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Liang A, Zhao W, Lv T, Zhu Z, Haotian R, Zhang J, Xie B, Yi Y, Hao Z, Sun L, Luo A. Advances in novel biosensors in biomedical applications. Talanta 2024; 280:126709. [PMID: 39151317 DOI: 10.1016/j.talanta.2024.126709] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 12/25/2023] [Revised: 07/09/2024] [Accepted: 08/13/2024] [Indexed: 08/19/2024]
Abstract
Biosensors, devices capable of detecting biomolecules or bioactive substances, have recently become one of the important tools in the fields of bioanalysis and medical diagnostics. A biosensor is an analytical system composed of biosensitive elements and signal-processing elements used to detect various biological and chemical substances. Biomimetic elements are key to biosensor technology and are the components in a sensor that are responsible for identifying the target analyte. The construction methods and working principles of biosensors based on synthetic biomimetic elements, such as DNAzyme, molecular imprinted polymers and aptamers, and their updated applications in biomedical analysis are summarised. Finally, the technical bottlenecks and future development prospects for biomedical analysis are summarised and discussed.
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Affiliation(s)
- Axin Liang
- Key Laboratory of Molecular Medicine and Biotherapy, The Ministry of Industry and Information Technology, School of Life Science, Beijing Institute of Technology, Beijing, 100081, China
| | - Weidong Zhao
- Key Laboratory of Molecular Medicine and Biotherapy, The Ministry of Industry and Information Technology, School of Life Science, Beijing Institute of Technology, Beijing, 100081, China
| | - Tianjian Lv
- Key Laboratory of Molecular Medicine and Biotherapy, The Ministry of Industry and Information Technology, School of Life Science, Beijing Institute of Technology, Beijing, 100081, China
| | - Ziyu Zhu
- Key Laboratory of Molecular Medicine and Biotherapy, The Ministry of Industry and Information Technology, School of Life Science, Beijing Institute of Technology, Beijing, 100081, China
| | - Ruilin Haotian
- Key Laboratory of Molecular Medicine and Biotherapy, The Ministry of Industry and Information Technology, School of Life Science, Beijing Institute of Technology, Beijing, 100081, China
| | - Jiangjiang Zhang
- Key Laboratory of Molecular Medicine and Biotherapy, The Ministry of Industry and Information Technology, School of Life Science, Beijing Institute of Technology, Beijing, 100081, China
| | - Bingteng Xie
- Key Laboratory of Molecular Medicine and Biotherapy, The Ministry of Industry and Information Technology, School of Life Science, Beijing Institute of Technology, Beijing, 100081, China
| | - Yue Yi
- Key Laboratory of Molecular Medicine and Biotherapy, The Ministry of Industry and Information Technology, School of Life Science, Beijing Institute of Technology, Beijing, 100081, China
| | - Zikai Hao
- Key Laboratory of Molecular Medicine and Biotherapy, The Ministry of Industry and Information Technology, School of Life Science, Beijing Institute of Technology, Beijing, 100081, China
| | - Liquan Sun
- Key Laboratory of Molecular Medicine and Biotherapy, The Ministry of Industry and Information Technology, School of Life Science, Beijing Institute of Technology, Beijing, 100081, China
| | - Aiqin Luo
- Key Laboratory of Molecular Medicine and Biotherapy, The Ministry of Industry and Information Technology, School of Life Science, Beijing Institute of Technology, Beijing, 100081, China.
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2
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Lucerne KE, Dean CR, Osman A, Meckel KR, Dave YA, Shipman AL, Cazarez DR, Cathomas F, Hofford RS, Kiraly DD. Colony-stimulating factor 2 (CSF2) as a gut microbiome dependent immune factor that alters molecular and behavioral responses to cocaine in male mice. Brain Behav Immun 2024; 122:137-149. [PMID: 39098439 DOI: 10.1016/j.bbi.2024.08.003] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Submit a Manuscript] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 03/05/2024] [Revised: 07/26/2024] [Accepted: 08/01/2024] [Indexed: 08/06/2024] Open
Abstract
Cocaine use disorder is a condition that leads to tremendous morbidity and mortality for which there are currently no FDA-approved pharmacotherapies. Previous research has demonstrated an important role for the resident population of bacteria of the large intestine, collectively dubbed the gut microbiome, in modulating brain and behavior in models of cocaine and other substance use disorders. Importantly, previous work has repeatedly shown that depletion of the gut microbiome leads to increased cocaine taking and seeking behaviors in multiple models. While the precise mechanism of these gut-brain signaling pathways in models of cocaine use is not fully clear, and intriguing possibility is through gut microbiome influences on innate immune system function. In this manuscript we identify the cytokine colony stimulating factor 2 (CSF2) as an immune factor that is increased by cocaine in a gut microbiome dependent manner. Peripherally injected CSF2 crosses the blood-brain barrier into the nucleus accumbens, a brain region central to behavioral responses to cocaine. Treatment with peripheral CSF2 reduces acute and sensitized locomotor responses to cocaine as well as reducing cocaine place preference at high doses. On a molecular level, we find that peripheral injections of CSF2 alter the transcriptional response to both acute and repeated cocaine in the nucleus accumbens. Finally, treatment of microbiome depleted mice with CSF2 reverses the behavioral effects of microbiome depletion on the conditioned place preference assay. Taken together, this work identifies an innate immune factor that represents a novel gut-brain signaling cascade in models of cocaine use and lays the foundations for further translational work targeting this pathway.
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Affiliation(s)
- Kelsey E Lucerne
- Nash Family Department of Neuroscience, Icahn School of Medicine at Mount Sinai, New York, NY 10029, United States; Friedman Brain Institute, Icahn School of Medicine at Mount Sinai, New York, NY 10029, United States
| | - Calista R Dean
- Department of Translational Neuroscience, Wake Forest University School of Medicine, Atrium Wake Forest Baptist Health, Winston-Salem, NC 27101, United States
| | - Aya Osman
- Friedman Brain Institute, Icahn School of Medicine at Mount Sinai, New York, NY 10029, United States; Department of Psychiatry, Icahn School of Medicine at Mount Sinai, New York, NY 10029, United States
| | - Katherine R Meckel
- Nash Family Department of Neuroscience, Icahn School of Medicine at Mount Sinai, New York, NY 10029, United States; Friedman Brain Institute, Icahn School of Medicine at Mount Sinai, New York, NY 10029, United States
| | - Yesha A Dave
- Nash Family Department of Neuroscience, Icahn School of Medicine at Mount Sinai, New York, NY 10029, United States; Friedman Brain Institute, Icahn School of Medicine at Mount Sinai, New York, NY 10029, United States
| | - Ava L Shipman
- Friedman Brain Institute, Icahn School of Medicine at Mount Sinai, New York, NY 10029, United States; Department of Psychiatry, Icahn School of Medicine at Mount Sinai, New York, NY 10029, United States
| | - Dannis R Cazarez
- Department of Translational Neuroscience, Wake Forest University School of Medicine, Atrium Wake Forest Baptist Health, Winston-Salem, NC 27101, United States
| | - Flurin Cathomas
- Nash Family Department of Neuroscience, Icahn School of Medicine at Mount Sinai, New York, NY 10029, United States; Friedman Brain Institute, Icahn School of Medicine at Mount Sinai, New York, NY 10029, United States
| | - Rebecca S Hofford
- Friedman Brain Institute, Icahn School of Medicine at Mount Sinai, New York, NY 10029, United States; Department of Translational Neuroscience, Wake Forest University School of Medicine, Atrium Wake Forest Baptist Health, Winston-Salem, NC 27101, United States; Department of Psychiatry, Icahn School of Medicine at Mount Sinai, New York, NY 10029, United States
| | - Drew D Kiraly
- Nash Family Department of Neuroscience, Icahn School of Medicine at Mount Sinai, New York, NY 10029, United States; Friedman Brain Institute, Icahn School of Medicine at Mount Sinai, New York, NY 10029, United States; Department of Translational Neuroscience, Wake Forest University School of Medicine, Atrium Wake Forest Baptist Health, Winston-Salem, NC 27101, United States; Department of Psychiatry, Icahn School of Medicine at Mount Sinai, New York, NY 10029, United States; Department of Psychiatry, Wake Forest University School of Medicine, Atrium Wake Forest Baptist Health, Winston-Salem, NC 27101, United States.
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3
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Martínez-Rivera FJ, Yim YY, Godino A, Minier-Toribio A, Tofani S, Holt LM, Torres-Berrío A, Futamura R, Browne CJ, Markovic T, Hamilton PJ, Neve RL, Nestler EJ. Cell-Type-Specific Regulation of Cocaine Reward by the E2F3a Transcription Factor in Nucleus Accumbens. BIORXIV : THE PREPRINT SERVER FOR BIOLOGY 2024:2024.07.08.602609. [PMID: 39026727 PMCID: PMC11257579 DOI: 10.1101/2024.07.08.602609] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 07/20/2024]
Abstract
The development of drug addiction is characterized by molecular changes in brain reward regions that lead to the transition from recreational to compulsive drug use. These neurobiological processes in brain reward regions, such as the nucleus accumbens (NAc), are orchestrated in large part by transcriptional regulation. Our group recently identified the transcription factor E2F3a as a novel regulator of cocaine's rewarding effects and gene expression regulation in the NAc of male mice. Despite this progress, no information is available about the role of E2F3a in regulating cocaine reward at the sex- and cell-specific levels. Here, we used male and female mice expressing Cre-recombinase in either D1- or D2-type medium spiny neurons (MSNs) combined with viral-mediated gene transfer to bidirectionally control levels of E2F3a in a cell-type-specific manner in the NAc during conditioned place preference (CPP) to cocaine. Our findings show that selective overexpression of E2F3a in D1-MSNs increased cocaine CPP in both male and female mice, whereas opposite effects were observed under knockdown conditions. In contrast, equivalent E2F3a manipulations in D2-MSNs had no significant effects. To further explore the role of E2F3a in sophisticated operant and motivated behaviors, we performed viral manipulations of all NAc neurons in combination with cocaine self-administration and behavioral economics procedures in rats and demonstrated that E2F3a regulates sensitivity aspects of cocaine seeking and taking. These results confirm E2F3a as a central substrate of cocaine reward and demonstrate that this effect is mediated in D1-MSNs, thereby providing increased knowledge of cocaine action at the transcriptional level.
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Nestler EJ, Russo SJ. Neurobiological basis of stress resilience. Neuron 2024; 112:1911-1929. [PMID: 38795707 PMCID: PMC11189737 DOI: 10.1016/j.neuron.2024.05.001] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 01/02/2024] [Revised: 03/21/2024] [Accepted: 05/01/2024] [Indexed: 05/28/2024]
Abstract
A majority of humans faced with severe stress maintain normal physiological and behavioral function, a process referred to as resilience. Such stress resilience has been modeled in laboratory animals and, over the past 15 years, has transformed our understanding of stress responses and how to approach the treatment of human stress disorders such as depression, post-traumatic stress disorder (PTSD), and anxiety disorders. Work in rodents has demonstrated that resilience to chronic stress is an active process that involves much more than simply avoiding the deleterious effects of the stress. Rather, resilience is mediated largely by the induction of adaptations that are associated uniquely with resilience. Such mechanisms of natural resilience in rodents are being characterized at the molecular, cellular, and circuit levels, with an increasing number being validated in human investigations. Such discoveries raise the novel possibility that treatments for human stress disorders, in addition to being geared toward reversing the damaging effects of stress, can also be based on inducing mechanisms of natural resilience in individuals who are inherently more susceptible. This review provides a progress report on this evolving field.
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Affiliation(s)
- Eric J Nestler
- Nash Family Department of Neuroscience and Department of Psychiatry, The Friedman Brain Institute, Icahn School of Medicine at Mount Sinai, New York, NY 10029, USA.
| | - Scott J Russo
- Nash Family Department of Neuroscience and Department of Psychiatry, The Friedman Brain Institute, Icahn School of Medicine at Mount Sinai, New York, NY 10029, USA.
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5
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Brida KL, Jorgensen ET, Phillips RA, Newman CE, Tuscher JJ, Morring EK, Zipperly ME, Ianov L, Montgomery KD, Tippani M, Hyde TM, Maynard KR, Martinowich K, Day JJ. Reelin marks cocaine-activated striatal ensembles, promotes neuronal excitability, and regulates cocaine reward. BIORXIV : THE PREPRINT SERVER FOR BIOLOGY 2024:2024.06.17.599348. [PMID: 38948801 PMCID: PMC11212904 DOI: 10.1101/2024.06.17.599348] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 07/02/2024]
Abstract
Drugs of abuse activate defined neuronal ensembles in brain reward structures such as the nucleus accumbens (NAc), which are thought to promote the enduring synaptic, circuit, and behavioral consequences of drug exposure. While the molecular and cellular effects arising from experience with drugs like cocaine are increasingly well understood, the mechanisms that sculpt NAc ensemble participation are largely unknown. Here, we leveraged unbiased single-nucleus transcriptional profiling to identify expression of the secreted glycoprotein Reelin (encoded by the Reln gene) as a marker of cocaine-activated neuronal ensembles within the rat NAc. Multiplexed in situ detection confirmed selective expression of the immediate early gene Fos in Reln+ neurons after cocaine experience, and also revealed enrichment of Reln mRNA in Drd1 + medium spiny neurons (MSNs) in both the rat and human brain. Using a novel CRISPR interference strategy enabling selective Reln knockdown in the adult NAc, we observed altered expression of genes linked to calcium signaling, emergence of a transcriptional trajectory consistent with loss of cocaine sensitivity, and a striking decrease in MSN intrinsic excitability. At the behavioral level, loss of Reln prevented cocaine locomotor sensitization, abolished cocaine place preference memory, and decreased cocaine self-administration behavior. Together, these results identify Reelin as a critical mechanistic link between ensemble participation and cocaine-induced behavioral adaptations.
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Teague CD, Markovic T, Zhou X, Martinez-Rivera FJ, Minier-Toribio A, Zinsmaier A, Pulido NV, Schmidt KH, Lucerne KE, Godino A, van der Zee YY, Ramakrishnan A, Futamura R, Browne CJ, Holt LM, Yim YY, Azizian CH, Walker DM, Shen L, Dong Y, Zhang B, Nestler EJ. Circuit-Wide Gene Network Analysis Reveals Sex-Specific Roles for Phosphodiesterase 1b in Cocaine Addiction. J Neurosci 2024; 44:e1327232024. [PMID: 38637154 PMCID: PMC11154853 DOI: 10.1523/jneurosci.1327-23.2024] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 07/16/2023] [Revised: 03/21/2024] [Accepted: 04/01/2024] [Indexed: 04/20/2024] Open
Abstract
Cocaine use disorder is a significant public health issue without an effective pharmacological treatment. Successful treatments are hindered in part by an incomplete understanding of the molecular mechanisms that underlie long-lasting maladaptive plasticity and addiction-like behaviors. Here, we leverage a large RNA sequencing dataset to generate gene coexpression networks across six interconnected regions of the brain's reward circuitry from mice that underwent saline or cocaine self-administration. We identify phosphodiesterase 1b (Pde1b), a Ca2+/calmodulin-dependent enzyme that increases cAMP and cGMP hydrolysis, as a central hub gene within a nucleus accumbens (NAc) gene module that was bioinformatically associated with addiction-like behavior. Chronic cocaine exposure increases Pde1b expression in NAc D2 medium spiny neurons (MSNs) in male but not female mice. Viral-mediated Pde1b overexpression in NAc reduces cocaine self-administration in female rats but increases seeking in both sexes. In female mice, overexpressing Pde1b in D1 MSNs attenuates the locomotor response to cocaine, with the opposite effect in D2 MSNs. Overexpressing Pde1b in D1/D2 MSNs had no effect on the locomotor response to cocaine in male mice. At the electrophysiological level, Pde1b overexpression reduces sEPSC frequency in D1 MSNs and regulates the excitability of NAc MSNs. Lastly, Pde1b overexpression significantly reduced the number of differentially expressed genes (DEGs) in NAc following chronic cocaine, with discordant effects on gene transcription between sexes. Together, we identify novel gene modules across the brain's reward circuitry associated with addiction-like behavior and explore the role of Pde1b in regulating the molecular, cellular, and behavioral responses to cocaine.
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Affiliation(s)
- Collin D Teague
- Nash Family Department of Neuroscience and Friedman Brain Institute, Icahn School of Medicine at Mount Sinai, New York, New York 10029
| | - Tamara Markovic
- Nash Family Department of Neuroscience and Friedman Brain Institute, Icahn School of Medicine at Mount Sinai, New York, New York 10029
| | - Xianxiao Zhou
- Department of Genetics and Genomic Sciences, Icahn School of Medicine at Mount Sinai, New York, New York 10029
| | - Freddyson J Martinez-Rivera
- Nash Family Department of Neuroscience and Friedman Brain Institute, Icahn School of Medicine at Mount Sinai, New York, New York 10029
| | - Angelica Minier-Toribio
- Nash Family Department of Neuroscience and Friedman Brain Institute, Icahn School of Medicine at Mount Sinai, New York, New York 10029
| | - Alexander Zinsmaier
- Department of Neuroscience, University of Pittsburgh, Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania 15260
| | - Nathalia V Pulido
- Nash Family Department of Neuroscience and Friedman Brain Institute, Icahn School of Medicine at Mount Sinai, New York, New York 10029
| | - Kyra H Schmidt
- Nash Family Department of Neuroscience and Friedman Brain Institute, Icahn School of Medicine at Mount Sinai, New York, New York 10029
| | - Kelsey E Lucerne
- Nash Family Department of Neuroscience and Friedman Brain Institute, Icahn School of Medicine at Mount Sinai, New York, New York 10029
| | - Arthur Godino
- Nash Family Department of Neuroscience and Friedman Brain Institute, Icahn School of Medicine at Mount Sinai, New York, New York 10029
| | - Yentl Y van der Zee
- Nash Family Department of Neuroscience and Friedman Brain Institute, Icahn School of Medicine at Mount Sinai, New York, New York 10029
| | - Aarthi Ramakrishnan
- Nash Family Department of Neuroscience and Friedman Brain Institute, Icahn School of Medicine at Mount Sinai, New York, New York 10029
- Department of Genetics and Genomic Sciences, Icahn School of Medicine at Mount Sinai, New York, New York 10029
| | - Rita Futamura
- Nash Family Department of Neuroscience and Friedman Brain Institute, Icahn School of Medicine at Mount Sinai, New York, New York 10029
| | - Caleb J Browne
- Nash Family Department of Neuroscience and Friedman Brain Institute, Icahn School of Medicine at Mount Sinai, New York, New York 10029
| | - Leanne M Holt
- Nash Family Department of Neuroscience and Friedman Brain Institute, Icahn School of Medicine at Mount Sinai, New York, New York 10029
| | - Yun Young Yim
- Nash Family Department of Neuroscience and Friedman Brain Institute, Icahn School of Medicine at Mount Sinai, New York, New York 10029
| | - Corrine H Azizian
- Nash Family Department of Neuroscience and Friedman Brain Institute, Icahn School of Medicine at Mount Sinai, New York, New York 10029
| | - Deena M Walker
- Nash Family Department of Neuroscience and Friedman Brain Institute, Icahn School of Medicine at Mount Sinai, New York, New York 10029
- Department of Behavioral Neuroscience, Oregon Health and Science University, Portland, Oregon 97239
| | - Li Shen
- Nash Family Department of Neuroscience and Friedman Brain Institute, Icahn School of Medicine at Mount Sinai, New York, New York 10029
- Department of Genetics and Genomic Sciences, Icahn School of Medicine at Mount Sinai, New York, New York 10029
| | - Yan Dong
- Department of Neuroscience, University of Pittsburgh, Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania 15260
| | - Bin Zhang
- Department of Genetics and Genomic Sciences, Icahn School of Medicine at Mount Sinai, New York, New York 10029
| | - Eric J Nestler
- Nash Family Department of Neuroscience and Friedman Brain Institute, Icahn School of Medicine at Mount Sinai, New York, New York 10029
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Holt LM, Nestler EJ. Astrocytic transcriptional and epigenetic mechanisms of drug addiction. J Neural Transm (Vienna) 2024; 131:409-424. [PMID: 37940687 PMCID: PMC11066772 DOI: 10.1007/s00702-023-02716-4] [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: 08/21/2023] [Accepted: 10/24/2023] [Indexed: 11/10/2023]
Abstract
Addiction is a leading cause of disease burden worldwide and remains a challenge in current neuroscience research. Drug-induced lasting changes in gene expression are mediated by transcriptional and epigenetic regulation in the brain and are thought to underlie behavioral adaptations. Emerging evidence implicates astrocytes in regulating drug-seeking behaviors and demonstrates robust transcriptional response to several substances of abuse. This review focuses on the astrocytic transcriptional and epigenetic mechanisms of drug action.
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Affiliation(s)
- Leanne M Holt
- Nash Family Department of Neuroscience, Icahn School of Medicine at Mount Sinai, New York, NY, USA.
- Friedman Brain Institute, Icahn School of Medicine at Mount Sinai, New York, NY, USA.
| | - Eric J Nestler
- Nash Family Department of Neuroscience, Icahn School of Medicine at Mount Sinai, New York, NY, USA.
- Friedman Brain Institute, Icahn School of Medicine at Mount Sinai, New York, NY, USA.
- Department of Psychiatry, Icahn School of Medicine at Mount Sinai, New York, NY, USA.
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Mews P, Sosnick L, Gurung A, Sidoli S, Nestler EJ. Decoding cocaine-induced proteomic adaptations in the mouse nucleus accumbens. Sci Signal 2024; 17:eadl4738. [PMID: 38626009 PMCID: PMC11170322 DOI: 10.1126/scisignal.adl4738] [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: 10/21/2023] [Accepted: 03/28/2024] [Indexed: 04/18/2024]
Abstract
Cocaine use disorder (CUD) is a chronic neuropsychiatric condition that results from enduring cellular and molecular adaptations. Among substance use disorders, CUD is notable for its rising prevalence and the lack of approved pharmacotherapies. The nucleus accumbens (NAc), a region that is integral to the brain's reward circuitry, plays a crucial role in the initiation and continuation of maladaptive behaviors that are intrinsic to CUD. Leveraging advancements in neuroproteomics, we undertook a proteomic analysis that spanned membrane, cytosolic, nuclear, and chromatin compartments of the NAc in a mouse model. The results unveiled immediate and sustained proteomic modifications after cocaine exposure and during prolonged withdrawal. We identified congruent protein regulatory patterns during initial cocaine exposure and reexposure after withdrawal, which contrasted with distinct patterns during withdrawal. Pronounced proteomic shifts within the membrane compartment indicated adaptive and long-lasting molecular responses prompted by cocaine withdrawal. In addition, we identified potential protein translocation events between soluble-nuclear and chromatin-bound compartments, thus providing insight into intracellular protein dynamics after cocaine exposure. Together, our findings illuminate the intricate proteomic landscape that is altered in the NAc by cocaine use and provide a dataset for future research toward potential therapeutics.
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Affiliation(s)
- Philipp Mews
- Nash Family Department of Neuroscience and Friedman Brain Institute, Icahn School of Medicine at Mount Sinai, New York, NY 10029, USA
| | - Lucas Sosnick
- Nash Family Department of Neuroscience and Friedman Brain Institute, Icahn School of Medicine at Mount Sinai, New York, NY 10029, USA
| | - Ashik Gurung
- Nash Family Department of Neuroscience and Friedman Brain Institute, Icahn School of Medicine at Mount Sinai, New York, NY 10029, USA
| | - Simone Sidoli
- Department of Biochemistry, Albert Einstein College of Medicine, New York, NY 10461, USA
| | - Eric J. Nestler
- Nash Family Department of Neuroscience and Friedman Brain Institute, Icahn School of Medicine at Mount Sinai, New York, NY 10029, USA
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Martínez-Rivera FJ, Holt LM, Minier-Toribio A, Estill M, Yeh SY, Tofani S, Futamura R, Browne CJ, Mews P, Shen L, Nestler EJ. Transcriptional characterization of cocaine withdrawal versus extinction within nucleus accumbens. BIORXIV : THE PREPRINT SERVER FOR BIOLOGY 2024:2024.03.12.584637. [PMID: 38559084 PMCID: PMC10980003 DOI: 10.1101/2024.03.12.584637] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 04/04/2024]
Abstract
Substance use disorder is characterized by a maladaptive imbalance wherein drug seeking persists despite negative consequences or drug unavailability. This imbalance correlates with neurobiological alterations some of which are amplified during forced abstinence, thereby compromising the capacity of extinction-based approaches to prevent relapse. Cocaine use disorder (CUD) exemplifies this phenomenon in which neurobiological modifications hijack brain reward regions such as the nucleus accumbens (NAc) to manifest craving and withdrawal-like symptoms. While increasing evidence links transcriptional changes in the NAc to specific phases of addiction, genome-wide changes in gene expression during withdrawal vs. extinction (WD/Ext) have not been examined in a context- and NAc-subregion-specific manner. Here, we used cocaine self-administration (SA) in rats combined with RNA-sequencing (RNA-seq) of NAc subregions (core and shell) to transcriptionally profile the impact of experiencing withdrawal in the home cage or in the previous drug context or experiencing extinction training. As expected, home-cage withdrawal maintained drug seeking in the previous drug context, whereas extinction training reduced it. By contrast, withdrawal involving repetitive exposure to the previous drug context increased drug-seeking behavior. Bioinformatic analyses of RNA-seq data revealed gene expression patterns, networks, motifs, and biological functions specific to these behavioral conditions and NAc subregions. Comparing transcriptomic analysis of the NAc of patients with CUD highlighted conserved gene signatures, especially with rats that were repetitively exposed to the previous drug context. Collectively, these behavioral and transcriptional correlates of several withdrawal-extinction settings reveal fundamental and translational information about potential molecular mechanisms to attenuate drug-associated memories.
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10
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Huai Z, Huang B, He G, Li H, Liu Y, Le Q, Wang F, Ma L, Liu X. Accumulation of NMDA receptors in accumbal neuronal ensembles mediates increased conditioned place preference for cocaine after prolonged withdrawal. Prog Neurobiol 2024; 234:102573. [PMID: 38401668 DOI: 10.1016/j.pneurobio.2024.102573] [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: 08/17/2023] [Revised: 01/05/2024] [Accepted: 01/16/2024] [Indexed: 02/26/2024]
Abstract
Cue-induced cocaine craving gradually intensifies following abstinence, a phenomenon known as the incubation of drug craving. Neuronal ensembles activated by initial cocaine use, are critically involved in this process. However, the mechanisms by which neuronal changes occurring in the ensembles after withdrawal contribute to incubation remain largely unknown. Here we labeled neuronal ensembles in the shell of nucleus accumbens (NAcSh) activated by cocaine conditioned place preference (CPP) training. NAcSh ensembles showed an increasing activity induced by CPP test after 21-day withdrawal. Inhibiting synaptic transmission of NAcSh ensembles suppressed the preference for cocaine paired-side after 21-day withdrawal, demonstrating a critical role of NAcSh ensembles in increased preference for cocaine. The density of dendritic spines in dopamine D1 receptor expressing ensembles was increased after 21-day withdrawal. Moreover, the expression of Grin1, a subunit of the N-methyl-D-aspartate (NMDA) receptor, specifically increased in the NAcSh ensembles after cocaine withdrawal in both CPP and self-administration (SA) mouse models. Targeted knockdown or dysfunction of Grin1 in NAcSh ensembles significantly suppressed craving for cocaine. Our results suggest that the accumulation of NMDA receptors in NAcSh ensembles mediates increased craving for cocaine after prolonged withdrawal, thereby providing potential molecular targets for treatment of drug addiction.
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Affiliation(s)
- Ziqing Huai
- School of Basic Medical Sciences, State Key Laboratory of Medical Neurobiology, MOE Frontiers Center for Brain Science, Institutes of Brain Science, Department of Neurology, Pharmacology Research Center, Huashan Hospital, Fudan University, Shanghai 200032, China; Research Unit of Addiction Memory, Chinese Academy of Medical Sciences (2021RU009), Shanghai 200032, China
| | - Bing Huang
- School of Basic Medical Sciences, State Key Laboratory of Medical Neurobiology, MOE Frontiers Center for Brain Science, Institutes of Brain Science, Department of Neurology, Pharmacology Research Center, Huashan Hospital, Fudan University, Shanghai 200032, China
| | - Guanhong He
- School of Basic Medical Sciences, State Key Laboratory of Medical Neurobiology, MOE Frontiers Center for Brain Science, Institutes of Brain Science, Department of Neurology, Pharmacology Research Center, Huashan Hospital, Fudan University, Shanghai 200032, China; Research Unit of Addiction Memory, Chinese Academy of Medical Sciences (2021RU009), Shanghai 200032, China
| | - Haibo Li
- School of Basic Medical Sciences, State Key Laboratory of Medical Neurobiology, MOE Frontiers Center for Brain Science, Institutes of Brain Science, Department of Neurology, Pharmacology Research Center, Huashan Hospital, Fudan University, Shanghai 200032, China; Research Unit of Addiction Memory, Chinese Academy of Medical Sciences (2021RU009), Shanghai 200032, China
| | - Yonghui Liu
- School of Basic Medical Sciences, State Key Laboratory of Medical Neurobiology, MOE Frontiers Center for Brain Science, Institutes of Brain Science, Department of Neurology, Pharmacology Research Center, Huashan Hospital, Fudan University, Shanghai 200032, China; Research Unit of Addiction Memory, Chinese Academy of Medical Sciences (2021RU009), Shanghai 200032, China
| | - Qiumin Le
- School of Basic Medical Sciences, State Key Laboratory of Medical Neurobiology, MOE Frontiers Center for Brain Science, Institutes of Brain Science, Department of Neurology, Pharmacology Research Center, Huashan Hospital, Fudan University, Shanghai 200032, China; Research Unit of Addiction Memory, Chinese Academy of Medical Sciences (2021RU009), Shanghai 200032, China
| | - Feifei Wang
- School of Basic Medical Sciences, State Key Laboratory of Medical Neurobiology, MOE Frontiers Center for Brain Science, Institutes of Brain Science, Department of Neurology, Pharmacology Research Center, Huashan Hospital, Fudan University, Shanghai 200032, China; Research Unit of Addiction Memory, Chinese Academy of Medical Sciences (2021RU009), Shanghai 200032, China
| | - Lan Ma
- School of Basic Medical Sciences, State Key Laboratory of Medical Neurobiology, MOE Frontiers Center for Brain Science, Institutes of Brain Science, Department of Neurology, Pharmacology Research Center, Huashan Hospital, Fudan University, Shanghai 200032, China; Research Unit of Addiction Memory, Chinese Academy of Medical Sciences (2021RU009), Shanghai 200032, China.
| | - Xing Liu
- School of Basic Medical Sciences, State Key Laboratory of Medical Neurobiology, MOE Frontiers Center for Brain Science, Institutes of Brain Science, Department of Neurology, Pharmacology Research Center, Huashan Hospital, Fudan University, Shanghai 200032, China; Research Unit of Addiction Memory, Chinese Academy of Medical Sciences (2021RU009), Shanghai 200032, China.
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11
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Litif CG, Flom LT, Sandum KL, Hodgins SL, Vaccaro L, Stitzel JA, Blouin NA, Mannino MC, Gigley JP, Schoborg TA, Bobadilla AC. Differential genetic expression within reward-specific ensembles in mice. BIORXIV : THE PREPRINT SERVER FOR BIOLOGY 2024:2023.11.02.565378. [PMID: 37961222 PMCID: PMC10635086 DOI: 10.1101/2023.11.02.565378] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/15/2023]
Abstract
Maladaptive reward seeking is a hallmark of cocaine use disorder. To develop therapeutic targets, it is critical to understand the neurobiological changes specific to cocaine-seeking without altering the seeking of natural rewards, e.g., sucrose. The prefrontal cortex (PFC) and the nucleus accumbens core (NAcore) are known regions associated with cocaine- and sucrose-seeking ensembles, i.e., a sparse population of co-activated neurons. Within ensembles, transcriptomic alterations in the PFC and NAcore underlie the learning and persistence of cocaine- and sucrose-seeking behavior. However, transcriptomes exclusively driving cocaine seeking independent from sucrose seeking have not yet been defined using a within-subject approach. Using Ai14:cFos-TRAP2 transgenic mice in a dual cocaine and sucrose self-administration model, we fluorescently sorted (FACS) and characterized (RNAseq) the transcriptomes defining cocaine- and sucrose-seeking ensembles. We found reward- and region-specific transcriptomic changes that will help develop clinically relevant genetic approaches to decrease cocaine-seeking behavior without altering non-drug reward-based positive reinforcement.
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Affiliation(s)
- Carl G. Litif
- School of Pharmacy, University of Wyoming, Laramie, Wyoming, USA
| | - Levi T. Flom
- School of Pharmacy, University of Wyoming, Laramie, Wyoming, USA
| | | | | | - Lucio Vaccaro
- School of Pharmacy, University of Wyoming, Laramie, Wyoming, USA
| | - Jerry A. Stitzel
- Department of Integrative Physiology, University of Colorado Boulder, Boulder, Colorado, USA
- Institute for Behavioral Genetics, University of Colorado Boulder, Boulder, Colorado, USA
| | - Nicolas A. Blouin
- Department of Molecular Biology, University of Wyoming, Laramie, Wyoming, USA
| | | | - Jason P. Gigley
- Department of Molecular Biology, University of Wyoming, Laramie, Wyoming, USA
| | - Todd A. Schoborg
- Department of Molecular Biology, University of Wyoming, Laramie, Wyoming, USA
| | - Ana-Clara Bobadilla
- School of Pharmacy, University of Wyoming, Laramie, Wyoming, USA
- Department of Biomedical Sciences, Colorado State University, Fort Collins, Colorado, USA
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12
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Li R, Tang J, Wang Y, Wang Y, Yang H, Wei H. Metabolomics and transcriptomics analysis of prefrontal cortex in the Pax2 neuron-specific deletion mice. Prog Neuropsychopharmacol Biol Psychiatry 2024; 128:110858. [PMID: 37660748 DOI: 10.1016/j.pnpbp.2023.110858] [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: 04/20/2023] [Revised: 08/29/2023] [Accepted: 08/30/2023] [Indexed: 09/05/2023]
Abstract
Restricted and repetitive behaviors (RRBs) are one of the characteristics of various neuropsychiatric disorders with complex and diverse molecular mechanisms. Repetitive self-grooming behavior is one of the manifestations of RRBs in humans and rodents. Research on the neural mechanism of repetitive self-grooming behavior is expected to reveal the underlying logic of the occurrence of RRBs. Pax2 is an important member of the paired-box transcription factor family. It is expressed in different regions of the developing central nervous system. Our previous study showed that Pax2 heterozygous gene knockout mice (Pax2+/- KO mice) exhibit significantly increased self-grooming, which suggests that the Pax2 gene is involved in the control of self-grooming behavior, but the molecular mechanism is still unclear. In this study, we further constructed the Pax2 neuron-specific deletion mice (Nestin-Pax2 mice). Targeted metabolomics and transcriptomics techniques was used to analyze. The results showed that there is an excitatory/inhibitory imbalance of the neurotransmitter system and the Arc gene was significantly up-regulated in the prefrontal cortex (PFC) of Nestin-Pax2 mice. This study suggests that the potential regulatory mechanism of the increased repetitive self-grooming behavior in Pax2 gene deletion mice is that the deletion of the Pax2 gene affects the expression of Arc in the PFC, leading to impaired synaptic plasticity and excitatory/inhibitory imbalance, and participating in the occurrence of repetitive self-grooming behavior.
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Affiliation(s)
- Rui Li
- Department of Neurology, Shanxi Provincial People's Hospital, the Fifth Clinical Medical College of Shanxi Medical University, Taiyuan 030012, China; Shanxi Key Laboratory of Brain Disease Control, Shanxi Provincial People's Hospital, Taiyuan 030012, China
| | - Jiaming Tang
- School of the Third Clinic, Shanxi University of Chinese Medicine, Taiyuan 030024, China
| | - Yizhuo Wang
- Department of Neurology, Shanxi Provincial People's Hospital, the Fifth Clinical Medical College of Shanxi Medical University, Taiyuan 030012, China
| | - Ying Wang
- Department of Neurology, Shanxi Provincial People's Hospital, the Fifth Clinical Medical College of Shanxi Medical University, Taiyuan 030012, China
| | - Hua Yang
- Department of Neurology, Shanxi Provincial People's Hospital, the Fifth Clinical Medical College of Shanxi Medical University, Taiyuan 030012, China; Shanxi Key Laboratory of Brain Disease Control, Shanxi Provincial People's Hospital, Taiyuan 030012, China.
| | - Hongen Wei
- Department of Neurology, Shanxi Provincial People's Hospital, the Fifth Clinical Medical College of Shanxi Medical University, Taiyuan 030012, China; Shanxi Key Laboratory of Brain Disease Control, Shanxi Provincial People's Hospital, Taiyuan 030012, China.
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13
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Salery M, Godino A, Xu YQ, Fullard JF, Durand-de Cuttoli R, LaBanca AR, Holt LM, Russo SJ, Roussos P, Nestler EJ. Transcriptional correlates of cocaine-associated learning in striatal ARC ensembles. BIORXIV : THE PREPRINT SERVER FOR BIOLOGY 2023:2023.12.13.571585. [PMID: 38168167 PMCID: PMC10760161 DOI: 10.1101/2023.12.13.571585] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 01/05/2024]
Abstract
Learned associations between the rewarding effects of drugs and the context in which they are experienced underlie context-induced relapse. Previous work demonstrates the importance of sparse neuronal populations - called neuronal ensembles - in associative learning and cocaine seeking, but it remains unknown whether the encoding vs. retrieval of cocaine-associated memories involves similar or distinct mechanisms of ensemble activation and reactivation in nucleus accumbens (NAc). We use ArcCreER T2 mice to establish that mostly distinct NAc ensembles are recruited by initial vs. repeated exposures to cocaine, which are then differentially reactivated and exert distinct effects during cocaine-related memory retrieval. Single-nuclei RNA-sequencing of these ensembles demonstrates predominant recruitment of D1 medium spiny neurons and identifies transcriptional properties that are selective to cocaine-recruited NAc neurons and could explain distinct excitability features. These findings fundamentally advance our understanding of how cocaine drives pathological memory formation during repeated exposures.
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14
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Liu X, Wang F, Le Q, Ma L. Cellular and molecular basis of drug addiction: The role of neuronal ensembles in addiction. Curr Opin Neurobiol 2023; 83:102813. [PMID: 37972536 DOI: 10.1016/j.conb.2023.102813] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 08/08/2023] [Revised: 10/25/2023] [Accepted: 10/25/2023] [Indexed: 11/19/2023]
Abstract
Addiction has been conceptualized as a disease of learning and memory. Learned associations between environmental cues and unconditioned rewards induced by drug administration, which play a critical role in addiction, have been shown to be encoded in sparsely distributed populations of neurons called neuronal ensembles. This review aims to highlight how synaptic remodeling and alterations in signaling pathways that occur specifically in neuronal ensembles contribute to the pathogenesis of addiction. Furthermore, a causal link between transcriptional and epigenetic modifications in neuronal ensembles and the development of the addictive state is proposed. Translational studies of molecular and cellular changes in neuronal ensembles that contribute to drug-seeking behavior, will allow the identification of molecular and circuit targets and interventions for substance use disorders.
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Affiliation(s)
- Xing Liu
- School of Basic Medical Sciences, State Key Laboratory of Medical Neurobiology, MOE Frontiers Center for Brain Science, Institutes of Brain Science, and Department of Neurology, Huashan Hospital, Fudan University, Shanghai, China; Research Unit of Addiction Memory, Chinese Academy of Medical Sciences (2021RU009), Shanghai, China
| | - Feifei Wang
- School of Basic Medical Sciences, State Key Laboratory of Medical Neurobiology, MOE Frontiers Center for Brain Science, Institutes of Brain Science, and Department of Neurology, Huashan Hospital, Fudan University, Shanghai, China; Research Unit of Addiction Memory, Chinese Academy of Medical Sciences (2021RU009), Shanghai, China.
| | - Qiumin Le
- School of Basic Medical Sciences, State Key Laboratory of Medical Neurobiology, MOE Frontiers Center for Brain Science, Institutes of Brain Science, and Department of Neurology, Huashan Hospital, Fudan University, Shanghai, China; Research Unit of Addiction Memory, Chinese Academy of Medical Sciences (2021RU009), Shanghai, China
| | - Lan Ma
- School of Basic Medical Sciences, State Key Laboratory of Medical Neurobiology, MOE Frontiers Center for Brain Science, Institutes of Brain Science, and Department of Neurology, Huashan Hospital, Fudan University, Shanghai, China; Research Unit of Addiction Memory, Chinese Academy of Medical Sciences (2021RU009), Shanghai, China
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15
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Aruldas R, Orenstein LB, Spencer S. Metformin Prevents Cocaine Sensitization: Involvement of Adenosine Monophosphate-Activated Protein Kinase Trafficking between Subcellular Compartments in the Corticostriatal Reward Circuit. Int J Mol Sci 2023; 24:16859. [PMID: 38069180 PMCID: PMC10706784 DOI: 10.3390/ijms242316859] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 10/24/2023] [Revised: 11/20/2023] [Accepted: 11/21/2023] [Indexed: 12/18/2023] Open
Abstract
Repeated cocaine exposure produces an enhanced locomotor response (sensitization) paralleled by biological adaptations in the brain. Previous studies demonstrated region-specific responsivity of adenosine monophosphate-activated protein kinase (AMPK) to repeated cocaine exposure. AMPK maintains cellular energy homeostasis at the organismal and cellular levels. Here, our objective was to quantify changes in phosphorylated (active) and total AMPK in the cytosol and synaptosome of the medial prefrontal cortex, nucleus accumbens, and dorsal striatum following acute or sensitizing cocaine injections. Brain region and cellular compartment selective changes in AMPK and pAMPK were found with some differences associated with acute withdrawal versus ongoing cocaine treatment. Our additional goal was to determine the behavioral and molecular effects of pretreatment with the indirect AMPK activator metformin. Metformin potentiated the locomotor activating effects of acute cocaine but blocked the development of sensitization. Sex differences largely obscured any protein-level treatment group effects, although pAMPK in the NAc shell cytosol was surprisingly reduced by metformin in rats receiving repeated cocaine. The rationale for these studies was to inform our understanding of AMPK activation dynamics in subcellular compartments and provide additional support for repurposing metformin for treating cocaine use disorder.
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Affiliation(s)
- Rachel Aruldas
- Department of Pharmacology, University of Minnesota, Minneapolis, MN 55455, USA;
| | | | - Sade Spencer
- Department of Pharmacology, University of Minnesota, Minneapolis, MN 55455, USA;
- Medical Discovery Team on Addiction, University of Minnesota, Minneapolis, MN 55455, USA
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16
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Rocks D, Jaric I, Bellia F, Cham H, Greally JM, Suzuki M, Kundakovic M. Early-life stress and ovarian hormones alter transcriptional regulation in the nucleus accumbens resulting in sex-specific responses to cocaine. Cell Rep 2023; 42:113187. [PMID: 37777968 PMCID: PMC10753961 DOI: 10.1016/j.celrep.2023.113187] [Citation(s) in RCA: 2] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 05/10/2023] [Revised: 07/29/2023] [Accepted: 09/12/2023] [Indexed: 10/03/2023] Open
Abstract
Early-life stress and ovarian hormones contribute to increased female vulnerability to cocaine addiction. Here, we reveal molecular substrates in the reward area, the nucleus accumbens, through which these female-specific factors affect immediate and conditioning responses to cocaine. We find shared involvement of X chromosome inactivation-related and estrogen signaling-related gene regulation in enhanced conditioning responses following early-life stress and during the low-estrogenic state in females. Low-estrogenic females respond to acute cocaine by opening neuronal chromatin enriched for the sites of ΔFosB, a transcription factor implicated in chronic cocaine response and addiction. Conversely, high-estrogenic females respond to cocaine by preferential chromatin closing, providing a mechanism for limiting cocaine-driven chromatin and synaptic plasticity. We find that physiological estrogen withdrawal, early-life stress, and absence of one X chromosome all nullify the protective effect of a high-estrogenic state on cocaine conditioning in females. Our findings offer a molecular framework to enable understanding of sex-specific neuronal mechanisms underlying cocaine use disorder.
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Affiliation(s)
- Devin Rocks
- Department of Biological Sciences, Fordham University, Bronx, NY, USA
| | - Ivana Jaric
- Department of Biological Sciences, Fordham University, Bronx, NY, USA
| | - Fabio Bellia
- Department of Biological Sciences, Fordham University, Bronx, NY, USA
| | - Heining Cham
- Department of Psychology, Fordham University, Bronx, NY, USA
| | - John M Greally
- Center for Epigenomics, Department of Genetics, Albert Einstein College of Medicine, Bronx, NY, USA
| | - Masako Suzuki
- Center for Epigenomics, Department of Genetics, Albert Einstein College of Medicine, Bronx, NY, USA; Department of Nutrition, Texas A&M University, College Station, TX, USA
| | - Marija Kundakovic
- Department of Biological Sciences, Fordham University, Bronx, NY, USA.
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17
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Filošević Vujnović A, Saftić Martinović L, Medija M, Andretić Waldowski R. Distinct and Dynamic Changes in the Temporal Profiles of Neurotransmitters in Drosophila melanogaster Brain following Volatilized Cocaine or Methamphetamine Administrations. Pharmaceuticals (Basel) 2023; 16:1489. [PMID: 37895961 PMCID: PMC10609923 DOI: 10.3390/ph16101489] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 09/22/2023] [Revised: 10/12/2023] [Accepted: 10/16/2023] [Indexed: 10/29/2023] Open
Abstract
Due to similarities in genetics, cellular response, and behavior, Drosophila is used as a model organism in addiction research. A well-described behavioral response examined in flies is the induced increase in locomotor activity after a single dose of volatilized cocaine (vCOC) and volatilized methamphetamine (vMETH), the sensitivity, and the escalation of the locomotor response after the repeated dose, the locomotor sensitization. However, knowledge about how vCOC and vMETH affect different neurotransmitter systems over time is scarce. We used LC-MS/MS to systematically examine changes in the concentration of neurotransmitters, metabolites and non-metabolized COC and METH in the whole head homogenates of male flies one to seven hours after single and double vCOC or vMETH administrations. vMETH leads to complex changes in the levels of examined substances over time, while vCOC strongly and briefly increases concentrations of dopamine, tyramine and octopamine followed by a delayed degradation into N-acetyl dopamine and N-acetyl tyramine. The first exposure to psychostimulants leads to significant and dynamic changes in the concentrations relative to the second administration when they are more stable over several hours. Further investigations are needed to understand neurochemical and molecular changes post-psychostimulant administration.
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Affiliation(s)
- Ana Filošević Vujnović
- Department of Biotechnology, University of Rijeka, Radmile Matejčić 2, 51000 Rijeka, Croatia; (L.S.M.); (M.M.); (R.A.W.)
| | - Lara Saftić Martinović
- Department of Biotechnology, University of Rijeka, Radmile Matejčić 2, 51000 Rijeka, Croatia; (L.S.M.); (M.M.); (R.A.W.)
- Faculty of Medicine, University of Rijeka, Braće Branchetta 20, 51000 Rijeka, Croatia
| | - Marta Medija
- Department of Biotechnology, University of Rijeka, Radmile Matejčić 2, 51000 Rijeka, Croatia; (L.S.M.); (M.M.); (R.A.W.)
| | - Rozi Andretić Waldowski
- Department of Biotechnology, University of Rijeka, Radmile Matejčić 2, 51000 Rijeka, Croatia; (L.S.M.); (M.M.); (R.A.W.)
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18
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Browne CJ, Futamura R, Minier-Toribio A, Hicks EM, Ramakrishnan A, Martínez-Rivera FJ, Estill M, Godino A, Parise EM, Torres-Berrío A, Cunningham AM, Hamilton PJ, Walker DM, Huckins LM, Hurd YL, Shen L, Nestler EJ. Transcriptional signatures of heroin intake and relapse throughout the brain reward circuitry in male mice. SCIENCE ADVANCES 2023; 9:eadg8558. [PMID: 37294757 PMCID: PMC10256172 DOI: 10.1126/sciadv.adg8558] [Citation(s) in RCA: 12] [Impact Index Per Article: 12.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 01/26/2023] [Accepted: 05/05/2023] [Indexed: 06/11/2023]
Abstract
Opioid use disorder (OUD) looms as one of the most severe medical crises facing society. More effective therapeutics will require a deeper understanding of molecular changes supporting drug-taking and relapse. Here, we develop a brain reward circuit-wide atlas of opioid-induced transcriptional regulation by combining RNA sequencing (RNA-seq) and heroin self-administration in male mice modeling multiple OUD-relevant conditions: acute heroin exposure, chronic heroin intake, context-induced drug-seeking following abstinence, and relapse. Bioinformatics analysis of this rich dataset identified numerous patterns of transcriptional regulation, with both region-specific and pan-circuit biological domains affected by heroin. Integration of RNA-seq data with OUD-relevant behavioral outcomes uncovered region-specific molecular changes and biological processes that predispose to OUD vulnerability. Comparisons with human OUD RNA-seq and genome-wide association study data revealed convergent molecular abnormalities and gene candidates with high therapeutic potential. These studies outline molecular reprogramming underlying OUD and provide a foundational resource for future investigations into mechanisms and treatment strategies.
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Affiliation(s)
- Caleb J. Browne
- Nash Family Department of Neuroscience and Friedman Brain Institute, Icahn School of Medicine at Mount Sinai, New York, NY, USA
| | - Rita Futamura
- Nash Family Department of Neuroscience and Friedman Brain Institute, Icahn School of Medicine at Mount Sinai, New York, NY, USA
| | - Angélica Minier-Toribio
- Nash Family Department of Neuroscience and Friedman Brain Institute, Icahn School of Medicine at Mount Sinai, New York, NY, USA
| | - Emily M. Hicks
- Nash Family Department of Neuroscience and Friedman Brain Institute, Icahn School of Medicine at Mount Sinai, New York, NY, USA
- Department of Genetics and Genomic Sciences and Icahn Institute for Data Science and Genomic Technology, Icahn School of Medicine at Mount Sinai, New York, NY, USA
| | - Aarthi Ramakrishnan
- Nash Family Department of Neuroscience and Friedman Brain Institute, Icahn School of Medicine at Mount Sinai, New York, NY, USA
| | - Freddyson J. Martínez-Rivera
- Nash Family Department of Neuroscience and Friedman Brain Institute, Icahn School of Medicine at Mount Sinai, New York, NY, USA
| | - Molly Estill
- Nash Family Department of Neuroscience and Friedman Brain Institute, Icahn School of Medicine at Mount Sinai, New York, NY, USA
| | - Arthur Godino
- Nash Family Department of Neuroscience and Friedman Brain Institute, Icahn School of Medicine at Mount Sinai, New York, NY, USA
| | - Eric M. Parise
- Nash Family Department of Neuroscience and Friedman Brain Institute, Icahn School of Medicine at Mount Sinai, New York, NY, USA
| | - Angélica Torres-Berrío
- Nash Family Department of Neuroscience and Friedman Brain Institute, Icahn School of Medicine at Mount Sinai, New York, NY, USA
| | - Ashley M. Cunningham
- Nash Family Department of Neuroscience and Friedman Brain Institute, Icahn School of Medicine at Mount Sinai, New York, NY, USA
| | - Peter J. Hamilton
- Department of Anatomy and Neurobiology, Virginia Commonwealth University School of Medicine, Richmond, VA, USA
| | - Deena M. Walker
- Department of Behavioral Neuroscience, Oregon Health and Science University, Portland, OR, USA
| | - Laura M. Huckins
- Department of Psychiatry, Yale Center for Genomic Health, Yale School of Medicine, New Haven, CT, USA
| | - Yasmin L. Hurd
- Nash Family Department of Neuroscience and Friedman Brain Institute, Icahn School of Medicine at Mount Sinai, New York, NY, USA
- Department of Psychiatry, Icahn School of Medicine at Mount Sinai, New York, NY, USA
- Department of Pharmacological Sciences, Icahn School of Medicine at Mount Sinai, New York, NY, USA
| | - Li Shen
- Nash Family Department of Neuroscience and Friedman Brain Institute, Icahn School of Medicine at Mount Sinai, New York, NY, USA
| | - Eric J. Nestler
- Nash Family Department of Neuroscience and Friedman Brain Institute, Icahn School of Medicine at Mount Sinai, New York, NY, USA
- Department of Psychiatry, Icahn School of Medicine at Mount Sinai, New York, NY, USA
- Department of Pharmacological Sciences, Icahn School of Medicine at Mount Sinai, New York, NY, USA
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19
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Stewart AF, Lepack AE, Fulton SL, Safovich P, Maze I. Histone H3 dopaminylation in nucleus accumbens, but not medial prefrontal cortex, contributes to cocaine-seeking following prolonged abstinence. Mol Cell Neurosci 2023; 125:103824. [PMID: 36842545 PMCID: PMC10247417 DOI: 10.1016/j.mcn.2023.103824] [Citation(s) in RCA: 5] [Impact Index Per Article: 5.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 12/17/2022] [Revised: 02/13/2023] [Accepted: 02/20/2023] [Indexed: 02/26/2023] Open
Abstract
Enduring patterns of epigenomic and transcriptional plasticity within the mesolimbic dopamine system contribute importantly to persistent behavioral adaptations that characterize substance use disorders (SUD). While drug addiction has long been thought of as a disorder of dopamine (DA) neurotransmission, therapeutic interventions targeting receptor mediated DA-signaling have not yet resulted in efficacious treatments. Our laboratory recently identified a non-canonical, neurotransmission-independent signaling moiety for DA in brain, termed dopaminylation, whereby DA itself acts as a donor source for the establishment of post-translational modifications (PTM) on substrate proteins (e.g., histone H3 at glutamine 5; H3Q5dop). In our previous studies, we demonstrated that H3Q5dop plays a critical role in the regulation of neuronal transcription and, when perturbed within monoaminergic neurons of the ventral tegmental area (VTA), critically contributes to pathological states, including relapse vulnerability to both psychostimulants (e.g., cocaine) and opiates (e.g., heroin). Importantly, H3Q5dop is also observed throughout the mesolimbic DA reward pathway (e.g., in nucleus accumbens/NAc and medial prefrontal cortex/mPFC, which receive DA input from VTA). As such, we investigated whether H3Q5dop may similarly be altered in its expression in response to drugs of abuse in these non-dopamine-producing regions. In rats undergoing extended abstinence from cocaine self-administration (SA), we observed both acute and prolonged accumulation of H3Q5dop in NAc, but not mPFC. Attenuation of H3Q5dop in NAc during drug abstinence reduced cocaine-seeking and affected cocaine-induced gene expression programs associated with altered dopamine signaling and neuronal function. These findings thus establish H3Q5dop in NAc, but not mPFC, as an important mediator of cocaine-induced behavioral and transcriptional plasticity during extended cocaine abstinence.
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Affiliation(s)
- Andrew F Stewart
- Nash Family Department of Neuroscience, Friedman Brain Institute, Icahn School of Medicine at Mount Sinai, New York, NY 10029, USA
| | - Ashley E Lepack
- Nash Family Department of Neuroscience, Friedman Brain Institute, Icahn School of Medicine at Mount Sinai, New York, NY 10029, USA
| | - Sasha L Fulton
- Nash Family Department of Neuroscience, Friedman Brain Institute, Icahn School of Medicine at Mount Sinai, New York, NY 10029, USA
| | - Polina Safovich
- Nash Family Department of Neuroscience, Friedman Brain Institute, Icahn School of Medicine at Mount Sinai, New York, NY 10029, USA
| | - Ian Maze
- Nash Family Department of Neuroscience, Friedman Brain Institute, Icahn School of Medicine at Mount Sinai, New York, NY 10029, USA; Department of Pharmacological Sciences, Icahn School of Medicine at Mount Sinai, New York, NY 10029, USA; Howard Hughes Medical Institute, Icahn School of Medicine at Mount Sinai, New York, NY 10029, USA.
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20
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Cheng J, He Z, Chen Q, Lin J, Peng Y, Zhang J, Yan X, Yan J, Niu S. Histone modifications in cocaine, methamphetamine and opioids. Heliyon 2023; 9:e16407. [PMID: 37265630 PMCID: PMC10230207 DOI: 10.1016/j.heliyon.2023.e16407] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 03/27/2023] [Accepted: 05/16/2023] [Indexed: 06/03/2023] Open
Abstract
Cocaine, methamphetamine and opioids are leading causes of drug abuse-related deaths worldwide. In recent decades, several studies revealed the connection between and epigenetics. Neural cells acquire epigenetic alterations that drive the onset and progress of the SUD by modifying the histone residues in brain reward circuitry. Histone modifications, especially acetylation and methylation, participate in the regulation of gene expression. These alterations, as well as other host and microenvironment factors, are associated with a serious of negative neurocognitive disfunctions in various patient populations. In this review, we highlight the evidence that substantially increase the field's ability to understand the molecular actions underlying SUD and summarize the potential approaches for SUD pharmacotherapy.
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Affiliation(s)
- Junzhe Cheng
- Department of Forensic Science, School of Basic Medical Science, Central South University, Changsha, Hunan, 410013, China
- Clinical Medicine Eight-Year Program, Xiangya School of Medicine, Central South University, Changsha, Hunan, China
| | - Ziping He
- Department of Forensic Science, School of Basic Medical Science, Central South University, Changsha, Hunan, 410013, China
- Clinical Medicine Eight-Year Program, Xiangya School of Medicine, Central South University, Changsha, Hunan, China
| | - Qianqian Chen
- Department of Forensic Science, School of Basic Medical Science, Central South University, Changsha, Hunan, 410013, China
| | - Jiang Lin
- Department of Forensic Science, School of Basic Medical Science, Central South University, Changsha, Hunan, 410013, China
| | - Yilin Peng
- Department of Forensic Science, School of Basic Medical Science, Central South University, Changsha, Hunan, 410013, China
| | - Jinlong Zhang
- Department of Forensic Science, School of Basic Medical Science, Central South University, Changsha, Hunan, 410013, China
- Department of Human Anatomy, School of Basic Medical Science, Xinjiang Medical University, Urumqi, 830001, China
| | - Xisheng Yan
- Department of Cardiovascular Medicine, Wuhan Third Hospital & Tongren Hospital of Wuhan University, Wuhan, Hubei Province, 430074, China
| | - Jie Yan
- Department of Forensic Science, School of Basic Medical Science, Central South University, Changsha, Hunan, 410013, China
- Department of Human Anatomy, School of Basic Medical Science, Xinjiang Medical University, Urumqi, 830001, China
| | - Shuliang Niu
- Department of Forensic Science, School of Basic Medical Science, Central South University, Changsha, Hunan, 410013, China
- Department of Human Anatomy, School of Basic Medical Science, Xinjiang Medical University, Urumqi, 830001, China
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21
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Kumaresan V, Lim Y, Juneja P, Tipton AE, de Guglielmo G, Carrette LLG, Kallupi M, Maturin L, Liu Y, George O, Zhang H. Abstinence from Escalation of Cocaine Intake Changes the microRNA Landscape in the Cortico-Accumbal Pathway. Biomedicines 2023; 11:1368. [PMID: 37239038 PMCID: PMC10216163 DOI: 10.3390/biomedicines11051368] [Citation(s) in RCA: 1] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 03/17/2023] [Revised: 04/25/2023] [Accepted: 04/30/2023] [Indexed: 05/28/2023] Open
Abstract
Cocaine administration alters the microRNA (miRNA) landscape in the cortico-accumbal pathway. These changes in miRNA can play a major role in the posttranscriptional regulation of gene expression during withdrawal. This study aimed to investigate the changes in microRNA expression in the cortico-accumbal pathway during acute withdrawal and protracted abstinence following escalated cocaine intake. Small RNA sequencing (sRNA-seq) was used to profile miRNA transcriptomic changes in the cortico-accumbal pathway [infralimbic- and prelimbic-prefrontal cortex (IL and PL) and nucleus accumbens (NAc)] of rats with extended access to cocaine self-administration followed by an 18-h withdrawal or a 4-week abstinence. An 18-h withdrawal led to differential expression (fold-change > 1.5 and p < 0.05) of 21 miRNAs in the IL, 18 miRNAs in the PL, and two miRNAs in the NAc. The mRNAs potentially targeted by these miRNAs were enriched in the following pathways: gap junctions, neurotrophin signaling, MAPK signaling, and cocaine addiction. Moreover, a 4-week abstinence led to differential expression (fold-change > 1.5 and p < 0.05) of 23 miRNAs in the IL, seven in the PL, and five miRNAs in the NAc. The mRNAs potentially targeted by these miRNAs were enriched in pathways including gap junctions, cocaine addiction, MAPK signaling, glutamatergic synapse, morphine addiction, and amphetamine addiction. Additionally, the expression levels of several miRNAs differentially expressed in either the IL or the NAc were significantly correlated with addiction behaviors. Our findings highlight the impact of acute and protracted abstinence from escalated cocaine intake on miRNA expression in the cortico-accumbal pathway, a key circuit in addiction, and suggest developing novel biomarkers and therapeutic approaches to prevent relapse by targeting abstinence-associated miRNAs and their regulated mRNAs.
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Affiliation(s)
- Vidhya Kumaresan
- Department of Pharmacology, Physiology & Biophysics, Boston University Chobanian and Avedisian School of Medicine, Boston, MA 02118, USA;
| | - Yolpanhchana Lim
- Department of Psychiatry, Boston University Chobanian and Avedisian School of Medicine, Boston, MA 02118, USA; (Y.L.); (P.J.); (Y.L.)
- Department of Medicine (Biomedical Genetics), Boston University Chobanian and Avedisian School of Medicine, Boston, MA 02118, USA
| | - Poorva Juneja
- Department of Psychiatry, Boston University Chobanian and Avedisian School of Medicine, Boston, MA 02118, USA; (Y.L.); (P.J.); (Y.L.)
- Department of Medicine (Biomedical Genetics), Boston University Chobanian and Avedisian School of Medicine, Boston, MA 02118, USA
| | - Allison E. Tipton
- Department of Pharmacology, Physiology & Biophysics, Boston University Chobanian and Avedisian School of Medicine, Boston, MA 02118, USA;
| | - Giordano de Guglielmo
- Department of Psychiatry, University of California San Diego, La Jolla, CA 92093, USA; (G.d.G.); (L.L.G.C.); (M.K.); (L.M.); (O.G.)
| | - Lieselot L. G. Carrette
- Department of Psychiatry, University of California San Diego, La Jolla, CA 92093, USA; (G.d.G.); (L.L.G.C.); (M.K.); (L.M.); (O.G.)
| | - Marsida Kallupi
- Department of Psychiatry, University of California San Diego, La Jolla, CA 92093, USA; (G.d.G.); (L.L.G.C.); (M.K.); (L.M.); (O.G.)
| | - Lisa Maturin
- Department of Psychiatry, University of California San Diego, La Jolla, CA 92093, USA; (G.d.G.); (L.L.G.C.); (M.K.); (L.M.); (O.G.)
| | - Ying Liu
- Department of Psychiatry, Boston University Chobanian and Avedisian School of Medicine, Boston, MA 02118, USA; (Y.L.); (P.J.); (Y.L.)
- Department of Medicine (Biomedical Genetics), Boston University Chobanian and Avedisian School of Medicine, Boston, MA 02118, USA
| | - Olivier George
- Department of Psychiatry, University of California San Diego, La Jolla, CA 92093, USA; (G.d.G.); (L.L.G.C.); (M.K.); (L.M.); (O.G.)
| | - Huiping Zhang
- Department of Psychiatry, Boston University Chobanian and Avedisian School of Medicine, Boston, MA 02118, USA; (Y.L.); (P.J.); (Y.L.)
- Department of Medicine (Biomedical Genetics), Boston University Chobanian and Avedisian School of Medicine, Boston, MA 02118, USA
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22
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Godino A, Salery M, Durand-de Cuttoli R, Estill MS, Holt LM, Futamura R, Browne CJ, Mews P, Hamilton PJ, Neve RL, Shen L, Russo SJ, Nestler EJ. Transcriptional control of nucleus accumbens neuronal excitability by retinoid X receptor alpha tunes sensitivity to drug rewards. Neuron 2023; 111:1453-1467.e7. [PMID: 36889314 PMCID: PMC10164098 DOI: 10.1016/j.neuron.2023.02.013] [Citation(s) in RCA: 8] [Impact Index Per Article: 8.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 04/06/2022] [Revised: 12/06/2022] [Accepted: 02/07/2023] [Indexed: 03/09/2023]
Abstract
The complex nature of the transcriptional networks underlying addictive behaviors suggests intricate cooperation between diverse gene regulation mechanisms that go beyond canonical activity-dependent pathways. Here, we implicate in this process a nuclear receptor transcription factor, retinoid X receptor alpha (RXRα), which we initially identified bioinformatically as associated with addiction-like behaviors. In the nucleus accumbens (NAc) of male and female mice, we show that although its own expression remains unaltered after cocaine exposure, RXRα controls plasticity- and addiction-relevant transcriptional programs in both dopamine receptor D1- and D2-expressing medium spiny neurons, which in turn modulate intrinsic excitability and synaptic activity of these NAc cell types. Behaviorally, bidirectional viral and pharmacological manipulation of RXRα regulates drug reward sensitivity in both non-operant and operant paradigms. Together, this study demonstrates a key role for NAc RXRα in promoting drug addiction and paves the way for future studies of rexinoid signaling in psychiatric disease states.
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Affiliation(s)
- Arthur Godino
- Nash Family Department of Neuroscience and Friedman Brain Institute, Icahn School of Medicine at Mount Sinai, New York, NY 10029, USA
| | - Marine Salery
- Nash Family Department of Neuroscience and Friedman Brain Institute, Icahn School of Medicine at Mount Sinai, New York, NY 10029, USA
| | - Romain Durand-de Cuttoli
- Nash Family Department of Neuroscience and Friedman Brain Institute, Icahn School of Medicine at Mount Sinai, New York, NY 10029, USA
| | - Molly S Estill
- Nash Family Department of Neuroscience and Friedman Brain Institute, Icahn School of Medicine at Mount Sinai, New York, NY 10029, USA
| | - Leanne M Holt
- Nash Family Department of Neuroscience and Friedman Brain Institute, Icahn School of Medicine at Mount Sinai, New York, NY 10029, USA
| | - Rita Futamura
- Nash Family Department of Neuroscience and Friedman Brain Institute, Icahn School of Medicine at Mount Sinai, New York, NY 10029, USA
| | - Caleb J Browne
- Nash Family Department of Neuroscience and Friedman Brain Institute, Icahn School of Medicine at Mount Sinai, New York, NY 10029, USA
| | - Philipp Mews
- Nash Family Department of Neuroscience and Friedman Brain Institute, Icahn School of Medicine at Mount Sinai, New York, NY 10029, USA
| | - Peter J Hamilton
- Nash Family Department of Neuroscience and Friedman Brain Institute, Icahn School of Medicine at Mount Sinai, New York, NY 10029, USA
| | - Rachael L Neve
- Gene Delivery Technology Core, Massachusetts General Hospital, Boston, MA 02114, USA
| | - Li Shen
- Nash Family Department of Neuroscience and Friedman Brain Institute, Icahn School of Medicine at Mount Sinai, New York, NY 10029, USA
| | - Scott J Russo
- Nash Family Department of Neuroscience and Friedman Brain Institute, Icahn School of Medicine at Mount Sinai, New York, NY 10029, USA
| | - Eric J Nestler
- Nash Family Department of Neuroscience and Friedman Brain Institute, Icahn School of Medicine at Mount Sinai, New York, NY 10029, USA.
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23
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Mews P, Cunningham AM, Scarpa J, Ramakrishnan A, Hicks EM, Bolnick S, Garamszegi S, Shen L, Mash DC, Nestler EJ. Convergent abnormalities in striatal gene networks in human cocaine use disorder and mouse cocaine administration models. SCIENCE ADVANCES 2023; 9:eadd8946. [PMID: 36763659 PMCID: PMC9916993 DOI: 10.1126/sciadv.add8946] [Citation(s) in RCA: 16] [Impact Index Per Article: 16.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 07/11/2022] [Accepted: 01/06/2023] [Indexed: 06/11/2023]
Abstract
Cocaine use disorder (CUD) is an intractable syndrome, and rising overdose death rates represent a substantial public health crisis that exacts tremendous personal and financial costs on patients and society. Sharp increases in cocaine use drive the urgent need for better mechanistic insight into this chronic relapsing brain disorder that currently lacks effective treatment options. To investigate the transcriptomic changes involved, we conducted RNA sequencing on two striatal brain regions that are heavily implicated in CUD, the nucleus accumbens and caudate nucleus, from men suffering from CUD and matched controls. Weighted gene coexpression analyses identified CUD-specific gene networks enriched in ionotropic receptors and linked to lowered neuroinflammation, contrasting the proinflammatory responses found in opioid use disorder. Integration of comprehensive transcriptomic datasets from mouse cocaine self-administration models revealed evolutionarily conserved gene networks in CUD that implicate especially D1 medium spiny neurons as drivers of cocaine-induced plasticity.
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Affiliation(s)
- Philipp Mews
- Nash Family Department of Neuroscience and Friedman Brain Institute, Icahn School of Medicine at Mount Sinai, New York, NY, USA
| | - Ashley M. Cunningham
- Nash Family Department of Neuroscience and Friedman Brain Institute, Icahn School of Medicine at Mount Sinai, New York, NY, USA
| | - Joseph Scarpa
- Department of Anesthesiology, Weill Cornell Medical College, New York, NY, USA
| | - Aarthi Ramakrishnan
- Nash Family Department of Neuroscience and Friedman Brain Institute, Icahn School of Medicine at Mount Sinai, New York, NY, USA
| | - Emily M. Hicks
- Nash Family Department of Neuroscience and Friedman Brain Institute, Icahn School of Medicine at Mount Sinai, New York, NY, USA
- Pamela Sklar Division of Psychiatric Genomics, Icahn School of Medicine at Mount Sinai, New York, NY, USA
| | - Sarah Bolnick
- Nash Family Department of Neuroscience and Friedman Brain Institute, Icahn School of Medicine at Mount Sinai, New York, NY, USA
| | - Susanna Garamszegi
- Department of Neurology, Miller School of Medicine, University of Miami, Miami, FL, USA
| | - Li Shen
- Nash Family Department of Neuroscience and Friedman Brain Institute, Icahn School of Medicine at Mount Sinai, New York, NY, USA
| | - Deborah C. Mash
- Department of Neurology, Miller School of Medicine, University of Miami, Miami, FL, USA
| | - Eric J. Nestler
- Nash Family Department of Neuroscience and Friedman Brain Institute, Icahn School of Medicine at Mount Sinai, New York, NY, USA
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24
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Browne CJ, Futamura R, Minier-Toribio A, Hicks EM, Ramakrishnan A, Martínez-Rivera F, Estill M, Godino A, Parise EM, Torres-Berrío A, Cunningham AM, Hamilton PJ, Walker DM, Huckins LM, Hurd YL, Shen L, Nestler EJ. Transcriptional signatures of heroin intake and seeking throughout the brain reward circuit. BIORXIV : THE PREPRINT SERVER FOR BIOLOGY 2023:2023.01.11.523688. [PMID: 36711574 PMCID: PMC9882165 DOI: 10.1101/2023.01.11.523688] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 01/14/2023]
Abstract
Opioid use disorder (OUD) looms as one of the most severe medical crises currently facing society. More effective therapeutics for OUD requires in-depth understanding of molecular changes supporting drug-taking and relapse. Recent efforts have helped advance these aims, but studies have been limited in number and scope. Here, we develop a brain reward circuit-wide atlas of opioid-induced transcriptional regulation by combining RNA sequencing (RNAseq) and heroin self-administration in male mice modeling multiple OUD-relevant conditions: acute heroin exposure, chronic heroin intake, context-induced drug-seeking following prolonged abstinence, and heroin-primed drug-seeking (i.e., "relapse"). Bioinformatics analysis of this rich dataset identified numerous patterns of molecular changes, transcriptional regulation, brain-region-specific involvement in various aspects of OUD, and both region-specific and pan-circuit biological domains affected by heroin. Integrating RNAseq data with behavioral outcomes using factor analysis to generate an "addiction index" uncovered novel roles for particular brain regions in promoting addiction-relevant behavior, and implicated multi-regional changes in affected genes and biological processes. Comparisons with RNAseq and genome-wide association studies from humans with OUD reveal convergent molecular regulation that are implicated in drug-taking and relapse, and point to novel gene candidates with high therapeutic potential for OUD. These results outline broad molecular reprogramming that may directly promote the development and maintenance of OUD, and provide a foundational resource to the field for future research into OUD mechanisms and treatment strategies.
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Affiliation(s)
- Caleb J Browne
- Nash Family Department of Neuroscience and Friedman Brain Institute, Icahn School of Medicine at Mount Sinai, New York, NY
| | - Rita Futamura
- Nash Family Department of Neuroscience and Friedman Brain Institute, Icahn School of Medicine at Mount Sinai, New York, NY
| | - Angélica Minier-Toribio
- Nash Family Department of Neuroscience and Friedman Brain Institute, Icahn School of Medicine at Mount Sinai, New York, NY
| | - Emily M Hicks
- Nash Family Department of Neuroscience and Friedman Brain Institute, Icahn School of Medicine at Mount Sinai, New York, NY
- Dept. of Genetics and Genomic Sciences and Icahn Institute for Data Science and Genomic Technology, Icahn School of Medicine at Mount Sinai
| | - Aarthi Ramakrishnan
- Nash Family Department of Neuroscience and Friedman Brain Institute, Icahn School of Medicine at Mount Sinai, New York, NY
| | - Freddyson Martínez-Rivera
- Nash Family Department of Neuroscience and Friedman Brain Institute, Icahn School of Medicine at Mount Sinai, New York, NY
| | - Molly Estill
- Nash Family Department of Neuroscience and Friedman Brain Institute, Icahn School of Medicine at Mount Sinai, New York, NY
| | - Arthur Godino
- Nash Family Department of Neuroscience and Friedman Brain Institute, Icahn School of Medicine at Mount Sinai, New York, NY
| | - Eric M Parise
- Nash Family Department of Neuroscience and Friedman Brain Institute, Icahn School of Medicine at Mount Sinai, New York, NY
| | - Angélica Torres-Berrío
- Nash Family Department of Neuroscience and Friedman Brain Institute, Icahn School of Medicine at Mount Sinai, New York, NY
| | - Ashley M Cunningham
- Nash Family Department of Neuroscience and Friedman Brain Institute, Icahn School of Medicine at Mount Sinai, New York, NY
| | - Peter J Hamilton
- Dept. of Anatomy & Neurobiology, Virginia Commonwealth University School of Medicine
| | - Deena M Walker
- Dept. of Behavioral Neuroscience, Oregon Health and Science University
| | - Laura M. Huckins
- Dept. of Genetics and Genomic Sciences and Icahn Institute for Data Science and Genomic Technology, Icahn School of Medicine at Mount Sinai
| | - Yasmin L Hurd
- Nash Family Department of Neuroscience and Friedman Brain Institute, Icahn School of Medicine at Mount Sinai, New York, NY
- Dept. of Anatomy & Neurobiology, Virginia Commonwealth University School of Medicine
- Dept. of Behavioral Neuroscience, Oregon Health and Science University
| | - Li Shen
- Nash Family Department of Neuroscience and Friedman Brain Institute, Icahn School of Medicine at Mount Sinai, New York, NY
| | - Eric J Nestler
- Nash Family Department of Neuroscience and Friedman Brain Institute, Icahn School of Medicine at Mount Sinai, New York, NY
- Dept. of Anatomy & Neurobiology, Virginia Commonwealth University School of Medicine
- Dept. of Behavioral Neuroscience, Oregon Health and Science University
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25
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Machado da Silva MC, Iglesias LP, Candelario-Jalil E, Khoshbouei H, Moreira FA, de Oliveira ACP. Role of Microglia in Psychostimulant Addiction. Curr Neuropharmacol 2023; 21:235-259. [PMID: 36503452 PMCID: PMC10190137 DOI: 10.2174/1570159x21666221208142151] [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: 05/13/2022] [Revised: 10/13/2022] [Accepted: 10/14/2022] [Indexed: 12/14/2022] Open
Abstract
The use of psychostimulant drugs can modify brain function by inducing changes in the reward system, mainly due to alterations in dopaminergic and glutamatergic transmissions in the mesocorticolimbic pathway. However, the etiopathogenesis of addiction is a much more complex process. Previous data have suggested that microglia and other immune cells are involved in events associated with neuroplasticity and memory, which are phenomena that also occur in addiction. Nevertheless, how dependent is the development of addiction on the activity of these cells? Although the mechanisms are not known, some pathways may be involved. Recent data have shown psychoactive substances may act directly on immune cells, alter their functions and induce various inflammatory mediators that modulate synaptic activity. These could, in turn, be involved in the pathological alterations that occur in substance use disorder. Here, we extensively review the studies demonstrating how cocaine and amphetamines modulate microglial number, morphology, and function. We also describe the effect of these substances in the production of inflammatory mediators and a possible involvement of some molecular signaling pathways, such as the toll-like receptor 4. Although the literature in this field is scarce, this review compiles the knowledge on the neuroimmune axis that is involved in the pathogenesis of addiction, and suggests some pharmacological targets for the development of pharmacotherapy.
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Affiliation(s)
- Maria Carolina Machado da Silva
- Department of Pharmacology, Neuropharmacology Laboratory, Universidade Federal de Minas Gerais, Belo Horizonte, Brazil;
- Department of Neuroscience, College of Medicine, University of Florida, Gainesville, FL, USA
| | - Lia Parada Iglesias
- Department of Pharmacology, Neuropsychopharmacology Laboratory, Universidade Federal de Minas Gerais, Belo Horizonte, Brazil
| | | | - Habibeh Khoshbouei
- Department of Neuroscience, College of Medicine, University of Florida, Gainesville, FL, USA
| | - Fabrício Araujo Moreira
- Department of Pharmacology, Neuropsychopharmacology Laboratory, Universidade Federal de Minas Gerais, Belo Horizonte, Brazil
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26
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Novel role of AMPK in cocaine reinforcement via regulating CRTC1. Transl Psychiatry 2022; 12:530. [PMID: 36587026 PMCID: PMC9805446 DOI: 10.1038/s41398-022-02299-w] [Citation(s) in RCA: 1] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Submit a Manuscript] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 08/14/2022] [Revised: 12/16/2022] [Accepted: 12/21/2022] [Indexed: 01/01/2023] Open
Abstract
Repeated cocaine exposure causes compensatory neuroadaptations in neurons in the nucleus accumbens (NAc), a region that mediates reinforcing effects of drugs. Previous studies suggested a role for adenosine monophosphate-activated protein kinase (AMPK), a cellular energy sensor, in modulating neuronal morphology and membrane excitability. However, the potential involvement of AMPK in cocaine use disorder is still unclear. The present study employed a cocaine self-administration model in rats to investigate the effect of AMPK and its target cyclic adenosine monophosphate response element binding protein-regulated transcriptional co-activator 1 (CRTC1) on cocaine reinforcement and the motivation for cocaine. We found that intravenous cocaine self-administration significantly decreased AMPK activity in the NAc shell (NAcsh), which persisted for at least 7 days of withdrawal. Cocaine reinforcement, reflected by self-administration behavior, was significantly prevented or enhanced by augmenting or suppressing AMPK activity pharmacologically and genetically, respectively. No difference in sucrose self-administration behavior was found after the same manipulations. The inhibition of AMPK activity in the NAcsh also increased the motivation for cocaine in progressive-ratio schedules of reinforcement, whereas the activation of AMPK had no effect. The knockdown of CRTC1 in the NAcsh significantly impaired cocaine reinforcement, which was rescued by pharmacologically increasing AMPK activity. Altogether, these results indicate that AMPK in the NAcsh is critical for cocaine reinforcement, possibly via the regulation of CRTC1 signaling. These findings may help reveal potential therapeutic targets and have important implications for the treatment of cocaine use disorder and relapse.
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27
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Perrine SA, Alsharif WF, Harutyunyan A, Kamal S, Viola NT, Gelovani JG. Low- and high-cocaine intake affects the spatial and temporal dynamics of class IIa HDAC expression-activity in the nucleus accumbens and hippocampus of male rats as measured by [18F]TFAHA PET/CT neuroimaging. ADDICTION NEUROSCIENCE 2022; 4:100046. [PMID: 36540409 PMCID: PMC9762729 DOI: 10.1016/j.addicn.2022.100046] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Figures] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 06/17/2023]
Abstract
Repeated cocaine alters neuronal function in the nucleus accumbens (NAc), a brain region involved in cocaine taking, and in hippocampus (HC), known for contextual and associative learning. [18F]TFAHA is a histone deacetylase (HDAC) class IIa-specific radiotracer for positron emission tomography (PET)-imaging developed by our group to study epigenetic mechanisms. Here, [18F]TFAHA was used to conduct PET-imaging coupled with computed tomography (CT) of rat brains at baseline and after repeated cocaine intravenous self-administration (cocaine-IVSA) in low-intake versus high-intake cocaine groups. A 3 h-access FR1-schedule of cocaine-IVSA (0.5 mg/kg/infusion) for 12 continuous days was used with male Sprague Dawley rats following jugular vein catheterization. PET/CT neuroimaging with [18F]TFAHA was acquired in a dynamic mode over 40 min post-radiotracer administration at baseline and on day 12 of cocaine-IVSA using a longitudinal, repeated design. This study shows that high-cocaine intake significantly decreases class IIa HDAC expression-activity in NAc, while low-cocaine intake significantly decreases expression-activity in HC in male rats. These findings suggest the individual rats with low-cocaine intake had epigenetic changes in HC, where drug-associative changes occur. Alternatively, individuals with high-cocaine intake had robust epigenetic changes in NAc, where rewared-related behaviors originate. These findings are the first longitudinal data obtained in vivo to implicate class IIa HDACs in the persistent behavioral effects of cocaine. Furthermore, our results are consistent with published research implicating class IIa HDACs in cocaine-induced brain changes and studies suggesting a relationship between an individual's drug-taking behavior and regional pattern of epigenetic changes in the brain.
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Affiliation(s)
- Shane A. Perrine
- Psychiatry and Behavioral Neurosciences, Wayne State University, 6135 Woodward Avenue, Suite 3119, Detroit, MI, USA
- Research Services, John D. Dingell VAMC, Detroit, MI, USA
| | | | - Arman Harutyunyan
- Psychiatry and Behavioral Neurosciences, Wayne State University, 6135 Woodward Avenue, Suite 3119, Detroit, MI, USA
| | - Swatabdi Kamal
- Biomedical Engineering, Wayne State University, Detroit, MI, USA
| | - Nerissa T. Viola
- Oncology, Wayne State University, Detroit, MI, USA
- Karmanos Cancer Institute, Detroit, MI, USA
| | - Juri G. Gelovani
- Biomedical Engineering, Wayne State University, Detroit, MI, USA
- Karmanos Cancer Institute, Detroit, MI, USA
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28
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Huang W, Wang Z, Wang G, Li K, Jin Y, Zhao F. Disturbance of glutamate metabolism and inhibition of CaM-CaMKII-CREB signaling pathway in the hippocampus of mice induced by 1,2-dichloroethane exposure. ENVIRONMENTAL POLLUTION (BARKING, ESSEX : 1987) 2022; 310:119813. [PMID: 35868470 DOI: 10.1016/j.envpol.2022.119813] [Citation(s) in RCA: 4] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 03/09/2022] [Revised: 07/15/2022] [Accepted: 07/16/2022] [Indexed: 06/15/2023]
Abstract
1,2-Dichloroethane (1,2-DCE) is a highly toxic neurotoxicity, and the brain tissue is the main target organ. At present, long-term exposure to 1,2-DCE has been shown to cause cognitive dysfunction in some studies, but the mechanism is not clear. The results of this study showed that long-term 1,2-DCE exposure decreased learning and memory abilities in mice and impaired the structure and morphology of neurons in the hippocampal region. Moreover, except for the mRNA level of PAG, the enzymatic activities and protein levels of GS and PAG, as well as the mRNA level of GS were inhibited. With increasing dose of exposure, the protein and mRNA expression of GLAST and GLT-1 also decreased. Contrarily, there were protein and mRNA expression upregulation of GluN1, GluN2A and GluN2B in the hippocampus, as well as increased levels of extracellular Glu and intracellular Ca2+. In addition, 1,2-DCE exposure also downregulated the protein expression levels of CaM, CaMKII and CREB. Taken together, our results suggest that long-term 1,2-DCE exposure impairs the learning and memory capacity in mice, which may be attributed to the disruption of Glu metabolism and the inhibition of CaM- CaMKII-CREB signaling pathway in the hippocampus.
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Affiliation(s)
- Weiyu Huang
- Department of Occupational and Environmental Health, School of Public Health, China Medical University, Shenyang, Liaoning, People's Republic of China
| | - Zijiang Wang
- Liaoning Provincial Center for Disease Control and Prevention, Shenyang, Liaoning, People's Republic of China
| | - Gaoyang Wang
- Department of Occupational and Environmental Health, School of Public Health, China Medical University, Shenyang, Liaoning, People's Republic of China
| | - Kunyang Li
- Department of Occupational and Environmental Health, School of Public Health, China Medical University, Shenyang, Liaoning, People's Republic of China
| | - Yaping Jin
- Department of Occupational and Environmental Health, School of Public Health, China Medical University, Shenyang, Liaoning, People's Republic of China
| | - Fenghong Zhao
- Department of Occupational and Environmental Health, School of Public Health, China Medical University, Shenyang, Liaoning, People's Republic of China.
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29
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Kumar A, Aglyamova G, Yim Y, Bailey AO, Lynch H, Powell R, Nguyen N, Rosenthal Z, Zhao WN, Li Y, Chen J, Fan S, Lee H, Russell W, Stephan C, Robison A, Haggarty S, Nestler E, Zhou J, Machius M, Rudenko G. Chemically targeting the redox switch in AP1 transcription factor ΔFOSB. Nucleic Acids Res 2022; 50:9548-9567. [PMID: 36039764 PMCID: PMC9458432 DOI: 10.1093/nar/gkac710] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 05/24/2022] [Revised: 07/21/2022] [Accepted: 08/08/2022] [Indexed: 12/24/2022] Open
Abstract
The AP1 transcription factor ΔFOSB, a splice variant of FOSB, accumulates in the brain in response to chronic insults such as exposure to drugs of abuse, depression, Alzheimer's disease and tardive dyskinesias, and mediates subsequent long-term neuroadaptations. ΔFOSB forms heterodimers with other AP1 transcription factors, e.g. JUND, that bind DNA under control of a putative cysteine-based redox switch. Here, we reveal the structural basis of the redox switch by determining a key missing crystal structure in a trio, the ΔFOSB/JUND bZIP domains in the reduced, DNA-free form. Screening a cysteine-focused library containing 3200 thiol-reactive compounds, we identify specific compounds that target the redox switch, validate their activity biochemically and in cell-based assays, and show that they are well tolerated in different cell lines despite their general potential to bind to cysteines covalently. A crystal structure of the ΔFOSB/JUND bZIP domains in complex with a redox-switch-targeting compound reveals a deep compound-binding pocket near the DNA-binding site. We demonstrate that ΔFOSB, and potentially other, related AP1 transcription factors, can be targeted specifically and discriminately by exploiting unique structural features such as the redox switch and the binding partner to modulate biological function despite these proteins previously being thought to be undruggable.
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Affiliation(s)
| | | | - Yun Young Yim
- Nash Family Department of Neuroscience and the Friedman Brain Institute, Icahn School of Medicine at Mount Sinai, New York, NY 10029, USA
| | - Aaron O Bailey
- Department of Biochemistry and Molecular Biology, University of Texas Medical Branch, Galveston, TX 77555, USA
| | - Haley M Lynch
- Department of Physiology, Michigan State University, East Lansing, MI 48824, USA
| | - Reid T Powell
- HTS Screening Core, Texas A&M University School of Medicine, Institute of Biosciences and Technology, Center for Translational Cancer Research, Houston, TX 77030, USA
| | - Nghi D Nguyen
- HTS Screening Core, Texas A&M University School of Medicine, Institute of Biosciences and Technology, Center for Translational Cancer Research, Houston, TX 77030, USA
| | - Zachary Rosenthal
- Chemical Neurobiology Laboratory, Center for Genomic Medicine, Massachusetts General Hospital, Departments of Psychiatry & Neurology, Harvard Medical School, Boston, MA 02114, USA
| | - Wen-Ning Zhao
- Chemical Neurobiology Laboratory, Center for Genomic Medicine, Massachusetts General Hospital, Departments of Psychiatry & Neurology, Harvard Medical School, Boston, MA 02114, USA
| | - Yi Li
- Department of Pharmacology and Toxicology, University of Texas Medical Branch, Galveston, TX 77555, USA
| | - Jianping Chen
- Department of Pharmacology and Toxicology, University of Texas Medical Branch, Galveston, TX 77555, USA
| | - Shanghua Fan
- Department of Pharmacology and Toxicology, University of Texas Medical Branch, Galveston, TX 77555, USA,Sealy Center for Structural Biology and Molecular Biophysics, University of Texas Medical Branch, Galveston, TX 77555, USA
| | - Hubert Lee
- Department of Pharmacology and Toxicology, University of Texas Medical Branch, Galveston, TX 77555, USA,Sealy Center for Structural Biology and Molecular Biophysics, University of Texas Medical Branch, Galveston, TX 77555, USA
| | - William K Russell
- Department of Biochemistry and Molecular Biology, University of Texas Medical Branch, Galveston, TX 77555, USA
| | - Clifford Stephan
- HTS Screening Core, Texas A&M University School of Medicine, Institute of Biosciences and Technology, Center for Translational Cancer Research, Houston, TX 77030, USA
| | - Alfred J Robison
- Department of Physiology, Michigan State University, East Lansing, MI 48824, USA
| | - Stephen J Haggarty
- Chemical Neurobiology Laboratory, Center for Genomic Medicine, Massachusetts General Hospital, Departments of Psychiatry & Neurology, Harvard Medical School, Boston, MA 02114, USA
| | - Eric J Nestler
- Nash Family Department of Neuroscience and the Friedman Brain Institute, Icahn School of Medicine at Mount Sinai, New York, NY 10029, USA
| | - Jia Zhou
- Department of Pharmacology and Toxicology, University of Texas Medical Branch, Galveston, TX 77555, USA,Sealy Center for Structural Biology and Molecular Biophysics, University of Texas Medical Branch, Galveston, TX 77555, USA
| | - Mischa Machius
- Department of Pharmacology and Toxicology, University of Texas Medical Branch, Galveston, TX 77555, USA,Sealy Center for Structural Biology and Molecular Biophysics, University of Texas Medical Branch, Galveston, TX 77555, USA
| | - Gabby Rudenko
- To whom correspondence should be addressed. Tel: +1 409 772 6292; Fax: +1 409 772 9642;
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Krapacher FA, Fernández‐Suárez D, Andersson A, Carrier‐Ruiz A, Ibáñez CF. Convergent dopamine and ALK4 signaling to PCBP1 controls FosB alternative splicing and cocaine behavioral sensitization. EMBO J 2022; 41:e110721. [PMID: 35730718 PMCID: PMC10545536 DOI: 10.15252/embj.2022110721] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 01/19/2022] [Accepted: 05/25/2022] [Indexed: 11/09/2022] Open
Abstract
ΔfosB is an alternatively spliced product of the FosB gene that is essential for dopamine-induced reward pathways and that acts as a master switch for addiction. However, the molecular mechanisms of its generation and regulation by dopamine signaling are unknown. Here, we report that dopamine D1 receptor signaling synergizes with the activin/ALK4/Smad3 pathway to potentiate the generation of ΔFosB mRNA in medium spiny neurons (MSNs) of the nucleus accumbens (NAc) via activation of the RNA-binding protein PCBP1, a regulator of mRNA splicing. Concurrent activation of PCBP1 and Smad3 by D1 and ALK4 signaling induced their interaction, nuclear translocation, and binding to sequences in exon-4 and intron-4 of FosB mRNA. Ablation of either ALK4 or PCBP1 in MSNs impaired ΔFosB mRNA induction and nuclear translocation of ΔFosB protein in response to repeated co-stimulation of D1 and ALK4 receptors. Finally, ALK4 is required in NAc MSNs of adult mice for behavioral sensitization to cocaine. These findings uncover an unexpected mechanism for ΔFosB generation and drug-induced sensitization through convergent dopamine and ALK4 signaling.
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Affiliation(s)
| | | | | | | | - Carlos F Ibáñez
- Department of NeuroscienceKarolinska InstituteStockholmSweden
- Peking‐Tsinghua Center for Life Sciences, PKU‐IDG/McGovern Institute for Brain ResearchPeking University School of Life SciencesBeijingChina
- Chinese Institute for Brain ResearchBeijingChina
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31
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Duttke SH, Montilla-Perez P, Chang MW, Li H, Chen H, Carrette LLG, de Guglielmo G, George O, Palmer AA, Benner C, Telese F. Glucocorticoid Receptor-Regulated Enhancers Play a Central Role in the Gene Regulatory Networks Underlying Drug Addiction. Front Neurosci 2022; 16:858427. [PMID: 35651629 PMCID: PMC9149415 DOI: 10.3389/fnins.2022.858427] [Citation(s) in RCA: 1] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 01/20/2022] [Accepted: 04/25/2022] [Indexed: 01/07/2023] Open
Abstract
Substance abuse and addiction represent a significant public health problem that impacts multiple dimensions of society, including healthcare, the economy, and the workforce. In 2021, over 100,000 drug overdose deaths were reported in the US, with an alarming increase in fatalities related to opioids and psychostimulants. Understanding the fundamental gene regulatory mechanisms underlying addiction and related behaviors could facilitate more effective treatments. To explore how repeated drug exposure alters gene regulatory networks in the brain, we combined capped small (cs)RNA-seq, which accurately captures nascent-like initiating transcripts from total RNA, with Hi-C and single nuclei (sn)ATAC-seq. We profiled initiating transcripts in two addiction-related brain regions, the prefrontal cortex (PFC) and the nucleus accumbens (NAc), from rats that were never exposed to drugs or were subjected to prolonged abstinence after oxycodone or cocaine intravenous self-administration (IVSA). Interrogating over 100,000 active transcription start regions (TSRs) revealed that most TSRs had hallmarks of bonafide enhancers and highlighted the KLF/SP1, RFX, and AP1 transcription factors families as central to establishing brain-specific gene regulatory programs. Analysis of rats with addiction-like behaviors versus controls identified addiction-associated repression of transcription at regulatory enhancers recognized by nuclear receptor subfamily 3 group C (NR3C) factors, including glucocorticoid receptors. Cell-type deconvolution analysis using snATAC-seq uncovered a potential role of glial cells in driving the gene regulatory programs associated with addiction-related phenotypes. These findings highlight the power of advanced transcriptomics methods to provide insight into how addiction perturbs gene regulatory programs in the brain.
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Affiliation(s)
- Sascha H. Duttke
- Department of Medicine, University of California, San Diego, La Jolla, CA, United States
- School of Molecular Biosciences, College of Veterinary Medicine, Washington State University, Pullman, WA, United States
| | | | - Max W. Chang
- Department of Medicine, University of California, San Diego, La Jolla, CA, United States
| | - Hairi Li
- Department of Medicine, University of California, San Diego, La Jolla, CA, United States
| | - Hao Chen
- Department of Pharmacology, Addiction Science and Toxicology, University of Tennessee Health Science Center, Memphis, TN, United States
| | | | - Giordano de Guglielmo
- Department of Psychiatry, University of California, San Diego, La Jolla, CA, United States
| | - Olivier George
- Department of Psychiatry, University of California, San Diego, La Jolla, CA, United States
| | - Abraham A. Palmer
- Department of Psychiatry, University of California, San Diego, La Jolla, CA, United States
- Institute for Genomic Medicine, University of California, San Diego, La Jolla, CA, United States
| | - Christopher Benner
- Department of Medicine, University of California, San Diego, La Jolla, CA, United States
| | - Francesca Telese
- Department of Medicine, University of California, San Diego, La Jolla, CA, United States
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Mundorf A, Peterburs J, Ocklenburg S. Asymmetry in the Central Nervous System: A Clinical Neuroscience Perspective. Front Syst Neurosci 2021; 15:733898. [PMID: 34970125 PMCID: PMC8712556 DOI: 10.3389/fnsys.2021.733898] [Citation(s) in RCA: 34] [Impact Index Per Article: 11.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 06/30/2021] [Accepted: 11/25/2021] [Indexed: 01/20/2023] Open
Abstract
Recent large-scale neuroimaging studies suggest that most parts of the human brain show structural differences between the left and the right hemisphere. Such structural hemispheric asymmetries have been reported for both cortical and subcortical structures. Interestingly, many neurodevelopmental and psychiatric disorders have been associated with altered functional hemispheric asymmetries. However, findings concerning the relation between structural hemispheric asymmetries and disorders have largely been inconsistent, both within specific disorders as well as between disorders. In the present review, we compare structural asymmetries from a clinical neuroscience perspective across different disorders. We focus especially on recent large-scale neuroimaging studies, to concentrate on replicable effects. With the notable exception of major depressive disorder, all reviewed disorders were associated with distinct patterns of alterations in structural hemispheric asymmetries. While autism spectrum disorder was associated with altered structural hemispheric asymmetries in a broader range of brain areas, most other disorders were linked to more specific alterations in brain areas related to cognitive functions that have been associated with the symptomology of these disorders. The implications of these findings are highlighted in the context of transdiagnostic approaches to psychopathology.
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Affiliation(s)
- Annakarina Mundorf
- Institute for Systems Medicine and Department of Human Medicine, MSH Medical School Hamburg, Hamburg, Germany
| | - Jutta Peterburs
- Institute for Systems Medicine and Department of Human Medicine, MSH Medical School Hamburg, Hamburg, Germany
| | - Sebastian Ocklenburg
- Biopsychology, Institute of Cognitive Neuroscience, Faculty of Psychology, Ruhr University Bochum, Bochum, Germany
- Department of Psychology, MSH Medical School Hamburg, Hamburg, Germany
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33
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Amaral IM, Scheffauer L, Langeder AB, Hofer A, El Rawas R. Rewarding Social Interaction in Rats Increases CaMKII in the Nucleus Accumbens. Biomedicines 2021; 9:1886. [PMID: 34944702 PMCID: PMC8698734 DOI: 10.3390/biomedicines9121886] [Citation(s) in RCA: 3] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 11/18/2021] [Revised: 12/07/2021] [Accepted: 12/09/2021] [Indexed: 12/04/2022] Open
Abstract
Calcium/calmodulin-dependent protein kinase II (CaMKII) is known to be involved in the sensitized locomotor responses and drug-seeking behavior to psychostimulants. However, little is known about the contribution of CaMKII signaling in the nucleus accumbens (NAc) in natural rewards such as social interaction. The present experiments explored the implication of CaMKII signaling in drug versus natural reward. In the NAc of rats expressing cocaine or social interaction conditioned place preference (CPP), αCaMKII activation was induced in those expressing social interaction but not cocaine CPP. In order to investigate the role of NAc CaMKII in the expression of reward-related learning of drug versus non-drug stimuli, we inhibited CaMKII through an infusion of KN-93, a CaMKII inhibitor, directly into the NAc shell or core, before the CPP test in a concurrent paradigm in which social interaction was made available in the compartment alternative to the one associated with cocaine during conditioning. Whereas vehicle infusions led to equal preference to both stimuli, inhibition of CaMKII by a KN-93 infusion before the CPP test in the shell but not the core of the NAc shifted the rats' preference toward the cocaine-associated compartment. Altogether, these results suggest that social interaction reward engages CaMKII in the NAc.
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Affiliation(s)
| | | | | | | | - Rana El Rawas
- Division of Psychiatry I, Department of Psychiatry, Psychotherapy, Psychosomatics and Medical Psychology, Medical University Innsbruck, 6020 Innsbruck, Austria; (I.M.A.); (L.S.); (A.B.L.); (A.H.)
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34
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Lardner CK, van der Zee Y, Estill MS, Kronman HG, Salery M, Cunningham AM, Godino A, Parise EM, Kim JH, Neve RL, Shen L, Hamilton PJ, Nestler EJ. Gene-Targeted, CREB-Mediated Induction of ΔFosB Controls Distinct Downstream Transcriptional Patterns Within D1 and D2 Medium Spiny Neurons. Biol Psychiatry 2021; 90:540-549. [PMID: 34425966 PMCID: PMC8501456 DOI: 10.1016/j.biopsych.2021.06.017] [Citation(s) in RCA: 14] [Impact Index Per Article: 4.7] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Submit a Manuscript] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 12/10/2020] [Revised: 06/02/2021] [Accepted: 06/25/2021] [Indexed: 01/23/2023]
Abstract
BACKGROUND The onset and persistence of addiction phenotypes are, in part, mediated by transcriptional mechanisms in the brain that affect gene expression and, subsequently, neural circuitry. ΔFosB is a transcription factor that accumulates in the nucleus accumbens (NAc)-a brain region responsible for coordinating reward and motivation-after exposure to virtually every known rewarding substance, including cocaine and opioids. ΔFosB has also been shown to directly control gene transcription and behavior downstream of both cocaine and opioid exposure, but with potentially different roles in D1 and D2 medium spiny neurons (MSNs) in NAc. METHODS To clarify MSN subtype-specific roles for ΔFosB and investigate how these coordinate the actions of distinct classes of addictive drugs in NAc, we developed a CRISPR (clustered regularly interspaced short palindromic repeats)/Cas9-based epigenome editing tool to induce endogenous ΔFosB expression in vivo in the absence of drug exposure. After inducing ΔFosB in D1- or D2-MSNs or both, we performed RNA sequencing on bulk male and female NAc tissue (n = 6-8/group). RESULTS We found that ΔFosB induction elicits distinct transcriptional profiles in NAc by MSN subtype and by sex, establishing for the first time that ΔFosB mediates different transcriptional effects in males versus females. We also demonstrated that changes in D1-MSNs, but not those in D2-MSNs or both, significantly recapitulate changes in gene expression induced by cocaine self-administration. CONCLUSIONS Together, these findings demonstrate the efficacy of a novel molecular tool for studying cell type-specific transcriptional mechanisms and shed new light on the activity of ΔFosB, a critical transcriptional regulator of drug addiction.
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Affiliation(s)
- Casey K Lardner
- Nash Family Department of Neuroscience and Friedman Brain Institute, Icahn School of Medicine at Mount Sinai, New York, New York
| | - Yentl van der Zee
- Nash Family Department of Neuroscience and Friedman Brain Institute, Icahn School of Medicine at Mount Sinai, New York, New York
| | - Molly S Estill
- Nash Family Department of Neuroscience and Friedman Brain Institute, Icahn School of Medicine at Mount Sinai, New York, New York
| | - Hope G Kronman
- Nash Family Department of Neuroscience and Friedman Brain Institute, Icahn School of Medicine at Mount Sinai, New York, New York
| | - Marine Salery
- Nash Family Department of Neuroscience and Friedman Brain Institute, Icahn School of Medicine at Mount Sinai, New York, New York
| | - Ashley M Cunningham
- Nash Family Department of Neuroscience and Friedman Brain Institute, Icahn School of Medicine at Mount Sinai, New York, New York
| | - Arthur Godino
- Nash Family Department of Neuroscience and Friedman Brain Institute, Icahn School of Medicine at Mount Sinai, New York, New York
| | - Eric M Parise
- Nash Family Department of Neuroscience and Friedman Brain Institute, Icahn School of Medicine at Mount Sinai, New York, New York
| | - Jee Hyun Kim
- Nash Family Department of Neuroscience and Friedman Brain Institute, Icahn School of Medicine at Mount Sinai, New York, New York; The Institute for Mental and Physical Health and Clinical Translation, School of Medicine, Deakin University, Geelong, Victoria, Australia
| | - Rachael L Neve
- Gene Delivery Technology Core, Massachusetts General Hospital, Boston, Massachusetts
| | - Li Shen
- Nash Family Department of Neuroscience and Friedman Brain Institute, Icahn School of Medicine at Mount Sinai, New York, New York
| | - Peter J Hamilton
- Nash Family Department of Neuroscience and Friedman Brain Institute, Icahn School of Medicine at Mount Sinai, New York, New York.
| | - Eric J Nestler
- Nash Family Department of Neuroscience and Friedman Brain Institute, Icahn School of Medicine at Mount Sinai, New York, New York.
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35
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Bali P, Kenny PJ. Gene splicing SETs the scene for cocaine addiction. Neuron 2021; 109:2802-2804. [PMID: 34534452 DOI: 10.1016/j.neuron.2021.08.033] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/27/2022]
Abstract
Cocaine triggers gene splicing in brain reward circuits, but the mechanisms and importance of this response are unclear. In this issue of Neuron, Xu et al. (2021) show that the histone modification H3K36me3 marks genes spliced in response to cocaine and, using epigenome editing, establish a causal relationship between gene splicing and addiction-related behavioral responses.
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Affiliation(s)
- Purva Bali
- Nash Family Department of Neuroscience, Icahn School of Medicine at Mount Sinai, One Gustave L. Levy Place, New York, NY 10029-6574, USA
| | - Paul J Kenny
- Nash Family Department of Neuroscience, Icahn School of Medicine at Mount Sinai, One Gustave L. Levy Place, New York, NY 10029-6574, USA.
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