1
|
Darwish M, El Hajj R, Khayat L, Alaaeddine N. Stem Cell Secretions as a Potential Therapeutic Agent for Autism Spectrum Disorder: A Narrative Review. Stem Cell Rev Rep 2024; 20:1252-1272. [PMID: 38630359 DOI: 10.1007/s12015-024-10724-4] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Accepted: 04/09/2024] [Indexed: 07/04/2024]
Abstract
Autism spectrum disorder (ASD) is a neurodevelopmental illness characterized by impaired social interaction and restricted repetitive behaviors or interests. The rising prevalence of ASD diagnosis has triggered a surge in research into investigating the underlying neuropathological processes and finding new therapeutic approaches. ASD is characterized by neuroinflammation and dysregulation of neuro-immune cross-talk, which suggests that stem cell treatment might be a potential therapeutic approach. The beneficial and restorative effects of stem cells are mainly due to their paracrine activity, in which stem cells generate and release extracellular vesicles such as exosomes and distinct secreted non-vesicle soluble proteins, including, growth factors, chemokines, cytokines, and immunomodulatory molecules referred to as the Secretome. In this paper, we reviewed the existing research exploring the therapeutic potential of stem cell secretome focusing on their role in addressing ASD pathology. Furthermore, we proposed a comprehensive mechanism of action for stem cell secretions, encompassing the broader secretome as well as the specific contribution of exosomes, in alleviating ASD neuropathology. Across the reviewed studies, exosomes and secreted soluble factors of the transplanted stem cell demonstrate a potential efficacy in ameliorating autistic-like behaviors. The proposed mechanism of action involves the modulation of signaling pathways implicated in neuroinflammation, angiogenesis, cellular apoptosis, and immunomodulation.
Collapse
Affiliation(s)
- Mariam Darwish
- Faculty of Medical Sciences, Neuroscience Research Center, Lebanese University, Beirut, Lebanon
| | | | | | - Nada Alaaeddine
- Dean of Health Sciences, Modern University for Business & Science, Beirut, Lebanon.
| |
Collapse
|
2
|
Bouteldja AA, Penichet D, Srivastava LK, Cermakian N. The circadian system: A neglected player in neurodevelopmental disorders. Eur J Neurosci 2024; 60:3858-3890. [PMID: 38816965 DOI: 10.1111/ejn.16423] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 02/14/2024] [Revised: 04/18/2024] [Accepted: 05/07/2024] [Indexed: 06/01/2024]
Abstract
Patients with neurodevelopmental disorders, such as autism spectrum disorder, often display abnormal circadian rhythms. The role of the circadian system in these disorders has gained considerable attention over the last decades. Yet, it remains largely unknown how these disruptions occur and to what extent they contribute to the disorders' development. In this review, we examine circadian system dysregulation as observed in patients and animal models of neurodevelopmental disorders. Second, we explore whether circadian rhythm disruptions constitute a risk factor for neurodevelopmental disorders from studies in humans and model organisms. Lastly, we focus on the impact of psychiatric medications on circadian rhythms and the potential benefits of chronotherapy. The literature reveals that patients with neurodevelopmental disorders display altered sleep-wake cycles and melatonin rhythms/levels in a heterogeneous manner, and model organisms used to study these disorders appear to support that circadian dysfunction may be an inherent characteristic of neurodevelopmental disorders. Furthermore, the pre-clinical and clinical evidence indicates that circadian disruption at the environmental and genetic levels may contribute to the behavioural changes observed in these disorders. Finally, studies suggest that psychiatric medications, particularly those prescribed for attention-deficit/hyperactivity disorder and schizophrenia, can have direct effects on the circadian system and that chronotherapy may be leveraged to offset some of these side effects. This review highlights that circadian system dysfunction is likely a core pathological feature of neurodevelopmental disorders and that further research is required to elucidate this relationship.
Collapse
Affiliation(s)
- Ahmed A Bouteldja
- Douglas Mental Health University Institute, Montréal, Québec, Canada
- Integrated Program in Neuroscience, McGill University, Montréal, Québec, Canada
| | - Danae Penichet
- Douglas Mental Health University Institute, Montréal, Québec, Canada
- Integrated Program in Neuroscience, McGill University, Montréal, Québec, Canada
| | - Lalit K Srivastava
- Douglas Mental Health University Institute, Montréal, Québec, Canada
- Department of Psychiatry, McGill University, Montréal, Québec, Canada
| | - Nicolas Cermakian
- Douglas Mental Health University Institute, Montréal, Québec, Canada
- Department of Psychiatry, McGill University, Montréal, Québec, Canada
| |
Collapse
|
3
|
Prem S, Dev B, Peng C, Mehta M, Alibutud R, Connacher RJ, St Thomas M, Zhou X, Matteson P, Xing J, Millonig JH, DiCicco-Bloom E. Dysregulation of mTOR signaling mediates common neurite and migration defects in both idiopathic and 16p11.2 deletion autism neural precursor cells. eLife 2024; 13:e82809. [PMID: 38525876 PMCID: PMC11003747 DOI: 10.7554/elife.82809] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 08/18/2022] [Accepted: 03/04/2024] [Indexed: 03/26/2024] Open
Abstract
Autism spectrum disorder (ASD) is defined by common behavioral characteristics, raising the possibility of shared pathogenic mechanisms. Yet, vast clinical and etiological heterogeneity suggests personalized phenotypes. Surprisingly, our iPSC studies find that six individuals from two distinct ASD subtypes, idiopathic and 16p11.2 deletion, have common reductions in neural precursor cell (NPC) neurite outgrowth and migration even though whole genome sequencing demonstrates no genetic overlap between the datasets. To identify signaling differences that may contribute to these developmental defects, an unbiased phospho-(p)-proteome screen was performed. Surprisingly despite the genetic heterogeneity, hundreds of shared p-peptides were identified between autism subtypes including the mTOR pathway. mTOR signaling alterations were confirmed in all NPCs across both ASD subtypes, and mTOR modulation rescued ASD phenotypes and reproduced autism NPC-associated phenotypes in control NPCs. Thus, our studies demonstrate that genetically distinct ASD subtypes have common defects in neurite outgrowth and migration which are driven by the shared pathogenic mechanism of mTOR signaling dysregulation.
Collapse
Affiliation(s)
- Smrithi Prem
- Department of Neuroscience and Cell Biology, Rutgers Robert Wood Johnson Medical SchoolPiscatawayUnited States
- Graduate Program in Neuroscience, Rutgers UniversityPiscatawayUnited States
| | - Bharati Dev
- Department of Neuroscience and Cell Biology, Rutgers Robert Wood Johnson Medical SchoolPiscatawayUnited States
| | - Cynthia Peng
- Department of Neuroscience and Cell Biology, Rutgers Robert Wood Johnson Medical SchoolPiscatawayUnited States
| | - Monal Mehta
- Graduate Program in Neuroscience, Rutgers UniversityPiscatawayUnited States
- Center for Advanced Biotechnology and Medicine, Rutgers UniversityPiscatawayUnited States
| | - Rohan Alibutud
- Department of Genetics, Rutgers UniversityPiscatawayUnited States
| | - Robert J Connacher
- Department of Neuroscience and Cell Biology, Rutgers Robert Wood Johnson Medical SchoolPiscatawayUnited States
- Graduate Program in Neuroscience, Rutgers UniversityPiscatawayUnited States
| | - Madeline St Thomas
- Department of Neuroscience and Cell Biology, Rutgers Robert Wood Johnson Medical SchoolPiscatawayUnited States
- Graduate Program in Neuroscience, Rutgers UniversityPiscatawayUnited States
| | - Xiaofeng Zhou
- Department of Neuroscience and Cell Biology, Rutgers Robert Wood Johnson Medical SchoolPiscatawayUnited States
| | - Paul Matteson
- Department of Neuroscience and Cell Biology, Rutgers Robert Wood Johnson Medical SchoolPiscatawayUnited States
- Center for Advanced Biotechnology and Medicine, Rutgers UniversityPiscatawayUnited States
| | - Jinchuan Xing
- Department of Genetics, Rutgers UniversityPiscatawayUnited States
| | - James H Millonig
- Department of Neuroscience and Cell Biology, Rutgers Robert Wood Johnson Medical SchoolPiscatawayUnited States
- Center for Advanced Biotechnology and Medicine, Rutgers UniversityPiscatawayUnited States
| | - Emanuel DiCicco-Bloom
- Department of Neuroscience and Cell Biology, Rutgers Robert Wood Johnson Medical SchoolPiscatawayUnited States
- Department of Pediatrics, Rutgers Robert Wood Johnson Medical SchoolNew BrunswickUnited States
| |
Collapse
|
4
|
Campbell BFN, Cruz-Ochoa N, Otomo K, Lukacsovich D, Espinosa P, Abegg A, Luo W, Bellone C, Földy C, Tyagarajan SK. Gephyrin phosphorylation facilitates sexually dimorphic development and function of parvalbumin interneurons in the mouse hippocampus. Mol Psychiatry 2024:10.1038/s41380-024-02517-5. [PMID: 38503929 DOI: 10.1038/s41380-024-02517-5] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Submit a Manuscript] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 07/13/2023] [Revised: 02/25/2024] [Accepted: 03/04/2024] [Indexed: 03/21/2024]
Abstract
The precise function of specialized GABAergic interneuron subtypes is required to provide appropriate synaptic inhibition for regulating principal neuron excitability and synchronization within brain circuits. Of these, parvalbumin-type (PV neuron) dysfunction is a feature of several sex-biased psychiatric and brain disorders, although, the underlying developmental mechanisms are unclear. While the transcriptional action of sex hormones generates sexual dimorphism during brain development, whether kinase signaling contributes to sex differences in PV neuron function remains unexplored. In the hippocampus, we report that gephyrin, the main inhibitory post-synaptic scaffolding protein, is phosphorylated at serine S268 and S270 in a developmentally-dependent manner in both males and females. When examining GphnS268A/S270A mice in which site-specific phosphorylation is constitutively blocked, we found that sex differences in PV neuron density in the hippocampal CA1 present in WT mice were abolished, coincident with a female-specific increase in PV neuron-derived terminals and increased inhibitory input onto principal cells. Electrophysiological analysis of CA1 PV neurons indicated that gephyrin phosphorylation is required for sexually dimorphic function. Moreover, while male and female WT mice showed no difference in hippocampus-dependent memory tasks, GphnS268A/S270A mice exhibited sex- and task-specific deficits, indicating that gephyrin phosphorylation is differentially required by males and females for convergent cognitive function. In fate mapping experiments, we uncovered that gephyrin phosphorylation at S268 and S270 establishes sex differences in putative PV neuron density during early postnatal development. Furthermore, patch-sequencing of putative PV neurons at postnatal day 4 revealed that gephyrin phosphorylation contributes to sex differences in the transcriptomic profile of developing interneurons. Therefore, these early shifts in male-female interneuron development may drive adult sex differences in PV neuron function and connectivity. Our results identify gephyrin phosphorylation as a new substrate organizing PV neuron development at the anatomical, functional, and transcriptional levels in a sex-dependent manner, thus implicating kinase signaling disruption as a new mechanism contributing to the sex-dependent etiology of brain disorders.
Collapse
Affiliation(s)
- Benjamin F N Campbell
- Institute of Pharmacology and Toxicology, University of Zürich, 8057, Zürich, Switzerland
| | - Natalia Cruz-Ochoa
- Laboratory of Neural Connectivity, Brain Research Institute, Faculties of Medicine and Science, University of Zürich, 8057, Zürich, Switzerland
- Adaptive Brain Circuits in Development and Learning (AdaBD), University Research Priority Program (URPP), University of Zürich, 8057, Zürich, Switzerland
| | - Kanako Otomo
- Institute of Pharmacology and Toxicology, University of Zürich, 8057, Zürich, Switzerland
| | - David Lukacsovich
- Laboratory of Neural Connectivity, Brain Research Institute, Faculties of Medicine and Science, University of Zürich, 8057, Zürich, Switzerland
| | - Pedro Espinosa
- Department of Basic Neuroscience, University of Geneva, 1211, Geneva, Switzerland
| | - Andrin Abegg
- Institute of Pharmacology and Toxicology, University of Zürich, 8057, Zürich, Switzerland
| | - Wenshu Luo
- Laboratory of Neural Connectivity, Brain Research Institute, Faculties of Medicine and Science, University of Zürich, 8057, Zürich, Switzerland
| | - Camilla Bellone
- Department of Basic Neuroscience, University of Geneva, 1211, Geneva, Switzerland
| | - Csaba Földy
- Laboratory of Neural Connectivity, Brain Research Institute, Faculties of Medicine and Science, University of Zürich, 8057, Zürich, Switzerland
- Adaptive Brain Circuits in Development and Learning (AdaBD), University Research Priority Program (URPP), University of Zürich, 8057, Zürich, Switzerland
| | - Shiva K Tyagarajan
- Institute of Pharmacology and Toxicology, University of Zürich, 8057, Zürich, Switzerland.
| |
Collapse
|
5
|
Nguyen JH, Curtis MA, Imami AS, Ryan WG, Alganem K, Neifer KL, Saferin N, Nawor CN, Kistler BP, Miller GW, Shukla R, McCullumsmith RE, Burkett JP. Developmental pyrethroid exposure disrupts molecular pathways for MAP kinase and circadian rhythms in mouse brain. BIORXIV : THE PREPRINT SERVER FOR BIOLOGY 2024:2023.08.28.555113. [PMID: 37745438 PMCID: PMC10515776 DOI: 10.1101/2023.08.28.555113] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 09/26/2023]
Abstract
Neurodevelopmental disorders (NDDs) are a category of pervasive disorders of the developing nervous system with few or no recognized biomarkers. A significant portion of the risk for NDDs, including attention deficit hyperactivity disorder (ADHD), is contributed by the environment, and exposure to pyrethroid pesticides during pregnancy has been identified as a potential risk factor for NDD in the unborn child. We recently showed that low-dose developmental exposure to the pyrethroid pesticide deltamethrin in mice causes male-biased changes to ADHD- and NDD-relevant behaviors as well as the striatal dopamine system. Here, we used an integrated multiomics approach to determine the broadest possible set of biological changes in the mouse brain caused by developmental pyrethroid exposure (DPE). Using a litter-based, split-sample design, we exposed mouse dams during pregnancy and lactation to deltamethrin (3 mg/kg or vehicle every 3 days) at a concentration well below the EPA-determined benchmark dose used for regulatory guidance. We raised male offspring to adulthood, euthanized them, and pulverized and divided whole brain samples for split-sample transcriptomics, kinomics and multiomics integration. Transcriptome analysis revealed alterations to multiple canonical clock genes, and kinome analysis revealed changes in the activity of multiple kinases involved in synaptic plasticity, including the mitogen-activated protein (MAP) kinase ERK. Multiomics integration revealed a dysregulated protein-protein interaction network containing primary clusters for MAP kinase cascades, regulation of apoptosis, and synaptic function. These results demonstrate that DPE causes a multi-modal biophenotype in the brain relevant to ADHD and identifies new potential mechanisms of action. NEW & NOTEWORTHY Here, we provide the first evidence that low-dose developmental exposure to the pyrethroid pesticide, deltamethrin, results in molecular disruptions in the adult mouse brain in pathways regulating circadian rhythms and neuronal growth (MAP kinase). This same exposure causes a neurodevelopmental disorder (NDD) relevant behavioral changes in adult mice, making these findings relevant to the prevention of NDDs.
Collapse
|
6
|
Cantando I, Centofanti C, D’Alessandro G, Limatola C, Bezzi P. Metabolic dynamics in astrocytes and microglia during post-natal development and their implications for autism spectrum disorders. Front Cell Neurosci 2024; 18:1354259. [PMID: 38419654 PMCID: PMC10899402 DOI: 10.3389/fncel.2024.1354259] [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: 12/12/2023] [Accepted: 02/02/2024] [Indexed: 03/02/2024] Open
Abstract
Autism Spectrum Disorder (ASD) is a complex neurodevelopmental condition characterized by elusive underlying mechanisms. Recent attention has focused on the involvement of astrocytes and microglia in ASD pathology. These glial cells play pivotal roles in maintaining neuronal homeostasis, including the regulation of metabolism. Emerging evidence suggests a potential association between ASD and inborn errors of metabolism. Therefore, gaining a comprehensive understanding of the functions of microglia and astrocytes in ASD is crucial for the development of effective therapeutic interventions. This review aims to provide a summary of the metabolism of astrocytes and microglia during post-natal development and the evidence of disrupted metabolic pathways in ASD, with particular emphasis on those potentially important for the regulation of neuronal post-natal maturation by astrocytes and microglia.
Collapse
Affiliation(s)
- Iva Cantando
- Department of Fundamental Neurosciences (DNF), University of Lausanne, Lausanne, Switzerland
| | - Cristiana Centofanti
- Department of Fundamental Neurosciences (DNF), University of Lausanne, Lausanne, Switzerland
| | - Giuseppina D’Alessandro
- Department of Physiology and Pharmacology, University of Rome Sapienza, Rome, Italy
- Istituti di Ricovero e Cura a Carattere Scientifico (IRCCS) Neuromed Via Atinese 18, Pozzilli, Italy
| | - Cristina Limatola
- Department of Physiology and Pharmacology, University of Rome Sapienza, Rome, Italy
- Istituti di Ricovero e Cura a Carattere Scientifico (IRCCS) Neuromed Via Atinese 18, Pozzilli, Italy
| | - Paola Bezzi
- Department of Fundamental Neurosciences (DNF), University of Lausanne, Lausanne, Switzerland
- Department of Physiology and Pharmacology, University of Rome Sapienza, Rome, Italy
| |
Collapse
|
7
|
Reyes-Lizaola S, Luna-Zarate U, Tendilla-Beltrán H, Morales-Medina JC, Flores G. Structural and biochemical alterations in dendritic spines as key mechanisms for severe mental illnesses. Prog Neuropsychopharmacol Biol Psychiatry 2024; 129:110876. [PMID: 37863171 DOI: 10.1016/j.pnpbp.2023.110876] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Submit a Manuscript] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 08/01/2023] [Revised: 10/11/2023] [Accepted: 10/12/2023] [Indexed: 10/22/2023]
Abstract
Severe mental illnesses (SMI) collectively affect approximately 20% of the global population, as estimated by the World Health Organization (WHO). Despite having diverse etiologies, clinical symptoms, and pharmacotherapies, these diseases share a common pathophysiological characteristic: the misconnection of brain areas involved in reality perception, executive control, and cognition, including the corticolimbic system. Dendritic spines play a crucial role in excitatory neurotransmission within the central nervous system. These small structures exhibit remarkable plasticity, regulated by factors such as neurotransmitter tone, neurotrophic factors, and innate immunity-related molecules, and other mechanisms - all of which are associated with the pathophysiology of SMI. However, studying dendritic spine mechanisms in both healthy and pathological conditions in patients is fraught with technical limitations. This is where animal models related to these diseases become indispensable. They have played a pivotal role in elucidating the significance of dendritic spines in SMI. In this review, the information regarding the potential role of dendritic spines in SMI was summarized, drawing from clinical and animal model reports. Also, the implications of targeting dendritic spine-related molecules for SMI treatment were explored. Specifically, our focus is on major depressive disorder and the neurodevelopmental disorders schizophrenia and autism spectrum disorder. Abundant clinical and basic research has studied the functional and structural plasticity of dendritic spines in these diseases, along with potential pharmacological targets that modulate the dynamics of these structures. These targets may be associated with the clinical efficacy of the pharmacotherapy.
Collapse
Affiliation(s)
- Sebastian Reyes-Lizaola
- Departamento de Ciencias de la Salud, Licenciatura en Medicina, Universidad Popular del Estado de Puebla (UPAEP), Puebla, Mexico
| | - Ulises Luna-Zarate
- Departamento de Ciencias de la Salud, Licenciatura en Medicina, Universidad de las Américas Puebla (UDLAP), Puebla, Mexico
| | - Hiram Tendilla-Beltrán
- Laboratorio de Neuropsiquiatría, Instituto de Fisiología, Benemérita Universidad Autónoma de Puebla (BUAP), Puebla, Mexico
| | - Julio César Morales-Medina
- Centro de Investigación en Reproducción Animal, CINVESTAV-Universidad Autónoma de Tlaxcala, Tlaxcala, Mexico
| | - Gonzalo Flores
- Laboratorio de Neuropsiquiatría, Instituto de Fisiología, Benemérita Universidad Autónoma de Puebla (BUAP), Puebla, Mexico.
| |
Collapse
|
8
|
Subramanian M, Mills WT, Paranjpe MD, Onuchukwu US, Inamdar M, Maytin AR, Li X, Pomerantz JL, Meffert MK. Growth-suppressor microRNAs mediate synaptic overgrowth and behavioral deficits in Fragile X mental retardation protein deficiency. iScience 2024; 27:108676. [PMID: 38235335 PMCID: PMC10792201 DOI: 10.1016/j.isci.2023.108676] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 06/30/2023] [Revised: 10/20/2023] [Accepted: 12/05/2023] [Indexed: 01/19/2024] Open
Abstract
Abnormal neuronal and synapse growth is a core pathology resulting from deficiency of the Fragile X mental retardation protein (FMRP), but molecular links underlying the excessive synthesis of key synaptic proteins remain incompletely defined. We find that basal brain levels of the growth suppressor let-7 microRNA (miRNA) family are selectively lowered in FMRP-deficient mice and activity-dependent let-7 downregulation is abrogated. Primary let-7 miRNA transcripts are not altered in FMRP-deficiency and posttranscriptional misregulation occurs downstream of MAPK pathway induction and elevation of Lin28a, a let-7 biogenesis inhibitor. Neonatal restoration of brain let-7 miRNAs corrects hallmarks of FMRP-deficiency, including dendritic spine overgrowth and social and cognitive behavioral deficits, in adult mice. Blockade of MAPK hyperactivation normalizes let-7 miRNA levels in both brain and peripheral blood plasma from Fmr1 KO mice. These results implicate dysregulated let-7 miRNA biogenesis in the pathogenesis of FMRP-deficiency, and highlight let-7 miRNA-based strategies for future biomarker and therapeutic development.
Collapse
Affiliation(s)
- Megha Subramanian
- Solomon H. Snyder Department of Neuroscience, The Johns Hopkins University School of Medicine, Baltimore, MD 21205, USA
| | - William T. Mills
- Department of Biological Chemistry, The Johns Hopkins University School of Medicine, Baltimore, MD 21205, USA
| | - Manish D. Paranjpe
- Department of Biological Chemistry, The Johns Hopkins University School of Medicine, Baltimore, MD 21205, USA
- Harvard Medical School, 25 Shattuck Street, Boston, MA 02115, USA
| | - Uche S. Onuchukwu
- Department of Biological Chemistry, The Johns Hopkins University School of Medicine, Baltimore, MD 21205, USA
| | - Manasi Inamdar
- Department of Biological Chemistry, The Johns Hopkins University School of Medicine, Baltimore, MD 21205, USA
| | - Amanda R. Maytin
- Department of Biological Chemistry, The Johns Hopkins University School of Medicine, Baltimore, MD 21205, USA
| | - Xinbei Li
- Department of Biological Chemistry, The Johns Hopkins University School of Medicine, Baltimore, MD 21205, USA
| | - Joel L. Pomerantz
- Department of Biological Chemistry, The Johns Hopkins University School of Medicine, Baltimore, MD 21205, USA
- Institute for Cell Engineering, The Johns Hopkins University School of Medicine, Baltimore, MD 21205, USA
| | - Mollie K. Meffert
- Solomon H. Snyder Department of Neuroscience, The Johns Hopkins University School of Medicine, Baltimore, MD 21205, USA
- Department of Biological Chemistry, The Johns Hopkins University School of Medicine, Baltimore, MD 21205, USA
| |
Collapse
|
9
|
Curatolo P, Scheper M, Emberti Gialloreti L, Specchio N, Aronica E. Is tuberous sclerosis complex-associated autism a preventable and treatable disorder? World J Pediatr 2024; 20:40-53. [PMID: 37878130 DOI: 10.1007/s12519-023-00762-2] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Submit a Manuscript] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 05/05/2023] [Accepted: 09/10/2023] [Indexed: 10/26/2023]
Abstract
BACKGROUND Tuberous sclerosis complex (TSC) is a genetic disorder caused by inactivating mutations in the TSC1 and TSC2 genes, causing overactivation of the mechanistic (previously referred to as mammalian) target of rapamycin (mTOR) signaling pathway in fetal life. The mTOR pathway plays a crucial role in several brain processes leading to TSC-related epilepsy, intellectual disability, and autism spectrum disorder (ASD). Pre-natal or early post-natal diagnosis of TSC is now possible in a growing number of pre-symptomatic infants. DATA SOURCES We searched PubMed for peer-reviewed publications published between January 2010 and April 2023 with the terms "tuberous sclerosis", "autism", or "autism spectrum disorder"," animal models", "preclinical studies", "neurobiology", and "treatment". RESULTS Prospective studies have highlighted that developmental trajectories in TSC infants who were later diagnosed with ASD already show motor, visual and social communication skills in the first year of life delays. Reliable genetic, cellular, electroencephalography and magnetic resonance imaging biomarkers can identify pre-symptomatic TSC infants at high risk for having autism and epilepsy. CONCLUSIONS Preventing epilepsy or improving therapy for seizures associated with prompt and tailored treatment strategies for autism in a sensitive developmental time window could have the potential to mitigate autistic symptoms in infants with TSC.
Collapse
Affiliation(s)
- Paolo Curatolo
- Child Neurology and Psychiatry Unit, Systems Medicine Department, Tor Vergata University, Rome, Italy
| | - Mirte Scheper
- Department of Neuropathology, Amsterdam Neuroscience, Amsterdam UMC Location University of Amsterdam, Amsterdam, The Netherlands
| | - Leonardo Emberti Gialloreti
- Department of Biomedicine and Prevention, University of Rome Tor Vergata, Via Montpellier 1, 00133, Rome, Italy
| | - Nicola Specchio
- Clinical and Experimental Neurology, Bambino Gesù Children's Hospital, IRCCS, Full Member of European Reference Network EpiCARE, Piazza S. Onofrio 4, 00165, Rome, Italy.
| | - Eleonora Aronica
- Department of Neuropathology, Amsterdam Neuroscience, Amsterdam UMC Location University of Amsterdam, Amsterdam, The Netherlands
- Stichting Epilepsie Instellingen Nederland (SEIN), Heemstede, Amsterdam, The Netherlands
| |
Collapse
|
10
|
Hooshmandi M, Sharma V, Thörn Perez C, Sood R, Krimbacher K, Wong C, Lister KC, Ureña Guzmán A, Bartley TD, Rocha C, Maussion G, Nadler E, Roque PM, Gantois I, Popic J, Lévesque M, Kaufman RJ, Avoli M, Sanz E, Nader K, Hagerman RJ, Durcan TM, Costa-Mattioli M, Prager-Khoutorsky M, Lacaille JC, Martinez-Cerdeno V, Gibson JR, Huber KM, Sonenberg N, Gkogkas CG, Khoutorsky A. Excitatory neuron-specific suppression of the integrated stress response contributes to autism-related phenotypes in fragile X syndrome. Neuron 2023; 111:3028-3040.e6. [PMID: 37473758 PMCID: PMC10592416 DOI: 10.1016/j.neuron.2023.06.017] [Citation(s) in RCA: 2] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 03/10/2022] [Revised: 05/11/2023] [Accepted: 06/22/2023] [Indexed: 07/22/2023]
Abstract
Dysregulation of protein synthesis is one of the key mechanisms underlying autism spectrum disorder (ASD). However, the role of a major pathway controlling protein synthesis, the integrated stress response (ISR), in ASD remains poorly understood. Here, we demonstrate that the main arm of the ISR, eIF2α phosphorylation (p-eIF2α), is suppressed in excitatory, but not inhibitory, neurons in a mouse model of fragile X syndrome (FXS; Fmr1-/y). We further show that the decrease in p-eIF2α is mediated via activation of mTORC1. Genetic reduction of p-eIF2α only in excitatory neurons is sufficient to increase general protein synthesis and cause autism-like behavior. In Fmr1-/y mice, restoration of p-eIF2α solely in excitatory neurons reverses elevated protein synthesis and rescues autism-related phenotypes. Thus, we reveal a previously unknown causal relationship between excitatory neuron-specific translational control via the ISR pathway, general protein synthesis, and core phenotypes reminiscent of autism in a mouse model of FXS.
Collapse
Affiliation(s)
- Mehdi Hooshmandi
- Department of Anesthesia and Faculty of Dental Medicine and Oral Health Sciences, McGill University, Montréal, QC, Canada
| | - Vijendra Sharma
- Department of Biochemistry, McGill University, Montréal, QC, Canada
| | - Carolina Thörn Perez
- Department of Anesthesia and Faculty of Dental Medicine and Oral Health Sciences, McGill University, Montréal, QC, Canada
| | - Rapita Sood
- Department of Biochemistry, McGill University, Montréal, QC, Canada
| | - Konstanze Krimbacher
- Department of Pharmacology, Medical University Innsbruck, 6020 Innsbruck, Austria
| | - Calvin Wong
- Department of Anesthesia and Faculty of Dental Medicine and Oral Health Sciences, McGill University, Montréal, QC, Canada
| | - Kevin C Lister
- Department of Anesthesia and Faculty of Dental Medicine and Oral Health Sciences, McGill University, Montréal, QC, Canada
| | - Alba Ureña Guzmán
- Department of Anesthesia and Faculty of Dental Medicine and Oral Health Sciences, McGill University, Montréal, QC, Canada
| | - Trevor D Bartley
- Department of Pathology and Laboratory Medicine, UC Davis School of Medicine, Institute for Pediatric Regenerative Medicine and Shriners Hospitals for Children of Northern California, MIND Institute, UC Davis Medical Center, Sacramento, CA, USA
| | - Cecilia Rocha
- The Neuro's Early Drug Discovery Unit (EDDU), Department of Neurology and Neurosurgery, Montreal Neurological Institute-Hospital, McGill University, Montréal, QC, Canada
| | - Gilles Maussion
- The Neuro's Early Drug Discovery Unit (EDDU), Department of Neurology and Neurosurgery, Montreal Neurological Institute-Hospital, McGill University, Montréal, QC, Canada
| | - Emma Nadler
- Department of Anesthesia and Faculty of Dental Medicine and Oral Health Sciences, McGill University, Montréal, QC, Canada
| | - Patricia Margarita Roque
- Department of Anesthesia and Faculty of Dental Medicine and Oral Health Sciences, McGill University, Montréal, QC, Canada
| | - Ilse Gantois
- Department of Biochemistry, McGill University, Montréal, QC, Canada
| | - Jelena Popic
- Department of Biochemistry, McGill University, Montréal, QC, Canada
| | - Maxime Lévesque
- Montreal Neurological Institute-Hospital, Departments of Neurology & Neurosurgery and of Physiology, McGill University, Montréal, QC, Canada
| | - Randal J Kaufman
- Degenerative Diseases Program, Center for Genetic Disorders and Aging Research, Sanford-Burnham-Prebys Medical Discovery Institute, La Jolla, CA 92037, USA
| | - Massimo Avoli
- Montreal Neurological Institute-Hospital, Departments of Neurology & Neurosurgery and of Physiology, McGill University, Montréal, QC, Canada
| | - Elisenda Sanz
- Department of Cell Biology, Physiology and Immunology, and Neuroscience Institute, Universitat Autònoma de Barcelona, Bellaterra, Spain
| | - Karim Nader
- Department of Psychology, Faculty of Science, McGill University, Montréal, QC, Canada
| | - Randi Jenssen Hagerman
- MIND Institute and Department of Pediatrics, University of California at Davis Medical Center, Sacramento, CA, USA
| | - Thomas M Durcan
- The Neuro's Early Drug Discovery Unit (EDDU), Department of Neurology and Neurosurgery, Montreal Neurological Institute-Hospital, McGill University, Montréal, QC, Canada
| | | | | | - Jean-Claude Lacaille
- Department of Neurosciences, Center for Interdisciplinary Research on Brain and Learning, and Research Group on Neural Signaling and Circuitry, Université de Montréal, Montréal, QC, Canada
| | - Veronica Martinez-Cerdeno
- Department of Pathology and Laboratory Medicine, UC Davis School of Medicine, Institute for Pediatric Regenerative Medicine and Shriners Hospitals for Children of Northern California, MIND Institute, UC Davis Medical Center, Sacramento, CA, USA
| | - Jay R Gibson
- University of Texas Southwestern Medical Center at Dallas, Department of Neuroscience, Dallas, TX 75390-9111, USA
| | - Kimberly M Huber
- University of Texas Southwestern Medical Center at Dallas, Department of Neuroscience, Dallas, TX 75390-9111, USA
| | - Nahum Sonenberg
- Department of Biochemistry, McGill University, Montréal, QC, Canada.
| | - Christos G Gkogkas
- Biomedical Research Institute, Foundation for Research and Technology-Hellas, University Campus, 45110 Ioannina, Greece.
| | - Arkady Khoutorsky
- Department of Anesthesia and Faculty of Dental Medicine and Oral Health Sciences, McGill University, Montréal, QC, Canada; Alan Edwards Centre for Research on Pain, McGill University, Montréal, QC, Canada.
| |
Collapse
|
11
|
Bilal W, Khawar MB, Afzal A, Naseer A, Hamid SE, Shahzaman S, Qamar F. Recent advances to Neuroprotection: repurposing drugs against neuroinflammatory disorders. Mol Biol Rep 2023:10.1007/s11033-023-08490-6. [PMID: 37231215 DOI: 10.1007/s11033-023-08490-6] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 12/22/2022] [Accepted: 04/26/2023] [Indexed: 05/27/2023]
Abstract
Cell death is a natural mechanism for biological clearance for the maintenance of homeostasis in a dynamic microenvironment of the central nervous system. Stress and various factors can lead to imbalance between cellular genesis and cell death leading to dysfunctionality and a number of neuropathological disorders. Drug repurposing can help bypass development time and cost. A complete understanding of drug actions and neuroinflammatory pathways can lead to effective control of neurodegenerative disorders. This review covers recent advances in various neuroinflammatory pathways understanding, biomarkers, and drug repurposing for neuroprotection.
Collapse
Affiliation(s)
- Wishah Bilal
- Institute of Zoology, University of the Punjab, Lahore, Pakistan
| | - Muhammad Babar Khawar
- Applied Molecular Biology and Biomedicine Lab, Department of Zoology, University of Narowal, Narowal, Pakistan.
| | - Ali Afzal
- Molecular Medicine and Cancer Therapeutics Lab, Department of Zoology, Faculty of Sciences & Technology, University of Central Punjab, Lahore, Pakistan
| | - Arshia Naseer
- Institute of Zoology, University of the Punjab, Lahore, Pakistan
| | - Syeda Eisha Hamid
- Molecular Medicine and Cancer Therapeutics Lab, Department of Zoology, Faculty of Sciences & Technology, University of Central Punjab, Lahore, Pakistan
| | - Sara Shahzaman
- Molecular Medicine and Cancer Therapeutics Lab, Department of Zoology, Faculty of Sciences & Technology, University of Central Punjab, Lahore, Pakistan
| | | |
Collapse
|
12
|
Chalkiadaki K, Statoulla E, Zafeiri M, Haji N, Lacaille JC, Powell CM, Jafarnejad SM, Khoutorsky A, Gkogkas CG. Reversal of memory and autism-related phenotypes in Tsc2+/- mice via inhibition of Nlgn1. Front Cell Dev Biol 2023; 11:1205112. [PMID: 37293130 PMCID: PMC10244498 DOI: 10.3389/fcell.2023.1205112] [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: 04/13/2023] [Accepted: 05/16/2023] [Indexed: 06/10/2023] Open
Abstract
Tuberous sclerosis complex (TSC) is a rare monogenic disorder co-diagnosed with high rates of autism and is caused by loss of function mutations in the TSC1 or TSC2 genes. A key pathway hyperactivated in TSC is the mammalian/mechanistic target of rapamycin complex 1 (mTORC1), which regulates cap-dependent mRNA translation. We previously demonstrated that exaggerated cap-dependent translation leads to autism-related phenotypes and increased mRNA translation and protein expression of Neuroligin 1 (Nlgn1) in mice. Inhibition of Nlgn1 expression reversed social behavior deficits in mice with increased cap-dependent translation. Herein, we report elevated translation of Nlgn1 mRNA and an increase in its protein expression. Genetic or pharmacological inhibition of Nlgn1 expression in Tsc2 +/- mice rescued impaired hippocampal mGluR-LTD, contextual discrimination and social behavior deficits in Tsc2 +/- mice, without correcting mTORC1 hyperactivation. Thus, we demonstrate that reduction of Nlgn1 expression in Tsc2 +/- mice is a new therapeutic strategy for TSC and potentially other neurodevelopmental disorders.
Collapse
Affiliation(s)
- Kleanthi Chalkiadaki
- Biomedical Research Institute, Foundation for Research and Technology Hellas, Ioannina, Greece
- Centre for Discovery Brain Sciences, University of Edinburgh, Edinburgh, Scotland, United Kingdom
| | - Elpida Statoulla
- Biomedical Research Institute, Foundation for Research and Technology Hellas, Ioannina, Greece
| | - Maria Zafeiri
- Biomedical Research Institute, Foundation for Research and Technology Hellas, Ioannina, Greece
| | - Nabila Haji
- Department of Neurosciences, Center for Interdisciplinary Research on Brain and Learning (CIRCA), Research Group on Neural Signaling and Circuitry (GRSNC), Université de Montréal, Montreal, QC, Canada
| | - Jean-Claude Lacaille
- Department of Neurosciences, Center for Interdisciplinary Research on Brain and Learning (CIRCA), Research Group on Neural Signaling and Circuitry (GRSNC), Université de Montréal, Montreal, QC, Canada
| | - Craig M. Powell
- Department of Neurobiology, Civitan International Research Center at UAB Heersink School of Medicine, University of Alabama at Birmingham Heersink School of Medicine, Birmingham, AL, United States
| | - Seyed Mehdi Jafarnejad
- Patrick G. Johnston Centre for Cancer Research, Queen’s University Belfast, Belfast, Northern Ireland, United Kingdom
| | - Arkady Khoutorsky
- Department of Anesthesia, Faculty of Dental Medicine and Oral Health Sciences, McGill University, Montréal, QC, Canada
| | - Christos G. Gkogkas
- Biomedical Research Institute, Foundation for Research and Technology Hellas, Ioannina, Greece
| |
Collapse
|
13
|
Chalkiadaki K, Hooshmandi M, Lach G, Statoulla E, Simbriger K, Amorim IS, Kouloulia S, Zafeiri M, Pothos P, Bonneil É, Gantois I, Popic J, Kim SH, Wong C, Cao R, Komiyama NH, Atlasi Y, Jafarnejad SM, Khoutorsky A, Gkogkas CG. Mnk1/2 kinases regulate memory and autism-related behaviours via Syngap1. Brain 2023; 146:2175-2190. [PMID: 36315645 PMCID: PMC10411928 DOI: 10.1093/brain/awac398] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 02/04/2022] [Revised: 09/03/2022] [Accepted: 10/01/2022] [Indexed: 11/14/2022] Open
Abstract
MAPK interacting protein kinases 1 and 2 (Mnk1/2) regulate a plethora of functions, presumably via phosphorylation of their best characterized substrate, eukaryotic translation initiation factor 4E (eIF4E) on Ser209. Here, we show that, whereas deletion of Mnk1/2 (Mnk double knockout) impairs synaptic plasticity and memory in mice, ablation of phospho-eIF4E (Ser209) does not affect these processes, suggesting that Mnk1/2 possess additional downstream effectors in the brain. Translational profiling revealed only a small overlap between the Mnk1/2- and phospho-eIF4E(Ser209)-regulated translatome. We identified the synaptic Ras GTPase activating protein 1 (Syngap1), encoded by a syndromic autism gene, as a downstream target of Mnk1 because Syngap1 immunoprecipitated with Mnk1 and showed reduced phosphorylation (S788) in Mnk double knockout mice. Knockdown of Syngap1 reversed memory deficits in Mnk double knockout mice and pharmacological inhibition of Mnks rescued autism-related phenotypes in Syngap1+/- mice. Thus, Syngap1 is a downstream effector of Mnk1, and the Mnks-Syngap1 axis regulates memory formation and autism-related behaviours.
Collapse
Affiliation(s)
- Kleanthi Chalkiadaki
- Biomedical Research Institute, Foundation for Research and Technology-Hellas, University Campus, 45110 Ioannina, Greece
- Centre for Discovery Brain Sciences and The Patrick Wild Centre, University of Edinburgh, Edinburgh EH8 9XD, UK
| | - Mehdi Hooshmandi
- Department of Anesthesia and Alan Edwards Centre for Research on Pain, McGill University, Montréal H3A 0G1, Canada
| | - Gilliard Lach
- Centre for Discovery Brain Sciences and The Patrick Wild Centre, University of Edinburgh, Edinburgh EH8 9XD, UK
- Simons Initiative for the Developing Brain, University of Edinburgh, Edinburgh EH8 9XD, UK
| | - Elpida Statoulla
- Biomedical Research Institute, Foundation for Research and Technology-Hellas, University Campus, 45110 Ioannina, Greece
| | - Konstanze Simbriger
- Centre for Discovery Brain Sciences and The Patrick Wild Centre, University of Edinburgh, Edinburgh EH8 9XD, UK
- Department of Pharmacology, Medical University Innsbruck, 6020 Innsbruck, Austria
| | - Ines S Amorim
- Centre for Discovery Brain Sciences and The Patrick Wild Centre, University of Edinburgh, Edinburgh EH8 9XD, UK
| | - Stella Kouloulia
- Centre for Discovery Brain Sciences and The Patrick Wild Centre, University of Edinburgh, Edinburgh EH8 9XD, UK
- MRC Laboratory for Molecular Cell Biology, University College London, Gower Street, London WC1E 6BT, UK
| | - Maria Zafeiri
- Biomedical Research Institute, Foundation for Research and Technology-Hellas, University Campus, 45110 Ioannina, Greece
| | - Panagiotis Pothos
- Biomedical Research Institute, Foundation for Research and Technology-Hellas, University Campus, 45110 Ioannina, Greece
| | - Éric Bonneil
- Institute for Research in Immunology and Cancer, Université de Montréal, Station Centreville, Montréal H3C 3J7, Canada
| | - Ilse Gantois
- Goodman Cancer Institute and Biochemistry Department, McGill University, Montréal H3A 1A3, Canada
| | - Jelena Popic
- Goodman Cancer Institute and Biochemistry Department, McGill University, Montréal H3A 1A3, Canada
| | - Sung-Hoon Kim
- Goodman Cancer Institute and Biochemistry Department, McGill University, Montréal H3A 1A3, Canada
| | - Calvin Wong
- Department of Anesthesia and Alan Edwards Centre for Research on Pain, McGill University, Montréal H3A 0G1, Canada
| | - Ruifeng Cao
- Department of Biomedical Sciences, University of Minnesota Medical School, Duluth, MN 55812, USA
- Department of Neuroscience, University of Minnesota Medical School, Minneapolis, MN 55455, USA
| | - Noboru H Komiyama
- Simons Initiative for the Developing Brain, University of Edinburgh, Edinburgh EH8 9XD, UK
- Genes to Cognition Program, Centre for Clinical Brain Sciences, University of Edinburgh, Edinburgh EH16 4SB, UK
| | - Yaser Atlasi
- Patrick G. Johnston Centre for Cancer Research, Queen's University of Belfast, Belfast BT9 7AE, Northern Ireland, UK
| | - Seyed Mehdi Jafarnejad
- Patrick G. Johnston Centre for Cancer Research, Queen's University of Belfast, Belfast BT9 7AE, Northern Ireland, UK
| | - Arkady Khoutorsky
- Department of Anesthesia and Alan Edwards Centre for Research on Pain, McGill University, Montréal H3A 0G1, Canada
| | - Christos G Gkogkas
- Biomedical Research Institute, Foundation for Research and Technology-Hellas, University Campus, 45110 Ioannina, Greece
| |
Collapse
|
14
|
Murari K, Abushaibah A, Rho JM, Turner RW, Cheng N. A clinically relevant selective ERK-pathway inhibitor reverses core deficits in a mouse model of autism. EBioMedicine 2023; 91:104565. [PMID: 37088035 PMCID: PMC10149189 DOI: 10.1016/j.ebiom.2023.104565] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 07/14/2022] [Revised: 03/07/2023] [Accepted: 03/29/2023] [Indexed: 04/25/2023] Open
Abstract
BACKGROUND Extracellular signal-regulated kinase (ERK/MAPK) pathway in the brain is hypothesized to be a critical convergent node in the development of autism spectrum disorder. We reasoned that selectively targeting this pathway could reverse core autism-like phenotype in animal models. METHODS Here we tested a clinically relevant, selective inhibitor of ERK pathway, PD325901 (Mirdametinib), in a mouse model of idiopathic autism, the BTBR mice. FINDINGS We report that treating juvenile mice with PD325901 reduced ERK pathway activation, dose and duration-dependently reduced core disease-modeling deficits in sociability, vocalization and repetitive behavior, and reversed abnormal EEG signals. Further analysis revealed that subchronic treatment did not affect weight gain, locomotion, or neuronal density in the brain. Parallel treatment in the C57BL/6J mice did not alter their phenotype. INTERPRETATION Our data indicate that selectively inhibiting ERK pathway using PD325901 is beneficial in the BTBR model, thus further support the notion that ERK pathway is critically involved in the pathophysiology of autism. These results suggest that a similar approach could be applied to animal models of syndromic autism with dysregulated ERK signaling, to further test selectively targeting ERK pathway as a new approach for treating autism. FUNDING This has beenwork was supported by Alberta Children's Hospital Research Foundation (JMR & NC), University of Calgary Faculty of Veterinary Medicine (NC), Kids Brain Health Network (NC), and Natural Sciences and Engineering Research Council of Canada (NC).
Collapse
Affiliation(s)
- Kartikeya Murari
- Hotchkiss Brain Institute, Cumming School of Medicine, University of Calgary, Canada; Department of Biomedical Engineering, Schulich School of Engineering, University of Calgary, Canada; Department of Electrical and Software Engineering, Schulich School of Engineering, University of Calgary, Canada
| | - Abdulrahman Abushaibah
- Alberta Children's Hospital Research Institute, Cumming School of Medicine, University of Calgary, Canada; Bachelor of Health Sciences, Cumming School of Medicine, University of Calgary, Canada
| | - Jong M Rho
- Hotchkiss Brain Institute, Cumming School of Medicine, University of Calgary, Canada; Alberta Children's Hospital Research Institute, Cumming School of Medicine, University of Calgary, Canada
| | - Ray W Turner
- Hotchkiss Brain Institute, Cumming School of Medicine, University of Calgary, Canada; Alberta Children's Hospital Research Institute, Cumming School of Medicine, University of Calgary, Canada; Department of Cell Biology & Anatomy, Cumming School of Medicine, University of Calgary, Canada
| | - Ning Cheng
- Hotchkiss Brain Institute, Cumming School of Medicine, University of Calgary, Canada; Alberta Children's Hospital Research Institute, Cumming School of Medicine, University of Calgary, Canada; Department of Comparative Biology and Experimental Medicine, Faculty of Veterinary Medicine, University of Calgary, Canada.
| |
Collapse
|
15
|
Tu G, Guo Y, Xiao R, Tang L, Hu M, Liao B. Effects of Exercise Training on the Phosphoproteomics of the Medial Prefrontal Cortex in Rats With Autism Spectrum Disorder Induced by Valproic Acid. Neurorehabil Neural Repair 2023; 37:94-108. [PMID: 36860155 DOI: 10.1177/15459683231152814] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 03/03/2023]
Abstract
BACKGROUND The key neural pathological characteristics of autism spectrum disorder (ASD) include abnormal synaptic plasticity of the medial prefrontal cortex (mPFC). Exercise therapy is widely used to rehabilitate children with ASD, but its neurobiological mechanism is unclear. METHODS To clarify whether the structural and molecular plasticity of synapses in the mPFC are related to improvement in ASD behavioral deficits after continuous exercise rehabilitation training, we applied phosphoproteomic, behavioral, morphological, and molecular biological methods to investigate the impact of exercise on the phosphoprotein expression profile and synaptic structure of the mPFC in valproic acid (VPA)-induced ASD rats. RESULTS Exercise training differentially regulated the density, morphology, and ultrastructure of synapses in mPFC subregions in the VPA-induced ASD rats. In total, 1031 phosphopeptides were upregulated and 782 phosphopeptides were downregulated in the mPFC in the ASD group. After exercise training, 323 phosphopeptides were upregulated, and 1098 phosphopeptides were downregulated in the ASDE group. Interestingly, 101 upregulated and 33 downregulated phosphoproteins in the ASD group were reversed after exercise training, and these phosphoproteins were mostly involved in synapses. Consistent with the phosphoproteomics data, the total and phosphorylated levels of the proteins MARK1 and MYH10 were upregulated in the ASD group and reversed after exercise training. CONCLUSIONS The differential structural plasticity of synapses in mPFC subregions may be the basic neural architecture of ASD behavioral abnormalities. The phosphoproteins involved in mPFC synapses, such as MARK1 and MYH10, may play important roles in the exercise rehabilitation effect on ASD-induced behavioral deficits and synaptic structural plasticity, which requires further investigation.
Collapse
Affiliation(s)
- Genghong Tu
- Department of Sports Medicine, Guangzhou Sport University, Guangzhou, Guangdong, P.R. China.,Guangdong Provincial Key Laboratory of Physical Activity and Health Promotion, Scientific Research Center, Guangzhou Sport University, Guangzhou, Guangdong, P.R. China
| | - Youli Guo
- Department of Pharmacy, Guangdong Provincial Corps Hospital of Chinese People's Armed Police Forces, Guangzhou, Guangdong, P.R. China
| | - Ruoshi Xiao
- Department of Sports Medicine, Guangzhou Sport University, Guangzhou, Guangdong, P.R. China.,Guangdong Provincial Key Laboratory of Physical Activity and Health Promotion, Scientific Research Center, Guangzhou Sport University, Guangzhou, Guangdong, P.R. China
| | - Lianying Tang
- Department of Sports Medicine, Guangzhou Sport University, Guangzhou, Guangdong, P.R. China.,Guangdong Provincial Key Laboratory of Physical Activity and Health Promotion, Scientific Research Center, Guangzhou Sport University, Guangzhou, Guangdong, P.R. China
| | - Min Hu
- Guangdong Provincial Key Laboratory of Physical Activity and Health Promotion, Scientific Research Center, Guangzhou Sport University, Guangzhou, Guangdong, P.R. China
| | - Bagen Liao
- Department of Sports Medicine, Guangzhou Sport University, Guangzhou, Guangdong, P.R. China.,Guangdong Provincial Key Laboratory of Physical Activity and Health Promotion, Scientific Research Center, Guangzhou Sport University, Guangzhou, Guangdong, P.R. China
| |
Collapse
|
16
|
Thomas SD, Jha NK, Ojha S, Sadek B. mTOR Signaling Disruption and Its Association with the Development of Autism Spectrum Disorder. Molecules 2023; 28:molecules28041889. [PMID: 36838876 PMCID: PMC9964164 DOI: 10.3390/molecules28041889] [Citation(s) in RCA: 14] [Impact Index Per Article: 14.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 10/05/2022] [Revised: 01/31/2023] [Accepted: 02/04/2023] [Indexed: 02/19/2023] Open
Abstract
Autism spectrum disorder (ASD) is a complex neurodevelopmental disorder characterized by impairments in social interaction and communication along with repetitive stereotypic behaviors. Currently, there are no specific biomarkers for diagnostic screening or treatments available for autistic patients. Numerous genetic disorders are associated with high prevalence of ASD, including tuberous sclerosis complex, phosphatase and tensin homolog, and fragile X syndrome. Preclinical investigations in animal models of these diseases have revealed irregularities in the PI3K/Akt/mTOR signaling pathway as well as ASD-related behavioral defects. Reversal of the downstream molecular irregularities, associated with mTOR hyperactivation, improved the behavioral deficits observed in the preclinical investigations. Plant bioactive molecules have shown beneficial pre-clinical evidence in ASD treatment by modulating the PI3K/Akt/mTOR pathway. In this review, we summarize the involvement of the PI3K/Akt/mTOR pathway as well as the genetic alterations of the pathway components and its critical impact on the development of the autism spectrum disorder. Mutations in negative regulators of mTORC1, such as TSC1, TSC2, and PTEN, result in ASD-like phenotypes through the disruption of the mTORC1-mediated signaling. We further discuss the various naturally occurring phytoconstituents that have been identified to be bioactive and modulate the pathway to prevent its disruption and contribute to beneficial therapeutic effects in ASD.
Collapse
Affiliation(s)
- Shilu Deepa Thomas
- Department of Pharmacology and Therapeutics, College of Medicine and Health Sciences, United Arab Emirates University, Al Ain P.O. Box 15551, United Arab Emirates
- Zayed Bin Sultan Center for Health Sciences, United Arab Emirates University, Al Ain P.O. Box 15551, United Arab Emirates
| | - Niraj Kumar Jha
- Department of Biotechnology, School of Engineering and Technology (SET), Sharda University, Greater Noida 201310, India
- School of Bioengineering & Biosciences, Lovely Professional University, Phagwara 144411, India
- Department of Biotechnology, School of Applied & Life Sciences (SALS), Uttaranchal University, Dehradun 248007, India
| | - Shreesh Ojha
- Department of Pharmacology and Therapeutics, College of Medicine and Health Sciences, United Arab Emirates University, Al Ain P.O. Box 15551, United Arab Emirates
- Zayed Bin Sultan Center for Health Sciences, United Arab Emirates University, Al Ain P.O. Box 15551, United Arab Emirates
| | - Bassem Sadek
- Department of Pharmacology and Therapeutics, College of Medicine and Health Sciences, United Arab Emirates University, Al Ain P.O. Box 15551, United Arab Emirates
- Zayed Bin Sultan Center for Health Sciences, United Arab Emirates University, Al Ain P.O. Box 15551, United Arab Emirates
- Correspondence:
| |
Collapse
|
17
|
Leemans M, Spirhanzlova P, Couderq S, Le Mével S, Grimaldi A, Duvernois-Berthet E, Demeneix B, Fini JB. A Mixture of Chemicals Found in Human Amniotic Fluid Disrupts Brain Gene Expression and Behavior in Xenopus laevis. Int J Mol Sci 2023; 24:ijms24032588. [PMID: 36768911 PMCID: PMC9916464 DOI: 10.3390/ijms24032588] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 11/18/2022] [Revised: 01/16/2023] [Accepted: 01/17/2023] [Indexed: 01/31/2023] Open
Abstract
Thyroid hormones (TH) are essential for normal brain development, influencing neural cell differentiation, migration, and synaptogenesis. Multiple endocrine-disrupting chemicals (EDCs) are found in the environment, raising concern for their potential effects on TH signaling and the consequences on neurodevelopment and behavior. While most research on EDCs investigates the effects of individual chemicals, human health may be adversely affected by a mixture of chemicals. The potential consequences of EDC exposure on human health are far-reaching and include problems with immune function, reproductive health, and neurological development. We hypothesized that embryonic exposure to a mixture of chemicals (containing phenols, phthalates, pesticides, heavy metals, and perfluorinated, polychlorinated, and polybrominated compounds) identified as commonly found in the human amniotic fluid could lead to altered brain development. We assessed its effect on TH signaling and neurodevelopment in an amphibian model (Xenopus laevis) highly sensitive to thyroid disruption. Fertilized eggs were exposed for eight days to either TH (thyroxine, T4 10 nM) or the amniotic mixture (at the actual concentration) until reaching stage NF47, where we analyzed gene expression in the brains of exposed tadpoles using both RT-qPCR and RNA sequencing. The results indicate that whilst some overlap on TH-dependent genes exists, T4 and the mixture have different gene signatures. Immunohistochemistry showed increased proliferation in the brains of T4-treated animals, whereas no difference was observed for the amniotic mixture. Further, we demonstrated diminished tadpoles' motility in response to T4 and mixture exposure. As the individual chemicals composing the mixture are considered safe, these results highlight the importance of examining the effects of mixtures to improve risk assessment.
Collapse
|
18
|
Using Machine Learning to Explore Shared Genetic Pathways and Possible Endophenotypes in Autism Spectrum Disorder. Genes (Basel) 2023; 14:genes14020313. [PMID: 36833240 PMCID: PMC9956345 DOI: 10.3390/genes14020313] [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: 12/13/2022] [Revised: 01/22/2023] [Accepted: 01/23/2023] [Indexed: 01/27/2023] Open
Abstract
Autism spectrum disorder (ASD) is a heterogeneous condition, characterized by complex genetic architectures and intertwined genetic/environmental interactions. Novel analysis approaches to disentangle its pathophysiology by computing large amounts of data are needed. We present an advanced machine learning technique, based on a clustering analysis on genotypical/phenotypical embedding spaces, to identify biological processes that might act as pathophysiological substrates for ASD. This technique was applied to the VariCarta database, which contained 187,794 variant events retrieved from 15,189 individuals with ASD. Nine clusters of ASD-related genes were identified. The 3 largest clusters included 68.6% of all individuals, consisting of 1455 (38.0%), 841 (21.9%), and 336 (8.7%) persons, respectively. Enrichment analysis was applied to isolate clinically relevant ASD-associated biological processes. Two of the identified clusters were characterized by individuals with an increased presence of variants linked to biological processes and cellular components, such as axon growth and guidance, synaptic membrane components, or transmission. The study also suggested other clusters with possible genotype-phenotype associations. Innovative methodologies, including machine learning, can improve our understanding of the underlying biological processes and gene variant networks that undergo the etiology and pathogenic mechanisms of ASD. Future work to ascertain the reproducibility of the presented methodology is warranted.
Collapse
|
19
|
Li Q, Shi Y, Li X, Yang Y, Zhang X, Xu L, Ma Z, Wang J, Fan L, Wu L. Proteomic-Based Approach Reveals the Involvement of Apolipoprotein A-I in Related Phenotypes of Autism Spectrum Disorder in the BTBR Mouse Model. Int J Mol Sci 2022; 23:ijms232315290. [PMID: 36499620 PMCID: PMC9737945 DOI: 10.3390/ijms232315290] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 10/16/2022] [Revised: 11/26/2022] [Accepted: 11/30/2022] [Indexed: 12/12/2022] Open
Abstract
Autism spectrum disorder (ASD) is a neurodevelopmental disorder. Abnormal lipid metabolism has been suggested to contribute to its pathogenesis. Further exploration of its underlying biochemical mechanisms is needed. In a search for reliable biomarkers for the pathophysiology of ASD, hippocampal tissues from the ASD model BTBR T+ Itpr3tf/J (BTBR) mice and C57BL/6J mice were analyzed, using four-dimensional (4D) label-free proteomic analysis and bioinformatics analysis. Differentially expressed proteins were significantly enriched in lipid metabolic pathways. Among them, apolipoprotein A-I (ApoA-I) is a hub protein and its expression was significantly higher in the BTBR mice. The investigation of protein levels (using Western blotting) also confirmed this observation. Furthermore, expressions of SphK2 and S1P in the ApoA-I pathway both increased. Using the SphK inhibitor (SKI-II), ASD core phenotype and phenotype-related protein levels of P-CREB, P-CaMKII, and GAD1 were improved, as shown via behavioral and molecular biology experiments. Moreover, by using SKI-II, we found proteins related to the development and function of neuron synapses, including ERK, caspase-3, Bax, Bcl-2, CDK5 and KCNQ2 in BTBR mice, whose levels were restored to protein levels comparable to those in the controls. Elucidating the possible mechanism of ApoA-I in ASD-associated phenotypes will provide new ideas for studies on the etiology of ASD.
Collapse
|
20
|
Balasubramanian R, Vinod PK. Inferring miRNA sponge modules across major neuropsychiatric disorders. Front Mol Neurosci 2022; 15:1009662. [PMID: 36385761 PMCID: PMC9650411 DOI: 10.3389/fnmol.2022.1009662] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 08/02/2022] [Accepted: 10/05/2022] [Indexed: 12/01/2022] Open
Abstract
The role of non-coding RNAs in neuropsychiatric disorders (NPDs) is an emerging field of study. The long non-coding RNAs (lncRNAs) are shown to sponge the microRNAs (miRNAs) from interacting with their target mRNAs. Investigating the sponge activity of lncRNAs in NPDs will provide further insights into biological mechanisms and help identify disease biomarkers. In this study, a large-scale inference of the lncRNA-related miRNA sponge network of pan-neuropsychiatric disorders, including autism spectrum disorder (ASD), schizophrenia (SCZ), and bipolar disorder (BD), was carried out using brain transcriptomic (RNA-Seq) data. The candidate miRNA sponge modules were identified based on the co-expression pattern of non-coding RNAs, sharing of miRNA binding sites, and sensitivity canonical correlation. miRNA sponge modules are associated with chemical synaptic transmission, nervous system development, metabolism, immune system response, ribosomes, and pathways in cancer. The identified modules showed similar and distinct gene expression patterns depending on the neuropsychiatric condition. The preservation of miRNA sponge modules was shown in the independent brain and blood-transcriptomic datasets of NPDs. We also identified miRNA sponging lncRNAs that may be potential diagnostic biomarkers for NPDs. Our study provides a comprehensive resource on miRNA sponging in NPDs.
Collapse
|
21
|
Blok LER, Boon M, van Reijmersdal B, Höffler KD, Fenckova M, Schenck A. Genetics, molecular control and clinical relevance of habituation learning. Neurosci Biobehav Rev 2022; 143:104883. [PMID: 36152842 DOI: 10.1016/j.neubiorev.2022.104883] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 04/22/2022] [Revised: 08/08/2022] [Accepted: 08/30/2022] [Indexed: 11/29/2022]
Abstract
Habituation is the most fundamental form of learning. As a firewall that protects our brain from sensory overload, it is indispensable for cognitive processes. Studies in humans and animal models provide increasing evidence that habituation is affected in autism and related monogenic neurodevelopmental disorders (NDDs). An integrated application of habituation assessment in NDDs and their animal models has unexploited potential for neuroscience and medical care. With the aim to gain mechanistic insights, we systematically retrieved genes that have been demonstrated in the literature to underlie habituation. We identified 258 evolutionarily conserved genes across species, describe the biological processes they converge on, and highlight regulatory pathways and drugs that may alleviate habituation deficits. We also summarize current habituation paradigms and extract the most decisive arguments that support the crucial role of habituation for cognition in health and disease. We conclude that habituation is a conserved, quantitative, cognition- and disease-relevant process that can connect preclinical and clinical work, and hence is a powerful tool to advance research, diagnostics, and treatment of NDDs.
Collapse
Affiliation(s)
- Laura Elisabeth Rosalie Blok
- Department of Human Genetics, Donders Institute for Brain, Cognition and Behaviour, Radboud University Medical Center, Geert Grooteplein Zuid 10, 6525GA, Nijmegen, the Netherlands.
| | - Marina Boon
- Department of Human Genetics, Donders Institute for Brain, Cognition and Behaviour, Radboud University Medical Center, Geert Grooteplein Zuid 10, 6525GA, Nijmegen, the Netherlands.
| | - Boyd van Reijmersdal
- Department of Human Genetics, Donders Institute for Brain, Cognition and Behaviour, Radboud University Medical Center, Geert Grooteplein Zuid 10, 6525GA, Nijmegen, the Netherlands.
| | - Kira Daniela Höffler
- Department of Human Genetics, Donders Institute for Brain, Cognition and Behaviour, Radboud University Medical Center, Geert Grooteplein Zuid 10, 6525GA, Nijmegen, the Netherlands.
| | - Michaela Fenckova
- Department of Human Genetics, Donders Institute for Brain, Cognition and Behaviour, Radboud University Medical Center, Geert Grooteplein Zuid 10, 6525GA, Nijmegen, the Netherlands; Department of Molecular Biology and Genetics, Faculty of Science, University of South Bohemia in Ceske Budejovice, Branisovska 31, 37005, Ceske Budejovice, Czech Republic.
| | - Annette Schenck
- Department of Human Genetics, Donders Institute for Brain, Cognition and Behaviour, Radboud University Medical Center, Geert Grooteplein Zuid 10, 6525GA, Nijmegen, the Netherlands.
| |
Collapse
|
22
|
Singla R, Mishra A, Cao R. The trilateral interactions between mammalian target of rapamycin (mTOR) signaling, the circadian clock, and psychiatric disorders: an emerging model. Transl Psychiatry 2022; 12:355. [PMID: 36045116 PMCID: PMC9433414 DOI: 10.1038/s41398-022-02120-8] [Citation(s) in RCA: 12] [Impact Index Per Article: 6.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Submit a Manuscript] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 02/15/2022] [Revised: 08/08/2022] [Accepted: 08/12/2022] [Indexed: 02/07/2023] Open
Abstract
Circadian (~24 h) rhythms in physiology and behavior are evolutionarily conserved and found in almost all living organisms. The rhythms are endogenously driven by daily oscillatory activities of so-called "clock genes/proteins", which are widely distributed throughout the mammalian brain. Mammalian (mechanistic) target of rapamycin (mTOR) signaling is a fundamental intracellular signal transduction cascade that controls important neuronal processes including neurodevelopment, synaptic plasticity, metabolism, and aging. Dysregulation of the mTOR pathway is associated with psychiatric disorders including autism spectrum disorders (ASD) and mood disorders (MD), in which patients often exhibit disrupted daily physiological rhythms and abnormal circadian gene expression in the brain. Recent work has found that the activities of mTOR signaling are temporally controlled by the circadian clock and exhibit robust circadian oscillations in multiple systems. In the meantime, mTOR signaling regulates fundamental properties of the central and peripheral circadian clocks, including period length, entrainment, and synchronization. Whereas the underlying mechanisms remain to be fully elucidated, increasing clinical and preclinical evidence support significant crosstalk between mTOR signaling, the circadian clock, and psychiatric disorders. Here, we review recent progress in understanding the trilateral interactions and propose an "interaction triangle" model between mTOR signaling, the circadian clock, and psychiatric disorders (focusing on ASD and MD).
Collapse
Affiliation(s)
- Rubal Singla
- grid.17635.360000000419368657Department of Biomedical Sciences, University of Minnesota Medical School, Duluth, MN 55812 USA
| | - Abhishek Mishra
- grid.17635.360000000419368657Department of Biomedical Sciences, University of Minnesota Medical School, Duluth, MN 55812 USA
| | - Ruifeng Cao
- Department of Biomedical Sciences, University of Minnesota Medical School, Duluth, MN, 55812, USA. .,Department of Neuroscience, University of Minnesota Medical School, Minneapolis, MN, 55455, USA.
| |
Collapse
|
23
|
Beyreli I, Karakahya O, Cicek AE. DeepND: Deep multitask learning of gene risk for comorbid neurodevelopmental disorders. PATTERNS (NEW YORK, N.Y.) 2022; 3:100524. [PMID: 35845835 PMCID: PMC9278518 DOI: 10.1016/j.patter.2022.100524] [Citation(s) in RCA: 1] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 02/11/2022] [Revised: 03/11/2022] [Accepted: 05/09/2022] [Indexed: 01/24/2023]
Abstract
Autism spectrum disorder and intellectual disability are comorbid neurodevelopmental disorders with complex genetic architectures. Despite large-scale sequencing studies, only a fraction of the risk genes was identified for both. We present a network-based gene risk prioritization algorithm, DeepND, that performs cross-disorder analysis to improve prediction by exploiting the comorbidity of autism spectrum disorder (ASD) and intellectual disability (ID) via multitask learning. Our model leverages information from human brain gene co-expression networks using graph convolutional networks, learning which spatiotemporal neurodevelopmental windows are important for disorder etiologies and improving the state-of-the-art prediction in single- and cross-disorder settings. DeepND identifies the prefrontal and motor-somatosensory cortex (PFC-MFC) brain region and periods from early- to mid-fetal and from early childhood to young adulthood as the highest neurodevelopmental risk windows for ASD and ID. We investigate ASD- and ID-associated copy-number variation (CNV) regions and report our findings for several susceptibility gene candidates. DeepND can be generalized to analyze any combinations of comorbid disorders.
Collapse
Affiliation(s)
- Ilayda Beyreli
- Department of Computer Engineering, Bilkent University, Ankara 06810, Turkey
| | - Oguzhan Karakahya
- Department of Computer Engineering, Bilkent University, Ankara 06810, Turkey
| | - A. Ercument Cicek
- Department of Computer Engineering, Bilkent University, Ankara 06810, Turkey
- Computational Biology Department, Carnegie Mellon University, Pittsburgh, 15213 PA, USA
| |
Collapse
|
24
|
Feng JL, Hou D, Zhao C, Bao BH, Huang SY, Deng S, Meng FC, Zhao Q, Wang B, Li HS, Wang JS. A rat study model of depression-driven chronic prostatitis by modulating the PI3K/Akt/mTOR network. Andrologia 2022; 54:e14488. [PMID: 35727683 DOI: 10.1111/and.14488] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 01/04/2022] [Revised: 05/09/2022] [Accepted: 05/12/2022] [Indexed: 11/27/2022] Open
Abstract
Depression and chronic prostatitis (CP) are two common diseases that affect the human population worldwide. Clinically, it has been demonstrated that andrological patients often simultaneously suffer from depression and CP. Prior investigations have established that depression acts as an independent risk factor for CP. Herein, we explored the correlation between depression and CP using bioinformatics tools and through animal experiments. The potential targets and signalling pathways involved in depression and CP were predicted using bioinformatics tool, while depression in the rat model was established through chronic restraint stress. The expression of the related proteins and mRNA was assessed by Western blotting and real-time fluorescence quantitative reverse transcription-polymerase chain reaction (RT-qPCR). Relative to those in the control rats, the protein contents of PI3K, p-Akt, and p-mTOR were lower in the model rats (p < 0.05). Similarly, the transcript levels of PI3K, Akt, and mTOR was also relatively lower in the model rats (p < 0.05). And PI3K/Akt agonists reduced inflammation in rat prostate tissue, accompanied by significant increases in the transcript and protein expression levels of PI3K, Akt, and mTOR. Thus, we proposed that depression model rats may induce CP as a result of mediation by the negative regulation of the PI3K/Akt/mTOR signalling network.
Collapse
Affiliation(s)
- Jun-Long Feng
- Beijing University of Chinese Medicine, Beijing, China.,Department of Andrology, Dongzhimen Hospital, Beijing University of Chinese Medicine, Beijing, China
| | - Dan Hou
- Beijing University of Chinese Medicine, Beijing, China.,Beijing University of Chinese Medicine Third Affiliated Hospital, Beijing, China
| | - Cong Zhao
- Beijing University of Chinese Medicine, Beijing, China.,Department of Andrology, Dongzhimen Hospital, Beijing University of Chinese Medicine, Beijing, China
| | - Bing-Hao Bao
- Beijing University of Chinese Medicine, Beijing, China
| | - Shuai-Yang Huang
- Beijing University of Chinese Medicine, Beijing, China.,Beijing University of Chinese Medicine Third Affiliated Hospital, Beijing, China
| | - Sheng Deng
- Beijing University of Chinese Medicine, Beijing, China.,Department of Andrology, Dongzhimen Hospital, Beijing University of Chinese Medicine, Beijing, China
| | - Fan-Chao Meng
- Beijing University of Chinese Medicine, Beijing, China.,Department of Andrology, Dongzhimen Hospital, Beijing University of Chinese Medicine, Beijing, China
| | - Qi Zhao
- Beijing University of Chinese Medicine, Beijing, China.,Department of Andrology, Dongzhimen Hospital, Beijing University of Chinese Medicine, Beijing, China
| | - Bin Wang
- Department of Andrology, Dongzhimen Hospital, Beijing University of Chinese Medicine, Beijing, China
| | - Hai-Song Li
- Department of Andrology, Dongzhimen Hospital, Beijing University of Chinese Medicine, Beijing, China
| | - Ji-Sheng Wang
- Department of Andrology, Dongzhimen Hospital, Beijing University of Chinese Medicine, Beijing, China
| |
Collapse
|
25
|
Pohl TT, Hörnberg H. Neuroligins in neurodevelopmental conditions: how mouse models of de novo mutations can help us link synaptic function to social behavior. Neuronal Signal 2022; 6:NS20210030. [PMID: 35601025 PMCID: PMC9093077 DOI: 10.1042/ns20210030] [Citation(s) in RCA: 1] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 11/09/2021] [Revised: 04/08/2022] [Accepted: 04/20/2022] [Indexed: 11/19/2022] Open
Abstract
Neurodevelopmental conditions (or neurodevelopmental disorders, NDDs) are highly heterogeneous with overlapping characteristics and shared genetic etiology. The large symptom variability and etiological heterogeneity have made it challenging to understand the biological mechanisms underpinning NDDs. To accommodate this individual variability, one approach is to move away from diagnostic criteria and focus on distinct dimensions with relevance to multiple NDDs. This domain approach is well suited to preclinical research, where genetically modified animal models can be used to link genetic variability to neurobiological mechanisms and behavioral traits. Genetic factors associated with NDDs can be grouped functionally into common biological pathways, with one prominent functional group being genes associated with the synapse. These include the neuroligins (Nlgns), a family of postsynaptic transmembrane proteins that are key modulators of synaptic function. Here, we review how research using Nlgn mouse models has provided insight into how synaptic proteins contribute to behavioral traits associated with NDDs. We focus on how mutations in different Nlgns affect social behaviors, as differences in social interaction and communication are a common feature of most NDDs. Importantly, mice carrying distinct mutations in Nlgns share some neurobiological and behavioral phenotypes with other synaptic gene mutations. Comparing the functional implications of mutations in multiple synaptic proteins is a first step towards identifying convergent neurobiological pathways in multiple brain regions and circuits.
Collapse
Affiliation(s)
- Tobias T. Pohl
- Max Delbrück Center for Molecular Medicine, Robert-Rössle-Straße 10, Berlin 13125, Germany
| | - Hanna Hörnberg
- Max Delbrück Center for Molecular Medicine, Robert-Rössle-Straße 10, Berlin 13125, Germany
| |
Collapse
|
26
|
Moreau MM, Pietropaolo S, Ezan J, Robert BJA, Miraux S, Maître M, Cho Y, Crusio WE, Montcouquiol M, Sans N. Scribble Controls Social Motivation Behavior through the Regulation of the ERK/Mnk1 Pathway. Cells 2022; 11:cells11101601. [PMID: 35626639 PMCID: PMC9139383 DOI: 10.3390/cells11101601] [Citation(s) in RCA: 1] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 04/07/2022] [Revised: 05/06/2022] [Accepted: 05/06/2022] [Indexed: 02/01/2023] Open
Abstract
Social behavior is a basic domain affected by several neurodevelopmental disorders, including ASD and a heterogeneous set of neuropsychiatric disorders. The SCRIB gene that codes for the polarity protein SCRIBBLE has been identified as a risk gene for spina bifida, the most common type of neural tube defect, found at high frequencies in autistic patients, as well as other congenital anomalies. The deletions and mutations of the 8q24.3 region encompassing SCRIB are also associated with multisyndromic and rare disorders. Nonetheless, the potential link between SCRIB and relevant social phenotypes has not been fully investigated. Hence, we show that Scribcrc/+ mice, carrying a mutated version of Scrib, displayed reduced social motivation behavior and social habituation, while other behavioral domains were unaltered. Social deficits were associated with the upregulation of ERK phosphorylation, together with increased c-Fos activity. Importantly, the social alterations were rescued by both direct and indirect pERK inhibition. These results support a link between polarity genes, social behaviors and hippocampal functionality and suggest a role for SCRIB in the etiopathology of neurodevelopmental disorders. Furthermore, our data demonstrate the crucial role of the MAPK/ERK signaling pathway in underlying social motivation behavior, thus supporting its relevance as a therapeutic target.
Collapse
Affiliation(s)
- Maïté M. Moreau
- Univ. Bordeaux, INSERM, Neurocentre Magendie, U1215, 33077 Bordeaux, France; (J.E.); (B.J.A.R.); (M.M.); (M.M.)
- Correspondence: (M.M.M.); (N.S.)
| | - Susanna Pietropaolo
- Univ. Bordeaux, CNRS, Aquitaine Institute for Cognitive and Integrative Neurosciences, UMR5287, 33405 Bordeaux, France; (S.P.); (Y.C.); (W.E.C.)
| | - Jérôme Ezan
- Univ. Bordeaux, INSERM, Neurocentre Magendie, U1215, 33077 Bordeaux, France; (J.E.); (B.J.A.R.); (M.M.); (M.M.)
| | - Benjamin J. A. Robert
- Univ. Bordeaux, INSERM, Neurocentre Magendie, U1215, 33077 Bordeaux, France; (J.E.); (B.J.A.R.); (M.M.); (M.M.)
| | - Sylvain Miraux
- Univ. Bordeaux, CNRS, Centre de Résonance Magnétique des Systèmes Biologiques UMR5536, 33077 Bordeaux, France;
| | - Marlène Maître
- Univ. Bordeaux, INSERM, Neurocentre Magendie, U1215, 33077 Bordeaux, France; (J.E.); (B.J.A.R.); (M.M.); (M.M.)
| | - Yoon Cho
- Univ. Bordeaux, CNRS, Aquitaine Institute for Cognitive and Integrative Neurosciences, UMR5287, 33405 Bordeaux, France; (S.P.); (Y.C.); (W.E.C.)
| | - Wim E. Crusio
- Univ. Bordeaux, CNRS, Aquitaine Institute for Cognitive and Integrative Neurosciences, UMR5287, 33405 Bordeaux, France; (S.P.); (Y.C.); (W.E.C.)
| | - Mireille Montcouquiol
- Univ. Bordeaux, INSERM, Neurocentre Magendie, U1215, 33077 Bordeaux, France; (J.E.); (B.J.A.R.); (M.M.); (M.M.)
| | - Nathalie Sans
- Univ. Bordeaux, INSERM, Neurocentre Magendie, U1215, 33077 Bordeaux, France; (J.E.); (B.J.A.R.); (M.M.); (M.M.)
- Correspondence: (M.M.M.); (N.S.)
| |
Collapse
|
27
|
Al Dera H. Cellular and molecular mechanisms underlying autism spectrum disorders and associated comorbidities: A pathophysiological review. Biomed Pharmacother 2022; 148:112688. [PMID: 35149383 DOI: 10.1016/j.biopha.2022.112688] [Citation(s) in RCA: 3] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 12/16/2021] [Revised: 01/25/2022] [Accepted: 02/01/2022] [Indexed: 12/31/2022] Open
Abstract
Autism spectrum disorders (ASD) are a group of neurodevelopmental disorders that develop in early life due to interaction between several genetic and environmental factors and lead to alterations in brain function and structure. During the last decades, several mechanisms have been placed to explain the pathogenesis of autism. Unfortunately, these are reported in several studies and reviews which make it difficult to follow by the reader. In addition, some recent molecular mechanisms related to ASD have been unrevealed. This paper revises and highlights the major common molecular mechanisms responsible for the clinical symptoms seen in people with ASD, including the roles of common genetic factors and disorders, neuroinflammation, GABAergic signaling, and alterations in Ca+2 signaling. Besides, it covers the major molecular mechanisms and signaling pathways involved in initiating the epileptic seizure, including the alterations in the GABAergic and glutamate signaling, vitamin and mineral deficiency, disorders of metabolism, and autoimmunity. Finally, this review also discusses sleep disorder patterns and the molecular mechanisms underlying them.
Collapse
Affiliation(s)
- Hussain Al Dera
- Department of Basic Medical Sciences, College of Medicine at King Saud, Abdulaziz University for Health Sciences (KSAU-HS), Riyadh, Saudi Arabia; King Abdullah International Medical Research Center (KAIMRC), Riyadh, Saudi Arabia.
| |
Collapse
|
28
|
Li W, Huang BS, Xiong YY, Yang LJ, Wu LX. 4,5-Dimethoxycanthin-6-one is a novel LSD1 inhibitor that inhibits proliferation of glioblastoma cells and induces apoptosis and pyroptosis. Cancer Cell Int 2022; 22:32. [PMID: 35042538 PMCID: PMC8764814 DOI: 10.1186/s12935-021-02434-5] [Citation(s) in RCA: 7] [Impact Index Per Article: 3.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 08/16/2021] [Accepted: 12/28/2021] [Indexed: 01/12/2023] Open
Abstract
Abstract
Background
Glioblastoma is one of the most common fatal intracranial malignancies. Lysine-specific demethylase 1 (LSD1) reportedly has therapeutic effects on a variety of tumors. This study explored the therapeutic effect of LSD1 inhibition on glioblastoma cell lines and the possible underlying mechanisms.
Methods
The MTT assay was utilized to screen for the sensitivity of U87, U251 and T98G cells to 4, 5-dimethoxycarrageenin-6-one. qRT-PCR and western blot were used to measure the proliferation, apoptosis, and pyroptosis signaling pathway expression to observe the effect of LSD1 inhibition on U251 and T98G cells. Flow cytometry, immunofluorescence, immunohistochemistry, wound scratch, clone formation, and TUNEL assay were used to analyze the effects of 4, 5-dimethoxycanthin-6-one on glioblastoma cells. The effect of 4, 5-dimethoxycanthin-6-one was examined in vivo in BALB/c nude mice injected with U251 cells. HE staining was used to detect the histopathology of the tumor.
Results
LSD1 specifically catalyzes the demethylation of monomethylated and demethylated histone H3 lysine at position 4 (h3k4me1, h3k4me2, h3k4me3) and lysine at position 9 (h3k9me1). This regulated the transcriptional activity of proliferation, apoptosis, and pyroptosis signaling pathway genes. In vitro, the proliferation of glioblastoma cells was decreased in the 4, 5-dimethoxycanthin-6-one group. The expression of Caspase1 in glioblastoma cells treated with 4, 5-dimethoxycanthin-6-one increased, and the number of apoptotic cells increased. The tumor volume of mice injected with 4, 5-dimethoxycanthin-6-one decreased significantly.
Conclusion
4, 5-Dimethoxycanthin-6-one could act as a novel inhibitor of LSD1 to regulate glioblastoma, which could inhibit the proliferation of U251 and T98G cells and induce their apoptosis and pyroptosis. It is a potential drug for the treatment of glioblastoma.
Collapse
|
29
|
Lutz AK, Pérez Arévalo A, Ioannidis V, Stirmlinger N, Demestre M, Delorme R, Bourgeron T, Boeckers TM. SHANK2 Mutations Result in Dysregulation of the ERK1/2 Pathway in Human Induced Pluripotent Stem Cells-Derived Neurons and Shank2(-/-) Mice. Front Mol Neurosci 2021; 14:773571. [PMID: 34899182 PMCID: PMC8662699 DOI: 10.3389/fnmol.2021.773571] [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: 09/10/2021] [Accepted: 10/07/2021] [Indexed: 12/28/2022] Open
Abstract
SHANK2 (ProSAP1) is a postsynaptic scaffolding protein of excitatory synapses in the central nervous system and implicated in the development of autism spectrum disorders (ASD). Patients with mutations in SHANK2 show autism-like behaviors, developmental delay, and intellectual disability. We generated human induced pluripotent stem cells (hiPSC) from a patient carrying a heterozygous deletion of SHANK2 and from the unaffected parents. In patient hiPSCs and derived neurons SHANK2 mRNA and protein expression was reduced. During neuronal maturation, a reduction in growth cone size and a transient increase in neuronal soma size were observed. Neuronal proliferation was increased, and apoptosis was decreased in young and mature neurons. Additionally, mature patient hiPSC-derived neurons showed dysregulated excitatory signaling and a decrease of a broad range of signaling molecules of the ERK-MAP kinase pathway. These findings could be confirmed in brain samples from Shank2(−/−) mice, which also showed decreased mGluR5 and phospho-ERK1/2 expression. Our study broadens the current knowledge of SHANK2-related ASD. We highlight the importance of excitatory-inhibitory balance and mGluR5 dysregulation with disturbed downstream ERK1/2 signaling in ASD, which provides possible future therapeutic strategies for SHANK2-related ASD.
Collapse
Affiliation(s)
- Anne-Kathrin Lutz
- Institute for Anatomy and Cell Biology, Ulm University, Ulm, Germany
| | | | | | | | - Maria Demestre
- Institute for Anatomy and Cell Biology, Ulm University, Ulm, Germany
| | | | - Thomas Bourgeron
- Génétique Humaine et Fonctions Cognitives, Institut Pasteur, Université Paris Diderot, Paris, France
| | - Tobias M Boeckers
- Institute for Anatomy and Cell Biology, Ulm University, Ulm, Germany.,Deutsches Zentrum für Neurodegenerative Erkrankungen (DZNE), Ulm Site, Ulm, Germany
| |
Collapse
|
30
|
The K63 deubiquitinase CYLD modulates autism-like behaviors and hippocampal plasticity by regulating autophagy and mTOR signaling. Proc Natl Acad Sci U S A 2021; 118:2110755118. [PMID: 34782467 DOI: 10.1073/pnas.2110755118] [Citation(s) in RCA: 4] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Accepted: 09/21/2021] [Indexed: 11/18/2022] Open
Abstract
Nondegradative ubiquitin chains attached to specific targets via Lysine 63 (K63) residues have emerged to play a fundamental role in synaptic function. The K63-specific deubiquitinase CYLD has been widely studied in immune cells and lately also in neurons. To better understand if CYLD plays a role in brain and synapse homeostasis, we analyzed the behavioral profile of CYLD-deficient mice. We found that the loss of CYLD results in major autism-like phenotypes including impaired social communication, increased repetitive behavior, and cognitive dysfunction. Furthermore, the absence of CYLD leads to a reduction in hippocampal network excitability, long-term potentiation, and pyramidal neuron spine numbers. By providing evidence that CYLD can modulate mechanistic target of rapamycin (mTOR) signaling and autophagy at the synapse, we propose that synaptic K63-linked ubiquitination processes could be fundamental in understanding the pathomechanisms underlying autism spectrum disorder.
Collapse
|
31
|
Specchio N, Di Micco V, Trivisano M, Ferretti A, Curatolo P. The epilepsy-autism spectrum disorder phenotype in the era of molecular genetics and precision therapy. Epilepsia 2021; 63:6-21. [PMID: 34741464 DOI: 10.1111/epi.17115] [Citation(s) in RCA: 15] [Impact Index Per Article: 5.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 05/18/2021] [Revised: 10/20/2021] [Accepted: 10/20/2021] [Indexed: 11/30/2022]
Abstract
Autism spectrum disorder (ASD) is frequently associated with infants with epileptic encephalopathy, and early interventions targeting social and cognitive deficits can have positive effects on developmental outcome. However, early diagnosis of ASD among infants with epilepsy is complicated by variability in clinical phenotypes. Commonality in both biological and molecular mechanisms have been suggested between ASD and epilepsy, such as occurs with tuberous sclerosis complex. This review summarizes the current understanding of causal mechanisms between epilepsy and ASD, with a particularly genetic focus. Hypothetical explanations to support the conjugation of the two conditions include abnormalities in synaptic growth, imbalance in neuronal excitation/inhibition, and abnormal synaptic plasticity. Investigation of the probable genetic basis has implemented many genes, although the main risk supports existing hypotheses in that these cluster to abnormalities in ion channels, synaptic function and structure, and transcription regulators, with the mammalian target of rapamycin (mTOR) pathway and "mTORpathies" having been a notable research focus. Experimental models not only have a crucial role in determining gene functions but are also useful instruments for tracing disease trajectory. Precision medicine from gene therapy remains a theoretical possibility, but more contemporary developments continue in molecular tests to aid earlier diagnoses and better therapeutic targeting.
Collapse
Affiliation(s)
- Nicola Specchio
- Rare and Complex Epilepsy Unit, Division of Neurology, Department of Neurosciences, Bambino Gesù Children's Hospital, IRCCS, Full Member of European Reference Network EpiCARE, Rome, Italy
| | - Valentina Di Micco
- Child Neurology and Psychiatry Unit, Systems Medicine Department, Tor Vergata University, Rome, Italy
| | - Marina Trivisano
- Rare and Complex Epilepsy Unit, Division of Neurology, Department of Neurosciences, Bambino Gesù Children's Hospital, IRCCS, Full Member of European Reference Network EpiCARE, Rome, Italy
| | - Alessandro Ferretti
- Rare and Complex Epilepsy Unit, Division of Neurology, Department of Neurosciences, Bambino Gesù Children's Hospital, IRCCS, Full Member of European Reference Network EpiCARE, Rome, Italy
| | - Paolo Curatolo
- Child Neurology and Psychiatry Unit, Systems Medicine Department, Tor Vergata University, Rome, Italy
| |
Collapse
|
32
|
Vasic V, Jones MSO, Haslinger D, Knaus LS, Schmeisser MJ, Novarino G, Chiocchetti AG. Translating the Role of mTOR- and RAS-Associated Signalopathies in Autism Spectrum Disorder: Models, Mechanisms and Treatment. Genes (Basel) 2021; 12:genes12111746. [PMID: 34828352 PMCID: PMC8624393 DOI: 10.3390/genes12111746] [Citation(s) in RCA: 2] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.7] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 09/29/2021] [Revised: 10/25/2021] [Accepted: 10/28/2021] [Indexed: 12/23/2022] Open
Abstract
Mutations affecting mTOR or RAS signaling underlie defined syndromes (the so-called mTORopathies and RASopathies) with high risk for Autism Spectrum Disorder (ASD). These syndromes show a broad variety of somatic phenotypes including cancers, skin abnormalities, heart disease and facial dysmorphisms. Less well studied are the neuropsychiatric symptoms such as ASD. Here, we assess the relevance of these signalopathies in ASD reviewing genetic, human cell model, rodent studies and clinical trials. We conclude that signalopathies have an increased liability for ASD and that, in particular, ASD individuals with dysmorphic features and intellectual disability (ID) have a higher chance for disruptive mutations in RAS- and mTOR-related genes. Studies on rodent and human cell models confirm aberrant neuronal development as the underlying pathology. Human studies further suggest that multiple hits are necessary to induce the respective phenotypes. Recent clinical trials do only report improvements for comorbid conditions such as epilepsy or cancer but not for behavioral aspects. Animal models show that treatment during early development can rescue behavioral phenotypes. Taken together, we suggest investigating the differential roles of mTOR and RAS signaling in both human and rodent models, and to test drug treatment both during and after neuronal development in the available model systems.
Collapse
Affiliation(s)
- Verica Vasic
- Institute for Microscopic Anatomy and Neurobiology, University Medical Center of the Johannes Gutenberg-University, 55131 Mainz, Germany; (V.V.); (M.J.S.)
| | - Mattson S. O. Jones
- Autism Therapy and Research Center of Excellence, Department of Child and Adolescent Psychiatry, Psychosomatics and Psychotherapy, University Hospital Frankfurt, 60528 Frankfurt am Main, Germany; (M.S.O.J.); (D.H.)
- Center for Personalized Translational Epilepsy Research (CePTER), Goethe University Frankfurt, 60528 Frankfurt am Main, Germany
| | - Denise Haslinger
- Autism Therapy and Research Center of Excellence, Department of Child and Adolescent Psychiatry, Psychosomatics and Psychotherapy, University Hospital Frankfurt, 60528 Frankfurt am Main, Germany; (M.S.O.J.); (D.H.)
- Institute of Science and Technology (IST) Austria, 3400 Klosterneuburg, Austria; (L.S.K.); (G.N.)
| | - Lisa S. Knaus
- Institute of Science and Technology (IST) Austria, 3400 Klosterneuburg, Austria; (L.S.K.); (G.N.)
| | - Michael J. Schmeisser
- Institute for Microscopic Anatomy and Neurobiology, University Medical Center of the Johannes Gutenberg-University, 55131 Mainz, Germany; (V.V.); (M.J.S.)
- Focus Program Translational Neurosciences (FTN), University Medical Center of the Johannes Gutenberg-University, 55131 Mainz, Germany
| | - Gaia Novarino
- Institute of Science and Technology (IST) Austria, 3400 Klosterneuburg, Austria; (L.S.K.); (G.N.)
| | - Andreas G. Chiocchetti
- Autism Therapy and Research Center of Excellence, Department of Child and Adolescent Psychiatry, Psychosomatics and Psychotherapy, University Hospital Frankfurt, 60528 Frankfurt am Main, Germany; (M.S.O.J.); (D.H.)
- Center for Personalized Translational Epilepsy Research (CePTER), Goethe University Frankfurt, 60528 Frankfurt am Main, Germany
- Correspondence: ; Tel.: +49-69-6301-80658
| |
Collapse
|
33
|
Pagani M, Barsotti N, Bertero A, Trakoshis S, Ulysse L, Locarno A, Miseviciute I, De Felice A, Canella C, Supekar K, Galbusera A, Menon V, Tonini R, Deco G, Lombardo MV, Pasqualetti M, Gozzi A. mTOR-related synaptic pathology causes autism spectrum disorder-associated functional hyperconnectivity. Nat Commun 2021; 12:6084. [PMID: 34667149 PMCID: PMC8526836 DOI: 10.1038/s41467-021-26131-z] [Citation(s) in RCA: 67] [Impact Index Per Article: 22.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 10/30/2020] [Accepted: 09/17/2021] [Indexed: 11/24/2022] Open
Abstract
Postmortem studies have revealed increased density of excitatory synapses in the brains of individuals with autism spectrum disorder (ASD), with a putative link to aberrant mTOR-dependent synaptic pruning. ASD is also characterized by atypical macroscale functional connectivity as measured with resting-state fMRI (rsfMRI). These observations raise the question of whether excess of synapses causes aberrant functional connectivity in ASD. Using rsfMRI, electrophysiology and in silico modelling in Tsc2 haploinsufficient mice, we show that mTOR-dependent increased spine density is associated with ASD -like stereotypies and cortico-striatal hyperconnectivity. These deficits are completely rescued by pharmacological inhibition of mTOR. Notably, we further demonstrate that children with idiopathic ASD exhibit analogous cortical-striatal hyperconnectivity, and document that this connectivity fingerprint is enriched for ASD-dysregulated genes interacting with mTOR or Tsc2. Finally, we show that the identified transcriptomic signature is predominantly expressed in a subset of children with autism, thereby defining a segregable autism subtype. Our findings causally link mTOR-related synaptic pathology to large-scale network aberrations, revealing a unifying multi-scale framework that mechanistically reconciles developmental synaptopathy and functional hyperconnectivity in autism.
Collapse
Affiliation(s)
- Marco Pagani
- Functional Neuroimaging Laboratory, Istituto Italiano di Tecnologia, Center for Neuroscience and Cognitive Systems @ University of Trento, Rovereto, Italy
- Autism Center, Child Mind Institute, New York, NY, USA
| | - Noemi Barsotti
- Department of Biology, Unit of Cell and Developmental Biology, University of Pisa, Pisa, Italy
| | - Alice Bertero
- Functional Neuroimaging Laboratory, Istituto Italiano di Tecnologia, Center for Neuroscience and Cognitive Systems @ University of Trento, Rovereto, Italy
- Department of Biology, Unit of Cell and Developmental Biology, University of Pisa, Pisa, Italy
| | - Stavros Trakoshis
- Department of Psychology, University of Cyprus, Nicosia, Cyprus
- Laboratory for Autism and Neurodevelopmental Disorders, Istituto Italiano di Tecnologia, Center for Neuroscience and Cognitive Systems @ University of Trento, Rovereto, Italy
| | - Laura Ulysse
- Center for Brain and Cognition, Computational Neuroscience Group, Department of Information and Communication Technologies, Barcelona, Spain
| | - Andrea Locarno
- Neuromodulation of Cortical and Subcortical Circuits Laboratory, Istituto Italiano di Tecnologia, Genova, Italy
| | - Ieva Miseviciute
- Neuromodulation of Cortical and Subcortical Circuits Laboratory, Istituto Italiano di Tecnologia, Genova, Italy
| | - Alessia De Felice
- Functional Neuroimaging Laboratory, Istituto Italiano di Tecnologia, Center for Neuroscience and Cognitive Systems @ University of Trento, Rovereto, Italy
| | - Carola Canella
- Functional Neuroimaging Laboratory, Istituto Italiano di Tecnologia, Center for Neuroscience and Cognitive Systems @ University of Trento, Rovereto, Italy
| | | | - Alberto Galbusera
- Functional Neuroimaging Laboratory, Istituto Italiano di Tecnologia, Center for Neuroscience and Cognitive Systems @ University of Trento, Rovereto, Italy
| | | | - Raffaella Tonini
- Neuromodulation of Cortical and Subcortical Circuits Laboratory, Istituto Italiano di Tecnologia, Genova, Italy
| | - Gustavo Deco
- Center for Brain and Cognition, Computational Neuroscience Group, Department of Information and Communication Technologies, Barcelona, Spain
- Institució Catalana de la Recerca i Estudis Avançats (ICREA), Universitat Pompeu Fabra, Barcelona, Spain
| | - Michael V Lombardo
- Laboratory for Autism and Neurodevelopmental Disorders, Istituto Italiano di Tecnologia, Center for Neuroscience and Cognitive Systems @ University of Trento, Rovereto, Italy
- Autism Research Centre, University of Cambridge, Cambridge, UK
| | - Massimo Pasqualetti
- Functional Neuroimaging Laboratory, Istituto Italiano di Tecnologia, Center for Neuroscience and Cognitive Systems @ University of Trento, Rovereto, Italy
- Department of Biology, Unit of Cell and Developmental Biology, University of Pisa, Pisa, Italy
| | - Alessandro Gozzi
- Functional Neuroimaging Laboratory, Istituto Italiano di Tecnologia, Center for Neuroscience and Cognitive Systems @ University of Trento, Rovereto, Italy.
| |
Collapse
|
34
|
Ellul P, Rosenzwajg M, Peyre H, Fourcade G, Mariotti-Ferrandiz E, Trebossen V, Klatzmann D, Delorme R. Regulatory T lymphocytes/Th17 lymphocytes imbalance in autism spectrum disorders: evidence from a meta-analysis. Mol Autism 2021; 12:68. [PMID: 34641964 PMCID: PMC8507168 DOI: 10.1186/s13229-021-00472-4] [Citation(s) in RCA: 11] [Impact Index Per Article: 3.7] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 03/12/2021] [Accepted: 09/29/2021] [Indexed: 12/27/2022] Open
Abstract
Background Immune system dysfunction has been proposed to play a critical role in the pathophysiology of autism spectrum disorders (ASD). Conflicting reports of lymphocyte subpopulation abnormalities have been described in numerous studies of patients with ASD. To better define lymphocytes abnormalities in ASD, we performed a meta-analysis of the lymphocyte profiles from subjects with ASD. Methods We used the PRISMA recommendations to query PubMed, Embase, PsychoINFO, BIOSIS, Science Direct, Cochrane CENTRAL, and Clinicaltrials.gov for terms related to clinical diagnosis of ASD and to lymphocytes’ populations. We selected studies exploring lymphocyte subpopulations in children with ASD. The search protocol has been registered in the international Prospective Register of Systematic Reviews (CRD42019121473). Results We selected 13 studies gathering 388 ASD patients and 326 healthy controls. A significant decrease in the CD4+ lymphocyte was found in ASD patients compared to controls [− 1.51 (95% CI − 2.99; − 0.04) p = 0.04] (I2 = 96% [95% CI 94.6, 97.7], p < 0.01). No significant difference was found for the CD8+ T, B and natural killer lymphocytes. Considering the CD4+ subpopulation, there was a significant decrease in regulatory T lymphocytes (Tregs) in ASD patients (n = 114) compared to controls (n = 107) [− 3.09 (95% CI − 4.41; − 1.76) p = 0.0001]; (I2 = 90.9%, [95% CI 76.2, 96.5], p < 0.0001) associated with an increase oin the Th17 lymphocytes (ASD; n = 147 controls; n = 128) [2.23 (95% CI 0.79; 3.66) p = 0,002] (I2 = 95.1% [95% CI 90.4, 97.5], p < 0.0001). Limitations Several factors inducing heterogeneity should be considered. First, differences in the staining method may be responsible for a part in the heterogeneity of results. Second, ASD population is also by itself heterogeneous, underlying the need of studying sub-groups that are more homogeneous. Conclusion Our meta-analysis indicates defects in CD4+ lymphocytes, specifically decrease oin Tregs and increase in Th17 in ASD patients and supports the development of targeted immunotherapies in the field of ASD. Supplementary Information The online version contains supplementary material available at 10.1186/s13229-021-00472-4.
Collapse
Affiliation(s)
- Pierre Ellul
- AP-HP (Assistance Publique-Hôpitaux de Paris), Robert Debré Hospital, Child and Adolescent Psychiatry Department, Paris University, 48 Boulevard Sérurier, 75019, Paris, France. .,INSERM, Immunology-Immunopathology-Immunotherapy (i3), Sorbonne Université, Paris, France.
| | - Michelle Rosenzwajg
- INSERM, Immunology-Immunopathology-Immunotherapy (i3), Sorbonne Université, Paris, France.,AP-HP, Hôpital Pitié-Salpêtrière, Biotherapy (CIC-BTi), Paris, France
| | - Hugo Peyre
- AP-HP (Assistance Publique-Hôpitaux de Paris), Robert Debré Hospital, Child and Adolescent Psychiatry Department, Paris University, 48 Boulevard Sérurier, 75019, Paris, France.,Robert Debré Hospital, UMR 1141, NeuroDiderot Inserm - Paris University, Paris, France
| | - Gwladys Fourcade
- INSERM, Immunology-Immunopathology-Immunotherapy (i3), Sorbonne Université, Paris, France
| | | | - Vincent Trebossen
- AP-HP (Assistance Publique-Hôpitaux de Paris), Robert Debré Hospital, Child and Adolescent Psychiatry Department, Paris University, 48 Boulevard Sérurier, 75019, Paris, France
| | - David Klatzmann
- INSERM, Immunology-Immunopathology-Immunotherapy (i3), Sorbonne Université, Paris, France.,AP-HP, Hôpital Pitié-Salpêtrière, Biotherapy (CIC-BTi), Paris, France
| | - Richard Delorme
- AP-HP (Assistance Publique-Hôpitaux de Paris), Robert Debré Hospital, Child and Adolescent Psychiatry Department, Paris University, 48 Boulevard Sérurier, 75019, Paris, France.,Human Genetics and Cognitive Functions, Institut Pasteur, Paris, France
| |
Collapse
|
35
|
Mencer S, Kartawy M, Lendenfeld F, Soluh H, Tripathi MK, Khaliulin I, Amal H. Proteomics of autism and Alzheimer's mouse models reveal common alterations in mTOR signaling pathway. Transl Psychiatry 2021; 11:480. [PMID: 34535637 PMCID: PMC8448888 DOI: 10.1038/s41398-021-01578-2] [Citation(s) in RCA: 23] [Impact Index Per Article: 7.7] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Submit a Manuscript] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 03/30/2021] [Revised: 08/03/2021] [Accepted: 08/20/2021] [Indexed: 12/14/2022] Open
Abstract
Autism spectrum disorder (ASD) and Alzheimer's disease (AD) are two different neurological disorders that share common clinical features, such as language impairment, executive functions, and motor problems. A genetic convergence has been proposed as well. However, the molecular mechanisms of these pathologies are still not well understood. Protein S-nitrosylation (SNO), the nitric oxide (NO)-mediated posttranslational modification, targets key proteins implicated in synaptic and neuronal functions. Previously, we have shown that NO and SNO are involved in the InsG3680(+/+) ASD and P301S AD mouse models. Here, we performed large-scale computational biology analysis of the SNO-proteome followed by biochemical validation to decipher the shared mechanisms between the pathologies. This analysis pointed to the mammalian target of rapamycin complex 1 (mTORC1) signaling pathway as one of the shared molecular mechanisms. Activation of mTOR in the cortex of both mouse models was confirmed by western blots that showed increased phosphorylation of RPS6, a major substrate of mTORC1. Other molecular alterations affected by SNO and shared between the two mouse models, such as synaptic-associated processes, PKA signaling, and cytoskeleton-related processes were also detected. This is the first study to decipher the SNO-related shared mechanisms between SHANK3 and MAPT mutations. Understanding the involvement of SNO in neurological disorders and its intersection between ASD and AD might help developing an effective novel therapy for both neuropathologies.
Collapse
Affiliation(s)
- Shira Mencer
- Institute for Drug Research, School of Pharmacy, Faculty of Medicine, The Hebrew University of Jerusalem, Jerusalem, Israel
| | - Maryam Kartawy
- Institute for Drug Research, School of Pharmacy, Faculty of Medicine, The Hebrew University of Jerusalem, Jerusalem, Israel
| | - Felix Lendenfeld
- Institute for Drug Research, School of Pharmacy, Faculty of Medicine, The Hebrew University of Jerusalem, Jerusalem, Israel
| | - Huda Soluh
- Institute for Drug Research, School of Pharmacy, Faculty of Medicine, The Hebrew University of Jerusalem, Jerusalem, Israel
| | - Manish Kumar Tripathi
- Institute for Drug Research, School of Pharmacy, Faculty of Medicine, The Hebrew University of Jerusalem, Jerusalem, Israel
| | - Igor Khaliulin
- Institute for Drug Research, School of Pharmacy, Faculty of Medicine, The Hebrew University of Jerusalem, Jerusalem, Israel
| | - Haitham Amal
- Institute for Drug Research, School of Pharmacy, Faculty of Medicine, The Hebrew University of Jerusalem, Jerusalem, Israel.
| |
Collapse
|
36
|
Gawlińska K, Gawliński D, Borczyk M, Korostyński M, Przegaliński E, Filip M. A Maternal High-Fat Diet during Early Development Provokes Molecular Changes Related to Autism Spectrum Disorder in the Rat Offspring Brain. Nutrients 2021; 13:3212. [PMID: 34579089 PMCID: PMC8467420 DOI: 10.3390/nu13093212] [Citation(s) in RCA: 10] [Impact Index Per Article: 3.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 08/20/2021] [Revised: 09/11/2021] [Accepted: 09/14/2021] [Indexed: 12/23/2022] Open
Abstract
Autism spectrum disorder (ASD) is a disruptive neurodevelopmental disorder manifested by abnormal social interactions, communication, emotional circuits, and repetitive behaviors and is more often diagnosed in boys than in girls. It is postulated that ASD is caused by a complex interaction between genetic and environmental factors. Epigenetics provides a mechanistic link between exposure to an unbalanced maternal diet and persistent modifications in gene expression levels that can lead to phenotype changes in the offspring. To better understand the impact of the early development environment on the risk of ASD in offspring, we assessed the effect of maternal high-fat (HFD), high-carbohydrate, and mixed diets on molecular changes in adolescent and young adult offspring frontal cortex and hippocampus. Our results showed that maternal HFD significantly altered the expression of 48 ASD-related genes in the frontal cortex of male offspring. Moreover, exposure to maternal HFD led to sex- and age-dependent changes in the protein levels of ANKRD11, EIF4E, NF1, SETD1B, SHANK1 and TAOK2, as well as differences in DNA methylation levels in the frontal cortex and hippocampus of the offspring. Taken together, it was concluded that a maternal HFD during pregnancy and lactation periods can lead to abnormal brain development within the transcription and translation of ASD-related genes mainly in male offspring.
Collapse
Affiliation(s)
- Kinga Gawlińska
- Maj Institute of Pharmacology Polish Academy of Sciences, Department of Drug Addiction Pharmacology, Smętna Street 12, 31-343 Kraków, Poland; (K.G.); (E.P.); (M.F.)
| | - Dawid Gawliński
- Maj Institute of Pharmacology Polish Academy of Sciences, Department of Drug Addiction Pharmacology, Smętna Street 12, 31-343 Kraków, Poland; (K.G.); (E.P.); (M.F.)
| | - Małgorzata Borczyk
- Maj Institute of Pharmacology Polish Academy of Sciences, Laboratory of Pharmacogenomics, Department of Molecular Neuropharmacology, Smętna Street 12, 31-343 Kraków, Poland; (M.B.); (M.K.)
| | - Michał Korostyński
- Maj Institute of Pharmacology Polish Academy of Sciences, Laboratory of Pharmacogenomics, Department of Molecular Neuropharmacology, Smętna Street 12, 31-343 Kraków, Poland; (M.B.); (M.K.)
| | - Edmund Przegaliński
- Maj Institute of Pharmacology Polish Academy of Sciences, Department of Drug Addiction Pharmacology, Smętna Street 12, 31-343 Kraków, Poland; (K.G.); (E.P.); (M.F.)
| | - Małgorzata Filip
- Maj Institute of Pharmacology Polish Academy of Sciences, Department of Drug Addiction Pharmacology, Smętna Street 12, 31-343 Kraków, Poland; (K.G.); (E.P.); (M.F.)
| |
Collapse
|
37
|
Borrie SC, Plasschaert E, Callaerts-Vegh Z, Yoshimura A, D'Hooge R, Elgersma Y, Kushner SA, Legius E, Brems H. MEK inhibition ameliorates social behavior phenotypes in a Spred1 knockout mouse model for RASopathy disorders. Mol Autism 2021; 12:53. [PMID: 34311771 PMCID: PMC8314535 DOI: 10.1186/s13229-021-00458-2] [Citation(s) in RCA: 2] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.7] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 12/14/2020] [Accepted: 07/12/2021] [Indexed: 01/17/2023] Open
Abstract
BACKGROUND RASopathies are a group of disorders that result from mutations in genes coding for proteins involved in regulating the Ras-MAPK signaling pathway, and have an increased incidence of autism spectrum disorder (ASD). Legius syndrome is a rare RASopathy caused by loss-of-function mutations in the SPRED1 gene. The patient phenotype is similar to, but milder than, Neurofibromatosis type 1-another RASopathy caused by loss-of-function mutations in the NF1 gene. RASopathies exhibit increased activation of Ras-MAPK signaling and commonly manifest with cognitive impairments and ASD. Here, we investigated if a Spred1-/- mouse model for Legius syndrome recapitulates ASD-like symptoms, and whether targeting the Ras-MAPK pathway has therapeutic potential in this RASopathy mouse model. METHODS We investigated social and communicative behaviors in Spred1-/- mice and probed therapeutic mechanisms underlying the observed behavioral phenotypes by pharmacological targeting of the Ras-MAPK pathway with the MEK inhibitor PD325901. RESULTS Spred1-/- mice have robust increases in social dominance in the automated tube test and reduced adult ultrasonic vocalizations during social communication. Neonatal ultrasonic vocalization was also altered, with significant differences in spectral properties. Spred1-/- mice also exhibit impaired nesting behavior. Acute MEK inhibitor treatment in adulthood with PD325901 reversed the enhanced social dominance in Spred1-/- mice to normal levels, and improved nesting behavior in adult Spred1-/- mice. LIMITATIONS This study used an acute treatment protocol to administer the drug. It is not known what the effects of longer-term treatment would be on behavior. Further studies titrating the lowest dose of this drug that is required to alter Spred1-/- social behavior are still required. Finally, our findings are in a homozygous mouse model, whereas patients carry heterozygous mutations. These factors should be considered before any translational conclusions are drawn. CONCLUSIONS These results demonstrate for the first time that social behavior phenotypes in a mouse model for RASopathies (Spred1-/-) can be acutely reversed. This highlights a key role for Ras-MAPK dysregulation in mediating social behavior phenotypes in mouse models for ASD, suggesting that proper regulation of Ras-MAPK signaling is important for social behavior.
Collapse
Affiliation(s)
- Sarah C Borrie
- Department of Human Genetics, KU Leuven, O&N1 Herestraat 49, Box 607, 3000, Leuven, Belgium
| | - Ellen Plasschaert
- Department of Human Genetics, KU Leuven, O&N1 Herestraat 49, Box 607, 3000, Leuven, Belgium
| | | | - Akihiko Yoshimura
- Department of Microbiology and Immunology, Keio University School of Medicine, Tokyo, Japan
| | - Rudi D'Hooge
- Laboratory for Biological Psychology, KU Leuven, Leuven, Belgium
| | - Ype Elgersma
- ENCORE Expertise Center for Neurodevelopmental Disorders, Erasmus MC University Medical Center, Rotterdam, The Netherlands.,Department of Neuroscience, Erasmus MC University Medical Center, Rotterdam, The Netherlands
| | - Steven A Kushner
- ENCORE Expertise Center for Neurodevelopmental Disorders, Erasmus MC University Medical Center, Rotterdam, The Netherlands.,Department of Psychiatry, Erasmus MC University Medical Center, Rotterdam, The Netherlands
| | - Eric Legius
- Department of Human Genetics, KU Leuven, O&N1 Herestraat 49, Box 607, 3000, Leuven, Belgium
| | - Hilde Brems
- Department of Human Genetics, KU Leuven, O&N1 Herestraat 49, Box 607, 3000, Leuven, Belgium.
| |
Collapse
|
38
|
Frye RE, Cakir J, Rose S, Palmer RF, Austin C, Curtin P. Physiological mediators of prenatal environmental influences in autism spectrum disorder. Bioessays 2021; 43:e2000307. [PMID: 34260745 DOI: 10.1002/bies.202000307] [Citation(s) in RCA: 9] [Impact Index Per Article: 3.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 11/20/2020] [Revised: 06/24/2021] [Accepted: 06/28/2021] [Indexed: 12/27/2022]
Abstract
Recent research has pointed to the importance of the prenatal environment in the etiology of autism spectrum disorder (ASD) but the biological mechanisms which mitigate these environmental factors are not clear. Mitochondrial metabolism abnormalities, inflammation and oxidative stress as common physiological disturbances associated with ASD. Network analysis of the scientific literature identified several leading prenatal environmental factors associated with ASD, particularly air pollution, pesticides, the microbiome and epigenetics. These leading prenatal environmental factors were found to be most associated with inflammation, followed by oxidative stress and mitochondrial dysfunction. Other prenatal factors associated with ASD not identified by the network analysis were also found to be significantly associated with these common physiological disturbances. A better understanding of the biological mechanism which mediate the effect of prenatal environmental factors can lead to insights of how ASD develops and the development of targeted therapeutics to prevent ASD from occuring.
Collapse
Affiliation(s)
- Richard E Frye
- Section on Neurodevelopmental Disorders, Division of Neurology, Barrow Neurological Institute at Phoenix Children's Hospital, 1919 E Thomas Rd, Phoenix, Arizona, 85016, USA.,Department of Child Health, University of Arizona College of Medicine - Phoenix, Phoenix, AZ, 85004, USA
| | - Janet Cakir
- Department of Applied Ecology, North Carolina State University, Raleigh, North Carolina, 27695, USA
| | - Shannon Rose
- Arkansas Children's Research Institute, Little Rock, Arkansas, 72202, USA.,Department of Pediatrics, University of Arkansas for Medical Sciences, Little Rock, Arkansas, 72205, USA
| | - Raymond F Palmer
- Department of Family and Community Medicine, University of Texas Health Science Center, San Antonio, Texas, 78229, USA
| | - Christine Austin
- Department of Environmental Medicine and Public Health, Icahn School of Medicine at Mount Sinai, New York, New York, 10029, USA
| | - Paul Curtin
- Department of Environmental Medicine and Public Health, Icahn School of Medicine at Mount Sinai, New York, New York, 10029, USA
| |
Collapse
|
39
|
Boksha IS, Prokhorova TA, Tereshkina EB, Savushkina OK, Burbaeva GS. Protein Phosphorylation Signaling Cascades in Autism: The Role of mTOR Pathway. BIOCHEMISTRY (MOSCOW) 2021; 86:577-596. [PMID: 33993859 DOI: 10.1134/s0006297921050072] [Citation(s) in RCA: 2] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.7] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 12/12/2022]
Abstract
The mammalian target of rapamycin (mTOR) signaling pathway is a central regulator of cell metabolism, growth, and survival in response to hormones, growth factors, nutrients, and stress-induced signals. In this review, we analyzed the studies on the molecular abnormalities of the mTOR-associated signaling cascades in autism spectrum disorders (ASDs) and outlined the prospects for the pathogenicity-targeting pharmacotherapeutic approaches to ASDs, in particular syndromic ASDs. Based on available experimental and clinical data, we suggest that very early detection of molecular abnormalities in the ASD risk groups can be facilitated by using peripheral blood platelets. Also, identification of the time window of critical dysregulations in the described pathways in the ASD risk groups might suggest further research directions leading to more efficacious pharmacotherapeutic interventions in ASDs.
Collapse
Affiliation(s)
- Irina S Boksha
- Mental Health Research Center, Moscow, 115522, Russia. .,Gamaleya Research Center of Epidemiology and Microbiology, Ministry of Health of the Russian Federation, Moscow, 123098, Russia
| | | | | | | | | |
Collapse
|
40
|
Oztan O, Talbot CF, Argilli E, Maness AC, Simmons SM, Mohsin N, Del Rosso LA, Garner JP, Sherr EH, Capitanio JP, Parker KJ. Autism-associated biomarkers: test-retest reliability and relationship to quantitative social trait variation in rhesus monkeys. Mol Autism 2021; 12:50. [PMID: 34238350 PMCID: PMC8268173 DOI: 10.1186/s13229-021-00442-w] [Citation(s) in RCA: 8] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.7] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 01/25/2021] [Accepted: 04/29/2021] [Indexed: 11/30/2022] Open
Abstract
Background Rhesus monkeys (Macaca mulatta) exhibit pronounced individual differences in social traits as measured by the macaque Social Responsiveness Scale-Revised. The macaque Social Responsiveness Scale was previously adapted from the Social Responsiveness Scale, an instrument designed to assess social and autistic trait variation in humans. To better understand potential biological underpinnings of this behavioral variation, we evaluated the trait-like consistency of several biological measures previously implicated in autism (e.g., arginine vasopressin, oxytocin, and their receptors, as well as ERK1/2, PTEN, and AKT(1–3) from the RAS-MAPK and PI3K-AKT pathways). We also tested which biological measures predicted macaque Social Responsiveness Scale-Revised scores. Methods Cerebrospinal fluid and blood samples were collected from N = 76 male monkeys, which, as a sample, showed a continuous distribution on the macaque Social Responsiveness Scale-Revised. In a subset of these subjects (n = 43), samples were collected thrice over a 10-month period. The following statistical tests were used: “Case 2A” intra-class correlation coefficients of consistency, principal component analysis, and general linear modeling. Results All biological measures (except AKT) showed significant test–retest reliability within individuals across time points. We next performed principal component analysis on data from monkeys with complete biological measurement sets at the first time point (n = 57), to explore potential correlations between the reliable biological measures and their relationship to macaque Social Responsiveness Scale-Revised score; a three-component solution was found. Follow-up analyses revealed that cerebrospinal fluid arginine vasopressin concentration, but no other biological measure, robustly predicted individual differences in macaque Social Responsiveness Scale-Revised scores, such that monkeys with the lowest cerebrospinal fluid arginine vasopressin concentration exhibited the greatest social impairment. Finally, we confirmed that this result held in the larger study sample (in which cerebrospinal fluid arginine vasopressin values were available from n = 75 of the subjects). Conclusions These findings indicate that cerebrospinal fluid arginine vasopressin concentration is a stable trait-like measure and that it is linked to quantitative social trait variation in male rhesus monkeys. Supplementary information The online version contains supplementary material available at 10.1186/s13229-021-00442-w.
Collapse
Affiliation(s)
- Ozge Oztan
- Department of Psychiatry and Behavioral Sciences, Stanford University, 1201 Welch Rd., MSLS P-104, Stanford, CA, 94305, USA
| | - Catherine F Talbot
- California National Primate Research Center, 1 Shields Ave., Davis, CA, 95616, USA
| | - Emanuela Argilli
- Department of Neurology, University of California, 675 Nelson Rising Lane, San Francisco, CA, 94158, USA
| | - Alyssa C Maness
- California National Primate Research Center, 1 Shields Ave., Davis, CA, 95616, USA
| | - Sierra M Simmons
- California National Primate Research Center, 1 Shields Ave., Davis, CA, 95616, USA
| | - Noreen Mohsin
- Department of Psychiatry and Behavioral Sciences, Stanford University, 1201 Welch Rd., MSLS P-104, Stanford, CA, 94305, USA
| | - Laura A Del Rosso
- California National Primate Research Center, 1 Shields Ave., Davis, CA, 95616, USA
| | - Joseph P Garner
- Department of Psychiatry and Behavioral Sciences, Stanford University, 1201 Welch Rd., MSLS P-104, Stanford, CA, 94305, USA.,Department of Comparative Medicine, Stanford University, 300 Pasteur Dr., Edwards R348, Stanford, CA, 94305, USA
| | - Elliott H Sherr
- Department of Neurology, University of California, 675 Nelson Rising Lane, San Francisco, CA, 94158, USA
| | - John P Capitanio
- California National Primate Research Center, 1 Shields Ave., Davis, CA, 95616, USA.,Department of Psychology, University of California, 1 Shields Ave., Davis, 95616, USA
| | - Karen J Parker
- Department of Psychiatry and Behavioral Sciences, Stanford University, 1201 Welch Rd., MSLS P-104, Stanford, CA, 94305, USA. .,California National Primate Research Center, 1 Shields Ave., Davis, CA, 95616, USA.
| |
Collapse
|
41
|
Ash RT, Buffington SA, Park J, Suter B, Costa-Mattioli M, Zoghbi HY, Smirnakis SM. Inhibition of Elevated Ras-MAPK Signaling Normalizes Enhanced Motor Learning and Excessive Clustered Dendritic Spine Stabilization in the MECP2-Duplication Syndrome Mouse Model of Autism. eNeuro 2021; 8:ENEURO.0056-21.2021. [PMID: 34021030 PMCID: PMC8260274 DOI: 10.1523/eneuro.0056-21.2021] [Citation(s) in RCA: 9] [Impact Index Per Article: 3.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 02/09/2021] [Revised: 04/06/2021] [Accepted: 04/07/2021] [Indexed: 12/26/2022] Open
Abstract
The inflexible repetitive behaviors and "insistence on sameness" seen in autism imply a defect in neural processes controlling the balance between stability and plasticity of synaptic connections in the brain. It has been proposed that abnormalities in the Ras-ERK/MAPK pathway, a key plasticity-related cell signaling pathway known to drive consolidation of clustered synaptic connections, underlie altered learning phenotypes in autism. However, a link between altered Ras-ERK signaling and clustered dendritic spine plasticity has yet to be explored in an autism animal model in vivo The formation and stabilization of dendritic spine clusters is abnormally increased in the MECP2-duplication syndrome mouse model of syndromic autism, suggesting that ERK signaling may be increased. Here, we show that the Ras-ERK pathway is indeed hyperactive following motor training in MECP2-duplication mouse motor cortex. Pharmacological inhibition of ERK signaling normalizes the excessive clustered spine stabilization and enhanced motor learning behavior in MECP2-duplication mice. We conclude that hyperactive ERK signaling may contribute to abnormal clustered dendritic spine consolidation and motor learning in this model of syndromic autism.
Collapse
Affiliation(s)
- Ryan Thomas Ash
- Department of Psychiatry and Behavioral Sciences, Stanford University, CA 94305
- Department of Neuroscience, Baylor College of Medicine, Houston, TX 77030
- Medical Scientist Training Program, Baylor College of Medicine, Houston, TX 77030
- Department of Neurology, Brigham and Women's Hospital and Jamaica Plain Veterans Administration Hospital, Harvard Medical School, Boston, MA 02115
| | - Shelly Alexandra Buffington
- Memory and Brain Research Center, Baylor College of Medicine, Houston, TX 77030
- Department of Neuroscience, Cell Biology, and Anatomy, University of Texas Medical Branch, Galveston, TX 77555
| | - Jiyoung Park
- Department of Neuroscience, Baylor College of Medicine, Houston, TX 77030
- Department of Neurology, Brigham and Women's Hospital and Jamaica Plain Veterans Administration Hospital, Harvard Medical School, Boston, MA 02115
| | - Bernhard Suter
- Department of Neurology, Brigham and Women's Hospital and Jamaica Plain Veterans Administration Hospital, Harvard Medical School, Boston, MA 02115
- Department of Pediatrics, Texas Children's Hospital and Baylor College of Medicine, Houston, TX 77030
| | - Mauro Costa-Mattioli
- Department of Neuroscience, Baylor College of Medicine, Houston, TX 77030
- Memory and Brain Research Center, Baylor College of Medicine, Houston, TX 77030
| | - Huda Yaya Zoghbi
- Department of Neuroscience, Baylor College of Medicine, Houston, TX 77030
- Department of Pediatrics, Texas Children's Hospital and Baylor College of Medicine, Houston, TX 77030
- Department of Molecular and Human Genetics, Baylor College of Medicine, Houston, TX 77030
- Jan and Dan Duncan Neurological Research Institute at Texas Children's Hospital, Houston, TX 77030
- Howard Hughes Medical Institute, Baylor College of Medicine, Houston, TX 77030
| | - Stelios Manolis Smirnakis
- Department of Neurology, Brigham and Women's Hospital and Jamaica Plain Veterans Administration Hospital, Harvard Medical School, Boston, MA 02115
| |
Collapse
|
42
|
Novel treatments for autism spectrum disorder based on genomics and systems biology. Pharmacol Ther 2021; 230:107939. [PMID: 34174273 DOI: 10.1016/j.pharmthera.2021.107939] [Citation(s) in RCA: 14] [Impact Index Per Article: 4.7] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 01/05/2021] [Accepted: 06/03/2021] [Indexed: 12/14/2022]
Abstract
BACKGROUND Autism spectrum disorder (ASD) is a highly heterogeneous neurodevelopmental disorder with a complex underlying genetic architecture. There are currently no known pharmacologic treatments for the core ASD symptoms of social deficits and restricted/ repetitive behavior. However, there are dozens of clinical trials currently underway that are testing the impact of novel and existing agents on core and associated symptoms in ASD. METHODS We present a narrative synthesis of the historical and contemporary challenges to drug discovery in ASD. We then provide an overview of novel treatments currently under investigation from a genomics and systems biology perspective. RESULTS Data driven network and cluster analyses suggest alterations in transcriptional regulation, chromatin remodelling, synaptic transmission, neuropeptide signalling, and/or immunological mechanisms may contribute to or underlie the development of ASD. Agents and upcoming trials targeting each of the above listed systems are reviewed. CONCLUSION Identifying effective pharmacologic treatments for the core and associated symptom domains in ASD will require further collaboration and innovation in the areas of outcome measurement, biomarker research, and genomics, as well as systematic efforts to identify and treat subgroups of individuals with ASD who may be differentially responsive to specific treatments.
Collapse
|
43
|
Aluko OM, Lawal SA, Ijomone OM, Aschner M. Perturbed MAPK signaling in ASD: Impact of metal neurotoxicity. CURRENT OPINION IN TOXICOLOGY 2021; 26:1-7. [PMID: 34263087 PMCID: PMC8276949 DOI: 10.1016/j.cotox.2021.03.009] [Citation(s) in RCA: 5] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.7] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 12/17/2022]
Abstract
The mitogen-activated protein kinase (MAPK) pathways are intracellular signaling pathways necessary for regulating various physiological processes, including neurodevelopment. The developing brain is vulnerable to toxic substances, and metals, such as lead, mercury, nickel, manganese, and others, have been proven to induce disturbances in the MAPK signaling pathway. Since a well-regulated MAPK is necessary for normal neurodevelopment, perturbation of the MAPK pathway results in neurodevelopmental disorders, including autism spectrum disorder (ASD). ASD affects brain parts responsible for communication, cognition, social interaction, and other patterned behaviors. Several studies have addressed the role of metals in the etiopathogenesis of ASD. Here, we briefly review the MAPK signaling pathway and its role in neurodevelopment. Furthermore, we highlight the role of metal toxicity in the development of ASD and how perturbed MAPK signaling may result in ASD.
Collapse
Affiliation(s)
- Oritoke M Aluko
- The Neuro- Lab, School of Health and Health Technology, Federal University of Technology, Akure, Nigeria
- Department of Physiology, School of Health and Health Technology, Federal University of Technology, Akure, Nigeria
| | - Saheed A Lawal
- Department of Physiology, School of Health and Health Technology, Federal University of Technology, Akure, Nigeria
| | - Omamuyovwi M Ijomone
- The Neuro- Lab, School of Health and Health Technology, Federal University of Technology, Akure, Nigeria
- Department of Human Anatomy, School of Health and Health Technology, Federal University of Technology, Akure, Nigeria
| | - Michael Aschner
- Department of Molecular Pharmacology, Albert Einstein College of Medicine, Bronx, NY, USA
- Department of Pediatrics, Albert Einstein College of Medicine, Bronx, NY, USA
- Department of Neuroscience, Albert Einstein College of Medicine, Bronx, NY, USA
| |
Collapse
|
44
|
Sharma A, Mehan S. Targeting PI3K-AKT/mTOR signaling in the prevention of autism. Neurochem Int 2021; 147:105067. [PMID: 33992742 DOI: 10.1016/j.neuint.2021.105067] [Citation(s) in RCA: 47] [Impact Index Per Article: 15.7] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 02/09/2021] [Revised: 04/29/2021] [Accepted: 05/02/2021] [Indexed: 12/16/2022]
Abstract
PI3K-AKT/mTOR signaling pathway represents an essential signaling mechanism for mammalian enzyme-related receptors in transducing signals or biological processes such as cell development, differentiation, cell survival, protein synthesis, and metabolism. Upregulation of the PI3K-AKT/mTOR signaling pathway involves many human brain abnormalities, including autism and other neurological dysfunctions. Autism is a neurodevelopmental disorder associated with behavior and psychiatric illness. This research-based review discusses the functional relationship between the neuropathogenic factors associated with PI3K-AKT/mTOR signaling pathway. Ultimately causes autism-like conditions associated with genetic alterations, neuronal apoptosis, mitochondrial dysfunction, and neuroinflammation. Therefore, inhibition of the PI3K-AKT/mTOR signaling pathway may have an effective therapeutic value for autism treatment. The current review also summarizes the involvement of PI3K-AKT/mTOR signaling pathway inhibitors in the treatment of autism and other neurodegenerative disorders.
Collapse
Affiliation(s)
- Aarti Sharma
- Neuropharmacology Division, Department of Pharmacology, ISF College of Pharmacy, Moga, Punjab, India
| | - Sidharth Mehan
- Neuropharmacology Division, Department of Pharmacology, ISF College of Pharmacy, Moga, Punjab, India.
| |
Collapse
|
45
|
Alterations in Tau Protein Level and Phosphorylation State in the Brain of the Autistic-Like Rats Induced by Prenatal Exposure to Valproic Acid. Int J Mol Sci 2021; 22:ijms22063209. [PMID: 33809910 PMCID: PMC8004207 DOI: 10.3390/ijms22063209] [Citation(s) in RCA: 17] [Impact Index Per Article: 5.7] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 02/18/2021] [Revised: 03/17/2021] [Accepted: 03/18/2021] [Indexed: 12/23/2022] Open
Abstract
Autism spectrum disorder (ASD) is a neurodevelopmental condition characterized by deficient social interaction and communication besides repetitive, stereotyped behaviours. A characteristic feature of ASD is altered dendritic spine density and morphology associated with synaptic plasticity disturbances. Since microtubules (MTs) regulate dendritic spine morphology and play an important role in spine development and plasticity the aim of the present study was to investigate the alterations in the content of neuronal α/β-tubulin and Tau protein level as well as phosphorylation state in the valproic acid (VPA)-induced rat model of autism. Our results indicated that maternal exposure to VPA induces: (1) decrease the level of α/β-tubulin along with Tau accumulation in the hippocampus and cerebral cortex; (2) excessive Tau phosphorylation and activation of Tau-kinases: CDK5, ERK1/2, and p70S6K in the cerebral cortex; (3) up-regulation of mTOR kinase-dependent signalling in the hippocampus and cerebral cortex of adolescent rat offspring. Moreover, immunohistochemical staining showed histopathological changes in neurons (chromatolysis) in both analysed brain structures of rats prenatally exposed to VPA. The observed changes in Tau protein together with an excessive decrease in α/β-tubulin level may suggest destabilization and thus dysfunction of the MT cytoskeleton network, which in consequence may lead to the disturbance in synaptic plasticity and the development of autistic-like behaviours.
Collapse
|
46
|
Jin C, Lee Y, Kang H, Jeong K, Park J, Zhang Y, Kang HR, Ma R, Seong H, Kim Y, Jung H, Kim JY, Kim YK, Han K. Increased ribosomal protein levels and protein synthesis in the striatal synaptosome of Shank3-overexpressing transgenic mice. Mol Brain 2021; 14:39. [PMID: 33622379 PMCID: PMC7903774 DOI: 10.1186/s13041-021-00756-z] [Citation(s) in RCA: 5] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.7] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 12/22/2020] [Accepted: 02/19/2021] [Indexed: 12/04/2022] Open
Abstract
The SH3 and multiple ankyrin repeat domains 3 (Shank3) protein is a core organizer of the macromolecular complex in excitatory postsynapses, and its defects cause numerous synaptopathies, including autism spectrum disorders. Although the function of Shank3 as a postsynaptic scaffold is adequately established, other potential mechanisms through which Shank3 broadly modulates the postsynaptic proteome remain relatively unexplored. In our previous quantitative proteomic analysis, six up-regulated ribosomal proteins were identified in the striatal synaptosome of Shank3-overexpressing transgenic (TG) mice. In the present study, we validated the increased levels of RPLP1 and RPL36A in synaptosome, but not in whole lysate, of the TG striatum. Moreover, protein synthesis and extracellular signaling-regulated kinase (ERK) activity were enhanced in the TG striatal synaptosome. To understand the potential contribution of increased protein synthesis to the proteomic change in the TG striatal synaptosome, we performed RNA-sequencing analyses on both whole synaptosomal and synaptic polysome-enriched fractions. Comparative analyses showed a positive correlation only between the polysome-associated transcriptome and up-regulated proteome in the TG striatal synaptosome. Our findings suggest a novel mechanism through which Shank3 may remodel the postsynaptic proteome by regulating synaptic protein synthesis, whose dysfunction can be implicated in SHANK3-associated synaptopathies.
Collapse
Affiliation(s)
- Chunmei Jin
- Department of Neuroscience, College of Medicine, Korea University, 73, Goryeodae-ro, Seongbuk-gu, Seoul, 02841, Republic of Korea.,Department of Biomedical Sciences, College of Medicine, Korea University, Seoul, Republic of Korea
| | - Yeunkum Lee
- Department of Neuroscience, College of Medicine, Korea University, 73, Goryeodae-ro, Seongbuk-gu, Seoul, 02841, Republic of Korea.,Department of Biomedical Sciences, College of Medicine, Korea University, Seoul, Republic of Korea
| | - Hyojin Kang
- Division of National Supercomputing, Korea Institute of Science and Technology Information (KISTI), Daejeon, Republic of Korea
| | - Kwon Jeong
- Creative Research Initiatives Center for Molecular Biology of Translation, Korea University, Seoul, Republic of Korea.,Division of Life Sciences, Korea University, Seoul, 02841, Republic of Korea
| | - Joori Park
- Creative Research Initiatives Center for Molecular Biology of Translation, Korea University, Seoul, Republic of Korea.,Division of Life Sciences, Korea University, Seoul, 02841, Republic of Korea
| | - Yinhua Zhang
- Department of Neuroscience, College of Medicine, Korea University, 73, Goryeodae-ro, Seongbuk-gu, Seoul, 02841, Republic of Korea.,Department of Biomedical Sciences, College of Medicine, Korea University, Seoul, Republic of Korea
| | - Hyae Rim Kang
- Department of Neuroscience, College of Medicine, Korea University, 73, Goryeodae-ro, Seongbuk-gu, Seoul, 02841, Republic of Korea.,Department of Biomedical Sciences, College of Medicine, Korea University, Seoul, Republic of Korea
| | - Ruiying Ma
- Department of Neuroscience, College of Medicine, Korea University, 73, Goryeodae-ro, Seongbuk-gu, Seoul, 02841, Republic of Korea.,Department of Biomedical Sciences, College of Medicine, Korea University, Seoul, Republic of Korea
| | - Hyunyoung Seong
- Department of Neuroscience, College of Medicine, Korea University, 73, Goryeodae-ro, Seongbuk-gu, Seoul, 02841, Republic of Korea
| | - Yoonhee Kim
- Department of Neuroscience, College of Medicine, Korea University, 73, Goryeodae-ro, Seongbuk-gu, Seoul, 02841, Republic of Korea
| | - Hosung Jung
- Brain Korea 21 PLUS Project for Medical Science, Yonsei University College of Medicine, Seoul, Republic of Korea.,Department of Anatomy, Brain Research Institute, Severance Biomedical Science Institute, Yonsei University College of Medicine, Seoul, Republic of Korea
| | - Jin Young Kim
- Research Center for Bioconvergence Analysis, Korea Basic Science Institute (KBSI), Ochang, Republic of Korea
| | - Yoon Ki Kim
- Creative Research Initiatives Center for Molecular Biology of Translation, Korea University, Seoul, Republic of Korea.,Division of Life Sciences, Korea University, Seoul, 02841, Republic of Korea
| | - Kihoon Han
- Department of Neuroscience, College of Medicine, Korea University, 73, Goryeodae-ro, Seongbuk-gu, Seoul, 02841, Republic of Korea. .,Department of Biomedical Sciences, College of Medicine, Korea University, Seoul, Republic of Korea.
| |
Collapse
|
47
|
Wang J, Yang Z, Chen C, Xu Y, Wang H, Liu B, Zhang W, Jiang Y. Comprehensive circRNA Expression Profile and Construction of circRNAs-Related ceRNA Network in a Mouse Model of Autism. Front Genet 2021; 11:623584. [PMID: 33679870 PMCID: PMC7928284 DOI: 10.3389/fgene.2020.623584] [Citation(s) in RCA: 2] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.7] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 10/30/2020] [Accepted: 12/23/2020] [Indexed: 12/27/2022] Open
Abstract
Autism is a common disease that seriously affects the quality of life. The role of circular RNAs (circRNAs) in autism remains largely unexplored. We aimed to detect the circRNA expression profile and construct a circRNA-based competing endogenous RNA (ceRNA) network in autism. Valproate acid was used to establish an in vivo model of autism in mice. A total of 1,059 differentially expressed circRNAs (477 upregulated and 582 downregulated) in autism group was identified by RNA sequencing. The expression of novel_circ_015779 and novel_circ_035247 were detected by real-time PCR. A ceRNA network based on altered circRNAs was established, with 9,715 nodes and 150,408 edges. Module analysis was conducted followed by GO and KEGG pathway enrichment analysis. The top three modules were all correlated with autism-related pathways involving “TGF-beta signaling pathway,” “Notch signaling pathway,” “MAPK signaling pathway,” “long term depression,” “thyroid hormone signaling pathway,” etc. The present study reveals a novel circRNA involved mechanisms in the pathogenesis of autism.
Collapse
Affiliation(s)
- Ji Wang
- Yangzhou Maternal and Child Health Hospital, Yangzhou, China.,Harbin Children's Hospital, Harbin, China
| | - Zhongxiu Yang
- Xuzhou Children's Hospital, Xuzhou Medical University, Xuzhou, China
| | - Canming Chen
- Yangzhou Maternal and Child Health Hospital, Yangzhou, China
| | - Yang Xu
- Yangzhou Maternal and Child Health Hospital, Yangzhou, China
| | - Hongguang Wang
- School of Civil Engineering, Northeast Forestry University, Harbin, China
| | - Bing Liu
- Translational Medicine Research and Cooperation Center of Northern China, Heilongjiang Academy of Medical Sciences, Harbin, China
| | - Wei Zhang
- Translational Medicine Research and Cooperation Center of Northern China, Heilongjiang Academy of Medical Sciences, Harbin, China
| | - Yanan Jiang
- Translational Medicine Research and Cooperation Center of Northern China, Heilongjiang Academy of Medical Sciences, Harbin, China.,Department of Pharmacology (State-Province Key Laboratories of Biomedicine- Pharmaceutics of China, Key Laboratory of Cardiovascular Research, Ministry of Education), College of Pharmacy, Harbin Medical University, Harbin, China
| |
Collapse
|
48
|
Dai L, Weiss RB, Dunn DM, Ramirez A, Paul S, Korenberg JR. Core transcriptional networks in Williams syndrome: IGF1-PI3K-AKT-mTOR, MAPK and actin signaling at the synapse echo autism. Hum Mol Genet 2021; 30:411-429. [PMID: 33564861 DOI: 10.1093/hmg/ddab041] [Citation(s) in RCA: 4] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 11/04/2020] [Revised: 01/28/2021] [Accepted: 02/01/2021] [Indexed: 11/13/2022] Open
Abstract
Gene networks for disorders of social behavior provide the mechanisms critical for identifying therapeutic targets and biomarkers. Large behavioral phenotypic effects of small human deletions make the positive sociality of Williams syndrome (WS) ideal for determining transcriptional networks for social dysfunction currently based on DNA variations for disorders such as autistic spectrum disorder (ASD) and schizophrenia (SCHZ). Consensus on WS networks has been elusive due to the need for larger cohort size, sensitive genome-wide detection and analytic tools. We report a core set of WS network perturbations in a cohort of 58 individuals (34 with typical, 6 atypical deletions and 18 controls). Genome-wide exon-level expression arrays robustly detected changes in differentially expressed gene (DEG) transcripts from WS deleted genes that ranked in the top 11 of 12 122 transcripts, validated by quantitative reverse transcription PCR, RNASeq and western blots. WS DEG's were strictly dosed in the full but not the atypical deletions that revealed a breakpoint position effect on non-deleted CLIP2, a caveat for current phenotypic mapping based on copy number variants. Network analyses tested the top WS DEG's role in the dendritic spine, employing GeneMANIA to harmonize WS DEGs with comparable query gene-sets. The results indicate perturbed actin cytoskeletal signaling analogous to the excitatory dendritic spines. Independent protein-protein interaction analyses of top WS DEGs generated a 100-node graph annotated topologically revealing three interacting pathways, MAPK, IGF1-PI3K-AKT-mTOR/insulin and actin signaling at the synapse. The results indicate striking similarity of WS transcriptional networks to genome-wide association study-based ASD and SCHZ risk suggesting common network dysfunction for these disorders of divergent sociality.
Collapse
Affiliation(s)
- Li Dai
- Center for Integrated Neuroscience and Human Behavior, Brain Institute, Department of Pediatrics, University of Utah, Salt Lake City, UT 84112, USA
| | - Robert B Weiss
- Department of Human Genetics, University of Utah, Salt Lake City, UT 84112, USA
| | - Diane M Dunn
- Department of Human Genetics, University of Utah, Salt Lake City, UT 84112, USA
| | - Anna Ramirez
- Center for Integrated Neuroscience and Human Behavior, Brain Institute, Department of Pediatrics, University of Utah, Salt Lake City, UT 84112, USA
| | - Sharan Paul
- Department of Neurology, University of Utah, Salt Lake City, UT 84112, USA
| | - Julie R Korenberg
- Center for Integrated Neuroscience and Human Behavior, Brain Institute, Department of Pediatrics, University of Utah, Salt Lake City, UT 84112, USA.,Department of Neurology, University of Utah, Salt Lake City, UT 84112, USA
| |
Collapse
|
49
|
Unsicker C, Cristian FB, von Hahn M, Eckstein V, Rappold GA, Berkel S. SHANK2 mutations impair apoptosis, proliferation and neurite outgrowth during early neuronal differentiation in SH-SY5Y cells. Sci Rep 2021; 11:2128. [PMID: 33483523 PMCID: PMC7822837 DOI: 10.1038/s41598-021-81241-4] [Citation(s) in RCA: 7] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 07/08/2020] [Accepted: 12/30/2020] [Indexed: 12/25/2022] Open
Abstract
SHANK2 mutations have been identified in individuals with neurodevelopmental disorders, including intellectual disability and autism spectrum disorders (ASD). Using CRISPR/Cas9 genome editing, we obtained SH-SY5Y cell lines with frameshift mutations on one or both SHANK2 alleles. We investigated the effects of the different SHANK2 mutations on cell morphology, cell proliferation and differentiation potential during early neuronal differentiation. All mutant cell lines showed impaired neuronal differentiation marker expression. Cells with bi-allelic SHANK2 mutations revealed diminished apoptosis and increased proliferation, as well as decreased neurite outgrowth during early neuronal differentiation. Bi-allelic SHANK2 mutations resulted in an increase in p-AKT levels, suggesting that SHANK2 mutations impair downstream signaling of tyrosine kinase receptors. Additionally, cells with bi-allelic SHANK2 mutations had lower amyloid precursor protein (APP) expression compared to controls, suggesting a molecular link between SHANK2 and APP. Together, we can show that frameshift mutations on one or both SHANK2 alleles lead to an alteration of neuronal differentiation in SH-SY5Y cells, characterized by changes in cell growth and pre- and postsynaptic protein expression. We also provide first evidence that downstream signaling of tyrosine kinase receptors and amyloid precursor protein expression are affected.
Collapse
Affiliation(s)
- Christine Unsicker
- Department of Human Molecular Genetics, Institute of Human Genetics, University Hospital Heidelberg, 69120, Heidelberg, Germany
| | - Flavia-Bianca Cristian
- Department of Human Molecular Genetics, Institute of Human Genetics, University Hospital Heidelberg, 69120, Heidelberg, Germany
| | - Manja von Hahn
- Department of Human Molecular Genetics, Institute of Human Genetics, University Hospital Heidelberg, 69120, Heidelberg, Germany
| | - Volker Eckstein
- Department of Internal Medicine V, University Hospital Heidelberg, Heidelberg, Germany
| | - Gudrun A Rappold
- Department of Human Molecular Genetics, Institute of Human Genetics, University Hospital Heidelberg, 69120, Heidelberg, Germany
| | - Simone Berkel
- Department of Human Molecular Genetics, Institute of Human Genetics, University Hospital Heidelberg, 69120, Heidelberg, Germany.
| |
Collapse
|
50
|
Insights into Potential Targets for Therapeutic Intervention in Epilepsy. Int J Mol Sci 2020; 21:ijms21228573. [PMID: 33202963 PMCID: PMC7697405 DOI: 10.3390/ijms21228573] [Citation(s) in RCA: 16] [Impact Index Per Article: 4.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 10/12/2020] [Revised: 11/04/2020] [Accepted: 11/11/2020] [Indexed: 02/06/2023] Open
Abstract
Epilepsy is a chronic brain disease that affects approximately 65 million people worldwide. However, despite the continuous development of antiepileptic drugs, over 30% patients with epilepsy progress to drug-resistant epilepsy. For this reason, it is a high priority objective in preclinical research to find novel therapeutic targets and to develop effective drugs that prevent or reverse the molecular mechanisms underlying epilepsy progression. Among these potential therapeutic targets, we highlight currently available information involving signaling pathways (Wnt/β-catenin, Mammalian Target of Rapamycin (mTOR) signaling and zinc signaling), enzymes (carbonic anhydrase), proteins (erythropoietin, copine 6 and complement system), channels (Transient Receptor Potential Vanilloid Type 1 (TRPV1) channel) and receptors (galanin and melatonin receptors). All of them have demonstrated a certain degree of efficacy not only in controlling seizures but also in displaying neuroprotective activity and in modifying the progression of epilepsy. Although some research with these specific targets has been done in relation with epilepsy, they have not been fully explored as potential therapeutic targets that could help address the unsolved issue of drug-resistant epilepsy and develop new antiseizure therapies for the treatment of epilepsy.
Collapse
|