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Chung S, Son JW. How Well Do We Understand Autistic Savant Artists: A Review of Various Hypotheses and Research Findings to Date. Soa Chongsonyon Chongsin Uihak 2023; 34:93-111. [PMID: 37035790 PMCID: PMC10080252 DOI: 10.5765/jkacap.230004] [Citation(s) in RCA: 1] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 01/30/2023] [Revised: 02/13/2023] [Accepted: 02/17/2023] [Indexed: 04/11/2023] Open
Abstract
The authors investigated the artistic characteristics of autistic savant artists, hypotheses on the proximate and ultimate causes of their emergence, recent psychological and other studies about them, and psychological and neuroaesthetic studies about non-savant autistic individuals. The artistic features of autistic savant artists were significantly similar to those of outsider artists. Furthermore, the authors investigated the explanatory power of the paradoxical functional facilitation theory, the superior visual perception hypothesis, the "Hmmmmm" hypothesis, and the Neanderthal theory of autism regarding the emergence of autistic savant artists. In addition, we investigated whether an increase in savant characteristics was related to a decrease in the ability for social communication. The authors suggested that in studies on the aesthetic experience of non-savant autistic individuals, their aesthetic experience ability is never lower than that of neurotypical individuals and that some non-savant autistic individuals may potentially have artistic talent. Finally, the authors reviewed the effectiveness of the "autism savant spectrum syndromic disorder" proposed by some researchers. More scientific and systematic studies on autistic savant artists from a multidisciplinary perspective are warranted.
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Affiliation(s)
- Seungwon Chung
- Department of Psychiatry, Chungbuk National University Hospital, Cheongju, Korea
- Autism and Developmental Disorder Treatment Center, Chungbuk National University Hospital, Cheongju, Korea
| | - Jung-Woo Son
- Department of Psychiatry, Chungbuk National University Hospital, Cheongju, Korea
- Autism and Developmental Disorder Treatment Center, Chungbuk National University Hospital, Cheongju, Korea
- Department of Neuropsychiatry, College of Medicine, Chungbuk National University, Cheongju, Korea
- Address for correspondence: Jung-Woo Son, Department of Neuropsychiatry, College of Medicine, Chungbuk National University, 1 Chungdae-ro, Seowon-gu, Cheongju 28644, Korea Tel: +82-43-269-6187, Fax: +82-43-267-7951, E-mail:
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2
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de Souza MM, Cenci AR, Teixeira KF, Machado V, Mendes Schuler MCG, Gonçalves AE, Paula Dalmagro A, André Cazarin C, Gomes Ferreira LL, de Oliveira AS, Andricopulo AD. DYRK1A Inhibitors and Perspectives for the Treatment of Alzheimer's Disease. Curr Med Chem 2023; 30:669-688. [PMID: 35726411 DOI: 10.2174/0929867329666220620162018] [Citation(s) in RCA: 6] [Impact Index Per Article: 6.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 12/23/2021] [Revised: 03/22/2022] [Accepted: 04/19/2022] [Indexed: 02/08/2023]
Abstract
BACKGROUND Alzheimer's disease (AD) is a chronic neurodegenerative disease and the most common form of dementia, especially in the elderly. Due to the increase in life expectancy, in recent years, there has been an excessive growth in the number of people affected by this disease, causing serious problems for health systems. In recent years, research has been intensified to find new therapeutic approaches that prevent the progression of the disease. In this sense, recent studies indicate that the dual-specificity tyrosine phosphorylation regulated kinase 1A (DYRK1A) gene, which is located on chromosome 21q22.2 and overexpressed in Down syndrome (DS), may play a significant role in developmental brain disorders and early onset neurodegeneration, neuronal loss and dementia in DS and AD. Inhibiting DYRK1A may serve to stop the phenotypic effects of its overexpression and, therefore, is a potential treatment strategy for the prevention of ageassociated neurodegeneration, including Alzheimer-type pathology. OBJECTIVE In this review, we investigate the contribution of DYRK1A inhibitors as potential anti-AD agents. METHODS A search in the literature to compile an in vitro dataset including IC50 values involving DYRK1A was performed from 2014 to the present day. In addition, we carried out structure-activity relationship studies based on in vitro and in silico data. RESULTS molecular modeling and enzyme kinetics studies indicate that DYRK1A may contribute to AD pathology through its proteolytic process, reducing its kinase specificity. CONCLUSION further evaluation of DYRK1A inhibitors may contribute to new therapeutic approaches for AD.
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Affiliation(s)
- Márcia Maria de Souza
- School of Health Sciences, Graduate Program in Pharmaceutical Sciences, UNIVALI, Rua Uruguai, 458 F6 lab 206 Campus I, Centro, Itajai, SC, 88302-202, Brazil
| | - Arthur Ribeiro Cenci
- Department of Exact Sciences and Education, Federal University of Santa Catarina, R. João Pessoa, 2750 - Velha, 89036-002, Blumenau, SC, Brazil
| | - Kerolain Faoro Teixeira
- Department of Exact Sciences and Education, Federal University of Santa Catarina, R. João Pessoa, 2750 - Velha, 89036-002, Blumenau, SC, Brazil
| | - Valkiria Machado
- Department of Exact Sciences and Education, Federal University of Santa Catarina, R. João Pessoa, 2750 - Velha, 89036-002, Blumenau, SC, Brazil
| | | | - Ana Elisa Gonçalves
- School of Health Sciences, Graduate Program in Pharmaceutical Sciences, UNIVALI, Rua Uruguai, 458 F6 lab 206 Campus I, Centro, Itajai, SC, 88302-202, Brazil
| | - Ana Paula Dalmagro
- School of Health Sciences, Graduate Program in Pharmaceutical Sciences, UNIVALI, Rua Uruguai, 458 F6 lab 206 Campus I, Centro, Itajai, SC, 88302-202, Brazil
| | - Camila André Cazarin
- School of Health Sciences, Graduate Program in Pharmaceutical Sciences, UNIVALI, Rua Uruguai, 458 F6 lab 206 Campus I, Centro, Itajai, SC, 88302-202, Brazil
| | - Leonardo Luiz Gomes Ferreira
- Laboratory of Medicinal and Computational Chemistry, Center for Research and Innovation in Biodiversity and Drug Discovery, Institute of Physics of São Carlos, University of São Paulo, São Carlos-SP, Brazil
| | - Aldo Sena de Oliveira
- Laboratory of Medicinal and Computational Chemistry, Center for Research and Innovation in Biodiversity and Drug Discovery, Institute of Physics of São Carlos, University of São Paulo, São Carlos-SP, Brazil
| | - Adriano Defini Andricopulo
- Laboratory of Medicinal and Computational Chemistry, Center for Research and Innovation in Biodiversity and Drug Discovery, Institute of Physics of São Carlos, University of São Paulo, São Carlos-SP, Brazil
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3
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Schroeder L, Ackermann RR. Moving beyond the adaptationist paradigm for human evolution, and why it matters. J Hum Evol 2023; 174:103296. [PMID: 36527977 DOI: 10.1016/j.jhevol.2022.103296] [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: 04/25/2022] [Revised: 11/12/2022] [Accepted: 11/12/2022] [Indexed: 12/23/2022]
Abstract
The Journal of Human Evolution (JHE) was founded 50 years ago when much of the foundation for how we think about human evolution was in place or being put in place, providing the main framework for how we consider our origins today. Here, we will explore historical developments, including early JHE outputs, as they relate to our understanding of the relationship between phenotypic variation and evolutionary process, and use that as a springboard for considering our current understanding of these links as applied to human evolution. We will focus specifically on how the study of variation itself has shifted us away from taxonomic and adaptationist perspectives toward a richer understanding of the processes shaping human evolutionary history, using literature searches and specific test cases to highlight this. We argue that natural selection, gene exchange, genetic drift, and mutation should not be considered individually when considering the production of hominin diversity. In this context, we offer suggestions for future research directions and reflect on this more complex understanding of human evolution and its broader relevance to society. Finally, we end by considering authorship demographics and practices in the last 50 years within JHE and how a shift in these demographics has the potential to reshape the science of human evolution going forward.
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Affiliation(s)
- Lauren Schroeder
- Department of Anthropology, University of Toronto Mississauga, Mississauga, ON, L5L 1C6, Canada; Human Evolution Research Institute, University of Cape Town, Rondebosch, 7701, South Africa.
| | - Rebecca Rogers Ackermann
- Human Evolution Research Institute, University of Cape Town, Rondebosch, 7701, South Africa; Department of Archaeology, University of Cape Town, Rondebosch, 7701, South Africa.
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4
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Harvati K, Ackermann RR. Merging morphological and genetic evidence to assess hybridization in Western Eurasian late Pleistocene hominins. Nat Ecol Evol 2022; 6:1573-1585. [PMID: 36064759 DOI: 10.1038/s41559-022-01875-z] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 04/24/2019] [Accepted: 08/08/2022] [Indexed: 11/09/2022]
Abstract
Previous scientific consensus saw human evolution as defined by adaptive differences (behavioural and/or biological) and the emergence of Homo sapiens as the ultimate replacement of non-modern groups by a modern, adaptively more competitive group. However, recent research has shown that the process underlying our origins was considerably more complex. While archaeological and fossil evidence suggests that behavioural complexity may not be confined to the modern human lineage, recent palaeogenomic work shows that gene flow between distinct lineages (for example, Neanderthals, Denisovans, early H. sapiens) occurred repeatedly in the late Pleistocene, probably contributing elements to our genetic make-up that might have been crucial to our success as a diverse, adaptable species. Following these advances, the prevailing human origins model has shifted from one of near-complete replacement to a more nuanced view of partial replacement with considerable reticulation. Here we provide a brief introduction to the current genetic evidence for hybridization among hominins, its prevalence in, and effects on, comparative mammal groups, and especially how it manifests in the skull. We then explore the degree to which cranial variation seen in the fossil record of late Pleistocene hominins from Western Eurasia corresponds with our current genetic and comparative data. We are especially interested in understanding the degree to which skeletal data can reflect admixture. Our findings indicate some correspondence between these different lines of evidence, flag individual fossils as possibly admixed, and suggest that different cranial regions may preserve hybridization signals differentially. We urge further studies of the phenotype to expand our ability to detect the ways in which migration, interaction and genetic exchange have shaped the human past, beyond what is currently visible with the lens of ancient DNA.
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Affiliation(s)
- K Harvati
- Paleoanthropology section, Senckenberg Centre for Human Evolution and Palaeoenvironment, Institute for Archaeological Sciences, Eberhard Karls Universität Tübingen, Tübingen, Germany.
- DFG Centre for Advanced Studies 'Words, Bones, Genes, Tools', Eberhard Karls Universität Tübingen, Tübingen, Germany.
| | - R R Ackermann
- Human Evolution Research Institute, University of Cape Town, Cape Town, South Africa.
- Department of Archaeology, University of Cape Town, Cape Town, South Africa.
- DFG Centre for Advanced Studies 'Words, Bones, Genes, Tools', Eberhard Karls Universität Tübingen, Tübingen, Germany.
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5
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Zug R, Uller T. Evolution and dysfunction of human cognitive and social traits: A transcriptional regulation perspective. EVOLUTIONARY HUMAN SCIENCES 2022; 4:e43. [PMID: 37588924 PMCID: PMC10426018 DOI: 10.1017/ehs.2022.42] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 05/24/2022] [Revised: 08/11/2022] [Accepted: 09/11/2022] [Indexed: 11/07/2022] Open
Abstract
Evolutionary changes in brain and craniofacial development have endowed humans with unique cognitive and social skills, but also predisposed us to debilitating disorders in which these traits are disrupted. What are the developmental genetic underpinnings that connect the adaptive evolution of our cognition and sociality with the persistence of mental disorders with severe negative fitness effects? We argue that loss of function of genes involved in transcriptional regulation represents a crucial link between the evolution and dysfunction of human cognitive and social traits. The argument is based on the haploinsufficiency of many transcriptional regulator genes, which makes them particularly sensitive to loss-of-function mutations. We discuss how human brain and craniofacial traits evolved through partial loss of function (i.e. reduced expression) of these genes, a perspective compatible with the idea of human self-domestication. Moreover, we explain why selection against loss-of-function variants supports the view that mutation-selection-drift, rather than balancing selection, underlies the persistence of psychiatric disorders. Finally, we discuss testable predictions.
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Affiliation(s)
- Roman Zug
- Department of Biology, Lund University, Lund, Sweden
| | - Tobias Uller
- Department of Biology, Lund University, Lund, Sweden
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6
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Johansson C, Folgerø PO. Is Reduced Visual Processing the Price of Language? Brain Sci 2022; 12:brainsci12060771. [PMID: 35741656 PMCID: PMC9221435 DOI: 10.3390/brainsci12060771] [Citation(s) in RCA: 1] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 05/09/2022] [Revised: 06/06/2022] [Accepted: 06/08/2022] [Indexed: 02/01/2023] Open
Abstract
We suggest a later timeline for full language capabilities in Homo sapiens, placing the emergence of language over 200,000 years after the emergence of our species. The late Paleolithic period saw several significant changes. Homo sapiens became more gracile and gradually lost significant brain volumes. Detailed realistic cave paintings disappeared completely, and iconic/symbolic ones appeared at other sites. This may indicate a shift in perceptual abilities, away from an accurate perception of the present. Language in modern humans interact with vision. One example is the McGurk effect. Studies show that artistic abilities may improve when language-related brain areas are damaged or temporarily knocked out. Language relies on many pre-existing non-linguistic functions. We suggest that an overwhelming flow of perceptual information, vision, in particular, was an obstacle to language, as is sometimes implied in autism with relative language impairment. We systematically review the recent research literature investigating the relationship between language and perception. We see homologues of language-relevant brain functions predating language. Recent findings show brain lateralization for communicative gestures in other primates without language, supporting the idea that a language-ready brain may be overwhelmed by raw perception, thus blocking overt language from evolving. We find support in converging evidence for a change in neural organization away from raw perception, thus pushing the emergence of language closer in time. A recent origin of language makes it possible to investigate the genetic origins of language.
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7
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Weasel L. How Neanderthals became White: The introgression of race into contemporary human evolutionary genomics. Am Nat 2022; 200:129-139. [DOI: 10.1086/720130] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/04/2022]
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8
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Folgerø PO, Johansson C, Stokkedal LH. The Superior Visual Perception Hypothesis: Neuroaesthetics of Cave Art. Behav Sci (Basel) 2021; 11:81. [PMID: 34073168 PMCID: PMC8226463 DOI: 10.3390/bs11060081] [Citation(s) in RCA: 3] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 04/13/2021] [Revised: 05/20/2021] [Accepted: 05/24/2021] [Indexed: 11/16/2022] Open
Abstract
Cave Art in the Upper Paleolithic presents a boost of creativity and visual thinking. What can explain these savant-like paintings? The normal brain function in modern man rarely supports the creation of highly detailed paintings, particularly the convincing representation of animal movement, without extensive training and access to modern technology. Differences in neuro-signaling and brain anatomy between modern and archaic Homo sapiens could also cause differences in perception. The brain of archaic Homo sapiens could perceive raw detailed information without using pre-established top-down concepts, as opposed to the common understanding of the normal modern non-savant brain driven by top-down control. Some ancient genes preserved in modern humans may be expressed in rare disorders. Researchers have compared Cave Art with art made by people with autism spectrum disorder. We propose that archaic primary consciousness, as opposed to modern secondary consciousness, included a savant-like perception with a superior richness of details compared to modern man. Modern people with high frequencies of Neanderthal genes, have notable anatomical features such as increased skull width in the occipital and parietal visual areas. We hypothesize that the anatomical differences are functional and may allow a different path to visual perception.
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Affiliation(s)
- Per Olav Folgerø
- Department of Linguistic, Literary and Aesthetic Studies, University of Bergen, 5007 Bergen, Norway;
| | - Christer Johansson
- Department of Linguistic, Literary and Aesthetic Studies, University of Bergen, 5007 Bergen, Norway;
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9
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Gouveia MH, Otim I, Ogwang MD, Wang M, Zhu B, Cole N, Luo W, Hicks B, Jones K, Oehl-Huber K, Ayers LW, Pittaluga S, Legason ID, Nabalende H, Kerchan P, Kinyera T, Kawira E, Brubaker G, Levin AG, Guertler L, Kim J, Stewart DR, Adde M, Magrath I, Bergen AW, Reynolds SJ, Yeager M, Bhatia K, Adeyemo AA, Prokunina-Olsson L, Dean M, Shriner D, Rotimi CN, Chanock S, Siebert R, Mbulaiteye SM. Endemic Burkitt Lymphoma in second-degree relatives in Northern Uganda: in-depth genome-wide analysis suggests clues about genetic susceptibility. Leukemia 2021; 35:1209-1213. [PMID: 33051549 PMCID: PMC8024190 DOI: 10.1038/s41375-020-01052-w] [Citation(s) in RCA: 5] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.7] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 05/28/2020] [Revised: 08/11/2020] [Accepted: 09/29/2020] [Indexed: 11/09/2022]
Affiliation(s)
- Mateus H Gouveia
- Center for Research on Genomics & Global Health, NHGRI, National Institutes of Health, Bethesda, MD, USA
| | - Isaac Otim
- EMBLEM Study, African Field Epidemiology Network, Kampala, Uganda
| | | | - Mingyi Wang
- Cancer Genomics Research Laboratory, Leidos Biomedical Research, Frederick National Laboratory for Cancer Research, Frederick, MD, USA
| | - Bin Zhu
- Cancer Genomics Research Laboratory, Leidos Biomedical Research, Frederick National Laboratory for Cancer Research, Frederick, MD, USA
| | - Nathan Cole
- Cancer Genomics Research Laboratory, Leidos Biomedical Research, Frederick National Laboratory for Cancer Research, Frederick, MD, USA
| | - Wen Luo
- Cancer Genomics Research Laboratory, Leidos Biomedical Research, Frederick National Laboratory for Cancer Research, Frederick, MD, USA
| | - Belynda Hicks
- Cancer Genomics Research Laboratory, Leidos Biomedical Research, Frederick National Laboratory for Cancer Research, Frederick, MD, USA
| | - Kristine Jones
- Cancer Genomics Research Laboratory, Leidos Biomedical Research, Frederick National Laboratory for Cancer Research, Frederick, MD, USA
| | - Kathrin Oehl-Huber
- Institute of Human Genetics, Ulm University and Ulm University Medical Center, Ulm, Germany
| | - Leona W Ayers
- Department of Pathology, The Ohio State University, Columbus, OH, USA
| | - Stefania Pittaluga
- Laboratory of Pathology, National Cancer Institute, National Institutes of Health, Bethesda, MD, USA
| | | | | | | | - Tobias Kinyera
- EMBLEM Study, African Field Epidemiology Network, Kampala, Uganda
| | - Esther Kawira
- EMBLEM Study, Shirati Health, Education, and Development Foundation, Shirati, Tanzania
| | - Glen Brubaker
- Inter-Church Medical Assistance Mission, Baltimore, MD, USA
| | - Arthur G Levin
- EMBLEM Study, Shirati Health, Education, and Development Foundation, Shirati, Tanzania
| | - Lutz Guertler
- Max von Pettenkofer Institute, LMU University of München, München, Germany
| | - Jung Kim
- Division of Cancer Epidemiology and Genetics, National Cancer Institute, National Institutes of Health, US Department of Health and Human Services, Bethesda, MD, USA
| | - Douglas R Stewart
- Division of Cancer Epidemiology and Genetics, National Cancer Institute, National Institutes of Health, US Department of Health and Human Services, Bethesda, MD, USA
| | - Melissa Adde
- International Network for Cancer Treatment, Brussels, Belgium
| | - Ian Magrath
- International Network for Cancer Treatment, Brussels, Belgium
| | - Andrew W Bergen
- Division of Cancer Epidemiology and Genetics, National Cancer Institute, National Institutes of Health, US Department of Health and Human Services, Bethesda, MD, USA
| | - Steven J Reynolds
- Division of Intramural Research, National Institute of Allergy and Infectious Diseases, National Institutes of Health, US Department of Health and Human Services, Bethesda, MD, USA
| | - Meredith Yeager
- Cancer Genomics Research Laboratory, Leidos Biomedical Research, Frederick National Laboratory for Cancer Research, Frederick, MD, USA
| | - Kishor Bhatia
- Division of Cancer Epidemiology and Genetics, National Cancer Institute, National Institutes of Health, US Department of Health and Human Services, Bethesda, MD, USA
| | - Adebowale A Adeyemo
- Center for Research on Genomics & Global Health, NHGRI, National Institutes of Health, Bethesda, MD, USA
| | - Ludmila Prokunina-Olsson
- Division of Cancer Epidemiology and Genetics, National Cancer Institute, National Institutes of Health, US Department of Health and Human Services, Bethesda, MD, USA
| | - Michael Dean
- Division of Cancer Epidemiology and Genetics, National Cancer Institute, National Institutes of Health, US Department of Health and Human Services, Bethesda, MD, USA
| | - Daniel Shriner
- Center for Research on Genomics & Global Health, NHGRI, National Institutes of Health, Bethesda, MD, USA
| | - Charles N Rotimi
- Center for Research on Genomics & Global Health, NHGRI, National Institutes of Health, Bethesda, MD, USA
| | - Stephen Chanock
- Division of Cancer Epidemiology and Genetics, National Cancer Institute, National Institutes of Health, US Department of Health and Human Services, Bethesda, MD, USA
| | - Reiner Siebert
- Institute of Human Genetics, Ulm University and Ulm University Medical Center, Ulm, Germany
| | - Sam M Mbulaiteye
- Division of Cancer Epidemiology and Genetics, National Cancer Institute, National Institutes of Health, US Department of Health and Human Services, Bethesda, MD, USA.
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10
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Arbones ML, Thomazeau A, Nakano-Kobayashi A, Hagiwara M, Delabar JM. DYRK1A and cognition: A lifelong relationship. Pharmacol Ther 2019; 194:199-221. [PMID: 30268771 DOI: 10.1016/j.pharmthera.2018.09.010] [Citation(s) in RCA: 93] [Impact Index Per Article: 18.6] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 12/16/2022]
Abstract
The dosage of the serine threonine kinase DYRK1A is critical in the central nervous system (CNS) during development and aging. This review analyzes the functions of this kinase by considering its interacting partners and pathways. The role of DYRK1A in controlling the differentiation of prenatal newly formed neurons is presented separately from its role at the pre- and post-synaptic levels in the adult CNS; its effects on synaptic plasticity are also discussed. Because this kinase is positioned at the crossroads of many important processes, genetic dosage errors in this protein produce devastating effects arising from DYRK1A deficiency, such as in MRD7, an autism spectrum disorder, or from DYRK1A excess, such as in Down syndrome. Effects of these errors have been shown in various animal models including Drosophila, zebrafish, and mice. Dysregulation of DYRK1A levels also occurs in neurodegenerative diseases such as Alzheimer's and Parkinson's diseases. Finally, this review describes inhibitors that have been assessed in vivo. Accurate targeting of DYRK1A levels in the brain, with either inhibitors or activators, is a future research challenge.
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Affiliation(s)
- Maria L Arbones
- Department of Developmental Biology, Instituto de Biología Molecular de Barcelona, CSIC, Centro de Investigación Biomédica en Red de Enfermedades Raras (CIBERER), 08028 Barcelona, Spain.
| | - Aurore Thomazeau
- Picower Institute for Learning and Memory, Massachusetts Institute of Technology, Cambridge, United States
| | - Akiko Nakano-Kobayashi
- Department of Anatomy and Developmental Biology, Graduate School of Medicine, Kyoto University, Kyoto 606-8501, Japan
| | - Masatoshi Hagiwara
- Department of Anatomy and Developmental Biology, Graduate School of Medicine, Kyoto University, Kyoto 606-8501, Japan
| | - Jean M Delabar
- INSERM U1127, CNRS UMR 7225, Sorbonne Universités, UPMC Univ Paris 06 UMRS 1127, Institut du Cerveau et de la Moelle épinière, ICM, Paris, France
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11
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Benítez-Burraco A. Differences in the Neanderthal BRCA2 gene might be related to their distinctive cognitive profile. Hereditas 2018; 155:38. [PMID: 30564067 PMCID: PMC6291940 DOI: 10.1186/s41065-018-0076-2] [Citation(s) in RCA: 2] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 11/19/2018] [Accepted: 11/28/2018] [Indexed: 11/23/2022] Open
Abstract
The unique divergence of the BRCA2 gene in Neanderthals compared to modern humans has been hypothesized to account for a differential susceptibility to cancer. However, the role of the gene in brain development and its connection with autism suggest that these differences might be (also) related to the more encapsulated nature of the Neanderthal cognition and their (inferred) autistic-like features.
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Affiliation(s)
- Antonio Benítez-Burraco
- Department of Spanish, Linguistics, and Theory of Literature (Linguistics), University of Seville, Seville, Spain
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12
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Charlier P, Coppens Y, Héry-Arnaud G, Hassin J. [A biological anthropology of the disappearance of the Neandertal Man: recent data]. Med Sci (Paris) 2018; 34:745-748. [PMID: 30230470 DOI: 10.1051/medsci/20183408024] [Citation(s) in RCA: 2] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 12/11/2022] Open
Abstract
What could have been the causes of the disappearance of Neanderthals? We will try here to make a synthesis between one of the fundamental questions of biological anthropology relating to human evolution (hypotheses on the causes of the extinction of Neanderthals) and evolutionary bio-medical concepts, some of which have recently been reformulated thanks to the progress of paleogenomics (ancestral inheritance of the current human immune system, paleo-microbiology, host-pathogen relationship…).
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Affiliation(s)
- Philippe Charlier
- UFR des sciences de la santé, université de Versailles Saint-Quentin-en-Yvelines (UVSQ), EA 4498, laboratoire droit des affaires et nouvelles technologies (DANTE), 2, avenue de la source de la Bièvre, 78180 Montigny-Le-Bretonneux, France - Centre d'accueil et de soins hospitaliers (CASH) et institut de la précarité et de l'exclusion sociale (IPES), 403, avenue de la République, 92000 Nanterre, France
| | - Yves Coppens
- Collège de France, 11, place Marcelin Berthelot, 75005 Paris, France
| | - Geneviève Héry-Arnaud
- Laboratoire universitaire de biodiversité et d'écologie microbienne (LUBEM)/bactériologie-virologie, faculté de médecine et des sciences et de la santé, 22, avenue Camille Desmoulins, 29238 Brest, France
| | - Jacques Hassin
- Centre d'accueil et de soins hospitaliers (CASH) et institut de la précarité et de l'exclusion sociale (IPES), 403, avenue de la République, 92000 Nanterre, France
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13
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Dolgova O, Lao O. Evolutionary and Medical Consequences of Archaic Introgression into Modern Human Genomes. Genes (Basel) 2018; 9:E358. [PMID: 30022013 PMCID: PMC6070777 DOI: 10.3390/genes9070358] [Citation(s) in RCA: 16] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.7] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 06/15/2018] [Revised: 07/07/2018] [Accepted: 07/11/2018] [Indexed: 01/13/2023] Open
Abstract
The demographic history of anatomically modern humans (AMH) involves multiple migration events, population extinctions and genetic adaptations. As genome-wide data from complete genome sequencing becomes increasingly abundant and available even from extinct hominins, new insights of the evolutionary history of our species are discovered. It is currently known that AMH interbred with archaic hominins once they left the African continent. Current non-African human genomes carry fragments of archaic origin. This review focuses on the fitness consequences of archaic interbreeding in current human populations. We discuss new insights and challenges that researchers face when interpreting the potential impact of introgression on fitness and testing hypotheses about the role of selection within the context of health and disease.
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Affiliation(s)
- Olga Dolgova
- Population Genomics Group, Centre Nacional d'Anàlisi Genòmica, Centre de Regulació Genòmica (CRG-CNAG), Parc Científic de Barcelona, Baldiri Reixac 4, 08028 Barcelona, Catalonia, Spain.
| | - Oscar Lao
- Population Genomics Group, Centre Nacional d'Anàlisi Genòmica, Centre de Regulació Genòmica (CRG-CNAG), Parc Científic de Barcelona, Baldiri Reixac 4, 08028 Barcelona, Catalonia, Spain.
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Widowati EW, Ernst S, Hausmann R, Müller-Newen G, Becker W. Functional characterization of DYRK1A missense variants associated with a syndromic form of intellectual deficiency and autism. Biol Open 2018; 7:7/4/bio032862. [PMID: 29700199 PMCID: PMC5936063 DOI: 10.1242/bio.032862] [Citation(s) in RCA: 19] [Impact Index Per Article: 3.2] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 12/25/2022] Open
Abstract
Haploinsufficiency of DYRK1A is a cause of a neurodevelopmental syndrome termed mental retardation autosomal dominant 7 (MRD7). Several truncation mutations, microdeletions and missense variants have been identified and result in a recognizable phenotypic profile, including microcephaly, intellectual disability, epileptic seizures, autism spectrum disorder and language delay. DYRK1A is an evolutionary conserved protein kinase which achieves full catalytic activity through tyrosine autophosphorylation. We used a heterologous mammalian expression system to explore the functional characteristics of pathogenic missense variants that affect the catalytic domain of DYRK1A. Four of the substitutions eliminated tyrosine autophosphorylation (L245R, F308V, S311F, S346P), indicating that these variants lacked kinase activity. Tyrosine phosphorylation of DYRK1A-L295F in mammalian cells was comparable to wild type, although the mutant showed lower catalytic activity and reduced thermodynamic stability in cellular thermal shift assays. In addition, we observed that one variant (DYRK1A-T588N) with a mutation outside the catalytic domain did not differ from wild-type DYRK1A in tyrosine autophosphorylation, catalytic activity or subcellular localization. These results suggest that the pathogenic missense variants in the catalytic domain of DYRK1A impair enzymatic function by affecting catalytic residues or by compromising the structural integrity of the kinase domain. This article has an associated First Person interview with the first author of the paper. Summary: We have analyzed the functional consequences of amino acid substitutions in the protein kinase DYRK1A that have been identified as pathogenic in patients with microcephaly, intellectual disability and autism.
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Affiliation(s)
- Esti Wahyu Widowati
- Institute of Pharmacology and Toxicology, Medical Faculty, RWTH Aachen University, 52074 Aachen, Germany.,Chemistry Study Program, Faculty of Science and Technology, State Islamic University (UIN) Sunan Kalijaga, Yogyakarta 55281, Indonesia
| | - Sabrina Ernst
- Institute of Biochemistry and Molecular Biology, Medical Faculty, RWTH Aachen University, 52074 Aachen, Germany
| | - Ralf Hausmann
- Institute of Pharmacology and Toxicology, Medical Faculty, RWTH Aachen University, 52074 Aachen, Germany
| | - Gerhard Müller-Newen
- Institute of Biochemistry and Molecular Biology, Medical Faculty, RWTH Aachen University, 52074 Aachen, Germany
| | - Walter Becker
- Institute of Pharmacology and Toxicology, Medical Faculty, RWTH Aachen University, 52074 Aachen, Germany
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