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Zamorina TA, Ivashkina OI, Toropova KA, Anokhin KV. Inhibition of Protein Synthesis Attenuates Formation of Traumatic Memory and Normalizes Fear-Induced c-Fos Expression in a Mouse Model of Posttraumatic Stress Disorder. Int J Mol Sci 2024; 25:6544. [PMID: 38928250 PMCID: PMC11204086 DOI: 10.3390/ijms25126544] [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: 04/16/2024] [Revised: 05/24/2024] [Accepted: 06/11/2024] [Indexed: 06/28/2024] Open
Abstract
Posttraumatic stress disorder (PTSD) is a debilitating psychosomatic condition characterized by impairment of brain fear circuits and persistence of exceptionally strong associative memories resistant to extinction. In this study, we investigated the neural and behavioral consequences of inhibiting protein synthesis, a process known to suppress the formation of conventional aversive memories, in an established PTSD animal model based on contextual fear conditioning in mice. Control animals were subjected to the conventional fear conditioning task. Utilizing c-Fos neural activity mapping, we found that the retrieval of PTSD and normal aversive memories produced activation of an overlapping set of brain structures. However, several specific areas, such as the infralimbic cortex and the paraventricular thalamic nucleus, showed an increase in the PTSD group compared to the normal aversive memory group. Administration of protein synthesis inhibitor before PTSD induction disrupted the formation of traumatic memories, resulting in behavior that matched the behavior of mice with usual aversive memory. Concomitant with this behavioral shift was a normalization of brain c-Fos activation pattern matching the one observed in usual fear memory. Our findings demonstrate that inhibiting protein synthesis during traumatic experiences significantly impairs the development of PTSD in a mouse model. These data provide insights into the neural underpinnings of protein synthesis-dependent traumatic memory formation and open prospects for the development of new therapeutic strategies for PTSD prevention.
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Affiliation(s)
- Tatyana A. Zamorina
- Institute for Advanced Brain Studies, Lomonosov Moscow State University, 119991 Moscow, Russia; (T.A.Z.); (O.I.I.); (K.A.T.)
- Faculty of Biology, Department of Higher Nervous Activity, Lomonosov Moscow State University, 119234 Moscow, Russia
| | - Olga I. Ivashkina
- Institute for Advanced Brain Studies, Lomonosov Moscow State University, 119991 Moscow, Russia; (T.A.Z.); (O.I.I.); (K.A.T.)
- Laboratory of Neuronal Intelligence, Lomonosov Moscow State University, 119991 Moscow, Russia
| | - Ksenia A. Toropova
- Institute for Advanced Brain Studies, Lomonosov Moscow State University, 119991 Moscow, Russia; (T.A.Z.); (O.I.I.); (K.A.T.)
- Laboratory of Neuronal Intelligence, Lomonosov Moscow State University, 119991 Moscow, Russia
| | - Konstantin V. Anokhin
- Institute for Advanced Brain Studies, Lomonosov Moscow State University, 119991 Moscow, Russia; (T.A.Z.); (O.I.I.); (K.A.T.)
- Laboratory of Neuronal Intelligence, Lomonosov Moscow State University, 119991 Moscow, Russia
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2
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Haris EM, Bryant RA, Korgaonkar MS. Structural covariance, topological organization, and volumetric features of amygdala subnuclei in posttraumatic stress disorder. Neuroimage Clin 2024; 42:103619. [PMID: 38744025 PMCID: PMC11108976 DOI: 10.1016/j.nicl.2024.103619] [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] [Received: 11/06/2023] [Revised: 04/14/2024] [Accepted: 05/10/2024] [Indexed: 05/16/2024]
Abstract
The amygdala is divided into functional subnuclei which have been challenging to investigate due to functional magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) limitations in mapping small neural structures. Hence their role in the neurobiology of posttraumatic stress disorder (PTSD) remains poorly understood. Examination of covariance of structural MRI measures could be an alternate approach to circumvent this issue. T1-weighted anatomical scans from a 3 T scanner from non-trauma-exposed controls (NEC; n = 71, 75 % female) and PTSD participants (n = 67, 69 % female) were parcellated into 105 brain regions. Pearson's r partial correlations were computed for three and nine bilateral amygdala subnuclei and every other brain region, corrected for age, sex, and total brain volume. Pairwise correlation comparisons were performed to examine subnuclei covariance profiles between-groups. Graph theory was employed to investigate subnuclei network topology. Volumetric measures were compared to investigate structural changes. We found differences between amygdala subnuclei in covariance with the hippocampus for both groups, and additionally with temporal brain regions for the PTSD group. Network topology demonstrated the importance of the right basal nucleus in facilitating network communication only in PTSD. There were no between-group differences for any of the three structural metrics. These findings are in line with previous work that has failed to find structural differences for amygdala subnuclei between PTSD and controls. However, differences between amygdala subnuclei covariance profiles observed in our study highlight the need to investigate amygdala subnuclei functional connectivity in PTSD using higher field strength fMRI for better spatial resolution.
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Affiliation(s)
- Elizabeth M Haris
- Brain Dynamics Centre, Westmead Institute for Medical Research, The University of Sydney, Westmead, NSW, Australia; School of Psychology, University of New South Wales, Sydney, Australia.
| | - Richard A Bryant
- Brain Dynamics Centre, Westmead Institute for Medical Research, The University of Sydney, Westmead, NSW, Australia; School of Psychology, University of New South Wales, Sydney, Australia
| | - Mayuresh S Korgaonkar
- Brain Dynamics Centre, Westmead Institute for Medical Research, The University of Sydney, Westmead, NSW, Australia; Discipline of Psychiatry, Sydney Medical School, Westmead, NSW, Australia; Department of Radiology, Western Sydney Local Health District, Westmead, NSW, Australia.
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3
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Fleming LL, Harnett NG, Ressler KJ. Sensory alterations in post-traumatic stress disorder. Curr Opin Neurobiol 2024; 84:102821. [PMID: 38096758 PMCID: PMC10922208 DOI: 10.1016/j.conb.2023.102821] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 08/19/2023] [Revised: 11/19/2023] [Accepted: 11/20/2023] [Indexed: 01/13/2024]
Abstract
PTSD is characterized by difficulties in accurately evaluating the threat value of sensory stimuli. While the role of canonical fear and threat neural circuitry in this ability has been well studied, recent lines of evidence suggest a need to include more emphasis on sensory processing in the conceptualization of PTSD symptomology. Specifically, studies have demonstrated a strong association between variability in sensory processing regions and the severity of PTSD symptoms. In this review, we summarize recent findings that underscore the importance of sensory processing in PTSD, in addition to the structural and functional characteristics of associated sensory brain regions. First, we discuss the link between PTSD and various behavioral aspects of sensory processing. This is followed by a discussion of recent findings that link PTSD to variability in the structure of both gray and white matter in sensory brain regions. We then delve into how brain activity (measured with task-based and resting-state functional imaging) in sensory regions informs our understanding of PTSD symptomology.
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Affiliation(s)
- Leland L Fleming
- Division of Depression and Anxiety, McLean Hospital, Belmont, USA; Department of Psychiatry, Harvard Medical School, Boston, USA
| | - Nathaniel G Harnett
- Division of Depression and Anxiety, McLean Hospital, Belmont, USA; Department of Psychiatry, Harvard Medical School, Boston, USA
| | - Kerry J Ressler
- Division of Depression and Anxiety, McLean Hospital, Belmont, USA; Department of Psychiatry, Harvard Medical School, Boston, USA.
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4
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Ben-Zion Z, Korem N, Fine NB, Katz S, Siddhanta M, Funaro MC, Duek O, Spiller TR, Danböck SK, Levy I, Harpaz-Rotem I. Structural Neuroimaging of Hippocampus and Amygdala Subregions in Posttraumatic Stress Disorder: A Scoping Review. BIOLOGICAL PSYCHIATRY GLOBAL OPEN SCIENCE 2024; 4:120-134. [PMID: 38298789 PMCID: PMC10829655 DOI: 10.1016/j.bpsgos.2023.07.001] [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: 04/17/2023] [Revised: 06/28/2023] [Accepted: 07/02/2023] [Indexed: 02/02/2024] Open
Abstract
Numerous studies have explored the relationship between posttraumatic stress disorder (PTSD) and the hippocampus and the amygdala because both regions are implicated in the disorder's pathogenesis and pathophysiology. Nevertheless, those key limbic regions consist of functionally and cytoarchitecturally distinct substructures that may play different roles in the etiology of PTSD. Spurred by the availability of automatic segmentation software, structural neuroimaging studies of human hippocampal and amygdala subregions have proliferated in recent years. Here, we present a preregistered scoping review of the existing structural neuroimaging studies of the hippocampus and amygdala subregions in adults diagnosed with PTSD. A total of 3513 studies assessing subregion volumes were identified, 1689 of which were screened, and 21 studies were eligible for this review (total N = 2876 individuals). Most studies examined hippocampal subregions and reported decreased CA1, CA3, dentate gyrus, and subiculum volumes in PTSD. Fewer studies investigated amygdala subregions and reported altered lateral, basal, and central nuclei volumes in PTSD. This review further highlights the conceptual and methodological limitations of the current literature and identifies future directions to increase understanding of the distinct roles of hippocampal and amygdalar subregions in posttraumatic psychopathology.
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Affiliation(s)
- Ziv Ben-Zion
- Yale School of Medicine, Yale University, New Haven, Connecticut
- US Department of Veterans Affairs National Center for PTSD, Clinical Neuroscience Division, VA Connecticut Healthcare System, West Haven, Connecticut
- Wu Tsai Institute, Yale University, New Haven, Connecticut
- Department of Psychology, Yale University, New Haven, Connecticut
| | - Nachshon Korem
- Yale School of Medicine, Yale University, New Haven, Connecticut
- US Department of Veterans Affairs National Center for PTSD, Clinical Neuroscience Division, VA Connecticut Healthcare System, West Haven, Connecticut
| | - Naomi B Fine
- Sagol Brain Institute Tel-Aviv, Tel Aviv Sourasky Medical Center, Tel Aviv, Israel
- Faculty of Social Sciences, School of Psychological Science, Tel Aviv University, Tel Aviv, Israel
| | - Sophia Katz
- Yale School of Medicine, Yale University, New Haven, Connecticut
| | - Megha Siddhanta
- Yale School of Medicine, Yale University, New Haven, Connecticut
| | - Melissa C Funaro
- Harvey Cushing/John Hay Whitney Medical Library, Yale University, New Haven, Connecticut
| | - Or Duek
- Yale School of Medicine, Yale University, New Haven, Connecticut
- US Department of Veterans Affairs National Center for PTSD, Clinical Neuroscience Division, VA Connecticut Healthcare System, West Haven, Connecticut
- Department of Epidemiology, Biostatistics and Community Health Sciences, Ben-Gurion University of the Negev, Beer Sheva, Israel
| | - Tobias R Spiller
- Yale School of Medicine, Yale University, New Haven, Connecticut
- US Department of Veterans Affairs National Center for PTSD, Clinical Neuroscience Division, VA Connecticut Healthcare System, West Haven, Connecticut
- Department of Consultation-Liaison Psychiatry and Psychosomatic Medicine, University Hospital Zürich, University of Zürich, Zürich, Switzerland
| | - Sarah K Danböck
- Yale School of Medicine, Yale University, New Haven, Connecticut
- Division of Clinical Psychology and Psychopathology, Department of Psychology, Paris London University of Salzburg, Salzburg, Austria
| | - Ifat Levy
- Yale School of Medicine, Yale University, New Haven, Connecticut
- Wu Tsai Institute, Yale University, New Haven, Connecticut
- Department of Psychology, Yale University, New Haven, Connecticut
| | - Ilan Harpaz-Rotem
- Yale School of Medicine, Yale University, New Haven, Connecticut
- US Department of Veterans Affairs National Center for PTSD, Clinical Neuroscience Division, VA Connecticut Healthcare System, West Haven, Connecticut
- Wu Tsai Institute, Yale University, New Haven, Connecticut
- Department of Psychology, Yale University, New Haven, Connecticut
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Haris EM, Bryant RA, Williamson T, Korgaonkar MS. Functional connectivity of amygdala subnuclei in PTSD: a narrative review. Mol Psychiatry 2023; 28:3581-3594. [PMID: 37845498 PMCID: PMC10730419 DOI: 10.1038/s41380-023-02291-w] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Submit a Manuscript] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 04/03/2023] [Revised: 09/25/2023] [Accepted: 10/03/2023] [Indexed: 10/18/2023]
Abstract
While the amygdala is often implicated in the neurobiology of posttraumatic stress disorder (PTSD), the pattern of results remains mixed. One reason for this may be the heterogeneity of amygdala subnuclei and their functional connections. This review used PRISMA guidelines to synthesize research exploring the functional connectivity of three primary amygdala subnuclei, basolateral (BLA), centromedial (CMA), and superficial nuclei (SFA), in PTSD (N = 331) relative to trauma-exposed (N = 155) and non-trauma-exposed controls (N = 210). Although studies were limited (N = 11), preliminary evidence suggests that in PTSD compared to trauma-exposed controls, the BLA shows greater connectivity with the dorsal anterior cingulate, an area involved in salience detection. In PTSD compared to non-trauma-exposed controls, the BLA shows greater connectivity with the middle frontal gyrus, an area involved in attention. No other connections were replicated across studies. A secondary aim of this review was to outline the limitations of this field to better shape future research. Importantly, the results from this review indicate the need to consider potential mediators of amygdala subnuclei connectivity, such as trauma type and sex, when conducting such studies. They also highlight the need to be aware of the limited inferences we can make with such small samples that investigate small subcortical structures on low field strength magnetic resonance imaging scanners. Collectively, this review demonstrates the importance of exploring the differential connectivity of amygdala subnuclei to understand the pathophysiology of PTSD and stresses the need for future research to harness the strength of ultra-high field imaging to gain a more sensitive picture of the neural connectivity underlying PTSD.
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Affiliation(s)
- Elizabeth M Haris
- School of Psychology, University of New South Wales, Sydney, NSW, Australia.
- Brain Dynamics Centre, Westmead Institute for Medical Research, The University of Sydney, Westmead, NSW, Australia.
| | - Richard A Bryant
- School of Psychology, University of New South Wales, Sydney, NSW, Australia
- Brain Dynamics Centre, Westmead Institute for Medical Research, The University of Sydney, Westmead, NSW, Australia
| | - Thomas Williamson
- Brain Dynamics Centre, Westmead Institute for Medical Research, The University of Sydney, Westmead, NSW, Australia
| | - Mayuresh S Korgaonkar
- Brain Dynamics Centre, Westmead Institute for Medical Research, The University of Sydney, Westmead, NSW, Australia.
- Discipline of Psychiatry, Sydney Medical School, Westmead, NSW, Australia.
- Western Sydney Local Health District, Westmead, NSW, Australia.
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Liu Q, Song X, Zhou X, Huang L, Zhang X, Wang L, Zhu S, Lan C, Yang W, Zhao W. Regional superficial amygdala resting-state functional connectivity in adults infers childhood maltreatment severity. PSYCHORADIOLOGY 2023; 3:kkad004. [PMID: 38666120 PMCID: PMC11003424 DOI: 10.1093/psyrad/kkad004] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 02/22/2023] [Revised: 04/11/2023] [Accepted: 04/17/2023] [Indexed: 04/28/2024]
Abstract
Background Childhood maltreatment (CM) is a potential risk factor for some neuropsychiatric disorders in adulthood (e.g. depression and anxiety) and alters trajectories of brain development. Accumulating evidence suggests that functional connectivity of the limbic system, especially the amygdala, is highly associated with childhood maltreatment, although not all studies have found this. These inconsistent results may be due to differential alterations of amygdala resting-state functional connectivity (rsFC) following childhood maltreatment. Objective Our aim was to investigate the relationship between the rsFC of amygdala subregions and CM severity, as well as to develop a stable rsFC-based model for inferring the severity of CM. Methods In this study, we employed the Childhood Trauma Questionnaire (CTQ) to assess CM severity in each individual. We explored the relationship between the rsFC of amygdala subregions (i.e. centromedial -CMA, basolateral -BLA, superficial-SFA amygdala) and CM experience in a discovery dataset of n = 110 healthy Chinese participants by linear multiple regression analysis. Subsequent dimensional and categorical approach were performed to elucidate the relationship between rsFCs and CM severity and CM subtypes, respectively. A support vector regression model was then conducted to validate the associations between rsFCs and total CTQ scores. Moreover, we also verified the model into another independent replication dataset (n = 38). Results Our findings suggested that childhood maltreatment was negatively associated with rsFC between the right superficial amygdala and perigenual anterior cingulate cortex (pgACC)/postcentral gyrus (PCG) but not the other two amygdala subregions. Moreover, SFA-pgACC coupling was more associated with physical neglect whereas the SFA-PCG was more related to emotional neglect. In addition, supervised machine learning confirmed that using these two rsFCs as predictors could stably estimate continuous maltreatment severity in both discovery and replication datasets. Conclusion The current study supports that the rsFCs of superficial amygdala are related to childhood maltreatment and which may be a potential biomarker for the effects of childhood maltreatment-related psychiatric disorders (i.e. depression and anxiety).
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Affiliation(s)
- Qi Liu
- The Center of Psychosomatic Medicine, Sichuan Provincial Center for Mental Health, Sichuan Provincial People's Hospital, University of Electronic Science and Technology of China, Chengdu 611731, China
| | - Xinwei Song
- The Center of Psychosomatic Medicine, Sichuan Provincial Center for Mental Health, Sichuan Provincial People's Hospital, University of Electronic Science and Technology of China, Chengdu 611731, China
| | - Xinqi Zhou
- Institute of Brain and Psychological Sciences, Sichuan Normal University, Chengdu 610066, China
| | - Linghong Huang
- The Center of Psychosomatic Medicine, Sichuan Provincial Center for Mental Health, Sichuan Provincial People's Hospital, University of Electronic Science and Technology of China, Chengdu 611731, China
| | - Xiaodong Zhang
- The Center of Psychosomatic Medicine, Sichuan Provincial Center for Mental Health, Sichuan Provincial People's Hospital, University of Electronic Science and Technology of China, Chengdu 611731, China
| | - Lan Wang
- The Center of Psychosomatic Medicine, Sichuan Provincial Center for Mental Health, Sichuan Provincial People's Hospital, University of Electronic Science and Technology of China, Chengdu 611731, China
| | - Siyu Zhu
- The Center of Psychosomatic Medicine, Sichuan Provincial Center for Mental Health, Sichuan Provincial People's Hospital, University of Electronic Science and Technology of China, Chengdu 611731, China
| | - Chunmei Lan
- The Center of Psychosomatic Medicine, Sichuan Provincial Center for Mental Health, Sichuan Provincial People's Hospital, University of Electronic Science and Technology of China, Chengdu 611731, China
| | - Wenxu Yang
- Chengdu Women's and Children's Central Hospital, School of Medicine, University of Electronic Science and Technology of China, Chengdu 611731, China
| | - Weihua Zhao
- The Center of Psychosomatic Medicine, Sichuan Provincial Center for Mental Health, Sichuan Provincial People's Hospital, University of Electronic Science and Technology of China, Chengdu 611731, China
- Institute of Electronic and Information Engineering of UESTC in Guangdong, Dongguan 523808, China
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Han S, Aili X, Ma J, Liu J, Wang W, Yang X, Wang X, Sun L, Li H. Altered regional homogeneity and functional connectivity of brain activity in young HIV-infected patients with asymptomatic neurocognitive impairment. Front Neurol 2022; 13:982520. [PMID: 36303561 PMCID: PMC9593212 DOI: 10.3389/fneur.2022.982520] [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: 06/30/2022] [Accepted: 09/16/2022] [Indexed: 01/10/2023] Open
Abstract
Objective Asymptomatic neurocognitive impairment (ANI) is a predominant form of cognitive impairment in young HIV-infected patients. However, the neurophysiological mechanisms underlying this disorder have not been clarified. We aimed to evaluate the altered patterns of functional brain activity in young HIV-infected patients with ANI by quantifying regional homogeneity (ReHo) and region of interest (ROI)-based functional connectivity (FC). Methods The experiment involved 44 young HIV-infected patients with ANI and 47 well-matched healthy controls (HCs) undergoing resting-state functional magnetic resonance imaging (rs-fMRI) and neurocognitive tests. Reho alterations were first explored between the ANI group and HC groups. Subsequently, regions showing differences in ReHo were defined as ROIs for FC analysis. Finally, the correlation of ReHo and FC with cognitive function and clinical variables was assessed. Results Compared with HCs, ANI patients had a significant ReHo decrease in the right lingual gyrus (LING. R), right superior occipital gyrus (SOG. R), left superior occipital gyrus (SOG. L), left middle occipital gyrus (MOG. L), right middle frontal gyrus (MFG. R), cerebellar vermis, ReHo enhancement in the left middle frontal gyrus (MFG. L), and left insula (INS L). The ANI patients showed increased FC between the LING. R and MOG. L compared to HC. For ANI patients, verbal and language scores were negatively correlated with increased mean ReHo values in the MFG.L. Increased mean ReHo values in the INS. L was positively correlated with disease duration—the mean ReHo values in the LING. R was positively correlated with the abstraction and executive function scores. Increased FC between the LING. R and MOG. L was positively correlated with verbal and language performance. Conclusion The results suggest that the visual network might be the most vulnerable area of brain function in young HIV-infected patients with ANI. The middle frontal gyrus, cerebellar vermis, and insula also play an important role in asymptomatic neurocognitive impairment. The regional homogeneity and functional connectivity of these regions have compound alterations, which may be related to the course of the disease and neurocognitive function. These neuroimaging findings will help us understand the characteristics of brain network modifications in young HIV-infected patients with ANI.
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Affiliation(s)
- Shuai Han
- Department of Radiology, Beijing Youan Hospital, Capital Medical University, Beijing, China
| | - Xire Aili
- Department of Radiology, Beijing Youan Hospital, Capital Medical University, Beijing, China
- Beijing Advanced Innovation Centre for Biomedical Engineering, Beihang University, Beijing, China
| | - Juming Ma
- Department of Radiology, Beijing Youan Hospital, Capital Medical University, Beijing, China
| | - Jiaojiao Liu
- Department of Radiology, Beijing Youan Hospital, Capital Medical University, Beijing, China
| | - Wei Wang
- Department of Radiology, Beijing Youan Hospital, Capital Medical University, Beijing, China
| | - Xue Yang
- Department of Radiology, Beijing Youan Hospital, Capital Medical University, Beijing, China
| | - Xi Wang
- STD & AIDS Clinic, Department of Infectious Diseases, Beijing Youan Hospital, Capital Medical University, Beijing, China
| | - Lijun Sun
- STD & AIDS Clinic, Department of Infectious Diseases, Beijing Youan Hospital, Capital Medical University, Beijing, China
- Lijun Sun
| | - Hongjun Li
- Department of Radiology, Beijing Youan Hospital, Capital Medical University, Beijing, China
- Beijing Advanced Innovation Centre for Biomedical Engineering, Beihang University, Beijing, China
- *Correspondence: Hongjun Li
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Reis AL, Hammond JH, Stevanovski I, Arnold JC, McGregor IS, Deveson IW, Gururajan A. Sex-specific transcriptomic and epitranscriptomic signatures of PTSD-like fear acquisition. iScience 2022; 25:104861. [PMID: 36039298 PMCID: PMC9418440 DOI: 10.1016/j.isci.2022.104861] [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: 04/25/2022] [Revised: 07/03/2022] [Accepted: 07/26/2022] [Indexed: 11/22/2022] Open
Abstract
Our understanding of the molecular pathology of posttraumatic stress disorder (PTSD) is evolving due to advances in sequencing technologies. With the recent emergence of Oxford Nanopore direct RNA-seq (dRNA-seq), it is now also possible to interrogate diverse RNA modifications, collectively known as the “epitranscriptome.”. Here, we present our analyses of the male and female mouse amygdala transcriptome and epitranscriptome, obtained using parallel Illumina RNA-seq and Oxford Nanopore dRNA-seq, associated with the acquisition of PTSD-like fear induced by Pavlovian cued-fear conditioning. We report significant sex-specific differences in the amygdala transcriptional response during fear acquisition and a range of shared and dimorphic epitranscriptomic signatures. Differential RNA modifications are enriched among mRNA transcripts associated with neurotransmitter regulation and mitochondrial function, many of which have been previously implicated in PTSD. Very few differentially modified transcripts are also differentially expressed, suggesting an influential, expression-independent role for epitranscriptional regulation in PTSD-like fear acquisition. PTSD-like trauma has sexually dimorphic effects on the amygdala transcriptome Most RNA modifications identified adhere to the known patterns associated with m6A There was enrichment of RNA modifications in neurological/PTSD-related genes There was little overlap between transcriptomic and epitranscriptomic signatures
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