- Matthew A Lalli
- Department of Genetics, Washington University in St. Louis School of Medicine, St. Louis, Missouri 63110, USA.,Edison Family Center for Genome Sciences and Systems Biology, Washington University in St. Louis School of Medicine, St. Louis, Missouri 63110, USA
| | - Denis Avey
- Department of Genetics, Washington University in St. Louis School of Medicine, St. Louis, Missouri 63110, USA.,Edison Family Center for Genome Sciences and Systems Biology, Washington University in St. Louis School of Medicine, St. Louis, Missouri 63110, USA
| | - Joseph D Dougherty
- Department of Genetics, Washington University in St. Louis School of Medicine, St. Louis, Missouri 63110, USA.,Department of Psychiatry, Washington University in St. Louis School of Medicine, St. Louis, Missouri 63110, USA
| | - Jeffrey Milbrandt
- Department of Genetics, Washington University in St. Louis School of Medicine, St. Louis, Missouri 63110, USA
| | - Robi D Mitra
- Department of Genetics, Washington University in St. Louis School of Medicine, St. Louis, Missouri 63110, USA.,Edison Family Center for Genome Sciences and Systems Biology, Washington University in St. Louis School of Medicine, St. Louis, Missouri 63110, USA
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