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Zhu Z, McClintock TS, Bieberich E. Transcriptomics analysis reveals potential regulatory role of nSMase2 (Smpd3) in nervous system development and function of middle-aged mouse brains. GENES, BRAIN, AND BEHAVIOR 2024; 23:e12911. [PMID: 39171374 PMCID: PMC11339599 DOI: 10.1111/gbb.12911] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 03/29/2024] [Revised: 07/22/2024] [Accepted: 07/29/2024] [Indexed: 08/23/2024]
Abstract
Neutral sphingomyelinase-2 (nSMase2), gene name sphingomyelin phosphodiesterase-3 (Smpd3), is a key regulatory enzyme responsible for generating the sphingolipid ceramide. The function of nSMase2 in the brain is still controversial. To better understand the functional roles of nSMase2 in the aging mouse brain, we applied RNA-seq analysis, which identified a total of 1462 differentially abundant mRNAs between +/fro and fro/fro, of which 891 were increased and 571 were decreased in nSMase2-deficient mouse brains. The most strongly enriched GO and KEGG annotation terms among transcripts increased in fro/fro mice included synaptogenesis, synapse development, synaptic signaling, axon development, and axonogenesis. Among decreased transcripts, enriched annotations included ribosome assembly and mitochondrial protein complex functions. KEGG analysis of decreased transcripts also revealed overrepresentation of annotations for Alzheimer's disease (AD), Parkinson's disease (PD), and Huntington disease (HD). Ingenuity Pathway Analysis (IPA) tools predicted lower susceptibility to these neurodegenerative disorders, as well as predictions agreeing with stronger synaptic function, learning, and memory in fro/fro mice. The IPA tools identified signaling proteins, epigenetic regulators, and microRNAs as likely upstream regulators of the broader set of genes encoding the affected transcripts. It also revealed 16 gene networks, each linked to biological processes identified as overrepresented annotations among the affected transcripts by multiple analysis methods. Therefore, the analysis of these RNA-seq data indicates that nSMase2 impacts synaptic function and neural development, and may contribute to the onset and development of neurodegenerative diseases in middle-aged mice.
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Affiliation(s)
- Zhihui Zhu
- Department of PhysiologyUniversity of Kentucky College of MedicineLexingtonKentuckyUSA
| | - Timothy S. McClintock
- Department of PhysiologyUniversity of Kentucky College of MedicineLexingtonKentuckyUSA
| | - Erhard Bieberich
- Department of PhysiologyUniversity of Kentucky College of MedicineLexingtonKentuckyUSA
- Veterans Affairs Medical CenterLexingtonKentuckyUSA
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Geraci F, Passiatore R, Penzel N, Laudani S, Bertolino A, Blasi G, Graziano ACE, Kikidis GC, Mazza C, Parihar M, Rampino A, Sportelli L, Trevisan N, Drago F, Papaleo F, Sambataro F, Pergola G, Leggio GM. Sex dimorphism controls dysbindin-related cognitive dysfunctions in mice and humans with the contribution of COMT. Mol Psychiatry 2024:10.1038/s41380-024-02527-3. [PMID: 38532008 DOI: 10.1038/s41380-024-02527-3] [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: 09/10/2023] [Revised: 03/05/2024] [Accepted: 03/12/2024] [Indexed: 03/28/2024]
Abstract
Cognitive dysfunctions are core-enduring symptoms of schizophrenia, with important sex-related differences. Genetic variants of the DTBPN1 gene associated with reduced dysbindin-1 protein (Dys) expression negatively impact cognitive functions in schizophrenia through a functional epistatic interaction with Catechol-O-methyltransferase (COMT). Dys is involved in the trafficking of dopaminergic receptors, crucial for prefrontal cortex (PFC) signaling regulation. Moreover, dopamine signaling is modulated by estrogens via inhibition of COMT expression. We hypothesized a sex dimorphism in Dys-related cognitive functions dependent on COMT and estrogen levels. Our multidisciplinary approach combined behavioral-molecular findings on genetically modified mice, human postmortem Dys expression data, and in vivo fMRI during a working memory task performance. We found cognitive impairments in male mice related to genetic variants characterized by reduced Dys protein expression (pBonferroni = 0.0001), as well as in male humans through a COMT/Dys functional epistatic interaction involving PFC brain activity during working memory (t(23) = -3.21; pFDR = 0.004). Dorsolateral PFC activity was associated with lower working memory performance in males only (p = 0.04). Also, male humans showed decreased Dys expression in dorsolateral PFC during adulthood (pFDR = 0.05). Female Dys mice showed preserved cognitive performances with deficits only with a lack of estrogen tested in an ovariectomy model (pBonferroni = 0.0001), suggesting that genetic variants reducing Dys protein expression could probably become functional in females when the protective effect of estrogens is attenuated, i.e., during menopause. Overall, our results show the differential impact of functional variants of the DTBPN1 gene interacting with COMT on cognitive functions across sexes in mice and humans, underlying the importance of considering sex as a target for patient stratification and precision medicine in schizophrenia.
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Affiliation(s)
- Federica Geraci
- Department of Biomedical and Biotechnological Sciences, University of Catania, 95123, Catania, Italy
| | - Roberta Passiatore
- Department of Translational Biomedicine and Neuroscience, University of Bari Aldo Moro, 70124, Bari, Italy
- Lieber Institute for Brain Development, Johns Hopkins Medical Campus, 21205, Baltimore, MD, USA
| | - Nora Penzel
- Department of Translational Biomedicine and Neuroscience, University of Bari Aldo Moro, 70124, Bari, Italy
| | - Samuele Laudani
- Department of Biomedical and Biotechnological Sciences, University of Catania, 95123, Catania, Italy
| | - Alessandro Bertolino
- Department of Translational Biomedicine and Neuroscience, University of Bari Aldo Moro, 70124, Bari, Italy
- Psychiatric Unit - University Hospital, 70124, Bari, Italy
| | - Giuseppe Blasi
- Department of Translational Biomedicine and Neuroscience, University of Bari Aldo Moro, 70124, Bari, Italy
- Psychiatric Unit - University Hospital, 70124, Bari, Italy
| | - Adriana C E Graziano
- Department of Biomedical and Biotechnological Sciences, University of Catania, 95123, Catania, Italy
| | - Gianluca C Kikidis
- Department of Translational Biomedicine and Neuroscience, University of Bari Aldo Moro, 70124, Bari, Italy
- Lieber Institute for Brain Development, Johns Hopkins Medical Campus, 21205, Baltimore, MD, USA
| | - Ciro Mazza
- Department of Translational Biomedicine and Neuroscience, University of Bari Aldo Moro, 70124, Bari, Italy
| | - Madhur Parihar
- Lieber Institute for Brain Development, Johns Hopkins Medical Campus, 21205, Baltimore, MD, USA
| | - Antonio Rampino
- Department of Translational Biomedicine and Neuroscience, University of Bari Aldo Moro, 70124, Bari, Italy
- Psychiatric Unit - University Hospital, 70124, Bari, Italy
| | - Leonardo Sportelli
- Department of Translational Biomedicine and Neuroscience, University of Bari Aldo Moro, 70124, Bari, Italy
- Lieber Institute for Brain Development, Johns Hopkins Medical Campus, 21205, Baltimore, MD, USA
- Department of Human Genetics, Radboud University Nijmegen, 6525 GD, Nijmegen, The Netherlands
| | - Nicolò Trevisan
- Department of Neuroscience (DNS), University of Padova, 35121, Padova, Italy
| | - Filippo Drago
- Department of Biomedical and Biotechnological Sciences, University of Catania, 95123, Catania, Italy
| | - Francesco Papaleo
- Genetics of Cognition Laboratory, Neuroscience area, Istituto Italiano di Tecnologia, Genova, Italy
| | - Fabio Sambataro
- Department of Neuroscience (DNS), University of Padova, 35121, Padova, Italy
| | - Giulio Pergola
- Department of Translational Biomedicine and Neuroscience, University of Bari Aldo Moro, 70124, Bari, Italy
- Lieber Institute for Brain Development, Johns Hopkins Medical Campus, 21205, Baltimore, MD, USA
- Department of Psychiatry and Behavioral Sciences, Johns Hopkins University School of Medicine, 21205, Baltimore, MD, USA
| | - Gian Marco Leggio
- Department of Biomedical and Biotechnological Sciences, University of Catania, 95123, Catania, Italy.
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Tomas-Roig J, Ramasamy S, Zbarsky D, Havemann-Reinecke U, Hoyer-Fender S. Psychosocial stress and cannabinoid drugs affect acetylation of α-tubulin (K40) and gene expression in the prefrontal cortex of adult mice. PLoS One 2022; 17:e0274352. [PMID: 36129937 PMCID: PMC9491557 DOI: 10.1371/journal.pone.0274352] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 03/22/2022] [Accepted: 08/25/2022] [Indexed: 12/02/2022] Open
Abstract
The dynamics of neuronal microtubules are essential for brain plasticity. Vesicular transport and synaptic transmission, additionally, requires acetylation of α-tubulin, and aberrant tubulin acetylation and neurobiological deficits are associated. Prolonged exposure to a stressor or consumption of drugs of abuse, like marihuana, lead to neurological changes and psychotic disorders. Here, we studied the effect of psychosocial stress and the administration of cannabinoid receptor type 1 drugs on α-tubulin acetylation in different brain regions of mice. We found significantly decreased tubulin acetylation in the prefrontal cortex in stressed mice. The impact of cannabinoid drugs on stress-induced microtubule disturbance was investigated by administration of the cannabinoid receptor agonist WIN55,212–2 and/or antagonist rimonabant. In both, control and stressed mice, the administration of WIN55,212–2 slightly increased the tubulin acetylation in the prefrontal cortex whereas administration of rimonabant acted antagonistically indicating a cannabinoid receptor type 1 mediated effect. The analysis of gene expression in the prefrontal cortex showed a consistent expression of ApoE attributable to either psychosocial stress or administration of the cannabinoid agonist. Additionally, ApoE expression inversely correlated with acetylated tubulin levels when comparing controls and stressed mice treated with WIN55,212–2 whereas rimonabant treatment showed the opposite.
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Affiliation(s)
- Jordi Tomas-Roig
- Department of Psychiatry and Psychotherapy, University Medical Center Göttingen, Göttingen, Germany
- Center Nanoscale Microscopy and Molecular Physiology of the Brain (CNMPB), University of Göttingen, Göttingen, Germany
- Johann-Friedrich-Blumenbach-Institute of Zoology and Anthropology–Developmental Biology, GZMB, Georg-August-University Göttingen, Göttingen, Germany
- * E-mail: (JTR); (SHF)
| | - Shyam Ramasamy
- Department of Psychiatry and Psychotherapy, University Medical Center Göttingen, Göttingen, Germany
- Johann-Friedrich-Blumenbach-Institute of Zoology and Anthropology–Developmental Biology, GZMB, Georg-August-University Göttingen, Göttingen, Germany
| | - Diana Zbarsky
- Department of Psychiatry and Psychotherapy, University Medical Center Göttingen, Göttingen, Germany
- Johann-Friedrich-Blumenbach-Institute of Zoology and Anthropology–Developmental Biology, GZMB, Georg-August-University Göttingen, Göttingen, Germany
| | - Ursula Havemann-Reinecke
- Department of Psychiatry and Psychotherapy, University Medical Center Göttingen, Göttingen, Germany
- Center Nanoscale Microscopy and Molecular Physiology of the Brain (CNMPB), University of Göttingen, Göttingen, Germany
| | - Sigrid Hoyer-Fender
- Johann-Friedrich-Blumenbach-Institute of Zoology and Anthropology–Developmental Biology, GZMB, Georg-August-University Göttingen, Göttingen, Germany
- * E-mail: (JTR); (SHF)
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Blagburn-Blanco SV, Chappell MS, De Biase LM, DeNardo LA. Synapse-specific roles for microglia in development: New horizons in the prefrontal cortex. Front Mol Neurosci 2022; 15:965756. [PMID: 36003220 PMCID: PMC9394540 DOI: 10.3389/fnmol.2022.965756] [Citation(s) in RCA: 5] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 06/10/2022] [Accepted: 07/13/2022] [Indexed: 11/19/2022] Open
Abstract
Dysfunction of both microglia and circuitry in the medial prefrontal cortex (mPFC) have been implicated in numerous neuropsychiatric disorders, but how microglia affect mPFC development in health and disease is not well understood. mPFC circuits undergo a prolonged maturation after birth that is driven by molecular programs and activity-dependent processes. Though this extended development is crucial to acquire mature cognitive abilities, it likely renders mPFC circuitry more susceptible to disruption by genetic and environmental insults that increase the risk of developing mental health disorders. Recent work suggests that microglia directly influence mPFC circuit maturation, though the biological factors underlying this observation remain unclear. In this review, we discuss these recent findings along with new studies on the cellular mechanisms by which microglia shape sensory circuits during postnatal development. We focus on the molecular pathways through which glial cells and immune signals regulate synaptogenesis and activity-dependent synaptic refinement. We further highlight how disruptions in these pathways are implicated in the pathogenesis of neurodevelopmental and psychiatric disorders associated with mPFC dysfunction, including schizophrenia and autism spectrum disorder (ASD). Using these disorders as a framework, we discuss microglial mechanisms that could link environmental risk factors including infections and stress with ongoing genetic programs to aberrantly shape mPFC circuitry.
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Affiliation(s)
- Sara V. Blagburn-Blanco
- Neuroscience Interdepartmental Program, University of California, Los Angeles, Los Angeles, CA, United States
- Medical Scientist Training Program, University of California, Los Angeles, Los Angeles, CA, United States
- Department of Physiology, University of California, Los Angeles, Los Angeles, CA, United States
| | - Megan S. Chappell
- Neuroscience Interdepartmental Program, University of California, Los Angeles, Los Angeles, CA, United States
- Department of Physiology, University of California, Los Angeles, Los Angeles, CA, United States
| | - Lindsay M. De Biase
- Department of Physiology, University of California, Los Angeles, Los Angeles, CA, United States
- *Correspondence: Lindsay M. De Biase,
| | - Laura A. DeNardo
- Department of Physiology, University of California, Los Angeles, Los Angeles, CA, United States
- Laura A. DeNardo,
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5
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Jun R, Zhang W, Beacher NJ, Zhang Y, Li Y, Lin DT. Dysbindin-1, BDNF, and GABAergic Transmission in Schizophrenia. Front Psychiatry 2022; 13:876749. [PMID: 35815020 PMCID: PMC9258742 DOI: 10.3389/fpsyt.2022.876749] [Citation(s) in RCA: 3] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Submit a Manuscript] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 02/15/2022] [Accepted: 05/30/2022] [Indexed: 11/13/2022] Open
Abstract
Schizophrenia is a psychiatric disorder characterized by hallucinations, anhedonia, disordered thinking, and cognitive impairments. Both genetic and environmental factors contribute to schizophrenia. Dysbindin-1 (DTNBP1) and brain-derived neurotrophic factor (BDNF) are both genetic factors associated with schizophrenia. Mice lacking Dtnbp1 showed behavioral deficits similar to human patients suffering from schizophrenia. DTNBP1 plays important functions in synapse formation and maintenance, receptor trafficking, and neurotransmitter release. DTNBP1 is co-assembled with 7 other proteins into a large protein complex, known as the biogenesis of lysosome-related organelles complex-1 (BLOC-1). Large dense-core vesicles (LDCVs) are involved in the secretion of hormones and neuropeptides, including BDNF. BDNF plays important roles in neuronal development, survival, and synaptic plasticity. BDNF is also critical in maintaining GABAergic inhibitory transmission in the brain. Two studies independently showed that DTNBP1 mediated activity-dependent BDNF secretion to maintain inhibitory transmission. Imbalance of excitatory and inhibitory neural activities is thought to contribute to schizophrenia. In this mini-review, we will discuss a potential pathogenetic mechanism for schizophrenia involving DTNBP1, BDNF, and inhibitory transmission. We will also discuss how these processes are interrelated and associated with a higher risk of schizophrenia development.
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Affiliation(s)
- Rachel Jun
- Intramural Research Program, National Institute on Drug Abuse, National Institutes of Health, Baltimore, MD, United States
| | - Wen Zhang
- National Institute on Drug Dependence and Beijing Key Laboratory of Drug Dependence, Peking University, Beijing, China
| | - Nicholas J Beacher
- Intramural Research Program, National Institute on Drug Abuse, National Institutes of Health, Baltimore, MD, United States
| | - Yan Zhang
- Intramural Research Program, National Institute on Drug Abuse, National Institutes of Health, Baltimore, MD, United States
| | - Yun Li
- Department of Zoology and Physiology, University of Wyoming, Laramie, WY, United States
| | - Da-Ting Lin
- Intramural Research Program, National Institute on Drug Abuse, National Institutes of Health, Baltimore, MD, United States
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Desbonnet L, O'Tuathaigh CM, O'Leary C, Cox R, Tighe O, Petit EI, Wilson S, Waddington JL. Acute stress in adolescence vs early adulthood following selective deletion of dysbindin-1A: Effects on anxiety, cognition and other schizophrenia-related phenotypes. J Psychopharmacol 2019; 33:1610-1619. [PMID: 31556815 DOI: 10.1177/0269881119875465] [Citation(s) in RCA: 3] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.6] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Submit a Manuscript] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 12/27/2022]
Abstract
BACKGROUND As exposure to stress has been linked to the onset and maintenance of psychotic illness, its pathogenesis may involve environmental stressors interacting with genetic vulnerability. AIM To establish whether acute stress interacts with a targeted mutation of the gene encoding the neurodevelopmental factor dystrobrevin-binding protein 1 (DTNBP1), resulting in a specific loss of the isoform dysbindin-1A, to influence schizophrenia-relevant phenotypes in mice during adolescence and adulthood. METHODS Male and female mice with a heterozygous or homozygous deletion of DTNBP1 were assessed in the open field test following acute restraint stress in adolescence (Day 35) and young adulthood (Day 60-70). Effects of acute restraint stress on memory retention in the novel object recognition test was also assessed in adulthood. Baseline corticosterone was measured in serum samples and, brain-derived neurotrophic factor (BDNF), glucocorticoid and mineralocorticoid receptor gene expression levels were measured in the hippocampus of adult mice. RESULTS In the open field, deletion of dysbindin-1A induced hyperactivity and attenuated the action of stress to reduce hyperactivity in adolescence but not in adulthood; in females deletion of dysbindin-1A attenuated the effect of acute stress to increase anxiety-related behaviour in adolescence but not in adulthood. In the novel object recognition test, deletion of dysbindin-1A impaired memory and also revealed an increase in anxiety-related behaviour and a decrease in hippocampal BDNF gene expression in males. CONCLUSIONS These data suggest that deletion of dysbindin-1A influences behaviours related to schizophrenia and anxiety more robustly in adolescence than in adulthood and that dysbindin-1A influences stress-related responses in a sex-dependent manner.
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Affiliation(s)
- Lieve Desbonnet
- Molecular and Cellular Therapeutics, Royal College of Surgeons in Ireland, Dublin, Ireland.,School of Psychology, National University of Ireland, Galway, Ireland
| | - Colm Mp O'Tuathaigh
- Molecular and Cellular Therapeutics, Royal College of Surgeons in Ireland, Dublin, Ireland.,School of Medicine, Brookfield Health Sciences Complex, University College Cork, Cork, Ireland
| | - Clare O'Leary
- Molecular and Cellular Therapeutics, Royal College of Surgeons in Ireland, Dublin, Ireland.,Faculty of Biology, Medicine and Health, The University of Manchester, Manchester, UK
| | - Rachel Cox
- Molecular and Cellular Therapeutics, Royal College of Surgeons in Ireland, Dublin, Ireland
| | - Orna Tighe
- Molecular and Cellular Therapeutics, Royal College of Surgeons in Ireland, Dublin, Ireland
| | - Emilie I Petit
- Molecular and Cellular Therapeutics, Royal College of Surgeons in Ireland, Dublin, Ireland
| | - Steve Wilson
- In Vivo Science and Delivery, GlaxoSmithKline, Stevenage, UK
| | - John L Waddington
- Molecular and Cellular Therapeutics, Royal College of Surgeons in Ireland, Dublin, Ireland.,Jiangsu Key Laboratory of Translational Research and Therapy for Neuro-Psychiatric Disorders and Department of Pharmacology, College of Pharmaceutical Sciences, Soochow University, Suzhou, China
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Trantham-Davidson H, Lavin A. Loss of dysbindin-1 affects GABAergic transmission in the PFC. Psychopharmacology (Berl) 2019; 236:3291-3300. [PMID: 31201475 PMCID: PMC6832803 DOI: 10.1007/s00213-019-05285-1] [Citation(s) in RCA: 9] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.8] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Submit a Manuscript] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 02/06/2019] [Accepted: 05/24/2019] [Indexed: 10/26/2022]
Abstract
It has been shown that dystrobrevin-binding protein 1 gene that encodes the protein dysbindin-1 is associated with risk for cognitive deficits, and studies have shown decreases in glutamate and correlated decreases in dysbindin-1 protein in the prefrontal cortex (PFC) and hippocampus of post-mortem tissue from schizophrenia patients. The PFC and the hippocampus have been shown to play a fundamental role in cognition, and studies in dysbindin-1 null mice have shown alterations in NMDAR located in pyramidal neurons as well as perturbation in LTP and cognitive deficits. The balance between excitatory and inhibitory transmission is crucial for normal cognitive functions; however, there is a dearth of information regarding the effects of loss of dysbindin-1 in GABAergic transmission. Using in vitro whole-cell clamp recordings, Western blots, and immunohistochemistry, we report here that dysbindin-1-deficient mice exhibit a significant decrease in the frequency of sIPSCs and in the amplitude of mIPSCs and significant decreases in PV staining and protein level. These results suggest that loss of dysbindin-1 affects GABAergic transmission at pre- and postsynaptic level and decreases parvalbumin markers.
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Affiliation(s)
| | - A Lavin
- Department of Neuroscience, MUSC, Charleston, SC, 29425, USA.
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