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Heider J, González EP, Hartmann SM, Kannaiyan N, Vogel S, Wüst R, Fallgatter AJ, Rossner MJ, Kraushaar U, Volkmer H. Aberrant neuronal connectivity and network activity of neurons derived from patients with idiopathic schizophrenia. Neurobiol Dis 2024; 201:106678. [PMID: 39307399 DOI: 10.1016/j.nbd.2024.106678] [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: 05/27/2024] [Revised: 09/17/2024] [Accepted: 09/19/2024] [Indexed: 09/29/2024] Open
Abstract
Schizophrenia (SCZ) is a psychiatric disorder with a strong genetic determinant. A major hypothesis to explain disease aetiology comprises synaptic dysfunction associated with excitatory-inhibitory imbalance of synaptic transmission, ultimately contributing to impaired network oscillation and cognitive deficits associated with the disease. Here, we studied the morphological and functional properties of a highly defined co-culture of GABAergic and glutamatergic neurons derived from induced pluripotent stem cells (iPSC) from patients with idiopathic SCZ. Our results indicate upregulation of synaptic genes and increased excitatory synapse formation on GABAergic neurons in co-cultures. In parallel, we observed decreased lengths of axon initial segments, concordant with data from postmortem brains from patients with SCZ. In line with increased synapse density, patch-clamp analyses revealed markedly increased spontaneous excitatory postsynaptic currents (EPSC) recorded from GABAergic SCZ neurons. Finally, MEA recordings from neuronal networks indicate increased strength of network activity, potentially in response to altered synaptic transmission and E-I balance in the co-cultures. In conclusion, our results suggest selective deregulation of neuronal activity in SCZ samples, providing evidence for altered synapse formation and synaptic transmission as a potential base for aberrant network synchronization.
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Affiliation(s)
- Johanna Heider
- NMI Natural and Medical Sciences Institute at the University of Tübingen, 72770 Reutlingen, Germany
| | - Emilio Pardo González
- NMI Natural and Medical Sciences Institute at the University of Tübingen, 72770 Reutlingen, Germany; International Max Planck Research School, Graduate Training Centre of Neuroscience, University of Tübingen, 72076 Tübingen, Germany
| | - Sophia-Marie Hartmann
- NMI Natural and Medical Sciences Institute at the University of Tübingen, 72770 Reutlingen, Germany; International Max Planck Research School, Graduate Training Centre of Neuroscience, University of Tübingen, 72076 Tübingen, Germany
| | - Nirmal Kannaiyan
- Department of Psychiatry and Psychotherapy, LMU University Hospital, LMU Munich, 80336 Munich, Germany
| | - Sabrina Vogel
- NMI Natural and Medical Sciences Institute at the University of Tübingen, 72770 Reutlingen, Germany
| | - Richard Wüst
- Department of Psychiatry, Tübingen Center for Mental Health (TüCMH), University of Tübingen, Tübingen, Germany; German Center for Mental Health (DZPG), Partner Site Tübingen, 72076 Tübingen, Germany
| | - Andreas J Fallgatter
- Department of Psychiatry, Tübingen Center for Mental Health (TüCMH), University of Tübingen, Tübingen, Germany; German Center for Mental Health (DZPG), Partner Site Tübingen, 72076 Tübingen, Germany
| | - Moritz J Rossner
- Department of Psychiatry and Psychotherapy, LMU University Hospital, LMU Munich, 80336 Munich, Germany
| | - Udo Kraushaar
- NMI Natural and Medical Sciences Institute at the University of Tübingen, 72770 Reutlingen, Germany
| | - Hansjürgen Volkmer
- NMI Natural and Medical Sciences Institute at the University of Tübingen, 72770 Reutlingen, Germany; International Max Planck Research School, Graduate Training Centre of Neuroscience, University of Tübingen, 72076 Tübingen, Germany; German Center for Mental Health (DZPG), Partner Site Tübingen, 72076 Tübingen, Germany.
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2
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Chen AY, Owens MC, Liu KF. Coordination of RNA modifications in the brain and beyond. Mol Psychiatry 2023; 28:2737-2749. [PMID: 37138184 DOI: 10.1038/s41380-023-02083-2] [Citation(s) in RCA: 1] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Submit a Manuscript] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 08/10/2022] [Revised: 04/12/2023] [Accepted: 04/18/2023] [Indexed: 05/05/2023]
Abstract
Gene expression regulation is a critical process throughout the body, especially in the nervous system. One mechanism by which biological systems regulate gene expression is via enzyme-mediated RNA modifications, also known as epitranscriptomic regulation. RNA modifications, which have been found on nearly all RNA species across all domains of life, are chemically diverse covalent modifications of RNA nucleotides and represent a robust and rapid mechanism for the regulation of gene expression. Although numerous studies have been conducted regarding the impact that single modifications in single RNA molecules have on gene expression, emerging evidence highlights potential crosstalk between and coordination of modifications across RNA species. These potential coordination axes of RNA modifications have emerged as a new direction in the field of epitranscriptomic research. In this review, we will highlight several examples of gene regulation via RNA modification in the nervous system, followed by a summary of the current state of the field of RNA modification coordination axes. In doing so, we aim to inspire the field to gain a deeper understanding of the roles of RNA modifications and coordination of these modifications in the nervous system.
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Affiliation(s)
- Anthony Yulin Chen
- Department of Biochemistry and Biophysics, University of Pennsylvania, Philadelphia, PA, 19104, USA
- Department of Chemistry and Biochemistry, Swarthmore College, Swarthmore, PA, 19081, USA
| | - Michael C Owens
- Department of Biochemistry and Biophysics, University of Pennsylvania, Philadelphia, PA, 19104, USA
- Graduate Group in Biochemistry and Molecular Biophysics, University of Pennsylvania, Philadelphia, PA, 19104, USA
| | - Kathy Fange Liu
- Department of Biochemistry and Biophysics, University of Pennsylvania, Philadelphia, PA, 19104, USA.
- Graduate Group in Biochemistry and Molecular Biophysics, University of Pennsylvania, Philadelphia, PA, 19104, USA.
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Santarriaga S, Gerlovin K, Layadi Y, Karmacharya R. Human stem cell-based models to study synaptic dysfunction and cognition in schizophrenia: A narrative review. Schizophr Res 2023:S0920-9964(23)00084-1. [PMID: 36925354 PMCID: PMC10500041 DOI: 10.1016/j.schres.2023.02.029] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Submit a Manuscript] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 10/21/2022] [Revised: 02/27/2023] [Accepted: 02/28/2023] [Indexed: 03/18/2023]
Abstract
Cognitive impairment is the strongest predictor of functional outcomes in schizophrenia and is hypothesized to result from synaptic dysfunction. However, targeting synaptic plasticity and cognitive deficits in patients remains a significant clinical challenge. A comprehensive understanding of synaptic plasticity and the molecular basis of learning and memory in a disease context can provide specific targets for the development of novel therapeutics targeting cognitive impairments in schizophrenia. Here, we describe the role of synaptic plasticity in cognition, summarize evidence for synaptic dysfunction in schizophrenia and demonstrate the use of patient derived induced-pluripotent stem cells for studying synaptic plasticity in vitro. Lastly, we discuss current advances and future technologies for bridging basic science research of synaptic dysfunction with clinical and translational research that can be used to predict treatment response and develop novel therapeutics.
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Affiliation(s)
- Stephanie Santarriaga
- Center for Genomic Medicine, Massachusetts General Hospital, Boston, MA, USA; Chemical Biology and Therapeutic Science Program, Broad Institute of MIT and Harvard, Cambridge, MA, USA; Department of Psychiatry, Harvard Medical School, Boston, MA, USA
| | - Kaia Gerlovin
- Center for Genomic Medicine, Massachusetts General Hospital, Boston, MA, USA; Chemical Biology and Therapeutic Science Program, Broad Institute of MIT and Harvard, Cambridge, MA, USA
| | - Yasmine Layadi
- Center for Genomic Medicine, Massachusetts General Hospital, Boston, MA, USA; Chimie ParisTech, Université Paris Sciences et Lettres, Paris, France
| | - Rakesh Karmacharya
- Center for Genomic Medicine, Massachusetts General Hospital, Boston, MA, USA; Chemical Biology and Therapeutic Science Program, Broad Institute of MIT and Harvard, Cambridge, MA, USA; Department of Psychiatry, Harvard Medical School, Boston, MA, USA; Schizophrenia and Bipolar Disorder Program, McLean Hospital, Belmont, MA, USA.
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Fisher E, Feng J. RNA splicing regulators play critical roles in neurogenesis. WILEY INTERDISCIPLINARY REVIEWS. RNA 2022; 13:e1728. [PMID: 35388651 DOI: 10.1002/wrna.1728] [Citation(s) in RCA: 10] [Impact Index Per Article: 5.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 12/20/2021] [Revised: 03/07/2022] [Accepted: 03/09/2022] [Indexed: 06/14/2023]
Abstract
Alternative RNA splicing increases transcript diversity in different cell types and under varying conditions. It is executed with the help of RNA splicing regulators (RSRs), which are operationally defined as RNA-binding proteins (RBPs) that regulate alternative splicing, but not directly catalyzing the chemical reactions of splicing. By systematically searching for RBPs and manually identifying those that regulate splicing, we curated 305 RSRs in the human genome. Surprisingly, most of the RSRs are involved in neurogenesis. Among these RSRs, we focus on nine families (PTBP, NOVA, RBFOX, ELAVL, CELF, DBHS, MSI, PCBP, and MBNL) that play essential roles in the neurogenic pathway. A better understanding of their functions will provide novel insights into the role of splicing in brain development, health, and disease. This comprehensive review serves as a stepping-stone to explore the diverse and complex set of RSRs as fundamental regulators of neural development. This article is categorized under: RNA-Based Catalysis > RNA Catalysis in Splicing and Translation RNA Interactions with Proteins and Other Molecules > Protein-RNA Interactions: Functional Implications RNA Processing > Splicing Regulation/Alternative Splicing.
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Affiliation(s)
- Emily Fisher
- Department of Physiology and Biophysics, State University of New York at Buffalo, Buffalo, New York, USA
- Veterans Affairs Western New York Healthcare System, Buffalo, New York, USA
| | - Jian Feng
- Department of Physiology and Biophysics, State University of New York at Buffalo, Buffalo, New York, USA
- Veterans Affairs Western New York Healthcare System, Buffalo, New York, USA
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Puvogel S, Blanchard K, Casas BS, Miller RL, Garrido-Jara D, Arizabalos S, Rehen SK, Sanhueza M, Palma V. Altered resting-state functional connectivity in hiPSCs-derived neuronal networks from schizophrenia patients. Front Cell Dev Biol 2022; 10:935360. [PMID: 36158199 PMCID: PMC9489842 DOI: 10.3389/fcell.2022.935360] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 05/03/2022] [Accepted: 08/02/2022] [Indexed: 11/15/2022] Open
Abstract
Schizophrenia (SZ) is a severe mental disorder that arises from abnormal neurodevelopment, caused by genetic and environmental factors. SZ often involves distortions in reality perception and it is widely associated with alterations in brain connectivity. In the present work, we used Human Induced Pluripotent Stem Cells (hiPSCs)-derived neuronal cultures to study neural communicational dynamics during early development in SZ. We conducted gene and protein expression profiling, calcium imaging recordings, and applied a mathematical model to quantify the dynamism of functional connectivity (FC) in hiPSCs-derived neuronal networks. Along the neurodifferentiation process, SZ networks displayed altered gene expression of the glutamate receptor-related proteins HOMER1 and GRIN1 compared to healthy control (HC) networks, suggesting a possible tendency to develop hyperexcitability. Resting-state FC in neuronal networks derived from HC and SZ patients emerged as a dynamic phenomenon exhibiting connectivity configurations reoccurring in time (hub states). Compared to HC, SZ networks were less thorough in exploring different FC configurations, changed configurations less often, presented a reduced repertoire of hub states and spent longer uninterrupted time intervals in this less diverse universe of hubs. Our results suggest that alterations in the communicational dynamics of SZ emerging neuronal networks might contribute to the previously described brain FC anomalies in SZ patients, by compromising the ability of their neuronal networks for rapid and efficient reorganization through different activity patterns.
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Affiliation(s)
- Sofía Puvogel
- Laboratory of Stem Cells and Developmental Biology, Department of Biology, Faculty of Sciences. Universidad de Chile. Santiago, Chile
- Cell Physiology Laboratory, Department of Biology, Faculty of Sciences, Universidad de Chile, Santiago, Chile
| | - Kris Blanchard
- Laboratory of Stem Cells and Developmental Biology, Department of Biology, Faculty of Sciences. Universidad de Chile. Santiago, Chile
- Cell Physiology Laboratory, Department of Biology, Faculty of Sciences, Universidad de Chile, Santiago, Chile
| | - Bárbara S. Casas
- Laboratory of Stem Cells and Developmental Biology, Department of Biology, Faculty of Sciences. Universidad de Chile. Santiago, Chile
| | - Robyn L. Miller
- Department of Computer Science, Georgia State University, Atlanta, GA, United States
- Tri-Institutional Center for Translational Research in Neuroimaging and Data Science (TReNDS Center), Atlanta, GA, United States
| | - Delia Garrido-Jara
- Laboratory of Stem Cells and Developmental Biology, Department of Biology, Faculty of Sciences. Universidad de Chile. Santiago, Chile
| | - Sebastián Arizabalos
- Laboratory of Stem Cells and Developmental Biology, Department of Biology, Faculty of Sciences. Universidad de Chile. Santiago, Chile
| | - Stevens K. Rehen
- Instituto D’Or de Pesquisa e Ensino (IDOR), Rio de Janeiro, Brazil
| | - Magdalena Sanhueza
- Cell Physiology Laboratory, Department of Biology, Faculty of Sciences, Universidad de Chile, Santiago, Chile
- *Correspondence: Verónica Palma, ; Magdalena Sanhueza,
| | - Verónica Palma
- Laboratory of Stem Cells and Developmental Biology, Department of Biology, Faculty of Sciences. Universidad de Chile. Santiago, Chile
- *Correspondence: Verónica Palma, ; Magdalena Sanhueza,
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Sebastian R, Song Y, Pak C. Probing the molecular and cellular pathological mechanisms of schizophrenia using human induced pluripotent stem cell models. Schizophr Res 2022:S0920-9964(22)00263-8. [PMID: 35835709 PMCID: PMC9832179 DOI: 10.1016/j.schres.2022.06.028] [Citation(s) in RCA: 1] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Submit a Manuscript] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 04/02/2022] [Revised: 06/21/2022] [Accepted: 06/23/2022] [Indexed: 01/13/2023]
Abstract
With recent advancements in psychiatric genomics, as a field, "stem cell-based disease modelers" were given the exciting yet daunting task of translating the extensive list of disease-associated risks into biologically and clinically relevant information in order to deliver therapeutically meaningful leads and insights. Despite their limitations, human induced pluripotent stem cell (iPSCs) based models have greatly aided our understanding of the molecular and cellular mechanisms underlying the complex etiology of brain disorders including schizophrenia (SCZ). In this review, we summarize the major findings from studies in the past decade which utilized iPSC models to investigate cell type-specific phenotypes relevant to idiopathic SCZ and disease penetrant alleles. Across cell type differences, several biological themes emerged, serving as potential neurodevelopmental mechanisms of SCZ, including oxidative stress and mitochondrial dysfunction, depletion of progenitor pools and insufficient differentiation potential of these progenitors, and structural and functional deficits of neurons and other supporting cells. Here, we discuss both the recent progress as well as challenges and improvements needed for future studies utilizing iPSCs as a model for SCZ and other neuropsychiatric disorders.
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Affiliation(s)
- Rebecca Sebastian
- Department of Biochemistry and Molecular Biology, University of Massachusetts, Amherst, MA 01003, USA; Neuroscience and Behavior Graduate Program, University of Massachusetts, Amherst, MA 01003, USA
| | - Yoonjae Song
- Department of Biochemistry and Molecular Biology, University of Massachusetts, Amherst, MA 01003, USA
| | - ChangHui Pak
- Department of Biochemistry and Molecular Biology, University of Massachusetts, Amherst, MA 01003, USA.
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Associations between Omega-3 Index, Dopaminergic Genetic Variants and Aggressive and Metacognitive Traits: A Study in Adult Male Prisoners. Nutrients 2022; 14:nu14071379. [PMID: 35405990 PMCID: PMC9002862 DOI: 10.3390/nu14071379] [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: 02/28/2022] [Revised: 03/21/2022] [Accepted: 03/22/2022] [Indexed: 12/22/2022] Open
Abstract
Omega-3 long-chain polyunsaturated fatty acids (n-3 LCPUFA) are critical for cell membrane structure and function. Human beings have a limited ability to synthesise docosahexaenoic acid (DHA), the main n-3 LCPUFA required for neurological development. Inadequate levels of n-3 LCPUFA can affect the dopaminergic system in the brain and, when combined with genetic and other factors, increase the risk of developing aggression, inattention and impulse-control disorders. In this study, male prisoners were administered questionnaires assessing aggressive behaviour and executive functions. Participants also produced blood sampling for the measurement of the Omega-3 Index and the genotyping of dopaminergic genetic variants. Significant associations were found between functional genetic polymorphism in DBH rs1611115 and verbal aggression and between DRD2 rs4274224 and executive functions. However, the Omega-3 Index was not significantly associated with the tested dopaminergic polymorphisms. Although previous interactions between specific genotypes and n-3 LCPUFA were previously reported, they remain limited and poorly understood. We did not find any association between n-3 LCPUFA and dopaminergic polymorphisms in adult male prisoners; however, we confirmed the importance of genetic predisposition for dopaminergic genes (DBH and DRD2) in aggressive behaviour, memory dysfunction and attention-deficit disorder.
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