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Menon R, Neumann ID. Detection, processing and reinforcement of social cues: regulation by the oxytocin system. Nat Rev Neurosci 2023; 24:761-777. [PMID: 37891399 DOI: 10.1038/s41583-023-00759-w] [Citation(s) in RCA: 8] [Impact Index Per Article: 8.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Accepted: 09/29/2023] [Indexed: 10/29/2023]
Abstract
Many social behaviours are evolutionarily conserved and are essential for the healthy development of an individual. The neuropeptide oxytocin (OXT) is crucial for the fine-tuned regulation of social interactions in mammals. The advent and application of state-of-the-art methodological approaches that allow the activity of neuronal circuits involving OXT to be monitored and functionally manipulated in laboratory mammals have deepened our understanding of the roles of OXT in these behaviours. In this Review, we discuss how OXT promotes the sensory detection and evaluation of social cues, the subsequent approach and display of social behaviour, and the rewarding consequences of social interactions in selected reproductive and non-reproductive social behaviours. Social stressors - such as social isolation, exposure to social defeat or social trauma, and partner loss - are often paralleled by maladaptations of the OXT system, and restoring OXT system functioning can reinstate socio-emotional allostasis. Thus, the OXT system acts as a dynamic mediator of appropriate behavioural adaptations to environmental challenges by enhancing and reinforcing social salience and buffering social stress.
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Affiliation(s)
- Rohit Menon
- Department of Behavioural and Molecular Neurobiology, University of Regensburg, Regensburg, Germany
| | - Inga D Neumann
- Department of Behavioural and Molecular Neurobiology, University of Regensburg, Regensburg, Germany.
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2
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Puglia MH, Lynch ME, Nance MG, Connelly JJ, Morris JP. DNA methylation of the oxytocin receptor interacts with age to impact neural response to social stimuli. Front Aging Neurosci 2023; 15:1252478. [PMID: 38020783 PMCID: PMC10665856 DOI: 10.3389/fnagi.2023.1252478] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 07/03/2023] [Accepted: 10/27/2023] [Indexed: 12/01/2023] Open
Abstract
Introduction Social isolation is one of the strongest predictors of increased risk of mortality in older adulthood. The ability to form and maintain the social relationships that mitigate this risk is partially regulated by the oxytocinergic system and one's ability to attend to and process social information. We have previously shown that an epigenetic change to the DNA of the oxytocin receptor gene (OXTR methylation) affects the salience of social information in young adults. Little is known about how the oxytocinergic system ages and what effect this aging system has on social cognitive abilities throughout the lifespan. Methods Here we explored age-related differences in the association between neural response during selective social attention and OXTR DNA methylation in young (age 18-31) and older (age 58-81) adults. Participants underwent fMRI during a selective social attention task and provided a DNA sample for the assessment of OXTR methylation. Results and Discussion We found that older adults activated diffuse areas of visual cortex and dorsolateral prefrontal cortex during selective social attention, consistent with the dedifferentiation and compensatory neural activation commonly reported in aging. We found a significant age-by-OXTR methylation interaction on neural response when attending to social stimuli in a complex display; young adults displayed a positive association between OXTR methylation and neural activation, replicating our prior finding that young adults with presumed diminished endogenous access to oxytocin recruit regions of the attentional cortex to a greater extent. This association did not hold for older adults. Instead, perceived social support interacted with OXTR methylation to influence neural response during selective social attention. These data suggest that environmental factors like social support moderate biological processes in aging and highlight the importance of a lifespan perspective for understanding associations between individual differences in the oxytocinergic system, neural function, and social behavior.
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Affiliation(s)
- Meghan H. Puglia
- Department of Neurology, University of Virginia, Charlottesville, VA, United States
- Department of Psychology, University of Virginia, Charlottesville, VA, United States
| | - Morgan E. Lynch
- Department of Psychology, University of Virginia, Charlottesville, VA, United States
- Department of Psychology, University of Southern California, Los Angeles, CA, United States
| | - Madelyn G. Nance
- Department of Neurology, University of Virginia, Charlottesville, VA, United States
| | - Jessica J. Connelly
- Department of Psychology, University of Virginia, Charlottesville, VA, United States
| | - James P. Morris
- Department of Psychology, University of Virginia, Charlottesville, VA, United States
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3
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Brindley SR, Skyberg AM, Graves AJ, Connelly JJ, Puglia MH, Morris JP. Functional brain connectivity during social attention predicts individual differences in social skill. Soc Cogn Affect Neurosci 2023; 18:nsad055. [PMID: 37930994 PMCID: PMC10630402 DOI: 10.1093/scan/nsad055] [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: 05/12/2023] [Revised: 08/10/2023] [Accepted: 10/16/2023] [Indexed: 11/08/2023] Open
Abstract
Social attention involves selectively attending to and encoding socially relevant information. We investigated the neural systems underlying the wide range of variability in both social attention ability and social experience in a neurotypical sample. Participants performed a selective social attention task, while undergoing fMRI and completed self-report measures of social functioning. Using connectome-based predictive modeling, we demonstrated that individual differences in whole-brain functional connectivity patterns during selective attention to faces predicted task performance. Individuals with more cerebellar-occipital connectivity performed better on the social attention task, suggesting more efficient social information processing. Then, we estimated latent communities of autistic and socially anxious traits using exploratory graph analysis to decompose heterogeneity in social functioning between individuals. Connectivity strength within the identified social attention network was associated with social skills, such that more temporal-parietal connectivity predicted fewer challenges with social communication and interaction. These findings demonstrate that individual differences in functional connectivity strength during a selective social attention task are related to varying levels of self-reported social skill.
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Affiliation(s)
- Samantha R Brindley
- University of Virginia Department of Psychology, Charlottesville, VA 22904, USA
| | - Amalia M Skyberg
- University of Virginia Department of Psychology, Charlottesville, VA 22904, USA
| | - Andrew J Graves
- University of Virginia Department of Psychology, Charlottesville, VA 22904, USA
| | - Jessica J Connelly
- University of Virginia Department of Psychology, Charlottesville, VA 22904, USA
| | | | - James P Morris
- University of Virginia Department of Psychology, Charlottesville, VA 22904, USA
- University of Virginia Department of Neurology, Charlottesville, VA 22908, USA
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4
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Mundy P. Research on social attention in autism and the challenges of the research domain criteria (RDoC) framework. Autism Res 2023; 16:697-712. [PMID: 36932883 DOI: 10.1002/aur.2910] [Citation(s) in RCA: 2] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 09/19/2022] [Accepted: 02/22/2023] [Indexed: 03/19/2023]
Abstract
The fuzzy nature of categories of psychopathology, such as autism, leads to significant research challenges. Alternatively, focusing research on the study of a common set of important and well-defined psychological constructs across psychiatric conditions may make the fundamental etiological processes of psychopathology easier to discern and treat (Cuthbert, 2022). The development of the research domain criteria (RDoC) framework is designed to guide this new research approach (Insel et al., 2010). However, progress in research may be expected to continually refine and reorganize the understanding of the specifics of these mental processes (Cuthbert & Insel, 2013). Moreover, knowledge gleaned from the study of both normative and atypical development can be mutually informative in the evolution of our understanding of these fundamental processes. A case in point is the study of social attention. This Autism 101 commentary provides an educational summary of research over the last few decades indicates that social attention is major construct in the study of human social-cognitive development, autism and other forms of psychopathology. The commentary also describes how this research can inform the Social Process dimension of the RDoC framework.
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Affiliation(s)
- Peter Mundy
- School of Education, Department of Psychiatry and the MIND Institute, University of California at Davis, Davis, California, USA
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5
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Pierzynowska K, Gaffke L, Żabińska M, Cyske Z, Rintz E, Wiśniewska K, Podlacha M, Węgrzyn G. Roles of the Oxytocin Receptor (OXTR) in Human Diseases. Int J Mol Sci 2023; 24:ijms24043887. [PMID: 36835321 PMCID: PMC9966686 DOI: 10.3390/ijms24043887] [Citation(s) in RCA: 10] [Impact Index Per Article: 10.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 12/31/2022] [Revised: 02/06/2023] [Accepted: 02/13/2023] [Indexed: 02/17/2023] Open
Abstract
The oxytocin receptor (OXTR), encoded by the OXTR gene, is responsible for the signal transduction after binding its ligand, oxytocin. Although this signaling is primarily involved in controlling maternal behavior, it was demonstrated that OXTR also plays a role in the development of the nervous system. Therefore, it is not a surprise that both the ligand and the receptor are involved in the modulation of behaviors, especially those related to sexual, social, and stress-induced activities. As in the case of every regulatory system, any disturbances in the structures or functions of oxytocin and OXTR may lead to the development or modulation of various diseases related to the regulated functions, which in this case include either mental problems (autism, depression, schizophrenia, obsessive-compulsive disorders) or those related to the functioning of reproductive organs (endometriosis, uterine adenomyosis, premature birth). Nevertheless, OXTR abnormalities are also connected to other diseases, including cancer, cardiac disorders, osteoporosis, and obesity. Recent reports indicated that the changes in the levels of OXTR and the formation of its aggregates may influence the course of some inherited metabolic diseases, such as mucopolysaccharidoses. In this review, the involvement of OXTR dysfunctions and OXTR polymorphisms in the development of different diseases is summarized and discussed. The analysis of published results led us to suggest that changes in OXTR expression and OXTR abundance and activity are not specific to individual diseases, but rather they influence processes (mostly related to behavioral changes) that might modulate the course of various disorders. Moreover, a possible explanation of the discrepancies in the published results of effects of the OXTR gene polymorphisms and methylation on different diseases is proposed.
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6
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Weichselbaum C, Hendrix N, Albright J, Dougherty JD, Botteron KN, Constantino JN, Marrus N. Social attention during object engagement: toward a cross-species measure of preferential social orienting. J Neurodev Disord 2022; 14:58. [PMID: 36517753 PMCID: PMC9749210 DOI: 10.1186/s11689-022-09467-5] [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] [Submit a Manuscript] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 01/23/2020] [Accepted: 11/15/2022] [Indexed: 12/15/2022] Open
Abstract
BACKGROUND A central challenge in preclinical research investigating the biology of autism spectrum disorder (ASD) is the translation of ASD-related social phenotypes across humans and animal models. Social orienting, an observable, evolutionarily conserved behavior, represents a promising cross-species ASD phenotype given that disrupted social orienting is an early-emerging ASD feature with evidence for predicting familial recurrence. Here, we adapt a competing-stimulus social orienting task from domesticated dogs to naturalistic play behavior in human toddlers and test whether this approach indexes decreased social orienting in ASD. METHODS Play behavior was coded from the Autism Diagnostic Observation Schedule (ADOS) in two samples of toddlers, each with and without ASD. Sample 1 (n = 16) consisted of community-ascertained research participants, while Sample 2 involved a prospective study of infants at a high or low familial liability for ASD (n = 67). Coding quantified the child's looks towards the experimenter and caregiver, a social stimulus, while playing with high-interest toys, a non-social stimulus. A competing-stimulus measure of "Social Attention During Object Engagement" (SADOE) was calculated by dividing the number of social looks by total time spent playing with toys. SADOE was compared based on ASD diagnosis and differing familial liability for ASD. RESULTS In both samples, toddlers with ASD exhibited significantly lower SADOE compared to toddlers without ASD, with large effect sizes (Hedges' g ≥ 0.92) driven by a lower frequency of child-initiated spontaneous looks. Among toddlers at high familial likelihood of ASD, toddlers with ASD showed lower SADOE than toddlers without ASD, while SADOE did not differ based on presence or absence of familial ASD risk alone. SADOE correlated negatively with ADOS social affect calibrated severity scores and positively with the Communication and Symbolic Behavior Scales social subscale. In a binary logistic regression model, SADOE alone correctly classified 74.1% of cases, which rose to 85.2% when combined with cognitive development. CONCLUSIONS This work suggests that a brief behavioral measure pitting a high-interest nonsocial stimulus against the innate draw of social partners can serve as a feasible cross-species measure of social orienting, with implications for genetically informative behavioral phenotyping of social deficits in ASD and other neurodevelopmental disorders.
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Affiliation(s)
- Claire Weichselbaum
- Department of Psychiatry, Washington University School of Medicine, 660 S. Euclid Ave, Box 8504, St Louis, MO, 63110, USA
- Department of Genetics, Washington University School of Medicine, 660 S. Euclid Ave, Box 8232, St Louis, MO, 63110, USA
| | - Nicole Hendrix
- Department of Pediatrics, Marcus Autism Center, Emory University Pediatric Institute, 1920 Briarcliff Rd, Atlanta, GA, 30329, USA
| | - Jordan Albright
- Virginia Tech Autism Clinic & Center for Autism Research, Virginia Polytechnic Institute and State University, 3110 Prices Fork Rd, Blacksburg, VA, 24060, USA
| | - Joseph D Dougherty
- Department of Psychiatry, Washington University School of Medicine, 660 S. Euclid Ave, Box 8504, St Louis, MO, 63110, USA
- Department of Genetics, Washington University School of Medicine, 660 S. Euclid Ave, Box 8232, St Louis, MO, 63110, USA
| | - Kelly N Botteron
- Department of Psychiatry, Washington University School of Medicine, 660 S. Euclid Ave, Box 8504, St Louis, MO, 63110, USA
- Department of Radiology, Washington University School of Medicine, 660 S. Euclid, 35 Ave, St Louis, MO, 63110, USA
| | - John N Constantino
- Department of Psychiatry, Washington University School of Medicine, 660 S. Euclid Ave, Box 8504, St Louis, MO, 63110, USA
| | - Natasha Marrus
- Department of Psychiatry, Washington University School of Medicine, 660 S. Euclid Ave, Box 8504, St Louis, MO, 63110, USA.
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7
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Li Q, Zhao W, Kendrick KM. Affective touch in the context of development, oxytocin signaling, and autism. Front Psychol 2022; 13:967791. [PMID: 36506943 PMCID: PMC9728590 DOI: 10.3389/fpsyg.2022.967791] [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: 06/13/2022] [Accepted: 10/24/2022] [Indexed: 11/24/2022] Open
Abstract
Touch represents one of our most important senses throughout life and particularly in the context of our social and emotional experiences. In this review, we draw on research on touch processing from both animal models and humans. Firstly, we briefly describe the cutaneous touch receptors and neural processing of both affective and discriminative touch. We then outline how our sense of touch develops and summarize increasing evidence demonstrating how essential early tactile stimulation is for the development of brain and behavior, with a particular focus on effects of tactile stimulation in infant animals and pediatric massage and Kangaroo care in human infants. Next, the potential mechanisms whereby early tactile stimulation influences both brain and behavioral development are discussed, focusing on its ability to promote neural plasticity changes and brain interhemispheric communication, development of social behavior and bonding, and reward sensitivity through modulation of growth factor, oxytocin, and opioid signaling. Finally, we consider the implications of evidence for atypical responses to touch in neurodevelopmental disorders such as autism spectrum disorder and discuss existing evidence and future priorities for establishing potential beneficial effects of interventions using massage or pharmacological treatments targeting oxytocin or other neurochemical systems.
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Affiliation(s)
- Qin Li
- School of Foreign Language, Chengdu University of Traditional Chinese Medicine, Chengdu, China,Ministry of Education, Key Laboratory for Neuroinformation, The Clinical Hospital of Chengdu Brain Science Institute, University of Electronic Science and Technology of China, Chengdu, China
| | - Weihua Zhao
- Ministry of Education, Key Laboratory for Neuroinformation, The Clinical Hospital of Chengdu Brain Science Institute, University of Electronic Science and Technology of China, Chengdu, China
| | - Keith M. Kendrick
- Ministry of Education, Key Laboratory for Neuroinformation, The Clinical Hospital of Chengdu Brain Science Institute, University of Electronic Science and Technology of China, Chengdu, China,*Correspondence: Keith M. Kendrick,
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8
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Neuroimaging genetics of oxytocin: A transcriptomics-informed systematic review. Neurosci Biobehav Rev 2022; 142:104912. [DOI: 10.1016/j.neubiorev.2022.104912] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 12/17/2021] [Revised: 08/10/2022] [Accepted: 10/06/2022] [Indexed: 11/20/2022]
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9
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Wei D, Tsheringla S, McPartland JC, Allsop AZASA. Combinatorial approaches for treating neuropsychiatric social impairment. Philos Trans R Soc Lond B Biol Sci 2022; 377:20210051. [PMID: 35858103 PMCID: PMC9274330 DOI: 10.1098/rstb.2021.0051] [Citation(s) in RCA: 2] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 10/01/2021] [Accepted: 05/13/2022] [Indexed: 01/30/2023] Open
Abstract
Social behaviour is an essential component of human life and deficits in social function are seen across multiple psychiatric conditions with high morbidity. However, there are currently no FDA-approved treatments for social dysfunction. Since social cognition and behaviour rely on multiple signalling processes acting in concert across various neural networks, treatments aimed at social function may inherently require a combinatorial approach. Here, we describe the social neurobiology of the oxytocin and endocannabinoid signalling systems as well as translational evidence for their use in treating symptoms in the social domain. We leverage this systems neurobiology to propose a network-based framework that involves pharmacology, psychotherapy, non-invasive brain stimulation and social skills training to combinatorially target trans-diagnostic social impairment. Lastly, we discuss the combined use of oxytocin and endocannabinoids within our proposed framework as an illustrative strategy to treat specific aspects of social function. Using this framework provides a roadmap for actionable treatment strategies for neuropsychiatric social impairment. This article is part of the theme issue 'Interplays between oxytocin and other neuromodulators in shaping complex social behaviours'.
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Affiliation(s)
- Don Wei
- Department of Psychiatry, UCLA, Los Angeles, CA, USA
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10
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Abstract
Social anxiety disorder (SAD) is a common psychiatric disorder, often associated with avoidant temperament. Research studies have implicated a strong genetic architecture of SAD. We have conducted a systematic review on the genetics of SAD and yielded 66 articles. In general, prior research studies have focused on the serotonin transporter, oxytocin receptor, brain-derived neurotrophic factor and catechol-O-methyltransferase genes. Mixed and inconsistent results have been reported. Additional approaches and phenotypes have also been investigated, including pharmacogenetics of treatment response, imaging genetics and gene-environment interactions. Future directions warrant further international collaborative efforts, deep-phenotyping of clinical characteristics including consistent and reliable measurement-based symptom severity, and larger sample sizes to ensure sufficient power for stratification due to the heterogeneity of this chronic and often debilitating condition.
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Affiliation(s)
- Ami Baba
- Neurogenetics Section, Molecular Brain Science Department, Campbell Family Mental Health Research Institute, Centre
| | - Stefan Kloiber
- Campbell Family Mental Health Research Institute, General Adult Psychiatry and Health Systems Division, Centre for Addiction and Mental Health
- Department of Psychiatry, University of Toronto
- Institute of Medical Science, Faculty of Medicine, University of Toronto, Toronto, Ontario, Canada
| | - Gwyneth Zai
- Neurogenetics Section, Molecular Brain Science Department, Campbell Family Mental Health Research Institute, Centre
- Campbell Family Mental Health Research Institute, General Adult Psychiatry and Health Systems Division, Centre for Addiction and Mental Health
- Department of Psychiatry, University of Toronto
- Institute of Medical Science, Faculty of Medicine, University of Toronto, Toronto, Ontario, Canada
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11
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Skyberg AM, Beeler-Duden S, Goldstein AM, Gancayco CA, Lillard AS, Connelly JJ, Morris JP. Neuroepigenetic impact on mentalizing in childhood. Dev Cogn Neurosci 2022; 54:101080. [PMID: 35158164 PMCID: PMC8844842 DOI: 10.1016/j.dcn.2022.101080] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 03/05/2021] [Revised: 01/20/2022] [Accepted: 01/31/2022] [Indexed: 12/02/2022] Open
Abstract
Mentalizing, or the ability to understand the mental states and intentions of others, is an essential social cognitive function that children learn and continue to cultivate into adolescence. While most typically developing children acquire sufficient mentalizing skills, individual differences in mentalizing persist throughout childhood and are likely influenced by a combination of cognitive functioning, the social environment, and biological factors. DNA methylation of the oxytocin receptor gene (OXTRm) impacts gene expression and is associated with increased brain activity in mentalizing regions during displays of animacy in healthy young adults. The establishment, fine-tuning, and implications of such associations in the context of broader social functioning remain unclear. Using a developmental neuroimaging epigenetic approach, we investigated the contributions of OXTRm to individual variability in brain function during animate motion perception in middle childhood. We find that higher levels of OXTRm are associated with increased neural responses in the left temporo-parietal junction and inferior frontal gyrus. We also find a positive association between neural activity in LTPJ and social skills. These findings provide evidence of epigenetic influence on the developing child brain and demonstrate that variability in neural social perception in childhood is multifaceted with contributions from individual social experience and the endogenous oxytocin system.
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Affiliation(s)
- Amalia M Skyberg
- University of Virginia, Department of Psychology, 102 Gilmer Hall, P.O. Box 400400, Charlottesville, VA 22904, USA
| | - Stefen Beeler-Duden
- University of Virginia, Department of Psychology, 102 Gilmer Hall, P.O. Box 400400, Charlottesville, VA 22904, USA
| | - Alison M Goldstein
- University of Virginia, Department of Psychology, 102 Gilmer Hall, P.O. Box 400400, Charlottesville, VA 22904, USA
| | | | - Angeline S Lillard
- University of Virginia, Department of Psychology, 102 Gilmer Hall, P.O. Box 400400, Charlottesville, VA 22904, USA
| | - Jessica J Connelly
- University of Virginia, Department of Psychology, 102 Gilmer Hall, P.O. Box 400400, Charlottesville, VA 22904, USA
| | - James P Morris
- University of Virginia, Department of Psychology, 102 Gilmer Hall, P.O. Box 400400, Charlottesville, VA 22904, USA.
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12
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Borie AM, Agezo S, Lunsford P, Boender AJ, Guo JD, Zhu H, Berman GJ, Young LJ, Liu RC. Social experience alters oxytocinergic modulation in the nucleus accumbens of female prairie voles. Curr Biol 2022; 32:1026-1037.e4. [PMID: 35108521 PMCID: PMC8930613 DOI: 10.1016/j.cub.2022.01.014] [Citation(s) in RCA: 11] [Impact Index Per Article: 5.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 07/05/2021] [Revised: 10/11/2021] [Accepted: 01/06/2022] [Indexed: 12/17/2022]
Abstract
Social relationships are dynamic and evolve with shared and personal experiences. Whether the functional role of social neuromodulators also evolves with experience to shape the trajectory of relationships is unknown. We utilized pair bonding in the socially monogamous prairie vole as an example of socio-sexual experience that dramatically alters behaviors displayed toward other individuals. We investigated oxytocin-dependent modulation of excitatory synaptic transmission in the nucleus accumbens as a function of pair-bonding status. We found that an oxytocin receptor agonist decreases the amplitude of spontaneous excitatory postsynaptic currents (sEPSCs) in sexually naive virgin, but not pair-bonded, female voles, while it increases the amplitude of electrically evoked EPSCs in paired voles, but not in virgins. This oxytocin-induced potentiation of synaptic transmission relies on the de novo coupling between oxytocin receptor signaling and endocannabinoid receptor type 1 (CB1) receptor signaling in pair-bonded voles. Blocking CB1 receptors after pair-bond formation increases the occurrence of a specific form of social rejection-defensive upright response-that is displayed toward the partner, but not toward a novel individual. Altogether, our results demonstrate that oxytocin's action in the nucleus accumbens is changed through social experience in a way that regulates the trajectory of social interactions as the relationship with the partner unfolds, potentially promoting the maintenance of a pair bond by inhibiting aggressive responses. These results provide a mechanism by which social experience and context shift oxytocinergic signaling to impact neural and behavioral responses to social cues.
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Affiliation(s)
- Amélie M Borie
- Center for Translational Social Neuroscience, Emory University, Atlanta, GA 30322, USA; Silvio O. Conte Center for Oxytocin and Social Cognition, Emory University, Atlanta, GA 30322, USA; Yerkes National Primate Research Center, Emory University, Atlanta, GA 30322, USA; Department of Biology, Emory University, Atlanta, GA 30322, USA
| | - Sena Agezo
- Center for Translational Social Neuroscience, Emory University, Atlanta, GA 30322, USA; Silvio O. Conte Center for Oxytocin and Social Cognition, Emory University, Atlanta, GA 30322, USA; Yerkes National Primate Research Center, Emory University, Atlanta, GA 30322, USA; Department of Biology, Emory University, Atlanta, GA 30322, USA
| | - Parker Lunsford
- Center for Translational Social Neuroscience, Emory University, Atlanta, GA 30322, USA; Silvio O. Conte Center for Oxytocin and Social Cognition, Emory University, Atlanta, GA 30322, USA; Yerkes National Primate Research Center, Emory University, Atlanta, GA 30322, USA; Department of Biology, Emory University, Atlanta, GA 30322, USA
| | - Arjen J Boender
- Center for Translational Social Neuroscience, Emory University, Atlanta, GA 30322, USA; Silvio O. Conte Center for Oxytocin and Social Cognition, Emory University, Atlanta, GA 30322, USA; Yerkes National Primate Research Center, Emory University, Atlanta, GA 30322, USA
| | - Ji-Dong Guo
- Center for Translational Social Neuroscience, Emory University, Atlanta, GA 30322, USA; Silvio O. Conte Center for Oxytocin and Social Cognition, Emory University, Atlanta, GA 30322, USA; Yerkes National Primate Research Center, Emory University, Atlanta, GA 30322, USA
| | - Hong Zhu
- Center for Translational Social Neuroscience, Emory University, Atlanta, GA 30322, USA; Silvio O. Conte Center for Oxytocin and Social Cognition, Emory University, Atlanta, GA 30322, USA; Yerkes National Primate Research Center, Emory University, Atlanta, GA 30322, USA; Department of Biology, Emory University, Atlanta, GA 30322, USA
| | - Gordon J Berman
- Center for Translational Social Neuroscience, Emory University, Atlanta, GA 30322, USA; Yerkes National Primate Research Center, Emory University, Atlanta, GA 30322, USA; Department of Biology, Emory University, Atlanta, GA 30322, USA
| | - Larry J Young
- Center for Translational Social Neuroscience, Emory University, Atlanta, GA 30322, USA; Silvio O. Conte Center for Oxytocin and Social Cognition, Emory University, Atlanta, GA 30322, USA; Yerkes National Primate Research Center, Emory University, Atlanta, GA 30322, USA; Department of Psychiatry and Behavioral Science, Emory University School of Medicine, Atlanta, GA 30322, USA; Center for Social Neural Networks, University of Tsukuba, Tsukuba 305-8555, Japan.
| | - Robert C Liu
- Center for Translational Social Neuroscience, Emory University, Atlanta, GA 30322, USA; Silvio O. Conte Center for Oxytocin and Social Cognition, Emory University, Atlanta, GA 30322, USA; Yerkes National Primate Research Center, Emory University, Atlanta, GA 30322, USA; Department of Biology, Emory University, Atlanta, GA 30322, USA.
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13
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Oxytocin system gene methylation is associated with empathic responses towards children. Psychoneuroendocrinology 2022; 137:105629. [PMID: 34973541 DOI: 10.1016/j.psyneuen.2021.105629] [Citation(s) in RCA: 1] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Submit a Manuscript] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 04/08/2021] [Revised: 11/15/2021] [Accepted: 12/10/2021] [Indexed: 11/23/2022]
Abstract
Empathy is an essential component of sensitive caregiving behavior, which in turn is an important predictor of children's healthy social-emotional development. The oxytocin (OXT) system plays a key role in promoting sensitive parenting and empathy. In this study, we investigated how OXT system gene methylation was associated with empathic processes in nulliparous women (M age = 23.60, SD =0.44)-measuring both physiological facial muscle responses and ratings of compassion and positive affect to affective images depicting children. Linear mixed effects analyses demonstrated that lower methylation levels in the OXT and OXTR genes were related to enhanced empathic responses. The effect of OXT system gene methylation on empathic processes was partly qualified by an interaction with individual variations in women's care motivation. Our findings provide experimental evidence for an association between the methylation of OXT system genes and empathy.
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Rung JM, Kidder QA, Horta M, Nazarloo HP, Carter CS, Berry MS, Ebner NC. Associations between alcohol use and peripheral, genetic, and epigenetic markers of oxytocin in a general sample of young and older adults. Brain Behav 2022; 12:e2425. [PMID: 35146961 PMCID: PMC8933764 DOI: 10.1002/brb3.2425] [Citation(s) in RCA: 1] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Submit a Manuscript] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 04/15/2021] [Revised: 09/30/2021] [Accepted: 10/27/2021] [Indexed: 12/04/2022] Open
Abstract
INTRODUCTION Human and nonhuman animal research suggests that greater oxytocin (OT) activity is protective against harmful substance use. Most research on this topic is preclinical, with few studies evaluating the association between substance use and individual differences in the human OT system. The present study sought to fill this gap by evaluating the relationship between alcohol use and multiple biological measures of OT activity in an overall low to moderate-drinking sample. METHOD As part of a larger study, generally healthy young (n = 51) and older (n = 53) adults self-reported whether they regularly used alcohol and how much alcohol they consumed per week. Participants also provided blood samples from which peripheral OT, and in an age-heterogeneous subset of participants (n = 56) variation in the oxytocin receptor gene (the OXTR rs53576 polymorphism) and OXTR DNA methylation levels (at cytosine-guanine dinucleotide sites -860, -924, -934), were obtained. RESULTS A-allele carriers of the OXTR rs53579 polymorphism were less likely to regularly consume alcohol. Among regular alcohol consumers, number of alcoholic drinks per week was positively associated with peripheral OT in regression models excluding observations of high influence (postdiagnostic models). Number of alcoholic drinks per week was consistently negatively associated with OXTR DNA methylation at site -860; and with OXTR DNA methylation at site -924 in postdiagnostic models. CONCLUSIONS The significant associations between alcohol use and individual differences in OT activity support the involvement of the OT system in alcohol use, which most likely reflect the role of OT when alcohol use is under control of its rewarding properties and/or the acute impacts of alcohol on the OT system. Additional research with markers of OT activity and alcohol use, particularly longitudinal, is needed to clarify the bidirectional effects of OT and alcohol use in moderate to harmful drinking and dependence.
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Affiliation(s)
- Jillian M Rung
- Department of Psychology, University of Florida, Gainesville, Florida, USA.,Department of Epidemiology, University of Florida, Gainesville, Florida, USA.,Department of Health Education and Behavior, University of Florida, Gainesville, Florida, USA
| | - Quintin A Kidder
- Department of Psychology, University of Florida, Gainesville, Florida, USA
| | - Marilyn Horta
- Department of Psychology, University of Florida, Gainesville, Florida, USA.,Department of Epidemiology, University of Florida, Gainesville, Florida, USA
| | - H P Nazarloo
- Kinsey Institute, Indiana University, Bloomington, Indiana, USA.,Department of Psychology, University of Virginia, Charlottesville, Virginia, USA
| | - C Sue Carter
- Kinsey Institute, Indiana University, Bloomington, Indiana, USA.,Department of Psychology, University of Virginia, Charlottesville, Virginia, USA
| | - Meredith S Berry
- Department of Psychology, University of Florida, Gainesville, Florida, USA.,Department of Health Education and Behavior, University of Florida, Gainesville, Florida, USA.,Pain Research and Intervention Center of Excellence (PRICE), College of Medicine, Clinical and Translational Science Institute (CTSI), University of Florida, Gainesville, Florida, USA
| | - Natalie C Ebner
- Department of Psychology, University of Florida, Gainesville, Florida, USA.,Pain Research and Intervention Center of Excellence (PRICE), College of Medicine, Clinical and Translational Science Institute (CTSI), University of Florida, Gainesville, Florida, USA.,Department of Aging & Geriatric Research, Institute on Aging, University of Florida, Gainesville, Florida, USA
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15
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Abstract
Within populations, individuals show a variety of behavioral preferences, even in the absence of genetic or environmental variability. Neuromodulators affect these idiosyncratic preferences in a wide range of systems, however, the mechanism(s) by which they do so is unclear. I review the evidence supporting three broad mechanisms by which neuromodulators might affect variability in idiosyncratic behavioral preference: by being a source of variability directly upstream of behavior, by affecting the behavioral output of a circuit in a way that masks or accentuates underlying variability in that circuit, and by driving plasticity in circuits leading to either homeostatic convergence toward a given behavior or divergence from a developmental setpoint. I find evidence for each of these mechanisms and propose future directions to further understand the complex interplay between individual variability and neuromodulators.
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Affiliation(s)
- Ryan T Maloney
- Department of Organismic and Evolutionary Biology, Harvard University, Cambridge, MA, United States
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16
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Danoff JS, Connelly JJ, Morris JP, Perkeybile AM. An epigenetic rheostat of experience: DNA methylation of OXTR as a mechanism of early life allostasis. COMPREHENSIVE PSYCHONEUROENDOCRINOLOGY 2021; 8:100098. [PMID: 35757665 PMCID: PMC9216658 DOI: 10.1016/j.cpnec.2021.100098] [Citation(s) in RCA: 9] [Impact Index Per Article: 3.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 07/21/2021] [Revised: 10/11/2021] [Accepted: 10/11/2021] [Indexed: 02/06/2023] Open
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17
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Baptista T, de Azeredo LA, Zaparte A, Viola TW, Coral SC, Nagai MA, Mangone FR, Pavanelli AC, Schuch JB, Mardini V, Szobot CM, Grassi-Oliveira R. Oxytocin Receptor Exon III Methylation in the Umbilical Cord Blood of Newborns With Prenatal Exposure to Crack Cocaine. Front Cell Dev Biol 2021; 9:639287. [PMID: 34178979 PMCID: PMC8220805 DOI: 10.3389/fcell.2021.639287] [Citation(s) in RCA: 1] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 12/08/2020] [Accepted: 05/11/2021] [Indexed: 01/03/2023] Open
Abstract
BACKGROUND Prenatal cocaine exposure (PCE) is associated with behavioral, cognitive, and social consequences in children that might persist into later development. However, there are still few data concerning epigenetic mechanisms associated with the effects of gestational cocaine exposure, particularly in human newborns. AIMS We investigated the effects of PCE on DNA methylation patterns of the Oxytocin Receptor (OXTR) gene in the umbilical cord blood (UCB). The relationship between UCB DNA methylation levels and the severity of the mother's cocaine use during pregnancy was also evaluated. METHODS In this cross-sectional study, 28 UCB samples of newborns with a history of crack cocaine exposure in utero and 30 UCB samples of non-exposed newborns (NEC) were compared for DNA methylation levels at two genomic loci located in exon III of the OXTR gene (OXTR1 and OXTR2) through pyrosequencing. Maternal psychopathology was investigated using the Mini International Neuropsychiatric Interview, and substance use characteristics and addiction severity were assessed using the Smoking and Substance Involvement Screening Test (ASSIST). RESULTS No differences between newborns with a history of PCE and NEC were observed in OXTR1 or OXTR2 DNA methylation levels. However, regression analyses showed that maternal addiction severity for crack cocaine use predicted OXTR1 DNA methylation in newborns. CONCLUSION These data suggest that OXTR methylation levels in the UCB of children are affected by the severity of maternal crack cocaine usage. Larger studies are likely to detect specific changes in DNA methylation relevant to the consequences of PCE.
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Affiliation(s)
- Talita Baptista
- Developmental Cognitive Neuroscience Lab, School of Medicine, Brain Institute of the Rio Grande do Sul (InsCer), Pontifícia Universidade Católica do Rio Grande do Sul (PUCRS), Porto Alegre, Brazil
| | - Lucas Araújo de Azeredo
- Developmental Cognitive Neuroscience Lab, School of Medicine, Brain Institute of the Rio Grande do Sul (InsCer), Pontifícia Universidade Católica do Rio Grande do Sul (PUCRS), Porto Alegre, Brazil
| | - Aline Zaparte
- Developmental Cognitive Neuroscience Lab, School of Medicine, Brain Institute of the Rio Grande do Sul (InsCer), Pontifícia Universidade Católica do Rio Grande do Sul (PUCRS), Porto Alegre, Brazil
| | - Thiago Wendt Viola
- Developmental Cognitive Neuroscience Lab, School of Medicine, Brain Institute of the Rio Grande do Sul (InsCer), Pontifícia Universidade Católica do Rio Grande do Sul (PUCRS), Porto Alegre, Brazil
| | - Sayra Catalina Coral
- Developmental Cognitive Neuroscience Lab, School of Medicine, Brain Institute of the Rio Grande do Sul (InsCer), Pontifícia Universidade Católica do Rio Grande do Sul (PUCRS), Porto Alegre, Brazil
| | - Maria Aparecida Nagai
- Discipline of Oncology, Department of Radiology and Oncology, Faculty of Medicine, University of São Paulo, São Paulo, Brazil
- Laboratory of Molecular Genetics, Center for Translational Research in Oncology, Cancer Institute of the State of São Paulo, São Paulo, Brazil
| | - Flávia Rotea Mangone
- Laboratory of Molecular Genetics, Center for Translational Research in Oncology, Cancer Institute of the State of São Paulo, São Paulo, Brazil
| | - Ana Carolina Pavanelli
- Laboratory of Molecular Genetics, Center for Translational Research in Oncology, Cancer Institute of the State of São Paulo, São Paulo, Brazil
| | - Jaqueline B. Schuch
- Graduate Program in Psychiatry and Behavioral Sciences, Universidade Federal do Rio Grande do Sul, Porto Alegre, Brazil
| | - Victor Mardini
- Graduate Program in Psychiatry and Behavioral Sciences, Universidade Federal do Rio Grande do Sul, Porto Alegre, Brazil
- Child and Adolescent Psychiatry Service (SPIA), Hospital de Clínicas de Porto Alegre (HCPA), Porto Alegre, Brazil
| | - Claudia M. Szobot
- Graduate Program in Psychiatry and Behavioral Sciences, Universidade Federal do Rio Grande do Sul, Porto Alegre, Brazil
- Child and Adolescent Psychiatry Service (SPIA), Hospital de Clínicas de Porto Alegre (HCPA), Porto Alegre, Brazil
| | - Rodrigo Grassi-Oliveira
- Developmental Cognitive Neuroscience Lab, School of Medicine, Brain Institute of the Rio Grande do Sul (InsCer), Pontifícia Universidade Católica do Rio Grande do Sul (PUCRS), Porto Alegre, Brazil
- Translational Neuropsychiatry Unit, Department of Clinical Medicine, Aarhus University, Aarhus, Denmark
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18
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Lockhofen DEL, Mulert C. Neurochemistry of Visual Attention. Front Neurosci 2021; 15:643597. [PMID: 34025339 PMCID: PMC8133366 DOI: 10.3389/fnins.2021.643597] [Citation(s) in RCA: 9] [Impact Index Per Article: 3.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 12/18/2020] [Accepted: 04/12/2021] [Indexed: 11/25/2022] Open
Abstract
Visual attention is the cognitive process that mediates the selection of important information from the environment. This selection is usually controlled by bottom-up and top-down attentional biasing. Since for most humans vision is the dominant sense, visual attention is critically important for higher-order cognitive functions and related deficits are a core symptom of many neuropsychiatric and neurological disorders. Here, we summarize the importance and relative contributions of different neuromodulators and neurotransmitters to the neural mechanisms of top-down and bottom-up attentional control. We will not only review the roles of widely accepted neuromodulators, such as acetylcholine, dopamine and noradrenaline, but also the contributions of other modulatory substances. In doing so, we hope to shed some light on the current understanding of the role of neurochemistry in shaping neuron properties contributing to the allocation of attention in the visual field.
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Affiliation(s)
| | - Christoph Mulert
- Center for Psychiatry and Psychotherapy, Justus-Liebig University, Hessen, Germany
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19
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Liu J, Liang Y, Jiang X, Xu J, Sun Y, Wang Z, Lin L, Niu Y, Song S, Zhang H, Xue Z, Lu J, Yao P. Maternal Diabetes-Induced Suppression of Oxytocin Receptor Contributes to Social Deficits in Offspring. Front Neurosci 2021; 15:634781. [PMID: 33633538 PMCID: PMC7900564 DOI: 10.3389/fnins.2021.634781] [Citation(s) in RCA: 4] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 11/28/2020] [Accepted: 01/18/2021] [Indexed: 01/15/2023] Open
Abstract
Autism spectrum disorders (ASD) are a group of neurodevelopmental disorders characterized by impaired skills in social interaction and communication in addition to restricted and repetitive behaviors. Many different factors may contribute to ASD development; in particular, oxytocin receptor (OXTR) deficiency has been reported to be associated with ASD, although the detailed mechanism has remained largely unknown. Epidemiological study has shown that maternal diabetes is associated with ASD development. In this study, we aim to investigate the potential role of OXTR on maternal diabetes-mediated social deficits in offspring. Our in vitro study of human neuron progenitor cells showed that hyperglycemia induces OXTR suppression and that this suppression remains during subsequent normoglycemia. Further investigation showed that OXTR suppression is due to hyperglycemia-induced persistent oxidative stress and epigenetic methylation in addition to the subsequent dissociation of estrogen receptor β (ERβ) from the OXTR promoter. Furthermore, our in vivo mouse study showed that maternal diabetes induces OXTR suppression; prenatal OXTR deficiency mimics and potentiates maternal diabetes-mediated anxiety-like behaviors, while there is less of an effect on autism-like behaviors. Additionally, postnatal infusion of OXTR partly, while infusion of ERβ completely, reverses maternal diabetes-induced social deficits. We conclude that OXTR may be an important factor for ASD development and that maternal diabetes-induced suppression of oxytocin receptor contributes to social deficits in offspring.
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Affiliation(s)
- Jianbo Liu
- Department of Child Psychiatry, Kangning Hospital of Shenzhen, Shenzhen Mental Health Center, Shenzhen, China
| | - Yujie Liang
- Department of Child Psychiatry, Kangning Hospital of Shenzhen, Shenzhen Mental Health Center, Shenzhen, China
| | - Xing Jiang
- Department of Biomedical Engineering, Southern University of Science and Technology, Shenzhen, China
| | - Jianchang Xu
- Department of Child Psychiatry, Kangning Hospital of Shenzhen, Shenzhen Mental Health Center, Shenzhen, China
| | - Yumeng Sun
- Department of Child Psychiatry, Kangning Hospital of Shenzhen, Shenzhen Mental Health Center, Shenzhen, China
| | - Zichen Wang
- Department of Biomedical Engineering, Southern University of Science and Technology, Shenzhen, China
| | - Ling Lin
- Department of Child Psychiatry, Kangning Hospital of Shenzhen, Shenzhen Mental Health Center, Shenzhen, China
| | - Yanbin Niu
- Department of Biomedical Engineering, Southern University of Science and Technology, Shenzhen, China
| | - Shiqi Song
- Department of Child Psychiatry, Kangning Hospital of Shenzhen, Shenzhen Mental Health Center, Shenzhen, China
| | - Huawei Zhang
- Department of Biomedical Engineering, Southern University of Science and Technology, Shenzhen, China
| | - Zhenpeng Xue
- Department of Child Psychiatry, Kangning Hospital of Shenzhen, Shenzhen Mental Health Center, Shenzhen, China
| | - Jianping Lu
- Department of Child Psychiatry, Kangning Hospital of Shenzhen, Shenzhen Mental Health Center, Shenzhen, China
| | - Paul Yao
- Department of Child Psychiatry, Kangning Hospital of Shenzhen, Shenzhen Mental Health Center, Shenzhen, China
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20
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Danoff JS, Wroblewski KL, Graves AJ, Quinn GC, Perkeybile AM, Kenkel WM, Lillard TS, Parikh HI, Golino HF, Gregory SG, Carter CS, Bales KL, Connelly JJ. Genetic, epigenetic, and environmental factors controlling oxytocin receptor gene expression. Clin Epigenetics 2021; 13:23. [PMID: 33516250 PMCID: PMC7847178 DOI: 10.1186/s13148-021-01017-5] [Citation(s) in RCA: 33] [Impact Index Per Article: 11.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 10/02/2020] [Accepted: 01/19/2021] [Indexed: 02/03/2023] Open
Abstract
BACKGROUND The neuropeptide oxytocin regulates mammalian social behavior. Disruptions in oxytocin signaling are a feature of many psychopathologies. One commonly studied biomarker for oxytocin involvement in psychiatric diseases is DNA methylation at the oxytocin receptor gene (OXTR). Such studies focus on DNA methylation in two regions of OXTR, exon 3 and a region termed MT2 which overlaps exon 1 and intron 1. However, the relative contribution of exon 3 and MT2 in regulating OXTR gene expression in the brain is currently unknown. RESULTS Here, we use the prairie vole as a translational animal model to investigate genetic, epigenetic, and environmental factors affecting Oxtr gene expression in a region of the brain that has been shown to drive Oxtr related behavior in the vole, the nucleus accumbens. We show that the genetic structure of Oxtr in prairie voles resembles human OXTR. We then studied the effects of early life experience on DNA methylation in two regions of a CpG island surrounding the Oxtr promoter: MT2 and exon 3. We show that early nurture in the form of parental care results in DNA hypomethylation of Oxtr in both MT2 and exon 3, but only DNA methylation in MT2 is associated with Oxtr gene expression. Network analyses indicate that CpG sites in the 3' portion of MT2 are most highly associated with Oxtr gene expression. We also identify two novel SNPs in exon 3 of Oxtr in prairie voles and a novel alternative transcript originating from the third intron of the gene. Expression of the novel alternative transcript is associated with genotype at SNP KLW2. CONCLUSIONS These results identify putative regulatory features of Oxtr in prairie voles which inform future studies examining OXTR in human social behaviors and disorders. These studies indicate that in prairie voles, DNA methylation in MT2, particularly in the 3' portion, is more predictive of Oxtr gene expression than DNA methylation in exon 3. Similarly, in human temporal cortex, we find that DNA methylation in the 3' portion of MT2 is associated with OXTR expression. Together, these results suggest that among the CpG sites studied, DNA methylation of MT2 may be the most reliable indicator of OXTR gene expression. We also identify novel features of prairie vole Oxtr, including SNPs and an alternative transcript, which further develop the prairie vole as a translational model for studies of OXTR.
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Affiliation(s)
- Joshua S Danoff
- Department of Psychology, University of Virginia, 102 Gilmer Hall, P.O. Box 400400, Charlottesville, VA, 22904, USA
| | - Kelly L Wroblewski
- Department of Psychology, University of Virginia, 102 Gilmer Hall, P.O. Box 400400, Charlottesville, VA, 22904, USA
| | - Andrew J Graves
- Department of Psychology, University of Virginia, 102 Gilmer Hall, P.O. Box 400400, Charlottesville, VA, 22904, USA
| | - Graham C Quinn
- Department of Psychology, University of Virginia, 102 Gilmer Hall, P.O. Box 400400, Charlottesville, VA, 22904, USA
| | - Allison M Perkeybile
- The Kinsey Institute, Indiana University, 150 S Woodlawn Avenue, Bloomington, IN, 47405, USA
| | - William M Kenkel
- The Kinsey Institute, Indiana University, 150 S Woodlawn Avenue, Bloomington, IN, 47405, USA
- Department of Psychological and Brain Sciences, University of Delaware, 105 The Green, Newark, DE, 19716, USA
| | - Travis S Lillard
- Department of Psychology, University of Virginia, 102 Gilmer Hall, P.O. Box 400400, Charlottesville, VA, 22904, USA
| | - Hardik I Parikh
- Division of Infectious Diseases and International Health, University of Virginia, 345 Crispell Drive, Charlottesville, VA, 22908, USA
- Research Computing, University of Virginia, 560 Ray C. Hunt Drive, Charlottesville, VA, 22903, USA
| | - Hudson F Golino
- Department of Psychology, University of Virginia, 102 Gilmer Hall, P.O. Box 400400, Charlottesville, VA, 22904, USA
| | - Simon G Gregory
- Duke Molecular Physiology Institute, Duke University School of Medicine, 300 N Duke St, Durham, NC, 27701, USA
| | - C Sue Carter
- The Kinsey Institute, Indiana University, 150 S Woodlawn Avenue, Bloomington, IN, 47405, USA
| | - Karen L Bales
- Department of Psychology, University of California, Davis, One Shields Avenue, Davis, CA, 95616, USA
| | - Jessica J Connelly
- Department of Psychology, University of Virginia, 102 Gilmer Hall, P.O. Box 400400, Charlottesville, VA, 22904, USA.
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21
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Carter CS, Kenkel WM, MacLean EL, Wilson SR, Perkeybile AM, Yee JR, Ferris CF, Nazarloo HP, Porges SW, Davis JM, Connelly JJ, Kingsbury MA. Is Oxytocin "Nature's Medicine"? Pharmacol Rev 2021; 72:829-861. [PMID: 32912963 PMCID: PMC7495339 DOI: 10.1124/pr.120.019398] [Citation(s) in RCA: 202] [Impact Index Per Article: 67.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 12/20/2022] Open
Abstract
Oxytocin is a pleiotropic, peptide hormone with broad implications for general health, adaptation, development, reproduction, and social behavior. Endogenous oxytocin and stimulation of the oxytocin receptor support patterns of growth, resilience, and healing. Oxytocin can function as a stress-coping molecule, an anti-inflammatory, and an antioxidant, with protective effects especially in the face of adversity or trauma. Oxytocin influences the autonomic nervous system and the immune system. These properties of oxytocin may help explain the benefits of positive social experiences and have drawn attention to this molecule as a possible therapeutic in a host of disorders. However, as detailed here, the unique chemical properties of oxytocin, including active disulfide bonds, and its capacity to shift chemical forms and bind to other molecules make this molecule difficult to work with and to measure. The effects of oxytocin also are context-dependent, sexually dimorphic, and altered by experience. In part, this is because many of the actions of oxytocin rely on its capacity to interact with the more ancient peptide molecule, vasopressin, and the vasopressin receptors. In addition, oxytocin receptor(s) are epigenetically tuned by experience, especially in early life. Stimulation of G-protein–coupled receptors triggers subcellular cascades allowing these neuropeptides to have multiple functions. The adaptive properties of oxytocin make this ancient molecule of special importance to human evolution as well as modern medicine and health; these same characteristics also present challenges to the use of oxytocin-like molecules as drugs that are only now being recognized.
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Affiliation(s)
- C Sue Carter
- Kinsey Institute, Indiana University, Bloomington, Indiana (C.S.C., W.M.K., A.M.P., H.P.N., S.W.P.); School of Anthropology, Department of Psychology, and College of Veterinary Medicine, University of Arizona, Tucson, Arizona (E.L.M.); Department of Chemistry, University of Oslo, Oslo, Norway (S.R.W.); Institute of Animal Welfare Science, University of Veterinary Medicine, Vienna, Austria (J.R.Y.); Departments of Psychology and Pharmaceutical Sciences, Northeastern University, Boston, Massachusetts (C.F.F.); Department of Psychiatry, University of Illinois at Chicago, Chicago, Illinois (J.M.D.); Department of Psychology, University of Virginia, Charlottesville, Virginia (J.J.C.); and Department of Pediatrics, Massachusetts General Hospital and Harvard Medical School, Charleston, Massachusetts (M.A.K.)
| | - William M Kenkel
- Kinsey Institute, Indiana University, Bloomington, Indiana (C.S.C., W.M.K., A.M.P., H.P.N., S.W.P.); School of Anthropology, Department of Psychology, and College of Veterinary Medicine, University of Arizona, Tucson, Arizona (E.L.M.); Department of Chemistry, University of Oslo, Oslo, Norway (S.R.W.); Institute of Animal Welfare Science, University of Veterinary Medicine, Vienna, Austria (J.R.Y.); Departments of Psychology and Pharmaceutical Sciences, Northeastern University, Boston, Massachusetts (C.F.F.); Department of Psychiatry, University of Illinois at Chicago, Chicago, Illinois (J.M.D.); Department of Psychology, University of Virginia, Charlottesville, Virginia (J.J.C.); and Department of Pediatrics, Massachusetts General Hospital and Harvard Medical School, Charleston, Massachusetts (M.A.K.)
| | - Evan L MacLean
- Kinsey Institute, Indiana University, Bloomington, Indiana (C.S.C., W.M.K., A.M.P., H.P.N., S.W.P.); School of Anthropology, Department of Psychology, and College of Veterinary Medicine, University of Arizona, Tucson, Arizona (E.L.M.); Department of Chemistry, University of Oslo, Oslo, Norway (S.R.W.); Institute of Animal Welfare Science, University of Veterinary Medicine, Vienna, Austria (J.R.Y.); Departments of Psychology and Pharmaceutical Sciences, Northeastern University, Boston, Massachusetts (C.F.F.); Department of Psychiatry, University of Illinois at Chicago, Chicago, Illinois (J.M.D.); Department of Psychology, University of Virginia, Charlottesville, Virginia (J.J.C.); and Department of Pediatrics, Massachusetts General Hospital and Harvard Medical School, Charleston, Massachusetts (M.A.K.)
| | - Steven R Wilson
- Kinsey Institute, Indiana University, Bloomington, Indiana (C.S.C., W.M.K., A.M.P., H.P.N., S.W.P.); School of Anthropology, Department of Psychology, and College of Veterinary Medicine, University of Arizona, Tucson, Arizona (E.L.M.); Department of Chemistry, University of Oslo, Oslo, Norway (S.R.W.); Institute of Animal Welfare Science, University of Veterinary Medicine, Vienna, Austria (J.R.Y.); Departments of Psychology and Pharmaceutical Sciences, Northeastern University, Boston, Massachusetts (C.F.F.); Department of Psychiatry, University of Illinois at Chicago, Chicago, Illinois (J.M.D.); Department of Psychology, University of Virginia, Charlottesville, Virginia (J.J.C.); and Department of Pediatrics, Massachusetts General Hospital and Harvard Medical School, Charleston, Massachusetts (M.A.K.)
| | - Allison M Perkeybile
- Kinsey Institute, Indiana University, Bloomington, Indiana (C.S.C., W.M.K., A.M.P., H.P.N., S.W.P.); School of Anthropology, Department of Psychology, and College of Veterinary Medicine, University of Arizona, Tucson, Arizona (E.L.M.); Department of Chemistry, University of Oslo, Oslo, Norway (S.R.W.); Institute of Animal Welfare Science, University of Veterinary Medicine, Vienna, Austria (J.R.Y.); Departments of Psychology and Pharmaceutical Sciences, Northeastern University, Boston, Massachusetts (C.F.F.); Department of Psychiatry, University of Illinois at Chicago, Chicago, Illinois (J.M.D.); Department of Psychology, University of Virginia, Charlottesville, Virginia (J.J.C.); and Department of Pediatrics, Massachusetts General Hospital and Harvard Medical School, Charleston, Massachusetts (M.A.K.)
| | - Jason R Yee
- Kinsey Institute, Indiana University, Bloomington, Indiana (C.S.C., W.M.K., A.M.P., H.P.N., S.W.P.); School of Anthropology, Department of Psychology, and College of Veterinary Medicine, University of Arizona, Tucson, Arizona (E.L.M.); Department of Chemistry, University of Oslo, Oslo, Norway (S.R.W.); Institute of Animal Welfare Science, University of Veterinary Medicine, Vienna, Austria (J.R.Y.); Departments of Psychology and Pharmaceutical Sciences, Northeastern University, Boston, Massachusetts (C.F.F.); Department of Psychiatry, University of Illinois at Chicago, Chicago, Illinois (J.M.D.); Department of Psychology, University of Virginia, Charlottesville, Virginia (J.J.C.); and Department of Pediatrics, Massachusetts General Hospital and Harvard Medical School, Charleston, Massachusetts (M.A.K.)
| | - Craig F Ferris
- Kinsey Institute, Indiana University, Bloomington, Indiana (C.S.C., W.M.K., A.M.P., H.P.N., S.W.P.); School of Anthropology, Department of Psychology, and College of Veterinary Medicine, University of Arizona, Tucson, Arizona (E.L.M.); Department of Chemistry, University of Oslo, Oslo, Norway (S.R.W.); Institute of Animal Welfare Science, University of Veterinary Medicine, Vienna, Austria (J.R.Y.); Departments of Psychology and Pharmaceutical Sciences, Northeastern University, Boston, Massachusetts (C.F.F.); Department of Psychiatry, University of Illinois at Chicago, Chicago, Illinois (J.M.D.); Department of Psychology, University of Virginia, Charlottesville, Virginia (J.J.C.); and Department of Pediatrics, Massachusetts General Hospital and Harvard Medical School, Charleston, Massachusetts (M.A.K.)
| | - Hossein P Nazarloo
- Kinsey Institute, Indiana University, Bloomington, Indiana (C.S.C., W.M.K., A.M.P., H.P.N., S.W.P.); School of Anthropology, Department of Psychology, and College of Veterinary Medicine, University of Arizona, Tucson, Arizona (E.L.M.); Department of Chemistry, University of Oslo, Oslo, Norway (S.R.W.); Institute of Animal Welfare Science, University of Veterinary Medicine, Vienna, Austria (J.R.Y.); Departments of Psychology and Pharmaceutical Sciences, Northeastern University, Boston, Massachusetts (C.F.F.); Department of Psychiatry, University of Illinois at Chicago, Chicago, Illinois (J.M.D.); Department of Psychology, University of Virginia, Charlottesville, Virginia (J.J.C.); and Department of Pediatrics, Massachusetts General Hospital and Harvard Medical School, Charleston, Massachusetts (M.A.K.)
| | - Stephen W Porges
- Kinsey Institute, Indiana University, Bloomington, Indiana (C.S.C., W.M.K., A.M.P., H.P.N., S.W.P.); School of Anthropology, Department of Psychology, and College of Veterinary Medicine, University of Arizona, Tucson, Arizona (E.L.M.); Department of Chemistry, University of Oslo, Oslo, Norway (S.R.W.); Institute of Animal Welfare Science, University of Veterinary Medicine, Vienna, Austria (J.R.Y.); Departments of Psychology and Pharmaceutical Sciences, Northeastern University, Boston, Massachusetts (C.F.F.); Department of Psychiatry, University of Illinois at Chicago, Chicago, Illinois (J.M.D.); Department of Psychology, University of Virginia, Charlottesville, Virginia (J.J.C.); and Department of Pediatrics, Massachusetts General Hospital and Harvard Medical School, Charleston, Massachusetts (M.A.K.)
| | - John M Davis
- Kinsey Institute, Indiana University, Bloomington, Indiana (C.S.C., W.M.K., A.M.P., H.P.N., S.W.P.); School of Anthropology, Department of Psychology, and College of Veterinary Medicine, University of Arizona, Tucson, Arizona (E.L.M.); Department of Chemistry, University of Oslo, Oslo, Norway (S.R.W.); Institute of Animal Welfare Science, University of Veterinary Medicine, Vienna, Austria (J.R.Y.); Departments of Psychology and Pharmaceutical Sciences, Northeastern University, Boston, Massachusetts (C.F.F.); Department of Psychiatry, University of Illinois at Chicago, Chicago, Illinois (J.M.D.); Department of Psychology, University of Virginia, Charlottesville, Virginia (J.J.C.); and Department of Pediatrics, Massachusetts General Hospital and Harvard Medical School, Charleston, Massachusetts (M.A.K.)
| | - Jessica J Connelly
- Kinsey Institute, Indiana University, Bloomington, Indiana (C.S.C., W.M.K., A.M.P., H.P.N., S.W.P.); School of Anthropology, Department of Psychology, and College of Veterinary Medicine, University of Arizona, Tucson, Arizona (E.L.M.); Department of Chemistry, University of Oslo, Oslo, Norway (S.R.W.); Institute of Animal Welfare Science, University of Veterinary Medicine, Vienna, Austria (J.R.Y.); Departments of Psychology and Pharmaceutical Sciences, Northeastern University, Boston, Massachusetts (C.F.F.); Department of Psychiatry, University of Illinois at Chicago, Chicago, Illinois (J.M.D.); Department of Psychology, University of Virginia, Charlottesville, Virginia (J.J.C.); and Department of Pediatrics, Massachusetts General Hospital and Harvard Medical School, Charleston, Massachusetts (M.A.K.)
| | - Marcy A Kingsbury
- Kinsey Institute, Indiana University, Bloomington, Indiana (C.S.C., W.M.K., A.M.P., H.P.N., S.W.P.); School of Anthropology, Department of Psychology, and College of Veterinary Medicine, University of Arizona, Tucson, Arizona (E.L.M.); Department of Chemistry, University of Oslo, Oslo, Norway (S.R.W.); Institute of Animal Welfare Science, University of Veterinary Medicine, Vienna, Austria (J.R.Y.); Departments of Psychology and Pharmaceutical Sciences, Northeastern University, Boston, Massachusetts (C.F.F.); Department of Psychiatry, University of Illinois at Chicago, Chicago, Illinois (J.M.D.); Department of Psychology, University of Virginia, Charlottesville, Virginia (J.J.C.); and Department of Pediatrics, Massachusetts General Hospital and Harvard Medical School, Charleston, Massachusetts (M.A.K.)
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22
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Andari E, Rilling JK. Genetic and epigenetic modulation of the oxytocin receptor and implications for autism. Neuropsychopharmacology 2021; 46:241-242. [PMID: 32884100 PMCID: PMC7688943 DOI: 10.1038/s41386-020-00832-3] [Citation(s) in RCA: 4] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Submit a Manuscript] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 12/25/2022]
Affiliation(s)
- Elissar Andari
- Department of Psychiatry, College of Medicine and Life Sciences, University of Toledo, Toledo, OH, USA.
| | - James K Rilling
- Department of Anthropology, Emory University, Atlanta, GA, USA
- Department of Psychiatry and Behavioral Sciences, Emory University School of Medicine, Atlanta, GA, USA
- Center for Translational Social Neuroscience, Emory University, Atlanta, GA, USA
- Silvio O. Conte Center for Oxytocin and Social Cognition, Atlanta, GA, USA
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23
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The promiscuity of the oxytocin-vasopressin systems and their involvement in autism spectrum disorder. HANDBOOK OF CLINICAL NEUROLOGY 2021; 182:121-140. [PMID: 34266588 DOI: 10.1016/b978-0-12-819973-2.00009-5] [Citation(s) in RCA: 10] [Impact Index Per Article: 3.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 12/12/2022]
Abstract
Oxytocin and vasopressin systems have been studied separately in autism spectrum disorder (ASD). Here, we provide evidence from an evolutionary and neuroscience perspective about the shared mechanisms and the common roles in regulating social behaviors. We first discuss findings on the evolutionary history of oxytocin and vasopressin ligands and receptors that highlight their common origin and clarify the evolutionary background of the crosstalk between them. Second, we conducted a comprehensive review of the increasing evidence for the role of both neuropeptides in regulating social behaviors. Third, we reviewed the growing evidence on the associations between the oxytocin/vasopressin systems and ASD, which includes oxytocin and vasopressin dysfunction in animal models of autism and in human patients, and the impact of treatments targeting the oxytocin or the vasopressin systems in children and in adults. Here, we highlight the potential of targeting the oxytocin/vasopressin systems to improve social deficits observed in ASD and the need for further investigations on how to transfer these research innovations into clinical applications.
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24
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Plemeniti Tololeski B, Suhodolčan Grabner A, Kumperscak HG. Adolescents With Autism Spectrum Disorder and Anorexia Nervosa Comorbidity: Common Features and Treatment Possibilities With Cognitive Remediation Therapy and Oxytocin. Front Psychiatry 2021; 12:686030. [PMID: 34413796 PMCID: PMC8369034 DOI: 10.3389/fpsyt.2021.686030] [Citation(s) in RCA: 1] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Journal Information] [Submit a Manuscript] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 03/26/2021] [Accepted: 07/01/2021] [Indexed: 12/16/2022] Open
Abstract
Autistic traits or autism spectrum disorder (ASD) can be found in 4% to 52% of anorexic patients, which makes the treatment of these patients very challenging. In this review, possible ways to treat ASD and anorexia nervosa (AN) comorbidity in children and adolescents are summarized. Over recent years, the focus has shifted from searching for the evidence of connections between these two disorders, which have started with Gillberg's study in 1983, to searching for more effective and holistic treatment of this comorbidity. The latter is known to contribute to more severe courses and worse prognosis, which is probably related to the obstacles in both diagnosing and treating. Since AN usually starts in early adolescence and high-functioning ASD children seem to begin struggling with increased pressure in adolescence, while various comorbidities can occur, it is important to improve the treatment of this comorbidity in young patients and to tailor it specifically in terms of diagnosing. In this paper, a literature review is conducted on common features and promising treatment possibilities. We describe cognitive remediation therapy and the promising pharmacotherapeutic candidate oxytocin with a special focus on adolescents.
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Affiliation(s)
- Barbara Plemeniti Tololeski
- Centre for Mental Health, Unit for Adolescent Psychiatry, University Psychiatric Hospital Ljubljana, Ljubljana, Slovenia
| | | | - Hojka Gregoric Kumperscak
- Department for Child and Adolescent Psychiatry, University Medical Centre, Maribor, Slovenia.,Faculty for Medicine, University of Maribor, Maribor, Slovenia
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25
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Niego A, Benítez-Burraco A. Autism and Williams syndrome: Dissimilar socio-cognitive profiles with similar patterns of abnormal gene expression in the blood. AUTISM : THE INTERNATIONAL JOURNAL OF RESEARCH AND PRACTICE 2020; 25:464-489. [PMID: 33143449 DOI: 10.1177/1362361320965074] [Citation(s) in RCA: 5] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 12/27/2022]
Abstract
LAY ABSTRACT Autism spectrum disorders and Williams syndrome are complex cognitive conditions exhibiting quite opposite features in the social domain: whereas people with autism spectrum disorders are mostly hyposocial, subjects with Williams syndrome are usually reported as hypersocial. At the same time, autism spectrum disorders and Williams syndrome share some common underlying behavioral and cognitive deficits. It is not clear, however, which genes account for the attested differences (and similarities) in the socio-cognitive domain. In this article, we adopted a comparative molecular approach and looked for genes that might be differentially (or similarly) regulated in the blood of people with these conditions. We found a significant overlap between genes dysregulated in the blood of patients compared to neurotypical controls, with most of them being upregulated or, in some cases, downregulated. Still, genes with similar expression trends can exhibit quantitative differences between conditions, with most of them being more dysregulated in Williams syndrome than in autism spectrum disorders. Differentially expressed genes are involved in aspects of brain development and function (particularly dendritogenesis) and are expressed in brain areas (particularly the cerebellum, the thalamus, and the striatum) of relevance for the autism spectrum disorder and the Williams syndrome etiopathogenesis. Overall, these genes emerge as promising candidates for the similarities and differences between the autism spectrum disorder and the Williams syndrome socio-cognitive profiles.
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26
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Parianen Lesemann FH, Spencer H, Montoya ER, Kraaijenvanger EJ, He Y, Branje S, Boks MP, Bos PA. Methylation of oxytocin related genes and early life trauma together shape the N170 response to human faces. Eur Neuropsychopharmacol 2020; 39:19-28. [PMID: 32993882 DOI: 10.1016/j.euroneuro.2020.08.008] [Citation(s) in RCA: 9] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Submit a Manuscript] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 11/14/2019] [Revised: 06/24/2020] [Accepted: 08/17/2020] [Indexed: 01/03/2023]
Abstract
Childhood trauma fundamentally shapes social cognition and basic processing of social cues, which frequently cascade into adverse behavioral outcomes. Recent studies indicate that epigenetic changes in oxytocin functioning might contribute to these long-term effects, although a deeper understanding of the underlying mechanisms is still lacking. The electroencephalographic N170 response to faces might capture a neural response at the core of these interactive effects of oxytocin gene methylation and childhood adversity, given that this response is considered to reflect fundamental face processing, to be susceptible to oxytocin administration and also to be a biomarker of various psychiatric disorders. We assessed the N170 response to neutral faces in relation to participant's (81, women) recalled childhood trauma, methylation of their oxytocin structural (OXTg) and oxytocin receptor (OXTRg) genes, and endogenous levels of cortisol and testosterone. Additionally, we investigated the interactive effect of OXTg methylation and CTQ across three face sets of varying maturity. Methylation of OXTg relates to a weakened N170 response towards adults, children and infants. Moreover, methylation of both OXTRg and OXTg shaped the directionality of adversity effects, predicting a weakened N170 response in those with high methylation and hyper-vigilance with participants with low methylation. Our results are the first to relate OXT(R)g methylation to the N170 response. They shed light on biological processes linking childhood adversity and epigenetic marks to altered behavior and potentially psychopathologies.
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Affiliation(s)
- Franca H Parianen Lesemann
- Department of Experimental Psychology, Utrecht University, Heidelberglaan 1, 3584 CS, Utrecht, the Netherlands.
| | - Hannah Spencer
- Research Institute of Child Development and Education, University of Amsterdam, PO Box 15780, 1001 NG Amsterdam, the Netherlands
| | - Estrella R Montoya
- Department of Experimental Psychology, Utrecht University, Heidelberglaan 1, 3584 CS, Utrecht, the Netherlands
| | - Eline J Kraaijenvanger
- Department of Child and Adolescent Psychiatry and Psychotherapy, Central Institute of Mental Health, Medical Faculty Mannheim / Heidelberg University, J5, D-68159 Mannheim, Germany
| | - Yujie He
- Brain Center University Medical Center Utrecht, Utrecht, the Netherlands
| | - Susan Branje
- Department of Youth and Family, Utrecht University, Heidelberglaan 1, 3584 CS, Utrecht, the Netherlands
| | - Marco P Boks
- Brain Center University Medical Center Utrecht, Utrecht, the Netherlands
| | - Peter A Bos
- Institute of Education and Child Studies, Leiden University, Leiden, the Netherlands
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27
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Barlati S, Minelli A, Ceraso A, Nibbio G, Carvalho Silva R, Deste G, Turrina C, Vita A. Social Cognition in a Research Domain Criteria Perspective: A Bridge Between Schizophrenia and Autism Spectra Disorders. Front Psychiatry 2020; 11:806. [PMID: 33005149 PMCID: PMC7485015 DOI: 10.3389/fpsyt.2020.00806] [Citation(s) in RCA: 26] [Impact Index Per Article: 6.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Journal Information] [Submit a Manuscript] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 06/01/2020] [Accepted: 07/27/2020] [Indexed: 12/27/2022] Open
Abstract
Schizophrenia and autism spectra disorders are currently conceptualized as distinct clinical categories. However, the relationship between these two nosological entities has been revisited in recent years due to the evidence that they share some important clinical and neurobiological features, putting into question the nature and the extent of their commonalities and differences. In this respect, some core symptoms that are present in both disorders, such as social cognitive deficits, could be a primary target of investigation. This review briefly summarizes the commonalities and overlapping features between schizophrenia and autism spectra disorders in social cognitive functions, considering this construct in a Research Domain Criteria perspective. The clinical manifestation of deficits in social cognition are similar in schizophrenia spectrum disorders and autism spectrum disorders, and brain areas that appear to be altered in relation to these impairments are largely shared; however, the results of various studies suggest that, in some cases, the qualitative nature of these alterations may be different in the two spectra. Moreover, relevant differences could be present at the level of brain networks and connections. More research is required in this field, regarding molecular and genetic aspects of both spectra, to better define the neurobiological mechanisms involved in social cognition deficits, with the objective of developing specific and targeted treatments.
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Affiliation(s)
- Stefano Barlati
- Department of Clinical and Experimental Sciences, University of Brescia, and Department of Mental Health and Addiction Services, ASST Spedali Civili of Brescia, Brescia, Italy
- Genetics Unit, IRCCS Istituto Centro San Giovanni di Dio Fatebenefratelli, Brescia, Italy
| | - Alessandra Minelli
- Genetics Unit, IRCCS Istituto Centro San Giovanni di Dio Fatebenefratelli, Brescia, Italy
- Department of Molecular and Translational Medicine, University of Brescia, Brescia, Italy
| | - Anna Ceraso
- Department of Clinical and Experimental Sciences, University of Brescia, Brescia, Italy
| | - Gabriele Nibbio
- Department of Clinical and Experimental Sciences, University of Brescia, Brescia, Italy
| | - Rosana Carvalho Silva
- Department of Molecular and Translational Medicine, University of Brescia, Brescia, Italy
| | - Giacomo Deste
- Department of Mental Health and Addiction Services, ASST Spedali Civili of Brescia, Brescia, Italy
| | - Cesare Turrina
- Department of Clinical and Experimental Sciences, University of Brescia, Brescia, Italy
- Department of Mental Health and Addiction Services, ASST Spedali Civili of Brescia, Brescia, Italy
| | - Antonio Vita
- Department of Clinical and Experimental Sciences, University of Brescia, Brescia, Italy
- Department of Mental Health and Addiction Services, ASST Spedali Civili of Brescia, Brescia, Italy
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28
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Puglia MH, Krol KM, Missana M, Williams CL, Lillard TS, Morris JP, Connelly JJ, Grossmann T. Epigenetic tuning of brain signal entropy in emergent human social behavior. BMC Med 2020; 18:244. [PMID: 32799881 PMCID: PMC7429788 DOI: 10.1186/s12916-020-01683-x] [Citation(s) in RCA: 7] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.8] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Submit a Manuscript] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 10/01/2019] [Accepted: 06/26/2020] [Indexed: 11/10/2022] Open
Abstract
BACKGROUND How the brain develops accurate models of the external world and generates appropriate behavioral responses is a vital question of widespread multidisciplinary interest. It is increasingly understood that brain signal variability-posited to enhance perception, facilitate flexible cognitive representations, and improve behavioral outcomes-plays an important role in neural and cognitive development. The ability to perceive, interpret, and respond to complex and dynamic social information is particularly critical for the development of adaptive learning and behavior. Social perception relies on oxytocin-regulated neural networks that emerge early in development. METHODS We tested the hypothesis that individual differences in the endogenous oxytocinergic system early in life may influence social behavioral outcomes by regulating variability in brain signaling during social perception. In study 1, 55 infants provided a saliva sample at 5 months of age for analysis of individual differences in the oxytocinergic system and underwent electroencephalography (EEG) while listening to human vocalizations at 8 months of age for the assessment of brain signal variability. Infant behavior was assessed via parental report. In study 2, 60 infants provided a saliva sample and underwent EEG while viewing faces and objects and listening to human speech and water sounds at 4 months of age. Infant behavior was assessed via parental report and eye tracking. RESULTS We show in two independent infant samples that increased brain signal entropy during social perception is in part explained by an epigenetic modification to the oxytocin receptor gene (OXTR) and accounts for significant individual differences in social behavior in the first year of life. These results are measure-, context-, and modality-specific: entropy, not standard deviation, links OXTR methylation and infant behavior; entropy evoked during social perception specifically explains social behavior only; and only entropy evoked during social auditory perception predicts infant vocalization behavior. CONCLUSIONS Demonstrating these associations in infancy is critical for elucidating the neurobiological mechanisms accounting for individual differences in cognition and behavior relevant to neurodevelopmental disorders. Our results suggest that an epigenetic modification to the oxytocin receptor gene and brain signal entropy are useful indicators of social development and may hold potential diagnostic, therapeutic, and prognostic value.
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Affiliation(s)
- Meghan H Puglia
- Department of Psychology, University of Virginia, Charlottesville, VA, 22904, USA.
- Department of Neurology, University of Virginia, P.O. Box 800834, Charlottesville, VA, 22908, USA.
| | - Kathleen M Krol
- Department of Psychology, University of Virginia, Charlottesville, VA, 22904, USA
- Max Planck Institute for Human Cognitive and Brain Sciences, 04103, Leipzig, Germany
| | - Manuela Missana
- Max Planck Institute for Human Cognitive and Brain Sciences, 04103, Leipzig, Germany
- Department of Early Child Development and Culture, Leipzig University, 04109, Leipzig, Germany
| | - Cabell L Williams
- Department of Psychology, University of Virginia, Charlottesville, VA, 22904, USA
| | - Travis S Lillard
- Department of Psychology, University of Virginia, Charlottesville, VA, 22904, USA
| | - James P Morris
- Department of Psychology, University of Virginia, Charlottesville, VA, 22904, USA
| | - Jessica J Connelly
- Department of Psychology, University of Virginia, Charlottesville, VA, 22904, USA
| | - Tobias Grossmann
- Department of Psychology, University of Virginia, Charlottesville, VA, 22904, USA
- Max Planck Institute for Human Cognitive and Brain Sciences, 04103, Leipzig, Germany
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29
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Gonzalez MZ, Wroblewski KL, Allen JP, Coan JA, Connelly JJ. OXTR DNA methylation moderates the developmental calibration of neural reward sensitivity. Dev Psychobiol 2020; 63:114-124. [PMID: 32803764 DOI: 10.1002/dev.22026] [Citation(s) in RCA: 6] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 02/14/2020] [Revised: 07/16/2020] [Accepted: 07/31/2020] [Indexed: 11/07/2022]
Abstract
The Adaptive Calibration Model of Stress Responsivity (ACM) suggests that developmental experiences predictably tune biological systems to meet the demands of the environment. Particularly important is the calibration of reward systems. Using a longitudinal sample (N = 184) followed since adolescence, this study models the dimensions of early life stress and their effects on epigenetic modification of the oxytocin receptor gene (OXTR) and individual differences in neural response to reward anticipation. We first created a latent variable model of developmental context using measures collected when participants were 13 years old. As adults, two subsets of participants completed a reward anticipation fMRI paradigm (N = 82) and agreed to have their blood assayed for (OXTR) DNA methylation (N = 112) at two CpG sites. Three latent constructs of developmental context emerged: Neighborhood Harshness, Family Harshness, and Abuse and Disorder. Greater OXTR DNA methylation at CpG sites -924 and -934 blunted the association between greater Neighborhood Harshness and increased neural activation in caudate in anticipation of rewards. Interaction effects were also found outside of reward-related areas for all three latent constructs. Results indicate an epigenetically derived differential susceptibility model whereby high methylation coincides with decreased association between developmental environment and neural reward anticipation.
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Affiliation(s)
| | | | | | - James A Coan
- University of Virginia, Charlottesville, VA, USA
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30
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Pathways linking adverse environments to emerging adults' substance abuse and depressive symptoms: A prospective analysis of rural African American men. Dev Psychopathol 2020; 33:1496-1506. [PMID: 32693849 DOI: 10.1017/s0954579420000632] [Citation(s) in RCA: 4] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/07/2022]
Abstract
For African American emerging adult men, developmental challenges are evident in their escalating substance abuse and depressive symptoms; this is particularly true for men from low-resource communities. The present study tests a developmental model linking childhood adversity and contemporaneous contextual stressors to increases in emerging adults' substance use and depressive symptoms, indirectly, via increases in defensive/hostile relational schemas and social developmental risk factors (e.g., risky peers and romantic partners, lack of involvement in school or work). We also advance exploratory hypotheses regarding DNA methylation in the oxytocin receptor gene (OXTR) as a moderator of the effects of stress on relational schemas. Hypotheses were tested with three waves of data from 505 rural African American men aged 19-25 years. Adverse childhood experiences predicted exposure to emerging adult contextual stressors. Contextual stressors forecast increases in defensive/hostile relational schemas, which increased social developmental risk factors. Social developmental risk factors proximally predicted increases in substance abuse and depressive symptoms. OXTR DNA methylation moderated the effects of contextual stressors on defensive/hostile relational schemas. Findings suggest that early exposures to stress carry forward to affect the development of social developmental risk factors in emerging adulthood, which place rural African American men at risk for increased substance abuse and depressive symptoms during the emerging adult years.
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31
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Park CI, Kim HW, Jeon S, Kang JI, Kim SJ. Reduced DNA methylation of the oxytocin receptor gene is associated with obsessive-compulsive disorder. Clin Epigenetics 2020; 12:101. [PMID: 32631409 PMCID: PMC7336407 DOI: 10.1186/s13148-020-00890-w] [Citation(s) in RCA: 12] [Impact Index Per Article: 3.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 03/24/2020] [Accepted: 06/23/2020] [Indexed: 11/10/2022] Open
Abstract
Background Oxytocin is an important neuromodulator involved in cognition and socio-emotional processing that exerts its central activities via oxytocin receptors. Epigenetic alterations in the oxytocin receptor gene (OXTR) may be a molecular mechanism in the pathogenesis of obsessive-compulsive disorder (OCD). This study investigated the association between OXTR DNA methylation and the OCD status of a Korean population. Results Quantitative leukocyte DNA methylation levels of three cytosine-phosphate-guanine (CpG) sites in the 5′ untranslated region (UTR) of OXTR exon 2 and eight CpG sites within OXTR exon 3 were analyzed using the pyrosequencing method in 151 patients with OCD (including 45 drug-naïve patients) and 108 healthy controls. DNA methylation levels were compared between the groups using multiple analyses of covariance separately by sex after controlling for age and educational level. Patients with OCD showed significantly lower methylation levels at CpG1 and CpG2 sites on the UTR of OXTR exon 2 than those of healthy controls for both sexes. In a subset of 45 drug-naïve patients with OCD, the DNA methylation levels also remained significantly lower than those in the controls and their CpG1 methylation levels were significantly negatively associated with the ordering symptom dimension. Conclusions Our findings suggest that epigenetic OXTR alterations may affect the pathophysiology of OCD. The potential role of the oxytocin system in OCD development and treatment warrants further investigation.
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Affiliation(s)
- Chun Il Park
- Department of Psychiatry, CHA Bundang Medical Center, CHA University, Seongnam, Republic of Korea.,Institute of Behavioral Science in Medicine, Yonsei University College of Medicine, Seoul, Republic of Korea
| | - Hae Won Kim
- Institute of Behavioral Science in Medicine, Yonsei University College of Medicine, Seoul, Republic of Korea.,Department of Medical Education, Yonsei University College of Medicine, Seoul, Republic of Korea
| | - Sumoa Jeon
- Institute of Behavioral Science in Medicine, Yonsei University College of Medicine, Seoul, Republic of Korea
| | - Jee In Kang
- Department of Psychiatry, Yonsei University College of Medicine, Yonsei-ro 50-1, Seodaemun-gu, Seoul, 03722, Republic of Korea. .,Institute of Behavioral Science in Medicine, Yonsei University College of Medicine, Seoul, Republic of Korea.
| | - Se Joo Kim
- Department of Psychiatry, Yonsei University College of Medicine, Yonsei-ro 50-1, Seodaemun-gu, Seoul, 03722, Republic of Korea. .,Institute of Behavioral Science in Medicine, Yonsei University College of Medicine, Seoul, Republic of Korea.
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32
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Epigenetic modification of the oxytocin receptor gene: implications for autism symptom severity and brain functional connectivity. Neuropsychopharmacology 2020; 45:1150-1158. [PMID: 31931508 PMCID: PMC7235273 DOI: 10.1038/s41386-020-0610-6] [Citation(s) in RCA: 45] [Impact Index Per Article: 11.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Submit a Manuscript] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 09/05/2019] [Revised: 01/02/2020] [Accepted: 01/06/2020] [Indexed: 11/08/2022]
Abstract
The role of oxytocin in social cognition has attracted tremendous interest in social neuroscience and psychiatry. Some studies have reported improvement in social symptoms following oxytocin treatment in autism spectrum disorders (ASD), while others point to endogenous factors influencing its efficiency and to mixed results in terms of long-term clinical benefits. Epigenetic modification to the oxytocin receptor gene (OXTR) in ASD could be an informative biomarker of treatment efficacy. Yet, little is known about the relationship between OXTR methylation, clinical severity, and brain function in ASD. Here, we investigated the relationship between OXTR methylation, ASD diagnosis (in N = 35 ASD and N = 64 neurotypical group), measures of social responsiveness, and resting-state functional connectivity (rsFC) between areas involved in social cognition and reward processing (in a subset of ASD, N = 30). Adults with ASD showed higher OXTR methylation levels in the intron 1 area compared with neurotypical subjects. This hypermethylation was related to clinical symptoms and to a hypoconnectivity between cortico-cortical areas involved in theory of mind. Methylation at a CpG site in the exon 1 area was positively related to social responsiveness deficits in ASD and to a hyperconnectivity between striatal and cortical brain areas. Taken together, these findings provide initial evidence for OXTR hypermethylation in the intron area as a potential biomarker for adults with ASD with less severe developmental communication deficits, but with impairments in theory of mind and self-awareness. Also, OXTR methylation in the exon 1 area could be a potential biomarker of sociability sensitive to life experiences.
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33
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Pati D, Harden SW, Sheng W, Kelly KB, de Kloet AD, Krause EG, Frazier CJ. Endogenous oxytocin inhibits hypothalamic corticotrophin-releasing hormone neurones following acute hypernatraemia. J Neuroendocrinol 2020; 32:e12839. [PMID: 32133707 PMCID: PMC7384450 DOI: 10.1111/jne.12839] [Citation(s) in RCA: 14] [Impact Index Per Article: 3.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Submit a Manuscript] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 09/12/2019] [Revised: 01/24/2020] [Accepted: 02/06/2020] [Indexed: 12/12/2022]
Abstract
Significant prior evidence indicates that centrally acting oxytocin robustly modulates stress responsiveness and anxiety-like behaviour, although the neural mechanisms behind these effects are not entirely understood. A plausible neural basis for oxytocin-mediated stress reduction is via inhibition of corticotrophin-releasing hormone (CRH) neurones in the paraventricular nucleus of the hypothalamus (PVN) that regulate activation of the hypothalamic-pituitary-adrenal axis. Previously, we have shown that, following s.c. injection of 2.0 mol L-1 NaCl, oxytocin synthesising neurones are activated in the rat PVN, an oxytocin receptor (Oxtr)-dependent inhibitory tone develops on a subset of parvocellular neurones and stress-mediated increases in plasma corticosterone levels are blunted. In the present study, we utilised transgenic male CRH-reporter mice to selectively target PVN CRH neurones for whole-cell recordings. These experiments reveal that acute salt loading produces tonic inhibition of PVN CRH neurones through a mechanism that is largely independent of synaptic activity. Further studies reveal that a subset of CRH neurones within the PVN synthesise mRNA for Oxtr(s). Salt induced Oxtr-dependent inhibitory tone was eliminated in individual PVN CRH neurones filled with GDP-β-S. Additional electrophysiological studies suggest that reduced excitability of PVN CRH neurones in salt-loaded animals is associated with increased activation of inwardly rectifying potassium channels. Nevertheless, substantial effort to recapitulate the core effects of salt loading by activating Oxtr(s) with an exogenous agonist produced mixed results. Collectively, these results enhance our understanding of how oxytocin receptor-mediated signalling modulates the function of CRH neurones in the PVN.
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Affiliation(s)
- Dipanwita Pati
- Department of Pharmacodynamics, College of Pharmacy,
University of Florida
| | - Scott W. Harden
- Department of Pharmacodynamics, College of Pharmacy,
University of Florida
| | | | - Kyle B. Kelly
- Department of Pharmacodynamics, College of Pharmacy,
University of Florida
| | - Annette D. de Kloet
- Department of Physiology and Functional Genomics, College
of Medicine, University of Florida
| | - Eric G. Krause
- Department of Pharmacodynamics, College of Pharmacy,
University of Florida
| | - Charles J. Frazier
- Department of Pharmacodynamics, College of Pharmacy,
University of Florida
- Department of Neuroscience, College of Medicine, University
of Florida
- Corresponding author: Charles J.
Frazier, Ph.D., Associate Professor and University of Florida Term Professor,
Department of Pharmacodynamics, College of Pharmacy, University of Florida,
JHMHC Box 100487, Room P1-20, 1345 Center Drive, Gainesville, FL 32610, USA,
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Personalized Clinical Approaches to Anxiety Disorders. ADVANCES IN EXPERIMENTAL MEDICINE AND BIOLOGY 2020; 1191:489-521. [DOI: 10.1007/978-981-32-9705-0_25] [Citation(s) in RCA: 2] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 12/15/2022]
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Oxytocin receptor gene methylation in male and female PTSD patients and trauma-exposed controls. Eur Neuropsychopharmacol 2019; 29:147-155. [PMID: 30415783 DOI: 10.1016/j.euroneuro.2018.10.006] [Citation(s) in RCA: 15] [Impact Index Per Article: 3.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Submit a Manuscript] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 11/10/2017] [Revised: 09/30/2018] [Accepted: 10/23/2018] [Indexed: 12/18/2022]
Abstract
Oxytocin receptor gene (OXTR) DNA-methylation levels have been associated with trauma-exposure, mood- and anxiety disorders, and social processes relevant to posttraumatic stress disorder (PTSD). We hypothesized that OXTR methylation may play a role in the neurobiological underpinnings of PTSD. In the current study, we compared OXTR methylation between PTSD patients (n = 31, 14 females) and trauma-exposed controls (n = 36, 19 females). Additionally, the association between OXTR methylation and PTSD symptom severity and amygdala reactivity to an emotional faces task was assessed, as a neural hallmark of PTSD. DNA-methylation was investigated in the CpG island located at exon 3 of the OXTR, previously associated with OXTR expression. We observed a significant interaction between PTSD-status, sex and CpG-position on methylation levels. Post-hoc testing revealed that methylation levels at two specific CpG-sites were significantly higher in PTSD females compared to female trauma-exposed controls and PTSD males (CpGs Chr3:8809437, Chr3:8809413). No significant differences in methylation were observed between male PTSD patients and controls. Furthermore, within PTSD females, methylation in these CpG-sites was positively associated with anhedonia symptoms and with left amygdala responses to negative emotional faces, although this was no longer significant after stringent correction for multiple-comparisons. Though the modest size of the current sample is an important limitation, we are the first to report on OXTR methylation in PTSD, replicating previously observed (sex-specific) associations of OXTR methylation with other psychiatric disorders.
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Kraaijenvanger EJ, He Y, Spencer H, Smith AK, Bos PA, Boks MP. Epigenetic variability in the human oxytocin receptor (OXTR) gene: A possible pathway from early life experiences to psychopathologies. Neurosci Biobehav Rev 2019; 96:127-142. [DOI: 10.1016/j.neubiorev.2018.11.016] [Citation(s) in RCA: 20] [Impact Index Per Article: 4.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 11/13/2017] [Revised: 11/23/2018] [Accepted: 11/24/2018] [Indexed: 02/09/2023]
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Towers AJ, Tremblay MW, Chung L, Li XL, Bey AL, Zhang W, Cao X, Wang X, Wang P, Duffney LJ, Siecinski SK, Xu S, Kim Y, Kong X, Gregory S, Xie W, Jiang YH. Epigenetic dysregulation of Oxtr in Tet1-deficient mice has implications for neuropsychiatric disorders. JCI Insight 2018; 3:120592. [PMID: 30518695 DOI: 10.1172/jci.insight.120592] [Citation(s) in RCA: 15] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 02/21/2018] [Accepted: 10/31/2018] [Indexed: 01/24/2023] Open
Abstract
OXTR modulates a variety of behaviors in mammals, including social memory and recognition. Genetic and epigenetic dysregulation of OXTR has been suggested to be implicated in neuropsychiatric disorders, including autism spectrum disorder (ASD). While the involvement of DNA methylation is suggested, the mechanism underlying epigenetic regulation of OXTR is largely unknown. This has hampered the experimental design and interpretation of the results of epigenetic studies of OXTR in neuropsychiatric disorders. From the generation and characterization of a new line of Tet1 mutant mice - by deleting the largest coding exon 4 (Tet1Δe4) - we discovered for the first time to our knowledge that Oxtr has an array of mRNA isoforms and a complex transcriptional regulation. Select isoforms of Oxtr are significantly reduced in the brain of Tet1Δe4-/- mice. Accordingly, CpG islands of Oxtr are hypermethylated during early development and persist into adulthood. Consistent with the reduced express of OXTR, Tet1Δe4-/- mice display impaired maternal care, social behavior, and synaptic responses to oxytocin stimulation. Our findings elucidate a mechanism mediated by TET1 protein in regulating Oxtr expression by preventing DNA hypermethylation of Oxtr. The discovery of epigenetic dysregulation of Oxtr in TET1-deficient mouse brain supports the necessity of a reassessment of existing findings and a value of future studies of OXTR in neuropsychiatric disorders.
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Affiliation(s)
| | | | - Leeyup Chung
- Department of Pediatrics, Duke University, Durham, North Carolina, USA
| | - Xin-Lei Li
- Department of Pediatrics, Duke University, Durham, North Carolina, USA.,Laboratory of Molecular Genetics, Shanghai Jiao Tong University School of Medicine, Shanghai, China
| | - Alexandra L Bey
- Department of Neurobiology, Duke University, Durham, North Carolina, USA
| | - Wenhao Zhang
- School of Life Sciences, Tsinghua University, Beijing, China
| | - Xinyu Cao
- Department of Pediatrics, Duke University, Durham, North Carolina, USA
| | - Xiaoming Wang
- Department of Pediatrics, Duke University, Durham, North Carolina, USA
| | - Ping Wang
- Department of Pediatrics, Duke University, Durham, North Carolina, USA
| | - Lara J Duffney
- Department of Pediatrics, Duke University, Durham, North Carolina, USA.,Department of Neurobiology, Duke University, Durham, North Carolina, USA
| | | | - Sonia Xu
- Department of Pediatrics, Duke University, Durham, North Carolina, USA
| | - Yuna Kim
- Department of Pediatrics, Duke University, Durham, North Carolina, USA
| | - Xiangyin Kong
- Laboratory of Molecular Genetics, Shanghai Jiao Tong University School of Medicine, Shanghai, China
| | - Simon Gregory
- University Program in Genetics and Genomics and.,Department of Neurology and Duke Molecular Physiology Institute
| | - Wei Xie
- School of Life Sciences, Tsinghua University, Beijing, China
| | - Yong-Hui Jiang
- University Program in Genetics and Genomics and.,Department of Pediatrics, Duke University, Durham, North Carolina, USA.,Department of Neurobiology, Duke University, Durham, North Carolina, USA.,Duke Institute for Brain Sciences, and.,Program in Cellular and Molecular Biology, Duke University, Durham, North Carolina, USA
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